A Second Life

by BrettJ © 2011

Elissa Edwards sat at the table in the cafe, drumming her fingers on the table. She looked down at her watch and tried to calm her nerves. It was only 12:25; Morgan wasn't late, so why was she fidgeting so much?

She could feel the admiring gazes she was getting from the other patrons, men and a number of women. She let herself bask in them, knowing that a scant 18 months ago; she would not have attracted such attention. Elissa very much enjoyed the attention and was looking forward to more of it in the future.

Had it really been 18 months? Yes, it had – almost 19. A very difficult 19 months since the accident that had changed her life forever. Although inn some ways, it had been a mixed blessing.

Elissa know knew that it's more of a fiction than a reality that when people are involved in a traumatic accident that they suffer from amnesia. A blow to the head did not cause the kind of memory loss that was often common in fiction and on television shows.

The other driver had not seen Elissa's tiny Mini Cooper; his SUV had ploughed into her at over 100 MPH and made the car unrecognizable. They had to rescue Elissa from the wreck with the "Jaws of Life" – or so they told her. Elissa didn't remember the crash at all. She was given only a 25% chance of living through the night and a 10% chance of living through the month. They hadn't reckoned on Elissa's sheer tenacity and will to live.

The other driver was killed instantly; an autopsy revealed his blood alcohol level was twice over the legal limit. That's what her husband told her when she was well enough to understand what had happened to her, many months down the road.

A lot of what Elissa now knew about herself came from stories and things people had told her, friends and family. The trauma had wiped out huge chunks of her past and after so long a period of time, the doctors told her that she likely wouldn't get much more back. Over time, a snippet here or a fragment there, but this was about the best she could hope for.

She knew her name was Elissa but she had forgotten about the Edwards, recalling her previous surname of Lang. She could remember her mother Dorothy's name and face, but her father Jonathan was less familiar. She remembered her high school graduation, but few of her friends. Elissa recalled the birth of both of her children and their names, but when she saw Tammy and Tyler; she was surprised to see both of them were now in their mid-teens. She remembered them as toddlers.

All of this had been especially hard on Doug, her husband. She remembered him the least and as she recovered in the convalescent home, she struggled to re-connect with her husband. She failed in that goal. Try as she might, she had almost no emotional attachment to the man she had been with for 17 years. In most ways, he was a cipher to her, a totally blank slate. She tried to find ways back to him, but the feelings just weren't there. He seemed – bland and a bit distant. He certainly wasn't appealing to her sexually, not at all. Part of her wondered if she had ever been happy with this man, he just seemed so dull and white bread in nature.

Despite all of her frustrations of dealing with her old life, the benefits of the accident were going to be interesting, to say the least. With all the physiotherapy she was going through, Elissa started becoming trim and fit and very limber. When she looked at pictures of herself from just a few years ago, she didn't recognize herself in them. Who was that frumpy, overweight, almost dingy-looking hausfrau she saw there? It certainly wasn't the 5'9" tall, 140 pound blonde stunner that looked back at her in the mirror. She knew she was 36, but she barely felt 26 and in most ways that counted, she didn't even feel that old.

She was feeling sexual and alive and creative again. Elissa remembered that she had done a lot of painting before marrying Doug and they thought that would help her with her recovery, so an easel and a palette, brushes and other supplies were brought to her. It amazed everyone to see the bold, vibrant paintings that sprung from her brushes. It was as if she had never lost her talent and the passion she felt for art was re-awakened.

It had been a trying year, her family was supportive, but they could only do so much. In some ways, they were virtual strangers to her. Through her art, she was able to express both her darkest nights and her brightest days and put them on canvass. Some days she overdid it and worked until near-exhaustion, but they never stopped her. Everyone at the home was highly supportive but none more so than Morgan.

Morgan stood by her through every grueling moment. She was there with kind words when Elissa felt as if life was crushing down on her. She was there with soothing massage when the pains would not cease. She pushed Elissa through each physiotherapy session with tough love and she was sometimes a companion when Elissa needed one the most.

