Over the next two years, I had several lovers, and the modelling continued, but just for Jamie. Her business was paying full time money for her within the first twelve months, and she had several distributors by the end of the second year with a few people under her who had their own parties and little events. The lingerie thing was fun for me, and we sold a lot of thongs and g-strings, but things always got interesting when one of the ladies heard that my pussy was shaved. I'd eventually show them, after a lot of goading and reluctance, but it never led to sex, just more sales. The shaved pussy show and tell always led to big sales on personal care creams and lubricants that were good for your skin. I ended up with an endless supply of the stuff, and never had to pay for it. I had daily care, pre-shave cream, after shave soothing lotion and enough lubricant to take a shallow bath in after two years.
Perhaps the rumours got back to Pete, maybe not. Regardless of that, I tried not to fantasize about him too much because nationalizations never worked out for me. Instead, I reminded myself that he was with Rita, and the only way to be near him was to get to know him, so I kept hanging out at the More Joe Cafe and talked to him whenever I had a chance, especially when it was just the two of us there.
I have always been a book a week girl, and I'd read anything. After a few months, we started lending each other books, since he was a book a week – often more – guy. The topics were wide ranging, from horror to fantasy to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to Naked Lunch and everything in between. We could talk for hours, but when he knew Rita was going to be around, he was always more distant.
I suspected that she had a big jealousy streak, even though even a few months in I was sure she had nothing to worry about. Pete didn't talk to me much about her, but when he was really frustrated, I'd see how crazy she could make him. She didn't believe in the Cafe, and sometimes she'd just take money out of the cash register without telling him until that night or the next day. I made sure I kept my opinion to myself, it was Jamie's advice. Of course she knew I had a crush on him, and instead of telling me it would never happen, she would guide me, make sure I told her everything.
On the very rare occasion that he complained about Rita, Jamie's advice was to let him go on, not to take sides unless he asked me directly. When the cash register thing came up, I knew what to do. It was wrong of her to take money and not pay it back, so that's almost exactly what I said. It was pretty black and white, and I refrained from telling him what to do about it. According to Jamie, that's where the trouble could start. I tell him to dump her, or to lock the register, and I'm getting between them. Then I become a villain to Rita, and that's one step away from her convincing Pete that I'm just a little girl causing trouble. Whether it was the right thing or not, I followed Jamie's advice and I have to admit, Pete and I became surprisingly close. We were friends, and I gained a much deeper appreciation for him.
Even though I always had an eye in his direction, I didn't see that as any reason to stay single. I never had to look far for a lover. I grew into myself a little then too got modest hips, bigger tits, but they were still firm and sensitive, not great big boobs. I even made it a little further past five feet, but never past five foot three. My face grew out of a little of it's cute, baby fat phase into one that men began to find beautiful.
I really did look more womanly, if very petite, and when I was watching Much Music one day, I saw a video by Lee Aaron. She wore skimpy tops, had the same figure as me, and these black tights that I thought looked amazing. She was gorgeous, and more than anything else, she could sing so powerfully. I was transfixed, not even noticing that my roommate, Timothy, had plunked down on the sofa behind me, eating cereal.
The video finished, and I heard him munching behind me. "She is so hot, it's amazing she's not some kinda pop star instead of a rocker chick."
I looked over my shoulder and smiled at him. "I'm going to be the red-headed version of her."
"You're about ten years late, and you can't sing," he shrugged. "Sorry, I've heard you in the shower. Even the cat leaves when you start up."
"In every other way," I said. "That's how I want people to see me." So began my rocker chick phase, and the volume on my life was about to turn way up.
In the following year Pete bought the cafe from the owner, and I started to drop in even more. I made a point of trying to draw Rita into our conversations so Pete wouldn't keep me at arm's length when she was about to appear. She treated me with distant politeness, and after a while I gave up, unable to get past the shortest of conversations.
Pete was a different story. He always smiled and said; "Hey, red," when I came through the door, and I'd reply the same; "hey, red!" We were both natural redheads, something I offered to prove more than once even though I knew that if I tried to deliver on that I would end up showing him nothing but my bald pussy. Oh, yeah, a little flirting had started by then. I was having more fun than ever with him.
He didn't take me up on it, but I got a laugh out of making him squirm when it came up, and I made sure I did every few weeks. It conflicted with a rumour I was certain he'd heard at least a few times – that I was as bare as you could be between my legs. I made sure to bend over in my black tights whenever I had the opportunity, and I caught him looking more than once, but he usually looked away. Pete was careful, but I knew he liked what he saw.