Chapter 1

She had dreamed again last night, the dream that had returned to her three times in as many weeks unbidden, insidiously creeping into her sleep and as before she had wakened, her body wet with perspiration, the sheet beneath her damp and her vulva and thighs slick with her lubrication. Sighing heavily she got up and stripped the sheets carrying them through to the bathroom to dump them in the linen basket, another load for the washing machine. Kate turned the shower on and cleaned her teeth allowing the temperature of the water to settle. Her grandmother had once told her that Horses sweat, Men perspire but Ladies only glow. She smiled to herself ruefully; perhaps the Ladies that her grandmother referred to did not have the sort of dream that she had last night. The shower washed away the physical evidence of her dream, but it couldn't erase the afterthoughts from her mind. Why? Why was she having this dream and why was it always the same?

As she dressed and put on her make up, the graphic images came back to her. She was in a large, windowless, low ceiling room. Why or how she got there the dream did not explain, but then they never do. There was some light, soft light insufficient to carry, leaving the rest of the room in gloom. She sensed but didn't see others who stayed back in the shadows waiting for her. It was senses rather than sight that imprinted impressions on her mind which then processed them endeavouring to make sense. The mind could only work with personal experience so her mind had no basis on which to rationalise these impressions. It was very quiet, tense as if waiting for someone to move. In the centre of the room there was a low wide footstool, wide enough to take a body and upholstered in some black soft fabric. The light centred on that yet it wasn't under a spotlight. Subconsciously she knew that the sensed but unseen figures needed her to take the first step. Tentatively she moved, a compulsion growing inside her to spread herself out on the stool. Hands, soft hands appeared out of the gloom, and gently removed her clothes encouraging her towards the footstool, where she was helped to lay down. Completely nude she opened her arms and legs; apprehensively waiting whatever was going to happen. The dream always ended there, yet her memory carried over to her conscious logically arriving at the conclusion that someone would possess her body. Perhaps one person as others watched lasciviously, panting with lust. Perhaps it could be more than one lover? Was the lover a man or a woman, or men and women? Her mind asked these questions and found no answers. Kate had never consciously given thought to making love with another woman, yet here in her dream she was accepting that might happen.

Breakfast consisted of a quick cup of tea and a banana. Kate sorted through the fruit bowl and dropped an apple into her bag for later. The roads were not too busy this morning and in her nippy Mini-Cooper she arrived at work unstressed by traffic. It was a Friday so Stuart, her boss would be in today. He was also the owner of the business, and she, Kate was the sole employee. He was an Agent and had many agencies with companies that made or wholesaled sundries for the Soft Furnishing and Upholstery trades. Stuart was an extremely good salesman, but at the other extreme absolutely useless at administration. Before Kate came to work for him his desk was piled high with papers, none of which he ever filed. The result was orders never processed, annual accounts not filed and huge demands from the Inland Revenue, which he had to pay because he couldn't prove the true figures. She had brought order to the chaos and Stuart was delighted to find that he was making more money than he thought, and could easily afford her salary. He promptly gave her an increase. Meg, Stuart's wife was often in the office. At first Kate thought that Meg was making sure that she would not get too familiar with her husband. Over time they became good friends and Kate realised that Meg had never considered her a threat.

The first thing that she would do on arrival at the two-room office suite was make a cafetiere of coffee. Stuart was an inveterate coffee drinker and over the course of the day, more ground coffee would be added with more hot water, the eventual brew being very black, thick and from Kate's point of view undrinkable. Her boss loved it!

Stuart breezed in about nine-thirty.

"Good morning, treasure. God I'm gasping for a cup of coffee. Be a sweet and get me one would you?"

"Good morning, Boss. It's already on your desk."

"You're a life-saver."

"Was it a good trip?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, it wasn't bad. Let me get some coffee inside me and I'll let you have the orders." He entered his office. Moments later Kate heard the flick of his lighter and the coughing as he drew heavily on his cigarette. She got a note pad and followed him. The cigarette was dangling from his lips, ash forming on the end. The ash would eventually fall down onto his jacket, more would be added from the thirty or so he would smoke during the day. She opened the office window. He held out to her a small pocket notebook. In there would be quickly scratched orders in Stuart's unique shorthand. It had taken her some time to decipher his notes at first. Now it was only rarely that she had to ask him for a translation. Then he set about emptying his pockets. They were full of small scraps of paper, torn envelopes, petrol receipts, hotel bills and parking stubs. Kate collected all of these, smoothing the papers out and trying to put sense to them. She recognised many as orders which she made into one pile and the receipts in another. When she had collected all the scraps of paper she took them with her to her office. It would probably take her most of the day and well into next week to post all the orders onto the computer, which would then print out the order for sending on to the supplier.

"I'll get on with these." She told Stuart. "You're sure they're all here?" He smiled at her sheepishly.

"You had better go through the glove box in the car." He handed her the keys. "I could well have left some in there."

"Typical."

"I know, I know. But you love me really." He wheedled.

"Dream on."

Kate heard him on the phone most of the morning; from time to time he would come through and place hastily written notes on her desk, more orders the result of his phone calls. At the same time he would top up his coffee then get back to the phone. Just before twelve thirty he told her he was going out for a lunch appointment.