A/N:After watching the new episode, it's becoming abundantly clear that Paily will only live on in my heart and imagination. It gave me the motivation I needed to get this chapter done. Any who, I did something new with this one. It starts off as Paige, but ends as Emily. I hope I've made it easy for you to figure out when the transition is. Keep the comments coming. I might not always respond but I read every single one of them. Enjoy.
...
The day greets me with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. The early morning sun is peaking through the curtains. I'm still reeling from the fact that Emily and I really made love. I can still feel her on my skin. Still smell her aroma filling my nostrils. Can still taste her on my tongue. I know that's she's already up. I can smell coffee coming from the kitchen. Coffee and bacon. Those two things alone are enough to lure me out of bed. I throw on a robe and head towards the smell.
"Drunk in loooove. We be all night," she belts out from her spot at the stove.
She's doing this little shimmy while she cooks and singing along with her IPod. She's wearing one of my t-shirts and from the glimpse of cheek I see peaking out from the bottom, nothing else. It's so adorable and so enticing at the same time. I sidle up behind her and wrap an arm around her waist. Surprise soon gives away to pleasure as I place kisses on her neck.
"Mm you feel so good," she murmurs.
She said exactly the same thing not too many hours ago, but for an entirely different reason. Just the thought of what she was doing when she said it has me twitching with desire.
"How is it that I just had you and need you again?" I grumble.
She angles her head to give me a scorching kiss. Her free hand buries itself in my hair as she pulls me in deeper.
"Baby," I mumble against her lips.
"Yeah," is her breathy reply.
"Your going to burn the bacon."
This warrants me a swift tap to the back of my head.
"You're seriously more concerned with the state of the bacon then the state you have me in?" she asks.
"What can I say? I really love bacon."
She turns the fire off underneath the skillet and turns to face me. I know that I'm in trouble but in the best way possible. With a hand firmly on the center of my chest, she pushes me until I'm trapped between the counter and her body.
"Up," she commands.
I hop up on the surface, anticipating what she has in store for me. She pulls the tie at my waist and my robe opens. She licks her lips at the sight of my nakedness so readily before her. She takes a finger and starts to trail it down my body.
"Now would you rather have bacon or..."
Her hand continues its journey until it reaches its destination between my legs. I moan at the contact.
"Would you rather have this?"
I don't answer her question. Instead I let my lips do the talking. I'm lost in the feeling she's giving me, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I can hear the song that's still playing.
We woke up in the kitchen saying how the hell did this shit happen. Oh baby.
...
Three Weeks Later
I received a vague text from Naya a couple days ago. It was an address with an implicit command to be ready to rock out. I'm assuming that we're going to have our first official/ unofficial band practice. Em has been kind enough to let me use her car and I pull up in front of what looks to be a recording studio. I check my message to make sure that I have the right place. I head inside when I confirm that the address is indeed correct. I weave my way through the maze of hallways and come to a tiny space that looks like it was a rehearsal studio at one time. Naya is sitting alone in the middle of the room, looking over sheet music. I haven't seen her since the Thanksgiving debacle in Rosewood. I have to admit that I'm a little apprehensive how this interaction is going to go.
"Where's everyone else?" I ask her.
"They'll be here soon. I wanted us to talk first."
"Ok sure," I say.
"So..."
"So," I answer.
"How's Emily?"
"Straight to the point I see."
"I don't know how to be any other way," she answers.
"She's, we're," I begin.
Naya shakes her head and chuckles.
"You both are two freaking peas in a pod," she says.
I give her a strange look, but she ignores it.
"I just want to clear the air between us. Obviously you both bring each other an immense amount of joy. If Emily is happy, then I'm happy. There's no hard feelings on my part. I will say this though. If you mess it up, I will gladly kick your ass."
"No need to worry about that. Emily is in my very capable hands."
"Good. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's get to the real reason we're here."
The two of us brainstorm and kick around ideas for a while. Not too long after, Chloe and her boyfriend show up.
"Hi Paige. Nice to see you again," Chloe says.
"Same to you."
