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From: "Bill Morgan" <morg1058@chartervt.net>
Subject: {ASSM} NEW from Morgan: ALLISON, 4 of 4; M/F Rom
Date: Sun,  5 Aug 2001 17:10:01 -0400
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<1st attachment, "Allison 4.txt" begin>

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.
				
* * *

Allison

Copyright Morgan, 1988, 2001.  All Rights Reserved.

Please note the original copyright date.  This story was
basically written 13 years ago.  As a result, you may find
references to, e.g., "antique" computers, and so forth.  I'm
afraid you'll just have to live with it; it's too tedious trying
to keep up with the latest and greatest in technology in general
and computers in particular.

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-mirror.org/files/Authors/Morgan/www> If
you like it -- or if you don't -- please let me know at
morg105829@aol.com.

* * *

Chapter 18

When Ali returned to the suite, Bill came over to greet her.  He
took her in his arms to give her a welcome-home kiss that, as
usual, ended up loaded with their mutual love and passion.  Ali
just held him tightly around his neck.  He looked at her with a
question in his eyes and she smiled softly.  She whispered, "I
need to wait for my knee joints to re-form.  Whenever you do
that, Bill Clifford, you know damned well my knees turn to
water!"  He smiled softly and kissed her again.

Bill turned, still keeping his arm around Ali's waist.  Then she
saw a young man standing watching them.  He was about five feet
eleven and very slim.  His build reminded Ali of Brian's as she
went over to him with her hand outstretched.  The young man took
it, looked at her and murmured, "They're right."  Then aloud he
said, "Mom, I'm your son, Bill."  He reached out to her and she
went into his arms and kissed him.  She could feel tears flowing
down her cheeks.

She stepped away and said, "Bill, thank you so much.  But I heard
you say something just before you introduced yourself.  What was
it you said?"

The young man looked sheepish and said, "I guess I said, 'they're
right', or something like that.  I was referring to Jennifer and
Brian.  Mom, they claim you're the most beautiful woman in the
world.  Brian is convinced you are the incarnation of an angel,
making Karen Gaudli the most beautiful woman on earth. 
Jennifer... well, she just worships you, Mom.  She really does. 
Every time she mentions you, she starts to cry.  There's an
endless supply of stories of what you've done for her lately." 
He smiled and said, "I guess I'm the only Clifford you haven't
fixed up with a spouse."

Bill made drinks and the three chatted.  Moments later Jennifer
and Steve arrived.  The brother and sister hugged and kissed and
then Bill shook hands with Steve.  Young Bill stepped back, still
holding his sister's hands.  "Jen, I've never seen you look
better!  You are exquisite.  He turned to Steve and said, "I
think you're a pretty lucky guy.  She's one in a million!"

Steve grinned at Bill and replied, "I doubt it.  One in a million
would mean there are about 100 or so of her in the country.  I
don't think there are.  In fact, I'm sure there aren't nearly
that many."

Ali then took Jennifer aside and told her about meeting and
hiring Cara   Connie Foster.  Jen was thrilled.  Finally, she
grinned and said, "Mom, I guess you just can't get away from
strippers!"

Hors d'oeuvres appeared and it was shaping up to be a fine dinner
party.  They had reserved a private dining room downstairs. 
After having drinks, they went down to dinner and young Bill was
sitting beside Ali.  He said, "Mom, I have a favor to ask.  I was
teasing you about fixing up Brian and Jen.  All I can say is
they're both so happy their feet don't even touch the ground. 
But all by myself I met a girl who's from a very fine family. 
I'm going to meet them on Thursday.  Could you be my real mother
that night?"

Ali's face fell.  She had just met Bill for the first time and he
had made what would normally be a very simple request.  Then she
thought of her new daughter, Joan.  She put out her hand and took
the boy's.  "Bill, any other time.  Something has come up I just
can't control.  Could you change the date?"  When he sadly shook
hid head she asked sadly, "Could your father go with you alone?"

Bill could see her eyes fill as she spoke and could feel her hand
gripping his.  He smiled and said softly, "I'm sorry, Mom.  I
didn't mean to hurt you.  I did, didn't I?  It really hurt you
deeply to say no, didn't it?"

She smiled at him warmly and said, "You're going to be one hell
of a doctor!  You're very perceptive.

Ali looked across the table at Jennifer and felt so proud.  The
girl looked utterly exquisite.  She had her hand in Steve's and
she was lost in his eyes.  Ali rejoiced in her daughter's
happiness.  Looking over at Bill, she found his eyes had a
faraway gaze.  "A penny for your thoughts, Bill?" she asked.

Bill gave a little start and looked at her with a smile.  "I'm
sorry, Mom.  I was thinking of my girl.  At least, I hope she's
my girl.  I can't wait for you to meet her.  You know, in a
strange way she reminds me of Jennifer.  She's sweet and loving
and smart -- and absolutely gorgeous."  He looked at her and
said, "Mom, you and Dad reminded me of us tonight."

Ali looked puzzled.  "Your father and I?  What did we do?"

"When you came home and he kissed you.  I know it was supposed to
be perfunctory, but it sure wasn't.  I don't think you and Dad
are capable of perfunctory kisses, are you?  Neither are we. 
God, I love that woman!"

Later that night Bill and Ali were resting in bed after their
lovemaking.  Bill had stroked her body and was still playing with
her breasts.  Ali had her eyes closed and was making happy noises
deep in her throat.  She said softly, "Bill Clifford, if you
don't stop that, I'm going to want more.  And I'm not sure that
you're not over the hill.  I don't want you to strain yourself,
darling."

Bill rolled over and placed one of his hands on her crotch and
began to finger her.  Her legs spread wide and soon he was inside
her again, moving slowly.  As he moved his loins against her, his
fingertips were stroking her body.  He loved to feel her muscles
moving under her satin skin.  He could feel Ali cum repeatedly
until he took her to her ultimate crest.  She screamed and lost
consciousness.

When she came to, she was lying beside him with her head on his
shoulder.  She blinked and smiled at him.  "I take it all back. 
It's me that's getting old.  Oh, Bill, that was so good!"

"And you're so beautiful, Ali.  God, I love you!"

Bill turned off the light and Ali positioned his hand on her
breast.  She quickly told him of the events of the day with Joan
and Connie.  Finally, she told him of Bill's request and her
response.

Bill said, "I guess I can handle it myself.  But Ali, he's joined
the ranks of the people who love you."

On Thursday morning, Ali brought her clothes for the evening in
to the office with her.  Then she took Joan over to Henry's. 
While there, she took the opportunity to take him aside and tell
him about Connie and her problem.  At first he was startled, but
then he grinned and agreed to try another dye job.

When they were finished, Joan went to her apartment to prepare
for the evening while Ali went back to the office.  She arrived
at Joan's at five o'clock having learned that her boyfriend was
due to arrive at seven.  As she went towards the door of the
first-floor garden apartment, she met Connie Foster just leaving.
 She was wearing skin-tight Levi's with a chambray shirt and her
hair was still tied up on her head with a red kerchief.  Connie
was embarrassed to see her.

"What brought you out here, Connie?" Ali asked.

Connie smiled and said, "I thought I could give Sis a hand for
her big night.  Good luck!"  The girl ran off toward the parking
lot.

Ali went into the apartment and found Joan sitting on a chair,
still shaking her head.  "What's the problem?" she asked.

Joan looked up and smiled warmly at Ali.  "Did you see who just
left?"

"Yes, Connie Foster.  Why?  What was she doing?"

"Acting like a cleaning woman.  Ali, you won't believe what that
girl did!  I found her here when I got back.  She waited for me
to leave this morning and then had the nerve to tell the super
that she just missed me.  He let her in and she's been cleaning
up a storm ever since."  She smiled and said, "Ali, will you come
with me, please?"

Ali followed the girl back to the bedroom.  The room was
stunningly decorated around a king-size bed.  The drapes,
curtains, and bedspread all matched and the bed was turned down
on both sides.  Then Joan led her into the bathroom which was
spotless.  There was even a tray similar to what is found in fine
hotels with toilet articles laid out.  They went back to the
living room and Joan asked, "What do you think?"

"I think your bedroom looks absolutely spectacular.  But what's
wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing!" Joan replied with a grimace.  "Except none of it was
here when I left for work this morning!  Mom, I've spent a little
money on furniture for the living room and I guess I said
something to Judy about the bedroom being decorated in early
Salvation Army.  I come home and find this:  The bed, bureau,
table, lamps, drapes, curtains, sheets, and bath linen are all
brand new, delivered this morning.  Connie did it all!  She said
I need a very firm mattress to avoid back problems from bedroom
exercise!  Can you believe it?  And look at the rest of this
place -- it's utterly spotless.  And I thought I was a demon
housekeeper!"  Joan smiled warmly and added, "Ali, I think I love
that girl."

Ali had changed at the office and was wearing a beautiful dress.
She realized Joan was wearing a bathrobe and asked about it.  The
girl smiled again and told her that Connie had insisted she take
a shower so she could go over the bathroom one last time before
she left.  Joan just shook her head claiming the bathroom had not
looked this good when the builder finished it.  She was putting
on her dress when the doorbell rang.  Ali went to answer it and
found it was Judy Jeffries and Mike Morris.  Judy was wearing a
very short maid's uniform that showed off her perfect legs; Mike
was carrying a white jacket.  Ali just looked at the two in
amazement.

Judy said, "Ali, you can't properly entertain when you're
bouncing up and down like a jack-in-the-box.  Mike is still
loafing so we thought we would come over and help out."  Joan had
come out of the bedroom by this time and stopped, stunned.  Tears
started to flow and Judy ran over to her, grabbed a tissue, and
started to dry her eyes.  "What are you doing?  Don't you know
tears make your mascara run...?  If you ever wore any.  What's
the trouble?"

"Judy Jeffries, you and the rest of that gang are the trouble,
damn it!"  Then she smiled brilliantly and said, "But thank you
so much!  Come on out and I'll show you what we're serving."

Ali followed them out to the small kitchen and found the food all
laid out.  Joan asked Judy if she could cook and the blonde stuck
out her tongue and replied, "Better than you, I bet.  I've been
cooking for Mike longer than you've been cooking for Bill."

Mike set up the bar and Joan finished getting ready.  Ali had
checked her watch to try to keep the girl busy so she wouldn't be
sitting and just waiting for the doorbell to ring.  Just then, it
rang.  Joan popped up, went to the door and opened it.  Ali could
hear the sounds of their kissing and then heard Joan introduced
to his father.  Ali was on her feet as they came into the room. 
She saw Bill Clifford standing behind his son and winking at her
over his son's head.

Joan brought Bill over and said, "Bill, I would like you to meet
my mother.  Mom, this is Bill...  Oh my God!"  Joan's hand went
to her mouth as the Clifford name registered.  She glanced at
Bill senior, immediately recognized him, and turned brick red. 
Ali had her hand out and said, "How do you do, Bill.  I'm so
happy to meet you.  Is this your father?"

Bill, junior, recovered far faster than did Joan.  He said, "Yes,
he is.  I would like to introduce you to my father, Bill
Clifford.  At home I was always called Billy to tell us apart."

Ali's eyes were sparkling as were Bill's as she extended her
hand.  Bill took it gravely and said, "Mrs. Fredrick, it's a
great pleasure to meet you.  I've heard so much about your
daughter from Billy.  It's obvious that she gets her beauty from
you."

Ali said, "It's Mrs. Clifford, now.  My husband died and I've
remarried."  She looked at Bill with her eyes dancing and said,
"I'm sorry my husband couldn't make it this evening.  He's a
wonderful person, and I'm sure you would like him."

Meanwhile, Joan was in Billy's arms.  He was holding her tight. 
Ali noticed that he was caressing Joan's hair the way Bill always
did with her.  When they sat down, Billy just shook his head. 
The joke was over.  He said, "Mom, you did it again.  And so did
I.  All Joan could talk about was this wonderful person she
worked for who was always doing nice things for people.  I'm
thick.  I should have guessed that there aren't very many of
you."

Mike came and took drink orders.  His eyes were twinkling but he
maintained a perfectly straight face, except for winking at Ali
when no one could see him.  He brought the drinks and Bill
offered a toast to Billy and Joan.

Before they drank, Billy turned to Ali and said very formally,
"Mrs. Clifford, I asked Joan to meet you and I'm delighted we
did.  The reason I wanted to meet you was to ask permission to
court your daughter.  I love her desperately and want to marry
her.  I believe I can support her in the style to which she is
accustomed.  I hope you will give your permission for me to
continue to call on her."

Ali looked at him gravely even though her eyes were still
twinkling.  "Bill, you certainly have my permission to continue
to call on Joan.  As for the rest, you'll have to ask her."

Bill reached into his pocket and took something out.  He turned
to Joan and said, "Darling, will you marry me?"

Tears of joy started to run down the girl's cheeks as she smiled
at him brilliantly.  Her smile lit up the room as she said,
"Darling, of course I'll marry you.  Anytime at all."

He took her hand and slipped a ring on the third finger of her
left hand.  The diamond was huge and dazzling in its brilliance.
Bill said softly, "My dad helped me pick it out.  I hope you like
it."

Joan was speechless.  She just wrapped her arms around him and
hugged.  Judy came out of the kitchen and when Joan came up for
air, she came over to see it.  "Joan, I've never seen a stone
like it!  It's absolutely magnificent!  Oh, darling, I'm so happy
for you!"

Then Ali looked at it and gave Joan a kiss.  Mike came in
carrying a tray with glasses of champagne.  He and Judy were
introduced to Bill who grinned at Judy and winked at Mike.  They
took glasses and Mike said, "May I offer a toast to Joan and
Bill?  May they always be as happy as their parents!"

The dinner went smoothly and beautifully.  After cleaning up,
Mike and Judy left quietly.  Soon Ali and Bill got up to leave as
well, but Bill couldn't help teasing his son.  He said, "Bill,
are you coming with us?  I don't want to leave you stranded."

Bill grinned at his father and said, "Thanks, Dad, but that's
okay.  I'll manage.  You and Mom just go on ahead."

Joan took Ali in her arms and kissed her.  She said, "I can't
believe it!  You're really going to be my mother!  Mom, I'm so
happy now I can't stand it."

Later, when they were in bed Bill had his hand on Ali's breast
and had pulled her close.  As usual, she had molded her body to
his and had her head on his shoulder.  Bill asked, "What do you
suppose the kids are doing now?"

Ali murmured sleepily, "The same thing we were just doing.  And
you know what?  Before the night's out, they'll be doing exactly
what we're doing now.  Joan will be snuggling close to Bill and
he'll have his hand cupping her boob.  It's a bigger handful than
mine, by the way.  Her head will be on his shoulder and she'll
just go to sleep that way."

The next morning all the girls were in the conference room
waiting for Joan to arrive.  Judy had told the others about the
huge diamond Joan had received and all the girls were waiting to
see it.

As they were waiting, Connie Foster stuck her head around the
door.  "May I come in?  Even though I haven't started to work,
yet?"

Ali jumped up and went to her.  She took the girl aside and said,
"Connie, that was the nicest thing I could imagine that you did
for Joan yesterday.  But why did you do it?"

"Because she's the only family I have.  Did it look all right? 
Did she like it?"

"Connie, it was the most beautiful bedroom I've ever seen!  But
did you have to turn down the covers?  On both sides of the bed?"
Ali asked with her eyes dancing.

Connie grinned and said, "Mom, it's what I've always hoped
someone would do for me."  Her eyes were warm with love for Joan
as she continued, "That's the most scrumptious bed I've ever
seen!  The sheets are so crisp and fresh!  Mom, I don't think I
would get out of it for a month."

Just then they heard the front door open and Joan came into the
conference room.  She appeared to be half dead.  The girls
crowded around to admire her ring.  Joan tried to stifle a yawn.
Ali took her into her office and asked Kathy to bring in some
coffee.

Joan collapsed on the sofa and spread her legs wide.  "My God! 
How do you do it?  I'm utterly destroyed, Mom.  But it was the
most marvelous night of my life.  And later, after more
lovemaking than I can think about, I had my head on his shoulder
and his hand cupped my boob.  Then this morning, I woke up and
squeezed his hand that was still over my breast.  He rolled over
and took me slowly and gently.  It was like heaven!

"But then do you know what that jerk did?  He rolled over and
went back to sleep!  He didn't even get up to have breakfast with
me.  He had the nerve to say I have the most comfortable bed he's
ever slept in and he didn't want to get out of it.  Wait till I
get my hands on Connie Foster!"  Ali just laughed in delight.

They decided that a June wedding would be nice.  Ali learned that
young Bill would be doing his internship and residence in Los
Angeles.  She and Bill were delighted.

Later, Joan asked about a pay advance for her wedding expenses. 
Ali merely smiled and said they were an expense of the bride's
family, not the bride.  Joan just looked at Ali in utter
astonishment.  Then she teased the girl, "Could I interest you in
a double wedding with Jennifer?  She'll be getting married to
Steve around that time, too.Chapter 19

It was early April and Ali was wondering how to celebrate her
upcoming wedding anniversary.  She had come to no decision and
was just sitting in her office when the phone rang.  It was
Jennifer.  Ali brightened when she heard her voice.  She had come
to love Jennifer deeply and knew the feeling was reciprocated. 
"Hi, Mom!  How is the world's most beautiful mother today?"

"Honey, I don't have the first clue.  I have no idea who she is.
But _I'm_ fine.  How are you?"

"I'm fine, Mom, but I have a problem.  Steve's got a friend in
town who needs a date.  He tells me he's a really great guy.  But
the only unattached girl I know is Connie Foster.  Do you think
she might be interested?  Mom, this is another funny one.  The
guy is thirty years old and is already burning up the track
making money.  I think he's struggling but just making the bottom
of the _Forbes_ list.  What do you think?"

"Jen, I think it's super!  Honey, it looks like I adopted another
daughter.  I have really come to love that girl.  Did you hear
what she did for Joan?"  Ali proceeded to tell how Connie
decorated the entire bedroom and cleaned the apartment from top
to bottom.  "And Jen, it was all a secret.  No one knew what she
was planning to do.  And she has been working as a stripper to
make money for school.  Does that sound like anyone you know?"

Ali heard the sound of a small sob from the other end of the
phone.  Jen's voice was cracking as she said, "Mom, with me it
was sort of a joke.  Deep, deep down I knew Dad would help me if
I ever got in a real jam.  But Connie has no backup."  Her voice
strengthened and she said, "Mom, I have two questions:  First, do
you think this guy is good enough for her?  And you know I'm
serious when I ask that.  Second, am I right in assuming you're
going to do a Jennifer on her?  I do so hope you will."

Ali could feel tears glistening in her eyes as she listened to
her daughter.  "Jen, it's only one date.  That's the answer to
your first question.  The answer to the second is that I love my
beautiful daughter very much!  Honey, she is really a beautiful
girl and I think it would be fun.  When's the date?"

"How about tomorrow night?  It's a Friday and who knows what
might happen.  Incidentally, Mom, Steve sends his love.  And he
means it.  He has the excellent judgment to prefer you to me. 
But since you're taken, he's willing to settle.  Mom, I can't be
happier than I am now.  Now would you mind calling Connie and
then letting me know what she says?"

Ali asked Kathy for Connie's number and called the apartment.  A
sleepy voice answered the phone.  "Hi, sleepyhead.  It's Ali
Clifford and it's almost nine o'clock.  Why are you still in
bed?"

"Because I only finished work last night.  I felt I had to give
the club two weeks notice.  It was over last night."  Then her
voice brightened.  Clearly, she could wake up quickly.  She said,
"Hi, Mom.  How are you this morning?"

"Madly in love with my silver-haired daughter.  Incidentally,
wait until you meet your future sister-in-law, Karen Gaudli,
Brian's love.  Her hair is as lovely as yours -- and that's
saying something.  The reason for the call, though, is to find
out if you have any plans for the next two days."

Ali heard a low chuckle and Connie said, "You just ruined my only
plan.  I was going to sleep straight through until Monday
morning.  Since that's shot, what can I do for you?"

"Could you get down here in an hour or so?  I want to plot and
scheme."  Connie said she would come right down and hung up.

Then Ali asked Kathy to get the girls together in the conference
room.  Walking in, all the girls looked up at her expectantly. 
Ali stood, looked around at them and finally said, "I agree with
a comment Connie Foster made:  There is real love in this
organization.  I just wanted you to know that I love you all very
much.  People tease me about being a mother to a group of
beautiful girls.  I don't know about the mother, but they're sure
right about the beautiful.  I'm really very proud of you all and
what you have achieved in the last few months.

"Now I have a favor to ask.  You all heard what Connie did with
Joan's apartment.  All she said to me was that her sister needed
help.  Since she had never had a sister before, she felt
wonderful to be able to do it.  Anyway, I think we can help
Connie and should.  Does anyone feel like it?"

The reaction from the girls was immediate and wildly
enthusiastic.  It was obvious that they had quickly come to love
the tall green-eyed blonde, too.  Ali laid out the plan.  She was
having a date with the most eligible young man in the country. 
Ali wanted to be sure she looked the part of the daughter of one
of the wealthiest men in the country.  While they waited for
Connie, Ginger and Sandy discussed outfits and colors.  Ali had
complete confidence in their judgment.  When they went back to
their offices, Ali called Henry Hall and made an appointment for
later in the day.

A few minutes later there was a knock at the door and Connie came
in wearing her skin-tight Levi's and a chambray shirt.  When Ali
raised an eyebrow Connie said she had been told it was the Firm's
official casual uniform.  Ali's eyes twinkled at Connie's reply.

Kathy brought in coffee for her and winked.  Connie looked her
over and said, "Kathy, I don't know.  You're starting to show
signs of internal wear and tear.  Didn't you know that men
appreciate women more if the women keep their distance?  I
understand separate bedrooms are the way to go.  Then you may
invite your husband to share your bed every six months or so."

Kathy pretended to think about it.  Then she said brightly, "I
tried that.  It wasn't worth a shit!  Actually, in this office we
now have one shared talent:  We can all do a split on the floor
and have our legs out flat.  That's because the only way we're
really comfortable is with our thighs spread as wide apart as
they can go to welcome our men inside us."  She grinned and
added, "But it is an interesting thought."  She closed the door
behind her as she left.

Connie shook her head and said, "Ali, the funny thing is I know
what she said is true.  Never in my life have I seen a group of
girls who look so fulfilled.  They're so damned relaxed!  You
know, I'm scared about joining now."  Her face had gotten very
serious as she continued, "I've been reading files and now I can
see why you're so damned effective.  It's because the only thing
you all need to prove is how much you love your men.  I can see
you and Sandy and Ginger just being totally honest with clients
and as a result, totally convincing.  My problem is I've been
living like a nun."

Ali explained about the phone call from Jennifer without
mentioning the wealth of the young man.  "Anyway, do you think
you could tear yourself out of bed for a couple of hours?"

She grinned and agreed immediately.  Ali called Jennifer and told
her, then took Connie back into the conference room.  When they
entered she told Connie to strip.  Connie looked at her
strangely, then just shrugged and removed her clothes.  Although
the girls had watched Connie strip before, it had really been a
dance.  She had an exquisite body but it was only now, as she
stood like a model and they took her measurements, that they
realized how exquisite she really was.  When they were finished,
the girls scattered and Connie put her clothes back on.  She was
puzzled but still didn't ask any questions.

Ali took her out to lunch and then to Henry's.  Again, she was
greeted warmly and Henry looked Connie over carefully and then
looked at Ali.  He said, "Ali, where in the name of God do you
find these girls?  I think you've cornered the world market on
beauty and brains.  What's the story this time?"

Ali told him that he had to dye Connie's pubic hair and do a full
hair styling.  "Henry, Connie is very rich.  She's also a lawyer
in the finest law firm in town.  I want her to look very sexy and
very classy.  How's that?"

Henry took Connie into a booth and drew the curtains.  He looked
at her and said, "Young lady, this is a first for me.  Would you
please undress?"

Connie stripped off her clothes and lay down on a chair that had
been extended out to permit her to recline.  Henry and Ali
studied the girl's hair with a magnifying glass and discussed the
likely degree by which her pubic hair would be darker than the
hair on her head.  He whispered to Ali that Connie's body was
essentially perfect.  "There's not an apparent ounce of fat on
her.  Just beautiful skin and finely-toned muscles.  This is
another real pleasure."  He was amused to see Connie fall
immediately asleep in the chair and not move at all as he worked
on her.  Finally, it was finished and he touched her on the
shoulder.  "What do you think of it?" he asked.

Connie looked down at her loins and saw her pubic hair was now a
darker shade of the white-gold of the hair on her head.  She
looked at Henry and beamed, "It's been a long time, Henry, but I
think it's perfect!  I can't thank you enough.  It's a pretty
tacky thing to ask you to do, though.  Thank you."

She got dressed and he opened the curtains.  Ali wandered around
exchanging movie gossip with the other people while he worked on
the hair on Connie's head.  Finally, he drew back the curtains
with a flourish and Ali came back in to look.  He raised the back
of the chair and turned it around.  He had been completing the
styling with the chair's back to the mirror to keep Connie from
being able to see it until he was finished.  Connie's jaw
dropped.  She was absolutely stunned.  Her new hairdo was
magnificent.  She jumped out of the chair and kissed Henry
solidly on the lips.

Henry turned scarlet, then grinned.  "May I take that to mean you
think the styling is okay?"

"Henry, I'm speechless.  I can't possibly look like that!  That
girl is beautiful."

Henry shook his head and put his hand out to Ali.  "I don't know
how you do it, but you always bring me girls with the loveliest
hair its been my good fortune to see in years.  All of your
girls' hair is full-bodied, and naturally wavy.  Incidentally,
how is that little girl, Joan, doing?  She is a delight."

Ali grinned and said, "She's marrying my son in June.  And it's
at least partially your fault.  She'll be back before the wedding
for sure, and undoubtedly before that.  I'll tell her you asked."
 Ali turned to Connie and smiled warmly, "Are you all set?"

Connie just nodded her head and followed Ali back to the car. 
Ali was amused to see the girl recline her seat in Ali's
convertible and go to sleep as she drove back to the office.  She
thought the girl was really one after her own heart.  Ali had
previously called Bill and told her what she was planning.  He
approved wholeheartedly and said he would meet them at the office
later in the afternoon.

When they returned to the office they went to the conference
room.  Connie still had no idea what to expect.  What she found
was a collection of magnificent outfits that she tried on and
modeled.

Sandy and Ginger just frowned and shook their heads.  Finally
Ginger said, "Sandy, it's no use.  We'll just have to keep them
all."

Sandy looked sad -- or tried to.  Her eyes were flashing with
glee.  "I'm afraid you're right, Ginger.  One looks about as bad
as the next.  We'll keep them."

Connie's face fell.  "I think they look lovely.  Who are all the
clothes for, anyway?"

Ali said, "It's part of your wardrobe, silly.  You have a date
tomorrow and your family wants to be sure you look presentable."

Connie's jaw dropped.  "These are for me?  But that's insane!  I
couldn't buy one of those outfits with a year's pay.  I thought
you were just using me for a model."

"We were," Ali replied.  "I think it's only appropriate, after
all, that you try on your own clothes.  Actually, we did try to
hire a model.  It turned out there is not a model agency in town
with a girl with your measurements.  When I gave them yours, they
just laughed.  They said I didn't want a model, I wanted a slim
young Venus.  As far as the cost is concerned, you don't have to
pay for them.  They're paid for."

Ali dropped her joking tone of voice and looked at the girl with
her love showing in her eyes.  "And Connie, they are yours. 
They're from people who love you.  Please accept them."

Connie's eyes filled.  "I don't know what to say.  Thank you all.
 They are the most beautiful things I've ever seen -- anywhere. 
I've never drooled over anything this nice in the finest fashion
magazines."  She turned to Ali and held out her arms.  Ali
embraced the girl and held her tight.  She could hear the girl
whisper, "Mom, I love you!"

Ali took her arm and led her to her office where Bill Clifford
was sitting in a chair waiting for them.  He rose as they entered
and Ali said, "Connie, I want you to meet your new father, Bill
Clifford.  He loves you deeply, too, and it's only fair to give
him a chance to meet you."

Bill smiled at the girl warmly and extended his hand.  Connie
ignored the hand and went into his arms.  She hugged him tightly
and Bill put his arms around her.  Ali could hear the sound of
crying as the girl just burrowed her face into Bill's shoulder. 
She could see the girl's shoulders shaking from her weeping.  At
that instant her love for Bill Clifford increased again.  She
could see him whispering endearments into the lonely girl's ear,
as he gently stroked her hair.  It was exactly what he did with
her and Jennifer.  Ali knew how much she loved it.  Connie was
reacting the same way.

Finally, she pushed away looking upset.  She reached into a
pocket and pulled out a handkerchief that she used to try to dry
the tears from Bill's jacket.

He stopped her and kissed her lightly on the lips.  He said, "You
don't know men very wel, young lady.  Nothing makes a man feel
better than to have a beautiful young woman cry on his shoulder.
It gives us a chance to get our arms around her and hold her
tight.  Connie, welcome to the Clifford family.  I know your
mother has given you some things.  Well, I wanted to give you a
welcome present, too."  With that he reached behind a chair and
picked up a large box which he presented to her.

Connie set it on Ali's desk and opened it.  She removed the cover
and set it aside.  Then she folded back some tissue paper
revealing the contents.  She gasped.  Her hands came up to cover
her face.  "This can't be _for me?"_

Bill reached in, took out the mink coat, casually shook it out
and then held it for Connie to try on.  The girl slipped her arms
into the sleeves and Bill pulled it up on her shoulders.  He went
around in front of her, took the lapels and pulled them together.
 Then he lifted the collar to frame her face.

Ali gasped, "Bill, it's perfect.  Would you look at the way that
dark fur sets off her glorious silver-gold hair?  Honey, if we
took a photograph and let the furrier run it as an ad, we could
have the coat for nothing.  Connie, you look gorgeous!  Take a
look."

There was a mirror behind the closet door in Ali's office.  She
positioned it so the girl could see herself.  Connie looked in
the mirror and they could see tears start to roll down her cheeks
again.  Bill took her back into his arms.  He whispered, "Connie,
it's beautiful.  It was made for you.  Please accept it as a
small token of the love your mother and dad have for you?"

Connie wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, kissed him, and
said, "Thank you so much, Dad!  It's utterly exquisite."

*  *  *

They agreed that Jen and Steve would bring the young man to Bill
and Ali's suite, so Connie dressed in the spare bedroom.  A few
minutes before the others were due to arrive, she came out to the
sitting room.  Bill jumped to his feet while Ali just sat in her
chair.  Connie looked stunning and Bill was quick to say so.

She looked at them and said, "Mom and Dad, I don't know what to
say.  I don't recognize the girl I saw in the mirror just now. 
She is sophisticated... even beautiful.  Thank you so much."

Ali winked at Bill and said to Connie, "Aren't you forgetting
something?  Where is your jewelry?"  She turned to Bill and said,
"Bill, would you please speak firmly to your daughter?  She just
leaves it lying around and it _is_ expensive.  It's right there
on the sideboard.  Why don't you help her put it on?"

