Chapter 5

After indulging in several (hundred) more of her delicious kisses, I marched Alex and her garment bag into the bathroom, telling her she was not to reappear until she was dressed and ready to go. Honestly, it was more to keep me from jumping on her than anything else. Her mouth was its own universe of wonders and I was defenceless against it.

With Alex safely separated from me, I quickly got ready. I brought a simple black dress for the occasion, a sleeveless v-neck dress that’s always served me well in the past. The necklace Alex got me nestled perfectly along the neckline.

“Darling?” I called, not having heard Alex rattling around for a while, “Are you ready?”

“Almost,” Alex responded.

I quickly applied some make-up. “What’s taking you so long?”

The bathroom door opened and Alex stepped out looking gorgeous in a beautiful tux.

“Wow,” I sighed, “I approve.” I grasped the lapels of her jacket before smoothing out the material across her chest.

Alex grinned, her eyes straying to the neckline of my dress and my cleavage. “I’m not going to be able to focus on other things tonight if I have this to look at.”

She cupped my breasts and squeezed, leaning down to kiss each one.

“You have the whole rest of the night to spend with them… and me,” I said, reluctantly taking her hands off.

Alex was undeterred. She put her hands to my waist, running them tantalisingly downwards, “Technically, we don’t have to get there until dinner starts.”

“Which is in about fifteen minutes. Stop messing around, you nymphomaniac!” I giggled.

Alex pushed me down into the bed, “A lot can happen in fifteen minutes.”

“You are nut, you know that, right?” I laughed as she burrowed under my dress.

I felt her fingers move my underwear aside and her tongue claim my clit.

Alex’s hot breath and pliable tongue made quick work of my nerve endings. She hit every one of my sensitive spots, again and again until I came, dissolving into a dizzying puddle of post-orgasmic bliss.

“You really are mental,” I mumbled, as Alex planted kisses along my thighs.

She emerged from under my dress, “Now we can go,” she grinned.

“Give me a minute, Romeo, I need to recover.”

Jess wandered into the bathroom. Her easy beauty always caught me off-guard; the dress was stunning on her. And those breasts…

I finished re-adjusting my shirt and tie when Jess came back out with a smile.

“Hiya back!” I returned her smile.

“Thank you for being so wonderful about… about earlier. I know I gave you a little bit of whiplash back there. I’m here with you now, and I want to be, and I have no intention of being with anyone else. I got all jumbled up for a moment.”

I wrapped her in my arms and kissed her on her forehead, “I love you.”

I was glad she finally told me the whole story about James. It was devastating to hear that she had to endure such hurt. I wondered how much we would need to contend with the ghost of that relationship as we moved forward.

“I love you too,” Jess replied, kissing our intertwined fingers.

Dinner was just getting started when we got to the ballroom, so Jess and I slid into our seats as the speeches got underway. Annie was seated next to Jess and she leant over to say hello.

“You guys look great! Didn’t think you were going to make it,” she exclaimed, giving Jess and I a knowing look.

“We had some time management problems,” Jess deadpanned. My stomach flipped with the memories from the afternoon.

“You know me, I hate the chit-chatting business during receptions.” I fumbled for an excuse.

Annie rolled her eyes, “More like you guys are still in the FLB phase of the relationship… not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

“Shut up, Annabelle,” I narrowed my eyes at her.

Jess looked at me, “What’s ‘FLB’?”

“Fucking Like Bunnies,” I replied. “Annie is bloody hilarious.”

Jess blushed a bright crimson, “It would be funny if it were not so embarrassing.”

Changing the topic, I quickly introduced Jess to the others at the table she hadn’t met before. With impeccable timing, Mona, my boss from work (and a co-chair of the event), came by to say hello. She and Jess quickly launched into an animated conversation about the Lake District.

Jess seemed amused by the US-version of non-profit fund-raising, as she watched the deep pockets in the room vie for auction items donated by other deep pockets.

“Seems like they spent a lot of money to get this thing going, and they are raising money by having people pay more money for stuff. In the UK, organizers beg, borrow, or steal to put the event on as cheaply as possible. This seems to work just as well though!”

“Go big or go home, my cross-Atlantic friend,” Mona responded, “Although your point is well taken. Excuse me while I check out our results on the night.”

