CH21
It has been two weeks now:
The house didn't have any extra bedrooms, they were all taken. Alexis had offered their bedroom and would use the sleeper sofa and or sleeper loveseat in the living room, since it was all they had left.
Kate had agreed but only if they switched every couple of days. So Sirene and Lord Hunt had been using Kate and Castle's bedroom sharing their king sized bed while the four of them switched off between the living room and the bedroom Alexis and Paige had been using.
Hunt had gotten a text yesterday that would have him leaving for Pakistan tomorrow. After that Sirene had insisted to switch with Alexis and Paige. Right now she was in the bedroom putting on the finishing touches for her date tonight when Paige walked in looking for some clothes to change into.
"Another date with Irene?" Paige headed for the closet. "You've been seeing a lot of her. Two dates last week and this will be the third this week."
"She really is nice, so thank you. So far it has been fun to watch her come of her shell and see just what her personality is like. I've tried to avoid the problems she has had and focus on the now and what the future could be."
"I don't mean move in together, have sex daily or even weekly, since all we've done is a quick friendly kiss. I'm not even sure she is interested in me that way. Right now I'm just a friend who she has fun with," Sirene informed Paige.
"So what's on tap for tonight?" Paige questioned since she was interested in how her friend was doing and if she liked Sirene.
"That is proving to begin to be a problem. I've been avoiding places that serve food or drinks, since I can't do either. Which reminds me..." And suddenly Sirene jumped away and was back a moment later as Paige is getting some underwear out of the dresser. Sirene was sucking on a blood bag.
"I don't want to risk wanting to bite her or lose myself if she accidentally cuts herself." Sirene wanted to be satisfied and not need blood while out on her dates.
"Tonight is dancing followed by a tour of Central Park at night. After that I don't know. We'll think of something." She needed to do some research on places to go and things to do.
"Good luck!" Paige took her clothes and stepped into the bathroom to take a shower. Showers were another thing that was in short supply with extra people in the house.
Sirene looked into the mirror on the dresser and jumped for the front door of Irene's apartment. She had been inside it and while it was clean it wasn't anything to write home about. She wasn't sure just what Irene's style was.
She knocked and waited. "Coming, coming," Sirene could hear through the door. The door opened to find a partially dressed Irene answering the door. "I know, I know, come on in. Just give me a minute." And Irene made a beeline back to her bedroom.
Irene dove back into her closet and stripped off what she had selected. Sirene had showed up dressed up, like really dressed up. She knew they were going dancing, but to her that meant clubbing, but what Sirene had shown up wearing didn't say clubbing.
"Do I?" Irene questioned herself. She stood there, planted her feet, got out a dress from the back of her closet that she had bought long ago and prayed it would still fit her. What had gotten her to buy it eluded her, but maybe today was the day she would wear it!
It was long and reached all the way to the floor and if she wasn't careful she would even end up stepping on it. It was also a halter top and almost backless.
With dress in hand, she stepped over to her dresser and opened up her bra drawer. Color wasn't the problem, she only had 2 colors to choose from. She wished her paycheck went further, but it didn't. Irene pulled out bras and tried to find one that wouldn't show on her backless dress.
"Uhh," Irene deflated. "Fine I'll do without." And she tried to shimmy herself into the dress and after three attempts at getting the ties on the back sinched tight she gave up.
Next came shoes, which were also easy. Her paychecks just didn't go into fancy bras or shoes, still she had a pair that would work. Her make-up was already in place as was her hair.
Irene went back out into the living room after picking up her clutch. "Hi I'm so sorry, I thought, I mean when you said dancing I thought, …can you lace me up please?" And Irene turned her back on Sirene. It was only now that it hit her that she had forgotten to put on a pair of panties.
'Oh well, too late now,' Irene thought to herself.
Sirene was liking what she was seeing. Irene had her hair up and it exposed her neck and the dress exposed her creamy white shoulders. Shoulders that hadn't seen a beach in a long time. It left her wondering if Irene even owned a swim suit. It got Sirene to wonder what she would look like in a bikini. She certainly had the body for one.
