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From: "Bill Morgan" <morg1058@chartervt.net>
Subject: {ASSM} NEW from Morgan:KATHY CARLSON 1 of 9 M/F Rom; Next in Ali Clifford saga
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 18:10:04 -0400
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   <1st attachment, "Kathy Carlson 1.txt" begin>

   The following is a work of fiction regarding sexual relationships.  If
you feel that it is illegal, immoral, or otherwise improper for you to read
this, then *Don't Read It.*

   * * *

   *Kathy Carlson Part 1 of 9*

   Copyright (c) 1993, 2001 by Morgan.  All Rights Reserved

   Please note the original copyright date.  This story was basically
written eight years ago.  As a result, you will likely find obsolete
references.  I'm afraid you'll just have to live with it; it's too tedious
trying to keep up with the latest and greatest.

   This book is part of the Ali Clifford saga and in time parallels
_Allison_.  It's an illustration of the fact that stories -- and characters
-- often run away from their writers.  It's certainly true in this one, if
one wishes to compare Kathy Carlson's position in this one compared to her
appearance in _Allison_.  Oh, well...

   Incidentally, you will find occasional entries, _word_.  The reason for
this is that MS Word's Auto Format function puts a word preceded and
followed by an underscore in italics; that's my intent.  Similarly, *word*
results in the word appearing in bold face.  If you use Word's Auto Format,
it will take care of things; if you don't, you at least know why it's
there.

   More of my works are posted on my site <www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Morgan/www> If you
like it -- or if you don't -- please let me know at <morg105829@aol.com.>
My books are now also posted on <www.storiesonline.net>.

   * * *

   *Chapter 1*

   Ken Carlson was worried.  Instead of studying his law books, he was
going over the family finances and he didn't like what he was seeing.  He
was attending law school as a veteran, and was receiving veterans education
aid.  In addition he had a small scholarship, a number of student loans and
was using his savings to help pay for his education.  It was not working.
_Unfortunately, he thought, _the budget can't handle two people.  It's just
not working!_ Try as he might, he couldn't make it come out.

   Turning in his chair, he looked at his wife, Kathy.  Curled up on the
sofa, she was watching one of her daytime soap operas.  Ken had met his
wife, the former Katherine Hughes, at the state university they both
attended near their homes in northern California close to the Oregon
border. When they first met, she had been a freshman while he was a
just-commissioned second lieutenant.  He had been assigned temporarily to
the school's ROTC detachment while awaiting his orders to Ranger school. 
Thinking about it, he guessed theirs had been a comfortable meeting.  They
were both from very small towns in the nation's most populous state.  Both
were uncomfortable in crowds and even more uncomfortable with the slickness
of urban living.  Now they were married and had a small apartment in Los
Angeles while Ken attended UCLA Law School.

   His admission to UCLA was a stroke of luck, he admitted to himself.  By
merest coincidence, the dean of the law school was a college classmate of
Ken's division commander and an Army veteran himself.  When his commanding
officer wrote a personal letter of recommendation, and the school leaned
hard on his veteran's preference, Ken was admitted by the skin of his
teeth. Of course, the other side of the coin was that his first year at law
school had been an academic disaster: He had just barely managed to stay in
school, holding on by his fingernails.  That was probably why he and Kathy
had gotten married that summer.  He had been feeling so lonely and so lost
in the big city and atschool.

   While Ken was going over their finances, Kathy was sitting across the
room pretending to watch soap operas.  In fact, she was trying to cope with
that strange sensation in her groin again.  It had been occurring with
increasing frequency whenever she looked at Ken.  Now it happens almost
every time.  _What's wrong with me?_ she wondered.  _It's as if...  as
if... as if I want him inside me!  In my cunt!_ She reddened at the very
thought.

   She never used words like that and didn't want even to think them.  She
used to think about asking her doctor about the strange sensation, but the
subject was much too embarrassing for her even to mention.  Like so many
girls, she had picked up her knowledge of sex from listening to other girls
talk.  From them she had long ago concluded that women were depositories
for men's sexual fluids -- that's all.  She had heard whispers about people
doing other things in bed -- and even having sex in places other than a
bed. Although she wasn't exactly sure what the other things were, she did
know that nice girls never did them.  Nevertheless, as she looked at Ken,
she desperately wanted to go to him and comfort him.  It was apparent that
he was very upset and it could only be about money.

   Because money was so tight, Kathy spent her days in the apartment while
Ken took their old car to school.  To pass her time alone she watched game
shows and soap operas on television -- the entertainment was free. 
Surreptitiously, she studied Ken and again realized how lucky she was.  She
had been a young freshman and he had already graduated when they first met.
Perhaps it was their innate shyness that paradoxically drew them together.
When Ken left to report for Ranger training, she had written to him.  Her
letters continued through Ranger school and then when he went overseas.

   She reddened again thinking how school-girlish her letters had been, but
nevertheless Ken still saved them and refused to allow her to throw them
out.  She remembered vividly the awful fear and sense of loss she felt when
she received his first letter from the hospital after he had been wounded
in action.  He was evacuated to an Army hospital in the Philippines, later
back to Hawaii, and finally to Hanneman Army Hospital in San Francisco. 
Since she lived in the little town of Enterprise just below the redwood
country, San Francisco was a long way away.  Nevertheless, she finally
persuaded her parents to let her take the car and drive down to see him.

   When she arrived at the hospital, she didn't know what to do.  First,
both the city and the medical center were enormous.  Telling herself that
she was in love with a hero who would have nothing to do with a coward, she
had screwed up her courage and entered the hospital.  After that it wasn't
so bad.  But then, when finally she saw Ken for the first time, she lost
control.  In spite of knowing what a man thinks of a woman who throws
herself at him, she had no choice.  Running into his arms, she just buried
her face in his chest while she crieduncontrollably.

   He had wrapped his right arm around her and just held her as she cried.
Finally regaining control, she lifted her face and he kissed her.  That
kiss was so wonderful she still remembered it.  She could still feel the
electricity and hear the bells.  Flustered, she had taken out her tiny
handkerchief and tried to dry her tears from his bathrobe, while at the
same time trying to apologize for her behavior.  Ken had just smiled at her
warmly and told her she was cute.

   At any rate, that was the time when Kathy became convinced that Ken was
the man for her.  _He is so brave and tall and handsome,_ she thought.  Ken
was six feet three and weighed 215.  He was very muscular with very broad
shoulders over a slim waist and hips.  He had brown hair and warm brown
eyes.

   Thinking of his brown hair, she frowned because her hair and eyes were
brown, too.  Although her hair had body and a natural wave, she thought it
was terribly ordinary.  Kathy was a tall girl at five feet eight and she
weighed 125.  Her skin was clear and unblemished but her figure was very
ordinary.  Her breasts, although rather large, were nicely shaped with tiny
little up-thrusting pink nipples.  Because they were so soft and white,
though, she needed the support of a good bra.  In fact, from long before
she married Ken, she had been embarrassed by the size of her chest. 
Moreover, ever since adolescence she had also been embarrassed about her
height.  As a result, she had adopted a posture of slumping her shoulders
forward, causing her breasts to sag, and thus minimizing their apparent
size as well as her height.  Ken claimed to like her breasts, although he
called them tits once.  She had slapped him when he did.

   Just thinking about Ken, she felt that strange sensation in her groin
again.  Actually, she was terrified of sex.  Oddly, it wasn't the pain --
except for the very first time, when he had taken her virginity, there had
been none.  Rather, she was afraid of her reactions.  _Can I be a...  a...
nymphomaniac?_ she wondered.  Although she knew how married women were
supposed to behave with their husbands, she had a terrible time.  After
nearly a year of marriage, Kathy had finally developed a process that
seemed to work -- at least it enabled her to survive.  First, since she
couldn't really trust herself, she had to minimize her number of exposures
to sex.  This she did by restricting it to Saturday night.  At any other
time, she used what was apparently the standard feminine excuse, a
headache. She grinned to herself because she had managed to get a
pharmacist to give her a bottle of placebos the size of aspirin tablets. 
Since Ken always brought her two aspirin when she complained of a headache,
she had hidden the real aspirin and substituted the placebos in the aspirin
bottle.

   The second element was to make herself as ugly as possible.  This she
handled by putting on face cream and putting her hair up in rollers before
getting into bed on Saturday night.  This was something she had been doing
almost from the first time they arrived at their apartment.  It seemed to
control Ken's passion somewhat.  Their honeymoon had consisted of the drive
down to Los Angeles from Enterprise.  Kathy lost her virginity at an
inexpensive motel where they stopped the first night.  Ever since, to
further her plan she usually wore a ratty nightgown to bed and just pulled
it up to her groin.  That was easy, because there had never been the money
to afford sexy nightgowns anyway.

   Finally, she had asked him to move the TV to her side of the bed.  Every
Saturday night, she tried to concentrate on _Saturday Night Live_ to
distract herself from the incredible sensations Ken was creating in her
cunt.  _I'm doing it again!_ she thought.  _What's wrong with me?  Nice
women don't use words like that.  My God, I'll be thinking of him fucking
me next!_ Kathy was getting worried now, realizing that she could lose the
man she loved if he knew she even _thought_ words like that.

   What Kathy wanted more than anything else was to be a mother.  Of
course, with the cost of his education, coupled with his inability to earn
any money while going to school, children right now were out of the
question.  Her other major interest was cooking.  Unfortunately, quite by
accident, she learned that Ken only liked plain food.

   When they first arrived in Los Angeles, it was late and all they could
find open was a convenience store.  Since all it carried were a few basics,
she had bought a couple of cans to tide them over.  When, in spite of its
blandness, Ken raved about the food, Kathy learned a lesson and stuck to
simple canned foods and an occasional TV dinner.

   Nevertheless, she was an extraordinarily gifted cook.  She had the
ability to taste a recipe; all she had to do was to read a recipe with its
ingredients and quantities and she knew exactly what the prepared dish
would taste like.  Moreover, she knew exactly what taste was imparted by
each seasoning, so she could vary a flavor across a wide range to create a
particular taste sensation by varying the amount and types of seasonings.
Julia Child was her particular favorite.  She would reread her cookbooks
and watch her on TV.  Just listening to Julia name the ingredients, Kathy
could taste the finished product and usually her mouth watered as she
listened.  She had her cookbooks hidden under the sofa to keep Ken from
knowing.

   Ken looked across the room at his wife and thought about their life
together.  On their wedding night, he was astonished to find blood on the
bed.  Although they had never had sex together before their marriage, it
never occurred to him that his bride could be a virgin.  He knew his cock
was very long and large, and was afraid the first time.  Nevertheless,
Kathy had helped him with his initial entry, first by positioning it at the
mouth of her vagina, then by wrapping her legs around his hips to pull him
into her, breaking her hymen.

   In spite of it being her first time, he found her vagina to be well
lubricated with her free-flowing love juices.  That first sensation was
utterly extraordinary.  She was so tight, but at the same time so fluid, it
felt like his sex was imprisoned in a tight but well-lubricated glove. 
Although he loved having sex with her, it was obvious that it wasn't an
important element in her life -- at best, she tolerated it.  Clearly, for
Kathy, sex was for procreation, not recreation.  _She's probably right
about that, too,_ he thought.  And she was certainly brave.  In spite of
the pain it undoubtedly caused her, she accepted him between her thighs
every week.

   Moreover, she had certainly been brought up right.  Once he had
suggested taking her in the ass.  She had slapped him so hard it had
loosened two teeth.  Two things became very clear: first, she was a lot
stronger than he had thought, and second, anal intercourse was absolutely
out of the question.  Modesty was a very important virtue, too, he had
learned.  Once he tried to feel her tit -- _Oops,_ he thought, _I'm not
even supposed to *think* that word!_ -- her breast, he reminded himself. 
She had been standing at the sink and she had slapped his face.  Another
time, he reached under her skirt to squeeze her soft bun.  He first
encountered her girdle, then got a sharp elbow poked into the pit of his
stomach.

   Realizing he was daydreaming, Ken knew he was just trying to delay the
inevitable.  Kathy would have to try to get a job.  There was just no other
choice.  The problem was he couldn't screw up his courage enough to ask
her. He certainly knew that Kathy was a traditional homemaker.  Taking care
of the hearth and home was her job; bringing in the money was his.  And he
was a failure at his.

   Before talking to her, he mentally ran through his options. 
Unfortunately, there weren't many.  He could get a part-time job.  The
problem was that for him, at least, law school was a 20-hour-a-day
proposition.  If he worked part time, he would flunk out for sure.  And a
part-time job was the only thing he could think of.  However, he knew that
Kathy had worked as a legal secretary.

   Surreptitiously, he had checked the want ads and found a number of ads
placed by firms looking for legal secretaries.  Fortunately, Kathy seemed
to have a skill that was in demand.  _It's something I have to do,_ he
thought.  _My God, why does it seem so much worse than a jungle patrol?_ He
realized that he would a heck of a lot rather charge that machine gun nest
again than face Kathy and her disappointment at his financial failure.  He
was certain he would see it in her face.  When he got up to go over to the
sofa where she was sitting, he felt like he was going to his execution.

   Kathy looked up when Ken rose from his chair.  Her heart was wrenched as
she saw how miserable he looked.  _Why can't a woman hold a man and comfort
him?_ she wondered.  _Why does it have to be so stiff upper lip?_ But, she
realized, if she held him and kissed him, it would probably make him feel
worse -- like a sissy or something.  She sat with her hands folded in her
lap and waited for what she knew would come.

   "Kathy," he began.

   She realized he was so upset, he could scarcely talk.  _My God,_ she
thought, _Ken is ready to cry!  My poor baby!_ she cried to herself.  _Oh
God, please help him to feel better!  Don't let this man destroy himself!_
Only with a great effort of will could Kathy remain impassive while she
waited for him to speak.

   "Kathy," he began again, "I've got terrible news.  Honey, I'm afraid you
will have to look for a job."

   Ken had never experienced anything nearly so painful in his entire life.
He looked at Kathy and realized that, while her face was superficially
passive, he could see from her eyes and her body language that she knows he
had let her down.

   "I know, dear," was all Kathy could say.  Anything more would send her
leaping into his arms to hold him and squeeze him and warm him between her
thighs...  _My God!  What's wrong with me?  My husband is dying with pain
but all I can think of is my own pleasure!_

   "Honey," he said haltingly, "I looked at the paper and I circled a
couple of jobs for a legal secretary.  Do you think...  Could you...  Would
you mind terribly?  I'll..." Ken's words just tailed off as he realized
there was nothing more he could say.

   He swallowed hard as Kathy just nodded, rose from the sofa and went into
the kitchen to prepare dinner.  A knife turned in Ken's heart when moments
later he heard the heavily muffled sounds of Kathy's uncontrolled weeping.
Still later, she served chili and even tried to smile.  Her eyes were still
red in spite of the fact that Ken knew she had used cold towels and even
ice to try to erase the signs of her crying.

   When Kathy saw Ken destroying himself, it was more than she could take.
All she could do was nod as she fled to the kitchen, grabbed a handful of
dishtowels and hugged them to her face.  It was no use.  The pain she was
feeling for her poor husband was so overwhelming she wept uncontrollably.
When she finally regained a semblance of control, she got out some ice, put
it in a bowl and used the towels for iced compresses to try to reduce the
redness in her eyes.  Ken couldn't know that she had been crying!  Although
she thought it was insipid, she served chili that night because it was his
favorite.

   Later, as they were finishing dinner, Ken remarked diffidently, "Kath,
there's one ad that sounds pretty interesting.  It's for a brand-new law
firm named Clifford & Jamison.  They're holding interviews all this week."
Not trusting herself to speak, Kathy only nodded.

   That night Kathy took a blanket and wrapped it around herself while she
curled up on a chair in the living room.  She didn't trust herself in the
same room with Ken.  _I'll rape him!_ she thought.  _Oh God!  What's wrong
with me?_*Chapter 2*

   It was almost four in the afternoon when Kathy found herself high up in
a new downtown skyscraper in front of the most impressive office entrance
she had ever seen.  It was all furniture-polished hardwood -- it appeared
to be cherry -- with solid brass letters spelling out, Clifford & Jamison,
and below, in smaller letters, Attorneys at Law.  She was wearing her good
suit for work, and that was unfortunate.  Because it is quite cool in the
redwood country, what was appropriate attire for Redding was much too hot
for Los Angeles.  It had been a very bad day so far.  This was the fourth
firm she visited, not because of a lack of interest on her part, but
because of the routes public transit ran.  It happened to be the last stop
on the line.

   The first firms had been barely polite when she explained that her
experience was in the largest law firm in Redding, California.  In Los
Angeles, she might as well be using references from the moon.

   Kathy was frightened by the appearance of the doorway.  Clearly, this
firm made the others she had seen look smalltime.  She started to turn back
toward the elevators when she reminded herself that she had married a hero.
Even if she was a coward, he couldn't be allowed to know it.  Squaring her
shoulders she returned to the office, opened the door and walked in.  Her
jaw almost dropped as she looked around the reception area.  Fortunately,
she had prepared herself by studying the outer entrance.  The reception
area was even more impressive.  It was entirely paneled in the same
furniture-grade cherry as the outside entrance.  There were chairs and a
sofa, all covered in leather; brass lamps and a reception desk next to a
door that presumably opened to the offices beyond.

   A girl was curled up on the sofa reading a magazine.  Kathy was stunned
by her appearance.  She was wearing well-worn skin-tight Levi's and a
worn-out chambray shirt with the sleeves torn off at the shoulders.  A pair
of moccasins were on the floor and the girl had her legs tucked up under
her.  When Kathy walked in, she looked up and smiled warmly.

   Kathy just stood there as the girl uncoiled and padded over with bare
feet to greet her with her hand outstretched.  "Hi!  I'm Ginger Conrad. 
Who are you?"

   Kathy extended her hand and found it gripped firmly.  She returned the
grip and replied, "Hi.  I'm Katherine Carlson." She looked around and
asked, "Am I in the right place?  I...  I...  I came to apply for a job."

   "Great!  Tell me about it," Ginger replied, escorting her to an easy
chair and then folding herself up again on the sofa.  "I guess you're in
the right place.  The people stepped out, but told me to wait and asked me
to tell anyone else who came to wait, too." She grinned and added, "Sounds
pretty dumb, doesn't it?  What job are you applying for?  I was thinking
about being the receptionist, but I think this place is too stuffy for me."

   Kathy looked at the girl in utter amazement.  Ginger was the most
beautiful girl she had ever seen!  She was certainly well named, since she
had the most magnificent head of auburn hair Kathy had ever seen along with
beautiful green eyes.  Beyond that, though, she even had a deep golden tan.
Kathy realized she was one of the handful of redheads who could tan.  But
there was so much more!  When she shook hands, Kathy realized the girl was
at least as tall as she was, yet she moved with such grace.  Suddenly it
registered that Ginger was probably wearing the shirt, jeans, and maybe a
bikini.  She was certainly not wearing a bra, yet with her back up
straight, Ginger's breasts were so high and proud.  _My God,_ Kathy
realized, _I can see her nipples!  And they're erect, but she doesn't
care._

   "I would like to be a secretary..." Kathy's voice dropped off and she
didn't finish the sentence.

   "What's wrong with that, Kath?  I'm pretty sure they're looking for
secretaries, too." Suddenly, it was as if Kathy's world disintegrated. 
Perhaps it was the accumulated loneliness or perhaps the prior rejections,
but she began to bawl.

   Ginger uncoiled and in an instant was at her side.  Lifting her out of
her chair, Ginger led her to the sofa, then sat down beside her.  Kathy
knew what was happening, but could not control herself.  The next thing she
knew she was crying on this beautiful girl's shoulder, while she was being
held and comforted.  "Don't cry, Kathy.  It can't be that bad."

   With an effort of will, Kathy slowly regained control of herself, and
realized what she had done.  She pulled back from the girl, startled.  As
she did, it registered on her senses how nice Ginger smelled.  She smelled
so clean and wonderful although Kathy couldn't figure out why.  She looked
at Ginger's shirt and was ashamed.  "Ginger, if you take off the shirt,
I'll take it home and wash it for you.  My God, I soaked it with my tears.
I'm so sorry!"

   To her amazement, Ginger pulled out her shirttail, unbuttoned it,
stripped it off and handed it to Kathy.  "Okay with me." Then the girl
looked down at her bare breasts and said, "Oops!  The cops may not like it
if I'm out on the street this way." She grinned and added, "Of course, it's
hot as hell out there, so I don't need it for warmth or anything..."

   When Ginger stripped off her shirt, Kathy's jaw dropped.  The golden tan
was all over her body -- there was no hint of a bra mark.  Kathy thought
her golden breasts were the most beautiful things she had ever seen.  The
only spots of color were her beautiful small coral-pink nipples, which
were, in fact, engorged.

   Kathy stammered, "Ginger, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever
seen.  My God, if I looked like you I don't think I would ever wear
clothes." Kathy was relaxing now, so she grinned and added, "You're right
about the weather, too.  But as far as the cops are concerned, all you have
to do is turn on your smile and they'll drop." Looking very serious now,
Kathy finished by saying, "But Ginger, you should wear your shirt as a
matter of public safety.  Can you bear to have on your conscience the
drivers who will drive into buildings, pedestrians and other cars?  Lady,
showing your bare breasts on the street would be a major-league traffic
hazard."

   "They're not breasts, they're tits.  But okay," Ginger replied, slipping
her shirt back on.  She just wore it like a vest, making no effort to pull
it over her breasts, let alone button it.

   "But that's...  that's...," Kathy stammered.

   "...what my man calls them, so they're tits!" Ginger said with finality.
"Similarly, I have a cunt, an ass or tight buns...  But you get the idea.
Now why don't you tell me about yourself, Kath.  You might as well practice
on me while we wait for these tight-asses to get back."

   Kathy was completely taken aback by Ginger's breeziness.  She had never
met a woman as comfortable with herself as Ginger was.  Furthermore, she
realized that she liked the girl on sight and liked her more and more with
every word she said in spite of - or perhaps, because of -- the language
she used.

   Kathy replied, "My husband is a law student at UCLA..." She went on to
tell Ginger about the money situation and how she had to go to work.  She
told of her experience in Redding, providing secretarial support for four
lawyers.  Ginger, sitting beside her on the sofa, asked probing questions
but never in a probing manner.  Kathy found herself opening up in the
girl's presence like a flower in the sun.

   "Tell me about your husband," Ginger said, suddenly changing the
subject.

   "Kenneth Carlson is the best thing that ever happened to me.  He's big
and strong and handsome...  And he's really very smart.  It's just that
he's been away from the books for so long, being in the Army and then in
the hospital, and all..."

   "Hospital?" Ginger inquired gently.  "What happened?"

   "Well, as a captain, Ken commanded a company of Army Rangers.  They got
trapped and pinned down.  He charged a machine gun nest and wiped it out.
Of course, he was shot in the process of doing it.  Then with the swamp
fever on top of the bullet wound he was sort of out of it.  In fact, I
guess he made captain in the first place because of a deep penetration
mission he commanded.  On it, he took out over a dozen of the enemy with
his bare hands.  So anyway, he's been away from the books for so long..."

   She looked at Ginger and suddenly asked, "Why can't we comfort a man
anymore?  Yesterday, when Ken told me I would have to get a job, the poor
guy was so utterly miserable I had to run to the kitchen to keep him from
seeing me cry.  I just wanted to hold him and comfort him...  I wanted to
let him cry on my shoulder, but that would have destroyed him.  Most of
all, Ginger, I wanted to comfort him between my thighs..." Kathy blushed
beet red as she realized what she had said.  "Oh my God!  Ginger!  I'm so
sorry...  I didn't mean..."

   Kathy realized that Ginger hadn't reacted at all, except that she could
see tears in the corners of the girl's eyes which she immediately
recognized as tears of sympathy.

   Ignoring Kathy's latest statements, Ginger asked, "Did Ken get any
medals as a result of those actions?"

   Regaining control, Kathy replied, "Yes, he did.  I don't know what any
of it means, but he has the Distinguished Service Cross (Valor), the Silver
Star and the Purple Heart.  I guess the Purple Heart comes from being
wounded, but I don't know what the others mean.  Except I guess he's sort
of a hero." Then Kathy brightened and said, "I don't care about anyone
else. He's _my_ hero!" She glanced at her watch and realized it was almost
six o'clock.

   Just then the door opened and a big dark-haired man entered the office.
With a yelp, Ginger uncoiled from the sofa and launched herself into his
arms, completely ignoring the fact that her shirt was wide open.  He
wrapped his arms around her, and Kathy saw their lips fuse in the most
passionate kiss she had ever seen.  Then, to her horror, she saw the man's
hand come down on Ginger's ass cheek and squeeze.  All Ginger did was yelp
with pleasure and grind her pelvis into his while she supported her weight
with her arms around his neck.  They eased out of the kiss and Ginger
burrowed her head into his neck and just held him tight.

   Finally, she released him from her embrace but held onto his hand. 
Leading him over to Kathy, she said, "Kathy Carlson, this is my love and my
life, Charley Conrad.  Charley, Kathy is here to apply for the job of
secretary but there are no turkeys around for her to talk to.  Want to wait
with us for a while?"

   Charley Conrad was wearing a very conservatively-cut business suit with
a striped tie.  Kathy was amazed at the juxtaposition of this hoyden with a
businessman.  Then Ginger coiled herself on the sofa beside Kathy while
Charley took a side chair.  He looked at Ginger meaningfully and said,
"Ging, I know it's very hard for you to keep your clothes on, but why don't
you make a real effort.  I think you're embarrassing Miss Carlson."

   "It's mistress, and tough shit!" Ginger replied, but she did button two
of her shirt buttons.  Then she told Charley about Kathy's experience and
finally about Ken, law school, and his war wounds.  Finally she asked,
"Charley, Ken has the Distinguished Service Cross (Valor) and the Silver
Star.  Is that good?"

   Instead of answering, Charley asked, "What job does Kathy want? 
Secretary?" Ginger nodded, and Charley said firmly, "Hire her!  She's the
best around.  Hon, the DSC ranks just below the Medal of Honor, and the
Silver Star is just below that.  Her husband is the real thing.  Do it!"

   Turning to Kathy, who was utterly baffled by the exchange, he asked,
"Mrs.  Carlson, how much do you want to start?"

   "Would...  Could...  Would $10,000 a year be too much?" Kathy asked
diffidently.

   "Ridiculous!" Ginger exclaimed.  "You're hired at $25,000 per year,
starting immediately." Turning to Charley she said, "Come on, husband. 
Let's blow this dump.  Your wife is horny and needs you between her legs."
Then she looked at Charley and pretended to grump, "Damn it, Conrad!  You
know very well that when you squeeze my ass, my cunt starts to run rivers.
Look what you did!" she exclaimed, as she spread her legs showing the dark
patch in the crotch of her jeans.

   "Woman, I have to warm you up somehow," Charley replied.  "You know I
never finished that book I was reading on a woman's erogenous zones..."

   "Damn it, Charley, how many times do I have to tell you!?  I'm five feet
eight inches of erogenous zone.  Warm me up?  Ha!  That consists of being
within 1,000 yards of me, or 2,000 if you're upwind."

   With that Ginger gently grabbed his crotch and squeezed.  "Oh, boy!  All
that yummy spend waiting to flood my insides.  Come on, husband.  Let's get
to bed and then maybe think about having dinner."

