Chapter 2

“That’s kind of sad,” Laurie said. “I’m sorry, but it is.”

“I know. It’s just — well — I had forgotten what happy felt like until I saw that photograph of us together in the yearbook.”

“King and Queen of France?”

“I remember that too. I had it pretty bad for you back then, you know.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“Janet, I put a crown on your head. What more did you want from me?”

“Anything. I was fifteen, how was I supposed to know it was OK for girls to like each other that way?”

“Sorry, Janet. I just thought you knew.”

The DJ decided to slow things down with a Richard Marx tune. The transition didn’t appear to faze Janet at all, she just slipped her arms around Laurie and kept right on dancing. Not wanting to make a scene, Laurie went along with it. And in truth, she did enjoy having Janet pressed up against her.

“Do you remember this video with his horrible mullet hair?” she whispered, the two women swaying as one.

“Everybody had bad hair back then, Laurie. It was the eighties, we didn’t know any better. You had bad hair too.”

“I did, didn’t I?” she smiled.

Neither of them spoke again while they continued their dance. Two women pressed together, and for a few precious moments, completely unconcerned with the rest of the world. That spell was broken three minutes later by Jon Bon Jovi, and they made their way back to the table.

“Honey, maybe we should ask Laurie to come up later for a nightcap,” Janet’s husband suggested.

“He really isn’t giving up on this whole threesome idea,” Laurie mentally groaned.

“I’m spending the night at my parents, remember?” Janet put him in his place.

“Take that Super-Jock,” Laurie thought. “She’s my girl now.”

David had reddened a bit at his wife’s rebuke, but was soon back to scanning the room for potential targets.

“Two forty-two,” Laurie whispered to Janet, and then excused herself. Janet gave Laurie’s thigh a good squeeze before she had herself pushed back from the table. Laurie began to wonder what she was getting herself into.

Thirty minutes later there was a knock at the door of room two forty-two. Janet was no longer wearing the dress from dinner, instead having changed into jeans and a button-down. “Hi,” was all she said.

Laurie paused a moment to admire Janet in her new outfit. “Come on in.”

Janet wasted no time, and had her hands wrapped around Laurie’s neck, pulling her in for a kiss. Laurie turned at the last minute, forcing Janet’s lips to land on her cheek.

“Whoa,” Laurie said. “I thought you just wanted to talk.”

“I know you’re excited Janet. I guess I am too,” she said, shifting her weight back and forth from one foot to the other. “But this — this is not something I’ve ever considered doing before. I’ve …” Laurie’s speech was interrupted by a knock on the door. “What the …?”

“Relax, it’s just room service.”

“I didn’t order room service.”

“I did,” Janet said. “Before I came up, I ordered a bottle of champagne.”

“Please don’t be mad, Laurie. Nothing has to happen. I just — I just want to spend some time with you. Is that alright?”

“Sure.” Laurie walked over to answer the door. “Just talking, though.”

“Well, at least you got the good stuff,” Laurie commented, as she filled two hotel glasses with sparkling wine.

“So, why did you give me your room number?” Janet asked, as Laurie handed her a glass. “You know, if you didn’t want anything to happen?”

“I don’t know Janet. It was sort of a snap decision. I guess partly I felt sorry for you …”

“Really? Because if this is a pity thing … Oh, I should probably just forget it and spend the night at my parents.” Janet set her glass down and turned toward the door.

“Wait, I’m sorry,” Laurie said, taking Janet by the hand before she reached the door. “I had a really awful flight and I — well, I just haven’t been myself since I got here.”

Janet turned toward Laurie. “I’m listening.”

“You were right, Janet,” Laurie said, her eyes gazing down at their still joined hands. “My relationship with my girlfriend isn’t what it used to be. Honestly, I was hoping I’d be calling her my wife by now. It’s been six years.”

“Don’t be. She’s more in love with her career than she is with me, that’s all. Sometimes I wonder if she’d even … Oh hell, I don’t know. I still care for her though, and I wouldn’t want to hurt her.”

“I get it. So what do we do? — About tonight?”

“Well, Janet, you did order this nice champagne. And it would be a shame to let it go to waste.”

Two hours later the two women were still seated on the edge of the bed. They were sitting a little closer together now, but still just talking. The champagne bottle was mostly empty, though neither of them felt particularly inclined to order any more.

“So you really had no idea Mademoiselle Toulon was gay?” Laurie asked.

