Diamond in the Ruff

by Cora Jay

  “Stay here now, guys,” said Harika, taking Ellie’s hand and leading her to the bedroom. Betsy made to follow them, and Bella followed her gingerly, but Harika put on a stern expression. “Stay.”

  Betsy sniffed, then turned away, Bella following behind her. They found some toys and started tossing them around.

  Harika and Ellie closed the bedroom door behind them. It was quiet and cool in here, with low light. Ellie found the dimmer switch and increased it, her hands quivering. She was going to have sex. Sex. What was it about Harika that made her feel like an eager and nervous teenager? Or was it just the fact that she had less experience with being queer?

  Harika sat down on the bed and removed her pants, then her shirt and bra, revealing her fit body in all its glory. Ellie could only stare for a moment, but then regained her sense and went to join Harika, removing her clothes with quivering fingers.

  Ellie slipped a finger into Harika’s core and could see that they were both already turned on, and Harika was caressing Ellie’s breasts, her seductive eyes fixed on Ellie. Somehow, even though it was her own bedroom, Ellie felt like Harika was in control. It was painfully erotic, and she wished she could just orgasm right then and there, just to get rid of the tension.

  But playing with the tension was part of what made sex fun. She took a deep breath and sat down next to Harika, just as the other woman placed a hand on her neck and lips on her own.

  30

  Harika

  Harika couldn’t believe that with Ellie, she was always as excited as a teenager having sex for the first time. They started kissing with exceeding gentleness, as if they were preparing for what they knew was coming later. It was hard to hold back when she felt the overwhelming need to just pin Ellie down and fuck make her orgasm, but she couldn’t do that—not yet, anyway.

  So with the utmost delicacy, she kissed her lover, trailing her lips down her neck, which was so tender, so warm. She worked her way down to Ellie’s leaner shoulders, her breasts, her nipples, stopping there to suck on them and swirl her tongue around them. There was nothing quite like enjoying someone’s body—truly savoring it, really—like this.

  Of course, Harika’s core was incredibly wet, so she reached down and helped herself out a little to ease the tension. Of course, as much as it eased the tension, it increased it, making it even more difficult to go at such a slow pace.

  But that was part of the fun.

  Ellie wasn’t faring much better. She moaned and whimpered under Harika’s lips, and when Harika started flicking her clit, she let out gasps and her body tightened. She was already so close to the edge, so Harika had to back away.

  “I think it’d be hot to use a toy on you, if you have one,” said Harika, her lips tickling Ellie’s ear. “What do you think?”

  “Y-Yes,” said Ellie. “That. That’s what I want.”

  “Excellent.”

  Harika reached into her bedside drawer and pulled out a small vibrator. Then she turned Ellie around and put her down on the mattress, easily moving her legs and hips into position.

  She didn’t quite know why, but she loved lying down next to her lover. She liked that she could whisper right into her lover’s ear, their cheeks touching, lips brushing against each other.

  Before using the vibrator, though, she’d experiment with a finger, warm Ellie up more. She pushed a finger into Ellie, reveling in how it made her squirm.

  “How do you like that?” she asked, a wicked grin spreading across her face.

  “It’s amazing,” said Ellie breathily. “More.”

  “If you say so.”

  Harika inserted two fingers, then finding it easier, three, slowly pumping them in and out. She had to go deep enough to find Ellie’s g-spot, because that was when the real fun began. When Ellie let out a sharp moan, Harika knew she found it.

  “Now I bet you’re really enjoying yourself, aren’t you,” she said.

  “Oh yeah. I can only imagine how the vibrator will feel…”

  “You don’t have to imagine,” said Harika. “You ready?”

  “Yes, please,” said Ellie. She opened her eyes and looked back at Harika.

  The pure lust in her eyes was what drove Harika wild. She gently placed the vibrator on Ellie’s inner thigh, hitting the button to turn it on and vibrate at its lowest level. Ellie started squirming, writhing and Harika moved the toy closer to her clit, still pumping fingers in and out of her.

