Avon Calling: An Ada & Lori Story

AVON CALLING || AN ADA & LORI STORY

"Did the Avon lady come while I was gone?" Everett asked. He was shaving, the bathroom door open so they could talk, and Ada was unpacking his suitcase. He'd been up in Boston on business, only just returned home by an early train and they were preparing to go out for lunch.

Ada paused over the suitcase, in the middle of smoothing out the wrinkles in one of his work shirts. She didn't answer.

The Avon lady who sold Ada her makeup and perfume and other small toiletries came like clockwork every second Friday of the month at 4:30. She was always precisely on time, every time. Ada generally got those sorts of things from the drugstore on the corner or from the huge and glittering Macy's off Harold Square when she was feeling very extravagant. But the woman had been so very charming that Ada had invited her in and hadn't been to Macy's since.

The Avon lady was called Lori and she had hair bleached to the color of vanilla ice-cream in a way that Ada was always reminded of a movie star. She always wore little tailored suits and her nails were perfect little ovals of rosy champagne lacquer, and she never looked like anything was ever out of place. She exuded a boundless, worldly confidence that the shy Ada found endlessly enchanting. They would sit at the kitchen and Ada would listen, flustered and slightly overwhelmed as Lori would get out all of her little samples and the pretty, glossy catalog and tell Ada all about this and that that had come in new, as well as supplying her with her stand-by shades.

At first, Ada insisted that she didn't look very good in lipstick, never mind the bright seductive shades in the catalog.

"Nonsense." Lori insisted, taking hold of Ada's chin in her little manicured fingers, holding her fast as she applied three gentle swipes of color to her startled, parted lips.

"I don't think they usually put the lipstick on you." Everett remarked, amused when Ada had related the story while they were watching television that evening. She had touched her lips, still painted with Crimson Beauty, and lapsed into wondering silence.

As usual, it was exactly 4:30 on Friday afternoon when the buzzer rang. Everett had been out of town for three days and after only being alone even that little while, Ada was a bit embarrassed by how quickly she got up to hit the little intercom button.

"Avon calling!" Lori said cheerily, as if Ada could even begin to imagine that it was anyone else. Moments later, she was stepping through the door in her little heels and a suit the color of strawberry mousse, carrying her sample case.

By now it was like a little ritual: Lori would open her sample case and take out her glossy catalogs and Ada would make them each a cup of fresh coffee and then they would sit down together.

"Here are your usuals that you ordered last time," Lori said, offering tubes of sensible lipsticks and facial cream and perfume that Ada had ordered. "And let's take a look at some of the things new-in for summer!" She opened her lipstick color card and a new case of tiny sample tubes.

Ada knew what came next, and she surprised herself by how pliantly she leaned into Lori's touch as the other woman took her chin in her hand. Ada opened her lips slightly, closing her eyes as Lori gently swiped a bright new lipstick over her lips. The perfect sweep of fingers to draw the cupid's bow of the mouth, unbelievably effortless. She opened her eyes when it was done and was met with Lori's dazzling smile.

"This is Ripe Cherry. It's our signature shade for the season." She says, brightly, picking up her little Lucite mirror, holding it up for Ada to see.

Ada peered at herself, the lipstick stamped bright on her suddenly flushed face.

"It certainly looks just like a sweet ripe cherry." She agrees, fingers skimming over her lips, careful not to smudge. "Oh, but Lori, don't you think it's too much? You know how I am. I don't like to be too bold."

"Yeah, I know how you are." Lori laughed softly and reached for the little pads of cotton and the cold cream she used to remove makeup samples. She gently took Ada's chin in her hand again and brushed away the shade which Ada had found "too much".

"It's too bad, you know," Lori remarked. "I think, deep down, you'd like to be a little more bold. Why, right this minute you're thinking there's something you'd rather like to do if you only had the nerve." She smiled knowingly and Ada felt herself blush all the way down to her collarbones. Lori leaned in close, so dreadfully close that Ada could have counted the perfectly sketched hairs of her dramatically arched eyebrows. Had she been studying the woman's eyes and not her full, soft, peach-colored lips, as she was actually doing.

"I'm sorry. It's so...so terribly forward of me but I'd...I'd sure like to kiss you. Isn't that silly?" Ada said with a tiny, hysterical laugh.

