A Weekend to Last....Forever.

Your Joy Will Be My Reward

A B&B Fan fiction by Judith

Inspired by...

The great Miss Susan Flannery herself.

A Thursday, Late Summer 2005-

Stephanie has just taken over Forrester Creations and kicked Eric in the balls literary and figuratively speaking because of lying about the Douglas trust.

Eric, on his part , has just kicked her out of the beach house…where in front of Stephanie's own eyes he made love to Brooke.

(What didn't happen: Eric never sneaked behind Stephanie's back and got a divorce without her knowing)

Chapter 1

There she stood; Nailed to the ground….embarrassed, hurt, angry, defeated, and mostly... sad.

Tears welled up in her eyes and she really needed to sit down.

She felt a bit sick.

And in front of her eyes she saw the image of Eric and Brooke on "their" couch kissing and making out…

She couldn't help turning around and look through the window. She wished she hadn't….just a re-run of what she had already witnessed a minute ago.

This was the second time that Eric, the only man she really loved,

had asked Brooke to marry him.

All the other women flashed in front of Stephanie's eyes; Beth, Lauren, Sheila.....

Omg! She really needed to get her head straight..!

Her legs felt heavy and her eyes were wet but she started walking…feeling like her whole future was about to fall apart…

Did she even have a future and what would it look like?

In front of her she saw the beach …and the sea..

It was starting to get darker but Stephanie didn't notice it…

All she saw was the color black anyway.

She could hear the waves crashing on the shore and her feet touched the sand.

She took off her shoes. That felt better…

It didn't take long for the images of Eric to come back before her eyes…

In a flash of sanity she took her cell phone out of her pocket and she started writing a text message to Taylor:

"Please, don't worry if you don't hear from me! And please go to the office tomorrow and do the best you can. Massimo will help you. Thanks! Stephanie."

Then she started walking along the beach towards the sea.

It was a warm night but Stephanie started to shiver.

She saw some people making a fire on the beach.

It looked so nice but it also made her more sad.

There were a lot of people around that little fire.

They were laughing and eating and drinking. It looked so cozy.

Now Stephanie felt so alone.

The very few friends she had….she missed them terribly.

Actually she could do with the company of Sally right now.

She always seemed to uplift her spirits.

And Ruthanne…they hadn't seen each other in such a long time.

Stephanie decided to pass by the fire and go for a long walk along the beach.

She passed the fire…the people were very busy doing their own thing.

They didn't pay any attention to her; this lonely figure walking by, …..or did they?

Chapter 2

Stephanie walked and walked. This got her warmer also.

She went to the shore and put her feet in the water.

She kept thinking about everything going on. What negativity!

But then her thoughts wandered away from Eric and the company.

She started thinking about herself and herself only.

About her life…What was it at all about?

Right now; a battle for the company and a row of heartbreaks….

She could and should do better than that!

Where was the laughter, the friendships, the parties, dance and music, movies….everything there is to enjoy in life?

She felt like she hadn't enjoyed anything lately.

All of a sudden that felt so wrong! There must be so much more besides Eric…..

Eric had been the love of her life forever….as long as she could remember.

Of course she wasn't made of stone and there had been some others when Eric had left her once again for one of his flings…but that never lasted long.

He always came back to her...and she took him back every time.

It has always been Eric that she had been the most dedicated to, over and over again….

She had reached the end of the public beach..

Actually she felt like walking some more but she had to turn back…

In the far distance she could see the little fire. That was her goal, knowing it also pointed out where the beach house and her car should be.

She took her time and reached the fire and the people around it..

She looked up to the spot where her car was.

She didn't feel like going back home.

That big empty house didn't look very attractive at this moment…to say the least.

That is why she sat down along the sea with the little fire behind her.

She couldn't literally feel it but it felt warm anyway.

Her still bare feet were touched by the warm water of the sea.

She just sat there, lost in thoughts..

All of a sudden she was shook and startled.

Somebody touched her softly on the shoulder….

Chapter 3

Stephanie looked up, somebody really surprised her!

She looked right into the friendly face of a young woman.

The woman gave her a big smile and started talking;

"What are you doing here sitting by yourself…why don't you come and join us?"

Stephanie was overwhelmed ….what a surprise invitation!

She still didn't feel like going home and she wasn't tired at all.

Not with all that sadness and thoughts going on overdrive in her mind.

Once again she looked into that friendly face…she actually never saw a friendlier one…

"Maybe that is because of my current state of mind", she wisely thought to herself.

"Eh…are you sure? I don't want to crash your party.." Stephanie said in a insecure and unstable voice. Her throat felt like a razor blade.

These were the first words she spoke out loud after her harsh and desperate words towards Eric and Brooke.

" How could you crash our party? We don't even know you, ha ha! And my intuition usually never fails me; you look like you could need a break from whatever is on you mind".

"Oh God! How right this woman is" Stephanie thought to herself.

So Stephanie got up from the sand…she felt a bit overdressed all of a sudden. Standing there in her blue satin suit..

But she walked along this young woman's side towards the fire that had gotten bigger so it seemed…

There were at least ten people around that fire. Mostly young people…men and women…

She felt very out of place and very insecure. She didn't attend a beach party in God knows how long. And the ones she remembers were very different. There used to be chairs and a bar…not just the sand to sit on and bottles of drinks going around.

But her lonely and sad state of mind simply took over and she looked to her kind female "friend" in a bit of a fright.

The woman just had to laugh at the face of Stephanie.

" Oh don't worry! Just sit yourself down and share a drink with us", the woman said.

And so Stephanie sat down.

The people around the fire didn't really take any notice of her…very unusual….

But Stephanie didn't think too much of it and actually enjoyed it…not being in the spotlight on a party for once.

The woman literally crashed beside her on the sand. She had a bottle of red wine.

"Would you like some wine? Oh and by the way, what's you name, woman?"

Stephanie couldn't help but laugh…

"Eh yes, I would like some wine and my name is…Stephanie".

"Well welcome, Stephanie, and relax!".

The woman gave Stephanie another blinking smile.

Stephanie couldn't help but feel getting warmer inside.

The wine she started to drink certainly helped.

But the more this woman looked at her the warmer she got…strange feelings overwhelmed her…

"And what is your name?" Stephanie asked in a soft voice. She didn't want to be overheard so much by the other people.

"My name is Shirley" the woman said.

Shirley….had a nice ring to it. A sort of a happy name. It felt all good to Stephanie.

Slowly Stephanie started to relax and looked around her.

The people around the fire were laughing and talking.

Stephanie noticed two women…they were sitting very close to each other.

