Women Who Talk Pt. 05

"So," she fiddled with her necklace, "let's test your little theory out."

"Theory?"

"Your theory that you liked to be undressed by someone else," she undid the necklace and lifted it off her front.

"You remembered that?" Robyn smiled crookedly.

"I did, along with other things," she grinned.

Robyn looked down as Helen held the necklace up.

"You won't," she looked away.

"Won't what?" Helen stared at her, "sell it?"

"Tell Penny that I told you about her you know?"

"Her secret fantasy? Fuck no," she studied the necklace, "it's between you and me, okay?"

"Okay," she looked down as Helen put the necklace on the coffee table.

"Pretty necklace," she turned back to her.

"It belonged to my nanna," she replied.

"Your gay grandmother certainly had a sense of style," she commented.

Robyn didn't reply to that as Helen studied her. A moment or two later she fingered the collar and then the front of the blouse. Robyn frowned and looked down, and not knowing what she was thinking Helen took a stab in the dark as she spoke again.

"Would you fancy a wine or a bourbon? It might relax you a little more."

"Um," Robyn frowned.

***

The hailstorm had turned into freezing rain but Penny's mind was focused on the task at hand as she walked back to the archives room. The chances of two women with such an exotic name living in the same area of Melbourne were slim but not beyond the bounds of possibility. Lisa shot her a tired smile as she put another folder back onto the shelf.

"I swear to God that woman's psychic, I found January 97 files in January 98 and March 97 in between June and July 96. It's like she's trying to destroy us one cut at a time, I dread coming into this room to find shit because Helen's filing system is like a dog's breakfast."

"Yeah, that'd be our Helen, death by a thousand cuts," she studied the folders.

Lisa had succeeded in working her way down one wall and was nearly at the smaller wall at the end but there was an entire wall of folders on the other side.

"I really need to invest in a safe storage room," she mused, "I've been thinking about one of the basement rooms at my place, it's certainly doable and I don't think we're breaking any rules on data retention."

"But that'd mean sending her up to your joint to retrieve files," Lisa replied, "although," she smiled, "it'd get her out of the office."

"Well before I go down that path I need to lay down some ground rules about filing procedures, it's a fucking nightmare trying to find shit," she pulled out a random file.

"May 1997, we don't need that in here."

"I know," she glanced over at her, "but getting back to the task at hand, I haven't pulled out the boxes on the bottom," Lisa indicated the large archive boxes on the floor, "but I've got a routine going here, so if you get started there I'll go to work on the bottom boxes once I've reached the door and we'll meet in the middle."

Penny nodded as she stared at the rows of files. One of Helen's main roles was filing and collating, she turned and looked out the door again.

"So, let's save ourselves some hard work and go straight to the horse's mouth," she pulled a folder out and opened it, "we're after Zara's file, she can probably lay her hands on it but we don't have to tell her why we want it," she flipped through the envelopes.

"You think that'll work?" Lisa sounded doubtful.

"I reckon it will," she put the folder back. "Helen's main weakness is the fact she's a dominatrix, she likes to think we're all submissives just waiting for her to take control. The only one she knows she can't get around is yours truly but that's because I pay her wages and it's usually a bad idea to bite the hand that feeds you."

"Do you really think there's something in this?"

Penny leaned back against the shelves behind her and closed her eyes and let her mind move out beyond the narrow confines of the office and then out into the street. She swallowed as she finally opened her eyes and looked at her for a few moments.

"The age Zara was when she got divorced is right within Helen's preferred age range, and we know that we had a Zara as a client..."

"And if what if we discover she slept with her after the six month cooling off period?"

Penny stared straight ahead.

"Then I'll hold up my hands," she spoke in a low monotone, "but I've come this close," she held up her finger and thumb, "to sacking her before but she's always managed to dodge the bullet, she can be really sweet and accommodating when it suits her and to your credit you've pointed that out to me before but my hands have been tied by government legislation but this is a sackable offence."

"Wouldn't that drive her to you know?" Lisa stopped.

