How often does one girlfriend help another? Here in Chapter 10, Mary sincerely tries to cure Esta of some of her loneliness.
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I spent a lot of time with Esta over the next few weeks. I took her to very nice restaurants. I took her to movies, never failing to get popcorn and soda. I bought her a nice pair of hiking boots, and we explored the trails of a nearby state park. I enjoyed looking at her strong, shapely legs as she scrambled up steep inclines. We even went bowling, which was something I hadn't done since I was a kid. She'd never bowled before, and she smiled when it was over. It was a small one, but it was definitely a smile.
Mary insisted that I treat Esta like a queen. She even bought little gifts for Esta and wrapped them in pretty paper and ribbon. A scarf. A necklace. Nothing too fancy. They were the kind of gifts a man with good taste would get for his girlfriend. I didn't have good taste, but I had Mary, which was almost as good.
I told Esta I was in a committed relationship that was also open, and she was fine with that because I used the sonic stimulator when I gave her that news. I also used the stimulator when I repeatedly told her she was beautiful, precious, worthy, amazing, and all the other things women want to hear from men. "You deserve happiness," I said. "You deserve love."
It was very, very gratifying to watch as Esta began to believe what I said. She'd had it rough in many ways for a long time.
I even found a way to reduce the financial pressure that was ruining her life. I hired her to help take care of my dogs. She worked in a coffee shop on the edge of campus, so it was easy for her to walk to my lab after finishing her shift. She joined the small group of people I'd hired to feed and water my poodles, then take them on walks and play fetch. She loved my dogs, which seemed to provide another source of happiness to a life that hadn't had nearly enough. My dogs liked having another human to love.
I told Esta the university was paying her salary, but that was a harmless little lie. The money came from my pocket. The university only let me hire students, but Esta didn't need to know that. It wasn't a lot of money, but it was enough. When people live on a very low income for a very long time, it doesn't take a lot of money to make a lot of difference.
"You need to spend nights with Esta," Mary said.
"Repeat what you just said. It sounded like you said I need to spend nights with Esta," I replied.
Mary smiled. "That poor girl needs to know what it's like to go to sleep next to a good man, then find him beside her when she wakes up."
"Esta used to have a live-in boyfriend," I said.
"He could not have been as good as you," Mary said.
"You are a very kind, generous woman," I said. "But you are forgetting how horny you get after hours of dancing naked at the club. I need to be here when you get home."
"On your way home from work, stop at the sex shop and buy me a vibrator," Mary said. "Get a good one. And make sure it's rechargeable. I don't want to mess with cords or dead batteries."
I started spending two nights a week with Esta.
Her gradual transformation was amazing and wonderful. She was happy. Her life had meaning. She loved my dogs. She loved me as much as I loved her. With help from Mary, we'd solved (or improved) every one of the problems that had been such a burden for so long. But it was temporary. Someday, she'd need a better job, and her experience as a barista didn't qualify her for anything that paid nearly enough.
And Esta needed a man of her own. I'd used the sonic stimulator to make her think she was satisfied being with a man who slept with other women, but that wasn't what she wanted in her heart of hearts. Ultimately, Esta wanted a husband. Babies. A real home. I was fine for now. I was more than fine. As much as I enjoyed being intimate with a woman as wonderful as Esta, I wanted her to be happy. I'd do anything to make that happen.
Once again, Mary figured it out.
"It would be best if you could convince Esta to become a dancer," Mary said. "Is she cute enough for that?"
"I think so. She has an unusual look, but I like her."
"Do you have a picture?" Mary asked.
"No. I can get one."
"Do that. And see if you can get her to pose nude."
"What makes you think she'll want to do that?" I asked.
"You didn't have any trouble getting naked pictures from me, did you?" Mary asked.
"Good point."
Mary was satisfied when she saw Esta's photos. "She'll do fine," Mary said. "Guys will just love those boobs. And she looks hot. The only problem is that she's much too hairy. We'll need to get her waxed from the neck down."
"I'll talk to her about it," I said.
I didn't even try to broach the subject without using the sonic stimulator. I had a feeling that she'd have big reservations about becoming an exotic dancer, despite the bigger salary. I turned on the device and began making the sales pitch.
"Esta, I believe I've mentioned that my girlfriend Mary works as an exotic dancer. Some people look down on women like her, but they shouldn't. Mary works hard for her money, and she provides a kind of sex-positive entertainment many people want and need."
"Want and need," Esta said.
"Mary is qualified to work as a hairstylist, and she does very well, but dancing pays much better. Mary has a six figure salary as a dancer. You'd like earning that much, wouldn't you."
