22 Christmas Charity Clash
"How nice to see you, Holly! I’m glad you could come.” Kelly was all smiles as she stood at the dining room door, welcoming people to the Sailing Club's pre-Christmas charity function. She'd volunteered to join the organising committee, a job no one wanted. Of course, Kelly being Kelly, she’d wound up
being the organising committee, though with her marketing experience and her host of connections, she’d taken to it like a duck to water. The members were delighted with how she'd organised it and I’d seen many friends praise her. I could see she'd have a job – albeit it unpaid – for life if she wanted it. I wondered how much of Kelly's zeal was attributable to her desire to one-up Nancy Astor. Perhaps most of it but regardless of the reason, she was certainly doing a great job.
She'd commandeered what seemed like the entire female junior staff of Donne, Herbert and Vaughan to be waitresses, carrying trays of food and wine. Bethany and her cohorts were also excellent eye-candy. Kelly had invited the partners and executives as guests, of course. For a fund-raiser, their check-books were far more important than their helping hands. She'd invited – and worked until she got acceptances from – what seemed like everyone whose photo had graced the Tribune's social pages throughout the year.
She'd also coerced almost all our friends, not just into coming themselves but into making up tables. She’d told those who were regular contributors to charities that it was a good cause – which cancer research clearly was. She’d told those who wanted to be seen with the ‘right people’ that all the ‘right people’ would be there. She’d told those who wanted to make business contacts that it would be a networker’s dream.
She’d wheedled, pleaded and called in every favour she could – with great success. Her efforts had been so successful that for the first time – at least since I’d been a kid sailor whose parents came to the charity event almost 20 years ago – the club's auditorium had been converted into a sort of annex to the dining room for the night.
Despite the fact that I’d been on the periphery of all the preparations, there were still some pleasant surprises. I hadn't expected to see Holly Davis, much less that she'd bring a guest. “Kelly Haldane, I'd like you to meet my colleague, Kelly Rivers.”
Holly introduced a tall slim tanned girl with sparkling blue eyes and a long mane of corn coloured hair. Until she opened her mouth, I was sure she was a California beach bunny but when she did, her accent was pure Australian. “Hi, hello…Kelly.” She flashed a dazzling smile. “Maybe you'd better call me Kelly Two.”
“Just like B1 and B2…now there's another Australian reference.” Kelly smiled, referring to the then popular children's TV show. “Welcome to Chicago. I’m sorry we couldn't turn on better weather.”
“Oh, it's a delight to have a white Christmas rather than 40 degree…oh, you still have Fahrenheit! I should say, over a hundred degree temperatures.” The two Kellys chatted for a few moments, long enough to discover that Kelly Rivers was a university librarian on exchange from the Australian National University in Canberra, that she was working on a computerisation project at Chicago University and that she'd met Holly at some college function. “We're like two strays. We really don't fit in with the rest of the faculty at the U, so I teamed up with Holly to explore Chicago and the outlying areas. But it's
so cold in the winter!”
“It is, but there’s a lot of explore indoors too, you know. Have you seen any of our theatre or music? Let me introduce you to someone…Holly already knows her.” My Kelly called a passing Kim Curzon over, and got them talking about theatre. I had to admire the skill with which she chatted long enough to make Kelly and Holly feel welcome but still briefly enough for her to welcome the next guests. She was like a master bridge player finessing an important but not rubber-winning card.
Kim was very gracious and I walked with them for a few moments before I flagged down one of the staffers from the agency that Kelly had pressed into service as waitresses. I got Kim, Kelly Rivers and Holly a drink and we chatted about theatre and music for a short while. The Australian blonde was very much the outdoor type which seemed a little unusual for a librarian but fairly typical – from what little I knew – of Australians. The consensus seemed to be that for outdoor recreation, she’d chosen the wrong time of year to visit Chicago.
Eventually I excused myself and went back to Kelly, knowing she’d want some help with the guests. The same staffer was carrying some canapés. She smiled as she passed and I stopped her to help myself to some, for myself and for my Kelly. I took the plate over to where Kelly was still stationed at the door.
