Chapter 2 - Waltz
Anita and Kayla had booked a wedding location outside town. When not in wedding season, it hosted occasional more informal parties, and both brides were familiar with it from college groups. There was a small wedding gazebo, a pavilion, and a large house for indoor activities in wooded grounds. The reservation was for the entire day, for the wedding and reception, and extended into the evening, when a local rock band would be playing a show to support the brides, who had earned the band's gratitude by helping the vocalist, Michelle, through a difficult time.
Tiff and Allison had encouraged the brides to hire a day-of wedding coordinator rather than a planner. The wedding wouldn't be complex, and the maids of honor could take care of the planning, but Mallory, a friendly, efficient woman, would oversee the activity management on the wedding day, and had guided Allison in what would be needed. Tiff's main task had been the spa day, though she'd handled much of the negotiation for wedding services, including the venue. Allison had been mostly concerned with planning.
On Friday, Allison spent the day making last minute checks with vendors. The wedding cake would arrive on time. The delivery service was familiar with the venue, and knew where to take it. Flowers were all ready for transport. The weather forecast looked excellent, but there were backup plans in place for moving the wedding service to the house if needed. The photographer was in good health and ready to work the following day.
In the late afternoon, Allison confirmed the arrival and setup time of the band with the manager, Joe. Though there was a contingency plan to set up in the house if the weather did turn bad, everyone hoped that it wouldn't be needed. With the support of Michelle, who had been until recently the main bartender at Gabby's, Anita and Kayla had given an open invitation to Gabby's patrons for the show, and there was no way everyone would fit in the house.
At the rehearsal dinner that night, Allison sat with Alex, Kayla's friend, and Tara, Kayla's cousin. They were the only others who didn't have a partner at the dinner.
"I didn't realize you and Ann were a couple," she said to Alex, after they'd made small talk for a few minutes.
"We're not?" Alex replied, sounding curious about the question. "Ann's a friend, but she's also a scheming ass. And she has a girlfriend."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Allison said. "I saw the two of you last night, and you looked close. I thought you must be together."
Alex sighed. "Only in the biblical sense?"
Tara frowned as if she was trying to process that comment. "Wait," she said, after a moment. Following the lead of the other two, her voice was pitched only for the three of them. "You're not together, and she has a girlfriend, but you're sleeping with her?"
"I hadn't intended to?" Alex said. Allison was beginning to realize that what she'd heard as curiosity was Alex's normal speech pattern. "But what's done is done, and the girlfriend is a 'her problem'. Also, it's been two years for me? I deserve a few hours of recreation."
Tara snorted softly. "Is this some of the lesbian drama Grace mentioned?"
"I'm enabling my deceptive former roommate's cheating, and not feeling guilty?" suggested Alex. "Maybe I can admit to some drama. Maybe I even feel a little guilty. But I didn't initiate. That's my story." She took a large sip of her wine. "Is there any drama between you and Grace that we can know about?"
Tara's face flushed pink. "No, there isn't."
Alex grinned. "But you'd like there to be?"
"No!" insisted Tara. She didn't have wine, but she drank some of her large glass of fruit juice, hiding her face.
"It's okay to have a crush on her," Allison said, gently. "I've met Grace a few times. She seems like a nice girl. But I think she's a senior."
Tara nodded, setting her glass back down. "Yeah, I know," she said.
"What about the girl you were with, Allison?" Alex asked. "You and she were exchanging meaningful looks last night."
"Were we?" Allison asked. "And how would you even know? The two of you seemed pretty out of it."
"Maybe?" Alex replied. "And maybe we were more in tune with feelings."
Allison sighed. "I don't know," she said. "We've been each other's convenience dates." That sounded better than "fake dating", didn't it? "She needed cover to avoid being pressured into dating someone else, so I pretended to be gay for her. She's returning the favor, since I didn't have a date for Anita's wedding."
"But you're not gay?"
Allison thought this was a statement, not a question, but it was hard to be sure.
"Right," she agreed. But then she sighed. Maybe she could say something to these relative strangers that she wouldn't to her close friends. She knew that both brides trusted Alex. "But, dammit, Alex, I feel something anyway. I'm confused as fuck."
"A wise woman once said, it's okay to have a crush on someone." Alex grinned at her.
Allison laughed. "Maybe so. But we've been each other's date for every event for weeks now, so maybe that's the only reason I'm feeling empty without her here."
Yet last night hadn't been an aberration. She wanted Natalia. "I want you, too," Natalia had said. But surely, that was just physical desire, even if she'd never felt it for a girl before. It wouldn't account for her feeling incomplete.
Tara looked at her, and she felt that she saw shared understanding in the young girl's eyes.
There were speeches, of course, but they were all light-hearted and didn't last long. Kayla's mother gave one, telling the gathering of her first meeting with Anita, mere days after learning that her daughter had a girlfriend, and how by the end of their visit she knew Anita would be her daughter-in-law, even if the couple were a little slow on the uptake.
Then the brides took turns in celebrating their friends in the wedding party, especially Tiff and Allison, who had worked so hard to make the wedding happen.
Though she'd only had two glasses of wine when she left, Allison felt completely drained, her head feeling heavy on the walk from her ride to her apartment. She barely registered hanging up her dress before she was in bed and sleep kidnapped her.
There should be little for Allison to do on the wedding day itself. She'd be meeting Mallory, the coordinator, to see if she needed assistance, and after that she planned to accompany the photographer, whom she'd met last year with Kayla, when they were still learning to tolerate each other, and who'd recommended Mallory to them.
Mallory seemed to have everything well in hand. Her assistant, Eric, was already working with the floral delivery. She gave Allison his number for emergencies, but said that she was unlikely to need it.
The wedding photographer, Mika, was a slender woman with a Japanese name and apparent Japanese features, though she spoke with a cultured, British accent. The portfolio Allison and Kayla had seen included many same-sex weddings, with several deeply emotional pieces. Last year, when they'd met, Mika's hair had been straight, black, and shoulder length, and her expressive eyes had seemed to hold a depth of sorrow. Allison had wondered if this was why she was able to take such poignant photos.
Now she seemed changed. The most obvious difference was her strawberry blonde bun, streaked with various shades of reddish blonde and even a little pink. But she seemed to have lost the aura of sadness she'd had. She was attentive, quiet, and efficient, but she seemed genuinely happy to be involved in the wedding.
She was perhaps in her early thirties, and wore sensible shoes and a dark blue lightweight pants suit, her bun held by a pair of decorative silver-beaded pins. She carried two cameras.
Following Mika's guidance, the brides had opted for "first look" photos. As Allison had attended Anita's fittings, she knew how she would be dressed, but this would be the first time seeing Kayla for both of them.
Anita met them by the small wooded area that Mika wanted to use as a backdrop. The sides of her hair had been brought into a knot held with a pin, while the remainder flowed down her back as usual. Allison knew that she would have resisted even that much styling. She was proud of the length of her straight hair and worked hard to keep it undamaged.
Her dress was lacy, sleeveless, with narrow straps and a deep center V. Anita's small breasts made the top appear elegant rather than racy. The skirt was cut just below the knee at the front, dropping to her ankles at the back, layered with lace to be full. She had avoided anything beyond floor length for the outdoor setting. She chatted with Mika until her fiancée appeared.
Both girls' faces flushed as they approached. Allison could hear the delicate sounds of Mika's camera capturing the expressions of both. She was sure she saw tears in Kayla's eyes.
The photographer continued to shoot the unposed pair as each took in her fiancée's appearance, before they finally turned to look at her. At that point, she began to pose them, first asking Kayla to remove her shoes, while Anita wore her silvery heels, in spite of the awkward terrain.
Kayla's dress could be considered conservative compared to her normal style. It was sleeveless silk, but high-necked with a narrow keyhole. The bodice was supported by a decorative band which matched the hairband in her dark, rainbow-tinted hair. Narrow at the waist, it flared slightly at the hips, with only a little layering over a narrow silk floor-length skirt. Her hair behind the band was a complex crown of weaves.
Mika had Eric bring bouquets, and she posed the couple with and without flowers, gazing into each other's eyes, and back to back. Seeing them turn, Allison discovered that while the back of Anita's dress exposed her shoulder blades, Kayla's dress had no back whatsoever. The bodice was entirely supported by the neck band, only widening at the waist, the skirt dipping slightly from there toward the center of her back. So maybe not as conservative as it had first seemed.
The photographer was quiet, but clear and authoritative in her requests. Though the sorrow Allison had sensed in her last year seemed to have diminished, she was still able to bring out love in the eyes of the brides, and Allison's concern that her skill in finding emotion in her subjects was due to her sadness faded.
Allison was so caught up in the activity, and in her musings about Mika, that she missed someone approaching from behind until a hand slipped into hers. Startled, she turned to see Natalia beside her. For a moment, she felt unable to breathe. She wasn't even sure what comprised the mix of feelings that had welled up in her. She felt a stinging in her eyes, as if the tears of joy at her friends' union had suddenly decided to make themselves known. She managed to avoid letting them free.
She wanted to wrap her arms around Natalia and hold her close. But this was the brides' day, and they were right here. She wouldn't distract from the moment. Instead, she squeezed Nat's hand as she smiled, her eyes on Allison's.
"I asked where I could find you," Nat whispered. "I hope you don't mind me arriving early. I thought you might like some support."
She wore a short red dress, sleeveless, with wide straps and a square neckline. The swell of her breasts tugged at Allison's gaze, but it was her eyes that held her. There seemed to be so much affection in them.
