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KathyStark3
The following is a work of fiction regarding sexual relationships. If you
feel that it is illegal, immoral, or otherwise improper for you to read
this, then *Don't Read It.*
* * *
*Kathy*
Copyright (c) 1991, 1998, 2001 by Morgan. All rights reserved.
Please note the original copyright date. This was basically
written ten years ago and was originally posted in 1988. As a result, you
will likely find obsolete references. I'm afraid you'll just have to live
with it; it's too tedious trying to keep up with the latest and greatest.
It was previously posted on ASSM in 1998, but not since then.
Incidentally, you will find occasional entries, _word_. The reason for
this is that MS Word's Auto Format function puts a word preceded and
followed by an underscore in italics; that's my intent. Similarly, *word*
results in the word appearing in bold face. If you use Word's Auto Format,
it will take care of things; if you don't, you at least know why it's
there.
More of my works are posted on my site <www.asstr.org/~Morgan> If you
like it -- or if you don't -- please let me know at morg105829@aol.com.
* * *
*Book III*
*Chapter 18*
Kathy was waiting for Ken Stark when he saluted the quarterdeck and left
his ship. Something was wrong. Then she knew what it was. He had no
luggage, not even a small bag for a and toiletries, but he had a
newspaper folded under his arm. Ken opened the car door and got in. He
intended just to give Kathy a peck of a kiss, but when his lips touched
hers he tasted the sweetness and fire... and heard those damned bells. He
was pissed and he was going to really tell her off tonight. He reluctantly
ended the kiss, sat back in his seat and stared straight ahead. Kathy put
the car in gear and rolled off in the direction of Virginia Beach.
The ride to her apartment was silent. _Uh oh, he's pissed! Am I going
to get it tonight,_ she thought. She shivered involuntarily as she
remembered the spanking he had given her after the freezing-pool episode.
Her loins were getting hot now that she was close to him. _God,_ she
thought, _how I love this guy... and I've only known him for three days._
Kathy was wearing the same Levi's she had on in the morning along with her
Yale sweatshirt.
They went into the apartment and Kathy led the way back to the library.
She motioned for him to sit down while she prepared drinks for both of
them. "I think this is a martini night, Ken," she said softly. "Will you
join me?" He nodded and she made the drinks and joined him on the sofa.
She offered him a cigarette which he accepted. She took one and he lighted
them both.
Then he sipped his martini... and got madder. He didn't want the
martini to be perfect, exactly the way he liked it, but it was. He was not
surprised. But the time had come. He turned to face her. "Kathy Smith,
you lied to me! You deceived me! You tricked me! You... you..." he
yelled.
Kathy was hurt, but she knew what he was referring to. She responded
softly, "I'm sorry, Ken. I certainly didn't mean to lie to you."
Ken looked at the and was baffled. _How, in the name of God,_ he
thought, _can you stay mad at a who looks like an angel? Who responds
to his yelling in a soft voice? Who seems to be apologizing to him for...
for what?_ What had she done, anyway? He realized that his anger had
evaporated like a puff of smoke. He looked at her serious face just
looking at him waiting for him to continue. She was expecting and prepared
to accept punishment for... for nothing. He smiled at her and watched as
she blossomed under his smile. _God, she's beautiful!_ he thought. Aloud,
he said softly, "Will you give me a kiss?"
She leaped across the sofa and into his arms. She kissed him lovingly
and lingeringly. It was soft... warm... and almost worshipful. He heard
the bells. He looked into her eyes and saw a wonderful warmth and love.
_For me... Kathy really loves me!_ He let her go, and straightened her
body parallel to his. They had their long legs resting on the cocktail
table.
She rested her head on his shoulder and snuggled. She whispered, "Ken,
let's neck."
"Could we talk first, hon? I feel like such an idiot, jumping on you
like that. But darling, it's been such a wild day. My phone's been
ringing off the hook! A guy I went to school with saw us together on
Saturday night and called. I didn't notice him, but he saw us. I asked
him why in hell he didn't come over, and he said -- in a hushed and
reverent tone, for God's sake, 'But you were with Kathy Smith!' I thought
he had lost his mind.
"Then I did something I never do: I looked at a newspaper. What do I
find? A major news feature on Kathy Smith and her sudden resignation as
Assistant District Attorney. It had a full biographic background: summa
cum laude from Yale with a Phi Beta Kappa key, summa again from University
of Virginia Law School graduating number one. How you turned down
megabucks to be an assistant DA. It reviewed your one-year career in
detail.
"Then my called. He asked me to apologize to you for not
recognizing you at the club. Nice guy, my father! He says it was because
he couldn't believe I could move so far up in class. He says you are the
kind of that every son should bring home... and leave with his
father. What a lecher!"
Ken grinned, and Kathy said with mock thoughtfulness, "I like your
father! He shows discerning judgment and good taste. No wonder he has
four stars!"
She grinned and Ken continued, "Do me a favor? Bring me your purse."
Kathy hopped up, got the purse, and handed it to him. He opened it, drew
the LadySmith, and looked at it carefully. "So this is it. It saved a lot
of lives." He looked at her and held out his arms. "Come here, doll."
Kathy looked at him fondly but didn't move. "Ken, play a game with me?"
He looked puzzled. "What game?"
"Could we just neck? No touching below the waist?"
"That's no game, Kathy. You know what's going to happen as well as I
do! In no time, I'm going to be screwing you right here on the couch!"
Kathy grinned and shivered, "That's the game. Whoever cracks first and
goes below the waist loses! Want to try?"
Ken grinned and said, "Sure. Let's do it!" They both stood up. Kathy
carefully hung up Ken's uniform coat and took off his tie, followed by his
shirt. She held her arms up and Ken lifted off her sweatshirt revealing
her unencumbered breasts. He started to take off his pants but Kathy shook
her head. "But they'll lose their crease," he complained.
Kathy grinned. "What a stinking shame!"
He sat at the end of the couch with his legs on the table. Her upper
body was on his lap with her head resting on the arm of the couch. As he
gently ran his finger tips over her beautifully formed breasts, she
wriggled slightly and purred in his arms. Meanwhile she nuzzled his chest,
and explored it with a feather-light touch of her fingers. Then he lifted
her head and kissed her. Ken intended it to be light and delicate and it
was. He could taste the sweetness of her lips as her tongue probed his
mouth and tongue. At the same time his sex was desperately trying to
harden, but it was trapped by his underwear, trousers and Kathy's body.
She felt it, too. When he shifted his weight and tried to relieve the
constriction, she disengaged from his lips, smiled lovingly and said no.
It wasn't completely one-sided, though. He derived some satisfaction from
seeing her nipples become hard and her body start to writhe in passion. He
could see that the denim in the crotch of her jeans had darkened with
moisture. He was in an agony of desire but holding on. He could see her
hand flutter in the direction of her crotch only to be quickly withdrawn.
He realized that he was moaning with her. It was going to be over very
soon.
He broke first. When he pulled off her pants and slipped out of his
own, he heard her whisper in ecstasy, "Thank God!" as he entered her. They
were soon lying in each others arms resting as their breathing slowly
returned to normal. She had her eyes closed with her head on his shoulder
murmuring happy sounds.
He whispered, "May I see it?"
Her eyes fluttered open -- _God, what a dazzling, brilliant blue, he
thought_ -- and she looked puzzled. "See what, hon?"
"The commendation," he said. She smiled, got up, opened a drawer and
came back with the framed citation for the Medal of Freedom. He read it
carefully. "Dad mentioned this. He said I should ask to see it. You
know, Kathy, you're entitled to wear the ribbon at any time? Can I pin it
on your now?" he asked teasingly.
"Pin it right here?" she asked as she pointed to her left nipple.
_My God!_ he thought. _She's serious. She would pin it through her
nipple if she thought I wanted her to._ He was starting to develop an
appreciation for her depth of feeling for him. He felt very humble.
Suddenly Kathy jumped up and exclaimed, "Oh, my God! I completely
forgot! Ken, I'm having a couple for dinner tonight. They'll be here
in... Holy shit! In ten minutes! And absolutely nothing's done! Ken,
could you do me a favor?"
"Sure, honey! What do you want me to do?"
"Hon, would you mind taking a shower now so you'll be ready to greet our
guests, while I get some hors d'oeuvres together and try to figure out how
we're going to avoid starvation? I'll try to make it up to you somehow."
Ken went to the bedroom with his clothes. As he was taking a shower, he
reflected on what Kathy had just said. He realized that she meant it. She
gave everything and asked nothing, so something as trivial as greeting
guests was important to her. He was dressed and back in the kitchen in
five minutes. Miraculously, wonderful cooking odors were rising towards
the vent hood while a large platter of hors d'oeuvres was waiting on the
table.
She looked up at him and carefully straightened his tie. Just before
running to the bathroom, she said quickly, "The guests are the O'Rourkes.
They're just out of the Navy!"
She ran toward the bathroom, while Ken went to retrieve their drink
glasses from the library. He found Kathy's still full and only a few sips
out of his own. He emptied the glasses in the sink and put the glasses in
the dishwasher.
Moments later at seven o'clock the doorbell rang. He opened the door
and welcomed a very pretty little auburn-haired with a very big and
handsome dark-haired man. "Welcome! Please come in. You must be the
O'Rourkes." They entered the apartment, and it was obvious to Ken they had
been here before. "I'm Ken Stark, a friend of Kathy's. She'll be out in a
few minutes.
The stuck out her hand. "I'm Sally O'Rourke, until today yeoman
first class, Commander. I'm very happy to meet you. This big lug is my
husband, Jim, until today electronics technician first class." Sally looked
at Ken and noticed the love light in his eyes. _My God,_ she thought, _can
it be? Has the prince appeared to awaken Sleeping Beauty?_ As the
shook hands, Sally said quickly, "Commander, I see from your ring that
you're Annapolis. Would you mind talking with Jim in equations or
something?" She looked lovingly at her husband and winked. "He's great in
math and electronics, but he's not much on words. But he's great in bed,
so I keep him around. I want to check out Kathy." She grinned, and flew
around the corner to the bedroom.
Jim's eyes followed his as she left. "Lovely little ass, don't you
think, Commander?"
Ken smiled his agreement. "Please, Jim, it's Ken. And you're right, it
sure is. You're a very lucky man!"
"Ken," Jim replied, "on that last you're more right than you may ever
know!"
Sally came bursting into the bedroom as Kathy emerged from the bath.
The small studied her friend carefully. Then she gave a little yelp.
"Kathy, it's happened! That's your man, isn't it? Don't even bother to
answer. I see it all over you. I couldn't see how you could possibly be
more beautiful, but you are. You glow!... You're radiant!" Kathy regarded
her friend with a quiet smile. Sally gathered the in her arms
and hugged. "I'm so happy, Kathy! You know I mean it when I say it
couldn't happen to a nicer person."
Kathy slipped on her blue dress that matched her eyes and ran a comb
through her hair. "Let's go join the party!"
It was only seven-ten. They sat in the living room and had drinks with
Ken serving as bartender. He liked the O'Rourkes very much. They were a
handsome couple and obviously very much in love. Sally asked Ken about his
ship, something that had not occurred to Kathy. She was abashed that she
had not even thought to ask.
Sally grinned and said, "Kathy, never forget. The correct sequence is
to ask a sailor about his present ship, his last ship, his mistress and
finally, his wife. That also pretty well tracks the regard in which they
are held. Christ! I had to get Jim out of the service so I could move up
in the pecking order. Particularly when I lost rank by changing from his
mistress to his wife." She grinned and stuck out her tongue at her husband.
"Please don't mind my wife, Ken." Jim added with a grin, "She really
isn't housebroken yet, so I have to be careful who I allow her to meet.
With Kathy, it's already too late! She knows the truth, so to hell with
it."
"Now that you're out of the service," Ken asked, "what are your plans?
Although I've just met you two, it's easy to see that you're the kind we
can't afford to lose. Sally, what was your most recent duty assignment?"
"The base legal office, Ken. Why do you ask?"
"Because it's going to be a very different place without you. Much
quieter!" Ken replied with a grin. Sally faked a pout and grinned back.
Ken really liked the little girl. "What about those plans?"
Sally suddenly turned serious and looked down at the floor. "Ken, I
want to tell you a little story. Once upon a time there were these two
dumb kids. They were madly in love, but the was particularly dumb and
didn't know it. Then one day in a place where the worked some bad
came in waving guns. The thought he was Superman and could stop a
bullet. He did... with his arm. Just then the fairy princess appeared
and made the bad dead. She took the dumb in and made her see how
much she loved the dumb boy. The fairy princess wasn't finished with the
dumb kids, though. She knew that they both wanted desperately to go to
college.
"There wasn't enough money, so the dumb says he'll work and the
will go. The says she would be barefoot and pregnant and the will
go. The fairy princess doesn't say anything but she waves her magic wand.
The dumb gets seven or eight years of education paid at the Cal Tech
castle. The gets seven years paid at the USC castle. The fairy
princess visits the dumb at work. The dumb finds $5,000 in her
boobs. The dumb kids get and the fairy princess doesn't know what
to do for a wedding gift so $25,000 appears to tide them over while she
thinks about it.
"The kids are dumb but not so dumb they don't worship the ground the
fairy princess walks on. And they lived happily ever after." Sally looked
up at Ken with her eyes shining with tears. "You don't look dumb, Ken.
Would you like to guess the name of the fairy princess?"
He looked at Kathy. He could see tears running down her cheeks. "The
fairy princess's initials wouldn't be 'K S', would they?"
Sally grinned through her tears and said to her husband, "See, Jim, I
told you he didn't look dumb." She went to Kathy and kissed her. "We never
had the chance to thank you properly for the wedding gift. Ken, to show
you the kind of person the fairy princess is, the dumb broad writes a long
letter apologizing for not buying a gift, for chrissakes! Thank you, dear
Kathy."
"Before things get so maudlin the tears soak my beautiful carpet, could
we take a break for dinner? Ken, would you please serve the wine. I
decanted it to let it breathe."
Ken was stunned. At six-fifty in the evening, this was lying naked
on the floor. There had been no thought of eating. At seven, hors
d'oeuvres are served that appear to have been in preparation since noon.
At seven forty-five, a gourmet feast appears featuring roast filet of beef,
sauce Perigord, and Chateau Mouton Rothschild, 1959. _My God,_ he thought,
_she is a fairy princess!_ Dinner was followed by crepes Suzette, followed
by coffee and cognac. Ken had spent the evening watching the beautiful
girl facing him across the table. Clearly, she loved good food, good wine
and good cognac. His eyes widened as Louis XIII was poured from its
Baccarat decanter. _The only thing standing between this meal and utter
perfection is the lack of a great cigar,_ he thought.
Kathy appeared with a cigar humidor. Jim took one, Sally was tempted,
but declined. Then Kathy brought the box to Ken. "I think you'd like one
of these Corona coronas. They are really very good." He took one, lighted
it and savored it with the cognac. Kathy lighted a panatella for herself.
Seeing her take one, Sally reconsidered and took one, too. Sally decided
that the mild cigar made a perfect accompaniment to her coffee and cognac.
Ken said quietly to Kathy, "If I were to die right now, I would be in
heaven without moving an inch!"
Kathy raised her glass. "I'm sorry," she said, "I should have done this
earlier with the wine, but better late than never! Sally and Jim, I would
like to offer a toast to you both: Your love for each other lights up this
room! Your selflessness leaves me breathless. Two brilliant people
willing -- no, anxious! -- to sacrifice his interest for the other's. May
your love burn forever as brightly as it burns tonight!"
Ken could feel his eyes burn with tears as he listened to Kathy's words.
_But the words are true,_ he thought looking at the couple. _They're
really true!_ As they were preparing to leave, Ken said, "By the way, I
should have asked. How long have you kids been married?"
Sally brightly replied, "Almost two months, Commander, sir, and I love
it! She looked at Jim and licked her lips lasciviously.
"In that case," Ken asked, "may I still kiss the bride?"
Sally jumped at him and kissed him softly on the lips. When they
parted, she held him, looked into his eyes and whispered so softly he could
scarcely hear, "Ken, be good to her! She's the very best there is!" Ken
agreed with her judgment.
When the O'Rourkes left, Ken looked at Kathy, "Hon, how do you feel?" It
was nearly eleven-thirty.
"I feel great. Why? How do you feel?"
"Kathy," he said, "I feel about one inch tall. I would like to tell you
another story. There was this little kid who met a fairy princess. He was
angry because the princess had a secret. Of course, if he knew what the
secret was, he wouldn't have believed it. Then he read a about the
fairy princess. Of course, even if he wouldn't have believed the princess,
he did believe the story.
"Then he met a giant and a pixie who told him more about the fairy
princess they had come to love. The little kid shrank until he was only
one inch tall. The only thing that can change the little kid back to
normal is a kiss from the princess. Will the princess kiss the little
kid?"
Kathy came to him and tenderly kissed him. He held her as the love
flowed between them. Finally, they separated.
"Thank you, fairy princess! Kathy, can you help me? I have to go back
to the ship. The dumb little kid was so pissed off at the fairy princess
he didn't even bring a change of underwear. If the fairy princess were
smart, of course, she would just kick the little kid the hell out of her
house. But then the fairy princess is known for her kindness, not her
brains."
Kathy kicked him lightly in the shin and grinned. "Come on, little kid.
We have to go get your toys." He took her in his arms and kissed her again.
The BMW was speeding west on the Expressway. Ken noticed the
speedometer needle pass 100 mph on a 150-mph dial. Suddenly, he heard a
siren wail behind them. "Oh, shit!" Kathy exclaimed. "Of all the damn
times to hit a Smoky." She pulled over well to the right in the breakdown
lane. The patrol car, blue lights revolving and headlights flashing,
pulled up behind, but the trooper stayed behind the wheel.
Ken assumed that the trooper was running Kathy's plate through the
police computer. He noticed Kathy impatiently drumming her finger against
the wheel. The trooper finally got out of the cruiser and approached the
driver's side. Ken was astonished at what happened next.
The tall trooper towered over the low sports sedan. "Damn it, Kathy!
You gotta knock off this shit! It makes us look bad! Why once we even got
a grumble from the captain... 'til we told him who it was, o' course. How
fast this time?"
"A hundred-ten, Will." she replied.
"Kathy?" the trooper said skeptically.
"Oh, shit! A hundred-twenty, okay? You happy?"
Just then, Ken ducked his head low and leaned over to the left so he
could see the trooper's face. "Is there some problem, officer?" he asked.
He could see the trooper's face turn bright as he recognized him as
a naval officer. He heard the trooper mutter under his breath, "Damn it,
Kathy, why didn't you tell me you had company?"
Then, following a very snappy salute, he said in his normal voice,
"Commander, would you mind stepping out of the car and coming back here
with me?"
Ken said, "Of course, not, officer."
As he stepped out he heard Kathy mutter, "Oh shit! Here it goes!"
Ken followed the trooper back to his patrol cruiser. The trooper
introduced himself, "Trooper William Stockdale, Commander."
Ken said, "Ken Stark, trooper. I'm glad to meet you, but I would have
liked to do it in happier circumstances. I don't understand what I just
saw over there. You haven't even started to write Miss Smith's ticket."
The trooper broke into gales of laughter, as if Ken had just told the
funniest joke he had ever heard. In fact, he had. "Write a _ticket! On
Kathy?_ I'm sorry, sir, but maybe you just don't understand."
"Understand what, trooper? I understand Miss Smith was driving at an
excessive rate of speed."
Ken was becoming annoyed. He looked at the car ahead. Kathy had her
hands at the top of the wheel, with her forehead resting on her hands. She
appeared dejected.
"Commander, the only trooper that would ever give Kathy a ticket would
be the guy who's lookin' to get off the force in a hurry. That's assumin'
o' course, he lives long enough to _get_ off. Commander, sir, this is a
game! We love to haul her down! It reminds her we're still around and it
gives us a chance to talk to a real, live angel! O' course there's a
little more to it: the speed thing, for example. We always ask her and she
always fibs a few miles light. Ya know, Commander, thinkin' on it, I don't
rightly know who's checkin' on who. Us checkin' her speed, or her checkin'
our radar!"
"Trooper, on behalf of Kathy, we apologize for such speed. it's
very..." Aside from sounding pompous as hell, Ken stopped because Stockdale
was looking at him like he had a screw loose.
"Commander, what'd Kathy admit to? One hundred twenty? Sir, is Jackie
Stewart a dangerous driver? Is Dick Petty? Why Commander, that girl's
better in that car at 140 than the average driver is out here at forty! I
mean, she's that good! Why one day some buddies and I were with Kathy down
in South Virginia Beach... down by the Carolina line, you know? Well
damned if... Commander, have you ever heard of a bootlegger's turn?" Ken
shook his head.