As the auction wound down, a DJ took the floor, pumping music through the multitude of speakers in the ballroom. Annie and a handful of others immediately bounced enthusiastically towards to the dancefloor, working off several hours’ worth of alcohol.

Jess and I watched for a while, and then I noticed that she was staring at me with a smile on her face. Her gaze was like a warm embrace and I melted.

“I love it when you look at me like that,” I admitted.

Jess brushed her fingers along my cheek, “I was just thinking about how very handsome you are.”

My heart skipped a couple of beats. I moved closer and kissed her.

“GUYS! Get a room, or come join us!!!!” Annie shouted from the dance floor.

I stood and held out my hand, “May I have this dance, Jess Wainwright?” It was cheesy, but who cared?

They looked good together. Alex had her arms around Jess; they looked like they were in their own little world. I had to return to the table; my feet were destroyed by my heels.

“I remember that phase in my relationship with Liz,” Mona said wistfully as she sat down next to me.

I grinned, “You mean it’s not always rainbows and unicorns?”

Mona leaned back and crossed her arms, “Not when you have three kids under 6! Liz and I don’t know what to do with ourselves this weekend — the kids are with her parents in New Jersey. We spontaneously woke up at 5 this morning and were almost disappointed when we realised we had no diapers to change.”

I scanned the room idly as Mona talked. I saw Olivia the same time Mona did.

“Uh-oh,” Mona nodded towards Alex’s ex.

“Has she been here the entire time?” I asked.

Mona shrugged, “No idea. I don’t see Amy.”

“Olivia without Amy equals trouble. I should warn Alex.” I started to get up to head off Alex and Jess as they returned to the table.

Mona put a hand on my arm, “No, Alex is a big girl. She can handle herself.”

I saw Olivia spot Alex from across the room. Like a cheetah prowling through the tall grass, Olivia threaded her way through the tables towards us.

“Yeah, ok, but I’m not missing this showdown.”

Mona nodded, “Touché. Quick, grab that bottle of wine.”

“For drinking? Or as a weapon?” I asked, half seriously.

Mona held out her wine glass, “Haven’t decided yet.”

Alex pulled out a chair for Jess before sitting down and undoing her tie.

I watched as Olivia approached and touched Alex on the shoulder. When she saw who it was, Alex almost choked on the water she was drinking.

Jess’s eyes found mine. She cocked her head inquisitively.

“O-LIV-IA” I mouthed her. She raised her eyebrows and turned back towards Alex.

“Hi sweetie,” Olivia leaned down and kissed Alex on the lips.

And now we can all see her boobs; what an effing shrew.

Alex leaned back from the kiss and wiped her mouth with a grimace, “Hi Olivia.”

“Oh, Annie, you’re here too. Of course.” Olivia shot me a look of pure poison, “Alex, can I talk to you for a second? In private?”

And then, almost as an afterthought, she turned to Jess, “Don’t mind, do you?”

Jess gave Alex’s arm a subtle squeeze, “No, not at all.”

Alex frowned, but leaned over and gave Jess a quick kiss and said something in her ear before steering Olivia away.

“Jess, I had NO idea she was going to be here.” I started immediately once Olivia was out of earshot.

Jess smiled, “Alex told me she might be here. It’ll be ok.”

Mona watched Alex point Olivia towards the back of the ballroom, “Smart, Alex, fewer people back there.”

“Wow, you guys are really worried!” Jess turned back to us.

“Well, I don’t know how much Alex told you, but…”

Jess seemed totally calm.

I smiled, “What did Alex say to you just now?”

Jess took a sip of her water, “Enough to let me know that Olivia won’t get any drama out of this.”

Olivia took my hands in hers. I retracted them and crossed my arms.

“No need to be unfriendly, Alex,” Olivia pouted.

“Who was that at the table with you, anyway?” Olivia tossed a careless look in Jess’s direction.

“Jess Wainwright. My girlfriend.”

“Oh!” Olivia feigned surprise, “Does she know who I am?”

I nodded and asked again, “What do you want?”

Olivia leaned forward, “Well, Amy is on a work call, I saw you, and I just wanted to come say hello — I’d forgotten how good you look in a tux.”

I would have laughed if the situation hadn’t been so absurd. “So you said hello. We’re done.”

