“Yeah, I guess,” Shayna said with a shrug. “It’s something to do.” She looked down at her food, poking at it with her fork.
Mindy picked up her own fork. She still wasn’t sure what she was eating, other than a lot of vegetables, but it smelled good. “What would you want to do if you didn’t have the job at the bakery?”
“I’m not sure. I haven’t really been able to come up with anything. How did you decide to become a graphic designer?”
The idea of not knowing what you wanted to do with your life was so strange to Mindy that it took her a moment to respond. “Well, I’ve always been interested in art, and I majored in it in college, and it just… was what I always wanted to do. Don’t you have anything you always wanted to do?”
Shayna put a forkful of food in her mouth and frowned, chewing slowly. When she’d swallowed, she said, “Not that I can think of. I mean, when I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut, but it turns out that involves too much math.”
“You could do it if you wanted to, though.”
“Sure, but I don’t really want to anymore. It was just a childhood dream.”
They were quiet for a few minutes as they worked on their food. Mindy’s medley of vegetables actually was really good—she could taste beets and Brussels sprouts, and there was something meat-like in the mix, too. It wasn’t the most substantial of food, but it tasted great.
“Okay, new topic,” Mindy finally said. “Have I succeeded?”
Shayna looked up at her with a frown. “Succeeded in what?”
“Distracting you from worrying about the all-star team. That’s what this was all about, right?”
Shayna laughed out loud. “I guess you have. I was worried about it yesterday, but not today.”
“What did you think I was going to say?”
“Succeeded in impressing me.”
Mindy shook her head. “You’ve already established that it’s impossible.” She gestured broadly at the restaurant around them. “If this doesn’t do it, I give up.”
Shayna smirked, the corner of her mouth lifting. “I didn’t say that I was impossible to impress. I just said that you couldn’t do it with money.”
“Good thing, too.” Mindy licked her lips. The look in Shayna’s eyes was making her warm between her legs. “What does impress you, then?”
“Brains. Hard work.”
“Oh, I’ve got those in spades.” Mindy sipped her beer, washing down the last of her dinner.
“I can think of other ways you might impress me, too.” Shayna’s voice dropped to a low purr that made Mindy shiver.
“Does this mean I get to see your tattoos?”
“Maybe,” Shayna said, leaning back to drink her sparkling wine. “If you’re impressive enough.”
“So do you want to order dessert, or just abscond to the bathroom?”
Shayna glanced around the room. “I’m not sure this is quite the place…”
“Kidding,” Mindy said quickly. A club bathroom was one thing, where the building was noisy and they were anonymous—they’d probably get caught and kicked out if they tried to have sex at a small, fancy restaurant like this.
“I appreciate you trying to help push my boundaries, but I limit that strictly to once a week,” Shayna said. Mindy was relieved to see her shoulders relaxing.
“I’ll be around next Monday, then.”
“Done with these?” the server asked, approaching their table. “Would you like to order dessert?”
Mindy looked at Shayna, letting her decide. Shayna looked back at Mindy. “Any other ideas?”
“I have Girl Scout cookies in my freezer,” Mindy offered.
“Sold.”
Mindy looked back to the server. “Just the bill, thanks.”
She took the shortest possible glance at the bill before handing over her credit card. She could, and would, pay it off in full, including a good tip, but she hadn’t been kidding when she’d told Shayna that it would wipe out her ‘date’ savings. The next one would have to be cheap.
Assuming Shayna would be willing to go out with her again after seeing her apartment, of course.
The air had grown chilly by the time they left the restaurant—to be expected in November. Shayna belted her trench coat tightly around her waist, and Mindy just held her blazer closed as they hurried for the subway. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait long for the next train, and found a pair of seats next to each other.
Shayna’s breasts bounced with every jerk and lurch of the subway car. Mindy felt that she had never before understood quite how long the subway and bus ride back to her apartment were.
Mindy actually got a little nervous as she unlocked the door to her apartment—it was unlike her to be so worried about what someone would think of her, but she really wanted to keep Shayna around. Her apartment had quite a bit of unusual decor, and she didn’t know how Shayna would feel about it.
