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I Kissed a Girl Ch. 01

By: secretsxywriter



"Please, Danny, don't!"

I tried not to cry. I tried really hard. But when the other line of the phone went dead, I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. My chest felt like it was in a vise, each static buzz in my ear turning the wench tighter.

I needed air.

The rain had let up to a drizzle by the time I pushed back through the door of the small convenient store and stepped out onto the wet sidewalk again. Had it only been ten minutes since I'd rushed in here, out of the downpour to run my errand? Ten minutes since I'd gone from being engaged to single again?

I managed a ragged but deep breath and started walking. I wasn't sure where I was going, but something inside of me said that walking would calm me down. I might be able to think more clearly, but I knew it wouldn't make everything right again.

Walking wouldn't solve the problem of my wedding dress waiting for my first fitting next week. Or the box of invitations sitting on my coffee table, still waiting to be opened. Or the non-refundable down payment on the villa we had rented in Tuscany for our honeymoon.

The tears welled up once more, and I wasn't sure if they were wetting my cheeks or if it was the rain...which had decided to come down harder. I stumbled along, passing light posts that reflected dull yellow in the puddles beneath them. There was no one else in sight, just empty cars parked sporadically along the pothole-riddled street.

I laughed at that thought. Everyone else was home where they belonged. Not out running around in the rain to buy cigarettes, only to get dumped by a phone call.

I have no idea how long I had wandered aimlessly, but by the time I saw the blue neon sign, the rain had soaked through my auburn tresses, chilling my scalp. The light was bright against the otherwise dark sky. It was also the only one lit on either side of the street at this time of night.

I felt it beckoning me, drawing me closer with its warm glow, as if it could ease some of the pain threatening to break my heart in two. Or maybe it was what the sign represented, and what was inside that would kill the feeling of a knife twisting in my side.

I read the words "Maggie's Lounge" surrounding a miniature martini glass, and then opened the door to view a dimly lit hall. Inside, I shook the rain off my jacket and wrung out my hair to look somewhat presentable. I glanced at my surroundings.

There were two doors, one straight ahead and one to the left. I tried the knob in front of me, but it was locked. Door number two opened to a set of descending stairs. The blue rope lights along the ceiling and floor led to another closed door. The muffled sounds of a heavy base told me I'd found the lounge.

"Okay, Alice, time to go down the rabbit hole."

I took another deep breath, and then started down, gripping the railing and watching where I put my feet.

Before I reached the bottom step, the door opened. The beat of the music changed to something slower but just as heavy, and I could hear a cacophony of voices. There were colorful, flashing lights in the distance, but the forefront of the room was lit with an array of silver pendant lights that the former lights bounced off of. Underneath the pendant lights were tall tables and chairs, most of which were occupied.

A woman in a black pantsuit stood waiting at the door. I realized that I had frozen on the second from the last stair. Apparently she was waiting for me. I forced a smile and finished my descent.

"Welcome to Maggie's Lounge." The woman's voice was deep, which matched the black of her hair and the green of her eyes. The wall sconce behind her produced a halo of light around her head as she turned to let me pass. She ran her eyes down my body, a smile flitting across her lips. And then she was enveloped in shadows again as she closed the door. "It must still be raining."

"Yeah." I cringed, knowing my hair looked like a mop, and my jeans and sweater were damp as well. My raincoat hadn't been much help against the weather. Then again, I hadn't thought to secure my coat when I'd rushed out of the convenient store. I had even forgotten to buy my cigarettes. "I'm sorry, I must be dripping water everywhere."

"Nonsense. Come on in and dry off."

"Thank you." I looked around, wondering what to do next. When she took my arm and directed me to the bar, I just followed.

"What's your poison?"

I stared at her a second, entranced by the full red lips smiling back at me. I shook my head. "I'm sorry. What?"

"What would you like to drink?"

"Oh, um...Southern Comfort and Coke? Thank you." I stared at the bartender while the woman leaned across the bar to talk to him.

He was a tall man with broad shoulders and well-developed biceps, emphasized by the black T-shirt stretched across his upper body. Definitely in the handsome category, although a little rough-looking for my tastes. I almost smacked myself. What was wrong with me, sizing up men already?

I switched the track on my train of thought and wondered if he could also be the bouncer. Especially when I looked around and realized all of the patrons were women. Whether they were standing at the bar, sitting at the tables, or dancing to the trance-inducing music, every single person in viewing distance was female.

I restrained myself from laughing out loud when reality hit me. I definitely had left my brain somewhere back on 72nd Street. I touched my host on the arm and asked her where the restroom was when she turned back to me.

"Over there, second door on your right."

My gaze followed her pointing finger, and I could see a neon "Exit" sign on the other side of the bar. "Thank you, I'll be right back."

I kept my head down even though I could feel the stares as I passed through the crowd. They didn't seem offensive, but still, I refused to look at the women directly. I was thankful to find the other stalls empty and locked myself in the fourth and final one.

I sat fully clothed on the toilet seat. And cried.

My chest hurt. I knew if I didn't stop crying soon, I would get a migraine, but I didn't care. Every memory I had shared with Danny flashed behind my closed eyes like a silent movie. Some of them made me cry harder. A couple made me pound my fist against the metal wall in frustration. I just didn't understand why he had done it.

It was several minutes before I heard the door squeak open, the noise from the bar increasing exponentially before being cut off again. The staccato sound of heels walking on the tiled floor made me hold my breath. They passed the first three stalls and stopped in front of mine.

For almost a minute, all I could hear was the beating of my own heart and the muffled music seeping under the closed bathroom door. When I could hold my breath no longer, I let it out in a ragged wheeze. And hiccupped.

"Kat?" a female voice called from the other side of my stall. "Are you okay?"

My heart stopped. Someone had recognized me! I tried to wipe up my tears with toilet paper, stood, flushed, and then pasted a smile on my face before turning the lock.

"Yes, I'm fine," I said as I opened the door, only to stop with it half open when I saw who was standing there.

Time had only made Jenna Swallow more becoming. She had not been popular in high school, even though she looked like a model. Maybe it was because everyone had assumed she slept around because of her name, therefore teasing her endlessly. I covered my laugh with another hiccup as I now knew the answer to the single, whispered question all those years ago: Did Jenna swallow?

I blinked, but she was still standing there, framed in blue metal with a mirror behind her, reflecting the two of us. Standing between me and freedom. Standing with a smirk on her face.

I blinked again.

"Kat, are you sure you're okay?" She took a step toward me.

I stepped back, ran into the toilet, and sat down hard on the seat. Bit my tongue. Started crying again. I was so upset that I couldn't control my emotions that I bawled even harder.

Jenna rushed out of the stall, only to return with several paper towels. She squatted before me, blotting my puffy cheeks. "Hey, it's okay. I didn't mean to startle you."

I hiccupped and then took a deep breath when she told me to. I tried to force a smile and failed.

More surprising than seeing her on the other side of the stall door was the sense of comfort I felt when she laid a hand against my cheek and rubbed away fresh tears with her thumb. Warmth shivered down all the way to my toes when I lifted my gaze to hers.

"Hello, Kat." Her smile reached all the way up to her violet eyes. I'd always envied her for those. Mine were just a dull brown.

"Hey, Jenna." The muscles in my mouth suddenly worked, and I felt myself smiling. I tried to think of something else to say, but all that came out was, "Thanks."

"What brings you to Maggie's?" Jenna stood and took my hand, helping me to my feet. "And on a night like this? Oh, by the way, congratulations. I saw the announcement in the paper last week."

I must have squeezed her hand too hard because she let out a sharp cry. I loosened my grip and just barely stopped myself from becoming a blubbering mess in the bathroom of a lesbian bar again. "Sorry. Thank you, but there isn't any engagement now. Not after tonight."

Her smile disappeared, and something in her eyes went dark. "No need to explain. Let's get you cleaned up and then you will come with me."

I followed her to the sinks where I saw her purse sitting against the mirror. She waited for warm water and then fixed up my makeup with her own kit. Satisfied that I looked presentable again, she pulled out a pick and slowly ran it through my hair.

It was surreal. I no longer felt like crying. For once in my life, I actually felt cared for. Looked after.

Danny had never made me feel that way. At least not without my asking him to do something. And that was kind of pathetic, asking your fiancé to just hold you, for instance. Shouldn't he just know you needed to be held?

"Okay, I think we're ready." The smile was back on Jenna's red lips. Her blonde hair was that dark shade—dishwater or dirty blonde I think they call it—that went well with the color of her eyes. And the blue-grey color of her fitted pantsuit.

I tried to remember what she had wanted to be when we were in high school—if she had accomplished her dreams—but her tug on my hand pulled me back to the here-and-now. I took a deep breath. She released her gentle hold on my hand only when we got to the door. Then her hand was on my back, ushering me through the doorway.

She led us down the hall and back into the main lounge area. I was oblivious to the music and other people around me. The woman who had greeted me at the door was back at her station. However, a tall brunette had taken her spot at the bar and turned toward us when we approached. She grinned at Jenna, but her smile disappeared as she glanced from me to Jenna and then back to me.

Without a word, she handed a glass to Jenna, said something to the bartender, picked up the two drinks he set in front of her, and then walked away. Jenna followed, and I—being the little lost puppy—went with her.

We stopped at an empty table in a corner furthest away from the music. Jenna sat next to me, and her friend sat next to her. Jenna picked up her glass and nodded toward me.

"Lauren, this is Kat. Kat, Lauren."

I managed a small smile. "Nice to meet you.

Lauren nodded and smiled back. "You, too."

I took the drink Jenna pushed my way. I wrapped both hands around the cool glass to quell the tremors that betrayed the remnants of my shock. It didn't work very well. Without looking up, I mumbled, "Anyone got a cigarette?"

Both women dug in their purses. Jenna came up with a pack first. She pulled out a cigarette, handed it to me, and then held a lighter up while I puffed on it. She offered the pack to Lauren, then they both lit up.

I closed my eyes, inhaling fresh nicotine, exhaling bad memories.

No one spoke for a few minutes. The beat of the music thumped through the silence surrounding us, and I kept my eyes on the table. Eventually, my breathing slowed, the shudders ceasing so that I felt normal again.

"We went to school years ago," Jenna finally said, motioning toward me with the hand holding her cigarette. With her other hand, she stirred her yellow, fruity-smelling cocktail with the tiny straw that always accompanies mixed drinks and then raised the glass to her dark lips to take a long sip. "Kat was a bookworm, like me. But she was so much better at it than I ever was. Teacher's pet and all that."

I blinked. "I was not! I couldn't help it if they liked me!"

Jenna's smile got wider. "Everyone liked you."

"Everyone but Tim Jacobs." I let out an unladylike snort, remembering how I had tried to get his attention for four years to no avail. I took a long drag, blowing it out slowly.

Jenna rolled her eyes. "He was a jerk. Still is. You're better off without him."

"Oh, you keep in touch with him?" I finally took a sip of my own drink and closed my eyes for a moment, relishing the sweet taste, even as it bit the back of my throat.

"He's my boss."

I choked but managed to not spew too much alcohol all over the table.

"Here." Lauren handed me her napkin with a laugh.

I blotted my mouth and caught my breath. "He's your boss? Damn."

Jenna laughed herself. "Yep. Cruel world, isn't it?"

"Men! Who needs them?" I shook my head, and then realized what I had said...and who I was talking to. "Sorry, preaching to the choir, I guess."

"Preach it, sister," Lauren said, raising her glass. She clinked it against mine and then Jenna's before taking a big gulp.

Three hours later, I watched Jenna and Lauren pull away from the curb outside my brownstone. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had such a good time. In fact, I hadn't given Danny one thought while us girls had done our share of men-and-boss bashing, reminiscing mostly on high school.

Now, as I turned and walked up the stairs to unlock my door, I tried not to remember how Danny had kissed me right here after our first date. How he had proposed to me on the same spot four months ago. I hurried inside, shutting the door on my past.

###

I woke up the next morning still wearing last night's clothes and sporting a major migraine. I was trying to get the cap off the bottle of Aleve when I heard the buzzer for my apartment. I thought I pressed the "talk" button, but no one answered when I asked who it was. A minute later, there was a knock on my door. Confused, I pulled it open and blinked.

"Are you going to invite me in, or are you just a tease?" Jenna gave me a quick once-over and then held up a paper bag. "Looks like I'm just in time."

I stepped back, watched her pass, and then closed the door. "Sorry, I must have pressed the wrong button."

"You didn't want to let me in?" She glanced at me over her shoulder with a smile as she unpacked the bag on my kitchen counter.

"Yes. No." I shook my head. "I mean I didn't know it was you."

"You are a tease. Interesting." She put her hand on her hip and stared at the cabinets for a moment. "Do you have a martini shaker?"

"Sorry. How about a blender?" I pointed to the garage in the corner, and then shuffled my feet to sit at the lunch counter on the other side of the island. I reached for the bowl where I usually kept a packet of cigarettes, and then cursed under my breath. Last night rushed back way too fast.

She lifted the door, pulled out the barely-used appliance, and proceeded to pour in the contents from the bottles she had brought with her. Then she helped herself to the freezer for some ice. "Did you get any sleep?"

"I remember you dropping me off last night and then waking up this morning on my bed. So I must have slept." I eyed the concoction in my blender. Based on the ingredients she had used, it was probably a Bloody Mary, but I had never drank one—or wanted to. It didn't look like I had a choice today.

"Why don't you go take a shower?"

I cringed. "Do I smell that bad?"

"No, but a hot shower does help with a hangover. Now, shoo." She wiggled her fingers at me and I obeyed.

It wasn't until I was stripping down in the bathroom that I wondered why Jenna had shown up on my doorstep this morning. But I expressed silent thanks when I stepped under the hot streams of water and felt my muscles sigh in relief.

When I emerged fifteen minutes later, wrapped in a pair of sweatpants and a big, comfy sweater, Jenna was on her cell phone. She caught my eye and gestured to the glass of red stuff on the kitchen counter. I gave the contents a good sniff and then took a big gulp. No sense drawing it out.

Her eyebrows went up, but she didn't say anything to me. It sounded like it was a business call, but I couldn't be sure as the person on the other end did most of the talking. I had finished the drink by the time she ended her call.

She set her iPhone on the counter and smiled at me. "Feel any better?"

"A little." I followed her into my living room, as if this were her house and I was visiting. I sat first on the couch, and she sat opposite me, kicking her shoes off and pulling a leg up under her. "Not a big fan of Bloody Marys, though."

"Trust me, it's better than a migraine. Give me your feet."

Again, I didn't think twice about it. Her hands were warm against my right foot, massaging and caressing it. I moaned softly and settled further into the couch.

"How are you dealing with the guy thing?"

I was feeling sleepy again. It took me a moment to realize what she meant. "Oh, Danny. I'm okay, I guess. Haven't heard from him."

"You're probably still in shock. After the fourth drink last night, I knew you were feeling no pain." She switched to my left foot, and my right foot instantly felt jealous. "You were entitled, though."

"I haven't really thought about it much. Maybe I just don't want to."

"You'll have to, eventually. You can't help it. Something, someone, will remind you and then you'll just break down when you least suspect it."

"Speaking from experience, huh?" I suppressed a yawn with my hand and tried to keep my eyes open.

She kept her eyes diverted. "You could say that."

"Danny and I have gone together for over two years. It became...routine, I guess. Marriage just seemed like the next step. Not that I was opposed to it. In retrospect, maybe he was. At least to me."

Jenna's eyes were back on mine now. "Was he cheating on you?"

I thought for a minute and then shook my head. "But I think he wanted to. Why else break off the engagement and say he doesn't want to see me ever again?"

Her hands stilled on my foot, and she sat up straighter. "He said that?"

I nodded, glancing away. "If he wasn't ready to get married, he could have just said that. I would have understood."

"He's a jerk." I felt her lean toward me, her movement drawing my gaze back to hers. The same intensity I had seen and felt last night at the bar was there. That deep look of anger... and protection. "He doesn't deserve you."

"Thanks." I blushed and looked down at my lap.

"I mean it, Kat. You deserve so much more." Jenna lifted my chin so I was looking at her again.

I tried to smile but yawned instead. "Sorry. I'm not the greatest company right now."

"It's fine." She smiled and took my hand. The next thing I knew, I was following her to my bedroom.

I blinked and just stared at her.

"You need more rest." When I still didn't move, she gestured to the bed and said, "Lie down."

So I did.

I watched her pull the covers up over me and tuck them in around my shoulders. Her fingers rested on my temple for a moment, and then she tucked my hair behind my ear.

"I'll call on you later." She checked her watch, and then she closed the door behind her.


I Kissed a Girl Ch. 01



I stared at the door, listening to the sounds in my apartment. When the furnace shut off, I heard water running in the other room—probably the kitchen sink. A few minutes later, the front door closed, and all was silent again.

I tried to analyze what had happened this morning, but my mind was hazy. I laughed off the sudden thought that maybe Jenna had slipped something into my hangover cocktail. I turned over onto my side instead, snuggling deeper under the covers, and felt dreamland beckoning.

###

I was feeling much better that evening when Jenna showed up again, this time with Chinese takeout...and cigarettes. God bless her. I had slept through lunch and dinner, and my stomach growled as I followed her into the kitchen and took a seat at the island.

"I hope you like chicken lo Mein." She pulled three white, cardboard containers out of the bag, and then started opening cupboards. "I have both white and fried rice. Your pick."

"I'll take fried, if you don't mine. Plates are to the left of the sink. Forks in the drawer below."

I watched her with fascination. How she set two plates on the counter and scooped rice onto the center of each plate in a small mound. How she arranged the lo Mein over the rice. She even put an egg roll and fortune cookie on each of our plates. I blushed. I usually just ate out of the container.

"Thanks." I picked up a fork when she pushed a plate towards me. I had taken one bite before I suddenly remembered my manners. "Geesh. Do you want something to drink, Jenna?"

She waved me back into my seat and turned, pulling two wine glasses out of the same cabinet where she had found the plates. "How about some vino?"

I laughed. "After my experience last night, I'll pass."

"Nah, it'll actually be good for you."

"Okay, Doc." I put another forkful of rice and noodles into my mouth and swallowed before adding, "There should be a bottle in the fridge, but it's not open."

Almost two hours later, we were sitting on the couch again, just like this morning. Only this time, my feet were tucked up under my butt instead of laying in her lap. We each had a cigarette in one hand, a glass of wine in the other. The TV was tuned to a classic movie from when we had been in high school.

While she was laughing at the action on-screen, I was studying her over the rim of my wine glass. I was puzzled by her interest in making sure I was okay. I wondered where Lauren was...and if they were a couple. But ultimately, I wanted to ask her if she would be willing to come back tomorrow.

I had received a text message five minutes ago when she had gone to the bathroom. Danny was "swinging by on Sunday" to pick up the few things he'd left at my place. I wasn't sure I wouldn't meet him at the door with a shotgun...if I only had one on hand.

I smothered a laugh with a big gulp of wine. Did I want Jenna here to provide the weapon or to keep me from killing my ex-fiancé? I did laugh then, knowing it would be the former, or at least she'd help me dispose of his body.

She glanced at me, then the TV, and back at me, raising one eyebrow. "Did I miss something?"

I grinned. "Nope, it was inside my head."

"As long as you don't talk back to the voices, you should be fine."

"I'll keep that in mind." I took one last drag on my cigarette and snuffed it out in the ashtray on the coffee table. "Do you want more wine?"

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" She swallowed the last bit in her glass, then held the glass up to me. "Not that I'm complaining."

"It was not my intention." I pulled the bottle from the fridge and emptied it into our glasses. "I have no idea how to cure a hangover for you."

"Oh, I could teach you."

I paused with the bottle halfway in the trash can. There was something in the way she said it that made me think she wasn't talking about the Bloody Mary cocktail she'd made me. I shook my head, closed the cabinet door that hid the trash, and picked up my glass again to take a sip.

When I sat back down, I handed over her glass and reached for the remote to hit the mute button.

"Something's up." Jenna turned sideways on the couch and slowly lifted her glass to her lips.

My own lips were suddenly dry, and I licked at them before taking another sip. "Danny called."

Her hand froze, her eyes darkening over the shiny liquid.

"Or rather, he sent me a text." I glanced at my lap and picked at a loose string on my sweats. "He wants to come over tomorrow and get his things."

"Is that so?"

I shrugged. I heard her set her glass down, the springs in the couch squeaking as she shifted her weight. "I guess it's better to get it over with."

"You know, you can say no. If you're not ready, that is."

"Will I ever be ready?" I shrugged again in answer to my own question. "There isn't much stuff. I could even get it together tonight. Have it ready by the door so he doesn't have a reason to stay long."

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea." She said it slowly, cautiously, as if still unsure that I was making my own decision or just complying with my ex's request...or rather demand.

I glanced around the living room, trying to make a mental list of what might belong to Danny. That's when my eyes fell on the box of invitations. Suddenly, my mind was made up. I jumped to my feet and started down the hall to my bedroom.

"Kat, wait!" Jenna's footsteps echoed mine. But she stopped in the doorway.

She didn't say anything as I pulled an empty box out of the closet and ducked into the bathroom. Once I'd located all of his toiletries, I moved back into the bedroom, tossing the socks and underwear and T-shirts from his single drawer into the box. I paused only when I couldn't see anything else that obviously wasn't mine.

I had lifted my hand to brush my hair back from my face, trying to think. In the reflection of the mirror on my dresser, I saw the glint of my engagement ring. Still on my finger. I pulled it off and went to toss it into the box, too, but Jenna's hand on my arm stopped me. It was warm. Gentle. Firm.

"He doesn't deserve to get it back."

I felt a strange tingle remain when she took her hand away. I held the ring between my thumb and index finger, watching the light play off the facets of the single stone, off the thin gold band. "Really?"

"Keep it. For now. You can always pawn it."

I shrugged and took the time to retrieve the ring box from my lingerie drawer. But once the ring was secured inside, I tossed the box into the back of my closet. I grabbed the box of Danny's things and headed back toward the living room.

Jenna returned to the couch, picking up her cigarette again. I felt her eyes on me as I went through the DVD and CD collection displayed around the TV.

Our movie had ended, and a new one had begun. The current scene showed a man getting down on one knee in front of a woman at a restaurant. Although there was no sound, I had seen the movie before and knew what they were both saying.

"Damn it. Shut that off." I shuffled through a handful of CDs, tossing two into the box, not caring if they broke as I heard the plastic cases crash together. The TV screen went black. "Thanks."

"Of course."

I dropped the box by the front door, tossing Danny's spare leather coat over it. After one last look around, I scooped up the unopened box of invitations and dropped it as the finishing touch on top of his coat. Then I snorted.

"Ironically, he paid for them with his credit card. Said it wouldn't matter in the long run, because it was going to be 'our' money."

I kicked the box and it shifted, hitting the wall. I turned my back on it and plopped down on the couch, taking one long gulp of wine. It made me feel dizzy for a moment, but I didn't care.

"Feel better?" Jenna's voice held no condescension.

"Yep." I held my glass up, toasting the air. She clinked hers against mine, and then we drank in silence for a while.

She was the first to speak. "If you need me to be here tomorrow for moral support..."

"Thanks, but I should be okay." I was lying, and part of me wished she'd push harder. But she didn't.

"All right. You call if you need me. I put a business card on your fridge." She finished her wine and then stood. "I should get going. Let you get to bed."

I rose, too. "Thanks, Jenna. For everything."

"You're welcome, Kat." She cupped my cheek in her hand, smiling at me for a long moment. I couldn't read the expression in her eyes. I felt she wanted to say something more. But she didn't and just patted my cheek.

I stared after her as she gathered her coat and purse. She gave me a small wave and a smile as she walked out the door.

###

"Kat, calm down!" Jenna's voice broke through my sobs. "I'm on my way. Just hang in there, okay?"

I nodded and then realized she couldn't see me through the phone line. I responded verbally, and then her end went dead.

Ten minutes later, she was rushing through the emergency room doors toward the curtained area where I was sitting sideways on a gurney, my legs dangling over the side, my back to the wall.

"Are you okay?" She slid to a stop, pulling me against her. Her heart was beating wildly against my ear, and her breath came in short gasps.

"You should see the other guy." I hiccupped and swiped my right hand at my eyes and nose.

She stepped back and gave me a good once-over. "How bad is it?"

I tilted my chin toward my left hand which lay in my lap, wrapped in my kitchen towel. "Broke it."

A nurse joined us. She picked up my chart and scribbled something before closing it. "It's a clean break. The doctor will be back in a few minutes to put on your cast and give you a prescription for some pain medication. Sit tight, okay?"

"Sure." I sighed and leaned my head back against Jenna's chest. Her arm felt good around my shoulders. Secure. Warm. Although the doctor had already numbed my hand and given me a couple of pills to swallow, the pain still throbbed up my arm. But Jenna's presence seemed to dull it.

"So you punched him?" She laughed softly.

I nodded. "Gave him a bloody nose, too, I think. He called on the way over. Asked if I could step out for a few minutes while he collected his things. I told him to be a man and face me. Plus I didn't want him stealing anything."

She handed me a tissue, and I paused to blow my nose.

"When he finally showed up, I opened the door and asked for his key. Once he'd handed it over, I shoved his box out into the hall and punched him in the nose. Slammed the door in his face. That's when the pain hit me. I screamed and kicked the door. Forgot I wasn't wearing shoes. Broke a toe. That's taped up right now."

"Oh, my!" She laughed harder. "Then what?"

"He asked if I was okay. I told him to go to hell. After I saw him drive away, I grabbed my purse and asked my neighbor to drive me to the hospital. She insisted on staying, but I told her I would be fine."

"Oh, Kat." She tilted my chin up, and I saw that same expression I had seen the night before.

Before she could say anything more, the curtain was pulled aside.

The doctor took a seat on a stool and pulled on a pair of latex gloves. "Let's get this wrapped so you can get home and get some rest, okay?"

###

"I'm staying, and that's all there is to say."

"Fine, but I'm never a good patient. I tend to turn bi-polar." The drugs had finally set in, and I was mad that I had let my anger control me. If I'd just let Danny do what he had asked, I wouldn't be in this situation. Although, I had to admit it felt good to take out my frustration on him.

"I'm tough. I can handle it." Jenna guided me to my bedroom. "You are going to take a nap. I'm going to run home and grab a change of clothes. You know, you're lucky you have this week off."

"Oh, joy. Just how I wanted to spend my vacation."

She laughed. "Are you always this sarcastic, or is it just the drugs talking?"

"Who knows? Ask Danny."

"I'll ignore that one."

I waited until she left the room to change into sweatpants and a sweater with some difficulty. Then I climbed into bed. The last thing I remember was my head hitting the pillow.

When I woke and wandered into the living room, Jenna had set up her laptop on my dining room table. However, she was standing in my kitchen stirring a pot of chicken and rice soup. Just the smell of it made my mouth water.

"Oh, good, you're up. How's the hand, Sugar Ray?"

"Funny." I grabbed a box of oyster crackers from the pantry and then took my usual spot at the island. When she pushed a steaming bowl in front of me, I closed my eyes and breathed in deep. I didn't wait for her to join me before I dug in. I think I actually moaned a couple of times.

"I take it you're feeling better." She brought her bowl over and sat beside me.

"Yeah. You know, I could get used to this personal service."

Jenna only smiled. She took a couple of bites and then got up again.

"I feel bad," I said, watching her pour two glasses of milk and then sit back down. "You're getting more use out of my kitchen than I ever have."

"So you don't feel bad that you're being a bad hostess, just that I'm using your kitchen?"

I frowned. "That's not what I meant. I'm sorry I was mean to you earlier."

She elbowed me gently. "I'm giving you a hard time. Relax."

After the lunch dishes were cleared, I retired to the couch, but she went to do some work on her laptop. I found a movie on cable that I hadn't seen, so the rest of the afternoon passed by with us in our own little worlds. It was early evening before I heard her shut down the computer.

"Are you hungry?" Jenna sat down opposite of me. It was becoming a familiar seating arrangement.

"No, I think I'm good for now." I grabbed the pills and glass of water she held out to me. I swallowed them in one gulp and then snuggled deeper into the corner of the couch.

"Are you tired?"

I shook my head. And then yawned. "A little. But I don't want to sleep too much during the day. I won't get any sleep at night. I am, however, curious."

"About?" She pulled a leg up under her and turned toward me.

"Lauren."

Jenna's eyebrows went up, but she didn't say anything.

"Is she like...your..."

"Friend."

"But not girl...friend?"

"No."

"Oh."

"We work at the same company. That's all."

"Oh."

"Why?"

"No reason." Had she moved closer?

"Really?" There was amusement in her voice now.

"I just thought...the other night...at the bar."

"Girls out for a drink after work. It's a comfortable place to go where we don't have to worry about guys hitting on us. Plus her brother works there. The bartender?"

"Oh!"

"Please forgive me, Kat, but I have to do this."

I had just exhaled when her lips covered mine. I gasped in surprise—fully awake now—and put my good hand on her shoulder to push her away. But instead of moving back, she kissed me harder, pushing me back against the arm of the couch.

"Shh," she whispered when I whimpered. She ignored my struggling, kissing me again, her hand sliding behind my neck.

Part of me wanted to continue resisting. The other half said to give up. The latter side won, and I found myself kissing her back. Her lips were soft, her breath warm against my mouth. When the tip of her tongue glided over my lips, I parted them, moaning as her tongue darted inside.

I didn't know what to do with my own hand. It itched to touch her out of instinct, like when I was kissing Danny. But Danny was the last thought in my mind at the moment. I didn't imagine that Jenna was him. I knew who was kissing me, who I was kissing.

And a part of me rejoiced that I hadn't initiated the intimacy.

My right hand trembled, but I guided it to her arm and then her head. Her hair was silky, sliding through my fingers. And then I was gripping her shoulder, holding her to me almost desperately.

For several minutes, all we did was kiss. She was so gentle, but every move she made was done with apparent precision, as if she wanted to make sure I experienced the pleasure, too. The thought almost made me cry.

Her kisses became more languid—more erotic. Her fingers kneaded my neck, my scalp, tangling in my hair. I felt my stomach tightening in desire. When she brushed against my breast, I gasped.

I arched against her body, squeezing my eyes tighter. Her hand moved down my side and up under my sweater. I moaned when it slid against my skin and cupped my breast.

A muffled moan of surprise escaped her own lips when she realized I wasn't wearing a bra. She squeezed my breast in response, rolling my nipple between her thumb and forefinger. Her lips moved down to my jaw and then my neck, nuzzling me there with gentle nips and licks.

"Jenna!" I managed to get a good breath in and out, my mind reeling from the sensations she was creating in me.

She stilled. "Do you want me to stop?"

I whimpered. "Hell, no!"

Her laugh rumbled against my chest, and I smiled, forcing my eyes open. Her violet gaze locked onto mine. I moaned at the desire I saw reflected there. What I had to admit had been there since Friday night. Possibly longer.

"May I suggest we take this to your bedroom?" She grazed the back of her fingers against my cheek, brushing her lips against mine. "I don't want to hurt your arm. And we'll both be more comfortable."

I nodded, reaching my mouth up to hers to kiss her back.

She jumped up and helped me to my feet. I followed her down the hall, my heartbeat racing. She glanced once over her shoulder, her lower lip between her teeth as she smiled broadly at me. When we reached the side of my bed, she took my face in both of her hands and pulled my mouth to hers again.

I felt my knees shake and grasped her arm with my good hand. I wondered in the back of mind if I should be doing this. I pushed the thought away when her hands moved down to my breasts.

"Do you mind?" she whispered, tugging my sweater up.

I released my hold on her so she could pull my sweater over my head, mindful of my cast. I was too scared to do the same for her—unsure how I would do it one-handed—but she didn't seem to mind. She resumed kissing me, cupping and massaging my breasts once again. My nipples hardened almost painfully against the cool air of the room and the feeling of her thumbs rubbing them.

Jenna turned me so my back was to my bed. With a gentle push, I was sitting down, staring up at her, panting. Maybe I was just curious, or maybe I wanted to do this because it was so taboo. Either way, my breath caught at the knowledge of where this would lead.

She stared down at me for a long moment, and then crossed her arms across her chest, pulling her own sweater up and over her head in one motion.

I stared at my high school classmate in a pair of jeans and a navy demi-bra. Definitely Victoria Secret; I had the same one in red and black in my drawer. My fingers twitched, and slowly, I raised them to graze over her hips. I felt her shudder under my touch as I moved my one hand higher up her side. She leaned toward me so I could reach her.

I was used to touching myself when Danny wasn't around. But to feel another woman's breasts was a whole new sensation. The material of her bra was silky. Her breasts were full, firm, and overflowed the tops of the cups to create almost perfect heart-shaped cleavage.

Her nipples puckered against the material, just as mine were. I brushed the pad of my thumb against hers, feeling it harden instantly. She sucked in her breath in a loud hiss, leaning into my touch.

"You're accepting this more than I had anticipated."

I giggled to cover my nerves and shrugged. I cupped her breast completely, squeezing so it expanded further over the edge of her bra.

"Aren't you even a little curious why I showed up yesterday?" She licked her lips and gasped again when my fingers grazed her bare skin.

"I kind of figured it out." I ran the tip of my finger under the edge and tugged it down until her swollen nipple popped out. "Since I know about Lauren now."




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 01



"And you're okay with this?"

I looked up and our gazes locked. I leaned forward, darting my tongue out to taste her nipple. Her eyes grew darker, and she growled softly.

"Enough. This was supposed to be about you."

With that, she pushed my shoulders away, sending me flat on my back on my bed. Her bra went slack and then fell to the floor. Her jeans and panties followed. I tried to get a good look at her, but she was leaning down to pull my sweats off.

"You are one naughty little girl," she whispered when she realized I had removed my panties, as well, after I had changed from what I'd worn to the hospital.

I don't know why I had decided to go commando. Maybe somewhere in the back of my mind I had hoped that her reason for insisting on staying here was to do exactly what we were doing now. If it hadn't, I had to admit I would have been a little disappointed.

And that surprised me.

Jenna pulled my legs up onto the bed and turned me so I was laying properly. She situated a pillow under my left arm, supporting my cast. Then she knelt on the bed beside me. "And here I thought you were such a good girl, Kat."

I raised my eyebrows at her and watched her head dip so that her lips could kiss my left nipple. I lifted my right hand to stroke her hair, but she slapped it away.

"No. No touching. You're being punished."

I stifled a giggle and laid my arm above my head instead. For the longest time, I just watched her lick and suck one nipple and then the other, her hands massaging and caressing both breasts at the same time. Her hair tickled my skin, and I shivered, but it was partly due to the arousal her touch was building within me.

I had resolved to be tortured like this for a lot longer, but apparently Jenna was losing her control. She didn't look up at me as she crawled over me and shimmied down to lay between my legs.

Her fingers trailed lines down my sides, over my hips, along the juncture of my legs to my torso—which made me shiver again—and then finally over my bed of curls. My hips jumped, and she pressed lightly to still them.

I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. Did I let her part my thighs? Did I do it myself to show her I was willing? Danny had always hated giving me oral sex, although he would do it if he really wanted a blow job. I had the personal belief that if one wants to give oral, they shouldn't expect it in return. It should be a gift to the receiver.

I was so lost in thought that I hadn't realized Jenna had spread my legs and raised my knees up, pushing against them to open my thighs wider. One minute I was wondering what our roles were. The next, I felt her tongue licking my clit.

I gasped, my hips jumping off the bed again. I gripped one of the rails of the headboard above me. Her hands held my legs down and apart. I dared to look at her and moaned at the sight of her bobbing head. The warmth of her breath and mouth mixed with my own heat. The feel of her searching tongue sent jolts of pleasure skittering up my back.

"God, Jenna. Mmm. How long have you wanted to do this?"

Her answer was a moan that hummed against my skin, sending little vibrations deeper inside me. She pulled back, and I realized she had captured my clit between her teeth. She let it go slowly, licking at it. "High school."

I wiggled beneath her, letting reality soak in. I had missed out on this all of these years. I had been glad I had had sex with Danny and a couple of other men. But the rumors were right. Only another woman can really know what a woman wants. Needs.

She circled a finger around my vagina and slipped it inside, stroking a few times. Then she repeated the whole process.

I felt like crying for a whole new reason now. I wanted to sing. But mostly, I wanted to come.

"Jenna, please..."

"Okay, sweetie." She ended the relentless torture only to press one hand flat above my clit, holding me down. Two fingers slid inside me, stroking and stretching. Then her thumb rubbed my clit.

My whimpers grew with the intensity of the pressure inside my belly and the thrusts of her fingers. There were at least three of those now. I had ceased trying to keep my eyes on her. I couldn't think. Only feel. And damn, it felt so good.

It had to have been only a few minutes, but it felt like an hour that I was panting and unable to catch my breath. The edge was right there. I had no strength to try to get there, but Jenna helped the whole way. Just when I thought it was never going to happen, pleasure shot through every fiber of my being, shaking me.

My cry of ecstasy came out in a ragged scream. I saw stars behind my eyelids. I couldn't breathe. I didn't want to. I just wanted to float in this ethereal place of bliss.

I must have passed out...or fallen asleep. Jenna was lying beside me when I opened my eyes, her body wrapped around mine under the covers. Her hand was stroking my damp hair back from my face, her lips brushing my forehead.

"How was that?" She smiled down at me and ran her index finger along my lips.

"Good." I licked the tip of her finger and then sucked it into my mouth, smiling back.

"You know, I had thought maybe I was wrong about you. About us. I had hoped, but I was willing to accept it was just in my head." She pulled her finger free and leaned in to kiss my lips. "I'm glad I was wrong about being wrong."

I kissed her back. "This may take a while for me to adjust. I'm just warning you."

"I know, sweetie. I know." She cupped my breast, her knee sliding over my hip to pull me closer. "But I've been patient this long."

Her hand slipped between my thighs. And as she began stroking me again, I thought maybe—just maybe—my wedding plans with Danny weren't a complete waste. We still had the villa in Tuscany.

~ H



I Kissed a Girl Ch. 02



I had never been in a tornado or a hurricane or any other natural disaster. But I had watched enough of the Weather Channel to know that I had a better chance of surviving one of those than the storm called Jenna Swallow that had swept into my life one rainy night three months ago.

I didn't blame her, but Danny, my fiancé of four months at the time. He wasn't my first boyfriend, so I was used to breakups. But usually you'd think someone who had gotten down on one knee on the front stoop to my brownstone—the same place we'd had our first kiss—and professed to love me "to eternity and back" if I would be his wife, wouldn't wake up one day and change his mind.

Blame probably wasn't even the best word. I should be thanking Danny, actually. If he hadn't been such an ass, I would never have stumbled upon Maggie's Lounge and my old classmate Jenna. Or broken my hand punching Danny. Or embraced my hidden lesbian side.

I sighed and glanced to my right. Jenna slept peacefully, her head on her shoulder, a tiny pillow wedged beneath her soft cheek. Two small, white cords draped over her chest, rising and falling with her even breaths. They led to a black iPod cupped loosely in her hands on her lap.

Those hands... I groaned softly. I had come to know them quite intimately. How little I had known what her world consisted of. What five little fingers could really do.

Tease. Please. Torture. Comfort.

I moved my gaze to the left, out the oval window of the plane to the night sky. Somewhere below was the Atlantic Ocean. Behind us, Chicago. Before us, Tuscany.

I closed my eyes to dam the threatening well of emotion building inside. This was supposed to be my honeymoon. Danny had rented the villa as his present to me. Two weeks, just him and I celebrating the beginning of our lives together. Wedded bliss.

Bullshit.

Jenna moaned and I turned to her. She was smiling up at me. "Hey, beautiful."

I returned her smile, pushing away the thoughts of what should have been. "Hey, yourself."

"What time is it?" She tugged at her ear buds and started to sit up.

"No, relax." I patted her hand and she laid back again. "We're still over the ocean. Sleep."

"Yes, dear." Her smirk made me giggle.

"From what I've been told, we won't be sleeping much on this trip." I blushed when she lifted my hand to her lips.

"Your source was correct. You should get some sleep, too."

"Yes, dear."

She giggled this time. It was a low but musical sound that gave me happy goosebumps. She leaned forward a little. "How are you doing?"

I wiggled the fingers on my left hand. "A little achy, but otherwise pretty good. I hope the doc was wrong when he said I might have long-lasting side effects. In any case, I could use a massage later. They really help."

"Of course, Kat. And when you've fully recovered in a few months, I'll teach you how to do them to me. Giving them is just as pleasing as receiving."

I raised my eyebrows. I could hardly believe anything—besides sex—was better than getting one of Jenna's erotic massages. They were that good.

"There, that will give you something to dream about. Now, sleep, Kat."

I closed my eyes and let the hum of the engines, the soft hissing of the air conditioning, and the subtle rocking of the plane lull me to dreamland. It didn't hurt that Jenna laced her fingers through mine and held our hands between us, her thumb lightly stroking my skin.

###

I found myself following Jenna around like a lost puppy dog, much like I had the night I ran into her at Maggie's Lounge...and practically every day ever since. I had never been out of the country. My passport had broken her cherry on this trip. I had no idea what I was doing or where to go. Thank God Jenna did.

I knew we had landed in Paris where we needed to catch our connecting flight that would take us to Florence. From there, we had to take a train to Grosetto, where our villa was. We had an hour layover, and I spent most of it staring out the windows on either side of the terminal, wishing we had more time.

I was in Paris. Paris, France. And I was stuck in a damn airport!

"Am I going to have to tie you down?" Jenna laughed from her seat where she casually sat with her legs crossed, a magazine spread open on her lap, a cup of coffee in one hand.

I gasped and stopped pacing. We had not tried that yet, but she had hinted at it several times. Maybe...

"Kat? Are you okay?"

I stuck out my lower lip. "Couldn't we have come sooner? Maybe stayed a couple of days at least? It's Paris! If I had only known..."

She smiled and stood, the magazine plopping to the ground. She finished her drink, tossed the cup into the nearby trash can, and put her hands on my shoulders. By the firm line of her mouth, I felt like a child being chastised for my whining.

"Kat, shh." She kissed me, right on the lips.

I jerked back involuntarily and glanced around. Then I blushed and hung my head. Nope, not a child now. More like a teenager who'd been caught fooling around.

Her grip tightened. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I don't think you're ready for displays of affection in public. But you need to settle down. I have everything taken care of."

I blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Paris is on the way home, too. I wouldn't let you miss it, sweetie. There was no time beforehand with the villa's reservations and our work schedules."

I kissed her then. Soundly. Her cheeks were warm beneath my palms when I cupped her face, holding her to me. When I started to jump up and down, though, she wrapped her arms around me and grounded me with a deep sigh.

"Now, be a good girl and sit your butt down before you drive everyone insane. We should be boarding soon."

I stilled, two of her words echoing in my head. A knot tightened deliciously in my stomach, and I obeyed. This was going to be one hell of a trip!

And as if we'd never had the conversation, Jenna casually picked up the magazine, sat back down, and flipped to the next page.

###

The Amerigo Vespucci International Airport was tiny. I half wondered if it was a legitimate airport with its single runway. Jenna approached an information desk and spoke in fluent Italian to the petite woman sitting on the other side of the glass. Their exchange was quick, and then I was chasing after Jenna to collect our baggage. We were in a taxi on the way to the train station before I was able to catch my breath.

"You speak Italian?" I tore my eyes away from the view outside my window for only a second to glance at her.

"And French. I studied abroad for a year in college."

"Of course you did." I shook my head and returned to sightseeing in rapid motion. There were old buildings mixed in with the new ones. It looked very modern for such an old city. Then again, society had to advance some if we were flying in planes and traveling by automobiles and trains now.

After another small whirlwind, we boarded the train, stowed our luggage, and took our seats for the next hour.

"I need the world to stop spinning. I'm not even drinking." I closed my eyes. My head hurt, and not just from the time changes. I kind of felt like crying. I got that way when I was overly frustrated...or exhausted, as was the case right now.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I forgot how hectic traveling overseas can be. We'll just have to spend the next two weeks relaxing. In our villa." She giggled and gripped my hands.

I cracked an eye open. "Wait, are you getting excited? You've been Ms. Calm & Collected this whole trip so far."

"Yeah, maybe a little."

Huh. I would never have known.

It was my intent to stay awake. It wasn't every day you took a train through Florence, Italy. But the next thing I knew, Jenna was shaking me from my slumber.

"Come on, sleepyhead. We're in Grosetto."

"Already? Didn't we just get on the train?" I sat up and saw people shuffling down the aisle in both directions.

"Yes, an hour ago. And if you don't get up, they'll leave with us still on board." Jenna scooted into the aisle herself, saying "Mi scusi" as she bumped into other passengers. Then she yelled over her shoulder, "Kat, move it!"

I jumped up and grabbed my shoulder bag. Then I was being pushed down the aisle like a slow moving tidal wave. Somehow, I remembered to collect my luggage at the front of the car before I stumbled down the stairs where I met up with more chaos.

