Chapter 5 - Plus One
Taking Jenna's suggestion, I moved some clothes to her place over the weekend. Daisy had taken to expressing her displeasure with my presence by always being in the same room as me, glaring from a corner. Never showing an active dislike toward me, just being a glowering presence. She broke from her vigil when Poppy would charge into the room and attack her. Then the two would be haring around the house until she gave her brother the slip and returned to giving me the evil eye.
Since Monday was my day off, but not Jenna's, I made dinner at her place, warming up some of her saved rotisserie chicken to add to her portion. She took advantage of it this time, which was good. I really didn't want her to feel she had an obligation to follow my restrictions.
I'd warned Jenna that I planned to visit the club. I asked her to join me, of course, and was pleased that she'd agreed, but my primary reason was to talk to Kayla, if she was there. This caused Jenna to raise an eyebrow in an expression that seemed quite smug.
The replacement bartender may not have known the full range of drinks his predecessor had, but he made a great virgin mojito. I picked up one for each of us.
Music was provided by a blonde DJ performing in what appeared to be lingerie with a wrap. At another time I might have found her interesting to watch, but she couldn't compete with the girl by my side.
Surprisingly, Jenna was the one to identify Kayla, who was dancing with a redhead whom I didn't know, but vaguely recognized. They were dancing very close, not quite touching, arms parallel in some kind of Latin dance. They were very good. Looking around again, I found Anita sitting at a table with Emma and Tiff. Taking Jenna's hand, I steered her in that direction.
Anita smiled when she saw us. I noticed her eyes flick down to our joined hands, and her smile seemed to grow.
"Room for two more?" I asked, when we arrived at her table. There were three chairs empty and two girls on the dance floor, but Tiff moved around to make room for one more chair, while Emma left to steal one.
"Of course, Fi," she said, indicating the chair beside her. "You can have my fiancée's place since she's away cavorting with my maid of honor."
"Oh, that's who she is?" I asked. "I think I've seen her before. Are you sure you can trust them? They seemed very close out there..." I smirked to show I wasn't serious. "The spouse and the MOH is such a wedding drama trope, you know? God, the number of trope pairings you could find at a lesbian wedding..."
"I know, right?" exclaimed Tiff.
"I think I'm safe," Anita said, with a smirk of her own. "I trust Kayla. And Allison is straight. She used to dance in competition, and Kayla likes ballroom dancing more than I do."
"Funny thing about straight girls," I said. "They're not always as straight as you think."
"Or as they think," added Jenna.
"You remember Jenna?" I asked Anita.
"I do!" she replied. "Nice to see you. You're... together now?"
"She keeps milk and eggs in my fridge," I said. "So, yeah."
"And my cats are getting used to hissing at Fi," Jenna said. "So, yeah, it seems so."
Tiff gave me a thumbs up, mouthing, "Told you so!"
"Will we be seeing you as Fi's plus one?" Anita asked.
Jenna's face flushed. The wedding was more than six months away. "I, uh, think you might," she said. I squeezed her hand, feeling warmth at the prospect of us still being together over half a year from now.
"If the redhead - Allison? - is your MOH, who's Kayla's?" I asked.
Tiff stood and bowed over the table. "That would be me."
"That's another trope subverted," I said.
Anita narrowed her eyes. "How's that?"
"The best man getting frisky with the maid of honor," I said. "Which I guess would be the two maids of honor, in context. No way anyone's going to come between Tiff and Emma and I wouldn't want to see what happened to anyone who tried."
"I don't know," interjected Tiff. "Allison's cute. And she's just the right height, unlike some..." She lowered her head, turning it to the side to look up at her girlfriend to emphasize their height difference.
Emma rolled her eyes. "That's not what you said last night, sweety," she said.
Tiff continued looking up at her. "I guess there are some things that a taller girl is good for," she said.
"You can eliminate the hijinks at the stag - slash - bachelorette parties, too," Anita offered. "Since we're having a joint bachelorette."
"Hmph. So much for drama... oh, I think we have visitors," I said, glancing up at Suse approaching the table. Alone, this time.
"Hey, Fi," she said. "You can stop looking panicked. I came to steal your girlfriend, not you."
"And that shouldn't panic me, why?" I objected.
Suse ignored me, turning to Jenna. "Val monopolized you the last time you were here. Dance with me."
Jenna gave my hand a quick squeeze, then left with my pushy friend.
Anita's eyes tracked them. Before she turned back to me, she said, "You asked if I could trust Allison and Kayla..."
Interrupting, I said, "It wasn't a serious question. I know you can."
She grinned at me. "Yes and no. Until recently I couldn't trust them not to stab each other." She took in my raised eyebrows before continuing, "Kayla thought I was dating Allison, while Allison was incensed that Kayla was seeing other women. We weren't dating, and Kayla didn't know I'd fallen for her, but it took a long time before those two were on the same page. Now they're friends, and I encourage it."
"It's good for me that she's here," I said. "When they're done cavorting I've an idea to run by you all."
Jenna was still with Suse on the dance floor when Kayla and Allison returned to the table. Kayla gave me a welcoming smile as she took the chair that Emma had added next to Tiff, while Anita introduced me to Allison.
After a few minutes' small talk, Anita mentioned that I'd said I wanted to talk to them.
"Right," I said. "I do. It's about work - and about the wedding."
I outlined my thinking about using The Axe's Head for an informal party. I wouldn't expect them to add the party to the official wedding schedule, but anyone local, or who wanted to arrive early, would be able to gather for an afternoon and/or evening drinking and axe-throwing, whatever schedule worked for them. That it would be no charge, other than for drinks, and that Shelby had given her approval. I told them how popular the bar seemed to be becoming for small parties, and explained how exclusive use on a closed day was something we hadn't tried, and that they would be my guinea pigs.
Jenna returned partway through my presentation. She shared how much she'd enjoyed her experiences at the bar, and how likable the staff were. We invited them to try a session at my expense. Though, I told them, I was pretty sure Shelby would void out the fees, so the offer was probably less generous than it sounded.
