5.THE RECONCILIATION
by David Angelo

         When Catherine woke on Thursday morning, she felt a tremendous
confusion, so much so that her avowed intention to phone David first thing,
stalled as indecision and guilt swept over her.  The indecision was not
driven by a change of heart about wanting David back as soon as possible,
but rather more by her inability to actually talk to him while the memory
of the night before was still so vivid.  Although she had slept as one does
when truly physically and emotionally exhausted, every muscle in her body
reminded her of the previous evening's vigorous callisthenics.  Worse, she
could almost feel Joshua inside her when she looked at the photographs.
Catherine just did not have the brazenness to be able to welcome David back
into her bed, always assuming that he wanted to come, while she was still
feeling the physical after-effects of another man!
         The trouble was that it was not going to be an evening easily
forgotten and that she had to face Joshua again as soon as possible so that
she could begin the process of getting their professional relationship
normalised as soon as possible.  To do this, she had to be at work and
acting as if nothing had happened.   She had not allowed for the now
obvious fact that it was going to take time for the memories and feelings
of a fairly unusual event to diminish but was concerned that she had
already let an inordinate amount of time slip by while she stood on her
dignity.  Catherine worried about both David's patience and loyalty and
just how long they could be tested, or indeed, whether it might already be
too late!
         What was needed was a way to indicate that she had misjudged him, for
which she was sorry, and seeking at least, the opportunity to have a
discussion with him, to see whether they might re-establish their
relationship.  She glanced at the letter addressed to David, that she had
placed by her handbag for readdressing and the solution hit her.  Write him
a note and drop both the note and his letter off to his ward on her way to
work!  That way she could avoid seeing him but she would still be able to
convey her apologies to him and indicate a willingness to meet at some time
in the future - when she was in a more stable frame of mind!
         Catherine hated being in a state of indecision and having made up her
mind what to do, was now both hopeful and considerably relieved.   She
sprang out of bed, found pen and paper and spent some time crafting an
appropriate letter along the lines she had been thinking.  Satisfied in the
end, she carefully signed it off with 'lots of love' and sealed it in an
envelope.  Now she had only to get through meeting Joshua again and, with a
bit of luck, might get her life back on the rails again.
         She glanced at the clock - it was still early enough for a nice long
shower and to have time to deliver the letters.  Out of habit, she went to
the wardrobe for her dressing gown and caught a glimpse of the photographs
propped up on the dressing table.  Catherine stopped, glanced at herself in
the mirror and wondered if it was too late or too difficult to change the
habits of a lifetime.  After a moment's hesitation and the reassurance of
another glance at the photographs, she slowly slipped her nightie over her
head and tossed it onto the bed.  Then she stood up straight, pulled her
shoulders back and surveyed her image in the mirror.   The cool morning air
caressed her body and her nipples hardened slightly as the delicious
sensation of those recently familiar butterflies returned to her stomach.
Thus reinforced, she strode off to the shower with all the aplomb of a
model.
         Was there going to be no place in this flat where memories did not
haunt her? She felt vaguely excited as the water cascaded over her and the
shampoo sluiced down her body.  Even the act of drying herself found
sensitive spots, especially around her nipples which were still a bit
tender from the massaging they had received the night before!  Catherine
examined herself critically in the mirror from the same vantage point as in
the photograph.  No Rachel Hunter, but very nicely shaped just the same she
thought as she fired up the hair dryer.   Toilet completed, she wandered
back to her bedroom, resisting the temptation to wrap a towel around
herself.  David would have wondered what on earth had got into her if he
had been around to see her immodesty and yet, she mused, I love the sight
of his naked body so I suppose he would like mine just as much.
         After dressing, she hid the photographs in the middle of an old
pharmacology notebook which she then replaced in a battered old trunk,
gathered her mail and headed out to catch the first bus going to the
hospital.  Breakfast would have to wait until morning tea time.
         The round trip via the hospital was uneventful. She was able to drop
both letters off at his ward without actually banging in to him, arrive at
work only one minute late and be sitting at her bench contemplating the
first microscopic slide when Eleanor, the office assistant, came in with a
fax.   "Very many thanks for the letters.  What about meeting me at Logan
Brown's for dinner on Sunday evening at say 7.00?  I can't wangle any real
time off prior to that.  All my love, David."
         A profound wave of relief swept over Catherine.  'All my love, David'
was exactly what she wanted to hear and it also sounded as if she was
forgiven.  And to make her day and indeed, the balance of the week even
better, the prospect of a romantic dinner at Logan Brown's - with four days
in which to mentally prepare herself!   She was so happy that she could
even have hugged old Arthur if he had been standing nearby.  Everything had
worked out perfectly so far - only Joshua to go.
         She was halfway through the box of slides with one eye glued to the
eyepiece and the other on the check sheet, when a conspiratorial arm went
across her shoulders and a face appeared beside her own as if to peer
through the other eyepiece.   "I've got to share my fabulous news with
someone," he whispered.   "Joshua, what on earth has happened?" Catherine
questioned glancing at his grinning face.   "Sukhi has just phoned me from
Auckland and begged me to go back to her.  She wont be back until Friday
night but she hopes that I'll move back sometime between now and then.
Isn't that just the greatest news?"
         From Catherine's point of view, the news was indeed fantastic. It was
quite obvious that there were no false expectations about a future
relationship with her and that with his willingness to share his joy with
her, he clearly regarded her in the same way he would a really close
friend.  Catherine was so overjoyed with this very happy resolution of what
she feared might have been an awkward problem and so thrilled with her own
news that she jumped off her stool and hugged Joshua tightly.  "You dear
man, " she said with tears in her eyes, " I am absolutely thrilled for
you."   However, who should appear in the doorway at that moment but
Eleanor, covered in confusion at the sight of them.  Joshua released his
embrace and walked over to Eleanor and hugged her also before leaving the
room with a great grin on his face.
