browngirl

When Helena realises she's been fantasizing about the Time-Life Books operators on television, she can't deny it to herself anymore. She lies in bed, imagining her tongue on the cold metal of the headset. In her dreams, her mouth presses against the soft foam microphone, past it to lips, warmwetsoft. Her dream hands skim against metal wheelchair arms and skitter against the wheels. She runs hands between leather seat and sweaty t-shirt, feeling vertebrae.

In reality, she discovers, Barbara takes off the headset and brings Helena into her bed, so there's no headset, no wheels. She finds she doesn't mind.