NOTE TO READERS: This series does contain some lesbian sex, but it's mostly a study of three young women's relationships. It's why I've listed it under Romance. Cheers.
Several days had passed since her intimate encounter with Meredith, and Amy could not stop obsessing about it.
The fling in the shower didn't amount to much more than light-hearted play. Still, Amy kept trying to uncover some hidden meaning as to why it had happened at all. What perplexed her most of all was Meredith's whole laissez faire attitude about everything. Even getting caught with her fingers between her legs barely ruffled her feathers. It was just like that kiss they shared late at night in Amy's bed. For Amy, it seemed charged with meaning, and yet Meredith seemed to ignore that it ever transpired.
The thing is, Amy liked Meredith. Lots. She found her fascinating to watch and enjoyed listening to her express her quirky ideas. But she was difficult to read, and her moods were mercurial. In a way, that's what made her so compelling to Amy. Despite the awkward moments, along with some confusing signals, one thing rang true: Meredith Addison had an uncanny ability to draw Amy out of her shell. Meredith made Amy feel as if she was part of a special club. And she liked that.
There was definitely a sexual attraction, and yet Amy didn't expect it to lead anywhere. Meredith was quite adamant about not doing relationships, and treated sex as if it were nothing more than a recreational activity, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. For Meredith, sex was just a bit of color you added to a work in progress.
What really cemented their friendship was the fact Meredith had seen Amy as someone she could confide in, and with whom she could share her most hidden secrets. Amy remembers their conversation as if it were yesterday.
"Does anyone else know what happened?" Amy had asked, after Meredith had revealed some pretty dark stuff.
"Nope, just you," she had confided to Amy, and for that, Meredith seemed genuinely grateful. "It really helped to talk about this," she had said.
"I'm glad you feel you can trust me."
Meredith did trust Amy, and Amy would do everything in her power to preserve that trust. She had to, considering all that Meredith had been through. Amy still couldn't get over her being so desperate that she would harm herself in order to escape her father's advances!
After having learned a few skills from watching and listening to her mother, Amy fancied herself something of a therapist. She wanted to help Meredith. She believed wholeheartedly that at her core Meredith was a strong person with a great deal to give the world.
Over the next few days, Amy took stock of her life. She was now at the center of a complicated three-way relationship, in which she was attracted to a fascinating new girl, while also being pursued by her gay friend. And to make matters even more dicey, Meredith and Ari had become friends as well.
Meredith's comments that Amy and Ariadne were a good fit, kept nagging at Amy's conscience. Ari had made her feelings clear to Amy. The problem was, Amy wasn't sure how she felt about that. Ari was a dear friend. She was kind and lovely, and her presence in Amy's life was a reliable and supportive constant.
But Meredith...Meredith did things to Amy. She excited her, and challenged her. And frustrated her. She was tantalizing and ephemeral... sexy and dangerous.
While Ari was...well Ari was, Ari.
Amy thought about Ariadne's sexy new swimsuit and the offer to do some night swimming in her pool. She had even mentioned the possibility of swimming naked.
"I should give her a call," Amy told herself. But Amy didn't have to make the call.
"Guess what?" It was Ari, calling Amy on the phone later that day.
"What?" came Amy's upbeat reply.
"My family is heading down to the coast for a few days. Want to come for over for that evening swim? I'm dying to try out my new swimsuit."
There was a seductive quality to Ari's voice, and Amy wasn't sure how she felt about that. But they had talked about doing this, and there really wasn't any good reason to keep putting it off. And if there was a confrontation to be had, Amy might as well face it now.
"Yeah, a night swim sounds fantastic. Should I plan to stay the night?"
"If you can, that would be great," Ari replied, doing her best to keep her excitement under control.
As soon as Amy made the offer, she questioned her decision. She had crashed at Ari's many times, but it was naive of her to pass this off as an innocent rendezvous between friends. The whole evening had a seductive vibe about it. Add to that, the skimpy swim suits and who knows what might happen?
But Amy didn't want to go back on her word. Their nighttime swim was on.
Amy's new bikini fit her perfectly. While her breasts were always capable of turning a few heads, in the new top, they looked even more impressive, nestled as they were in slender pockets of fabric. Her snug bikini bottom was daringly cut in front and in back, making her ass look as inviting as ever. Now that she thought about it her parents might have second thoughts as well.
It was a lot of skin to be parading around in public, but what the girls had planned was deliciously private. The whole point was to be able to show off their bodies without any prying eyes or unwelcome judgment. That said, Amy knew she was tempting her friend by wearing the suit, and that her friend might choose to act on that temptation.
"And what if we do take things further," she put to herself. "As long as we're open and honest with each other."
Amy's time with Meredith had freed her in so many ways. If things veered in a direction that made her uncomfortable, Amy felt she had the confidence to handle it. She told herself that it wasn't the intimacy that bothered her. It was the impact it would have on their relationship. Ari was beautiful, there was no denying that. But what if it all went wrong?
Amy cleared the sleepover with her parents and headed over after dinner. She'd debated on whether to wear her suit, or put it on at the house, but in the end, she wore it underneath her summer top and shorts.
When Amy arrived at the Petrakis home around seven, there was still light in the sky. Ariadne came out to greet her in a robe and sandals, and Amy tried to imagine what she had on underneath.
"Want some wine?" Ariadne asked. Amy nodded, and followed her into the house. Inside, there was soft music playing and the lights were turned down low. It was a romantic setting, removing all doubt as to Ariadne's plans for the evening.
"Here," Ariadne said, handing a glass of white wine to Amy. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, and as Amy took the glass, she could feel her hand shaking.