         Startled, but not displeased, Eleanor looked at the retreating figure
with wonderment. "What on earth was all that about?" she asked.  Catherine
seized the opportunity to dispel the impression of apparent familiarity
with her by telling Eleanor that Joshua was over the moon because he had
re-established the relationship with Sukhi that had fallen apart about
three weeks ago.  "Oh, that would explain why he's not been his usual self
lately, but all is well that ends well, as they say.  Well, in view of
that, I think he should shout morning tea!  I'll tell him now."      "Hang
on a moment," instructed Catherine, "you better tell him that I'll go
halves with him, because I have had good similar good news!
         Joshua appeared about ten minutes later.  "What's this I hear about
you having good news?  You never told me!" he said accusingly.   Catherine
laughed and thrust the fax into his hand, "I never got a chance due to your
quick exit, but I must say that I admired your aplomb by giving Eleanor a
hug too.   That certainly diverted attention from us.  She quite liked it,
too!  Actually, you are becoming a bit too familiar with the female staff
around here.  I might have to speak to management about it!"
         Joshua chuckled, "And I was just beginning to like the experience of
spreading my wings, when they suddenly get clipped!  Oh well."  He glanced
around to make sure nobody could hear, " You OK?  No regrets?  I see that
you are wearing sensible shoes today!"
         Catherine glanced down at her low healed shoes, "I could only risk
the consequences of falling off the ladder once in a lifetime!  But
seriously, no regrets at all and in fact I might have much to be thankful
to you for.  It's just that I felt I couldn't face David so soon after -
well you know---," she glanced away blushing slightly, "while I could still
feel the physical effects of you.   I think I might have undergone a
significant change in the way I-ah-- behave with David. It's a bit early to
be sure but the intention is there.  By the way, I assume that you don't
propose to confess all to Sukhi."
         "Struth, no! It would leave a niggly suspicion lurking in her mind
and she seems to be able to have that without any excuse anyway.  No, as
far as I am concerned, last night was a very private and very personal
experience that cannot be shared with anyone else for any reason,
especially since it might ultimately compromise you.  In fact, last night
was very special and I would not want the memory of it sullied by it being
used as a psychological football on some occasion in the future.  Private
things that happen between real friends, stay private and other people
don't get hurt.  I hope you feel the same?"
         "Absolutely! That's exactly how I feel too.  And after what we
shared, I like to think of you as a special friend, rather than as any old
male who it was convenient to have--ah-- sex with.  By the way, I could not
bring myself to destroy those photos - you know- especially the one that
started it all.   What about giving me one of your old university lecture
books and an envelope addressed to yourself with a note on the outside
requesting their return to you? I'll hide the photos in the back of it and
if anything happened to me, hopefully, somebody would either throw it out
or send it to you unopened!   At sometime in the future, we can have a look
at them and maybe have a good laugh and decide their future!"   "That
sounds great and I'm glad you're going to keep them for a while at least.
I'll try to find a book tonight, otherwise I'll bring one in on Monday.
Hey, thanks for being so understanding.  You really are marvellous."
         And thus the morning passed in a glow of satisfaction at resolving
most of the potential difficulties and in anticipation of the weekend and
of seeing David again.  When Catherine went out to lunch, she passed a hair
salon and decided to make an appointment to have hers done on Friday
evening.  While in the salon, she noticed a 'summer special' on their sun
bed and she thought that she could get three sessions in before Sunday.
David had made several oblique references at different times to how odd
people looked who were heavily tanned on the parts that were exposed and
snow white on the bits that were normally covered.  She supposed he saw a
fair bit of that at the clinic and concluded that he did not think it
looked all that great.  Well, she could at least soften the edges between
her summer vacation tan and the rest of her body, starting now!
         Catherine paid over her $5 and was shown to the room and instructed
to wear the dark glasses if she was letting her face be tanned.    She
locked the door, observed the length of the unit and decided that she would
start at the feet end even if that meant her head missed out a bit.  Taking
off summer clothing only took a minute but standing naked and knowing the
underlying purpose of the tanning started those butterflies again.   She
quickly lay on the bed and hit the switch, determined to stay under the
lamps until they knocked on the door.  The warmth of the light flooded over
her and with the overall sense of well being, she almost went to sleep with
the result that she was there for just over half an hour.  She wished that
she had put a small sticking plaster somewhere so that she could measure
the amount of tanning achieved over the period, but it was too late now she
thought as she quickly dressed.   As she dressed, she touched her breasts
and nipples - still tender but better.
         She walked down the street, she wondered if the occasion mightn't
warrant a new dress?   Only fifteen minutes of lunch break left, so window
shopping was all that could be done but it might provide some inspiration.
There were a couple of dress shops in the next block to be visited.  The
first had a window display featuring some very dressy slacks and blouse
combinations, some of the colours being suitable for evening wear.  The
second shop displayed two black silky cocktail dresses - one was quite high
necked with a largish patterned collar and tiny sleeves.  The other was a
sleeveless creation with a halter neck cutting under the arms to a deep "V"
about 20cm above the waist.  Now if only the size was right, this might be
just what she was looking for, even if the price did make her pause for a
moment.
         Damn it, she thought, glancing at her watch, I have to find out. She
shot into the shop and was relieved to find an idle salesgirl who was very
happy to confirm that it was her size - would she like to try it on?  She
tore into the cubicle, whipped off her skirt and blouse and slipped the
dress over her head, zipped up the back and stood in front of the mirrors
in the showroom.  It fitted quite neatly. She would have to fix up the bra
straps so that they didn't show and it was probably a few centimetres
shorter than she would have liked, but this was no time for debate.  She
returned with the dress, two twenty dollar notes and her business card.
Would they hold it until she could come in tomorrow to settle up?  Not a
problem - great, and almost sprinted out the door.
         Thursday evening was spent tidying up the flat, and giving her nails
the once over. The requirement to pull thin rubber gloves on and off all
the time, meant that nails had to be kept short and neat.  She was dying to
get hold of the dress but had been unable to get round to the shop before
they closed.  Instead, she fossicked around in her drawers to see whether
she had a suitable bra and was a still bit dubious about the one she put
aside.   Then she reviewed her shoes to see what might go with the dress.
