To Aimee's place

Most of the drive was a blur of unfamiliar Pop music and talk of your neighborhood, before Aimee started talking about some of the guys you'd seen at the mall.

"Did you see the way the cashier at Ambercromb was totally checking out my boobs?" She asked, "He had to swipe your card twice!" She laughed, then added conspiratorially, "I should have gotten his number. He'd probably give us free clothes if I slept with him."

*She did have a great chest... Free clothes AND sex?*

Was she serious? "Don't take this the wrong way Aimee, but some of the things your say... You sometimes sound like kind of a slut. You'd really sleep with some guy for free clothes?" You didn't want to alienate your first friend in Cedar Springs, but you were also worried about her.

To your surprise, she didn't seem offended. "Well, he was cute! And he was into me. It's not like it would hurt anybody." She broke off, a bit uncertain, then turned back toward you. "But yeah, I'm kind of a slut sometimes... I get that you're all smart and independent and uptight though and that's SUPER COOL! That's part of why I really wanted to hang out with you. You seem super different, and I feel like we could learn a lot from each other! I can show you how to dress, or do your hair, or how to get guys, and you can show me how to... I don't know, get a job or do math or something!"

It felt weird, having this woman looking up to you, in a way. "Aimee, don't you have a job?"

"I used to, but then I met Jake and we started dating... I was a barista, but the hours and the time... It was just so stressful, you know? And we didn't really need the money, with the salary he had from Ameranth. Then we moved in together, and I started focusing more on him. Cooking, cleaning, shopping... girl stuff, you know? It's WAY less stressful. And I have time to read, watch TV, and go out with friends! You might want to think about taking some time off work and giving it a shot. Plus, Jake doesn't even mind if I sleep with other guys! He told me that women like me just can't help themselves. He's really sweet."

You smiled back at her comment about friends, biting back a criticism of 'girl stuff.' Aimee might have some backward ideas, but that didn't mean you couldn't be friends, right? Her last comments about women 'like her' 'not being able to help themselves' surprised and stunned you into a short silence.

Noticing the pause, Aimee continued. "What about you and Greg? He's quite a catch! I bet he'll keep you up ALL night when he sees some of the things you bought." Her eyes had a hungry sort of look at the mention of your husband, and you made a mental note not to leave them alone until you'd had that talk with him.

"Well, we got married in February," you started, trying not to put too much emphasis on the word, "He was a cop in back home and I was a programmer at Congo when we met. We kept running into each other at the same coffee shop, and then he started sitting next to me." Remembering it, you felt a blush at how nervous you both were. "We dated for almost a year before he popped the question, and have been together for about two years now."

Aimee's eyes grew round at the mention of your job, and she interrupted at your pause. "You were a programmer? Like with computers and stuff? WOW. I knew you were smart, but how did you keep up?"

The comment pulled you out of your flashback. 'Keep up?' Seriously? "It wasn't that hard, really." You thought back on it some more. "It's all basically logic and language. I was one of the better coders on my team."

"I always thought programming was a BOY'S job," Aimee replied, an alarming tone of awe in her voice. "Most women I know just aren't smart enough for that. Maybe Carli I guess... she reads a lot."

"There *were* more men than women," you allowed, "but plenty of women are educated enough (Aimee probably meant 'educated') to work at Congo. Ameranth is a tech company too, right? So if I get hired there, I'll still be working with a similar crowd."

"I guess... But still. You're AWESOME! I bet you had all the men drooling over you, right? Even dressed in your old clothes?"

"Definitely." you agreed. It was hardly true; your coworkers had been friendly, professional and respectful, but you didn't want to shut Aimee down when she was trying to find familiar ground. "One guy actually got fired after he was caught having sex with his secretary." It happened years before you were hired, and the two had actually gotten married afterward, but it was still office gossip when you moved away.

"Wow. That's actually kinda hot. Did you ever try anything like that?"

"Nope." It was stupid and unprofessional, not to mention adulterous.

*Probably fun though...* That voice was going to get you into trouble.

"I don't know, Stefi-"

"Stephanie." She would get it eventually.

"Stephanie. I don't think I'd last long in an environment like that. Sex is just WAY too much fun!"

Aimee's self-assured horniness was just too much, and the earnest look in her eyes brought a smile to your face.

*You probably missed out on a lot, staying so uptight for all those years*

"I wouldn't worry about it Aimee."

The rest of the drive passed smoothly, the two of you singing along to the radio, and you were both in high spirits as you stepped out of the car.

If there was a single word to describe her home, it was probably "cute." It was a simple two-story house, with roses out front and a two-car garage.

Aimee dashed out the door and scooped up several bags from the trunk, then disappeared into the front door. She reappeared as you were extracting your own bags, then ushered you in, excited.