Bill winked at Ali and opened a box.  He placed a magnificent
diamond necklace around the girl's neck and gave her two diamond
ear studs.  She put them on and turned to face them.  Tears were
flowing down her cheeks.  "Mom, you gave me money to pay off my
student loans.  But in the last day you and Dad have spent far
more than the entire cost of my education on things I can wear! 
This necklace is priceless!  What if something happens to it?"

Ali said, "That's very simple, dear.  Your father will probably
speak to you very sternly about the need to take better care of
your things.  He probably won't even replace it for you until
Christmas, either."  Ali looked at the girl thoughtfully and
added, "Maybe that is rather too harsh, though, as I think about
it."

Suddenly the tears passed and Connie started to smile her own
sunshine smile.  Bill just glowed and Ali realized why it was
Bill loved to see hers.  She lighted up the room.  Then she said,
"Mom and Dad, I give up.  I'll knock him dead!"

Just then the doorbell rang.  Bill went to open it and was
immediately greeted with a warm kiss from Jennifer.  She said,
"Hi, Dad."

Bill shook hands warmly with Steve who entered followed by
another tall young man.  He had the same build as Steve and was
also six feet three.  Steve said, "Dad -- Mr. Clifford -- I would
like you to meet a good friend of mine, Chip Cartwright.  Chip,
this is Bill Clifford, my future father-in-law."

Chip was introduced to Ali who rose and said, "Chip, it's my
pleasure to introduce you to another daughter, Connie Foster."

Connie had been hidden behind Jennifer and now came around with
her hand outstretched.  Ali's eyes twinkled and she winked at
Bill as she saw Chip's jaw drop.  He put out his hand and Connie
gripped it firmly.  She stood and looked at him with her eyes
dancing.

She said, "How do you do, Chip."  Then she looked down at herself
and then at Ali.  "Mom, I am dressed aren't I?  I didn't forget
anything important, did I?"

Ali played along and replied, "You look very nice, dear.  I'm
sure you're fully clothed."

Connie turned back to the young man and said, "Wouldn't you feel
better with your mouth closed, Chip?"

The young man required a visible effort of will to regain
control.  His jaw closed with an almost audible snap.  Finally,
he said, "Connie, you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen
in my life.  Are you sure there hasn't been a mistake?  Are you
going out with _me?  Tonight?"_

"I thought I was.  That's what I got dressed up for when my
sister asked me to be your date for the evening.  But thank you
for the compliment.  By the way, where are we going?"

The young people had one drink at the suite and then prepared to
leave.  Chip was fascinated by Connie.  He rushed to hold her new
coat for her.  When she turned to face him his eyes widened. 
Then, moving almost as if he were in a trance, he took her in his
arms and kissed her.  Her hands went around his neck and she
kissed him back.  He thought that her fingers felt like feathers
touching his neck.  When they parted her eyes were bright and he
looked like he had been hit by a truck.  They left the suite and
headed for the restaurant.

* * *

On Saturday Ali received an excited call from Jennifer.  She
reported that the previous evening had been a spectacular
success.  She said that she thought she had been good when she
visited Chicago, but she wasn't in the same league with Connie. 
"Mom, you remember last night when Chip kissed her and then
looked like he had been hit by a truck?  Well, it just got worse!
 I'm not sure that poor guy made it through the night alive!"

On Monday morning Ali arrived at the office early, expecting that
Connie would appear.  The girls all sat around waiting, but when
she didn't appear they went to work.  At eleven o'clock, Connie
walked in.  She came into Ali's office, apparently angry.  "Where
are they?  I'll kill 'em!" she said.

Ali looked up and said, "Who are you going to kill and why?"

The two women went in to the conference room where the others had
quickly gathered.  Ali saw smiles on the faces of all the girls,
but particularly on Joan's.  Connie glared at them.  "I hope
you're satisfied!  You had to get even, Joan Fredrick.  Just
because I cleaned up your apartment a little, you had to get
even!

"Mom, do you know what they did?  They redid my entire apartment
on Friday.  I went in with Chip and I thought I had gone into the
wrong unit!  The whole apartment looked like it came out of the
pages of _House Beautiful._  It is utterly exquisite."  She
dropped the pose, and tears started to flow down her cheeks. 
"What am I going to do with you all?  I really can't take much
more of this.  You make me feel like a modern Cinderella.  I
really don't know what to say except thank you and I love you all
very much -- far more than I can possibly say."

"How was the weekend?" Joan asked.  "Did Chip get to see our
decorating?"

Connie smiled through her tears, "He sure did.  Particularly the
bedroom.  May I join you girls in wondering how my new mother
does it?  I thought I was in good condition but now I just ache.
Mom, could we go to your office and sit down?"

They went into Ali's office.  Connie had a cup and Ali had her
own as well as the coffee pot.  "Tell me about it, honey.  How
was it?"

"Mom, first, let me tell you what the girls did.  I told you they
redecorated.  But that's not all.  They completely stocked the
place.  Kathy even had a series of menus laid out with everything
needed in place.  Would you believe she even had a bottle of Dom
Perignon in the back of the refrigerator... with _instructions?_
She did.  Each of the girls assembled their very best recipes. 
There was a note from Ginger saying that the exercise I was
getting burned off far more calories than most people thought. 
Mom, it was absolutely unbelievable!"

"What did Chip think?  How do you like him?  What does he think
of you?"

The girl smiled warmly and said, "Mom, I have to level with you:
Do you remember me telling you I've been living like a nun for
over four years?  I intentionally misled you.  The fact is, Mom,
I had almost no experience with men at all.  Correction.  I had
no experience with men.  My one prior experience was almost ten
years ago and he was a boy."  She smiled ruefully and added, "I'm
sorry for lying to you.  It was inexcusable."

Again Ali went to the girl and sat beside her on the sofa.  She
reached out and took the girl in her arms and just held her.  She
noticed that she smelled so fresh and clean.  She whispered,
"Connie, you have nothing to apologize for.  In the first place,
it was none of my business.  In the second place, you said, 'I've
been as chaste as a nun for over four years.' Connie, darling,
ten years is 'over four years.'  What's the problem?"

Connie sat back and just looked at Ali.  She said, "Mom, I can't
tell you how much I love you and Dad.  I hope it shows.  Chip
says it does.  He was so funny.  Guess what?  It turns out he's
as inexperienced as I am!  And he's nearly thirty years old.

"When we were finally alone back at my apartment he looked at me
kind of strangely and asked if Dad was _the_ William Clifford.  I
was my usual haughty self and said, 'I don't know about _the,_
but he is _a_ William Clifford.' He pursued it and I allowed as
how Dad was somewhere in the top five on the _Forbes_ list.  He
just shook his head in amazement.  He went on to say that every
girl he ever met with any money at all was a haughty bitch.  He
said I'm different.  That's when I kissed him.  It's also when I
decided to do something about our inexperience.  I just unzipped
my dress and let it drop to the floor.  I was wearing my pumps,
stockings, bikini and diamonds!  Then I slid off the bikini.

"Mom, he was absolutely wonderful.  He pulled me down across his
body and just caressed me.  While he did, I started to undress
him.  Mom, he has the most wonderful hairy chest that feels so
great when I rub my boobs against it.  Anyway, then he carried me
into the bedroom and took me.  He was so gentle and tender -- I
was nearly screaming.  You've heard about the 'slam, bam,
thank-you, ma'am,' approach?  Chip is the total opposite. 
Foreplay?  My God, I couldn't take it any longer -- and girls are
supposed to be slower to warm up.  Mom, when he finally entered
me, I think my cunt could have ignited asbestos!  Anyway, that's
the way it went all night long."  The girl looked at Ali with her
eyes sparkling.  "Mom, over the two days he took me all ways. 
Was that awful?"

Ali smiled softly and replied, "Darling, your father has taken me
every possible way.  Some day all of us are going to have a
conference to see if anyone has discovered something the rest of
us haven't.  As far as I know, no one has.  Welcome to the club.
Awful?  As far as your father and I are concerned if it feels
good -- or if we think it might -- we try it.  Some things I'm
not terribly fond of but they were all interesting.  How do you
feel now?  And how does Chip feel?"

"Mom, I jokingly complained about what the girls had done.  What
they really did was save our lives.  The apartment is absolutely
cleaned out now.  I followed the instructions and everything was
magnificent.  I even opened the Dom Perignon late Saturday night.
 You know, Kathy's right.  It does wash a man's cum down
beautifully.  And Chip says it's great after doing a girl, too."

"What did Chip say about your recent occupation?"

Connie smiled warmly and replied, "He didn't believe it.  So I
did my act for him -- I have the music tape at home -- and then
took him on the living room floor.  Now I guess he believes me."

"What now?" Ali asked.

Connie's face instantly turned serious.  "Mom, I don't know.  I
dropped him off at his hotel on the way over here this morning. 
He said he wants to have dinner with you and Dad as soon as
possible.  He looked grim!"

Now she looked worried and said, "Do you suppose I screwed it up
royally?  Mom, could you have dinner with us?  Would you?"

"Honey, could we do it this evening?  Cocktails at the suite at
six?"

Connie instantly brightened and called Chip.  She made
arrangements for him to pick her up and confirmed the time.  When
she hung up she looked at Ali, smiled ruefully, and said, "At
least it will be over in a hurry.  I think I'll wear another of
my new outfits.  I have a sinking feeling that a number will be
going back to the stores, unworn."  Connie left the office and
Ali went back to her work.

* * *

That evening almost at the stroke of six the doorbell rang.  Bill
opened it, shook hands with Chip and hugged Connie.  While he was
holding the girl in his arms, Chip went in to the sitting room to
greet Ali.  Connie whispered in Bill's ear, "Please hold me, Dad!
 I'm so scared.  Chip looks like the wrath of God!  I don't know
what's wrong."

Bill gave the girl a fond squeeze and said, "Connie, you are
exquisite!  You are a man's dream come true.  Please don't worry
about it."  Then he moved back so he could look at her face.  He
said softly, "I'll make you a bet.  Ten dollars says you will be
howling with laughter when you finally find out why Chip is so
serious.  Do you want to lose ten dollars?"

She grinned at him and replied, "Dad, I desperately want to lose
_this_ ten dollars!  It's a bet."  She put out her hand and
gripped his firmly.

They went in and joined the others.  Bill took drink orders and
mixed the drinks at the bar.  There was a platter of hors
d'oeuvres on the coffee table.

As he passed out the drinks, Bill noticed that Connie was right.
Chip looked like the proverbial cat on a hot tin roof.  He was
sitting up straight on the edge of the sofa and was obviously
nervous in spite of Ali's best efforts to make him feel at home.
Connie was looking beautiful in a dress that matched her green
eyes.  She reached out her hand, took Chip's, and held it in
hers.  He looked at her and smiled faintly.

The four exchanged pleasantries and then the conversation slowed
to a halt.  Chip looked from Bill to Ali and back again.  As he
did there was fear in his eyes and he was holding Connie's hand
tightly.  He said, "Mr. and Mrs. Clifford, I have something to
ask you both."  He sounded like he was reciting memorized lines.
He continued, "I would like your permission to see your daughter,
Constance.  I love her desperately and hope that some day she may
come to love me a little.  Ultimately, she might even consent to
marry me.  I know I can't give her the things you can.  She is a
girl who has been raised with all the advantages money can buy. 
I'm not rich, but I hope to do better.  I hope to be able to
support her in her accustomed style.

"Thank you for raising such a magnificent girl.  I don't
understand how you did what you did.  Constance is... is... is
just perfect.  If it were a hundred years ago, she would be a
queen, or at least a princess.  At the same time she is so warm
and loving.  She's even a magnificent cook!  There's only one
thing I've wondered about.  Why did you let her work as a
stripper?  Although I... I guess these days there's nothing much
parents can do about it, is there?"

Now that the worst of his speech was over, the young man started
to relax a little.  He smiled and said, "You know, maybe that's
why she's so nice.  She's associated with all types of people and
learned to get along with them.  Anyway, I love her more than
life itself and hope you will allow me to continue to see her." 
As he finished his speech, he just looked down at the floor.

Ali looked at Bill and winked the eye away from Chip's sight
line.  Bill returned the wink and looked at Chip.  He said,
"Chip, would you tell us a little about yourself.  Are you sure
you can support our daughter?"

Bill kept a straight face in spite of looking at Connie and
seeing her comically rolling her eyes toward the ceiling.  He saw
her lips form the words, "He has ten cents, doesn't he?  I'll
give him the change!"

Chip relaxed a little more and moved back from the edge of the
sofa.  He said, "Mr. Clifford, I have a personal net worth of a
little better than $250 million.  I know that's not much to you,
but I have been doing well with my investments.  I have been
operating out of a suitcase for years now, and that counts
against me, I know.

"I also know that Constance is very serious about her legal
career.  She is starting with the finest law firm in the West
when she graduates in June.  I understand that they are paying
her very well to start.  I... I... I hope she'll give thought to
possibly being a mother someday.  Of course, I wouldn't want it
to affect her career.  I know the requirements of big-time law
firms: they want their associates to come early and stay late.  I
can accommodate that, too."  He looked up and Ali almost cried as
she saw the pain in the young man's eyes.  "I will do whatever
she wants, whenever she wants.  Is that fair?"

"No, it's not fair!" Connie asserted emphatically.  "Dad, what do
you think?"

"I think that Chip has been thinking a great deal about things,
darling.  Chip, speaking for myself you have my permission to
continue to call on my daughter.  Ali, what do you think?"

"Chip, I didn't think they were making men like you any more.  I
thought my husband, Bill, was the last production unit.  You have
my permission, as well.  Constance, what do you think?"

"I think I would like a kiss.  Chip, would you kiss me? Please?"

Chip's face was a kaleidoscope of emotions.  He visibly relaxed.
It was as if he had started to breathe again.  He gently took
Connie in his arms and kissed her lightly.  She broke away and
glared at him.  "Charles Cartwright, I am not breakable!  I
thought you knew that already!"

She went back into his arms and they could hear happy sounds
coming from deep in her throat as Chip held her tightly.  When
they parted, Connie's breathing was ragged and her eyes were
glazed.  She finally recovered enough to speak and said, "Chip,
you've done a lot of talking to my parents.  Aren't you going to
say anything to me?"

"Constance, will you go out with me again?  I'm available
whenever you can make it."

Her eyes were swimming as she said softly, "Chip, how about
forever?"

Suddenly, her words sank in.  Chip brightened and then beamed. 
Ali thought he would just rise right into the air, he looked so
elated.  "Does that mean... you care for me?  A little?"

"No, it doesn't," she replied softly.  "It means I worship the
ground you walk on.  It means I would happily be your mistress,
your concubine, your whore... your anything.  It means I adore
you, Chip Cartwright.  It means I can't live without you.  It
means that being the mother of your children would make me the
proudest and happiest woman on the face of the earth.  It means I
love you very much, Chip."

He took her back into his arms and they just held each other. 
Ali got out of her chair and went over to where Bill was sitting
and sat across his lap.  He kissed her and they just sat necking.
 When they heard sounds from the young people, they both looked
up.  Chip had reached into his pocket and then looked into
Connie's eyes.  He said, "Connie, if you're really serious, will
you marry me?"

Her smile was so joyful and beaming, it lighted up the room.  She
said, "Of course, Chip.  Any time you wish."

He took her left hand and slipped a ring on her third finger.  It
was absolutely beautiful.  After she leaned back in his arms he
said, "Thank you, darling.  I bought this for you today in a fit
of optimism, hoping against hope!"  The change in the atmosphere
was palpable.  Chip was now relaxing, if not yet completely
relaxed.

They had another drink and they were taken by Fred to Maxim's
where they had a reservation.  As they went out to the car,
Connie slipped Bill a ten-dollar bill, winked and whispered,
"Thanks, Dad."

During dinner Connie took the opportunity to straighten out some
of Chip's ideas about her career.  "Chip, I do have a career.  It
is with the finest law firm in the West.  Of course, you may not
know that my mother is the Firm's senior partner."  She looked
across at Ali and said, "Mom, am I going to have to work as hard
as the other girls?"

Ali picked up with a smile and said, "You mean in no later than
ten-thirty and out no later than five?  I guess so.  And of
course you'll have a sister-in-law to keep track of you.  Chip,
we have a rather odd law firm.  Connie will attest that the
Firm's top priority is our husbands."  She turned to Bill and
asked, "Honey, do you feel ignored?"

Bill grinned at her and then looked at Chip.  He said, "Chip,
there is talk of organizing a Clifford & Jamison Husbands'
Protective Association.  I know Charley Conrad is trying to
interest his wife, Ginger, in going into stripping, particularly
now there are some openings we know about because Jennifer and
Connie quit.  He figures that will allow him to get some sleep at
least until she gets home about three o'clock in the morning. 
Ken Carlson, Kathy's husband, is afraid he won't be able to stay
awake during his law-school finals.  Incidentally, there's a
hallmark of all Clifford & Jamison girls:  they can all do a full
side split -- they claim they're used to having their thighs
spread wide to welcome their men.  And I believe it!  Now, are
there any other questions?"

Chip smiled happily, leaned over and kissed Connie warmly. 
"Honey," he said, "It sounds like you're going to have to get in
shape.  Now I understand why you've been working as a stripper. 
You had to get yourself into the proper physical condition for
your new job."

Ali smiled at Connie with her love filling her eyes.  "Darling,
could I interest you in a June wedding?  Jennifer and Joan are
getting married then and maybe your Dad and I can get a quantity
price."  She looked at Chip and grinned.  "For that matter, maybe
you guys can negotiate a group rate on honeymoon
accommodations."Chapter 20

It was the following Friday and Ali was working on her investment
portfolio in her office when her phone buzzed.  Kathy said, "Ali,
I need to see you.  May I come in?"  Ali agreed instantly and
Kathy came in and sat down.  She said, "There's a girl outside I
think you will be interested in.  Her name is Dolores Martinez. 
She goes by Debbie.  She just walked in off the street looking
for a job.  I tested her and her secretarial and computer skills
are outstanding.  I think you'll like her.  Will you see her?"

Ali hadn't planned on seeing anyone and was wearing her
skin-tight Levi's and her chambray shirt.  She started to say, of
course, when she thought better of it.  Instead she asked,
"Kathy, where is she now and what have you told her?"

"I said the partners were all out of the office.  I talked to
her, and Judy did as well.  She's waiting in the reception area.
Joan hasn't come back from lunch yet.  She's eating with Bill,"
she said with a knowing wink.  "He has to go back to Boston
soon."  The young woman smiled warmly at Ali and said, "I can
tell you have an idea, Boss.  What is it?"

"Are the new desks in?  The new computer hookups?"  Kathy said
they were.  "What I would like to do is use her as a helper.  We
really have to get this place organized now that the workmen have
left.  There's plaster dust all over everything.  I'll be
standing by one of the new desks.  Would you bring her back,
please?"

Kathy grinned and left the office.  As she left, Ali reflected on
how beautiful Kathy now looked with her beautiful slim figure and
her golden Hawaiian tan.  Even her brown hair now had blonde sun
streaks that looked lovely.  Ali went back to the new section of
offices and tied up her hair in a red bandanna.  Her secretary
returned with a young woman trailing behind.

Ali wiped her hand on her jeans and held it out to the girl.  She
said, "Hi!  I'm Ali.  I understand you're looking for a job?"

The girl shyly nodded her head.  She was wearing an inexpensive
but well-styled business suit that Ali could see was worn but
very well cared-for.  The girl was small -- only about five feet
three.  She had a slim figure but full breasts.  Her hair was
dark and she had soft brown eyes.  Her face was beautiful.  The
girl took Ali's hand in a firm grip and said hello.  "I am
looking for a job here.  Do you need help?"

"I sure do!" Ali replied.  "We just got rid of the workmen and
there's plaster dust all over everything.  There are people who
come in to clean the office but they don't do this sort of work.
Would you like to help out?  We'll pay you by the hour, starting
now, if you're interested."

The girl smiled very warmly and said she was very interested but
she didn't want to ruin her good clothes.  Ali checked her watch
and saw it was already three o'clock.  After telling the girl to
wait, she went out to the reception room.  When she told Judy
what she was doing, the girl locked the door early.  Returning to
Debbie, she said, "I don't know what you think about it, but you
probably noticed this is an all-girl office.  You could take off
your suit if you want to.  It's up to you."

The girl's face reddened, but then she smiled wanly.  "I'm sorry,
Ali.  But since I don't wear a bra and I don't want to embarrass
you, I think I should just leave."

Ali grinned and said, "I'll make a deal with you.  I'll take off
my shirt, too.  Then we're even.  I don't wear a bra, either." 
She slipped off her shirt and laid it over a desk.

Debbie's eyes widened as she saw Ali's body bared.  She was
magnificent with her deep all-over tan and high firm breasts. 
She removed her jacket and then took off her skirt.  She looked
around and Ali took them to a closet and hung them up.  The
girl's figure was exquisite.  Her breasts were full with tiny
pink nipples thrusting upward.

Ali had gathered up cleaning materials and explained that the job
was really messy.  They had to take down all the law books,
carefully brush off the plaster dust and check the bindings. 
Since many were leather-bound, the leather needed to be oiled,
too.  They began to work companionably.

After a while, Ali went off and called Bill to tell him what was
going on.  After telling him what she wanted to try, he
immediately agreed.

As the women worked they chatted.  Ali found the girl was
intelligent, very well-read and well-informed.  However, Debbie
hadn't asked what the pay was and Ali hadn't mentioned it. 
Shortly after five, Judy, Kathy, and Joan all said good night
leaving the two alone.  None of them appeared to notice that Ali
was stripped to the waist and Debbie was only wearing herbikini.

They kept at it until nearly seven o'clock, time for Ali to try
her experiment.  She had already told the girl she would be back
in the office at seven the following morning because the work had
to be finished before Monday.  Debbie said she could come in on
Saturday to help.

Finally, they finished for the day and Ali went into her office
with Debbie following.  The girl looked around in awe.  She said,
"This is the most magnificent office I've ever seen!  Whose is
it?"

"It's Mrs. Clifford's, the senior partner," Ali replied.  "She's
getting along in years, though, so she's not in here very much. 
We can use her shower.  She'll never know the difference and
we're both covered with dust."  She grinned at Debbie and said,
"It's worse with you because your hair is dark.  The dust really
shows.  Bring your clothes and let's do it."

The girl was obviously embarrassed.  She said, "Are you sure it's
all right, Ali?"

Ali shrugged and said, "I'm sure.  Besides, you can always say I
told you it was all right."

She opened the door to the new bathroom that had just been built
off her office.  She chuckled to herself thinking about the
consternation she caused the building people when she said she
wanted four bathrooms built, one for each of the partners and
another for the staff.  She hadn't told Debbie of the existence
of the staff shower and it was obvious no one else had, either. 
Ali's new bathroom was magnificent: It was fully equipped and
included a full array of her soaps and shampoos.  Debbie's eyes
opened wide as she looked around.  When Ali slipped off her jeans
and bikini and turned on the shower, the girl's eyes widened at
the fully-revealed beauty of Ali's body.  She was astonished to
see there were no bathing-suit marks at all.  Ali went into the
shower and luxuriated in it.  She shampooed her hair, conditioned
it and stepped out of the shower leaving the water stillrunning.

She smiled at the girl and said, "It's all yours.  Go to it." 
Ali picked up one of the giant fluffy bath towels stacked on the
counter and started rubbing her body with it.  She thought it
felt heavenly.  Meanwhile, Debbie had slipped off all of her
clothes and went into the shower. _Another perfect figure in the
Firm,_ Ali thought.  She had slim hips and beautifully shaped
legs.  Her buns were small and tight.

"Are you sure it's all right to use the shampoo?" Debbie asked
skeptically.

"I'm sure," Ali replied.

The girl started to lather her hair and followed Ali's routine. 
Her hair was dark and long.  As soon as it became damp, its
natural wave became apparent. _Another candidate for Henry,_ Ali
thought with a small smile.  The girl emerged from the shower and
Ali gave her a towel.  It was obvious that the girl was not used
to anything close to this level of luxury and enjoyed it.  Ali
had used the hair dryer to dry her hair and then passed it to the
girl.  She left the room with the towel wrapped around her and
got dressed in her office. _Now we'll see if I can still act,_
she thought.

Debbie came out of the bathroom looking fresh and beautiful. 
Shyly, she began to get dressed.  When she was finished she
picked up her towel and looked at Ali.  "May I bring the towel
home and wash it?"

Ali's heart lurched as she watched this lovely girl who was
obviously trying so hard.  Ali took the towel with a smile and
showed Debbie a laundry chute in the bathroom.  As they headed
for the door, Ali was going through her purse.  Suddenly she
screamed, "Oh, my God!  I don't have any money."  Then she
started to cry.

Dolores stopped quickly and looked at Ali as the tears started to
flow down her beautiful face.  She took the taller woman in her
arms to try to comfort her.  Ali was saying she had to have money
or she would be stuck completely.  The girl got her calmed down
and went into her purse.  She emptied her wallet and gave her all
of her money -- eighteen dollars.

Ali stopped crying and looked at the girl with her eyes wide. 
"But how will you get home?  I don't even know where you live,
but it can't be close.  No one lives close to here."

The girl just smiled at Ali warmly and said she would be all
right.

They went down in the elevator together and then parted.  Debbie
said she would see Ali the next morning at seven.  After they
separated Ali slipped outside by the back way so she could
surreptitiously keep an eye on the girl.

As she expected, Debbie walked to the next block and then put her
thumb out to hitchhike.  Ali grinned to herself as the car she
was watching for pulled up and stopped.  Debbie talked to the
driver for a moment, then got in and the car drove off.

That evening Ali called Ginger, Sandy and Connie and explained
what was going on.  All the girls agreed they would drag their
abused asses out of bed in time to meet Ali at the office in the
morning.

The next morning Debbie was sitting on the floor in the outer
hallway with her back to the door when Ali appeared at five
minutes to seven.  She grinned, unlocked the door, and turned on
the lights.  The girls went into the conference room and Ali
started the coffee.  Debbie's eyes widened as she saw all the
food stocked in the cabinets.  They went back to where they had
been working and Ali slipped off her jeans, shirt, and shoes. 
She was only wearing her bikini.  She said, "Debbie, there are
two reasons:  First, the air conditioning doesn't work on
Saturday.  Second, my body washes easier than my clothes."

Debbie grinned and did the same thing.  They went back to the
cleaning.  After thirty minutes they took a break and went to the
conference room for coffee.

Sandy arrived and Ali introduced Debbie to her.  Sandy, too, shed
her clothes, and they sat around the table drinking coffee.  Soon
Ginger and Connie arrived together and shed their clothes as
well.  Debbie noticed that nothing was said about the lack of
clothing.  After their breakfast, they all went to work.  At
noontime Ginger got dressed and went out for food.  She came back
with bags of hamburgers from a nearby fast-food establishment. 
Debbie had been astonished at both the beauty of the other girls
and how naturally they moved.  They all seemed completely unaware
of their near-nudity.

By six o'clock, they were finished -- and exhausted.  The girls
took turns using Ali's bathroom.  When they were all finished and
dressed again, they went back to the conference room and Ali
brought out Cokes for everyone.  She went to her purse and took
out twenty dollars that she gave to Debbie.  The girl gave Ali
two dollars change.  She wouldn't hear of taking the twenty in
spite of the fact that Ali had taken every dollar she had the
previous night.

Ali said she would see the girl at nine o'clock Monday morning
and would then pay her for the weekend's work.  She asked Debbie
how she got home the previous evening and the girl said she got a
ride right to her front door.  Then she said goodnight, leaving
the other girls alone in the conference room.

When she was gone Ali asked, "What do the rest of you think?"

Ginger said, "Ali, she's a girl we have to have!  I have never
met such a selfless person in my life.  I was working hard... 
Hell, we all were.  But I'll bet she did as much work as the four
of us combined!"  Sandy and Connie agreed.  They went down to the
garage and went their separate ways.

On Sunday night, Ali received the call she had been expecting. 
It was from the private detective Bill had hired who had given
Debbie the ride home.  He said, "Mrs. Clifford, this is a live
one.  You've heard of people working two jobs?  This girl,
Dolores Martinez, works at least three!  And that's on top of
going to school.  She's about to get her bachelors in computer
science from UCLA.  She's enrolled in law school next fall.  She
lives with her mother and younger twin sisters -- they're twelve
years old.  Her mother has been widowed for years and Dolores is
virtually the family's only support.  I've been doing this work
for a long time but never in my life have I found a person as
clean and hardworking as this one.  To know her is to love her. 
Mrs. Clifford, this girl is the real thing.  Do you need any
more?"

"No, Jack.  I don't.  I didn't need much convincing, either.  You
know, on Friday night she gave me virtually every cent she had so
I could get home.  She hitchhiked.  What more can you say? 
Thanks, Jack.  There will be a bonus for you in your check.  I
appreciate the fast work and the thoroughness of your
investigation."

She told Bill what Jack had told her and what she planned to do.

Bill pulled her closer to him in the bed and kissed her lovingly.
 "Darling, not only do I love you, not only do I worship the
ground you walk on, but I love the way your mind works,
particularly when you're doing something nice for other people. 
It's really fun, isn't it?"

She kissed him with increasing passion until he took her again. 
As usual, she fell asleep feeling his hand gently cupping her
breast.

On Monday morning, Ali took particular care with her appearance.
When she was driven downtown in the limousine, she looked exactly
like what she was: one of the richest women in the world.  She
arrived at the office at eight.  Over coffee with the girls she
told them of her plan and they all agreed delightedly.  By eight
forty-five everyone was in her office or at her desk.  At five
minutes before nine, Debbie entered the office wearing the same
suit she had worn on Friday.  It was apparent to Judy that she
had worked on it to make it look as good as it possibly could. 
She guessed correctly that it was the only appropriate business
attire that the girl owned.

When she entered, Judy looked at her with fear showing in her
eyes.  She said, "Debbie, I have bad news:  Mrs. Clifford is in
the office today.  She knows you're expected and she wants to see
you.  Her words were, 'At once'.  What happened on Friday?  I
have never seen Mrs. Clifford so upset.  Usually she's half
asleep and pretty easygoing on the few occasions she's here." 
Judy looked sad as she added, "I guess you had better go in.  Oh!
 I almost forgot.  She says you know where her office is!"

Debbie could feel her heart sink.  She had thought she was going
to get a job here and she already liked the Firm very much. 
Idly, she wondered if she would be paid for the work she had done
but decided she probably wouldn't.

She walked into the inner office and knocked on Ali's door. 
Hearing a voice say, 'Come in', she entered.  A person was
sitting in the big swivel chair behind the desk with her back to
the door, but with her position, coupled with the sun coming in
the window she was unable to see her.  In spite of the office
being west-facing, a trick reflection of the sun off the mirrored
surface of a building nearby was reflecting the sunlight straight
into the room.  She was told to close the door and sit down.  She
did and took a seat across from the desk.  Mrs. Clifford was
hidden behind the high back of the chair.  Debbie sat up straight
in the chair with her hands folded, just waiting.  There wasn't a
sound in the room other than the sound of the air flow from the
air conditioning system and to Debbie, the sound of her throbbing
heart.  It seemed like minutes had passed when the woman finally
rose from her chair and reset the window blinds to cut the glare
in the room.