   Turning to Kathy, she said, "Oh, I guess I forgot, Kath.  I'm Virginia
Jamison Conrad, otherwise known as the junior partner in this dump.  Since
our senior partner is getting her ass fucked off on Maui right now, I'm in
charge.  Do you accept?" Kathy was so flabbergasted, she could say nothing.
"Great!  I'll see you here in the morning." As she made the offer, Charley
was hustling her out the door.  With a grin she said in parting, "My lord
and master wants me where I belong.  That's naked in his bed with my legs
spread wide to welcome him...  Oh, the sorrow of women..." Kathy was left
just sitting on the sofa with her mouth open as the door closed behind
them.

   Kathy couldn't believe what she had just seen.  That beautiful hoyden
was a _name partner?_ She couldn't believe it.  And yet she just knew it
was true.  _Good grief,_ she thought.  _I have a job -- and at $25,000 a
year!_

   It was after nine when Kathy finally returned to the apartment.  After
leaving the building, she had taken the bus back to where she had parked
the car.  Then she drove back and forth on the route she would have to take
to work in order to find the most convenient parking lot she could afford.
She realized with dismay that she would have to allow two hours each way.
Since Mrs.  Conrad hadn't said anything, Kathy assumed she should be at the
office at eight.

   She gave Ken a quick kiss when she got home and ran into the kitchen to
prepare some food.  Since she was starving, she knew he had to be.  When
ohe asked her about her interviews, she was noncommittal but did say she
had met a wonderful girl.  There was another interview at eight o'clock,
she told him, so she would have to be out of the apartment by five-thirty
to be safe.  Ken made a few phone calls and arranged to get a ride to
school.

   When they went to bed, Kathy stayed as far from Ken as she could, in
spite of the itching in her cunt.  That was a change in just twenty-four
hours -- now she could think the word without blushing.  She thought about
Ginger, but couldn't figure out what to think.  As she stared up at the
dark ceiling, Kathy realized that Ginger broke every rule she thought was
in the book, yet...  yet...  That was it!  In spite of it, she was relaxed,
happy, fulfilled...

   _Oh, God,_ she thought, _If it had been Ginger instead of me yesterday,
she would have held Ken, caressed him, whispered in his ear that she
understood and taken him between her thighs...  Not for her own pleasure,
but for his!  Have I been a total fool?_ she wondered.  With these thoughts
roiling through her brain, it was hours later when she finally fell
asleep.*Chapter 3*

   When the alarm went off at four-thirty, it seemed to Kathy that she had
just fallen asleep.  She groped around on the nightstand to turn it off to
keep it from waking Ken.  Although still more than half asleep, she
stumbled out to the kitchen to make coffee, and then went into the
bathroom. She had had the foresight to bring her clothes out to the living
room so she wouldn't need to open drawers or turn on lights in the bedroom.
After setting up his breakfast and leaving a note about reheating the
coffee, she went out to the car.  Since it was still close to the longest
day of the year, it was past dawn and close to sunrise as she drove out of
the parking area at five-fifteen.

   Arriving at the office building at seven-fifteen, she realized she had
time to spare.  On the other hand, she had borrowed five dollars from Ken
-- five dollars he couldn't spare -- just to cover her parking.  There was
not even enough money for a cup of coffee, so she went up to the top office
floor to wait.  As she expected, the office door was locked.  After
standing there for a while, she decided to sit down and wait, even if it
meant sitting on the bare floor.  Since she had only had three hours sleep,
and the previous days had been so emotionally exhausting, she fell asleep
with her arms around her legs and her head resting on her knees.

   The next thing she knew, there was a warm hand on her face and Ginger
was whispering, "You poor thing!  I'm so sorry.  How long have you been
here, for heaven's sake?"

   Kathy blinked her eyes and looked up into Ginger's brilliant green ones.
She smiled sleepily and replied, "I don't know.  What time is it?"

   "It's after nine-thirty."

   "Then I guess I've been here for a couple of hours.  I'm sorry, Mrs. 
Conrad.  I guess I was more tired than I knew.  It took longer than I
thought it would to get here this morning, and I didn't sleep very well..."
As Ginger gave her a hand and pulled her to her feet, she finished, "If you
give me another chance, ma'am, I swear it will never happen again."

   Ginger just gave her a quick grin and then gave her a gold key.  "It
sure as hell won't.  Next time, sleep on the sofa.  It's really pretty
comfortable.  Ali bought it extra wide so you can really stretch out; you
don't have to sleep huddled up in a ball.  There's even a pillow and a
light blanket stored in the reception room closet."

   Meanwhile, Ginger had unlocked the door and turned on the lights.  Then
as she looked at Kathy, she stretched luxuriantly.  "Now we'll find out if
you're worth a damn as a secretary.  This is the acid test: It's the only
thing that really matters to Ali or me.  Mrs.  Carlson, we have a brand-new
coffee maker, coffee, and the rest of the junk.  I will show you where it
is.  You will make coffee and bring back a tray with two cups, the whole
damned pot, and whatever you add to yours.  On a morning like this, I live
with straight black."

   Ginger took her through the door by the reception desk and turned left.
Going through another door they entered a magnificently appointed
conference room.  Ginger opened a panel of folding doors revealing a full
kitchen set up with a commercial coffee maker sitting on the counter. 
Opening a cabinet, Ginger indicated a box full of the finest coffee in
pre-measured packs along with filters, sugar and artificial sweetener.

   "Milk's in the refrigerator," she called as she stumbled out through the
door they had entered.

   In no time Kathy had the coffee brewing.  She took the opportunity to
open cabinets and was amazed at what she found.  It was a fully equipped
gourmet kitchen in a business conference room!  Kathy found coffee mugs and
a tray.  When the coffee was brewed, she took it, along with two mugs and
some sugar, back through the door where Ginger had gone.  She went past the
door to the reception area and found herself at the door to a magnificent
office.

   Ginger had her chair tipped back and her bare feet were on her polished
desk top.  Looking at her, Kathy realized she was wearing an outfit
virtually identical to the one she had worn the day before.  After setting
down the tray on a credenza, she poured a cup of coffee for Ginger and went
over to the desk.  It was only then that she realized the woman's eyes were
closed.  She whispered, "Mrs.  Conrad?"

   She almost laughed when one green eye opened and stared at her while the
other eyelid remained resolutely closed.  "Mrs.  Conrad is Charley's
mother, and she's dead.  The name is Ginger, damn it!"

   With a graceful movement, she swung her feet off the desk and sat up. 
Now both eyes were open and Ginger was glowering at her.  Kathy passed her
the coffee cup and stood back waiting.  Ginger took a sip, then waited for
the coffee to cool a little.  She had another sip and then drained the cup.
Kathy couldn't believe she could drink such hot coffee that way.

   She just pushed the cup in Kathy's direction and murmured, "More,
please."

   Kathy refilled her cup and stood waiting.  Now Ginger looked at her and
asked, "What's wrong, Kath?  Don't you drink coffee?"

   "Oh, yes, ma'am.  I mean no, ma'am.  I mean..."

   "Ginger, damn it!  Or Gin, or Gingy, or Charley's hot cunt...  But you
get the idea.  It's not Mrs.  Conrad and it's not ma'am.  Now do you want
to try again?"

   "Ginger, I drink coffee, but this is your private office..."

   "Bullshit!" Ginger stood up, stretched again causing her magnificent
breasts to strain against the shirt material, came around the desk and then
curled up on a sofa similar to the one in the reception area.  There was a
coffee table sitting in front of the sofa.  After indicating to Kathy that
she should put the coffee service on the table, she patted the sofa beside
her.  Not knowing what to expect, Kathy sat down.  As she did, Ginger made
a face, slid the coffee tray down towards Kathy and put her feet on the
coffee table.  She still wasn't comfortable, so she spread her right leg
wide and hung it over the arm of the sofa.  Then she gently ran her fingers
over her loins and upper thighs, moaning with pain as she did.

   Kathy was sitting upright on the sofa and didn't know what to do.  Then
Ginger just leaned back and let out a happy-sounding moan.  "Ginger, what's
wrong?" Kathy asked with the concern evident in her voice.  "Are you hurt?
Do you need anything?"

   Without moving or opening her eyes Ginger replied, "I'm afraid I need a
new body -- or at least a new cunt, abdomen and upper thighs.  I'm totally
destroyed." As she said it, she wiggled her bottom on the leather sofa and
yelled, "Ouch!" With that she shook her head and sat up again.  "I should
have left well enough alone.  That ass-wiggle really hurt."

   Then she gracefully drew her legs up under her and turned her body to
face Kathy.  "Kath, I really wasn't kidding last night.  When Charley came
in and you saw us together, what did you think?"

   "It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life!  If your
love were water, I would have been drowned out and so would the building."
She grinned and added, "You know, we're so high up here, you would have
made the building into a giant waterfall."

   "Did I look abused?  Do you think we were acting for your benefit?"

   "Abused?  _You?_ Ginger Conrad, you are the most disgustingly beautiful
creature God ever created.  What I saw was you demonstrating your love for
your husband, while he adored you.  He couldn't keep his hands off your
body." Then she smiled warmly and addressed the second part of Ginger's
question, "As for me, I think you forgot I was here, but it wouldn't have
mattered if all of Los Angeles were in the reception area, you would have
done the same thing."

   "If you think it looks so good with Charley and me, what's wrong with
you and Ken?  From the sound of it, he's a real man - exactly like Charley.
What makes you different?" Kathy was so taken aback, she didn't know what
to say, so wisely she said nothing.

   Ginger just shook her head and said, "Kath, I want to tell you a little
story.  You see, only about three months ago, I was the poorest excuse for
a woman on two legs.  I was convinced that men only wanted to use us as
depositories for their sexual fluids."

   She looked thoughtful for a moment and then grinned and interjected,
"That was before I found out that they sometimes run out of those fluids,
though.  Anyway, you won't believe this, but I had dyed my hair the most
horrible mouse brown, I was wearing shit-colored brown contacts -- I must
have spent weeks trying to find the most atrocious possible color -- and I
even wore padding around my waist along with a tight bra to reduce the
apparent size of my tits.  In a word, I was a mess.

   "Then, when she came to give a speech at USC Law School, I met Ali
Clifford.  When it was over, I screwed up my courage to go and talk to her.
I forget what I said, exactly, but it was ssomething about 'preserving my
personhood' or some such bullshit.  Anyway, she just looked at me carefully
and then said, 'You're a natural redhead, aren't you?  And your eyes are
probably emerald green.'

   "I almost fell over.  Anyway, she took me out to dinner and I confessed
that I was madly in love with Charley Conrad, who, in view of the way I
looked, didn't even know I was alive.  All Ali did was to shake her head
and tell me to get rid of the dumb contacts and the padding.  The next day,
she went to work.

   "I'm not going to bore you with the whole story.  Suffice it to say that
I met Ali on Wednesday, had my first date with Charley on Friday, and was
engaged to marry him Monday morning.  As you will know sooner or later
anyway, you might as well know that, for me, the sun rises and sets in Ali
Clifford.  She is welcome to anything I have, ever, including my life.  You
see, she saved it, so she owns it." Kathy saw the most loving smile on
Ginger's face she had ever seen, as the girl finished, "Any happiness I
will ever have, I owe to her.  In just one week, she shattered the ugly
brown shell I had created for myself, introduced me to the greatest
happiness a woman could ever experience, and, to top it off, asked me to be
her law partner.  You see, I only graduated from law school in June and
just passed the bar.  We will be formerly admitted on Friday, so until
then, we can't even be officially open for business.  Anyway, that's Ali."

   Meanwhile, Kathy had been looking at Ginger closely.  The girl noticed
that she was being studied so she asked, "Something's on your mind, Kathy.
What is it?"

   Her comment took Kathy completely off-guard and she jumped in surprise.
Then, with a very shy smile, she asked, "Ginger, could you...  would
you..."

   "The answer is yes, damn it.  Now spit it out.  Yes, I probably can, and
if I can, I will."

   "Take off your shirt again," Kathy blurted out.  Then she just turned
bright red with embarrassment.

   "Oh, dear!" Ginger exclaimed, covering her mouth while her eyes widened.
"But you know how modest I am...  Disrobe?  But my dear..." While she was
speaking, she pulled her shirt tails out, quickly unbuttoned the work shirt
and stripped it off.  Her speech caused Kathy to giggle because it was so
well done.  Then Ginger rose to her feet, stretched catlike, and then just
stood up straight with her breasts proudly upthrust.  Kathy just looked at
her new friend and, almost against her will found herself rising from the
sofa to be closer to her.

   "Why don't you just touch me, Kath," Ginger said softly, reading the
girl's mind.  Then she frowned and asked, "You're not carrying a
communicable disease or anything, are you?" When she said it, Kathy
realized the talent Ginger had for making some quip or wisecrack to
immediately relieve the tension in what otherwise could be an embarrassing
situation.  Her hand reached out, drawn as if by a magnet, towards the tall
girl's breast.  Very tentatively she touched the flesh and found it to be
as smooth as satin, yielding, yet very firm to the touch.  Moving her
fingers across the girl's body, she could feel Ginger's muscles just below
the skin surface reacting to her touch.

   As she did, Ginger closed her eyes and just savored the sensation of the
girl's fingertips moving like feathers across her upper body.  With her
eyes still closed, she said softly, "You're not as good as Charley, but a
very close second.  Kathy Carlson, your touch is delicious." Then she
opened her eyes and looked at Kathy with amusement and asked, "Finished
yet? Since you're not Charley, this really isn't taking us anywhere, you
know."

   Jerking her hand away, Kathy just shook her head and said, "Charley's
Cunt, I just wanted to see if you were really as gorgeous as I remembered
from last night.  I was so upset yesterday, you are one of the reasons I
didn't sleep much last night.  I spent most of the night just staring at
the ceiling in the dark trying to think if you were really the way I
remembered you." With a warm smile, she added, "You're really so much
better!"

   "Damn it Carlson, do you have a permanent problem with names?  It's
Charley's _Hot_ Cunt, damn it."

   Kathy dropped to her knees on the floor and let her forehead touch the
carpet.  With her face down she said with terror in her voice, "Oh please
forgive me, Charley's Hot Cunt!  I'll try to do better.  Please...  No more
than twenty lashes.  It was only the first time." Then she raised her head,
looked up at Ginger pensively and added, "But shouldn't it be Mrs. 
Charley's Hot Cunt?  Or Charley's Hot Cunt, esquire, because you're a
lawyer, or..."

   Ginger exploded with laughter and then shook her head.  "Why does
everyone have to be a comedienne, for heaven's sake.  Then she looked at
Kathy and said, "You just did me a favor, though."

   Kathy had risen to her feet by this time and just looked at Ginger,
puzzled.  "A favor?  What do you mean?"

   With a warm grin Ginger replied, "I was going to ask you to take off
your clothes, but I was afraid of embarrassing you.  Now I'm just getting
even." She raised an eyebrow and said firmly, "Take 'em off."

   Kathy didn't know what to do, but realized Ginger was right.  There was
nothing she could say.  In spite of beginning to blush as red as a lobster,
she took off her suit followed by her blouse and her slip.  She slipped off
her stockings and then wiggled out of her girdle, leaving her with just her
bra and panties.  Both were very serviceable, she realized.  A person would
see as much or more of her on a beach wearing a two-piece bathing suit. 
She looked up at Ginger with fear and pleading in her eyes as she touched
her bra strap.  The girl just shook her head slightly and said, "I'll
compromise and let you keep your pants on, but that's as far as I'll go. 
The bra comes off."

   Tears started to stream down Kathy's cheeks as she reached behind her
back and unfastened her bra.  She slipped it off and then stood with her
shoulders hunched, holding the bra in her hand.  Hers eyes were closed
tight, but in spite of that, tears continued to run out of her eyes and
down her cheeks.

   The girl's misery tore at Ginger's heart so she said, "Oh, shit!  If it
will make you feel better and get you to turn off the damned water
works..." With that, she quickly unbuttoned her jeans, dropped them to the
floor, stepped out of them, ad then slipped off her bikini.  Hearing the
words, Kathy opened her eyes just as Ginger stood up straight, completely
naked.  Seeing the girl's eyes open, Ginger asked with a wry grin, "Feel
better?"

   Her own nudity instantly forgotten, Kathy just gasped, "My God!  Ginger,
you are gorgeous!  How do you ever get Charley out of your bed?  With a
body like that, a man would just spend his life exploring it."

   "I drain him dry," she replied nonchalantly, "so he gets up and goes to
work to try to recover."

   Continuing to look closely at the older girl, Kathy realized that she
was tanned all over and her pubic hair, while basically a darker auburn
than her the hair on her head, ranged in color from blonde to red to brown.
She was so embarrassed, she couldn't even speak, but she motioned towards
her own pubes and stammered, "Your...  Your..."

   "...Bush?  Oh yeah," Ginger replied.  "The color variation intrigues
Charley, too." Touching her head she said, "That's the trouble with one of
these dye jobs.  No matter how good it is, unlike natural hair, it can't
change color." She frowned, shook her head and added, "It serves me right
for dying it in the first place."

   "But...  but, your hair is _dyed_ that color?" Kathy gasped in
disbelief.

   "Sure.  That was the first thing Ali had to do." Bending over to show
her head, she said, "Henry really did a great job with Ali's help.  If you
look close you'll see that the bottom inch or so is natural.  The rest is
dyed.  I really don't think it could be any better."

   Intrigued, Kathy moved closer and looked.  Ginger was right: her roots
were almost the same color as the rest of her hair, the only difference
being that individual hairs were somewhat different colors while the color
of the rest of her hair was uniform.

   Once again, Ginger surprised Kathy.  She straightened up and just shook
her head hard.  Instantly her hair was back in position.  Kathy just shook
her head and said in a very flat voice.  "Ginger Conrad, I hate you."

   "Gee, Kathy, I like you," the girl replied with faked sorrow in her
voice.

   "Conrad, any woman who can mess up her hair and then restore it to its
perfect appearance with a shake of her head deserves to be shot!"

   Ginger just grinned and moved closer to Kathy to examine her.  By now
the girl had become accustomed to being nearly bare.  While Ginger was
looking at her, Kathy said, "Oh, shit," pulled off her panties and said, "I
might as well be naked as the way I am." Then she stood still while Ginger
walked around looking at her, after returning her grin with a wink.

   "Interesting.  Kath, you have a gorgeous peaches and cream complexion."
Looking at her quizzically she asked with a straight face, "But what
happened to the peaches?" Looking again, she said, "I know!  Your skin is
lovely and white -- just like that yucky library paste." Then she added,
"Although people mess up the paste, so it usually has more color than you
do."

   Kathy giggled at her comment as she continued, "Then your tits..." She
looked at them carefully and ran her fingers lightly over them, while Kathy
shivered, but tried to stand still.  Then she suddenly brightened "Of
course!  How stupid of me not to recognize it sooner.  You have two mounds
of whipped cream, with tiny cherries on top."

   Then she felt one of Kathy's breasts and added, "Of course, I guess the
whipped cream would be firmer." By now Kathy was shaking with laughter.

   Noticing the way Kathy's shoulders were hunched over, Ginger said,
"Kath, go over and put your back against the wall.  I want you to touch the
backs of your shoulders to the wall and keep them there.  In fact, I want
your ass and your thighs hard against the wall, too.  Do it!" Trying to
ignore her nudity, she did as she was asked.  "Now put your head back
against the wall," Ginger added.  "I want as much of you in contact with
the wall as you can get, except for the small of your back."

   The girl tried to comply with the directions, while Ginger just stood
with her forefinger on her chin studying her.  When Kathy was in position,
Kathy went close and proceeded to run her fingers lightly all over her. 
Her touch was so light, it felt like feathers moving on her body.  When she
was satisfied, Ginger said, "Okay.  Now come over and stand beside me."

   As she said it, she opened the closet door in her office revealing a
full length mirror on its back.  The younger girl did as she was asked. 
Then Ginger said, "Okay.  Now look!  Which body would you rather have? 
Yours or mine?"

   Reluctantly, she looked in the mirror, then shuddered.  "My God!  I'm
awful!  And you're a goddess.  Ginger, I should go off and hide.  That's
the dumbest question I've heard in my life!  Yours, of course."

   Turning away from the mirror towards Kathy, Ginger said, "Do I remember
correctly?  Did you mention last night that you can cook?"

   "Yes.  Why?"

   "Great!" Ginger responded.  "I have an idea." Then she asked, "Can you
make an omelette, by any chance?" Kathy said she could.  Then Ginger said,
"Kath, I'll make you a deal and a bet.  Assuming your omelette is as good
as I expect it to be, I'll remake your body."

   Then she looked hard into Kathy's eyes and added, "Look, this will be
our secret, okay?  I don't want anybody to know about it, ever.  And I mean
_anybody!_ Agreed?"

   "Of course I agree," Kathy replied.  "But what's the bet?"

   "Katherine Carlson, I'll bet you ten dollars of yours to five hundred of
mine that within one year you will be proudly exposing your nude body in
public.  And I don't mean on a nude beach, either."

   "Do you mean in an office, or on the street, or something?"

   "I mean in the presence of at least twenty people, all of whom have
their clothes on.  Understand?" Kathy nodded.  "Is it a bet, then?"

   "Ging, you're betting me that within twelve months from today I will
appear proudly naked in a group of twenty people or more who are fully
dressed.  Furthermore, you are giving fifty to one odds; ten dollars of
mine against five-hundred dollars of yours.  Is that the bet?"

   "It sure is -- subject to one contingency.  I have to like your omelette
and you have to agree to try to teach me to cook.  Okay?  Agreed?"

   "Agreed!" Kathy exclaimed putting out her hand and gripping Ginger's
firmly.  "This is the easiest money I will have ever made in my life.  Good
grief!  The only thing I have to do to win is to stay alive for the next
twelve months."

   Ginger grinned, then told Kathy that she could get dressed.  For some
reason Kathy did not put her girdle back on.  It was really worn more as
body armor than to mold her into shape, anyway.  Kathy realized that while
she wasn't really fat, she was very flabby.  This was true not only of her
breasts but also her buttocks and her thighs.  Standing beside Ginger she
realized how poor her posture was, too.  With an effort, she put her
shoulders back the way Ginger had told her and saw her tits stand up
proudly.

   When she was dressed, she followed Ginger back to the conference room to
see what food she would need to get.  After being shown where the food was
stored, she quickly made a list of what she needed.  Then her face fell. 
"Where do we get this stuff?  I completely forgot where we are.  There
aren't any supermarkets downtown."

   Ginger just grinned, checked the list, and then made a phone call.  She
said the food would be up soon, and then took the opportunity to show Kathy
around the office.  The first stop was Ali Clifford's corner office.  When
Kathy walked in, she gasped.  If Ginger's office was palatial, there were
no words to describe Ali's.  It was floor-to-ceiling glass on two sides. 
Since the day was sunny and bright and Los Angeles' famous smog had
temporarily disappeared, there was a clear vista out to the Pacific to the
west and to the mountains on the north.  The views were breathtaking.

   Before she could say a word, Ginger said, "Before you even think it,
Charley regularly takes me on Ali's desk with the blinds open wide the way
they are now.  We're bare for anyone to see who cares to look in our
direction.  It's absolutely heavenly!" Then she grinned and added, "I told
Ali that we could cut our net rental cost one hell of a lot if we just
rented her office out by the hour.  What do you think, Kathy?"

   "I think it's utterly magnificent!  That's what I think," the girl
replied.

   When Ginger next showed Kathy her desk, she took a few minutes to open
drawers and see what she needed.  The answer, it immediately became
apparent, was nothing.  It was complete with all imaginable office
supplies. There was even an empty drawer for her personal things.  There
was no typewriter.  Instead, there was a very powerful personal computer
sitting where the typewriter would normally be.  When she asked about it,
Ginger explained that it was an IBM Pentium computer with 256 megabytes of
RAM and a 30-gigabyte hard disk.  "Of course, we don't expect the hard disk
to get a lot of use," Ginger explained.  "You see, there's a Digital
minicomputer in a back room somewhere that acts as a file server for the
others -- whatever the hell thatmeans."

   Looking at Kathy, she grinned and added, "If you should hear the sound
of crying coming from a closet, just ignore it.  We were warned. 
Apparently the mini is a very high-powered data processor with no data to
process.  I guess it gets hungry or something."

   When they were back in the conference room, Kathy concluded that this
was the most palatial office she had ever seen or heard of, even including
TV stage sets.  While they were chatting amiably, there was a knock on the
conference room door.  Ginger opened it, admitting a uniformed chauffeur
carrying grocery bags.  "Kathy, this is Fred Clark, Ali's chauffeur.  Bill
said that he was at our disposal while they're on their honeymoon."

   Grinning at Fred she said, "After all, you can only polish a car so much
before you start taking the paint off.  Fred, this is Kathy Carlson, our
new secretary.  I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot of her over the next
months."

   "You will be Mrs.  Clifford's secretary, too, ma'am?" Clark asked,
shaking her hand.

   "Mrs.  Conrad says I will, Mr.  Clark, so I guess I will," she replied.

   "Then you're very lucky, ma'am.  Mrs.  Clifford is the finest human
being alive.  Congratulations, Mrs.  Carlson.  I'm sure you'll be very
happy here.  But it's Fred, ma'am, not Mr.Clark."

   "Thank you very much, Fred.  I'm really looking forward to meeting Mrs.
Clifford.  And Fred, the name is Kathy.  Please?"

   Fred smiled warmly and said, "Ali's going to love you, Kathy.  I'm
certain of it.  But you had better never call her Mrs.  Clifford, or you'll
hear about it.  With all due respect to Mrs.  Conrad, ma'am, Ali beats her
on looks, brains, and goodness."

   "You sure got that one right," Ginger agreed.

   Kathy looked at the two in utter amazement.  _No one could be more
beautiful than Ginger Conrad and be human,_ she thought.

   When Fred left, Kathy quickly took inventory of the food he delivered,
and then got out the materials she needed.  Ginger sat and watched while
Kathy continued to talk, but at the same time worked with an incredible
economy of motion.  While they were talking, Kathy set two lunch places at
the conference table and in just a few minutes put a plate in front of
Ginger.  Ginger looked at the omelette, just closed her eyes and sniffed.
"It's heavenly!" she announced.  Then she realized that, in addition to the
omelette, there were soufleed potatoes -- fries puffed with air like little
balloons -- along with a scrumptious green salad.  Moments later Kathy
finished her own omelette and sat down beside her.

   "Lady, why in God's name are you wasting your time as a secretary?"
Ginger demanded after sampling the food.  "This is the finest food in Los
Angeles, bar none.  And I mean at any price!  What does Ken think?  And how
does he keep from blowing up like a balloon?  Or has he already?"

   "He doesn't like it," Kathy replied sadly.  "I'm sorry it took so long
to make, Ginger, but I'm not familiar with the kitchen setup and I'm really
out of practice."

   "You're _what?"_ Ginger exclaimed.  "My God, girl, I couldn't make this
in five years and you had it on the table in about five minutes."

   "I really used to be much faster," Kathy protested.  "Honest."

   "But what's this 'out of practice' shit?  With a husband home to feed,
how can you possibly be out of practice?"

   Kathy explained about their arrival in Los Angeles and how they bought
some canned chili.  Since Ken liked it, they had been eating out of cans
ever since.  She even told her new friend about hiding her cookbooks under
the sofa.

   Then Ginger grimaced and shook her head in disgust.  "Katherine Carlson,
for a very bright, well-educated girl, you have an uncanny ability to add
one and one and come up with three - every damned time.  Dummy, do you know
what happened?  It was the first meal you ever served to your husband.  It
was out of a can.  Big fucking deal!  He wants his bride to feel good, so
he says its wonderful.  What, in hell, did you expect him to say?  It
tastes like shit?  But oh, no!  Miss Brilliance, here, decides that's all
he will eat, in spite of her being probably the finest cook in the world.
My God!  Poor Ken!"