Jenna was a few feet ahead of me, pushing through the crowd with ease. I was less graceful. I think I ran over at least a dozen feet with my rolling suitcase. The most I could do was mumble "Mi scusi" and tell myself I'd never see these people again in my lifetime. 

We were in the backseat of a taxi heading away from the train station when I realized our situation. We were in Tuscany...without our own transportation. I had no idea how far away the villa was from the rest of civilization. We would be isolated. What if...

"Jenna?" My hand shook as I laid it on her arm.

"Un momento," Jenna said to me and continued talking to the driver in Italian.

I assumed she was giving him directions, but I was a bit perturbed that she had silenced me. In another language. Once more, I felt like a chastised child.

I sat back in a huff, crossed my arms, and stared out the window. The scene slowly morphed from city buildings, to residential homes, and then to lush countryside. It seemed idyllic. Exactly what my life was not right now.

"I'm sorry, Kat. I just wanted to make sure he knew where we were going." Jenna gently took my recovering hand and set it in her lap, massaging it starting at the fingertips. "You have my undivided attention for the next ninety minutes."

I blew out my breath, causing wisps of hair to float around my face before settling back down again in my eyes. I used my free hand to brush them away and glanced at her. "We're going to be stranded, aren't we? No car?"

"Sweetie," she whispered, leaning over to brush her lips against mine, "you won't want to leave the villa. Trust me. I'll make sure you don't."

Maybe it was nerves. Maybe it was jetlag. Maybe it was the reality of the end of one relationship and the possibility of another crashing down on me. Whatever it was, it unleashed the tears I had been holding back. They trickled at first until they became a hot torrent of emotion soaking my already burning cheeks.

"Oh, Kat." Jenna didn't need to say anything more. She pulled my head to her shoulder and wrapped her arms around me.

I could hear Jenna's heart beating against my ear. The thought of her supple breast right below my cheek sent warm shivers up my spine. My breath caught, and I nuzzled against her. I was turning to face her, tempted to suck at her nipple right through her top, when she tilted my chin up.

"No, Kat." Her gaze was knowing. Understanding. And adamant.

Shudders rippled across my belly. How well she had come to know me.

"We will have plenty of time to enjoy each other at the villa. Now sit up." She pulled a tissue from her purse and wiped at my eyes and cheeks. "Enjoy the view. It's not every day you're in Tuscany."

I could only nod and obey. I turned to the outside view again. Rolling hills of green went on forever into the horizon, broken by the occasional grouping of trees or a vineyard or a villa.

Jenna continued to massage my left hand. But although it was relaxing, that was the last thing I wanted to feel right now. I was anxious. Curious. Horny. We couldn't get to that villa fast enough.

###

Danny had planned to surprise me with the honeymoon trip, but I had found a folded-up paper with all of the details in his jacket one night. So I did what any other person would have done in my shoes: I didn't tell him.

Instead, I waited until he had left for work the next day before going online to view the website he had listed. The pictures alone were gorgeous. I couldn't believe I would actually be there. With him.

I had spent the entire day dreaming about the two of us. What we would do in each of the rooms. How we would spend two weeks...fourteen days...three-hundred and thirty-six hours together. Hopefully, half of that time would be in each other's arms saying how much we loved the other, mostly without words.

When he left me, I used my knowledge of the trip as leverage. If he gave me the tickets, I wouldn't foot him with the emergency room bill from the night I had decked him for walking out on me. I think it was more than a fair deal. He didn't need to know that my insurance had covered the hospital visit.

So here I was, on my way to the villa, with Jenna, my new BFF. Currently, I considered her a friend-with-benefits kind of girl. I wasn't really sure what she considered me, but I was willing to bet it was something more than just a friend. She was so patient with me, but I knew she wanted more.

I remembered the first time we were together. She went down on me, and I was in pure heaven. I had tried—and failed miserably—to reciprocate the next day. She'd spent several hours demonstrating on my own body how she liked to be touched and letting me try it on her. That had been fun. I had almost forgotten about Danny...until he'd called to ask how my hand was. Jenna had picked up the phone and told him to go to hell, but not in such nice words.

I laughed now, thinking about how mad she had been. I had calmed her down with a long kiss, trying to perfect that method on her. I was much better at that than giving her oral sex.

"What's so funny, Kat?" Jenna handed the driver a wad of bills and then opened her door.

"Just thinking of our first real night together. How you told Danny off."

"Do NOT say the D-word on this trip!" There was fire in her eyes as she leaned toward me, gripping my chin. "I'm warning you right now."

I gulped. "Sorry."

"Good girl. Now get out so we can go explore our villa together."

I blinked and then stared out the open door after her. It was like looking through a doorway to another world. I scooted forward and slowly stepped out, testing the ground as if entering a pool for the first time to gauge the temperature.

My shoe touched gravel. Italian gravel. My lungs breathed in crisp, clean air. My eyes jumped around, trying to take everything in at once. From the wildflowers in clay pots, to the stone house with a covered portico open to the elements, to the shade trees surrounding the driveway. We were in a real Italian villa! No, wait, 'Scuderia Apartment' as the brochure called it. It wasn't just any villa. Like Jenna said, it was 'our' villa. I must have been dreaming.

"Kat, get your ass out of that taxi, or you're going back to America alone."

I grinned at Jenna and got out, closing the door behind me. "Yes, Ma'am."

The driver waved at us and turned the car around. As soon as he was out of sight, Jenna grabbed my arms and pulled me to her.

I moaned, the feeling of her soft lips crushed against mine sending all kinds of signals down between my legs.

"You know you only get to call me that in the bedroom." Her tongue lashed against mine, her hands roughly holding my face to hers now.

"Yes, Ma'am." I swallowed her moan and gripped the back of her shoulders. Technically, this whole place was going to be our bedroom, if I had anything to say about it. But I was still anxious to see the rest of our rendezvous, so I gently pushed her away.

"Kat?" Jenna was so cute when she scrunched up her eyes and nose like that in confusion.

"I've been waiting my whole life to get to Tuscany, we can make out later." I grabbed the handle on my suitcase and headed toward the portico.

The floor was red-dyed concrete, the ceiling overhead rough-hewn beams. A wooden table and two chairs sat facing the lush countryside. A light breeze drifted through the three open sides, giving me goosebumps. I inhaled the scent of wildflowers and closed my eyes.

It would be lovely to sit out here and watch the sunrise. Drink some wine at midday. Fuck my girlfriend under the stars. Oh yeah, I could see all of that.

I smacked my hand over my mouth. Had I just thought of Jenna as my girlfriend? Was it my true feelings, my subconscious coming through? Or just the thrill of the moment?

"The door should be unlocked. The realtor said the key would be on the kitchen table along with a folder of paperwork," Jenna said, breaking through my daydream.

Together, we turned the knob, and slowly the door swung open. For a moment, we just stared. Then we turned to each other and grinned. Which led to us jumping up and down, giggling. We tumbled inside, dragging our baggage with us. Then we slowly turned around, taking in the open-floor plan before we screeched like little girls.

It was gorgeous! Small, like a loft apartment, but still plenty big enough for the two of us. We were standing in what I guess was the kitchen-slash-dining area. There was a small sink and stove off to the left in an alcove. Directly to the left of that past an arched wall that spanned the width of the building was a sitting area. It looked very cozy with a couch, chair, and long low table arranged in front of a fireplace. A short set of stairs led up, but I wasn't sure where to since it was a one-story building. I made a mental note to explore that later.

On our right through another arch was a bed and a single dresser. On either side of the bed was a closed door. I hoped one of them led to a bathroom. After our long trip, I could really use a shower. Or maybe just a dip in the in-ground pool out back that the brochure had also touted.

"Did you know it was going to look like this?" Jenna grabbed my hand and pulled me against her.

I couldn't answer because her mouth covered mine. I moaned, nodding.

"I'm so excited, I could take you right here on this table."

I gulped, my body suddenly on fire. "Then take me."

Jenna growled and backed me up against the hunk of wood situated in the middle of the main room. A flowerpot centerpiece wobbled noisily behind me as I gripped the edge of the table and hopped up to rest my butt on top. Jenna grabbed the pot and set it on the floor. Good idea. We didn't want to break anything within the first ten minutes of being here.

"We are going to christen Scuderia." Her breath was hot against my cheek as she exhaled. Then her tongue thrust between my lips to play with my tongue. She parted my knees, her hands cool against my skin below the hem of my shorts.

I could only nod again. I was panting, gripping at her arms, trying to hold her against me. She shoved my hands away and broke our kiss long enough to tug my T-shirt out of my shorts and pull it up over my head. She tossed the shirt aside and locked lips with me again, her hands cupping my breasts through my bra.

The woman was a conundrum. So relaxed and in control the entire trip from America. But once we were in private, she was uncontrollably horny. I was not complaining, just stating a fact.

I groaned against her mouth, arching my back so my breasts pressed harder into her hands. I never got tired of how she squeezed and twisted them in the same motion. But I wanted her hands—her mouth—on my flesh.

"Jenna," I managed to gasp before she bit my lower lip and sucked on it.

"Shh, I know." Her fingers trailed up my arms to my shoulders. They slid down my shoulderblades until they reached the strap of my bra and released the hooks so it fell slack between us.

Then I was falling, laying flat on my back on the table. I almost complained as my head thumped against the wood, but her hands cupped my bared breasts and her thumbs stroked my nipples. They hardened immediately. I clenched my thighs around her hips.

"Oh, God, Jenna." I reached up to caress her arms. I cried out when her mouth dropped to my right breast and bit my nipple. Hard. I struggled to breathe and think at the same time.

She moaned against my skin, her tongue lapping like a kitten drinking milk. I wiggled beneath her, moving my hands down to undo my button and zipper on my shorts. But she brushed my hands away and did the deed herself.




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 02



"You are so fucking hot, Kat." In one swift move, she yanked my shorts off and leaned down to sniff my pussy through my panties.

The smile that stretched across her face was a mixture of pure pleasure and mischievousness. I'd seen it before. She was in her Domme mode, one I had only recently discovered she had. And while I enjoyed being kinky with her, there were times I just wanted good old-fashioned romance, too. At this moment, though, it was the former.

My vision was cloudy and my mouth dry. I licked my lips, arching my pelvis up to her. One of her favorite things to do to me was withhold orgasms. But I was so turned on right now... "I don't know how long I can hold off, hun."

"Try, sweetie. Try." She slid her hands down one leg, pulled off my tennis shoe and sock, tossed them to the floor by my pile of discarded clothes, and propped my foot on top of the table. She repeated the same with my other leg so that my knees were upright and spread apart, my pussy bared to her save for the thin scrap of fabric covering it.

Oh, how I wanted her to take those panties off. I whimpered and scooted my butt closer to her.

"Impatient, aren't we?" Jenna pulled up the chair beside her and sat between my legs, her nose in line with my pussy.

I couldn't see her now, the swells of my breasts blocking my vision. I grabbed both of them in my hands and rolled my nipples between my fingers and thumbs. If I couldn't see what was going on, I could at least enhance my arousal.

"Fuck!" I jumped at least a foot off the table when I felt her finger run down the length of my pussy, pushing against the fabric.

"Shh, shh, shh." Her finger stroked again, harder this time.

I bit my lip and tasted blood. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on relaxing my muscles, letting my legs fall open more naturally. My breath hitched when her finger slid under the edge of my panties and the back of her finger stroked up and down across the width of my lower lips.

"So swollen, sweetie. So nice." Her voice was a soft purr. She moaned as she twisted her hand and dipped her fingertip between my lips. "So wet, too."

The next thing I knew, she had pulled the fabric aside and was licking my pussy from top to bottom. Her tongue flicked at my clit, making me shudder and cry out.

"Not yet."

Her words hummed against my skin, and I clenched my eyes tighter to hold off the building pressure. I pinched my nipples, trying to draw my mind away from where Jenna was teasing me between my legs. It was difficult. So very difficult. All I wanted to do was reach that pinnacle and fall over. It was always such a sweet ride.

It didn't help that she pushed a finger into my tight hole, stroking me slowly. Then she added a second finger and increased the speed. Her mouth latched onto my clit, her heavy breathing warming my already hot pussy, her hair rubbing against my inner thighs. Her moans grew louder, mingling with mine in a wonderful symphony.

Then her mouth was gone, and all that remained were her stroking fingers. I was so wet that I heard the squishing over my own moans. I dug my heels into the tabletop, wanting so bad to just let go.

"Kat, sweetie, come for me."

That's all I needed to hear. A couple of more thrusts and I was screaming her name, writhing on the hard wood beneath me. Her hand slowed down until it stopped completely, her fingers still buried inside me. My muscles still contracted, my breath shuddering out of me as I relaxed once more.

"I bet they didn't imagine we'd use the table for that." Jenna laughed and gently pulled her hand free, caressing my thighs as she stood up. She kissed both of my breasts before lightly kissing me on the lips. "You okay?"

My voice was gone for the moment, so I smiled up at her, reaching for her face to stroke her cheek.

"I'll take that as a yes. Come on, sit up. I think we both should take a nap. It's been a long morning."

###

I yawned and rolled over onto my back. Jenna was still sleeping on her side, facing away from me. The sun was setting outside the window. We'd slept the entire day away. But I guess that's what you had to do sometimes to recharge. We still had a lot of free time left, though.

I replayed our table scene. How much I enjoyed it when she controlled me. The thought made me smile and shiver. I turned back to Jenna and reached out, lightly running my hand up and down her arm. I still couldn't believe we were finally here.

And yet, we were, lying in our bed in our villa.

She had removed her clothes before we cuddled under the covers and drifted off. Now, her bare back called to me. I scooted forward and kissed her left shoulderblade, letting my tongue dart out to lick her. Trailing kisses along the way, I moved towards the middle of her back. Then I ran the tip of my tongue down her spine. I knew she had woken when she shivered and moaned softly.

"You are asking for trouble." She started to roll toward me, but I put my hand on her hip to stop her.

"No, my turn."

"I like those words." She smiled at me over her shoulder. "Tell me what you want me to do."

"Roll onto your stomach." I wasn't too good at 'topping from the bottom' as they call it in the BDSM world. When we did kinky, I usually let her lead. But if she wanted it, I'd give it a try. "Put your hands under the pillow."

"Yes, Ma'am."

I stifled a giggle. When she was situated how I wished, I straddled her legs. My bare pussy tingled as it rubbed against her ass, and for a moment, I couldn't move. I took a deep breath and leaned forward.

I started at her neck, brushing her hair away, and kissed her lightly. I ran my lips along the graceful curve down to her shoulder. I nipped lightly and then licked at the light impressions from my teeth.

"I thought you said you didn't bite." Her laughter made me smile.

"I said I didn't bite hard. Unless you asked me to." I nipped at her again, this time not easing the pain, which made her gasp. I moved up her arm with my kisses until I reached her bent elbow. I repeated the process back down her arm, across her shoulders, and up the other side.

By the time I returned to her neck, Jenna was shaking beneath me. As I scooted back, I made sure to press my breasts against her skin, rubbing my hardened nipples into her shoulderblades. She wiggled her ass, and I shook this time, feeling the sensations deep into my pussy.

When I sat up, I fondled my breasts. Jenna's back so was smooth. And she had a tattoo of a lily and trailing vines on her right side. It was intricate and colorful. I enjoyed teasing it most times with my fingers. Today, I chose to use my tongue.

I lay between her legs, my breasts now smashed against her lower back. I held her sides, my fingers sliding up and down, teasing the sides of her breasts. And then I lowered my mouth to her tattoo. Starting at the top, I traced each petal of the flower. Each leaf. Each vine. And when I was done, I started over until she was shuddering and whimpering.

"Do you want more, hun?" I ran the flat of my tongue from bottom to top of the drawing.

"Yes, please. More." Her pants and moans made my stomach clench with desire.

"So be it."

I slid back further and spread her ass cheeks with both hands. I darted my tongue out and licked at her pussy, thrusting just the tip inside her vagina. She shook even more beneath me. When she started mumbling my name, I stroked a finger through her wet folds until I brushed her clit. She cried out then.

Burying my head between her legs, my nose in the crack of her ass, I licked at her pussy in long, slow strokes. She tasted spicy like cinnamon, and a little tangy. Wrapping my hands under her legs to hold her still, I continued to stroke her with my tongue for several long minutes.

"Please, Kat. Please."

I smiled. I wondered if that's what I sounded like when I begged. Desperate. Breathless. Sexy. 

When she called my name again, I relented and shoved two fingers into her vagina, pumping furiously until she screamed. Her muscles clenched around my digits, and her whole body shuddered as she came down from her high.

I slid up her body and spooned her, pulling the blanket up to cover us. I kissed her cheek and she turned her head to smile at me.

"That was wonderful, Kat. Thank you."

"My pleasure, hun." I brushed my lips against hers, and then we both drifted off to sleep again.

###

Bright sunlight shown in the window when I pried my eyes open. The bed was empty, but as I sat up, I could see Jenna drinking a cup of something in the sitting area. She was reading a newspaper.

"Where did you get that?" I rubbed at my eyes and grabbed the blanket off the bed, wrapping it around me.

"The coffee? I found a pot in the cabinet. It doesn't make much, but there's at least one cup left. We can make more." She took a sip and smiled at me. "I love the bed-head look."

I raked my fingers back through my hair. "More like 'just been fucked.'"

"Yeah, that suits you, too."

I laughed and grabbed a cup of coffee before joining her. I sat on the other end of the couch, pulling my feet up under me. "I actually meant the newspaper. Did you just snap your fingers?"

"Delivery boy."

I raised my eyebrows.

"We're only a few miles from town. I made arrangements for someone to deliver some food. They sent the coffee and a newspaper, too."

"Can I have a section?" I took a sip from my mug and sighed. Even the coffee tasted better on this side of the ocean.

Jenna laughed. "Sweetie, it's in Italian."

"Oh." I frowned and settled deeper into the corner of the couch, holding my mug with both hands. Why did I suddenly feel like I was invading on her little vacation? Like I didn't belong here.

"I'm sorry." She set the paper aside and leaned towards me, kissing me softly. "What would you like to do on our second day?"

I kept my head down but raised my eyes to hers, grinning slowly.

Me and my big mouth. An hour later, I was still face down on the bed, my feet flat on the floor, my hands restrained behind my back. I'd had at least three big orgasms not to mention half-a-dozen smaller ones. My clit was so sensitive I cried when Jenna ran a finger over the swollen bud.

"Had enough?"

I whimpered and managed to answer in the affirmative. I cringed and gasped as she slowly pulled a thick, rubber dildo from my vagina. It was one of several toys she had packed. I have no idea how she got them through airport security without raising any alarms. Then again, maybe the delivery boy had brought them, too.

"Go take a shower while I make us some lunch." She massaged my wrists as she removed the cuffs, and then she helped me up. She gave me a kiss before gently pushing me off towards the door on the left of the bed.

"So demanding." I snickered when she glared at me and then scampered off to the bathroom.

###

We had been having a great time. When we weren't sleeping, we were fucking like rabbits, or at least as much as two girls can. We had perfected the sixty-nine position—I preferred to be on the bottom—and even ventured into trying a little rimming. I didn't mind receiving it if Jenna was into that, but I decided I would stick to fingering and licking pussy from now on.

Just about every surface had been tested out. The bed, the couch, the easy chair, the small stairway (which led up to a little reading nook overlooking the sweeping acreage), the portico, the shower, the dresser in the sleeping area. We'd revisited the dining table a couple of times. Obviously the bed was the most used, and I was surprised at how comfortable it was. And that it was still standing. Two girls can get just as rough as a guy and a girl sometimes. Especially with toys.

The pool had been very popular in the hot afternoons. In the cooler evenings, we snuggled by the fireplace. Without a television, we were limited to reading books or just chatting. And in between when we got hungry, Jenna cooked our meals. Which was a good thing since I'm horrible in the kitchen and all of our playing around usually left us famished.

I had needed this vacation. Deserved it. It was everything I had hoped it would be.

But six days into the trip, I was starting to feel remorseful. It was impossible not to think about Danny. How he was supposed to be the one with me. How I was supposed to be married by now. How I longed to feel his cock buried inside of me while he whispered in my ear how much he loved to fuck me.

On the morning of day seven, Jenna found me curled up in a blanket on the portico. Crying.

"Kat?"

I sniffed and rubbed the back of my hand at my eyes. "Good morning."

"Is it?" She took a seat in the other chair and set her mug on the table between us.

I shrugged and gestured to the horizon with my chin. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Hmm." She sipped at her coffee, her eyes never leaving my face. "You're never up this early."

I shrugged again. "Figured I should see at least one Tuscan sunrise before we go home. Once-in-a-lifetime experience, you know."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I looked away, pulling the blanket tighter around me.

"Liar."

I heard her cup settle on the table. The screech of her chair moving on the concrete. Her sigh as she crouched down in front of me.

She put her hands on my knees. "Tell me."

I closed my eyes, but it only squeezed out more tears.

"Kat." Her voice was soft, like her hand that cupped my cheek. "I want to help."

"You can't."

"I can. If you let me. Please."

I choked back a sob. "You can't help me. You don't have a dick!"

Her gasp was loud, her groan painful. When I heard a thump, I opened my eyes. She was sitting back on the concrete supported by her arms, her legs spread open. Both her eyes and her mouth open wide. For the briefest moments, I remembered just last night how she sat like that on the bed. Only difference was, she had been completely naked then and I was shoving a dildo in and out of her bared pussy.

I felt a clenching deep in my gut. Arousal? Guilt? Something else entirely? I swallowed hard. "Why are you so shocked, Jenna?"

"Oh, Kat." I couldn't tell if the look on her face was sympathy or disgust. Maybe both.

"Save the innocence shit. You know very well that I'm supposed to be on my fucking honeymoon right now! You expected me not to think about it? Well I'm trying not to, but I miss him, I admit it. He was a jerk, and I'm glad he's gone. But I can't just forget about him just like that!"

She got to her feet and brushed the dust off her jeans. "I thought you were doing fine. I thought I was distracting you enough—"

"I'm trying to be a fucking lesbian after thirty-four years of liking cock. A little distraction won't erase my past. It takes time!"

Jenna's mouth hardened into a thin line, her hands clenched at her side. "Fine. You want time? You can have it. I'm going sightseeing in the village. Don't wait up for me!"

The front door slammed behind her. A few minutes later, she stormed back out of the house with her purse slung over one shoulder and across her chest. She disappeared around the lattice work on the far side of the portico, reappearing on the old bicycle we'd found the second day at the villa. We had never used it due to the fact that there was only one. Now...

I pressed my hand to my chest, struggling to breathe. I wanted to tell her to stop, not to leave. But honestly, I wanted her gone. I wanted time to think without her around.

"Someone will be delivering groceries later. See if you can act like an adult when they stop by, will you?" And then she jerked the bike through the dusty driveway and climbed onboard.

I threw off the blanket and stormed into the house, flinging myself on the bed to let my emotions take over completely. Why didn't she understand? Did she expect me to change overnight? Just forget about Danny...about men?

My head hurt, so I just cried myself to sleep.

###

I dreamed of Danny. Of Jenna. Of both of them together. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the bed in our villa where she was riding his cock in her glorious nakedness, his hands on her ass. She flung her hair back over her shoulder as his hands slid up her sides, teased her breasts, and settled back on her hips. Then she slowly turned and looked over her shoulder, blowing me a kiss. Her eyes and mouth were wide open in pleasure. I could actually hear their groans getting louder and louder until she screamed.

I shot up, gripping the sheets around me. I couldn't breathe. I thought I was dying of a heart attack. When I swiped my hair away from my face, my hand came away damp with sweat.

"No! It's just a dream, Kat. Just a dream."

Shoving the covers away, I paced the narrow sleeping area, my bare feet slapping against the floor as I stepped off the rug each time. Why in the world did my subconscious put the two of them together? Was my mind trying to kill me slowly through torture?

I grabbed a granola bar out of the cupboard and wandered out back to the patio and pool. The sunshine overhead competed with my gloomy mood. I settled onto a lounge chair and pulled my knees up to my chin. I wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come.

Time slipped by as I thought about the days we had spent together here. The months back home as I got over my heartbreak of Danny leaving me. How patient Jenna had been. How she had let me cry myself to sleep at night, or go for days at a time not wanting to leave the apartment, burying myself in her affection.

But I had the sudden realization that I could lose Jenna. How much longer would she be willing to wait this out with me? To hear me say that I wanted to be with her?

"Scusi, Signora?"

I shrieked, dropped my snack, and got my legs tangled in the chair as I tried to get up. Panting, I raised my eyes, and my heart stopped. I'd never believed the movies...that a hot Italian man would just show up, especially in my rented villa. This was way too "Under the Tuscan Sun" for me. I blinked, rubbed my eyes, and blinked again.

"Signora? Non voglio spaventare voi."

Nope, he was still there. All approximate-six feet of his tanned skin capped with short, dark hair. The breeze rustled his white button-up shirt that was of course untucked with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His dark pants and sandaled feet only emphasized his height, his beauty.

My eyes returned to his face, and my breath came out in a slow wheeze. Large dark eyes under messy bangs, a sculpted nose and cheekbones befitting a model, and a mouth...

"Signora?"

I shook my head. Think, Kat, think. What did Jenna say those words were? "Um...no comprende. No, that's not right. That's Spanish. I need Italian. No...no...parlo! No parlo Italiano!"

"I speak English, signora." His smile lit up the dark shadows in my mind. It was all brilliantly white teeth, and I sucked in my breath, wondering what those lips tasted like.

I sighed and pushed away that thought. Smiling, I approached him, my hand held out. "I'm Kat."

"Lucio." His smile now reached his eyes. His grip was firm. "I brought groceries."

Oh damn! I forgot. "I'm so sorry. Please, come inside."

"I'll come to the front." He gestured with his hand and walked off.

I bit my lower lip, wondering what that ass looked like under that shirt and pants. As soon as he was out of sight, I let out my breath. I tried to walk like a normal person into the house. But I found myself skipping, and I had to take several deep breaths before I opened the front door to let him in.

"Where would you like me to put it?"

I struggled to swallow, heat flushing my face as I imagined all the places he could put his... I blinked when he lifted the bags in his arms. "Oh, the food. Um, I can take any cold items. I guess put the pantry items in those cabinets above the sink."

"Very good."

We went about silently storing the items Jenna had prearranged with the market. I hadn't realized how much food we had consumed in just six days between the two of us. Surely this would hold us over for the rest of the trip before we headed home. No, to Paris. I prayed we weren't still fighting then. I really wanted to enjoy our time together. Even if we—




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 02



"Oh!" I said, running to Lucio, lost in my thoughts.

"Scusi!" Lucio caught the carton of eggs in one hand and my elbow in his other. "Don't drop those."

"Nope. Then they'd be scrambled, and Jenna likes them over-easy." I giggled nervously, the touch of his hand on my skin giving me shivers. Really good ones at that. Not to mention more sensual thoughts.

"Jenna, Signora Kat?" His dark eyes sparkled despite his frown of confusion. Suddenly his smile returned. "Oh, yes! I remember. She is the signora who came to the market."

Oh really now? I raised an eyebrow. She'd been to the market previously? I figured she'd called on her cell phone. When had she snuck out—on the bike no less—to place an order in town? Was it such an impromptu thing for her to escape this morning?

"Did I upset you, Signora Kat?"

"No." I waved him off and took the eggs, putting them in the fridge.

"You hide your sadness."

I sucked in my breath as I felt him step up behind me. Now, I was trapped between the coolness of the open fridge and his hot body. I couldn't tell if my own body was on fire or ice, and muscles clenched deep inside, needing relief.

"Signora Kat." Lucio's voice was a whisper brushing against my neck.

I closed my eyes, one hand gripping the top of the door for support. I whimpered when his hand pried mine free and turned me toward him, stepping away from the fridge so he could close it. He rested back against the door, my eyes glued to his chest that I so badly wanted to caress...and not just with my hands.

"What is wrong, bella donna?" He tilted my chin up, and his dark eyes stared down into mine. They were filled with sympathy. Heat. Desire. Not a good combination.

I gasped. I had seen that look in Jenna's eyes before. It always ended with me begging for mercy. Before I could stop myself, the words spilled out of my mouth, and the tears from my eyes.

"I was supposed to be on my honeymoon with my fiancé, but he broke up with me. Now I'm trying to be a lesbian with my new best friend, and I can't stop thinking about—"

His lips softly touched mine, preventing my thoughts from making any sense. It didn't really matter, though. My body was responding, pressing against him, feeling his arousal through his thin pants. I pressed my hand against him there and moaned. He echoed the sound and reciprocated by arching into my touch, his teeth tugging at my lower lip.

I cupped him through the material, growling softly at the feel of pure masculinity again. What I wouldn't give to feel that moving inside of me. To str—

The front door burst open.

"Kat? What the hell?"

I pushed off Lucio's chest and twirled around to fall back against the counter, gasping.

Jenna's fists clenched at her side. Thankfully she stayed on the other side of the room. "I leave for a few hours and you jump on the first cock you see? You...you...bitch!"

I choked, torn between wanting to run to her arms or run away. Maybe with Lucio. Maybe we should just fuck on the bed and make her watch. "You lied! You left me and went to town. And not just today! How do I know you haven't been fucking him already? Or anyone else? How do I really know you're a—"

"Signora Kat?" Lucio's voice sounded so far away, like he was standing at the other end of a tunnel. "Oh, mi scusi. Signora Jenna?" He rambled off more in Italian, but I didn't wait to hear anymore. Like I would understand anyway.

I ran out the backdoor, fresh tears streaming down my cheeks. I couldn't breathe again. This was it. I was going to die from hyperventilating. And if I didn't, well Jenna would take care of that soon enough.

There was no sound from inside. I hoped Lucio was okay. I was tempted to hijack the bike and get away like Jenna had, but with my luck, I'd get lost.

So instead, I cowered on a chair the furthest away from the house, staring into the sparkling blue water of the pool and then to the expansive landscape with wild vegetation that led up to the hills. I wished I could take back our fight this morning. This would never have happened.

It was a long while before I heard a door close. It didn't slam, which was a good thing. I think.

"Kat?" Jenna called out.

I held my breath, my arms wrapped around my shaking legs, my head tucked against them. She didn't sound angry, but you could never tell with her.

"Kat."

I squeaked at the closeness of her voice. Flinched when she touched my arm. Cried harder when her arms wrapped around me and pulled me against her.

Her heart beat hard against my ear. Her hands soothed my back, brushed through my hair.

"I'm sorry I called you a bitch. That was so wrong of me. I didn't mean it. I...I just blew up. I'm sorry."

I opened my mouth to say I accepted her apology, but nothing came out.

"It's okay, Kat. Lucio explained."

I nodded, finally found my voice, and said between sniffles, "I wanted to, Jenna. I really wanted to."

"I know, sweetie. And I understand. Maybe I've been pushing too hard."

"No! It's just...tougher than I thought it would be." I tilted my head back. "I want this. I want you. I'm sorry I said those things this morning."

"I know. But you had every right to. I should have told you I'd gone into town the other day. I didn't think it would matter. I had received a text message from work and needed to send a fax. You were sleeping. I figured while I was there, I would place our grocery order. That's all, Kat. That's all."

I wanted to believe her. I had to if we were going to move forward. It was just...hard. Like everything else lately.

"I'm sorry I ran out today. I'm not Danny. I'm not leaving you. I just needed some space."

I sucked in my breath. And it was a good thing because Jenna chose that moment to crush her mouth against mine. It quickly became a battle of lips and tongues and teeth intermingled with moans and clutching hands trying to hold each other tighter. I poured my anguish into it. I'm sure that Jenna added her own with a couple of ounces of persistence to see this thing through no matter what.

After awhile, I groaned. I had chosen a regular patio chair to crawl into my despair, not one of the loungers, so it was getting a little uncomfortable, especially with both of us trying to sit in it at once.

Jenna must have thought the same thing because she pulled away, gasping. "Bed."

I shook my head, struggling to make my tongue form words. "Pool. "

She grunted in return, yanked me to my feet, and dragged me the short distance toward the water. On our way, our clothes disappeared. Neither one of us seemed to care that it was broad daylight out. Part of me hoped that Lucio had hung around and was eavesdropping. That thought was stripped away when Jenna grabbed my hair and yanked it back, kissing me hard.

"Look at me." Her voice was rough, her eyes wild. She released her grip and stepped back towards the pool. I gasped at the sight of her. "This. This is yours. It always has been. It always will be. I have never wanted anyone else, Kat. I know you like cock. I get it. But men just don't do it for me like...like you do."

I gulped, my eyes drifting past her swollen, succulent mouth to her narrow neck and graceful shoulders. The slope of her breasts were prominent before the rounded globes appeared with her dark areolas and her nipples pulled into tightened-peaks. The whole package was magnificent, so soft and yet firm, and fit wonderfully into my palms. I ran my tongue across my lips, imagining how I wanted to lick every inch of them. To suckle those nipples like a hungry baby.

But I continued my descent. Down the flat of her belly and the indentation of her navel. Following the curves of her hips that led to the delta of her womanhood, all neatly trimmed and tucked between her parted thighs. There, my eyes halted, and I spread my own hand over my belly, inching it toward where I ached.

"Kat?" Jenna's breath hitched, and she took another step backwards.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" She cupped her breasts now, her thumbs stroking over her nipples. I could see the ache in her own eyes that were glazed over with passion.

"For everything. But especially for this."

I stepped towards her and pushed her back into the pool, jumping in after her. When I popped to the surface, she was sputtering, trying to get her hair out of her face. I caught her arms and shoved her against the side of the pool, kissing her hard, swallowing her cry of surprise.

Jenna thrust her tongue into my mouth, her hands gripping my wet hair at the back of my head.

I moaned around the penetrating muscle. Teased it with my own tongue. God I loved it when she took control, even when I was trying to.

The pool was just deep enough that we could stand flat-footed and still be submerged. Holding her arms, I rubbed my breasts against hers. Felt the water lapping at them, splashing up to our chests and faces as we moved.

After several minutes, Jenna pushed me away and scrambled to sit on the edge of the pool, her feet dangling in the water.

"Eat me, baby." She lay back, her hands behind her head.

"With pleasure." I slowly ran my fingers up and down her legs. The heat of the sun was drying her skin already, so I cupped the cold water and drizzled it over her thighs, making her gasp and writhe. When I put my hands on her knees and parted them, her whole body shuddered. "Are you okay?"

"Uh huh." She closed her eyes and nibbled on her lip. When I reached up and caressed her breasts, she moaned. "Mmm. I love that."

"How about this?" I leaned in and licked her clit.

"Kat!" She shrieked and tried to sit up but failed.

"Shh." I stroked her belly until she settled down again.

Pressing my hands against the insides of her thighs, I licked her clit again. It was a hard little nub, like her nipples, but with soft skin around it. My lips closed around it as I suckled it, nursing it gently with tongue and teeth. I could see her breasts bouncing lightly as she trembled. Then I closed my eyes and let my tongue go further south.

At the first taste of her spicy honey, I moaned. Sliding my fingers inward, I parted her swollen lips and ran the tip of my tongue all around her. She was so hot and moist and soft. I wondered how she thought I tasted and felt. Seeing that she was usually begging to go down on me, I figured I had nothing to worry about in that department.

I drank from her, her moans filling my ears. The water lapped at my back now, and my breasts scraped against the cool tile inside the pool. It was so fucking erotic.

When her shudders increased, I sucked her clit into my mouth again and thrust my index finger inside her, making her shriek. God she was tight. Her hips rose up, and I stroked her faster, curling my finger up to rub against her G-spot.

I knew she was close when her legs wrapped around my head. I slid in another finger, getting high off the ambrosia of her scent with my nose buried against her pubic bone. I stroked my last two fingers against her puckered asshole, and she came hard, screaming my name.

It is always a treat to watch Jenna come down from her cloud. Her body just relaxes, going all soft. Her head lolls to the side, and she lets out quiet sighs. She told me that I'm the opposite. My body shudders with aftershocks, and I make loud mewling sounds like a cat. She once called me her 'Kitty Kat,' but I was too embarrassed to have her make it a habit. Bad memories from grade school and such.

Removing my hand, I sucked on my fingers and then caressed her body. Especially her breasts that were more supple now. I inhaled and held my breath, relishing the smell of her sex.

She groaned and slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position. "That, my dear, was awesome!"

I just giggled. I placed a kiss at the top of her pussy and then pushed off the wall of the pool, floating backwards across the water. The coolness against my back and the heat of the sun against my belly and naked breasts felt great. Opposite of what I'd felt with Lucio only, what...an hour ago? I shivered and rolled onto my stomach, diving beneath the surface. When I emerged on the other side by the ladder, Jenna was standing there, waiting for me with a towel.

"Come inside, Kat. I'll make us some lunch. And I need to apologize to you, still."

I grinned and pulled myself up the ladder and into her arms where she kissed me. "Yes, Ma'am."

~ H



I Kissed a Girl Ch. 03



Life can be funny sometimes. You think you know what you want, and you do everything in your power to get it. But life throws you a curveball that hits you smack in the face. And while you're sitting injured on the bench, something better comes along. Something unexpected.

My 'unexpected' was Jenna Swallow. Even though we were classmates all through high school, we were never really friends. So naturally, we didn't keep in touch after graduation.

It was a chance encounter three months ago that brought us back together. We have been inseparable ever since. Well, at least when we aren't fighting because I still missed having a cock inside me every so often.

Jenna was a lesbian, but I didn't know that until we had reconnected. Ever since, she has been doing her damndest to convert me "to the dark side." It was looking good so far.

We had just spent the last two weeks in a rented villa in Grosetto, Tuscany. Halfway through the trip, though, I had a breakdown regarding the lack of cock in my life now which resulted in our first fight. Sure, we'd made up and enjoyed the rest of our stay trying not to bring up said topic. It had been hard, but Jenna had a way with distracting me. Her and those hands. Fingers. Lips. Teeth. And that tongue.

"Kat, are you listening to me?" Jenna snapped two of those fingers near my ear now.

I pulled my eyes away from the view outside the train's window. It was dark except for the occasional light from a far-off house, so there really wasn't anything to see. Only one of the lights over our seats was on, so it was fairly dark inside as well. Most of the car was actually empty, but there were a few travelers at the far end.

"Hmm?"

"I said, we'll have a longer layover this time in Florence going back to Paris."

I glanced at my watch. It was only about six-thirty. "How much longer?"

"Overnight. The next flight isn't until seven-twenty in the morning. I booked us a hotel room."

"Are you serious?" I clenched my hands in my lap, trying to control my excitement. A night in Florence!

"Hmm mmm." Jenna nibbled on her lower lip, her eyes shiny black orbs as they watched me.

I reached across the aisle and grasped her fingers in mine. "Were you afraid I'd be disappointed?"

"I wasn't sure." She set her book aside and took the empty seat next to mine. "I know how bad you want to get back to Paris. We could have taken an earlier train, but I did enjoy spending the afternoon in bed with you."

I blushed, remembering how we'd slept in, ate breakfast, had sex, slept again, ate lunch, had more sex, and then skinny-dipped in the pool before we packed and called a cab to take us to the train station. "I enjoyed it, too. Just as I'll enjoy our one night in Florence. It'll be special. Thank you for thinking of the hotel. For making all these extra plans."

She raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

I leaned forward and brushed my lips against hers to prove it was all okay, not caring if anyone walked by and saw us. My inhibitions were getting much looser. Just two weeks ago, I was afraid to show any affection with Jenna at all in public. Now? I couldn't give a rat's ass, especially since I'd probably never be visiting here again.

For some reason, I was feeling especially randy. Maybe it was the excitement of a surprise overnight stay. In Italy. Maybe I was shedding my old self and letting my true person come out. Or maybe I just got really horny whenever Jenna was around, and she had teased me earlier, deciding to be naked while we packed our suitcases but not letting me touch her.

I peeked back around my seat. Yep, still dark and deserted for the most part.

"Kat?"

I turned my head back to her just as slowly as she said my name. Except when I faced her again, I was grinning like the cat that ate the canary.

Her eyes squinted as she crossed her arms. "What are you up to?"

"Living on the wild side. Now, shh."

"Oh, sweetie." Her moan was deep and made my skin tingle. She knew. And she was for it.

I put my finger to my lips.

I heard her suck in her breath when I stood up, shut off the light, and pulled down a travel pillow and blanket from the rack above our seats. I put the pillow on the floor at her feet and knelt before her. Her hands gripped the arm rests as I unbuckled her belt and lowered her zipper. She lifted her hips, and I shimmied her shorts down to her ankles where she stepped one foot out of them.

I draped the blanket over my back. Before I covered my head and her lap, I glanced up at her. "Don't. Make. A. Sound."

Then I was really in the dark. It didn't matter. I only needed the senses of touch, smell, and taste.

Starting at her knees, I slid my hands along her thighs, massaging, spreading them wider. I heard a muffled sigh as my fingers inched higher. I could smell the heady scent of her arousal. When I reached her pussy, I grinned wider. She was wearing a thong, which benefitted me in this situation.

Taking one finger, I ran it up and down over the small swatch of fabric covering her. When I pressed my finger in, pushing the material into her folds, I felt her hands rest on my head. I rubbed against her through the fabric a couple of times. I really wanted to draw this out, but I was afraid we'd be caught, or that I hadn't allowed enough time before we reached our destination.

I kissed the inside of each thigh and then slid my index finger under the fabric, pulling it aside. After one long sniff, which made me a little dizzy, I stuck out my tongue and very slowly ran it up the length of her very wet pussy. The heat rolling off her hit my face, making me moan.

Jenna smoothed her hands over my head in small circles, her hips bucking slightly.

I took this as encouragement and got down to business. Flicking my tongue at her clit. Lapping up her fluid. Stroking all around her pussy with my fingers.

I twisted my left hand so it was palm up and penetrated her tight hole with my middle finger, still holding her thong aside with my right hand. I was getting so turned on by this myself. I half wished Jenna had taken the initiative and gone down on me. But I was having one hell of a time. I moaned and sucked her clit into my mouth, trapping it between my teeth as I thrust my finger in and out of her.

I don't know if I was being too loud, if someone was coming, or if it was just Jenna on the verge, but she suddenly squeezed her legs around my shoulders. I clamped my mouth down tighter on her, thrusting two fingers in her now, faster and harder.

Her thighs trembled beneath my arms, and I felt her internal muscles clenching and unclenching around my fingers before I felt liquid drench them.

I lightened up on my assault as she settled down, and then slowly withdrew. I licked my fingers clean, closing my eyes and stamping down a moan of delight. She tasted so fucking good. I straightened her thong, helped her get her foot back into the other leg hole of her shorts, and then slid them up her legs until she flung the blanket off me and finished redressing herself.

I took my seat again. Jenna was breathing heavy beside me. A quick glance at her revealed she was staring straight ahead at the wall of the car and the empty seats facing us. As my eyes moved down, I bit back a laugh. There were subtle teeth impressions below her lower lip. Boy, did she listen when I gave her commands!

A few minutes later, the intercom crackled and a voice came over the line in Italian and then English that we would be arriving in Florence in ten minutes.

I stared out the window again at the night sky around us as if I hadn't just eaten out my girlfriend's pussy on a train traveling through two of the most romanticized countries in the world.

###

"Chianti. Isn't that what Hannibal Lecter drank?" I picked up a piece of cheese and slowly nibbled at it. "With his fava beans?"

"You, sweetie, are odd." Jenna swirled the last of the wine in her glass and then drank it. "I rather like the taste of Chianti. Besides, we're still in Tuscany. Best to drink their signature wine."

"Odd? I shall take that as a compliment." I reached for another piece of cheese. "You seem pretty at ease on this trip. Like it's nothing to just jaunt over to Italy and Paris. You'd fit in well if you lived here."

"Yes, well, whenever I'm in the area, I try to come here to Acqua Al 2." She refilled her glass of wine and plucked a grape off the fruit and cheese plate.

It was suddenly hard to breathe. I clutched my napkin in my fingers. No. I wasn't hearing her right.

"I like their assaggi di primi. You know, the plate with the pasta samples on it? It's like a mini smorgasbord. Filling, yet it leaves enough room to— Kat?"

"Whenever you're in the area?" I tossed my napkin on the table. "How many damn times have you been to Florence, Jenna? And don't tell me it was when you were studying abroad in college. That was years ago."

"Kat, please. Settle down. I can explain."

"Just...just get our check. I want to leave." My bottom lip started to shake. I would not cry in front of all these people.

"What about the tiramisu? You love tiramisu."

I shoved back my chair and grabbed my purse. "I'll meet you outside."

The room seemed to close in on me as I wove my way through the mass of chairs and tables. The sounds around me seemed muted and amplified at the same time. My head hurt so much.

The outside door crashed open and I gasped for breath as I stepped onto the sidewalk. A couple walking nearby glared at me and then continued on their way. It started misting, and I leaned my head back to let the rain touch my face.

