San Francisco Seductions

"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned." Lauren began the familiar ritual. "It has been fifteen days since my last confession."

Never before had she had so much to confess. Since moving to San Francisco, her carefully structured life had collapsed. She had committed many sins and was here to atone for them, but there was one sin she was not ready to tell. Absolution required contrition and she wasn't ready to renounce everything she had done. With her face red and her hands wringing in her lap, she began her confession.

"I moved here with my best friend, Kerry Clarkson two weeks ago. Kerry was given a scholarship to the Academy of Art. She wants to study theater and computer animation and go to work in Hollywood. I was afraid to come, but I don't have very many friends back home. Kerry has been almost like a sister to me since we were nine years old. I couldn't let her do this by herself and I don't know what I would have done if she had left without me.

"I'm sorry if I'm rambling, Father. I don't know how all this happened. Everything has changed. I'm not the same person anymore. Please help me."

Behind the screen, the shadows stirred. "Child, I'm here all day. Talk as long as you need to. Tell me whatever you have to. With God's help, we can get you centered again."

Lauren relaxed. "Thank you, Father. I should have come here sooner, but things were so crazy.

"We moved here from Ogden, Utah. It's a much smaller town, but we were only a half hour away from Salt Lake City. We spent a lot of weekends there when we were in high school and I thought San Francisco would be about the same.

"Kerry has this friend she'd met on the internet who offered to rent us a room. It wasn't until we got here that I found out that her friend was a guy. I just assumed that we'd be staying with another girl. It didn't seem right. I know that times have changed and that men and women can share a living space without it being sinful, but it just felt wrong at first. It wasn't easy to get used to.

The priest cleared his throat. "God judges what we do and what we think. Where we live is pretty much up to us."

"I know that, Father, and it's a big apartment, but it just makes me nervous, knowing that the guys are living there with us.

"Guys?" asked the priest. "I thought you said it was just the one guy that your friend knew from the computer."

"That's Samuel, but he already had one roommate," Lauren said. "They each have a bedroom, and Kerry and I share the third. In fact, until we can afford to replace the furniture, we have to share the bed.

"I spent the first week scared to death that the guys would come and rape us while we slept or come into the bathroom to spy on me in the shower.

The priest murmured something under his breath and asked, "Did any of that happen?"

"No," said Lauren. "The guys were both nice. They're very respectful. Jerrod, Samuel's roommate, even gave me a job in a fancy Italian cafe he helps manage."

"Well," said the priest, "So far, none of this sounds at all sinful. I'm very pleased that in these dark days, you can find people of such character. Unless there's more to the story."

"Yes, Father, there is. By the end of last week, I was starting to relax and feel good about being here. Kerry and I were having a great time. I really, really like my job. For the first time in my life, I'm making friends on my own without Kerry's help. Theresa, the girl who trained me at the cafe has offered to show me around town and teach me how to get along in this city.

"The first incident was this past Wednesday. I came home from work and found Kerry and Samuel home. Kerry was wearing a tiny two piece swimsuit I didn't even know she owned. It was one of those thong styles where there is just a bit of string in the back, letting your whole bottom show. Kerry was on the couch, letting Samuel take pictures of her. When I walked in, she was lying with her face on the cushion and her behind was way up in the air. I know what pictures like that are for and they're not for sending home to her family.

"When she saw me, she just smiled and sat upright on the couch. Samuel asked if she was ready and she turned bright red. She bit her lip like she was afraid to talk, and she wouldn't look at me, but she nodded to Samuel and took off her top.

"Father, she doesn't even know him that well. How can she be doing this? She's doing porn right in front of me and I don't know how to stop her. I'm not even sure I want to try. I really like the freedom I have here and I know that Kerry likes it too. I don't want to ruin it for either of us. I don't want to leave now, but if she keeps this up, I have to, don't I?

The priest stirred in his seat. "That's the coward's way, child. I'm afraid your friend is losing her way. You have a responsibility to help guide her back. If you are a true friend, you must stick by her and show her the righteous path. At the very least, you need to show her a good example."

In a small, quiet voice, Lauren said, "I haven't been a very righteous example, Father. I'm sorry."

"I don't know what happened with the pictures. After Kerry took her top off, I ran to the bedroom and hid there. I didn't want to know what else Kerry was going to do. I was also afraid she would want me to join in, and I've never been very good at saying no to Kerry. She came in about half an hour later, but we didn't talk about it. We've been pretending it didn't happen. But I can't ignore what happened that night.

"Tell me," said the priest.

"Kerry and I were sleeping when sounds from the living room woke us up. The front door closed and I heard Jerrod and some girl laughing. They sounded very affectionate, like something very private was going on. The girl was making sighing, moaning sounds and it sounded like they were kissing.

"Then we heard the girl's voice. 'Jerrod, be fair... You have to kiss Gina, too' she told him.

"Kerry grabbed my hand and we stared at each other in the moonlight. Something indecent was happening in the apartment and we were trapped. I should have covered my ears, but I kept listening. I prayed that they would leave us alone. I thought Kerry was feeling the same way, but I was wrong.

"She started to sit up. I told her to lock the door, but she wanted to go watch. I didn't even resist. I just followed along. We crept down the hallway until we could see what was happening. Jerrod had his arm around a tall girl with dark, wavy hair. His hand was on her ass! She was kissing Jerrod's neck and ear, but he was kissing a blonde girl leaning against them both, standing on her toes to reach.

"The dark haired girl pulled away and said 'My turn to kiss Gina.' She pulled the blonde against her and held her like they were married. She grabbed Gina's head with both hands and kissed her. That's when I recognized her. It was Theresa, the waitress from the cafe. She'd been so nice. I couldn't believe I was seeing her like this. I couldn't believe I was seeing this at all.

