The Halloween Party

The October air was crisp and chilly as Megan opened her bedroom window. The costume she wore left a lot of skin bare, and she shivered as the night air found it. Looking down at the slutty French Maid costume, Megan suddenly wished there was more to it. Well, not suddenly- she had always wished there was more to it. A longer skirt and sleeves would be nice since the temperature had fallen into the fifties with nightfall.

Still looking down at her costume, Megan had to shake her head. She was pretty sure the designers of this outfit hadn’t intended for a girl her age to wear it. It was too short and too tight to make an appropriate costume for a middle schooler. In fact, she was pretty sure it wasn’t meant to be worn anywhere but the bedroom.

She shivered, again, but not because of the cold. It was a naughty thrill that worked up her spine at the thought of going out like this. She wasn’t allowed out of the house in anything remotely this revealing. Her stepmother would have a stroke if she saw how much skin she was showing.

“What she doesn’t know, can’t get me grounded for life,” Megan thought, with a mischievous grin.

Frowning, Megan thought about her stepmother sitting her down earlier, forbidding her to go the party she was preparing to sneak out to attend. Megan had thought she had been found out, that her stepmother knew about Megan being invited to the party somehow. There something about the way her stepmother phrased her statements… It was like she didn’t know Megan was invited and was just not letting her go on principle.

How did she even know about it, Megan wondered, as she stepped through the open window and onto the roof. As she turned and eased the window shut, she thought, This party was hush-hush, a secret. No parents are supposed to know about it. I’m not even supposed to know about it. High school kids only.

Her friend Casey was a freshman and had violated the unspoken rule of being in high school- the one about not talking to middle schoolers about high school stuff. Casey then did the unthinkable- she invited Megan to the party. Megan couldn’t believe it, thought Casey was just teasing her at first. It had taken some doing on Casey’s part, but she finally convinced Megan she was serious.

Stunned, Megan had agreed to go to the party. It wasn’t until later that what she had agreed to really sank in. She was going to a party thrown by high school juniors and seniors. If half the rumors that circulated about the annual Halloween party were true, there would be drinking and drugs and a whole lot of sex. She’d be in so far over her head, she wouldn’t be able to see the light above her. She had picked up her phone a half dozen times that night, wanting to chicken out so bad.

The only thing that kept her from calling Casey was the expected boost in her social standing at school if she went to this party. If she could prove she was at the Halloween party, her popularity would reach heights she had heretofore never imagined. She’d be an instant cool kid.

Sighing, she wished she didn’t care about such things, but any thirteen-year-old girl who said she wasn’t at least a little concerned with how her classmates perceived her was probably lying to look cool.

With the pair of high heels she had borrowed- without permission- from her stepmother in one hand and her purse over her shoulder, she walked carefully down the slanted roof. Tossing the shoes first, she lowered herself over the edge, hanging by the gutters. It was only a four-foot drop to the ground and she landed gracefully. She grimaced as the dew on the grass instantly soaked through the nylons she wore. Already cold, she started shivering.

The moon was mostly full and it was a cloudless night. She was able to find the shoes on the grass with relative ease by its silver light. Looking around, she thought it was bright enough that she could navigate the town without pulling her phone out of her purse to use as a flashlight.

As she stepped into the heels, she rubbed her arms and looked back up at her window. Sighing, she said, “I should have brought a coat.”

The shoes were a bit of a challenge for her. The tallest heel she had on a shoe was an inch and these were five. She borrowed them earlier in the week and had been practicing walking in them. She probably wouldn’t be mistaken for a supermodel working the catwalk in them, but she shouldn’t break her neck tonight.

My stepmom might break my neck if she sees me in them, Megan said, glancing at the dark house.

Her stepmother had turned in an hour ago and Megan had waited impatiently for sixty minutes before getting dressed in her costume and sneaking out. No lights had come on, so Megan was hoping she had made it out undetected.

She glanced at the large oak tree growing next to the house, and her shoulders fell. It was her way back into the house. It was a short climb, but one she was dreading. When she was seven, she had fallen out of the tree and broke her arm. She hasn’t been in it since.

“It’ll be okay,” Megan told herself, turning away from the tree. She’d deal with getting back into the house when she returned from the party.

Megan crossed her yard and turned left onto Mahogany Street. As she walked, she glanced down at herself, and her cheeks were hot. Because of her stepmother’s strict standards on how a young lady should dress, she has never been out in public wearing so little. The dress part of the costume was really short, even on her. It didn’t fall anywhere near her knees. It was worn off the shoulder and dipped low in the front. She was showing all the cleavage she could muster. She couldn’t even wear a bra with the costume.

The costume had come with a pair of matching stockings held up by a garter belt, a ruffled white petty coat, a headpiece, and a ribbon choker necklace. In for a penny in for a pound, she was wearing it all. She had added a half mask with cat ears to hide her identity. There might be a couple of kids at the party that knew she shouldn’t be there.

Looking in the mirror earlier, she had been surprised by how well everything fit her, that she didn’t look as ridiculous as she had expected. The costume was form fitting in all the right places and she thought she looked kind of hot. Probably hotter than a thirteen-year-old girl was supposed to look.

Not ridiculous, but probably nowhere near as good as my stepmother would have looked in this, Megan thought, then shook her head. Her cheeks were flushed as she got a mental image of the woman in this outfit.

“Oh God,” Megan thought, realizing she was fantasizing about her stepmother. A little sheepishly, she thought, Again, you mean.

She pushed that thought out of her mind, not ready to deal with it just yet.

Not for the first time, she wondered what the woman had been doing with this costume in her closet. It wasn’t the only one, either. Megan had had… options to chose from for her costume.

Shaking her head, again, Megan looked down at herself and thought about how she had ended up wearing such a reveal outfit.

Thirteen, she was too old to trick or treat and too young to get invited to some of the older kid’s parties. She was stuck in the middle of the road. She had just planned to stay home and watch scary movies with her stepmother and pass out candy to the neighborhood kids. She hadn’t bothered with a costume this year. Which was why when Casey sprang the party on her, she wasn’t prepared.

Without something to wear tonight, she had gone snooping in her stepmother’s closet. She really didn’t know what she was looking for, just hoping for inspiration. What she had found had made her laugh and re-think her opinion of her stepmother as a straight-laced, boring type.

She had searched the entire room, then turned over her own room in search of something to wear to the party. Finding nothing, she reconsidered the naughty costumes she had found in her stepmother’s closet. Without a lot of options, she had gone back to her stepmother’s room one more time. Looking at the skimpy outfits, her heart had been racing at the thought of wearing one of them to the party. She had picked the French maid costume because it was the least revealing of the bunch. She had told herself she was borrowing it ‘just in case’ she couldn’t find anything else. She had gone back the next day to borrow some shoes for the same reason. Just in case.

Looking down at herself, she said, “Just in case… Right.”

As she walked, she pulled her phone out of her purse, called Casey. The phone rang and rang, then went to voice mail. Megan hung up without leaving a message. She was about to call back when someone grabbed her from behind and said, “Boo.”

Megan jumped and spun around, saw Casey grinning at her. Giving her friend a dirty look, she said, “Not cool.”

Casey looked Megan up and down and started laughing, said, “I know you told me what you were wearing but… Wow!”

Laughing, Megan said, “I said it was my stepmother’s slutty French maid costume.”

“It’s definitely slutty,” Casey said, grinning, “you’ll definitely get some attention in that getup.”

“I’m trying to blend in, not ‘get attention’,” Megan reminded her.

“Good luck with that,” Casey laughed.

Groaning, Megan knew the girl was right. She was showing too much leg and too much boob to go unnoticed.

“Relax, Meg,” Casey said, putting her arm around Megan’s shoulders, “pull this off, you’ll be the coolest kid in school.”