   Now that she had started, Ginger really unloaded, using the information
she had gleaned from Kathy in the few hours since they had first met.  Her
eyes were blazing with green fire as she continued, "When her husband is
feeling knee high to a snake's belly because he has to ask her to look for
a job, does she hold him close and tell him it's fine -- that there's no
problem?  Hell, no!  She flees to the kitchen, sobbing her eyes out. 
What's her husband feel like?  Well, my bet is that if he felt ten times
better than he did, he would feel like shit!

   "Is that the end?  Oh, no!  It's time for bed.  She takes a blanket out
to the living room because she can't stand even to be in the same room with
him." Glaring at Kathy, she asked, "Has Ken filed for divorce yet?  If not,
why not?  What, in hell, is wrong with you, woman?  Women are supposed to
be caring and gentle.  We smooth the rough edges on men.  We're the
civilizing influence.  They come to us for comfort.  What do you provide?
If that's comfort, I'll take Siberia, thank you very much.  It's warmer
than you are, too!"

   When Ginger started, Kathy looked at her in amazement.  As she
continued, she suffered the awful realization that what she was saying was
true.  By the time she finished, Kathy was crumpled up on the table crying
her eyes out.  Ginger just watched as the poor girl's shoulders heaved with
her sobs.

   It was more than Ginger could take, even though she knew she was right.
She went to her knees, pulled Kathy to her and let her cry on her shoulder.
When she exhausted her tears, there were still dry wracking sobs of
anguish. Ginger murmured endearments in the wretched girl's ear, and
listened to her cry out in the pain of having ruined Ken's life.

   Finally, she could cry no more.  Slowly, she lifted her tear-stained
face and asked, "Is there any hope for me, Ginger?  Any hope at all?  If
Ken Carlson leaves me, I'll die.  I'll let him go because it is my fault
completely, but then I'll die."

   "Kathy, darling," Ginger whispered, "Let me tell you something.  When we
were on our honeymoon and checked into the hotel, I could feel everyone
watching me.  I was so embarrassed for Charley, I couldn't stand it.  Do
you know what he said when I mentioned it to him later?  He said, 'Let them
eat their hearts out.  Darling, I love to see you flaunt your beauty,
because while everyone else is looking at you, you're looking at me.  I
love it because you're mine!' Kathy, in a few months that will be you.  Do
you want Ken to feel so proud because the beauty by his side is his wife?
Do you?"

   "But...  But..." Kathy stammered.  Then the message registered.  "You
mean that when men look at me, Ken won't feel jealous?  If I look sexy,
he'll like it?  Ginger, are you sure?"

   She looked very serious as she stared into Kathy's eyes.  "It all
depends on your answers to two vital questions.  Are you ready?" Kathy's
eyes were wide as she nodded yes.  "First question: Is Ken human?"

   "Of course!" Kathy exclaimed, wondering what Ginger was doing.

   "Second and last question: Is Ken a man?"

   "What are you doing!?  Of course he's a man.  He's so big and strong,
and his cock is so massive..." Kathy blushed crimson and exclaimed, "Oh
God, Ginger, I'm sorry!  I'm so ashamed..."

   "Of what?" Ginger asked quietly.  "Ashamed of the size of Ken's cock? 
Why, in God's name, would that cause you to feelashamed?"

   "But the word...  Nice girls don't..."

   "Nice girls don't have men, either," Ginger interjected.  "I said this
before, but this is the last time I will say it.  I am Charley Conrad's hot
cunt.  I love to have his raging cock plugging my cunt.  He's so big and
long, I don't know whether I'm going to split apart at my cunt first or if
he's going to poke a hole in the bottom of my stomach.  And I don't care.
This morning my thighs and pelvis were so sore I couldn't put my thighs
together -- you saw that.  But I don't care.

   "Once, I had a major problem.  You see, my cunt was so sore I couldn't
touch it without screaming, my asshole had been stretched by Charley's cock
to three times it's normal size and hurt so much I couldn't sit down, and I
could still feel his glorious cock at the bottom of my throat -- and it
hurt like hell.

   "Do you know what my problem was?  It was how to first take him that
night -- that is, which way could I more likely stand without screaming in
agony.  I was only concerned about his first entry.  You see, Kathy, after
the first time, my passion is running so high it drowns out any amount of
pain.  The only question was which way could I take him without passing out
from the pain.

   "Do you understand what I mean?  I mean that I am his whore, his
concubine, his slave, his doormat, his...  his anything he could
conceivably want me to be, I will be.  If he wanted one of my tits for
breakfast, my only question would be how he wanted them cooked -- or did he
prefer them _tartare,_ chopped up raw and served with onions and capers.

   "Kathy, are you getting my message?  You have a cunt, girl!  Why, in
hell, don't you use it?"

   Although her eyes were still red, Kathy had stopped crying and was now
just looking at her friend in utter amazement.  Shaking her head slowly,
she said, "Ginger, you were just saying that for shock value, weren't you?
You...  I mean...  You can't actually take Charley..." Being unable to say
ass, she just indicated her own padded rear.

   "Take him in my ass?  The hell I don't!  Several times a week, anyway."
Looking directly into Kathy's eyes she said, "I did it the first time
because I thought it was something Charley might like.  Do you know what? I
found that I like it.  In fact, I've come to love it!  I feel him sliding
in as if he's going to keep going and come out my mouth.  Then I feel his
glorious balls banging against my labia and my clit.  Do you know what my
only problem is?" she asked with a lascivious grin.

   Kathy, her eyes as wide as saucers, could only shake her head.  "It's
what happens next.  You see, I cum with him fucking me in my ass now.  The
trouble is there's no plug for my cunt, so I just run rivers and flood out
the bed." She grinned and added, "Charley says, bullshit, it's just that
I'm not fully toilet-trained yet.  But yes, Kathy, he does take me in the
ass, I take him in my mouth, and he eats out my cunt with his mouth.  He
says it's the 'in' thing these days." Kathy, with her eyes still wide,
looked puzzled.  "You've heard all the talk about recycling, haven't you?
Charley claims he's just recycling his cum.  Isn't that just terribly
environmentally-aware of him?"

   Kathy was now utterly shattered.  Unfortunately, everything Ginger said
hung together, and was completely consistent with what she had seen and
heard, and was certainly consistent with her behavior with Charley the
night before.  Realizing what a tremendous shock to Kathy her statements
had been, Ginger pulled back.  She said softly, "Look, Kath, there are a
couple of things I have to do this afternoon.  Could you play Ginger for a
couple of hours?  You know: Sit in the reception area and play job
applicant.  Use your own judgment, of course.  If they strike you as
turkeys, get rid of them.  If you see a good one, ask her to wait."

   As she prepared to leave, Kathy said in a very subdued voice, "Ginger,
I...  When...  When Ken's in me or even near me, I feel this strange
sensation...  I've been trying to get up the courage to ask a doctor but...
But I haven't."

   Ginger sat down again and took Kathy's hands in hers.  Softly, she said,
"Your cunt itches?  It's almost on fire?  Then you feel like you're
melting? In moments, you are going to be washed away with a flood of cuntal
fluid?"

   "My cunt's on fire..." She looked at Ginger and said, "That's the first
time I ever said 'my cunt' out loud -- ever!  In my whole life.  But what's
wrong, Ging?  What can I do?  What do you do?"

   She smiled warmly and said, "Hon, I get Charley to put his massive cock
inside me.  That's the only way I know to scratch that itch.  Then I cum
for hours..."

   "You cum?" Kathy asked, astounded.  "But I thought only men...  I mean,
we're just supposed to lie there...  Isn't that what you do?"

   "You poor kid!" Ginger exclaimed.  "You really don't know, do you? 
Honey, I cum constantly."

   Then she said, "Look, Hon, I really have to go, but I'll tell you only
one thing that I learned from my mother.  When they were married, Dad was a
fighter pilot which isn't the world's safest occupation.  Well, Mom
resolved to make Dad the happiest pilot in the world.  If he was killed,
there would at least be the memories.

   "You know what happened?  She said that the more she worked to make sex
better for Dad, the better it was for her.  Quickly she got to the point
where she claims she needs it more than he does.  Would you believe it?"
Ginger asked with a warm smile.  "They're still doing it after twenty-five
years?  Mom has a better figure than I do and looks like my older sister."
She grinned and said, "Mom teases me about Charley, though.  She says that
I'm really starting to show the wear and tear, so she claims she looks like
the younger sister." Now her grin was wide as she shook her head and said,
"She might even be right, too."

   She looked over her shoulder at Kathy as she headed for the door and
said, "That's the lesson for the day: To increase your sexual pleasure,
concentrate on increasing Ken's.  You will be the big winner in that game."
Ginger turned to go, then turned back.  "One more thing: When we're ready
to go to sleep, I have my head on Charley's shoulder and his hand is
cupping my tit.  In the morning, if I awaken first, I squeeze his hand.  If
he awakens first, he squeezes my tit.  In either case, within moments he's
entering me and taking me to heaven.  What a way to start aday!"

   Kathy just shook her head quickly as if to clear it after the door
closed.

   A moment later the door opened again and Ginger stuck her head back in.
Indicating her worn-out work shirt with its sleeves ripped off, she said,
"Lady, you really owe me!  This is my second good silk blouse you've ruined
with your tears in less than twenty-four hours." Before Kathy could
respond, Ginger winked and closed the door.*Chapter 4*

   As she waited for an elevator in the lobby of the tall office building,
Judy Jeffries was depressed.  A tall blonde with beautiful features, Judy
was the daughter of Major General Stanton Pierce Jeffries and Susan Barnes
Jeffries.  Because of her father's high rank, her childhood and adolescent
years had always been strange.  Since she had been raised on military
posts, her father had always far outranked the much younger - and far more
junior -- fathers of her classmates.  This happened because her father
married late in life -- he was almost twenty years older than her mother.
They had met when he was a lieutenant colonel in Vietnam and her mother had
been a young network television correspondent.  Her mother still worked as
a freelance writer with her material appearing in many national
publications.

   Having graduated from college in June, Judy was determined to get away
from home.  Home was now the Marine's Camp Pendleton, just north of San
Diego, where her father was deputy commander of the Third Marine Division
which was based there.  She realized that she loved her parents deeply and
they loved her, but it was just impossible to have any social life when
your father is one of the most senior officers in the Corps.

   After repeatedly raising the issue of moving to the city -- in her case,
Los Angeles -- her parents, although very unhappy at the idea, did
something that she admitted to herself was so typical of them.  Instead of
either flatly forbidding it or merely acquiescing, they made a counter
offer.  Her parents offered to cover her expenses for thirty days of job
hunting in the city.  If in that time she found a job and could support
herself, she could stay.  Otherwise, she had agreed to come back home.

   Today was the thirtieth day, and all she had had were a series of bitter
rejections.  And, she realized, this was in spite of both her parents using
personal contacts to try to get her placed.  A significant part of her
unhappiness came from the realization that her parents, although not at all
happy about her living in the big city, had done everything in their power
to help herout.

   Locating the company she was looking for, Clifford & Jamison, on the
building directory, she was riding in the elevator to the thirty-eighth
floor -- the highest office floor in the structure.  When she got off the
elevator, there, at the end of the elevator lobby, was the most magnificent
office entrance she had ever seen.  When she saw it, her heart fell to her
shoes.  A firm this prestigious would have a haughty British-accented
receptionist to discourage the _hoi polloi._ They would never consider
hiring her.

   Being her parents' daughter, though, she went ahead anyway.  Opening the
door, she entered and just stopped in her tracks.  If the entrance was
impressive, the reception area was utterly magnificent.  Her jaw dropped
and she just stood gaping like a tourist from the back country.

   She jerked up with a start when she heard a voice greet her saying, "Hi!
I'm Kathy Carlson.  Who are you?" Spinning, she found a girl her own age
standing there with her hand held out in greeting.

   Judy took it in a firm grip and replied, "Hello, Kathy.  I'm Judy
Jeffries and I came to apply for a job that was advertised." Her face fell
as she added, "I'm sure it's filled by now, though." Then she looked at
Kathy, puzzled, and said, "But why aren't you sitting behind the reception
desk?  I mean..."

   "Because I'm not the receptionist.  I'm applying for a job here, too."
She hurriedly added, "As a secretary, though, not a receptionist.  The
turkeys that run this place went out to a meeting or something and asked me
to tell anyone who came in just to wait if they want to."

   She grinned at Judy and said, "Don't they have one hell of a nerve when
you think about it?  They just took me for granted." While talking, she had
taken Judy by the elbow and drew her toward the sofa where she imitated
Ginger by curling up with her feet beneath her.  When she had greeted Judy,
she was in her stocking feet -- her shoes were where she had left them by
the sofa.

   Judy took a seat on a side chair and smiled warmly at Kathy.  "You look
like you've really made yourself at home here."

   Looking conspiratorial, Kathy said, "Let's face it: I don't have a
snowball's chance in hell of being hired here.  That being so, I might as
well enjoy the furniture." She lowered her voice and said, "This is the
first leather sofa I have ever _seen,_ let alone actually been able to sit
on!"

   Then she looked at Judy and saw that the girl appeared very unhappy. 
She said softly, "Judy, you look like you just lost your last friend.  Do
you want to tell me about it?"

   For some reason Judy reacted to Kathy in exactly the same way Kathy had
reacted to Ginger the previous day.  Perhaps it was the constant turn-downs
coupled with the expiration of her time allowance.  For whatever reason,
she suddenly broke down in tears.  This time it was Kathy, smiling inwardly
thinking of herself the previous day, who got to her feet, went to the
girl, just held her tightly and let her cry.  In an effort to suppress her
tears, Judy ended up with hiccoughs.

   Kathy quickly ducked into the conference room and came back with a tray
of coffee.  She poured some for the girl and for herself, and then seated
the girl beside her on the sofa.  "How do you know your way around here so
well?" the girl astutely inquired.

   "They seem to spend a lot of time contemplating their collective navels,
so I've seen a lot of this place by now." Grimacing, she added, "I ought to
charge them for my commuting, even if they won't pay me for my time." With
a shrug she said, "Hell, the view's great, and at least they haven't said
no yet."

   Drinking the coffee cured the hiccoughs.  Now Judy studied Kathy closely
and finally said, "Kathy...  It is Kathy, isn't it?" Kathy smiled and
nodded as the girl continued, "I think you're going to make it.  You
have... style.  You exude competence, too."

   Kathy was taken aback by the girl's comment, but then changed the
subject to the girl's background and experience.  Judy quickly filled her
in on the background and forthrightly said that she had no experience. 
With another grimace she added that she had just graduated college with a
double major in humanities and physical education.  As a phys.  ed major,
she had worked every summer during school as a camp counselor but then
grinned and said, "Unfortunately, that's not a year-round job."

   Then she looked down at herself and said, "Aren't I a flabby mess,
though?  I'm in terrible condition for a phys.  ed major, aren't I?"

   Kathy realized that Judy, like herself, was a bit flabby although the
girl's posture was much better than her own.  The more they talked, the
better she liked the girl.  When she glanced at her watch, she was shocked
to find that it was already almost five o'clock.  They had been talking for
nearly three hours.

   Just then the door opened and Ginger came breezing in.  "Hi, Kath," she
said with a grin.  Then with a glance at Judy asked, "Who's this?"

   "This is your competition, Judy Jeffries.  Judy, this refugee from
Woodstock is Ginger Conrad.  She's also looking for a job as a
receptionist."

   Judy rose and shook hands with Ginger who noted that the girl's grip was
very firm.  As she did, she looked at Ginger carefully and her face fell.
Then with a bright smile -- far brighter than she felt -- she said to
Kathy, "Thank you so much for keeping me company, and I certainly enjoyed
meeting you.  Kathy, I'm sure you'll get a job here.  I have to go and get
my car and then get on the road.  As it is, it looks like I'll be in
rush-hour traffic from here all the way down to Pendleton."

   Ginger realized what the girl was doing, so when Judy turned towards
her, she looked over Judy's shoulder to where Kathy was sitting on the sofa
making a thumbs-up sign.  "Where are you going?" Ginger asked.  "The
turkeys have got to be back soon."

   Judy just smiled wanly and said, "Ginger, I know when I'm overmatched.
No one with even one eye would hire me in preference to you.  You are the
most beautiful girl I have ever seen!"

   "On the other hand, she's also probably the most obscene," Kathy
interjected from behind her back.  "Even her husband says she's a
foul-mouthed hoyden, for heaven's sake."

   "She's right, you know," Ginger commented.  Then she cocked her head and
added, "As a matter of fact, that's what he says when he's being nice
because he loves me.  When he's being honest, it's much worse." Then she
grinned brightly at Judy and said, "Stick around, Judy.  I'll probably blow
this joint.  With my mouth, I would survive with a group of tight-assed
lawyers for about ten seconds." Then she looked at Kathy and asked, "Kath,
are you sure?"

   "I'm sure, Ging.  Besides, in spite of being almost as flabby as I am,
she has a degree in phys.  ed.  You know, conditioning and all that good
stuff?"

   "No shit?" Ginger exclaimed.  Then she looked at Judy closely and asked,
"How much do you want to start?" Then she took the girl by the arm and
said, "Come on, Judy.  Let's sit down."

   Judy resumed her seat on the sofa while Ginger kicked off her moccasins
and sat cross-legged on a side chair.  As she rested her weight on the
chair, she breathed a sigh of relief.  Kathy raised an eyebrow and Ginger
said, "Come on, Kath!  You know how much it hurts for me to have my thighs
together.  Sitting this way, they're spread almost as wide as when Charley
is entering me."

   With a happy smile she added, "This feels so natural to me now." Judy
did not have the first idea what they were talking about.  Ginger nodded
imperceptibly at Kathy and grinned.

   "Judy," Kathy began, "I apologize.  You see I introduced you to Ginger
Conrad.  It is her name.  On the other hand, her full name is Virginia
Jamison Conrad.  In other words, she's the Jamison of Clifford & Jamison,
Attorneys at Law." By the time she had finished, Judy's jaw had dropped so
Kathy added, "Honest, Judy, it is true."

   "But those insults...  Tight-assed lawyers?" She shook her head in utter
disbelief.

   "Oh, shit," Ginger said tiredly, "I guess there's nothing else to do."
So saying, she rose gracefully from her chair, casually kicked her
moccasins towards the corner, and padded barefoot through the door to the
offices and led the way to her own.  Entering, she went to her law degree
which was framed on the wall, then reached into her hip pocket and
extracted her wallet and then her drivers license.  Passing the license to
Judy she asked, "Want to check it?"

   The girl did, and saw at a glance that the names matched.  Then she just
collapsed into the nearest chair in a daze, while Kathy quickly filled
Ginger in on her background and the fact that Judy's thirty days in which
to find a job were almost up.

   Ginger just nodded, grinned and passed her telephone over to Judy. 
"Before you call your parents, Judy, how much do you want to start?  I
asked before, but you didn't answer."

   Judy was slowly coming to the realization that everything that had been
said was true.  This incredibly beautiful hoyden was, in fact, a name
partner of a very impressive law firm.  Still partially in a daze she
replied, "I don't know.  How much are you offering?"

   "Well," Ginger replied breezily, "we were offering ten cents an hour but
didn't get many takers.  Ali and I decided we had to sweeten the offer, but
we didn't know what to sweeten it to.  Any ideas?"

   "I answered ads priced from $200 to $300 a week.  Does that help?" she
asked.

   "Sure does!  You're hired at $400 a week." Putting out her hand, she
asked, "Is it a deal?"

   "But...  but...  Ginger, it's way too much.  I told you what the other
jobs were paying, and that's what they were hiring experienced people for.
Remember, I never even got in the door for a serious interview."

   "Great!" Ginger responded.  "It's a deal, then, at $400 a week.  First,
since you don't have experience, you have no bad habits to unlearn. 
Second, Ali and I like to think we have a class act here, so we have to pay
accordingly.  Thanks, Judy.  You've been a big help.  Now why don't you
call your parents and tell them you won't be coming home for a while?"

   Still shaking her head, Judy dialed the number.  Moments later her
mother answered and she told her the good news.  After squealing with
delight at her daughter's good fortune, Susan Jeffries asked her where she
was going to be living.

   "Oh my God!  Mom, I don't have the first clue!  I metered out the money
you and Dad gave me to last thirty days.  It did -- just!  Oh, Mother, I'm
so sorry!  Let me see what I can do and I'll call you back.  Okay?" Her
mother agreed and Judy hung up the phone, crestfallen.

   While she was finishing her call, Ginger had left the room.  She
returned just as Judy was hanging up the phone and said, "I gather you need
a place to stay for a while?" Judy nodded with her eyes brimming with
barely held-back tears.  "You will be staying in a suite at the Beverly
Wilshire.  I just made arrangements.  On the other hand, young lady, the
firm is only paying for two weeks...  Hell, I guess technically it's a
little more.  It's for two full weeks, beginning this Sunday.  I kind of
have a problem with fractions.  I can only deal with units like full weeks,
so it's two weeks, starting Sunday."

   Then she reached into her pocket and started counting out crisp new
hundred-dollar bills.  She counted two piles of ten and gave one set to
each of the girls.  To Judy she said, "Everything at the hotel is covered.
This is walking-around money." To Kathy she said, "Look, lady, the primary
purpose of this money is to be damned sure you have food in the house to
cook for Ken.  You have one hell of a lot of ground to try to recover."

   Then she said, "Kath, I know you have a car.  You do too, don't you,
Judy?" The girl said she did although it was parked in an inexpensive lot
quite a distance away from the building.  Ginger nodded and said, "I
thought so.  Look," she said firmly, "Commuting in Los Angeles can most
charitably be termed a bitch -- under the best of conditions.  Kathy, two
damned hours each way is utterly ridiculous!  You each have a parking space
in the garage beneath the building.  They are right at the entrance, too,
so it should be pretty fast getting in and out.  Kath, that ought to cut at
least an hour each way off your commuting time.

   "Second, I can't stand lard asses.  Judy, we're hiring you because every
LA firm needs a certified California blonde as a receptionist.  You'll do.
However, you're out of shape and there's no indication that Mrs.  Carlson,
here, has ever been _in_ shape.  Accordingly, there are paid-for health
club memberships in the club here in the building.  Kathy can fill you in,
but we're not officially open for business until Monday.

   _"However!_ You will both be here at eight-thirty tomorrow.  Jeffries,
it's your job to start to get this lard ass -- and yourself -- into shape."
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out another gold office key which she
gave to the girl.  "I'll probably still be in the sack, but I'll leave a
list of physical levels I expect you both to achieve by the end of next
week _at the latest!_ And if you think I'm tough, wait until you meet Ali!
She'll be calling me an out-of-shape lard ass, and mean it!  What I'm
saying is, that compared to Ali, I'm grossly out of shape.  Are you getting
my message?"

   The two girls nodded, but neither believed that Ginger could possibly be
serious.

   "Great!  Now get your tails the hell out of the office.  Kathy, as it
is, Fred is going to fry my ass for keeping him sitting out in front of the
building all this time.  He's in a grey limo, and Kathy, you've met him. 
He'll drive you to your car and then, Judy, take you to yours.  Then he'll
lead the way to the hotel and help you get settled."

   She looked at the girls and grinned.  "Any questions?  No?  Then get
your fat asses out of my office!"

   Kathy giggled at Ginger's peremptory tone, but Judy was taken aback. 
She was almost in a daze as Kathy led her out to the elevator.  Exiting the
building through the front door, Kathy saw the grey limousine parked at the
curb.  As soon as she came out the door, Fred got out and was holding the
door open for them by the time they reached it.  Kathy told Fred where she
was parked.  Since he had been listening to the traffic report on the
radio, he knew it was going to be a long ride, so over the intercom he
suggested to Kathy that she make drinks for herself and their guest.

   Kathy introduced Judy to him and they could see him smile in the
rear-view mirror as he saluted.  Kathy opened the front panel and found a
fully equipped miniature bar with ice in the ice bucket.  Looking at Judy
she asked, "Care for a martini?  It seems to be what the car is best
equipped to provide."

   Judy Jeffries was in a state of shock.  From no job and no prospects,
she suddenly had a job that paid double what many of the others did. 
Moreover, she would be working for one of the most beautiful -- and
certainly most thoughtful -- women in the world.  When Kathy asked, all she
could do was nod.  The girl carefully made two very dry martinis and passed
one to Judy.  After closing up the bar she raised her glass and said,
"Judy, a toast to Clifford & Jamison: Home of the most beautiful lawyers in
the world!  And the nicest!"

   Judy shook her head to clear it, then touched her glass to Kathy's. 
"I'll certainly drink to that!  Good grief, Kathy!  Is Ginger for real?"

   Chuckling to herself, Kathy replied, "Judy, I can personally offer my
double-your-money-back guarantee that Ginger Conrad is for real.  I have no
idea how good a lawyer she is, but I can tell you she is far more beautiful
than you could see since she was fully dressed.  You saw her golden tan? 
It's all over her body -- there are no suit marks at all.  None!  Charley
Conrad sleeps with an auburn-haired golden goddess every night."

   Then she grinned and said, "It sounds like you're going to be in the lap
of luxury.  I hear the Beverly Wilshire is a spectacular hotel."

   Judy just grinned and then grimaced.  "But it's only for two weeks or
so..."

   When they finally reached the lot where Kathy had left her car, Fred
jumped out, opened the door for Kathy, then opened the limousine's trunk.
It was loaded with bags and boxes marked with the insignia of the best
fashion stores in the Los Angeles area.  "Ginger did some shopping for you,
Mrs.  Carlson," Fred said.  "Ali claims Ginger has superb fashion sense and
color judgment, so I'm sure you'll like them."

   "Thank you very much, Mr.  Clark," Kathy replied formally.

   Looking hurt, he protested, "But it's Fred, ma'am.  You know that."

   "It's Mr.  Clark unless you call me Kathy, damn it!" she exclaimed.

   With a sheepish smile, Fred put out his hand which Kathy took in a firm
grip.  With a warm smile he said, "Kathy, Ali Clifford is going to love
you. Believe me when I tell you that if Ali loves you, you have it made! 
Bill Clifford has been married to her for only about three months and
already he looks ten years younger.  You see, Kathy, nothing is too much
trouble for Ali to do for the people she loves -- and Ali is going to love
you," he repeated.  Fred helped Kathy transfer Ginger's purchases.  The
bags and boxes scarcely fit into her small car.  Squeezing herself in, she
drove off in a daze.

   When she returned to the apartment, it took several trips to carry all
the parcels in.  As she opened them, she gasped at the magnificent
collection of outfits that Ginger had bought for her use, noting
particularly that they were all styled to still fit after she lost inches
from her hips and thighs.

   After all the clothes were put away, she sat down in the living room to
wait for Ken's return.  Although she was idly turning the pages of a
magazine, nothing registered.  Her mind was concentrated on her prayers --
prayers that she was not too late.*Chapter 5*

   Ken Carlson's first thought that day had been just to go away and never
come back; he would lose himself among the street people.  Then he realized
that it would take Kathy seven years or more to have him declared legally
dead, so he rejected the idea.  Suicide was a more attractive alternative
until he realized it would be far too easy on himself.  He would not suffer
nearly as much as he knew he should for having failed totally in his
responsibilities as a husband.  One more time he would have to see the look
of revulsion in Kathy's eyes as he explained what it was he intended to do.

