“Valentine’s, busy time, Miss.” Lou could hear the swarthiness in the man's voice through the phone. Her imagination pictured him as an overweight, sweaty barrel of a man chomping on a cigar butt as he ordered his assistants about in a show of propriety. This was the third number she had dialled and she was exasperated at the run around. 

Counting to ten, Lou replied with forced pleasantry, “It’s not for Valentine’s Day, it’s the weekend before that.” 

“Same thing, Miss. Lots of people want to move then.”  

Lou heard the receiver muffled as barking came from the background along with what sounded like a hock of spit. Great. Her head sank into her palm. 

Just as she was about to ring the next number, he said, “But I got an opening on Saturday morning from eight to ten. That’s the best I can do.” 

“I’ll take it!” 

After exchanging phone numbers and other details, Lou saw that she had doodled all over the Yellow Pages®. Sighing, she tore out the relevant page and slammed the book shut. OK, girl. Start packing.

**************

“Mmm, you’re the best, Lou.” purred the blonde cuddled in her arms. 

Yeah, I’m the best, Shelley, and it sucks. 

In the aftermath of another bout of frantic sex, Lou was once again berating herself for giving in to her body’s demands. She couldn’t help it. It seemed lately, every time Shelley came over to cry about her latest girlfriend, they would somehow wind up in bed, naked, doing things Lou’s rational mind wouldn’t even contemplate in sensible moments. 

Shelley tightened her arms around Lou’s lean torso and felt the return squeeze. She knew what her dark haired friend was thinking and it could only lead to heartache. Seeking to distract the woman on top, Shelley slipped her hand through rough curls and, then, further between Lou’s thighs. Just as female juices started to coat Shelley’s fingers, Lou captured both her wrists and pulled them above the pillows. 

Whispering against Shelley’s lips, Lou said, “This is for you, Shelley. It’s always for you,” before kissing her hard. By the time Lou’s mouth travelled below the blonde’s waist, both Shelley and Lou had forgotten about anyone else.

*****************

Lou was sitting among a developing mess. She had decided to start with the living room as her books were the easiest to pack. Halfway through a bookshelf, she came across a photo album that contained pictures of her and Shelley taken in many places over the years. There were the stiff ones shot in front of tourist billboards, the relaxed poses at parties, the messy ones of them camping and, her favourites, the ones of them in formal dress when they were each other’s dates on occasion. Lou was shy about having her picture taken so she was glad the album consisted mostly of her cute friend.  

Shelly was a petite blonde but she made up for it with an out front personality. Leading the way, she was the one who was always the first to come forward and make friends. Lou would trail behind later, awkwardly trying to make small talk and desperately wishing for Shelley to rescue her. 

It had always been that way, from the moment they met at a coming out party – what a stupid idea, as if the newbies wouldn’t be uncomfortable enough. It was just an excuse to meet the sharks, Lou shrugged at the thought. It hadn’t mattered to her much, she had always known that she was gay and this was merely a formality in the new city where she had just moved. It did seem better than hanging out at the bars, but after an agonising hour in the private venue, Lou was ready to toss in the towel. Then, Shelley found her. 

“Pssst!” 

Lou thought she heard something but there was no one else around. She had been hiding from the estrogen club by staying put on the upstairs landing, where it was dim and quiet. She shook her wet hands, flicking droplets of condensation, from nursing her glass of fruit punch. 

“Pssssssssttttttttt!” 

Swivelling her head from side to side, Lou tried to pinpoint the source of the sound. What the hell? 

"Hellooo? You out there," came the insistent voice again. 

This time, Lou noticed a dark sliver where a door was slightly ajar and a disembodied finger from inside was wriggling in her direction. Lou cocked her head this way and that, trying to see into the dark room. Cautiously, she placed her drink in a corner and warily approached the finger. 

"Who … who is it?" she asked nervously. 

The finger retracted instantly and the voice from inside said, "I need some help." 

Lou kept quiet even as she looked around for someone, anyone, else. 