Debbie was looking down at her hands as the woman took her seat
and turned it around to face her.

Debbie looked up and was shocked. _It's Ali!_  She looked at her
and started to cry.

Ali quickly went around the desk to the young girl, helped her to
her feet and guided her to the sofa where they both sat down. 
Ali took the girl's hands in hers and smiled.  Debbie looked at
Ali and her jaw dropped.  The woman facing her was dressed in an
impeccable silk suit that was obviously custom-tailored for her
and wearing a double strand of glistening pearls around her neck.
 Debbie just shook her head in disbelief and said softly, "You're
_Ali!"_

Ali smiled warmly while she continued to hold the girl's hands. 
"That's right.  I'm Allison McGrath Clifford, but everyone here
calls me Ali.  It's really the only name I answer to.  Debbie, I
want to apologize for deceiving you.  And I particularly want to
apologize for tormenting you this morning.  It was a very cruel
thing to do to a wonderful person.  By the way, do you have that
money I gave you on Saturday?"

Debbie looked bewildered but opened her purse, took out eighteen
dollars, and gave it to Ali.  She reached into her purse, took
out some bills, and gave them to Debbie along with her original
eighteen dollars.  The stack seemed thick and Debbie glanced down
at them.  Then she did a double-take.  The first bill she saw was
one thousand dollars.  She flipped the pile and found they all
were.  Debbie's eyes were now as big as saucers.  "I can't accept
this, Mrs. Clifford.  I really can't."

"Yes, you can, Debbie.  Don't you remember the Biblical lesson,
'bread cast upon the waters shall be returned a thousandfold'? 
Well, it just was."

Ali saw the faintest smile appear on Debbie's face.  The girl
said, "I also seem to recall hearing something from a dusty
urchin about the 'senior partner getting along in years -- we
don't see her very much'.  Ali, I only hope I get along in years
the way you do."

Ali reddened and then smiled her sunshine smile.  She said,
"Debbie, it's true.  I am the senior partner.  I am also the
oldest person in the firm by a good bit.  And I am getting along
in years.  Although, to be honest, the only way you don't get
along in years is to die."

Debbie started to loosen up.  Now she smiled a real smile and
said, "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.  Your
body is magnificent.  It is absolutely breathtaking!  Ali, you
really work at it, don't you?  Why?"

"I feel I have to, Debbie.  I owe it to my husband to be as
perfect in his eyes as I possibly can be.  You see, he saved my
life.  My body is my wedding present to him.  I guess it's like
polishing the silver.  I'm just trying to take care of the
wedding present," she said with a grin.  "Now, young lady, let's
talk about you.  In spite of the dirty trick I pulled on you, do
you still want to work here?"

"Oh yes, Mrs. Clifford.  I certainly do!"

Ali went to her desk and buzzed for Kathy.  She asked her to
bring the Firm training aid into the office.  A few moments later
Kathy handed her the bull whip and withdrew again.  Ali glared at
Debbie and said, "Debbie, this is the Firm's training aid.  It is
used on employees who are slow learners.  A slow learner is one
who calls me Mrs. Clifford, or Ginger, Mrs. Conrad."

Ali grinned and said, "Incidentally, I was really nasty on
Saturday.  The girls you met are the Firm professionals.  Ginger
is Virginia Jamison Conrad, my partner.  Sandy is Sandra Harris,
soon to be Sandra Harris Benson, the firm's litigation partner. 
Connie is Constance Foster who is graduating from USC law school
this June and joining us as an associate.  It looks like she'll
be Constance Foster Cartwright by the time she joins us, though.
Then there's Judy Jeffries who you met.  She's about to become
Judy Jeffries Morris.  I don't think you met Joan Fredrick. 
She's marrying my son this June so she'll be Joan Fredrick
Clifford.  Poor Kathy, of course, doesn't count.  She was married
when she joined us.  Anyway, are you sure you want to join us?" 
The girl nodded her head eagerly.  "Dolores Martinez, you're in
for it.  Let's go.  We have things to do."

The girl looked puzzled but followed Ali as she left the office
and went down to her car.  The girl luxuriated in the leather
seats and seemed to enjoy the wind blowing her hair as they drove
to the studio and Henry Hall's salon.

Henry greeted her and looked at Debbie after Ali introduced them.
 "At last!" he exclaimed, "A girl with magnificent dark hair." 
He gathered a hank in his fingers and manipulated it.  Then he
looked at Debbie carefully and said, "Debbie, Ali and the other
girls are big on short hair.  I don't think yours should be, and
I'm not at all sure you would want it to be.  How long would you
like it?"

They agreed on a length just longer than shoulder length.  He
went to work.  While he worked, a manicurist came in and started
working on her nails.  When he finished Debbie looked at herself
in the mirror and covered her face with her hands.  She took her
hands down and said in a tone of wonderment, "Mr. Hall, what did
you do?  I can't look that pretty!"

"You can, you should, and you do!" he said emphatically.  "I'm
only using what God gave you -- and he gave you a great deal!" 
Debbie kissed him warmly on the cheek and Ali gave him a check
and a kiss.

They spent the rest of the morning shopping and finally returned
to the office at noon.  Debbie was in a daze.  Ali shooed her
into her office to change into one of her new outfits and said
she would meet her in the conference room.  A few minutes later
Debbie walked into the room.  She stood just inside the door
looking embarrassed.  The other girls rose from their chairs and
applauded while Debbie turned red and then smiled shyly.

Ali said, "Girls, please welcome our newest employee and one of
the most unselfish people alive, Dolores Martinez.  Incidentally,
I think the Firm's standard of beauty is now going up a bit
higher."  She asked Debbie to take a seat while one after the
other the girls came up to welcome her.  Judy left the room and
returned a few moments later.  Waiters followed her and proceeded
to serve a catered lunch at the conference table.

When they finished lunch, Ali asked Debbie to join her again in
her office.  They went in and Ali opened the window blinds.  It
was another gloriously clear day in Los Angeles and Debbie
marveled at the view.  Ali asked the girl to sit on the sofa and
she joined her.  She smiled warmly and said, "Debbie, you've
agreed to join us but you haven't asked what you will be doing or
what we're going to pay you.  Aren't you even interested?"

The girl looked worried.  She shook her head and said, "The
answer to the first question is anything you ask of me.  As for
the second, you've already paid me at least a year in advance." 
Tears started to form in the girl's eyes.  She said softly, "When
I said anything, I was serious.  I have done almost everything
except..."  Her head was up straight and she looked directly into
Ali's eyes.  "Mrs. Clifford...  I'm sorry -- Ali -- I am not a
nice girl.  I have worked absolutely naked -- and still do.  All
I wear are a pair of high heels and a velvet band around my neck.
 I pick up tips from the customers with my cunt.  I am utterly
shameless."

Ali put out her hand, took the girl's and held it.  She said
softly, "Shamelessly supporting a widowed mother and younger twin
sisters.  Shamelessly holding down _three_ jobs while going to
school and getting honors grades in computer science. 
Shamelessly giving a total stranger every cent you had so the
stranger could _ride_ home.  The fact that you had to walk never
entered your mind."  Tears started to flow from Ali's eyes as she
continued, "Debbie, I can't tell you how ashamed I am.  I tricked
you, abused you, and mentally tortured you.  Can you ever forgive
me?"

The girl looked genuinely surprised.  The tears had disappeared
and she looked puzzled.  "I don't understand.  You've been so
nice to me!  I feel like you really want me here."

Ali just smiled warmly and shook her head slowly.  "Okay, Debbie,
I give up.  I propose to pay you $60,000 per year.  In addition,
of course, the Firm will pay the cost of your education through
Law School.  Oh, and by the way, I haven't paid you for the
weekend."

She gave the girl a check and her eyes widened again.  "What is
this!?  It says $7,500!"

"Debbie, I thought I told you everyone in working on Saturday was
a Firm professional.  You don't think we would pick up a pencil
-- let alone get our hands dirty -- for less than five-hundred
dollars an hour, do you?  I mean... we _do_ have certain
standards to maintain," Ali replied with a big grin.  "There's
one more thing: you'll know it sooner or later and I guess it
ought to be sooner.  I'm one of the richest women in the world. 
I'm not terribly proud of it, but it's a fact.  One year ago I
was starving to death.  I respect someone who has to struggle to
succeed.  Debbie, Joan's an orphan and so is Connie.  I am, too.
We all had to struggle.  But what we did pales into
insignificance compared to you.  You did it all and supported
your mother and sisters besides.  Oh, I nearly forgot.  You'll
find all of your loans have been paid off.  I hope you don't
mind?"

Debbie sat slowly shaking her head while tears poured from her
eyes.  "Ali, you can't be doing this!  No one does things like
this.  Particularly not for a Chicana!"

"Debbie, let me tell you what I see.  I see a lovely girl who has
had troubles all her life.  A girl who's father died when she was
very young.  That's enough trouble.  My parents died a few years
ago, leaving me alone.  I had enough troubles and was terribly
lonely.  You aren't lonely, dear, but you undertook to support,
not only yourself, but your mother and twin sisters as well.  And
you've done it!  Debbie, are you still a virgin?"

The girl's head jerked up at the totally unexpected question. 
She replied softly, "Yes, I am."

"I thought so," Ali said softly.  "You may work stark naked but
you never sold your body.  You had a lot of offers, didn't you? 
And probably for a lot of money."

Debbie started to cry and Ali took her in her arms.  She listened
to the girl cry like her heart would break while she could feel
her body shaking.  She looked up finally and said, "Ali, you
can't know what it's like!  I was offered a lot of money to live
with a man.  It was enough to take care of my mother and sisters
and pay for their education.  I never told them.  I just said no.
 I couldn't bring myself to do that.  Was I being selfish?  Was I
just thinking of myself?"

Ali smiled at the girl warmly, shook her head slowly, and said,
"I thought I had it bad.  Debbie, I almost starved to death
because I wouldn't sell my body, either.  But I never tortured
myself thinking that I should take the money to support others. 
I want to tell you what one of my partners said on Saturday
night:  She said that in spite of the fact that all four of us
were working pretty hard, you were doing more than the four of us
combined.  She was serious and I think she was right.  She said
we have to get you in the Firm.  Debbie, those are my
instructions from my partners.  We must have you working here...
at any cost.  Perhaps $60,000 isn't enough.  Is that the
problem?"

Debbie had been watching Ali's face closely as she spoke.  When
she finished the girl beamed. _Again,_ Ali thought, _it's like
the sun coming out.  Her smile is dazzling._

"Ali, it's at least double what I'm worth."  She reached into her
purse and pulled out the $18,000 and tried to give it back to
Ali.  "This joke has gone far enough.  I'll accept your job offer
with the greatest thanks, but that's enough...  Actually, it's
much too much.  Please?"

Ali just shook her head firmly.  "If you give it back, Debbie,
all I'm going to do is give it to your younger sisters.  At
twelve years of age, they could get awfully sick.  It will buy an
awful lot of candy..."

"Ali Clifford, you wouldn't dare!" Debbie said, genuinely
shocked.

There was a wry grin on Ali's face as she said, "Are you sure? 
If you give the money back, you'll see if I dare!  Remember me? 
The girl who cleans shelves while she's naked to the waist?  The
girl who would strip and spread her legs on the conference room
table to welcome her husband if she thought he wanted her, right
in front of the whole staff?  Are you sure I wouldn't dare?"

The girl looked into Ali's eyes and finally put the check back in
her purse.  She shook her head and said with a warm smile, "You
are really nasty, Ali Clifford.  You would abuse little children
and let them make themselves sick just to make a point!"  She put
her arms out and wrapped them around Ali.  She whispered, "Thank
you so much, Ali."  Then she looked up, still with a little smile
on her face.  "But what about the clothes you bought?  What about
the hairdresser?  Do you deduct payments from my paycheck?"

Ali shook her head and replied, "I'll tell you the same thing I
told Connie Foster.  Joan Fredrick is the outstanding computer
systems person in the legal profession.  But she _hates_ payroll
deductions with a passion."  Ali looked sad as she continued,
"Debbie, I would love to help you out, but we need Joan too much.
 Besides, she's about to become my daughter-in-law and I would
hate to antagonize her.  I'm afraid it's a write-off.

"A write-off?"

"Sure.  They're paid for.  I hope you like them and will wear
them.  And I apologize for doing it so fast.  I hope you _do_
like them and will wear them."

Debbie shook her head resignedly just as Ali's phone buzzed.  It
was Judy announcing that Ali's guests had arrived.  Ali asked
Judy to escort them back as Debbie got up to leave.  Ali motioned
the girl back to the sofa as there was a knock on the door.  Judy
ushered in three people, Debbie's mother, Juanita, and her two
sisters, Carmelita and Consuela.  Debbie's jaw dropped as her two
younger sisters came over to kiss her.  They were beautiful young
girls just verging on puberty.  Juanita Martinez was a very
pretty woman who looked like she had recently been ill.  Ali
recalled some mention in the detective's report about an illness
or operation.

Ali rose from her chair and went around the desk to greet her. 
"Mrs. Martinez, I'm Ali Clifford.  Welcome to Clifford & Jamison!
 I was delighted to learn that your daughter, Debbie, will be
coming to work here very soon.  I can't tell you how happy we are
to have her."

Debbie had quickly kissed her sisters and jumped to her feet. 
She started speaking to her mother in rapid-fire Spanish.  Ali's
Spanish was good, but she couldn't keep up with Debbie's speed. 
It was obvious that she was telling her mother what Ali had done
and was doing for her and trying to enlist her aid in speaking to
Ali.

Ali interrupted and offered Juanita the most comfortable chair in
the office.  The woman sat down gratefully.  She continued to
converse with her daughter.  Ali was amused when Debbie's jaw
dropped upon learning that Fred had picked up the family in the
limousine to bring them downtown.  The twins' eyes were still as
big as saucers as they tried to interject to tell their sister
about their wonderful trip.  Meanwhile Ali had buzzed Joan who
came in to take the two girls outside to show them some computer
games they could play.

When the girls had left, Ali, Debbie and her mother continued the
conversation.  In spite of Debbie's pleading, her mother just
listened impassively.  Finally, with all of her arguments used
up, Mrs. Martinez turned to Ali and said, "Dolores tells me that
you are hiring her for your office and have already paid her a
great deal of money.  Is this true, Mrs. Clifford?"

Ali replied, "I suppose it is.  On the other hand in the last few
days I have learned a great deal about your daughter.  Frankly, I
am astounded at what she has done and continues to do.  I have a
good deal of money, Mrs. Martinez, and nothing gives my husband
or me greater pleasure than to be able to help someone like your
daughter who is overcoming overwhelming odds to make a life for
herself and for her family.  Please, Mrs. Martinez, I'm begging
you!  Ask Debbie to accept our offer and keep the money."

The older woman merely smiled but then came over to where Ali was
sitting and kissed her softly.  Then Ali heard the woman speak
softly in Spanish, make the sign of the cross, and kiss her
again.  Ali was taken aback but returned the kiss and then looked
at Debbie.

The girl said softly, "My mother has given you the family
blessing.  She believes you are a saint."  With tears beginning
to roll down her cheeks Debbie added, "And Ali, she's right.  You
are."

The day ended with a celebration at a Mexican restaurant where
Debbie worked.  While there, Ali and Bill were introduced to a
very handsome young man, Pedro Garcia, who Debbie said was
completing law school at UCLA.  Bill agreed that they were a very
handsome couple.

As they completed a magnificent Mexican banquet, the leader of
the small band came up to Dolores and spoke to her softly.  While
Debbie was shaking her head in negation, Ali had overheard the
man asking Debbie please to dance.  With a warm smile Ali said,
"Debbie, please?  Bill and I would love to see you dance. 
Please?"

With a look of resignation Debbie rose from her chair and
motioned Pedro to join her.  They nodded to the band leader and
stood facing each other as the band began to play a flamenco. 
The couple listened for a few moments and then their feet began
to move.  Ali's eyes widened in amazement.  Not only was the
music far better than she ever expected, but the flamenco was one
that would have done the very best proud.  Ali and Bill watched
as the couple moved around in the classic motions.  Finally, it
ended.  As the music stopped the young couple, standing
motionless, moved their heads slightly so that their lips met in
a tender kiss.  Ali and Bill applauded wildly.Chapter 21

When Ali awakened on the morning of her wedding anniversary, she
did so with a start.  She realized why an instant later:  Bill
was not beside her in the bed.  Since she always knew when he was
taking a trip, she was worried because he hadn't said anything to
her.  Jumping out of bed, she called the front desk and was told
that Mr. Clifford had left the hotel early that morning and
seemed to be in fine spirits. _Whatever it is,_ she thought, _I
guess he's all right._

Still bemused by this strange turn of events she called room
service, ordered breakfast, and then took a shower.

As she was finishing her breakfast, the doorbell rang.  When she
opened the door she found Henry Hall, accompanied by a
manicurist, waiting patiently with his hairdressing kit. _Things
are really strange today,_ she thought.  In spite of her
questioning, Henry was very vague when she asked him why he had
come.

He just looked at her and commented, "It's about time.  With all
the time you spend in the sun, Ali, we have to stay on top of
your hair to keep it from drying out, and you haven't had a
manicure in months."

There were more surprises.  After washing her hair and
conditioning it, Henry insisted that she sit with her back to the
mirror while he worked on its styling while the girl worked on
her nails.  In spite of all of her experience with him, it seemed
that Henry was taking far more than the usual care with the job.
When he finally finished, he waved off any payment and just let
himself out.  Only then did Ali get the chance to see herself in
the mirror.  The hairdo was the most spectacular one she had ever
had.  She couldn't understand what Hall could have been thinking
of because it certainly wasn't one that the senior partner of a
law firm would ever chose.  Similarly, her nails were much
brighter than they usually were.  Another oddity was that she was
not even asked about the color -- the girl seemed to know exactly
what to use without even asking.

While still puzzling over the beauty treatment, the doorbell rang
again.  This time it was Barbara Jamison.  Barbara kissed her
quickly, then hung a long garment bag in the closet.  Turning to
Ali she held her by the arms, then just shook her head and asked,
"Ali, how do you do it?  Every time I see you, you appear to be a
couple of years younger than you were the time before.  Do they
serve you drinks these days without asking for ID?"

Then she became very businesslike and said, "Now get moving!  We
don't have all day.  At this rate, you're going to be late."

"Late for what?" Ali asked, now completely baffled.

"For your wedding, silly," Barbara replied matter-of-factly. 
"Now move your tight little ass."

"My what!?" she exclaimed.

"Your tight little ass," Barbara repeated.

Now Ali was feeling frustrated.  She exclaimed, "Barbara, what is
going on?  Did you say something about a wedding?"

"Of course, dear.  Yours.  Now let's go."

Ali was dumbstruck.  "Mine?  But I'm already married!" she
wailed, absolutely baffled by the turn of events.

Barbara looked at her as if she were a mother trying to explain a
simple concept to a kindergarten child.  "Darling, today is your
anniversary.  Bill thought this would be a nice way to celebrate
the occasion.  When he raised the subject, we all agreed so
that's what we're going to do.  Besides, the girls are getting
married in just a few weeks so we thought we might have a dress
rehearsal."  Glaring at Ali, she exclaimed, "Now get dressed!"

"But what about me?" Ali protested.  "No one asked me about a
wedding."

"You don't count, dear.  After all, Bill was correct when he
pointed out that you are his employee -- at least for one more
day.  Now move it!"  As she finished, she was taking the garment
bag out of the closet.

Unzipping it, Ali saw the most magnificent wedding gown she had
ever seen.  Now moving almost in a daze, Barbara slipped it over
her head and zipped it up.  Since it had been made by one of the
finest costume designers in Hollywood who knew Ali very well, it
fit perfectly.  It was only then that Ali realized that Barbara
was also dressed beautifully, as well.

When she asked, Barbara replied that, after all, she should be
dressed since she was the mother of the bride.  "Darling,
remember: I'm already rehearsed in the part."  After touching up
Ali's hairdo with a comb, Barbara reached into a small bag she
was carrying and took out the pearls that Bill had given Ali on
their wedding day a year earlier and fastened them around her
neck.  Then she asked Ali to remove her gold wedding band.  When
she did, Barbara slid a massive diamond solitaire engagement ring
on her third finger and grinned.  "It would look a little tacky
for you to already be wearing a wedding band to your wedding."

Then she looked into Ali's eyes and Ali could see enormous warmth
as she added, "Darling, would you do Bill a great favor?  Could
you have your wedding band enlarged so that he could wear it?  He
really wants to."  Ali just shook her head in bewilderment and
gave the ring to her friend.

Now fully dressed, Barbara stood back and softly whistled.  "Ali,
last year I thought Ginger was the most beautiful bride the good
Lord had ever created.  Maybe she was.  But now... Ali, you are
utterly exquisite.  Please look at yourself."

When Ali looked in the mirror she was reminded of Bill's favorite
description of her: a vision in shades of gold.  She was gold and
white with the only color being the brilliant blue of her eyes
and the red of her lips.  Barbara helped her with the train of
her gown and led the way to the elevator.  Fred Clark was
standing proudly holding the limousine door open waiting for
them.

Seeing him, Ali stopped and tears came to her eyes.  "Fred, thank
you so much.  We met for the first time a year ago when you drove
Bill and me to City Hall to be married.  I am so pleased that
you're going to be driving again!  You were certainly good luck
the last time."  With that she kissed him softly full on the
lips.

The man turned a bright red and said softly, "Mrs. Clifford --
Ali -- no woman has ever looked so beautiful."  He had recovered
from the kiss and added, "But it's not what's on the outside,
although God knows, that's exquisite.  Ali, you are really so
beautiful because of what's on the inside.  Your goodness just
shines through.  Ma'am, please believe me when I say nothing
could possibly give me greater pleasure."  With that he kissed
her on the cheek, closed the door and ran around to the driver's
door.

When they pulled up at the door of the church, Bob Jamison was
waiting for them, dressed in a morning suit.  Barbara grinned at
Ali and said, "This is Bob's big day.  You know that he is a hero
at Boeing because he's a friend of Ali McGrath's?  Wait till you
see the reaction when he shows them pictures of him escorting you
down the aisle as the father of the bride.  Just look at him!" 
It was obvious that it was one of Bob's proudest moments.

In the vestibule of the church, Ali received another shock.  The
entire wedding party was there waiting for her.  She was utterly
stunned.  Barbara quickly filled her in on the wedding
participants.  "Honey, Ginger is your matron of honor.  The
bridesmaids are your daughters, Jennifer, Joan and Connie, along
with Sandy and Karen Gaudli.  Karen insists that she's your
younger sister in spite of the fact that she will be your
daughter-in-law.  The ushers are Charley, Brian, Chip and Jack. 
Of course Billy is his father's best man.  Oh, yes.  We even have
a surprise.

The wedding was in a small chapel that was covered with flowers.
Peeking around the corner, Ali thought she had never seen a
church look more beautiful.  She jumped back from the archway
with a start as the organ began to play the Wedding March. _It's
so trite,_ she thought, _but, oh God, I love it so!_

Charley and Brian carefully laid a white runner down the aisle
and then the ushers walked slowly down the aisle.  They were
followed by Karen, then Connie, Joan, and Jennifer.  Before
Ginger moved, Debbie's twin sisters, Carmelita and Consuela,
appeared carrying beautiful bouquets of flowers.  They rushed up
to Ali, gave her warm kisses and then proudly walked slowly down
the aisle together.  Ginger gave Ali a quick wink and then
followed.

When Bob touched her elbow she was startled.  Suddenly it
registered.  This was her wedding!  She was the bride.  Looking
at Bob she saw the look of intense pride and joy in his eyes as
he extended his arm, then slowly walked beside her down the
aisle.  It vaguely registered that all of her friends were
present and on their feet as they moved.

Finally they reached the altar and she found Bill waiting for
her.  Looking at him she realized that he really did look much
younger than he had one year earlier on the day they first met. 
He extended his hand and she took it in her own, seeing the
intense love for her in his eyes.  Hand in hand they approached
the priest who was waiting for them.

The wedding was a full  nuptial mass.  Finally, the priest said,
"Do you, Allison, take this man, William, as your lawfully wedded
husband?  To have and to hold; to love and to cherish, till death
do you part?"

"I do!" she exclaimed, startled by the power of her voice.  "Oh,
God!  I do!"

The priest repeated the words for Bill and then asked for the
rings.  Bill produced a platinum and diamond wedding band and
Barbara produced a gold band for Ali to give to him.  Tears were
streaming down her cheeks as she heard Bill say, "Ali, with this
ring I thee wed."

Finally it was over.  The priest said to Bill, "You may kiss your
bride."

Bill took her in his arms and kissed her.  Again, there was the
wonderful electricity flowing between them.  In spite of all the
guests watching, she put her arms around his neck to hold him and
to keep from falling as her knees turned to water.  Then the
strains of Mendelssohn's Wedding March rang out and Bill joyfully
led her down the aisle with the guests whispering their good
wishes as they rushed by.  They ran down the steps to the car
where Fred was waiting, holding the door.

When the car pulled away from the curb, Bill took Ali in his arms
and kissed her.  As he pulled her close he heard the wonderful
happy sounds from deep in her body.  Finally, she pulled away and
looked at him with love in her eyes.  "Bill, why?  Why did you do
this?  We are already married."  Then she smiled warmly and
added, "Of course, I absolutely adore it, but still, why?"

"Because of something you said a year ago, my darling," he
replied.  "It was one year ago today that you said, 'I'm actually
your wife -- in the eyes of the State of California, if not
necessarily in the eyes of God.'  Darling, I wanted you to be my
wife in everyone's eyes -- most particularly in the eyes of God.
Do you mind?  Then there are some other reasons which I'll tell
you about at the reception."

It came as no surprise to Ali when Fred pulled up at the side
entrance to their hotel.  She was surprised to see two detail
police officers keeping the crowd of curious onlookers at bay. 
Bill ushered her up to their floor where suites had been
connected to form a large area in the same fashion that had been
done at the graduation celebration a year earlier.  During the
wedding Ali had been dimly aware of a photographer in the
background.  Now it registered that it was the hallmark of a top
photographer -- he got the pictures without his subjects being
aware of his presence.  When the wedding party was all present he
quickly took them aside and shot a series of the wedding party. 
To her relief, the entire process took only a few minutes.

When the group broke up, Bill took two champagne glasses from a
waiter's tray and gave one to Ali.  Raising his glass he said,
"To Allison McGrath Clifford.  The most beautiful bride and the
most perfect wife the good Lord ever created.  Ali, this toast is
offered with all the love I possess.  It's all for you, my
darling."

He sipped his champagne and then leaned towards her.  She raised
her head and her lips touched his in the most tender yet
electrifying kiss she had ever had, and this in spite of the fact
that only their lips were touching.  When she reluctantly moved
away from him, Bill was shocked to see tears at the corners of
her eyes.  "What's wrong, honey?  What did I do."

With her gorgeous blue eyes as wide as saucers, she looked at him
and there was even a hitch in her voice as she whispered,
"Darling, tonight...  Will you try to be gentle?  I... I'm so
scared!"

Initially, Bill recoiled in shock and then realized her eyes were
now dancing with glee and she was sticking the tip of her pink
tongue out at him.

She went into his arms, hugged him tight, and whispered, "But,
darling, I'm just practicing.  I am an actress, after all.  As a
matter of fact, I just paid my dues again to Screen Actors
Guild."  Bill just hugged her tightly.  Gently pulling away, with
the playacting over, she murmured, "My darling and my love!  No
one can love a person more than I love you, Bill Clifford.  Is
there anything I can do to be better for you, my darling?"

"You can't improve on perfection, Ali," he whispered.  "And
that's what you are."  He seated her at the head of the table and
food immediately appeared.  Suddenly, Ali realized that she was
starving.

As they started to eat, she looked at Bill and said, "Darling,
this has been a wonderful surprise, but why did you do it?"

"You'll learn soon enough.  I'll answer the question after lunch
but before we cut the cake."

Taking advantage of the time, Ali looked around the room,
realizing as she did that all of her closest friends were
present.  She took Bill's hand and squeezed it, then went back to
her food.

When the dishes were cleared, Bill rose, went to the waiting
microphone, and tapped on his glass for attention.  "Ladies and
gentlemen, welcome!  I know that normally at weddings the best
man toasts the bridal couple and the maitre d'hotel sort of runs
things.  But since this is not your ordinary wedding, we're not
going to observe the usual protocol, either."

Turning to Ali he continued, "Darling, when I first had this idea
and mentioned it to your friends they thought it was terrific. 
But a strange thing happened:  It turns out that there are some
things people want to tell you.  However, they'll have to wait
their turn.

"First, Darling, you asked why the ceremony.  The fact is, I
tricked you.  You see, today is the end of your initial one-year
contract with me.  The thought of you walking out was too
frightening even to think about.  The reason is, of course, that
I can't live without you, Ali.  I really can't.  Darling, if
anything should ever happen to you I will die.  That is a
statement of fact as true as the fact that the sun rises in the
east each day.  Of course, I think you care for me as well.  So
anyway, today I signed you to a lifetime contract.  Darling,
thank you for marrying me.  Last year in a courtroom I learned
how much you care for me when you testified that you loved me
more than life itself.

That reminds me...  You see, I'm taking my text today from the
words Jennifer said the first day she saw you.  She said that you
were a dumb, cheap, gold-digging whore.  Now let's look at those
words one at a time.

"First, dumb.  Well, in recognition of degrees from Kansas and
UCLA, coupled with a Phi Beta Kappa key and a couple of
number-one class rankings, the Superior Court of the State of
California has taken judicial notice of the fact that you ain't
dumb.  I guess that takes care of that.  Next, cheap.  In
context, it was intended to mean gaudy, garish, obvious.  Since
you only wear Levi's and chambray shirts, they aren't gaudy or
garish.  On the other hand, they are inexpensive.  Maybe that's
what she meant."  Bill looked for Jennifer, found her, and asked,
"Jen, is that what you meant?  Inexpensive?"  Jennifer vigorously
nodded her golden head.  "Well," he continued, "That's that.  But
it takes me to the next point: gold-digging.

"Ali, you are now managing all of the family's money.  Of course,
on average you've only been managing about half of it for a year,
so I guess that explains your mediocre performance."

Looking around the room, Bill grinned and continued, "Mediocre? 
If Ali were a reporting institutional money manager she would be
at the top of the performance list in a class by herself.  You
see she increased the principal by 50 percent -- over one billion
dollars.  How inexpensive can one woman be?  I ask you?

"But let's think a little more about the word, 'gold-digging.' 
Good grief!  Of course!  Ali does dig gold -- or money, anyway,
which is almost as good.  Then she piles it up in large neat
stacks in our bank."  Bill looked at Jennifer and said, "Jen,
you're absolutely right.  Ali is a gold-digger, and a damn good
one, too!"  The guests exploded with laughter while Ali was
rapidly nodding her head with a big grin on her face. 