"Suicide? She'd never contemplate suicide," Penny stepped out of the room, "she wouldn't be able to attend her funeral and hear people say nice things about her. She'll rant and rage, even try to launch a lawsuit but in order to do that she needs capital and that woman spends too much money on piss and other substances," she sat down at the reception counter, "she'd need to take out a loan against her house."

However Helen's mobile eventually went through to messagebank.

"She's either got it on divert or it's on mute," Penny frowned.

"So?" Lisa leaned on the counter, "call the house phone."

"Out of hours?"

"Call her home phone, you need to resolve this, otherwise you'll be tossing and turning all night."

"Fuck it," she picked up the phone, "you're right."

"Play to her ego, she's always saying that Penny would be lost without her, so put on your desperate boss voice and appeal to her vanity."

Penny stabbed the buttons firmly and then sank back in her seat and stared straight ahead.

"It's ringing," she informed her.

Lisa sat back and waited for Helen to answer.

***

"I kind of have a rule about drinking and driving," Robyn spoke quietly, "in just under two months I'll have my full licence and I can have a couple of drinks and drive but I have to stick to a zero blood alcohol level until then," she looked down as Helen slid the fingers of her right hand over her belly.

"I'd have to stay the night and it seems like," she stared past her, "a little too much too soon."

"Why? Because you're crashing with me?" Helen slid her hand along her shoulder to her neck and then down to the front of the blouse.

"Who says you have to share a bed with me? There are two other beds, plus the couch and if that was the case I'd crash on the couch, I've done that on a regular basis for years," she slid her right hand into the placket and eased it upwards.

"You do?" Robyn gripped the top of the couch and looked down as the hand moved slowly towards her breasts.

"Yeah, usually on the weekend," she slid her left hand over to her shoulder.

"Oh," Robyn murmured as Helen's right hand joined her left at her shoulders.

"You don't have to work tomorrow," Helen stared into her eyes, "and no one says we have to go all the way tonight, some women just want a bit of a kiss and a cuddle."

"I doubt it stops there though," Robyn replied as Helen slid her hands along her arms.

"Admittedly no," Helen conceded, "but you're in a position right now where you can decide it for yourself, we're both consenting adults," she reached her hands and Robyn turned them around to grasp her hands, "and we're both newly single again."

"So," she stared into her eyes, "do you want a drink or not?"

"Maybe not... yet," she finally decided.

"Good answer," Helen leaned over and bent down at the same time to press her lips against Robyn's lips and as she pushed hard against her, Robyn allowed her head to fall back against the top of the couch to expose her throat once again and after a second kiss Helen went back to kissing her throat and neck. Robyn clutched her hands tightly and arched her back, allowing the older woman to push her breasts against Robyn's as she moved up and down at the same time.

This went on for the better part of a minute or so before Robyn finally exhaled and let out a low whimper. She'd recognised the signs of arousal some time ago but now it was combined with a new sensation, the desire to be filled. It occurred to her in that moment that this was the pivotal moment in time when she could just push her away and try to recover or just let it keep going until its inevitable end. Nevertheless, as she stared at Helen's throat she sensed that even if she did pull back from the edge the urge would still be there, ready to rise up at a moment's notice and she sensed that Helen had already worked it out too.

This was evidenced a second or two later when Helen let go of her hands and slid her hands back along her arms to her shoulders. Robyn tightened her grip on the couch, resisting the urge to drop her hands or touch Helen as the older woman splayed her fingers and using her fingernails, danced them down her front to the top of her bra cups. She stayed there for a few seconds and then traced her way along the tops to her sides. Their eyes were locked onto each other and Helen smiled as she let her hands move back to her breasts and this time she grasped them firmly and pushed them upwards as her thumbs rubbed her nipples through the material.

Robyn's eyes widened and a somewhat startled, "oh," escaped her lips as she fought the instinctive urge to push her hands away from her breasts. She felt aroused by this blatant action. Jeff would have asked permission because that was the way he was with women in general, but Helen had just done it. Just over seven days ago she'd straddled him with the intent of going all the way. Only it hadn't happened, her eyes flickered as Helen brought her hands down to her waist and Robyn's eyes narrowed as she looked down at herself. She felt a strange sense of loss and almost regret that it wasn't Penny doing this, or even Alana. Instead it was Helen, a woman whom she'd disregarded as being not her type.