   First, of course, he was signing over everything that he owned to her.
After making a list of all his possessions and seeing how meager the list
was, he had chuckled bitterly.  Nevertheless, it was all he had to give
her. Then he had neatly written out the name of his new employer, Higgins
Construction Company.  Eighty-five percent of what he earned would be sent
directly to her.  He had arranged it and had also resigned from the law
firm that had hired him as a summer associate.

   At Higgins, he would be a laborer, working with his muscles instead of
his mind.  _Some mind!_ he thought bitterly.  Perhaps he could become so
tired as a result of physical labor he might even be able to sleep.  In
spite of pretending to be asleep when Kathy got up to go to work that
morning, he had slept scarcely a wink in the last two days.

   If he lived to be one hundred, he would never forget the sound of her
tortured crying when he had told her she would have to get a job.  The fact
that she refused to sleep in the same room with him that night had not
surprised him at all; indeed, any other behavior on her part would have
amazed him.  He was still kicking himself for not having the good grace to
sleep in the living room himself the previous night.  Clearly, Kathy needed
to get some rest and couldn't do it on the sofa.  Her need was particularly
great because she had to get up so early to go to work.

   At the door of the apartment he took out his key, then patted his breast
pocket to be sure the list of things to go over with Kathy was still in
place.  Squaring his shoulders, he unlocked the door.

   Hearing the key turn in the lock, Kathy leaped to her feet and ran to
the door.  When it opened and she saw Ken's face, she wanted to die.  _He
is dead!  His eyes are dead!  My God!_ she thought, _I did it.  All by
myself, I did it.  I destroyed one of our heros with my own selfishness and
greed.  I destroyed the love of my life!_

   With that she threw herself into his arms, wrapped her arms around his
neck and began to kiss him.  In spite of all her tears during the day, she
sobbed, "My darling!  Please forgive me.  Ken, I don't deserve forgiveness.
I've been a horrible selfish bitch.  But, darling, I promise I'll change.
There's no way I'll ever be worthy of your love, but I want to become the
best wife for you I'm capable of being.  Darling, please!  There's no
reason for you to do it, my darling, but please give me another chance...
Oh, please..."

   She was incapable of further talk so she just tried to cover his face
with kisses.  When he raised his head, she stood on tiptoe and fused her
lips to his.  She felt his lips part, giving her the opening she needed. 
Her tongue darted out like a little snake to search in his mouth.

   Then she felt the contact of his tongue on hers.  Trying to transmit the
intense love for him that she felt, she could feel electricity flow between
them and heard the wonderful bells.  Suddenly she realized it was the
sensation she had last felt when Ken was in the hospital.  As she did, she
realized that once again Ginger had been right.  The realization hit her
that on that day so long ago, she had been trying to express her love for
Ken in her kiss.  It was probably that which had caused him to ask her to
marry him.  _And that was nearly two years ago,_ she realized with dismay.

   Wrapping her arms more tightly around him, she just squeezed as hard as
she could as she tried to fuse her body to his.  Remarkably, she could feel
him hugging her back.  Then she realized there was wetness on her cheek
that was not her own.  Opening her eyes, she looked at Ken and realized he
was crying, too.

   When he unlocked the door, the subsequent events were the only ones for
which he was totally unprepared.  Scarcely had he taken the key out of the
lock when Kathy was in his arms -- or trying to be.  She wrapped her arms
around his neck and, in spite of her crying, was trying to kiss him. 
Reflexively, he put his arms around her body and held her.  To his utter
astonishment, she was kissing any part of him that her mouth could reach,
while saying she was so sorry and asking his forgiveness.  _Sorry? 
Forgiveness?  What could she possibly be sorry for, except for marrying me
in the first place?_ he thought.  _Forgiveness?  The concept did not
compute.  It was utterly baffling._

   Just then he felt her lips on his in the warmest, most loving kiss he
had ever had.  In surprise, his lips parted slightly and he felt her lovely
tongue dart into his mouth.  Without conscious volition, his tongue met
hers and he felt an incredible jolt of electricity through his body -- and
those wonderful bells he had last heard in the hospital.  In the meantime
he could feel her trying to crush her body against his.  It was too much.
He began to weep uncontrollably.  As he did, he could feel Kathy relax her
grip slightly and move away.

   The next thing he knew, Kathy had him by the hand and was leading him to
the sofa.  When she backed him into it, there was nothing he could do but
sit.  The edge of the sofa was at the back of his legs, so he had no
choice. No sooner was he on the sofa than Kathy was on his lap with her
fingers moving quickly over him.  In no time, his tie was off and his shirt
was unbuttoned to the waist.  Spreading his shirt wide, Kathy used her
finger tips and her lips to caress and kiss every inch of his body that she
could reach.

   Suddenly she stopped.  His eyes which had been closed as he savored the
magnificent sensations, opened.  To his astonishment, he saw Kathy
virtually ripping her clothes from her body leaving only her panties.  Then
she dove back towards him and began to kiss him again, while her hand
pulled his to her breast.  He didn't know what to do, so he touched her
lightly.

   Then he heard her whisper fiercely, "Squeeze my tit, damn it!  Please,
darling...  It's not much, I know, but it's all I have now.  Oh please,
darling, squeeze it...  bite it...  Oh, God, do something with it! 
Please..."

   Ken was utterly dumbstruck -- he didn't know what to do.  Kathy was
wriggling on his lap trying to get into a position where she could put her
nipple into his mouth.  He lowered his head and took the beautiful object
into his mouth and lightly bit it.  Instantly, he could feel it harden like
a little pebble.

   Now Kathy had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and he heard her
moan and whisper, "Darling, that feels so good!  Bite it!  Oh, God!  Bite
it off..." Very lightly he took it between his teeth and bit lightly. 
Instantly, he heard a gasp, then Kathy saying even louder, "Oh, yes!  Oh,
Ken, yes.  Harder...  Bite it harder...  Bite it off..." Meanwhile she was
moving her body on his like a woman possessed.

   Then he heard her whisper intently, "Take me, Ken, please?  I'm washing
away.  Darling, I'm so wet and I need you so much...  Please, darling? 
Take your worthless wife to bed..." He made a move to get up.

   When she felt it, Kathy was off his lap in a flash.  She took an instant
to rip off her pants, then ran into the bedroom where she ripped the covers
from the bed.  Ken was following her in.  When he looked at the bed, he saw
his wife on her back with her thighs spread wide exposing her slit.  He
took off the last articles of his clothing and was on the bed with her.  By
now he had the biggest erection of his life.

   Although he wanted to be slow and gentle, as soon as he was on the bed
Kathy grabbed his cock and pulled it towards her gaping cavern.  When it
made contact, he realized it was already flowing with her juices.  As soon
as the head of his cock contacted her opening, she wrapped her legs around
his hips and squeezed as hard as she could, pulling him in to his root with
a single thrust.  "Oh, Ken, you feel so good!"

   Then she glared at him and said, "Don't just kneel there.  Do something!
As gently as he could he started to withdraw.  As he did, he could see her
eyes widen with fear.  Then he began his first thrust and she relaxed with
a look of bliss on her face.  After only a few strokes, when he pulled
back, Kathy whipped her legs out wide, then put them on his shoulders and
crossed her ankles behind his head.  When he went in, he stopped half way.
He was already deeper in her than he had ever been; her new position
allowed a degree of penetration he had never achieved before.

   Her eyes had been closed as she savored the marvelous sensation.  When
he stopped, she opened them suddenly, looked hurt, and started to cry. 
"Please, Ken, don't torture me!  Why did you stop?  Why didn't you drive
your huge cock into me as far as you can?  I want to feel your balls bounce
off my fat ass.  Please don't stop..."

   Although he was scared, Ken did as she demanded.  At the same time he
was astonished at how wet she was inside -- she was both very tight and
very slippery at the same time.  He drove into her and was rewarded with
the most beautiful smile as she felt his heavy balls bang into her ass. 
Now she started to move in counterpoint to him.  When he moved in, she
drove her hips up to meet him while he felt the wet collision of his pubic
hair against hers.  At the same time, she began to rotate her hips,
creating the most indescribably wonderful sensation he had ever felt.

   They were moving together in a frenzy of passion.  Suddenly she screamed
as her pelvis shook uncontrollably in the first orgasm of her life.  Before
she could recover, he had withdrawn and was kneeling beside her.  Kissing
her lips he cried, "Darling Kathy, I'm so sorry!  I didn't mean to hurt
you...  I never want to hurt you."

   Again, her response astonished him.  Her eyes opened with a pop and she
glared at him.  "Look, mister, she demanded.  "I just felt the most
exquisite sensation I have ever felt in my life.  But it's just a start. 
Now will you please get that huge piece of steel pipe back where it
belongs, this instant?  That's in my sloppy cunt, if you need directions.
And if you're not sure what it is you're doing, you're fucking my ass off!"
she cried.  "Now do it!"

   Poor Ken was utterly baffled.  He had never in his life heard Kathy use
language like this and he didn't know what to do except to do what she
asked.

   Again he was amazed at how easily he slid into her soaking wet quim and
picked up the motions.  As he moved in and out, he could feel her reach
climax after climax, yet whenever he came close to releasing himself, she
would change tempo so that he was held back.  Continuing to move in and out
of his beautiful wife, now she screamed in ecstasy each time he buried his
cock inside her.  Her pelvis was gyrating as if it had taken on a life of
its own.  Finally, he could hold back no longer.  He buried his weapon
inside her and released what seemed like gallons of accumulated cum.

   When she felt the warm flood, she screamed.  Finally, she could no
longer take the incredible stimulation and passed out.

   Minutes later her eyes blinked open and she found Ken kneeling over her,
crying as if his heart would break.  She heard him murmur over and over, "I
killed her!  Oh my God, I killed her.  Oh God, what can I do?"

   With a lascivious grin that astounded him, she whispered throatily, "The
hell you did!  In answer to your second question, could you do it again?"
Ken's tears instantly changed to tears of joy.  He held her tightly and
started kissing her all over her face and body.  She held him as tightly
and kissed any part of him within reach of her lips.

   "But darling," he protested, "don't you want to wash, or douche, or...
or something?"

   She pulled his mouth down on hers, but before their lips made contact,
he was almost certain he heard her whisper wickedly, "What, in hell, for?
You're not nearly empty, and I can hold a lot of your spend." Then he took
her again.  After their second bout of lovemaking, Ken was overcome by
sheer exhaustion and just fell face down on the bed.  He was asleep before
his face even hit the pillow.

   Ken was awakened later by the sensation of feathers moving lightly on
his body.  When he opened his eyes, he saw Kathy on the bed beside him
caressing his body.  Seeing his eyes open, she asked softly, "Darling, are
you ready to eat now?  I know I'm hungry enough to eat a horse."

   At the mention of food, Ken's stomach growled.  He grinned and nodded
quickly.  Only then did he realize Kathy was wearing a terry-cloth
bathrobe. She grinned, threw his bathrobe at him and left the room. 
Putting on the robe, Ken padded out after her.

   Although he was headed for the kitchen, she headed him off in the living
room, insisting he sit in his favorite chair.  Not understanding the first
thing that was going on -- nor, indeed, the first thing about anything that
had happened since he opened the door -- he sat down.  In an instant Kathy
was back with a tray and served him scotch on the rocks and left a plate of
beautiful canapes beside him.  She winked and said, "Darling, there's just
enough there to keep you from starving while I finish the dinner."

   He took a sip of his drink and realized it was the finest scotch he had
ever tasted in his life.  While savoring it, he studied the canapes and
then tried one.  It melted in his mouth.  Suddenly he realized how
ravenously hungry he was, and realized he had eaten next to nothing for two
days.  Now he smiled wryly as he appreciated his conundrum.  On the one
hand he was starving and wanted to gobble up the food; on the other hand,
each hors d'oeuvre was individually spectacular and deserved to be savored
in its own right.  With an amused smile he compromised by savoring them
quickly.  By the time he emptied the plate, Kathy announced dinner in the
dining room.

   Entering the dining area, he was again surprised.  First, the table was
beautifully set with two lighted candles.  Second, instead of sitting
opposite him, Kathy had set her place on the side of the table next to his
to be closer to him.  When he sat down, Kathy put a plate in front of him
and just stood there beside him.  Looking down, he saw the most beautiful
steak he had ever seen.  His mouth watered as its marvelous aroma drifted
past his nostrils.

   "Please try it, darling, before I sit down," Kathy insisted.

   With a shrug, he picked up his knife and cut into it, then took a bite.
It was the best piece of meat he had ever eaten in his life, and he put
down his knife and fork just to savor it.

   As he did, Kathy reached for the plate to remove it saying, "I'm so
sorry, darling!  I'll have something you like in just a second.  Please
forgive..."

   "Woman, if you want to continue living, put that plate back this
instant!" he exclaimed.

   She dropped it on the table and recoiled in shock.  Then she looked hurt
and said, "Why Kenneth Carlson, you have never spoken to me that way in
your life before!"

   "And, wench, you have never spoken to me the way you did in bed awhile
ago, either.  Since I got a glimpse of a different Kathy, it's only fair
for you to start to see the real me.  However, if you think I will let you
steal the finest steak a man ever set eyes on after getting only one bite,
you have another think, woman!  Now on your knees!"

   Not knowing what to expect, she dropped to her knees beside his chair.
The next thing she knew, his arms were around her and he was crushing his
lips to hers.  For an instant she was shocked into immobility, but then her
arms swept around his neck, and again she unleashed the passion she had
always felt for her husband.  Finally, he relaxed his hold and just kissed
her softly.

   Then with a grin he said, "Now I'll give you exactly two seconds to get
your food on this table so we can both eat.  That's the extent of my
ability to be a gentleman.  Now move it!" As she turned toward the kitchen,
he spanked her bottom lightly.

   After returning with her own plate, she sat down, daintily stuck out her
tongue and said, "I know you can spank harder than that, Kenneth Carlson.
Why, in hell, didn't you." Then she asked, "Ken, please be honest.  Do you
really like the dinner?" In addition to a perfectly seasoned pan-grilled
steak, she had served pommes souffle, the same puffed fries she had made
for Ginger earlier.

   "No, darling.  I don't like it.  I _adore_ it!  It's the finest food I
have ever tasted in my life." Then Ken was astounded as Kathy's face
crumpled and she just dissolved in tears.  Leaping from his chair he was
kneeling beside her and just held her tight.  "Darling," he asked, utterly
baffled.  "What did I do?  What did I say?  Why are you crying?"

   Then he realized that, although she was clinging to him, she was trying
to shake her head in negation.  Finally, she regained control and eased
away.  With an effort at a wry smile she said softly, "Darling, it's not
you...  It's me!  I was told today in no uncertain terms that I have an
uncanny ability to add one and one and come up with three, every time."

   Tears of frustration continued to flow from her eyes as she just shook
her head.  "Ken, I've always been a good cook.  In fact, I guess I'm a very
good cook.  But darling, when we first came down here, the first meal I
made was a can of chili that you raved about.  I thought that was all you
liked, so we've lived on canned food for the last year!  Darling, your wife
is an incredible idiot!"

   He just grinned and said, "Shut up, woman, and eat your dinner!"

   Even though her tears were still flowing, she leaped from her chair,
knelt beside his chair and bent at the waist in a bow that ended with her
forehead touching the floor.  When she straightened, he could see her eyes
dancing as she said, "Oh thank you, husband.  You are so kind to your
worthless wife."

   She hopped back into her chair and began to eat.  After clearing the
plates -- she forbid him to get out of his chair -- she brought out a
magnificent salad, then served crepes Suzette which she flamed at the
table. Finally she produced coffee and an assortment of cheeses.

   While they were eating the cheese and sipping the coffee, Ken glared at
her and said, "Woman, what is an appropriate punishment?  You have been
capable of producing this kind of food since we've been married, and I've
been subsisting on _cans!_ What should I do?"

   There were tears streaming from her eyes, but she held her head up and
said, "I can't think of anything severe enough, either.  A whipping would
be a small start, but we don't have a whip.  I will give you a divorce, my
darling, immediately.  That's what you should do.  I am the most worthless
excuse for a wife the good Lord ever created."

   Then she told him about her new job and her meetings with Ginger. 
Without sparing herself, she stressed what Ginger had said.  The only thing
she did not tell him was Ginger's vow to remake her.  She honored her
promise to the girl not to tell a living soul.  Finally, she told him about
her salary, her clothes, and the money Ginger had given her that paid for
the dinner they had just eaten.  Then she looked into his eyes and said,
"My darling, do you know what happened two nights ago?"

   "Sure," he replied.  "You found out how utterly worthless your husband
is as a breadwinner -- and you proved how right he was today."

   When he referred to himself as worthless, Kathy cringed.  Then she
replied, "No, darling.  I saw the torment in your eyes and I couldn't stand
to see it.  You see, you're an authentic hero.  Have I ever asked to help
out?  Hell, no!  Did I ever do _anything?"_ she exclaimed.  "Of course not.
I just sat here, glued to the boob tube, getting fat and flabby.

   "The other night I so desperately wanted you between my thighs.  I
wanted to derive comfort from you -- it never occurred to me that I was
capable of giving comfort _to_ you.  That's why I went into the living
room. I didn't trust myself to be in the same room with you, let alone in
the same bed!  I was afraid I'd rape you." Again tears were streaming down
her face, but she refused to lower her head.  Instead, remembering what she
had learned from Ginger, she put her shoulders back causing her tits to
thrust out, and held her chin up, while the tears flowed in a flood.

   Then she said, "Darling, please give me another chance?  There's no
reason why you should, and dozens why you shouldn't, but, please, will
you?"

   Again he went to her, dropped to his knees and just held her whispering,
"You are my love and my life, Katherine Carlson.  I'm afraid you're going
to be stuck with me -- for the rest of our lives."

   "Oh, darling!" she exclaimed with joy.  "Thank you-thank you-thank you!"

   Ken didn't return to his seat.  Rather, he remained on his knees beside
her chair.  With his hands just hanging at his side he said sadly,
"Darling, I came home tonight to give you a divorce.  I'm sure you're going
to want one.  You see, today I resigned from the summer associate program
at that law firm.  I took a job as a construction laborer -- it uses my
strong back instead of my weak mind." He just looked up at her, waiting for
the explosion he knew would follow.

   Instead, she just reached inside his bathrobe and spread it wide,
exposing his shoulders and chest.  Tenderly, she ran her fingers over his
heavy muscles and said softly, "I guess you'll need to eat a lot, then. 
And just think: these marvelous muscles will be even bigger and heavier."

   Looking him straight in the eye she said, "Darling, I think it's a
wonderful idea!  You've been spending too damned much time locked in that
grubby library.  You need to get out in the sun.  Darling, I'll try to help
you in any way I can.  Do you get to bring your lunch?  May I make it for
you?"

   "You...  You're not mad?" he asked, incredulous.

   "How could I possibly be mad?" she asked.  Then she added with her eyes
twinkling, "Will you promise to squeeze me as hard as you can when your
muscles are bigger?  Maybe you can break me in half." Then she just said
softly, "Darling, you said it moments ago, 'You are my love and my life,
Kenneth Carlson.  I'm afraid you're going to be stuck with me -- for the
rest of our lives.'"

   Then she looked at him with her love shining in her eyes.  "Darling,
will you humor me?  Please?" He just looked at her with a question.  She
smiled the most loving smile he had ever seen, then said, "Could you amuse
yourself in the living room for a few minutes?  Watch TV, or read a
magazine, or something?  I need about twenty minutes or so, and then just
get in bed.  Okay?"

   "How can I deny such a simple request from my child bride?" Ken replied
with a loving smile.  He just thumbed through a magazine for a while and
then went into the bedroom.

   In going through the clothing Ginger had purchased for her, Kathy had
found an incredibly sheer cotton shorty nightgown with a note that was
typically Ginger: "I found this...  this thing...  on sale for $1.25
because they couldn't find the pants for it.  I thought I would splurge. 
P.S.  You don't take it off, you tear it off.  That's why it's so light in
weight."

   When she held it up in front of herself, Kathy realized it scarcely
reached her pubic hair.  When she left the dining table, she rushed into
the bathroom and took a bath, being careful to clean her vagina thoroughly.
Emerging from the tub, she spent most of the time brushing her hair until
it was shining with its natural oils.  After tying it back with a red hair
ribbon, she carefully reddened her lips, her nipples and her labia, then
put on the shorty gown carefully so as not to mess up her hair.

   When she went into the bedroom, Ken saw her and made a move to turn off
the light, knowing how Kathy hated for him ever to see her nude.  She shook
her head quickly and said, "Darling husband, I am your bride.  This is the
way I should have come to you when we were first married, but I was too
ignorant.  Can we start again?  Please?"

   Ken looked at this beautiful woman standing just a few feet from him,
posed for his inspection.  He realized that the shorty gown was virtually
transparent, and didn't even reach her crotch, anyway.  He reached out his
arms and she gave a little yelp of joy.  Before coming to him, though, she
grabbed the neckline of her gown and yanked hard.  With a ripping sound, it
parted from the neckline to the hem.  After shrugging out of the tatters,
she leaped into bed, and proceeded to smother him with kisses.

   Then she eased away and asked, "Darling, can the girl ever be on top? 
Does it work that way?"

   Shrugging, Ken replied, "I guess so.  Want to try?"

   Instead of answering, she straddled him and placed his cock at the mouth
of her sopping-wet vagina and slowly lowered herself on it.  She gasped as
she felt it penetrate slowly for its entire length, then she grinned,
"Darling!  It works."

   Slowly she began to move up and down, then added a rotary motion.  Her
intent was to replicate what had happened earlier in the evening, and she
did.  When the time came that Ken could hold back no longer, she realized
she was in continuous orgasm, crying out unintelligibly.  When she realized
that he could hold her tits while she moved on him, she told him to.  Still
later, she bent over and put a nipple in his mouth.  When he gently bit it,
she was by then so sensitized she screamed and had an orgasmic seizure. 
When he finally exploded inside her, she screamed with joy and collapsed on
top of him.

   Later, when she regained consciousness, she kissed him softly and said,
"Darling, I didn't think it was possible to create such joy!  I really
didn't." Then she explained about sleeping with her head on his massive
shoulder, while he cupped her tit.  When they were in position with her
head on his shoulder and her body molded to his, she asked, "Ken, why
didn't you tell me about this before?  I never knew sex could ever be this
good!"

   "Because I didn't know it, either," he replied.  "You're the only girl
I've ever slept with."

   As they were about to drift off to sleep, she whispered with a throaty
chuckle, "Darling, if they knew about us at the Clerk's Office, not only
would they not have given us a marriage license, I don't think we could
have qualified for a learner's permit!"*Chapter 6*

   The next morning when Kathy awakened, at first she didn't open her eyes.
It took a moment but then she remembered what had happened the night
before. Remarkably, she was still cradled in Ken's powerful arm and his
hand was still cupping her soft breast.  Keeping her eyes closed, she tried
to snuggle her body even closer to his, then finally opened her eyes and
quickly checked the clock.  It was only five-thirty, so she had some time
to play before she had to go to work.  Ken was still asleep so she gently
squeezed his hand that was cupping her tit.  This awakened him at once.

   When Ken felt his hand squeezed, he opened his eyes and found himself
looking directly into Kathy's, and almost drowned in the love that he saw
in them.  With her cheek on his shoulder as his eyes opened, she smiled
lovingly and seemed to burrow her head even deeper into his shoulder.  Then
she made a face, whispering, "You're so hard!"

   "I'm afraid it's going to get worse, Kath," he replied.  "When I start
work..."

   "That's great!" she interrupted with a grin.  "Doctors all say its
better to sleep on a firm pillow.  You're so firm and warm and snugly..."
Then she stretched, moved her head in his ddirection and kissed him softly.
When he responded, she moved her lips on his and then darted her tongue
into his mouth, again setting off a jolt of electricity.  She looked
thoughtful for a moment, then rolled on top of him, folding her arms
together on his chest while her legs were spread wide.  With her face above
his chest, she just grinned.

   "What's so funny?" he inquired.

   "I was just thinking how lucky I am," she replied.  "My husband has a
chest that's so broad there's no risk of falling off." Then arching her
back, she lifted her upper body off his.  Changing the subject, she looked
at him and asked, "Ken, what do you think of my tits?"

   "You have beautiful breasts, Darling," he replied.

   "Oh, pooh!  Breasts, indeed.  Why don't you just call them mammary
glands, for gosh sakes!  And you can't be that blind - they're atrocious."
Then she frowned and said, "Ken, Ginger says my tits are like mounds of
whipped cream, with cherries on top - except, she claims, the whipped cream
would likely be firmer.  What do you think?" Before he could think of a
reply she continued, "I think they're more like soft marshmallows, don't
you?  With little strawberries on top?" Making a face, she concluded, "I
never did like cherries." Then she just looked down at his eyes with her
face impassive, waiting.

   Ken didn't really know what to say.  He was almost certain that Kathy
was teasing him, but she had never done it in all the time they had been
together.  _But there are an awful lot of things she never did before last
night, either,_ he thought.  Since he couldn't think of anything to say, he
just smiled up at her.  Then his face saddened and he said, "Darling, I'm
so sorry I'm such an awful failure for a husband..."

   "Shut up!" she interrupted fiercely.  "You?  A failure?  Never in a
million years, Kenneth Carlson." Then she shook her head sadly and said,
"Darling, last night got a little...  violent...  so I guess things weren't
too coherent.  Let me tell you a little about me, and then I'll give you
another chance to get away - your last one, by the way."

   Kathy closed her eyes as she collected her thoughts, then opened them
again, and looked at him steadily.  "Darling, I don't think you have ever
seen me naked.  Do you realize that?  I would fix it now, but I want to
wait for a couple of minutes.  Do you realize I went out of my way to look
ugly on Saturday nights?  I did.  The reason is that everyone knows a woman
is just a depository for a man's sexual fluids.  That was my problem, you
see.  I was a lousy depository.  I wanted to roll my hips and drive your
cock into the very depths of my being.  I wanted you to drown me on the bed
in your wonderful warm cum.  That's why I insisted on the TV set, too.  I
desperately tried to concentrate on the show so I could try to ignore the
unbelievable sensations you were creating in my cunt.  Can you believe it?
It's really true.  I wasn't able to act the way a good wife should." She
grinned and added, "I read an article in a women's magazine once that
mentioned a woman who could read a book while her husband was playing
between her thighs.  Honest!

   "That's also why I claimed to have so many headaches.  In fact, I even
bought a bottle of placebos to substitute for the aspirin.  Whenever I
claimed to have a headache, instead of just batting me on the side of the
head like you should have, you always brought me two aspirin.  Darling, you
were so kind -- too kind, really.  You let me get away with murder." She
grinned and said, "Honey, I had to substitute the placebos.  All that
salicylic acid would have rotted my stomach.  Why did I always claim to
have headaches?  Because it was all I could do to screw up my willpower
once a week.  You see, I had to steel my nerves to take you without coming
apart the way I did last night.  Any more often and I would have cracked."
Then she grinned and added, "From now on I'm just going to crack."

   Edging up higher on his chest, now her face was directly above his and
their eyes were only inches apart.  "Darling, I'm afraid you married a
nymphomaniac.  Last night, for the first time in our so-far-wasted
marriage, I did what I always wanted to do.  Deep down, I guess I knew it
would be great, but I had no idea it could be nearly as wonderful as it
was." Now she looked very serious as she continued, "I'll give you another
chance, darling.  I will freely give you a divorce or an annulment or
anything you want.  You had no idea what you were getting.  Okay?  Call it
quits?"

