Part Four:
I was nervous. Amanda grabbed my hand and squeezed it. I looked up at
her and nodded. We were in front of my mother’s front door, and I was
trying to convince myself to ring the bell. The past month had been
wonderful, but now I was feeling a little doubtful...
After Amanda was called to work, I puttered around the house, wondering
about everything. Had I only been imagining the bond I felt developing
between her and I? Was I in love with her? Was she with me? And what on
earth did that conversation with my mother mean? Had she really come to
terms with my choice of lifestyle? Or was this just her way of getting
what she wanted? Well, we’d find out as soon as I showed up on her
doorstep with Amanda. After all, she had said that I could bring a
guest. Uh oh. I hope she wasn’t expecting me to bring a man. That could
get ugly.
The next morning I woke up energized. Amanda had said she would be back
tonight and I was looking forward to it. Actually, I was looking
forward to picking up where we left off last night. I took care of the
laundry and decided to put my silk sheets on my bed. No, not black
silk, smart aleck. A soft, light peach that matched the decor of my
room.
I spent the rest of the day taking care of a thousand other details in
preparation of the Fourth, and decided that I couldn’t close the inn
next month, after all. I decided instead to hire a temp. Someone who
could come in and run the place for the weekend while I was out of
town. I called the temp agency and gave them my requirements and
arranged to interview in two days’ time. I spent the rest of the day
typing up checklists, logs and instructions for the temp when he or she
arrived. I was still hunched over the computer in my office/ private
sitting room when I heard the front door shut loudly. I made my way
through to the front of the house to see who it was.
“Hello?” I called.
“Melissa, it’s me!”
Amanda walked into the kitchen and dropped a couple of grocery bags on
the counter. She turned and took me into her arms for a tight hug. I
hugged her back for a moment and pulled back to look up into her face.
“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?”
She smiled at me and I smiled back. “Nothing, just needed to feel you.”
We laughed together and started to prepare dinner. We had settled into
a rather comfortable pattern, it seemed. We had only known eachother
for about two weeks now, but it seemed like we had known eachother for
so much longer than that.
We sat down together and while we ate, we filled eachother in on what
was going on. She told me about a silly older man who was determined to
hit on her, no matter how many times she told him she had a girlfriend.
I told her about the temp the agency had sent over and how the girl
seemed to take to hotel management like a duck to water.
“Oh, really?” Amanda asked nonchalantly. “Is she... pretty?”
I hid a grin with a forkful of salad. “I suppose so, if you like the
type.”
“What type is that?” There was no pretense now. She was getting jealous,
and I was loving every minute of it.
“Oh, early twenties, about my height, curvaceous figure, wavy blonde
hair, deep blue eyes, nice, tight body...” I let my voice trail off and
winked at her.
“Is that so?” She dropped her fork to her plate loudly. “If you think
that little girl can give you what you want the way I can--”
“But Amanda, you haven’t given me anything, yet.” I tried to sound
innocent, but I was having a hell of a time to keep from laughing out
loud.
“Hey, I’ve been more than willing, but you’re the one who keeps letting
things get in the way!”
“I have?” I thought I would bust out laughing right there. I cleared my
throat.
“Yes, you have! Every time I touch you I get so horny I feel like I
can’t wait another minute, then you find some reason to pull away from
me! What the--”
I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I threw my head back and laughed so
hard I could barely breathe.
“What’s so funny?” She glared at me.
I caught my breath and stood. “You are, silly. There’s absolutely no
reason for you to be upset, at all.” I pulled her chair out from the
table and straddled her lap. “Did I happen to mention that she’s
happily married, and the reason she has a tight, curvaceous body is
because she’s seven months pregnant?”
Amanda blushed and grinned sheepishly. “Why do I have this tendency to
blow things completely out of proportion?” she asked as she trailed her
fingers across my neck. I shivered and leaned into her hand.
“I don’t know, but this time, I loved it. You may have overreacted, but
at least I know that you care.” I pulled her face to mine for a deep
kiss. I could feel my insides melting when I felt her tongue push past
my lips to explore the inner reaches of my mouth. I leaned into her,
pressing myself against her. God, how she made me feel. She pulled her
mouth from mine and leaned back.
“I haven’t given you anything yet, huh?” We both smiled. “Well that’s
about to change.”
I stood up and we walked toward the back of the house, holding hands. We
walked into my bedroom and Amanda chuckled when she saw the bed linens
turned down and the soft glow of one small lamp in the corner. It was
very obviously set up for seduction. She turned to me with a raised
eyebrow, and I shrugged.
“What can I say? Great minds think alike. So,” I murmured as I pulled
her head down to mine. “What am I thinking now?”
Amanda laughed and pushed me down onto the bed. As she settled her
weight on top of me, I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her
deeply. We broke apart, our breathing ragged.
