Secret Society

by Robin Roseau

  "I'd like that, Kiki. Thank you."

  "Great. Six."

  "I'll be there. And Kiki?"

  "You're welcome."

  * * * *

  Over the next three weeks, I continued to work my tail off. I completed the project for Hankins Marketing, submitting the largest invoice I'd ever written. Mary Ellen thanked me for my work and promised me there would be more. "But don't just wait for us."

  I served on every committee on which I was invited, taking whatever tasks were assigned, and completing them with my usual care and vigor. I paid nearly all my service hours, and the remaining several people hadn't invited me to do so. I called Mrs. Grafton about that. I didn't complain, not exactly, but it was darned close.

  "They aren't even taking my calls. Did I do something wrong?"

  "Other than attempt to hound them? No."

  "What are the chances we'll go another month without a vote?"

  "Zero, as several women have called for one."

  "These women are holding out on me!"

  "Ms. Todd, even if you finish your hours, you aren't guaranteed blue marbles, you know."

  "Then it won't hurt them to let me finish."

  "Maybe they are waiting until they need something from you."

  "But-"

  "Ms. Todd, your initiation ends when you receive four or fewer red marbles. How many women do you still owe?"

  "Four."

  "Then you are, perhaps, safe."

  "Someone can still give me a red marble just because she wants to. You, for instance."

  "This is true. I have not participated in one of your hazings. How many women are now obligated to offer blue marbles?"

  "Fifteen. But that leaves potentially ten red marbles."

  "So it does," she said. "Nervous?"

  "Yes. And what is Mrs. Franklin waiting for?"

  Mrs. Grafton laughed. "You could try asking her that, but I don't recommend it."

  "I don't want another ten red marbles."

  "What are you going to do about that?"

  "I invited hazing from both Ms. Roman and Ms. Mayer, but they turned me down."

  "They are two of the women who you owe time to."

  "I asked to pay their time, but they said they'd get back to me. They haven't."

  "Quite so."

  "I'm not promised a blue marble from you," I pointed out. "But I've paid you your time."

  "You have, and you are correct. You are not so promised."

  "Mrs. Grafton, if I were to invite a hazing, could I expect to wait as long as I've waited for Mrs. Franklin?"

  "Perhaps you should make such an invitation, and then invite me to discuss it in person, tomorrow at one. I will have a complete answer before I depart."

  "Mrs. Grafton, would you care to haze me?"

  "I would be delighted. I will see you tomorrow afternoon. One PM. I'll bring a little dessert as an after lunch treat, if you will have tea waiting."

  "Of course."

  * * * *

  Mrs. Grafton was, of course, quite prompt, passing through my front gate precisely at one. I had tea ready in the parlor. I took her coat, kissed her cheek, and offered my arm. She handed me a small tin. "Our snack." Then she took my arm, and we traveled to the parlor. I saw her to a seat and she frowned.

  "I am not so old as that, young lady."

  "It pleases me," I said.

  "Treat me like an old lady in front of anyone else, and I'll have your garters for breakfast."

  I cocked my head. "I'm not sure I know what that means, but I will amend my behavior." I sat, poured tea, and opened the little tin. Inside was a plate of brownies, delicately dusted with powdered sugar.

  "Tell me, Dear," she said, even before I could take one of the brownies. "Do you have any commitments that take you from your home in the next day or two?"

  "None currently."

  "Excellent," she replied. "Have a brownie."

  I had plates waiting, but when I tried to serve her one, she declined. "I wish I could. I do love chocolate, but I can only take one a day or it sits poorly. It's such a pity. But I sampled while I made those. You go ahead."

  "I can get something else."

  "No, no," she insisted. "The tea is lovely." She sipped and watched me, gesturing for me to enjoy one of the brownies. "Please. I'll be offended."

  "Of course." I took my dish then complimented her.

  "How do you feel you are fitting in? You have made some new friends."

  "I have," I said. "In unexpected ways."

  She leaned forward. "How is it that you called Ms. Pearce concerning your little scare upon discovering an intruder in your home?"