"I don't mind at all," Allison replied. "I'm happy to see you. I'm going to have to join the others to get changed, soon, though. Can you keep yourself entertained?"
"I think so. I can help, too, if you like. I know the drill. There will be zippers that need zipping, loose hair to pin, makeup to fix, and you'll all be too busy to help each other."
"What you're saying is you want to be around my half-naked lesbian friends," Allison teased.
"You know me better than I thought you did," Natalia whispered, with a grin.
There was time to take a walk through the grounds after Mika released the brides. Hand in hand, Allison led Natalia through the wedding gazebo, which was empty but for floral arrangements. They stopped to smell the flowers, then checked on the pavilion, where Mallory had her phone to her ear, while Eric lounged. Mallory raised a thumb to them, clearly having everything under control, so they ambled toward the house where everyone would be getting ready.
"You seem quiet," Natalia said. "Pensive."
"I keep thinking about two nights ago," Allison said. "It's been hard to avoid thinking about it." She turned to face Natalia, then ran the fingers of her free hand down the girl's upper arm. "I wanted to keep kissing you." After a beat, she added, "I still do."
"So do I," whispered Natalia. A moment later, Allison wrapped her arms around her, almost without conscious thought, and pressed her lips to the girl's.
Natalia took a moment to respond. Allison tasted her thick lip gloss before the girl's lips parted and her tongue met Allison's.
Allison felt desire spike, and a moan escape into the kiss.
"The fake kissing's looking very convincing, but I think you could use more practice."
They jerked apart. Allison looked around to find Tiff standing at the corner of the house, a huge smirk on her face. Emma, behind her, wore the look of resignation she always had when Tiff was mouthing off, but maybe with a trace of amusement.
"We could still be practising, if you hadn't interrupted us," Allison said.
"Yeah, well, your practice might have made you late for changing," Tiff said, turning to head into the house.
"True enough," Allison muttered.
"I'm going to need to fix my makeup now," Natalia griped, as they followed Tiff into the house. "Let me find a bathroom. I'll catch up with you in a minute."
Tiff released her girlfriend's hand, pushing Emma to continue on as she hung back to speak softly to Allison. "Are you falling in love with your fake girlfriend?" She seemed equal parts amused and sympathetic.
"I've never been in love with a girl," Allison hissed at her friend. "And surely it would be too soon, even if I could?"
Tiff just gave her a pitying look.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Allison whispered. She wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry. Now she understood why the upwelling of emotion earlier was so confusing. "Tiff, I hate you so much."
"I know." Tiff sighed dramatically. "'Tis my lot to bear the burden of being the wisest of us."
Emma, still close enough to hear her girlfriend declaiming, snorted with laughter.
Allison pulled on the silk bridesmaid dress. She'd changed into a sticky backless bra and thong. The dress wasn't as revealing as either of the brides' dresses, but the thin silk wasn't forgiving. She backed out from behind the curtain where she'd been changing with Heather. "Could someone help with the zipper?" she asked the small group preparing their own clothes.
"That's why I'm here," piped up Natalia. She felt steady fingers grip the zipper, sliding it into place. Then the fingers caressed her back and waist. "Nice dress," Nat said.
"Thanks," Allison said, turning. The silk was a pale yellow. "You can help me with this, too, since you're so eager." She held out a bright yellow sash. "It ties into a bow, like your top the other day, but at the back." Then she pitched her voice only for Natalia. "Not as rewarding to untie though."
Nat smirked at her as she turned away, then fastened the bow. A moment later, Heather emerged, in a pale orange dress, a twin to Allison's, other than its color, carrying an orange sash.
"I'm sensing a theme here," said Natalia, taking the sash from the tall girl. "A rainbow theme, maybe?" She positioned the sash against Heather's waist, smoothing it out against her, then, with Heather holding it in place, she tied the bow. Allison felt an unexpected twinge of jealousy as Natalia's hands moved around Heather's body.
"Yellow isn't my best color," admitted Allison, "but Tiff and I will be standing closest to the brides, so that's the way it worked out. Margot is red, Heather is orange, I'm yellow, Tiff is green, Alex blue and Tara violet. Emma is standing for Anita, so she isn't part of the rainbow."
"Is someone standing for Kayla?"
"Her dad," Allison said. "Anita's mom won't be here - long story - and her brother and sister will, but they're only recently reconnected, and she's not close to them. Emma, Anita and I have been best friends for years."
"But I'm smarter than she is," came Emma's voice from behind another curtain, "which is why she's stuck organizing the show."
"I'm getting nervous," Allison admitted. People were walking down the small path beside the house to the gazebo where the ceremony would take place.
"You'll be fine," said Natalia. "Your job now is just to stand there looking pretty. I think you'll do that well."
Allison felt her cheeks warm. "You should go."
"Yeah, it's time."
Natalia turned to leave, but Allison caught her hand and turned her back to face her. "Nat, I..."
"I know," Natalia whispered. "We'll talk later." She gave Allison's hand a tight squeeze, then left.
Grace, the pink- and blue-haired girl, was standing with Kayla's cousin Tara. Seeing that Natalia was leaving, she gave Tara an impromptu hug, which Tara returned, then turned to follow Nat.
Maybe Tara's crush wasn't one-sided. She wondered if Kayla knew that.
Eric notified the bridesmaids when to leave the house, handing each a bouquet. They walked down the aisle in pairs, holding hands, Allison with Tiff, Heather with Alex, Margot with Tara. They fanned out around the celebrant, Sabrina, and Kayla and her father, who were already present. Finally, Anita walked arm-in-arm with Emma, who wore a long, harvest gold dress. They held hands after taking their place facing Sabrina, and the ceremony began.
The couple had opted for a non-religious ceremony. Sabrina, a woman in her late thirties in a long dark-blue dress, had a gentle voice, but a concealed microphone brought her words to everyone gathered. Allison glimpsed Natalia, giving her a quick smile, but managed to remain focused on the ceremony and the people whose joining they were celebrating, rather than her.
Kayla's dad was a tall man, wearing brown square-framed glasses. He had grey-blue eyes and hair that was half dark and half salt-and-pepper gray. He wore a charcoal suit and a harvest gold tie, coordinated with Emma's dress. He wasn't holding his daughter's hand, but when it came time for the brides to move together, he gave her wrist a quick squeeze. Kayla turned to smile at him, while Anita exchanged a brief look with Emma before stepping forward.
With the two women standing before her. Sabrina shared a little of their story together, then asked them to face each other and join hands. She first asked Anita if she would take Kayla as her wife, love and partner.
"I do."
"Do you have a vow to share with your wife?"
Anita nodded. "I do," she said again.
"Kayla, I vow to be your partner in all of life. Before our friends and family I make this promise to you, that our adventure together will never end. That wherever you go, you will not go alone. That I will always be your lover, your companion, and your friend. I pledge my heart to you, to walk beside you, wherever your path takes you. You are my love."
Sabrina repeated the question of Kayla, and after her "I do," asked for her vow.
"Anita," Kayla said, her tone more nervous than her fiancée's had been, "you have always been my friend and my mentor. You have taken my heart and my soul. I promise to be there in your laughter and your tears, to honor your needs and to respect your independence. I will dream your dreams and be part of your story, as you have been and always will be the best part of mine. In the years ahead, know that you will always be my person and will forever have my love."
Allison felt a surge of emotion toward the two women not unlike the one she'd experienced earlier. Her breath caught, then shuddered slightly, the quiet descending over the gathering implying that her feeling was shared by all present. She could hear the rustle of leaves in the light breeze.
The silence was broken when Anita's niece, flanked by her brother and cousin, marched forward with the rings. All three wore hanfu, the ring bearer in peach and red, while the two boys, looking less comfortable, but clearly willing to do their part, wore a blue so pale that it was almost white.
Sabrina spoke words, repeated by each bride in turn, about the rings' symbolic promise, each woman placing the ring on her partner's finger.
The kiss the couple exchanged was fairly restrained, and was followed by a tight hug.
The ring bearers led the way down the aisle, Anita and Kayla, hand in hand, following, their first steps together as a married couple. Allison and Tiff were the last to leave, walking down the aisle hand in hand. When she met Natalia's eyes, her friend's smile was warm and full of care.
The "first look" photos shortened the time needed for the after-wedding shots, but there were still many of those. Mika had captured photos of the wedding itself, though she had been unobtrusive. Now she directed everyone, recreating shots in the gazebo with Sabrina before she left, then moving to the side for photos of family.
Though Anita's mother wasn't there, her siblings and their kids, the ring bearers, joined her for photos. On Kayla's side, her parents were present, of course, and also her uncle and aunt, together with their son and his wife, who were Tara's parents. More photos of both families followed, Anita's niece and nephews losing interest in the process. Allison noticed that Mika managed to catch some candid shots of the kids clinging to their parents.
When it was time for just the bridesmaids, Allison saw Natalia behind Mika pulling faces to distract her. When Grace smiled at Tara, the young girl hid her face behind her bouquet.
The brides' first dance was flawless. Exactly as rehearsed, except that the looks the couple had for each other were of unfeigned joy, not concentration, the way they had been during practice. Which was, of course, the reason they had practiced until each step was second nature to them.
There was champagne. Allison released Mika, but the young woman was planning to stay both to take candid shots at the reception, with Allison's permission, and to photograph the band, having contacted the band's manager.
