Chapter 40: Billy

The day had been long and hot. The air humid and soup like. August, I had always thought started with Aug because that's what everyone said when they walked into the cool Air condition room from outside.

"Aug!" I groaned coming in from outside.

Cleo nodded. "Hot out there."

"Yeah it is." I dropped the keys on the table and headed for the fridge and an ice cold glass of tea. "Need liquid, shower, and out of these clothes." I gulped down my tea till the glass was empty. "I'll be back" I quoted doing a very bad Schwarzenegger impression.

Cleo waved to me without lifting her head from the papers she was reading.

In my room I emptied my pockets on the dresser, I was always making short notes to myself and cramming them in my pocket. The house was coming along fine but there were so many messages and people to keep track of that without my note scraps I'd be lost.

The tiny yellow key fell onto the wood of the dresser. I sighed and picked it up to study it, remembering.

"Uh. Mrs. Katrina ... that is ... ah..."

"Yes Earl, and I've told you, just call me Kat." I had said to Earl hardly looking up from the note I was writing to myself to remember to call Jake in the morning.

"Well I was wondering if you'd take this, I'm a little late in getting them out, and since you came to the club that time I thought it would be ok if I just kinda handed it to you, I shouldn't be giving it to you at work but I never see you unless we're at work and..." Earl had started in a rush and ended at a loss.

I looked up puzzled. In his hand was a banana yellow key, higher up was Earl, who had turned beat red. Automatically my palm opened to accept the key. The tiny thing burned like a hot iron, from Earl's body heat? or from the symbol of what it was, that I still didn't understand?

"Thank you ma'am." And Earl had practically run off before I could even respond.

I looked down at my palm now, as I had then, the tiny yellow key looked the same. Harmless, a tiny toy like key that may be able to fit a child's diary.

Why would Earl give me a key? Why would he be shy about it? And what the devil did it mean! I tossed it in with the others, and pulled my feet from my boots.

I began to go over the keys in my mind. Keys. Earl's Yellow, Flo's pink, Charlie's blue, Elliot, or Shorty as everyone called him, his was silver and shinny. Cindy's a tin looking metal, not as reflective or shinny as Shorty's, Scott's a tortoise shell brown, and Dean's Black. Did Dean's still count? Eddie's was granite, or gray. Whichever.

I took off my jeans and kicked them to hamper. No, Cleo's was gray, so Eddie, I think he said was granite.

I pulled off my sweaty work shirt. My own Amber, which looked very close to Scott's, but lighter, and more yellow tinged. I stepped out of my panties and tossed them to the hamper. It seemed there was no pattern for handing out the keys. Women handed them to both men and women and so did men. Yet it wasn't just a matter of introductions, or I'd have one from Erica and Belinda and countless others.

I pulled off my bra and headed to the showers, still pondering the mystery. The only pattern I could detect was it did seem to be given out by those people who engaged in sex more freely. I shook my head and stepped under the cool spray. I'd hardly turned on the hot water, my body still sticky hot. It wasn't only to mark those who you've had sex with, otherwise I wouldn't have received one from Earl. I'd seen him strip, granted, but that's not the same as having sex.

"Ahhh" The keys were chased from my mind under the cool sprays of the shower. "Delightful." The water sent shivers over my body. It wasn't cold, but my body so hot that the water was colder. Like jumping into a warm pool after soaking in the sun. It felt much cooler to the skin than it really was. I soaped up and felt the heat, sweat and tension of the day fall and swirl down the drain. Still I had no desire to leave the shower. Pure heaven. The grumbling of my stomach finally commanded attention. "Fine."

I headed downstairs with my hair dripping wet, a tight t-shirt and panties. It was simply too hot to contemplate anything more.

"Foods in the fridge." Cleo said.

"Too hot to cook."

"Molly knew that." Cleo finally looked up from the papers she was working on. "She made fried chicken and put it in the fridge to cool. There's slaw and tater salad too." Cleo smiled. "A feast for a hot summer evening."

"God invented perfection when He made Molly."

I toted out the food and plopped it all on the kitchen island. I ignored plates and tossed a fork to Cleo and retained one for myself. "No dishes" I explained and we ate, dipping into the bowls with our forks and holding our chicken in our hands.

"Whats ya workin on?" I asked, happy with being clean and eating.

