Testing The Waters

Author’s Note: Although ratings are nice, nothing beats a comment or two about what you liked or disliked about a story. Please take a moment to leave one. Thank you.

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July 1995

“Can I at least walk you to the door?” the dark-haired man in the driver’s seat asked as he shut off the engine after engaging the parking brake.

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Evelyn Parker replied as, having already undone her seat belt before the car had even stopped, she reached for the door handle. Evelyn was afraid that if she let him do so, his next step would be to try and talk his way inside, and all she wanted was to have this mistake of a date behind her.

“It’s no problem,” Tony Reed said, trying to make it sound as if he would be doing her a favor.

The door swung open and the thirty-four-year-old brunette stepped out onto the sidewalk, practically slamming the door behind her. She didn’t apologize for possibly chipping the paint, or even wish her escort for the evening a safe trip home. If he hadn’t gotten the message by now that she never wanted to hear from him again, well then, he was more of an asshole than she’d imagined.

The message must’ve gotten across, Evelyn decided as, before she’d gone more than a few steps, the sound of burning rubber filled the air as the old seventies muscle car abruptly came to life and pulled away from the curb. The noise of the ’77 Firebird echoed off the houses that lined the quiet residential street as the fire engine red Trans Am disappeared down the street. Thankfully, by the time anyone looked out their window to see the source of the disturbance, it was already long gone.

‘God, this whole night was a mistake,’ Evelyn thought as she started up the walkway leading to her house.

Tony Reed was a longtime customer of her brother’s auto parts store, where Evelyn did the books once a week. When Steve had casually mentioned that his sister had begun to date again, a year after her divorce had become final, the classic car enthusiast had wasted no time in trying to jump to the head of the line of those who had expressed an interest in the attractive accountant.

Initially, Evelyn had been reluctant to accept his invitation, turning him down the first two times he had asked. She had finally consented as a favor to her brother, who had been asked so many times why his sister wouldn’t even give the forty-year-old mechanic a chance so many times that it was really beginning to annoy him. It was dinner and a movie; Steve had pointed out to her; how bad could it be?

She had quickly learned that it could be pretty bad. Instead of learning a bit more about each other over the dinner, which had taken place at a diner frequented by members of his Classic Car Club, Tony had gone on and on about how happy he was that the yearlong baseball strike was finally over. He was, he expressed, a Boston Red Sox fanatic and was lost without ‘his team.’

It hadn’t gotten any better after dinner when, despite Evelyn dropping a few comments about how good she’d heard the new Ron Howard film, “Apollo 13” was, Tony had insisted that they see “Die Hard with a Vengeance” instead. Evelyn didn’t have anything against Bruce Willis, and under the right circumstances enjoyed a good action film, but the testosterone fueled fantasy hardly seemed appropriate first date material.

As she opened the door and stepped into her small two floor Tudor, Evelyn was surprised to see the light in the dining room was on, prompting her to ask herself if she had left it on. Leaving her purse on the table by the door, she moved down the hallway, hoping as she did so that she wouldn’t suddenly find a reason to regret not having “Mr. Personality” see her safely inside after all.

Her concern dramatically increased as, once she neared the entranceway, she heard the sound of movement within the room. Cautiously, she peered around the corner and in doing so, let out an audible sigh as she saw that, while the room was indeed occupied, the face of her unexpected guest was a familiar one.

“Cathy,” Evelyn said, her tone a mixture of surprise and relief, “what are you doing here?”

“Oh, hi Evelyn,” the twenty-three-year-old blonde said with a smile as she looked up from the dining room table, upon which rested a large calculator and a small pile of folders, one of which was spread open in front of her.

Cathy Nelson was a recently certified accountant whom Evelyn had taken on as part time help. Having to do so was a testament to how well her business was doing. Normally, she came in on Wednesdays and Saturday afternoons, which was why her presence now was such a surprise.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I figured that since I was going away for the weekend, I’d come in tonight and at least straighten out the week’s files,” Cathy explained.

“No, not at all,” Evelyn smiled. “After all, that’s why I gave you a key, so that you could set your own schedule.”

“It was a last-minute thought,” the younger woman added. “I tried calling your cell, but it went right to voicemail.”

“I was on a date,” Evelyn explained, remembering now that she had turned her phone off so as not to be interrupted.

“Oh no, he’s not here, is he?” Cathy quickly asked, her eyes darting to the doorway as if she could see out into the hallway beyond, worried that she might have interrupted the older woman’s plans.

“No, he’s far away by now,” Evelyn replied, “if I’m lucky.”

“That bad?” Cathy asked.

“Oh yeah,” Evelyn replied.

“I just made coffee,” Cathy said, “if you want to talk about it.”

“Coffee sounds good,” Evelyn answered.

-=-=-=-

“And then, he takes me to a diner that’s definitely seen better days,” Evelyn said as she sipped her drink. “Not that I would’ve minded so much, if it hadn’t been filled with his car buddies, all of whom he had to introduce to me.”

“He was showing you off,” Cathy offered.

“Big time,” Evelyn confirmed, “as if I was his trophy from one of those car shows.”

Cathy thought, but didn’t say, that Evelyn couldn’t really have been too surprised by that. The short haired brunette was a striking example of womanhood. Five six and a hundred and twenty pounds, she had a firm 34B bust and long, well developed legs. Even though she had only known Evelyn for a few months, Cathy had formed a strong friendship with her boss and couldn’t believe that her husband had traded her in for a younger model.

“And then, after the movie, he actually had the audacity to suggest that we take a ride out to Muldoon’s Point, as if we were a couple of teenagers,” Evelyn added.

“Muldoon’s Point?” Cathy asked.

“Oh, that’s right, you didn’t grow up here in Oak Hill,” Evelyn remembered. “Muldoon’s Point is a local make out spot just up past the bridge to Liberty. Did he really think that I wanted to relive my high school days?”

Cathy laughed, recalling a similar location in her own home town, not that she’d ever been to it.

“Do you know what the saddest thing is?” Evelyn added after a short pause. “The two guys I went out with last month weren’t that much better than Tony. Oh, they might have not gotten shot down mid-date, but they didn’t come close to the goal line either.”

