It had been a long night, but most nights in the ICU were long. I knew I was lucky my patients usually got better. Some of the ICU nurses specialized in patients who where just in the hospital to die. Cardiac was better that way, even if it was busier.

The drive home after a twelve hour shift was maddening. Negotiating the morning traffic, while half asleep, was as much insane as dangerous. John finally had a day job, so I could sleep all day without him rattling around. John, my husband of nine years, needed the job as much for his self esteem as for the money. God knows the money was urgent, but so was image of himself. Lately he had been depressed and distant.

"Hi honey, I thought you would be gone by now." I said that as I entered the house. I had been a little miffed at having to negotiate around his car. John was an auto mechanic so he drove his latest work in progress. There was always a work in progress somewhere in the drive or yard.

"I'm going in a little late, said that I could."

"Honey, you have only been there a week. I don't think taking a morning off is a good idea."

"I discussed this with him before I took the job."

"What that you were going to come in late every now and then?" I was confused, also not at all happy with John's decision.

"We need to talk." A feeling of dread came over me. When a man says that, nothing good can follow.

"What do we need to talk about?" I asked it but had a feeling I knew.

"I'm leaving."

"You're what?" I wasn't nearly as shocked as I pretended. John had been restless for more than a year. I was pretty sure that is why he quit his job. Also why he didn't get a new one. He just lived off our savings for almost a whole year. I had a terrible thought right then. There sure as hell wouldn't be anything to divide. The house had a double mortgage. Alone, neither of us could keep it. My car was half paid for but the one he has was completely paid off. He had rebuilt it while waiting for a job but it had still cost money.

"I'm leaving Linda. Don't get upset it is nothing you have done. I just don't want to be married anymore." There it was out in the open. He had been dancing around it for months.

"So, is there another woman. Have you found someone with a better job to support you in a better life style?" Yes I was angry and he sure as hell was going to know it. He might leave me but it would be totally unscathed.

"I moved all my stuff out last night. If you want, I will sign the house over to you?"

"I don't know how I can keep it, but I just might do that. I need to think this is all such a blow." He didn't need to know that I had suspected that it was imminent. I knew it for a lot of reasons. One was that sex had become less often, and even had a desperate feel about it. It wasn't love that brought us together at that time. It was simply the need to just get off.

"Well, I'll be in touch. You just decide what you want to do about the house, it is the only thing we own worth anything."

I was so tired that after he left, I didn't try to understand. I just fell into bed and slept. I slept eight hours and would have slept longer if I hadn't needed the bathroom facilities. Once I was even half awake, I got the jerk on my mind again. Sleep eluded me for the next half hour. I didn't know for sure if he had waited until I finished my shift at the hospital or not, but I had three days off. Usually I spent most of the three days sleeping and just hanging loose around the house. That evening, I was at a loss as to what needed doing first.

I walked out of the house without doing anything. I drove straight to my mom and dad's house. I'm not sure how they felt but I know they did stand with me. I expect daddy thought that I ran John off. I didn't care what any of them thought. I needed advice and who else could I turn to. Mom took me into the kitchen. We drank coffee till I was floating.

"Honey, don't you worry. Your dad and I can help out."

"It's not about the money mom, I'm just overwhelmed. I have to make decisions and I need to talk to someone. I need someone to listen and give me advice. Money in the short terms is fine but I need long term solutions."

"Write me a list of your problems. Daddy and I will discuss them and come up with something."

"Mom, I know that daddy is ready to retire, and this can not effect that." I was adamant.

"Just let me see what I can do. First of all, you need to make me that list."

That put the wheels in motion that made all the rest possible or impossible depending on how you look at it.

Daddy and two of his brothers showed up the next day. Daddy was in khaki pants and the others in suits. They drank my coffee and walked around my house for a while. Then they sat down with my finances. There was a lot of serious whispers in the kitchen. I knew enough to stay away.

"Honey, we are going to go float some numbers. I'll talk to you after lunch. Just try to relax this is all going to work out. It might not be easy, but it will work out." With that he kissed me on the cheek then walked out the door. My uncles followed suit with the same peck on the check and equally rapid departure.

For lunch I had the breakfast that I had skipped, then I drove to the park for a long jog. Running tended to clear my mind. Well it had always done so before black Thursday. as it became known.

I gave some serious thought to grabbing the first man I saw and raping him. I knew it had to do with the rejection thing. I realized that I needed to prove that I was still attractive to men. I might have given it a try, except that I was so pissed that the feelings had leached onto all men. I was sure that it would pass but at that moment I wanted nothing more than to go home. There I could hide, and lick my wounds.

When I returned home, I found a message from my dad. The uncles were still meeting but had the biggest issues hammered out. He promised that he and mom would be over with complete package after dinner. I had hoped that they would invite me to their house, but the message they sent was clear. I was on my own and might as well get used to it.

For dinner I had a box of macaroni and cheese with a little breakfast sausage tossed in. After my less than wonderful dinner I watched TV and waited. Mom and dad showed up right on time. After a few minor pleasantries we sat at the kitchen table, while dad delivered the plan. The plan had been worked wout by the family and required me to listen carefully. They wouldn't shove it down my throat, but they would sure as hell make it hard to say no. I expected 'the plan' to be painful.

Over his coffee daddy started, "You and John have a lot of consumer debt hon. We worked out a fair division of the debt. The way we worked it out will transfer the obligations for a few credit cards to his name solely. That way he can continue using the cards. It will also mean that he wont have to re apply. With his recent job history, I am sure he will see the wisdom in that.

"Martin called him, and John is agreeable. The one issue is the big screen TV, it is on one of the credit cards. If he is going to pay for it, he wants it." Daddy looked at me severely. It was obvious that he agreed.

"Of course," I replied. I knew that I would have resisted, if John had tried to make that deal. Daddy and his brothers had worked it out so that both of us had to agree. If not, Martin was a hell of a lawyer, they tell me. When he called John, I am sure caved quickly. As long as the brothers kept it straight, no one would ever second guess them.

"Your share of the consumer loan payments come to a little over seven hundred a month. We all figured you could handle that with some creative thinking."

"Dad that alone is staggering for me. There is no savings left, we needed it just to live while John as out of work."

"I know honey, I going to get to that. We figured that your house payment second mortgage and utilities are almost two thousand dollars a month. John can't afford that and neither can you."

