Jane awoke, alone. Abigail had clearly disappeared sometime in the past couple of hours or so. Jane guessed that the rules for lesbians were no different for heterosexual encounters, but she did miss being able to lie here with the first woman she had had sex with and maybe have breakfast or brunch together. Jane then thought about Tori. Of course, her encounter with her had only been in a dream, not reality and in actuality she may have behaved very different. Jane picked up the little note Abigail had left, 'J, thank you Mistress, your servant, A'. It was clear that Abigail had a clear take on sexuality and was out for someone to direct her. Whilst this had been fine and probably, Jane realised, had lifted some of the pressure on herself to perform perfectly, she did not feel it was something she could sustain beyond a few hours. Maybe that was why Abigail had left so early. Of course, Jane could go back to the club or any other and find another one-night stand. She certainly did not have to worry about getting pregnant as a result. However, she realised, that while it was clear, even if she had not known it before, that sex with women was what got her off, she was coming to understand that what she was needing was a girlfriend; someone not just to wake up with after great sex, but to spend the whole day with.

Was that unusual? Was that not what millions of women in London were searching for? Well, they might not be searching for a girlfriend of course. Jane idly began thinking about the odds. She had gone from searching a pool of five million men, of course many of whom would be too old, too young, married, etc., but anyway there must be five million men in London, to a pool of one-in-ten women who were lesbians. That meant, say five hundred thousand women that would be interested in a female sexual partner. Out of these, of course, again, many would be too old, too young, these days even married or okay, in a civil partnership. It did mean, though there were still probably thousands of women she might get on with and she only needed one of those. The issue was, well, with men, most of them you could ask out, if you had the courage or they would chat you up. Even before the recent changes in her life that had happened only occasionally, but how did you find a lesbian? As a straight woman you could often be lazy as so many men felt it was their task to initiate a relationship. Of course, many of those men who did try that were ones you would run a mile from. However, if the relationship was between two women who made the first move? The butch? And then what if you did not want a butch? To some extent Jane had played that role last night, but Abigail had been the one driving the encounter.

Maybe she had seen the answer already. She had to look like a lesbian, not just when in a lesbian club, but during chance encounters on the underground, in shops, etc. Then again she had no desire to walk around with a 'Nobody Knows I'm A Lesbian' teeshirt on all the time; she had class. She had taken some steps towards looking like the hallucinations she had seen in the mirror, but maybe not enough. She needed to signal to those in the know without shouting it out. She got up and walked over to her dresser. She pulled on her dressing gown as she did. She sat on the seat gazing at herself trying to remember the image she had seen of herself in it in the past. She was happy that the hallucinations had gone. There had been something else about them that she hardly remembered now, was it what Tori or Steph had said about her appearance? She could not remember it now; it did not matter. Anyway, maybe what she could recall of those images would help her. She grasped the back of her hair and lifted it clear of her neck. Certainly a shorter cut would be good. As it was she had had this style as long as she could remember. And earrings. She had no fear of piercings, it was just she had stuck to the standard one in each ear, maybe a few more would suit. Her wardrobe needed filling, skirts and blouses had to go, she needed more jeans, more tight tops, more boots, more belts and some jewellery, not masculine stuff but things with strength, some silver rings, a nice metal necklace, steel and silver not gold. She needed something better for work too. A strong corporate style suit would be good for seeing off those lazy, arrogant men in her office. And, if by chance, Tori happened to come past her desk then she might see Jane's attitudes had shifted.

Jane felt a real enthusiasm coming to her. She felt strong, as if she had got her membership and even if someone came up to her in a shop and said something like 'you don't belong in here, you're not a lesbian', as if they would, she could now snap back, 'only hours ago I had a woman between my thighs licking me to orgasm, so there!' Of course, Jane realised, none of this would mean a girlfriend would drop into her lap, but at least she would be signalling to prospective ones that she was available. She recognised she was a beginner and lacked the 'gaydar' that she had heard about, but at least if she gave the outward appearance of being a lesbian then she would stand a better chance than she did now.

Sonya felt she needed an evening out, though she did warn herself to go carefully on the drinks, she had no desire to have a repeat visit to the hospital. Though, she conceded, if there were more nurses there like Marianne it would be nice to go back. She was keen to go on a date with the young nurse, but knew that might not happen until weeks from now. It might turn out that they did not hit it off anyway, and so, Sonya felt she could go out and see what women she could encounter without any sense of guilt. How many exchanged phone numbers ever actually turned into dates?

