Girl Fun One

by Miranda Forbes

In The Company Of Women

  by Sadie Wolf

  Sitting outside at a café in the sunshine with her girlfriends, a cappuccino and a chocolate chip muffin in front of her, Kate felt happier than she had in months. Her feet ached from three solid hours of shopping, their table surrounded by bags containing their spoils. What could be better than a weekend in Dublin, celebrating Grace’s hen weekend with shopping, drinking and dancing while staying in a nice hotel?

  Grace looked relaxed and radiant, a million miles away from those super-stressed brides that seem to have permanent PMT in the months leading up to their big day. Grace was known as the ladylike one amongst them- they used to call her Princess Di – and today was no exception: dressed in a pale blue shift dress and matching cardigan, her neat shoulder length blonde hair catching the sunlight, she looked elegant and pretty. She took out a cigarette and lit it, her engagement ring sparkling in the sun, leaning back in her chair as she inhaled.

  ‘I’ve promised Stephen I’ll give up after we’re married.’ She said apologetically.

  ‘Good for you. Filthy habit, don’t know why you do it.’ Jo shook her head. She was fiercely anti-smoking and never let anyone get away with a cigarette without a comment from her. Jo was Grace’s best friend and the only one of them who was already married. She ran her own business and wasn’t afraid of anyone. ‘You can’t be worried about getting egg on your face’ was one of her sayings. She promoted her business at every opportunity, and when she decided, almost overnight, that she wanted to find a man and settle down, she went about it in the same way, shamelessly approaching and pursuing possible candidates until she met Jack. At which point, in a most un- Jo- like fashion she went all googly-eyed and announced simply that he was “The One” and that was that. Five years later they still clearly adored each other. Jo was a jeans-and-T-shirts kind of girl, albeit designer ones. Like she said, she earned her money and she liked to spend it on well-cut clothes that flattered her figure. She looked at her watch.

  ‘Has anyone heard from the others? Aren’t they supposed to be meeting us now?’

  Grace shrugged.

  ‘It wouldn’t surprise me if they’re late.’

  ‘Probably trailing round looking for something suitably organic and tasteless for Helen.’ Jo said.

  ‘Now now, she’s just very health-conscious.’ Grace laughed.

  ‘Don’t I know it! Honestly, it was like twenty questions with that poor waiter last night. Mind you, it was good for Jools though, meant he had to keep coming back to the table.’

  ‘She did seem to take an instant liking to him, didn’t she?’ Grace said.

  ‘Couldn’t have been more obvious if she’d tried. Anyway, tell us about this Mercedes. Is it true she’s a lap dancer?’

  ‘Now Jo, I don’t want you to –’

  ‘ But is she? I’m not going to say anything to her. Anyway, Jools more or less let the cat out of the bag last night so you can blame her.’

  ‘Ok. Yes, it’s true. But she’s really nice, so I don’t want –’

  ‘Yes yes, I get it. So tell us all about it. Where does she do it?’

  ‘Manchester. Less chance of bumping into someone she knows.’

  ‘But how did she get into it?

  ‘I don’t know. I suppose she just walked into a club and asked.’

  ‘Ugh. How could she want to do it? All those sweaty old men.’

  Grace shrugged.

  ‘Apparently some weekends she makes a thousand pounds, not bad for two nights’ work.’

  ‘Really? She doesn’t sleep with them does she?’

  ‘No of course not, she’s a lap dancer not a prostitute.’ Grace sounded irritated.

  ‘So what’s she like?’

  ‘She’s nice, you’ll like her.’

  ‘I bet she’s sickeningly pretty with super long legs and–’

  ‘She is gorgeous, but don’t hold that against her.’

  Kate found herself feeling very uncomfortable during the conversation about Mercedes. She had never met anyone like that before and worried about what she would say to her. Would she accidentally say the wrong thing and offend her? She had a picture in her mind of pole dancers as sleek, effortlessly sexy women with endless legs and boundless confidence. Never in a million years could she imagine having that kind of confidence. In comparison she felt stiff and awkward, conscious of her short legs, her shyness …

  ‘Wake up, Kate!’ Grace was laughing at her.

  ‘Sorry, I was miles away. So, anyway, tell me about the dress. Have you got a picture?’ Kate asked.

  ‘I’ve got one on my phone. And loads of other ones as well. We tried on some absolutely hilarious ones for a giggle.’