I nodded there was no sense even trying to deny it. I couldn't eat or buy gas if I kept the house. "So we are talking about selling the house?"

"Not at all. It is the only thing you have of any value. You sell that and you might as well be homeless."

"Then what am I going to do?" I was completely lost.

"Billy and I ran figures all afternoon. Here is what we suggest. We consolidate your mortgages and reuse the small amount of money you two repaid. That and the appreciation of the house will give us about ten thousand dollars. That is, if Billy can find the right lender."

"Dad, I won't be able to afford that either."

"We think you will. It is what will free you."

"How do you figure that?" I asked it because I was totally lost.

"We ran numbers and feel that if we chip in with the labor, we can convert your garage to an apartment." Yes it was a two car garage with a loft. It was the main reason we chose a house that we couldn't afford. John had big dreams about opening his own repair shop. If not that at least rebuilding cars at night to sell himself. Nothing came of those plans, so the building stood empty.

"I don't think anyone will pay enough for that little place to get me out from under the house." I said it quite honestly. I should take the ten grand and just move on."

"There is no ten grand, if you sell. If you sell, you are likely to be behind twenty thousand. About renting the apartment honey, I know noone will pay enough, that is why you are going to have to move there and rent the house."

"Daddy, that is going to be a very, very small apartment."

"Honey, its the only way we can see to save your credit and you might even be able to add money to your net worth."

"Daddy, I love you dearly but I can't see Uncle Martin with a hammer in his hand. Billy is the same way, he hasn't done real work in years. I will have to have the paramedics standing by. I realized that I had hurt his feelings.

"You think about it. If you decide you can stand it, let me know. Let us worry about the heart attacks.

I thought about it standing on shifting sand. I looked stupid one minute then the next it looked like my only salvation. The deciding factor was the first house payment, without John's unemployment or being able to tap the savings account, was due. That night I called my dad.

"Are you working tomorrow?"

"I am back on the night tour. I will be sleeping."

"I'm going to come over and measure, maybe do some planning." It was about the most he would tell me. I woke the nest morning to the sound a truck's back up buzzer outside my window. I almost ran to see what the hell was going on, but I remember just in time.

I reheated two cups of coffee in the microwave. I took two as I went out the rear door for my trip to the garage. One of the reasons loved the garage was that it was far from the house. It had a drive of its own but that one was dirt and probably would not have supported the heavy truck.

I handed my dad the second cup of coffee before I asked. "Did you need the delivery man to hold the end of the tape for you?" I smiled so that he would recognize the joke.

"I just decided to get the stuff on site. We can use the other drive now. It wont wake you anymore."

"Daddy, it's Wednesday. Uncle Martin and Uncle Billy wont be able to help till Saturday."

"I know hon but you and I can get the doors closed in."

"You are kidding, I don't know anything about that."

"Not to worry Linda, you will."

For the next three days, I slept till noon then helped daddy till five. I was back at work at the hospital by seven. My big contribution was to hand my dad tools and to help hold, then take the heavy panels to the trash pile. I tried to hammer a nail after they were down. Daddy laughed and told me to go on into the house. He would call when he had grunt work for me.

I was walking away when I heard it. "You drive a nail like a girl." I laughed and daddy did to.

Daddy had the bricks a couple of feet high in the two doorways when I went to work on Friday. It just happened worked out that I was on my one weekend a month off on the Saturday when I expected to see my Uncles drive up.

Uncle Martin arrived in what must have been a fifty thousand dollar pickup truck. I am sure nobody ever put a piece of wood in the bed. I almost didn't recognize the two younger men with him. They were my two cousins who were supposed to be away at college. The hugs and name calling was very warm hearted. I was grateful beyond words.

The four of them stood around for about five minutes. "Girlie, you get your butt in the house and make about all the coffee there is around here. If you run out, go get more." The voice belonged to my Uncle Martin and he wasn't kidding. I would have gotten angry but then he turned to his sons. "Now boys, you are about learn what our daddy taught us." He turned his attention to my dad. "Ain't that right Herb."

"Well not all we learning, I hope but enough to get this job done."

"True, we don't have enough time to teach them all of it."

The boys all had brand new hammers. They were got a lot of unnecessary and unwanted advice as the work began. The sound of the new power saw filled the air as the trash pile grew. It had grown considerably even before Uncle Billy and his crew arrived. Billy only had girls, three of them, but they each had a husband or boyfriend. The boyfriends or husband obviously wanted to make points with Billy. If you wanted to score with him, you did what he said period. I remembered him with distaste until I saw him unloading his tools. How can you hold a grudge against an auditor, when he is holding a hammer. A hammer he is going to use to put a nail in a place for you to live.

I was more than just moved I was in real tears. when Martins voice rang out again. "Hey Linda where the hell is that coffee."

I began the never ending job of coffee making, then ice tea making. I offered to go out for cokes. "Hell no, men in this family build on coffee and ice tea with lots of sugar."

So water boiled all day for one or the other. It was after noon when I decided that it was time that I offered to go out for lunch. I walked to the garage to make the offer.

"What, you gonna try to feed this crew from Mcdonalds?" Uncle Billy said it with a laugh. "You don't get it hun, but this is a trip down memory lane for us. My brother's and I are remembering, while we are making memories for those kids. Hell, we need to be thanking you for this chance. Now you just go on back in the house and make up a couple more gallons of tea."

The outside of the garage took the shape of a tiny house. It wasn't brick like the big house where I lived, but it was a cute little doll house. Okay it took some imagination, but I could see it that way.

I hadn't been back from the convenience store with the three bags of ice more than a minute, when the guys began making tables. They just put wood on top of other wood to make a long table. I had no idea why. Daddy was standing on the outside of my little doll house on the cell phone.

"Okay guys knock it off." Daddy shouted into the garrage turned doll house.

As he said that my mom drove up followed almost immediately but my two aunts and a couple of Uncle Billy's girls. I did nothing but stand in awe as they began to unload cardboard boxes. I heard my aunt Judy say to mom. "I have a hundred dollar picnic basket and Martin dared me to use it. I have boxes from a grocery store. I'm sure they are filled with roach eggs." She laughed like an insane woman.

"Who made the biscuits?" I asked.

"Why I did honey," The voice of aunt Judy was sugary sweet.