Cathy didn’t need to ask what the goal line was. One night after they’d shared a few drinks, Evelyn had confessed that while she didn’t miss her cheating bastard of a husband, she did miss getting laid on a regular basis. Which, the younger woman had presumed, had been the motivation behind her decision to start dating again. She was curious, however, how the two men Evelyn referred to fell short, even though she didn’t think it prudent to ask. Thankfully, Evelyn was more than willing to share.

“All they had to hear was that I was divorced, and the automatic assumption was that I’d be an easy lay,” Evelyn said.

“Which of course you’re not,” Cathy quickly noted, thinking that was what you were supposed to say.

“Well, to be honest, given how long it’s been since I went to bed with someone, I probably am,” Evelyn smiled. “Still, it’s not something they should’ve taken as a given.”

Evelyn had also mentioned on that night they’d gotten drunk together that she hadn’t gotten laid since her husband walked out, nearly two years before. Cathy shuddered at the thought of being celibate for that long a time. Her own record stood at barely three months, and almost a third of that entailed her having the flu.

“And I’ll tell you, men can be worse gossips than old women, especially when it comes to sex,” Evelyn continued. ‘They can’t wait to brag to their buddies about getting a woman into bed, and it only gets worse as they get older.”

“I guess I’ll have to take your word for that,” Cathy said.

“Trust me, Cathy, you don’t know how fortunate you are that you don’t have to deal with men,” Evelyn offered.

“Well, women can be assholes just as easily as men,” Cathy replied. “I’ve dated a few that were just as bad as the men you’ve described.”

That Cathy was a lesbian was something Evelyn had learned a few weeks after hiring her. She didn’t go around with a sign around her neck, but neither did she ever make any attempt to obscure the fact. In Evelyn’s case, Cathy had simply introduced the dark-skinned brunette who came around to pick her up one night as her girlfriend. It took Evelyn a bit of time to realize that Cathy’s use of the term was different than her own, but once she did it was just treated as a matter of fact, and that was that.

“Still, maybe I should give some thought to switching teams,” Evelyn said with a touch of mirth. “Who knows, maybe I’d have better luck with women.”

“How much have you had to drink tonight?” Cathy asked, thinking that her friend was joking or at least it was the alcohol talking, recalling several bad dates where she herself had consumed more than normal just to get through them.

“Actually, I didn’t even finish the beer that I’d ordered with dinner,” Evelyn replied, “although by the time it was over, I wished I had, and maybe even had a second one as well.”

“You know, sometimes I’m not sure if you’re being serious or just joking,” Cathy said, still trying to judge which Evelyn was.

“If I was serious,” Evelyn said, her words becoming a bit more earnest, “what do you think my chances would be? Do you think some nice girl might find me hot?”

“Well, if I didn’t have Jennifer,” Cathy said, still exhibiting some levity, “I’d probably want to sleep with you.”

“Ah, it’s a pity the two of you are inseparable then,” Evelyn replied, “because I really need to get laid.”

“And you really think a woman is what you want?” Cathy asked, still thinking that this was a joke of some sort.

“Well, it’s been fairly clear that I’m not getting anywhere with men lately,” Evelyn pointed out. “So, why not give women a try? After all, it seems to have worked out pretty well for you.”

Cathy opened her mouth to say something more, but then closed it without doing so. Instead, she grew very quiet for several long moments, the expression on her face reflecting serious contemplation.

“You’re really serious about this?” she asked Evelyn, finally breaking the silence.

“Yeah, I think so,” she replied.

“You think so?” Cathy repeated. “That’s hardly a ringing endorsement.”

“Well, how will I know for sure until I try it?” Evelyn countered.

Cathy really couldn’t argue with that. Even in her own case, as certain as she was about being with girls instead of guys, there still was that small bit of uncertainty before the first time she was actually with one.

“Be honest with me,” Evelyn said. “If you weren’t with Jennifer, would you find me attractive?”

“Someone wouldn’t have to be single to find you attractive,” Cathy replied.

“That’s not really an answer,” Evelyn countered.

Cathy paused a few moments, her face reflecting a decision in progress.

“Okay,” she finally said. “I didn’t say anything about this before because, well, I didn’t think it mattered, and I also didn’t know you well enough to be sure how you might take it, but one of my friends did ask me about you.”

“Say what?” Evelyn exclaimed, surprised by the revelation.

“One of my friends asked me about you,” Cathy repeated. “She wanted to know if you were seeing anyone, and if not, could she get your number? When I told her you were straight, she was quite disappointed.”

“Back up a second,” Evelyn said as she took in what Cathy had just said. “Start from the beginning. When was this?”

“You remember the concert we went to over in Brookdale a month or so ago?” Cathy asked.

Brookdale was a town twice the size of Oak Hill, situated about a two-hour drive north of it. It was also where Cathy had grown up, so it wasn’t surprising when she ran into a small group of old friends at the show. A flurry of introductions had followed, during which Cathy seemed to go out of the way to stress that Evelyn was just a friend. Evidently, someone in the group took that to mean that she might be available. They’d only spent a minute or so together before they had to get to their respective seats; Cathy’s were on the opposite side of the auditorium. Looking back now, Evelyn had only a vague recollection of what any of the women looked like, but was exceedingly curious as to which one had been attracted to her.

“Do you remember Allison?” Cathy further asked, adding her last name to see if that helped, “Allison Carpenter?”

“I’m afraid not,” Evelyn replied after a few seconds of trying to associate the name with a face and failing to do so.

“She was in uniform,” Cathy then offered, thinking that might have made her stand out from the rest.

“The cop?” Evelyn asked, the image of the khaki clad police officer suddenly coming into focus in her mind.

Technically, the well-proportioned redhead hadn’t been a concert goer, but had volunteered to work security at the sold-out event in order to at least hear the music. A few inches taller than her own five six, the thirty-eight-year-old had a physique that certainly filled out the bland uniform, including a bust that Evelyn thought had to be at least a 36D. If nothing else, the image she projected certainly validated the old adage that there was something about a woman in uniform.

“Deputy Sheriff actually,” Cathy corrected, “one of six in the department.”

“What did she say, specifically?” Evelyn asked, her curiosity now in full bloom.

“Well, it really wasn’t much,” Cathy replied, now wondering if perhaps she was making a mistake mentioning it. “She simply asked if you were seeing anyone, and if not, could she get your number?”

“And she was disappointed when you told her I was straight?” Evelyn said.

“Yeah, I think she really was,” Cathy said.

