"Well, you'd better start liking this one, and the sooner the better. I mean tonight even. You'll have to gain her confidence, you know, so you'd better be friendly. Don't try to boss her around, Kate, just become her buddy instead."
"I think I understand, ma'am. Don't worry. Give me a little time and I'll have her eating out of my hand. And eating something else too, I'll bet."
"That's the idea. But just don't get too bossy right away. Use your own judgment about sex, of course, take advantage of every opportunity."
"Oh. You-you're not going to guide me?"
"No, dear, not unless you get stuck and have to ask for my advice. I won't be seeing the child very often, so it's all pretty much up to you. I'll stay clear to avoid complicating matters. Besides, I've got another little item to take care of while you're working on Hildegarde. That new girl who moved in with Joan Talbot, remember?"
"Yes, ma'am. The blonde. Elspeth Wright. You ought to have a lot of fun with that one."
"Inez is dying to meet her, too. It's about time I had them up here for lunch. Only I'll have to invite Joan, too, I suppose, and she's such a dull stick. Troubled by morals or ethics or…" Margalo shrugged and sat up to use the bedside phone. "Oh well, maybe she'll be working and won't come." Then, after dialing and waiting, "No answer. They must have gone out. Tell you what, Kate, I'll scribble a quick note and you can drop it off at their door on your way downstairs."
"Yes'm. Shall I get pen and paper for…"
"I'll manage. Inez – Aunt Inez is due any second now; why don't you be a dear and go let her in. For that matter, she might have some last-minute instructions for you. Anyway, keep her occupied till I get this note written, hmm?"
"Of course, ma'am."
"And then you'll be free to go down and start finding out just what makes little Hildegarde tick. You should be looking forward to that. Nice fresh young cunt…"
Sinking into the tub, Hildy Pruitt relaxed and tried to clear her mind of problems and puzzlements. The hot water licked at her skin, making her legs and breasts tingle – a pleasant sensation but hardly soothing. One dimpled knee poked above the surface, foam-flecked and glistening, and she raised her thigh higher to regard it from an objective point of view. Very pretty, she decided. All of her, in fact – very pretty, beautiful, even if she had to say so herself…
Hmm. Beautiful but dumb? Funny about that. Just because she had been careless about getting through high school, now she had that label pinned on her. Aunt Inez seemed to think so, anyway. Treating her like some kind of servant, almost, just a poor relation. And now she was even supposed to take lessons from that maid who worked upstairs in the penthouse. Oh well, no sense getting upset over the situation, maybe it would be better just to play along and see how things turned out…
"Hi, there."
"Huh? Oh, it's you, Kate. I didn't hear you come in. Just wait for me, will you? I'll be out in a minute."
"Don't hurry on my account. Soak awhile, honey, I'll just stand here and we can chat."
"Oh…"
"You don't mind, do you? I hope not. I feel as if we're good friends already, you know."
"I-I'm supposed to obey you, my aunt said."
"I know. But let's just skip that shit, shall we? Unless she happens to come around checking up on us. In that case, you obey me and we'll put on an act for her. But otherwise, just between you and me, what the hell, why bother? I'm just a poor working girl myself."
"Working girl…" Hildy grinned. "Same as me, huh? Only you're smart enough to get paid for it. But-but playing tricks on my Aunt Inez; won't that get you into trouble?"
"Hah! Screw your Aunt Inez. What she doesn't know won't hurt her."
"The way you talk! Kate, you're really something, you know that? I like you."
"I like you too, Hildegarde. Hmm. You know what your aunt told me? As if it was the most important thing in the world, that's how little she knows. She's worried about the way you bite your fingernails, how about that? Wants me to cure you of the habit."
"Well…"
"S'matter, honey? I say something wrong?"
"N-no. It's okay. I wish you could break me of the habit. And not just for my aunt's sake, either."
"Fine. We'll have a crack at it some day. But come on, I guess you've soaked long enough. Time to get out."
Hildy hesitated and then felt a surge of relief as the maid stepped back outside the bathroom doorway to give her some privacy. She rose and reached for a towel. Then, with one foot on the bathmat and the other still in the water, she saw a movement from the corner of her eye. Kate was back in the doorway again, her gaze fixed and appreciative.
"Kid, you've got a terrific body. Yeah, a real doll. But come on, don't be so bashful. Out with you." Kate grabbed the towel and spread it wide in both hands. "I'll dry you off just the way I do my mistress."
Suddenly the atmosphere in the cramped room turned stifling, almost oppressive. Hildy wanted to protest, to tell the woman to go away and leave her alone. But the words wouldn't come and at last she lifted her foot out of the tub and stood motionless on the mat. The fluffy towel went over her shoulders and arms, moving slowly upon her wet skin. Her eyes dropped shut and she clenched her fists; it was like some kind of hypnotic trance. Her entire being was ignited, her thigh muscles trembled convulsively, and when the towel slid across to smother her breasts she almost sobbed aloud. Then it glided down over her belly and the sob finally burst loose.
"Hildegarde? Don't you like my help?"
"I-I…"
"We're friends, aren't we?"
"Friends…"
"Then give me a nice friendly kiss. Like this."
"Kate!"
"Hush, you darling girl."
Hildy hushed, unable to do otherwise as her hips were seized upon and occupied. And a moment later, as she opened her mouth and yielded to a forceful tongue-tip, the message came through with near-frightening clarity. She knew about dykes – not very much, of course, but enough to recognize what was going on. Enough to keep her head and struggle a little to break away from the overpowering kiss.
"Wow!"
"Just friendly, that's all."
"Oh sure, just friendly." Then, shyly, "Kate? Are-are you a lesbian?"
"You know about that sort of thing, hmm?"
"A little. It-it's bad, isn't it?"
"Bad? Oh, I don't think…" Kate broke off with an abrupt shrug. Her eyes glittered. "Honeybunch, I won't lie to you. Yes, it's bad. Lots of people say so. But aren't all the bad things in life the most fun?"
"Oh. I see what you mean."
"And they're even more fun when it's a secret. Like the trick we're going to play on your aunt, for instance – think how much fun it will be to have our own little secrets."
The logic of that argument escaped her, but Hildy was beyond caring. She had found a friend in this alien territory, a valuable friend, and she meant to make the most of her good fortune. Even if it meant more of this lesbian stuff…
"Well? Hildegarde?"
"Would you do something for me? Call me Hildy, please? That's what my real friends call me. And I guess you're the only real friend I've got now."
"Hildy. Of course. I like that."
"Aunt Inez doesn't. She insists on Hildegarde. So it'll have to be another secret between us."
"We'll have many. Especially this…"
"Huh?"
"Loosen up. Relax those pretty legs."
The towel was gone now but in its stead came a hand, a whole handful of clever fingers, and Hildy just stood there and gave way to the sensation. So strange! Fingertips seemed to be threading through her tangly hair down there. She throbbed as one dipped inside and grazed her clittie.
"What-what are you doing to me?"
"Don't you know? I'm finger-fucking, that's what. I'm fucking your pretty little, pussy with my fingers."