[Catharsis]

"Marrying Jim"
by Catharsis

Part 1 - A Heated Engagement


   Dr. James Carrington was quite a catch, the kind of man that could cause a woman to go to extremes to grab hold of him and never let go.  Beth Adams had first met Jim when he was going through residency at the hospital where the twenty eight year old brunette worked as a nurse.  The doctor was in his early thirties, and his handsome smile and gentlemanly manners won her heart the instant she saw him.  Their whirlwind springtime romance had only lasted two months before he popped the question.  Beth immediately said "Yes", and agreed to meet with his mother to announce their engagement.

   Jim had told Beth about Lois Carrington, his only remaining relative, in a tone that almost sounded like a warning.  She was in her late forties, and had been Jim's father's second wife after his first passed away when Jim was only ten.  The way Jim told it, Lois was sharp and very discerning, and had given him both a taste for the finer things in life, and the drive to pursue them.  To Beth, it sounded like she was a perfectionist and a possible stumbling block to their happy life together.  Although Jim had never been married, he had dated before.  He made no secret of the fact that he always took his potential fiancees to meet his mother so that she could cast her critical eye upon them.  It was a process she called, "giving his girlfriend the once over."

   Beth was nervous, and worried that Lois would suss out some lack of etiquette or sufficiently cultured upbringing in her and sink their engagement.  She had put on a conservative yet flattering rose colored dress for the occasion, and even went as far as getting her nails done.  Jim tried to assuage her fears by reminding her that he loved her dearly and that nothing his mother said could ever change that.  That didn't stop Beth from thinking that she was walking into a test for which she was woefully unprepared, though.  Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as they approached the entrance of the large, ornately architected house that had been Jim's childhood home.

   Lois met the pair at the door and welcomed them into the dining room.  She gave them both a hug, surprising Beth with her wide, generous smile as much as her strong embrace.  They sat down to lunch and began chatting like family.  Jim filled his mother in on the latest trials and tribulations of working in a specialty medical field with a limited budget, and she regaled them both with tales of recent parties she'd attended.  Quite naturally, Beth's work and interests came up, and she wove the story of her background into the fabric of the conversation.  The young brunette was impressed.  If she hadn't been looking for indications of Lois putting her through an examination, she would have never known.  The trio's talk wandered from topic to topic, yet Beth always found herself handing out private details effortlessly.  The woman who could become her mother-in-law was a keen observer, but was an expert at hiding that behind a smooth exterior.  Beth's apprehension soon evaporated.  All thoughts of Lois Carrington being scary vanished from her mind.

   About an hour after they finished eating, Jim's cell phone went off.  He took the call, and it became apparent from what Beth overheard that something was wrong with one of his patients.  She frowned inwardly.  They had picked this particular Saturday to visit Mrs. Carrington because Jim wasn't on call.  Still, she had learned what the tone in his voice foretold.  Jim was as dedicated to his mission of helping the terminally ill as he was to her, and Beth was alright with that, even if it meant he could be called away at a moment's notice.  He closed his cell phone and glanced at Beth and his mother in turn.  Lois spoke up first.

   "You just do what you have to, okay?"

   "I really apologize," Jim said.  He looked at his watch.  "I should be back before five."

   "We're fine," Beth said.

   "Good."  Jim smiled, but something odd worried at his expression as he faced Beth.  "I love you," he said to her, and gave her a quick kiss.  Then, he hugged his mother and saw himself out the door.

   Wanting to be helpful, Beth began gathering the dirty dishes in preparation for carrying them to the kitchen.  Lois did the same, and the two women completed the task of clearing the table in silence.  Beth had just returned to the dining room when a voice from behind her made her jump.

   "So," Lois snapped, "you think you're worthy of marrying my son?"  Her tone sent a chill through Beth like a sudden fall into an ice cold river. 

   Beth turned, slightly puzzled, and was unnerved at what she saw.  Lois Carrington's face was that of a disapproving school teacher after being handed an obviously incorrect answer.  It changed her entire appearance.  Her permed strawberry blond hair now seemed like a rigid helmet instead of a stylish set of waves upon her head.  Her posture, once well mannered and precise, now seemed strict and matronly as it filled out the white dress she wore.  Although she stood an inch or two below Beth's height, the woman now appeared to loom like a hawk above its next prey.

   Beth tried her best to be polite.  "E- excuse me?"

   "Don't act deaf," Lois shot back.  "I've seen your kind before.  Long hair, big boobs and a winning smile.  My son is attracted to your type, but he needs more than that."

   "What?"  Beth's temper was beginning to flare.  "What the hell is this all of a sudden?"

   Lois stood with her arms folded and stared into Beth's eyes.  "It means that I'm not convinced that Jim is making the right decision."

   Beth's mind reeled.  "Is it because I'm not a doctor like he is?  Is it that we've only been dating for a few months?" she blurted.  "I'm sorry, but I just don't understand this change in attitude."

   "You have a problem with it?"

   "Well, yes I do!"

   Lois took a step forward.  "And what are you going to do about it?"

   Beth sized the other woman up.  She wasn't threatening her, was she?  Beth gulped, hoping to salvage the most of a situation that was spiraling out of control.  "Nothing.  I came here acting with respect towards you, and now you're treating me like something the cat dragged in."  Beth raised herself up to full height and thrust her ample chest out confidently.  "Jim and I love each other.  We're going to get married this summer, whether you like it or not."

   Lois studied her coolly.  She uncrossed her arms and paused for a second.  "Wrong answer," she said, and drove a hard fist deep into Beth's stomach.

   The brunette doubled over, the wind knocked completely out of her, and fell to the floor.  The punch had a lot of strength behind it, much more than Beth would have figured the older woman possessed.  Her anger boiled.  "That's it," Beth thought, "the gloves are off now."  She sucked air feebly as she tried to diminish the pain raging in her gut.  Lois stepped closer so that she towered above the fallen female.

   "Didn't Jim tell you about the 'once over'?  This is it, honey, and you're failing it miserably.  There's no way that you'll be able to marry Jim if you collapse like a flimsy doll this quickly.  It must be those stupid inflated boobs of yours.  Full of air like your head- Ngh!"  Beth interrupted Lois's last put down with a strong kick.  It connected with the back of her knee, shooting it forward and sending the blond sprawling off balance to the hardwood floor.

   The two prone women eyed each other warily for a moment.  Lois removed her heels and leaned against a chair to help her stand.  Beth did the same and the pair rose to their feet some distance apart.  Adrenaline pumped through Beth's system as she studied the other female for signs of another attack.  She had been in fights against other women before, and had no qualms about getting physical if pushed came to shove.  Still, getting into it with her fiance's mom wasn't something she'd had planned for this afternoon.

   "What the fuck is your problem?" the brunette said slowly.

   Lois seemed to ignore her question.  "Not bad.  But tell me, is that all you got?"

   Beth's temper exploded.  "Oh, there's a hell of a lot more where that came from, bitch!  You listen to me: I am through with your shit.  If you think you're going to stop me from marrying Jim, you've got another thing coming.  Do you understand me, Lois?"

   The older woman's hand lashed quick as lightning and slapped Beth hard across the face before she could react.

   "You will call me Mrs. Carrington.  Do you understand me, you little slut?"

   Beth spun her head back around, not bothering to fix the hair that had gotten knocked out of place.  "I'll call you a stupid whore if I want to!" shouted Beth, and she lunged at the other woman.  Her hands dug deep into Lois' hair.  Lois retaliated by grabbing a hold of Beth's long hair and tugging painfully.  The two women's bodies lurched together, and the dining room filled with the sound of unladylike grunts and groans.  Their stockinged feet slid about the polished floor as their battle raged back and forth.  Beth poured her strength into wrenching her foe to one side, but Lois was stronger than she appeared.  Teetering and swaying, the warring females fought face to face, chest to chest, and body to body.

   Their hair had become disheveled, and their faces flush.  Beth was fully into the fight.  Nothing short of heavy machinery could have torn her away from showing this bitch a lesson she wouldn't soon forget.  She yanked first to one side and then to the other, doing her best to match Lois' intensity, all the while trying to ignore the intense pain that the other woman seemed extremely capable of dishing out.

   After yet another powerful punch thundered into her stomach, Beth closed the distance between her and Lois, seeking to deny her that target.  She wrapped her arms fully around Lois and settled the two of them into a clinch.  Resting their aching bodies against one another, they felt their chests rise and fall and heard the labored breathing that spoke of how intense the battle had been for each of them.  Still full of fury, they planted their feet and began pushing and shoving.  Locked together, they danced violently, jerking this way and that as they struggled for control.

   "You don't care what Jim will think when I tell him how you've treated me, do you?" Beth spat, ramming her body once again into Lois'.

   "Heh.  Like you're going to tell him how badly I humiliated you."

   "We'll see about that!"

   Beth ramped up the pressure, twisting Lois to one side.  The shorter woman countered by pulling her further in that direction, sending the brunette off balance. As she she righted herself, Beth felt Lois charge, lifting her partially off her feet.  She nailed Lois' back several times with a closed hand, but it had no effect.  Beth's rear collided with the dining room table, and momentum tilted her upper body onto it.  She fought to escape, but Lois had latched on too tightly to her arms.  The blond was tough, Beth had to admit that, but if Lois didn't mind scuffing up the furniture, then neither did she.

   Beth lifted her legs and wrapped them around Lois' waist as the other woman leaped onto the table, and onto her.  Lois was driving Beth's arms further and further down towards a pin, but the brunette was having none of it.  She squeezed with her legs and hauled her opponent off to one side, causing Lois to knock over the floral centerpiece.  The two remained like that for nearly a minute, with Lois struggling and straining against Beth's tight scissor hold.

   "Fuck you, you bitch," snarled Beth.  "Give up."

   "You're going to be the one giving up, you skank.  You're no match for me."

   "Wrong.  I'm going to kick your ass so badly that you'll never think of causing me and Jim any problems in the future."

   "Let's get on with it, then."  At this, Lois released her hold on one of Beth's arms and jammed her free hand into Beth's upper leg.  Her nails dug in painfully, eliciting a howl from the brunette.  Involuntarily, Beth's legs eased their constriction around her foe, and Lois took the opportunity to squirm out from their python-like grip.

   Immediately, the women launched themselves at each other, scratching and grappling like wild cats.  Their dresses tore and their skin screamed in agony at the vicious attacks.  As the two wrestled on the large table, they gradually worked their way from one end to the other.  Over and over they rolled in slow motion, each gaining the upper hand only to be toppled several moments later.  They continued their ripping and shredding brawl all the way across the length of the dining room until they found themselves at the edge of the table.  A nasty, slapping skirmish erupted, with each attempting to send the other tumbling off.  They both fell as one, landing on their feet.  Lois had a torn section of Beth's dress in her hand, which was still loosely connected to rest of it, and Beth held a similar piece of fabric from Lois' dress.

   Panting hard, the two females studied each other.  Though both had lost some of their clothing, neither had lost any resolve.  Bright red scratches streaked their exposed flesh, and the heat of their close combat showed in their faces and mussed hair.

   "Still think you can beat me?" Lois asked.

   Beth wasn't having any of her taunting.  "I know I can."

   "Show me what you got, then."

   With a yell to frighten the dead, Beth ran straight at her blond tormentor.  The force of the impact sent both staggering into the living room, where they spun around, each trying to get a tight hold of the other.  Lois finally knocked Beth's right arm out of the way, and secured a headlock with her own left arm.  The brunette groaned, and fought back, yanking a good handful of hair.  The pair stomped about the rug for a minute, throwing their weight back and forth in a contest for control.  Beth's grip on Lois' short blond locks strengthened, causing the older woman to moan in agony and tilt her head back to ease the pain.  Beth tried to stand up, but Lois wrangled her to one side.  Beth's stockinged feet slipped on the carpet, and Lois' weight above her sent her sprawling.

   Lois was unprepared for the sudden shift, and her stranglehold on Beth's neck loosened.  It didn't release, however, and she kept it up as best she could once her body landed beside the brunette's.  Beth fired fist after fist into Lois' thighs and ribs, and when that seemed futile, she took to clawing at what remained of the blond's dress.  A couple minutes passed.  Beth was unable to free herself, but Lois didn't have a strong enough choke to make her submit.  Perspiration was beginning to build up on the bodies of the two warring hellcats.  Groaning and gasping, the pair fought to break the stalemate with everything they had.  They wrestled about the open room, bumping into the sofa and the coffee table.  Their muscles ached and their lungs burned, but still they kept at it, writhing in a mass of female fury.