"But this brings us to the last point: whore.  I was going to
dismiss it out of hand, but then I thought more about it." 
Turning to his bride he asked with enormous love in his voice,
"Ali, are you my whore?"

Ali looked up at him with her incredible love shining in her eyes
as she said, "Bill, I am your whore, your mistress, your slave,
your concubine...  Darling, I am anything I think you might like
me to be.  But yes, darling, I am your whore...  And very proud
of it, too."

Bill just shook his head and said, "Well, Jen, I guess three out
of four isn't so bad, so I guess I should apologize for some of
the things I said to you last year.  Now that I think about it,
it's obvious that it was all a semantic misunderstanding."

Then he looked around the room and said quietly, "I used to say
that what I love so much about Ali is her smile.  She has a smile
that is so brilliant it can light up the entire Los Angeles Basin
-- and that's on a smoggy day.  I wondered about it but never
came up with a plausible explanation for its brilliance until
Barbara Jamison told me earlier what our chauffeur, Fred Clark,
said to Ali this morning.

"He said, 'Mrs. Clifford, it's not what's on the outside,
although God knows, that's exquisite.  But Ali, you are really so
beautiful because of what's on the inside: your goodness just
shines through.'  You know, he has that exactly right.  Now I
understand the brilliance of her smile.  It's like opening the
door of a blast furnace and seeing the fire inside.  When Ali
smiles, it's opening the door to what's inside and letting her
goodness shine out.

"Ladies and gentlemen, before some of you start to get even, I
would like to offer a toast.  To Allison McGrath Clifford: the
finest person God ever created; the person who has honored me
above all others by allowing me to be her husband.  Darling, I
love you with my whole heart and soul."  With that he raised his
glass along with the guests who were all on their feet with their
glasses raised.

When the toast was completed and the guests were again seated,
Bill said, "Well, so much for the good part.  Now we get to the
rest.  Your law partner, Virginia Jamison Conrad, has a few words
to say.  Ginger?"

Ginger Conrad smoothly rose to her feet from her seat next to
Bill's.  As she did, Ali noticed how beautiful her partner
looked.  Apparently Henry Hall had worked with all of the girls
in the wedding party and had outdone himself.  Ginger's hair was
shorter than usual but now showed an incredible variation in its
basic auburn coloring ranging from red to brown to blonde.  Ali
was almost certain that Henry had trimmed the last of Ginger's
dyed hair; now the color was almost certainly all her own.

Standing behind the microphone, Ginger just looked around at the
seated guests.  Then she said, "This is actually a rather
different wedding reception.  The plan initially called for the
usual, with the customary tributes to the bride and groom.  As we
made plans, though, more and more gripes emerged so we kind of
converted it into a roast."

Turning to her closest friend she said, "Ali, would you please
stand, put your foot up on the chair and pull up your skirt?" 
Ali didn't know what Ginger was thinking about but she did as she
was asked.  As she pulled the white skirt up it exposed her leg
encased in a white stocking and finally revealed the blue garter
high on her thigh.  At the sight of her beautiful leg they heard
soft wolf whistles from some of the guests.  Ali just looked at
Ginger quizzically as the girl ran her finger up the inside of
Ali's thigh.  Then Ginger said, "Thanks, Ali.  You see, we're
serving roast leg of Ali as the main course today.  And it's a
hell of a leg, isn't it?"  This time the guests cheered their
agreement.

"Before I get to my complaints I suppose it's only fair to give
credit where it's due, even if there isn't a hell of credit to
give.  First, Ali, let's go back about a year to the day we first
met.  I was warm and happy then, living in my little brown shell.
 We talked and then you ruined my life.  I recall telling you
that I loved Charley Conrad.  What did you do?  Did you ask me
why?  Did you ask me how I could possibly be so certain of my
love for him?  Did you point out how warm and comfy my life was
with no outside distractions?  Did you?  Hell, no!

"Did you point out that if I just let things ride, by now I would
be a second-year associate at the second-best law firm in the
city?  I would be getting a big raise -- possibly as much as
$5,000.  Of course not!  Ali, you were mean!  That's the only
word for it: mean.

"Look at me today.  My grungy brown dyed hair would be 'in'
today.  What do I have to live with?  This!" she exclaimed as she
ran her hand over her head with its autumn fire coloring.  "Then
there are my eyes.  Ali, you never asked, but you caused me to
throw away literally weeks of work when you made me get rid of
those colored contacts.  You can't believe how hard it was to
find that particularly hideous shade of brown.  Now what am I
stuck with?  These!" she said, pointing to her brilliant emerald
green eyes.  "I mean, really!  How common!  How ordinary!  And
besides, green is never the 'in' color for eyes."  She pretended
to glare at Ali who was grinning up at her, and continued, "Look
at yourself, Allison Clifford!  You have the nerve to grin at me.
 Clearly, you're not taking this thing seriously.  But there's so
much more!

"I vividly remember telling you that the problem with men was
that they only wanted to use us as receptacles for their sexual
fluids.  Well, damn it, Ali, you never told me that sometimes
they run out!  And conditioning:  Last year I was in great shape.
 I would work out regularly and I really felt great.  Then I met
Charley."  Looking down at Ali and pretending to glare at her she
said, "Do you realize it's only been in the last six weeks that I
have been able to get my thighs back together again?  It's true.
But did you care?  Hell, no!  You just laughed at me.

"There's more.  My honeymoon, for example.  I thought Charley and
I had a marvelous time.  I really did.  Then I saw you and Bill
returning from your honeymoon and I realized the truth: I had
been miserable.  I must have been.  Looking at you and then
looking again at the pictures from my honeymoon, I realized that
I must have been miserable.  And that's your fault, too.  This
brings me to the present.  What do I have compared to what I
would have had if you had left me alone?  The comparison is
awful.  Instead of being a struggling second-year associate at
one of the best law firms in California, I'm a name partner in
the _best_ law firm in the state.

"Instead of sleeping comfortably in my own nice bed, I have to
mold my body to Charley's and use his shoulder as a pillow while
he cups my tit with his large hand.  I use the words, 'have to,'
advisedly.  Now I can't sleep any other way.  Can I wake up and
just take a quick shower?  Hell, no!  I can't even get out of bed
until Charley has taken me to heaven.

"Do I enjoy our life together.  Aside from being unable to live
without him, I'm not sure.  How can I be sure when I end up
unconscious after he makes love to me -- and it's every time,
now.  Do you want more?  You don't take my problems seriously. 
Have you done _anything_ to help me get a job as a stripper? 
Charley really does need to get more sleep.  How about working as
a call girl?  He needs some help, claiming he was trapped by a
nympho.  All you ever do is laugh."  Ginger paused and looked
around the room.

"I ask you folks, what do you all think?  All I got out of
meeting Ali Clifford is a husband who loves me and who I adore, a
partnership, association with the nicest, funniest, most
beautiful group of women in the world, and the friendship of the
most perfect woman God ever created, Allison McGrath Clifford! 
That's all."

With that she turned to Ali who had risen to her feet and took
her into her arms.  She kissed Ali full on the lips and then held
her tightly whispering, "Ali, I love you.  You have made me, made
my life, and given me more happiness than I thought even existed
in this world.  Ali, you're just plain great!"  There were tears
streaming from Ginger's eyes as she went back to her seat while
Bill replaced her at the microphone.

"Thank you, Ginger," he said.  "Although she's my wife and I love
her dearly, those points needed t be made.  I certainly agree
that Ali turned your life upside down.  I know how much happier
you would be if you were still in your little brown shell.  Now
we'll hear from Ali's other partner, Sandra Harris."

Sandy got up from the table where she was sitting with Jack
Benson, Judy Jeffries, Mike Morris, and Kathy and Ken Carlson,
and came up to the microphone.  Like Ginger, she began by
pretending to glare down at Ali who just grinned up at her and
winked.  "That does it, Allison Clifford.  I just get no respect.
 I'm trying to be serious -- this is for your own good, you know
-- but what do you do?  You just grin.

"Now let's take it from the top.  First of all, thank you, Bill,
for using my correct name, Sandra.  Ali won't even allow me to
use it in the office.  There, I'm Sandy and that's all there is
to it."  Looking around at the guests she continued, "You heard
from Virginia Conrad how Ali pulled her out of her shell.  Well,
I wasn't in a shell.  I was on the street having been fired from
another firm.  But there's so much more.

"Ali may have repaired Ginger, but she created me.  You see, I
really should have been destroyed at birth as one of God's
occasional mistakes.  By the time I was grown I was abrasive,
cruel, ugly, hypocritical...  But you get the idea.  Ginger hired
me while Ali was on her honeymoon and was prepared to fire me. 
Would Ali go along?  Don't be silly!  Of course not.  She made me
see that I was human... at least slightly.

"You see, I had had one human experience in my life to that
point.  It happened when Jack Benson made love to me when I was
in law school.  Thinking about it now, I can't figure out why he
ever asked me out."  She stopped and looked around the room,
pretending to be pondering the question.  Suddenly, she
brightened and continued, "He's blind!  That's it!  That explains
everything.  Well, anyway...  You see, after that one human
experience I did what any dues-paying member of NOW would do:  I
refused ever to speak to him again.  So when I learn from Ali
that my reaction to Jack was normal, I was utterly destroyed. 
You see, I had already booted away any chance I would ever have
for happiness.

"Does this discourage Ali?  I should be so lucky.  Oh, no!  She
and her henchman, Ginger, go to work.  Believe it or not they
_find_ Jack Benson.  How, I have no idea.  I've always been
afraid to ask.  In finding Jack, of course, they utterly
destroyed the real me.

"What do I have to show for the last year?  Nothing to speak of.
I have Jack Benson, of course.  At least, I hope I have him.  I
won't rest easy until I have him hog-tied at the altar.  But you
see, I was a bitch.  However, at least I could put my thighs
together.  Ginger said she was only able to get hers together
within the last few weeks.  I still can't.

"My life?  Last year I ate out or ate gourmet chili fresh from
the can while I read law books.  Now?  I dash home to clean --
last year I didn't know what the word meant -- and prepare
dinner.  With a lot of coaching from Kathy Carlson, I'm now a
decent cook.  Women are supposed to eat like birds, right?  I eat
like a horse.  When I complain, all Ali does is laugh.  I used to
curl up at night with an exciting law book.  Now?  Now I can only
sit on Jack's lap with his hand on my tit.  I don't even care
what's on television because I just sleep until he's ready to
take me to bed.  And take me, and take me, and take me...  But
you get the idea.

"Happy?  How can I be?  I cry almost every day now.  Why? 
Because, although Jack says I'm beautiful, I spend every day with
Ali and Ginger.  But then we already agreed that Jack was blind,
didn't we?  Do you want to know how to really feel ugly?  Spend
your time side-by-side with the gold and auburn twins.  And Ali
doesn't even care!  She laughs at me.  I try, God knows.  My hips
are slim, my waist is slender, and my tits are full and firm. 
But my color?  Sort of brown.  Yuck!  Jack likes me but he's only
a man.  What can he know?

"The worst?  What's really new since last year?  It's the misery
I endure when Jack has to go out of town.  I know some women toss
and turn in bed.  Me?  Don't be silly!  I'm above all that.  I
just watch the movies on cable that run all night, while mostly I
whimper and cry.  Sometimes I even fall asleep in the chair
around three or four.  The problem?  When Jack comes home I'm so
tired I can hardly stay awake when he's taking me for the fourth
or fifth time.  Once, he was pretty tired, too, so we fell asleep
with him inside me."  She smiled warmly as she thought about the
incident.  "I remember it so well.  Even though I was nearly
asleep, I could feel him inside.  I would squeeze him with my
muscles and he would get larger as we both went back to sleep. 
It didn't end until we were both awake at about eight the next
morning when he put me out of my misery by causing me to pass
out.

"Professionally?  From being on the street, I'm now the
litigation partner of the finest law firm in the West.  But that
doesn't make up for what's happened to me."

Turning to Ali, she said, "And it's all your fault.  Everything I
have or ever hope to have, you gave me -- most particularly
including perhaps the only man alive who's blind enough to think
I'm beautiful.  Ali, you can have anything I have, any time you
want it, including my life.  Darling, I love you."  With that Ali
rose from her chair and Sandy held her tight whispering, "Oh,
God, Ali!  I do love you so much."

"Sandra Harris -- see, I can, too, say it -- you are a wonderful
person and my life-saver," Ali whispered.  "Darling, you know you
saved my life -- literally -- in my stupid divorce action.  I
will never forget how you were sacrificing your life to try to
save me from myself, so I will never believe that bullshit you've
been trying to sell!  Sandy, I love you!"  With that she hugged
the tall brunette who then backed away and gave her the warmest
kiss possible, then hugged her tightly again with tears streaming
down her cheeks.

Finally, Sandy wiped her eyes, winked at Bill and returned to her
table where Jack took her in his arms and whispered, "Blind? 
Lady, you are _really_ full of shit!  Wait till I get you home
tonight!"

Sandy licked her lips lasciviously, kissed him softly and
whispered, "Promises, promises!"

Meanwhile, Bill was again behind the microphone and said, "The
next speaker is my daughter, Jennifer.  Of course, after my
discovery of a few minutes ago, I can't for the life of me think
of what she could want to say.  But anyway...  Jen?"

Jennifer Clifford rose from her place further down the head table
and came to the microphone.  Like Ali, Jen was a vision in shades
of gold, although her hair color was slightly darker.  Her dress
was light blue complimenting her brilliant blue eyes.  After
looking around the room with a small smile, she said, "First,
before I get to my problems with Ali, I must correct the record."
 She looked at her father and said, "Dad, with respect to that...
that exercise in exoneration a few minutes ago, it was complete
bullshit!  I was maligning Mom, and we all know it.  What I was
really trying to do was to commit a double murder: you and
Mother, although I didn't realize it at the time.

"Next, a comment on that blather you just heard from Sandy
Harris.  If I remember correctly, she said something to the
effect that she was a bitch and should have been destroyed at
birth.  Well, if it had happened I'm sure my parents would both
now be dead, Sandy, because you were the one who saved them."

Looking out at the crowd, tears were flowing down her cheeks as
she continued, "Dickens said it best in _A Tale of Two Cities:_
'Greater love hath no man than he who lays down his life for his
friend.'  That day in court last fall, Sandy laid down her
professional life to save my parents.  The next day, when Ali
came into the office, Sandy gave her a letter of resignation from
the Firm.  In addition, she was resigning from the California Bar
and was turning herself in to the District Attorney for criminal
prosecution."

Jen again looked around the room and the guests could see tears
streaming down the girl's beautiful face, yet she had made no
move to wipe them away.  Then she continued, "Did you hear that
garbage Sandy was trying to sell us?  How she was utterly
worthless and the only thing that saved her was Jack Benson's
blindness?"  Now looking directly at Sandy with her eyes sparking
with blue fire she said, "Lady, you're so full of shit, it's
ridiculous!  You have the same kind of beauty as Ali, coming from
the same source: the incredible goodness inside you.  All I can
say, lady, is you sure did a hell of a good job of keeping it a
secret, particularly from yourself."

Then her voice dropped and she lifted her glass saying, "I hope
you all will join me in a toast to Sandra Harris.  Had it not
been for what she did last year, there could have been no wedding
today.  The principals would both be dead and buried.  Sandy, I
want to thank you with my whole heart and soul.  You are one of
the finest women alive!"

Sandy was blushing beet red and trying to hide in Jack Benson's
shoulder.  He would have none of it, though, as he gently moved
her back into her own chair so he could stand and raise his glass
with the rest of the guests.

As they drank the toast Ali rose to her feet along with Bill and
went to the microphone.  When the room became quiet again, Ali
said, "Jen, I don't know what else you have to say, but with
respect to what you said about Sandy, all Bill and I can say is,
Amen.  Sandy, she is absolutely right.  You did save our lives,
and damn it, girl, you know it!"  As she sat down again, there
was tremendous applause for Sandy.  Then Jennifer returned to the
microphone.

"So much for that," she said.  "Now we get to my problems.  You
see, it really started with Sandy.  After the divorce action was
thrown out of court, I spent time at USC and UCLA asking people
about Ali McGrath.  I soon learned how wrong I had been and also
how close I had come to destroying my parents.  For that I needed
to be punished, but I knew Dad would never do it.  All he did was
cut me off financially, but that was a benefit.

"The first step in my punishment was to humiliate myself in front
of Ali.  I was going to grovel and she was going to clobber me,
throw me out, or with any luck, do something much worse.  So I
lurked in the lobby here at the hotel and finally saw my chance.
Dad was leaving the hotel by himself so I snuck up to their floor
-- this floor, as a matter of fact -- and rang the doorbell of
their suite.  Ali opened it.  After telling her what I had been
doing and what I had learned, I fell to my knees in front of her.
 I wanted her to slap me across the face, beat me... do something
to punish me for what I had done.  Of course, I was crying like
my heart would break and couldn't see a thing.  At the same time,
I doubt if I would have even felt it if she had slapped mesilly.

"Did she?" Jen asked rhetorically, looking around the room. 
"Ali?  Of course not.  She takes me under the arms, lifts me up
and cradles me in her arms.  Then she helps me to the sofa and
caresses my hair while I cry my eyes out, whispering things like
'Don't cry, darling,' 'It will be all right,' and finally, she
even says she loves me."  Jen glared around the room.  "Can you
believe it?  I try to kill her and she loves me?  I desperately
want to be punished but all she can do is hug me and caress me? 
That's Ali.  She really knows how to hurt a girl.  Incidentally,
having Ali Clifford hold you and comfort you is in a class by
itself.  I can still feel her stroking my hair.  My mother did it
when I was about eight years old, only Ali does it so much
better.

"Well, that didn't work.  But I had to be made to suffer.  I
really did.  How else could I cope with my guilt?  Well, awhile
later I had another idea.  You see by then I was an exotic
dancer.  For those who aren't familiar with the vocabulary, a
stripper takes off her clothes while an exotic starts off naked
and stays that way.  Anyway, the manager wanted me to do
something I couldn't possibly do.  The thought of doing it turned
my stomach.  Then I thought, 'Aha!  I'll ask Ali and then she'll
throw me out.'  So I did.  You see, the manager wanted my mound
to be bare; I had to remove all of my pubic hair."

Looking around the room, Jen was glaring as she continued, "Can
you imagine anything more disgusting than being asked to remove a
girl's pubic hair?  I ask you?  Can you?  I certainly can't and I
was sure that the idea would turn Ali's stomach.  So I asked her.
 All she did was insist that as the price for her service I had
to allow Dad and her to see me perform.  She comes over and does
it.  I won't go into details except to say it's an extremely
painful process.  Ali just does it, being as gentle as anyone
possibly could be.  Then when she finishes, she helps me to the
bathroom -- I couldn't even walk because my loins hurt so badly
-- bathes me, then helps me to bed where she puts a painkilling
ointment all over my mound.  Then she pulls the covers up and
tucks me in.  At that point I just collapsed.  So much for my
second effort.

"Then, another opportunity presented itself just a couple of days
later.  I had met Steve Chapman at school but never even told him
my name.  I guess I fell in love with the big lug the first time
I saw him and, in fact, I thought of him each time I did my act
on stage.  However, we never even had a date.  On the night my
mom and dad came to see me, Steve was there, too."  Jen stopped
and looked around as an idea occurred to her.  Continuing, "You
know something?  I just realized that Mom arranged my first date
with Steve. _She_ invited him to join us for supper that night.

"Since the object of this exercise was to destroy myself -- to
achieve the misery I so richly deserved -- the evening went
pretty well.  You see, I figured that the way to be really hurt
would be to find out how really wonderful Steve was so it would
hurt even more when I lost him.  He came to my apartment -- Mom's
apartment, actually; she even provided me with a place to live --
and he made love to me.  It was everything I ever thought it
might be and so much more besides.  My plan was working
perfectly!  After thirty-six hours of heaven in his arms, on
Monday morning I threw him out of the apartment, screaming that I
never wanted to see him again.  Then, of course, I totally came
apart.  Having succeeded in destroying my life, I was even more
miserable than I thought I ever could be.  But then I screwed up,
bigtime.

"What did I do?  For some reason I felt I had to see my mother. 
Somehow I got to the hotel that morning, although honestly, in
view of my condition I'll be damned if I could ever figure out
just how I did it.  At any rate, I appeared at her door.  She
took me into her arms and I totally disintegrated.  Again she sat
with me, stroked me, and somehow managed to calm me down.  Then
she took me into the bedroom, stripped me and put me to bed with
the warmest, most loving kiss a girl ever had.  I was asleep in
an instant.

"Then what?  Then Ali gets even... again.  When I awaken, it's
late afternoon and Ali asks me if I would like something to eat.
By this time I was starving to death and could have eaten a
horse, hooves and all.  She smiled and said there was a
room-service cart ready for me, and a waiter wheeled it into my
room.  Except it wasn't a waiter, it was Steve.  Since I had
screwed up all the courage I possessed to kick him out that
morning, there was nothing left.  He took me on my bed.  And took
me, and took me...  Finally, we both collapsed.

"When I awakened, I went out to the sitting room and found Ali
just sitting there.  Of course, she had arranged the whole thing
while I was sleeping.  In this episode, my 'punishment' consisted
of the most glorious lovemaking a human ever experienced.  In
short, another great idea shot to hell."

Jen smiled wryly and looked around the room again.  "But never
let it be said Jennifer Clifford isn't creative.  Another idea
came to me when I learned that Steve is the son of Dave and Judy
Chapman of Chicago.  Judy is a society leader, and the answer was
obvious.

"First, I got Steve to promise that we would not marry if his
parents objected."  Looking around the room again, she asked,
"Can you possibly imagine in your wildest dreams, a staid, rich,
conservative Midwestern couple allowing their only child to marry
a girl who degrades herself at least twice a day?  A girl who,
while on her knees, spreads her legs as wide as possible and
bends over backwards so the customers can all get a good look at
her cunt?  Can you?"  Jen shook her head and answered her own
question: "I couldn't, either.

"However, one other thing happened the next morning which has
come back to haunt me:  Mom made me promise to apologize to Dad
and to accept a little money from them from time to time.  But
back to the story.  You see, I had it all set: the Chapmans would
forbid Steve to marry me -- as they certainly should have, I
might add.  Then I would remain his mistress and continue to
degrade myself nightly on stage.

Once again, though, I underrated the cunning of Ali Clifford. 
Working through her minions in that den of iniquity, Clifford &
Jamison, she recruits her staff to put together a wardrobe for me
in only one day.  The result:  I looked like I just stepped out
of the pages of _Vogue_ when we get off the plane in Chicago...
although its things aren't nearly as nice as mine.  But there's
more, you see.  After producing the wardrobe, Mom then presented
me with a watch like the one she wears.  It is engraved, 'Jen --
With all my love, Mom.'  It cracked me up.  I was so overwhelmed,
I completely forgot my plan.  The result?  I'm afraid the
Chapmans like me."

She looked at a table where Dave and Judy Chapman were sitting
with a question in her eyes.  Judy Chapman stood up and said, "No
Jennifer, Dave and I do not like you."  She turned to the guests
and said, "As you may have guessed, I'm Judy and this is my
husband, Dave Chapman."  Turning back towards Jennifer, she said,
"We love you, darling, as the daughter we could never have. 
Adore you is closer, perhaps.  I'm sorry, Jen, we do not merely
like you.  The word, like, just isn't even close."  Judy winked,
blew Jen a kiss and then sat down again.

Jennifer just shook her head sadly and said, "See what I mean? 
That's Ali.  But back to my story.  It turns out, you see, that
while I was trying to figure out a way of punishing myself, Ali
was way ahead of me.  Remember when I mentioned having to agree
to take a few bucks off their hands from time to time?  Well, you
see I'm not an historian, but a political scientist.  The reason
for the focus on political science is that history has dates, and
dates are numbers, and I don't know from numbers."  Jen paused
and looked up, then shook her head.  "That's not completely true.
 I can handle numbers all the way up to ten, and I'm really
pretty good with numbers less than five.  But anyway...

"You see, about every week or so these days, I'll swing by a cash
machine to get some money.  What do I find?  Usually I find that
Mom dumped another five or ten _million_ dollars into my account.
 Can you imagine the agony I go through month after month
futilely trying to balance my checkbook?  Can you?  I doubt it. 
You see, she's even more devious, though.  This is her way of
ensuring that I marry Steve.  He's a business major and he can
handle big numbers.  Since I'm stuck with the numbers, I guess
I'll have to marry him."

Then she looked down at Ali and offered her hand with a plea in
her eyes.  Ali rose from her chair and stood beside her as Jen
continued, "There's one more thing, and it brings me back to
where this story began.  You see, the reason I wanted to break up
the marriage was that in some way I saw Ali as a threat to the
relationship I had with my father.  As a matter of fact, it
really wasn't much of one, but anyway...  As usual, I could not
have been more wrong.  Ali, a threat to our relationship?

"Today, I am closer to my father than I have ever been in my
life.  That's Ali.  More than that, though, is the relationship I
have with my mother.  You see, I adore Ali Clifford, my mother. 
I ask you?  Everyone has heard of the birds and the bees and how
to tell their children about sex?  Most people just hope the kids
figure it out or find out on the street the way they did.  My
mom?  Don't be silly.  She gives me illustrated lectures in how
to make love to a man.  No wonder she is the best-loved woman
alive!

"Everything she has ever told me -- and I won't shock you any
more than I already have by telling you precisely what some of
her tips are -- she has 'field tested' with Dad.  And she has
only told me a small fraction of what she knows and does.  She's
afraid it will be a shock to my tender ears.  Now you're getting
a clue as to why my dad looks like he's only about thirty years
old.  Ali keeps him young.

"Allison Clifford is my mother, you see.  If she had nurtured me
in her womb and nursed me at her breast, there's no possible way
Mom could love me more than she does.  Fred certainly got it
right.  Her goodness just spills out all over the people who are
close to her.  My mommy really loves me!"

Turning to Ali, she took her in her arms and began to cry.  It
was exactly as she had described it.  Ali held her tightly and
gently stroked her hair.  When her sobbing slowed, she could hear
Ali murmuring in her ear, "My darling daughter, please don't cry.
 I love you so very much!"

Then Jen pulled away and in spite of the tears still flowing
there was a wonderful happy smile on her face as she said, "She
_does_ love me!  So I guess I'll just have to live with an
unbalanced checkbook."

Bill was by her side and took his daughter in his arms and gave
her a warm kiss as well.  Then with a wave, Jennifer went back to
her seat.Chapter 22

As he stood at the microphone, Bill Clifford just slowly shook
his head.  "I apologize, folks, but for some reason the girls
just are not following the script.  However, I think you'll agree
that we have heard some interesting stories from some very lovely
young women.  Now I would like to introduce Karen Gaudli.  Karen
is Swiss and is engaged to marry my son, Brian."

As he was talking, Karen was making her way to the microphone. 
He turned it over to her, but before he could take his seat,
Karen took him in her arms and gave him a wonderfully loving kiss
full on the lips.  Bill just grinned at her, winked at Ali and
then sat down.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen," Karen began.  "Please
bear with me because this is the first time I have ever had to
give a speech in English.  Please try to forgive the language
gaffes I'm sure to make."  She smiled warmly at the crowd which
responded by giving her a welcoming round of applause.  The girl
continued, "I first met Ali Clifford at Christmas-time in my home
country, Switzerland.  It seems that Ali is a friend of my
father's from way back.  When she invited me to join the
Cliffords skiing in Zermatt, he gave his permission.  The last
thing he told me before he left me at the airport was to be nice
to the Clifford's son, Brian.

"The Swiss raise dutiful daughters, after all, so about ten days
or so later I welcomed Brian between my thighs.  Some time later
I found out from my father, in no uncertain terms, that he never
expected me to be _that_ nice.  It seems that, even for the
Swiss, hospitality does have limits.  That was a digression,
however.  The next day Brian talks to his parents and tells them
we had slept together.  Ali's first question was to ask if I had
enjoyed it.  Since Brian had no idea, she asked me."

The beautiful silver-blonde girl looked around the room and then
continued.  "Can you imagine being interviewed about your
lovemaking by your boyfriend's mother?  I was.  It should have
been embarrassing, I suppose, but it wasn't.  Thinking about it
often, I finally came up with what may be the answer.  First,
there was Ali's own behavior.  The first thing she did when we
went up to her suite was to strip off her clothes so I could see
her nude body.  It was utterly overwhelming, but more than that,
she could not possibly be Brian's mother with a body like that,
so I concluded that she was my older sister -- very slightly
older, at that.

"I confessed that my first experience with Brian was -- to put it
mildly -- unsatisfying.  What is Ali's reaction?  She blows her
stack, claiming that, from any son of Bill Clifford's, such
behavior was utterly inexcusable.  Then she starts to instruct me
on how to behave with men.  I forgot exactly what she told me
that day, but I do remember one thing vividly: I must have been
blushing a bright red for two solid hours, anyway.  No one could
possibly tell me the things Ali did.  Not only did Ali tell me,
though, she gave me the most detailed instructions on how to
carry them out.  Frankly, I blush just thinking about it again."
Karen was right.  She was blushing beet red, just remembering,
and this was in spite of a golden tan she had picked up on Maui
just a week earlier.

"It seems that Ali later spoke to Bill, who, in turn, spoke to
Brian.  The result?  It was the difference between heaven and
hell.  In fact, Brian and I agreed that the first experience was
useful to us both as a baseline from which to measure.  From
incompetent he became expert."  Karen grinned and said, "There's
one tip Ali gave me that I'll pass on to you.  A man's cum washes
down beautifully with Dom Perignon.  My sister not only told me
how, she even supplied the champagne.

"At any rate, the weeks that followed were joyous.  My big thrill
was edging Ali in a slalom race."  Then the girl's face fell as
she continued, "When I told my father I had beaten her, he said
it was only because she had let me.  I was crushed.  Then I asked
how he could possibly know.  His reply?

"Before I give it, though, I should give you some background on
my father.  Although now a senior executive of Swiss Bank
Corporation, earlier in his life he was one of the country's
finest skiers.  After all, the popular ski events such as the
slalom, the giant slalom and the downhill are collectively called
Alpine events.  Since most of the Alps are in Switzerland, it is
only fair that the Swiss produce fine skiers... and we do.  At
any rate, my father medaled in the Olympic Giant Slalom and later
was signed to appear in a motion picture with... Ali McGrath!

