Bidding War

by Julia P. Lynde

  "What?" she asked.

  "Untie please."

  "What if I don't want to?"

  "I'm not going into the kitchen with my hands tied. It wouldn't be safe for anything more than toast."

  She reached for my wrists. It took her seconds to release me. Then she massaged my skin where the ropes and left little serpentine marks. I stared at them.

  "Those will be gone in a while," she said. "Long before you arrive at Moira's."

  I smiled and kissed her before climbing out of bed. "Did you want to shower?"

  "No, I can do that later."

  I retrieved a silk robe for her. It was way too small for her, and she looked really cute in it. She slipped her undies on. I put on a robe and a fresh pair of undies, and we walked out to the living room. Gwendolyn collected the go set on the way.

  Started a fresh pot of coffee then raided the refrigerator, moving ingredients to the counter. I found bell peppers, onions eggs, some lovely sausages from Byerly's, and a large, uneaten baked potato.

  I cut everything up. "This is going to be a little decadent."

  "Decadent is good."

  I made fried breakfast potatoes with onions and did an egg scramble with the peppers and sausages. "Sorry, no cinnamon rolls."

  She laughed.

  Everything just took a few minutes, and I spread the breakfast between two plates. We moved to the dinette table with our plates and coffee. Gwendolyn had already set up the board and made her first play.

  I was ahead until the end. I could tell that Gwendolyn was playing to win; she always does. But she seemed please by how well I was doing. Then she looked at me. "You can watch me operate any time you want, honey. But I'm sorry." She made a play into my territory.

  "No way!" I said. I looked at it. I looked at her. "I'm winning."

  "You were," she said. "Suddenly you aren't."

  "I don't even see it." I kept looking, then I realized I had two weak points. I looked at her.

  "Am I bluffing?"

  "No."

  "Show me."

  I pointed out the two weak points.

  "Can you protect both of them?"

  I shook my head.

  "What are you going to do?"

  "Cry?"

  "Oh honey," she said.

  "Psych." I made the least devastating play and lost by fifteen points.

  "I wanted you to win," Gwendolyn said. "Although I am looking forward to my winnings. I will happily let you watch me operate, though."

  "I don't know if I can tell her.

  "Will she be that upset?"

  "No, but I'll die of embarrassment."

  Gwendolyn laughed, a deep laugh full of joy. I joined her shortly.

  We put the game away and stood up then walked back to the bedroom. We both got quiet while Gwendolyn began dressing.

  "You must be used to this part," I said.

  "I guess," she said. "It's different when you go into it just for the sex. That isn't what we're about though."

  "What are you going to do with your toaster oven?"

  "Donate it to charity."

  I smiled. "I'm glad to have helped charity again."

  "You are an angel that way."

  And then she was dressed and back in the living room, putting on her shoes. She collected her game. "Don't forget your rope."

  "Keep it," she said. "You never know when you might need it."

  I smiled.

  Then I stepped into her arms. We didn't kiss, but just held each other. "Thank you for being so kind," I told her.

  "Thank you for being so amazing," she said in reply. "I'm glad Moira suggested it this way. One date wouldn't have been enough."

  "No, it wouldn't. I would have been a lot more uptight, assuming you were going to seduce me."

  "But I did seduce you."

  "Only after I had gotten used to the idea."

  And then she kissed me, softly and sweetly.

  "Bye," she said.

  "No. Not bye."

  She smiled and hugged me once more then tried to pull away.

  "Find another word!" I ordered.

  "I'll call you."

  "Better." I squeezed her, and then she was gone.

  * * *

  I went from deliriously happy to on the edge of tears in seconds, staring at the closed door. She sounded like she didn't expect to see me again. Was that it? Was that all she wanted from me?

  Maybe it was. She went through a lot of women, from what I could tell. Maybe I was just another notch on her rope.

  I found my phone and texted Sam. "If you can, please come over." Then I headed to the kitchen and began a proper cleanup. I got a reply a few minutes later. "Out with Suzanne. We can both come, or I can call later."

  "Please come, if it's not a bother," I sent back.