"And this is my boyfriend, Derek."
Derek and I shake hands and exchange pleasantries.
"If you guys are done gossiping, can we get on with this?" Naya asks.
We spend the next hour and a half at the studio. We play around a little bit just to get the feel of each other. There's no denying that the four of us have chemistry. We seem to mesh very well together. Chloe is a pretty good bass player and Derek is a monster on the drums. I can feel something special happening in this room.
"That was an awesome session," Chloe proclaims.
Everyone nods their heads in agreement.
"We do have one last piece of unfinished business for the day. What are we going to call ourselves?" Naya asks.
"Three girls and a guy," Derek suggests.
We all veto that one.
"Cover Me Badd," Chloe says.
That one is turned down as well.
"Think guys. Our name should speak to who we are. We're essentially a cover band. Yet unlike most cover bands, we don't cover one musician or one genre, we cover everything."
I look around and can tell the wheels are turning in everyone's head. I think over what Naya said. Just like that, inspiration hits.
"Mistresses of the Music?" I suggest.
I'm getting nothing but blank stares from everyone. I guess an explanation is necessary.
"Think about it. We're not faithful to any one type of music. We do it all. We go wherever the rhythm takes us. We're mistresses to the music."
I see the lightbulbs coming on.
"Pound Puppy have I ever told you what a genius you are?" Naya asks.
"No but I will admit it's the most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say," I counter.
Naya smiles and I smile back. I will say, I've missed sparring with her.
"I have a feeling we're about to make magic happen," she says with a grin.
...
"Em we're supposed to be studying," I say.
She is currently straddling me on the couch. We've been kissing for the last fifteen minutes. She's been gently but persistently trying to coax me out of my clothes. We're supposed to be getting a jump on the new semester. It's only the first week and I already feel like my course load is going to bury me. I sequestered her to the opposite end of the couch. Otherwise we would never get any work done. I started to absentmindedly rub the feet that were deposited in my lap. It's like the higher my hands went, the closer she got. Before I knew it, she was deposited in my lap instead of her feet. My pleas to get some work done are going completely unnoticed. Emily is a woman on a mission. Her tortuous seduction has brought her to one of her favorite spots on my neck. She's alternating between bites and sucks and I'm pretty sure she's going to leave a mark.
"What was that about studying baby?" she whispers.
She knows she has me right where she wants me. It's becoming more clear to her the sway she has over my will power. I could frankly care less how easy I am for her to play. Her nimble fingers are making short work of the buttons on my shirt. She seems to be getting better and better at undressing me as the days pass. She leans back far enough to remove the offending article before resuming her position on my neck. She's rocking slowly in my lap and I can feel the exquisite pressure every time my jeans brush against me.
"Babe I really need to get into this book," I whimper.
"And I really need to get into you."
She punctuates this statement by unbuttoning my pants. She plunges her hand in, bypassing my underwear, straight into my wetness. We both groan at the contact. I'm no longer in control of myself. I'm at her mercy and she knows it. I close my eyes and lean my head back against the sofa. I can feel the heat from her mouth on my chin. She's stroking me at a deliciously agonizing pace. I know I'm not going to last much longer. We're so lost in the moment that neither one of us hears the distinct sound of a key in a lock or a door opening. It isn't until we hear the "oh shit" that we realize we're no longer alone. Emily's hand ceases all movement and I crane my head around to see who dares to interrupt.
"Spencer?"
"I'm so sorry. I'll give you guys a couple minutes," she stutters.
She frantically shuts the door behind her. Emily lays her forehead on my shoulder and I let out a frustrated chuckle.
"We need new friends," she grumbles.
"Seriously. Is there some kind of alarm that goes off every time we're about to have sex?" I ask.
I adjust my pants and look for my shirt while Emily goes to wash her hands. Once I've made myself presentable, I go to rescue poor Spencer from the hall.
"Paige I'm really sorry. Honestly, I had no idea,"
I cut her off and pull her into a hug.
"What are you doing here?" I ask her.
