Chapter 2

Monday morning I sat at my desk and dug the business card Violet had given me from my wallet.

"Violet West's office," came the voice on the other end of the line.

"Is she in?"

"I'll check. Whom may I say is calling?"

"Gavin," I replied.

"Gavin ... who?"

"Just Gavin -- she'll know who it is."

"Please hold..."

Then I heard her voice. "Gavin!"

"Hi, Vi. I was wondering if you were game for another go."

"Oh, Gavin ... Can you hold on? I want to go into my office where I can close the door." The line went dead for some thirty seconds, then she picked up again. "Okay -- I'm back. Oh, Gavin -- I don't know."

"Something wrong?"

"I've been thinking about what you said. You were right -- we did connect."

"It's why it was so good," I replied. "Sex without love is a hollow experience -- though, as Woody Allen observed, as hollow experiences go, it's tough to beat. Friday night was not hollow, Vi."

"I know -- I'm beginning to admit it to myself."

"So -- do we step on the gas or the brakes?" I asked.

"I don't want to step on the brakes. But -- I think if we're going to take this to another level that you and Phaedra need to get acquainted."

"I'm all in favor of that -- I love little girls. How about this Saturday -- we can go to the zoo."

"Phaedra loves animals..."

"Then, after that ... maybe we could do dinner."

"I could see if I can get a sitter," she replied.

"And I could see if I can get reservations."

I parked my car on her street and rang her bell. She buzzed me in and opened the door to her apartment. She was in a robe and Phaedra was toddling in her pajamas. "I'm sorry -- we've had a bad morning," she said. "Maybe you'd like to come back in an hour or so."

"Maybe I should pitch in. What needs doing?"

"I need to take a shower, bathe Phaedra and get her dressed. The kitchen's a mess..."

"Cancel the shower, Vi."

"But my hair..."

"Were you planning on taking another shower before dinner?"

"No ... yes ... I don't know -- I suppose I could..."

"The animals at the zoo won't care if you're not spring-time fresh -- and I don't care, either. Give Phaedra a quick bath and I'll straighten your kitchen."

When she returned, Violet was wearing jeans, sweatshirt and a baseball cap, her hair in a ponytail pulled through the vent. Phaedra had on pink coveralls and a light turtleneck. She surveyed her kitchen. "Not a spot," she remarked.

"I would've started your dishwasher except I don't know where you keep your soap."

Violet opened a cabinet, squirted some detergent into a slot, pressed some buttons and closed the door. "Done. Thanks for the help."

"Four hands are faster than two," I remarked. "Grab the stroller."

"Oh, yeah ... I'd forgotten."

Violet pushed Phaedra toward my car. I popped the trunk. "Gavin," she said. "I don't have a car seat. I don't have a car, so I don't have a car seat. We can't go..."

"Look in the back."

She squinted through my rear window. "Where did that come from?"

"I bought it."

"You paid for a car seat just so we could go to the zoo?"

"Of course not," I replied. "I bought it on speculation. I'm speculating that we'll be taking Phaedra lots of places."

Violet cradled her head in her hand. "Oh, Gavin -- please don't..." I stuffed Phaedra into the seat and buckled her in. Violet sat in the passenger seat, still holding her forehead in her palm.

"Vi -- are you all right?" She bit her lip. "Vi -- if I did or said anything wrong -- I'm sorry."

"It's not you, Gavin. It's me."

"What is it?"

"I can't get my hopes up. I can't get my hopes up."

I glanced in my rear-view mirror. Phaedra was asleep in the car seat before we had left the zoo parking lot. "We have a casualty," I remarked and gestured backward with my thumb." Violet turned and looked. "She is adorable, Vi." I took her hand. "And you seem more relaxed than this morning."

"I'm impressed," she replied. "I think you were more engaged with Phaedra in one afternoon than Dwayne was the whole time he lived with us."

"I told you -- I love little girls."

"I know you have. What I don't know is how you learned to interact with them. You don't have kids of your own."