Sonya felt a real buzz about going out. She put on some nice baggy shiny grey trousers and a short, tight black top that she liked, plus her black thick-soled boots. She could be just another female clubber, but her tattoos marked her out as something special. She hoped that would make it easier to attract the right kind of woman. As she came ever closer to the club, Sonya realised that actually she was pretty hungry for some sex. It seemed like so long since she could remember having a good session. Standing in the short queue to get in, Sonya found herself slipping further into predatory mode and began actively checking out women around her. She spotted one in a clinging white long-sleeved buttoned top and sleek leather trousers of a dark brown shade. Her hair was dark and short and less shaped than Sonya's. Though they would not be butch and femme together Sonya felt this woman could complement her pretty well. There was nothing to lose by finding out, and once, inside Sonya targeted her.

"Hi, I like your trousers." Sonya started, a little hesitant.

The woman turned and smiled. Sonya guessed that a woman alone in a place like this was not going to be too offended if women came up to her. The woman looked probably eight years older than herself, but with an air about her that seemed to balance experience with a desire to see and do more that appealed to Sonya.

"Thank you. That's a cool bracelet."

The woman indicated the stainless steel bracelet Sonya had around her wrist. She could not remember where she had got it from, but she liked it and was glad she had worn it.

"Thanks, I'm Sonya."

"I'm Carole. I'm getting a drink, what would you like?"

"Erm, a, erm, I'll have a," Sonya found that she wanted to say port, but that sounded odd, "give me a vodka, keep it a single though. I had a bit of a bad incident last week?"

"Yes? Hangover?" Carole smiled in a way that Sonya found she liked.

Carole turned away briefly to place Sonya's order and take her own drink which Sonya saw was also vodka.

"No, I was stepping off the kerb and a car clipped me; woke up in hospital."

"Well, this week, I'll take care of you." Carole paid and handed Sonya her glass. "Come on, let's find somewhere." Carole suggested.

Sonya found she felt safe with Carole and that was a good sensation. For some reason, all of this, the club, her out looking for a woman seemed a little strange. She wondered if the accident last week had shaken her up more than she had realised. She felt alright physically, it was just, well, that she was a little apprehensive. There was no denying she needed sex, but perhaps tonight someone like Carole was a better bet than the more wild women she would normally have gone for. As they sat down with their drinks, Sonya admired Carole's slim body and began wondering what it would be like to peel off that top and nuzzle her breasts. There was nothing wrong with her, Sonya told herself, if those kind of thoughts were coming to mind.

Sonya had worried that they would have little to talk about, but soon they found they liked the same kind of movies and even fancied the same type of women. Carole was well travelled and Sonya enjoyed hearing her stories of going around the USA, Germany and Russia. Sonya spoke of her own plans for Goa and was soon turned on to a visit to Berlin by Carole's description of the night scene. Now she was earning more, she was sure she could afford a few little trips before the big one.

Sonya soon knew that she wanted to have sex with Carole, but did not want to be too pushy. Carole seemed to be on the same wavelength though and when she revealed she had a flat not far from the club, Sonya tried not to sound too eager, but also not too coy either and soon they were walking back there. As Carole's hand cupped Sonya's bum she quivered pleasurably. All of this felt surprisingly new to her, which was a little surprising. Sonya had always known she was a lesbian and had never been ashamed of it. She had memories of pleasurable encounters, with a Lisa and a Mel, and a woman called Marly, a German student she had met a couple of summers ago. However, what was happening now seemed a lot more real. She was not complaining of course, she told herself, if it felt better than before, what was there to worry about, she should not upset things by analysing them too much.

They entered the flat and hesitated at the door to kiss. Carole hurried ahead then to put on some low lights. Sonya padded into the living room. The flat was cool, quite bare, but she liked that. There was a dark sheepskin rug on the floor and she was eager to be spread out on that, or perhaps the long 'L'-shaped leather sofa, she could not choose.

"Vodka?" Carole called from the kitchen.

"Yes, yes, please." Sonya called.

"There's only soft things to fall on here." Carole said as she walked back with two small glasses of vodka and a bottle that looked ice cold, all balanced on a silver tray.

