Chapter 13: Mary Leibowitz, the Lotus Flower

Marilyn walked into Adrian 's ten minutes early and although there were few people sitting at tables, heads did turn and eyes followed her as she made her way to the bar. Besides being a very good-looking woman, stylishly dressed, she carried that well-fucked aura about her as well.

To the young woman behind the bar she said, "Hi, I'm meeting a friend here for lunch, but I'd like a vodka martini with two olives, please."

The bartender smiled at her and asked, "Will that be on the rocks or straight up, shaken or not?"

"Stirred, straight up, please, and thanks for asking."

The bartender fixed her martini with a flourish and placed it in front of Marilyn, first putting a napkin down.

"Do I require a reservation for a table?" She asked.

"Not on a day like this, no," the young woman responded.

"Thanks," Marilyn said and took a sip of the drink. She was still vibrating with the last trills of her orgasms. "But I'd like a table away from everybody if possible," she said and handed the woman a ten dollar tip.

"I'll see what I can do," the bartender said and moved away to consult with a waiter.

As she recollected, Mary was usually late for any appointment. But that had been in college, hopefully, she thought, Mary might have corrected that habit. Marilyn nursed her martini and it was just as well, for Mary was ten minutes late in arriving. Marilyn didn't mind the martini had only added to the glow she felt.

"Oh, Marilyn, dear," she paused two kiss Marilyn on the cheek, "how good of you to meet me on such short notice."

Marilyn studied her old friend. Mary was younger than she, so that made her about 37. She was holding up very well, with a trim figure and nice chest, no significant wrinkles evident, 'Yes, ' Marilyn told herself Mary has taken care of herself. Good for you Mary.'

She rose up from the bar stool and gave Mary a hug. Mary responded by hugging her back. "So tell me about yourself, Mary. What have you been doing all these years?"

The waiter was waiting for Mary to arrive and got their attention, escorted them to a corner table that had a partition blocking off most, but not all of the room. Marilyn was pleased and gave him a twenty, saying, "We'll have a couple drinks, one now and one with the meal, then we'd like to be left alone, okay?"

"Certainly Miss. Would you like a moment before ordering the drinks?"

"No, I'll have another martini. What would you like to have Mary?"

"Oh... the same, I guess. I'm not much of a drinker."

"Very good, ladies..." And he pivoted gracefully and made his way back to the bar to place their order.

Mary cleared her throat and began to speak while Marilyn finished her martini.

"First of all," Mary said, "I want to thank you for seeing me. Where shall I begin?"

"The heart of the problem might be a good start," Marilyn suggested.

"Okay... I slave away all day in an insurance company office and then go home and slave away there for a lot less pay and worse, usually a lot less attention. As for children, well, we don't have any." Mary looked down at her fingernails, inspected them for a moment and then continued, but switch tact.

"So what kind of business are you in? It sounds like you are self-employed."

Without wait for an answer, Mary plunged ahead, her nervousness on display to any casual observer. Fortunately the only person near them was the waiter, who placed the drinks on the table and withdrew, saying only, "I'll be back in a few minutes for your order," and handed them each a menu.

"Are you bi-sexual or are you a lesbian?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Mary?" Marilyn demanded.

Mary, totally flustered began to cry.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to insult you, I... I thought that... well back in school I saw you with Ellen O'Neil and, and your hand was in her blouse... I thought... I thought," she sobbed, "you were a lezzie at the time. I shouldn't... God forgive me, I thought... I don't know what I thought," she finished lamely, and put her head in her hands.

"Mary, listen to me. You saw what you saw. I don't make a point of revealing my sexual preferences, but I am bi-sexual. I have a strong sexual appetite and I am drawn to both sexes provided they are attractive to me. I have been married, and while married I was heterosexual. I didn't cheat on him, but we tried things several times. But the marriage broke up because I drank too much. I am an alcoholic. I try to control my drinking. I know that's not the road to curing myself, but the fact is I'm not interested in abstention. All I want is to keep my drinking at a certain level. And I can tell you that with all this..." she pointed at Mary's face, "crap you're handing out, I can see I'll be past my quota in no time at all."