"You still there?" 

"Yeah. I'm still here." Lou hurriedly answered, just in case it was an emergency. What did they say, keep the victim talking till the medics arrived? Yes, that's it. 

"Um, I've had an accident with my dress and I was wondering if you could help me leave without drawing any attention?" 

"OK. Should I call Aurea?" Aurea was one of their hosts this evening. Lou recalled a quick introduction and alcoholic breath when they met. There might have been more than a casual pat on her butt too. 

"Good God, no. I don't think I want her near me without my armour on." Lou couldn't help smiling at the remark. "Although, I think that might turn her on even more. Have you seen her 'collection' of metal objects? Where does she get that stuff, torture.com?" The person inside the room was warming up to her topic. Lou found it quite humorous that this person could speak to a total stranger through a door, without embarrassment. 

"I can lend you my jacket," Lou offered. She was afraid someone would spot her talking to herself, or a door. 

"Would you?" was the relieved reply. 

Slipping her blazer through the crack, Lou felt it lifted from her fingers. "Thanks." Lou just nodded. She was enjoying listening to the prattle from the happy sounding person behind the door. When the door was suddenly pulled open, Lou almost fell inside. She had been standing right up against it in order to talk quietly. 

Out of the darkness, a blonde head just below her nose slid past. The light brush of the woman's body sent tingles through Lou. Woah! When she stopped, Lou's gaze followed the cut of the blonde hair to deep green eyes, still dilated from their recent departure from inside the dark room. The soft light on the landing could not hide their remarkable shade and Lou was so mesmerised by their colour that she didn't realise the owner of those eyes was smiling. 

Once her gaze adjusted to the whole person, she could make out a smaller woman, who was swallowed by her jacket, apparently laughing at her struck-dumb look. She was smiling so hard that little wrinkles appeared on the bridge of her nose. Lou took a step back. A dark brown skirt and calf high boots completed the image. Between them, Lou thought they showed the cutest knees she had ever seen. 

"Hi, I'm Shelley."  A hand was stuck out at chest height, and shaken. 

"Lou." 

The polite introduction was easy enough, but Lou's mind was whirling. She remembered seeing Shelley earlier. She was chatting to a new person each time Lou looked her way. If the group around her was any indication, Shelley was popular. Surreptitiously, Lou had toured the corners of the room to get a better view of the blonde between the heads and shoulders of the other guests. Lou thought her smile and laughter were enchanting, and she kept checking her out - her eyes resolutely stuck on the animated figure of the little blonde. She was so captivated that she didn't pick up on the hints from the other women who were trying to get her attention.  

Compared to the socially adept women there, Lou didn't think she was personally interesting. As an accountant, she was only a good prospect when someone needed financial advice. Sports or art were barely a passing interest for her, and she was too new to share local information.  

She did not notice Shelley's sharp eyes tracking her progress around the room and had missed when they zeroed in on the outlines of her small, heavy breasts under the white shirt. Bored, Lou rubbed her newly cut hair while trying to recall a discreet escape route. The action pulled her white shirt across her broad shoulders and enlarged the view of her chest.  

Even in the back of the room, Shelley could pick out the tall statured woman but each time she tried to move toward her, someone else would cut in between and they would play peek a boo with each other again. Shelley was inordinately pleased when no one else seemed to stay long with the hottie. She was not so pleased, however, when she disappeared from sight. Shelley did not see where she went to and she was disappointed that she had missed a chance to meet the serious looking woman with the dark hair and piercing blue eyes. 

When the room became too crowded, Lou went upstairs for some space. She found an open balcony but a chain-smoking couple had already claimed it. Another couple stumbled past on their way to a private tryst, if she hadn't stepped out of their path they would have trampled her in their haste. Lou just kept moving until she found a quite spot. This was her methodology at every party. No wonder she rarely made friends. Sometimes she wished she was a smoker, at least, then, she'd have an excuse to talk to people. 

