All content copyright 2012 Ted Szabo
*
It was around one AM when Kate and I returned from the party, striding arm in arm up the sloping concrete walk in front of building eleven as my decrepit car's engine, thoroughly lined with carbon deposits, continued to cough along for a good ten seconds after the ignition was switched off. One of the student organizations had thrown a formal soiree and both of us were in evening wear—me, a rented tuxedo and her, a little black strapless dress with the name of some effete Italian guy on the label. Aside from one or two of the gallery shows we had attended it was the first time I had seen Kate in high heels and I was entranced by the crazy, excellent things they did to the contours of her legs when she strut. Seeing her in those shoes kind of made me see the point of a type of footwear I had previously perceived as dated and silly.
Kate had agreed to stay over at my place and had an overnight bag with her. At one point she had showed me the Spartan contents--noting, with a flirtatious smirk, that the satchel seemed really empty with no nightgown in it.
As we entered the apartment my roommates, who were watching some moronic teen comedy on TV, whistled appreciatively. I was proud of how gorgeous Kate looked on my arm—and, as corny as it sounds, there no denying that having her at my side put a certain amount of spring in my step. Kate and I pulled up chairs and began watching the movie, but it was pretty bad and we soon lost interest. I took Kate's hand, squeezing it lightly. "Let's get ready for bed," I murmured, and she nodded, smiling a bit nervously.
While Kate was in the bathroom removing her makeup I peeled off my socks and shoes, fielding a few questions from Al about the event Kate and I had just attended. A few minutes later, curiosity satisfied, he turned back toward the TV. A pouty sixteen-year-old who was being played by an actress who looked like she was about twenty five was trying to convince her boyfriend to take part in some mean-spirited, outrageous prank. The bulk of the apartment lights were off so the television, a big Panasonic plasma, was the only significant source of illumination and the apartment's main room was bathed in flickering shadows during all but the most brightly lit scenes.
After Kate emerged from the bathroom I gave her a quick kiss and guided her toward the nearest desk chair. Kneeling at her feet, I eased off her Chinese Laundries, running one hand slowly down the back of each leg as I loosened straps with the other. Her calves were so highly developed I could feel the deep cuts between individual muscles like long, warm channels beneath my fingers. At one point, just after a shoe had completely left her foot, its weight passing completely into my hands, I looked up at her our eyes locked. It seemed I could see something of doe and huntsman (huntwoman? huntsperson?) alike in those liquid, light-brown pools—both a quivering, uncertain creature ready to bolt and an avaricious entity lying in wait, preparing to take what it desired in bloody-edged fashion when the time grew ripe.
After stowing Kate's footwear I had her stand next to the bed and stepped behind her, leaving her positioned in such a way that any of the guys wanting to have a look at what we were doing would have a clear view. As I slowly unzipped Kate's dress I whispered in her ear, "You look incredible tonight. None of those other women even came close." The scent of hair spray, acrid and florid at the same time, wafted toward me.
The flattery was meant to put Kate at ease but there was plenty of truth to it. Every time we had been apart for more a few seconds it had seemed like another guy was hitting on her. It had become a bit annoying, and at one point I had just about been ready to take a swing at one of the Lotharios--a tall, smooth-talking glee clubber with a moussed-up bad boy haircut. I had calmed down after a while though, reminding myself how idiotic it was to date the most desirable woman possible, encourage her to dress in a provocative manner, and then get PO'd when the bears tried to get at the honey (ah, so to speak).
I finished unzipping Kate's dress and it slid down around her bare feet, forming a dark, ill-defined pool on the floor. She stepped out of it and I put the slinky garment away. Al had noticed what we were doing, immediately tapping Sam on the shoulder, and soon they and Dean were paying considerably more attention to Kate and I than the movie.
Kate had opted not to wear any hose so at this point she was dressed only in bra and panties. I started to unfasten her bra and noticed her tensing up, shoulder muscles twitching and hands rising from her sides. I leaned in close and whispered "Hon, I need you to do something for me."
"Um, OK, sure, she answered," voice shaking a little. My roommates were now watching avidly. None of them had really seen Kate topless at this point and they were obviously eager.
"I just need you to lace your fingers together on top of your head so you don't react by covering yourself."
I knew I was taking a chance here, and there was every possibility Kate would just tell me to go to hell and storm out. After a moment's shaky hesitation, though, she did as I asked.
A few moments later I finished unsnapping the bra—a simple black undergarment with the thick clasps and cups required to eliminate shoulder straps, and slipped it off. Kate flinched as she felt the cool night air on her chest but didn't try to keep herself from being seen. One of the guys sounded off with a low, admiring whistle and another murmured "Holy shit, amazing." It might have been my imagination but I was pretty sure I could see Kate's nipples becoming engorged right before my eyes, abruptly brought to attention by some arcane admixture of moderately low temperatures and prurient attention. It was like watching some sort of pornographic fast motion avant-garde video. Almost imperceptibly, a stream of curses arose from Kate, anxious and high-pitched and spoken so softly I couldn't make out individual words. It sounded like the phrase "Oh damn... damn damn damn..." was in there somewhere.
I leaned down, brushing the top of Kate's back with my lips, and placed my hands lightly on her shoulders. I whispered to her again, saying "Babe, you are so damn gorgeous. Your body is wonderful. Look—no one can take their eyes of you."
Kate didn't say or do anything in response, but I thought I could hear the pace of her quickened breath diminish a bit as she calmed, the initial shock of exposure wearing off. It was clear she wasn't comfortable with being denuded in front of several male acquaintances—not exactly, but she didn't seem panicky or resentful either. Moments later her breathy swearing came to a halt.
Next I slid my hands slowly down Kate's back, my fingertips spreading as they made their down to her hips, and started easing off her panties. I inched the dark, lacy undergarment down to the bottom of Kate's belly and then a bit further, revealing the top of her mons. At this point I would normally have expected to see the first hint of neatly trimmed pubic hair, but did not. There was nothing but the gentle rise of flesh above Kate's pubis, perfectly smooth and bare. I was a bit shocked.
"Did you, um..."
"Get waxed? Yes I did," Kate whispered back to me.
"Oh..." I wasn't sure why I was so surprised, but I was. It just didn't seem like something Kate would do, and it seemed a little wrong that I wouldn't get a chance to see her in this state before my friends did.
"Go ahead, Kate said softly. It's OK, since we talked about and I agreed I'm all right with you doing this."
The guys shifted impatiently in their seats.
I paused, no longer completely sure I should go through with this "unveiling." What had initially seemed playful and titillating had begun to feel almost invasive. Now that Kate had waxed I wouldn't just be showing my friends everything I would be showing them, well,
everything
. They would be able to see her vaginal lips, her outer folds, the thin clitoral hood. How was it exposing her so completely wasn't going to land me in the dog house?
Once again I moved my mouth to Kate's ear, speaking in low tones. "Hon—I didn't know you did that—how could I? I can just stop, that's OK. We don't have to do this. It was stupid of me to want to strip you down like this anyway. I don't want to humiliate you."