"No, I don't. I do have a niece -- Chrissy. She's about twelve now -- she's my kid sister's daughter. During her senior year, my sister got herself knocked up by her boyfriend. For a while they lived with me, and I did a lot of babysitting."

"You do have a knack, Gavin."

"It's like riding a bike -- once you learn you never forget."

"Do you see your niece much?"

"No -- she's a troubled girl. Her dad left them when she was about three or four. My sister has mental problems -- she's been in and out of institutions, and I'm afraid some of that has passed on to Chrissy. My mom takes care of her when she has to. The problem's been exacerbated now that she's reaching puberty."

"Oh, Gavin -- I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Chrissy was a lot more fun when she was a year old."

We reached her apartment. While Violet opened the door I carried groggy Phaedra into the apartment.

"We should let her nap," Violet said. "Then, Keiko can deal with her."

"Keiko is your sitter?"

"Yes -- she's the daughter of one of the ladies at my office. If you'd like to chill, I'll use it as an opportunity to take my shower and get dressed."

"I have a tie in my car -- I'll go fetch it."

"Men are so lucky -- all you need to do to look presentable is to put on a tie."

The doorbell rang. I looked out the window and saw the figure of a young woman standing with her back to the building. By the look of her long, shiny, jet-black hair I figured she was Keiko. I buzzed her up and opened the door. She regarded me with a start.

"Hi," I said. "I'm Gavin. You must be Keiko. Come in -- Violet is getting dressed and will be out shortly. Phaedra is finishing up her nap and I'm sure Vi has chapter and verse of instructions for you."

Violet stepped from her bedroom in a short, black dress. She handed a legal pad to Keiko. "Here are the instructions..."

"I know the drill, Ms West," Keiko replied.

"Here's where we'll be ... and my cell. Don't hesitate to call."

"I won't, Ms West."

Violet stood before me. "How do I look?"

"Sensational," I replied. Holding hands we headed for the street. "Keiko appears to be a competent sitter."

"Yes, I've used her before. She's a nice girl."

Violet sat beside me as we drove toward the restaurant. "Alone again -- finally," she remarked. "You don't know how difficult it is for a parent to have quality time ... alone."

I reached toward her and touched her hand. "Phaedra is a delight, Vi. Well -- it looks like our day turned out fairly well, after all."

"After a rocky start," she replied. "I can't believe how unflappable you are. Well ... maybe I can. When I worked for you, nothing bothered you. If there was a problem, you solved it. You were, by far, the best boss I ever had."

"Thanks," I replied.

"On the other hand I am entirely flappable. You must've thought I was a wreck when you walked in."

"I didn't quite understand why you put yourself under so much stress."

"It seemed an awful lot was riding on today. Not like last weekend -- that was just for fun. Today it feels like we're playing for keeps."

"I'm falling in love with two beautiful girls, Vi. I wasn't going to let anything spoil it."

"Not even a wigged-out mom?" She stroked tears from her cheeks. "I'm sorry..."

"Just remember two things, Vi. First thing is, don't sweat the small stuff. Will you remember that?"

"Yeah."

"The second thing is, it's all small stuff. Okay?"

"Okay."

I reached for her hand and squeezed it.

"I wanted to tell you," she said, "after our wild, drunken monkey sex on Friday, I kept having little, mini-orgasms all weekend and into Monday. Every time I nursed Phaedra I got twinges down here." She pointed to her lower abdomen. "I remember getting them when I first started nursing her, but after a while they went away. Well, they were back."

"Are you still getting them?" I asked.

"No -- by about Tuesday they had faded again." She stroked my forearm. "I don't think I ever climaxed as long or as hard as I did Friday night. I was still mellow on Monday and my colleagues noticed it, I'm sure."

We drove a bit further. "Vi -- when did you experience your first orgasm?"

"That's a thing to ask a girl."

"I wouldn't have asked you before last weekend, but I think after that a barrier is down."

"Down, smashed, trampled and with tire marks all over it," she replied. "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm curious. Do you remember it?"

"I couldn't forget it. I was twelve. Not only was it my first, it was also my first and only lesbian experience."

