Chapter 3

When the alarm went off at four-thirty, it seemed to Kathy that she had just fallen asleep. She groped around on the night stand to turn it off to keep it from waking Ken. Although still more than half asleep, she stumbled out to the kitchen to make coffee, and then went into the bathroom. She had had the foresight to bring her clothes out to the living room so she wouldn't need to open drawers or turn on lights in the bedroom. After setting up his breakfast and leaving a note about reheating the coffee, she went out to the car. Since it was still close to the longest day of the year, it was past dawn and close to sunrise as she drove out of the parking area at five-fifteen.

Arriving at the office building at seven-fifteen, she realized she had time to spare. On the other hand, she had borrowed five dollars from Ken — five dollars he couldn't spare — just to cover her parking. There was not even enough money for a cup of coffee, so she went up to the top office floor to wait. As she expected, the office door was locked. After standing there for a while, she decided to sit down and wait, even if it meant sitting on the bare floor. Since she had only had three hours sleep, and the previous days had been so emotionally exhausting, she fell asleep with her arms around her legs and her head resting on her knees.

The next thing she knew, there was a warm hand on her face and Ginger was whispering, "You poor thing! I'm so sorry. How long have you been here, for heaven's sake?"

Kathy blinked her eyes and looked up into Ginger's brilliant green ones. She smiled sleepily and replied, "I don't know. What time is it?"

"It's after nine-thirty."

"Then I guess I've been here for a couple of hours. I'm sorry, Mrs. Conrad. I guess I was more tired than I knew. It took longer than I thought it would to get here this morning, and I didn't sleep very well..." As Ginger gave her a hand and pulled her to her feet, she finished, "If you give me another chance, ma'am, I swear it will never happen again."

Ginger just gave her a quick grin and then gave her a gold key. "It sure as hell won't. Next time, sleep on the sofa. It's really pretty comfortable. Ali bought it extra wide so you can really stretch out; you don't have to sleep huddled up in a ball. There's even a pillow and a light blanket stored in the reception room closet."

Meanwhile, Ginger had unlocked the door and turned on the lights. Then as she looked at Kathy, she stretched luxuriantly. "Now we'll find out if you're worth a damn as a secretary. This is the acid test: It's the only thing that really matters to Ali or me. Mrs. Carlson, we have a brand-new coffee maker, coffee, and the rest of the junk. I will show you where it is. You will make coffee and bring back a tray with two cups, the whole damned pot, and whatever you add to yours. On a morning like this, I live with straight black."

Ginger took her through the door by the reception desk and turned left. Going through another door they entered a magnificently appointed conference room. Ginger opened a panel of folding doors revealing a full kitchen set up with a commercial coffee maker sitting on the counter. Opening a cabinet, Ginger indicated a box full of the finest coffee in pre-measured packs along with filters, sugar and artificial sweetener.

"Milk's in the refrigerator," she called as she stumbled out through the door they had entered.

In no time Kathy had the coffee brewing. She took the opportunity to open cabinets and was amazed at what she found. It was a fully equipped gourmet kitchen in a business conference room! Kathy found coffee mugs and a tray. When the coffee was brewed, she took it, along with two mugs and some sugar, back through the door where Ginger had gone. She went past the door to the reception area and found herself at the door to a magnificent office.

Ginger had her chair tipped back and her bare feet were on her polished desk top. Looking at her, Kathy realized she was wearing an outfit virtually identical to the one she had worn the day before. After setting down the tray on a credenza, she poured a cup of coffee for Ginger and went over to the desk. It was only then that she realized the woman's eyes were closed. She whispered, "Mrs. Conrad?"

She almost laughed when one green eye opened and stared at her while the other eyelid remained resolutely closed. "Mrs. Conrad is Charley's mother, and she's dead. The name is Ginger, damn it!"

With a graceful movement, she swung her feet off the desk and sat up. Now both eyes were open and Ginger was glowering at her. Kathy passed her the coffee cup and stood back waiting. Ginger took a sip, then waited for the coffee to cool a little. She had another sip and then drained the cup. Kathy couldn't believe she could drink such hot coffee that way.

She just pushed the cup in Kathy's direction and murmured, "More, please."