“That’s why a lot of us girls flocked to French Club. It was like a safe haven for us. We could be ourselves and not have to put up a facade.”

“Hmm,” Janet said. “I never knew. I mean, Mimi I knew, like who didn’t. But you, Laurie, I never suspected for a minute.” Janet rested her head on Laurie’s shoulder. “I should have been a better friend. I’m sorry.”

“It’s OK Janet,” She wrapped her arms around the other woman’s neck and gave her a squeeze. “I shouldn’t have made things awkward by putting that crown on your head,” she whispered in her ear. “If I could do it again …”

“Don’t say that, Laurie. Don’t you wish for a do-over. That was probably one of the happiest days of my high school career. Just don’t — don’t take that away from me, OK?”

“You really mean that?”

“Yes, I do. I just didn’t understand it at the time.” Janet hugged her and squeezed her eyes tight. It didn’t help, and the tears started leaking out anyway.

“I didn’t know.” Laurie said, holding Janet’s head to her shoulder.

Janet woke to Laurie nudging her. “Janet. Janet, you’re welcome to stay, but you might want to change into something more comfortable. Grab one of my t-shirts from the closet.”

A moment later Janet quietly slipped between the covers, clad only in her panties and that t-shirt of Laurie’s. She liked the t-shirt, it smelled nice, like Laurie.

Despite the two hour timezone difference, Laurie was stirring before the sun came up. She was used to Maureen getting up early for work, and had adapted herself to that schedule over the years. Normally she would go out for a jog, or on those rare rainy days, putter around the house with a cup of coffee and the day’s newspaper before going off to work.

She couldn’t really do either of those things this morning, so she settled for snuggling into the covers and enjoying the warmth of the still sleeping Janet beside her. In truth, Laurie didn’t feel like she was settling at all, in fact she thought it was quite a nice way to start her morning.

Last night had started out innocently enough, with the two of them seated together at the edge of the bed, sharing champagne and memories. But as the hours wore on, the bottle became lighter, the conversation more intimate, and the space between them smaller.

Eventually, they had ended up lying on top of the covers, facing each other. There was the occasional touch of fingertips on an arm or a cheek, but mostly it was two lonely souls, each taking comfort in the other’s company.

Janet stretched and yawned. “Hi,” she said, her eyes fluttering open.

“Did we? — I mean, I think I would have remembered, but …”

“Nah, you’re still a virgin,” Laurie teased.

Janet snickered. “That’s too bad.”

“I would have though,” Laurie said, trailing the back of her hand over Janet’s cheek. “But you fell asleep.”

Janet took Laurie’s hand in hers, and turned to look her in the eye. “So I missed my chance then?”

“Would you be more upset if I said yes, or if I said no?” Laurie brought Janet’s hand to her mouth.

“What about your girlfriend?” Janet asked, sliding her fingers over Laurie’s lips.

“What about your husband?” Laurie asked, as she nibbled a fingertip.

“That’s what I thought.”

The two women silenced the possibility of more questions with a kiss.

Janet took a moment to savor the soft feeling of Laurie’s lips on hers. It was like nothing she’d ever encountered. Before she got married, Janet had kissed a few boys, so she felt justified in her opinion that they were all the same. Always in a hurry. Always thinking about the next move. Never able to just relax and enjoy the moment.

Kissing Laurie wasn’t like that at all. Not that Janet didn’t feel her desire — she did — it’s just that Laurie seemed to be more about the journey than the destination.

“Mmm. Is kissing girls always this good?” Janet asked.

“Not all,” Laurie said, “just me.”

“She’s certainly gotten bolder overnight,” Janet thought. She weaved her fingers in Laurie’s hair, and concentrated on enjoying the tip of Laurie’s tongue, as it slid over and between her lips. “Mmm,” she moaned, as she pressed her own tongue in return.

The two women pushed aside the bed covers and rolled together on top of the sheets, tongues still engaged in a slow, passionate dance. “I should have kissed you years ago,” Laurie said, looking down on Janet from above.

Janet inhaled a deep breath. “Yes — Yes, you should have,” she replied. “So get to it.”

Laurie smiled at the remark, lowered her head, and resumed her exploration of Janet’s lips. Janet trailed her fingers over Laurie’s back, setting off goosebumps. Up and down her fingers went, at first touching and tickling, then massaging and caressing.

