Seducing Zoe Pt. 01

She'd only just sat down however when the doorbell rang and when she peered through the spyhole Zoe was standing on the porch with a bottle of Coke.

"Hiya," Lisa greeted her.

"Coke this time, can I come in or are you an early bird?"

"Come on in," she unlocked the flywire door, "I saw you pull up just then."

"I had to wait until he left before I came over," she opened the door and stepped inside.

"Why?"

"Because I told him I can't come to his young adults thing anymore," she waited until Lisa had closed the door, "he's gone home to seek the Lord's guidance."

"Did you tell him about the dancing classes?"

"Um no, he'd just try and lay hands on me again."

"What do you mean lay hands on you?"

"As in casting out demons, he believes he's got the power to cast out demons. Even his friends at the church are in awe of him. He's going to their bible college at the moment."

Lisa pinched her nose and smiled.

"Every time you talk about your, boyfriend I feel like I've stepped into an episode of the X Files," she lowered her hand, "sorry, but I had to say it."

"I'm not offended and you're right, it's way out there on the fringes. Even the Baptists think they're stark raving mad," she slid a hand beneath her blouse, "so, these dance classes?"

"Meet me in the room at the end of the hall," she opened the door, "my laptop is in the office, I'll get us some glasses."

Some five minutes later she stepped into the office to find Zoe had taken two books down from one of the bookshelves. They were both sex manuals, aimed at couples having problems or people with questions about sex but they were quite basic and one of them had photographs showing people in various sexual poses, albeit adequately covering their privates.

"Some light reading material?" Lisa put the glasses on the desk and moved around to her seat.

"For you maybe," Zoe nudged her glasses further up her nose, "I read books like it in the library at uni but I could never bring them home, my parents would've freaked."

"Knowledge is power," she grunted as she sat down and tapped the touchpad, "and with great knowledge comes greater responsibility."

"Who said that?"

"Well I didn't come up with that saying, no doubt some wise owl has said it before me, nothing new under the sun as it says in the bible."

"And to everything there is a season," Zoe grinned and put the book down.

"I've nearly finished Seduced by Love," Lisa slid her finger over the pad.

Zoe sat bolt upright and blinked.

"Oh, what do you think so far? Be honest, please. I know it's probably not something you'd read normally."

"You're right it's not something I'd normally read but you have a talent for writing, you have a way of writing scenes that paints a picture. I'm still hoping for a sex scene but I doubt it'll happen," she opened the email and smiled.

"Is that why you're checking out my sex books?"

"Um, yeah, it's something I want to do but it's hard to write sex without more information," Zoe touched her glasses and glanced at the book.

Lisa waited for her to continue as she printed out the email and when none came she glanced over at her as she leaned back in her seat.

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Yeah, sure."

"You said you can't write about sex without more information, have you ever had sex? You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable but I'm a lawyer and we pick up on those minute little details that could win or lose a case."

Zoe looked to her right at another bookshelf and then to her left. She almost seemed to be deaf or perhaps she was uncomfortable.

"I'm a virgin," she finally replied, "please don't laugh, at first it was just the way I was raised but then when I went to Tafe and had the chance to explore I still felt like it was forbidden. There are times I actually think I'm asexual although I do get desires," she reached out and touched one of the books.

"These books would help me write better but that one has pictures in it, maybe if I was to look at the pictures it might trigger something and I could maybe explore."

Lisa framed her next question carefully as she started to connect the dots. She slid the book across and opened it.

"Do you have anyone, like another woman perhaps that you can talk to about sex?"

"Kind of," she admitted, "although I don't ask girlfriends about sex, mostly I just listen to their stories and laugh along with their jokes."

"And what about peer group pressure? How do you cope with that? Women can be bitches from my opinion," she stared a picture of a naked man sitting astride a naked woman as he massaged her back, their eyes met as Zoe also noticed the picture.

"At school it was easier, I went to a Christian school so it wasn't taught in class and I could hang out with girls who were more like me, the studious types. In the real world though I just say I've got a boyfriend even though nothing much happens between us."

"How long have you been with Grant?"

"Six months," she nudged her glasses, "and before that I was with another Christian guy, Peter."

"Are they always Christian guys?"

"Yeah," she reached out and picked up her Coke, "it's easier that way."

"Because you know they won't put their hand between your legs?"

"Uh huh," she replied a moment later, "I guess when I meet the right guy and we're engaged or something I might go further but all that's too far in the future."

"Why don't you take these books home with you?" Lisa pushed the book towards her.

"Um, thanks, I'll look after them."

"Well I know where you live," she rose and walked to the section where the books had come from, she picked out two more books, one had photographs and the other had drawings. She brought them back and put them on the desk.

"These are the gay ones, aimed at lesbian women, it might help to broaden your horizons," she picked up her Coke and took a mouthful.

"And if you ever have questions about sex then don't be afraid to ask," she set the glass down and looked at the books.

"When I came into the fellowship, I had heaps of questions about alcoholism and life in general but I was too proud and obstinate to admit I didn't know the answer and so I'd come up with the usual reply, I know, I know even though I didn't know," she looked into her eyes.