"Well right out of the freezer," Uncle Martin added. Rather than be upset aunt Judy laughed. Your Mama would have done the same Marty." she replied.

"She would have at that." The food didn't last long. When everyone finished eating, my dad went to his car where he removed a box of cigars.

"Well they ain't camel cigarettes, but they will have to do." He passed them out to anyone who would take them. "As our daddy would say, 'We doin' the work boys, the work ain't doin' us.'"

He smiled. It was some kind of compliment the uncles understood. Somehow even the young ones did, but it was a mystery to me. They hadn't let any of us women inside over lunch. The three older women all came into the house with me to visit.

We were all in the living room of my very nice house having coffee when my Aunt Lilly spoke. "You know I took a look at all those men out there. The old farts and the kids, I was struck by something. Those are real men out there. Not drugstore cowboys or the kind you meet hanging out at the mall. Those are just real men." She was misty eyed. "The old ones stay with a thing till it is done, no matter what. Now they are out finding out if they have taught there own kids to do the same.

I noticed for the first time the Billy's girls were missing. "Lilly where are your girls?"

"Honey, my guess is that they are out there handing people nails." She laughed.

"I guess I should go help to?"

"They gave you a job hon, and you seem to be doing it right well. I wouldn't worry about getting any more."

A couple of hours later the women were all gone, including the girls. I hung around being a gopher. I thought they were finished for the day when daddy approached me. I was surprised when he asked for light bulbs. "You aren't working into the night are you?"

"Honey, there are things that need doing and you can bet your ass they will get done."

"What about the kids?" I knew the kids hadn't signed on for this much work."

"Why hell Linda, why do you think they rode with my brothers. It an old trick my own daddy used. They not gonna be walkin' away half done. When this is over, they are all going to feel like they really finished something. That is a feeling men don't get much these days." I smiled at him remembering my Aunt Lilly's words.

It was almost midnight when they allowed me into the 'doll house'. The guys were all standing around after having cleaned up. They were all, young and old, stumbling tired I could tell. The walls and ceilings were covered with unfinished dry wall but the seems were covered with something that looked like the plaster we use to make casts. They had built a staircase to what had once been a loft. There were exposed beams in the loft with sheets of styrofoam betweent he ceiling boards. They had added short walls to the sides of the loft to make a long thin room.

"Well honey, what do you think." It was Billy who asked.

"It is a doll house for a fairy princes." I turned to all the guys standing around. "You have no idea how much this means to me. This will always be a magical place for me." I don't know if it was the best thing to say but I was in tears and it was all I could think off. As they filed past I gave each of them a hug. The hug was from my heart.

My daddy said, "I'll be back tomorrow."

I was exhausted that night and I know the others were worse. I was to tired to even think of sex, but I did think of it the next morning. I went into the fancy bathroom, then into glass shower stall. In that stall, I often imagined myself in a movie with thousands of men watching me while I pinch pulled and twisted my nipples. My nipples have a direct wire to my pussy. I hate that word, but it was more descriptive of how I though of my plumbing when I had sex or masturbated. I might deal in medical terms at work, but at home it was a just a pussy. Finally one of my hands slipped to the mound above my opening. I spread the hood open as I worked my way to my clit. The hot water felt good on my breast and my clit. The soap helped my clitoris to slide erotically through my fingertips. I moved up the slope so fast I didn't even realize when the trigger tripped. I slumped against the wall for a long time and made animal noises as I came back to life.

Sunday morning my dad arrived followed by a truck filled with Mexicans. They climbed down, then began working on the doll house. Two hours later they left. My quick look didn't show much of anything different. When I asked, Dad told me not to worry they had done what he wanted done.

I had been so excited the night before that I had missed the pipes sticking through the concrete slab. Dad and my uncles had made a square hole then fun several pipes under the outside and into the doll house. Dad saw me looking. "The plumber will be here tomorrow. You have to have a bathroom and a kitchen sink." He smiled even though I looked nervous.

"Don't worry hon, I will stay with them. I know you are going to be working days on Monday."

"Tuesday, but okay you keep an eye on the plumbers." I smiled thinking that about the only thing in the house they might want was the big screen TV. It would serve John right if they took that, I thought.

I spent Sunday alone but not feeling sorry for myself. I think hat daddy and my uncles had set me on the right direction without knowing it. Maybe they did know it on second thought. My aunts made damn sure I took a hard look at the men in my family. After the comparison of them to John, I lost any feelings of inadequacy after being dumped.

Since I already had Monday off I set about cleaning my doll house. The Mexican crew arrived before dad, but I wasn't worried. I spoke just enough Spanish to offer them coffee. To a man they declined. Instead they went right to work. I watched them spread what looking like thick whipped cream over the layers of whipped cream already on the walls. But only after they sanded the walls first. When they finished the walls no longer had any joints. Dad had arrived before the Mexican gentlemen finished. When they were done, he handed them the money for their labor.

"So what next dad?" I asked it smiling at him. He knew I was dying to have him finish so that I could get into the magic doll house. I was suddenly looking forward to leaving the big house. There was charm in the doll house. Even better daddy told me that everyone who worked on the house had signed his name somewhere in the walls. That made the place even more special.

The plumbing crew did work for my Uncle Billy, so they were in and out in a half day. I was totally shocked. I always heard that plumbers were slow and methodical. Not my plumbers. They ran pipes and my dad built pipe chases. It was just a box to hide everything. The shower was much less elaborate than the one in my house, it was a simple one piece fiberglass shell. According the plumber and my dad, it was going to be easy to clean. Since neither of them had ever cleaned a bathroom, I didn't put a lot of faith in their opinions.

When the plumber left, I had a toilet, shower, lavatory, kitchen sink and an ugly hot water heater. The heater sat near the kitchen sink. "Cabinets," my father had said knowingly. Daddy might have been a so so carpenter, but as a contractor administrator he had was without equal, or so everyone told me

For all that next week while I worked he shuffled crews in and out of the place. It took ten more days before he was satisfied that his little girl would be happy there. When he was, he proudly showed it off to me. He carried me all over the doll house. He embarrassed me by having me pose here and there. His plan was to send the pictures to everyone who had done anything for me free or below cost. Just to show them what a great little place they had made. Along with it he had digital picture of the construction day. Most showed men hard at work, but some were hilarious.