"I'm coming back to school. My parents are confident that I'm recovered enough to plunge back into the world of academia."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I wanted to surprise you. Looks like I'm the one who's surprised."
I smile and start to blush.
"So you and Emily?" she asks.
"Yep."
"How long has that been going on?"
"Almost two months."
"Good for you. Let me say it's about time you two stopped living in denial and got together."
"How is it that everyone knew that the two of us had feelings for each other except Emily and I?"
"Come my friend. Let me explain the finer points of subtle nuance to you."
Oh Spencer, how I have missed her so.
...
The roar of the crowd is near deafening. It's the last event of the Big Ten Invitational. All of the hard work and intense training that we've put in has all come down to this. We've been holding our own and have managed to carve out a small lead due to Emily's killer performance in her 100m butterfly. Michigan is only a few points behind us. It all comes down to the final relay. Everyone is a mix between excited and nervous. I hear the announcer call the starters to our blocks. I take a deep breath and get in position. I close my eyes for a second to clear my head. When I open them, the room has gone eerily quiet. I don't see anything or anyone but the water in front of me. The horn blares and immediately I dive in. I power through the water and I'm down and back before I know it. I get out of the water in time to see that I've given Sydney a decent lead. She maintains a steady pace and we still have our lead when it's time for Shana's leg. Shana gets off of the block kind of awkwardly and I know she's in trouble from the minute she hits the water. She gives it her best effort, but by the time she's heading back, the Michigan swimmer has already caught up to her. Shana reaches the wall and Emily is in the water. To watch her swim is like watching poetry in motion. There's barely a splash as her body enters the pool. She moves so graceful that to someone who isn't a swimmer, you'd have an inaccurate idea of how powerful she really is. She's caught up to the Michigan swimmer and it's obvious to everyone that this race is going to be close. We're all holding our collective breaths as they approach the wall. The both practically touch the wall at the same time. We all look at the score board to see the times. I can feel my heart about to beat out of my chest. Then there's the times pop up. Emily has beat out the competition by one hundredth of a second. The crowd goes nuts. I help her out of the water and hug her close.
"You are freaking amazing," I whisper to her.
She's soon whisked away by the other teammates. All of them congratulating her in one way or the other. I look on at her with a sense of pride. After that sensational display of swimming, she should be a shoe in for the Olympic team. This moment is definitely one to remember. There's a small something nagging at me that my life is about to change. I push it down for now and just enjoy the moment.
...
"You should've seen her you guys. It's super human the way she glided through the water."
Paige, Spencer, Hanna and I are all at the apartment for a celebratory dinner. Paige insisted on cooking for me to congratulate me on my performance. She's regaling them with my feats this afternoon.
"It was hardly that impressive," I say.
"M&M don't downplay your sheer awesomeness."
Paige and I grin at each other stupidly. The moment is interrupted, of course, by Hanna.
"I've always wondered why you guys call each other Skittles and M&M," Hanna interjects.
"Well I call her M&M for the obvious reason. It's a play on of her nickname Em," Paige explains.
"And I call her Skittles, because ever since I've met her, she was always had an affinity for them. I remember one Halloween she ate so many skittles that she vomited them up all down the hall in my house. It was gross."
"Oh," Hanna says deflated.
"What you sound kind of disappointed by the explanation," I say.
"It's not that I just thought your reason was a little more tawdry than that"
"What do you mean?"
"I thought you called her Skittles because of the gay thing."
"Huh?" I ask.
"You know, taste the rainbow and all of that?"
"Hanna! We were ten for goodness sakes," I say.
"Well I will say that you two are very cute together," Spencer comments.
"How has your first week back at school been?" I ask her.
"Good. You don't really know how much you miss something until you don't have it anymore," she explains.
"Well since the gang is all here, you know what we should really do to celebrate?" Hanna ask.
"Party," we all answer.
"Oh you guys know me so well and I happen to know just the one."
...
How Hanna just happens to know when and where every party seems to be going on is one of life's unsolved mysteries. It's been forever since Paige and I have been to a party and this is our first outing together as a couple. We've done little things together, but nothing this declarative. I'm excited to let the whole world know she's mine. That and I can't wait to dance with her. The party is in full swing by the time we get there. We spot Hanna waving at us like a dork the minute we walk in.
