Web of Desire by Ray Gordon Page B

That would explain why she wanted Gary to set something up, Mandy reflected. As for her lesbianism … Was Paula playing her own game of one-upmanship?
    Mulling over the notion that Paula might have been dreaming up incredible stories of sexual conquests to show off somehow, Mandy wondered why such an attractive and vivacious woman didn’t have men chasing after her. Paula looked good, she was successful, she had charisma … Surely men chatted her up and asked her out? It seemed that she was into one-night stands, and there must be dozens of men who’d be happy to oblige. Reckoning that she’d got it wrong and Paula didn’t have a shortage of men chasing her, Mandy thought that she’d been honest when she’d said that new relationships were exciting.
    Having worked all day on a web-site design, only breaking off for lunch, Mandy was about to relax on the sofa when the doorbell rang. Walking through the hall, she opened the front door to find a teenage girl standing on the step. She was blonde and extremely attractive, and Mandy instinctively knew that she was Paula’s young lesbian friend. Paula had a nerve, she thought angrily as she asked the girl what she wanted.
    ‘I’ve brought some money round from Paula,’ the girl replied. ‘It’s for the meal, or something. I’m Jackie.’
    ‘Oh, er … thanks,’ Mandy said, taking the cash and gazing at the teenage beauty.
    ‘Apart from the money, she told me that you were dying to meet me.’
    ‘I’m sorry, but she’s got it all wrong,’ Mandy sighed. ‘I don’t even know you, Jackie. Why would I be dying to meet you?’
    ‘Paula came into the office and said …’
    ‘Do you work for Paula?’ Mandy asked her.
    ‘Yes, I do.’
    ‘I suppose she told you that I’m a lesbian?’
    ‘She said that you were into girls.’
    ‘You’d better come in,’ Mandy said, inviting her over the threshold.
    Leading Jackie into the lounge and indicating for her to sit on the sofa, Mandy thought the situation was strange. Why had Paula sent the girl round with the money? she wondered, eyeing the teenager’s short skirt and long legs. This had nothing to do with the money for the meal. Paula could have brought the cash round at any time – there was no need to send a young lesbian. Jackie was an attractive teenager with long blonde hair and a sultry expression that was somehow sexually appealing. Her T-shirt was tight, the thin material faithfully following the firm mounds of her pert breasts. But what did she want? Lesbian sex?
    ‘Tell me about Paula,’ Mandy said, sitting in the armchair.
    ‘There’s not much to tell.’
    ‘You work for her, so you must know something about her.’
    ‘Look, if you’re not interested in me—’
    ‘I’m interested in Paula,’ Mandy cut in. ‘I’ve known her since we were at school together. Recently we met up again and … There’s something about her that’s been bothering me. I won’t go into details, but something doesn’t add up.’
    ‘She can be strange at times,’ Jackie said softly. Biting her lip, she hung her head. ‘I told her that this wasn’t a good idea. I didn’t want to come here, but she insisted.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘She wants me to get to know you. You see … she doesn’t have any friends, men friends, and she thought that …’
    ‘Hang on, hang on. We
are
talking about the same Paula, aren’t we?’ Mandy asked her.
    ‘Yes, of course.’
    ‘So, Paula has no men friends? I find that difficult to believe.’
    ‘She’s always
talking
about men, but she doesn’t seem to have any relationships.’
    ‘This is all falling into place,’ Mandy muttered. ‘I’ve been playing a game but all along Paula was the one who … Tell me more.’
    ‘She said that you had several men on the go. She hasn’t got a male friend and she thought … I shouldn’t be telling you all this.’
    ‘She’s got a bloody nerve,’ Mandy snorted. ‘She’s been making out that she has different men every night.