  "On our way," came the reply nearly immediately. "Twenty minutes."

  I thought about popping into the shower but thought if I started crying in there, I wouldn't be done by the time they got here. I went to the bedroom, hid the worst of the evidence, especially the rope, and pulled on jeans and a tee shirt. Then I went back to the kitchen. I was almost done cleaning by the time Sam and Suzanne arrived.

  They rang and entered like they normally do.

  "Kitchen," I yelled. The both came through together. I set the dish towel down and turned to face them.

  "Hey," said Sam. She and Suzanne were holding hands, but Suzanne didn't say anything.

  I smiled wanly. "I'm sorry I'm a pain in the ass."

  Sam let go of Suzanne's hand and cross the room to me, pulling me into a hug. She squeezed tightly.

  Both of them had been in my home so much, they knew they were supposed to help themselves. Suzanne pulled out mugs and poured coffee, adding cream from the refrigerator, then spied the bread and pulled that out. She carried everything to the living room with Sam and I following, Sam's arm around my shoulder. She set me down on the couch, and then I had one sitting on either side of me.

  "Gwendolyn just left," I said.

  Sam began squealing her ass off and hugging me.

  "How was it?" she asked once she had calmed down.

  "Amazing."

  "So why the long face?"

  "On the way out the door, she said 'bye'."

  Sam's face fell. "Oh honey." And she was hugging me again. I started crying quietly.

  "Stop this," Suzanne ordered. "You are jumping to conclusions. Stop it, right now."

  "Leave her alone," Sam said.

  "No. She's jumping to conclusions. So are you. We need the whole story."

  Sam was silent while I cried quietly.

  "Honey," Sam said. "She's right. We need the whole story."

  "I'm not telling you about the sex," I said.

  "You will, eventually, but I bet you know more you're not telling us."

  I pulled away. "I have my last date with Moira tonight."

  "Oh hell," Suzanne said. "You are totally jumping to conclusions. She was just making sure you knew it was okay. If. You know."

  "If Moira seduces me?"

  "Yes. There's more though?"

  I nodded to her. "She said before she really started, you know."

  "Driving you insane with desire?"

  "Oh no, I was already insane with desire," I said grinning. "I wasn't, however, quite naked yet." I paused. "She told me that whatever happens, she wants a real friendship. She said I have a lot to figure out."

  "You are such a doofus," Suzanne said. "Dry your tears." She ripped off a hunk of the bread and stuffed it into her mouth. "Oh my god, the rosemary bread!" She closed her eyes and chewed with relish.

  I turned to Sam. "She's right," Sam told me. "Dry your tears. She didn't just tell you it was a one-night-stand. She told you exactly what she said. You have a date with Moira tonight, and no one knows how that is going to go."

  "All right." I paused. "You can't tell Bonnie a single word."

  She smiled. "Oh that isn't going to be easy."

 
I explained the wager.

  "Wait. Phone sex?"

  I immediately began blushing, then told her about Moira's call afterwards. The two of them were in tears listening to the story.

  "All right, we came to your rescue," Suzanne said. "At great inconvenience to us." To belie her words, she popped more bread into her mouth, then talked around it. "And it wasn't for your bread." Then she acted as if she were having an orgasm while eating it.

  "Knock it off," I told her, giggling.

  "You owe us. Three questions."

  "Oh hell."

  "She's right," Sam said. "Three questions."

  "Fine."

  "No lying," Suzanna said. "Did you eat her out?"

  "I don't even know what that means, so probably not."

  They both laughed, then Suzanne said, "Did you shove your tongue into her vagina?"

  I immediately began blushing and nodded.

  "Say, 'Yes, Suzanne, I ate out Gwendolyn'."

  "I am not saying that!" I said, blushing even harder.

  "Say it. Say it. SAY IT!"

  "Fine! Yes, Suzanne, I ate out Gwendolyn."

  The two began cackling. Then it was Sam's turned. "Did you like doing it?"

  "Oh god."

  "Now you say, 'Yes, Sam, I enjoyed eating out Gwendolyn'."

  "You two are so crude!"

  "Say it."

