Love and Whiskers

by Olivia Myers

  “Hello,” the woman said in a smooth voice. “I’m Lisa.”

  “Hi,” Elle replied. “I’m Elle.” She took the woman’s proffered hand. The woman’s mouth twitched, as if she was about to say something.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” she said after the briefest hesitation.

  “You too,” Elle said. She released the woman’s hand, which was warm and smooth. Elle couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like sliding over her body. “Do you come here often?” she asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

  “Oh, occasionally,” Lisa said. “I usually just read ebooks, but there is a special quality about the paper ones that I crave sometimes.”

  “I know what you mean,” Elle said. “I hope they never go out of style. There’s something so perfect about the feeling of opening up a new book.”

  “Did you find anything good here today?” Lisa asked, taking a step closer and glancing at the books Elle had been looking at.

  “Oh, nothing new,” she said, enjoying the scent of the woman’s perfume as it washed over her. “How about you?”

  “I may have,” Lisa said, looking directly at Elle. Elle felt butterflies in her stomach.

  *****

  They decided to get coffee. Elle took Lisa to the same place she’d gone the other day. A different cashier was there today, a person this time, and he took their orders cheerily. Elle and Lisa retreated to a table in the back. The coffee shop was mostly empty, so they enjoyed a private atmosphere to converse in. “So what do you do?” Elle asked. “For a living, I mean.”

  “Well, I work in technology,” Lisa said. “It comes easily to me, and it pays well. I wouldn’t call it my passion, though.”

  “What is your passion?” Elle asked.

  Lisa thought for a moment, her gaze far off. “Just… learning about people, I guess,” she said. “I like people watching. Not in a creepy way, or anything like that.” She smiled. “I guess I’d like to be a psychologist, and help people with their problems. I see people that are unhappy so often, and I just want to help them feel better.”

  “That’s a wonderful dream,” Elle said.

  “Yeah,” Lisa said. “I only wish it was possible.”

  “Well, why isn’t it?” Elle asked, wanting to encourage her new friend. “You could go back to school and get a degree… online classes aren’t really that expensive anymore, and I’m sure you would make an amazing psychologist.”

  “Let’s just say, my dream is an impossibility in this day and age,” Lisa said, with a sad smile. “But how about you? What’s your dream?”

  “I’m already living it,” Elle replied. “I own a flower shop. It may not sound like much, but it really is rewarding.”

  “It must be nice,” Lisa said, smiling at her. “I’d love to be able to own my own business.”

  Elle wanted to ask why she couldn’t - the government did a lot to encourage small businesses these days - but decided not to. She didn’t really know this woman, after all, and didn’t want to delve into personal matters if she could help it. At least, not yet.

  After talking for a while and sipping their coffee, Elle was unable to deny the attraction between them. She was certain that Lisa felt the same way; the woman was extremely responsive to Elle’s flirting. Making a decision, Elle cleared her throat. “I have to be at work in a couple of hours,” she said. “But I was wondering…would you like to come back to my apartment with me first?”

  Lisa didn’t even hesitate. “Yes,” she said.

  Elle smiled and led her outside.

  *****

  They almost didn’t even make it to Elle’s bedroom. She just had time to shut the apartment door behind her before Lisa was kissing her. The other woman’s lips were soft, and she tasted of coffee and caramel. Lisa somehow managed to lead them to the bedroom - how did she know where the bedroom was? Elle thought, but the thought was quickly forgotten while Elle tore at Lisa’s clothes.

  Sliding her hand through Elle’s hair, Lisa cupped the back of her head, and gently eased her toward the bed. As their kiss deepened, Lisa caressed the soft skin of Elle’s stomach. The edge of her hand rubbed along the bottom of her breasts and Elle moaned softly in her throat.

  Growing bolder - her experience with women was limited - Elle began kissing Lisa harder. Lisa opened her mouth wider, encouraging her. When Lisa pulled back to look at her, Elle noticed a spray of freckles across her face. Gorgeous, she thought.

