Options Ch 05

Options V: Favored Options

By PygmyCoho

All rights reserved. All characters engaged in anything the least bit sexy are eighteen or older.

This is the latest chapter in the Options series. It really doesn't stand alone very well, so I'd recommend reading the previous chapters first. Or if you had read them when posted, you may have forgotten—it's been a minute (see below). Thank you!

I want to take a few moments to mention the help I received from THBGato. Twice. . .

Firstly, T commented constructively on the series, for which I was very thankful. I replied that I was working on a final installment, and that's when I realized I had NOT posted this one. It has languished in my computer for 7 years!

Secondly, I dusted it off and asked T for a beta read. What I got was a very quick and wonderful edit that made the story so much better. If it sounds as though I'm fan-swooning, of course I am! T is kind, giving, and a wonderfully talented writer (and editor!).Treat yourself to their stories—lush, gorgeous, and heart-warming reads:

THBGato stories

Any remaining mistakes are mine alone. Now on with our tale . . .

Stacy blinked. The first thing she saw was a clock that she didn't recognize, sitting on an unfamiliar bedside table. Everything was new and different, and she wondered at her surroundings. She began to roll onto her back and nudged someone.

"Mmm," that someone hummed from behind her. A lean arm encircled Stacy and pulled her closer. She remembered snuggling with Hailey an instant before the woman's face nuzzled into Stacy's shoulder. She stifled her giggle at the ticklish contact.

"Hailey?" she whispered.

"Mmm, morning, beautiful."

"Morning." Even though Hailey could not see her face, she heard Stacy's smile.

"Did you sleep okay?"

Stacy realized she slept better than she had for days. "Mm, hmm. I feel pretty good. You?"

"This is nice," Hailey admitted and her body nestled closer. "But, I, need—"

"Coffee," they exclaimed together, laughing.

"How do y'all make it?"

Hailey yawned and said, "I better show you. It's sort of a ritual around here." With one final hug Hailey rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

Stacy watched the sway of her hips beneath the cotton pajamas.

Great ass!

she thought. A minute later Hailey walked through the bedroom, blew Stacy a kiss and disappeared down the hallway.

Stacy used the bathroom and caught up with Hailey in the kitchen. No fewer than four different types of coffee sat on the counter. There was a gallon of purified water, a complicated-looking apparatus, two large mugs, three kinds of sugar, a carton of chocolate soy milk, and a small bottle of cream.

"Holy crap!"

"Uh, yeah, I kind of warned you." Hailey sounded a bit self-conscious, teetering on the brink of embarrassment.

"Oh my God, this is amazin'!" The genuine enthusiasm restored Hailey's usual smile. Stacy asked, "So, how's this all work?"

"Well, first I mixed the coffees. I have my own blend, but I keep them separate so I can vary the ratio when I want. Maybe we can blend one for you, too." She flashed Stacy a hopeful smile. "Then into the machine, I call him—" she dropped her voice dramatically, "—'The Caffinator.' Then add the water. But only the purified kind. Tap water is okay in an emergency, but . . ." She wrinkled her nose for emphasis.

Hailey had suited words to actions. When she finished talking, the brewing process was well underway. A heavenly aroma filled the air.

"I hope you're not a 'big breakfast' person, 'cause I usually just go with coffee. There's not much in the fridge."

Right on cue, Stacy's stomach growled.

"Damn, you probably eat one of those huge Southern breakfasts every morning, huh?" Hailey wore a look of embarrassed inadequacy.

"Yeah, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, home fries and bacon and eggs—every day." Stacy fought to keep a straight face.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. I didn't think—"

Stacy began laughing in the middle of her hostess' apology.

"Oh, you little shit. You're messing with me," Hailey observed through her own chuckles.

"I couldn't resist. Y'all really think I eat like that?"

"Well, I just thought—"

"Nah, it's like you and those pastries at the coffee shop." Stacy bared her midriff to display her flat abdomen. "Wouldn't look like this for long." She dropped the top back into place.

Hailey's eye lingered on the spot. She wet her lips then jumped at the shrill beeping.

"Oh, um, coffee?"

Stacy was proud of her flat tummy, and the reaction it inspired. She hid her emotion and, in her sweetest drawl answered, "Please and thank you, Ma'am." She took a seat at the small kitchen table and settled in to watch.

"How d'you take it?"

"Just make it exactly like yours, 'kay?"