An accident with a glass of wine sent Shelley upstairs looking for a bathroom. She wasn't about to queue for the one downstairs, she knew what went on in there. The unsightly stain on her blouse was a worry until she spied the woman she had been looking for hanging around nearby. Shelley flipped off the light in the washroom and waited. When the tall woman didn't seem to be moving anytime soon, Shelley knew she could turn a minor disaster into a sweet opportunity. 

It seemed easy, Shelley not only got the woman, Lou, to come closer but she managed to end up wearing an article of her clothing, one that was still warm and scented with Cerutti. Hmm, nice. Even nicer was the fact that the hot babe was looking at her with interest. Shelly smiled, this could be fun. 

Lou became aware that the blonde was looking at her while her eyes were roaming over her tight body. Flushing with embarrassment, Lou took a step back. Idiot, she mentally smacked herself. Now, not only did she get caught, but she didn’t know what to say.  

“So…” Lou blurted, “you look fine to me.” 

The blonde’s smile grew wider and her eyes seemed to twinkle. “Yes, thank you for your lovely jacket.” 

“You’re welcome. It would be a shame if you had to walk out of here without any clothes on.” What am I saying?! 

Shelley laughed. 

Somehow, they made their way out of the house without meeting the over friendly hostess. Lou had figured on a back route but she was astonished when Shelley marched back downstairs and winked at a few people while dragging Lou by the hand.

*******************

And I’ve been stumbling after her ever since. 

Lou wrapped the photo album carefully with paper and continued packing.

*******************

Shelley was a godsend. Not only was she a lot of fun but she was determined to make Lou come out and play, which, for the shy woman, was a good thing, otherwise, she wouldn’t have made any new friends. At first, it was flattering, then, annoying, then, finally, Lou caved in and enjoyed Shelley’s company. Her feeble attempts to stem her rising attraction to the blonde were wasted when Shelley simply made her do stuff.  

Shelley didn’t think that Lou’s number-crunching profession made her boring. If anything, she would tease Lou by saying that it was her alter ego. She was sure that Lou had a tiger inside waiting to be unleashed on the right woman. Inwardly, the quieter woman felt more like a comatose tabby cat unless she was in Shelley's company, then, her happiness purred contentedly. 

After their initial meeting, they became good friends. Shelly made it her mission to show Lou the best spots in Springvale, and Lou’s secret crush on Shelley was slowly stoked into full blown unrequited attraction. Her heartbeat jumped each time Shelley phoned. When they went out together, Lou would pretend it was a date – she loved the way Shelley grabbed her arm when she was excited or how they walked closely, occasionally bumping against each other. One had an effervescent joie de vivre and the other was happy to tag along. Together, they made a complementary pair, pushing and pacing each other at the right times. 

Shelley was a fun time girl and it wasn't long before she had a string of girlfriends. She seemed to think that double dates were fun, not so for Lou or Shelley's date. They would glance knowingly at each other when Shelley fussed over her dark-haired friend or when Lou always ran every request by the blonde before making a decision. 

Deep inside, Lou wished that Shelley would see her as more than a buddy. They were as close as ex-lovers without the bad history, and there was as a lot of affection in the friendship. Silently, Lou thrilled and agonised over every touch and hug Shelley gave her. They spent hours, days, weeks together but never once did Lou cross the line - Shelley was a free spirit and it would take a better woman than Lou to tie her down. 

Shelley, for her part, knew that Lou had a thin exterior. The shy ones always did. There was a well of loneliness inside just begging to be turned to a fountain of love for the right woman. Shelley's plan was to help Lou break out of her shell. Out there was a woman just waiting for her Lou. 

Her Lou.

**************

What's worse than seeing her secret love sad? Seeing her happy, with someone else. 

Lou knew her relationship with Shelley would change when The Girlfriend came along. Until Miriam, Lou was used to Shelley's casual dates. It was a ritual for the blonde to stay over at her place when another one bit the dust. Frankly, Lou didn't know why no one had taken her off the market yet. What was wrong with those women? Who wouldn't love this sweet, bubbly, blonde bombshell? 