Carole placed them on a low table and lowered herself on to the sheepskin. Sonya did likewise, loving the feel of the wool on her bare arms. Sonya lounged not really knowing what to do next. Carole slipped her top over her head and then undid her bra. Her breasts looked perfect to Sonya and she sat gazing at them, eager to touch Carole's skin but still surprisingly nervous. Carole took some vodka in her mouth but rather than reaching forward to kiss Sonya she dipped her finger inside her mouth and then painted some body warmth vodka around each of her nipples. Sonya found herself plunging forward and closing her mouth around a nipple. She gasped as tasted the alcohol and then felt the weight of the nipple hard on her tongue. Carole rolled back and Sonya came on top of her, kissing her exposed flesh. Carole's fingers tugged at Sonya's trousers. Her own feet twisted together to try to remove her boots. Sonya arched up and twisted to free Carole of her boots and then to begin tugging at her wonderfully smooth leather trousers. Then she decided she wanted to ride those and quickly pulled at her own looser trousers.

"That's more like it." Carole muttered.

Sonya realised that was a reference to the fact that she had been in the process of entirely stripping Carole and yet had not shed any items of her own. Sonya rolled off Carole and quickly shed her boots, trousers and panties. Then she remounted her partner gliding over the shiny leather as she realised she had been fantasising about this from the moment she had seen Carole in them. Sonya slid back and forth across Carole's leathered legs, then bent over so her pussy lips brushed over the smooth surface. She shivered pleasurably. Then Carole reached up and grasped the small of Sonya's back with one hand then brushed the back of her other hand back and forth over Sonya's lower lips until they were unfolding like a flower. Sonya cast her head back savouring the sensation. She came up on her haunches and then unzipped the front of Carole's trousers and sent fingers probing deep inside between Carole's hot thighs.

Sonya found Carole's sex unsurprisingly hot and wet and she mimicked Carole's own actions on her. When Carole trapped Sonya's clitoris between her fingers, Sonya did the same and felt they were locked in some kind of feedback loop running pleasure between them. Then Sonya broke the connection. Carole did not protest as Sonya peeled off her trousers and pants to leave her naked. Then Sonya slid back up Carole's leg, hers either side of it. Her knee gently pressed into position on Carole's pussy as her fingers grasped and fondled Carole's nipples. Carole raised her own leg so her knee also butted against Sonya's slick sex. She reached out to grasp Sonya's breasts and they began, nudging, grasping, twisting, stroking. If one wanted more pressure she signalled it by doing that to the other. Sonya felt locked into a cycle of pleasure, not rushed but stoking up senses in a way she had never felt before. She had no idea of how much time passed but she found herself gasping, trying to hold back from coming until Carole was ready.

Then, breathlessly, Carole said "Now."

The two of them increased the pressure just a little bit and slumped together shuddering as their hot slick bodies slid over each other. They convulsed, shrieking their pleasure that had been built up so skilfully. Sonya felt dazed knowing that this orgasm was like none she had had in her life before. She rolled off Carole and lay beside her aware of the thumping of both hers and her own heart. Sonya was prone, catching her breath, letting the sweat feel cool on her body. Her hand wandered idly and buffeted Carole's nearest nipple. Carole reached out and returned the favour then turned over and with her mouth close to her Sonya's ear.

"Ready for some more?"

Sonya could not believe this was real, but she put up no resistance as Carole slid her thigh between Sonya's legs. The strong sleek weight was delicious and Sonya bent to trap it, to use it as the fuel for more pleasure.

Sonya walked into work feeling as if there was a cushion of air beneath her feet. Her body ached of course and she doubted whether she would walk quite the same ever again. The one-night, sorry, two-night stand with Carole had been astounding. Sonya felt like there had been decades of orgasms somehow built up in her and released beneath Carole's skilled, fingers, wrist, tongue, thigh, elbow, dildo, vibrator … It was not the basis of a sustained relationship, at the end of the day they seemed too different. However, Sonya was making no complaints at all about the incredible feelings that had been fired into her that weekend.

Carole had driven her to work first thing, she seemed to know where the call centre was very precisely. She had to go off to see about a new job herself she said. She gave Sonya no number and to be honest Sonya had not expected it. They had had fun; that was it. She would find someone else for a relationship, she felt sure. What she did feel at the moment though was that she had really defined herself as a serious sexual lesbian, with a whole lot of experience up her …, well, not 'up her sleeves' on a sleeveless top, say, down her jeans. It gave her a real buzz, a real confidence to go out and find some more. As she walked into the centre, this morning, however, she caught sight of her manager, Neil Spencer.

"Sonya, it's been good to have you back. It seemed like ages while you were away. I almost forgot what you looked like. Come into my office for a quick minute."

Sonya did as he asked, a little apprehensive he was going to make a fuss about her missing work the previous week. She had hoped she had made up for it by keeping her head down this week. There were no signs now that she had even had an accident. He offered her a seat which Sonya took as a good sign that this was going to be a slightly long meeting than he would have needed if he was just sacking her.