Allison was being careful with her own wine consumption. She was tired, and still a little stressed - that wouldn't end until the day was over - and she had her speech ahead of her. She'd moved to a corner of the reception pavilion, away from most of the guests, and was leaning against the polished wooden side.
Natalia seemed as nervous as she was, but she stood so close that their bodies touched.
"What are we now?" she asked Nat. She stared down into her wine. She could feel Nat's eyes on hers, but she didn't meet them. "Are we in a relationship - a real one - now? Or just two friends waiting to see what happens?"
"It's felt real to me for a while," Natalia replied. "But then, I was attracted to you from the start. I didn't think there could ever be anything between us, but I've always wished there could be. For a few weeks I've had a sense that you were feeling something, too."
Allison looked up, into Natalia's rich brown eyes. Like the time on the dance floor at Gabby's, the eyes that she'd always felt were merry now seemed to scorch her. In spite of the heat, she couldn't look away. "Tiff, who I think is a trickster goddess in short human form, asked me a question earlier." She wasn't sure if her confession was wise, but she felt she needed to let Natalia know. "She asked if I was falling in love with my fake girlfriend. I think... I think I might be. But we're not even dating. Or maybe this is our first date. Is that even possible?"
Now it was Natalia's turn to look away. "Nothing about our time together has been normal," she said, thoughtfully. "We fake-kissed on the day we met, and though asking you for that was probably an overreaction, and I felt so guilty about dragging you away from your friends and into my problems, I don't regret anything, because I want what's between us to grow." She smiled, her eyes returning to Allison's. The warmth in them was more manageable now. "And you look sexy in that dress. I just thought you should know that." She slipped an arm around Allison's back, caressing it through the silk. "If you're not going to drink that wine, may I have some? All these words are making my throat dry."
Allison held the glass up to Natalia's lips. Natalia moved her free hand to cup Allison's, stabilizing her hold as Allison tipped it up for her to sip. Then Allison looked into the taller girl's eyes, their foreheads almost touching. She tilted her head and pressed her lips to the girl's for a brief, affectionate kiss.
Suddenly feeling that they were being watched, Allison looked around, seeing Mika with a lens pointed in her direction. She gave the photographer a rueful smile, then raised her wine glass in salute.
"I've never had feelings for a girl," Allison said, turning back to Natalia. "And I don't feel anything for any of my female friends. How can I know if it's real, and not just a schoolgirl crush? You deserve someone who isn't going to look back in six weeks and go, 'Eww, gross, I made out with a girl!'"
Natalia smiled. "Only you know whether that will happen, but that's not what I've felt." Her eyes held Allison's again. The way they kindled feelings within Allison suggested that she was right. "I'm willing to take the chance. If we're wrong, I can recover from heartbreak. But if we're right, and we do nothing about it, I have a feeling we'll be missing something very special." She leaned in to kiss Allison's nose. "I choose you."
"Like a pikachu. I know." Allison grinned. "We should get back."
"You're on soon, right?" asked Natalia. "Will you be changing out of that dress after that?"
Allison shook her head. "I don't think so. The dress is comfortable, and I don't want to take the time to change."
"You all looked good in the bridesmaid dresses," Natalia said, "but yours looks especially sexy." Then she leaned close to whisper, "If you're coming to terms with your feelings, I think I'd like to help you out of it, later."
Tiff's speech came before Allison's. As with everything Tiff did, it was funny, but effective. She'd first met Kayla at Gabby's, and made a couple of comments about Kayla's tastes in women that no one who wasn't a Gabby's regular would recognize as being references to a number of her one night stands - several of whom were present as guests. Someone who had known Kayla in those days would detect a level of friendly roasting. But it was a very positive speech, whatever interpretation you would take from it.
Beginning to wrap up, Tiff said, "Finally, since we couldn't all be maids of honor..."
Margot, Heather and Emma suddenly stood and hurried over to her side. Heather hummed a note, then the four of them were singing a little bit of doggerel in four-part harmony, wishing the brides a long and happy life.
Allison hadn't expected that in the slightest. Since the four lived together, they had the opportunity to practice something without anyone else knowing about it, and clearly they'd worked hard on that, getting a round of applause.
Allison's speech hadn't been easy to prepare. She'd known Anita since they were sophomores, five years ago, but their friendship had taken root when Emma and Allison had extricated Anita from a badly abusive relationship. Though Anita was well past that now, it had no place in a wedding toast. And while Kayla might have had a number of partners before she and Anita started dating, as Tiff's speech had implied, if you were in the know, Anita had had many, many more, as hard as this might be to picture of the small, caring woman.
So she focused on anecdotes that had nothing to do with her romantic history. Like the time Emma had lost a bet and had to spend the night in a haunted house. Allison and Anita had joined her for support. There was no way Allison would be scared of ghosts, she said, so she decided to bolster Emma's courage.
When the lights had suddenly gone out and there were footsteps in the room, Emma and she had screamed, while Anita had just yelled, "Nice try, Tim," and had hurled a cushion at the intruder in the dark that hit him in the face.
And she shared how she'd had a meal at Anita's apartment cooked by her crazy roommates and it had felt like she was the shared target of four simultaneous knife-throwing performers.
She didn't mention how she and Kayla had been hostile to each other first, just how Kayla had won her over, and how Anita graciously loaned her to Allison when she needed a dance partner. She finished by saying how she was convinced that the couple had complementary strengths that would make their relationship last.
"How true was that?" Natalia whispered when she had sat down after proposing the toast.
"Every word," Allison said. "I'll tell you some of the ones I had to omit, later, if you like."
Allison had one more duty. Picking up the mike, she made the announcement that the party was ending.
"We need to clear the pavilion for cleanup and setup," she said. "The house is open, and there's an open bar indoors. If you have small children with you, you might want to take them home. The last event is going to be loud.
"Most of you probably know that the best rock band in the state, "Of Darkness," volunteered to perform for Anita and Kayla. So in ninety minutes, adults only who want to have a private rock festival with the best rock band in the state, meet back here.
"You all probably also know that the brides leave tomorrow for Hawaii for their honeymoon. We won't be seeing them for a while. Now they've made honest women of each other, let's send them off with our best wishes."
After the guests had dutifully raised a cheer, the brides left for the house, arm in arm, guests trailing behind. Brides and bridesmaids had kept their wedding attire for the reception. Now they could change. Tara and Allison chose to keep their bridesmaid dresses. Allison's decision may or may not have been affected by Natalia's offer to help her out of it.
Allison didn't want to wait in the bar at the house for the full ninety minutes. Though she was no introvert, the stresses of the previous weeks and the day itself had accumulated, and now that she had the chance to unwind she wanted to cut socializing short while her social battery had some charge remaining. Natalia understood and supported her choice to head back to the clearing, wine in hand, before the start of the show.
At the pavilion, Michelle, the singer and friend of the brides, was off to the side with Kayla and a couple of other women. It took Allison a moment to recognize one of them as Kate, the visitor to Fi's bar, who'd been excited about the band. Kayla must be giving her a backstage introduction. Kate had the expression of a high schooler meeting Taylor Swift.
The other band members, Sydney, Jon, and Bianca, were each doing their own gear checks, as Natalia told Allison of the one time she'd seen the band before, at Moby Duck, one of the bigger bars, which had regular live music. After that show, Natalia had followed the band's social media, and had watched their live performances on YouTube.
Michelle was plucking a few bass notes as she spoke to Sydney, the guitarist. Allison glanced around for Kate, finding her with Kennedy and the blonde woman who'd been speaking with her and Michelle. It seemed unlikely that she'd have to ward Natalia against her presence this evening.
When Michelle stepped back, the guitarist turned to face one of the speakers, pulling a screaming feedback sound that she twisted and bent for a while. The drummer gave her a rhythm as she turned the squeal into a brief solo, followed by crashing chords, before she turned, apparently satisfied with her checks.
The sound had alerted the audience, who began to drift into the clearing, which filled up quickly. Allison knew that there would be many more than the wedding party present, since the invitation had included all Gabby's patrons. There were already several she knew who weren't with the wedding, and a few she didn't know at all. Most of the wedding guests were now in the area, recognizable by the dresses or suits they wore.
Michelle tested her mike, then a few notes on her bass. She had barely finished introducing the band when Sydney's guitar screamed, then began to shred back down the scale until turning into a riff. The whole band leaped into the fray, and the show was underway.
The hour and a half that followed drove Allison's stress away. Not her exhaustion, but it took a different form. She was earning this tiredness honestly, by bouncing up and down, screaming and yelling, and dancing in place with the girl she was falling for.
Most of the young, unattached guests crowded the pavilion. Couples tended to be further back, though there were plenty of exceptions. Val, who'd been with Kennedy on Thursday was, for a change, with her long-term partner Suse. Anita, now in a ruby dress, was with her new wife, who wore blue. Tiff's back was against Emma's chest, the taller girl's arms around her belly as they watched the performance.
Heather, in a green two piece, had an arm around her ex, Hannah, who wore a grey suit and an evening rose tie, while their partners Margot and Nyssa, whose long dress matched Hannah's tie, rocked out a few feet away. Fi and Jenna, ever a contrast, embraced as they focused on the band, Fi as dark as usual, while her partner wore a filmy magenta off the shoulder dress.
Heather's aunt, Monica, stood out as the tallest woman, and maybe the tallest person, in a one shoulder red dress. She was the plus one of bespectacled, round-faced Diana, almost a full head shorter than her. They may not be partners, but there seemed to be more than affection between the two.