  Elle moaned when, burying her face in her hair, Lisa’s lips found the soft creamy skin of her neck and began to suck gently on it. She let her head fall back, giving Lisa better access to her smooth skin. Moving her hand higher, Lisa gently cupped one of Elle’s small breasts. Then Lisa pulled back again and removed her hand from beneath Elle’s shirt.

  Lisa grabbed bottom of her own shirt began pulling it up. Elle's eyes were wide and focused on Lisa’s chest while her pussy throbbed in anticipation. Elle’s gaze dropped to see her now erect nipples poking through her shirt and her heart raced at the thought she too would soon be topless. Lisa teasingly lifted the top just high enough to expose the curve of her own breasts, and Elle bit back a moan of longing.

  Responding to her, Lisa quickly stripped her top off and tossed it to the side. Elle gently cupped one hand around Lisa’s soft, warm breast. Lisa made a small sound of her own, pressing forward into Elle’s hand. Elle took this to mean that Lisa wanted more, so she began gently pinching the woman’s nipples between her fingers. Lisa moaned. As Elle continued to fondle her breasts, Lisa placed her hands at her sides and grabbed the edge of Elle’s sweater. Lisa tugged on it, slowly pulling it up and exposing Elle’s flat belly.

  Elle removed her hands from Lisa’s chest and lifted her arms over her head. Lisa paused briefly, and then pulled her top off. She stared at Elle’s rounded, firm breasts, covered only by the thin fabric of the bra. Elle reached behind herself and, with a practiced motion, undid her bra. She let it fall to the bed. Surprising her, Lisa leaned forward and took one of her nipples in her mouth. Elle moaned, arching her back. Lisa’s hand found Elle’s pussy and began to rub it through the fabric of her pants. “God, I want you so badly!”

  Elle's words were cut off by a gasp as Lisa eased her hand inside Elle’s pants and slid her fingers down to the incredibly wet lips of her pussy. Lisa again paused at her clit, rubbing her fingers in a circle around it. Elle moaned and her hips jerked, pushing against Lisa’s hand. No longer sucking on Elle’s nipple, Lisa cupped Elle’s chin in her hand. She tilted her face up and kissed Elle, while her fingers were buried deep in her pussy.

  Elle moaned into her mouth, wanting - no, needing - more. Lisa seemed to sense this, because she gently pushed Elle back until she was lying on the bed. Then Lisa unbuttoned Elle’s pants and slowly pulled them off. She gazed at Elle as Elle lay there, wearing nothing but the thin fabric of her panties. Slowly, tortuously, Lisa hooked her fingers around the outer edges of Elle’s panties and tugged them off. Unhesitating, she knelt down by the edge of the bed and, with surprising strength, tugged Elle forward until her ass was right at the edge of the mattress. Then Lisa leaned forward and kissed Elle’s pussy gently, letting her tongue barely brush Elle’s outer lips.

  Elle moaned and spread her legs wider, begging Lisa with her body to give her the satisfaction that she craved. Lisa complied, kissing her again and this time pressing her tongue deeper into Elle’s pussy. She licked her slowly, making Elle jerk her body as Lisa’s tongue traveled slowly over her clit.

  Lisa pulled back suddenly, standing up and removing her own pants and panties. Elle stared, taking in the woman’s perfectly smooth pussy, and the tight curve of her ass. This woman really was perfect.

  Lisa joined Elle on the bed. The two women gazed at each other for a second, and then resumed kissing. Elle let her fingers wander down the other woman’s belly, stroking the outer lips of her pussy before gently pressing a finger into her wet inner folds. Lisa gasped as Elle found her clit. Elle rubbed
it, making the other woman’s hips jerk. Lisa returned the favor, dipping two fingers deep into Elle’s pussy and rubbing her clit with her thumb. Lisa bit Elle’s lip as the kissed, making her moan. The other woman’s breasts pressed into her own chest, and the feeling of her hard nipples pressing into her skin was unbelievably arousing.

  Elle felt her own orgasm building, and thrust her hips against Lisa’s hand. She began pounding her fingers in and out of Lisa’s pussy, and all of a sudden the other woman arched her back, emitting a small scream. Elle could feel Lisa’s pussy pulsing around her fingers as the other woman came, which brought on Elle’s orgasm. She moaned as the pleasure rushed through her, feeling her toes curl.