Stephanie looked closely with curiosity…They were holding hands…

Stephanie felt a bit confused by her feelings towards this sight…

She never held hands with a woman. At least not in this way. Of course she had hugged her female friends and held their hands in compassion and friendship; Caroline, Taylor, Ruth-Anne and Sally.

They were very affectionate with each other at certain moments in life when they were in despair or other hard moments. But these girls on the beach looked different.

They were just sitting there, enjoying each others company and holding hands like they were lovers….

Stephanie looked up to Shirley who was just studying Stephanie's face….

Shirley liked what she saw ….;

A very different woman all of a sudden amongst her and her friends.

Something new, fresh and very ….she couldn't find the right words in her mind to describe Stephanie.

She liked her for sure. She liked her posture, her nose, her hair,…her eyes…..

So Stephanie looked back at Shirley who was studying Stephanie's face in curiosity.

They gave each other a smile..

Stephanie took another sip of her wine and then she asked Shirley with some hesitation; "Are those two girls lovers?"

Shirley looked around, it seemed like she didn't know who Stephanie was talking about…

"Oh yes, them!, Yes, they are" Shirley giggled.

To Shirley it was the most normal thing in the world. Her two friends…lovers…

She didn't even think about it in that way anymore.

Stephanie looked at the girls again. They looked so happy and at ease with each other…

Sadly enough this took her mind also back at the good times she spend with Eric.

Surely looked like the same thing!

Shirley poured Stephanie another glass of wine. Her second one…She could still handle it.

It made her feel just as relaxed as she should be to get accustomed to her new surroundings. And to get accustomed to herself; the way she felt and behaved....

Just going with the flow like that was so unlike her. She was used to be in control of everything...mostly herself. Now she felt like her hurt was taking over....

Once again she looked up to Shirley. But Shirley had walked off. Omg! Stephanie thought that Shirley just might have walked away out of pure boredom. She looked around for her. There she was at the other side of the fire. Shirley soon walked back to Stephanie and gave her a sandwich…

All of a sudden Stephanie felt how her appetite was there and it was... Big!

Of course she hadn't had any dinner and she had no idea what time it was now…

She didn't even care.

She gladly took the sandwich.

What even felt better was the smile from Shirley that came along with the sandwich….

Stephanie felt a strange sensation inside…again. She quickly tried to eat it away.

Chapter 4

They were still sitting there, side by side, close to the fire; Shirley and Stephanie.

Some guy was keeping the fire up and another guy was getting more wood.

Stephanie felt better. She didn't want to go home.

For some reason she sort of enjoyed this fire, these people, the wine….

Especially the novelty of new people in her life seemed very welcome.

She was about to start something new, something else, something exciting.

She could just sense it in the air.

Stephanie stared into the fire. She and Shirley had been talking for a while about this and that, nothing deep.

And now she was a bit lost in her thoughts…looking into the fire.

Coming back to the here and now she felt Shirley's eyes going over her…

She didn't dare looking back at Shirley. Stephanie got very shy.

She just felt there was a reason for it.

She grabbed her emotions together and looked at Shirley.

Their eyes met and a feeling of warmth was transported from Shirley's to Stephanie's eyes..

Stephanie got a very strange sensation from Shirley.

Stephanie knew how people looked at her when they like her. And not just like her, but really LIKE her…

It all felt very weird…and so unfamiliar.

And yet, she couldn't help but feel flattered and warm inside.

She had also felt earlier on... something….

Were these signals from Shirley she had secretly hoped for?

A bundle of confusing thoughts were going through Stephanie's mind and body.

"How could this happen, what is this feeling? This is not me…Am I drunk?... or too emotional from everything that happened lately?" Stephanie puzzled by herself.

Shirley came to sit closer to Stephanie….even closer then she already sat.

Shirley said in a soft voice: " You should go maybe, I'm not taking any account for myself, I am sorry….But I really like you and I don't want to jump on the feeling so quickly".

Stephanie was stunned by these words that were just spoken to her.

She was send home by this woman for liking her too much???

Wow! that was a first in Stephanie's not so short life..

And again she couldn't help but to feel flattered.

Shirley said: "I will walk you to your car" .

Stephanie gave her a smile and just let her do that.

Together they walked up the beach towards Stephanie's car.

Stephanie felt eyes poking in her back.

She looked at Shirley and all of a sudden she didn't care.

She felt sort of proud being walked to her car by a woman who just told her that she liked her too much. Stephanie couldn't help but smile a little.

They approached the car and Shirley started to reach in her bag.

She pulled out a little piece of paper and a pen.

Quickly she wrote down her cell phone number and gave it to Stephanie.

Stephanie put the little paper in her pocket.

She put on her shoes and looked at Shirley with mixed feelings.

She didn't want to leave her and this place but on the other hand she needed to get her head and her feelings straight.

She was the first to make the effort to actually leave.

Stephanie gave Shirley a tight hug and got in her car.

She started the engine and gave Shirley one last look.

Shirley looked back at Stephanie as if she was missing her already.

Stephanie got even more confused, gave her a little smile and drove of much faster then intended.....

Chapter 5

Stephanie opened the door to, what still felt like, her and Eric's house.

It was cold and dark when she came in. She switched on some lights….

After looking through the mail and checking the answering machine she went straight upstairs.

She took of her shoes, which were still full of sand and undressed herself to get into the shower.

While standing under a very welcoming warm shower she let her thoughts run over the past night again.

It was like a dream…she felt like she had dreamed it all and was just waking up….

After all, ending up on the beach on her own wasn't something that happened every day.

But the things that had happened with Eric, and her state of mind after that, allowed her to do different things.

That meeting with Shirley and the feelings that it had brought on was something totally new, not just different.

She was still wondering if this would have happened if Eric wouldn't have left her for a bimbo again…

But putting that thought aside: she really felt something that she never felt before.

And the object of her discoveries told her that she didn't want to "jump on it".

Stephanie smiled at the whole situation again, there and then, under the warm shower.

She slipped under the covers, then she felt how tired she actually was.

But there was something smiling at her from her bedside table.

There were lying her cell phone and a small white piece of paper.

Should she, would she, could she?

If she texted her now then Shirley would at least have her number too.

But no, maybe Shirley was going to sleep now too, she didn't want to wake her up.

After having run through the whole day in her mind again, Stephanie fell asleep….with a strange sensation in her stomach….

She woke up and took a look at the alarm clock. Twelve o'clock!!

Thank God she had texted Taylor to ask her to cover for her at the office.

The one thing she didn't want to do right now is rushing to get into the bloody office.

An office filled with bad vibes and good memories..

But she had to call Taylor. It was her first day and she was already left alone by her.

She took her cell phone and called Taylor's new office.

