Catching Up Ch 03

The debriefing from Pam the next day was quite short and to the point. She was clearly still peeved at having been abandoned by text, and was finding it hard to believe Kristen wasn't winding her up. "And you just let this other guy join in?"

"Uh-hmm," Kristen nodded. "I guess I thought, if you're going to do it..." She shrugged. "Go as far as you can."

"Weren't you worried he could turn rough on you?"

"Nah, he was a sweetie. Hardly said a word all night, but then I didn't bring him along for the conversation."

Pam shook her head. "I dunno, every time I think I've got you figured, you do something crazy like this."

"It's not like I let myself get dragged back to their lair," Kristen reminded her. "I drove them back here. And we had a very nice time, right through there." She pointed through the open door to the living room.

Pam's eyes widened. "What, you mean..."

"Well that sofa's had plenty of use recently, hasn't it? Might as well keep up the tradition. I don't think they'd had much luck lately, the way they both went at me. Things got a little messy at the end." Pam wrinkled her nose slightly, and Kristen realised that was probably TMI. "The shower must feel the same way as you, it gave out on me afterwards just when I really needed it."

"Look, I'm not a prude or anything," Pam protested, and then lapsed into silence. "OK, maybe I am a bit of a prude. You've got a lot more courage than me."

"More like desperation. It's funny how far you'll go when you really, really need something."

Pam's lips curled into a faint smile, and she rested her chin on her hand as she stared back at Kristen. "So you really needed this, did you?"

"Hon, you have

no

idea." Kristen sipped at her coffee, keeping her innermost thoughts to herself.

Kristen spent the next few days wondering what her next move should be. She knew that another attempt at a club pick-up wasn't wise, and that she wanted something a little different from a night like that anyway. The next time she was with a man she felt ready to take the lead all the way through, and make him play at her pace. The only problem, as always, was finding the right guy to experiment on. With, she corrected herself. She meant with.

She was still spending far too long daydreaming about sex when she finally got round to having her shower fixed. As she'd had to take the whole day off work for it, there was nothing to help her focus on something more constructive. When the repair man arrived at last, she wasted no time in showing him what the problem was and leaving him to it. She settled down on the couch and put something mindless on the TV.

After a few minutes she heard the faint sound of running water upstairs as he tested the showerhead. An amusing little thought occurred to her and she sank back against the cushions with a laugh. As she stared blankly up at the ceiling, the same thought returned to her and her pulse began to quicken and her mouth dry up. It was ridiculous, but not impossible, she told herself. Not at all. She fidgeted around on the couch for another minute, debating with herself while her heart did cartwheels. Then she got up, went into the hall and crept slowly up the stairs, tiptoeing as if she were an intruder in her own home.

She stepped carefully past the bathroom, down the landing and into her own room. When she was sure she hadn't been heard, she reached for the bathrobe she had slung lazily over a chair and placed it in front of her on the bed. Silently she began to undress, leaving her clothes strewn on the carpet, out of sight of the landing. When she was finished she put on the robe, tied the cord tightly round her waist and sat back on the bed, her knees together in front of her like a naughty little girl.

It seemed to take an eternity for the plumber to finish his work, and in that time Kristen had plenty of opportunity to change her mind, but she gritted her teeth, shrugged and thought, "Why the hell not?" When at last he was done, she rolled over onto her side and tried to look as casual as possible, like she'd just decided to have a lie down while he was working. She heard him step onto the landing, and gave an unsubtle cough to point out her location.

He popped his head round the door, taking in the fact that she had changed her clothes at once. "Um, I think it should be all fixed now," he said, jerking a thumb back towards the bathroom. Kristen glanced up innocently at him. He was in his late forties, with a somewhat craggy, lined face, but he had a pleasant smile and an air of confidence about him, as though he would be difficult to faze. She'd have to see about that.