"No? Well, it was developed out west o' here in the hill country. See,
a bootlegger with a full load bein' chased by Revenue? Well he'd roar down
this two-lane road bein' chased. Then he'd touch the brakes just right,
and turn the wheel just right, and shift the gears just right, an' all of a
sudden he's made a 180 and he passes the Revenue goin' the other way.
Follow? Well, some o' those good ol' could do that trick at seventy
or sometimes, if he was real good, at eighty.
"Well, Commander, I'm here to tell ya that Kathy did it at 110! And
that's radar speed, not her braggin' at us. That lady can handle a car,
sir! She truly can!
"O' course there's the other thing. You ever see that little gun she
carries? You did?" he asked, as Ken nodded. "Well, sir, that li'l weapon
has fired five times in anger. Sir, four rounds penetrated the targets'
hearts, and the fifth entered a target's brain.
"Now sir, you could think o' Kathy as sort of a Virginia police mascot.
You could o' course, but you'd be dead wrong! We truly admire that woman!
She's one of _us!_ She's been there. But more, sir, we love her... like a
beautiful sister, I guess. Sir, when those bastards took a shotgun to her,
well... As you know, sir, she burned one of them. She was rollin' on the
deck and fired one shot right between the eyes! Then this other creep
turns up in a ditch near Detroit weighted down with buckshot. Sir, if we
had gotten there first, there wouldn't a bin enough left to bury!
"God, we love that girl! Commander, one more thing! I don't know why,
but I think she's special interested in you. You're the first she's
ever been seen with. I got somethin' you might like to see!"
Stockdale opened the door of his cruiser and returned with his
clipboard. He lifted the forms clipped to it. Underneath them, protected
by acetate, was a photograph of Kathy wearing a tiny white bikini. Her
breasts were thrust out, her back was arched and one arm was behind her
head. "Sir, that was taken at Yale University the night she was elected
Queen of Yale! O' course, that's a Yankee school an' all, but damn, those
boys do have good taste!"
"That's a lovely picture, Stockdale. Does Kathy know you have it?"
The trooper blushed. "O' course she doesn't! At least, I hope she
doesn't..."
"Stockdale," Ken said, "Want to make a deal? I'll get Kathy to
autograph your if you tell me where I can get one."
"Commander," the trooper replied, "that's the kind o' deal I like!
Let's go!" The two returned to Kathy's car.
Ken got in, while the trooper stood by Kathy's window. Ken held the
clipboard. "Honey, will you do me a favor?"
"Of course! I told you before: anything," she replied.
Ken reached over Kathy's head to the overhead light control and turned
on the dome light. "Kathy, look at me," he asked. "I have a of
you that's very important to him." He dropped his voice to a whisper.
"Hon, he loves you very much. Would you sign it for him?"
Her eyes widened as she saw the picture. She didn't know such a
photograph existed. She took a pen out of the glove compartment and wrote,
"To my dear friend, Trooper William Stockdale, Virginia State Police, with
great respect and affection." she signed it and gave the board back to the
trooper. He read it and blushed.
The trooper was so overwhelmed, his back-country origins sounded even
stronger in his speech: "Thank you, Miss Kathy! If y'all pardon my sayin'
so ma'am, you're the most beautiful woman in the world!"
He passed Ken a slip of paper with a name and address written on it.
Stockdale saluted smartly, "Good night, y'all. I apologize for keepin' you
so long."
Kathy put the car in gear, and after checking for traffic, smoothly
pulled away. "Ken, I'm embarrassed. What did Will tell you?"
"Well, I guess you have the track record for a bootlegger's turn." Even
in the red-orange light coming from the dash he could see her blush. "And,
of course, he and every other law enforcement officer love you like a
sister! Kathy, he's sincere. And honey, if you're good enough to gain the
respect of like that, you have it made. I think they invented the
word, loyalty."
After retrieving his things from his ship, the destroyer Evans, they
headed back to Virginia Beach. Glancing over, he was sure that the needle
on the speedometer passed 130 but, after his talk with the trooper, Ken
relaxed.
Their lovemaking that night was soft and gentle. After reaching their
climax together Ken and Kathy fell asleep still wrapped in each other's
arms. *Chapter 19*
It was a warm afternoon. Kathy was parked near the brow of Ken's ship,
the USS Evans. She was out of the car facing the ship with her rump on the
front fender. As Ken requested she was wearing her skin-tight Levi's and a
Yale T-shirt. Her golden hair was being blown by the wind off the water
but she made no effort to control it knowing that a flip with a comb would
put it right. It was three forty-five -- 1545 in Ken's language. Her
behavior was totally consistent with respect to people she loved. If she
was asked to do something, she did it if it was within her power to do.
And she loved Ken desperately.
She reflected on this who had captured her heart. She had not known
him for even a week but could not face the prospect of life without him.
She accepted as a matter of indisputable fact that he was the she was
made for. It was very simple and straightforward. He had telephoned
earlier in the afternoon and asked her to wear her jeans and a top that
revealed her figure.
He asked her to stand outside her car where she could be seen from his
ship, and to please be there at 1545. She looked down at her chest and
decided with a grin that she just needed water and she was ready for a wet
T-shirt contest. Ken had offered no explanation for the strange request
nor had it occurred to Kathy to ask for one. Her lover had asked her to do
something and she was doing it.
She occupied her time by examining the ship. She identified the hull,
of course, and the bridge. There were single gun mounts fore and aft.
Then there was a bewildering array of antennas that seemed to occupy every
available inch of superstructure. She was surprised at the size and
boxiness of the structure below the bridge.
It appeared to her there had been two different designers at work. The
one who designed the hull had had a sense of aesthetics. It was sleek and
beautiful. The other designer then put a big metal box on the hull. It
was like a packing box shaped to hold a lot of people and equipment, but a
box nonetheless. She thought the second designer had ruined the sleek look
begun by the first.
Although she was totally unfamiliar with the Navy, it seemed there was a
greater-than-normal amount of activity topside since it so close to liberty
at 1600. She wished the O'Rourkes could be with her to explain what was
going on. She thought of them fondly; the couple were now on their
way to California.
Ken was never far from her thoughts these days. She found herself
wondering about his marriage and divorce. In the few minutes they were
together without being consumed by their passion, a single question kept
recurring with increased intensity each time: How had Ken been financially
ruined? These days such a thing almost never happened. In the rare cases
in which it did happen, there had to be overwhelming fault on one side
coupled with legal representation so poor as to amount to malpractice on
the other.
She had been hearing the General Announcing System in action ever since
she arrived squawking announcements, most of which were totally
unintelligible to her. She made a mental note to learn more about the
Navy. Finally, she heard an announcement she did understand: Liberty was
announced for three of four duty sections. The sailors started streaming
off the ship, most in civilian clothes. She was surprised when those in
uniform saluted her in a most military fashion as they passed. This caused
her to stand up straight and smile in return.
Then Ken came running over. She wanted to laugh as she watched to poor
man try to run with a large suitcase in each hand. She went to the back of
the car and opened the trunk for him. He smiled gratefully and threw the
bags in and shut the lid, then took her in his arms for a hello kiss that
-- as usual -- became more than that. With Ken, she decided, she had a
very short fuse. When he reluctantly pulled away, they were both
breathless.
She blushed as she heard what seemed to be the ship's entire duty
section lined up at the rail cheering their captain and his girl. _Oh,
well,_ she thought, _I might as well make the best of it._ As she went
towards the driver's door, she waved at the ship and smiled. She was
rewarded by a redoubling of the cheers. They got in the car and Kathy
drove away.
"Well," said Ken with a grin, "so much for another of the dumb captain's
great ideas. I'm sorry, honey. I didn't think it would work out this
way."
"What way?" Kathy asked, puzzled, as she concentrated on threading her
way out of the base and back towards the freeway to Virginia Beach. It was
rush hour and slow going.
"Kathy, in the Navy there's a reference to 'the 10 percent that never
gets the word.' It's kind of a standing joke. Well, it's pretty
embarrassing when the captain is in the 10 percent, and particularly when
the word concerns his... his..."
"Mistress is the word you're searching for, dear. I am your mistress,"
Kathy said with a warm smile.
"...lady," Ken finished. "It seems that everyone on the Evans but me
knows who you are and what you are. I kept hearing these snatches of
conversation all day, so I thought they might like to get a better look at
you. It was a disaster. The Exec was afraid were going to fall
overboard staring at you, or maybe cause the ship to capsize with all the
weight on the shore side of the vessel. There were comparison made between
you and the top Hollywood beauties..."
Kathy stole a glance at Ken's face. "How did I do?" she asked.
"It was terrible, Kathy. Simply awful!" He concealed a smile as he
watched her face fall. "The others were dismissed out of hand.
"The guy who thought a particularly beautiful star was almost in your
class was accused of having his taste in his feet. Kathy, aboard USS Evans
you are the most beautiful in the world. By the way, I didn't say
'considered', I said 'are'. It is established fact, like the sun rising in
the east." He smiled at her warmly.
Kathy smiled, basking in his love. "And where does the captain of the
Evans stand on the question?"
"Where can the captain stand? With his men, of course!" He grinned and
added, "I am their leader, after all."
She glanced at him and saw his face become serious and show concern.
Haltingly, he continued in a voice that initially worried her. "Kathy...
Those bags in the trunk... Kathy, I have no right, but... you..."
"You're moving in with me. That's wonderful!" she exclaimed with a
bright smile.
"But Kathy..."
"Ken," Kathy asked, "what characteristic does the Navy look for in its
officers?"
Ken looked puzzled. "I don't understand your question..."
"Ken, officers -- particularly commanding officers -- are supposed to
exercise initiative. You just did. There is a with a big apartment.
She meets this handsome and instantly falls in love. Her love for him
is so intense, when he's near her he's the only thing in color. The rest
of the world is black-and-white. She wants him to live with her so badly
that she would give him the bedroom and sleep on the floor except when he
wanted to use her body. She is much too frightened to ask him because
she's afraid he'll laugh at her. When he says he's moving in, the girl's
body just starts to melt. She thinks, 'Maybe he cares for me, just a
little, too.' Thank you, Ken, for having me."
As she concentrated on her driving, Ken studied her. _My God!_ he
thought. _I can't believe what I'm hearing! This girl, who has an
abundance of everything a could possibly want in a woman, feels
unworthy! Of *me*?_
"Ken," Kathy asked, changing the subject, "Why were those sailors
saluting me when they came off the ship? I mean... I'm not an officer or
a flag or anything."
Ken smiled. "Yes you are. Those guys, unlike their ignorant commanding
officer, know all about you. They were saluting your beauty, Kathy. More
than that, they were saluting a hero. When a is awarded the Medal of
Honor -- the nation's highest award for valor -- he is saluted first,
regardless of his rank or the rank of the person rendering honors. As a
civilian you can't receive that award. Furthermore, it's only awarded in
wartime, and, thank God, we're not fighting anyone right now. You received
the Medal of Freedom which is the closest we can come for a civilian. They
know you saved the lives of their shipmates, Kathy. Several of them were
in Charley's that night."
"Ken, I need to learn about the Navy. Are there some good books I could
read?"
"Kathy, please don't," he protested.
She looked hurt. "Why not?"
"Because in no time flat you would be second guessing the Chief of Naval
Operations... and more than likely _you_ would be right! Honey, people
have been talking about street crime for years and it just gets worse. You
come along right out of law school and it starts to recede here in Norfolk.
You would be trying to shape up the Navy, too."
They had exited the Expressway and were making their way towards the
apartment when Ken saw a sign in the next block. "Kathy, could you stop at
that flower shop in the next block, please?"
She pulled into a parking space and he said he would be right out. A
few minutes later he was back with a long large box which he just managed
to fit across the back seat. When they reached the apartment, Kathy
carried the box while Ken carried his suitcases. She was waiting for him
in the kitchen when he emerged from the bedroom.
"You didn't open it," he said.
Kathy thought she heard a note of disappointment in his voice and said,
"Open what?"
"The box, silly!"
"But... It's for me?"
"Who else would it be for?" Ken asked. "Of course it's for you!" Ken
got another insight into this remarkable girl. Nothing was ever too good
for her friends or too much trouble for her to do for them but she could
not seem to understand that others might ever want to do something for her.
He realized that Kathy Smith was the most unselfish person he had ever met.
Kathy opened the box, revealing dozens of roses. "Oh, Ken! They're
beautiful! But there are so many..."
"Do you really like them?" he asked diffidently.
_"Like_ them? Oh, Ken, I adore them!" She looked up at him sweetly and
added, "No one has ever given me flowers before!"
He took her in his arms and kissed her. As he did, he wondered how
there could be so many stupid in the world. Kathy should be walking
on flowers coming from thousands of admirers. What was wrong?
It was only five o'clock, Kathy noticed, much too early for dinner. She
thought she would get started on a project she had been mulling over in her
mind. In the meantime, Ken had changed into a golf and slacks and
asked her if she would like a drink. She told him there was something she
wanted to do first and led him through the exercise room.
His eyes widened as he saw all of the equipment for the first time. _My
God!_ he thought. _A fully equipped gym, too._
At the far wall Kathy inserted a key and activated a switch. A
motor-driven door opened slowly away from them, and they walked into an
office. Ken hadn't realized it, but when they entered the gym they had
entered the office building fronting the main street. He was in a lawyer's
office. Kathy activated another concealed switch and a section of the wall
of bookcases slid back in place. She excused herself while Ken looked
around and was puzzled. It was a beautifully furnished office suite. _The
sort of surroundings,_ Ken thought, _designed to extract maximum fees from
clients with the minimum of complaint._
Going through to the outer office he found a desk for a
secretary-receptionist and a good-sized conference room next to it.
Something bothered him, but... It suddenly came to him. The office was
unoccupied and had never been occupied. Of course! There were no
magazines in the reception area, no files on the desk -- nothing!
When Kathy emerged from the bathroom, Ken was stunned. A lovely hoyden
wearing jeans and a T-shirt had gone into a room. A lovely attorney
reappeared in her place. As she smiled at him, Ken saw the unspoken
question in her eyes, _Do you approve?_ She was wearing her favorite
warm-weather outfit: a man-tailored cotton cord suit. The blue in the
material's vertical stripes complemented the blue of her eyes and Ken
whistled appreciatively.
After blushing with pleasure Kathy turned surprisingly businesslike. He
reflected that, given her accomplishments, she had to be good. He smiled
to himself. Behind her on the wall were the usual lawyer's trappings: an
array of framed diplomas, all honors degrees from top schools.
"Commander, I would like to review the facts surrounding your recent
divorce."
Ken was shocked. Kathy was being absolutely serious and businesslike.
_Exactly the way Knight never was,_ Ken thought. "Let's do it! Miss
Smith, what would you like to know? And may I call you Kathy?" he asked.
He melted under her warm smile, "Of course, Commander. Now tell me some
basics."
His ex-wife's name was Sylvia. "Kathy, the easy way to describe Sylvia
is to say that two people could not be greater polar opposites than you
two. You're totally unselfish while she's totally self-centered. You
rejoice in lovemaking; Sylvia hates it. You are bright and gold while
Sylvia is dull and dark. I could go on but you get the idea.
"We had only been for a few months when Sylvia tells me she is
filing for a divorce. I'm certainly stupid, I freely admit, but not a
complete idiot. The marriage was a disaster from the beginning, so it was
an opportunity to cut my losses. Who knows? I might meet a golden goddess
who melts my insides..."
"Commander, the subject is law, not love." She grinned at him and added,
"If you're good, the love will come later. In fact, even if you're not so
good... But what was the outcome? I gather you were serious when you said
you were financially wiped out?"
Ken smiled wryly. "I was all _too_ serious. Everything I had, she got.
Except for what my lawyer took, of course."
"Who was your lawyer and how did you find him?"
"He is a lawyer named Homer Knight with an office in Norfolk. I
retained him because he was cheap. Also, he was recommended to me by
Sylvia's attorney. Because of the nature of the action, her lawyer
initially was going to represent us both but decided it would be better if
I had my own counsel."
"Ken, you've just learned something. Sometimes the lowest-priced lawyer
can be the most expensive. I smell a rat -- a very big rat -- that's
really stinking up this office. I'll explain in a minute. But first, what
were the grounds for divorce? General incompatibility or something like
it?"
"You're right, but..." Ken stopped, looking puzzled. "But that's not
the way it ended up..."
"What was Sylvia's maiden name?"
"It was Black. Why?"
"Just asking. Ken, were you present at the divorce hearing?"
"No. We were on an extended Med deployment. Homer said that it was all
routine and everything would be taken care of when I got back. Well, the
way it worked out, it wasn't. I was!"
"When did you get back to Norfolk?"
"Early last week... Monday, I guess. Then the roof fell in. When I
met you at Charley's, I had just finished signing over everything at
Knight's office." Ken blushed, remembering. "Kathy, I want to apologize to
you again for what I said to you that night. I would rather forget it, but
I can't. What I said to you was unforgivable. Christ! I think I even
accused you of being a whore!"
"Your words were 'B-girl'," she said with a warm smile. "But there's
absolutely nothing to forgive. After all, I did pick you up in a bar."
Getting back to the subject she asked, "Ken, do you have the final papers
on your divorce?"
"They're on the ship. I didn't even look at them. Homer told me what
happened, and I was just stunned... in a state of shock. I just never
expected... Kathy, can you explain to me what did happen? You seem to
have some idea..."
"Ken, I think you were set up. You were fattened, killed, stuffed,
roasted and served as the main course for dinner. I need to check this out
before I can be sure, but I'll give you my theory. All the known facts fit
it, by the way."
Kathy had a sudden inspiration. "Ken, I don't want there to be any
secrets between us, but could you be a dear and wait out in the reception
room for a minute?" She grinned and added, "There are lots of law books you
can read. They don't have any pictures, but you can admire the big words
we lawyers love to use."
Ken was puzzled but complied. He even took a law book at random off the
shelf out with him. Realizing Kathy wanted privacy, he closed her office
door.
When he left, she picked up the phone, checked in her wallet and dialed
a number. The phone at the other end was picked up on the first ring. A
deep male voice said a single word, "Yes?"
"This is Angel. I need to speak to Tony."
The voice changed instantly from boredom to respect. He sounded like he
had been jerked to attention. "Yes, ma'am! Immediately."
An instant later she heard Tony Donetti's voice. "Can you give me a
minute, Angel? We were in the middle of a conference and the are
leaving the office so we can talk." She could hear the sound of movement
and then a door closing. "Now how can I help?" he asked.
"Tony, I have a problem perhaps you can help me with. A friend -- a
very close friend -- is a naval officer. He was just cleaned out in a
divorce action that sounds like a scam. I thought maybe you could ask
around..."
"He's the one, isn't he? He's the you've been waiting for. I can
hear it in your voice!"
She smiled at his perceptiveness. _My God,_ she thought, _I might as
well advertise it in the papers!_ Aloud she said, "He's the one for me,
Tony, but I don't..."
"Angel, unless he's a hopeless idiot, he's yours. Now, what do I need
to know?"
"There are only a few things now. The officer's name is Commander
Kenneth Stark. His wife's maiden name was Sylvia Black. He was
represented by a conniving creep named Homer Knight."
"Give me a phone number. I'll get right back." He hung up and Kathy
looked at her instrument. He had been as good as his word. He had said
anytime. It was obvious he had stopped a meeting in progress to take her
call.
She went out to the reception room to get Ken. When they returned to
their former seats, she smiled at him lovingly. "My theory is this: You
were filing for a straight uncontested incompatibility divorce -- very
short duration, no children. It can be easily done for a few hundred
dollars by any attorney. It could have been done, in fact, by a single
lawyer representing both sides. I think it's a terrible practice, but it's
done every day, particularly in cases such as yours. The tip was when you
said that you were starting in that direction, when her lawyer... Who is
he, by the way?"
"His name is Holmes. Edward Holmes."
Kathy continued, "Holmes gets his buddy, Knight, in on the scam. He has
to, Ken. They then shift to a fault action. The way you were cleaned out
it had to be all fault: adultery, wife-beating, the whole nine yards. A
single lawyer -- Holmes, in this case -- couldn't represent both parties.
The judge would smell a rat stinking up his courtroom. After reading the
bill of particulars I'm almost certain he would refuse to hear the case if
the defendant were not represented by personal counsel.
"Ken, our system of jurisprudence is grounded on the adversary system.
It's not perfect, heaven knows, but the theory is that when each side
presents its best case, the truth will out. Unfortunately, it can be
defeated if there aren't two sides. If, rather, two attorneys are
representing a single side: in this case, the plaintiff, Sylvia. Does it
make any sense?"
Ken had gone white. She could see perspiration on his forehead in spite
of the climate-controlled environment. "Perfect sense! My God!
Everything I know fits. Can we do anything now?"