None of them really appealed to her either - which made her feel a bit
guilty about being influenced by Joshua's comments - 'You have extremely
pretty feet and you should wear shoes that show them off, not those clunky
ones that are so fashionable'.  This was going to be a financial disaster
if the only item she could wear from her existing wardrobe was a pair of
black panties!  Might need a new shade of nail polish too!  She smiled
ruefully to herself as she recalled a cartoon of a woman showing a pair of
gloves that she had just purchased to a friend and saying how wonderful
they were since she didn't have a single thing that would go with them!
         Friday was full on.  Lunchtime for another half hour on the sun-bed,
a booking for another session on Saturday at 9.00am, picking up the dress,
the hair appointment straight after work, then home to try on the outfit
and see what needed to be organised on Saturday.  She puffed up the stairs,
slumped onto a kitchen chair and decided that she needed a glass of wine
before she did anything else.  Thus fortified, Catherine went through to
the bedroom slipped out of her clothes, replaced the bra with one she had
sorted out the night before and pulled on the dress.  Nice fit from the
front, snug over the hips and waist, bust nicely accentuated.  She turned
and viewed the back - just as she feared - the top of the bra strap just
showing.  She stood up straight and it was barely visible, but when she
leant forward as she might while sitting at a table, the whole strap became
visible.  Catherine unzipped and removed the dress along with the offending
bra which she stretched  out on the bed while she pondered how it might be
fixed.
         Catching a glance in the mirror of her nicely taut breasts and
feeling the air caressing them, gave her another flight of the butterflies
of anticipation and, perhaps, a somewhat radical solution.  She looked at
herself again in the mirror, then slipped the dress over her head and
zipped it up.  That certainly fixed the back view - no bra in sight now!
It hadn't altered the front much either.  She leant forward and back and
sideways and if she really looked, she could see her nipples tracing a line
across the silky material as her breasts moved, but the outline of her bust
looked very similar as when she wore the bra.  She went to the bathroom
carrying a hand mirror, where the light was better and the mirror longer.
The matter of concern being whether the dress would gape at the sides when
she had an arm stretched out while leaning forward.   The fit was almost
perfect, which kept the dress fitting snugly no matter how she moved.  It
would be improved very slightly by shortening the halter strap around her
neck by a few centimetres, otherwise it was major surgery on the other bra.
Before rushing to do either, she decided that she would wear it for the
rest of the evening to see whether she could get used to both the idea and
more particularly, the feel of not wearing a bra!  She stood back and had a
critical look at the length.  About fifteen centimetres above the knee when
she would really have preferred it to be nearer ten - still, it wasn't
worth the trouble of dropping the hem.  So, shoes were the next concern.
She looked over the ones she had and tried on one or two which looked bulky
rather than neat.
         Then a memory trace flashed into her mind and she went to the
cupboard where old newspapers and junk mail were kept for recycling.  Sure
enough, there it was.  A Kmart glossy with just the item she was looking
for on page twelve.  "Paragini' strippy sandals or 'Baretraps' sandals at
only $34.95 and one line at $26.95.   The pair she liked from the
illustration had a moderately high heel, two thin parallel straps across
the toes and the usual crossed arrangement around the ankle. Some were in
navy but most were black.  What a stroke of luck!  She would be there
straight after the tanning session.
                 After a couple of hours, she had satisfied herself that she
could live with the feel of not wearing a bra, which settled another
matter. Just the shoes to buy and a suitable nail polish and she was ready
for Sunday evening.  She hung the dress on a hanger, slipped a long tailed
shirt on and put all her bras away in the drawer - might as well get
properly used to the feel, she decided.
         Saturday was uneventful.  Getting quite reckless, Catherine had gone
to her sun-bed session wearing a T-shirt (without a bra) and skirt and was
comforted that nobody seemed to notice.  While she was out, she selected a
pair of shoes at Kmart as anticipated along with bottle of rusty-red
coloured nail polish. The morning purchases included a couple of bottles of
wine and enough food to get through to Tuesday at least.
         Arriving back at the flat at about 11.00, she decided that she had
better deal with the photographs. Joshua had given her a stamped and
addressed envelope along with an old student exercise book, so she lightly
glued the photographs into the middle of it, placed the book inside the
envelope and hid it in the old chest.  She still felt nervous about keeping
them, but they were much less likely to be discovered in the middle of an
old student note book.
         Back in the bathroom, she took off the shirt and skirt and looked at
the effect of the tanning.  It wasn't perfect by any means and you could
vaguely see the outline of the bikini from the front but her back was very
evenly tanned because she had always undone the strap, and her bottom had
lost its snow white look.  She was also pleased with her legs and feet
which had regained their post-vacation tan.  Catherine had just decided
that she would have time to do her nails before lunch when the phone rang.
"David here." announced the familiar voice, "Thanks for the note,
Catherine.  I hope you got my fax.  Are you OK for Sunday night?"
         Standing at the phone in just her panties, she could feel her heart
pounding, butterflies fluttering in her stomach and her nipples hardening
just at the sound of his voice.  "David, how lovely to hear from you, and
yes, I'm really looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow," she replied
as she rejected a ridiculous impulse to cover herself up and instead pulled
her shoulders back.    "It's just that I wondered whether you would like to
advance dinner to this evening instead of tomorrow, because Pat has had his
plans for the weekend changed and he has offered to do my shift tonight if
I wanted.  How would you be placed? ---- I can hardly wait to see you
again."
         "Oh David," she choked, not knowing whether she wanted to laugh or
cry with relief, "I can hardly wait either.  Tonight would be fantastic.
When are you off 'til?"
         "I was off from midday Sunday until Monday morning anyway, so until
then.  I'll have to make it up to Pat on some other occasion.  Have to go
Catherine, all hell is breaking loose!  See you at seven but I'll phone if
I can't get the booking changed. Love."
