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Message-ID: <38186asstr$1031400604@assm.asstr-mirror.org>
From: "John O'Connor" <lushcoltrane@yahoo.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Subject: {ASSM} [sapphic] Fic: Fringe Benefits (A First Time Story)
Date: Sat,  7 Sep 2002 08:10:04 -0400
Path: assm.asstr-mirror.org!not-for-mail
Approved: <assm@asstr-mirror.org>
Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories
Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d

Submission for the Sapphic Erotica Festival for the
First Time Category.  
_______________________________________________________
Title: Fringe Benefits
    
Author: John O'Connor 
   
Email: lushcoltrane@yahoo.com   

Rating: NC-17.

Category: First time.

Date: 5 September 2002.   

Website: http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/John_OConnor/www/

Summary:  A commuter's fascination with a fellow
passenger blossoms.
_______________________________________________________
Fringe Benefits

Marylyn Lincoln glanced up from the paper and glanced
around the El car.  Her gaze stopped when she saw the
woman across the aisle.  How had she missed this one
getting on the train?

Internally chastising herself for not seeing this
lovely young lady before, Marylyn spent the rest of
her morning commute surreptitiously studying the other
woman.

She had long, straight light brown hair that hung
below her shoulders.  It was cut shorter towards the
front to just below her chin with short bangs,
revealing a wide, smooth forehead.  Her features were
striking.  She had large, brown eyes, a slender nose,
and a mouth that just begged to be kissed.

Marylyn thought to herself that would be a lot of fun.
 But she was also aware that this girl was probably
straight as hell and might not be the least bit
interested in another woman.

Having come out of the closet when she was in college,
Marylyn was well aware of how gays and lesbians were
perceived by most people.  Even in a relatively
open-minded town like Chicago, with it's official gay
neighborhood and it's annual parade.

'Well, it doesn't hurt to look or dream,' she thought.
 'At least I can see where she gets off.'

Smiling at her unintentional entendre, Marylyn glanced
at the girl across from her.  The brunette looked up
at that moment and smiled back at Marylyn.

Marylyn quickly glanced away in embarrassment, as her
heart seemed to stop.  The girl had a wonderfully
radiant smile!  A smile just about anyone would do
just about anything to experience.  The girl's whole
face lit up and her straight, white teeth almost
seemed to glow. 

Sneaking a glance out of the corner of her eye, she
saw the girl looking out the window of the train as
they cruised through the West Side along the
expressway median.

All too soon, the train went underground just before
they entered the Loop.  'Now,' Marylyn decided,
'unless the girl works on the Northwest Side, she'll
probably get off the train at one of the next few
stops.' 

As she had predicted, the girl stood and made her way
towards an exit as the train approached the Jackson
Street stop.  Marylyn finally got a glimpse of the
woman.  She was dressed in comfortable khaki slacks
with a medium-length dark brown leather jacket.  As
she noted the slightly strained white shirt beneath,
she also noticed the jacket had fringe on the sleeves
and across the back.

A suede jacket with fringe?  Was she suddenly in
Nashville? Had the Grand Ole Opry moved north?  Who
wore a fringed jacket in Chicago?

Then, remembering that smile, Marylyn decided the girl
could wear whatever she wanted.  As long as it came
with that smile.

But again, she was also well aware of some people's
deep-seeded feelings towards her.  Especially people
from the South.  To some of the sons and daughters of
Dixie, she had two strikes against her: she was gay
and, maybe worse to them, she was black.

Having grown up in one of the more open-minded
suburbs, Marylyn had only limited experience with
prejudice.  It wasn't until she went away to college
that she really had any problems.  

During Marylyn's sophomore year at school, she was
interested in one of the girls on her floor.  The
object of her desire was a lovely blond cheerleader
for the school's Division II football team.

One Saturday evening, after the football team won a
big conference game that afternoon, Marylyn saw her in
one of the many bars filled with celebrating students.
 She made her way across the room towards the girl. 
They ended up in a small, open space near the end of
the bar.

The girl, Sherry, was pleasant, funny, and
intelligent.  She even seemed to pick up on many of
the subtle hints Marylyn dropped regarding sex. 
Deciding to go for broke, Marylyn asked her if she'd
like to go for a walk.  Sherry agreed.

They strolled across the campus, ending up at a small
pond near the football stadium.  Sitting on a park
bench, Marylyn draped her arm along the back of the
seat and then down over Sherry's shoulder.  They
turned towards each other and their faces neared...

At that point, two men walked out of the bushes.  One
screamed, "Take your fucking hands off her!  Fucking
nigger dyke!"

"Not just one dyke, Joe.  Looks like two fucking
dykes!" the other said.  "I know just what they need!"

Sherry screamed and Marylyn jumped up.  "Get away from
us!" she said in a calm, low voice.  She stood lightly
on her feet, her arms loose and extended away from
her.

"Oh, the Karate Lez!  Fucking black bitch!  I'm gonna
wax on & wax off on you, you fucking dyke!  Think you
can take on us?  Well, you will.  I like nigger pussy.
 It's so easy..."

"Not this one," Marylyn said.

The two advanced on her and she yelled as she kicked
the nearest in the balls.  He squealed and fell,
clutching his crotch.

"Bitch!" the other one, Joe, snarled as he punched her
in the face.  It wasn't a hard punch but it distracted
her enough for her attacker to grab her arm and throw
her to the ground.

Silver glinted in the night as a switchblade appeared
in his hand, "Gonna cut me some black pussy..."

Panicked, Marylyn grabbed the hand and held him off. 
But her strength wasn't enough to hold off the heavier
man above her.  She could only stare as the blade
dropped lower and lower towards her face.

"Unnh!  No!  Don't...  You sonuva..." Marylyn grunted
as she tried to twist under her attacker.

