Chapter 2

“Apart from you? Surprise me,” I said.

I noticed that Alex had moved my luggage into the living room. “There’s two weeks’ worth of laundry festering in there somewhere, and some clean clothes that I had set apart for New York.”

Alex nodded towards the kitchen, “We can do a load tonight. I got you a chest of drawers and the closet has plenty of room.”

I stared at her, “You got me a chest of drawers?”

“Jess, you’re going to be here for two months. And it won’t be the last time you visit for longer than a weekend, this is your place too now.” She smiled, “and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll keep it until my next girlfriend moves in.”

“Oh, very funny,” I said, at a loss for a comeback.

Alex leaned over and kissed me, “Do what makes you comfortable, you can live out of the suitcase for as long as you want…. Now, do you want to have a quick shower? Or should we attack the laundry?”

“Shower,” I said, as I took her hand and led her to the bathroom, “but only if you get wet too.”

Alex grinned, “I don’t need a shower for that…”

“Oh, well played, Mak,” I acknowledged as I felt my core swell and pulse for her.

Alex pulled my T-shirt over her head and kicked off her boxers as she stepped into the shower. I marvelled at her body. I would never tire of looking at it.

“Are you getting in, or are you just going to stand there all night?” Alex stuck her head out and raised her eyebrows.

I followed her into the shower and pulled the curtains shut. The first cascade of water on my skin made me remember how dehydrating being on a flight could be.

Alex’s hands were on me instantaneously, smoothly moving over my shoulders and down over my breasts. They came to a rest on my hips and Alex pulled me towards her for a kiss.

I pressed myself against her, my heart fluttering a little as our skin made contact.

“May I make a request?” Alex murmured, as she moved from my lips to kissing my neck.

“Hmm?” I wanted her inside me, but her hands held steady on my hips, squeezing gently.

“When we do what we are about to do, please try not to rip off the shower curtain like you did last time,” she continued landing kisses up and down my neck.

I laughed and slapped her across the shoulder, “Then stop being such an overachiever with those fingers of yours… speaking of which…”

“You mean these fingers?” Alex grinned. She wiggled them in front of me and then trotted them down my front, pausing just slightly below my belly button. Tap tap tap. Alex’s fingers were an inch away from where I wanted them to be.

“Lower.” I tilted my hips towards her. “Please.”

Alex smiled. Her hand continued their journey south, sliding between my lips, and then — delectably — with two fingers on either side of my clit, sliding back out.

Alex repeated this I don’t know how many times before plunging her fingers inside me. I felt my knees buckle. Alex caught me, turned slightly and pinned my back against the wall. The cold tile made me jump. Her fingers made me scream. By the time her tongue made its way to my nipples, my body was more than ready for climax.

“Ok. Ok. Ok.” I barely managed as I slid down to sit in the tub. Alex joined me, smoothing down my hair. I wrapped my legs around her waist, resting my head against her chest, the warm water from the shower splashing over us.

“I’m getting all pruny,” I observed.

Alex leaned over and grabbed the shampoo, “Here,” she ran some through my hair.

I started rinsing it out as Alex soaped me up.

“Darling, am I really that dirty?” I asked as her hand made yet another pass over my breasts.

She nodded, water dripping off her short black hair. “You’ve been bunking with two dozen adolescents with questionable personal hygiene standards… I know this because I lived through the horror. I think it’s the least I can do to make sure that you don’t suffer from it in any way…”

I laughed and pushed her hands away. “Ok. Stop it, Alex Mak! Water conservationists are going to come knocking any moment.”

–Chapter 2: Getting Out and About–

After living like hermits for the first week and a bit, we decided to rejoin civilization and ventured out to meet some of her friends from university one Friday night.

“Honestly, it’s so much more fun being here with you!” Alex complained as she got dressed. She wiggled her eyebrows.

I stepped backwards as she tried to unbutton my shirt. Alex’s single-minded pursuit of having sex with me meant I was in a permanent state of heady euphoria.

“Alexandra! Behave!” I smiled in spite of myself.

It did not help that she was half naked: her pecs and abs flexed as she calculated her next move; her jeans a rugged sheath around her narrow hips and long legs.

