Joined at the Hip

by Natasha West

  ‘Look at you, warming up’ Jamie said with a cheeky smile.

  ‘I’m not sure I’d go that far’ Molly said with a raised eyebrow.

  ‘You don’t fool me. You’re having the time of your life on this little trip.’

  Molly’s mouth fell open. ‘Are you insane? This whole thing has been a horrible disaster from start to finish.’

  ‘I realise the circumstances aren’t great but I can tell you’re totally into it. Conning men out of money, improvising school plays, climbing into windows. You’re in your element. Admit it.’

  ‘I’ll admit nothing of the sort’ Molly said hotly. ‘I’m just doing what I have to.’

  Jamie rolled her eyes.

  ‘What is it with some girls? Why can’t they just admit when they’re having a good time?’

  ‘I’m not sure what you mean by some girls but if you’re comparing me to one of your casuals, you can stop right there.’

  ‘That’s not what I-’

  ‘You don’t know me! Don’t think any of this means that you do!’

  Jamie wanted to kick herself. An almost nice moment had been completely ruined by a thoughtless remark. Otherwise known as The Jamie Jenson Special.

  ‘Wind your neck in, would you? It’s not bad to be good at… being bad.’

  ‘I’m not bad. I’m stuck.’

  ‘So am I!’ Jamie said, getting a bit annoyed herself now. ‘But that’s what bothers you, isn’t it? What Henry said? That we might be alike.’

  ‘We are nothing alike’ Molly said, angrily.

  Jamie jumped out of the bed, wanting to get away from Molly. She’d hoped that Molly might have begun to see that she wasn’t just this horrible selfish criminal, but a desperate girl who’d walked into the Quick Snack with a toy gun and no idea what she was doing. But that idea of her had obviously not shifted one iota. Molly was clearly still disgusted to think they could have anything in common.

  ‘Thanks a bunch’ Jamie said, trying to hide behind plain old disdain. It was much better than letting Molly know that she’d wounded her. It was also better than admitting it to herself. ‘I think I will take the floor after all.’

  Molly considered letting her do just that. But somehow, she couldn’t. She’d seen the look on her face. It had only been a flash, but it had been clear. Jamie was hurt. It was only for a second. But she saw it plainly. It wasn’t something she would have thought she’d be able to do, injure Jamie. And that’s why she’d blurted out yet another cruel thing. And she really hadn’t meant to.

  Jamie, assessing the comfiest spot on the floor, realised that Molly had also jumped out of the bed and was standing in front of her.

  ‘No’ Molly said quietly.

  ‘No what?’ Jamie asked, baffled.

  ‘Don’t sleep on the floor. I’m… you know. That thing.’

  ‘What thing?’

  ‘The thing where I said something that was mean and maybe it was a bit out of order.’

  ‘Do you mean sorry?’

  Molly nodded.

  ‘That’s the one.’

  Jamie shook her head and said ‘You’re a pain in the arse, do you know that?’

  ‘You’re not the first person to tell me that’ Molly shrugged.

  Jamie knew it was hard for her to apologise. And she had no interest in raking Molly over the coals. It was too late in a strange day for that.

  ‘Well, I’m not such a big fan of the ‘S’ word either.’

  ‘Yeah. Maybe Henry’s right after all’ Molly confessed, begrudgingly. ‘Maybe we are peas in a stubborn pod.’

  Jamie smiled at Molly, pleasantly surprised by her admission. It was a sweet smile, forgiving and warm. And it did something to Molly. Something crazy.

  What happened next surprised both of them. Molly leaned in and pushed her lips against Jamie’s. Jamie was so shocked she nearly fell over backwards.

  ‘What was that?!’ Jamie asked.

  Molly looked at her with amazement.

  ‘I honestly don’t know!’

  They stared at each other for a second and that was enough time for both of them to process their surprise. And what was left, when the bewilderment had passed, was a craving to kiss each other again.

  But Molly wasn’t ready to accept it. She felt like she’d just taken a liberty with Jamie. Just because they were sharing a bed did not give her the right to plant one on her in a mad moment. And, she reminded herself for the second time, she was not into girls.

  ‘I… I’m so, I don’t know... That was not alright-’

  ‘Stop talking’ Jamie said softly as she took Molly’s face in both hands, pulling her toward her. Molly had thought she wouldn’t like to be taken like that. But as she felt Jamie’s lips on hers, the excitement was undeniable. She felt her legs begin to tremble.

  For once, Molly’s ordinarily overworking brain did not stop her from going with the moment. It did not argue; it did not challenge. It didn’t ask ‘Should you really be doing this?’ It was beautifully still as she felt herself slide deeper into Jamie’s kiss.

  Jamie had been surprised, to put it lightly, by Molly’s ‘move’. But she wouldn’t let that slow her down. That brief contact of lips and she’d known why they couldn’t stop arguing with each other. And there was only one way there were going to work that particular problem out.

  Jamie began to push Molly onto the bed. Molly didn’t fight her. Jamie slipped on top of her as they kissed, running their hands all over each other, excited by how illicit this all felt. Jamie the Thief and Molly the Till Girl. They lived on different planets. But it wasn’t the time for reality. The world was upside down.