   With a great wrench, Beth pulled her head out of Lois' sweaty arms.  She rained a torrent of slaps upon her hated foe, connecting with several hits on her face and shoulders.  Lois retaliated by kneeing the brunette in the crotch.  Beth grunted fell off of her.  The pause was short-lived, however.  Both women got up on their knees and attacked as quickly as they could.  Their bra-covered chests collided, forcing moans from their mouths.  Their bodies swayed like trees in a strong March wind as they slugged each other mercilessly and then toppled together onto the floor.

   They entwined their legs together and threw their hands around each other in a fierce embrace.  Rocking back and forth and letting out tortured groans, they squeezed and crushed one another for some time.  Locked body to body, they rolled and tumbled on the soft carpet.  Hands groped and tugged at what remained of their clothing.  Arms and legs lashed against each other like strong vines. 

   After several minutes of heated fighting, Beth managed to work her way atop Lois and pin her face down.  The blond struggled mightily, but to no avail.  The older woman relaxed, and then bucked suddenly in an attempt to throw Beth off.  Beth nearly lost her balance, but kept it and sat down on her foe hard in retaliation.

   "Owww," Lois whined in pain, "My arm!"

   Beth eased up a bit, worried that she'd gone too far.  Bruises and scratches she could explain, but breaking her fiance's mother's arm wasn't something she wanted to have to face Jim with.  She leaned down to ask if Lois had had enough, but got an elbow in the face before the first word was out of her mouth.  Beth howled, and Lois pushed her off onto the floor.

   "Hmph," Lois snorted, rising into a sitting position.  "You're too soft."

   Beth hadn't finished massaging the pain out of her injured nose when she felt Lois pull her onto the blond's outstretched legs and trap her there.  With one hand, Jim's mother held Beth's head down by her hair.  With the other, she commenced spanking the brunette again and again through her lace panties.  Beth yelped as Lois heaped serving after serving of stinging slaps to her behind.

   "That's it, you little tramp.  You know you're beaten now.  All you have to do is give up, and I'll stop.  Do you still want to marry Jim, knowing that you'll have to deal with me?"  Beth cried out in agony.  "What was that?" Lois teased.  "I couldn't quite get that."

   Beth growled like a wounded, but still fearsome animal.  "Stuff it!" she screamed, and reached up with her left hand and sunk her nails into Lois' left tit.  Lois grunted, and increased her force of her blows.  Soon, though, the assault on her sensitive bosom was too much to bear.  She shoved Beth away and kicked her for good measure.  Beth's hand remained latched onto Lois' bra for a brief second longer, and the blond's breast popped free as its covering was yanked downward.

   Both women lay still for a moment.  Low moans rumbled in their throats as they tried to catch their breaths.  Beth's ample chest heaved up and down and her body was beginning to complain of exhaustion.  She searched Lois' features for a sign of weakness.  Although she found none, it was obvious that she had put the blond through quite a workout.  She wanted more than ever to defeat the woman in front of her.  She knew that if she didn't, she'd have to live with the bitch whispering comments to Jim that she wasn't up to snuff for the rest of their marriage.

   "Not afraid of attacking another woman's boobs, eh?" Lois remarked snidely.  "Question is, can you take it yourself?"

   Beth sat up with her legs underneath her, thrust out her chest, and tossed her long brown hair defiantly.  "I can take anything you can hand out.  I'm not some cream puff who backs down when the fighting gets dirty."

   "Okay, then.  If you're so proud of those boobs of yours, we'll see how well they stand up against mine."  At that, Lois unhooked her bra and slid the straps off her shoulders.  Undeterred, and eager to finish things, Beth did the same.

   "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into," Beth snarled.  She removed her bra and shook her upper body confidently.  Her large, C cup breasts wobbled freely for a second before coming to rest.  Twin pink nipples tipped each supple orb.  She looked at Lois, and was slightly surprised at what she saw.  Although Lois was nearly twenty years older than Beth, the blond's tits were firm and jutted out with minimal sag from her chest.  Some surgeon had done work on her, Beth mused.  Quite impressive work, too.

   Lois sneered.  "You're sorely mistaken if you think that those oversized tits are a match for mine.  They're far too sensitive to withstand what I've got planned for them."

   "Oh, they're more than a match, bitch.  You should be worrying about yourself."

   "You really think so, you common skank?"

   "I fucking know so, you dumb cxnt."

   Lois smirked.  "You'll regret those words."

   "Make me."

   As if on a signal, the two women resumed their battle.  Their hands slammed together and their fingers interlocked.  Their arms danced chaotically in the air as they struggled to push each other backward.  Grimaces bunched up their faces, exposing how much effort they were pouring into the fight.  With a groan, Beth leaned forward, hoping to overwhelm her opponent.  Lois stood her ground, and the two female's arms darted out to either side of their bodies.  With nothing holding them back, their busts slammed into each other.  Beth tried to contain her reaction to the impact, but the intimate touch of her feminine flesh against another woman's made her let out a sigh.  Lois groaned, and pushed the brunette back with a strong thrust of her torso.  The two glared at each other, taking in the effect of the initial contact between their breasts.  Lois felt her nipples harden and rise from her brown areoles, and noticed Beth's do the same.

   Without the slightest pause, Lois swung her tits against Beth's.  The pairs of orbs collided with an audible slap.  Beth exhaled an involuntary "unh", and, furious that Lois showed no sign of being affected, countered with her own attack.  The two women's breasts smacked hard and this time, both let out moans.

   "Fuck you," spat Lois, her face barely an inch from Beth's.

   "Too much for you?"

   "In your dreams."

   "We'll see about that."

   The battling women stood there on their knees face to face, thigh to thigh, and chest to chest, ramming their tits again and again.  Faster and faster, and harder and harder the sensual contest spiraled with neither one backing down.  Fervent moaning alternated with loud panting in the otherwise quiet living room as the two pairs of breasts slapped and slid.  All the while, their owners fought to stifle the pain and erotic sensations arcing through their half naked bodies.

   Minutes passed, and the end seemed no nearer than when the titfight began.  Nipples stabbed and rubbed roughly against bare flesh.  Supple skin smacked and pounded.  On and on they went, never lessening the venomous assault upon the other's breasts.  Panting gave way to gasping, and constant swinging back and forth evolved into head-on smashing, punctuated occasionally by powerful grinding.  Beth's boobs ached, and she felt the urge to stop, but pressed on, eventually detaching her fingers from Lois' and embracing the woman with her arms.  Lois did the same, and their grinding war increased in intensity with the addition of a constant, agonizing bear hug.

   They stayed like that for almost a minute, but Lois lurched to the side and drove the pair down onto the carpet once again.  Instantly, their legs snaked together and the nearly nude women fought body to body, each trying to roll the other beneath her.  Higher and higher their battle raged, and louder and louder grew their groans.  Suddenly, Beth felt a pain in her groin.  Lois had grabbed hold of the back of the brunette's panties and yanked them up into her crotch.  Unable to take the terrible agony, Beth thrashed wildly.  Lois kept it up, however, and soon Beth began to despair.  "It's too much," her brain told her.  "No," she answered back, "I can't lose!"

   With a final yell, Beth reared back and butted her forehead straight into Lois'.  The women's heads met with a hideous crack, and stars filled their visions.  Beside themselves with pain, they separated and nursed their injured temples.

***************

   The grandfather clock in the hall tick-tocked, but Beth could not say for how long it did.  Lois was sitting, leaning against the sofa, and Beth sat across the room from her next to a stuffed chair.  Neither had spoken a word, but Beth sensed that the two of them had reached some new plateau.  Her body wanted rest desperately, but she couldn't relax until she knew what Lois was planning.  Where their conflict could go from here was outside her powers of imagination.  Nobody had ever challenged Beth so well in a fight before.  Her heart pounded in fear that Lois was just saving up strength to attack again.  She wasn't sure she could take much more stress upon her body.  She held her breath as Lois shifted, and then spoke.

   "So, still think you're good enough to marry Jim?"

   Beth exhaled.  "You bet I do."  She was to tired to add any additional catty remark.

   "You think you can handle me as your mother in law?"

   Lois' eyes examined Beth carefully as the brunette responded.

   "Any time you want to continue this is fine with me."  Beth's muscles tensed, crying out as they did so.

   Lois paused, and then smiled.

   Beth sat stunned.  As if the wind had brushed aside an evil cloud to uncover the sun, the Lois that Beth had first met at lunchtime returned.  Her eyes twinkled sweetly without a hint of malice.

   "Then I give you my blessing.  I would be happy to see Jim marry such a tough, strong woman as you, Beth Adams."

   "Are you...  you don't hate me?" Beth stammered.

   "No, dear.  Not at all.  You may not understand it now, but I had both your and Jim's best interests in mind in putting you through this.  I sincerely hope you don't harbor any permanent ill will.  Not only did you last much, much longer than any other girlfriend Jim's introduced me to, but you never gave in.  You have all the fire and spirit that it'll take to make an excellent wife for my son.  Congratulations, honey, you passed with flying colors."

   Lois stood up, and her legs wobbled as she did so.  "Damn, but you gave me a good run for my money."  She looked at Beth with honest admiration, and chuckled.  Beth found the laughter infectious, and soon joined in.  She realized that their relationship had indeed reached a new level, one of mutual respect forged as only two fierce competitors can by pushing each other to the limit.

   "Oh, God," Beth sighed when the humor died out.  She shook her head.  "Mrs. Carrington, what on earth are we going to tell Jim about what we did this afternoon?"

   The older woman gave her a knowing smile, and leaned over like a high school gossip.  In a voice just above a whisper, she confided, "Tell him every detail.  He likes this kind of stuff."  Surprise and intrigue widened the seated brunette's eyes.

   "Oh, and Beth," Jim's mother added, "you can call me Lois."  She reached out her hand, and helped her future daughter in law to her feet.  Beth's heart pounded with happiness.

   "Now, there are some conditions that I must insist on..." Lois began.

***************

[Catharsis]

   Part 2 - A Rough Rehearsal


   "Wow, this looks great," Jim said, ogling the spread of food laid out on Beth's kitchen table.  He set places for two on either side and lit the candle that had gotten itself nearly hidden by the large array of dishes.

   Beth chuckled.  "Don't expect this kind of treatment every night once we're married.  Besides, these are samples from the caterer, not my cooking."

   "Really?  I can't tell the difference."

   "You're too kind," Beth smiled, "and I love you for it."

   The two sat down and began tasting each dish in turn.  When they'd gone through them all and were ready for seconds, Beth pulled out a pad of paper and a pencil.

   "Okay, there's some things we need to discuss."

   "I like the chicken, and the ham would be great, but with a different sauce.  Those raisin-like things are nasty."

   "No, not about the food.  And those ARE raisins."

   "Oh?"

   "It's about some things your mom made me promise."

   "Oh."

   "Now, don't get me wrong.  She's been an absolutely wonderful help these last few weeks with planning this elaborate wedding, especially with my parents being so far away that they can't be here to arrange things.  Honestly, she's fantastic.  Her knowledge of who to contact for this and that has made everything run so smoothly.  I'm a lot less stressed out than I think I otherwise would be."

   "That's good."

   "However, my mom was all set to put an announcement in her local paper about the engagement, but your mom told her not to.  Not only that, but she told my mom she had to keep everything quiet until after we were married.  Now, I promised to take your mother's side in planning out the details but, well, my mom isn't too pleased.  I need to know what all this secrecy is about."

   "Lois didn't tell you?"

   "She told me that there were people envious of her money, and they might use me to get back at her."

   "That's the truth."

   "But not the whole truth."

   Jim paused, then picked up his glass of wine.  "You should ask her about it."

   "Jim, I'm not marrying her!  I'm marrying you.  You know about what she's afraid of; you've always known."  Beth's expression and tone softened.  "I don't like it when you keep secrets from me."

   Jim swallowed.  "It's probably something you'll never have to worry about, but...  Okay, I'll tell you the whole story. 

   "When I was in medical school, I was introduced to this girl at a party.  She completely knocked me out, and we began dating pretty heavily soon afterwards.  Her name was Phoebe.  She had long, blond hair, long legs, and figure that made all the other guys in my fraternity super jealous.  She was perfect for me, well mannered, intelligent, and shared a lot of my interests."

   Jim noticed the frown on Beth's face, and raised his hands calm her.  "But, see, that was the problem.  It was all a lie, an act she played just for me.  Her real name, it turns out, wasn't Lindeman or whatever it was she initially told me.  It was Harcourt.  Mom found out a few days before our wedding and sunk the whole thing."

   "I'm sorry, I don't follow..."

   "The Harcourts own the biggest investment bank in the city.  My dad worked for them for years as a partner, and when he left them, the contract he had signed decades ago when he first started forced them to buy out his share of the business.  Problem is, they didn't want to.  There was a nasty series of lawsuits between Wallace Harcourt and my dad, and it left my dad in such poor health that he never got to enjoy the fact that he won everything he was owed.  A few months after he died, a big out-of-town conglomerate bank bought what was left of the Harcourt's company for a fraction of what it was worth.  All the court battles had left them desperate for operating capital.  Wallace never forgave my dad, and to this day, nobody in his family or anyone connected with them will do business with my mom or me."