Alex and Ann looked as mellow as they had at Gabby's, Alex still in her bridesmaid dress, while Ann wore a revealing dark red dress.
When Natalia slipped her arm around Allison, her fingers traced patterns through the silk film at her waist, showing her appreciation for the bridesmaid dress. Every touch stirred unfamiliar feelings within her.
Two limos awaited to take everyone home. Allison gathered all of the bridesmaids, plus Natalia, and Ann, who was travelling with Alex. She had them collect their clothes and check for lost articles in the changing area. She told them to wait by the larger limo while she checked on the brides.
Anita and Kayla both seemed a little bewildered that everything was over and their lives had changed. Allison ensured that they'd transferred their belongings to the smaller limo, then brought them to the other group for goodbyes. They'd already bidden farewell to their families. Now it was time for hugs from their friends before they left for their honeymoon.
After teary, fond goodbyes, the bridesmaids piled into the larger limo for a long drive around town, disgorging passengers at their homes. Heather, Margot, Emma and Tiff made the largest dent in numbers, as they shared a house. Alex and Ann were staying at the same hotel. After them, Tara disembarked at her parents' hotel, leaving only Natalia and Allison.
"Still wanting to help me out of my bridesmaid dress?" Allison asked. She hoped her tone sounded lighthearted, but she felt nervous. Natalia had said "later," which she assumed meant this evening, at her apartment, but she wanted to be sure she hadn't misunderstood, without putting Natalia on the spot.
"Don't you think we should get to my place first?" Natalia countered.
Allison felt horrified that Natalia had taken the question that way. Then she realized from Natalia's smirk that the girl knew exactly what she'd been asking. She sighed. "I mean, do you plan to invite me in?"
"I do," she said, leaning toward Allison. Her fingers brushed Allison's cheek a second before her lips touched Allison's upper lip, caressing it before parting around it. They barely moved, just gently rolling the lip between them, but the promise in their touch had Allison feeling weak from lust, her thighs clenching together. When she backed away and touched her tongue lightly to Allison's lip, it was as though she'd granted Allison permission to breathe again.
Allison's lips parted in anticipation as Natalia's shifted to meet them. Natalia's tongue penetrated by a mere fraction of an inch and it was enough to cause Allison to moan and press close, wrapping her arms around Natalia's back.
The rest of the ride was both too short and too long. Allison was desperate to be indoors with Natalia, but she didn't want to break the kiss when the limo pulled up at her apartment.
Her heart was in her throat as they parted, and she was breathing too quickly as she let the driver know that everyone was accounted for, before she followed Natalia to her apartment.
Inside, Natalia hooked a finger into Allison's sash, then drew her through the house to her kitchen. There, she found a bottle of red wine.
"The day was beautiful," she said, winding a corkscrew into the top. "The weather, the ceremony, the photographs, the brides, the bridesmaids, everything about it. And you are ready to drop. It was bad enough at Caroline's service, and I didn't even have MOH duties. Drink," she said, handing Allison a full glass before pouring one for herself.
"Yes, ma'am," Allison responded. But the girl was entirely correct. Allison wasn't quite one of the walking dead, but wasn't far from it. Natalia led her back into the living room, guided her to the couch and plunked herself down beside her.
"Seriously," Natalia said. "I think you did an amazing job, and it was all very lovely. I think your friends were very happy with it."
"Thank you," Allison said. She took a big gulp of the wine. Natalia topped her glass up immediately. "I agree, I thought it was perfect. Not to toot my own horn, because it was more the coordinator and the photographer and the celebrant today." She chuckled. "If I ever get married, I hope all three of them are still in business."
"That's true," Natalia said, "but don't sell yourself short. The coordinator's work went well because of your planning. And I've seen the effort you've put in. Look at the wedding dance! Not a hitch! Because your friends listened to you."
"You too," Allison said. "You really helped them to understand what we were doing with the routine. I'm glad I asked you to be my date."
"Not just for the dance, right?" Natalia grinned at her.
Allison's nervousness returned. "Right," she said, then took another sip of wine. "You say you knew I liked you before I did?"
"I thought you were beginning to," Natalia said. "You often watch me. You may not even be aware of it, but you seem to like what you see."
"I do," Allison admitted, "though you're right, I didn't know I was so preoccupied with you. Maybe I was thinking about how unprepared I'd be if I were ever to be in a relationship with a girl."
"Do you really think that?" Natalia asked.
"Maybe?" Allison said. "I've never been attracted to a girl, so I've never had to consider the, uh, mechanics. Having a crush doesn't mean I'd be any good at sex. Or even that I'd like it."
"Hmm." Natalia looked thoughtful. "How would you feel if I said, 'I want you inside me, your fingers so deep in my cunt that your knuckles are pounding into my pussy'?"
Allison felt a hot flash of something arc into her body. Need? Desire? "Shit, Nat! Are you trying to make me spill red wine on my bridesmaid dress? Fi would say that was a classic wedding trope." After a moment, she added, "Do you want that?"
Natalia ignored the question. "What if I said, 'I want to French kiss your clitoris until you can't take anymore, then lick you until you come in my mouth?"
Allyson realized her breathing had sped up, and she could feel her heartbeat. "I would say that I think I need to change my panties," she said. "And after today I need a shower before... any of that. And I might fall asleep anyway. God, that would be embarrassing."
Natalia gave her a half-smile, but her eyes had darkened. "It doesn't seem that you're repelled by the mechanics," she said.
Allison gave a quick shake of her head. She took another large sip of her wine before setting down her glass. Natalia reached for her, but she shook her head again, lifting a finger to trace over the girl's lips. "Before we do... those things," she said, "I need to say something. You said the other day that I needed to think about what going further would mean to us."
Natalia nodded. "I did," she replied, softly.
"I've thought about little else... except the wedding, I guess." Allison quirked a smile, seeing an amused response in the smile her friend returned. "And Tiff's comment opened my eyes. I want you, Nat, but I want more. You've said you don't do one night stands, but if we take this further, I want to know that it won't be one night, or one day, or one week. I think it's already too late for me to back out without a broken heart, but if we... sleep together... it will hurt much worse."
"What do you want, Ali?" Natalia asked.
"I want us to be... partners. Girlfriends. I want a real relationship with you. I don't see you as the kind of woman who wants to add I fucked the straight girl to her resume, but equally I don't want you to think that this is an experiment for me. I want to be with you."
Her friend's smile was so full of affection that Allison felt weak. "It's what I want, too, babe," she said. "I guess I've gotten too used to having you in my life. I'm not about to let you go. Which means that we don't have to do everything at once. We have time to make this work."
She took Allison's hand in hers, then dropped it to pull her close. Allison's wrist brushed against her breast, and her heart seemed to be running in double time. Then Natalia's mouth was on hers. Make that triple time. She slipped her arm around Natalia's back. Her thong was definitely damp now. She picked at her dress with her free hand, ensuring it didn't get trapped between her thighs. The silk would show any moisture it gathered.
Natalia's lips were crinkly with gloss. That was both disappointing, remembering how soft her lips had been after dancing at Gabby's, and exciting, because she'd never kissed anyone else who wore lip gloss, and it reminded her both that she was kissing a girl, and that the girl was Natalia.
Now those lips were barely meeting hers, brushing over them lightly. Somehow that turned her on more than an open-mouthed deep-tongued exploration, though Allison was sure that was on Natalia's agenda. The touch of the girl's breath against her lip ramped up her desire. She parted her own lips and coaxed Natalia's to part, which they did slowly, Natalia's tongue darting out to caress her lip before retreating again. Then her lips parted against Allison's, and she tasted her friend. More than the gloss, Natalia had her own unique flavor, and Allison wanted more, pushing her tongue between the girl's lips, where it was met with Natalia's
A fresh wave of arousal engulfed Allison, and she couldn't suppress the moan that escaped her throat. She parted her lips further, and there was the mutual exploration that they both desired as they jockeyed for position, Natalia's hands shifting further around her back, pulling her in, as hers tightened on Natalia's waist, sensing the girl's breathing becoming as rapid as her own.
"Do you want me to stay the night?" Allison whispered, when they broke for air.
"Yeah, I do," Natalia replied. "I can loan you a shirt to sleep in, too, if you need it."
The idea of sleeping beside Natalia sent another rush of arousal to her sex. She moved her face back to the girl's, groaning as she felt Natalia's tongue against hers. Natalia's body slowly slid down, until her head lay on the armrest. As Allison followed her down, Natalia guided her body onto hers. Allison felt the other girl's breasts, soft against her chest.
"I have small boobies," Allison said, breaking the kiss. Her words came out in a rush. "I hope you're not as disappointed with them as... well, I hope you're not expecting... you need to know, is all."
She felt the girl's body quiver beneath her as she chuckled. "Babe, don't you remember what you were wearing when we met? I've seen the shape of your body, and I love it. You're not going to disappoint me."
Allison felt hands exploring her back as they kissed again, then begin to pull her dress up her legs, until the hem reached her butt.
"Should I take it off?" she breathed. "I don't want to damage it."
"Stand up," Natalia said. "I'll do it. I'll be careful."
Allison stood, instantly missing the feel of Natalia's body against hers, but that feeling faded the moment the girl drew her close, the taller girl's breasts stroking the exposed upper edge of her own. Her breath caught as Natalia unhooked the catches hiding the zipper, then smoothly slid it open. A moment later, the silk bunched together under Natalia's fingers, then glided up her body, Allison raising her arms to allow the girl to lift it over her head.
