Sad times. Even the pictures on the walls mocked her. Vera glanced around at them, mementos of a more glamorous era in her life. The thought was a bit phony, but she liked to think of the shots as her public image. Her used-to-be public image. But that was a long time ago, so far back that an entire new public had sprouted since then. And now, on this gloomy night, she might as well be an image, only an image, and not a real woman with a real woman's wants. Because she was alone. All alone and lonesome, with no one to satisfy those wants.
Oh shit, she was thinking like a dumb broad and getting dumber by the hour. Worried about a lack of sex, when the lack of money was her big problem. Not that she was broke, of course, the checks still came in regularly. But they were still too small and this house too big with all her best-laid plans shot to hell. Actually, she must have done a pretty good job, looking at it in retrospect, a good job for everybody but herself. The corruption of Alison had sure been successful, but it was little Judy who was now reaping the benefit. And by the same token, Alison was enjoying life with the now-corrupt Judy. What a switch! And guess who was left out in the cold.
Grinning wryly, Vera wondered if that loving couple would ever realize how grateful they ought to be to her for having brought them together. They seemed to be made for each other, but would they ever remember just who it was that made them? Oh well, why brood about it? The thing to do was to start from scratch. Find another sucker and create a new plan and try to make it work before inflation turned her remaining stash of cash to shit. Which might be any day now, the way things were going. Any minute. Something had to break for her and soon. Although it would be smart to lose a few pounds before dropping her hook in the big ocean. Worrying made her eat and eating made her fat, and she wasn't exactly the jolly fatso type.
Maybe it wasn't quite so bad, though. Weight on a scale didn't mean much, it was the hips and belly that really counted. Only she couldn't make that judgment herself. Solange could tell. But then again, dear old Solange would probably flatter her as usual and knock a few pounds off for old times' sake. Good for the ego, that was for sure. And wouldn't an ego lift be a blessing in all this sadness? Besides, she ought to see the old babe just to cheer her up and maybe con her into staying on a while longer. Two women rattling around in one big house; why should either of them be lonely?
Vera primped a little and then went to pay her a call. She found the big muscular servant in bed but awake, reading a book. They greeted each other somewhat mournfully, both for pretty much the same reason.
Then, posing, in need of that ego boost, "I'm sure I must have put on a few pounds lately. What do you think?"
"Well… "
That did it. Vera's heart sank. Hesitancy from her loyal maid was intolerable and she changed the subject in a hurry. The book seemed like a safe bet for conversation; people could kill time just talking about books.
Not this one, though. "Porn? You're reading a hot one? I had no idea, Solange. I didn't even know you were interested in that sort of thing. You're a doer, not a reader. Just like me."
"Well, sure, but when there's nobody around to do… " Solange shrugged. "Ever since we lost the kid well, you know how it is, Miz Vera. Nobody to bed down with. Might as well read. As a matter of fact, I was lying here and thinking about jerking myself off when you came in."
"You're putting me on. Uh, the book… "
"Huh? Hey, you look kind of funny. Did I shock you? Just saying that? About jerking off?"
"N-no. I'm not shocked, just a little surprised. Besides, only men jerk off. Women tickle themselves."
"Yeah. I know. Fingerfuck. Hey, you still look kind of upset to me. Miz Vera? Don't tell me. Are you horny? Is that what makes you look "
"Horny. Isn't that silly? But as long as I'm here and we're together… well… "
"Hmm."
"Solange? Want to?"
"I I feel kind of lazy tonight, ma'am. Too lazy to start thrashing around in bed, you know?"
"Oh."
"But, uh, if you want to… "
"If I want to?"
"Uh-huh. You know. You've got more energy than me. And besides, I know damn well that you'd like to keep me around a while and this could be the way to do it." Solange flipped her light blanket aside. Her skin gleamed, the color of cream-tinged coffee. With a big bush of black as the focal point. Then, quite casually, a sudden switch. "Yeah, you really are getting kind of heavy around the hips, Miz Vera. You ought to let me put you on a diet."
"Hmm? Diet? What kind of diet?"
"Can't you see? You're looking right at it."
Vera was silent. Her pulses throbbed. The walls of the room were closing in on her. She couldn't talk. She couldn't move. And then the dark legs shifted and the big black bush flashed a bit of red, and she knew she was lost right then and there, stumbling and falling, lost in a desperate world of darkness. And it didn't even surprise her when, after a few minutes, the great body under her lips rolled over and she heard Solange giggling into the pillow, highly amused with the idea as she said a moment afterward the idea of having the place all to themselves so that she could get her cunt sucked and her ass licked every night and wouldn't really have to jerk off after all…