Even with all the outside labor for the plumbing and painting, the doll house came in under budget. That was a testament to my family. There was a different crew of illegal aliens who carried my furniture to the Doll house. Some of the things going into the balcony bedroom where difficult to get up the small stairway.

When all was said and done, I hated the loss of my washer and dryer more than John. That's how well I was adjusting.my new life style. Most of my appliances were far to large for the doll house. I managed to save the microwave, but the rest were better off to be left behind for my new tenant. After I took all the things I wanted from the house, I was surprised to find how few things I really needed.

When it came time to rent the house, I was again lucky. Uncle Martin's wife was a part time realtor. Ordinarily there is no way a woman with her kind of class would become involved with my little house, but she began sending me people at once. It just had to be a family thing, I thought. My dad probably talked to Uncle Martin who talked to his wife, that how things had always worked in our family.

Two weeks later a middle aged thrice divorced school teacher and her two kids moved into the house. I couldn't afford the house as a nurse, so I was curious as to how she could. "I had the better lawyer, besides both of these kids has a different father. I get the max child support from each. If they had the same father I would have gotten a whole lot less."

Mary was a charming lady and attractive as well. Okay, attractive in the slight cherub kind of way. Maybe fifteen pounds past high end weight for her five eight frame. Her hair was an auburn but her roots were slightly darker. Her two children were school age so I didn't expect too much trouble from then. Also the doll house was almost a hundred yards from the big house, as I came to think of it. The hundred yard distance was greater than many houses in the city.

Mary and I had no interaction as she settled into the house. I saw here come and go just a bit, since our schedules were so different there was no time for anything more. The kids played in the yard and once in a while the older girl, about ten, would turn her bike around at the entrance to my drive. Mary seemed to be the perfect tenant and she had and used the numbers of all the realty maintenance people. I got a bill once in the first six months for the repair of a dripping faucet. I had expected it, since the thing had dripped before I moved. Since it was in the master bath, it made for a miserable night if you had insomnia.

I did not keep track of any coming and going in her house. I knew strange cars were parked in her drive from time to time, but hell everybody was entitled to a social life. Just because I didn't have one didn't mean she couldn't.

The months wore on to the dead of winter. We had snow after snow which just piled up at the entrance to our drives. The driveway pile ups were caused mostely by the state plowing and re plowing the roads. My small SUV made it over the first couple of piles, but I knew in my heart that I was destined to remove it even if that meany dynamite.

Getting out to work the first couple of times had required that I drive over the pile. At the time I was just too lazy to clear it. The second had been the same, but it was high enough by that time to rock the SUV violently. It appeared for a while that I might tip over.

After the third pile, I was definitely in danger of rolling the top heavy Dodge as I left for work. I dreaded the idea of shoveling that pile after a twelve hour shift at the hospital, but it seemed to be in my future that next morning.

I just couldn't face it so I rocked into the yard vowing to do it when I awoke. The sound of the trucks woke me but I didn't move. Damn, I thought, they are plowing again crap. Then I did what any self respecting woman would do, I called my dad, who in turn called my aunt, who in turn called one of her contractors who cleaned apartment complex parking lots. That afternoon I saw the truck, with a tractor in the attached trailer approach. The driver made quick work of the drive all the way to my Dodge.

I could just barely make out my neighbor/tenant standing staring at me. Well at the tractor I supposed. I have no idea how I could see the envy from a hundred yards. I asked the contractor with arms waving to go clean her drive as well.

"Hello Linda, I want to thank you for the snow removal. I was about to get desperate." The words came from the mouth of my cherub tenant. "I'm not much on real work, and those brats of mine are worthless when it comes to any work."

She was standing on my porch letting in a lot of cold air. I guess I could have said no problem and she would have left, instead I said, "Come on in out of the cold. I have a pot of coffee from this morning, but I do have a good microwave."

"You have a deal," she said pushing past me. As she shed the parka the body that had just a little to much of everything appeared. Not bad mind you, just a little extra padding everywhere. Since it was distributed more or less evenly, she still had a figure.

Where I live when it gets cold and snowy, it really gets cold and snowy. We learn young how to dress for it. The doll house stay cool, but it was more my reluctance to go from a hot house into the cold, than a lack of heating capacity. Dad had insisted that I had a way to large furnace installed. I ended up outside the house in a little room hastily added. The room was like a boil on my doll house but I didn't complain. Space inside was to valuable for a furnace room to steal what could have otherwise been a closet.

Mary was dressed for the cold, I was dressed for the cool. After the parka, a wool sweater come off, then a scarf, hat, gloves, and finally she stepped from her boots. It was the neighborly thing to do, not to track snow onto my carpet. Aunt Judy had insisted that the carpet be cut for a tiled area around the front door. It was as she said, "A mud room without walls." At the time I thought it was foolish, but every time I came in from the wet snow I gave her a silent thank you.

Mary moved off toward the kitchen area of my house. "This is so cute," she said beaming.

"Thank you," She had immediately sensed how much I loved the little place. I put her coffee into the microwave while she continued to gently explore. The kitchen dining room was separated from the living area but the back of the leather sofa John had forced me to buy. Way to masculine for a doll house, I thought.

"I can't believe how much light you have in here." She said that looking at the winter gloom banished by all the windows. Light even streamed in from the windows that formed a headboard for my bed. Those neat windows made sleeping cold but that's why god made electric blankets.

"This place is unbelievable," Mary said it with envy in her voice but I knew she had the big house. SHe was never going to convince me that she wanted to trade. After a short look around she changed the subject, "So you are a nurse?"

"Yes, for almost ten years now." I said it matter of factly. There wasn't much special about being a nurse by that time. It was important and paid well, but the mystical status of health care workers had disappeared. People had long since decided that it was just a job.

"I probably should have done that. Instead, I became an underpaid school teacher."

"What you do is important though. If I had kids, I would want the best damn teachers I could find."

"Too bad not many parents feel that way. To most we are the reason johnny can't read, but also why little Alice got pregnant. We didn't teach her any better." Mary had a laugh like a truck driver. I got my first glimpse of it.

I joined her in laughing. I didn't answer because I didn't have a witty comeback. She was seated in one of my ice cream parlor chairs at my small round marble topped table before I handed her the steaming coffee cup.

