Chapter 3

“She doesn’t have your curls,” objected Ann. “Her hair’s too short to run your fingers through.”

“I never knew that was a turn-on for you?” Alex whispered back.

Ann shrugged. “Why would you know about my turn-ons?”

“I know your skin feels goooood,” Alex murmured. “Much better than hair.” After a moment, she added, “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that, either.”

The fingers on her back dipped lower, inside the waistband of her skirt. Not by more than an inch or so, but enough to be exploring perilous territory. “Now you’re being naughty,” Alex whispered. “Should you be doing that?”

“Is it disturbing you?” Ann asked.

“The gummy doesn’t mind at all,” Alex said, the touch making a nice prickle of warmth on her skin, “but I think your gee-eff might?”

Ann shrugged, unconcerned. “She avoids weed anyway,” she said. Alex frowned. She didn’t think that addressed her concern, but clarity wasn’t currently high on her list of attributes.

Contentment was. She felt a connection to all of the women here. Friends, or near friends, occasional lovers or not.

Fi introduced her to Jenna, who was clearly besotted with her, but who had goals independent of Fi’s. She’d signed up for community college classes in the coming semester.

“I officially moved in in May,” Fi said.

Jenna smirked. “She actually moved in in January,” she said, “and let her apartment go last month, but in May my cat decided to accept her.”

“Daisy still hates me,” Fi said. “She’s cost me more than one pair of hose. The first day she sat on my lap, with her claws sunk into my leg, glaring at me, is the day I knew I could call Jenna’s place home.”

After Fi and Jenna left for the dance floor, Alex was silent for a while, enjoying her euphoric state. It was several minutes before Ann disturbed her tranquility.

“You realize that the wedding is at the same place where you had your bi awakening?” Ann asked.

“You mean where you used me for your own entertainment?” Alex countered. “Yeah, I know.”

“Blame me all you want,” Ann retorted. “Where would you be without that evening?” After a pause, she added, “When you kissed Kayla, that was sooooo fucking hot.”

Alex’s thumbnail lightly scratched her friend’s waist. “Wasn’t it, though? No one had ever kissed me like that.”

“She had her hands in your hair,” Ann whispered. “God, that turned me on so much.”

“That wasn’t the only place she had her hands,” Alex said, “but I don’t think you could see everything.”

“Tell me more,” Ann instructed.

“I don’t think you’d have been able to see her fingers on my shirt,” Alex said. “I wasn’t wearing a bra.”

Fingers tightened against the base of Alex’s spine. “You’re right. I did not know that,” she whispered. The fingers relaxed, and may have drifted a little lower.

“So yeah, it was all your fault,” Alex said. “Yours and Kayla’s.” And then Lyra, at the Halloween party, who showed Alex that her evenings with Kayla hadn’t been an aberration. And the straight girl at the party, who wanted to experiment, and whose name she had forgotten. And the girls of Gabby’s – Suse, Paula, Fi, of course, and others. She’d been such an idiot to… no, she wasn’t going there again. She would focus on the good feelings from that year.

Alex’s high had plateaued some time ago. Gentle arousal was tingling in her breasts and clit.

“Hey, Alex, are you enjoying this?” asked Ann.

“Feeling horny and remembering sexy times?” Alex asked. “Yeah, kinda.”

“No, this,” said Ann, waving around her free hand. “I’ve lost the thread. It’s Gabby’s, but it isn’t. Let’s reminisce somewhere else, where we can talk about old times without whispering.”

Alex pondered that for a time, then said, “We’re going to see everyone on Saturday anyway, right?” When Ann nodded, she took out her phone. As soon as the ride was scheduled, she stood, regretting the loss of contact both at her back and against her fingers. With a quick farewell, she turned to leave.

The hotel was nothing fancy; aging, but clean. Unlocking her room on the third floor, Ann strode inside, throwing the curtains back and sliding the balcony doors open to expose the room to the warm evening air.

Alex joined her friend on the small balcony. “Weird to realize how much I missed the smell of the area. It’s nothing like this on the coast.”