“I just need five minutes,” Alex pleaded as she moved forward. I stepped back, although my eyes clearly welcomed her advance.

“Five to ten minutes,” Alex amended as she sensed my resolve slipping. She took another step towards me.

I stepped back once more, but was thwarted by the hard edge of the dining table. I gasped. I was a quivering mess. I gave up any remaining pretence of resistance, grabbed her by her belt and pulled her towards me.

Alex was grinning wickedly.

“Ten to fifteen,” she said, as she pulled off my shirt. I didn’t think I would last more than five.

An hour later, we stepped into the cool air of a bar in the West Village. Alex’s best friend Annie had snagged us a table, and was chatting with two others when we arrived.

“It’s a freaking miracle. Alex Mak actually walking into a bar on a Friday night. Better late than never!” Annie exclaimed as she gave us each a hug, and introduced me to Michelle and Jo.

Annie nodded at me approvingly, “You are a good influence, Jess, this one just prefers to stay holed up at work or in her apartment. We have to literally drag her out most weekends.”

“Well, it’s not surprising, given how quickly the insults have started flying.” Alex responded, looking a little hurt.

“Oh, stop being so sensitive. We’re just glad to see you,” Michelle said, “we’ve ordered a round of beers. KT’s tending bar tonight by the way, give her some love — she’s heart-broken over Natalie.”

“What? They broke up? They were together for forever!”

Annie shook her head in mock disapproval, “Happened last week, Alex. See what you miss when you make excuses not to come out with us?”

“Are you really as anti-social as I suspect you to be?” I teased. Alex was sitting next to me and I put my hand on her lap, caressing the inside of her thigh.

“I do spend time with my friends!” Alex said indignantly.

“Yeah, all five of them,” Annie interjected.

“And that’s enough for me. And by the way, I think bars are terrible for socialising: too loud, and too crowded, you wait ages for your drinks… speaking of which, I’m going to get our order and say hi to KT. Back in a bit.”

Annie laughed, “She’s such a misanthrope. She’s great once she lets you get to know her, but she makes you work for it. I literally had to say to her during her sophomore year, ‘I think you and I ought to be friends’ before she actually started behaving like we were building a friendship.”

I looked towards the bar to try and find Alex. She was standing by the bar chatting with the bartender whom I assumed to be KT, when I saw someone with a mass of blonde hair leap onto Alex from behind.

I looked at Annie, “Who’s that with Alex?”

Annie craned her neck towards the bar. She shook her head and said, “Oh. It’s Sienna.”

I tried to place the name, but couldn’t recall Alex mentioning her.

“They swam together in college…” Jo explained, “When Sienna was a freshman and Alex was a senior. Sienna has had a little bit of a thing for Alex ever since.”

My heart started beating faster as I watched Alex turn around to give the gorgeous blonde a warm hug. I expected to feel some jealousy, but I found none. She loves me she loves me she loves me, my heart sang. I smiled.

Annie snorted, “Little? Sienna’s got a big crush on Alex. But it’s never been reciprocated. At. All.”

Sienna was talking a mile a minute, touching Alex a little more than a casual hello would warrant: smoothing out the collar of her shirt, grabbing hold of Alex’s arm as she talked.

Michelle giggled, “See, normal humans would be on the receiving end of that and think, ‘huh, this person is touching me a lot! They probably like me!’ Not Alex. Look at her, she could be chatting with the mailman right now.”

I chuckled. Alex was friendly enough, politely nodding as Sienna talked, and turning her head towards KT every now and then to see if the drinks were ready. Eventually, the tray of beers materialized, which Alex picked up after giving KT a fist bump. Sienna was still talking. She then reached up to wipe something off Alex’s cheek.

I lifted my eyebrows.

Jo cocked her head, “Jess — Sienna hasn’t seen Alex since you guys got together. I don’t think she knows.”

I shook my head, “Oh, it’s not that. I’m more amused by Alex’s reactions — or lack thereof.”

Annie nodded, “She’s not very good at picking up signals.”

I laughed when she said that, remembering my own failed attempts at flirting with her.

“What’s so funny?” Alex asked, placing the tray of beers on the table.