"I think so. I'll be right back." Kathy got up and went to the outer
office. He heard a file drawer open and close, then the sound of a
typewriter. He went out to look. Kathy was at the typewriter rapidly
filling out a form. The way her fingers flew over the keys Ken knew she
could be a top-flight legal secretary. _Yet another of her skills,_ he
thought. Then he heard a copier warming up. Kathy spun the form out of
the typewriter and marched back into her office.
"Ken, give me one dollar, please." He looked puzzled, but opened his
wallet. He still had almost all of the $2,000 she had put in it on
Saturday night. He was amused at the idea of giving her back one dollar of
the $2,000 she had given him. He handed her the dollar. "Thank you. Now
please sign above your name at the bottom."
He saw the indicated position and signed, then passed the form back to
her. She signed also, went to the outer office and came back moments later
with two copies. She gave him one of them. "What's this?" he inquired.
"Ken, you have just signed a form retaining me to act as your attorney
in all matters relating to your divorce. The form, a copy of which will go
to Homer Knight, certified mail, removes him as your attorney of record,
effective immediately. The money was my full fee for services. I
acknowledged receipt of the fee and accepted the appointment."
"One dollar? That's all?" he said in a bemused voice.
Kathy shook her head sadly and said, "After all the damned trouble you
got yourself into, would you do me a big favor? For God's sake, will you
read a paper _before_ you sign it? If you had read the damned form you
would have seen '$1 and other valuable considerations,' the nature of said
'other valuable considerations' I'll leave to your imagination," she
replied smiling lasciviously.
The telephone rang and Kathy picked it up. It was Tony. She glanced at
the clock and found it had been less than thirty minutes since they first
talked. He must need more information.
"Angel, you got it right. No wonder you did the job you did for the DA!
Sylvia Black -- we'll call her that because that's the name you know her by
-- is a small-time grifter. She has a good little business going fleecing
sailors. Angel, I'm embarrassed. We provide certain... services to the
fleet, but this was never intended to be one of them. Apparently she works
it by acting like she has... connections... I can absolutely assure you
she does not have!
"She works with a sleaze named Holmes, but she's the brains. I haven't
got it all yet, but I have already found at least three other she's
cleaned out in less than two years. They're always sailors and it always
works the same way. Your was out on a long cruise, wasn't he?"
Kathy answered, "Yes."
"I thought so: He had to be. They always are. The sucker... I'm
sorry, Angel... the thinks he's going for an uncontested divorce.
There's always another lawyer in it with them representing the guy. The
guy is served with papers, which -- if he bother to read them and they
never do -- say uncontested, no-fault and all that other good stuff. Then
the papers are switched. There is a new filing replacing the others. The
new filing alleges physical cruelty, adultery and anything else her
creative mind can add. And she _is_ creative, I'm told. There's sewer
service on the new papers and off they go.
"They try to time the trial for just after the guy sails so everything
is all wrapped up with a big bow by the time he gets back. Then he's
just told who to sign over what to. The poor guy doesn't even know what
hit him. And even if he smells a rat he doesn't have a dime left to use
for another lawyer.
"There's more, Angel. It's embarrassing to me! They use some of my
people. to testify... that sort of thing. Kathy, Sylvia may be a
masochist. One of our people whipped her so she could show the fresh marks
on her back. It was done close enough to the time of the that the
colors would be right and all that.
"How much more do you need, Angel? If you agree, the word is going out
that she is not protected and the judge will be amenable to reopening the
case."
"That's all I need. I agree," she said cryptically.
"He's sitting with you, isn't he? You don't need to answer. Thank you,
Angel! I appreciate it very much."
"What do you mean?" she asked, very puzzled.
"The opportunity to help you. I was hoping, but frankly, I couldn't
really think of how I could. Call me if you need any more. By the way,
Tom and Cindy -- he's calling her Cindy, not Cynthia, now -- are back from
their honeymoon. My God, they just radiate happiness. I still owe you...
big! And so does Sal. We love you Angel. Good bye."
After hanging up, she looked at the instrument. _Good heavens!_ she
thought. _He got it all and in only thirty minutes._ She looked at Ken and
said, "I won't tell you, yet, who was on the end of that call, but I will
tell you... Please wait one more second!"
She hit the redial button. The same voice answered the same way. "This
is Angel. I need to speak to Tony."
An instant later he was back on the line. "What did you forget?"
"I need the name she used in her previous marriage, the court in which
the divorce was filed -- that sort of thing."
"Wait one second," he said. He was almost as good as his word. "It was
Collins. She was Mrs. Edward Collins. It was in Newport News on... May
15 of _this year!_ Angel, you did it! I didn't know before, but I'm
starting to see the way your mind works. I'll bet you've got her on
bigamy! I am prepared to have my recant their testimony with Stark,
testify about whipping Sylvia and all of that stuff. I still will without
a second's thought if you need it, but with bigamy it all blows away,
right? Let me know." Tony hung up.
"Ken, when did you marry Sylvia? It's important."
"The second Day of Infamy? It was March... Of course! The ides of
March: March 15! Me and Julius Caesar," He replied with a smile.
"Bingo!" Kathy shouted and rushed around the desk to launch herself into
his lap. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him joyously -- and
then passionately. Slowly she pulled away and allowed her head to clear
from the effects of his kiss, but stayed on his lap. "Honey, you're home
free! You get it all back. Every dime! She was a bigamist. On March 15,
she was still legally to a guy named Edward Collins. Your marriage
never took place!"
Ken looked at the lovely he was holding in his arms. Somehow she
was feather-light on his lap. In less than one hour and two phone calls
she had put his life back together. After kissing her softly he asked,
"How did you know?"
"Ken," she replied, feeling almost childlike in his arms, "Sylvia was
running a racket. My source -- who is unusually reliable -- found three
marriages and is confident there were more -- possibly many more. She
always worked with Holmes although the other lawyer changed from time to
time." She went on to explain what she had learned and its significance.
Finally she said, "Can I stop playing lawyer now? Can I take you up on
the drink offer?"
Ken was amused. Instead of wearing her suit back to the apartment she
went back into her washroom and reappeared moments later in her jeans and
T-shirt. He made drinks while she made dinner. That night they went to
bed early with Kathy jumping in first. The covers were up around her neck
when he emerged from the bathroom. She flipped them back to welcome him,
revealing her beautiful golden body. "Now about those 'other valuable
considerations'..."
They got very little sleep that night as they took turns waking each
other for more lovemaking. *Chapter 20*
The next morning Kathy was dressed in her lawyer suit as she drove Ken
back to his ship. Then she crossed the bridge to Newport News and went to
the courthouse where she was immediately recognized as she entered. After
obtaining a copy of the Collins divorce papers she found a pay phone and
called Tony Donetti. Once again he picked up immediately after she
identified herself. "Tony, I'm clear to talk. I'm at a pay phone in
Newport News and I'm getting ready to see our sleazy friend, Mr. Holmes.
"One thing I'll need is names of people who will testify that Sylvia was
Sylvia Collins. I also need her current address. She's the kind who
changes identities as fast as a chameleon changes its color. Also, if you
have Holmes office address it would save me from walking my fingers through
the telephone directory. And Tony, I hope you don't mind if I go for
disbarment on Homes, and Homer Knight, too, if I can prove collusion."
"Angel, why would I possibly mind? Go get 'em, tiger. The names of the
people are easy to get. Do you need them now?"
"No, Tony. I was pretty sure but I wanted to check with you first. I
want to be sure there _are_ some witnesses in case Holmes tries to bluff it
out."
Donetti gave Kathy Holmes' address, Sylvia's address and the assurance
that she would not be able to hide. Getting back into her car she drove to
her office in Norfolk.
When she walked in, she found Peter there. He closed his office door,
looked at her steadily and then exclaimed, "Katherine Smith, you are in
love! And on you it looks great. It happened over the weekend, didn't
it?" Kathy blushed and nodded. "Who's the lucky guy?"
She told him about Ken and his divorce. "Pete, this stuff is new to me.
I don't really know what it takes. What evidence do you need to move?"
"Kathy, I'll help you all I can. What we need is an admission from him
that he knew Sylvia had already Stark while he was working on the
Collins divorce. Hon, even though its almost never prosecuted, bigamy is a
felony. If he admits to knowledge, he's an accessory after the fact. Of
course, there could be other marriages worked this way. Then you not only
get disbarment, you get felony prosecution on conspiracy to commit fraud,
bigamy... It could be a very interesting indictment!
"I have one question, though. It's Wednesday. You only met the guy on
the weekend, yet you seem to know everything there is to know about the
scam already. Wait! Don't answer! I'll hear about Kathy Smith,
wonder-worker, and feel inadequate again."
He grinned at her and she gave him a warm smile in return. After the
emotion-filled day the previous Friday she was glad his sense of humor was
still intact.
"Kathy, I have an idea, if you'll go for it. Carry a wire when you meet
him. If he says what I'm confident you'll get him to say, he's dead meat.
Do you want to try?"
"Let's do it!" Kathy exclaimed with delight.
Peter called a police technician. While waiting, Kathy said, "Pete, one
thing occurred to me. I have a carry permit for my gun in connection with
my DA's job which I no longer have. Is the permit still good?"
"No. As a matter of fact, it was revoked this morning. May I have it,
please?" Pete's voice was flat as he spoke.
Kathy was but she said nothing. She found the permit in her wallet
and gave it to him.
After glancing at it, he tore it up and dropped the pieces in his
wastebasket. Then he reached into his desk, took out two laminated cards
without looking and flipped them across the desk to Kathy. "These are
yours," he said. As usual, his face was totally expressionless.
Kathy picked up the cards which both looked very official. One was
headed United States of America, while the other said Commonwealth of
Virginia. Both had ID pictures of her identical to the one formerly on her
District Attorney's identification. "What are these?" she asked.
"I'm not really sure," Pete answered, appearing bored by the subject.
"The Federal one is some sort of junior G-Man, or junior federal marshal,
or something stupid like that. The other is something similar from the
State. I guess it gives the overpaid bureaucrats something to do with
their time. At any rate, it amounts to a Federal gun permit. By the way,
I asked where the junior G-Man badge and cap gun were that usually come
with this junk." His face broke into a wide grin. "Kathy, they didn't seem
to be amused!" At that they both burst into laughter.
"By the way, I can't think what the Virginia one does that the Federal
one doesn't do on a broader scale. I finally came to the conclusion that
the Governor looks on you as one of his people, and he won't back off for
the Feds. Of course, I seem to recall a certain unpleasantness a hundred
years or so ago when Virginia didn't back down, either."
As Pete was talking, Kathy had been idly examining the card. Then she
looked at its Virginia counterpart. "Pete, this is strange. It says I am
a special U.S. Marshall; Virginia says I am a special agent of the
Virginia Bureau of Investigation. It may be a weird way to get a pistol
permit, but I think I may have accidentally picked up some arrest powers.
If I'm right, they're concurrent. Federal or state charges, I can pick
them up."
Pete was suddenly interested. "Kathy, could I see them again, please?"
He read them carefully and then spun in his chair to pick up a phone on the
credenza behind him. His back was to her and he was speaking in a low tone
of voice which was unusual for him. She could not hear what he was saying
or to whom. As he was talking, there was a knock on the door. She got up
and opened it.
A conservatively dressed was at the door. "Miss Smith? I'm sorry
to interrupt, but I'm here to see you. My name is Joe Peters. I'm Special
Agent in Charge of the FBI office here in Norfolk. May I come in?" He took
a seat in the chair next to Kathy's. Meanwhile, Pete was continuing his
phone conversation. "Miss Smith, I don't quite know how to begin. Did
Pete give you a card this morning? One with your identifying you
as a special U.S. Marshall?"
Kathy nodded. Things were getting interesting. Peters continued, "I've
known Peter Mahoney for years, and I know his sense of humor. However, I
guess some folks inside the Beltway make careers out of taking themselves
very seriously. At any rate, Pete made some crack about a junior G-Man
badge and they came all unglued. Miss Smith, I have something for you that
came down from Washington in a special pouch. I was asked to deliver it to
you personally." He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a small
rectangular box.
Kathy opened it. It was a gold badge with the legend, United States of
America, on top and Department of Justice below. There was a shield which
she assumed to be the seal of the Justice Department. It also said Special
Marshall. Turning it over she saw engraved on the back Katherine J.
Smith.
Agent Peters was smiling now. Going back into his case he pulled out a
thin black leather wallet, then tapped Peter on the shoulder. Pete nodded
and passed him a card. Then the agent asked Kathy for the badge. After
taking it from her, he fumbled for a few moments, then passed the case back
to her. "Open it," he said. She did. The badge was pinned to one side of
the wallet and the ID card to the other. With a grin he said, "Us real
G-Men carry ours that way, so I guess Junior G-Men should, too.
"Miss Smith, will you please stand?" Kathy did so. Peter had completed
his call and was watching the proceedings with amusement. "Raise your
right hand and repeat after me: I, Katherine J. Smith, do solemnly swear
that I will uphold the Constitution of the United States and its laws as a
Special Marshall of the United States Department of Justice, so help me
God."
Kathy did so, and was moved. _This is no joke,_ she thought.
"Miss Smith..."
Please call me Kathy, Mr. Peters."
"Kathy, then -- and please call me Joe -- there are some papers to fill
out and that sort of garbage. Please don't forget your social-security
number. They need it for your paycheck."
"Paycheck! _What_ paycheck?" Kathy nearly screamed.
"Your Department of Justice paycheck, of course," Peters replied looking
very amused. "I've heard about you from Pete, of course. You're the
that doesn't do things for money, so you didn't even ask what the job pays
before you let me swear you in."
"But I don't want any money!" Kathy wailed. _This is getting out of
hand!_ she thought.
Mahoney could no longer control his laughter. He held up one finger and
Peters grinned and nodded vigorously. Pete finally controlled himself
enough to say, "Kathy, it pays one dollar per year -- and you have to take
it. It's a Federal offense to work for the U.S. Government for nothing!
As the two were laughing, Peters was nodding his head to what Mahoney
had just said. Kathy joined in their laughter.
When the laughter died down, Pete said, "While you two were laughing it
up, I was talking to Richmond. You were absolutely right, Kathy. You have
the _full_ Junior G-Man kit, complete with arrest powers. Believe it or
not, those two sets of idiots -- Washington and Richmond -- are still
debating whether special legislation is needed for concurrent powers of
arrest. It's a bureaucratic classic. They don't know if it's needed at
all, but if it is, is it Federal of state? Or both?
"Kathy, you may have generated enough work to keep full departments busy
in both places for a year! And I hope you're satisfied." By the time
Mahoney finished his speech, both Kathy and Peters were howling with
laughter. Tears were rolling down her cheeks.
"Then I told Richmond that the FBI's SAIC was in my office preparing to
swear you in as a special Federal marshal. They made me write down the
words so I could swear you in now, too. Of course, the State's more frugal
with its money. They're not paying you. You _can_ work of the State for
free. In fact, they prefer it, so you are."
Turning serious, he swore her in as a special agent of the Virginia
Bureau of Investigation. After she took the oath he added, "By the way,
they asked me to apologize that your badge isn't ready yet. I gave them
your address and it should arrive, registered mail, within a week. It also
comes with its own wallet. I told them the Federal wallet was black and to
get a different color so you can pull the right one. The jerk thanked me
for the information, would you believe? It would be a helluva note if you
try to make a Federal collar and pull a State badge!"
Mahoney's intercom buzzed. His secretary told him that Police Sergeant
Kowalski was in the office to see him by appointment. Kowalski was shown
in and introduced. As Peters was preparing to leave, Mahoney had an idea.
"Joe, do you have another minute? It just occurred to me that what Kathy
and I were talking about could concern you."
"Pete, would you excuse me a moment?" Kathy asked. "Could I use my
office to make a phone call? It's important. You can brief Joe while I'm
gone."
She went back to her office, closed the door, and was relieved to
find that nothing had been changed. She had a direct line there that did
not go through the office switchboard and had no extensions that she used
to call Tony Donetti again. Moments later he was on the phone.
"Tony, I'm on a secure line. By any chance, do you have any other
names, dates and places on Sylvia's marriage scam?"
Donetti chuckled, "I sure do, and I was wondering what to do with them.
I don't feel right calling you. Anyhow, it's like that Walt Disney thing
when the buckets start bringing water and Mickey Mouse can't turn them off?
Well, the heard it was for Angel so they won't quit. Do you have
paper? Good. I'll read them off to you." He did.
Before she hung up, Tony had given her twelve names over a four-year
period. She was only missing a few dates. Tony gave her an organized list
with name, date of marriage, date and place of divorce -- but not all the
blanks were filled. But it was enough -- more than enough. She had to
study the dates more carefully, but she was reasonably sure that at one
point Sylvia was to three at the same time. She thanked
Donetti and then changed the subject.
"Tony, something just happened that you should know about." She filled
him in on the badges she was now carrying and ended by saying, "It nets out
that I have full arrest powers, but no one can tell me to do anything. I
just wanted you to hear it direct from me."
Donetti laughed and said, "I think it's great, Angel. You now have the
ultimate carry permit. You know, I think they did a very smart thing. You
can use that weapon of yours better than anyone else carrying a badge!
They gave it to the right girl. No one else knows this, right?"
"You're right, Tony. One more thing. There may be a Federal charge
against Sylvia. Were all the names you just gave me Navy?"
"Sure were -- and they were all officers. Need anything else?"
"No, Tony. And thanks... Just thanks!"
"Good bye, Angel. One more thing. The and I are getting a real
kick out of being on the right side of the law for a change. Just thought
you might like to know."
When she hung up, she called Holmes' office and made an appointment to
see him there at two o'clock. Then she returned to Mahoney's office where
the were waiting for her. "Kathy, Joe thinks there is a Federal angle,
but he had better tell you himself."
Peters said, "This is all from memory, and I'll check it back at the
office to be sure, but it works like this: Back in the Second World War
several servicemen's protection laws were passed. You can't garnishee a
serviceman's pay, for example. Were these out of the country? Pete
said he thought they were, but wasn't sure. If they were, I think that's
the hook. You can't act against a serviceman if he can't be present to
defend himself."
Kathy brought out Donetti's list. "I have a surprise for you. While
you important law-enforcement types were in here shooting the shit..."
Eyebrows were raised at Kathy's use of the phrase. Pete commented, "How
unladylike! Joe, you can see how she's gone to the dogs in less than a
week away from the office! Shame!"
"Shooting the shit!" Kathy repeated, with emphasis, "the loyal
detective was working her fingers to the bone for her munificent Federal
wage. I have a list of twelve names with most of the dates and all of the
places. This is four years' worth. They are all naval officers. None was
present at the trial that cleaned him out. All were deployed overseas,
mostly to the Med. Did I do good? Huh?"
The laughed with her, but quickly turned serious when they looked
over her sheet. She had made copies for each of them before she came in.
Joe Peters was the first to speak. "Kathy, let me check something. When
did you first start this investigation?" She replied that it was the night
before, about five o'clock.
Peters whistled appreciatively. "I knew it was quick, but... My God,
that's only about fifteen hours, and almost all of it was nighttime. I
don't suppose you want to tell me the source?" Kathy shook her head, no.
"I didn't think so. Pete, this is tapped into the finest intelligence
network around. You know that the FBI cracks a lot of cases by digging
around in dusty ledgers, bank records, court files... that sort of
thing.
"Believe me, I've been there and I know how tedious and time-consuming
it is. If I had put my entire office on this project, I don't think they
could have produced this in less than eight weeks. And after eight weeks,
I doubt if our list would be nearly this complete. This was put together
in less than twenty-four hours! What I wouldn't give for your sources..."
He continued with a grin, "Kathy, you earned your Junior G-Man badge...
and at least half of your year's pay. Well... maybe one-third. But it's
definitely a good start!" he said brightly. Everyone laughed.
"Joe," Pete said, "Am I correct in assuming that it should be a very
simple matter to complete the sheet? Obtain the missing dates? All the
divorce dates are here along with the courts. How long would it take to
get the corresponding wedding dates?"
"Hell, Pete, one of my ought to be able to fill in the blanks this
afternoon. Let's do it! If you don't need me any longer, I'm going to put
this show on the road."
Kathy looked at Pete and then at Sergeant Kowalski. "I have an
appointment with Holmes in his office at two. What do I do? I assume Mr.
Mahoney told you I'm going to be wired."
Kowalski quickly reviewed the various forms of devices. The
smallest one available was cylindrical in shape and a bit smaller in
diameter and a little shorter than a long cigar. They talked about Holmes.
Although no one knew him, they assumed he would be wary and sensitive to
the possibility of recording. As they talked, an idea occurred to Kathy.
"Sergeant, how small is the smallest microphone you have?"
"It's tiny," he replied. "Look." He took out a tiny mike about the
diameter of a button but much thinner. She asked if it could be
taped in place. He answered that with special sound-conductive tape he
had, yes. Finally, she asked about wire and was told that he had some that
wasn't much thicker than sewing thread. Kathy was excited. Her idea might
work.