“Probably even more different in New York,” Ann said. She took a deep breath. “I know what you mean.” Her fingers sought out Alex’s lower back again.

“I like how extended this mellow is,” Alex said. “I don’t feel I’m coming down at all.”

“We’re probably good for another three or four hours of serenity,” Ann said. Her fingers continued to explore Alex’s skin absently for a couple of minutes. Then she asked, “Will you take those ties out of your hair? I want to see it loose.”

Alex grinned. “You really have a thing for my hair!” she said. She carefully pulled her curls through the scrunchies, then shook out her hair.

“Yeah, that’s what I remember,” said Ann, as Alex turned to face her. “A couple of inches longer, I think. The color and the curls are such a sexy look.”

Alex smiled, then headed back into the room. She tugged off her boots, then sat on the side of the queen bed. Ann moved past her, gathering up the pillows and wedging them against the headboard. She stepped out of her own boots, then bounced up onto the bed, patting the covers to her right.

Shrugging, Alex joined her. If she stayed on the edge of the bed, she’d have to keep looking over her shoulder. As she sat back against the pillows, Ann ducked forward, tugging Alex’s left arm behind her, then leaned against her shoulder. Alex’s fingers came to rest on her waist, where they walked her tee shirt up until they were touching skin.

“So you regret going back to men?” Ann asked.

“I regret going back to Jackson,” Alex said. “Men in general?” She considered that. “I guess I do. I’ve always loved giving blowjobs.” When Ann made a disgusted sound, she said, “Hey, you asked. I can drag the activity out until he’s hurting for me. Having that much control is like an aphro – aphro – uh, aphrodisiac. But when it comes to doing something for me, they’re never there for me like a girl would be. I like to feel a guy deep inside, but a girl with a toy can have better control. Also, boobs.”

“Boobs are good,” Ann agreed. She traced the hem of Alex’s crop top with the fingers of her left hand. “I always liked yours,” she said, the fingers moving away from them to Alex’s stomach. She was facing partly toward Alex, her head on her shoulder, and she hadn’t touched Alex’s back in a while.

“You shouldn’t be looking,” Alex said. “Maisie wouldn’t like that.”

“Maisie?” Ann asked.

“Your girlfriend,” Alex replied.

“Madison, not Maisie,” Ann stated.

“Oh, right,” said Alex. “I was thinking Maddie.”

“God, don’t call her Maddie,” Ann said. “It’s Madison. Mad-iss-ohn. I think she’d prefer you get her name completely wrong rather than call her Maddie.”

“So, Maisie?” Alex offered, with a giggle.

“Alright, Maisie-Madison,” said Ann. “Do you like going down on a girl as much as blowing a guy?”

“Hmm,” said Alex. She felt a sudden rush of lust at the thought. “Yeah, even more. And I still like to take my time.” She found herself stroking the skin of Ann’s waist as she remembered how much she used to like giving a girl oral. That was an opportunity she hadn’t had in two years. “Do you still go for loud girls?”

Ann’s face shifted against her shoulder as she looked up at her. “What do you mean?”

“You always seemed to pick demonstrative partners?” Alex said. “You woke me up more than once.”

“I’m just so good that I can make any girl scream,” Ann said, with a laugh.

“Is Maisie loud?” Alex asked.

“Maisie is. Very loud.” Ann’s fingers slid over Alex to the ends of the lace that held the two sides of her top a taut inch apart. “If this knot accidentally fell open, it wouldn’t be my fault if I inadvertently peeked, would it?”

“Ann? It won’t accidentally come untied,” warned Alex.

Ann sighed. Then she eased herself away from Alex’s shoulder, sitting upright. “Stay right there,” she said as she slid off the bed.

“Uh, where would I go?” Alex asked.

Ann ignored the question. She opened her purse, taking out a baggie and setting it on her nightstand. Then she took a lighter from her purse, and placed it in the large hotel-supplied ash tray before moving it onto the bed.

“Uh, Ann, is this a good idea?” Alex said.

Ann opened the baggie, taking out a paper tube. “Sure,” she said. “Smoking at this stage is, like, the best of both worlds. You don’t lose the calm, but you do feel the kick. I’ve only done it a couple of times, because you usually have to plan it. Some of my friends used to do it all the time.”