And suddenly, I wasn't in Florence, I was in Chicago. My girlfriend wasn't keeping secrets from me, my fiancé had just left me. My chest hurt now, too. I collapsed to the curb, my feet dangling into street. My past was never going to leave me.

Tears mixed with the rain that plastered my hair to my face. My clothes were soaked through. And it all reminded me: If Danny hadn't broken our engagement, I would never have been wandering in the rain...or found Maggie's Lounge...or had Jenna take me home...or gone to Tuscany with her...or be here in Florence living in this vicious cycle that seemed more like a horror movie I couldn't escape.

"Kat? I've called a cab." Jenna's voice was soft in my ear as she put her arms under mine and helped me to my feet. "It's going to be all right."

I sniffled as I leaned on her in the backseat of the cab. As we drove through the streets of Florence to our hotel. As she helped me up to our room.

I sat on the bed, barely noticing as she stripped her clothes off and disappeared into the bathroom. I heard water running. She returned to me and removed my clothes, which was a little difficult because they were stuck to my skin.

"Come on, Kat." She helped me up once again and we stumbled to the bathroom.

The lights were off, but candles flickered on the countertop and on a shelf above the bathtub. I took a deep breath when Jenna instructed me to, and I smelled the calming sweetness of lavender. Slowly, she got me into the tub, but I wasn't sitting all the way back. Instead, I was in the middle of the tub, leaning forward with my knees pulled up to my chest. I dropped my chin and watched my breasts as they rose and fell with my labored breathing and the bobbing water.

"Good girl, sit still."

I felt her arm brush my shoulder, and then she climbed in behind me. Once situated with her legs on either side of mine, she gently pulled me back against her chest. My damp hair had begun to dry in clumps that now hung over my face. I didn't care. I turned my head on her shoulder and watched the candles flickering, mesmerizing me until I had to close my eyes.

Jenna didn't say anything. She didn't give me any answers. She didn't ask me any questions. I was kind of glad. I didn't have the energy to listen or to think so I could react properly.

We had worked on sensation play within the last month. Usually, she would blindfold me and use her mouth or fingers to touch me. Sometimes she used feathers or vibrators. The point was to heighten my body's sensitivity...my reactions to various textures and methods of touch. To arouse me sexually and increase the intensity of my orgasm. However, she had used these methods to relax me as well. 

Now, spooned in an authentic Italian bathtub, she rubbed a sponge over my chest. It was very comforting, especially when she squeezed the sponge and warm water dribbled down over my chilled skin. Her other hand smoothed my ratty hair back from my face, lightly caressing my cheek.

For the longest time, she just held me as the scent of lavender invaded my nose and head. Eventually, my shuddering subsided. Then my body relaxed completely. I had tried to hold onto her arms at one point, but my muscles felt like liquid so I let my own arms plop into the water, my hands resting on her thighs.

Part of me wished she would touch me more, distract me from my thoughts. But really, I just wanted to sleep. I think she knew that, too, because she leaned me forward again and climbed out of the tub. When she pulled the stopper, I stared at the water between my legs as it swirled down the drain in a mini whirlpool.

"Come on, Kat, help me."

I moaned softly as she flung my right arm around her neck and she wrapped her own arm around my back. I managed to push up with my feet and my left hand, cringing at the dull pain from the latter region. Although the doctor had said the bones were fine now, he was right that I'd probably suffer long-term side effects of the break. If I put too much pressure on it the wrong way, it was always going to hurt. I just knew it.

I stared into the mirror above the sink as Jenna patted my skin with a fluffy towel. It was a little comical, watching her dry all of my intimate places. I felt like laughing. And then I did let out a giggle. I got a raised eyebrow and a glare at my reflection in response. I clamped my mouth shut and let her finish in peace.

She wrapped me in a hotel robe and led me to sit on the edge of the bed. I could see city lights outside the window between the part in the curtains. When Jenna ran a comb through my hair, I closed my eyes. I loved it when she played with my hair. It was so relaxing.

I don't remember falling asleep, but I guess I must have. I woke in the dark, still wearing the robe. I was hot. And I had to pee.

I managed to slide out of bed without waking Jenna and headed to the bathroom. On the way, I dropped the robe on the floor. I chugged several glasses of water before going back to bed.

When I slid between the sheets, I faced Jenna. I loved how serene her faced looked when she slept. I wondered what she dreamed about. Did she feel guilty at all about not telling me she'd been to Florence before this trip...multiple times?

Maybe I was the guilty one. I snorted softly. Yeah, guilty for being jealous. She said she'd never wanted another woman besides me. But did that mean she hadn't tried to be with one? Had she brought her here?

I sighed and reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Her lips parted, and her breath escaped to brush against my wrist. Something in my heart fluttered. Did it really matter that she might have brought someone else before me? She didn't resent me for my past boyfriends, for Danny. I shouldn't fault her for her past, either. I needed to remember that she was with me now.

I lightly kissed her lips and rolled onto my stomach, drifting back to sleep with a smile on my face. Tomorrow we'd be in Paris!

###

"You're in a better mood today." Jenna gave me a quick once-over and returned to packing her bag. A moment later, she paused with a hairbrush in her hand and turned back to me. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I should—"

"No, water under the bridge." I smiled and took the brush, pulling my hair up into a ponytail.

"Kat, I would feel better if I did explain." She sat beside me on the bed. "Remember Tim Jacobs, my boss? Your old high school crush?"

I rolled my eyes. "Please do not tell me you came here with him."

Jenna laughed, the sound low and musical, making me smile. "No, but the first couple of years I worked for him, he sent us all over the world for business. Whenever it was to Italy or France, I put my name in. I had my favorite places to visit when I was here in college. I love my job, I just don't like my boss. So sometimes I would go out of my way to get down here to Florence. Visit a few old haunts. Put it on the company credit card. Over on this side of the ocean, they think nothing of going to a different country for a day. It's not like in the U.S."

I smiled and handed the brush back to her. "It's okay. Really. But thank you."

"I wasn't trying to keep it from you. I told you I used to travel for work sometimes. At least up until last year. With the economy and new technology, they cut back on the overseas traveling and do conference calls now. I just didn't think it would matter that I'd been here before." She kissed me. At first it was light and soft. Then she deepened it, drawing it out. When she pulled away, her eyes locked on mine, her voice a whisper. "I'm sorry that you thought I was hiding it from you."

"I'm sorry I didn't trust you." I licked at her lips and kissed her back.

"Stop it, or we'll miss our flight." She pushed me away and groaned, but it sounded more like one of regret, not frustration. She wanted to make out...to make up.

I echoed her groan. She wasn't the only one.

###

It was déjà vu stepping off a plane at the Paris airport. But this time, we didn't have to stay in the terminal. It took less time than I expected to retrieve our bags, and soon we were in a taxi heading toward our hotel. Just like in Florence on the way to Grosetto, I plastered my face to the window, trying to drink in as much of the surroundings as possible.

I tried to imagine the two of us strolling down the sidewalks, arm in arm, giggling and pointing out the sights. Or rather, Jenna pointing them out to me. Maybe even taking me to some lesser-known haunts from her previous visits. In any case, I was glad to be here. With her.

"Merci beaucoup,"Jenna said.

I watched her hand the taxi driver some euros, then I swung my head in the other direction, staring once again at the Eiffel Tower. I mean, it was right there! Well, in the distance, but it was huge! And no more than probably a five or ten minute walk.

There was a loud bang behind me and then one directly over my head, making me jump.

Jenna leaned her head down into the doorframe. "Once again, Kat, if you don't move your butt, I'm leaving you here to fend for yourself."

This time, she meant it because she turned and disappeared into the hotel with her suitcases.

"Rester ou quitter?" The cabbie's smile was missing a couple of teeth, but he had that weathered kind of face that made you think of a homely father. Plus his beret was tilted just-so that I couldn't resist smiling back.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand." I shrugged and shook my head.

"Fermer la porte."

"Um...hold on." I held up one finger and was reaching for my purse to find my quick translator when someone yanked on my arm and pulled me from the cab. When I was on my feet on the sidewalk, gasping for breath, I stared up at Jenna.

"I swear. You either need to learn some more common phrases or I'm leaving you in America next time." She closed the rear door and leaned in through the passenger window. "Je suis tellement désolé au sujet de mon ami."

"Votre petite amie est magnifique." The cabbie waved and pulled away from the curb.

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him I was sorry for your incompetence."

"You did not!" I rubbed my right arm where she had grabbed me. For a moment, it reminded me of how rough she could get when we had sex sometimes, and I smiled. Then I frowned again. "What did he say back?"




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 03



"He said you were a typical tourist and he'd be happy to find someone to take you off my hands."

"He did not!" I grabbed my suitcase and followed her inside. "He said 'magnifique.' That means I'm magnificent."

Jenna snorted. "No, sweetie, he said you were beautiful."

I shrugged, beaming. "Same thing."

She rolled her eyes at me and approached the front desk where she'd left her bags.

I was checking out a nude statue in the middle of a fountain when she returned to me, swinging a room key around her finger. "What, no key card?"

"No, this is Paris. Some things stay true to their nature. Like an old-fashioned hotel with old-fashioned technology."

"As long as it has a hot shower and a bed, I'm good."

"Oh, trust me, it has both." She winked at me and led the way to the elevator on the other side of the lobby. "We're up top. I thought we'd settle in and then grab a bite to eat. There are several bistros to choose from nearby, or we can take a cab and go somewhere a little more intimate."

"I like intimate."

The elevator dinged, and it was my turn to tug her after me. Once the doors closed behind us and she pushed the button for our floor, I cupped her cheeks in my palms and drew her to me. I felt my hands shaking as I pressed my lips against hers. I wanted her so bad right now.

Her gasp was louder than my moan. Especially when I turned her back against the wall and nudged my thigh between hers. She rubbed her groin against my bare knee as I brought it up, her fingers gripping my shoulders as she kissed me back. Then she turned me so I slammed against the wall, knocking the breath out of me.

"You want to fuck in an elevator? I can make that happen, Kat." Jenna was panting now, too. She licked her lips, her eyes dark as she watched me. "But this ain't like the movies. I don't have a dick. I know it. You know it."

I swallowed and glanced at the floor numbers. How slowly it took to go up to the next one. When my eyes returned to Jenna, I realized she had already unbuttoned my shorts. Was tugging them down. My panties followed.

"Jenna!" I cried as her fingers quickly slid between my thighs and thrust up inside me. I gripped her head, biting my lip when I felt her tongue licking up my arousal. My eyes darted around the upper corners of the car, hoping they didn't have security cameras.

"You taste so fucking good." Her fingers moved faster, harder. "Kat. Look at me. "

I obeyed, moving my hands to grip the flat, metal bar secured to the wall behind me. Her eyes were dark orbs, so deep. Filled with passion. Lust.

"What took you so long in the cab?"

I closed my eyes for a moment, struggling to think. "I was trying to figure out what he asked me."

"What were his words?"

"Um..." I gasped as she bumped my G-spot. "Uh... Rester... or quitter?"

"Ah...he wanted to know if you were staying or leaving."

"Oh." She hit it again, and I spread my legs wider. "Oh!"

"It appears you are doing neither."

"Huh? Oh, right there!"

Jenna licked her lips and lowered her mouth again, this time to suck my clit between her teeth. Within seconds, the shudders started.

"Kat, sweetie, you're not staying or leaving. You're coming."

I screamed when she bit down. I heard her own cry when my muscles clamped around her fingers, holding her tight. My head rolled back and forth against the wall, the lights flickering as my eyelids fluttered. And then her fingers were gone.

I blinked and saw her standing before me, licking her fingers clean. Her smile reached up to her eyes. Then she squatted down and helped me get dressed again.

I had never climaxed so fast before. Somehow I was able to stand upright as we reached our floor. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. I followed Jenna to the right, stumbling down the hall on shaky legs until she stopped in front of a door, unlocked it, and pushed it open.

"After you, sweetie."

Just like at our villa in Tuscany, I was amazed by our accommodations. I had assumed it would be a typical hotel room. But this was like our own little suite. And it was almost as big as Scuderia Apartment in Grosetto.

"Jenna, it's beautiful!" I slowly turned around, gaping. It was like walking into a home in France, but hundreds of years earlier. The light-wood furniture appeared to be antique, and the color palate was a warm, buttery yellow and crisp, sky blue. Together, they created a room that was inviting and calming at the same time.

As I stepped further into the suite, I noticed the pièce de résistance: the bed.

The pale-yellow comforter was piled high with elaborately decorated pillows in various shades of yellow and blue. The tufted headboard was massive, and four wooden posters rose to the ceiling from each corner. Across the top was a canopy made of narrow, wooden slats in a large checkerboard pattern. The whole thing was draped in pale yellow gauze. Thicker material in a darker blue was drawn back and tied off in a knot at each corner. I could only imagine them hanging loose, enclosing the bed in privacy. And with just the light of the chandelier that was centered above it all, it had to be romantic.

"I'm going to wash up. I'm starving."

I just nodded and turned away from the bed. Only to stare out our only window...right at the Eiffel Tower! I screamed and jumped up and down. It was if our window framed it perfectly. I couldn't wait to see it at night all lit up.

Jenna laughed behind me. "Oh, yeah, I asked for a good view."

"Good view? My ass!" I leaned closer to the window, trying to see the top of the tower as it stretched into the heavens.

"All for you, sweetie. All for you." Her laughter was cut off when she closed the bathroom door.

I screamed again and fell back on the bed. How could this trip get any better?

###

Our hunger won out over wanting to travel to a more intimate place for an early dinner. We grabbed a bite at a nearby bistro and then did some extensive window shopping. The stores seemed very modern, although smaller than in the United States. Narrow buildings squished next to each other in a row, presenting their wares to the eager tourists.

I was disappointed to find out we were only spending a couple of days here. Technically, I shouldn't have been gone for the full two-weeks anyway since I hadn't gotten married. I have no idea how Jenna managed to let me stay until the end of the week. I dreaded having to go back to work again on Monday. At least I hoped I still had a job to go back to.

"Do you want to see the tower in daylight first?" Jenna sipped her cinnamon dolce latte. A line of whip cream remained on her upper lip when she pulled her cup away.

Although we had found a Starbucks, I had opted for the real thing at one of the French coffee shops along the way. Smiling, I lightly ran my finger over her lips, wiping away the cream and licking my finger with a wink. "Yes, ma'am."

Her eyes grew dark as she stared at me. The corners of her mouth twitched.

I could see the gears turning in her head. She was considering skipping the Eiffel Tower right now. Calculating how long it would take us to get back to our hotel so she could ravage me.

I just turned back to the window in front of us, admiring the lingerie on display as I sipped my own drink, a caramel macchiato. When I started picturing Jenna in some of the garments, my heart rate picked up. Hell, the way this was going, I was tempted to skip the most popular attraction in the city myself if I didn't get my head on straight.

"I think we should go now before it gets too dark. It's bound to be crowded." I didn't wait for her response but started off down the sidewalk as if I knew where I was going.

There was a loud sigh from behind me, some words mumbled in French, and then footsteps as she caught up to me.

I smiled. I loved it when I was able to get a rise out of her. This trip had done more for me than I had ever hoped it would. Including regaining my courage.

###

"What do you think about spending a day alone tomorrow? Apart?" Jenna asked me that night, her fingers playing with the sweaty hair around my forehead.

I turned my head so I could see her. My muscles tensed, fear building up to replace the calm that had settled upon me after our lovemaking. I guess my emotions were written all over my face because she leaned in and kissed me softly.

"Shh, Kat. Don't worry. You'll be fine."

I remembered our afternoon at the Eiffel Tower. How glorious the view was! Especially as we ate lunch at one of the tower's restaurants. Then we strolled down the Champs-Élysées, window-shopping as well as purchasing some souvenirs. Finally, we got our intimate dinner down by the Seine. And that had only led to us coming back to our suite, drawing the curtains around the bed, and making love.

So to hear Jenna say she wanted to spend a day alone was nothing but unexpected.

"Don't you want to be with me?" I barely heard the words as I whispered them. I wasn't even sure I'd said them aloud.

She kissed me again and cupped my cheek as she smiled down at me. "I do. But I haven't let you just be you for one single day on this trip. I want you to do whatever you want. No restrictions. No worrying about me and if I'm enjoying myself."

"And what will you do?"

"Whatever I want, too. We can meet up for dinner if you choose. Just as long as we spend some time apart. I think it will be good for us."

I closed my eyes and thought about the fact that she was right. Except for those few hours after our fight in Grosetto, we'd been together practically every blessed minute. We needed to retrain ourselves for when we got back home and had to return to our regularly scheduled lives.

Certainly I could find something to do in a city as big as Paris. There was that lingerie shop we had seen last night. I wouldn't mind shopping for a little surprise for Jenna. Using my new-found courage, I could talk to the concierge downstairs for ideas. Things that maybe I wouldn't have done with Jenna beside me trying to show me everything and every place she had experienced before. Time for me to make my own experiences.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay, it's a deal. We're on our own from the moment we decide to get up. Do you want to meet in the lobby around say six o'clock?"

"That sounds good. But right now, come here."

I giggled as she smiled at me and pressed her lips to mine. But the sound transformed into a moan as her fingers trailed down my stomach and slipped between my thighs, searching through my increasing arousal. And then I was gasping for breath, clutching her arms as she stroked my clit with her thumb. Whimpering as her fingers dove deep inside of me, making me lose control once more.

###

I stretched, automatically reaching out for Jenna. But my hand found only empty sheets. My eyes popped open. The curtains were still drawn around the bed, but enough light filtered through to signify it was morning. 

Rolling onto my back, I stared up at the ceiling through the canopy. We had found out last night how romantic the bed was with just the chandelier on above us and the bed covered. So much so that I lost count of how many times we'd brought each other to orgasm. I wondered if her hand got as cramped as mine did sometimes. I opened my mouth to ask her, and then remembered she wasn't there.

Sitting up, I pushed back one corner of the curtain and saw the alarm clock. It was almost ten in the morning. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and stumbled to the bathroom, flicking on the shower before I stared into the mirror above the sink.

What in the world was I going to do all day?

Refreshed and dressed an hour later, I took the elevator to the lobby. On the way down, I couldn't help smiling as I remembered how Jenna had christened our visit to the hotel. The bell finally dinged, and I stepped out into a bustling melting pot of tourists.

Fear started to rise up in me, but I stomped it down and forced a smile to my face. I was going to have a good day, even if it killed me. And it wouldn't be spent laying around my hotel room because I was too big of a coward to brave the streets of Paris on my own. If Jenna believed in me, so should I.

The concierge smiled warmly as I approached and greeted him in English, setting my nerves at ease. "How may I assist you, Mademoiselle?"

"I am on my own today. I've already seen the Eiffel Tower and walked the Champs-Élysées. I'm tired of shopping already. Are there any sights you'd recommend I see before the end of my trip?"

"Ahh, one moment." He turned to a display rack behind him and selected a brochure. He laid it open before me and pointed to a couple of popular places, briefly explaining them to me. He retrieved another brochure and again circled the activities that might interest me.

"What about that one?" I pointed to a picture in the middle of the second brochure and tapped my finger on it. "Now that is something I could go for."

He winked at me and picked up the phone on his desk. He conversed in French with whomever was on the other line, paused to ask for my name, and then relayed the information before writing a time, address, and a name on a card. When he hung up, he handed me the card. "You will need to take a cab. Allow thirty minutes for traffic."

"Merci." I smiled and stepped away with the brochures. I had seen the time he wrote down. I had at least three hours until my appointment. I still needed to find something to occupy my time.

The sun was shining when I opened the front door and emerged onto the sidewalk. I remembered a bakery we had passed on the way to where we saw the lingerie shop, so I turned right and headed up the street, hoping I didn't look as scared as I felt inside.

It wasn't hard to find the bakery again. However, making my decision on what to buy proved almost impossible. Everything in the display cases looked delicious, and my stomach growled at the thought of trying each and every one of them. In the end, I settled on a cinnamon scone and an iced caramel latte. I managed to snag a table outside so I could people-watch while I ate my late breakfast.

It must have rained last night as little puddles still remained on the road. But the sun was high now, and it warmed my skin despite the awning hanging over the seating area.

My thoughts turned to Jenna. I wondered what she was doing today. Was there something she had wanted to do or see without my knowledge? And just like that, the little green monster reared its ugly head. I clenched my eyes and tried to think of something else. Anything else.

What I needed to do was find something to occupy my mind for a few hours. I heard a couple of women behind me speaking in fluent French, so I assumed they must be familiar with the area. Retrieving my electronic translator from my purse, I searched for the right words and hoped I didn't butcher their language.

When there was a lull in their conversation, I turned to find that one had gotten up and was walking back inside the bakery. I took my chance and smiled.

"Excusez-moi, mademoiselle. Parles-tu Anglais? I'm looking for a theater. Um...est un théâtre?"

"Yes, I speak English. You are looking for a theater? Movies or a play?"

I sighed inwardly. "Oh, thank you. A movie, please. Is there one nearby?"

Her companion returned at that moment and spoke to her friend in French. The woman I was speaking with answered in French. And then they went back and forth in their conversation. I was almost worried that they had forgotten I was still sitting there. Suddenly, the first woman turned back to me, smiling.

"My apologies. We were just discussing our plans for the morning. We haven't been to a movie in a long time. We were wondering if we could join you at the theater? There is one nearby that isn't too far to walk to. They should be having a show before noon."

My smile widened. "If you don't mind, I would be happy to have you join me."

That is how I found myself seated beside two strangers in a nearly empty movie theater a couple of blocks away, watching the opening credits for an apparently-classic French film called "Emmanuelle." There were subtitles, but they weren't really needed.

Movies in France are nowhere near as censored as the ones in America. Although it was what I considered soft-core, it was porn nonetheless. I licked my lips and felt my pussy clench, my heartbeat thumping in my ears, especially during the girl-on-girl scenes. As tempted as I was to play with my breasts and try to have an orgasm, I resisted and squeezed my legs together to quell the building desire.

After the movie, I thanked my companions and found my way back to the main road. The lingerie shop was exactly where I'd remembered, which saved me time wandering around like a regular tourist. But choosing an outfit was actually harder than I had anticipated. I knew what I liked to wear. I knew what Jenna liked me to wear. But I still had to try on several different styles before deciding.

Just like in the theater with the uncensored film, wearing sexy French undergarments wrecked havoc on my libido. I couldn't resist posing in front of the mirror, imagining how I'd reveal my choice to Jenna tonight. As a result, my nipples hardened painfully, the material rubbing against them, scratching them almost like Jenna's teeth did. Thank goodness I was still wearing my bikini panties beneath the items I was trying on. Surely, I would have gotten them wet as well.

I stepped out of the shop, grabbed a sandwich from a nearby bistro, and waved down a cab. I tried to explain where I was going in English, but the driver just smiled and nodded. I don't think he understood a word I said, so I showed him the card with the address.

"Oui! Oui!" He smiled and nodded again, then we were off.

I sat back and stared out the window, unable to stop thinking about the movie. It was silent in the car, but my head was full of my thoughts. My very dirty thoughts. I was just re-enacting one of the scenes in my head with Jenna and I as the characters when the cab pulled up to the curb and stopped. I shook off the image and handed over the correct fee.

"Merci beaucoup!" I shuffled out of the backseat, closed the door, and turned to stare at the monstrosity that towered over me: The Park Hyatt Paris Vendome.

Somehow my brain sent the right signals to my feet to move forward, although my jaw remained slack until I saw myself in the glass of the entrance. I took a deep breath, opened the door, and tried to relax as I approached the front desk after following the appropriate signs.

"Hello. My name is Kat. I have an appointment." I placed the card from the concierge on the mahogany countertop.

"Welcome to le Spa. My name is Marie Claire." She turned to a computer screen. After a minute of clicking on the keyboard, she gave me a brilliantly white smile. "We have you scheduled for the Serenity relaxation massage and the Well-Being hot-stone massage. They will each take approximately an hour. Jaime will be your masseur."

"That sounds lovely." I smiled, excited to experience Parisian massage therapy.

Another woman named Janette appeared and whisked me away to a "treatment room" where I was told to strip and lay down on my stomach on a padded bed. Candles flickered on a stone countertop against a mirror, and soft music played in the background.

As I lay there, naked save for the sheet over my back, waiting for something to happen, I mentally reviewed our trip. All the times Jena and I had had sex. The times we just spent talking as we drifted off in each other's arms. The walks we had taken and sights we had seen.

I wondered how life was going to be once we were back in Chicago. What would I tell my coworkers when they asked about my trip? I had yet to break the news about my new-found love for being a lesbian. Would Jenna want to move in together? Would I have to "come out of the closet?"




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 03



Finally, I heard a door open and close. I tried not to jump as someone—assumedly Jaime—approached the table and gently swept my hair to the side. A hot towel was placed across the back of my neck, which made me moan softly. And then shivers raced up my back as she rolled the sheet back until it barely covered my butt.

There was a faint snapping sound as a bottle was opened. A squirting sound as the liquid was poured out. Then I heard two hands rubbing together before they rested lightly on my shoulders.

"Let me know if it's too hot."

My eyes shot open and I swear my body jumped a foot off of the table. Jaime was a man!

"Are you okay, Ms. Kat?"

I gulped and clenched my eyes closed again. "Yes...yes. I'm fine." Or at least I hoped I would be.

Watching an erotic movie, trying on erotic lingerie, and now receiving a potentially erotic two-hour massage? I was probably going to combust on the spot at any minute. Maybe I should have been a hermit and stayed in the hotel room.

I snorted softly. Jenna would have had a hey-day if she knew I'd chosen to do that. But here I was, living spontaneously in Paris. I should suck it up and just enjoy the massage. I could release my pent-up desires later with Jenna. 

Interestingly enough, Jamie did such a good job massaging my backside with the oil that I relaxed and stopped worrying that he wasn't a she. Even when he moved the sheet up to cover my back so he could work on my legs and butt. I'm not saying I wasn't turned on by the whole thing—especially when I felt his fingers pressing at the insides of my thighs and moving upwards—but it was that relaxed arousal. When you could have a person touch you that way for hours without feeling the need to orgasm.

I almost fell asleep when he covered my legs again and placed the stones down my spine. The heat felt so good. And the music was entrancing. I didn't want him to stop.

"Ms. Kat? I need you turn over now," he said after he removed the stones fifteen minutes later.

I must have really been out of it because I flipped the sheet back and rolled right over. If Jaime had been surprised, he didn't let on but merely took the sheet and covered my upper body this time up to my armpits.

I should have just closed my eyes and returned to la-la land.

If I had thought that delivery man back in Grosetto was hot, this man was smoking. He looked like the Statue of David come to life...chiseled features and all. Except that he was all soft skin covering muscles which I was sure were hard as stone. It didn't help that he was only wearing loose-fitting pants, so I was staring at his well-defined pectorals. Every inch of visible skin was tanned and toned.

I tried not to moan. I really did. But it came out all the same.

His smile lit up his face. He knew how he was affecting me.

I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on the music. But it was so damn hard when he applied hot oil to my thighs. I was grateful when he was done and covered my legs with the sheet again.

When he was finished with the oil, I heard water running. I dared to take a peek. He was washing his hands, his back to me. I swallowed a groan at the sight of that butt, even in those loose pants. The water shut off, and then Jaime was standing behind my head, his fingers massaging my scalp and forehead.

It felt it had been days that I'd been in the room by the time he finished making my body feel like butter. Apparently the two hours were not up because he adjusted the sheet once more, just covering my abdomen through my groin. Then he adjusted my arms and legs before placing hot stones on them.

Another fiteen minutes passed, and then the stones were removed. I sighed, disappointed that the session was coming to an end. But it was probably for the best. I don't know how I hadn't come undone already. I mean, I may have been turning lesbian, but when you're practically naked in the same room with a man who's half-naked himself and he's got his hands all over you... All I knew at that moment was that Jenna better be prepared for some hot sex tonight because I was so fucking horny.

"Just lie still until the buzzer goes off, Ms. Kat," Jaime said as he covered me up to my neck with the sheet, his voice breaking into my thoughts of how I was going to ravish my girlfriend. Then I heard the door open and close.

The music and the relaxing scents of the oil and candles infiltrated my head. I started to drift off once more. After I got back to the hotel, I should have time for a nap...and a shower...and dinner...and...

###

"Kat?"

I slowly opened my eyes. Jenna sat beside me on the bed, her fingers stroking my hair. I smiled up at her. "Hey. What time is it?"

"Six thirty."

"Oh, no!" I tried to sit up, but my body still felt boneless. "I'll be ready in a couple of minutes."

"No, sweetie." She gently pushed my shoulder back to the bed. "I think we should order room service and stay in tonight. Just the two of us."

I rolled over onto my back and reached my hand up to caress her cheek. Her eyes sparkled, and she was actually sucking on her lower lip. That was my nervous habit. She was hiding something. "Really?"

"Yes, really." She kissed me and then reached for a folder on the nightstand. "So, what are you in the mood to eat?"

I groaned inwardly and licked my lips. If she only knew.

###

I was a nervous ninny an hour later, standing in the bathroom, adjusting my hair and outfit. I loved my purchase. I just really hoped Jenna loved it, too.

The red babydoll top was a sheer bra with a sheer skirt attached to the underside of each cup and wrapped around the back. The inverted V-gap in the front revealed most of my belly. And of course it had matching sheer panties.

"Kat, are you okay?" Jenna's voice carried through the barrier between us.

"Yeah, I'll be out in a minute." After one last adjustment of my breasts in the cups and a run of my fingers through my hair, I took a deep sigh. "Here goes nothing!"

I opened the door. And moaned very loudly.

Jenna was reclining on the couch in an equally stunning ensemble that consisted of a black, strapless corset, a G-string, thigh-high stockings, and a garter belt. Her hair hung in long curls over her creamy breasts. She slowly raised her head from the magazine in her lap and echoed my moan.

"Oh, Kitty Kat." I could hear her purring even from across the room. She sashayed toward me, a hungry look in her eyes.

I blushed and glanced down at myself. Okay, I was getting used to her pet name for me. It made me feel...special. I lifted my eyes back up to hers. "You like?"

"Sweetie, I love." She licked her lips, and I could feel the heat of her eyes roaming over my body. "So that's what you were doing today? Buying lingerie?"

"Well first I had breakfast at that bakery we saw yesterday." I cocked one hip against the bathroom doorway and ticked off my day on my fingers. "Then I saw an erotic French movie with two women from the bakery. After the movie, I bought the lingerie and had lunch. I finished with a two-hour hot oil and stone massage. That's why you found me passed out."

"Wow, you made good use of your day. I'm impressed."

I could see her breasts rise and fall with each breath as they strained against the top of the corset. I licked my lips and reached towards one tempting swell. "So what did you do?"

She swatted my hand away and clicked her tongue. "Not yet. Come with me."

I took her outstretched hand and followed her into the bedroom. The curtains were closed on the sides of the bed but not the end. Across from the bed on the long dresser was a large, framed mirror. Standard pieces in a hotel bedroom. But also useful if your girlfriend wanted you to see her having sex with you.

"Kneel on the bed."

I sucked in my breath and walked towards the end of the bed, feeling my nipples harden at her command. I started to crawl onto the comforter when I saw the rope hanging down. My eyes followed it up, noticing how it was laced and tied expertly through the wooden canopy. I snapped my head around, my heart rate speeding up with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"Trust me, Kat." Jenna approached and ran the back of her fingers down my cheek, gently gripping my chin. She teased my lips with her tongue. When I opened my mouth, she kissed me deeply then slowly pulled back. "Now kneel on the bed and face me."

"Yes, Ma'am."

The bed shifted behind me. As I turned and knelt, Jenna crawled up next to me.

"Put your arms out in front of you, your hands together like you're praying."

I raised an eyebrow but did as directed.

"Good girl." She reached up and grabbed the end of the dangling rope. She bound my wrists together and then moved behind me. The rope jerked, and then my arms were pulled upwards until they were straight above my head. "Comfortable?"

I tried not to squeak or laugh. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Now just relax. Take deep breaths." She put her hands on the insides of my thighs and parted my legs more. Then she climbed off the bed. "Oh, my Kitty Kat. You look so beautiful."

As I lifted my eyes to see her, I saw the mirror behind her. And my reflection in the mirror. I gasped. Restrained, vulnerable, draped in red lace, I looked damn hot. And that nickname? It no longer brought back the horrible memories of youthful teasing. Not when it was used by my lover in that sultry tone.

"Now, don't say a word."

Jenna approached the bed again, but from the side. She pulled the curtains back and climbed onto the mattress behind me where I could see her kneeling in the mirror. "Sweetie, while you were out relaxing today, I was busy tracking down some new toys. Getting some expert advice. Making plans."

She leaned in and ran her tongue down the length of my neck. Her lips traced the same line with feather-light kisses.

I shuddered. My breath hitched when she raised her hands and lightly stroked my arms from wrist to shoulder and back again. A fire within my gut sparked brighter when her hands lowered to repeat the motion on my legs, moving from my feet to my bent knees and up my thighs to the edge of my panties.

"Kat?" Her breath was hot against my ear. "I want you to tell me about the movie you saw. Every. Little. Explicit. Detail."

My mind raced, trying to remember through the haze that had settled on me since my massage and had yet to lift. It didn't help that she stroked her hands up my sides under the material of the skirt, severely distracting me. "Um...it was old, a classic. French with subtitles."

"That is not what I meant, and you know it." Jenna nipped at my shoulder and then laved away the sharp pain with her tongue.

I bit back a groan. "It was called 'Emmanuelle.' It's about a sexually-repressed woman and her diplomatic husband who are visiting in Bangkok. Oh!"

She cupped my breasts and brushed her thumb over each nipple. Feeling it and seeing it at the same time in the mirror only increased the level of arousal.

"Very nice." She then pinched my nipples, rolling them between her finger and thumb. Her hands disappeared for a moment. They reappeared in the mirror, and I had to look down to see if I was imagining it or not.

I elicited a sharp cry when she secured a small, metal clamp to my left nipple, right over the material of the lingerie. My cry turned to a groan after a moment, and my clit throbbed more than I had ever felt it before. Then she secured a clamp on my right nipple and I shuddered with another cry.

Jenna caressed the undersides of my breasts ever so gently, avoiding the clamps, helping distract me from the now subtle pain. "Go on, Kat."

The sweet torture continued for several minutes. I was panting, sweating even. I couldn't stop looking at the two clamps on my nipples that were connected with a small chain with a large ring in the middle. I didn't want to know what that might attach to. Somehow, I managed to describe the main character's sexual exploits with first, her new-found female companions and finally, with an older man who would be classified as a Dominant in today's standards.

According to my French guides I'd met, it was the first in a series of seven based on a banned novel called "The Joys of a Woman." English versions had been created, as well. I needed to see if I could find the rest of the movies...in any language!

Jenna's tongue traced my left ear. Her breath was hot against my sensitive skin. In the mirror, her eyes were watching our reflection as well.

I was so transfixed on her face that I didn't realize she'd moved one hand lower and beneath the waistband of my panties until her fingers brushed my clit. Moaning, I closed my eyes and tried to spread my legs wider so I could sink further onto her hand. I grunted in frustration. The rope restraint prevented me from moving anywhere but up.

"You are so wet, Kat." Finally, her fingers moved back, parting my folds. They dipped into my arousal and finally pressed up inside me. She stroked only a few times before withdrawing and returning to rub my clit in slow, light circles, making me whimper. "Did you enjoy the movie?"

I choked, unable to think about anything but the torture she was putting me through. Not only was she teasing me below, but also above, she ran finger along the swells just above the edge of the bra, tracing the material, occasionally brushing against my clamped nipple.

Suddenly she stopped and removed her hand from below. "Answer me, Kat."

"Yes! Yes, I enjoyed it!" A tear escaped and trickled down my face. It felt hot. Much like the rest of my body.

"Good girl." Her fingers returned, resuming the gentle, circular motion on my clit. "Now tell me about your massage."

I don't know if any of my words were comprehensible. They sounded like a mumbled mess interspersed with gasps and soft cries as she changed pressure both below and above. She paused again when I mentioned that Jaime was a man and how aroused I had gotten. But I emphasized how much I was thinking of her and what I wanted to do with her later tonight.

She rewarded me with a kiss as she turned my head to face her. "And I spent all day thinking about you, too, sweetie. About all the fun I had planned. Don't you see what they mean when they say 'absence makes the heart grow fonder?' My body has been aching just to touch yours. Apparently yours has, too."

"Jenna." I moaned, my eyes closing as her fingers finally slid deeper to penetrate me again and her thumb rubbed my clit.

"Come for me, Kat. I want to see your body writhing. To feel it." She lifted the skirt of my top in the back and pressed her chest against me, the satin material of her corset sliding against my sweaty skin. One warm arm wrapped around my belly, holding me to her. He grip moved higher after a moment, and there was a firm tug at my chest before both nipple clamps released at the same time.

I screamed and felt the ripples wash over me, ebbing and flowing. Her hands massaged my nipples that felt like they were on fire, and her mouth nuzzled my neck while she coaxed me through the orgasm. I feared I would pass out from sheer pleasure. Eventually, my brain returned to reality, but my body was still trembling from aftershocks.

Jenna eased up, both hands caressing me now, her fingers traveling up and down my sides. "I cannot stop touching your body. Your skin is intoxicating, Kat. You have no idea how much I missed you today."

I whimpered and leaned my head against my arm. How could I have doubted her love for me? I needed to learn to be more trusting. It was hard after Danny, but still, I just had to put forth the effort. To want to.

The bed shifted once more, and when I opened my eyes, Jenna was kneeling in front of me. She was breathing hard with her mouth open, her eyes dark.

I groaned, struggling to hold back the desire to lean forward the few inches between us and kiss her. I bit my lower lip instead and stared into her eyes. Hoping she could see I was open to whatever she had planned for me.

"It's a good thing you had that nap. It's going to be a long night." Jenna leaned toward me, but instead of kissing my lips, she lowered her head at the last second, tugged down the edge of the bra cup, and sucked my nipple into her mouth.

I shrieked and jerked on my restraints. If I didn't know better, she was trying to kill me. She hadn't given me much time to recover from the clamps, which I was still on the fence about despite the rush they had given me. Yet, I bit my tongue to stop myself from ending this right now. I could take more. I knew I could.

"I wonder..." She suckled on my nipple some more before continuing. "Did you have an orgasm during that movie? How about the massage? Did you touch yourself there? Or did you wait to come back here?"

I gulped and tried to shake my head, but she wasn't looking at me. Instead, she was focused on stroking my pussy through the thin material of my panties. I was so sensitive I cried out.

"Oh, sweetie. You are so hot."

I watched in the mirror as she slid my panties aside. She was right. I could feel my own heat on my thighs. Her expert fingers wasted no time in plunging deep into my pussy again, seeking out my G-spot this time.

I came within a few minutes, crying and moaning. Tugging on the rope above me. My muscles clenched around her fingers as she kept up a quick pace.

"That's a good girl. Ride it out, baby." Then suddenly her fingers were gone. I popped my eyes open to see her flip onto her back and slide between my legs where she lapped up my dripping liquid.

I don't know if I had another orgasm, or if it was the same one still going. Whatever the case, I didn't want it to stop. Her tongue...her lips...her teeth... Not to mention her hands that gripped my hips, holding me still as I tried to buck against her mouth. I was going to pass out. I almost wished for it.

"You taste amazing," Jenna said, licking her lips as she sat up. She reached above me, then my arms went slack. She laid me down and cradled me against her, massaging my shoulders. "Rest, baby."

###

The room was dark when I woke. Jenna was sleeping on her back next to me. We were both still dressed. I almost preferred it that way, at least for now. She was damn sexy in lingerie.

Taking advantage of the situation, I traced her curves with my eyes, following the crisscross details on the corset restricting her breasts. Moving down to the thin strap of her G-string curving over both hips and barely covering her shaved mound. Noticing how the garter belt hugged her waist and connected to the thigh-highs with satin ribbons.

I licked my lips. Temptation was right there. I hadn't been able to touch her all day. Taste her. Images from the movie flitted through my mind like a flock of butterflies in flight. Trying not to wake her, I scooted down and gently slid Jenna's legs apart.

She smelled spicy when I leaned in and sniffed. I muttered a low moan and then gently ran the back of my index finger up and down her pussy over the scrap of material. She was warm. The material gave way easily when I slid my finger under it and repeated the motion against her skin.

I twisted my finger, bending it and pressing my second knuckle between her folds. Stroking all the way down and up again to bump against her clit. Coating it with her copious fluids. Was she having a sex dream? Or was that arousal from our session?

Another lick of my lips and then I leaned down. When the tangy taste of her touched my tongue, I closed my eyes and moaned. I tugged her G-string aside and using my other hand, I held her lips apart as I lapped at her arousal. She was hot and wet and oh so wonderful.

Jenna let out a sleepy moan. She shifted slightly, and then I heard her sharp intake of breath followed by a low growl.

I smiled and settled my mouth on her clit, flicking with my tongue, nipping with my teeth. With my index finger, I traced her entrance, pressing lightly. She purred as I teased her. When I thought she'd had enough, I slid my finger inside her and began stroking.




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 03



"Oh, Kat! That feels amazing." Her hands pressed on the back of my head. "Mmm. Right there."

I followed her lead, stroking with two fingers now, my nose buried against her pubic bone. The smell and taste of her was driving me mad. I had gone too long without her yesterday. I needed my fix.

It only took a few minutes for Jenna to climax. When she had stopped screaming and writhing beneath me, she tugged on my arms. I crawled up to lay next to her again.

"Hey, baby." I kissed her softly on the lips.

"That is an awesome way to wake up." She licked my lips. "However..."

I shrieked when she pushed me onto my back and straddled my waist.

"This trip is all about you. Especially in Paris." She smashed her mouth against mine. Forced my arms up on either side of my head and held them down. "And the night is still young."

"Where are you going?" I sat up as she rolled off the bed, the curtains flowing back down as she moved through them.

"Stay there."

I laid back and panted. Wanting her lips on mine again. My breasts ached. I caressed them through the material of my babydoll top, my nipples rubbing against my palms. I had to bite my lip and cross my legs to fend of the building desire.

"Close your eyes, Kat."

I obeyed despite the fact that the room was dark. I heard fabric moving and assumed she was opening the curtains. Then light peeked through my closed lids.

"Get on your hands and knees." The bed shifted. Jenna's hands rested on my hips, moving me how she wanted me. "Okay, open your eyes."

Blinking, I stared straight ahead out our window at the Eiffel Tower, all lit up against the night sky. I glanced over my shoulder and my whole body trembled. In case I had thought I was imagining the vision, the reflection in the mirror confirmed I was not dreaming.

"Take a deep breath, sweetie." Her hands smoothed over my ass, stroking my pussy from behind.

I really tried. But my breath kept catching in the back of my throat. I gripped the sheets beneath me and struggled to stay upright.

"Kat, I wanted it to be a surprise." Her voice shook. "Maybe I should have discussed this with you first. I'm sorry."

"No." I swallowed, trying to find the words to express how I was feeling. "I didn't even think about this. It's...it's...genius."

Her eyes lit up with her smile. "Really?"

"Baby, unless you only bought that to tease me, I love you so much." God, this woman was amazing. What had I ever done to deserve her?

"Oh, I'll be using it. Trust me." 

I followed the motion of her hand as it caressed my ass and then moved back to stroke the most glorious invention ever: a strap-on dildo. My pussy quivered just thinking about that thick length sheathed inside me.

Her hand stroked my ass again, sliding up over my lower back and hips. She lined up the dildo with my pussy, and I bucked back against her, anxious. "How do you want it, sweetie?"

"Hard and fast. Please." I gulped and braced myself.

I screamed in delight when she plunged into me. Tears formed in my eyes at the vision of our union in the mirror. At the awed expression on Jenna's face. At the feeling of having a cock—faux or otherwise—filling my pussy once more. And the best part was, I couldn't get pregnant or have to deal with the mess of semen with this one.

When she began thrusting, gripping my hips, I turned my gaze out the window. Watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle in the distance as my girlfriend literally fucked me from behind. She must have viewed videos or gotten some tips on her adventure today because she did just as well as any guy I'd been with. I was damn proud of her.

"Fuck me, Jenna! Fuck me hard!" I cried the litany over and over again with each stroke, rocking my body back into hers until my climax ripped through me as I screamed her name.

###

"Are you sure, Kat?" Jenna put her hands on my shoulders and tilted her head so we were eye-to-eye. "You don't have to do it."

"I know. But I want to." I took a deep breath, trying to swallow any remaining fears, and then pushed the door open. Tiny bells jingled above our heads before silence surrounded us.

A woman appeared from a curtained area, her black hair pulled back into a ponytail. She looked normal enough in her T-shirt and jeans. No face piercings, no midriff top and short-shorts showing off all her skin. The only thing that was noticeable were the graceful black swirls that ran up and down both arms, disappearing under the green sleeves of her shirt that had some saying written in French emblazoned across it.