“That girl looks familiar.” I gestured at the staffer.
“She should. You saw Bethany Beaverbrook fight her…remember?”
Suddenly I did remember. “Ah…yes that’s Alison Baur.” I took another bite. “Hmm…you have some feisty staff. I wonder what's going on behind the kitchen doors.”
Kelly giggled as I gently squeezed the flesh just above her elbow. “You would.”
A few moments later, she nudged me hard. “Peter, isn't that Vic and Marjorie Hely-Hutchinson?”
“Yes. You did invite them.”
“Yes I know I did,” she said shortly. “You don't need to remind me of my guest list.” Her face whitened, a sure foretaste of annoyance. “But I didn't expect to see that gutter slut Wendy Griffiths in the same room as Marjorie. I thought even Vic would have more discretion.”
“I don't think Wendy came with Vic,” I replied. “I think she's part of Malcolm and Elena's table.”
Kelly sniffed. “Go over and make sure Wendy doesn't so much as
see Vic.”
I looked at her. “Err…what do you propose I do?”
“Whatever you need to. I don’t know. If necessary, fuck the slut! I don't want Marjorie embarrassed.”
I shrugged and went over as directed. I took the opportunity of collecting Kelly Rivers and Holly who were standing and looking around, seemingly at a loose end. “Come and meet some of my friends. Where did Kim go?”
“She turned a little pale when one of the waitresses came round, so she excused herself,” said Kelly Rivers. “She said she had to see someone and that she’d be back.”
“Yes, it was that girl there,” added Holly. “Funny thing is, she hadn’t even come near us.”
I followed her pointing finger, and there was Bethany Beaverbrook. I wondered what connection Kim had with Bethany. I vowed to find out before I went home. “Come on ladies…enough of this. Come and meet my friends.” I led them over to Malcolm’s and Elena’s group.
Not long after, I was almost annoyed that I'd done so. The group, normally gregarious and cheery, were subdued to the point of glumness – all except for Wendy Griffiths, but that wasn’t helping at all and was probably the reason for the tense atmosphere. Wendy was not in a good mood. She was as loud as she had been at Wrigley field a few weeks ago. I hoped she hadn't had as much to drink as she had back then.
I managed to steer her off to one side. “What's wrong?”
She huffed. “Ugh! Vic! I mean…it's not as if I didn't know he was married. I did, all along…and I knew one day, sooner or later, I'd be in the same room as his wife. But he could at least say hello! It's as if I don't even exist! It’s not like I'd embarrass him or anything. He can introduce me as the office assistant to your new business.”
I nodded. I'd misjudged Vic there. He had been right – the venture had needed an office worker. Thanks to Bethany's marketing and thanks to a good product, we had gone from strength to strength. Within a few weeks we had sold the original batch of CDs and had to order more. We'd even gone back and made a second CD, featuring more scenes – mainly running water, ponds and the little cascades on the stream that fed the cove where I’d taken Kelly, where we'd run into Vic and Wendy and where – after Vic and I had been up to the pond where we'd come up with the idea for the CD and back again, Wendy had been convincingly crushed by Harriet Stowe. Not that I was going to remind Wendy of that event right now. She was in a bad enough frame of mind.
“Peter, it’s cruel! He plays around…yes, I'm his mistress but he’s no better than I am! But tonight, almost everyone’s treating me like I have some kind of disease! Well, everyone that is, except Elena. Vic thinks Elena’s a slut. I guess deep down, he probably thinks I am too.” She took another deep slug at her drink.
I figured it wasn’t a good idea to tell her that my Kelly had called her a ‘gutter slut’ and sent me to prevent Vic from seeing her. “Yeah well…Vic's Vic.” I shrugged my shoulders and decided to put the blame on him.
“Vic the Prick!” Wendy said, downing the remaining contents of her glass in one gulp. “Anyway, fuck him!” She slipped her arm in mine. “Ok, let’s join the gang!”