Kayla and Anita were tentatively enthusiastic. Allison was happy to hear that she wouldn't need to do any planning. Tiff, of course, was gleeful. "We could have Kayla's team duel Anita's with axes!"
"I hope you mean duel the scores on the targets," said Emma.
I sighed. "Do I need to hire a bouncer for the event? You'll probably want a head count, at least," I said. "If it turns out to be popular I'd hate to turn anyone away if we exceed the fire limit."
"You're still on board then?" asked Anita. I was puzzled for a moment, until I realized she wasn't directing the question at me.
"Fucking right I am," said Allison. "It's looking like I'll be single by Christmas."
Anita winced. "I'm sorry."
Allison shook her head. "You're not the one who turned into a bigot. And I'm glad I found out before I was the one getting hitched."
I tried to return a sympathetic but neutral look. This was obviously something personal and not my business. Jenna, on the other hand, looked fit to kill someone.
Allison looked up at us. "My boyfriend - my soon to be ex-boyfriend - doesn't want me in the wedding," she said.
"What the hell?" asked Jenna. "Why not?"
"Not because it's Anita's wedding," Allison said. "but because it's a lesbian wedding. He's an ally, mind. He'll tell you that three or four times in any conversation. But the 'mood of the country' is turning against LGBT anything, and I'll hurt my reputation by being publicly supportive. He's never liked me spending time with Anita. I used to think it was because he was jealous of the time I spent with her, which was bad enough, but now I realize he doesn't want me around gay people."
"What an ass," said Jenna.
"He's... not entirely wrong," I said, "but it's no excuse to join the bigots. If you are an ally, it's more important than ever that you stand with your friends."
"Like I said, what an ass," said Jenna. I had to grin.
"I thought he was just overreacting, at first," Allison said. "I thought he'd realize how much of an ass he was being, and apologize. But he's been doubling down. As soon as I figure out how to untangle my life from his, I'm gone. Within the next couple of weeks, at the outside."
"I'm sorry it came to that," offered Kayla.
Allison shrugged, her expression turning bleak. "Yeah, me too, but better to know now."
We were already into December, and low temperatures had been around freezing. Christmas wasn't far away. The bar had several small parties to manage, but Shelby insisted that I delegate. Welcoming and looking after the party was the job of the staff, and she claimed I needed a break. I tried to argue, but she wasn't wrong. I was running myself ragged, I needed to ease myself out of direct customer interaction, and I'd sacrificed any potential break at Thanksgiving. Since we closed on Thursday anyway, I couldn't even count Thanksgiving Day as time off.
It was time to make a trip to see my parents, as much as the idea didn't thrill me. Since Jenna wouldn't be joining me, my mother would be free to drop hints about how great it would be to settle down with a man. I would have to set her straight - pun intended - about my new relationship, and find out how supportive she really was.
Jenna's friend Abby invited her to a pre-Christmas dinner party. We hadn't seen Abby and the rest of the friend group since the faire. She asked if Jenna was still single, and when she found out we were dating, she added me to the list. Enthusiastically, Jenna claimed, which pleased me.
The party was on a Friday, and since I still hadn't transitioned to working office hours, I had to leave work early to prepare. I'd found a new dress online for the occasion - black midi-length with spiderweb lace sleeves and a corset-style top - and spiderweb tights, wearing them with my black ankle boots. I was a little less heavy-handed with the eyeshadow than I could have been, though my dark emerald matte lipstick probably undid any attempt at being more subtle. At least Jenna couldn't claim it was fuchsia.
A Christmas outfit, it was not.
I'd offered to play designated driver. If Jenna wanted to drink with her friends, she would be free to. I'd also found a hostess gift that I thought Abby would like - a set of bottles of olive oil, dark balsamic vinegar and white balsamic vinegar. Jenna had warned Abby of my diet, and had asked if I could bring my own food, but Abby had insisted that she could make up a fully-vegan plate, which was beyond kind of her.
The evening was cold, and was predicted to drop below freezing, so I wore my heavy coat, though the car heater worked well. I collected Jenna, plugged Abby's address into CarPlay and asked Jenna about her friendship with the group while I drove.
Abby was a couple of years older than Jenna. She'd been just out of college when they'd first met, living with her then-boyfriend, and landscaping their small house. She'd met Jenna at the garden center, had taken her advice, and after a few visits they'd struck up a friendship. The others in the group had mostly been Abby's friends, though they took to Jenna immediately, including her in board game evenings, Netflix nights, and occasional girls-only bar visits.
We had to park a couple of houses away from Abby's place. She'd moved from the small house she'd been living in when Jenna first met her. Now she lived in a large two-story in a cul-de-dac.
Abby greeted us at the door, taking my coat. I handed her the gift I'd brought. She seemed slightly surprised as I thanked her for inviting me.
The gift was in a decorative bag, but unwrapped. Abby lifted the box out of the bag, seeming genuinely pleased to receive it.
Jenna hadn't seen my outfit, though she'd noticed the green lipstick in the car. Her small appreciative grin and the nod of her head were all the approval I needed.
This was also the first time in the evening that I'd seen her without a coat. She was wearing a strapless midi dress, dark hose and heels. The dress was cobalt blue, but the color of the skirt faded to light turquoise at the hem. Her short hair was curved in above her chin, with a silver decorative pin on the left, and she wore dangling silver earrings.
Taking her fingers in mine, I leaned close to whisper, "You look beautiful." Honestly, I didn't tell her that often enough, but tonight she especially deserved the comment.
"So do you," she whispered. I was sure she meant it, but she far outshone me.
I recognized only one of the two people in the large living room. Janet turned away as soon as she saw me. Ah well.
Abby's husband, Terry, asked what we wanted to drink. Jenna chose wine, while I contended myself with apple juice. I'd wait until we ate for my single glass.
Terry had been Abby's boyfriend when Jenna had first met her, and was now in his mid-30s. He interrogated me amiably about the bar.
