Women Who Talk Pt. 02

"These?" Big Al picked up a chromed buckle.

"Yeah, I'd bring the price back up to fifty if you throw in that silver buckle."

"Sure, no worries," he looked at Robyn who was turning to look at Penny.

"Here's the deal, you paid for pancakes for Cindy and I, which was about fifteen bucks, you buy me a cappuccino and some donuts from a stall here and we're even, plus I get one of those belts," she nodded at them, "with that silver buckle," she tugged at her lapel, "deal or no deal?"

Robyn looked down at her hand and then up again.

"Okay, deal but I reckon you're getting the shitty end of the deal."

"Says who?" Penny let go of her lapel, "okay, I like the brown one unless?"

"I'll have the black one," Robyn turned back to him, "and you can attach the buckles here?"

"No wuckin' furries," he grinned, "press studs or rivets?"

"Press studs for mine," she looked at Penny.

"The same," she nodded.

"No worries, have it done in two shakes... of a lamb's tail," he smiled slyly.

"I still reckon you got the wrong end of the stick," Robyn commented some fifteen minutes later as they sat a picnic table with cappuccinos and donuts, "fifty dollars isn't small change."

"It's a lot of money to you but not me," she took a bite from a hot jam donut.

"Maybe but even lawyers don't earn that much."

"You'd be surprised at what I earn but that's a very personal question but just to give you an idea, I own half the house, all of the business and by the time I'm thirty five it's all mine, again because the house was my inheritance that I borrowed against to start the business."

"Wow," she blinked, "and you're what? Twenty nine?"

"Thirty in April of next year. I was the April Fool's baby. My dad thought my mum was playing an April Fool's joke when she rang his office to tell him she was going into labour at home. Can you imagine his surprise when the paramedics called him back to tell him his wife had given birth to a bouncing baby girl at home?"

"Sounds like something out of a romcom movie."

"Pretty much," she sipped her cappuccino.

"So, I suppose you want to put this belt on me yourself," she picked up another donut, "and I'd be more than happy to let you take the old one off seeing as you spent so much money."

"No, you can put your own belt on and take it off again without my help."

"Huh," she stared past her, "well that's another lesbian stereotype shot down in flames, I'd have thought that was a sure fire way to you know, seduce a woman."

"Oh it can be a way of gauging another woman's reactions with a bit of an outfit adjustment, play with the collar, play with hair and if she doesn't pull back then you might be onto a winner," Penny hesitated, "but it can also give you the reputation of being a bull dyke, trying to force yourself onto a woman."

"So, what kinds of women do you like?"

"Feminine women, they don't have to wear dresses all day long or pamper their faces, God knows I wear trousers to work a lot but they have to be open minded, progressive, willing to try new things and above all, financially independent. I've had some great offers from some very attractive women but I could never work out if it was me they wanted or the house."

"I kind of worked that out already," she mused a minute or so later, "I'm into the same thing but my definition of financially independent and yours are different."

"Granted, but my family has money, quite a lot of money and I've inherited my share too, it's just what I was born with, my parents both came from wealthy families."

Robyn didn't speak again until she finished her donut but when she did the question caused Penny to raise her eyebrows.

"So, getting back to coming onto a woman. What would be a sure fire winner for you? How would a woman approach you in a way that would cause you to sit back and say, yeah baby?"

Their eyes met and she smiled.

"And if you tell me what turns you on I'll tell you what turns me on."

"Hmm," she eyed the cappuccino, "I'm not exactly sure how to answer that. Why are you asking me what turns me on?"

"Curiosity, just in case there's some trigger that sets you off. I'd hate to ruin a friendship because I did something that triggered you, help me out here."

"Okay," she glanced at the belts, "if that's the case then, having a woman try to undress me is one of my private fetishes," she frowned, "maybe not a fetish as such, call it my favourite kind of foreplay if you like, but it certainly gets my attention straight away."

"Foreplay," Robyn smirked, "okay but what if some woman tries to do that in public? It sounds almost like something you'd need to talk to a therapist about."

"Public places and any place where we can be easily disturbed are different because of a natural defence against being naked in public, but a private setting, say a bedroom, someone's home or a place we can't be easily disturbed is different. It's like I go into a trance and even if I'm not into the woman I find it really hard to pull away and stop her. I have done it, but it's an effort so there you have it, out in the open," she smiled.

"But keep that to yourself, that's between you and I only."

"Promise," she held her two fingers over her heart, "and my thing is someone who thinks of me and just buys something they know I'd like. I get all funny inside like I want to kiss them but it's maybe not a good idea because she's either single and straight or she's got a boyfriend. That's why I wasn't sure about you buying me that belt, it was only when we did that deal that I agreed."

"Oh," Penny's eyes shifted, "okay I'll remember that one in future."

"Don't worry, you're forgiven but that was an interesting conversation."

"It was indeed... useful information, I'm looking forward to our Thursday session."

"Well, you could count this as a Thursday session," Penny mused.

"Are you kidding me? I have more questions."

"Such as?" Penny picked up her cappuccino.

"Everything but not now. I have to go to Borders and find the right books, I'll bring a book up with me on Thursday."

