The Second Domino Pt. 02

In this second part of the series we continue Helena's journey as she returns from Sweden and starts at a new school but her intimate encounters with women haven't ended yet as she teams up with a colleague for a night of passion.

I'm in two minds as to how to continue this mini-biography because I have to compress so much into such a short space of time and that means a lot will be left out. Nevertheless, I'll try to condense it as best I can.

After finishing my contract in Stockholm, I could have gone onto other schools and I did consider that for a few weeks whilst exploring the countryside. Despite the fact I'd 'broken' up with Kristina I still had a fondness for Sweden and yet I found myself looking back at Australia and feeling quite homesick. There's a song written and sung by the late Peter Allen, I Still Call Australia Home that was used in a well known airline advertisement. I'd always thought the song schmaltzy but once you've lived outside Australia for a period of time it does bring a lump to your throat. I made the decision to head back home via Europe and Britain, a trip that took the better part of five months. I visited eight European countries in total.

My love life during that period of time could be accurately described as bisexual because I slept with men and women, but I still felt a strange magnetic pull towards women and this continued when I arrived back in Australia and accepted a position at a school in Frankston and it was there I met Odette.

However that despite my bisexual orientation I never came out to my family and it was not out of shame or fear. I was still struggling with my sexuality because part of me still put my attraction to women into one particular woman, Kristina. I'd slept with women in Europe and Britain but these were one night stands, much like the men I slept with. You could compile my affairs with women under the title; Searching for Kristina because every woman had to fit into her image, an impossible task, and now that I've set that in stone let me tell you about Odette because while it was one of the most exciting and alluring encounters I'd had since Kristina the aftermath left me feeling shall we say a little cold.

Odette was a department head at my school and a good twenty years older than myself. I'd moved into my own place in Lilydale. My parents gave me money for the deposit and now that I was on the property ladder I was feeling more confident.

Odette was a department head at my school but it was a different department, she taught maths and I taught English and other languages. Odette lived on her own, now that her children were out of home I gravitated towards her because she was older than me and she reminded me a little of Kristina with her inclusive world view. Like me, she'd travelled when she was younger and she still went back to Europe once a year at least. We also found common ground because we'd both worked in foreign countries, whilst our colleagues had only been tourists.

Odette was a physically attractive woman, her hair was darker than mine and whilst she had lines around her eyes they only served to accentuate her clear blue eyes. In fact it was the thing about Odette you noticed first, they were quite bright. Her dress sense was always sophisticated and sensual, I know for a fact that she was the subject of many a schoolboy crush and indeed that fact alone didn't cause her any concern. She accepted that humans were essentially sexual creatures by design and she first posited the belief that sexuality was actually fluid and not stuck in one mode, and it was that attitude that ticked boxes with me because whilst I couldn't quite go the whole gay thing I admitted that sex with a woman was an attractive option.

Another thing that drew us together was the fact that she lived in Chirnside Park, which is one of those upmarket suburbs and not far from Lilydale. We started car pooling because as anyone who lives here knows, the daily commute can be expensive and the length of the journey quite taxing, it was so much easier with company.

However despite what I've just mentioned about sex, our first topics of conversation revolved around travel and my new house, because while I'd moved onto the property ladder I still needed things like furniture, curtains and a host of other things. Some of that was supplied by my parents, others by friends and the rest by Odette. Her main contribution was a very expensive sofabed that had been in her daughter's room for years. I had no idea how to get it back home but Odette had a lot of male friends, and some of them had utes. The ute is a particularly useful vehicle because it has a partially enclosed tray at the back for carrying all sorts of things from furniture and tools to dogs and even sheep.

It was whilst we were waiting for Dan to turn up with the ute that she opened up her daughter's wardrobe to display an entire rack of clothes.

"I need to get rid of these as well."

"But aren't they Cassie's clothes?"

"No, Cassie took all her clothes when she moved out, this is now my spare wardrobe for all the bloody clothes I don't wear."

"Some of these are beautiful," I flicked through them.

