A New Adventure Every Day Pt. 03

"Meg's right. Bethany has a real soft spot for Meg but I can imagine what she'd be like if she was told a piece of news like that: the whole village would soon hear it!"

"Actually, the whole village probably will anyway: Meg and I were at Dave's birthday barbecue last night and we, um, walking in hand in hand and a bit after we hugged and we kissed. There were quite a few people there who hadn't known Meg was lesbian so..."

"So now the village gossip mongers will be hard at work."

"Yes... I just met two of them in the shop: Missus Williams and Jones?"

"Oh, hell, those two bitches! What did you say to them?"

"I, er, suggested that as they seemed so interested in lesbian sex perhaps they should try it together."

"Oh, Sam, that's brilliant!" Claire laughs loudly.

"Yeah, well Nathan helped by then asking them, 'Is there anything else you need before you get off together.' You should have seen their faces." Claire finds this even funnier.

"Well," she says as her laughter subsides, "I'm glad you told me about you and Meg or I might have tried to protect her by saying the idea of her having a girlfriend was nonsense. Are you on your way up to the school to meet Meg coz I need to hurry up to collect Bethany?" Claire asks, checking her watch. "I've to take her into town for a dental check-up later."

"I hadn't planned to but why not? I can surprise Meg."

We walk up the road to the school chatting as we go and I answer Claire's questions about Meg and I falling in love. "Very sweet and romantic," is her opinion on it all. As we arrive the first of the children are coming out to be met by parents or, for some of the older ones, to walk or cycle home. I recognise Bethany but my attention is immediately distracted by Meg as she walks out of a side door; the rest of the world becomes grey and fuzzy with Meg pin-sharp and radiant at the centre of my vision. It's all I can do not to run towards her with my arms wide but manage to restrain myself to an extremely brisk walk and a shy stroke of her arm.

Meg smiles and touches my hand. "Hello, darling," she says quietly, "this is a nice surprise."

"I met Claire in the village and told her about us."

"That's good, well done. Hang on a moment, "Meg waves over to Claire and Bethany, beckoning them over. "Come into the Year Four classroom so we can talk," she tells us all and we follow her into the school and turn into the first classroom on the left. Fifteen years of teaching teenagers doesn't prepare me for the sight of all the child-sized tables and chairs and I cannot help smiling. "What are you grinning at?" asks Meg as the four of us fall into a circle at the edge of the room.

"It's like a school for Hobbits," I tell her and hear Bethany giggle. "They're so much smaller than furniture in Secondary schools!" Meg reaches out and takes my hand and I follow her gaze as she looks towards Claire and Bethany.

"So Sam told you then?" she asks Claire. I notice Bethany is looking at us then at her Mum with a look of excited interest on her face.

"Yes, she did. It was unexpected but you look very happy, both of you, so congratulations. I wonder how fast the news will spread?" replies Claire.

"Mum, what for the congratulations? What news is spreading? Muuum," Bethany begs and wheedles.

Claire and I both look at Meg, shamelessly dumping responsibility of what to tell Bethany onto her. Meg rolls her eyes in response. "Okay then, I'll do it," she grudgingly concedes. "Bethany, do you remember what you asked me when Sam, Ms Cummings, and I came to the village dance?"

She looks bashful but replies, "Yes, I asked you if Miss... um, Miss Sam was your girlfriend. And that question was impropiate."

"Well it was inappropriate," Meg hunkers down to bring her face level with Bethany's whist still holding my hand. "The thing is Ms Cummings and I have become girlfriends. Do you understand?"

"Yes! Are you going to get married like Mum and Lilly Mum? Could I be a bridesmaid? Can I tell my friends?" I laugh and Claire hangs her head, part in despair and part in embarrassment, though she has a slight smile. Meg manages to stay in control.

"Right, Bethany, now quieten down and listen carefully. First, Ms Cummings and I might get married in future or we might not. This is the start of our relationship and we have much to learn and get to know about each other, okay?" Bethany nods with such an earnest look that I have to bite my lip not to laugh. "Now, you know how some people can be about women being in love; remember when your Mums first fell in love? Well, remember that not everyone knows that I'm gay - you've been very good not telling people - and it's not that people can't know about Sam and me but, well, we need to speak to people first, okay?"

"Okay Miss Dike, I promise I won't tell people."

"Good girl," says Meg and Claire squeezes Bethany's shoulder. I look at Meg and feel a huge surge of love and attraction for this gorgeous woman.

"Are you going to kiss now?" asks Bethany.

"Bethany Jane Edwards!" scolds Claire.

"Sorry Mum," she apologises quickly, "it's just that Miss Sam was looking at Miss Dike the way Lilly Mum looks at you before you two kiss." We are all trying to hide smiles.

"Bethany, that was very observant but still inappropriate." Meg tells her and Bethany looks suitably abashed.

"We'd best be going before this one says anything else," says Claire. "Well done you two. Come on Bethany."

"Bye Claire. Bye Bethany; be good at the dentist's," I say as they leave.

As the door closes behind them we immediately kiss, but not for long; Meg is nervous of someone seeing us and I can understand that. "So what was this news you had to tell me in person?" she asks.