There were several plates set up around the room with appetizer finger foods. Terry pointed out the ones Abby had told him were safe. He let me know that Abby had checked the ingredients for the French bread, and it contained no milk.
Paige arrived without a partner. She let us know that Megan wasn't going to be able to make it, as she was at her husband's office party. She and Jenna began a good-natured argument about football, and though I tried to keep up for a while, my eyes started to glaze over when Terry joined in. I decided to head to the kitchen to refill my apple juice.
"Why the fuck did you invite Miss Doom and Despondency?"
I heard the voice before entering the kitchen, and stepped aside so that I wouldn't be seen. It didn't take much imagination to know who Miss Doom and Despondency was.
If there was a reply, I didn't hear it, but then I heard the first voice again, harsher than before. "Her girlfriend? She's one of them now?"
This time I heard the tones of who she was arguing with, and though I couldn't hear the words, they were clearly angry.
"Fine!" said the first voice, clearly in a huff.
I stepped back to avoid being caught eavesdropping, but when no one left the kitchen for several seconds and no other voice was audible, I entered the door as nonchalantly as possible, a smile on my face.
Janet glared at me, setting down a bottle of bourbon. Abby gave me a welcoming smile. "I'm looking for the apple juice," I said.
Abby broke from arranging dishes to take the juice from the fridge. "Help yourself," she said.
"Is they anything I can do to help you?" I asked.
Abby shook her head. "I'll be pressing Terry into service soon," she said. "Just relax."
"Sure," I said. "Thanks." I was certain I could feel Janet's eyes biting into me as I left.
In the living room, I rejoined Terry, Paige and Jenna. Football chat was over, and Terry called over a couple who'd just arrived. He introduced Leanne, a co-worker, and her husband Paul. They were maybe a little older than Terry, early forties, perhaps. Paul had a hint of grey at his temples. They were genial, and good listeners, when they asked Jenna and me questions.
While Paul was talking with Terry about drama at his wife's office I took a moment to look around the room. It was tasteful, not opulent, but elegant, and huge. This whole house was enormous. Comparable to Shelby's. Jenna and I would never be able afford anything like...
Wait. Back the fuck up. Jenna and I? Where did that thought come from? You've been dating less than a month and you're ready to buy a house with her?
"Fi? Are you okay?" Jenna's shoulder pressed into mine. "You went pale."
"I'm fine," I said, blinking. I was, though my stomach felt a little queasy from the sudden jolt. "I was just thinking what a lovely house this is?" Which was true enough.
"Thanks," said Terry. "I like the space, and Abby loves hosting dinner parties."
The final couple arrived a few moments later. This was Frank, a friend of Terry's, and his wife Barb. After briefly welcoming them, Terry was spirited away by Abby for final dinner preparations, and soon we were ushered into the dining room.
The dining table was huge, with places for ten, yet it wasn't uncomfortably large in the room. There was a small handwritten card before each chair. Mine had my full name, Fiala, placing me next to Terry, who was on my right at one end of the table, and across from Jenna. Leanne was to my left, and Janet, across from Paige, was at the far end, beside Abby. I had a feeling that placing Janet as far as possible from me was a strong factor in Abby's seating plan.
Abby served me first, taking my plate away to do so, returning it with nut cutlets and veggie gravy. Janet's eye roll when she saw me receiving special treatment wasn't a surprise, but the loud tut she made with her tongue clearly signalled her distaste to all. Abby froze for a second before setting my plate before me.
"Everything's okay except the herb butter for the carrots," Abby said to me, in a quiet voice. "The potatoes are roasted in olive oil. You know I'll put your gift to good use."
I turned to smile up at her. "I appreciate you making a special effort. It's why I got something for your kitchen."
She returned my smile, then bustled away to slice the roast prime rib for everyone else. Serving me nut burgers with gravy made my meal about as close to everyone else's as it could be, and I appreciated Abby's thoughtfulness.
Leanne asked the question I always dread. "Do you choose to be vegan, or is it a necessity?"
I thought for a moment before answering. I didn't sense any malice in her question. I explained about corporate greed promoting consumer greed, and how I simply wanted to step aside from that.
Before Leanne could respond, Jenna jumped in with, "She's not one of those vegan extremists. She's very laid back about it. She just doesn't use animal products. She'll cook meat and dairy for me."
I gave her a grateful smile.
"I see," Leanne said, "and I don't think those are bad reasons. I was just wondering."
"This beef is locally sourced," interjected Terry. "Grass fed from a local farm. Not that I would suggest you change your view, but at least we're not clearing the rainforest for dinner."
I grinned at him. "That's good." I didn't mention how much more environmentally friendly it would be to grow crops for humans rather than grass for cows.
"We often eat bison rather than beef," he added. "Regrowing bison herds seems better than adding more cows."
"That's true," I agreed. "As far as red meat goes, bison is much less problematic than cattle."
Jenna was watching me, and I smiled at her again. She seemed to color slightly and lowered her eyes to her food.
I'd told her she was beautiful, but the word didn't do her justice. With her sun-bleached hair turned inward, framing a face that still held traces of a tan in December, she was perfection. Her dress had a sweetheart neckline, and the push up bra she must have been wearing gave just the right amount of cleavage, the narrow gap between her breasts enticing. The look was much more subtle than the plunging neckline of the not-date dinner, but God, did I want to kiss her.
She looked up at me again, and something in my eyes seemed to make her color further.
"So the two of you are girlfriends?" Leanne asked. "Partners?"
She seemed to want to get all the potentially controversial questions out of the way.
"We are," said Jenna.
"Any plans for more?" Leanne prodded. "Marriage? Family? Kids?"
Jenna's eyes widened. "Erh... not yet. We've only been dating three weeks."
"Well, I'll wish you all the best, whatever you do," she said.
Her husband Paul, who'd mostly been talking to Barb and Frank on his right, glanced at her and nodded his agreement.
Dessert was homemade cheesecake, which I couldn't eat, and for which Abby apologized, but she'd picked up some vegan banana bread and dessert sauce.
"You really shouldn't have," I said, "but thank you, that sounds great."