“Yup, just what I was thinking,” she whispered. She lowered her head and
took my lips in a gentle kiss. Our lips never lost contact as we
quickly undressed eachother, tossing our clothes in every direction. I
luxuriated in the soft sheets beneath me, and the even softer skin of
the woman above me. Amanda broke the kiss, only to work her way slowly
down my body, scattering kisses everywhere. When she reached my
breasts, she took one nipple between her teeth and bit softly, tearing
a loud groan from my throat. I writhed helplessly beneath her, crying
out loud when her hand snaked between my legs, caressing me, pleasuring
me in ways I’d never imagined. I gasped for breath when I felt her
slide a finger inside me.
“God, you’re so tight and wet. I have to taste you.” With that, Amanda
moved down my body, her hand never once stopping its erotic motions.
She settled herself between my legs and looked up my body. I looked
down at her and our eyes locked. We never looked away from eachother,
even when she lowered her mouth to my clit. I felt her tongue slid
across me and I jumped. I made sure to keep eye contact with her the
whole time, making a promise to myself that no matter what she did to
me, I would keep my eyes open. As she began to make love to me with her
mouth, I felt my insides tighten, and I knew it wouldn’t take long for
me to come. When she slid a second finger, then a third inside me, I
sobbed out loud. When she moaned in response, the vibration from it
sent me over the edge and I came in her mouth, on her hand, my entire
body quaking and writhing from the incredible sensations that wracked
my body. I managed to keep my eyes open, if just barely, my eyes locked
with hers, making my orgasm even more intense. When I collapsed on the
bed, she removed her mouth and hand and climbed up my body. The cool
air caressed my sex, making me shiver, but I didn’t have long to think
about it. She ground her lips against mine and pushed her tongue in my
mouth. I could taste myself in her mouth, my tongue tangling with hers.
She broke the kiss and brought her fingers to my lips. We watched
eachother as I took the offering, sucking her fingers into my mouth,
using my tongue to clean off every drop of come from her fingers. After
a moment, she pulled her fingers from my mouth and we kissed again.
Taking her by surprise, I roughly pushed her onto her back and straddled
her, locking our legs together. I kissed her again and ground my pussy
into hers, rubbing our clits together. She broke the kiss and moaned,
tossing her head back. Leaning back, I pushed again with my hips,
intensifying the movement. Faster and faster we moved, until we were
almost slamming our hips together. Still being sensitive from my last
orgasm, I came first, and that triggered hers. When I felt her begin to
spasm against me, I quickly moved down her body and locked my lips
around her clit, lashing at her with my tongue. She began to thrash
beneath me and I held her still by locking my arm across her hips,
holding her in place. I pushed two of my fingers into her, and she
screamed in pleasure. Then she began to whimper, pushing at my
shoulders. Between gasps for breath she begged me to stop, saying she
couldn’t take anymore. I pulled my fingers from her and abandoned her
clit, only to move down and push my tongue deep inside her, lapping up
her juices. I moved slowly, allowing her to catch her breath. Finally,
I pulled away and moved up her body, kissing her gently when I reached
the top. We pulled away slowly and I collapsed next to her. We both
just stared at the ceiling for a moment before Amanda spoke softly.
“I only have one thing to say.” she murmured.
“Wow,” we said in unison. We looked at eachother and giggled. She turned
to her side and I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight. We
nuzzled close together and drifted off to sleep.
The next two weeks passed in a blur. We were together every chance we
had, so much so that the guest began to assume that she was
co-proprietress of the inn. Of course, we never corrected anyone.
During the day we would take lunch together on the front porch, making
the most of the hour we had before Amanda had to return to work. If she
couldn’t make it for lunch, we would just talk on the phone for a
while. Every night, we spent together in my bed.
The morning of the trip, we woke up early. We ate breakfast in silence,
waiting for Beth, the temp, to arrive for the weekend. I had already
informed my guests that I would be gone for the weekend, and that Beth
would take care of everything.
There was a knock at the back door and I gestured for Beth to come in.
As she set her overnight bag down, I asked her if she wanted a cup of
coffee. She accepted gladly.
Amanda cleared her throat. “So, Beth, is your husband feeling any better
about you staying her for two nights?”
After a sip of coffee, Beth laughed. “Nah, he’s still in a funk. He’ll
get over it. I think it’s just all for show, anyway. He knows that this
assignment will go a long way for me, for getting a permanent job in
the industry. He knows how important it is for me.”
I couldn’t help but smile. She was so enthusiastic about the job. “Well,
if everything goes well this weekend, I might just have to keep you on
here. God knows I could use the help.”
Beth squealed and ran over to wrap her arms around my neck. “Are you
serious? Ohmigod, that would be so wonderful!”
The three of us laughed. After breakfast, I helped Beth settle in and
ran through a few last minute preparations.
“Okay, boss lady. I’ve got it covered. Now go!” She shooed us out the
door and waved goodbye. Amanda and I climbed into the car and left.
“Don’t worry so much,” Amanda said, patting my knee. “She’ll do fine.”