"Oh my gosh you guys made it," she shouts over the music.
We exchange hugs.
"Where's Spencer?" she asks.
"She said she's not really ready for the social scene just yet," Paige explains.
Hanna nods understandingly and leads the way to the drinks. She pours some kind of concoction in two cups and hands one to each of us.
"I've been here for thirty minutes already. It's time for you two to catch up."
I eye the cup suspiciously before I take a sip. Paige is next to me gulping it down like she's dying of thirst. I can see she's in a jovial mood. I take it upon myself to be the responsible one this evening. She so rarely lets loose and it's so good to see.
After about an hour and a half of socializing, I'm a bit tipsy. I've had more than a few people come to me with a drink in hand to congratulate me on our victory. I take the offered drinks of course cause it would be rude of me not to. I come back from a much needed bathroom break to find Paige and Hanna smushed together on a couch giggling like idiots. I make my way over to them and take a seat in Paige's lap.
"What has you guys so tickled?" I ask.
"Hanna's taste in women," Paige answers.
I look back and forth between the two, wondering what's going on.
"Paige and I are playing 'Marry, bump or dump' and she thinks my choices are questionable," Hanna explains.
"I have it on good authority that Hanna has excellent taste in women. She has a thing for you," I say.
"Why am I now just finding out about this? Instead of pining away for Emily, I could've had you?" Paige jokes.
"Pretty much. McCullers I've never told you how gay I am for you?"
We all laugh at the absurdity of Hanna dating Paige. We joke a little longer until I hear the heavy bass line of one of my favorite songs. I hop out of Paige's lap and pull her to her feet.
"I've been waiting to dance with you all night," I say.
I lead her to the dance floor where we enjoy some serious bump and grinding. We're so close that we're practically one person. Her hands are all over the place. My hips, my back, my butt, my hair. I don't think I've ever experienced her this flirty and free. Intoxicated Paige is fast becoming one of my favorite versions of her.
"This was a special request. Hopefully somebody out there gets lucky tonight," the d.j. announces.
The soft tones of Janet Jackson's "Anytime, Anyplace" comes through the speakers. Paige does the impossible and pulls us even closer together. I make eye contact with her and instantly know I'm in trouble. She has this hungry look radiating back at me and my mouth is suddenly very dry. She places her lips in the crook of my neck and exhales slowly. Ever since we crossed this line in our relationship, it's like she can't seem to get enough. She has an insatiable hungry and I'm all too happy to be on the receiving end of it. Lately I've been thinking too much about everything. How I've spent too much of my life considering the consequences of my actions and if they're worth the risk. If I hadn't taken a risk, I would have missed out this beautiful woman in front of me. At this point in time, I decide to be in the moment and just feel. My eyes flutter close and I allow my body to give into everyone of Paige's demands.
"I'm not gonna stop just because people walking by are watching us. I don't give a damn what they think. I want you now."
Paige seems to know every word to this song and is treating me to the sexiest serenade I've ever heard. The vibrations of her voice and the husky tone in my ear have me melting into a puddle. She runs her tongue along the edge of said ear and then sucks the lobe into her mouth. I let out a muffled moan into her hair. Her hands roam all over the smooth material of my outfit. I can feel her fingertips brush against the skin of my back. I'm trying my damnedest to have some self control, but when she lightly bites my neck, self control flies out of the window. I palm all of her glorious behind with one hand and squeeze. The other hand is in her hair pulling her back so I can look in her face. Her eyelids are dangerously low and I know that all I have to do is tell her yes. All I have to say is yes and I'll be granted access to all the pleasures her body has to offer. I take her lips in mine and kiss her thoroughly. The tip of her tongue is on my lips requesting entrance. I'm helpless to do anything but acquiesce to her wish.
Dancing on the floor feeling the slow groove. My mind is starting to burn with forbidden thoughts.