"You'll have to do that part yourself." There was amusement in Natalia's tone as she looked down at Allison's sticky bra. "I'm not about to skin your boobs for you."
Allison's breathing was heavy, her nervousness returning. "I'll take it off if you let me get you out of that dress," she said.
"Deal," said Natalia, a small grin playing over her lips as Allison slowly and methodically peeled the bra off. When it was done, Allison looked up into the girl's eyes, which were blown dark with desire. Suddenly her apprehension about her small breasts seemed misplaced. Smiling, she crooked a finger under Natalia's chin, lifting her face, Natalia's gaze sliding up from Allison's breasts to her eyes. Then she pressed her lips to Natalia's, the girl's hands sliding over her bare back as the kiss deepened.
Breathless, Allison broke the kiss as she hunted for the fastener magic that held Natalia's red dress in place. Soon the other girl stood in nothing but a strapless bra and panties. She didn't have much chance to admire her body, though, as Natalia pivoted her back to the couch, pinning Allison's body beneath hers, her thigh between Allison's. "Oh God," Allison groaned before Natalia sealed her mouth closed with her own.
The taller girl's body moved against hers intently. They were way beyond casual making out, and now Nat appeared determined to drive Allison's passion to the limit. Allison was committed. This was really happening. And she didn't think she was going to last long. She hadn't been intimate with anyone in well over six months, and she didn't recall ever feeling as turned on as this.
She felt around the back of Natalia's bra for the catch, but the band was smooth, so she managed to push against the girl enough to slide her hands beneath her and find the hook between the cups. Her fingers trembled as she unhooked the bra.
Then it was gone, and Allison couldn't resist grasping the other girl's full breasts. Soft like marshmallows over a firmer core, so different from her own.
Her touch seemed to vindicate Natalia's desire. She rolled off Allison, tugging her damp thong down her legs and discarding it. Allison cried out as a finger penetrated her, exploring deep within her before beginning to plunge and draw back in a fast rhythm.
Allison released Natalia's breasts and gripped the cushion of the couch as Natalia's kiss stoked an inferno. The girl's tongue plundered her own as her finger plundered her sex, and the feeling overwhelmed Allison. Her body writhed as her muscles tensed. Then she cried out again into the kiss as Natalia drove her hard into a savage climax. Her thighs tensed and twitched uncontrollably as she came around Natalia's finger, panting.
"Oh, fuck," Allison groaned, when the pressure of Natalia's body against hers lessened. "Oh, fuck."
"Still nervous that you might not like the sex?" Natalia asked, dryly.
Allison was still having trouble catching her breath. "I might not be as... good for you as you... are for me," she said. "But fuck. Damn. I'm gonna try." She yawned. "After a shower."
"Okay, babe," said Natalia. "You take the first shower."
After the shower, Allison waited for her lover - oh God, her lover - to finish her own shower. But the bed Natalia had led her to looked so inviting, and the tee shirt she'd left out for Allison to sleep in was long and soft, and she didn't want to sit naked on the edge of the bed, so she slipped into the shirt and climbed under the covers to be comfortable while she waited for the shower to turn off. She lasted less than a minute before she fell asleep.
Returning to wakefulness in a strange place was always hard, and the previous day was such a blur that Allison felt alien. It had been a day spent entirely outdoors. Her best friend was married! There were photos, dancing, toasts, and the day had ended with a rock concert! No? that hadn't been the end. There was wine... and there'd been sex? And... oh, holy fuck.
Her eyes sprang open. she was suddenly wide awake.
"Morning, Sleeping Beauty!" came the now-familiar voice from her side. She turned her head to look up at the face of her lover. "I didn't know if you'd surface before noon. You can go back to sleep, if you prefer."
"What time is it?" Allison croaked.
"It's a little after ten," Natalia replied. "Did you need to wake for some reason? Are you a churchgoer? I guess I never thought to ask."
Allison shook her head. "No, my day is blissfully free of commitments. But last night, I was going to... I wanted to..."
Leaning down, Natalia kissed her forehead. "Sex is not a zero-sum game, babe. You didn't need to do anything."
Brows tightening into a frown, Allison said, "I'm not used to being the one in debt."
"Oh, Allison, you don't owe me anything," Natalia said. "I loved every moment of it. Especially being your first time with a woman. That makes it especially exciting. And don't worry," she added, as Allison opened her mouth to object, "you have all the time in the world to do me."
Something about the way she said that sent a thrill through Allison's body and made its way into her sleepy brain. She was instantly more awake.
"We should eat first," Natalia added. "You might need more stamina than ten hours' sleep after a stressful day gave you. Pancakes or omelettes?"
"Oh, umm, pancakes?" Allison said, her thoughts taking a moment to switch tracks from lust to hunger.
Her lover was already out of bed and walking for the door. Her sheer nightgown hid very little, and Allison found herself back on the track of lust.
"There's coffee when you come through," Natalia said as she left the room.
The coffee was apparently already more stale than Natalia had realized. She must have been awake for a while. When Allison arrived in the kitchen she was apologetic as she refilled the coffee machine. Then she returned to mixing up pancake batter. There were already strips of bacon beginning to sizzle in a pan.
Allison asked where the mugs were for coffee, then retrieved one for herself and rinsed out the one Natalia had used. Standing by the coffee machine gave her a side-on view of her lover. She was naked beneath the sheer fabric, the outline of her high breasts clearly visible, deeply curved beneath, a flatter slope above.
The curve of her back was delicate, moving slightly inward at her waist, then out, the nightgown hugging the small widening over her tight ass. Unable to contain her need for touch, Allison moved closer to run her fingers over the firm muscles beneath the translucent cloth.
"Hmm," said Natalia, but she didn't pause her preparations.
When she began to whip the pancake batter with a manual whisk her breasts shook beneath the gown. Allison chuckled at the sight.
"What?" asked Natalia.
Allison didn't reply, instead moving behind the woman. Pressing into her back, she placed her hands on Natalia's waist, then held them as she lifted herself an inch to press her lips to her neck. She kissed the pulse point at the base of her neck, rubbing against the taller woman's ass.
Natalia's voice was throaty. "If you don't stop doing that, you're going to delay breakfast."
In reply, Allison reached past her to turn off the range. She took Natalia's hips and turned her around, forcing her to drop the whisk, then reached up to capture her lips with her own.
Natalia's arms curled around her, and she deepened the kiss. Allison's arousal spiked. Still holding Natalia's hips, she shifted her to the side, so that her butt was against the counter rather than the stove. Then she captured her tongue and suckled.
Natalia moaned into the kiss. Allison felt her chest moving against her as her breathing deepened. She grasped the fabric under her fingers and worked it upward until her hands were on Natalia's bare hips. Her lover's breathing became ragged as Allison caressed the skin of her hips and waist.
When Nat groaned again, Allison slid her right hand forward, over the front of her thigh, to caress the folds of her sex with one finger. She was already wet as Allison's finger explored, tensing against her as Allison found the responsive swelling of her clit, circling it before returning to caressing between her labia.
Pushing Natalia more firmly against the counter, she penetrated her with a finger. Natalia broke the kiss and began to pant. Allison curled her finger around, squeezing her palm against the woman's sex as her clear excitement grew. Then she withdrew the finger and replaced it with two, her wrist rocking against her.
"Oh, Christ, yes," Natalia groaned. "Like that, Ali. God, I want you."
When Allison raised her left hand to squeeze Natalia's breast, she moved her hands to the counter for support, then kissed Allison, hard. Allison's own breathing was labored as her arousal skyrocketed, and she increased the speed of her wrist, Natalia moaning into the kiss as her sex clenched Allison's fingers.
Natalia's hand left the counter, pushing between their bodies to rub her own clit as Allison's hand continued to piston into her. She made a high-pitched keening into the kiss. Then she moved both hands to the back of Allison's neck, leaning back over the counter. The mixing bowl bumped behind her, but she ignored it. Allison released her breast for a moment to push the cookware back out of her way, then pinched her nipple as she thrust her fingers deep inside.
Natalia broke the kiss, crying out, as Allison felt her body stiffen around her hand. She felt the wetness of the girl's climax around her fingers. She kissed the breathless woman again, as her frantic tremors slowed. Then she drew back, smiling at the look of deep satisfaction on her lover's face.
The bowl hadn't spilled, and with much grumbling and a glow of delight on her face, Natalia turned the range back on and continued preparations for breakfast, while Allison washed her hands, then poured coffee.
"Jesus," Natalia breathed. "And you thought you might not be good at sex."
"You were right about how exciting it is to do that to a partner," Allison said. She shuddered. "That was intense."
Natalia nodded.
Allison took a sip of her coffee. "So what do we call ourselves now? Girlfriends? Partners?"
"Girlfriends, partners, lovers," Natalia said. "I think we're all of the above, but girlfriends is probably the easiest to tell anyone else. Partners might seem premature to anyone who only saw us as friends."
"Last night only cemented Tiff's comment," Allison said, "I want to be with you. It feels a little overwhelming."
Natalia smiled at her before pouring batter into the pan. "No, babe. I'm in the same place. I don't know that our dating was ever quite as neutral as we pretended."
"I didn't realize it at the time, but yeah," Allison agreed. "It still feels weird that I can find myself falling for a girl, and still don't feel any attraction towards girls in general." She frowned. "But you know... I'm not sure I ever really had an attraction toward guys in general. It was always the person. I've chosen my person badly in the past. This time I don't think I did."
"That's good, babe, 'cause I have no intention of letting you go," Natalia said.