Taylor had already heard from Eric what happened the night before so she was already worrying about Stephanie.

She felt very relieved to see Stephanie's number appear on her screen.

She was expecting a devastated Stephanie….but that wasn't the feeling she got at all when they started talking.

Not sure why but Stephanie sounded alright.

She told her that she and Massimo were handling the ongoing stuff at the office very well and it was Friday so no big deals would have to be made.

Taylor convinced Stephanie that they could handle things without her and that next Monday would be the next day as usual at the office.

Stephanie felt the lovely feeling of her clean sheets still around her legs and that made it easier to feel at ease with the whole office situation.

She put down the phone on her bedside table.

There she saw that little piece of paper staring at her saying; "pick me up, pick me up"

So she did and looked at the number written on it. Even in that hasty and heated situation Shirley had a nice and steady handwriting.

Stephanie started to realize she didn't dream last night…

She met a woman…she had experienced rare and special but nice feelings.

And this woman told her she felt something in that same way too…

Thinking of all this Stephanie got the nicest sensation in her stomach.

Thinking of Shirley made her feel….very nice inside. She was stunned by her own self.

She thought back at Shirley as lovely, warm and good looking with her brown curled hair up to her shoulders, green-brown eyes, nice height and curved body.

Maybe not as curved like that of herself.... But together they looked great!

She smiled again.

So the number at the paper was staring at her.

She picked up her cell phone again and started to put in the letters:

"Hi Shirley. Yesterday was very special. I needed the break and you made me feel very welcome to your party. I wish I could do it all again".

With amazement she looked at her own words. …

"This is my address:... Come by for coffee if you feel like it. Love, Stephanie"

She read her words over again and decided this should be it.

She put in Shirley's number and send the message.

Her heart started beating a bit faster…

She couldn't get up yet…she waited for ten minutes for an answer from Shirley.

Nothing happened….

After ten minutes she got up, felt a bit disappointed and headed for the shower.

When she finished the shower she felt better, put on a nice but comfortable suit and completed it with some make-up and perfume.

She looked in the mirror and couldn't feel anything besides contentment.

She looked good for a woman just dumped again by her husband..

Outside it seemed like wonderful weather on this Friday afternoon.

She headed downstairs towards the kitchen. She didn't feel that hungry.

The room in her stomach seemed to have been taken up by something else….

So she just made some coffee. And also took some fruit.

She headed for the pool which looked very inviting.

Just when she wanted to sit down she thought of her cell phone…it was still in her bedroom!

"Ohno! Shirley might have left a message". Stephanie thought to herself.

She put down her coffee and fruit and went into the living room again.

Just when she wanted to climb the stairs the doorbell rang.

Stephanie sighed; she really didn't feel like company now,... not now….

After some hesitation she decided to open the door.

She looked up and saw the shining and kind face of Shirley!

Stephanie's heart skipped a beat….she got a bit weak in the knees but a big smile appeared on her face.

"Shirley! Well, you found my address quick"! Please, come in!"

This was also another moment of realization that last night was no dream.

"Hi Stephanie!" Shirley's smile might have been even bigger then Stephanie's.

"Yes, I live in West Hollywood but I know my way around" Shirley said.

"Very good! Would you like some coffee and fruit by the pool?" Stephanie asked.

"Sounds great" Shirley answered.

Stephanie showed Shirley the way to the pool and they sat down….it turned very quiet all of a sudden.

Both women knew this was the moment they should talk about certain issues…and it wasn't really easy…

Chapter 6

Shirley looked at Stephanie in a way Stephanie wasn't used to be looked at by another woman…This set their conversation off.

Stephanie asked Shirley a lot of questions, she kept asking and asking. Like a waterfall her words fell from her mouth.

She was confused by her own reaction to Shirley, she just needed some answers.

And Shirley was willing to talk to this beautiful lady…she just couldn't refuse.

So while they were talking Stephanie found out about Shirley;

her lifestyle, her friends, her likes and don't likes, her work….;

She worked at her local hospital with HIV-positive and AIDS-patients.

She also worked at a bar. Many of her friends she got at that job.

Shirley had always had women friends and lovers…

But she could love a man also, she told Stephanie. But she preferred women.

As Shirley was talking about her life Stephanie couldn't help but like her even more and more.

Shirley was a girl with her heart at the right place and besides that she lead an interesting life….So many new things to experience....

When was the last time she went to a bar besides that boring café Russe?

Now Shirley started asking Stephanie questions about her life.

And Stephanie didn't hold back. Somehow she trusted Shirley.

Also was she someone who wasn't involved with her family in any way.

That was a relief on itself.

The afternoon flew by and they didn't even think about drinking or eating.

At a certain point when the conversation stopped Stephanie looked at her watch.

Seven PM already! All of a sudden she felt hungry…

She looked at Shirley and wondered what to do... just for a moment.

Shirley already looked gorgeous,….she didn't need to change to get some dinner.

Stephanie did though. She asked Shirley to wait ten minutes.

After ten minutes Stephanie came down again.

Shirley couldn't help but stare…Wow!

Stephanie looked gorgeous in a black suit with glittered reverses. She wore beautiful high heeled shoes ….and her make up…She looked very different from just ten minutes ago. Shirley was a bit stunned and amazingly pleased. Stephanie asked Shirley if she wanted to go out to dinner…Shirley couldn't refuse an offer like that, of course!

"OK lovely lady, I will go to dinner with you but make me a promise: First you will take me to your favorite restaurant….and after that I will take you to my favorite place!

After all it's a Friday night and that outfit of yours begs for a night on the town!"

Stephanie blushed a bit and said she was all for it.

And off they went, in Stephanie's car, heading for the town.

Chapter 7

First they drove to Stephanie's favorite restaurant…. It wasn't the Café Russe.

She didn't want to go there of all places!

She decided to go to a place where she last was seen ages ago.

She just didn't want to bump into familiar people…….right now.

Didn't want to introduce her new friend …..just yet.

She wanted to keep Shirley to herself…..for now.

She felt she had entered a new dimension in life. She still felt bewildered by it.

They sat down at the cozy restaurant. They ordered some food..

Shirley was surprised by Stephanie's choice for this restaurant.

"I thought you would be the person going to the big fancy and chic places" Shirley said.

Stephanie explained that she wanted to back off of her life a bit and that she felt like being in a smaller and cozier environment. Even though they would feel a little bit overdressed now. They both laughed over it and started to enjoy the nice food and some wine.

The table they were sitting at was quite small and so they sat very close to each other face to face.

Shirley mentioned the things she had said to Stephanie last night about she wanted her to leave…Stephanie laughed at the memory of that moment.