The kiss gets deeper and I feel her moan into my mouth. Ive some how managed to pull her shirt out of her pants and I gently brush my nails across her skin. I can feel my heart racing. It seems to increase with every brush of her center into mine. My resolve is weakening by the second. Right now she could ask me to do anything for her and I would.
I don't wanna stop just because you feel so good inside of my love. I'm not gonna stop no no no. I want you. All I wanna say is anytime and anyplace. I don't care who's around.
"Baby take me home," she whispers in my ear.
I want her so bad that I can taste it. I don't know who had the good sense to request this song, but I hope that they get as lucky as I'm about to get. I take her hand and lead her off of the dance floor in search of Hanna to let her know we're leaving. I spot her the second we're out of the crowd.
"That was some floor show you two just put on," she comments.
She's struggling to stand and has this goofy look on her face. I can tell she's drunk off of her ass. There's no way, in good conscience, I can leave her here alone.
"Baby I'm going to take Hanna home and I'll meet you at your place ok?"
"Of course. Call me while your heading over. I already don't like the idea of you walking alone," Paige instructs.
"You just make sure you're ready for me when I get there."
She hooks her finger under the hem of my dress and pulls me back into her. She gives me a searing kiss that I'm pretty sure has melted every synapsis in my brain.
"Something to keep you hot until you get back to me," she says.
"Omg Paige I am so gay for you right now," Hanna says.
I hook an arm around my charge and we head out into the cold night air. With any luck, it'll help to sober her up a bit. We mosey back to our dorm room, laughing and joking along the way. I manage to get Hanna undressed and in bed with little resistance from her. With the knowledge that she is safely tucked away, it's time to get back to the matter at hand.
...
"Do you have any idea what I'm going to do to you when you get here?"
"No, but I would love for you to tell me," I answer.
I did as Paige asked and called her on my trek back to her place. Our brief interlude has done nothing to quell the desire between us. If anything, the verbal foreplay we're indulging in is only serving to raise the temperature. I'm so wrapped up in imagining all the ways that I'm going to have her, that I don't realize the devil has snuck up on me until she's right in front of my face.
"Baby I be there in a few," I tell Paige and disconnect my call.
"Baby, huh? So you got you a new boy toy?" Alison asks.
"Why do you care?"
"I don't really. It's just that rumor has it that you and that Naya chick we're getting awfully close. I figured you finally crossed over. I'm glad to see the whispers weren't true."
Theres something about being in Alison's presence thst just sucks the life out of you. I swear my buzz exited the minute she came into view. As I look at her now, I can seem to remember what I ever found appealing about her.
"Well sorry to disappoint you but there's no new boy toy to speak of."
"What are you so heartbroken over Ben that you couldn't bear to be with anyone else?"
"Ha! That's a good one. Actually I final came to my senses and got with the better of the two cousins."
"Wait, you dating Pigskin now?" she asks incredulously.
"Her name is Paige and I would appreciate it if you treated my girlfriend with more respect than that."
"Oh this is too tantalizing. You couldn't have me so you settled for the next best thing?"
"Please Alison. Paige is good, trustworthy, honorable and kind. She's all the things you're not. You're not half the woman Paige is on your best day."
"Is that so. Tell me, did your good and honorable woman tell you about Ben and I?"
My eyes widen in surprise and Alison can tell that she, once again, has something to lord over me. Ever so subtly the conversation has shifted back in her favor.
"What are you talking about?" I ask.
"Oh so you weren't aware that Paige knew that Ben and I were sneaking around behind your back. Oops. Didn't mean to let the cat out of the bag like that. Enjoy the rest of your evening."
She's flounces off. All I can see is red. It can't be true. There's no way Paige would keep something like that from me. I make it to her house in record time. I unlock the door and storm to her room. She's reclining on her bed waiting for me.
"Finally. I was starting to get worried about you," she says.
"Did you or did you not know that Ben was fucking around on me with Alison?"
She hears the rage in my tone and immediately sits up. All the color has drained from her face and immediately I know that Alison was telling the truth.
"Yes, but Emily please let me explain."