"Coffee," she proclaimed as she turned to her task. "Oh dear God, sweet elixir of life!" Hailey busied herself with the mugs, unconscious of Stacy's dark eyes following her. The fluid, graceful way she seemed to flow through tasks mesmerized her guest. The flannel jammies accentuated Hailey's trim, athletic build, hiding and hinting in equal measure. Stacy lost herself in the beginning of a fantasy as her fingers drifted . . .

With a jolt of realization, Stacy jerked her hand away from her upper thigh and banged it into the underside of the table top.

"Ow."

"You okay?" Hailey inquired as she set the brimming mugs between them.

"Yeah," she admitted, shaking out her hand. "I seem to have a little problem with banging my hand on stuff. I mean, I thought it was acute, but it may be chronic."

"Well, you're already a 'cute,' and maybe you can work your way up to chronic?" Hailey raised her eyebrows, and her hopeful expression made Stacy giggle.

"Maybe I can help. Let me see." She reached for Stacy and rubbed into the sore spot. Stacy jerked.

"Sorry." Haley altered her pressure. She worked her fingers into Stacy's hand, rubbing across muscle, bone, and tendon with a loving touch until Stacy sighed.

"There, all better." She kissed the spot.

Stacy sat for another few seconds with her eyes closed and an ethereal smile on her lips. Hailey had looked at her coffee mug and began to raise it when she glanced at her guest's face.

Oh, my God,

she thought.

That's one smoking hot babe. I wonder if she looks that gorgeous when she cums?

Stacy's eyes fluttered open and she focused on Hailey.

"Too hot?"

"What?" Hailey's voice sounded the tiniest bit alarmed. And guilty.

Did she catch me staring—read my mi—

"Your coffee. Too hot?"

It was only then that she realized she had not sampled her brew. She had frozen at Stacy's expression instead.

"Oh, no, it's good." Hailey took a slurp. She could feel the first layer of taste buds stripped from her tongue. Her quick swallow moved the caffeinated fire from her mouth to her throat. It stopped burning half way down but she could feel the coffee's scorching progress all the way to her tummy.

She smiled through the pain and mumbled, "I like mine hot, but you might want to, you know, let yours cool off a little first." She thought,

God, if she drinks some now she'll sue me for a scalding injury.

Stacy tested the surface with her index knuckle. "Wow, hot. You can drink it like this? You're, like, a java lava goddess. Pele in person."

"The old soccer guy?" Stacy appeared puzzled.

"Um, no. The Hawaiian goddess of fire, volcanoes, stuff like that."

"Oh. If you say so."

Hailey smiled as she scrubbed her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Then Stacy blew across the top of the mug; her lips formed into a tiny circle. Hailey became captivated again.

God, would I love to have those lips on me right now.

Stacy began reverting to her teasing nature and realized that it felt good. She blew some more, and thought,

God, I would love to press my lips to her body right now.

"Breakfast?"

"Nah, I'll be good with this," Stacy answered. She sipped and her eyes sparkled. "OhmyGod, this is great! Better than the coffee house."

"Thanks. So, um, what're you doing today?"

"Library. You?"

"Cleaning the abode."

"Oh, okay. I like your place. It's nice."

"Thanks."

They watched each other in a comfortable silence and Stacy took another sip. Hailey stared at her lips again. Then she took a deep breath and suggested, "Speaking of the coffee house, you wanna meet there for 'orgasmic pasties' after you're done?" She smiled, but inwardly cringed at how saccharine she sounded in her own ears.

"Nah—"

"Oh, okay," Hailey answered just as rapidly.

"Um, I was gonna say, 'Nah,

but,

how 'bout dinner Friday night?"

"Oh, sorry, I should've let you finish."

"It's okay. Jeez, y'all need to relax."

"Yeah," Hailey agreed, taking a long swallow.

"Have a little more, babe. All that caffeine'll help y'all relax."

Hailey laughed and Stacy joined her.

"Okay, you want to call me?"

"Yep, I'll call y'all tomorrow. But let's plan around seven?"

"Sounds good."

They exchanged numbers, chatted and drank the rest of their cups. Stacy went in to change and came out to Hailey's clean kitchen.

"Wow, y'all don't mess around, huh?"

"I hate cleaning, but I hate messy even more. So if I clean fast, it's better. There's one last mug. You want it?"

"No, thanks. I'm good."

They stood for a moment and their eyes met. Neither one wanted to say too much so soon. Then Stacy leaned forward and kissed Hailey's cheek.

"Thanks so much for . . . everything. For everything y'all did . . . and for everything y'all

didn't

."

"You're welcome," Hailey smiled.

"No, I mean it. You were . . . perfect."