"No, you don't.  I gotta get you back for Jeff," he
snarled.  Marylyn could smell the booze on the man's
breath.

She glanced over and saw Jeff in a fetal position on
the ground moaning.  She was amazed that she felt
satisfaction from that with a razor-sharp knife less
than an inch from her skin.

Marylyn steeled herself for the first prick of the
knife when campus police came and grabbed her
attacker.  They had found Sherry running away from the
pond and backtracked to find Marylyn in the proverbial
knick of time.

After the initial hearing, she never saw Sherry again.
 Rumor had it that her ultra-conservative parents took
her away from the evil influences of the
liberal-minded college.

The two would-be rapists eventually ended up serving
jail time.  Jeff tried to sue Marylyn for kneeing him
in the balls.  That suit was thrown out of court.

For the remainder of her two and a half years in
school, Marylyn attended, and later assisted, sessions
at the student rape counseling center.  

While working at the center helped her deal with the
ever-present spectre of the assault, it didn't really
help her address the unease and fear she felt at the
blatant racial hatred her attackers exhibited.  That
was something she had to learn to deal with on her own
over the next few years.

Before she realized it, the train came to a stop at
the Washington stop.  Marylyn shook her head trying to
dismiss the dark memories.  She managed to get off
just as the doors started to close.  Heading up to the
street, she looked around the Daley Plaza, then
chuckled when she realized she wouldn't see the
smiling beauty.  Even if she climbed the giant Picasso
in the middle of the plaza.

The rest of the day, she found herself thinking of the
young lady and having to force herself back to
concentrating on her work.  The buckskin jacket, as
she thought of it, was bothering her, for some reason.

'She might just be a fan of country music,' she mused
several times that day.  'Even if the girl is from the
South, that doesn't mean she'd be a bigot.'  This
always brought her to the point where she chuckled out
loud in her cubicle as the next thought inevitably
arose, 'Hell, I'm putting the cart before the horse is
out of the barn.  I don't even know if she's straight,
gay, or even bi...' Then she would laugh again at her
rural metaphors.

While confident that everyone was bisexual to some
extent, Marylyn realized that, if it were true, many
choose to ignore or restrain that part of themselves. 

Finally, the work day ended and Marylyn joined the
hundreds of others leaving work at that time, crowding
the bus stops, El stations, and subway platforms.  As
was often the case at the end of the day, she had to
stand when she boarded the train.  

When the train pulled up at the Jackson platform, she
scanned the crowds for the girl she had seen earlier
in the day.  She was not surprised when she saw no
sign of the young beauty.  The surprise would've been
seeing her in this one car out of all the Els running
during rush hour.  

Getting off the train in Oak Park, Marylyn stopped at
a small grocery store and picked up some odds and ends
she needed before walking on to her apartment.  

She tossed her mail on the coffee table, saw no
messages on her machine, and turned on the television.
 At least she was home in time to catch "Buffy, the
Vampire Slayer", even if it was a rerun.

As she watched, her mind kept turning back to the girl
on the train.  Was she from the South?  Would she care
that Marylyn was black?  Presuming she'd be interested
at all.

The next morning, Marylyn stopped at a little coffee
shop before proceeding to the train platform.  As she
stood there among dozens of other commuters, she
scanned the crowd.  No sign of Wrangler Jane, as she
had begun calling the girl she had seen just once the
day before.

As the El pulled up and she got on, she gazed around
the car but saw no one.  'Damn,' she thought.  She had
come to recognize, if not know, many of the people she
rode with everyday.  But she had taken the train
enough to know that there were thousands of people she
might see only once or twice and then never again. 
And it was beginning to look like Wrangler Jane was
one of those.

The rest of that day passed quickly.  Marylyn had a
large project she was putting together and it took
most of her time.  Almost before she was aware of it,
it was time to head home.

Like the day before, she watched for Wrangler Jane as
the subway headed south then west away from the Loop. 
And, like the day before, she saw no sign of the
lovely 'cowgirl' on board.

Unfortunately for Marylyn, this situation remained
unchanged for the next two days.  By the time she got
off the train on Friday, she was certain she'd never
see Wrangler again.

Arriving at her apartment, she found a note taped to
her door from her next-door neighbors.  Steve and
Allison Conrad were going out to dinner at one of the
better Mexican places in town and wanted to know if
she was interested.

Marylyn smiled, this might be just what she needed. 
She went to knock on their door.  Steve, a handsome
man in his mid-thirties answered.

"Hey, Mar!  Got our note.  Wanna join us? 
Margaritas!!!"

Laughing, Marylyn said, "I'd love to.  Give me ten
minutes?"

"Take twenty.  That's at least how long it'll take
Allie to get ready."

They both smiled at the shouted "Hey!" from the
bedroom.

"Hi Allison!" Marylyn called before going back to her
place to change into jeans and a comfortable shirt.

After splashing water on her face, she grabbed a brush
and ran it through her hair.  It took some work but
she liked how it looked styled to hang around her
shoulders with a gentle curl.  While she liked the
more natural tight curls on most black women, she
thought the time and trouble to get hers styled was
worth it.  But what about...?

She stared at the pretty reflection and said, "Get
over it, girl!  There are plenty more cowgirls out
there."

Later, as the three were sipping margaritas and
munching on the complimentary chips and salsa, Steve
told them about an incident on the floor of the Board
of Trade where he worked.  Fortunately for the ladies,
Steve was able to take the most boring story and make
it hilariously funny.

"Steve, that has got to be the stupidest story you
ever told us," Allison said.

"Yeah?  Well you laughed!" Steve responded.

"Just being polite, dear," Allison patted his hand.

Marylyn saw the gesture and smiled.  If they could
make their marriage work, maybe she had a shot at
something wonderful too.

Steve happened to be white and his wife was
African-American.  They were the perfect mixed
marriage as far as Marylyn was concerned.  Both loved
and respected the other. 