"Thanks, you're a life saver!" she exclaimed, sliding herself off the bed with a show of enthusiasm but still managing to preserve her modesty. She followed him down the hall to the bathroom, her heart pounding away frantically. She stood beside him patiently as he explained what had gone wrong with the shower, the technical details washing vacantly over her more than they ever had done. When he stopped, she took a deep breath and announced, "Well, I think I'm just about ready to try this out now. It's been long enough."

"Sure thing," he said, reaching into his shirt pocket for a slip of paper. "Just settle up, and then I'll leave you to it..."

"Is that a good idea?"

"What do you mean?" he asked in puzzlement.

"Well," Kristen said, her mouth now positively burning, "if you want to be sure it works, it's best if I test it out now, isn't it? That way you can see it for yourself." As the words left her throat, she saw his eyes narrow and the bridge of his nose pinch in suspicion.

Before he had a chance to say anything else, she reached for the robe round her waist, untied the knot and dropped the garment round her ankles, keeping her gaze straight ahead and well away from him. She stepped forward towards the shower, silently praying that she wasn't about to hear the sound of him protesting, rushing out, making her feel like the freak she knew she was. But thankfully she had figured him right, and there was no sound. There was only the noise of her fiddling with the showerhead as she had done thousands of times before; despite it having just been fixed, right now it was harder to work than ever.

When she had finally got the water flowing, she took another deep breath and turned to face the repair man, who was standing dead still with his eyes fixed on her. "You might as well get comfortable," she said, gesturing towards the toilet seat. "I'm going to be here for a while." He edged slowly over to the toilet and sat down, his legs stretched awkwardly in front of him. Kristen hoped to him have sitting even more uncomfortably by the time she was done.

She reached for the soap beside her and lathered her hands, just as she always did. She had already decided that rather than try some elaborate strip show she was going to have a normal wash, not least because she needed one; there would just be something extra added on for his benefit. She smeared the soap across her breasts and down her thighs, lifting her legs one by one to reach her feet. She gave him an easy smile as she did so, wanting to break into conversation to lighten the mood but somehow knowing that he wouldn't be up to it. This kind of thing did tend to use up all of a man's attention at once.

With a captive audience she stood up to her full height and began to soak herself in the water, letting it run through her hair and down her chest. She took plenty of time, gradually dispelling her remaining nerves. For all that the idea had tantalised her, she had wondered how she would feel when she was actually here in front of him, stark naked and touching herself. Now a strange kind of relaxation swept over her, as real and vivid as her excitement. She knew she had nothing to be embarrassed about physically, and the sheer brazenness of what she was doing certainly hadn't put him off. Soon she was comfortable enough to begin giving him that show after all, but strictly on her terms.

Holding one hand against the shower cubicle, she closed her eyes and reached down with her other hand to her pussy, spreading her labia apart. She took a deep breath, suddenly keenly aware of everything; the warm water cascading down her neck and shoulders, the cold marble beneath her toes, and the air against her exposed crotch. She had feared that once she got started she would dry up in every sense, and be left standing there trying to get something going; but a few feels around her clit told her otherwise, straight away. She realised she would have to be careful, or she'd be done in about thirty seconds.

Kristen extended two fingers and began gently circling her clit. She edged back against the wall, her legs spreading wider and wider as she increased the pace. With her eyes shut she was momentarily lost in her own little world of pleasure; then she reminded herself that this was not a private viewing, and she hadn't intended it to be. Slowly, cautiously, she opened her eyes and let them drift over to the plumber, still sitting on the toilet. He had a half-smile on his face, but she could see from the angle of his legs, and the way he kept adjusting his stance slightly, that he was trying to manage something sizeable down there.

She smiled reassuringly at him, flicking a strand of sopping wet hair out of her face. With her other hand she enveloped her chest, then drew it back over her breasts, playing with each one in turn. As she looked down at her hardening nipples her mouth dropped open lasciviously, and she realised with an exhilarating rush that she wasn't having to fake any of this. Every move she made stemmed from her own inner desires, everything he saw was what she wanted him to see, and she was growing more uninhibited each minute. She bent her knees slightly and slid down the wall in an ungainly half-crouch as she really got to work, putting her wrist to the test.

