Jean and the Great Beach Charade Ch. 05

Cathy shook her head and stared at her Flautas plate. "I'm sorry you guys are having trouble, but Jean is the only friend I have in California. I don't want to betray her trust."

"Can you at least tell me she is safe? I don't even know where she is staying. For all, I know she's sleeping under a bridge."

"It's OK. She's staying with me. She's renting the second bedroom in my apartment. I probably shouldn't have told you, but I won't tell you where we live."

"Can you at least ask her to call me. I know it would help to talk it over."

Cathy said, "I can give her your message, but I don't think she is ready to talk to you. Hell, I wish she'd talk to me. Jean's pulled herself into a shell. All I know is that she is in a lot of pain. I wish I could help."

I put my hand on hers and said, "I'm very relieved to hear she has a friend to take care of her. You're helping both of us more than you know."

"It's the least I could do for a good friend. She made me feel welcome when I came here from Iowa. Some people would have felt threatened by a new hire with similar qualifications. Jean has been so supportive. She's the greatest."

Cathy pushed some beans and rice around her plate and said, "Look, I have to get back. You can call me again, and I'll let you know what I can."

"Cathy, I'm sorry we didn't have more time to talk. Maybe we could get together for dinner Friday?"

She looked at me, and I couldn't read her expression.

"I'm Sorry. A beautiful woman like you must have a date on Friday night."

I got a tiny smile out of Cathy. She said, "I was planning on doing laundry Friday night, but I'd love to go out. The Varsity theater is showing Miyazaki's 'Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.' We could eat there and watch the movie."

I tried to hide my pain with a tight smile. Jean and I had looked forward to seeing Miyazaki's new film when we got back from Florida. I said, "That would be great. What time do you want me to pick you up?"

"I think it would be better if I meet you there, after work. How about we meet at 6 for dinner?"

Honestly, I wasn't trying to trick her into revealing where my wife was staying. "Of course, that would be better. I'll see you at 6."

Cathy got up and said, "Thanks for lunch. I'll take a rain check on the Margaritas."

I watched her ass as she walked out. She knew I was watching. I got the feeling she was trying to minimize the swaying of her hips. I looked at my empty glass and poured the last of the Margaritas. The restaurant claims the pitcher holds four double strength drinks. I only remembered drinking the first one, but I know Cathy hadn't had any. I smiled as I realized I was hammered and I didn't give a shit. I sat for a long time and thought over what Cathy had told me. It wasn't everything I wanted to know, but at least she hadn't slammed the door in my face. In fact, it was the best time I had had since Jean had stepped off the plane at the beginning of our vacation in Florida. I was looking forward to having dinner with Cathy on Friday.

I slept better the next couple of nights than I had in ages. I even accepted a new assignment at work. I got to the Varsity theater early on Friday night and got us a table outdoors on the patio. It was a typical warm May night in the Bay Area. I had a bottle of Pinot Grigio sitting in a wine bucket when Cathy arrived a couple of minutes late.

I was beginning to think white blouses were her uniform. It went well with a frilly red skirt that ended just above her knees. She had changed the look I had seen at our lunch by unbuttoning the top two buttons. Once again, I had to force my eyes away from her gorgeous breasts. I couldn't help comparing Cathy's body to my wife's. Cathy was maybe an inch taller and a few pounds heavier than Jean. I'm a leg, and ass man and both women were well endowed in that department. Normally, I don't pay a lot of attention to a woman's breasts, but it was impossible to ignore Cathy's. Still, I preferred my wife's ample breasts. I've always thought anything more than a handful is a waste. However, if you considered the whole package, both women were gorgeous. I felt lucky to be with Cathy. Certainly, the stares she was getting from both the men and women in the restaurant confirmed my opinion.

"Sorry, I'm late. I had to run home and change."

I stood up and held her chair for her. As she sat, I stared down her blouse at upper curves of her full breasts.

"We have plenty of time for dinner. I hope you'll share some wine with me tonight."

Cathy laughed, "Would you believe we barely finished the report this afternoon? It's been a rough week. I think I could drink the whole bottle myself and then polish off a pitcher of Acapulco's famous Margaritas. I'm sorry those went to waste."

I poured Cathy a full glass of wine, and we made a toast to the end of the week.

