Black Lingerie Chronicles, Part Sixteen

Spooning some more Cheerios into her mouth, Erin glanced at Ashley. The girl has been acting odd this morning. Well, odder than usual. Grinning, Erin thought the redhead was always little odd. As she chewed her cereal, Erin tried to put her finger on just what was strange about Ashley’s behavior. It was almost like she was nervous about something.

Like when Erin was getting dressed earlier, she had caught Ashley sneaking a peek. When she had looked at the girl, she had looked away in a hurry. Erin had frowned, thought they were way past the point of being shy around each other. After the things they did to each other last night, what did they have to be embarrassed about?

Thinking about last night, Erin had to smile. It had been late when they finally had enough of each other and Erin was a little sore this morning. She had no regrets, though. Last night had been amazing- Ashley had been amazing.

“Last night was pretty crazy, huh?” Erin said, smiling at the girl.

“I think we overdid it,” Ashley said.

“You are probably right,” Erin said, laughing, “are you sore, too?”

“A little,” Ashley admitted, grinning sheepishly.

“I guess you can have too much fun,” Erin said, shaking her head.

“I don’t regret it, though,” Ashley said.

“Oh, neither do I,” Erin said, smiling playfully at her, “I can’t remember ever having so many orgasms.”

“Well, you are welcome,” Ashley said, laughing.

Finishing the last of her cereal, Erin asked, “Do you think Mindy and Sarah had as much fun as we did?”

“I guess it depends if Sarah forgave Mindy,” Ashley said, then laughed, “at least she finally dumped her babysitter.”

“Right,” Erin said, shaking her head, “She had me worried.”

“Now we can stop calling our Sarah by her last name,” Ashley said.

“It does un-complicate things, doesn’t it?” Erin said, laughing.

“In more ways than one,” Ashley said.

“Do you think we should call them? Find out how it went?” Erin asked.

“Maybe later,” Ashley said, stretching, “I need a shower, first.”

“Hand me your bowl,” Erin said, holding out her hand, “I’ll run them downstairs while you jump in the shower.”

Erin took her dishes downstairs, rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher. She turned to leave when Loren walked into the kitchen. Loren leaned against the sink and gave Erin an amused, knowing smile.

“Did you all have fun?” Loren asked.

“Um, yeah,” Erin laughed. Her cheeks were a little hot because Loren knew the real reason why she had stayed over.

“Good,” Loren said, winking, “Ashley was moping around the house yesterday. She needed to get some.”

“Wow,” Erin said, shaking her head. Frowning, she asked, “Why was Ashley moping around the house?”

Loren gave her a curious look, then asked, “She didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Erin asked.

“Interesting,” Loren said.

“What’s interesting?” Erin asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” Loren said, pushing away from the sink, “I’m sure she’ll ask you when she’s ready.”

“Ask me what?” Erin said, but Loren didn’t answer.

Frowning, she watched the girl walk away. Alone, she wondered what the hell Ashley was supposed to ask her. She was still trying to figure it out as she headed upstairs. Finally, she gave up and decided just to ask Ashley when she got out of the shower.

With some free time on her hands, she thought about calling Mindy. She really wanted to know what happened with Sarah, but she thought she should probably wait for Ashley.

Instead, she called Natty’s house phone.

As it started to ring, Erin thought about the cellphone she had given Natty. Did the one in the Place of Locked Doors have the same number as the one in her hand? She wondered if it had rung when Ashley called her yesterday. Frowning, she hoped she hadn’t given the girl something she couldn’t use.

How can I get Natty a new number, if it is the same, Erin wondered. She’d have to look into it.

“Hi,” Natty said, cheerfully as she came on the line.

“Hi,” Erin said, smiling, “have you unpacked, yet?”

“Um, yeah. Just finished this morning,” Natty said, laughing, “we had a lot of stuff.”

“I volunteered to help you unload it,” Erin reminded her.

“I know. I was too tired that night,” Natty said.

“It was a long trip,” Erin said, grinning, “fun, though.”

“A lot of fun,” Natty agreed.

“Where are we going next time?” Erin asked.

“I still have to plan a trip with Ashley,” Natty said, laughing.

“I guess it is her turn next,” Erin said, with a theatrical sigh.

“We’ll always have the Grand Canyon,” Natty said, laughing.

“Speaking of which… The pictures I took there showed up on my SD card over here,”

“Really?” Natty asked.

“Yeah. I have a whole bunch of naked pictures of us… some at the Grand Canyon… some on the road…” Erin said.

Laughing, Natty said, “It was your idea to not pack any clothing.”

“I know… Babe,” Erin said, grinning.

“Don’t start that, again,” Natty said, the smile on her face clear in her voice.

“Do you prefer ‘sugar’? Or maybe, ‘sweetie’?” Erin asked.

“Smartass,” Natty said, laughing.

“Smartass? That’s an odd choice for a pet name,” Erin teased.

“Well, it’s going to be my new pet name for you.”

Laughing, Erin asked, “Are we okay? Things got a little… weird at that the Grand Canyon.”

“Yeah, we are okay,” Natty said, sounding embarrassed, “I was just feeling lonely, I guess.”

“I think Mindy having a girlfriend has us all thinking some thoughts,” Erin said.

“That could be it, too,” Natty said.

“Oh, speaking of Mindy… She dumped her old babysitter,” Erin said.

“Good,” Natty said, sighing with relief, “I was hoping she would.”

“You and me both,” Erin said.

There was a barely audible ding in the background and Natty said, “Um, I have to go. My lunch is ready.”

Grinning, Erin said, “Whatcha got cooking?”

“Lasagna,” Natty said.

“You’ll have to make us something next time I visit,” Erin said.

“Okay. Bye,” Natty said.

Unable to resist, Erin said, “Goodbye, Sweetie.”

Laughing, Natty said, “Smartass.”

The line went dead, and Erin tossed the phone aside. She went to Ashley’s computer, logged into her email account. She saw a new message from Melanie, the girl Erin had met while researching Natty’s predicament. Her girlfriend had overdosed and was stuck in her own version of the Place of Locked Doors. Erin had reached out to Melanie, and they had become friends, brought together by their shared experience.

Clicking on it, she read: I’ll be in town next Saturday. If you’d still like to meet in person, let me know a location. I’d really like to see you, if nothing else to give you a big hug. Love, Melanie.

Erin sat back, thinking about it. She wanted to see Melanie, too. They had so much to talk about, but they’d need some privacy to discuss any of it. Somewhere without her parents looking over her shoulder or listening in on her conversation.

The door opened, and Ashley came into the room, a towel wrapped around her and her hair still damp. Erin swiveled on the chair to admire the view. Ashley went to her dresser, dug out some clean panties. She gave Erin a curious look when she caught her watching.

“Are you going to watch me get dressed?” Ashley asked.

“Just waiting for you to drop the towel,” Erin said, playfully.

Ashley made a show of loosening the knot between her breasts, letting the towel fall to the floor. Naked, she said, “Happy?”

“Very,” Erin said, smiling. Admiring Ashley’s pale body, Erin had to think, How crazy has my life become when I’m checking out Ashley? Still, she really does look sexy as hell standing there, smiling at me like that.

Laughing and shaking her head, Ashley said, “Didn’t you get it out of your system last night?”

“Oh, I just wanted to see you naked,” Erin said, winking.

“Go take a shower,” Ashley said, smiling at Erin.