Megan smiled at her, put her arm around the girl’s waist. This close to the girl, Megan could smell her perfume, and it made her a little dizzy. Not that the perfume was particularly strong. It was just a hint of vanilla, almost completely lost on the breeze. Still, it made Megan want to bury her face in the girl’s neck and breath her in. It was her desire that made her light-headed.

She didn’t do it, though. She was too scared to.

They had been friends since they were five and seven, having been lumped together after their mothers became friends. They had grown up together, were as close as friends could be, in spite of their age difference. Everything was peachy until Casey hit puberty and started to fill out some. Megan found herself having some confusing thoughts about her best friend. About girls, in general.

The girls in her school were talking about boys more and more and Megan didn’t have anything to add to the conversation. She didn’t share her classmate’s fascination with the latest boy band or some hunky movie star. She knew she was different from them and it wasn’t until she found her father’s old Playboys that she figured out what it was. Those gushy feelings the girls talked about when they saw some cute boy, she suddenly understood them.

She has been hiding her feelings about the fairer sex from Casey and her other friends. She was still trying to figure them out herself, wasn’t ready to tell anyone about them. The one thing she has figured out for sure is that she was attracted to other girls.

Casey included, which was putting some strain on their relationship. Well, not so much for Casey because she didn’t know. It was Megan who felt uncomfortable around the girl, felt like she had the word lesbian written on her forehead. She kept expecting to give herself away, somehow.

Like now, with her arm around the girl… She couldn’t tell if she was still hugging Casey like she used to. Having a secret was making her paranoid, but she couldn’t help thinking the girl could tell something was different about her embrace.

Megan knew she was a horrible liar and it felt like she had to lie all the time, now. She’d think repetition would make it easier to deceive, but she was just as bad a liar now as when she started to realize she was a lesbian.

She slipped out of Casey’s arm before she could give herself away.

They made their way through the sleeping town. Looking around, Megan thought it managed to look both peaceful and creepy at this time of night. She didn’t think there was anything overt about her town. She figured most towns would be creepy at night, the storefronts and houses cloaked in darkness and the only light provided by street lamps spaced too far apart. The fact that it was Halloween and many of the yards were decorated to celebrate this old pagan holiday only made it creepier. Megan wanted to walk faster but she kept pace with Casey. She was glad the older girl was here.

As they walked, Megan wondered if her stepmother would check in on her tonight. She had stuffed some old pillows under her covers before leaving the house. It was an old trick, probably wouldn’t fool anyone during even a moderately close inspection- say, from an open bedroom door. Luckily, her stepmother wore contacts and took them out at night. The woman could see well enough to navigate the house without them, but maybe not well enough to distinguish between a sleeping girl shape and a bunch of pillows. She hoped so, anyway.

Thinking about her stepmother made her frown. She really wanted to know how the woman had known about the party. The conversation had been odd enough that it stuck in Megan’s head and she couldn’t quite put her finger on why.

As they turned off the road and into the woods, Megan shrugged it off. It didn’t matter how the woman had found out; Megan had still sneaked out. She was on her way to a party thrown by a bunch of high school kids. She had bigger things to worry about then her stepmother’s sleuthing abilities. Namely, not making a complete ass of herself in front of the older kids.

There was enough moonlight that they could navigate the loosely packed trees with relative ease. As they made their way deeper into the woods, Megan started to see the glow of a couple of fires burning and hear the music blaring. The closer they got to the party, the faster Megan’s heart beat. She wasn’t completely sure she was ready for this, but it was about to happen anyway.

She took a deep breath as they passed through the outer fringe of the party, looking around. She saw kids drinking out of red plastic cups, smoking cigarettes and something she was pretty sure wasn’t cigarettes. Her eyes widened when she saw boys and girls making out, kissing and pawing at each other.

No wonder my stepmother didn’t want me here, Megan thought, a little shell-shocked.

They walked by a table laden with the same red cups she had seen the other kids drinking out of. Casey snagged two as they passed, giving one of them to Megan. Sipping hers, Megan was surprised to taste fruit juice. It wasn’t until she swallowed and it burned all the way down that she realized it had been spiked pretty heavily.

She must have made a face because Casey laughed at her, said, “Drink it slow.”

“Right,” Megan said, fully intending to nurse this one cup all night. Climbing the tree would be hard enough in the dark, but if she was falling down drunk…

Casey led her through the throng of people, introducing her to her friends. Megan knew Casey was popular, but she was still surprised how many of the older kids not only knew her but acknowledge her as a friend. Only a freshman but apparently accepted by the juniors and seniors at the party.

Megan had really wanted to just blend in at the party, but her costume got her a lot of attention. She was glad it was night, so the boys and girls who asked her about it couldn’t see her blush. Quite a few boys seemed interested in her and, even though she wasn’t interested back, she couldn’t help but pull her shoulders back and push her chest out. Attention was attention, even if they weren’t exactly the sort she wanted to notice her. She couldn’t stop smiling.

The half mask she wore did its job and no one seemed to notice she was much too young to be at this party. She thought her costume helped, too. What thirteen-year-old girl wore a costume like this? A little sheepishly, she thought, This girl, that’s who.

Casey put her arm around Megan, leaned in and said above the music, “You’ve got the boys tripping over themselves to talk to you in that costume.”

“I noticed,” Megan said, blushing.

“I’m a little jealous,” Casey said, grinning at her.

“Come on,” Megan said, giving her a get real look, “you could smile at any guy here, and he’d follow you around like a puppy.”

“So could you,” Megan said.

“I don’t know about that,” Megan said, embarrassed.

Casey was beautiful and popular and Megan… Well, she figured she was cute, could probably rate pretty on a good day. She knew she couldn’t hold a candle to Casey, figured the only reason the boys were sniffing around her tonight was because her boobs and ass were hanging out. Casey could be wearing a potato sack, and they’d still be drooling on themselves.

“You always sell yourself short,” Casey said, meeting Megan’s eyes, “one of these days you are going to realize how pretty you are.”

“How much have you had to drink?” Megan asked, self-consciously.

“Your lack of confidence is making me sad,” Casey said, taking Megan’s hand, “dance with me.”

Megan let her friend lead her closer to the fire, where a group of kids was dancing. Careful not to spill her drink, Megan danced with her friend. She felt eyes on her and spotted a group of boys watching them and talking excitedly amongst themselves. One of them smiled at her when he caught her looking and she looked away in a hurry. Her cheeks were hot and she made sure not to make eye contact, again.

“Can I cut in?” Someone asked. Megan glanced to her left, saw one of the boys from the group smiling at them.

“Um, sure,” Megan said, stepping back so he could dance with Casey. She blinked in surprise when he moved in front of her, instead of her friend. She glanced at Casey, raised her eyebrows. Laughing, Casey waved her on. A little embarrassed, Megan started dancing with him. Eye to eye, she realized he was cute. Like boy band cute.

She noticed a couple of girls watching them dance, saw jealousy in their eyes. Blinking in surprise, she realized she was dancing with someone significant. Someone worth inciting envy in onlookers. Her heart racing, Megan wondered just who had asked her to dance.

“Can I ask you something?” He asked.

Her heart racing, she thought he was going to ask who she was. She scrambled to think up a cover story. She still didn’t have anything, but she couldn’t stall any longer, so she said, “Um, okay.”

“Why the mask?” He asked, smiling at her, “how does it fit with the rest of your costume?”

“Um,” Casey said, surprised by the question. She couldn’t tell him the truth, that she wore it only to hide how young she was. She almost panicked, when something Casey always said came to her. She shrugged, said, “It’s an anime thing.”

Casey liked to say it when she did something that didn’t completely make sense. With all the girl’s quirky habits, she said it a lot.

“Ah,” he said, his smile widening, “are you an anime fan?”

Her cheeks hot, she said, “Not really.”