Shirley felt a bit ashamed now but Stephanie told her not to worry;

"It felt quite flattering and at that moment I really had to come to my senses.

You made me feel certain things I never felt before…I needed to take that distance and you gave it to me at the right moment".

They smiled at each other in relief.

Shirley tried to express her feelings to Stephanie.

She told her how she saw her passing by already on her way to walk along the beach and that she wished that Stephanie would return somehow to pass their party.

And that she was so happy she did in the end.

Stephanie looked at Shirley with amazement when she continued talking;

She told Stephanie that she noticed her and already felt something strong…her eyes spoke something to her no words could say…

Stephanie just listened to Shirley talking and got a very warm feeling inside.

She got shy, embarrassed and proud of herself at the same time.

"Why does this happen to me now, at this moment in my life, at my age, with this young woman…why her, why me, why did it feel so nice, ...why?? "She kept asking herself…

All of a sudden she spoke these questions out loud to Shirley.

"Maybe because you deserve it, woman!" was her short but firm answer.

Stephanie looked at Shirley…and started to cry…and to laugh at the same time because of the way Shirley gave her answer.

After she had a little cry Stephanie felt so much better and another piece of ice, which was starting to get very thin between these two women, was broken.

They continued their dinner and had lots of fun talking the first half of their night away.

Chapter 8

When they finished their food and some glasses of wine they set off to Shirley's, up till now, secret place.

When Stephanie asked her about it during dinner, Shirley didn't tell anything about it.

They had to take a little drive. They came to a busy street but they turned around a corner somewhere. Right there, a big building was rising in front of Stephanie's car.

"Stop, here it is!" Shirley said with a smile on her face.

Fortunately they could park almost in front of the main entrance.

Stephanie looked up to the building and it's entrance.

It was a club, she could see now. A sort of a nightclub maybe...

She felt a bit hesitant...Shirley, all of a sudden, shook her out of her thoughts and grabbed her hand...

A shiver went through Stephanie's body...Shirley held her hand...tightly...

They went up to the door. Shirley clearly knew the doorman. He let them in without any question and gave Stephanie a meaningful wink. It made her smile inside.

They entered and walked towards the cloakroom. They gave their coats and Stephanie felt a bit naked all of a sudden.

She was in a very strange place she felt...Shirley was the one secure factor.

She looked with amazement to the decorations on the wall in the hallway...; Pink and purple colored vases, boa's, flags, big pictures of old fashioned movie stars but also of men dressed up like women...

With anxiety she looked at the big doors leading to.....she would soon find out.

But first they paid a visit to the ladies restrooms.

When they entered there were some girls standing there, putting make-up on their faces. Stephanie started to wash her hands and looked into the mirror...She looked straight into the face of the person standing next to her.

Now she saw the girl putting on make-up was actually a guy.

She couldn't help but smile at him. Now, that was what she called an unexpected encounter!

She got nothing back but a bitchy look in that mirror....

In insecurity she looked for Shirley...

She was washing her hands too and winked at Stephanie.

Stephanie already felt better and together they left the restrooms.

"Now are you ready to meet my world, Steph?" Shirley asked Stephanie.

"Eh, Yes, I guess" Stephanie said with a excited sigh.

They walked through the big doors and walked into a totally different world.

A world of glitter, glamour, funky music, show, drag-queens, drag-kings, gay people and what not!!

Stephanie looked around there in awe.

"This place rocks!" she thought to herself.

Even though she still felt very out of place.....

Shirley grabbed Stephanie's hand again and led her way.

They seemed to be walking towards a big bar...

Stephanie was dazzled by the choice of drinks she could have...

But she had to choose something familiar just to get SOMEthing familiar.

So Shirley got her a Martini and ordered a Vodka-something for herself.

Stephanie looked around and saw a good old fashioned dance-floor. But it was very big and very well made use of by all kinds of people.

The music was loud and very unlike she would listen to herself but she liked it. It belonged to this place.

She looked around some more. Besides many men she saw a lot of women...but she wouldn't be fooled no more!

But yes, she saw a lot of women, gay women, she figured...

They were very butch looking...But then she looked some more and saw a lot of feminine women too.

That pleased her in a way...

The people that really took her breath away were the drag queens. They looked so well dressed up, their make-up seemed flawless and they walked on heels she would never dare wearing.

They seemed very big and were towering over her, talking to each other, ordering drinks, that were also glamorous, and just being gorgeous! She loved it!

She loved their over-the top attitude.

While Stephanie was looking around in this new world, Shirley was looking at Stephanie with amusement. She enjoyed how Stephanie enjoyed herself.

"So what do you think?" Shirley wanted to whisper to Stephanie. But she couldn't.

She had to shout her question out to overrule the music.

Stephanie had just forgotten about Shirley for one minute. She gave her a big smile and answered: "Oh My! I love this place......I think".

Shirley felt that she should introduce Stephanie to some of her nice friends....on the other hand she wanted to get to know Stephanie and she wanted to do it her own way and not be interfered by her friends conversations.

Chapter 9

Shirley took Stephanie's hand again and led her with her towards another corner of the club. They walked along the dance-floor up to a staircase.

They climbed up the stairs and came into a nice, more quiet, area.

The music sounded softer here and there were soft sofa's to sit on.

There was a little bar and some tables. It looked very nice and a sit- down was quite welcome to Stephanie actually.

She had been standing on her heels for some time now....She thought of the drag-queens in admiration one more time.

They ordered a second drink and sat down at a very nice big, black, soft sofa.

They sat down very closely to each other...

They both had some alcohol in them which had loosened them up a bit.

Stephanie couldn't help but still feel a bit shy, excited and have some mixed feelings.

She was never this close to a woman before and she wondered where it all would go.

Shirley could sense Stephanie's state of mind.

They had been talking about it; Stephanie had never been with a woman....

Shirley knew she was on the rebound of something quite heavy and she shouldn't take advantage of that.

On the other hand she kept looking at Stephanie and her warm feelings towards her grew. Stephanie was such a gorgeous lady. She looked so inviting to cuddle with, her soft skin, her soft silver hair and that lovely smell that hung around her.

Oh dear, Shirley just couldn't help but squeeze Stephanie's hand even more...

Stephanie felt it, very clearly. She had been having a very strange sensation in her lower stomach for over 24 hours now. And it wasn't sickness and after some self-studying she discovered that it wasn't sadness either.

She found out that she hadn't been thinking of Eric for a couple of hours now...

She had Shirley to thank for that.

Suddenly she noticed the music had turned from 2005 club music to music from the 1980's.

OMG! She knew these songs so well. She used to listen to them all the time on the radio at the Forrester Creations office back in those 80's days.