   When she said the last words it was all she could do to control the
tears in her eyes.  Ken saw them, put his hand around her head and pulled
it towards him.  As gently as he could, he kissed her eyes and tasted the
salt of her tears that she could not completely control.  Then he gently
put her lips on his and kissed her.  At first, he could feel her resisting
-- trying to keep her lips firm -- but that only lasted for a few moments.
Then she tried to fuse her lips to his and pour out all the love she felt
for him.  Again he felt the incredible electricity flow between them.

   When they broke the kiss, he said softly, "Kath, please do me a favor?
Slide down so your head is on my chest?  There's something I have to say,
but I can't say it with you looking at me like this.  Please?" She looked
puzzled but did as he asked.  Now her cheek was resting on his hairy chest
and she found she loved the sensation.  While he spoke to her, she lightly
kissed his chest, and then found a nipple to kiss and then chew on.

   She could hear his voice close to breaking as he said, "Darling, let's
face facts: I'm an abysmal failure.  About the only thing I'm possibly good
for is digging ditches.  I've been away from the books for too long. 
There's so much writing to do, and I can't write and my typing is even
worse.  You have every right to expect a husband who will provide for you,
and I'm just a complete loser..."

   Moving quickly, Kathy was back in her former position looking down at
him.  She interrupted him saying, "The hell you are!  Now you listen to me,
Kenneth Carlson!  Let me try to tell you how I feel about you.  If we were
kept naked in a pit in the zoo, with our only water source being a mud
wallow, I would accept it and love it if you were with me.  If we could
only make love in public with people lining the fence, watching, I would
revel in it.  If we could only make love in the mud wallow, I would relish
the slime on my body if I could feel you inside me.  If the only food we
had were raw fish the people threw at us, I would live on raw fish and
delight in it.  What I'm trying to tell you is that there is nothing I
wouldn't do to be at your side.  Nothing!"

   Then she shook her head and said, "There's only one condition, but it
applies to me, not to you.  I would want my body to be in far better shape
than it is now, so you would be proud of your consort.  In fact, I would be
delighted to give illustrated lectures on lovemaking with you fucking me as
part of the demonstration.  For it to work, though, I have to improve the
appearance of my body."

   Then she glared at him and added, "As for the writing, I'm an English
major and an excellent secretary.  I'll help you with the papers, which is
what I should have been doing all along.  Instead, I spent all my time
staring at the boob tube!  You really have a sorry excuse for a wife,
Kenneth Carlson!" Glaring at him she demanded, "Now answer my question,
Ken. Do you want out?"

   "I thought I answered that with my lips, darling.  Of course not," he
replied.

   Then she looked serious and added, "Darling, I guess I should tell you
what I intend to do to improve my appearance.  You see, only a few of my
features are even marginally acceptable.  I think my cunt is pretty good.
It grips your cock tightly and it's nice and wet and juicy for you.  My
lips are reasonably good for kissing, and my tits...  Well, their shape is
okay, and I guess I like my little nipples." Now she looked fierce as she
added, "The rest of me, you can forget about.  I guess my skin texture is
okay, but my skin color is horrid.  I am larded all over with fat.  My
thighs are awful and my ass is even worse..."

   "But I love you, darling!" Ken interrupted her for a change.  Then with
a grin he asked, "Kath?  Could I see what you look like?  Really?" Then his
grin broadened as he added, "In fact, lady, you were just saying that you
would give illustrated lectures.  Why don't you start by telling me about
you?"

   With a quick movement, Kathy rolled off his body and onto the bed.  When
she landed on her side, her thighs came together smartly and she let out an
involuntary scream of pain.  In an instant Ken was kneeling above her with
the concern showing in his face.  "What happened, darling?  Did you get
hurt?"

   By this time Kathy was on her back with her legs spread wide, ruefully
running her fingers lightly along her inner thighs.  She just shook her
head and then softly chuckled.  "Darling," she said, "it serves me right!
Ginger Conrad -- whom you will soon meet, I hope -- is the most perfectly
conditioned female in the world.  In fact, she's my idol.  When I spoke of
getting into shape, I was thinking of her.  Of course, Ginger's natural
beauty is so overwhelming, I'll never be in her class, but I can do a lot
better than I'm doing.

   "Anyway, Ginger and Charley have been married for a couple of months now
and make love constantly.  But in spite of her conditioning and her
practice, she still claims that she can't get her thighs together -- it
hurts too much.  She says the only way she feels normal -- let alone
comfortable -- is with her thighs spread as wide as possible to welcome
Charley's weapon into her gaping cunt."

   She shook her head again and ruefully grinned.  "Can you believe it?  I
laughed at her.  Me!  Anyway, Darling, it's just that all the muscles in my
lower body hurt.  In fact, I have muscles hurting where I never even knew I
had muscles."

   With that she got up and knelt on the bed facing him.  Then she frowned
and said, "Kenneth, you just finished telling me that you are a slow
learner.  So you're going to have to pay careful attention.  I will show
you a feature and then you must touch it.  Otherwise, I can't be sure
you're paying attention, let alone learning anything." With a quick grin
she asked, "Ready?"

   Ken grinned and said, "Uh, lady...  Why are you a girl?  Why aren't you
a boy like me?" As he said it he made the most ignorant-looking face he
could.  i "That's a very good question, little boy," she replied, quickly
picking up on his game.  Cupping her breasts in both hands she said,
"First, these are tits.  Can you say tit?"

   "Uh...  tit?" he said, drooling as he did so.

   Kathy valiantly tried to smother her grin and said, "Good..." stretching
out the word.  "Now show me my tit, little boy."

   Ken got up from his reclining position and knelt on the bed facing her.
Then with a very proud look on his face, he touched her navel and said,
"This is a tit, Mrs.  Carlson, isn't it?"

   "No, Kenny, it's not," she replied.  In spite of her best efforts she
began to giggle.  Taking his hand she cupped it under her breast and said,
"This is a tit, Kenny." Then with a big smile she patted him on top of his
head and said, "But you were close." She took a deep breath because Ken was
lightly squeezing her nipple, causing it to harden like a pebble and
causing her cuntal juices to begin to flow.

   Then she said, "Now, Kenny, feel the tit.  Does it feel good?  Would you
like to kiss the tit?"

   "Uh...  Yes, Mrs.  Carlson.  I sure would," he replied as he then kissed
her navel.

   "No, Kenny, it's up here," she said, lifting his face to her breast. 
Ken immediately began to lick it and then gently bite her nipple.  She
could no longer control herself and began to writhe on the bed with
pleasure.  Then she said, "That's very good, Kenny.  Now you asked about
boys and girls."

   Reaching out she cradled his cock and balls with both hands.  It was the
first time in her life she had ever touched a man's genitals and she found
she adored the feeling.  By this time his cock was in a throbbing erection.
Looking into his eyes she said, "Kenny, you see you have this lovely steel
pipe called a cock.  Beneath it are your glorious balls.  Kenny, a man
empties his balls into a girl's cunt.  Spreading her labia she said, "This
is a cunt.  Your cock goes in here.  See, Kenny, I don't have a cock and
you don't have a cunt.  That makes you a man and me a woman."

   With that, Kathy flopped on her back and spread her thighs as far apart
as they would go and added, "Now get that marvelous cock into my dirty cunt
before I flood the whole damned room with my juices.  Ken, do it!" Now she
was pleading and said, "Please?"

   Their game forgotten, he moved between her thighs.  She grabbed his cock
and positioned it at the mouth of her vagina and he thrust inward.  As he
did, Kathy rolled her hips back to give him the easiest possible entry. 
She bit off a scream as the muscles in her lower body sent flashes of pain
through her, but all she did was to move her legs to put them over his
shoulders and cross her ankles behind his neck.  Although her vagina was
very tight, it was soaked with her love juices which provided the
lubrication needed for Ken to force himself up into her passage.

   Finally she could feel his balls bounce against her soft ass.  Her eyes
had been closed, but now she opened them.  Looking into her eyes, Ken saw
the most incredible love he could imagine.

   Kathy whispered, "Thank you, my darling.  Oh God, thank you." Then with
a degree of vehemence that surprised him, she exclaimed, "Ken, split me in
two!  Oh, Ken, please try!" As she felt his huge rod driving into her, her
head started thrashing from side to side on the bed while her pelvis was
moving in counterpoint to his.  Now there was a wet smack each time he
achieved maximum penetration.  "Darling, fuck me!" she screamed.  "Fuck me
harder!  Drive your cock through my stomach."

   Kathy could not believe the intensity of her feelings as her husband
kept driving within her.  Although she thought she had lost all control,
and in spite of her increasingly frequent orgasmic seizures, she was still
sensitive to Ken's condition.  Whenever it seemed he was about to release,
she would subtly alter her movements to hold him back longer.  Then her
orgasms reached the point where they were essentially continuous.  In some
detached part of her brain she was aware of her position.  Her legs were in
the air supported by Ken's shoulders, lifting her lower body off the bed.
Her cunt had become a vessel for him to fill with his wonderful semen.  She
was aware that her screams had become a continuous wordless cry.  Finally,
after what seemed like minutes of incredibly violent movement, Ken could
hold back no longer.  She could feel his cock begin to pulsate and then let
go with a flood of hot cum.  By this time he had penetrated beyond her
vagina and was inside her uterus itself.  The incredible sensation was
beyond anything she could even imagine.  Finally her nervous system could
take it no longer and the circuit breaker tripped out -- she was
unconscious.

   For his part, Ken could not imagine such an experience.  His wife was
screaming obscenities in his ear.  She wanted him to pound her cunt as hard
as he could.  Although he had achieved maximum penetration, while he was in
her he thought his cock was continuing to get even longer and bigger. 
Finally, when she allowed him his release, he could not believe the
sensation.  Then Kathy went limp in his arms as he knelt on the bed feeling
his balls empty out into her.  Although she had passed out, he could feel
the involuntary action of her vaginal muscles continuing to kneed his cock
to milk it of all its hot fluid.

   Kneeling on the bed, he sagged back onto his heels and tried to regain
his breath.  Looking down at Kathy, he realized she was covered with sweat
and the whole area of the bed was now wet with it.  Not knowing what to do,
he pulled over some pillows and lay back on them.  Then he pulled her
unconscious body up to his, placed her head on his shoulder, and then
pulled up the covers.  A few minutes later he could feel Kathy stir in his
arms.

   Her eyes blinked open but she didn't move; rather, she just tried to
mold her body even closer to his.  Finally, she turned her head and looked
up at him with the most incredible love shining in her eyes.  "I'm sorry,
darling," she whispered.  "One of these days I'll be able to take you
without passing out.  Was I terrible?"

   "Kathy," he replied softly, "if you were any better, I would be dead.  I
love you, wife." He moved his lips, and hers came up to meet his.  Their
kiss was even better than he remembered.  Then Kathy glanced at the clock
and yelped.  It was already almost seven and she had to be out of the
apartment by seven-thirty at the latest.  Since law-school classes had been
over for some weeks, Ken had been spending his time at law school doing
some additional work in preparation for his summer associate position.  But
now, since he had resigned it and didn't start his construction job until
Monday, he just relaxed on the pillow and was almost immediately back to
sleep.

   Taking a shower, Kathy reveled in the water flowing over her body.  She
had never in her life felt the way she did now.  Although her entire lower
body ached, the feeling was exquisite.  She grimaced, realizing she didn't
have the time to soak that she wanted.  Instead, she quickly shampooed her
hair -- it was so sweaty, she had to -- but didn't even take the time to
dry it.  Rather, she towel dried it and tied it back in a pony tail.

   Returning to the bedroom, she picked up a new pair of stone-washed
Levi's.  When she unfolded them, a piece of paper fell to the floor. 
Picking it up, she saw it was a note from Ginger -- already she could
identify her writing.  All it said was, "These pants will fit you now.  If
they aren't so big that they fall off within two weeks, you're fired!"
Kathy grinned and slipped them on along with a work shirt.

   Checking her watch, she found it was ten after seven -- she still had a
little time.  Going into the kitchen she started the bacon, then prepared
omelettes.  A few minutes later Ken came in with his hair tousled and his
eyes bleary.  In a very flat tone of voice he said, "Katherine Carlson, I
hate you."

   "I love you," she replied sweetly.  "Why do you hate me, Kenneth?" she
asked innocently.

   "Because my day was all planned.  I was going to spend it in bed,
sleeping.  There I was, just starting to sleep soundly and beginning to
dream about a brown-haired cunt...  Then I get this smell of food wafting
across my nostrils.  I try to ignore it, but it gets more intense.  Trying
to tell myself I'm not hungry, I ignore it -- but my stomach refuses to. 
Woman, I hate you!" he concluded with vehemence.

   Meanwhile Kathy was folding out his omelette and put it in front of him
along with strips of crisp bacon.  She quickly ate her own, then kissed him
and dashed for the door leaving him in a state of gastronomic bliss.

   * * *

   Precisely at eight-thirty she entered the office and found Judy waiting
for her.  The blonde looked beautiful and rested, while Kathy knew she must
look tired.  The girl just looked at her and shook her head saying, "And
what were you doing last night, Mrs.  Carlson?  It looks like you were a
very bad girl."

   "As a matter of fact, last night and this morning I was pretty good --
for the first time in my entire life." With a warm smile she added, "I
guess I could consider that to be the consummation of my marriage -- over a
year late." She asked Judy if she had eaten breakfast while they went into
Ginger's office to look for the set of physical standards she said she
would leave.  They found two copies and Kathy led the way to the conference
room where she made coffee.

   While she was doing it, Judy was going over the standards.  Finally she
let out a low whistle and said, "Kath, she wasn't kidding -- these
standards are going to be tough to achieve." Then she looked at Kathy and
said, "I don't want to be insulting, but you really don't look like you're
in great shape.  Am I wrong?"

   "You couldn't be any righter," Kathy replied with a grin, bringing over
two mugs of coffee.  "I guess the standards mean a lot more to you than
they do to me." Then her face became very serious and she said, "Judy, I
don't really care what they are.  I will meet them.  Now I have an
incentive.  I must make my body into something Ken can look at without
getting sick.  And I will -- regardless of what it takes.  Shall we get
with it?" After drinking their coffee quickly, they left the office.

   They found the health club in the basement.  Because it was nine
o'clock, the before-work group had already left so the club was very quiet.

   The girl at the desk was expecting them.  She said, "Ginger told me to
give you the super deluxe package." With a grin she added, "As a part of
it, we furnish your exercise gear.  Ginger was certain your sizes would be
changing dramatically and fast, so she didn't feel like wasting money by
buying outfits." Then she took them on a tour of the facility.  It
certainly looked impressive to Kathy, but she had no basis of comparison.
Judy could make a comparison, and was even more impressed.

   After Judy assured the girl that she knew how the equipment worked, they
went into the locker room to change.  When Kathy was almost undressed, Judy
asked, "Could I look at you please, Kath?  Bare?"

   Kathy finished undressing and just stood there with her shoulders back
the way Ginger had taught her.  She smiled wryly and said, "It's pretty
awful, isn't it?" As she stood there waiting for Judy's inspection, she
realized the extent to which she had changed in just twenty-four hours; the
day before she had been huddled in a ball crying her eyes out.  Today, she
just stood still, inviting new her friend's inspection.  _What's changed?_
she wondered.

   Judy walked around her looking thoughtful.  Finally, with a warm smile
she said, "You know something, Kath?  This is going to be a lot easier than
I thought.  And you know something else?  Lady, you are going to be a
knockout!" Kathy looked at her as if she had lost her mind, and said as
much.  Judy just shook her head and said, "You're wrong, and I'll give you
three reasons why: First, you have a beautiful bone structure.  If that's
not good, there's a limit to how good your body could ever look.  Yours is
just lovely.  Second, you have beautiful skin and hair.  There's not a
blemish of any kind and your hair is lovely -- it has body and a beautiful
natural wave.  That's natural equipment -- it doesn't change, either.  But
third, and most important, Kathy, is your attitude: You will pay any price
to make yourself as lovely as you can be." With a very warm smile she
concluded, "And that is going to be very beautiful, indeed!"

   Kathy then looked over Judy in the same way and was impressed.  She
realized that they were the same height and had very similar builds,
although Kathy had slightly larger breasts.  On the other hand, Judy's
carriage was naturally better than hers.

   When she completed her inspection she just whistled softly and said,
"Jeffries, you are going to be magnificent!  And it shouldn't take you more
than a couple of weeks, either."

   The two girls went into the exercise room.  Judy showed her what to do
and Kathy began to work out.  Repeatedly, though, Judy had to tell her to
ease up and slow down.  It was apparent that the girl wanted to do it all
in a single day.  After far more work than Judy thought the girl could
stand, they left the exercise machines and went to the pool.  Noting that
they were there during women's hours -- the pool also had hours for men,
and for coed swimming -- it wasn't necessary to wear bathing suits.

   During their tour, Kathy hadn't paid much attention to the pool except
to note its location.  Now, after stripping off her sweat-soaked leotard,
she stood at the edge of the pool looking lost.  With a wry grin she looked
at Judy and said, "I knew there was something I forgot.  I really can't
swim.  About all I can do is the doggie-paddle.  Judy, can you help me?"

   It turned out that, among other things, Judy was not only a water safety
instructor, she was a certified instructor trainer.  Although she hadn't
said anything to Kathy before, the extensive workout had confirmed a hunch
that Judy had developed at their first meeting just watching Kathy move.

   She was now certain that Kathy was physically very well coordinated,
even if she had never done much in the way of athletics in her life.  After
showing her the strokes, Kathy started to move in the pool.  In spite of
the ache -- originally in her lower body and upper legs, but now throughout
her body - she concentrated on her kick and her arm strokes while ignoring
the pain from her abused muscles.  Although she found it incredible, for
the first time in her life she was really swimming.

   After watching her do a couple of laps, Judy dove into the pool in a
flat racing dive.  She proceeded to churn up and down the pool like a
trapped porpoise.  After completing a couple of additional laps, Kathy was
resting at the edge of the pool and just watching her friend swim.  Moving
with the speed, power and grace of a porpoise, Judy just powered up and
down the pool.  With a shake of her head Kathy dove in again and went back
to swimming in her own lane.

   Finally at twelve, Judy called a halt.  By this time Kathy was so tired
she didn't have the energy even to lift herself out of the pool.  For her
part, Judy was utterly amazed at the extent to which Kathy had driven
herself beyond human endurance.  Judy recognized the signs as Kathy's knees
wobbled while she was just standing on the pool deck.

   Lifting Kathy's left arm, she put it over her shoulder and helped the
girl to the massage room.  After carefully drying her body - Kathy didn't
even have the energy to do that herself -- she eased her face-down onto a
massage table.  Almost instantly, Kathy was sound asleep.  Judy just smiled
and located a massage liquid she had been looking for.  After pouring some
across Kathy's shoulders, she proceeded to work on the girl's knotted and
aching muscles.  She continued down her entire body, then rolled her on her
back and started in again.

   When she reached Kathy's upper thighs and loins, the pain awakened the
girl.  She blinked her eyes and asked softly, "Why don't you just take them
out and work on them on the bench?  Ripping my muscles out completely
certainly couldn't hurt any worse than what you're doing." Then she just
moaned, feeling a combination of pain and pleasure.  Judy hadn't even
slowed down.

   Finally, Judy got to her feet and said, "You're all set.  How aout
eating?"

   "In a few minutes," Kathy replied.  "First, it's my turn to get even. 
On the table, lady!" she ordered.  Judy was puzzled, but did as she was
told.  Remarkably, Kathy proceeded to work on her in the same way that she
had been worked on.  In no time Judy was asleep while Kathy's surprisingly
strong hands kept working on her body.  By the time she was finished, Judy
had awakened, so the girls took showers, got dressed and went back up to
the office.

   Ginger was reading a magazine in her office when they walked in. 
Looking sheepish, Kathy said to Judy, "Would you excuse us for just a
moment?  Why don't you give yourself a tour of the office?" Judy took the
hint and left.

   Kathy closed the office door, went to where Ginger was sitting and
dropped to her knees.  Putting her head on Ginger's thigh, she said,
"Ginger, all that I have and all that I will ever have is yours --
including my life!  Would you like me to be your slave?  I will do it
happily."

   Then she told the girl about the events of the previous night. 
Concluding, she said, "Ginger, you were completely right and I was totally
wrong.  If I had met you just one day later, or if you had not been as
forthright as you were, I would have lost Ken forever last night." By this
time tears were streaming from her eyes, but she didn't lower her head. 
Rather, she just looked at Ginger with a degree of love approaching
adoration in her eyes.

   Ginger lifted the girl to her feet, and stood up herself.  Then she
hugged Kathy tightly and kissed her warmly on the lips.  She whispered,
"Kath, you did it.  I didn't.  All you did were the things you had wanted
to do all along."

   Turning, she gave Kathy a hard smack on her ass and said in her normal
tone of voice, "That is as it may be, lady, but in the meantime, you owe me
a cooking lesson!  Now get with it, before I starve."

   Kathy stuck out her tongue and bent over slightly causing her ass to
protrude.  "Come on, Ginger, I know you can spank harder than that. 
Besides," she said thoughtfully, "I think I'm a masochist.  I liked it!"
With that she scuttled out the door and into the conference room.

   Both Ginger and Judy paid careful attention as Kathy prepared lunch for
them.  When the food was on the plates, Judy sampled it, closed her eyes
and said, "Kathy, this is heavenly!" Then she said eagerly, "Can I get in
on this deal, too?  I gather you're going to teach Ginger how to cook.  I
said I would work out with you and help you get in shape.  Believe me," she
said, rolling her eyes, "that's going to be child's play compared to you
trying to teach me how to cook!"

   Kathy immediately agreed and said that next time she would show them
what to do and each of them would make one of the dishes herself.

   That afternoon, the girls played racquet ball.  Again, Judy was amazed
at Kathy's endurance and the rapidity with which she picked up the game. 
Following their games they went to the tanning room.  Lying in the
artificial sun, Kathy told Judy about Ginger's comment on her complexion:
peaches and cream without the peaches.

   By the time they left the gym, Judy concluded they were already well
ahead of the schedule that Ginger had laid out for them.*Chapter 7*

   Several weeks later, it was mid-afternoon and Judy was at her reception
desk idly paging through a magazine.  In fact, nothing in it was
registering as she reflected on the past weeks.  That morning, for example,
she and Kathy continued their workouts.  The changes in her friend were
astounding, Judy thought.  Now she had a smooth tan over her entire body.
Although Judy could still beat her swimming, Kathy was getting better and
better.  _My most successful student,_ Judy thought with a grin.

   On the courts -- both racquet ball and squash -- while Judy still won
more matches than she lost, her friend was getting better by the day.  Idly
she rubbed a bruise high on her thigh where she had been hit by a squash
ball that had come off Kathy's racquet and then the wall, hitting her leg
like a bullet before she could react.

   Thinking about it she realized that Kathy's skill was in some way
related to all of the work she was doing on the exercise machines.  They
had beaten the standards Ginger had set for two weeks at the end of one. 
However, Kathy just kept increasing the weight loading and was making
herself stronger and stronger.  When she asked about it, Kathy had just
grinned and said that Ken was a ditch digger so she was just doing it for
self-protection.  Otherwise, she insisted, he might accidentally break her
inhalf.

   When they began, Judy was easily moving more weight than Kathy could
manage.  Now, she admitted, she could not keep up with Kathy's weights. 
Grinning, she remembered the morning of the first Monday following the
start of their training.  Kathy brought in a neatly-wrapped package and
asked Judy to join her in Ginger's office, saying something about a
presentation.  When Ginger opened the package, she found the blue jeans she
had given Kathy just a week earlier, carefully washed and ironed.  Kathy
suggested that she keep them for the next victim; they had hardly been worn
at all.

   Thinking back to their racquet matches, Judy was amused to think that
they were now drawing a gallery of spectators.  Trying to be as honest with
herself as she could, she admitted that the two of them moved on the court
like sleek cats, with the same speed, grace and agility.  For that matter,
in the swimming pool it had now become routine for Kathy and her to start
their laps with a number of other women in the pool but end with everyone
else standing on the edge of the pool just watching as they churned back
and forth.

   Her reverie brought her to that very morning.  Kathy had come in and
just stood in front of her desk.  Looking up, Judy reflected on the
incredible changes in the woman in such a short time.  Where formerly her
posture was terrible, now she carried herself up straight, with her
shoulders back and her tits proudly upthrust.

   _That's it!_ Judy realized.  "Kath!  You're not wearing your bra!" she
had exclaimed.

   Her friend had just grinned and nodded her head vigorously.  "Today is
the noble experiment, Judy.  Now we find out if my pectoral muscles will
support the weight." With a grin she added, "So far, so good!"

   Finally, Judy reflected on the overall relationship she had developed
with Kathy Carlson.  The two girls had become, in just a few weeks, as
close as sisters.  _And,_ she reflected with amusement, _we compete just as
fiercely, too._

   Her thoughts turned to the office.  So far, while they were still
awaiting the appearance of Mrs.  Clifford, there were five of them.  The
fourth girl was Joan Frederick, the computer specialist.  When the three
girls went to the health club for the first time and Joan had stripped,
they were surprised to see that she had an all-over tan.  Joan was a small
girl -- about five feet four -- with a beautiful body and tits
proportionately larger than the other girls', although they were also very
firm and neither required -- nor received -- any support from a bra.

   The girl had told them frankly that she worked as a topless waitress to
help pay for her education.  It paid better and the tips were better than
working fully dressed.  When she realized that neither of the girls were
shocked -- or at least didn't show it if they were -- she relaxed.  It
turned out that Joan was a delightful girl with a wonderful
self-deprecating sense of humor.  She referred to herself as the computer
nerd.

   Then she frowned as she reflected on the one sour note in the office:
the fifth girl, a lawyer, Sandra Harris.  She had joined the firm just a
couple of weeks earlier and had nearly caused a mutiny.  The easiest way to
think of Sandra was that she was the total opposite of Ginger -- and
fortunately for the staff, Ginger was senior.  Apparently problems started
when Sandra saw Charley in Ginger's office squeezing her ass.  Although
Judy hadn't been present, she had seen it often enough herself to know what
happened.  Ginger's knees had turned to water and she had thrown her arms
around Charley's neck to keep from falling.  Then she had melted her body
to his and just rubbed against him, making warm mewing noises deep in her
body as she did.  As soon as Charley had left to return to his office --
the law firm where Sandra had formerly worked -- she had let Ginger have
it.

   Making no effort to keep her voice down, the whole office heard her
berate Ginger for having no sense of her own personhood - Judy wasn't sure
what that was, exactly -- and was a disgrace to women everywhere.  By the
time she finally wound down, the girls, attracted by her tirade, were
standing outside Ginger's office.  Ginger, in the meantime, had seated
herself in her chair, leaned back, and had her bare feet on her desk-top.
It was all Judy could do to keep from laughing when she saw the utterly
bored look on Ginger's face.

   When Sandra had no more to say, Ginger told her in no uncertain terms
that she lived to be in Charley's arms.  Then she said, "Sandy, it's a good
thing Charley didn't want to take me just then, because if he had, instead
of seeing him squeeze my buns, you would have seen him fucking my ass off
right here on my desk top.  That would have really blown your mind!"

   Then, with her eyes blazing green fire -- her appearance of boredom was
now forgotten -- she said, "As far as that personhood bullshit is
concerned, you can take it and shove it!  I tried it once, and it isn't
worth a shit." Although Sandra's back was towards them, the girls could see
her ears turn a flaming red.  Then she turned and stormed out with her face
as bright red as her ears.