"Sonya, I must say that me and Leanne have been very impressed with your work. It was after that woman came down from head office, that really it all started. We were going to say something last week, but of course you had the accident. Maybe we didn't notice it much before but when she and I were talking last week about what to do with you being off we realised we both felt the same. We both thought that you have been working so efficiently and your voice on the phone, well, you speak like a woman thirty years older, none of this coarseness of some of the others. That's a compliment, okay? Anyway, we were going to advertise, but we think you deserve a shot at it if you like."

"At what?"

"Recruitment Officer. It means working under Gina in HR, but there's a whole career ladder there if you're interested. We'll pay for the training and Gina's great, she'll bring you on. It'll mean working more on your own initiative, so no more hanging out with the gang on the floor here, but, in exchange, you get more pay, paid holidays and, even better, a company car, nothing grand, but enough to get you round town. You'll be travelling around setting up interviews, dealing with agencies, that kind of thing. Does it sound interesting?"

Sonya had never had an idea what she wanted to do next, but she might as well take more cash and a car while she decided on the next step. Better salary would mean getting out to Goa all that much quicker. She wondered if Marianne fancied Goa. How much leave did nurses get? Since when had she started thinking about holidaying with Marianne? They had not even had their first proper date yet. Maybe she was another component in things seeming to come together for Sonya. Well, why should she not dream? Even if it turned out that Marianne was not the one, the thought of staying in a beach front hut and striding out with her lover, having her hands slowly rubbing suntan oil into her body. Focus, back in the room, there was time enough for fantasising later.

"Yes, yes, Neil, sign me up."

"Excellent. I'll clear it all with Mr. Parwani. Keep that kind of response up and you'll be in my shoes in five years' time. Right, run along to see Gina, you can get all the info straight away."

As she walked to Gina's office, Sonya felt a sudden urge. She needed someone to share this good news with. Marianne came to mind in an instant and with that Sonya recognised something: of course sex might be on the horizon, but with Marianne there seemed to be a lot more on offer too and she told herself that she would be a fool not to even just check back with her to see if she fancied a date. Some of the things Carole had done to her came to mind, but now she saw Marianne's face in the daydream. Sonya shifted awkwardly. Once all of that was sorted she would have to seek out Marianne, but she needed to plan it, not rush in and mess it up. So much to think about. Well, all of this seemed a good sign, but for now she had to douse her libido and her daydreams and rather see what she could do about securing a better job.

Jane was a little self-conscious when she walked into the office on the Monday. However, she realised that even if her confidence evaporated now, there were only limited things she could turn back. The enthusiasm on Saturday morning had led her quickly out into town to bring about the changes she had been thinking about. For the thousandth time that morning, she ran her hand a little nervously over the back of her neck. Partly her hesitance was due to the strange physical sensation at not having her hair covering her neck as it had done for so many years. Partly it was because she was conscious that few would mistake her haircut for anything other than one worn by a lesbian. Her hair was now both short and spiky and in turn revealed the three earrings in each lobe and the one resting on the top of her right ear. She found she was holding a her hand over her face, worried that someone would catch the glint of the tiny silver stud on the left side of her nose. She was pleased that the itchy, narrow patterned band now tattooed on her left arm was hidden from view. On Saturday she had admired the twirling, flower like design, but now she worried she had marked herself out irrevocably.

On Saturday these things had made her feel empowered. She had gone into the centre of London for another shopping trip. Her wardrobe had undergone a transformation pretty quickly. Given that she had gone wearing the white top and the leather jeans no-one had challenged her sifting through rails of similar items or when she had ostentatiously stood perusing the lesbian literature section of any bookshop she had seen and stood running fingers now carrying nice silver rings, along the spines. She had sat in a caf� watching the women she found attractive walking by and it had all felt very mature and exciting. Now she faced the reality of the return to work.

Jane had kitted herself out with a couple of sharp suits, one in dark-grey stripes, the other plain black. They had long jackets and straight but not tight trousers. She had bought some over-sized white buttoned shirts and then camisole tops for days when she was not feeling so challenging. She had hung a loose claret-coloured tie around her neck. He feet wore flat heel boots with smooth uppers, though today she had eschewed the patent leather ones. Jane hurried to the ladies to check her appearance. Now she was here she had to admit that she did look smart. The new jewellery was discreet enough not to attract unwanted attention. Jane's nervousness began to fade and she told herself that it was nothing different to if she had simply decided to update her style. Nothing here screamed out 'lesbian' and even if it did, she told herself, what was the problem, it was nothing but accurate. More confident, Jane walked to her desk. As she closed on it, a woman came into the office and headed to what had been Steph's desk.

