'Now!' Peter was standing in the lounge, in front of the other two, who were sitting together on the sofa. 'Would anybody like a drink? Coffee? Tea? Bourbon? Scotch? Champagne? We have a good selection.' He made a pouring gesture. 'Anything you like! Anything at all!'

'Thanks! Peter!' She remembered an important appointment at nine in the morning at the Bank. 'I have to make an early start! I think, I'll stick to coffee! If you don't mind!'

Catherine tapped her in the ribs. 'Spoilsport!' She then patted Vee-Bee's tighter than usual stomach. 'But you're right! All this food and alcohol will punish as both later! I'd better have the same as Vee-Bee, Peter!'

'If you don't mind, ladies! I'll have a Scotch myself!' He turned and disappeared towards the kitchen.

***

'So how are you and Peter going to spend all this money!' She would have changed her car for a Porsche or a Ferrari and would certainly have asked the Korean seamstress to do a lot of work. She might have also taken on the maid, she promised herself in her dreams! 'A new car? Clothes?' She tapped Catherine back. 'Several new and very much tighter corsets?'

'Possibly!' She stood up very suddenly and turned to stand in front of Vee-Bee. 'I've collected so many over the years, that I probably don't need too many more. But Peter adores me like this, so I doubt he would object' She took off her jacket with a flourish. 'I'll go to Paris or London and get some stunning suits and glamourous evening dresses, though!' She threw the jacket distainly onto the sofa. 'This one should go for a start!'

'It's beautiful!' She thought that whoever had made or altered it to fit her shape, had cut it absolutely right. It was short enough to give the right proportions with her waist and superb legs. But not too short to be anything but completely tasteful. The bright red colour complimented her beautifully fair complection. She did not change the view she had formed, when she had first seen Catherine. She felt that Catherine looked no more than forty! 'You look stunning!' She corrected herself. 'Absolutely stunning!'

'Do you want to see the corset, I'm wearing?' Catherine did not wait for an answer and started to unbuckle the belt.

'I'd love to!' She then had second thoughts. 'But what about Peter!'

Catherine laughed. 'We've been married over thirty-four years. He's seen me in my corset many many times.' She laughed again. 'If you assume he's laced me on average twice a day, every day for all of those years, then he's done it over twenty-five thousand times. If you accept that some days, he's helped me change to go out, it's probably a lot more!'

'It's a pity you don't keep a diary. With a detailed count! And a record of all your measurements!' She was giggling at the thought. 'Then you could have had a real celebration at the twenty-five thousand mark!'

'Who said I don't!' She now unzipped the skirt and lifted it over her head, fully revealing her black blouse and a short matching slip underneath. The skirt was tossed after the jacket. 'I would certainly write some interesting tales about today! And about you!'

She thought about tossing the jacket back! 'Take the blouse and chemise off! I can't see your wonderful waist!' She called like a heckler and then regretted it! 'Sorry! That wasn't very ladylike! But now that the clothes are all loose...' She collapsed into a large heap of giggles.

'You're only young once!' She started to undo the buttons of her blouse, wiggling her hips at the same time. 'Do I make a good stripper?'

'I wouldn't know!' She smiled back. 'I'm not a great judge of the performing arts!' She thought about some of the more seedier parts of the city. 'You'd go down a storm in Texas Cowgirls! You'd be a refreshing change! You've got a much more interesting body!'

Catherine responded by roughly placing the blouse over Vee-Bee's head and tying it on with the sleeves. 'Don't be cheeky!'

By the time, she had finally escaped from the blouse and could see clearly again, Catherine had removed the slip. Her face showed how she felt, about the vision in front of her. 'Wow! I've never seen a waist like that!' She just looked in amazement, at the tiny waist, constrained by a black, lace-trimmed corset, before jumping to her feet. 'Can I touch?' She put her hands close in readiness. 'Please!'

***

Her hands were at Catherine's waist, feeling the almost vertical section of the pipe-stem. 'I've never felt anything like this before. Are all your corset's so severe?' She thought about what it would do to a body. 'Is it that comfortable?'

'No they are not!' Catherine laughed as if to emphasise her statement and then moved her hands to the buttons on Vee-Bee's jacket. 'Peter took over half-an-hour to lace me in this morning. My working corsets are nowhere near as constricting. But in answer to your second question, it is very comfortable!' She started to unbutton the jacket. 'At a pinch, I can put most of my corsets on by myself. Not that I do very often! But this one! No!' She grinned widely. 'Never!'

She was unsure as to Catherine's motives and felt like pulling away. She tried to change the subject and delay what she knew to now be inevitable. 'I see you have six garters, whereas I always have eight! My corset does not cover the bust! Like yours does!' Nervousness was showing in her voice.

'Fair's fair!' Catherine had now removed the blue jacket of the silk suit, which she carefully placed on the sofa. 'You've seen my corset.' She was now unzipping the skirt. 'I'm jealous of the number of garters you have. I must look and check! I can afford more now!' Catherine felt no resistance, as she lifted the skirt over Vee-Bee's head. 'What a lovely blouse. The colour suits you so well! Silk, isn't it?' A minute later and it had joined the suit.

She was now standing there in her grey slip. 'Undress me!' Catherine's hands went to her shoulders. 'I'm shy!'

'That wasn't so bad. Was it? I do love the matching silver! It's so unusual!' The two women embraced warmly, just as they had at the Club. 'I think that my next corset will be in an unusual colour! Yellow! A pastel green! Or even silver like you! And it will have eight garters!' She flicked one, to test the tension. 'You like them tight don't you!'

***

Peter's face was a picture, as he entered the room carrying a tray of coffee, cream and sugar. He had not forgotten his Scotch, either! 'Is this a private party? Or can I join in?'

Catherine eased her grip and offered an arm to her husband. 'Come and give this nice lady a cuddle with me!'

Copyright 1999 by Ewart Higgins