A Second Chance

"Give me the car keys," I growled at Jonell as I put my daughter, Kayla, in her car seat. "I'm driving."

Jo compliantly tossed me the keys but continued to stand in front of the car, staring at me with an expectant look on her face.

I slammed the car door and met Jonell's stone gaze. "What?" My tone was sharp.

"Nothing," Jo finally broke contact to stare up at the sky. "I'm just thinking."

Opening the driver's side door, I told Jo irately, "Well, get in before I leave without you."

There was a short pause before Jonell came around and got into the passenger seat. I threw myself into the car and jerked the key into the ignition. All was silent for a few moments as I drove. Kayla had fallen asleep, and I assumed Jo was still lost in her thoughts. I took this time to dive into my own thoughts, which were consumed with images of Jessie. My mind's eye simulated her beautiful, curly red hair which came down to her waist and brought out the color of her shockingly green eyes. Cute freckles covered her cheeks. Her lips were a light pink and looked so soft... Wait! What was I doing? What were these feelings which were making a tingling sensation inside my stomach? This girl, who had once caused my heart so much pain, was now making my heart thump in erratic patterns.

"... That girl in there..." Jonell suddenly murmured.

Blinking to refocus myself, I said, "Jessie,"

"Right, Jessie... Is she the girl from high school?"

I paused and sighed, half remembering and half realizing how well Jo knows me. "...Yes."

Jonell waited for a minute and, when she figured I was going to say nothing more, inquired, "And...?"

"'And' what?"

"You mean to tell me that, after eight years, the love of your life comes back to you and you're just going to walk away?"

"That's just it, though. It has been eight years; I'm married now and have a child. And she didn't come back to me -- it's only a coincidence that we met again. What else was I supposed to do?" I tried to sound angry, or at least annoyed, but I could notice that my voice had a tinge of sadness to it.

Jonell leaned over and wrapped her left arm around my neck. "You should have talked to her and asked how she's been. Perhaps you should have even talked to Jane. You two were friends, weren't you? Confront Jessie and ask her what she was thinking when she left such a wonderful, amazing person all those years ago. You need to face your demons. Tell her--"

"Okay, okay," I cut Jo off. "I get it. There were a lot of things I should have done. I was just upset and nervous. But I'll make you a deal: if I ever see Jessie again, I'll talk to her."

Jonell smiled an almost devilish smile. "Good," She reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a cell phone, dialing something into it which she read off of a small piece of paper.

I eyed her suspiciously. "What are you doing?"

"I'm calling Jessie." Jo says cheerfully.

"Wh--... How did you get her number?"

Jonell chuckled, placing the cell phone up to her ear. "She tried giving you her card, but you were sort of out of it and gave it to me instead."

Before I could say anything else, Jo began speaking into the phone.

"Hi, this is Jonell. We met today at the mall." There was a short break, and then Jo started laughing. "Yeah, that was me. Hey, I was wondering if you were busy tomorrow." Another break. "Well, if you're free, Bella would like to invite you over to her place so you could talk. I'll be there to watch her daughter."

I pulled into my driveway and heard Jo tell Jessie my address before hanging up. I exited the car and got Kayla from the back seat. Jonell unlocked the house and I carried my sleeping angel to her bed. Jo and I then went downstairs and lounged on the couch with soft techno music playing in the background.

"She and Jane will be here tomorrow at ten." Jonell smiled brightly. "Tom should be gone by then for work."

For a moment, it seemed too good to be true. "Why did you do that?"

Jo's smile dimmed a bit. "Aren't you happy?"

"I am, I am... I'm just wondering why you'd do this for me." I locked eyes with Jo.

She looked away for a second and said, "I'm helping you get your second chance."

"I don't need a second chance. She did what she did and I got over it." I didn't succeed at sounding tough.

But Jo insisted, "You do need a second chance, Bella. The love of your life left you; that's not something you can easily get over. You need to talk to her, straighten things out. Okay?"

"Alright..." I sighed pitifully.

Jonell gazed at me for a long minute. "She really hurt you, didn't she? ... I haven't seen you so worked up before."

I tried to swallow the lump that built up in my throat, but I only ended up choking in tears. Jonell wrapped her arms around me and held me until the overwhelming emotion subsided.

* * *

The rest of the day seemed to go by in a particularly swift manner. The evening was like any other: as soon as Kayla woke from her nap, I cooked dinner. Jo helped Kayla turn the livingroom into a warzone for me to clean up, and when Tom came home at six we all ate. Jonell washed the dishes as I cleaned the livingroom. Tom gave Kayla a bath, and I read Kayla a story before bed. Jo winked at me before she left, and Tom and I went to bed. The only thing different that night was the constant burden of Jessie on my mind. As much as I was afraid to see her again, I couldn't wait.

It was now half past nine in the morning, and I couldn't decide what to wear.

Jo held up a baby blue tank top and a tight pair of size 3 jeans. She had come back over to help me prepare for Jessie. "What about these? The blue will bring out your eyes wonderfully."

"I agree, but do you think it'll show off too much skin?"