"Or, you could pick a book from my library," she replied.

"You have a sex library? How odd," she smirked, "sorry, just kidding. What kinds of books?"

"All kinds of books from literary fiction and reference right through my sex books but the sex ones are all educational, I'm not into porn as such although I've seen a few movies in my time. So, don't spend money on books unless you feel you need to, save it for something else."

"Okay, we have a deal," she took out another donut, "so, apart from the fact that you've got a quid or two, what else do you want to tell me?"

"I have an older brother, Robert who lives in London and works in banking, my dad lives in Surrey Hills and owns a big law firm in the city. My mother is a finance manager for the Commonwealth bank in the city, so basically, my older brother takes after mum. He's very focused on squeezing as much money out of people as possible but dad and I are the Social Justice warriors. We're the only Labour voters in our family, mum and Rob are true blue Liberal supporters. Mum is a Liberal Party donor and Rob dabbled in politics when he was a Young Liberal, so the discussions around the table at dinner time were more like a political debate than dinner."

"Ouch, that's not a good look," she winced, "so, why didn't you get a job with your dad?"

"I did for the first eighteen months but I guess I got a bit cagey about some of the people dad's firm were representing, well known criminal identities for example but I guess I wanted to focus more on family law and in particular women's issues."

"So, do you think that what I said on Friday night was coming out?" Robyn propped on her palm.

Penny's eyes shifted at this sudden shift in the air.

"It's an admission that you feel something for women, but right now it's in its infancy. Admittedly, you were brave, coming out in front of people you hardly knew along with women you'd just met, it is coming out but right now it sounds as though you're standing a crossroad. If you came out to Jeff then it'd have far more significance because you'd be effectively ending your relationship with him and stating you are attracted to women."

"I do love Jeff," she admitted, "I feel comfortable around him because he doesn't paw at me, I got sick of guys in church youth groups trying to get me on the couch and feel their way towards my boobs or my vagina. They always claim they aren't but they are and I can't even blame for trying to be honest, they're only doing something that is natural," she grinned.

"And I really hate it when Christian guys try to tell you that God wants us to be together, it's just a Christian guy's way of saying let's fuck but get married first."

Penny burst out laughing and then pinched her nose.

"That's quite... old fashioned," she propped on her palm, "so, how did you and Jeff get together?"

"It was when he fixed my car one arvo, I just leaned over the car and kissed him."

"Very romantic," Penny smiled crookedly.

"But he took it the wrong way, Jeff's been raised by a feminist father and a misogynist mother, he's got three sisters as well so he's very conscious of basic protocols like lowering the toilet seat. He was the first boyfriend I've ever had who lowers the bloody seat, he's also been quite willing to let me help him fix my car and his as well. He's a bit backwards at coming forward though, there are girls at church who do look at him but he's almost unwilling to take it further. I was the pushy one who hugged him and held his hand, apparently he had a girlfriend in high school but it wasn't the same as the boyfriends I had in school."

Robyn traced her way around a knot in the tabletop.

"It was me who asked him out, I pushed him into it and because he hates arguing with women, he just went along with it and nearly a year later we're kind of all right together but it's like I've used him as a buffer against a more serious guy who might take things further."

They lapsed into silence for a few minutes before Penny spoke up.

"Whatever the outcome between you and Jeff, you've gone a little further on your journey of self discovery," she glanced at her watch, "and on that note I need to start my journey back home, fancy a ride back to your place?"

"Yeah, why the hell not?" Robyn grinned.

The conversation continued on the way back to Kilsyth. She pointed out the street on Stud Road that led to the street where Jeff lived, his parent's home on Bayswater Road was not far from the high school, and further on up Bayswater Road where it ended at Mt Dandenong Road, the house that belonged to Danny. However, by the time Penny pulled into Robyn's driveway the conversation had come to a halt. She didn't want this day to end and yet there was an inevitability about it, and even if Penny did want to take things further she wasn't even sure she'd be willing to go that far.

"I'll see you Thursday night then," Penny looked at her.

"Yeah, for sure," she opened the car door, "what time?"

"About sevenish, I get home around six though so if you feel like coming up earlier it's okay but this Thursday I'll be home even earlier so any time after four."

"Seven sounds good, it gives me time to have dinner first," she opened the door wider.

"Thanks for today, your church is more exciting than mine."

She stood watching her drive away, part of her wanted to be in the car beside her and the other part was glad she was home with her precious purchases, one of which she was wearing right now, she let her fingers slide over the buckle and let her mind float outwards. She imagined Penny undoing the belt and then her jeans, and then... Robyn came to with a start as Erin came up beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.

And then there was the Erin factor. The younger woman was not only very tactile she also looked up to Robyn as her best friend/mentor. Robyn didn't consider that on the cusp of turning twenty one that she was much smarter than the nineteen-year-old Erin, who could happily go out and get laid every weekend at the drop of a hat. Erin's sexual experience far outweighed hers but the younger Erin still looked up to Robyn because she came across as more studious.