We did so. I'd said my hellos before I took Wendy aside. Without her, the group had regained their spirit and been chatting amicably. They continued to do so now that I’d calmed Wendy down. I was about to rejoin my Kelly who was still flat out hostessing, when Malcolm waved. “Hey Michael! Come over here!”
I gulped at the impending train wreck. Malcolm didn't know that since Halloween, Kim and Michael Tippett had been dating, so he probably didn't expect Kim to be with Michael. He'd have had trouble seeing the petite actress in the crowd but Michael's great shock of untamed blond hair was a beacon. Anyone who knew him could spot him anywhere in a room, no matter how crowded it was.
Michael took up Malcolm's invitation and with him, holding hands, came Kim. Kim was always pale, unless made up for a part in one of her plays. But what little colour the actress's face had, drained away when she saw Wendy. She shivered. Wendy smiled. “Well…hello there,” she purred like a cat that had just been presented with a bowl of fresh cream.
Smirking widely, she stared at Kim. “The last time I saw you, you had an upset stomach. I hope it’s better now.” While neither Holly nor Kelly Rivers understood the sub text, few in our circle would imagine Wendy was being solicitous – not after seeing how Wendy had fought, and in the end thrashed, Kim. She had forced Kim to drink a double neat vodka and then punched her twice in her stomach. No doubt they all remembered – just as I did – how Kim had sunk to her knees and vomited up the vodka and a whole lot more.
Kim had been very subdued since that night. It was clear from her look of horror that the little redhead vividly remembered the almost unspeakably brutal way that Wendy had finished her. It was clear too, that she had no desire to cross Wendy again and it was even clearer that Wendy – even more arrogant and bitchy than usual – wanted nothing better than to humiliate the elfin actress again.
Kim gulped. She fumbled in her handbag, pulling out a gold cigarette case and a lighter. She struck the lighter three times before she succeeded in lighting her cigarette. Replacing the case and lighter in her bag, she puffed nervously on her cigarette. She slipped her arm inside Michael's and nestled close to him. “Yes, thank you. I'm much better.”
There was an awkward pause, broken by Malcolm. “So…what are you performing in at the moment, Kim?”
“Nothing at the moment,” she replied. “I have a break till the New Year while the trust is staging a pantomime. My next role is Paula in
The Second Mrs Tanqueray. That starts with a short season in Milwaukee. Then we’re back here.”
Wendy looked hard at Kim. “Paula Tanqueray is a role that would suit you very well,” said, smiling cattishly. “You and she have a lot in common. You’re both cheap sluts. You’re both trying to pretend you’re better than you are…and you’re both gutless. She commits suicide and you…well…you won’t fight will you?”
In the sudden silence, Kim shook as all eyes turned to her. She drew on her cigarette and spluttered.
“And why should she?” Kelly Rivers interrupted with a look at Wendy that was just as hard as Wendy’s own.
“At times you have to fight for your dignity…your self respect. But Kim…?” Wendy’s shrug was eloquent. She believed Kim had no dignity, no self respect. Her glare at Kim was equally eloquent – show me I’m wrong.
Kim whitened.
Kelly looked from Wendy to Kim and back again. “It’s stupid to think an actress is always like the part she’s playing.”
I saw Wendy’s eyes narrow. “Maybe not all actresses…maybe not all parts.” She nodded at the wilting, visibly shaking Kim. “But Kim sure wasn’t born to play any heroine parts.” She grinned. “Imagine her doing Bernard Shaw’s St Joan…ummm…no. Not born to play any moral women either…not even a ‘once fallen but now reformed’ one like Mrs Erlynne in Wilde’s
Lady Windemere’s Fan.” I was surprised Wendy knew so much about classic plays. Vic must have been teaching her.
Wendy went on, “No there’s only one part that really suits her…a gutless, cheap slut on the make. That’s the role she was born to play.” She turned back to Kim. “Isn’t that right, Kim?” She took a step toward the smaller woman, and Kim flinched. She retreated. “What did I tell you?” Wendy’s hand lashed out.
