Chapter 13: "Why Call Me Cruel?"

When the pale gothic ghost entered the Salon, laced up in tight leather, eyes aflame, hair like a nest of black vipers, Alicia didn't first see her. She leaned into Gina, her aching head in her lover's lap. She nursed the remnants of a hangover, lazily talking to Tara, the curly redhead with the amazing legs, when the commotion interrupted them. She looked up, her heart freezing at the sight. Oh my God, they were right, she thought. The woman must be mad.

Shame flooded her, but why? Was she ashamed of making bizarre love to that woman? Or was it something else — shame for hiding now, behind the backs of her friends who laughed and snickered at the woman, jeering and calling her cruel names? She clung to the first reason — so much easier, wasn't it?

What had Angique said? The only truly evil people were the hypocrites? Her head felt dizzy with confusion, as it had done for all of last week. God, she cried out silently, can't you all leave me alone? I only came here to forget. Stop wanting me to be everything to everyone.

Let me be, please God, let me die...

Ever since she returned from Villa a week ago — the day she had proudly shown Angique her shorn pussy — she had been subject to third degree interrogations by Gina and her friends. They must be her friends, because they obviously cared about her. They warned her to shun "that crazy pervert." Gina said she loved Alicia too much to let her go to hell, her soul wasted by Angique. "She is evil," she had said. "She'll suck you dry and then kick you to the curb."

Alicia never had a chance to catch her breath. One after the other girl had talked to her, warning her — pounding her soul to squeeze out every piece of information about what "the witch" had made her do. She saw them screw up their faces with disgust and heard them cry out with indignation — then they hugged her to sympathize with her awful experiences.

What she didn't notice was their insatiable lust to hear every sensational detail.

All those days she never saw Angique and that tore her up too. On the one side she was relieved not having to worry about the extra pressure the woman would surely lay on her. On the other hand she felt a flash of heat whenever she thought of her. But when time went on and the girls kept wearing her down with their agitated warnings and whispered advices, the memories faded — and so did the arousal that came with them.

In the end the women tore down her shaky walls of feeble resistance. She hardly remembered what they told her or what she told them in response. She just wanted them to shut up, shut up! They'd scared her. Yes, yes, yes, she had cried out, Angique must have hypnotized her. She must have put a spell on her to make her do what she did. Yes, she did those awful things. Yes, she saw now how terrible they were and yes, she slurred, downing her umpteenth glass of wine, she was glad they saved her — so glad to have their friendship.

So glad.

Whenever she escaped their daily onslaught, she found herself alone in her big old haunted house, or with sweet Rita who hadn't a clue — and during the night she lived with her private demons. Even then Gina phoned her, harassing her with warnings and good advice. When she at last sagged down onto her bed, she was too exhausted to appreciate Rita's attempts at lovemaking — but she was also too exhausted to fall asleep. She had to find a way out or she would go crazy. She knew she had to make a decision.

One night Gina took her out to have dinner. They ate at a pretty little restaurant and had some drinks and a dance later. Gina for once didn't say a word about Angique and the wine had nicely dulled her overwrought senses. The lovemaking in Gina's hotel bed had been sweet and reassuringly bland. Gina never commented on her shaven pussy. Alicia didn't know why, but she kept it bare, checking on it every morning. Touching its smooth surface gave her goose bumps.

"You know I love you very much, don't you?"

Gina's voice penetrated Alicia's half-sleep. She just murmured an answer. Love, she thought. Fuck your damn love. Everybody seemed to love her nowadays and all it did was depress her more.

She felt the mattress move. Gina rose on her elbow.

"Look at me, darling, please?" she asked.

Alicia groaned another wordless response, but she did open her eyes. A very round tit was right in front of her, its nipple quivering with the words spoken.

"Alicia," Gina said "It can't go on like this. You must allow me to protect you at the Club. Please say yes."

Alicia also rose on one elbow, raising her eyes from the breast to find Gina's face. "Protect?" she asked. She shook her head to chase away her sleepiness.

"Yes, darling. The Club is a dangerous place, filled with freaks and perverts. Let me announce our engagement tomorrow night, so nobody will be able to harass you anymore. It will protect you against the weirdoes, the crazy women who want to destroy you. Allow me, please, Alicia, and I shall give you anything you want — anything, just ask."

Alicia moaned out loud and let her face fall forward into her pillow. "Engagement?" she mumbled. "Why? Why would I want that? This is the Club for God's sake, the Salon. This is supposed to be for fun, remember? I have a girlfriend at home."

