Seducing Zoe Pt. 02

"Yeah, exactly. What are the screws for anyway?"

"A few minor repair jobs that can wait. I should come back here in a couple of weeks, if they've given me some work and buy some paint."

"How much paint?"

"Huh?" Charlie's eyes shifted from the items in Zoe's basket to her eyes, "um, just enough to paint the window frames."

"Like a single tin?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You going to buy them as well?"

"Um, no, it's not urgent," she went to put the packet back but Zoe took it from her and put it into her own basket.

"What're you doing?"

"A favour," she stepped back, "I'll buy the paint and the screws, and you can pay me back when you can afford it, which hopefully won't be long."

"Um," she ran a hand through her hair, "thank you but isn't it a bit inappropriate?"

"Not here it's not," Zoe smiled crookedly, "on the other hand it would be inappropriate if I asked you to go down on me in exchange for a favourable client report and I haven't asked you for that just yet."

The blatant retort caused Charlie's eyes to widen. She was sure a middle aged woman standing not far away had heard and was just pretending she hadn't heard. Zoe was staring directly at her and out of a sense of decorum, Charlie stepped to one side, Zoe moved with her.

"I'm helping you out, you're not the first person to come crawling back to apologise but just lately I've been getting tired of feeling constrained in my role. We have to tick all the boxes and it's just so we don't get sued. So, why don't you let me help you out. It's not a gift, it's a loan of sorts and it's probably best not to mention it to anyone at the agency either."

"So, how would I repay you then?" Charlie started walking.

"I'd give you my phone number," Zoe fell into step beside her, "and when you get paid you send me a text and I'll arrange to drop by and collect the money."

"I've never had anyone make that kind of offer before."

"I was raised in the Salvation Army," she shrugged, "it's what we do, when we're not playing noisy brass instruments and banging drums."

"I'm a lapsed Catholic," she smiled.

"Don't you mean an ex Catholic?"

"According to the holy mother church you're never an ex Catholic, you're a lapsed Catholic but there are a lot of us out there."

"What? Lapsed Catholics or lesbians who came out of the church?"

"Both," she looked to her left as they reached the end of the aisle, Zoe was also looking around a few moments later Charlie made up her mind as she ran a hand through her hair, "all right, I'll let you buy me a small tin as long as you let me pay you back."

"Okay, where is the paint?"

"It's this way," she started walking.

"Where do you live?" Zoe asked.

"Croydon North."

"Mooroolbark," she replied, "you're closer to this place then."

"I was," she frowned, "I lost my licence for drink driving so it's a train and a bus to get back home."

"I'll drop you off on the way then," Zoe glanced at her.

"Okay, but this goes against my better judgement," Charlie replied.

"Mine too, keep walking with me in case I change my mind."

"Walking, walking, walking."

Zoe smiled at that.

***

Lisa studied her wardrobe and sighed.

"How did you accumulate so many clothes?"

"Because one is never enough," she answered her own question.

She moved along the wardrobe, flicking through the clothes but then she stopped as a memory intruded on her and moved back to a black pinafore dress with a flared skirt. She pulled it out and held it out in front of her. Cosplay had been Rita's obsession but Lisa had been drawn to it, albeit with limitations. The outfits had to be something she could wear when not playing games with her girlfriend. This dress had a mid length skirt and the straps buttoned onto the bib, the sides however were open to the waistband, which was held together with a button and zipper closure.

It brought back both pleasant memories that were now tinged with sadness. She glanced at the door and was about to put it back when she remembered something Stella had said when she told her that Rita had left her.

"Don't give her rent free space in your head, you can't control other people."

"You're right," she sighed, "and to think I lashed out on costumes just to please her."

"So wear them for someone else. They're just clothes, sweetie, they're inanimate. I wore a dress the other day that came out of an op shop. For all I know the previous owner might be six feet under and I'm wearing her fucking dress, bitch that I am."

Lisa grinned as she recalled her own peal of laughter, a healthy sign that she'd come to some sort of resolution.

"Time to make some new memories," she slung it over her arm and then stepping back three steps, took out a white, long-sleeved blouse.

Some five minutes later she was satisfied with the look, the blouse was long enough to cover her sides, even so, she raised her arms high and stretched in front of the mirrored wardrobe door just to make sure the hem wouldn't spill out. Once she was satisfied, she sat down to do her makeup.

