Chapter 5

Kate woke abruptly shouting "No!" She lay breathing heavily slowly gathering her faculties all too conscious of the perspiration on her body and the tell tale wet between her legs. Slowly her mind sorted fact from fantasy. Through eyes that refused to open fully she could see that she was in her own bed, her own bedroom, the curtains the Regency Stripe she had chosen herself. Damn, she thought, that bloody dream again. It had all been a dream. Then as recollection came to her she blushed, deeply ashamed. The people she had dined with last night had become the faces in her dream. They would be disgusted with her if they knew how they had featured in her imagination. As she became more fully awake she reviewed the events of last night. The after dinner conversation had intrigued and amused her. She did go up to the bathroom for exactly the reasons that Julie suggested, and she could now see herself clearly coming down and re-entering the Salon where she once more joined in the conversation and laughter. She and Meg had left just before midnight in the taxi Meg had ordered. Kate had not taken up Meg's invitation to come in for coffee. Instead she had climbed into her mini and drove home.

With relief she got out of bed despite not feeling rested at all, even a long shower did not revitalise her. She went in to the kitchen and switched on the kettle to make some tea. Her head ached and her limbs acted as if they were encased in concrete. The tea made, she sat listlessly at the kitchen table. Did she feel disgust for her dream? Yes she thought she did. Why did it keep coming? Was it some unfathomable deep desire? Or merely the product of an over-active imagination? What ever it was she wished that it would cease. One thing was certain; she could never let anyone know, for her embarrassment would be too much to bear. The phone rang, it was Meg.

"How do you feel this morning?"

"Absolutely wonderful." Kate replied sarcastically. "My head aches and I am so lethargic that even picking up the kettle to make some tea, is a major operation. Apart from that I am fine. So how are you?"

"Much the same, but without the headache. Kate! I wasn't planning to do much today. The forecast is for a fine, warm day, so I am contemplating a lazy day on the patio, and an occasional dip in the pool to cool off. Would you like to join me? I'll do breakfast for us."

"That sounds like all I could manage today." Replied Kate. "I'll be round in about an hour, if that's alright with you?"

"No problem, see you then."

Meg's breakfast consisted of Croissants, preserves and fruit. Kate ate sparingly, but enjoyed the little she had. She had brought her bikini and a large sunhat, not wishing to expose her tender head to the sun. They took to the sun loungers, settling for a lazy day. It took a while for Kate to start feeling human again, the large glass of Orange juice helped with that. When she had recovered sufficiently she turned to Meg.

"You have a very good relationship with your friends, Meg. How did that come about?" She was obliquely asking if Meg did go back to visit Julie and Gid.

"They are your friends now, Kate. You fitted in perfectly. They like you a lot." That pleased Kate.

"I like them as well."

"I have known Julie since I was a child; in fact we went to school together. Our friendship became a little more when we were fifteen. We had practiced kissing for some time; you now how it is, we didn't want to do it wrong when a boy first kissed us. However as time went by we found we liked kissing each other. It never went beyond that, we didn't want to turn into Lesbians; I mean boys were much more interesting." She sighed. "Shows how much we knew then, as if kissing a girl could turn you into a Lesbian. We lost touch when she went off to Uni and I went to college."

"What did you study?"

"Cookery. My mum thought that if I was good at cooking then I would be able to catch a good husband."