Allison's phone rang as she was pouring syrup onto her pancakes. She wanted to let it go to voicemail, but it could be something important after yesterday's events, so she scurried off to get her phone from her purse. When she saw the number, she hastily swiped answer, heading back to the table with her phone stuck to her ear.
"Hey, Mrs. Piers!" she said.
"Sweety, you know we're not changing our names," said Anita.
"Alright, Ms. Cho. So how's married life?"
"Rushed, so far," Anita said. "Looking forward to two weeks of tranquility. Where are you?"
"Uh, why?"
"We somehow ended up with leftover flowers," her friend said. "They were in the limo. We don't really have any use for them. I've left a few for Tara, but I'd like to give the rest to you and Tiff, but when we brought them you weren't at home."
"Right, I'm not," Allison agreed. She took a deep breath. "I'm at my girlfriend's."
Anita sounded incredulous as she repeated the words back. "You're at your girlfriend's?"
Allison heard a whoop, then Kayla's voice yelling, "I knew it! I told you it was happening!"
Anita sighed. "You did, love," she said, clearly addressing her wife. Then, to Allison, "I take it that's Nat?"
"Yeah, it's Nat," Allison said. "I kinda wanted to tell you yesterday, but that was your day, and I guess we only really confirmed it with each other last night. Where are you? You could drop the flowers here. I need a minute to get dressed."
"Yes, of course you need to get dressed," Anita said, irony in her tone, "after spending the night with your girlfriend. But give me her address and we'll be there with flowers for the happy couple."
Dressed in the button-front satin shirt and skinny jeans she'd been wearing before changing into the bridesmaid dress, Allison accepted delivery of vases of white flowers and hugs for Natalia and herself from both of her friends. Nat wore a hastily thrown-on tee shirt and jeans.
"You don't need to tell me the sex was good," Anita whispered as they hugged. "I can see it in your eyes."
"God, tell me about it," Allison whispered back. Then she released her friend and stepped back. "I hope you have a wonderful trip."
"Hey, Allison, before we go," Kayla said, "I want to say that yesterday was perfect. We owe you so much. You too," she added to Natalia. "The dance was so much better than we'd feared."
"You don't owe me anything," Allison said, hearing the echo of Natalia's voice from earlier. "Just don't ever get divorced. I'm not going through that again for you."
"We never will," Kayla said, while Anita shook her head.
Their unexpected visitors were gone. The whole apartment was permeated with the same delicate scent that Allison recalled from the wedding gazebo. In spite of the stress of the previous day, the one emotion she associated with it was love. It seemed appropriate that the scent now infused her relationship with the woman beside whom she stood. She wondered if Natalia had the same awareness.
Perhaps she did. Allison felt rather than saw Natalia move closer, then take her right hand in her left. She looked up to smile at Natalia, seeing her girlfriend breathe deeply through her nose. Natalia glided around to stand before her.
Allison thought she was moving in for a hug, but to her surprise, Nat raised the hand in hers, adjusting the hold as she extended her right hand to rest on Allison's shoulder blade. With a smile on her lips, Allison raised her arm to rest on Natalia's, close to her shoulder, in closed position, even as Natalia began to move.
After a few steps, Allison beamed as she recognized the routine they'd created for Anita and Kayla. But there was a bigger surprise, when Nat began to sing the song they'd worked with for the past six weeks.
"Come away with me in the night..."
Allison had heard Nat sing only once, and had been disappointed that she'd insisted that she wouldn't sing sober. Her voice was both gentle and rich, and Allison's heart warned at the thought that she was breaking her own rule to share the song with her.
As much as she wanted to see Natalia's beautiful face close before her, Allison closed her eyes. She trusted the girl implicitly to move her around the small room. And though they kept to the format of the routine, the same steps, turns, releases and pickups, Natalia held her more closely than when they'd been demonstrating the dance. She didn't vary the routine, but she could have done. Allison would have followed the smallest signal.
She danced in the darkness of her eyelids, in the scent of the wedding flowers, which spoke of love, and beneath the flowers was the delicate scent of Natalia whenever she drew Allison into her.
The final step brought them together, as they'd designed. She stood, feeling Natalia's body against her own, the song ended.
"Why are you crying?" Natalia asked, softly.
Blinking, Allison opened her eyes to find her vision blurred. She brought her hand to her cheek, finding not the tracks of a tear or two, but the results of a small flood of them.
"I don't know," Allison said. Still holding Nat's hand, she stepped back, scanning the room for tissues. When she saw some she pulled Natalia along with her. "But they're happy tears."
"You don't know?" Natalia asked.
Wiping her eyes, she looked into her girlfriend's face, her vision clear now. Nat's smile was amused. "I don't know if they're for us or for Anita and Kayla. I'm happy for them, but I'm happy for me, too."
"Oh, babe," Natalia said. "I do like you."
"Well, I hope so," Allison said. "Or else I wouldn't want to do this."
She moved into Natalia's space, feeling her girlfriend's breasts against her chest as she raised her face. Bunching up the tissue she still held, she moved her hands to her girlfriend's waist. Their lips met, Natalia's gentle on hers, soft without the gloss, a subtle play of Natalia's mouth against her upper lip, then her lower lip. The touch was soft, tantalizing, and rapidly brought Allison to a deep need for more.
"We're overdressed again," she groaned against her lover's mouth.
"It's fine," Natalia responded, her tone husky. "It means I get to undress you all over again." Her fingers drifted to the front of Allison's shirt and began to unbutton it.
"I get the better part of that bargain," Allison said. She stuffed the tissue into a pocket that barely had room for it, then slid her hands under Natalia's tee shirt.
"What do you mean?" Natalia asked, unfastening the last button. Allison reluctantly releasing her when she eased the shirt down her arms, leaving her bare-chested.
"Because my body is..." she raised her hands, before moving them back to Natalia's tee shirt. "It's just me." She lifted the tee shirt, Natalia helping her pull it off. "But yours is incredible. You have hips, and curves, and these," she said, as she caressed her lover's marshmallow breasts.
"Oh, babe, you're so wrong," Natalia said. "You're beautiful." She stroked Allison's upper arms, then pulled her in for a kiss. Allison wrapped her arms around the taller woman, Natalia's soft breasts compressing against her upper chest. The kiss deepened until she was breathless. Then Natalia released her and began to work on her jeans.
"I'm glad you think so," Allison said, skeptically. "Hey, Nat? What I did earlier, against the counter, was that really okay?"
She felt her jeans sliding down her legs along with her panties. She stepped out of them.
"Other than interrupting breakfast and almost causing a pancake incident?" Natalia laughed. She unfastened her own jeans, allowing Allison to pull them off. "It was awesome. I think you must have done that before."
"Have not," Allison retorted, as she stepped back to admire the naked woman before her. "You told me you wanted my fingers deep in your cunt." She saw Natalia shudder and heard her breath catch.
"I remember," Natalia replied, her voice raspy with passion. "I remember what else I said I wanted. And I'm going to keep wanting it all." She kissed Allison again, then nodded toward the bedroom.
Allison climbed into bed eagerly. A moment later Natalia's body was covering hers. Their mouths reconnected, fire lancing through Allison's belly.
Natalia parted her thighs with her own, then began to roll her hips, her sex dragging against Allison's. She groaned into the kiss, her fingers trailing up her lover's side and over the edge of her soft breasts, her arousal climbing until she felt the slick wetness of her pussy against Natalia's.
Then the woman's lips left her own and drew a line of kisses down her body until they closed on her right nipple. Allison squirmed involuntarily at the sensation, her nipple growing hard under her lover's tongue. Her breathing was heavy.
As Natalia continued to slide her body against hers, Allison wrapped her legs around the other woman, pressing her slick pussy against the sliding skin. Her hunger for Natalia grew exponentially.
Then the girl was sliding further down, kissing a trail of desire down Allison's body, until, as promised, her lips closed on Allison's clit. The jolt of arousal made her back arch. She felt a finger slide into her as Natalia's tongue explored every inch of her pussy.
There was no rhythm at first, just the feel of fingers and tongue roaming around, bringing thrills wherever they moved. Allison squirmed beneath the girl as her touch fed her desire.
Then Natalia began to move her finger. Allison's hips rolled at the same slow rhythm, her back undulating, her belly tightening. She moaned softly with each breath. The warm tongue dragged over her slit, lapping and circling. Her lover's mouth again closed on her clit, and Allison cried out. The finger within her began to pump rapidly. Her hips bucked, not with the rhythm of Natalia's movement now, but with the rhythm of her own need, pressing her sex into the woman's face as she suckled.
She felt the climax approaching, an avalanche ready to consume her. When it crashed into her she lost awareness for a few moments, passion overwhelming her as her body started to quake. Then pleasure infused her, flowing into every part of her as she panted, her back still lifted from the bed.
Minutes later, Natalia's chest was again pressed to hers, and she was caressing the smooth skin of the naked woman.
It took an effort not to blurt out, "I love you." She hadn't said it yet. Not directly. Natalia must know she was there, but she deserved the words. But she didn't love Natalia because of the incredible feeling she had just brought to Allison's senses. She'd already been in love with her before they'd gotten each other naked. Before she'd taken her in the kitchen. Before she'd awoken beside her. She just hadn't admitted to herself that her heart belonged completely to Natalia.
Natalia deserved the words, but she didn't want her lover to think they were just a response to passion. She'd wait, and tell her when her heart wasn't racing and her breathing was normal. When they weren't naked in each other's arms.