Kathy refilled her cup and stood waiting. Now Ginger looked at her and asked, "What's wrong, Kath? Don't you drink coffee?"

"Oh, yes, ma'am. I mean no, ma'am. I mean..."

"Ginger, damn it! Or Gin, or Gingy, or Charley's hot cunt ... But you get the idea. It's not Mrs. Conrad and it's not ma'am. Now do you want to try again?"

"Ginger, I drink coffee, but this is your private office..."

"Bullshit!" Ginger stood up, stretched again causing her magnificent breasts to strain against the shirt material, came around the desk and then curled up on a sofa similar to the one in the reception area. There was a coffee table sitting in front of the sofa. After indicating to Kathy that she should put the coffee service on the table, she patted the sofa beside her. Not knowing what to expect, Kathy sat down. As she did, Ginger made a face, slid the coffee tray down towards Kathy and put her feet on the coffee table. She still wasn't comfortable, so she spread her right leg wide and hung it over the arm of the sofa. Then she gently ran her fingers over her loins and upper thighs, moaning with pain as she did.

Kathy was sitting upright on the sofa and didn't know what to do. Then Ginger just leaned back and let out a happy-sounding moan. "Ginger, what's wrong?" Kathy asked with the concern evident in her voice. "Are you hurt? Do you need anything?"

Without moving or opening her eyes Ginger replied, "I'm afraid I need a new body — or at least a new cunt, abdomen and upper thighs. I'm totally destroyed." As she said it, she wiggled her bottom on the leather sofa and yelled, "Ouch!" With that she shook her head and sat up again. "I should have left well enough alone. That ass-wiggle really hurt."

Then she gracefully drew her legs up under her and turned her body to face Kathy. "Kath, I really wasn't kidding last night. When Charley came in and you saw us together, what did you think?"

"It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life! If your love were water, I would have been drowned out and so would the building." She grinned and added, "You know, we're so high up here, you would have made the building into a giant waterfall."

"Did I look abused? Do you think we were acting for your benefit?"

"Abused? You? Ginger Conrad, you are the most disgustingly beautiful creature God ever created. What I saw was you demonstrating your love for your husband, while he adored you. He couldn't keep his hands off your body." Then she smiled warmly and addressed the second part of Ginger's question, "As for me, I think you forgot I was here, but it wouldn't have mattered if all of Los Angeles were in the reception area, you would have done the same thing."

"If you think it looks so good with Charley and me, what's wrong with you and Ken? From the sound of it, he's a real man — exactly like Charley. What makes you different?" Kathy was so taken aback, she didn't know what to say, so wisely she said nothing.

Ginger just shook her head and said, "Kath, I want to tell you a little story. You see, only about three months ago, I was the poorest excuse for a woman on two legs. I was convinced that men only wanted to use us as depositories for their sexual fluids."

She looked thoughtful for a moment and then grinned and interjected, "That was before I found out that they sometimes run out of those fluids. Anyway, you won't believe this, but I had dyed my hair the most horrible mouse brown, I was wearing shit-colored brown contacts — I must have spent weeks trying to find the most atrocious possible color — and I even wore padding around my waist along with a tight bra to reduce the apparent size of my tits. In a word, I was a mess.

"Then, when she came to give a speech at USC Law School, I met Ali Clifford. When it was over, I screwed up my courage to go and talk to her. I forget what I said, exactly, but it was something about 'preserving my personhood' or some such bullshit. Anyway, she just looked at me carefully and then said, 'You're a natural redhead, aren't you? And your eyes are probably emerald green.'

"I almost fell over. Anyway, she took me out to dinner and I confessed that I was madly in love with Charley Conrad, who, in view of the way I looked, didn't even know I was alive. All Ali did was to shake her head and tell me to get rid of the dumb contacts and the padding. The next day, she went to work.

"I'm not going to bore you with the whole story. Suffice it to say that I met Ali on Wednesday, had my first date with Charley on Friday, and was engaged to marry him Monday morning. As you will know sooner or later anyway, you might as well know that, for me, the sun rises and sets in Ali Clifford. She is welcome to anything I have, ever, including my life. You see, she saved it so she owns it."