After I had taken a sip of wine, I said, "Don't worry, the Margaritas didn't go to waste. However, I have to admit I never made it back to work."

"I hope I didn't get you into trouble."

"It's all fine. I even accepted a new project the next day. It looks like it will be a challenge. But enough talk about work."

Cathy took a big swallow of the chilled wine and said, "Well, my Mom taught me not to talk about religion or politics, and my Dad said to avoid discussing a person's finances or sex life. What's left?"

I laughed hard. "I guess we could talk about the weather. The weekend is supposed to be fantastic."

The waitress came and took our order. Both of us ordered the salmon special which would go well with the Pinot Grigio.

Cathy glanced at me before looking at her wine glass. She said, "Saturday looks like a great day for a hike. I heard Point Reyes is lovely at this time of year. I've only been in the Bay Area for a year and have never been to a lot of the scenic spots. I'm used to the wide-open sky in Iowa. I need to get outdoors to recharge my batteries."

"Maybe you would let me take you tomorrow? Point Reyes has always been one of Jean and my favorite spots. There's even a restaurant that serves fresh oysters from the nearby Tomales Bay.

I kicked myself for mentioning Jean, but wasn't that the whole point in being with Cathy?

Cathy clapped her hands and said, "I'd love to go if you're serious."

We had to order another bottle of wine with our dinner as we planned our outing for tomorrow. I found myself enjoying dinner with Cathy. It's rare to find a someone who can carry on a serious discussion, and it was one of the many things that I loved about my wife. I found Cathy's beauty together with her open, and honest personality made our talk very stimulating. After the movie, we had desert and talked about the film. I thought about how much fun it had been taking Jean to a movie. My wife and I could discuss a film for hours. I was so caught up in talking with Cathy that I was surprised when they closed the restaurant. I found myself wondering what would have happened if I had met Cathy before Jean.

We parted company out on the sidewalk in front of the Varsity Theater. I asked, "Are we were still on for Point Reyes."

"We definitely are going after all the wonderful things you said about the place."

"Great. I can pick you up. Where do you want to meet and what time is good for you?"

"Can we meet at the Stanford Mall at 8? I hope that isn't too late."

Jean was notorious for being a late riser, and I'd never gotten out for a hike with Jean before noon. If we left by 8, we would have time to do one of the longer hikes I'd never gotten to do with Jean.

"8 would be perfect. Park by the Stanford Deli, and we can pick up lunch."

She gave me her phone number and gave me a peck on the cheek as she said goodnight.

I walked to my car with a big grin. I'd had a great time, and even better, I had the phone number of the apartment where my wife was staying.

#

I had a small cooler in my day pack filled with two bottles of cold German Riesling when I met Cathy the next morning. She also had a daypack, so we had plenty of room for a simple picnic lunch. She was well dressed for our outing with sturdy hiking shoes, cargo shorts, and a halter top. The top exposed a couple of inches of her trim abdomen and some lovely cleavage that seemed eager to jiggle. It was the first time I had seen her wearing a top other than a white blouse. My body responded when I saw a flash of a red bra as she leaned over to toss her bag into my trunk.

Cathy smiled when she saw me ogling all of her exposed flesh and said, "I brought a windbreaker just in case.

The route took us over the Golden Gate Bridge. Cathy hadn't been lying when she said she hadn't seen many of the sights in the Bay Area. Naturally, we had to park in the tourist lot at the end of the bridge. We walked part way out onto the bridge. There is normally a good breeze blowing into the bay, and it whipped Cathy's ponytail around. Her bright blue eyes glistened with tears from the strong ocean breeze.

Cathy shivered and said, "I guess I should have broken out the windbreaker. I'd like to spend more time enjoying the view, but I'm freezing. Besides, we should get going."

We had time to talk as we drove north to Point Reyes. I realized I knew very little about Cathy. She had plied me with questions about my life the night before over dinner.

I said, "How long have you been working at Crucial Biotech?"

"Actually, I'd been working there less than a month before the picnic last summer. I was happy Jean convinced you to be my partner in the three-legged race. You probably don't know what it's like to have some guy undress you with his eyes, but my boss was extra creepy at the picnic. There was no way I wanted to have his arm around my waist and my leg tied to his. Jean rescued me by offering you as a partner."

