****The feedback so far on my work has been Incredible. I made some edits to this story, just for clarity. Thanks so much for reading, please enjoy.****
Fir Patch is a dance club, bar, taco stand and outdoor beer garden. My best friend Star and I took to it since it wasn't the usual lesbian bar- No. It was open to all, and they had ladies night on Saturday's. Fir Patch was the place we could do both; flirt with the girls who were into it, and talk through our own stuff without being interrupted or caught in any lesbian drama. Also the name Fir Patch, seemed like enough a joke to us.
I slipped back into my green linen trouser and white button down, and left Raine's place; with her still recovering, around 4:30.
It was time to get ready. In my ride share home she video called- and I ignored. She sent pictures of her still swollen and juicy red vulva lips. Yep, she was satisfied.
Back at home, I showered and made a sandwich, then sat outside on the patio in boxers and bra. An alarm went off at 6:30, I got dressed in ripped jeans, and a tight black tee shirt.
Star was talking to a pretty, tall brown-skinned woman outside when I got to Fir Patch 10 minutes after we'd agreed.
"Not too bad Andi," they jokingly looked at the time on the young lady's watch. We greeted each other warmly. I loved Star. Best friends didn't even do us justice.
We went straight out to the patio bar in back and took seats.
"Who was that!?" I called out loudly at Star, a moment after we sat down. I couldn't wait to hear details on this.
"You don't know her, I just met her."
"Looked like ya'll know each other," I joked. Of the two of us, Star was the master of seduction- I was still taking lessons.
"That's what it's supposed to look like," they downed the shot of vodka, eyes twinkling at me over the shot glass, and I took my cue, drowning mine. We caught up while overlooking the outdoor dance floor. The place was packed inside, and soon the patio would be overflowing. The young lady speaking to Star earlier twirled around to the hip-hop beats with the others.
"Tell me where you've been man!" Star asked. They'd asked me about a workout earlier in the week, and I was so deep into midterms, studying, and work that I never got back to them.
"I had to work late. Work is getting out of control, and school-my bad."
Star sipped on a beer, and my whiskey sour tapered as we watched the dancing and vibed to the music.
Then I broke the trance, "So, this week I finally saw Maya again."
"Yeah? Maya, the teacher right? With the pixie?" Star always kept up with me when it came to appetite for divine pleasure.
"Yep that one. We met up at the park a block from my office."
"Yeah?! That's dumb cute!" They clinked glasses with me and winked.
"Yeah it really was. Maya is never downtown. Her school is out in Peidmont."
"Okay okay, so you said she was gonna be the one you tryna *ehhmmms** ," Star made a conspicuous coughing noise. "What happened?"
They took a swig from the beer, and a light breeze passed. "Cuz I don't see the 'I crushed that joint' swag on."
"I like Maya a whole lot bro!" I pushed them with a friendly nudge, and we both laughed. "She's special..."
"Okay, so tell me what happened." Star star urged me impatiently, with a shoulder shove.
"Maannnn," I began retelling the story.
"So we met in the park on Thursday. I was going to text her, but I heard her voice first."
>>>
"Andi!!"
"Hey! Maya, mmmmm." Damn she was fucking glowing. Maya was 5'10, and had perfect brunet skin. She had played tennis and volleyball, and ran track at Spelman before they called it quits on the sports program. Wrapped in her delightful and inviting embrace I could feel my body's earnestness. We pulled apart, and she took my arm as we walked farther into the park and found an empty bench.
"I brought some snacks, I know it's your lunch break! How have you been?", she eagerly chittered.
I didn't even get an answer out before she kissed me full on my mouth. Her round cute round lips sank against mine tender and zealous. She rested a hand on my thigh and I felt my temperature start to rise. Maybe she felt it too, she broke the kiss but stayed close, biting her lower lip in a dreamy daze.
"I'm so much better now.", I responded with unsated desire.
"What'd you bring?", I said slowly as we separated.
She pulled some small containers with fruits, cheeses, deli slices and crackers out of a shoulder bag draped across her body. Ever since Maya and I had met we'd been on this really cute shit.
Surprising each other, flowers, fun notes, and gifts had been exchanged all in the last eight weeks. It was fun to have someone to share that cheesy side of me with.
We had met at a bar, celebrating a friend of a friend of a friend's birthday. Okay more an aquaintence to me, but the birthday girl and Maya were close. I had been excited to catch her attention, and eager to get on her good side. But then things got really busy with my job, and I had to pull back on the romancing.
I hadn't been able to surprise her after work or anything big and dramatic like I'd thought about, while working late the last couple of weeks. Like I said, in school, part-time to become a CPA plus I work in banking. I like to say I'm drowning in paper, literally, but I'm always short on time. On top of that I didn't want to stay in finance, and that feeling was beginning to nag at my gut every day.
Anyway, I wanted to make it clear that she was important to me. We snacked and people-watched for a while. She was telling me about her students, the TV show she had started to watch to connect with them, the ins and outs of life with her roommates and siblings. After we had a couple of light laughs about the folks who did yoga in the middle of the day at public parks, I said,
"So listen, Maya, I have really enjoyed being around you, and getting to know you over the last couple months, and I would maybe like to get to know you more...
...sensually...."
She didn't look right at me, was kind of zoned out, looking into the distance with a few red grapes in her hand.
I kept talking.
"I've just been thinking you know? I just like your energy, and people say that- but I really do. I love when we can spend time together, and I know I'm busy a lot right now, with school, but I really do appreciate the times we're just kicking it. I want to do more- there's never a good time ya know...," She rolled her eyes. I was drowning out to her.
But I couldn't stop now. At least I knew it was not going to get any more uncomfortable, "If you're into it, whatever...I mean... hopefully, even if it's not now...We can go get stuff together."
She cut her eyes to stare at the bench, inches or so between us.
I tried to change the subject, "And yeah, I mean...so are you into it? What are you into?"
She just stared at me as I bit into one of the crackers thinking, I just might have been moving too fast. 'Oh well'.
At least the cheese was really good and the grapes were clean and full of sweetness.
"You, want to sleep with me?" Her whole demeanor had diminished, and I wasn't sure if had imagined our connection or if she was completely appalled by the thought.
I felt nervous, like suddenly my stomach was too empty and too full from the charcuterie. But no, she had kissed me and we'd made out before. Even when we'd danced that night at the birthday party, I'd thought I was feeling mutual attraction. But I'd been wrong before.
While still thinking this through, I replied, "I do, I mean-yeah. I-...,".
"Okay. We're in the middle of a park though-," Maya sounded incredulous.
It was also the middle of the day, in the middle of a retrograde. I looked up into the sun getting lost in my ironic existential humor. I could actually take a breath now, at least she was considering it.
I smiled, "Do you remember our conversation about me being poly? Polyamorous?"