"So how much to I owe you for the drive?" She had become all business. I had a feeling she was ready to negotiate if it was too much.

"This one is on the house," I replied. "If my aunt says anything tell her I said I would take the hit this time. She might not even know."

"Oh, the realty lady is your aunt?"

"Probably not the one you deal with. My aunt just manages property and your house is one of them."

"She does a hell of a job. I called about a leaky faucet and the man was out within an hour."

"Well her husband is my dad's brother. The family is pretty tight."

"Ah she didn't want me bothering you with it. That makes sense."

"Don't get me wrong she can say no to." I wanted to discourage any frivolous repairs.

"Oh I'm sure." Mary seemed to know what I was thinking. "So you got a boy friend?"

I am sure that it was obvious that nobody lived with me. "No boyfriend I have only been separated a few months."

"Ah well don't wait to long to start looking again. Sometimes it get scary out there."

"Okay, I'll go to the mall and check out the men hanging around the bar there."

"Hell no don't do that. Let me fix you up when you get ready."

"What underpaid school teachers, no thanks." I laughed to let her know it was a joke.

"Hey, I got friends who have real jobs." She laughed. It made me smile just to hear her laugh.

"Why don't you invite me to one of those parties."

"What parties?" she asked a little defensively.

"I see the cars in your drive every now and then. You are either having parties or you are engaged with multiple partners at the same time." I laughed again to put her at ease. As far as I was concerned she could do anything she wanted as long as the rent was paid and the house wasn't damaged more than her deposit.

"Isn't a gang bang a party." She said it with a straight face, then waited until I was struggling for an answer before she laughed her truck driver's laugh. "Those are just friends. We still have sleep over parties." She made it sound harmless so in my mind it was.

"You know you might like to come. It is a little risque, when you get four of five women drinking and talking though."

"Oh, and you think I'm a prude?"

"I don't know you hon. What I am saying is, if get embarrassed easily, you might not want to come to my sleep over parties." She smiled a most disconcerting smile. The conversation took a change to discussing the house. According to her she just loved the house. The kids loved the large yard even though they had missed most of the summer. The yard was the most fun in the summer months. That gave me a shudder, it was also the grass cutting season. I would need to make a decision about that in the spring.

Mary said a lingering goodbye after the coffee. I stood by while she dressed for the cold. "So the kids are doing a weekend with their dads. Would you like to join the sleep over party?"

"I don't have to work on the weekend so maybe I will."

"Okay, if you want just come on up, but do it before eleven, we aren't teenagers any more. We need our sleep." I was a little surprised when she hugged me before leaving.

The time passed quickly, it always did when I worked twelve hour shifts. It was work, fall into bed, then work again. It went that way till Friday morning. I fell into bed then slept till way past my normal time to wake. I was not due to report till Monday so I took the whole day to just goof off. I watched TV and napped all day.

I suppose I had Mary's invitation in the back of my mind but I hadn't really given it any conscious thought until I saw the cars begin to arrive. I still didn't give it much thought, I just found my $100 hooker outfit. It was what John had called it when he forced me to buy it. The outfit was tight black slacks and a gold silk blouse. The slacks showed off my ass and the silk hid my lack of boobs.

Not very sexy after I added the boots and ratty old parka to the outfit. I intended from the start to walk up to the party, have a drink or two then walk home. That was the reason for the boots and parka.

It was cold outside. Mostly because it was almost 9pm and the sun had long since set. The moon was full though so I hoped that it wasn't some kind of omen. If it was, I couldn't imagine what it might be. The walk took less than five minutes because it wasn't far and I didn't dawdle. I debated whether to go around to the front or knock on the closer rear door. Since I knew where the mud room was, I knocked on the rear door.

"Hi," the stranger said as she opened the door.

"Hello, Mary invited me."

"Holy shit girl, that sounds like a line out of a black and white movie." She opened the door wide. "You are a new one. It is good that Mary is recruiting again. The same old faces get boring as hell."

"Well not sure I was recruited but thanks for opening the door, it's cold out there." I was taking off the parka and putting it somewhere handy. I thought I might be leaving early. I didn't see any wet boots so presumably everyone else was dressed for a party. Well hell, I had worn black boot socks.

I found Mary in the kitchen just off the mud room. She was stacking little bitsy sandwiches on a tray. "Hi there neighbor." I called to her.

"Come here Linda, I need you."

"Now that sounds desperate," the woman who had met me at the door suggested.

Mary just stared hard at the offending woman. The woman seemed to shrink under her stare. I was both impressed and a little apprehensive.

"Here's a good chance for you to meet everyone. Pass this tray around would you?" I just nodded as I took the tray. The everyone turned out to be a group five other women. They stood around chatting in two groups. I gave each group my name then tried to remember theirs. All of them seemed friendly enough except for a tall thin blonde. She was hostile from the first word.

The blonde with the attitude was named Sarah. I thought of her as the wicked step sister in Cinderella. Afterward, I smiled inwardly whenever I saw her. I carried two trays then I stopped to have a drink. The passing of the snacks was done, at least for me it was.

"So Linda," the large woman named Lisa began. "What is it you do for a living?"

"I'm a nurse."

"Oh god no, you cant be one of those little matronly ladies in a white uniform." She laughed gently and so did I.

"Give me a couple of years and I probably will be."

She nodded, then went on. "So, if you are at Mary's sleep over, you must not be married."

"I'm not part of the sleep over I'm just a neighbor, but no I'm separated." I had developed a suspicion about the women earlier in the evening. Too many little gestures that could only be interpreted as loving touches. Mary had a couple of kids so it was hard for me to accept. Even so I finally came to the realization that I had unwittingly fallen into a nest of lesbians. Even then I wondered if nest was the right word.

By eleven I had decided to take my leave. I wasn't afraid of the women but I was a bit anxious. The large tall woman spoke from my rear before I moved to tell Mary good night. "Lighten up Linda, I don't think anyone has been raped by a woman, outside of a women's prison of course." She obviously had read my mind.

"I wasn't thinking that."

"Sure you were hon. Nobody here is going to force you to do anything. You might get asked but all you have to do is say no. I promise you no one will be upset."

"How about Sarah? She already is for some reason."

"She thinks she is Mary's special friend. Truth is Mary doesn't make special friends."

