Keeping Secrets

"What are the odds?" Deanna asked Baldy when Baldy sanctioned the match.

"Seven to one she beats you," Baldy shrugged.

"Five hundred on me to win," Deanna said, handing Baldy the five hundred dollars.

"I, I want two hundred on Venus," Amber said and squeezed Deanna in a greasy hug.

"I knew, that bitch won? I knew she'd be challenging you," Amber whispered into Deanna's ear. "I just knew she'd never be able to let it go."

"Come oil me up," Deanna demanded, smiling.

"Venus! The winner of last night's competition! Catalina, tonight's grand winner!" Daniel called out, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.

Just as she had done to her, Amber made quite a show of greasing Deanna's breasts. Amber also made a show of liberally coating Deanna's sweetly rounded backside. The crowd cheered as Amber rubbed the oil into Deanna's buttocks, hand underneath Deana's bikini bottom.

"I'm fuck you up, bitch," Catalina promised as Venus finally knelt down, facing her.

When the bell clanged, Samantha hurled a handful of oil into Deanna's eyes. Deanna screamed out, blinded by the sludge. But when she felt Samantha tackle her, Deanna's instincts kicked in and she twisted, effectively wiggling out of Samantha's grasp. She then grabbed Samantha's greasy head in one hand, Samantha's oily breasts in the other hand, then pushed her knee against Samantha's thighs. With a savage thrust, Deanna pushed Samantha's legs back, toppling the girl face first in the oil. Deanna then fell across Samantha's back, pinning Samantha down, face first in the sludge.

"One, two, three," Birdie counted out.

Deanna used Samantha to pushed herself up, effectively holding Samantha down for an additional second or two. She still could not see through the stinging, burning of the oil in her eyes. Deanna knee-walked, slogged toward where she hoped Amber and Cindy were standing.

Baldy helped Deanna flush her eyes. After a few minutes, Deanna was able to see again. She smiled a tight lipped smile and assured Baldy that she would not physically retaliate toward Samantha.

Thanks to her father and her uncle, Deanna had learned, never ever retaliate in front of witnesses. Never retaliate where someone might see you. Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Even after Samantha gave Deanna an insincere apology and Deanna nodded her acceptance, Baldy still fired Samantha. Samantha shrugged it off; she'd left The Captain's Table to come work for Little Vixens and Jason, the manager of The Captain's Table would hire her again. Or, Hunter's Cabin was always looking for new girls.

"You know, only five people put any money on you to win," Julio informed Deanna as he counted out her winnings. "Everyone else? They was all sure Catalina would tear you up."

Deanna again assured Baldy she was all right to drive. Looking around, Deanna felt a small twinge of disappointment when she didn't see Amber. Wiggling into her plastic poncho, Deanna left the club.

It was Saturday before Deanna saw Amber again. Amber was working the early shift; her stint was just about finished when Deanna came into the back room.

"Hey, you, you okay? How're your eyes?" Amber asked as she prepared to go out onto the stage again.

"They, they're fine," Deanna said. "I, I looked around after, didn't see you."

"Yeah, sorry, baby sitter shot me a text; she was called in," Amber said, then turned when Birdie introduced Candy.

"You okay? Baldy asked Deanna, walking from the employee's restroom to the bar area. "Eyes okay?"

"Eyes are fine," Deanna assured Baldy.

"Aw yeah, Candy is oh so sweet, Birdie crooned as Amber finished dancing.

"Baby sitter? You, you got, how many kids you got?" Deanna asked as Amber hurriedly dressed.

"Just my little angel," Amber smiled. "I swear, she, Christina's my world."

"Aw," Deanna cooed.

"You? Any kids?" Amber asked as she stuffed her tips into her lock box.

"Hmm? No, no, not yet," Deanna said, applying her makeup.

"You, you was serious 'bout teaching me, you know, wrestling?" Amber asked as Deanna locked her street clothes into her locker.

"We're off tomorrow," Deanna said. "Here, here's my phone number; give me a call about one, two o'clock, okay?"

Amber must have been just as anxious; her call came at precisely one o'clock the following afternoon. Deanna tried to quell her excitement but it was difficult.

"Seventeen ten Cottonwood, right after you cross Ferguson," Deanna gave directions to her house.

Once Deanna had her tuition and other incidentals taken care of, she'd brought her money to Jack Thompson. Through him, Deanna established a high-risk investment strategy, going so far as to sell short on several agricultural crops. She focused on the South American market; Jack agreed with a shrug of his shoulders.

With part of her earnings, Deanna bought 1710 Cottonwood Drive. Also, with part of her earnings, Deanna had a state of the art security system installed.