And they were a lot of fun to be with.

"I saw a goddess the other day," Marylyn said.  At her
friends' urging, she told them about Wrangler Jane. 
They were both sympathetic when she told them she
hadn't seen the girl since that one time.

While the waiter came with their food, Allison said,
"Don't worry, Marylyn.  If it was meant to be, you'll
see her again."

"Yeah, I guess so..."

The three of them proceeded to devour the food spread
before them.  As Marylyn took a bite of her second
fajita, she froze staring straight ahead.

"Mar, what is it?" Steve asked as he turned to look
towards the door.  "Is that her?  She's a knockout!"

Allison slapped her husband lightly on the arm but had
to agree.  "She is a beauty, Mar.  If I wasn't
straight, I'd be all over her myself."

"That I'd pay money to see," Steve said, only half
joking.

"I guess I..."  Marylyn was at a loss for words.  That
situation worsened when the girl in the fringed jacket
glanced over, smiled and nodded at Marylyn.  Marylyn
was so surprised that she could only stare at the
young woman.

"Marylyn?  Marylyn!" Steve said.

"Whu...?"

"You still with us, sweetie?" Allison asked.

"Why don't you go over and say hello?" Steve
suggested.

"I couldn't.  Not now.  I just looked like a complete
idiot.  She must think I'm a head case," Marylyn
moaned.  "Anyway, she's with someone."

The girl that haunted Marylyn's thoughts was indeed
dining with a companion.  A female companion.  A point
Steve wasn't going to ignore.

"Hey, at least she's with a woman.  There may be
hope..."

"Yeah, right!"  Marylyn snorted.  "She's probably a
coworker or something."

"Marylyn, what's with you?  You've never been this way
before when we've been out," Allison said.  

"I don't know.  Maybe it's because she's so...  I
don't know."  Marylyn sighed dramatically, "I'm so
pathetic."

Steve snorted a laugh, "Yeah, you are."

"Steve!" Allison said to her husband before turning to
their friend, "Mar, just act the way you did when you
met Laura.  She was gorgeous too.  But you managed to
win her over."

Marylyn had met Laura Cornell, a high school English
teacher, a little over a year before.  She was out
with the friends she was with tonight.  They were in a
bar in nearby Elmwood Park when Marylyn saw the pretty
woman come in.  She struck up a conversation and found
that the pretty blonde was alone and interested. 

They spent the next six months in a torrid love
affair.  It was the greatest relationship of her life.
 The only reason it ended was Laura's transfer to a
prestigious private school in Ohio.  Laura couldn't
pass up the opportunity just as Marylyn couldn't give
up her career.

They had stayed in touch but they both realized the
affair was essentially over.  But while it lasted...

"I was drunk when I met Laura.  You know, liquid
courage?" Marylyn said.  "And anyway, she wasn't with
someone."

"You're nervous!  That's so cute," Allison laughed.

"Yeah, you're a chicken!" Steve said.

"I am not!  Just not...  What if they're an item?"

"An item?  Who says that anymore?"

"Steve..." Allison said warningly.

"Well, there goes your chance out the door," Steve
observed.  "Guess they didn't want to wait for a
table."

Marylyn looked sadly towards the front as the object
of her obsession slipped through the small crowd at
the entrance and out into the early evening.  "Damn!"
she muttered to herself.

After they finished dinner, the threesome left the
restaurant.  The Conrads were determined that Marylyn
would enjoy herself.  Marylyn, for her part, tried to
enjoy herself too.  And, as the evening went on, she
did.

Much later, the three of them returned to their
apartment building giggling, although Steve would deny
he ever giggled.  As they entered the foyer, Allison
shushed them both, saying, "It's really late.  Quiet."

"It's not late," Marylyn argued, glancing at her
watch.  "It's only..."  She squinted to focus and
said, "It's only 2 AM."

Steve grunted, "Yeah, well I've been up since 5 so I'm
going..." He gestured up towards their apartment and
headed up the stairs, stumbling on the first two. 
This caused both women to renew their giggling as they
followed him upstairs.

Marylyn woke up and stared groggily at her alarm
clock.  It was almost noon.  

She lay there for a few minutes then crawled into the
bathroom.  Gulping some aspirin, she then turned on
the shower.  When the water was warm and to her
liking, she stepped in.

After washing herself, she stood under the warm spray
and let the water run down her dark skin.  As her
headache disappeared, she felt herself becoming
aroused.

'Why am I always so excitable when I'm hung over?' she
mused with a quiet chuckle.  'Ah well, may as well
take care of it...'

Marylyn's left hand played over her already erect
nipples, first her left breast then her right.  The
right hand slid down her flat, smooth stomach and
combed through the short, curly hair between her legs.

Closing her eyes, she felt wetness between her legs
that had nothing to do with the shower.  As her finger
tips played lightly with her outer labia, she sighed
quietly.  It wouldn't take much to get her off today.

Her strokes across her hard nipples and her swollen
nether lips strengthened.  Ripples of pleasure slowly
grew to waves that course through her body.  As those
waves grew in strength, Marylyn relinquished her hold
on her nipple and slid the fingers of her left hand
into her hot wetness while she began to flick her
clitoris with the fingers of her right hand.

Throwing back her head, she cried out as her orgasm
flowed through her.  Falling back against the tiled
wall of the shower, her fingers slid out of her as the
young woman's whole body went limp.

Taking a deep shuddering breath, Marylyn opened her
eyes. She was sitting in the tub where she had slowly
slumped after making herself cum.  The smell of sex
was weak and dissipating as the shower continued to
flow but she could detect her own aroma and smiled.

"God, I've got to get laid!" she declared aloud.

