Black Lingerie Chronicles, Part Seventeen

“I told you it was a crazy story, didn’t I?”

Sarah looked at her girlfriend for a long moment, trying to decide if the girl was having fun with her. She couldn’t find any deception in Mindy’s beautiful blue eyes. As batshit crazy as her story had been, Mindy believed what she had said. This left two options- either Mindy was cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, or she, Erin, and Ashley really have had a strange supernatural experience.

Strange supernatural experience, Sarah thought, with an inward shake of her head, now there is an odd phrase. Supernatural implies strange, but what Mindy was describing was different than any book or movie I’ve ever seen or read.

In some ways, that difference lent Mindy’s story credence. It didn’t feel hollow or false because of the odd details about the Place of Locked Doors. Most people wouldn’t think up such an elaborate backstory.

“You did warn me,” Sarah said, rubbing the back of her neck, “I’m not sure what to make of it, but you did warn me.”

Laughing, Mindy said, “I really didn’t expect you to believe me.”

“It’s not that I don’t believe you… It’s just…” Sarah said, then realized she didn’t have the words to finish the thought.

“It’s okay, Babe,” Mindy said, smiling warmly at her, “I wanted to tell you, to clear the air. You don’t have to believe me.”

Sarah looked at her for a long moment, then sighed. She really wanted to believe Mindy, but such a crazy story was hard to swallow without any proof. The only problem was how could she prove any of the things Mindy had said.

“What are you thinking about?” Mindy asked.

Sarah realized the girl was looking at her expectantly and she smiled at her, said, “I was just thinking it would make things easier if you had proof.”

“Proof,” Mindy said, chewing on the word like a dog on a bone. Suddenly she sat up straighter, said, “Maybe I can prove it.”

“Really?” Sarah asked, blinking in surprise, “how?”

“How about some video evidence?” Mindy said, reaching for her phone. She had a mischievous grin on her face as she dialed. A few rings later, someone picked up the other end of the line. Looking at Sarah, she said, “Natty? Hey. Do you feel like Skype-ing? I want to show Sarah the Place of Locked Doors… Yeah, I told her about it. She looked at me like I was crazy, but she is too nice to come out and say it… I was thinking you could take the laptop outside, letting her see the neighborhood… Okay, I’m going to hang up.”

Mindy hung up, smiling at Sarah.

“What are you up to?” Sarah asked, her heart starting to beat faster.

“I’m going to take you on a tour of our neighborhood, only fifty years in the past,” Mindy said.

The phone chimed in Mindy’s hand, and Sarah saw it was an invitation to Skype from Natty. Mindy moved closer to Sarah, held out the phone so they could both see the screen, then accepted the invite. Natty’s smiling face came on the screen.

Sarah looked at the girl, and she thought she understood what Mindy had said about being unable to resist the girl’s charm. Natty was beautiful, but that was only half of it. She had a magnetism about her, a sensuality that even the small screen of Mindy’s phone was able to capture. That part of Mindy’s story seemed true enough. Sarah could see why Mindy- Erin and Ashley, too- would be drawn to the girl.

Sarah still didn’t think she was a ghost, though. Natty looked like any another girl, not ethereal or distorted. Sarah wouldn’t be surprised to see her at the mall.

“Natty, this is my girlfriend, Sarah,” Mindy said, putting her arm around Sarah, “Sarah, meet Natty.”

“Hi, Sarah,” Natty said, waving, “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s nice to meet you finally.”

“Um, you too,” Sarah said, then laughed, “I’ve been hearing a lot about you, too… Some pretty crazy things.”

“Like that I’m actually dead and have been stuck in this place for more than fifty years?” Natty asked, smiling playfully.

“Yeah, that,” Sarah said, laughing.

“Mindy wants me to take my computer outside, show you around,” Natty said, clearly amused by the idea.

“What do you think that’ll prove?” Sarah asked, glancing at Mindy.

“You’ll see,” Mindy said, grinning at her.

Sarah just looked at her for a long second, wondering what Mindy was up to. She really didn’t know what Mindy’s play was. Shrugging, Sarah said, “Okay. Show me.”

The image of Natty jumped and distorted as the girl picked up the laptop. She walked outside, then turned the laptop around to film the house. Sarah gasped as she recognized the house- it was Erin’s, she was sure of it. She gasped again as Natty panned the computer toward the street and Mindy saw all the antique cars lining the street.

“What the…” Sarah said, leaning closer to the screen, “is this live?”

“Happening right now,” Mindy said, laughing at her reaction, “Natty, do you feel like taking a walk?”

“Where to?” Natty asked.

Mindy rattled off an address, and Sarah gaped at her. Laughing, Mindy said, “That’s Sarah’s address.”

“Ah, you want me to show her what her house used to look like fifty years ago,” Natty said, smiling as she turned the camera back on her.

“If you don’t mind,” Mindy said.

Sarah put her hand to her mouth, glancing away from the screen at Mindy. Her voice was a little shaky as she asked, “Is that… That’s really our neighborhood, isn’t it?”

“No,” Mindy said, smiling at her, “that’s the Place of Locked Doors. A sort of Limbo Natty has been stuck in since she died.”

“And you’ve been there?” Sarah asked, looking back at the phone, “I mean, really been there?”

“Yeah,” Mindy said, nodding, “all of us have. Erin, Ashley and me… On multiple occasions.”

“How is that possible?” Sarah asked, leaning forward as she started to recognize some of the landmarks that lined the street she lived on.

“I don’t know,” Mindy said, then laughed, “the Place of Locked Doors is full of secrets. All I know is, I put the black lingerie on, and suddenly I was able to visit the Place of Locked Doors.”

“The lingerie Erin found in the hole in the wall in the back of her closet,” Sarah said, meeting her eyes, “that’s all true, too, isn’t it?”