Amber and Christina Taylor arrived at 1710 Cottonwood Drive twenty five minutes later. Christina was a red headed cutie that obviously took after her mother. The two year old child was a chatterbox and talked incessantly to 'Miss Dee' while Amber set up Christina's playpen in Deanna's living room.

"I, so uh, where is her daddy?" Deanna asked as Amber put Christina into the playpen.

"Beats the hell out of me," Amber shrugged. "We moved out here from Lowenburg; Danny had a scholarship to Myndee, you know, because he can play with balls. Gets me knocked up then decides he's fallen in love with some skanky cheerleader. I mean, he's real sorry but..."

"Men," Deanna agreed, shaking her head in disgust.

After a few minutes, Deanna and Amber knelt on a sheet Deanna had already spread out on the carpeted floor. Deanna had worn a simple tee shirt and flannel shorts. Amber had worn a halter top that left her pale belly exposed, and Daisy Duke Cutoffs that showed off her sleek legs.

Deanna showed Amber some moves, basically how to break out of grips, how to push her opponent off-balance, so forth. After Amber had demonstrated that she had defensive maneuvers in hand, Deanna switched to offensive tactics.

"Now, you break out of my grip," Deanna demonstrated. "Then go for around my middle, instead of trying to reach high."

Amber managed, barely, to get Deanna onto her back. Then while she had Deanna pinned, Amber pressed her lips to Deanna's lips. Deanna opened her mouth and Amber thrust her tongue into Deanna's mouth. The two women lay on the sheet in the middle of the living room and hugged, kissing one another.

Amber and Deanna rolled onto their sides, facing one another. Over Amber's shoulder, Deanna saw that Christina was sound asleep, lying in her playpen. She then looked into Amber's deep brown eyes. Their kisses were soft, unhurried kisses. Deanna softly touched Amber's exposed flesh, then began to work her fingers underneath the scraps of fabric that covered Amber's flesh.

Untying Amber's halter top, Deanna softly touched Amber's breasts, fingers coming closer and closer to Amber's crinkled areolae and hard nipples. Amber sighed with pleasure as Deana's mouth moved from Amber's lips to Amber's nipples.

"Mm, augh, oh God," Amber hissed when Deanna gently bit down on her nipple.

Deanna unsnapped and unzipped Amber's shorts as she kissed from Amber's beautiful breasts to Amber's concave belly.

Amber's sprigs of carrot orange pubic hair came into view as Deanna worked the zipper of Amber's shorts down. Amber's legs spread wide when Deanna removed the scrap of denim from Amber's small feet.

The smell of Amber's sex was heavy and Deanna could see Amber's inner lips were fat, slick with Amber's excitement. Both girls groaned as Deanna brought her mouth to Amber's slick lips.

"Mm God, yes," Deanna hissed as she waggled her tongue from Amber's perineum toward the top of Amber's wet slit.

"Mm hmm, augh, yes," Amber hissed and gently combed her fingers through Deanna's long blonde hair.

Deanna located Amber's fat little clitoris and slowly waggled her tongue around the sensitive nub while her fingers slipped into Amber's willing sex. Amber grunted as Deanna used fingers and tongue to tease Amber's flesh.

"I, shit!" Amber grunted and Deanna felt Amber's sex give a spasm, clenching tightly around Deanna's fingers.

Deanna continued to finger Amber through Amber's orgasm. When Amber ceased shuddering, Deanna again lapped at Amber's clitoris until Amber tensed, then cried out in orgasm.

After her orgasm subsided, Amber gently pushed Deanna's blonde head away from her splayed sex. Deanna slowly pulled her fingers from Amber's crotch and began kissing her way up Amber's torso to Amber's gasping mouth.

"I, that, oh God," Amber gasped.

Deanna softly kissed Amber's lips. Then Deanna curled up against Amber's nude body.

"I, you, you're still dressed?" Amber realized as she felt Deanna's tee shirt and shorts against her nude flesh.

"Mm hmm," Deanna murmured.

Amber rolled over and began to edge Deanna's tee shirt up. Christina picked that moment to wake from her nap.

"Oh. What? Huh?" Deanna smiled, bending and scooping the toddler from the playpen. "What? You think you need to come out and play? Is that it?"

Amber hurriedly dressed then took her daughter from Deanna's embrace. She changed Christina's wet diaper and located a sippy cup of apple juice in the diaper bag. She also found some animal crackers and gently rocked Christina on her leg while the child happily gnawed on the crackers.

"So, why are you dancing?" Amber asked as Deanna rubbed Christina's back, Deanna's other arm across the back of the couch, across Amber's shoulders.

"College ain't cheap," Deanna said.