         Catherine felt as excited as a school girl on her first date but
without any of the schoolgirl's trepidation.  She had originally thought
that she might have needed the extra day to get the enormity of her
experience with Joshua behind her, but that had steadily slipped into the
pleasant past and she was now impatient to re-establish herself with David.
The timetable was rapidly re-assessed.  A quick lunch, a read of the
morning paper, tidy up the flat, and get some flowers.  Then a vigorous
walk at about four to get her home by five and two hours in which to get
ready.
         It was another very warm day and she arrived home hot, but
invigorated and purposeful, with a sense of physical well-being.   She shed
all her clothes and fed them into the washer, did six press ups and knee
bends to ease her walking muscles and had a long warm shower.  She dried
herself thoroughly and walked through to her bedroom, gathered up the nail
polish and retired to the settee, with its better light, where she
carefully applied the nail polish to hands and feet.  It was an excellent
choice of colour and it complimented her tan very nicely.  Feeling a bit
naughty but very sensuous without any clothes on, she found her new shoes
and put them on and stood in front of the long bathroom mirror - well
pleased with the way her leg and thigh muscles shaped up and how her
toenails looked in the new shoes. She often thought her ankles looked a bit
'robust' but David had a 'thing' about ankles that looked too thin to
support the weight above them! Maybe the dress wasn't going to be too short
after all, she thought wryly.
         Since she hadn't heard from David to the contrary, she assumed that
they would still meet at Logan Brown's so ordered a taxis for seven - being
ten minutes late would be a change for her and she could make the grand
entrance!

OooOOOooo

         David had woken about midnight according to the clock he could see on
the dressing table and found that he was still intertwined with Sukhi
although he had slipped right out of her.  As he stirred, so did she, so he
kissed her lips gently and wondered if he should make his exit without
further ado.  Sukhi responded lazily to the kiss at first but became
progressively more enthusiastic as she felt his body touching hers, by
pressing herself into him.  David made little or no reaction at first but
her darting tongue soon started the pressure rising in his dick, which in
turn seemed to excite her further.  He rolled her onto her back and since
everything was still fairly slippery with margarine, was able to enter her
very easily. He wriggled around until he had maximum pubic engagement, then
began a slow rotary movement which he increased in tempo as her breathing
became faster and faster.  Finally, when he sensed that she way almost
ready to climax, he pushed himself up onto straightened arms and gave four
rapid thrusts into her very innermost depths.  They both came at about the
same time, she with a short cry and he with a loud groan as  semi-paralysis
gripped his legs and collapsed him onto her.
         Sukhi was in a deep sleep when David's stirring roused her.  She felt
deliciously relaxed, secure and comfortable and when his kiss touched her
lips, she was easily aroused to respond.  Although not properly awake, she
rolled onto her back and felt the glorious sensation as he glided into her
followed by the slow build up of excitement as he rotated on her clitoral
area.  Just as she felt she could not stand it any longer, her breath was
taken away as four long strokes preceded the explosion that tore through
her system yet again, giving her a peculiar sense of detachment from
herself.  She thought how wonderful the sensation was when still muzzy with
sleep!   Presently, she felt David slip out of her and draw the bedclothes
over her.   Soft lips brushed hers and a distant voice thanked her for a
memorable and wonderful evening and told her that she really was gorgeous.
         David was in a bit of a panic when he left Sukhi's flat, as he had
not advised anybody at the hospital that he would not be on the precinct
during the evening.  A simple trip to the supermarket had evolved into an
evening he would never forget and he just hoped that there had not been any
crisis that he would have been expected to solve.   It was with
considerable relief that he noted that the message light on his phone was
unlit when he returned to the flat.  Back in the flat he felt so totally
exhausted that he fell into bed without even bothering to shower, simply
setting the alarm to allow time to have one before he started in the
morning.
         It was with some surprise, if not a little guilt, that he received
Catherine's note of apology and an invitation to meet.  Why on earth hadn't
it happened the day before so that he wouldn't now be having such guilty
feelings about meeting her again.  Truth was that given the turmoil he was
suffering,  he could scarcely offer to meet her this evening even though
that was the outcome he most wanted.  As he thought about it, he decided
that he better give himself a bit of space and should claim that he could
not get off duty until a few days later - today being Thursday, Sunday
should be OK.  And rather than risk speaking to her, he would send a fax
proposing that they meet for dinner at Logan Brown's place on the corner of
Cuba and Vivien Streets.  Once that was sent, he found himself pondering on
the likelihood of a relationship starting with Sukhi if Catherine had
remained obdurate and Sukhi had not been keen to get back to Joshua.  He
had not had many relationships with other women, but he found himself
having a flash-back to another occasion when he had an explosive encounter
with an older woman, which was just as unexpected.  Mandy was married to
the farmer on their rear boundary and he went hot and cold every time he
thought of the possible implications for both families if it had ever been
discovered.  He remembered his fascination with her golden brown skin, so
evenly tanned all over - perhaps that was why the chemistry worked so
suddenly with Sukhi.
         In any event, he believed that he would never have allowed the
situation to develop with Sukhi, had he been aware of the probability of
reconciliation with Catherine, so he wasn't quite sure why he felt guilty.
Maybe it was simply the vividness of the very recent experience, that time
would overcome, before he would feel able to relate unconditionally to
Catherine again.  However, he needed to 'sign off' with Sukhi first, having
felt that his sudden exit was less than satisfactory, whatever the
imperatives that required it.  On an impulse, he phoned a florist and
arranged for a posy bowl to be delivered, something that would survive in
the event that she was not at home to receive them immediately, along with
a message that only she would understand.  "Hope your leg is well and truly
on the mend. Be sure to continue exercising it.  David".   He knew that it
would have been stiff and sore this morning so she would have no trouble
explaining either the flowers or the note to anybody who might see them.