"Violet -- you must share with me. You can't give me a teaser like that and not spill the whole story."

"I really shouldn't say more."

"Come on! I need to know the story and the whole story. Details, Vi -- I need details."

"Will you tell me about yours?"

"Certainly, but I can assure you it isn't as interesting as yours must be."

"I went to a private school."

"Religious?"

"No -- an independent, secular private prep school. I was in Level Seven -- the middle of middle school. The school had a system of merits and demerits -- enough demerits and you had to serve detention. It was a big inconvenience for my mom whenever I served detention because there wasn't a bus."

"Whenever? You served detention often?"

"Often enough."

"I don't think I ever served detention."

"You must've been a good boy, Gavin," she replied. "I on the other hand, was full of attitude. My mother told me if I had one more detention she'd ground me. I had accumulated enough demerits so I was headed for DT as we called it. I went to the office looking for ways to earn merits."

"A merit canceled a demerit I presume."

"That's correct. They kept a list of merit opportunities. I saw that Kathleen..."

"Kathleen who? Details, Vi -- I need details."

"No one you know. She was a girl in my class and a friend. She just had her appendix removed and the merit list indicated she needed someone to deliver homework for her. She lived down the street from me and anticipated two weeks' absence from school. If I delivered homework for her Wednesdays and Fridays for two weeks, I could earn four merits."

"And that would put you back in the black, DT-wise."

"Correct. I would go to all her teachers, collect assignments and reading material and take it to her house. If she had finished work to go back to school, I'd carry that also. So, I signed up and got my four merits."

"And thus you were saved from a grounding."

"The last Friday was a half-day, so I went to her house around noon. Kathleen's mom was divorced and so she was a latchkey kid. I rang the bell and Kathleen answered the door in her bathrobe. By now she had pretty much healed from the worst of the surgery and she was bored, bored, bored. She invited me in and I delivered the goods. Since she was expecting to return to school on Monday there was nothing for me to take with me.

"We talked for a while and then my eye spotted, lying on the sofa a long, metallic, cylindrical object with a rounded point. It resembled an odd flashlight. I asked Kathleen what it was."

"Let me guess..."

"If you guessed vibrator, you're right with me. She said it belonged to her mother. I asked her what you did with it and she said you use it to give yourself an orgasm. I had heard the word but I wasn't sure what it meant. I asked her how to use it and she said you turn it on and press it against your clit. You have to realize my school did not teach sex education -- they felt it was the parents' responsibility -- and my parents kept me in the dark. I didn't know what a clit was."

"I'm not sure I did at twelve, either."

"But, you don't have one. I'm sure you knew what a penis is."

"Yeah -- I'm pretty sure I did. You never did any personal exploration ... spelunking down there?"

"No -- my mom discouraged any unnecessary touching. To this day I don't masturbate."

"You don't? I thought everybody did."

"Well, I don't. Those ingrained taboos can run pretty deep."

"Hmmm. I wonder if that's what happened last Friday -- you had a lot of pent-up tension to dissipate."

"Perhaps ... It had been a while."

"So, what happened next?"

"Kathleen switched it on and it buzzed. Then, she stretched out on the sofa, and slid the thing under her robe. I stood and watched -- I'll never forget her expression. I could see her face relax, her eyes half close and she began breathing heavily. She slipped her free hand under her robe and I could see her manipulating her breast. Then, she shut her eyes, opened her mouth and let out a gasping, panting moan.

"She took the vibrator out from under her robe and switched it off. In a minute or so she had regained her breath. I knew whatever she had experienced must've felt good, so I asked her what it was like. She said it's like getting drunk for a few seconds and asked me if I wanted to try. I was game, so I asked her what I had to do.

"I still had on my school uniform -- skirt, knee socks and blouse. She told me to take off my panties, which I did. Then she turned on the vibrator and told me to put the point into my slit.

"I did, but the sensation was too intense so I pulled the gadget out from under my skirt and asked Kathleen how she could stand it. She told me I had to get used to it -- that's all. She said she'd show me but I had to get naked.