"Guys, listen and tell me how this sounds. Let's assume that he's as
sensitive as we think he is. I go in wearing a skin-tight dress. He'll
ask, and I'll leave my purse with his secretary so when we go into his
office, there's just me. He spills and I record. What do you think?"
"Ma'am, it would work fine, but where do we put the gear? Solve that,
and I think we're there. But how do we solve it?"
Kathy checked her watch and found there was just enough time to get to
her apartment and then back to the office. "Sergeant, get that cylindrical
thing, the thin wire and a button mike. I'll meet you back here at one.
The target's office is only a two-minute walk from here."
After racing back to her apartment, Kathy ran to the closet. After
stripping, she put on a plain white dress with a "V" neck. The fabric
outlined her body contours clearly. _Perfect!_ she thought. It even
showed the outline of her bikini briefs. Then she picked up one other item
from the apartment and finally in the interest of modesty grabbed a
lightweight tan raincoat on her way out.
Promptly at one o'clock she met Sergeant Kowalski. When they went into
her office, she immediately closed the blinds. "Sergeant," Kathy said
with a grin, "since you are about to know me intimately, we ought to be on
a first-names basis. You know mine, but what's yours?"
"It's George, ma'am... I mean, Kathy." He grinned.
"Well, here goes!" she said as she lifted the tight-fitting dress over
her head. Now she was standing nude in front of him except for her shoes
and bikini. Kowalski's eyes bulged and he let out a low, appreciative
whistle.
Then he blushed as a lobster. "I'm terribly sorry, Kathy, but I
have never in my life seen a body like yours!" Regaining control, he asked,
"What do we do?"
"I want you to tape the mike to the inside of my breast. But first, let
me see the transmitter." Reaching into her pocketbook, she took out a
corona cigar enclosed in an aluminum cylinder. "Will it fit in this? And
is it heat sensitive? To body heat? By the way, George, you're welcome to
the cigar if you smoke them. It's a very good one."
Kowalski examined the cylinder and took the transmitter from his pocket.
It fit easily. After wrapping it in padding, he put it into the empty
cigar tube. The tiny device combined a short-range transmitter and a
battery with a three-hour transmitting life. The antenna was the third
wire in the strand of threadlike wire connecting the transmitter with the
microphone.
"But where are you going to put it? It's small, but not invisible." She
told him and his jaw dropped. "Kathy, you can't be serious... I mean... I
mean the wires... My God, Kathy, I couldn't..."
"I can, George, but thank you for caring. Now, can it take body heat
and moisture?" He nodded yes. "Okay, here's what we do. Connect the wires
and seal the cylinder. I'll put it in and then you tape the wires and the
mike. Okay?" He nodded and reluctantly did what she asked.
Kathy took off her bikini when George left the room. Sitting on the
edge of the desk with her thighs spread wide she gently inserted the
cylinder into her vagina. With her finger she pushed it up as far as she
could, being careful not to jar the wire. Carefully, she slid into her
briefs and knocked on the door, the signal to George that he could come
back in. After locking the door again he got out his tape.
"Kathy, I think the less we use the better. He looked over her body
critically. "Kathy, I think we ought to... I need to see the dress for a
second," he said, excited. She handed it to him and he flipped it
inside-out. "Shit! I should have known. It's knitted, not sewn. I was
hoping I could follow a seam, but there aren't any. Well, back to the
drawing boards. How about if I follow the curve of your abdomen and belly
up to the inside of your right breast? The mike is omnidirectional, so it
really doesn't matter a whole lot, but try to have your left shoulder a bit
towards Holmes. If you do that, he'll be talking directly into the mike."
Carefully, he executed the plan. He had been utterly amazed at Kathy's
cool unconcern about her nudity. She allowed him to work on her body as if
she were a department-store dummy. But, as he carefully placed the mike on
the inside of her right breast, he could see her nipple start to harden.
Finally, he helped her on with her dress. It was only one-thirty; the
whole process including the discussion had taken only thirty minutes. For
the final test they went to Peter's office.
"My God," he said, "Kathy, you look like a dream. But you're late!
You've got to be wired." He turned to George. "Come on, Kowalski! Let's
get this show on the road!"
Kathy ignored him and made a model's turn. "See anything? I _am_
wired! Listen!"
With that Kathy closed the office door as she went out to chat with
Mahoney's secretary. As she was leaving, George plugged in and activated
the combination receiver-recorder. Kathy approached Peter's secretary,
apologized for interrupting her, but said she needed a woman's opinion.
She said she loved Peter Mahoney dearly but he had his taste in his feet.
She told the that she had been invited to a big dance at the Officer's
Club on Saturday night with a _very_ special guy. Would the dress she was
wearing be appropriate?
Peter's secretary was a black named Grace Washington. Grace
was only one year out of high school and she worshiped Kathy. Grace looked
at Kathy carefully, then said, "Miss Smith, he's the one, isn't he?"
Kathy knew what Grace meant but feigned ignorance. "The one what,
Grace? I don't understand."
Grace fairly beamed. "Yes you do, Miss Smith. You are the most
beautiful I've ever seen. But now... now you beam like the sun,
you're so radiant! Ma'am you _must_ have met the you've been waiting
for all this time. Miss Smith, before I answer your question about the
dress, you have to answer one of mine. Are you planning on sleeping with
him Saturday night?"
Kathy nodded shyly but said, "Grace, why do you ask a question like
that?"
"Because wearing that dress with no intention of sleeping with the
gentleman... Why, Miss Smith, that's as good a definition of 'cruel and
unusual punishment' as I can imagine. It surely is cruel, and it has to be
unusual."
Kathy asked the about her schooling. She knew Grace was enrolled
in night school.
"I got straight 'A's' last term, Miss Smith!" the said proudly.
"I'm going to take more courses next term. I want to go to law school some
day." The continued to talk about Grace's plans.
Meanwhile in his office Peter was listening in amazement. "She's
wired!" he exclaimed.
"That's what I said, sir. She's wired," Kowalski said.
"But where, in the name of God, is it?" Peter nearly shouted. "She
can't be wired in that dress! You can see _everything_ and there's no bug.
It's a trick!"
Kowalski shook his head and told him where it was. "It's Kathy, sir. I
never would have thought of it, and if I had thought of it I wouldn't have
dared even mention it to her! She is _some_ woman!"
Meantime, Peter was listening to the talk about school. When he
heard Grace Washington mention her grades, he exclaimed, "Oh, shit! I'm
going to lose a secretary in January... and a damned good one, too!"
Kowalski looked at Mahoney as if he had lost his mind. "What do you
mean? Why would she quit?"
Peter looked at him sadly and replied, "Because, Kowalski, Kathy's going
to pay for her full-time education. That's why."
"But... But that's ridiculous! is expensive these days,
and..."
Peter interrupted. "I happen to know there are two kids just out of the
Navy driving across country right now. They're headed for California, and
school. The -- who's cute as a button, I hear -- is going to USC, and
then on to USC Law. Her husband is going to Cal Tech for the eight years
or so that it will take him to get his _doctorate,_ for chrissakes. It's
all paid. Kathy paid it! Kowalski, we're talking big money now. Kathy's
loaded.
One day Kathy gave me a check for something -- maybe ten dollars or so
-- drawn on United Virginia Bank. As a joke, I called the bank and said I
had a check from Katherine Smith, and was it good? The answer was, 'It's
good.' I said that I hadn't told him the amount. He repeated, 'It's good.'
"Kowalski, how much money do you have to have for UVB to say, 'It's
good,' without asking the amount? I guess $10 million or more. She's
going to pay for Grace Washington's education, as sure as you're sitting
there!"
"But... But Grace Washington is black!" George blurted out.
"Kowalski, to Kathy she is a _person._ Kathy doesn't care if the is
green, orange, or yellow with purple polka-dots! She sees a who is
working hard -- struggling -- to get ahead. Kathy helps those people. Why
do you suppose every person who knows Kathy Smith _loves_ her? Look at
you, for chrissakes! What word did you use? I forgot. But I think you
meant courageous... guts... She's Kathy, and that says it all! She's
coming back."
Kathy entered the room and asked, "How did it go? Could you hear?"
Turning to Kowalski she asked, "George, don't these things have some way so
the wearer knows she's being heard?" George nodded. "Great! Try it, so
I'll know."
"Kathy, on this unit it transmits a small shock. I don't want..."
"George! Do it! Now!" Kathy commanded. He did. Peter watched and
Kathy didn't move or jump, but just smiled. "Great! It works! Be sure
you hit it when I get into Ed Holmes' office. I don't want my upcoming
Academy Award performance to be lost to posterity."
* * *
Edward Holmes came out to his reception area to great her. He was
obviously impressed -- and wary. He saw her purse and then he looked over
the girl. The white dress she was wearing fit like a second skin. _My
God!_ Holmes thought, _I can even see the line of her underpants! And from
the look of those nipples, she can't be wearing a bra!_ He wasn't at all
sure about her purse, though. "Miss Smith, welcome! I've seen you on
television so often, I feel I know you. What can I do for you?"
"I am representing Commander Kenneth Stark, Mr. Holmes. I have come to
get his money back. Since you are representing the former Mrs. Stark, I
thought I would start with you."
"I'm delighted to talk with you. But would you mind leaving your purse
with my secretary? I'm sensitive to certain things."
"Not at all," replied Kathy. "There's nothing in it I need."
She gave her purse to the secretary, entered the office and seated
herself in a chair. Its location positioned the mike perfectly. She
waited for Holmes to be seated and then began. There were a few moment of
pleasantries during which she again felt the curious shock in her vagina.
_In fact,_ she thought, _it's really quite a pleasant sensation. Now,
since we have the broadcast audience, let's get with it!_
"Mr. Holmes, let's get to the point of this meeting. I said in your
reception area that I want Commander Stark's money back. I do. I should
have added, I suppose, that I want you, Sylvia Stark, and that clown who
represented Commander Stark, Homer Knight, in jail." Holmes was shocked at
her statement and showed it.
"I have evidence that Sylvia -- I'll call her Sylvia, because only God
knows what her real name is -- that Sylvia's divorce from Edward Collins
was not final until May 15 of this year. Unfortunately, she had attempted
to marry my client on March 15, sixty days earlier. As we both know,
counselor, bigamous marriages don't count. One cannot obtain a divorce if
one is not married.
"In my purse on your secretary's desk is a list of twelve marriages
Sylvia entered into and twelve divorces she has gone through _in the last
four years!_ You can ask her to bring in the list if you're interested in
the details. The interesting thing is, Mr. Holmes, you represented her in
every action. The defendant's attorney changed from time to time, but you
and Sylvia were constants in all the equations. You represented her in
every one!
"Mr. Holmes, I am sure that you know that bigamy is a felony in this
state. It is not often prosecuted, but it remains an active statute.
Knowledge before the fact makes you at least an accessory, and more
probably a co-conspirator. Then, of course, there are the Federal charges.
They're still being researched, but I think they'll prove very interesting.
Some fascinating protective legislation was enacted during World War II.
It applies particularly to servicemen on duty outside the continental
United States.
"Every one of Sylvia's victims was outside the country when your charade
played out. The FBI's SAIC in Norfolk is looking into the law now using
the services of the U.S. Attorney's office. Then, of course, there are
witnesses. My favorite is the who whipped Sylvia at an appropriate
time so she could have the marks to show in court. That person is
convinced that Sylvia is sick and is anxious to testify. Then there is...
But need I go on?"
Holmes had been sitting behind his desk listening to Kathy's recital.
He felt a horrible sinking sensation as he felt his world disintegrate
beneath him. It was only through an extraordinary effort of will that he
remained impassive. He was sweating profusely, though, and could feel
perspiration forming on his forehead and his scalp, and feel it running
down his back between his shoulder blades.
When Kathy mentioned the whipping, it was too much. Holmes cracked. He
jumped to his feet and screamed, "You can't prove that! They would never
testify! Sylvia promised me. She's connected. That's how we were able to
get all of the witnesses in the first place. Of course I knew about it.
I'm her partner! The whole idea was mine. Sylvia has the connections to
get the people we need."
He started to calm down a bit as he continued, "I think you're right
about one thing, though: I think Sylvia is a masochist. I was with her
when... By God, it was for your Commander Stark's divorce! She had this
girl with a whip -- a big long bull whip, for God's sake. Sylvia braced
herself against a wall with her arms outstretched, stripped to her panties.
She had this whip her. After each stroke, she would just shudder a
little -- it was almost a sexual thing -- examine herself in the mirror and
then tell the where the next whip stroke should be applied. You know,
I think it carried the trial. It was so effective when Sylvia bared her
back and showed the whip marks. A finding of fault was in the bag."
Kathy was growing concerned. Strangely, Holmes' confidence seemed to
grow as he told how the scheme had worked. There was probably enough to
convict them on the tape already, but she wanted to be sure. Then she had
an idea. "Counselor, when did you contrive this scheme? As I said
earlier, we have twelve cases over the last four years, but we really
haven't looked very hard."
Holmes puffed up in importance. "I started it eight years ago. Of
course, you missed some. The total is thirty-two. We do four every year,
so there are another four within the period you missed. They weren't all
in the Tidewater area, of course, so that might explain it.
"Would you believe it, Miss Smith? I found Sylvia in a whorehouse. She
showed promise and certainly developed. Every one of the marriages over
the last five years has been to an officer. Many were Annapolis graduates.
We fooled them all!"
"What about Homer Knight? How does he fit in?" she asked. It was all
Kathy could do to control herself when she learned Ken's former had
also been a prostitute.
"I like Homer. I think we'll probably use him again because he's very
good at gaining the victim's confidence. On the other hand, he's greedy.
He wasn't satisfied with what Stark paid him and wanted some of mine, too.
So I really don't know."
Rising from his chair he came around the desk and said, "Miss Smith,
it's been a real pleasure. It's been a particular pleasure to watch your
nipples move under your dress. You are, indeed, a beautiful creature.
tape and newspaper photographs do not do you full justice. Good bye, Miss
Smith. It's too bad you can't prove any of this. Now let me escort you to
the door."
They went back to the reception area and Kathy retrieved her handbag.
Under the guise of ensuring that all of her belongings were intact, she
pulled out her new ID wallet. "Mr. Holmes, you are under arrest for
Federal conspiracy." She showed him her shiny new gold badge and said, "I
am a special United States Marshall. Everything you said in your office
has been recorded for your future listening pleasure."
"It can't be! There's no way you could be wired! Where is it? I
demand to see the device. You're lying to me and trying to trick
me. I refuse to go, and you cannot make me!" As he spoke, Holmes quickly
opened a drawer in the desk. Kathy could see the butt of a pistol that
Holmes was reaching for.
Holding her purse in her left hand, Kathy's right moved with the speed
of a striking cobra, producing the LadySmith in her hand aimed directly at
Holmes' overweight midsection. "I believe I can, Mr. Holmes. And I don't
think you want to touch that weapon. It could be quite hazardous to your
health. And surely you don't want to add resisting arrest to your list of
troubles?" Her pistol disappeared back into its holster as quickly as it
had appeared in her hand.
She escorted Holmes back to Mahoney's office and turned him over to
waiting uniformed officers and an FBI special agent Joe had sent over.
Mahoney had called him and told him that the tape of Holmes' was
of broadcast quality. Returning to her office, she stripped off her dress
and briefs, quickly detached the equipment and carefully extracted the
transmitter from the cigar tube, throwing the tube away.
She dressed again and returned Kowalski's equipment. "Thank you,
George. I think it went well, but I'm no expert. What did you think?"
"It was perfect, Kathy! Technically, it couldn't be better. The tape
is broadcast quality, it's so good. You and the DA know far more about its
value as evidence, but it sounded to me like he hung himself at least a
couple of times. I would like to use this device with some of our
policewomen, but they would kill me if I even mentioned it. If the need
ever arises, would you come down and explain it to them? By the way, that
was a great cigar. I smoked it while you were in there with Holmes."
Kathy checked the time and found it was almost four o'clock. She would
be late to meet Ken at his ship. Waving to Peter, she dashed out to her
car, still carrying her raincoat in her hand. Heads turned in unison to
watch her progress as she ran to her car.
She arrived at the ship only one minute late and found Ken waiting for
her as she drove up. As he climbed into the car, he looked at her dress
and whistled. "Wow! What's the occasion? You look absolutely gorgeous in
that dress!"
Beaming at him she said, "Thank you, kind sir. You just answered my
question. I was thinking about what to wear to the club dance on Saturday,
so I thought I would put it on and let you decide. You did. I'm wearing
it."
"Anything else happen today?" he asked. She told him she got a Junior
G-Man kit of her very own. Ken just looked at her strangely, not knowing
what to make of her comment. *Chapter 21*
It was New Year's Day and Ken was admiring the beautiful asleep
beside him in the bed as he reflected on their months together. His
happiness and good fortune was due entirely to Kathy. He could not believe
that only a few months had passed since they had first met.
_Bless the United States Navy,_ he thought. for screwing up
family lives, in his case the Evans' operating schedule fit his personal
needs perfectly. He had met her only a few days after returning from the
Med. Ever since the Evans returned, she had spent the time at pier-side,
in dry dock and back at pier-side again, as the technicians -- ship's
company, base, and civilian contractors -- found first one and then another
major item that required attention before she could rejoin the fleet.
His crew had adopted Kathy. He grinned thinking about fights ashore
that started because his were thought to be too possessive of her.
They had ben told that just because Kathy was their captain's lady it
didn't mean the Evans owned her. She was the Norfolk Navy's girl.
If they didn't know about Kathy, his crew could not have understood his
behavior. Ken was honest enough with himself to admit that he had a
reputation as one of the hardest-charging skippers in the destroyer fleet.
Pre-Kathy, he would have been going berserk at the endless delays and
pyramiding mechanical casualties -- main propulsion, weapons, and most of
all, electronics -- that kept his ship tied to the shore. Captains make
their reputations in peacetime by running more exercises and achieving
higher scores in less elapsed time than their predecessors.
Now living with Kathy, he showed an uncharacteristic patience.
Objectively, the Evans was better off this way. She was a _war_ship with
no war to fight. She was reaching the highest state of readiness she
enjoyed since she was first placed in commission. Better, in fact, since
major weapons systems had been replaced with newer, even more effective
ones.
Now the Evans was preparing for sea. Next week she would be going out
for a two-week shakedown preparatory to another extended Mediterranean
deployment. As commanding officer, Ken did not stand watches so he had
spent every night in Kathy's arms. As a result he was facing the first
time they would have slept apart since that fateful Friday night. When his
life was a shattered ruin, this appeared and put it back together in
less than a week.
Idly, he ran his fingers lightly over an exposed breast. Almost
instantly its nipple stood to attention, and a smile started to form on the
lips of the still-sleeping girl. He quickly took his hand away and watched
her relax again. She nuzzled closer to him with a soft sound like a purr
and was again deep in sleep.
He carefully covered her exposed and grinned to himself as he
remembered the day that Kathy had picked him up wearing her white dress.
When they returned to the apartment he had asked her about the curious
reference to "Junior G-Man." With a grin she had showed him her Federal
badge and Virginia State ID. Another expression of the extraordinary
regard in which she was held by respected agencies that knew her. It was
weeks later that he found out about the hiding place she had used for the
transmitter. He vividly recalled her concluding explanation, "You did it,"
she had told him brightly. "I was so stretched from having you constantly
inside me I didn't feel a thing."
His thoughts returned to the Evans and the ship's picnic they had had in
late October. There had been the usual contests and Kathy insisted on
being on the enlisted men's side competing against the officers and senior
NCOs. The white hats had been delighted to have her as their mascot but
they got a whole lot more.
He remembered with chagrin how she had won the softball game for them
with her hitting and fielding. He had been pitching for the officers when
Kathy came to the plate with on second and third. The usual practice
when a woman was batting was to float the ball up and let her try to hit
it. He knew Kathy better than that, so he started firing his pitches
despite loud complaints from the white-hats.
With the count one ball and one strike, he released his best pitch of
the day. It was on the letters at the inside corner for a second strike.
Suddenly, Kathy uncoiled and lined the ball into left center. The
outfielders normally played very shallow when women batted -- more of a
deep infield -- but he had them playing very deep. They understood why as
the ball was still rising when it passed between them. He remembered how
she had sped around the bases so fast she had to slow almost to a walk to
avoid passing a slow runner who had been on second base. She had hit the
ball so deep and had run so fast, she could have easily circled the bases
twice before the ball came back to the infield.