  She couldn’t imagine how incredible it felt. Ellie whimpered in a delightfully erotic way, and Harika could see the pleasure start to spread through her body. She started twitching, and her eyes were rolling back in her head. It felt damn good to have this effect on somebody.

  “I’m gonna explode,” said Ellie breathily.

  “Then I think it’s time for me to have a turn,” said Harika, mischievously turning the vibrator off and watching Ellie’s eyes fly open.

  “Hey!” said Ellie, smiling.

  But she took the vibrator and Harika leaned back to enjoy her own pleasure. Soon enough, they were both stroking each other, trying to push each other over the edge prematurely. Ellie had the advantage, since she was now using the toy on Harika.

  Harika had never been good with holding back.

  “I’m going to…” she said.

  “Let’s come together,” said Ellie in a breathy voice in her ear.

  “You are perfect, you know that?” said Harika.

  “No, you are. Perfect,” said Ellie.

  She couldn’t even form complete sentences. That was really a testament to how good of a job Harika was doing. But Harika was focused on finding her own release too, and she felt herself reach the precipice from which she could launch herself.

  And she did.

  “Now,” said Harika.

  She let go immediately, and held Ellie’s body tightly as she shuddered and gasped. Ellie bucked against her, fucking Harika’s hand, and she came as well. They were pressed so tightly together they were practically one person, sticky with sweat and adhered to each other.

  After they came down, it took a moment for them to want to break away, and they slowly did, Harika breathing hard as she lay back on the bed.

  “That was incredible,” said Harika.

  “The toy was a good addition,” said Ellie. “Because wow. Wow.”

  Ellie crawled toward Harika, resting her head on her partner’s chest. They sat there in the silence and darkness, listening to each other’s hearts beating hard. It took a while for both of them to calm down.

  “I guess this means I’m really gay, huh,” said Ellie contemplatively.

  “Maybe,” said Harika. She didn’t want to tell Ellie what she was; it was her job to figure it out. “You could be bisexual. Or maybe you’re just gay for me.” She laughed.

  “No,” said Ellie, in a dreamy voice. “I had crushes on girls before. I just didn’t know they were crushes, you know? Like in school. I just thought I wanted to be friends with them really badly.”

  “I know that feeling.”

  “It just never occurred to me that I could be into women. And I did like guys. I dated guys in high school because I thought that was what I was supposed to do. And then I dated Aaron, and I really was attracted to him. But now that I’m with you, that all seems like ancient history, like it was fake.”

  “Was it fake?” asked Harika.

  “I don’t think so. But it seems like men aren’t as attractive to me as women,” said Ellie. “I guess I could be bisexual.”

  “There’s no need to slap a label on yourself right now,” said Harika. “And it’s possible that you did really like men, but now you find yourself liking women more. Sexuality can change like that.”

  “Really? They all say it’s determined when you’re a kid, that it can’t be changed…” Ellie trailed off.

  “It can’t be consciously changed, but it can change,” said Harika. “There are plenty of previously straight people who have new experiences all the time. Humans are w
eird.”

  “I wonder if dogs think of things like this,” said Ellie. She sighed.

  “Who knows what dogs think,” said Harika, laughing.

  Ellie found the energy to laugh too, but Harika was exhausted, and she knew Ellie must be too. That had been a ridiculously powerful orgasm. She’d never reached such heights when she pleasured herself. Her connection with Ellie was something special. She couldn’t have orgasms like this when she wasn’t having sex with someone who she truly cared about.

  So of course, that meant she truly cared about Ellie. It was true. And the pace of this relationship felt so natural, unlike all her previous ones. She didn’t feel like she was invested too quickly, partially because she knew this was a period of self-discovery for Ellie.

  It was perfect.

  31

  Ellie

  After another round of sex in the morning—well, maybe two—Harika and Ellie rolled out of bed and opened the door of the bedroom. Bella and Betsy swarmed in, and they formed a big cuddle puddle on the bed.