They ranged from blouses and trousers through to skirts and dresses, and she moved up behind me as she plucked a blouse out at random. It was a particularly elegant pussybow blouse made of red satin, I instinctively thought of Kristina.

"It would fit you too."

"I couldn't," I stared at the label, "it's too much."

"Oh, I don't know," she glanced over her shoulder at the sofabed, "that fucking bed cost my ex husband a small fortune, I'd say all these clothes might equal the price of the sofabed."

"Exactly, you should sell these."

"To whom?" Odette put the blouse back, "I've thought of putting the lot online but then I'd have to take pictures and wrap each garment as well."

"So, what do you want for them?"

"All of them?" Odette took a step back, "well if you're not going to offer your body I'd take four hundred dollars for the lot."

I laughed at that, both for the suggestive remark and the price, which was ridiculously low, the blouse I'd just been looking at was worth at least $80 or more.

"Maybe I'd go both."

"An indecent proposal?" Odette sat on the sofabed, "now that's a new one. Imagine putting that up as a price on the site, I'd be banned in minutes."

The sound of a vehicle pulling into her driveway put an end to that conversation but it was revived the following day as I drove her to work. Odette was pretty keen to get rid of the clothes and I'd seen an opportunity to upgrade my wardrobe. Admittedly some of the clothes were quite old but fashion is a cyclical thing, eventually it always comes back into fashion, which is why I've still got most of those clothes.

"Tell you what, I'll reduce the price to two hundred and fifty if you throw in one night."

"One night," I glanced at her, "wasn't that in a movie a while back?"

"Stop it," she chuckled, "but seriously, you're still paying money but you're also having sex with me. In the movie she got a million dollars for sex with Robert Redford's character, this is not like that."

"I'll sleep on it and let you know in the morning," I chose my words carefully.

It was the most restless night I'd ever known. What had started as a joke had now grown arms and legs. I couldn't deny the sheer idiocy of such a trade, nor the dubious morality of having sex in exchange for clothes. Even sex workers demanded money and she was technically above me in the food chain but countering those solid arguments were my sense of adventure and desire. Ultimately the more adventurous side of me won the day and I agreed to it on the way to work.

"I'll do it, one night but on one provision."

"What's that?"

"We have dinner first and I'll give you one full night with me."

"One whole night?" Odette paused for breath, "that sounds like a good idea but I have my own condition."

"What?" I held my breath waiting for her to suggest some kind of weird bondage ritual.

"You wear the clothes from the wardrobe. You can change at my place and then we'll go out for dinner, and it's just plain vanilla sex. No kinky stuff, I don't do bondage."

"Deal," I exhaled, "when?"

"No time like the present," she slowed for the traffic lights, "if I have to spend another night or two thinking about it I might back out and just ask for more money."

That gave me an inkling of the inner workings of her mind, perhaps she too had had a restless night and so we agreed on that night.

That day seemed to drag on for longer than ever, in some ways it reminded me of summer in Sweden because you're waiting for the darkness that never really comes. When we finally got into her car that afternoon I felt a mixture of excitement and anxiety because there was a part of me that compared this to the exchange between a prostitute and her client. Money was exchanged for sex and I suppose some sort of comfort. Oddly enough, we talked little on the way back to her place and it was only when she was pulling into the driveway that she finally let it out.

"I am nervous about this whole thing, I'm experienced with sex but this will be the first time I've had sex with a woman."

"So is it a fantasy for you?"

"Kind of," she turned the engine off, "I've always had a fantasy about being seduced by a woman but of course you can't voice that without feeling weird or having some married man offer to invite you to have a threesome with his wife."

"Okay," I undid my seatbelt, "so you want to be seduced, I get that."

"Have you?"

"What? Had a fantasy about being seduced by a woman or slept with a woman?"

"Both," she pulled the key out of the ignition lock.

"I have," I opened the door, "her name was Kristina and she seduced me with a game of strip poker one night."

"She was gay?"

"Not at the time, she was actually married and her husband was on holiday in the Maldives," I opened the door, "which makes her an adulteress and me a slut."