A cloud passed over Gina's face, but she controlled her voice. "It is just a word, sweetheart. Just to warn them to back off. Just to announce that you and I belong together. Do you love me, Alicia? Please tell me you do and let me be yours to protect you."

Gina grabbed Alicia's hands and pulled the girl against her. She feverishly kissed her throat and chest. Then she caught the girl's eyes, their faces close together.

"I know how torn up you are, darling. I see the pain and the confusion in your eyes. Trust me and let me take care of you. Let go of your fears, I am here to make life save for you; protect you against all these perverts. Be mine, Alicia and I shall be yours forever."

Alicia's eyes shifted desperately — two exotic birds in a cage.

"I..." she tried. "I don't know, Gina. This is so..." She swallowed hard, never able to escape the woman's iron gaze.

"I know you love me, Gina, and yes, I guess I love you too," she went on. "You have been good to me. You are a sweet woman and I know you wish me the best. I know your fear for my wellbeing is honest. Maybe I should be protected ... But ... my God, why is this all so hard?"

Gina rubbed her wrists, kissing her fingers.

"It doesn't have to be hard," she answered. "Let it all go, darling. No need to make things difficult. Just trust me. Be mine. Let me tell them you are mine!"

Alicia never answered, but she also didn't refuse to go when Gina took her over to the Club the next evening. Gina had rented the Salon to throw a party. It was an all-female thing of course, with lots of wine and music. The entire clan was present, bringing friends who brought friends and lovers.

From the start they seemed to know what was going on, for they hugged and congratulated Alicia, exclaiming they were so glad for her and assuring her that everything would turn out fabulously now. The evening was a daze. Alicia was kissed and hugged. She was asked to dance and only realized later that this night no one felt her up in the sneaky ways that were so common with parties at the Club or at Bianca's.

Just before the whole function drowned in the usual lewdness and alcohol, Gina grabbed Alicia and a microphone, asking everyone to listen for a minute. Alicia had been drinking quite her share of the ever-present champagne, so she leaned into Gina, suppressing a giggle.

"Girls," Gina said, her voice bouncing off the walls. "Tonight is a special night." The giggle got stuck in Alicia's throat and she coughed, swaying on the patent leather heels Gina bought her that afternoon.

Gina patted her on the back. Then she wrapped her arm tightly around the girl and went on with her speech.

"Many of you have known me and my sweetheart Alicia for quite a while — first at Bianca's and now at this new place which allows us to live out our undisturbed lifestyle."

A hiccup shook Alicia's midriff, but it was mercifully drowned by Gina's next words.

"Tonight Alicia and I invited all of you to witness us tying the knot around our deep and eternal love. I announce my engagement to Alicia and I'm sure you will all wish us the best in our new life together."

A huge cheer went up when Gina pulled Alicia close and pressed her lips on the girl's. All the women hurried forward, hugging and cheering and congratulating the couple. Alicia felt herself being tossed and pushed and kissed. Soft bodies smothered her — fragrant hair and hot lips were omnipresent.

When it was over, someone proposed a toast and many followed. The rest of the night was a blur in Alicia's alcohol-soaked mind. The next morning still was a blur, when she woke up in Gina's tussled bed.

Now here she was. Or rather, here they were — she, her friends and the wild woman. No one went away, she didn't die; so much for praying. She heard Angique's voice. It wasn't breathy now or intimate. There was iron in it when she called out her name: Alicia!

Her reflex was to rise, but a vice-like grip held her down — she never knew Gina could be this strong. Then the iron voice called out for Gina, asking where she hid "her lying slut." The hand holding her down became even tighter. She panted, hurting from the squeeze, but even more from the rude qualifications Angique threw at her.

"Keep down!" Gina hissed. The roar of an ocean's surf filled her ears. Through it she heard the throaty falsetto voice of Lee, cut off by Angique's sarcastic laugh. Then there was Aura's loud soprano, spitting out her usual accusations, which were accompanied by giggles and laughter from the women around her.

She just wanted to bury herself deeper into the lap of the woman holding her, and disappear. The querulous voices, the heat and her rising shame seemed to strangle her. They added a fear that brought her to the brink of an asthmatic attack. Hyperventilating and almost gagging she struggled herself free and raised her head to gasp for air.

Right then her eyes met Angique's who cried out her name when she saw her. But the women around her closed their ranks and the contact was broken. Alicia panted into the soft wool of Gina's skirt, slowly regaining her consciousness. Sounds flooded in with force. She heard Aura cry: "You! You won't get your dirty claws into her again. You'll never again set your filthy dog on her, you disgusting woman!"