3 Crushes and a Wedding Ch. 06

Author's note: I'm back with the (very late, sorry) sixth installment of Zoe's interesting weekend with her three past crushes. If you haven't read the first five chapters, you won't understand much of what is happening here, so go on, read those first, then come back. I'll be waiting.

In this sixth part, Zoe has to set her priorities straights and gets a glimpse of what her chemistry with Meg could be like. But the past still has a way of knocking at her door.

Reminder: All of my stories leave something for the imagination. I don't want you to delve into a multi-chapter story expecting sex scenes in the traditional sense only to be disappointed. But if you appreciate the journey towards sex, with all its naughtiness and explicit moments, then I hope you'll enjoy the characters and their evolution here.

Disclaimer: Although not stated explicitly, all characters engaging in any sexual activity are above 18.

******

"You're late." Kay's suspicious eyes got narrower. She patted the empty white recliner next to her. "Come on, sit and tell me everything."

I glanced around the big spa room, looking for any sign of Emily, her maid of honor Jill, or Megan. None of them were there, just Kay.

"Em started earlier and is a few steps ahead of us. She's getting her make-up done now, I think. Jill and Megan just went to the massage rooms. It's only you and me, so spill. How are the three ghosts of your lesbian past?"

I plumped down on the big cushy chair. The estheticians would surely come by in a few minutes to start our facials and mani-pedis, but it's not like they'd never heard outrageous stories or secrets being shared between these four walls before.

I took a deep breath and began recounting the events of the past twelve hours or so, starting with the restroom escapade with Scarlett. I glossed over many details, to Kay's chagrin, but got the essential information through. As our two estheticians joined us, I didn't skip a beat and talked about my late-night chat with Megan, followed by her early-morning re-appearance at my door and the decision we made there.

"So you're together?"

"I don't think it's as clear-cut as that. We've recognized there's something between us and we're gonna try to see if it's real or not."

"Potato-potato," Kay huffed. "You two need to get over yourselves and under each other."

I held back my laugh and stared wide-eyed at her.

"What?! You're googly-eyed for her, and she's not any better. Should've seen her during her facial. Her head spun so fast each time we heard someone walk through the door. Eva here," she pointed at one of our estheticians, "could've made a salad from the fallen cucumbers she picked off the floor."

I laughed. Eva smiled discreetly while rubbing my feet.

"You think she was looking for me?"

"She sure wasn't looking for me, I was waiting for my turn right over there. And where were you, by the way?"

"I had a chat with mom about her. She already figured out we like each other." Kay nodded, mom's thorough knowledge of my feelings not surprising her at all. "Then I got stuck in the elevator for a bit."

Eva and her colleague Clara both slowed down their assault on our toes' cuticles and raised their eyes. But it was Kay who asked the questions out loud. "What happened? A technical glitch?"

"It... was... on purpose. A Valentina glitch, if you will."

The two estheticians shared a knowing smirk then lowered their heads and resumed their work. Kay stared at me expecting an explanation. The green cream that was applied on our faces made her look even more ridiculous. I just smiled; it was so easy to tease her when she wanted more juicy details.

"Zoe, for heaven's sake, do I have to fish out everything? This isn't the kind of information you sit on."

Off I went again, recounting my unexpected lift encounter with the two women and their husbands, including Scarlett's errant fingers and Valentina's indecent proposal.

"You sure you didn't daydream that last part?"

"Honest to God, Kay," I solemnly raised my left palm, the right one now trapped in a funky blue solution, "she wants me. But I told her off."

"And that took you a whole bit," she drew air quotes around the last word, "in the elevator. Curious, very curious."

"I had to enjoy the moment," I smiled half-innocently. "It's not everyday you get to experience your first crush, who happens to still look like a sexed-up goddess, hit on you."

"Mmmmm," Kay bit her lips. "And how much did you enjoy that moment?"

The emphasis on the verb wasn't subtle. I slapped her on her non-manicured hand. "It was all verbal enjoyment," I was careful not to use the word 'oral' to avoid another tease, "though she did mention lingerie and toys,... and her ass."

Clara coughed at that last part, Eva tapped the nail polish bottle against her palm a little more frantically and avoided her colleague's eyes. Something was definitely up between these two, but it wasn't any of my business.