   "So, what was Phoebe doing marrying you?"

   "Getting my dad's money back into the Harcourt family.  Pure and simple.  She'd have been able to get her hands on it as soon as Lois passed away.  Bless her heart for being so sharp.  She and I probably would have died of arsenic poisoning or something a week after the wedding."

   "Where is Phoebe now?"

   "In another country, thank goodness.  She'd been studying overseas for most of her life -- that's why nobody knew who she was -- and now she's gone back to live with her uncle.  I can only hope that the restraining order has finally sunk in."

   "Restraining order?"

   "Not against me; against her!  She kept hanging around for the next two years after the engagement, babbling about how I had uttered a solemn vow to marry her.  You have no idea how hard it is to date other people when an ex shows up unannounced and pulls that act.  I tried blowing her off and thought I had convinced her to go away once.  Then, my girlfriend at the time, Ellen, broke up with me rather suddenly.  We have no proof, but we think that Phoebe did something to intimidate her.  Ellen wouldn't go into details about what happened, but Lois maintains that Phoebe humiliated her in a way that only another woman can."

   Beth's head was full of thoughts bouncing back and forth.  A possessive former lover, a vengeful family feud: what had she gotten herself into?  Of all of the information he had just divulged, it was Jim's last comment that stuck out must prominently in her mind.

   "I think I know what Lois meant," Beth said in an off-hand way.

   "You do?  What?  I can't dig anything out of her about it."  Beth stared at him in slight disapproval for a few moments.  "Look, I've been completely open with you.  Phoebe hasn't been around here for a year and a half.  Lois has a private detective tailing her right now who will warn me the instant she gets on a plane to return."  Beth raised her eyebrows at this.  "I swear to do everything I possibly can to keep you safe."

   Beth smiled.  "Well, even if she does manage to slip by you, I'm sure I can give her more than she can handle."

   "Positive?"  Jim got a hungry look in his eyes, one Beth recognized from the night she told him what had happened between Lois and her that one afternoon.

   "Oh, yeah, you'd be surprised what your bride to be is capable of," Beth cooed with a hint of sassiness.  She slugged down the rest of her wine, feeling the alcohol burn down the inside of her throat.

   "Do tell, dear."

   Beth laughed self-consciously.  "One time, back in college, there was this girl that lived down the hall.  Julia, I think her name was.  Never really hit it off with her.  She was always giving me dirty looks, doing little things that ticked me off.  She had a plain face, but these oversized boobs that she was always showing off with.  Never anything explicit, mind you.  Just, she'd claim that bras were too painful to wear, and there she'd go, bouncing down the hallway at nighttime in a loose tee shirt.  No class what so ever.

   "So anyway," Beth continued, "one night I'm drinking with a bunch of my friends on the hall in one of my neighbor's rooms, and Julia's there too.  She's half plastered and running her mouth about how she loves the fact that her boobs are so big and how she can't help what the good Lord gave her, and I'm pretty wasted at this point and have had enough.  I tell her to shut up.  She takes offense, and says I'm just jealous.

   "Well, I look around, and it's obvious that the other girls are waiting for something to happen.  I wasn't really interested in getting into it with her, but before I could say anything, my roommate Trish, who'd been just as sickened by Julia's flaunting as I was the whole time, speaks up.

   "'I've seen your tits in the shower, Julia, and Beth's are much firmer.  Guys'll pick her chest over yours any day.' she says.  Julia's buddies start sticking up for her, and soon the party divides into two groups.  I'm trying to stay the hell out of it all, but I'm amazed to find out that the subject of my and Julia's boobs has been a source of disagreement on the hall for some time.

   "So, one thing leads to another, and it's decided that there has to be a comparison test.  We shut the door, and Julia and I take off our shirts.  I was in my nightgown, and she was just in her big tee shirt, so now we're standing side by side in practically nothing, waiting for the impartial few in the room to make a decision."

   Beth paused.  "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

   Jim grinned.  "What happened then?"

   "Heather (that's who's room it was) said she couldn't see any difference at all.  Well, that led to a bunch of yelling and accusations.  In the middle of it all, Julia turned toward me, and bumped her chest into mine.  I step back, and she gets this snotty 'I told you so' look on her face.  'Yours aren't firm at all,' she snorts.

   "I don't know who started it, but soon the whole room is chanting 'boob fight, boob fight'.  I didn't know what the hell they were talking about, but I could guess from the name.  I looked over at Trish to ask her if they were being serious, and she's there goading me on with the rest of the room.  Suddenly, Julia says, 'Come on, you dumb bimbo, your flabby tits against mine.'

   "Now, you know me.  I'm no bimbo and I don't appreciate being called that at all.  Plus, I'm nearly drunk, so I say, 'OK.'  The room quiets down, and both of us approach each other with our hands on our sides.  Julia's giving me the evil eye, but I'm having none of it.  We have a little staredown contest for a few seconds, and then Julia lurches forward and rams her fat tits into my chest.  I push her back, and soon we're pressing our boobs into one another back and forth around the rug in the middle of the room.

   Beth savored the expression on Jim's face, and continued.  "It wasn't easy, and we both kept getting off balance.  I tripped, or most likely somebody tripped me, and I fell into Julia hard.  I caught myself on her arms and was so furious I outright slapped her tits with mine as I stood back up.  She yelped in pain, so I did it again, and again.  About the third time, though, my boobs started to hurt.  She was swinging her fat tits back at me and tickling me with her nipples.  We kept going for, oh, I don't know how long.  It seemed like twenty minutes or more.  But eventually, it was obvious that we were getting nowhere.  Smacking our boobs together was just too painful.  We ended up trying to crush each other's chest, but that ended up a stalemate, too.  I was sweaty and tired and ready to pass out, and the other girls must have seen the agony on our faces, because they separated us and called it a draw."

   "Wow."

   "But, that's not the end of the story.  Remember I said I knew what Lois was talking about with what happened to that old girlfriend of yours?  Well, a few days later, after my boobs felt better, I was still pissed off over what Julia had done to me in front of everyone.  I went to her room that night and confronted her.  She was all confident she could win a rematch, and locked the door and challenged me right then and there.  We took off our shirts, and she had the nerve to grab my boobs with her hands.  I lost my temper and shoved her back into the wall.  By her fat baggy tits."  Jim winced.

   "Needless to say, we were soon slapping and fighting like crazy.  I was so mad at her I didn't care what I was doing.  She wrestled me down onto the floor, but I fought back.  Soon, though, I was all over her and she got desperate.  The bitch tore at my underwear and began attacking my rear.  So, I did the same to her: spun her over and began smacking her behind but good.  She got up and retaliated, but I lunged at her, knocked her down, and pinned her.  The bitch squirmed for a while before realizing she couldn't escape.

   "Even then, though, she wouldn't apologize.  I got rougher and rougher with her, bashing her chest with my boobs and squeezing her shoulders, but she still refused to give up.  She called me all sorts of filthy names like 'whore' and 'slut', but I finally found a way to shut her up."

   Jim was practically salivating.  "How?"

   Beth looked down into her glass, somewhat embarrassed.  "I made her orgasm."  Jim leaned forward.  "I ground my hips into hers and she got silent all of a sudden.  Then she started up again, saying her body was much better and that she was going to outsex me.  She began bucking her hips into mine and rubbing against my thighs.  That set me off.  I was so determined to humiliate her that I rammed my pussy into hers and met every one of her thrusts head on.  At first, she was still talking trash, but soon she was getting too horny to say anything.  We went at it like that for probably ten whole minutes until she finally climaxed."

   Beth's cheeks were rosy red.  "After that, I didn't hear one word of lip from her.  She knew what was in store for her if she crossed me again."

   Beth looked up at Jim.  He was a wolf ready to devour its prey.

   That was the first time Beth had ever had sex in the kitchen.  She hadn't known just how exhilarating it could be.

*********

   The day before the wedding arrived with a flurry of activity and visitors.  Beth's bridesmaids, her best friend Natalie and two fellow nurses, had completed their final fittings and arrived at mid-afternoon to show their dresses off to Beth in her apartment.  When they were done, they raided the liquor stash despite Beth's teasing admonishments about getting too drunk for the evening's dinner and the partying afterwards.

   "Just you wait for what we've got planned," Natalie chuckled deviously.

   One of the nurses covered her mouth with her hand.  "Oh, yeah.  We'd better let Beth get some rest.  She's gonna need it!"

   Shaking her head in mock disapproval, Beth ushered the trio out the door.  For the first time in nearly a week, Beth experienced peace and quiet.  She sighed contently.  Lois had arranged everything with almost military precision.  Her parents were in town, the venue was set, and each attendee was accounted for and knew what they had to do.  Beth reflected on all of the horror stories of mix-ups and accidents at other weddings she'd heard of, and thanked her lucky stars that her future mother-in-law could be so no-nonsense and sharp.  "She certainly is tough," Beth reminded herself.  She pitied anyone of the many people that had been hired for the big day if they decided to cross Jim's mom.  The brunette also hoped that she herself would never end up on the wrong side of Lois' wrath.

   The doorbell rang, waking Beth from her reverie.  "Who is it now?" she wondered in a tired frame of mind.  Opening the door, Beth saw a slightly hunched-over woman in her fifties standing in the entrance way.  She wore a simple brown outfit that went well with her curly auburn hair.

   The woman looked up at her slowly with an embarrassed twinkle in her eye.  "I do so hope I've got the right place.  Are you the bride?"

   "I... I am getting married tomorrow, yes.  Can I help you?"

   "Ah.  I'm so sorry to impose on you.  I'm Madeline Ivers, Justin's aunt."

   "Justin Carraway?"

   "Yes.  He's going to be a groomsman in the wedding tomorrow.  I just got into town, but I can't seem to find him or his friend Jim at home.  He gave me this address as a place he might be."

   "Well, Justin was here at lunchtime, but I don't know where he is now.  Have you tried to call him?"

   "Not yet."  The woman looked tired and slightly confused, and Beth's innate nursing instincts kicked in.

   "Why don't you come on in, sit down, and I'll call around to see where he is."

   "That's very kind of you."

   Madeline walked slowly into the living room, and Beth closed the door behind her.

   "You have a nice apartment."

   "Thanks.  It's small, and served me well, but soon I won't be living in it any longer!"  Beth's heart swelled with happiness at the thought of her upcoming honeymoon and the big house she and Jim would share.  She turned to get the cordless phone from the kitchen.

   Madeline's voice stabbed at her from behind.  "You are so right about that!" the woman growled.

   "Guh," Beth choked, as her suddenly hostile guest leaped onto her back and wrapped one arm around her neck.  "Wha-" she started to say, but Madeline wrenched her head backward and dragged her off-balance by yanking her left arm.  Stumbling, the pair teetered into the living room area and bumped into the couch.  The older lady's grip remained like a steel cable, hauling Beth this way and that as she thrashed desperately to escape.  Her mind reeled as chaotically as her body did.  "Who is this woman?" she wondered, "with sinews stronger than someone her age should have.  This couldn't be Phoebe... could it?"

   "No way," she answered herself.  "And there's no way some old crone is going to get away with ruining my day."  Beth twirled, flinging the lighter woman into the wall with a grunt.  The impact did nothing to jar Madeline's iron grip loose.  Instead, the auburn haired attacker released Beth's arm and sunk her nails into the brunette's tender boobs.  Beth howled, and tore at Madeline's hand.  With her concentration elsewhere, she didn't pay attention as her foe pushed off from the wall and intentionally stuck her leg in Beth's way, tripping the duo and sending them hurtling to the carpet.

   With a painful jerk, Madeline pulled one of Beth's arms behind her back.  "So, you're a fiesty one, eh?" the woman sneered.  "That's no matter."

   "Who the hell are you?" Beth screamed in anger.  "What do you want?"

   "You're going to do one simple thing for me, dearie.  You're going to call off the wedding."

   "The hell I- augh!"  A twist of Beth's arms cut off her attempted reply.

   "Jim is lying to you.  His heart is already taken by another, and he'll leave you as soon as his true wife returns to forgive him."  Beth lay still, stunned and trying to process what she was hearing.  "Now, I'm sorry to have to get so rough with you, but I needed to have your undivided attention, and you seemed to be the kind of person who needs a stronger form of convincing than words to change your mind."

   Beth's face bunched up in a snarl.  "And what if I don't?"

   "Let's just say that I'm prepared to be quite persuasive." 

   Beth sagged a bit underneath Madeline's weight, and her breathing slowed.  In a low voice, Beth said, "OK, then.  You have your answer."