  ‘Meringue just isn’t the word for some of them. Jordan and Peter have a lot to answer for. I deleted the ones of me in those things, they were just too hideous.’ Jo added.

  ‘Good job I kept mine then, isn’t it!’ Grace laughed and showed Kate a photo of the two of them dressed in bright pink crystal-encrusted strapless gowns with huge net skirts, laughing their heads off.

  Kate felt a pang of jealousy that she hadn’t been part of the dress-trying-on-experience; and that as best friend Jo would be the one who was with Grace the morning of the wedding to help her get ready, whereas Kate would be turning up later as just one of the guests. But then those childish thoughts evaporated and were replaced by a warm and mushy glow as Grace said reverentially, ‘that’s it’ and Kate gazed at a photo of Grace looking serene and lovely in a timelessly beautiful, simple floor-length white dress that made her look like Grace Kelly.

  ‘Gorgeous, isn’t it? As soon as she put it on, it was so obvious that was it, and we were just about to give up on that shop before we saw it.’

  Kate handed Grace’s phone back, feeling a lump in her throat.

  ‘So Kate, do you think you and Darren’ll get married anytime soon?’ Jo asked.

  She looked at her empty plate. The truth was that marrying Darren had an air of inevitability that she found stifling. She knew she was lucky; she shuddered at the thought of being ‘Out There’ like Jools, drifting haplessly from one dodgy boyfriend to the next. It was clearly infinitely preferable to be like Jo or Grace, but somehow something didn’t feel quite right.

  She shrugged.

  ‘I guess it’s bound to happen one day, but I’m not in any hurry.’

  Jo looked at her quizzically, then looked away, distracted.

  ‘Here they are, at last. You two, you’re always late!

  Even as she bought the dress that afternoon, Kate had had misgivings about it, but these had now developed into full-blown nerves. There was no doubt at all that she looked sexy in it, but did she look too sexy? She didn’t want to go out looking like a prostitute. Darren certainly would not have approved, she felt sure of that. Although, she thought resentfully, it wouldn’t have stopped him looking at other girls wearing similar outfits. She took another look in the mirror. Big brown eyes stared anxiously out from under a straight brown fringe, which joined a shiny brown bob. Her dress was a short black halter-neck with a deep v almost to her waist. She’d had to buy a new bra to go with it, which had given her a most impressive cleavage. Fortunately the sun had been kind to her and her bare shoulders and arms were nicely tanned. She had on sheer black tights and black patent leather heels. She slipped on silver bangles and a plain silver choker and took a deep breath. Holding her head up high, she picked up her bag and went to meet the others in the hotel lobby.

  Helen looked slim and elegant in a full-length green silk dress and pashmina. Kate felt sure she wouldn’t approve of her dress, although she would be far too polite to say so. Jools was wearing a black leather jacket, black mini-skirt and knee-length leather boots. Grace was wearing a floaty white shirtdress and silver sandals and Jo was wearing black trousers and a white shirt.

  When she saw Mercedes, her stomach plummeted. She had let her hair down, and it reached almost to her waist, shiny and honey-coloured. She was wearing a
gold sequined backless mini-dress and ridiculously high gold heels, and her endless legs were bare and golden brown.

  Kate hadn’t yet said more than a few words to Mercedes, as she had arrived later in the afternoon, but now, outside waiting for a taxi, she found herself standing beside her. She could feel Mercedes’ eyes on her, like a cat.

  ‘You look great in that dress, it really suits you.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Kate blushed. ‘You look amazing. That dress is lovely.’

  Mercedes smiled.

  Five hours later they were in a club called Club M. Helen had gone back to the hotel, professing that she was “too old” for nightclubs; Jools had met a man at the last bar and disappeared. Grace and Jo were dancing in the main arena, and Mercedes and Kate were sitting side by side on a comfy leather sofa in one of the chill-out areas downstairs, sipping vodka and lemonade and people-watching. All night Mercedes had had them in stitches with her unflinching analysis of the male clubbers. They had stood in the gallery looking down at the main arena, Mercedes pointing out men as married, gay, losers or sometimes all three. She brushed off any men who approached her as if they were fruit flies, making Kate giggle with comments afterwards, such as, he’s got no money, he’s wearing a thirty pound shirt! He’s married, no, no ring, I can just tell by the guilty look on his face!

