Chapter 41: What are friends for?

"I don't know you," Paula said.

"No, you don't," Angique agreed. "But I know you."

She looked Alicia's friend over while they crossed the Club's hall. Once again she wondered why so many attractive women go out of their way to look dull. Everything about Paula cried out not to look at her. Her hair was ... well, hair — in a faux brunette kind of way. Unkind people might call it mousy. Her skin was nice, even with the pink blotches of agitation crawling up from her collar. Her eyes could be beautiful if she'd ever dare to accentuate them — and use them properly. Paula sure had a sensual mouth, but right then it was drawn into a thin, bitter line.

Her purple blouse must have been last season's trend — or was it the season before? Anyway, when it reached the off-the-rack shops it must finally have looked safe enough for her to wear it — buttoned up and wide enough to disguise whatever statement her chest would make. The navy blue skirt might have been gorgeous had it been shorter — and quite a bit tighter too. Damn, some women would kill for legs like hers and all she did was hide them.

Angique reprimanded herself. Judging women by the way they dressed had become second nature — it must be because of her profession, but yes, it was a very shallow thing to do. Especially since right now she had way more important things to consider.

"I'm not here to see you," Paula said. "I'm here because Alicia called me. Where is she?" The woman moved nervously as she talked, her eyes taking in the over-sweet pinkness of the Salon. There was impatience, but it hardly covered her discomfort. Although she'd never visited before, she already hated the place, and she hated having to be there even more.

"As you see she isn't here right now," Angique said. "But I am. Welcome to the Club, Paula. This is the Salon, a place where girls meet and only women are allowed to visit." She smiled, letting the sentence linger. "I bet you were never here before? Please let's sit at the bar and talk for a bit. Tea?"

Paula didn't want tea. As a matter of fact she didn't want to sit at all, or even stay at this silly place. But finally she sat down, if only to end the awkward situation of standing around, fidgeting. She had to know what was going on with Alicia and what role this strange woman played in her life.

Alicia had been a nervous wreck the last time they met. There were all these rumors and the girl told her she hadn't dared leaving her house. Like in the old days of their friendship, Paula had listened to the rambling story Alicia told her. She'd been the Rock once more, the Big Listener.

"Do you love Alicia?" The woman's question shook her out of her thoughts. "Or let's say, do you care for her?" Angique went on. Yes, Paula thought, I do love her, but what does love mean in here? Nothing but dirty, perverted things, no doubt. Irritation overwhelmed her.

"What is it to you?" she asked. "I've known Alicia since we were kids. I sure know her better than you ever will." Angique just sat smiling. Paula went on, her face flushed with anger.

"I'm here for only one thing: to get Alicia out of here. This is no place for her. Take me to her, now or I'll leave and find other ways to get her out! Ways you won't like." She rose, but Angique's hand touched her arm, irritating her further.

"Don't you touch me!" she hissed. Angique brought up both hands in apology.

"Sorry," she said, smiling. "But I'm not sure that your leaving would be in Alicia's interest."

"Are you blackmailing me with her safety?" she said. Angique smiled.

"Wow," she chuckled. "Big words, honey. Why don't you just sit down and listen before you get all angry?" Paula looked around the room, at loss at what to say next. Then her eyes returned to the woman across from her.

"What do you want from me?" she said. "Why me, anyway?"

"Now those are good questions," Angique answered, easing back onto her stool. She looked almost businesslike in her dark gray, pinstriped jacket and skirt. The severe black bob of her hair went well with the look, but there was just a bit too much cleavage to be entirely professional. Her heels were too high as well — and her lipstick too dramatically dark against her pale complexion.

"You see, Paula," Angique said, softly, "You are not at all important to me, but you are to Alicia and that is why you are here. She called you for a reason. She needs you to help her become who she really is." Paula shook her head in confusion. Then she looked up, her eyes narrowing.

"What did you do to her?" she said. Angique just looked back, pouting her lips in mock disappointment.

"Why would you assume I 'do' things to her?" she said. "You make me sound awful." Paula guffawed.