"The party." Cleo said and took a big bite out of a chicken leg.

"THE party? The ball?" I asked, picking at my own plump white chicken breast.

Cleo nodded in answer while she chewed. "Yeah. It's almost here, and there's always one more thing to do. I honestly don't know how Wedding planners do this. There's going to be dinner, and music and lighting, and drinks, of course. All the normal things for any party."

I nodded engrossed in my chicken.

"Then there are all the rooms to prepare." Cleo said and stabbed a forkful of potato salad.

I continued to eat, feeling starved. I assumed she meant for guest who drank too much or maybe he was bringing in special guests. I nodded.

"Some guests, like us." Cleo smiled at me. "Get picked up in a genuine no shit carriage."

"Guess it helps being the party planner hey?" I gave her a greasy smile, licking my fingers.

"Well there are some perks." Cleo admitted. "There's even going to be fresh flowers. They all have to be brought in from out of the local town and then be off grounds long before the party starts. If one of the outsiders are late it will throw everything off!"

"Well don't worry about it much. There is bound to be some glitches here and there." I smiled and scooped up some cold slaw. "It will take some time for us to get our clothes off after all." I teased.

Cleo looked at me sharply for a moment and saw that I was laughing at her. She relaxed. "Yeah well. You really never know for sure around here."

"Need tea, want some?" I got up to pour.

"Sure. Hey you are ready for this aren't you? It's very close."

"Sure am." I poured two glasses. "Just hope it's not hot like today."

"It won't be." She shook her head. "It wouldn't DARE!"

We both laughed.

A knock at the door had us exchanging looks. Cleo shrugged and I mirrored her before hopping off the stool to answer the door.

"Hi."

"Oh! Hi." I said in surprise. Looking at Billy I could see he was surprised too.

I stood there with greasy wet finger tips, a short thin t-shirt that did nothing to hide my nipples, now wet from my hair hanging down.The shirt ended just below my rib cage and showed off my belly button. A small pair of bright pink and chocolate polka doted panties complete with a tiny pink bow was all I wore around my hips. I still considered my tummy to be plump and instantly was aware of my nudity.

"Oh!"

"Oh indeed." Billy couldn't help but let his eyes take all of me in. "Always answer the door like this?" He tried to look shocked but failed. His expression screamed he liked what he saw.

"Fine." I decided right then and there that I didn't give a damn what he thought of me and walked away from the door leaving it open and him standing there.

"Err fine?" Billy walked in and closed the door.

I shrugged in answer. "Want some chicken?" I licked my fingers taking the time to suck my index finger clean.

Cleo was enjoying the show far too much and she wasn't hiding that fact either.

Billy, stepping up to the challenge walked right up to me and stood toe to toe. "Don't mind if I do." He took my hand and sucked my finger into his mouth. His tongue dancing and sliding over my finger as he sucked each one. My eyes were locked on his mouth.

"Very good. Don't mind if I do." Billy let go of my hand and reached for a piece chicken. "A nice plump breast should do fine."

Well that backfired! I thought to myself.

"Beer?" I offered, knowing exactly where they were kept in the fridge.

"Sure." Billy smiled back at me.

I opened the fridge and bent over, leaning into the fridge. My polka dotted ass barely covered as the panties moved into this new position. I could feel his eyes like a brand. Yet when I turned with the beer he had his back turned and was walking to the far side of the island. I thought I had felt his eyes. Maybe this too backfired.

Cleo's eyes said it hadn't. She was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Here. Glass?" I asked innocently.

"Nope. That's fine." Billy popped the top on the beer and started talking to Cleo. "How many horses will you need for the big event." Billy asked all business.

Fine, two can play that game. I sat on the bar stool and folded my arms under my bust, I then leaned forward and placed my elbows on the island, looking intently interested in what they were discussing.

This of course presented my breasts in their see through shirt up like a thanksgiving meal, ripe for the taking. He didn't bite. He and Cleo carried on a conversation about how many horses were needed and at what time. Even what dress harness the horses were to wear. I then decided to ignore them. I reached forward with my fork and stabbed a fat potato and brought it to my mouth. At the perfect point a glob of dressing fell and landed on my shirt. At this I gave a small cry of dismay and started to scoop up the mess on my finger, bringing attention to the breast which had caught the glob.