"Bienvenue. Ce qui peux vous aider avec aujourd'hui?"

Her smile put me at ease, although I didn't have a clue what she said. I smiled back but shook my head. I was turning to Jenna for some help when the woman spoke again.

"Mi scusi. Welcome. I'm Jade." She stepped behind a counter that held a display case of photographs and books. "What can I help you with today?"

"Hello, I'm Kat, and this is Jenna." I shook off my nerves and reached into my purse. I laid a narrow sheet of paper on the counter. "I would like to get a tattoo."

Jade studied it for a moment and then smiled again. "Where would you like it?"

"Right here." I turned and Jenna pointed at my lower back right above my hipbones.

"All right. It will take a few minutes to prepare everything. We do ask for payment up front."

I reached into my purse again, withdrawing my credit card. I held onto it for a long moment.

"You'll do fine, sweetie." Jenna squeezed my hand.

When we were done transacting business, Jade led us to the back of the room and behind one of the decorative screen dividers. A padded medical table sat on one side. Across from us behind another screen was a dentist's chair.

"Lie down on your stomach." Jade pointed to the table and began pulling opening drawers. "Pull your shirt up and your pants down."

For just a moment, my nerves rose up again. Jenna helped me adjust my clothing and lay down. Before I could say anything, she began massaging me through my clothes, starting at my hips and working her way up. She always knew what to do for me.

"Just relax, Kat." Her breath whispered against my ear, and I turned my head so I could see her.

"I'm scared, Jenna." I whimpered and bit my lip.

She brushed her lips against mine. "I know, sweetie. But you're brave. Very brave. That's one of the things I love about you."

I jerked when I felt something cool rubbing against my lower back.

"Cleaning the area." Jade said. "You can keep doing that, if you want."

I guess she meant the massage because Jenna continued rubbing my shoulders, trying to help me relax. And it worked.

I dozed off at some point. But that was after Jade had transferred the design onto my back and started doing the outline. Thank God Jenna was there, because I cried like a baby and gripped her hand so hard. But after the first minute or so, I grew used to the pinching sensation. Jenna resumed smoothing her hands all over my shoulders and upper back. And that's the last I remembered.

"All done." Jenna's voice stirred me from my sleep.

I blinked as both women helped me sit up. "I don't feel too much pain anymore."

"That is good." Jade laughed. She held a camera in her hands. "Do you mind if I take a picture for my books? I really love the design you chose."

I blushed and nodded. "I drew it myself last night."

"You did a wonderful job. It's beautiful."

I saw the flash behind me. Jenna said she wanted a picture, too. Then her and Jade started conversing in French. I let them go at it for a minute or two before I sighed audibly.

"Are you two done? I would like to see my tattoo."

"Votre petite amie est tellement impatiente," Jade said, and then laughed when Jenna did.

I rolled my eyes and sighed again, understanding only the last word. But they both helped me get up. Then Jade positioned me in front of a full-length mirror and handed me a hand-held one.

While the design on paper was one thing, actually seeing it on my body breathtaking. Especially with the blending of colors.

In the center of my lower back was a dark red heart. On either side were graceful lines and swirls that looked like wings. While the lines were black, the spaces between were colored blue and green in a way that it appeared they were shimmering...moving as I moved. But the best part was what I had sketched in at the last minute before we left the hotel.

Behind the entire design, the Eiffel Tower peeked out above and below the heart. Subtle, yet a permanent reminder of my first trip with Jenna. Hopefully, the first of many.

I sniffed. "I love it."

"It looks amazing, sweetie." Jenna tilted my chin up and kissed me. "It suits you. You're letting your heart take flight again."

I blushed and wiped at a wayward tear. "Thank you, Jade. I will always remember my trip to Paris because of my first tattoo."

Jenna snorted. "That's the only reason?"

I winked at her and grinned. "Oh, I could think of a few others. Just give me some time."

"Sweetie, we have all the time in the world." She pressed her lips against mine again, the back of her hand brushing against my nipple and breast as she lowered her arm.

I shuddered and wondered how long I'd have to wait until she could get me on my back. Then again, we could do the old-fashioned method with me leaning forward over something while she pleasured me from behind. Especially with that strap-on.

We both thanked Jade after she gave me the rundown on how to care for my new body art. The bells jingled again as I opened the door, signaling the end of our latest adventure.

As we walked away from the tattoo parlor, Jenna took my hand and laced her fingers through mine. When I leaned my head on her shoulder, she stopped us, pulled me into her arms and kissed me on the top of my head. And it was at that precise moment that it hit me.

Maybe I would never fully get over Danny. But I knew I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and embrace the next stage of my life. I mean, I had been to Tuscany! And Florence! And Paris! None of them would have been the same if I had come with anyone else.

If there was any one person in the world who could help me do this, it was Jenna Swallow.

And I was going to let her.

~H



I Kissed a Girl Ch. 04



It had all been a dream.

Surely it must have been. Three glorious weeks in Tuscany and Paris? I hadn't deserved that. Not with Jenna. And yet, we had been there. Granted, there had been a couple of rough patches, but we had survived.

Returning to work had felt foreign. I had spurts where I couldn't remember the simplest of tasks. I was grateful I was a personal banker and not a teller. It was embarrassing enough when I forgot the basic paperwork or a step in the process after selling a product to a new customer. I would have hated to have short-changed one of the long-standing customers because my head wasn't back in the states yet. Thankfully my boss was sympathetic, but I still felt horrible at my intermittent amnesia.

But like after all vacations, I soon got back into my routine. The only difference was, Jenna was still in my life. We dined together most nights, and we alternated between sleeping at each other's apartment on the weekends.

We were playing house, we didn't have to let anyone in on our little secret, and everything worked. I was just fine with that.

At Jenna's suggestion, I had purchased a sound machine. I kept it by my bed and used the timer so that the sounds of rain or waterfalls or the ocean would stop after I had drifted off. As a result, my nights alone since our return had been filled with peaceful sleep. No more dreams of Danny...or of Danny and Jenna together.

I still thought of him on occasion, but usually it was with an understanding that things were better without him. I didn't hate him. I truly didn't. If he hadn't screwed up, my life would not be as good as it was with Jenna. Slowly but surely, just being around her helped me move on.

But how long could this dream world last?

###

"You are deep in thought."

I blinked and looked up from my magazine. "What?"

"You haven't turned a page in five minutes. And since there aren't any steamy articles in 'Better Homes & Garden' for you to fantasize in your head, you must be thinking about something really hard." Jenna closed the lid on her laptop, set her reading glasses on the dining room table next to whatever she was working on, and joined me on the couch. "Feet. And spill."

"I don't know." I shrugged and swung my feet up into her lap, sighing as she pulled off my socks and massaged my toes. "I was just remembering our trip."

She grinned. "Anything particular stand out?"

"No, not really. It was kind of boring." I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye.

"Bitch!" She tugged on my foot until I slid down onto my back on the cushions, then she proceeded to tickle me.

"Stop!" I shrieked and writhed beneath her relentless attack. She knew every little sensitive spot, especially the ultra-ticklish ones. "Jenna! Stop!"

Her torture continued despite my protests. "Say 'mercy' first."

I gasped, another shriek frozen on my lips. Warmth radiated between my legs. I had spoken it many times in my head, especially since Jenna got a little carried away using our newest toy, a strap-on dildo. But it had never gotten to the point where I'd actually needed to use the safe word.

Either Jenna realized my body had gone stiff or she had decided to be lenient with me because her tickling turned into soft strokes. Arousing caresses that nurtured the fire building in my belly. They concentrated around my waist and sides and then ascended to the undersides of my breasts.

"Jenna!" I squeezed my eyes shut as her hand brushed over my nipple, the motion like an electric shock even through the material of my T-shirt and bra. I gripped her arms and battled between pushing her away or pulling her closer.

"Yes, Kitty Kat?" Her voice purred, warm against my cheek. Her hand moved against my breast again, making me jump. "Do you like that?"

I could only moan. Especially when she increased the pressure, squeezing as her fingers brushed over my nipple again.

Jenna had a way of distracting me to the point that I lost my clothes without knowing it. This time was no exception. One minute I was fully clothed, the next I was topless and her mouth had latched onto my nipple. When she wasn't suckling, her tongue laved the tender point, her hand holding my breast in a firm but gentle grip.

My fingers wove into her hair, and I thrust my head back, panting. I managed to get my knees up around her hips and humped against her jean-clad pussy. My shorts rode up, and I whimpered, unable to get the right amount of pressure where I needed it.

"Shh." There was a wet, slurping sound as she detached and moved to my other breast, holding it with her other hand. Now free, she slid her right hand down to unbutton my shorts. But that only made me whimper more in anticipation. Her voice was low and lustful when she said, "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty."

I giggled and moaned at the same time. Her hand slid under the thin layer of my panties until a finger brushed my clit. I screamed and lurched my hips up.

"Yes, that's a good girl."

My mind was hazy as her fingers worked their magic, rubbing against my clit, building the tension within me. In only a few minutes, I was moaning loudly. "Please, Jenna. Please!"

"Come for me, Kitty Kat." Then she slid her hand down further and thrust two fingers up inside me.

I screamed again, my fingers digging into her arms, my body flailing under her on the couch.

"Mmm. Lovely. Such a good girl." Her tongue traced my lips before slipping inside my mouth.

I tried to return the kiss, but my muscles had gone to liquid. So I just lay there, letting the aftershocks move me like I was driftwood coming in on the tide. I felt her hand still buried between my thighs, and it felt so good. So right.

"I so love this, Kat." Jenna kissed my nose and brushed damp hair from my forehead.

A warning buzzed at the back of my loopy brain. Something about her tone told me to snap out of my daze because this was important to hear and to remember. I struggled to obey, almost as if I was underwater and trying to swim to the surface. I just couldn't get there, though. It didn't help that she shifted her hand and her fingers slid out to stroke my wet and swollen labia, her thumb pressing against my clit. I bit my lip and shuddered through another, smaller orgasm.

"Oooh. That was nice, wasn't it?" She brushed her lips against mine again. Then she pulled her hand out of my pants and lay down on top of me, my breasts pillowing her head.

I managed to lift my arms to wrap them around her, one hand on her head and one on her back. Her bare back. I smiled. Yeah, Jenna seemed to lose her own clothes pretty quickly these days. I realized her naked breasts pressed against my stomach and sighed. I raised my knees and cocooned her waist in my embrace.

"Kat?"

I yawned and mumbled, "Yeah?"

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Hmm."

"So do you think it's a good idea?"

I opened one eye and looked down at her. She was smiling up at me, tracing shapes on the swell of my breast with her finger. "I don't know. I um...I'll have to think about it."

"That's all I ask. Don't feel rushed to give me an answer yet."

I sighed. Should I admit that I had no idea what she was talking about? Maybe she'd repeat it...or even better yet, just forget she'd asked whatever it was.

It didn't help that I kept hearing those three words echoing in my head, even though she'd put her own flair on them. Problem was, I didn't know if I felt the same way yet. Or if I ever would. She'd been harboring feelings for me since high school. I'd only been flung into this for a few months now.

Could I possibly love another woman? The way she apparently loved me?

Jenna hugged me and settled her face back against my breasts with her own sigh.

We lay half-naked in each other's arms for quite awhile, and I began to drift off. I was thinking I should suggest we transfer to the bedroom and call it a night, but I didn't know if I had the energy to form the words...or move my body the fifteen feet down the hall.

"I think it would be so great if you agree." Jenna paused to yawn. "Moving in together is just the next step forward to showing how much we are committed to this relationship."

My eyes popped open, but my mind went blank. Once again, Jenna had left me speechless.

###

I took a deep breath, pulled the door open, and went down the rabbit hole for the second time in my life. And while it was a staircase rather than a tunnel into the ground, it still led to a wonderland.

The same blue rope lights lined the floor and ceiling like a runway to the lower level. A muted base thumped its way up from the darkness below, calling to me like the beating heart from a living, breathing creature. In the four months that I had been with Jenna, I had yet to venture back to the place where we had run into each other one rainy night, twenty years since parting ways after graduation.

Once more, the door opened before I reach the last step, and a woman in a dark pantsuit greeted me with a smile and a nod.

"Welcome to Maggie's Lounge." She closed the door behind me as I stepped past her.

"Thanks." I smiled but didn't bother with chitchat like last time. Even if I wanted to, the woman faded back into the shadows.

Shaking my head, I crossed to the bar, amazed at how crowded the place was for a Thursday night. I raised my hand, caught the bartender's attention, and nodded when he held up a finger, motioning he'd be with me in a moment.

I took a deep breath and looked around. The same ambient mood-lighting filled the lounge. The same style of music. The same type of clientele.

Nothing had changed. Nothing but me.

My gazed drifted from table to table. Most of the women paid me no mind, not even breaking from their conversations to give me a glance. A couple did nod their acknowledgement when we made eye contact. But for the most part, I was ignored.

Apparently, although I'd only been here once before—and not on one of my best nights—I didn't stand out like an outsider. Which surprised me. Why was no one approaching me? Had Jenna sent out a memo or something? Posted in Magic Marker on the bathroom stall, "Kat Jenkins + Jenna Swallow...hands off!"?

I snorted softly at the ridiculousness of the last thought. But my eyes still darted toward the hallway on the other side of the bar under the Exit sign. Maybe I should visit the restrooms before I left, just to be sure.

I took one more sweep of the room and then checked my watch. We had agreed on seven o'clock, right? I sighed again and was turning to go back the way I came, foregoing my drink, when I heard the unmistakable sound of Jenna's laughter between songs.

I snapped my head around, searching.

"Kat, your drink."

I spun back to see Brad, the bartender—and the only man on the premises—setting a glass before me. "SoCo and Coke, right?"

"Yeah, thanks. How much do I owe you?"

He waved his hand. "Jenna said to put it on her tab. She's got a table in the corner."

I laid a dollar tip on the bar, picked up my glass, and followed his pointing finger with my eyes. Yes, exactly where I thought I'd heard her. I prayed my eyes were playing tricks on me, though.

Why couldn't I breathe? Why was the room closing in on me? Why was everyone watching me as I crossed the empty dance floor?

I forced a smile to my lips and took in the cozy little scene before me. A square table was bumped up against the wall. Jenna sat against the wall in the chair furthest from me. Above her, a wall sconce made her face glow a warm yellow. It was kind of romantic. Except we weren't alone. And neither woman sitting at the table seemed to notice that I was standing over them.

I took a sip of liquid courage, noticing that my hand shook a little. "Jenna, you're early. Or rather, I must be late."

"Kat!" Jenna smiled up at me and reached her hand out, her fingers wiggling until I held out my own hand. She squeezed it and pointed to the empty chair in front of me. "Sit, sit, sit. You remember Lauren?"

"Hi." I nodded toward the blonde sitting between the two of us.

"Hi, Kat." Lauren swirled the tiny straw in her drink, her arm resting next to Kat's other hand that also circled a glass. She made no effort to move away from my girlfriend, and that ticked me off a little.

"Thought maybe I'd gotten the time wrong." I twisted in my chair and leaned against the wall, my left arm resting on the table and my glass wrapped in my hand. We were three peas in a pod. Joy. "I'm glad Brad pointed you out. I almost left. Thanks for the drink, by the way."

"Yeah, I got done with work early and was heading out at the same time Lauren was. She asked if I wanted to grab a drink, and I said I was already heading over here."

"I thought it was just going to be the two of us." I eyed Lauren over the rim of my glass as I sipped, noting that Brad had put a double shot of Southern Comfort in my drink. Although it bit the back of my throat, I was glad for the extra alcohol. Maybe it would calm me down.

"I didn't know. I can go." Lauren said the words, but she didn't move a single muscle otherwise.

Jenna laid a hand on Lauren's arm. "No, you're fine."

It took all I had not to throw my drink in Lauren's face and stomp out of the place. I knew I was overreacting—they were coworkers and had been friends for years—but I couldn't help being jealous. At the least, Lauren could have offered to switch places.

Somehow, I lasted the next hour while we all spilled about our day at work. I was growing tired, not only from my long week but also from the alcohol. Jenna kept ordering more rounds, and I tried to keep up. I just wasn't the lush that the two of them apparently were. By the time that Lauren finally stood and said she had to part from our company, I was way past buzzed...and pissed.

"I'm so glad you could come out," Jenna said, standing as well. She hugged Lauren, and I swear, Lauren held on longer then necessary.

"It was my pleasure," Lauren almost purred.

I clenched my hand under the table, suppressing a growl. It was the alcohol talking, telling me something was off. That was it. I just need to go home and rest.

I slumped against the wall as the third wheel walked away. Finally, we were alone. But my joy was short-lived when I remembered I was probably useless for any meaningful conversation.

"You feeling okay? I've never seen you drink so much before." Jenna moved to the chair Lauren had vacated. She pressed the back of her hand to my forehead. "You're a little warm."

I knocked her hand away, my words slurring together as I said, "Just fine. Go settle our tab. I have to hit the restroom before we leave."

"Kat?" She gripped my hand on the table. "I'll go with you."

I shook my head and got to my feet. "I'm a big girl."

I managed to cross the room with the aid of my hand on just about every table or wall, my eyes focused on the neon-red Exit sign above the doorway leading to the bathrooms. Except that a couple of times, there were two signs. I stumbled into some empty chairs at the bar when I closed my eyes to blink and clear my vision but my eyes didn't know they were supposed reopen right away.

A migraine sliced through my head as I finally pushed through the bathroom door and was practically blinded by the fluorescent bulbs that seemed ten times brighter than the rest of the lounge. Thankfully, the first stall was empty because I shoved against the door and would have collapsed on the floor if it hadn't swung open. Even then it was a chore to stay upright and close the door behind me.

I plopped onto the toilet, realized I hadn't lowered my pants, somehow managed to rectify that situation, and then leaned my head against the wall. The cool metal felt good. From the recesses of my fuzzy brain, I remembered to look for any memo about me belonging to Jenna. But the walls were pristine. Why I thought they'd look like a regular tavern's bathroom stall with lurid sayings and random hook-up phone numbers I have no idea. I was partly disappointed that Jenna hadn't proclaimed our relationship to all her friends.

I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

When I opened them again, I was in my bed and it was gray and pouring outside according to my sideways view of the window. My head was throbbing, I was wearing the same clothes from yesterday, and I had a horrible taste in my mouth. I rolled over and groaned.

"Welcome back, Kat," Jenna said from the chair she had curled up in with her laptop.

"Yeah, good morning to you, too. Do you ever put that blessed thing away?" I sat up slowly and swung my feet over the edge of the bed.

"You're welcome."

"What? For the hangover? Yeah, thanks." I rubbed a hand at my eyes. "If I didn't know you better, I would think you did it on purpose. I've only been to Maggie's Lounge twice, and both times I ended up with a fucking marching band in my head after you brought me home."

"Talk about getting up on the wrong side of the bed." She shut her laptop and set it aside. "I was referring to the fact that I found you sleeping in the bathroom stall with your pants around your ankles. Brad helped me get you into a cab, and Jose, the cabbie, helped me get you up here. You're pretty much dead weight when you're passed out."

"Gee, thanks. Now you think I'm fat." I brushed my hair out of my face and wondered how heavy Lauren was when she was passed out. Would Jenna know?

"You're something, I'll tell you that." Jenna stood up. "I'll make you a Bloody Mary."

"Don't bother. I'm going to the bathroom, taking some Tylenol, and going back to bed." I shut the bathroom door behind me, not waiting to hear her response. The door didn't prove to be a very good barrier as I could hear her heavy sigh.

"I have no idea what bee has gotten into your bonnet, Kat, but I have better things to do today than sit around and play babysitter. You can suffer or make your own damn Bloody Mary. You know how to get ahold of me."

I waved my hand through the air at her even though she couldn't see me. Shucking off my wrinkled clothes, I climbed into the shower and turned on the nozzle before I realized I had only meant to use the toilet. Oh well. The hot water felt good as it streamed over my face and aching muscles.

My headache lessened a little by the time I climbed out and dried off. Instead of heading back to bed, I popped two Tylenol, wrapped my wet hair in a towel, donned a fuzzy robe, and curled up in the living room in front of the television. "Overboard" was just starting, and I eventually drifted off to visions of Goldie Hawn prancing around a yacht in her barely-there bikini...except in my vision it was Jenna.

###

When Sunday afternoon rolled around and I still hadn't heard from Jenna, I wasn't really worried. I'd actually had a nice, quiet weekend, just relaxing. It had rained non-stop, so there wasn't much to do but watch movies, and that was fine with me.

Twice I almost called Jenna, but I refused to be the first one to concede in this fight. I guess I was still feeling the burn that she had invited Lauren to our little date. Well, it had been a date to me, at least. Apparently it hadn't meant that much to Jenna. I mean, it was her stomping grounds with people she knew. It would have been the first time we were publicly announcing we were a couple. Although I'd been more than a little nervous, I had been ready to do it.

Maybe Jenna really didn't feel that way about me. But she was the one who had talked about moving in together. That showed she wanted more commitment, right? She'd even used that word.

I stared at my phone on the far couch cushion where I had thrown it an hour ago. I could feel it taunting me, daring me to make the first move when all I really wanted was for her to call and apologize ...even offer just an explanation. Because I was sure that if I brought it up, she'd laugh it off and tell me I was just having cold feet about making a decision about our living situation.




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 04



I procrastinated for another thirty minutes while I made some popcorn and poured a glass of wine. I flipped the sound back on the television as another movie started. Great. "Thelma and Louise." Talk about two women who belonged together for life.

I glanced at the phone again. Oh hell. Maybe I was just making this more than it really was.

I hit the mute button on the remote, snatched up the phone, and pressed the power button once to light up the screen to dial. That's when I saw the blue box with "1 Voicemail Message" posted over the wallpaper image of the Eiffel Tower view from our hotel room in Paris.

Damn. When had that been left? I hadn't heard the phone ring at all this weekend.

My finger hovered over the button that would take me to my voicemail. I couldn't think of anyone else who would call me, but I would be devastated if it wasn't from Jenna. I set the phone aside and turned up the sound on the television again.

I watched the movie until after the bar scene where Thelma almost gets raped and Louise kills the would-be rapist, hoping that if it had been Jenna who'd left the message, she'd call again. I was getting as jittery as Susan Sarandon and Gina Davis running from the law, glancing back and forth from the screen to my phone where I'd set it on the arm rest, praying for it to ring.

The movie broke to commercial, and I let out a loud groan. What the hell was wrong with me? I jabbed my index finger at the tiny buttons on my phone until the screen flashed the list of recent calls. Right at the top was Jenna's name and number with a timestamp of six hours ago. I'd still been sleeping.

I dialed the number for voicemail and raised the phone to my ear with a shaking hand. When I heard the automated voice tell me I had one message and the time it had been left, I cursed it to hurry up. I closed my eyes and smiled a little at the sound of Jenna's voice, but my smile quickly disappeared as I listened to the message.

"Hi, Kat, it's Jenna. You're not picking up, and I'm on the freeway. Mr. Jacobs—damn, I hate calling him that; he doesn't deserve that title—anyway, Tim is sending me to California for the next week for a business conference. I'm not sure when I'll be available to talk, so just leave a message if you need something and I'll try to get back to you. Bye."

I pulled the phone away from my ear and frowned at it. I could just barely hear the automated voice asking if I wanted to keep or delete the message. For some reason, I chose to keep it. I guess somewhere deep inside, I wanted to be able to hear her voice if I got too lonely.

Having that matter resolved, I tuned back into the movie half-heartedly. I wondered that if Jenna and I were in a predicament like Thelma and Louise, would she have my back? And for some stupid reason, I pictured Lauren and Jenna together trying to outrun Harvey Keitel in a convertible through the western desert, except that they were heading towards California not Mexico.

I shook my head and snorted softly. "Get those stupid ideas out of your head, girl. You just imagined whatever that was at the bar. You were nervous about being in public like that with her. There is nothing going on with Lauren. Jenna is out west—by herself— on business. When she gets back, we'll move in together. In fact..."

The clock on the stereo showed it was only two, and the view out the window revealed it had finally stopped raining. A plan quickly evolving in my head, I changed into something more street-worthy than my pajamas and robe and retrieved three empty cardboard boxes from the storage closet. I did a quick perusal of my necessary belongings, packed them up, grabbed my set of keys and the ones to Jenna's place, and took three trips down to my car.

If Jenna wanted commitment, then she was going to get it.

###

Monday morning, I had a clear head and a smile on my face. I could imagine birds fluttering and tweeting over my head as I sat up and stretched like a Disney princess and laughed. Okay, maybe I was exaggerating, but it pretty much summed up how I felt inside. Completely opposite from my mood all weekend.

It was a little weird waking up in Jenna's bed without her beside me. Plus the sheets and comforter were throwing me off. We had gone shopping last week, and Jenna had pointed out a bedding set she'd fallen in love with. I'd secretly echoed her sentiment, but I had been too afraid to say anything at the time lest she think I'd made a decision about moving in together.

Well, now I had, and I had bought the set last night, as well as a few bathroom accessories I'd seen her eyeing. I felt a little guilty that we hadn't technically picked them out together, but I hoped she would be pleasantly surprised when she returned.

I went through my routine of taking a shower—using the new set of towels I'd purchased—and having a cup of coffee and a bagel before getting dressed. I swear I had a new perk in my step as I left Jenna's apartment and drove to the bank. I couldn't wait for her to get home.

Why had I been such a bitch to her? She was only doing what any girlfriend would do. She was my someone to fall back on, and vise versa. My Thelma to her Louise.

The day passed quicker than I had expected for a Monday. As I waved goodbye to my co-workers, I giggled like a little girl getting ready for a party. I went in the other direction as I left work, driving back to my apartment.

I had more packing to do, and I was on a time crunch. I needed to sort through everything I owned, determining what I wanted to put into storage and what I thought could be moved to Jenna's. A moving truck would meet me at lunch tomorrow, and I would need to be ready.

I'd also worked it out with a realtor to lease the apartment until it could be sold. He already had a client who was looking to rent long-term while in the city for business. It was good news for everyone, it seemed. Funny how only a couple of phone calls could change your life in an instant.

It wasn't until I had most of my apartment packed into boxes when doubt crept in. What if Jenna was upset with me when she returned? What if she had changed her mind since we'd had the one-sided conversation about moving in after making love? Especially after my behavior on Friday?

I slowly lowered myself to the couch and looked around at my life that was now either in boxes or labeled with a Post-It to get stored away.

No. I was doing the right thing. Despite my apprehension, I knew this was an important step I needed to take.

This had been my apartment with Danny for almost two years. I'd only lived there a few months before we'd met, and once we'd gotten serious, he slept there most nights. I laughed at the thought that we'd been engaged and on the threshold of marriage, yet we'd still kept our separate places. And here I was moving in with my girlfriend after only really getting to know her after four months.

I shook my head and got back to business. It was getting late, I had work tomorrow, and I still needed to get to Jenna's apartment to go to sleep as I'd already dismantled my own bed.

###

It was Wednesday before Jenna called me again. I was on my lunch break and trying to shove a small bookcase in the corner by the window when I heard the ringtone I'd set for her: kd lang's "The Air That I Breathe." I smiled and left the bookshelf cockeyed to retrieve my phone from the kitchen counter.

"Jenna!" I was all smiles, and a little out of breath.

"Hey, Kat, just checking in."

Jenna's voice sounded so far away. I felt a pang of longing for her. "Sorry I missed your call on Sunday. How's the conference?"

"When we're not in a seminar, we're hosting a booth at the trade show, and it's non-stop running in between. There's barely enough time to eat or sleep it seems. How are you?"

The background noise level increased a little and then faded away. She must have changed ears with her phone. "Same old, same old. Just working and keeping busy. Hey, I'm sorry about Friday. I don't know what got into me."

Or what got into me right now. Here I was pining for an apology from her, but after hearing her voice, I was the one giving in? Ugh. I was hopelessly lost when it came to Jenna Swallow.

"It's okay, sweetie. Not sure what was up with that, but I figured it would blow over."

I bit my lower lip for a second and decided what the hell. "Hey, I have a surprise for you when you get home."

"Oh? I like surprises. Give me a hint."

"Nope. A surprise is a surprise. You'll see when you get home. Are you flying in on Saturday or Sunday? Do you need me to pick you up?"

"Saturday evening before dinner. I have a ride, but thanks."

"Oh, okay."

"Jenna, we're going to Planet Hollywood for lunch. Come on," I heard a female voice say.

I froze with my mouth open. Surely I was mistaken. It couldn't be...

"I have to run, Kat. Lauren and I are going to lunch. Love you, bye!"

The phone went dead, and I slumped against the wall.

My daydream had been correct. Well, at least the part about Jenna and Lauren going out west together. They were just in an airplane instead of a convertible.

Somehow I made it through the rest of the afternoon at work. And for the first time since moving into Jenna's apartment, I wished I had my own to go back to. Instead, I ate a cheeseburger and fries on the drive home from work and crawled beneath the sheets once I locked up and changed my clothes.

Then I cried myself into a blubbering mess.

I knew Jenna and Lauren worked at the same place. And I guess I remembered Jenna saying they had worked together on some projects in the past. I just hadn't imagined the two of them traveling together for work.

Suddenly, I shot up straight. Had Lauren gone to France with Jenna before? Had they eaten at the quaint restaurant Jenna had said was her favorite?

I collapsed again, hot tears smearing across my cheeks as I rolled my face back and forth against the pillow. A dull ache started in my chest, and I gripped the sheets. I felt the urge to scream and let loose against the pillowcase. I let myself have a hissy fit, pounding my fists into the mattress, kicking my legs against the comforter.

I was so fucking fed up with getting screwed around by my lovers that I was ready to join a nunnery.

Maybe Jenna wanted both of us and figured she could have me on nights and weekends and days off, but she could be with Lauren at work during the day and on business trips. But I wasn't having any of that. No way. I wasn't sharing my girlfriend with another person. If that was the way she wanted it, we were through.

Problem was, just the thought of not being with Jenna made my chest hurt more.

At some point, I fell asleep. I woke once in the middle of the night after dreaming of Jenna and Lauren sunbathing on a private beach where Lauren asked Jenna to rub suntan lotion on her back which led to Lauren losing her bikini. It just went south from there.

I sat up, panting and brushing my damp hair out of my eyes, trying to convince myself it wasn't real. I just couldn't get back to sleep after that because I was afraid I'd dream about the two of them again. But then I didn't want to stay awake, either, because all I could think about was how stupid it had been for me to move into Jenna's place the way that I had.

Eventually, sunlight peeked through the slats of the wooden blinds. I had dozed a couple of times but had never really gotten into the deep sleep I was used to. I was so exhausted I considered calling into work and saying I was sick, but I'd been gone so long on my fake honeymoon I didn't want to push it. I lay half-alert until the alarm went off, and I managed to get through a shower without falling asleep under the hot streams coating my face and body.

Work was abysmal with hardly any customers. I hated days like that. The clock never seemed to move, and all I wanted to do was crawl back under the covers for a couple of days at least.

When my lunch break came, I went to a restaurant instead of going back to Jenna's. I was having trouble calling it 'home' as I wasn't sure if I was going to be staying there much longer. Although, I was going to wait until Jenna returned and we could talk this out first before making another drastic change in my life without thinking it all the way through. I was certain that if I did go back there, I'd end up falling asleep and not waking up in time to return to work. It had happened once before, and I had spent the rest of the day feeling as guilty as sin for causing my coworkers to pick up the slack in my absence.

Thursday night, I crashed after work without eating dinner. I'd picked up some pills at the pharmacy to help with insomnia, took two with water, and crawled into bed in just my underwear.

I slept like a baby.

###

I woke feeling refreshed on Friday, amazed that I'd made it through the week without Jenna and through the night without dreaming about her and Lauren.

The morning sped by, and I spent my lunch hour making finishing touches around the apartment. I reviewed the placement of the smaller pieces of furniture I had brought over and merged with Jenna's belongings in the living room—a coffee table, an ottoman, a padded storage bench that was perfect in the bay window alcove—and finally put the small bookshelf into place as I'd abandoned it since Jenna's call on Wednesday.

Before I went back to work, I loaded the dishwasher and set it to run. I'd do a load of laundry tonight and finish unpacking the rest of my boxes. I'd have the place all ready for when Jenna returned, even if it wouldn't be until late tomorrow. And even if her surprise would be short-lived once I conceded that she could have Lauren. I was even prepared to grovel with the realtor that I'd changed my mind about selling my place.

As everyone was leaving at five o'clock, some of the girls asked me to join them for a drink. I declined. I sat in my car instead, watching everyone drive away to meet up with their spouses and families or significant others for whatever their Friday nights would consist of. I considered picking up fast food, but that meant I'd have to eat alone. Again.

Knowing I couldn't stay in the bank parking lot forever, I started driving. I wasn't sure where I was going, but I figured it didn't matter and I would decide what to do when I got there.

After thirty minutes of roaming up and down the streets of a neighborhood I knew was safe, I sighed and decided I should just go back to Jenna's. But as I turned a corner to head back towards her apartment, I saw a neon blue sign and pulled the car over into an empty parking space.

"Maggie's, huh? If I didn't know better, I would think someone is trying to tell me something."

I shook my head and headed into the lounge.

"Evening, Kat. What brings you in here?" Brad asked as I slid into a chair at the bar.

The crowd was still thin with it just being after work. I noticed a clear, plastic advertisement holder sitting nearby and saw they served appetizers until seven. It was mostly fried stuff, which made my stomach rumble just thinking about it.

"Hi. I'm hungry and lonely. Can I have a SoCo and Coke and one of the combos of mushrooms and jack-sticks with ranch dressing?"

"Lonely, huh?" He smiled at me and scooped some ice into a lowball glass.

"Yeah, Jenna's out west at a conference for work." I thought I'd leave out the fact that she was with his sister, mostly to see if he'd bring it up himself. "She'll be back tomorrow night, but it's been a long week without her."

"I can imagine." He poured more than a shot-worth of alcohol over the ice and then filled soda up to the rim of the glass. After adding a lime and a tiny straw, he set it before me. "I'll call your order back to the kitchen. Be right back."

I swirled the straw through the dark liquid, blending the soda and alcohol, and watched him as he picked up a phone at the other end of the bar. My gaze traveled around the rest of the room, noting that the dance floor was empty and dark...and there wasn't any music playing. They must amp up the atmosphere later in the evening like most bars and taverns. In the three times I'd been in here, tonight had been the earliest...and the quietest.

Brad refilled some drinks at the other end of the bar and then walked back toward me, flinging a bar rag over his shoulder after wiping at a spot on the counter.

"Are you getting the lay of the land a little better now?" He retrieved the rag and ran it over the drink ledge, lifting up a mat to clean underneath it.

I raised an eyebrow at him. Surely he had cleaned before going home last night and there hadn't been enough customers today to get the bar dirty already. "The lay of what land?"

He shrugged and kept his eyes diverted. "Being a lesbian."

"Ahh. Touchy subject for you?" Hell, it was a touchy subject for me most of the time, but I felt at ease here. Maybe that's why my subconscious had led me back.

"Not at all. My sister has been a lesbian for more than a decade, and I work in a bar that caters to lesbians." He lifted his eyes to mine finally. "I just never pegged you as one."

For a long moment, I held his gaze. I felt absolutely nothing, and he was a very good looking guy. I snorted softly, smiling. "Me either, until I ran into Jenna again. Do I really stand out that much?"

He shrugged again. "You looked like a fish out of water the first time you were in here. Pun intended. Then the last time, well, you looked like a lost kitten."

"And now?" I watched him over the rim of my glass as I took a sip.

"You've got some cajones, coming in here alone."

I sat back and crossed my arms. "And why is that?"

He held up his hands, palms facing me. "Don't get offended, but a hot woman like you showing up here alone will attract a lot of attention. It did the first two times."

"I was alone then, too."

"Not for long."

I guess I must have had a confused look on my face because he laughed.

"You wouldn't have noticed it, but from my vantage point, when a woman who is not a regular visitor to an establishment like this ventures in, she stands out. Especially when she is unaccompanied. The women here are just so used to noticing that they don't make it obvious. They don't want to scare off the newcomers."

I raised my eyebrow again. "And when I'm not alone?"

"Word travels quickly among these women." He gestured around the room with the rag. "They know who's available and who's not, mostly just by reading body language. They knew the second you walked in, dripping wet like a poor, discarded animal, that you were ripe for the taking. But the second time...you were still nervous, but you had an agenda. Plus they'd heard the gossip that you and Jenna were a couple. Now? You just showing up alone...and looking depressed like you do? It gives the message that you might be returning to the available status. So they're going to take notice, even if you don't realize it, and even if you're not available. They're curious why you're here without Jenna."

"Interesting observations. I told you, Jenna is on a business trip. And I'm not depressed."

"I know that, but they don't. And you are depressed."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Honey, you couldn't look any closer to a soulful puppy dog than if you were one."

"Fine, I am, but whatever. And what's with relating my moods to all these animals?"

He shook his head and laughed. "Lesbians are nothing like straight women who go looking for a stud. If a straight woman doesn't get a bite on her line with the first guy, she has plenty of others to pick from. Not so with this crowd. Available women are a dime a dozen around here, and everyone is respectful of each other when a couple forms. If they know you're taken, they'll keep their distance but remain friendly for the most part. But if you're unattached...that's a different story entirely. Don't be surprised when they approach you. Not if, when."




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 04



I snorted again and took a longer drink.

"What's so funny, Kat?"

"You seem like an expert on lesbians, yet you're a hot stud yourself. Surely you miss not being able to flirt with all the straight, attractive women while on the job."

"I actually used to be a bouncer at a popular club. It grew old very quickly trying to fight off all the women. I have a girlfriend. And she thinks it's awesome that I hang around all the patrons here most nights but I come home to her, and she has nothing to worry about."

"How sweet." I gave him an honest smile and thanked the woman who appeared beside me and set a basket of fried food and plastic silverware next to my glass.

Brad handed me a pile of cocktail napkins. "But that's not what you were really laughing about."

"Wasn't it now?" I cut the mushrooms and cheese sticks in half to cool, glad that I had a diversion, and hoped that my voice hadn't come out as shaky as it had sounded in my head.

"No. I told you I'm as good as these women at reading body language. I just can't read minds. You wouldn't look at me when you answered my question before, and your shoulders slouched. What did you find so entertaining in what I had said? And what are you so afraid to admit to now?"

I ignored him and dipped half of a mushroom in the ranch dressing before popping it into my mouth. It was hot and I had to take a gulp of my drink.

"If you spill the beans, your drink and food are on the house."

My eyes shot up to his, and I almost choked as I swallowed.

"Tell me what made you laugh, or fork over $11.95." He leaned his forearm on the counter and watched me as the corner of his mouth tilted up. He was enjoying this, but he was serious, too.

I wondered if he could see the gears turning in my head as I first tried to decide if I wanted to take him up on his offer, and then what words to say if I chose to get a free meal ticket.

"Offer expires in five-four-three—"

"Oh hell, I think your sister is in love with my girlfriend. I'm pissed that she apparently didn't get or read the private memo or whatever it is these women use to communicate with each other that they've chosen a partner. And now she's been with my girlfriend for the past week out in California and I'm stuck here all alone imagining the worst-possible scenarios. She's taken my Louise and become Thelma. I'm supposed to be Thelma!"

"Wow." He filled a glass with soda and downed half before speaking again. "That...was not what I was expecting."

I sighed and ate a few more pieces of food, washing them down with the rest of my drink. "I have been going crazy all week, afraid that I've made a big mistake. Maybe I'm just imagining it. I just can't...I don't know. I mean...they've been friends longer than Jenna and I have. It just seems natural that they would be together. I don't..."

"You don't think you're worthy enough for Jenna to pick you over Lauren."

I raised my eyes to his and nodded slowly. I felt like one of those blow-up toys you win at the carnival and someone pulled the little stopper, letting all the air out.

"Kat? Look at me. I mean really look at me."

I sat up straighter and stared into his eyes. Blue eyes. They really were nice eyes, they just didn't do anything for me. I imagined they were violet, and my heart skipped a beat. I missed those violet eyes.

"My sister has been after Jenna since as long as I can remember. Jenna has flat out denied there is anything there but honest-to-goodness friendship. They had a little tiff right here at the bar the day before you left for Tuscany. Lauren begged Jenna not to go. To choose her instead. But Jenna told her to stop fantasizing about something she couldn't have, or she was going to ruin their friendship. You were all Jenna has ever wanted, and now that she'd found you again, she isn't letting go."

I felt a tear in my eye. I wanted to brush it away, but I was too afraid to move.

"Honey, everyone here knows that you and Jenna are an item. A very hot, special item that is hard to find. So don't let the little green monster convince you of something that isn't real. Because you will only push away the one person you should cling to, and you just might slip into that available category without realizing it. And trust me. There are plenty of women here who would be there to catch you. They just aren't Jenna Swallow. I don't think you'd have embraced this lifestyle if it had been anyone but Jenna who'd introduced you to it."

So I hadn't been too far off with my assumption that Jenna had somehow told everyone that I was hers. I giggled and felt the tear escape.

Brad lifted a cocktail napkin and dabbed at my cheek and then at the corner of my eye. "You have nothing to be afraid of, Kat. Jenna only has eyes for you. Yeah, maybe my sister hasn't gotten the memo, per se, but that's her problem. Jenna is loyal and trustworthy. She's just trying to balance her friend and her girlfriend right now. I just pray Lauren doesn't make her choose one or the other because she won't like Jenna's answer. While Jenna may have been friends longer with Lauren, you are her soulmate, and that is stronger than friendship any day. She told me so."

"Really?" I wrapped my hands around my empty glass, feeling a little giddy at his words.

"Yes, really." He quickly finished his soda but slowly lowered the glass to the counter, his eyes back on mine. "What was this big mistake you made?"

I giggled again and hiccupped. "Oh, well, I moved myself into Jenna's apartment this week. She'd asked me a couple of weeks ago but I hadn't given her an answer. I was going to surprise her when she got home. But then I was questioning my decision, feeling a little stupid for not thinking it through before I acted. Especially if she really wanted to be with Lauren. I was ready to let her go, even though it hurts like hell to think of her being with another woman."

He stared at me for a second longer and then said, "Don't move." He came out from behind the bar and disappeared through a door.

I nibbled on a cheese stick while I waited, wondering what he was doing. Then I replayed his words in my head and sighed long and loud, not caring if anyone heard me. Jenna thought I was her soulmate? She told him that?

Brad returned a few minutes later with a brown paper bag and a small Styrofoam container. "Let me box up your food. Go home and get some sleep. Put the contents of the bag in your fridge first, and read the directions."

I reached to open the bag. "What—"

He put his hand on mine. "Don't open it here. Just do what I said. I'm glad you stopped in tonight."

I stared at his hand for a moment and suddenly wished it were Jenna's. But I was glad I had stopped in as well, if only to vent my frustrations and get a little reassurance. "Thanks, Brad. For everything."

"Don't mention it. That's what a bartender is for." His smiled brightly at me and shooed me away with his hand. "Don't forget to read the instructions. Have a good night, Kat."

I shrugged into my coat and thanked him one more time before grabbing the paper bag, surprised that it was heavier than I expected. I drove with the bag on my passenger seat, and I was tempted a couple of times to pull over and open it. But I reigned in my excitement until I could get home and discover the surprise, concentrating on the evening traffic instead.

Twenty four hours from now, Jenna would be on her way home to me. I just couldn't wait.

###

The Saturday morning sky was overcast, matching my mood. What was with Chicago weather this year? I knew it was the Windy City, but this was feeling more like Seattle with all the rain.

I sat in the oversized chair by the fireplace, curled up in a blanket over my sweatpants and sweater, sipping a mug of hot chocolate. In my other hand was a sheet of paper that I'd found in the bag Brad had given me.

Everything on the list was doable. Well, everything but the last item. I just didn't know if I had the guts to go through with it. But his P.S. at the bottom made me smile: "You are a very strong woman, and I'm rooting for you."

It was touching. And encouraging. Yet, I still procrastinated.

After a shower, I ran to the store for some chicken breasts, teriyaki sauce, rice pilaf, French bread, and the items to make a simple salad. Jenna had said she loved that meal when I made it before. But I still had to figure out something to have for dessert with the bottle of champagne, the only contents of the bag Brad had given me besides the list.

An hour later, I put the groceries away and turned to stare in the decorative mirror above a hallway table. I wondered how I'd feel after completing the last item on the list. I knew that no one would know what I'd done, but would they be able to tell something was different about me?

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Oh hell. Fine. I'd do it.

###

Sometime in the night, I woke to use the bathroom. Jenna had not come home. I crawled back into bed and cried until my body shook with the sobs. I missed her so much. And despite what Brad had told me ...what I had done ...I still had my doubts about her feelings toward me.