“Okay,” he said, laughing, “well, I like your costume, anime or not.”

“Um, thanks,” she said, offering him a shy smile.

The song came to an end and Megan stepped back. Her dance partner glanced at his friends, saw them waving him over. He turned back to Megan, offered her a smile, then said, “Um, do you think I can have another dance later?”

“Another dance?” Megan parroted, surprised. Tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear, she said, “Um… Sure.”

“Good,” he said, then inclined his head at his friends, “I need to see what those goofballs want. I’ll find you later for that dance.”

“Okay,” Megan said, watching him walk away. He had an athletic build, walked with confidence. Megan tried to find something about him that drew her eye, but she felt nothing for him.

“Oh my God,” Casey said, hugging her from behind. She sounded excited as she said, “Do you know who that was?”

“No,” Megan said, laughing, “but judging by your excitement and the stink eye I was getting from a couple of girls, I’d say… A football player?”

“Not just any football player,” Casey said, making one of those noises the girls in Megan’s class always made when they talked about a cute boy, “that’s Blake, captain and quarterback of our Fighting Mallards.”

Laughing, Megan said, “Every time I hear that name- Fighting Mallards- I have to laugh. What a horrible name. A mallard is a duck, for God sake.”

“Focus, Megan,” Casey said, grabbing Megan by her shoulders, “you just danced with the most popular boy in school.”

“Oh,” Megan said, then laughed, “I’m horrible at blending in.”

“Yeah, you are,” Casey said, grinning.

“He wants another dance later,” Megan said.

Casey punched her in the shoulder, said, “Oh my God!”

Laughing, Megan said, “Ow. What the hell?”

“Sorry, I got a little excited,” Casey said. She held up her cup, said, “To dancing with high school seniors.”

“High school seniors,” Megan said, clinking her cup to her friends. She took too large of a drink and it burned all the way down.

——————————————–

Sitting next to the fire, Megan watched Casey dancing with some boy. Without thinking about it, Megan took a drink. She was surprised to find her cup empty. It had still been half full when she sat down.

“So much for nursing this one,” Megan said, tossing her cup in the fire. Judging by how much the fruit punch had burned going down, there had been quite a bit of alcohol in it. The fact that she was feeling a little fuzzy around the edge already seemed to support that theory.

“Need another one?” Someone asked.

Looking up, Megan saw a girl holding out a cup to her. Megan started to say no when she noticed the girl’s smile. There was a playful uptick of the corners of her mouth that made Megan’s heart beat a little faster.

The girl’s costume was inspired by the Mexican holiday, Dia de Los Muertos, her face painted with a skull design. It was elaborate and beautiful in its intricacy. Her costume was completed with a short, tight goth-inspired dress, black knee-high boots, and fishnet gloves.

“Um, yeah. Thanks,” Megan said, smiling as she took the cup. As the girl sat down next to her, Megan caught a hint of vanilla and her heart started beating even faster.

“Why are you sitting here all alone?” The girl asked, leaning closer.

“What do you mean?” Megan asked, raising her voice over the music.

“You didn’t wear this costume to sit by yourself, did you?” The girl asked, turning that playful smile of hers on Megan.

The girl had an odd accent, southern maybe. Megan wondered if she was a southern belle under the makeup. It was hard to tell, but Megan thought she’d be pretty without it.

“I… Well…” Megan said, then shrugged. She took a sip of her drink to hide her embarrassment.

“You are a beautiful girl. You should be out there dancing with the boys,” the girl said.

Megan glanced at Casey, thinking if there was anyone she wanted to dance with, it was her. The girl must have followed Megan’s eyes because her smile turned up even more. Megan caught the smile out of the corner of her eye and looked away from Casey in a hurry.

“Now it makes more sense,” the girl said, making Megan look at her, “still, I have to ask- why are you sitting here alone? A beautiful girl like you should be over there dancing with some girl.”

“I-I don’t know what you mean,” Megan stammered.

The girl gave her a look, then said, “Don’t you?”

“No,” Megan said, too quickly.

“It’s too bad you aren’t into that sort of thing,” the girl said, flashing her eyes at Megan, “I really do think you are beautiful.”

“I- Um, are you… into that sort of thing?” Megan asked, her heart racing. She found herself holding her breath as she waited for the girl to answer.

“Ah, maybe interested, after all,” the girl said, playfully.

Megan looked at her for a long moment, then laughed and rubbed the back of her neck, asked, “Am I that obvious?”

“To someone who knows the signs,” she said, then offered her hand, “I’m Rachel, by the way.”

Taking the hand, Megan started to tell the girl her real name, then thought better of it. Instead, she smiled and said, “Harley.”

“As in Davidson?” Rachel asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Um, yeah. Same first name, but no relation,” Megan said, amused. She hadn’t been thinking about motorcycles when she picked the name, but a character on a TV show she watched.

“Well, Harley not Davidson, it’s nice to meet you,” Rachel said.

“You, too,” Megan said.

“Do you want to dance?” Rachel asked, inclining her head toward the crowd.

“Um, I don’t know…” Megan said, looking at the people dancing. The song on the radio was a slow one and everyone was dancing close, making lazy circles.

“Afraid everyone will know your secret?” Rachel asked.

“Pretty much,” Megan said, embarrassed.

Nodding, Rachel asked, “Would any of these people know you without your mask on?”

“A couple of them, maybe,” she said.

“How about with it on?” Rachel asked.

“My friend,” Megan said, looking at Casey dancing really close to the boy she had snared with her beautiful eyes.

“I take it she doesn’t know,” Rachel said.

It wasn’t a question, but Megan confirmed it, anyway, “No, she doesn’t know. No one knows…Well, except you.”

“Well, if you won’t dance with me,” Rachel said, a playful smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, “want to go somewhere and make out instead?”

Snorting in surprise, Megan laughed and asked, “Just like that, huh?”

“Too forward?” Rachel asked, amused.

“A little bit,” Megan said, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

“I noticed you didn’t say no,” Rachel said, her eyes flashing at Megan.

“I guess I didn’t,” Megan said, her heart racing. She realized she was flirting with Rachel. More than that, she was attracted to the girl, and the idea of kissing Rachel appealed to her. She thought if Rachel kept pressing, she might just give in.

“We could find a spot just past the reach of the fire’s light,” Rachel said, leaning closer, “somewhere your friend couldn’t see if I kissed you.”

Megan’s breath caught in her throat and she had to swallow hard to say, “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

“It doesn’t sound like you really think that,” Rachel said, her smile making it hard for Megan to catch her breath, again.

Meeting the girl’s eyes, Megan saw a desire in them, a desire for her. No one had ever looked at her like that. It made her feel all sorts of ways she wasn’t used to. The only thing she knew for sure, she liked the way Rachel was looking at her, didn’t want the girl to stop.

She found herself saying, “I- I don’t know.”

“Come with me,” Rachel said, standing up, “one kiss. If you don’t like it, we’ll come back. No hard feelings.”

“One kiss?” Megan asked, realizing her resistance was crumbling.

“Or two… Three. Depends on how the first one goes,” Rachel said.

Chewing on her lip, Megan considered it. She had been fantasizing about kissing a girl a lot lately and here was one who wanted to kiss her back. The darkness would offer her anonymity where she could experience her little fantasy of kissing a girl. What would be the harm?

With an inward shake of her head, she thought, I was in trouble the moment Rachel smiled at me.

Getting to her feet, Megan wondered if it was the alcohol or the excitement coursing through her that her legs a little unsteady. Rachel took it as an excuse to put her arm around Megan’s waist. Pulled close to the girl, Megan caught another hint of vanilla perfume, subtle but intoxicating. She didn’t pull away from the girl’s embrace, let Rachel lead her away from the fire and into the darkness. They walked a little ways into the woods until they left the party behind.