"Some rescue. I remembering my arm around your waist slipping when I stumbled. Jean got a great picture of me groping your breast. I know I apologized, but Jean pointed to the shit eating grin on my face as proof of my guilt. I guess you're destined to be surrounded by creepy guys."

Cathy laughed, "I thought it was sweet how you blushed and stammered out an apology. Most of the guys I've known would have left their hand mauling my breast."

I blushed and changed the topic, "Where did you work before Crucial Biotech?"

"I grew up on a farm outside of Des Moines, Iowa. I went to college and majored in agriculture. I planned on helping my family run the family farm. Agricultural has gone high tech. I majored in plant science with a healthy dose of agricultural economics."

"So, a lot of computers and biology?"

"Basically. It all came in useful when I applied to crucial Biotech."

"What happened to your staying on the family farm?"

"The usual farming story. A couple of years of bad weather followed by the wrong choice of crops. We had to sell out to a big agribusiness conglomerate my junior year in college. I had a fiancée whose family was in livestock. I finished college with the idea of spending the rest of my life living on his family's farm and raising Future Farmers of America."

"Sounds idyllic."

"It was until I caught him cheating on me two weeks before the wedding."

I thought of my desire to work things out with my wife. "Surely, you tried to discuss it. Maybe it was just a onetime thing?"

"Oh, not on your life! It wasn't a one-time thing, and it gets worse. The bastard was cheating on me with Dolly, one of his damn sheep. The creature wasn't even good looking."

I was stunned for a moment. Then I started laughing. She had to be pulling my leg. "Cathy, you had me believing you for a minute."

"Believe me, I even have a picture of his sweetheart. Remind me to show you. Even an engineer should be able to appreciate just how ugly the beast was."

I laughed even harder, and Cathy joined me. Both of us had tears streaming down our cheeks.

"I'm glad I can laugh about it now. You have no idea how hurtful it is to be dumped for an ugly ewe."

"So, it would have been better if your fiancée's sheep was pretty?"

It turns out Cathy could throw a mean punch. Even after she hit me hard, it took me a few minutes to stop laughing.

When we got to the ranger station, I asked Cathy if she was up for a five-mile loop. We got to the trailhead just after 11 and started an easy walk through coastal scrub and grassland. The morning fog had lifted, and we had spectacular views of the ocean. Whenever I could, I let her lead so I could enjoy spectacular views of her ass as she walked along at a strong pace. Most of the trail was wide enough to walk side by side. I appreciated that view also since the straps on her day pack pushed her breasts together.

We took our time and stopped to watch numerous hawks and a variety of shorebirds. We still managed to reach the Coast Trail by 1. We headed down the beach to get away from the campers at the Coast Camp. We found a quiet spot and spread out our blanket for a picnic. We were alone except for the crashing waves and screeching seagulls. The ocean air had given both of us a big appetite. We washed down our deli sandwiches with a fair amount of cool wine. After eating, I laid back on the blanket. The wine and the gentle ocean breeze made me sleepy.

Cathy stood up and stretched. I watched in surprise as she undid the buttons on her halter top revealing a skimpy red bikini top. She folded the halter top and shoved it into her day pack. Her bright red bikini top that had a hard time containing her generous breasts. The thin material failed to hide her nipples that were hardened by the cool breeze. Her cargo shorts followed the top. I've seen skimpier bikinis, but the only woman who ever looked as hot in one was my wife, Jean.

I watch in appreciation as Cathy rubbed sunscreen on her long legs. She finished by applying lotion to her arms and chest before lying down next to me.

"Wake me in half an hour if I fall asleep."

I watched her breathing steady, and she quickly fell asleep. I was amazed she could drop off so easily. Jean was high strung and always had a hard time getting to sleep even late at night. Maybe I would have been happier married to a more easygoing woman. I felt at peace for the first time in weeks.

Unfortunately, the feeling didn't last. I recalled the last time I had been on a beach. I remembered the Alabama quarterback kneeling behind my wife and driving his huge cock into her moist pussy for what seemed an eternity. Her screams that he was the best fuck she had ever had echoed up and down the beach. I winced as I recalled my wife begging him to give her his baby.