"I love you."
It seemed that Natalia didn't have the same reservations about timing. The spike of joy that shot through Allison was intense, as her girlfriend voiced the thought she was trying to contain. Oh, God. In that case, "I love you, too," she said.
Bridal party group chat
Allison: "My girlfriend and I plan to be at Gabby's. Alex, will you be there? I guess this is your last chance before leaving."
Tiff: "This is not news, you know. Except maybe to you."
Alex: "First chance in two years, last in who knows? I'll be there."
Emma: "Tiff, be nice. She's not the only one who didn't know how real fake could be."
Tiff: "Hey, that's private!"
Emma: "😇😗 & looking forward to seeing you Alex."
The whole wedding party - less the brides, of course - was present. Tara had shown up in her bridesmaid dress. It was unusual for Gabby's, but not out of place. She'd colored the tips of her hair violet with green highlights, and didn't want to pass up the opportunity to wear the violet dress with it.
Grace was with her, and if the pink- and blue-haired girl seemed to have shared a crush with Tara before, it had bloomed. The two were consumed with each other, and Tara's eyes when they turned in Grace's direction no longer held the childish innocence of the teen who'd danced around her "Auntie Kay" just a few days earlier. Grace's return gaze seemed to smolder, too, and her cheeks sometimes colored.
For her part, Grace seemed to have lost the irritable edge she'd shown around the older wedding party members. She was friendly and open.
Alex was regretting the choices she'd made in leaving the area, but wasn't sure she'd have been able to choose differently, except for the boyfriend she'd broken up with earlier in the year. Still, she said, she was feeling more positive than she had when she'd left her apartment, and she was planning to seek a new social circle.
Her farewell evening was cut short when a woman approached the table. She had olive skin, dark eyes, and hair in a long braid over her right shoulder. She extended an accusing arm at Alex. "Dating app!"
"See, it's not just straight girls that get in trouble with them," Natalia whispered to Allison.
But Alex didn't act like either of them was a dating villain. She beamed, then pointed at the woman. "Orpheus's harp!"
"My God, I haven't seen you in years," said the woman.
"Tell me about it," griped Alex.
Tiff stood to let the woman have the chair beside Alex's, but she shook her head, moving around to stand behind Alex's chair. She squeezed Alex's shoulders. "No need. Alex and I are going to get... reacquainted." Then, with a slight frown on her face, as if realizing something, she asked, "You're not here with anyone are you?"
Alex shook her head, then stood. "I'm all yours, Lyra."
The woman beamed. Lowering her voice, she said, "I hope so. Are you driving?"
Alex laughed and nodded as they headed for the dance floor.
"I think we've said our goodbyes," said Allison.
A week after Anita and Kayla had left on their honeymoon, Natalia's friend Caroline, recently married to Noah, invited her and her girlfriend to their house for dinner and a movie.
Noah joined them for dinner - he'd cooked, after all - then left the three women to wine, the TV, and their own devices. Allison enjoyed getting to know both Caroline and her husband, though she didn't see Noah for long.
Allison was a couple of glasses into the wine when Caroline mentioned their relationship. How they had kept it such a secret, yet she had seen how close they were at dinner at the resort.
Allison looked to Natalia. She hated deceiving Nat's friends more than they had done that first evening.
It seemed Nat was on the same page. "We, umm, we weren't. Close, that is. I met Allison a few hours before you did."
"Wait, what? But you were together," Caroline objected. "Did you meet online?"
"We met in the hot tub that morning," Natalia said.
"When you say it like that it sounds pretty bad, babe," said Allison, with a grin.
"It does, doesn't it?" Natalia agreed. "Caroline, we weren't together. We weren't dating. I felt bad about lying to you all, but we'd been, umm, forced into it by your mother in law."
"Oh, my God, what did she do?" Caroline asked.
"Well, it was my fault," Natalia said. "I lied to her first. I told her Allison was my girlfriend, because I didn't want her to keep trying to pair me up with Mia. And then Allison had to come to dinner because Dawn insisted, and we couldn't say no when you invited her to the wedding, because, well, Dawn..."
"Oh, my God," said Caroline again. "So this whole dating thing is an act?"
"It was an act," Natalia said. She reached out to take Allison's hand. "It isn't anymore. Your wedding brought us together. I guess we weren't official until the second wedding, that Allison was in, but I had hopes before then."
"I didn't," Allison said. "I just didn't want to lose her as a friend. I thought we were going to have to stage a breakup so her other friends," she nodded to Caroline, "wouldn't feel bad for her. But it's too late for that, now. I'm not giving her up."
"That's kind of sweet," said Caroline. "So you're dating because of a joint effort of Dawn and me."
"And Nat's dumb spur-of-the-moment idea," Allison said. "She's the one who kissed the straight girl to stage a lie. I thought she was crazy. Turns out she's crazy like a Vulpix."
"A what?" asked Caroline.
"Don't ask," said Natalia. "It's something she won't let me forget."
"I'm sorry for my part in deceiving you and attending your wedding under false pretenses," said Allison, "but I can't be sorry about the outcome." She squeezed Natalia's hand.
Caroline smiled at the pair. "Neither am I," she said. "I'm thrilled to see Nat so happy. Should I tell the others who were there?"
Natalia mulled that for a moment. "Sooner or later it's going to get to Dawn, I guess, but that can't be helped, and it's too late for her to set me up with Mia."
"It may not," said Caroline. "None of the wedding party is a friend of hers. I don't even know how she showed up. Neither of us invited Mia."
"I feel sorry for Mia," Allison said. "I liked her. If she ever manages to distance herself from Dawn, have her contact me. I can probably introduce her to some gay women without needing Dawn's shotgun."
Tiff declared the following Thursday board game night, at the home she shared with Emma, Margot and Heather. There would be pizza and tequila, and Allison was only invited if she brought her girlfriend. Even Nat decided that she'd join in the tequila consumption, so they travelled there by Uber.
After deciding that the homemade margaritas were more fun than the game they'd just finished, Tiff decided they'd watch a few episodes of Murderbot, making up a drinking game on the fly. Allison and Natalia helped each other into the return Uber ride to Nat's place, and though they both regretted their drink consumption in the morning, Nat was glad to be integrated further into Allison's friend group.
Most nights, Allison spent with Natalia, letting her girlfriend lead her into hours of the best sex she had ever experienced; better than she'd imagined it could be. She grew to love the woman's full, soft breasts not only for how they felt against her, but for how she could make Natalia feel when she kneaded and kissed them.
She found that her own breasts, which more than one boyfriend had disparaged as "tiny", fascinated Natalia, and the way the woman could drive her to the brink of climax just by suckling her nipples showed her how little Natalia cared that she was an A cup.
Making love to Natalia had become an essential part of her life. To bring her girlfriend to a place where she had complete control of her ecstasy was a thrill like no other.
Mika, the photographer, emailed Allison. The wedding photos were still a few weeks away from being fully ready, but she gave her a link to download the preliminary scans. Attached to the email was a set of three photos she wanted to discuss with Allison specifically. "I'd like to add these to my portfolio," her email said, "and possibly exhibit them, but I will need to get a release from you and the other woman in the series. We can meet to discuss compensation. Perhaps you'd like a large framed set of the three photos for both of you."
One photo showed her holding a glass of wine, looking into Natalia's eyes, her girlfriend's arm against her own. The second had Natalia's hand cupping her own as she shared her wine. And the third showed the tender kiss that followed. The photos seemed to say that they hadn't grasped the depth of their own feelings at that point. The second photo especially, with Nat's hand curved against her own, Nat's face in profile, Allison's eyes turned up to hers in a tender expression, seemed to show a love that neither girl had yet understood.
Tara had been staying in Anita's and Kayla's apartment while they were on honeymoon. She would be heading home the day before they returned, though she would be back in less than two weeks for her dorm move in date. Allison collected the apartment key and took her to the airport. She and Tiff had arranged to have the apartment deep cleaned, and they switched the duvet and pillowcases for ones featuring hearts.
On Saturday, before the newlyweds arrived home, they added a replacement bouquet of flowers in one of the wedding vases, and when Anita and Kayla were heading back from the airport, they set up a bottle of champagne in ice.
That night, Allison curled up under the sheets with her lover. Anita had texted a message of thanks, which contained mostly heart emojis.
"I feel like wedding season finally came to a close," she said. "From the day I met you until today one wedding or the other has been front and center. Now our friends are back, and there's nothing left to do."
"Are you disappointed?" Natalia asked.
"No, because I've kept the best part," Allison replied.
"What's that?" asked Natalia.
"Who's that," Allison corrected her. She ran her fingers over the side of Natalia's breast. She'd hadn't lost the sense of wonder at caressing the marshmallow softness. She didn't think she ever would. "With or without wedding activities to focus on, I have more romance in my life than ever."
In reply, Natalia gently lifted Allison's hand from her breast, rolling over, her body mostly covering Allison's. She fitted her thigh between Allison's, pressing her hip firmly to her sex. Stretching her body out, she held both of Allison's hands over her head, then kissed her as she began to roll her hips.
Pinned beneath the woman she loved, Allison's excitement caught fire. Her girlfriend's breasts may feel soft when she caressed them, but, squeezed against her chest, they enfolded her own breasts with quivering warmth, shifting against her as Natalia moved.