But once she’d flipped on the light and locked the door behind them, she turned to find Shayna standing mere inches from her, her head tilted back. Mindy found the sight absolutely irresistible; she bent her head, cupped Shayna’s face in her hands, and kissed her.
Shayna’s lips were hot and sweet, and the sensation of their touch went right to Mindy’s center. Or maybe it went right to her hands, because she found herself untying, unbuttoning, and removing Shayna’s trench coat, all without actually thinking about it.
She tossed the coat on the back of her couch and guided Shayna toward the bedroom. Shayna put up no resistance—she was already breathing hard, her chest heaving and pressing against Mindy’s flesh with every breath.
The touch of Shayna’s curvaceous flesh was getting Mindy even more worked up, so she hurried to rid Shayna of that sweater. Moving into the bedroom, where the light was not on, the pale expanse of Shayna’s cleavage almost seemed to shine in the dim light from the windows.
Mindy wanted nothing more than to plunge her hands into that cleavage, so she sat down on the bed, pulling Shayna down between her legs. Using her height as leverage, she thrust her hands down into the front of Shayna’s bra, getting big handfuls of her tits.
She groaned out loud at the feel of them, the softness, the weight—the big, sensitive nipples rolling under her fingertips. Shayna moaned in response as Mindy tweaked her nipples, letting her head roll back onto Mindy’s shoulder.
Mindy bent her head and kissed Shayna’s neck, squeezing and caressing her breasts as she laid soft kisses up and down the skin. Shayna was panting, her hands gripping Mindy’s knees. When Mindy’s lips reached Shayna’s earlobe, Shayna’s moans went up an octave, so Mindy sucked the whole earlobe into her mouth, pinching Shayna’s nipples at the same time.
Shayna cried out, pressing her whole body back into Mindy’s. “Mindy—please!”
Mindy slid her hands out from under Shayna’s bra, then quickly quickly unhooked it and tossed it aside. Without letting Shayna move, she reached down and undid her jeans, but they wouldn’t come off of Shayna’s hips the way she was sitting.
Mindy stood up and pulled Shayna up with her, admiring the way Shayna’s breasts swayed as she moved. Without the bra to hold them in place, they swung and jiggled even more freely.
Mindy and Shayna worked together to get the jeans off, then the thong Shayna was wearing underneath. Then Mindy pushed her gently onto her back on the bed.
She had to sit back for a moment and admire Shayna’s beautiful skin, the graceful curves of her strong, lithe body. She knew there were muscles hidden there somewhere—she’d seen Shayna on the derby track, after all—but she had just enough fat to cover them that she just looked smooth all over.
Mindy tested this by running her hands up Shayna’s body, starting at the knees. She caressed her smooth thighs, her smooth hips and belly, her smooth breasts, her smooth shoulders. She took just a moment to study Shayna’s tattoos, a roller derby skate on her left side and the word “Always” across her ribs on the right; there would be time to get a proper lo
ok at them later. Right now, she needed Shayna’s flesh.
Straddling Shayna’s hips, she bent to the right side of her face and sucked the earlobe into her mouth. At the same time, she reached for Shayna’s breasts and pinched her nipples again. Shayna cried out and writhed, flinging her head to the side as though she was trying to free her ear from Mindy’s grasp, but Mindy held on.
Gasping for breath, Shayna reached up and grabbed Mindy’s collar, forcing her to look her in the face. “Are you going to fuck me or what?” she groaned.
Mindy grinned. “Impatient.” She began to slowly crawl her right hand back down over Shayna’s belly.
“Shit. I must be impatient.” Shayna’s hips bucked as Mindy’s hand came closer, closer. “This isn’t like me…”
“Sorry.” Mindy kissed her lips as she slid her fingers down into the thin, curly hair covering Shayna’s mound.
Shayna whimpered. “I don’t think you’re sorry at all.”
“Well, you did say you were limiting your attempts to push your comfort zone.”
Shayna pushed her hips up toward Mindy again. “I don’t even know where my comfort zone is anymore.”