  Mercedes’ hair smelt of perfume, and her endless legs were stretched out in front of her. Kate thought she was simply the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Mercedes turned to face her, catching her looking. Kate blushed and looked away. Mercedes reached out her hand and with the lightest of touches brushed Kate’s hair away from her face.

  ‘You know, you really are very, very pretty, you know.’ Mercedes said, looking straight into her eyes.

  There was a pause, and then Kate felt her hand being wrapped in long soft fingers, and Mercedes’ hair against her shoulder as she leaned towards her, and then Mercedes’ lips were against hers, kissing her. Kate was aware of the softness, the sweetness, how gentle and small she was compared to a man; how lovely it felt to be kissed by women’s lips and to have soft long hair against her shoulders.

  They ran up the stairs of the hotel holding hands, not noticing or caring if anyone was watching. Mercedes practically pushed Kate through the door of her hotel room, pulling her onto the bed.

  It was like music running through and through her, the feel of Mercedes’ fingers in her hair, her wet kisses on her mouth. She fiddled with Kate’s earrings, trying to undo them, getting them caught up in her hair, giggling, before finally getting rid of them. Mercedes found the zip to Kate’s dress, slipping it off to reveal Kate’s big breasts spilling out of a black halter-neck bra. Kate sat on the edge of the bed, waiting, and Mercedes smiled at her, then pulled her own dress up and off in a second. She wasn’t wearing a bra, only a peach coloured thong.

  Mercedes stood in front of her, her long shiny hair reaching down to her small, pointed breasts, a faint tan line visible at the edges of her pale breasts, her stomach tanned and flat. Kate’s head span, her stomach contracted. She felt heavy, unable to move, with no idea of what to do next. But then Mercedes saved her, taking Kate’s hands in hers, then kneeling down beside her on the carpet, resting her head for a moment on Kate’s thigh. Mercedes lifted her head and Kate felt her hair tickling her leg, and then Mercedes kissed her stomach, light, fluttery kisses which made her dizzy, as if she was covered in butterflies as well as full of them.

  With one swift movement Mercedes let go of Kate’s hands and parted her legs, positioning herself between her knees. The kisses on her stomach continued, only now Kate had her hands free, and tentatively they found Mercedes’ shoulders and hair, feeling the movement under her hands, the bones and muscles of her arms, stroking her hair.

  Mercedes’ hands rested on the bed, then slipped around Kate’s waist, pulling her close towards her as she pressed her mouth against her, kissing her firmly now, sucking the tender skin of her stomach, then travelling down to her bikini line, and finally nuzzling against her knickers. Kate could feel Mercedes’ hot breath through the fabric, as she deliberately blew onto her knickers, creating a lovely warmth that made Kate immediately wet.

  Kate wanted to grab great chunks of Mercedes’ hair, to dig her fingernails into her shoulders and arms, but she held herself in, controlled herself, and gently, very gently stroked Mercedes’ hair, wound it slowly around her fingers, traced the muscles of Mercedes’ arms from her shoulders to her forearms with the lightest of touches. Somehow, she kept herself steady as Mercedes continued her maddening blowing between her legs, which was harder now, and right above her clit.

  Kate could feel her clit begin to enlarge and stand out, and then Mercedes began nibbling at it; and Kate couldn’t help it, she moaned out loud, and Mercedes seemed to let herself go too. With a swift tug she pulled down Kate’s knickers, pushed open her legs and buried her face in her pussy. Mercedes’ tongue was everywhere, and her fingers worked inside her, opening her up and pushing hard inside her, finger fucking her hard and fast. While her tongue lapped steadily at her clit, she held her lips open with her fingers, so that she could dip down and lick inside her, lapping up her juices as soon as they appeared.

  Kate felt as if her thoughts were being spoken out loud. In her head, she willed Mercedes to finger her harder, to bury her head hard between her legs, to hold her tight, to make her come … And then it felt like all the thoughts in her head exploded as she shook and came against Mercedes’ mouth. She clung to Mercedes’ shoulders like a helpless child, feeling the shaking spread throughout her body.

  Mercedes squeezed her thigh affectionately and stood up, pausing to kiss Kate’s stomach and breasts with her wet mouth, and Kate could feel her wet kisses drying on her skin. Mercedes lowered Kate down onto the bed, wrapping her in her arms. Kate lay motionless in Mercedes’ arms, dizzy and drunk, every inch of her body tingling and glowing, her heart thudding.