Janet rolled her eyes again, silently, this time.
Back in the living room, I saw trouble ahead when Janet approached us. I'd noticed her downing wine at the table, after the whiskey she'd been drinking in the kitchen. Jenna's consumption had been markedly lower, but I wasn't sure if she was sober enough to handle conflict.
"So Jenna, did sleeping with Doom and Gloom here turn you queer?"
I'm sure she thought she was whispering, but an uneasy silence seemed to grow at her slurred words.
I wanted to say, "I thought it was Doom and Despondency," but I'd have to admit to eavesdropping on her conversation with Abby, but Jenna her accusation in stride anyway.
"No, I knew well before that," she said, placidly, embracing the accusation while denying the insult. Sneaky.
Janet gave her a look of revulsion. "I don't know how you could." She included me in her glare. "Either of you. It's disgusting."
"Oh for fuck's sake, Janet, that's enough." Paige's voice was low, evidently trying not to involve half the room, as Janet had. I hadn't noticed her approach. "I thought you'd get over your narrow-minded prejudice. At least keep it muted for Abby's party. What a way to repay her kindness for inviting you. I'm done listening to your crap." She turned to Jenna and wrapped her into a hug. Then she released her and did the same to me, much to my surprise.
"Fuck, not you too?" whined Janet.
"It's called being a friend," said Paige. "You might try it sometime." She released me, but stood beside us. "I think you've had too much to drink. Why don't we call you a cab?"
"Fuck you," said Janet, stalking off toward the door.
"She's not driving, is she?" asked Jenna.
Paige shook her head. "I don't think so." She turned to look. Janet, with a face like thunder, was talking to Abby, who brought her coat, while Janet stabbed keys on her phone, setting up a ride.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Paige said, to Jenna. "I really thought she would be better than that. We all talked to her about her attitude after the faire." She gave me an apologetic glance.
Though the confrontation with Janet had been more public than anyone could have been comfortable with, the party continued after she left. Abby and Terry cleared the table. Jenna insisted on helping, leaving me talking to Leanna and Barb, both of whom were golfers. They encouraged me to join them. Jenna looked like she had the build to be a strong player, they said, and there too few women playing locally.
Agreeing that Jenna probably had the strong arms needed to play, I told them we'd consider it. Not that either of us would be able to afford to play, even if we had the time.
When the table was clear, Abby set up a game of Exploding Kittens, which turned out to be a good icebreaker. Paige won the first round, remaining unexploded as Jenna and I talked with Leanna and Barb. In the second round, I blew up almost immediately, while Jenna survived until she drew the card of death. Since Terry had stolen her only defuse card, he won the game.
When it came time to leave, Abby spoke to us quietly. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't want to exclude her, since she's been part of the group for so long, but I won't make that mistake again."
Jenna gave her a hug, and reassured her that she was fine. She'd always been more upset on my behalf.
"Don't worry about me," I said. "Her reaction isn't really anything new. You don't know what you've gotten yourself into," I said to Jenna. "There's more than one reason why spaces like Gabby's are so important to us."
"I'm starting to realize that," she said. "When Anita's friend was telling us about her boyfriend problems, I wanted to say, you'll find someone better. Guys are not all like that. None of my exes were bigots. But then I started to think, how the hell would I know? I wouldn't have thought a friend I've known for years would go off the rails, like Janet did at the faire. Now here, and at me, when I've been her friend for years?" She shrugged, giving a single shake of her head.
"The rest of us are here for you," Abby said. Then she grinned. "Though I admit, I'm surprised you switched teams. How did that happen?"
Jenna told her of her almost-date with Erik and what she'd discovered about herself. "And I was convenient," I interjected, at which she called me a jerk and finished her story.
"Well, I'm glad to see it," Abby said. "I've been around for your gripe sessions about boyfriends. I know you were never happy with them. You two seem good together. I thought so at the faire. I just didn't foresee a laid-back friendship becoming more."
"Neither did I," Jenna agreed.
"Nor I, though I wished things could be different, even then," I said. "Turns out, they were."
Jenna was quiet in the car as I drove her home. I thought maybe the conflict with Janet had upset her more than she'd admitted, so I didn't disturb the silence until I pulled up at her house. When she didn't make any move to speak or to leave the car, as asked, "Are you going to invite me in?"
"You didn't really mean what you said about just being convenient, did you?" she asked. "We talked about that. I didn't latch onto you because you were the only lesbian I know."
"God, no!" I replied. "That was just snark. I know you had feelings for me."
"I thought so," she said. "I was just... Do you want to come in?"
"Of course I do," I said. "I think you need me to help you out of that dress."
She gave me a weak grin. "Maybe so, but we need to talk first."
"Okay," I said, though I was suddenly apprehensive. That sounded ominous.
Inside the house, I kicked off my boots. Jenna stepped out of her heels, then waved me to the couch and headed straight into the kitchen. I heard her getting ice from the fridge, and a few minutes later she returned with two vodka tonics, handing me one as she sat beside me.
Nerves on edge, I sipped the drink slowly. Whatever it was she needed to say, she hadn't stinted on the drink preparation. There was fresh lime juice and a slice of lime in each.
"You recall Anita asking if I'd be your plus one?" Jenna asked.
"Yeah, of course," I said.
"Today, Leanne asked if we were planning to start a family," she said. "And even Abby said she thought we'd be good together, even before. Does everyone see us as more than girlfriends?"
"I don't know," I replied. "What are you saying, Jen?"
"I'm saying..." she began, then took a sip of her drink. "I'm saying that we haven't been dating a month, but I'm pretty sure I've fallen in love with you."
I felt a rush of butterflies in my stomach.
She didn't give me a chance to respond, though. "I think I might have been in love with you even before I knew it was an option for me," she said.
"You're pretty sure?" I frowned, though my heart was racing. "You think?"
Jenna shrugged, helplessly. "I've never been in love before. How can I be sure I know what it's like? Is it love, or just infatuation, if I can't get you out of my mind? If I wake up wondering what your plans are? If I hurry home if I'm going to see you? If I want to hear about your day at work, or be there to support you if you're stressed? It isn't the sex. I mean, I want that, too, but I can't even imagine wanting to have anyone else."