  I sighed. "Yes, Sam, I enjoyed eating out Gwendolyn."

  "She's gay," said Suzanne matter-of-factly. "Pay up."

  "I never agreed to that wager," Sam said.

  "You never said no. Pay up."

  "Damnit." She got down on her knees in front of Suzanne and kissed both of her feet. "You were right. My best friend is gay, and I didn't know it."

  "You two are terrible," I said. I reached over and pulled the loaf of bread out of Suzanne's hand and tore a hunk off. Sam got off the floor, sat back down, and stole the loaf from me, tearing off a chunk for herself.

  "Last question," said Suzanne. She paused, exchanging some sort of silent communications with Sam. "Did it especially excite you when she tied you up?"

  "Oh hell! How did you know she tied me up?"

  Suzanne began giggling. "I didn't. Thank you for answering two questions at once."

  "Yes, Suzanne, it excited me quite a lot when she tied me up."

  "She's a sub," Suzanna said. "Pay up."

  "Damn it, Pamela," Sam said.

  "It's not my fault," I told her. "You're the one making wagers."

  Sam leaned back against the sofa. I had no idea what she was going to do to pay this time. Suzanna got up and crossed over to Sam's side, crawling over her lap to straddle her lover. Then she opened two buttons of Sam's blouse before fastening her mouth to Sam's shoulder, just barely hidden by the blouse if fully buttoned.

  "Get a room," I told them.

  I heard sucking sounds.

  "That's enough!" Sam said, after a minute. Suzanna just held on tighter for another minute before she pulled away.

  She admired her handiwork. "What do you think, Pamela? Looking forward to receiving a few of these yourself?"

  I glanced at the love bite.

  "I can't believe you just did that in front of me."

  "I'm not the one who got tied up last night," Suzanne said to me. "Kinky girl."

  I began blushing again.

  "Don't tease her," Sam said. "She's had her first lesbian lover. She has a lot to absorb."

  "Sounds like she absorbed an awful lot last night," Suzanna replied.

  I buried my face in my hands. They both giggled at me.

  Then Suzanna climbed off Sam's lap and sat down on the other side of her. "All better?" She asked.

  "Yes," I told her. "Thank you."

  "You are welcome." She glanced at her watch. "I will expect another frantic call in another fourteen to twenty-four hours."

  "Oh god. I'm sorry I'm a pain in the ass."

  She waved it away. "You've helped us, and we owe you for what you did for us anyway." She paused. "But friends don't keep score. We're here for you, and you're here for us."

  I looked at her. "That means a lot to me."

  She smiled. "I wasn't sure about you when Sam and I started dating. I thought you would get between us. You haven't. Just the opposite. I'd like to think we're good friends, Pamela."

  "I like to think so, too."

  "All right," Suzanne said. "Crisis averted?"

  "Yes."

  "Then we'll take that," she said, grabbing the loaf of bread. "And be on our way."

  I laughed. "Enjoy."

  I saw them out the door, receiving hugs from each. "Make sure you do everything we might do tonight," Sam said.

  I began blushing again.

  Panic

  I arrived at Moira's at four. Her house was fabulous! The kitchen was to die for. She ended the tour, and I stopped and stared when I entered.

  "You like?" she asked quietly.

  "Yes."

  "I thought you might. Think you can cook here?"

  "I'll find a way to force myself."

  I had dressed in a spring dress. It was more casual than the LBD I'd worn for Gwendolyn. And I had brought my own apron. I looked nice, but less intense than the night before. Still, I had gotten an amazing kiss at the front door and felt very welcome in Moira's home.

  We shared the kitchen well. Moira was doing most of the cooking and directed me as to what she wanted. We both went out of our way to pass near the other frequently, and her touches as she went past me grew increasingly bold. When she came up behind me and laid her hand on my ass, instead of chasing her away, I wriggled for her.

  She smiled at me.

  I found myself comparing the two women. Gwendolyn was so intense and hard to resist. I couldn't stop thinking about the way she tied me up. But we had almost nothing in common. Moira was so much easier to be around, and we fit amazingly well. I thought a relationship with her would be far less tumultuous.