He could have still won the game for the officers, and he thought he
had. In the last inning he was batting with two outs, two on, and
trailing by one run. He nailed a pitch flush, right on the sweet spot of
the bat. The ball was a line drive rising out to deep center field where
Kathy was playing. He had seen her put her back to the plate at the crack
of the bat and start to fly. It was probably the longest ball he had ever
hit in his life but she still outran it. At the last instant, she launched
her body out straight and, with her glove hand outstretched, caught the
ball, and then did a somersault as she hit the ground. For an instant he
though she was hurt, but then she bounced to her feet, waving the ball in
her glove.
There was silence for an instant, followed by pandemonium as the
enlisted went wild. The officers and chiefs looked on in awe. Kathy
was mobbed on the field by her teammates and carried off on their
shoulders. _She really knows how to a guy!_ he reflected ruefully.
When they finally released her, she ran over to him. There was dirt all
over her legs, on her clothes and in her hair. There was a huge sweaty
dirt smudge on her cheek, and she looked beautiful. She smiled sweetly,
said, "Thank you, dear," and told him that the ball she had hit wouldn't
have gone nearly so far if it hadn't been his best fast ball. _No wonder
the crew love her,_ he thought.
Then he remembered a dinner they had in Norfolk at the Omni when he
first met Tom and Cindy Donetti. His first reaction was that they were a
handsome couple and, from the way they were greeted by name, were
well-known in the hotel. He recalled how very much in love they seemed.
He had a revelation that night when he saw the way Cindy looked at Tom with
an expression of adoration and realized that it was nearly identical to the
way Kathy always looked at him! They were delightful people and they
adored Kathy. Nonetheless, he couldn't figure out how their paths had
crossed.
When Kathy excused herself from the table, he took the opportunity to
ask. Tom quickly recounted the rape charge and how Kathy had had it
dismissed. Ken had commented that he thought he had heard all the Kathy
Smith stories, but this was a new one. Tom had smiled and explained how
Kathy had buried the story. Cindy chimed in and hinted at the way in which
Kathy had helped her and the subsequent weekend here at the hotel.
Blushing, she explained that she and Tom still came back for weekends. As
she said it, she took Tom's hand in hers and squeezed.
Ken understood partially. He still didn't see what was such a big deal.
Of course Kathy had dismissed the charges; there had been no crime.
Tom had looked down at the table and then into his eyes. "Ken, you've
heard of the Mafia? My runs Tidewater, and Cindy's runs
Philadelphia. We're used to people being nice to us because of what they
think we can do for them... or are afraid of what we might do _to_ them.
They're not friends in any real sense of the word. A Mafia kid was caught
cold on felony rape. Make no mistake, Ken, there was even tape that
would have done it. She did what was right, _in spite of_ who we are, not
because of it. Then she honored us by being Cindy's maid of honor because
she loves us. God knows, we love her!" Ken recalled his eyes were moist
when Kathy returned to the table.
Then there were the Fergusons. _Jane Ferguson is Kathy's closest friend
and confidante._ He recalled the night Kathy had them over for dinner and
he first met them. When he greeted Jane, he saw a vibrant, bubbling,
beautiful woman madly in love with her husband, Bob. He recalled
thinking how her tan, her dancer's grace, and her lack of
self-consciousness reminded him so much of Kathy. Bob, he knew, was
Kathy's attorney.
When they excused themselves to go over some papers, he had a chance to
talk to Jane alone. He recalled her studying him carefully. Finally she
nodded, smiled, and said he might do. He recalled being taken aback by her
comment. "Ken," she had asked, "How do you think I am?" He had guessed
twenty-five to thirty, and she had grinned, thanked him for the compliment,
and said that she was than he was.
She told him that she had been the widow of a Navy pilot and had been
working as Bob's secretary when she first met Kathy nearly ten years
earlier. She told him how Kathy had brought her back to life, and in turn,
how she had been able to bring Bob back from the tragic death of his first
wife and his daughter.
He recalled how this beautiful woman had looked at him and said, "Kathy
has a wonderful sense of humor. She loves her little jokes, and she loves
to tease. Ken, her little joke as far as I'm concerned is her 'wedding
present to Bob.' You see, _I am_ the wedding present. She dragged me,
kicking and screaming, out of the dark where I buried myself after my
first husband was killed. She brought me back to life.
"So please be good to her, Ken. She's the very best there is!" He
recalled her use of the exact words Sally O'Rourke had whispered to him.
He recalled all the people who loved Kathy and looked to him to give her
the happiness she so richly deserved.
Recalling Jane's comment about Kathy's sense of humor reminded him of
their second meeting with Trooper Stockdale. They were in Kathy's car
headed home late one night at a conservative -- for Kathy -- 115, when the
flashing blue lights appeared.
This time, he recalled, Kathy grinned as she pulled over. "I'll fix him
this time!" she had exclaimed. He recognized Will Stockdale in the lights.
He had started a repeat of the previous exchange when Kathy interrupted.
"Don't give me a ration of shit, Will Stockdale," she had said. "Look at
this!" She had passed him her Virginia badge and ID, followed by its
Federal counterpart.
Will, suspecting one of Kathy's tricks, had taken the ID back to his
cruiser. A few minutes late he ran back towards them, opened Kathy's door
and lifted her out of the car as if she was a feather. He then hugged her
and gave her a big kiss saying, "Kathy, you're really one of us now!"
Embarrassed, he then carefully put her back on the ground, at which
point she had kicked him in the shin -- fortunately protected by a high
leather puttee -- and told him he had a hell of a nerve manhandling a
defenseless girl. Will had just smiled and Ken recalled he had cracked up
laughing. "Defenseless" was not a term he could easily associate with
Kathy.
Ken frowned as his reverie continued. For months now he had been asking
Kathy to marry him. He pointed out that his marriage to Sylvia had been
annulled. He loved her and she loved him. But the answer was always no.
She had told him she loved him more than life itself. Although he couldn't
understand why, he had come to believe her. Usually when he asked, she
tried to tease him off the subject. Several times she had cited Sally
O'Rourke's comment about a sailor's loves. Like Sally, she insisted that
she was already sufficiently far down of his list of loves; she was
unwilling to move from mistress down to wife. There were many other
excuses offered, but the answer was always the same: No.
Yet he wanted desperately to marry this girl. He was torn. He wanted
to break down her defenses and get her to say yes. At the same time,
studying her carefully, he believed that each time he asked, it seemed that
she wasn't taking him seriously. Yet he thought they were perfect
together. They liked all the same things. She was radiant in his presence.
He noticed it, but more importantly, her friends, who knew her before she
met him, saw it. They said Kathy was madly in love with him. He didn't
know what to do.
Becoming aware of soft fingertips moving on his chest and brilliant blue
eyes watching him, Ken was startled again to see she was as beautiful at
the instant of awakening as at any other time. Her fingers moved lower on
his body and soon they were making love again. After recovering from their
climax together she whispered softly, "Good morning, darling. Happy New
Year!"
Later in the day they were side by side on the couch in the library
companionably watching a football game. It was another interest of his
that she improbably shared. She was nuzzling close and his arm was around
her shoulders when he asked, "Honey, what are you going to do when I'm
gone? We're scheduled to be out two weeks, assuming something major doesn't
crap out before then, of course."
She looked at him steadily. "I don't know if I should tell you this,
but your is coming to visit. For some reason, it's a secret."
Ken was startled. It was so out of character for his mother, he
thought. "Kathy, did she tell you anything? Why she wants to see you?"
She turned off the using her big toe on the remote control. "Make me
a drink?"
_Uh, oh!_ thought Ken. _Something's up._
He made drinks for them both and sat down again. He was tempted to say
something like "Out with it!" but quickly decided it would be the dumbest
thing he could do. Rather, he said, "Kathy, I would really appreciate it
if you would tell me anything you think you can."
She smiled at him gratefully, and he thought that he might have said the
right thing for a change. "Ken, before I answer, would you answer some
questions first?" He nodded agreeably. "How long have your been
married?" she asked softly.
He looked embarrassed and was. "Gosh, Kathy, I don't know... Wait...
Of course I know! About thirty-two years: I was born before they had been
married a full year, and I'm thirty-one."
"How are they, Ken? Your parents, I mean," she asked softly.
This time he did his thinking out loud. "Well, let's see... They got
married in June, as soon as Dad graduated from the academy. It was one of
those Annapolis weddings you see on the society pages every year with the
arch of swords and all that stuff. I guess Dad was twenty-one or
twenty-two, so that would make him fifty-three or fifty-four, I guess.
Mother didn't finish college. In fact, I think she may have only had one
year -- no more than two, certainly. How would that make her, Kathy?"
"Do you know if she was or for her grade?" she asked.
Ken said he didn't have a clue. "Damn it, I do, too. Now I remember!
Of course! She wasn't twenty when I was born, so I guess she's just about
fifty plus or minus a couple of months."
"How do your get along? I know it's a strange question to ask,
but let me explain: You refer to your as Dad and show him a great
deal of respect and affection. I realize you share naval careers and that
probably makes a difference. But, Ken, you refer to your as Mother.
I don't know if you intend it to, but it comes across sounding very formal.
The fact is, Ken, you hardly ever refer to your at all."
Ken was shocked at Kathy's astute observation. He looked at her wryly.
"Hon, as usual, you're right. I never really thought about it before, but
you're right. Kathy, since you brought it up, can we talk about it? I
think my is irrelevant! It really sound terrible when I say it...
But let me explain: I guess, for as long as I can remember, she's had a
life of her own... That's it! It's like they're not even married, for
God's sake. They are more like two unrelated people sharing a house." He
saw Kathy looking at him fondly. _She understands!_ he thought. _She
really does._
Kathy picked up the thread. "Thank you. On no evidence at all -- just
intuition -- I agree with you. To answer the question you asked at the
beginning, I think your is frightened. She has been leading her own
life independent of your father. Now she's hitting fifty. She suddenly
notices that your is very attractive to other, younger women and
she's getting scared! Very scared, I think. Ken, I never want to
you, but I have to ask a question. If you don't feel like answering, tell
me to shut up. Promise?"
Ken was startled, but he realized Kathy was deadly serious. "Yes,
Kathy. I promise," he answered, maintaining her serious tone.
"Does your play around?"
Ken reddened with embarrassment and remembered his promise to her.
_God, it did hurt!_ He looked down at the table top and said quietly, "I
think he does." He looked up at her quickly and saw the sympathy in her
face. "Kathy, I can't know for sure, and I know you know that. But...
but... but I hear things and see things."
His voice was growing stronger as he spoke. It was becoming easier, now
that he faced it. "There's a lieutenant commander I hear about.
I've seen her around, and she's very attractive. They're supposed to be
_very_ discreet... Do you remember the first night we met my at
the O-Club? I think she was there with an escort. She's supposed to be
very careful to be seen around with a lot of different guys, and just as
careful never to be seen with Dad...
"That's it!" he exclaimed with a note of discovery. "That's what's so
damned suspicious! She's on his staff, for chrissakes! Even if she was
ugly as sin, service activities would bring them together in public
_sometimes._ But they're _never_ seen together. Ever! Kathy, does it
sound like I've lost it completely?"
She grinned at him affectionately and said softly, "And to think that I
believed his only feelings were in his cock! Who would have believed it?"
She grinned and apologized, "I'm sorry, darling. I am a hopeless tease.
Will you forgive me?"
He took her in his arms and slowly kissed her. She could feel her
internal fires ignite and quickly build, as she gently pushed away and
smiled softly, "Can I interpret that as being forgiven?"
They were together on the couch with Kathy lying on top. He loved this
position because it provided him the opportunity to caress and squeeze her
firm little ass. She was lying as still as possible making warm,
appreciative noises. He stopped his stroking and cupped her cheeks in his
hands.
When she opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly, he said,
"Kathy, I have to ask you something. I want to marry you -- I want it
desperately. But hon... you don't seem to take it seriously. You change
the subject, you joke, you tease. Kathy, I've never been more serious in
my life. Please marry me, Kathy."
With her face inches above his, he saw her smile sadly and say, "No."
"Kathy, I give up... for now. You don't seem to take my proposal
seriously. I don't know why. Look, I won't bug you any more, but the
offer stands. If you change your mind, all you have to do is say, "Ask
your question. Okay?"
* * *
Kathy appeared to be unusually cheerful as she drove him to the pier.
The Evans was sailing today. Ken thought ruefully of the way Kathy had
affected his own attitudes. In the few months he had been to
Sylvia, he had come to greet the ship's sailing with a vast feeling of
relief. It got him away from her constant bitching, at least for a few
days or weeks. Sylvia used to cry and say he didn't love her. Considering
what he had learned through Kathy, the bitch should have recorded the
announcement. She had undoubtedly used it over and over with her many
husbands.
Now he was with Kathy. She was so wonderfully cheerful, while he felt
that something was being ripped out of him. He hurt! Then with startling
clarity he realized what was happening. Kathy was trying to make _him_
feel better. He had told her of the conflict between wives and the demands
of the naval service. _God!_ he thought, _what a woman!_ If only Sandra,
the of Jack Castle, his executive office, could take a lesson from
Kathy. But that was far too much to hope for. He was certain that Jack
would be glad to get away from the shrew, if only for a couple of weeks.
Kathy came into his arms and they embraced. He kissed her softly and
she instantly responded. Then he felt tears on his cheek and gently pushed
her away to see her face. Tears were streaming from her eyes as she
desperately tried to control them. It was no use. She clung to him and he
stroked her hair. Then he heard her soft voice huskily trying to apologize
-- apologize! To him? For what? Then he heard her say how much she had
wanted to avoid this: making their parting more difficult than it had to
be, and she was so sorry she had failed. Ken thought of the women
screaming at their husbands about the Navy, while Kathy apologized because
she cried.
Kathy sat in her car as the Evans was maneuvered away from her berth
with the help of a tug, and out into the channel. She couldn't drive yet.
She couldn't see through her tears.
* * *
That afternoon she met Ken's mother, Betty, at the airport. On the way
back to the apartment they just exchanged pleasantries. Kathy got her
settled in the guest bedroom and explained how all the equipment worked.
She was not looking forward to their forthcoming week together. After her
conversation with Ken she concluded that if anything could help it would
have to be shock therapy.
Betty seated herself in a chair opposite Kathy in the living room and
Kathy studied the woman thoughtfully. _Here goes nothing!_ she
thought. "Are you sure you want to save your marriage, Mrs. Stark?" Kathy
began. The woman recoiled in her chair as is she had literally been
slapped across the face. _Emotionally, she has been,_ the thought.
"What do you _mean?_ Why the nerve... Why I've never been so
insulted..."
Kathy harshly interrupted, "I'm sorry if I misjudged you, but I don't
believe I did. If there's not a major problem with your marriage, why are
you visiting Ken's mistress while he's at sea? Why is your visit such a
secret? Tell me, Mrs. Stark! Why are you here?"
The woman sagged back into her chair and began to cry. The
weeping was so heartfelt, Kathy's heart was wrenched just watching her. It
increased in intensity until it became near-hysteria. Still Kathy sat
erect in her chair with her face impassive. After minutes -- Kathy did not
even want to move to glance at her watch -- the woman slowly regained
control. Still Kathy did nothing.
Finally Betty looked up, her face a tear-ravaged wreck, obviously
looking for tissues to try to repair some of the damage. Still Kathy
remained seated. "The least you could do, lady, is to have the human
decency to get me a Kleenex!" Mrs. Stark cried.
"Kleenex are on the counter in the kitchen. You may as well start
getting things like tissues for yourself, because if you can't change,
there will never again be anyone else to do it for you."
Betty Stark returned with the box of tissues and looked at Kathy,
puzzled. "What did you mean by that last comment?" she asked with a note
of alarm in her voice.
"Mrs. Stark, you're surely familiar with Dickens' _Christmas Carol?_ Do
you remember the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come showing Scrooge what his
future would be like? I just showed you what your future will be like if
you don't change -- beginning right now!" Changing the subject radically,
Kathy asked, "When did your husband last make love to you?"
Betty tried to remember. "Well, it was... It was..."
"Never mind, you answered my question. Here's another. Have _you_ ever
initiated lovemaking with your husband? Ever? In your entire life
together?"
The woman was indignant. "Young lady, who do you think I am? I'm not
one of those cheap little..."
"...girls who are making love to your husband?" Kathy finished for her.
"No, I guess you're not! Do you know what my answer would be with your
son?" Betty looked up, interested, as Kathy continued, "It's an easy
question to answer. It was this morning before he sailed. He teased me
later because my sexual attack delayed his packing. Moreover, as a result
I'm afraid, Mrs. Stark, that my love juices and Ken's are all over what
were his nice clean clothes. You see, they were lying on the bed when I
attacked him, and they were under us when he entered me.
"You can see why it's an easy question for me to answer. A much harder
one would be how many times we came to orgasm in the twenty-four hours
before he sailed. My number is something greater than fifty. Of course,
Ken's is a much smaller number, being a -- probably not more than
fifteen or so."
Kathy forced her face to remain impassive as she watched Betty's face
register a kaleidoscopic series of emotions including shock, horror and
fascination.
"But Kathy, when I met you at the Club you seemed like such a nice girl.
That's why I came to see you. I thought you would... would..."
"...be sympathetic? Pat you on the head and tell you it will be all
right? Tell you there's nothing at all for you to worry about? That the
younger, much more attractive woman your husband is sleeping with is not a
threat to your marriage? I could say those things, I suppose. It would be
quite easy, really. Of course, they would be total lies, every one! I
know it, and you suspect it. In fact, Betty, let's be honest: It's a lot
more than a suspicion, isn't it?"
With the fear showing in her eyes, the woman slowly nodded. "Would I be
any kind of friend if I tried to convince you to believe those lies?" Betty
shook her head. "I don't think so either, so I won't.
"Now I want an answer to my first question. But before you do, has
Admiral Stark asked you for a divorce, yet?" Betty's response was a look of
utter horror. Kathy had succinctly put into words her worst fear. Then
she began to cry again. This time, because of her earlier tears, her
crying was dry, wracking and hopeless. _Things are looking up,_ Kathy
thought. "You answered my second question, Betty. Let's get back to the
first. Do you want to save your marriage?" The woman nodded her head
slowly then more vigorously. "Okay!" Kathy exclaimed. "Now, are you sure
you want my help?"
Betty looked at her, utterly bewildered. She replied, "Of course,
Kathy. But you knew that when I walked in, didn't you? I really don't
understand your question."
Kathy smiled at the woman for the first time. It was a very warm smile.
"Betty, the question isn't as strange as it may sound. Now, I'm going to
ask you a set of questions. I guess you know by now that I deliberately
set out to shock you with some of the questions I asked. But, Betty, my
answers were not exaggerated. I am so shameless that I am not embarrassed
to say I feel a sense of loss -- of incompleteness -- whenever Ken is not
inside me.
"But back to my questions. I am going to ask for your reactions and
then I will give you mine. I'm afraid that some of them may require you to
go back in time a bit, but that's okay. If the situation I describe never
happened, answer it in terms of what you think your reaction would be. I
promise you my answers will be limited to what I did with your son in this
apartment within the past seven days -- no longer. My reactions are real.
Understand?" Betty nodded. "Your husband grabs your ass?"
"Why... Why I slapped him. Hard!"
Kathy nodded. "I melt. Then I try to guess whether he wants my cheeks
relaxed or firm, and make them that way. We play a lot of games.
Sometimes he gives my ass a smack if I guess wrong. I was wearing jeans
one time, and I pulled them down so there was no cloth to protect my ass."
She asked her next question: "He gropes for your tit when you're not in
the bedroom or undressed?"
"I tell him... I give up, Kathy. And I understand. There's really no
need to go on: I get the message. With Ken you are loving and
uninhibited." Betty started to smile warmly. "Whatever my son wants to do
-- whether with you or to you -- you do it because you love him. Right?"
Now it was Kathy's turn to nod. "You're constantly creating new love games
to play, aren't you? I think I heard something about a golf match you
played and won. What was the bet?"
Kathy blushed and replied, "Ken was my slave for the rest of the day. I
made... He came all over my body."
"How did it feel?" Betty asked curiously. "Did it feel good?"
"It was warm and a little sticky... Nice," she answered. "I think
you're getting the idea.
"Betty, my sense is that you and the Admiral have been drifting apart
for years. Now I'm going to set a scene. Don't take it too literally, but
tell me if it's at least directionally accurate: You spend your time with
the garden club, the Junior League, a bridge group, a senior officers'
wives group, if there is such a thing. You are home for dinner, you appear
at functions as required, but you live your own life.
"You don't feel any particular desire for sex, let alone any need for
it. Sex is really a sort of dirty little thing that wives have to do once
in a while as a favor to their husbands. When you do have sex, your hair
is up in rollers or curlers. You may even have on some face cream. You're
wearing a ratty nightgown, which, as a great concession, you may lift
up towards your waist. On the other hand, it's probably dark in the room,
so your husband doesn't see..."