She remembered Eric coming in sometimes and they just let that music distract themselves off work quite easily...

A little sadness overwhelmed her and Shirley could just read it of her face.

"Are you OK" Steph?" Shirley asked her.

"Yes, I'm fine...this music just brings back memories of Eric...

But I shouldn't let them get to me now.....not now!" and she gave Shirley a meaningful look...

The DJ started a slow song and Shirley took this opportunity to sweep Stephanie of her feet;

She started to sing along with the words in Stephanie's ear,

Stephanie closed her eyes and listened;

What lovely words had been sung to her by Shirley..

She seemed to know the whole song by heart. It was lovely...

Stephanie looked at Shirley and Shirley looked back..

Their faces were very close now since Shirley had just been singing into Stephanie's ear.

Shirley wanted to kiss Stephanie so badly. She decided to take it easy and just placed her lips onto Stephanie's lips and waited for some reaction...and she got one...

Stephanie couldn't help but kiss Shirley back.

It was a very tender kiss on the lips and it felt so nice to Stephanie.

Kissing a woman on the lips...it felt so strange and exciting at the same time.

It was a lovely feeling ..so different...Stephanie felt weak in her whole body and she was glad they were sitting down. They just kept sitting there enjoying what had just happened.

All of a sudden Shirley stood up and pulled Stephanie up from the sofa.

She wanted to dance with her. Stephanie just let it all happen...

They stood there very close to each other and started to dance to the slow R&B music that they started playing....

Stephanie lost all sense of her surroundings, of the people, of time, of everything and of control mostly! A very unfamiliar feeling but oh so nice for a change...

She wanted these moments to last forever. Just dance with Shirley and feel great....

Chapter 10

They danced very close and Stephanie had totally lost herself in it.

All of a sudden they started to lighten up the place...it looked like that was the end of the evening..

She didn't want to leave....she didn't want to go home...and mostly;

she didn't want to leave Shirley, who was still standing close to her, also not willing to give up the feeling.

They looked at each other...

Shirley made a face and pouted...Stephanie couldn't help but laugh..

They sighed and started to walk towards the exit..

They got their coats and walked up to Stephanie's car.

A feeling of anxiety took over Stephanie. What were they going to do?

They came with one car so she had the choice of bringing Shirley home and leave it to that...for now.

Or she could take Shirley to the Forrester house which was not so far from here...

But if she would do that... what would happen, what would she feel; regret, fear...?

Shirley could see that Stephanie was struggling with her thoughts while she was looking for her car keys.

They got in the car and up till now Shirley hadn't said anything to Stephanie.

She wanted to leave the obvious dilemma up to Stephanie.

"Look Steph, I know this is all new to you and you are on the rebound from this Eric person...Please, listen to your heart and bring me home if you want me to leave you...for now"

Stephanie listened to her heart in silence for a moment ...then she started the car.

Shirley noticed the route Stephanie was taking and couldn't help smiling....a glow came over her face.

Shirley hadn't expected it and neither did Stephanie expect this decision herself...

They reached the Forrester house and got in.

It had gotten very late but the next day was Saturday; Oh Joyous Thought!

Stephanie showed Shirley first into the kitchen...and asked her if she wanted something.. Shirley shook her head. She had a big knot in her stomach already.

Food was the last thing on her mind now.

Stephanie took some little bottles of water out of the fridge and led Shirley to the staircase.

Together they climbed the stairs. Everything was done very carefully, like in a dream, they both didn't want to be hasty and enjoy every minute of each others company.

Stephanie put the drinks on her bedside table. They headed for the shower...

Not a word was spoken...They had been talking all over dinner and it just seemed right for now, this moment, not to speak.

Shirley started to take off her own clothes.

Stephanie could do nothing other then sit down on the edge of the bathtub and watch her...

Shirley gave her a little smile and walked up to her , wearing only her lingerie.

She gave Stephanie a kiss and started to undress her...very slowly.

Stephanie felt her heart beating very fast now. She could not remember when it was she had the same feelings like she was experiencing right now...

Suddenly she felt so aware of her own body...

She had been living with Eric or on her own for all these years...

She had put on some pounds...She felt the awareness of her curved body ..and her face turned all red, she didn't dare look Shirley in the eyes.

Shirley could read her mind...like she had known Stephanie all her life...

"Don't worry, you are so beautiful" Shirley whispered in Stephanie's ear..

This broke the tension that had been building up to this moment....

Shirley's mouth reached to Stephanie's and they kissed...passionately.

Stephanie let Shirley undress her up till the moment she also was in her underwear..

The shower looked very inviting to Shirley and so she turned on the water.

She looked at Stephanie, started to remove her lingerie and stepped into the shower.

She gave Stephanie an inviting look.

Stephanie removed her underwear and also stepped into the shower.

There they were, standing under the warm water.

It felt so great, standing there against each other...under the waterfall of warm water.

Shirley started caressing Stephanie's body in a way Stephanie wasn't used to; so gentle, so tender, so soft...

Now she knew the difference between a male and a female lover...And she loved how it felt.

Chapter 11

There under the shower they started kissing each other.

Now they turned into kisses with a bit more depth and it felt good to Stephanie.

And Shirley experienced feelings she didn't have for some time.

This was an amazing woman for some reason...Not just because she was her first female lover..This Stephanie person was just so lovable, cute, soft...."OMG!" She could not stop touching and caressing her.

They were building up to something Stephanie could only guess at.

She shook off those thoughts of insecurity. She just had to let Shirley lead the way and take control..

And Shirley did....she turned off the shower and grabbed for some towels...

But they didn't take the time to get dried off...

Shirley just had to keep kissing Stephanie and led her back into the bedroom towards the great bed....

The light was still on and they sat down on the edge of the bed.

Shirley looked at Stephanie and said: "Woman, I just can't help myself but look at you and wanting to touch you"...Stephanie looked down in a shy way....

After a while she spoke;

"Well I'm in the here and now and not drunk....But I seem to be dreaming Shirley, I never felt this way...." You are giving me so much, and all the things I really need right now"

Shirley smiled and kissed her again...

They started to caress each other bodies and their kisses grew deeper and more passionate. They laid down on the big bed and took their passion to a higher level...

Stephanie wondered what to do exactly at some moments but on the other hand...everything seemed to go just so easy....

Shirley started to caress Stephanie breasts in a way Stephanie wasn't used to...But it felt like she had always wanted to be touched. It didn't last long before her breasts and her private parts started to respond to Shirley's caresses. She felt like she could laugh and cry at the same time. A sexual flow went through her body and she almost couldn't restrain herself...

Stephanie was taken to higher levels by Shirley....while she was being caressed over her whole body and was touched softly on her most private parts...