Miriam was first mentioned in one of their marathon phone calls. Shelley had met the doctor of naturopathy at a women's retreat that she had attended to re-energise. Because of Shelley's easygoing nature, Lou was quite used to hearing her friend rave about anything new. Even when she knew Miriam was dating Shelley, she didn't mind, until the blonde's visits and phone calls started petering off. 

It may have crept up on her but suddenly, Lou was spending a lot more time at home alone, surfing the TV channels and eating frozen dinners. Her dour mood was waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

It turned out that Miriam wasn't a ship in the night and Shelley was truly smitten. So much so that she dropped her free-lance contracts to work full-time for Miriam, who just happened to need a personal assistant while she travelled around promoting her books and giving workshops. 

Lou didn't like it one bit. 

She tried telling Shelley that, "Miriam is just using you." 

"No, she's not." Shelley was in the other corner. "She is such a busy woman. Her books help so many women, women like me and you who need to be brought back in tune with natural life so we can be happy." 

"Yeah, right," Lou sneered. 

"Oh, you'll know what I mean when you see her. She's really incredible. I've learned so much about myself already." Shelley sounded happy and excited, and Lou could only huff. 

When she finally met Miriam at a party Shelley organised, she was introduced to an distinguished looking older woman with long grey hair, heavily kohled eyes and who moved easily, even laden with chunky jewellery. Lou had to admit the woman had presence. She tried to hang with Shelley but the blonde was too busy catering to everyone else. For the first time in a long time, Lou felt alone again. The shroud of alienation descended in the midst of a party, the kind of place where she had always felt out of sorts. And this time, Shelley wasn't around to rescue her. 

Old habits were always ready to be recalled. Lou fidgeted with her drink, wandered around and hid in Shelley's bedroom - where she found Miriam's shoes and clothes draped over every single piece of furniture and cloying hung perfume in the air. Lou's heart fell. As she sat in the dark, the forlorn woman decided she could not continue to hope endlessly for Shelley to look her way. 

Her resolve didn't falter even when Shelley broke up with Miriam because there would be another new girlfriend, then another. The parade of women in Shelley's life passed in a blur for Lou. She had mentally removed herself from wanting the blonde even as she continued to be Shelley's rock.  

There were few things in life as precious as a steadfast friend and Shelley was grateful for Lou's unwavering support. There were no "I Told You Sos" when Miriam turned out to be jerk. Instead, there was a broad shoulder and a warm body to hold her when she cried, and there were cuddles a plenty - which became more. 

In the range of emotional support, comfort sex was a low rater, but for Shelley, it was the start of a gem of awareness. If there was one good thing she learned from Miriam, belatedly, it was not to be taken for granted. Shelley needed to feel desirable again. She needed to feel strong and in control but her ego was in tatters. 

Lou was there, Lou was always there. Lou was there to wipe her tears, kiss her sorrow away, and plump her esteem. Shelley had never been made love to as gently as the way Lou touched her. They had laid quietly afterward, Lou still lightly drawing random lines on her arm as she spooned Shelley from behind. Neither slept that night. The thrill of crossing an invisible boundary combined with the heightened awareness of intimate touches kept their arousal thrumming alive. Shelley’s clit was constantly hard, her open gestures begged for Lou’s touch, and Lou was helpless to arrest her need to make love to Shelley. The blonde’s cries and gripping limbs drove them both on to assuage their consuming need. 

The next day was awkward between them. Lou felt she had crossed the line and taken advantage of Shelley when she was emotionally distraught. It didn't help that Shelley wouldn’t look at her as she dressed and left. 

Lou didn't hear from Shelley over the next days. Her anxiety level rose with each passing hour. She was sure that she had permanently damaged their friendship but god help her, she hadn't planned to let it go that far even if she had wanted it for a long time. Her thoughts were consumed by her wretched state but they would then veer to memories of that night. The slickness of Shelley’s passion and her light musky smell was all over the room. Lou slept in the same sheets from that night, she wanted to be surrounded by sensory reminders of the experience. It might be the only instant she would ever have to realise her longing. The throbbing in her loins now joined the ache in her heart. One bite of the forbidden fruit had only made her hunger grow. Perhaps it was a good thing Shelley had stayed away. 