There was something about Ashley’s smile that made Erin’s heart beat faster, even if she didn’t understand why. Then Ashley looked away, and the spell was broken.

Erin left her friend to get dressed, heading to the bathroom for a shower. The hot water helped loosen up the tension in her thighs and back, and she stood under the sluice of hot water a little while before reaching for Ashley’s body wash. Pouring a little puddle in her palm, Erin smiled, thinking she’d spend the day smelling like Ashley.

Thinking about the redhead, Erin realized her call to Natty and the email from Melanie had distracted her from what Loren had said in the kitchen. As she soaped up, Erin wondered what Ashley had to ask her. They had been friends for so long that Erin couldn’t think of anything Ashley would hesitate to ask her. Frowning, she thought about the other part of what Loren had said. Was Ashley keeping something a secret from her? That was something they never did.

She finished the rest of her shower in a hurry. Wrapping the towel around her and tucking the loose ends between her breasts, Erin went back to Ashley’s room. She found the redhead sitting on her bed, with her notebook on her knees. Ashley closed the tablet a little too quickly, and Erin gave her a curious look.

Is she blushing, Erin wondered.

“What are you writing? A new story?” Erin asked, putting her backpack on the bed so she could dig out some clean clothes.

“Um, yeah,” Ashley said, then changed her mind, “or trying to. Can’t seem to get started.”

Erin released the knot in her towel, let it fall to the floor. Feeling Ashley’s eyes on her, Erin glanced at her friend, said playfully, “Are you going to watch me get dressed?”

“I just wanted to see you naked,” Ashley said, grinning.

Erin went to her, giving her a deep, lingering kiss. Even after last night, there was some heat behind it, and she felt Ashley starting to respond. Just when it was getting close to the point of no return, Ashley put her hand on Erin’s shoulder and gently pushed her back.

“I think we need to stop,” Ashley husked.

“Yeah,” Erin said, stealing one more kiss.

“Put some clothes on before I change my mind,” Ashley said, smiling at her.

Erin laughed as she started getting dressed. As she shimmied into her jeans, she said, “I ran into Loren downstairs.”

“Yeah?” Ashley asked.

“She said you were moping around the house yesterday,” Erin said, pausing to meet Ashley’s eyes.

“I wasn’t moping,” Ashley said, rolling her eyes.

“You weren’t?” Erin asked.

Blushing, Ashley said, “Fine. Maybe a little.”

Pulling her shirt over her head and pushing her arms through the sleeves, Erin asked, “Why were you moping around yesterday?”

“Um…” Ashley said, rubbing the back of her neck, “no reason.”

Erin looked at her for a long moment, then said, “It has to be something big, if you don’t want to talk about it.”

“It’s nothing,” Ashley said, dismissively, “I’m over it, now.”

Grinning, Erin said, “Loren said you just needed to get some.”

Ashley snorted in surprise, then laughed, “It definitely helped.”

“She also said you have something you wanted to ask me?” Erin said, sitting on the bed.

“I- I… What?” Ashley said, twitching in surprise. She looked like she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

Erin looked at her oldest friend for a moment, wondering what had Ashley so flustered. She didn’t say anything, just met and held Ashley’s eyes. The girl blushed and looked away. Ashley squirmed when she turned back and Erin was still looking at her.

“She said I had something to ask you, huh?” Ashley asked, playing with the corner of the notebook on her lap.

“Yeah,” Erin said, looking at Ashley’s fingers worrying at the pages.

Taking a deep breath, Ashley nodded, “I guess I do.”

“What is it?” Erin asked.

“God, why am I so nervous all of a sudden?” Ashley said, with an anxious little laugh.

“You are nervous?” Erin asked, her eyes widening. Why would Ashley be nervous about asking her something?

Ashley took another breath and straightened her spine. Erin’s eyes widened even more. She knew her friend well, and Ashley always did that when she was about to do something she was scared of doing. Erin’s heart started beating faster, and she wasn’t quite sure why.

“If I ask you something, do you promise not to freak out?” Ashley said.

Laughing, Erin said, “When you say that, it makes me freak out, so no.”

Ashley looked at her for a long moment, and Erin could see her trying to decide to say something or not. Finally, Ashley said, “I asked Trisha out Friday.”

“You what?” Erin said, her eyes wide, “wait! You mean out out?”

“Yeah,” Ashley said, blushing.

“That’s… Wow!” Erin said, laughing, “I didn’t realize you were that serious about… So that talk on the beach wasn’t just idle musing?”

“I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately,” Ashley admitted, her face red, “it’s just… Heather and Loren are so cute together… Mindy and Sarah, too. I-I guess I want what they have, too.”

“What did Trisha say?” Erin asked.

“No,” Ashley said, then laughed, “because she’s dating Carrie, now.”

“What?!” Erin gasped.

“It’s kind of a secret, so don’t tell anyone,” Ashley said, then added sheepishly, “like I just did.”

“They are really dating?” Erin said.

“Yeah,” Ashley said, then laughed, “it’s not really that surprising. Trisha probably would have hooked up with Carrie the night of the party if you hadn’t.”

“Is this what I’m not supposed to freak out about? Trisha dating Carrie?” Erin asked.

“Um, no,” Ashley said.

“Then what is?” Erin asked.

Ashley looked at her for a long moment, and Erin saw her trying to make up her mind whether or not to answer. Finally, Ashley looked away, without saying anything. Erin thought she had made up her mind not to tell her, but then Ashley said, “Remember on the beach, when I said you are beautiful and funny and smart, that any girl would be lucky to have you?”

“You also said I was as kinky as you, but that’s debatable,” Erin said, grinning at her.

Ashley laughed, “I still think you are just as kinky as me. Anyway… You could have any girl you wanted.”

Self-consciously, Erin said, “That’s a bit of an exaggeration.”

“Not really,” Ashley said, then laughed and shook her head, “it took Loren pointing it out to me, but it’s true. You are a catch and any boy or girl would be happy to have you.”

“Now you are making me blush,” Erin said, embarrassed.

“Loren said someone would come along and snatch you up and I…” Ashley said, shyly meeting Erin’s eyes, “I want it to be me.”

“Be you?” Erin said, her eyes narrowing. Then what Ashley was saying sank in, and they got big as saucers, “Wait… Are you serious?”

“I love you, Erin,” Ashley said, her cheeks red, “and I love being with you. I don’t want to lose you to some other girl.”

“I- Well…” Erin said, flabbergasted, “you aren’t going to lose me to another girl.”

“If you start dating someone, then it’ll just be me,” Ashley said, meeting Erin’s eyes. Erin saw that the girl was serious, that the thought of losing her to some other girl upset her. Both touched and a bit confused, Erin looked away.

“So you want to go out with me?” Erin asked, laughing, “we’ve been friends forever, Ash. How would it even work?”

Blushing, Ashley said, “I don’t know. I haven’t gotten that far, yet.”

“How much thought have you put into this?” Erin asked.

“A couple of hours last night, when I couldn’t get to sleep,” Ashley said, taking a deep breath, “you had your arm around me and… I realized I didn’t want to lose you.”

Erin looked at her for a long moment, then had to smile, “I love you, too, Ash… as a friend. I wouldn’t even know how to be your girlfriend.”

“Oh,” Ashley said, looking away.

“But…” Erin said, making Ashley look back at her, “I don’t want to lose you, either. Not as a friend and definitely not as a lover. I’m not looking for anyone else.”

