"What kind of a party is it?" I asked, keeping my eyes directed on my reflection in the bedroom mirror as I applied blush to my cheeks.
"Wear that beautiful shirt will you?" Carol asked, squeezing my shoulder as she passed me by. "Just a small gathering. A few of the strays Abbie's collected along the way"
"Not Cynthia?"
"Let's just say Abbie's a little bent out of shape about the whole thing"
I chuckled at my reflection, scrutinising my face before deciding to add a little more lipstick. Truth be told I was still getting used to transforming myself with the touch of a brush. In times of great nerves it almost felt like an armour. "She's jealous she didn't get there first?"
"Fiercely! I think Abbie's getting a little sick of searching for a girlfriend" She quipped, wriggling in to a bottle green dress. "Do me up would you darling?"
I obliged, lifting her silken blonde hair to press a kiss against the base of her neck. I savoured these moments no matter how ordinary they had become.
...
"Carol!" A tale brunette squealed with delight rushing forward.
"Jeanie! Well I haven't laid eyes on you in years" Carol greeted her with an embrace, the two wrapping arms around each other like long lost friends.
"My goodness…" Jeanie said, her eyes drinking in the sight of Carol with a readable surprise. "…you look absolutely astonishing. I'm getting a little long in the tooth myself. What's your secret?" She gushed with her eyes glowing and mouth widening in to a smile.
"Her secret!" Abbie quipped giving me a sideways glance. "What is your secret Carol?" She teased with a telling expression.
Carol shooed her away. "A solid eight hours sleep" She replied with a wink./span/div
"I shouldn't think so Carol…" Jeanie began, gracing me with a delighted smile. "…is this your young lover?"
I felt my cheeks redden at being the sudden centre of attention.
"This is Therese" Carol introduced me, squeezing my hand with a reassuring hold.
"What a fine couple you make" Jeanie remarked. "Lovely to meet you Therese. Don't mind us. I live such a dull life that you're naturally the talk of the town"
Carol shot her with a disapproving stare. "Jeanie for gods sake"
Jeanie held her hands up in surrender. "What?" She balked. "We're all slavishly jealous of course" She added, taking in the sight of me with a pleasant smile. "Let's fix you up with a drink Therese" She suggested, taking hold of my hand and pulling me away from Carol. "I'd like to hear all about the mysterious Carol Aird. I hear she's quite the changed woman"
"I…" I began, spluttering my words.
"Go easy on her Jeanie!" Carol teased, throwing me an apologetic look as I glanced at her over my shoulder. Jeanie dragged me over to a group of women, enthusiastically chattering away as she poured me a large measure of whiskey.
"Drink this down" She instructed. "It'll settle your nerves enough to spill some gossip"
"I'm not sure there's anything to spill" I grimaced, never the less drinking down the measure of whiskey and wincing as it burnt a path along my throat.
"Nonsense!" She insisted. "Abbie said she's never seen Carol so happy"
I glanced across the room at Carol who was deep in conversation with Abbie and another woman. 'Never seen Carol so happy' The words ran through my mind and brought a smile to my face.
"Now you see…" Another woman started. "…the look on your face tells us all we need to know"
...
The party was in full swing
"Here you are!" Carol exclaimed, stepping out in to the garden.
I looked up from the bench I was sat on, contemplatively smoking a cigarette.
"You're not hiding are you?"
I gave her a sheepish look. "I needed some time out" I explained with a grin. "They are pretty intense"
She came and sat down beside me, teasing the cigarette from my grip to take a smoke. "Indeed they are" She agreed.
She looked wonderful this evening. I observed her profile, lit by the dim light of the moon, and took in every inch of her porcelain skin. Her eyes held the tell tale hint of the drinks she had drank and as a result she was much more telling with her emotions. She smiled at me, an indulgent lazy smile, her blue eyes mysterious, dwelling on something unspoken. She pursed her lips, drawing on the cigarette expertly.
"It's quite novel isn't it Carol?"
She stroked her fingers through my hair. "Hmm? What is?" She mumbled, teasing brown locks and tucking them behind my ear.
"Being in the company of people who know who are we"
Her smile deepened and she nodded her head almost wistfully. "It is" She confirmed, her voice husky. She cleared her throat. "It's not something I take for granted. Being able to touch you without reproach…" She cupped a cheek in her hand, the tip of her thumb creating, invisible, circular motions.