At home, Shelley stared at her phone, biting her nails over the growing realisation of what Lou meant to her. But that night must have been a mistake, because Lou had never shown any interest in her like that before, right? 

They hadn't talked in days and the silence was unnerving. Would Lou regret what happened? Shelley wanted to, if it affected their friendship badly. But she couldn't forget the feel of Lou's lean body sliding over hers, their nipples rubbing against each other and the feel of Lou's hot, hungry mouth. Goddess, that woman could kiss. Lou was the aggressor that night but Shelley had welcomed her touch, wanted it until she could only gasp her need. 

It was all so confusing, perhaps this was only in her head. Shelley picked up the phone and dialled a number by heart. 

"Hello?" 

"It's me, Shelley."  

Lou shut her eyes with relief. "Hey. How're you feeling?" 

Shelley gave a chuckle, "Confused." 

The awkwardness was still there. Lou sat down heavily on the nearest chair. This is all my fault. 

"Shelley …"  "Lou …" They both began then, stopped. "You first," Shelley retreated, she was still gathering courage. 

Lou flicked a pen over her knuckles. "I'm sorry." The pen rolled off the table. "What I did was … wrong. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that. You needed a friend and I was a louse." Lou raked her hand repeatedly through her hair. 

"It was a mistake?" Shelley's fragile hope crumbled. 

"Yeah," Lou sighed audibly over the phone. "You were overwrought and I just wanted to make you feel better." I just wanted to love you. 

"Oh." Shelley laughed sadly, "Well, you certainly did that." 

The two women held their aching hearts silent. "Are we ok?" Lou asked tentatively. 

"Sure," Shelley said in a nasally voice. Damn these tears. "In fact, why don't you come over and we'll watch a movie?" 

"I'll bring the pizza." Lou's smile dropped as soon as the call ended. 

Ironically, the movie they chose was Kissing Jessica Stein. The ending was supposed to be a hopeful salvation of their friendship but Lou and Shelley could only see the bittersweet ending of a promising relationship. 

They didn't talk about that night again but something had changed between them. They now had an open secret glowing just beneath the surface. Lou was struggling with her emotions and her dreams of Shelley would replay that magical night, only with more involvement. She had not allowed Shelley to reciprocate because she knew that if she had, she would have lost the tenuous hold on her self-control. But in her dreams, there were no barriers between them. 

Lately, Shelley caught Lou often gazing into space and talking even less. On those occasions, she would see Lou in a different light. She remembered the first time they met and how she had felt a connection with her even across the room. They had become friends, an unusual occurrence for Shelley who always thought that new friends were potential dates. But Lou had grown on her - she was quiet, shy, and steady, yet indulgent to Shelley's whim. She would gamely follow Shelley's half baked plans and was always there for her through long nights and many girlfriends. Too late, Shelley discovered Lou also made her body sing. It made sense of her need to keep Lou close – she was used to reaching out for her, and when Lou pulled her in, Shelley would relax into the same solid warmth she had been draped in when they met.  

Ms Right was beside me all along. Faced with the overwhelming conclusion, Shelley was at a loss. How do I seduce my best friend? Then, an idea surfaced. Valentines is coming up, I wouldn’t need an excuse then. 

She knew that Lou was uncomfortable about the change in their relationship. The downcast eyes and increased personal space were unmistakable. Shelley despairingly missed the cuddles and easy sharing they had had before, and she wanted to feel Lou’s body again. Just thinking about the way it moved on hers made her wet. 

Shamelessly, Shelley decided to try the same tactic. To get Lou’s attention, one way or the other, she made excuses to stay over, citing that her new girlfriends weren't working out.  