Alone, Megan found herself spun into Rachel’s arms, their bodies pressed together. Her heart was racing, and she was a little jittery with excitement and nervousness. Even in the dark, she could feel Rachel smiling at her, which made a pleasant warmth blossom between her thighs.

“Have you ever kissed a girl?” Rachel asked.

“No,” Megan admitted.

“I’ll show you how,” Rachel said, gently pressing her lips to Megan’s. It was just a brush of her lips, but it set Megan’s whole body to tingling.

“I’m going to open my mouth- just a little,” Rachel said, her voice low and seductive, “when I do, just lightly touch my tongue with yours.”

Megan’s knees were a little weak as Rachel pressed her lips to Megan’s, again. When Rachel’s lips parted, Megan slipped her tongue into the girl’s mouth. More experienced, Rachel drew Megan into the kiss deeper than she was ready for. Even when she regained some of her senses and realized one kiss had become three and they weren’t stopping, she didn’t want to. The caress of Rachel’s tongue against her own, the taste of fruit punch on her breath… Megan found her kiss to be more intoxicating than the alcohol in her cup.

“Do you want to go back to the fire?” Rachel asked, her playful tone saying she knew Megan didn’t want to.

“No,” Megan husked, her voice thick with excitement. She finished her cup in a gulp, gasping as it burned all the way down. She tossed her cup aside.

“You are a nice kisser,” Rachel said, finishing her own drink.

“Really?” Megan asked.

“Better than a lot of girls I’ve kissed,” Rachel said, kissing Megan gently on the lips.

“Have you kissed a lot of girls, then?” Megan asked.

Laughing, Rachel said, “A few.”

Megan took a deep breath, then kissed Rachel. Like before, she felt herself drawn in deep, only this time Rachel didn’t pull back. Her nervousness melted away under the heat of her desire and she felt herself responding to the closeness of their bodies, to the caress of Rachel’s tongue. She moaned as Rachel’s hand came up to cup one of her breasts. It took her a couple of heartbeats for her realize what the girl was doing to her. Breaking the kiss, she looked down at the hand on her breasts.

“Is this okay?” Rachel asked, her eyes meeting Megan’s in the moonlight, “I’m not moving too fast, am I?”

With a nervous laugh, Megan said, “I- I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“I’m sorry,” Rachel said, removing her hand, “I thought… I guess I was getting ahead of myself.”

“It’s okay,” Megan said, smiling at her, “I guess I should have known you had more in mind than just kissing when you brought me out here.”

Laughing, Rachel said, “It’s okay if you don’t want to.”

Megan took a deep breath, said, “Just take it slow, okay.”

Favoring Megan with a sexy smile, Rachel said, “I can do slow.”

Oh God, Megan thought, her heart racing, what am I doing? Am I really going to do this?

The girl’s body was pressed against hers and Rachel’s perfume was making her dizzy with desire. She knew what the girl wanted and Megan was starting to want it, too. Her body did, anyway. Megan felt herself starting to get turned on.

Rachel kissed her, while she was still trying to sort out her thoughts. The girl was indeed taking it slow, but Megan sensed she was holding back. There was a barely restrained eagerness behind her kiss, a passion the teenager was struggling to hold in check. Megan’s heart was thumping in her breast as she realized just how much Rachel wanted her. It was a new experience for her, being desired like that, and she found it both thrilling and frightening.

She really hadn’t expected to be in this situation tonight and or anytime soon. Megan wasn’t sure she was ready for any of this, but she really didn’t want to stop, either. She liked the way Rachel was kissing her and liked the feel of the girl’s body molded against hers. She even liked the feel of Rachel’s hand on her breast, the pleasure it awoke inside of her.

Maybe we don’t have to stop just yet, Megan thought as a moan escaped her.

Pulling back, Rachel smiled at Megan, said, “Let me know if I should stop.”

“Okay,” Megan said, her voice a little thick with excitement.

The corners of Rachel’s mouth turned up even more as she ran her hands up Megan’s arms to the sleeves of the maid costume. Megan met the girl’s eyes and saw what she intended to do. Part of her knew she should probably tell her to stop. Things had probably already gone as far as they should, maybe too far. Still holding Rachel’s gaze, she bit her lip and nodded, which was the exact opposite of what she should have done.

Rachel’s fingers hooked into the arms of the dress and she pulled down. Megan shivered as the cold air found her bare breasts. Pulling her arms out of the dress, she helped Rachel work it off her hips. Gravity finished what the girl started, the costume pooling around her ankles.

With the girl’s eyes hot on her nearly naked body, Megan had second thoughts. She fidgeted under the girl’s attention, had to fight the urge to cover her nudity with her arms. Her face hot, she wondered what she had been thinking.

“Stockings and a garter belt?” Rachel asked, her eyes shining with amusement and more than a little excitement.

Her cheeks even hotter, Megan stammered, “They ca-came with the costume.”

“Mm… It is an incredibly sexy costume,” Rachel said, hooking her fingers in the garters, “but these… These I love. There’s nothing sexier than a pair of long legs in stockings.”

Megan swallowed a couple of times, tried to work up enough saliva to say something. She managed to say, “Oh.”

Using the garters, Rachel pulled her close to kiss her deeply. Megan was a little disappointed when Rachel let go of the garters, stepped back. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the girl run a zipper down on the side of her dress. She couldn’t look away as Rachel shimmied out of her dress. The darkness was far from perfect, ruined by the almost full moon. There was enough light for Megan to make out Rachel’s lovely body. She was long in the leg and narrow in the waist, flat in the belly and full in the breast. She was perfect.

Rachel was looking at her, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She said, “You can touch me, if you want.”

Megan thought Rachel looked very touchable standing there in the moonlight. She did want to run her hands over the girl’s soft skin, see if she felt as amazing as she looked. When she hesitated, Rachel moved closer, took Megan’s hand and put it on her hip. Megan looked down at her hand as Rachel moved it higher. The girl was as soft and warm as she looked, her skin like silk under her fingertips. A nervous little laugh escaped her as Rachel moved her hand onto her breast.

“If I move my hand, do you promise not to move yours?” Rachel asked, playfully.

Her voice a little shaky with adrenaline, Megan said, “Okay.”

Rachel moved closer, kissed her deeply, then put her lips to Megan’s ear to whisper, “Tonight is your chance. All of those things you have been thinking about doing to a girl… Do them to me.”

Her heart racing, Megan thought about the videos she had seen. When she had finally admitted to herself that she was a lesbian, she had turned to the internet to see just what that meant. She had found a blog about how to please a woman. The publisher had been very thorough in her articles, including some very graphic how-to videos.

She had lain awake that night, wondering if she could do those things to another woman or to let another person do them to her. She had fallen asleep still thinking about it and had had the most vivid, erotic dream of her life. The details of the dream had faded as she came awake but she remembered feminine curves and frantic passion. The crotch of the thin panties she had worn to bed had been wet from her excitement.

It hadn’t taken long for her to start fantasizing about doing those things she had seen in the videos. Especially at night, right before bed, when she’d slip her hand into her panties and close her eyes. Thinking about pleasing another girl or woman with her hands and mouth would bring her to intense orgasms, leaving her a trembling mess of happy nerve endings.

She had already fulfilled one of those little fantasies tonight, had kissed a girl for the first time. Now, with her hand on Rachel’s breast, she was so nervous because she sensed it was going to be a night of many firsts.

Rachel must have felt Megan tense up at her words, because it sounded like she was smiling as she whispered, “Ah. So there is something.”

Swallowing hard, Megan asked, “How did you know I’ve been thinking about… things?”

“I was about your age when I started thinking about them,” Rachel said, smiling at Megan, “I was lucky enough to have a close friend who let me try them.”

“Try them?” Megan parroted, her heart racing.

“She was my first,” Rachel said, a touch of wistfulness in her voice.

“Oh,” Megan said.