"Ah, you must be Jane." The woman said.

"Yes, erm, that's right; Jane Portland."

"I'm Carole Donnamore."

"Carole, that's great."

Carole had a broad face with a long but slender and elegant nose that led to a small mouth with full lips and a strong chin with a rounded point. Her hair was a russet brown and framed her faced coming to mid-way down her cheeks, though slightly shorter at the back. Her eyes were what caught Jane though, they had a brightness, intense but not frightening, more just showing a kind of strong interest in everyone and everything around her. Jane guessed Carole was probably four or five years older than herself. Her body was slender with a clear waist and her breasts, under the shiny dark-blue shirt she wore hanging loosely over her bum, were larger than average but not exceptionally so. Her trousers, a light purple shade were tight and sat high on her waist and Jane allowed herself to admire the taut line of Carole's thighs and buttocks. She would not mind exploring this body. As Carole came over to shake Jane's hand, suddenly Jane realised that she might stand a chance with this woman. The top few buttons of Carole's shirt were undone and sitting on her breast bone was a necklace ending in a labrys.

"Haven't we met before? At Element or was it The Candy Bar, though I've rather tired of it recently. I've been working out of London for a few months, Singapore, but I always end up back here."

"Erm, well, I was in Element last week."

"That must have been it. Have you been up to Glass Bar?"

"No, no, I haven't."

"You ought to give it a try. Bring along your girlfriend. You know with a couple of like-minded people, it can be a great time."

"Erm, yes, well, I'm single at the moment."

Jane wondered if Carole was actually trying to chat her up, then she realised, she did not mind if she did.

"Okay. Sorry, here's me gushing. It's just nice to meet a sister-in-arms, you know what I mean; me, I then to go over board. I tend to work in a place for a few months and then save and set off again. It's California next, San Francisco's great and you can't beat the scenery inland."

"It sounds good." Jane tried to sound enthusiastic worried she might put Carole off. "So you're not planning on staying here long?" A little disappointed that her new lesbian friend would be gone all too quickly.

"Well, obviously they're hoping that this Steph turns up; did you know her well?"

"Reasonably, we worked together for a few years. She was sweet but I can't say I knew much about her. She worked hard, didn't seem to have much fun in her life. I do wonder what's happened to her."

"I'm sure someone swept her off her feet and she's spending her savings down in Rio or something."

"Yes, that would be a nice thought."

"Well, I'd better get down to it. I might be the temp, but I don't want to upset this Mr. Logan."

"Well, he may come across as gruff but he's good at heart. If you stay here long enough, he'll invite you to his house for dinner. He seems keen to have us all partnered off."

"Oh, that can be a bit embarrassing, being foisted on some twice-divorced guy in his forties."

"No, Logan's far more on the ball than that. He set me up with a lovely woman, Tori, Victoria, she works here."

"Oh, that sounds pretty enlightened. Not to be indiscreet, but she was lovely, but not your type?"

"Erm, I don't know. You know, I'm not that suave, I think I bungled it rather, which I am coming to feel was a shame."

"Don't be disheartened. I'm sure there'll be other chances."

"Well, she's off in Shanghai for the moment."

"That's a shame, but I guess it's not for life."

"No, but six months seems like forever and maybe I was wrong about her, her and me."

"Well, in the meantime don't sit here moping about it. Come on, you and me, Saturday night, let's go and see some places. I move around so much I don't have time to make many friends, let alone ones who see women the same way as I do."

Jane had to confess that it would be good to have someone to check out the scene with. She had done pretty well on her first attempt, but there was no guarantee she could repeat that. And what about Carole herself? There was something very positive about her that Jane was coming to like. She was unapologetic about who and what she was and Jane liked those characteristics. In addition, there was how she looked, her body, her style, all plus points, Jane realised. Working in such close proximity might be an issue, but as Carole had said she was a temp, it might only be a short-term challenge.

"Sounds good."

"Excellent."