  The feel of Jamie’s weight on top of Molly felt good and she tightened her grip on the back of her head. She heard Jamie moan and she was encouraged to go further. She slid her hands down her back, all the way to Jamie’s perky little bottom, squeezing it. It felt divine. God, Molly thought, why didn’t anyone tell me that girls feel so soft?

  Soon, Molly felt Jamie pulling her pyjamas bottoms off. She felt the first nervous twinge since this had started. Could she really get naked in front of someone possessing a body like Jamie’s? She wasn’t sure. But she was certain of one thing. She didn’t want this to stop. She let herself be undressed, slowly, languorously.

  And the gradual undressing was deliberate. Jamie didn’t want to rush Molly out of her clothes. Partly because she wanted to give Molly a chance to say no if she didn’t want to go beyond the kiss. The other part of her simply wanted to slow down for her own sake.

  Molly was different from every other girl Jamie had been with. She wasn’t just some horny idiot who wanted to use Jamie’s body like she wasn’t even in it. No, Molly was complicated and difficult. Jamie wondered if that was somehow better than the easy ones. Where they were junk food, to be consumed hastily, perhaps Molly was an acquired taste. And perhaps you have to take your time to appreciate its subtlety. But it might, just might, be the best meal you ever enjoy, Jamie pondered as she kissed Molly’s neck.

  Eventually, Jamie had Molly completely naked. She was surprised by how shapely she was. She clearly didn’t know it herself or she wouldn’t hide her striking curves in such loose clothing.

  But Molly’s restless brain was beginning to wake up, whispering its doubts. ‘Are you staring at a mole?’ she asked Jamie.

  Jamie realised that she must have glazed over as she’d been checking out Molly’s naked body. ‘What? You don’t have any moles.’

  Molly remembered that was true. She didn’t even know why she’d asked it.

  ‘Then what are you looking at? Is it something… not good?’

  ‘There’s nothing not good about your body’ Jamie assured her as she began to strip her own clothes off. Molly watched, hypnotised. Jamie was just as she’d imagined. Perfect.

  Once Jamie was naked, she began to kiss Molly’s stomach and she began to relax again. It was hard not to, as Jamie’s tongue slipped along her torso.

  And then, as Jamie t
ravelled further down, Molly felt something begin to happen that felt good. Scratch that, it felt phenomenal. It began with a pressure in her upper thighs. That pressure built steadily until she felt as though she was going to explode. And then she heard herself cry out, a sharp sigh of release, like a valve in her body had been unfastened, letting something out.

  Oh, Molly thought. So THAT’S an orgasm.

  ‘Holy cow’ Molly muttered as Jamie appeared next to her, lying on her side, running a finger along Molly’s arm. Molly realised she was somehow out of breath, despite doing very little as Jamie had laboured with her lush mouth. Yet she felt like she’d run 10k.

  ‘Holy cow? I don’t think I’ve ever made a girl say that before’ Jamie said, amused.

  Molly turned to look at her, a little embarrassed.

  ‘I guess that’s not very sexy.’

  ‘I don’t know. Kind of cute’ Jamie said.

  Molly, who couldn’t have imagined saying something like that as little as half an hour ago, replied ‘So are you.’

  Jamie raised an eyebrow at Molly, a small grin on her lips. ‘Is that so?’

  Molly shrugged, feeling a bit silly. She wasn’t a smooth talker. Jamie probably talked woman into bed all the time. In fact, Jamie probably didn’t have to do any talking, looking like she did. Molly suddenly realised just how out of her element and league she was.

  ‘I’ve never done this before. That’s probably obvious. I’m not a virgin, exactly, but…’ she trailed off, feeling self-conscious. She must seem like a child to Jamie.

  But Jamie wasn’t thinking about Molly’s inexperience as anything other than lovely. To Molly, this was unique. That made it unique for Jamie too. She felt a kind of pride that Molly had trusted her with herself.

  ‘Don’t worry’ she said as she took Molly’s hand. ‘Would you like me to show you how to make me feel like you just did?’

  Molly felt a thrill. She nodded, nervously.

  Molly watched as Jamie lifted her hand and licked her index finger. She felt momentarily overwhelmed by Jamie’s confident sexiness. Jamie slipped the finger down her thighs and inside herself, guiding Molly’s hand back and forth. Molly felt Jamie and she was like silk. Technically, Jamie didn’t have any body parts that she didn’t have herself. But Jamie felt so different. It was like touching something from another world. And she loved it.

  Jamie felt the way that Molly took the lead and let her hand go. Molly didn’t need any further help as she brought Jamie to a deep and satisfying climax. Jamie was amazed at Molly’s aptitude. She was a quick study indeed.

  After Jamie had given her own moan of pleasure, one that Molly correctly took to mean she’d done it right, they both lay back in the bed. They felt nothing but calm. They were stuck in a crazy situation but just for a moment, it was all OK.

  And then, doubts began to set in. In fact, now that the hormones were starting to abate, Molly and Jamie both became acutely aware of what they’d actually just done. Or to be more accurate, why they probably shouldn’t have done it. What the hell had they been thinking?!