Her lips remained curled but Hailey's eyes grew a bit more limpid and bright. "You are very welcome, Miss Stacy."

"Ooo," Stacy poured on an over-the-top breathy drawl and said, "Aren't y'all just the perfect genteel Southern lady?"

They walked to the door and Stacy turned. "Bye, Hailey. I'll call y'all tomorrow, 'kay?"

"Okay, talk soon."

Stacy opened the door and repeated, "Bye." Then Stacy leaned toward Hailey and hugged her.

"Bye," Hailey whispered into Stacy's ear. As they parted Hailey gave her a little wave and closed the door. She sighed and smiled to herself as she went back into the kitchen. The mug with the last of the morning's coffee sat on the counter. She reached for it.

"Come to

momma

!"

* * * * *

Barbara could not sit still. The afternoon moved with a glacial sloth. She tried to keep herself busy, but she found the ability to concentrate eluded her. When all else failed, she decided that a nap would be a safe way to pass the time. She slipped on a sleep shirt and a small pair of boy shorts and climbed into bed.

But every time she closed her eyes visions of Shelly, each one in some state or another of undress, appeared inside her eyelids. It was a little like being backstage at a strip club with her slim blonde lover moving to and fro. And the more she tried to ignore it, the more turned on she got.

Shit, this is no good. What if Shelly comes back and all I wanna do is jump her? And what if she doesn't want to? Oh crap, I think I'm really wet already.

She let her hand drift lower, just to check. By the time she reached her shorts there was little doubt. She moved her fingers closer to her sexual center, to make absolutely certain, and her breath caught in her throat.

"Oh, wow." Barb intended to pull her hand away, to leave herself alone. So she was surprised when she felt the electricity flash through her lower body. Her fingertips circled the top of her wet slit and her clit danced within its fleshy hood.

"Oh, God, mmm, sooo gooood . . ."

She pressed lower, down the length of her labia and to her opening. It was exquisite. When she reached the bottom she pushed some of the cotton undies inside herself. Her fingers undulated and explored and in seconds she was gasping.

Her free hand went under her sleep shirt and navigated the smooth expanse of her breast. The skin was warm and soft and she caressed it until her nipple tighten to the point of pleasure-pain. She stroked and pinched and twisted the puckered flesh and the ache morphed into sweet pleasure. Tingles raced between her two hands, raced between her clit and her nipple then back again.

"Oooh, myyy Gawd!" He voice was an impassioned whisper, but her emotions were much louder. "Oh, yeees, Sheeel-lyyyy, God, Baby, make, me . . . cum! Oooh, oooh, ooongh, oongh, ungh, ungh, ungh. So, gooood . . . cum . . . ming!

The wet thighs clamped onto her hand and her hips bucked. Barb pinched her nipple and the pleasure multiplied. Her body answered her self-manipulation by arching into a burgeoning orgasm. Her breath caught as her hands kept servicing and stroking herself. She gasped an incoherent stream of cries and grunts and moans and groans. Her inner heat ran from her and glistened on her upper thighs, her fingers, even in the split between her scrumptious cheeks. Her head thrashed back and forth.

Barbara's peak took several minutes to ebb away before it allowed her body to settle. Her relaxation deepened and her muscles softened. She drifted off to sleep at last with thoughts of Shelly cuddled next to her.

* * * * * * *

Shelly stared sightlessly out the window. Thirty seven thousand feet shrank everything on the ground to insignificance, but she was too preoccupied to notice just how small it all appeared from this perspective. She only knew her problems seemed monstrous and threatened to destroy her.

She loved Babs. She wanted to be with her, to find out just how far their relationship could go. But did Babs want the same thing? She said she did, but, really? And what if she gets drunk again? What then?

And what if she, Shelly, found something better? Or should

she

get drunk and have someone eat

her

out? Would Babs care? Would they be able to get through

that

?

Maybe she should take it all the way—fuck someone to let Babs see what

that

feels like?

The mere thought of doing that made Shelly nauseous and heartbroken.

Broken heart? Really? What the fuck? I didn't used to be such a damn . . .

girl!

When did

that

happen?

She flashed back to what had her mom told her . . .

"Baby, if you think Barbara is special, if you even suspect that she might be the one, then you need to find out."

"But, Mommy, what if I get . . . you know, get screwed?"

Her mother smiled. "You might, Baby. But I just think it would hurt a lot worse if you let the right person get away. It's a risk no matter what." With another bright grin, she told Shelly, "I say, 'Go for it'! Or as your grandpa use to say, 'No guts, no glory'."