The air held traces of the sweet-scented chicken and rice that I'd eaten alone against the backlight of a dozen taper candles. So much for a romantic welcome-home dinner. I'd had the uncontrollable sobs then, too. My hands had shaken so badly as I'd boxed up and stored the leftovers, I was certain I would drop them on the kitchen floor. At least the cheesecake I'd purchased hadn't been ruined since I'd left it in the fridge. For over an hour, I'd sat in Jenna's oversized chair, watching the rain as it pelted against the windows, the occasional thunder and streak of lightning breaking up the steady sound. Visions of Tuscany and Paris had flitted through my brain, increasing the longing for Jenna's return. My chest had grown so tight with worry and confusion for my feelings, I was afraid that something was physically wrong with me.

Finally, I had given up and slipped beneath the sheets and comforter feeling anything but comforted. I'd pulled on the sheer two-piece teddy I'd purchased for the occasion. I'm not sure why I decided to wear it. Maybe some macabre thought in my head said I needed to punish myself for thinking she'd rush home to me.

I fell asleep again, but I was roused from a myriad of strange dreams by a loud thump followed by laughter and voices. Fully awake now, I lay facing the doorway that led into the living room. I was glad I had decided to leave the door partly open. It allowed me to hear the conversation clearly, especially since they had no reason to think they needed to speak softly.

"You should have let me get the cab fare," Lauren said.

I cringed at that voice and gripped the sheet.

"You got dinner," Jenna said. "It was only fair."

My nipples tightened at just the sound of her voice. She was so close.

Light suddenly spilled through the crack in the door.

"Yeah, well, you win this time." Lauren giggled. "How about I make us a drink?"

I rolled over to face the wall, feeling the tears well up again.

"It's late."

"You know you want a drink. Just a small one."

"Fine. A small one. Then bed."

I clenched my eyes shut, silently praying that Jenna didn't mean Lauren would join her.

The sound of cupboards opening and closing then the clink of glasses filtered their way into the bedroom.

"Do you smell something?" Jenna asked.

"Like what? Smoke? Fire?"

"No, not fire." Jenna was quiet for several seconds. A glass clinked against the marble countertop. "It smells like...I don't know. Something sweet. But yeah, also smoke, now that you mention it."

Another glass hit the countertop, a little louder this time. "Do you think something's on fire? Where's your extinguisher?"

"No, I said it's not fire. It's..."

I could imagine Jenna walking through the open kitchen, her eyes grazing over the adjoining living room, trying to put a finger on what was off. I wondered how long it would take her—if at all—to notice the extra furniture, the rearrangement of her own. How would she react?

Once more, I regretted my decision to make this big change without consulting her first. At least to see if she was still on the same page as me.

"What's wrong, Jenna?"

"That smell. I've smelled it before. Those candles have been lit. I could swear my chair..."

"Jenna?" Lauren's voice had softened, much like mine did when I tried to console Jenna after a hard day of work. I had to force myself not to leap from the bed and confront them. Especially when Lauren said, "Honey, what's wrong?"

No one called Jenna 'honey' but me!

"Lauren, I think it's time to call it a night. I'll call you a cab."

"But I just got here. And we haven't finished our drinks. Besides, I'd hate to make a cab come back out at this time of night."

"Lauren—"

"No, Jenna, I'm not leaving. I'm tired of getting pushed aside. You know how I feel about you."

"Don't do this, Lauren. Kat and I—"

"Forget about Kat. She doesn't know what she wants. Hell, she was riding a dick just a few months ago. She's not even a real lesbian. She just thinks she is because you helped her out one time. But I am. I'm the real thing. I'm just what you need. We're good together. This week proved it."

"Just stop—"

"Stop it yourself. Quit hiding behind that silly high school crush. You're a grown woman now. You need another grown woman beside you. Yeah, Kat will take it hard at first, but she'll go running back to her men soon enough."

There was a loud slapping sound.

"Why the hell did you hit me?" Lauren gasped.

"I told you to stop it." Kat's voice was a low growl, but the sound still carried across the living room and through the door where I lay holding my breath. "You are delusional, and I've put up with your fawning way too long. You are my friend, Lauren. Period. Nothing more. It's up to you to decide if you still want that position or not. But you're going to have to decide that on your own. Now, please leave."

"You have no idea what you're missing out on!"

Loud footsteps echoed across the distance, followed by a slamming door. Then there was silence.

I took a shallow breath and tried to slow my heart rate as I waited. Surely Jenna must have realized something was different by now. But was she upset?

After all that she'd said to Lauren, she hadn't really said much about me. She hadn't proclaimed her love for me. That stung a little. Oh hell, it stung a lot.

I strained my ears to listen for her approach. And when it finally came—her soft footfalls on the hardwood and then the carpet of the bedroom after the door creaked open—I tried to lay as still as possible. Would she believe I was sleeping?

Nothing happened for the longest time. I had that slightly unsettling feeling you get when you know someone is watching you and you don't want to turn around to prove it. What was she seeing? I wished I could read her mind.

"Oh, my Kitty Kat," Jenna finally whispered behind me. Her voice cracked as she said my name.

I heard her circle the end of the bed, and the mattress shifted as she sat beside me. I kept my eyes closed and forced myself not to lick my suddenly dry lips. To not reach out and touch her even though my fingers itched to bury in her hair and pull her mouth to mine.

"Whatever have you been up to, sweetie?" Her voice was tight. I could tell she was holding back tears. Her hand brushed hair back from my forehead. "I was giving you all the time in the world, but it was killing me. How you torture me so, Kat. Are you really sleeping?"

I couldn't feign my innocence anymore. I swallowed and rolled onto my back. "Are you upset?"

"Absolutely, positively, no. I am speechless, Kat." Her lips brushed my temple. "I couldn't have imagined a better surprise to come home to. How ever did you do it by yourself?"

"I called a moving van."

I finally opened my eyes and stared up at her. I choked back a sob and wrapped my arms around her neck, pulling her to me. I had to kiss her. I had to feel her lips against mine before I said another word. I was like a starving child in need of nourishment, and there was only one thing that could appease my hunger.

Jenna moaned against my mouth. She crawled on top of my body, deepening the kiss.

I sighed and held her to me. At least until she shimmied her body between my legs, and I cried out.

"Kat? Are you okay?" Jenna sat up in a hurry and snapped on the bedside lamp.

Her hair was a little messy from my hands kneading through it, and her lipstick was smudged from my kisses. She looked gorgeous. God, I wanted to fuck her right then and there. But...

"Well, um..."

"Kat?" She glared down at me with one eyebrow raised.

Her eyes slowly lowered from my face, apparently taking in the sheer, navy top that lay over my swollen breasts, my nipples hard and begging for attention. The material would normally hang down to my hips, but our movements in bed had pushed it up to reveal my flat stomach. And the edge of the matching thong panties.

I lifted my hands above my head and worried my lower lip.

"What have you done, Kitty Kat?" Her voice was raspy now, and damn seductive. She traced the edge of my panties and then hooked a finger under each side, sliding them down over my hips.

I shuddered as her fingers glided against my skin. I could feel the heat and moisture gathering between my legs, and I licked my lips.

Her eyes jumped up to mine, and then they focused again down below where her hands were gently parting my thighs. I imagined it was like opening a present on Christmas morning to her. I sure as hell was enthralled in the revealing process.

"Oh. My. God."

That's all she said. But her heavy breathing, the way her hands crept up and caressed her breasts through her shirt, and her tongue darting out to lick her lips showed more than she could ever have put into words.

I smiled and raised my knees up so my feet were flat on the sheets. "You like? A little birdie told me that it has always been a fantasy of yours."

"A birdie named Brad?" Jenna was gasping as she stood and removed her clothes. "I never told another soul. Funny what you will tell a bartender when you're drunk."

"You realize it's still very tender and won't be completely healed for at least four to six weeks?" I arched my hips up to her.

"Can I touch it?" She held out a shaky hand when I nodded, her index finger extended. Ever so slowly, she ran her finger down the top of my shaved mons to my clit where she paused. After a few deep breaths, she lowered her finger and gently lifted the silver ring and ball away from my swollen skin.

I bit my lip, cringing slightly. It hadn't hurt as much as I'd expected. I think I was more afraid of someone putting a needle through my skin down there. Now? It wasn't as much the after-pain but the fear that there would be pain that prevented me from relaxing.

I remembered how pretty it had looked at the tattoo parlor when they'd shown me the finished product in a mirror. A 'clitoral hood piercing' they'd called it. It glimmered in the light, and the way it would lay—especially when I was fully healed—allowed it to press against my clit.

I felt sexy just thinking of it being there. I giggled. Before Jenna, I would have never thought of getting a tattoo, much less a genital piercing. Now I had both. She'd flipped an erotic switch in me, and it made me all warm and gooey inside.

While the piercing was very arousing for me, it was apparently for Jenna as well. Brad had written in his note how she had marveled at pictures of women who had one. That while she'd never had the courage to do it herself, she'd hoped that someday she'd find the right woman and she'd get to experience the pleasure of a ring through her partner.

He'd encouraged me to take that step and be that woman for Jenna. The woman she wanted and needed. Not that I wasn't without the piercing, but I felt it would bring us that much closer together.




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 04



"Does it hurt?" Then Jenna snorted softly. "Of course it hurts. You cringed in pain when I pressed my body against you there. I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's okay, honey. It's tender. But not unbearable. Not like not having you here all week—"

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I missed you something awful." Jenna's voice cracked again. She leaned up and kissed me. My lips parted, and our tongues tangled.

"You wouldn't believe all the torture I put myself through," I said, pushing her away for a moment. "Especially when I found out Lauren was with you. I have never been so jealous in my life."

"You heard us though, right?" She motioned toward the living room.

I just nodded.

"There was never anything with her, Kat. Please believe me. It's always only been you."

I nodded again, but I needed her to say more. I held my breath and silently begged her.

She ran the back of her fingers down my cheek. "I love you, Kat. I hope you know that. I need you to know that."

"I love you, too, Jenna." I reached up to pull her mouth to mine before I started crying again.

We kissed for several long minutes, our hands tangling in each other's hair until both of us were panting.

Jenna sat up and casually ran her hand over my chest. "I like the top. New?"

"Yep, just for you."

"You cooked dinner, didn't you?"

I shrugged. "I thought you'd be home in time."

She lowered her eyes, and her hand stilled from where it was cupping and squeezing one of my breasts. "Lauren had insisted on stopping for dinner. I just wanted to get home, but I was hungry. I'm sorry."

"We'll have other nights. There are leftovers in the fridge."

"When did you move in?" Her hand resumed its caresses, her fingertips teasing my nipple.

"Sunday night. After I got your voicemail. It gave me a kick in the pants."

She gasped. "And your apartment?"

"On the market. It's currently being leased. Most of my stuff is in storage. I just moved the essentials until we could discuss it more. Or until you kicked me out and I had to beg for my place back."

"You, my dear, are not going anywhere." Jenna grinned and kissed my nose. "We can discuss our belongings later. But right now..."

I gasped as I felt two of her fingers pressing up inside me, the heel of her hand grazing my piercing. "Gentle, honey. We can fuck all we want until it's healed, just keep it clean from fluids."

"Now that, Kitty Kat, might be a little difficult, because you, sweetie, are dripping with arousal." Her voice was a low growl. She locked her eyes on mine as she crawled between my legs again. "I'm sure I can lap it all up with my tongue. But my question to you is this: do you think you can come without me touching your clit?"

I growled right back at her, circling my hips against her hand. We had weeks to perfect it, and I was up for the challenge. In fact, I had never looked forward to something more in my life.

Nothing but to see Jenna home again. Right where we both belonged.

~ H 



I Kissed a Girl Ch. 05



Six months.

That's how long I had been enveloped in the world of being a lesbian. How long I'd been in a relationship with Jenna Swallow. How long it had taken me to accept that my life would never be the same again.

I had gone from being engaged to a man I thought I'd loved, to moving into my girlfriend's apartment after an extended trip to Tuscany and Paris. I had flipped from enjoying a cock inside me to preferring the skillful fingers and tongue of a woman. I had gotten a tattoo on my back and had a part of my body pierced where jewelry did not really belong. I had entered the world of kinky.

We weren't really into spanking or discipline or severe bondage. But when two women got together to make love, they had to be a little creative sometimes to keep the mood alive and fresh. And trust me, Jenna was good at both.

I was meeting her for dinner tonight. I hadn't seen her all day, and she'd already left for work by the time I'd gotten out of the shower. She'd left me a note with instructions of what to wear and where to be this evening.

I got a little flutter in my stomach when she took control. While we didn't really define our relationship as one of the BDSM world, we did delve into that territory occasionally. And we'd both agreed that Jenna was the Top and I was the bottom, although she wasn't opposed to me topping her sometimes.

As typical when I had plans after work, the last hour crept by. Either that, or I was so swamped it was hard to get out the door on time after the bank closed. I did not envy the tellers who had to stay later to count the money in their drawers and the vault. When five o'clock struck, I was free to leave.

I watched the last twenty minutes tick off on the standard, circular clock with the white face and black hands. The voices of my coworkers faded away, and I contemplated something I'd heard on a talk show at lunch. I don't usually watch them, but I had been flipping through the channels when the phone rang. After abruptly disconnecting from the telemarketer because my several polite attempts to deny I wanted their service hadn't been successful, I'd just stared at the television.

"Have you always felt this way, or did something happen in your childhood or your adolescence that made you want to pursue a relationship with someone of the same gender?" the host had prompted his four openly gay guests.

The two men and two women beside him had shared their own opinions. At the time, I hadn't paid much attention to their responses. But now that I was on the verge of meeting my girlfriend for dinner to celebrate our six-month anniversary, I couldn't get the question out of my head.

I hadn't been abused as a child. I hadn't been bullied in school for being different. I'd actually had quite a few friends. And I had always liked guys. I went on the assumption that they'd liked me, too, even though I hadn't been what Hollywood considered beautiful.

I tried to pinpoint something else that had happened to make me think of girls as more than just my BFFs. And then I thought of Brady McDaniel.

When I was in high school, I noticed that a lot of the girls in my class tried to flirt with the boys by the way they dressed and talked and acted. It was superficial to me, so I didn't jump on the bandwagon. I wondered if the boys could see right through their acts and didn't care, or if they were truly oblivious.

Somehow, I went through the next four years without being in a relationship. I don't believe I was a late bloomer or an ugly duckling. Guys just seemed to like me as their friend and nothing more.

That is until my freshman year of college when I met Brady in chemistry class. He was of the nerd variety, but he was cute, too, in that Leonard Hofstadter of 'The Big Bang Theory' way. No sweater-vests and pocket protectors for him. Although he did wear a pair of wire-rimmed glasses that would have put him on par with Harry Potter these days.

Our relationship had actually started when I asked him to tutor me. He lived off campus with his parents, and we met at his place three times a week to go through the lesson and any homework I was struggling on. Afterwards, we sat on the couch and watched Jeopardy. It was a strange arrangement, but his parents were rarely home as they were both professors at the college. Eventually, it became a comfortable routine.

Then one night during a commercial break, he leaned over and kissed me. I'm not talking a little peck on the lips. It was a full-blown, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation attempt where he backed me into the corner and held my head still, just like in the movies. He wasn't half bad, but it was awkward—noses hitting as we tried to find the right angle, lips a little slobbery and our breathing a little fast.

Afterwards, he sat back and stared at my face. I felt like an experiment he was trying to analyze. I tried to get over the shock that it had taken a guy almost nineteen years to kiss me. And of all the guys who had crossed my path, it had been a science geek to accomplish it. To this day, I am certain I was the first girl he'd ever kissed, and he had been twenty-one at the time.

We escalated to heavy petting on a November evening when I convinced him to meet at my dorm room for our tutoring session right after class so I didn't have to go back and forth to his house in the snow. I'd taken the lead that night and kissed him. When he didn't pull away in disgust, I slowly placed his hand on my breast over my shirt. He tried his hardest. I really think he did. Yet even though it felt good, I wasn't all that impressed. And I still felt more like a personal lab rat than a girlfriend.

One Saturday, we descended to his basement to search out supplies for our group's midterm project. I opened a box to find it filled with girly magazines. Penthouse. Playboy. Hustler. There were at least fifty of them, if not more, and the most recent dates went back about twenty years.

I teased him...asked if they were his. He said no, they were his dad's. He didn't even flinch when I opened one and showed him the woman inside riding a saddle that was sitting on a hay bale.

Ms. Cowgirl was naked and facing away from the camera for the most part. Arching back towards the right-side of the page, she held onto the horn of the saddle with her left hand. The angle pushed her chest out. I could see the fullness of one large breast plunging below her left arm and the gentle slope above that ended in a rosy nipple. As if the photographer thought the appendage blocking the model's breast made the picture more modest.

There must have been a wind machine just outside the shot as her ebony hair billowed behind her. Her right hand held the cowboy hat on her head as if riding a real, bucking horse. Her red lips were parted in a silent gasp, her green eyes shiny as they stared at the camera.

I licked my lips, my heart pitter-pattering as I stared, transfixed by that expression and the wonderment of what was hidden between her tanned thighs that hugged the worn leather. I thought these magazines always had the women all splayed on beds revealing everything they had to offer. This was a tease. No wonder men loved them. Articles my ass.

Brady only shrugged and turned back to looking at a box of junk.

I told him I had to use the restroom and snuck the magazine upstairs. I sat on that toilet seat fully-clothed, staring at Ms. Cowgirl. I reverently stroked a finger across the picture, silently wondering what it would be like to touch her breasts. To feel the curve of her back as it swept down and bumped out on that round ass. To kiss those pouting lips. And why Brady hadn't had the same reaction when he'd seen me with my top off. Or even on, for that matter. He fondled me over my top and bra...just not like I wanted...or was wanting to do to that woman in the magazine.

The feelings I had shocked me. And yet, they brought an arousal to me that Brady never had in all the times he had touched me.

When I turned the page, I choked back a gasp at a woman kneeling on a desk. She wore a tight, white blouse that was partly unbuttoned to reveal the edge of one breast. But what drew my eye was the skimpy skirt that had been flung up over her hips so that her ass was bared to the camera.

The way she had her legs spread and ass lifted, I could see her goods full-on with just a hint of darkish blonde curls. And the way she stared back over her shoulder, her blonde hair tied up in a bun, her index finger pulling down her bottom lip with that same shiny look in her eyes as that hay-riding cowgirl...

I squeezed my own breast, just imagining running my hands over that ass. Dipping my finger down into her sex. Wondering what it would be like to lick her there.

That made me gasp louder. Where were these thoughts coming from?

When I was done pretending to use the restroom, I tore out Ms. Cowgirl's and Ms. Secretary's back-to-back pinup and stuffed it in my bag before going back downstairs. When Brady wasn't looking, I replaced the magazine and proceeded to help him work on our project. He was none for the wiser.

I looked at those two pictures in private many times after that. But I really didn't need the stolen page. I would never forget those images. Those women in those suggestive positions with luscious bodies that teased while flaunting everything men wanted.

After finals that first semester, I joined several girls for a midnight party in the public lounge of our dorm. One of them had purchased some magazines for our entertainment. For some reason, I was disappointed they weren't the same ones I'd found at Brady's house. This time, it was Playgirl and Sex Herald, and they were filled with men. Naked men with their cocks out and their balls cupped in their hands in various positions with the minimalist in the props department.

The girls giggled, pointed, oohed, and ahhed. And they talked of their own sexcapades, comparing their lovers to the men on the glossy pages laid out on the floor. Sure, they were interesting pictures, and the men were sexy with their six-pack abs and bulging biceps. I could even envision one of the men who posed with a suit coat over his naked shoulder—a fedora tipped to the side on his dark hair—as he took that office girl from Mr. McDaniel's magazine doggy-style on her desk.

But I knew there was something different about me that I would have preferred to look at Ms. Secretary over Mr. Businessman with his pants down. Although, I won't deny I got wet thinking about what that lovely specimen of a cock would feel like between my legs.

It was also at that soirée that I heard someone could be bi-sexual, as in liking both men and women in a sexual way. I wasn't so sure I could fall into that category myself. I'd never been with a woman. And while I enjoyed looking at their suggestively naked pictures, I didn't imagine it ever becoming a reality.

I'd also heard it was frowned upon to like people of the same gender in that way. So I steered away from buying any girly magazines myself to indulge my fantasies. Instead, I tried to drown myself in the male gender whenever possible, following the lead of my female classmates on how to dress and flirt to attract their attention.

As a result, I lost my virginity to another freshman during the spring semester. A friend invited me to a party, and I ended up drinking a bottle of Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill to ease my nervousness when everyone paired up to make out and I was partnered with a guy who looked like he belonged in either a gang or the military with his tattoos, gold chains, bandana, camouflage jacket, and Army-style boots. But he was a damn good kisser. After the cops busted the party, we ended up going back to my dorm room where he slowly but surely removed each piece of my clothing, kissing each part of skin that had been revealed. Even if that's as far as it had gone, he was miles ahead of Brady McDaniel.

The sex had been phenomenal, and I finally realized what everyone had been crowing about all these years. Yet I kept having to beg him to play with my breasts, to stroke my pussy, to touch the rest of my body again. I didn't just want to be fucked with his cock, as nice as it was. I wanted something more, but I wasn't sure what it was.

After college, I had a few odd jobs until I was hired at the bank as a teller. I made my way up to be a personal banker after a couple of years. I was able to purchase my own place and switched to paying on a mortgage each month instead of rent.

Then I met Danny.

It was the typical 'boy meets girl while standing in line for coffee at Starbucks' scene that you see in all the chick flicks. Except that in our case, boy spilled a five-dollar coffee on girl's hundred-and-fifty-dollar cashmere sweater that had just had the tags cut off. Hot and bothered didn't even describe my attitude that morning.

But he'd been a gentleman about it and took me down the street where he purchased me a new, more-expensive sweater as a peace offering. And then he asked me out to dinner.

We fell into a routine, and one thing led to the other as it usually does. When he asked me to marry him, I didn't think twice. Well, I hoped I could convince him to pay more attention to my breasts and clit outside the brief foreplay I was currently used to when we had sex, but I figured that would come with time. Or else the desire would fade for me. I did love him. I truly did.

All that changed, though, when he called to tell me he didn't want to marry me less than two months from our wedding date. When I stumbled into Maggie's Lounge after aimlessly wandering through a downpour trying to sort out my feelings. When Jenna Swallow stood on the other side of the door to the bathroom stall where I was hiding and opened a whole new world for me.

It was a world I knew deep down had been calling to me since that day I had looked at Ms. Cowgirl in the basement of Brady's house and wondered what it would be like to kiss and fondle those breasts...and to have mine kissed and fondled the way I'd always dreamed.

It had taken me awhile to figure out that Jenna liked me in that way. I thought she was just being friendly, as we'd been high school classmates and I was down on my luck after being dumped by my fiancé. But it took me breaking Danny's nose—and my hand—before she made her move and I realized there was more to this equation than just friend-helping-friend.

"Kat, it's ten after five on Friday. Go home."

I blinked and looked around. There were two tellers behind the counter and three women walking away from my desk toward the main doors.

I shook my head and laughed. I'd heard that Brady McDaniel had come out of the closet after college and was currently living in California with his life partner, Duke DeBarge, a record producer. No wonder he didn't know how to kiss or touch me properly. And why we'd never had sex.

I sighed and shut down my computer, locked up my desk, and grabbed my purse. I couldn't help smiling as I took a long glance at the blotter-slash-calendar, wondering what it would be like if Jenna were to catch me here after work with no one around, forcing me to kneel on the desk like Ms. Secretary from that girly magazine and have her way with me. Damn, those stupid security cameras.

###

Fidgeting was not one of my nervous habits. Biting my lip? Absolutely. Worrying myself until I was sick in the stomach? It happened. But I did not fidget. Yet tonight, I'd done it numerous times.

When I arrived home from work, I changed into a red halter, knee-length dress that had a daring peek-a-boo diamond cutout in the front, revealing quite a bit of cleavage. The back was even lower and prevented me from wearing a bra of any type. Thankfully, the shiny Lycra material kept the girls in place, and there was a panel on either side in the front to prevent my erect nipples from revealing themselves to the world. Although, I was sure that Jenna would have enjoyed that immensely. I stood in front of the mirror, twisting from side to side, adjusting the girls and my curled hair until I noticed the time.

Then, I alternately tapped my fingers against the door's armrest and then my knee on the cab ride to the restaurant while glancing right and left out the side windows. The driver must have though I was something out of the Exorcist by the time he dropped me off at the valet parking.

Once inside, I was unable to decide if I should sit or stand as I waited for Jenna to join me. I finally decided on standing ten minutes later just as I saw Jenna get out of her own cab. Slowly, I sunk down to the bench seat and let out a long breath.

She was wearing the exact same dress as I was but in a silvery gray. Her dark blonde hair was pulled back into a thick braid, which showed off her slender neck. How I loved to run my fingers—and lips—up and down that expanse of skin. And those legs...I loved how they wrapped around mine when we made out on the couch or the bed.

"Kat!" Jenna smiled as she approached and tucked her purse under one arm.

I took her outstretched hands, using them as leverage to pull myself upright. My heart thudded in my chest, and my knees wobbled a little. I felt like I was on my first date. We'd never been out in public like this before, making it obvious we were a couple.

For the briefest moment, I wanted to give up and run away. But the sweet, vanilla scent of her perfume was intoxicating and convinced me to want to finally take a walk on the wild side.

"Hey, honey," I whispered as she hugged me and planted a soft kiss on my cheek. "I have been so nervous all day, I'm shaking."

"Don't be." She squeezed my hands and led the way to the hostess station. "It's just dinner and a little dancing. Relax."

We were quickly seated in a quiet corner and placed our orders. As soon as we were alone, I reached out and grasped Jenna's hands.

"It seems like I have so much to say but don't know what to say at the same time. I have all these thoughts in my head, and they don't always make sense."

"It's okay, sweetie." She released one of my hands to sip her wine, but her other thumb rubbed the back of my hand. The soft gesture calmed me. A little. "Did something happen?"

I shook my head. "No, not really. It's just been a long week. A long day, in fact. Very slow, and I had a lot of time to think."

"I hope it's nothing bad." She started to pull away but stopped when I tightened my grip.

"No. Just processing things in my head. You know, when you have time on your hands..."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

So over our salads, I walked her through the trail of memories I'd followed this afternoon. We'd never really talked like this. At least not out in public and not to such elaborate length. I spilled my heart out to her. Tried to explain how I'd been interested in the female figure more than most women back in college but wasn't really sure what those feelings were so I'd suppressed them. How she'd brought those feelings back to life and helped me embrace them.

I was a rambling mess, like a lost animal roaming all over the ranch, waiting for someone to bring me back to the herd where everything made sense again and I felt safe. And the animal analogy made me laugh and tell her about the conversation I'd had with Brad and his obsession with comparing me to animals as well.

Our entrées arrived, and the waitress topped off our wine. I stared at the golden liquid in my glass, my mind a little distant.

"Do you know the first time I saw you? I mean, really saw you?" Jenna asked. She took a bite of steak and washed it down with a swig of wine. "Mr. Timms, Algebra, freshman year. You were sitting in the front row, your hair hanging around your face as we took a test. You kept tucking it behind your ear, but it wouldn't stay. You asked Mr. Timms for either a rubber band or a pair of scissors. You were still at his desk when you swept your hair up into a ponytail. Then you dropped your pencil. When you stooped down to get it and then stood up, your eyes met mine for the briefest moments. It was like slow motion. I couldn't breathe."




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 05



I remembered that day. I had gone home from school and asked my mom to take me to get my hair cut. It had remained in a short, pixie style until I graduated.

"I like your hair long, sweetie." Jenna smiled.

Without thinking, I reached up and wrapped a curl around my finger. "Can I ask 'Why me?' I mean, of all the girls in school, what was it about me?"

She shrugged and took another bite of her food. "I don't know."

I set my fork down and reached across the table to her left hand. "Yes, you do. Tell me."

"It's in the past. What does it matter now?"

"Jenna Swallow."

Her eyes flitted up to mine and then returned to her plate where she was pushing the food around with her fork.

"Tell me now or we're going home right after dinner. And I'll cut my hair again."

"Geesh, relax. It really is no big deal."

"Yes, it is. You had a crush on me in high school. A crush that has lasted over twenty years. Why can't you—"

"You stood up for me, okay?"

I blinked and sat back in my chair. "What do you mean?"

She waved her fork through the air. "A bunch of jocks were talking about me at lunch one day. If I'd be any good at giving a blow job, and if I'd swallow or not. My back was to them, but they knew it was me. They said those things so I could hear them. They did it all the time."

"I don't see—"

"I chose to ignore them as usual. But not you. You were sitting at the table on the other side of them. You overheard them, too. You yelled at them. I remember your words to this day. You said—"

"I know what I said.'" I tried to swallow but found it difficult with the sudden lump in my throat. "I said, 'Scott Martini, if you and your buddies spent as much time practicing for football as you did daydreaming about Jenna Swallow, maybe we'd actually win some games this year.'"

"Yep!" Jenna grinned at me. "You told them that I wouldn't give any of them the time of day anyway because who'd want to be with a bunch of jocks who'd already banged the entire cheerleading squad?"

My cheeks felt hot. I had no idea she'd heard me. I hadn't realized she was sitting there behind that tall wall of gossiping testosterone. It hadn't been the first time I'd overheard them talking about her, nor the last. But it had been the only time I'd said anything back.

"No one has ever done that for me before, Kat." She reached for my hand and squeezed it. "That meant more to me than you will ever know. I wanted to thank you, but I didn't know what to say. So I just kept my mouth shut. But I never forgot."

"I'm sorry they said those things to hurt you, Jenna." I tipped my head so I could look her straight-on. "Kids are mean. I know."

"Yes, they are." She took a long sip of wine. "I couldn't help wishing you'd see me as more than just a classmate. I wanted to be friends with you, but I was afraid I'd mess it up. I'd liked girls for awhile at that time, but I hid it from everyone. I'd snuck some of my brother's Playboys when I was in junior high before he'd left for college. I know exactly what you're talking about. Sure, some of the pictures were full-on frontal nudity. But most of them were a tease. Wondering what was under that lace or that sheet or that skirt."

"You certainly didn't wait twenty years, hoping I'd come around. What did you do in the meantime?" I pushed away my empty plate and nibbled on a piece of buttered bread. "Did you date much?"

"I was almost done with college when I met Susie."

I laughed. "I'm sorry, that just sounds like a typical lesbian name."

Jenna laughed as well. "She was butch, if you believe it. Definitely did not go along with her name. Some friends had taken me to a gay club on a whim, not knowing I leaned that way myself. It was a fun time for them. They got drunk and danced on these platforms and boxes, oblivious to everyone else."

"What about you?" I toed off one of my pumps and ran my bare toe along Jenna's shin. She jumped and then smiled at me.

"I hid myself in a corner, just watching everyone. I turned down a lot of requests to dance, afraid that I would make a fool of myself and say or do something stupid."

Her eyes drifted closed for a moment as I moved my toe higher. I was thankful for the long tablecloth and the shadows of the room.

She licked her lips, her voice soft when she continued. "Susie wandered over and offered to buy me a drink. I let her because she didn't want to dance. She said she'd been watching me since I'd come in with my friends. That I looked out of place with them. She asked if I'd ever been to a gay club before. I admitted I hadn't. She'd stared at me for quite awhile and then squeezed my hand, whispering that everything would be okay."

"What did she mean?" I was licking my own lips now, trying to envision the scene in my head.

"I wasn't sure at the time. She just sat there next to me, and we both listened to the music. No one else approached us. Not even my friends. They'd disappeared into one of the other rooms I guess. I later found out they left without me. Someone had told them it would be okay. It hadn't been Susie because she never left my side."

I felt a little twinge in my stomach but told myself that Jenna was with me now and her past didn't matter. I moved my foot up under the skirt of her dress and felt her legs part. I groaned softly, pressing my toes into the soft flesh of her thigh. "Did you go back to her place?"

Jenna lowered her eyes and shook her head. Her fingers gripped the cloth napkin that she'd laid on the table, her breath coming out in soft pants. "I took her home with me, instead. She offered to share a cab, and my place was closer. I asked her to come up for a drink. Maybe to chat. We sat on the couch with a couple of beers. She told me she could tell I was a closet lesbian. That she could help me adapt to the world where I truly belonged. She told me not to be afraid, and then she kissed me."

"That seems kind of fast."

"It was what I needed at the time. We started hanging out at the club on the weekends. She introduced me to her roommate and a couple of friends who were gay, and I slowly let down my guard. It was refreshing not to have to hide any more."

"I'm glad you had some support, honey." I bit my lip when my toes touched her panties. I could feel the dampness seeping through. This conversation...what I was doing to her...it all turned her on.

"Yes," she nodded and then gasped, biting her own lip. A soft moan escaped before her eyes opened. "But I never stopped thinking about you, Kat. Somewhere deep inside, I still prayed I would see you again. That you would see me for more than just an old classmate, as more than a potential friend."

"I do now." I saw the waitress heading our way and retracted my foot, pushing it back into my shoe. Jenna gaped at me, and I tilted my head a little to show her someone was coming.

"Can I get you ladies anything else?" The waitress smiled at both of us, and I wondered if she could see how flush Jenna's cheeks were.

"No, that will be all. Thank you." Jenna took the folder the waitress held, inserted her credit card, and then turned back to me. "After college, Susie and I parted ways. She got a job on the East coast. I wanted to stay in the area. Call it wishful thinking."

I smiled. "Well, it paid off."

"I had several interviews before I landed the job at Thompkins Legal Consulting."

"And found out your boss would be my old crush, Tim Jacobs?" I finished my wine and dabbed my napkin at my lips.

"No, that wasn't for a few more years. My boss eventually retired. I was well established in the industry when Tim was hired to head up my division, so I wasn't about to look for another job. It was actually okay at first. But then he decided we needed to travel to sell the business. Find more clients in other states. It wasn't until he started sending me to places like Arizona in the heart of the summer or North Dakota in winter that I realized he knew about my sexual preferences and he was punishing me."

"Good lord, he is a jerk. I'm so glad I never hooked up with him."

"Nope, just gay Brady," Jenna laughed.

I groaned, wondering if I should have never told her about him.

"I dated a couple of women short-term over about the span of three years, but it never really clicked with anyone. I was grateful that Susie had helped me open up, but I was getting frustrated. I wasn't finding anyone who compared to you, Kat. I was looking for you in everyone else."

I was having a hell of a time swallowing and breathing tonight. "So what happened with Tim?"

"I heard that he was looking to expand overseas. A big client from France who also had a Chicago office was considering using our services. I—"

"You blackmailed him!" I covered my mouth to silence my gasp and then my laugh.

"You better believe it!" She held up a hand as the waitress reappeared with her card. When we were alone again, Jenna continued. "I told him I wouldn't file charges for sexual harassment if he would send me to France. It worked."

"I have to ask." I lowered my eyes and stared at the empty tablecloth where my plate had been. All that remained were a few crumbs and my napkin. And a single question I had been wanting to ask for ages it seemed. "Did you go alone?"

"Not always."

"Lauren?" I asked and held my breath.

Jenna hesitated, and then she sighed. "Twice."

I nodded and slowly exhaled.

"Nothing happened, Kat. I'm sure Lauren wished it had, but nothing happened."

"Why are you telling me this now? I thought you said the past didn't matter?"

"I'm realizing that some things I once thought trivial are actually important in this relationship. Not that I was sent abroad for business, or that I'd been to that restaurant in Tuscany before. But that you thought you were sharing a unique experience with me, and I wanted you to know that you did. Yes, I ate dinner at that place. Yes, I had visited most of those countries. But not with the love of my life. Not for pleasure, where I could experience each moment for everything it was meant to be."

I felt my eyes get moist. I wanted to tell her to not make me cry, but I also didn't want her to stop.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my trips. About my adventures overseas before I met you. I am sorry, Kat. But I want to make new adventures with you. Just you. No one else."

"Well, aren't you two a sight for sore eyes?" a masculine voice said behind me.

Jenna's eyes looked they were going to pop out of her head, and I was certain my heart was threatening to do the exact same thing to my chest. I refused to turn around. I refused to acknowledge the person who was interrupting my lovely anniversary. Except he wouldn't disappear just because I wanted him to.

"You look good, Kat. How's your hand?"

I felt Jenna's bare foot caressing my shin under the table. I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "My hand is fine now, Danny. Nothing six weeks in a cast couldn't heal."

He cleared his throat. "How have you been?"

I frowned, hoping he would apologize but not entirely surprised he didn't. "I'm doing well. And you?"

"Good. I'm good."

He stepped around to the side of the table, and I got my first look at him since I'd punched him in the face after giving him his belongings from my apartment and he wouldn't leave. His nose had healed quite nicely. No obvious bumps or crooked lines that might detract any single ladies.

Danny clasped his hands in front of his slacks, the green tie against his black dress shirt a spot-on match for his eyes that I kept trying to avoid. He coughed and shifted his weight to his other foot. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

I couldn't imagine what he was up to. But he seemed to want to say something. I started to tell him to take a hike, but Jenna blocked my move.

"Not at all." Her fingers uncurled from the napkin she'd been clutching as her eyes locked on mine. "I need to use the ladies' room. Will you be okay, Kat?"

"Yes, go right ahead." I tried not to frown at Danny who chose to take Jenna's vacated seat. I watched her walk away, her hips swaying side-to-side. I wondered if my ass looked that good in this dress.

"How was Tuscany?"

"It was beautiful. Thank you for asking." I saw the corner of Danny's mouth twitching, and I wasn't sure if he was nervous or trying not to laugh. Did he even know about my gender preference now? I picked up my water glass and hoped he didn't notice my hand shaking.

"I'm sorry I missed out. I'll have to take a trip there someday."

"Well—"

He raised his hand and shook his head. "Don't, Kat. I know it's my fault. I'm not trying to make you feel bad or anything."

"Then what are you trying to do, Danny? You left me, remember? It was hard, but I've moved on. I'd assumed you had, too."

His lips turned down as he sighed. "I never said I wanted to end our relationship. I just said I wasn't ready to get married."

"Same thing. At least you had the decency to not do it while we were standing at the alter in front of my friends and family." I took a long gulp of water and wished I'd never met him. But then again, if I hadn't...

"It's not the same thing. I just needed more time to think things through."

I sat forward and set the glass down a little too hard, causing water to splash over the rim. "What things, Danny? Please, explain it to me. Because when we were that close to saying our vows—I was going to get my fucking dress fitted the next week—the thinking process is pretty much over with. You asked me to marry you, to spend the rest of my life with you. Then you changed your mind. I don't know why. I don't really care why anymore."

"Would you please just give me a chance to speak?"

"Fine. Go ahead." I crossed my arms and pressed my lips tightly together.

"I did want to marry you. I still do. I still love you, Kat. I just needed more time to get things in order. Work was hectic. I didn't get the promotion I thought I was going to get. I'd lost some money on the stock market. I wanted to surprise you with a house, but it wasn't going to happen right then. I was struggling to pay for the wedding as it was."

After he was quiet for a long moment, I leaned my forearms on the table, knowing that from the angle of his head, he could see my breasts through the cutout of my dress. "Then that's what you should have said six months ago. But you didn't. You told me you couldn't marry me. Over the fucking phone, Danny! You really think I was marrying you for your money? Good grief. Do I look like Kim Kardashian? And for the record, there is nothing wrong with living in an apartment. We work in the city. It's convenient and cheaper than having a house in the suburbs."

He sighed deeply again, his breath rustling his long bangs that fell across his forehead. Talk about sad-looking puppies. Brad would have a heyday with his metaphors.

"I'm sorry you had a change of heart. Then and now. But you can't just jump out of someone's life and expect them to wait around for the off-chance that you'll jump back in. You ended it, Danny. Whatever your reasons were, it doesn't matter anymore."

"I'm sorry, Kat." His shoulders were slumped forward, and he just looked...tired.

"Too little, too late. I don't know why you're really here in this restaurant, but you did interrupt us. I was enjoying my anniversary dinner. Now, if you'll please excuse me." I stood and gathered my purse.

"Anniversary?" He snorted and stood as well. "For what? Six months of being single again?"

"No, Danny," Jenna said from beside him. She stepped over to me, laced her arm through mine, and gave me a quick peck on the lips. "Six months of being together with me. So if you don't mind, we need to get going to the club. We have a VIP table reserved."

I would be an old, old woman before I would forget the expression on Danny's face as I wiggled my fingers at him and allowed my girlfriend to escort me to the front of the restaurant. I'd never seen a jaw drop faster, or the color drain from a person's face the way his did. Well, maybe on a Bugs Bunny cartoon, but not in real life.

I'm sure he would remember this night for a long, long time as well. It's not every day that the woman you intended to marry basically throws it in your face that she's over you because she's batting for the other team.

###

I stared up at the castle-like building on Dearborn Street. I'd passed it on various occasions while living in the city, and I knew it had once housed the Chicagoland Historical Society. But I had never been inside the widely-popular club called Excalibur. Tonight was a night of firsts.

"They're having a special event on the third floor tonight, sweetie," Jenna said, hooking her arm in mine again as the cab pulled away from the curb. "We'll fit right in."

I just nodded and followed her inside past the sign that said "No Jeans Allowed." When we reached the bouncer, Jenna flashed him a business card, and he let us through without asking for the covercharge I saw he'd been collecting.

The building appeared to be alive with all the flashing lights and the thumping base of the music and as we wove our way through the crowd. Some people were dancing, but most were just standing around drinking and chatting. How they could hear each other over the noise was beyond me.

No one seemed to pay us much mind as Jenna slid her hand down and grasped my hand, leading me toward an open staircase. As we ascended, I breathed a sigh of relief that I'd chosen to put on a pair of panties instead of a thong or going commando as I'd considered. Everyone below us on the stairs would be able look right up our dresses, even though it was pretty dark and they might not see much.

The music changed as we reached the second floor, but it was just as loud. I knew from what I'd heard that there were multiple rooms of entertainment with a variety of themes and music styles. Part of me wanted to check them all out, but I knew Jenna had an agenda.

We finally stopped at a closed door. A broad-shouldered man wearing all black sat on a stool against the wall. He slowly got to his feet and approached. Before he could speak, Jenna flashed the business card again, and we were allowed entrance.

"What the hell is that thing?" I laughed, trying to get a good look at it before she stuffed it back in her clutch purse. "Charlie's Golden Ticket to the Wonka Factory?"

Jenna rolled her eyes at me. "It's the free pass I got from Mavis at Maggie's Lounge. She's done a few gigs there and is good friends with the DJ for tonight's entertainment. Would you have rather forked over twenty dollars each?"

"And you say you're not a cheap date." I grinned at her and gave her a kiss smack-dab on the lips. "After you, honey."

An hour later, I was quite buzzed by the punch-flavored drink in white plastic cups that Jenna kept pulling off a passing tray and put into my hands. We'd dance, we'd sat and swayed to the music, and she'd introduced me to some women she'd gone clubbing with before we'd been reunited. They all seemed very friendly. And quite happy that Jenna had finally found me...again.

I decided to sit the next one out, and Jenna went off to dance with her friends. A girl who didn't look old enough to even be in the club brought me the SoCo and Coke I'd ordered. I gave her a tip and then lifted the lowball glass to my forehead, sighing as the condensation cooled my hot skin.

The next three songs all ran together, and I watched my girlfriend laughing, swaying her hips to the music, and shaking her ass. Her dress shimmered under the throbbing lights, her skirt lifting up to tease as she moved. I saw several women watching her as well. A couple even joined the group.

For a single moment, I felt a jealous twinge in my heart. But it quickly dissipated as I smiled, knowing that all these women may be attracted to Jenna...they may be dancing with her now. But I was the one who was taking her home. The one who was going to ravage and be ravaged by her tonight.




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 05



The music changed to something much slower, but a steady bass still thrummed through the air. Jenna turned toward me and curled her index finger, beckoning me as she ran her tongue over her upper lip.

I gulped down the rest of my drink and boldly made my way towards her, not missing the gasps I heard along the way as the crowd parted for me. I took her outstretched hand, and she pulled me against her.

"Dance with me, Kitty Kat," she purred in my ear. She moved her arm down to wrap around my waist, her hand caressing my ass.

How could I say no?

We danced as we felt moved by the rhythm. I moaned low and deep when she spun me out and pulled me against her so that her breasts pressed into my back. We did a slow, sultry bump-and-grind, her hands on my hips, my ass rubbing against her groin.

Her hands moved up my body until she could graze her fingers against the sides of my breasts. But she kept going, pulling my arms up into the air with hers, swaying against me. Slowly, she ran her fingertips back down my bare skin. I lowered my arms so that I could loop them behind me around her neck. As I expected, her hands returned to caress my sides, her nose buried in my hair. It was tasteful but hinted at something so naughty.

When the song changed again, I couldn't help laughing. It was "Pornstar Dancing" by My Darkest Days.