She ran her hands over Irene's shoulders and down her arms, watching goose bumps rise up where her fingers had just been. Sirene finally made it to the straps of the bustier top portion of her dress and was pleasantly surprised that Irene had stopped breathing.
Sirene started working on the straps that would lace her into this contraption and found the problem right away. She decided to have some fun and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Suck it in girlfriend if you want to be pulled tightly into this thing." She played her fingers over Irene's bare back. God, but dancing with her hands all over her back let alone Irene's hands over her bare back was going to be one hell of a night.
What Sirene couldn't see was Irene biting her lower lip to keep from moaning over having her run her fingers all over her skin. Irene barely even heard the word "Inhale." Those words had disappeared after she had called her girlfriend.
Still Irene took in a deep breath and felt the laces being tightened into place, leaving her no room to let her breath back in. "Suck it in, girl." Sirene told her, forcing Irene to place her hands on her tummy and inhale again, feeling Sirene pull the laces tight, putting her into the torture device.
"There…all done." She made a bow tie to hold it all in place and ran her fingers over Irene's bare shoulders. "Turn around and let's see if you can still move and still breathe," Sirene asked.
Sirene was the one that couldn't breathe. She could see the hint of hard nipples under the contraption. 'Has she gone commando, too?'
"You're gorgeous..." Sirene managed to get out, completely stunned by what she was soon going to have in her arms. She watched Irene lower her head as a blush started up from her neck to her face. "Thanks. …You look incredible, too." Irene liked her dress too. It had a halter top that was completely back less all the way down to the crack of her ass. Irene noticed as she started walking for the door. "Coming girlfriend?" Sirene called over her shoulder.
Sirene could have jumped them there easily, however they took a taxi. Irene had never even heard of this place. Which was no surprise since she didn't get out much until Sirene came along. Just an occasional lunch with Paige.
Le Bain is located at 444 West 13th Street between West Street and 10th Ave in the Meatpacking District.
The people standing outside all looked young, about Irene's age if not a little younger while Sirene looked a little older. They hadn't talked about their age much, though she knew Irene was 21, while she looked like she was 24. Twenty-four plus seven hundred and two.
It looked like no one was getting in, male or female. It was just a little before 10:00 pm and as they walked up Irene saw the bouncer's motion for them to come up and bypass everyone in line.
Irene hadn't noticed until Sirene handed them over, but she had two $50 bills in her hand that she slipped into the hand of one of the bouncers as he opened the doors.
Sirene led Irene around the space looking it over. It wasn't really very big though it did have a second floor that had nice views of Manhattan and the Hudson River. There was also a pool in the middle of the place downstairs. It looked big enough to hold maybe 20 people and had built-in seating that had signs telling everyone that it was 4-feet deep.
She stepped up behind Irene and leaned down to whisper into her ear. "I don't think we brought swim suits unless you feel like skinny dipping," Sirene teased.
"I think I'll pass. …I prefer to be naked in private," Irene responded before she could stop herself, realizing what she had just said and to whom she had said it.
Sirene kept her mouth right where it was. "Good to know." And allowed her lips to brush across Irene's ear, feeling Irene tremble. "Dance with me?" she asked her.
This early in the evening the songs were all slow and the two of them to held each other and slowly danced, mostly in place.
This was the closest Sirene had been to another person since Kate over 500 years ago and she buried her face into Irene's neck who in turn was running her hands over Sirene's bare back.
"Sirene?" Irene had a question but was afraid to ask.
"Yes," she whispered while she ran her lips across Irene's ear, feeling the smooth skin of her upper back in her hands.
"You've done this before, haven't you?" Irene didn't know if she wanted an answer or where that would take her.
"Enjoy the touch, the feel and what it means to have a beautiful woman in my arms. Even one who thinks she isn't that beautiful or worthy of being here? …Yes, though it has been a few years." Sirene whispered into her ear. She was a little afraid that she was pushing Irene too hard.
"You…You like women?" Irene just wasn't ready yet.
"Like the company of a beautiful woman? Yes. Are you not enjoying our dates or being in my arms?" Could she question Irene into seeing the obvious?