  It was perfect. Ellie couldn’t have wished for anything better. She had a woman who cared deeply about her and made her heart flutter, and not one, but two lovely dogs. Betsy’s long, satin-soft fur, which currently needed a good brushing, swept across her chest as she walked all over them, trying to find a good spot to snuggle.

  “So, what’s on the agenda for today?” asked Harika.

  “Hmm,” said Ellie, gathering Bella onto her chest and holding her close. Her wet nose pressed up against her neck, making her squirm. “We could take the pups to the park and get lunch, maybe?”

  “Sounds like a good plan.”

  “You have any reason you need to stop by the clinic?” asked Ellie.

  “No, I’m closed on weekends. We don’t run an emergency service, unfortunately.”

  “Ah. Yeah. I can imagine being an emergency vet would be stressful,” said Ellie, mind flashing back to the day they met, when she’d run into the clinic, panicked and bloody.

  “Exactly. But sometimes, I muse about running a huge animal hospital that would serve the whole county, with boarding, emergency services, livestock vets, everything,” said Harika.

  “Really?”

  “It would be an amazing service to the animals of the area,” said Harika. “There isn’t anything quite like it. It’s nice when the emergency vet and your regular vet are the same.”

  “Oh, yeah… I guess I should tell my regular vet that I’ve found a new one,” said Ellie.

  Harika laughed. “Guess so.”

  After lazing around for another half hour, at least, they managed to get out of bed, Ellie going first to take a shower. She washed the sweat and stickiness off her skin, emerging refreshed and clean and ready to tackle the new day.

  She fed the dogs while Harika was showering. When she came out, Harika was making coffee. After a quick lunch of fruit, yogurt, and toast, they started their walk to the dog park.

  The nice thing about weekends, for Ellie, was that she didn’t have to be up by a certain time. Of course, she had to be up early enough to let the dog out, but it was blissful to not have to wake up to an alarm.

  It turned out it was mid-morning, and the Candlewood neighborhood was packed with people getting brunch, families, and well, pretty much everyone that lived in the neighborhood, it seemed. The dogs deftly navigated the sea of legs while their owners followed.

  Ellie thought she spotted a familiar figure in the crowd. Aaron was walking toward them, engrossed in his phone. She felt a strange coil of unease rise in her. She wasn’t completely averse to the idea of talking to him, but she didn’t exactly want to if she didn’t have to.

  But it was too late to change course, and Harika had noticed too. When Aaron looked up, he spotted them, and they awkwardly converged on a street corner, surrounded by people trying to get somewhere. The dogs stretched out to sniff all the passers-by, which didn’t help things.

  “Hey,” said Aaron. “How are you guys?”

  “Good,” said Ellie. “You?”

  “I’m all right. Finally found a place of my own so I’m moving in next week. I’ll be throwing a housewarming party and I’ll definitely invite you guys.” He smiled pleasantly.

  “Sure,” said Ellie, glancing at Harika. Harika was smiling at her, and nodded almost imperceptibly, letting Ellie take the lead in this interaction.

  “You guys on your way to the dog park?” asked Aaron.

  “Yeah. They love it, obviously. What about you?” asked Ellie.

  “Therapy.”

  “What?” asked Ellie. She wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly.

  “I’m going to therapy.”

  “Erm, any particular reason?” she asked. It felt strange to be having such a conversation on the sidewalk. It seemed too intimate and he was being awfully casual about it.

  “I just thought it would help me find direction. I don’t feel comfortable being single and I need to learn to live with myself,” he said sagely, nodding.

  “That’s… that’s very wise of you,” said Ellie.

  “Thanks. I really am sorry for my previous behavior. I didn’t treat you well,” he said, his expression suddenly solemn. Ellie felt uncomfortable. It was not at all the kind of conversation you had when you just bumped into someone.

  “Um, it’s fine,” she said. “I mean, I’m glad you’ve realized that. I hope the therapy helps.”

  “It already is,” Aaron said. “I need to find my own happiness, just like you have, and Patricia is helping me do just that.”

