Cate was relaxing in her large apartment. Sitting curled up on her lounge wrapped in only a sleek kimono. She took a mouthful of her white wine when the buzzer to her apartment distracted her. She gets up to the kitchen and looks at the little screen with a guy standing there
“Hello Tom, cmon up.”
Tom was only in the door a few minutes when he took Cate into his arms and kissed her. He reached around and grabbed her cheeks lifting her slightly
Cate reached down “hmmmm someone’s got a big surprise for me”
“Yes… all day it’s been. What have you don’t to your ass. It’s so tight and have you been working out or something.”
“yes about a month” she was happy that someone noticed
“ohhhh baby, you ass is just going to bounce on me.”
Cate takes him into her bedroom
---
Cate waited in the gym for Jo but she wasn’t around. People were waiting for their class to start, so Cate headed off toward Jo’s office. She could hear growling and raised voices so she listened through the closed door
“Jo you knew this was going to happen at some point.”
“yeh well she didn’t have to flaunt it at me, making me feel like such a loser”
“Jo…. You need to stop doing this to yourself”
“Symon I don’t understand what I did wrong, she never gave me a reason why she dumped me” Jo thumped her desk and followed by hitting her clip board across the room in frustration. “I loved her Symon, I didn’t know what else to do and now she has someone else and I’m dying inside all over again.”
Symon picked up the clip board and put both hands on her shoulders “I’m going to tell you this because I care about you and I know it’s going to hurt but……. Joanne get the fuck over it will ya, move on, find someone else.”
“Symon….” She whines
“Hey I know you were in pain and I felt bad for you and still would if she left you a week ago or a month ago and maybe 6 months ago but it’s been 2 fucking years woman. This is probably her 10th girl friend since you. Now you need to find someone”
“I can’t, I’m not ready”
“yeh you can and yes you are. For god sake Jo get on with your life. I say all this with much love and a cherry on top”
“Who the fuck taught you encouragement techniques.”
“You did master” laughed Symon
“hmmmm you need to learn better my apprentice. Holy shit I’m late for my shift.” Jo was out the door in a hurry and down to the exercise room.
---
The class finished and everyone disappeared except Jo and Cate. They collected the mats and put them away.
“Thanks” all Jo said
“You are not your usual talkative self. Is there something wrong?”
Jo didn’t say anything
“Anything I can do.” Persisted Cate
“no…. I’m good”
Cate could sense pain and anguish from Jo. Her body hunched over.
Cate squeezed her arm “if you want someone to talk to, well you can”
“Give me some therapy” Jo wasn’t in the mood for Cate’s wooing
“no…. not therapy, just to talk. See you next week if I don’t hear from you sooner Jo”
---
Monday arrived and Jo moped around her small apartment. She had done her personal workout, her paperwork, payslips and now left to her thoughts. She picked up her mobile and grabbed a number off a registration form.
---
Cate was dressing when she heard her mobile ring. She reaches inside her bag and flips it
“bugger, wrong one” she races into the kitchen and grabs the other on the bench “ello Cate speaking”
There was a pause
“Hello, anyone there”
“yeh… It’s me Cate, it’s Jo.” Her voice quiet
“Hey I was just thinking about you, wondering how you are.”
“You still want to get that coffee, my treat”
Cate walked into her bathroom and put on her makeup “sure I would love to, say 11am. We could then grab something to eat.” Jo didn’t argue and they arranged to meet at a cafe
---
Jo sat outside the coffee shop watching people walk on by. Her leg tapping the ground out of agitation. She shifted forward then slowly got to her feet on seeing Cate
Jo through her sunglasses was able to check Cate out, without being noticed. Her tight top looked like the buttons were going to pop, and hip hugging skirt would spell trouble if she had to bend down and pick something up. Jo remembered to breathe as Cate walked up
“Hello, I’m so glad you called” spoke Cate
Jo sat down and a waiter came over. Cate got the feeling that Jo felt uncomfortable because of her one worded answers. They ordered drinks and light lunch
Cate took off her sunglasses and putting them in her handbag. She then leaned across, her cleavage in full view of Jo and took her glasses off and put them in Jo’s top pocket.
“That’s better, I can see your eyes”
“Why”
“Because the eyes are the windows to the soul. They say more than the person lets on, they let you know when the person is lying and sometimes they just say make it go away.”
Jo listened but didn’t make eye contact. Her eyes were glistening and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat
“tell me about it?” Cate asked sincerely
“About what, I don’t know what you mean. I’m just in a bit of a rut. I get like that.”
“Tell me about the girl that broke your heart.” Pushed Cate
Cate thought Jo was going to burst into tears, which was stopped when the waiter brought their drinks and meal
“So this really is you giving me therapy eh?”