"I hate that word, slut."

"I was joking," I swung my legs out of the car, "it took me a while to get used to the Swedish meaning for slut," and then I used the Swedish pronunciation, which is sloot, "it means finish or end. You could say slut if you wanted someone to stop talking."

She chuckled at that as we got out of the car.

"Now that's something I didn't know, I've seen the word in Sweden but didn't translate it."

When we got inside she nodded at the door leading to her daughter's bedroom.

"The bathroom is the second door on the left, I'll use the en suite bathroom."

"No worries," I replied, "so, you want to be seduced?"

"Um, yeah, kind of."

"Whatever, so wear something that fits in with your fantasy."

She actually looked hesitant for a few seconds and I chuckled as I moved past her.

"That's the first time I've known you to be lost for words."

She followed me down the hallway but as I detoured into her daughter's bedroom she came in as well and moved to the wardrobe.

"If that's the case then I need something from here," she opened the wardrobe and selected a red satin pussybow blouse, "you weren't going to wear this, were you?"

"Um, I'm not fussed," I looked at the clothes, "I'll find something appropriate."

"What did you wear when you slept with Kristina?"

"It was a fancy dress party," I flicked through the clothes, "she wore something like you've got and I went as the naughty schoolgirl in uniform," I tugged at a chocolate-coloured satin blouse with thin pleats down the front, "or rather, out of uniform," I let the blouse go and pulled out another one that had a light brown bodice with dark brown collar, cuffs and a separate tie hanging from it.

"That one's nice," she murmured.

"Yeah it is," I bumped my hips against hers, "okay, let me get ready."

I chose a pair of tan trousers made out of a wool/polyester blend because I'd worn black shoes to work and she elected for the black pencil skirt with a buttoned fly and an attached belt. She'd also put on white stockings and black heels.

"How do I look?"

"Perfect," I ran an eye over her, "like a bad teacher."

"You too," she eyed me, "that looks nice."

We had dinner at a local Chinese restaurant not far from her place and there were times I felt as if I was outside myself watching the two of us talking and laughing. To casual observers we would have seemed to be two straight women enjoying a night out together, perhaps a closer observation might have revealed certain tells. She would flick at my hair or touch my hand, tentatively at some times and other times she would leave her hand on top of mine. One thing I do vividly recall is the way she kept staring at me as if she was drinking me in, I'd had this from men in the past but it was not on the same intense level. I guess you could call it animal magnetism because I was also doing the same to her after a while, and that was arousing.

Oddly enough, despite all of what I've just mentioned, sex wasn't even a topic of discussion, she talked about her own travels through Europe, America and Canada, politics, her experiences as a teacher and her family. Odette had divorced her husband when their children were quite young after he hit her. Over the years he had mellowed somewhat but whilst she allowed her children to see him she still couldn't stand to be in his company.

Her world was alien to me. I'd never seen my father raise his voice to mum let alone his hands but her father was a classic wife beater and she stayed with her husband for twenty years until a twenty something Odette finally intervened and struck her own father with a cricket bat.

"I broke his kneecap," she swilled the wine in her glass, "the policeman told me it was a foolish thing to do then asked if I'd learned anything from it and I said yeah, I should have aimed for his head."

"And yet you married a violent man," I replied a few moments later.

"It's one of those things that tends to come back and bite you. I was young, thought I would never repeat the mistakes my mother had made and wound up making the same mistakes. If I had my time over I might have gone into counselling like the police suggested but then I would never have met him and had kids."

A sentiment I can well agree with but I digress!

The atmosphere changed quite dramatically once we were back at her place and I noticed it when she came back from the toilet. She actually looked nervous and almost childlike as she perched on the edge of the couch. I was playing with my phone and as our eyes met I almost expected her to pull out of the arrangement altogether.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," she looked past me.

"You look nervous," I propped my elbow on the back of the couch and angled myself towards her, "are you sure you want to go through with this?" I reached out and fingered one of her ties.