I watched Amanda handle the curvy seaside road easily with one hand. The
other was still firmly planted on my leg and was slowly working its way
up. I took hold of her hand and held it tightly.
“I know, I guess I’m just nervous about this trip. I want to warn you,
my mother can be very puritanical at times. Don’t be surprised if she
has us sitting on opposite sides of the garden.”
Amanda laughed. “I don’t think she’d go that far. If she was that
against us being seen together, she would never have suggested that you
bring a guest.”
“Amanda, I think she might have assumed that I would bring a man.
Y’know, for appearances’ sake. Appearances are very important to her.”
“Well, let’s worry about it when we get there. At least she won’t have
to worry about any sleeping arrangements. Speaking of, you got the
confirmation number for the hotel room?”
I patted my purse. “Right here.”
And here were are, I thought, staring at my mother’s front door. I
reached out to ring the bell, then jerked my hand back when I saw how
badly it was shaking. I looked over at Amanda desperately. She smiled
at me and squeezed my hand again. Then she reached out and rang the
bell. I could feel my stomach fluttering as we waited for someone to
answer. I was glad that we had decided to come the day before the
wedding, to get the initial awkwardness out of the way before the big
day, but now I was wondering if that was such a good idea. Just as I
was deciding to take the coward’s way out and run like hell, the door
opened.
“Hi mom.”
We stood there for a moment, neither of us moving. Then my mother
stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. I hugged
her back, and I could smell her perfume, like wildflowers after the
rain. It brought back so many memories. Good memories. It was then I
understood that this would only be as awkward and we made it. As I
pulled away, I smiled down and her and kissed her cheek softly.
She cleared her throat. “Melissa dear, I’m so glad you came. Please,
introduce me to your friend.”
With a wry smile, I reached over and pulled Amanda --who had taken a
step back-- to my side.
“Amanda, I would like you to meet my mother, Diane Kelly. Mom. this is
Amanda Banks. My girlfriend.”
There was a tension-filled pause as the two assessed eachother. Amanda
stuck her hand out and said, “I’m very happy to meet you, Mrs. Kelly.
Congratulations on your wedding.”
My mother accepted Amanda’s hand and held it briefly before letting go
and, I noticed, wiping it discretely on her dress. “Why thank you,
Amanda. I’m pleased to meet you, as well. Please, do come inside. I’m
sure you’re both tired from your trip.” As always, my mother’s manners
were impeccable, but I could tell she was anything but pleased.
As we took our seats in the formal living room, Amanda smiled at me
encouragingly. My mother remained standing. She cleared her throat
again.
“Would you like some coffee? Melissa dear, would you help me in the
kitchen please?” Without waiting for a response she stalked off to the
back of the house.
I stood up slowly and smoothed my skirt. “Here it comes,” I muttered
under my breath. Amanda grabbed my hand and looked up at me.
“Whatever she says, don’t let it bother you, okay? Thinking about it is
one thing, actually seeing it probably came as a bit of a shock. Go
easy on her.” With that, she squeezed my hand and let go. I smiled at
her, a tense smile I’m sure looked fake, and walked after my mother.
When I entered the kitchen, my mother was standing at the counter
arranging china on a tray. I walked over to the sink and filled the
coffee pot with water. When my mother spoke, it was in a vicious
whisper.
“How could you do that to me? It’s bad enough you had the gall to bring
her here, but to introduce her to me as your-- your--”
“Girlfriend, mom?” I supplied. I finished assembling the coffee pot and
turned to face her. “It’s a perfectly acceptable term, mother. Would
you rather I had introduced her as my lover? Tell me, which would you
have preferred?”
“How dare you talk to me like that! You could have just said “this is my
friend”! Besides, why did you bring her at all? To rub it in my face?
Good God, what are my guests going to think when they see the two of
you together?” She turned away and fanned herself with her hand.
“First off, mom, you told me I could bring a guest. So I did. I wasn’t
about to bring a man, just to live up to your expectations of what’s
proper. No, I didn’t do it to rub it in your face. I happen to love
Amanda! So, of course she’s the one I wanted to come with. As for your
precious guests, it’s not as though we’re going to have sex in the
rosebush. They’ll see two people acting with perfect decorum. If that’s
really what’s bothering you, you can set your mind at ease right now.”
“Well,” she huffed. “I hope you don’t think that you two will be sharing
a bed under my roof--”
“Don’t have to worry about that mother. We already have a room at the
hotel.” I poured the coffee into the decanter and slammed it on the
tray. “Now, let’s go have some damn coffee and see if we can’t act
civilized.”
I waited as she put the sugar and cream on the tray and hoisted it up. I
pushed through the swinging door and strode into the living room, my
mother trailing behind. When we reached the living room, both of us
were composed.
I sat down next to Amanda and poured her a cup of coffee. As I handed it
to her, I noticed her looking at me strangely, almost questioningly.
“What’s the matter?” I whispered.
Her face softened and she smiled. A soft smile, barely curving her lips.
“Nothing. Nothing at all.”
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