“Erin will show it to you, if you want,” Mindy said, then her smile widened, “hell, if you put it on, you can probably meet Natty in person.”

“I think I’ll pass on that,” Sarah said, frowning, “even if you could go to this… what did you call it?”

“The Place of Locked Doors,” Mindy said, shrugging, “It’s a clunky name we haven’t gotten around to changing.”

“Why do you keep going back to this Place of Locked Doors?” Sarah asked, meeting Mindy’s eyes, “it seems kind of… creepy.”

“The one-word answer is Natty,” Mindy said, smiling, “the girl is one of a kind. More than that, she is my friend, and I love her to death… Um, and beyond.”

Caught off guard, Sarah snorted, then started laughing, “Okay.”

“I love you, too,” Natty said, suddenly grinning on the phone. Her eyes went to Sarah, and she said, “You have a very special girl there, and she is mad about you.”

Smiling, Sarah said, “I’m pretty mad about her, too.”

“Good,” Natty said, then the laptop panned around again, “and here is your house.”

Sarah’s heart was knocking in her breast as she looked at her house. With a sense of wonder, she looked at the oak tree next to the front porch. It was barely more than a sapling on the screen of Mindy’s phone, but in real life, it shaded half the house. Still, she couldn’t deny that it was her house.

“That’s… That’s crazy,” Sarah said, laughing. Her hand came to her mouth with a sense of wonder. She had asked Mindy for proof, and she couldn’t deny what she was seeing. She couldn’t explain it, but she couldn’t deny it.

“Isn’t it though?” Mindy said, then sat up straighter, “Natty, head back to the house. I have one more surprise for Sarah.”

“Okay,” Natty said, the camera jerking this way and that as she walked.

“One more surprise?” Sarah asked, meeting her eyes.

“Proof,” Mindy said, grinning.

“What does that mean?” Sarah asked.

“I’m going to flip over to show you it can be done,” Mindy said, stretching out on her back.

“Flip over?” Sarah parroted, looking down at her.

“To the Place of Locked Doors,” Mindy said, closing her eyes.

“What? Now?” Sarah asked.

“Yeah,” Mindy said, then opened her eyes, “Um, it’s a little… weird to see someone flip over. You kind of let out this long breath and… anyway, don’t panic. I’m okay.”

“Don’t panic, right,” Sarah said, panicking, “you really don’t need to do this. I believe you.”

“I don’t want you to have any doubts,” Mindy said, closing her eyes again.

Her heart sinking into her stomach, Sarah watched as Mindy took a couple of breaths. Nothing seemed to happen. Suddenly, Mindy’s eyes opened, and Sarah jumped.

“I can’t do it with you watching,” Mindy said, holding out the phone, “just look at the screen and let me concentrate.”

“Okay,” Sarah said, taking the phone from her. It took all of her willpower not to look at the girl.

A few seconds passed then she heard Mindy inhale, then exhale. Only she didn’t stop exhaling for a long while. Mindy couldn’t have any air left in her body after that exhalation. Sarah glanced at Mindy, saw the girl lying perfectly still. Leaning closer, she saw Mindy was barely breathing. It freaked her out a bit, and she started to shake the girl. Hesitating, she remembered what Mindy had said that flipping over to the Place of Locked Doors was weird to see, but that she was fine.

She waved her hand in front of Mindy’s face, not getting a response. Snapping her fingers, she watched Mindy for any kind of reaction, but she didn’t move at all.

“Hey, Babe.”

Sarah gasped, her eyes snapping to the phone. Blinking several times, Sarah looked at the phone, again but the image didn’t change. Mindy was now on the phone screen. Sarah looked from the phone to Mindy, her thoughts spinning and looking for purchase like tires on ice. Her senses were telling her that Mindy was suddenly in two different places at the same time, but her mind was having trouble accepting it.

Seeing the look on Sarah’s face, Mindy gave her a sympathetic smile, asked, “It hurts your brain, doesn’t it?”

Sarah laughed and nodded. Rubbing the back of her neck, she glanced at the girl lying beside her. It was Mindy’s body but not Mindy, anymore. What made Mindy Mindy was over there now, in the Place of Locked Doors. A little creeped out, she said, “Can you come back? This is kind of disturbing, looking at you in two different places.”

“Okay,” Mindy said, closing her eyes on the screen.

Suddenly, Mindy inhaled deeply and kept inhaling for a long time. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes and smiled at Sarah. Finally able to relax, Sarah hugged the girl tightly.

“I had to show you,” Mindy said, hugging Sarah back, “this is as much a part of me as the thing with my babysitter.”

“The thing with Sarah is over with,” Sarah said, pulling back to meet Mindy’s eyes, “is this… whatever it is over?”

Mindy thought about it for a second, then shook her head, “Yes and no. Natty and I aren’t intimate, anymore, but she is still my friend.”

“Your friend,” Sarah said, laughing and shaking her head, “it’s crazy how nonchalant you are about this.”

“I’ve had time for the strangeness to wear off,” Mindy said, smiling at her.

“The strangeness shouldn’t wear off,” Sarah said, then sighed, “I’m just a little freaked out. Watching you ‘flip over’ was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. Well, besides suddenly seeing you in two places at once. And seeing my neighborhood as it looked fifty years ago. That was pretty weird, too. Anyway, I don’t want you to stop being friends with Natty. I- I… Is it safe? This Place of Locked Doors?”

Mindy suddenly gave her a warm smile, said, “Is that what you are worried about?”

Meeting her eyes, Sarah said, “Of course I’m worried about you. Why wouldn’t I be worried?”

“The Place of Locked Doors… I don’t think its dangerous,” Mindy said.

Sarah looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. Hugging Mindy, again, she said, “Just be careful, okay?”

“Okay,” Mindy said, smiling at her. Taking Sarah’s hand, she said, “You know, the easiest way to put your mind at ease would be to let you wear the black lingerie.”