But back to my story.  I asked how he knew she allowed me to win.
 He replied that he could still beat me, in spite of my being on
the junior national team, but Ali regularly beat him.  He
admitted that he could occasionally beat her in his event, the
GS, but never in the slalom.  He said she was just too good and
too quick."  Looking at Bill, Karen said, "Dad, I learned that on
that day one year ago when you and my sister first met, you asked
her if she could ski.  The answer, dear father, is _hell, yes!_

"But what am I doing up here?  What is the problem?  Well, the
problem emerged when I came back to the States with Brian and
enrolled in college with him.  Being foreign and trying to fit
in, I joined a lot of organizations, including -- to my
subsequent dismay -- some feminist ones.  At any rate, I learned
that Brian and I were doing things all wrong.  The correct way is
for the woman to spread her legs and let the man play.  If the
girl really likes the guy, she is supposed to make a sincere
effort to stay awake while he's in her.  Brian and I talked about
it, but we couldn't make it happen.  You see, when he's in me,
I'm like a repeating cannon.  Then I usually pass out when he
cums from a sensory overload."

Turning to Ali, Karen asked sweetly, "Sister, why can't I just be
a depository for a man's sexual fluids like all the other girls?
Why did you ruin my life this way?"

Ali vainly tried to bury her grin in a sad expression, but was
successful in only sadly shaking her head.

Then Karen turned back, looking puzzled.  "Ali, there's one more
thing, though.  I told the women at the NOW meeting that I am
kept in orgasm for more than five minutes at a time. 
Fortunately, I never mentioned Brian's name.  I guess my
comprehension of English is still weak, though, because when they
finally believed me, the meeting suddenly broke up."  The girl
pretended to look bewildered as she said, "Why do you suppose
that happened?  Why were they all yelling, 'Where _is_ he?'  Does
anyone have an idea what they meant?"  Then she grinned and
turned on Ali.

"These are my problems, and they are all your fault.  First,
based on what they tell me, I must be doing many things wrong. 
Since you taught me, the problem must be in your instruction. 
The second problem is more serious, though.  You see, I did it
again.  Ali, I'm grinning more and more these days, and you know
that a grin is very un-Swiss.  We are known around the world as a
serious and sober people.  Ali, how can I stop grinning?"

The girl's beautiful face turned serious as she said, "Now,
though, I get to the real problem I have with you, Allison
Clifford.  First, as I'm sure you and your guests know, most of
the favorite fairy tales are European in origin.  Now I ask you,
who is the most common villain in fairy tales?  The wicked
stepmother.  Here in the United States, who is the most common
villain?  The mother-in-law."  Karen's face fell as she asked,
"What are we to do?  You are Brian's stepmother and will soon be
my mother-in-law."

Then she smiled and said, "However, we have a plan -- or more
accurately, Brian has a plan which I endorse.  It came into
existence as a result of something he said to his father.  He
said that you troubled him for a while because he knew I was the
most beautiful girl in the world, but that being so, what about
you, Ali?  The answer was quick in coming and Brian is very happy
with it.  You see, Ali, he considers me to be the most beautiful
woman in the world, while you, being an angel, are not in the
competition.  In support of his concept of your ethereal nature,
he offers as proof the fact that you appear today to be at least
ten years younger than in the motion pictures you made over ten
years ago.  What other possible explanation could there be but
the supernatural one?

"As further proof -- he points out that the camera can lie and
you could have been made up to look older in your movies -- he
cites his father.  While he has only known you for only a short
time, he certainly knows his father.  The proof is the fact that
his father has lost at least ten years in age within the last
year, and, Ali, at least five years in just the six months since
I first met him.  The explanation?  You are using your
supernatural powers on your mate and consort.  What fun would it
be to remain everlastingly young while your lover ages?  Ali, you
did that too, didn't you?

"But back to the basic problem: stepmother and mother-in-law. 
The solution is simple: Brian refuses to accept you as his
stepmother.  You are his mother -- period!  Pointing out that no
woman could be as kind and loving as you, he cites it as evidence
that you are, in fact, his mother.  This leaves me.  This, too,
has a simple answer -- one that has been staring me in the face
from almost the first day we met.  Ali, you are my sister, not my
mother-in-law.  After all, no girl ever confides in her mother
the way I do in you.  No mother ever gives her daughter detailed
instructions in how to be good to a man in bed.  You do."  While
she was finishing her speech, Brian had quietly come over to join
her at the microphone.

Turning to her fiance, she said, "Darling, should we ask her?" 
He nodded with a smile and asked, "Allison McGrath Clifford, will
you be my mother?  Please?"

Ali jumped from her chair into Brian's waiting arms with tears in
her eyes, "Oh, my darling son, yes!  Oh God, yes!  Brian, nothing
could make me happier or more proud than to have you think of me
as your mother!  Nothing!"

Brian then stepped back and gripped his father's hand.  Bill
Clifford then wrapped his son in his arms and whispered, "Brian,
you have given us the perfect wedding gift.  I can't thank you
enough.  I love you, son."

Meanwhile, Karen was continuing.  "Allison McGrath Clifford, will
you be my sister?  The sister I never had?  The sister in whom I
can confide all my hopes and dreams?  Ali, there's one more
thing.  We know you have given us the basic course in adult
lovemaking.  Please, after we're married and you're satisfied
that we're okay on the basics, will you give us the advanced
course?  Please?  Ali, will you be my sister?" Karen repeated.

Ali took the girl in her arms and each could feel the other's
tears on her cheek.  "Oh God, Karen, of course.  Nothing would
thrill me more!"  Then she stepped back and looked at the younger
girl with a gleam in her eye and asked, "Does this give me the
right to harass my little sister?"

"Of course it does, sister," Karen replied.  "But remember,
nearly as famous as nasty mothers-in-law here in the States are
brat younger sisters."  With a big grin she added, "Sister Ali, I
can hardly wait!"  With that she took Ali back into her arms and
just hugged her.  While this was going on the guests had come to
their feet and were cheering wildly.

When the two young people were on their way back to their seats,
Bill went back to the microphone.  "You know," he said
thoughtfully, "That girl is showing real promise in learning
English.  I want to thank you all for not laughing at her.  She
is really trying."  With that he rolled his eyes while the guests
laughed.

Then he said, "The next introduction creates a little problem. 
You see, the speaker is Joan Frederick."  Looking at Ali he
asked, "Honey, is Joan our daughter or our
daughter-in-law-to-be?"

Ali looked up and grinned, "The answer is both, darling.  I guess
right now she is Joan Frederick Clifford.  When she marries Billy
she will be Joan Frederick Clifford Clifford.  Isn't that
deliciously incestuous?"

Bill turned back to the mike and said, "I guess it's my pleasure
to introduce my daughter, Joan Frederick Clifford.  Joan?"

Joan gave Bill, Jr., a quick kiss and came over to the mike, then
lowered it to suit her.  Looking pensive she said, almost to
herself, "Gee!  I've always wanted a hyphenated name.  I wonder
how Joan Frederick-Clifford-Clifford would go over?" Then she
just shook her head in dismay, looked around at the guests and
said, "Good afternoon.  I'm not going to bore you with my life
story like a sister I could name.  With luck, I'm not going to
flood out the joint with tears, either.  You see, I'm not sad. 
I'm mad!

"I want to tell you how Ali Clifford screwed up my life.  It's a
short story, really.  You see, I only graduated from Cal Tech in
January.  While at Tech, my life was organized and ordered.  I
worked, slept a little and ate even less.  Spend time worrying
how to spend a weekend?  No way!  I worked.  Worry about what to
eat?  No way!  I went with whatever filled me the fastest for the
least money.  You have all heard of misers sitting and counting
their money?  That was never one of my problems.  I sat and
counted payment coupons.  You see, the total of my student loans
rivaled the national debt.  As a matter of fact, because many
were government-guaranteed, I was probably a major part of the
national debt.

"The first sign of trouble came last Christmas.  Mom had just
passed out Christmas bonuses and mine was equal to a year's gross
pay.  This, in spite of the fact that the company had only been
in business for six months.  In other words, my bonus was 200
percent of my base pay.  I went in to see her because I hadn't
gotten a pay raise.  Mom thought I was coming in to resign.  She
couldn't understand how a computer scientist could possibly stay
in a little law firm.  I told her that I had the best and most
intellectually challenging job in computers: trying to make the
machines serve people who weren't computer techies.  She
apologized and doubled my pay on the spot.  Clearly, there was
trouble already.  I think I even bought a six-pack of beer on my
way home that night -- and it was a good brand, too.  A Frederick
first!

"The real trouble, though, came in the early spring.  You see, my
only entertainment was going around to financial institutions to
make payments on my student loans.  Then one day disaster struck!
 I went in to make my regular payment and the teller just looked
at me.  'Do you want to open a savings account, or something?'
she asked.  'Don't be ridiculous!  Save what?  I'm making my
regular payment as I'm sure you know.  You have only seen me
every month for years now -- and you'll probably be retired
before I make the last one.'  Then it happened," Joan said in an
ominous tone of voice.  "She said, 'Your young friend came in the
other day and paid it off.  Don't you remember?'

"'Young friend?  What young friend?' I asked.  Now she positively
glowed as she replied, 'You know!  The golden blonde with the
blue eyes and knockout figure?  She seems to be almost as old as
you...'  'She was wearing Levi's and a work shirt, wasn't she?' I
asked.  'Of course,' the teller replied.  Ali strikes again!  In
a near-panic I raced from bank to bank, hoping to minimize the
damage."  Joan shook her head sadly and said, "It was too late. 
I knew it would be, but I was just hoping against hope.  I found
my way home in a daze.  Going to my desk, I took out piles of
now-useless payment books -- now worth their weight as scrap
paper.  What was I going to do?"

Tears were beginning to roll down her cheeks as she continued her
sad tale.  "Somehow, after tossing and turning for hours, I
managed to fall asleep.  I survived the next day, and the next,
but finally the day I dreaded arrived: payday!  I got my check,
put it in the bank, and froze.  What could I do?  What would I do
with the money?  Then the troubles really began.  First of all, I
had time on my hands -- going from bank to bank making payments
had occupied all my free time.  What was I to do?  I looked in
the Yellow Pages for Debtors Anonymous and called them.  When I
explained my problem, do you know what they did?" she demanded. 
"They laughed!  In fact, they howled with laughter.  Then they
told me in no uncertain terms that they worked with problems
arising from owing money, not from problems of having too much.

"Was it over?  Far from it!  Mom took me to Boston -- after the
Firm paid for a totally new wardrobe.  Even our sourpuss
partners, Ginger and Sandy, astounded me by presenting me with a
brand-new fur coat.  Needless to say it was the first fur coat of
any kind I had ever owned in my life, let alone a new one."

Joan looked around the ceiling as if gathering her thoughts. 
Then she blurted, "That's it!  I got it!  No wonder I fell head
over heels in love with Bill!  He caught me at my weakest
possible moment:  For the first time in my life I had money in
the bank, no bills to pay, and faced with a choice of beers.  And
I didn't even have to buy the cheapest.  Is it over?  Not hardly.
 Back here in LA I learn that Bill is coming out to see me _and
to meet my parents!_  But I don't have any.  I've been an orphan
living alone for years and years.  We are all sitting in the
conference room and I tell the girls my problem:  I need someone
to play the role of my mother.  I am stunned when Ali volunteers.
 I'll never forget what happened next.  I said, 'But Ali, you
can't possibly want to play the part of my mother!' Her reply? 
'Joan, I don't want to _play_ your mother, I want to _be_ your
mother!'  And now she is!

Now tears were flowing from the lovely girl's eyes as she
remembered, "She took me in her arms and hugged me.  God!  It had
been so long!  She hugged me tight, kissed my cheeks, my ears,
and just gently stroked my hair, all the while murmuring
endearments.  I cried!  Oh, God, did I cry!  It was a wonderful
sensation that I had thought I had lost forever many years ago. 
But with Ali, it was back, better than it had ever been." 
Looking up at the guests she said, "You realize, I'm sure, that
none of this ever would have happened if Ali had minded her own
business."

She looked down at Ali who was avoiding her eyes.  "Mom, look at
me, please?"  Ali looked up and Joan said to her, "Mom, all I
have and all I will ever have I owe to you.  There are no words
to express my love for you.  Mom?  Will you give me a kiss, even
if it is your wedding day?"

Ali leaped to her feet and folded the girl into her arms.  As she
did, she could feel Joan's tears on her cheek, rapidly mixing
with her own.  "My darling daughter, I love you so much!  And
soon you will be marrying my son who I also love.  I can't tell
you how happy you have made your father and me.  Will you give me
a kiss?"

Joan's beautiful lips mashed against Ali's as she hugged her new
mother tightly.  When they finally separated, Bill said softly,
"Daughter, what about me?  Do you have a kiss to spare for your
dad?"

With a squeal, Joan dove into his arms and buried her face in his
chest.  Muffled by the material of his suit, he could hear her
say, "Oh, Daddy, I love you so much!"

Bill watched the girl fondly as she moved back to her place
beside his son and felt a wonderful warm sensation as he saw her
give Billy the most tender kiss.

Turning back to the guests he said, "My little list says that the
next speaker is Constance Foster Clifford."  He looked up from
the rostrum, pretending to be puzzled.  "I can't imagine what she
has to gripe about.  She hasn't even started work yet.  But what
the hell: here's Connie.  We'll hear what she has to say."

Connie meant to give Bill a quick kiss before she began her
speech, but it didn't work out that way.  When she kissed him,
she could feel his arms go around her and hug her tightly, then
feel his hand gently caressing her hair.  "Oh, Daddy," she
exclaimed in a whisper, "that feels so wonderful and I love you
so much!  In your arms I feel so warm and safe and... and loved."
 Easing out of his arms, she stood before the microphone and took
a deep breath, then took a napkin to wipe the tears from her
eyes.

After looking around the room she said, "That was simple.  You
see, my dad just demonstrated what the trouble is.  I was going
to give him a nice affectionate daughterly kiss.  Is that what
happened?  With Cliffords?  You've got to be nuts!  He holds me
tight, kisses me softly, caresses my hair, whispers how much he
loves me...  In short, he turned me from a career woman into a
glob of warm mush.  I begin to cry as I feel so wonderfully warm
and snug and safe.  My daddy will protect me."  Tears started to
flow again as she said in a husky whisper, "God!  It's been so
long..."

With an effort of will she regained her composure and began
again.  "I had no direct contact with Clifford & Jamison until
about two months ago.  Of course, as a law student I had heard a
great deal about them.  This fact alone is highly significant
when you remember that the firm is not even one year old yet. 
Moreover, you have heard the line, 'Known by the friends you
keep?'  I think you can also add the reciprocal, 'Known by the
enemies you make.'  Well, I first learned about the firm by
hearing it badmouthed by all the radical feminists on campus. 
This struck me as odd because I did know it was an all-women Firm
-- possibly the only one of its kind in the state.  Why, I
wondered, would feminists be giving them such a hard time?

"Well, I started to do some research.  What I found out was quite
interesting.  It seems that over and over again the same thing
happened.  The radicals would go after a large corporation for
sex discrimination.  The first thing they would do would be to
locate some disaffected women -- usually professionals -- to
front for them.  I guess it really got kind of funny, because
time after time, the same thing would happen:  First, if the
company had an ounce of corporate brains they retained Clifford &
Jamison -- and if they didn't, they were beyond help, anyway. 
Ginger, Sandy, or Ali would meet with the plaintiffs and just
listen to them.  After making sympathetic noises for a while, the
plaintiffs would sort of stop and ask how Ginger, for example,
could possibly look so beautiful and... and self-assured.

"Poor Ginger would apologize for allowing her attention to drift
and mention that she was thinking about what to serve Charley for
dinner, or what to be wearing when he got home.  Once, I heard,
Sandy told the girl that she was taking physical inventory.  The
girl asked what that meant and Sandy replied that her cunt was so
sore she couldn't touch it, her asshole was stretched to about
three times its normal size, and she could still feel Jack's
magnificent sex at the bottom of her throat but it left her
throat so sore she couldn't even eat.  That being the case, she
was trying to figure out which of her bodily openings was --
comparatively speaking -- in the best shape to take him that
night.  The girl was stunned.  Then Sandy explained that before
the night was over she would probably take him everywhere,
anyway.  She explained that once they began to make love, her
passion would overwhelm her pain and it wouldn't matter.  It was
only a question of where to start.

"The poor girl would then ask more questions which our girls just
answered as honestly as they possibly could from their own
experience.  A short time later the complaint would be
withdrawn."

She looked around the room with a warm grin and continued, "You
know what one of the funniest things in the Firm is?  It's a file
-- actually, it's almost a whole filing cabinet now -- of
communications from former plaintiffs.  Most particularly, it
includes at least a dozen wedding invitations, and letters asking
for personal advice ranging from sex to menu planning.  All the
letters are carefully answered, by the way.

"Anyway, I decided I had to talk to Clifford & Jamison, in spite
of who I was.  You see, I was supporting myself as a stripper
while I was going to school.  In fact, I only quit a couple of
weeks ago.  However, I had been able to maintain my secret
through three years of law school and my senior year in college,
so I thought there was a good chance that I could keep it up for
a couple of more weeks.  Then I met Sandy and then Ginger.  They
lived up to their advance billing in spades.  But there was so
much more.  I have never in my life encountered the atmosphere
that exists in the Firm.  I have been inside a number of them,
and the dominant sensation is one of fear.  In Ali's firm, I came
to realize, it's love.

"The interviews went well, and I was scheduled to meet the senior
partner, Ali Clifford.  I was scared and then I really blew it. 
You see, I forgot that she was an actress.  The first thing she
asked me was why I was scared.  At that point I lost it
completely and stumbled toward the door with tears blinding my
eyes.  Did I make it to the door?  Of course not.  I found myself
in Ali's arms.  You've all heard about Ali's ability to give
comfort, so I won't bore you with it again.  When I blurted out
that I was a stripper, Ali's reaction was comparable to me having
said that blue is my favorite color.  She just asked where I
worked, then said it was where her daughter, Jen, had been
working.

"Well, one thing led to another and I was offered a job.  But I
don't want you to think it was all roses.  For example, did she
pay off _my_ student loans the way she did Joan's?  Hell, no! 
She just gives me a check, the size of which would have put a
dent in the national debt, and tells me to pay off my own damned
loans.  Later, I learned that what Joan said earlier was
accurate.  She had borrowed from so many banks, including some of
the most obscure ones, that it had taken days for Ali to find
them all.  Moreover, I believe Joan when she told us that going
around to the banks took up all of her free time each month.  But
back to my job offer.  Was that the end?  Of course not.  I'm
also given a gigantic check to buy a wardrobe to use for work.

"Then the trouble _really_ began!  Just because I got a couple of
small things for Joan's apartment..."

Sitting farther down the table, Joan interjected in a voice loud
enough to be heard around the room, "A whole brand new bedroom,
furniture and all!  Foster, can you honestly call that 'a couple
of small things' with a straight face?"

Connie just grinned and repeated, "...A couple of small things. 
Why?  Because it was a big night for Joan.  Her boyfriend was
bringing his father over for dinner to meet her mother.  I just
helped a little.  Could she let it go at that?  Not Joan
Clifford!

"A short time later Jennifer fixed me up with a blind date.  By
this time I had been adopted by Bill and Ali Clifford as their
daughter.  What do they do?  They buy me a wardrobe that probably
cost more than my entire higher education, and do it -- like they
did for eJennifer and Joan earlier -- in only one day.  I can
remember my dad wrapping me in a gorgeous mink coat and just
hugging me tightly."  She looked around the room and the people
could see the tears in her eyes.  "As much as I love the coat, it
is nothing compared to being in Daddy's arms.  It just feels so
wonderful.

"Anyway, that night I met Chip Cartwright.  When we go back to my
apartment, what do I find?  Well, first of all, I was certain I
had entered the wrong unit -- it looked like a photo set for
_House Beautiful._  What happened?  Joan Clifford just had to get
even!  She and the rest of the gang redecorated the entire
apartment -- totally!  They even completely stocked the kitchen
and provided recipes.  And coaching!

"Well, you wonder, what is this girl bitching about?  I'll tell
you.  What am I going to do now?" she wailed.  "I thought about
my career to this point and wonder what to do.  I think I may
have an answer, but I want your opinion before I move ahead. 
First, why did I go to law school, I wondered.  The answer is
simple: to get a good job.  What for?  To make a lot of money. 
Again, what for?  To live comfortably...

"What's 'a lot of money?'  Six figures is very comfortable, and
seven figures is wealthy.  But what do I do?  You see, Chip's net
worth is in _nine_ digits!  I won't talk about my parents,
though.  There's no description for a net worth in ten digits,
rapidly approaching eleven.  Well, back to my problem.  I
concluded there is no way I could possibly make as much money as
Chip Cartwright.  Furthermore, what could we possibly do with it
if I could?  If you have an answer to that one, I certainly
don't.  If I can't make money, what can I do?"

With a brilliant smile now lighting her face, she said, "I'll
make babies! _That's_ something I can do, and it's something that
Chip can't possibly even compete in.  I checked with my
gynecologist and she says I was made to carry babies."  Tears
were in her eyes as she continued, "That's really what it's all
about, isn't it?  Chip puts his magnificent sex into my body and
floods me with his fluids.  Nine months later a baby appears. 
I'm proud of my breasts -- they are high and firm with neat
little nipples.  Now I think of the feeling of an infant suckling
at that breast, enlarged with warm, wonderful milk to nourish
it."  Tears were flowing in a stream now.  "When I think about
it, I feel wonderful inside.  Just think!  A piece of my love,
Chip, and our love for each other just begins to grow insideme."

Turning to Chip she said, "There's one problem, darling.  I am
going to give you back the gorgeous engagement ring you gave me.
You see, I trapped you in the most unfair manner possible.  I
just explained how the whole damned firm ganged up on you. 
Besides, if I don't, I'll have my hunting license revoked.  You
see, what I did meets any reasonable test of outrageously
unsportsmanlike conduct."  With that she slipped the ring off her
finger and went towards him.

Before she had taken two steps, Chip was on his feet and holding
her in his arms.  He hugged her tightly and felt her tears on his
cheek.  After kissing her with all the passion he could muster
and feeling the wonderful electricity flow between them, he said,
loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, "Who the hell
cares?  Look, lady, you will have no use for that hunting
license, ever again.  You have me, and you're stuck with me!"

Looking out at the guests with his arm around her waist, Chip
said, "I have never been so thrilled in my life!  Connie says she
wants to carry my children.  And you know what?  I believe her."
Turning back to her he said, "My darling, thank you for giving me
the best reason possible for marrying you.  I adore you!"  The
two merged into a passionate embrace.

When they separated, Chip still had his arm around her waist as
Connie said to Ali, "Mom, just think!  I haven't even started
work yet!"

Ali and Bill took the young couple in their arms and
congratulated them again.  Then Ali looked out over the room and
said, "Connie, thank you.  I have never been more moved by a
statement in my life.  Darling daughter, you and Chip certainly
do have your priorities straight.Chapter 23

Bill returned to the microphone and was about to call on his son,
Bill, for a final toast when Ken Carlson rose from his seat.  He
said, "Mr. Clifford, we've heard a number of stories this
afternoon that were pretty good.  However, this was billed
earlier as a gripe session.  Sir, you haven't heard yet from the
people who _really_ have something to gripe about: the men.  With
your permission, sir, I would like to say a few words."

Bill grinned, thinking about all the jokes regarding the Clifford
& Jamison's Husbands' Protective Association, many of which he
had originated himself.  "Come ahead, Ken.  I think you may
really be on to something."  Ken came up to the podium carrying a
chair with Kathy following behind him.

When Bill asked about Kathy's presence, Ken replied with a grin,
"Sir, this afternoon my wife is going to serve as a sort of
teaching aid -- although she doesn't yet know how."  He placed
the chair for Kathy and gave her a warm kiss.  Then he went to
the microphone and waited for the conversational buzz to die
down.  The women were particularly interested because while they
each knew pretty well what the other women were going to say,
Ken's presence was a complete mystery.

Ken Carlson, Kathy's husband was a very good-looking young man
standing six feet three with a very powerful build.  All Bill
knew was that he was finishing that spring at UCLA Law School and
they were now working out together.  Ken began, "Good afternoon.
I would like to tell you folks a short story about a family: the
Carlson family.

"You see, Kathy and I are different.  I realized today that a
year ago, none of the couples here were together.  Everything you
heard so far today has happened since Bill and Ali Clifford were
married one year ago.  Or almost everything.  You see, Kathy and
I were already married when the events you have already heard
about began to unfold.

"I served as an infantry officer in the Army.  When I completed
my service, I was engaged to marry Kathy Hughes.  We were engaged
through my first awful year of law school and married the
following summer.  We are both from small towns in northern
California and were new to Los Angeles.  Our honeymoon was very
nice and we came here to our little apartment to live.  Our life
together was idyllic -- or at least it was American standard.

"After the first rush of passion on our honeymoon, we settled
into the standard fare.  Every Saturday night after putting her
hair up in rollers and putting on her face cream, Kathy would
climb into bed, pull the hem of her nightgown up towards her
waist and spread her legs.  Of course, we had the TV next to the
bed so Kathy could watch it while I entertained myself between
her thighs."  As he said it, he could hear Kathy, sitting behind
him, trying to muffle her giggles.  Without even looking, he knew
that her head was bobbing up and down in agreement.

"Kathy was really great, though.  When I finished, she tried not
to make a face but would wait for the next commercial break to go
into the bathroom and douche herself.  She was really passionate,
though.  We heard of some wives who could read a book while their
husbands were playing, but with Kathy's passion running so high,
it was all she could do to follow the jokes on _Saturday Night
Live._  Ken stopped as the audience cracked up with laughter.

"What's so funny?" he inquired, appearing to be puzzled.  "Isn't
that the way all American married couples behave?  Anyway, our
sex life was pretty good.  For example, if I squeezed one of her
buns, she didn't even slap my face very hard.  If I tried to feel
her tit, she was relatively gentle when she poked her elbow in my
stomach.  Of course, it was a little hard to reach her tit,
protected as it was by the armor of the serviceable bra she
always wore."  Kathy's giggles had now turned into full-bore
laughter.  Turning to her he asked, "What's so funny?  It's true
isn't it?"

Tears of laughter were running down her face but she was able to
say, "Absolutely, darling.  Everything you have said has been the
God's honest truth."  Rising to her feet so the people could see
her, she said, "Except for one thing.  I was slapping you and
poking you as hard as I could.  It was just that I wasn't very
strong in those days."  Kathy looked gorgeous in a green
strapless cocktail dress held up only by her proud young breasts.
 She had a golden tan and there were beautiful blonde sun streaks
through her lovely brown hair.  Her figure was slender and
perfect.  She sat down again but continued to giggle,
remembering.

"Oh," Ken exclaimed, "I nearly forgot.  In those days Kath had a
classic female figure.  You know, with lots of nice padding on
her hips and upper thighs, and a nice soft ass that provided lots
of cushioning.  And tits?  Hers were like warm white
marshmallows, but not quite that firm.  In those days she had a
lovely milky complexion...  You know, sort of like nice white
library paste?"  This time Kathy's burst of laughter stopped him.
 Turning, he saw his wife doubled up in the chair with laughter
while still trying to nod her head in agreement.

Ken shook his head, feigning puzzlement, and continued, "Our life
together?  Wonderful.  Keep in mind I was in school.  When I came
home there were no distractions.  I was served a gourmet meal
from some can or other -- on weekends we sometimes went hog wild
with TV dinners -- and then I got to my studying.  Nothing
interfered.  Sometimes I would start to feel sort of amorous, but
that feeling was easily handled.  Unless it was Saturday, Kathy
inevitably had a headache.  But as I said, there was a lot of
romance in our life together: Kathy kissed me goodnight almost
every day.

"This continued until about this time last year.  We were
starting to have money problems.  Since we were operating on my
savings, student loans and military educational benefits, money
was pretty tight.  Unfortunately, a gap was starting to open up
between income and outgo, and it looked like it would only get
worse.  You see, Kathy wasn't working then.  She had a full day
keeping up with the soap operas..."  After looking around the
room, Ken demanded, "Why do you look so skeptical?  Do you
realize how complex some of those plots are?  Do you honestly
believe that you can follow their ins and outs without careful
attention to the stories each day?"  With a quick grin he
continued, "But I digress.  At any rate, Kathy had worked as a
legal secretary back home, and learned of a new law firm here in
LA that was hiring.  She went downtown and when she got home, she
was pretty excited.  It looked like she was going to get the job,
but that wasn't what she wanted to talk about.  All she could
talk about was the most beautiful green-eyed, auburn-haired girl
who was one of the name partners.

"Life continued along at the Carlson manse without many changes.
Now, of course, meals were more abbreviated because Kathy had to
work.  What it came down to was I had a choice of cans -- pick
one.  But that was fine because I had a lot of time to get my
work done.  A few weeks later, though, things started to change,
although I didn't notice it right away.  First, she came home
bubbling one night.  It turned out that the senior partner, Mrs.
Clifford, had appeared that day.  All Kathy could talk about was
the golden vision with eyes as blue as the Pacific.  I didn't
know what to make of it," Ken said looking around the room
puzzled.  "My wife almost sounded like she was becoming a lesbian
or something.  That night I noticed the first change.  Kathy
pulled the shoulder strap of her nightgown down at least two
inches and looked at herself in the mirror.  I was almost certain
she was admiring her pale complexion, but there seemed to be more
to it.  Hell," he said abruptly, "I couldn't figure it out."

Ken paused and looked around the room and there was a look of
foreboding on his features as he continued, "Then things started
to change.  The most remarkable thing I noticed was coming home
one night and finding Kathy at the sink -- peeling a carrot!  All
by herself, too.  I didn't think she knew what a carrot looked
like, except for a picture on the can."  Again, there was an
explosion of laughter from Kathy sitting behind him.

"Awhile later, things really began to get out of hand.  One night
I came up behind her, again at the sink, and tried to grab a feel
of her tit.  The first shock came when I reached into her blouse
and touched -- a bare tit!  There was no bra!"  Ken looked around
the room conveying his sense of surprise.  "But that wasn't the
end.  I guess I was so stunned at feeling her warm tit, I was
almost completely unaware of what happened next.  Do you know
what she did?  Did she clobber me like any good girl would? 
Hell, no!  She just turned her head and raised her lips for a
kiss, while she just leaned back against me.  I didn't know what
to do, so I kissed her.  Then she just murmured, 'Thank you,
darling.  Did you like it?  Is it firm enough for you?' Can you
believe it?

"The next time, I was behind her and was going to squeeze her
bun.  I reached under her skirt and was shocked.  She wasn't
wearing her girdle!  There was no armor left.  But it immediately
got much worse.  She put her hands on the edge of the sink for
support, then pulled up her skirt in the back and whispered,
'Darling, why don't you just pull down my bikini and take me like
this?'  I was so stunned, I did.  I lifted her spread legs and
entered her from the rear while she kept peeling the carrot. 
When I came in her she dropped the carrot and the peeler and
screamed with the ecstasy of her own cuming.

"Now things started going down hill at a hell of a rate.  For
some reason, her headaches went away.  She would even allow me to
make love to her _during the week!"_  Looking around the room,
Ken now had a sorrowful look on his face.  He said, "I don't want
to bore you with the details.  Let me just fill you in on a
couple of events and then come forward to the present.  First, in
late fall last year, Kathy came home in a state of shock.  You
see, she was earning $25,000 a year, and we were both delighted.
First, she came home with a check for $5,000 -- it was some type
of bonus.  That came after I told Kathy how much I loved her and
how much our life together had changed."  Ken grimaced and added,
"I should have kept my big mouth shut!

