The Tangled Web

August 2002 - Ladies Only

The Tangled Web is a story spanning several years and is based on the complicated lives of a brother and sister and those they live with. Set in the English Midlands, the tale is told through a series of interlocking short stories. Although designed to be read in sequence, I have tried to make each chapter stand as a complete and satisfying story in itself.

*****

Sam's beautiful wife Lynn lay in the bath, letting its warmth soak away the ache from her muscles. It had been a busy morning. Instructing three exercise classes in a row had taken their toll of her body and she needed to unwind. The bath was deep and bubbly and she was enjoying it.

Lynn's friend Sandy had been in all three groups. Lynn was amazed at her stamina. When they had been lovers - before Lynn's marriage to Sam - Sandy had been slim and dark haired, with a nice but unremarkable figure. Australia had changed that completely. Now with short, streaked blond hair, Sandy was toned, tanned and well muscled. And as today's classes proved, very fit. Any one class would have been tiring. Sandy had revelled in all three.

Since Sandy had returned, Lynn had been much happier. With an old and close friend to meet and chat to (her husband Sam didn't know just how close they had been), she could share her stresses and worries with someone who really understood and really cared. She had tried several times to talk to her sister-in-law, Sara, but Sara was just too close to Sam and Lynn didn't want Sam to know how she was feeling.

Although she loved Sam deeply, Lynn had started to believe that she could never make him happy. The horror of her pregnancy and mis-carriage had shown her clearly that she never wanted children, and there was the continuing problem of her lack of interest in sex which was getting worse rather than better.

She half suspected Sam of having an affair but couldn't think who it could be with. The only woman he seemed to see with any frequency was his sister Sara. Perhaps if she could talk to Sara again she might learn more ……

A sudden rapping at the front door awakened Lynn from her reverie. At first she considered ignoring it and hoping whoever it was would go away. But she wasn't really that kind of person and the caller was persistent. Eventually, reluctantly, she lifted herself out of the water.

Pulling her robe quickly around her, Lynn half skipped across the landing to peer through the small front bedroom window and sneak a look at the visitor outside the door.

Lynn's face was a picture of surprise and pleasure as she saw Sandy standing, sports bag in hand, outside the door. Waving cheerfully, Lynn quickly ducked away from the window and skipped downstairs to the hall. Her right hand on the latch; she hurriedly gathered her robe around her with her left hand and, with a shiver of anticipation, opened the door.

"Sandy! What a nice surprise" Lynn was obviously pleased to see her friend. "Come in. I'm afraid I've just got out of the bath."

"Hi Lynn!" Sandy's voice was bright and friendly. "Still recovering from this morning?"

"Oh, I'm used to it. You were really putting the effort in today."

"I can take anything you can throw at me." Sandy retorted, trying unsuccessfully to keep a twinkle out of her eye.

Lynn led the way into the kitchen where she made a 'do sit down' gesture towards Sandy. She put her hand on the kettle. "Tea?" she asked.

"It's nearly lunchtime" Sandy replied "and I had this with me.....if you fancy a glass or two."

"Great idea! What's the occasion?" Asked Lynn.

Sandy beamed, barely able to control her voice.

"I've just been offered a big promotion. It's what I've always wanted. A board position at last."

A bottle of cold white wine emerged from the bag and was placed on the table. Condensation immediately began to form on its sides.

"The letter was waiting on the doormat when I got home." She continued.

"That's great Sandy!" smiled Lynn, opening a drawer to find the corkscrew and taking two large balloon glasses out of a cupboard. "A couple of glasses won't do any harm. I've been very good recently."

"I thought you might appreciate a bit of company today, and anyway, I had to drop this off - you left it in the gym." Sandy reached into her bag and brought out a slim mobile phone, which she placed on the table in front of Lynn.

"Goodness! Thank you so much!" Lynn exclaimed. "I didn't realize I'd left it. I don't think I could live without it these days. You are a real treasure Sandy."

Sandy smiled, pleased with the little intimacy. Taking the corkscrew, she deftly opened the cold bottle and poured two large glasses of the clear pale yellow liquid. She raised her glass to Lynn.

"Cheers!" She smiled.

*****

Across town, David sat in his usual café waiting for Sophie to arrive. He was perplexed.

Sophie, his seventeen year old former pupil, was a beautiful, young and innocent girl and he was trying to make sense of his feelings for her. Sophie's feelings for him, he knew well. Ever since the first Valentine card she had sent him at the tender age of fourteen, she still claimed to be in love with him and loved being with him despite their age difference.