The two women’s kisses became more urgent, and that’s when Laurie felt Janet’s hands sliding under the fabric of her sleepshirt. Laurie sat up straight, straddling Janet’s waist, and slipped her sleepshirt over her head. There was nothing but bare skin underneath.

Laurie just grinned as Janet looked at her, eyes wide and mouth agape. “You’ve never been with another woman before, have you?”

Janet just shook her head.

“Alright then, let’s get the awkward teenager stuff out of the way.” Laurie took Janet’s hands and placed them on her breasts. “These are my boobs. They’re fun.” Laurie shifted her hips and moved one of Janet’s hands between her thighs. “This is my pussy. It’s nice and smooth for you. I assume you know how it works.”

Janet’s look of wonder was rapidly disappearing, being replaced by a frown and quivering lower lip.

“What’s wrong, sweets?” Laurie asked.

“Why are you teasing me? It’s not my fault I’m not as experienced as you. I’m sure everyone in L.A. is a sexual dynamo, but here in the Midwest …”

Laurie placed a finger over Janet’s quivering lip. She felt horrible. It had been so long since her first time that she had forgotten what it felt like — not the physical sensations, but the emotions — the vulnerability of opening yourself up to someone new. Laying yourself bare, and doing something that many people still considered unnatural. “I’m sorry,” she offered, hoping it would be enough.

Laurie slid over and off of Janet. Lying next to her, on her side, she was tracing little lazy circles on Janet’s tummy. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “You seemed so eager, I kind of forgot this was your first time.” The lazy circles continued, slowly transforming into figure-eights. “So, if you’d like to start again … Unless you feel like you want to throw me out.”

“Laurie, I can’t throw you out. This is your room.” Janet smiled.

“But, if you want to keep doing that.” Janet sighed and began lifting the hem of her t-shirt. “If you want to keep doing that, then I guess I could stay.” Janet continued tugging at her t-shirt — Laurie’s t-shirt — until, with Laurie’s help, it slipped over her head and ended up on the floor. The figure-eights never stopped.

The two women smiled at each other and kissed again. Janet felt the figure-eights inching lower. “You gonna take this off too?” Laurie asked, as she traced over the silky fabric of Janet’s panties.

“Sure,” Janet said, tucking her thumbs under the waistband. “But I’ve got to warn you, not everyone around here gets the full Brazillian like you west-coast babes.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Janet tugged, and Laurie helped. “Well, you definitely keep it neat,” Laurie said, switching back to lazy circles. “The way you led up to it, I was expecting a jungle. Is the grooming for him?” Laurie was brushing her fingertips over the downy little strip of hair.

“My husband? No,” Janet said. “He hasn’t laid eyes on my pussy in years. This is for water aerobics. Can’t be all hangin’ out in the pool.” She grinned.

“So he doesn’t go down on you anymore?” Laurie had started up the figure-eights again. Her finger was making loops around Janet’s hipbones and crossing over just above the little strip of pubic hair.

“Anymore?” Janet asked. She was finding it hard to form sentences with Laurie’s finger doing what it was doing right now. “Try, never did.”

“Oh, you poor thing,” Laurie cooed as the figure-eights drew lower. “I love to go down.”

Janet shuddered a bit. She didn’t know if it was from Laurie’s comment, or the fact that the middle of the last figure-eight nearly brought Laurie’s finger in contact with her clit.

“Would you like me to go down on you, Janet?”

Janet felt the air go out of her lungs in a long, languid sigh. She hadn’t even realized that she’d been holding her breath, Laurie held her so captivated. And now — now Laurie was offering to give her that intimate kiss she had only ever fantasized about. Janet shuddered. “Yes. Yes, please.”

“Aww, you’re so sweet,” Laurie said, giving her a little peck on the lips. “Let me show you what you’ve been missing.”

Janet squirmed. She had expected Laurie to dive right in and get to work, but Laurie’s tongue was flitting over her nipple at the moment, making it all stiff and slippery. It was a nice sensation, but Janet had hoped she might start in a little lower.

And the figure-eights! The figure-eights were nearly making her crazy. Each brush of Laurie’s fingertips through her downy hair was creeping ever closer to her sensitive nub. Almost, but not quite. Janet hadn’t gotten the impression that Laurie was a tease, but there was a lot about this woman she had yet to discover. This maddening little dance with Laurie’s fingers was one of those things.