Her feelings from the past 24 hours all came up on the surface:

the sadness of Eric leaving her,

the anger for Brooke,

the unexpected feelings towards Shirley.

The growing warmth for her and the strong feelings she had in her stomach went down to somewhere between her legs...

And she couldn't help but... scream!

After her screaming release she started to cry...in a big way...

Shirley looked a bit frightened and shocked.

But she knew it was all those issues and feelings that Stephanie was dealing with coming to a closure, right there and then when she had taken her to that releasing moment...

Shirley hoped it was just a relief for Stephanie and that she hadn't hurt her in some way.

She gave Stephanie room to come to her senses. She cried like baby in Shirley's arms...

After some time Shirley looked at Stephanie's face, She was calming down and tried to give Shirley a little smile.

"I'm so sorry, I must have scared you..." Stephanie said.

"Oh no don't worry Steph" Shirley said in her soft voice.

" It is just, I don't know...everything came out all of a sudden when you touched me, well you know.." Stephanie said.

Stephanie tried another smile. It was hard at this moment.

She felt exhausted all of a sudden.

She just had to lie down...and they did. Tangled up in one another...they fell asleep...

Stephanie had never felt more secure.

After a while Shirley woke up, still holding Stephanie in her ams.

She looked around...the big light was still on.

She tried not to wake Stephanie and got up...She searched for the light switch.

Turned off the light and climbed into the big bed again. Stephanie turned and faced Shirley...

"I am still not dreaming" Stephanie whispered to her with big content on her face.

Shirley felt a shot of real love run through her mind and body and fell asleep lying very close to Stephanie.

Chapter 12

Stephanie opened her eyes...and looked right into Shirley's face...

She felt like touching her...but she didn't want to wake her.

She turned towards her bedside table and took her cell phone. It was 12.30 PM.

She saw she missed some calls...Taylor and Eric...

Taylor texted her also...she just wanted to know if Steph was OK. Stephanie decided to give her a call later... And Eric....well never mind! She would call him back just whenever she felt like it.

Now she turned to Shirley again and smiled at he sleepy face which was slowly opening it's eyes..."What time is it Steph?"she asked in a crackly voice...

"12.30" Stephanie answered....

"Oh God! My cats!" ...Shirley said in a louder voice and smiled at the same time at the thought of her two lovely creatures waiting for her at home....

Stephanie smiled too...she loved cats! She never had any because Eric didn't like them....

Shirley got up and looked for her clothes in a bit of a hurry. Stephanie sat up straight with some cushions in her back and just looked with amusement at Shirley roaming around the big room and disappearing into the bathroom... She also felt a bit of disappointment...she really felt like holding her at this moment...

Stephanie got up and put on her robe. She met Shirley at the bathroom door.

Shirley looked up to her and gave her a huge and deep kiss....

"I'm so sorry darling but I have to get home to feed my cats" Shirley said in her soothing voice that came from her mouth that was still very close to Stephanie's.

"It's OK dear...I also have some stuff I have to take care off...but no breakfast???"

Shirley's mind was going into overdrive now; "Uhm...how about a late lunch at my place?"

That should give me some time to get rid of the mess there", she said and winked at Stephanie.

Stephanie got the warmest feeling inside."That sounds just lovely!" she said.

They kissed each other once more at the front-door and Shirley walked off quickly to her car.

Stephanie was all alone again all of a sudden....She had the biggest urge to talk to someone.

But she simply couldn't talk about this! The people that knew her would be in a total shock...; Stephanie the Forrester Matriarch... dating and foremost...falling for a woman!

No. That was too much to give away about her life now.

She sat down and called Taylor. Taylor had been a bit worried and yet again Stephanie's voice gave her no reason to worry any more.

Taylor heard Stephanie talk and wondered in what state of mind Stephanie actually was. She thought the break up with Eric would have left her devastated. And still Stephanie didn't sound like it...

Taylor wondered if the realization of the break up would hit her later...

They concluded their, mostly business talk, with making the deal to meet each other at the office this Monday , nine o'clock....Stephanie knew she had to make this commitment...

She had to get back to real life someday..She was glad it only was Saturday afternoon and picked up the phone again to phone Sally.

Sally had become her dear friend but she couldn't keep secrets.

Stephanie realized this even though she wanted to shout out what had happened to her.

So they talked about this and that and Stephanie's break up with Eric.

Sally gave her a real boost on this one; "Queenie, if you even try to go back to that loser of a husband of yours then I will come and take you on a trip far away and get your mind off him, now and forever!"

Stephanie smiled to herself. Sally didn't know that Stephanie had already had her trip right after Eric left her...!

She had to hang up the phone! So much to do in so little time!

She had to go through her mail...no escaping on that one.

She had to eat something before she would faint. Although she still didn't feel hungry.

After she did all this she went upstairs again. Took a quick shower and looked into her wardrobe...What to wear...she really had no idea what the afternoon and evening would bring her...She choose something quite glamorous.

Actually she wouldn't mind go to that club again...Her body was so full of energy right now. She could dance the night away if she had to.

And a whole Saturday night was lying ahead of her for Gods Sake!

While she was dressing up she turned the radio on....There were those 80's songs again.

Her mind wandered back to last night....Oh how she had enjoyed herself...

Thinking of Shirley her stomach cramped together again...She loved that feeling..

She got dressed and called Shirley up. She wanted to know what time she wanted her to be there.

Shirley picked up and told Stephanie she could some any time she wanted.

Stephanie wasn't used to relaxed and easy going people like Shirley...was that because she was so much younger then her? She put that thought quickly away, far in the back of her mind.

But seriously, the people around Stephanie were always so tight, living their lives on a a sort of schedule...Stephanie had lost her sense of control and schedule last Thursday night completely.

Chapter 13

Stephanie got all her important things together in a bag...

She walked down her stairs and felt damn pretty.

She got to her car and took out the piece of paper where Shirley had written her address on.

She headed for West Hollywood. It was quite a long drive but it didn't matter.

Stephanie parked in front of a little house...this should be it...

She didn't know what kind of neighborhood or house she had expected...but it looked very nice..There was a cat sitting in front of the window pain.

Stephanie walked towards the cat and he literally flew away under her hands.

She heard a loud laughter ....Shirley stood in the doorway.

"Please don't take it personal"she said with a smile. "He has to get used to you".

Stephanie felt a sense of "future"written all over that sentence...It felt good.

Stephanie stepped in the house right after Shirley. It was a small and very cozy house.

She saw the table laid with all kinds of nice things to eat for late lunch...

Under the table she saw another cat. She just left it this time...smiling at the thought of another flying cat.