I stood up and extended a hand to Sienna, “Hiya, I’m Jess.”

“Oh, how rude of me.” Alex said, “Jess, this is Sienna, a friend of mine from college. Sienna, this is Jess, my girlfriend who’s visiting from the UK.”

Adrenaline pumped through my chest when Alex said ‘girlfriend.’ I loved it.

Sienna’s face dropped for an instant, and I felt bad for the poor girl. “Nice to meet you,” she said softly.

“Sienna and I were on the swim team together — you’re starting your.. junior year in September, yes?” Alex looked at Sienna for confirmation.

Sienna nodded, “Are you planning on attending homecoming this year? Just a subway ride away! The team would love to see you.”

Alex grinned, “I’ll check the calendar. Could you email me the invite? I don’t think I have it.”

Sienna brightened little, “Ok — I’ll send it to you tonight. Uh, I’m going to get back to my table over there.”

“Yeah, see ya, Sienna,” Alex said, returning to her seat beside me.

Annie, Michelle, and Jo started shaking their heads at Alex disapprovingly once Sienna was out of ear shot.

“What?” Alex asked, taking a sip of beer.

“Come on Alex, you could have been a bit gentler than ‘yeah, see ya Sienna’!” Annie admonished.

Alex looked genuinely puzzled. “Huh? She was going back to her table. What are you guys on about?”

I chuckled and gave her a soft peck on the lips, “Honey, you kind of dropped some bad news on Sienna just now when you introduced me as your girlfriend.”

“But you are my girlfriend!” Alex looked at me, “Why is that bad news- oh wait. No. Are you guys still harping on the thing? It’s just not true.”

Annie banged her head against the table, “Alex, you idiot, she was all over you at the bar. We all saw it. She even picked imaginary lint off your face.”

We ended up having a nice time hanging out, after that nonsense about Sienna. Jess and I decided to walk home at the end of it — it was a beautiful night.

I took her hand as we strolled and chatted. I had never enjoyed a summer night walk as much before.

“Your friends are hilarious,” Jess said as we got back to the apartment, “They were right about the Sienna thing, though, Alex. You pulled the rug out from under her.”

We settled onto the couch. I sighed, “Jess, I never did anything to …”

“I know,” Jess said, squeezing my hand, “But she was being incredibly affectionate, darling.”

“I just thought that was just the way she is,” I mumbled, “I’ll apologise when I see her next.”

Jess shook her head, “No don’t — she’d be mortified. Just be more, you know, aware of it.”

“That’s even more awkward! You see why I don’t like going out?”

“Alex, you are part of the human race. You do need to have some human contact every once in a while. I just feel lucky that I didn’t have to prance around naked in front of you to make you notice me.”

“No — I was the one who had to bombard you with letters and emails for years and years and years. I noticed you the first time I saw you, Jess.” I said. “And you were fully clothed and not paying attention to me in the slightest.”

“When was that, we met pretty early on at the beginning of term, I thought?” Jess asked, knitting her eyebrows together.

I shook my head. “Swim meet at Greystone Prep, you were student teaching there.”

“I’m sorry honey, I just remember you being very fast, but not a lot else,” Jess scooted down and stretched out with her head on my lap.

“See! Don’t go on and on about me not being aware,” I pouted.

Jess squeezed my thigh, “Sorry love, those are two totally different situations. I definitely would have remembered if you jumped on my back and pulled pretend lint off my face.”

I ran my fingers through her hair, “You did had this bit of hair that kept falling across your brow. I remember I wanted to tuck it behind your ear for you. It was an impulse that I couldn’t really explain then. Although now it’s perfectly obvious what was happening.”

“Do you still have dreams about me?”

“Do you?” Jess smiled seductively.

I nodded, feeling my face heat up.

“Tell me one,” Jess murmured.

“Well, I already told you what they were like…”

Jess closed her eyes and started unbuttoning her shirt, “Talk me through one…”

The cogs in my brain suddenly found themselves mired in the high viscosity goo of embarassment. “Uh, Jess, they don’t really make much sense,” I said, stupidly.

Jess opened her eyes, “Alex, honey. I am trying to engage you in foreplay. Sexy dream. Go.”