Jo almost laughed at me. "When you're that sexy, you can never show too much skin." She throws the clothes at me. "Put them on. I'll go wake up little Miss Kayla and send Tom off."

After clothing myself, I looked in the mirror. Jo was right: this outfit does look good on me. I let my hair out of the ponytail I put it in when I woke up and shake it so it falls over my shoulders in an oddly beautiful disarray. I then went downstairs to the playroom where Jo and Kayla sat, dolls in hands.

My little angel looks up as I enter the room and speaks to me in a cute, high-pitched, childish voice. "Mama, Aunty Jo says that you're bringing some friends over to play. When will they be here?"

As I was about to answer her, the door bell rung.

"Coming!" I called out, then turned to Kayla and smiled. "That's them now, sweetie." I sprinted to the door and nearly got mauled when I opened it.

Jane squeezed me tightly in her arms and trilled, "Good morning, Bella!"

Trying not to gasp for breath, I replied, "Good morning,"

"Where's Jo and Kayla?" Jane asked, finally releasing her grip.

I turned and pointed in the general direction of the playroom. "They're both in there."

"That's where I'll be!" Jane skipped away, leaving Jessie and me staring awkwardly at each other.

I made a gesture for her to come inside and led her to the livingroom. "Have a seat."

"Thanks," Jessie said in a genuine tone.

There was a moment of silence as I sat down next to her.

"... I noticed you grew out your hair." I tried to start a conversation.

"Oh, yeah, I did. Do you like it?" Jessie took a strand of curly hair and twirled it between her fingers.

I nodded, "It looks good on you."

"Thanks..." Jessie smiled a perfect white smile. "I like yours as well. The highlights make your amazing blue eyes stand out."

My cheeks began to tingle and burn up. ...Was I blushing? I hadn't blushed in years!

It was then that I heard a soft sound come from Jessie's throat. "Mmm. I've missed that."

"W-what?" I couldn't help but stutter.

"Seeing you blush." She leaned closer to me, slightly pushing her beautiful breasts to mine. "It's so sexy."

My heart skipped a beat. Was she really doing this? I stare at her, trying to figure her out, but also so filled with desire that I didn't care what she was about to do, just as long as she did it.

"You'd better stop looking at me like that or I might get carried away," Jessie's bright green eyes were lustful.

I took a deep breath to refocus myself, thinking through the concequences of what I was about to do. When it really came down to it, the only thing holding me back was the fact that I was married. But I wasn't in love with Tom -- that was the one thing he could never give me. This girl, the one sitting beside me with the most spellbinding green eyes and fiery red hair, was who I wanted. She's been who I've wanted since high school. And here she was, right before me, ripe for the taking. Yes. I was going to take her.

"... Perhaps I want you to get carried away." I say in the most tempting tone I can muster up, my eyes roaming over Jessie's slim, sexy body.

Jessie leans so near me I can feel her body heat. "Is that an invitation to kiss you?"

Oh, God, her lips were so close to mine! We both fill in the remaining distance and kiss each other in the sweetest fashion: full of passion and desire. I craddled my right hand around the base of her neck to pull her deeper into the kiss, tangling the fingers of my left hand into her soft hair. Jessie teased me by stroking the sides of my breasts. We were panting when we finally broke apart.

"I've wanted to do that since I saw you yesterday," Jessie whispered, still trying to catch her breath.

I asked in a mischievious manner, "Just that?"

"Oh, no. I've wanted to do this, too." Jessie held me close to her and kissed me again, her hands sliding under my shirt and massaging my breasts. I let out a soft but desperate moan, which Jessie took as a signal to keep going. But as she was laying me down on the couch beneath her, I murmured, "Wait... I don't want our first time in eight years to be on a couch."

Jessie smiled and nodded, silently following me upstairs into my bedroom. We helped strip each other of our clothes and fell onto the bed together.

She caressed my cheeks with her thumbs as she held my face. "I can't believe this is about to happen."

I frowned, "Do you want to stop?"

"No! It's just that... I never thought I would see you again. When we met up yesterday it was like the universe was giving me a second chance. Bella, I'm so sorry. It was all my fault; I--"

I placed a finger on her lips. "Shh. Tell me later, okay? Right now I just want you to kiss me."

We held each other for an eternity as we kissed, our bodies pressing together. Jessie's skin was so soft and her touches were simultaneously gentle and firm. There was no urgency in our movements -- we knew we belonged to each other, and no one was ever going to change that.

I explored Jessie's pale neck and ears with soft kisses, hearing her moan and feeling her fingernails dig into my back when I hit a sensitive spot just right. As I moved downward, I noticed three small tattoos on her collarbone. They seemed to be written in Chinese.

"What do these mean?" I traced them with my fingertips, which seemed to make her back arch.

Jessie's voice was quiet now. "Love, strength, and bravery."

I smile, remembering Jessie's obsession with the Chinese language. It was also very much like her to want to showcase bravery and strength. The symbol for love was, I assumed, meant for me.