"Not silly at all, darling," Lori said, though she didn't move to close the space between them. "Come on, Ada. Be bold."

Ada chewed her lip furiously for a moment (forgetting how unladylike a gesture that was) before she lurched across the minuscule space between them and kissed Lori on the mouth.

As quickly as she had done it, she sat back sharply, fingers pressed to her lips, still slightly tinged with Sweet Cherry. There was a tiny flourish of bright red marring Lori's peach lipstick. The Avon lady was looking incredibly pleased with herself and Ada felt herself go almost painfully hot all over and she covered her face with her hands.

"I'm so sorry! That was very silly of me, wasn't it? I hope it wasn't...I mean, I hope you didn't mind very much--"

She felt a soft but very insistent hand on her wrist and her hands fell away from her eyes.

"No, Ada, I don't mind very much at all." Lori said, keeping a firm grip on Ada's wrist as she leaned forward and kissed her, the gesture more forward, more demanding than Ada's had been. Ada made a noise somewhere between pain and relief and as soon as Lori let go of her wrist (satisfied, apparently, that she wasn't going to run away), her own two hands framed Lori's cheeks and she was kissing her back as dearly as she had ever wished to. And she had wished to almost from the start.

"Lori's terribly pretty don't you think?" She asked one night while she and Everett were reading in bed.

"Well...yes. But you think all sorts of girls are 'terribly pretty'. You can barely ride the train without telling me how terribly pretty all the girls are, sweetheart. Why do you ask?"

Ada lifted her head to look up at her husband with wide wet eyes. She chewed her lip, a habit she had when she was nervous or couldn't think of how to word something.

Everett quirked an eyebrow. And then, with one of his rich, warm laughs, rolled her over into the pillows, covering her face with kisses.

"Oh no, my sweetheart's got the hots for the Avon lady!" He said, sounding not at all troubled. Teasing, if anything. Ada covered her face with her hands, but he pulled them away, gently pressing them into the pillows. Not restraining but firmly correcting the nervous gesture.

"You're not mad?" She asked timidly.

"Not mad? Sweetheart, I was afraid I was going to have to tell you. You got it bad, baby, I could tell." He kissed her on the nose, gave her ribs another teasing tickle and then rolled back to his side of the bed and picked up his book again.

"Don't blame you. Lori's gorgeous. Reminds me of Jayne Mansfield." He remarked, putting his glasses back on and resuming his reading.

Yeah, just like Jayne Mansfield. Anybody'd fall for Jayne Mansfield. Ada had thought, just before she fell asleep curled up beside Everett.

Her fingers were running through Lori's cream-blonde curls. She was spoiling the flawless brush-out but at the moment she didn't really mind. She made a note to apologize and to try to fix it later, but she was having trouble making note of anything. Lori had got up out of her chair and was standing over Ada, tugging gently at her hair. Instinctively, Ada bared her neck for Lori's lips, shuddering as the other woman kissed over her jaw, lingering under her ear until Ada moaned, fingers twisting in the fabric of her dress.

"Sorry!" She said, covering her mouth, flushed so deep she thought she might faint.

"No need to apologize. I want to hear you." Lori said, in that calm tone Ada understood perfectly. Was her type so painfully obvious? It was the same calm, firm tone she was perfectly conditioned to respond to in Everett. In this moment, she knew she would give herself up to Lori in spite of all her fears and uncertainty. She wanted to, of course, but Lori's taking charge of the situation calmed her nerves so quickly it might have been slightly embarrassing.

The Avon lady stroked her cheek and then went back to kissing her neck. Moving closer so that one of Ada's knees was between her thighs, just above the knee. She was leaving little lipstick prints over Ada's throat and across her collarbone, one hand braced on the back of Ada's chair. Her free hand plucked at the neckline of Ada's dress.

"I'd like to touch you now if that's alright." She murmured, fingers moving to the first button.

"Yes please." Ada murmured, turning her head to kiss Lori's temple, exhaling shakily.

Lori laughed sweetly, reaching to unbutton the front of Ada's dress with one hand, the other hand tracing over the plane of the other woman's chest. Until she got about halfway and then paused with a small noise of confusion. The dress hadn't opened as she had expected because there was little safety pin put through the placket. Ada realized what happened and was immediately embarrassed. She didn't think her face could get any redder, but she felt a flush of heat as she fumbled to fix it.