The week passed quickly. Knowing that it was Carole who would be there when she came into work dismissed any lingering concerns Jane had had about her new style. In fact, Carole's enthusiasm was infectious and by the end of the week Jane felt that being a lesbian was the best thing on the planet that you could be. Jane realised too, that she was seriously falling for Carole. It did not seem like being any kind of long-

term thing given Carole's urge to travel, but she did seem capable of much more of a sustained relationship than some women she might encounter. Given so far she had had only one partner, Jane recognised that she could benefit from exploring more about what it meant to be a lesbian and one in a relationship. She did not know how to raise the possibility with Carole and in turn, despite her open discussion of lesbian life, she seemed to be professional enough to keep private and public behaviour separate. Things, Jane realised, might be different when they were out and increasingly she began looking ahead to Saturday not only for companionship in becoming more familiar with lesbian nightlife but also finding out if anything deeper was going to develop with Carole.

That Friday some other things came into the equation. Logan called both Jane and Carole to his office just after lunch; Jeremy Milward was there too, though he looked bored and was flicking through papers on his lap. Logan had a letter on the table in front of him.

"This came this morning from Cancun in Mexico. It's from Steph. It's kind of a letter of resignation. For some reason it took quite a while to reach us. I thought Steph would have sent an email, but I guess she's set herself up in some hut on the beach somewhere. Human Resources are kicking up a stink, but she was owed so much leave they could not really complain; it more than covers any notice she would have had to work. The police were not overly happy either but apparently it checks out. They've been in touch with the Mexican authorities and she is over there apparently. I suppose they feel they have wasted their time a bit, but there were so few clues that I doubt they had got far, and I imagine they are always happier to 'find' a missing person than their corpse. I suppose it fits. Apparently her house was sold up anyway, and I doubt an abductor could have pulled that off, not unless they were very skilled. So, anyway, that means we know Steph is not coming back. Now, Carole, if I seem to remember correctly you're booked in for another week?"

"Yes, that's right Mr. Logan."

Milward grunted confirmation too.

"Okay, that's good. We're having Julian Spencer coming in to take over Steph's role. He's quite new but been doing good things, so it's a bit of a promotion for him. If you can hold the fort until he's finished off things in his current office."

"Sure can."

"Can you just leave us for the moment, Carole, there's a couple of things I want to discuss with Jane."

"No worries." Carole said and left.

Jane sat a little apprehensively wondering what it was Logan was going to say to her. Had she done something wrong? Did he blame her for Steph leaving so suddenly? Was it, she thought a little more reassuringly, that he wanted to invite her to another dinner party? At that thought she wondered if she could bring Carole along this time.

"Jane, I just thought that with all the shifts going on at the moment, Victoria in Shanghai, Steph having left suddenly, whether you would be interested in the department manager's post? We could advertise it outside of course if you do not feel you are up to it, but I must say over the last few weeks you seem to have been a lot sharper, more focused. It is as if, well, how would the French say it, you are more comfortable in your skin and that seems to really be paying off. That suit really gives you an air of professionalism and I can really see you rising fast here. That is, of course, if you want to. In the early days I always thought it would happen for Steph, but she did not seem to want that. Clearly she was dreaming of something else. That's not to say, of course, that becoming department manager cuts off other things. Sorry, I am not saying this well. Belinda said how well you handle Derek, Matt, John, the rest of that bunch, skills you will need in the new post. Will you take it?"

Jane realised that Logan was right. A month or two ago she would have never felt herself confident enough to tackle greater responsibility, but now she had the sense that not only was she capable of doing it, that she would do it very well. It was as if her eyes had opened to just how strong and competent at her job she was.

"Yes, Mr. Logan, certainly. Thank you for the opportunity. I know I can prove to you and the others that your decision was right."

Logan smiled broadly, clearly already reassured of that fact by Jane's response.

Jane felt a little self-conscious as she walked to the club. She had celebrated her promotion with another shopping spree. This time, not for things that would show her as a lesbian, but for clothes that primarily made her feel sexy. She was uncertain where things were going to go with Carole, but she accepted that at worst they would have a good evening out.

Despite these positive thoughts, Jane remained a little apprehensive that the brand new over-the-knee boots she wore would be condemned as being not suitable for a lesbian. Jane checked herself; that was still a strange thought, that she wanted to be accepted in the lesbian community. For a moment it stunned her how far she had come in the past few months. She wished now that she had arranged to meet Carole somewhere else rather than in the club, but would that have made things easier? Then she realised that the freedom that she had felt since she had come to accept that she was truly a lesbian, extended to how she dressed too. If she had no fear any longer in going to a lesbian club, then why should she worry about what anyone thought, male or female, about how she dressed? She walked a little more confidently, realising that the boots made her feel strong and she loved what the long leather did to how her legs looked. Increasingly she felt pleased that she was wearing clothes that stood out, well, if people looked, they looked, that was no bad thing. She realised that in the shadows she would not be obvious. Her sleeveless dark maroon blouse was ordinary enough, smart, but not outrageous. Similarly you would only know the jeans she wore were black suede if you looked very carefully.