Morgan rarely talked about herself outside of work. She didn't mention a husband or a boyfriend, which seemed odd to Elissa. Morgan, 2 inches taller than Elissa herself, was a stunning woman with coal-black hair that went halfway down her back. She had luminescent blue eyes, a terrific figure and the legs of a Las Vegas showgirl. When she smiled, which she did almost all of the time, it lit up the room. There was no man that could have resisted this perfect beauty, so why was she single? That question weighed heavily on Elissa's mind; she wanted to know about her beautiful friend. She hoped that Morgan wouldn't think it an intrusion into her private life, but she just had to ask.

Over lunch one afternoon, nearing the end of her stay at the convalescent home, she finally got up the courage to speak with Morgan about her social life. "I don't mean to pry," She told the sexy brunette. "I just wonder if you're happy outside of work, you never talk about a 'special someone' and I hope that there is some wonderful guy in your life," Elissa told her friend.

Morgan swallowed a mouthful of tea and shook her head. "No, there isn't," She confessed to Elissa. "There never has been." Elissa was about to speak when Morgan spoke again "That's because I don't date men. I date women exclusively," She smiled at Elissa.

"You're a lesbian?" Elissa said, absolutely floored by this revelation. "I never would have known, you're so feminine and flirty."

"I totally embrace my sexuality and I know I'm good looking and I don't mind being admired by either sex," Morgan smiled at her. "But to really turn me on, it has to be sex with a female. Not just any female either – I'm really choosy, she has to be at least as good looking as I am."

"That would be pretty hard," Elissa blurted out. "I mean – I've never met a woman who is as good looking as you," She told her friend.

"Oh, thank you darling," Morgan laughed. "I've always believed that women appreciate other women more then men do – we dress up so that other women will notice our outfits and compliment us on how we look. Men spend more time worrying about how to get them off of us," Morgan had laughed.

Elissa nodded, knowing that she loved wearing sexy, feminine things and as her body was shaping up, thrilled that she'd be able to buy them. She was planning to use some of the money the insurance company was paying out for her accident and putting it towards a new wardrobe. She'd have to, none of her "chubby" clothes fit her anymore and besides, she had a killer body again and wanted to show it off.

She told Morgan about her idea and her friend was fully supportive, as always. "I'm not being silly, am I?" She asked. "I don't have major visible scars and I'm comfortable in my own skin. I don't think that I look too bad for a woman of 36, do I?"

"Of course not darling, you look good for a woman oftwenty-six," Morgan told her. Morgan herself was 25. "If I thought that you were into women, I'd be hitting on you whenever no one was watching us – job be damned!" She flirted.

Elissa wasn't exactly sure why, but Morgan's last compliment made her feel all funny inside. She went shopping a few days later and when Doug came to visit, he didn't notice her sexy new clothes, shoes or attitude. That's when she knew that her marriage was over. She wasn't the same housewife that had been married to this man. She wanted passion in all aspects of her life and Doug couldn't provide that. He was solid, dependable – and just as she had realized earlier, totally boring.

She broke the news to her husband over dinner one evening. He was understandably upset, but he also understood. "I can't come home to that house and pretend everything's the same," She told him. "It isn't and I'm not going to try to force myself into that existence. It isn't fair to you, to the kids or to me. I don't need anything, I'll find myself a nice place to live and see the kids as often as I can," She said to Doug. Next, she broke the news to her children and then called her parents. Her father was furious, but her mother seemed to get it.

"I never could understand what you saw in Doug," Dorothy told her. "You were so alive, so vital and he was so – soDoug," She sighed. She hugged her daughter and said "In the last few months, I've seen my daughter come back to life. You're smiling all the time and you look wonderful. Whatever is making you so happy, you just keep on doing that. Don't you mind your father, he'll come around eventually."

Elissa realized that she had been happier the past few months and there was only one thing wrong with her new life – no sex. It had been nearly 2 years since she'd had sex and the more in shape she became, the more her libido seemed to increase. She didn't think she was the type to go trolling for a partner but she wanted to re-awaken her sexuality. She talked it over with Morgan over coffee a few days later.

"Is it so wrong to want to find a lover?" Elissa asked her friend.

"Of course not, you're a vibrant, sexy blonde," Morgan told her. "You won't be looking too long darling, they'll be lined up at your door," She teased.

"When I find a door, that is," Elissa sighed. "I still haven't found a nice apartment or condo that suits my needs," She sighed again.