“You’re not?” Ashley said, searching Erin’s eyes.

“No,” Erin said, smiling at her friend.

“Was that a yes?” Ashley asked.

Laughing, Erin said, “What are you expecting from a girlfriend?”

“What do you mean?” Ashley asked, frowning.

“If I say yes, what are you expecting to be different than it is right now?” Erin asked.

“I… Well…” Ashley said, then sighed, “I don’t know.”

“Do you want to hold hands and make out during a movie?” Erin asked, grinning.

“Not really,” Ashley said, blushing, “well, maybe a little.”

“Okay,” Erin said, laughing, “what about not sleeping with anyone else? Natty will be disappointed if you two can’t fool around on your road trip.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Ashley said, frowning.

“So what’s that leave? Love letters and flowers on your birthday?” Erin asked.

“You’ve made your point, Smartass,” Ashley said.

Snorting in surprise, Erin laughed, “Natty’s started calling me that, too.”

“It fits,” Ashley said.

“Hey,” Erin said, pretending to be offended.

“So you don’t want to be my girlfriend,” Ashley said. There was genuine disappointment in her eyes when she looked at Erin.

Laughing, Erin went to the girl, gave her a toe-curling kiss. Pulling back, Erin moved the notebook and crawled onto Ashley’s lap. She put her arm around the girl’s neck and smiled at her, asked, “Do you really want to be my girlfriend or are you just afraid to lose me to some other girl?”

“I- I want to be your girlfriend,” Ashley said, nervously. Erin saw she meant it.

“Well, just because we’ve been friends forever, doesn’t mean it’s going to be that easy,” Erin said, kissing her lightly, “I fully expect to be swept off my feet. You know I’m a sucker for romantic comedies.”

“Oh God,” Ashley said, rolling her eyes, “how am I supposed to ‘sweep you off your feet’?”

Stealing one more kiss, Erin hopped off her friend’s lap and said, “That’s for you to figure out.”

————————————–

Rolling onto her side, Mindy watched as Sarah added another log to the little potbelly stove. She couldn’t help but smile, thinking the girl was indeed handy. She had made short work of clearing the chimney when they got back from their supply run. Then they had made love bathed in the orange glow of a flickering fire.

“It’s nice having a fire,” Mindy said, smiling when Sarah came back to the bed.

“Mm… I bet I could have kept you warm without it,” Sarah said, playfully.

Laughing, Mindy kissed her, “You are probably right.”

“What I could use is a shower. Does the one in the bathroom work?” Sarah asked.

“Nothing in the bathroom works,” Mindy said, laughing, “you’ll have to find a tree if you need to use the bathroom.”

“Huh,” Sarah said, looking towards the bathroom, “I’d bet this place has a well. It’s too far in the woods to have city water.”

“You think?” Mindy asked, seeing the wheels turning in the girl’s head.

“It probably has an electric pump, somewhere,” Sarah said, looking back at Mindy, “is there another building?”

“There’s a shed out back,” Mindy said, her eyes narrowing, “why?”

“Show me,” Sarah said, getting up.

Shrugging, Mindy got up and reached for her clothes. When she saw Sarah heading for the door naked, she laughed and followed the girl. The morning was chilly and the cool air made Mindy shiver, but it wasn’t cold enough to chase them back inside. She led Sarah behind the house to the smaller structure. The rusted hinges protested as Sarah opened the door and the scent of moldy leaves escaped the place.

Mindy looked past her girlfriend at the curious equipment inside. Some of it she recognized, but the rest of it looked like it had been Frankenstein-ed together. She had found this building shortly after she and her babysitter started coming here. The weird mechanical devices hadn’t interested her and she hasn’t been back since.

“What’s in the tank?” Sarah asked, moving into the shed.

“I have no idea,” Mindy said, following her.

Sarah spotted a cap on the tank, twisted it. She sniffed, frowned. Turning to Mindy, she said, “I thought it was a fuel tank, but it’s not.”

“Then what is it?” Mindy asked.

“Don’t know,” Sarah said, shrugging.

Sarah looked around the shed, spotted the one thing that had caught Mindy’s eye last time she was here. It was an old bicycle mounted to the ground with the back tire up in the air. The tire and inner tube had been removed and a rubber belt looped around the rim in their place. The belt was attached to some mechanical device Mindy didn’t recognize. She hadn’t known the purpose of this cobbled together contraption when she first saw it, and she still didn’t know what it was for.

Tilting her head to one side, Sarah studied it. She was smiling when she looked at Mindy, said, “I think this is a generator. You pedal the bike, and it turns… what looks like a treadmill motor. At least, I think it is. Definitely a motor of some kind.”

Laughing, Mindy asked, “How could you know that? And don’t tell me because your father is a caretaker.”

Sarah grinned at her, said, “I saw this TV show about tiny houses. One of the owners had a setup like this. He got on the bike and pedaled, and it charged a battery bank… Like that one.”

“Okay,” Mindy said, looking at the dilapidated row of batteries Sarah was pointing at. They looked in rough shape, their terminals rusted and crusted in green.

“On the show, he used it to light his house, run a little refrigerator,” Sarah said, getting excited.

“Do you think the owner of this cabin did that?” Mindy asked, remembering the light sockets she had spotted in the main house.

“Probably,” Sarah said, looking around. Spotting something else, she moved closer. She was smiling even brighter when she turned back, “Bingo. This is an electric pump… And this is a water tank, not a fuel tank.”

“Are you sure?” Mindy asked.

“About ninety percent,” Sarah said, laughing, “I think at one time, the cabin had running water.”

“That would be nice to have now,” Mindy said.

Her eyes going around the room, Sarah said, “I think I can get this running…maybe.”

“Really?” Mindy said, raising her eyebrows.

“The batteries are probably shot, but if I clean up the terminals… Push comes to shove, I can um… borrow a couple of new batteries from my Uncle Phillip. He’s a mechanic, has his own garage,” Sarah said, still looking around.

Mindy saw the wheels turning in the girl’s head and had to smile. Her girlfriend had a project.

“Do you think you can fix it today?” Mindy asked.

“Ugh, no,” Sarah said, laughing, “this is going to be a handful.”

“Then come back inside,” Mindy said, taking her hand.

With one more look around, Sarah said, “Yeah. There’s not much I can do today.”

As they walked back inside, Mindy asked, “Do you really think you can fix all that stuff?”

“It’ll be fun to try,” Sarah said.

“Fun, huh?” Mindy said, amused.

“I’m the daughter of a tinkerer,” Sarah said, putting her arm around Mindy’s waist, “I like taking things apart and figuring out how they work.”

“Well, if you figure out how to get the shower working, you’ll be my hero,” Mindy said, smiling at her.

As they stepped onto the porch, Mindy heard her phone ringing. She made it inside just in time to miss the call. She smiled when she saw Erin’s number, said to Sarah, “It was Erin. Probably calling to see how we are doing.”

“Call her back,” Sarah said.

Shrugging, Mindy called Erin back. When the girl came on the line, she said, “Hey. What’s up?”

“What’s up with you? You and Sarah okay?” Erin asked.

“More than okay,” Mindy said, smiling at her girlfriend, “we spent the night together at the cabin.”

Laughing, Erin said, “Sounds like she forgave you.”

“I’m working on it,” Mindy said, shaking her head, “she says I have to get back on her good side.”