Kay let out a few short and quiet whistles. "FYI, she can mention all of those to me any day and I wouldn't turn them down like you did."

"You'd treat them with all the respect they deserve?" I teased.

"Oh, yes. I already have a few ideas about how to best exploit every one of her ass...ets... and dividends."

"I'm sure you have a clear business strategy proposal." I swallowed a chuckle.

"Indeed. A very exhaustive, very intricate, very thorough, top-to-bottom business strategy, that Em's aunt wouldn't approve of. Did I tell you she actually fixed me a platter of fruits at breakfast today? And yes, it had nearly nothing but bananas!"

We both rolled our eyes and laughed. Em's old aunt had been dropping quirky gifts for Kay throughout the weekend. On Friday, she 'found' a cross necklace near her on the floor and insisted she take it; on Saturday, she kept giving her Lindt chocolate balls; and now bananas? That didn't seem random at all. Some people really believe they can 'cure' queerness in a few simple steps.

When we calmed down, Kay looked at me sternly and asked the question I'd been afraid to ask myself.

"So how are you handling all of this? All three of them for the third day in a row? You nearly had a panic attack Friday evening when you saw them, this can't be all laughs and sexy escapades."

I couldn't laugh this one out.

"I don't know. One second I feel I'm on top of things and I know exactly where I'm going, the next I'm... well... not. It's hard to believe that it's all happened in less than 48 hours total. I can't wrap my head around it."

"I'm getting a headache just hearing about all of it."

"Yeah, it's a bit too much," I sighed.

"It's too-much too much. And I fear it's starting to cloud your judgement."

Kay had never shied away from calling me out when I was being silly or wrong. Her tone said I was in for some mental shuffling.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean their presence here is clearly messing you up. It's not your fault, this is such a rollercoaster, but we need to put you on the right track and set your priorities straight... or gay," she sneered, "poor choice of words."

"How?"

She fell silent for a minute. The sound of our fingernails being filed filled the room, grazing and off-putting. Somehow, Eva and Clara had synchronized their movements to perfection and had reached the same stage in our beauty treatment. My toenails were now a stunning shade of turquoise and my fingernails would soon follow them. Kay went for a dark navy. It's a miracle she agreed on something more joyful than black.

"Let's try this one question," Kay finally ventured. "If you could spend one full day now, 24 hours, with Valentina, no husband or complications, what would you do?"

How was that even a question? We looked at each other and let out a naughty chuckle at the phrasing.

"Her?!"

"Ok, obviously you'd do her, but what else?"

I knew I was undeniably attracted to Valentina on a physical level. Others might be able to get over their first crushes, but no one would or could do that if the crush in question was such a seasoned seductress, especially not after the masterful flirtation she'd put on in the elevator. Plus, I had a little bit of power over her now, even if momentarily. That was such a new and enticing situation.

Despite all of that, it was clear to me that I didn't harbor any real, deep feelings for her, even if she could easily spin my world around with a few words or looks.

"Nothing."

Kay seemed unfazed by my answer. "OK then, so it's just physical. What about Scarlett? 24 hours with her, no emotional baggage, clean slate, what would you do?"

I went silent. The situation wasn't as clear-cut here. I couldn't simply pretend my feelings didn't exist. The hurt she'd caused me all those years ago still lingered, the confusion and humiliation too, all indelible memories of her rejection. That made her unraveling over the past two days very enjoyable, a testament of my long-term victory. I was right and she was wrong. An inebriating thought.

However, that wasn't what Kay had asked. The question, despite its disguised simplicity, was whether I thought I could build anything real with Scarlett without all of our emotional baggage and chaotic mess. Anything that would last at least one full day. All of a sudden, the answer was evident.

Kay's face told me she already knew it before asking. She just wanted me to reach the conclusion on my own.

"I don't think I can last 24 hours with her. A few hours, a half-day, maybe, not more..."

As soon as the words were out, my head dropped, the buzz in my ears got louder, and the fog in my eyes blurrier.

Talk about a wake-up call.

Whoa!

So... even though I was convinced I'd gotten closure in my two encounters with Scarlett in the spa and changing room, a sneaky part of me had remained reluctant to let her go?! Still?!