"I don't think I want to know what a special friend is." I said it smiling though.

"Oh you know it is one who is more than a quick roll in the hay." She noted my lack of a reaction. "See now that wasn't so bad was it?"

"No, I was afraid it might be more graphic."

"I told you earlier what I do for a living. What do you do?"

"I'm a divorce lawyer. You know one of those production line lawyers." She saw that I was still confused. "Work cheep but I run them through in a group every Tuesday."

"Ah, I see. I'm going to need a good lawyer soon."

"I think I would use your uncle if I were you."

"How did you know my uncle was a lawyer?"

"Mary is a snoop honey, and I just asked her."

"Why would you use my uncle?" I asked it ignoring the Mary thing.

"Sweetie your uncle is the most dishonest lawyer I have ever met. He will do anything to win and I mean anything."

"Well he did work out the separation agreement but I hate to ask him to do any more."

"Have you ever been to his office?" She asked it almost in wonder.

"No, I never had any reason to go there."

"In his conference room there is the very large picture and I'm talking large. I'd bet my ass that you are in it somewhere."

"Why?"

"There's a bronze plaque under it. It reads, Last photo ever made of the complete Steve Burke family. I have stared at that picture a hundred times while I'm waiting for a deposition. It always made a statement to me."

"And what is that?"

"Don't fuck with my family." She laughed.

"I hope you keep that in mind." I giggled like school girl. The warm room and the wine was taking a toll.

"Touche." she replied with a smile.

I wandered around aimlessly. At least it would have appeared that way to anyone else. I was looking for Mary, she had a lot of explaining to do. I found her in a dark corner of what used to be my hallway. She was kissing the woman called Sarah. I turned back to the living room.

Music had been playing all evening, and if finally attracted some attention. The two couple were dancing. I realized that I was the odd woman out, so I began casually heading for the rear door and my coat. I was in the brightly lit kitchen when Lisa stopped me.

"Hold on there Linda. You can't leave without a dance. That just isn't done."

"I think I am the seventh wheel." I wasn't upset but was glad to be leaving. At least that was my thinking at the time.

"My ass, come on you and I are going to have one dance. That way you can tell your friends that you have at least danced with a woman." She pulled me toward the living room and I have to admit that I did not resist. Hell I called it curiosity.

Lisa was taller than me by a good five inches. She wrapped her arms around me over my shoulders then pulled me to her. I was so out of my mind that I don't even remember moving to the music. We just kind of stood there shifting our weight and making small dancing moves. What I do remember was feeling her hard breasts pressed against my chest almost to my neck. I also felt her press her hips into mine. I guess it was the erotic feeling, caused by the shameful act, that made me feel so trapped. Yes I was turned on but also terrified by it. When the song ended, I tried to pull away. Lisa moved her mouth toward mine. I wanted to run, I wanted to scream but I didn't want to make a scene. I didn't want to look like a stupid homophobe.

Lisa kissed me with a lot of tongue. I swear there had to be some snake in her. I felt her tongue all the way to my throat. Okay that might be an exaggeration. But I sure as hell felt it. I felt it all the way to my pussy. Then she managed to suck my tongue into her mouth and when she did I went limp. She was holding me up at the end of the kiss. I felt as though she was sucking the oxygen from my lungs. I almost fainted before I heard a voice.

"Now you run off home little one." With that she stood me up and then pushed me into the kitchen. She left me there alone. It took me a second to gain my wits. When I did, I rushed to dress, then get the hell out of there. On the cold walk home, I began to think that I had been foolish. First of all, I should have left the moment that I understood it was an all female party. I had some pretty big clues long before I got ambushed.

Then I should have said no, before she ever got me onto that dance floor. The kiss I just wrote off to a physical reaction. It had been a long time since anyone kissed me that way. Lisa had deliberately humiliated me in front of her friends. I supposed that it was to make her feel superior and maybe she was at that. She hadn't run from the room like a frightened teenager.

Why had I brought that up, even in my own mind. I was home and warm again, with a glass of my own wine, when I began to remember Tonya. I had long since pushed her from my mind. A teenaged thing that went to far, it was nothing more. I was glad when her mom walked in on us. When she did, all we were doing was kissing so it was easy to convince her that we were practicing for boys.

She believed us, but she also told my mother to keep me away from her daughter. The joke was that her daughter was the aggressor. It had started just like I said. We were practice kissing so that we would know how it felt. Tonya put her hand on my almost non existent breast.

I pulled back, but she whispered, "It is what boys do Linda." I should have stopped then, but I have to admit it felt good to have her massaging my puffy little nipples. As I thought about it I began to feel the tightness down there. My heart speeded up, I knew that I was going to masturbate to that memory even if I didn't want to.

My mouth went slack as my hand moved to my generous breasts. I had one hell of a growth spurt after Tonya and I stopped touching. She had been the first to ever suck on my breasts. I could feel her mouth on me as I pulled and twisted my nipples. I pulled from behind the areola then twisted the nipple. I was the motion used to milk an animal I supposed. It was the one that felt the very best to me. The day Tonya nursed at my dry breast there was no more pretending that it was to learn about boys. It was pure lust that made me pull her harder against my chest. I felt her teeth dig into my soft flesh and that made it even better.

Her hand slipped to the spot between my legs. I felt her traced the lips there. I could tell a thick lubricant coated her finger. When she reached my clit, not only did I orgasm immediately, I also trapped her hand with my thighs. I rode her hand as the waves overcame me.

"I love you," she whispered in my ear. That is when I became terrified. I dressed as quickly as I could, then fled. In the memory that drove me to orgasm that night I didn't need the "I Love you," to orgasm. I came long before I reached that part. It was the kind of orgasm that leaves a large wet spot in the bed. I knew it would happen but still I didn't do anything to stop it. So, it served me right to sleep huddled in another part of the bed.

I didn't see Mary for a week. I'm not sure which of us was avoiding the other. Going to the party had been a lousy idea. I lived very close to her and drove by her house every day. I saw her cleaning the windshield on her car once but I didn't stop.

Finally, I gave up. I had thought about the party and knew I should at least discuss it with Mary. Tell her that I was sorry I ran off. Good God, I realized as I rang her door bell that I couldn't say it that way. If I did, it would amount to an open invitation for her to hit on me. She took a long time answering the door. Since I had decided not to say that I was sorry, I began to hope she wasn't home. She opened the door out of breath.