From the corner of my eye I could see Billy glance my way and turn back to Cleo. As I looked dismayed over my mess and reached for a napkin Billy glanced back and quickly away. I dabbed a paper napkin on my tongue and then started to wipe at the shirt, pulling it out and away from my skin. Billy was tense and focused and managed to continue talking Cleo. It was Cleo now who was fighting her laughter and having trouble focusing on Billy.

"Damn." I hissed and stood up.

I walked over to the sink, with my back to the kitchen island I pulled my shirt up over my head. My damp hair fell free down my bare back. At this I heard Billy completely stop talking. I turned on the tap water and reached for the soap, with a sponge and some soap I pretended to scrub at the small stain on the shirt. I made sure to move and jiggle, knowing he had clear sight of my ass and bare back. I leaned forward and twist just a bit giving a hint of the bare breasts that were hanging free over the sink as I rinsed the shirt. There was complete silence as Billy waited to see what would happen next. I had to fight down my own giggle. I shut off the tap, and again reached and twisted just so, to grab a dry paper towel. Again flashing only the swell of the side of one breast. I straighted the grin from my face as best I could.

At long last I clenched the cloth to my breasts both covering myself, and exposing myself for maxium effect, being sure not to show any nipple or too much of the entire globe. I turned and faced Billy head on.

"It won't come out." I said in mock dismay and stopped.

Billy looked like a stature frozen in time, his eyes locked on what he could see of my breasts. Slowly, as if time had been slowed to a quarter of it's normal pace, he raised his eyes and tilted his head.

"Touche'" He said with a grin and slight nod.

Cleo gave a tiny snort of laughter and put her hand over her mouth.

"If you would be so kind, I'd like to take you for a walk." Billy said formally.

I was blushing, feeling silly now with my game. "I'll have to ... umm." I moved a hand to wave at my state of undress and as I did the cloth I was holding slipped.

In that instant, before I could get my hand on the cloth covering, again Billy's eyes were riveted. This time I licked my lips and it was I who was frozen in time. I clenched both hands to the cloth in front of my breasts.

Billy coughed. "Yes ... umm." Billy's eyes met mine once again. "Do." He was grinning ear to ear.

There was no way to teleport directly up to my room from the spot where I was standing. But I wished for it! Mustering my dignity, or what was left of it, I held my chin level and walked across the kitchen. Knowing his eyes followed my ever jiggle I walked across the small area of living room to the stairs. I started to climb the stair case, once the spiral had my back to him again, I dropped both hands and let the stained shirt rest on the floor, topless I disappeared from his sight.

I heard Cleo break out in laughter.

Upstairs I put on a small amount of make up, a bra and slid into light linen pants. Not wanting to be a meal for all the night time bugs.

Why was I modest with Billy?! Any other time I'd be happy to expose myself begging for attention. Yet downstairs I felt shy once I had his attention, which I had fought to get! Was it because no one was engaged in sex? That had to be it! I tried to convince myself.

I fastened a matching bra around my back, wanting to match my panties. Not that he'd ever notice. I pointed out to myself and slipped into a cool black silk top. I wish the man would simply fuck me and get it over with. Maybe I wouldn't want him so badly once he did. Looking in mirror, at the eyes staring back at me, I knew that was a lie. I brushed my hair and slipped into flat sandals and retraced my steps to the kitchen.

"You think of anything else let me know." Billy was saying to Cleo. "Ready?" He asked me when I reached his side.

Outside I followed Billy's lead, not sure where he wanted to head or why. We headed to a section of garden where the summer roses were still in bloom despite the heat, their heady fragrance was soothing.

"Nice here." I said inhaling.

"Hm? Yeah." Billy commented his mind clearly elsewhere.

I continued on in silence, content with letting him form his own thoughts. The sun had gone down as I came home from work. Now the moon was out early and high in the sky. It wouldn't be long before it was glowing bright and full, four days maybe. The stars were out and I almost wished all the nearby lights were out, I wondered how far we could see then. In the distance I heard a playful screech followed by a large splash. Maybe a couple in the pool? The air was still thick and warm but cooler without the sunshine of daytime.

We were barely moving at this point, our walking having slowed to a shuffle. I sat on a nearby bench and looked up at him expectantly.