Ch. 04 - Integration
"How is Munich?"
"Full of French girls," Shannon's small image said from my phone. She sounded a little tipsy. It was after eleven her time. "And I'm so off the market now. It's a tragedy!"
"Yeah, it is," I said. "It's a tragedy for all the French girls you're not sleeping with. But I'm sure you have a little mechanical help to distract you."
"I don't!" Shannon wailed. "I don't even have one in the UK. I should have visited the sex shop in Bristol. I still wouldn't bring it on a plane."
"I know the feeling," I agreed. "As for me, with you stuck overseas, I'm going to have to buy a Costco-sized pack of batteries."
Shannon laughed. "I thought your vibe was rechargeable."
"Most are," I admitted. "I have a tiny one that takes batteries. And one with a cord."
"Ooh, I need to see these," she said.
"Yeah, you should find time to visit when you're back. Maybe we can catch up in less than another four months." I said the last with extra emphasis. The next few months really were going to suck. And not in the good way.
Shannon licked her lips. Her eyes looked both dark and thoughtful.
"You're wearing your evil overlord expression," I said. "What are you scheming?"
Her grin looked no less evil. "I think you should show me now," she said.
I sighed demonstratively, but only for show, and unless Shannon had consumed more alcohol than I thought, she'd know that. "They're hardly collectible items."
"You can show me around your house too," she said. "I haven't seen your bedroom. I haven't seen my girlfriend's bedroom."
It still gave me a warm feeling when she called me that.
"I guess you suck at seduction," I said. "I mean, I've seen my girlfriend's bedroom."
"Oh, I suck," Shannon agreed. "I excel at it. Now, show me."
"Conveniently, I'm in my bedroom," I said. Zooming my phone camera out, I pointed it around the room. She liked the decor, the multiple bookshelves, and the small sitting area.
"That has to be twice the size of mine," said Shannon.
"Not quite, I think," I said, "but when you're not building an ocean view house in California, space isn't at quite the premium."
"True," Shannon replied. "Now, these toys?"
"You're acting like there's something unusual about them," I griped, but I opened a drawer and let her see me take out my vibrators. I picked them up one by one, dropping them unceremoniously on top of the chest. A rabbit, a clit sucker, a wand, a tiny vibe disguised as a tube of lipstick - "This is the only one that uses batteries," I said as I dropped it beside the others - then Old Faithful with a power cord that looked like it should be on an electric mower or high-powered work light. "Happy now?"
"Let me see the lipstick up close," Shannon said. I focused the phone in on it, then took the cap off and showed her that it really did buzz.
"That's the only one I usually carry with me," I said, "and only if I'm checking a bag. I don't want it registering as some kind of concealed weapon."
"Does it have enough power to do the job?" Shannon asked.
"That and a fantasy about Margot Robbie usually earns me a good night's sleep," I said, "and if the battery does die, I can replace it without waiting for a recharge."
"Margot Robbie, eh?" Shannon grinned. "I'm on board with that choice. Hey, do you have a phone stand for meetings?"
"I'm never without it," I said.
"Set it up by your bed. It's time for show and tell. You show, I tell."
I had a feeling she was going to lead up to something like this. My clit had already begun to tingle. But I wasn't about to let her have her way without effort. "Shannon, it's the middle of the afternoon here!"
"So it is," she agreed, "but I'm not going to wait until five a.m. for you to turn out the lights and drink your grapefruit tequila."
Sighing loudly again, I left the phone on the dresser, walking out of sight to collect my stand. When I returned, her voice was emanating from the phone. "Hey, Kat? Kat? Did you forget about me?"
"I tried," I said, "but no joy." I waved the phone stand before the camera.
The wicked grin on her face grew. "Is it one that clamps the phone?" She sounded thrilled. "Can you angle it down to the bed?"
It was, and I could, so I set the phone up to see my pillow.
"Take the second vibe, I think it was, the suction one?" Shannon said. "That's the one I've seen before, right? Is it charged? Do you have lube?"
Her enthusiasm for this game was stoking the warmth within me. "They're all fully charged," I said. I picked up the clit suction vibe and lube, pushed the duvet off the bed and lay in the camera view, waving the items for Shannon to see.
"Smear a little lube on your nips," Shannon said. "Imagine your finger is my tongue."
"That will make a mess of my tee shirt," I said.
The small image of Shannon frowned in exasperation. "Then take it off first," she said.