“What do you think of that?” Evelyn said, more to herself than to the woman sitting across from her.

“Like I said, I didn’t say anything at the time because I didn’t know you as well as I do now, so…” Cathy started to say, only to have Evelyn cut her off.

“Do you think she might still be interested?” she asked.

“What?” Cathy replied, surprised by the question. “I… I don’t know.”

“But she could be?” Evelyn further asked, a clear excitement in her voice.

“It was a couple of months ago,” Cathy stated. “She might have met someone since then.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to ask, would it?” Evelyn said.

It was clear now to Cathy that she had inadvertently opened a Pandora’s Box and Evelyn wasn’t going to let the topic go. Still, she tried to walk it back a bit.

“I’m not sure you and Allison would be a good fit,” she offered.

“Why not?” Evelyn asked.

Cathy took a deep breath before answering.

“I’m not quite sure how to say this, because she’s my friend,” she said with a slight hesitation, “but Allison isn’t really relationship oriented.”

“In other words, she’s a player,” Evelyn said, not sure if the male oriented term also applied to a woman.

“Maybe a bit more than that,” Cathy noted.

“A fuck ’em and leave ’em kind of girl,” Evelyn suggested.

“That would be closer to the mark,” Cathy confirmed, glad that Evelyn said it, not her. Hopefully, that would end the matter.

“I could live with that,” Evelyn said after a long pause.

“What?” a shocked Cathy said.

“Cathy, I’m not looking for someone to set up house with,” Evelyn said. “I need to get laid, and I’m starting to really not care who it is on the other side of the bed.”

Again, Cathy paused for a long breath.

“You really want to do this?” she asked one more time.

“Yes,” the brunette said with a conviction that hadn’t been there before.

“Then I guess I could give Allison a call,” Cathy said, adding to herself that she hoped she wasn’t making a mistake.

-=-=-=-

“What was I thinking last night?” Evelyn asked the naked woman reflected in her bathroom mirror.

She really didn’t expect her doppelganger to answer. If it did, she had more serious problems to worry about, but the look on her face said almost as much as a verbal answer might have. It was the sixth time she’d asked herself the question and she still wasn’t satisfied with the answer.

What had prompted her to convince Cathy to fix her up with another woman? The easy answer was that she was so sexually frustrated and desperate to get laid that she was willing to try anything — well, anything short of Mr. Auto Club, but, deep inside, Evelyn knew that wasn’t really it.

A fallback answer might’ve been that, like a number of women, she had a curiosity about what it might be like, and now that she was single again, why not explore that curiosity? But that would’ve been only partly true, there was more to the story. For the full answer, she’d have to go back almost fifteen years, to the summer she’d turned nineteen.

That had been the year she’d met Sabrina Chamberlain, a vivacious twenty-year old redhead visiting from California. The granddaughter of her father’s business partner, the two of them became fast friends, spending nearly every day of her month long stay together. Which, to most observers, was surprising because Sabrina was a party girl and a notorious flirt, while Evelyn, at least back then, was much more sedate and studious.

Most of the memories of that whirlwind month had become blurred over time, with the notable exception of the night before Sabrina returned home — that was crystal clear. They’d had an impromptu farewell party at a local club with some of the other friends that the Californian had made, at the conclusion of which, the fiery redhead had stunned the affable brunette by pulling her aside to a shadowy corner and kissing her. The sort of kiss that she had previously only shared with boys. As shocking as it had been to feel of the older girl’s tongue in her mouth, that proved almost insignificant mere moments later as, once the initial surprise wore off, Evelyn found herself returning the kiss with equal intensity.

Evelyn had kissed her share of boys, but there had been a magic in Sabrina’s kiss that she’d never felt with anyone before or since, not even the man she eventually married. The kiss seemed to go on forever, reaching parts of her she never realized existed before. To this day, Evelyn wasn’t sure of that kiss had been meant as just something in and of itself, or had been an invitation to something more? The answer was never to be found because, once they’d separated, she’d panicked and quickly left the party. Sabrina went home the next day and she had never heard from her again.

Returning her attention to the present, Evelyn was startled to realize that, as those memories had filtered through her mind, she had been stroking one of her breasts, teasing her nipple until it was hard. Her other hand hadn’t been idle either as it worked its way across the thick mound of hair between her legs. It hadn’t been her intention to caress herself in such a manner, but it was an act that was becoming much more frequent of late.

“Keep that up, girl, and you’re going to need another shower,” Evelyn admonished her reflection as she removed both hands, but not before giving herself one last pleasing touch.

She dried herself off with a large bath towel, then wrapped it around her before stepping out into the adjacent bedroom. There wasn’t much on her calendar for the day, just a quick trip to the supermarket and a few phone calls to confirm appointments for later in the week. Normally, she tried to avoid business on the weekend, but these were clients that were hard to reach during the week. As it was, she thought, she should be done with all of it by noon at least.

‘If I do finish up by twelve, maybe I could catch the matinee of “Apollo 13” at the Royal Vista,’ Evelyn considered as she opened the top drawer of her lingerie chest and pulled out a pair of blue lace panties, followed by a matching bra from the one below it.

Evelyn really didn’t like going to the movies alone, but, as she adjusted the cups of her bra around her breasts, she reminded herself that she’d hate the idea of sitting around the house all afternoon alone even more. If for no other reason than if she did so, she’d start working, if only out of boredom.

She’d just finished sliding up her panties when the ringing of the phone on the other side of the room interrupted her deliberations. Glancing at the clock, Evelyn wondered who’d be calling her this early on a Saturday morning. As she stepped around the bed to answer it, she suddenly had a horrible thought — what if it was Tony Reed?

“Hello?” Evelyn said as she lifted the receiver to her ear, already thinking of an excuse to cut the conversation short if it indeed turned out to be Tony.

“Evelyn Parker please,” said a decidedly non-masculine voice.

‘No, not Tony,’ Evelyn thought as she tried to place the caller before saying that she was Evelyn.

“Oh hi, I hope I’m not calling you too early,” the woman on the other end said.

“No, it’s not too early,” Evelyn replied, still wondering who this was.

“Good,” the woman said, pausing for a second as if to take a breath. “I was given your number by a mutual friend, Cathy Nelson. She suggested that I give you a call. My name is Allison Carpenter.”