She saw Betty with her head down and her shoulders shaking. _Uh, oh!_
Kathy thought, _I think I may have overdone it -- this poor woman is going
to have a total collapse if she starts crying again..._ At that moment
Betty lifted her head and Kathy could see her laughing. And it was real
laughter, not hysteria. She watched in amazement as the woman could no
longer control herself and literally rolled off her chair onto the floor
and was doubled up, still laughing. _Well, I guess she is Ken's mother.
He has a hell of a sense of humor, too,_ Kathy thought.
Slowly, Betty regained control and her laughter died down to giggles.
Instead of getting up from the floor, though, she just rolled on her back
with her arms and legs outstretched. Finally, she sat up on the floor and
shook her head saying, "I'm sorry, Kathy, but you're too much.
'Directionally accurate,' my ass! You must have been following me around
with a camera."
Slowly she got to her feet. Although she looked a wreck, she appeared
happy for the first time since she arrived. _My God,_ thought Kathy.
_With the worry lines starting to fade, this is a lovely woman!_ "Kathy,
now it's my turn to shock you. Can an bag get a drink in this dump?"
Minutes later they were sitting in the library on Kathy's favorite couch
sipping very dry martinis. Betty continued, "Kathy, I said you followed me
with a camera." She shook her head and added, "But I hate to think
how far back you would have had to have gone to get the bedroom scene.
Video cameras probably hadn't even been invented yet. I'm not even sure
Sam's been in me since you met Ken. In that period, how many times has Ken
been in you?"
Rolling her eyes, Kathy just shook her head. "Betty, I can't even tell
you the number of times we've made love on this couch or on the floor right
here. I do know I'm a little embarrassed to have my lover's sitting
in our cum. And you probably are!"
Betty just smiled fondly as her eyes took on a faraway look. She said,
"Kathy, could I tell you about a I used to know? She was
younger than you are, and not nearly as beautiful, but she was pretty
enough. She did have good tits, good legs and a neat little ass. She was
madly in love with a handsome Naval Academy midshipman. He stood tall and
straight. Although she was the envy of all her friends, she was very
and very innocent. All she could see was herself in her bridal gown
walking beneath an arch of swords, following his graduation. This came to
pass and she took that walk under the swords.
"That night, she received a shock. There was something that happened
when she took off her white gown. Her midshipman, now an ensign, had
something big and long and straight growing between his legs. He wanted to
put this thing between her legs. This wasn't a sword arch, and it hurt.
Particularly the first time. Once he took her small ass in his large
hands. He said it was just the right size -- a good handful. She was
shocked, and correctly slapped his face. After all, she was a good girl,
and that was the right thing to do, because when he squeezed her ass it
made her feel all warm and wet between her legs and we both know that's
sinful, don't we?
"Once he wanted to make love to her in the morning with the sunlight
streaming in the bedroom. She felt all warm and languid and refreshed from
her sleep. Then, when she felt warm and wet between her thighs, she was
shocked, so she pulled the covers up under her chin and said he was evil.
It must have been the evil that made her crotch so wet.
"One evening she was in the kitchen preparing a gourmet meal -- probably
tuna casserole. He sneaked in and put his hand on her breast! A bare
breast, mind you. He had slipped it under her bra! She did what every
good would do, of course. She slapped his face. Hard! This almost
made up for the fact that her knees had almost buckled and she really
wanted to spread her legs for him right on the kitchen floor... and it
wasn't even carpeted!
"Soon, a strange thing happened. Her period stopped. Her
started to swell. A couple of months later, her abdomen started to swell.
Fortunately, she had heard enough at the Officers' Wives Club meetings to
guess what was going on. She went to the base hospital. Some months later
this -- still not twenty years -- gave birth to a baby boy.
The was immediately wrapped up with the baby. Her that the
young officer liked so much were needed to suckle the baby. She was
shocked at some of the things he said to her. Clearly, he was perverted.
One day he took one of her swollen with milk and very gently shook
it. He had the nerve to call it a milkshake. He even wanted to try a sip.
She concentrated on the baby and ignored him.
"Years passed. She became wrapped up in her do-good activities. She
couldn't even get to his ship to meet him after he had been at sea for four
months. There was a vital meeting of Navy Relief or something, and she was
on the board of directors. The tall officer remained attractive to
women. They made themselves available, but she didn't mind. Everyone knew
that's what these cheap little things were for, after all. They did things
that no decent woman would consider. She just got older. Her husband
didn't.
"Meanwhile, her baby had grown up and the was now a woman. She
thought her was even less experienced with women than she had been with
men, and that is clearly hard to imagine. Then he a woman who his
mother detested. The did not realize at the time what good judgment
she had. A short time later the son called to tell her that he had been
financially destroyed by his divorce.
"Less than one week later, the meets her son with an angel. The
angel makes the son with two left feet look like a dancer. She realized
that maybe -- just maybe -- there was help available. Clearly, this angel
can perform miracles. The woman hopes she can perform just one more.
"Kathy, there is one ray of hope. Now I see that my instincts were
right. My beliefs -- wherever the hell they came from -- were wrong. God,
I only wish! It must be thirty years, Kathy, but I can still feel Sam's
big hand on my firm ass. God, I wish I had done what you do.
"I hear that you are a very smart girl. I think you prove it with Ken.
Kathy, I can't imagine him being happier. Of course, it's not nice for a
mother to say to his son's -- I'm sorry. You call yourself his
mistress, don't you? -- the only shortcoming I see is in your judgment. I
really can't see what you see in that big lug!"
Kathy grinned and replied, "It's easy, Betty. He may be a big lug, but
he's _my_ big lug. And besides, he's great in bed!"
"Kathy, can you help me try to hold on to Sam? I _do_ love him
desperately! Help me, Kathy. _Please?"_
"Kathy smiled again and replied, "Let's have dinner and give it hell in
the morning."
* * *
Kathy had just returned to her apartment after taking Betty to the
airport. Although it had only been a week, she already looked ten years
younger. At the boarding gate Betty had winked at Kathy and said, "Please
wish me luck!" Kathy did, and Betty headed for the commuter plane holding
one hand up with her fingers crossed. Kathy did wish her luck. She hoped
things would work out for her lover's mother.
While sitting on the couch, the phone rang. It was Sandra Castle, the
wife of Ken's executive officer, and she wanted to come over to see her.
Kathy had been dreaming about cooking her body in the sauna and the last
person in the world she wanted to see was Sandra Castle.
That being so, she said, "Great! Why don't you come right over."
Hanging up the phone, Kathy her time between kicking herself for
saying yes and wondering what the bitch could possibly want to talk about.
All she knew about the was that she was a CPA. As far as Kathy was
concerned, that was enough.
Sandra Castle was a tall girl, about Kathy's size. When she arrived,
Kathy led her into the library -- and hated her. She seemed to be using
her CPA brain to price every item of furnishings in Kathy's apartment.
Kathy amused herself thinking of the coming up with a very large
number.
When drinks were offered, Sandra asked for white wine. _Oh shit!_ Kathy
thought. _Just what I don't need -- the white wine and Brie bit._ She
opened and poured a chilled vintage Villages Chablis. She enjoyed seeing
the other girl's eyes widen as she realized what was being poured. _Eat
your heart out, bitch!_ Kathy thought venomously.
After making herself a martini on the rocks, Kathy sat down. "Welcome!
What brings you here?"
Just asking the question seemed to release the like releasing a
tightly-coiled spring. Sandra Castle proceeded to unload about the
unfairness of life, the unfairness of the Navy, her uncaring husband, the
meanness of Ken -- which caused Kathy's back to stiffen -- and back to the
unfairness of life. Kathy listened patiently without saying a word.
Finally, the girl, who was about Kathy's age, ran down.
"Okay, Sandra... Do you really use Sandra? -- not Sandy?"
"I've always thought Sandy sounded so common!"
"In that case, Sandra, you've come to the wrong place," Kathy said.
Sandra looked puzzled, and professed not to understand. "Sandy -- I'm
sorry, I can't handle Sandra anymore -- do you know who I am?"
"Of course! That's why I came here. You're Katherine Smith, formerly
Assistant District Attorney of Norfolk County. You graduated from Yale,
Phi Beta Kappa and summa laude, you..."
"Sandy!" Kathy interrupted, "I'm proud to say I'm Ken Stark's mistress!
I keep him warm at night between my thighs. There is no service I will not
perform for Ken Stark. None! Fuck the diploma! It doesn't take me to
orgasm to the point of passing out every night. Do you know my failing,
Sandy? I can't keep from passing out because my orgasm is so intense. If
Ken came through that door right now, in the next second I would be on my
back with my legs spread wide to welcome him into me! It might take two or
three seconds before my juices were running, but it could take that long to
strip his clothes off.
"I'll tell you now, his sex is huge. It would take a few minutes, but
then I would be passed out on the floor after more orgasms than I could
count. My -- yes, Sandy, my cunt! -- would be flowing rivers all
over the carpet you've been pricing in your mind. You know what? It's
easy as hell to replace the carpet. There's no way in hell I could replace
Ken! If anything happens to him, I will die. I don't mean figuratively. I
mean literally, as in dead and buried. I really love him that much. It's
very simple. I'm his mistress and that's all that counts. Now get out!
Please!"
Then Sandra shocked Kathy by starting to cry. She kept on as if her
heart were breaking. Kathy did nothing as the girl's body racked with
sobs, but this time, Kathy went to the kitchen and retrieved the Kleenex.
She waited for the to calm down and finally she did.
Then Kathy handed her a tissue as she slowly regained control and sat up
in her chair. "I'm sorry, Kathy. You won't believe this, but I feel the
same way about Jack. It's just that..."
"Just what?" Kathy asked.
"Well, women aren't supposed to be that way anymore. This is the
1980's: We have important careers. Surely you understand, Kathy! You're
considered the top criminal lawyer in the state of either sex. I'm
struggling, but I'm about be become a partner in the Firm, and..."
"Look," Kathy said, "I'm tired. I've had a rough week. Ken and Jack
will be back with the Evans in just seven days. I've promised myself that
I am going to be in the best shape I can be when he returns. I owe it to
Ken to be at my best when he comes home. But what the hell! If you're
willing, let me try a little test. I'll ask a question. You answer and
then I'll answer. I promise you, I will restrict my answer to things that
happened with seven days prior to the Evans sailing. Okay? Do you want to
play?" Sandy nodded and Kathy said, "First question: Jack comes up behind
you and squeezes your ass. What do you do?"
* * *
The homecoming was joyous. In no time they were out of their clothes
with Kathy on her knees before him. She was weighing his scrotum filled
with his sexual juices in her hands. When she made little unhappy noises,
Ken asked what was wrong.
She looked up at him with a loving smile and said, "We're going to have
to work very hard to empty this all inside me. Let's get
started!" *Chapter 22*
The call from Ken's came as a surprise. The ship was undergoing
additional repairs to correct problems identified during her two-week
shakedown. She had been back for over three weeks and was scheduled to
sail for the Med in two more months. His call was an invitation to come up
to their home above Williamsburg that weekend and Kathy accepted at once.
As they drove over the bridge to the peninsula, Kathy reflected that
Betty had flown over from Patrick Henry Airport rather than drive. Today,
Ken was driving the Mazda RX-7 Turbo she had given him for Christmas. He
loved his new toy so much that Kathy had teased him by saying that she had
been demoted a notch. Now she ranked behind the car which she -- like an
idiot -- had given him.
When they arrived at Ken's parents' house, the senior Starks were at the
door to greet them. The Admiral gave Kathy a warm kiss while Ken kissed
his mother. Pushing her away to get a better look, he exclaimed, "Good
heavens, Mother, what happened to you?"
Kathy was stifling a grin as Betty pretended to look herself over for a
split seam, a run in her or some similar disaster. It was obvious
to Kathy that the plan she had set in motion with Betty Stark was working.
Betty had started with intensive work on Kathy's exercise machines to tone
her muscles and she had promised to sign up with a fitness center when she
returned home. Now her hair was shorter and it looked younger. Kathy
noticed it was a carefree hairdo that did not require work at night. _Good
grief,_ she thought, _Betty's not even wearing a bra._
She and Ken were talking to the Admiral while Betty went to the kitchen,
passing close to Sam's chair on the way past. Sam's hand went out and
gently gripped his wife's ass. Betty stopped suddenly and backed up so he
didn't need to reach. Kathy could see the woman's eyes close as she
enjoyed the sensation.
Ken had watched the whole thing in utter amazement. He was completely
nonplused when his slid her bottom over the arm of his father's
chair and sat on his lap. His father's hand moved toward his mother's
breast and Ken was astounded to see her unbutton a button on her blouse to
make his access easier. With his hand warmly cupping her right breast, his
parents began an increasingly passionate kiss.
Kathy wanted to cheer but instead said, "Kenneth Stark, you're a
Tom. Mind your own business." She put Ken's hand on her own and
kissed him. While they were still engaged, she heard the senior Starks
head for the bedroom. She slid off her dress and started working on Ken's
pants.
"What _are_ you doing?" he asked, shocked.
"What does it look like? I'm preparing to be loved -- by you -- on the
living room floor."
"But what if..."
"Ken, your are making love in their bedroom. Who's going to
come?"
They were sitting on the floor together with their backs to a sofa,
fully dressed when Sam and Betty reappeared. Betty, positioned behind Sam,
gave Kathy a broad wink. "Ken," she said quietly, "would you do me a favor
and call me Mom? Please?"
At this point Ken could contain himself no longer. "Would somebody
please tell me what's going on at this funny farm? Everyone seems to have
lost his mind!"
His sat side by side on a love seat facing them and looked at
one another. They then looked at Ken as if he were a sweet but somewhat
feebleminded child. Betty looked at her husband feigning puzzlement. "I
don't see anything strange, do you, dear?"
"Well," the Admiral said thoughtfully, "there could be one small
thing... I just found the lovely I and almost lost." He turned
to Betty and they kissed lovingly. Once again, the Admiral's hand slid
inside his wife's blouse and cupped her firm gently. While she
returned the kiss, she placed her hand over his to keep it in its cupped
position.
"Dad!" Ken almost screamed, "Look where your hand is!"
They ended their kiss with some reluctance and the two looked down.
"Ken, I thought your eyesight was better than that. My hand is cupping
your mother's tit. It's full, soft yet firm, and her nipple engorges in an
instant every time. Now where in hell did you think my hand was?"
Ken glanced to his left and realized that Kathy was convulsed with
laughter, and almost choking in the attempt to avoid making a sound.
"Katherine Smith, what is going on here?"
"I thought it was pretty obvious, son," his replied, "While you
were steaming around in circles, Kathy has been saving a marriage: ours.
Which reminds me, when are you two going to get married?"
Ken felt the floor drop away beneath him as he heard his father's
straightforward question. He looked down at the floor and said nothing.
Betty was looking directly at Kathy and saw her go white as a sheet,
apparently with fear! Betty whispered quickly in her husband's ear.
He quickly nodded, got up and went over to Kathy. "Come on, lady.
I want to talk to you, alone."
He led her into his study. After carefully closing the door he seated
her in a maple captain's chair across from his desk and poured a large
glass of cognac for her and a small one for himself. He gave her the glass
and took his seat behind his desk. Kathy looked at him in near-terror.
"It seems I said something I should not have. I jumped to a conclusion
which is a very dangerous practice for an admiral. Let's start simply. Do
you believe Ken loves you?"
She answered in a very small voice, "Yes, sir."
"But you don't love him, is that it?"
Suddenly, it was as if the main burners under a ship's boiler all
ignited at once. The look of fear suddenly disappeared. She jerked
herself up straight in the chair and looked directly at the Admiral.
"Admiral, I love Ken Stark more than life itself. Anything he asks of me
-- if it's in my power to do -- I will do."
She laughed bitterly "The language is inadequate. Love is a simple
word. It is overused and abused, and it's totally inadequate to express my
feelings. 'Adore'... 'Worship' perhaps get closer. But I think you
understand."
"Are you married, Kathy?"
"No, sir. I have never married."
"Well, you know that Ken is free to marry you. You did that yourself.
Kathy, I'm stumped. Before I forget, though, thank you for saving my
marriage. It's clear we owe you more than we can ever repay. But from
what I know of you, that just puts us at the end of a very long line of
people who Kathy Smith has helped. Betty told me some of what you said to
her. Your lovemaking is passionate, frequent and good, so that's out...
Kathy, what are you hiding?"
Kathy looked into the piercing gray eyes regarding her. The Admiral was
sitting erect. _He is a very handsome man. Ken will resemble him when he
reaches his age,_ she thought. His hair was prematurely gray and looked
very distinguished. She suddenly realized that his eyes were kind. He was
trying to help.
"I cannot marry Ken, Admiral," she said quietly.
"You are a brilliant, highly-educated woman. So I will take the
answer literally. 'Cannot' as in 'not being able to.' Why are you unable
to marry him?"
Her eyes were fixed on his. She was sitting as if at attention. He
admired her posture. "Because, Admiral, Ken has been to one
prostitute already. He scarcely needs another." Tears started to flow down
her cheeks. She ignored them and continued to look directly into the
Admiral's eyes.
"I know you are not a prostitute now. That means you were a prostitute
before you met Ken. When was that?" His voice was very quiet and
matter-of-fact but he was being torn up inside watching this lovely
enduring unbelievable torture. The tears were flowing unchecked down her
cheeks, yet she made no move to wipe them away.
"I was a prostitute until I was eighteen years old. I spent my time in
the whore house naked. I am still nude whenever I can be. It's partially
because I like it and, I think, partially to remind me who I was. Admiral,
I have no pubic hair. Since I also have no shame, I would show you now. I
pulled it out, hair by hair, years ago as a hygiene measure. Like the
nudity, I'm now used to it. But like the nudity, it, too, reminds me of
who I was."
"How many people know that you prostituted your body for a living?"
Kathy was stunned. She had told the Admiral she was a prostitute and
there was no reaction. It was as if she said she liked the color red. It
was a fact to him, nothing more. "There are two: my lawyer and the madam."
"You were a prostitute. Is there any other impediment to marrying Ken?"
"Yes, there is, Admiral. I cannot bear his children. He's going to
father strong children. You and Betty deserve grandchildren. I cannot
have any. I'm sorry."
The tears continued to flow. The Admiral could see that her eyes were
so misted with tears she could not possibly see him, yet her head remained
erect and she continued to look at him.
"I'll ask the question again. Why won't you marry Ken?"
Anger was replacing sorrow. "Admiral, I'm shocked! That is the first
ungentlemanly thing I have ever seen you do or say. If it would do any
good, I would prostitute myself for you right now, so you wouldn't tell
Ken. Deep down, I knew this was too good to last. Ken will find a who
comes from a fine background -- I have no background, by the way -- who can
give him the children I know he wants and deserves. Sometimes I allow
myself to dream that I could remain his mistress... his wife's maid...
anything to remain with him. I do everything imaginable to keep his eyes
on me and away from all the other who could do so much more for him."
She looked fierce. "Admiral, your question is unworthy of you. The idea
of a like your son marrying a prostitute is absurd!"
Suddenly the Admiral's voice changed. It picked up the command presence
that is a trademark of a person experienced in command, and Sam Stark was
certainly experienced. "Now you listen to me, lady! What right do
you have to ruin my son's life! I thought you said you loved him 'more
than life itself?'"
Kathy was shocked. _What was he saying? Surely after what she had said
he could see it was impossible._ "But I _do_ love him!" she!" she
protested.
"Then you're a bigger fool than I would have dreamed possible! Look at
you! You say you grew up as a prostitute. Where did you go to school?"
"I didn't, sir, until I went to Hillsdale Academy as a Junior."
"How did you get in? Cheat?"
"No, sir. I took an admissions test."
"What did you do then?"
"I went to Yale, sir."
"How?"
"How? I'm sorry, sir. I don't understand the question.
"How did you get into Yale?"
"Oh! My Hillsdale record, my SAT's and my achievement tests."
"Which were?"
"Straight 'A's' at Hillsdale. My SAT's were 800 and 790, verbal and
math. My achievements were 800's."
"How many have you had since you stopped prostituting yourself?
Besides Ken, I mean."
"None, sir."
"No one at all? At Yale, at Law School, any time since then? None?
"No, sir. None."
"That's enough Kathy. You've made my point. My son is the luckiest
on the face of this earth. There is a girl, a prostitute no less, who
never went to school. Yet she achieves a level of academic performance
that few can dream of. She achieves more in one year fighting violent
crime than has been achieved in this century. She demonstrates a
willingness to risk her life and sacrifice her career for others. A
who defines selflessness. A who has a body that few can imagine, and
a near-infinite capacity to love and be loved. Against this, she cannot
have children. Big stinking deal!
"Now, Kathy, let's take it again from the top. Will you marry my son?"