"Lift your knee," Natalia whispered, momentarily breaking the kiss. "Oh yeah, like that," she continued, as Allison drew her foot closer, her thigh firm against Natalia's pussy. She wanted to wrap her arms around Natalia and hold her close, but with her hands pinned she was unable to do anything but submit to the girl on top's desire. And that in itself was erotic.
Allison had never liked to let a partner have control. She was a small woman, and her boyfriends had been significantly bigger. She hated to feel trapped, and almost always insisted on being on top.
Natalia was a little bigger than her, too, and certainly stronger - Allison might have managed to cartwheel a hundred pound partner, but she'd have to rest afterward - but Allison felt no sense of threat from her. Her hold on Allison's hands was light, more a suggestion to keep them in place than a restraint. Allison knew that if she insisted on lowering her hands to her girlfriend, Natalia would let her. She trusted her in a way that she had never been able to trust a partner.
Given that level of trust, Allison found the idea of ceding control to Natalia to be intoxicating, not daunting. So she didn't try to move her hands from the woman's hold. All she could really do was respond to the movement of her hips with her own, strengthening the rhythm of her girlfriend's body against her own. When Natalia pressed forward, Allison thrust her thigh up into her sex, rewarded by the sounds of her girlfriend's arousal as she moaned into the kiss.
The glow within her own belly was rapidly turning to flame as their bodies bounced together hard enough that the bedsprings creaked and the bed began to knock lightly against the floor. She gave herself completely over to lust, suckling Natalia's tongue and groaning with need.
Though she was certain that Natalia was trying to push her into coming first, her girlfriend lost control before she did, breaking the kiss and crying out as her body stiffened. Allison continued driving against her. Seconds after Natalia recovered enough to resume thrusting her hips, Allison fell over the cliff, writhing beneath her.
Anita texted Allison to ask if she'd be at Gabby's on Monday. So, of course, Allison asked Natalia to join her. Since it was the weekly Monday event, there wouldn't be any alcohol, and no need for an Uber or designated driver. Natalia asked Allison to pick her up.
Which was a trap. When Allison arrived, Natalia asked for help putting on that same wrap-around halter top as before. She knew exactly what she was doing, presenting Allison with the thin straps, the pleated center section snugged over her breasts, held in place by one hand and the strap behind her neck, her other hand holding it the narrow ribbon ends for Allison to wrap around and tie in a bow.
"This is cruel," Allison said, as she pulled the bow into shape. "Not only are you making me tie up what I want to free, you're going to make me suffer being around all that bare skin..."
"Mhmm," Natalia agreed, "but this time I'll let you unwrap it when we get back."
"Babe, I think that makes the next couple of hours even harder," Allison said.
After the excitement of the past few weeks, the evening seemed to mark a return to normalcy, even though it was a new normal for Allison. Suse, whose propositions she'd turned down at least twice, claimed to feel cheated that she'd found a girl without giving her a chance. Given the number of girls Allison had seen Suse with, she didn't feel bad for her.
"The photographer sent me preliminary scans," Allison told the newlyweds. "I have them on my phone. I didn't send them to you because I didn't know if you'd prefer to wait until she's finished editing."
"Gimme," said Anita, taking the phone after Allison selected the first of the series.
"Mika wants us to sign a release," Allison said to Natalia. "The photographer, that is. You'll see why when I get my phone back."
Kayla interrupted Anita's scrolling at one point. She turned the phone to Allison. "What's going on here?"
The image showed a close-up of Tara, face flushed, hiding behind her bouquet. "Huh, I scrolled past that one," Allison said. "I didn't know she'd caught the moment."
"She does seem to have an ability to be in the right place at the right time," Anita said.
"What's with Tara, though?" Kayla demanded.
"Uh, well, there may have been undercurrents that you weren't aware of," Allison said, "since you were, you know, getting married. Your cousin seems to have become enamoured of a certain senior with blue and pink hair."
"Huh. I'm not sure how to feel about that," Kayla said. "Grace seems like a nice girl, though she doesn't seem to like me much. I don't want to see Tara's heart broken, but I guess she makes her own choices."
"I saw them together while you were lounging in the sun," Allison said. "Grace seems... hmm, she seems to have mellowed a little. Maybe you'll find she doesn't dislike you as much as you think."
Allison knew when Anita had arrived at the photos of herself with Natalia, because she gave her a considering look, while Kayla grinned. "Told you," she said to her wife.
"These are beautiful," Anita said, handing Allison her phone back. Allison immediately selected the photos of herself with Natalia, then passed the phone to her girlfriend. "Please send them to me. I'm looking forward to seeing the full set."
"Why does she want a release?" Natalia asked, studying the phone.
"She said she wants to add them to her portfolio. She might exhibit them."
"I can see why," Natalia said. "I'll sign."
Returning to Nat's apartment, Allison found herself surprised at her own level of anticipation. After all, she'd seen Natalia naked many times now. Had been naked with her many times. But something about the idea of unwrapping her was unnervingly erotic. Knowing how easily she could have slipped the top off Natalia - and how much she wanted to - was the concept that broke through the mental blocks preventing her seeing what they'd become, that night at Gabby's.
Now she knew how stupidly, passionately, intensely in love she was with the girl, she still wanted to untie the top and peel it open like expensive wrapping around a valuable gift. She waited until her girlfriend had poured them each a glass of wine. She set hers down after taking a long sip, Natalia doing the same, a smile on her face that seemed almost predatory.
Tilting her face up, Allison caught Natalia's lower lip between hers. She felt Natalia capture her upper lip before moving back, then touch their lips together again. Allison slid her hands around the smooth skin of Natalia's waist, exposed by the top, knowing just a little tug would reveal so much more. The thought was making her wet. But she didn't want to rush. The gift within the packaging was something she cherished.
As Natalia's lips parted to hers, Allison caressed her girlfriend's back, drawing her closer. Her tongue met Natalia's, and she groaned at the jolt of passion. She brought her hand to the knot, pinched the free end and drew it away, feeling it slide, until the knot collapsed. The band slowly fell away, unwrapping itself as it dropped. Allison parted the final barrier, where it lay over Natalia's breasts, then pulled it completely free as she lowered her face to her prize.
Natalia's nipple was already swollen before her mouth covered it. Allison felt her girlfriend's breath catch as she suckled. The nipple became firmer still. She switched her attention to the other breast, kissing it into solidity. She began to unfasten Natalia's skirt, but stopped. Standing, she whispered, "Take me to bed. I want to make love to you as you deserve."
With no comment, Nat took her hand and led her to the bedroom, leaving the top discarded on the floor.
Allison undressed by the bed, her hungry eyes taking in Natalia as she did the same. Then she waited for her girlfriend to lie down before covering her body with her own. Taking Nat's hands in hers, she twined their fingers together, holding them out to the side as they kissed, her body pressing down into the other girl's. They kissed for minutes without moving until she finally released Natalia's hands to caress her body.
Her lips finally leaving Natalia's, she kissed down her neck and along her shoulder before taking hold of her hips, using her grip to slide down her body until she was at her lover's breast.
As she suckled, she moved her hands down the backs of Natalia's thighs, then lifted them, feeling Natalia's sex damp against her belly. Her hands moved her girlfriend's body against her. She heard small sounds coming from her girlfriend's throat, and moved to suckle her other breast. When her teeth pinched the other girl's nipple she heard her gasp, then felt her shiver beneath her. Natalia's hips began to rock, no longer needing the encouragement of Allison's hands on her hips, so Allison drew patterns on the back of her thighs before releasing her nipple and sliding down her body.
One by one, Allison raised Natalia's legs high, kissing the back of her thigh from her knee to her butt, exploring with her teeth and tongue. Natalia's hips continued to rock, even though Allison's belly wasn't there for her to push against. It didn't matter. Natalia seemed to need the rocking motion. Her breath was ragged, and she moaned when Allison teased the backs and insides of her thighs with her teeth.
"Allison..." Natalia groaned.
Then she drew her tongue over Nat's pussy, tasting her thick, sweet arousal. Natalia's thighs tensed as she licked her. Slowly she approached her clit, finding it peeking out, hard, and deliciously sensitive, causing Natalia to let out a long moan as she drew her tongue over the nub. She began to lick it, slowly but purposefully, as Natalia tried to grind her sex into her mouth.
Her girlfriend clearly had no control left. She was a being of pure want, and Allison had what she needed. She slid a finger into her, twisting her hand as it slid easily inside. "Ah!" Natalia gasped. She drew the finger back out, slowly, then slid it in deep.
Allison switched from caressing Natalia's clit to lapping at it. Natalia began to pant. She drew her finger out again, pushing two inside. Her girlfriend's moans became constant.
Pressing her tongue firmly to Natalia's clit, Allison began to thrust her fingers into her, then nodded her head rapidly, scouring Natalia's clit with her tongue. Her lover's back arched, her arms pressing down into the bed. Then the dam burst. Natalia wailed as her sex clamped Allison's fingers with a series of shuddering contractions.
Slowly, the sharp movements of Natalia's body became gentler, and she relaxed onto the bed. She tugged on a strand of Allison's hair, and Allison released her sex and moved up to lie along her lover. Natalia intertwined the fingers of both hands with her, preventing her from moving away. "For a straight woman, you sure know how to lick a girl," she said.
"I learned from the best," Allison said. "Just think," she continued. "All those weeks ago, if you'd been just a little less impulsive, you'd have realized what a bad idea it was to make me kiss you, and we'd never have fallen in love. That was the best bad idea in the history of bad ideas."
"Yay for bad ideas," agreed Natalia. Releasing Allison's hands, she took her into her arms.