“Is it here?” Mindy breathed, sliding her fingers into Shayna’s center. She almost moaned at the slickness and heat she found there. No wonder Shayna was impatient.
Shayna’s only response was to grab Mindy’s collar again and kiss her hard while Mindy pushed first two fingers, then three inside her. She lifted her hips, thrusting to match Mindy’s rhythm, her tongue finding its way into Mindy’s mouth.
But Mindy had a plan, and she broke off the kiss, lowering her head to Shayna’s breasts instead. As her fingers located Shayna’s swollen, sensitive clit, her lips found a nipple and sucked it into her mouth. Shayna cried out, her arms flailing, and Mindy would have grinned with triumph if her mouth hadn’t been too busy with Shayna’s breast. Shayna’s sensitive nipples were so much fun.
She kissed and suckled both breasts while working away with her hand, moving faster and faster until Shayna came apart under her, her entire body rippling.
Shayna groaned and rolled onto her side as Mindy withdrew her sticky hand. She shifted herself up onto the bed, putting her arm around Shayna’s waist so they could cuddle a bit.
Shayna nuzzled into Mindy’s shoulder, and her breathing started to calm down as Mindy held her. Once she seemed to be entirely recovered, Mindy bent her head and whispered into her ear, “Shayna schmundie.”
“Oh my god,” Shayna said, rolling away and smacking Mindy’s shoulder with her hand.
“I was looking for the perfect nickname for you,” Mindy said, grinning as Shayna sat up, her sleek hair now a complete mess. She’d just called Shayna ‘pretty vagina’ in Yiddish, which was an absolutely ridiculous thing to say after having sex with her, but how could she resist?
“Don’t you dare call me that in public,” Shayna said, pointing her finger at Mindy before bending down to pick up her clothes.
Mindy sat back on the bed, admiring Shayna as she moved around and bent over. “It really is, though.”
“How can a schmundie be pretty? It’s like calling a schmuck handsome.”
“And if you were a guy, you’d have the handsomest one.” Mindy watched with appreciation as Shayna wriggled back into her thong, then caught her wrist before she could put her bra on, tugging her back toward the bed. “Let me look at your tattoos.”
“Oh, all right.” Shayna’s lips twitched as she sat back down, bending forward slightly. Mindy hadn’t seen the one across her upper back before; it was a realistic skull with a ribbon weaving in and out of the eye sockets, reading ‘Memento mori.’
“That’s cheerful,” Mindy muttered.
“Well, the most cheerful thing I’ve ever done in my life is date you, so get used to it,” Shayna said, lying back so Mindy could see the tattoos on her front.
Mindy resisted the urge to play with her breasts some more, instead bending her head to inspect the skate. “This is a nice one. Who did it?”
“Ellie Trainor down on South.”
Mindy nodded. She didn’t know the tattoo artist world as well as Kristine did, but she recognized the name. “Nice.” She turned her attention to the ‘Always’ tattoo, noticing this time that the ‘A’ looked strange, as though it was some kind of symbol instead of a letter. She traced it with her fingertip, making Shayna squirm. “What is this?”
“It’s a Harry Potter reference. Go ahead, if you want to dump me for being a nerd, I can take it.”
Mindy sat up again, looking Shayna in the face. “I wasn’t aware that we had a serious enough relationship to require dumping.”
Shayna shrugged, making her breasts jiggle. “If we have to officially get together just so you can dump me for being a nerd, I’m fine with that, too.”
Mindy wasn’t sure whether Shayna was joking or not—or if she was joking, about what—so she just bent down and kissed her. “If I did want to dump you, it wouldn’t be for being a nerd.”
“Would it be for being a total slut and going down on you in the bathroom?”
Mindy felt a grin spread across her face. “No, that was awesome. Way more fun than I would have thought. And I would never call you a slut.”
“You’re too nice. What if I wanted to be called a slut?” Shayna reached up with one hand and tangled her fingers in Mindy’s hair.
Mindy kissed her again. “Is that what you want? If it gets you hot, baby, I’ll do anything. Within reason.”
Shayna snorted with laughter and pulled Mindy’s head down to kiss her. “No way. I was just being self-deprecating, honestly.”