Marylyn reflected on this statement as she used the
shower for it's more traditional purpose.  She did
miss sex but she never really enjoyed one-night
stands.  She had only a few of those under her belt
but they were not memorable.  Not like her times with
Laura or Jessie, her roommate and lover her last two
years at school.  Or even Binnie, the big mistake she
had made when she was out of school and on her own.

These, even the weird relationship with Binnie, had
love a huge factor in the sex.  Marylyn knew she would
be considered a little old-fashioned but she didn't
really care for sex unless she cared for the girl she
had it with.

Wearing only a terry-cloth robe that hung to her
knees, she sat on the sofa and turned on the TV.  Not
much on that interested her.  She settled for Andy
Griffith reruns that Channel Nine almost always showed
before Cubs games.  Without knowing, she dozed off.

Two hours later, she woke up to someone knocking on
her door.  As she groggily got up from the couch, she
noticed the Cubs were losing. 'Typical,' Marylyn
thought.

At the door stood Steve, looking about the way Marylyn
felt when she woke up several hours earlier.  "Hey,
Steve.  What's up?"

"Uh, do you have any aspirin?  My head aches like you
wouldn't believe!"

"Yeah sure.  Come on in.  Have a seat."

A few moments later, Marylyn returned to the living
room to find Steve shaking his head at the game on TV.
 "How many do you need?" Marylyn asked.

"Goddamn Cubs," Steve growled.  "Uh, I guess 4 or 5 if
you don't mind."  Seeing the look on Marylyn's face,
he quickly added, "Some are for Allison."

"Here, take the bottle & bring it back later.  What
are you two up to tonight?"

Taking the proffered bottle, Steve replied, "Nothing. 
Maybe something from Blockbuster and a pizza."

"I didn't think you drank that much..."

"I did a couple of shots at the bar with the guys
while you two were playing pool."  Steve chuckled and
said, "You both have fans."

"Fans?"

"Yeah, the guys were definitely admiring the jeans you
were both wearing," Steve said with a smile.

"Pig!" Marylyn jokingly said, lightly slapping his arm
for emphasis.

"Can I ask you something?  I've been wondering for a
while but..."

When Steve hesitated, Marylyn said, "Ye-es?"

"Well, it's just that...  Have you ever looked at
Allison as more than a friend?"

'Here we go.  The threesome proposition.  I always
thought Steve was better than that,' Marylyn sighed to
herself.  Aloud, she said, "Not since we were in
college.  And no, nothing happened.  We met in class,
I thought she was hot, but she was straight and we
became best friends."

"Good."

"Good?  I thought..."

"You thought I was going to suggest something?  No, I
love her too much to share.  Even with you.  I
guess...when I'm hung over I usually feel depressed
and inadequate.  I'm sorry I even asked."  Steve stood
and headed for the door.

Marylyn pulled his shoulder and hugged him.  "She
loves you too.  You have nothing to worry about."

"Thanks.  Sorry."

"And don't apologize.  Anyway, my tastes usually run
towards white meat..." Marylyn laughed.  Steve laughed
with her, feeling better.
 
"If you wanna come over later..."

"Thanks Steve.  Maybe I will."

After Steve left, Marylyn spent the rest of the
afternoon cleaning the apartment.  The nap she took
had helped clear out the vestiges of the night before.
 

Finally she looked around and said, "Well, at least
it's better than before...  I need another shower."

An hour later, she was pulling on a tight, white
t-shirt with a sparkily 'GRRL POWER' iron-on in the
newly traditional rainbow spectrum across the chest. 
She normally wasn't so obvious about her sexuality but
something told her to pull that shirt on.  And anyway,
the tightness accentuated her bosom and the bright
white material nicely contrasted with her dark skin.

A pair of tight jeans were added to her ensemble.  As
she finished pulling them on, she shook her head in
bemusement.  She finally admitted to herself that she
wasn't going to watch movies with Steve and Allison
tonight, she was too restless.

She grabbed her short, well-worn, black leather
jacket, and left her apartment, stopping by her
friends' place.  After accepting two slices of pizza
and spending about half an hour with them, she left to
see what trouble she could get into.

Marylyn headed for a nearby area known for the
proximity of several bars and pubs along the street. 
She stopped at a sports bar but didn't feel like
dealing with the apparent frat reunion that took up
half the room.  Heading across the street, she went
into another popular watering hole.

She walked up to the bar and nodded to some casual
acquaintances.  As she sipped her beer, she scanned
the small crowd and froze.  SHE was here!  Wrangler
Jane was across the bar from her and apparently alone.

Wrangler looked up and smiled at Marylyn, causing the
young woman's heart to skip a beat.  Somehow, Marylyn
managed to wave halfheartedly, staring at the girl the
whole time.

The girl, wearing her trademark suede jacket with the
fringe, came around the bar.  "May I join you?"

Marylyn nodded, took a swallow of her beer, and
finally said, "Please do."  She set the bottle down,
wiped the condensation off her hands and held out her
right hand, "I'm Marylyn." 

Taking the slim hand in hers with a firm grip, the
other woman shook hands and said, "Hi.  I'm Stephanie.
 Pleased to meetcha."

Marylyn smiled, she did detect the barest trace of a
southern accent in the girl's voice.  "You're not from
around here, are you?" she asked.

Stephanie chuckled and shook her head.  "I thought I
had that accent thing licked.  But to answer your
question, no, I'm not from around here.  I was born
and raised outside Memphis in Germantown, Tennessee. 
You?"

"Yeah, born & bred in greater Chicagoland," Marylyn
replied.

"Really?  Must've been great.  I love it up here.  I
moved to the area about three months ago from home and
haven't regretted it," Stephanie said.  Then she
added,  "Well, I do miss my friends.  So I'm glad I
saw a friendly face.  I was about to go to Blockbuster
and rent something for the night." 

"Friendly face?  But we just met..." Marylyn said.

"Not exactly.  I've seen you on the train quite a bit
the past few weeks.  You work downtown?"