Reaching up to the phone, I adjusted it so that the inset image of me showed only my face. Sitting up, I tugged my tee shirt over my head, tossed it to the side and lay down. I moved the phone again so it could see the very top of the rise of my breasts, but no more. My nipples had already begun to swell, but Shannon couldn't see that.
Shannon's blue irises had sunk to narrow rings on the video chat. Beneath her gaze, I was feeling heat in my breasts and pussy as I applied a little lube to my nipples. With each nipple trapped between finger and thumb I cupped and lifted my breasts so that the camera caught more in its view.
"Are you picturing my tongue doing this?" Shannon asked.
"Yeah," I confirmed. "Except that you must have two, since I'm pinching both."
"Maybe one is me, and the other is Margot?"
"Tempting," I said, "but I only want to fantasize about you. I wish you were here."
"Same, Kat," she said. "Now take the vibe and run it over your breasts. Don't go lower."
The clit vibrator made its usual clicking sounds. I ran it over the upper surface of each breast, where Shannon could see, then moved it down and around, pushing my nipples aside with the opening. It felt nothing like having Shannon's mouth on me, but the fluttering against my nipple made it harden further, my breast and nipple growing ever more sensitive. Doubly so with Shannon's gaze on me.
"Move the camera a few inches lower," Shannon said, her voice sounding deeper.
"Oh, you want to see what I'm doing?" I asked. "Only if you take your top off."
"My 'top' is my robe," she said, "and it's the only thing I'm wearing."
"All the same, off it comes," I insisted.
Shannon sighed. "You drive a hard bargain," she said. She stood, letting the robe slide to the floor. I caught a glimpse of short pale hair at the base of the image before she sat, her luscious breasts just below center frame. Her nipples seemed already to be fully erect. I let out an involuntary groan at the sight.
Shannon smirked. "Now will you move the camera?" she asked.
I'd forgotten all about my side of the bargain, my imagination overloaded by my girlfriend getting naked for me. I reached up to move the phone, until the view just covered my navel to the top of my forehead. When I resumed squeezing one breast while running the vibe over the other, I saw one of Shannon's hands sneak over her chest.
"I want your hand in my pants," I groaned.
I was fairly sure that Shannon was touching herself with her free hand. Other than bargaining for her to strip, she was doing the telling, not me, so I didn't mention it, but imagining her masturbating over me pushed my arousal higher.
"Not yet," she said.
My face had warmed further, while Shannon's was distinctly pink when she told me to take off my pants. I sat to pull off my shorts and underwear, then lay back down, seeing Shannon's dark eyes tracking my quivering breasts as I wriggled back into position.
"My fingers are stroking you there," she said.
Dutifully, I lowered one hand to caress my labia, the other still holding the vibrator to my nipple. I hadn't realized how sensitive I'd become, and the light stroking made me squirm on the bed.
She hadn't prohibited me from stroking my clit, so I did, my breathing becoming a series of small gasps.
"I'm pushing my finger inside," Shannon said, so I slid my finger inside, my thumb still on my clit. Closing my eyes, I felt that I could really feel Shannon beside me, her finger working deep within. I moaned as my hand - her hand - began to thrust.
"Oh God, Shannon..." I moaned.
A strangled sob came from the phone speaker. "My mouth on you!" she groaned. "Clit. Use the vibe."
While I lowered the vibe to my sex, I traded the finger inside me for two, then touched the sucking silicone mouth to my clit, pressing it firmly to me as I shoved my fingers in and out.
"Oh God, Shannon, I think I'm going to come," I said.
"Not yet," she croaked. "Take it easy."
I tried. I slowed the movement of my fingers, and stepped the vibe speed down a couple of notches. For a time I could breathe more gently, though the quivering feeling in my sex continued to grow.
Then Shannon moaned, pure desire in her tone. With my eyes closed, her voice was beside my ear, and my body was responding to her, not to me. "I can't hold it back," I whined.
I could have held back a little, but I needed this release. And it was Shannon's fingers on me, her mouth sucking in those strange rapid patterns on my clit, so it wasn't my fault if she didn't keep me from coming.
"It's too late," I said, as my thighs clenched my hand and my sex tightened around my fingers. "Ah! I'm coming!"
The ripples built deep within me, flowing out into my limbs and capturing my awareness.
When I opened my eyes, they still were not focusing for a moment, but as the pulsing faded into an erotic warmth I could see my girlfriend's face beaming down at me. Her face and chest were flushed, and her breasts shook occasionally. From aftershocks, I realized. I hadn't been the only one enjoying my vibe.