  “Good,” said Ellie. “Well, I guess I’ll see you around. Wouldn’t want to make you late for your appointment.”

  “Right. I’ll text you about the housewarming,” said Aaron.

  He waved them goodbye and sauntered off past them.

  “Well, that was weird,” said Ellie, falling in step next to Harika again.

  “Was it? He seems sincere,” said Harika.

  “I guess so. It’s just… it’s so unexpected. He’s so different from the person he used to be.” Ellie tilted her head, imagining the new Aaron. If she’d met him now, they might even have become friends. Maybe they could still be friends, if she could forgive him for trying to take Bella back.

  “People change,” said Harika, shrugging. “I mean, you’ve changed, haven’t you? And I know I have. Since I met you, I mean.”

  “Really?” asked Ellie. “How so? You seem so in control of yourself. So self-assured.”

  “That doesn’t mean I can’t change and grow. I’ve learned to be more, how do I put it, cautious, with new people. Not that I should be distrustful, but I’m less willing to just jump into new relationships,” said Harika.

  “I can’t imagine you as that kind of person at all,” said Ellie.

  “Exactly.”

  “What do you mean, jumping into new relationships?”

  “I just gave them my all from the very beginning, which wasn’t healthy. It came across as codependent, even when I really wasn’t. I found myself as the kind of person who was always putting in more effort than the other person,” said Harika, looking down and watching Bella’s fur trailing.

  “Nope, can’t see you as that person,” said Ellie, shaking her head. “But then, I don’t feel like I’ve changed much either. I mean, I’m the same as I always was, except now I know I like women.”

  “You’re more confident. You’ve handled the discovery that you’re into me gracefully. You just seem, I don’t know, more self-assured,” said Harika.

  Ellie turned to her with wide eyes. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

  “Not at all.” Harika grinned. “Why would I kid about something like that?”

  “It’s just hard to believe that I could have come that far,” said Ellie. “Before I met you is a hazy period of time in my head. It could have been someone else’s life. I guess… I guess I really am queer. Some flavor of it, at least.”

  “You don’t have to figure it out immedia
tely,” said Harika, reaching over to take Ellie’s hand. “We have all the time in the world for that.”

  32

  Harika

  “You ready?” asked Harika.

  “Ready as I’ll ever be,” said Ellie.

  They stepped out of Harika’s car and walked up to the front of the house. Harika could already smell the various spices her mother used in cooking, and it made her mouth water. She had eaten a light lunch in anticipation of the feast to come.

  She walked up to the door and knocked, but as usual, her mother was already there to open the door. She immediately drew her into a hug, taking that deep breath again, then stepped away to regard Ellie.

  “It’s good to meet you, Ellie,” she said, smiling.

  Harika knew, now, that she’d treat Ellie like gold. Now that they’d had that big, tearful conversation about Harika’s sexuality, it was like a switch had been flipped. In fact, it had been her mother’s idea to bring Ellie home for dinner because she wanted to meet her so badly.

  “It’s good to meet you too, Mrs. Knowles,” Ellie said.

  “Oh, call me Minhal,” said Harika’s mother, taking Ellie in for a hug.

  “Minhal,” Ellie repeated, smiling shyly. “That’s a pretty name.”

  “Thank you,” she said, beaming. “Now come in and meet Oscar.”

  Harika walked in and saw her dad sitting at the dinner table already, drinking tea. “Your mother has the chai premade,” he said. “So you don’t even have to wait to receive it.” He laughed.

  She brought the tray from the kitchen and handed out steaming mugs of the spiced tea. Harika and Ellie immediately sipped theirs.

  “God, this is amazing,” said Ellie. “Best chai I’ve ever had.”

  If it was possible for Minhal to beam even more, she did. “Thank you, Ellie.”

  “So, Harika tells me you’re a graphic designer,” said Oscar, slipping his phone into his pocket and paying attention to them. His neat black mustache brushed the top of his mug as he sipped his tea.