The water still flowed down her body in a steady stream, huge drops of it hanging from her breasts and thighs. It collected in her crotch, covering up the fluid that was already there, but the noise of the shower couldn't quite hide the sticky sounds of her fingers scrabbling at her clit, occasionally slipping inside her pussy. She had used that water plenty of times to get off, angling her clit so it got the full benefit, but she didn't need it this time. Nor did she need to use much imagination. With her body spread wide open, every limb pumping away serving her own selfish pleasure, she stared back at the plumber and took in the reaction on his face as she masturbated in front of him. That was more than enough inspiration.

Kristen felt it building inside her, the jolts of electricity starting in her toes and fingers. She looked over at him and saw his tongue poised on his lips in anticipation, unconsciously mirroring her. She decided she was going to eke this out as long as she possibly could. By now her fingers were a windmilling blur on her clit, and she slowed them down to a more measured pace, working away at her most sensitive spot. This time the pleasure rose more slowly, but it was far more intense and concentrated. With a strangled little whimper Kristen dug her fingernails hard into her breast, her hips grinding forward into thin air.

She saw the plumber lift his head up as he followed her movements, his whole body as tense as hers. Her thighs twitched beneath her, and she sagged back against the wall. She felt her eyes close and with a great effort of will she opened them again, staring at him with determination as she came. Her body shuddered and she gave a loud yell of exertion; she almost smacked her head on the tiles, jerking it away at the last second. She stared down at her quivering body in disbelief, her legs splayed apart and now soaking wet. With a groan she pulled her fingers away from her burning clit and steadied herself, her head lolling against her shoulder.

There was a few moments' silence, then the plumber got up from his seat, walked across to the showerhead and considerately turned it off for her. "Uh, well... I think it's working OK. We don't normally run these kinds of tests," he added drily, "but I'm glad you were so thorough about it."

"Thanks," Kristen grinned at him, wincing through half-shut eyes. "See, I told you it always pays to check!" She eased herself off the wall with a little sigh, standing only inches away from him in her dripping wet birthday suit. She snuck a quick glance downwards and was pleased to note that his pants were stretched about as tight as they could possibly go. "Just pass me that towel, would you?" she asked casually. He passed it to her off the rack and she ran it cursorily through her hair and down her chest, cleaning off some of the excess liquid.

"Are you all right?" he asked her as she puffed heavily.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't do this every day of the week, you know," she pointed out with a weary smile, handing the towel back to him.

"I'm not surprised. They'd be lining up outside your house by now."

Kristen laughed and stepped out of the shower, giving him a little pat on the arm. "C'mon, I think it's time I paid up." She strolled out of the bathroom and down the hallway, leaving a trail of wet footprints behind her. He followed her into her bedroom and stood watching her as she rummaged through her bag, her body tingling in the sudden cold.

"Here you are," she said eventually, handing a large bundle of cash over to him. "I'm sorry that I couldn't offer you anything more," she added slyly, "but I mean, I got things to do today."

"That's fine," he said with a little shake of the head as he accepted the money. "Believe me, that was a lot more than I usually get these days. I don't think I should be taking all this as well."

"It was my pleasure," she assured him. She watched him tuck the money away, and a teasing little thought popped into her head. "Just one thing," she added. "If you ever find yourself in that position again..."

"What kind of women do you think I meet in this job?" he laughed.

"Hey, there's more of us perverts around than you think. But if you ever are in that position again, and you want to jerk off..." She shrugged. "Just do it. You don't think I'd have been offended, do you?"

"I guess you're right," he reflected, seeming to rue an opportunity missed. "I was too busy keeping my eyes on you to think about anything else."

"Aw, thanks," she said, standing on tiptoe and giving him a little peck on the cheek. "But being able to watch you too is the one thing that would have made it even better for me. So when you're doing it at home tonight..." She patted his crotch gently. "Just learn the lesson, OK?"