Cate grinned “not exactly, let’s just talk, you talk I’ll and I’ll listen.”
“I was with Linda about 5 years. 3 years were great, then the last two years things fell apart. I don’t know why. I tried to make her happy and it always ended up me making her angry. I loved her with all my heart. One day she said it’s over, just like that, just as if saying good morning, bang it’s over. She gave me no reason and packed her bags and left me.” Jo paused
“Go on Jo, I’m sure there is more”
“That was nearly 2 years ago and Symon. He’s my cousin and works at the gym, you seen him tall and”
“Jo…. You’ve gone off the track honey” she points at her with her fork
“oh… yeh two years ago and then….” Jo bit her lip trying to fight the tears unsuccessfully “Friday night she was at the club. There is like 20 friggin dance clubs and she goes to that one. She hates dance music, but she did it just to rub it in my fucking face. She is so happy she told me. The happiest anyone has made her feel in for a long time.”
Jo wipes her eyes
“Hmmmm what did you do?” Cate munching on her salad
“I left, I couldn’t stand it. She made me so angry that she could still hurt me. I had to leave before I belted her.”
“You should have”
“What…”
“You should have belted her. Ok you would probably get thrown out and banned from the club, but that leaves 19 other dance clubs right.” Cate said seriously
“You are kidding me, you telling me I should have belted Linda.” Jo scoffed in disbelief of Cate's remark
“yeh I would have, then I would sleep with her girl-friend and bragged about it with my friends. I mean if my girlfriend cheated on me, that’s what I would do.”
“How did you know? I never said”
“When you stay hurt this long, it’s usually because you have been cheated on and was the last to know.”
Jo tried not to smirk and Cate caught it “what… hey those are just my thoughts”
“Just something I didn’t expect to hear.”
“Well what do you want, someone to rub your back and tell you everything is going to be ok. You know it will be, it’s just when you are ready and it be on your terms.”
Jo takes a deep breath and sits up smiling, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted
“Now that’s something I have not seen all week and have missed” she smiled back
---
They argued over who was going to pay so Jo turned to Cate “you know maybe I should belt you, just to get my own way.”
The café crowd hushed and eyes on her. Jo blushed “I was kidding”
Cate grabbed money from Jo and gave it to the waiter and dragged Jo from the café both laughing.
“Thanks Cate, I must say I do feel a lot better.”
“Oh session not over yet.”
“What…. “
“hmmm time for retail therapy, for me anyway. Come on I’m taking you with me”
Jo groaned “I hate shopping”
“God you can be such a boy sometimes” she grabs Jo’s arm and drags her towards the shopping district. They walked into a small boutique, one which Jo was sure you needed to book ahead just to get in the door.
Jo looked in one of the dozen mirrors at her shabby appearance feeling very inadequate and when she saw that this boutique was selling lingerie only, wanted to run out the door.
Jo was offered a drink and a chair while Cate browsed racks for the latest. Other women were browsing and wandering out in just their underwear. It didn’t matter where Jo looked she was hit with breasts and bums.
“What do you think? Jo.. honey…. Over here, and focus on me” she yelled from a little way across the room
Jo slowly looked over to see Cate dressed in only blood red lace strap bra and red panties. “This is from the Intimate Attitudes range. It’s all the fashion this year”
“ohhhhh k nice” Jo then looks away
“Jo…. Please say this is more than nice”
“yeh its very very nice, red is your colour” breathed out Jo, not looking anywhere except to the floor
Cate was cruel but enjoying Jo’s uneasiness. She found it entertaining and cute. Cate knew though she needed to be careful or she won’t have a choice but to buy the whole range if she gets them wet.
Jo drank her drink and looked around nervously. She looked up at the counter and the woman behind the counter smiled. Jo nodded and smiled back wanting to escape. She was distracted by someone in front.
Jo jumped up “oh wow” her eyes not diverting from Cate’s body
“yeh I really like this, 3 piece set, comes with buckles.”
Jo was speechless as she looked over the plaid crop top with stretch fishnet sleeves, waist cincher with buckle front. Shoulder straps and mini, fishnet skirt and hanging buckles.
Cate tried not to laugh when she heard Jo give off a small whimper.
Cate disappeared back inot the changeroom, leaving Jo shifting uncomfortably, aware that more was going on in her body than she liked to think about. Her eyes remained fixed on the change room waiting for Cate and she wasn’t disappointed
Cate walked out in a light mesh, lace cami and shorts, colour black. Jo could see pretty much through the cami and the shorts left not much to the imagination.