"I said, no way, I'm not taking off my clothes. At that point Kathleen untied the belt to her robe, slid it off and stood naked before me. All she had on was a gauze patch on her belly where her incision was.

"Kathleen was about ten months older than me, and she was a bit more developed. She had real breasts, not little pointy things like I had, and she had a real bush while mine was just getting started.

"I took off my skirt, blouse and training bra, but I left on my knee socks. Kathleen had me lie on the sofa and spread my legs. She turned on the vibrator to a low, throbbing setting and placed it against my slit. She worked it so the business end wasn't touching anything tender, but I could feel the vibrations in its shaft. It wasn't too intense. She slowly moved the vibrator up until the tip was near my clit, and then she slowly cranked up the intensity.

"All the time she was stroking my body and my legs, and speaking softly and sweetly to me -- saying things like, it's not too much, is it ... it's starting to feel good, isn't it..."

"It sounds like Kathleen was getting into it."

"Oh, she certainly was. I was getting aroused, though at the time I didn't quite understand what was happening to me. She started working my sorry little boobs. Then, it happened."

"You came."

"I sure did -- I let out a noise like I've never made since and couldn't duplicate. Out of reflex I reached down and knocked the vibrator out of her hand. In a few moments most of the excitement had dissipated.

"Next, Kathleen had me do her. She lay naked on the sofa and I worked the vibrator into her slit. She steered my hand to the right spot, and guided my free hand to her breast. It didn't take her long -- I think making me come had made her plenty hot -- and she told me not to stop. I think she must've had a string of about four orgasms.

"Then, she told me to put it inside her. She guided my hand and I slid the thing into her. She had me work it in and out. There I was, fucking her with the vibrator while she squeezed her nipples. I think she must've come a couple more times that way."

"Did you doing her make you hot?" I asked.

"Gavin! That's so inappropriate. You just want to know if I have any latent lesbian tendencies. I can assure you I have not had another lesbian encounter -- though I have had plenty of opportunities."

"Then what happened?"

"Kathleen wanted to do me again, this time putting it inside me. I refused since I still had my cherry..."

"Kathleen wasn't a virgin?"

"She ripped hers falling off a bicycle -- so she said. I asked Kathleen if her mom knew she was using her vibrator. 'Hell, no, ' she replied. 'She doesn't even know I know she has it.' I asked her where she found it and she said in her mom's dresser, underneath a stack of sweaters.

"I put my clothes back on and went home. After that school year, Kathleen moved away and I never heard from her again." She looked out the windshield. "Gavin -- I think we went past our exit for the restaurant."

"Holy shit..." I turned into the next exit, crossed over and went back the other way. "It's your fault -- you shouldn't tell a guy a story like that while he's driving."

"You asked for it. Now, your turn to tell me about yours."

"Mine was pretty dull compared to yours. I was a bit of a weakling in junior high and they picked on me in gym class. I decided to do some working out -- I put on a pair of boxers and was doing some calisthenics. I think the hem of the boxers rubbed me the right way and the next thing I knew..."

"That's it?"

"That's it," I replied. "Ninety- nine percent of the population discovers orgasm in an experience that's far duller than yours, Vi. We did have sex education at my school and I had a pretty good idea what had happened. I found some more books on the subject, put two and two together and taught myself the fine art of wanking."

I pulled into the restaurant's parking lot. Inside we were seated. I ordered a bottle of wine to go with our dinners. We waited for our orders.

"Vi -- did I tell you that you look sensational?"

"I think you might have."

I reached into my pocket and retrieved a small, gift-wrapped box. "I have a surprise for you."

"Oh, Gavin ... No..." I set the box before her. She stared at it.

"Vi -- you're not one of those women who can't accept a gift gracefully, are you?"

"Maybe I am."

"Open it."

She tore off the paper, opened the box and looked in. "I can't accept this."

"Why not?"

"Because..." She picked up a golden ring with a solitary, purple stone.

"I bought that because it caught my eye," I explained. "Amethyst is my favorite gem, violet is my favorite color ... and, Violet is my favorite name for a girl -- and you are my favorite girl. I thought it was a natural."