Kathy saw the most loving smile on Ginger's face she had ever seen, as the girl finished, "Any happiness I will ever have, I owe to her. In just one week, she shattered the ugly brown shell I had created for myself, introduced me to the greatest happiness a woman could ever experience, and, to top it off, asked me to be her law partner. You see, I only graduated from law school in June and just passed the bar. We will be formerly admitted on Friday, so until then, we can't even be officially open for business. Anyway, that's Ali."

Meanwhile, Kathy had been looking at Ginger closely. The girl noticed that she was being studied so she asked, "Something's on your mind, Kathy. What is it?"

Her comment took Kathy completely off-guard and she jumped in surprise. Then, with a very shy smile, she asked, "Ginger, could you ... would you..."

"The answer is yes, damn it. Now spit it out. Yes, I probably can, and if I can, I will."

"Take off your shirt again," Kathy blurted out. Then she just turned bright red with embarrassment.

"Oh, dear!" Ginger exclaimed, covering her mouth while her eyes widened. "But you know how modest I am ... Disrobe? But my dear..." While she was speaking, she pulled her shirt tails out, quickly unbuttoned the work shirt and stripped it off. Her speech caused Kathy to giggle because it was so well done. Then Ginger rose to her feet, stretched catlike, and then just stood up straight with her breasts proudly upthrust. Kathy just looked at her new friend and, almost against her will found herself rising from the sofa to be closer to her.

"Why don't you just touch me, Kath," Ginger said softly, reading the girl's mind. Then she frowned and asked, "You're not carrying a communicable disease or anything, are you?"

When she said it, Kathy realized the talent Ginger had for making some quip or wisecrack to immediately relieve the tension in what otherwise could be an embarrassing situation. Her hand reached out, drawn as if by a magnet, towards the tall girl's breast. Very tentatively she touched the flesh and found it to be as smooth as satin, yielding, yet very firm to the touch. Moving her fingers across the girl's body, she could feel Ginger's muscles just below the skin surface reacting to her touch.

As she did, Ginger closed her eyes and just savored the sensation of the girl's fingertips moving like feathers across her upper body. With her eyes still closed, she said softly, "You're not as good as Charley, but a very close second. Kathy Carlson, your touch is delicious." Then she opened her eyes and looked at Kathy with amusement and asked, "Finished yet? Since you're not Charley, this really isn't taking us anywhere, you know."

Jerking her hand away, Kathy just shook her head and said, "Charley's Cunt, I just wanted to see if you were really as gorgeous as I remembered from last night. I was so upset yesterday, you are one of the reasons I didn't sleep much last night. I spent most of the night just staring at the ceiling in the dark trying to think if you were really the way I remembered you." With a warm smile, she added, "You're really so much better!"

"Damn it Carlson, do you have a permanent problem with names? It's Charley's Hot Cunt, damn it."

Kathy dropped to her knees on the floor and let her forehead touch the carpet. With her face down she said with terror in her voice, "Oh please forgive me, Charley's Hot Cunt! I'll try to do better. Please ... No more than twenty lashes. It was only the first time." Then she raised her head, looked up at Ginger pensively and added, "But shouldn't it be Mrs. Charley's Hot Cunt? Or Charley's Hot Cunt, Esquire, because you're a lawyer, or..."

Ginger exploded with laughter and then shook her head. "Why does everyone have to be a comedienne, for heaven's sake. Then she looked at Kathy and said, "You just did me a favor, though."

Kathy had risen to her feet by this time and just looked at Ginger, puzzled. "A favor? What did I do?"

With a warm grin Ginger replied, "I was going to ask you to take off your clothes, but I was afraid of embarrassing you. Now I'm just getting even." She raised an eyebrow and said firmly, "Take 'em off."

Kathy didn't know what to do, but realized Ginger was right: There was nothing she could say. In spite of beginning to blush as red as a lobster, she took off her suit followed by her blouse and her slip. She slipped off her stockings and then wriggled out of her girdle, leaving her with just her bra and panties. Both were very serviceable, she realized. A person would see as much or more of her on a beach wearing a two-piece bathing suit. She looked up at Ginger with fear and pleading in her eyes as she touched her bra strap. The girl just shook her head slightly and said, "I'll compromise and let you keep your pants on, but that's as far as I'll go. The bra comes off."