Waiting months to see each other again would be different now, and I was nervous about that. Would not being together affect how we felt? Would we find our relationship strained by enforced companionship after long gaps? We'd worked well before Bristol by not being too invested in each other, and by taking sex and friendship as it happened. As a couple, we were absolutely invested, and a four month forced separation now would not only be lonely, it would be risky, or at least worrying.
Maybe we could sneak in a visit on a weekend when neither of us was travelling. Maybe we could visit more often than that...
Me: "I have an idea, but it might be crazy."
Shannon: "Lookout world, Kat had a brainstorm."
Me: "I did. Is this a good time to talk?"
Shannon: "Sure. Google Meet?"
Me: "Voice. I'm at the office. Let me step outside and call you."
Shannon: "Okay.
Shannon was back in Bristol between the Paris convention and her final trip to Aarhus. We texted often, and had managed two videochats between her trips to Munich and Paris. Because of the time difference, they were only really possible on the weekend, when I was available in the afternoon, and when Shannon was living on road schedule, and probably tired after a long day. We hadn't attempted one on the Paris visit, but she had shared some of one of the social events with me, letting me see the surroundings and the people.
She answered the call with, "So what's this crazy idea?"
"Hello to you too," I said, with a laugh. "So, I'm really not looking forward to waiting four months for our paths to cross."
"Yeah, it doesn't thrill me, either," Shannon said, with a sigh.
"Well, you can work from anywhere. Why don't you change your flight to here and tell your management company to find more renters for a month or two."
A month or two is a long commitment." There was a dubious tone in her voice. "You think you'll be able to get me out of your system in a couple of months?"
"God, no. Kinda the opposite," I said. "But that's only the slightly crazy part. What has always killed my relationships in the past is the time spent on the road. I see her for a few days, then I'm gone for a weekend or for a couple of weeks. Right?"
"Tell me about it," she said.
"Now ours is opposite," I said. "We see each other, then get separated for a time that isn't under our control. But we both understand what the road is like. So if we could also have the other part, the not-travelling part, we understand the stresses of the convention circuit and it wouldn't be a relationship killer. The crazy part is this: I think we should use a couple of months of no commitment sharing my house to decide whether to make the situation permanent."
"You make the most unromantic case for U-hauling that I've ever heard," she said, dryly.
"But isn't that what we are? I love you, Shan, but I respect your dedication to your work. I always have, and I don't want to get in the way of it. Doing that would upset the work-fun balance we've found. This is - potentially - a rational way of having both, or discovering if we could have both."
She was silent for a moment, so I plowed on. "Also, It's U-hauling if you consider we became a couple that night at your friends', but I think I've had feelings for you from the start. Is it really U-hauling if we've wanted to be together for longer?"
"It's a good point." Her tone was still questioning, but also maybe - hopeful? She continued after a few seconds. "Now would be the time to change my plans, before I move back into the house, and while there's still time to let the management people know. I'm shipping one suitcase back so that I don't have to carry it to Denmark. Should I send it to you?"
"If you don't mind me opening it, I can get any clothes washed or dry-cleaned," I said, "so you don't have to live out of the contents of your travel case when you get here."
"That sounds very domestic," she said, sounding amused.
"Don't imagine it will happen often. Or ever again," I retorted.
Shannon sighed. "I'm already regretting a decision I haven't yet made."
Shannon: "Arrived in Aarhus last night and I never ever ever want to make that trip again. Available to chat?"
Me: "Sure."
I picked up my tablet before the call came in. The Meet invite popped up, so I responded on the tablet.
She was wearing her robe. After she saw that the connection was good, she bent down to pick things out of her suitcase. "I didn't unpack last night, so I'm going to do that while we talk," she said.
"What's wrong, honey? You sound a little shaken."
"That's mostly tiredness," she said, "but yeah, I think I still am. We landed in fog last night, and you know I'm only an okay flyer."
"What happened, Shan?" I asked.
She was hanging her clothing, and talking over her shoulder. "You can still hear me, right?"
I assured her I could.
"So, I can usually tolerate flying," she said. "Sometimes white-knuckled, but not so bad, as long as I can see the ground and know everything appears normal. Last night I couldn't see the ground. I thought we were flying down into clouds, but the clouds weren't getting any thinner. Then suddenly we were climbing and turning, and there was still no visibility. We descended again, and I swear I saw the ground no more than two seconds before the wheels thumped, not long enough to prepare. And it felt like we landed hard, though that could just be because I wasn't prepared."
