A Good Girl Gone Bad
CHAPTER TWO - BOUND
I'd not pulled the drapes last night and woke early as the sun brightened my bedroom. Beside me, and still in shadow, I saw her dark tresses spread over the adjoining pillow. An alabaster arm and a sculpted shoulder sticking out from under the covers. David and I had an understanding that he'd give me space when Amy stayed over. He got more than enough of my attention most of the time. And, though the three of us had experimented, this had simply served to confirm Amy in her predominantly lesbian paradigm.
I leaned on my elbow and looked at her. Amy's face was turned away from me, but her gracefully curved neck was peeping from under her hair. That took me back. Back to gazing at her neck while in class. How many years ago was that now? Three and half maybe. Not long to go now.
It was an unhappy thought. Amy had shared her San Fran plans with me. I'd become disconsolate, irritable. When she challenged me on why, I just got more angry, more closed off. Did I feel she was abandoning me? Probably. Then best friends didn't always outlast college. She'd asked whether I wanted to come with her. But I'd already been doing graduate work as a senior, and an M.S. position was mine for the taking; hopefully leading to a PhD. Why did I need to fit in with her anyway? We just had different plans.
Part of me knew that there was more to it than I could admit to myself. But a bigger part said 'fuck that!' Romantic relationships, or my train wreck attempts at them, had caused me nothing but heartache and psychological damage. Some physical damage too. I had no use for that shit. It was for the weak-willed. Those who were too blind to see that sex was just fun. Free and fun. Relationships were about control and ownership and not for me.
Still. Looking at Amy as the sun slowly moved across my bed and her sleeping form...
Enough! I leaned over and kissed her cheek, being greeted by an annoyed grunt. Amy had never been a morning person.
I was considering the best way to wake her up, maybe crawling under the covers from the foot of the bed, when my phone bleeped. Leaving Amy to slumber, I rolled over and picked it up. The message was tagged 'Ella.'
Hi Em. I unexpectedly have a free weekend. What about you? Are you free? Or Amy? Or both?
My mood brightened, confused thoughts about one friend replaced by simpler ones about another. We had been seeing quite a bit of Ella, and it had been a lot of fun. I tapped out a reply.
Hi, cutie! Where are you? We don't have big plans. Could always squeeze you in. Or squeeze into you 😉
The reply was almost instantaneous.
I'm outside the house. I guess I was a bit impulsive 🫢. Is that OK
I threw on a robe. Passing David's door, I knocked and opened it without waiting for a reply. What was I going to see that I hadn't seen before? He was reading in bed.
"Hi, hun. Thanks for giving me and Ames some space. It's just... just another friend has arrived. They might be a little perturbed by someone else being here..." I left the sentence hanging.
"So you want me to disappear, right?"
"Uh-huh."
"No problem, you can make it up to me when they've gone. OK?" He smiled warmly at me.
"As always, but yeah, a little space would be cool."
"OK, Em. You've got it"
"And... well, just one other thing. Could we maybe use the garage? I promise I'll clean up. Not... not like that other time."
David was already getting dressed. "So does the poor guy know what he is letting himself in for? And Amy as well? Fuck!"
"Um... it's not a guy. And not exactly a girl either. It's a... woman."
"OK... now you are making me want to stay." My face fell. "No. I'm teasing. I'm going to the pancake place and I might visit a few people. Won't be back until the evening. OK?"
"OK," I kissed his lips. "Gotta run, she's outside. Could you...?"
"Let myself out the side door? Sure. Have fun! The poor woman."
With that, I left him and half ran to the front door.
⛓️ ⛓️ ⛓️
It was a sunny Saturday morning and Ella was standing on the stoop, sunglasses on, a rollaboard beside her. I could see her Accord by the curb, right in front of the house. Despite the short distance, Ella sounded breathless.
"Hi, Emily. It's crazy, I know. I'm crazy."
"So you just drove here? What if we weren't in?"
"Um..." Ella smiled, obviously embarrassed. "I don't know. I just... I just felt like being spontaneous, I never do that. It felt good. Well can I come in?"
"Of course, can I take your case?"
"I'm good, it's light. I didn't figure I'd be wearing much." Suddenly aware of what she had said, Ella blushed a deep red.
I couldn't resist her and stood on tip-toes to just about reach her shapely lips. "Oh, hun. You're so funny. How about I help you out of those clothes right now?"
Ella broke into a wide smile and nodded. Giggling, we got her inside. I led the way past the slumbering Amy and to David's room.
Opening the door, I was glad to see that he had made the bed. I told Ella to put her case anywhere. The room smelt of its occupier. Not in an unpleasant way, David was keen on hygiene, but there was a distinct odor of maleness. Ella's sense of smell was much more sensitive than mine and I could tell she was picking up on this.