"What have you two been doing?" Debbie asked accusingly as Trisha and Cathy sat down in a pizza restaurant not far from Aunt May's.
"Yeh! Talk about Cheshire cats!" Jenny added.
"Oh you know. What we do best!" Cathy answered with a wide smile.
"Spill!" Debbie said to them both, eager for all the details.
"Later ladies." Immy said interrupting. "I need to see if I can work out a shift rota."
"Why bother?" Trisha said. "Immy, please. Don't try and fix something that isn't broken."
"Exactly." Jenny chimed in.
Immy had spent most of the day talking with Aunt May.
"'It's small and exclusive mainly. I have no need to expand. And how could I expand anyway?'" Aunt May had said to her niece Imogen, earlier. Immy sighed. " I know. But I'm just trying to look out for you all. We worked shifts in Portsmouth..."
"Mainly because we had to!" Millie said, interrupting Immy. "No way could we work a whole day down there. Especially when an American ship docked!"
"Busy?" Cathy asked.
"Fuck yes! Do you know how many sailors are on a carrier? Thousands!" Millie shuddered at the memory. Cathy liked Millie. She was basically a dark haired version of Trisha. Fun and bubbly and full of energy.
"Any luck contacting the other girls?" Jenny asked Immy. "You said you knew of a couple more."
"Yes. But they can't work every day. They have... um... other commitments. But can cover, providing they get plenty of notice."
"Call one of them Immy." Jenny said, adding, "For next weekend definitely. My period is due on Friday. Actually, on second thoughts, to cover from next Thursday. Just in case."
"Sure. No problem." Immy replied, typing a note onto her phone. "And if anyone knows of anyone else, let me or Aunty May know."
Trisha leaned closer to Cathy and whispered quietly in her ear. "We'll go through when our periods are due. I'll get a planner or calendar we all could use and put it up in the kitchen."
"Good idea." Cathy replied. "Mine's due in a couple of weeks."
"Same here." Trisha said.
Meeting over, they all relaxed and enjoyed their pizza and drinks. Everyone was there. Even Anya and Katerina. Cathy was surprised to see them here as she thought they would be off doing their own thing. Trisha had said they never went to the pub after Aunt May's had closed for the night. This was a good thing for them all to be doing. It gave them all a chance to bond. To get to know each other better. To share things. To unwind. To actually see each other. No one worked upstairs on Sundays. There was no call to and Aunt May always closed downstairs at six. As Trisha had said, Sundays were much quieter.
Monday found Cathy working at the grocery store. Cathy liked working in the stock room. She didn't like working on the checkouts and she certainly didn't like many of the women who manned them. "Stupid jealous bitches!" Cathy had said to herself more than once. She tried to ignore the way they looked at her. "It's not my fault I'm younger, slimmer and more attractive is it? They should look after themselves better!" Today though, Cathy had a spring in her step. There was an energy about her. She had her life back. She had her friends. She had control. And, she was getting lots and lots of sex!
As Cathy worked through the day, memories flooded her mind. Memories of Gerry and Adam, of Mike and Paul and then of Alex. Her body tingled at these wonderful memories. Remembering her promise, Cathy had texted Paul before going to bed the previous evening. His reply had been almost instant. Cathy was to go to his house at 7pm to be introduced to his wife Olivia and to get fucked as she watched. Cathy smiled as she imagined what would happen when she got to Paul's, and again, felt the now familiar tingle grow at the thought of it.
"You look happy Cathy. Happier than I've ever seen you."
Cathy was reading the text she had just received from the clinic and looked up to see Yalda walking towards her. Her test result was negative as she thought it would be. Yalda was a young Afghan woman of twenty three. They worked the same shifts and got on well together. Cathy thought she was pretty, beautiful in fact. Undeniably so, even though she was wearing her hijab.
"Boyfriend! You have a boyfriend! You must have." Yalda said.
"Maybe." Cathy replied. She didn't really want to tell Yalda the truth. Not yet anyway. Cathy looked at Yalda and saw, even through her smile, that there was a sadness about her.
"Maybe, soon, I will tell you. But only if you tell me what is bothering you. Deal? Fancy getting a coffee or something? Shift's nearly over."
"I'd love to. But not tonight. Sorry. 'His' parents are coming over. I have to prepare dinner."
Cathy thought it odd the way Yalda had emphasized the word 'his'. It was clear all was not well in her marriage. Cathy also couldn't fail to notice Yalda stiffen and shudder when she mentioned him and his parents.
"All done in here?" Mr Davies asked from the doorway. Mr Davies was the manager of this particular store. He was a jolly sort of bloke. He was short, balding, tubby and had a ruddy complexion. But Cathy found him easy to get on with.
"Yes Mr Davies. All done." Cathy replied.
"Good. See you both tomorrow then. Have a good evening ladies." He then turned and disappeared back towards his office.
"Soon Yalda. We'll talk. Tomorrow maybe? If you like?"
Yalda seemed uncomfortable, Cathy thought. She was definitely struggling with something. "Maybe." Yalda said in reply.
"Off out? Someone I know?" Trisha asked, leaning on the frame of Cathy's bedroom door as Cathy finished blow drying her hair.
"Paul." Cathy said, putting down the hairdryer. "You know, one of the 'upstairs' clients."
Trisha raised her eyebrows. "Really? Good for you. He pays well. Always gives a bit extra. Just promise me something will you?"
"Of course. What?"
"Be careful and be safe!" Trisha then walked to stand behind Cathy and wrap her arms around her in a loving, but concerned hug. "And tell me all about it later!"
"I promise." Cathy said and turned in Trisha's arms to return the tender embrace.
Cathy looked in awe at the house as the taxi pulled up outside. It was a large house with a neat garden and an expensive looking car on the driveway. Cathy rang the bell and soon heard footsteps from inside. Paul smiled broadly when he saw Cathy and stepped back to allow her to enter.
"Cathy! Welcome. Come in. Come in. So happy to see you." Paul beamed as he closed the door. Then, taking Cathy in his arms, he hugged and kissed her gently. His pleasant demeanor relaxed Cathy and as Paul took her hand in his, he led her into a very large kitchen. A kitchen, that must be said, that was larger than her entire flat!
"Drink?" Paul asked. "We have most things. Beer? Wine? Something stronger?"
"Wine would be lovely, thank you. White if you have it." Cathy replied.
As Paul poured her wine from a bottle he had taken from a cooler as big as her fridge, Cathy couldn't fail to notice that this house was a shrine to his wife, Olivia. There were photos of her everywhere. Cathy now understood why he had asked her and not Debbie, Jenny or Trisha. Cathy bore an uncanny resemblance to Olivia. No wonder he had stared at her the way he did last Thursday. Same figure. Same hair colour. Same face almost. There were subtle differences of course. But as Cathy stared at one particular photo, it was like she was looking in a mirror.
"Olivia is a very beautiful woman, Paul." It was all Cathy could say.
"Yes she is. Thank you. Stole my heart the moment I first saw her." Paul said in reply as he handed her a glass of wine and an unsealed envelope.
"Hope that's ok?" Paul asked, nodding at the envelope. Cathy took a sip of the wine. She wasn't a wine buff by any means, but she could tell that this was expensive. She then put the glass down on a nearby counter, opened the envelope and looked inside. Cathy's eyes widened. "How much is in here?" She asked.
"Six hundred." Paul answered casually. "Just a small thank you for agreeing to tonight. You don't know how much this means to us Cathy."
"I don't know what to say. I'm speechless. Sorry."
"Say nothing. You're more than worth it Cathy. And as I said, this really means so much to Olivia and I."
"When do I get to meet her?" Cathy asked, after taking another sip of wine.
"Soon. Chloe's just getting her ready. Chloe is more or less, Olivia's permanent nurse. She's good at what she does. She doesn't live here in case you're wondering. She'll be gone soon. Next five or so minutes I imagine."
On her journey over, Cathy had come to a decision. "Paul? The other night, after we'd made love, you asked me about anal. Do you remember asking me that?"
"I do." Paul replied. "But like I said, it isn't for everyone. Why?"
"I've thought long and hard about this and if it's ok with you, maybe tonight, if that's in your plans that is, maybe we could, you know, do anal."
Paul's face was one of concern. "Are you sure Cathy? Because if you are, I promise you that I'll take it steady as it'll be your first time."
Cathy looked at Paul and then tapped the envelope that she had placed on the counter. "You know what I am Paul. I'm a working girl. To many, a whore. I don't know what you had planned for tonight but I'm here for you and Olivia. I'm here to be used. So please use me." Cathy stepped up to Paul, took his hands in hers, and looked directly into his eyes. "Fuck me as you wish, just as Olivia wants you to. You can fuck my mouth, my pussy and my arse however you want and in what order you like. If that's what Olivia wishes to see, then let her see me get well and truly fucked! Fuck me Paul, as you would fuck any of the women at one of those parties."