He nodded, and Kristen felt such an adrenaline buzz surging through her, like she'd never had before. She had just fingered herself for a total stranger, was standing here naked before him in her own bedroom, and she had topped it off by giving him some masturbatory advice. As she showed him out, she realised with a sudden flutter of her heart that she didn't even know his name - or if she'd got it on the phone, she had completely forgotten it by now. That was a step up from the night at the club. Or a step down, depending on your perspective, but she didn't have Pam around to reprove her at the moment.

She rushed straight upstairs and dried herself off properly, rubbing the towel down her arms and thighs with burning speed. Then she went back to her room, slid back onto her bed, and spent the next few minutes getting wet all over again.

The days at work dragged by, Kristen's mind anywhere but on her job. The initial wave of sympathy she'd had from the few people she told about her break-up had gone. Now they and everyone else seemed to be keeping her at arm's length, as though she should be left to stew out her hurt and indignation by herself. They had no idea what else was preoccupying her thoughts, though.

Reflecting on what she had achieved so far, she realised that it had been fun, but there had been no real connection with her partners. Not that she had been looking for that in the first place, but it would have given her an extra little charge to sleep with someone who knew her well enough to appreciate the change in her. The guys she'd been with didn't know her from Adam, and probably figured they'd got lucky with the town slut. She wouldn't lose any sleep over being thought of that way, but she wanted someone who could recognise the effort it had taken to be so dirty.

There were very few people she knew that well, and most of them, she observed, were sitting around her in this office. In a state of detachment she began to wonder who she would take that kind of risk for, treating it as an exercise in rating the men around her. Her options were very limited. A couple of guys were certainly hot enough, but if she ever opened her legs for them she was pretty sure she'd never hear the end of it afterwards. It was a strange belief that women were always the gossipy sex.

She tried to look at it from a slightly less shallow angle and consider who it was that she felt most comfortable talking to, and could be relied on to keep something like that private. And almost immediately, a name came to her. Not the one she was most interested in, but certainly the one who was most interested in her. Joel, from accounting. Every time they met he went into semi-flirting mode with her, a verbal back-and-forth game which she had dutifully played while making sure she gave off no signs of real interest. The thought had crossed her mind more than once that he was being serious, that he was actually making her an offer, but as a married woman she had always dismissed it. Now she began to wonder whether she had looked a gift-horse in the mouth all this time.

She thought of Joel a little bit more, weighing up the pros and cons. He was cute enough, nothing that would turn her weak at the knees but she wouldn't kick him out of bed either. Unlike everyone else he hadn't kept her at a distance these past few weeks, perhaps because no one had the heart to tell him about the developments in her personal life, and that maybe his constant jokes about being free for a date weren't that appropriate right now. But he hadn't offended her for one minute, not when he brought some fun to her dreary working day. And certainly not now she really was free, too. Why not, she asked herself. Like every other decision she had made these past few weeks, she acted too quickly to second-guess herself.

Getting up from her desk, Kristen paced round the corner to where he sat, half-slumped in his chair and trying to look interested in the spreadsheet in front of him. She knew exactly how he felt. "Hey," she announced.

"Hey. You still got the will to live round there?" he asked her, nodding back to where she had come. "Last time I passed you your chin was about ready to hit the desk."

"God, I wish. That'd wake me up at least."

"I know something that'll definitely get you awake," he said teasingly, swiveling his chair lazily from side to side. "Just so long as you're patient enough..."

"Oh yeah?" Kristen asked, perching on the edge of his desk. "Tell me more."

"I can't right now. Like all great works of art, it needs time before it's properly unveiled."

"Well I may not have that much time," she murmured to him as she leaned in closer. "Why don't you tell me about it tonight?"

The humour in Joel's face died away and he became a picture of puzzlement, the same reaction she had been inducing in so many men recently. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," she said quietly, her heart racing as she bent even closer, "if you want a date, I'm free this evening. And if you really do have something you want to show me..." She crossed her legs slowly in front of him, her skirt riding up just an inch against the table edge. "Then show me."