“She was a little older than me,” Rachel said, meeting Megan’s eyes, “taught me many things.”

Rachel’s is a little older than me, Megan thought, not missing the look in the girl’s eyes, and I’m sure she could teach me many things.

“Like what?” Megan found herself asking.

Rachel gave her a weighing look, then asked, “Do you really want to know?”

Megan started to answer, then realized there was more to the question. Rachel wasn’t asking if Megan wanted to know what her friend had taught her, but if Megan wanted to learn them herself. Megan had to admit the offer was intriguing. Rachel had already taught her a few things tonight and she didn’t see the harm in learning a little more.

Her voice was a little shaky as she said, “I think so.”

“You think so?” Rachel said, amused.

“Yeah?” Megan said.

“Was that a question?” Rachel teased.

“Yes,” Megan said, laughing, “teach me.”

“Well, if you insist,” Rachel said, moving closer. She put her arms around Megan’s neck and kissed her deeply.

Megan’s toes curled and she didn’t want the kiss to end. She melted against Rachel, her arms going around the girl. It was all instinct, since she had no idea what she was doing. Still, it felt right. With a mind of their own, Megan’s hand explored Rachel’s back, then lower to test the firmness of her buttocks. She could barely believe her own boldness.

“Why don’t you lie down,” Rachel said, easing back from the kiss.

Megan looked down at the leaf covered, muddy ground, then said, “Really?”

Smiling, Rachel kissed her, said, “Use my dress.”

“It’s going to get muddy,” Megan said.

“That’s what a washing machine is for,” Rachel said, letting go of Megan. She went to her knees, stretched her dress out on the ground. Taking her hand, Rachel urged Megan to join her. Her heart beating a mile a minute, Megan sat on the dress. With a playful smile, Rachel put her hand on Megan’s shoulder and gently pushed her down. From her hands and knees, Rachel leaned in and kissed her

Megan’s breath caught in her throat when Rachel pressed her lips to the curve of her neck, then the slope of one of her breasts. She shivered as Rachel ran her tongue around her areola. Rachel trapped her nipple between her lips. Not ready for the intensity of the lovely sensation, Megan moaned in surprise. Rachel rolled her eyes up at Megan, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she continued to tease the pink nub of Megan’s nipple. Just when Megan didn’t think she could take much more, Rachel moved to her other breast.

Rachel’s lips pressed against the hollow of her rib cage, then lower on her stomach. Megan gasped as she realized what was happening. Her eyes wide, she watched as Rachel kissed her stomach, just above her belly button. Rachel hooked her fingers in the garter belt, pulling it down long enough to place another kiss where it had been. Letting the garter belt return to its place, Rachel put her hands on the insides of Megan’s thighs and gently spread them wide.

Feeling painfully revealed, Megan wanted to clamp her thighs closed, but Rachel’s hands were still on her legs, holding them open. She gasped as Rachel leaned in and pressed her lips to the crotch of her panties. She didn’t know why she was surprised; she had known where this was heading when Rachel urged her to her back on the ground. Still, knowing where it was going and having it suddenly get there were two different things, apparently. Feeling Rachel’s lips on her very intimate place was both exciting and frightening.

Oh my God, what have I gotten myself into, Megan thought, chewing on her lip as Rachel placed another kiss on her girlhood.

Rachel’s fingers hooked in one of leg holes of her panties, pulling it aside. Megan shivered as the cold air found her sensitive skin, then shivered again as Rachel’s hot tongue found her bud. The sudden rush of pleasure startled a nervous laugh from Megan and she put her hand over her mouth. Her laughter turned into a moan as the flick of Rachel’s tongue awoke her nerve endings.

“Do you like this?” Rachel asked.

“Yeah,” Megan said, chewing on her lip.

“If you do it lightly,” Rachel said, lightly caressing Megan’s bud with her tongue, “it tickles.”

“Yeah,” Megan said, squirming.

“A little more pressure,” Rachel said, once again showing Megan what she meant. The lovely pressure of her tongue made Megan’s moan thickly. Rachel kept it up a lot longer than it took to make her point, had Megan’s body going crazy under her attention.

Megan was a little frustrated when Rachel suddenly stopped. She met the girl’s eyes in the dark, saw her smiling playfully. Frustrated or not, that smile got her heart racing. She shivered as Rachel kissed the inside of her thigh, ran her tongue over the soft folds of her labia. It didn’t feel as good as what Rachel had just been doing to her but Megan thought Rachel was teaching her another lesson. By the time Rachel’s tongue found her bud again, she wanted it so much more.

A little tease to build the anticipation, Megan thought. As her hips began to move with a mind of their own, pushing her girlhood eagerly against Rachel’s mouth, she decided it was a good lesson to learn.

“Do you like this?” Rachel asked, her smile saying she already knew the answer to her question, “What I’m doing?”

“Yeah,” Megan said, a little embarrassed.

“So I shouldn’t stop?” Rachel teased.

“No,” Megan laughed.

“You know, if I keep doing this,” Rachel said, using her fingers to massage Megan’s bud, “it’ll be your turn next.”

“Um, I know,” Megan said.

“Should I stop?” Rachel asked, again.

Taking a deep breath, Megan said, “No.”

Rachel moved up to give Megan a breath-stealing kiss, then smiled and said, “I guess I better teach you everything I know, then.”

Laughing, Megan said, “I guess so.”

Rachel hooked her thumbs in Megan’s panties, removing them. She lowered her mouth back to Megan’s girlhood. The hot, wet caress of her tongue set Megan’s nerve endings to crying out for more and the roll of her hips pushed her pussy against Rachel’s mouth eagerly. Megan tried to pay attention to what Rachel was doing to her so she’d know what to do when it was her turn, but the pleasure washing through her young body made it hard to focus.

As another moan slipped from her slack mouth, Megan rolled her eyes in the direction of the party. She and Rachel had walked just past the reach of the fire’s light and the music was still blaring, but she really didn’t know how much privacy they had. Chewing on her lip, she tried to stifle her little noises of enjoyment, failing miserably. Rachel was making it impossible to keep quiet.

Megan hadn’t been sure she was ready for this, for having sex with a high school girl, but she couldn’t deny her body’s response to the lovely things Rachel was doing to her. The heat of her excitement melted away her doubts, her nervousness. Any questions she had about her sexuality had been put to rest. This is what she wanted. More than that, she wanted Rachel.

She stopped worrying about the party, surrendering herself to the pleasure washing through her. She had no experience to use as a reference, but she thought Rachel was skilled with her mouth. The teenager was having no difficulty driving Megan’s young body crazy.

Megan’s eyes widened as she realized she was going to come. She had discovered the joys of masturbating a couple of years ago, recognized the build-up of tension in her body in anticipation of that explosion of pleasure. In the moonlight, Megan met Rachel’s eyes, saw the girl knew what she was doing to Megan, knew what was about to happen.

Even though she knew it was coming, her orgasm still startled a gasp from her. As intense a climax as she has ever had, it shook her to pieces and left her a trembling mess. It had never been like this before, never so good. Rachel kept the lovely sensations rolling through her with a lazy caress of her tongue, let her drift down slowly from her orgasm.

“Oh my God,” Megan managed to say, still trying to catch her breath.

Laughing, Rachel crawled up to kiss her, a deep lingering one that made Megan’s toes curl all over, again. Megan kissed the girl back eagerly, a little surprised by how quickly she was taking to it. She had just received her first kiss minutes ago, but already the hesitation was gone. She just felt comfortable kissing Rachel, even though they had just met. There seemed to be a connection between them.

Or maybe, I’m just drunk and horny, Megan thought.

Rachel pulled back from the kiss, said, “Trade spots with me.”