I ran my fingers down the skin of her arm. God, she looked so good in that dress, with her strong shoulders and lean arms completely bare. "It's funny," I said. "There was a moment earlier - when you said I'd gone pale, and I was looking around the room. I realized I was imagining a future with you. It seemed so natural that it hardly registered, until it did. I was worrying that it was my tendency to read too much into situations, so I didn't want to say anything, but I love you, too. All those things you said. I understand them. I want to cook for you, and wake up curled up with you, and... and everything."
She let out a laugh. "I've been so nervous about telling you," she said. "Now I just want you."
Taking the glass from her hands, I set it on the coffee table, then climbed into her lap, hitching up my dress, before pressing my lips to hers. Her breathing immediately grew heavy as her arms wrapped around me and her body melted into mine. My heart beat a staccato rhythm in my chest as her love flowed into me.
She broke the kiss and gave me a cheeky smile as I mussed her hair with the fingers of both hands. "I love you," I whispered, feeling a huge sense of relief at not having to keep the words bottled up within me, followed by a wave of desire as the need to show her my love followed them.
Sitting in her lap blocked my view of her body, the black fabric of my corset top hiding her neckline. Still, it didn't get in the way of my fingers, as I ran them down from her shoulders until they met the swell of her breasts. Her teeth nipped at my tongue, and I walked my fingers back up over her shoulders to find the zipper at the back of her dress and began to draw it down.
A moment later I felt Jenna's hands move to my hips, then ease my dress upward. I stopped what I was doing for a moment, to free the zipper, then helped her drag the dress over my head. My excitement climbed as I looked down at her cleavage, her bra now exposed, between my freed breasts, though my view was soon obscured again as Jenna fitted her hands around my breasts and began to knead them.
I was panting when I climbed off her. Jenna's eyes were huge and dark as I drew her to her feet to let the dress fall, then pushed her back onto the couch and returned to her lap.
"What are you smiling at?" she asked, her voice husky with desire.
"My green lipstick doesn't suit you," I chuckled, "but it gives me a thrill to see it on your face."
"Think you've claimed me, do you?" she said, then wrenched me against her, kissing me savagely. My laugh instantly became a groan of passion. I gripped her hips, sliding her body forward as I began to rock against her.
My panties were wet as they slid against Jenna's, though I wasn't convinced that I was the only source of the moisture. She was moaning into the kiss, her hips reflecting my movement as our pussies ground together.
We rocked against each other for many minutes, our shared excitement building. Then Jenna gripped my ribs. Breaking the kiss, she lifted me, closing her mouth on my breast.
"Oh, God, yes," I groaned as she suckled. She was relentless, and I was unable to resist the surge of arousal. "Gnn-hhh," I grunted as the tension in my thighs locked me against her. Then I gasped as I came against her belly. She continued to suckle as I moaned. Gone was the tentative lovemaking of our first time together. She was confident and demanding, and I was hopelessly in love.
My body was still twitching with occasional aftershocks when I slid off her. I pushed her panties to the side and slid a finger into her, then leaned forward, pressing my mouth to hers as I shook my wrist, my curled finger sliding rapidly in and out of her passage.
Jenna's thighs twitched, then tightened around my hand. She broke the kiss, gasping as she came around my finger, her hips pushing her sex forward to meet me. Then she found my lips again, groaning with pleasure as I slowed my movements.
"I'm not looking forward to Christmas," I confessed.
Jenna was curled around me, her breasts against my back. We'd met each other's needs again, in bed this time. My lust was satisfied, but my desire for her wasn't, and might never be.
"I know," she said, "but you need to see your parents. And you need a break. If you were here you'd worry about the bar, even if you took the time off."
"Yeah, you're right," I said, "but I don't want to be away from you."
"You mean you don't want a week without sex," she murmured, her lips against my ear.
"That's true, too," I admitted. "How will you be?"
"I have my toy for the lonely nights," she said, "and I can fuel my fantasies with what we just did."
"Idiot," I said. "I mean, with going to see your folks. I know you aren't on the best of terms. I really don't know why."
"The simple truth is that I didn't go to college," she said. "They saved up to send me. When I decided that I didn't want to go, I used the funds as a down payment for this house." She sighed. "If I had gone to university, I'd have had to borrow more, and probably wouldn't be buying a place for at least another five years. And I couldn't face four more years of education. I don't regret my choice, but they don't see things from my perspective."
"I see," I said. "And now you're thinking about community college. How are they going to react to that?"
"I have to figure out if I want to work with Michael," she said, "and then I have to wait until I can afford it. I'm not going to be telling them any time soon."
Kayla and Anita scheduled their "free trial" visit to The Axe's Head exactly a week before Christmas. Allison and Tiff, the maids of honor, were with them, along with Emma, Tiff's girlfriend, and their roommates Heather and her fiancée Margot. Allison was clearly very close to Anita, and I could imagine Kayla being jealous of her if she believed they were together. I'd eventually remembered where I'd seen her. She'd been with Anita at a party that I'd attended a couple of years ago, at the coffee shop that Heather now managed.
I introduced Jenna to Heather and Margot. Heather was tall, with flawless skin and auburn hair. She was soft-spoken and shy, but possessed of a surprising inner strength. She managed the coffee shop efficiently, while working on a doctoral program. Margot was blonde and a little taller than her fiancée, which meant she towered over us all.
The girls who frequented Gabby's had unwritten rules to avoid casual pleasure turning into awkward relationships. One was to avoid repeated encounters. Another was not to share too much about those encounters, to avoid jealousy. If you were observant, you'd see who left with whom, but you wouldn't mention it. Of course, I was sure that most of them knew I'd hooked up with Kayla, since I'd made such an idiot of myself over it.