It wasn't as if Erin had confessed any secret girl crushes, but Robyn was more concerned about what might happen if her housemate had a bit too much to drink and decided to cuddle up to her, which had happened in the past. Now that she'd come out though it might get more complicated for herself at least. The last thing she wanted or needed was a sexual relationship with a girl she lived with and she doubted Erin would be all that worried about such an arrangement.

"You okay?" Erin rubbed her back.

"Yeah, just tired, really," she rubbed her eye, "gonna lie down for a bit."

"Watcha' been buying?"

"CDs and a belt," she replied as they made their way down the driveway to the back gate.

"What CDs?"

"Abba," she replied.

"Abba?" Erin raised an eyebrow, "cool, we can have a seventies party tonight."

"Maybe," she unhooked the latch.

Scamp came running up to greet them and she glanced over at Josie who was sitting at a table under the pergola roof with a cup of coffee and a copy of Cleo.

"Hey, you're back, watcha' been buying?"

"She bought Abba CDs," Erin announced, "we're gonna have a seventies party tonight."

"Not in there you're not," Josie replied, "I've just vacuumed the carpet."

"There'll be no seventies parties tonight," Robyn closed the gate, "I'm gonna crash out for an hour or so, I got home too late last night and was up too early this morning."

"I can make you a cuppa," Erin offered, "I was just going to make my second one."

"No it's fine, you go ahead," she sat down at the table.

Erin shrugged and went inside. Josie eyed her for a few moments.

"What's really going on?"

"Just a bit of thinking about Jeff and why I'm with him," she glanced at the kitchen window, "it's nothing I can't handle but right now I need time to process a few things."

"Whatever," she shrugged, "Matthew and I decided to take a break for a few weeks on the weekend, it's been on the cards for a while now. He's been working a lot of weekends and I've been cleaning his house and mine at the weekend lately."

"I wondered why you came back early this morning," she frowned, "but if I'd known that earlier I would've done extra around the place."

"And I'd have felt guilty about it," she replied, "it's not that I don't mind helping him out, but the guys he lives with are just as lazy as him, I seem to have become their unofficial unpaid maid the last month or so," she traced a line along the tabletop.

"Last night I had it out with him and he slept on the couch," their eyes met briefly, "so that's it, now you know my dirty little secret."

"So you're footloose and fancy free," Robyn smirked.

"And staying that way for a while, it's not like we've broken up completely. He might come back next weekend and work things out."

"Well, even if he does, it's not like you've got to say yes," she turned the magazine around to read the headlines on the front cover, "you can say no right up until your wedding day and if you change your mind afterwards then Penny can arrange your divorce."

Breaking up seemed to be the theme for this weekend she mused sometime later as she lay on her bed listening to one of her Abba CDs. One song in particular seemed to stand out for her, the old classic, Knowing Me, Knowing You. She fell asleep shortly afterwards.

***

Helen looked down at the staircase from the first floor and contemplated her plan of attack. She had gone out to the church that morning but she'd missed Robyn completely, she'd left straight after the service. Helen had stayed for coffee, citing an 'interest' in the church after seeing a flyer for the coffee shop in her workplace, which was how she'd learned that Robyn had left so quickly. Helen had left not long after finishing her coffee and headed back home to contemplate her approach. It was clear that arranging a meeting with Robyn was going to take some doing.

She had tossed up various scenarios, each one wackier than the last until finally she'd thrown in the towel and opted for Occam's Razor. Robyn worked at a real estate office. All she had to do was say that she was thinking of putting the place on the market and would she be able to come around and give her a few tips?

Once she was inside of course she'd see the sewing machine and patterns on the table and revert to her story about 'finding' it in the spare room at her mother's joint. After that it was a simply a case of maintaining the conversation long enough to forge a connection and if she gave the machine to her without asking for money there would be a 'debt.'

For the better part of half an hour she dithered over whether or not to drive over to Robyn's house and just drop in, after all Robyn had told her the street, just not the number but eventually she gave up and put it off until the following day or the day after. However, there was one task to take care of and that was to arrange to start later than her normal time of 8:30.

Penny didn't appear to be home when she called but when Helen started to leave a message Penny picked up the phone.

"Hello, Helen. What's up?"

"I was um.. wondering if I could start later for the days I have to be in the Kilsyth office? I have to run Roxy's kids to school for next week."

"How much later?"

"Quarter past nine? I can make the time up on the days I'm supposed to be in this office."

"That's too much fucking around," Penny sounded wary, "how's about making up the lost time on Saturday? You can do a four hour shift at Kilsyth and give Anne the day off instead."

"No worries, I can do that. I'm really sorry about all this, I tried to talk myself out of it but she's been really emotional the last couple of weeks."

"No need to apologise," Penny reassured her, "it's fine."

After she'd hung up Helen called Roxy to tell her she had a killer workload all week and might not be able to see her until Saturday night at the very earliest. The result was predictable enough, Roxy complained, tried to work out a compromise and was stonewalled by Helen who insisted that this was beyond her control. Worryingly enough though, she actually felt a minor twinge of guilt over her blatant lie to Roxy but she managed to push that down into the deepest darkest recesses of her soul and focus on the prize in front of her. Bedding the cute blonde in Anita Street.

To be continued...