"Ugh, that sounds terrible," I said. "I wouldn't have liked that, and I don't really have an issue with flying. How did you deal with it?"
"I just sat shaking in my seat until everyone else had deplaned," she said. "Then I moved very slowly. The cabin attendant was all smiles, as if nothing had been unusual. I got to the hotel and put myself to bed without unpacking." She glanced around the room, then opened her other case. She looked over a suit that she took out, then lay it on her bed. "That will work for today, and I think I'll finish unpacking tonight. I think I'm doing okay, now, but I wanted to hear a reassuring voice."
"You survived it, honey," I said. "You'll do great with this job."
Shannon untied her robe, letting it slide open as she leaned toward her phone. "And I wanted to see your reassuring expression. Especially that one," she said, pointing at me.
"She's still in shock from a bad landing, and all she wants from me is sex," I said, with a laugh.
She made a deliberate shiver. "God, do I," she said. "I can't wait to see you in a few days. I love you, Kat."
"I love you too, Shan. "Now go knock 'em dead."
"I'm counting the hours, babe," she said, before ending the call.
My emotions were on the point of bubbling over when I saw Shannon at the baggage claim. Her eyes glistened when we hugged. I think mine had stayed dry, but it was a close call. We stood arm-in-arm to wait for her checked bags.
"You cleared customs in Seattle, right?" I asked.
"Yeah," she replied. "I got to change flights in Iceland! That's somewhere I've never been."
"No fog?" I asked.
"Thank God, no fog," she said. "I heard from the people I worked with that go-arounds aren't unusual, nor is landing in fog, as long as other conditions are good. The airport has a great safety record, and that won't help me in the slightest if I have to fly there again."
"I'll come with you and wrap a scarf over your eyes," I offered.
She chuckled. "If we can schedule it, I'll take you up on that."
We had just loaded Shannon's bags into my SUV when she caught my arm. Her expression as her eyes held mine seemed vulnerable. "Kat," she said, "your idea might have been as crazy as you claimed, but I... I'm hoping that this works for us."
I'd never seen her drop her defenses like this. Even with me, she was confident and snarky. This raw emotion was very real. She wanted me to see how important this was to her.
"I am too, honey," I said. "Maybe it is crazy. Maybe it isn't. But I want you in my life, and I'm willing to put in the effort to work something out, whatever we decide."
"Would you see me moving into your house as our goal?" Shannon asked, as I was driving out of the airport.
"I'm going to say yes, in that it makes the most sense to me," I said, "but I'm not married to the idea, and it isn't without its problems."
"Such as?"
"Anywhere you travel from here requires multiple stops," I said. "You would be trading away your painful drive to the airport, but you'd have to change flights more often, or at least have fewer direct flights."
"Okay, I can see that," she said, leaning back against the headrest. "But then I rarely have direct flights, even from L.A. Usually I change in Denver or Atlanta. Or Dallas."
"You would be moving away from your friends," I said.
She turned to give me an ironic grin. "That's going to be true wherever I move," she said. "Unless I move to L.A. proper, which wouldn't be good for travelling. I have friends in the city, but where I live I'm mostly cut off. I have some cool neighbors, but they're neighbors, not friends. Would you consider moving to my place?"
"Absolutely, I would, if it means we can be together," I said. "But it doesn't seem like a great idea because the drive is so bad you already want to move. And I'd have to find another job, since I don't work from home. We have a facility in SoCal, but the sales office is small, and not really a commuting option. Still, I don't think it would be hard to find work. Is that what you would want?"
Shannon shook her head. "Only sounding you out. I don't think it's a starter. And I'd forgotten that you don't work from home. OK, what other negatives?"
"Just one," I said. "It gets damned cold in the winter."
"That's a negative, for sure," Shannon replied. "I've spent time in Calgary and Banff, where I think your nose can fall off if you're outside for ten minutes. I hated it. I especially hated that everyone else brought their skis, because, well, I'm sure you can imagine how little that could ever appeal to me. But inside can still be warm. How's your house in winter?"
"Comfortable," I said. "And my bed is already plenty warm with one. Just too empty." I flashed her a grin. "I don't think the airport closes more often than most, and the roads from my house are kept clear when there isn't a winter storm. I'm sure San Diego and LA have fewer shutdowns."