Her heart started beating faster as Megan moved so Rachel could stretch out on her back. Looking down at the lovely high school girl, Megan wondered what it was going to be like doing those things Rachel had done to her to the girl in return. Again, she thought about those instructional videos she had seen and how she had wondered if she could ever do those things to another person. She knew the answer to that question now. With a deep breath to bolster her courage, Megan moved between Rachel’s legs.

The author of the blog had talked about foreplay, about letting her touch and her kisses turn her partner on before they moved onto the more naughty fun. Megan thought about how excited Rachel had made her before moving lower and she thought the author was probably right.

On her hands and knees, she leaned in to kiss Rachel’s neck, her collarbone. She heard Rachel sigh and it emboldened her. Megan got a thrill up her spine as she placed her lips on the slope of one of Rachel’s breasts. It was the same tingle of excitement she always got when she was doing something she wasn’t allowed to do. She definitely shouldn’t be doing this.

Trapping the nub of Rachel’s nipple with her lips, Megan teased it until Rachel’s back arched off the ground. The moans that dripped from Rachel’s slack mouth encouraged her. She ran her tongue around the pebbled areola, making Rachel shiver with excitement. Rachel’s hand slipped onto the back of Megan’s head, holding her there. Getting the message, Megan didn’t let up until the girl had had enough. Only then did she move lower.

Megan’s breathing had quickened and her pulse had raced as Rachel had kissed her way down her stomach and Megan had to smile when she heard Rachel’s breathing change. Megan had succeeded in turning the girl on, the butterfly kisses she was leaving on Rachel’s stomach exciting her.

Rachel lifted her backside off the ground and Megan hooked her fingers in the panties she wore. Her hands were shaking some as she removed the underwear, running it down Rachel’s long legs and off. Setting them aside, she looked at the girl. There was just enough light from the moon above to reveal the soft folds of her labia, the hood of her clitoris just peeking through. She took a deep breath and ran her hands up Rachel’s thighs. She had to bite back a nervous giggle as she moved her hand onto Rachel’s pussy.

God, I’m really doing this, Megan thought, her fingers teasing a moan from Rachel. The girl’s body moved against her hand eagerly, encouragingly. Before she could chicken out, Megan placed a kiss on the girl’s bud. That first brush of her lips in a very intimate place was the worst of it and she realized it wasn’t much different than the rest of Rachel she had kissed tonight. It was taboo and exciting but not unpleasant.

Relaxing, she ran her tongue across Rachel’s bud, tasting the salt on her skin. She heard Rachel moan and Megan had to hold in another nervous giggle. That moan was because of her, because of what she was doing to Rachel. She was going down on another girl, something she had only fantasized about doing at night when she was pleasuring herself. One thing she hadn’t expected about this experience was the way Rachel’s moans and sighs of enjoyment made her feel. Her little fantasies hadn’t accounted for how sexy it was to make another girl feel this good.

She might be as turned on as Rachel was. Rachel’s back suddenly arched and her fingers dug into the earth as Megan gently sucked on her hood. Smiling, Megan thought, Well, maybe not quite as turned on as Rachel.

Rachel’s hand returned to the back of Megan’s head and it made Megan smile. She must be doing something right because Rachel didn’t want her to stop. The hand on her head wasn’t necessary; Megan didn’t want to stop until she had returned the favor from her orgasm earlier. It had been a night of many firsts and she wanted to add making Rachel come to that list.

Her cheeks were wet and her jaw was beginning to hurt but Megan heard something new enter Rachel’s little cries of enjoyment. She looked up and saw the look in Rachel’s eyes. Her heart beating faster, Megan thought the girl was close. Rachel’s eyes held hers, and she couldn’t look away as the girl started to lose control. In that shared intimacy, she saw Rachel’s climax in her eyes even before she felt the girl’s body go crazy against her mouth.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she moved up Rachel’s supine body to give her a kiss. She giggled as the girl pulled her down atop of her, wrapping her arms and legs around her. When Megan pulled back from the kiss, Rachel was smiling at her.

“I must be an amazing teacher,” Rachel said, sighing happily.

Grinning, Megan said, “I take it I did okay.”

“More than okay,” Rachel said, kissing her. In a move that startled a giggle from Megan, Rachel rolled them.

On her back in the leaves and mud, Megan looked up at the girl expectantly. Rachel gave her one more lingering kiss before getting to her knees. Megan propped up on her elbows, curious what the girl was up to. Nudging her legs open, Rachel moved between them and straddled one of Megan’s hips. With her hand on Megan’s knee, Rachel lifted her stocking clad leg up until it rested on her shoulder. Megan frowned, wondering what Rachel intended.

It wasn’t until Rachel lowered her body weight onto Megan and their bodies molded together that it sank in. Her eyes wide, Megan looked at the very intimate joining of their bodies. Megan met Rachel’s eyes and the girl just smiled and rolled her hips back and forth. Megan gasped at the lovely pressure and friction on her bud as their bodies ground together.

Laughing at Megan’s reaction, Rachel leaned in and kissed her, said, “You didn’t know about this, then?”

“No,” Megan sighed.

“Ah, then you are in for a treat,” Rachel said, then laughed, “Um, no Halloween pun intended.”

“Are we… doing it?” Megan asked.

“It’s called tribbing,” Rachel said, nodding, “but yeah.”

“Tribbing,” Megan said, remembering seeing a video with that name on the blog she had found. She hadn’t clicked on the link. Now, she really didn’t know what to expect.

The feel of Rachel’s body rubbing against hers was lovely, each meeting of their pussies sending a ripple of pleasure through her young body. The roll of Rachel’s hips started out slow, but her pace increased with her excitement. The teenager hugged Megan’s leg close, used it as leverage to really grind against Megan. Those ripples of pleasure came faster and faster, each one more intense than the one before it.

Rachel put her arm around Megan’s neck and rolled them, so Megan was on top. They were getting further and further away from their clothes, something Megan was vaguely aware of as Rachel helped her into position. She felt Rachel’s labia mash against hers as their bodies molded together again. Rachel had her hand Megan’s buttock, urging her to push her hips back and forth. With a little practice, Megan found a rhythm that had both of them moaning.

The night air was still chilly but she didn’t notice anymore. The world receded until it was just the two of them in their throes of passion. Megan lost herself in her own pleasure and that of Rachel. She kept her hips moving, pushing them both closer and closer to the edge of bliss. Rachel met her with every thrust of her hips, their bodies moving with harmonious grace.

Megan found that place, a sort of plateau where her body couldn’t go any further, and she was ready to come. In the dark, she met Rachel’s eyes, and the girl nodded. It was the look in Rachel’s eyes that finally pushed her all the way into ecstasy and she cried out as she climaxed. Her cry wasn’t the only one to break the stillness of the night, Rachel coming only a heartbeat behind her. Even through the cloud of pleasure in her brain and body, Megan felt Rachel shaking beneath her.

Out of breath and trembling all over, Megan flopped on her side next Rachel. She smiled when Rachel pulled her close. Putting her head on Rachel’s breast, she listened to the girl’s heartbeat as it began to slow back to normal. She snuggled tighter against the girl as the cold night air, temporarily forgotten, made its presence known, again.

“Holy shit, Harley,” Rachel said, laughing.

Megan frowned at the name ‘Harley’ then remembered it was what she had told Rachel her name was. Blushing, she regretted not telling Rachel her real name. It would have been nice to hear Rachel say ‘Megan’ in that sexy tone like she had said ‘Harley’.

Should I tell her my real name, Megan wondered, chewing on her lip, I’m sure she’ll understand why I didn’t before.

Megan started to, then changed her mind. She reminded herself why she had worn the mask in the first place, which was to hide her true identity. Thinking about the mask, she wondered what Rachel would think of her without it. Would she be upset she had been tricked into sleeping with a thirteen-year-old girl? Would she still think Megan was beautiful if she could see her face?