What was her type? Robyn looked down as Helen moved back up the placket to the topmost button on the right hand side. It was a question she'd felt comfortable answering before but she'd been just voicing an opinion, a feeling, Robyn watched as the button slid through the buttonhole and the older woman pulled the top corner down to form an inverted vee.

She slid her right hand back down the placket whilst her left pulled the collar over a little so as she could caress the side of her neck. Helen studied her with a bemused smile as she slid her hand back up the placket to the second button and Robyn's eyes flickered downwards as she watched the button slip through the buttonhole to deepen the inverted vee.

She looked past Helen and focused on her handbag. She'd been in the habit of putting the dildo into her bag for the first few days after she'd bought it but now it was at home and then she saw that Helen's phone was flashing and she straightened up as she recalled their phones were on mute. The older woman slid her finger down to the third button but then she stopped as she noticed the look on Robyn's face.

"What's wrong?"

"Your phone is ringing," Robyn nodded at the phone on the table.

Helen turned slightly to look at the flashing screen and a moment later she slid off her and picked it up, the screen had Work on it, which meant it was either Penny or someone else in the office.

"It's nothing," she turned back to her, "unknown number," she put the phone down.

Robyn frowned as she stared at the phone. It flashed a few more times and then stopped.

"Probably some cold caller," Helen loosened her tie.

Robyn stared at her as the older woman undid her top button, Robyn felt the flush in her cheeks as Helen looked down at herself with mild amusement and then straddled her again. She folded the placket back and slid down to the third button but just as she reached it the home phone rang and Robyn flinched and looked over at it.

"Aren't you going to answer it?"

"No, I've got the answering machine," she started easing the button through the buttonhole as the answering machine took over.

"Hiya, sorry I'm not home," she undid the button, "I'm either too busy," she tugged on the collar to deepen the inverted vee "asleep or out," she moved down towards the fourth button," leave your number," she reached it, "and I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible, bye," she started easing the button through the buttonhole.

"Helen?" Penny's voice sounded and Robyn jerked just as Helen let go of her blouse and stared at the phone on the other side of the room, "are you there?"

"Helen?" Helen looked back at her, "no, her phone's on divert," she grabbed the placket again as Penny spoke again, "I could drop by on my way home," she looked down as Helen exerted pressure on the button.

"If you're there, please pick up, I really need your help now," Helen slipped the button through the buttonhole, "you don't need to come in but it's urgent."

Robyn moved swiftly, pushing her hand away.

"Answer it, I have to go for a piss anyway," she moved backwards and away from Helen.

Helen stood and turned around as Penny spoke again.

"Helen, I wouldn't call you at home if it wasn't important," she hurried to the phone as Robyn rose and stepped away from the couch. A moment later she picked it up.

"I'm here," she turned to look at Robyn as she walked around the couch and headed for the door, "uh huh... oh... um... let's think."

Robyn stepped out and as Helen's voice rose an octave.

"I'm thinking, hang on."

The rest of the conversation faded as Robyn ascended the staircase. The story about needing a piss was only partly true. She did need to urinate but it wasn't a pressing desire, just yet but the phone call had reminded her of two things. The first being that none of this was planned, she'd never had any intention of sleeping with Helen now or at any time in the future and the second was the sound of Penny's voice. Penny, she closed the door and locked it. What am I doing?

One path was clear enough, sex, she mused a few minutes later as she flushed the toilet, with a woman who isn't even a Christian. The last two sins would earn Robyn her mother's ire until the end of time and yet, was that even her burden to bear? Her mother had taken up that mantle a long time ago and just expected her youngest daughter to carry the torch her oldest had ridiculed as a stupid idea.

Robyn stared at herself in the bathroom mirror a couple of minutes later. She looked exactly the same, her hair was slightly messy after Helen had played with it but the real changes were internal. Penny isn't a Christian, neither are Kathy, Melissa or even Alana, you'd have sex with them, her eyes shifted as she heard Helen coming along the hallway on her way to the bedroom. Robyn stared straight ahead at the reflection of the bathroom door in the mirror. She was going to the bedroom, which meant, she straightened up.