"I wanted to leave. I wanted to go back to the room, but Kerry wouldn't let me. She wanted to watch, so we stayed.

"Jerrod was tugging at Gina's clothes, trying to undress her. Theresa helped him. Together, they pulled off her dress, then Jerrod moved behind her to undo her bra while Theresa knelt in front of her and pulled off her panties.

"Jerrod was squeezing Gina's breasts and Theresa... I can't even say it. Theresa was... She put her head between Gina's legs and started licking her...on her...Father, she was licking Gina's pussy. There! I can't believe I actually said it. I shouldn't have even seen it. We shouldn't have kept watching, but we did. I didn't even try to leave. I wanted to see what would happen next. Jerrod was using one hand to grab Theresa's head and press it even harder against Gina.

"Soon, they were all naked. Gina and Theresa got on their knees and licked Jerrod's...um...penis. They both did. They kept kissing each other and then kissing his penis. They even put in their mouths. Then Theresa lay on the floor and opened her legs. Jerrod got on top of her and had sex with her. I could actually see his penis going inside until Gina put her head in the way. Gina started licking Jerrod's penis again and licking Theresa's pussy at the same time, while they were having sex. I didn't know what to think. I'd never heard of anything like that. I couldn't make myself look away.

"Then Theresa pushed Jerrod off. I'm only repeating what she said, but Theresa told Jerrod that she wanted to watch him fuck Gina. Gina started nodding and saying, yes, yes.

"Suddenly, I recognized her, too. Gina works at the restaurant too. She works in the back of the kitchen, chopping vegetables and making the soups. I don't see her very often, but I saw a lot of her that night.

"Gina got on the couch, in the very same position I'd seen Kerry in earlier. Her butt was way up in the air. Jerrod got behind her and put his penis inside her. That was too much for me. He had just had sex with one girl and now he was having sex with another one right in front of her. I wanted to leave, but I couldn't. I had to see what else they would do.

"It didn't last much longer. Theresa was rolling around on the floor, with her fingers in her pussy. Jerrod was pushing himself into Gina faster and faster. He was grunting like he was in pain and Gina was making a lot of noise too. I could hear their bodies slapping together. Jerrod grabbed Gina's hips and pulled her close to him, then stopped moving. I knew what was happening. He was having his orgasm. He was ejaculating inside her. I couldn't believe I was seeing this.

"That was the last, final straw. I made myself go back to bed. I was wide awake and afraid and sorry I'd come to San Francisco. I decided I would go back home the next morning.

"But Kerry came in and lay down with me. She said she was sorry for making me watch that. I accused her of enjoying it, and she didn't argue. She ran her fingers through my hair and said she'd always wanted to watch people having sex in front of her.

"I wanted to be mad at her and to blame her. She let me do it, but we both knew that nobody had held me down or forced me to stay and watch.

"Then she asked me if I had ever wanted to do things with another girl. I started to feel afraid again. She told me she had been thinking of me and thinking of doing things with me like the things we'd seen the girls in the living room do with each other. I didn't tell her that I knew the girls. I didn't say anything.

"She started rubbing my back, moving her hand in circles down my back and along my side. When she reached my bottom, she leaned over and kissed me. She told me to stop her as soon as I felt uncomfortable.

"I've never been very good at stopping Kerry. She has been dragging me into things for my whole life. I have always let her take the lead. I didn't stop her.

"She ran her hand under my shirt and held my breasts. She was tickling my nipples and kissing my neck. She didn't do as much as Gina and Theresa, but she did a lot. I did a lot, too.

"I did everything Kerry asked me to. I fondled her breasts. I even licked her nipples. Kerry took off her pajamas and I took off mine. We touched each other's pussies and she put her finger into mine.

"Every night since then, Kerry wants to have sex with me and I don't know how to say no. I've been doing everything she wants. Father, I'm changing. I'm afraid of what I'm changing into.

The priest sat silent for a few minutes. He was thinking over everything he'd heard. He had been hearing confessions for twenty years. He'd never heard anything like this. He tried to ignore his own reactions to the tale. When he spoke, his voice was kind but stern.

"You are following your friend into her corruption. Perhaps you were right when you wanted to leave. You cannot remain in her company if you cannot resist her temptations. We cannot give up on your friend, but you have committed terrible, unnatural sins and you must make peace with yourself and God. For the next two weeks, I want you to take time every morning and every evening to pray. Get clear of your friend and find your own soul again before you try to save hers."

Lauren left the confessional and slowly exited the cathedral. There was still one sin she had not confessed. She considered going back in and finishing, but it would not be appropriate. One must be truly penitent to receive the benefits of Confession. She had been hearing the lessons all her life. You can recite all your sins to the priest and perform the penance he gives you, but if you are not remorseful in your heart, you are not absolved of your sins. She had punished herself for everything she had done. She had prayed and she had cried. She had made herself feel wretched over everything that had happened, but she had also enjoyed it. Every moment of every sin had filled her with a pleasure and ecstasy she had never before experienced. She hadn't told that to the priest. She wasn't about to tell him, either. She was starting to question a few of her long-held beliefs. Her faith in God was as strong as ever. It was her faith in the rituals of the church that was starting to show cracks. Such joy as she had found could not possibly be sinful. It could only come from God himself.

Lauren was not about to abandon Kerry. She was learning so many new things about herself. The sin would be to ignore the tremendous opportunities that were now available.

Lauren turned and faced the cathedral. She made the Sign of the Cross and said good-bye. She wasn't sure when she'd be back.