I felt the stirrings of desire, buoyed by the mixture of drinks and relief. To be able to kiss her, to touch her in such an ordinary manner felt, simply, extraordinary. I kissed the smile on her lips, holding her face between both hands, squeezing her cheeks ever so slightly. Tender kisses became more indulgent, giving way to passion. I could feel that moment of surprise in Carol's response, taken aback, by the intensity of the kiss. She pulled away, her lipstick smudged by our kisses and her blue eyes deep and as wild as the stormy seas. She gave a cautionary glance to our surroundings, noting that the party was in full swing and a chorus line was starting up with women hooting with laughter.
"Come with me" She whispered, gripping my hand to lead me along the back of the garden. "Nobody will see us here" She affirmed, ducking behind a gap in the tree's that lined the back of the garden. They were overgrown with masses of dark, green, leaves that provided the perfect cover for our embrace. We were submerged in them, breath catching in our throats, a girlish giggle passing our lips with a trace of hysteria.
"I'm behaving like an unruly sixteen year old" Carol scolded herself, but never the less gripped me in her strong arms, gazing back at me with wide eyes and a warm waiting mouth. I kissed her instantly, too impatient to drag the moment out any longer. It was a sensory overload, the touch of her lips, the gentle probing of her tongue, the clinging smell of her perfume and the scent of the night, all mixing together to leave me panting for more. Something in me needed her more than ever and I wanted nothing more than to have her on me, next to me, the two of us fused together indefinitely. It was easy to be romantic, to be philosophical, on an evening like this. There was a chill in the air. I couldn't feel it on my skin but I could taste it on her mouth, lips and nose icy cold against my own. "You're shivering" She whispered in to my ear.
I shook my head, despite the chattering of my teeth. "I'm not cold" I insisted, allowing my hands to coast along the curves of her hips, settling on her ample rear. I kissed her neck, smiling in to the warmth of her skin at the sound of her gentle cries. I kissed a path upwards, the pressing contact of my mouth against her ear. She melted in to my touch and I felt her hands paw at the back of my shirt, nails applying just the slightest hint of pressure.
"Good god Therese!" She drawled, voice a sultry exclamation of lust. "You're going to undo me completely" Her words trailed off as my hands moved along her abdomen, feeling her solid body beneath the material of her dress.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea" I whispered in to her ear. The hands at the back of me dug in, nails just grazing my skin through the thin material of my shirt. "You're unbelievable" I told her, cupping her breasts in my hands, my mouth continuing it's caress of her soft neck.
"We need to go home" She panted in my ear, gently pushing me away as my hands slipped under the bottom of her dress, grazing the softness of her thighs. "We need to go home now" She repeated forcefully.
We ducked out from our hiding place and walked in to the cacophony of the party, barely noticed by a gaggle of women who were dancing their hearts out, melted together in a group embrace. We moved through them, guided expertly by Carol's driven movements. She held my hand in hers, allowing her fingers to curl over the back of my hand with a gentle pressure, never letting go regardless of who crossed our paths.
"Where have you been?" Abbie tutted. "I want you to meet my new lady friend" She winked at both of us, scanning the room for her latest love interest. "She's an absolute delight…"
"Actually we're going to make a move" Carol interrupted. "Sorry to be a bore but I have a killer headache"
Abbie frowned, her eyes scrutinising Carol's expression for any signs of truth. "A headache you say?" She asked, sizing Carol up further with an intense look. "Don't want to struggle through it for your dearest friend?"
Carol shook her head. "I think my dearest friend is in very capable hands" She threw a glance at a pretty blonde who was seated nearby, patiently waiting for Abbie's return.
"Well my darlings…I can see I won't change your minds" She leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss against both of our cheeks in quick succession. "Just one more thing…" Her hand darted out, retrieving a stray leaf from Carol's hair. "…foliage?"
I felt my cheeks redden instantly, much to Abbie's amusement and Carol glanced sideways at me a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Christ Carol. You're positively insatiable!" She stated before erupting in a fierce kind of laughter. "My, my my…"
Carol shrugged her shoulders. "Wouldn't you be?"
Abbie's laughter grew ever louder. "Absolutely…Now get going you're spoiling the party"
...