A few minutes later however she glanced at her watch and frowned.

She hasn't come home yet. I wonder where she is?

***

Is this inappropriate?

Zoe stared at herself in the bathroom mirror as she washed her hands. She'd just intended to drop her off and go home. She was needing a piss but when she'd voiced that thought Charlie had promptly invited her in to use her bathroom.

There's nothing in the regulations that says I can't.

Zoe turned the tap off and reached for the hand towel draped the back of a chair next to the basin, her eyes fell to the towel ring on the chair and then she noticed the holes in the wall where the ring had been attached.

So, that's what the screws were for, she smiled.

Charlie wasn't in the living room when she returned but she could hear her in the kitchen next door and when she stepped into the room she saw the glass of cordial on the bench.

"Not sure if you wanted to stay for a drink," Charlie raised her own glass to her lips, "but it's the right thing to do, even if it's a small thing."

"Thanks," she sat down at the breakfast bar and picked up the glass, "even though I've just emptied my bladder."

"Okay," she took a sip, "I saw what you needed screws for," she set the glass down, "the towel ring in the bathroom?"

"Yeah, that's a legacy of drinking, I used it to pull myself out of the bath when I was drunk and pulled the fucking thing out of the wall one night, but I'll have to buy some anchors as well because the previous tenant just put the screws into plasterboard. My ex boyfriend was a plasterer, so I know what I need to do," she smirked.

"So you weren't always gay?"

"I always gravitated towards girls, even in school but didn't have my first sexual encounter until I turned eighteen," she grinned, "the great irony about Christian single sex schools is that they keep boys and girls separate to stop them experimenting only to focus all that pent up sexual tension in single sex schools. There must be more gays coming out of those environments than public schools, I knew heaps of them. Gary was the guy I slept with after Bea, the first woman I slept with and after a few nights with him I knew I was gay," she sipped her drink.

"So, what was it like? With Bea?"

Charlie's eyes narrowed and Zoe continued.

"The reason I'm asking is that I'm a writer, I've done two romance books. The first one was a Christian romance and the second was a young adult romance but I've just started a lesbian one and I'm struggling to you know, come to terms with it," she finished in a rush and felt the colour in her cheeks as Charlie's eyes widened.

"Wow, that's quite a jump," she put her glass down, "wow," she turned to stare at the wall, "um, I guess, let's just say I was nervous. I mean I liked girls and used to pretend I was gay when I was with my straight girlfriends but I had no idea what it was like. I'd been the good girl who got good grades and didn't break curfews and here I was sitting in a pub with an older woman."

She narrowed her eyes as she recalled the day.

"She wasn't old like Methuselah, she was twenty six but she was as gay as they come, she bought me my first alcoholic drink to celebrate my birthday and I remember feeling very mature sitting in this city pub with an older woman. She was a good listener and as funny as fuck," she paused, "we had a few more drinks and then we went shopping and when she asked me back to her place for another drink I just said yes."

"She seduced you?"

"I was pretty tipsy but I'd sort of sobered up by the time we got to her place. She had a bit of weed there and so I tried that for the first time as well," their eyes met, "and yeah, she kissed me and I guess it was seduction. I felt all warm and aroused. I remember thinking I should go home that this was going too far but then I let her put her hands up my dress and before I knew it I'd crossed the line. I knew I couldn't just pull out because we were in Flemington and I was a Boronia girl. We just went for it hammer and tongs and she even drove me home later that night."

Zoe swallowed as she pictured the scene. She'd never been to Flemington but she could imagine the feeling of being out of your comfort zone. She let her eyes fall to the bench as she tried to think of a reply but Charlie was still talking.

"I didn't see her for a week and I thought it was all finished and then she rang me at home and asked me to come to a party. I agreed and we went to this party in Coburg, it was an all girl party, they were either lesbians or bisexuals. We were together for another week and then one day I called her at home and she told me she'd found someone else but that she still liked me.

"She used you?"

"Yeah, you could say that. I know who she ended up going back to," she sipped her drink, "one of the women at the party was a woman who she'd been trying for and turning up with me was her way of saying she could easily get another woman."

"It sounds petty."

"Yeah, it was petty, and that's when I went out with Gary for a few days before finally giving in and going back to women. I've been that way ever since," she finished.