"Amber looked pointedly around at their surroundings. The home was a large home among other large, expensive homes. The furniture was of good quality. The television on the wall was a large one. The art on another wall was an original Carrie Hebert. Because of the open floor plan, Amber could see the kitchen, could see the copper pans suspended from hooks in the ceiling.

Deanna then asked, "And you? Why you dancing?"

"Babies ain't cheap," Amber smiled, kissing her child's messy face.

Amber then admitted that Danny had used her credit to obtain credit cards and ruined her credit ratings. Just to pay down the debt, as well as the hospital and other bills she'd incurred because of Danny and because of Christina, Amber had seen few opportunities.

"I mean, working at the brewery? Most of my money was just going to the day care," Amber admitted. "Anything left over, rent, food, my paycheck was gone before I even seen it."

"Home? What, Lowenburg?" Deanna asked.

"Told you, told you don't be running off with that boy, told you," Amber said, adopting a deep voice. "Look, I'd rather be a whore than bring Christina around that."

"Are you a whore?" Deanna asked softly, kissing Amber.

"Shit, you ain't?" Amber asked.

"Venus is. Me? No. I'm a college student," Deanna smiled.

At five thirty, Deanna made a quick chicken cacciatore. Christina surprised her mommy; she actually ate some of the food.

"Anything is good if you put it on elbow noodles, right?" Deanna smiled, kissing Christina's forehead.

Amber and Deanna practiced a few more wrestling moves. Then Deanna helped Amber pack Christina's playpen into the trunk of Amber's Hyundai. Deanna did wonder how Amber ever found her daughter or her daughter's car seat among the cluttered interior of the car.

"Yeah, I know, I need to clean it out," Amber laughed. "Tell me when I got time, huh?"

"What time you go in tomorrow?" Deanna asked.

"Someone has an appointment with Dr. Davendorf," Amber smiled.

Inside of the silent home, Deanna picked up the sheet and brought it to the garage. She dumped the sheet into the washing machine and dropped a capful of detergent into the rapidly filling drum. In her home again, Deanna felt the empty loneliness descend. Sitting on her couch, Deanna gave the air a sniff. She imagined she could still smell Amber's sheen of sweat. With a sigh, Deanna worked on her Statistics 410 assignment.

Monday, Deanna asked Amber how Christina's doctor's appointment had gone. Amber's eyes teared up; Christina had been given a shot and had, of course, cried when she was jabbed with the needle.

"Aw yeah, rock my world, here's Venus," Daniel announced and Deanna gave Amber's hand an affectionate squeeze before striding toward the curtain that separated dressing room from stage.

"I, you friends? With that bitch?" Deanna heard Britney snarl at Amber just before Venus stepped onto the lighted stage.

Deanna did not hear Amber's response. She knew most of the girls at Little Vixens did not like her, and until now, that had not bothered Deanna in the least. A girl that was used to keeping secrets was used to being without friends.

"Fuck, I, I don't need..." Deanna thought as she whipped around, causing her short skirt to rise up, exposing her cardinal red satin panties to the seven fraternity brothers that crowded around the stage.

"I don't need...fuck!" Deanna thought as she squatted, legs spread to show the young men the crotch of her panties.

Deanna refused to think of Amber's soft lips and sweet kiss as she ran her finger along the satin material of her panties. Deanna refused to think of Amber's sweet breasts, Amber's silky soft skin under Deanna's fingertips as Venus gave the seven young men a sassy smile.

Coming off the stage, dressed in thigh high bright red vinyl boots that reached to her crotch, miniscule red thong and red tasseled pasties, Deanna grabbed Amber and gave the startled girl a passionate kiss. Deanna then held Amber tightly.

"I, I don't need this shit," Deanna whispered hoarsely into Amber's ear. "You hear? I, I just do not need this fucking drama."

"Then what are you doing?" Amber asked, gently raking her fingernails over Deanna's soft skin.

"Fuck if I know," Deanna giggled.

"Sasha!" Daniel announced and a tall blonde strode out onto the stage.

"Venus, got one in Champagne three," Baldy called into the backstage area. "Said leave the boots on, hear?"

"I just do not need..." Deanna said, releasing Amber.

"How 'bout what you want?" Amber asked, squeezing Deanna's hand.

"What, what's that got to do with, all right, Baldy, I heard you," Deanna asked Amber, then called out as Baldy waved to get Deanna's attention.

Wearily walking out of the nightclub at one thirty in the morning, Deanna and Amber exchanged a few kisses. They made plans to meet at Lefty's BBQ for lunch; Deanna was off and Amber worked the late shift Tuesday. With one final kiss, Deanna let Amber get into her Hyundai.