The tears had stopped, but the tear streaks remained. She still had
made no move to wipe her eyes when she heard the Admiral's words. Her eyes
had cleared now, so she could study his face. He was still looking
directly at her with eyes now warm with love, waiting for an answer.
Slowly the truth dawned on her, and her face started to brighten.
"Admiral, you're saying that I'm one of the world's greatest fools? My
God! I'm not a whore, am I? I was, but that was years ago. I haven't been
with a before Ken since I left the house. And all this time... Do you
really think he would have me?" she asked with a note of hope in her voice.
"Let's see. Kathy, I would like to ask my to join us, as well as
my son. I know she has some thoughts. Before I ask them, though, I want
to say that you are the bravest person I have ever met. Kathy, that
inquisition was tearing my guts out. I was only _asking_ the questions.
You must have been destroyed inside, but you never flinched or even looked
away. I could see the tears in your eyes to a degree that must have
blinded you, yet you continued to look at me. lady, you were sitting
in a position of attention and never moved. I want you to know that I've
never been as proud of anyone, ever, as I am of you right now. I have
never seen such a display of personal courage in my life! Now please
remain seated. I'll be right back."
Moments later he was back with Betty and Ken in tow. "Ken, I learned
some things from Kathy that she wants you to know. First, she was a
prostitute until she was eighteen. Apparently, she did not like very
much, because the next she was with was you. Secondly, she does not
believe that she can have children, so she is unworthy of marrying you.
What do you think?"
"Kathy, this is true, isn't it?"
"Yes, Ken, it is." Kathy was still sitting at attention with her head
high. Once more, tears appeared in her eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me about your background, Kathy?"
"Because I was too selfish. I couldn't bear to give you up, and I knew
you'd leave me if you knew. I apologize for hiding this from you. I only
hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. Of course, it's
impossible anyway because of my defect. You couldn't possibly want me as
your wife."
_"Defect?_ Defect, she says. lady, the only thing defective
around here today is the way your brain is working -- or, more accurately,
not working." Ken was angry.
"Dad, there are some things you don't know, but should, I think. I'm
sure they'll come as no surprise to you, though. Since I've met Kathy,
through her I've met some truly wonderful people. They're very different,
one from the other, but they share one thing in common: They worship the
ground that Kathy Smith walks on. I've had several extraordinary women
tell me the same thing: She's the very best there is. She is the heroine
of the organized law enforcement agencies in this state, and beyond. They
love her! But Dad, I also know that she is respected -- yes, and loved --
by the Mafia, for God's sake. Dad, I don't think they're wrong, I think
she is! Mom, what do you think of Kathy?"
"I'm glad you asked, Ken. Kathy, I consider your behavior today to be
deplorable!" Kathy still did not move, nor make any effort to defend
herself, yet her eyes showed the deep she was feeling. Betty
continued. "I went to your apartment. Sam knows some of it, Ken knows
none of it, but you and I, Kathy, know all of it. Did you or did you not
tell me that you loved my son more than life itself?"
"Yes, ma'am, I did."
"Were you lying or telling the truth when you said you came to orgasm
the day before Ken sailed over fifty times? And he came about fifteen or
so?"
"It was the truth to the best of my belief, ma'am."
"Did you save my marriage, Kathy?"
"No, ma'am, I certainly did not!" Kathy's eyes blazed as she added, "You
did it all, and you did it all by yourself. I did nothing!"
"Sam," Betty Stark asked, "do you believe this woman? Do you
really believe that I could have done anything without her? Do you think I
would have known the joy of giving if I hadn't heard her describe her
relationship with our son? Do you?"
"I believe you both. Kathy, when she says that the work was yours, and
the changes were those you made in yourself. You, dear, when you describe
the inspiration she provided, a sense of direction to move in and the
confidence she instilled in you to make it work." Sam took his in his
arms and kissed her tenderly.
Meanwhile, Ken was looking at Kathy and said softly, "Honey, do you
remember the promise you made when I asked you the last time?"
He looked in her eyes which were now filled with love and hope as she
said very quietly, "Ken, ask your question. Please?"
"Kathy, will you marry me? Please?"
With a cry of pure joy, Kathy leaped out of the chair and into Ken's
arms. She kissed him with the passion that came from the knowledge that
she had almost lost him through her own blindness and then gained him back.
Ken hugged his bride-to-be.
While the Admiral went out to the kitchen, Betty kissed her and wished
her every happiness. "Kathy, I couldn't hope for a more perfect
daughter-in-law. Will you be the I never had?"
"Yes, Mom, I'll try!"
The Admiral came back juggling a bottle of Dom Perignon, '75, and four
glasses. He carefully put them down on the desk, gathered Kathy into his
arms and held her. "I'm sorry for what I did to you, Kathy. But the
outcome made it worthwhile." Kathy had her head buried in his shoulder and
was crying. He lifted her chin and looked into her beautiful blue eyes.
He realized that he was seeing tears of joy, and kissed her. "Hi,
daughter!" he said.
The toast was offered and drunk.
"Ken, would you just hold me, please?" Kathy asked softly. He took her
in his arms. He sensed that she didn't want to be kissed, just reassured.
She held him tightly, and then moved her head back to look at him. Very
softly she said, "This is forever. Are you really sure? It's not too
late. I'm spoiled goods, you know?" She tried a weak little smile, "There's
no 90-day warranty for parts and labor."
"Kathy, you're perfect! You've just made me the happiest alive. I
want you to know that," he replied softly, ignoring her attempt to joke.
The four went out to the kitchen and sat in the cozy breakfast area.
Betty had prepared salads, and she was glad she had. After the emotion of
the last hour they just sat and looked at their food. Finally, Betty
asked, "When would you like the wedding, Kathy, and who's going to be in
it? And Kathy? Even in your present condition, you're the most beautiful
girl I've ever seen, but wouldn't you feel better if you washed your face?"
Kathy looked up, startled, and muttered, "Oh, my God!"
Ken got up to show her where to go.
Betty looked at Sam with deep affection. "Sam, I would not have
believed it if I hadn't seen it. At her apartment I broke down at the
thought of losing you. I looked like... like... like a horror. With the
tears streaking her face Kathy is still lovely! She'll do, Sam! She
really will!"
"Betty, that was the worst hour of my life! I could have destroyed that
girl. For a moment, I'm sure she was contemplating suicide. But she never
flinched. I was destroying... No! Much worse! I was making her destroy
herself... her happiness, all her hopes. She sat there at attention --
attention, mind you -- looking straight at me. She should have dissolved
in tears, or at least turned away. She didn't."
He took his wife's hand. "I don't know who it worse: Kathy, who
went through it, or me for having to watch. God, Bets, I think the outcome
made it worthwhile, but never again! Please, God, never again!"
He continued to hold his wife's hand, and she gave him a gentle squeeze.
She said softly, "Thank you, Sam!"
When Kathy returned, she looked brighter and happier than they had ever
seen her, and she was still holding Ken's hand. "Admiral -- Dad? -- I
just realized I need to call Norfolk. May I use your phone? I have some
money here..."
"Katherine Smith!" bellowed the Admiral in a tone that had made flag
officers cringe in fear. "What do you think this is? I have never been so
insulted in my life! Military pay may not be the greatest, but I don't
care if you're calling China! Put your damned money away and get out of
here!"
Kathy had jumped when he shouted, but ended up grinning. She winked at
him as she went back to his study to make her call.
"Son," Sam said, "that's Kathy! She does everything for others, but
expects nothing for herself. You know, don't you, that it never occurred
to her _not_ to pay? I don't know what you've done to be so lucky!"
* * *
Kathy immediately called Jane Ferguson. "Jane, I'm going to be
married!" she said without preamble.
She jerked the phone from her ear as Jane shrieked. "Oh, baby! I'm so
happy! Kathy, words fail me. I've been praying and praying and it's
finally come true!" She heard Jane tell Bob about the impending marriage;
he had come running to the room in response to Jane's initial shriek.
"Honey, Bob wants to say hello. And from the look in his eye, I think I'm
wanted somewhere else. I'll talk to you in a bit. Here he is."
"Kathy, that's wonderful news! Ken is a fine man, and I'm sure
he'll make you very happy. Congratulations!"
Kathy was shaken by Bob's words. _He'll make *me* happy?_ The idea had
never occurred to her.
"Honey, Sam would be so happy! By the way, where are you, anyway?" She
told him. "What did they say?" he asked.
"Say about what?" Kathy asked, puzzled.
"About your background."
"They didn't say anything, except... How did you know I told them?"
Bob said very quietly, "Because you're Kathy. Sweetheart, I'm so happy
for you. You've been tearing me up inside, you know. It's been so obvious
to me for so long that Ken desperately wanted to marry you. I knew it had
to be you, not him. I also knew that if he was half the I thought he
was he wouldn't blink. He didn't, did he?"
"No, Bob, he didn't. Neither did his who I told first, nor his
mother. Bob, they were so kind!"
"Not kind, Kathy. Smart! They know how lucky Ken is to get you. They
didn't want to let you get away. But Kathy, what are your wedding plans?
And may I please give the bride in marriage? I know Ken's ship is due to
sail soon so you will want to get quickly. Where is it going to
be, and when?"
"I don't know, Bob! I haven't let myself even _think_ we could ever
marry. I haven't thought about it."
"How about the cathedral, in three weeks? How does that sound?"
"That's impossible, Bob. There's no way a cathedral wedding could be
scheduled that fast. It's booked years ahead!"
"You're right. And it's scheduled for you two for three weeks from
today at one o'clock. The Bishop asks if you would allow him to preside."
"Bob Ferguson! _Have you lost your mind?_ I'm serious! There's a lot
to do and you make jokes, for chrissakes!"
"No joke, Kathy. Jane has been making calls on the other phone. You
know how organized she is! And if you don't get your little ass back here
in a hurry, you won't even have a chance to pick out your own dress! Jane
knows you better than you think, Kathy. She knows... Wait! She doesn't
know exactly, but she believed, as I did, that you were the impediment, not
Ken. So she's been making the advance arrangements for months. God! If I
try one more piece of wedding cake..."
"What _are_ you talking about?" she interrupted.
"I'm really being serious, hon. Jane knows you. She prayed that you
would come to your senses and marry the poor guy. But she knows that Ken
is shipping out soon so there would have to be a quick wedding. She
couldn't see you sitting around for months once you accepted his proposal.
"Most important, Kathy, she knew you wouldn't allow yourself even to
_dream_ of getting married, so she's been doing the dreaming for you. And
I was serious about the cake, by the way. She's been going to every damned
wedding-cake baker in Virginia getting samples. It sounds like we're
teasing you, honey, but really we're not!
"One more thing. Do you remember years ago when I read you Sam's will?
I said there were 'a couple of other points' that didn't matter? Well, one
of them matters now. There's $1 million set aside. Sam knew he wouldn't
be here, but... The bride's customarily pays for the wedding.
Kathy, he's paying. It can be used for anything related to the wedding or
honeymoon, but that's all. And Kathy, I have a very special favor to ask:
Would you consider asking Jane to be your matron of honor?"
"Oh, Bob! While you were talking, I was kicking myself for not asking
her when I told her... But... But... There wasn't a wedding for her to
be in! May I ask her now, please?"
Jane picked up the phone. "I accept!" she said.
"Accept what? I was going to ask you to please consent to be my matron
of honor. It would do me a great honor if you would."
"Honey," Jane replied softly, the usual joking quality now missing from
her voice, "that's what I accepted. Thank you so much!" Her voice changed,
"Now get your ass back to Norfolk! I can't do this all by myself!"
"Thank you, Jane," Kathy said softly, "for everything!"
Kathy had a bemused expression on her face when she returned to the
breakfast nook. "Ken, it seems we're going to be in the Cathedral
in Norfolk in three weeks. The bishop is presideing." She smiled. "It
seems, Ken, everyone knew we were going to get except me. Jane has
organized the whole thing. She told me to 'get my ass back to Norfolk,'
right now. Do you suppose there's time for a cup of coffee first? And I
do want to talk with your folks about the guest list and stuff."
* * *
Kathy was lying in bed the next morning when Ken came in with the Sunday
paper. With studied casualness he commented, "There's a small note on the
front page, Kathy, you may be interested in." He passed her the paper and
grinned as her eyes suddenly widened.
Below the fold was a small box headlined, *Kathy Smith to Wed.* The
small front-page was datelined Norfolk. It gave the information,
including the date, time and location of the ceremony. It ended with a
reference to the first page of the society section. Ken thought she looked
cute scrambling across the bed with her bare ass in the air to get the
society section.
There on the society front page was a two-column photo of Kathy followed
by a lengthy detailing her career and the background of her intended.
The photo was a beautiful smiling of her she had never seen before.
Ken had never seen it, either. He left the room, while she slowly reread
the story. When he returned, he was smiling and shaking his head.
"I should have guessed! I called the paper. It seems they received the
story from Jane, representing Bob's office and then they amplified the
story from their own file on you. It's a rather extensive one, I gather.
However, the didn't come with a picture, and Jane couldn't provide
them with one.
But it seems you are considered by the experts -- the photographers --
to be the most beautiful in Norfolk. One of their has shot rolls
of film of you. The photo that appears is his favorite. You see his
credit line beneath it. But he was afraid you wouldn't like it. It still
doesn't do you full justice, he says, but he's so happy he's sending over a
stack of studio prints. His wedding gift to you, he says. Another in the
vast Kathy Smith Fan Club." *Chapter 23*
The Wedding March was playing as Kathy walked up the center aisle of the
Cathedral on Bob Ferguson's arm but she still could not believe it was
happening to her. Ken, standing at the altar with his best man, Jack
Castle, beside him, watched her approach with the familiar measured pace.
He had never seen a bride look so beautiful. Her white gown was
magnificent, setting off her tan and her golden hair. When she reached him
at the altar, he took her hand, paused for a moment and looked into her
brilliant blue eyes. All he saw was the deepest love. Together they moved
forward to where the Bishop was waiting.
Later in the ceremony the time came. After the Bishop told Ken to,
"Repeat after me..." she saw his eyes locked on hers as he said in a strong
voice, "I, Kenneth, take thee, Katherine, as my lawfully wedded wife..."
she was hearing words she had not allowed herself even to hope she would
ever hear.
Then it was her turn. "I, Katherine, take thee, Kenneth, as my lawfully
wedded husband..." Her eyes blurred over with tears of joy as she completed
her vows.
They heard the bishop complete the ceremony, "...and I now pronounce you
man and wife," and then more softly to Ken, "You may kiss your bride."
Ken took her in his arms. As he kissed her she could feel her knees
weaken, but then it was over. As they were going down the aisle together
she was dimly aware that the church seemed full. When they reached the
steps of the cathedral, Kathy's eyes widened. Flanking the steps on each
side were naval officers wearing their blue coats with the gold on their
epaulets flashing in the winter sun.
The senior officer gave the command, "Officers! Draw... sabers!" Two
dozen silver blades appeared and formed an arch under which Ken led her to
the waiting limousine. They got in and the car moved off.
Kathy looked at her husband fondly, "Thank you, Ken. That was so
beautiful!"
"It was Mom's idea. She said that she saw your eyes light up when she
described her wedding at Annapolis. Instead of a bunch of ensigns, though,
you got some fairly senior officers. I'm so glad you enjoyed it."
"Ken, was it my imagination? Were there lights flashing all over the
place?"
He grinned at his bride, "No, hon, it wasn't your imagination. I don't
know how many photographers were there, but it was a whole bunch. Maybe
you didn't notice, but there were at least three trucks parked alongside
the church. This is clearly the biggest wedding in town in years.
To Kathy the reception seemed to be a huge blur, but a few events
remained in her memory in sharp detail. She reflected on them.
Bob Ferguson caught them alone for a moment. "Kathy, there's a small
matter of a wedding present for Ken which had to wait for the ceremony.
After all, the chump could have backed out.
"Ken, you've undoubtedly heard about Sam Jenkins from Kathy? Well,
although Kathy has most of it, there's still a little slush fund that I
keep track of. I guess Sam was conscious of problems if the has money
and the husband doesn't."
Kathy and Ken were both looking at Bob as if he were speaking some
strange language. They were so wrapped up in their love, the subject of
money had never come up. They said as much to Bob.
He held up his hands, "Okay, fine. I give up! However, I have a duty
to carry out. Ken, this is for you from Sam Jenkins."
With that he took a check out of his pocket and passed it to Ken, who
looked at it. His eyes bulged. "Bob, this is a joke! It is, isn't it?"
Bob shook his head. "It's not a joke, and it is good. Congratulations,
Ken."
"Kathy," said Ken softly with amazement in his voice, "this check is for
five million dollars!"
She grabbed him around the neck and kissed him. "Wonderful! I've
always dreamed of marrying a rich husband, and now you are! Do you think
we'll be able to eat something besides beans now?" She grinned at him and
then kissed Bob. "By the way, are there any more of these odds and ends
lying around in Sam's will?" Bob only smiled and shrugged.
Her Alpha brothers from Yale, John Robinson and Bill Johnson, were there
along with Bill's wife, Judy, who obviously was expecting a baby soon. She
kissed Bill and was introduced to his wife. The took Kathy's hand and
looked at her steadily. "Kathy, although we've never met before, I think I
owe you thanks for our happiness together. Bill has never told me the
whole story, but he credits you for keeping him out of jail." Patting her
swollen abdomen she continued, "I may even have you to thank for our first
child who's soon to appear." She put her lips close to Kathy's ear and
whispered for a while.
In the meantime, Bill, John and Ken were getting acquainted. John
smiled at Ken and offered his congratulations. "Ken, I'm one of a great
many who's madly in love with your wife. She knows it, too.
Unfortunately, she loves me like a which isn't exactly what I had
in mind, although it's a lot better than nothing. I can see in your eyes
that you're madly in love with her, and I can see that she is with you.
It's so obvious to me now. As beautiful as she was at Yale, it's nothing
like the beauty she's radiating today! Very best wishes to you both."
Later, Ken asked Kathy what Bill's had whispered.
She giggled. "It seems that Bill bought a pool table as soon as they
bought their house in Cincinnati. He taught her a pool game that is sort
of a strip rotation. When one of the players runs out of clothes to take
off, he or she has to grant the other a wish when the next ball is sunk.
Well, Judy was bare and Bill sank another ball. He had her lie on the pool
table and made love to her. She thinks that was when she conceived. Bill
told her he learned the game from me."
"Did he?" Ken asked.
Kathy smiled, nodded, and looked at Ken speculatively. "Hmm. I wonder
where we can put a pool table in our apartment?" she mused.
Jim and Sally O'Rourke had been flown in from California. Sally took
Kathy's hands in hers. "Isn't this really a bit much? Even for Kathy?"
Kathy told her about the special legacy, "So, it was use it or lose it,
so you're here. Thank you both for coming. Sally you are looking great!
So are you, Jim."
Sally grinned. "I'm almost as brown as you, Kathy, all over. Now that
we're married, I'm completely naked when I'm in the sun. Kathy," she said
turning serious, "Jim and I feel a tremendous debt to you for all you've
done. With you paying for our education, the obligation extends to working
to justify your confidence in us. We just received our grades for the
first semester. All 'A's'. We're trying!"
The toasts were drunk, the cake was cut and it was time to throw the
bridal bouquet. Shortly after, she and Ken made their escape. The
reception was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Omni and they were spending
the night in a suite there and would be leaving in the morning for Chicago
where they were connecting to a nonstop United flight to Maui. Ken had a
two-week leave for their honeymoon which they were spending at Kapalua.
They retreated to their suite and Kathy collapsed on the bed.
Ken looked at her. "Do you want to change first while I get the car?"
he asked.
Kathy looked at him strangely, "Kenneth Stark, are you reading my mind?
How did you know I wanted to go back to the apartment?"
"Because I do, too. Why don't you just leave your gown here? The bags
are all packed and in the car anyway. There's just your small bag..." he
said.
"I'll meet you down at the entrance in five minutes! Hurry!"
Less than five minutes later, she jumped in the car as Ken pulled away.
She looked at him and started to giggle. "What's so funny?" he asked,
puzzled.
"Us!" she replied, still giggling. "Just look! Here's this
distinguished-looking officer with his brand new full-dress blues and this
funny-looking urchin wearing Levi's and a sweat shirt."
Ken looked back and forth and started to laugh, too. "Why don't you
just keep your head down, so people won't see me slumming?" At that, she
gave him a poke in the ribs. "My God!" he said in mock alarm, "We haven't
even left on the honeymoon and already she's beating me!" Just then a State
Police cruiser came up behind with its lights flashing and siren wailing.
"Damn!" Kathy said, "Those clowns see us like this and we'll never live
it down!"
Instead of waving them over, though, the cruiser roared up alongside.
Again, it was Trooper Stockdale. "Doesn't anyone else patrol this road
besides Will, for chrissakes!" Kathy exclaimed, exasperated.