Olivia slid her hands over the lapels of my jacket and pulled me towards her. “Remember how much fun we had at this gala last year? It’s been ages, sweetie. I’ve missed you.”

I shook my head, “It’s definitely not mutual. You had fun at this gala last year — sneaking off with Amy. Yes — I knew you were fooling around with her, way before the gala.”

I was about to push her away when I felt Jess’s hand on my shoulder.

“I’m afraid I have to interrupt, darling, but the photographer just arrived and Mona wants a photo of all of us together.” Jess turned up my collar, smoothly inserting herself between Olivia and me.

I could feel Olivia shooting daggers at Jess with her eyes.

I handed Jess my tie. We seemed to have wordlessly agreed to proceed as if Olivia wasn’t there.

Olivia snarled, “Oh, how cute. Alex, do you need help getting dressed these days?”

I was about to snap at Olivia to mind her own business when Jess winked at me.

“Well, Olivia,” she said over her shoulder, as she finished knotting my tie, “I actually prefer undressing her… but she does look rather dashing in this, doesn’t she?”

She smoothed down my collar.

I looked at Jess in total awe.

Jess gave me a kiss, “Don’t take too long, my love. Olivia, it’s good to finally put a face to the name.”

I never thought that having Jess involved in any ex-girlfriend melodrama could be arousing, but all I wanted to do at that moment was drag Jess somewhere private so I could make her come.

I was watching Jess walk back to the table when I realised Olivia was saying something.

“Sorry, Olivia, what?” I turned back to see Olivia with her arms tightly crossed around her chest.

“What happened to you loving me forever?”

I sighed, “First, I never said anything like that, and second, you cheating on me with Amy kind of put a damper on any plans to stay together, Olivia.”

Olivia opened her mouth, but no words came out.

“And since we are talking about this — I think we should both acknowledge the fact that you dated me to get Amy all riled up.”

Olivia’s mouth was a thin white line. I tried to remember how it was that I fell for her.

“It worked, too, given that you guys got back together,” I saw Amy walking towards us and added, “and I’m not going to be a part of your games anymore.”

“Livy,” Amy came up, “That call took longer than I expected, sorry. Oh, hi Alex.”

I raised my hand in greeting. Amy looked between me and Olivia and frowned. “What’s going on?”

Olivia pouted, “You left, I got bored. And then I got even more bored.” She looked at me pointedly.

I shrugged, “I’m boring, what can I say? On that note, I’ve got to get back to my boring table to take a boring photograph.”

Alex came strolling back not long after I left her with Olivia. I planted the sloppiest kiss I could on her mouth.

“I’m sorry that happened,” Alex whispered, pressing her forehead to mine.

“All sorted?” I asked.

Alex nodded, “Jess, I am sorry.”

I stroked her cheek, “No need to apologise, honey, not your fault. Although it was incredibly hot watching some woman throw herself at you, inappropriate and awkward as it was.”

Alex blushed, “I liked it when you said you preferred undressing me…”

I laughed, “Well, it’s true. I rarely have the presence of mind to come up with zingers like that. I really enjoyed it. I think Olivia was a little sloshed, don’t you think?”

Alex shrugged, “Yeah. Probably. Are we taking a photograph?”

I shook my head, laughing, “No, Annie sent me in with the photographer as a ploy to extract you.”

The DJ started playing a ballade. “Come on, one more dance, then,” she took my hand and led us to the dance floor.

As Alex gathered me in her arms, I felt a familiar fluttering in my stomach. As she easily led me through our dance, I allowed myself to be guided by those strong arms of hers. I felt like a teenager at my first ball, dancing joyously with Alex, resplendent in black tie.

As the song ended, she pulled me closer. I gasped as her thigh met my hips and I felt something hard press against my body. I quickly looked down, then back up at Alex, who had a sexy smirk on her face. Her hand was on the small of my back, pushing me gently into her body.

“You are packing?” I whispered.

Alex nodded, “Just brought along a little reminder of what’s in store for later tonight. You like it?”

I buried my face in her neck and nipped her flesh with my teeth, “You are being very, very naughty, my love. And I love it so very, very much.”

We said our goodnights soon enough. Mona and her wife Lizzy were still tearing up the dance floor, but Jess and I had driven each other to the outer edges of desire with our prolonged session of subtle foreplay in the ballroom.