I suddenly realized that Jessie had gotten on top of me, her lips tugging on my earlobes, making me gasp. She chuckled slightly, trailed kisses down my neck to my chest and sucked my nipple into her mouth. A sharp moan escaped my lips. I took hold of Jessie's wrist and gently guided her hand down my belly to my sex, which was throbbing with desire. My entire body shuddered as her slender fingers brushed my pussy, lingering at my clitoris. My hips bucked against her hand, begging for more.

"Damn, that feels good..." I hissed, tilting my head to the side.

Jessie, without warning, then pressed two fingers inside my dripping wet cunt. I cried out, grabbing a handful of Jessie's red hair and pulling her into a deep, passionate kiss. Her fingers quickened their pace as our tongues wrestled harder and harder in each other's mouths. Her hand was moving faster and faster, almost in a blur as my hips moved in time with her fingers. My moans were getting louder and higher pitched; I was nearing a climax.

"Oh, Jessie... Fuck... Fuck me!" I arched and thrashed around on the bed. I was so close!

Jessie moaned in my ear, "Cum for me, Bella. Cum all over me!"

A tingling sensation began in my toes, rising up to my abdomin. I tried to form words, but I couldn't even breathe. My limbs went numb. My head was fuzzy. It was as if all of the sensations in my body were drawn to Jessie's hand and then imploded all at once.

The orgasm seemed to last forever. I could deduce that I was moaning, screaming, thrusting wildly, feeling pure pleasure... and this woman, whose fingers never let up through my eternal orgasm, was the one who gave me the ability to experience it all.

The last thing I remember was Jessie leaning back and looking into my eyes. In that instant, we connected on a whole new level. The darkness then consumed me, and I realized that there was no going back now.

* * *

I woke to the sound of knocking at my bedroom door. As I became more awake and aware, I noticed that Jessie wasn't in bed with me.

Was it all a dream?

The evident feeling of satisfaction in my nether region answered my question.

Jonell entered the room, "Rise and shine, sleepy head! You need to get up; Tom will be here in an hour." She picked up my clothes and placed them beside me on the bed. "Looks like you've been busy. How was it?"

"Jo, it was amazing! She was incredible, and I've missed her so much, but... but Jo, I cheated on my husband! I never thought I would be unfaithful, yet here I am, longing for her touch again. God, Jo, what am I doing?" I lay my head in my hands, frustrated and confused.

Jo sat down next to me and wrapped her arm around my neck. "You're happy, aren't you?"

"Yes." I said without hesitation. "I've never been this happy before."

"Well, there you go. Just continue being the perfect mother and wife you've always been, and have some fun with Jessie. Get to know her again. Think about what will make you happy." Jo patted my shoulder before standing back up. "Give it a month and we'll talk about it again, alright?"

I stood up as well and gave Jonell a hug. "Alright. Thanks, Jo."

"Hey, what are best friends for, right?" Jo smirked proudly. "You should come downstairs. Jane is teaching me how to make lasagna."

I giggled. "You're going to cook?"

"I didn't stutter, did I?" Jo feigned irritation with a smile. "Besides, Jane says she's a great teacher. Kayla really likes her, too."

With hesitation, I asked, "Did you and Jane...?"

"No, it's not like that," Jonell's cheeks turned pink. "We just... talked."

"But you like her." It wasn't a question.

Jo nodded slowly. "Yeah... I do. She's so smart and funny... Not to mention how drop-dead gorgeous she is."

I hug Jo tightly and say, "I'm happy for you, sweetie."

"I'm happy for you, too. Now, go take a shower and get dressed. We'll be waiting for you downstairs." Jonell got up and left the room.

I was downstairs within twenty minutes; I rushed myself to shower and dress just in case Tom came home early. There was laughing coming from the kitchen, and as I came through the doorway I see Jonell and Jane chopping vegetables for the lasagna. Kayla laughed euphorically as Jessie made funny faces at her while grating cheese. No sign of Tom yet.

"Be careful not to cut yourself, Jessie." I tell her with a sarcastic tone. "I don't think bloody cheese looks good on lasagna."

Jessie smiles up at me with those amazing green eyes. "Don't worry. I'm a pro at this."

"Oh, are you?" I walk across the room to stand beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Uh huh," Jessie leans close and whispers into my ear, "I'm a pro at a lot of things."

Jessie and I flirted for a while, and then Kayla recapped her day for me. Tom came in about ten minutes before the lasagna was ready as I made salad. We all ate dinner together and chatted. After eating dessert, Tom took Kayla upstairs and tucked her in. Jessie, Jane and Jo decided to leave at this time. I watched closely as Jo hugged Jane, noticing that Jane held on just a moment too long.

"Bye, Bella. Today was wonderful. If you ever want to do this again, just call me. Okay?" Jessie told me, a hint of sadness in her voice.

I gave Jessie a long hug, kissing her cheek. "You'll definitely be hearing from me, babe."

"Alright... I'll be waiting." Jessie turned to leave, but I grabbed her hand. Her green eyes met mine, and I smiled.

"Next time, it's my turn."