   Sandra also seemed to delight in giving Kathy, Joan and herself a hard
time.  She acted as if they were slaves without a brain among them.  She
insisted that she be called Ms.  Harris, claiming that she did not believe
in being familiar with the hired help.  Her announcement was made in the
conference room and the girls started to giggle, causing her to blow her
stack.  What she couldn't know was that Ginger, sitting behind her sight
line, was making funny faces and sticking out her tongue while Sandra was
demanding the respect she felt she deserved.

   On that occasion, when she finally ran down, Ginger just announced
flatly that she was far easier to replace than the staff was.  Furthermore,
one more nasty word directed by Sandra at a staff member meant she was
history.  The message was received loud and clear.  From that moment to
this, there had been an uneasy truce while everyone waited for Mrs. 
Clifford to make her appearance.

   While she was woolgathering, the door opened slowly and a very beautiful
young woman walked in.  She looked around the reception room and was
obviously awed by what she saw.  Diffidently, she approached the reception
desk where Judy stood to greet her.  It was obvious that this girl was very
troubled about something.

   "Good afternoon, Miss.  Welcome to Clifford & Jamison.  How may we help
you?" Judy asked.

   The girl stuck out her hand and Judy took it in a very firm grip.  The
girl asked tremulously, "Is either Mr.  Clifford or Mr.  Jamison in?  I
don't have an appointment..." Then she looked straight at Judy who could
see tears at the corners of her brilliant blue eyes and finished, "But I
sure need a lawyer."

   Judy liked the girl on sight.  While she had been speaking, Judy had
been looking at her carefully.  She appeared to be about twenty years old
-- twenty-five at the outside.  In addition to her startling blue eyes, she
had the most glorious golden tan that Judy had ever seen, along with the
most beautiful golden-blonde hair.  Her hair was tied back in a pony tail.
All the girl was wearing was a pair of well-worn skin-tight Levi's and a
dungaree shirt with the sleeves rolled up.  Although the day was very hot,
Judy thought, the girl at least appeared cool.

   Judy came around from behind her desk and escorted her to an easy chair.
Standing next to her Judy realized that she was quite tall -- about as tall
as she was.  After seating her, she asked if she could get her a cup of
coffee or a cold drink while she waited.  The girl was now clutching her
hands together and politely declined.  Then she finally responded to the
girl's expressed desire to see a partner.  "Miss, I'm sorry, but Mrs. 
Clifford is out of the office this afternoon, but Miss Jamison is in. 
Would you like me to ask her to see you?"

   The girl's eyes seemed to light up with hope and she replied, "Oh, yes!
Please do."

   As kindly as she could, Judy asked, "Who shall I say wishes to see her?"

   "Oh, I'm terribly sorry!  My name is Allison.  I should have mentioned
it before." Looking somewhat more relaxed now, she added, "That was
thoughtless of me.  I guess I'm even more upset than I thought."

   Returning to her desk, Judy buzzed Ginger and told her that there was a
Miss Allison in the reception area to see her, adding that she did not have
an appointment.  Then she dropped her voice, masked her mouth with her
hand, and added, "Ginger, she really needs help!" Ginger said she would be
out at once.

   Ginger came out to the reception area wearing a very smart summer dress
that was very appropriate for business wear.  Judy muffled a grin,
realizing that the odds normally ran at least five to one that Ginger would
be wearing the same things that Miss Allison had on.

   As she went towards her, Miss Allison rose from the chair and put out
her hand saying, "Miss Jamison?  My name is Allison, and I need help..."

   What happened next utterly flabbergasted Judy.  Instead of taking her
hand, Ginger put her arms around the girl, lifted her off the ground and
just spun her around in a tight circle.  Then she realized the two girls
were howling with laughter.  When Ginger put her down, they just exchanged
hugs and kisses.

   Holding one of the young girl's hands in hers, she led her towards the
reception desk and said, "Judy, I would like you to meet our senior partner
and the founder of this firm, Allison McGrath Clifford." Turning to the
girl she said, "Ali, this is our receptionist, Judy Jeffries.  Isn't she
neat?"

   For Judy, it was all she could do to keep her jaw from dropping. 
Instead, she held out her hand.  Rather than taking her hand, after an
incredibly quick and graceful move, Ali was around the desk and taking her
in her arms.  When she did, Judy was conscious of Ali's beautiful natural
perfume as the woman hugged her and then kissed her softly.

   Only then did she release her and extend her hand saying, "Judy, you
could not possibly be any better!  That was as perfect a greeting as I
could imagine." Looking at her shrewdly, she added, "You told Ginger I
really needed help, didn't you?"

   Blushing, Judy stammered, "Yes, ma'am.  I mean, I'm sorry...  But..."

   Now Ali took both her hands in hers and looked steadily into Judy's
eyes. "Now, Judy, why are you sorry?  You saw a woman who looked like she
needed help.  That's a tremendous asset in a receptionist -- having a
person who can size up an individual and pass on the impression in just a
couple of words _without the person having even a hint that you said
anything._

   "You see, Judy, I'm an actress -- or was.  I was watching you very
carefully and the most you could have said were maybe three or four words.
I didn't see you and I didn't hear you.  It was just an informed guess. 
Everything else you did was utterly perfect, so I guessed you would do
that, too, and you did." Then Ali beamed the most brilliant smile that Judy
had ever seen and said, "Welcome, Judy Jeffries!  I am absolutely delighted
to have you working here."

   Then her face fell and she asked, "Judy, can you ever forgive me for
what I just did to you?  It was terribly mean of me, but honestly, it
wasn't a test.  You see, it was only when I was about to open the door that
I realized how ratty I looked,so..."

   Now it was Judy's turn to beam.  "Mrs.  Clifford, don't be ridiculous!
There's absolutely nothing to forgive." Turning to Ginger she said, "But
Mrs.  Conrad, I could have sworn you said Mrs.  Clifford is older than you
are.  I would swear you're older than she is by at least five years..."

   Ali interrupted by again taking Judy into her arms, hugging her, then
giving her the sweetest kiss full on the lips that Judy had ever
experienced.  "I adore her already, Ginger!  I really do." Then pretending
to glare at Judy she said, "As for you, young lady, flattery will get you
anything.  As an aging actress, I do appreciate the compliment, but I'm ten
years older than Ginger."

   With this revelation, Judy's jaw did drop.  "But you can't...  I mean
it's impossible...  There's no way..."

   "Of course!" Ali exclaimed.  "That's it!  Conrad, I knew it.  Charley
has been fucking your ass off to such an extent, you're aging.  It's not
me, it's you!  What Judy's trying to say is I look about five years younger
than you do which is a nice way of saying, partner, that you look to be on
the shady side offorty!"

   Ginger pretended to glare at Judy, then winked and took Ali by the arm
into the office area.  Judy just sank down onto her chair and shook her
head.  _That's Allison Clifford?  My God, she is the most beautiful thing
on two legs.  I thought Ginger was gorgeous, but she pales against Mrs. 
Clifford._ Judy shook her head and smiled to herself.  _Clifford & Jamison
is going to be even more fun than I thought._

   When they were in Ali's office, Ginger pushed her into her big chair
behind the desk and took a client chair for herself.  Then she turned Ali's
phone around, buzzed Kathy, and asked her to come into Mrs.  Clifford's
office.  When Kathy entered, Ali rose from her chair and came around the
desk to greet her.  When she got her first good look at Allison Clifford,
Kathy thought she had been hit over the head with a two-by-four.  She just
stopped and her jaw dropped.  "But...  but...  but you can't...  Imean..."

   Ali turned to Ginger who had broken up with laughter watching her
friend's behavior.  "Ginger, are you sure...  I mean, isn't a secretary
supposed to be able to talk..." Then she brightened and exclaimed, "Of
course!  How stupid of me.  We're hiring the handicapped!  Why didn't you
tell me, Ging?  I think it's a wonderful idea."

   Ginger finally got control of herself, rose and took Kathy by the hand.
"Ali, this is Katherine Hughes Carlson, our secretary.  Kathy, this is
Allison McGrath Clifford, Clifford & Jamison's senior -- and elder --
partner."

   Ali took the girl in her arms and hugged.  As she did she smelled the
natural perfume in Kathy's hair.  Then holding Kathy at arms length, she
studied her closely.  Finally, she shook her head and, while still looking
at her, asked Ginger, "Where, in heaven's name, do you find these beauties.
I think I love her, too." To Kathy's utter amazement, Ali took her in her
arms again and gave her the same warm and tender kiss she had given Judy.

   By now Kathy's head was spinning.  First she had seen a woman she would
have sworn was younger than she was; in fact, she was about thirteen years
older.  Then her beauty...  _My God,_ she thought, _Ginger was right!  Mrs.
Clifford's beauty *does* leave hers in the shade._ Then the embrace: when
she was held tightly, she got a whiff of the most exquisite natural perfume
in Mrs.  Clifford's hair.  The woman was literally breathtaking.  And
finally, her kiss: It was the warmest, most loving kiss Kathy could
imagine. _Right again, Ginger,_ Kathy thought.  _My God, I do love her at
least as much as I love you!_

   The rest of the day sped by in kaleidoscopic fashion.  The most
memorable elements were Ali and then Ginger stripping bare in the
conference room.  As beautiful as she looked dressed, standing naked, Ali
drew their breath away.  If anything, she looked even younger than she did
when fully dressed.  She was just a vision in shades of gold, except for
her eyes which were bluer than the Pacific.

   The second memorable element was when Ali disappeared into her office
with Sandra.  The girls were sitting with Ginger in the conference room
waiting for the explosion they were sure would come.  Ali had been drinking
Samuel Adams beer, while Sandra would drink only club soda.  They had taken
their glasses with them to Ali's office.

   Meanwhile, the girls picked at the hors d'oeuvres that Ali had ordered,
and just waited.  Ginger just flatly insisted that Ali would get Sandy
straightened out.  Glancing at her watch she said, "And it should be over
right about now." Just then, the phone in the conference room rang.  It was
Ali, ordering a very dry martini for Sandy.  Ginger just grinned and held
her thumb up saying, "I knew it!  _No one_ can resist Ali Clifford when she
sits down to reason with her.  _No one!"_

   A few minutes later, the two rejoined the group in the conference room.
The first words were from Sandra who said, "Hi, gang.  My name's Sandy
Harris and I want to apologize for being such an unmitigated shit!" Then
she looked around, found Joan Frederick and asked, "Joan, did you make my
martini?" Joan just nodded, not knowing how to react.

   The girl smiled the warmest smile they had ever seen from her and said,
"Joan, it was utterly spectacular!  If it wouldn't be too much trouble,
could you possibly make me another just like it?" The girls then crowded
around Joan to welcome her to the firm at long last.

   The next days were filled with Ali's action against Alliance Studios. 
The studio and its executives had organized and led a boycott against Ali,
who had starred in films ten years earlier, to keep her from working, and
even to deny her payment of her residual fees for her films that were still
playing on television.  In the process of serving the papers on Si
Goldberg, president of Alliance, he tried to attack Ali and she broke his
nose and left him semiconscious on the floor of his office.  A few days
later, he tried to attack her again in the courtroom.  This time, she used
a judo move and left him on the floor with a broken arm.

   A week after Ali had first appeared at the office, she came out of her
office, gathered up first Kathy and then Judy, and marched them down to the
health club claiming that she had to see for herself what Ginger was trying
to do.  When they were changing in the locker room and Ali was bare, Kathy
said, "Mrs.  Clifford..."

   "It's Ali, damn it!  Mrs.  Clifford is my husband's mother, but she's
dead." Glaring at Kathy she asked, "Did you buy that whip I told you to? 
We're going to have to do something about the slow learners..."

   The previous week Ali had tickled Kathy mercilessly on the conference
room floor, leaving her rolled up in a laughing ball.  This time Kathy
dropped to her knees, then bent forward so far that her forehead touched
the locker-room floor, and said, "Oh, Ali!  You're so kind.  As long as
it's just the whip...  It's the tickling I can't stand."

   Ali just grinned and shook her head.  When the girls went to the workout
room they were utterly astounded at the weight loading that Ali moved
routinely and with ease.  It was only then that they realized that Ali was
just satin-smooth skin over perfectly conditioned muscles.  Later, they had
a round-robin squash match which Ali won easily.  Then they went to the
pool and watched as Ali just pulled away from them as if they were just
floating on the water.  Kathy now knew enough about swimming to know that
Ali had an incredibly powerful kick.

   Finally, they were in the sun room.  While Kathy was relaxing, she saw
Ali studying her pubic patch.  It was small, but dense and curly, and now
bleached almost pure white from the sun.  Ali saw Kathy watching her and
grinned.  When Kathy asked what she was doing, Ali blushed and said she was
looking to see if there were any stray hairs that needed to be plucked.  It
was then that Ali told them of her overwhelming love for Bill Clifford, how
she spent her time trying to mold her body into a condition he could be
proud of, and to improve her appearance in any way possible.

   Then she smiled softly and said, "You see, Bill is one of the wealthiest
people in the world.  He has given me absolutely everything, beginning with
my life" She told them how she had been literally starving to death on the
day just a few months earlier when she first met him.  "Since then," she
said, "he has given me absolutely everything.  The only thing I can give
him is myself...  and my body." With a warm smile she added, "I guess this
is sort of like polishing the wedding silver.  There's no silver; just me."

   Judy just shook her head and said, "No silver, Ali, you're right.  You
are just pure gold!"

   Then Ali stretched and said, "Could I give you children a tip?  You see,
even though Bill and I were married in April and have slept together from
the first night, our marriage wasn't consummated until about a month ago
when we went out to Hawaii." She then smiled the warmest smile either girl
had ever seen and continued, "The tip?  I picked it up from Ginger's
mother, Barbara.  I try everything I can think of to increase Bill's sexual
pleasure.  The result?  I continually increase my own.  Nothing is more fun
for me than trying to find something that will increase Bill's sexual
enjoyment.  I always enjoy it even more than he does."

   Thinking of her recent experience with Ken, all Kathy could think was,
_Amen!_*Chapter 8*

   Now that Ken was working for Higgins Construction, their life together
established a pattern, but it was one quite different from the way it had
been before.  In the beginning, Ken was arriving home first, since
construction work normally ended at four o'clock.  Kathy would usually
arrive home while Ken was in the shower.  As soon as he came out to the
bedroom, Kathy would insist that he lie on the bed while she massaged his
aching muscles.  She would always begin on his back, shoulders and upper
arms, and would always end with him on his back while she worked on his
massive thigh muscles.  Normally she would take the opportunity to caress
his prick and balls with fingers that were feather-light, in contrast to
her fingers of steel that she used on his heavy muscles.

   Invariably, Ken would be asleep before she finished.  After kissing him
softly, she would pull the covers up to his neck, turn out the light and go
to the kitchen to make dinner.  This was another change.  Although Ken had
never spoken of it, it was clear to her that he took on himself much of the
blame for her never having cooked.  Realizing that he should have answered
her questions regarding what he liked and disliked far more honestly than
he had, he vowed it would never happen again.  After all, it was only
because he had raved about atrocious canned chili that she served it to
him.

   As a result, although it was all he could do to fry an egg himself, he
quickly developed a gastronome's palate.  Kathy insisted on serving him
each dish while on her knees beside him.  He would take a small bite and
just savor it.  Now, though, he would ask if it could be a bit spicier, or
a touch more mild, or modified in some other way.  When she brought out her
own food, they would debate the pros and cons of recipe modifications. 
When they finished dinner -- and so far, Kathy had never made the same dish
twice -- it was her turn to take a nap on the sofa while Ken did the dishes
and cleaned up.

   When he finished, he would go into the living room, turn out all the
lights and then pick Kathy up from the sofa as if she were a feather. 
After gently laying her on the bed, he would undress her, slip off his
bathrobe, and then begin caressing her body.  After the first few times,
Kathy tried to pretend to still be sleeping.  It was fun for both of them
to see how much stimulation she could take before her eyes would pop open,
and she would jump into his arms.  Their sex life was now wild and
wonderful for them both.  Ken could not get over the way in which Kathy
could move her body while he had her impaled on his rigid cock.  Her
behavior was not like anything he had ever heard of, least of all
experienced.

   After a couple of weeks of work, the project -- the foundation and
related work on a massive high-rise office building -- began falling behind
schedule.  This resulted in heavy overtime being scheduled, so for the
first time Kathy arrived home before Ken did.  When he opened the door the
first night, Kathy almost cried.  Poor Ken looked utterly exhausted as well
as being filthy.  With a cry she ran to his arms and mashed her body
against his, completely ignoring the filth.

   Then she took him into the kitchen to undress him so as not to get the
filth all over everything.  Only then did she realize she had done no
washing for him since he had started his construction job.  Obviously, he
had come home, put his filthy clothes in the washing machine and then taken
a shower, all before she gothome.

   When she had him undressed, she took him by the hand into the bathroom.
In seconds she had stripped off her own clothes and turned on the shower,
getting in it with him.  This was something they had never done before,
either.  They had never shared the bathroom, let alone shared a shower.  By
this point Ken was so groggy with fatigue he allowed himself to be led. 
The first thing Kathy did was to ask him to kneel so she could wash his
hair and then carefully wash his face and scrub his neck.  When that was
completed to her satisfaction, she asked him to stand and began to soap his
body.

   For Kathy, it was a wonderful new experience as she ran her hands over
his powerfully-muscled upper body, scrubbing as she went.  Because of his
body hair, she was thrilled to see the soap lather up on him as she just
worked lower.  Carefully she lathered his massive sex and then rinsed him
off.  Now, as she got down to his legs, she was kneeling and running her
hands over his hard-muscled thighs and buttocks.

   Doing it brought her face close to his sex which was now quiescent. 
Kathy stopped and just looked.  It was the first time she had ever seen the
male sex organ in anything other than its fully erect state.  Leaning
forward, she kissed the tip, then just looked at it.  _It is like a
pink-headed ice-cream cone,_ she thought.

   While she continued to look, it began to increase in size in reaction to
her tender kiss.  Now she was very interested.  With one hand she tenderly
cupped his balls -- or tried too; they were too large for only one hand. 
Then she began to run her tongue over it as if it were the ice-cream cone
it reminded her of.  Meanwhile, the shower water continued to pour over
them both.  When she glanced up she saw that Ken's eyes were closed while
he leaned against the corner of the enclosure and just enjoyed the
exquisite sensation she was creating.

   She remembered Ginger talking of taking Charley, and Ali, of taking
Bill. _If they can do it,_ she thought, _I sure can!_ With that, she took
the head fully into her mouth.  Only then did she realize that she didn't
know what she was supposed to be doing.  Thinking about it for a moment,
she quickly realized that her mouth was substituting for her cunt so she
behaved accordingly, moving it in and out while running her tongue over as
much of it as she could reach when it was inside her.  As Ken's cock
continued to expand in size, she realized she could scarcely get its head
in her mouth; clearly, there must be something more.

   Then Kathy realized that the only way she could possibly take his full
length was to take him in her throat.  Lining up her throat, she took him
in.  Astonishingly, it worked.  Then she used the same slow strokes on him
that he usually used on her.

   Now Ken's eyes were open again and he watched in utter amazement as his
wife took his massive organ into her mouth for its entire length.  He
couldn't figure out how she could.  Moreover, when it was fully inside,
somehow she even managed to get her tongue past his massive organ to lick
his balls.  At the same time, she was using both hands gently to knead his
sac.

   When he could feel his release coming and started to withdraw, Kathy
would have none of it.  Clamping her lips around his base, she sucked with
all her might and at the same time squeezed his balls.  Ken exploded. 
Breathing through her nose, Kathy swallowed as fast as she could.  It was
only then that she realized there was no taste sensation because the head
of his cock was so far past the flavor sensors in her mouth and tongue. 
Finally, his spasms subsided and she gently withdrew her mouth, sucking as
she did.

   With its head now in her mouth, she gently ran her tongue over its pink
tip and tasted the syrup for the first time.  Taking it out completely, she
just looked and then daintily licked off the last drop forming on it.

   Only then did she look up at him, with the water now pouring directly on
her face.  "Did you like it, darling?" she asked tremulously.  "I realized
I don't have the foggiest idea of what I was doing, but did you like it?"

   "It was utterly spectacular!" he exclaimed.  Then, with his concern
audible in his voice, he asked, "But why, on earth, did you do it?  You
could have choked to death."

   "Because I thought it might give you pleasure, my husband," she answered
simply.  "I'm very glad that it did, too."

   Then Ken took her under her armpits and lifted her up.  He wrapped his
arms around her and melted his lips to hers.  When he extended his tongue
to enter her mouth, he realized she was resisting.  He forced her mouth
open and explored it with his tongue, tasting, as he did, his own cum that
was still there.  As he tasted it, he just squeezed her harder to show her
that he loved it.  With that reassurance, she began to probe his mouth with
her tongue at the same time.

   Finally, their mouths parted, and Ken whispered, "Wife, why should you
have all the fun?  Give me your soap." When she did, he repeated on her
what she had done to him.  For the first time he realized the extent to
which Kathy now had an overall tan and looked utterly gorgeous.  Moreover,
when he soaped her tits he realized how firm they were now -- anything but
the soft whipped cream they had been.  Then he made her kneel in the tub
while he shampooed her lovely hair.  As he did, he realized that there was
a natural wave that just became more pronounced with her hair wet. 
Finally, he had her stand up while he went to his knees in the tub.  For
the first time he realized there was no fat anymore.  When he squeezed her
buns, her pelvis involuntarily thrust forward, putting her crotch in his
face.

   Ken took advantage of the opportunity.  Using his fingers, he gently
spread her labia revealing what he thought was probably her clitoris.  He
was amused thinking that Kathy's lessons hadn't gotten that far, yet.  He
stuck out his tongue and began to lick it, then moved closer and gently bit
it.

   When he did, Kathy let out an involuntary scream and immediately had an
orgasmic seizure.  The result was that when his tongue began to penetrate
up her vagina, he encountered the wonderful taste of her love juices
flowing.  When Ken realized that he could create a similar sensation with
his tongue and teeth as he could with his cock, his fatigue disappeared. 
Now he concentrated on bringing Kathy to a similar orgasmic peak.  After
minutes, he succeeded.  He realized he had to hold her tight - he was
gripping her buns with both hands -- to keep her from either slipping away
or falling.  Finally, with a wordless shriek, she came in a flood.  As fast
as he could, he sucked and licked up all of her succulent love juices. 
Remarkably, again Kathy passed out and fell limply over his shoulder.

   Grinning to himself, he shut off the water and lifted Kathy out. 
Holding her up with one arm, he used the other carefully to towel off her
body.  On his knees in the bathroom, now out from behind the light
diffusion created by the shower glass, he saw her body in bright light and
realized how truly beautiful she had made herself.  When she was reasonably
dry, he carried her into the bedroom and carefully laid her on the bed. 
Returning to the bathroom, he found a box of bath powder he had given her
the preceding Christmas that she had never even opened.  He opened it and
gently powdered what he thought to be the most appropriate places on her
body.  Then he got a towel, quickly dried himself, and joined her in bed.
Putting her head on his shoulder, he cupped her now-firm tit in his big
hand and turned off thelight.

   It was almost midnight when Kathy awakened.  Fortunately, the lights
were still on in the living rooms of the apartment so she was not
completely in the dark.  She stretched and then snuggled even closer to
Ken. Only then did she get a whiff of the perfumed powder on her body and
smiled, realizing what he had done.  Carefully extracting herself from his
hand, she slipped out to the kitchen to make dinner.  Fortunately, she was
serving beef bourguignonne.  As she expected, by the time it was ready, its
aroma had penetrated Ken's sleep and he appeared in the kitchen looking
like a bear just awakening after its hibernation -- and as hungry as one.

   She had made plenty and delighted in the way Ken went through seconds
and then thirds.  Kathy decided there were few things as gratifying to her
personally as feeding a hungry man.  Because of the late hour -- it was
already after one -- she did not make coffee.

   Rather, she just poured a second round of burgundy wine, then smiled at
him and asked, "Do you approve?"

   "Darling, it was utterly spectacular," he exclaimed, but then said, "Of
course, it's not up to the standard of the appetizer you served."

   For an instant Kathy was puzzled, but then grinned and said, "Fool! 
That was my cunt."

   "I know," he replied happily.  "Do you ever serve it as a main course?
How about spices?  It's lovely, but a bit on the bland side...  What could
be done to add piquancy, I wonder...?" Then he brightened and exclaimed,
"Tabasco!  That's it.  That would make it perfect: just a few drops of
Tabasco." They continued to chat and later agreed that in view of the hour,
the dishes could wait until the next day.

   When they were back in bed, Kathy was on her back with her legs spread
wide.  To his utter shock, she gave him a bottle of Tabasco pepper sauce
and used her long fingers to part her labia, exposing her clit.  "A drop or
two on my clit?" she asked.  "If that works, I'll lift my pelvis so you can
pour some into my vagina."

   Ken started to laugh and then stopped short.  _My God!_ he thought,
_she's serious.  She's fully prepared for me to pour vinegar and the
hottest pepper on the most sensitive spot in her entire body!_ Suddenly it
penetrated that everything she had been telling him for weeks was literally
true.  She would do absolutely anything to him, with him, or -- in this
case -- to herself, as long as she thought it might increase his pleasure.
Ken found it the most humbling thought that had ever crossed his mind.

   He looked into her eyes and found an expression of intense love as she
waited for him to sear her cunt.  Then Ken had an idea.  He shook his head
and said, "Honey, not at this time of night.  I have a better idea."

   Jumping out of bed he took the bottle of Tabasco out of Kathy's hand and
went out to the kitchen.  Looking in the refrigerator he found what he had
remembered seeing: a pressurized container of whipped cream.  Grinning, he
grabbed it and a bottle of cocktail cherries and returned to the bedroom.
With the containers behind his back he looked at his wife lying on her back
with her legs still spread wide.  Looking at her, he realized how
incredibly beautiful she was as she just waited patiently for his return.

   "Darling, the timing's all wrong.  Let's face it: we just had a
marvelous dinner -- thank you again, darling.  What did I miss?  Dessert!
Woman, I am eating you for dessert.  Now part those lower lips."

   Kathy was puzzled but immediately did as he asked.  Then he sat on the
bed beside her and shook the can of whipped cream.  The instant he did,
Kathy knew what he was planning to do and began to giggle.  Nevertheless,
she held her labia spread wide with the tips of her long fingers.  With as
much delicacy as he could manage, Ken squirted the whipped cream the length
of her slit, then built it up in twin mounds.  Kathy's giggles had given
way to laughter, but still she didn't move.

   In spite of screaming, "Ken!  It's so cold," she didn't move a muscle.
He sat back and admired his artistry, then uncapped the jar of cherries and
carefully put one on top of each whipped-cream mound.

   "Woman," he declared, "you may not like cherries, but I do!  Now hold
still, although you can move your hands away now." He knelt between her
widespread legs and picked up one cherry between his teeth and then the
other.  Each time he did, he straightened so Kathy could see him crush the
cherry with his teeth.  As he savored them, he just looked at his wife and
realized how incredibly lucky he was.  She was lying back on two pillows,
laughing and giggling, yet at the same time not moving a muscle in her
lower body that could disturb his "dessert".

   With the cherries gone, Ken focused his attention on the whipped cream
which he ate first with his lips, then with his tongue.  As he got down in
the mound, he lifted his head and said, "Now I get to the ice cream!" Sure
enough, the taste of whipped cream was now flavored with her love juices.
Guessing where her clit was -- it was still covered with whipped cream --
he bit down at what proved to be the right spot.  The instant his teeth
made contact, Kathy shuddered in orgasm, yet still tried to keep her loins
as still as possible.  Then Ken began to chase the remains of the whipped
cream in all of her crevices, carefully licking behind her lips.