  Mercedes’ body felt cool and soft in comparison to her own hot afterglow. Kate opened her eyes and saw Mercedes looking at her. There was silence between them, and Kate looked away, feeling shy and awkward once more. Then slowly, almost imperceptibly, Mercedes stretched out her long fingers and gave Kate’s nipples the slightest of flicks. They looked at each other and laughed, the tension broken. As Kate relaxed, Mercedes twirled her middle fingers around Kate’s nipples, and Kate watched as they quickly stiffened under Mercedes’ beautifully manicured fingertips.

  Curiosity overcoming shyness at last, Kate reached out and touched Mercedes’ pretty little breasts. She had never touched another woman’s breasts before, had barely even handled her own. They felt delicate and exquisitely soft, like softened balloons, light and hollow, deliciously smooth and squishy. Kate kneaded them, stroked them and rubbed them, rolling the nipples under the palm of her hand, feeling the heat of the friction and Mercedes’ nipples hardening under her hands. She closed her fingertips on the nipples and squeezed; they got harder, she rolled them between her thumb and forefinger, and they got harder still. She experimented – rolling harder, squeezing, increasing the pressure until she was pinching Mercedes’ nipples painfully hard.

  The little pink nipples were like stones in her fingers, and Mercedes let out a little moan and bent her head, took Kate in her arms and kissed her, deep longing kisses with her tongue right inside her mouth, her lips pressed hard against Kate’s lips, Kate feeling the wetness pressed against her, tasting the spicy, musky taste of her pussy in Mercedes’ mouth.

  Kate’s hands were crushed painfully between their bodies, against their breasts, so it was nice when Mercedes shifted position and took hold of Kate’s wrist, pushing her hand down. Kate hesitated, for just a moment, but Mercedes kissed her again, gave a longing little moan and opened her legs, pushing herself towards Kate’s hand.

  Kate moved her hand with more confidence than she felt. Cupping Mercedes with the flat of her hand she pressed, up and down, circling, hoping that her fingertips would find their way
around. Guided by the wetness, her fingers slipped inside the groove and then further, finding the hole.

  Even though it was wet and Mercedes was pushing herself up towards her, Kate was still scared of pushing too hard, of hurting her. She slipped her fingers in one at a time, gently and slowly, until Mercedes wouldn’t allow it, and, bucking and pushing, encouraged Kate to push harder, to be what felt like being rough to her.

  Letting her fingers trail upwards, dragging the wetness with them, she found what she was looking for. Mercedes’ clit was a sweet, hard little button that Kate couldn’t miss, and as she traced her soaking fingers over it, covering it in wetness, careful not to bruise it, Mercedes moaned and cried out, and pressed Kate’s free hand against her breast.

  Kate understood, and resumed her squeezing and pinching of Mercedes’ nipples. Mercedes found her mouth and kissed her wildly, then fell back onto the pillow and lay with her eyes half closed, as if in a trance, whilst Kate felt masterful and confident.

  She knew what she was doing now and she took charge: she pinched Mercedes’ nipples harder than she had before, causing Mercedes to cry out, and she held the pinch firm as she got into a rhythm between her legs- pushing her fingers hard into Mercedes’ cunt, then trailing her sodden fingers up and over her clit, then down again, all the while keeping a pressure on Mercedes’ clit with the heel of her hand as her fingers pushed down inside her. Mercedes bucked, gasping, moaning, clinging to her, then crying out as she came against Kate’s hand.

  Mercedes lay against Kate’s breasts while Kate stroked her hair, feeling Mercedes’ pounding heart gradually subside with her breathing.

  In the cool air of Mercedes’ hotel room, Kate’s thoughts were racing. She had never felt so wide-awake. She looked down at Mercedes’ tousled brown and golden hair, her long slim body beside her, her pretty nails resting on Kate’s arm. Did this mean she was a lesbian? What about Darren? What on earth would the others say? How were they going to explain her sleeping in Mercedes’ room?

  Mercedes stirred, stretching herself slightly before curling up again against her. The room smelt of sex, shampoo and perfume. She could see the golden glow of the streetlights outside the hotel, their light filtering through the yellow curtains, casting the room in a golden light. Faint sounds travelled up from the street below, but inside the room all was silence, except for the soft sound of Mercedes’ breathing.