David's feelings for her were more complex and difficult for him to understand. He knew he found her attractive – who wouldn't be attracted by her long slim legs, small pointed breasts and soft, innocent complexion? But he knew she was essentially still a child and, as a child, still vulnerable.

If this relationship had followed the pattern of all his previous ones, David would have forced himself upon her sexually as soon as it was legal. Possibly before!

But he had hardly touched her – in fact so far they had merely kissed on the cheek and only once lightly on the lips in the three years in which they had become closer and closer ‘friends'.

They had gone to the cinema often; they met for lunch at least once a week; they talked on the phone; they sent each other text messages as if they were both teenagers. David wondered how this girl had managed to bypass his usual defences and get so far inside his mind. Not even Sara, the mother of his children, managed to unnerve him in his way.

Sara! David nursed a grievance there! In the final month of her pregnancy and the three months since the twins were born, she had denied him the sex he badly needed and felt entitled to. Surely her body was sufficiently recovered by now to receive him – but no! Not even a quick blow-job, he thought bitterly.

If it wasn't for his visits to Paula, he thought he would go mad with frustration. And even Paula was becoming impatient with him – threatening to charge him as she did her other clients, despite their years of friendship.

A least he could rely on Sophie to be pleased to see him. And he was certainly looking forward to seeing her again.

Bright chimes rang as the café door opened. David looked up expectantly but it was not Sophie. He looked at his watch. She wasn't late; he was early. He sat back and tried to read his newspaper but his mind kept drifting back to Sophie. And as he thought about Sophie, David felt a stirring inside himself and wondered whether he was beginning to experience love rather than lust for the first time.

It worried him – frightened him even - but his worry disappeared when Sophie entered the café, her arms full of shopping bags. She beamed at him and he felt that uncomfortable feeling inside again.

He rose to kiss her cheek as she sat down opposite him.

*****

Back in the kitchen, Lynn smiled back at Sandy and raised her glass.

"To your new job!" She said brightly. "Congratulations!" They each took a long sip of the wine. Lynn licked her lips. "It's lovely. You know chardonnay is my favourite." Sandy was obviously pleased to have delighted her friend.

"Now, tell me about this promotion."

Sandy explained that she had been offered the Marketing Director's position with her employer, starting next year when the main board director retired. She was very pleased, obviously – the company was notorious for not promoting woman to top jobs – but was unhappy because it would involve moving back to Australia.

"I have so many good friends here, as well as there." Sandy was saying. "And I've just re-discovered our friendship too. I don't want to lose all I have here – but I do want this job. It's a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

She paused.

"I hoped I could talk it over a bit with you."

Lynn grasped Sandy's hand.

"Of course!" She said.

But Sandy hadn't finished. She went on.

"And…." she hesitated."....I wanted to see you anyway." Her hand trembling a little, she took the open bottle and began to refill her glasses. She spoke falteringly.

"You see, it wasn't an accident, my coming to your class that first night. I knew it would be you in charge and I....…I wanted to see you again." She waited for Lynn's reaction. She saw only puzzlement.

Emboldened, she went on.

"When we broke up – when you left me - I understood why. Sam was - is – gorgeous, and a lovely man. I could understand why you would be drawn to him. What we had was special - but I always thought it was more important to me than it was to you."

Lynn held her friend's hand lightly across the table.

Sandy picked up the open bottle again. She toyed with it nervously.

"I went to Australia - mostly because it was such a great opportunity - but also because I needed some space to sort myself out." Her hands were shaking now.

"I needed to know if you and I were just a bit of fun and if I'd simply grow out of it, or whether I really am......" she paused, summoning up her strength. "….. a lesbian." She breathed in deeply as if se had exerted herself. "There! I've said the word." Sandy laughed rather hollowly.

"I know the truth now, Lynn."

Lynn felt the old affection for her troubled friend flooding back. She herself had been torn between Sandy and Sam. She understood the torment. Lynn squeezed Sandy's hand warmly.

"Sandy, you always were special to me - you still are. I fell madly in love both with you and with Sam, and it frightened me. I was confused and immature. I didn't know if I could trust my feelings. When Sam asked me out I was flattered. When he asked me to marry him I thought that this would make my mind up. Make things clear for me. Make me normal."

"And did it?" Sandy asked, hopefully.