That part of me was still clinging to the belief that, had she not turned me down that brutally all those years ago and had she not behaved like a crazy hurtful homophobic asshole, we'd have had a chance at happiness. I'd built her up in my mind for a long time and truly believed that the chemistry we shared was enough for a real relationship.

The truth stared me in the face now, shattering all those delusions.

I now understood that even though there were certainly a few layers below our chemistry, there weren't many, and we wouldn't have survived a lifetime if she'd been receptive to my advances. Our paths might've crossed and overlapped, but even if we'd forced them to stick together, they'd have eventually diverged, whether after a few months or more. It was inevitable.

All these years, my anger and resentment about her behavior had tainted my judgement, and made me confuse heartbreak for love, rejection for passion, bitterness for affection.

I heard parcels of Kay's speech in the distance, echoing my thoughts. "Quite telling... deep wound... forgive but not forget... no going back... not convinced that was real love... desperation, rejection, confusion... time to let it go for real."

All I could do was nod, my admission still fogging up my thoughts.

"What about Megan?" Kay asked after a few seconds of silence. "What if you had 24 hours with her?"

I didn't need to think hard. One by one, images flew in my mind and I could picture hundreds of ways Megan and I would spend a day together. From 24 hours of exploring every inch of each other in bed to cuddling in front of the TV, talking, hiking, cooking, discovering new places, trying quirky new activities, chilling, reading, working, dancing,... heck, even sleeping. All of them were appealing in their own ways, passionate, emotional, beautiful.

"I don't even have to wait for your answer," Kay shrugged. "Your whole face lit up at the mention of her name and that instinctive, silly smile," she waved her hand in front of my head, "says a lot."

Was I smiling? I took stock of my facial muscles. Oh, I was. The fog had dissipated too, the ringing had stopped as well. Things seemed normal again, perhaps even more vivid and colorful than before. A magical tour-de-force.

"I've already thought of at least 20 different ways I'd want to spend the day with her, and some of them include stepping out of the bedroom." My silly grin grew wider.

"You really like her."

It wasn't a question anymore. It had been an evidence for years, perhaps more so over the last two days, but each time I'd reached that conclusion, I'd see Valentina or Scarlett again and let them taint my judgement and dismantle my conviction. Not anymore.

"So why do you keep letting the other two mess up with your head?"

"I did. I shouldn't. I won't."

Past. Present. Future.

A clear path.

"Good. Now act on that. You have something truly special here, Zoe. You know what's at stake with Megan. And the moment you're tempted to enjoy all this free attention coming from every side, think of how much it really costs."

I nodded. Sometimes you need someone to brandish a mirror in your face and force you to see the truth. I was lucky Kay was there and knew how to do so tactfully.

"Thanks."

She just smiled and relaxed back as Clara reclined her seat. In near perfect synchronization, the backrest on my chair fell back and I followed it, dropping my head and easing into a horizontal position. It was time for our facial treatments.

Forced to keep our eyes shut and our mouths mostly immobile, we stopped talking. In the silence, the spa's background music and its lavender and patchouli smells rose from the cobwebs of my subconscious and dominated my senses. In those relaxing Asian notes, I saw again brief glimpses of my experience with Scarlett in the jacuzzi. It had happened a little more than a day ago, yet it felt like an eternity away. The way her head fell back, her foot trembled, her nipple rose and fell, all exquisite moments, but nothing more than that. I couldn't delude myself into thinking they were anything more.

I had been given this second chance with my three biggest crushes, a chance I never thought I'd get again. I couldn't squander it away, hopping from one to another, like a junkie looking for her next high. I had to acknowledge what should be acknowledged, end what needed to be ended, and fully rekindle what I wanted to rekindle.

Ten minutes later, my face sparkling clean and my pores breathing again, I opened my eyes to see Jill coming out of one of the hallways. Megan followed her. The post-massage peaceful grin on her face doubled when she saw me, but I'm sure mine was even wider. My heart raced, lighter than ever before, now free to beat as fast as it was physically possible. At the same time, a sense of calm filled me, bit by bit taming the turmoil inside.

It always amazed me how my body and mind became an oxymoron around her, stuck in a state of aroused relaxation, turbulent peace, disintegrated composure. How could she always trigger those antagonistic feelings in me?