With that she took a long pull at her martini. "Now please get to the fucking point!"

Mary bit her lip, "I'm sorry," she said, near tears again.

"Don't be sorry, try to be explicit. What the hell is the problem?"

"Yes, yes, well I don't know if the heterosexual relationship with my husband is all that it is cracked up to be. The sex is good enough when we have it, but there seems to be something lacking in the relationship. How do I explain it?" she asked of herself. "I guess I just don't feel that cared for anymore." She waved her hand in the air as if trying to summon the answer. "It's hard to describe." She picked up her martini and drained the glass.

"Ugh, that's awfully strong."

"It's perfect for this type conversation. It will loosen your inhibitions. You're kind of wound up. Tightly wound I'd say," Marilyn said.

"Um," Mary replied, looking for more liquid in her empty glass. With a forlorn look she put the glass down and was startled when the waiter appeared with another for her.

"Are you ladies ready to order? If not I can return in a few minutes." He was careful not to look at Mary's face which had been ravaged by her mascara.

"A few minutes more please," Marilyn said and then ignored him as he left them.

"You handle people well," Mary said, trying to brighten up, but failing.

"You were about to say..."

"Um, yeah, I also must tell you that there is this woman... a girl really, about 24 years old. She works in my office... that I can't get my mind off of."

Marilyn's eyebrows lifted in interest.

Mary continued, saying, "I keep trying to say to myself, that I once looked as good as she does, but I have my doubts. You know, the hair, the makeup, shoes, fashion. I find myself thinking about her when I'm lying in bed at night. That's probably what got me around to placing the call to you. "

"Please," Marilyn said, "Go on."

Her friend took a gulp from her martini and Marilyn realized Mary was half-drunk already.

"While I have never been with another women I have run across some things recently which have made me wonder and I am curious about exploring the possibility."

"Really."

"Yes, while I care for my husband very much there are desires that are going unfulfilled.

"I see," Marilyn nodded as she spoke.

"Let's get one thing straight right away. You are very attractive."

Mary beamed at her, but her eyes were somewhat glazed.

"I've heard stories like yours before. If that lout of a husband treated you just a little better we probably wouldn't be sitting here. I'm reminded of that old Sinatra song, "Try a Little Tenderness". Do you know it?"

"Yeah... and Mary sang softly, 'She may be weary, women do get weary, wearing the same old dress... ' don't know all the words but listening to him sing it makes me cry every time."

And tears were rolling down her cheeks. Marilyn used them as a pretext for moving close to her. Close enough so that their thighs were touching as she dabbed at Mary's tears with her hanky.

"Mary, every man I ever slept with goes bananas over my pussy. They like to look at it, they love to touch it, lick it, smell it, mostly tho, they like to deposit their sperm in it."

Mary formed an uncomfortable expression on her face, but Marilyn continued on.

"And the same can be said for every woman I slept with, and while I never kept count, there were more than a few. Like I said, I drink a little, that makes me freindlier than most and I like companionship. I like to have a body next to mine when I wake up in the morning."

She took another sip from her drink and looked directly at Mary. " Being taken for granted, or treated as if you're not even there, is very disheartening. Worse, you blame yourself and for what? Being human? I gotta tell you I'm glad you don't have kids. That would only make matters worse. He could tighten his grip on you. Now I'm not advocating divorce -- I hardly know you, I mean years have passed since we... or the facts of your situation, but you have a job and not having kid's means you can take action if necessary."

She saw that Mary was hanging on to every syllable she uttered and decided to change course.

"Let's chat about other things shall we? But first what shall we have to eat? I'm famished."

"Didn't you have breakfast?" Mary inquired. "I mean its 11:15, I ate at nine, and I'm hardly famished. I will try some salad though. The almond chicken looks good, perhaps I'll try that."

"I had breakfast all right," Marilyn said blandly, "It consisted of an early knock on the door while I was making coffee. This guy... how do I say this? This guy with an eleven inch long penis shows up and suddenly all I want is him. Fortunately he has similar needs and the next thing I know I'm on the kitchen counter and he's fucking me like there's no tomorrow."