Kelly Rivers seized Wendy’s hand. She stepped between them. “That’s
more than enough. Stop it.” She didn’t raise her voice but her tone was as hard as stone.
Wendy cocked her head. “Really? So what are you going to do about it? Are you going to make me stop?” She smiled. “I wouldn’t advise that. Ask Kim what happens to people who cross me.” Wendy turned to face the tall Australian and stared into Kelly’s eyes. “Let go of my hand…now!”
Kelly hesitated, clearly uncertain. Wendy made up her mind for her. She slapped Kelly with her free hand. “I said…” she slapped again “…let go…” she slapped a third time “…of my hand!”
Kelly’s already red cheeks darkened and anger flashed in her eyes. “Bitch, you’re spoiling for a fight! We can’t do it here, though.” She looked at the rest of the group. “Where can we go?”
“Peter, you know more about this place than any of us.” Malcolm dropped me in it. He looked back at the Australian. “Kelly…?” She nodded. “Kelly’s right. So where can we go?”
It was too cold to go outside, even if the garden where my Kelly and Fiona Bourke had fought hadn’t been covered in a foot of snow. I thought for a moment. There was a store room where all the surplus chairs were normally kept and it was empty – I knew that for certain because I was the one who’d dragged all the chairs out for tonight’s event. That would do.
I told the group and we made our way there. I closed the door and counted heads. Besides the would-be combatants – Kelly Rivers and Wendy – there was Kim, the apparent cause of this fight, along with Michael, and Holly. The nucleus of our group – Malcolm and Elena, Ivor and Connie Gurney and Ben and Suzy Brittan, plus myself – made it a dozen in all.
The two contestants kicked off their shoes and circled each other. I took a closer look at them. The tall, slim, blonde Kelly Rivers was very much like my own beloved Kelly, though perhaps an inch or so taller at about five feet nine, and perhaps not quite as well developed in the bust. She wore a very simple, modest – rather than low cut – midnight blue cocktail dress. Her only jewelry was a pearl necklace and a silver watch. I suppose she rightly thought she didn’t need any adornment, and she was right. It would only have distracted from her almost flawless beauty. I mentally slapped myself. It would do me no good to start having erotic thoughts about any Kelly other than my own. One Kelly was already more than I could handle.
Wendy was shorter, about five feet five, and her clinging, low cut black top that emphasised her sizable bosom. I was sure her mother would had have admired it as a ‘lovely top dear’ while hiding a horrified expression. She had paired it with a very short matching skirt that showed off her strong but alluring thighs. It she bent the wrong way, it would probably show a lot more too. She wore a pendant that seemed buried between her breasts, and a mass of costume jewelry- bangles on each arm, a thin gold chain around her left ankle, a silver choker collar and another gold necklace. She had definitely adopted an approach of ‘quantity over quality’ as opposed to Kelly’s ‘less is more’ style.
I was surprised how swiftly Wendy ducked under Kelly’s guard and struck her face with a hard punch. Not only did she have to get through the taller girl’s defense, which she did by crouching low, racing in and springing up, but she also had to strike upwards to hit Kelly’s face.
Kelly’s head snapped back. She gasped, clearly as surprised as rest of us. Wendy repeated her attack, again punching up into Kelly’s face. This time Kelly brought her left arm up to shield her face. Wendy switched target, her fists flailing, slamming into the taller girl’s midsection and breasts.
Kelly backed away, still gasping and shielding her body and face as best she could with her left arm. She started to fight back though, with strong right handed punches which hit home into Wendy’s ribs. Wendy blocked some, but those that hit elicited groans.
Wendy was still hitting as hard as the taller woman and more of her blows hit home but her initial advantage – surprise – was wearing off. Kelly disengaged, stepped back and kicked out. The kick missed but it checked Wendy’s attack and made her keep her distance.