There was a long silence while Zoe contemplated this and presently she shifted in her seat and glanced at her bag.

"So, are you with someone now?"

"I've gone celibate now."

"Celibate? So you've sworn off sex?"

"For the moment," she eyed her, "I've been told it's best to get a bit of mental stability before I start having sex, although it's not a hard and fast rule."

"Still, rules are rules," she nodded.

"What about you?" Charlie lowered her eyes, "are you with someone or is that inappropriate?"

"Um, no it's not and the answer is it's complicated," and in answer to Charlie's widening eyes she went on, "Grant's a guy I've been seeing but to be honest he's just there to keep other guys from chatting me up."

"Okay?" Charlie leaned on the bench, "like a fuck buddy?"

"No, no, nothing like that. Grant's a Christian, he might have the desire but he's in bible college so he's doing everything he can to fight the good fight. He says that I'm the best thing to happen to him because he has to pray hard to keep from putting his hands where they shouldn't be."

"Fuck me," Charlie grinned, "he sounds like a masochist... if you don't mind me saying."

"It's complicated," she inclined her head and glanced at her handbag, "but necessary."

"Why?" Charlie asked even though she already suspected the truth.

"I'm at a crossroads in my life, I'm asking questions I've never asked before."

"Like?"

"Why am I still going to church when I don't get any comfort from it? Why am I in the same job when I know I could get a better job? Why am I avoiding men as if they've got the plague? Why am I writing a lesbian romance when I've never thought about writing one before?"

"How much have you written so far?"

"Three chapters but it can be cut down to one and a half once I edit out a few scenes," she eyed her glass, "I could send you what I've written, I do have a woman who can go through it but another pair of eyes is always good."

"Sure, I'll read it."

"I'd pay you."

"Forget paying me," she shrugged, "just email what you've done. Is your other reader gay too?"

"Yeah, she was married but then her marriage broke up and she started seeing women, she's certainly gay. I've only just met her though."

"Okay, it's a common enough story," she looked at Zoe's handbag as the phone rang.

"Your bag's ringing," she stated the obvious.

Zoe was already taking the phone out and she smiled as she swiped the screen.

"G'day, how are you?"

"I'm dressed, my face is painted and I'm wondering where you are," Lisa leaned against the kitchen bench, "are you still at work?"

"Um no, I dropped someone off, I'm in Croydon North but I can be home in twenty minutes."

"Okay," she stared at the fridge, "well that cuts it tight because you'll have to get ready, what are you wearing now?"

"That blouse you gave me, the tie blouse with the gold chains? And a black skirt."

"Well that's okay, what about shoes?"

"I wore flats today."

"Even better," Lisa straightened up, "I'll text you the location and meet you there," she stepped over to the fridge and ran her finger around a fridge magnet, "afterwards we can either duck out for a bite to eat or come back to my joint, it'll just be leftovers though."

"Okay, sure, that works for me. I'll get going right away."

"No need to rush," she told her, "it starts at quarter past seven so you've got forty five minutes but if you get there before me just speak to one of the instructors and give my name."

"Okay but I'll probably just wait outside for you."

"Whatever, see you soon."

After she'd ended the call Zoe looked down at her phone, conscious that Charlie had retreated to the sink. The map reference came through a few seconds later and she tapped out her thanks and put the phone down.

"Dancing class," she looked up, "I've decided to learn how to dance, I'm going with my new next door neighbour."

"Cool," she nodded, "my sponsor did that when she got sober, she's actually suggested I do it as well but knowing me I'd catch the eye of some randy lesbian and wind up doing the horizontal kind of dancing."

"Well, we can't have that," she smiled, "not yet at least."

"She gave that to you?" Charlie fixed her eyes on the blouse.

"She did," Zoe glanced down as Charlie pushed away from the sink and walked to the bench.

"May I?" Charlie stretched out a hand to her pussybow.

"Of course," she looked up.

"Don't worry, I don't bite. I love this kind of material, it's so soft and it hangs well on you."

"Thanks," she looked down at her hands."

"She gave this to you?"

"Yeah, two bags full of clothes from a second wardrobe."

"Why can't I meet a woman like that?" Charlie released the tie.

Zoe blinked through her glasses as she stared at Charlie.