My hungry eyes swept over her, appreciating the strength of her shoulders and arms, the semi-transparency of her white tank top, the tininess of her black shorts, and the length of her tan legs. She'd picked a similar, if not identical, turquoise nail polish to mine. My eyes went back up to her face, now glowing with the aftereffect of these spa treatments. Her tied-back hair accentuated her facial features, revealing her symmetrical cheekbones and large temples. The entire look was a significant departure from Friday's jeans, the previous night's emerald swimsuit, and the morning's skirt and cascading hair.

All these years had gone by and she could still very easily switch from a gorgeous delicate femme to a sexy strong tomboy, blur the lines between these preset boxes, and redefine every category on her way. She wasn't this or that, she was a unique mix of everything. A masterful chameleon of styles and looks, all different, yet all distinctly hers.

Breathe, Zoe, breathe.

"Oh good, you're here," her voice sung. "We cleared the rooms, your turn now." She leaned against the wall near the hallway. I wanted her to lean on me. I wanted to lean on her. Heck, I just wanted our bodies to touch somehow.

Kay and I rose to our feet, not without some complaints about leaving the cushy recliners.

"You'll forget all about them when your massage starts," Megan winked. She pointed Kay at one of the rooms and me at another. A very mysterious look danced in her green eyes. "The masseuses went on a short break. Get comfy in the meantime." She gave me a long and lingering look. Would it be wrong if I grabbed her on my way to the room, locked the door, and finally expressed to her what my heart and mouth have been wanting to say for years? With more than words. Definitely not just words.

"Enjoy!" Jill yelled before we disappeared in our rooms.

Megan snuck a peek at me and grinned mischievously as I was closing the door. Now that we'd put the cards on the table and admitted our feelings, she was slowly revealing her quirkier and naughtier side. I didn't think it was possible, but I liked her even more now. That sprinkle of spiciness in her was really something else.

I shook my head and checked out the room. A typical white massage table with a round and hollow head pillow occupied the center. On one side was a small cabinet with oils, solutions, a microwave, and other massage essentials. On the other was a walk-in shower and an open wardrobe with fresh towels and a few hangers. It was all sparkling clean and very minimalistic.

I took off my shorts and t-shirt, thought briefly about it, then removed my bikini top as well. It would only get spoiled or stand in the way of the back rub. I was never comfortable going fully nude into massages so I was hesitant about removing the bottom, until I spotted a small stack of disposable panties. Strings, it turns out. Not ideal, but they'd do the trick.

I lay on the table face down, pulled one of the towels on top of my back and bottom, and waited. A few minutes elapsed. The soothing music was doing its effect and I was already getting relaxed and sleepy. I barely noticed the door open and didn't lift my head to see my masseuse. A stranger was about to touch me all over — that was bound to be awkward without me adding eye contact to the mix.

The cabinet was opened then closed, then the microwave turned on. About a minute later, it beeped, and whatever was in it was taken out and placed on a small table next to me. It smelled of rose.

With my head buried in the massage table and my field of view limited to the few square feet beneath me, I couldn't see much until a pair of turquoise manicured toenails approached. My breath caught in my chest, but not without tickling my nostrils with some aqua notes first. Megan? Could it be?

"Hey."

There was no mistaking that raspy voice. Not now, not ever would I fail to recognize the unique way it grazed my ears and titillated my nerves, like sandpaper and soft feathers combined. I could almost hear the nervous smile that accompanied the word. I wasn't sleepy anymore, I was very, very much awake.

I turned my head and saw her standing next to the bed, hesitant. But heart-stopping.

"Is it Ok if I start your massage?" She gestured toward me, while her green eyes swept over my body and the towel that covered my back.

"Uh..." ... What?!

"I'm sorry, I thought this would be a sexy idea for another mini-date. But I just realized you didn't... I didn't ask you or get your consent. I can't touch... I can go get the masseuse if you're not comfortable with..." She rambled then started to turn and walk away.

"One sec." She stopped in her tracks. "Do you even know how to do this?" I nodded toward the hot oil on the table next to me.

"My sister is a licensed therapist. She taught me and she used to practice on me."