“Oh my God!” Evelyn gasped under her breath. “It’s barely been twelve hours; when did Cathy call her?”

“You were expecting my call, weren’t you?” Allison asked in response to the sudden silence.

“Oh yes, of course,” Evelyn quickly replied. “I just wasn’t expecting it so soon. I mean, I didn’t expect Cathy to call you until after she came back from the mountains, at least.”

“Well, Cathy knew I’ve been working the graveyard shift of late, so I guess she thought she’d take care of it before she and Jennifer left,” Allison suggested. “I called your cell phone first, but I got your voicemail and, well, I didn’t want to just leave a message. So, I got your house number from information; I hope you don’t mind?”

Her cell phone, Evelyn remembered, was sitting out on her desk hooked up to the charger. Even if it had been in the bedroom, she normally left it off when home, especially on the weekends.

“No, not at all, it’s fine,” Evelyn replied, impressed by the woman’s initiative. “I’m so glad you called.”

“Well, I’m not really the type who likes to put things off,” Allison offered. “That being said, the reason I’m calling is to ask if you might be available to have a drink this afternoon?”

“A drink… this afternoon?” Evelyn repeated.

“Yes, I figured it would give us a chance to meet, talk a little, and see if anything clicks,” Allison explained, adding after a pause, “that is if you’re still interested.”

That addendum made Evelyn wonder if, when passing along her number, Cathy had also imparted a concern that the brunette’s initial enthusiasm might have faded in the light of dawn.

“Or if you had other plans, we could…” Allison further added.

“No, this afternoon would be fine,” Evelyn interrupted, having searched her resolve and, despite her misgivings a few moments before, found it still pretty solid.

“Excellent,” Allison replied in a voice that almost allowed Evelyn to hear the smile behind it. “Are you familiar with the Red Lantern Inn out on Route 15?”

“Just past the Morgan Falls exit?” Evelyn asked as she pictured the red shingled longhouse that she had passed many times.

“That’s the one,” Allison confirmed. “How does three o’clock sound to you?”

“Three o’clock would be fine,” Evelyn replied.

“Great, so I guess I’ll see you then,” Allison said as she brought the call to a close. “Oh, and Evelyn, I’m really looking forward to it.”

“I am too,” Evelyn echoed just as she heard the click of the call being disconnected.

A very long minute passed as Evelyn sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the phone. This was really happening, she said to herself. Then, as she thought about it a bit more, she realized that Allison’s choice of a time and place for their introduction couldn’t have been better picked.

The Inn was just about halfway between Oak Hill and Brookdale, close enough that neither one of them had to travel far, yet distant enough that it was unlikely that either would run into anyone they knew. Although she had nothing to base it on, Evelyn had the feeling that might be more of a concern for her than the deputy sheriff. Also, drinks in the afternoon left no further obligations if things didn’t click, as Allison had termed it. Or as her grandmother used to put it, no harm, no foul.

-=-=-=-

Evelyn spent the rest of the morning taking care of her To Do list, thankful that nothing on it required her full attention. Try as she might, all she could think of was meeting Allison, even if it was just for a drink. Among those thoughts was the question of what she would wear, a decision she found herself spending more time on than what to wear for dinner the night before.

Believing a reserved appearance would be better than one that might make her appear too eager, Evelyn finally settled on a button down long-sleeved green blouse and a dark denim skirt. A step up from what she might wear to meet a new client, but still short of what she would’ve worn to impress a date. Almost incongruously, however, she stopped by her favorite salon to have her shoulder length tresses trimmed, even though they really didn’t need it.

When she pulled into the parking lot of the Red Lantern a few hours later, the parking lot was far fuller than Evelyn expected at this time of day. A condition she found duplicated inside the restaurant, once she stepped into the vestibule. She would later learn that a local women’s group, the Sisters of Carson County, had their monthly lunches at the Inn on the last Saturday of the month — which was today.

Surveying the scattered tables in the dining area, as well as the crowd lined up at the bar in the adjacent room, Evelyn found a varied collection of women, covering just about all ages and races. What she didn’t see was Allison.

‘Well, I am a few minutes early,’ Evelyn thought as she moved off to the left and into the bar proper, discovering that here too the female patrons outnumbered the men by at least two to one, causing her to add that at least two more women having drinks with each other wasn’t going to draw any attention.

Her line of sight traversed the bar a second time, only to be disappointed again as she failed to find anyone who resembled the woman she’d come here to meet. A disconcerting thought flashed through her mind; what if she couldn’t recognize her?

After all, it wasn’t like she was going to be in uniform, she reminded herself, although that would have certainly made it easier. Looking back on the mental image Evelyn had of Allison, formed out of an all too brief encounter, the brunette was dismayed to realize that it was hardly helpful. Oh, she was sure she would recognize her if she saw her, but right now the clearest part of her image was the brimmed officer cap and the reflective sunglasses beneath it. That and the way she had filled out the male oriented uniform, which had drawn attention away from the deputy sheriff’s face.

She was about to head back and wait by the front door when a tall, broad-shouldered man at the bar, who had been partially blocking Evelyn’s view, moved enough for her to catch a flash of red hair. Moving to get a better look, she found a buxom redhead who looked to be the right height, wearing a low-cut white tank top that really put her breasts, which also looked to be the right size, on display. Even from a distance, Evelyn could see that there wasn’t a bra beneath it, causing the nipples of her areolae to be prominently displayed.

‘Is that her?’ Evelyn asked herself before deciding that it had to be. After all, what are the odds of finding two stacked redheads in an out of the way country inn like this.

“So much for dressing conservatively,” she said under her breath as she approached the provocatively dressed woman.

Suddenly aware of someone sliding in between her and the man to her right with whom she was conversing, the woman began to turn toward Evelyn, a look of irritation on her face. Now close enough to really see her face, the brunette realized that the odds evidently weren’t as great as she had surmised. Frantically, she tried to think of something to say to explain her mistake; “I thought you were someone else” somehow didn’t seem like enough.

“Evelyn?” a voice from behind her asked, causing the brunette to turn in that direction, disregarding the woman now glaring at her from the front.

There, wearing a pair of white capris and a freckled black and white blouse, with the top few buttons open, stood Allison Carpenter. A broad smile filled her face, a visage Evelyn instantly recognized.