         This action was almost like an exorcism and he felt able to turn his
mind to thinking about the Sunday evening meeting and dinner - and
Catherine, bless her.  He felt almost mushily sentimental when he thought
about what a nice natured and lovely person she was, and nearly turned an
impressionable young nurse to jelly with the radiant smile he gave her as
she walked passed.
         The rest of Thursday passed in a bit of a dream and a couple of
colleagues wanted to know whether he had won a lottery or something, he
seemed so pleased with himself!  By the end of Friday, he wondered why he
had bothered to postpone their meeting until Sunday but it wasn't until
Saturday morning that he thought he would phone to see whether she could
meet him on Saturday instead, unless she had committed herself to some
other engagement.  He would explain the change with another 'white lie'
that Pat had offered to exchange a duty with him.   He squeezed a phone
call in between patients and was delighted that Catherine was able to come
and thrilled by how pleased she sounded to hear from him.  He just hoped
that Logan Brown would be as accommodating and that his florist could whip
up a corsage before she closed on Saturday.  He thought an orchid would be
nice, a bit old fashioned but he did want to start off on the right foot.
And as luck would have it, Logan Brown could accommodate two early diners,
provided they were not late arriving and did not mind leaving at 9.30 as
they had an after-theatre show booked in from 10.00.  David was able to
assure the receptionist that they would be there on the dot and would not
mind in the least if they had to leave early.  In fact he was secretly
pleased that there was going to be a finite time in the restaurant because
it would force an early decision on what happened after that, and he was
developing a few ideas about that.
         As soon as his duty finished at 6.00, he raced back to his flat,
showered, shaved once again and applied liberal quantities of the latest
after-shave.  Put on the new shirt and tie he had found time to purchase
Friday evening and phoned the enquiry counter to see whether some flowers
had been left there for him.  He was relieved to hear from the woman
answering the phone that it was beautiful and who was the lucky lady?  He
drove around to the A & E entrance, collected the flowers and set off for
Logan Browns, scared he might be late, knowing how punctual Catherine
usually was.   He parked the car and made it into the restaurant, somewhat
breathless, but with five minutes to spare.
         It was a relief that she had not beaten him there, as it gave him
time to gather his wits, so he was shown the table, organised the wine and
parked himself on a bar stool that was strategically placed to see all who
came through he door.  After five minutes with no sign of her, he ordered a
short scotch and instead of drinking it leisurely, demolished it with one
swallow and was surprised at how tense he must have been to do that.  Still
no Catherine!  Surely she wasn't going to stand him up, or had he given the
wrong instructions?  She might have had an accident. The excitement that
had been boiling up was slowly giving way to that awful sinking feeling and
the growing certainty that he should have offered to collect her from the
flat.
                 About that moment, Catherine had alighted from the taxi, 
pulled
down on the dress and smoothed her skirt, pulled her shoulders back and
thought, somewhat ruefully, that this was about to be the saving or
otherwise of their relationship.  The real moment of truth when fuzzy
memories and hopeful desires met face to face with the actual chemistry of
the instant.  Would either or both of them feel the same about each other
when they actually met again, or had the circumstances of the separation
merely been the excuse for a developing disaffection?  Would elements of
the somewhat unnerving encounter with Joshua, come between them?  Well,
there was no use reflecting on that now, this was when the rubber met the
road, as the boys would say, so she took a deep breath and entered the
foyer.
         He was just about to get off the stool so that he could pace around
outside, when he suddenly focussed on the entrance door as it opened - and,
there she was.  What a knock-out she looked with her hair piled up, her
lightly tanned skin contrasting with the very smart black dress and
trailing her black and silver threaded stole in her hand.  David was
momentarily transfixed, as indeed was every other male that happened to be
looking at the door at that moment, and really only came back to reality
when she suddenly spotted him sitting at the bar and smiled at him.  Her
shy, but warm, smile melted any uncertainty that he might have felt about
the outcome of this meeting and he leapt to his feet and strode towards
her.  They met half way and in view of the audience, exchanged only a semi-
formal peck on the lips, but the pressure of their fingers as their hands
touched was far more meaningful.
         Catherine's heart leapt as she saw him sitting on the stool staring
at her with his, not altogether unusual, harassed look on his face, that
dissolved into the loveliest smile when she caught his eye.  I must have
been mad, she thought as she walked towards him and embraced.
         He led her back to the bar and offered her the vacant bar stool that
he had reserved with the corsage, which he then presented to her.  The
orchid was a very light cream colour with a rusty red tinge at the tips of
the petals which matched her outfit so well that she thought that he must
have guessed the colours of her dress and nail polish that she was going to
wear.  "Oh David, it really is so lovely ---"  was mixed up with " I was
afraid it wouldn't go with ---"  and they both laughed as the tension began
to evaporate.
Catherine draped her stole over the bar and affixed the orchid to her
dress, hoping that the pin wouldn't pull the fabric unduly since there was
nothing else under it to support it.  David was unable to take his eyes off
her and he longed to let his fingers run up the satin-like skin of her bare
arms and follow round her shoulders to her gorgeous back, so it was with a
struggle that he pulled himself back to the details of the moment.  "We
have a problem," he said, "in that we have to eat almost immediately so
that we can be out of here by nine thirty.  Would you like a quick drink
here or start with the red I've selected to have with dinner?"   Catherine
smiled inwardly at the prospect of feeling his arms around her sooner
rather than much later, as staff here tended to stretch dinner service out
all night so that you would drink more in between courses.  Their legs met
under the bar overhang as she swung towards him, giving her an unmistakable
signal that he would prefer not to dally unnecessarily over dinner!  "Let's
eat now, and I'll have some red wine while we are waiting for the food -
anyway, the bar is becoming very crowded," she responded.
         He lead her to the table they had been allocated and caught the eye
of the waiter who came over with the opened wine he had ordered and left
with the promise to alert the table waiter immediately.  They touched
glasses in a silent toast and then drank deeply.