Is this inappropriate?

She looked past her, trying to find a suitable answer but then Charlie was sliding along the bench to where it joined another bench. There was a long silence before either of them spoke.

"I should get going."

"Yeah, yeah, of course. Sorry."

"You haven't done anything wrong," Zoe flicked at her ties and glanced down, "I could've sat here for longer and heard more."

"No worries, just text me beforehand though, public transport is a bitch."

"I know," she fiddled with one of her ties, "it feels odd going out dancing in this though, I wore it to work, thank God I wore flat shoes today."

"I think we can make it work," Charlie took two steps forward.

"How?" Zoe looked at her.

"Allow me," Zoe reached out to grab the ties. Zoe's eyes widened and she grabbed her wrists.

"What are you doing first?"

"What women have been doing for centuries and I'm not talking about gay women, we help each other out in the wardrobe department," she slackened her grip, "but if it freaks you out I completely understand."

"I trust you," Zoe let go of her wrists, "although you took me by surprise."

"Sorry, my bad," she grinned and pulled the ties down, "one of my many defects of character."

"It's not exactly a defect," Zoe looked down as the bows decreased in size, she raised herself up as the ties reached their limit. The bows were now gone as they rode hard against the knot.

"Thank you kindly," Charlie unpicked the knot and when it was dangling loosely she straightened the ties and then moved to her top button.

"Still trust me?"

"Kind of," she replied.

"Stand up then."

Zoe slid off the stool and leaned against the bench as Charlie undid the top button.

"This reminds me of my Channel Ten days."

"Channel Ten?"

"Yeah, I interned as a makeup artist for Channel Ten when I left school, the makeup team did a lot of this for the stars but I was just stuck with hair."

"Okay?" Zoe frowned and glanced down as Charlie tugged at the second button, "that wasn't on your resume."

"It was only six months and I was an intern," she undid the button, "when I put in my resume I only included paying jobs," she widened the vee and stared at it, "I did some other volunteer job as a parking attendant at a Green Day concert too."

She tugged at the third button.

"Maybe this one?" Charlie measured the distance between and her cleavage, "unless you're going to be doing a lot of bending over."

"I don't think so," Zoe nudged her glasses.

Charlie undid the button a moment later but then Zoe looked down and exhaled as the vee became suddenly deeper. Charlie let go suddenly and dropped her hands.

"Maybe that is a bridge too far."

Zoe looked down at herself and then tugged at the blouse to adjust it.

"Maybe not, how does it look?"

"Flirty," she ran her eyes up and down her, "or playful, it definitely makes you look more relaxed," she put her palms on the bench.

"Let me check in the mirror," she grabbed her handbag, "in the bathroom."

"There's a bigger one in the bedroom," she called out as Zoe left the room, "end door on the left," she turned away from the bench and put her back against it. She fumbled with the third button on her blouse, trying to gauge the situation. She'd done something she hadn't done since she stopped drinking, made a play for a straight woman although it hadn't always been so easily accepted but then again she'd been drunk at the time.

Zoe studied her reflection in the mirror as she brushed her hair. Charlie's appraisal was actually spot on, it did make her look more playful and relaxed, but flirty? She ruminated over the word as she kept brushing her hair. Flirty was a word she hadn't used yet in any of her books, maybe she should find a way to use it.

She heard footfalls in the hallway as Charlie walked towards the bathroom and Zoe lowered the brush when she stepped into the room.

"Well?"

"You're right, I like it," she looked at her reflection in the mirror, "thanks."

"I'd kill for hair like that."

"Ha ha," she grinned, "it takes half an hour to get it like this," she turned around and looked at her for a few seconds, "now your hair is much nicer, I'd kill for hair like that," she reached over and tugged at it gently.

"Have you thought about putting a perm through it?"

"Once or twice but I spent most of my money on piss."

"A shame, still," she looked past her for a moment, "a perm doesn't cost that much."

"Don't even think about it," Charlie grabbed her wrist, "seriously, Zoe. You've done enough for me today," she let go of her wrist.

"It was just a thought," Zoe replied smilingly, "but you're right, sometimes I just go over the top and do stuff I really shouldn't do. It's my Salvation Army upbringing, looking out for the poor and the needy," her eyes fell to the black buttons on Charlie's blouse.