"What do you expect?" she said. "After months of not seeing her I accidentally meet her and she is a wreck! She is a scared little bird, admitting to atrocious things. She breaks down sobbing, not even able to tell me what is going on. And then she disappears again. You keep her prisoner?" Angique now laughed out loud.

"Prisoner?" she said, still chuckling. "Oh God, Paula, you have no idea. Sweet Licia was never as free as she is right now."

"Where is she?"

"Patience, honey. You'll meet her soon enough."

"If you've harmed her, I'll kill you!" Paula cried out. Angique stopped chuckling at once. Her black eyebrows knitted, darkening her gaze. She reached out and grabbed Paula's shoulders, pushing her face into hers.

"Never ever assume that!" she hissed. "I'd never harm Alicia. I love her and if you love her too, today is your chance to prove it. Do you understand?" Fear returned to Paula's eyes. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed.

"Don't," she said. "Don't touch me." Angique let go of her. She rose and stood straight, covering her anger.

"Licia is mine," she stated. "Only because she wants to be mine. She needs to be, you know? No, I guess you don't. You may think you know her, but you really have no clue."

"I've known her all my life; what are you talking about?" Paula protested. "We've been friends since grade school." She looked defiantly to Angique. "Now you tell me you know her better?"

"Yes, I do," Angique said, sitting back, crossing her legs inside the tightness of her skirt. "The real Licia is someone you've never seen." Paula huffed at that, shrugging and looking away.

"I'll show you the real Licia," Angique almost whispered. She rose and begged Paula to follow. The woman hesitated — then she did.

Paula was surprised by the monumental entrance to the apartment. She was impressed by its luscious hall. But she was really shocked when she discovered the metal cage in the ornate bay-windowed room — and saw who was in it.

Alicia crouched at its center, naked and freshly oiled. Her arms were wrapped around a huge, gray pelted dog, hugging its big head against her chest. She slowly rocked the animal while humming a song — her eyes fixed on an unseen distance. The dog's tongue lapped at her nipple, making a jeweled piercing sway.

Paula's sharp intake of breath caused the girl to look up. A very slow smile crept over her face. "Paula," she murmured. "Pau-la." Then her hand commenced stroking the monster's head, fingernails scratching behind its ear. Her lips softly kissed the skull before her eyes returned to the visitors, meeting Angique's.

"Mistress," she said. Pushing the dog off her body, she scrambled to a kneeling position, lowering her face to the floor and sticking up her ass.

Paula just stood looking — wordlessly. She watched her lifelong friend crouch naked against this monstrous animal, imprisoned in a barred cage. Then she saw her kneel in submission, sticking up her naked ass, calling the woman 'mistress.' It was so far removed from anything she might have expected, that she had nothing to say — nothing even to think.

Keeping a woman in a cage wasn't something she'd ever accept; its barbaric baseness tugged at her insides. It twisted the muscles of her underbelly — not unlike fear of heights tightens your crotch when you stare down the edge of a tall building. She could not look away. Her lips moved, but there were no words. Her hands tightened into fists and then relaxed only to tighten again. It was all she did for minutes.

Then she felt hands on her shoulders and a voice breathing into the shell of her ear.

"Come, Paula," it said, and the hands maneuvered her over to a chair, gently pushing her into it.

"You see now who she is, honey?" the voice whispered. "The real Licia? Admit you didn't know her; admit you never did."

"Let her go," Paula said at long last, her whisper thick with emotion. "Let her go." The voice in her ear chuckled.

"You let her go, Paula," it said out loud. The hands left her shoulders after pushing her forward. "Go, Paula, set her free if you believe she wants to."

Paula hesitated as she watched the girl and the dog. Then she rose from her chair and walked to the cage. Its bars felt cold against her sweaty palms. The door opened at once; it wasn't locked.

"It's never been locked, you know," Angique said from behind her. "There was no need." The metal door slightly creaked as Paula opened it. But when she set one foot inside, a deep growl sent a wave of fear to her throat. She stiffened, watching the dog's head rise as it bared its fangs, saliva dripping from gleaming teeth. Its growl was more felt than heard, like a minor earthquake. She stepped back at once, letting the door fall closed.