Bewildered, Lou fell back to the role of supportive friend. She felt trapped between her smouldering attraction and her platonic role. It was odd to hold Shelley again. Cuddles were permitted only because of a damn dating crisis. But her hands roamed ignominiously everywhere they could reach when Shelley was in her arms. Without words or explanation, the touching would become more directed until Shelley would look up with pleading eyes and Lou would let her desire take over.

**************

Large and medium sized boxes lay strapped around the room, like monoliths gloating above the litter of paper, tape and rubbish covering the rest of the floor space. Lou had tried to keep it orderly but there was so much stuff. The house had the eerie emptiness of an unlived residence. The windows were devoid of covering, little dust bunnies huddled near furniture streaks on the walls, and the open kitchen was bare of all useful utensils except for a lonely cup and plate. A frown marred Lou’s forehead as she searched her tired brain for the exact box that held the kitchen goods.

***************

Something was up. Lou had been even more distant lately despite spending more time with Shelley, albeit a good portion of that time was spent in bed. Their increased intimacy should have brought them closer but instead, a dread was building. Shelley couldn’t shake the feeling, it was like a mounting thunderstorm that would crash her lame attempts at seducing Lou. Who was she kidding, Lou was the one who had ensnared her heart, and if Shelley didn’t come clean soon something awful was going to happen. She just knew it. 

On a hunch, Shelley went to buy some flowers as an excuse to see Lou. On the way to her car, grey clouds obliterated the sun and the wind picked up. Shelley’s hair was tugged and whipped around her face because both hands were occupied protecting the fragile blooms. Before she made it into her car, the sky opened and she was drenched in a furious downpour. Gasping, Shelley blinked the water out of her eyes as she drove carefully to Lou’s. She had to brave the wind and rain again when she ran up the short stairs and punched the doorbell. 

The crashing thunder and weather warnings made Lou stop work and take a shower. If the power went, she would be taking cold baths tonight. When she stepped out of the shower, the lights flickered and she rushed to shut them off.  

A loud knocking on her door startled her until she almost dropped her towel. Pulling on an old shirt and jumping into a pair of shorts, Lou hopped to the door. 

"Shelley, you're soaked!" Lou stepped to one side so that the other woman could come out of the rain. The blonde rushed in and dropped her bag.  

Shelley was sight, with her hair plastered to her head and shoulders and water dripping from the ends. Droplets still clung to her lashes and her lips were shiny. Lou thought she looked radiant. Her shirt was transparently clinging in places, enough for Lou to see that she was wearing one of her practical bras. She took a step forward. 

Shelley could see Lou's eyes darken with arousal when she realised the sheerness of her clothes. Thrusting the freshly watered bouquet at Lou, she stammered, "These are for you." 

The long bundle halted Lou's motion and broke her reverie. She was puzzled. Flowers? The gift was like a snowman in summer, out of place. "Thanks." 

Still catching her breath from her dash in the rain, Shelley saw that Lou's hair was damp, as if she had just had a shower. A glance down her body confirmed her shoeless state. Lou was still looking at the flowers in her hand. Nervous, Shelley babbled, "I'll put them in water." before taking them into the kitchen that was next to the front door. A moment later, she returned. 

"You're kitchen's empty. What's going on?" 

Lou did not look at Shelley as she led the way deeper into the apartment, leaving the stunned blonde where she stood.  

"Lou, what's going on? Why are you packing?" The sight of the massive sorting exercise was alarming. 

The lights had blacked out and Lou dragged out her answer by rummaging in a box. Candles in hand, the taller woman quietly said, "I'm leaving." 

"What, like on a trip?" 

Lou nodded her head. Her lips were set in a straight line and her jaw jutted slightly. She hadn't planned on Shelley finding out before she left. There would be too many questions and Lou didn't know if she could answer them without lying. 

Shelley followed a semi-cleared path ran across the room. Stepping over small items and twisting her way around the larger boxes, she walked up to stand in front of her friend, making sure that Lou could not avoid looking at her. 

"This isn't a short trip, is it?" she stated. 