The next day, over pulled pork sandwiches, Deanna found out that Amber was paying four hundred a month to rent a room from a gay couple. The baby sitter was likewise renting a room in the house and only charged Amber fifteen dollars an hour.

"Janice feeds Christina, gives her a bath; she's even teaching Christina Spanish," Amber enthused. And she usually works the late shift at Clarkston County Hospital, so the hours are just right. But, shit, I, I been running my mouth whole time. Come on, tell me about you."

"Not much to tell," Deanna said. "Grew up with four brothers; I'm the only girl, had a bunch of cousins but I'm still the only girl. So, yeah, learned real quick how kick ass."

Deanna's eyes filled with tears. Amber looked into Deanna's eyes and waited.

"I, I wish I could tell you," Deanna whispered, bottom lip quivering.

"You will," Amber soothed. "When it's right, you will."

After Deanna dabbed the tears from her eyes, Amber suggested they get ice cream from the little shop across the street. Christina had long lost interest in the soggy French fries on her tray so was ready when Mommy and Miss Dee put her into her stroller.

"So, how many girls you kissed before?" Amber quietly asked as they walked slowly along the quiet street, window shopping.

"You, you're the first," Deanna admitted. "I, it was just more of the secrets I had to keep. I mean, my brothers and my cousins? I, I didn't feel any of it. I just, I just didn't feel any of it. You?"

"You're the first," Amber confessed. "But even when I thought I loved Danny, I, it just didn't feel right. And then when I started dancing? And seeing all them girls? It, something just clicked inside my head."

A man ran up behind them and grabbed Deanna's purse. He had not drawn abreast of the trio and Deanna struck out with a savage elbow. The mugger found himself caroming into an aluminum light pole. He had not even had time to suck in a breath and Deanna slammed him face first to the ground. Deanna ten turned and looked, face a bland mask as she faced the companion of the would-be purse snatcher. Deanna stood on her Brother Paul's left hand, pinning the groaning man to the dirty sidewalk.

"Hi Jimmy. Think you want to try it?" Deanna asked her cousin.

The young man mutely shook his head. Deanna nodded her head and continued walking as if nothing had happened. A moment later, Amber decided this must be part of what Deanna could not, or would not share with her.

"The cookies and cream; it's the best," Deanna said as they crossed the street.

"What. Ever. Chocolate fudge brownie," Amber said as Deanna held open the door for Amber and the stroller.

After cleaning Christina's chocolate smeared face, the trio returned to Amber's car. After Amber buckled Christina into her car seat, Deanna pinned Amber against her car. She softly kissed Amber's willing lips and asked Amber if she'd move into her home. Before Amber could answer, Deanna offered to buy a bed for Christina; the girl would have her own room in Miss Dee's house.

Wednesday night, Venus paid out two to one. Just before the last bout, the 'championship' match, Baldy nervously told Deanna that Little Al Babanetti was in the nightclub to watch the oil wrestling. Little Al owned and operated Cotton Blossoms Gentlemen's Club. It was an ill-disguised fact that Cotton Blossoms was a whore house. The police looked the other way. The district attorney looked the other way. Once, and only once, a dancer had gone to the police, asking for protection. No one knew where Annette Strohm disappeared to.

"And...?" Deanna asked Baldy.

"I, he, he's got a thousand on Sasha," Baldy whispered urgently. "And you know he don't like to lose."

"Okay," Deanna said.

Little Al did not like to lose. He was willing to shrug it off; accidents happen. Both girls were nice and oily; perhaps Sasha had slipped and Venus had taken advantage of Sasha's mistake. But the satisfied little smirk Venus gave him as she stood and stepped out of the pool let Little Al know, it was not an accident. Her smirk turned to an outright laugh when Little Al scowled at her.

Amber and Deanna climbed into Deanna's large walk-in shower and slowly, lovingly washed the oil from one another's bodies. Afterward, Deanna slid open the drawer of her nightstand and produced an eight in dildo. She showed Amber how she liked to masturbate with the fat toy. Deanna squatted over it, lowering herself down until all of the toy was inside of herself, save for the flanged base. Then Deanna bounced up and down on the toy until she stiffened then barked out in orgasm. Amber kissed Deanna, easing Deanna against her mound of pillows. Then Amber leaned over and suckled on Deanna's hard nipple. Amber gripped the base of the dong and slowly made love to Deanna.

After another orgasm, Deanna and Amber rolled underneath the fluffy comforter. Deanna softly kissed the smaller red head and whispered her love for the girl. Amber smiled and drifted off to sleep, wrapped in Deanna's embrace. Deanna heard her cell phone chime and quietly got out of bed. She looked at the sleeping red head and gave a soft smile.