“I’m afraid I had to answer a nature call and I didn’t see you come in,” Allison said as she glanced to the right and directly at the woman Evelyn had mistaken for her. The woman also seemed to recognize Allison, or at least knew who she was, as she abruptly turned back toward the bar, the look of confrontation on her face quickly fading.

‘God, how could I have mistaken her for Allison,’ Evelyn asked herself as the two of them stepped back from the crowd, ‘all they really have in common are red hair and big boobs.’

Which of course, had been the most prominent features that Evelyn had remembered, although she would hate for Allison to think that. Thankfully, if she did, it didn’t seem to bother her.

“This place is a lot more crowded than I thought it would be,” Evelyn segued, hoping to draw attention away from her faux pax. “Did you know that the club was having their gathering?”

“Actually, that’s one of the reasons I picked this place,” Allison said as they reached an open space. “I thought you might feel more comfortable in a crowd.”

Evelyn glanced to her right and left, thinking that she did feel better with people around her when she met someone new. Yet, at the same time, there didn’t seem any place where they could sit and talk, at least not confidentially.

“Not to worry, I reserved a booth for us in the back,” Allison said, having picked up on the concern in her guest’s expression, gently laying her hand on Evelyn’s shoulder to guide her in that direction.

A simple touch that sent a surprising yet pleasing spark down and across Evelyn’s body, which could only be taken as an encouraging sign.

Passing a nearly a dozen occupied booths, half of which were filled with women, Allison led Evelyn to the last one in the row. A small cardboard reserved sign sat on the center of the table, which the redhead lifted to the side as she offered the brunette her choice of seats. Evelyn took the one facing the wall as Allison waited until she was fully seated before taking the other. As she did, Evelyn glanced over her shoulder at the empty booth behind her, and its own reserved card.

“If you’re worried about someone sitting behind us listening in, don’t,” Allison offered, again having caught the brief look of concern. “It’s not really reserved; I just had them close it off so that we could talk.”

The deputy sheriff must be on pretty good terms with the owners of the restaurant to have arranged that, Evelyn thought, even as she also considered that this was all too well orchestrated to have been improvised. How many other women had Allison played out this scene with? Before she could even try to imagine an answer, Evelyn pushed the question aside with a more important one — why should she care?

“I took the liberty of pre-ordering for us,” Allison said as she raised her hand and gained the attention of a waitress about a dozen feet away. “Cathy said you were a wine drinker, so I ordered a Red Cabernet; is that okay?”

Evelyn replied that was fine, which was a good thing because barely had the words left her mouth when the waitress Allison had signaled appeared tableside with a tray carrying two half-filled glasses and a carafe. As she transferred them to the table, Evelyn looked at the braided blonde and was surprised to find herself more aware of her physical attributes that she might have been only a week before. A few inches shorter than her, the waitress had long hair that had been single braided and hung down along the left side of her chest. A chest only partially covered by a low-cut ruffled blouse; one that looked to be putting considerable strain on the top’s buttons.

“Is there anything else I can get you?” the girl asked, totally ignoring Evelyn as she directed the question only at Allison.

“No, I think we’re good here,” Allison replied, returning the warm smile that had accompanied the waitress’s inquiry.

The answer seemed to disappoint her as she stood there for a few moments longer before turning away. Interactions between women, at least on a sexual level, were obviously new to Evelyn, yet she felt that the girl had been trying to make an impression on Allison, perhaps even a connection. If that had been the case, then she had at least partially succeeded as, if only for a few seconds, Allison’s gaze followed her as she walked back up the aisle, her eyes evidently fixed on the way her ass swayed as she moved.

Not wanting to draw attention to the fact that she had been watching Allison watch the waitress, Evelyn lifted the glass in front of her and took a taste. Finding it pleasing, she took a second, longer one.

“This is very good,” she said, drawing Allison’s attention back to her.

“I’m glad you like it,” Allison replied. “I’m not really much of a wine drinker myself, so I just asked the owner to pick out something good.”

“Well, you can tell them they did a great job,” Evelyn smiled, not sure if the owner she was referring to was a man or a woman.

“So,” Allison said after taking a taste of her own and also finding it to her liking, “tell me about yourself, Evelyn.”

“How much did Cathy tell you?” Evelyn asked.

“Enough that we’re here sharing this wine,” Allison said, raising the glass in her hand a little higher before taking another drink from it. “But I’d really rather hear your story from you.”

Evelyn again took a sip of wine and then proceeded to give a capsule sized story of her life, one not that much different than she’d given the night before. What was different this time, however, was that, unlike Tony, Allison seemed to be genuinely interested in what she was saying.

“I hope this doesn’t offend,” Allison said once Evelyn was done, “but your husband sounds like a real asshole. He’d have to have been, to walk out on a beautiful woman like you.”

Evelyn blushed slightly at the compliment, thinking that the best Tony had come up with was that he thought she was still hot for her age.

“But that’s a problem with a lot of men,” Allison added. “They let the little head do their thinking and they get distracted by something new and shiny.”

Evelyn wasn’t sure how to react, not wanting to get into a discussion around the idea that all men are idiots and women were better off without them. She needn’t have worried as, with her next words, Allison showed that wasn’t where she was going.

“Not to say that there aren’t a lot of good men out there as well,” she said. “In fact, some of my best friends are men, trite as that might sound. Still, at the end of the day, I just prefer a woman in my bed.”

The last of her statements brought a small smile to the corner of Evelyn’s mouth. Allison was just stating what she already knew, but actually hearing it said out loud brought a certain excitement.

“Is there anything you’d like to ask me?” Allison asked once she was sure Evelyn was finished.

“How long have you been with the sheriff’s office?” Evelyn asked, thinking that was a safe enough topic to start with.

“Coming up on six years now,” Allison replied, “and before that I was in the Army — Military Police.”

“You were in the army?” the brunette asked, clearly surprised.

“Eight years,” Allison related, “but I grew up on military bases all over the world — my dad was a full bird colonel — so it sometimes feels like I was in the Army most of my life.”

“Why did you leave the army?” Evelyn asked, thinking of her uncle, who’d done his twenty and retired as a Staff Sergeant.

“As much as I enjoyed what I did, I finally grew tired of the double standard,” Allison answered; the vagueness of her answer indicated it wasn’t something she wanted to elaborate on.