  I blushed, and she grinned, then she laughed. "She finally got one of the initiates to spend the night." She slapped her thigh. "That old broad."

  "She's not an old broad," I said, then finished the last bit of my brownie. "This was lovely. Thank you."

  "You can't eat just one," she said. "Go ahead. I tried a new recipe."

  "Why do you make them if you can barely eat them?"

  "Great-grandchildren. Claudine has an older brother, and he has two boys. They eat their great-grandmother out of house and home."

  "I imagine."

  "Please," she said. "Eat the brownie and tell me about dear Opal."

  I took the brownie, ate a bite, then said, "I'm not that sort."

  "What sort is that?"

  "To talk about whatever it is Opal and I may have done."

  She laughed again. "I have a pretty good idea what it is you and Opal may have done."

  "I am glad you have a healthy imagination."

  She sobered. "Dear, I am going to ask two questions, and you are going to answer them."

  "We'll see."

  "We'll see, indeed. I must ask. Did she pressure you?"

  "To go home with her? Absolutely not. She was exceedingly clear. My obligation ended when we drove through the gates."

  "She may not be old, but she is much older than you are."

  "And yet, I was a fully willing participant in everything that happened."

  "I do not believe that is quite an accurate way to put it."

  "I won't comment," I said. I finished the second brownie but declined a third. "Maybe with ice cream tonight."

  "Perhaps," she agreed. "I must know, Ms. Todd."

  "There is no scandal," I said, "Unless you are scandalized at the thought of her and me together at all."

  "Then there is no scandal," she said. "Good. I didn't think so, but I wished to be sure. And then my second question. How did you leave things?"

  "Are we now a couple?"

  "However you wish to say it, yes."

  "Neither of us is looking for commitment. We both had a nice time. There will be future nice times. Perhaps not often."

  She smiled and leaned back in her seat. "Good. That is good, if you feel it is good."

  "I was a little put off by some miscommunication, but it was resolved. Yes, I feel it is very good."

  "Then I am happy for you." She smiled again. "And perhaps happy it is only an occasional occurrence. There are others who wish your attention."

  "You?"

  She laughed uproariously at that.

  At that point, my innards gurgled.

  "Oh, I'm so sorry," I said. "I think..."

  "Go ahead. I'll be here when you get back."

  I ran for the bathroom.

  * * * *

  I was in there for a while. When I returned, Mrs. Grafton appeared to be waiting patiently. She smiled when I came in.

  "Are you all right, dear?"

  "I'm sorry about that."

  "Don't be silly." She gestured to my seat. "Let us discuss the timing of your hazing."

  "All right." I took my seat and picked up my tea. She had warmed it, and it smelled good. I sipped and waited.

  "Kiki Furman is a lovely girl."

  "She is." I wasn't sure where this was going.

  "She helped me with a little something."
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  "Oh?"

  "I understand you are familiar with the little presents she left in your bedroom during her visit two weeks ago."

  "Ah. Yes. She hasn't told me how to access the video yet."

  "She told me where she obtained those little presents, and she explained how to use them."

  "All right," I said slowly.

  "She taught me how to hide them."

  I said nothing, but I didn't like where this was going.

  "It is possible you will discover my little presents. I left several. If you discover them, you will leave them where they are. Am I clear?"

  "Yes, Mrs. Grafton."

  "When they have stopped amusing me, I will send you a map. You will recover my property and return it to me. One never knows when one will need such devices."

  "Do we know when this might be?"

  "Oh, a day, maybe three," she said. She stood up. I stood with her. "You probably shouldn't eat any more brownies today, but it would amuse me to no end if you ate the rest in a few days."

  I looked down at the tin. I looked up at her. "What did you do?"

  "I'm sure you can guess." She smiled again. "Some of these hazings amuse me more than others. Oh, they nearly all amuse me, but I particularly like it when the victim walks into her tormenter's arms, like you did into Claudine's. Or when the victim unknowingly consumes her own doom." She reached forward and patted my arm. "I'll see myself out."