"It did at the time, no question. But right now, I don't know, Sandy. I love Sam. He's all I could ask for. But even he doesn't make me feel the way you did." Lynn was surprised to hear herself speaking these words. She had not until now realized the truth. Although she had been the one to break their relationship, she had never really got over Sandy. And now Sandy was here. Twice as attractive as before. Twice as confident, and yet so vulnerable.

Sandy stopped wringing the bottle in her hands and made to refresh their glasses once again. Her hand was shaking visibly. The bottle clinked against Lynn's glass as Sandy's hand shook more.

"Lynn, I …" she began, but as she spoke, the shaking bottle hit the edge of Lynn's half empty glass and, almost in slow motion, knocked it over.

White wine ran in a fast-moving stream across the table towards Lynn, who pushed back her chair to escape - just too late. The chilled liquid cascaded over the table edge and poured like an aromatic waterfall through the open front of Lynn' bathrobe, to trickle down the inside of her right thigh, across her knee and down her lower leg. The coldness of the liquid made her gasp and leap to her feet.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" Sandy cursed under her breath, rushing to the sink for a towel. She quickly knelt in front of Lynn, and pressed the towel firmly against her thigh where the cold wine was running in streams. Both hands slipped inside the open bathrobe as she patted Lynn's legs dry.

There was a silence, then both girls giggled. "What an idiot!" said Sandy, laughing and looking up at Lynn. She paused, it seemed for a long time.

"Are you dry now?" asked Sandy, her voice strangely quiet, still on her knees.

Lynn looked her straight in the eye. She spoke slowly and quietly.

"Not yet, Sandy. I'm still a bit damp. Stay down there a little while. Please!"

Sandy exhaled deeply and slid her towel covered hands back and forth around Lynn' thigh. Her skin was dry and the towel fell to the floor, but Sandy's hands kept on dancing smoothly and slowly around the back of Lynn' legs. Sandy didn't dare look up for fear of rejection. She held her breath, still stroking Lynn' thighs, waiting for the protest.

It never came. Instead, Sandy felt the tender touch of Lynn's fingers parting her hair. She closed her eyes and slowly, gently, slid her hands upwards to caress the smooth buttocks so close to her face, yet tantalisingly invisible from her.

Lynn bent over and placed a single finger under Sandy's chin, tilting her head upwards. "Come up here!" she mouthed silently. Sandy's hands returned to her sides and she stood, trembling visibly.

With the tip of her index finger, Lynn slowly traced the outline of Sandy's lips, then parted them. Sandy opened her mouth to hold Lynn' fingertip momentarily between her sharp, white teeth then, closing her lips around the knuckle, looked directly in her eyes.

Lynn felt instinctively that they were on the edge of a precipice; another step and there would be no turning back. She knew the decision to take the first step was hers to make. She wanted to make it. She made it.

Her eyes never leaving Sandy's, Lynn reached downwards and clasped Sandy's fingers in hers, drawing their bodies gently together. Lynn felt her heart pounding in her chest as their lips became closer and closer and then - touched - hesitantly at first, then more deeply as their mouths slowly melted together. Their eyes closed and as their lips heightened in sensitivity, their bodies pressed closer. Soon their active tongues sought and eventually found each other, intertwining as their bodies moulded to each other.

An age seemed to pass before, in need of air, their mouths parted and, smiling silently, Sandy took Lynn by the hand and led her across the hall to the stairs, and up to the bedroom. At the doorway Lynn paused, as if making a life-changing decision, then nodded and allowed herself to be led inside.

The bedroom, with its white-covered, king-size bed and mirrored wardrobe doors looked crisp, clean and virginal. Lynn halted at the foot of the bed, her face towards the mirrors. Her eyes were warm, open and inviting as, in the mirror, she watched Sandy close the door firmly before approaching her from behind.

Lynn felt Sandy's hot breath on the back of her neck, and as her soft, warm lips began to brush against her nape, she saw and felt strong, confident arms encircling her body and the thrill of experienced hands working their way inside the readily yielding armour of her bathrobe.

Sharp, long fingernails brushed against her skin, as lightly as if a spider's web had been drawn across her body. Sandy's fingertips slid delicately over Lynn's flat, well-toned stomach and upwards, to brush against her large breasts and hardening nipples. Lynn watched herself in he wardrobe mirror, and felt Sandy's reflected hands cup her breasts. Her knees trembled slightly. Warm, strong fingers surrounded both nipples, before gently rolling them, their tips already firm and proud.