Laughing, Sarah said, “I don’t think I’m ready for that.”

“You might change your mind when you see it,” Mindy said, smiling.“I said the same thing you did and ended up wearing it, anyway.”

“It’s just some lingerie,” Sarah said, dubiously.

“I said the same thing you did and ended up wearing it, anyway,” Mindy said, laughing.

“Okay,” Sarah said.

Mindy looked at her for a long moment, then picked up her phone. She dialed, then put the phone to her ear. She just smiled when Sarah gave her a questioning look. When the line was picked up, she said, “Erin. What are you up to… Do you feel like some company… Sarah and me… Yeah, call me back.”

To Sarah, Mindy said, “She sounded excited about something.”

“What?” Sarah asked.

“She didn’t say. Wanted to wait until we got there to tell us,” Mindy said.

“Huh,” Sarah said, then had to laugh, “you think letting me see the lingerie will make me want to put it on, don’t you?”

“It has a certain… pull to it. It’s hard to explain,” Mindy said, grinning at her, “you’ll see what I mean when you see it for yourself. You’ll look so sexy in it.”

“Wow,” Sarah said, her heart beating a little faster at Mindy’s certainty.

The phone rang, and Mindy winked at her as she answered it, “Hey. What did she say… Sweet! We’ll be there in twenty minutes or so.”

Ending the call, Mindy said, “Let’s go try on some lingerie.”

——————————————-

Erin looked at the phone in her hand, having just ended her call with Mindy. Her heart was racing as she dialed Ashley.

“Hey you,” Ashley said, coming on the line.

“Hey,” Erin said, smiling.

“What’s up?” Ashley asked.

“I just got off the phone with Mindy. She’s coming over with Sarah,” Erin said, then took a deep breath, “I’m going to break the news to them. You know, about us.”

“Can I come over?” Ashley asked.

Smiling, Erin said, “Yeah. I already asked my mom if you can stay the night.”

“Oh my,” Ashley said, laughing, “let me go ask. If I don’t call you back, I’m coming over.”

“Okay,” Erin said, the had to smile as she added, “I love you.”

“Love you, too,” Ashley said, ending the call.

Erin was smiling because telling Ashley she loved her was both familiar and brand new at the same time. She has always loved her as a friend and now that affection was deepening into something more. When Ashley asked her out, Erin had balked at the idea of them being more than friends, but she realized now they had moved past being friends a while ago. She just hadn’t realized it until Natty pointed it out to her.

She wondered what Mindy’s and Sarah’s reaction to them dating would be. Of the two, she thought Sarah would be the most surprised. The girl was still trying to get her head around the fact that she and Ashley had been intimate. Dating, that was a whole other story.

With a little time on her hands, Erin logged onto her email account. Clicking on the message from Melanie, she read it, again. The girl wanted to meet up next Saturday but needed to know where. Drumming her fingers on the desk, Erin thought about it. Having the girl come here seemed like a bad idea- her mother would want to know how Erin knew Melanie and that one would be a mess to explain. If at all possible, Erin would like to meet with Melanie without her mother knowing about it. That meant a public place.

Leaning forward, she typed: How about the mall? We can meet at the food court, have some lunch while we catch up.

As an afterthought, she googled the name of her hometown mall and added it to the message along with an address. She was a little amused that, after all the times she has been there, she hadn’t known the name of the place. It was just ‘the mall’ to her.

She sent the message, then saw she had a message from Natty. Smiling, she opened it. It read: I just saw Ashley’s birthday is coming up next month. You need to make sure you bring her around so I can tell her happy birthday in person.

Erin glanced at her calendar and saw Natty was right. Ashley’s birthday was only a couple of weeks away. It had snuck up on her. A little sheepishly, she thought she needed to start thinking about a gift for the girl. Then she wondered if it would be different this time. She’d be buying a gift for a girlfriend, not just a friend.

Putting her fingers on the home keys on her keyboard, Erin typed:I will. Maybe you can make her some more enchiladas. She loved them, by the way.

She was about to hit Send when something else popped into her head. Grinning, she added: Maybe we can play a little monkey in the middle, too.

Sending the message, Erin thought about her own birthday, about the craziness that had occurred. Mindy and Ashley had done a number on her, and she shivered just thinking about it. She remembered the girls talking about always getting together for each other’s birthdays, having some kinky sex like they had had for Erin’s. With a twinge of regret, Erin realized that with everyone pairing off, that wasn’t going to happen after all.

Erin looked over her shoulder as her bedroom door opened and she smiled when she saw Ashley. She went to the girl and slipped into her arms before she even closed the door. Kissing her deeply, she said, “Hi.”

Laughing, Ashley said, “Hi.”

“I take it you are staying over?” Erin asked.

“Yeah,” Ashley said, smiling at her.

“Good,” Erin said, with a playful smile of her own. She kissed Ashley, again. It lingered a while, threatened to get away from them. Finally, she made herself pull back and husk, “We better stop. Mindy and Sarah will be here in a couple of minutes.”

Stealing one more kiss, Ashley said, “I guess we’ll have to come back to this later.”

“Count on it,” Erin said, easing out of her arms, “on a similar note, Natty wants me to bring you by for your birthday.”

Smiling, Ashley said, “I didn’t realize she knew about it.”

“Just sent me an email,” Erin said, then grinned at her, “I said she could make you some enchiladas… maybe play a little monkey in the middle?”

Laughing, Ashley slipped back into Erin’s arms, said, “Two of my favorite things.”

“Speaking of your birthday, what should I get you?” Erin asked, playfully, “Jewelry? Candy and flowers?”

“Oh shit,” Ashley said, her beautiful eyes widening, “I almost forgot. Look!”

Ashley pointed at the necklace around her neck and Erin gasped as she recognized it. Meeting the girl’s eyes, Erin said, “That’s the necklace I gave you.”

“I know!” Ashley said, looking down at it, “it came back with me.”

“That’s so cool,” Erin said.

“Yours did, too,” Ashley said.

“Mine did?” Erin said, reaching up to touch the necklace around her neck. Her fingers found the half-heart pendant, and her heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t realized she was wearing it.

“You didn’t know?” Ashley asked, raising her eyebrows.

“I hadn’t noticed,” Erin said, then smiled at the girl, “I guess this means I don’t have to buy you another one.”

“I guess not,” Ashley said, then kissed her, “but I’m not against more jewelry if you wanted to buy me some.”

“Okay,” Erin said, laughing. Sobering up some, she said, “I was thinking about my birthday.”

Ashley nodded, said, “I was thinking about it, too. It is kind of a bummer that we can’t do it, again.”

“It would have been your turn to be the birthday girl in the middle,” Erin said, with a sad smile, “I kind of miss Mindy.”

“Me, too,” Ashley said.

—————————————-

Rather than walk back to Mindy’s house, then down the street to Erin’s, Mindy and Sarah decided to cut a diagonal through the woods. It would be quicker, but the real reason was that Mindy didn’t want to risk being seen by her parents. After all, she was supposed to be spending the night with Erin.

“Are you sure this will lead to Erin’s?” Sarah asked, looking around.

With a nervous laugh, Mindy said, “About eighty-five percent sure.”

“And the other fifteen percent?” Sarah asked.

“Will get us pretty close to her house,” Mindy said.

“Just remember ‘pretty close to her house’ is where I live,” Sarah said, giving her a sideways glance, “I can’t be seen by my parents, either.”

“Right,” Mindy said, smiling at her, “neither one of us wants to be grounded.”

Sarah stopped, then looked around. Pointing, she said, “The school is that way, right?”

Mindy thought about it, then nodded, “Why?”

“And my house is that way… Which means if we walk that way, we should run into the trail that leads to the pond.”

“What pond?” Mindy asked, wondering if Sarah meant the pond she had found while exploring.

“There is a pond in the woods I go to sometimes. I like to go swimming there in the summer,” Sarah said, then blushed, “it’s in the middle of nowhere so I usually don’t bother with a bathing suit.”

Grinning, Mindy said, “Skinny dipping, huh?”

“Yeah,” Sarah said, shrugging, “it’s more fun when it’s a little dangerous.”

“You’ll have to take me when it gets warmer,” Mindy said, slipping her arm around Sarah’s waist.

“Definitely,” Sarah said, smiling.

“Will this trail get us close to Erin’s but not your house?” Mindy asked.

“Yeah. I have to walk past Erin’s house to get to the head of the path,” Sarah said.

“That’s perfect,” Mindy said. They started walking again, and Mindy let Sarah take the lead.

The path was easy enough to find, the ground well trampled along it. Frowning, Mindy said, “Seems like this path gets a lot of traffic. Are you sure your swimming hole is all that private?”

“This is a deer trail,” Sarah said, smiling at her, “you always see them around the pond. Besides, the chance of getting caught makes it all the more fun.”

Laughing, Mindy pulled the girl closer, said, “I’m beginning to think you might have a kinky streak in you.”

“Maybe,” Sarah said, playfully.

Mindy’s heart was beating a little faster as her imagination started to run with that single word. She decided she’d have to explore this kinky streak some more to see just how deep it ran. Smiling, she hoped it was nice and deep.

They came to the break in the woods and Mindy looked up and down the street. Smiling, she saw Erin’s house about a block away. They hurried down the sidewalk, turning up the driveway to Erin’s. When they knocked on the door, Erin’s mom gave them a curious look, asked, “Are you girls having a party? Ashley is already here.”

“Ashley’s here?” Sarah asked, glancing at Mindy.

“I didn’t know, either,” Mindy said, shrugging.

“Well, they are upstairs. You can head on up,” Erin’s mom said, stepping aside so they could enter.

Mindy followed Sarah upstairs to Erin’s room. She knocked lightly before entering, saw Ashley and Erin sitting close on the bed. Something about their body language caught her eye, and she hesitated with her hand on the knob. Sure she had misread it, she closed the door, still looking at them.

“Hey,” Mindy said.

“Hey,” Erin said, smiling at her.

“Were you two… you know?” Mindy asked.

“A little bit… earlier in the Place of Locked Doors,” Ashley said, grinning. Her smile became curious, and she asked, “Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know,” Mindy said, frowning, “you two just have… a look about you.”

“A look?” Erin asked.

Mindy saw Sarah looking at the two girl’s, could see the girl had noticed it, too. There was something different about Erin and Ashley, Mindy was sure of it even if she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Ashley took Erin’s hand, smiled at her as she said, “I think they mean this.”

Mindy looked at their interlocked fingers, her eyes widening. Meeting Erin’s eyes, Mindy asked, “What is this?”

“Ashley and I are sort of dating,” Erin said, with a nervous laugh, “actually there is no sort of about it.”

“Dating?” Sarah asked, glancing at Mindy.

“How did this happen?” Mindy asked.

“The short answer is Loren,” Ashley said, laughing when Mindy motioned for her to continue, “I asked Trisha out, and she said no-”

“Wait! You asked Trisha out?” Mindy asked, surprised, “What the hell?”

Laughing, Ashley said, “I guess I should have started there.”

“Didn’t you and Trisha… you know?” Sarah asked.

“Um, yeah,” Ashley said.

“So you asked out Trisha… What did she say?” Mindy asked, then waved her hand, “never mind. If she had said yes, you wouldn’t be dating Erin… Why did she say no?”

“Um, she’s kind of dating Carrie,” Ashley said.

Laughing and shaking her head, Mindy said, “I’m always the last know.”

“It’s a fairly recent thing,” Ashley said, shrugging, “I just missed my window.”

“Which makes me the consolation prize,” Erin teased.

“Not even close,” Ashley said, smiling at her.

Shaking her head, Mindy said, “That’s going to take a while to get used to.”

“What’s that?” Erin asked.

“You two flirting,” Mindy said, smiling at them, “It’s kind of cute though. Aww.”

“Shut up,” Erin said, laughing.

“It’s not so funny when it’s your turn, is it,” Mindy said, playfully.

“So how is Loren responsible for you two dating?” Sarah asked.

“She kind of pointed out that Erin was beautiful and that someone would swoop in and snatch her up,” Ashley said, blushing, “when that made me jealous, I realized I wanted to be the one doing the swooping.”

“So you asked her out?” Mindy asked.

“Um, yeah,” Ashley said, laughing, “or maybe she asked me out.”

“What do you mean?” Sarah asked.

Ashley told them about the romantic surprise turn around Erin had pulled on her.

Mindy gave Erin a surprised look, said, “I didn’t know you were that romantic.”

Embarrassed, Erin shrugged.

Ashley put her head on Erin’s shoulder, said, “Natty let us have the house for the night. Made these delicious enchiladas for us.”

“Natty cooks?” Mindy said, surprised.

“Yeah. She’s been practicing and is getting pretty good,” Erin said, then added, “you inspired her with your hamburgers.”

When Sarah looked at Mindy for an explanation, Mindy said, “We went to the mall, and I made us some food. Nothing special.”

“Don’t listen to her… She put McDonald’s hamburgers to shame on their own grill,” Ashley said.

“Anyway,” Mindy said, embarrassed, “Natty made you some enchiladas.”

“Hopefully, she’ll make me some more for my birthday,” Ashley said.

“Your birthday?” Sarah said, then her eyes got wide, “Oh hey. That’s next month, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Ashley said.

Mindy looked from the redhead to Erin, smiling as she remembered the craziness that had ensued after Erin’s birthday party. She felt a twinge of regret that they wouldn’t be able to do that for Ashley’s birthday. She had promised to tie the girl up and make her come until she couldn’t take anymore. Sighing, she thought, Erin will just have to do it for me.

Erin saw the look on her face and nodded, said, “We were talking about my birthday earlier. Won’t be the same this time.”

“No, I guess not,” Mindy said.

“What are you talking about?” Sarah asked, looking from Mindy to Erin, “What won’t be the same?”

“It’s nothing,” Mindy said, waving it off, “a tradition that never really got started.”

“Um, okay,” Sarah said, dropping it reluctantly.

Mindy glanced at her, saw she still had questions. Smiling, she thought at some point she was going to have to tell Sarah about the night after Erin’s birthday. Sarah knew that Mindy had slept with Erin and Ashley, if not on occasion at the same time. Should make for an interesting conversation.

“So why did you want to come over?” Erin asked, changing the subject.

“To borrow some lingerie,” Mindy said, blushing when Erin gave her a knowing smile, “and to show Sarah the black lingerie.”

“Are you sure?” Erin asked, glancing at Sarah, “do you think you are ready to meet Natty?”

Laughing, Sarah asked, “Why does everyone assume I’m going to put it on?”

“No one has resisted so far,” Ashley said.

“Oh,” Sarah said, then shook it off, “besides even if I do try it on, doesn’t mean I’ll go to the Place of Locked Doors.”

“You’d be the first not to,” Erin said, getting up. She went to her closet, opened the door. Stepping inside, she waved Sarah closer.

Through the open door, Mindy could see Erin very deliberately pressing the pressure points that unlocked the hiding spot in the back of her closet. Mindy had to smile when Sarah gasped as the panel slid back then up to reveal all the lingerie stuffed into the void in the wall.

“Wow, that’s a lot of lingerie,” Sarah said, laughing.

“It barely fits,” Erin said, then laughed, “well, in the hole, anyway. Everything fits like it was designed for us… Which it sort of was. A girl our age and size, anyway.”

“Natty,” Sarah said, shaking her head, “I got to meet her earlier.”

“She’s a sweetie. You are going to love her,” Erin said, hesitating, “I really mean that. Natty is amazing.”

“She seems nice,” Sarah said, rubbing the back of her neck, “for a ghost.”

“Should I show you the lingerie?” Erin asked.

Sarah glanced over her shoulder at Mindy, a question in her eyes. Mindy nodded. Turning back, Sarah said, “Show me.”

“Natty will be excited to meet you in person,” Erin said, pulling the sheer black bustier and thong out of its hiding place. Handing it to Sarah, she dug in the mass of lingerie for a pair of stockings, passing those to Sarah as well.

Shaking it out, Sarah held the lingerie up to look at it. Mindy watched as her girlfriend chewed on her lip and she started smiling when Sarah looked at it a little too long. She could almost see the lingerie’s pull working on Sarah.

“It’s so beautiful,” Sarah said, her voice a little funny. Maybe hearing it herself, she shook her head to clear it, tried again, “It is beautiful… incredibly beautiful.”

“Try it on,” Ashley said, grinning from her spot on the bed.

“I don’t think I should,” Sarah said, her eyes still locked on the lingerie, “what if Erin’s mom checks-”

“We’ll watch the door,” Erin said.

Laughing, Sarah said, “I thought Mindy was full of shit, but this… God, I really do want to try it on.”

“So do it,” Ashley said, getting up and going to the door. Poking her head out in the hall, she looked both ways before saying, “The coast is clear.”

Chewing on her lip, again, Sarah looked at the lingerie a long moment, then said, “Shit.”

“Told you,” Mindy said, laughing.

“Yeah, yeah. You were right,” Sarah said, then to Ashley, “please don’t let me get caught wearing this thing.”

“I won’t,” Ashley said from her post by the door.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Sarah said, as she kicked off her shoes. She handed the lingerie back to Erin so she could undress. Sarah pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it aside, then unbuttoned and shimmied out of her jeans. In just her bra and panties, she reached for the lingerie, but Erin just looked at her pointedly. Looking down at herself, she groaned, said, “No bra and panties, right.”

“You’d just look silly wearing them,” Erin teased.

“Shut up,” Sarah said, hooking her thumbs in her panties. Seeing Erin looking, she blushed, said, “Are you going to watch?”

“It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before,” Erin laughed.

“What was that?” Mindy said, coming closer.

Holding up her hand, Sarah said, “Remember when I told you about skinny dipping in the pond… Well, sometimes Erin and Ashley would come, too.”

“Oh,” Mindy said.

“Just turn around,” Sarah said, to Erin, who reluctantly handed the lingerie to Mindy and turned her back.

“I don’t have to turn away too, do I?” Mindy asked, playfully.

“No, you can look,” Sarah said, winking.

“Oh God,” Erin laughed, rolling her eyes.

“Hey, I’m sure you and Ashley will make us roll our eyes, too… so hush up,” Sarah said.

Mindy watched as her girlfriend finished undressing and started slipping into the lingerie. Her heart was racing as Sarah smoothed the clingy bustier into place, then stepped into the tiny thong. Last but definitely not least, she rolled the sheer nylons onto her long legs, fastening the garters to hold them up.
Sarah met her eyes, gave Mindy a shy, uncertain smile. Mindy kissed her then, whispered in her ear, “God you look hot in that.”

Smiling, Sarah asked, “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Mindy said, meaning it. She let her eyes roam over Sarah’s lovely body, suddenly wishing they had the room to themselves. She put her hands behind her back to keep them off of the girl.

Sarah saw Mindy struggling to behave, and her smile widened. She moved into Mindy’s arms and gave her a quick, but heated kiss. Before letting go, she whispered in Mindy’s ear, “Do you think Erin would let us borrow her room?”

“I’d kick her out in a heartbeat, but I think it’d be hard to explain to Erin’s mother,” Mindy said.

“What are you two whispering about?” Erin asked, then changed her mind, “never mind. I can probably guess, if the lingerie looks half as good on Sarah as I think it does.”

Sarah met Mindy’s eyes, and Mindy grinned and said, “Oh, it looks amazing.”

“Can we look?” Ashley called from the door.

With a nervous laugh, Sarah said, “Um, sure.”

Mindy had to laugh when Erin and Ashley turned around and started catcalling. Sarah’s face was red, but she was laughing, too.

“Wow,” Erin said, walking to the closet.

Mindy saw the SD card in her hand and frowned. She was about to ask what Erin was up to when the blonde grabbed her camera off the desk. Grinning, she saw Sarah’s eyes go to the camera, as well.

“No,” Sarah said, hiding behind Mindy.

“Come on,” Erin said, turning the camera on, “don’t you want a souvenir of this crazy, momentous occasion?”

“I’m half naked!” Sarah laughed.

“All of your naughty bits are covered… well, except your ass,” Erin said, grinning, “which I have a nice view of in the mirror behind you.”

Sarah moved Mindy, so her reflection was no longer in the mirror, said, “Come on, Erin. Put the camera away!”

“I’m not going to take your picture if you don’t want me to,” Erin said, with a playful smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, “but look at yourself in the mirror… Why wouldn’t you want a picture?”

“I…” Sarah said, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She stepped away from Mindy so that she could admire her reflection completely. Putting her hand to her mouth, Sarah said, “This lingerie… It really works wonders, doesn’t it?”

“It’s not magical, can’t turn you into a fairy princess,” Erin said, laughing, “most of that is just you and the lingerie is just… window dressings.”

“Um, thanks,” Sarah said, smiling at Erin.

“Can I take your picture then?” Erin asked, holding up the camera.

“No,” Sarah said, laughing when Erin’s shoulders fell.

“Let her take the picture,” Mindy said, putting her arm around Sarah’s waist, “so she can send me a copy.”

“Uh huh,” Sarah said, laughing, “that’s not going to happen.”

“This memory card has a lot of memories on it,” Erin said, laughing, “some of them very incriminating, which is why it is kept in the hiding spot. We have memories on here of me, Ashley, Natty, and Mindy… I want a couple of them for you, too. You are back to being a part of the gang, again.”

Mindy looked at Sarah, wondering what the girl would do. She smiled when she saw Erin’s little speech had done the job, tears in the corners of Sarah’s eyes. The girl laughed and shook her head, even as she said, “Okay. One picture.”

“We’ll see how you feel after the first one,” Erin said, playfully. She held up her camera, said, “Say cheese!”

————————————————

“I can’t believe she talked me into five pictures.”

Laughing, Mindy said, “I think she talked you into one… You talked yourself into the other four.”

“You might be right,” Sarah said, chewing on her lip, “she’s not going to show anyone those pictures, is she?”

“Probably not,” Mindy said, laughing when Sarah gave her a look, “besides, you looked hot. You should want people to see them.”

“Yeah, right,” Sarah said, smiling at her, “I was pretty hot, wasn’t I?”

“Very hot,” Mindy said, kissing her.

“I didn’t want to give the lingerie back,” Sarah said.

“Of all the lingerie Erin has, that one is special,” Mindy said, then said, “although I’m sure you are going to look amazing in anything you borrowed.”

“You, too,” Sarah said, her eyes flashing, “speaking of which, I’ve been dying to see you in what you picked.”

“It was your idea to keep our choices a secret,” Mindy reminded her.

“I know. I’ve made my self a horny mess just imagining what sort of sexy thing you are going to wear for me,” Sarah said, excitedly.

“Well, we’ll be back at the cabin a couple of minutes,” Mindy said, putting her arm around Sarah’s waist and pulling her close, “then I can get you out of these clothes and see what sort of sexy lingerie you have on underneath.”

Laughing, Sarah said, “I can’t believe I’m walking around wearing it… It’s kind of exciting though.”

Mindy could understand that. The dress she wore wasn’t that long, and a good stiff breeze might let someone catch a peek of the sheer, almost nothing she was wearing. Luckily, they were in the woods, and there wasn’t anyone around to see even if it did. Still, it did give her a thrill wearing it outside the bedroom.

They walked a little faster, both of them eager to get back. Inside the cabin, Mindy spun Sarah into her arms, kissed her deeply. She started to pull Sarah’s shirt up to remove it, but the girl slipped out of her arms.

Smiling, she said, “I want it to be a surprise.”

Mindy looked around the open space of the cabin, said, “How do you plan to manage that?”

“Pick a corner,” Sarah said, then grinned, “and no peeking.”

Laughing, Mindy said, “Okay.”

They picked corners on opposite sides of the room and started undressing. It was easier for Mindy, wearing a dress and she was ready before Sarah. The urge to peek was hard to resist. Instead, she looked down at herself and the lingerie she had picked. While not as mesmerizing as the black lingerie, it was still incredibly sexy- A pale blue bustier with white lace accent panels and trim, a matching thong and a pair of white lace topped stockings held in place with garters. As with all of the lingerie in Erin’s closet, it fit her like it was designed just for her. She had taken a peek in the mirror before slipping her dress on over top of it, and she had liked how the blue set off the blue in her eyes.

As she waited for Sarah, her heart started beating faster. There was a lot of sexy lingerie stuffed in the back Erin’s closet, and any of it would look hot on Sarah. Like the girl had said while they were walking in the woods, Mindy’s imagination was running a mile a minute, teasing her with all the skimpy, lacy things Sarah might be wearing.

“I’m ready,” Sarah said.

Turning, Mindy’s eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. Sarah wore a black and purple corset, her long legs sheathed in matching nylons held up with a garter belt. Around her neck was a simple ribbon choker and Mindy had to wonder if that was Erin’s idea. Whose ever idea it was, Mindy couldn’t look away.

“I… Wow,” Mindy said, going to the girl, “you look… Wow!”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Sarah said, smiling warmly at her, “you look pretty wow, yourself.”

“I don’t suppose I could talk you into letting me have a picture of you in this?” Mindy asked.

Smiling at her, Sarah said, “I already took the picture… I’ll send it to you later.”

“Really?” Mindy said, surprised. She had only been joking about wanting a photo, but she wouldn’t turn one down if Sarah really wanted to send her one.

“Yeah,” Sarah said, kissing, “but you have to promise not to let anyone else see it.”

“I promise,” Mindy said, putting her arms around Sarah’s neck, “there’s that kinky streak, again.”

“What can I say,” Sarah said, kissing her.

The thought went unfinished as the kiss deepened in a hurry. Anticipation had built as they walked through the woods, their imaginations getting away from them. Now, their excitement boiled over, and one kiss became many. Their lips never parted as they stumbled backward toward the mattress. They fell on it in a tangle of limbs, laughing at their own exuberance.

Tugging at the corset, Sarah said, “This thing is kind of hard to move in.”

Mindy smiled and said, “You aren’t supposed to move in it… just look pretty.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Sarah said, starting to pop the catches on the corset.

Stopping her, Mindy said, “Leave it on.”

“But I feel like a turtle on its back,” Sarah said, frustrated.

“Then just relax and let me take care of you,” Mindy said, leaning in for a kiss.

“Well, if you are going to take care of me…” Sarah said, with a playful smile.

Laughing, Mindy gave her one more kiss, then got to her knees and moved between Sarah’s legs. She ran her hands up those nylon clad stems, loving the whisper of the silky material under her hands. God, she loved the way Sarah’s legs looked in stockings, couldn’t stop touching them.

The garter belt that held up the nylons featured a thong panty. Mindy hooked her fingers in the lace crotch, pulling it out of the way. She heard Sarah inhale sharply as she lowered her mouth to the girl’s bud, gently sucking on the hood. Sarah let her breath out in an excited moan as Mindy’s tongue teased her bud.

Pushing Sarah’s knees up to her chest, Mindy ran the tip of her tongue around the opening of Sarah’s vagina. Sarah moaned, her face screwing up in pleasure. Careful not to hurt the girl, Mindy tenderly probed that opening. Sarah was still a virgin, so she couldn’t put her tongue all the way inside of her, but there were plenty of nerve endings to tease around the outside to make Sarah moan.

Mindy moved back to Sarah’s bud, the hot, wet flick of her tongue drawing little cries of pleasure from the girl. Looking at her through the V of her legs, Mindy saw Sarah’s eyes roll back in her head as she lost herself in the pleasure Mindy was giving her. Smiling, Mindy turned her attention back to Sarah’s girlhood.

The girl really had been excited, because it didn’t take long for her cries to change. Mindy had Sarah tiptoeing along the edge of ecstasy, a heartbeat away from climaxing. Even when Sarah’s body started to come undone, Mindy kept it up, finished her off. Sarah nearly knocked her aside as she came hard, her whole body spasming out of control. Laughing, she moved to safety.

“Holy shit,” Sarah said, her hand on her mouth, “sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Mindy said, laughing. She crawled over to Sarah, gave her a kiss, then said, “I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“God,” Sarah said, shaking her head, “that was a good one. I can’t feel my toes.”

“Told you I’d take care of you,” Mindy said, grinning.

“When you were…” Sarah said, then blushed, “I thought you were going to… put your tongue… um, in me.”

“If you weren’t a virgin… Well, if your hymen wasn’t still intact, I would have,” Mindy said, running her hand over the satin material of the corset.

“Oh,” Sarah said, then frowned, “you said that like yours isn’t.”

“Um, Sarah and I… Let’s just say I’m not a virgin in any sense of the word,” Mindy said, meeting her eyes.