Lou was looking down at the candles in her hand. Where are the matches? 

"Look at me." Shelley’s finger guided Lou's face up. "You have the most beautiful eyes," she murmured. "I love the way they look at me when you think I don't see." Lou's gaze flew up to meet Shelley's warm green eyes. 

"You know, they say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. I've only ever seen yours open, welcoming, understanding and giving." Lou could not tear away from the Shelley's mesmerising intensity and hypnotic voice. "But when they look at me with excitement, happiness and desire, do they see the same in mine?"  

Shelley moved closer until their bodies brushed. "When you touch me, do you see how much I want you?" A light press brought their bodies into firmer contact. Shelley's wet shirt felt cool against heated skin. Their mouths were inching closer. "Can you feel how much I want you?" She brought their hands to cover her right breast. 

Lou could feel the high curve of Shelley's breast topped by an already erect nipple. Her thumb brushed against it deliberately, causing Shelley to gasp and her body to lean in more. The movement closed the narrow gap between them and Lou's mouth covered Shelley's in an open, deep kiss. Her tongue delved inside to conquer the familiar places inside. She moaned when Shelley retaliated by sucking on it.  

A small hand slipped behind the waistband of her shorts and moved down to spread its fingers along the creases of her pussy, a bold digit slipping in and out of the middle slit. Caught between a powerful kiss and knowing fingers, Lou could feel her knees weakening. She fell against the wall behind her for support. 

Shelley’s insistent fingers were learning their way around and into Lou's centre. Her excitement had flared as soon as she accepted the kiss. Now, being allowed to touch Lou was turning her on immensely. 

They were kissing furiously, fighting for breath and more tongue. The rising heat was spreading through their veins even as their harsh pants were swallowed by their mouths. Hands pinched and groped breasts. A long thigh had moved between hers and Shelley straddled it, grinding her clit on the hard muscle. Lou's hips jerked against Shelley's rubbing fingers and her rhythmic groans sent an echoing thrill to Shelley's clit. The blonde could tell they were both close. 

As she felt them reach the point of no return, Shelley tore her mouth from Lou's and whispered into her ear, "This is for you, Lou," just as they both cried their release into the empty room.

********************

This was just too much. Standing with arms akimbo, Lou shook her head at the mess. She stood up and stretched, knowing she would never finish in time. Drinking deeply from her bottle of water, she walked to the window. It was a beautifully sunny day outside. Perfect. 

The sound of a car door slamming made her look at the little travel clock on the mantle. Placing her bottle next to it, she went to open the door. Before she reached it, Shelley walked in with a paper bag in hand. 

"Hi, honey, I'm home." She grinned, kissing Lou and holding up the bag, "and I have breakfast." 

"I thought you went for a run?" Smiling at her impudent partner, Lou started making coffee. 

"I did. I ran to the bakery," Shelley chuckled, kicking off her shoes. 

"Ah ah. Shoes at the side, please. The place is already a mess." 

Grumbling good naturedly, the blonde relocated her shoes. "If I'd known you were such a neat freak, I wouldn't have moved in with you." 

Lou handed her a steaming mug, "I don't think you were concerned about my housekeeping habits at the time." Her eyes twinkled with amusement. 

Shelley's eyes ran hotly up and down her girlfriend's body. She set her mug on the counter and relieved Lou of hers. Once her hands were free, she wrapped them around the soft, lean body. "I was distracted by other more interesting parts." She nuzzled the pulse at the base of Lou's throat. "Like this." She licked and sucked the spot that made Lou wild. 

"The movers will be here with the furniture soon," Lou reminded her even as her hands crept under her lover's shirt and her eyes closed to savour Shelley's touch. 

"Eight to ten, right?" Shelley was working intently on getting Lou undressed. 

Lou moaned her answer. She could feel warm hands tugging on her nipples so she stretched her longer arms to knead Shelley's ass.  

"We'd better hurry then," Shelley stated urgently. Lou complied with the demand as they slowly sank to the floor of their new home.

The End.

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