Second-Hand Dresses

Chapter 21: Dinner Service

The ideal wife as the dinner waiting for her husband as he walks in the door. Even if she is but guiding cooks from a seat, it is her hand that prepares the meal.

—Edastin Kismir, The Cook's Affair (Act 1, Scene 2)

Lily sang under her breath as she hopped up on the curb and continued her way home. She had her two bags, Nirih's dress was always with her now, but she had found a comfortable position to keep them without strangling herself with the heavy weight. It didn't matter though, the intense high from a successful day kept her company.

Her thoughts were chaotic, bouncing back and forth between everything that had happened. One moment, she relived Mindil's kiss. The memories were enough to bring a flutter to her heart and a moisture between her legs. Her pussy ached and she couldn't wait to get home to pleasure herself.

A pair of women followed by an escort passed her. That ripped her thoughts away from Mindil and to their outfits. She could see now how her services could be used to color their boots, gloves, and even hair to match or contrast with the colors of their evening dresses. It had the greatest potential of ensuring her steady business for the rest of her life, if she could pull it off.

The specter of Nirih's dress returned to her. She had to get the outfit right, even if she worked day and night. She worried her bottom lip for a moment and then accelerated to get home earlier, having a quick dinner, and then work late. Mindil had asked her to invite Hasan over but she had a few days.

It would also give her a night to figure out how to tell him no. She liked Mindil, more and more the longer she spent with her. Both Hasan and her were intense, forceful, and commanding. They made it difficult for her to deny them, mainly because she didn't, but she felt guilty about her relationship with Hasan.

The excitement had cooled by the time she reached her block. She came around the corner with determination, ready to work for the night.

When she saw Hasan's carriage standing outside of her house, she stopped. "No," she whimpered. At the same time, the little fantasies she had been using to pleasure herself bubbled up, caressing against her inner thighs and along her nipples. She had an entire night with him to do whatever she wanted.

Guilt rose up, choking her. She wanted Hasan, but she also wanted Mindil. The kisses that kept her going at night were still buzzing around inside her, pushing her to the edge. There was no way she could find relief with Hasan.

Lily's cheeks flushed as she tried to come up with a plan for entering her house. When she started to practice how she would tell him know, her fantasies twisted it around as she imagined herself being pinned against the wall, his hardness pressed up against her aching sex and his hands caressing her body. She could almost feel the heat of his breath against her neck, right in the sensitive spot that always made her shiver with pleasure.

Lily froze. No, she wasn't supposed to think about Hasan having his way with her. She was supposed to drive him out so she could work. With a frown, she steeled herself to tell him to leave no matter how much she wanted him to stay.

Marching down, she was painfully aware of the slickness between her legs. The throb of her clitoris and the ache in her nipples made it even harder to remain confident. She stumbled before she made it to her own gate.

"Okay, Lily, just tell him to go home."

The door was unlocked. She trembled as she opened it.

The rich smells of cooking poured out. There was seasoned meat and spiced apples. Even the scent of sweet breads rolled over her, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since Mindil had left. Her stomach grumbled.