“Really? Didn’t it hurt?” Sarah asked, cringing.

“A little, but not as much I expected,” Mindy said, shrugging.

“Huh,” Sarah said, lost in thought.

Mindy distracted her by kissing her. When the girl started to respond, Mindy pulled back, said, “Since you are like a turtle on its back, want to try something a little different?”

“I’m not completely helpless,” Sarah said, laughing. Giving Mindy a curious look, she asked, “What sort of ‘something different’?”

“Just stay right there,” Mindy said, getting to her knees. She threw one leg over Sarah until she was straddling the girl’s neck.

“I think I know where this is heading,” Sarah said, laughing.

Sarah smiled up at her and Mindy thought the girl was interested. Hooking her fingers in her thong, Mindy pulled it aside. Sarah reached under Mindy’s backside, her hands finding Mindy’s hips. Mindy lowered her girlhood to Sarah’s mouth, sighing as Sarah place a feather light kiss on her hot skin. A sigh became a moan as Sarah’s tongue found her bud, its hot caress sending shivers of pleasure through Mindy’s body. As Mindy’s hips began to move on their own, Sarah barely had to move her tongue.

Suddenly, Sarah’s hand slid from Mindy’s waist and onto her buttocks, pushing her forward. Mindy gasped as Sarah’s tongue slipped inside of her vagina. Sarah had caught her off guard, but she recovered quickly as the girl pushed her tongue as deep as she could. Mindy’s hips had a mind of their own, grinding against her girlfriend’s mouth.

“God, this feels good,” Mindy moaned, her head lulling back loosely on her neck. She ran her hands up her flanks, cupping her breasts. She teased them until her nipples ached sweetly. Her hips never stopped moving.

Meeting Sarah’s eyes, Mindy smiled when she saw the girl was enjoying this almost as much as she was. She could see it in her eyes. Maybe having Mindy sit on her face appealed to her recently discovered kinky side. Whatever the reason, Mindy was glad Sarah liked doing this because she didn’t want the girl to stop.

Mindy leaned back, putting her weight on one arm. She wetted the fingers of her free hand with saliva, then slipped them between Sarah’s thighs. She heard Sarah moan as her fingers massaged her bud, even if it was muffled against her girlhood. Sarah’s hips pushed against Mindy’s hand eagerly, and her fingers tightened on Mindy’s buttocks involuntarily as it started to feel good. Mindy could feel the girl’s growing excitement as her fingers dug into her backside. It began to hurt a little, but she didn’t let up.

Sarah’s tongue inside of her felt too good for her to last long, but Mindy wanted to wait for Sarah. She thought the girl was close, too, but Sarah wasn’t making it easy to hold off her building climax. Mindy’s fingers were almost a blur as she tried to finish Sarah off as her own cries of ecstasy built toward a crescendo. It was hard to focus on anything but the pleasure washing through her, but Mindy fought her body as long as she could. Then she felt Sarah stiffen beneath her, heard a muffled cry of release as the girl came. That cry was all Mindy needed, and she surrendered to her own orgasm. It shook her to pieces, and she sat back limply on Sarah’s chest.

Looking down at her girlfriend’s wet face, Mindy felt a twinge of guilt. Then Sarah grinned at her and Mindy laughed. She got off of the girl, stretching out next to her. Putting her hand on Sarah’s wet cheek, she leaned in and kissed her. She couldn’t help wondering if she was tasting herself on Sarah’s kiss.

Pulling back, Mindy met Sarah’s eyes, said, “I kind of got carried away. Sorry.”

“No need to be sorry,” Sarah said, kissing her.

“Yeah?” Mindy asked, smiling at her.

With a sheepish grin, Sarah said, “Yeah.”

Her smile widening, Mindy said, “I knew you had a kinky streak in you.”

“I guess you bring it out of me,” Sarah said, playfully.

———————————————————-

“What are you thinking about?”

Sarah rolled onto her side, meeting Mindy’s eyes, “What did you mean by a tradition that never really got started?”

Mindy just looked at her for a second, then laughed nervously, “Um, it was Erin’s birthday… Or more accurately the night after. Ashley and I stayed the night with her and… We played a game we call Monkey in the Middle. It was Erin’s birthday, so she was in the middle.”

Laughing, Sarah said, “Wait, all of you at the same time.”

“Yeah,” Mindy said, then added, “It wasn’t the first time or the last.”

“Oh,” Sarah said, chewing on that bit of information.

“But not since you and I started dating,” Mindy said.

Smiling at her, Sarah said, “You don’t need to keep saying that. I trust you.”

Mindy kissed her tenderly, said, “I appreciate that.”

“So what was the tradition?” Sarah asked.

“We were going to get together on everyone’s birthday and… celebrate it the way we did Erin’s,” Mindy said.

“Sounds kinky,” Sarah said, playfully.

“Oh it would have been very kinky,” Mindy agreed, smiling.

“Do you regret not being able to do it for Ashley’s birthday?” Sarah asked, meeting Mindy’s eyes.

Squirming, Mindy said, “No.”

Sarah smiled at her, said, “Yes, you do.”

“Maybe a little,” Mindy admitted. Shaking it off, she grinned at Sarah, said, “We’ll just have to do something kinky together, instead.”

Sarah snuggled against Mindy, smiling at the curious direction her thoughts were going. Maybe Mindy was right about her having a kinky side.

Her phone buzzed, and she rolled over to see who had sent her a message. Seeing it was from her dad, Sarah frowned. Opening it, she read: It’s 5:30. Where are you?

“Shit,” Sarah said, sitting up in a panic.

“What?” Mindy asked.

“I forgot I was supposed to be home at five,” Sarah said, reaching for her jeans.

Laughing, Mindy said, “You might want to take the lingerie off.”

Sarah looked down at herself and groaned, said, “God, I’m going to be in so much trouble.”

Continue to Part Eighteen

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