   Somehow, he realized, it wasn't quite right.  He thought about it for a
moment, then put her legs over his shoulders.  When he did, he heard her
cry in delight as she crossed her ankles behind his head to maintain her
position.  Now he had unobstructed access and took advantage of it.  He
alternately licked her slit and probed her vagina with his tongue, while at
the same time watching her reactions closely.

   She was cuming with greater frequency, now, and screaming, "Eat me!  Oh
God, Darling, eat my cunt.  Oh, Ken!  This is so wonderful!" Soon, the
words faded away to happy sounds and then she just began to scream
incoherently as the incredible pleasure mounted in her cunt.

   After what seemed like minutes of continuous orgasm, he bit down on her
clit.  With a scream, Kathy uncorked a flood of vaginal juices and passed
out.  After carefully licking her dry, he moved up in the bed beside her,
placed her head on his shoulder, turned out the light and cupped her tit.
When he did, he felt it and realized again how firm it now was.  As he went
off to sleep, Ken realized it was the first night in weeks he had not
fucked his beautiful wife.

   * * *

   After a couple of weeks of overtime, progress on the construction
project was still behind schedule so Higgins ordered Saturday work.  On the
first overtime Saturday, Ken awakened at five o'clock.  Realizing he still
had some time before he needed to get up, instead of squeezing Kathy's tit
he gently pulled her closer to him.  When he did, he saw her smile in her
sleep and try to snuggle her body even closer to his.  At the same time he
heard a warm, happy sound come from deep in her body.

   Although it was not yet sunrise, it was after dawn and enough light was
coming into the bedroom for Ken to see.  He just looked at his wife and
marveled.  He remembered her comment of some weeks earlier -- she needed to
be in condition to be an appropriate consort to him.  Looking at her now,
he wondered how he could ever be so lucky.  With her eyes closed, he became
aware of how long and dense her eyelashes were.  Her lips were full and
firm, yet a bright red without lipstick.  Turning his head carefully, he
was able to smell the wonderful clean smell of her hair and the beautiful
natural perfume of her body.  He dozed off again until the alarm went off
at six.

   To his surprise, Kathy got up, too.  Not content to head for the
kitchen, she was in the shower while he was shaving.  When he finished, he
got in with her and squeezed her wonderfully full soap-slickened tit. 
Kathy grinned, but quickly got out of the shower.

   After shaving and dressing he went into the kitchen and stopped dead in
his tracks.  Kathy was standing at the range wearing heavy dungarees, a
work shirt and safety-toed work boots.  She folded his omelette out on a
plate and immediately made one for herself.  "What are you doing, woman of
the house?" he demanded.

   "Making your breakfast, husband," she replied nonchalantly.

   "In work boots?" he exclaimed.

   "Since I'm going to work with you, I thought OSHA required them.  Or did
I waste my money?"

   Ken was utterly baffled.  Clearly, Kathy intended to go to work with
him, and it was much too close to the time he had to leave to argue with
her.  When they left the apartment, she was lugging an insulated picnic
cooler.  As they drove to the site, Ken spoke to her for the first time
about his job.  He told her that the foreman, Tony Rossi, didn't like him.
In fact, he didn't like him at all.  As a result, Ken was always given the
very worst jobs to do.  Kathy just listened but said nothing.

   After they parked the car and walked towards the job site, Kathy saw a
big man, about six feet tall, watching them.  She noted that his hard hat
was a different color from rest of the men's.  _Probably the foreman,
Rossi,_ she thought.

   Tony Rossi watched the tall couple approach and didn't like what he saw.
Instinctively, seeing the way they moved together, he knew that the girl
was Carlson's wife.  His instinct was to just order her off the job, but
then he thought better of it.  Only the day before, Mike Higgins had taken
him aside and asked him to lay off riding Carlson.  Higgins pointed out
that the kid was doing a great job

   Moreover, he said that Tony was probably jealous because, even though he
was the newest man on the job, it was obvious that the other men looked up
to him and took direction from him.  Carlson is a natural-born leader,
Rossi realized.  Reflecting on the conversation, Mike thought that running
Carlson's woman off the site wouldn't be too smart, even though he and Mike
Higgins were very close.

   When Carlson introduced his wife, Mike looked at her steadily and
realized what an incredibly beautiful woman she was.  _This might even be
fun,_ he thought.  When Ken asked if his wife could do something around the
job, Rossi was ready for him.  He said sure, and told Kathy to get started
by cleaning all the latrines.  There were eight on the site, all portables.
Even though the company that provided them regularly emptied them, they
were almost never cleaned.  The woman just smiled and asked where she could
find the cleaning materials.  Rossi smiled to himself thinking the girl
would retch and run off the site after going into the first one.  The fact
was that the smell inside was overpowering, stinking of shit and urine.  He
had to admit that some of the guys weren't too careful.

   Other problems absorbed his interest and he forgot about Kathy.  About
an hour later he saw her approaching, wiping her forehead with her shirt
sleeve.  He was surprised that she was still around, and utterly amazed at
what she said when she reached him: "Thank you, Mr.  Rossi, for giving me a
real job to do.  You were right, sir, they certainly needed cleaning.  If
an inspector from OSHA or the health department came by they might have
closed the job down."

   Then she smiled and added, "I took the liberty of calling the service
that supplies those things.  I gave them hell and told them they needed to
be emptied at least twice as often as they have been.  Would you like to
take a look?"

   Rossi went with her to the first one and opened the door.  It was
absolutely spotless inside, probably for the first time since it came out
of the factory, Rossi thought.  The only smell was disinfectant, and Kathy
pointed out that there was a deodorant container mounted in an inside
corner that she had refilled.  Then she asked what he wanted her to do
next. Rossi gave her a couple of other unpleasant jobs which occupied her
for the rest of the morning.

   By the time the lunch whistle blew, Kathy already knew that there was no
personal privacy to be had on the site except for the portable toilets. 
Since she had almost become violently ill from the stench, she didn't want
to use them, but at the same time she wanted to be reasonably clean for
lunch with Ken.  Much earlier in the morning she had stripped off her work
shirt and was only wearing a tank-top which was now sweat-soaked and
filthy.

   Hearing the whistle, Rossi looked up and saw Kathy with her back to the
men, strip off her top and then stretch.  Reaching into the cooler beside
her, she took out a clean top and put it on.  As she did Rossi noticed
something odd about her back.  Only after she had the clean top on did he
realize what it was: there were no strap marks on her back at all.  There
was just an all-over tan.  His own lunch forgotten, he just continued to
watch her.

   Finding a stack of lumber, Kathy carefully placed a cloth on it and then
set up their lunch.  When Ken joined her, she began to serve him and then
herself from a seemingly endless supply of food that she continued to take
from the cooler.  From his distance, Rossi couldn't see what the food was,
but it certainly wasn't ham and cheese sandwiches, and it certainly looked
attractive on the plates she served on.  The scene reminded Tony of a
couple on a picnic in the country.  What was particularly interesting was
the way in which the young people were wrapped up in one another and
apparently oblivious to both their surroundings and the other people.

   With only a few minutes to go before the back-to-work whistle blew,
Kathy had everything cleaned up and back in the chest.  Ken carried it back
to the car and put it away while she walked beside him keeping him company.
Just before the whistle, Ken took her in his arms and the two seemed to
melt together in an endless kiss.  When the whistle blew, they reluctantly
separated and went back to work.

   Seeing that he could not discourage her with obnoxious tasks, he tried
physically demanding ones.  He asked her to move lumber - long four-by-tens
used to shore up trenches.  She merely nodded, put on heavy work gloves and
began to carry them from one place and pile them up at the new one.  As she
lifted the heavy lumber, he could see muscles in her thighs bulge with the
strain, but she did it.  When the task was completed, she reported back to
him.  He noticed that her tank top, clean at lunch time, was filthy again.
Moreover, he could see her nipples standing proudly under the
now-sweat-soaked garment.  Nevertheless, she seemed completely unconcerned.
Checking his watch he realized she had completed the task at least as fast
as all but the fastest and most experienced men on his crew would have.

   Deciding that drastic measures were called for, he took aside a man who
the union had sent over that morning as a temporary replacement.  Rossi
knew him only by reputation but his reputation was very bad.  After
speaking to him briefly, the man accosted Kathy and told her he wanted to
take her behind the lumber pile and fuck her.  She smiled nicely and told
him to find someone else.  When the man persisted with even more repulsive
language and then grabbed her arm, she smacked him across the face with her
open palm so hard almost everyone working on the noisy job site turned to
see what had happened.  As they did, they saw the man lunge at Kathy.  This
time she lashed out with her booted right foot and buried it in his groin.
The man screamed and fell to the ground holding his mangled balls.  Kathy
went about her business as if nothing had happened.

   Ken, who had been one of the people who turned at the sound of the slap,
just shook his head slowly, appreciating his wife's performance.  Although
he couldn't be sure, he thought Tony might have had something to do with
it. In his own case he suspected Tony of putting two men up to picking a
fight with him soon after he started on the job.  The first man to jump him
was on the receiving end of one of Ken's short rights.  He was knocked
unconscious.  The other jumped on Ken's back and ended up only a moment
later on the ground with a dislocated shoulder.  Tony ruefully admitted to
himself that both Carlsons were fully capable of taking care of themselves.

   The episode of the portable toilets was not over yet.  Shortly before
quitting time, a man approached Tony, showed a badge, and introduced
himself as a health-department inspector.  He was on the site responding to
a union-filed complaint alleging that the toilets were unacceptably filthy
and unsanitary -- a major health hazard.  After inspecting them, though,
the man said, he had never seen such clean units outside of the factory
where they were made.  With a big smile he even promised to try to get a
citation for cleanliness issued to Higgins Construction.

   His only comment -- confirming what Kathy had told him that morning --
was that he should contact the company and have them empty the units more
often.  Even then, he didn't stop.  Clearly, this was a man with a mission
and one who enjoyed his work.  He told Tony stories of violations he had
uncovered and penalties invoked.  It was all Tony could do to keep from
turning grey when the man described one situation that had resulted in a
two-week job shutdown.  He realized that the conditions on his site that
morning were at least twice as bad as those the inspector described.

   On the way home that evening, Ken complained bitterly about Tony
assigning her such a disgusting job.  Kathy replied, "Look, damn it!  If
Ken Carlson can dig ditches, his wife isn't above getting her lily-whites
in some shit.  Ken, I don't have nearly the strength you have, but it
doesn't take a lot of strength to clean up shit.  If you can dig ditches, I
sure as hell can clean up the shit!"

   Once again Ken was seeing a facet of Kathy that was new to him. 
Thinking back to what she had said about living in a wallow as long as he
could make love to her, he thought, My God!  I think she really would._

   * * *

   Kathy continued with her Saturday work.  To her surprise and Ken's, when
she reported the following Saturday, Tony told her that the boss had put
her on the payroll.  Then, with his face red, he told her about the health
inspector and what he had said.  "Mrs.  Carlson, you prevented the job from
being closed down for a minimum of two weeks."

   Then with his face becoming even redder, he asked Kathy if she would
inspect and supervise the portable toilets.  She agreed instantly and took
on the maintenance of them personally.  When Tony protested, saying that
she was supposed to assign the cleaning work to others, she shook her head
firmly and told him what she had told Ken the previous week: She wasn't
strong enough to do many of the jobs on the site, but she didn't need to be
strong to clean up shit.

   Finding the units about to overflow again, she called the service
company.  Having reviewed their contract with Higgins, she pointed out
that, first, they were in breach of contract with respect to frequency of
emptying and in three other material respects.  Second, if the condition
was not corrected by Monday noon, latest, the contract would be canceled
Finally, she informed the man that she had obtained three other bids from
reputable contractors all of which were much lower in price than theirs. 
That being the case, she really hoped the company didn't do anything
because she would love to cancel them out.  Subsequently, that's exactly
what she did do.

   One evening, Ken brought home a stack of contracts.  Learning that he
was in law school, Tony asked him to look at the draft contract for the job
they were working on.  Kathy was amazed to learn that Higgins was working
without a signed contract.  Even though they were performing against it,
the final contract was still being negotiated.

   Ken was surprised at the contract draft's massive size, given that
Higgins' part of the project was quite straightforward.  Moreover, Tony
gave him a number of other contracts in the files going back in time.  When
he reviewed the contracts with Kathy, he pointed out that, although the
work in each one was very similar, the contract size seemed to get bigger
each time.

   Kathy took the current contract proposal to work and made a copy.  She
concluded that, first, it tried to handle every conceivable eventuality,
and, second, seemed to imply that the other contracting party was a crook
and out to screw Higgins Construction.  She spent some time on her computer
and finally came up with a two-page letter that covered all the same
points. Making a copy on the laser printer, she put it in her purse and
then forgot about it.*Chapter 9*

   It was late on a Saturday morning in August when the main trunk sewer
let go.  The Higgins company was digging a utilities trench to be used to
connect the new building with the utilities in the street.  Although the
trench paralleled the sewer line, it was several feet away from it.  It
proved to be too close.  Unbeknownst to anyone, the sewer was already near
collapse before their work ever began.  Although there was no frost in Los
Angeles there was the constant pounding of motor vehicle traffic on the
roadway above the sewer.  While the pavement absorbed most of the movement
and the subsoil much of the rest, over time the damage was done and the
iron sewer pipe weakened.  All it needed was one additional condition.

   That condition was met when the Higgins trench was dug.  Although
four-by-ten shoring was used to support the trench, it could not possibly
be as strong as the unbroken subsoil -- and wasn't.  While before the
trench was dug, the compacted subsoil maintained the sewer's integrity with
external pressure, with the trench dug the pressure was relieved and some
movement became possible.  It started as a small leak.  The water soaked
the dry subsoil and thus it could shift more easily.  Slowly the leak
became larger until that Saturday morning when the massive pipe let go.

   Ken Carlson and a group of men were digging at the bottom of the trench.
It was ten feet deep, four feet wide, and shored up on both walls with
four-by-tens.  The first hint of trouble came when one of the men slipped
on mud -- mud that should not have been there.  There had been no rain and
the subsoil they had been digging in was very dry.

   Sensing a problem, Ken immediately ordered the crew out of the trench
and went to find Tony Rossi.  Rossi was already on his way over to find out
what was going on, having seen the men scrambling up the two ladders to get
out.  When Ken explained what he had seen, Rossi went down the ladder to
see for himself.  He was bent over to get close enough to smell the dirt.
Although he was not conscious of any odor, he had a sixth sense that told
him there was one.

   Suddenly, with a rush, some shoring timbers on the sewer side of the
trench shifted inward.  An instant later, there was a flow of sewer water
into the trench that steadily increased in volume.  As it rapidly filled
the bottom of the trench and started rising up Tony's leg, Ken saw the
man's right leg at an unnatural angle while his foot was trapped between
two of the shifted timbers.

   Already, with the shift of the timbers, the trench had narrowed from
four feet down to less than two.  It was Tony's shout for help that brought
Kathy running over.  In a few sentences Ken told her about Tony's trapped
foot and probable broken leg.  The man appeared to be unconscious.  She was
looking down into the trench and could see that the level of the putrid
sewer water was already up to his chest.

   Before Ken could do anything, she had stripped off her boots, all of her
clothes, and climbed down the ladder, taking a rope end with her.  Moving
sideways, she found there was just enough room for her, but not nearly
enough for any of the men.  Quickly, she looped the line under Tony's
armpits and tied a bowline.  Calling up, she told the men above to maintain
an even, but light, strain.  Then she climbed part-way up the ladder and
asked for a very sharp, strong knife.  When she did, Ken was almost
sickened at the sight of her body now covered up to her tits with stinking
sewage.

   When she was given a knife, she quickly tested the blade and found it
was very sharp.  It was a strong-bladed hunting knife - perfect for what
she needed.  Descending the ladder, she found the water was now up to her
neck.  She could feel all manner of sewage being washed against her body
but ignored it.

   Checking on Tony quickly, she found his head lolling forward and he was
still unconscious.  After filling her lungs with air, she quickly jack
knifed her body and went down head-first to the bottom of the trench.  She
kept her eyes closed to try to protect them from the filth; since the water
was the consistency of wet feces, there was nothing to be seen anyway.  As
carefully as possible, she felt her way down his leg and found the boot. 
Ken had been right.  There was a chance that only the boot was trapped
between the timbers.  She eased the blade of the knife into the top of
Tony's heavy work boot and started to cut as quickly as she could.

   There were three reasons for her speed.  First, she would quickly run
out of air; second, Tony would soon drown if not quickly removed from the
trench; and third, the most frightening reason of them all: Kathy knew,
even if all the men did not, that the shoring would soon give way entirely
under the onslaught of the rushing water.  If it did, both she and Tony
would be crushed.  After completing one cut and with her lungs searing with
pain, she shot to the surface.  As carefully as she could she wiped her
eyes and pulled back her hair before trying to open her eyes.

   When she broke the surface, Ken's heart was chilled seeing his beloved
wife covered with the sewer effluent; moreover, Ken, too, realized the
danger of the imminent collapse of the trench.  Kathy was now an all-over
shit brown.  She gasped for breath and, as quickly as she could, refilled
her lungs.  As she did, she quickly told him what she planned.

   Then she dove again and quickly made two more vertical cuts from the top
of his boot down to the sole.  Thinking it was now or never and ignoring
any possible further damage to his leg, she grabbed him by the ankle and
exerted superhuman effort to pull his foot free of the trapped boot.  Just
as she was about to give up, it popped loose.  Shooting to the surface of
the water -- it was now nearly level with the surface of the ground -- she
yelled to the men to pull.  After only two gasps of air, she dove again to
try to prevent Tony's now fully-submerged body from hanging up on any
obstruction as they lifted him out.  Finally he was at the surface and
Kathy was with him.

   Ken reached out his hand and she took it, pulling herself out of the
trench.  Going to where the men were handling the rope, she told them how
to get him out.  With men holding him under each armpit, they lifted him
clear.  Just as he was on solid ground the rest of the shoring gave way
with a thunderous crash.  She ordered the crew as far away from the trench
as possible as the earth between the trench and the sewer began to settle.

   When they had Tony on his back, completely ignoring the kind of water he
had swallowed, Kathy began to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.  She
did it exactly the way Judy had taught her, first clearing his mouth and
getting his tongue clear.  It seemed like she had been working for hours
when Tony began to choke.  Lifting his shoulders, she smacked him on his
back.

   When she did, he began to vomit up the rest of the sewage he had
swallowed.  Looking around, she didn't see any of the emergency medical
technicians who should have been at the scene by now.  Ken told her that
the sewer collapse had apparently spread and screwed up a number of main
streets.  She just nodded quickly and asked for the big first aid kit.  She
thanked God that, as a part of her work, she had taken inventory and
restocked the missing items.  When she had inventoried the kit, fewer than
one-third of the items that were supposed to be included were in it.

   Ken opened it and she asked for an emergency leg splint.  It was like an
open-topped frame into which the leg could be placed.  When taped, it held
the leg in position for transport.  Ken took it out but didn't know what
Kathy intended to do.  He found out in short order.  Taking the sharp knife
she still had in her hand, she slit Rossi's trouser leg from the cuff to
his thigh and then cut it off completely.  Looking at his injured leg, she
thanked God that it was not a compound fracture.  If the broken bone had
penetrated the skin, the chance of his surviving the resulting inevitable
infection would have been remote.  After telling Ken to stand by with the
splint, she put her bare foot in Tony's crotch, held his ankle with both
hands, and began to pull.  Now, all of his muscle mass worked against him.
It was clear that the bone ends were now overlapped with the natural muscle
tension working to increase the amount of overlap.

   After taking several deep breaths, Kathy began to pull on the ankle. 
Now Ken knew what she was doing and was utterly amazed as muscles in her
legs and shoulders stood out from the strain.  At first there was no
reaction, but then, very slowly, her intense but steady pressure took
effect.  Her body was shaking from the strain, but she did not ease up. 
While she pulled, she kept a careful eye on the alignment of the foot to
the body to try to ensure that the bones, when they did come together,
would be in proper alignment.

   Then she felt a click and could see Tony apparently relax even though he
was still unconscious.  "Now!" she yelled, and Ken slipped the frame into
position and quickly taped the leg in place.  Only then did Kathy let go.

   When she did, her body began to shudder from the released strain.  She
just sat on the ground, unable to move.  However, she called out, "If
there's a hose handy, I would appreciate it if someone could hose Tony and
me off."

   One was quickly produced, and she told the men how to hose off Tony. 
She took the hose herself and tenderly washed his face and hair.  Only when
she was satisfied with Tony's condition did she allow it to be aimed at
her. The first thing she did was just to duck her head and let the cold
water run through her hair.  While she was still sitting in the mud, the
man directed the spray at her face, her neck, and then down her body.  As
the muck was washed off, it became increasingly clear what a magnificent
body she had.  Finally, she took a deep breath and got unsteadily to her
feet.  Totally ignoring her nakedness, she used her fingers in the water
stream to rinse her pubic patch, then bent over and asked that it be run in
her hair again.  This time she worked her fingers through her hair to try
to get rid of the sewage that was trapped in it.  Although Kathy did not
know exactly what it was that was coming out of her hair, she had no wish
to know either.  Finally, she closed her eyes and asked the man holding the
hose to concentrate on her face and ears.

   Only then did she turn around and look for Ken.  He was standing with a
blanket beside the man holding the hose.  Going to him, he wrapped the
blanket around her and held her tight, then lifted her chin.  "No, Ken! 
Please don't.  You'll get sick..."

   "Tough," he interrupted softly and kissed her lips.  Again she tried to
keep her lips closed, but he overcame her resistance.  When their tongues
touched, there was the same electricity, but this time it was almost
overpowering in its intensity.  He hugged her tight and could feel her
wriggling her body under the blanket to mold herself even closer to him.

   When he relaxed, she began to cry.  "Oh God, Ken!  Please hold me," she
cried.  Then she began to sob like her heart would break.  "I was so
scared..."

   She looked up in astonishment as Ken began to laugh.  Then he swept her
off her feet and carried her to a stack of lumber.  He sat down and rested
her across his lap while still holding her tightly.  Incredibly, his
laughter just grew in intensity while Kathy looked at him as if he had lost
his mind.  She was almost sure that he had.

   Finally regaining control somewhat, he explained, while still laughing,
"Do you know what you just did, wife?  You go into a trench filled with
rotten sewage, stark naked.  Why?  Because you saw in an instant that no
one else could fit.  Then you go into it head-first and cut off Tony's
shoe. You were down so long, I thought I had lost you.  Kathy, that took a
superhuman feat of endurance to stay down that long.

   "Is that all?  Oh, no!  Then you lift his foot out of the still-trapped
boot, right?" She slowly nodded while he shook his head again.  "Then you
guide the lift to make sure his clothes don't hang up on anything in the
trench.  Are you done, yet?  Of course not!  First, you administer
mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, again totally ignoring the contents of the
water you're pumping out of his lungs with your mouth.  That must have
continued for at least ten minutes.  I know a lot of people --
professionals - who would have given him up for dead.  My wife?  Not on
your life.  Now she's finished?  Oh, no!  Now she uses the most superhuman
strength I have ever seen employed to set his leg.

   "Darling, I never knew you had such muscles.  They were all vibrating
with the tension you were maintaining.  It wasn't a jerk, either.  It was a
steady, sustained, incredibly powerful pull.  I heard the bones come
together the same way you did.  Of course, you probably felt it in his
ankle, too, didn't you?" Again she nodded slowly.  "I put the splint into
position.  Finished yet?  My darling wife, Kathy?  You jest!  She has to
supervise cleaning Tony off.  Then she supervises her own hosing down --
twice, yet." By now, Kathy was grinning because she could see where he was
going.  Continuing, he said, "What now?  She looks around and sees that
everything is under control.  So what?  So now she is free to have her
breakdown -- and does!"

   Then he looked at her closely and she was startled to see tears at the
corners of his eyes.  He said, "Darling, you did know the risks you were
running, didn't you?  You came within of matter of seconds of being crushed
when the shoring finally gave way completely.  And you knew it would happen
before you jumped in, didn't you?" Again there was the small nod.

   He held her tightly and whispered, "I seem to recall a lovely girl
saying something about being a dedicated coward?  How her husband was going
to be the hero in the family?  Do you remember?" Again, there was the nod.
"Well, why, in hell, did you do it then?"

   In a very small voice, she replied, "Ken, you wouldn't have fit down
there.  The only way it could be done was by someone who's pretty thin.  I
was the only one, so..."

   "Coward?" he asked rhetorically in a whisper.  "Not hardly!  Only the
bravest thing I have ever seen.  Darling, you acted with a complete
disregard for your own safety.  Now how about we blow this dump?"

   "Oh, let's!" she exclaimed.  Then her face fell as she added, "As soon
as the ambulance arrives.  I'm sure it will be here any minute..."

   Again he laughed.  Then he said, "My darling, I love you so much.  Yeah,
she says, 'Let's blow the dump' -- as soon as I'm sure that everything is
completely taken care of."

   While they had been talking, they could hear the wail of sirens in the
distance, but none had gotten close.  Evidently, the traffic chaos
engendered by the sewer collapse was more widespread than they had thought.
Clearly, the vehicles were having to use out-of-the-way routes to reach
them.  Finally, though, they heard a siren get louder as it came in their
direction.  Then they saw the flashing red lights as an ambulance rolled up
to the construction site.

   By this time Kathy was on her feet walking barefooted with the blanket
wrapped around her to where Tony was lying on a blanket.  When the EMT crew
got out of their vehicle, she found that there was an emergency-medicine
physician in it.  The crew gathered around Tony while the doctor began his
examination with Kathy, and now Ken, standing over him.

   As he conducted the exam, Tony began to come to.  Then his eyes opened
and they were clear.  Looking around, he found Kathy and whispered
hoarsely, "It was you, Kathy, wasn't it?  You got me out of there."

   Kathy didn't say or do anything.  Rather, Ken replied, "Yes, Tony, it
was.  I guess Kathy saved your life."

   When Tony reached out his hand, Kathy dropped to her knees beside him
and took it.  Then she bent over and kissed him tenderly on the lips.  When
she did, he smiled a wonderful smile and went to sleep.  As he did, the
doctor had completed his examination.  "Who took care of this man?" he
demanded.

   "I did, Doctor," Kathy replied.  "I hope I didn't screw things up too
badly."

   He looked up at her and realized for the first time that she was wrapped
in a blanket.  Having seen the situation, he guessed much of the rest.  "I
don't think he could have been handled this well if we had him in our
hospital," he replied.  Then he asked, "You were swimming in that sewer
water, weren't you?" Kathy just nodded.  He went to his bag, took out the
most powerful broad-spectrum antibiotic he had, and asked, "Do you mind a
couple of shots?" Kathy shook her head.  He injected her with the
antibiotic and followed it with a shot for typhoid fever.

   When she fainted at the second shot, Ken, who had his arm around her
began to laugh again.  The doctor looked at him strangely and Ken
explained, "This is so typical of my wife." Then he quickly explained what
Kathy had done.  By the time he finished his brief account, the doctor's
jaw was hanging down.  Then Ken grinned and added, "You see, Doctor, my
wife only cries or faints when there's nothing else that needs doing. 
After all, she has to demonstrate that she's a weak female, doesn't she?"

   The doctor just shook his head and then thought a moment.  "Do you mean
to tell me that she set this leg _by herself?_ It's medically impossible!"