Kelly stood off and used her longer reach to keep Wendy at bay while hitting home repeatedly. Within seconds, Wendy was suffering though she defended well, blocking or dodging most of Kelly’s punches. Still, she groaned each time a blow thudded home. – the Australian could hit hard. Kelly landed a blow to Wendy’s mouth that started a trickle of blood running down Wendy’s chin. Wendy faltered, she licked her lower lip. Was that worry in her eyes?
“That's it!” A tense looking, pale Holly encouraged her friend. “Get her good!” She clutched the strap of her hand bag so tightly that her knuckles were white.
I looked round the room. Kim was sitting on one of the few remaining seats. She'd lit another cigarette and was holding it with trembling fingers. She was puffing smoke and grasping Michael’s hand. The man was a fool. He had a golden opportunity. If he’d have sat Kim on his knee, cuddled and reassured her, she’d have been so grateful for his support that she'd have hopped straight into his bed later that night. Instead she was staring wide eyed and muttering in a low voice about the fight.
“Fight back!” Elena cheered Wendy on as she stared sharply at Holly.
Kelly closed in. She swung her leg, kicking high. Wendy avoided it but she didn’t avoid Kelly’s roundhouse punch that pounded into her temple. Wendy reeled back, looking like she was seeing stars. Kelly came forward swiftly with light jabbing punches to Wendy’s upper body. For a full minute, Wendy hardly seemed able to defend. While she ducked and dodged some of the punches, many that she could have – should have- deflected, went through simply because she seemed to lack coordination.
She began to gasp and pant as blow after blow thudded into her body. She backed away, trying to put some more distance between herself and Kelly – without success. Kelly followed her relentlessly, still jabbing. Wendy glanced to one side and I knew she was thinking that she was almost out of room. She changed tactics, stepping forward and inside Kelly’s reach. She fired a couple of light punches of her own. They hit and gained a soft groan from Kelly, who stepped back to preserve the advantage of her longer reach. She fired a hard left right combo. Wendy blocked the left but the right sank deep into her tummy. Wendy staggered. Kelly fired another combo. Her left hit low down, striking Wendy's tummy and bending her over. The right nailed her on her chin.
Wendy emitted a long “Ooooh”. Her eyes seemed to roll back. Her legs gave out and she sank to her knees..
“Oh damn!” Elena hissed.
“Yes! Yes!!!” Holly cheered.
I looked on with shock. I hadn’t imagined Kelly Rivers – or even my Kelly for that matter – could defeat Wendy that easily.
For a second or two, Kelly seemed as surprised as the rest of us. She stepped in to finish the smaller girl off but Wendy was already recovering.
Wendy got her feet under her but still stayed low. Her hands outstretched, she swept forward as if to tackle the taller girl. Kelly sidestepped but at the last moment, Wendy swung her body sideways, her shoulder crashing almost side-on into Kelly’s midsection. Kelly gave an audible gasp and stumbled as her opponent’s weight threw her off-balance. Wendy wrapped her arms round Kelly’s left leg and shoved, at the same time butting her head into Kelly’s side. Kelly stumbled again, unable to back away or regain her balance since Wendy had a firm grip on her leg. Her greater reach was useless now.
Wendy rose further, her arms sliding higher up Kelly’s leg, hiking her skirt up well above her knees. Wendy pulled hard on Kelly’s leg, jerking her forward, and slammed her head into Kelly’s tummy. Half winded, the tall girl got her hands into Wendy’s hair, struggling to stay on her feet. Wendy sprang up, again striking Kelly in the tummy. Kelly groaned. Her suffering was evident in her face.
Wendy let go of Kelly’s leg and swept forward in another tackle, obviously aiming to wrap her arms around her opponent’s waist and take her down to the floor. This time though, she failed completely. Finally free of Wendy’s hold, Kelly stepped back quickly, regained her footing, then unleashed a kick that struck Wendy hard in the side and stopped her rush Wendy groaned loudly and backed away a little, rising unsteadily to her feet.