Much later, however, Evelyn would learn exactly what Allison meant by double standard. A straight woman in her position could be bedding down any number of men and, as long as they weren’t of a subordinate rank, little would be said. However, she could’ve lost everything if she was caught with just one woman. A policy which was ludicrous, given the number of gay men and women who had honorably served their country throughout its history. Things had improved with recent changes, notably “don’t ask, don’t tell,” but by the time that had been implemented, Allison had put military life behind her.

Thinking it best to change the subject, Evelyn asked Allison how she knew Cathy, pouring a second glass of wine for herself as she did.

“We were introduced by a common friend,” Allison said, “but to answer the question that I’m sure you’re really wondering about, no; I haven’t slept with her, not to say I haven’t tried. She and I are, well, let’s just say looking for different things.”

Evelyn found Allison’s candor both refreshing and even a bit stimulating. Which was strange in a way, because she was certain that she wouldn’t have appreciated it if a man had been that direct. Later, she would learn that the common friend had been a woman that both women had slept with, something that seemed to be more common that it might have been among male friends.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Evelyn asked, realizing as she did that not only was it a stupid question, she found that she really didn’t care if Allison did or not.

“I guess it depends on how you define a girlfriend,” Allison smiled. “If you mean women who I date and sometimes bed, well then, the answer would be lots of them. If, however, you mean girlfriend in the sense that Cathy and Jennifer are girlfriends, well, as I’m sure Cathy warned you, I don’t do relationships, at least not exclusive ones. Some might say that makes me as bad as some men, always looking for the new and shiny, but if it does, then at least I’m up front about it.”

‘Yeah, a ‘fuck ’em and leave ’em’ kind of girl,’ Evelyn thought, recalling her exchange with Cathy last night, adding to herself, as she had also said, that this might just be what she needed right now.

Further conversation was interrupted, temporarily at least, by the reappearance of the waitress, whose name Evelyn now learned was Carol. She had taken it upon herself to make up a plate of complimentary snacks and bring it to their table. After again exchanging smiles with Allison, Carol returned to other customers.

Once they had their privacy back, Allison shared a bit more about herself, including the fact that most of the women that Evelyn met that night at the concert had slept with each other at one time or another. Something that the brunette found both fascinating and a bit confusing.

“And none of you find that awkward?” the brunette asked.

“Why should we? we’re all adults, aren’t we?” Allison replied. “It’s not like high school, where your exes were supposed to be off limits to your friends.”

That made Evelyn chuckle as she thought back to her high school days and how her best friend had gone ballistic after Evelyn had gone out with a guy that she’d dumped after only dating him twice, as if even that brief relationship had made him off-limits.

“Besides,” Allison added, “if we cut off everyone whose ex one of us later dated, pretty soon none of us would have any friends left.”

“The rules for girls dating girls certainly seem different from what I’m used to,” Evelyn commented, even as she realized that when Allison said dated, she really meant slept with.

“Would you mind if I ask you a personal question?” Allison asked. “It might make things a lot simpler.”

‘Of course not,” Evelyn said. “That’s what we’re here for, isn’t it?”

“What is it you’re really looking for?” Allison asked as she drained the last of the wine into her own glass.

“I’m not sure that I understand,” Evelyn replied.

“Are you really interested in dating another woman, or are you simply looking for someone to jump start your engine?”

“I’m not really sure,” she lied, not ready to say, at least to someone else, what was in her heart.

“Oh, I think you are,” Allison replied without missing a beat. “Especially since you’ve been sneaking looks at my tits for the last half hour. Might you be wondering how they might feel in your hands, or taste in your mouth?”

Evelyn’s face flushed red with embarrassment, because she had been doing exactly that.

She had been staring at Allison’s breasts; it was impossible not to. She might not have displayed them as blatantly as that other woman at the bar, but it was obvious that she’d put them out there to be seen. As for her other assertion, Evelyn had to admit that, while it hadn’t been totally on the money, it had been damn close.

“Oh, don’t worry, I expect them to be looked at,” Allison grinned, “and personally, I think they’re a lot better than those on that redhead at the bar that you thought was me earlier.”

“I didn’t think you noticed that,” Evelyn said, feeling even more embarrassed.

“Honey, I’m a trained professional, I notice everything,” Allison softly laughed. “I probably know how you’re going to answer before you do.”

‘That’s probably true,’ Evelyn decided, adding that it was time to put aside any false hesitancy.

“Is my being… inexperienced a problem?” she asked.

“Oh, hell no,” Allison replied with a mirth filled grin. “Virgins are one of my kinks. I would’ve thought Cathy might’ve told you that.”

‘One of her kinks?’ Evelyn thought, finding it a bit strange to be referred to as a virgin, even if, after a fashion, it was true. ‘Dare I ask what some of the others might be?’

“I guess I missed that,” she instead said, thinking that, in retrospect, Cathy might have indeed alluded to it.

“I should also tell you that I tend to be quite aggressive in bed,” Allison offered. “Downright dominant in fact. Does that scare you?”

Evelyn didn’t answer immediately, taking instead a few long seconds to think about her answer. That was something Cathy certainly hadn’t even remotely suggested. If there was ever a time to hit the pause button and reconsider what she was doing, this was probably it. Instead, Evelyn heard a voice she recognized as her own saying that it didn’t.

“Good,” Allison said as an expression that might almost be described as predatory lust flashed across her face.

At least that was how Evelyn took it and, although it only lasted for a moment, it was almost enough to make the rational part of her mind reevaluate her reply. Only to be overridden by the more powerful emotional half, strengthened even more by a rising excitement racing through her body.

“So, do we just head for one of the bathroom stalls and do it?” Evelyn asked, trying to hide her last bit of nervousness by being flippant.

“Don’t knock bathroom stalls,” Allison laughed, “I’ve had some great times in them. But this isn’t really the place for something like that. No, I was thinking, if you’re really game, I own a lakeside cabin about twenty miles from here. It’s quite comfortable, and very private, not a neighbor for nearly a half mile.”

“Do you mean now?” Evelyn asked.

The expression on Allison’s face told Evelyn that she certainly did.

-=-=-=-

Evelyn stood by the inner door of the vestibule, waiting for Allison, who had gone off to speak to the owners of the inn about something, most of the ladies’ club members had now left and as she watched, the restaurant staff proceeded to clean up and get ready for the dinner crowd.