"There were other changes.  I was reminded by Karen Gaudli
earlier."  Turning to Bill, Ken said, "Just a comment on Karen's
competence in English.  Mostly, she gets it right, but I miss the
'like...  you know' that American kids use to salt their speech.
Bill, you'll have to tell her that one cannot have real American
speech without dropping the word 'like' at random at least three
times in each sentence."  There was a pause as the guests again
broke up with laughter.

Then he continued, "As I was saying, she reminded me.  It came
shortly after the bonus.  When I came home and looked in the
refrigerator, I see a bottle of Dom Perignon.  I ask Kathy, but
she was uncharacteristically vague.  Later, I found out."  Ken
rolled his eyes and repeated, "Did I ever find out!

"We were in bed, and Kathy was nude -- the nightgowns had
disappeared.  I was reading when suddenly I feel this wonderful
sensation in my groin.  I look down and Kathy is just kneeling
beside me, fondling my sex.  The next thing I know she is between
my legs, working on me with her mouth.  When I cum, she's
swallowing as fast as she can.  I was utterly stunned.  The first
time I mentioned that possibility to her, she slapped me so hard
it loosened two teeth, so -- being a fast learner -- I gave up on
the idea.  But she had done it on her own!  It wasn't over,
though.  She hops out of bed and goes out to the kitchen, without
even a bathrobe, by the way -- another first.  She comes padding
back with the champagne, pops the cork, and pours two glasses. 
She sips hers, smiles and licks her lips.  You know what she
says?" he asked, looking around the room.  "She said, 'Darling,
Ali is right.  You are delicious washed down with DomPerignon!'"

At this point Ken blushed and edded, "She got back into bed,
looked at me, and spread her legs.  One of her fingers was
playing with her slit.  There was a visible wanting in her eyes,
so I went between her legs and went down on her."  Looking around
the room again he grinned and added, "For those of you who may
not know it, a woman's love juices are marvelous washed down with
champagne, too.

"Then in December, Kathy came home so excited, she couldn't even
speak.  All she could do was show me a check, payable to her, for
$35,000.  She could only mumble something about a bonus.  The
next thing was the Christmas party.  It was my first opportunity
to meet these paragons up close.  I was introduced to Ali
Clifford and my jaw dropped.  If I remember correctly, I was
utterly incoherent.  All I could do was to ask her who she wanted
us to kill."  Ken stopped speaking and again looked around. 
"Want to know something?  If Ali had given me a name, I probably
would have.

"Let me jump ahead to the present so you can see the problem in
perspective.  First, Kathy's appearance.  Now she is slim and
golden with wonderful firm tits.  The funny thing is, I don't
think she actually lost any weight.  She just... rearranged...
the pounds a bit.  Our sex life?  The woman is utterly
insatiable!  But it is so much worse.  She is diabolical! 
Honest, she is.

"Remember me talking about our gourmet cuisine from a can?  I
haven't seen a can in months.  Kathy is a gourmet chef, and
that's part of the diabolical plot.  Now, if you'll excuse the
bluntness, my balls are drained absolutely dry.  I hide out at
the law library to keep away from her constant physical attacks
on my body.  The devilishness?  I get hungry.  Then I'm starving.
 Now we even have the money to afford to eat out, so I could pick
up a wonderful Big Mac at McDonald's."  Ken looked crushed as he
wailed, "But I can't!  I really can't.  I think of Kathy's food,
my mouth begins to water, and I go home to the torture that I
know will come.  When I reach the apartment door, my knees
weaken.  I know the tortures in store for me, _but I go in
anyway!_  She is that diabolical -- she makes me assist in my own
physical destruction.

"When I unlock the door, the worst is over, you see, because now
things are out of my hands.  It starts the same way every night:
Kathy is at the door and melts me with a kiss."  Looking sad, he
said, "Let me digress for a moment.  As some of you may know, the
Eskimos have over thirty different words for snow.  The words
describe in some detail exactly what the snow is like.  With
Kathy, a full dictionary could be written with names assigned to
her kisses.  Each is different, but all melt me -- I inevitably
end up as a glob of warm mush.

"So the suspense begins at the door:  What is tonight's kiss
going to be like?  Related to that is a broader question:  What's
in store for me tonight?

"What do I mean by that?  Well, for example, one night Kathy was
wearing a fitted top that accented her gorgeous chest, along with
her gold necklace, gold earrings, and full makeup.  (That was a
change, too, because now she never wears any makeup.)  The only
thing was, she was wearing nothing below the waist except for
black heels."  Ken appeared to remember something and snapped his
fingers, "Oh!  I almost forgot!  She had carefully rouged her
nether lips to highlight her cunt.  Another night she was wearing
a floor-length black skirt -- and nothing else.  Later in the
evening, I found out that what had appeared to be a normal skirt,
wasn't.  It turned out that it was fabricated with four panels,
each only attached to the waist band, but not attached to each
other.  The panels were attached to overlap one another.  It
appeared to be an intact skirt until Kathy moved her leg.  She
took my hand and showed me where the openings were.  But most
often, she's nude"

Looking around the room he asked, "Why are you all laughing? 
Have you ever tried to eat a gourmet meal while staring at the
most beautiful pair of tits with the cutest little nipples God
ever created?

"Food?  My God, the food!  The finest foods, wines, cheeses,
desserts...  night after night after night.  When we finish, she
raises her arms and I'm expected to carry her to bed.  Needless
to say, Kathy no longer _has_ a nightgown...  Or a bra...  Or a
slip...  About all she has are a few fine clothes and a
collection of Levi's which fit her like a second skin along with
a bunch of washed-out chambray shirts.  These she wears almost
every day."

He just shook his head, remembering, then continued.  "Now the
moment of truth arrives: we're in bed, and my agony begins in
earnest.  She does the same thing every night: after undressing
me, she kneels between my legs and worships my sex.  She focuses
on my balls, weighing them and gently kneading them between her
fingers as she tries to figure how many episodes I will be able
to make that night before I'm drained dry again.

"I want to mention something else about the food.  If it's
thought to be an aphrodisiac, Kathy serves it.  More to the
point, my balls are larger than they've ever been.  I guess when
they're being used to the limit of capacity day after day after
day, it will happen.  Anyway, then Kathy figures out how she is
going to empty me.  Creative?  Oh, God!  Again, she uses her body
to make me want to destroy myself.  She's insidious!

"Oh, I nearly forgot!  I said that each night begins with a kiss?
 Well, every night ends the same way:  My balls are drained
completely dry and they ache!  Kathy knows it, too, so she will
tenderly kiss my prick and lick my balls in appreciation.  Of
course, this follows my eating out her glorious cunt."  He looked
around at the guests and said, "She insists.  First, I need the
good protein and second, look at the money she's saving by not
having to buy douche products."  Anyway, then she'll kiss my
lips, put her head on my right shoulder, place my right hand on
her tit, mold her body to mine and go to sleep.  As I'm
collapsing in exhaustion, I feel this magnificent body molding
itself to mine.

"The mornings are the same, as well.  If I awaken first, I
lightly squeeze her tit.  If she does, she squeezes my hand." 
Ken grinned and shook his head, adding, "Now we're playing a
little game:  To see how little pressure awakens the other.  You
would be amazed at how little it is now.  Anyway, I roll between
her widespread thighs and enter her.  How I'm able to get up, I
don't know, but I immediately drain any semen I may have
accumulated overnight into her loins.  Then, while I'm showering
and shaving, Kathy is preparing an incredible breakfast which is
on the table waiting for me when I come out.  Of course, if it's
a working day, she's impatient to get to work herself to see her
buddies."

Ken looked around at the crowd and shook his head in dismay. 
"You hear me, but you don't really understand, do you?  Earlier,
I described Kathy's appearance at the time of our marriage.  I
won't attempt to describe her appearance now."  Turning to Kathy
he said, "Darling, please take off all of your clothes."

Kathy merely winked, then stepped out of her shoes, and unzipped
her dress in the back, allowing it to fall to the floor.  She
slid her stockings down her legs and then slipped off her bikini.
 Coming around from behind the rostrum she stood with her head up
straight and one leg slightly in front of the other.  Turning to
Ken with her eyes shining as brilliantly as diamonds she asked
softly, "Darling, do you approve?" He put his arms around her,
pulled her close, and softly kissed her.  As he did, he could
feel her chafing her nipples on the material of his jacket.

Meanwhile, the guests had gasped and were gaping in amazement. 
This beautiful young woman's body was now revealed to be feminine
perfection.  Her breasts were thrusting upward proudly with no
need for any support.  Her stomach was flat, and there were a
series of magnificent curves flowing from her slim waist to her
slender hips, and down her gorgeous legs.  Her buns were small
and very firm.  Ken eased away from her, swallowed hard, and
asked, "Honey, will you just walk down to the end of the head
table and then come back?"

She did as he asked, and then looked up at him quizzically.

Ken looked around at the guests and said, "Perhaps I owe you an
apology, and I guess I owe my wife one.  What are we doing with a
nude woman at a wedding reception -- particularly when she's not
even the bride?"

He grinned and answered his own question.  "Well, first of all,
this isn't really an ordinary wedding reception as I'm sure
you've all figured out already.  But beyond that, I realized
there was no bachelor party last night -- primarily because Bill
Clifford wasn't a bachelor.  Nevertheless, bachelor parties are
famous -- in cartoons, at least -- for having a nude girl appear
out of a cake.  We don't have the fake cake, but we do have my
wife, Kathy.

"The real reason, though, is what I alluded to earlier: she's my
necessary teaching aid.  Remember how I described her breasts
when we were first married?  Like marshmallows, but not nearly
that firm?  Now look."  Reaching out his hand towards her, he
took Kathy's and drew her backward towards himself.  With her
standing in front of him, he put his arms around her and then
cupped her breasts in his large hands.  Kathy just leaned back
against him, then closed her eyes to savor the feeling.

"First, the size.  You may have noticed that I have large hands
with long fingers.  Notwithstanding, I can't get fully around her
tits.  Consistency?  Firm yet yielding to the touch.  Sensitive?
You can see her nipples are turgid and, in fact, starting to
throb in their erection."  He lightly stroked her nipples with
his finger tips and Kathy let out an involuntary scream of
ecstasy.  "Sensitivity?  Well, you saw her reaction to a very
light touch.

"Hair?"  Now he lightly stroked her head, following the natural
waves in her hair.  "I married a brunette.  Now, I'm not sure
what I have."  Ken looked around the room and finally picked out
Henry Hall sitting at a table in the corner.  "Here today, as I
was almost certain he would be, is Henry Hall.  For those of you
-- including myself, until a few months ago -- who know nothing
of the film business, Henry has so many Academy Awards for hair
styling I think he's stopped counting.  In fact, rumor has it
that he uses at least one of his Oscars as a doorstop.  All Henry
does is the hair styling for the most important films -- and the
personal styling for Clifford & Jamison.  Incidentally, I learned
that the hair stylist on a film seldom actually works on hair. 
That's left to his minions.  With the firm, though, all of
Henry's work is his own."  Looking at Henry, Ken asked, "Henry,
how would you describe Kathy's hair?"

Hall rose from his chair, still shaking his head following Ken's
description of him.  He said, "Ken, her hair has wave, body, and
the most fascinating natural color streaks from the sun I have
ever seen.  Working on Kathy is always a challenge for two
reasons:  First, I have to figure out how best to show off her
coloring, but second, because her coloring is different every
time I see her, I have to figure out a different way each time. 
Then, of course, there's the standard Clifford & Jamison
problem..."

"Standard problem?" Ken asked.  "What, exactly, is that?"

Henry was grinning broadly as he replied, "It's two problems,
really, although they are closely related.  First, I always have
to allay their fears with respect to the primary question: 'Will
my man like me that way?'"  He shook his head and continued,
"Ken, I could shave Kathy's head bald in two seconds flat if I
could convince her that you would like it.  You are absolutely
the only one that counts."  Henry grinned broadly and said, "And
you know something else?  I may try it sometime because it sure
as hell would solve the second problem:  The hairdo must hold
together without pins or clips.  It cannot possibly require
anything to be done to it before she goes to bed -- other than
brushing it, perhaps -- and it must be able to survive overnight
with her head on your shoulder.  This is not unique to Kathy, I
hasten to add.  As I said before, it's the standard Clifford &
Jamison problem and applies to all of the other girls, too."

Now Henry addressed himself to all the guests rather than
focusing on Ken.  He said, "It was embarrassing to hear Ken's
introduction this afternoon.  Yet -- with no modesty at all -- it
is accurate.  Why do I do it, you might wonder.  The answer is
very simple.  First, I love these girls.  I really do.  It began
with Ali and just grew.  I don't know how she does it, but Ali
Clifford has cornered the market on beautiful brainy women.  More
accurately, though, they are women who are comfortable with
themselves and madly in love with their men.  Moreover, without a
single exception, they have magnificent hair that is a joy to
work with.

"The highest praise I can receive is to hear Kathy, for example,
squeal with delight and exclaim, 'Oh, Henry, Ken will adore it!'
 Finally, though, there is the technical challenge.  It's really
quite easy to get a film star ready to go in front of a camera. 
If necessary, I can almost glue every damned hair in place.  With
these girls, there is no compromise with their most important
requirement: to be beautiful for their men when they're together
in bed.  Now _that's_ a tough assignment!  But I love it and love
them."  With a smile, he concluded, "Does that answer your
question, Ken?"

Ken lightly stroked his wife's beautiful hair as she leaned back
against him making warm noises deep in her body.  Henry had sat
down, but then stood up again.  "Ken," he asked, "Could you do me
a favor?"  Ken was puzzled but instantly agreed.  "A few minutes
ago I said Kathy would want me to shave her head if she was
persuaded you would like her that way.  Well, it started me
thinking.  Would you please pull Kathy's hair back around her
ears and close against her skull?" Again, Ken did it, relishing
the feeling of her lustrous hair in his hands.  As he did it, he
realized that Kathy was totally unaware of her nudity.

Meanwhile, Henry looked closely at the effect and then exclaimed,
"That's it!  That's what we're going to have to do."  Ken
released her hair and Kathy turned her head to look up at him. 
Both were baffled at whatever it was Henry was talking about.

"Kathy," Henry explained, "you have the daintiest, most beautiful
ears I have ever seen on a human head.  I'll let you in on a
secret.  Why do you think most hairdos cover the ears?  The
answer is obvious, really.  For the large majority of people, it
is the single least-attractive feature of the human head.  Yours,
Kathy, are exquisite.  Moreover, you are intensely feminine in
appearance.  What I asked Ken to do was let me see what you would
look like with your hair cut short on the sides, coming together
in a duck-tail at the back.  It's basically a man's hair style,
but no one would ever mistake you for a man!  Kathy," he said
with a grin, "that's the perfect easy-care hairdo for you."

Kathy promised to think about it, but she was not convinced. 
Then she turned to Ken, kissed him softly, and asked, "Is
show-and-tell over for today, darling?"

"Not yet... but almost.  Golly, Kathy, I had to bring you all the
way to school and everything...  You ought to be good for a
little more," he replied with a grin and a wink.  He turned her
so she was still facing the people and said, "One more thing: her
complexion.  Kathy, simply stated, is one of Ali's golden girls.
I guess you noticed -- they're all here today, so it's easy
enough to check -- all of Ali's girls come in one color: gold. 
There are shades, of course, and some variation in hair color,
but the bodies are a single color: gold."

He ran his fingers lightly over her loins, up her belly, and
lightly caressed her breasts as he continued, "The skin is like
satin -- smooth, luscious and utterly flawless.  Running my
fingers over her body as I just did produces a glorious
sensation.  To the touch, it feels like a satin surface.  But
there's so much more.  You see, the skin is a smooth surface
covering finely toned muscles that respond to the touch.  Kathy
is as lithe, flexible, and limber as a cat.  In fact, that's what
the group reminds me of: a grou of golden panthers -- and I don't
even know if there is such an animal.  They move with the same
smoothness and muscular grace -- and they're at least as deadly!

"Two final points:  First, you could see her dancer's grace as
she walked across the room earlier.  But second, did you see her
blush?  If you thought it might have been hidden by her golden
tan, it wasn't.  There are two reasons for this, in turn.  First,
it was me who asked her to take off her clothes and I was right
here.  Another hallmark of Ali's girls: if they are physically
capable of doing what a loved one asks, they will -- immediately,
no questions asked.  The second reason?"  Ken grinned broadly and
answered his own question, "Modesty is not this group's strongest
suit.  In fact, and in spite of the massive collective brains and
education they have, I'm really not sure they even know what the
word means."

Turning Kathy to face him, he gently lifted her chin and kissed
her softly.  Instantly he felt the jolt of electricity as their
lips touched.  Realizing how attuned Kathy was to his wants, her
hands were at her sides and the only points of contact were his
finger under her chin and their lips.  Nonetheless, Kathy's
tongue darted into his mouth to meet his.  The kiss was broken as
he gently released her chin.  "Darling, thank you.  You can get
dressed now."

"Ken," she said, "There's something I want to do first.  It's for
my own protection as you will see.  Darling, I need to work on
you a bit."  Turning to the guests Kathy said, "You've been
listening to my husband bleeding all over the floor for hours.  I
think I deserve some reply time."  As she was talking, she helped
Ken off with his suit jacket, carefully untied his tie, and was
unbuttoning his shirt.  "You see," she continued, "I have been
accused of brutality: torturing this poor unfortunate for months.
 For my own protection I think it's important that you see some
things for yourself."

As she finished speaking, she had unbuttoned his shirt cuffs and
removed his shirt, leaving him bare to the waist.  Ken was deeply
tanned with a broad heavily-muscled upper body and powerful arms
and shoulders.  Stepping aside and using her finger as a pointer,
she continued her lecture.  "Standing here is this poor
brutalized man.  Look at all this yummy muscle mass!"

Turning to the guests she exclaimed, "Girls, you can't believe
what it feels like to lie on his body and feel those beautiful
muscles tighten around you, crushing your tits on his chest. 
It's heavenly!"  Then she ran her fingers lightly over his chest
and upper arms, chafed her nipples against his chest while making
happy sounds deep in her body.  Then she seemed to remember where
she was.  She just shrugged and then stood with her arm next to
his.  "I think he implied I beat him up.  How could I possibly? 
His arm would make at least four of mine.  Look!"  Then she
licked her lips and added, "Isn't he luscious?  And he's all
mine!"

Moving over to his left side, she pointed to a dimpled mark in
his left shoulder.  "Ken tried to sound like he was hiding in the
closet during his Army service.  Well, he should have hidden a
little deeper in his foxhole.  As an Army Ranger, Ken was leading
his men on patrol when they were jumped from ambush.  Rallying
his troops, he drove off the enemy, killing a dozen or so by
himself when he came to the relief of his trapped point element."
 Looking into Ken's eyes she asked, "Darling, do a small knee
bend, please.  You know what I want to do."

Ken did, lowering his torso to the level of her breasts.  Her
nipple was still erect as she fitted it into the depression in
his shoulder.  Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and
melted him with a kiss.  Turning back to the guests she said,
"Ken has been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (Valor),
the Silver Star, and the Purple Heart for his service to our
country that he had defended so well.  I happen to adore my
certified hero, but so much for the weak little man being abused
by the domineering female!"

Still talking, she held Ken's shirt for him, and then proceeded
to dress him again.  The guests howled with laughter when, in the
process of tucking in his shirt tails, she reached down inside
his trousers and managed to squeeze his balls.  Then there were
more chuckles as she stuck out her tongue appearing to
concentrate on retying his tie.  Finally she helped him on with
his coat and ostentatiously smoothed it out.  Finally, standing
on tiptoe, she kissed him softly and said with a wink at the
guests, "There!  Isn't he cute?"

Turning back to Ken, she asked, "Darling, can I get dressed now?
Is show-and-tell finally over?"  He grinned and nodded.  The
guests were amazed at what happened next.  Kathy quickly rolled
her stockings up on her legs, slipped into her bikini and then
her dress, zipped it up and stepped back into her shoes, all in
less than ten seconds.

"That's another trademark of Ali's girls, by the way," Ken
commented.  "They can be in or out of their clothes completely in
less than fifteen seconds.  Where in hell is all the body armor
women used to wear?"  He grinned at the guests, but then his
expression changed.  "I asked Kathy to undress, not to embarrass
her, but to save a lot of words.  How do you describe physical
perfection in words?  I don't know, but they say one picture is
worth a thousand words.  If that is so, what is one live woman
worth, do you suppose?

"But back to my problems."  Turning to Ali he demanded, "Allison
Clifford, when is my wife going to be able to take some vacation?
 She told me -- as usual, in a state of shock -- that she now
gets four weeks vacation.  But we can't take any."  Ali was
looking baffled as Ken turned back to the guests.

"This brings me to one of the other insidious features of
Clifford & Jamison."  He shook his head and looked sorrowful as
he said, "You have all heard of the Soviet's Gulag where they
send political prisoners?  Well, Ali doesn't have a Gulag so she
uses Kapalua on Maui.  You all heard me ask when Kathy could take
some vacation?  Please don't get the wrong idea -- she does have
a little time off.  You see, Clifford and Jamison believes in
long weekends rather than vacations.  A long weekend?  Would you
believe from Wednesday night to the following Thursday morning? 
Honest, it's true.

"I've heard of major defense contractors based in, say, Boston,
who do a lot of business in Washington booking a block of seats
down on Monday and back on Friday.  The company pays for them
whether they are used or not.  Ali?  I swear she block-books on
the Wednesday night flight to Maui.  How does it work?  Well, I'm
really not sure.  I'm pretty sure, though, that if the Army had
the intelligence network in place that Ali does, my troops would
have never been jumped by surprise the way we were."

He shook his head in feigned disbelief and said, "I'll give you
an illustration.  A couple of weeks ago, a Friday class was
canceled, there was just a paper due the following Tuesday that
was already done -- in short, a light week.  About two o'clock
Wednesday afternoon, Sandy appears at Kathy's desk and announces
that she looks tired and needs a little time off.  As she says it
she drops two round-trip tickets to Maui on her desk -- first
class, of course.  It works the same way, every time.  It seems
whenever I have a little free time, Ali learns of it and Kathy
and I are shipped out.

"That evening, Judy Jeffries and Mike Morris were on the same
flight and the limo at the airport was meeting us both.  Do you
know how much money we spent for the entire week?  I snuck into
the newsstand at the airport and spent a whole quarter on a pack
of gum.  Ali paid for everything else.  At any rate, what do we
do at this sunshine torture chamber?  It's terrible!  It really
is.  After our morning lovemaking -- at six o'clock, for God's
sake -- we're on the tennis court.

"Actually, this last trip was easy because Judy and Mike were
there, so we played doubles.  Normally we would be alone, playing
singles, and Kathy runs me ragged all over the damned court. 
This is followed by breakfast and then eighteen holes of golf. 
We eat lunch, then go out to the nude beach.  You should see
Kathy and Judy together.  Aside from the difference in hair
color, they could be twins.  Like all of Ali's girls, it's as if
they were born in the water.  They move with the grace and power
of dolphins.  Mike and I vainly try to keep up.  Christ!  It's
like a tugboat trying to keep up with a speedboat. 

"You know what's the worst, though?" Ken asked rhetorically. 
"It's what happens on the beach.  We're all naked, of course, and
here are the two girls basting us with suntan lotion and talking
about us as if we're their next meal.  How would you like to have
your wife handling your sex organs while her girl friend
manipulates her man's, while we're lying next to one another? 
While they're doing it, of course, they're comparing our relative
merits.  All they can talk about is our comparative ability to
give them pleasure.  They run their fingers over our bodies like
we're meat."  Ken appeared to sigh, remembering.  Then he added,
"I nearly forgot: there is, of course, lovemaking on the beach. 
There's no way the girls could make it to dinner any other way.

"Anyway, then there is a brief respite -- just enough time to
shower and change -- and then drinks, dinner, and back to bed." 
Ken tried to look sad as he looked around the room.  Then he
added, "Keep in mind, this goes on day after day after day. 
There's no letup!"

"There's one thing more before I conclude this story.  I realized
something about the men of Clifford & Jamison recently.  Mostly,
they're pilots.  Mike, of course, is a Marine.  The common
denominator?  A combat life expectancy measured in seconds.  I
guess we're basically self-destructive -- and in these women we
have the instruments of our own destruction!"  Ken looked around
plaintively and asked, "But what about me?  I'm not a hero type.
I'm just a poor grunt."

Before he could continue, Kathy, again sitting behind him said
loudly, "Army Ranger, turkey, and don't you forget it!"  Rising
to her feet so she could be seen, she added, "Folks, please don't
buy into the 'poor little me' bit Ken is trying to sell you.  I
mentioned a Silver Star he won?  That was awarded as the result
of another Ranger patrol for about a dozen of the enemy that Ken
killed with his bare hands!"  She daintily stuck out her tongue
at him and added, "He can manage to take care of himself."

"Ignoring the interruption..."  Ken turned and stuck out his
tongue at Kathy, grinned, and turned back towards the guests,
continuing, "I realized you have to be in pretty fair physical
shape to keep up with these women.  Anyway, the result was that I
started working out.  At first, I was by myself.  Then Mike
joined me.  He was followed, in order, by Charley, Bill, Jack,
Chip, and Billy.  Even Brian, although he doesn't even live out
here, was asking his brother about a place to work out.  You
heard about the Clifford & Jamison Husbands' Protective
Association?  Well, there really is one.  But honestly, it
doesn't really function very well."

Ken shook his head in apparent dismay, then continued.  "You see,
we'll be sitting around in the men's grill after a workout.  The
last time, we even organized a poker game.  Boy!  Did we feel
proud asserting our independence!  Then someone wrecked it -- I
don't know who."  He looked around, shaking his head.  "Damn it!
It was probably me!  I might have said, 'I wonder what Kathy's
cooking for dinner tonight?'  Please keep in mind that we had
been sharing tales of our physical abuse for hours.  We worked on
our muscles because there was nothing we could do for the pain in
our balls -- we were _all_ drained dry.

"Anyway, what followed was reminiscent of one of those World War
II RAF movies.  You know the ones?  The pilots are in the lounge
relaxing, when the word comes down to scramble?  Chairs and
tables are knocked down in the rush to get through the door?" 
Ken now looked depressed.  "That was us.  Can you imagine?  The
pigs in a rush to get to the slaughterhouse?  What's wrong with
us, anyway?

"There's one thing I forgot: Saturdays.  Neither Kathy nor I have
to work, so that's the day we can get things done around the
apartment.  Or it would be, I guess, if we could ever get out of
bed.  What usually happens?  I'll tell you.  It starts off a
little differently from the other mornings: instead of me
entertaining her, Kathy usually lies on top of me with her chin
resting on her hands.  I'm running my fingers lightly over her
satin-smooth skin, and she's making wonderful noises deep in her
body -- sort of like a panther's purr.

"I remember one day when we were fairly new to all of this sex
stuff.  I commented on how beautifully firm her small buns were.
She slid off me and just lay face-down on the bed while I stroked
them.  It felt wonderful."  Ken looked around in apparent
amazement and asked, "You know what happened then?  Suddenly,
with a lascivious grin on her face, Kath pulls her knees up under
her body causing her lovely ass to be up in the air and says, 'If
you like it so much back there, why don't you put something in
the little hole?'

"I almost fell off the bed when she added, 'Darling, I know it's
something you've wanted to try for ages.  It's still virgin for
you.'  I'll never forget the look of love on her face when she
said that.  Anyway, I usually spend a lot of Saturday just
caressing Kathy's magnificent body and listening to her purr." 
Looking around the room, Ken shook his head and asked, "Wasn't
there a movie one time entitled _Fatal Attraction?"_Chapter 24

Ken glanced at his watch and realized how long he had been
talking.  He shook his head and said, "Now I want to end this
monologue.  But before I do I want to tell you how I got my
brand-new position with one of the top law firms in LosAngeles."

Ken smiled and shook his head, saying, "Ali does enter into this
story.  You see, I didn't do too well in my first year of law
school, and didn't really hit my stride until the second semester
of my second year.  The result is that I may not make the top 10
percent which seems to be the cut with respect to the recruiting
of the top firms."  He grinned and added, "Of course, with
Kathy's help, I'm sure to make it, but it's the firms'
performance expectation that determines their hiring patterns.

"Anyway, I interviewed this one firm awhile ago.  I was late.  It
was the second round of interviewing, although it was the first
round for me.  It seemed they were having a firm outing that
Saturday and were inviting all of the firm candidates still in
contention.  Even though I certainly wasn't in, I wasn't out,
either, so I was invited.  It was one of those 'bring date... or
wife, if you have to' sort of things.  When we arrived, Kathy
stood them on their collective ears!  First, there's her natural
beauty and grace.  I think it's even more effective, though,
because she's totally unaware of her effect on other people.  She
just focuses on me.

"Anyway, to start, there was a mixed doubles tennis tournament --
we won -- followed by a mixed scrambles golf match.  We won that,
too.  At the barbecue that followed, we were talking to some
other people and a girl asked Kathy what she did.  She said she
worked at a law firm downtown.  The girl looked at her and saw
her beauty, her golden tan, and her dancer's movements.  Then she
asked in a hushed tone of voice, 'Clifford & Jamison?'  Kathy
nodded, and it was all over.  The net of it was that every female
in the Firm present -- including at least two partners -- mobbed
her.  They wanted to know how they could possibly join."

Ken shook his head in exasperation.  "I forgot something.  I
forgot how I happened to be talking to the firm in the first
place.  Well, since Kathy is a secretary and the Firm has great
computers, she's been typing my papers for me.  At least I
thought she was typing them.  In fact, it seems she was writing
them, but I didn't even know it.  When I had a paper to do, I
would painfully write it out in longhand.  Then we would drive
downtown, Kathy would open the office, sit at her computer and
type.  I _thought_ she was typing my draft.  It turns out that
she has been totally rewriting it -- on the fly."  He looked
around the room and said, "I'll bet you can all remember sweating
bullets, spending weeks sweating a term paper?  I sure did.  Can
you imagine this woman writing a law school paper in the same
time it would have taken her to just type mine?  Can you?"  Ken
shook his head sadly and continued, "I don't know how long this
has been going on, but I learned about it for the first time in a
class one day.

"The professor departed from his usual notes to read a student's
paper.  Mine!  It cited a series of court cases culminating in a
Supreme Court decision handed down only two months earlier.  The
paper showed the development of judicial thinking and indicated
the probable future impact in the law and on business
decision-making.  It had to do with takings."

Ken stopped and looked around, shook his head and continued,
"There was only one small problem.  Not only did I not write it,
I was totally unaware of _any_ of the cases cited.  At any rate,
it seems the professor was a good friend of the managing partner
of the law firm, Kevin Collins, and he raved to him about me and
my paper.  Well, Collins called his personnel people and they
asked me to come in and talk.  Personnel people don't like
anything out of sequence, and I certainly was.  The result was
they didn't like me, but, because of the sponsorship of the
managing partner, they didn't know what to do about me, either."