They sat down at the small table and Shirley looked into Stephanie's eyes with strong feelings..

"You know, I missed you already Steph" she had straight to Stephanie's open face.

" Same here" Stephanie said, now looking down at her plate.

They gave each other a smile and started eating, eating, eating and... eating...

They didn't say a word..just looking at each other and eating.

Now they just felt how hungry they actually were.

In the meantime Stephanie looked around the cozy room.

The walls were a sort of light pink and there were many purple and pink accessory's.

It was a very feminine decorated house.

Stephanie used to think of lesbians as being butch women...

Her perspective had totally changed since she met Shirley and some of the people at the club..

At one point they looked at each other and laughed out loud.

They were reading each others minds. They were STUFFED!

They started talking about the club they went to. Stephanie wanted to know more about the people who came there...

In her eyes Shirley was so young but she knew a lot more about a different world that Stephanie had never visited. She was intrigued.

Shirley tried to explain a lot of the things that were going on in "gay" Hollywood, LA.

Stephanie let her talk and tried to take it all in..."Wow! What lifestyles some people have..."she thought to herself..

She felt privileged to be able to open her mind to it all...She needed this..she had felt stuck in her own little world for so long.

They moved themselves to the nice couch and just sat there, holding hands and talking some more.

The age difference between them didn't seem an issue till now.

But it popped into Stephanie's head from time to time and she felt she had to mention it...

She wanted to know Shirley's feeling towards it.

"So what do you think about ...us?" Stephanie felt weird using the word 'us'.

Shirley gave her one of her content smiles. She said; "Not sure why, but you feel so right for me...We are very different but I can only see that as a challenge....

And we live in the here and now, I always say, I want to enjoy my life and if that includes being with a gorgeous and loving woman like you...I can only be more happy".

Stephanie smiled widely and couldn't feel anything but the same...

The here and now...

Wow! and what a weekend it had turned out to be!

She never got to call Eric...She wondered for a short moment how he was doing right now...

He had called her during last night..never left a message....

She didn't sit at ease anymore on the cozy couch. "Would you excuse me for one moment"?

Shirley nodded and watched Stephanie walk out the room and go outside in the little garden.

She saw Stephanie taking out her cell phone.

Shirley decided to start clearing off the lunch mess they had made.

Stephanie dialed Eric's number. He picked up right away...

He couldn't help but sound a bit worried. "Stephanie! How are you?"

Stephanie told Eric in her strong voice, that came from deep within, that she was doing just fine! Eric didn't expect to hear such strong spoken words from Stephanie.

Her voice sounded different; strong but soft also, in a way...Something was on her mind...he could tell. And it wasn't bad at all..

A bit relieved Eric asked Stephanie if he would see her at the office this Monday morning...

She confirmed it and ended the conversation. She reached her goal. She wanted to know if he was still alive after having sex with Brooke and she wanted to let him hear she wasn't devastated.

She walked in again and expected Shirley to start asking questions...She didn't.

It surprised Stephanie. She was used to people meddling in her life...She was a bit of the meddling kind too she admitted to herself...

She aways had sought some kind of control over Eric, her children and herself...and meddling seemed the way to get that control.

Maybe because she wasn't used to anything else.

Shirley had made a big pot of coffee and they sat down again.

Shirley felt like burying her whole body into Stephanie's..And so she did.

Stephanie felt like she could stay like this forever.

But Shirley's lifestyle had startled her curiosity and they talked about it some more.

"So where do you wanna go tonight" Shirley asked...

She wanted to show off her new love interest and she had so much energy in her.

Stephanie looked smashing again...it would be such waist to just stay indoors..

"Eh...not sure, as you now by now, my knowledge of places to go out is very limited, to say the least:...boring!"

Shirley laughed at Stephanie's comment. Of course she knew some places to go to and let her mind wander while she cuddled up to Stephanie some more and drank her coffee...

After a while they had finished their coffee. The two cats had also cuddled up against them.

Stephanie felt like she had landed in heaven...Did she die maybe??

She asked it to Shirley...Shirley gave her a big smile and tried to get herself to get up from the nice warm couch..

"I want to show you around town girl! You look so fine I don't want to put it to waist!.

Hold on for a minute"

Shirley went upstairs. After a short while she came downstairs..

Stephanie looked at her. It was her turn to stare now. Shirley looked gorgeous! She had put on tights pants and a tight top. All black shiny fabric...

She had put her hair into a bundle and looked very fresh..

Stephanie got that same sensation again...She walked up to Shirley and just had to kiss her...

They walked to the Shirley's car and Shirley drove off...quite fast. She just couldn't control herself ...Stephanie laughed at her actions and waited in anxiety where they would end up next..

Chapter 14

Shirley drove to the gay party area of West Hollywood. Stephanie looked out of the car window...She felt like a stranger in a strange land. Looking at Shirley made her feel comfortable again. Shirley parked her car and they got out.

Shirley grabbed Stephanie's hand..Stephanie felt a bit hesitant...she hoped no one would recognize her....

Shirley led her into a bar...when they entered all Stephanie could see was a sea of women..Stephanie felt a bit intimidated.

She never saw so many women in one place enjoying themselves with each other.

There was nice music playing and there was a dining area, a dance area and a big bar...

It looked all very friendly. Stephanie looked around more closely and it didn't take long before some of the women started looking at her too....

Her face turned red like a tomato...

She wanted to get a moment to herself and walked toward the restrooms in a hurry ignoring all the looks she got on her way there.

Inside the restrooms she found an empty cubical and sat down...

Her legs got a bit heavy...She felt very looked at by the women inside the bar...

She wondered what the reason was...She got up and looked into the mirror.

While she washed her hands the women next to her gave her a smile in the mirror.

It was a very butch girl, she checked Stephanie over from head to toe.

She didn't feel any hesitation to show her she liked what she saw, it seemed.

Stephanie felt flattered and intimidated at the same time.

Shirley came rushing in; "Girl, I lost you there for a second" she said.

The butch girl ran off and they were alone now.

"I'm sorry" said Stephanie with confusion written all over her face..

"It all felt a bit overwhelming all of a sudden" So many girls in one place".

Shirley couldn't keep a straight face: "Oh you'll get used to it, Steph. And since you're with me you have nothing to fear" She winked...

Stephanie felt a bit better and grabbed her strength together and took Shirley's hand..

They walked in and headed straight for the bar. "Get me something strong!" Stephanie said.

Shirley laughed again.

She had so much fun being with Stephanie. She didn't want to lose that feeling...ever.

When they were sipping their drinks Shirley asked; "Now you know why all these girls are staring at you?"

"ehm...not sure..." Stephanie said.