The time for making a decision was at hand. The phone call had come at an opportune time, had it not then she was no doubt she'd be partially naked. Now she had time to think and when Helen paused by the door she expected her to knock or call out but instead she kept going to the office next door.

What's she doing? Robyn strained her ears as she heard jangling keys and then the sound of a key being inserted into the lock.

Helen stepped into the office and crossed to the bookshelves. Penny had mentioned that Zara was after a copy of her divorce settlement because she was thinking of renegotiating it, which made her suspicious. Zara hated her ex but she also feared him, so wanting to risk getting in contact with him was a curious thing. She pulled out a folder marked Women N-Z and opened it to Z, there was only one file under that letter, Zara Anne Ross.

Should she call her? Helen hesitated as she stared at the phone numbers and then at the mobile in her hand. To what end? If she wants to renegotiate then good fucking luck.

But still, she looked up as the bathroom door opened and she heard Robyn stepping out into the hallway, the younger woman paused as if she was going to step into the office but then she walked away.

"Why bother with her?" Helen muttered and put the folder back on the shelf and hurried out, as she got to the door Robyn turned around and looked at her.

"I'm just getting my perfume."

"Oh," Helen stepped out of the office but left the keys in the lock.

"Is everything all right?" Robyn asked her.

"Huh?"

"Penny just called and now you're in the office, I thought something was wrong."

"Nothing's wrong, she was just asking about an ex client, I um, thought I had some info in there but I haven't."

Robyn shrugged and turning around, started walking again. Helen contemplated locking the door but decided against it a moment or two later and followed her back downstairs. Robyn glanced up at her as she descended the lower flight of stairs and Helen frowned. Was something wrong? Did she have second thoughts? Her mind was in a whirl as she came down the stairs.

Robyn sprayed herself with perfume and checked her phone but there were no missed calls or texts and so she put it down.

"Did you sort things out with Penny?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's cool," she eyed her.

"So, where were we?"

"We were kissing on this couch," Helen smirked.

"Oh, that's right," Robyn grinned, "you're a pretty good kisser."

"Touché," Helen stared at the fire, "are you comfortable here or would you like to move upstairs?"

Robyn didn't reply as she stared at the fire. The couch was comfortable and more than adequate for what Helen was suggesting but should she not ask questions? She stared at Helen and finally spoke quietly.

"Um, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," go ahead."

She hesitated before asking the obvious question, how do you feel about me? She almost expected a trite answer but Helen confessed she didn't know but she was attracted to her and had been since she first walked into the office a few weeks ago. Robyn next tried to bring up her girlfriends, she had no intention of giving up her girlfriends for Helen.

"Because I don't know you well enough."

She was relieved to hear that Helen had no intention of interfering with her personal life because at this point in time neither of them knew each other well enough. All kinds of things could happen in the future, life threw unexpected challenges at you and finally she threw up the sensitive issue of her personal faith but Helen didn't even care about that.

"We all have to believe in something, it's a non issue for me," she patted at the couch, "everything you're worried about is normal. Even sexually experienced women get the same doubts, especially if they're straight women about to get naked with another woman. For you it's even more real but you won't get anywhere just sitting around talking about it, whether it's with Penny, Alana, Erin or one of your other girlfriends. The only way to find out for sure is to take the chance."

Helen ran her hand over the cushion.

"So, would you like to continue or stop right here and I don't know, go further another time?"

Robyn stared at her hand as she contemplated her choices. Everyone she'd spoken to about this had said the same thing in different ways. When it happened for her she would be unprepared for it, the opportunity had come her way, the door was open. They were both adults and both newly single and all she had to do was say yes and hope she'd made the right decision.

"Okay," she stood up, "but not here," she glanced at the fire, "the bed."

"Sure," Helen also rose, "just let me build up the fire a bit."

Some two minutes later they left the room and Robyn put her hand into Helen's as the older woman led her up the stairs, she let her mind move outwards to Penny's house and the advice she'd given her over the last two weeks. Relax, let it happen but ask questions. If your partner is understanding they'll answer your questions.