  After a couple of seconds, both women lay back, only their shoulders brushing. Elle was sweaty, and was jealous that Lisa had somehow managed to not even break a sweat. She closed her eyes, feeling pleasantly relaxed. Lisa’s hand brushed hers, and Elle let their fingers entwine.

  Elle woke up half an hour later when the alarm on her phone began buzzing. She and Lisa were tangled up in each other, and it took Elle a second to get free before she could reach her phone. She blinked at the alarm, disoriented for a moment, and then sighed. She had completely forgotten that she had to get to work today. She would much rather spend the day in bed with Lisa. She glanced over at the bed and saw the other woman looking at her with sleepy, slitted eyes.

  “Work,” Elle explained. The other woman grimaced, then sighed and stretched luxuriously.

  “Call me?” Lisa asked.

  “I promise,” Elle said.

  *****

  Elle couldn’t keep from grinning like an idiot as she walked in to work. Annie raised her eyebrows when she saw Elle’s expression.

  “I had a good day,” Elle explained.

  Annie bit her lip, refraining from saying anything more, even though she was obviously curious. Elle settled into the seat behind the counter while Annie collected her things to go home. She listened as the younger woman told her about the orders that people had placed during her shift, and about the bouquets that needed to be made. Elle smiled, nodding in all of the right places, but her mind was still on Lisa.

  After Annie left, Elle got to work on making custom flower arrangements, situating the blooms just how the customers had requested. She usually managed to lose herself in this kind of work, but today she kept getting distracted. Her thoughts returned endlessly to both Lisa and Drake. She had hoped that having sex with Lisa would help to get the dark-haired man out of her mind, but instead both of them had claimed space in her thoughts. She wondered what she would do if they each lived up to their promises and wanted to see her again. She had amazing chemistry with both of them, and both were easy to talk to.

  Elle sighed and rearranged a stalk of Queen Anne’s Lace that had tilted to the side. She really needed to keep her thoughts on work. No one would appreciate it if they got a flower display that had poison ivy instead of climbing ivy.

  *****

  She managed to keep her mind on work for a few hours. The calmness of the flower shop gradually worked to ease her mind. The sweet scent of the flowers reminded her, as always, of her sister’s love of the blossoms that had been in their back yard. As often happened when she was working here alone, she thought about her sister. She missed her, as she had missed her for all of these years. She wondered what it would be like to have her sister as a friend now, someone to talk to about all of the confusing feelings that rose to the surface whenever she thought about Drake and Lisa.

  A noise at her door made her look up. A dog was standing outside the glass window, peering in and wagging his tail. Elle looked around, wondering if his owner was nearby, but she didn’t see anyone hanging around. She set aside the arrangement she was working on and got up, walking over to the door. She looked down at the dog. He was a large German Shepherd, and he seemed pretty friendly. He gazed up at her, woofed, and then backed up a step, cocking his head to the side. Elle opened the door, and the dog surprised her by dashing past her legs and into the shop.

  “Whoa,” she said, startled. Once inside, the dog turned around to face her and wagged its tail even harder. For a second she thought something about its eyes looked familiar, but then she shook her head. She didn’t know anyone who owned a dog this big.

  “Hey, buddy,” she said, extending her hand slowly. The dog took a single step forward and licked her hand with a long, slobbery tongue. Elle smiled and crouched down scratching the dog’s neck.

  “Well, you don’t have a collar,” she said. The dog was gorgeous, and she knew he probably had a microchip that would tell her who his owner was.

  “What’s your name?” she asked.

  The dog just wagged his tail and leaned into her.

  Elle laughed. “I think I have some summer sausage in the fridge in back,” she said. “Do you want a piece?”

  The dog woofed softly, which Elle took to mean yes.

  “Wait here,” she said, and then got up and headed into the back room where the fridge was.

  She came back out with a couple of slices of summer sausage, and saw that the dog was, to her surprise, standing exactly where she had left him. “Good boy,” Elle said, and tossed him a piece of the sausage. The dog caught it out of the air with an audible snap of his jaws, and then looked expectantly at Elle for more. She smiled.