"I'm sorry. Lost a button. It's just a little safety pin...let me get it." Ada said, all in a panicked rush. She imagined Lori probably never had this problem, losing buttons and things, she was always so put-together. Certainly never being foolish enough to wear the dress with the missing button. She was so flustered she couldn't seem to get the silly pin, for goodness sake.

"Stop apologizing, honey." Lori said, batting Ada's hand away from the buttons of her dress. A little twist of her flawlessly manicured fingers and the little pin gave way. And then those fingers were inside her dress, under the band of her bra and grabbing one of her breasts. The change from a soft caress to a sharp squeeze, little nails digging into her breast, made Ada squirm in her chair with a little cry. Lori giggled.

"You like that, don't you?" She said, twisting one of Ada's nipples. "I should be careful with you, but not too careful." Ada's face burned. Lori was right, of course, but she would have liked to think she was a little less obvious in her...tendencies. She shook her head, and Lori laughed, that effervescent laugh, like bubbles in champagne, and gave Ada a wicked pinch, causing the other woman to yelp and squirm in her chair. "Poor thing. I'll kiss it better." She winked cheekily as she kicked off her little kitten-heeled shoes and knelt down between Ada's carelessly splayed legs. "Gorgeous." She declared, playfully caressing Ada's calves, kissing one knee through the fabric of her stocking. Her fingertips skimmed up Ada's shins and then over her knees and up under the rumpled hem of her dress. Feeling along until they found the clip of Ada's garter belt and then, triumphantly, the bare flesh of her thigh. Tracing the strap of the garter up and up. Ada felt herself shivering, knowing that eventually Lori's fingers would reach the fabric of her underwear and she could well imagine what they might do once they got there.

Indeed, she had imagined it a time or two. What it would be like to kiss Lori like this, to feel those delicate but confident hands on her body, those painted lips pressed against her skin. She felt a mix of dreamlike wonder and paralyzing anxiety. What if Lori was turned off by her inexperience? What if the other woman wanted her to do something she didn't know how to do? What if she was freezing up and Lori thought she didn't want her when Ada wanted her so, so badly. So badly she was beginning to ache between her thighs, so badly that she jumped when Lori brushed her thumbs over the thin fabric of her underwear, tracing the soft shape of the outer lips underneath.

"Sorry!" She squeaked out, and almost closed her legs but Lori kept one hand between her thighs, holding her fast.

"Honey, you really gotta stop apologizing." Lori said, with a put-upon exasperation that Ada worried might be tinged with a small measure of real impatience.

"Right. S- okay." Ada said, just catching herself.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. You want this, I want this. You do want this, don't you?" Lori touched her again, thumb just grazing her clit through the fabric.

"Yes--!" Ada said, and her face and chest felt white-hot with arousal and embarrassment. Lori kissed her knee and smoothed her hands up Ada's hips, hooking into the waistband of her underwear.

"I think I want to take these off." She said, with a business-like air, shimmying the panties down Ada's thighs and tossing them over the back of the chair she had just vacated. "There we go. Now, let's see how much you've managed to wind yourself up over little old me." She teased, leaning up to kiss Ada on the lips as she slid her hand back under her skirt. Ada felt those fingertips meet bare skin and soft curls, the slick flesh which yielded utterly to Lori's clever, searching little fingers. Ada whimpered, feeling exposed-- even though she was technically still mostly clothed-- as Lori's fingers spread her open and found her clit, grazing over it so teasingly it made Ada's whole body break out in goosebumps.

"Oh, poor little Ada, you're awfully wet. Poor pet, you've wanted me for such for a long while. I know all about it, you're terribly obvious. Don't you worry..." She smiled that dazzling white smile. "I'm not gonna make you wait another minute."

Lori's thumb brushed over Ada's clit, pressing firmly, drawing little circles, and the housewife squeaked loudly and jerked so that it rattled the chair. Ada immediately felt embarrassed for such a strong reaction.

"I'm sorry!" She said, breathlessly, only to gasp sharply when Lori covered her mouth with her hand, lacquered nails ever so slightly digging into her cheek.