"Yeah, at Marshall Field's.  Advertising.  Not really
all that exciting but the discounts..."  Marylyn
rolled her eyes in mock ecstasy.

"Wow.  Maybe it's a good thing I met you.  I love to
shop.  And deals...?" Stephanie laughed.  

Marylyn laughed along with her new friend.  She felt
much more at ease with every passing minute.  However,
while she did feel more relaxed with the beautiful
girl, the attraction she had been feeling was growing
as well.  This could definitely be a problem.

"So, what about him?" Stephanie asked several beers
later.

"Who?  Mr. Scruffy there?" Marylyn replied.  "Maybe
after a bath and a shave..."

"So, you don't find anyone in here attractive,"
Stephanie declared.

'That's not true.  Not by a long shot,' Marylyn mused.

When she didn't say anything, Stephanie finally asked,
"Or is it just men that don't attract you?"

Startled by the starkly stated question, Marylyn
stared straight ahead.  She was afraid to look at her
new friend.  But she was equally afraid that she was
missing something, something important.

"Well?" Stephanie asked, gently pushing her elbow
against the black girl's arm.

"I...that is..."

"Hey, it's okay.  I kinda thought so when I finally
saw what your shirt said.  A girl I work with has one.
 She bought it on Halsted Street.  And yes, she is a
lesbian," Stephanie explained.  "And no, it doesn't
bother me.  To each his, or her, own."

Marylyn finally looked over at her new friend.  She
saw friendship, understanding, and concern there. 
What she didn't see though, was interest. 

"To quote a classic, this could be the start of a
beautiful friendship," Marylyn said.  They both
laughed easily. 

"So, what's up with the fringe?" Marylyn asked as they
left the bar.

"You asked that earlier.  What?  You afraid of a
little fringe?" Stephanie laughed.

"Yeah, 'Fear of Fringe'.  Great idea for a book.  I
could be the Erica Jong of the...  What are we in now?
 The zeroes?"

"Just say the early 21st century," Stephanie
responded. "I don't think the title has the zing you
need for a bestseller."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

That night, Marylyn lay alone in her bed thinking
about what had happened.  She was surprised to find
out that she didn't hurt as bad as she would've
thought.  Maybe there was something to the old saying
about age and wisdom, the twenty-something girl
reflected.

Over the next several weeks, Marylyn and Stephanie
spent a lot of free time together.  They often met for
lunch downtown and hit the summer festivals around the
area on the weekends.  Steve and Allison readily
accepted her into their little group and the four of
them got along famously.  Soon, Stephanie felt like
she'd always been part of this tight-knit group. 
Marylyn even met her 'competition' from the Mexican
restaurant, a coworker of Stephanie's.

In August, talk turned from the Cubs dismal chances to
football.  Allison was appalled that their new friend
was as avid a football fan as her husband and her best
friend.  "I'm even more outnumbered," she lamented.

One night, the four of them were in one of the larger
sports bars in Oak Park.  There were three pre-season
games on the monitors above the central bar.  Steve
and Marylyn were watching the Bears and moaning the
fact that they were playing so far south in Champaign
while the stadium was being rebuilt.

"Sucks.  If we want to go any home games, we have to
drive three hours south!  No CTA, no Metra trains,"
Steve groaned.

"There's Amtrak," Marylyn offered.

Allison jumped in, "You have been to a grand total of
one, count'em, one game in the past two years!  I
don't see what the big deal is..."

"But why Champaign?  Why not Evanston?"

But rather than get mixed up in that conversation yet
again, Marylyn turned to her companion, "So, how're
the Titans doing?"

"Shitty."  

Marylyn smiled.  Whenever Steph swore, her accent
became more noticeable.  It added a sweet touch to her
speech.

"Don't you be laughin' at my accent, goddamnit!  I'll
bring up your phobia..."

"I'm not afraid of fringe!  And I wasn't making fun of
your accent.  I think it's adorable," Marylyn said. 
What she didn't say was 'as cute as you are.'  Even
after all this time as friends, she was acutely aware
of how attracted she was to the young southerner.

"So what are you going to do about next Saturday?"
Steve asked.

Welcoming the distracting interruption, Marylyn
answered, "I guess I'm going stag.  I can't think of
any way to get out of it."

"Out of what?" Steph asked.

"Marylyn has a wedding to go to next weekend," Allison
explained.  "Since she's not seeing anyone, she has
taken Steve as her 'date' to a couple of these. 
But..."

"You two have your weekend up in Lake Geneva,"
Stephanie finished.  Turning to Marylyn, she asked,
"So why do you have to go?  You can just send a gift
later."

"No, Janice was the first person at Field's to accept
me when I started.  That made things so much easier. 
She's like my best friend there at work.  I really
have to go," Marylyn said.

After a quiet moment, Stephanie said, "I'll go with
you."

"You want to go?"

"Sure.  Why not?  There are always single guys and
gals at weddings.  Maybe we'll both get lucky,"
Stephanie said with a wide smile.  "And it's not like
we're going on a date.  It's just a big dress-up
party."

"Yeah, okay.  It'll be fun," Marylyn said, only half
believing it herself.  To herself, she said, 'Not a
date...  Single guys...  Damn!'

The week passed quickly.  Thursday, Steve and Allison
left for Wisconsin directly from work.  Marylyn and
Stephanie met to take the train back as they had been
for the past few months. 

Stephanie seemed unduly eager for Saturday to arrive. 
Marylyn looked forward to it but another part of her
dreaded it.  What if Steph did meet some guy?  Even
though she and the southern girl were just friends,
seeing that would hurt.  And she really didn't want
anymore pain in her life.

Finally, Saturday arrived.  Marylyn looked at herself
in the full-length mirror and was not impressed.  She
was, however, her harshest critic.  Where she saw
nothing special, others saw a vision.  Today was no
exception.

