Lisa choked back tears and, holding Elizabeth's hand in hers, gently stroked the side of her face. "I'm not going anywhere," she said, "take your time and don't worry. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."
"It's about sex. Somehow with a man it always is, isn't it?" Elizabeth drifted off for a few minutes before she continued.
"You're my oldest and dearest friend. I know you never really approved of my marriage to Ian, but I always thought it may have been the circumstances rather than the man. He was good to me, you know, and I know you knew that. I was always rather sorry you and he weren't better friends. He was a good husband, but Bernard has been the love of my life. Shhh, let me go on. I know you know. Bernard has been the love of my life and you have been his best friend for as long as I can remember. Nothing has made me happier than his love for you and yours for him. But there's a side to Bernard you could never really have known. I doubt anyone could but me. I doubt he knows it himself. I just can't come out and describe it. It would be easier if I could. I'm going to tell you a long story about him and about our marriage. Do you think you have the time?"
The birds had just begun to stir as Elizabeth drifted off into her own world. Lisa sat with her, holding her hand, waiting for her to waken to continue her story.
***
Elizabeth's dreams took her back to the morning at the lake twenty years ago, to the first morning she and Bernard woke together in her bed. She knew what she wanted from Bernard and she thought he would give it to her. She worried because she knew she loved him, loved him as she had never loved before. And yet there were certain things he would have to do, certain rather unusual things for a man to do in their culture, if their marriage (yes, she already knew they would marry or go their separate ways), if their marriage was to be real, was to have a chance to endure. They were silly things, really, silly but symbolic and they would either bring them both great pleasure or ... or perhaps he would simply walk away and lose his best chance at happiness. Well, yes, mostly simple things but one gigantic commitment. So she was nervous. Would he choose wisely? She couldn't know, so when they had awakened she approached him directly. She would run the risk and accept the results. It was the only way she knew to do things.
He had taken her in his arms when he was sure she was awake. She kissed him and pushed him down burying his face in her bush. She spread her legs, opening herself to his mouth, and pulled him to her cunt. "Lick me slowly, darling, and listen to what I have to say. It's very important. Just keep me gently aroused. I'll let you know when I am ready for more."
She lay back and savored his ministrations. Her juices were flowing quite freely when she began. "Don't stop licking me whatever I say, Bernard. Now reach under my nightie and work my nipples very gently. There now, I think we're ready to talk."
Bernard lay prone between her legs his mouth enveloping her cunt and his tongue gently caressing her inner lips. He couldn't disengage without releasing her nipples and already he knew better than to release them without her explicit instruction. He was, quite literally, as speechless as if she had bound and gagged him.
"When you shower this morning, Bernard, I want you to remove all the hair below your navel. I put a ladies' razor with a couple of extra blades and a depilatory cream in the shower. Marie was kind enough to provide the cream." Her hips began soft thrusts as Bernard's kiss and his fondling of her nipples inevitably distracted her body from her thoughts. His pace would give her sufficient time to complete her talk before she was entirely distracted.
"After lunch, you need to go into town and buy fourteen pairs of panties. You'll need size large. Nothing too frilly and lacy but choose a nice sexy variety and at least three or four cotton briefs for casual wear. Throw your underpants away before you leave and throw the pair you wear away at the last shop you visit. You'll also need six pairs of pantyhose, queen size. Two black, two charcoal gray and two nude. Wear one of the nude pairs home."
Her arousal was growing. She grasped his head with both hands and pulled him deeper into her. His lips kissed her inner labia and his tongue penetrated her cunt thrusting in and out like a small cock. If his performance was any indication, he found her talk pleasant.
"I have a discreet hairdresser who works in Boston and lives south of the city. She'll maintain your grooming and teach you how to care for yourself," she said from far away. "You're licking and caressing me quite nicely." Minutes passed and she lay enjoying his attention until she spoke again.
"You're naturally obedient. I'll train you to obey me not just because you want to but because you must. You'll appreciate the difference. We will pursue an erotically charged marriage while, in the end, keeping ourselves only unto each other 'til death we do part, as they say. We won't limit our eroticism to ourselves, I'm sure there will be men and women we bring into our games, but their participation will be strictly limited. You'll learn as we go but you needn't worry. I will never humiliate you. Give my clit a bit of attention, please."
Her nipples tingled under his continuous manipulation. She jerked violently to the first touch of his tongue to her clit and spewed her juices into his mouth. "Enough of that for now, darling.