They were there for different weddings, not their own, and the bar between the Gold Room and the Red Room made for a convenient place to escape the tedious celebrations. They started talking, Amanda and Howard, about awful weddings and ideal honeymoons and the best sex they’d ever had. By now it was after midnight and they found themselves all but alone. “Of course I’ve never been on a honeymoon,” Amanda confessed, “but the thing about sex ... Well, I shouldn’t say.”

“You should,” Howard coaxed.

“The thing about sex is that most guys, and I’m only speaking about guys I’ve known, they don’t have a clue what to do.”

“How many guys are you talking about?” Howard asked in a good-natured way.

“Oh, well, three, but...”

“Not a huge sample, although—how old did you say you were?”

“Well I was seventeen last time I had sex, with the groom as a matter of fact, but that was last week.”

“So you’re eighteen now?”

“Yeah, I guess. About an hour ago.”

“Well, happy birthday!”

“Thanks.”

“And what would you like for your birthday?”

Amanda thought for a moment. “A pony?”

Howard laughed.

“But you know what? I’d settle for...”

“What?” Howard asked, when Amanda didn’t say more.

“I shouldn’t say.”

“You should.”

“The thing is, no, I shouldn’t say.”

“Oh, go on. Be brave. You’re a big girl now.”

“You know that cat down there?” She nodded toward the floor.

“Cat?”

“He’s imaginary.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Yeah, but that cat...”

“That imaginary cat.”

“He’s staring up at me. And I believe he can see right up my dress. I believe he can see my pussy. How wet it is.”

“How wet is it?”

“You’re not going to ask the cat?”

“I would, but I don’t speak catese.”

“You don’t? Well, then I’ll tell you.” She whispered in Howard’s ear.

“No wonder the cat is watching you.”

“Uh huh. I bet if you touched me anywhere, even the slightest touch, I’d come.”

“Would you like to come? Right here? Right now?”

Amanda nodded. “Would that be really bad of me?”

Howard nodded. “But what’s the point of life if you can’t be bad sometimes? Especially on your birthday.”

“So you wouldn’t mind touching me? Just a little bit? Just maybe one nipple?”

“It would be my pleasure. I’ll touch one nipple and you touch the other. That way we’d be sharing.”

“We would,” Amanda said. “Sharing is good, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Howard agreed.

It didn’t take much for Amanda to slide the bodice of her minidress aside. It didn’t take much, once she started to touch one nipple and Howard the other, for Amanda to come.

The cat, staring up at her, his green eyes intent on her cunt, watched each of the six strong contractions of her orgasm. Between contractions five and six, Howard held her so she wouldn’t fall off the barstool. Amanda took a deep breath. “Whew! Thank you,” she said. “That was so good. I’m ready for you to take me up to my room now.”