"But what if I'm wrong? I'm sooo scared."

"You have good senses about people, Shelly Belly." Her mother tickled Shelly's tummy in the way that cheered her up since early childhood. "Maybe you should trust them."

She looked out the window, brushed her fingertip beneath one eye and it came away wet. Her gaze focused on nothing as the jet began its descent.

* * * * *

Hailey cleaned like a dervish all day in a vain attempt to focus on anything but Stacy. The more she tried, the more her mind remembered their evening. It felt so easy and "normal" to be with the southern belle. Sometimes she thought they had known each other for weeks, months. Not mere hours.

And her body felt so good in my bed. She cuddles great!

Hailey was able to turn off her libido last night. But now that they had some trust in one another, now that the sharp edge of Stacy's crisis seemed blunted, Hailey let herself think of Stacy as a sexy and sensual woman, a woman Hailey would relish taking as a lover. Then she wondered how Stacy's stuff would fit in her place.

Whoa, where'd

that

come from?

She gave herself penance by scrubbing the bathtub. Before she finished her mind fantasized about sharing a bath with Stacy. Then they'd go to bed and ravish—

"Shit, girl, you got it bad." She finished the tub, thinking as hard as she could about the tub. Only the

tub

.

The last chore was to clean the bedroom. Making the bed and tidying up went quickly enough. She picked up the folded pajamas Stacy had borrowed and took them to the laundry. On an impulse she held the tops to her nose and inhaled. A hint of the girl's smell—her skin and soap and perfume—clung to the flannel.

Hailey opened the hamper and was about to drop the garments when she had a thought. She looked at the bottoms and wrestled with her mind for several seconds before she held the cotton pants to her nose.

"Why that sexy, little . . . Damn!" she grinned. She inhaled deeper, her eyes closed and she felt her mind buzz. She also felt a hum, warm and powerful, beginning to swell between her thighs.

There was no way she could let this chance pass.

* * * * *

Barbara found herself deep in a dream. Shelly had returned and they were snuggled together. It felt wonderful to be in her arms again, to be held and feel her lover's trim body against her back. Shelly draped an arm around Barb's waist and a leg over Barb's thigh. The redhead's succulent lips curled in a peaceful smile.

"I missed you, Babs." The whispered endearment tickled in her ear.

God, it sounds so real. I can't wait till Shelly gets here.

"I missed you, too, Shell." She wriggled backward and—

"Shelly, you're really home!" Barb rolled over, wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck, and kissed her. "I thought I was dreaming. But you're really, really here!" She pressed into Shelly's warm mouth again. Her passion sizzled as though a light switch had been flipped. But she felt her partner's reluctance.

Barbara's blue eyes looked deep into her lover's face. "Shelly?"

"Babs, listen, 'kay?"

Barb nodded.

Shelly took a deep breath. "I missed you, like, shit, like, you wouldn't believe."

She spoke in a slow, measured cadence. "But, um, I thought a lot about this, about us, and right now I just need to hold you, okay? I just want to sleep holding you. No licking, no fucking. I just wanna feel your warmth, and listen to you breathe, and, and . . . get, like, 'used to you' again. I hope that's not, um, not too, lame."

Barb gazed deep into Shelly's soulful, troubled brown eyes. She brushed a stray golden tress from her woman's cheek and smiled. Barb, too, felt uncertain about their future—to live in the moment would be just fine. "That is sooo not lame, baby. I'm just, like, sooo happy you're

home

."

She kissed Shelly's lips again, a warm, loving kiss, not the hot, passionate one she had planned. Then with their foreheads together Barbara asked, "You want to be the big spoon or the little spoon?"

"Oh, Babs, the big spoon!" Some of the tension ebbed. "As if you have to ask, silly."

Barb turned over and wriggled her backside, settling into Shelly. "Mmm, this is perfect."

Shelly hugged her lover and sighed. Barb took one of Shelly's hands and brought it to her lips.

"Sweet dreams, Shell."

The blonde burrowed her face into Barb's fragrant locks, kissed the back of her neck, and murmured, "Sweet dreams, Babs."

They fell asleep, slowly, sighing together through their smiles. And in their embrace, without saying a word, they both felt their anxieties begin slipping away like an ebbing tide. At least, for a little while . . .

* * * * *

Stacy and Hailey saw each other in class during the week. They sat together in their shared lectures. Texts and a few phone calls bounced back-and-forth. They even met for a quick coffee, though Stacy had to leave early. They agreed that Stacy would meet Hailey at her apartment, but Stacy remained secretive about where they would go.