         Conversation started neutrally enough with gossip about friends and
events that had occurred in the three week period of separation. Then
apropos of nothing in particular, David reflected that she not only looked
absolutely stunning, but still completely captivated him, and, what would
he need to do to make sure that she did not suffer another bout of
insecurity?  "Bearing in mind that I cannot always predict the actions of
others," he concluded.  Catherine was a little non-plussed by the
directness of the question but more than pleased by the unequivocal
declaration of purpose.  "You know, I really can't say. Believe me, I have
hardly thought about anything else since you left, and what started as
something so clear and certain in my mind, petered out to the point where I
then couldn't understand how I had thought it in the first place!  I'm just
so sorry I put you through so much anguish and gave myself so much misery.
So I don't know whether there is really anything that you could or
shouldn't do, and all I can promise you is that I do love you dearly, and
will rely on that in the future.  My question in return is, can you forgive
me?"
         David reached across and held her hand, " It can't be all your 
fault.
If I hadn't unsettled you in some way, you would have ignored the stupid
girl!  However, I have learned one thing and that is not to take your love
for granted."  Their legs pressed together under the table and he felt a
growing tightness in his trousers. He leaned forward and lifted her foot
into his lap. "I wish we weren't here," he whispered, "I would like to
smother you in kisses and do unmentionable things to you - right now!"
         The all too familiar butterflies raged in Catherine's stomach as she
withdrew her foot, fiddled with the buckle and replaced her foot in his lap
minus the shoe.  "I can hardly wait to feel your hands on my back and to
have you inside me," she replied with a slight blush.  He fondled the bare
foot in his lap and let his hand slip up the soft skin as far as it would
reach.  The sensation in his fingertips as it traversed her calf was as if
he was directly wired into her, and he was not only mildly astonished at
what she had done and the explicitness of her response, but also incredibly
excited by it.  He hitched his chair closer to the table and slipped
forward slightly so that she could feel his erection with her toes.  She
leaned back in her chair and looked as if she might faint, "Oh, do stop it
David," she breathed as she sat up and glanced around to make sure nobody
was watching them. "I feel so moist that I'm sure it will be showing
through my dress.  Let's just have one course so we can get out of here as
soon as possible."
         The waiter appeared and, as if by common assent, they both ordered an
uncomplicated fish dish that would be both quick to prepare and eat.  David
finished his wine and refilled their glasses.  "Catherine, promise never to
not look back from here and--- what about marrying me?  I planned to wait
for a more romantic moment, but I just can't rest until I hear you say
yes!"
         Catherine dived for her evening bag beside the chair and retrieved a
handkerchief which she dabbed to her eyes.  David was panic struck by her
reaction, "Are you OK?"   "Of course I am, you silly beggar," she managed
to blubber, "I'm just so happy!"  at which point her tears really flowed.
She reached across to grasp his hand with the hand not fully engaged in
mopping up the tears, "Yes!  Yes I will David.  Yes, of course I will marry
you David."
         They finished the wine to celebrate their new found status - engaged
to be married - and each was momentarily bewildered by the implications of
what next and where to from here.  The waiter arrived with their orders,
which postponed further joint exploration of the consequences as they
addressed themselves to working through the meal with, what many might have
thought, indecent haste. Fortified by half a bottle of wine each and
tingling with excitement and desire, they pushed their plates back and
signalled for the waiter to bring the account.   Catherine draped her stole
over one shoulder and visited the toilet while David paid the bill, and was
relieved to discover that her dress was not showing any marks.   They both
emerged in the foyer together and she slipped her arm though his as they
left to find the car.
         David had parked some distance down the road, but as they passed the
first shop, David drew her into the privacy afforded by the entrance, and
wrapped his arms around her.  Their first real kiss for weeks, was both
urgent and emotional.  Their tongues duelled for supremacy and their
fingers clawed into each other's backs.  Catherine twisted around, inviting
his hand to touch her breast.  David received yet another boost to his
already fully charged system when he felt the soft breast and rigid nipple
through the thin fabric and realised that she was not wearing a bra.  He
had earlier thought that it looked as if she wasn't, but did not believe
for one moment that she would not have one on.    He tried to get his hand
around inside the edge of the dress, but it was a bit tightly fitting and
she advised him to wait until they were in the car.  By now his dick was as
rigid as he had ever felt it and he knew how Catherine was responding to
his passion by the way she was pressing her thigh into it.   He let his
hand slide down her bottom as he crushed her to him and realised that apart
from some very brief nickers, she was wearing nothing else under the dress.
"Where's the car parked?"   "It's right at the back of that private car
park a few metres further down."  "Let's go then!" she commanded.
         And indeed it was right at the back of the parking lot, in a somewhat
dark corner partially obscured from the street by a panel van.  A perfect
spot for a break-in David thought ruefully as they arrived.  He unlocked
and opened the door on the passenger side for Catherine but could not
resist another kiss as they stood at the car door in the seclusion provided
by the panel van.  What was intended to be a friendly kiss just to keep
their motors running, so to speak, simply wound them both up again.
Catherine could feel that her nipples had hardened and that she had become
very moist again. And she knew from past experience that David could boil
over at any moment.  They separated gasping for air.  "Hurry up and get
in," David pleaded, "I have this wonderful spot down on the harbour we
could go to."   "My darling," she whispered as she rubbed against him, "I
don't think you could last the distance and it might not be any more
private than right here."   "You mean right here - in the back of the car?"
"Why not? I'm game if you are!"
         David was so aroused that he dropped his keys in his excitement and
struggled to find them, then couldn't quickly find the adjustment lever to
move the front seat forward.  In the meantime, Catherine unpinned her
orchid and placed it carefully on the dashboard, reached up under her dress
and wriggled out of her nickers which she placed in her handbag.  She
followed David onto the back seat and undid his belt and zip and drew his
trousers and briefs down carefully avoiding stimulating him any more in the
process. Then half kneeling beside him, she slipped off her shoes and undid
the zip at the back of her dress.   "Ah, that's better," she sighed as she
leant forward to brush his lips while she undid the buttons of his shirt.