“You shouldn’t be self-deprecating,” Mindy chided her, finally giving in again to the urge to caress Shayna’s breasts. “Look at you, you’re absolutely gorgeous. And you’re creative, and sexy, and brave, and intelligent.”
Shayna grinned. “Okay, I like hearing all this stuff. What else am I?”
“Fast and flexible and an amazing jammer.”
“But not as good as Megan.”
Mindy shrugged. “I could be wrong. Maybe you guys would have beaten us even if she’d been playing.”
“Speaking of roller derby.” Shayna sat up, letting go of Mindy’s hair. “Amelia says they’re going to let us know on Sunday whether we got in or not.”
“Yeah? You talk to her a lot?”
“We’re on the same team,” Shayna said, strapping herself into her bra. “You don’t remember her from the match between Monstrous Regiment and the Rittenhouse Rioters?”
“To be honest, you’re the only one I remember.” Mindy got to her feet as Shayna pulled on her pants. “Well, do you want to hang out on Sunday, then? So we can celebrate together when we get the good news?”
Shayna was pulling her sweater over her head, and as her face popped out of the top, she was staring at Mindy. “You cannot possibly be this optimistic all the time.”
Mindy shrugged. “Sure I can. I know I’m awesome, and I know you’re awesome.”
Shayna crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll come over on Sunday if you were telling the truth about those Girl Scout cookies.”
“I am!” Mindy stepped into the doorway of her bedroom. “Do you want some now?”
“No, I’ve had enough dessert, thanks.” Shayna smirked. “Just don’t eat them all by Sunday, or I’ll think you’ve deceived me and I’ll never forgive you.”
“They’ll still be here, I promise.” Mindy stood in the doorway as Shayna headed for the hall so their bodies had to brush past each other.
Shayna sighed, reached out, and let her fingers trail across Mindy’s stomach. “I’ll come around noon, okay? That way we can spend more time together before I have to get up for work.”
“Do you work tomorrow?”
She nodded. “Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday mornings. The bakery opens at eight.”
“How late do you stay?” Mindy asked. “Maybe I’ll come by and surprise you sometime. But not at eight in
the morning.”
Shayna laughed. “Well, maybe I’ll just let you figure that out for yourself.” She headed for the door.
“That’s not fair,” Mindy said, following her. “I could come all the way to the bakery and get nothing for my trouble but a delicious cupcake.”
“You’ll just have to risk it,” Shayna said, grabbing her coat. “Or you could try getting up early in the morning…”
“I’m self-employed, so I don’t have to do that, tomorrow or ever,” Mindy informed her. She unlocked the door. “But you have fun with your early-in-the-morning job.”
“Yeah, rub it in.”
“See you Sunday, shayna schmundie.”
Shayna smacked her in the arm. “I swear, if you ever do say that in public…”
“I promise I won’t,” Mindy said, laughing. She kissed Shayna before letting her go out the door.
Chapter 4
Mindy intended to clean up her apartment for Shayna—she really did. On Saturday morning before derby practice she did all the dishes, and in the evening she put them all away, though by then there were a few more dirty dishes in the sink, and then on Sunday morning there were a few more.
She had planned to dust, and vacuum, and wipe down everything in the bathroom; the apartment and all its fixtures were old, so the bathroom always looked kind of dingy, but it was much nicer when everything was clean.
But on Saturday afternoon she’d come home from derby practice to find a rush job in her inbox. She knew she had no plans until the next day at noon, and the client was offering money over and above her usual rush rates, and when she saw that money all she could think of were her pathetic emergency fund and the money she owed her parents and Tamar.
Plus, almost more important, the job sounded like fun. This client, whom she’d worked with before and was not as unreasonable as some, wanted a mockup movie poster for an indie film. Mindy hoped that she might get to work on the film itself if the funding went through, so she really poured her heart into the design.
Consequently, by Sunday at noon, the design was finished and sent to the client (she’d be able to check their response and make any changes after Shayna left), but Mindy had drunk more cups of coffee than she’d had hours of sleep, and her stomach was rumbling.
Head Over Wheels Page 4