"I might be able to help you with that," Morgan said, giving Elissa's hand a friendly squeeze. "There's a vacancy in the building where I live, the apartments are gorgeous and the landlord is a real sweetheart, she rents the place out to her friends – dirt cheap. If you like, I could put in a good word for you," Morgan offered.

"Oh Morgan, you're a lifesaver," Elissa beamed. "Yes please, do talk to her and if she agrees, I'll come by and check out the place tomorrow," She smiled.

"Why not come tonight? You don't have to have dinner here tonight, why not come to dinner and check out my place and the building and see if it suits your needs?" Morgan suggested.

"Oh yes, a night away from here might be a tonic," Elissa smiled again. "Just give me a time and I'll be there."

Morgan nodded and they finished their coffee and began their Physio. It was a particularly grueling workout, but Elissa breezed through it. Her spirits were lighter than they had been in a long while, she had something to look forward to for the first time in ages. More and more, she was beginning to realize how much she treasured Morgan's friendship and support. They finished around 4 PM and Morgan went home to change and prepare dinner. Elissa rummaged through her small closet and found a nice, snug pair of black jeans and a low-cut blouse she would previously never even thought of wearing. Her 36C tits looked dynamite in it and as she looked over her entire body in the mirror, she realized that the rest of her measured up as well. All of her hard work had paid off, she hadn't looked this good – well, not ever! A lot of her new self-confidence came from Morgan, she had been behind her every step of the way. Elissa thought that once she was settled into her new place, she would have to think of a way to thank her new friend – perhaps take her shopping the next time she went to buy some sexy new clothes?

She arrived at Morgan's place a bit before 7 PM and saw her kissing an attractive redhead. She didn't know if Morgan had a girlfriend or a lover, but something about watching Morgan kiss this woman made her feel – if she was to be honest with herself, Elissa had conflicting feelings. She found the sight visually erotic and yet, she felt the stinging pangs of jealousy. It was the first time that Elissa realized she had feelings for Morgan that went beyond friendship. Insane as it seemed, Elissa realized that she might just be falling in love with another woman. She couldn't do anything about it at that moment and she didn't want to create a scene that would make Morgan uncomfortable, so she made sure to be a bit noisy as she approached the two women.

"Ah, here she is now," Morgan said to her companion. "Elissa, this is my landlady and friend, Stephanie Adams," Morgan said by way of introduction.

"Call me Stephie," The redhead said, extending her hand. "Morgan hon, you undersold this one – she's fucking gorgeous!" Stephie exclaimed and then winked "Sweetheart, if you like the apartment, it's yours."

Like the apartment – was Stephie out of her mind? It was huge, a 2-bedroom that wasn't much smaller in square footage than the first floor of the home she had shared with Doug. She would have room to paint in here and entertain, although she didn't have anyone to entertain – yet. It would be nice living close to Morgan and Stephie and she hoped that they could all become friends. Stephie wasn't exactly hard on the eyes and the thought made Elissa chuckle – her thought processes were so different now! She signed the lease that evening and almost had to bite her tongue so that she wouldn't argue with Stephie on the low, low rent she was being charged. After that, she went upstairs to have dinner with Morgan, finding out that her girlfriend would be living right above her.

They dined simply, pork chops and fresh, grilled vegetables. "Stephie seems nice," Elissa commented.

"She is nice," Morgan said, pouring some Chiraz into a glass for Elissa. "She's also dynamite in the sack – she hisses and bites and scratches and she always dresses up. Yum!"

"Oh, so she IS your girlfriend?" Elissa asked. She hoped that the jealousy she was feeling at that second didn't show in her voice. If it did, Morgan seemed to be oblivious to it.

"She'sa girlfriend, we keep it totally casual," Morgan confessed. "I haven't been seriously involved with anyone for a while." As she watched Morgan smile, Elissa's mind flitted to the image of the lusty redhead and her dark, exotic Morgan entwined in lesbian lust. She chilled at the lewd thought and it wouldn't go away. Morgan certainly wasn't helping, her tight clothes and high heels inspiring new, unspoken thoughts in Elissa's brain. There was no longer any doubt in her mind that she had deep and erotic feelings for Morgan. She wanted them to become lovers, she wanted to try a full-out relationship with this sexy woman on whatever terms Morgan wanted. Her only fear was that perhaps Morgan wouldn't be comfortable taking things that far, given their professional arrangement.