"I won't be offended," I slid my hand up and down the tie.

"But I'd love a Bundy and coke," I slid my fingers down inside her placket to expose the buttons, I did this once or twice and I noticed she was following my progress and smiling.

"I have to go for a piss," I rose, "if you don't have Bundy I'll have whatever you're having," and with that parting shot I exited the room.

I distinctly remember feeling aroused when I finally stepped out of the bathroom, I could hear the clickety clack of her heels as she came up the hallway and when she saw me she paused. She had a drink in each hand and she held out the glass of wine.

"No Bundy, I'm sorry."

"That's cool," I took it from her, "I'll survive."

Odette smiled and kept walking past me to the staircase. Her bedroom was on the first storey and as we ascended the spiral staircase she glanced back at me once or twice but didn't say a word.

We reached the first floor and she paused to take a sip from her glass, I followed suit and then eased past her as I picked out her bedroom. It was the only room that was open and I could see the double bed, I paused in the doorway and glancing over my shoulder, grabbed my arse cheek and squeezed it firmly. I saw the movement in her eyes, she might have tried to hide it because she was taking another drink and going on that reaction I stopped in the doorway and propped against the door jamb. Odette came to a stop a few feet away and put her back to the wall. She was looking straight ahead at a picture on the opposite wall but as I fiddled with my own tie her eyes shifted slightly and a sly smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

I loosened the knot and pulled it down to expose the top button, she turned at the same time and I undid the button to part the collar. I stroked my neck and took another mouthful of wine, Odette was staring at me as I took a few steps backwards but she didn't move as I put the glass on top of the bedside drawers and sat down with my back to the headboard. I kicked my shoes off and swung my feet up onto the bed. Odette followed my movements without moving away from the wall as I undid my belt and slipping it through the belt loops, dangled it in the air before letting it fall to the floor with a clunk. I slid further down the bed until I was horizontal and locked my hands behind my head.

It was only then that Odette pushed herself away from the wall and stepping into the bedroom, put her glass down and sat on the edge of the bed. She was side on to me and facing the wall and when I reached up with my left hand and stroked her back through the satin blouse, she winced slightly but didn't try to move away. I traced circles up and down her back for a minute or so before my actions became more erotic when I found her bra strap and traced my way along it several times. Odette's breathing became slightly shallower and so I moved down to the waistband of her skirt and started pulling the blouse out.

I had nearly managed to pull enough out to reach bare skin when she turned suddenly and moved closer to me at the same time. It was at that point I thought she was going to change her mind and just suggest we have separate beds but then she put one hand on the other side of me and leaning forward, brushed her lips across mine in a tender but tentative kiss. I responded in kind, bringing my hand up to her face whilst my other hand traced down the front of her blouse. We kissed again and it was a little firmer this time but she was still on the edge and so I locked my hand firmly around her neck and grabbing one of her ties, pulled her right down.

She was now unable to pull back without sending out the wrong signals and now that we were this close I tilted my head and putting my lips against hers, I forced them open in a passionate kiss that left no room for doubt. I actually felt her trying to pull back but because of my grip she was unable to do it and then she moaned and gave in. We parted briefly before going for it again, this one was not as long but it was the start of several sensual teasing kisses.

I could feel the shift in the atmosphere and sensed that her 'enthusiasm' for this thing had all been a big front but once it got down to the real thing she really was hesitant and that meant I had to go a little slower. It did make me a little nervous though because apart from Kristina, the other women I'd slept with had been openly gay or bisexual for years.

I slipped my fingers inside the placket and drew them up to the bow and then back down again whilst running my other hand through her hair. It was slow and methodical, she stayed in the same position, more or less but gradually she pulled back slightly to let me have better access. Her eyes were locked onto mine and she hadn't said a word yet.

"That's nice," she finally murmured.

"Ah, so she speaks," I grinned crookedly, "it's okay to touch me too," I drew my finger around the edge of her bra cup, "even here," I moved my fingers to the centre of her breast and dragged them back and forth a few times.