David was now able to run his hands under her skirt which, free of the zip
at the waist, slipped readily up her body.  What a wondrous feel those
beautiful breasts had and how exciting he found her hard nipples - if only
he could kiss them.  He bunched her dress up higher to expose them, but she
simply raised her arms and the dress slipped right off over her head.  How
beautiful she looked in the half-light as she thrust first one then the
other nipple into his expectant mouth.  She shuddered and moaned softly as
his tongue massaged each one in turn, and gasped when his fingers found her
very moist entrance.
         "David.  It has been too long. I need you now!" as she swung her leg
over his and positioned herself astride him.  She leaned into him as she
used both hands to place his tip into her entrance, then lowered herself
carefully down.  David arched his back to meet the challenge and felt the
early beginning of an orgasm as their pelvis's fully engaged.  What a
glorious sensation as she slid over him, with her nipples pressed into his
chest and their skins touching at so many different points.
         David could hardly believe what was happening.  He thought that his
outrageous behaviour in a public place would have been a 'once only' and
confined to Sukhi, but here he was making a habit of it - and with
Catherine this time!  "We should have a separation more often," David
gasped as Catherine lunged down on him for the fourth time triggering a
muscle-numbing climax.  He tried to prolong it, but his excitement was so
intense, fuelled as it was by her incredible desirability and her manifest
need to love him. He savagely grabbed two hand's full of her buttocks as
his juice-of-life spurted into her.  His pelvis seemed to be on fire as the
electricity flowed through him.
         Catherine couldn't believe what she was doing either.  Shades of
Joshua right in front of the window, she thought.   And worse, I wanted to
make love to him here, and not wait until they reached the sanctuary of
their bedroom - careless about the remote possibility that someone might
look in.  "I never want to go through another separation again," she
breathed in a staccato way as she made a final lunge which released weeks
of built up anguish and suspense.  She threw her head back and emitted a
long drawn out cry through her open mouth and her hands and nails dug into
his shoulders as a long high powered orgasm thundered through her body.
Her head floated off into the distance, leaving a warm tingling sensation
suffusing her body as she clung to David for support, lest she fall over.
She wriggled ecstatically on him as if she was trying to drive him further
inside her.  "Wow, that was something again.  I have missed you my darling,
but don't you think that we've probably pushed our luck enough here?   It's
time to take me home."
He revelled in the grinding movements she made on him and positively
wallowed in the sight of those beautiful, erect nipples that occasionally
brushed against his chest. How lucky he was to have this gloriously
desirable woman, sitting astride his manhood, decide that he was her man.
He felt at this moment as if he had regained control of his life again and
was at one with the world.  Why couldn't such moments last forever?   "I
suppose you're right," he conceded reluctantly, "although I had planned to
go down to the harbour.  But in reality it might not have been anywhere
near as secluded as this anyway.  Still, on the bright side, the flat
allows far more freedom of - ah - expression, shall I say, than the
interior of a small car!  In fact, I'm warming quite rapidly to the idea,
if a stirring below is anything to go by."
         "You dreadful beast, you," she said as she kissed and hugged him
before easing herself off him, "I can hardly wait!"   She grabbed a couple
of tissues to capture the outflow of his juice, then slipped her dress over
her head and deftly zipped it up.  "Pretty quick cover-up, isn't it?" she
teased, as she felt round the floor for her shoes.  She moved over to give
him more space to pull his trousers up and re-button his shirt.    He
placed both hands on her breasts and felt the outline of them through the
dress fabric. "Aren't you going to put your nickers on?" he queried.    "Oh
I don't know if I'll bother. The way you were talking it sounded as if it
was going to be a waste of time," she responded as she forced her breasts
into his hands.   "Phew, I am still coming to grips with just how
provocative you can be, and the risks I seem willing to take," he replied
as he struggled to disentangle himself from her and get to the front seat.
"Back to the flat is it then, Milady?"  Milady was by now sitting
decorously in the back seat, "Home James, and don't spare the horsepower!"
         David gunned the car out of the parking lot and soon had it parked
outside in its usual place.  He leapt out of the car and opened the rear
door for Catherine to alight, saluting as she emerged. "I won't need the
car again this evening, thank you James.  You may go and do whatever
Milady's lusty sex-starved driver does when he is off duty - that is, after
you have checked out all the rooms and sundry pieces of furniture and
ensured that there are no other men on the premises."     "Yesss, Ma'm" as
he relieved her of the key, opened the door and stood back for her to pas
through.
         Catherine entered the downstairs foyer, pulled off each shoe in turn
and tossed it into a corner, then, trailing her stole strutted up the
stairs.  For a moment David watched the golden legs and scantily concealed
buttocks ascend the stairs before he rushed to catch up with her -
completely spoiling her exit as she reached the top, by moving his hands up
her thighs to her waist and bunching her dress up around her waist,
exposing her bare bottom in the process.  She squealed in protest and tried
to break away, but David hung on and followed her into the kitchen where
she backed up against the table and raised a foot to push him away.
         He grasped her foot and raised it to his lips, swallowing all her
toes at first and then concentrating on each one in turn.  His sucking lips
were incredibly erotic and she felt a tingling sensation race up her leg
and to her very core.  Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and she leant
back and gripped both edges of the table as her sense of balance became
impaired.   Then his lips began their sensuous journey, caressing her inner
ankle, then moving up the inside of her calve to her knee, sending a fiery
message of desire to her vagina.  He lifted her other leg onto his shoulder
as well, and his lips progressed to their target of desire.  With a small
cry, she fell back onto the table as his tongue stabbed her clitoris and
tasted the sweetness of her moisture.   She arched her back as his tongue
suddenly thrust deep inside her.   A small bowl of flowers tipped over and
water dripped onto the floor, accompanied by a roaring sound in her ears as
she thrust back, trying to consume this thing that had penetrated her inner
being.  The harder she pressed the more intense the fireball became until
suddenly it exploded in a blinding glare that she could see through closed
eyelids.  "Ohaaa David," she called as her head drifted off from its
ravaged body.  David paused in his frenzy and let his tongue ply gently
within her, stroking and soothing her velvety lining - delighting in the
feel of her soft inner thighs locked tightly around his ears.