"That pride led me to my first and hopefully last bust. I woke up in my car with empty bottles on the floor and a thumping hangover. I don't know how I drove home without being pulled over and thankfully there were no reports of hit and run accidents but I came back to AA the next night after I rang an AA member and for the first time in my life I had to admit I didn't know shit," she picked up the glass and had another mouthful.

"Asking stupid questions stops us making stupid mistakes," she set the glass down and smiled as she recalled the meme she'd read some years ago.

"I remember this great meme I saw a while ago and I can't remember it exactly but it was talking about what the writer had learned from watching porn," she paused.

"Women always leave their high heels on when having sex. Women love being slapped in the face by a penis. Women love guys ejaculating on their face, and my all time favourite," she smiled, "if two women are having sex and some guy disturbs them, they'll stop and ask him to join in and fuck them as well."

"I have watched porn once or twice over the years but it looked, odd."

"It is odd, they're actors. Honestly, you look at these guys who are hung like horses trying to keep an erection and have to keep wanking to stay hard. Guys who are that big are always going to be a problem in bed, all that blood rushing to their member is badly needed by other more important parts of their anatomy especially their brain."

She reached over and took the printout from the printer.

"But it's up to you, I'm just putting it out there because you seem like a decent woman, I'm not a Christian although I respect all faiths but I know what it's like to have doubts, fears and more than a few hangups," she finished suddenly.

Zoe shifted in her seat and picked up one of the lesbian books.

"Okay, I accept your offer and I do have heaps of questions but as long as it stays between us."

"I'm a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, I understand the concept of keeping your mouth shuts, what you tell me will never be repeated to another human being."

"I'm really glad I met you," Zoe pulled the books towards her and looked at the printout.

"What time tomorrow?"

"It opens at half past nine but we could go down about ten or ten thirty."

"Yeah that works for me, I've got netball in the afternoon."

"What time?"

"Two thirty."

"So, we'll aim for ten," she picked up her glass, "and then I'll bring you back here."

"Sure," Zoe touched her glasses.

She left not long after that, clutching the books tightly to her breasts as if they were precious tomes and in her case they probably were Lisa mused as she undressed. The admission had taken her by surprise with its forthrightness tinged with vulnerability. She replayed the conversation as she put on a nightie and put her phone on charge. She'd wanted to look at pictures in the hope of triggering something, she frowned as she slid beneath the duvet.

Trigger something?

Lisa stared at the ceiling as she thought about it. Triggering a desire for men or just a desire for sex? She locked her hands behind her head and closed her eyes, but not long afterwards she began to drift off to sleep. She awoke sometime before 3:00 to find she'd forgotten to turn out the bedside lamp and out of habit she checked her phone to find a text message.

Zoe: Riveting reading! Thanks so much, good night. x.

Lisa set the phone down and rolled onto her side as she pictured Zoe again, sleep claimed her not long after.

She awoke with a start when the phone rang and without checking who it was she tapped the screen and put it to her ear.

"Hi, who's this?"

"You must have a clean conscience," Zoe giggled, "it's ten o'clock and I'm standing on your front porch, you're still in bed, aren't you?"

"Shit, shit, shit," she sat up and stared at the clock on the wall, "sorry, um, there's a key under the pot plant by the back door, come in and make yourself a coffee while I shower and get dressed."

"No worries, bye."

She swung out of bed and pinched her nose.

"Clean conscience? Who's she kidding."

Lisa stepped into the kitchen some twenty minutes later. Her hair was still wet but she'd decided to let it dry naturally and because she was in a rush she'd opted for quick and easy, a black tee shirt, denim jacket and jeans. She ran the comb through her hair once more and came to a stop.

Zoe was sitting at the table reading an illustrated history of philosophy. She was wearing one of the blouses that Lisa had given her. It was a pink, ruffled blouse made out of chiffon, the bodice had a satin backing. Zoe glanced up and smiled.

"G'day, how's it going?"

"Good," she lowered the brush, "love the smell of coffee in the morning," she stepped over to the bench as Zoe turned around to face her. She was also wearing a black, mid-length skirt with a split down the middle that showed off her legs.

"That blouse looks good on you."

"Thank you," she looked down and plucked at one of the ruffles, "I thought I'd dress up today even if I have to change into a netball uniform this afternoon."

"I never actually wore that blouse."

"But you do have ruffled blouses in your wardrobe though."

"You don't miss much," she took a sip of coffee, "have you got photographic memory?"

"Busted," she crossed her legs, "it comes from being stuck at home and not having a telly at home, we could only read books. My parents only got a telly in my last year at secondary school, even then they limited me to two hours a night so I had to go to a sleepover at a girlfriend's house to watch the Lord of the Rings."

"What about now?"

"I bought my own telly when I came back to Australia," she smiled, "my telly, my room, and my rules," she glanced at her phone, "do you want breakfast here or shall we grab something in Croydon?"