Her insecurities reared their ugly head and she was glad Rachel didn’t know her name or what she looked like. Tomorrow, she’d fade back into mediocrity and Rachel would never know it was her if they passed each other on the street. That thought made her both sad and relieved.

Easing out of Rachel’s arms, she said, “Maybe we should go back.”

Rachel looked at her a long moment, then asked, “You aren’t having regrets about what we did, are you?”

“No,” Megan said, smiling at her. It was the truth. This wasn’t how she imagined her first time would be, but it was still pretty amazing. More than that, Rachel had been amazing- a patient teacher and a capable lover who had shown Megan the joys of being with another girl.

“Good,” Rachel said, kissing her, “let’s go back, then. I’m freezing.”

As she got dressed, she kept looking at Rachel. There was enough moonlight that she could make out the girl’s lovely body. Part of her wished they weren’t getting dressed. Rachel must have felt her eyes on her, because she looked up and smiled at Megan. Coming closer, she wrapped her arms around Megan’s neck and kissed her deeply.

“You better stop that,” Megan husked, trying to catch her breath, “I… We need to get back.”

Pouting, Rachel said, “You are no fun.”

“Rachel, I… Thank you,” Megan said, shyly.

“For what?” Rachel asked.

“I guess for being patient with me,” Megan said, shyly.

“I’m the one who should be thanking you,” Rachel said, kissing her again, “you were amazing.”

“Yeah?” Megan asked. Meeting the girl’s eyes, Megan thought she meant it. She was surprised how much the girl’s approval meant to her.

With a sexy smile, Rachel said, “I’m still waiting for my toes to uncurl.”

Pleased, Megan kissed her.

“We better get back. Your friend has probably noticed you are missing,” Rachel said, slipping out of Megan’s arms.

They finished getting dressed, then started walking back toward the party. Rachel caught Megan’s arm just outside the fire’s reach. Raising her eyebrows, Megan gave the girl a curious look.

“Um… I liked being with you,” Rachel said, rubbing the back of her neck.

“I liked it, too,” Megan said, truthfully.

“I have to admit, I’m curious about the girl behind the mask,” Rachel said, digging in her purse.

“Curious?” Megan asked.

There was suddenly light, Rachel producing a small flashlight from her purse. Pointing it at the ground, Rachel said, “Do you think… I could see you without your mask?”

Her heart racing, Megan said, “I’m not sure that would be a good idea.”

“I know you are too young to be at this party,” Rachel said, smiling at her.

“You do?” Megan said, surprised.

“Can I see if you are as beautiful as I think?” Rachel asked.

“Um, I…” Megan said, hesitating. She knew it was a bad idea, but the way Rachel said she was beautiful made her want to take the mask off. She wanted to be beautiful to the girl. Just how much surprised her.

“Please?” Rachel asked.

With a nervous laugh, Megan nodded. Biting her lip, she pulled the mask up, waited to see if she met Rachel’s expectations. As the flashlight slowly turned up and the light fell on her bare face, Megan really hoped the girl liked her.

Rachel gasped, “What the fu- Megan?!”

It was Megan’s turn to gasp as she recognized that tone of voice. Only, she shouldn’t be hearing it now. Her heart sank as she asked, “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? What are you doing here? I thought I said you couldn’t go to this party,” her stepmother said. The southern accent was gone, now and Megan recognized her voice.

Megan looked closer, and she could see her stepmother’s face under the face paint. Now that she could see it, she didn’t know how she could have missed it before.

Her face hot, what she had just done sank in. She had had sex with her stepmother. Megan watched as the woman put a hand to her mouth as the same realization dawned on her, too.

“Well, this is awkward,” Megan said.

A startled laugh escaped her stepmother, and she said, “That’s one word for it.”

Remembering the party, Megan pushed the light away from her face and lowered her mask back into place. Looking at her stepmother through the eye holes, she said, “Um, what now?”

“Now…” her stepmother said, then sighed, “I-I guess we have a lot to talk about.”

“Yeah,” Megan said, laughing, “Am I grounded?”

“Oh yeah. Sneaking out to parties, sleeping with older women,” Nicole said.

“In my defense, I thought you were just an older girl, not a woman,” Megan said, then squirmed when Nicole gave her a look, “I’m just putting that out there.”

“Duly noted,” Nicole said.

“Speaking of which,” Megan said, frowning, “what are you doing here? This is a party for high school kids.”

Megan couldn’t tell through the makeup, but she thought her stepmother was blushing. Looking away in embarrassment, Nicole said, “I… Well… That’s complicated.”

Her eyes widening, Megan said, “Oh my God!”

Rubbing the back of her neck, Nicole said, “Fine. I’m attracted to… younger girls. I came to the party hoping to get lucky.”

Her own cheeks red, Megan thought, And I guess she did… With me.

Still frowning, Megan asked, “But, how did you know about the party in the first place? The seniors keep its location pretty hush-hush.”

“Um, I was invited,” Nicole said, then laughed when Megan gave her look, “I was.”

“Who invited you?” Megan asked.

“Her name is Susan,” Nicole said, with a nervous laugh, “she’s a junior.”

“Are you… I mean… Well, you know what I mean?” Megan asked, seeing her stepmother squirm, “wow! Really?”

Sighing, Nicole said, “Your father has been in prison for three years now, and he’s not getting out anytime soon. I-I have needs, like everyone else.”

“Oh,” Megan said, never really thinking about her stepmother’s sex life. Or lack of one, in this case. Her father being in prison was hard on everyone, she guessed.

A little sheepishly, her stepmother said, “I think Susan and I are over, though. She stood me up tonight.”

Grinning, Megan asked, “Is that why you picked me up?”

The woman rubbed the back of her neck and laughed, “Um, yeah… Well, that and you looked really hot in your costume… This is my costume, isn’t it?”

Megan cringed, said, “Yeah.”

“Thought so,” Nicole said.

Something her stepmother said sank in and Megan asked, “You thought I looked hot in this costume?”

“Before I knew it was you,” Nicole said, then shook her head and laughed, “what a messed up night, right?”

Megan looked at her stepmother a long moment, decided neither one of them was freaked out enough about what had happened. She didn’t know how Nicole felt, but Megan realized she wasn’t all that upset about it.

Her beating a little faster, Megan said, “I don’t know… I’ve had worse.”

“Yeah?” Nicole asked, meeting Megan’s eyes. Seeing Megan meant it, the woman relaxed some.

“I thought you were hot in your costume before I knew it was you, too,” Megan said, then summoning her courage, “Still think you are kind of hot.”

“I- well,” her stepmother said, flustered. Laughing, she met Megan’s eyes. She just looked at Megan for a second, then favored Megan with a sheepish smile, “If we are being completely honest, I’ve always thought you were beautiful.”

“Oh,” Megan said, caught off guard.

“Too much honesty?” Her stepmother asked.

“Just a lot to process,” Megan said, her heart a little goofy in her breast, “I think you are beautiful, too.”

“Oh God,” Nicole said, taking a deep breath. Letting it out in a sigh, she said, “Um, I’m going to go home. I-I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night. You can stay, if you want.”

“Really?” Megan said, glancing at the party, “You are letting me stay?”

Laughing, Nicole said, “Might as well have some fun before you get grounded.”

“I… Thanks, I think,” Megan said, surprised.

“Just do me a favor,” Nicole said, meeting Megan’s eyes, “don’t get into too much trouble.”

“I’ll try,” Megan said, playfully.

“Don’t make me regret letting you stay,” Nicole said, putting her hand on Megan’s arm, “be safe.”

“I will,” Megan said, smiling warmly at the woman.

She hadn’t wanted to like Nicole when her father started dating her, had set out to dislike any woman after he left her mother. Nicole hadn’t seemed to mind Megan’s icy demeanor, didn’t try too hard to win her over. The woman made it clear early on that she wasn’t trying to be Megan’s mom. She was happy just to be Nicole’s friend.