Jenna didn't miss a beat. She turned me around to face her, kissed me on the nose, and then did a little pole dance—with me as the pole. Her eyes never left mine as she slowly squatted down, her knees bending and separating. Then just as slowly, she slithered up my body, her own body undulating and grinding against mine.

Her breath was hot on my breasts as she passed my revealed skin in the cutout of the dress. Her tongue darted out and felt like fire scorching my skin. Then she was eye-to-eye with me again, her red lips so full and kissable. The corner of her mouth lifted up in a dare.

I took my cue and did my own little dance, gripping her shoulder with one hand and bouncing up and down to the beat. Then I walked around her, dragging my hand over her skin. When I'd completed the circle, I took her braid in my hand and gently tugged back.

Her gasp was impossible to hear, but I saw her mouth open wider. Felt the heat of her rushing breath against my face now.

"You are so goddamn sexy, honey," I murmured against her cheek. I dipped my head a little more and flicked my tongue out to taste her neck, my nose filling with her sweet perfume as I inhaled. "I cannot wait to get you out of that dress."

"Mmm. That sounds absolutely divine." She was panting now. Just the way I liked it. "I think it can be arranged. As long as you join me."

"Oh, most definitely. It has a good...ring to it."

Jenna jerked back and froze, her eyes dark and wide under the jumping blue and red lights. "Are you saying—"

I nodded and raised waggled my eyebrows.

"Damn, Kat." She grasped my chin and smashed her mouth to mine, her tongue pressing for entry. Our combined moans were drowned out by the music, but I felt the vibrations in my lips. I also felt her other hand slid up my spine and shivered.

"If you don't object, I suggest we call it a night," she murmured in my ear when she finally let me come up for air.

I slid my own hand down her spine and caressed her ass through her skirt. "No objections here."

It felt like all eyes were on us as she took my hand and led me back to our table where we retrieved our purses before heading to the closed door that led to the rest of the club.

As soon as the cab door closed, I was back to fidgeting-mode. The driver couldn't go fast enough, and usually I complained that they needed to slow down. Jenna held my hand in hers, but she wasn't calming me down at all with the way her fingertip traced the lines in my palm.

I had to cross my legs to stem the desire to come, and I bit my lower lip to silence the moan rising up my throat. If we didn't get home soon, I was going to jump Jenna right then and there in the backseat of cab number 269. And I'm sure the driver wouldn't haven minded by the way he kept smiling at us in the rear-view mirror.

###

"I think you're wearing way too much clothing," Jenna purred.

I exhaled a shaky breath, loving how the candlelight around our bedroom flickered and made my girlfriend glow against the backdrop of the drawn shades. How her dress shimmered and hugged her curves. "I could say the same for you."

"Come here."

I crossed the room in five steps, stopping only when our breasts touched each other. She slid a hand over my bare shoulder to my back, smiling when I shivered. A flick of her fingers undid the clasp holding the pieces of material around my neck, and the top half of the dress went slack. She stepped back, letting gravity take its course, revealing my full breasts with puckered peaks to her.

"So very lovely."

I groaned as her hands cupped my breasts underneath and slowly slid back and forth, her thumbs stroking my nipples until they ached. "Please, Jenna."

"Oh, no, sweetie. You are going to have to be very, very patient. I have waited a long time for this night. I plan to make you squirm for hours. There will be no quick release...Well, maybe at first, and then quite possibly several more times over the course of the night."

My legs trembled as I reached up and released her from her dress as well. I mimicked her, caressing her breasts. If she was going to torture me, I could torture her. Before she could stop me, I leaned in and sucked one of her perky nipples into my mouth, gently closing my teeth around it.

"Fuck, Kat!" Jenna locked her arms around my back, moaning her assent as she arched into me.

I flicked her nipple with my tongue, laving it until I felt her shuddering beneath my touch. Knowing she wouldn't push me away now, I embraced her as well, stroking my fingers up and down the back of her shoulders, along her spine and lower back. I slid my hands further down, pushing the dress over her hips until it slunk to the floor.

I gasped as I felt her do the same to me. She took advantage of my mouth releasing her nipple to step back. For a long moment, we stared at each other, naked sans our skimpy panties and our high heels.

"On your back. Now." Jenna pointed behind me to the bed in case I hadn't understood.

I closed my eyes and backed up until I ran into the mattress, visions of possible scenarios running through my mind. It had been a long five weeks, waiting for my piercing to heal. A long time of her not touching my clit but bringing me to orgasm in a multitude of other ways. I craved to be touched there again...by her fingers, her mouth, her tongue.

I toed off my heels and lay back on the sheets. They smelled like lavender. I smiled, knowing she had washed the linens in preparation for tonight. And set up the candles. She must have come home after work before meeting me. I would have at least noticed the candles.

"No," Jenna said, pushing my reaching hands above my head as she crawled onto the bed beside me. "As much as I like you touching my body, tonight is about you. I want to show you how much I love you. How happy you've made me this past six months since you finally came back into my life."

"Well, unless you've got some scarves or a set of handcuffs—"

I gasped as I felt the cold metal circle my right wrist and then heard the ratcheting clinks as it closed.

"Too tight?" Jenna smiled down at me as she secured my left wrist.

"Nope," I gulped.

At least she had left my arms closer together this time, just using one set of cuffs around one of the spindles of the headboard. The last time I'd been secured to the bed, she'd had me spread-eagle and used the strap-on dildo she'd bought in Paris until I was twisting from uncontrollable spasms.

"Now, I'm going to give us both a bit of relief, and then...well, we'll see what the night has in store."

"What ever do you mean, honey?" I adjusted my arms on the pillow and arched my hips up to her.

She moved to stand at the end of the bed and quickly pulled her panties off. Then she propped one foot up on the bed, opening herself up so I could see. She proceeded to stroke herself as she watched me.

I parted my own legs and went to move my own hand between my legs when I remembered I couldn't. Still, I strained against the cuffs, feeling the metal bite my skin.

"Yes, baby, let me see that pussy. Let me see that lovely ring."

I arched my hips, wishing I could feel her fingers on my clit. On my pussy. Stroking inside of me. Instead, I had to watch her do it to herself. Her other hand played with her breast, stroking her soft skin and twisting the already-swollen nipple that I'd been sucking between her finger and thumb.

It didn't take her long before her body began shaking and her moans grew louder. Then she flung her head back and screamed my name.

A wave of shudders raced through my body, as well. I wanted to close my eyes, but I kept them focused on her. How she lay bent over the edge of the mattress now, panting and spent. I was instantly jealous. I needed more than just to watch her, though. I needed to be touched to get more release.

"Tease," I growled.

"You better believe it." Jenna recovered quickly, returning to my side. She leaned down and ran the length of her tongue over both of my nipples before hooking her fingers under the sides of my panties and yanking them down.

I crossed my legs and tightened my muscles. She was going to have to work for this now.

"Bitch." She inserted a hand between my knees but was unable to part them. "Well, I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to this, but..."

"Jenna?" I could feel my heart rate pick up. Was she joking or serious? For a moment, I was worried I'd gone too far. Especially when she left the room. I jerked on my restraints. "Jenna? Come back. I'm sorry. Please."

"Oh, you will be sorry," she said as she returned carrying a long, narrow shipping box. The top was open, and part of a plastic bag was visible. She had the widest grin on her face.

"Oh, shit. What did you buy?"

"Now, now, sweetie. Don't get your panties in a bunch. Oh, wait, you're not wearing any panties." Her laughter filled the air.

I moaned and licked my lips, my body's instincts taking over. The new instincts that made me all hot and bothered whenever Jenna laughed and she had me naked and vulnerable. Just imagining what could be in that box made me even wetter.

"If you won't part your thighs for me, I'll make sure they stay apart."

I almost came just watching her spill the contents of the box onto the sheet.

With a little difficulty caused intentionally by me, she managed to secure two leather, padded straps that looked like short belts around my thighs just above my knees. There was a metal buckle on top with several pea-sized, metal grommets and a thick, metal ring the size of a quarter on each cuff.

When she moved above me, I turned my head up to see her first secure a new, padded cuff to my left wrist. Then she used a chain to connect it to the headboard. It was just like the ones on my thighs except smaller. She removed the regular handcuffs and repeated the process on my right wrist. This time, my arms were about shoulder-width apart.

I squeezed my legs tighter together, mostly to quell the desire to come.

Jenna pranced around in her heels, her breasts bobbing and swinging as she moved. "You do realize that the more you fight this, the longer I'm going to torture you?"

I bit my lower lip and nodded. Oh, I couldn't wait.

"You remember the safe word, right?"

Oh, God. I nodded again, a little slower this time.

"Say it."

"Yes, I remember the safe word."

Jenna rolled her eyes. "The word, Kat. What is it?"

I swallowed the growing lump in my throat. "Mercy."

"Good girl."

Unable to resist the breast that dangled over my face, I stretched my neck up and then my tongue out so that I could taste her.

She grasped my left leg behind the knee and pulled up, bending my leg as she went.

I gasped, realizing she'd intentionally distracted me, and I had relaxed to the point that she could separate my legs. It was too late to resist now. Besides, I was extremely curious about what she was going to do.

I noticed that she'd attached another chain to the padded cuff on my thigh. She continued to pull on my knee so that my ass rose up and my body rolled back toward the headboard. My right leg automatically rose as well. I had to bend my leg and put my foot flat on the mattress to stay somewhat comfortable.

I heard the chain rattling, looked up to see her attaching it to the cuff on my left wrist, and then she let go of my leg. But it didn't move more than an inch or two. Fascinated, I watched her walk around the bed and do the same to my right leg. When she was done, she wedged a pillow under my lower back and then moved back to the end of the bed.

"Comfortable?" She was smiling at me, the candlelight creating an eerie, shadowy effect behind her.

I swallowed again, feeling my pussy dampen even more as I imagined what she was seeing. "Quite."

"Good, then we shall begin."

I had never felt more vulnerable in my life with my arms restrained above me and chained to my legs which were spread and raised so that my body had been folded back into itself, my knees practically on either side of my head. I could barely move.

My pussy was bared and completely visible to me. Another ten inches and I would have been able to lick my own clit. Damn, that thought made my muscles quake with anticipation.

Jenna disappeared into the adjoining bathroom. I heard water running for several long minutes before she returned with a basin in one hand and a razor in the other. A can of our shaving cream was tucked under one arm, a towel flung back over one shoulder.

"Now don't fidget because I don't want to cut you, sweetie. The most you could do is rock back and forth or side to side. Don't."

I closed my eyes. I took several deep breaths. But I couldn't prevent myself from flinching as the cool cream covered my skin down there. I let out a whimper when she placed a hand against my pussy and began shaving away the hair that had grown back during the weeks my piercing had healed. She'd kept me trimmed, but we'd been unable to make me completely smooth. Until now.

I have no idea how I lasted the next several minutes as she smoothed a hand or finger over my sensitive skin after each pass with the razor. But soon I was as bald as a baby's bottom once more. She ran a wet rag over every centimeter of skin and then dried me off before leaving me once more.

I was grateful that she had put the pillow beneath my back as I was sure I'd be sore without it. And that had only been after about twenty minutes in this position. She had yet to start playing with my pussy.

Jenna returned, removed her shoes, and crawled between my legs. She slowly parted my outer lips with her fingertips. Her eyes locked on mine, and then she lowered her head, her tongue out.

I screamed as she touched the piercing and my clit, the long-awaited orgasm hitting me so hard that my whole body shook.

"That's it baby. Come undone for me."

I barely heard her words over my panting and moaning. But I felt her tongue flicking the little metal ring and ball that had been inserted through the hood of my clitoris. Felt the metal rubbing against my clit.

She brought me to the edge again as her tongue laved up and down my freshly shaved pussy. A gentle tug on the ring with her teeth sent me writhing once more. I clenched my hands at the air, hot tears wetting my cheeks and dripping down into my ears.

She did that several more times, waiting until I had calmed down before beginning again. Each time, I screamed and jerked beneath her.

"Please, Jenna. Please."

"What, sweetie? If you want me to stop, you know what to say."

"No. Not stop. Please..."

"Tell me what you want, Kitty Kat."

I moaned and rolled my head back and forth.

"Tell me, or I won't do it."

"Touch me. Your fingers," I said between my heavy panting.

"Like this?" Her fingers stroked all around the outer skin of my pussy.

"No. My pussy. Please."

"How about this?" She shifted her hand so that she was stroking between my swollen lips now.

"Ahh!" I shuddered from relief. I had to lick my lips before I could speak again. "More. Please. I need your fingers inside me."

"Good girl." She rewarded me by teasing my tight entrance and then sliding two fingers up inside me.

"Fuck! Yes!" I tried to arch up toward her hand, but I couldn't move my body in this position.

Her fingers stretched and stroked, her thumb brushing against my clit and the piercing. I came hard again, whimpering and close to exhaustion. Suddenly, she pulled her hand away.

I struggled to open my eyes. When I finally could, I choked back a scream and started crying.

"Shh, Kat." Jenna loomed over me now, standing upright.

I tried to keep my eyes on her face or her breasts, but they kept dropping down to where she'd attached the harness for the strap-on dildo. There were multiple attachments with the version she had purchased in Paris. The current one she had chosen had a vibrator mode.

She squatted down and rubbed the flexible tip against my clit. That motion alone had me close to the edge for what seemed like the millionth time tonight. Then I heard a soft click before the vibrator sent pulsations rocketing through my body and moans flying from my throat. I screamed through the orgasm, clenching my eyes closed.

I didn't even have a chance to recover this time. I was still a blubbering mess of incoherent words and sounds when Jenna moved the vibrator down and penetrated me. I came again, wondering if I had a breaking point and she was trying to force me to it. The one word I didn't want to utter was on my lips, so I bit my lower lip to silence it.

I lost track of time and thought at that point. I was just a pile of nerves on high frequency as Jenna thrusted that vibrating dildo in and out of my tight sheath. I was so wet I could hear the squishing sounds, as if someone were walking barefoot through mud.

"God, baby, you should see how hot you look like this," Jenna panted, her arms wrapped around my legs now for support, her hands gripping my knees.

"Jenna," I mumbled.

"Just a little longer, sweetie."

"I can't." I was going to explode but didn't know if I could survive it. "Please."

"Come for me one last time, Kat. You can do it."

I shook my head slowly, silently begging. I wasn't sure if it was for her to stop or for me to reach orgasm, but something had to break.

Just when I opened my mouth to say the safe word, Jenna rubbed my piercing into my clit and I let out a silent scream, my body jerking as she tightened her hold on my legs and held me to her.

Amazingly, I did not pass out. But I felt like my body had turned to mush as she withdrew from my spasming pussy, some of my cream coming out with the vibrator and dripping down my ass and lower back. I watched her absently as she moved over me and brushed my damp hair from my eyes and kissed me until I groaned.

"Such a good girl," Jenna whispered over and over again.

She released my wrist cuffs from the bed and then rolled me so that I was on my side. Every so gently, she lifted my wrists, unbuckled the cuffs, and laid my hands back on the bed. Then she moved down to my thighs.

I could feel her breast poking into my back, and I groaned.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Jenna asked, her breath against my ear.

I smiled and tried to laugh but it came out weak and sounded more like a pathetic snort. "I have no bones. I can't feel a thing. Thanks."

Jenna's laugh filled my head. "I'm sure you can feel this."

I groaned. "No, please, I don't think I can—"

"Relax. I'm just going to give you a massage."




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 05



"Oh, thank God. Because I swear if you touch my pussy or my clit anytime soon, I will kill you. As soon as I can move again, that is." The last part was muffled because Jenna rolled me onto my stomach and I couldn't stop my face from being smushed into the pillow. Apparently she realized this because she gently turned my head so I could breathe. "Thank you."

She kissed my cheek. "Anything for you, Kat. Anything at all." 

I heard a snapping sound. A moment later, warm liquid covered my back. I moaned and closed my eyes. Before I forgot, I mumbled, "Happy six-month anniversary, Jenna."

"And a very happy anniversary to you, too, Kitty Kat. I hope you enjoyed the evening as much as I did."

"I did, honey. I did."

"I love you so much, Kat." She started with my shoulders, her thumbs and the heels of her hands kneading into my muscles.

"I love you, too, Jenna."

I didn't hear if she responded as I finally succumbed to sleep. And a blessed, dream-filled sleep it was.

~ H



I Kissed a Girl Ch. 06



"Absolutely not."

"Oh, come on, Kat. You'd like it. I just know it."

"Jenna, there a lot of things I've done that I never thought I would." I ticked off the items on one hand. "Kissed a girl. Had sex with said girl. Went to Tuscany and Paris. Got a tattoo. Had my fucking clit pierced—"

"Clitoral hood," Jenna said, licking her lips, her eyes shiny.

I glared at her. "But I have to draw the line somewhere."

"I can understand that. But this is so...I don't know. You've done worse."

"No."

"Just think about it."

I pursed my lips and refused to play her game.

"Since we're on the subject..."

I sighed loud and deep, paired with an eye roll.

"I meant Christmas, sweetie."

My shoulders relaxed. "What about it?"

"Come here." Jenna tugged on my hand until I crawled onto her lap. She untied my robe and slid a hand through the gap until she could stroke my breast under the terrycloth. "Do you want to go somewhere or stay here?"

"Like? Somewhere else in Europe? Maybe Australia? I'd even settle for Hawaii." The last word came out high-pitched as her hand had travelled downward, and her finger flicked the tiny, silver ring and ball resting over my clit.

"No, somewhere in the states."

"Hawaii is in the states." I moaned softly and laid my head on her shoulder. I really should have dried my hair after my shower. It would be hell to comb out now. But once I'd gotten my robe on and Jenna said she wanted to talk about something, I'd taken a seat beside her on the couch and hadn't wanted to get back up again. I really didn't want to do that now.

"Skiing maybe?"

"We could try that in January. I don't want to take the chance of having my leg in a cast for Christmas. Why don't we just stay here this year? I'm sure we could find something to do to pass the time."

"Here? Right here?" She slid her finger down and then up inside of me. "Like this?"

"Uh, yeah," I gasped. "Right there."

"So hot, baby," she murmured against my hair. "Open your legs wider."

I did as she asked, moaning as she twisted her hand a little so her thumb flicked my piercing again as she stroked.

"We'll go to Maggie's for Christmas Eve and sleep in on Christmas Day."

I just nodded and let the waves build. We'd discuss going to Maggie's Lounge later. Right now, I just wanted to come.

###

We spent Saturday doing some last minute shopping and had lunch in the Walnut Room at the heart of Macy's. I really missed the window displays they'd had when the grand old store was owned by Marshall Field's. While Macy's still decorated the store and the windows, it just wasn't the same.

After lunch, we took a cab back to our apartment and deposited our purchases. Jenna had scored two tickets to the Rockette's Radio City Christmas Show from her job, so we rushed around to get ready before our taxi picked us up.

As the orchestra played the opening number, I just couldn't believe that Christmas was only a week away. I had expected to be spending it with my new husband. But I wouldn't have changed the past six months for anything. I was finally where—and with whom—I was supposed to be.

The first act was filled with a mixture of classic Christmas songs and synchronized dance routines. Jenna held my hand on the armrest between us when we weren't clapping. It was nice. Comforting. Natural.

During the intermission, we both got a cocktail and wandered around the auditorium's lobby, pointing out different holiday decorations or the building's unique architecture. I had been to a couple of productions with Danny before, but never had I enjoyed the experience as I did now with Jenna.

The second act passed by in a blur. I only paid half-attention to the women on stage doing their kicklines. I thought about my girlfriend instead.

Jenna wanted to be here. She understood my love for the theatre. She understood me. She didn't try to make me into something I wasn't, or hide what was going on in her life. She let me be myself...and was patient for me to open up to her.

I knew she wouldn't have pressed me into exploring the lesbian lifestyle if I truly hadn't wanted to. Yes, she still would have kissed me that night shortly after I'd returned from the emergency room, my hand in a cast after punching Danny in the nose. But she wouldn't have gone any further if I'd told her to stop.

Now? She consumed my every thought. I grew anxious when she was away on a business trip, even if only for a couple of days. I wasn't afraid anymore that she'd hook up with Lauren or some other chick while on the road. But I missed her like no tomorrow. Not that I needed to be with her twenty-four/seven, but I hated the times we were apart and we wanted to be with each other.

We had our share of fights, like any couple. But they were trivial. And we always made up. Boy, was make-up sex fun.

"Are you ready to go get some food?" Jenna squeezed my hand.

I blinked and looked around. I'd daydreamed right through the finale. Everyone was standing up, pulling on coats, shuffling down their rows to the aisles. My stomach rumbled, and I laughed. "Yes, let's go eat. I'm starving."

Jenna did all the talking over dinner at a Chinese restaurant. I just smiled and nodded. If someone asked me, I wouldn't have been able to say what she'd said...or what I'd eaten. I had no idea what was wrong with me.

"Are you okay?" Jenna ran her fingers over my knee as we rode back home in a cab.

"Yeah. It's just been a long week. I'm a little overwhelmed with the holidays, I guess."

"Cheer up. It's Christmastime." She gave me a peck on the cheek and then looked out her window until we stopped in front of our brownstone.

I lay in bed that night, thinking about the question Jenna had proposed to me earlier in the week. Could I possibly do it? She was right on the one hand. I had done a lot of things most people wouldn't have fathomed. But could I really take the step she wanted me to? I just wasn't sure.

###

Work was crazy the next week with the holiday quickly approaching. Before I knew it, it was Christmas Eve. I woke to gently falling snow outside the window and wanted to curl up under the covers for a couple of more hours.

"Merry Christmas!" Jenna sang, skipping around the bedroom in her panties and bra.

"It's only Christmas Eve," I said, shivering under the comforter.

"Oh, bah, you old Scrooge." Jenna sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on a pair of nylons. "Or maybe you're a Grinch."

"What I am is freezing. Put some clothes on, please."

"I have a meeting just before lunch, so I'll see you after work. You're done at noon, right?" She pulled on a gray pencil skirt and disappeared into the bathroom.

I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "Yes. I should be home by one at the latest. Hopefully sooner, but you know how traffic can be in the city today."

"You should probably eat something without me. We'll head down to Maggie's around five for dinner."

"Do we have to go?" I held my breath, watching the empty doorway. Five, four, three, two—

"Kat Jenkins!" Jenna marched back into the bedroom, wielding a hairbrush. "We've been planning to go to this party for almost a month now."

"No, Jenna. You have been planning it. I know. You have gone every year for who knows how long. I just thought maybe you and I—"

"No, Kat. We're going. End of story."

For just a moment, my lower lip trembled. I didn't want to fight. Not today. But I also wanted to make tonight memorable. It was our first Christmas together. I didn't want to spend it with a bunch of lesbians, although I had become quite friendly with several of them on our regular Friday night visits to the lounge after work.

"You better get up. You're going to be late for work." Jenna walked into the closet, taking out her frustration on her clothes from the sounds of hangers being yanked back and forth.

I took my chance and streaked into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I could wait it out until she left. When I turned away from the door, I froze.

Standing in front of the mirror, I saw my disheveled hair, my flushed cheeks, my swollen bottom lip from where I had worried it with my teeth. Right now, it was a result of having just woken up and rushing to my hiding place. But it was a similar look after Jenna and I made love or were just fooling around.

I lowered my eyes. My naked breasts were just visible above the frame of the mirror on our medicine cabinet. At that moment, something came over me. I thought about Jenna's words the other day. How she said I'd like it if I agreed to her suggestion.

Closing my eyes, I cupped my breast with one hand and stroked my thumb over my nipple. I slid my other hand between my thighs, rubbing against my clit. I imagined it was Jenna's hands, not mine. I carried the daydream further in my head, but I was rudely interrupted by a pounding on the door.

"Just meet me at Maggie's at five, Kat. Don't ruin Christmas. Please."

I sank down to the toilet seat and cried. I hated fighting with her. Especially over something like this. It wasn't like she was suddenly having to work instead of being with me. We'd still be together.

She didn't expect me to change overnight, so I couldn't expect her to, either. This year, we'd go to Maggie's Lounge for Christmas Eve. Next year, maybe we'd go away, start a new tradition together.

Suddenly I smiled. Maybe I couldn't do what she had asked me to do, but I could arrange one more Christmas gift for her.

###

The friendly chatter competed with the clink of silverware against flatware. All of the women seated around us were dolled-up—some in dresses, others in pantsuits, all of them in shades of red, green, black, and silver. Brad hustled back and forth behind the bar in a Santa suit sans belly and beard. A couple of extra guys roamed the floor delivering drinks and food.

"Aren't you glad we came?" Jenna patted my knee under the black tablecloth of our round table for two near the stage where the occasional entertainment performed. A white candle on a square mirror in the middle of the table flickered, the green holly and berries surrounding it shimmering from the glitter that had been sprinkled over it.

"Yes, I can see why you like it here. Everyone's so...festive. And it's very cozy." I took a sip of my wine, hoping my smile hid any evidence of my nervousness.

I had caught Brad's eye earlier when we came in for the cocktail hour. He'd nodded, a sign that he'd received my voicemail. I just had to wait another hour while we ate dinner. Ugh. That was an eternity of keeping my mind off my surprise. 

"You look fantastic tonight, Kitty Kat," Jenna said, her voice a soft purr. Her fingers cinched up the already-short hem of my red-satin cocktail dress until she touched my bare skin above my knee.

Heat filled my cheeks. I still wasn't quite used to her public displays of affection even though we were being more open about our relationship. We had both agreed to be careful as I didn't want to jeopardize my job, but I didn't have to worry about who might see me here at Maggie's. Still...

"Are you feeling better since this morning?

I nodded, afraid to speak lest I say something I would regret. Better to just let the past be if Jenna was going to let it smooth over so well.

She talked about work while we nibbled on buttered rolls and waited for our entrees to be delivered. I couldn't tell if they had cooked the food here at the lounge or if it had been catered. But if the rest of our meals were anything like the Caesar salads we were eating, we were all in for a treat.

"I am so looking forward to giving you your present." Jenna's smile suddenly went flat. "Well, fuck. Don't turn around. Just keep eating."

I froze with my fork halfway to my mouth. "What?"

She cleared her throat. "Lauren just walked in. With a date. And..."

Slowly, I lowered my hand, my fork rattling as it clashed against the plate. I opened my mouth. Jenna raised her hand to stop me, but I ignored her. "And what?"

"I am not jealous. I just wanted you to know."

"Because?"

"Hello, girls." Lauren sidled up to our table.

"Lauren." Jenna held her wine glass to her lips. Her other hand shook slightly on the tabletop.

"Don't you just love the holidays?" Lauren twisted her hips, letting her above-the-knee-length skirt swish around her legs. Her green dress was strapless and showed an ample amount of cleavage. It was borderline risqué. Knowing her, she meant it to be that way.

I was cold just looking at her and wondered if someone had a sweater to throw over her shoulders. I gulped the glass of water I hadn't touched thus far, glad to have something to occupy my hand and mouth. I prayed that Jenna would keep her cool, but I could see the way she clenched her jaw and her eyes narrowed. She was pissed. Lauren had a right to be here as much as anyone. But surely her presence couldn't be the only reason for the tension. Something else was wrong.

"Merry Christmas, Lauren." Jenna's voice was strained.

"Jenna, this is Celene." Lauren put her hand over her mouth and did a very poor attempt at feigning surprise. "Oh, my bad, you already know each other."

Jenna nodded. "Hello, Celene."

"Merry Christmas, Jenna." The woman beside Lauren wore a black tuxedo-style pantsuit; her dark hair was short and slicked back. In an odd way, she looked like the female-version of James Bond. Her cheeks had turned a lovely shade of red. "It's been awhile. How have you been?"

And just like that, the light bulb came on in my head. I glanced between the three women. Noticed the smug look on Lauren's face. The way the corners of Celene's mouth turned up in a soft smile as she looked down at Jenna. How none of them gave me a second glance.

Maybe it was the desire to stand up for myself for once. Or maybe it was the fact that this bitch who had tried to steal Jenna away from me had brought one of Jenna's exes to the Christmas Eve party probably just to rub it in her face. Whatever it was, I let a sly smile spread over my face, reached my hand out to Celene, and sweetly said, "Hello. I'm Kat, Jenna's fiancée. Merry Christmas."

Celene slowly turned her attention to me, extended her hand, and took mine in a weak shake. "Uh, Merry Christmas, to you, too. Um, congratulations."

"She's lying," Lauren snapped, tugging Celene's hand away from mine. "They're not engaged. Look, neither of them are wearing a ring. They're not even dating. Kat's just pretending to be a lesbian. She's a wanna-be, and a poor attempt at it."

"Lauren, you of all people should know how fast someone can fall in love with another person." I grinned, batting my eyes at her, noticing how her jaw clenched. "Besides, who says you need a ring to show your engagement? We're all women of the new millennium. Tradition is outdated."

"Bitch," Lauren hissed at me.

Celene gasped, pulling her hand out of Lauren's grasp now.

"It was nice to meet you, Celene. Please excuse us, but we were enjoying our meal and in the middle of a conversation. I hope you both have a good evening." I turned back to Jenna and took her free hand on the table. "Where were we, honey?"

Jenna gaped at me. Lauren scowled. Celene...well, her face went pale and she fumbled with the buttons on her jacket as she opened and closed her mouth several times without saying a word.

Lauren wrapped her arms around one of her date's and pressed up against her. "Celene, love, let's go find our table."

"No." Celene lifted her chin, pulled her arm free, and stared straight at Lauren. "I don't know what your agenda was tonight, but apparently it was more than just a friendly Christmas dinner together. Honestly, I feel used. Jenna and I had an amicable split years ago, and we've both moved on. You and I? It's nothing but friends. At least it was until you made a scene. You seem positively obsessed with her. She's clearly not interested in you. And you know what? Neither am I. Goodbye, Lauren."

Celene started toward the exit, but two ladies intercepted her on the way and coaxed her to join their table of three.

Lauren glanced around as everyone looked up at her. She opened her mouth a couple of times but nothing came out. Suddenly, with a stomp of her black stiletto, she stalked toward the same exit, pausing only long enough to get her fur coat from the makeshift coat check station. No one stopped her, and she made a big deal of flinging the door open and disappearing up the stairs.

I took a sip of wine and smiled at Jenna. "I wonder what we're having for dinner?"

"You, my love, are completely forgiven for this morning and about a month of Sundays, if not longer." Jenna squeezed my hand, her eyes shiny. "Fiancée?" 

"It worked." I shrugged and winked at her. "Just say we're even and we can have make-up sex tonight."

"Oh, by all means."

###

"Ladies and, well...ladies. It is my pleasure to introduce the first act of our entertainment for the evening. Please welcome to the stage, Mavis Barclay," Brad said from the stage. He led the applause and then stepped to the side as a buxom black lady in a floor-length green, sequined gown came out of the wings and approached the microphone.

Mavis had a lovely, deep soprano voice. She reminded me of Ella Fitzgerald and Lena Horne. I couldn't help moving to the popular, upbeat Christmas songs, all sung with her own little flair. The audience even clapped along to some of them.

Brad stopped by our table with fresh drinks and apologized for Lauren's behavior after about three numbers into the act. He slipped me a folded piece of paper when Jenna wasn't looking, and then gave me a pat on the shoulder before he left.

I opened the paper down in my lap and tried not to react.

'Excuse yourself to the restroom when Mavis sings 'O Holy Night.' Your costume is backstage.'

I gulped and crumpled the paper in my fist, my other hand shaking as I reached for my glass of SoCo and Coke. I was really going through with this.

I don't know how I lasted the next five songs. When the familiar chords of 'O Holy Night' came through the sound system, I almost jumped out of my chair. I took several deep breaths and then leaned toward Jenna, whispering that I had to use the restroom.

Why did it always seem like the world stopped moving when I walked across the floor of Maggie's Lounge? Tonight was no exception. The only difference this time was that everyone's eyes were on Mavis, not me. At least for the moment.

Brad met me in the back hallway and ushered me through a door with a metal sign that said 'Employees Only.' He didn't speak until we were in a small room that looked like it was used for storage but had been re-arranged to accommodate a small table with a mirror framed in bare bulbs. A narrow clothes rack with three outfits hanging from the single rod hugged the wall next to the table. But all around it were stacked boxes with labels written in bold, black marker.

"Are you okay with doing this?" Brad shut the door and pulled one of the hangers off the rack.

"Yeah, I've psyched myself up." I blew out my breath and stared at the outfit that now dangled from his fingertips. "Jenna wanted us to perform in the last act."

Brad's eyebrows went up and he whistled long and low. "Now that would have been something to see."

I glared at him and then giggled nervously. "I told her no way. I was surprised you'd even allow that here."

"You'd be amazed at what you can get away with at a private club. Especially when it's invitation only to a party like this." He held my elbow while I stepped out of my heels and then helped me unzip my dress.

"I'm just glad you were able to fit me in. I thought it would be fun, and it's a good way for me to break out of my shell."

"Trust me, Kat. The ladies are going to eat you up regardless. You're lucky we had the pole installed just a few weeks ago. It's secured to the stage floor behind a curtain, so no worries about being too rough. I didn't realize you knew how to use one."




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 06



I shrugged and giggled again. "Jenna and I have been going to some pole dancing aerobic classes. They're a great workout. Just never thought I'd be doing it in front of a group of lesbians."

"I'll let you get changed. You've only got a few numbers to go. Come out when you're done. I'll be waiting in the hall. And I did have the version of your song you requested. The one from Ally McBeal? You were right. It's a sexy one, and shorter than most."

"Perfect." I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and turned back to survey the costume I'd purchased. I would have to get Brad a belated Christmas gift for picking it up and saving me the trouble of explaining the bag I would have had to bring with me when I met Jenna.

I made quick work of disrobing down to my panties and pulling on the various parts to my costume. I had already prepared my hair in long, soft curls at home. I added a red-and-white fur headband, coated my hair with a fresh layer of hairspray, and then tested the hold by bending over and rolling my head in a circle a couple of times. When I stood up, my hair bounced around my shoulders just like I wanted it to, and the headband had stayed in place.

I made sure the break-away pieces of the costume would actually come apart when I pulled on them. Then I took a deep breath. "It's now or never."

Brad led the way to the backstage when I pulled the door open.

I could hear Mavis singing 'Silent Night' now. The somber tones of her voice and the music helped calm me down a little.

"The lights will go out after Mavis is done," Brad said, peeking out from left-stage before turning back to me. "I'll introduce the next act and just say it's a special guest. There will be a spotlight like you asked. Gary is really good at his job. He's going to try to keep it wide and centered on your body, so as long as you stay on the pole, you'll be fine. You probably won't be able to see much out in the crowd, which should help your nerves. Just forget about them. Think of dancing for Jenna. Like you're doing a private show for her. You'll do great, Kat."

"Thanks, Brad." I smiled as he hugged me and tried not to think of all those women who would be staring at me. Or about the act that came on after mine. The one I was too chickenshit to try even though Jenna had really wanted us to do that one. Maybe next year. One step at a time.

"A big round of applause for Mavis Barclay, everyone!" I heard Brad say, and loud clapping snapped me away from my thoughts.

"Merry Christmas, Jenna. I love you!" I whispered and took my place behind the curtain where Brad had shown me.

###

I stood with my back to the audience, my right hand gripping the pole above my head, my feet shoulder-width apart. I could hear whispering; chairs scuffing on the laminate floor; someone coughing. And then the curtain rustled as it opened and the song started.

For the first eighteen seconds while the music played and someone on the track sang "bum, ba bum, ba bum, ba bum bum bum bum bum," I just swayed my hips back and forth to the beat. The light started out at my feet and slowly crept up my back, heating my body as it rose.

On the wall ahead of me, my shadow copied my dance. I tuned out the catcalls and whistles as Brad had suggested. But it was impossible not to hear Jenna's loud gasp of "Oh, my God, Kat!" when I turned toward the audience for the first time.

I talked my way through the steps in my head as Calista Flockhart started singing.

"Santa baby/Just slip a sable under the tree" (slowly walk around pole, leaning out on right arm) "For me" (pull off fur collar and toss backstage) "I've been an awful good girl/Santa baby" (look back over shoulder innocently into audience with finger on lower lip) "So hurry down the chimney tonight" (back to pole, hand above head, slide butt all the way down—open legs—and back up again—close legs)

"Santa baby, A '54 convertible too/Light blue" (circle pole again, pull open red fur jacket to reveal blue, sequined bra to audience) "I'll wait up for you, dear/Santa baby" (jump up pole, grip with both hands, wrap knees and ankles around pole and lean out) "So hurry down the chimney tonight" (corkscrew down the pole)

"Think of all the fun I've missed" (jump up and wrap right leg around pole, crossing over left to sit) "Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed" (kick right leg out and swing around with left leg bent) "Next year I could be as good" (do handstand against pole) "If you'll check off my Christmas list" (open to splits before lowering to stand upright)

"Santa honey/One little thing I really do need" (grip pole with both hands and swing legs straight out) "The deed/To a platinum mine/Santa honey" (spin down pole) "So hurry down the chimney tonight" (back to pole, hand above head, slide butt all the way down—opening legs—and back up again—closing legs)

"Santa Baby/Forgot to mention one little thing/A ring" (stand facing pole, back to audience and grinding pelvis against pole) "I don't mean on the phone/Santa baby" (grip pole and lean backwards towards audience shaking head) "So hurry down the chimney tonight" (wrap thighs and ankles around pole in fireman spin) "Uh...Ah...Yeah" (slide all the way down and sit on stage as song ends)

For a single breath, all was silent as the song ended and the spotlight went dark. Then the room erupted in applause and whistles. My legs felt shaky as I got to my feet and gathered my costume in the dark. I was giggling as I rushed into the makeshift dressing room.

I had just pulled off the sequined bra and boyshorts when there was a knock at the door.

"I'll be just a minute," I yelled, reaching for my nylons.

Before I could stop it, the door opened. A red-faced Jenna stood in the doorway and I froze, clad only in a red thong. I covered my chest with my arms, my nipples hardening instantly. For a split second, I hoped she was mad so she would punish me. And then a choked whimper escaped as I prayed that she wasn't pissed.

She slowly closed the door, the soft click extremely loud in the otherwise silent room. Then she turned back to me, licking her lips. "That has got to be the sexiest damn thing you've ever done. Second only to that piercing between your thighs."

I let out a ragged breath, my knees weak. "I wanted to surprise you. I couldn't do—"

"Shut up, Kat." Jenna pushed me against the only empty wall. Her hand found my bare breast, and I moaned into her kiss.

I gripped her other arm as she pushed it between us, her hand sliding down into the scrap that was my panties. And then her fingers were flicking my piercing, rubbing my clit, pushing for entry between my wet folds. Somehow, she was able to keep me standing against that wall as she fucked me with her fingers, her tongue mimicking her actions in my mouth.

I came loud and hard, her mouth muffling my cries.

When I was done, she quietly helped me get dressed and then led me back to our table. A slice of cheesecake was sitting at each of our spots along with a flute of champagne. Everyone around us murmured how much they liked my act and wondered where I learned all the moves. Thankfully Jenna could answer them because I had somehow lost my voice.

Brad came onto stage about fifteen minutes later and asked everyone to have a seat for the final act of the night.

I settled back into my chair, glad that I was done but also anxious to see what this was all about. Jenna took my hand and placed it in her lap as the lights dimmed again.

The curtains parted to reveal a bed with a woman laid out spread-eagle, her wrists and ankles secured to the bed by what appeared to be the same type of cuffs and chains Jenna had recently purchased for our own use. The woman was covered with a thin sheet, but it was evident by the way the spotlight revealed dark patches on her breasts and pubic regions that she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

I glanced at Jenna to find her staring me.

"That's what you meant by exhibitionism? You wanted me to do that?" I could barely breathe.

"Yes, Kat. I wanted to show everyone how beautiful you are. How much you mean to me. How I can pleasure you. Now watch."

I turned back to the stage to see another woman appear from the shadows. She was wearing a red, leather, corseted leotard and red-and-white striped thigh-high stockings that looked like candycanes enveloping her long legs. They were topped with black straps that must have been attached to a garter belt underneath the leotard.

I couldn't prevent myself from imagining Jenna in that getup. Or me being restrained to that bed. Or everyone watching us. Especially since we were right in front of the stage.

For the next hour, I watched Candy Cane-girl seduce the naked woman, all while techno-versions of Christmas songs played in the background. Every now and then, Brad's friend Gary would give us a lightshow in reds and greens, usually when the woman on the bed had an orgasm.

I almost came myself sitting in that chair. It didn't help that Jenna had cinched the skirt of her dress up and had put my hand between her legs. At first, I was afraid to do anything. But as I watched Candy Cane-girl tease her partner, my hand took on a life of its own, slipping under the thin material of Jenna's panties and teasing her in the same way.

I was shocked when I glanced down and saw we were not playing under the tablecloth as I had assumed. It was impossible for anyone else to see us, but still, I felt odd. That was, until Jenna spread her legs and slid my hand further down.

She was so wet. And warm. And with her shaved pussy, she was very smooth. Slick even, after I rubbed her fluids into her skin like a lotion. Her soft coos were drowned out by the music, but my ears were attuned to her, and I knew she was thoroughly enjoying this voyeuristic adventure.

I used my first two fingers to spread her apart, delaying touching her until her hand pressed harder on mine. I appeased her by sliding my fingers between her folds and rubbing her swollen clit.

On the bed in front of us, Candy Cane-girl was leaning over the end of the bed on her stomach. Her feet were flat on the floor, her ass swaying slightly back and forth to the music, and her face buried between the legs of her partner. Their moans carried out across the room as the music changed.

I lowered my fingers and pressed up inside Jenna. I heard her gasp, and both of her hands gripped my wrist. I twisted my hand a little and managed to get my thumb up to run against her clit while I fingered her tight hole.

I wondered if she'd let me use the strap-on with her sometime. She'd bought it for me so I wouldn't feel denied after having been used to cock before I'd met her. But I really think she would enjoy it herself.

On stage, the naked lady was writhing and screaming through her orgasm. Next to me, Jenna was whimpering and biting her lip. I wouldn't have been surprised if she suddenly got up and made me leave so we could continue this at home.

But we made it through the rest of the show sitting in our own seats with our clothes in their proper places. As the lights came up and the applause died down, I saw Jenna sipping her champagne and eating the last bite of her cheesecake as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

"That was a very...interesting evening." I finished my own champagne and pushed back my chair. "I still can't believe you wanted me to do that with you. I'm not really an exhibitionist. Granted, I did a mediocre stripshow dance in front of all these ladies, but that's completely different."

"I'm sure you would have been fine if I'd gotten you up on stage. Especially with a blindfold." Jenna grinned and gave me a peck on the cheek. "But the night isn't over yet. Just wait till we get home."

###

I was shivering despite my heavy wool coat, scarf, mittens, and the heat of the cab. The winter wind whipped against my legs as we stepped out onto the curb outside our apartment. I raced after Jenna, practically jumping up and down to keep warm while she fumbled with the keys and finally let us into the building.

"I don't care what you have planned for the rest of the evening, but right now I can't feel my nose or my toes. You'll have to wait until feeling has returned to my extremities first."

Jenna tossed her keys and purse on the table just inside the door. "Go start a hot bath."

She didn't need to tell me twice. I pulled off the layers as I walked toward our bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes on the floor behind me. By the time I reached the bathroom, I was down to my thong. I was still cold, but the goosebumps that prickled my skin were now from anticipation.

While the hot water sprinkled with lavender-scented bubble bath filled up our soaking tub—one of the perks of Jenna's more modern place over my old, antiquated apartment that I'd been leasing out but had sold just two weeks ago—I pulled my hair up off of my neck.

"Climb on in, Kat," Jenna called from the other room. "I'll join you in a minute."

Like I was going to wait for her anyway? I snorted softly as I stacked two fluffy towels on the toilet seat and shimmied out of my thong.

Ever so slowly, I slipped my feet and then the rest of my body into the water, letting out a low groan. Although Jenna and I had been doing our pole-dancing aerobics for several weeks now, my body was still adjusting to using muscles that had pretty much been hibernating most of my life. And after tonight's routine, I was really feeling the burn.

The sweet scent of the bubbles filled my nostrils as my breasts bobbed on the water's surface. My nipples hardened, and I gasped at the sudden ache. I gently rubbed my fingers over them, trying to ease the pain while wondering at the same time if Jenna would use the nipple clamps tonight. Then I wondered what was taking her so long.

The door pushed open, and she stepped into the room that had filled with a light layer of steam. I watched her through half-lidded eyes as she stripped from her bra and panties with her back to me. Her back tattoo looked quite sexy against her naked body.

"You look good enough to eat," I mumbled from my lazy soaking position.

"All in good time, sweetie. Now scoot up."

I obeyed, giving her room to climb in behind me. Both of us sighed at the same time as we relaxed together. Her full breasts pressed into my shoulderblades, and I wiggled a little, loving how her skin rubbed against mine.