Kelly had learned from her earlier mistake and didn’t give Wendy any time to recover. She struck swiftly with a high kick that pounded Wendy's middle and a punch to the smaller woman’s face that rocked her back on her heels. Kelly attacked again and this time her kick thudded home on Wendy's stomach, expelling air from Wendy's lungs and spittle from her mouth. Kelly stepped forward and swung, her roundhouse punch hitting her enemy solidly in the side of the head. Wendy dropped to the floor.
Wendy wasn't finished however. As Kelly attempted to close on her, she drew her legs up quickly, swiveled on her back shoved her legs out, driving her feet into Kelly’s midriff. The force of the blow drove Kelly back some feet before she was able to regroup, wincing at the pain in her belly.
Wendy got to her feet – slowly.
Malcolm half smiled. “The fight's taken a lot out of her.” I wondered whether he had expected his girlfriend’s buddy to win. He had seen her almost lose. If Elena hadn't been there to help, that big brunette Ashley would have squashed Wendy, that day at Wrigley Field, but Wendy had had way too much to drink and wasn’t fighting at anywhere near her best. Besides, she had taken Kim apart so well.
Elena had no such fears. She cheered Wendy on. “Go get her hun! You can take her!”
I glanced at Kim. She was still chain smoking. Several butts already littered the small table next to where she was sitting. She reached across Michael’s lap to hold his hand tightly. He wised up, knelt and wrapped his other hand around her shoulders.
Kelly returned to her earlier tactics – punches delivered at her full reach. They were even more effective than before. Wendy was tired, and wasn’t defending nearly as well. She hung in there grimly, dodged, deflected, ducked and weaved but the body blows had weakened her and the solid punches to her head had slowed her down.
Now Kelly calmly and methodically set about softening Wendy up with punches directed to her midsection. As Kelly lashed out time and again, more of her blows hit and they seemed to hit harder too. Each one that thudded home elicited a groan, a gasp and a step backwards. Wendy was pale, her eyes wide open. She knew, just like we all knew, that she was being thoroughly worked over.
Suddenly Wendy ducked almost into a crouch. As Kelly’s fist whistled harmlessly over her head, she sprang forward in a repeat of her earlier attack, driving her head into Kelly’s midriff. Kelly stumbled backwards. Wendy pressed hard again, her arms around the taller woman’s waist. She drove Kelly back and down, finally succeeding in toppling her opponent. The tall blonde landed on the floor with a thud. She tried to roll, but Wendy was too quick and managed to straddle her.
“Oh yeah! Yeah!” squealed Elena. “Do it babe! You can take her!” Holly looked at Elena with daggers in her eyes but said nothing. Her face was flushed, her breathing shallow.
Wendy tried to slap the bucking, twisting Kelly down. She didn’t succeed. Instead, as Wendy lunged at her, Kelly slammed both her fists into Wendy’s stomach.
I smiled to myself. That was just what my Kelly had done to that busty, voluptuous brunette – Jenn Peccavi – and it looked as if it was having precisely the same effect. Wendy’s eyes opened wide, as did her mouth and she let out a long, painful groan.
Kelly bucked even harder and Wendy struggled, swaying, but stayed on top. She tried to bounce her butt up and down, to crush air from Kelly’s lungs. Kelly countered and, swinging her legs up, pounded her knees into Wendy’s back as the smaller girl bounced upward. Less than a second later, Kelly rolled just enough to ensure that Wendy’s attempted bounce hit her ribs, not her stomach.
Wendy tried to drive Kelly down by seizing her shoulders. Kelly swung her legs out wide, then in again. I got a tantalizing glimpse of her shapely thighs and her black lace panties as she locked her ankles together in front of Wendy’s face. She pushed up, bracing herself on her elbows, heaved with her strong legs, then rocked hard using her hips as a fulcrum, up and down, then up again, forcing Wendy off her.