“I think you two are going to be okay,” Erin said.

“I think you are right,” Mindy said, then laughed, “Um… Sarah wants me to ask if we can have some more lingerie.”

Erin was laughing as she said, “I take it she liked the set I gave you.”

“Oh yeah,” Mindy said.

“Well, tell her to come by and pick something out. You, too,” Erin said.

“What did she say?” Sarah asked, coming over to where Mindy stood.

“She said to come by and pick something out,” Mindy said.

“Say hi to Sarah for me,” Erin said, in Mindy’s ear.

“I’ll put you on speaker; you can tell her yourself,” Mindy said.

“Sarah?” Erin said, her voice tinny over the speaker.

“Hey,” Sarah said, stepping closer, “what the hell, Erin? I had to find out from Mindy?”

“You disappeared for a while, remember,” Erin said, laughing, “I take it Mindy told you.”

“Yeah,” Sarah said, shaking her head, “still trying to wrap my head around it, but she told me.”

“I was just as surprised when I found out about you,” Erin said.

“I- I guess I did clam up a bit,” Sarah said.

“Shame on you for that,” Erin said, then laughed, “you might have been right in the middle of all the craziness if had just told Ashley and me.”

“The craziness?” Sarah asked, glancing at Mindy.

“I didn’t give her all the details,” Mindy said, talking to Erin but looking at Sarah.

“Oh,” Erin said, sheepishly, “sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Mindy said, laughing, “I was going to tell her, anyway.”

“All of it?” Erin asked, dubiously.

“I didn’t say she’d believe me,” Mindy said, laughing.

“You could always borrow the black lingerie,” Erin said.

“If it comes to that,” Mindy said, glancing at Sarah. The girl was frowning, her eyes full of questions.

“I’m sure Natty would love to meet you, Sarah,” Erin said.

“Who’s Natty?” Sarah asked.

“The very center of the crazy,” Erin said.

“What does that mean?” Sarah asked, meeting Mindy’s eyes.

“Um, Erin… Can I end this call?” Mindy asked.

“Yeah. Love you both, bye,” Erin said.

“Bye,” Sarah and Mindy said as one.

Sarah was looking at Mindy expectantly, and she rubbed the back of her neck nervously, said, “Where to begin?”

————————————————

Ashley knocked on Loren’s door, waited in the hallway for the girl to open up. Loren finally did, giving Ashley a curious look. Ashley looked up and down the hall, then asked, “How do I sweep a girl off her feet?”

Loren broke out in a smile, asked, “Erin making you work for it?”

“Yeah,” Ashley said, sighing.

“She didn’t say no, though,” Loren said, stepping aside to let Ashley into her room.

“No,” Ashley said.

“I didn’t think she would,” Loren said, sitting on her bed. Patting the mattress beside her, Loren said, “Tell me what happened.”

Ashley sat beside Loren and told her about asking Erin out. Finishing up, Ashley said, “You have to help. You’re the one who made me realize I wanted this.”

“So it’s my fault?” Loren said, amused.

“Yes,” Ashley said, shaking her head and laughing.

“I wonder if Cupid gets this sort of grief?” Loren teased.

“You make a half-assed Cupid,” Ashley said, giving her stepsister a look.

Snorting in surprise, Loren laughed, “Relax, Ashley. I’m going to help you get the girl.”

————————————-

Erin opened her eyes in Natty’s old bedroom. She left her body in her bedroom, a bit of a risk, considering it was in the middle of the afternoon. She had just gotten home from Ashley’s about an hour ago.

She headed downstairs, found Natty in the living room. The girl heard her coming down the stairs, looked up. Erin smiled and waved. Natty met her at the bottom of the stairs, gave her a big hug. Erin hugged her back.

“What are you doing here?” Natty asked, pulling back to arm’s length.

“I need some advice,” Erin said.

“About what?” Natty asked, raising her eyebrows.

“You and Alison were a couple, right?” Erin asked.

“Um… Yeah, I guess we were,” Natty said, frowning, “why?”

Erin rubbed the back of her neck, said, “Um… Someone sort of… asked me out.”

“Really?” Natty asked, her eyes wide.

“Yeah,” Erin said, laughing at the girl’s reaction, “Is it so hard to imagine?”

Sheepishly, Natty said, “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know. I’m teasing,” Erin said, smiling at her.

“So, someone asked you out,” Natty said, taking her hand and leading her to the couch, “did you say yes?”

“I… I stalled, I guess,” Erin said.

“You stalled?” Natty asked.

“I told her I needed to be swept off my feet,” Erin said, shaking her head, “I just needed some time to think.”

“Her?” Natty asked, her eyes narrowing.

Laughing, Erin said, “Caught that, did you?”

“A girl asked you out?” Natty asked.

“Yeah,” Erin said, nodding, “caught me off guard, too.”

“Do you like her?” Natty asked.

“She’s beautiful… Funny… Smart…” Erin said, then laughed nervously, “yeah, I guess I do like her.”

“How did she know you would be interested?” Natty asked, then thought about something, “you are interested, aren’t you?”

“I… What was it like having a girlfriend?” Erin asked, meeting Natty’s eyes.

“Um… It was nice,” Natty said, then laughed when Erin gave her a sour look, “what do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know,” Erin said, sighing, “something more than ‘it was nice’.”

“I guess it’s like… It’s like having a close friend you sleep with,” Natty said, then laughed, “Kind of like you and Ashley.”

Erin twitched in surprise, and Natty saw it. Meeting her eyes, Erin saw Natty realize who had asked her out. Erin blushed as Natty’s eyes got huge.

“Ashley?” Natty asked.

“Yeah,” Erin said, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Well, that’s… new, I guess,” Natty laughed.

“Not really,” Erin said, grinning, “I’m actually the second girl she asked.”

“Really?” Natty asked, surprised.

“Remember us telling you about Carrie and Trisha from the party?” Erin asked.

“The older girls, yeah,” Natty said, nodding.

“She asked Trisha, the girl she had slept with at the party, out. Trisha would have said yes, if she wasn’t already dating Carrie,” Erin said.

“Lucky for you she said no,” Natty said, smiling.

Curious, Erin said, “You think I’m lucky Trisha said no?”

“You and Ashley are perfect for each other,” Natty said, meeting Erin’s eyes.

Erin saw she meant it and she had to ask, “What about us?”

“There was never going to be an us,” Natty said, regret creeping into her voice.

Putting her arm around the girl’s shoulders, Erin gave her a squeeze, said, “That’s not exactly what I meant. If I start dating Ashley, we won’t be able to… you know.”

“Oh,” Natty laughed, embarrassed, “you are talking about sex.”

“If there was a way for the other thing to work…” Erin said, meeting Natty’s eyes.

“I know,” Natty said, smiling at her affectionately. There was a hint of sadness in her eyes, and Erin squeezed her, again. Laying her head on Erin’s shoulder, Natty said, “It’s not meant to be for us, but you and Ashley… I really do think you two would make the perfect couple.”

“I’m not sure I could give you up,” Erin said, smiling at the girl.

Natty laughed and kissed Erin deeply, said, “I think you are going to have to.”

Sighing, Erin said, “I know.”

“You are still going to be my friend,” Natty said, smiling warmly at her, “even if we can’t fool around. Besides, I’m sure Ashley can more than handle that responsibility.”