"I…I enjoy our dates. They make me feel…" Irene couldn't say it.
"Wanted, loved even. Has no one ever wanted to get to know you, the real you. Treat you like you want to be treated. The way you deserve to be treated? …Come with me." Sirene let go of Irene, took her by the hand, took her upstairs, and opened a door to take them out onto the patio that overlooked Manhattan.
The place didn't get going until after midnight which was still about 2 hours away so the pace was a little slow. "It's lovely, isn't it?" Sirene was looked out onto the city, waiting for Irene to join her.
"Yes, it is. I've never seen it at night like this before. I've never really been a night person. The lights look beautiful from up here." Irene looked out onto the city like Sirene was doing.
"They say Paris is the city of lights and you haven't see anything until you see it at night from the top of the Eiffel Tower," Sirene commented, continuing to look out on the city lights.
"You've been to Paris!?" Irene was interested now. "I've always wanted to travel and see new places. It's just that between my school loans and the cost of living here, I can barely afford to do anything. If…when I finish my courses I can take my RN exam. Thanks to my job that will take me a couple of more years and then I'll be paying off my student loans till the day I die." She was exaggerating, but it was how she felt.
"There is one more thing a sight like this is good for." Sirene offered and saw the look of 'What?' on Irene's face.
"This." And Sirene took Irene's face in her hands and moved in slowly to kiss her. She tried to put all of her into the softest kiss she could come up with and felt Irene stand ramrod straight. Eventually Irene returned her kisses which allowed Sirene to move her arms to hold Irene tight to her.
Irene soon however broke from the kiss. "No…I'm not, I can't be…I'm sorry." Irene ran, leaving a shocked Sirene behind.
"I just want…I'm sorry, too." Sirene let the tears fall, jumped for the bedroom, and began packing.
"Going somewhere?" Hunt was using the laptop on the table when Sirene came in.
"I've stayed here too long. It's time to leave." She didn't even try to get her bag closed before jumping away.
Hunt didn't like the sound of it so he went looking for Paige and found her in the mini kitchen making herself and Rick something to eat. "Sirene just came back from her date, packed up her clothes and jumped away. We need to talk with your friend Irene."
"I…I don't know where their date was." Paige didn't understand the need to find Irene. The date was over early, so what?
"You know where she lives?" Hunt pushed. "Of course," Paige told him. Irene was her friend, of course she knew where she lived.
"I need a location or a picture, we're going there. …NOW!" Hunt said to her and got Paige to give him her address. Hunt took hold of Paige and they jumped.
"Fourth floor," she pointed and found herself in the hallway. "Down here." Paige walked down to her door and Hunt jumped them to the other side of the door.
They didn't see her so she walked to Irene's bedroom. "IRENE!?" Paige came back. "She's not here."
"You have my phone number and numbers for the others. Stay here and call one of us when she shows up," Hunt orders her.
"Why? What's wrong?" Paige didn't see a problem.
"Sirene jumped in and packed while crying and jumped back out again," Hunt explained.
She slapped a hand over her mouth. "OH GOD! Did she…would she." Paige knew she had already stopped Sirene from doing just that once already. "She said she lives near Victoria, Canada."
"I know , that's where I found her. It's just that it's not dark there yet," Hunt stated and jumped back to the house.
"OH GOD! …Please Sirene no, please no." She pulled out her phone. "Hi babe, I need you to get your mother to jump you to Irene's apartment right away." Paige needed her.
"Paige, what happened? Is she alright?" Alexis needed answers.
"Please babe, just do it." She ended the call and waited for one or the other.
It took a few minutes then suddenly Kate and Alexis showed up. "You two stay here and I'll come get you before the sun comes up." She let go of her.
Worried, Paige said, "You need to find her Kate, before she does something stupid."
"I know sweetie, I know." And Kate jumped away. Paige fell into Alexis's arms. "This is all my fault. I'm the one that put them together."
"Let's find out just what happened first," Alexis soothed.
"Can they really find her? She could have jumped anywhere. Even where the sun is shining." Paige had real fears.