Ken shook his head and added, "I asked Kathy about it when I got
home.  I accused her of changing my paper.  Do you know what she
said?  She said, 'Of course I changed it, darling.  That's what I
do for a living.  Surely, you don't think that Clifford & Jamison
would mail out the babblings of our partners?  I'm paid to put
them into English.  And if their citations are wrong or there are
more recent ones, I change them.'  She looked at me with her eyes
wide and added, 'Darling, that's my job.'  Then she smiled
sweetly and added, 'Ginger's really great with clients, Sandy is
incredibly persuasive with juries, and Ali... is just Ali.  You
really don't expect them to be able to write coherently, too, do
you?'  I also found out something else:  It seems that in
addition to being the only secretary serving four professionals,
in her spare time my wife is the Firm's research department.  She
makes it her business to keep up on the latest decisions at both
the state and federal levels."  Ken shook his head and added,
"How does she do it?  I don't have a clue, but somehow,
apparently, she does."

When he mentioned "babblings," Ali started to laugh.  Looking
around the room, she saw that her partners were laughing, too. 
When Ken mentioned research, Ali perked up.  She held up six
figures and looked meaningfully, first at Ginger, then at Sandy.
Both emphatically nodded.  Taking advantage of the pause in Ken's
speech, Ali said, "Katherine Hughes Carlson!"

Kathy heard her name called and jerked up with a start.  Ken was
dumbstruck by the peremptory sound in Ali's words.  Ali said,
"Kathy, there has been a special meeting of the Clifford &
Jamison Compensation Committee.  You are receiving a raise of
$5,000 per month, retroactive to January 1.  Since today is a
Firm holiday -- apparently -- we won't be able to give you the
check for your back pay until tomorrow."

Turning to Ken, Ali gave him a sunshine smile and said, "Ken, I
apologize for the interruption.  This has been very interesting.
Please continue."

Ken just shook his head and said, "Ali, I think I just heard you
give my wife a $60,000-a-year raise.  Did I?" Ali just grinned
and nodded.  "Why?" he asked.

"But Ken, it's so simple," Ali replied.  "There's not a law firm
around that can run a full-bore research operation for less than
$180,000 a year.  Since we're basically pretty cheap, we thought
that giving Kathy about one-third of what she's worth would be
about right.  What's your problem?" she asked with her eyeswide.

Ken just shook his head sorrowfully and commented, "See what I
mean?  What chance do we have?"  Again he shook his head and
said, "Well, back to the story.  Actually, we're now very close
to the present -- this only happened last week.  You see, on the
Monday following the picnic I got a call from the law firm's
personnel office.  They wanted me to come in to see Kevin
Collins, the managing partner, on Thursday.  So I put on my good
suit and drive in, dropping Kathy off at her office on the way.

"When I'm ushered into his office, I'm amazed at the greeting --
it was like I was a long-lost brother or something.  It seems
that all he could talk about was my paper -- fortunately, Kathy
had explained its content in terms that even I could understand;
and what he heard about Kathy at the picnic.  Well, I'm sort of
basking in his compliments when he suddenly drops a bomb.  I may
have even jerked up straight in my chair when I heard him, I
really don't remember.  You see, it was one o'clock and we had
just returned from a sandwich lunch when he unloads.  He snaps
his fingers and said, 'Damn!  I almost forgot.  My wife, Lillian,
heard about you and Kathy and wants to meet you both.  We have
reservations for dinner at the club on top of this building for
six.  Kathy can join us, can't she?'

"I wanted to die!  Here it is, one o'clock, and we have a dinner
date at six.  At the same time, the other thing I remembered
vividly was what Kathy wore to work: her Levi's and a work
shirt."  Ken swallowed hard, remembering.  "But then I thought of
the bright side," he continued with a grin.  "When I told Kathy,
she would take off my head, permanently putting me out of my
misery.  So with that cheerful thought, I call her from Collins'
office.  When I tell her, what do you suppose she does?  Does she
scream?  Threaten divorce?  Threaten to kill me?  Not Kathy.  I
almost fell over when all she says is, 'Six o'clock, dear?  In
the lobby of their building?'  I confirm it to her.

"Because of my feeling of terror, the rest of the afternoon is a
complete blank.  I don't have the first clue today what I did,
who I saw, or what I might have said.  All I could think of was
Kathy arriving in her blue jeans.  A little before six, Lillian
Collins arrives and I am introduced.  My heart drops through the
floor.  You see, it was even worse than I feared:  Lillian is one
of those women you see every day on the society pages: perfectly
coifed, dressed in the latest fashion, and expensively jeweled. 
Poor Kathy in her Levi's was going to die of embarrassment.

"Then we go down to the lobby and walk towards the sidewalk." 
Ken looked around and said, "Remember all those old prison
movies?  The condemned man's last walk to the electric chair or
gas chamber?  Now I know exactly how they feel.  Anyway, as we
reached the door -- the whole front of the building is glass -- I
see a very familiar-looking grey limousine pull up.  Fred Clark
jumps out and hurries around to the passenger side to open the
door.  Who steps out, looking like she is stepping from the pages
of _Vogue_ -- to overuse a phrase?  Kathy.

"I see her squeeze Fred's hand, and I'll bet ten dollars he
winked at her with his eye that was away from the building. 
Kathy walks in wearing a mink stole, a suit in brown that
complemented her hair and eyes that cost more than a year's pay,
worn with a white silk blouse and magnificent gold jewelry.  She
greets me with a melting kiss and then I introduce the Collins. 
Kevin's jaw had dropped; only Lillian had the aplomb to greet
Kathy warmly."  He interrupted his narrative to interject, "I
found out later that Lil is the daughter of the founding partner
of the firm; most of the money in the firm is hers and she has
the last word on all key decisions.

"There's something else I should tell you all at this point.  You
may remember that, at the beginning of this talk, I said that
Kathy and I were from small towns in northern California.  Well,
that is certainly true.  They are _very_ small towns.  We met in
college.  We went to the same state university which, until just
a few years ago, was a cow college.  The most polite thing I
could say about our social graces is that they are nonexistent --
or so I thought.  Suffice it to say that in terms of our social
experience, the biggest event we ever attended was last year's
Clifford & Jamison Christmas party.  In that connection we were
both scared stiff and only went because all the people were close
friends and Kathy finally convinced me they would forgive any
social gaffes we might have made.

"What happened that day?  Well, in view of all the stories you
heard today, I'm sure you know the answer.  After hanging up the
phone from my call Kathy tells Ali, and Ali mobilizes the troops.
 Comparatively speaking -- compared to some of the other stories
you heard today -- this one was simple.  It was only one outfit,
after all.  The fur stole -- with Kathy's own monogram, of
course; the jewelry?  Just nick-knacks, with one exception: 
There was a ladies Rolex from Ali, of course, engraved 'To the
most wonderful secretary in the world, with all my love, Ali.' 
Kathy was crying tears of joy when she showed me the engraving
later that night.

"At any rate, we go up to the club, and to make a long story
short, Kathy is the smash hit of the evening.  She was utterly
captivating, and just exuded beauty and charm.  Lillian adored
her, and it was all Kevin could do to keep his jaw from hanging
open.  What does Kathy do?  All she does is create opportunities
to tell them what a wonderful lawyer I am.  Incidentally, I
nearly forgot: her hairdo was one of Henry's classics,
appropriate to the occasion of impressing a future boss.  Things
are going great and it's late in the evening when Kathy says
something that causes me to almost fall off my chair.  What does
she say?  She asks the Collins if they are free Saturday evening
because she would love to have them over for dinner!  Before
anyone else can say a word, Lillian says they have a symphony box
for Saturday night, but she would give away the tickets because
they so wanted to come.

"The next day -- Friday -- I'm so scared, I can't see straight. 
Kathy?  I've never seen her more relaxed.  You should know that
Kathy and I have never entertained _anyone_ at our apartment,
except maybe for some friends for pizza and beer.  Her gourmet
cooking had been for me alone.  Anyway, on Saturday morning after
our good-morning lovemaking, she informs me that the girls had
organized a golf match with Mike, Bill, Charley and me.  To make
it even plainer, she told me to get the hell out of the apartment
because she was going to be busy.  My only instruction?  To be
home at five-thirty, showered.  The Collins were due at six.

"When I get home and open the door, I almost closed it again. 
Somehow, you see, I had entered the wrong apartment."  Ken shook
his head sadly and said, "I hadn't.  The apartment had been
completely refurnished.  It looked like a feature story in
_Apartment Living._  But you heard those stories before from Joan
and Connie.  When I go in, I find Kathy looking like a dream in a
hostess gown -- I find out later, of course, that it was
absolutely all she was wearing.  Everything is laid out and the
table is beautifully set with dinnerware we didn't have.  Anyway,
I go into the bedroom to change.  Since everything in it was
brand new, I almost wasn't ready because of all the time it took
to find my clothes.  Then promptly at six the Collins appear.  I
really don't know how Kathy did it.  You see, she handled all the
cooking and serving herself.  But in spite of that, it seemed she
was always just sitting, chatting in the living room and nursing
a glass of dry sherry.  Lillian Collins was so excited, she
couldn't see straight.  The hors d'oeuvres, for example, were
tiny works of art that tasted divine.

"Finally, we are called to the dining room.  Kathy begins with
pate de foie gras with truffles, served with a vintage Chablis. 
Then she serves tournedos Rossini, souffle potatoes -- you know,
those little french fries that look like little balloons?  This
is accompanied by a vintage Bordeaux that probably costs a year's
pay.  She follows it with a salad, and then crepes Suzette for
dessert.  Is it over?  Don't be silly.  She follows that with
fresh fruit and assorted cheeses.  This is followed by coffee. 
By now, it's nearly ten o'clock -- we had been at the table for
almost three hours.  Then she brings out a bottle of cognac I had
heard about but never seen, Remy Martin's Louis XIII, pours more
coffee and disappears again.  When she returns, she is lighting a
Corona corona for Kevin.  She gives it to him with a smile that
melts him to his chair.  Then she repeats it with me.  Finally,
she lights a thin light panatella for Lillian, and then one for
herself.

"I'll never forget the look on Lillian Collins' face!  She just
held the cigar in her fingers and looked at it.  Then she sees
Kathy take a puff on hers, so she tries hers, too.  She loved it!
 When everyone was finished, Kathy shooed Kevin and me out to the
living room with our cognac and a couple of more cigars.

"While we're sitting there feeling so expansive we could conquer
the world, I start to worry.  You see, I could hear the two women
in the kitchen.  Of course I couldn't hear any words, but I
certainly heard some very sexy-sounding giggles from Lillian. 
When it was time to leave, my fears were confirmed.  Lil and
Kathy were acting very conspiratorial and I saw the
characteristic shape of a Dom Perignon bottle in a paper bag
Lillian was carrying in her hand.  Incidentally, when I closed
the door after the Collins left, I turn and find Kathy has
unzipped her hostess gown all the way.  She's just standing there
with her hands on her hips with the gown framing her magnificent
nude body!

"Was that the end of the night for me?  I should be so lucky!  I
move towards Kathy and all she does is take off my coat and tie,
unbutton my shirt and sit me in a brand-new easy chair.  Then she
brings a small bench into the living room and puts on a tape. 
What is she doing?  What the hell would you think she would be
doing?  She was replicating Jennifer's exotic routine for me.  I
have never seen a woman move the way Kathy did that night!"

Turning to Jennifer, Ken asked, "By the way, how did your act
end?  You told us earlier that a part of it had you kneeling on
the stage with your knees spread wide, and then bending over
backward so the audience could see your gaping cunt. 
Unfortunately, that's as far as Kathy got."  Ken frowned and
added, "I guess it's more accurate to say that it was as much as
I could take!  When she spread her knees, I could see how wet she
was with her wanting, so I took her on the floor the way she
was."

Ken sighed and smiled happily, remembering.  "Sunday was a
delight.  I spent it in our brand-new bed on our crisp, new
sheets, while the most beautiful, most loving female creature God
ever created alternately runs her fingers over my body with a
touch of feathers, or kisses me all over with her wonderful soft
lips!"

Ken shook his head, murmured, "Wow!" and continued, "At any rate,
I left it with Kevin that I was supposed to come in again on
Monday morning because he had a very light schedule that day. 
When I enter his office and see him, I'm shocked.  Here is the
managing partner of one of the biggest law firms in town with an
incredible shit-eating grin on his face.  When we shake hands, I
could almost swear I heard him murmur, 'God!  Lil gives great
head!'"

The guests howled with laughter as Ken just shook his head.  "I
thought I had been imagining things when the phone rang.  Kevin
lighted up like a Christmas tree, hung up, and virtually threw me
out of the office.  Of course, it wasn't before he offered me a
position at $100,000 a year.  He was in such a hurry, you know
what he did?  He said, 'Ken, I was going to work out the details
with you -- bonus, vacation, profit-sharing, that sort of stuff.
Hell, you know what you want.  Why don't you just fill in the
blanks and drop it off back here at the office.'  As he was
hustling me out the door, there's Lillian waiting outside the
door... with another bottle of Dom Perignon!"

Ken just shook his head in apparent puzzlement, but then
brightened.  "You know, I think I've solved some puzzles today. 
For example, how does any work ever get done at Clifford &
Jamison?  The answer is clear: somehow they accomplish more in
ten minutes than other firms do in ten days.  It frees up their
time for more important things...  Like working out...  Like
enticing their men.

"You know, I mentioned the costumes Kathy wore?  Where do you
suppose they all came from?  They're from that...  that...
space... they call a conference room.  The girls are all near
physical duplicates -- there's a small variation in height but
not enough to matter.  So they just swap these things around."

Ken looked around the room and said, "There you have it.  Or most
of it.  There's one more point I need to make, though.  You've
heard me bleating about how beat up and run down I am?  Well, to
settle it once and for all, I made an appointment to see my
doctor last week.  Kathy insisted on coming along.  I should tell
you that my doctor is a high-school classmate, and he's known
Kathy for a long time.

"Anyway, I'm shown into his office.  Does Kathy sit in the
waiting room?  Hell, no!"  He looked around at the ceiling and
than appeared to get an idea.  "Now I know!" he exclaimed.  "Have
you ever seen a cat with a mouse?  It just watches the mouse,
occasionally licking its lips.  It may let the mouse move around,
but won't let it out of its sight.  That's Kathy!  She's the
panther and I'm her next meal.

"Anyway, I undress and Dan -- the doctor -- goes over me.  He
runs every kind of test there is in the book.  All he does is
shake his head, and I'm starting to worry.  Maybe it's even worse
than I thought?  He finishes with me and asks Kathy if he could
give her a physical, too.  I thought it was a great idea to see
her poked and prodded, so she gets undressed.  You've already
seen how fast a process that is with Kathy.  Anyway, she's
standing nude and Dan's eyes almost bug out.  He whistles!  Can
you believe it?  A doctor?  He does.  Then he goes over her the
way he did me.  When he's finished we both get dressed and go out
to the waiting room to wait for some of the tests to be run.

Awhile later, he calls us into his office and closes the door. 
We sit down and his first words to me are, 'Ken, what, in the
name of God, have you been doing to yourself?'  I was scared, but
then it came to me.  I was going to be freed!  He was going to
tell Kathy to knock off the rich foods, stop killing me with sex
-- in short, he was going to tell her to give me a break."  He
looked around and said brightly, "You know, a permanent heart
condition would have been a small price to pay."

Then his face fell.  "Is that what he said?  Hell, no!  Dan goes
on to say, 'Whatever you're doing, don't change a single thing!'
He goes on to say that my bad cholesterol level is through the
floor and the good cholesterol is through the ceiling.  My heart
was in great shape and he even noted that my biceps measurements
were larger by three inches, I had four more inches on my chest,
and two fewer on my waist.  There was no trace of the chronic
stiffness in my shoulder from the bullet wound -- it used to
bother me.  The only thing left is the little puckered hole that
Kathy loves to put her nipple in, but nothing else.  He said I
was in great shape for a 21-year-old!  My heart fell to my feet!
There was Kathy looking smug, like the cat that swallowed the
canary.

"Then he turns to Kathy and says that if I'm in the shape of a
21-year-old, she's in perfect condition for an 18-year-old!  Then
he shakes his head and said, 'You two are textbook cases!  Don't
you dare change the least little thing in your life style.  I'm
sure you're staying away from fats and red meat, eating lots of
natural foods plain...  You have to be!  No one could possibly be
in your physical condition any other way.'

"Then he leans back and just shakes his head.  He said, 'Ken,
I've been talking to you as a doctor.  Now I would like to talk
to you as an old friend.  First, you heard me whistle when Kathy
stripped.  Buddy, you have to be married to the most perfectly
put-together female it's ever been my good fortune to see.'"

Ken looked around the room and asked, "Would you believe it? 
Kathy didn't even have the modesty to blush?"

Then he continued his narrative.  "Dan went on to say, 'There's
more, though.  First, I took some pelvic measurements on Kathy. 
In spite of her slim hips, she has a large pelvic opening.  What
this means is that she can deliver children easily.  When I
couple this with the incredible love you two have for each
other...  My God, with you both naked, it's obvious why you don't
feel chilled!  The looks of love between you people would melt an
iceberg.  Anyway,' he continued, 'I guess what I'm trying to say
is that your children will be truly remarkable.  Their parents
are incredible physical specimens who live in an aura of love.' 
He just shook his head and said, 'It's just a thought.'  Then
Kathy just about melts the poor guy with one of her kisses."

Ken shook his head sorrowfully.  "Where does that leave me?" he
asked rhetorically.  "In the worst position of my life.  Now, if
I complain all Kathy does is grin and parrot, 'Don't change a
single thing!'  There's nothing I can say.

"Two final points:  First, student loans.  Do you remember those
classic Bugs Bunny cartoons where Elmer Fudd would be admiring
his carrot patch?  He would turn his back and all of a sudden
carrots would start disappearing down into the ground?  Well, you
know what?  It seems that something similar is happening to my
student loans.  Every time I turn around, there are fewer of
them!"  Turning to Ali, Ken glared and demanded, "Allison McGrath
Clifford, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Ali looked like a small child caught with her hand in the cookie
jar.  Gracefully standing up, she hung her head like the small
child.  "Gosh, Ken," she said with tears starting to come to her
eyes, "it's not my fault!  It's... It's become a habit.  You
know, like smoking?  It started with Joan."  Now her eyes became
larger and had a manic gleam as she went around the table and out
onto the floor.  "How was I to know...  I didn't mean to ruin her
life...  To destroy any chance she would ever have for
happiness...  How could I have known that it was her life's
work?"

She was crying now, and her tears gave way to a series of
frenzied high-pitched screams.  She tore at her hair and her
chest was heaving so much her breasts threatened to pop out from
the top of her gown.

She seemed to regain a little control and continued.  Although
she was sounding reasonable, there was still a manic edge to her
voice.  The woman was on the verge of a breakdown.  "With Connie,
it was different.  I made her destroy herself.  She was in my
arms crying like her heart would break, but I was relentless!  In
spite of what it did to her, I made her pay off her own loans." 
Again the wild light appeared in her eyes as she said, "Do you
know what I did, Ken?  Do you? _Do you?"_ she screamed with
overtones of insanity.  Now she looked cunning as she said, "I
followed her!  I was hiding as the poor girl abased herself
before my very eyes.  She could scarcely hold a pen, her hand was
shaking so badly, but she managed to pay off the loan."  With
menace in her voice, and a diabolically mirthless laugh, she
said, "She knew what I would have done to her!  Oh, I was so
hoping she would weaken..."

Then she turned to look at him and sounded like an insane woman
trying to rationally explain her irrational actions.  "With you,
Ken, it was different.  I didn't do them all...  How was I to
know that you would miss one or two."  Again her voice rose to a
scream as she continued, "But that's the trouble, you see.  I
can't stop at one or two...  I must keep going..."  She pulled
herself together and again tried to rationalize her behavior. 
Ali now raised her head, looked at him defiantly, and said
"Besides, it's not that bad.  I mean, it doesn't pollute the air,
or hurt the ozone layer or anything like that.  Why should you
mind?"

Suddenly, she let out another maniacal scream and began to cry
uncontrollably.  "I can't control myself...  I keep doing it, in
spite of the pain I cause others."  Again, her eyes widened and
the insane gleam reappeared.  Pulling at her hair, she screamed,
"I can't help myself!  I think of those luscious payment books,
those tender coupons, those voluptuous personal notes...  I lose
control!"

With another scream, her eyes darted around the room as she said,
"Oh, God!  Won't somebody help me?  You must!  Otherwise, I'll do
it again, and again, and again..."  With a scream, Ali crumpled
into a ball on the floor.  Her screams dissolved into tears as
she cried like her heart would break.  She was holding her head
in her arms and her shoulders were shaking with her anguish. 
Finally, she just collapsed in a heap.

Meanwhile, Ken Carlson had been striving to remain impassive in
the presence of one of the finest acting performances he had ever
seen.  When Ali's body stopped shaking, he quietly asked, "Are
you through, yet?"

Ali bounced to her feet, ran her fingers through her hair,
incredibly restoring her hairdo with just that single pass.  She
gave him a big grin while the guests were on their feet
applauding wildly.  Then she asked, "How was it?"

With his face still impassive, he said, "The subject was student
loans.  Remember?"

Ali appeared to get angry.  "Carlson, what is wrong with you?  I
give an Academy-Award performance, and you're still stuck on that
loan thing!  My God, don't you even recognize talent when you see
it?"  Then Ali's eyes started to widen and the manic gleam
reappeared.  "You're just like those damned producers!  They
wouldn't recognize my acting ability, either."

Ali was so wrought up, she strode out to the middle of the dance
floor.  Her gestures were on the verge of wildness, but her voice
was still in control.  "They would only let me play Ali McGrath
parts.  Would you believe it?  That's honestly what they were
called.  I was the studio's resident goodie-two-shoes."  Again
her voice rose in pitch and took on a manic edge, "I had talent.
But would they let me use it?  Hell, no!  I desperately wanted to
play a real sex scene; they would only allow me to show my tits
in a long shot.  Of course they are small, but they're cute,
and... and... I know damned well the cameraman could make them
appear a lot bigger with the right lens."

Her voice was still rising as she screamed, "Would they let me
have sex with my co-star?  Really do it, for the European
version?  Hell, no!"  Then in an instant, Ali's voice was back to
normal as she added, "As a matter of fact, if I'm thinking of the
right film, he didn't like girls.  But hell, I could have gone
down on him, or something."

Then her voice was instantly back in its manic mode and she was
back in her role, "I even offered to bed the producer!  Do you
know what he did?" she screamed.  "He asked for references! 
Honest, he did!  He wasn't going to waste his time in bed with a
cheap actress who might not be able to perform for him!" 
Suddenly her face crumpled and she started to sag to the floor,
"I didn't have any!" Now the tears began as she sobbed, "I could
have been a star!  Oh, God, I could have been a star..."

This time the people were on their feet applauding and cheering
Ali's performance.  Again she bounced to her feet, blew kisses to
the guests and returned to her seat.

When she did, Ken, with his face still impassive, said, "The
subject was loans, Ali."

 "Kenneth Carlson, you're mean!  You're just plain mean!"  Then
Ali suddenly sat down again, put her head on her arms and started
to bawl.

Ken just grinned and started to applaud.  Turning to the guests
he asked, "Let's hear it for a great actress!  Just think, she
wasn't even rehearsed."  Ali raised her head from the table,
grinned at him and winked.

Turning back to the mike Ken said, "When I was talking about the
dinners we had with the Collins, I mentioned that we hadn't had
anyone over to dinner, and I was afraid of Kathy's response.  Why
is that?  Because we have become so completely self-contained as
a little family."  Tears began to flow from his eyes as he
continued, "What is Kathy to me?  She is my whore, my buddy, my
confidante, my playmate.  If I need an opponent, she competes. 
If I need a partner, she supports.  She is my life!  What can I
do?  I said that my first year and a half in law school was
disastrous.  It's improved a great deal since.  Why?  Because
when I come home depressed and down in the dumps, she picks me
up."

Now he smiled and shook his head saying, "Listening to the
bullshit I've been slinging -- being beat up and abused -- even I
can't believe it.  Did you see Kathy get mad?  Hell, no!  When I
asked her to take off her clothes in public, did she even flinch,
let alone refuse?  Hell, no.  You've heard about her myriad
variety of kisses.  There's so much more!  You see, she knows in
an instant how I'm feeling within a split second of my entering
our home.  Once, I came in feeling lower than a snake's belly. 
What did she do?  She plumped up the cushions on my favorite
chair, loosened my tie and sat me down.  In an instant she went
to the kitchen and returned with a beautiful martini and a plate
of luscious appetizers.  Then she strips off her clothes and just
kneels on the floor beside me and begins to lightly caress my
chest murmuring, 'Darling, I love you so much!'  Almost in no
time my troubles disappeared.  Kathy knew this, too, and then
climbed on my lap and just cuddled."

Ken looked out at the people and said, "I'm really glad, now,
that you all know what Kathy really looks like.  Can you imagine
how a guy feels with this magnificent woman cuddled naked on his
lap while she runs her fingers over his shoulders and chest, just
crooning endearments?  Can you imagine what it's like to have her
look at me with a great wanting in her eyes and then brighten
like the sun when I just lean over to kiss her?  Can you!?  God,
I adore this woman!  Damn it!  She is _my wife!_  That says it
all."

Again ignoring everyone else, Kathy jumped from her chair and
came into his arms.  Their kiss was loaded with their love for
each other.  When she broke the kiss, she buried her head in his
shoulder and whispered, "Kenneth Carlson, I adore you!"

With that she returned to her seat, but first stopped beside
Ginger Conrad.  Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a
ten-dollar bill and gave it to Ginger.  Ken had no idea what that
was about.Chapter 25

When Kathy was back at her seat, Ken shook his head to clear it.
Then he said, "I've done a lot of talking today, speaking on
behalf of the men.  However, I'm only one guy.  I would like to
see what they have to say for themselves."  Looking at Charley
Conrad, he said, "Following this afternoon's batting order,
Charley, why don't you start?"

Charley just stood up and stood behind Ginger, placing his hands
on her shoulders.  "Ken, first I want to thank you for your
comments and Kathy for providing the living illustration.  There
was one point you made I would like to elaborate on.  You told
how, at the picnic, all eyes were on Kathy while her eyes were on
you.  I know precisely what you mean, of course, but I think some
of the guests might get the wrong impression.  You see, Kathy
isn't hanging on Ken like a clinging vine...

"Hell, let me just talk about Ginger.  She and Kath are as alike
peas in a pod, anyway."  He looked around the room and his eyes
seemed to be pleading for understanding.  "These girls are as far
from clinging vines as it's possible to be.  They are almost like
hunting consorts...  Free spirited, athletic..."  Charley was
searching for the right words.  "I know!  Look at the way they
stand and walk.  Their heads are up high, their backs are
straight and their tits are thrusting out proudly, unencumbered
by bras.  You're right, Ken, and your metaphor is apt:  They are
golden panthers.  That's really the way they move, with the same
feline grace.

"I go into a room and I feel ten feet tall with Ginger by my
side.  Why?  Because all eyes are on her, and her eyes are on me.
 She neither knows nor cares that she is the object of everyone's
attention, any more than Kathy cared about revealing her gorgeous
body to the guests.  Why do I feel ten feet tall?  Because Ginger
Conrad is my wife and she loves me..."

With that Ginger jumped to her feet and into Charley's arms. 
Even though her face was buried in his shoulder, everyone could
hear her, "Oh God, Charley, I adore you..."  When she raised her
head, everyone could see the electricity flow between them in an
incredibly passionate kiss.

"Thanks, Charley," Ken said.  "Jack Benson, what do you think?"

Rising to his feet, Jack said, "Amen!  That's what I think.  I
would like to add two points, though.  First, Ken, you referred
to that den of iniquity known as the conference room.  But I'll
bet even you don't know everything that goes on there.  For
example, did you know that Kathy runs regular cooking classes? 
She does.  It's the way Sandy learned to cook and why she is now
so great.  In honesty, though, she's not yet in Kathy's class,
but she's trying.  The second point is your characterization of
Kathy as your everything.  I sure know what that means!  You see,
Sandy has been taking courses and reading everything she can get
her hands on regarding aviation.  She doesn't know I know, but I
found out from her instructor that she's taking flying lessons. 

"Now why is a brilliant trial lawyer wasting her time like this?
Because for Sandy, it's not a waste of time -- it's vital!  Why?
Because she knows that aviation is an important part of my life
and she's determined to learn more about it.  Why?  Well," Jack
grinned, "I know you can identify with this: Every night after
marvelous lovemaking, Sandy puts her head on my shoulder, molds
her body to mine, and just snuggles.  It's the time when we talk
about things while we're waiting for sleep.  If she can possibly
help it, there will be nothing of importance to me that she can't
talk about and help me think through."

Then he turned to where Jennifer was sitting and said, "Jen, I
also want to take this opportunity to thank you for what you said
about Sandy today.  You got it exactly right!  She _is_ exactly
like Ali.  Like Ali, her beauty results from her goodness shining
through.  And you're right about another thing, too.  She _has_
done a hell of a job of keeping it a secret from herself."  He
reached out his hands to Sandy as he said, "God, I love this
woman!"  Sandy leaped from her chair into his arms and melted him
with a kiss.  When she eased away he pinched one of her tight
little buns and whispered, "I haven't forgotten that 'blind'
crack, woman!  Wait until I get you home!"  Sandy gave him a
salacious grin and shivered with anticipation.

Now Ken turned to Steve Chapman and said, "Steve, Jennifer isn't
really a member of this zoo, but would you like to say something
anyway?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Steve replied, standing up and moving
behind Jennifer.  Like Charley Conrad, he gently massaged Jen's
neck, hearing soft moans of pleasure as he did.  "First, I want
to thank all the girls who put together the wardrobe Jen had when
we went back to Chicago.  After that promise she extorted from
me, that was the only one of her schemes that could possibly have
worked.

"Next, though," Steve continued, "I want to underscore some of
the things you've been hearing today.  For example, Ken, one
evening Jen came back to the apartment in a state of shock.  You
see, that day she had been at the office and walked into the
conference room.  So far, there's nothing new.  She found your
wife, Kathy, and Judy Jeffries on the floor, nude -- still
nothing new.  She saw what they were doing and almost became ill.
 Kathy was on her back with her legs spread almost straight out
to both sides, opening her cunt as much as possible.  Judy was on
her knees, between her legs using a magnifying glass and tweezers
to pull out Kathy's stray pubic hairs.  Jen knows, first hand,
how sensitive that area is, and how incredibly painful hair
removal can be.  Nevertheless, Judy was working to produce a
hairless pussy, and removing any hair that wasn't a part of her
dense little bush above her slit.