"Um," she glanced at the cupboard to her right, "seeing as you're all dressed up we could grab a breakfast at a café," she glanced down at herself.

"I should change into something fancier."

"No, it's fine," Zoe fiddled with her cuff, "you look nice, for real."

"Okay, let me get this coffee into me and we'll hit the road."

***

Zoe stirred her cappuccino while Lisa devoured a breakfast of scrambled eggs. She had one eye on her phone as she watched a dance video that was on the website. Lisa glanced up briefly, Zoe had a studied look on her face and Lisa smiled crookedly.

"Think you can manage that dance?"

"Maybe, it's a samba, right?"

"Foxtrot, sweetie," she picked up her glass of orange juice, "big difference."

"Okay," she tapped the screen and glanced at the meal, "is it okay?"

"It's wonderful, thank you very much."

"You're welcome," she smiled, "Grant never lets me pay for anything, says it's against some verse in the bible."

"Which verse?"

"I forget," she fiddled with her cuff, "I think it's the book of Hezekiah."

"I didn't know that was a book although I'm not a biblical scholar."

"It's not a book," she picked up an empty sugar tube, "it's one of those jokes in the Christian world, whenever someone quotes something that is supposed to be from the bible like," she closed her eyes briefly, "the yellow race shall rule the world," she opened her eyes.

"But they can't tell you which book we say it's from the book of Hezekiah."

"Ah, I see," she cut another bit of toast and raised the fork to her mouth.

"What are you doing next Sunday arvo?"

"Nothing so far," Lisa replied a few seconds later.

"I've got a recital at Melbourne Uni at half past two, and we always get a second invitation to give to a partner or friend," she nudged her glasses.

"Grant won't come because he's in church services or prayer meetings or praise meetings all day, but if you like you could," she trailed away.

"You're asking me on a date?" Lisa smiled crookedly.

"Not a date date, it's just a recital but it'd give you the chance to see the other thing I do, and it's a way of thanking you for all you've done for me so far."

"Okay," she nodded, "I'll be your date. What kind of function is it? Formal wear?"

"Um, we're formal but it's for a charity who run women's health clinics in Africa, they're finding it hard to get funding now that Trump has banned American funded clinics from helping out if they don't oppose abortion."

"Now there's a sad and sorry excuse for humanity."

"It's the one thing my parents and I agree on," she straightened up, "they're against abortion on principle but as soon as they saw that on the news they were angry."

"He's one of those figures you either love or hate, and the latter group are growing in number, I've been a pro choice girl for years. It's my body and I won't have men dictating to me what I can and can't do with my body."

"Exactly," she nodded, "that's my opinion too."

Little more was said until Lisa finished her breakfast but as soon as she started on her coffee Zoe propped her elbows on the table and fixed her eyes on the carpark outside.

"I've got an idea for a new book in my head."

"Another romance?"

"Yeah, a gay one."

"And you want some ideas?"

"Yeah," Zoe looked at her briefly and then down at her phone, "this character is straight but she meets this gay woman who becomes her girlfriend but I don't know what changes this woman would have to go through if she was to you know, change teams."

"Uh huh," Lisa looked at her, "well, um, for a start it's different for women. We connect on an emotional level, even with men we try to find that same thing. We crave intimacy but men think that intimacy is something you do between the sheets," she sipped her coffee.

"Your character would have to feel emotionally attached to a lesbian, she may start off straight but at some point she begins to get curious. She may or may not make it obvious but if the other woman makes a move then she might not resist. It can be a minefield at times, I've been out with a few who were straight and only a tiny percentage wanted to go beyond friendship and yet they could still say they loved me. It just wasn't that kind of love."

"How did it happen for you?"

"When I was sober," she replied, "I was actually thirteenth stepped, it's where a sponsor or an older member takes the mentoring role to an entirely different level. It's frowned upon and to my credit I've never done that with newer members, but it happens but that's between you and me."

"Of course," their eyes met, "was it the woman who gave you the clothes?"

"You don't miss much," she smiled crookedly, "yeah, it was her. I still see her at meetings now and then but she tends to gravitate towards the city meetings. Out this way she's gained a reputation for being a thirteenth stepper."

"So, she seduced you?"

"Yeah she certainly did and I was a mess but the woman who stepped in to clean up the mess was really on the ball. I learned more from her because there was no sex involved. It was Stella who put me on the right path, she was gay too by the way and I guess that's why I began to look at sex in a new way."

"So you and Stella never?"

"Never, and she's with someone now anyway. She was not even my sponsor, she'd only been sober a few months longer than me but she was more focused. We did a ton of meetings together, we'd talk about sex on the way to a meeting and alcoholism on the way back and not once did we ever make a move. My old sponsor certainly taught me the physical part of loving women, but Stella gave me the insight into what it was to be gay. I identified with her views on sex and so when I did start dating I focused on women," she put her cup down.

"And that's the short version."

"I see," Zoe nudged her glasses, "you must have had quite a life."

"You could say that again, but don't," she glanced at her phone, "we'll finish this coffee and then I have to grab some groceries and get you back in time for your netball."

To be continued...