"Oooh no. Down, you naughty boy! That is our sweet friend Paula." Alicia's voice had a singsong quality, like a child's. She chuckled, patting the immense skull in mock punishment. The brute at once relaxed, yelping like a pup and stroking her face with the broad purple flag of his tongue. It extracted an excited squeal from the girl.

"You see, Paula," Angique commented from a distance. "Licia is perfectly safe. Brynn fell in love with her. Aren't they the sweetest couple?"

Paula shuddered as she watched her friend wrestle playfully with the monster that only seconds ago had scared the shit out of her. Alicia's oiled skin slid and slipped against the silver hair, her tiny hands buried in the pelt — brushing, stroking ... caressing.

Paula looked around, helplessly. Her hands rose in front of her, as if to ward off what she saw — as if to protect herself against the images flooding her mind; incredible images of obscenity. The dog's body now mostly blocked her view of the girl. A sense of purpose seemed to have come into their play. Alicia was on her back now, her spread legs showing on either side of the animal's head. "Oh God," Paula sighed as she saw how the purple tongue started lapping at the girl's raised crotch. Wet sounds filled the room, drowning out Alicia's moans. They soon turned into quick and high-pitched breathing.

Paula's hands covered her eyes, but her fingers never closed enough to blot out what she saw. The two bodies inside the cage were in a full 69-position now. She couldn't see what Alicia was doing, but the girl's voice had gone, replaced by wet and sucking noises. It didn't take a vivid imagination to know what was going on. It was enough to send a wave of nausea up from Paula's stomach. "Oh God! Stop this, please stop this."

But it didn't stop. The dog went on ravaging the shaven cunt with his skilled tongue. He hunched his back now, humping the invisible face of the girl. Her fingers grabbed his haunches, hanging on to the increasing speed.

Maybe the voice had been there all the time, but only by then did Paula hear the words it lisped. She also felt hands on her shoulders, smelling the sweetness of perfume.

"Aren't they amazing, Paula? Look at them." The hands started massaging her through the fabric of her blouse. She started, but didn't move. The overdose of impressions must have pushed her into shock. She closed her eyes, feeling herself slip into a dreamlike state. Heat radiated from the kneading fingers, relaxing her muscles. She sighed, drifting off into the bizarre kaleidoscope of sounds, smells and sensations.

The hands now slipped into her unbuttoned blouse, caressing her breasts through her bra; slipping inside, touching her bare flesh.

"No!" she cried out. "NO!!" She opened her eyes and when she did, she was assaulted by what she saw. Alicia was on her hands and knees now, looking straight at Paula. Her eyes were glazed over. She shook with the humping of the giant dog that mounted her. My God, the brute was fucking her!

Paula's knees went liquid; the only things holding her up were the hands on her tits and the body of the woman who fondled her.

"Yes," the voice hissed in her ear. "Yes, Paula. Look at her. Did you ever see her happier?" Fingers tweaked her nipple, making her gasp.

Paralyzed and open-mouthed, Paula hung in Angique's arms, watching her lifelong friend being fucked by a giant dog. Obviously they were both close to orgasm now and when it finally hit, the sight was awesome. It lasted and lasted until the two creatures sagged to the floor, never breaking their embrace. The girl seemed unconscious, but her body kept twitching with after shocks.

Something snapped and Paula started to struggle in Angique's embrace.

"Let me go, you are a monster!" she cried out, pushing off the arms and closing her blouse with shaking fingers. "You'll hear from this. You, you can't do this to her. Or to me. You can't! You just — can't!"

She turned on her heels and walked briskly to the door. When she reached it, a voice stopped her — a tiny voice, breathy with exhaustion.

"Paula. Paula, please."

She turned. The voice was Licia's. The girl lay against the body of the dog, her legs spread. Her hand was on her shaven vagina where it collected white, thin semen spilling from her slit. She brought the dripping fingers to her face, set in a halo of messed up hair. Then she smiled and sucked the goo from her fingers. She smacked her lips and said: