Daleâs Women (Chapter 9)
Kathryn M. Burke
When Lois woke up the next day, she was momentarily disoriented.
Where on earth am I?
She had slept deeply, but the unfamiliar feel of the bed, and the strange furnishings in the room, made her wonder if she was dreaming. Then something else struck her:
Why am I naked?
Turning her head suddenly, she saw Dale lying peacefully asleep next to her.
She had to cover her mouth with her hand to prevent a scream from escaping her. Then the events of the night before came flooding back to her.
Omigod! Could I really have done what I did?
But the wetness between her thighs, and on the sheet, couldnât be denied.
How could I have let myself go like that? What would Ben have said?
But then she remembered:
Ben isnât around anymore.
The thought almost made her burst into tears; but, aside from a choking sob, she managed to restrain herself. The small sound nevertheless woke her bedmate, and Dale opened his eyes and turned a benevolent gaze in Loisâs direction. Over her slight protests he took her in his arms.
âHow are you this morning?â he whispered in her ear.
âOkay,â she said uneasily.
âJust okay?â
âFine,â she said. âReally fine. Very good.â
But she didnât sound it. He held up her face above his own and said, âYou sure youâre okay? Youâre not mad at me?â
âNo, of course not!â she burst out. âWhy should I be mad at you?â
âYou donât think I . . . forced you?â
âDonât be silly. It was fine. You were wonderful.â
âIâm glad to hear it. Youââ
But their sweet nothings were interrupted by a loud pounding on the bedroom door. âSay, you two!â Gloria said in a penetrating voice. âIsnât it time to get up? Iâm starvingâletâs make breakfast!â
Lois and Dale smiled at each other. He leaped up from the bed to put on a robe. Lois couldnât help watching his naked backside as he strode over to the other side of the room. But she remained in bed as he covered himself.
âArenât you getting up?â he said.
It took her a few moments to say, âCan you find me a robe?â
Dale turned to the closet and fished one out. He knew that a full-length one would be too long for her, so he managed to find a knee-length pink thing that would work pretty well.
âHere,â he said, holding it out.
But she remained in bed. âCan you bring it to me?â
He walked over and placed it on the bed.
âNow can you please turn around?â she said.
Dale smiled at her modesty, but agreed.
When both were dressed, Dale opened the door. Gloria was standing right outside, hand raised as if to knock again.
âThere you are!â she cried. âItâs about time.â
âSorry,â Dale murmured. âI guess we overslept.â
He and Gloria walked downstairs together. Lois followed at a considerable distance, her manner suggesting that she wanted to be anywhere but here.
As they were heading toward the kitchen, Gloria whispered to Dale, âWhat exactly happened last night? I heard some strange squawking after you went into her room. I thought you said you werenât going toââ
âI didnât,â Dale protested. âItâs just that . . . well, sheâs a bit inhibited. Very limited experience withâcertain matters. So, yes, she did protest a bit at first. But Iâm reasonably certain she liked what we did.â
âYouâll have to tell me the full story sometime.â
They all entered the kitchen. Gloria, noisily getting the appropriate pans ready for a lavish breakfast, turned to Lois and said casually, âHave a nice time?â
Lois colored at once and said, âGloria, please!â
Her friend gave her a wide smile. âNo need to be shy. Dale is very . . . skilled.â
Lois turned away, unable to speak. Dale intervened, saying, âGloria, youâre embarrassing her.â
âIâm sorry,â Gloria said to both Dale and Lois. âIâm just teasing.â
The breakfast was wonderful, and everyone found that they had robust appetites. Afterwards, they sat around the living room, wondering what to do next.
âLetâs spend the day together!â Dale said enthusiastically. He looked keenly at Lois, whom he wished to get to know betterânot just physically, but in every way.
âIs that okay, Lois?â Gloria said. âYou have any other plans?â
Lois shook her head jerkily.
âWe could go to that state park!â Dale chirped.
âUm, no,â Gloria said emphatically. âNot there.â
âWhy not?â Dale said in something close to a whine.
âLetâs just not. There are plenty of other places we can go to.â
And so it was decided they would just drive around the area, stopping by at whatever locales struck their fancy. In the course of the day, they visited several antique shops, a nice cafĂ© for lunch, and sundry other establishments. Dale was right, however, that the warm summer day all but cried out for a stroll in a park or fairground, and they found one not far from Gloriaâs house.
In spite of their difference in size and general physique, Gloria managed to find some suitable casual wear for Loisâeverything from underwear to shorts to a cotton blouse. Both women looked like the embodiment of health and vigor, and Dale was proud to have these two incredible females at his side.
It was late afternoon, and Gloria said she was a bit tired. She said she wanted a nap, and settled down on the big blanket they had brought for use in the park. Dale and Lois decided to take a little walk along a path through a stretch of dense trees and shrubbery.
They said little, but Dale took Loisâs hand in a gesture that she found inexpressibly touching.
Throughout the day, she had found herself gazing at the man she had slept with. She could still feel his member in her mouth and as it probed her inner recesses. An unbreakable bond had been established. She didnât really care that Dale was also bedding her best friend: when she was alone with him, it was as if no one else existed.
They sat down on a bench to rest. Without warning Dale came out with a startling statement.
âYour husband is the only man youâve ever slept with, isnât that right?â
Lois stared wide-eyed at him, then looked away. âYes,â she said in a small voice.
âWhen was that?â
âSenior year of college.â
âThere was no one before? Not in high school?â
Lois shook her head vigorously. âI was too shyâand the boys didnât seem to be interested. I donât have much in the breast department, and thatâs all they seemed to care about.â
âNot all men like big breasts.â
âWell, I just wasnât wild the way the other girls were. They called me a little mouse. I was justâscared. Scared that a boy would hurt me, or get me pregnant, or something. And I went to a big collegeâthe University of Connecticutâwhere I had trouble making friends of any sort, let alone getting a boyfriend. I was lucky to meet Ben in an honors English class. He was about as shy as I was, and so we kind of clung to each other. I was the first one heâd slept with too. So there you have it.â
âThereâs nothing wrong with being shyâbut sex is meant to create a sense of intimacy with the person you love, and you shouldnât hold anything back.â
âBut so many of the things Iâve heard people do are just . . . icky!â
âOh, thatâs just prejudice. Anyway, you canât tell if you like them or not unless you try.
Then
you can decide if theyâre âickyâ or not.â
âI guess youâre right,â Lois said, but hardly sounded convinced.
When they returned to their informal camp, they found Gloria wide awake and putting the blanket and other things away in a big bag.
âReady to go home?â she said brightly.
âSure,â Dale said. Lois said nothing.
They had a light dinner at Gloriaâs house, and then watched a romantic comedy whose plot they forget the moment the film was over. As they sat on the living-room sofaâDale in the middle, Gloria and Lois on either side, his arms wrapped protectively around themâit was evident that Lois was getting fidgety.
Gloria felt that the issue of sleeping arrangementsâwhich was no doubt the cause of Loisâs concernâshould be addressed bluntly. âSo what do we do now?â she said.
Staring at her hands, Lois said almost inaudibly, âMaybe I should go home.â
âHome?â Gloria scoffed. âThatâs ridiculous. Itâs quite late.â (In fact it wasnâtâonly a little past 10 p.m.) âWhy donât you stay another night?â
Still unable to look anyone in the face, Lois said, âIâd rather not.â
Gloria gave her friend a severe frown. âWhatâs the matter? Didnât you have fun last night?â
As Lois blushed crimson, Dale intervened. âGloria, please! If she wants to go home, she should be allowed to.â
Gloriaâs glare turned to him. âListen, youââ
Unexpectedly, Lois turned to whisper something in Daleâs ear. A blush continued to suffuse her face.
âOkay,â Dale said, and then got up. With a gesture of his head, he silently urged Gloria to go to the kitchen for a little conference.
âWhatâs up with her?â Gloria snapped.
âCalm down, will you?â Dale said sharply. âYouâre making her really uncomfortable. You have to understand that what she did last night was, um, not exactly normal for her.â
âI do understand that,â Gloria said, although she showed little sign that she really did. âSo what was she saying to you just now?â
It was Daleâs turn to blush a little. âWell, hereâs the thing. She seems to think you want me to be with her againââ
âYou bet I do! Iâm sure thereâs a lot more she needs to learn about pleasing a manâand herself.â
âYou can say that again. But thereâs a problem with that: you.â