"Hi there, sorry I'm out of breath, I was cleaning the bathroom. Come on in."

"Thanks but I can't stay. I need to get home to sleep."

"Okay, then what is it that I can do for you." Mary seemed to be impatient.

"I just needed to say that I am sorry for leaving your party without saying goodbye."

"I appreciate you coming bye. I was afraid to stop in at your house. I wasn't sure that I would be welcome."

"You are always welcome. It's just that Lisa frightened me."

"She can be a handful, that is for sure. You sure you cant come in."

"No, I am really headed home to sleep. I work again early tomorrow."

"Well stop by, when you can stay for coffee. I promise that you will be safe."

"I'll do that and you feel free to do the same."

"No, you need to invite me since you have strange work hours. I know you need to sleep at odd times."

"True, okay how about this? We just set a time to have coffee now. I could use a chat with a woman I trust." The words were said to make her feel at ease, as well as to inform her that romance wasn't a part of it.

"Sure, but don't you have friends you can talk to?"

"I lost them in the divorce." I smiled as if it were a joke, but it wasn't at all.

"Alright, you know my schedule, but I don't know yours. Why don't you pick it?"

I have to work tonight but then I have three days off. How about tomorrow lunch?"

"Noon, you pick me up here," It was almost a command, but I didn't mind. She seemed to be looking forward to it.

The next day, while I dressed for the lunch, I was excited. Yes I was almost turned on. I picked Mary up in my SUV. The parking lot of the restaurant would be icy, since the temperature seldom rose past 30 degrees at that time of the year.

"Good morning," I said as I stood on her porch. The one that used to be my porch.

"Hello," Mary was dressed even more casually than me if that were possible. On winter days, in the cold, anything warm passed for acceptable. The country club, with its heated pool, drew people who were forced to dress for dinner, but certainly no one else did.

At lunch even the fanciest restaurants took patrons dressed in sky clothes. Every restaurant had a very large room for the removal of extra outer ware. Resident of the mountain town had long since learned the secrets of layering clothes. Since the restaurant was warm, I remove the parka, and two sweaters before slipping into the dinning room. By the time I made it into the dinning room I was down to a lightweight turtleneck and cotton slacks.

Mary was sitting across from me with a very large smile, before I noticed her. She looked perfectly normal in her cotton blouse and jeans.

"So, Mary, what is so amusing?"

"Is it cold outside or are you just glad to see me?" She smiled a cat smile which infuriated me. It also took me a couple of second to notice, that my nipples were hard. They were hard and pointed through the lightweight turtleneck. I hadn't worn a bra since I had opted for a tee shirt under the turtleneck. My breasts sagged a little when not supported by a bra, so I should have worn one. I thought that I could get away with it probably because I had only a loose c cup, and I was still young. At that moment I was sorry that I didn't wear a bra all the time.

"Must be the cold," I replied looking at the menu.

"Of course dear," she answered.

Lunch was a disaster for me, but I'm sure great fun for Mary. She had me on the ropes the whole meal. I would like to say that it was a miserable experience but it wasn't. The tension had a wearing down effect on me. It heightened the awareness of my body and even my mind.

Mary one up ed me at every turn, it didn't upset me as it should have, instead it excited me. She was so confident. She admitted when she didn't know a thing, and even accepted my opinions, but she was always the leader of the conversation somehow. The lunch was pleasant because Mary was witty and entertaining as well as sexy as hell. The sexy was only for me to see, no one else would have known that we were flirting. Yes, I had come to understand that I was flirting with another woman. I wasn't at ease with it exactly, but I did understand that I was doing it.

It became obvious over lunch that I was going to try it, if Mary was willing. I began to anticipate it. I was more than ready to leave when the waiter brought the check. Mary stood to leave ignoring the check. It was obvious she expected me to pay. That worried me just a bit.

I planned all during the drive to just drop her and run. I needed time to sort through the conflicting emotions. When I pulled into her drive, I waited with the engine running while she sat looking straight ahead.

"Mary, I enjoyed lunch we will have to do it again sometime." Her answer was to twist her body to face me. She pressed her lips against mine as her tongue snaked into my mouth. It was the kind of kiss a woman likes from a man she married but gets far too seldom. Mary was passionate and demanding.

"What about your kids?" I gasped.

"We can do it here, let's go to you place," she demanded. I don't even remember the drive to my house. I do remember her kissing me in my own driveway. Then the feel of her hand on my right breast. Pulling and pinching the nipple though all the layers of clothing. It was erotic even through the padding.

Mary followed me into the house with her hands all over me. I couldn't think straight, she was inside my mind. Her every move created some emotions or half baked thought in my head. The door was hardly closed when she began removing my clothes. I am ashamed to say that at the same time I was ripping at hers.

She had me undressed before I climbed the steps. I stopped half way up to kiss her again. The kisses were long and deep. They were also coming with very little time in between. I was gasping by the time that I fell onto the bed. I tried to pull Mary down on top of me but she resisted. She actually took a step back and then a visible deep breath.

"On your knees Linda," she said quietly.

"What?" I couldn't believe that she didn't want me as bad as I wanted her.

"I said on you knees Linda. At the edge of the bed."

It was hard for me to decided but I finally raised myself to my knees. I struggled to make it to the edge of the soft mattress.

"Back straight, knees spread, eyes down," she whispered almost hypnotically. When I was in the position she wanted she continued. "Are you excited Linda?"

"Yes," I replied breathlessly.

"Do you want to make love to me?"

"Oh yes," I replied.

"Good, then ask." I was confused and I looked up at her."

"Eyes down. Ask me nice and I might let you make love to me. You are too turned on to go back aren't you?"

"Yes," I replied with my eyes on her feet.

"Then tell me what you want."

"I want to make love with you."

"Not with me Linda to me. Is that what you want?"

"Yes anything," he replied. I was more or less out of control. Lost in the feelings but in retrospect I had worked myself into that mood not Mary.

Mary stepped closer she lifted my chin, then she bent slightly to press her lips to mine. She just held my lips. It was only a split second till I realized I was expected to kiss her. I began to move my lips and tongue. First I licked her lips, then I buried it in her mouth. I was trying to gag her on it at first. Then I tried to tongue fuck her mouth. She allowed me to continue for some time then returned pulled me away by my hair.