One staffer, however, appeared to be done for the day, as Evelyn saw Carol emerge from a back room. No longer in uniform, she had exchanged the tight but plain outfit for an even tighter tank top and a pair of shorts that certainly lived up to their name. Before this afternoon, Evelyn might never have noticed what awesome legs the younger woman had. As she passed her on the way out, the shapely blonde gave Evelyn a cold, angry look that brought to mind the old expression, ‘if looks could kill.’

As she watched her continue across the parking lot to a well-worn Chevy Corvette, Evelyn wondered if things hadn’t clicked between Allison and her, would Carol have been the one going home with the law officer? Remembering how hard she was trying to get the redhead’s attention, Evelyn decided that would’ve probably been the most likely outcome. Allison didn’t strike her as the type of woman who spent many nights alone.

It had indeed been a close decision, but as she stood there waiting, Evelyn was certain it had been the right one. Or at least one that she could live with if, come tomorrow, she felt differently about it. For now, at least, she couldn’t wait to experience this brave new world.

“Ready to go?” Allison asked as she appeared beside Evelyn, having finished whatever matter needed attending to.

“As ready as I’m ever going to be,” Evelyn smiled back, her words filled with a mix of excitement and anticipation.

-=-=-=-

The drive to Allison’s lakeside refuge had taken less than fifteen minutes, and it was fair to say that in trying to keep up with the cherry red Jeep Wrangler in front of her, Evelyn had to more than once exceed the country road’s posted speed limit. Normally she would never have thought of doing so, but in this case, a sense of urgency caused her to throw caution to the wind. Besides, it was highly unlikely that she was going to get a ticket.

Parking directly in front of the cabin, Evelyn had barely gotten out of her hatchback when Allison, who had parked alongside of her, dashed around her jeep and, laying her hands on the sides of the brunette’s face, kissed her deeply. A kiss fueled by an anticipation that had been building almost from the moment they’d met. Evelyn felt the press of Allison’s tongue against her lips and opened them to admit it, reaching out with her own at the same time.

Evelyn felt her heart palpitate as, in addition to the kiss, Allison laid her hands on her, exploring parts of her that had gone too long untouched. A touch that sent a flush of desire through the younger brunette that she had sorely missed.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I just couldn’t wait any longer to do that,” Allison said, once she’d released her hold on Evelyn. “I did warn you that I sometimes tend to be a bit aggressive.”

“No,… I… I actually rather enjoyed it,” Evelyn replied, once she was able to stop her head from spinning.

“Was that the first time you kissed a girl?” Allison asked.

“Actually, no…” Evelyn replied. “In fact, my first real kiss was with another girl. But that was a very long time ago.”

“That’s funny, mine was too,” Allison smiled. “So why don’t we go on inside and see what else we might have in common?”

In a burst of mutual excitement, the two of them dashed up the three steps leading up to the porch and, after Allison unlocked the door, stepped inside.

The cabin itself was rather on the small side, a single story, one room structure that had been built by Allison’s great-grandfather around the turn of the century. From all outward appearances, little seemed to have changed since then, but once you stepped over the threshold, that assumption was quickly dispelled.

The interior of the cabin had been completely gutted and rebuilt since Allison had inherited it, to the point where it resembled more a modern studio apartment than the crude bungalow it had started out as.

There was even limited electrical power, supplied by a gas fired generator housed in a shed a few hundred feet away.

“It’s lovely,” Evelyn said once she had taken it all in.

“Thank you,” Allison replied as, taking her guest by the hand, she led her over to the far side of the room, where a large, king-sized bed awaited.

The wood frame of the bed appeared to be as old as the walls of the cabin, which it was, having been the only piece of original furniture that Allison had kept when she’d modernized the interior. The mattress, however, was virtually brand new and top of the line, built for comfort both in sleeping and other matters. At the moment, Evelyn couldn’t have cared if it was an army cot with a straw filled cushion.

Stepping alongside Evelyn once more, Allison gave a much softer kiss as she asked her if she would like something to drink.

“No, I think I’m good,” she replied, deciding that she wanted as clear a head as possible as to enjoy as much as possible what was to come.

“Well then, why don’t you make yourself comfortable on the bed?” the taller redhead suggested.

As Evelyn did so, she glanced back at Allison, who was standing a few feet away, watching her with what she could only describe as an appreciative eye. It only seemed fair that she did the same. Even dressed as simply as she was, Allison was breathtaking. Her body had a well-defined muscle tone that most men would envy, but at the same time left no mistake that the redhead was indeed all woman. As Evelyn had noted what now seemed like months ago, the law officer’s breasts were examples of near perfection and worthy of admiration. The rest of her form followed suit and it was obvious that the older woman spent serious time keeping it that way.

As she had back in the diner, Evelyn wondered what it would feel like to hold those breasts in her hand and taste them with her lips. A rush of desire filled her, with the further thought that she wouldn’t have long to find out. She’d seen women’s breasts before, in changing rooms and gym showers, but had never felt the attraction she did now. She wondered for a second if this was what men felt when they looked at a woman.

Fully aware that Evelyn was studying her body, Allison waited until she was sure she was done before stepping closer and climbing onto the bed, positioning her body behind the younger woman’s. She tilted the brunette’s head back to kiss her, planting her lips first on the nape of Evelyn’s neck, and then worked her way up to her lips. A second kiss followed, then a third, each more intimate than the one before. Allison then glided her tongue across Evelyn’s cheek to the lobe of her ear, nibbling it gently with her teeth.

“If things get too intense for you, just say so,” Allison whispered reassuringly into Evelyn’s ear. “You say the word, and we stop then and there.”

“You mean like a safe word?” Evelyn asked.

“Well, I wasn’t really thinking we needed to go that far, but if you like, why not?” Allison said. “What would you like it to be? Pick something that you probably wouldn’t say during sex play.”

“Hmm, let me think,” Evelyn said, only to come up blank. She then asked Allison if she had any suggestions.

“Well, my favorite has always been “Dante,” she replied with a mischievous grin.

“As in abandon all hope, ye…” Evelyn noted, having immediately recognized the reference.

“That’s the one,” she confirmed, her grin growing wider, “but don’t worry, I don’t bite. Unless of course you like that.”

“Okay, Dante it is,” Evelyn said, adding after a moment’s pause, “and for the record, I do like biting.”