"Oh, I'd almost forgotten about that," and I explain what happened with Bex, though I leave out her seeing me in the changing room. I ask for a pen and paper and, sitting on a Hobbit chair at a Hobbit table, I draw out Bex's tattoo as Meg sits down next to me.

"So Bex has this tattoo but on the wrong shoulder. I can't remember any symbol like that. I could look on the Internet for a, what did you call it, the spiral thingy?"

"A triskele, it's called: three spirals joined in a triangle shape. I already did that after I got the Internet working this afternoon," I tell her and explain what I found.

"You know, it does look a bit like a woman. See, here is the waist where the curve lines narrow and the spirals are where her pussy would be," comments Meg.

"If her pussy were the width of her hips!" I laugh, "But you're right, it could be a stylized woman... yes, and that would fit with the fertility idea, even the Triple Goddess maybe, but why..." The classroom door opens with a bang and there is Bethany in the doorway, a little out of breath.

"Sorry Miss, I left my book bag behind and Mum sent me back to get it." She goes over and picks up the bag from where she left it and as she walks back she glances down at the drawing on the table. "Oh, Mums' tattoos. Are you getting them too now you're together?"

This comment stuns both of us but I manage to recover sufficiently to reply, "We're just thinking about the tattoo at the moment, Bethany. We don't' want to say anything until we've decided, okay?" She nods. "Go on then, I'm sure your Mum is waiting. Bye Bethany"

"Bye Miss. See you tomorrow Miss Dike," and the door slams again as she leaves.

"What the fuck?" breathes Meg. "Claire has one of these?"

"I think Bethany meant that both Claire and Lillian have one; 'Mums' plural. She seemed to think we'd both get one so perhaps she assumes it's something lesbians do when they become a couple."

"So Bex, Claire and Lillian all have one: that's more than enough women."

"The woman with the tattoo couldn't have been Lillian because the woman had only one tattoo that I could see and Lillian has several - at least!"

"Yeah, well Lillian is a tattoo artist at a parlour in town; all tattoo artists seem to have millions of tattoos." Meg says.

"Interesting! Anyway, the woman I saw wasn't big enough to be Claire and the tattoo was on the wrong shoulder to be Bex.

"The woman last night couldn't have been Lillian or Bex; their breasts are too small and she wasn't big enough to be Claire. I just... oh hell, I also wonder about Katie. There was something about the way she and Bex were together at the party and her comment about knowing what the two of us would be getting up to; I think she might be gay too and so... perhaps she also has a tattoo," I finish weakly.

"I don't believe this: I've lived in this village for five years and it turns out I've gay neighbours I never knew about and women running through the woods naked at night. If it wasn't for the fact that I met you I'd be feeling really left out right now! Come on, let's go home, darling." We leave the classroom and Meg slips her arm through mine in the corridor but we've only taken a few steps when a voice behind us calls out.

"Ah, Meg... and Sam too, excellent." We turn in unison and there is Erica Shaw, smiling at us. "I see the village bush telegraph appears to have at least some of its facts more or less right for a change."

"Um, yes, Ms Shaw I was going to come and tell you that Sam and I are girlfriends. I know there might be comments from some parents."

"Indeed; I had a phone call about you, well both of you actually, though as Mrs Jones' son left the school over ten years ago she's technically an ex-parent. Sam, did you really tell Mrs Jones and Mrs Williams that they should sleep together?" Erica has a wryly amused smile while Meg looks at me aghast.

"Er, sorry Meg, I didn't get round to telling you about my encounter in the Village Store. Erica, I didn't actually tell them to sleep together," I explain defensively and tell them of what happened.

"Sam, I'm amazed; you were so brave facing up to them," Meg says as her arm hugs me.

"Well, I think, perhaps, you were suggesting they might sleep together. However, given what the two of them were saying, I think you responded commendably. You're a remarkable woman, Sam, and a very worthy girlfriend to Meg here. I shall have to think about how to address this to prevent too much ill-informed gossip. I will certainly deal with any prejudice or inaccuracies I encounter but please let me know if you have any ideas. Does Bethany know?"

"Yes, I told her earlier after Sam met Claire in the village and told her. I have sworn her to secrecy though," replies Meg.

"Probably just as well. I must say that things between you seem to have changed remarkably quickly: I understood that you had told people at the village dance that you were straight, Sam."

"At the time I thought I was, though even that evening Meg was causing me some unexpected and disturbing thoughts and feelings towards her. From the moment she turned up on my doorstep she was, er, well let's just say that no man ever paid me as much attention!"

"I told you: it's because I was already in love with you," Meg insists, smiling.

"How can that be?" asks Erica, .confused.

"I saw her when she was viewing the house," Meg admits, a little bashfully, "and, um, I fell for her."

"So it really was love at first sight, how interesting," Erica says earnestly, "and very lovely too, if you'll allow a romantic old woman her opinion," she adds quickly. "Well, I'd better let you go; goodnight Meg, goodbye Sam. Have a good weekend." and she moves off.

"You know, we could ask her to put an announcement in the school newsletter about us," I suggest, smiling.

"I'm so glad you didn't suggest that to Ms Shaw! Come on, I want to be at home with you, preferably naked!"

Continued in Part 4...