“Yeah,” Erin laughed, thinking about last night. Smiling, she thought, Ashley had ‘handled that responsibility’ a whole bunch of times.

“Next time she asks,” Natty said, smiling at Erin, “say yes.”

“The whole idea seems… weird,” Erin said, shaking her head, “dating Ashley.”

“I don’t think its that weird,” Natty said, laughing when Erin gave her a curious look, “I always figured you’d end up with either Mindy or Ashley. After Mindy started dating Sarah…”

“You really thought that?” Erin asked, surprised.

“Yeah,” Natty said, smiling at her.

“Huh,” Erin said, chewing on that bit of information. If Natty thought she and Ashley belonged together, then maybe it wasn’t such a weird idea, after all.

Ashley really was beautiful, and Erin couldn’t deny that she found the girl hard to resist. Her heart started beating a little faster when she thought about how Ashley had looked earlier when she playfully stripped out of her towel, so pale and lovely.

Natty was looking at her curiously, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, “I can see the wheels turning.”

“I’ll admit I’m attracted to Ashley, but… how do I be her girlfriend?” Erin asked.

“Who said you had to act any different than you are right now?” Natty said, making Erin blink in surprise, “you two already spend most of your time together, sleep together, have genuine affection for each other. I think you saying yes to her is just a formality.”

“You think?” Erin asked, meeting her eyes.

“I do,” Natty said, sincerely.

Erin thought about what Natty had said, then had to laugh. Maybe she and Ashley had been dating all along. Natty gave her a curious look and Erin smiled at her, said, “I’m going to tell Ashley yes.”

“Good,” Natty said, returning the smile with a bright one of her own.

“I wonder what Ashley will come up with to ‘sweep me off my feet’,” Erin said.

“Don’t wait on her,” Natty said, her smile becoming playful, “go to her, sweep her off her feet.”

“Sweep her off her feet, huh?” Erin said, thinking about it, “Any idea how to do that?”

“No,” Natty said, then laughed, “well… maybe.”

——————————————-

Ashley looked at the little heart she had drawn on her notebook page, at her initials and the blank spot where there used to be a question mark. Her hand was shaking a little as she wrote an ‘E’ and a ‘B’ in that empty spot. Before last night, she hadn’t known whose initials she had wanted in the heart with hers, but she did now. Just how much she wanted them to be Erin’s surprised her. Maybe her feelings for the girl had been there all along, growing just out of sight. All it had taken was for Loren to point them out to her.

Looking lower on the page, she saw the list she had started. Loren had given her a few ideas on how to sweep Erin off her feet. She chewed on her lip as she tried to decide which would be best. Loren had had a few really good ideas, turned out to be a closet romantic at heart. Now, Ashley had to choose one and hope Erin would say yes.

Her phone buzzed and she saw she had a message from Erin. Opening it, she read: Hey Ashley. This is Natty, not Erin. Trying out the phone she left here.

Smiling, Ashley sent back: It shows up as Erin’s phone on the caller ID

The phone buzzed again: Erin thought it might. Guess we know for sure now

Before Ashley could send a response back, Natty sent another message: Can you come visit? We can pick out a trip destination.

Ashley thought about it, wondering if she could still go on the trip. Smiling, she thought Mindy was right about not being able to behave alone with Natty. Ashley glanced at the heart on her notebook page and decided to visit Natty. If nothing else, the girl would be someone to talk to about Erin.

She sent back: Be there in a minute

Closing her notebook, she put it in her nightstand. She stretched out on her back, blanked her mind. Flipping over to the Place of Locked Doors was getting easier every time she did it. Her consciousness let go of her body, and she was rocketing forward through the nothingness. She stumbled some when she was suddenly in Natty’s old bedroom. Opening her eyes, she saw something was different- the door was closed.

Ashley frowned at the closed door; there were no closed doors in Natty’s house because the girl couldn’t open them on her own. Her frown deepened when she saw a little black dress hanging on the door with a piece of paper attached to it. Curious, she crossed the room and read the piece of paper: Please put me on

“What the hell,” Ashley said, wondering what Natty was playing at.

Looking at the dress, Ashley had to admit it was cute. She took it off the hook on the back of the door and went to the mirror. Holding it up in front of her, she smiled. She still didn’t know what Natty was up to, but she’d play along. Slipping out of her jeans and shirt, she pulled the dress over her head, smoothing it into place. Still in front of the mirror, she admired how the dress looked. Natty knew her size and the dress fit like a dream.

Ashley wanted to ask the girl about the dress, so she crossed the room to the door. With her hand on the knob, she hesitated. Would the knob turn for her? She knew Erin had opened the doors, but could she do it too? With a deep breath, she twisted. There was some resistance, like someone had their hand on the other side of the knob, but it gave way, and she opened the door.

Just outside the door, Ashley saw a pair of black high heels and another note. Looking around, Ashley didn’t see anyone in upstairs hallway. Just the shoes. Stooping down, she picked up the note and read: Me, too.

Laughing, Ashley stepped into the shoes. She was a little unsteady as she started down the stairs. Since meeting Natty, she has had some experience wearing heels but not nearly enough. She was glad for the handrail.

She didn’t make it all the way to the bottom of the stairs, coming to a stop when she noticed the lights were out in the living room and there were candles burning everywhere. That was odd but not what really made her stop. Standing next to the couch was Erin, smiling playfully. Her hair was styled and her makeup on, her lithe figure sheathed in a beautiful white dress. Ashley had to stare, couldn’t look away. Erin looked amazing standing there.

“Where’s Natty?” Ashley asked, taking the last couple stairs.

“She went for a drive,” Erin said, smiling at Ashley, “Natty was right; you look so beautiful in that dress.”

Looking down at herself, Ashley said, “Um, thanks. You too. I… What’s going on?”

“Natty was kind enough to let us borrow the house,” Erin said, moving closer. She wrapped her arms around Ashley’s neck, met her eyes and said, “For our first date.”

“First date?” Ashley parroted, her heart beating faster.

“That is,” Erin said, her smile turning up even more, “if you’ll be my girlfriend.”

Ashley didn’t say anything, just kissed her. Erin had caught her off guard with this, took her completely by surprise. She felt tears in her eyes when she pulled back, and she said, “I thought I was supposed to be the one sweeping you off your feet.”

“Are you mad?” Erin asked.

“No,” Ashley said, smiling at Erin, “this is amazing. I can’t believe you did all of this.”

“There’s more,” Erin said, nodding at the kitchen, “have a seat at the table.”

Ashley sat at the table, watching as Erin opened the oven. Delicious aromas wafted out of the oven, and Ashley’s mouth started watering. Erin glanced back at her, smiling.

“Wait… Is that?” Ashley asked, her eyes wide.

“Yeah,” Erin said, using a couple of towels to remove the dish, “chicken enchiladas. Your favorite.”

“You made me enchiladas?” Ashley asked.

“Um, Natty helped,” Erin said, then laughed, “actually, I’m the one who helped. Natty is becoming an amazing cook.”

“Still,” Ashley said, smiling at her.

Sitting the dish on the table, Erin leaned in and kissed Ashley, said, “You are welcome.”

“If these taste half as good as they smell…” Ashley said, breathing in the aroma.

“I’ll get us some plates,” Erin said.