   Madeline leaned her head down nearer to Beth's.  "What?  I couldn't quite hear you.  What was your answer?"

   "Never!" yelled Beth.  She bucked her hips, throwing her opponent off to one side, and tore her arm free of Madeline's grasp.  Rolling swiftly, she swung her other arm around as fast as she could.  Her aim was true, and her elbow slammed full force into Madeline's cheek.  She immediately regretted the move.  Sharp needles of pain shot through her arm as if it had violently encountered a brick wall.  Fear temporarily took hold of her, fear that she was up against someone much tougher than she was, and fear that nothing she could do could hurt the demonic bitch that sat atop her.  Beth flailed and wriggled, eventually freeing her legs and scrambling up onto the couch.

   Catching her rapid breath, Beth turned around and sat down.  To her surprise, Madeline remained where she was, massaging an obviously injured cheekbone.  Slowly, the older woman stood up and shook her hair back into place.  Beth took heart in the fact that she'd done as much damage to her foe as she'd done to herself.  The veneer of invincibility now gone, Madeline now faced her as someone Beth could deal with.  "That's good," the brunette thought to herself, "because nobody's going to intimidate me from going through with marrying Jim."

   Beth got up and dodged away from the sofa, not wanting to be trapped there.  The two women circled each other in the center of the room.  Madeline wore a tan blouse with a lacy collar, brown slacks, and matching flats.  She reached out with her arms, taunting Beth and feinting attacks with her outstretched nails.  Beth didn't take the bait.  She weaved this way and that, daring Madeline to charge and sending her heavy breasts bouncing beneath the orange shirt she wore that had come partially untucked from her white shorts.

   After one such maneuver, Beth unconsciously wiped a lock of her brown hair away from her face.  Madeline seized the opening, and latched onto her other wrist.  When Beth instinctively tried to free it, Madeline grabbed for it, too.  Beth countered and had soon secured a tight hold on the other woman's free hand.  In a flash, both females dug in their heels and began straining to push each other backwards.  Beth's advantage in height and youth didn't seem to matter when pitted against Madeline's fierce determination and steel trap-like fingers.  The pair grunted and groaned with exertion for over a minute, locked in a heated battle of muscle and willpower.

   Madeline spun her hand suddenly, making it awkward for Beth to continue holding it tightly.  The older woman yanked hard, drawing Beth off balance.  Before the brunette could react, Madeline drove a shoulder into Beth's chest, let go with her other hand, and clasped both sets of fingers deep into her long brown tresses.  Beth instantly copied the attack, and the warring females staggered about the room in a crazed bout of hairpulling.  Their bodies bumped and collided, sending Beth's boobs smacking humiliatingly into Madeline's face on occasion.  A strong tug ended that, and the two begin spinning around and around.  Bent over at the waist, Beth lost her footing, and Madeline toppled her down onto the floor soon afterwards.

   She immediately clambered all over Beth, and the younger woman fought back hard.  Their arms clawed at each other's clothing, and their legs entwined in a twisting struggle all their own.  Over and over they rolled, face to face and body to body, neither giving an inch.  Tighter and tighter they gripped each other, squeezing with all their might.  Beth wrestled against her foe ferociously, but Madeline's ability to withstand punishment seemed bottomless.  The writhing females reached a stalemate, but the embrace Madeline had her in left Beth short of breath.

   They both moaned in agony as a mutual bear hug constricted their midsections worse than ever before.  When the python-like duel slackened, Madeline sent an unexpected punch into Beth's side.  Beth cried out in anguish and relaxed her grip further.  Madeline quickly disengaged, pushed Beth down onto her back with a painful claw attack to her heaving left boob, and then rolled her over onto her stomach.  Again, Beth felt a strong arm lash around her neck and execute a headlock.  She began to despair, wondering if she had enough waning strength to get free.

   Madeline panted, "So, changed your mind yet?"  Her voice sounded calm, but still belied the fact that the fight had taken a toll on her.  Beth gurgled, straining to release the vise grip-like limb that held her fast.  "There's no use trying to escape.  The sooner you come to my point of view, the better it'll be for you."

   Beth reared up, using precious energy to do so.  "No," was all she could muster.

   "Mmm," Madeline murmured.  "How about you sleep on it, then?"  The headlock tightened, slowly cutting off air from Beth's head and making her dizzy.  Her elbows gave way, and her torso fell to the carpet.  She flailed, but felt consciousness begin to slip away from her...

   "What the hell?" a voice intruded suddenly.

   "You!" growled another.

   "Damn it," spat Madeline.  Beth felt her breathing return, and she gasped for air like a fish out of water.  Barely registering to her senses, her ears picked up the sound of the patio door opening and her eyes caught the sight of Madeline's figure darting out into the parking lot.  Then, Jim's face filled her vision and sobs overtook her tired frame.

   When she at last regained her faculties, she found Jim kneeling beside her, checking her out for injuries, and his mother pacing back and forth like a caged beast waiting to be set free to go hunting.

   "Are you OK?" Jim intoned, in the soothing voice that Beth loved to hear him use.

   "No, well, yes, now that you're here."

   "I can't believe the nerve of that bitch!" complained Lois aloud.  Beth turned her head.  She'd never seen Jim's mother so irritated.

   "Who... was that?"  Beth asked, still recovering.  "She said she was Justin's aunt Madeline."

   "Madeline?" Jim said in surprise.

   Lois interrupted.  "She was someone I never thought would pose a problem for you.  I really, truly didn't.  I'm so sorry this happened, and glad that she didn't get to do whatever it was she was planning."  Lois paused, thinking.  "Her name isn't Madeline.  It's Esther.  Esther Harcourt."  Beth's eyes widened.  "Phoebe's mom."

   "Call the police, then!  She attacked me in my own apartment!"  Beth's nerves, already frayed, dangled dangerously nearer to coming undone.  Her eyes pleaded at Jim, but he merely put his hands on her shoulders in an effort to calm her down.

   "Yes," said Lois in a snide tone, "why don't we?  In fact, I know the Deputy Chief of Police.  Why don't I give him a call?"

   "Yes!" agreed Beth.

   "Mom," chided Jim.  Beth looked at him, puzzled.

   Lois turned toward Beth with weary resignation.  "Dear, the Deputy Chief's name is Matthew Harcourt.  He's Esther's son.  She won't spend a second in a cell, even if she were ever arrested."

   Realization dawned in Beth's mind.  She cursed in the futility of it all.  "What do we do now?"

   Jim spoke up, his voice full of confidence.  "We're going to rehearse the ceremony this afternoon.  We're going to have fun at dinner tonight.  Tomorrow, we're getting married.  After that, we're going to live together happily despite whatever stupid ideas the Harcourt clan has in mind!"

   Lois wore a more realistic expression.  "We may have to curtail the after-dinner partying, I'm afraid.  Sorry."

   "What if that woman shows up again?"  Worry quavered Beth's voice noticeably.

   "If she does, she'll have me to contend with," Lois stated with authority.  "Personally."

***************

[Catharsis]

   Part 3 - An Old-Fashioned Acrimony


   Lois Carrington ran through her mental checklist for the fourth time.  Everything was in place and everyone knew what they needed to do.  They'd better.  She wended her way down a pair of service stairs and past the basement boiler room of the conference center where, in less than two hours, the wedding she had worked so hard to arrange would finally take place.  Reaching an unmarked door, she knocked -- three times, then two, and then four.  The lock clicked and Beth's face appeared through the narrow crack in the cautiously opened door.

   "Everything okay?" the brunette asked.

   "Yes, thank goodness.  How are you?"

   "Well, take a look."

   The door opened onto a small room with a table and a full length mirror against one wall and a chair sitting across from it.  Filling the center of the space was Beth, Jim's bride to be, perfectly made up and adorned with a gorgeous white gown.  Lois smiled as tears threatened to choke her up.

   "You look absolutely beautiful," Lois said.  The son she had raised through adolescence and the loss of his father was moving on to someone new.  He'll be in good hands, she thought.  Beth would stick with him through the worst that life could throw at him.

   "Anything wrong?" Beth asked.

   "Hmm?  Oh, no.  I was just thinking.  Reminiscing, actually.  Your parents are here and are all ready.  Jim's here, chatting with them.  Everything is all set.  This will be a day to remember for the rest of your life!"

   "So, no Harcourts..."

   "None.  Yet, at least.  But you don't need to worry your head with any of that.  You just let your mother in law handle any problems that arise, okay?  You know I can be tough when I have to, right?"  Beth blushed and let out a light chuckle.  "I've instructed the bridesmaids that you will show up at the appropriate time.  They want to see you, of course, but nobody except me knows where you are right now."

   "Just to be safe."

   "Exactly.  Is there anything you need, anything at all?  You've got makeup, mirror, hairbrush, booze, aspirin..."

   "I'm fine," Beth assured her.  "You know that your daughter in law's not too bad when the going gets rough, either, right?"

   Lois smiled.  A wistful expression then fell across her face.  "You be good to him, now."

   "I promise."

   "You know what's in store for you if you don't."

   For a moment, Lois' eyes flashed a warning, and Beth's mouth set in a tight line of determination.  Both women burst out laughing a second later and embraced in a loving hug.

   "Call my cell phone if you need anything," Lois said as they parted.

   "I will."

   Lois's gloved hands shook as she adjusted the corsage on her lavender dress and mounted the stairs back to the main floor.  Part of her wanted some crisis to erupt so she could put an end to the nervous double-checking of every last detail.  She didn't want to give any of the guests jitters, but she realized that the longer she darted this way and that and micromanaged each preparation, the more likely they would catch the anxiety she suffered from.

   She met up with ushers, two of which were hitting on Natalie and her younger sister, and reassured them that all was well.

   "Relax, will you?  Take a break." Natalie said.

   "It's a mother's job to be worried," Lois countered with a gentle smile, and she set off to make another round of the rooms she had reserved for the occasion.

   One by one, they all checked out.  The main doors to the banquet room were locked, as it had been ever since the caterers had decorated it the day before.  She poked her head in the kitchen and saw someone chopping up tomatoes for the fresh salsa that would accompany the fish.

   "Is Eduardo here?"

   The assistant chef turned around, startled.  "No, he's out at the truck."

   "Anyone come through here in the last fifteen minutes?"

   "I don't think so.  I was putting the desserts in the big freezer earlier, though.  You looking for someone?"

   "Not really."  Lois turned to go.  She tried to quiet the small nag that popped into her mind, and then stopped.  She had achieved her success by being finicky about little details, and reminded herself that this was no time to ignore any doubts that her intuition brought to her attention.

   She walked through the narrow door that separated the kitchen from the dining hall and glanced around.  She stopped, and then shut the simple bolt that locked the door from the inside.  In the center of the room, a large round table with a white cloth and an artfully arching centerpiece gleamed like the purest ivory tulip.  Arranged like burgundy petals around it, the smaller guest tables circled the floor.  Every place setting was meticulously symmetrical with its partners, and even the floral bouquets that graced the room stood like mirror images guarding the corners.

   Lois inhaled deeply, and addressed the one item that was out of place in the whole affair.

   "I don't remember inviting you."

   "How strange that is, too," Esther Harcourt chirped.  "You're normally so picky about not missing a thing."  She sauntered towards Lois, eyeing her rival with caution.  Esther was decked out in a navy blue dress, matching gloves that ran halfway to her elbows, dark stockings, and high heeled pumps.  The result showed off what her frumpy outfit the day of the rehearsal hadn't: an attractive and well built figure for someone her age.

   "Of course," Esther continued, "it was precisely that trait that made me realize you'd come visit this room sooner or later."  Her eyes searched for a reaction, but Lois gave her none.  "And I do know that you only reserved this one hall for dinner.  You have no backup in case any mayhem were to throw this one into disarray..."

   "This is it, hmm?  Your final tantrum before the gold you expected to dig out of Wallace is permanently out of your grasp?  How is he by the way?  That dialysis machine working fine for him?"

   "I'm not here for the money.  I don't even care that you managed to maneuver a wedding this elaborate underneath the noses of the town's grapevine, and that George's son is marrying some pouty-lipped hussy.  I'm just here to make sure you don't get to enjoy it."

   "Good, because I've had it with your annoying interference.  If you decided to pick this day as the one where we settle our little quarrel, that's fine with me."

   "'Little' quarrel?  Oh, my dear, you seem to be laboring under the delusion that we are on equal footing.  It was you who committed the unforgivable act that began this sad charade.  Everything I have done since then has been to right the wrongs you have made, and to teach you proper respect for your betters."

   "I'll respect my ELDERS if they act in a way that merits it.  All I've seen from you, or the other withered crones in that bridge club of yours, is petty jealousy.  Twenty years of juvenile sour grapes and schoolyard sniping because George Carrington married an out-of-town girl.  That bunch of self-important windbags is well beneath me, and you most of all!"