Sandy's expert hands traced the outline of each nipple, then each breast, then began a slow, lingering descent. Crossing her firm, flat stomach, Lynn felt Sandy's hands pressing her body backwards into hers. Feeling the heat of Sandy's body, she leaned her head back a little, then twisted to allow their lips to meet again. They kissed softly and tenderly. Sandy's hands descended as their mouths sought each other, deftly pulling the robe aside and stroking the smooth line of Lynn's hips.

Lynn slowly gyrated her hips beneath their touch, then watched as they slid slowly but inexorably towards her moistening vulva.

She closed her eyes as Sandy slid her middle fingers down the creases between Lynn's thighs and her neatly-trimmed pubic hair. The fingers slid lightly up and down Lynn' sensitive skin, and she involuntarily opened her legs the merest fraction to allow them freer access. Lynn could feel Sandy's firm breasts against her back and the heat of Sandy's body along her spine.

Opening her eyes, Lynn watched the mirror as Sandy's fingers slid rapidly across her soft, moist pubic hair towards her anxious, waiting pearl. At the first touch of Sandy's index finger on her slit, Lynn gasped in astonishment. As the finger lovingly wormed its way between her outer, then inner lips, Lynn's breath caught in her throat, and as the finger rose to lightly stroke the underside of her rapidly-firming clitoris, Lynn felt her knees tremble and buckle beneath her and she collapsed against her friend's lithe body.

Sandy nimbly turned Lynn around and lowered her to the bed. Their eyes met, expressions of passion and desire mixed with apprehension and fear. Her eyes not leaving Sandy's, Lynn leaned back on the white bedspread, propped up on her elbows, her legs towards Sandy, slightly apart.

Sandy smiled again, and, without breaking eye contact, lowered her head to kiss her friend - no, now her lover once again - on the soft flesh below her navel. The kiss was light, like a butterfly's wings, and was repeated many times as Sandy laid a silver trail on Lynn's skin, downwards from her unpierced navel towards her aching tender lips. Pausing to twist the tight curls of pubic hair around her active tongue, Sandy inhaled deeply the scent of clean hair, body lotion and increasing arousal. She shivered, and, placing a hand under each of Lynn' knees, raised them, opening her unresisting legs wider.

An unrecognisable moan escaped Lynn's mouth as Sandy blew on Lynn's engorged lips – a short blast of warm air. Lynn's body shook and her hips writhed. Sandy blew again softly and Lynn felt a warmth building within her opening vulva. Sensing her friend's heightened arousal, Sandy began, in long, slow strokes, to lick the white skin surrounding Lynn' vulva, before making a single, determined stroke the length of her slit.

Lynn gasped again and her body shook. She felt vulnerable, exposed, yet anxious to go further. She felt Sandy's confident fingers on her fleshy outer lips, opening her. She flung her head back until her long blonde hair fell across the pillow and Sandy's tongue begin its expert work. In small, rapid movements it followed the whole length of Lynn's outer lips. Round and round it moved, while her delicate inner lips swelled with excitement. The magical tongue moved inwards towards her core, making her gasp, rolling her head from side to side and tilting her pelvis towards Sandy's loving face.

Sandy watched, felt and smelt her friend obviously reaching new heights of pleasure. Caring nothing for her own gratification, she wanted nothing more than to give herself to Lynn by showing her an ecstasy she had never seen before. Sandy gently slipped first one, then a second finger into Lynn's slit and was rewarded with a long sigh as Lynn's thighs opened wider to welcome her. Plunging her fingers deep within Lynn's moist opening, Sandy turned her hand from left to right, stretching Lynn, opening her fingers and running their tips around the walls of her vagina. As she touched the front – the wall nearest to Lynn's pubic hair, Sandy heard Lynn gasp in surprise and delight and her body bucked. Sandy smiled – she had found Lynn's G-spot – and with the firm determination to give her lover the best orgasm of her life, she rubbed her opening fingertip across Lynn's most sensitive part.

Lynn's eyes glazed over as she yielded totally to Sandy. She felt suddenly free. Free from the fear of disappointing Sam, free from the fear of pregnancy, free from the ‘dirty' feeling that sex – even with her husband – always brought. She felt herself opening to draw Sandy inwards. She felt an incredible yearning, and instinctively tipped her pelvis onto Sandy's hand.