"But air traffic is still a mess even there when the midwest shuts down," Shannon said with a sigh. "I really don't see any showstoppers, yet, but that's one reason we're having this trial period, right?"
I chuckled. "Mostly it's so we can see if we can live together without killing each other, but the rest is legit."
My friend Lauren invited us for Thanksgiving. It would be the first Thanksgiving for her partner and her as a couple. They were inviting family, but since they were planning to cook a whole turkey there would be far too much food for four, so she was inviting friends. I offered to help, but she said she had it covered, so Shannon and I turned up in the early afternoon.
I introduced Shannon to Lauren and her partner, Mika, but asked Lauren to continue the introductions, since I didn't know anyone else. Since their relationship was recent, and I'd been travelling so much, I'd only met Mika twice. She'd changed her hairstyle since we'd last met. Now, hair in various shades of red streaks on red hung loosely down to her upper back.
"Family" turned out not to be either Mika's or Lauren's direct family, but Mika's late wife's parents, Morgan and Rick, whom she saw as close to a surrogate family. Finally, Lauren introduced her friend Mandy, whom I'd never met, and who described herself as the "fairy at the bottom of the garden." Thirty-ish, with dark ash blonde hair and gray-blue eyes, Mandy had a sufficiently elfin look, but I knew that she claimed the name because she was renting the outside apartment, at the far end of the house's large yard.
Shannon took all the introductions in stride, memorizing names instantly. She was the epitome of an ideal salesperson - provided, I thought, that a sales event didn't take place on a mountainside.
Mika's in-laws were lovely. Driving here had been an all-day trip, so they'd arrived the previous evening and wouldn't be leaving until Sunday. As the only guest who'd be driving, I limited myself to a single glass of wine. Mika and her family had little more than me, but Shannon, Lauren and Mandy were much less restrained, and were clearly on the path to becoming friends.
When Mandy covered her mouth after a particularly loud laugh at something Lauren said, I exchanged a look with Mika, who wore an amused smile. "Youngsters, right?" I whispered. Though honestly I'd guess her age at close to Shannon's.
Lauren turned to me after that to tell me that Mika had a gallery opening coming up. That caught Shannon's interest. "You own a gallery?" she asked Mika.
The slender woman shook her head. "No, I'm showing some of my work."
That led to questions about what kind of art Mika would be exhibiting.
"Mostly photographs," she said. "A few watercolors, and a sculpture that I need to install."
"I know I'm biased," said Lauren, "but everything she creates is amazing. She's working herself too hard for this opening."
"It's important to me, love. You know that."
"I do," Lauren admitted.
Morgan gave Mika an affectionate smile. "And you're going to see your other parents after the opening?" she asked. "Time for them to meet your girlfriend?"
Mika blushed, her cheeks close to several of her hair color streaks. "Yes," she said. "They are very eager to meet her."
"I am to meet them," said Lauren. "Also, terrified."
"Where are they?" Shannon asked.
"Ibaraki," said Lauren. "Ibaraki Prefecture. Just outside Tokyo. We'll be there for Christmas and New Year."
Morgan and Rick engaged in talk about the trip with Mika. I heard Rick asking her to promise regular video chats. Lauren turned back to us. "I really am nervous about it. They're good people, but I feel like there are so many ways I could screw up. And I'm nervous about the show, because I do know what it means to her. Oh!" She looked up, apparently at a new thought. "There's a new band I want to see at the Duck on Saturday. Would you both like to come with Mandy and me?"
"Not Mika?" I asked.
Lauren grinned ruefully. "She has a wedding shoot and wants to put more time in at her workshop. Honestly, I think it's more that hard rock is still the one thing I don't think we'll ever reconcile. She doesn't want to spoil my evening, so she'll find an excuse not to go. And she really is busy. We'll be meeting... oh." Her cheeks turned pink as she gave me a look of concern bordering on panic. "Uh. Rachel will be there."
Shannon gave us both a curious look, then grinned. "Rachel the Energizer Bunny?" she asked me, her voice low enough not to reach Mika's in-laws.
"O.M.G., did you say 'Energizer Bunny'?" Mandy's hearing must have been excellent. "Oh my God. That's perfect."
"Shannon knows about Rachel," I said to Lauren. "And Rachel won't be offended that my situation has changed. I doubt she even remembers me. It won't be a problem." I glanced at Shannon, who gave me a nod. "We'll be there," I said. Then I turned to Mandy, feeling my lips twist into a lopsided smirk. "So I guess you've met Rachel?" I asked.