Of course, Jane was in through the door to the club in moments. The woman there did not even ask her all those awkward questions she had asked the woman in front about whether she was aware this was a lesbian club. Jane revelled in the fact that she certainly looked sufficiently a lesbian to get passed that scrutiny.

Inside Jane ran her eyes around the room. It was a typical crowd, a series of little bubbles of excitement between a couple of women or a group. Jane felt as she had the previous week when she stepped into such a place: released. It was as if she had shifted worlds. She had nothing against men, it was just that here the rules seemed different. She had to make no apologies for being attracted to a woman she saw; to going over and chatting to her, possibly to initiate a more intimate encounter. Of course the woman in question might have a partner but she was not going to be shocked, angry even, that Jane saw her as sexually attractive.

Jane caught sight of Abigail and was intrigued to see the woman she was with tonight. Abigail gazed adoringly at this one, seemingly oblivious to the club around them. The dominant woman had a cascade of blonde braids down her back. She wore black vinyl: a cropped top and tight matching trousers running to chunky boots; a laced and studded belt was slung around her waist. Abigail's outfit looked different to what she had worn before and Jane wondered if her new partner had buckled her into it in the dominant way it was clear Abigail enjoyed. She was in a tight black leather dress, with buckled straps over her bare shoulders and lacing around the back to pull it tight.

Whilst Jane was mainly certain that she was not into power games in sex, she had to confess what she was envisaging about Abigail and this woman were making her aroused. Impatient for Carole to arrive Jane went to the bar and ordered a drink. Before it arrived, she felt a hand in the small of her back and turned to see Carole. She was in a lace wrap around top that would have looked delicate if it had not been a blood red shade. The broad belt of leather thongs and a detailed circular buckle further subverted the look. Beneath were tight leather trousers that Jane was eager to run her fingers across and below long black suede boots, laced behind Carole's knees. For an instant Jane wondered if Carole had somehow read Jane's mind as their outfits: leather and suede, black tempered with shades of red, brought together they complemented each other. With that recognition, Jane felt a jolt. Anyone seeing them here would think they were a couple. Having Carole standing so close to her, Jane realised that was something she was more than happy to be seen as.

"What would you like to drink?"

Jane asked, pressing her mouth close to Carole's ear. She naughtily let her tongue out to tease at the rim, just gently but clearly enough to indicate it was not an innocent question.

"Tequila." Carole responded eagerly.

This was a drink Jane had never had. Her brandy was brought and Carole's tequila added. They made their way over to the side to have their drinks.

"I've never had tequila, what's it like?"

"Have a taste." Carole said, grinning.

Jane expected Carole to pass over the glass instead she took a big sip and stepped close to Jane. Though her lips were closed to keep the drink in, she smiled broadly. Jane knew this was some kind of test. She had already made her decision and needed no prompting. Her lips closed on Carole's and she felt the warm tequila come with her colleague's tongue, into her mouth. This was good. It was as if a dam had been breached and Jane realised how much she had been turned on by Carole from the moment she had met her. They kissed and shared some of Jane's brandy. Jane felt much less urgency with Carole. Tonight she was sure they were going to have sex, but it was more about spending time with this woman. Now she wanted to be seen to be with someone. It was far too early to even consider Carole has her 'girlfriend', but there was a real buzz in thinking that that was possible. The pair of them danced and held each other, it was good and Jane felt a perfect week had been capped. For her it was clear that lesbians did have more fun. Or maybe, she thought, she should clarify that. It was clear that a lesbian who had finally realised she was one, had more fun.

Carole had a flat close to Soho which made it ideal for clubbing. As Jane had expected, Carole confirmed it was well out of her reach financially, but that she was effectively house-sitting it for a Hungarian man she had met out in Singapore. It seemed Carole had had quite a free hand in its decoration since coming there. The bedroom with its damask drapes and large bed looked like something out of a novel. Carole explained that her and this Hungarian's tastes had been close anyway, which is why they had got talking. The place made Jane feel like a princess and her mind spiralled with thoughts of naughty fantasies of a princess carried off by the wicked witch who turned out to be beautiful and lustful for the princess's body.