Ashley watched the girl take a couple of plates from the cabinet above the sink, and she had to smile and shake her head. She couldn’t believe Erin did all of this for her. Her heart beating a little faster, Ashley remembered Erin was her girlfriend now. The little heart with hers and Erin’s initials in her notebook wasn’t just wishful thinking, anymore.

Turning around, Erin caught her looking, asked, “What are you smiling about?”

“You,” Ashley said, affectionately, “you are so beautiful.”

Erin brought the plates to the table, gave Ashley a kiss, then said, “I’d have to be, to get a girl like you.”

Her heart skipping a beat, Ashley said, “I… Wow!”

Laughing, Erin said, “I meant it, but it’s still kind of weird saying things like that to you.”

Ashley smiled at her, said, “Take your time.”

“No rush, huh?” Erin asked, sitting down.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Ashley said.

“Good,” Erin said, then inclined her head at the steaming dish between them, “let’s eat.”

Ashley loaded up her plate, her mouth watering. The enchiladas really did smell divine, and she couldn’t wait to try them. One bite and she made a sound usually reserved for the bedroom. When Erin laughed at her, she said, “Oh my God.”

“Told you Natty could cook,” Erin said, trying some of her own food, “wow, that’s good.”

“So good,” Ashley agreed.

“Want a Coke?” Erin asked.

“I’ve got it,” Ashley said, getting up. She got them a couple of Cokes from the fridge, set one in front of Erin, then wrapped her arms around the girl’s neck from behind.

Whispering in her ear, Ashley said, “Thank you for this.”

“You already said that,” Erin said, amused.

“I get the feeling I’m going to say it again, before the date is over,” Ashley said.

Erin was smiling at her, said, “Maybe.”

They ate in silence for a while, comfortable enough with each other that words weren’t necessary. Ashley found herself sneaking little looks at Erin and more than once she caught Erin looking at her. She got a warm and fuzzy feeling every time their eyes met over their enchiladas and Erin smiled at her. Maybe this crazy thing they were trying really could work.

Their plates went into the sink and the leftovers in the fridge. With their Cokes, they retired to the living room, where Erin started some music playing on her laptop. Ashley was surprised when Erin took her bottle from her, set it on the coffee table. Smiling, Erin pulled her into her arms and started dancing. Ashley laughed and put her arms around Erin’s neck. As they danced in slow circles, Ashley had to smile at the girl.

“Dinner and dancing, huh?” Ashley asked.

“I thought we might see a movie later,” Erin said, nodding at something.

Turning, Ashley noticed Natty’s living room had sprouted a big screen TV. It looked like the one from Erin’s house. Laughing, Ashley turned back to Erin, kissed her. Already dancing close, Ashley pressed her body against Erin’s, said, “I think I have a better idea. Let’s go upstairs.”

“On a first date?” Erin said, playfully, “you should be ashamed of yourself.”

“Do you want to go upstairs or not?” Ashley asked, flashing her eyes at Erin.

Erin kissed her deeply, said, “Definitely.”

Taking Erin’s hand, Ashley led them through the living room and up the stairs. They barely made it through the door to Natty’s old room before they were kissing. Ashley pressed Erin to the wall just to one side of the door, her hands roaming over the silky dress the girl wore. Her heart was racing as she felt desire well up between them.

“Hold on,” Erin husked, pushing Ashley away. She slipped from between her and the wall. Stealing one more kiss, she said, “I thought we’d end up in the other bedroom. I need to grab a few things.”

“Okay,” Ashley laughed, brushing her hair out of her eyes, “just hurry.”

“Oh, I will,” Erin said, grinning as she left the room.

Ashley sat on the bed, wondering what was so important in the other room. She slipped out of her shoes, glad to be out of them. They were cute, but hard on the feet. Looking around the room, Ashley spotted the pile of clothing she had been wearing. She had to smile, still not believing Erin had done all of this for her. It was like something out of a movie.

Still smiling, Ashley said out loud, “Erin and her romantic comedies.”

When Ashley had responded to the message she thought was from Natty, she never expected to find herself in romantic movie, but she kind of liked it. She felt a burst of warmth for Erin, happy that the girl had decided to give this a try.

Erin returned with a couple of candles and a green bottle wrapped in a towel. She had a couple of wine glasses in her other hand. Ashley watched as Erin put the candles on the night stand and lit them with a box of matches. Crossing the room, Erin turned out the lights. The flickering candles cast a much more intimate light.

“What’s in the bottle?” Ashley asked as Erin returned to the bed.

“Wine,” Erin said, offering Ashley one of the glasses.

“Real wine?” Ashley asked, her eyes wide.

“Have you ever tried it before?” Erin asked, pouring some of the deep red liquid into Ashley’s glass.

“No,” Ashley said, breathing in the scent of fermented grapes.

“Me, either,” Erin said, filling her own glass. She sat the bottle on the nightstand and held up her glass, said, “To trying new things.”

“To trying new things,” Ashley said, smiling as she clinked her glass to Erin’s.

The wine was bitter on her tongue and awoke a pleasant warmth in her belly. She saw Erin making a face and laughed as she said, “Bitter.”

“Yeah,” Erin said, taking another drink, “the second one tasted better.”

Ashley took another sip of the drink, and it went down easier than the first. She thought by the time she got to the bottom of her glass, it would taste just fine.

“Are you trying to get me drunk?” Ashley teased.

“I already have you upstairs,” Erin said, kissing Ashley. The girl tasted like wine and Mexican food.

“Speaking of which,” Ashley said, smiling, “you are wearing way too much clothes.”

“I have one more thing, then we’ll get to that,” Erin said, pulling something out of a little pocket on her dress. She looked almost shy as she held something out to Ashley.

Ashley saw a gold chain twinkling in the candlelight, a small charm attached. Taking it from Erin, she saw it was half of a heart pendant. When Ashley looked up, she saw Erin had a necklace of her own. Seeing the other half of the heart in Erin’s hand, Ashley sprang to her feet and into the girl’s arms. She hugged her tightly.

“You are so cheesy,” Ashley said, affectionately.

“I know,” Erin said, laughing, “but you knew what you were getting into when you asked me to be your girlfriend.”

Pulling back, Ashley looked at the matching necklaces, and she smiled. Meeting Erin’s eyes, she said, “I love it. Help me put it on.”

Ashley turned around and pulled her hair up so Erin could secure the necklace around her neck. Turning back, she helped Erin with hers. Seeing the pendant on Erin, Ashley had to laugh and shake her head.

“What?” Erin asked, at Ashley’s curious reaction.

“You are going to make me say it, again,” Ashley said, smiling at her.

Laughing, Erin said, “You are welcome. I- I wasn’t sure about the necklace. Like you said, it’s kind of cheesy.”

“I love it. I really do,” Ashley said, then her smile slipped some, “too bad I can’t wear it when we get back, though.”

“I’ll buy you a real one,” Erin said, kissing her.

Ashley melted into Erin’s arms, and the desire was back in a hurry. Their wine was forgotten as they pawed at each other’s dresses, trying to get each other naked. Mostly they were just getting in each other’s way. Laughing, Ashley pulled back, said, “Take off your dress.”

Erin slipped out of her dress, letting it pool around her ankles. She was naked underneath and lovely in the flickering candlelight. Smiling, Erin helped Ashley out of her dress, too. The space between them evaporated, again. Ashley backed up until she bumped into the mattress. She crawled onto the bed, moving back so Erin could join her. Erin was smiling down at her from her hand and knees, and Ashley’s heart skipped a beat. It was a sexy, confident smile that made Ashley want the girl even more. Propping up on her elbows, Ashley kissed Erin heatedly.