  She was halfway to the parlor door before I called out. "Mrs. Grafton."

  She turned to face me.

  "I would have expected something more..."

  "Mature?"

  "Yes, something more mature from you. This seems beneath you."

  "It's quite juvenile," she admitted. "I have never done this to someone, but I once had it done to me." She smiled again. "This is quite fitting, the world coming, well, perhaps not in a circle, but in a helix, if you can imagine."

  "My grandmother?" I asked, surprised.

  "She had the excuse of youth. I only have the excuse of lost youth. Enjoy the next day or so. I recommend lots of replenishing liquids, but I wouldn't bother with solid foods for a day or two."

  She turned to leave, but at the door she turned around. "Ms. Todd?"

  I sighed, still watching her.

  "I would have stopped you if you had commitments."

  I nodded.

  * * * *

  I found one of her cameras. She sent me a map for the others. She'd visited the hallway outside each bathroom, and so the video showed my frequent, hurried trips to the bathroom.

  I included my thank you note when I returned the cameras, along with the tin, still holding the remaining two brownies. If she gave them to anyone else, I wouldn't have known.

  * * * *

  I received official notice there would be a vote on my status. I wasn't surprised. No one else I asked would agree to haze me prior to the vote, although I didn't ask everyone I could.

  I didn't ask Sylvia. I wasn't up to whatever she would concoct. Claudine called me and asked about it.

  "I'm just over Mrs. Grafton's little gift," I said.

  "She's sort of upset."

  "Tell her I'm waiting until I can handle whatever she's got. I've been a little raw."

  "In other words, feed her ego."

  "Yes."

  Claudine laughed. "All right."

  * * * *

  The meeting was in the home of Judge Wren. I hadn't seen the judge since she'd helped to haze me, and while I'd sent thank you notes, I was still feeling raw about it. Not bitter, but like I'd been scrubbed out from the inside. I called Kiki. "Will you be my date on Saturday?"

  She laughed. "Sure. But when you kiss me goodnight, no tongue." Then she sobered. "What's wrong?"

  "It's at Judge Wren's. I haven't seen any of that group since..."

  "Right. Are you angry?"

  "No, just, I don't know."

  "I think I understand. I need to ask. Is this a date-date, or a friend-date?"

  "Friend-date."

  "So no goodnight kiss?"

  "I can't tell if you're serious."

  "I want flirting."

  I laughed. "I still can't tell if you're serious."

  "I'm not. Do you want me to pick you up?"

  "She's right next door. I can walk."

  "In heels in the winter?"

  "Maybe you should get me."

  "Friend-date?"

  "Yeah."

  "Then we should all go together, the six of us."

  "You and Claudine settle me. Liah was in on it, though."

  "You were fine with her last time we got together."

  "I didn't actually talk to her."

  She paused. "You have to get over this."

  "I will. I just need... I don't know."

  "A little time and maybe a little kindness from them."

  "Yeah. Please, Kiki."

  "I'll pick you up. Dress to impress, and maybe I'll allow tongue when I drop you off, but only if you let me grope your ass all night."

  I laughed, and we clicked off. I still wasn't sure if she was serious.

  * * * *

  Saturday arrived. I picked the third of Grandmother Cadence's dresses to wear. After I'd enjoyed the first one, I had gone through her entire wardrobe, picking a dozen different dresses I liked. She had so many. But I'd picked a dozen then had six of them altered for me. I'd do the other six the next time I brought some in.

  This one was dark purple, shimmery, and form fitting. I couldn't imagine my grandmother in it, but I loved it.

  Apparently, Kiki did, too. She looked at least as stunning as I thought I did, her gown hunter green with lace in all the good places, and she had the figure to support it.

  "Oh, everyone is going to be jealous tonight!" she declared. "I am so getting some! I saw you eyeing my décolletage."

  "It wasn't your décolletage I was eyeing," I said. "And I wasn't just eyeing. I was leering. Surely you can tell the difference." I gestured. "Now turn around so I can openly gape at your fine ass."