Probably no one present, other than Margot and myself, knew that I'd also slept with Margot. She'd been a player before she'd gotten involved with Heather, and I'd been young, eighteen or maybe nineteen, inexperienced and somewhat naïve. I'd learned much from Margot about making love to a woman, and we'd both gained enough pleasure from the night together that she'd let me practice again with her a couple of months later.
I hadn't had many lovers in those early days, and I'd turned down all other players since then, except for Kayla, if she counted as one. And Val, who definitely counted as a player, but that was much later. She'd come on to me when I was feeling very low, not long after Kayla had spurned me. I'd succumbed, perhaps to punish myself. I took a long break from the club after Val. Sex with Val had also been educational, if in a very different way.
But I had a deep and lasting affection for Margot, even though I'd no desire ever to repeat the experience. I had always been thrilled that she'd found Heather. There was a world of secret knowledge in the smile Margot gave me, one eyebrow slightly raised.
Heather recognized the design on the menus instantly. She grinned but colored slightly as she spoke the word, "Bottom. And Titania," she added, looking at the unlabelled fairy. "We have Austin's drawing of Titania on the art wall at the coffee shop."
"Why am I the only one who finds the name 'Bottom' funny?" I asked.
"Because the rest of us are too polite to admit it?" suggested Margot.
"Or too embarrassed," said her fiancée, still slightly pink-cheeked.
"Do you have souvenirs?" asked Allison, looking at a menu.
"Of the drawing?" I asked. "No, though I'm thinking of ordering tee shirts."
Allison shook her head. "I'm picturing an axe," she said. "With a rubber head, shaped like a donkey's head, but narrower. And a human body as the handle. Naked. With a loin cloth, I guess, but the name 'Bottom' written on his bare ass."
"Oh my God," I said. "That's brilliant. I'll have to look into getting it fabricated."
"It wouldn't stick in a target," Jenna mused. "But if it's balanced right, you could maybe set up paper targets."
Further ideas included velcro on the head, with velcro targets, and thoughts about whether you could really balance a rubber and plastic axe, or if it would be better just as a stand-up souvenir, until Kayla reminded us that we had a lane reserved to throw real axes.
Each woman thought the experience was a blast. Surprising us all, Heather threw almost as well as Jenna, who'd spent time at the bar and had a powerful build. Kayla and Margot both had trouble spinning the axe so that it wouldn't hit the target handle first, though they improved over the two hour period. Whether wine helped or hindered was something we were still debating when our time was up.
My parents' house was a ten hour drive or a four hour flight. Four hours, that is, plus driving to the airport, and then getting from the airport to their place either by renting a car or by having them pick me up and not having my own transportation. When I factored in parking fees or a local ride, driving became cost-competitive, and it would avoid the struggle with holiday airport crowding.
Of course, driving would also risk the route being closed by severe weather, but the interstate was rarely shut down for long. I decided that I'd rather make a long drive in my very comfortable vehicle than deal with the stresses of flying.
My parents were pleased to see me, as I expected. That had never been a problem. What was a problem was Mom's dissatisfaction with my life.
She was not thrilled with my job. "But you have a business degree, dear. Why are you working in a bar?" I tried to explain that I wasn't working in a bar, I was managing the entire project. She seemed to see me standing behind the counter serving glasses of beer.
And of course I hadn't returned home after college. "But there are bars here, Fiala." Which, again, didn't consider that I wasn't interested in a regular bar job. But also, I didn't want to be close to home, and Mom was demonstrating why.
Dad was pretty cool. He always had been. He seemed to understand my need for distance, and rolled his eyes occasionally when Mom tried to insist that hers was the right way.
"Do you remember Tim from high school?" she asked. "He went away to college, too. I heard he had a girlfriend, but they broke up when he came home. You should catch up with him."
"Mom, I have a girlfriend now."
Dad raised his eyebrows at that, though without any sign of disapproval.
Mom was silent, but my hope that releasing the news would mean an end to her attempts to fix me were short-lived. She just said, "Oh," then pursed her lips. Several seconds later, she added, "That's nice, dear," though she clearly thought it was anything but.
Dad asked me what my girlfriend was like. I told him that she was called Jenna, and she was a friend of my boss. There was no point in going into detail about their close relationship, but even that didn't make Mom happy. It was a mistake to date the people you work with, of course. When I explained that she didn't work with Shelby, she worked in a garden center, then of course she wasn't good enough for me. It was frustrating, and Dad gave me a look of sympathy.
It was good to have my dad on my side. I was used to my mother, and I wasn't going to blow up at her. She really did want the best for me, it was just the best as she defined it, which included being heterosexual, planning for kids, and living close to her. Those weren't going to happen.
Well, kids... maybe. One day. I wondered whether Jenna wanted kids. And Jesus, even if we'd professed our love, we'd been dating a little more than a month, and it wasn't time to plan a family.
I realized Dad had asked me something, and I came back to reality and replayed the last few words. Did I have a photo?
Oh, yeah, I had several. I showed Dad first, since he was the one who asked. He said she was very pretty. Mom scowled and said she had short hair.
"Long hair would get in the way of her work, Mom," I said. I'd never asked Jenna if that's why she had short hair. Maybe she preferred it. It was an explanation I could use for Mom, though.
"I'm sure she's very nice," Mom said, sourly.
"Just be happy for me, please, Mom?" I asked. "I like her. She's special."
"I'm sure she is," Mom conceded. "I hope we get to meet her." Not, "I hope we get to meet her soon," just "I hope we get to meet her." One day, perhaps. Or maybe, before I see the error in my ways and switch to dating boys. And she delivered the line with the expression that she might use if I'd just run over her cat. But she'd tried.
That night I called Jenna and poured out all my frustrations. She helped me through that and each day of my trip. Mom wasn't quite so unsympathetic after the first day, but the impression that she was disappointed with her only daughter remained.
"Oh, God in heaven, I've missed you," I said, as I hugged my girlfriend.
I'd left a day earlier than planned. I'd come closer to blowing up at Mom than I'd expected. Several days of her negativity was close to overcoming my resistance. I decided that leaving without preamble would avoid letting her get her parting shots in, so I pleaded a work emergency. There was an unexpected post-Christmas party coming in, and the bar manager was leaving for New Year. I needed to be back home to handle it.