"Oh, yeah," said Mandy. She chuckled again, then grinned ruefully. "I shouldn't laugh. I so wish I could meet someone with that level of energy."
"Why is that?" Lauren asked. "You have a steady stream of visitors. Don't any of them fit the bill?"
Mandy scowled at her friend. "Have you been spying on my fairy cottage?"
Lauren smirked, then took a sip of her wine. "No, sweetie, you tell me about them."
"Oh, right." Mandy said, then sighed. "I guess women my age are boring. Present company excepted, of course," she added, with a guilty glance at Shannon, then moving her eyes to include Lauren and me. "Whatever. I could use more excitement in my life."
"Ever considered a career in sales?" Shannon asked.
"So I think we have another factor in our decision tree," Shannon commented when we returned home.
"You lost me somewhere," I said. "Before you opened your mouth, I think."
"Probably you were distracted thinking about what you want my mouth to do."
"I'm sure I was," I said. "But explain that again."
"Two things," she said. "One. You have closer friends than I do. It would be disappointing to isolate you from them."
"It's hard to make friends with our schedule. I wouldn't want to lose touch," I agreed.
"And two. I feel like they could be my friends, too. I like Mandy and Lauren. I think I like Mika, too, but she's harder to read."
"Yeah. I don't know her well, but I put a lot of faith in Lauren's opinion."
"How do you know Lauren?"
"The company suffered a major lawsuit a few years back. It was when I was moved into sales," I said. "We survived, but we needed funding to meet our commitments. Getting behind would have made us vulnerable. Lauren was on the team negotiating our financing. She was super hot in a power suit, and I instantly knew she was gay. She claims to have had the same feeling about my business suit. We met up outside of work. Became friends."
"Only friends?" Shannon asked.
There was curiosity in her tone, but no criticism.
"I hate to disappoint you, but yes, only friends. More crossed my mind, of course, but she had a girlfriend at the time, and there was no spark between us. Ironic that for both of us we strongly recognized the other - my gaydar is rarely that precise - yet we almost instantly knew that we'd make better friends than anything else. She broke up with that girlfriend not long after we met, but it wasn't for me."
"And she knows Energizer Rachel?"
I laughed. "Yeah. They work together, which is how I know her. She says Rachel is very prim and proper during work hours. She wears two piece navy skirt suits, and is an executive assistant to one of the branch vice presidents."
"I'm gonna have to disagree with you about one thing," Shannon said.
"What's that, honey?" I asked.
"Rachel may have no regrets, but she hasn't forgotten you," she said. "No one who's slept with you is ever likely to forget you."
I'd seen Moby Duck more crowded, but this was a good turnout for a band with little name recognition.
"I wouldn't say this was hard rock," I shouted to Lauren. "Maybe Mika wouldn't hate it."
Lauren shrugged. "She tries. She likes the classics. Floyd, Zepp, Peter Gabriel, Annie Lennox. I guess she acquired a taste for them in school. After the early 2000s it's mostly softer sounds. She loves Dido, The Cranberries, Indigo Girls. Rosanne Cash, oddly enough. Kero Kero Bonito. She takes me to the symphony. I don't feel like I need to push her tastes further than she does herself. These guys? Maybe. I'm sure she'll listen politely if I download them."
"Lemure" was a four piece band. Two guys with neatly-trimmed beards, one of whom alternated between guitar and synth, the other usually playing bass, but occasionally trading it for a twelve-string guitar. The drummer was a girl with a tight cap of blonde hair who must have pinged the gaydar of anyone remotely queer, but the female vocalist was much harder to pin down, with black loose curls that usually covered her face. Their instrumentation was rich and rhythmic, with the singer skating around the melody. Closer to Garbage - the band, that is, they were very much not disappointing trash - than any other band I could think of.
Shannon was talking with - or shouting with - Mandy, frequently making her laugh, while Rachel, who hadn't forgotten me, of course, but who had offered me no more than a friendly smile, had found a girl on the dance floor. I'd seen her take a paper-wrapped pill from the rear pocket of tight jeans, casually popping it into her mouth before prowling away.
After a couple of margaritas each, Shannon and I also headed out to the dance area, followed by Lauren and Mandy. They moved aside to give us space, but I waved them to join us, and we all mostly bounced and swayed in place, since the floor had become crowded. Eventually, Rachel rejoined us. Apparently she'd struck out, though she seemed accepting enough of her rejection.