"That was one hot number you did tonight." Jenna pulled her knees up on the outside of my legs, pressing her pussy against my ass now. Her wet fingers trailed up my arms until she could graze over my breasts. "I liked the costume. Did you rent or buy it?"

"Mmm. Bought it." I rolled my head against her shoulder, snuggling my body against hers. I slid my own hands up to my breasts, lacing my fingers through hers as they caressed and squeezed. "Maybe I'll do another private dance for you later."

"Sounds lovely."

I don't remember much of the rest of our bath. I must have dozed off because Jenna gently shook me and told me to stand up because we were turning into prunes. Together, we dried off in what felt like slow-motion, and then combed out our hair.

"I really hate to be a party-pooper but I'm beat," I said between yawns. "Do you mind if we just crash?"

"It's perfectly fine, Kat. I can give you your present tomorrow morning when it's actually Christmas, anyway." Jenna pulled back the covers, turned out the lights, and then climbed under the comforter beside me. "Goodnight, sweetie."

I kissed her softly. "Goodnight, honey."

###

I yawned and stretched the next morning, noticing through the ice on the window that it was snowing outside. I shivered and rolled over to go back to sleep. But I saw Jenna lying on her side, smiling at me.

"Merry Christmas, Kitty Kat." She gave me a kiss on the lips and slid her fingers into my hair at the base of my neck. "You taste divine."

I rolled my eyes. "I haven't brushed my teeth."

"I don't care." She kissed me again, harder, and then rolled me onto my back, climbing on top of me until she straddled my waist, skin-to-skin under the covers. "I want to wake up to this every morning."

"I'm not going anywhere," I smiled up at her when she let me take a breath.

Jenna ground her hips against mine. I could feel her shaved pussy rubbing against my shaved pussy, and we both let out a low moan. She dipped her head down and ran the flat of her tongue over my left nipple before sucking it into her mouth.

"That feels so good." I gripped her hair and held her head against my breast.

"Are you ready for your present?" She switched to pinching and twisting my nipple between her fingers, her tongue now tracing the line of my lips.

"Do I have to get out of bed?"

"Nope. Stay here."

I giggled as I watched her streak out of the room, thinking that the only present I really needed was her.

She was gone for less than a minute and returned with a small, red bag tied with a silver ribbon. She climbed back into bed, snuggling close as she laid on her side. She held the bag out to me, but then she pulled it back against her chest.

"I meant what I said, Kat. I want to wake up with you beside me every morning. I want to go to bed in your arms every night."

I sat up and tucked the comforter around my hips, fully aware I was still completely naked from the waist up. I held out my hand and waited. "I told you, I'm not going anywhere."

"I believe you. I do, Kat."

"Now you're scaring me." I let my hand drop.

Jenna sat up as well. This time, she set the bag in my lap. "Go ahead, open it."

I raised an eyebrow at her, and then I untied the ribbon. When I reached into the bag, whatever was inside had a funny shape and texture. I pulled out my hand to reveal a clump of green leaves and white berries. "Okay. What is it?"

"It's mistletoe." She leaned forward and kissed me softly.

"It's sweet, but I'm still not following."

"Look up, Kat."

I leaned my head back and saw that she held the mistletoe over our heads. I blinked, tilted my head to the side, and then gasped, gripping the comforter. "Jenna!"

"Yes, Kat?"

I opened my mouth but nothing came out.

"I know you were only playing last night at Maggie's. But I'm serious. Maybe it's too soon."

"How—"

"We can do it, Kat. But only if you want to."

I was going to cry, that's what I was going to do.

"Tell me." Jenna lowered the mistletoe and cupped my cheek with her other hand. "What's going on in your head?"

Amazingly, I wasn't scared. I wasn't wanting to run away. For once in my life, I knew exactly what I wanted. I didn't know all the details, all the ins-and-outs of how it would work, but I wanted it anyway.

I took my present from her, untied the diamond ring from the leaves, slipped it on my left ring finger, and leaned across the distance to kiss my partner. "Yes, Jenna Swallow. I will marry you."

~ H 



I Kissed a Girl Ch. 07



**Thank you to all of my readers. I have enjoyed the journey with Kat and Jenna, and hope you have as well. It has been a pleasure expanding on what was supposed to have been a single, short story, dreaming up what their next adventure would be. But I owe that in part to you, the reader, as I've only written what you've requested. May their adventures continue on in your own imaginations. -- H **

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had a dream.

I was walking along a street in the middle of the day. But the light was too bright. I could only see a couple of feet ahead of me and the sidewalk directly beneath my feet.

There was nothing to my left. Just a white space. On my right were buildings in one long continuous line, but the walls were almost translucent. There were no signs on the storefronts. When I stopped to look in a display window, I could tell there were shelves inside with objects on them, but they were blurry, like I suddenly had acute astigmatism. I even tried a door, but the knob wouldn't turn.

There were no sounds. No cars. No people. Not even a bird. The only interruption in my path was the occasional street lamp or pot of flowers. In fact, the sidewalk was smooth. No cracks. No cross streets. Not even a seam between sections.

I wondered how long I had been walking. How much further I had to go. Where I would end up. Why I was walking to begin with.

Suddenly, there was a break in the buildings. An asphalt path led off the sidewalk to my right. Ahead of me, the buildings and sidewalk continued on. I paused only for a moment before I took the new path.

It led into an alley, but there weren't any dumpsters or trash or piles of rubble like one would expect. As before, I could only see about an arm's length away. This time, it was darker than pitch before me.

A lone lamp somewhere above was the only light now. It was low enough that I could see it, but too high to illuminate my immediate surroundings. Up by the light, brick walls covered in wet moss rose on either side into the sky until they disappeared into darkness again.

I could either keep going or turn back. I didn't know what lay in either direction. While I had been unable to see my entire path before due to the brightness, at least it had seemed better to see something than nothing. Hadn't it? Why was it so hard to make a decision? Shouldn't it be easy to pick the path that I was used to?

I woke up with a start, gripping my pillow and panting. I used the bathroom in a half daze then crawled back beneath the sheets and the warm duvet, trying not to wake Jenna. For the longest time, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to remember if there was more to the dream.

When I couldn't fall back asleep, I got up to make some coffee. It was still the middle of the night and the apartment was dark, but I knew where everything was. I used my hands to guide me around the kitchen island and to get a mug out of the cabinet to put in its spot on the Keurig. I picked a general K-cup, popped it into the slot, and waited for the machine to do its magic.

I took my hot drink into the living room area, grabbed a thick blanket, and curled up in the oversized chair, pulling my feet under me. As hard as I tried, nothing else about the dream registered. It was just an unending walk on an unending street with two options: to continue the way I was going, or to enter dark territory and hope for the best.

"Kat?" Jenna whispered behind me.

I turned my head towards the bedroom doorway. "I'm sorry, did I wake you? I tried to be quiet."

"No, sweetie. Just nature calling. But I got worried when I didn't see you in bed. Everything okay?"

"I had a dream. I couldn't go back to sleep." I lifted my mug to her. "Thought this would help."

She leaned against the back of the chair and gently massaged my shoulders. "Want to talk about it?"

I shook my head, trying not to think about how sexy she had looked in just panties and a short T-shirt, her hair messy from sleeping. "It was just a dream. Go back to bed."

"Okay." She started to leave, but then she paused and tangled her fingers in my hair. "I know a way to help you sleep, if you're interested."

I tilted my head back to see her face. "Now?"

"Hmm mmm." She just smiled at me, her fingers massaging my scalp. "But only if you want to."

I took one last sip of coffee, set the mug aside, and threw off the blanket. "Coming."

"You hope." She laughed and took my hand, leading me back to the bed. As she pulled a vibrator from the drawer on the nightstand, she said, "Take off your clothes and lay down."

"Are you sure this will work?"

"Yes. Now, shh." Jenna wasted no time parting my thighs and sliding the vibrator between them. She turned it on low and pressed it at my entrance. There was a slight hesitation as my body adjusted to being penetrated, and then the smooth plastic slipped inside me.

I gasped, gripping at her arms. "Oh! Yes! Please...more."

"Feels good, doesn't it sweetie?"

I just moaned and opened my legs wider.

She steadily stroked the vibrator in and out of me, her other hand supporting her weight as she sat beside my hip and leaned over me. She kissed me softly. Languidly. Her tongue tracing my mouth and slithering inside when I parted my lips.

After awhile, she moved down to kneel between my legs. Her free hand now rubbed my piercing into my clit, the hand holding the vibrator speeding up now that she had a better angle to control it. She paused only once to increase the level on the toy, and then she was coaxing me to come.

"That's a good girl. Give into the feeling, Kat. Let go of whatever is troubling you. It's just you and me."

I gripped the sheets, pumping my hips in rhythm to her thrusts, rolling my head from side to side. I could feel the peak calling to me. I was getting tired again. Part of it was from the frustration of not finding release. It was right there, I just couldn't get to it. I growled my displeasure.

"I know, sweetie, I know. Hold on."

Jenna's motions stilled for only a moment, and something rustled in the drawer again as she leaned away from me. Then she lifted my legs up. Wedged her knees beneath my ass. Released my legs so that they were forced wider apart by the width of her hips. And then she withdrew and plunged the vibrator back into me.

I arched my back, whimpering when I felt another vibrator circling my clit. It made my piercing rattle against the plastic and press into my most sensitive area at the same time.

"That's it baby. Come for me."

And finally I did, screaming loud and long and shaking beneath her like leaf in a storm.

She didn't say anything as she slowly removed the toys and lay beside me while aftershocks rolled through my body. As she pulled the covers over us and wrapped her arms around me. As she pressed her lips to the back of my head and flung her leg over my hip to get closer to me while we spooned.

I smiled as I gave into my exhaustion. As always, Jenna knew just what to do. And I loved her for that.

###

"It wasn't a bad dream. It was just...I don't know." I sighed into my second cup of coffee the next morning, watching the snow fall outside the living room window that glimmered with ice crystals in the corners.

"It's okay, Kat." Jenna patted my knee from where she sat beside me on the couch. "Sometimes we just have strange dreams."

I nodded. "This was definitely strange."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

I set my mug aside and snuggled up to her, feeling and hearing her heart beat against my ear as I laid my head on her chest. Her sweater was warm and soft, just like her.

It didn't take long to relay the dream despite the fact that the dream itself had seemed to be endless. No beginning really, no end except waking up. Just me existing there with no purpose but to walk. And to make a decision.

Jenna rubbed her hand up and down my arm. She was silent for a long while, and then she said, "Maybe you're having second thoughts about choosing this lifestyle. I mean, you did kind of jump into this rather quickly."

"Jenna Swallow!" I struggled to sit up, and she struggled to keep her arms around me. But I managed to push away from her and get to my feet, although my legs wobbled and I had to grab onto the arm of the couch to steady myself. "How— Why— I don't understand... You proposed..."

"Yes, I did. And I meant it. But really, Kat, this has all been happening so fast. It's completely understandable if you are unsure about your decision. Any of them. You can take more time to think about it. It's okay."

"No, it's not okay!" I stomped my foot and fisted my hands at my sides. "I don't know why I dreamt of having to choose between a light and dark path. Maybe it was just reality affecting my subconscious... A way of my mind finally admitting that I'm heading in a different direction. Not that it's wrong, just that it's new and unfamiliar. But I do know I want to be with you. Only you. And I'm not changing my mind about that. We are getting married. I'll go with you today to the courthouse to prove it, if you don't believe me."

"Kat—"

"I'm serious." I wanted to pull my hair out, but I settled for pacing instead. "I know you want an official marriage. An actual wedding ceremony with family and friends. But I'd accept a civil union ceremony, since that's all that is legal here in Illinois right now. Whatever it takes to make you believe me."

"I believe you, sweetie." Jenna stood and put her hands on my shoulders to stop both the flow of words spilling from my mouth and the circular path I was going to wear into her nice area rug. "And I do want what you said. But we will do this right. We will not rush into this. I want us both to be completely solid with our decision."

"I am solid. As a rock."

She just raised her eyebrow.

"Well, maybe not a rock, but I'm not changing my mind. Hell, I wouldn't have told Celene you were my fiancée if I didn't hope for that someday myself."

"Someday."

"Stop it. You know exactly what I mean." I pulled back and crossed my arms. I turned to watch the snow again. "I know we've only been together for a little over seven months. But it also seems so long. I can't explain it. This is right for us. Why are you fighting this?"

"I'm not fighting it, Kat. I'm just—"

"Wait!" I turned back to her, narrowing my eyes. "Are you having second thoughts, Jenna? Wishing you hadn't proposed?"

"No. I want to marry you, Kat. It's just... It's not going to be like if you had married Danny. People aren't going to accept us as a couple very easily. Some not at all. You're going to have to be comfortable with that, especially when they turn their noses down at you. I've spent years in the lifestyle. I'm accustomed to how the rest of the world treats people like us. But you're not. We've been pretty secretive about our relationship thus far. You're—"

"Jenna, I want to do this. This isn't some fling, like Lauren thinks it is. I can finally be me. I don't feel like I'm just going with the flow like I did when I was with Danny. Yeah, I was going to marry him, and I did love him on some level, but that was mostly because it was just expected. This? This is so out of character for me. But it's who I really am. It's who I'm supposed to be. You make me feel alive. You've shaken up my world, for the better. I'd be devastated if you walked away from me now. I'd survive somehow, but I don't want to think about that."

Jenna grinned. "I'm not going anywhere, Kat. You're stuck with me. I just wanted to be sure—"

"What do I have to do? Sing 'The Point of No Return' from 'Phantom of the Opera?' Throw me a rope here." I rolled my eyes, cursing under my breath as I suddenly thought of what we had done over the weekend with rope. I needed to keep a clear head.

"Oh, Kat."

I blinked at the low tone of her voice. And I swallowed hard when I saw the way her eyes shined and her mouth parted ever so slightly as she stared at me. "Um, yes?"

"You know that's my favorite song from the play...and the movie. So very seductive. Enticing. Makes me want to throw you on the couch and have my way with you right now. While the song plays in the background, of course."

I gulped. "Of course."

Okay, both of our heads had taken a complete dive into the gutter.

For me, just thinking of the song made my breasts ache and my clit throb with desire. Even though Christine was taunting the Phantom in the play—leading him into a trap in that scene—I secretly wished she had chosen him and they had gotten down to it in his lair beneath the Paris Opera House. I'd fantasized about it many-a-times. Apparently so had Jenna. Although in her version, the Phantom had probably always been female. Butch, albeit, but female still the same.

Jenna stood and took a step toward me. "I think I need a little convincing..."

"You don't say?" I took a step back.

"Mmm hmm." She advanced, I retreated.

We continued the game until I bumped into the bedroom doorframe with a gasp. She took the final step closer until we were chest-to-chest. She brought her lips to mine but did not touch them.

"You really are a tease, aren't you Kat Jenkins?"

She didn't wait for my answer but took my hand and led me the rest of the way into the room.

The bed was still unmade, the covers thrown halfway to the floor after we'd made love before getting up late this morning. I watched her strip down completely and then lay on the fitted sheet, her head resting on a pillow with her hair splayed out.

"Eat me, Kat?"

I licked my lips. "With pleasure."

I climbed fully clothed onto the bed between her legs. Lying on my stomach, I positioned her legs over my shoulders and ran the flat of my tongue over her shaved pussy.

Jenna squealed and lifted her hips up. Her legs closed, locking my head between them.

"Down girl." I wrapped my arms under her legs and gripped her thighs on top to pry them open.

When she settled back to the bed, I licked her again, slower this time, relishing the feel of her smooth skin against my rough tongue.

Her sweet smell drifted up to fill my nose. She'd used a cherry-scented body wash during her shower this morning, and her skin had absorbed the aroma. But underneath was her unique, natural perfume. It was slightly musky—reminding me of the sesame ginger sauce we used whenever we marinated chicken. When she was aroused, as she was now, it was much stronger.

I inhaled deeply and sighed, kissing her swollen lips that currently hid her sensitive bud.

She said I always smelled like lavender and tasted like a tangy plum. I had scrunched my nose up the first time she told me that, but she had insisted she loved it. As long as she was happy...

I massaged her thighs as I licked all over her pussy, not dipping between her outer lips yet. She had taught me how to draw out the sensation, arouse her more by delaying the inevitable...the predictable. I was as anxious to get to the juiciest bits as she probably was. Still, I forced myself to linger a little longer before delving into the sweetest part of her.

I waited until she whimpered and wiggled her hips before I moved my fingers from her thighs to between them, gently parting the skin that brushed my nose. I heard her sigh and flicked just the tip of my tongue at her clit. Her whole body jumped as she cried out.

"Damn, Kat." She took a deep breath, and I felt her muscles clench under and around my head. "Baby, you are getting so good at this."

"Mmm, hmm," I hummed against her skin, smiling when she jerked again. "Taught by the expert."

I flicked my tongue out once more and then slowly pressed it deeper before dragging it downward.

"That feels so good."

"It should, honey." I giggled and then moaned as I tasted a bit of her own honey on my tongue when I pulled back to catch my breath. I repeated the process once more, gathering more of her essence on the tip of my tongue and then rubbing it into her clit this time instead of swallowing it.

For several minutes, I just massaged her pussy with my tongue, holding her swollen lips wide open, breathing my hot breath on her so she writhed beneath me. When I felt she'd had enough torture, I slid my tongue down to her entrance and circled it until she rotated her hips in the same motion. Then I probed inside with just the tip. My nose rubbed against her clit, and her scent inundated my senses.

It wasn't long before her whimpers turned to moans. I licked all around between her lips. Sucked her clit into my mouth, gently held it with my teeth. And then I flicked my tongue at that hidden bud until she screamed my name.

I was sweaty and my mouth was covered in her cream as I sat up and let her legs relax. Here eyes were closed, her head tilted to the side. Her hands cupped her heaving breasts.

I licked my lips, watching her come down from her high. Loving the soft blush color that decorated her cheeks. The dampness of her hair as it stuck to her forehead and temples, the rest of it messy around her face on the pillow. Her puffy, parted lips that let her breath escape in quick gasps and moans.

I followed the curve of her chin and traced the lines of her jaw to her neck with an invisible pen that only my eyes could see. Across her shoulders, down her arms into the crooks of her elbows. Up to her hands that had relaxed around the full globes with the rosy peaks. Along the slender fingers that brought me so much pleasure and comfort and wiped away so many of my tears. Over her flat stomach layered with a thin sheen of sweat to her belly button that was centered perfectly between her rounded hips on her narrow waist. She was very much a woman. And a satisfied one at that.

As I lay watching Jenna—my fiancée, my lover, my friend—I imagined her in a variety of outfits. The blue-gray pantsuit she was wearing that awful night when she'd rescued me from the bathroom stall at Maggie's. The dark slacks and lavender blouse she'd worn on our plane trip to Europe. The blue T-shirt and white shorts on the train back to Florence—the latter of which I'd discreetly removed under a blanket in order to pleasure her. The black corset with matching G-string and garter belt she'd bought in Paris before introducing me to her other purchase, a strap-on dildo. The silvery-gray dress that was the twin to my red one she'd worn for our six-month anniversary. The black dress she'd worn on Christmas.

I'd seen many pictures and videos of lesbians and had been around several of the ladies at the club in the months since getting together with Jenna. For many of the couples, there was a butch-looking partner. A lady who tended to dress in pants and manly-shirts and wear her hair short while her partner was more feminine and wore skirts and dresses and had a longer hair style.

I had asked Jenna once about that. She'd just shrugged and said that was just how some of them were. Some women didn't want to embrace their feminine sides...they preferred not to be all girly. And their partners were cool with that. Some even favored it that way. Made them feel more like a girl-guy couple. But there were lots of lesbian couples who both were very feminine, and it worked for them as well. It was just like in a guy-girl relationship where some women chose to wear jeans and flat shoes when they went out and not skirts and blouses or fancy dresses and heels. It didn't make what they wore wrong, just what they were more comfortable in those clothes. It was all a matter of preference.

Jenna was very much a lady, and she wore her hair long. But she did tend to wear pants and darker, monotone colors. I hadn't really thought about it before. Yet, she would wear a dress, and she seemed to enjoy getting dolled-up on occasion.

Me? I was a girl all the way. Put me in a skirt any day. Especially one that let Jenna tease me underneath it at opportune situations. We made a good pair, the two of us. We had our own styles, and yet we complemented each other very well. I wouldn't have had it any other way.




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 07



"Mmm, Kat. That was lovely," Jenna purred and gave me a lazy smile, drawing me back to the present.

I held up my hand and wiggled my fingers, grinning back at her. "Ready for round two?"

###

"Kat, it's illegal!"

I had never seen Jenna so upset. Well, maybe the night that I had punched Danny in the face and broke my hand, but this was completely different. And she had every right to be mad. Problem was, I wasn't all that upset, and the situation concerned me.

Maybe I had just expected it to happen, so it wasn't all that big of a surprise when it finally had.

"Why are you so calm about this? We could sue them!"

I exhaled loudly and plopped down on the couch, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"They can't fire you for being a fucking lesbian, Kat! Hell, they made a fucking movie out of it. Haven't you seen 'Philadelphia' with Tom Hanks? Granted his law firm fired him because he had AIDS, but Denzel Washington made it clear that if Tom had contracted the disease by some other means, like a blood transfusion, they would have been more lenient than to find out he was gay and had gotten it from anonymous sex."

I sighed again. "That's not the reason they told me I was let go. And yes, I've seen the movie."

Part of me had wanted to lie to her. To make up some reason like they were cutting other people's jobs as well. But I knew I needed to be honest with her. Now instead of later when she found out from someone else. She was like that mother who knew everyone, so it was better to be upfront than suffer the consequences when the truth eventually came out.

Finally, she stopped pacing and sat down, taking my hands off my knees so I had to turn towards her or let my legs fall off the couch and sit cockeyed. I acquiesced and faced her.

"What happened, Kat?"

I shrugged. "I don't really know. One of the girls noticed my diamond. She told me congratulations. Another girl overheard and said the same thing. And then another and another. It's been a month. You'd think they would have noticed by now."

"That sounds innocent enough."

"They asked for details, but I said we hadn't set a date yet."

"When you say 'we,' did they realize you meant you and I?"

I shook my head. "No, I didn't elaborate. I guess they just assumed I was talking about a guy. I'm not really open around them, so it wasn't any big news that I hadn't shared I was dating and engaged again. They didn't ask, I didn't tell."

"So what happened next?"

"That was this morning. Right before lunch, Mr. Andrews stopped by my desk. He said he hadn't realized I was seeing Danny again, but he was glad we'd made amends and wished us luck. I had to correct him. I didn't want any rumors spreading. So I told Mr. Andrews the truth. That I wasn't marrying Danny."

Jenna gripped my hands tighter. "And?"

"I can't remember all that I said, but it included your name and that I was very happy. I also said I wouldn't be taking another leave of absence for a honeymoon, if he was concerned about that."

"I'm sure that shocked him."

"His face went kind of pale. He said 'I see,' and told me to enjoy my lunch." I looked down my lap and then across to where Jenna held my hands. Her thumb rubbed absently over my ring. "When I got back from lunch, Mr. Andrews called me into his office. He said he had been wanting to talk to me about my annual review from last year, but things had been busy with the tax season upon us."

"So the basic cover-up...you weren't meeting their expectations so you were let go, when he really fired you for being a fucking lesbian."

I cringed at her language. She always got that way when she was upset. I did see her point. But there was also some truth to what Mr. Andrews had said. "Honestly, I see where he's coming from. I got dumped by my fiancé and then went on an extended fake honeymoon. I wasn't there as much as the rest of the personal bankers, so I wasn't able to make my quotas in the fourth quarter. They have rules, and if you don't meet quota, there is a risk you may get let go."

"Honey, I know you're trying to be the nice girl you are, trying not to believe people can have a mean streak even if it's blatantly waved in your face. But I'm sure that other personal bankers have gotten married or had kids or even gotten sick and had to take an extended leave. And they weren't fired because of it."

I didn't want to cry, but I couldn't stop the tears from forming in my eyes and trickling down my cheek.

"Shh, Kat. It's okay." Jenna pulled me into her arms. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not suing," I sobbed against her chest, gripping at her suit jacket. She hadn't even been able to change after she'd gotten home from work herself. She'd found me staring blankly outside, a cardboard box of my personal possessions from work on the storage bench in the bay window's alcove. "That's what everyone does these days when things don't go as they planned. It's stupid and meaningless and greedy most of the time. A waste of taxpayers' dollars so a wronged-person can cash in. Yes, I know I'm in the right here, and I would probably win, but for what? To make a big deal out of the fact that I'm a lesbian? Maybe it's what others would do, but it's not who I am. And I don't want them to be forced to take me back. I don't want to work at a place where I'm not wanted because I like to fuck a chick rather than a dick."

Jenna's laugh started low and grew louder until her whole chest rumbled and made me shake as well. "Oh, Kat."

I sniffled and took a deep breath. "What?"

"Nothing, sweetie. Absolutely nothing." She hugged me tight and laughed again.

"No. What?" I tried to look up at her, but she had rested her chin on top of my head.

"I've just never heard it worded that way. You, my dear, are an enigma. Don't ever change. I love you just the way you are." She kissed my hair and relaxed against the arm of the couch. "So we're not suing for wrongful termination."

"Nope. I'll figure something out."

Jenna just laughed again. "We will figure it out together. I do have an idea, but I'll need to make some calls. Do you think you'll be okay staying home alone the rest of the week?"

"Do I have a choice?" I sighed.

"No, not really. Just don't do anything drastic."

"Like what? Pierce another part of my body?"

Jenna went stiff beneath me.

"Uh, I was only joking."

"I am going to say this once and only once. I would not be opposed to you piercing another part of your body with the exception of your nose, lip, or eyebrow. I will not be married to someone who looks like they could be in a rock-and-roll band from the nineties."

It was my turn to laugh. "So you're thinking what? Tongue or nipples?"

She hugged my tight, and I felt her shuddering exhale. "You are going to kill me, Kat Jenkins. I swear."

###

"What do you think of moving?"

I looked up from the Chinese takeout Jenna had brought home on Thursday night. "To where?"

"Northampton, Massachusetts."

"Come again?" A lump of food stuck in my throat, and I had to take a sip of soda to help wash it down.

"It's the largest city for lesbians in the United States, per capita. Same-sex marriage is legal there. It's closer to the ocean making it a shorter trip if we want to go back to Europe. And it's also where my younger sister, Meredith, lives."

We had discussed her only sibling before. I knew she was a lesbian, lived somewhere on the East Coast, and they tried to see each other once a year, but that was about it. "What about your job?"

"We actually have an office in Amherst near the Five Colleges. Tim is more than happy to accommodate me to work from there. And I'd be happy to not have to face his ugly mug on a daily basis. Granted, I'd still need to travel when he needed me to, but it's less than ten miles if we live in Northampton."

I set my fork down and crossed my arms on the table. "You've got this all figured out, don't you?"

"I told you to give me some time and make some phone calls."

"You don't have to do this. I can find another job here."

"Sweetie, there's nothing keeping me in Chicago. As long as I'm with you, I can live anywhere."

"Do you want to move to Northampton, Jenna?"

"Honestly? I think it would be a great place for us to begin our life together. A place to start over. To get away from," she waved her hand in the air, "things here."

"You mean like Danny and Lauren? And homophobic bosses?"

"Well, yes. We have an opportunity, and I think we should take it. But it has to be something we agree on. Don't do this just because I brought it up and went through all of the trouble of—"

I pointed my fork at her now. "Don't say something you'll regret, honey."

She held up her hands in defeat. Then she smiled at me. "Think about it. You don't have to give me your answer yet. But I will need to know by next week. Meredith put a bid on a duplex for us, so if we don't go, I need to let her know. She's going to send me some pictures and the specs. I'm sure you have lots of questions. And I'll try to answer them as best as I can."

"No, I only really have one."

"Really?" She took our empty containers to the garbage and turned back to me, wiping her hands on a towel. "What is that?"

"Well, two, I guess." I pushed my chair back from the small table we'd squeezed into the kitchen area and sauntered over to her. I wrapped my arms around her neck and leaned in until our lips were barely touching. "When are we leaving? And do you have a preference for when I get to marry you?"

###

For the second time in the past year, I boxed up all of my belongings and loaded them into a moving van.

It was a little bittersweet, saying goodbye to Chicago. And I was finally getting upset about the loss of my job. But I took out my aggression in my packing. It gave me something to do all day. Although there were times that Jenna would come home to find me crying because something had triggered a memory and I'd gotten distracted to the point that I'd curled up on the couch or the bed or even just the floor.

On the big day, we first took a trip down to the storage unit where the majority of my furniture was, and then we stuffed the rest of my things—as well as all of Jenna's—into a space that was about the size of a small shipping container. I couldn't believe how much stuff we had accumulated between the two of us. I prayed our new home was bigger than Jenna's current apartment.

We agreed to sell my car as it was over ten years old. We were driving hers out east, and I would look for a new car when we got there. I thought the long road trip would give us practice with patience. I mean, we had gone to Europe together, but this was different. We would be stuck in the same car for hours on end. Granted it wasn't as long as a lifetime together, but it was a good test.

As Jenna pulled away from the curb and headed toward the Interstate, she asked me, "Kat, are you sure about all of this? You're not reconsidering? The move? The marriage?"

Seriously? Did she really think I would have packed up my life if I wasn't going to go through with this? I gave her a sideways glance and grinned.

"Ask me again when we get to Massachusetts."

###

We survived the first leg of the trip okay. We stopped overnight in Ohio and had a hot shower together before we crawled into bed and fell asleep in each others arms, too tired to do anything but make out for a couple of minutes.

In the morning as we got ready, I wondered what our new bathroom would be like. Meredith had only sent us pictures of the main living areas, but she had said there were two bathrooms. One had just a toilet and sink—a powder room, she'd called it—but the master bath had both a shower and a soaking tub. From what I could tell, everything looked and sounded modern, but I knew from experience that realtors sometimes embellished certain features to sell a place. Seeing would be believing.

After grabbing our complimentary breakfast down in the lobby, we gassed up the car and headed back out on the road. The guys with the moving company had decided to keep driving last night for a few more hours, so they should be arriving before us. Meredith had taken the day off of work to get everything ready for our arrival and greet us. I wasn't sure what time we'd be rolling into town, but it was comforting to know we wouldn't be completely alone.

Jenna had entered our destination into the GPS, so I read magazines or talked to her as she drove. But as we entered our new state, I started getting a little giddy. And the way she kept grinning at me, I knew Jenna was, too.

"I'm glad we're doing this." I patted her on the knee and she jumped.

"I'm just a little nervous. And anxious." She reached over to squeeze my hand, and the car swerved a little. A vehicle honked then sped around us. Jenna cringed. "Oops!"

"So am I. Just don't run us off the road with your excitement. Or get a ticket," I added, noticing the needle on the speedometer as it hovered at least ten miles over the limit. I closed my latest magazine and reached for my bottle of water. "Just think. Tonight, we'll be sleeping in our new house. Our first place that we got together. The beginning of our new life."

She slowed down to turn off at our exit and glanced at me. "Do you remember how we christened Scuderia Apartment in Tuscany?"

I felt the sparks ignite deep in my belly remembering how she'd laid me back on the kitchen table and buried her face between my legs. I nodded and cleared my throat.

"I think we should do the same with our new place."

I took another gulp of water. "You know, I'm sure if the police pulled us over, we could convince them we were ignorant of the speed limit. Us being from Chicago and all."

Jenna grinned at me, and the card sped up as we merged back into traffic.

###

Our new place was beautiful. It was a gray, two-story duplex on a quiet street lined with trees. Jenna thought the best part was two-car garage. I was just thrilled to have a place all of our own without people above and below us. Not that I hadn't liked living in the city, but this seemed more up my alley. It was very idyllic.

A privacy fence separated our house from the one next door and enclosed our small but sufficient backyard. We had a wooden deck where we planned to put a grill. A tiny balcony upstairs off the master bedroom would give us a wonderful view of the stars at night.

The moving van was sitting out front when we arrived. The men were already unloading furniture and boxes onto the front lawn. A red-haired woman in jeans and a white parka was directing traffic with a clipboard. Meredith. She had the same narrow face and perfect, pouty lips as Jenna, but she was a little shorter. I knew she was in her late twenties, but she looked like she was just a kid. In any regards, she had gotten her older sister's good looks. I half-wondered if she'd dyed her hair, or if Jenna had a different parent.

I laughed. "Looks like we're late to the party."

Jenna gave me a quick kiss then jumped out of the car and ran over to the woman, hugging her tight.

I pulled on my coat, grabbed another one from the backseat, and joined the two women. I tossed the second coat at Jenna. "Put this on or you'll get pneumonia."

Jenna obliged and then took my hand. "Mer, this is Kat."

"It's good to finally meet you," I said as I reached out my other hand.

"None of that bullshit. We're going to be sisters." Meredith gave me a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then she stepped back and smiled. "Congratulations to both of you. We can make chit-chat later. It's freezing, and the guys could use some help now that you're here."

I rubbed my hands together. "I could use some coffee. We should have packed the Keurig in our car."

"Not to worry," Meredith said. She pulled out her phone, held it up to her ear, and said, "They're here, sweetheart. Okay, see you in a few."

I raised my eyebrows and glanced at Jenna. Then I laughed. Jenna had her fists on her hips and a pout on her face. It was so darn cute.

Meredith pocketed her phone. "Reinforcements are on the way with refreshments."

Jenna cleared her throat. "Sweetheart?"

Meredith's cheeks were already red from the winter air, but they darkened even more. "Uh...yeah. Did I forget to tell you about Joanie?"

Jenna had her arms crossed now. "Joanie, as in your intern?"

"Um, maybe we should continue this inside, girls?" I said, starting to jump up and down to keep warm.

"Good idea, Kat." Meredith looped her arm through mine and turned toward the house. "I'm so glad you decided to move here. I know we're going to be good friends. It'll take a little bit, but you'll adjust. I can take you downtown tomorrow and show you all around. Oh, and I have the paperwork for Smith College. The job is yours, it's just a formality."

"Sounds good. Thanks for all of your help. I don't think we could have done this without you, Meredith."

"Don't mind me. I'm just your sister," Jenna huffed behind us, but I heard her footfalls crunching on the lawn as she followed. "And you are going to answer my question, Mer."

We ditched our coats in a closet and gathered around the kitchen island—a real island with a marble top and a butcher-block section, not the little lunch-counter/jut-out like we'd had in our apartment. Our conversation got postponed as the movers had trouble getting Jenna's couch through the front door. I suggested going through the garage and taking off the door that led into the house that way as it wasn't as heavy as the front door. Weren't these professionals?

The men stared at each other for a moment, shrugged, and then backed up again.

I went over to close the door when a girl with a black fedora, short black hair, a black parka, khakis, and black Doc Martens walked up the sidewalk with two bags in one hand and a drink carrier with four paper cups in the other.

"If you're Joanie and that's coffee, I love you." I grinned and took one of the bags as it started to slip from her fingers. "Come on in, the show's just starting. Apparently Meredith has a lot of explaining to do to her sister regarding you. I can't wait to see Jenna's reaction."

"Thanks. You must be Kat. Glad to finally meet you." Joanie nodded and stepped past me. She toed off her shoes as I shut the door, then held up the items in her hands. "Where do you want these?"

"The kitchen is fine. Just throw your coat in the closet over there."

"I did not jeopardize my job, Jenna. I just told you. We waited to do anything until after her internship was over. Geesh, will you just lay off me?" Meredith's frown turned into a wide smile as we joined them in the kitchen at the back of the house. "Joanie! Please explain to my sister that you were not having an affair with your boss."

Joanie glanced at me and laughed. "You're right. I'm just in time."

"Joanie, it's good to meet you," Jenna said, coming around the island to give her a hug. "I have nothing against you two dating, I'm only trying to protect my little sister. That's all."

"We did everything by the book, Jenna. Nothing to worry about." Joanie patted her on the back and removed one of the cups from the carrier, handing it to me. "We waited six months after my internship before we started dating, and I got a job at a different office."

"Out here, sis, things are different. You'll see. It's easier for girls like us. Not so uptight and worrisome that someone will find out we like chicks and we'll lose our jobs. Not with a good portion of the city being lesbians." Meredith gave me a soft smile. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. But I agree with you. I think you did the best thing by not pursuing legal action. And don't worry, they won't hold your sexual preference or your reason for dismissal against you at Smith."

"Thanks, Meredith. And thank you, Joanie." I took a sip of the hot coffee and sighed, relaxing against the counter. "I think I'm going to like it here."




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 07



###

"That was crazy. Just absolutely, fucking crazy," Jenna sighed as the front door shut several hours later.

"Which part? The moving in or finding out your sister has been seriously dating for three months?" I pulled my T-shirt over my head and tossed it into our hamper. "I rather enjoyed it all."

"Both." Jenna started undressing herself. "So where do you want it?"

"Want what?"

"Your christening." She was down to her panties and bra and stood with her hands on her hips, looking around the bedroom. Our bedroom. "On the dining room table? The kitchen counter? I think it should be someplace other than the bed."

I paused with my jeans at my knees, my heart racing suddenly. A sly smile turned up the corners of my mouth. "Out on the deck. Me leaning over the patio table. My breasts and nipples smashed against the cold glass. You taking me with the strap-on as the winter wind bites our skin."

Jenna slowly turned back to me and lowered her hands. "What if the neighbors are on their balcony?"

I stood and kicked my jeans away. "Then they're in for an eyeful."

"Oh, Kat!" Jenna licked her lips and growled. "Are they ever."

###

It was too easy. Just too easy.

Adapting to a new town, a new job, new friends. It should have been a hell of a lot harder. We should have struggled to fit in. Yet we were accepted with open arms. Almost like two daughters finally come home.

Meredith and Joanie introduced us to their friends, their stomping grounds. They showed us where the best food was and where to avoid. What times it was best to get groceries. Where the local gym was if we wanted to work out.

After we had settled into our new routines, Meredith and Joanie took us to an erotic toy store that catered to BDSM lifestyles. I wondered how much Jenna had shared with her sister, or if Meredith was kinky in that way, too. Did her and Joanie do the same things Jenna and I did behind closed doors? Well, most of the times the doors were closed.

Jenna let me pick out one item and handed me her credit card. I had a hard time choosing, especially with the large selection we already in our toy box. We had a strap-on with multiple attachments, nipple clamps, vibrators of various sizes and shapes, a variety of cuffs and chains, and blackout-blindfolds. I wasn't sure what else there was, or what we would need. Jenna was better at this part.

I thought about butt plugs or anal beads, and then I considered maybe some lingerie from their boutique. I was leaning more toward the lingerie when I saw it. It was unique, and I felt my pelvic muscles clench at the thought of the item. Problem was, it was a little pricey, and I couldn't get just one. Both of us needed one. I prayed Jenna wouldn't flip out when she got her credit card bill.

I waited until the girls were distracted by drooling over some videos, and then I snatched two of the items off the rack, took them to the counter, and had the guy ring me up. He even offered to gift wrap one of them when I explained why I was buying two.

While we ate lunch, the girls interrogated me on my purchase, but I kept my mouth shut on that topic.

"Well, you're not the only one with a surprise." Joanie grinned and handed me a small, white envelope. "Go ahead. Open it. I know you said you didn't want a bridal shower. So just consider it our engagement gift to the both of you."

There was nothing written on the outside. I flipped it over, slid my finger under the seal, and then pulled out a white piece of paper with my name on it. I had to read it twice before I realized it was a gift certificate for a tattoo parlor.

"It's very nice, but I guess I'm a little confused. Are we supposed to get matching tattoos or something?"

"No, silly. It's for those nipple rings to match your clitoral hood piercing," Meredith whispered to me with a wink just as the waiter approached with our check. "If you get them now, you'll be healed by your wedding night."

I choked on my water and gaped at Jenna. Her own jaw went slack as Joanie whispered in her ear. Then Jenna's eyes met mine, and she grinned really wide. Oh boy. I had to go through with this now.

That night, Jenna grilled hamburgers on the grill for just the two of us. I made us a salad and poured us glasses of wine. When she went outside to check on the meat, I ran upstairs into the bedroom and laid the wrapped purchase on her pillow.

I was jittery all through our meal. I felt like it was Christmas Eve again and I was hiding the fact that I was going to do a stripper pole routine to surprise Jenna. Then again, tonight's surprise was a bit more...intimate.

It didn't help that Jenna wanted to watch a movie after dinner. Halfway through, I excused myself and went back upstairs to grab her box.

Jenna was in the powder room when I went back downstairs. I paced between the couch and TV at least fifteen times before she returned.

"Is everything okay, Kat?"

"Here." I held out the wrapped box and bit my lip.

"What is it?"

"My housewarming gift to you."

"You didn't buy it today, did you? You were supposed to—"

"Just open it."

She rolled her eyes and slid her fingernail under the tape on one end, prying the wrapping paper away from the box. The ribbon and paper floated to the floor as she stared at the item that was no bigger than her palm.

When she didn't speak for several minutes, I cleared my throat. "It's um, a clitoral G-string."

"I can read, Kat."

"The larger ball slides up into your vagina. The elastic straps hold it on like a regular G-string so that the smaller ball presses against your clitoris with the connecting curved part resting—"

"Yes, Kat, I figured that out."

"Don't you like it?"

"Oh, sweetie, I do." She blinked, and I saw a tear roll down her cheek.

"So what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Because I love you. You are so selfless. I give you my card to get yourself a new toy, and you buy me something."

I stared at the floor, at her bare feet. "I got one for myself, too."

"Well, that's good. I wouldn't want you to miss out."

"Are you sure you like it?"

She put a finger over my lips to silence me. "I think it's perfect for us."

I clutched her hand when she took mine and followed her to the stairs. She paused only to shut off the lights on the way. My heart rate picked up as we ascended, and I could feel dampness between my legs. When we reached the bedroom, she stopped me beside the bed.

"Where is yours?"

I took a shaky breath and pulled my box out of her nightstand drawer. "I hope you liked red. I got a blue one for myself. But we can trade if you—"

"Shh. Red is just fine. I don't deserve you, Kat Jenkins."

With those words, she took my box out of my hand, opened it, and pulled out the contents.

I licked my lips.

"Take off your clothes, Kat. I want to see it on you first."

I obeyed, shivering as I stripped.

When I was naked before her, she ran the backs of her fingers down my cheek. "God, you are so beautiful. Here."

My hands shook when I held the thin, elastic bands wide open and stepped into the space between. My nipples hardened when I slid the hard "finger" into place. My knees wobbled for a moment when it rubbed against my piercing. With the bands adjusted on my hips and between my ass cheeks, I struck a pose to display the insertable jewelry.

"How, um, does it feel?" She licked her lips as her eyes slowly roamed up and down my body.

My voice came out a little rough when I was able to speak. "Oh, just wonderful."

"My turn." Jenna stripped and mirrored my actions until she stood across from me.

All I could see was the golden scarab design that covered the finger and attached to the elastic bands as it rested on the outside of her pussy. It was so fucking sexy looking.

"Um, how does it feel to you?"

"Absolutely divine."

"It says we can wear these all the time. With or without panties. It might take some getting used to feeling it all the time."

"Mmm hmm." She reached out and caressed my left breast ever so lightly, her thumb grazing over my nipple, making me bite my lip to stop a rising whimper. "I think you should use Meredith's and Joanie's gift tomorrow. Don't you?"

I let the whimper escape and closed my eyes, my knees threatening to give out. "Uh huh."

She tipped my chin up. "Look at me, Kat. We'll go together. Don't worry. Okay?"

I nodded and opened my eyes. "Yeah."

"I think you've had a long day. You need to rest. Lay down on your back."

I crawled onto the cool sheets, my legs together, my hands on my belly.

"Now, just relax, sweetie. I'll take good care of you."

Jenna knelt on the bed beside me. She leaned down and licked my lips before she gave me a kiss. As she sat back, she tucked her finger underneath the bands on my hips. Her knuckles pressed into my skin as she pulled the G-string out of me and down my legs.

"Close your eyes, Kitty Kat, and just feel."

I cried out as her mouth latched onto one of my nipples and her fingers rubbed my piercing into my clit. I shuddered through a small orgasm. I couldn't imagine how sensitive I would be after I'd had my appointment tomorrow. How long would I have to wait for her to worship my breasts again? But Jenna's constant stroking down below made me forget even that as I fell into a deep well of pleasure.

###

"I don't care what you say." I held the last wedding invitation in the air out of Jenna's reach. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have gotten my clitoral hood pierced. He's been an amazingly good friend since I met you. I'm not inviting his bitchy sister, but he is always welcome."

"Fine, you can invite Brad." Jenna handed me the envelope and then gave me a peck on the cheek.

"Wine's gone," Meredith said from the kitchen doorway. She tipped a green bottle back into her mouth, her waist-length red hair cascading down her back over her white tank top and green cargo shorts.