It was complete fiction, and I could see that Dad wasn't buying it, but I think he suspected why I'd made up the story and was sympathetic. I managed to leave with a minimum of complaining and promises on my part to return when I could.
The interstate was still clear. I drove straight to my apartment. It was Saturday, and I had one more day of vacation followed by my Monday off before all hell would break loose on New Year's Eve. I could sleep in on Sunday and see Jenna Sunday night, more refreshed than my original plan had been.
And now I was with her, and the cares of the past week melted away. This was where I was supposed to be.
"I've missed you, too, love," she said, and the term of endearment sent a bolt of heat through me. "I arranged my day off for tomorrow, so if you're on your normal schedule we can spend the day in bed."
"I like your thinking," I agreed.
I'd brought dinner with me, but Jenna had only just gotten off work and wanted a shower. So of course I wanted to shower with her, after which she decided I would be much tastier than the food.
"Oh my God," I breathed, after a particularly intense climax. Jenna was sitting on my legs, wearing a diabolically smug grin. "Have you been practising? Who do I need to kill?"
""No one," she said. "I've just been imagining doing this to you all week, love," she said. "The reality is better."
"Is it ever," I agreed, drawing her down for a languorous kiss.
Jenna's week seemed to have been less stressful than mine. Her visit with her parents had been better than she'd feared, though they were still distant with her. Her older brother was in town with his wife and son. She loved him, but their relationship wasn't perfect, and his wife seemed jealous of Jenna's affectionate relationship with her nephew.
She'd only had to survive Christmas Day with them, unlike the several days I'd had to face. Still, she pointed out, she'd been missing me for the remainder of the time.
"Our nightly calls kept me sane," I said, "but even so, I've been wishing I was with you." After a moment, I added, "Uh, how would you feel if I moved more clothes in here, so I didn't have to go back to my apartment often?"
Jenna studied me for a few seconds. "Are you saying you want to move in?" she asked.
"Well, my lease isn't up until June, so we'd have six months to back out of the arrangement if it doesnt work out," I said. "But yeah. I'd like to live with you. It could be at my place, but you have the house. And the cats."
Daisy had even let me pet her before Christmas, but my absence had recharged her hostility to full.
"I feel like it's going to happen sooner or later," Jenna said. "It would make sense to see how it works out." She smiled. "No more nights wondering where my body pillow is hiding." After a moment, she added, "Hey, if you're going to be here all the time, teach me how to cook."
"Hmm," I considered the idea. "With the hours we keep, it won't be easy. And I will have harsh words for your habit of not cleaning as you cook, starting with tossing packaging and avocado peel into the trash. And we're going to keep your fridge cleaned out. Dates on leftovers, shelves wiped down."
"I'm already rethinking this plan," Jenna griped. "Okay. You're the boss of the fridge and cooking surfaces. If I take the job with Michael I won't be working retail hours, so I'll be able to spend more time at home."
"That would be a plus," I said.
We survived New Year's Eve. The bar closed at ten, but Shelby kept the Firebird bar open for staff. Self-service, no charge. About half of the staff went home, the other half bringing significant others or dates. Daniel was there with Shelby, and Jenna arrived at ten-thirty. I knew I'd be too hyper to drink, so I'd offered to play designated driver to anyone who needed a ride.
After I'd ferried the last of the bar staff home, I returned to Firebird to find Jenna lounging with Shelby and Daniel. They'd been talking about the future of the bar, and included me when I arrived. Shelby had decided the big switch would happen in February, whether or not they'd found an event person to replace me. I'd be operations manager of the new entertainment company. My salary would rise significantly, and my nominal hours would be nine to five. Shelby insisted she didn't want me working much more than that.
I bit back a snide comment about her finally turning me into a corporate drone. On paper, it looked that way, but the company was small, and Shelby had been a great boss. I didn't see that changing, even when I was installed in an upstairs office with no direct connection with the bars below. Shelby promised me a window, and construction would begin next week. I already had experience managing contractors, so that would be my task again as I eased out of the day-to-day work with The Axe's Head and into Shelby's new projects.
That night, for the first time, Jenna and I were both too tired to make love, but we slept naked anyway, Jenna wrapped around my body the way that both of us preferred. In the morning, she woke before me, bringing me a coffee while wearing a tee shirt that reached partway down her thighs. She leaned down to kiss me, but I shook my head and made a quick bathroom run to brush my teeth.
Jenna ran her fingers through my hair as we kissed, then rolled onto her side facing me as I drank my coffee. Her fingers trailed over my belly, then circled the outer edges of my breasts, seeming more to be convincing herself that I was real than trying to turn either of us on.
"I'm glad you're here," she said. "Whatever happens this year, we're starting it with each other."
"It might be the only good thing about this year," I sighed.
"Don't say that," Jenna said. She ran a finger over my lips. "You have your new job, with better hours and weekends. And... I've decided to work with Michael. So I hope that will be a good thing, too."
Setting my coffee cup down, I captured Jenna's hand and kissed her fingers. "That's what you want?"
"Yeah," Jenna said. Her eyes held mine as I suckled her fingertips. "I will need to go to community college, but it isn't urgent. I'll need to learn from Michael before he lets me take on my own landscapes and work with clients directly. That's the goal, but it doesn't have to be next month. If I'm careful, I should be able to afford tuition. I'll be able to get a loan."
"If living together works out," I said, "when I let my apartment go, I'll want to pay rent. I won't have to pay for the apartment, and this is a much better living situation. You could apply that toward your tuition."
"It would," Jenna said, "but I can't take rent from you."
"Of course you can," I said. "Look, I'm your partner. I'm not some friend sleeping on your couch for a few days." I released her hand and touched a nipple through her tee shirt. "I need to pay my way. I need to, Jen," I insisted, when it looked like she was going to interrupt. "I'm not asking to be on the mortgage or have any ownership of your place, but maybe if there are any funds left over after college fees, you can save them for the day we decide to share our lives fully. Maybe it will be here. Maybe we'll buy a place together. One day I think we'll want that."