   Esther picked up a fluted champagne glass and flung it in naked fury.

   "I can replace that," Lois said, careful to control her anger.

   "Can you replace all of them?  Can you?  Can you replace the years of humiliation I've suffered at the hands of creditors and bank auditors?  Can you undo the shame you caused by dragging Wallace's name through the mud after George died?"

   "Your husband couldn't keep his dick in his pants.  The fact that he happened to be a frequent customer of the call girl racket my society column exposed isn't my fault.  It was your being so stuck up and frigid that drove him into the arms of-."

   "Shut up, you low-born whore!  There are rules in this town, whether you like them or not.  They serve to maintain order, not disrupt it like your filthy muckraking did."

   "I'll bow down to your clique of constipated judges of proper behavior when Hell freezes over.  The reign of you nosy neighbors and the fear of ostracism you used to wield is ending."

   Esther drew herself up to full height.  "Over my dead body."

   Lois matched her aggressive pose.  "If you so wish."

   "Our ways will survive long after I'm gone, missy."  Esther took a step forward and removed her shoes.  "Your irritating group of self-righteous nobodies, however, relies on you and the money you have.  Once you are no longer leading them, they'll fold like the house of cards they are."

   "You'd love to test that theory, wouldn't you?  Go ahead.  I've locked the door.  No one's going to interrupt us."  Lois slipped out of her heels and moved into a more open area of the floor to her right.  Esther sidestepped, and the two women began to circle each other slowly.  "Of course, that means that nobody will be able to rescue you from the beating you're about to get."

   Esther chuckled.  "How completely you've forgotten the outcome of our first duel."

   "Esther, that was a skirmish compared to what I have in store for you.  I said it earlier and I meant it.  I'm through with you.  This war between the two of us, it ends here.  Right now."

   "Take your best shot.  You HACK!"

   Just like old friends know the best ways of teasing each other, old enemies learn the same things, but for a different purpose.  Esther sneered wickedly as her epithet had its desired effect, snapping the last thread of restraint in Lois' mind.

   The slap that cracked across Esther's cheek knocked her head sideways and stung Lois' fingers dearly.  Esther replied with a smack of her own, which Lois took with barely a wince.  Both snarling females paused, well aware of the line they had stepped over -- one from which there was no turning back.

   "I'm going to humiliate you so completely," Lois growled.

   "You just try," Esther said, anger carving deep lines her face, "You just try."

   Lois charged, batted away Esther's defending arms and dug her hands into her foe's auburn hair.  Yanking hard, she twisted Esther's head sideways, but only for a moment.  Slowly, inexorably, Esther righted herself and then grabbed two fierce fistfuls of Lois' platinum blonde perm.  The two women stood still pulling and tugging for a full minute, fighting against the pain as much as they fought against each other.  Lois finally had enough of Esther's nasty grip and shook her head in an effort to dislodge it.  It didn't work.  Furious, she kicked out with her knee, only for it to collide with Esther's knee with a loud whack.

   Letting go with one hand, Lois wrapped her arm around Esther's head and drew it downward.  Esther fought back, but Lois had gained a temporary advantage.  The blonde leveraged her weight and gradually forced Esther to bend over.  The older woman's fingers remained latched onto Lois' hair, however, driving her insane with agony.  Lois tightened her hold around Esther's neck and moved to wrestle her into a full headlock.  Bit by bit, her arm snaked about her opponent's head as she poured all her strength into the battle.

   Suddenly, her progress stopped.  Esther let go of Lois' hair with one hand and her fingers stabbed into Lois' back.  A mighty struggle ensued.  Lois tried her best to keep Esther down, but Esther clawed her way up Lois' body inch by inch until their faces were even.  Lois responded by lashing both arms around Esther and squeezing as hard as she could.  Esther let out a groan, and then reciprocated the assault.

   Dancing a chaotic tango, the well-dressed women staggered and stumbled around in a tight bear hug.  Back and forth they wrenched each other from side to side, grunting in a most unladylike manner.  Face to face grimacing and panting, Lois and Esther felt their ribs compress as they crushed their breasts together.  On and on the contest spiraled further and further out of control, each attempting to outdo the other with how much constriction their muscles could endeavor as they spun about the floor.  A slight slackening allowed both to catch a quick breath, but that was the only break either took.  Fingers raking thin satin material, the two tore into each other, releasing years of pent up hostility.

   Soon, panting turned to outright groaning.  They looked into each other's eyes and saw that all their effort hadn't had any real effect.  Esther pressed her forehead rudely against Lois'.  Lois pushed back, and both quickly ratcheted up the power they drove through their temples.  Their close embrace weakened, but their arms remained draped around each other as Esther tried to force her foe's head backwards.  Lois began to get the worst of it.  Her neck muscles sang out in pain.  Her hands grasped for a better purchase, and her fingertips clung to the top of the back of Esther's dress.  The war raged on, with Lois being forced back slowly and her fingers pulling harder and harder on Esther's clothing.

   With an abrupt ripping sound, the zipper on the back of Esther's outfit tore open from neck to waist. Lois' head slipped to the side and the women collapsed into a hug, cheek to cheek.  Breathing heavily, neither moved for a moment.  Then, Esther reached up and tugged Lois' zipper down.  Still wrapped so closely together, the heat from their shoulders warming their chins, they spoke.

   "You still think you can take me?"

   "Scared from last time, are we?"

   "I'll match my boobs against your ugly bags any day."

   "Fine."

   Lois and Esther parted.  Never taking their eyes off each other, they began shrugging out of their elegant dresses.  With nary a blink of hesitation, they lowered them to the floor and unhitched their bras.  Soon, they stood half naked, clothed in nothing more than panties, thigh-high stockings, and elbow-length gloves.  A smirk crept up Lois' lips.

   "Enjoy that grin while it lasts," Esther sneered.

   "It just feels great to clean up unfinished business."

   "You stopped last time because you knew you were going to lose."

   "Bullshit.  My tits were punishing yours so badly you had to quit."

   "That's a lie!  We'll have no interruptions this time, so we'll see whose chest destroys whose."

   "Once and for all."

   Neither woman broke the stare as they interlaced their gloved fingers and gripped each other's hands tightly.  Silently, Esther and Lois strode forward and united their bodies in conflict once more.  Breast met breast, pushing and mashing.  They twisted their shoulders, pouring on additional pressure first to one side and then the other.  Their fleshy globes bulged, skin growing smooth and taut from the strain of holding up under the mutual onslaught.  Toes planted firmly, each used her legs to steady herself and increase the power of her crushing boob attack.

   For minutes, they remained locked tit to tit, occasionally sliding when their stockinged feet lost purchase on the carpet.  Their breasts heaved in time with their rapid breathing and the waves of force being driven through them.  Agony tore through the warring females, but that didn't weaken their resolve.  Lois remembered going at it with Esther just like this many years ago.  The draw that had resulted after nearly half an hour of incessant titfighting had taught her much.  She was determined to outlast and finally defeat her most hated rival this time.  She shoved her left boob once again into Esther's right and swirled it around, trying to find the spot that hurt the bitch the most.

   Esther responded in kind, stabbing her hardened nipples deep into Lois' supple flesh and attempting to destroy the blonde's pert orbs.  Lois grunted in pain, and threw her weight into a counterattack.  Esther gritted her teeth, and the two half-naked women froze in place like a stunning monument to feminine combat.  Moments ticked by, then Esther exhaled a tortured groan and reared back a bit.  Lois prepared herself, but let loose a whimper anyway when the full brunt of Esther's forward thrust sent the pair's breasts slamming together even more powerfully than before.  It was taking everything Lois had to match Esther's strength, but still she held her own despite the awful feeling that her boobs were getting flattened.

   Panting hard now, the topless mothers rammed and squeezed their tits together ever more recklessly.  Pain built up at each hard collision from sharp, stinging pangs to a constant throbbing ache as they fought a pitched battle around the small open space between the tables.  Once, Lois backed Esther up against a chair and used the leverage to press downwards onto her foe's breasts again and again.  Esther resisted and kept her balance long enough to muscle Lois to one side and off of her.  In a flash, the two united face to face and chest to chest, struggling and straining to overpower each other.  The stress on their boobs grew intolerable.  Their nipples screamed in agony as they poked into tender flesh and dragged across soft skin time after time.  Perspiration began to appear on their foreheads and torsos, especially where their bare bodies touched and grinded repeatedly.

   Lois desperately wanted to let go of Esther's hands and ruin her rival's face.  From the look of frustration Esther wore, she wasn't alone, although neither lady dared break the unspoken code of conduct they seemed to have agreed to.  All those years ago, Lois had stood up to Esther's iron grip on town society and the two had continued sniping at each other through intermediaries for weeks.  Everything had come to a head during Jim's high school prom, and the two had been shuffled off to a room in the hotel where the party had been going on.  There, in front of a small group of each's supporters, their open scoffing at each other's figures led to them to lay bare their true feelings, as well as their gorgeous bosoms.  The ferocity of the long, sweaty battle that erupted between their evenly-matched pairs of tits had stunned them as much as it had the onlookers.  Neither could claim victory and the consensus around town was that another confrontation was likely.  Each had gained a grudging respect for her foe, though, and secretly feared the damage that would result if things got physical again, especially if they started fighting with more than just their breasts.

   Now the slow, simmering stew of hatred had boiled over, and nothing stood in the way of the two hellcats as they battered each other's bare skin red with the incessant blows of their heaving tits.  Constant pressure became too much to bear, and the duo resorted to rotating their chests from side to side, pummeling each other's swinging boobs with brief but fierce slaps.  The whole world faded from Lois' vision, save the sight of Esther -- her hair plastered to her forehead with sweat, her mouth snarling in anger, her eyes wincing with each successive impact -- as they danced violently around the floor.

   On one last turn, their feet tangled with the nearby chairs.  They broke apart, as much from loss of balance as from tiring leg muscles, and collapsed to the ground.  Sitting there, the two women eyed each other warily and assessed the damage they'd sustained.  Their breathing came fast and ragged, laced with low moans.  Fifteen minutes of uninhibited titfighting had worn down their bodies a little, but hadn't made a dent in the pair's animosity.  They both welcomed the pause, making sure the other didn't see that fact.

   Lois spoke first.  "You're no longer the tough bitch you used to be."

   Esther chuckled.  "Age has been more unkind to you, it seems.  It certainly hasn't granted you any wisdom."

   "Or you any of the common sense you've always lacked."

   "Just like a hack.  All talk, and no substance."

   Lois reared up.  "Come over here and say that."

   "My pleasure."

   Wading on her knees, Esther approached with an evil look in her eye.  Lois mimicked her stance and focused her gaze on her targets: the light brunette's jostling tits tipped by fully aroused nipples.  Esther had been right.  Last time, she had been seconds away from giving in to that powerful pair of breasts.  She resolved that this time, she would come out victorious no matter what it took.

   Hands met, arms interlocked, and faces pressed close.  The bare chested women renewed their battle, straining against each other and swinging their upper bodies back and forth in fierce collisions.  Lois settled her mouth next to Esther's right ear, driving her boobs into her rival with the full force of her muscles.  Esther slid, and the pair felt their nipples drag laboriously across each other's chest.  Lois exhaled sharply despite her best efforts to remain in control.  Esther bore down, bringing her shoulders and stomach into contact with Lois.  Determined not to give in inch, Lois fought back, grinding her breasts in a circular motion against Esther's.

   Now it was Esther's turn to moan.  Her assault slackened as her head filled with uncommon sensations from Lois's hard nubs poking and drawing lines deep into her feminine flesh.  Esther retaliated, stabbing Lois repeatedly with her stiff, pointy nipples, but the blonde kept up her attack.  In unison, both women slammed their bare chests together in a torrid titfight.  Panting heavily at each blow, they battered each other time and again, slapping their naked boobs back and forth.  Faster and faster the battle raged.  Grunts mixed with the sounds of skin striking skin, every muscle from their calves to their rear ends flexing in struggle to keep upright.  As the fearsome pummeling of breast against breast reached its crescendo, both women wrapped their arms tighter and tighter around each other's body, and further into a crushing embrace.

   Settling into a strong bear bug, Lois and Esther groaned cheek to cheek.  Their torsos twisted this way and that.  Their nipples, still hard, had met head on and were engaged in a contest to push their opposing pair back into their respective tits.  Pain rippled through both ladies.  Their hair was matted with sweat and perspiration beaded on their bare backs.  Mashed as one from knees to shoulders, Lois and Esther fought to the limits of their will.  Their movements slowed, but the intensity of their war remained.

   "Feel that?" panted Lois after some time.  "Your weak tits are giving in."

   "No, they're not.  Yours are losing.  I feel your nipples bending under the pressure."