Whilst they stripped off their tops quickly, both women left their trousers and boots on. Carole eased Jane back on the bed and unzipped her suede jeans before beginning to slide the leather-clad leather of her thigh against Jane's thin panties. The sensation of the smooth material running over her pussy lips was delicious and Jane wondered if in future she would forego underwear for easier access. She tugged her panties aside and gasped as the body-hot leather came into to direct contact with the most intimate part of her body.

The tight trousers and boots made Jane feel confident, as if they were somehow two Napoleonic cavalry officers discovering the other was a female. Jane rolled Carole over and just opening her trousers a little to expose the naked flesh below, began a similar treatment with her suede-coated leg, wondering how different that texture would feel. The Jane's eased down Carole trailing her tongue over her sensitive parts. Carole was clean shaven and Jane slid her head between the leathered thighs taking in the scent of the leather and of Carole's arousal. She closed her mouth on Carole's sex. She knew she was inexperienced, but worked on the basis of what she knew she liked herself. She butted at Carole's clitoris with her tongue and from the sounds emanating from her new partner she knew she was doing something right.

Then Carole twisted around and fumbled for the bedside drawer. Jane let off her licking to see what Carole was pulling out. It proved to be a double-headed dildo and with it a bottle of lubricant.

"Do you want to give it a try?"

Jane halted for a moment. Her knowledge about lesbian sex had increased a great deal both through what she had read in print and on the internet, but actually taking a step like this was a different issue. She guessed that if she had had a vibrator that she would have been more comfortable with this, but now she felt it was rather cheating, to have the replica of a man inside her. Then again, this long magenta rubber toy bore less than a passing resemblance to a man and perhaps the sensation of something inside her would be good, especially if attached to Carole too. Surely it would be like connecting up. As these thoughts ran through Jane's mind, she realised that, the answer was going to be 'yes'.

Jane nodded. "Yes please." She found herself saying.

She remained a little apprehensive as Carole rubbed lubricant on to the shaft and then slowly moved it towards Jane's pussy. However, as the cool rubber touched her sex, Jane knew she had been right to agree. She grasped it herself now and gasped as it slid inside her. That did feel good. There was something about the weight in there that was so, so pleasant. Carole manoeuvred her end deep into herself too and then the two half-clad women came together, their legs splayed for the moment so that they sat upright. Jane loved how a every small shift in Carole's position or her own moved the dildo and brought a different reaction from her body.

"I've got one that'll stroke our clits." Carole muttered.

"This, ah, this is fine for now." Jane gasped.

Jane shifted closer to Carole and lent into to kiss her. This was good, their pussies and the rest of them could be attended to at once. Carole gently rubbed her palms across Jane's aroused nipples. Then she shifted, moving slowly so the dildo connection remained. She guided Jane around so her back was to the headboard and then Carole knelt up and began thrusting, both riding the rod herself and bringing it in and out of Jane. Their hands teased each other's nipples and searched out other areas of their skin that made them shudder delightfully when touched.

Jane realised that her arousal had been steadily growing and that Carole was expert in building it up. Now Jane increasingly felt herself unaware of anything bar the sensations triggered by her lover's moves and her efforts to return that stimulation. The suddenly it hit her. Her head jerked back and she yelped as orgasm rocked her, and yet Carole did not stop, the dildo kept on its insistent probing. Jane found that unbelievably she could feel the coming of another climax.

"You're on the plateau." Carole gasped just before she was clearly swept by a matching sensation.

Jane shuddered, knocked back by another orgasm. She found it impossible to focus, but that did not matter, she just wanted to stay in this position forever. Her senses seemed heightened and she picked out every breath Carole took, the feel of her skin, the scent of her sweat, the beat of her heart. And in that instant it was there again. Though they were consecutive, each climax had been different. Jane felt her body as if it ran with alien chemicals, ones that flowed into every pleasure centre of her. She finished with a final small burst and then grasped at the dildo, tugging its sodden form out of her as Carole slumped against her. They were so entwined. Jane had not even been conscious of Carole's legs sliding over the top of hers to bring themselves closer together. Jane knew she would ache the next day, but for now that did not matter. She hungrily kissed Carole's neck and then lifted her head to feel her lips against her own. They kissed in celebration of what had just been achieved. Jane knew she was never going to be reluctant to allow such a dildo into her ever again. In her mind she shouted triumphantly. This was not only lesbian sex she was having, this was excellent, supreme, orgasmic lesbian sex and it was she who was enjoying it to the full. This was no dream, this was reality and she was delighted that her reality had managed to change so much to bring her to this.