  “Uh-uh,” she said. “You’ve got to work for the rest of it. Can you sit?” The dog sat promptly, gazing at her with big brown eyes. His eyes flicked to the sausage in her hand, and then went back to her face. Elle laughed.

  “All right, here you go,” she said, holding out the sausage. “You deserve it.”

  The dog walked forward a couple of steps and took the sausage gently from her hand. He sniffed her fingers and gave them a quick lick before sitting back on his haunches.

  “Good boy,” Elle added. She stroked his head, marveling at how soft his fur was. What was she going to do with him? She didn’t think her apartment would let her have dogs, and even if the apartment manager allowed it, she wasn’t even sure she wanted a dog. It hadn’t crossed her mind until this big, handsome fellow had shown up. She didn’t want to call the pound, though. There was no telling where he’d end up.

  “Where’s your family?” she asked, crouching down again and letting the dog shove his head against her chest. “What am I going to do with you?”

  As if in response to her question, the dog gave her cheek a quick lick, and then danced over to the door. He glanced up at the door handle, and then looked back at Elle. Elle sighed. He was a smart dog, that much was obvious. She still didn’t feel completely comfortable just letting him go in the city, but she knew that he would probably return to his home, if he had one. Or, if he was a stray, he would probably hang around her store since she’d given him food.

  “All right,” Elle said. “Just be careful, okay?” She opened the door and the dog gave her hand one last friendly lick before darting out of her store and starting down the street. Elle watched him go, worried, but glad that he had stopped by. He had definitely lightened her mood.

  *****

  Her phone rang that evening after she had gotten home from work. “Hey,” Drake said when she answered. “I’ve been thinking of you.”

  “I’ve been thinking of you, too,” Elle said, trying to push the thoughts of Lisa out of her head. She was glad to hear Drake’s voice again. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m doing well,” Drake said. “How about you? How’s work?”

  “I’m fine,” Elle said with a smile. “And work is going well. We’ve had a few more customers than normal lately. Which is a good thing, of course.”

  “Well, if you manage to catch a break some time, do you want to get together again? We can go out to dinner, somewhere nice,” he said.

  “Definitely,” she responded, feeling a swooping feeling in her stomach, and a tingle of warmth between her legs, at the thought of seeing him again. “But let’s eat in. I have tomorrow evening off.
We could cook dinner, and then spend the rest of the evening together.”

  “Mmm, that sounds like an amazing plan, Elle,” he said.

  She grinned. “See you at five?”

  “See you at five,” he assured her.

  *****

  The dog stopped by her store again the next day. She was glad that he had come in the morning this time, since if he had come in the evening, Elle wouldn’t have been there. She wasn’t sure if Annie would have let the dog in or not, and she really didn’t want him to get shooed away. She liked having his company, and this time he stayed for a few hours, lounging in front of the counter and greeting customers with a wagging tail when they came in. Everyone liked him, and Elle was reluctant when he stood by the door and whined to be let out, but she was becoming more and more certain that he had a family that would be waiting for him - he was just so well behaved, she couldn’t believe that he was a stray.

  She got out of work at two and ran to the store to get some supplies for the dinner she and Drake had planned for tonight. She didn’t know what foods he liked, or disliked, so she decided to go with pasta. Who didn’t like pasta? She also grabbed a nice bottle of wine, deciding to make the evening as romantic as possible. On her way out of the store, she saw a woman that reminded her of Lisa, and she felt a pang of desire go through her. She sighed, half annoyed and half amused at herself. How could she find two people so equally attractive?

  Back at home, she hopped in the shower, scrubbing away the scent of the flower store. She chose a subtle perfume to wear for the evening, and then dressed in a slinky black dress. She let her hair fall to her shoulders, and carefully penciled liner around her lips. Her goals for this evening were twofold: to have sex with Drake again, and also to get a better feel for his personality. The first one would be easy, but the second goal would be harder. She knew that she and he were physically compatible - extremely physically compatible - but she didn’t know anything about his life, his goals, or even what sort of food he liked.