Kelly got to her feet. Wendy tried, but before she got any further than her knees, Kelly had seized her by the hair and dragged her up to her feet, screaming. Wendy’s fists drummed on Kelly’s sides as Kelly shook Wendy, left and right then left again, before hurling her back to the floor. As Wendy sprawled on her back, Kelly stomped on her tummy – twice. The first time elicited a pain-filled groan. The second time, Wendy’s feet kicked in breathless agony. Kelly dropped down, driving her knee into Wendy’s shattered stomach. She grabbed Wendy’s head again and slammed it into the thinly carpeted floor a few times.
“No…no more” Wendy begged, a not of desperation in her voice.
Kelly Rivers, showing much more magnanimity than my Kelly would have done, stood up and offered her hand to help the battered Wendy to her feet. Then she turned and hugged Holly before she went over to Kim. “Kim, you don't need to be afraid of her, you know!” Kim whispered something so softly I couldn’t hear.
Whatever it was, it made Kelly smile. She giggled and walked back to where Wendy stood, still gasping for breath. “So…I’m told you like trophies of your wins. You really are a bitch, aren’t you?” Her grin widened. “Sexy as all get out…” Malcolm and I exchanged meaningful glances at that, “…but still a bitch.” Her voice hardened. “Give me your top!”
There was a stunned silence finally broken by Malcolm. “You can’t be serious! This isn’t Wrigley Field….” He broke off, suddenly aware that he may have said too much.
Kelly Rivers turned around to him. “No…but what was good enough for the girls Wendy and your girl – ” she nodded at Elena “ – beat there, is good enough for Wendy, here and now.” She looked back at Wendy, who hadn’t moved, and slapped her face hard. Wendy staggered sideways and I thought she might go down again. “Now!”
Reluctantly, Wendy reached to her waist and peeled off her top. She wore a black lace bra underneath that barely contained her breasts as they rose and fell with each breath she took.
I knew there would be serious trouble if Vic saw Wendy in just her bra and skirt – not to mention the hell I’d get from my Kelly for allowing it to spoil the fundraiser. I walked over to Wendy. “I’ll take you home, hun.” She didn’t argue, just nodded. Her face was red and not only from the beating she’d just gotten. Her eyes glistened. I don’t think she trusted herself to speak. “Stay there for a moment. I’ll tell my Kelly where I’m going.”
I did so, as fast as I could. My Kelly was not amused. “I hope you took good photos,” she said in clipped tones. “Make sure you take that slut out the back door, and make sure as few people see her as possible. Don’t you
dare let Vic or Marjorie hear about this,” she added, confirming what I’d already thought.
When I got back to the store room, only Wendy, Elena and Malcolm were still there. Wendy was sitting down in the chair where Kim had sat earlier. “Come on, babe.”
She looked at me for a moment. “Kelly said she’d be back.”
“Oh?” I looked at Wendy thoughtfully. “Ok then…here’s what we’ll do.” I described the way past the kitchens to the loading dock. It was the spot where people were least likely to go. “It will be cold, hun. Wear my jacket.” I slipped it off and draped it over Wendy’s shoulders. “I’ll be waiting for you, as soon as I can get my car. It might take me ten or fifteen minutes though. Stay inside the building if you like. I’ll come in and get you.”
It took me all that time to get back through the throng – my Kelly had certainly excelled herself in the fundraiser, but cancer research was a good cause – and out to the parking lot. I had to drive around the block to get to the loading dock. The back door was usually left unlocked while the nearby kitchen was staffed – after all, there was nothing worth stealing until you passed by the kitchen. I pushed it open without any problem. .
As I entered the dimly hit hallway, I heard a low sigh, then a moan. Had Kelly Rivers come back as Wendy said, and given the already beaten Wendy even more punishment? She didn’t seem like the sadistic type. As my eyes accustomed to the gloom however, I saw Kelly Rivers, kneeling with her legs splayed wide. Then I saw why – they were astride Wendy’s face. Wendy was eating Kelly out. So that was why Kelly Rivers had wanted to come back to Wendy.