She knelt on the bed beside Alex’s thighs, then took the lighter and lit the joint.

“I take it this is a smoking room?” Alex asked.

Ann nodded, pointing to the ashtray. She puffed the weed into flame, then a glow. Sucking smoke into her mouth, she got the joint burning well, then handed it to Alex, who took a hit as she breathed the mouthful of smoke into her lungs. She took the joint back, placing it in the ashtray as she exhaled, which led to a small coughing fit.

“God,” said Alex, after exhaling. “This is the first in two years.”

“Brings back memories, right?” said her friend.

Alex nodded. “We’d go down to the creek,” she said. “Sit among the branches, even if it was muddy. After a few hits I wouldn’t care that there were twigs jabbing into my butt.”

Ann laughed. “I remember. Part of the high was probably because we weren’t supposed to be there.”

Alex held out her hand for the joint. Ann picked it up, held it to her own lips for a moment, then handed it over as she breathed in the smoke again. Alex took her own mouthful, then put it back down in the ashtray.

“I’m not feeling it,” Alex said. “Are you sure you rolled the right herb? Maybe I’m smoking parsley here.” She giggled.

“I’m starting to feel it,” Ann said. “Just give it a moment.”

“Hmm, okay,” Alex said. “Maybe… hard to tell, as relaxed as I already was.”

Ann picked up the joint again, passing it to Alex after inhaling. A moment later, she moved off the bed. “Be right back,” she said, disappearing into the bathroom. She was gone long enough for Alex to take an extra turn.

Ann returned, picking up the joint as she lowered herself back onto the bed.

Alex shook her head when she held the joint out to her again. “In a moment,” she said. Her high was definitely taking shape now. She watched her friend set the glowing tube down, then look up, her eyes bright. Her shirt seemed to be molded around her breasts. Bumps in the tight fabric outlined her nipples. Alex would have noticed that earlier. Ann must have taken her bra off in the bathroom. Four of the closely-spaced buttons at the neckline were open now. She was sure there were fewer earlier. There was certainly more creamy skin on display than she recalled.

“You look hot,” Alex said. She hadn’t intended to.

“You said that before,” said Ann.

Alex sighed. “It’s still true, I guess,” she said. “I hope Maisie appreciates it.” After a moment, she giggled. “I remember the girls you used to have,” she said. Apparently her mouth didn’t know when to take a break. “Those bedsprings, remember? Squack, squack, squack, squack, OOH BABY! Squack, squack, thud!”

Ann joined in the giggling. “God, that place. I heard everything from your room, too, you know. The walls in that place were so thin.”

“Made of paper?” Alex agreed, feeling another attack of the giggles heading her way. “Numero uno rule for next apartment: bedsprings will be oiled and springs nailed to the floor!” She looked up at her friend.

“Bed nailed to the floor,” Ann corrected her. “Or feet.”

“Oh. Well, the bed must not leave the floor,” Alex pronounced.

“Right! No flying beds.” Ann motioned toward the ashtray. “Ready to try something fun? You’ll have to trust me.”

“Trusting you seems like a terrible idea,” Alex said. The giggles seemed be under control, but the comment amused her. “Like Maisie trusting that my knots won’t in-ad-vertently come unknotted. How many girlfriends did you tell to trust you?”

“All of them?” replied Ann.

“Exactly!” agreed Alex, as if she’d drawn a sophisticated conclusion. “What do I have to trust you with?”

“Sharing hits,” Ann said. “The joint will last longer if we do.”

Alex frowned as Ann yanked her legs forward. “Hey,” she griped as Ann pushed her knees down so that her legs were flattened to the bed. Then Ann straddled her thighs. Her fingertips casually moved to Alex’s waist, stroking her skin as she shuffled into position. Alex’s breath hitched at the sudden tingle from the caress. Her friend moved the ashtray closer. She lifted the joint to take a mouthful of smoke, inhaling as she set the tube back down. Leaning forward, she touched her lips to Alex’s and exhaled.