"Y-yeah," Jenna said. "I think so, too. But still..."
Pushing against her shoulder, I rolled her away from me until she was lying on her back, following her down until her nipple was below my lips. As I kissed it lightly through the tee shirt, she ran her fingers through my hair.
"This is a terrible way to try to win an argument," she said.
"Really? I think it's a very good way."
"It's that, too," she admitted. "You're very distracting." I ran a hand down her belly, cupping her sex through the tee shirt. "That's even more distracting," she admitted, as I tightened my hand, rocking my palm against her.
Backing away, I grinned at her, then moved between her thighs and lay along her body. My bare breasts nestled against her tee shirt, and as we began to kiss, her hands found them.
Holding her hips, I slid my body against hers, my pussy caressing hers through her tee shirt. She began to breathe soft sounds of pleasure into the kiss, her face moving to keep her lips locked to mine as I rocked against her.
Jenna's hips joined my motion, and together our bodies rolled together, waves of motion from thighs to neck, her belly rising against mine, then lowering as I pushed back against her. My breasts undulated against her chest, my own breathing heavy as my arousal grew.
Jenna released me to take her tee shirt and pull it off. She tried to do it without breaking our motion, but after she struggled to get the shirt higher while it was trapped between our bodies, I sat up so that she could remove it.
She held out her arms, and I lowered myself into them, my sex stroking hers as we resumed our slow motion. I felt her firm breasts pushing into my softer ones.
Jenna tried to increase our pace, but I resisted, keeping my motion against her slow and deliberate. She made frustrated sounds, but her groans grew louder as time passed.
Her pussy was slick against mine, though whether the wetness was mostly from me or her, I couldn't tell. I could just feel lubricated skin sliding against my clit.
I could so easily come like this. But I wanted to maximize Jenna's pleasure. Reluctantly I lifted myself off her. She reached for me, but I moved back to squat between her thighs. Then I leaned forward, pressing kisses to her breasts and belly before drawing my tongue over the folds of her sex.
"Ohhh.." she sighed, as I began to lick.
The rhythm of my tongue against her was not much faster than our bodies had been moving. Jenna's hips rolled as they had before, sinuous waves beginning in her thighs, lifting her back from the bed, then lowering as her neck rose. She moaned with each wave.
I nosed her clit as my head rocked against her. Jenna's moans rose in pitch and strength. I shook my face against her and her back arched. Then I sat up, watching with affection as she panted softly, her body relaxing.
Lowering myself again, I worked my shoulders under her thighs, pushing forward so that she lifted her thighs, her knees against her chest. Holding her hips, I pressed my lips to her clit and kissed it. Jenna began to pant, her hips rocking rapidly against my face. I wasn't going to let her come, though, not like this, and each time she tried to press herself deeper into my mouth, I backed off.
Letting her legs relax back to the bed, I extended my tongue, lapping at her clit. Jenna lifted herself to her elbows, looking down her body at me. Her panting was interspersed with holding her breath, her belly tensing as her hips pressed her sex against my mouth. The look of pure lust in her eyes as they sought mine almost made me give in to her needs, but instead I carefully disengaged.
Slipping one finger into her I curled it upward and steered it around inside her. Jenna's thighs twitched as I explored the sensitive passage, and she gasped loudly. Stroking circles against her inner wall, I lowered my face again, lapping at her clit.
The one night I'd spent with Val had been... challenging. She was used to different activities than I was, with partners far more experienced than me. She took without asking, and assumed I wanted everything she did. I didn't feel able to refuse, and, probably because I was punishing myself, I didn't try.
But there was one thing she did that stayed with me. Right as she brought me to the point where I couldn't have shrunk back from the climax that was about to tear through me. Being on the receiving end, I couldn't know exactly what she did, only how it felt, and I didn't know if I could copy what she did, or if it would work. But I wanted to try.
Pressing against her Jenna's from the inside, I stroked my tongue rapidly along her clit. She writhed, panting rapidly, her lips parted in an O. Her expression showed excitement, as if she could tell that this time I wasn't going to hold her back. Her thighs tensed against my wrist, and the muscles of her belly began to contract.
Sitting up suddenly, I pulled my finger back out of her. Her belly was twitching as I grabbed her thighs and yanked her up into my lap. Then I shoved two fingers back inside and pumped rapidly. Jenna's climax, which had just begun to break, drew her whole body into its grasp, as her back curved, and her belly convulsed. She cried out in passion between sharp gasps.
Instead of allowing her orgasm to wane, I shook my hand harder, fingers pistoning rapidly within her sex. Jenna's moans rose in pitch, becoming more excited as her climax remained strong. I leaned forward to kiss her lips. She responded enthusiastically for a few seconds, then had to break away to gasp for breath. Instead, I kissed her breast, her sounds seeming even more excited as her back arched further into me, my fingers still thrusting into her hard and fast.
Eventually the power of her body's contractions seemed to wane. Maybe a minute had passed. I sat up, releasing her breast, but still working my fingers inside her. Abruptly, her cries became desperate. Her back arched, and a renewed wave of spasms ripped into her. Her body twisted from side to side, her legs lifting to press against me, trying to push me away.
Withdrawing my fingers, I took her by the sides and lifted her. She wrapped her arms around me, hugging me as her body shook. She panted for breath as if she'd run a marathon. I held her close, her body's quivering slowly fading. Before it left her entirely, she turned my face to hers, then kissed me with passion.
Finally detaching herself, she eased herself back onto the bed, letting her fingers trail down my arms as she relaxed. I drew the sheets up as I lay down against her, pulling them over our bodies before resting my head on her shoulder. She still occasionally twitched with aftershocks.
"Jesus, Fi," she breathed. "That was... I don't think I have the words, and no way do I have the energy to think of them. Please don't make me get out of bed for the next few hours, though."
"I won't, love," I said. "Happy new year."
Jenna smiled, then chuckled. "And a horny new year to you, too."