  ‘So, err… This doesn’t need to be a thing, right?’ Jamie said.

  Molly had never had a casual physical encounter in her life, but she supposed this was just something that people did. Jamie probably just saw it like a good workout. And although she was thoroughly out of her comfort zone, Molly felt it was important not to act clingy. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to cling anyway. This whole thing had happened so quickly; Molly didn’t know what she wanted or expected to come of it, if anything. So she would just try to be cool.

  ‘Of course not. No thing’ she agreed, nonchalantly.

  ‘Just… blowing off some steam.’

  ‘Steam blown. Check’ Molly said and then gave a small salute. The remorse was immediate. Why did I salute her? She’s not a ship’s bloody captain!

  ‘Maybe we should get some sleep’ she said quickly, wanting to erase the salute.

  ‘Aye aye, captain’ Jamie said with a cheeky smile.

  Molly reached over, clicked off the lamp and turned over to face the wall so that Jamie couldn’t see her cheeks turning pink. Jamie, lying on her back and looking at the ceiling, found herself smiling into the dark as she drifted off to sleep.

  Sixteen

  The car idled at the curb as Max waited, one hand on the wheel and one on his phone, for the girls to come out.

  ‘I’m so tired’ Henry complained from the passenger’s seat. ’You snore like your nose is broken.’

  ‘Yeah’ Max muttered distractedly as he stared at something on his phone. ‘Broke it when I was young. Buggered the septum.’

  ‘You could have told me that. We could have bought nose strips or earplugs or something. There was a point where I was thinking about pressing a pillow over your face until you stopped breathing.’

  Max didn’t answer. Henry looked over at him, to see what was so interesting that Max hadn’t noticed his confession of murderous thoughts. And then he saw what Max was looking at.

  ‘You’re not supposed to do that!’

  Max looked up sharply, surprised that he’d been caught out. It was true what they said about teenagers. They were nosy.

  ‘It’s fine. They don’t need to know, alright?’

  ‘But you agreed!’ Henry said, his sense of right and wrong thoroughly ruffled. ‘We said ‘No Googling the robbery!’

  ‘Henry, chill out, would ya?!’

  Just then, at what Max thought was pretty much the most sub-optimal moment possible, the back door of the car opened and Jamie jumped in. Molly was still outside the car, a few feet away. Max wasn’t sure what she was doing. She seemed to be waiting for something.

  ‘Morning, Sis’ Max said cheerfully, hoping Henry wouldn’t blow his cover. ‘Sleep well?’

  Jamie heard the slight uptick in his tone and knew he was up to something.

  ‘What have you done?’ she asked wearily.

  ‘He was looking on his phone. At the news’ Henry blurted.

  Max turned to Henry and said irritably ‘Come on, man! Bro code!’

  Henry felt a mixture of shame and pride. On the one hand, he’d dobbed Max in and maybe that had been a bit spineless. But on the other, Max thought he was his ‘Bro’. He’d never been anyone’s bro before. Maybe they’d become friends after this. Maybe they’d game together and go to McDonalds. Maybe he’d buy him booze. Maybe he could take him to see Patrick McElroy and he’d shit his pants at the sight of Henry’s cooler, older friend, who robbed shops and had a broken septum. If he could forgive the snitching, of course.

  But Jamie wasn’t too worried about the masculine bonding in the front of the car.

  ‘Well, if you’ve already done it, I don’t suppose there’s any point having a go at you now. But what did it say? Is it bad? Are we public enemy’s one and two?’

  Max opened his mouth, not sure how to explain what he’d read. But Jamie was going to find out eventually. Everyone would. And Max knew that what he’d just read wasn’t really a problem for three members of the group, in the most practical sense. But the fourth member, who’d yet to make an appearance, would be deeply affected by it.

  Max told Jamie and Henry what he knew. Jamie put her head in her hands and muttered ‘Fuck me in both ears. This is bad. This is so bad.’

  ‘Yeah’ Max said. ‘I guess it is. Would you mind being the one to spill the beans though?’

  ‘What?! Why me? You read it.’

  Max turned to Henry and said ‘Henry-’

  ‘No chance!’ Henry declared decisively. He was not going to give Molly this kind of bad news. He couldn’t chance being linked in her mind with an awful thing, possibly the worst that had ever happened to her. His chances with her were slim as it was.

  But before Max could suggest drawing straws, the other back door opened and Molly clambered in, not looking at anyone.

  She’d been assembling a game face for the last few seconds but there was no getting away from the fact that she
had to get in the car sometime. When she eventually did risk a glance at the other occupants of the SUV, who she was certain would see straight through her faux casual demeanour and guess exactly what she and Jamie had done last night, everyone was staring at her with what she could only describe as dread.

  It reminded her of the look her Mum had given her before she’d explained that the goldfish had jumped out of the bowl and died on the living room rug, when she was eight. As severe as Vera could be at times, she really hadn’t wanted to tell her daughter such an upsetting thing. But Molly had known there was bad news coming before she even opened her mouth and she’d wheedled it out of her. And that was the look that Max and Henry were giving her from the front of the car.