   Members of the crew standing around quickly supported Ken's story: it
had been Kathy, all by herself.  One even explained how she had planted her
bare foot in Tony's groin and just pulled.  "Doctor," he said, "we're guys
who work with our hands and pride ourselves on our strength.  I don't know
what amount of pull she was exerting.  I do know that I have never seen
such muscles on anyone.  Looking at Mrs.  Carlson, you see a beautiful
woman.  But, Doctor, I'm here to tell you that her muscles were standing
out inches from the strain -- but she never let up until Tony's leg was
back in place.  How is it, by the way?"

   "I'm not an orthopedist," he replied, "but it looks to me like she has
it on the button.  I'll tell you right now, though, that at the hospital,
they would have used a block and tackle along with a couple or three very
strong orderlies.  No doctor is expected to be able to exert the amount of
pressure required to set a break like this -- an amount of pressure Mrs. 
Carlson exerted with her bare hands!"

   Just then Kathy's eyelids fluttered, and then opened.  She looked around
and found Ken in the crowd.  Grinning, she said, "I did it again, didn't I"

   "If you mean, did you faint?" Ken replied.  "The answer is yes.  It's
also true that you did it when there wasn't anything else to do except to
act like a weak woman," he finished with a grin.  Turning to the doctor, he
asked, "Am I correct in assuming that you don't need us for anything else?
Can I take her home now?"

   Before answering, the doctor extended his hand to Kathy who
automatically took it in her own firm grip.  He said, "Mrs.  Carlson, that
was the finest rescue I have ever heard of in my entire life.  Thank you
for saving Mr.  Rossi's life and for doing our job for us...  Far better
than we could have done it, I might add."

   Kathy fell asleep almost as soon as she got in the car and was still
sleeping when they got back to their apartment.  Ken picked her up, carried
her inside, and lay her on the bed.  He ran the bathtub with very hot
water, then carried her from the bed, and gently eased her in.  When she
came in contact with the water she awakened and then sighed with pleasure.
Ken knelt on the floor and carefully washed her off, then let her just
soak. After he drained the tub and turned on the shower, he began to
shampoo her hair.  By this time, she was kneeling, and he was using the
shower head which was attached to a flexible tube to repeatedly rinse it.
Then he conditioned her hair and rinsed it again.  Finally, he refilled the
tub, added scented bath crystals and just let her soak.  Kathy fell asleep
again.

   Lifting her out of the tub, he carefully dried her body and then carried
her into the bedroom.  After laying her on the bed, he quickly undressed
and got in beside her.  Placing her head on his shoulder, he then cupped
her now-very-firm tit with his hand and they both slept.  Just before he
dropped off to sleep, he glanced at the clock and found it wasn't even two
o'clock yet.

   When they awakened at six, Kathy insisted on fixing dinner in spite of
his objections.  After eating, they both carefully dressed and then went
off to the hospital to visit Tony Rossi.*Chapter 10*

   As they entered the hospital, Kathy was completely unaware of the fact
that she had achieved her desired appearance.  Now she was a slender
brown-haired vision of beauty as she walked with her long-legged stride at
Ken's side, moving with the unconscious grace of a great cat.  She was
oblivious to the looks that followed their passage.  Her posture was
straight and her breasts were proudly upthrust.  The fact that they could
be seen moving under the light material of her yellow shirtwaist dress did
not concern her in the slightest.  At least a couple of men who might
otherwise have been tempted to approach her took one look at Ken's size and
just went back to daydreaming about her.

   Finding Tony's room they knocked softly and walked in.  As they did, a
couple of members of his crew were just leaving.  When Tony saw them, his
eyes lighted up, but Kathy saw something else in his eyes besides pleasure.
She couldn't figure it out.  Approaching his bedside, she extended her hand
which he took and held.  "Hi, Tony," she said softly.  "How are you
feeling?"

   He pushed a call button on his pillow and then said, "I'm fine, all
thanks to you, Mrs.  Carlson," he said in a husky voice.

   "Mrs.  Carlson?" Kathy protested.  "What's this all about?"

   Instead of answering, Tony looked at her hand that he was still holding
in his.  She was puzzled as he just held it and examined it, noting her
long slim fingers, perfectly-formed, unpainted nails, and the smoothness of
her skin.  Then he lifted her hand to his lips and softly kissed the back
of her fingers, murmuring, "Madonna." When he looked at her, Kathy was
startled to see that tears were flowing from his eyes.  Then he asked
plaintively, "Madonna, can you ever forgive me?"

   "Forgive you for what, Tony?" she demanded.  "And what's this 'Madonna'
nonsense?"

   He smiled softly and replied, "Madonna means 'my lady' in Italian, Mrs.
Carlson.  That's what you are.  My grandfather used to tell us about the
old days in Italy.  He farmed a small piece of land that belonged to a
nobleman.  Repeatedly, he told us about the marchessa -- a true noblewoman.
She was beautiful and kind and considerate of everyone.  Grandfather
worshiped her and would gladly have given his life for her." Looking
piercingly into Kathy's eyes, he continued, "Only now do I know what he
meant."

   Now his tears began to flow in earnest as Tony went on, "Of course, when
I meet my lady, do I strew flowers in her path?  Do I beg leave to kiss her
hand?  Me?  Tony Rossi?  Hah!  I have her clean out the shit-house." His
voice broke and now he was sobbing, but still trying to speak in his husky
whisper, "This beautiful hand was scrubbing shit.  Then I have an accident.
The boys just told me all about it: How you stripped naked, climbed down
into that flooding trench that you knew was going to collapse..."

   Now his eyes were piercing into hers as he asked, "You _did_ know it,
didn't you?" All Kathy could do was nod her head.  She felt like she was
pinned to the floor by his eyes.  "Anyway, you swim in that filth.  With
all the time you took cutting off my boot, they thought you were dead. 
There was no way anyone could hold his breath as long as you did.  Then you
popped to the surface covered with slime and filth, gasped in some more
air, dove down and finished the job.  No one knows or will ever know how
you pulled my foot out of the trapped boot -- probably the same way you
later aligned my broken leg bones: with superhuman strength.

   "Is it over?" Tony continued.  "Of course not.  You get me to the
surface and out of the trench seconds before the walls caved in completely.
Then you start giving me mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, drawing out the
sewage I swallowed into your own mouth.  You made me come back to life. 
Then, still naked and covered with filth yourself, you pull my broken bone
back in place.  Finally, you make sure I'm cleaned off, cleaning my face
yourself."

   His tears were flowing freely and the story he had told was frequently
broken with pauses when he could no longer talk through his weeping. 
Finally he whispered again, "Madonna -- My Lady!" and softly kissed the
back of her hand again.

   By this time Kathy's tears were flowing, too, and a couple dripped on
Tony's face when she bent over, despite his protests, and kissed him full
on the lips.  It was the most tender, most loving kiss Tony had ever had,
and came from the softest lips.  When she stood up again, he had his hand
to his lips and a look of wonder in his eyes.  Only then did he turn to Ken
and acknowledge his presence.  "Carlson, you better take care of this
princess -- my lady!  She is the bravest, most courageous person I have
ever met -- and certainly the most beautiful!"

   While he had been talking, a nurse had stuck her head in the room.  Tony
was talking at the time and just nodded once in her direction and she
withdrew.  Now, after a soft knock on the door, a doctor entered.  Tony
introduced him as Dr.  Scott, the orthopedic surgeon on his case.  Only
then did Kathy realize that Tony's leg was still enclosed in the metal
emergency splint that she had put on it earlier.

   Scott saw her look of surprise and started to laugh.  "I'm sure you're
wondering why Tony's leg is still in your splint, aren't you?"

   "I sure am," she replied, utterly baffled that apparently nothing had
been done.

   "The answer is very simple, Mrs.  Carlson," the doctor replied.  "We've
been trying to figure out how to get it out of yours and into ours without
lousing up his leg."

   "Good heavens!" she exclaimed in dismay.  "I don't know very much, and
you're telling me I really screwed it up, aren't you?  Will he be all
right? Can you possibly repair the damage I caused?"

   Scott's head had been shaking and he was laughing even harder.  Tony was
now laughing as well.  "I'm sorry, Mrs.  Carlson," the doctor explained. 
"I didn't explain it very well.  You see, what you did was a perfect closed
reduction of a fractured tibia - badly fractured, I might add.  The bone
alignment is absolutely perfect." Then he grinned and added, "Lest you
think we did nothing, it's just not true.  For example, we carefully
cleaned off the splint -- there was a lot of dirt around it; we gave Tony a
bath -- your work with the hose wasn't quite up to our hospital's
standards..." He looked around as if trying to recall the services the
hospital had performed.  Then he brightened and added, "Oh, I almost
forgot! We fed him, too."

   Then Scott looked at Kathy closely and asked, "May I look at your arm,
please?" Kathy was wearing a sleeveless dress in yellow that was very
bright and cheerful in color.  Looking puzzled, she extended her hand.  He
took it in his left hand while with his right he ran his fingers up her
inner arm and then up to her upper arm.  He asked her to make a fist and
expand her biceps, which she did.  Then he just held her hand in both of
his and looked at it.

   "It's impossible," he said softly.  "Mrs.  Carlson, you could not
possibly do what you so obviously did.  With Tony's musculature, you could
not have exerted, let alone maintained, the pressure required to pull his
lower leg bone down to realign with the upper piece.  You see, powerful
muscles such as Tony's are great -- unless a bone breaks.  Then, the
natural contraction of the muscles pulls the bone together.  But when it's
no longer joined, it is, in effect, pulling the ends farther apart." He
looked at her and just shook his head.  "How, in hell, did you do it? 
Because physically, you just could not."

   Kathy just shook her head, not knowing what to say.  But Tony spoke up
saying, "Doctor, just before the Carlsons arrived, a couple of the boys
were in.  They told me about it.  You see, Mrs.  Carlson was completely
naked when she was working on me.  There was nothing to conceal anything.
They tell me they have never seen the muscle development on a human that
this woman has.  You wouldn't expect it would you?  But," he continued,
"when she has her foot in my groin and is holding my ankle with both hands
and is pulling, muscles were popping out on her legs, shoulders and arms
that blew my guys away.  But as you know, it wasn't a sudden jerk.  It was
a very powerful steady pull while she focuses on getting the alignment as
good as she could.  That's how she did it, Doctor."

   "Mrs.  Carlson, how much do you charge for orthopedic services?  Why
don't you send us your bill and we'll handle it in our usual way: Mark it
up 400 percent, type it on our bill-head, and send it on to Tony.  Would
that be okay?" he asked with a grin.

   "Lady, you did it all.  We did nothing.  Now we're just trying to keep
from screwing up your brilliant work." As an afterthought he added, "By the
way, have you been medically examined?  Swimming in sewage is not normally
conducive to one's health." She said she hadn't and he grinned again and
offered her a complete examination on the house.  "Why don't you come down
when you finish here?  The nurses will tell you where to find me." With
that, he withdrew from the room.

   Tony turned back to Ken and picked up where he had left off.  "Carlson,
she's a hero, and you better take care of her."

   Kathy hugged Ken's arm and spoke before he could, "You have that
completely wrong, Tony.  In the Carlson household, Ken's the hero; I'm the
committed coward.  Tony, Ken has a fistful of medals from the Army."

   Suddenly there was an expression of utter shock, followed by dismay,
followed by tears.  So softly, they could scarcely hear him as he murmured,
"Carlson's Rangers...  You're that Ken Carlson, aren't you?"

   Ken grinned and said, "I guess a few idiots nicknamed us that. 
Actually, Tony, it was Alpha Company, First Ranger Battalion, U.S.  Army."

   Tears were streaming in a flood now, and Tony could scarcely talk.  He
appeared to be in far worse condition than when he had been crying over his
treatment of Kathy.  "Does the name, Michael Rossi mean anything to you? 
Sergeant Michael Rossi?" he asked softly while his eyes drilled into Ken's.

   "Michael Rossi?" Suddenly, Ken's face lighted like a Christmas tree,
"Mike Rossi?  My God!  Are you his father?  Mike was one of the best men I
ever had."

   Suddenly Tony's tears turned into a flood.  She didn't know what the
trouble was, but Kathy couldn't stand to watch his obvious suffering.  She
bent over the bed, hugged his shoulders, and began to lightly kiss his face
whispering, "Tony, what's wrong?  What have we done to you?  Please stop,
Tony.  You're killing me with your tears."

   With an effort of will, largely triggered by his embarrassment at
causing Kathy any pain, he regained control.  He held Kathy's hand and
looked at her steadily.  "Madonna," he said, "you don't know the half of
it. I think I know far more about Ken Carlson than you do -- at least the
military side of it.  You see, my son, Mike, jokes about how they finally
double-crossed Captain Carlson and got him some hardware.  You see, that
was the most decorated unit in the whole military.  Carlson's was the unit
with the motto, 'Leave no one behind.'

   "You see, most of the time they operated deep behind enemy lines.  The
unit suffered 150 percent casualties.  That means that everyone was a
casualty on average one-and-a-half times.  Killed in action?  None. 
Missing in action?  None.  They were all wounded, all brought back, and all
the wounded later moved heaven and earth to rejoin their unit.

   "Medals?  It was the unit joke!  You see, Ken Carlson personally
deserves almost all of them.  Why a joke?  Because he would assiduously
write up the events of an action.  The only thing is, he changed the names.
For example, my son, Mike, also has a DSC.  His citation tells how his
commanding officer and three men were trapped in front of the main body and
were all wounded.  Mike, with a complete disregard for his own life, went
through enemy fire, eliminating two groups of the enemy who had the CO
trapped, and then brought back all the men.  He jokes about it: The Army
never caught on.  You see, he was wounded -- got the Purple Heart, too --
Captain Carlson wasn't.  Mike was the one trapped and Ken was the guy who
got them out.

   "What finally happened to get him a few of his medals?  It was only when
Ken was wounded deep behind enemy lines.  When they finally got him out, he
was in bad shape, so he couldn't protect himself.  This time, the rest of
the guys made sure he finally got at least a couple of the medals that he
deserved.  Carlson?  When he came out of action, all he cared about were
his Kathy-grams..."

   Again Tony's face dropped.  "But...  But...  But you're Kathy!" Looking
at her he asked, "Did you always write Ken using the same blue notepaper,
and always write in blue ink?"

   Kathy shrugged and said, "I'm sorry, Tony.  I was just a schoolgirl
stuck in a rut.  But what does that..."

   "You made the whole damned unit go, is what it means.  Your letters were
christened Kathy-grams and were known to just about everyone over there. 
In fact, Mike tells me that in some places the mail clerks used to keep
them apart in a little stack.  When Ken and the boys came out of the jungle
they would give him the stack with the oldest letter on top, all tied up
with blue ribbon.  Then Ken would go off by himself and read them in order.
Like all the other guys, he seldom wrote.  But those letters of yours just
came and came and came.

   "To the guys, they loved to see it.  You see, their asses could really
be dragging after a tough mission.  Then Ken would sit down and read your
letters.  They watched from a distance, and it was almost like seeing a
battery being recharged.  The more he read, the more he came back to life.
By the time he was finished with the last one, he was fully recharged and
would then recharge his troops." Tony, looking very interested now, asked,
"What did you say in your letters, Kathy?  Are they still around?"

   Kathy grinned ruefully, shook her head in exasperation and replied, "I'm
afraid so, Tony.  I keep trying to get rid of them but Ken tells me that if
I do, he'll get rid of me in the same dumpster.  They're still at home.  As
for what I said, it was just childish schoolgirl nonsense.  I don't know
why Ken even bothered to read them, let alone keep them."

   Once more Tony's tears were running in a stream.  He said, "The Rossi
family owes its very existence to the Carlsons.  How does Tony repay this
incredible debt?  By dumping on both of them.  Ken saves the son, and his
wife saves the father.  In each case, prepared to lay down his life to save
a Rossi."

   Looking at Ken he said, "You did it for my son!" Turning to Kathy he
said, "And you did it for me?" Now he broke down completely and cried,
"Kathy, how could you?  How could you possibly care about a son of a bitch
who degraded you, defiled you, and tried to break you?  How could you,
Kathy?  Oh God!  How?"

   Then, with his eyes blazing, he said, "Katherine Carlson, I solemnly
swear that anything you ever ask of me, you will get.  And that includes my
life!  Do you understand!?"

   Leaning over, she kissed him sweetly on the lips and whispered, "I
understand, Tony." Then she said, "I did it, Tony, because you're too good
a man to lose.  Okay?  Can we just leave it at that?"

   Just then the door opened and a young, dark-haired man appeared wearing
the uniform of an Army master sergeant.  He saw Ken and then did a quick
double-take.  Suddenly he snapped to rigid attention and executed a
meticulous salute.  "Captain Kenneth Carlson: Master Sergeant Michael
Rossi, reporting for duty, Sir!" he declared, putting an exclamation point
after the word, sir.  Ken returned the salute with the same precision and
then the two men were in each other's arms.

   Michael Rossi's jaw dropped when he learned that his father's life had
been saved by the wife of the man who had saved his.  Pulling up a chair,
he sank down on it in stunned amazement.  Kathy looked at Tony and could
see that he was wearing out.  Beyond the injury and near-death, there was
the major emotional shocks of the last hours.  Kathy tugged on Ken's arm
and they left the room leaving the two Rossis alone.

   Returning to the waiting area outside his room, they found a middle-aged
man talking to a beautiful young woman showing the earliest signs of
pregnancy.  She had lustrous dark hair, vivid grey eyes, and appeared
Eurasian.  They were about to pass by towards the nurses station to ask
about Dr.  Scott, when Mike Rossi, who had ducked out after them, caught
up. He said, "Before you go, Captain, there are two people I would very
much like you to meet.  First, this is my wife, Michelle.  Mickey, this is
Captain Carlson.  You've certainly heard enough about him!"

   What followed next utterly stunned the Carlsons.  The girl's eyes
widened when she heard the name.  Then she dropped to her knees on the
floor and kissed Ken's shoes.  Kathy recovered first.  Dropping to her
knees, she took the girl in her arms and just held her tight.  Only then
did she realize that tears were pouring from the girl's eyes.

   Kathy helped her up and assisted her to a sofa where they both sat down.
"What's wrong, Michelle?" she asked.  "What did you do?  Why, in God's
name, did you kiss Ken's feet?"

   The girl looked into Kathy's eyes and saw sympathy and concern.  And
love.  She smiled warmly and replied, "Because that is the appropriate way
to greet one's savior.  Ken Carlson is my savior." Then looking at Kathy
she asked guilelessly, "Who are you?  You are incredibly beautiful."

   "I'm Kathy Carlson," she replied.  "I'm Ken's wife."

   The girl's mouth formed a surprised 'O' and she said, "Kathy-grams?  Was
that you?" Kathy just nodded with a sheepish little smile.  Now the girl
studied Kathy carefully.  Finally she said, "It is right."

   "What's right?" Kathy asked.

   "It is right that Kenneth Carlson should be married to a goddess." Then
she looked at Kathy with suspicion and lowered her voice, asking, "Are you
good to him?  In bed, I mean?  Do you take him often between your thighs?"

   "I sure try awful hard," Kathy replied with a grin.  "But you'll have to
ask Ken if I'm any good or not.  He says I am, but I always end up
unconscious, so I don't really know." Seeing that Mike had disappeared back
into Tony's room, she turned back to the girl and asked, "Why aren't you in
there with him?  He is your father-in-law."

   Tears came to the girl's eyes and she shook her head.  "He does not
acknowledge my existence.  The disgrace of his life was Mike's insistence
on marrying me." Her face appeared tortured as she continued, "I knew it
would never work.  I am a stripper, a whore..." She swallowed hard and
said, "I wanted to be his mistress.  He refused.  The only way he would
take me was as his wife, so Mrs.  Carlson, I had to say yes!  I had no
choice..."

   Suddenly Kathy had an idea.  She asked, "Look, Dr.  Scott wants to poke
and probe at me.  Would you care to keep me company?  I would love it if
you would.  It looks like Ken is tied up, and Mike will probably be with
Tony for a while..."

   The woman agreed.  After telling Ken what she was doing, they were
directed to Scott's office.  When they arrived, he greeted them and called
for a physician and a gynecologist to join them.  The three went into his
adjacent examining room to wait for the others.  After introducing Michelle
to Dr.  Scott, Kathy took the waiting time as an opportunity to find out
more about this beautiful girl.

   She learned that Michelle -- Mickey -- was French and Vietnamese.  Her
father, an officer in the French Army, had been killed years earlier before
the French had pulled out.  The money left to her mother had paid for her
education in convent schools and on into college.  Then the war swept
through the little village where they lived.  The Viet Cong murdered her
mother and destroyed their home.  Mickey was barely able to escape with her
life.  After making her way to Saigon, she finally got a job as a stripper.
With her full breasts -- a contrast to the Vietnam norm -- she became an
attraction.

   She met Mike when he came into the establishment one night.  Ever after,
people said that her finest dancing was when Mike was there, and she was
dancing for him alone.  The girl looked at Kathy and said, "Your husband,
Ken, was the only Ranger who never came in.  Kathy, the men loved Ken
dearly.  But they used to kid him, because whenever they were off the line
-- which wasn't very often -- while the men got drunk and chased anything
in skirts, Ken just lay in his bunk rereading his Kathy-grams."

   Then her eyes flashed and she added with a small grin, "He should have
come to see me, too.  I think I was pretty good.  He might have liked me."
Then she grinned, shook her head sadly and added, "Of course, that was
before I knew what I was up against.  Mrs.  Carlson, I used to be pretty
proud of my body...  until tonight, when I met you.  You are spectacular!
No wonder Captain Carlson just wanted to stay in his room and dream about
you."

   Scott and Kathy finally learned that, when the Americans pulled out of
Vietnam, Mike and two of the other men got their girls to a small village
near the coast.  "Kathy," she said with her tears flowing, "they said
Carlson's Rangers motto was 'Leave no one behind'.  They swore they would
come back and get us."

   Then, with her tears flowing, she told how, when Ken had been wounded
and the whole unit had been pulled back to the Philippines, Mike and the
others somehow organized a rescue mission.  "They made it just in time,"
she finished.  "They came back one night.  That day the three of us had
been arrested and were being held at an army barracks.  They had us all
naked and were holding a lottery to set the order of raping us.  Just as
they were settling things, Mike and his friends hit.  They got us all out,
leaving only dead North Vietnamese behind."

   By the time she finished the story, Kathy's tears were flowing, too. 
The girl added only one thing to her story: "Mike took my virginity on our
wedding night, Mrs.  Carlson.  I was so happy that I still had it to give
him!"

   By this time the other doctors had arrived.  Kathy casually stripped off
her clothes and let them examine her.  With her legs spread wide by the
stirrups exposing her now-gaping cunt, the gynecologist gave her a careful
douche, while the physician carefully examined her ears, eyes, nose, and
other openings for any sign of developing infection or any residue from the
sewage.

   Kathy, Mickey noted, seemed completely unconcerned -- indeed, even
unaware -- of her nakedness.  Meanwhile, Dr.  Scott just observed, most
particularly watching the way she moved.  By the time his colleagues had
completed their parts and left after assuring Kathy that she was fine, he
just let out a low whistle.

   "What's that all about?" Kathy asked while she was getting dressed
again.

   "I was just agreeing with Tony," he replied.  "You are the most
magnificent physical specimen I have ever seen." Turning to the other girl
he asked, "Mickey, you were a stripper.  What do you think?"

   "I think she is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen on two feet. I
used to think of myself as being graceful until I saw Mrs.  Carlson
move..."

   "Look, damn it!  Mickey, this has gone on far enough.  The name is
Kathy. Okay?  It's even easier for a foreigner to say than Mrs.  Carlson.
Now knock it off!  It's Kathy.  And it's particularly Kathy to a girl who
went through hell on earth to finally get to America.  Mickey, I only hope
it was worth the struggle." Then she added, "Speaking personally, I think
it's just wonderful.  I think the United States is very lucky to have you."

   Mickey blushed and said, "Thank you very much, Kathy."

   They returned to the waiting area and found Mike was now with Ken and
the other man.  Kathy went back into Tony's room and found him on the verge
of falling asleep.  Notwithstanding, what was on Kathy's mind would not
wait.  He looked up and smiled when she came in and asked, "You look like
something is troubling you, Madonna.  What is it?"

   "Tony, you said that you would do anything for me that was in your power
to do.  Did you mean it?"

   "Of course, I meant it!" he replied vehemently, looking hurt.

   "Great!" Kathy exclaimed with the most brilliant smile on her face that
Tony had ever seen.  "I want you to welcome your daughter to your family."

   "I have no daughter," Tony replied with his face impassive and his eyes
dead.

   "Oh yes, you do!" Kathy exclaimed.  Then she meticulously told him
Mickey's story.  She ended it by saying, "So, Tony, your son, Mike, took
Mickey's virginity on their wedding night.  He took it with all her love
and gratitude that she still had it to give him." Then she shook her head
and continued, "Tony, that girl is carrying your grandchild in her body. 
She is a beauty, a loving wife, and I'm sure will be a loving daughter to
you.

   "On the other hand, Tony, if you continue what you're doing, you will
lose your son.  You love him and he loves you.  And, for some reason that
totally escapes me, Mickey -- your daughter-in-law, Michelle -- loves you,
too.  Now how about it?" she demanded, glaring at him.

   There were tears in his eyes, and yet his eyes were bright as he slowly
shook his head and said, "Well, Madonna, you have to give me points for
consistency.  I dump on all the people I should love.  I did it to Ken, I
did it to you, and now you show me how I'm doing it to my daughter." The
flow of tears increased as he asked, "Will she forgive me, Kathy?  Will my
daughter forgive me?"

   Kathy's eyes were bright with her own tears as she replied, "Let's find
out."

   Leaving the room, she asked Mickey to come in with her alone.  Taking
the girl by the hand she led her into Tony's room and to his bedside. 
Softly, she said, "Michelle, I would like you to meet your new father,
Anthony Rossi.  Tony, this is your new daughter, Mickey." As she said it,
Tony's arms reached out and the girl leaped into them.  Kathy quietly left
the room leaving them in each other's arms.

   Rejoining the group, Mike looked up and realized his wife was missing.
Kathy explained that she was busy getting acquainted with her new father.
Mike's jaw dropped and then he said, "Uncle Mike, this is the woman we've
been talking about.  Mrs.  Carlson, I would like you to meet my namesake,
Mike Higgins, the owner of Higgins Construction and my father's closest
friend."

   Then he shook his head and added, "And Uncle Mike, I guess we'll have to
add 'miracle worker' to her other qualifications.  Mrs.  Carlson, Uncle
Mike and I have been trying for years to get Dad and Mickey together." With
his eyes very sad, he added, "I vowed that if Dad didn't accept Mickey by
the time our baby is born, it would be all over.  As much as I love him, I
love Mickey even more.  She is my wife and is about to become the mother of
my child.  What more can I say?  I adore the woman.  She is my life."

   Mike Higgins was another big man.  When Mike Rossi finished his
statement, he said, "Kathy, Ken and I have been talking for a while.  Would
you allow me to buy you two a drink?  I would appreciate it very much."

   They agreed.  Leaving their car in the hospital garage, they went in
Higgins' limousine to a restaurant and lounge located on the top floor of a
downtown office building.  Kathy was amused to find it was the building
where Clifford & Jamison had its offices.

   To be continued...

   * * *

   Comments and constructive criticism are sincerely welcome.  Let me hear
from you.  morg105829@aol.com

   *Kathy Carlson* Copyright (c) 1993, 2001 by Morgan. 
<morg105829@aol.com>

   All rights reserved.  No part may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any electronic means, including photocopying, recording or by
any information and retrieval system, without the written permission of the
author.  <1st attachment end>

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