Mary's jaw had fallen and she reached for her martini and threw it down, swallowing it all in one gulp.

"Well there were coffee bean all over the floor... do you grind your own coffee? I find it's the only way to get great coffee is to grind it."

Mary waved for another drink.

"Anyway," Marilyn continued, "while we're grinding each other instead of the coffee beans, out pop Evie and Marcie, two teens that are staying with me for... for the duration, I guess. Of course they get a glimpse of Tucker's... he's the guy, his endowment as it were and being young and horny anyway, they want some of it too."

"My God!" Mary said, shocked and awed by the telling.

"Shall I continue?"

"No, no, that's quite enough. I get the picture. My God you must be famished."

That remark caused Marilyn to burst out laughing. "I am," she said and let her hand drop to Mary's thigh, giving it a squeeze, and watched for her reaction.

Mary gave none and Marilyn was puzzled. Was she too drunk, or did she not think anything of the move?'

She decided to leave her hand where it was for the moment and that proved to be a smart move as the waiter appeared and took their order along with another round of drinks.

"To answer your other question," Marilyn said conversationally, "I do have my own business, but am dependent on other businesses for most of my work. I'm versed in the transportation industry," she paused to gauge Mary's reaction. Mary appeared attentive, and so Marilyn continued, "Trucks carrying freight from place to place. My support business offers small and some large businesses lower costs to move their freight through a discount type contract I have with some major carriers. I find these businessmen, sign them up to be a party to my contract and if they have sufficient volumes visit their various suppliers and check to make sure they are following the contracts and shipping to my clients using the most economical means. I almost always recover a good deal of money for my client. We usually split the money 50/50, neat huh?"

"Now as to your question am I bi-sexual or a lezzie, I think you said."

Mary nodded her head in affirmation.

"Well, I still bed the occasional guy, if he has mesmerized me, like Tucker has. I must admit I do like the feel of a nice cock, especially when used properly and with substantial after play. But I really prefer women. I know what they like and they know what I like. It's simple really, but like men, finding the right one can be difficult. I've recently ended a relationship with my lover of four years because she cheated on me. Worse, she got herpes from 'her' friend. Fortunately, I checked out okay. I was visiting a lot of doctors for a while until several tests convinced me they weren't kidding me. She and I are still friends, but no longer lovers and won't be ever again"

Both women nibbled at their food and then Marilyn broke the silence.

"Okay let's get down to serious issues. You don't know if you're bi or not. You do know something's missing in your present relationship. It's probably his indifference. I gather you like or used to enjoy a romp in the sack with him, but don't any more. Is it wham, bam, with no thank you Ma'am, but snoring you hear?"

"I..."

Marilyn didn't wait for Mary to finish, but plunged ahead.

"And you've begun to desire a younger woman at work. Seeing a bit of you in her, probably, that's not bad. You were very striking back in college and believe me when I say this; you look pretty damn good right now."

She used this opportunity to run her hand along Mary's thigh and for the first time Mary noticed, placing her hand on Marilyn's to halt the proceedings up her leg.

Unabashedly, Marilyn continued talking. "We all look in the mirror and we all look at others and wish certain opportunities presented themselves. And thinking about her at night is okay. You're not a raving lezzie," she smiled at Mary and got one in return.

"You are however, a horny woman. And that's normal."

Mary found her voice. It was a little shaky but she was clear and to the point.

"I can't say that my husband does not treat me well." She dabbed at her mouth with her napkin, then dropped it into her lap. Her other hand remained fixed upon Marilyn's.

"But I do get the feeling that he is a bit bored with the marriage and I suppose that I am as well. Things just seem to have fallen into a daily grind with very few peaks and a lot of valleys.

There are times when he is the most wonderful man in the world, but more often are the times that I don't seem to even know him because he gets all wrapped up in his little projects or work and at that point I just seem to get in the way. As for children, we always wanted some, but never agreed on the right time. I am on the pill and have been for a long time. Maybe I should just go off it and not tell him. That would make him pay more attention... well at least for a while."

"You don't want to do that. It would more than likely widen the gap between the two of you," Marilyn said. "Men don't like surprises, especially those kinds, believe me."

"I know, I know. But I don't plan on getting divorced and I'm not looking for someone better, it just seems that the bright prospect of a brand new day isn't there anymore and instead I wake up with the attitude of "what the hell will go wrong today".

"Hello depression," Marilyn said with a kind smile and managed to squeeze the hand that was controlling hers.

"You think?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

Relishing the opportunity to unburden herself, Mary went on, "Anyway, in walks this new girl at work and my mind starts wandering as I see her strut across the floor in her new heels and I think to myself, "There's a good reason to wake up in the morning."

Surprisingly, Mary shifted the topic back to Marilyn. "So from what you say, you are some type of efficiency expert in trucking? Sounds interesting but I must admit that I am clueless to the details. "

Then she began talking about herself which is where Marilyn had thought she was going in the first place. "As for me, I'm a manager at an insurance claims office. We handle personal property and casualty claims and I supervise five other adjusters for the Sacramento area. It's the new adjuster that was hired for another unit that I have been eyeing of late. Her name is Jessica and she is about 27. "

Mary lifted her hand from her thigh and deliberately picked up her drink and took another gulp.

"I can't believe I'm opening up like this. I mean I had hoped I'd be able to talk this out with you, but now that it's actually happening... well I can't tell you how good I feel."

Marilyn began to slide her hand upwards at what she considered a snails pace and she was not deterred further by Mary, who resumed talking, but kept her eyes averted from Marilyn's, conceding that she appreciated the contact.

"I have always been turned on by the right man with the right tool and I must admit there are times when I crave it no end. I have never really given much thought to what another women and I would do with each other. My thoughts are more toward just being near someone else that really understands me and how I feel. "

At this, she looked directly at Marilyn. "As for my fantasies, well I can't say that I have any at this point, at least not with a woman. For some reason I have never really let myself go there. I daydream about Jessica but I dream a lot about men."

She began to laugh at this and it turned into a high-pitched squeal. Marilyn kept her facial expression the same, a look of intent interest.

"Well who hasn't? That's why some of the stuff that happened on our last trip was so interesting."

"Oh, you hadn't mentioned any of this," Marilyn said and gave Mary's thigh a light squeeze, then inched upward about four inches. Marilyn thought, 'if she doesn't shave I'm into her pubic hair, ' and smiled at her friend.

"We were camping in the redwood forest of northern California, " Mary prattled on, "and it was beautiful and the weather was perfect. While hiking away from our camp site in the stillness of the forest my husband decided that he wanted to have me then and there."

Marilyn thought, 'she sounds like a cheap romance novel, "he wanted to have me," indeed.'

But Mary had no inkling of her thoughts and carried on, "Talk about great sex!! He took me from behind as I leaned on a fallen tree and I don't recall having an orgasm like that in years. When Harry came, he screamed and the sound echoed off the trees. At that point on our vacation I knew I was no lesbian."

"At that point," Marilyn said, emphasizing the "At.".

"Yes, that's right. Later, on the way back to Sacramento, we stopped in Las Vegas and we were in the Casino of the Mirage. Harry was totally into a game of Blackjack and while he pissed away what spending money we had I went to one of the bars and played video poker."

"You know, "she paused and drank from her glass and looked surprised when she found it was almost empty. Raising her hand she caught the bartender's eye and signaled for two refills.

"What amazed me about Las Vegas, I hadn't been there in years, was how the women were dressed, I mean not much and a lot of cleavage."

"There's a lot of money in that town," Marilyn said, "The girls are trying to attract some of it."

"Well regardless, those women started to attract me," Mary said and her voice rose an octave.

"I found myself staring at several of them. In particular, there was one sitting at the opposite side of the bar that was by herself. She had long blond hair and every once in a while she would look over at me. I got this funny kind of feeling deep down inside and found myself getting into a panic at the thought of her coming to sit next to me. She never did, but the very thought of it I found very erotic."

Mary shifted in her seat and Marilyn used the opportunity to dart her hand between her legs.

Mary tried not to show any sign of what had just happened but her eyes betrayed her. Still, she kept talking.

"I found myself wishing that my husband were not there with me. And that's about as far as my fantasies go."

"Except for this babe Jessica at work, you seem to be pretty horny about her," Marilyn said and on seeing Mary lick her lip at the mention of this Jessica, she began to slowly caress Mary's pussy through her slacks.

"Ugh," Mary moaned. "What..."

"Wouldn't you like to have Jessica in this situation, darling?"

"I..."

Marilyn jabbed her index finger against Mary's slit. "Answer my question, please."

"Please..." Mary pleaded, but her crotch pushed back against Marilyn's questing finger.

"No woman has ever..."

"Nonsense, I'm touching you right now."

"I... I admit I like it, but here in public? Jesus Christ!" She wiped her moist upper lip with a napkin.

"Reach down and open your slacks I want to really touch you."

"No!"

Marilyn continued caressing Mary's pussy through her clothing. "It doesn't matter; I'm proving a point here."

Biting her lip, Mary grimaced as if in pain and said, "What if someone sees?"

"We have a private table. I requested it. The only one who might see us is the bartender and as you can tell the lunch crowd has been pouring in and she's busier than a one-armed paper hanger."

"Maybe you're right," Mary said agreeably, and reached down to pat Marilyn's hand before opening her slacks. "But I'm not taking my underwear."

Marilyn's hand slid into the side of Mary's slacks and went right to her silken panty-clad cunt.

"Ugh!" Mary grunted at the new feeling as two fingers rubbed her labia.

"You're getting wet already," Marilyn said smiling at her friend.

"It is exciting... with people watching and all."

"No one's watching us Mary, no one at all. Why if I wanted to I could just drop under the table and kiss it for you."

"No! Don't you dare. This is quite enough."

"Let's discuss Jessica for a moment. Can you concentrate on her while I... ? "

"I guess."

"If she's 27 she's had ample opportunity to try sex with another woman, but you don't know if she has, and we know you haven't, so that presents a problem. You can't risk an obvious flirtation because of the job situation. I suggest attempting to become good friends first. Go to lunch with her, gab about life in general, establish a mutual trust and when she opens up to you, and reciprocate."

Mary grew even more excited and began to hump Marilyn's finger.

"Hold still for a moment," Marilyn said, "I'm going under your panties."

Mary stiffened in apprehension, but remained in place and moaned softly when Marilyn's questing finger made its way under her silken underwear and actually touched her soft bush and then her moistened labia.

Mary gave a soft "huff" as she exhaled and splayed her thighs apart as far as the material of her slacks would allow. Marilyn's index finger slipped inside Mary's vagina about and inch before starting to move in small circles.

"Christ, that's nice." Mary moaned.

Acting as if this were the most casual act in the world, Marilyn continued her conversation.

"Don't open the door to your heart to her right away, be patient. It may not develop into a love affair, but you may find a friend who'll be there for you. And eventually, you'll get to hug her and kiss her even if in a sisterly fashion. Who knows where a kiss might lead? Hmmmm?" Marilyn paused to think for a moment, but her finger was still active and Mary was humping faster.

"Are... Are you positive no one can see us?"

"Ummm," Marilyn replied automatically, not caring if the whole place had bought tickets to watch. "Can you recall any woman 'friend' who was fond of touching you? That's one indication of 'strong' interest, but by no means a sure fire signal."

"I... um, don't think so."

"Ohhhhhh, you're so squishy," Marilyn exclaimed. "I've just got to have a taste!"

Mary went white as a sheet at that comment.

Marilyn removed her finger from her friend's pussy and stuck it in her mouth.

"Ummm, it's sweet and a little tart at the same time. Wouldn't you like to be a little tart, Mary?"

"I don't..."

"Have a taste," and she held her finger out to Mary's mouth. Mary hesitated for a second, and then her tongue slipped out to lick Marilyn's finger.

"There, are you satisfied?"

"It's you who getting satisfied here darling. Now take a good suck on my finger, and mind those teeth, I don't want you biting me."

"While we're at this, I should discuss what two women do together."

"First as you must know, women really care for one another. Mature women's relationships tend to last for long periods, years and years. They understand most of the problems confronting other women." Her finger returned to Mary's cunt and Mary hunched forward trying to get it further inside her.

"Want some more?"

"Yes!"

"How's this?" And a second finger slithered its way into Mary's cunt. Marilyn leaned down to purchase a better angle and found herself about and inch and a half into her friend.

"Jesus! I never did that myself!"

"You said, "and Marilyn discovered she was sweating and dabbed at her cheek and nose with her napkin. "Its nice work, this, but hard all the same. Earlier you said you and Harry cuddle after sex, but only if he's in the mood. Well, women always cuddle after, and touch one another until both are calmed down and satiated. Another thing to know is women are capable of loving almost all night long, and have multiple climaxes along the way, so the sex is usually fantastic."

"Are we going to cuddle here?" Mary said and managed a wane smile.

"We could, but I don't think it advisable. What kind of car did you drive here in?"

"My van... Ohhh."

"Was that my fingers or the idea the van suggested to you?"

"Both."

"Do you masturbate regularly Mary?" Without waiting for a reply Marilyn continued. "I do almost every day. I own several invaluable toys, to help me out, do you? The reason I ask is that while you're certainly not a lesbian, your bi-sexual instincts are starting to surface. This is not bad, regardless of what happens with any future experiences with a woman. It's kinda natural. "

"Oh, oh, oh," Mary gasped.

"Are you coming?"

"Think so..."

Remember the woman in Vegas?"

Mary, eyes closed, nodded.

"You had this funny feeling while looking at her. Now think about this, why would someone who's not subconsciously committed to a sexual encounter with a woman panic at the thought of a woman sitting next to her?"

"I know, I know," Mary gasped, she was definitely having an orgasm, although not a gigantic one. "Guilt," she sobbed, "fear of being caught."

"That's right," the idea of easy sex with a woman in Vegas appealed to you. Therefore, Jessica may not be the only woman you're attracted to." Marilyn laughed, "Of course that's the case, I've got two fingers in your pussy right now and you've just come haven't you?"

"Oh, my God!" Mary sobbed.

"By the way, sex with a woman is easier than having sex with a man. I don't mean the act itself I mean the getting together. Your husband won't be a problem in this area. Men are pretty much blind to these activities. After all, women have friends. They go shopping, attend social activities, they help each other out their homes, and so on. Opportunities abound for get-togethers. You don't need a motel, use your own home, no one is the wiser, unless your caught at it. And even then there's an escape clause, entice the man, it might not be your husband, it might be hers, into bed with the two of you."

"You've got it all figured out haven't you?"

"Mary," she said placatingly.

"So how are your relationships working out?" Mary asked.

"Not as well as yours, but I've got this drinking problem that keeps people at bay or chases them off after a while."

"That why you have teens living with you?"

"Don't get nasty, Mary."

"You're right, I apologize. That was very rude of me. I asked you for help and you've given it. More than I may have wanted really, but you were there for me; I'm so sorry, I just..."

Both women were quiet for a minute. Then Mary, after unobtrusively zipping up her slacks, said, "The environment in my office is the not the kind where you can sit around and casually talk to someone, and I am not sure that it is a good idea anyway. I think that I am a tad bit modest in my up-bringing to go 'chasing tail' at my office. This all seems a bit new and bizarre to me so I intend to be a bit cautious. I can just see how I would explain to my husband that I got fired form my job because of a sexual harassment suit filed by a female co-worker."

Marilyn laughed first, then Mary joined in. The waiter appeared and left the check, saying only that they could pay at the register on the way out.

"As for Jessica, " Mary continued after he'd departed, " she appears smart, fit, a little bit on the sassy side. Even in the summer months she still wear shose and a short skirt, with heels. She is probably about 5'4" in stocking feet and about 120lbs. I am guessing that she is 38-24-32, with long dark hair and bangs. She turns quite few of the guy 's heads in the office with those legs and I think she may be a bit of a tease with the way that she dresses. "