Kate and Hunt had some ideas but most of what they were talking about centered on her going home first. They both took a spot and jumped there to look around and wait for the darkness before moving on.
Alexis was sitting and Paige was wandering around the apartment too nervous to sit down. Two hours later the front door finally opened and in walked Irene who found Paige crashing into her.
"You had us worried sick. What happened Irene, tell me what happened. I thought you liked Sirene, I know she was learning to like you." Paige needed answers right away.
"I don't… who's that?" Irene saw Alexis walk up to them.
"Irene, this is Alexis, Alexis this is Irene. Alexis is my girlfriend and the love of my life. I moved out of my apartment and in with her… family." Paige knew she had never met Alexis before and likely didn't know she had moved either.
"You…and her are. You didn't tell me." Irene suddenly didn't know her friend.
"I didn't know I was either until I met Alexis. We've been dating for weeks now and making love to each other for almost as long. I love her Irene, she means the world to me." Paige began to glow and Irene could see it.
"What happened?" Alexis asked this time.
"We were going to go dancing. I thought she meant clubbing to pick up boys or at least dance with boys. But she meant dance with me. We danced for a little time and Sirene was holding me close. Then we went upstairs and out onto the patio to look at the city lights."
"And then she kissed me. I was shocked at first and when I…I ran." Irene broke away from Paige and walked to the living room.
"You didn't like the kiss?" Paige still didn't see an answer yet.
"That's just it, I did like the kiss. Sirene is beautiful and sexy and just the kind of person I've dreamed about and know that I can't have. I'm not a lesbian, I can't be!" Irene spun in place and turned her back on them.
Paige moved up behind Irene and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Can't or won't?"
Irene was silent for a time. "You don't understand. My parents are both dead and it's just me. The last thing my mother asked of me was to find a nice guy who would love me, get married, have kids and be happy."
"I can't do that with Sirene, don't you see?" Irene turned to face them with tears in her eyes.
"My parents are gone too, Irene, you know that. I also know that my parents wanted me to be happy. Well, Alexis makes me happy. There isn't anyone else I want in my life. I think my parents would be glad that I found someone who loves me as much as I love her."
"You deserve to be happy too, Irene. I know you may not think so, but you do," Paige pleaded with her.
Alexis stepped up, since time was short and maybe some shock therapy was just what Irene needed. "Irene, Sirene had a long relationship with another woman and recently lost her, likely forever, and it has broken her heart. She is more than capable of loving another woman." Irene knew Sirene was around her age. A 10 year relationship would mean that it started in Sirene's mid-teens which would really freak Irene out even more than the lesbian issue.
"If she kissed you tonight she must have seen something in you worth loving, worth taking a chance with. Sirene is fragile at the moment Irene, we think she may have or is about to do something stupid," Alexis tried to see if this shocked Irene.
"Something stupid…"Then Irene's eyes light up and open wide. "You mean kill herself…Because I ran. No she wouldn't, would she? Where did she go, we need to stop her." Irene was in.
"We have people out looking for her, but she could be anywhere. Just what do we tell her when we find her?" Alexis asked, thinking there was only one person who could stop her.
"All any parent wants Irene is for their children to be happy. Happy with a guy or happy with Sirene, and who says you two can't have children? Live in a house with a white picket fence?" Paige made a face since that wasn't her style; Irene smiled too since it wasn't hers either.
They could both see the range of emotions playing across Irene's face. "Were you not happy on your dates with Sirene?" Alexis inquired. "You don't like her and don't want a possible future with her where both of you are happy?"
"We're not asking you to marry her Irene, but if she makes you happy, why run from it? Just because your mother mentioned a guy? I know there are still a number of bigoted people in the world, but their numbers are fading fast and most of them are like, really old." It was enough to get Irene to smile a little.
"Help us stop her from doing something stupid and then you two can talk. Really talk," Alexis said, as Irene nodded her head.
Alexis decided speed was likely going to be needed and a simple phone call was not going to work. She pulled out her phone and pressed SEND. "Hi mom, we need you in Irene's apartment so you can pick up Irene and take her with you." Alexis looked at Irene who was in for one hell of a surprise, likely followed by another equally big one.