   "Hardly.  I'm winning.  You know it.  I'm taking you down."

   "No, you won't!"

   At that, Esther lurched sideways and yanked Lois off balance.  With a thud, the tightly entwined women hit the carpet.  Stockinged legs lashed out, slipping and sliding against smooth material.  Their feet met and tried to grab and trap.  Esther lifted herself up with one hand and tried to fall atop Lois.  Quick as a flash, the blonde scooted away and counterattacked.  With surprising speed, Lois mounted Esther and pinned one arm to the ground.  Her dominance lasted but a few seconds.  Esther threw her off and attempted the same maneuver.  Lois grapevined her legs about one of Esther's and used that leverage to keep her foe's momentum going.

   Over and over, the two nearly nude women tumbled, grappling on the floor with the energy of females half their age.  Hands and arms fought wildly.  Breasts bumped and rubbed roughly.  Thighs crushed thighs.  Legs writhed and coiled.  From one table to another, the panty-clad ladies rolled and wrestled.

   Eventually, Lois became trapped, her back pressed firmly into a chair leg.  Esther loomed above her, gloating and breathing heavily.  Lois struggled, but her tired body couldn't break free from the auburn haired demon's weight and strength.

   "I've got you." Esther sneered.

   "You never will."

   Esther slugged Lois in the side.  The blonde remained defiant.  Esther punched again, and then again when her opponent's face refused to show any sign of capitulation.  Harder and harder the fists landed, until the pain threatened to overcome Lois' self-control.  Rearing her head back, Lois grimaced, and then rammed her forehead straight into Esther's.  A loud whack resounded in the quiet room.  Lois saw stars, but also felt her rival's weight slip off of her.

   Moments passed.  Neither woman moved or looked at each other.  Lois tended to her injured side and Esther rocked back and forth cradling her head.  At last, Esther groaned in agony and lay still.

   "I learned that from from my daughter-in-law," Lois said proudly.

   Esther turned to face Lois.  "You can only surprise someone like me with that once, and as you can see, it didn't knock me out."

   "It was more than you could handle."

   "But it'll take more than that to finish me off.  Your precious daughter-in-law will learn that lesson soon enough."

   "There's no way I'll let you leave this room in any condition to harm her."

   "Who said I would?  There's more than one Harcourt in this building."

   Lois heart pounded.  Her arms shook as she tried to sit up.  "No.  No, you're lying.  She's..."

   "When you deal with mercenaries like that stupid gumshoe of yours, you should always be alert that they don't take a better offer."

   "You bitch!"

   "Twas all Phoebe's doing.  I'm afraid I can't take credit, except for raising such a smart, attractive daughter."  Lois' mouth twisted into the frown people reserve for objects they wish to see obliterated from existence.  "As I said before, I'm just here to make sure your day is ruined."

   Lois leaned forward and got to her hands and knees.  "Day's not over yet."

   Lois felt warm blood rush through her.  Esther rose and crawled slowly across the gap between them.  Lois matched her pace.  As she did so, her mind tried to telepathically beam apologies to Beth for not being able to protect her well enough.  An arms length away, both women straightened up, bare chests thrust out brazenly, nipples erect in anticipation.

   Esther's eyes narrowed.  "Ready for more?"

   "Am I ever."


***************

[Catharsis]

   Part 4 - A Hostile Reception


   The knock at Beth's door was panicked.

   "Beth?  Beth, are you there?" a muffled voice asked.

   "Natalie?"

   The handle on the door rattled, but the door remained shut.  "Beth, I can't find Jim's mom anywhere.  I'm worried something's happened to her!"

   Beth stared hard at the door, as if doing so would give up the identity of her guest, and then strode over to it.  "Hold on just a second."  She inhaled a deep breath.  Her hand quivered as it undid the lock.

   In an instant, the door flung open.  Beth darted backward, and a large white shape flew into the small room.  The locked clicked as the door slammed shut once again.

   Before the new arrival could get a word out of her mouth, Beth said as calmly as she could, "Hello, Phoebe."

   "Hello yourself, skank," Phoebe said once she'd spun around.  She stood tall.  Her long, blonde hair cascaded in feathered waves down her back and was topped with a thin veil.  Beth saw the family resemblance to Esther in her high cheek bones, narrow chin and slender nose.  She wore a bridal gown, one not unlike Beth's, with a delicate lace-covered bodice accentuating her slim waist which widened out to accommodate her well-endowed chest and held up by a halter-style top.  Her shoulders and arms were bare, showing off skin that spoke of years living on the Mediterranean.  The lily-white dress blossomed at her hips in glistening satin, trailing off behind her.  "Not so surprised to see me, then?"

   "I figured it was you.  Natalie always calls Lois 'Mrs. Carrington'."

   Phoebe raised an eyebrow.  "Lois?  Nobody ever calls Jim's mother 'Lois'."

   Beth grinned with pride.  "I do."  Her hands clasped defiantly but nervously to her waist.  Her breasts swelled, filling the gap in the V shape where the front of her gown displayed her gorgeous cleavage.  Taffeta rustled as she planted her feet firmly, ready for anything.  "You have exactly two seconds to walk back out that door and out of my life and Jim's life forever."

   Phoebe seemed taken aback, and for a moment, Beth thought she might comply.  The emotion was short-lived, however, and anger soon reddened Phoebe's face.  "You're not going to tell me what to do.  Nobody does!  You have no idea what I can do to a slut like you."

   "I've heard your whole sordid story from Jim.  You don't frighten me."

   "Oh, I should, you dumb cxnt."  Phoebe advanced a step, but Beth held her ground.  "When I don't get my way, bad things happen."  The two women stared without flinching into her other's eyes.  They hovered mere inches apart from one another, and mere seconds from total mayhem.

   "Then let me clue you in on something not even Jim knows," said Beth.  "I've been sort of hoping we'd meet ever since I first heard about you."

   "Oh, yeah?"

   "Yeah."  The fearsome female's faces grew nearer and nearer as they spoke.

   "You think you can handle me?  Then figure this: I've never been beaten.  By anyone."

   "Still a virgin, huh?  I can change that real quick."

   Phoebe shoved Beth roughly by her shoulders.  The pair were back in each other's faces in a flash. Slowly they began stalking around each other in a circle.  "You want humiliation?  I'll give it to so bad you won't be able to walk for days."

   Beth pushed Phoebe back, but the blonde barely moved.  "Stick it, bitch.  You came here for a piece of me, just come and get it.  I'll mop the floor with you and still make it to the altar on time."

   A growl entered Phoebe's voice.  "Never!  I'm going to be the one walking away with Jim today.  I'm the one he promised himself to first.  I've still got the ring to prove it!"  Phoebe flashed a large gem on her left hand in front of Beth.  "He doesn't deserve a weak slut like you."

   "As if he needs a crazy moron like you!  He's mine now, promise or no promise."

   A delirious look shot through Phoebe's eyes.  "He owes me and my family dearly.  I will marry him and claim what's rightfully mine."  She looked down on Beth disdainfully.  "No pathetic bimbo's going to stop me."

   Beth's arm flew fast and true.  The fist that capped the end of it barreled straight at Phoebe's right cheek.  With a sharp smack, Beth felt it hit and felt her knuckles ring with the impact.  She paused, stunned.  Phoebe stood still, her left hand enveloping Beth's fist and holding it a mere inch from her untouched face.  The long-haired blonde's mouth twisted into a nasty grin, and she squeezed, crushing Beth's fingers painfully.  Beth cried in alarm, but only briefly.  Phoebe replied with a hard right that rang off her cheekbone and spun her around and backwards into the wall.  Beth's heart pounded.  Fright overtook her.  She recalled Esther's strength and resilience to her attacks.  Here facing her now was a younger, quicker, and more dangerous version of that monster.

   Phoebe chuckled.  "Pitiful."  Beth, still facing the wall and bracing herself against it with one hand, shook her head to make the room stop wobbling.  She heard Phoebe continue behind her.  "Well, best get this over with.  You know, Jim's going to enjoy hearing how I kicked your ass."

   Beth started laughing.  She turned around casually and stood up with a cool, confident look in her eye that Phoebe had never seen in any opponent before.  "Not bad.  I've never had someone daze me like that."  The brunette combed her hair back into place with her fingers.  "Still, there's no way you're going to keep me from marrying Jim."

   "Oh?  When I'm through with you, you'll be singing a different tune."  Both women tensed, bringing their hands up at the ready.

   "Then come on, then.  It's just you and me in here.  Nobody else knows where I am, and we've got over an hour and a half before the ceremony."

   "You're so stupid.  I'm going to hurt you in ways you can't even imagine."

   "Try me."

   Phoebe charged, a white freight train hell bent on wrecking anything in her path.  Beth, anticipating the move, dodged to the side tried to shove Phoebe off balance.  The blonde halted her advance suddenly, and reached out to grab Beth's dress.  Beth pounded in futility on Phoebe's arms as the other woman's hands clasped firmly on the side and skirt of her gown.  Frustrated, she turned her attention to Phoebe's golden tresses.  The blonde grunted once as Beth yanked with both hands.  At the same time, the sound of fabric ripping rent the air.  The force of Phoebe's tearing pushed Beth sideways, and the tangled females stumbled as one across the room.

   Beth continued her assault on Phoebe's hair as her rival's strong hands shredded more and more of her shiny dress.  Staggering drunkenly, they whirled around in a chaotic frenzy.  Content for the moment with the damage she'd already inflicted, Phoebe fought against Beth's arms to stand up straight.  Halfway there, her fingers dove into Beth's long locks and reciprocated their owner's painful tugging.  Growling like angry cats, the two buxom beauties stomped around the small room pulling and twisting.  Their bodies slammed into the wall and bounced off each other as the battle carried them back and forth across the floor.  Occasionally, Beth let go with one hand to slap at Phoebe's arms, head, and bare shoulders.  The blonde soon retaliated with her own smacks as the two clawed at one another's hair and the clothing that protected their upper bodies.

   Careening out of control, Beth's hips rammed the tiny table set in one corner of the enclosed space.  Makeup, a can of beer, a brush and comb all tumbled off.  Beth's foot slipped, and she soon followed he table's contents down to the ground.  Phoebe landed sideways across Beth's back, and Beth bucked up hard to dislodge her.  She spun facing upwards just in time to see Phoebe open the can of beer and tilt it.  Phoebe's left hand grabbed her neck, holding her down, while her other hand poured the alcohol all over Beth's pure white outfit.  The liquid stained the fabric in ugly tan blotches, fizzing like a laughing snake as it did so.  Phoebe smiled evilly at Beth's mixture of anger and horror.

   "There, your big day is ruined."

   Her gloating changed to choking seconds later when Beth flung an entire tin of touch-up powder in her face.  Phoebe waved her hands in front of her to clear the cloud that obscured her foe.  Once it dissipated, she noticed Beth begin swinging her fist side-on at her again and again, pounding her sides and legs.  Phoebe wound up a punch of her own when she realized just what Beth was doing.  Beth's closed hand held an open tube of lipstick.  The bright red hue now streaked Phoebe's satin skirt as well as her lace bodice.

   "There," growled Beth when the lipstick had crumbled into pieces.  "Now your's is ruined, too."

   Howling like an enraged fiend, Phoebe set upon Beth, pinning the brunette's shoulders to the floor.  Beth's legs wrapped around Phoebe's, preventing her from pressing her advantage.  Still, the blonde's strength bore down on her, preventing her from moving.  Beth searched for another target and started to claw at Phoebe's skirt, tearing holes in it with her long fingernails.  Phoebe ramped up her attack, drawing her torso closer and closer to Beth's.  Beth kept shredding as best she could, but felt the tide turning against her.

   Phoebe chortled.  "You think I care about this dress?  I've got another one just like it for when I'm through with you."  The blonde's sneering face neared Beth's and her boobs came to rest on the trapped woman's chest, adding to the pressure she was under.  Beth squirmed, trying to break free.  All the maneuver succeeded in doing was rubbing the front of her gown against Phoebe's full, heavy breasts.  Phoebe grunted, fighting to part Beth's legs and pin every inch of her figure to the ground.  Beth felt her swing her covered tits teasingly from side to side atop her own firm mounds.  A devious smile parted the blonde's lips as they approached Beth's panting mouth.

   With a shout, Beth rammed her forehead into Phoebe's.  The tanned beauty looked stunned for a moment, but otherwise unmoved.  Beth repeated the head butt, even though the first had stung horribly.  She wrenched her hips and flung Phoebe off to one side.  Beth flailed and kicked to push her tormentor away, but Phoebe regained her senses too quickly.  The blonde tore at Beth's top, ripping the material in two down to her waist.  Beth's temper exploded, and she hauled Phoebe's head around using the halter of fabric that ran around her neck.  Phoebe bent down, but kept her fingers raking Beth's gown into tatters.  Phoebe's top popped over her head, releasing her from Beth's crazed shaking.  Furious, Beth lashed out, landing a strong kick to Phoebe's midsection.  Her heel struck the blonde wickedly, and Phoebe finally backed off.