I was not fit to be with another woman no matter how hot, and sweet Cathy was. I wondered why she even wanted to be with a miserable asshole like me. I felt guilty about using her to get Jean's phone number. I was happy when the half hour was up, and I could stop torturing myself.

I shook her shoulder. Cathy smiled and stretched. She handed me the sunscreen and rolled over onto her stomach. She reached back and untied her top. I grinned at the sight of her generous breast swelling out from under her trim side.

Cathy grinned at me and said, "Down boy. All I need from you now is some lotion on my back. Can you handle it?"

"It'll be hard, but I promise to behave."

Cathy smirked, "I can see it's hard. You look like you're all set for a three-legged race. Just behave yourself, and we'll see how things go later."

I got on my knees and straddled Cathy's athletic ass. I got some lotion on my hands and started working it into her shoulders.

"That feels good. Can you rub it in harder? My back gets sore from carrying around so much weight. I plan on getting a breast reduction after I have kids."

Cathy groaned as I put more effort into massaging her trim back.

"It seems like a crime to deface such a work of art. My Mom and sisters all had big breasts. They found that physical therapy helped build up their back muscles and relieve the pain. My Dad was happy to pay for a gym membership. Still, my Mom went for breast reduction in her fifties, and somehow my Dad got over it."

I was now working on the muscles in the middle of Cathy's back. My fingers brushed across the swell of her breasts as I applied lotion to the side of her body.

"Going to the gym does help a lot. I recently went through a bad stretch with a guy, and I skipped exercising."

I had just finished applying lotion to the small of her back. I focused on a deep massage of her lovely back.

"I was wondering why you didn't have a date on a Friday night. I'm surprised you are spending time with someone as broken as I am. Please don't tell me you met another sheep lover in San Francisco."

Cathy laughed, but I could tell she was trying to hide the pain.

"I've had a hard time meeting nice guys in California. Too many of them have a fetish for big breasts. I don't think they are even aware that I'm a person. I might as well be a blow-up party doll. I thought Joe was different. He even brought me home to meet his parents. His Mom peppered him with questions about me that he couldn't answer. He didn't have a clue about how many kids I wanted even though I'd talked about it just the weekend before. The only thing about me that he knew was my bra size. His Dad just came right out and asked. I was shocked when Joe answered without hesitation. It seems the apple does fall close to the tree."

"Maybe you need to join a church or a club."

Cathy moaned under pressure from my fingers. "I met Joe on a Sierra Club hike. I think he was the fifth guy to ask me where I got my hiking boots. He was the first one to ask that question without staring at my chest. I thought he was different."

"I'm sorry. I'm out of practice giving massages, and my hands are getting sore. I hope you don't mind if I lie down and soak up some sun. You still haven't told me why you're hanging out with me. I would have thought my wife would have told you what an asshole I am."

"Jean has always said good things about you. She hasn't changed her mind, but she said the two of you made some horrible mistakes in Florida. She said she feels too guilty to ever be around you again."

"Well, then I think there is hope for our marriage. I just need to talk to her."

Cathy looked at me with a pained expression. "I'm sorry, Steve, but I think your marriage is over. I've talked to Jean every night since she moved in. Sometimes we talk for hours. She's racked with guilt and can't bear to face you. She's very determined to end your marriage. I've never heard her waver."

I put my hand over my eyes and said, "Shit!"

I thought about what Cathy had said. It was the same line I had heard from Jean. I refused to believe it was all over. I intended to call Jean now that I had her number. I just needed to wait until Cathy was out.

A few minutes later, I said, "You still haven't said why you are hanging out with me."

"I really need someone I can talk to. We're both broken. Jean is a good roommate, but she isn't capable of dealing with my problems as well as hers."

"Well, I've been told I'm a good listener, and I could also use a friend who understands my problems."

Cathy smiled, and I asked one more question. "If you only want a friend, why are you wearing such a skimpy bikini?"

Cathy smiled. "I was pretty sure that you were interested in women, but I wanted to be certain. This is San Francisco after all. However, my biggest concern was that you were part of the endless stream of assholes that are only interested in my tits. You know, the ones who do not take no for an answer. I had to find out if I could trust you."

I shook my head. "What would you have done if I was an asshole? We're all alone, and I could easily take advantage of you."