I noticed that Mandy's eyes occasionally tracked to Rachel, while Rachel's explored the crowd. After a couple of minutes, Mandy seemed to come to a decision, though her expression lacked confidence. She moved up to the younger woman, then drew her nails over the small of her back, below the hem of her short crop top. Rachel's back arched, pushing her well-defined breasts higher. When Mandy's nails completed their circle and began their course again, Rachel leaned back into her touch, turning a sultry look toward her.
Soon, Rachel was nestling against Mandy, who was stroking her bare waist with both hands. When she turned to face Mandy, she erased all of the space between them, her high breasts brushing Mandy's. Her eyes were dilated and her expression euphoric - as it had been on our second encounter last year.
We wrestled two encores out of the band, who had already looked drained by the end of their set. It was safe to say that as far as the patrons of the Duck were concerned, "Lemure" was going to be the biggest local band since "Of Darkness." Whom I'd never seen, but Lauren had, twice, even dragging Mika with her to take photographs.
We split up after that. Rachel was sharing the Uber with Mandy and Lauren, of course, while we found our own. I snuggled against Shannon in the car, then held her hand as we walked up the driveway.
"You seem very pensive," I said, as I unlocked the door. "Are you okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah," she said, "better than okay. I'm thinking... I don't really need two months to decide. Do you?"
"I don't need two months to know I want to live with you," I said. "We still need to decide where." I drew her close, opening the belt of her jeans.
"Here," she said. "No question. I had been thinking I'd miss L.A., but you have plenty of interesting places. And I won't miss the traffic. Did it really just take less than ten minutes to get home?"
Home. She said home. I had to look down to focus on what I was doing to hide what must have been the giddiest grin ever grinned. Fortunately, her apparent preoccupation kept her from noticing my blush.
I popped the button on her jeans and unzipped them. She seemed barely to register my activity. "Yeah," I said. "We're really not far from anything here. Ten minutes to downtown, fifteen to the airport." I dragged her jeans down her thighs. "Step out of those shoes," I instructed.
She did it absently, then slid her jeans over her feet. "Fifteen minutes to the airport is almost the only selling point I need. I could live with an extra flight change for that."
Straightening, I pulled the wide neckline of her tee down far enough to kiss along her collar bone. Her hands rose to rest on my upper arms. I felt her shiver at the touch of my lips. Then she drew back.
"Why are you still fully dressed? And why are we not in the bedroom?"
"Both good questions," I said. "You've been slacking." I pulled off her shirt before taking her hand and leading her to my bedroom. Our bedroom now, maybe.
"Stand still," she commanded. "I need to get caught up."
Rather than start with my pants, as I'd done, Shannon tugged up my tee shirt, then began kissing down my body, from my neck, along the top of my bra, kneeling to nibble my belly button as her hands unfastened my pants. She kissed my thighs as my pants collapsed to the floor, much more easily than her eye-catchingly tight jeans.
Lightly pushing me backward onto the bed, she lay against me, fingers tracing the outline of my bra. "What should I do with my house?" she asked.
"I'd say keep it," I suggested. "Turn it over to the management company full-time. It makes a profit while you're building up equity. We can schedule our own time there for vacations, visiting your friends, or any other reason we need to be in California. We'll split both mortgages down the middle, and split the income from your house. You retain ownership of yours, and me of this place, so if you decide you're bored with me, we know how to divide everything."
Shannon slid further over my body and buried her face against my neck, her kisses giving me goosebumps. She nipped my earlobe with her teeth. "You've been giving this some thought. Mortgages! Profits! Equity! Prenups! Yeah, baby, I love your dirty talk."
I laughed, causing her body to shake deliciously against mine. "The only thing dirty is the idea you might get bored with me," I said.
"I seriously don't see that happening, babe," she replied. "I'm falling harder for you every day."
She shifted all the way onto me, kissing me lightly on the mouth. God, this woman's kisses could drive me insane. Even more so now that I knew how we each felt about the other. I felt myself getting wet against the thigh she'd wedged against my sex, then sighed into the kiss, my hands caressing her back. With no volition, my hips rose, pressing me into her, then, this time with full intent on my part, I unsnapped her bra, then caressed the inviting fullness with my thumbs.