   Both women rose to their feet rapidly, panting hard.  Their tousled hair stuck out wildly.  Phoebe's crimson-streaked dress hung loosely from her waist.  Her D-cup breasts wobbled as they swung freely on her bare chest.  Beth noted with slight surprise that her rival's tan extended unbroken from her face all the way down to her hips.  Beth herself had scant shreds covering her boobs.  The frantic battle on the floor had torn her top in two, and the blonde's grasping claws had yanked the hooks apart on her full-figured brassiere.  Her pink nipples jutted out firmly in the cool air of the basement room that had become her and Phoebe's private arena.  She shrugged out of her bra and let the top of her dress drop to her hips, freeing her arms for the next round.

   After a short pause, the busty amazons leaped at one another, heedless of their disheveled condition.  Their hands grabbed hold of their arms and shoulders, and a fearsome test of strength ensued.  Rocking from side to side, Beth fought hard to keep Phoebe from pushing her over or throwing her down.  She stared directly into the blonde's icy blue eyes.  The mere sight of the bitch filled her enough desire to battle her mercilessly to the bitter end.  Phoebe flexed her legs, driving Beth back a step.  The brunette dug in her heels, arresting her retreat and groaned as her muscles strained against Phoebe's onslaught.  Her face came to rest beside Phoebe's and the women entered a temporary stalemate.  Struggling for control, they pushed with all their might, forcing their bodies forward as far as possible.

   The sudden soft contact of Phoebe's massive boobs sent a flush to Beth's cheeks.  Soldiering on, Beth tried her best to back Phoebe up, searching for purchase on the flawless bare skin of her rival's torso.  The blonde stood as immovable as a statue.  Between them, their breasts jostled and bumped, sending arcs of sensation tingling through their nerves.  At first, the collisions were gentle and accidental.  Soon, however, with their muscles deadlocked, the topless females concentrated more and more attention on their dueling tits.  Phoebe's stiff nipples stabbed ruthlessly into Beth's tender flesh, and her heavy orbs pounded again and again on Beth's exposed chest.

   Undeterred, Beth slammed her full, round boobs back and forth against Phoebe's, swinging them harder and harder until the sound of skin slapping skin filled the air.  Phoebe began panting, and ramped up her efforts, ramming Beth's tits with greater force and pummeling them with sideways blows.  Flesh slid against flesh, rough and rude.  Beth exhaled stronger and stronger breaths at each impact, determined to overwhelm her foe.  The women shook first one shoulder and then the other forward and back, increasing the intensity of the barrage with each passing second.  Their firm, supple breasts distorted under the power of the other's assault.  Sensitive nipples scored furrows in their wobbling orbs, driving both of them wild and threatening to override the anger that drove them onward.  Then, like fat sumo wrestlers, the equally proportioned pairs of tits smashed together and fought a torrid contest.

   Groaning and grunting with their heads on each other's shoulders, Beth and Phoebe pushed their gigantic chests into one another.  Their breasts bulged up and out to either side in testament to the excruciating struggle they were engaged in.  Nipples aching, pain rising, the two females locked up tighter and tighter.  Their stomachs touched and flattened against one another.  Phoebe's body rippled against Beth's, her tanned skin radiating heat like sizzling summer sand.  Beth recalled her heady titfight in college.  Phoebe was a tougher foe, for sure, but Beth knew that her resolve hadn't yet been tested.

   Phoebe rotated her upper body, grinding her boobs into Beth's pair.  Beth answered, thrusting back with each gorgeous boob in turn.  Phoebe increased the pressure, bending Beth backward suddenly at the waist.  Eager to maintain balance, Beth stuck her heels down.  The move only served to help Phoebe tilt her further over.  Beth disengaged her bare stomach from Phoebe and sought a firm position with her feet.  Phoebe charged before she could regain her composure and sent her flying backwards into the wall.

   In a rush of sensation, Beth felt Phoebe flatten herself fully against her body.  Her tits compressed under the blonde's oncoming pair.  Phoebe's hands pinned her wrists to the cold cinderblock and her looming figure trapped her, in tight contact from shoulder to thigh.  Nose to nose, the half naked young women scowled as they wiggled back and forth in a battle for control.  Beth's rigid nubs dug into Phoebe's heavy breasts.  Her grunts became tinged with whimpers as she realized how faint was her chance of escape.

   "You feel this, bitch?" spat Phoebe.  "My tits are crushing yours.  You're no match for me."

   Summoning her bravest voice, Beth replied, "I've got more than enough to handle those weak boobs."

   "Bullshit.  I can feel them flattening out.  You'd better give up before you get hurt permanently."  Phoebe began grinding her breasts round and round in circles atop Beth's sensitive orbs.  The brunette bit her lips and moaned under the pressure. 

   She thought fast.  Arching her back, she pushed her body into Phoebe's in an attempt to force her to the side.  The blonde stiffened and counterattacked, mashing her naked torso against Beth.  Phoebe increased her assault, drawing her and Beth's thighs into close contact.  Beth grunted, and shoved her right knee between Phoebe's legs.  Her thigh rose up towards Phoebe's crotch, but the tanned blonde stopped her short.  Beth braced her shoulders and tried to lift Phoebe up and off of her with the leg she'd inserted.  Phoebe's heels rose off the floor, and Beth's last bit of strength managed to push her back a step.  Beth freed her hands, jammed both palms into Phoebe's exposed tits and launched herself off the wall with her feet.

   Phoebe shrieked, but fought back.  With a swift slap, she dislodged one of Beth's arms.  Plowing forward, she stuck her left leg between Beth's knees.  The blonde once again crushed Beth against the wall.  This time, though, there was an unpleasant pressure bearing down into Beth's crotch.  Beth squirmed, wrapping her free leg around Phoebe's unwelcome limb.  Plastered as one up against the cold cinderblock, the wriggling females panted and groaned.  They locked themselves in such a strong embrace that only their legs moved, massaging their smooth thighs through the satiny fabric of their skirts.

   "This is your last resort, isn't it?" Beth said in a voice just above a whisper.  "You couldn't win Jim over with your body, so you try to destroy everyone whose body's better than yours."

   "Shut up, slut!  I'm the most attractive girl Jim's ever seen.  He'd even say so."

   "Know why he dumped you, ya bitch?"  Beth moaned as her breasts got compressed painfully.  "He saw your mother."  Beth fought to drive her knee back up toward Phoebe's womanhood.  "He saw exactly what kind of ugly, twisted hag you'd become."  Beth howled as Phoebe threatened to crush all of the air out her lungs.  When she could catch her breath, she spat, "He said I was the only woman he's been with who was better in bed than you were."

   Phoebe pressed her forehead into Beth's.  Hissing, she said, "I'm way better than a tramp like you.  He's just forgotten the things I did to him."

   Beth snorted.  "You may have an attractive exterior, but your insides are so rotten nobody'd every find you alluring."

   "I make men feel things they'd never even imagined were possible.  I've even made straight women swoon."  Phoebe huffed, as if her last statement topped anything Beth could possibly respond with.

   "That so?  You think you can out-sex me?"

   Phoebe stared deep into Beth's eyes, searching for signs of a bluff.  The brunette's self-assured expression held none.  Beth was counting on Phoebe being as easily goaded as she appeared to be.  Anything, even an all-out war of lewdness, was preferrable to being overwhelmed by Phoebe's superior strength.

   "I can't tell if you're seriously challenging me, or you're just a submissive looking to be dominated."

   Beth responded in a cool, even voice.  "When you beg me to stop making you cum, you'll know the answer."

   Beth felt her nipples get as hard as bullets, buried as they were between the her and Phoebe's mashed breasts.  A familiar twinge tickled her inner thighs.  All caution had left her mind, swept away like the last of her inhibitions.

   The hint of mirth at Beth's predicament on Phoebe's face disappeared.  The gauntlet had been thrown down, and could not be ignored.  "You want it that way, bitch?  You got it." 

   Phoebe suddenly let go of Beth's arms.  Beth struggled to take advantage of Phoebe's apparent bad judgement, but the blonde's massive tits kept her pinned motionless all by themselves.  She felt Phoebe's fingers pulling at her gauze-filled skirt, lifting it up quickly.  Unable to find a better target, Beth grabbed two handfulls of Phoebe's rear end and began yanking.  Her cheeks flushed red and her body grew hot the further up her legs Phoebe's touch went.  Beth tore away the satin train on Phoebe's gown to expose a thin silken slip.  She finished hauling that out of the way just as Phoebe's angry grip succeeded in ripping one side of her dress completely in two.

   Pheobe disengaged her leg from Beth's groin and backed up.  Neither female broke eye contact, glaring daggers as they prepared for the next round.  One tug was all it took to send the rest of Beth's beautiful gown rustling to the floor.  She now stood nearly nude, leaning against the wall wearing no more than panties, a garter, and torn nylons.  Beth stomped her foot, catching the front of Phoebe's skirt and forcing it off her hips.  The blonde's thigh-high nylons were in awful shape, but she seemed completely unfazed in confronting Beth with nothing to protect her save a white lace thong.  Her large boobs wobbled as if raring to have another go at Beth's firm, round pair.

   Without a word, the two sexy young women drew closer.  Phoebe's hands pushed against Beth's shoulders, but the brunette held her ground and ran her palms up Phoebe's sides.  The blonde leaned forward as if to kiss her, but halted her advance and sunk her breasts onto Beth's instead.  Beth groaned, and tilted backwards, sliding her tits up, up against Phoebe's supple pair, until they broke contact.  Phoebe's boobs dropped back down and bounced heavily on her chest.  She moved nearer to Beth, poking her firm nipples into Beth's tender flesh and pressing her forehead gently against Beth's.

   Phoebe braced her left hand on the wall behind Beth and ran her right hand smoothly down her rival's body.  As it reached her stomach, Beth released the teasing hold she'd grabbed on Phoebe's ass and turned her attention to the blonde's thong.  In the same second, Beth and Phoebe both drove their hands deep into each other's crotches, probing for their most intimate spot.  Phoebe's strong fingers stroked the front of Beth's panties, easing closer and closer to her nether lips.  Beth rubbed Phoebe's thong, quickly finding her hot, aroused pussy.  Phoebe moaned.

   "Too much, already?" Beth taunted.

   "Shut up.  You're the one who's going to be screaming like a common whore."

   Beth worked her fingers back and forth, up and down, and around in circles.  Phoebe's thong offered little protection, allowing Beth to have her way with Phoebe's womanhood.  The blonde had tightened her legs, reducing Beth's range of motion, but she struggled on, twisting her wrist and flicking her thumb and forefinger across the length of Phoebe's vagina.  At the same time, Beth's body fought to contain the thrilling sensations brought on by her rival's powerful touch.  A digit had located the warm, wet cleft between her legs and was forcing the fabric of her underwear further and further into it.  Now and again a rough knuckle dragged itself upwards, sending shudders of pleasure through her body as her most sensitive organ came under increasing assault.

   Eye to eye, their arousal no longer in doubt or in the least bit hidden, Beth and Phoebe panted through snarling mouths as they fingered each other faster and harder.  Heat from their thighs seared their hands.  Juice from their excited cxnts dribbled onto rapidly thrusting fingers.  Knees, once sturdy, now wavered in the ebb and flow of passion's tide.  Both sought to deny her rival of a target, but the act of moving their hips backwards also caused their opponent's groin to move out of reach.  A fevered dance began as the lusty females wrestled for balance and tried to overwhelm each other with ever more tantalizing attacks on each other's sex.

   "Nnnn, fuck!" Phoebe blurted suddenly.

   "What's the matter, can't take it?" Beth said between labored breaths.  A moment later, she closed her eyes and groaned aloud.

   Phoebe gloated.  "I haven't even gotten started."

   Her lips met Beth's, sucking hungrily.  Unwilling to back down, Beth returned the sensuous kiss.  Their tongues caressed each other, licking in time with the furious rubbing that continued unabated between their thighs.  Phoebe leaned Beth against the wall, but the brunette barely felt it.  Lost in a haze of desire, the two women masturbated each other with ever increasing urgency.  They moaned through their locked lips.  Their naked breasts rubbed firmly, aching nipples crying out in overloaded pleasure.  The scent of feminine arousal filled the air and Beth noticed drips from her wet pussy begin to run down her leg.  She started tapping her fingers against Phoebe's cxnt, smacking the blonde's thong with greater and greater force.  Phoebe whimpered, her grunts rising in pitch as time went on.  Then, she countered Beth with slaps of her own, teasing her crotch with uncommon sensations.