Within the same movement, she straightened then pulled me to her breasts. I knew what I was to do. I opened my mouth to allow her nipple inside. I sucked gently at first but after only a few seconds she pulled my hair. The pain was an excellent directive. I sucked harder, even chewing a little. When she pulled my face hard against her, I wasn't sure what to do. Finally in desperation I opened my mouth and sucked as much of her breast inside my mouth as possible. I was able to get in enough to feel her nipple in the back of my throat. When I swallowed, my throat muscles must have done something because she shivered.

She finally pulled me off her breast and I was grateful. It was the first time for what seemed like hours that I could breath normally. I slouched back to relax.

"Position," Mary demanded angrily. I returned to the slightly painful position and waited while she composed herself. "You did very well for a new girl." She was obviously waiting for me to speak.

"Thank you," I said.

"You are welcome. Tell me Linda did you enjoy that? Tell me honestly now."

"No I didn't really."

"But yet you did it?"

"Yes, I did it for you."

"But why, if you didn't take any pleasure in it."

"It was exciting but not gratifying."

"Oh you mean it was sexually exciting but you weren't allowed to orgasm?"

"Yes that's it exactly." She seemed to really understand what I felt.

"Since you didn't orgasm, I don't suppose you wish to continue." That one stumped me. I didn't know what to answer. I wanted to orgasm. My body was screaming to orgasm. I had no idea what if anything she had planned to help me. "Well Linda?"

"I do wish to continue."

"You wish to continue giving me pleasure, even though you may not orgasm at all?"

I really did hang my head when I said simply, "Yes."

"Then let us start where we left off." She pulled me roughly to her second breast. I licked and sucked on the nipple. She again pulled my hair as a signal to be rough. I mauled her nipple, then choked on the bulk of her breast. She pulled me off her breasts just as my jaws could take the pain no longer.

"Lick," She demanded softly as she guided my head down. I had to change my position to follow her movements. I was laying flat by the time I reached her smooth mound. My neck was in terrible pain as I opened her hood with my tongue. The little button I found there moved easily but not far in any direction. I felt her shiver again then she said, "Roll over my little slut."

I quickly rolled over on my back. She pulled my hair again to position me as she wanted. Then she bent here knees and covered my face with her pussy. I was suffocating as I sucked desperately at her. When I could breath, I choked because my nose was filled with her lubricants. I felt as though I was dying choking on her. Just then I felt a finger manipulate my clit. I was dying and exploding in orgasm all at once. Not just one orgasm but one after another. It was the most remarkable thing. I was shock that I didn't just shut down, I always had before at least for a moment or two. Not that afternoon, that afternoon I sucked greedily at her pussy still suffocated me.

As she pulled away, I realized just how painful the position had been for me. My neck ached from hanging over the bed to reach her. I moved over the two wet spots in my bed to stretch out. I wanted to sleep and I wanted to orgasm again.

"Position," Mary demanded in an almost angry voice.

"Please," I begged.

"Position slut." I moved to sit up then onto my knees. I held my back straight then looked at the bed in front of me.

"Now, I have to go, my kids will be home soon. I expect to see you again." She waited but I didn't know what to say. "Well slut, would you like that?"

"Yes," I said it looking down. Mary lifted my chin. She had been dressing as she spoke to me. "Take a shower bitch, you stink."

With that Mary walked out. I felt terrible not even my rotten husband had ever treated me so demeaningly. I wanted to call Mary and tell her to go jump off a cliff or something. I decided again to wait for her to make a move the say no. Just refuse, that would speak louder than any words.

I honestly meant to refuse. I had been masturbating everyday to that memory, so when Mary called, I jumped. I was at her house in a moment's notice even though she called when I had just fallen asleep. I didn't want to sleep when I was with her. She used me unmercifully. She liked to see me masturbating as I licked and sucked at her. I used dildo's on her while I also sucked her clit. Most days I had huge orgasms but only one. Mary had them over and over. Not multiple orgasm, I was required to get her off several times before I could orgasm. Mine were always multiple.

It went on for a month or more, then the call came. "What the hell is going on?" my aunt asked.

"What do you mean?" I was lost.

"Your tenant is refusing to pay the rent. She said to talk to you, that you had a deal of some kind." I didn't know what to think for a moment. "I don't care about the loss of the management fee, but you should have told us in advance. It would have been the right thing, if you wanted to collect the rent yourself and cut us out."

"We have absolutely no deal, she and I. I will have a talk with her and get back to you."

I marched my little ass up to Mary's or rather my house. I found her in the kitchen alone."

"We need to talk about the rent," I demanded.

"Position," she demanded. I had gotten so used to it by then that I slipped to the floor. On my knees back straight and looking down. "Just who do you think you are to take that tone with me. You are a slut aren't you?

"Yes," I replied.

"From now on bitch, that will be yes Mistress. Do you understand?"

"Yes Mistress."

"Now you will go home after I am finished with you. You will call that bitch aunt of yours and tell her that you will take over the management of the house. Then you will never ask me for money again. Do you understand?"

"Yes Mistress."

"Good, now are you a good girl?"

"Yes,"

"Yes what bitch?"

"Yes Mistress."

"What do good girls do?"

"Good girls do as they are told." It was pure root memory learned over the last few weeks.

"Do you like pain slut?"

"No Mistress,"

"Good because you are going to endure pain for your Mistress aren't you."

"As you wish."

"Strip to the waist." Of course I did as I was told. I heard her moving about behind me. She handed me a long needle dripping with antiseptic. "Do it slut."

I slid the needle through the tip of my nipple. I left it half way through. I looked up at her. She always wanted to see the pain in my eyes.

"Now do it," she demanded.

I opened the waist of my jeans, then I reached into my panties to masturbate with the needle in my nipple. When I came, I soaked the my panties and jeans as well.

"Now get out you whore," she demanded.

I walked through the cold with my crotch freezing. I got home and without even thinking, I called my aunt. "Aunt Lisa, I just spoke to her. She isn't going to pay her rent so call the Sheriff. I want her out."

"We have to send her a couple of letter first but I can get her out next month and then Martin will get a judgement against her. I think when she figures it out, she will pay."

"You know best Aunt Lisa, do what you have to do."

the end.