  Of course, neither of them had invited me into a relationship yet. I may find I don't have an option on either of them.

  I had long stopped worrying about labels like gay or straight. I liked both of them, I liked them a lot, and they both treated me far better than I had ever been treated before.

  I wondered how Moira felt. I wondered what Gwendolyn was doing.

  Finally everything was done that needed doing. It would all come out of the oven shortly, and it was time to eat. Moira turned to me. "Care to dance?"

  "Really?"

  Her iPad was sitting on the counter. She did something with it, and tango music came over speakers I hadn't even seen.

  "Ohh," I said, immediately melting into her arms. She pulled me closely, and we began dancing slowly around the kitchen, circling the center island.

  We fit so well. After what Gwendolyn and I had done for the last two days, this was in some ways anti-climactic, but it was nice, so nice. I didn't think I'd ever have this with Gwendolyn.

  I wouldn't have the cooking, either. I would be the cook for both of us.

  "What are you thinking about?" Moira asked me. "You seem distracted."

  "I'm trying to figure out what I am doing," I told her.

  "Dancing with me. That's all that matters right now."

  "Mmm," I said, realizing she was right. And that was when our dance clicked in, and it was wonderful.

  We danced two songs before it was time to stir the sauce, but we stood at the stove together, arms wrapped around each other, each checking on things.

  Over dinner, she told me funny realtor stories until I was laughing so hard, I had tears running down my cheeks. "Stop it!" I said. "I'm ruining my makeup."

  Instead, she started in on another story.

  She finally relented, then reached over and dapped my face for me. "There," she said. "Now you just look like I beat you."

  "I do not!"

  "You can fix it later."

  "Oh god."

  She smirked at me.

  We finished d
inner and cleaned up. "What's the plan now?"

  "Cuddle up in front of the fireplace with our desserts," she said. And so, ten minutes later, we were sitting on a sofa immediately in front of a fire, my legs draped over her lap, each of us holding a dessert.

  We took turns trying to make the other one laugh while we ate our little desserts. When we were both done, she took my plate from me and set both of them on and end table to her right. Then we sat on the sofa and talked quietly. She began rubbing and caressing my feet, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the attention.

  "I feel guilty," I said after several minutes. "I should be doing this for you."

  "I like touching you," she said. "Relax and enjoy the attention."

  I smiled without opening my eyes. "Yes, Moira."

  "That's right," she said.

  Her hands started roaming further afield than my feet. I received caresses on my arm and on my legs. When she slid her hands under my dress, still caressing my legs, I didn't stop her.

  "That feels nice," I said dreamily.

  "I thought you might enjoy it."

  She continued to stroke and caress me, which both relaxed me and woke me up at the same time. I squirmed a little, then opened my eyes a crack. She was smiling at me.

  "You're amazing," I told her.

  "So are you."

  I closed my eyes again for several minutes. Her touch was hypnotic, and I found myself growing very complacent. I finally asked her, "Are you going to seduce me tonight?"

  "Would you stop me?"

  "No."

  She leaned towards me and caressed my face. "Do you want me to?"

  I opened my eyes and looked at her, then nodded. She smiled.

  "Close your eyes, Pamela," she ordered. I obeyed immediately.

  "Leave them closed."

  I nodded.

  "Whatever happens, do not open your eyes."

  "What if I want to watch you?"

  "You are not allowed."

  "Mmmm?"

  "That's right."

  She continued to caress me, and I was ready to let her do whatever else she wanted. "So nice," I said.

  "We're going to go upstairs," Moira said. "You will keep your eyes closed. If you think you are unable to obey, tell me now."

  "I will obey," I replied.

  She slid my legs off her lap, stood up, and pulled me to my feet. Then she led me upstairs, and I knew she had drawn me to her room.

  "Please kiss me, Moira."

  She pulled me into her arms and kissed me very thoroughly. I moaned into the kiss, and I realized I wanted her desperately. I wanted everything she represented. I wanted the dance, and the adventures, and the cooking together. I wanted a relationship that was easy, with someone who fit.