She had put on one of her better dresses, a white
mid-length with bare shoulders, a plunging neckline
and an even deeper plunging back.  It provided a
splendid contrast to her dark skin.  

She had her hair loosely curled and it framed her face
nicely.  Some light touches of makeup and she was
ready to pick up Stephanie.

She drove the few blocks to Steph's and went to the
door.  Stephanie answered when she rang the bell and
gasped at the beauty waiting for her.  "God, Mar,
you're stunning!"

Marylyn looked down in embarrassment but not before
she saw how lovely Stephanie looked.  She had a dark
skirt that hung to mid-shin but was slit up the right
side practically to her hips.  She had on a light
blue, long-sleeved blouse that showed a lovely hint of
cleavage.  Her dark hair was pinned up, exposing her
slender neck.  As with her friend, the woman had only
a hint of makeup, primarily lipstick.

Marylyn, after drinking in the sight of the southern
beauty, managed to say, "You are gorgeous."

"Thank you.  Shall we go?"

Marylyn led the way to her car and they set off for
the church.  Once there, they milled around outside
the building with some of Marylyn's coworkers.  The
interior of the old structure had horrible
air-conditioning and it was cooler in the shade of one
of the old trees.

"So, this your new girlfriend?" or a variation was the
most common question from her friends.  She took pains
to point out that Stephanie was there as a friend
only.  But she did like the fact that all of them were
accepting of her lifestyle.

The ceremony in the church was mercifully brief. 
After the new tradition of blowing bubbles at the
bride and groom as they left the church, there was a
break of almost three hours before the reception.  The
Elks Hall was only a few blocks away so it would take
no time to reach it.

To fill the gap, Marylyn suggested they all head to a
nearby Irish pub.  Her 'date' and her coworkers
agreed.  It had to be cooler than outside.

They spent almost an hour and a half at the Irish
Corner before heading to the reception.  In that time.
Stephanie had proven her worth at steel-tipped darts
with several of the Field's folks.  Marylyn, who much
preferred pool, simply watched, enjoying the way the
woman moved as she threw.  'No law says I can't look,'
she rationalized.  

All of them ended up at the same large, round table in
the reception.  One of Marylyn's coworkers commented
happily that they were at least close to the bar.

The dinner was better than most wedding dinners.  The
bride's family had gone all out and served shrimp
cocktail appetizers and either steak or broasted
chicken for the entree.

After the tables were finally cleared and the DJ
started playing music for dancing, Marylyn sat back
and said to Stephanie, "Are you enjoying yourself?  We
can always leave if..."

Steph interrupted, "I'm having a lot of fun.  Your
coworkers are a blast!  If you want to go though,
that's okay with me."

"No, just wanted to make sure you weren't bored or
anything."

"Not at all.  Wanna dance?" Steph asked brightly.

"D-dance?  Us?" Marylyn stammered.

"Sure.  Why not?  I've been to a lot of these things
where I ended up dancing with one of my friends
because my date had two left feet.  C'mon..." 
Stephanie stood and took Marylyn's hand, pulling her
up and over to the dance floor.

The DJ was playing a fast song and both women soon
were dancing and enjoying themselves.  The next song
was also a fast dance tune so they stayed out on the
floor.

After this, the music slowed to an old slow-dance
number.  Marylyn started to move off the dance floor
when Steph stopped her and pulled her close.  Placing
her arms over Marylyn's shoulders and around her neck,
Stephanie started to lead them in a slow, close dance.

Marylyn, clearly surprised by her friend's actions,
tentatively placed her hands on either side of the
girl's waist.  As the song went on, her hands slid
around to Stephanie's back.  The distance between the
two women closed as well.  Soon, they were pressed
together as they swayed to the music.

Stephanie sighed and rested her head on Marylyn's
shoulder.  Her hands had slid down to Marylyn's lower
back, just above her ass.  Marylyn could smell her
friend's perfume.  And something else?

All too soon, the music stopped.  Stephanie quickly
stood back and Marylyn felt another pang of loss.  

They turned towards their table when the DJ announced
it was time for the bouquet toss.  Marylyn and
Stephanie stayed on the floor with the other single
women.

As the bride tossed the bouquet, many of the women
squealed and tried to grab the bundled flowers.  It
got bounced by a grasping hand and ended up in Steph's
hand.  Her face reflected her surprise at the catch.

"Guess you'll be getting hitched soon," Marylyn joked.

"Yeah, like I'm seein' someone," Stephanie said as
they returned to their table.

"What?  No prospects?  Even here?"

"Are you nuts?  Here?  Frat Central?"

Both girls laughed.  "Yeah, if I was straight, I'd
have a hard time finding anyone here."

"What about the girls?" Steph asked.

Marylyn looked away, "I...there's...  No."

"Hey, you wanna get outta here and grab a drink
somewhere else?" Stephanie said, changing the subject.

Still not looking at her friend, she agreed, "Yeah. 
Let's get outta here."

They agreed that neither one of them wanted to go to a
bar or tavern.  They headed back to Stephanie's
apartment.

"Would you like to come up for a glass of wine?"
Stephanie offered as they pulled up in front of her
building.

Marylyn agreed and they went up.  Stephanie lived in
one of the few tall apartment buildings in Oak Park. 
With a large picture window opposite the door, she had
a view to the east towards the city.  The towers in
and around the Loop were all lit.  It almost looked
like a dream.

A dream that vanished as Stephanie turned on the
lights.

"Wow.  That's a hell of a view," Marylyn said.  

"That's right, you've never been here before,"
Stephanie said.  "Want the tour?"

Showing the one-bedroom apartment was a quick task and
soon the two friends were sitting on the couch,
looking out the window towards the city.

"Let me turn the lights down," Steph said.  "The view
is much better."