“Jo… honey take a breath” laughed Cate
“I like black” was all she could get out.
Cate smiled “excellent, I’ll get it then”
Jo blushed at each item she was handed and then her having to hand it onto the shop assistant.
“Ok that comes to a totally of $900.00”
“You’re fucking kidding”
The shop assistant looked at Jo with a scowl
“Jo….. not in public honey”
Jo blushed, not from cursing but the way honey kept rolling off Cate’s tongue.
Cate leaned in to the shop assistant whispering “You want to see something funny, ready.”
She nodded
“Jo… honey let’s now get you fitted for some lingerie.”
Cate and the shop assistant laughed hard as they watched Jo at high speed left the shop. If she had a tail it would have been between her legs.
---
Jo waited anxiously outside when Cate came out with her bags “here carry these you big sooky baby”
“Look that underwear..”
“Lingerie, Jo…. Not just panties and bras here, or boxers which you probably wear”
Jo eyes narrowed “I do not wear boxers”
“Is that right, ok then show me” Cate winked
Jo pulled a face “so can I go now”
“No…. I need shoes”
Jo groaned loudly
She watched Cate try on shoes and couldn’t get over the size and height of the heels
She holds one up “You actually walk in these, they look so uncomfortable”
“Yes if you wear them for long periods, but they do make my legs look long and sexy. This and my new lingerie would look fabulous together.”
Jo nodded “uh huh” walks around uninterested in anything in the shop
“One last stop, some new dresses.”
“Therapy must pay well, not that I’m prying but $900 on fancy underwear, $300 shoes.”
“There are a lot of unhappy people out there Jo that needs my help. I do this, dress like that for them”
Jo shook her head “I don’t believe you, cmon my arms are getting tired.”
“Oh my god you are the fittest, strongest woman, who beat up a guy, be that he was extremely drunk and unsteady on his feet.”
“Cate” warned Jo playfully
“You carry a few bags and you are tired.”
Jo whimpered playfully “but I’ve had such an emotional day” pretends to sniffle
“You sit and wait. I want to try them on. I want your honest opinion”
“Fine.”
Jo leaned against the arm of the chair and watched each one out screwing her nose up and shaking her head.
“cmon, this one is fantastic” Cate twirls around
“Yeh its says pick me up and fuck me in the nearest back alley” laughs Jo
“Are you offering?” flirts Cate
Jo was getting into the swing of Cate “only if you wear those black, high heels”
Cate walks over slowly and leans down giving Jo clear view of what was down her dress. “Is there anything else”
“Yeh that black little cami, that….” Jo stopped when she noticed people were watching them flirt
Cate rubbed her hair “you really liked that set didn’t you.”
Jo was talking on her mobile when Cate came out again
“I have to call you back.” Jo hung up “oh my god.” Jo stands and goes over to Cate standing in the door way
She was wearing a sleek, black dress that just covered her behind. It was shimmering under the light. When Jo got behind her, did up the zipper allowing the dress to mould to Cate’s body
Cate pushed her hair behind her ears enjoying Jo circling her
“That is some terrific work”
“The dress” queries Cate
“No, my work out regime for you has really tighten up your behind and thighs.”
“Joanne McFarlane you little skank.” Cate was taken by surprise when Jo lightly taps her on the backside.
“I’ve done great work” Jo boasts “now as for the dress, I don’t think any other woman could wear it like you Cate. That is the dress for you.”
“This dress doesn’t say take me out back and fuck me against the wall”
“no…. it does not” Jo remained close “It’s lovely.”
---
Cate and Jo caught a taxi back to Cate’s apartment where the doorman opened up. Oh Ms
“No Donald, I’m fine” she glared and he closed his mouth
The apartment block was 13 storey, but Cate got out at nine and opened her door. Jo walked in and was gob smacked
“I want your job. I want to give therapy to people. What does it take to get trained?”
Cate laughed and took the parcels from Jo and left that comment alone. Jo looked out the huge floor to ceiling windows one whole wall. It over looked that side of the city, with only a few other high rise apartments in the way.
Jo admired the huge plasma TV set and home entertainment. Something she had always wanted but could never afford. She walked around the large sofa and into the kitchen feeling the cool marble bench top.
“Shit… shit fuck” came cry from Cate’s room
Jo followed the sound and peered in “is everything ok”
Cate came out almost collecting Jo in her mad dash “I’m sorry Jo, I have clients on their way and I really need to see you off.”
“oh that’s ok”
“I had a great time” Cate ushering Jo to the door
“umm sure, bye”
Jo felt the door close behind her. She took the lift down to the ground when an older couple got in. Jo acknowledges and wondered if they were on their way to see Cate