Popping the catches on Ashley’s bra, Erin cupped one of Ashley’s breasts. Her straining nipple drug across Erin’s palm, making her moan into the kiss. Erin was smiling when she broke the kiss, and she lowered her mouth to the pink nub. Ashley’s back arched as Erin teased the nipple with her tongue, pushing her breast against Erin’s mouth eagerly. Her hand slipped up Ashley’s stomach to cup her other breast, kneading it. The girl kept it up until Ashley didn’t think she could stand much more.

Ashley’s breath caught in her throat as Erin started moving lower, placing hot kisses on her taut stomach. Her skin tingled everywhere Erin’s lips touched, and she felt herself getting more and more turned on the lower the blonde moved. By the time Erin made it to the elastic waistband of her panties, Ashley was a horny mess. She lifted her backside off the bed so that Erin could remove them. Her eyes flashed at Erin as the girl tossed her panties aside.

Running her hands up the insides of Ashley’s thighs, Erin gently pushed them wide open. Revealed and vulnerable, Ashley held her breath in expectation. Erin’s beautiful gray eyes were hot on her girlhood, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Ashley shivered at the hunger in the girl’s eyes. She shivered again as Erin’s lips found her bud in a tender kiss. Her pent up breath exploded from her in a moan as Erin’s tongue teased her sensitive clit.

“God, that feels so good,” Ashley said, her hand slipping into the silky hair on the back of Erin’s head. Erin rolled her eyes up to meet Ashley’s as she continued to run her tongue across Ashley’s bud. Drawn in by the intimacy of the moment, Ashley couldn’t look away.
Erin eased her fingers into Ashley, and she was ready for it. The lovely pressure against her g-spot made her back arch, and her hips push against Erin’s hand eagerly. The intense pleasure built upon and added to the caress of Erin’s tongue, blurred together until Ashley couldn’t separate the two sensations. All she knew was that her body wanted more, her nerve endings driven crazy by what Erin was doing to her.

Seeming to know just what Ashley needed, Erin kept up her sweet torture until Ashley didn’t think she could take much more. Her cries were getting loud in the quiet of the bedroom, and she couldn’t hold them in if she had to. Her body had reached its limit, and she met Erin’s eyes as she started to lose control. Erin knew what she was doing to her, knew the storm of pleasure she had awakened in Ashley’s young body. Ashley could see it in her eyes, and that was what did her in. Her body succumbed to the storm, and she cried out as she came. The winds of ecstasy shook her like the limbs of a tree.

In the calm after the storm, she drifted down like a feather stirred by a breeze. She wasn’t sure her toes would ever uncurl, and she couldn’t catch her breath.
Erin crawled up to give her a kiss and Ashley put her hands on the girl’s wet cheeks. She smiled, said, “Wow!”

Laughing, Erin stretched out beside her. Ashley rolled onto her side, kissed the girl deeply. She could feel Erin’s excitement behind the kiss. Without breaking it, Ashley ran her hand down Erin’s stomach and onto the cleft of her girlhood. Erin moaned as her fingers teased her bud, the circular pressure of her fingertips making Erin’s hips move with a mind of their own. Ashley kept it up until Erin started having trouble focusing on kissing her back.
Ashley smiled at Erin as her hand moved lower. Erin moaned thickly as Ashley’s fingers slipped inside of her. The girl was more than ready, her hot, slick core drawing Ashley in deep. Erin’s back arched off the bed, and her hands clutched at the sheets as Ashley found that magic spot deep inside. Her little sounds of excitement grew louder, her hips pushing against Ashley’s hand in her need.

Moving a little lower, Ashley trapped Erin’s straining nipple with her lips, gently sucking on it. Erin’s hand came up and slipped into her hair. Getting the message, Ashley kept it up, only moving onto her other breast when she thought Erin was ready for it. When she kissed Erin’s lips, again, she could feel the girl’s excitement.

Keeping her fingers moving, Ashley got her knees underneath her. She moved between Erin’s legs so that she could tease her bud with her tongue. Erin’s cries of enjoyment grew louder, her body writhing under the combined torment. Ashley knew how this felt, having just been on the receiving end and she knew Erin’s body had to be alive with pleasure. She didn’t let up, wanting to make the girl feel as amazing as Erin had made her feel.

It didn’t take much longer for Ashley to see the tension building inside Erin’s body. In the tightening of her thighs and abdomen, Ashley could see the orgasm closing in on the girl. Ashley might have realized Erin was about to come even before Erin did. She saw Erin’s eyes widened as it dawned on her what was about to happen to her. She didn’t look away, watched as Erin came undone.

She could feel Erin climaxing around her fingers, kept them moving until she heard the girl cry out as a second orgasm gripped her. Erin jerked liked she had been shocked, pushing Ashley’s hand away. Laughing, she looked wide-eyed at Ashley.

“Shit,” Erin said, flopping limply on her back. The slightly dazed look on her face spoke volumes about how she was feeling.

Ashley stretched out beside her and smiled as Erin pulled her closer. She snuggled against the girl, listening to her heartbeat as it slowly returned to normal.

“I think it’s my turn to thank you,” Erin said.

Laughing, Ashley said, “I think I still owe you a couple.”

Erin squeezed her a little tighter, said, “Well, we have time. Give me a couple of minutes to catch my breath.”

Smiling, Ashley kissed her, said, “When did Natty say she was coming back?”

“When I give her a call,” Erin said, kissing her, “I told her not to expect it before morning.”

“Poor Natty,” Ashley said, laughing, “we kicked her out of her own house.”

“It was her idea,” Erin said.

“Well, I need to thank her when she gets back,” Ashley said.

“You and me both,” Erin said, smiling at her.

Ashley thought about Natty out in the Place of Locked Doors by herself, and she felt a twinge of sadness. Meeting Erin’s eyes, she said, “I- I think we need to talk about Natty.”

Maybe seeing the sadness in Ashley’s eyes or maybe the girl was already in Erin’s thoughts, she said, “Yeah. I think you should still go on the trip with her… with no restrictions.”

“No restrictions?” Ashley asked.

“I love you, Ashley, but Natty…” Erin said, then faltered.

Smiling at her, Ashley said, “I know. She has a special spot in all of our hearts.”

“She’s here all by herself,” Erin said, sighing, “I have a crazy question to ask you-”

“It’s okay,” Ashley said, kissing her, “we can make Natty the exception to the rule.”

“Are you sure?” Erin asked, meeting her eyes, “It’s okay if you want to say no.”

Laughing, Ashley said, “I’d miss the girl as much as you would.”

“We’ll have to discuss… the ground rules, I guess,” Erin said.

“I think Monkey in the Middle is fair game, since it’s both of us,” Ashley said, thinking about it, “one on one… Yeah, we’ll have to discuss it.”

Erin sighed with relief, said, “I would have accepted it, if it was what you wanted, but just abandoning Natty… I’m really glad you are okay with it.”

“I am,” Ashley said, then laughed, “did you mean it… what you said about our trip?”

Smiling, Erin said, “Yeah. You two already had plans.”

“You aren’t going to be jealous… Natty and me alone on the road?” Ashley teased.

“A little, maybe,” Erin said, kissing her, “you’ll just have to make it up to me when you get back.”