This time Will just waved his finger in a circle and pointed forward.
He hit the gas in his souped-up cruiser and moved into the high-speed lane.
Ken stepped on the gas and followed him. They roared east on the
Expressway to their turnoff. Instead of continuing his patrol, Stockdale
led them off the ramp, through the streets and up to the rear entrance of
the apartment. He stopped quickly and jumped out of his cruiser. Ken
stopped to wait for him to catch up.
Stockdale saluted smartly, "Congratulations to you both from me and the
other troopers of the Virginia State Police. Before you get all het up,
Kathy, the Captain gave me permission to escort you all the way home.
Commander, sir, I know today was your weddin' an all. Could I kiss the
bride? Please?"
Kathy jumped out of the car and came around to where Will was standing.
She held the tall trooper and gave him a warm kiss on the mouth.
He had taken off his hat and was smiling happily. "Thank you, ma'am.
Thank you kindly. Please accept my sincere wishes for a long and happy
life together!"
"Will Stockdale!" Kathy said sternly, "if I ever get a _hint_ that you
told anyone what I was wearing when you saw me..."
"Now, Kathy, why would I do a thing like that? Besides, you're pretty
as a pup no matter what you're wearing and... and... You're the best
pistol shot in the state, and my mama didn't raise _complete_ fools! Good
evening to you all." With that, he returned his hat to his head, saluted
smartly and returned to his patrol car. Kathy got back in the car and they
parked it.
When the elevator door opened, Ken easily picked her up and carried her
into the apartment. While still being held in his arms, she wrapped her
arms around his neck and softly kissed him. "Thank you, Commander Stark,"
she said softly.
"You're welcome, Mrs. Stark." he said with love in his voice as he
carried her into their bedroom. In no time Kathy's body was bare. Ken was
just starting to undress when she said, "Please don't, Ken. Let me."
She approached him and he tried to take her in his arms. She looked at
him. "Humor me? Let me. You stand still and only move if I say. Please?
For a wedding present?"
"How can I refuse my bride's simple request? Okay," he said with a
smile.
Kathy took off his tie, and hung it up. Then she took off his new dress
coat, examined it carefully, got a clothes brush and brushed off some lint
before carefully hanging it. She was tantalizing him and they both knew
it. After helping him off with his trousers she repeated the process of
careful brushing and then hanging them up. Ken was getting a massive
erection as he watched her glorious nude body move in front of him.
Meanwhile Kathy was making the situation harder by "accidentally"
striking very provocative poses as she moved. Then she had him sit while
she took off his shoes and socks. She studied the shoes and wiped them
carefully with a shoe cloth. As she did, she made sure her small ass was
high in the air and facing him. She came back and took off his T-shirt,
and carefully examined his chest, slowly running her finger tips over it.
It was obvious to Ken that her play had aroused her as well. Her nipples
were hard, and he could see moisture in her slit. Finally, she took off
his shorts releasing a massive erection with semen already forming drops on
its tip.
She went down on her knees, and sat on her heels, pretending to study
it. She looked up at his face -- her eyes were alive with excitement. "Is
that for me? Where does it belong? Can you show me? Please?"
With that he picked her up and carried her to bed. Ken was playing her
game, deciding it was fun. "Well, little girl, you have a into which
it fits."
"That can't be!" she said feigning disbelief. I have only tiny holes,
and that is so big! Surely, you can't think you could put it in me."
"It goes in here," he said, gentling inserting a finger in her dripping
vagina.
"No! Please! It will hurt. It would tear me in half!" she said,
continuing their little play.
"Let's try!" Ken said, spreading her legs wide.
Slowly, he inserted his now-raging erection into her moist crevice. He
was surprised as Kathy manipulated her vaginal muscles to tighten her
opening. Very slowly, he moved his hips back and forth working himself
deeper into her each time. He watched her head toss as her loins took on a
life of their own. In moments, she had a small orgasm, while he rested
within her. He began to move in and out with long, slow strokes, nearly
coming out at the end of the backstroke and then burying himself to the
root. He felt it as she built to another orgasm, while he exercised
near-superhuman control to keep from cuming. She recovered her breath
while he remained still.
When she recovered, she started to move her hips in tempo with his
motions. Finally, with Kathy moaning beneath him, he could hold on no
more. His release was massive, flooding her insides. At the same instant
she had reached her peak. Her loins jerked convulsively as her juices
released in a torrent with some forcing past his erection and soaking the
bed. She screamed and lost consciousness from the sensory overload. Ken
collapsed on the bed beside her.
He was holding her in his arms when her eyes opened. She just looked at
him with love in her eyes. "Ken," she said softly, "for a newlywed, your
balls are awfully full. Can we empty them in me -- or on me -- before we
get on the plane?" she said with a soft smile. They tried very hard to do
just that.
* * *
At Kapalua, they rejoiced. They made love and played golf. They made
love and played tennis. They made love and swam. They made love and lay
on the nude beach. They made love and ate lovely meals.
One morning near the end of the honeymoon, Kathy awakened first and
stretched like a tigress. She looked at her husband asleep next to her.
She couldn't resist. Burrowing under the covers with her head, she made a
little tent with them so she could examine Ken while he slept. Carefully,
she felt his scrotum, now virtually drained. His prick was flaccid as she
gazed at it. Then, with the tip of her extended tongue, she softly licked
the tip and the area around it. As she did, it started to grow erect. She
continued to apply her tongue, and as it grew larger, her mouth. Soon it
was fully erect. She slowly and then more quickly moved her mouth up and
down, taking it inside her throat.
She felt the covers thrown back as Ken awakened and found her down on
him. He watched the movement of his wife's golden head as it went up and
down. Finally, he could hold it no longer and released. When he did, she
had him in her mouth to its hilt. He could feel her swallowing rapidly as
the pulsations slowed and then stopped. Reluctantly, she lifted her head.
She looked at it carefully and daintily licked off some drops of semen that
remained.
Finally, she rocked back on her heels and smiled at him brightly. "Good
morning, my husband!"
"And what, may I ask, were _you_ just doing?" he said, trying to cover
his grin with a stern tone of voice.
"Having breakfast!" she said sweetly. "I was hungry, you were still
sleeping, and... and it's very high in protein, I understand. There's
just one thing: Does it come in other flavors? Chocolate, perhaps... or
strawberry? Or..."
He gave her a playful spank and then pulled her to him and kissed her
softly. He eased her away to get a better look at her. "You're causing me
a lot of trouble, you know?"
"No I didn't know, but I'm very glad to hear it," she said sticking out
her tongue. "Now how am I causing you trouble?"
He smiled at her fondly. "I used to think I was a boob man," he said,
carefully cupping one of her and giving it a soft squeeze which
caused her to shudder lightly. "And you have gorgeous boobs. But... roll
over, Kathy, please."
He released her as she rolled on her stomach. "But then I see
your little ass, and I think I'm an ass man. Your ass is so firm and yet
you make it soft when you think I want it soft. In any event, your skin is
like satin. With your small ass and my large hand, it makes a beautiful
handful." As he said it, he cupped one of her cheeks in his hand and
squeezed. She closed her eyes, arched her back, and made a small mewing
noise. Her hips moved slowly as she enjoyed the feeling.
"Then, of course there are your legs. Now I've always been a leg man,
and pickings aren't all that good these days. There are these with
piano legs, with pipe-stems, with..." She raised one leg behind her holding
it out straight. "Now that is a gorgeous leg!" He ran his fingers from the
knee, slowly up to the hip. Kathy turned over on her back.
He ran his fingers up the inside of her thigh, ending at her slit. He
let his fingers explore its moistness until he found the clitoral sentinel
rising to greet his finger tip. He slowly teased it and could feel it
stiffen. Now her whole was flowing wet with her moisture.
"Well," she said with a warm smile, "are you just going to handle the
merchandise or are you going to do something productive? Put something in
it, maybe?"
He grinned at her. "I'm still sleepy. You're the one who woke me up.
You do the work!" he said, rolling on his back.
She feigned a frown, and swung astride him. "My God, I'm on my back all
night trying to make enough from these cheap sailors to support the guy!
He takes my money, spends it on booze and other broads and, when he finally
comes home, I have to do all the work!" She was grinning and Ken was trying
to look bored.
He entered into her new little play. He yawned. "What are you bitching
about? It's better than keeping you here, barefoot and pregnant, isn't it?
Besides, you get a chance to meet new people... Ouch!" he yelled as Kathy
gave him a hard pinch.
In the meantime, though, she was moving her hips in a series of
intricate motions and he could feel their tempo rising. She ended her
speech and started moaning softly as she felt him so deep inside her. In
moments they were both moving rapidly to a crescendo of passion. Again,
their orgasms came together. Kathy slumped down beside him in a faint.
When they wakened, Kathy took his prick and balls in her hand. "Look,
Ken, look! Your great thing is dead, and your balls are empty. What can
we do?" She grinned at him and kissed him softly on the mouth.
He gently returned the kiss and held her close. Finally he said softly,
_"You_ killed it! What are _you_ going to do about it?" They laughed
softly and went back to sleep in each other's arms. *Chapter 24*
It was Ken's last night at home before the Evans sailed for the
Mediterranean and Kathy had prepared a magnificent dinner for him. She had
been unable to resist teasing him that morning, "Ken, you're no fair! I
want to fix your very favorite meal for tonight, and you won't even tell me
what it is!
"Sure I will, hon. It's your cunt. Now, browned and sauteed... Ouch!
Why did you hit me? I was just trying to answer your question."
"Kenneth Stark, I hate you! You're mean and cruel and... Besides, I
think broiled might be better... less butter. But Ken, I don't think I
would have grown another by the time you get back so... Are you sure?"
He held her and kissed her. "Kathy, you keep forgetting who you
married. After the Navy food I've been living on for the last fifteen years
or so, everything you make is magnificent. Remember, hon, except for the
submarine service, Navy kitchens are magical. The food that goes in is the
best that money can buy. Then there's what comes out! It's inedible, but
as I say, it's magic!"
In the event, Kathy prepared Tournedos Rossini with foie gras and
truffles on artichoke hearts, sauce Perigord. She had a bottle of Chateau
Mouton Rothschild 1959 that she had put away for such a special occasion.
When Ken returned home that night from his ship, she had a serious request.
"Honey, I need a favor."
He looked at her startled. Ever since they had married, he wanted to
buy her gifts. She did not eat candy, and after a while the collection of
flowers he brought her gave the apartment the aura of a funeral home.
Anything in his power to provide, he would give her. "Of course, honey!
Anything. What is it you need?"
"Ken, you're going to be gone a long time. I realized this morning
that... that I don't have your power of attorney. As your wife, of
course, I have risen in the eyes of the law from having been your mistress.
On the other hand, I sank a notch on the Navy scale of officer values. By
the way, do you have a mistress yet? I've tried to make it difficult for
the conniving females by trying to be sure that your balls are always
empty, of course, but some are more ambitious than others."
She grinned, and he grinned back. "Anyway," she continued, "I prepared
a general power of attorney, giving me full powers to act on your behalf in
your absence. Is that okay?" She produced a paper and was amused to see
Ken carefully read it from top to bottom.
He looked up from the paper and smiled, "I hope you notice that the dumb
little kid is trying. Of course, I don't understand what the damned thing
means, but I _did_ read it! After all, sweetheart, if you can't trust your
lawyer, who can you trust?"
They both thought of Ken's former lawyer, Homer Knight, who had recently
been disbarred. Ken signed the paper, reached in his wallet, took out a
crisp new dollar bill, and gave it to Kathy. "Now, about those 'other
valuable considerations'..."
"Honey, I'll get Bob or Jane to sign as a witness. They both know your
signature and will be happy to. When you said the bit about trusting your
lawyer, I saw your grimace. Thinking about our dear friend, Homer Knight?"
Ken nodded. "Ken, did you hear what that damned judge did with Sylvia? He
gave the bitch three-to-five and _suspended it,_ for chrissakes. He
apparently bought the line Ed Holmes was trying to sell: He was the
mastermind, and she was just the hired help! That woman is evil! Seeing
her in court made my skin crawl! Ken, am I being vindictive? I've never
felt this way about a person before, but I want her locked up! In fact, to
be honest, what I really want is her dead!"
He looked up, startled at his wife's vehemence. "Kathy, I feel sorry
for that woman. I really do!"
Kathy was surprised. "Why do you say that? After what she did to you
and all those other officers? Ken, do you realize most of them lost
everything -- and for good? We got your stuff back because it had only
been signed over a few days earlier. Those other poor are finished.
Their property is gone for good. So why would you ever feel sorry for the
bitch?"
"Honey, you made a successful career jailing dangerous criminals. You
certainly wanted them locked up, but it was a job that needed doing, like
collecting the trash. The reason I said what I did is that with Sylvia
it's personal. I don't think it ever was with the others. You were just
sweeping up the trash. This is different. Can I tell you something? I'm
not speaking now as your husband, the guy who's crazy in love with you,
either. If I were Sylvia and I knew you were after me, I wouldn't be
sleeping well. You're the best there is! And you can be deadly! That's
why I feel sorry for the bitch!"
"Thank you, said the black widow to her mate," Kathy commented as she
took Ken in her arms and kissed him softly. "You know, Ken, a black widow
got her name because she's deadly to her mate?"
"I know that," he replied with a grin, "but with you, what a way to die!
By the way, I love that dress on you. The color exactly matches your eyes,
doesn't it?"
She smiled and did a deep curtsy. "Thank you kind sir!" The smile
turned into a grin. "And I thought you just liked me bare-assed for easier
access to my bodily openings!"
The dinner was superb. It was followed by coffee, cognac, and cigars.
They ate it in the dining room by candlelight. While they were enjoying
their final sips, Ken sat back and contemplated his wife. "Do you know
what I love about you? You do things because you like to. Kathy, I can't
think of a more temperamentally opposed to the screaming libbers, yet
you sit there with a light panatella in your hand. They would look on it
as a great device to show up men. You do it because you enjoy it with the
cognac. Am I right?"
She smiled at him warmly. "Of course. I do enjoy it. I think you said
it, Ken. You need a cigar with the cognac and coffee after a great dinner
-- if I must say so, myself!" She finished with a note of acid in her
voice.
Ken was chagrined. "I'm sorry! Kathy, I really am. It was the finest
meal I've ever eaten. I apologize for being a slob and not saying so." He
got up, went over to her and kissed her softly. For an instant Kathy kept
her lips firm, but then she melted. When the kiss ended, he was holding
her tight while kneeling on the floor. "Does that mean I'm forgiven?" Ken
said hopefully.
She smiled warmly. "Let's just leave the junk and go to bed. I've got
six months or so to clean up after you leave."
She led the way, and by the time he reached the bedroom, she was
standing nude. Looking at her, Ken received a shock. He went closer and
got on his knees in front of her to get a better look. There on her
hairless mound was lettering that looked like a rubber stamp imprint.
It said "Property of Kenneth Stark." She looked at him with concern.
"Darling, there's one thing I've learned since we've been together. Every
damned thing in the U.S. Navy is marked, Property of the US Navy. So I
thought I would extend the idea. What do you think?"
"I think, 'Only Kathy,' is what I think. It's permanent stamp ink,
isn't it?" She nodded. "It's one of the many reasons I love you so much.
Life is never dull." He sat on the floor and looked up past her legs, her
loins and her to her face. "I love you, sweetheart!"
"Are you sure you don't mind? I knew it would wear off long before you
got back, so I took a chance."
"Actually, darling, I think it's neat!"
"Great!" she said with a grin. "Now get undressed."
He did, and she kissed him, first softly, then with increasing passion.
When she released him, his prick was standing at attention. She noted it
and said, "Great!" and disappeared. She returned a few moments later.
"Now stand still!"
She had a stamp pad and a rubber stamp. As his prick seemed to soften,
she took it in her mouth to make it rigid again. She withdrew her mouth
and applied the rubber stamp carefully along its length on top. When she
removed it, there were letters running along its length saying, "Property
of Katherine Stark." He looked down at himself when she pulled away. She
patted his flat stomach gently and said, "It's a good thing you're not fat.
If you were, you might not be able to read it. What do you think?"
Ken started to laugh. He laughed harder and harder until he could no
longer stand. In moments, they were on the floor in each other's arms. He
kissed her softly and held her tight.
"You're not mad?" she asked tentatively.
"No, I'm not mad. Only my would label me to keep me out of the
clutches of the whores in the Med. Kathy, you know what? You have utterly
ruined me! I see I used to think were the greatest thing since the
wheel. Now I feel sorry for them, for chrissakes! They're good enough, I
suppose, but compared to you, it's unfair! That's what it is! Unfair!
Why screw around with silver when there's 24-carat gold at home?" He kissed
her deeply, picked her up, and carried her to bed.
Their lovemaking that night ran the gamut from unbridled passion to
tenderness. At one point during the night they were on their backs. Ken
was holding her holding her close when he whispered, "Kathy? Did Sandy
Castle visit you while we were out on the shakedown?"
He could feel her nod her head, and heard her answer in a small voice,
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
He pushed up on one elbow to look at her face. "I knew it! It had to
be! Kathy Stark strikes again! You cost me a top-flight executive
officer, I want you to know!"
Kathy sat up and looked at him, alarmed. "What do you mean? How?"
"Ever since we got back, Jack Castle, the guy who could be relied on to
take any detail -- no matter how lousy -- that would keep him aboard, has
been going home nights. He has been walking around with a shit-eating
grin, is why. I asked him once if there were any problems at home. All I
got from the lug is that damned grin and the comment, 'My has a
perfect ass. It's just a lovely handful. She's not as good as Kathy in
the chest but she has great legs -- for a girl, not an accountant!' Kathy!"
He ended on an accusatory note.
Kathy looked sheepish. "I'm sorry, Ken. It was just after your
left. I was all set to get in the sauna when I get this call from probably
the person I least wanted to see in the whole world. Of course, that made
me feel guilty so I asked her to come over. And... Well... We talked.
That's all, Ken! Honest! We just talked."
He kissed his with warmth and deep affection. "Thanks, hon, for
saving their marriage. It was _on_ the rocks, not just headed for them,
and the ship was breaking up. Seriously, when Jack went ashore the day we
got back, he was primed to ask for a divorce. That idea died in one hell
of a hurry. What did you do or say?"
"Nothing, really. Only... Only... I asked her what she did if Jack
put his hand on her ass when she was in the kitchen. She said she'd slap
his face. I told her I would hold on to the sink to keep from falling
because my knees always feel weak when you do. Well, we covered other
things, and..."
"...And she's been elected a partner in her accounting firm." Ken
interjected, "Jack said -- well, he may have been bragging, of course --
after the first night, she couldn't care less about the firm. She started
wearing more feminine clothes, was thoughtful to her secretary, and...
Well, anyway, she was elected. She was told she was about to be passed
over in the selection but she saved the situation by her changed behavior.
Some of the other partners were afraid she was acting too masculine. When
Jack told me, he was laughing like hell. I nearly forgot. He loves you,
by the way. Sandy -- and it's now Sandy, not Sandra -- loves you, too."
He took her again, slowly and deeply. When they reached their climax,
her legs were around his neck to be sure he was in as deep as he could get.
* * *
The next morning, she drove Ken to the ship for the first time since he
got his own car at Christmas. He got out with his bags and then kissed her
hungrily. She felt his crotch and made a small face. When he asked if
anything was wrong, she tried to grin at him, although he could see her
eyes were fogging with tears. "Damn it! I thought I drained you last
night! There still seems to be something there!" He just held her as she
clung to him. Finally she said, "Get your ass in gear, Skipper, and get
that bucket underway!"
He smiled and ran for the gangway. Kathy stood and watched, or tried
to. The tears still got in the way. As she stood, she sensed someone had
come up beside her. It was Sandy Castle. She tried to focus on the girl's
face and finally did.
The professional accounting partner looked woebegone. "Kathy,
it's all your fault! Whenever Jack sailed before, I looked forward to
getting a lot of work done for my clients. Now... Now... Now, Kathy, I
_hurt!_ He's barely aboard, and we didn't sleep a wink last night, but...
but... What will I do? You were so right!
"That first night he was home, he came in loaded for bear! I had his
favorite drink made, and I was wearing this outlandish negligee... He
kissed me. While we were kissing, he put his hand on my ass expecting to
be slapped. I did what I had always wanted to do. I melted. Well, one
thing led to another and I was nude on the living room floor with Jack
inside me. Kathy, it was like heaven!
"I never did find out what he was so mad about. Do you know?"
Kathy smiled at the and said she had no idea.
*To be continued...*
* * *
Comments and constructive criticism are sincerely welcome. Let me hear
from you. morg105829@aol.com
*Kathy Stark* Copyright (c) 1991, 1998, 2001 by Morgan.
<morg105829@aol.com>
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