"We're out of invitations, too, so we're done anyway." Jenna pushed back from her seat at our new table in our new dining room at our new home. Well, it was six months old now, but it was still very new to both of us.

"Do you want to me to drop them off at the Post Office tomorrow?" Joanie said from her seat next to me. "I have some other errands to run on that side of town anyway."

"That would be great." I placed a stamp on the corner of the envelope before I added it to the stack in a box at the center of the table.

I turned toward the raven-haired girl who wore her hair buzzed on the sides. It was a rare feat to see her without her signature fedora. I think her hair looked cute. Very punk. We had become good friends since we had moved here. She'd told me that she had struggled with her own decision to become a lesbian, too. Hers was more of a desire to be one but she'd resisted due to the fear of society and her family shunning her. That is, until she'd gone to Amherst for college and met other girls like her...and Jenna's sister. We shared an amazing bond, the four of us.

"Thanks for your help tonight, Joanie. Meredith. For everything." I felt Jenna's hands on my shoulders as she stood behind my chair. "We both appreciate it."

Joanie squeezed my hand. "Thanks for letting us be involved."

"I wouldn't have picked anyone else." I smiled and felt my heart skip a beat. I was one step closer to marriage. And this time, no one was cancelling on me.

"Guess we'll call it a night, then." Meredith kissed her sister on the cheek, gave me a hug, and then put a lid on the box of sealed invitations. "Oh, as one of my duties as wedding planner, I'm supposed to tell you that final fittings are Tuesday at five thirty."

"We will be there." Jenna walked the other ladies to the door, locked the deadbolt behind them, and then turned back to me. "My hands are a little sore from stuffing envelopes. And I think I drank too much wine. But that was fun."

"Yes, it was." I smiled up at her and then shook my head. "I can't believe we're getting married in a month. Has it really been a year since you walked back into my life?"

"You walked into mine, sweetie." Jenna took my hand and led me to the bedroom. "It seems so long ago. Yet, these past six months have gone by so quickly. Are you glad we came here?"

We'd reached the bed, which glowed from the lamps on the nightstands. She reached for the clip on top of my head, releasing my hair so it fell around my shoulders.

"Very much so. I love my new job at Smith College in the administrations office. Your sister has been such a blessing. It's so much more enjoyable helping students than trying to sell services at the bank." I shuddered as she pulled my shirt over my head and the cool, spring breeze from the open window floated across my bare skin. "I love all of the new friends we've met. How I can be so open around everyone and not feel like they're judging me."

"Anything else?" Jenna unbuttoned my jeans, tugged them down my legs, and then helped me step out of them.

"I love our new home and our new city," I whispered as she stood up and faced me.

"I love that insertable jewelry you bought." She ran her fingers across the outer casing, gently pressing it against my pussy before she flipped her hand over and stroked the juncture of my leg and pelvis with her nails.

I sucked in my breath, standing completely still as she continued stroking my sensitive skin. When she finally stopped, I said, "Did I mention that I love that I'm marrying you?"

"Yeah, I like that one the best, too." She gripped my hip and tugged me closer, kissing me until we were both moaning. She finally stepped away, turned me, and gently pressed against my shoulders so that I fell back on the bed.

I swung my legs up on the mattress and patted the sheet next to me.

She sat and rested her hand on my thigh. "I got you a present today, Kat."

I smiled up at her. "You shouldn't have, but thank you."

She retrieved a small, square black box from beside her clock. She set in on my chest just above my -breasts. It rose and fell with my now-labored breathing.

I cringed a little at the dull ache in my nipples as they strained against my bra and the silver rings and captured beads that had been inserted through them. It had been several weeks, and they were healing nicely, but the lady at the tattoo parlor said to allow a full two months before we played with them. So I kept my bra on most of the time. I couldn't wait until I could have Jenna's mouth on them again.

I pulled on the silver ribbon that was around the box and then removed the lid. I stared at the contents for a moment before I lifted two thin, silver chains. One was about a foot-and-a-half long, the other one less than twelve inches. Both had clips on either end, but the shorter one had a tiny metal ring in the middle of it.

"We'll have to wait to use them for awhile, but I couldn't pass them up when I saw them." As she put her hand behind my neck and pulled me upright, the box slid off me, tumbling from the bed. She nipped at my lower lip with a low growl. "The smaller one hooks onto your nipple rings, and the bigger one hooks to that chain and to your clitoral ring. It's surprising what you can learn from your sibling. Meredith is more kinky that I thought."

I whimpered. One day, she was going to give me a heart attack. Boys with toys? They didn't have an edge on Jenna Sallow and her compatriots.

"I'm thinking..." Jenna pulled back but didn't let me go. The cool air competed with her hot breath on my face. "If you're a good girl, when you're done with me, you can have the strap-on. But no orgasms until then, okay, sweetie?"

I swallowed heavily. "Sounds great."

###

"Congratulations, Kat," Brad whispered in my ear as he hugged me. He stepped back and smiled at the glowing woman beside me. "You, too, Jenna. You make a lovely couple."

"Thanks, Brad." Jenna accepted his kiss on the cheek and shook his girlfriend's hand. "I'm glad you could make it."

Most everyone else who came through the receiving line was unfamiliar to me. Sure there were our new friends and some coworkers from the college, but most of them were Jenna's family and friends from back in Chicago. I had no siblings, both of my parents were dead, and I just didn't know anyone besides Brad that would be comfortable enough at a lesbian wedding to invite them to come this far. But I had enjoyed the short ceremony all the same.

When everyone had given us their blessing, Jenna and I took our seats at the head table at the front of the reception hall. Meredith sat on Jenna's left, and Joanie sat on my right. All four of us laid our Calla Lilies with dusty-green ribbons tied around the centers on the table in front of our places and lifted our champagne glasses as our guests helped toast us to a new life together. 

We'd decided just to have the two in our wedding party as witnesses. Meredith had chosen a floor-length gown in the dusty-green color that went well with her hair that she'd pulled back into a French braid. Joanie had refused to wear a dress, so we had found her a linen-pantsuit and vest with a top in the same dusty-green...and a linen fedora with a matching green ribbon.

Jenna and I were the first to get our food, and while we filled our plates, I could not stop looking at my wife. She looked so beautiful with her blonde hair pulled back in a French twist, highlighting the diamond hoop earrings and diamond-accented pendant in our green shade that I'd given her as a wedding present. Her simple, ivory dress had a low neckline, looked a lot like a sexy nightgown—which made my mind wander quite frequently throughout the ceremony—and was finished off with a dusty-green ribbon around the waist.

I had elected for an actual wedding gown in white. Something completely different from the ivory mermaid-style I had chosen for my previously-scheduled wedding. This one was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and ruching from the bust down to the waist where the skirt fell in full, gathered folds. The bodice hugged me so well, I was afraid it might burst if I ate anything more than a piece of cake. I'd had the seamstress affix a heart-shaped diamond brooch to the neckline on my dress. Jenna had given me a pair of diamond tear-drop earrings as part of her present to me. They added just enough sparkle around my face that helped draw the eye up to her other gift, a silver-and-diamond tiara that held my diamond-rimmed veil over my long curls.

We ate. We kissed. We danced. We kissed. We talked to friends. We kissed some more. It was a very enjoyable night. I don't think I would have been as relaxed or had as much fun at my wedding and reception a year ago if it had gone through as planned. And I wouldn't have traded this evening for anything in my life.

I think the best part was when Meredith and Joanie tried to convince Jenna she needed to remove my garter. Jenna crossed her arms and shook her head. She'd said we weren't doing any of the usual wedding traditions like bouquet tosses and dollar-dances...and especially the father/daughter dance as my father had passed away and she hadn't thought it fair that her father was there and mine wasn't for that momentous event. She had even declined letting her father give her away so I wouldn't feel left out. I'd cried when she told me she was making that sacrifice for me.

"Come on, Jenna." Meredith batted her eyes at her older sister. She glanced at the DJ who was patiently waiting for a decision after Jenna had interrupted his announcement for the garter toss. "Just go along with it."

"Hell, I'd do it for you if I knew you wouldn't kill me afterwards. I want to take a peek at that piercing I've heard so much about." Joanie gave us both a big grin and then stepped back with her hands raised when Jenna glared at her. "Just kidding."

I felt heat rush to my cheeks. I had turned quite a few heads upon moving to Northampton. Apparently I was quite the catch. But even Joanie? Who'd a thunk?




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 07



I cleared my throat and leaned in to kiss my wife on the lips. "Come on Jenna, just get it over with."

"Fine. If it will make you all happy." Jenna rolled her eyes and gestured to the DJ that he could continue.

I took a seat on the folding chair someone had brought to the center of the dance floor. A pillow sat on the floor beside me. I tried not to moan when Garbage's "Sleep Together" blared through the sound system. Jenna hiked up her dress and kneeled on the pillow. She looked me in the eyes and shook her head, but she didn't say a word.

It took her a little bit to lift the skirt of my dress enough to get underneath. I knew when she'd realized I had on white stockings with a garter belt when she squeezed my calf and I felt her mouth and tongue against my knee. I had my legs together, and I wasn't going to make it easy for her, but damn, she made it hard to keep focused when she touched me like that.

The song was almost through the second verse by the time she pried my knees apart. I tried to keep my eyes open as I heard the words of the chorus repeating, "If we sleep together/Will you like me better/If we come together/We'll go down forever," and felt Jenna's hot breath against my bared sex. By now she would have realized I wasn't wearing any panties.

I choked out a gasp as I felt the tug on my piercing...where I'd tied a tiny bow with a green ribbon, even though I'd had little hope that I could convince her to do this part of the reception. But now that I had, I was regretting it because she lingered, licking at my clit, running a finger down through my pulsing lips.

"Got it," Jenna said, her breath a little ragged.

I blinked, realizing she'd pulled the garter off my thigh and had come back to the surface. I swallowed and managed to say, "Took you long enough."

She grinned, showing me the tiny ribbon between her teeth. "There was a slight delay at the station, but the train got back on track. For now."

I moaned and stared deep into her eyes. Her wide, shiny, dark violet eyes. She was as turned on as I was.

I don't remember much of the rest of the reception. Sure, Jenna flung my garter into the waiting crowd of women and a few men, most of them gay friends of ours. Interestingly enough, Brad caught it. He gave me a wink and slid the garter on his left bicep before he gave his girlfriend a kiss. A girl I didn't know caught the throw-away bouquet we'd had made. And then there was more dancing.

The guests trickled out as the night grew on. I couldn't stop smiling. Or looking at Jenna. And then it was all over. Meredith and Joanie loaded up our gifts in their car. We waved goodbye to everyone, and then Jenna and I piled into the limo that would take us away for the night. In the morning, we were flying off to Tuscany...to the same villa in Grosetto that we had visited last year.

"That was a very cute trick you pulled on me with the garter," Jenna whispered in my ear as I snuggled up to her on the wide seat.

"You liked?" I grinned and kissed her lips.

"Very much so. Except it distracted me the rest of the evening."

"Good. Because you've been distracting me ever since I saw you standing at the alter in that dress. You know, I could swear it looks like lingerie."

"Oh, trust me, sweetie. You haven't seen my lingerie for tonight."

I sat back and grinned. "I don't think we're going to need any lingerie where we're going."

Jenna just rolled her eyes and then pulled me back into her embrace to kiss me long and deep. We didn't come up for air until the limo stopped at the bed and breakfast.

Somehow, we managed to get untwined from each other long enough to get upstairs to our room. The door was barely closed and locked behind us before I was back in her arms, our tongues tangling and our moans combining in a heated rush. Then I whimpered and tried to pull away.

"Slow down, Jenna. Please. We have the rest of our lives to be hot and heavy. I want to remember every moment of this night." I wiped my fist at my eyes, wishing I didn't get so emotional.

"Sorry, sweetie." Jenna was panting, and she turned away to catch her breath. When she turned back, she held out her hand. "Come here. Let me get you out of that dress."

I had dreamed of my wedding night since I had been a little girl. Every girl does. I had not imagined it to be like this, though. Tender feminine hands undoing the buttons down the back of my dress and holding my hand as I stepped out of the pile of expensive satin on the floor. Violet eyes slowly looking up and down my practically naked body.

"As much as I love the stockings and garter belt, everything comes off tonight, Kat." She reached up and removed my veil and tiara, setting them on the table by the TV. I stepped out of my heels, and she removed my earrings and my mother's diamond bracelet that she'd given to me before she passed away. Ever so slowly, Jenna unhooked the clips on the garter belt and rolled each stocking down my leg until I was completely naked.

"I just thought you should know, I wouldn't have wanted to share today with anyone but you."

She took my hand and guided it to her shoulder. "I know, sweetie. And I know that we didn't save ourselves for this night. But that doesn't mean it can't still be special. I want to rediscover you. You're right. We should go slow. No toys. Just what we have naturally. To let go and do whatever we feel, Kat."

I nodded and moved up to unclasp her necklace and then her earrings, hearing her soft gasp as she realized I was delaying unveiling her body. I reached behind her and released her hair, moaning as it bounced in soft waves around her face. I lifted her skirt a little, and she stepped out of her shoes. When all that was left was the dress, I pulled on one end of the ribbon, undoing the loose knot in the back. 

I stepped back, taking her in one last time as she stood in her wedding dress. With her hair a little messy now, she truly did look like she was wearing a nightgown. She watched me silently, but her chest heaved up and down, giving away her anticipation.

It only took a little nudge to move the wide straps of her dress off her shoulders. With her arms at her sides, the dress slipped down as if in slow motion, first revealing her naked breasts that were high and full with perky nipples. Then her narrow waist. And finally, her shaved pussy.

I gasped, my eyes flying up to hers.

"And you thought you were the only one to think of going commando."

Jenna took my outstretched hand, and I pulled her toward me. Our lips joined in a tender kiss, our arms wrapping around each other, our hands threading into each other's hair.

"I have to have you, now," Jenna gasped, pulling away from me and pushing me down onto the bed.

The comforter and sheets had thankfully been pulled down already by the housekeeper, so I didn't have to worry about Jenna wasting time doing that herself. But she did pause long enough to turn off the lights. Then she was on the bed, on top of me.

"I'm going to make the first one quick because we've both been waiting so long, sweetie." She kissed me on the lips, her tongue flicking at mine. "And we'll probably fall asleep because we're both exhausted. But don't be surprised if you wake up in the middle of night having an orgasm."

"Promises, promises," I breathed heavily, gently biting her lower lip.

"But first..."

I cried out as her mouth covered my right nipple and she flicked her tongue at the ring there. My hands were on her head, holding her still. She moaned and gently tugged on the ring with her teeth, making me hiss and arch my back. She moved to my other breast, repeating the heavenly torture. Oh yeah, it was going to be a wild night.

Suddenly, she rose up and kissed me hard, her lips bruising against mine as she lay atop me, her breasts squishing my breasts, my piercings rubbing deliciously between us. And then her hand pressed between my thighs. I bent my leg, putting my foot flat on the mattress and leaning my knee outwards, opening myself up to her. I buried my hands in her hair again as she rubbed my clit with two fingers.

"Yes!" I cried when she let me breathe. I clenched my eyes and flung my head back into the pillow.

Her mouth moved to my neck and finally back to my breast. She slid her hand down further so she could bury those same fingers inside my tight sheath.

I gasped and arched up to her. One minute, I was silently begging for release, the next, she had me on the brink. I released my hold on her head and concentrated instead on falling over into oblivion. And then I was there, screaming her name, feeling her fingers plunging in and out of my core, making love to me like I needed her to.

She collapsed on top of me, kissing my neck, her hair covering my face. "I love you Kat Jenkins."

Before I drifted off, I wrapped my arms around her and whispered in her ear, "I love you, too, Jenna Swallow. I'm so glad I decided to kiss a girl."

~ H



I Kissed a Girl Ch. 08



"We'd prefer to not do adoption," Jenna said. She reached for another scone, leaving a trail of sugar crumbs from the plate to her mouth.

"Then your options are limited," Joanie shrugged, sipping her coffee.

"You could always do it the natural way. That Brad guy from your wedding has some nice assets that would make a beautiful baby." Meredith grinned at me with a wink. "I'd do it."

Joanie smacked her paper cup down on the wooden tabletop. "If you even—"

Meredith held her hands up. "I was joking!"

"No man is sticking his dick in me or my wife," Jenna snorted.

Meredith shrugged. "So that leaves artificial insemination or in vitro. Either way, it's basically being stuck with a turkey baster."

"Enough!" I yelled, shoving my chair back from the dining room table. "I can't believe you're even discussing this!"

"I'm sorry, Kat." Jenna stood and put her hands on my shoulders. "I didn't mean for the conversation to get out of hand."

"Well, it did." I jerked out of her grip and stomped towards the stairs.

"I think that's a night, ladies," Jenna said behind me.

A chorus of goodbyes echoed from the main floor as I hurried up to our bedroom. I slammed the door and threw myself on the bed face first. I wanted so badly to cry, but I had no tears. Feelings of resentment and longing combined with guilt. They all churned together in my stomach.

There was a soft click as the handle turned and the door opened. Another click told me the door had closed again. The lights remained off. Then the bed shifted.

Jenna didn't say a word. She lie beside me and pulled me into her arms. Her body was warm as she held me against her. Her even breathing tickled the back of my neck.

The longer we lay there, the more I calmed down. I no longer felt like I wanted to cry. If it had been her intention, it had worked.

"Thank you," I whispered and let out a deep sigh.

"Talk to me, Kat." She brushed my hair from the side of my face, tucking it behind my ear. "It's just you and me now."

I turned so I was facing her. Her arms tightened around me, and she tilted her head so our lips met. Then she put some distance between us but kept one arm under my neck, her fingers lightly playing with my hair.

I gave her a sad smile. "I guess I want a baby."

"But?"

When I blinked, a tear trickled down my cheek. Well, shit, now the water works decided to turn on? "I know you said we had the perfect life now. Our home, our jobs, our friends. If it's already perfect, I shouldn't want more."

"Oh, sweetie." Jenna wiped away my tears with her thumb.

I moaned as she pressed her soft lips against mine. Her tongue teased and searched while her lithe fingers cupped my cheeks as she rolled me onto my back. Then she crawled on top of me.

I let out a shaky laugh as she broke the kiss. "Jenna, I know there's been a lot of advancement in science through the years, but we can't make a baby this way."

"I know. Now shut up."

She kissed me again before she sat up and straddled my waist with her knees on either side of my hips. Her delicious mouth spread into a wide smile as she rubbed her crotch against mine. Then she tugged the hem of my shirt out of my shorts.

I was holding my breath when she bent to run her tongue from my belly button up to the center of my bra. Her eyes lifted as she pushed up the material of my shirt. One of her hands pulled the edge of one bra cup down, her tongue darting out to lick my skin.

"Mmm. You taste yummy."

I arched my back and gasped as she laid the flat of her tongue on my nipple and wiggled it back and forth. "Oh, God, please don't stop."

"I have no intention, sweetie."

Jenna sucked my nipple into her mouth. She teased it with her tongue then her teeth.

I gripped her arms, our eyes fixed on each other's. The more she lathed the tender tip, the shorter my breaths became. Then I was mewling incoherently, begging her to take me further into ecstasy.

She acquiesced with a moan and lifted her weight off my lower extremities. Her hands undid my button and zipper. But she took her time tugging my shorts down my legs.

I gasped again as her nails scratched my skin when she went to remove my panties. I stared at her over the bunched up material of my T-shirt that rested between my bra and my chin. My bared breast bulged between the fabric mounds, the nipple still wet with her saliva.

"Here, Kitty, Kitty," Jenna called, spreading my legs, her eyes still on mine.

The second her tongue touched my clit, I cried out. It morphed into a groan as she pressed between my labia. My hands cupped my breasts—one still encased in the satin cup—squeezing in time with her licks. 

She closed her eyes and made a purring sound. It rumbled against my pussy. Her fingers gripped my thighs as she held them apart.

Her panting and my mewling combined. My hips kept rising. She kept forcing me back to the bed.

When she brought me over the edge, she cried out with me. I was still trying to recover as she crawled up to lie on her back next to me. I tasted my tangy release on her lips as she turned her head and slowly ran her tongue over my lips and into my mouth. 

"What the hell was that? You came, too?"

"Mmm hmm. I've been mentally imagining that you're reciprocating whatever I do to you. I've had little flutters before." Jenna flitted her fingers over my exposed stomach to demonstrate, which made me shudder. "But this is the first time I've come along with you like that. Not as good as you doing it to me, but it's definitely a trip."

"You are amazing." I returned her kiss, my tongue lightly outlining her lips.

Jenna just smiled at me and then turned to stare at the ceiling.

After several minutes of lying in the dark silence, I almost drifted off. I felt her take my hand and lace her fingers through mine. She rolled to face me again, our joined arms now bent between us.

"So, my Kitty Kat, we're going to have a baby?"

###

A week later, I pushed away the AI and IVF brochures along with a stack of donor details spread out on the table and closed my eyes. I'd read through the first two before my brain hurt with all of the technological terms. Catheters? Petri dishes? Drugs to help the procedure to be effective? Ugh.

Which made me think of Danny for some stupid reason. How I had hoped that someday, we'd have a child together. It would have been so much easier.

But that was no longer my life.

Now that I had chosen to be with Jenna, I had promised I wouldn't have sex with a man. Not even to get pregnant. There would be too many risks. Of growing attached to each other. Of him wanting to be involved in the child's life. Of feeling guilty if I didn't tell him why we were having sex and I suddenly disappeared after I'd done the deed.

We also agreed not to do a surrogate if possible. Again, there was the risk of attachment. Although, Meredith, Jenna's sister, said she would be the perfect recipient since she'd be an aunt anyway. Of course there was adoption, but that was only an option after we'd exhausted all others first.

Jenna's test unfortunately found her to be sterile. She had said she was disappointed. But honestly, I think she was secretly grateful that she wouldn't have to carry the baby.

So that left it up to me. My test results practically said I was a preheated oven. Oh joy.

As much as I looked forward to being a mother, I was not looking forward to the effects that led up to it. Morning sickness. Swollen legs, feet, and hands. Sleepless nights. Back aches and migraines. Strange food cravings. And that wasn't even considering the labor pains and the actual birth process.

"Kat? You're up early." Jenna bounded down the stairs and disappeared into the kitchen for a minute. She reappeared with a glass of orange juice. She stepped behind my chair and leaned over my shoulder. "Oh, you started reading them without me?"

"I didn't get very far. It's all very complicated."

She kissed my cheek. "How about we pick out our perfect male tonight over dinner. Italian?"

I snorted. "The man or the meal?"

"How about both?"

"Sure, sounds like a plan. What do you want for breakfast?"

"I have a meeting first thing, so I need to get going. Do you have lunch plans?"

"Yeah, all of us girls in the admin office are going out to celebrate Becky, the intern's, birthday." I grinned and rolled my eyes. "She's turning twenty-one."

"What, no after-hours party to get her drunk?"

"We're trying to set a good example. Plus she has plans with her girlfriends tonight. I don't feel much like going out to get plastered, either."

Jenna downed her juice in one gulp. "So I should skip getting a bottle of wine?"

"I said 'going out.' It's perfectly acceptable to get plastered at home. Besides, I won't be able to drink much longer."

She arched one eyebrow at me. "So two bottles?"

I raised my hand, and she gave me a high five. "That's my girl."

"Do you want D'Angelo's or that little bistro we liked up on Cottage Avenue?"

"The bistro. It reminded me of our trip to Florence."

"Perfect." Jenna gave me another kiss, this time on the lips. The taste and scent of citrus lingered as she pulled away. "I love you, Kat. I'll see you after work."

I held my hand against her cheek for a moment, smiling up into her eyes. "I love you, too, Jenna."

###

Lately, it had been babies on my mind. Keeping me awake at night with excitement, and then worrying during the day about if we'd made the right decision. Did all women go through this? Hell, I wasn't even expecting yet and I was already having mood swings.

They closed our office for a few weeks after the summer session to give us a bit of a break. But with the fall semester getting ready to start in a month, we were back behind our desks processing paperwork for new and returning students. Lunch with my coworkers before it all got crazy again was a nice distraction from both the mundane and my constant thoughts.

We talked about strange things that had happened in the office and on campus over the years. Since I'd just started two winters ago, most of it was new and enlightening to me. And I never felt left out at all, although I'd not been part of the group who'd experienced the stories firsthand.

Jenna had been right. We fit in perfectly here. I wouldn't have wanted to live anywhere else.

After lunch, we decided it was a perfect day to clean the office and our workstations. They assigned me to dispose of old paperwork, so I busied myself for the rest of the afternoon with the company of an industrial shredder. I lost track of time and didn't realize how late it was until I'd emptied the last box. Most everyone else was gone when I left the stack of empty boxes to strip the labels off the next day and washed my hands before heading home.

I entered the house with an apology on my lips and stopped short. Jenna's car had been in the garage, but the house was mostly dark. "Hello?"

Jenna jumped up from where she was sitting on the couch. In the shadows. It scared me half to death. She hugged me tight. "Welcome home, sweetie!"

"Hi." I tried to catch my breath and take in the surroundings as she led me toward the stairs. The dim light from over the kitchen sink showed the dining room table was set for two with unlit candles in the middle. I sniffed but didn't smell any food.

"Go upstairs and have a nice bath."

"What about dinner?" I walked backwards up the stairs as I asked the question.

"It can wait." She shooed me with her hands, and I hurried the rest of the way up to our bedroom.

My muscles ached as I sank into the hot, sudsy water. I silently thanked my wife for insisting I take the time to relax a little. When I was done, I felt refreshed, although a tad sleepy.

I was going to grab a pair of sweats and a clean T-shirt, but I found a short, red dress already laid out on the bed. Well, okay. I could dress up for take-out dinner if that's what she wanted.

When I returned downstairs, the candles on the table had been lit. The scent of garlic bread and meaty marinara sauce finally met my nose. My stomach growled noisily.

"That smells— Wow!"

Jenna appeared with a plate of antipasto. She had changed into a tight, black pantsuit. Her hair was curled and flowing over her shoulders. After she set the plate down, she turned to me.

"You look amazing, sweetie." She brushed her lips over mine and clasped my right hand. "Come, let's eat. You must be famished."

I nodded and followed her to the table. "But why the—"

"Shh. Just enjoy the meal, Kat."

I nodded again. For the next thirty minutes, we fed each other from the variety of dishes she'd arranged between our plates. There was more than enough food, and plenty of wine to go with it. By the time we'd had our fill, I felt like I'd grown a dress size.

Jenna took my hand again and led me to the living room where she had me sit on the couch facing the cold fireplace. She turned on the track lighting above it, and I noticed a whiteboard on a stand. It had a heading written across the top: Must Haves.

"Now, tell me what kind of child should we have?" She picked up a stack of paper, presumably the donor characteristics from the fertility clinic. "A doctor? A scientist? Maybe a police officer or a fire fighter?"

I giggled and pulled a throw pillow onto my lap, hugging it to my belly. I grinned wider as I thought about how it would feel to have a baby growing inside of me. How nice it would be to have a little boy or girl running around the house.

"I've sorted the candidates into various piles. Should we start with hair or eye color? Anything we should eliminate right off the bat?"

I could suddenly only think of one absolute 'must have.'

"Jenna, come here." I held my hand out and beckoned her to me with my fingers. When she approached and took them, I tugged until she sat down next to me. "I love what you did tonight. It was all very romantic. The food was delicious."

"What's wrong, Kat?" She put her hand on my cheek, and I pressed into her touch.

"There's nothing wrong. Everything is just right. I know you put a lot of effort into this evening. But it really doesn't matter what we choose."

Jenna frowned. "Of course it does."

"No, sweetie, it doesn't." I took her other hand in mine and squeezed tightly. "Just because the father was a cop doesn't mean our child will choose that path. Or just because he's tall and muscular doesn't mean my own genes won't mess that up and our kid ends up short and overweight because he likes to eat Italian food more than his mothers do. All that matters is that our baby is healthy...that he or she is our child. The baby could be purple with yellow polka dots and have six legs. We'd still love him or her unconditionally. At least that's how I feel."

She sat there, just staring at our laps.

If she wasn't on the same page with me about this, we shouldn't move forward. I may not like it, but I'd learn to live with that decision. I held her hands and tried to think of something else while I gave her time to mull over my words.

"I'm sorry, Kat," Jenna said after a long while.

I let out a shaky breath full of disappointment.

"You're right. We can't make the perfect baby. It doesn't matter what characteristics we choose off a piece of paper. I just want our baby to be happy and know we love him or her."

I pulled my wife into my arms and cried on her shoulder. "I love you so much, Jenna. We can do this."

"Yes, we can, Kat. And we're going to do this. Together."

###

"Oh. My. God." I squeezed Jenna's hand and pressed my cheek against the cool bowl of the toilet. I was thankful I had just cleaned the bathrooms that morning. A lot of good it did the toilet now, though. "I am completely empty. I don't understand how—"

My stomach lurched again, but nothing else came up. I saw stars as I clenched my eyes.

"Shh, Kitty Kat. It's okay." Jenna's soft voice was soothing in my ear as she rubbed a hand against my shoulder blades.

I moved to a sitting position, my back against the shower door. A cool rag pressed against my forehead, and I sighed. "You are so fucking lucky you can't have a kid."

She kissed my forehead. "That's the hormones talking."

"No," I said, rolling my head back and forth against the glass door, making it rattle in the frame. "That's regret talking. What were we thinking?"

"Shh. You don't regret getting pregnant. Or at least you won't when you're holding our beautiful baby in your arms."

I cracked one eye open to look at her. "I'll remind you of that when our little rascal is screaming her head off at the grocery store. Or wrecks the car."

"Did you know that you're constantly referring to our baby as a girl these last few weeks?"

I closed my eyes again. I laid my free hand against the slight bulge in my belly. "A mother knows."

"Do you think it's too soon to start painting the nursery? Buying clothes and toys?"

I swallowed, cringing at the bile aftertaste. "Dr. Nayum said to wait until the second trimester. I know I may not sound like it right now, but I'm excited, too. We'll have plenty of time to go shopping."

"I know. I'm just a bit anxious. So are Meredith and Joanie. They are going to make wonderful aunts."

I let her help me up from the floor. "Yeah, they are. Just think, we shouldn't have too much trouble finding a babysitter if we want some time alone!"

Jenna sat on the closed lid of the toilet while I brushed my teeth. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to be there for the exam today."

"Please, stop apologizing. There will be plenty more appointments. It was mostly just talk of prenatal vitamins and what to expect for the rest of the first trimester."

"Did you ask the doc about your piercings?"

"They should all be fine. Mostly, I'll have some discomfort as I get swollen. Especially on my clit. I may want to remove the nipple rings before I begin breastfeeding."

"But we can wait to do that until after the baby is born, right?"

I caught the reflection of her hopeful smile in the mirror and laughed. I know she loved my piercings. Sometimes even more than I did. "We'll see. We could look into changing the rings to bars, as well. There would be less risk to the baby. But we can discuss that later."

"I think you should try to get some sleep." Jenna put her arm around me as she led me to the bed. When I tried to pull back the comforter and top sheet, she batted my hands away. "Let me do that for you."

"I can still put myself to bed, Jenna," I laughed.

"Yeah, but I like to do it, too."

When she stuck out her lower lip, I sighed sarcastically. "Fine, you can put me to bed."

"Yeah!" She grinned as she clapped and bounced on her toes.

I shook my head at her. Sometimes I wondered which of us was the more mature.

When she'd gotten the bedclothes the way she wanted them, she turned back to me and gestured to my side of the bed. "Your royal bedchamber is ready, my dear. Fit for a queen."

I stroked the back of my fingers against her cheek, my eyes a little blurry. "You're my rock, Jenna. I wouldn't be able to do this without you. I wouldn't want to."

She hugged me tight and sounded a bit teary-eyed herself as she spoke. "I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else, Kat."

"Thank you." I wiped my thumb under my eyes, drying any tears that had escaped.

"Now quit crying and get into bed."

I felt a million times better when I was finally horizontal. The pillowcase was cool as I laid my cheek against it. I sighed and closed my eyes.

"I've got a report to work on downstairs. You have your phone. Call me if you need anything?"

"Yes, Mom."

I felt Jenna reach over me and wedge the body pillow behind my back. She kissed my forehead and then laid her hand on my belly as she'd grown accustomed to doing each night since we found out the AI procedure had worked.




I Kissed a Girl Ch. 08



"Goodnight, my Kitty Kat. And goodnight, my baby bird."

I smiled sleepily. "Goodnight Mama Swallow. We love you."

###

I was well into my second trimester when the girls at work decided to throw me a baby shower. Jenna and I had decided to decorate the nursery with a green-and-yellow Winnie-the-Pooh theme. So it wasn't the typical pink baby booties and bottles for decorations at the restaurant.

We hadn't decided on a name, yet, but we had narrowed it down to five first and middle names. I prayed that the ultrasound was right and we were having a girl. I think Jenna would be more disappointed than I would if it ended up being a boy.

I almost cried when we opened Meredith and Joanie's gift of a trip to Hawaii once we were comfortable leaving our newborn alone with them. Then I did cry when my boss presented us with a scholarship to the college to be used when our daughter was ready to attend.

Jenna took a load and went out to pull the car around to the front of the restaurant while my coworkers helped clean up and gather the rest of the gifts and leftover food. I sat like a bump on a log in a cushioned chair and sipped my ginger ale. I passed the time rubbing my belly as our baby bird danced while I talked softly to her.

I didn't have as much swelling as I'd expected. And I'd definitely not gained as much weight as both Dr. Nayum and I thought I would. Especially since I couldn't get enough of Ben & Jerry's Half Baked ice cream. Then again, Jenna had insisted I walk on the treadmill at home when possible so I didn't get stiff joints just sitting around. As a result, I carried our volleyball-sized baby nice and high and was able to wear cute maternity clothes. And the morning sickness had departed a few weeks ago, thank the Lord!

When everyone had left except Meredith and Joanie, and Jenna still hadn't returned, Meredith suggested she go check on her. Then Joanie said she'd go with her just in case Jenna needed some help. Although they were persistent I stay right where I was, I insisted on not being left behind. So the two of them grabbed a few bags of gifts, and I waddled after them out the front entrance.

I heard yelling as we reached the side of the building. I couldn't see anything but several parked cars. Both Meredith and Joanie suddenly stopped, and I ran into them. Between their shoulders, I saw a pile of open boxes strewn on the sidewalk. Baby clothes were falling out of one of them. Next to the mess was Jenna's car with the rear passenger door open.

"Jenna!" I tried to push past my sister, but she had dropped the bags she was carrying and turned to stop me.

"Why can't you just leave us alone?" Jenna was crying.

"Because I love you!"

Lauren?

I shoved harder against Meredith. But now Joanie was blocking me, as well.

"How the hell did you—" Jenna started.

"I found Brad's wedding invitation." Lauren's voice was so high pitched and she was talking so fast, she sounded like she was on drugs. "Your address was on it. It took awhile to track you down. That crazy little cocksucker hid you away from me, but now—" 

"You're the one who's crazy, bitch!" I yelled, breaking through the barrier of arms holding me back. 

"Kat, no!" Jenna screamed.

I heard a loud crack, and then my legs crumpled beneath me.

Deep-sea diving. That's what it felt like. I'd only done it once, and it had only lasted a few minutes before I had freaked out from the intense pressure all around me and admitted defeat. Failure.

Just like before, my brain told me to head back to the surface when I couldn't breathe. As hard as I tried to swim upwards now, though, the further I felt pulled down. But I wouldn't give up. I couldn't give up.

It felt like I'd been trying for hours when I was finally able to force my eyes open. Then I was suddenly rushing through the water. I broke through the surface to hear screaming as my lungs sucked in blessed oxygen. People were standing over me, calling out my name.

That's when I felt the searing pain in my side. It pierced like a red hot poker right by my ribs and then quickly spread up to my armpit. I tried to reach out but couldn't move my arm. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

Despite my disorientation, my first thought was of Jenna. Then I thought of the baby. I cried and screamed at the intensifying pain.

Suddenly, breathing became a little easier. And then all discomfort was gone. I wondered if I was dying.

###

A steady, beeping sound was the first thing that processed in my head. Then I smelled the nauseating, antiseptic stench that all hospitals had. Soft whispers of people talking nearby reached my ears.

"The baby—"

"—see until—"

"—be okay—"

The more they talked, the more distinct the voices became.

"Her fingers moved!" That sounded like Meredith.

"Kat? Are you awake?" Joanie maybe?

Warm hands enveloped mine.

"Mrs. Swallow?" A male voice this time. "Can you hear me? Try opening your eyes."

I squeezed them tight instead as a marching band decided to practice between my ears. I licked my lips and mumbled, "I feel like shit."

"Oh, Kitty Kat," a familiar voice said in my ear as soft lips pressed against my cheek. My Jenna.

I managed to crack one eyelid. Even though that small action made my head throb more, I forced my other eye to open. I had to see her. To know she was really there.

A pair of searching, violet eyes were just inches from mine. They were glossy. As they blinked, the dark lashes surrounding them parted with teardrops clinging between them.

"Why do you have to be so gung-ho?" Jenna's voice caught as she spoke.

I dropped my gaze to her lips, which she suddenly licked. "Because I love you so much."

She frowned at me. "You scared me to death. Don't do it again."

"I'm sorry. I just reacted when I knew she was there." I took a deep breath. Then I cringed.

"You're going to be very tender for awhile, Mrs. Swallow," the male voice said on my left.

I turned my head and saw an older gentleman in a white coat standing beside my hospital bed, his hands busy with pressing buttons on a machine with a flashing number. A plastic bar on his left chest pocket said his name was Dr. Halstad.

"I have you on a very low dosage of painkillers so not to harm the baby..."

"The baby!" I tried to sit up and reached out blindly. A hand grasped mine, but Dr. Halstad gently pressed my shoulders until I was flat on my back again.

"She's fine," Jenna said as I swung my head to see her again.

"You're a very lucky lady," Dr. Halstad said. "The bullet was lodged just below your right armpit. There should be no permanent damage. But I want you to get weekly checkups with your obstetrician just to be safe. In the mean time, get some rest, and you can go home in a day or so if you're feeling up to it."

"Thank you, doctor," Jenna said, reaching across me to shake his hand.

He nodded to both of us and returned my chart to the bin attached to the end of the bed. "I'll check back on you this evening."

###

"When are they going to be done?" I mumbled, straining my neck again as I tried to see out the glass wall of my room in the ICU. I'd thought it was overkill to have me up here, but I'd found out that Dr. Nayum, our obstetrician, had insisted on it for the sake of the baby.

"I could close the curtain, if that would help?" Joanie said from where she sat on my right.

"No, I'd rather be able to see them."

"You need a distraction," Meredith said, flipping on the TV.

"Shut that off!" I snapped at her. "What I need is to know what they're saying."

She obeyed and slowly lowered the remote control.

Out of my peripheral vision, I saw her turn her head to following my own gaze where Jenna stood talking to two police officers by the nurses' station. They'd been out there at least thirty minutes after they'd interrupted my dinner.

"I bet she's pressing charges," Joanie said. She scooted her chair closer to my bed, and I cringed at the screeching sound the rubber tips on the legs made against the linoleum.

"She better," Meredith huffed.

We watched the silent conversation for another five minutes before the officers shook Jenna's hand. Then she was heading back toward my room. We didn't even try to act as if we were busy doing something else.

"So?" all three of us said as the glass door slid open to my room.

"Lauren has been charged with attempted murder and unlawful possession of a deadly weapon," Jenna said with a sigh. She took the chair on my right as Meredith vacated it. "She signed a confession and is taking a plea deal of twenty years. They're working on seeing if she can serve her time back in Illinois."

I closed my eyes and placed my hands on my belly. Oh, baby bird.

"It's going to be alright, Kat," Jenna whispered in my ear. Her hand covered mine, and our daughter kicked her agreement. "We are going to be alright."

###

"I don't want it!" I squeezed my eyes shut and gripped the bedsheet as I panted.

"Breathe in and out like they taught you in Lamaze class," Meredith said, wiping my forehead.

"Fuck Lamaze, I just want to...Oh, God!" I screamed as another contraction hit me.

"Call the nurse, Joanie," Jenna said. "She's getting an epidural."

"No," I moaned, shaking my head.

"Shh. It's okay, sweetie." Jenna took my hand and held our clenched fists between us as she leaned down and kissed my lips. "Look at me."

I focused on her violet gaze. Her radiant smile. Her perfectly combed hair that she'd pulled back in a braid. How the sweat on her own forehead just made her face glow. How the scrubs she'd been given fit her like a glove, emphasizing her luscious breasts that I'd been nuzzling just a few hours ago when my water broke.

Me? I was in a stupid hospital gown with my ass bared to the world. My hair was wild, wet, and half-plastered to my face. Everything about me ached, especially my back, my right armpit, and my left hand. The latter two were perpetual reminders of my war wounds, although the pain was dull or non-existent most of the time with my hand now.

"I hate you."

"I know. I love you, too, Kat." The love of my life just smiled at me.

I had recovered from another contraction when the nurse came in to check my dilation. Satisfied that we were on the right track, she started the epidural. I wanted to strangle her when she chirped, "It won't be long now." I'd already been there for three hours.

Joanie and Meredith pampered me with ice chips and cool rags while Jenna gave me a massage in between the nurse's check-ins. I tried not to look at the clock, but I couldn't help it. I was secretly hoping to hold out until after midnight.

Six hours later, I was exhausted from pushing. Jenna hadn't left my side, although Dr. Nayum had shooed Meredith and Joanie out of the birthing room. A nurse stood on each side of bed I'd been moved to, holding my feet and knees up and apart.

"One last push, Kat," Dr. Nayum said.

"You can do it." Jenna blew her breath slowly across my forehead as I squeezed her hands to death. "That's a good girl."

I'd never felt so much pain in my life. I'd thought my little volleyball belly was cute and small? Holy shit.

I was still bearing down when I heard multiple voices telling me to stop, push just a little more, then stop again. What the fuck? I wasn't trying to parallel park a car here!

The pressure between my legs increased exponentially. Suddenly, a repetitive cry rose over my gasping, and I froze. My eyes met Jenna's, and she was holding her breath as well.

"Congratulations, Mrs. and Mrs. Swallow. It's a girl!" Dr. Nayum said.

I was crying as a pink bundle was laid in my arms. Her own cries quieted as I cradled her delicate head against my breast. She turned into me and began nuzzling at the fabric covering my swollen mound.

"Let me," Jenna whispered, helping me get the gown off my shoulder and freeing my breast.

Our daughter moved her tiny mouth against my nipple—sans-piercing to Jenna's dismay—and eventually latched on to begin nursing.

"Looks like you have competition now," I grinned up at my wife.

"I'm more than happy to share with her." Jenna kissed the top of our baby bird's head and then kissed me on the lips. "Although I do miss—"

"I promise to get new piercings once she's outgrown breastfeeding."

She grinned back at me. "You'd better!"

###

I had just woken from a nap and finished feeding the baby again when there was a soft knock on the hospital room door. Meredith and Joanie poked their heads in.

"Sorry, we're getting anxious," Meredith whispered. "Is this a good time?"

I yawned. "Come on in."

They crowded around the right side of the bed.

"You look a million times better, Kat," Joanie said. "How do you feel?"

"Tired but elated." I couldn't stop smiling. "I've never been happier in my whole life."

"I will not take offense to that." Jenna turned from where she stood by the dark window. A pink bundle was swaddled in her arms.

Meredith gasped. "She's the most beautiful baby ever! I want to hold her."

"Me, too!" Joanie nodded, practically bouncing on her toes.

Jenna pulled the blanket back further from a tiny, yawning face. "May I present the newest addition to our family? Essie Mae Swallow. Born June 9th at 12:06am. Coming in at a petite 18 inches and 6.5 pounds. Ten perfect little toes and fingers."

I laughed as the two new aunties oohed and ahhed over our bundle of joy.

"Look at that blonde hair." Joanie lightly ran her finger over Essie's temple.

"And those bright blue eyes," Meredith cooed. "It'll be interesting to see if either change in the next few months. Are you still not telling us about the donor profile you picked out?"

I shook my head. "As long as she's healthy, her daddy doesn't matter."

"Will you tell her about him?" Meredith glanced at me as Jenna placed our baby in her sister's arms.

"Someday," Jenna nodded, making sure the blanket stayed tucked around Essie's arms and legs. "But for now, all that matters is we love her."

"So how hard was it?" Joanie took a seat beside my bed and crossed her arms on the sheet.

"Harder than I imagined." I smiled at Jenna. "But well worth it."

Jenna nodded and sat beside me on the other side of the bed.

"Essie is going to need someone to play with." Meredith cooed at her niece and added in a baby voice, "Yes, you will, won't you? Maybe a brother or sister."

I felt the blood drain from my face.

Joanie just laughed.

Jenna and I locked eyes as I said, "Lord help me..."

Because you never know what could happen when you kiss a girl.

~ H