"Well they are not used to see somebody like you here; you are a bit older, look a bit more sophisticated and much prettier then all of them together" Shirley whispered in Stephanie's ear.

"And they are not used to see me here with somebody who is so obviously my date"

Stephanie felt proud...

They had turned the music up and the first glass of vodka had touched Stephanie's insides....badly!

She looked at Shirley and hugged her. She felt like crying and laughing at the same time.

Shirley sensed Stephanie's was loosening up and she led her to the middle of the dance floor. She was there to show Stephanie off and so she did!

They started dancing...The music was clubby;

but they danced cheek to cheek, very closely to each other.

The song they were playing was very well suited for their situation...

Shirley knew the lyrics by heart and sang along in a soft manor in Stephanie's ear.

Stephanie started to shiver...This woman swept her of her feet!!

And she felt just like last night....totally unaware of her surroundings or anything for that matter.

They kept on dancing...And Shirley gave Stephanie another vodka.

This one was going straight to her head and loosened Stephanie up, big time...

Right there and then on that dance floor Stephanie lost it all and wanted to bury herself inside Shirley... She felt so emotional...and loved in such a different way.

It was new and romantic and exciting...

They started to kiss on that same dance floor. The girls around them were looking...They didn't care. They didn't notice..They lost themselves inside each other....

Chapter 15

They kept on dancing...giving each other so much energy. They couldn't stop.

Stephanie felt tipsy....

It had gotten pretty late and Shirley noticed Stephanie's unstableness.

She took her over to the quiet diner area and got them both something to eat.

The sat down and looked into each others eyes once more.

"So what are you thinking of, lovely lady?" Shirley asked.

Stephanie was lost for words. There was so much going through her mind.

She just couldn't put it out of her mouth in an orderly way.

She looked at Shirley with confusion....

"OK, let me make it easier for you, Steph; Do you like me?"

Stephanie smiled and replied in a choked up voice: "Like you? I don't know what's happening to me...but I like you so much...

As you know it is all new to me...but I feel like doing it all.

And whatever happens, I will not go back to Eric...ever. He has been treating me bad for way too long and he will keep doing that, that I just the way he is, I know now...Finally"

"OK, question two; Will you let me take care of you forever? " Shirley asked in a soft but serious voice.

This was Stephanie's breaking point. She just couldn't take more love in....It was all too much....

She just sat there, felt she couldn't move. Her whole body felt like it had lost all it's muscle functions....

She broke down and cried....

Shirley sat down next to Stephanie quickly and held her tight.

She felt Stephanie's body being very weak. It kind of scared her...

"They had only two strong drinks.....That couldn't be the reason for this loss of body functions..." Shirley thought to herself.

She thought the best thing was to let Stephanie cry her heart out....And she did....

Stephanie tried to talk in between her cries;

"OMG! I'm so sorry...Not sure what's happening...I feel so strange...I never felt like this..."

Shirley was glad that Stephanie talked.

Stephanie came to her senses a bit.

Shirley tried to put into words what her thoughts were;

"I think you never known real love, Steph, Maybe you have never even known your real self...the true person you really are..That is just the feeling I've been getting since I met you...".

Stephanie looked at Shirley and took in her words....

"Where have you been all my life, Shirley?" she asked her with tears still in her eyes......

They got up and headed towards the door of the bar.

Shirley was glad they came with her own car...Stephanie was too unstable to drive.

Without asking Shirley drove to her own little house. In the car Stephanie recuperated a bit.

When they got in they didn't fuss over eating, drinking, lighting candles, putting on music.

No, they went upstairs right away, heading for Shirley's bedroom and tore the clothes of each others bodies with furious passion.

They landed on the bed, caressing each other bodies and kissing passionately.

They let their passion for each other take over all their senses...

Stephanie felt so high on her love...she gave her all and took over the role Shirley had taken last night......

She felt more confident then yesterday and just did what her feelings gave her in.

She was the one sweeping Shirley off her feet now...She kissed Shirley all over her body.

Her hands and tongue went places she never expected or even thought of....

At a certain point Shirley got close to losing it; "OMG, you got the touch, girlfriend!" she shouted out. Stephanie bursted out laughing. She loved to laugh in bed.

And this Shirley girl sure was funny.

Their lovemaking lasted and lasted....

Stephanie was thinking again how different this was....

Making love to Shirley was so intense, tender and got her on a higher high then she'd ever been.

Stephanie felt the perfect balance between emotional and psychical love in her relationship with Shirley. Even though they had only known each other for three days.

They could go on and on but at a certain point exhaustion took over...

They landed in each other arms...and kissed each other one more time....tasting their own flavor....

That Sunday they just stayed in Shirley's bed...

Shirley got up from time to time to feed the cats, pick up the phone or get something to drink.

The rest of the time Stephanie and Shirley just slept en when they didn't sleep they kissed and cuddled...

The cats joined them on the bed and curved up to take a nap also.

Stephanie realized that today was Sunday and that tomorrow morning she had to be at the office by nine.

Around 7 o'clock that evening she phoned Eric. She didn't leave the bed. She just couldn't. She let Shirley listen in on their conversation.

They talked and Eric announced in between his lines that he would have a lawyer and the divorce papers present that next morning...

A sharp sting wet through Stephanie's body. This was the real end of her married life....over 40 years he has been all she had known....

Then she looked at Shirley who was lying in her arms ....She looked around the cozy room and at those lovely cats. "OK, Eric, I will see you there at nine tomorrow".

The rest of the evening was spend watching a movie and cuddling up some more...

Stephanie didn't want to leave Shirley. And all she could do was to get up very early the next morning to get home, change and go to the office.

When the alarm clock went around 7 AM that Monday morning. Shirley asked Stephanie if she wanted her to come along. She could sense it wouldn't be Stephanie's easiest moment in time signing those divorce papers...

And yes, Stephanie wanted her there....

So Shirley came along, first to the Forrester house and then to the office.

When they walked into Eric's room Eric looked a bit surprised at Shirley.

But he didn't ask any questions and they just shook hands....

A few polite words were exchanged between Stephanie and Eric.

Shirley was sitting in a corner and winked at Stephanie at a moment no one could see.

The lawyer came in and handed the divorce papers to Stephanie.

Stephanie looked at Shirley again....

She took the papers out of the envelope without any hesitation.

She grabbed a pen and under the startled face of Eric she signed without holding back.

"Stephanie, are you OK?" he asked her in a bit of a worry.

"Yes, Eric I am perfectly fine, in fact;..........I've been given the kiss of life".

Then she took off with her head held high, grabbing Shirley's hand on her way.

And she walked off, towards the rest of her days.

The End