“I can do that,” Ashley said, smiling at her, “have you caught your breath, yet? I’m getting horny, again.”

“Yeah,” Erin said, rolling atop Ashley.

Sensing her intentions, Ashley wrapped her legs around Erin’s waist to encourage her. Erin dug her knees into the mattress and started pushing her hips forward. Ashley sighed as their bodies ground together, the pressure on her bud sending lovely sensations washing through her young body. She pushed her hips up into Erin, eager for more.
Without breaking stride, Erin leaned in and kissed her. Wrapping her arms around the girl’s neck, Ashley didn’t let her get away. They moaned and sighed as their bodies came together, but they didn’t break the kiss.

It hadn’t even been a full twenty-four hours, but Ashley couldn’t get enough of the girl. Already having climaxed once, she still needed more. Her fingers tightened on Erin’s shoulders as their bodies ground together faster and faster. She was in danger of leaving a bruise.

Ashley released Erin, opening her legs. On the same wavelength, Erin straddled one of Ashley’s hips, lowering until their bodies nested together. They fit together perfectly, like two halves of the same puzzle piece. Ashley put her leg on Erin’s shoulder, and it put even more pressure on her bud. Wrapping her arms around Ashley’s leg, Erin used the leverage to really grind their bodies together. Their cries of enjoyment mingled in the still air between them.

With a harmony that made Ashley smile, they moved together, complemented each other completely. There was a rhythm to the movements of their bodies, as if they could hear the beat of the same drum. Or maybe it was their hearts, beating in unison.

Oh God, Ashley thought with an inward groan, what has Erin done to me?

The jiggle of Erin’s breasts caught Ashley’s attention, and she sat up the best she could to trap on of Erin’s straining nipples with her mouth. Erin moaned and arched her back, pushing her breast against Ashley’s mouth eagerly.

“Oh God,” Erin said in a breathy moan. She pushed Ashley to her back, leaning in to kiss her deeply. Her hips never stopped moving, kept the lovely sensations washing through both of them.

Kissing her back, Ashley ran her hands over Erin’s thighs, her buttocks. She could feel the muscles tensing in Erin’s body just before the pleasure came, could anticipate the friction of their bodies coming together. It was like being able to see the future, and it was exciting.
With all these lovely things happening to her, she knew she couldn’t last. Even as she felt her orgasm start to build up deep inside, she heard the change in Erin’s cries. Their eyes met, and they both knew the other was about to come. Even as their bodies started to lose their grace, they managed to hold it together long enough to bring each other to toe-curling, breath-stealing, heart-stopping climaxes.

They fell out, lying side by side on their backs as the fought to catch their breath. Glancing at each other, they started laughing. Erin offered Ashley her hand and Ashley smiled as she took it. Their fingers interlocked and Ashley thought about the symbolism of holding hands- a joining of two to make one.

———————————————

Standing under the spray of hot water, Erin sighed. The water felt amazing, but not quite as amazing as Ashley’s naked body pressed against her back. Smiling, she turned into the girl, kissed her deeply. Earlier, she had been skeptical about all of this, about dating Ashley, but with the girl in her arms now, she wondered how she could ever have doubted this was what she wanted.

Outside, the sun was up, a new day already begun. They had sat on the front porch, sharing a blanket in the early morning chill, to watch the sun reclaim the sky. It was kind of romantic, and they had kissed as the first rays of light stole over the rooftops. Erin hadn’t planned on doing this in her gambit to sweep Ashley off her feet. It was a happy accident.

Erin had to smile, thinking about their ‘date’. She owed Natty for its success. Glancing at Ashley, she wondered if the girl realized it took her and Natty almost four days to get ready for it. There was a bunch of burnt and tasteless attempts at enchiladas in the trash on the side of the house.

Maybe someday she’d tell Ashley.

Ashley was playing with the necklace around her neck and Erin had to smile. She and Natty had broken into three different jewelry stores before she found just the right thing to give to Ashley. She had wanted something simple but heartfelt, not gaudy or flashy with no real meaning. While admittedly cheesy, the matching pendants had spoken to her.

I wonder if I can find her something similar in our world, Erin wondered.

“Maybe we should get out,” Erin said.

“Yeah,” Ashley said, kissing her, “we need to call Natty, tell her she can come home.”

“Are we going to tell her the good news?” Erin asked.

“I think we should,” Ashley said, smiling at her, “she and I can discuss where we are going on our trip.”

Laughing, Erin turned off the water, and they got out to dry off. They got dressed and went downstairs to call Natty. Erin turned the speaker on, so they could both listen.

When she came on the line, Natty said, “Hi. How did it go?”

“Amazing,” Ashley said, taking Erin’s hand, “come home, and we’ll tell you all about it.”

“Hi Ashley,” Natty said, the smile on her face clear in her voice, “did you like Erin’s surprise?”

“I loved it. You need to hurry up and get here. I need to hug you,” Ashley said.

“I’ll be right over,” Natty said, hanging up.

“Right over?” Ashley asked.

Erin shrugged. She didn’t know what the girl meant, either.

Not even five minutes later, Natty came walking through the blanket hung over the open front door. Seeing her, Erin laughed and said, “What the hell?”

“I was next door,” Natty said, grinning at them.

Ashley went to her, gave her a huge hug. Pulling back, she said, “Thank you for this.”

“You are welcome,” Natty said, smiling warmly at her, “I take it everything went okay.”

“More than okay,” Erin said, putting her arm around Ashley’s waist.

“Good,” Natty said, her smile brightening.

“Yeah,” Ashley said, smiling at Erin, “it’s just the two of us, now… With you as an honorary third.”

“Honorary third?” Natty parroted, raising her eyebrows.

“Ashley and I talked about it and… it just wouldn’t be the same without you,” Erin said.

“I don’t understand,” Natty said, looking from Ashley to Erin.

Ashley met Erin’s eyes, smiled and inclined her head toward Natty. Erin smiled and nodded. Slipping out of Erin’s arms, Ashley went to Natty and gave her a deep, lingering kiss. Stunned, Natty looked to Erin for an explanation.

Laughing, Erin said, “Ashley has my permission to have some fun on your road trip together.”

“Fun?” Natty asked, glancing at Ashley. Her eyes got big when Ashley gave her a playful smile, and she said, “Oh!”

“I guess we are asking if you’d still want to fool around with us from time to time?” Ashley asked.

“I- Well, yeah,” Natty said, then frowned, “Are you sure?”

“We are sure,” Ashley said, smiling at her.

“Yeah,” Erin said.

“Well, that’s…” Natty said, then laughed, “really good news!”

Erin went to the girl, gave her a hug, said, “We think so, too.”

———————————————————

Opening her eyes in her own bedroom, Ashley smiled up at the ceiling. She could barely believe what had just happened. It had almost been a fairy tale, spending the night with Erin. The fact that the hours she had spent in the Place of Locked Doors had been rewound and it was again Saturday afternoon only made it seem that much more magical.

“I’m dating Erin,” Ashley told the empty room, giggling excitedly.

Unable to stay still any longer, Ashley had to get up and do her happy dance. Feeling something brush against the hollow of her breasts, Ashley’s hand came up, and she gasped. Going to her mirror, she saw the half of a heart pendant on its dainty gold chain around her neck. Her hand came up to her mouth and she thought she might cry, she was so happy.

Continue to Part Seventeen

What Did You Think?