She needn't have worried. Morgan was more than happy for them to become friends and once Elissa was fully discharged from the convalescent home, she moved into her apartment. The kids visited every so often and provided her with family news, but it the ways that mattered, she was starting an entirely new life. She saw Morgan every day and kept up with her fitness regimen. She wanted to stay in great shape in the hopes that she might one day catch Morgan's eye and lure her into bed. She wanted to feel Morgan's body close to hers more than anything she had ever experienced.

She and Morgan spent a lot of time together, watching videos, having lunch, dinner or coffee and she was also becoming friendly with Stephie. Unlike Morgan, Stephie was overly flirtatious and Elissa found herself tempted. If Morgan didn't take notice, she might just give the sexy redhead a tumble, but she dearly wanted her first female lover to be the long-legged brunette she adored. Even if it only happened once, her body yearned to be touched by Morgan in a most intimate way.

A few days ago, it had all been too much. She had gone to Morgan's apartment to have a late breakfast and Morgan was not yet dressed. She was wearing a gauzy black babydoll and bedroom slippers and Elissa's pulse raced every time Morgan neared her. "Stephie was over last night," She giggled as Elissa poured coffee. "We really tore up the sheets – honestly babe, you should give her a tumble, I know you're at least curious about sex with other women!"

She was indeed curious, but hearing Morgan's words caused a large amount of confusion in Elissa. She was turned on by the vivid images of Stephie and Morgan together that were flowing through her mind. More than that, however, was a rage that she had to suppress. How could Morgan be so obtuse? Did she not see how much Elissa wanted her as a partner? Could she possibly be more oblivious to Elissa's feelings for her?

Elissa knew she had to make a change in her life and it would be up to her to make those changes. She had only herself to rely on now, so she asked Morgan to meet her for lunch on a day she knew that her friend wasn't working. She was going to say what had been on her mind for the past several months and hope she didn't get herself crushed in the process.

Her mind was snapped back to the present by the sound of heels clicking on the café patio. She turned to see Morgan walking towards their table, a black leather dress clinging to her like a second skin and black, thigh-high boots adding to the allure. She looked both slinky and incredible and Elissa found herself almost salivating over her lunch companion. She hoped that she would have the confidence to give voice to what she knew she had to say today.

"You look incredible in that," Elissa told her friend as she sat down across from her.

"Thanks. I like how leather looks on me," Morgan smiled.

"So do I," Elissa smiled back. "It looks hot."

"If I didn't know better Elissa, I'd swear you were flirting with me."

"Who says I'm not?"

"Since when are you into women – or into me, for that matter?" Morgan asked, leaning closer.

"I don't really remember what I was 'into' before the last 2 years and as for the second question, for a long, long time now," Elissa admitted, sitting up straight in her chair. There – she had finally put it out there!

"Wow!" Morgan sat back in her chair, looking at her friend through new eyes. "That came totally out of left field, why didn't you say anything before now?"

"Is it totally out of left field?" Elissa asked. "We've built a very strong friendship and you've noticed that I'm bi-curious – you commented on it the other day. I didn't say anything before now because you were my therapist and I didn't want to do anything that would get you in trouble with your employers," Elissa admitted.

"You should have," Morgan told her as the waitress approached to take their order. Both women ordered quickly and the waitress walked away. Elissa and Morgan both watched the honey-blonde's buttocks swaying and then giggled. "You should have said something before today," Morgan told her. "I don't know if they would have cared if we dated, but even if they had – you would have been worth the risk."

"Mmm, that's nice to hear," Elissa sighed as the waitress came back to their table with coffee. She really was cute, Elissa noticed, likely only about 21. She left again and Elissa asked "So, is it too late for us? Are you interested?"

Morgan smiled and took Elissa's hand in her own. Squeezing it, she said "I think maybe I wore this dress in the secret hope I could attract your attention. No, it is NOT too late and yes, I am very interested. Why don't we finish this lunch and go home and I'll show you just how interested I am?"