The cab ride home was spent in brooding silence. We sat beside each other with our legs pressed together and our hands just shy of touching. When I looked at Carol she was staring ahead, in to the distance, her emotions neatly checked and composed. She paid the driver and ushered me in to the apartment complex. We walked instep towards the front door, still caught up in silence. We did not want to speak. There were no words needed. With the turn of her key in the lock I heard an audible gulp in my throat.
What a relief to be safe inside our cocoon. She pulled me in by the sleeve of my shirt, closing the door behind us in one quick movement. There was no time to waste. We wanted each other and we did not want to wait a single moment more to give in to the heat, palpable, between us. I shed piece of clothing after clothing, leading a trail in my wake, until I was naked and doused in the chill of the evening. Gripping her hand I urged her in to the bedroom, noting the juxtaposition of my bare skin and her fully dressed body. It did not matter. In fact it added to the desire mounting in me. She sat down on the bed, limbs restricted somewhat by the press of her tailored dress. I wrapped my legs around her, naked limbs fighting for contact, mouth finding hers with a rush of sensation. I groaned in to her sweet kiss, writhing under the touch of her hands that explored the planes of my naked back. The lingering effects of the cocktails made me bold, made me more daring in my movements. I kissed her hard, her bottom lip nipped gently between my teeth, the kiss deepening with the feel of her tongue slipping between the confines of my mouth. It was liquid ecstasy and I savoured every moment, every inch of her beautiful body. Unabashedly I ground against her, desperately seeking out enough friction to push me over the edge. She complied without hesitation, hands gripping my rear before slipping in to the wetness that waited for her.
"Oh Therese!" She exclaimed, slipping in to me, the feeling like a jolt of electricity to my chest. I could barely hear her words. I was overcome with the feel of her. I placed both hands, fingers outstretched, against the headboard, moving against her touch. I was close to the edge, so close that I could feel the hot spread of a flush on my cheeks, all senses rushing in to overdrive before my head snapped back, a wave of pleasure rushing through me. It shook me like a rag doll, muscles, limbs contracting, the last traces of jolting electricity causing me to flop on to her, giving in completely to the overwhelming sensation. My head found a home on her shoulder, breath catching in my throat, as I tried to bring my heart rate down to a normal pace. She stroked the small of my back and planted a smattering of kisses against my neck.
"You were magnificent" Carol purred. "I love watching you…"
I blushed under her attention and she brought a single fingertip to my lips, halting any possible protestation. Her blue eyes were on fire with want. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, all her desire and lust written on her face, plain as day to see. I drank it in. There was nothing more erotic than knowing how much Carol wanted me, knowing that we wanted each other in exactly the same way. The anticipation was almost too much to bear. I wanted to taste her. I wanted to make her feel all the things I was feeling and more. Gripping the bottom of her dress between my hands I pulled it up and along her body, revealing beautiful white skin, dressed only in lace underwear and a matching bra. Without care I threw it over my shoulder, concentrating on the beauty of her toned limbs. I drank her in, kissing every inch of bear skin my lips found. Her skin was delightfully soft, the smell of her perfume clinging to her, filling my senses with a million memories of past encounters. Fingers curled around lace, teasing her underwear down until it rested at her delicate ankles. She gripped the bed sheets, making tiny fists out of her hands. The sight of her flushed and turned on sent a wave of pleasure through me. I couldn't wait any longer. Parting her thighs with insistent hands I reached down and kissed the softness waiting for me. She gripped the back of my head, urging me closer, her body instinctively grinding against me, seeking out more contact. She gripped me between her thighs, hands tugging at my hair as her moans filled the bedroom with sound. She held me to her, arching against me before giving in to a rush of feeling. I kissed her again, feeling her stir beneath me, hand pushing me away.
"It's too much" She gasped, her body curling in to itself. I mimicked her actions, my body fitting against hers perfectly. I wrapped an arm around her waist and held her to me, focusing on the rise and fall of her chest, more than content to draw invisible patterns on her forearm.
...
I lay, beneath the covers, Carol's breasts acting as an inviting pillow. The sun was just beginning to rouse itself, submerging the thick clouded sky in pinks and ambers. The room was coated in a warm, subtle, light and I was reminded of the evening that had stretched out before us. She had been insatiable. The thought made my skin prickle with heat and my mind staged a host of visual memories, all mine to remember. We had made love until our eyes were heavy and our bodies gave in, a wave of exhaustion that left us both spent, giving in to sleep as it came for us.