As they sat in the dim light, Stephanie looked at her
friend.  "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"When you...  At the reception, you hesitated when I
asked you if you saw anyone interesting.  Who was it?"

"No...no one."

"Liar," Stephanie said good-naturedly.  "You can tell
me."

"Why is it so important?" Marylyn asked, not bothering
with denials anymore.

Now it was Stephanie's turn to feel uneasy, "I was... 
I guess I was...  Was it me?"

"I..."  Marylyn took a gulp of her wine, "Yes.  I am
attracted to you.  I have been since I first saw you
on the El months ago.  But I know you're not...  And
your friendship means too much to..."

"Well, friends are supposed to talk.  And how do you
know that I...well, that I wasn't interested?"
Stephanie asked in a quiet voice.

"Please don't..." Marylyn replied in a sad voice.

"I'm serious, Mar.  How do you know if you don't ask?"

"Are...are you interested?"  Marylyn's voice was
practically a whisper.

"Before I met you, I would've said no.  Not a chance. 
But...I like you.  A lot.  I've had more fun with you
than anyone else in a long, long time.  After
tonight..."

"Why tonight?"

"When we danced?  Slow danced?  I felt so right in
your arms.  So safe.  So loved.  I didn't want the
song to end.

"I still don't."

Stephanie turned and caressed Marylyn's face then
leaned in and kissed her.  Their soft lips moved
gently together for a moment before Steph sat back.

"Wow.  I...liked that."

"So did I," Marylyn agreed.

"Good."  Stephanie leaned towards Marylyn again.  She
leaned in as well, and they kissed again.

This time, Marylyn opened her lips and traced
Stephanie's lips with the tip of her tongue.  The soft
lips quivered then parted and Marylyn slipped into
Stephanie's mouth.

Stephanie's tongue lightly touched Marylyn's then
darted back before reaching and caressing the supple
invader.

They stayed that way for several long moments, their
tongues sliding in and out of each other's mouths.  It
was one of the most passionate kisses either woman had
experienced.

"Oh my God!" Stephanie whispered.  "That was..."

Marylyn could only stare into her friend's eyes.  Did
she see desire there?  Or fear?

"Marylyn, I...I'm not sure what to do but I want..."

"Stephanie, you don't have to do anything.  We don't. 
We can just forget this ever happened," Marylyn
quickly said.

"No, that's not it.  I don't want to forget.  I don't
want it to end.  I just don't know what to...do."

Marylyn sat and stared.  She did?  She wanted Marylyn?

Stephanie took one of Marylyn's hands and whispered,
"Please.  Show me what to do.  Make love to me."  She
turned the hand, exposing the paler flesh of the palm
and pressed her lips there.

"Here?" Marylyn asked, her voice hoarse with lust and
desire.

"Please."  She squeezed the hand she had just kissed.

Marylyn leaned in and kissed Stephanie, her free hand
sliding along the soft skin of the southern girl's
neck then up into her hair.  Pulling the pins free,
she let Stephanie's dark hair fall in a silky wave.

Slowly, Marylyn slid the bottom of Steph's blouse out
of her skirt before undoing the buttons, exposing the
pale flesh.

Sliding the blouse off her shoulders, Marylyn
unclasped the woman's bra and then gently cupped
Stephanie's breasts; her dark skin an erotic contrast
to the pale rounded flesh.

Marylyn thrilled to the feel of Stephanie's hard
nipples poking into her palms and slowly moved her
hands to pinch and stroke the nipples with her
fingers. 

Still kissing Stephanie, she finally, reluctantly
pulled away from her mouth and began to kiss and suck
the pale skin of her throat, moving down to the soft
swell of the woman's breasts.

Her tongue traced the dark circles capping Steph's
breasts without touching the nipples at their centers.
 

Marylyn ran her tongue in a small spiral until she
reached and began to play with one of Stephanie's
nipples.  A gasping sigh was her reward.

After thoroughly bathing that nub with her tongue, she
turned her attention to the other breast and repeated
her slow, teasing play. 

Stephanie leaned down and kissed the top of Marylyn'
head, "Thank you... I..."

Marylyn raised her eyes and saw tears in Stephanie's. 
She quickly took the girl in her arms.  "What's
wrong?"

"This... I feel so good...  No one has made me feel
like this in a long time."

"So, you want me to go on?"

"Oh God, yes!"

"Okay, stand up Stephanie.  I want you naked."

The young brunette quickly stood and pushed her skirt,
pantyhose and panties off.  She stood and turned
quickly before her new lover.  A little nervously, she
asked, "You like what you see?"

"Yes!  Very much." Marylyn then laughed, "I wanted to
strip you."

"Next time," Stephanie promised.

Marylyn stood and took the naked woman in her arms and
kissed her.  Stephanie giggled into the kiss.

"What's so funny?" Marylyn demanded.

"I was just thinking how silly and how hot it must
look - you still dressed and me naked."

"Well, we'll just have to correct that.  Sit down,"
Marylyn said, gently nudging the beautiful nude down
onto the cushions.  Then she slowly peeled off her
dress, revealing her high, firm breasts.  Standing in
her panties and shoes, she turned and looked over her
shoulder, asking, "Like what you see?"

"You are so beautiful," Stephanie breathed, as Marylyn
kicked off her shoes and tugged down her panties,
revealing a neatly trimmed triangle.

Marylyn turned and knelt in front of the other woman. 
First kissing Steph softly, Marylyn again began to
kiss her way down the quivering body.  Only briefly
stopping at the pert breasts, she moved down further
to the heart of the matter.

She gazed at the dark furry triangle and the
glistening lips beneath.  "So beautiful..."

Marylyn leaned closer and blew a stream of air into
Stephanie's vagina.  The seated woman sighed loudly at
the cool air moving over her hot flesh.