Surprisingly, Megan found herself loving the woman almost as much as her father did. She wasn’t exactly sure when she first started having genuine affection for the Nicole; she just sort of realized she loved the woman one day. The first time she called Nicole ‘mom’, the woman cried and hugged her tightly. It was then that Megan realized the woman loved her, too.

Their stepmother-daughter relationship became more formal when Megan’s father was indicted on two counts of vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to ten years in prison. With Megan’s father in prison, Nicole has had to step into the role of Megan’s guardian. Nicole has never complained, but Megan figured it had to be a bummer getting stuck with a step-kid while your new husband was away in prison. Megan tried to give the woman as little grief as possible and tried to help out around the house as much as she could.

Nicole looked like she wanted to say something else, then changed her mind. Turning to walk away, she said, “I’ll see you when you get home.”

“Okay,” Megan said, then added, “I love you.”

Turning back, Nicole said, “I love you too, Sweetie. Have fun.”

Then her stepmother was gone and Megan was left to wonder what would happen when she got home. She had just slept with her stepmother and the fact that she wasn’t all that freaked out about it worried her. She could still feel the woman’s body moving against her own, could smell her stepmother’s perfume on her skin. Even after Megan’s mask was pulled back and her identity revealed, there had still been a glimmer of desire in her stepmother’s eyes. Megan hadn’t been lying when she admitted she thought Nicole was beautiful. She has always thought so and after what happened tonight…

“Shit,” Megan said, rubbing the back of her neck.

Walking back to the party, she wondered if Nicole was having thoughts like the ones going in her mind. Like maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if there was a repeat of what happened tonight. Megan’s cheeks were flushed as she thought about sleeping with Nicole, again. She’d be lying if she said the idea didn’t appeal to her, at least a little bit.

“Shit,” Megan said, again. She made a beeline for the drink table, suddenly needing something for her nerves.

“There you are,” Casey said, coming up beside her.

“Hey,” Megan said, smiling at her friend.

“Blake was looking for you,” Casey said, a mischievous grin on her face, “I told him you found another dance partner.”

“I- What do you mean?” Megan said, sounding guilty as hell to her own ears.

Must have sounded guilty to Casey’s ears, too because her smile widened. Her eyes were shining as she moved closer, said in just loud enough so no one but Megan could hear her, “Oh my God. I was right! So who is she?”

“No, I…” Megan said, then realized her friend wasn’t buying it. More than that, she didn’t seem all that surprised. Sighing, Megan said, “She’s… Her name is Rachel.”

She didn’t want to explain to Casey how she ended up sleeping with her stepmother, so she just told the girl the fake name Nicole had given her.

“Did you two make out?” Casey asked, then started laughing when Megan blushed, “You did!”

“Shh,” Megan said, looking around.

“Sorry,” Casey said, moving closer, “so what are we talking here? First base? Second?”

Megan looked at the girl for a long moment, then said, “You don’t seem… I don’t know… Surprised, I guess.”

“That you are into girls?” Casey asked, then shrugged, “I’ve been getting the feeling lately, then I saw you and Rachel sneak off and I knew.”

“Huh,” Megan said, her stomach sinking.

“Relax,” Casey said, putting her arm around Megan’s shoulder, “You are my best friend. That’s how I noticed. I doubt anyone else has figured it out, yet.”

With a sigh of relief, Megan said, “Good. I- I don’t think I’m ready to tell anyone. To be honest, I’m a little freaked out you know.”

Laughing, Casey said, “You should have thought about that before sneaking off to make out with some high school girl.”

“I didn’t think you would notice,” Megan said, smiling at the girl, “you seemed distracted by that boy you were dancing with.”

“I did notice, though,” Casey said, then gave her a look, “you dodged my question earlier. How far did you go?”

Megan looked away, her face on fire. When she glanced back, she saw Casey’s eyes get wide and her face got even hotter.

“Seriously?” Casey asked, laughing.

Shrugging, Megan said, “It just sort of… happened.”

“You slut,” Casey said, playfully.

“Hey,” Megan said, giving the girl a dirty look.

“Told you you were going to get some attention in that costume,” Casey said, winking at Megan, “danced with the captain of the football team, slept with a high school girl… Not too shabby for your first party.”

Not too shabby, indeed, Megan thought, then with an inward groan, too bad Nicole is going to ground me forever and this is the only party I’ll ever get to go to.

——————————————

Coming up the sidewalk to her house, Megan saw lights on in the living room. She glanced at the tree in the yard, weighing the option of just climbing in her window. She had ignored her own advice, had had four of the red cups full of punch, so climbing anything but the steps didn’t seem safe. Sighing, she headed up the walkway.

On the front porch, she hesitated. After the crazy events of the night, she really didn’t know what to expect when she walked through the door. It could run the gambit from an angry tirade about sneaking out to another bout of lovemaking.

She took a deep breath and opened the door. Her stepmother was sitting on the couch, looked up when Megan stepped inside. She had a glass of wine in her hand and a bottle on the table in front of her. Fresh from a shower, she had her robe on and her legs tucked up under her. Her hair was up in a ponytail and her face scrubbed of paint. Forgoing her contacts, Nicole wore her glasses.

God, she looks good like that, Megan thought, forcing her eyes away.

“Have a seat,” Nicole said.

Megan closed the door and walked over to the armchair adjacent to where Nicole sat. Sitting down, she crossed her legs and looked at the woman expectantly. Her heart was racing as she tried to figure out what came next.

“Did you have fun?” Nicole asked, sipping her wine.

“Yeah,” Megan said, her heart beating a little faster.

“Good,” Nicole said, then sighed, “I’m pretty sure I’m required to ground you now.”

Laughing, Megan said, “Probably.”

“Let’s do… A week, then,” Nicole said.

“A week?” Megan parroted, surprised.

“Not enough?” Nicole asked, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

“No, no. A week is plenty,” Megan said, in a hurry.

“Good,” Nicole said, laughing.

Megan looked at her stepmother for a long moment, thought even dressed down like this the woman looked incredibly sexy. Her face hot, Megan looked away before Nicole could notice. When she glanced back, she saw the woman playing with the collar of her robe nervously, which only made Megan’s heart beat faster.

“Um, about what happened…” Nicole said, her voice a little shaky, “when we… Are you okay with what we did?”

Laughing, Megan said, “I don’t know… I was fine with it right up until I realized it was you.”

“Gee, thanks,” Nicole said.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Megan said, blushing, “I don’t even regret it happened… I-I just don’t know what happens now.”

“Yeah, now…” her stepmother said, laughing, “That’s the big question, isn’t it?”

“I mean, do we just laugh it off,” Megan said, meeting her stepmother’s eyes, “chalk it up as a comic misadventure?”

“It does have a certain twisted humor about it,” Nicole said, laughing and shaking her head. Sobering up some, she said, “Do you think that’s all it should be? Just a story to remember and laugh about?”

“No,” Megan said, blushing. Looking down at her hands, she said, “It was my first time.”

“I know, Sweetie,” Nicole said.

“I think it was a pretty cool first time,” Megan said, glancing at Nicole shyly.

Smiling warmly at her, Nicole said, “I’m glad you think so. I thought it was pretty amazing, too.”

Nodding, Megan got to her feet, the alcohol and the heels making her a little unsteady on her feet. Her stepmother laughed, gave her a knowing look. Megan shrugged and gave her a sheepish smile, said, “I’m going to grab a shower, then go to bed.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Nicole said, smiling at her.

Megan headed for the stairs, paused at the bottom to ask, “Do you want to join me?”

Her stepmother inhaled sharply, her eyes widening. A slow smile spread on her face as she asked, “Just like that, huh?”

Laughing, Megan asked, “Too forward?”

What Did You Think?