   Beth staggered, and she thrust her right leg out to keep from falling.  Her foot knocked Phoebe off balance, and the two entwined women tumbled to the ground.  Phoebe's head hit the floor hard, and the blonde lay stunned for a second.  Beth took the opportunity to mount her, swinging one leg, then the other so as to sit atop her prone rival's belly.  Phoebe came to her senses quickly, however, and stopped Beth's right leg from disengaging from between Phoebe's knees.  Beth sat down anyway, sliding her pelvis onto Phoebe's with a thump.  Both women gasped in unison, then coldly regarded each other and entered the next phase of their erotic battle.

   Beginning with a slow grind, and growing to a full-fledged thrust, Beth pounded her panty-covered pussy into Phoebe's thong.  Each successive impact sent ripples of desire through their veins.  More and more fervently, Beth and Phoebe slammed their inner thighs together.  Beth's body swayed like a willow as it gyrated on Phoebe's sleak form, lost in a heady breeze of arousal.  On and on the lewd sexfight raged, showing no signs of slackening.  Phoebe, grunting with her eyes shut tightly, swiveled her hips, throwing Beth to one side.  Beth caught her fall and leaned back on her hands.  One leg snaked beneath Phoebe's, and the pair remained locked together like duelling scissors.

   Phoebe lifted her rear end and thrust back at Beth.  At first, Beth met the blonde's onrushing pussy blow for blow.  Soon, though, her elbows gave out, and she was forced onto her back.  Phoebe's soaked thong rubbed against Beth's wet panties again and again.  Sweat beaded on Beth's forehead as the battle between their horny cxnts went on and on, lubricated by the liquid they exuded.  Her boobs bounced and wobbled wildly out of control.  Frustration grew, and Phoebe resorted to painful attacks with the full weight of her body behind them, topped off by a nasty grinding that seemed to go on forever.

   At last, tears in their eyes, bodies worn out from the unbelievable effort, Phoebe and Beth parted, rolling to opposite sides of the room.  They lay there for a few minutes, calming their pounding heartbeats, their tired lungs, and their aching groins.  Phoebe rose first, getting to her hands and knees.  Beth watched her warily, looking for signs of weakness or exhaustion.  Phoebe's face was bright red, her long hair a crazed mess, her tits hanging as if tired.  Beth's muscles complained when she told them to lift herself up.

   "Not so cocky now, are you?" Phoebe said in a husky voice.  Beth tried to clear her throat, but coughed instead.  "I'd let you give up so I can get on with the humiliation, but you've pissed me off too much to make me want to go easy on you."  Phoebe began sauntering across the floor on her knees.  Beth couldn't muster the strength to kick out at her as she neared.  A rough shove later, Beth found herself on her back, with Phoebe looming dangerously above her.  She knew that if she were pinned, it would be all over.

   Phoebe's hands curved into claws and shot out towards Beth's tender boobs.  At the last moment, Beth parried Phoebe's arms to either side of her.  The blonde landed face to face with her, hair matted with perspiration dangling down just above Beth's nose.

   "Still got some fight left in you, eh?"
   
   "Plenty."

   "You're done.  You're finished."

   "Your pussy against mine."

   Phoebe stopped talking.  She raised an eyebrow.  Beth was the toughest women she'd ever tangled with, but everything she saw indicated the brunette was beyond hope.

   "That's the way you want to end it?  Fine.  You got it!"  Phoebe pulled at Beth's panties and yanked them off her legs.  Then, she sat back and removed her thong.  "I'm going to trash your pussy so bad Jim won't have anything to do with you."

   Beth got up on her elbows.  "Bring that nasty cxnt over here and we'll see who's is better."

   Phoebe lashed out, and Beth cried in pain as her cheek got backhanded.  The force of the blow knocked her back down and blurred her vision for an instant.  In the time it took to right her head, Phoebe was on her, hands pinning her wrists, breasts bearing down, belly flat against hers, and angry face filling her eyesight.  Phoebe's legs snaked around Beth's like twin grapevines, pulling them wide apart.  Beth groaned as her blonde opponent's well-shaven mound pressed itself atop her exposed groin.  Phoebe slammed her pussy into Beth's once, and then chuckled as she mashed it tightly and worked it around in a circle.

   Phoebe whispered into Beth's ear, "You're mine."

   "Fuck yo-" Beth started, but Phoebe's mouth was on hers, invading it with her tongue.  Beth fought back with her tongue, and met Phoebe's pelvic thrusts with ones of her own.  Soon, the tempo rose to the point where the sound of skin slapping echoed in the small room.

   Again and again the fearsome amazons bashed their cxnts together, seeking the best angle to drive each other out of their minds.  Phoebe's hips kept up the pace for a few minutes, but eventually the force of the blonde's pounding eased.  Beth's pussy grew moist once more, lubricating the fierce sliding and grinding battle she and Phoebe settled into.  The women's breathing quickened to the point where keeping them locked in a torrid kiss became impossible.  Phoebe rested her head against Beth's shoulder and focused her attention on the heated sexfight going on between their aroused cxnts.

   Entwined like passionate lovers, Beth and Phoebe rammed their pussies together over and over.  The slippery lips met and caressed each other vigorously, driving both of them crazy with lust.  Beth held on to her self-control with the tiniest sliver of mental strength left to her.  The feel of Phoebe's sweaty body writhing against hers and the blonde's hot cxnt wrestling expertly with her own was overpowering.  She moaned louder and louder, so much volume that she couldn't hear Phoebe's cries of impending ecstacy harmonizing with hers.  Phoebe released her hold on Beth's wrists, clasped her hands on either side of Beth's head, closed her mouth and groaned tortuously.  Involuntarily, Beth reached for Phoebe's gyrating ass and grabbed a tight hold.  She held her breath, and fucked back against Phoebe's grinding thrusts with all her might.  Waves of warm pleasure began emanating from her crotch, building higher and higher.

   With a sharp gasp, Phoebe stopped.  Beth collapsed to the floor.  She glared at the tanned bitch through half-open lids, her body raging in full heat.  Phoebe's face was twisted in a grimace.  She'd been close to orgasm, Beth could tell.  It was now or never.  The brunette wrapped her arms about her naked, sexy rival and rolled to one side.  Phoebe grunted like an animal and brought the two of them to a halt.  Beth persisted, and the nude women rocked back and forth in a feverish embrace.  Seeking to tip Phoebe over the last bit necessary, Beth whacked the blonde's pelvis with her own.  Once, twice, then three times the pair banged together from hips to tits, exhaling exahusted groans at each impact.

   Finally, Beth let loose with a headbutt, dazing her foe and giving her enough time to mount the now prone blonde.  Phoebe's angry frown no longer frightened her.  Beth reared up, slammed her boobs down upon Phoebe's fleshy orbs, and slid her pussy into place against Phoebe's.  As she did so, she felt her engorged clit peek from inside its protective folds.  Phoebe felt it too, and the wriggling females wordlessly worked their hardened sex rods into position for a final intimate confrontation.

   The sensations made Beth's brain dizzy.  It took all her concentration to take Phoebe on in a such an erotic duel without losing herself to incomparable ecstacy.  Up and down, feinting in circles, she battled Phoebe's clit.  Beth was whimpering, on the verge, but so was Phoebe.  The blonde bucked underneath her, eyes firmly shut, mouth howling, desperately clinging to her wits.  The warm, all-encompassing feeling filled Beth again.  She fought to maintain control, slashing at Phoebe's firm clit over and over.  Just as she thought she'd be overtaken by the onrushing sensation, it subsided into a fulfilling tingle.  She stole a peek, and there, pinned below her and still fucking her wildly, lay Phoebe screaming in full-throated orgasm.  Beth pushed her hips downward.  Her clit met Pheobe's once again, bending it to the side.  Phoebe yelled a note reserved for opera singers, a long, beautiful sound that trailed off into a pulsating moan.  Beth was too lost in the thrilling emotion to let up.  She lay her naked body atop Phoebe's and conquered it fully, legs to hips to breasts to lips.

   Beth slowed her thrusting pussy, catching her racing breath.  Phoebe opened her eyes, full of disbelief.  Beth savored them, then started pumping again.  With each collision, Phoebe groaned.  Beth kept it up, forcing Phoebe towards another peak.  The blonde shook her head from side to side, unable to arrest the onrushing freight train whose helm Beth commanded with supreme confidence.  At the moment of ultimate desire, Phoebe shuddered and her body splayed out in total surrender.  Beth lowered her head, and then orgasm finally took her.  She roared in ecstacy, juice from her pussy mingling with cum from her defeated rival.

***************
   
   Some time passed before Beth could summon the strength to lift herself to her feet.  Phoebe rested on the floor, completely passed out, exposing every detail of her sexy, tanned, nude body.  Joy ran through Beth's veins.  She wanted to relish the moment, but she reminded herself that there were duties to be attended to.  She grabbed her camera phone from her overturned purse, and took several snaps of Phoebe's beaten figure.  In the last one, she included herself wearing a mischevious grin.  Using the torn strips of their gowns, Beth tied Phoebe up, and gagged her for good measure.  The blonde would probably be able to free herself, but not for a good long time.  Then, she righted the table, stood on it, and lifted a panel from the hanging tile ceiling.

   "I have a spare dress, too," she said cattily to her bound and unconscious foe.

   Less than half an hour of frantic brushing, combing, powdering, and dressing later, Beth emerged from her basement room, veiled and ready.  Her heart was full of emotion.  The future beamed bright now that Jim's past had been defeated.  In her purse, Beth carried Phoebe's white thong as a trophy of her victory.  She encountered her bridesmaids, who greeted her with faces both panicked and relieved.

   "Oh God, we were so worried," Natalie blurted, slurring the words into one hurried contraction.

   "Where's...?" Beth started.

   "Mrs. Carrington told us to go on with the ceremony no matter what, even if she wasn't here."  Natalie and the others ushered Beth quickly along the hall to the entrance to the wedding hall.  "We couldn't have a wedding without you, of course!"

   Worry threatened to crowd out everything else in Beth's mind.  No matter how much she reassured herself that Lois was eminently capable of handling anything that came her way, she couldn't help but be concerned by her absence.  The sight of her father and mother beaming proudly as she rounded the last corner washed all those cares away.  Her mother started to tear up, and Beth raced to give her a big hug.

   The entrance music began, and her father took her arm.  The party all processed down the aisle in turn.  Standing tall next to the minister was Jim.  His gaze gave her all the energy she needed to ignore how exhausted her muscles were and make it through the rest of the ceremony.  She remained veiled, heart aflutter, barely paying attention to the words being spoken.  Beth wanted to shout her triumph to the world, and desperately wished for the vows to be exchanged so she could kiss Jim passionately and make her day truly complete.

   "...and if any one should object to this union, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

   Silence filled the room.  Beth stole a glance sideways, then turned her body towards the entrance, as everyone else in the congregation soon did at the sound of wild yelling from outside.  The double doors to the hall burst open with a crash, and Esther Harcourt, wearing an apparently ill-fitting dress, stumbled in and fell on the carpet.  She raised her head, and opened her mouth.

   "I iiaaaarrggghhh!" she bellowed, her words cut off by the sudden appearance of Jim's mother behind her.  Lois grabbed the auburn lady by the hair and yanked her up to her feet in a most painful fashion.  Esther's dress slipped from her shoulders, exposing her naked and bruised chest to the entire assembly.

   "Please excuse us," Lois announced, "Just a little wardrobe malfunction."

   The clicking of camera shutters made Esther's humiliation complete.  She spun and ran shrieking in shame from the hall, leaving Mrs. Carrington standing alone brushing her palms together as if to clean the Harcourt taint from them, and smiling like the cat who got the canary.

   When the silence returned, the minister mumbled, "I guess not," and continued as if nothing untoward had just befallen the occasion.  And mercifully, nothing else did.  Beth and Jim exchanged vows.  Jim slipped the ring on Beth's finger, and she heard the words she'd been aching to hear.

   "I now pronounce you man and wife.  You may kiss the bride."

   Jim lifted the veil from Beth's face and leaned down to embrace his new wife.  He stopped at the sight of the bruise on Beth's left cheek, but Beth kept going.  After a wonderfully tender kiss, they drew their arms around each other and hugged as applause swept the hall.

   Jim whispered, "What hap-"

   "Phoebe.  It was Phoebe," Beth panted.  She felt Jim's hands tense in alarm.  "Don't worry," she cooed seductively in his ear.  Jim stepped back and stared lovingly into her eyes.  "I'll tell you all about it later."

   The broad, hungry grin that came across Jim's face at that moment let Beth know that it had all been worth it.  The couple turned and marched off happily into their new life together.

[Rivals Rapture]

This story was absolutely fabulous and you are without a doubt one of the best writers on this forum. Bravo. ??