"By the way, Ken, I saw something this morning I have never even
heard of before:  Kathy must have the world's only pubic hair
with sun streaks in it.  She is incredibly beautiful.  But
anyway, Jen reported that tears were pouring from Kathy's eyes
from the agonizing pain, but she wasn't making a sound nor would
she let Judy stop to let her rest.  When the girls finished
working on each other and put some pain-deadening ointment on
their vaginal lips, they asked Jen to strip so they could get a
close look at her bare mound.  Incidentally, the only thing they
could talk about was whether you and Mike would like them that
way.

"The last point I want to make regards Jen's behavior.  You see,
she's taking Kathy's cooking class; Judy is coaching her in
swimming, Sandy works out on weights with her and gives her tips
on technique, while Joan works on her posture and bearing." 
Steve shook his head in disbelief and added, "You see, I thought
Jen was perfect, but the girls look at her only as interesting
raw material with a lot of room for improvement."  Steve looked
baffled as he finished by saying, "Ken, what are we going to do
with these girls?"

Ken just shook his head and replied, "Steve, I'm damned if I
know.  But it's fun, isn't it?"  Meanwhile, Jennifer had stood up
and gone into Steve's arms.  He was melting her with a kiss. 
Turning to Brian Clifford, Ken said, "Brian, your fiancee helped
us a lot earlier in the afternoon.  Do you have anything you
would care to say?"

"Yes, sir, I do," Brian replied.  He, too, stood behind his girl
and put his hands on her shoulders.  Karen writhed in pleasure as
he worked on the muscles in her neck and shoulders.  "Thank you,
Mr. Carlson, for giving me a chance to speak."  When Brian
referred to "Mr. Carlson" the guests began to howl with laughter,
while Brian appeared to be puzzled.  When the laughter died down,
he continued, "Why are you all laughing?  My mom always taught me
to be polite to old people."

Ken could no longer contain himself and began to howl with
laughter, while Brian pretended to be increasingly puzzled.  When
order was restored, Brian shrugged and said with a grin, "I guess
I'm my mother's son.  She's a great actress, too."

While the people were laughing at the latest quip, Ali jumped
from her chair, ran to Brian and kissed him solidly on the lips.
Then she glared at Ken and said, "At least my son appreciates my
acting ability!"  She daintily stuck out her tongue and sat down
again.

Brian said, "Thanks, Ken.  Can I start again?  I have two
comments to make:  First, about the girls.  Karen and I have only
been out here for a few days on our spring break.  I can second
what Steve Chapman said, though.  The girls have taken Karen
under their wing, too.  Here I thought I had feminine perfection,
but now Karen comes back to the hotel in tears!  She's convinced
that she's hopeless!  We were thinking about various
possibilities for things to do this summer, but now there's
nothing more to talk about.  Karen is coming out here as soon as
she can to continue her training.  You know what she said?  She
said, 'Brian, I have to!  It's the only chance I have to be an
even marginally acceptable wife for you.'"  Brian shook his head
and said, "These women settle for nothing less than perfection!"

Then he looked at Ali and shook his head.  "Ken, you told us what
Kathy said about the firm:  Ginger is great with clients, Sandy
is great with juries and Ali... is Ali.  What does that really
mean?  I certainly don't know for sure, but I can mention a few
things.  First, there is her goodness:  Fred sure had that one
right.  It just shines through in her smile.  But there's so much
more.  There's her love for my father.  There's her selflessness.
 There's her sense of humor and her teasing.  Most of all,
though, I think it's a standard she sets, along with the
encouragement she provides.  She's just constantly encouraging
the girls to do better.  Since 'doing better' directly translates
into more pleasure for themselves, it becomes mutually
reinforcing.  What does she do?  She sets a standard for the
other girls to strive for, and provides encouragement for them to
reach it."  Brian shrugged and added, "Ken, I'm just a kid, but
isn't that what leadership is all about?  Isn't that what Kathy
really meant?  Ali provides the leadership for the Firm."

When Brian sat down, Ken said, "Brian, I think you are absolutely
right.  That sure, as hell, is leadership!  Then he turned to
Mike Morris and said, "Mike, you and I are in similar positions.
As far as I know, Ali never concentrated on Judy, either.  Do you
have anything you would like to say?"

Mike got to his feet and stood behind Judy's chair.  When he did,
she reached up and just gripped his hand tightly.  He said,
"Thanks, Ken.  As a matter of fact, I do.  First, Carlson, would
you please stop your bleating about Maui?  Look, you and I were
in the same boat.  You were Army Rangers and I was Marine
Airborne Assault.  Let's face it, no one cares about us -- we're
the cannon fodder.  We don't have the glamour of the fly-boys,
for instance.  But let's be realistic.  Think of the jungles with
the snakes and bugs, loaded with guys out to kill you.  Hell,
you've taken Ranger patrols deep behind enemy lines."

Mike shook his head and continued.  "Now, I'll admit that's not
nearly as tough as Maui, but past some point does it really
matter?  By the way, you mentioned swimming.  I didn't know what
that was.  I thought the only thing beaches were for was to storm
across under heavy enemy fire.  No one ever told me they were
used for swimming!"  At that, the guests exploded with laughter.

Ken took the opportunity to interject, "Okay, Mike, I'll admit I
overlooked the jungle combat.  But hell," he added plaintively,
"in the jungle the enemy doesn't get in bed with you!"  Mike
broke up with laughter at Ken's crack.

He shook his head and said, "There's one more thing, Captain
Carlson."  With that Mike stiffened to attention, faced Ken and
gave him a meticulous salute.  Ken was shocked, but from force of
habit, he as meticulously returned it.  Mike relaxed and resumed
his position behind Judy.  Again, she held his hand.  "By way of
explanation, folks, that was a most meager tribute to a real
hero.  You see, I've known Ken Carlson for six months now and
we've gotten to be good friends.  I realize that I could know him
for thirty years and never hear of his medals.  You see, Kathy
mentioned the DSC -- the Distinguished Service Cross.  That is
the award for heroism that ranks right below the Medal of Honor.
It is awarded for conspicuous gallantry in action with the enemy
while acting with complete disregard for one's own life and
safety.  That's what Ken Carlson did for his country, and I think
it deserves some applause."  Everyone rose to his feet and
applauded wildly.

Meantime, Ken was blushing red as a beet.  Then Kathy took him in
her arms and burned him with another kiss, then said, "Darling,
it's about time more people knew of my hero!"

When the people were again seated, Mike continued.  "I would also
like to tell you how I wooed and won the hand of Miss Jeffries
here.  It was an impressive campaign.  You see, I was stationed
down at Camp Pendleton with my Ranger battalion.  Mike looked
around and then shook his head in dismay.  "You know, I think the
reason we are such tigers against the enemy is because we're such
wimps with women.  But what the hell, there's always
girl-watching, right?  They can't shoot you for that.

"Anyway, there's a nice motel near the base with a great lounge
and a good band playing weekends.  My buddies and I used to go
over, have a few beers, watch the girls and eat our hearts out. 
_Talk_ to one?  You've got to be kidding!

"One Friday night late last fall, I'm standing at the bar.  Then
this golden apparition starts making her way through the crowd in
my direction, refusing overtures from I can't tell you how many
guys along the way.  She comes right up to me, smiles this
incredible smile and says, 'My name is Judy.  Will you dance with
me?'  I'm a tough Marine, so I didn't even collapse on the floor
-- but I was much too scared to run.  I don't think I even had
the ability to say yes.  Anyway, she leads me out on the floor
and comes into my arms.  Even though I can't dance, somehow this
apparition was making me do it.  She was like a feather on her
feet and a dream in my arms.  When the music stopped, she lifts
her chin and asks, 'Please kiss me, Mike?' I do, and it's all
over.  My God!  My ears are ringing with bells, and there's a
charge of electricity that must have been 100,000 volts!  When we
separate, she looks at me with the most incredible expression of
love on her face and asks, 'Mike, do you need to pick up anything
at the BOQ?'  I'm stunned.  I don't know what to say.

"Judy just said sweetly, 'I didn't think they allowed women in
the BOQ.  And besides, the beds are narrow.  I have a wonderful
bed here at the hotel, and there's room service...'  Anyway, we
go up to her room and she takes off her clothes.  It was exactly
like what you saw Kathy do today.  She even stood there the same
way, with her head up straight and her golden body fully
revealed.  She had a tremulous smile on her face while she just
stood there.  I held out my arms and with a little yelp, she dove
into my lap."

Mike shook his head while he remembered the scene.  "It was only
eight o'clock.  We didn't leave the room until Sunday evening. 
My life was saved by room service.  In the course of our love
making, I learned a lot about Ali's golden girls.  For example,
the tremulous smile:  She didn't think she was nearly good enough
for me, because she had so far to go to look the way she felt she
should.  Can you believe it?  But, she went on to say, she was a
one-man woman and when she saw me, she thought I was the guy. 
She told me she screwed up every ounce of courage she possessed
to come over and introduce herself.  She claimed her knees were
knocking with fear, and she wasn't sure she would even be able to
talk.  Then, after the dance, when I kissed her she was sure, so
that was that."

Looking around the room, Mike said, "I hope you appreciated the
tactical beauty of my campaign to win Judy?  I'm sure Ken and the
other military guys here all do.  How did I conduct it?  I raised
both hands and surrendered!"

When the laughter died down, Mike continued, "A few minutes ago
Steve told us what Jen had seen in the conference room, with
Kathy and Judy plucking each other's pubic hair.  I remember that
day very well.  You see, that night we were both naked in bed and
I touched her crotch.  She screamed with pain and then launched
herself at me, wrapped her arms around my neck and cried like her
heart would break.  I was scared!  I didn't know what I had done
to her.  Then, I hear what she is saying while she's crying her
eyes out.

"She says, 'Mike, I'm so sorry!  Please forgive me!'  I cradled
her in my arms, stroked her hair, kissed her and finally got her
quieted down.  Finally I ask her, 'Forgive you for what?  What
did you do?'  Her reply?  'For screaming, Mike.  It didn't really
hurt that much...'  Then she told me what she and Kathy had been
doing and insisted that I look at her carefully to see if I liked
it.  What did I see?  Golden skin with a wonderfully neat thick
patch of pubic hair that's been bleached nearly white by the sun,
above her lovely pink vaginal lips.  Finally I assured her that
it looked lovely.

"But there's a lesson here for the men -- an incredibly humbling
one.  You see, the labia are incredibly sensitive, so the pain
was excruciating.  For what?  To possibly make herself a tiny bit
more attractive to me.  The amount of pain she suffered to give
me a tiny bit of pleasure is irrelevant."  There were tears in
his eyes as he added, "That's true of all of Ali's girls, too.

"This brings me to another point Ken made: the Association and
our workouts.  Ken's really full of shit, you know.  Yes, we work
out, but it's not to get away from the girls, but it's certainly
because of them.  Why?  Because of things like the pubic hair
episode.  Ali's girls are always working on themselves like a
jeweler polishing another facet on a diamond.  We can't see the
difference, but they claim to be able to.  The object?  To be as
perfect in our eyes as they possibly can be."

Mike looked around the room and shook his head.  "I can't tell
you what a humbling thought that is.  So we feel we have to work
out, too.  Incidentally, Marine officers' uniforms are very
tightly tailored.  The standard practice is when you go off
active duty, the uniform needs to be re-tailored to accommodate
smaller shoulders and a larger waist.  Well, I just had my
uniform refitted because I'm still in the reserves.  It was
refitted for larger shoulders and a smaller waist.  We will never
be in their class in a million years, of course, but we have to
work to keep from falling too far behind.  And you know what? 
You've heard it before, but I'll say it again.  They do it for
their men.  We're the only people who count."

Turning to Ali, Mike said, "Ali, in spite of what Carlson says, I
think you're a great actress.  I mean it, too.  I'm not teasing.
Your performance this afternoon was truly spectacular.  You know,
living at the BOQ, every once in a while at any time of the day
or night, there would be a shout, 'She's on!'  Guys would run
down the halls beating on doors and getting the other guys up. 
We would get up in the middle of the night to watch an Ali
McGrath movie.  You know, I think your producers had it right. 
Although you have incredible acting ability, they knew that the
sure-fire formula was to let Ali play Ali!  Imagine, whether you
did your own stunts in the film or not, it's now clear that you
could have done them better than whoever they used.  Ali, you are
just great and I wanted you to know that the US Marines love
you!"

Ali jumped out of her chair and, with her bridal gown streaming
behind her, ran around to where Mike was standing.  She threw
herself into his arms and kissed him solidly.  Then she said,
with tears streaming from her eyes, "Thank you so much, Mike. 
It's been such a very long time!"

Mike just shook his head and said, "Ali, I'll just underscore
what others have already said:  You're younger today than when
you made those films -- and far more beautiful!"  Ali just shook
her head and returned to her seat.

Mike returned to his position behind Judy, "To finish, I would
like to go back to the Maui experience Ken mentioned."  He looked
at Ken and asked, "Ken, do you remember checking in at the hotel
on Wednesday night?"  Ken shook his head and looked puzzled. 
Mike continued, "I sure do!  There were a lot of people in the
lobby when we checked in.  All the eyes were on these magnificent
golden girls who had just walked in the door.  Did the girls
notice?  Hell, no!  They were focused on us.  God, I felt like a
million dollars.  Eat your hearts out guys!  She's mine."

Judy jumped from her chair into his arms.  After burning him with
a kiss she said, "Thank you, darling!  At least you got that one
thing right."

Ken looked around the room and picked out Bill, Junior.  He
asked, "Bill, is there anything you would like to say to your
mother, father, and their guests?"

"Thank you, Ken, and the answer is yes."  Bill said, standing
behind Joan.  Then with a grin he added, "And thank you for
acting as master of ceremonies.  I think we've learned a lot
about my mother and her effect on a number of wonderful people. 
However, I want to talk about the effect she has had on me.

"First, I am now here in LA finishing my last six weeks before I
go back to Boston to receive my degree.  Then it's going to be
back here for graduate training.  Anyway, the rotation I am in is
Emergency Medicine.  We try to put back the pieces after the
accidents and injuries.  It was an easy sell because there is a
truly outstanding program run out at the hospital here.

"We've heard a great deal about the beauty these girls share, but
there is another element that has been touched on that I want to
feature: their incredible sensitivity.  Last week there was a
major accident and the victims were brought to our hospital.  I
was treating one guy -- we were all pitching in because there
were so many -- when he died under my hands.  I was late getting
back to the apartment that night and was feeling so bad I was
seriously thinking of giving up medicine.  I open the door and
Joan is standing there.  She just takes one look, leads me to my
favorite chair, and sits me down.  Then she disappears for a
moment and comes back with drinks and hors d'oeuvres.  Putting
the drinks on the table, she unties my tie, unbuttons my shirt
and pulls it off.  Then she strips in an instant -- we've already
seen how fast they are -- and climbs on my lap.  Joan just rubbed
her magnificent body over mine while she's kissing me and running
her fingers all over me.  While this is going on, she's
whispering, 'Darling, you did the best you could!  They were
really messed up -- it was impossible to save them all.  Please
relax, darling.  I love you so much.'  Then she started working
on my neck with her fingers while she's kissing me and warming my
body with her own.  I guess I must have fallen asleep.  The next
thing I know I feel her glorious lips on mine and open my eyes. 
She has covered me with a blanket to keep me warm while she
prepares a gourmet feast which we eat while I am staring at her
gorgeous tits across the table.  Do you know what?  I felt like a
million bucks -- half a million, anyway.  She made all the pain
go away."

He took Joan's hand in his and she rose from her chair into his
arms.  The two young people just merged in an electrifying kiss.
When Bill released her, he kept his arm around her and said,
"There's one thing that's really been bothering me, though.  I
know what Mom does in a lot of these situations, but how in hell
does she teach mental telepathy?"

"Thank you very much, Bill," Ken replied.  "As far as I'm
concerned, I don't have the first clue, but the girls sure are
telepathic, aren't they?  I have one idea, though.  Maybe it's
because Kathy concentrates so much on me, and the other girls on
their respective guys, that they get inside our heads.  They know
what we're thinking while we're thinking it.  But you're the
doctor.  What do you think?"

Bill grinned, looked thoughtful for a moment, nodded his head and
said, "Makes sense to me!"

Finally Ken turned to Chip Cartwright.  "Chip, we heard from your
bride-to-be.  Is there anything you want to add?"

Like the others, Chip rose and stood behind Connie's chair and
said, "As a matter of fact, yes.  First, this has been the most
thrilling day of my life!  You see, I was all set emotionally to
be a career bachelor.  Why?  Because I became convinced that God
had stopped making the kind of girl I was looking for.  You see,
I wanted a girl who was smart and educated, but at the same time
a girl who could love me.  I had come to the conclusion that the
qualifications I was looking for were mutually exclusive.  The
bright, well-educated ones I met were universally greedy and
self-centered.  Because I have a little money, I guess I wasted a
lot of time with a lot of women finding out the same thing over
and over.

"Then I met Constance.  I utterly adored the girl and proposed
marriage after knowing her for less than twenty-four hours.  Why?
 Because I had been around the track often enough to know that
there couldn't possibly be another one like her, and I wasn't
going to let her get away."

Then with a wonderfully warm smile, Chip continued, "That brings
us to today.  What did I learn?  My God!  I was utterly stunned
and overjoyed.  You see, what I really wanted was a wife who
wanted to raise a family, but, in view of the other problems I
thought that was utterly out of the question."  He took Connie by
the hand and took her into his arms as he continued, "Darling, I
have never heard anything so beautiful in my life as your
description of conception, pregnancy and birth.  My darling, I
can't wait to see your magnificent tits fill with luscious milk
to feed our child!"  With a warm smile he asked, "Do you suppose
there might be enough for my coffee, too?"

Connie kissed him warmly and just hugged him tight.  Then with
her eyes bright she replied, "It will be taking the food from our
baby's mouth, but for my husband: anything!"  The two sat down to
the applause of the guests.

Ken looked around and said, "I don't know about the rest of you,
but I certainly learned a lot today.  But folks, what is the
message in all of this?  It's simple, really.  Remember all the
other stories you heard today.  In each case Ali focused her
attention on a girl, and you heard what happened.  With us, it's
not true.  Ali never focused on Kathy.  Kathy just soaked it up
through osmosis or something.  You see, this woman, Allison
McGrath Clifford, has so much goodness that it's in the air the
girls breathe in that office.  You heard Mike Morris tell what
happens because Judy breathes it, too."  With that, Ken turned to
Ali and asked, "Allison Clifford, I have two requests.  First,
may Kathy and I name our first girl, Allison, after you?  And
second, Ali, will you give me a kiss?  Please?"

Jumping to her feet, Ali ran to his arms.  "Ken, nothing would
thrill me more!  I'm honored.  I really am.  But why?  Why me?" 
With that Ali lifted her head and Ken kissed her full on the
mouth.

When they parted he said, loud enough for everyone to hear,
"Because we love you, Ali.  Because you were Kathy's
inspiration...  You didn't show her how to do things, but she
learned what to do."  Ken turned to Kathy who was standing by his
side.

When he released Ali, Kathy took her in her arms with tears
flowing down her cheeks and said, "Ali, I couldn't thank you
enough in a million years!  You made everything happen that you
heard Ken talk about...  All of it!  You showed me the heaven
that could exist in a man's arms.  I had the man, but was ruining
everything until I met you.  Darling Ali, I love you!"

In the meantime, Ken extended his hand to Bill Clifford, and
said, "Bill, I won't say I envy you -- I have Kathy who is my
dream.  I will say, though, that you are a very lucky man to have
the love of the world's most extraordinary woman, Allison McGrath
Clifford.  And Bill?  It couldn't happen to a nicer guy! 
Congratulations!"

Bill gave Ken a hug, then took Kathy in his arms and kissed her.
He whispered, "Kathy, you really have a wonderful guy!  And
you're such a handsome couple...  You know, there's that trite
phrase, 'made for each other?'  Honey, with you and Ken it's not
trite, it's the truth."

Finally, Kathy came into Ken's arms.  As she did, she reflected
on how natural it felt.  It was where she belonged and where she
always wanted to be.  Then she tilted her head to look up at Ken
as his lips came down on hers.  Their kiss embodied all of their
massive love for each other as their bodies molded together. 
When they parted, he looked into her eyes and asked, "Darling,
what did you think of the day?"

"All I can think of is what Connie said... about making babies? 
Darling, could we?  Could I just pitch my pills?"  Then, with her
eyes gleaming, she added, "Just think, Ken, except for going down
on you, I'll have to live without you inside of me for the last
few weeks.  And, darling, you know that, try as I might, I can't
drain you with my mouth.  It could even give you a couple of
weeks of that rest you've been begging for all day. Interested?"

Ken pulled her close and whispered, "Darling Kathy, I love you so
much..."Chapter 26

When Kathy and Ken rejoined their table, there were
congratulations extended all around.  Sandy pretended to pout
when Jack Benson shook Ken's hand heartily saying, "Ken, that was
great!  You said what had to be said."  Then his face fell as he
added with a wink, "It doesn't change anything of course, but it
did need to be said."

Mike Morris also congratulated him while Judy Jeffries pretended
to glare.  When Mike sat down, Judy said, "Kenneth Carlson,
that's the last time I defend you to Kathy.  The next time we're
on the beach in Maui and Kathy says you're getting a little
scrawny downstairs, I'll agree with her!  You have one hell of a
nerve!"  Like Kathy, when Judy had started at the Firm she had
been distinctly plump and soft, but with a vivid smile.  The
smile was still there, but she was now as firm, muscular, and
lithe as everyone else.

It was now time for Billy Clifford to offer the best man's toast.
 He rose, went to the microphone, and tapped on a glass for
attention.  The guests were all still talking about Ken's speech
and the men's comments, but they quickly quieted down.  Billy
lifted his glass and said, "Would you all please rise and join me
in a toast to the bride and groom?"  In moments, everyone was
standing.  Ken noticed that Kathy backed into him so that her
body was in contact with his.

"Dad," Billy began, "One year ago today, you met a woman you had
come to know from her films.  As a tax deal, you married her.  It
was undoubtedly the smartest move you ever made!

"Allison McGrath Clifford...  Mom!  I can't tell you the impact
you have had in only twelve months on all the people in this
room.  We have heard some very remarkable people talk about you
today.  The most memorable points to me?  Fred Clark: 'It's just
your goodness shining through!'  Mom, he's right, you know.  Then
Karen: 'She's not a woman, she's an angel.  And she is keeping
her consort young!'

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I offer a toast: To Allison McGrath
Clifford and William Harrison Clifford: two of the finest people
God has ever put on this earth, merged together to become an
incredible force for goodness!  Mom and Dad, may you continue to
enjoy all of God's blessings for the rest of very long lives!" 
With murmurs of 'Amen,' the toast was drunk.

When the guests were again seated, Billy again tapped on his
glass.  When he had the room's attention, he said, "There is one
additional comment I would like to make.  It doesn't fit into a
toast, so I'm doing it this way.  It plays off points made by
Karen Gaudli and by Ken Carlson: the aging process.  As I'm sure
you all know, I am an almost-physician.  As a joke, a couple of
weeks ago I gave my parents physical exams.  Dad thought it was
for the upcoming wedding today.  Ali didn't have a clue what it
was for, but you heard it said today:  A friend never needs a
reason for Ali; if its possible for her to do, she'll do it.  To
digress for a moment, there is another comment that's appropriate
here.  You see, in her scale of priorities, at the top, in a
class by himself, is my father.  Following him are the members of
her family, followed by her friends, like Kathy and Ken Carlson.
Ali herself isn't even on the list...  Nowhere.  She just doesn't
count.

"You know something else?  That's an attitude that spreads to all
of Ali's girls.  You heard it over and over today, and saw it
demonstrated by Kathy Carlson.  Ken asked her to strip, so she
did.  You know what?  If she were outside on the street in the
middle of rush hour and he asked her, she would have done the
same thing.  That's Ali, too.

"But back to the physical.  I was just having fun, but I was
going to really give them both a workout.  I ran them through
every test medical science has yet conceived.  The results?  Let
me make it short.  I ran the results of the tests through
age-rated tables.  Know what happened?  For Dad, his physical
performance is in the top 1 percent...  for thirty-two-year-olds,
and in the top 5 percent for twenty-six-year-olds.  Ali?  You
can't find her numbers at all until you get to age twenty-three,
and she's in the top 5 percent for...  an eighteen-year-old girl!
 Can you believe it?  Honest, it's true.

"Mom, I'm sorry, but Karen Gaudli is right: you are an angel and
you are keeping your consort young."  Then, with a big grin he
asked, "Mom, promise to take care of Joan and me when we're old
and gray?"  The whole room cracked up with laughter.

They were about to move to the cutting of the cake when Ali stood
up.  "Bill, since it's my wedding and all I have been getting is
alternatively a ration of you-know-what, intermixed with gallons
of tears, may I please say something?"

Billy was startled, but quickly recovered.  "Well, Mom, it's
irregular...  But what the hell, this has been a very irregular
wedding reception, anyway!"  He grinned and said, "Talk away!"

Ali didn't go to the microphone but just stood at her place.  She
looked around the room and tears came to her eyes.  This time,
the guests were  certain they were real; this was no act.  "One
year ago today I came to this hotel.  I guess it was a year and a
few hours ago.  I was coming to try out for a part.  You see,
there was a testimonial earlier to Sandy Harris for saving my
life -- and she sure as hell did.  However, had things worked out
differently, there would have been no life to _be_ saved.  You
see, when I came to the hotel that morning, I was dying."  She
stopped as she heard the gasps from the guests.

"I'm not exaggerating.  You see, I was literally starving to
death that morning.  In fact, I guess I spent all the time
between meeting Bill Clifford for the first time and then
marrying him, eating.  He saved my life, and gave me the part. 
It was the most challenging role I have ever played.  I'll say
something to you now that I have never said to a living soul:  I
almost gave up.  You see, after we were married, beginning the
first night, we slept together -- but we didn't have sex.  A
little earlier in one of my little acts, I was joking about it. 
Believe me when I tell you that a year ago it was no joke.  What
did I do?  I did everything I could conceive of to make myself
attractive enough to Bill Clifford so he would take me.  I almost
gave up.  Then, following Ginger's wedding, we went out to Maui
and Bill took me!  It was like nothing I had ever even dreamed! 
I was in heaven.  Right there I resolved to make myself as
attractive to him as I possibly could be so he wouldn't lose
interest.  It was purely self-preservation, you see.

"Later, in the event described so poignantly by Jennifer and
others, I came to realize that Bill Clifford really loves me!  I
am honored above all women as the recipient of his love.  I am
humbled."  Ali paused and looked around the room, then shook her
head and said, "Fred Clark was both too kind and inaccurate in
what he said.  You see, it's not my goodness you see.  It's me
trying to reflect the goodness that is Bill Clifford, the most
wonderful man God has ever created.  Since then, I have worked
with the girls to try to get them to understand what a marvelous
thing married love can be.

"I was both flattered and humbled by many of the things said
today.  I want to single out only one additional person: Kathy
Carlson.  I have never been so flattered in my life as when I
heard it said that she was just trying to emulate me.  She is
truly a paragon.  Brilliant: Do you realize she would be one of
the top lawyers in the state if there weren't for the dumb rule
that you can't take the bar exam without having gone to law
school?  It's true.  Beautiful: You all saw that for yourselves.
Passionate: Discount what Ken was trying to sell about 75
percent, but that's still one hell of a lot."  Turning to Kathy
she said, "Darling, all I can possibly say to you is thank you
for being who you are and for all that you have done for me and
for the Firm."

Then Ali lifted her head and raised her champagne glass and said,
"Now please join me in a toast to the man who literally saved my
life and then gave me a level of happiness beyond even the fairy
tales.  To the finest husband in all the world, William Harrison
Clifford!"  There were cheers from the guests, and Ali gulped her
drink, just having enough time to drop her glass before Bill
swept her off her feet.

"My darling," he whispered, "Ali, you are the love of my life...
That's wrong!  Ali, you are my life!"

*  *  *

The final element of the reception, following the cutting of the
cake, was the bride throwing her bouquet to the women and her
garter to the men.  As the time approached, Barbara whispered in
her ear and Ali nodded and began to giggle.  When it was time for
the bouquet, Ali stood with a bouquet in her hand and shook her
head sadly.  "Girls, I have bad news for you.  You see, the girl
who catches the bouquet is supposed to be the first one to marry.
 This creates a couple of problems.  First, Bill and I --
strictly in the interests of economy, of course -- are planning a
multiple wedding, so no one would be first.  Second, we were
quite taken with Ken's metaphor of golden panthers.  I really
think he's pretty accurate.  Since the last thing we want is a
major-league cat fight, we had to do something else."

Turning her head she called, "Carmelita, Consuela?" The two girls
looked both beautiful and proud as they came into the room, each
carrying a flower basket with duplicate bridal bouquets.  Debbie
was so proud of her young sisters as they visited each of the
girls in turn.  The girl would make a deep curtsy and then
proudly present a bridal bouquet.  The recipients were Sandy,
Jennifer, Joan, Connie, and Judy.

When Consuela presented the last bouquet in her basket to Judy
Jeffries, Judy took the girl in her arms and gave her a big kiss.
 The young girl blushed with embarrassment, but then asked, "Miss
Jeffries, may I kiss you again?  Please?  Your lips are so sweet,
and they are so luscious.  May I have another?"

"My God, yes!" Judy exclaimed, taking the girl back in her arms
and kissing her softly full on the lips.  When the girl withdrew
with stars in her eyes, Judy pretended to glare at Mike and said,
"None of your shit, Michael Morris!  I am now certified as having
very kissable lips."

Mike just winked and asked, "May I try, too?"  Judy just melted
into his arms.

The process was then repeated with the garter.  Again the girls
presented duplicate garters to the men.  When they finished their
young heads were spinning from the kisses the men had given them
in return.

*  *  *

That night Ali and Bill were in their bed.  They were planning to
leave for Maui the next day.  It was very similar to the first
night they had spent together a year earlier, except Bill came
out from the bathroom nude.  At the side of the bed he just stood
and looked down at Ali.  She licked her lips hungrily and
whispered, "Darling, I think they may be right.  You look much
younger than you did last year."  Then her face fell and her
lower lip began to tremble.  Tears appeared at the corners of her
eyes as she whispered, "Bill... Bill... Could you try...  Could
you..."  Then with tears beginning to flow she said tremulously,
"Please be gentle..."

Bill pantomimed a silent-films villain, pretending to curl his
nonexistent mustache, and said, "No!  Little girl, the time has
come to make you a woman!"

Ali threw back the covers, revealing her golden nude body to
welcome Bill, but still maintained her role.  In spite of her
lascivious grin, she softly cried in a little-girl voice, "But
sir!  My virtue...!"

*The End*

* * *

Comments and constructive criticism are sincerely welcome.  Let
me hear from you.  morg105829@aol.com

_Allison_  Copyright 1988, 2001 by Morgan.  <morg105829@aol.com>

All rights reserved.  No part may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any electronic means, including photocopying,
recording or by any information and retrieval system, without the
written permission of the author. <1st attachment end>


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