Tears started to stream down Kathy's cheeks as she reached behind her back and unfastened her bra. She slipped it off and then stood with her shoulders hunched, holding the bra in her hand. Hers eyes were closed tight, but in spite of that, tears continued to run out of her eyes and down her cheeks.

The girl's misery tore at Ginger's heart so she said, "Oh, shit! If it will make you feel better and get you to turn off the damned water works..." With that, she quickly unbuttoned her jeans, dropped them to the floor, stepped out of them, and then slipped off her bikini. Hearing the words, Kathy opened her eyes just as Ginger stood up straight, completely naked. Seeing the girl's eyes open, Ginger asked with a wry grin, "Feel better?"

Her own nudity instantly forgotten, Kathy just gasped, "My God! Ginger, you are gorgeous! How do you ever get Charley out of your bed? With a body like that, a man would just spend his life exploring it."

"I drain him dry," she replied nonchalantly, "so he gets up and goes to work to try to recover."

Continuing to look closely at the older girl, Kathy realized that she was tanned all over and her pubic hair, while basically a darker auburn than her the hair on her head, ranged in color from blonde to red to brown. She was so embarrassed, she couldn't even speak, but she motioned towards her own pubes and stammered, "Your ... Your..."

" ... Bush? Oh yeah," Ginger replied. "The color variation intrigues Charley, too." Touching her head she said, "That's the trouble with one of these dye jobs. No matter how good it is, unlike natural hair, it can't change color." She frowned, shook her head and added, "It serves me right for dying it in the first place."

"But ... but, your hair is dyed that color?" Kathy gasped in disbelief.

"Sure. That was the first thing Ali had to do." Bending over to show her head, she said, "Henry really did a great job with Ali's help. If you look close you'll see that the bottom inch or so is natural. The rest is dyed. I really don't think it could be any better."

Intrigued, Kathy moved closer and looked. Ginger was right: her roots were almost the same color as the rest of her hair, the only difference being that individual hairs were somewhat different colors while the color of the rest of her hair was uniform.

Once again, Ginger surprised Kathy. She straightened up and just shook her head hard. Instantly her hair was back in position. Kathy just shook her head and said in a very flat voice. "Ginger Conrad, I hate you."

"Gee, Kathy, I like you," the girl replied with faked sorrow in her voice.

"Conrad, any woman who can mess up her hair and then restore it to its perfect appearance with a shake of her head deserves to be shot!"

Ginger just grinned and moved closer to Kathy to examine her. By now the girl had become accustomed to being nearly bare. While Ginger was looking at her, Kathy said, "Oh, shit," pulled off her panties and said, "I might as well be naked as the way I am." Then she stood still while Ginger walked around looking at her, after returning her grin with a wink.

"Interesting. Kath, you have a gorgeous peaches and cream complexion." Looking at her quizzically she asked with a straight face, "But what happened to the peaches?" Looking again, she said, "I know! Your skin is lovely and white — just like that yucky library paste." Then she added, "Although people mess up the paste, so it usually has more color than you do."

Kathy giggled at her comment as she continued, "Then your tits..." She looked at them carefully and ran her fingers lightly over them, while Kathy shivered, but tried to stand still. Then she suddenly brightened "Of course! How stupid of me not to recognize it sooner: You have two mounds of whipped cream, with tiny cherries on top."

Then she felt one of Kathy's breasts and added, "Of course, I guess the whipped cream would be firmer." By now Kathy was shaking with laughter.

Noticing the way Kathy's shoulders were hunched over, Ginger said, "Kath, go over and put your back against the wall. I want you to touch the backs of your shoulders to the wall and keep them there. In fact, I want your ass and your thighs hard against the wall, too. Do it!"

Trying to ignore her nudity, she did as she was asked. "Now put your head back against the wall," Ginger added. "I want as much of you in contact with the wall as you can get, except for the small of your back."

The girl tried to comply with the directions, while Ginger just stood with her forefinger on her chin studying her. When Kathy was in position, Kathy went close and proceeded to run her fingers lightly all over her. Her touch was so light, it felt like feathers moving on her body. When she was satisfied, Ginger said, "Okay. Now come over and stand beside me."