Soon the sighs turned to moans as Marylyn began to
lick the hot, soft flesh.  She slipped her tongue
deeply into Stephanie then pulled out and traced her
inner and outer lips, exploring every crevice, every
nook and cranny.  

She nibbled on the puffy lips, tracing the edge caught
between her teeth with her tongue, and tugging on it
gently.  Then she repeated this with the other swollen
lip.  Every touch of her mouth brought a sigh or a
moan to Stephanie's lips. 

As the girl's pussy was explored, her dewy cum built
up.  Marylyn slipped first one finger then a second
into Steph's soft humid slit.  Slowly she pumped her
fingers in and out.

"Oh fuck me!  Please fuck me!  God!  Marylyn!  Please
don't stop.  Make me cum!"

The black woman was happy to oblige.  She suckled
Steph's clitoris as she increased the pace of her
fingers as they slid in and out of her thoroughly
soaked pussy.

As she knew it would, the combined effects of her
sucking on the little nubbin and her finger fucking
brought the girl to her first lesbian orgasm. 
Stephanie cried out as she came.  At that moment, her
fluids gushed onto Marylyn's hand.

Marylyn sat back on her heels, licking her fingers
clean as she waited for Stephanie to come back to her.
 Finally the pretty girl opened her eyes and looked at
her lover.

"That was incredible," she whispered.  "I don't know
when..."

"I'm glad.  You have no idea how long I've wanted to
do that.  I'm so glad you enjoyed it too."

"How could I not?" Stephanie laughed.  "You are
incredible."

Marylyn sat next to her, their bare hips pressing
together.  She kissed Stephanie softly.  Stephanie
took the kiss to the next level, practically shoving
her tongue into Marylyn's mouth.  Not that Marylyn was
going to complain.

"I want to...  I don't know..."  Stephanie looked
pleadingly to Marylyn.

"What?  That you won't be able to please me?" 
Stephanie nodded, her eyes sad.  Marylyn put her
finger under the girl's chin and lifted her head.  "I
am already so pleased that anything else is a bonus. 
Okay?  You do what you want to.  If you don't want to
or aren't ready, that's okay.  I'm just fine with
that.  Okay?"

"I want to.  I really do.  I just never thought I'd
ever...  I'm scared, Marylyn," Stephanie declared.

"I was to the first time.  It's different.  Different
from anything else.  Like the first time you had sex
with a man.  But it can be so soft and tender."

Seeing Marylyn's beautiful, encouraging smile,
Stephanie smiled back, "Okay.  I think...  No, I know
I'm ready."

She knelt in front of Marylyn, unconsciously adopting
the same stance the black girl had.  Leaning forward,
she kissed one of her breasts, licking the nipple
softly.  She was thrilled when it grew hard under her
tongue.  Steph moved to the other breast and licked at
that, thrilling again as the nipple at her touch.

After sucking on one then the other breast, she
finally slid her fingers across Marylyn's nether lips.
 They were so warm and so wet!

"Ready or not, here I come," Stephanie said with a
giggle.

'And here I come,' Marylyn thought.

Stephanie slowly peeled the pouty outer labia apart
and stared in wonder as the pink flesh within.  It was
one of the most memorable moments in her life. 
Quickly followed by another as she finally moved her
mouth up to the hot pinkness.

Placing a chaste kiss on Marylyn's pussy at first, she
snaked her tongue out to taste, for the first time,
another woman.  The pungent, musky flavor was a
surprise but she quickly overcame her initial
repugnance and found it was a flavor she could easily
develop a taste for.

Marylyn knew that the girl wouldn't be very adept at
what she was doing.  It was her first time after all. 
But Stephanie's enthusiasm, once she got into it, more
than made up for her lack of talent.

Stephanie thrust her tongue as deep into Marylyn as
she could.  She smiled as she French-kissed her best
friend's pussy.  Her lover's pussy, she corrected
herself.  She only hoped, as she tongued the hot slit,
that she could please the woman.

Without even being aware of it, she brushed her nose
against Marylyn's clitoris.  Mar moaned loudly and
Stephanie realized what she was doing seemed to be
pleasing her new love.

While she continued to probe Marylyn's vagina with her
tongue, she intentionally brushed her nose across the
hard clit.

Marylyn grabbed the back of Stephanie's head and
pushed her face into her crotch.  This forced the
southern girl's nose against Mar's clit and her tongue
even deeper into her.

With a cry, Marylyn came.  Her honey flowed over
Steph's tongue and into her mouth.  The novice
swallowed as much as she could.  she was definitely
coming to like the taste.

Marylyn recovered with a shuddering sigh as Stephanie
sat next to her.  She kissed the brunette, tasting
herself in Steph's mouth.

"Was I okay?" Stephanie asked when the kiss ended.

"Silly girl.  I came didn't I?  God, did I come!"

"Yes, it was...delicious," Steph decided.

They sat holding each other for a time in comfortable
silence.  Finally, Marylyn looked into Steph's eyes
and asked, "So, now that you've tried it, is this a
one-time thing?"

Looking into her eyes, Steph said, "No.  I hope not. 
Do you want it to be?"

"No!  No, I want...  I lo..."  Marylyn shook her head.
 "I loved what we did.  And I'd love to do it again."

"And again," Stephanie agreed with a happy laugh.  She
caught Marylyn's unfinished pronouncement and, while
she felt a warm glow deep inside, she knew it was too
soon, and this was too new to her, to say anything
like that.

By the time their friends returned from Wisconsin,
they were happily ready to tell them of the change in
their relationship.

By the next year, Marylyn and Stephanie were taking
their own romantic weekend getaways, happy in their
shared love.

And Marylyn's 'fear of fringe', that Stephanie had so
often joked about, was laid to rest permanently.

The End.








=====
John O'Connor
Site: www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/John_OConnor/www/

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
                                    -Hunter S. Thompson

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-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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