The Courtship of Rachel

"Good enough to eat?" I turned around and flicked my bra straps over my shoulders, "pick up a card but don't show me."

She did as I asked and I picked up a card as well.

"Show me."

She had the jack of spades and I had a two. I unclipped my bra and let it fall to the couch and a moment or two later I leaned over and kissed her on the lips. I felt her tense for an instant and then she gave in and opened her mouth.

"I give in," she sighed.

I straddled her and proceeded to unbutton her blouse, those double-breasted blouses were always harder to put on but I quite liked the overall effect, and not long after that I bought a couple. I went down one side and then the other and when I opened the blouse right up Helen's breath was shallow and I could tell she wanted more and encouraged by this I began to work my way down her front with soft kisses and plenty of caressing, I unsnapped her bra strap and continued down to her belly and then undid her skirt one button at a time. Her legs were quivering as I worked my way up to her pussy, I felt her hands on the back of my head, holding me there, sometimes it seemed as if she wanted me to stop but I was unstoppable that night. I got to her panties and undid the final two buttons and parted the skirt.

"Time for dessert," I peeled her panties off and pulled her down towards me and I heard her gasp as I slid my finger inside, my tongue flicked over her moistness and then I began in earnest, moving my finger in and out. It wasn't long however before it got too uncomfortable for her and so I got her laying on the couch with her legs apart and that was where I finished her with a fifteen minute session that had her crying and laughing at the same time. When she finally climaxed I thought she'd actually taken a fit because she was shaking so badly and then she was back down to earth with a delicious smile on her face.

"Oh, fuck, and you're supposed to be the inexperienced one?"

"I'm a quick learner," I settled on top of her.

Helen and I could have become an item, we used to meet up at her place or mine at the weekend, usually a Friday night but when I was unable to get any housemates after the landlord raised the bloody rent I moved back home and that was where our relationship ran into difficulties. You see both of us wanted to stay in the closet but I was having problems explaining why I was staying over at Helen's joint in Mooroolbark when my own digs were in Bayswater. We eventually parted on mutual terms, both of us admitted we were being stupid but to be fair to Helen, I was over a decade younger than her. Her final argument was quite revealing.

"You need someone closer to your age and I need someone closer to mine."

With that parting and the promise to keep in touch, I moved on and this time because I worked in the city I was closer to the gay scene, which by then was confined to South Yarra, Prahran and Fitzroy but work took up quite a bit of my life. There were clubs and pubs out there that catered to the gay crowd and I did indeed check out Ryders in Smith Street, Fitzroy but the atmosphere was very much like every other inner city club, it was a meat market. I certainly attracted a few looks and I could have scored that night several times over. However it was not to be, I ended up catching the late train back to Bayswater and over the next few months that chapter of my life came to a close with the exception of one rainy winter night when I met a woman at work and that brings me to my final lesbian encounter, Karen.

***

Karen was a customer and usually she had someone more senior dealing with her accounts but her regular guy was off with the flu and I was asked to deal with her. At first I was a little flustered because Karen had a sizeable income. She'd married into money and took a more than adequate settlement "when I divorced the cheating bastard."

This was said with a chuckle and I tossed out the usual, "typical men."

"I agree, women are much more palatable and I have an eclectic choice."

I nearly choked at that and she propped on her palm.

"Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay," I reassured her, "I am open minded, but you didn't seem to be the type."

"I like to wear a disguise," she replied, "today I'm disguised as an upper class slut, by this time tomorrow I'll be back on my property at Ballarat mucking out the stables."

She had a string of properties in Ballarat and Melbourne that she bought at rock bottom prices and then developed to rent out or sell on.

"So, how open minded are you?" Karen asked after I'd finished.

"Very," I ran an eye over her brown, pussybow blouse and matching skirt suit.

"Well I'm out at the Hyatt tonight, you know my name and now I know yours," she gathered her things, "give your name to reception and tell them you've got some papers for me to sign."

"Papers," I looked around the desk.

"Just random papers, bring the latest company newsletter in an envelope for all I care."

Offers like that don't come every day and so half an hour later I was stepping into the elevator at the Hyatt with a copy of the bank newsletter in an envelope and my professional face on. Karen must have known I'd turn up because she was sitting in the lobby with a drink and raised her glass when I was directed over to her.

"The woman from the bank? What did I forget?"

"Some papers to sign," I held the envelope out and waited while she peeked inside.

"Oh, them," she grinned, "well, come on up to the room," she rose, "I'll sign them there."

We weren't in the room longer than five minutes before she made her move, not that I was in any mood to complain. It had been months since I'd last had sex and that did account for my extended session with Karen that lasted until just after midnight, with a break for a dinner that was brought up to the room. Karen was one of those adventurous types who worked hard and played hard, she'd been sleeping with women even before she divorced her cheating husband. So that should put you in the picture!

But any doubts that I might be just another notch on her belt were dispelled when she made me the offer as we lay on the bed.

"This could become a regular thing."

"I could get used to this," I stared at the ceiling, "I love this room."

"It's a fucking hotel room but I have a place in Fitzroy that's about to be vacated. I could put you up in that for as long as you like."

"Put me up? How much will it cost me?"

"There are other ways of paying," she slid her hand over my pussy, "when I'm out of town I don't care who you're with but if I come to stay it's just you and me. I mean if I stay here it's different but if I call and tell you I'm dropping into Fitzroy you'll know you need to get rid of whoever is warming your bed. I'm not exclusive and if you fuck guys I still don't care but if I let you live rent free in a terrace house in Fitzroy then that's part of the contract."

Looking back I can't help but wonder at what might have happened if I'd said yes. Karen was part of a new breed of woman taking her place in established society. I could have kept my State bank job and saved a bundle of money in rent but then I'd have to either lie to my family or come out as a kept woman. Ultimately my pride and self respect overcame greed and I said no to Karen. I saw her years later on a television show, she'd taken a role as a property expert for a morning show. Tess was in her last year of primary school and she wanted to know what I was smirking about.

"I met her once, in a pub in the city."

"So you knew someone on telly, cool, I'll tell my class at show and tell."

"Probably not, back then she was a property developer but she was quite generous."

It was about all I was prepared to tell her about Karen and with that I have to stop writing and put the dinner on. I know I've outed myself in a big way to my daughter but I feel as if a load has been shifted off my back. These are things I kept from her because I always looked on that part of my life as being a blip on the horizon. I came out of it knowing I had bisexual tendencies but when I met Lewis all that was quietly shelved because that marriage really tested me to my limits and yet when I think about it now, it finally tipped me out of the closet and into the cold light of day.

To be continued...