         Suddenly, her legs relaxed, so he lowered them to the floor, pulling
her dress back down as he stood up.  She looked like Sleeping Beauty, as
she lay amid the flowers and the remains of a puddle of water.  He bent and
kissed each eyelid in turn, then those wonderfully sensuous lips, resting
his hand on one of the small volcanoes, heaving under its thin cover of
material.    He cradled her head under his arm and lifted her into a
sitting position where she sat blinking at him in a somewhat dazed fashion.
         "You're dress is a bit wet now," David said apologetically as she
stood up. "I'll help you take it off."   He undid the zip at the back and
lifted the dress up and over her raised arms, glimpsing her standing there
like Venus.   He stood there clutching the damp dress, dumbfounded by the
beauty of her nakedness.  "My God, you are so beautiful," he croaked,
almost as if he had never seen her before.  She looked a lovely golden
brown in the light from the hall, and with her breasts still full and her
nipples still firm, she aroused the same intense feelings that he had
experienced some years before with one of his first lovers.
         Catherine sensed that she had really brought his sexual energy to the
boil and could measure the effect from the bulge in his trousers.  This
knowledge brought a moment of great satisfaction and glorious self
awareness that she was able to consciously attract and please this man who
she undoubtedly loved so much.  She smiled and reached for his belt buckle
which she deftly undid, easing his trousers and briefs over his throbbing
manhood.  As she bent down to ease his trousers over his shoes, she could
not resist teasing him with a brief touch of her lips on his hot tip and
letting it tangle with her hair.
         Although he had struggled to hold himself in check while he made love
to her on the table, David was now almost beyond the edge of his own self
control and her deliberate provocation excited him even further.  The touch
of her lips on his tip had sent a spasm through his system and the feel of
the hair on her head pressing into his pelvis, fuelled the fire even
further.  Having disposed of his shoes and trousers, she stood against him
letting his dick press into her stomach as she slowly undid the buttons of
his shirt.  As soon as his shirt slipped off his shoulders, he wrapped his
arms around her and found those upturned lips waiting for him.  He wondered
if there had ever been such a wonderful moment in his life as he savoured
that first real kiss with their electrically sensitive skins pressed into
to one another from head to toe.  Making love in the car was just
wonderful, but this experience of touching all over and kissing was
something again.  How he had missed her kisses and how much more intense it
now seemed to be.  His hands pressed into her back and kneaded her bottom
as he tried to pull her, ever closer.  Their tongues parried like ancient
swordsmen trying to gain even greater pleasure rather than advantage.  He
sucked on her breath, drawing a great lung-full from deep within her as if
he might somehow consume her from within.
         The need to have her completely became overwhelming and he could stay
the inner urgency no longer.   "Darling, I need you as I have never needed
you before - right now!" he gasped as he propelled her to the bedroom.
They fell onto the bed in a muddle and after a couple of ungainly
gymnastics, rolled into the middle of the bed.  With no pretence at
finesse, he hurriedly positioned himself above her so that when she guided
him to her wet entrance, he plunged in like a man possessed.  Orgasm was
only seconds away as he felt her nails claw into his back along with that
glorious feeling as they fully engaged, pelvis to pelvis.  He quivered and
shook and groaned loudly as muscle spasms racked his body.  His back arched
on straightened arms,  throwing all his weight onto the pelvic connection
and his juice of life jetted into her.  He lost all sense of control other
than a burning sensation from the waist down and he felt so helpless that
he thought he might have had a glimpse of what it would be like to be a
paraplegic.  And amidst all these sensations, he felt swamped by a great
and engulfing sense of adoration for this woman he loved.
         Catherine was vaguely surprised at how much she was enjoying her
nakedness and especially the effect that she was now so conscious that she
was having on him.  Funny too, how she had almost attempted to hide it
before and how she had failed to see the effect that it had!  From the
moment that she had taken her shoes off in the hall, she was conscious of
the bio-electric signals that she was sending out and the impact that they
were having on him. Even after she had had an unexpected but massive climax
on the kitchen table, she knew deep down that the minute her dress rose
over her head, she would set him on fire.  However, the intensity of the
blaze took her by surprise and excited her in a way she had not experienced
before. At that moment, there was nothing more that she wanted than to be
desired by this wonderful man, and she could sense that desire in
abundance.
         His kisses and the way he sucked her breath out of her inner being
drove her sensory system into overload and she could think of nothing but
her desire to possess him and have him inside her.  Their touching from
head to toe merely accentuated her excitement.   When they finally fell
onto the bed she was so wet that when she guided him to her entrance, he
was able to plunge in as if sliding on silk.  His first thrust triggered a
series of ripples that caused her nails to dig into him.  When she felt his
climax begin as he reared up, it brought full pressure to bear on her
clitoris sending a cascade of ever closer pulses of energy shooting through
her system.  Her final moment of ecstasy before white-out, was the
sensation of his love juice spurting into her.
         They lay helplessly locked together, delighting in the after-glow of
a great physical and emotional relief.  Still semi tumescent, he revelled
in the sensation of the rhythmical   contractions of her vagina as if she
was gently trying to draw him further inside her.  In spite of all the
turmoil and their experiences of the recent past, here they were, at peace
with the world, and at one with one another.  They drifted off into their
own little worlds of happiness, secure now in the knowledge that, what had
almost been lost, had not only been found, but, to their delight and
wonderment, found in even greater measure!
         Inescapably, they each reflected on the extraordinary path that they
had so recently taken which resulted in this newly discovered element in
their love for one another.   Happily, each was able to look back at what
was, at the same time both a cathartic and liberating experience, with  a
sense of gratitude  and without any destructive guilt.


Helpful comments about plot development to:  davidangelo40@hotmail.com