  She laughed. "You sounded so reluctant on the phone. This is more like it." And she turned around, giving me a great view of her backside. "Do you like it?"

  "Quite a lot."

  "Are you thinking of touching it?"

  "Oh yes."

  "You can touch," she said. "If I can touch yours."

  I laughed and didn't accept her offer. She turned around and pouted. "And so fickle, from openly gaping to shy."

  "I still can't tell if you're serious."

  "That's probably because I can't, either."

  "Excuse me?"

  "Thirty isn't that far away. I'm afraid I don't have it anymore."

  "Oh, believe me, you definitely have it."

  "And yet, you don't put your hands where your mouth is."

  I advanced on her, and she didn't retreat. I found myself with my hands on her hips, staring into her eyes. "You're a beautiful woman, and you know it. But you don't have a gay bone in your body."

  "I might," she said. "Somewhere. How will I know if you don't go looking for it? It's not like I'd be able to find it. I don't know what gay bones look like. But you do."

  "Goof." I hugged her, intending to be brief about it, but she wrapped her own arms around me and held tightly.

  "Hey," I said. "Are you all right?"

  "I turn 30 next week, Blythe. I've never been in love. The guys I meet bore me. And they look at me like you just did, but that's the only way they look at me."

  What was with straight women throwing themselves into my arms lately?

  Then she pushed away, but only far enough to look at me. "You find me attractive, don't you?"

  "Kiki. You're stunning, absolutely stunning. Surely you know that."

  "I guess. Physically. But attraction is more than physical." She held me tight. "I'm not saying I want to start dating. I'm just scared."

  I wrapped my arms fully around her, and we stood there in my foyer, hugging tightly. "I get tha
t way, too. You're far more attractive than I am."

  "That's not true."

  "It is, and don't be coy and pretend otherwise. I know how you feel. That's all I'm saying."

  "Have you been in love?"

  "Twice, once in college, once shortly after I moved to Portland."

  "What happened there?"

  "Love and lust are great, but she was a slob, and I just couldn't stand living with her. We fought about it, and finally we fought one too many times."

  "I'm sorry." She kissed my cheek. "I'm not a slob."

  "No, but you're straight."

  "So you won't help me look for those gay bones? I know I have some somewhere."

  This time I pushed away, but I kept my hands on her hips. "Close your eyes." She obeyed. "I want you to think about your lover."

  She opened her eyes. "There's more to love than sex."

  "But sex is a part of it."

  "Fine," she said. She closed her eyes. "My lover."

  "Your lover is touching you," I said. "Caressing your face." I caressed her face, and her breath caught, her lips parting slightly. "Your lover is pressing you backwards, onto the bed, and climbing on top of you. You're both already naked, having showered together."

  "Blythe," she whispered.

  "Your lover is atop you, touching you, stroking you. You reach up, and your hand finds your lover's chest. Is it smooth or is there fur?"

  "Smooth," she whispered.

  "Your hand moves around." I took her hand and pressed it to the center of my chest, then moved it around a little. She'd feel the dress, but it was what I could do.

  "Blythe," she whispered again.

  "Your hand comes to the side. Do you find firm, powerful muscles, or a breast?"

  Her eyes snapped open. "God damn it!" she said. But she put her arms around me and held me tightly. "I still want you to flirt with me though."

  "Will you flirt back?"

  "Yeah." She sighed. "But I guess it's only flirting."

  "It's best you're straight, anyway."

  "You don't want me?"

  "If we had just discovered you were gay, I'm not sure we'd make the meeting."

  She began laughing. "Is someone a little horny?"

  "I'm pretty sure two someone's are more than a little horny, and I'm also fairly sure if I poured a little liquor into you, I'd find one or two gay bones, but only one or two."

  "Probably. You do feel good." Then, slowly, we parted. "Does this happen a lot to lesbians?"

  "Straight women coming on to us? It happens. For me, not often. It's flattering when it does, but I usually figure they're just curious. I think that's natural, for people with an open mind, anyway."