“Excellent,” Allison said as she moved to kiss Evelyn once more.

-=-=-=-

As they continued to kiss, the intensity of their exchange growing with each renewed press of their lips, Allison cupped Evelyn’s right breast with the palm of her hand, squeezing it hard enough to make her nipple visible through both her bra and the blouse on top of it. She took a moment to rub her thumb against the excited nub, eliciting a low but pleasing moan from Evelyn, then moved her hand further down her body until it came to rest between the brunette’s legs, sliding outstretched fingers across the smooth flesh.

She took hold of the hem of Evelyn’s skirt and pulled it up to around her waist, reversed direction toward her actual goal, the blue cloth covered mound hidden beneath it. A smile filled Allison’s face when her hand found the thin lace damp to the touch, a condition that only grew as she rubbed her fingers back and forth a few times, causing Evelyn to squirm with pleasure, her moans increasing. Placing the tips of her fingers on the center of the damp spot, the redhead began to rub them in a circular pattern, with predictable results. Evelyn reached up with a free hand and pulled Allison’s mouth back to hers, driving her tongue into her mouth with aggressive fervor.

Meanwhile, without even pausing to watch what she was doing, Allison made short work of the long row of buttons on Evelyn’s top, undoing each in rapid succession until it only took a brush of her hand to slide both halves of the garment aside, revealing the matching bra underneath. Then, with even more deft precision, the redhead undid the clasp between the two hemispheres and parted them as well.

“Very nice,” Allison said as she pulled her head back from Evelyn’s in order to view her now exposed breasts. “You have such beautiful nipples.”

As if to underscore the last, the taller woman lifted her hand from where it was caressing Evelyn’s mound and brought it up to where she could do the same to the rounded globes. Her hand slid back and forth across the brunette’s breasts, caressing the supple flesh until, dropping her head downward, Allison replaced the embrace of her hand with that of her mouth.

“Mmmm,” Evelyn moaned as she felt the wetness of the older woman’s tongue wrap around her nipple, her tongue sliding across the tip.

Allison continued to suckle at Evelyn’s pert breasts for a bit more, then again brought her mouth back to the brunette’s. At the same time, she also returned her hand to down between the younger woman’s legs, picking up where she left off, but this time with increased ferocity, sliding it back and forth across her panties as before at first, then slipping her hand under the waistband to stimulate the sensitive flesh beneath more directly.

It didn’t take long for her goal to come to fruition as Evelyn’s breaths became frantic, matching the rising tide within her until those rolling waves reached a crescendo and her body exploded in orgasmic fury.

“That… was nice,” a pleased Evelyn sighed as, only a few long moments later, she lifted her head and smiled.

“That…” Allison responded as she smiled as well, “was just the start.”

Swinging her body over Evelyn’s, again kissing her before turning her attention to the smaller woman’s breasts. she brought her mouth first to one, then the other, smothering the warm flesh with deep wet kisses and playful licks. The nipple not tightly embraced by her lips received instead the almost equal attention of her free hand. Evelyn couldn’t believe how good she was making her breasts feel; no man had ever come close.

Lifting herself upward, Allison took hold of her blouse and, ripping the buttons right off it, tore it from her body, dropping it to the floor like some discarded rag. Her bra quickly followed, allowing her large breasts to bounce free until they were quickly caught by her hands. Pressing her palms over her areolas, the redhead rubbed them forcefully, dismissing the stiffness that came with containment.

Evelyn had only brief seconds to admire the beauty of Allison’s naked mounds before the larger woman again pressed forward, directing her own hardened nipple right up against the brunette’s mouth. Excitedly, Evelyn opened it as wide as she could and drew in as much of the bright pinkness as she could before starting to suck on it, caressing the hard tip with her touch. Following Allison’s example, she reached out with her other hand and took hold of the remaining breast, marveling how wondrous it felt in her hand.

Eventually, Evelyn made her way to the second mound, repeating her performance on the first as Allison pressed her body even harder forward. After letting the neophyte play for a little longer, the redhead again took control, first kissing Evelyn on the lips, then on each of her breasts before sliding down to the bottom of the bed. There she took hold of the younger woman’s legs and, lifting them upward, pulled off her panties.

The hair covering Evelyn’s mound was tightly trimmed, making the pink line dividing it clearly visible. Allison reached down and used her thumb to part it, sliding the tip of her finger along its length until, quickly locating the clitoris, she began to manipulate it vigorously. She did so for a minute or so, however, wasting no time in replacing the caress of her finger with that of her tongue.

“Oh my God!” Evelyn cried out as she felt Allison’s darting tongue probe deep within her. Again, in a way that no man had ever done.

Evelyn was in heaven, losing all sense of time as wave after wave of what she could only describe as pure joy washed over her. She wouldn’t have believed it possible in such a short time, but Allison seemed capable of the impossible, as once again, Evelyn could feel an orgasm building inside of her. Her climax proved only slightly less strong than the one that had preceded it.

Allison continued to lick her way across Evelyn’s pussy, even after the last tremors of her orgasm had subsided. She seemed determined to lap up every bit of the sweet nectar her efforts had brought forth. But as the old saying went, there was no rest for the wicked, and wicked was indeed what she felt as again she lifted herself upward, once more bringing her mouth to Evelyn’s.

Evelyn felt herself consumed by the fires that Allison had ignited, filling her with an overwhelming need to reciprocate the joy she felt. Even as the woman on top of her continued to trade kisses, the brunette ran her hands down the length of the larger woman’s body, slipping her hands under the elastic band of her pants. Pushing them downward until they’d slipped over the cheeks of her ass, Evelyn was excitedly surprised to find that Allison hadn’t worn anything beneath them. She embraced the bare flesh with outstretched hands, squeezing it tightly as she pulled the two of them even closer together.

“Let me get these off you,” Evelyn said as she discovered that she couldn’t get the pants off the rest of the way.

So, they paused for a moment, not only giving Evelyn not only the chance to slide Allison’s slacks the rest of the way down, but also allowing both of them to also rid themselves of any remaining clothing. The last garment had barely landed on the floor before Evelyn was on the move. This time, she was the one on top, pressing her face tightly between Allison’s breasts, feeling the warmth of their flesh against her cheeks as, after kissing the sides of both, she expanded her attention to the bright pink nipples capping both.