Shannon moaned softly as I drew her bra down to her belly, then pulled it out from between us. In response, she pushed my bra strap over my shoulder, lowering her mouth to kiss the mound as she slowly exposed it. Her lips parted around my nipple. Suckling firmly, she lifted her head, stretching my breast, as I wrapped my arm around her thigh, stroking her labia with one finger.
"I love what you do to my body," I breathed, as she pushed my arousal higher.
Without moving her mouth from my breast, she pushed both of her hands behind me, freeing the catch of my bra, then dragging the straps forward to lie loose against my arms.I worked a finger slightly inside her, two still pushed against her labia. Her hips began to rock as I caressed her, feeling her sex becoming increasingly slick against my fingers.
She turned her face to the side, her hips rising and falling, pushing her sex hard against my thigh, then releasing it to my touch. "God, that feels amazing," she breathed.
"So does what you're doing," I whispered, as she slithered against me to reach my other breast. Soon both nipples were standing proud, tinglingly sensitive.
Wedging my other hand between us, I pushed it around until I could touch her clit. Rubbing it, I continued to caress her pussy lips and a couple of inches into her passage. Her breathing suddenly became intense, small voiced sounds with each exhalation. Her face was still firmly pressed to my breasts, her own hard nipples biting into my body.
I pushed my thigh up between her legs, putting extra pressure on her sex while my fingers scrubbed at her clit and folds. She cried out once, then panted harshly for several seconds, her hips slamming down into me. Suddenly she stopped moving, but her cries rose in pitch until her body convulsed. The spasming of her sex tried to eject my finger, but I pushed back, caressing her labia and clit more lightly until she began to relax, her cheek squeezing my breast.
"Oh my God," she breathed. "And you think I might get bored with you."
"If that's what it takes to avoid boredom," I said, "I'm going to enjoy holding your interest."
Shannon rolled off me to lie on her back. "I have zero muscle control," she said. "You're gonna have to help me out."
"O-kay?" I answered.
"Take off your panties," she said.
I'd already let my bra fall from my arms, so I took my panties off too, dropping them beside my bra on the bed.
"Help me back to the center of the bed," she ordered.
I was pretty sure she had more strength than she was claiming, but I went along with her request, holding her shoulder and thigh to tug her into the center. She flailed weakly to help me move her.
"OK, now straddle me," she said. "Facing me."
Moving one leg over her, I squatted on her thighs, facing her head.
"Scoot forward."
I moved forward, to Shannon's belly. She told me to scoot further, and further again, until I was over her breasts. Then she cupped my butt with her hands, lifting me up and forward with arm strength that had plenty of muscle control. Raising her head, she licked my slit in a straight heavy line.
"Oh, damn," I groaned.
"What, you don't want my mouth on you?" Shannon's eyes sparkled as she looked up into mine.
"Oh, God, yes," I said. "Please!"
She began to lick me slowly. The rush of arousal was intense. Reaching forward, I held onto the headboard as Shannon's lips and tongue took me to new heights. She suckled my clit until I cried out and begged her to let me come, then flicked her tongue side-to-side over my labia, which sent jolts of arousal through me but didn't give me what I needed.
She kissed my clit again, then worked it until I felt that I was going to melt in a puddle of desire, before backing away. "I like watching your boobs from down here," she murmured. The buzzing of her words against my clit made me wriggle, thighs tensing. "And they move so nicely when you squirm."
She moved her lips down, kissing my folds, moving her mouth all around, licking and flicking with her tongue. My nipples were so hard they ached as they tingled. I dropped a hand from the headboard to pinch them, making me gasp with sharp pleasure.
Licking higher, she caressed my clit one more time, then closed her lips around it, sucking, and shook her head until I felt the final rise to climax overwhelm me. My body tensed further until I exploded in pleasure.
I held myself rigid, both hands back on the headboard, until the waves of orgasm began to slow. She licked the coating of arousal from my sex as my heart slowed.
With difficulty, I eased my leg back over her, and tried to push myself between the sheets. Shannon rolled off the bed, lifting the sheets for me to be able to slide under them, then slipped in beside me, turning onto her side to watch me with affection.
"I'm not looking forward to Chicago next week," I said, finally. "But this year, instead of another three months, I get to come home to you. I am looking forward to that."
"I'll think of you in sunny Chicago while I suffer in Orlando," she said.
"I love you, Shannon," I said, "but I hope you know I hate you, too."
"I know," she said, curling up against me. "Isn't it wonderful?"