Naked Lies (3 page)

"Christ, what
are you doing standing in the lounge starkers?" he gasped as he
entered the room to confront my naked, curvaceous body.

"I... I was
about to take a shower when... What are you doing home?" I
blustered, tugging my skirt up, veiling my flurried pussy.

"I had to go
and see a client. He's local so I thought I'd call in for coffee.
Are you all right, Jane? Your face is very flushed."

"Yes, I'm
fine."

"Why undress
in the lounge?"

"I thought I
heard the phone and..." Remembering that my bra and blouse were in
the kitchen, I forced a smile. "I'll go and put the kettle on," I
said, brushing past him.

The magazine
had gone, I noticed as I hurried into the kitchen and slipped my
blouse on. Den had taken the incriminating evidence, no doubt to
return and have me strip naked again. Henceforth, I reflected
intuitively, the nightmare could only get worse.

As Mat
appeared in the doorway, suspicion reflected in his brown eyes as
he scrutinized me, I did my best to appear cool and calm. I daren't
fuel his suspicion by showing telltale signs of the anxiety and
guilt that were flooding my mind, drowning me. Forcing the picture
of Den's mouth engulfing my nipple to the dark corners of my mind,
I took a deep breath as Mat sauntered over to me.

"Why is your
bra over the chair?" he asked suspiciously as I filled the
kettle.

"It's to be
washed. You don't mind if I wash my bra, do you?" I smiled with an
air of innocence that surprised me.

"No, no of
course I don't mind."

Mat perched himself on the edge of the table as I took two
cups from the cupboard and opened a jar of Nescafe. I felt his eyes
boring into me as I spooned coffee into the cups - boring into my
soul. But there was no way that he could read it, I reasoned with
myself. He'd never know of my illicit striptease act - that I'd
showed Den my cunt.
Cunt
. I hated the word.

I'd always
dressed provocatively for Mat, ensuring that he glimpsed my scanty
panties as I made myself comfortable in the armchair, allowing him
a peek of my braless nipples as my blouse fell open. But that was
our secret, our private game. Not once during my marriage had I
ever dreamed of displaying my naked body to another man.

Recalling my
treacherous disrobing as the kettle boiled, Den's wide eyes as I'd
unveiled my vaginal crack, a mixture of fear and remorse
overwhelmed me. Guilt swamping me as Mat stood behind me, holding
my hips and kissing my neck, a shudder ran down my spine. For five
years I'd been faithful, never dreaming about other men, let
alone... But I'd not sullied my body, I consoled myself. I'd not
allowed another man to touch me. Never in a million years would I
do that! As Mat slipped his hands up my skirt and cupped my naked
buttocks, I jumped.

"Den!" I
cried, immediately realizing my mistake.

"Den?" Mat
echoed as I turned guiltily to face him.

"Den, he... I
spoke to him earlier. He was in his front garden."

"What did he
have to say?"

"Not a lot, he
just mentioned the weather. There's your coffee."

"Thanks. Why
mention his name?"

"I was only
going to say that I'd seen him."

"Oh, right.
So, what have you been up to?"

Was he testing
me? No, of course he wasn't! He was only making conversation,
asking what I'd been up to. What had I been up to? My stomach sank
as I imagined Mat walking into the lounge and discovering me
standing naked before another man. God, what the hell had I
done?

What I'd done was immoral, wrong, and would haunt me forever,
I knew. But I'd had no choice. It wasn't as if I'd stripped of my
own free will, displayed my feminine intimacy out of lust.
Blackmailed, forced, coerced
... The whispered words comforted me. I was innocent in my
guilt.

"I have to go
up north tomorrow," Mat said, sipping his coffee. "I'll be away for
the night, I'm afraid."

"Away?"

"It can't be
helped."

"You've never
had to stay away before."

"There's a
problem with... I won't bore you with the details. You'll be OK
alone, won't you? I mean, it's only for one night."

"Yes, yes I
suppose so."

Alone? If Den
were to discover that Mat was away for the night, I wouldn't be
alone! But I didn't have to answer the door to Den, did I? With the
house locked, the curtains drawn, I'd be safe enough while Mat was
away. Again, I pictured myself naked, standing before my neighbour,
displaying my intimacy. But it had only been once, and that was the
way it was going to stay. I'd not succumb to my blackmailer's
demands again.

"You say the
phone rang?" Mat asked.

"I thought I
heard it ringing when I was upstairs."

"Why not
answer it in the bedroom? Why come all the way downstairs?"

"I... I wanted
to check the back door before I had a shower, I thought I'd left it
open."

As Mat finished his coffee and placed his cup in the sink, I
caught his gaze again. He seemed different, as if he knew of my
wicked indiscretion. But he couldn't know, could he? I was
different, I decided. Different in my guilt. I pondered on the
word
guilt
.
Blackmailed, forced, coerced... I'd stripped before my neighbour.
Whatever the reason, I'd laid myself bare to a virtual stranger. I
was guilty.

"I'd better be
going," Mat smiled, kissing my cheek. "I'll see you this
evening."

"All right. I
thought we'd have steak."

"That'll be
nice. I'll pick up a bottle of red wine on the way home. About
seven, OK?"

"OK."

As Mat drove
off, I became acutely aware of my bare pussy. Alone in the house, I
felt vulnerable, completely defenceless. Den would hear Mat's car
back out of the drive and... Locking the back door, I dashed into
the lounge to retrieve my panties and cover my nakedness. But I
couldn't find them.

"Shit!" I
cursed, my mind swirling with a million thoughts. Carole would be
arriving for coffee soon and I hadn't even done the washing up. But
dirty plates were the least of my worries. Dirty tricks, more
likely! My panic rising, I returned to the kitchen and checked the
back door again. It was locked - I was safe, secure. I had to calm
down and relax.

Tossing my bra
into the washing machine, I looked about me feverishly. There was
no evidence of my disgusting disrobing, no telltale signs - only
dreadful images of my exhibitionism careering through my tortured
mind. Carole would never know, Mat would never know - my sordid
secret was safe. But where were my panties?

Taking a deep
breath to compose myself, I stood at the sink to finish the washing
up, desperately trying to push the morning's events to the back of
my mind. I dropped a glass as the phone rang, nearly jumping out of
my skin as it smashed loudly in the sink. "God, I'm a nervous
wreck!" I breathed, dashing into the hall and lifting the
receiver.

"Jane, it's
me." Den's voice was dark, menacing. "I see Mat's gone."

"Yes, but
he'll be back in about ten minutes."

"No, he won't.
I've been thinking, why don't you come round and see me?"

"No! Mat will
be back soon and I have a friend coming round for coffee."

"OK, there's
no rush. I'm only next door, so we'll have plenty of opportunities
to..."

"You took the
magazine. You said that you'd..."

"For
safekeeping, Jane. I mean, we don't want Mat to see it, do we? We
don't want him discovering your sordid past."

"You told me
you'd give me the magazine."

"I have your
panties here. They smell nice, a fresh, girlie aroma."

"Den, I'm
warning you..."

"And they're
beautifully stained!"

"Den, if
you... There's the doorbell, it'll be my friend."

"I'll ring you
later, my horny little sexpot."

"No!"

Shakily
replacing the receiver, I opened the front door, forcing a smile as
I invited Carole in. "Are you OK?" she asked, immediately realizing
that something was wrong as she stepped into the hall.

"Yes, of
course!" I laughed. A nervous laugh.

"You look very
flushed."

"I'm fine.
Come through and I'll put the kettle on."

I tried to
compose myself as she made herself comfortable at the kitchen
table. I was showing signs of anxiety, guilt, and I didn't want her
asking any searching questions. But it was obvious that something
was badly amiss. My face burning, my hands trembling, I was far
from my usual jovial self. Twinkling in the light, the glass
shrapnel winked at me from the sink as I filled the kettle.

"I've not been
feeling too well," I finally offered in way of an explanation.

"I thought you
looked off colour. Have you got a temperature?"

"Just a tummy
bug, I think. So, how are things with you?"

"Fine. John's
up for promotion again, which is good."

"Do you reckon
he'll get it?"

"Yes, I think
he..."

"Have you ever
been unfaithful?" I thought aloud, wishing I hadn't.

"Unfaithful?
Why do you ask?"

"I... I heard
something on the radio about infidelity," I lied. "It was quite
interesting."

"No, I
haven't. There was a friend of John's who fancied me, but that was
a long time ago. Nothing happened, of course. Have you?"

"Have I
what?"

"Been
unfaithful."

"Er... No, no
of course I haven't!"

Had I?
Intercourse was the criterion I'd always held to define
unfaithfulness, infidelity. Since marrying Mat, I'd not had
intercourse with another man. I'd never allowed another man to
touch me. Den had looked - but not touched. I hadn't been
unfaithful - had I?

Passing Carole
a cup of coffee, I scrutinized her. In her early twenties, with
long, black glossy hair, she was extremely attractive. Would she
have stripped before her lewd neighbour? I wondered, eyeing her
firm breasts swelling her tight blouse. In the same situation,
would she have complied with her blackmailer's demands? Probably
not. Definitely not!

"Have you ever
done anything you regret?" I pursued, turning the radio off and
sitting opposite her.

She frowned,
cocking her head to one side. "How do you mean?"

"Well,
anything you'd rather John didn't know about."

"No, I don't
think so. What are you getting at?"

"Oh, I don't
know. I've been thinking, that's all."

"What's
happened, Jane? There's something wrong, I can tell."

"A tummy bug,
that's all."

"No, it's not
that."

"I was just
thinking back to my... I suppose we've all done things we'd rather
not remember."

"There was
this lad..." She hesitated, letting out a giggle as she obviously
recalled something wicked. "Well, as you said, we've all done
things we'd rather not remember."

"It's funny,
isn't it? I mean, the things life throws at you out of the
blue..."

"Are you OK
with Mat?"

"Yes, never
better."

OK with Mat?
Yes, I decided, I was OK with my husband. What had happened earlier
that morning would never happen again, I promised myself for the
umpteenth time. No matter what Den threatened or did, never would I
demean myself like that again. Never would I display my naked body
to another man, no matter what the consequences.

Carole didn't
stay as long as usual. Making some feeble excuse, she finished her
coffee and stood up. She was suspicious, I knew - but suspicious
about what? Again, I told myself that no one could possibly know
what I'd done, and no one would ever discover my sordid secret.

"I'd better
dash," Carole smiled, moving towards the kitchen door. "I have a
lot to do today."

"Yes, all
right. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll ring
you."

When she'd
gone, I flopped onto the sofa in the lounge, contemplating my day.
I'd go into town, buy something to cheer myself up. Some new
clothes, I decided, recalling a burgundy velvet dress I'd seen in
Boyd's window. I'd wear it for Mat that evening - appease my guilt
by dressing nicely for my man.

But the vivid
images of Den wouldn't leave my mind. However much I tried to push
all thoughts of him away, he was still there, scrutinizing my
curvaceous body, his dark eyes devouring my feminine intimacy.
Lifting my skirt, I parted my thighs, examining my vaginal crack,
my pink, petalled flora.

As if a
reflection, in the soft, glistening folds, I saw Den. He'd seen me
there, fed his hungry, lustful eyes on my intimacy, my most secret
place. Pulling my sex lips wide apart I gazed at my clitoris,
imagining Mat licking me there, transporting me to orgasm. Can
clocks turn back?

"Damn!" I
cursed, tugging my skirt down as the phone rang. Leaping up and
grabbing the receiver, I prayed that it wasn't Den again. It could
be anyone, I rationalized, pressing the receiver to my ear. My
mother, a friend... anyone.

"Hi," Den
whispered huskily. "It's me again."

"Den..."

"I noticed
your friend leave so I thought I'd give you a ring."

"What
for?"

"To have a
chat, of course. I've been looking through my mags and I've found
two more with your photographs in. There's Miss December and Miss
July - both very naughty, I must say!"

"What do you
want?" I asked, knowing full well what he wanted!

"What do I
want? I want to look at you, Jane. I want to see your lovely cunt,
your beautiful tits."

"Well, you
can't!"

"But I can.
You don't seem to understand that I have the incriminating evidence
of your more colourful days. I'm holding your marriage in the
balance."