"I told you to stop apologizing, Miss Ada." She said, eyebrows arched. "Do you want me to stop? Because I'll stop if you apologize one more time."

Ada shook her head frantically, face burning.

"Good girl. Now, open your legs, lay back, and just enjoy the ride. Okay, honey?"

"Uh-huh..." Ada sat back, wrapping her fingers around the sides of the chair, grip white knuckled.

"Relax." Lori breathed against her ear, kissing along the line of her throat, over her sensitive collarbone. "Relax." She slipped her longest finger inside of Ada, sighing with pleasure as Ada made a desperate effort to obey her instructions. "Good girl. Open up for me. Just lay back and close your eyes. Lori took one of Ada's nipples in her mouth, letting her tongue move over it, pinching a little with her teeth, pulling until Ada whimpered, less at the faint pain and more at the electric surge through her body, which seemed to coalesce right where Lori's fingers were finding their rhythm now. She was being very careful, Ada noted, and it wouldn't even occur to her until after that it might have to do with those perfect champagne-colored nails. It certainly felt good, more than good as Lori found the right angle of it, added another finger. Shallow movements, curving up, a gesture that seemed as though it were slowly drawing the orgasm out of her, beckoning it forward. A slow buildup that made the overhead light swim in Ada's vision, her world centered only on the bright sparks of soft lips, grasping fingers, and wicked teeth. She felt her body arc away from the chair, shifting restlessly.

"That's my girl." Lori said, praising the way the other woman moved with her now. "That's my good girl. You're almost there, aren't you?"

"Mm-hm--!"

"I know. Let go, sweet Ada. Let go..."

Those perfectly shaped peach-colored lips found Ada's, kissing her until she was certain she was dizzy from it. Those lips swallowed her ragged cry as she felt her body utterly surrender. She came at last, thighs shaking, one hand gripping the back of the chair, somewhere above her head. She'd slid forward, almost comically so, in her effort to move into the thrust of Lori's fingers. Laughing breathlessly, she simply let herself slip down onto the floor and into Lori's arms. Lori steadied her, palming Ada's breast through her open dress as they kissed as if her hands couldn't get enough of Ada's body.

Ada buried her face in those vanilla ice-cream curls. Lori's perfume was bright and warm: sugar and citrus.

"Your turn...?" She said when she'd caught her breath. "I'm not...I haven't done much but will you let me try? Feels like the least I could do..." She was talking too much again, she thought, and bit her lip.

In answer, Lori guided Ada's shaking hand between her legs, grinning as Ada brushed aside the fabric of her panties.

"Oh!" Ada startled slightly, drawing her hand back a moment: her fingers had found velvet-soft, bare skin, with only a little fluffy strip of hair. Lori laughed and hiked up her skirt around her waist, shimmying down the champagne-colored satin panties and letting them flutter to the kitchen floor. Ada made an incongruous mental note praising herself for having given the linoleum a good scrub while she was up late and anxious with Everett's absence.

"Never seen one waxed?" She asks. Ada shook her head. In truth, she had slept with very few women (a few tipsy, sticky-sweet kisses and under the sweater petting when she lived in the women's boarding house). Which was, to be fair, as far as she'd gone with any boyfriends she'd had before she met Everett) in the course of her sexual life but she wasn't about to tell Lori that. Even if some part of her figured the other woman was embarrassingly aware of her inexperience. Instead, she tried to focus on the matter to hand as Lori leaned on the edge of the kitchen table and draped one of her long legs over Ada's shoulders to keep her close, the shiny nylon whispering over Ada's cheek. The woman on the floor shivered, feeling the thrill she always felt when Everett asked her to kneel, the sudden quieting of her mind, coming down from the high of her own orgasm. She looked up at Lori, with her whipped-cream curls, her open blouse, her smudged lipstick, and her triumphant smile.

"What are you thinking about down there, honey?" Lori prompted, with a knowing-- or at least hopeful-- expression.

"May I?" Ada asked softly, pressing a kiss to the inside of Lori's cream-white thigh (smudging a little lipstick print away with her thumb).

"May you what?" Lori prompted from above her. Ada bowed her head, trying to find the nerves to get the words out properly, chewing her lip.

"May I... may I have a taste?"

"Of course you can, honey. Go on." Lori leaned back on her hands, bracing herself on the edge of the kitchen table.