I turned away and let them have their privacy. Kelly deserved her spoils and I was quite content with the vision etched in my mind. I went outside, closed the door quietly and waited for five minutes before going in again. Kelly had gone. Wendy was on her feet now, waiting for me. Her face was flushed and shining as I took her out to the car. I supposed she hadn’t had much of a chance to clean herself.
As I opened the passenger side door, she looked into my eyes. I could see the need there, and I kissed her. She tasted of Kelly’s climax.
She broke the kiss and smiled ruefully. “It was you, wasn’t it? You came in before, when I was…and left quietly.” I nodded. “Thank you.” She kissed me again. It was longer and deeper than the first. When it ended, she added, “Vic would have just blundered in. You have more discretion.” She renewed the kiss. She slid her hand along my thigh.
“Wendy, I’d better get you home.”
Driving a horny Bethany home had been difficult enough. She had caressed my thigh, stroked my arm, and eventually so excited me that I had stopped the car at the roadside and we had fucked. Compared to Wendy though, that had been easy. The fight and the girl-on-girl sex had made Wendy much hornier than even that sexpot Bethany Beaverbrook, and the memory of Wendy licking Kelly had me hard as a rock, but it was too cold to stop and fuck.
When we got to her apartment, she said apologetically, “Peter, I don’t know but my…err…roommate Michelle may be home.” She looked at me for a moment as if deciding something. “Well, it wouldn’t be the first time either of us has had a man when the other’s been home.” She squeezed my thigh – well, not quite my thigh. “Come on up.”
As it happened, her roommate Michelle, a tall and very good-looking brunette – was there, but she was obviously no fool and was very discreet. She made me coffee while Wendy took a shower, then vanished into her own room – at least, she said it was her own room though I noticed, as my eyes followed her rather attractive butt through the doorway, that it seemed to have a sofa bed rather than a proper bed, while ‘Wendy’s room’ had a double bed. I mentally filed that information away.
When Wendy came out, she wasted no time. She took my hand and led me into ‘her’ room. As the door closed behind us, she dropped her towel. I grabbed her in my arms and took her against the wall without even getting undressed. “Thank you Peter! Thank you!” she gasped as she came, clinging tight to me, her legs wrapped tight around my waist, her nails digging into my back through my shirt.
I held there like that for a moment. She sobbed a little. Holding her with one hand, I stroked her hair gently with the other, trying to comfort her. “It’s nothing,” she murmured into my shoulder. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be like this, but it’s just…Vic treats me like I’m just here for a booty call…a fuck when he wants one and then…poof! He’s gone…back to his wife. Even…” she stifled another sob, “…even a girl like me wants to feel special now and then.” I felt her tears against my neck.
After I cuddled and calmed her, we made love. It wasn’t the intense, animal fucking that I’d had with Bethany. It wasn’t even the same hungry passion that Wendy and I had that first time against the wall. It was more like the comfortable sex that I loved with Kelly when we were just alone together and had had a warm session on the sofa before we moved into the bedroom.
We snoozed in each other’s arms. When we woke, we had sex again. Afterwards, as she lay with her head on my chest, she whispered, “Peter, it’s okay if you want to go. I know your Kelly will be waiting for you.” Again, Wendy showed more tact than I thought she possessed.
I got dressed and left discreetly. As Wendy predicted, Kelly was indeed waiting for me. She raised an eyebrow as soon as she saw the look on my face. “So, I guess it
was necessary after all.” She stepped up to me and straightened the collar of my shirt. That was unnecessary but it also wasn’t the point. Kelly was just reclaiming her man.
I grinned, knowing what she meant. “Yeah…in the larger scheme of things, it was. Well, you did tell me to fuck her if I had to.”
Her smiled matched mine. “Yes I did. Thank you.” It was my turn to raise an eyebrow. “You saved the fundraiser.” She kissed me lingeringly. “And now…after you take a shower…you can have your reward.”
As it turned out, I didn’t need to wait until after my shower. Kelly joined me there. Nevertheless, during and afterward, she was very, very rewarding.
Once again my thanks to my friends who help so much and a special thank you to my fellow Australian the original of "Kelly Rivers" 
