slipped her hand between her legs and rubbed her clit until she came.
She spent the second week in the Adirondacks with her three rambunctious boys and her parents. They had a wonderful time together, swimming, horseback riding, playing softball and frisbee, and eating everything in sight, while blaming their astounding appetites on the mountain air. And every man she encountered became the center of a fantasy in which she was a paid courtesan. Carla spent the entire vacation in a state of frustrated sexual excitement.
More than once she looked at her three high-spirited sons and thought about their future. All three were exceptionally bright and all would be able to select from the best colleges. The question was would she be able to afford it. There was money set aside, but would it be enough? Or was money merely an excuse to do what excited and intrigued her? What did it matter? She had made up her mind and she knew it.
Trying not to lie too much, she talked to her mother one evening about the possibility of spending more time with her grandchildren. “I’ve spoken about my old college roommate Ronnie,” she told her mother one evening over coffee after their return to Bronxville.
“How in the world did you find Ronnie?”
“I literally ran into her.” Carla told her mother the story of her accidental encounter with her old friend, reassuring her that the medical scare had been really nothing.
“And how is Ronnie?” Mrs. MacKensie asked. “I remember the vacation she spent with us. She was such a lovely girl.”
“She’s hardly a girl now,” Carla said. “She’s married and she owns her own business.”
“Your father and I were always sure she’d go far. She seemed like such an intelligent girl.”
Carla smiled to herself. “I wanted to talk to you about that. She wants me to join her business part-time. It’ll mean extra money and I could use it for the boys’ college fund. The costs are getting astronomical.” From upstairs, she could hear the laughter that always accompanied her father’s efforts to settle the boys in bed.
“What kind of business?”
“It’s a service business of some kind. Public relations. I don’t know many of the details but it will involve entertaining clients in the city some evenings.”
“That’s wonderful, dear,” her mother said. “You need some other interests in your life besides your sons.”
“It would mean that you would have to stay with the boys more often. A few nights a week and occasional weekends.”
“Weekends? How come? Not that I mind, you understand.”
“God only knows,” she answered, “but Ronnie warned me about some out-of-town stuff. I don’t know how often, but from time to time.”
“That’s great,” Mrs. MacKensie said, laughing. “Force me to spend time with the boys. Twist my arm.”
Carla laughed as she always did with her mother. “Thanks, Mom.”
“And maybe you’ll meet someone nice at one of those meetings. Maybe your friend Ronnie knows a nice man for you.”
Carla laughed harder. “Mother, please.” When her mother raised an eyebrow, Carla said, “Okay. Maybe she does. I’ll keep my eyes open.”
“And if a date keeps you in the city, like overnight….” She winked. “Just give me a call and I’ll see to the boys.”
An early September heat wave baked New York City and the humidity that hung over the metropolis caused Carla’s short-sleeved rayon blouse to stick to her back. She walked up the brownstone’s front steps and rang Ronnie’s bell. “Come on in,” Ronnie called from inside. “It’s open.”
Carla walked into the foyer and heard, “Lock it behind you, will you? Then come into the kitchen.”
“Sure,” Carla called, throwing the dead bolt.
Carla walked to the back of the building and into the large, airy kitchen. Ronnie already had lunch laid out on the table: a green salad, a bowl of crab salad, and a cold pasta with basil. Crisp rolls nestled in a napkin-covered basket and a bottle of white wine stood opened beside two crystal glasses.
“Oh, Carla,” Ronnie said, hugging her friend, “I’ve missed you.”
“Me too. How was Disney World?”
“Sensational. The rides were a thrill, the lines were short, and the siestas were…athletic.” She picked up a small package wrapped in silver paper. “I hope you don’t mind, but I bought you a present.”
“A present? I didn’t think to get you anything, I’m afraid.”
“I didn’t expect that you had,” Ronnie said. “But I saw this and couldn’t resist.”
Carla tore off the paper and opened the small box. Inside was a pewter figurine of a dragon with his wings spread, his head thrown back as if roaring. He perched on a faceted crystal globe, his talons buried in the transparent ball.
Ronnie watched Carla lift the four-inch-high dragon so that the light turned into rainbows within the crystal. “The dragon is for fantasy,” Ronnie said. “And for dreams that can be made to come true.”
“You know that I’ve decided to join you in your business, don’t you?”
“I knew a month ago when I watched your eyes light up. Actually, I probably knew when we met again that first afternoon. After all, we were roommates for three years and I knew you very well then.” She poured wine into the two glasses and raised hers in toast. “To fantasy. And to making fantasies come true for everyone involved.”
“To fantasy,” Carla said, sipping the crisp white wine.
Over lunch Carla told Ronnie about her week with her boys and her parents. “How are your folks?” Ronnie asked. “I’ve always loved your mother. And your dad’s a stitch.”
“They were always fond of you too. They asked to be remembered to you and want you to come up for dinner sometime.”
“I’ll do that.”
“And how was the cruise?”
“I’d rather tell you about the entire week some other time,” she said. “It’s a little early in your education for that story.”
“Was it that shocking?”
“Not for me. Trust me for a few weeks,” Ronnie asked and Carla demurred.
After lunch, Ronnie said “I think it’s time for you to have a look around upstairs.”
Ronnie and Carla put the dishes in the dishwasher, then climbed the lushly carpeted stairs to the master bedroom. It was softer and more romantic than the downstairs, done in pastel pinks and warm, spring greens. The lounge chair was upholstered in a pink-and-green floral with green piping to match the bedspread and drapes. The oriental carpet contained the same shades of green, and together with half a dozen plants, gave the entire room a warm and comfortable aura. “I entertain in here when romance is
