A Study in Fragrance Pt. 17

Emily nodded, taking another bite, looking away and back again quickly. "But that's not it, N. You're holding something back." She looked around the diner before continuing. "And I...I've...we've..." she waved her hand slightly, "we've been totally open with you." Because you have to be. Maybe Complicit really hasn't hit her yet...?

Naomi's face changed, the humor mixed with something else. Uncertainty? Emily wasn't sure, but she needed her friend to tell her the truth.

"Okay." She exhaled. "Okay. I give. I can't stop it. Fuck!" She exhaled again, breathing in and closing her eyes. She opened them and stared into Emily's. "It's in me, Em." She glanced at Jamie and back again, her eyes calm but her mouth tight. "You're fragrance. Complicit." She closed her eyes, breathing hard. "It hit me in the middle of the night. I can't lie. Even now, as soon as I try to deny it something grabs my insides and squeezes." She sat back, eyes closed, her face finally relaxing as she exhaled long and fully. "Fuck...I tried all morning to deny it, the idea of sticking that thing up my butt, of posing for you, Jamie, of what I'm imagining will happen tonight..." The words flooded out of her, her hands lightly gripping the table even as she squirmed.

"Fuck, N!" Emily's whisper louder than she'd intended. She wanted to jump across the table to hug her friend; she felt trapped, looking back at Jamie who stared between the two of them.

Jamie understood and quickly slid out, giving Emily space to leave and move across the table. Jamie slid in grabbing her sketch book, studying the two across from her. All three of them were on edge, each responding to Complicit in their own way. Someone looking at the booth would wonder why the three young women were so squirmy, like they had itching powder in their underwear.

"It's okay, Em. It's okay. I'm not freaking out about it!" Naomi was laughing slightly. "it feels amazing. Like nothing I've felt before. I..." she hesitated and her face froze, her body stiffening slightly. "Fuck...it's like a truth serum or something, isn't it?" She gripped the table a little tighter, something moving through her. "Like, I know what it wants me to say, but I can't say it, it's too crazy. But if I keep quiet," her face tightened a little, "it just makes me want to say it more...holy fuck!" She whispered the last, her hands gripping the table, her body stiffening. "I can't believe it, I can't believe it." She had closed her eyes and tried not to squirm, but whatever Complicit was doing to her, Naomi didn't have a chance.

She's having an orgasm! Just like Stephanie! Emily reached over, putting an arm around Naomi's shoulders, whispering quietly in her ear even as her body shook. "Don't resist it, Naomi. Let it take over. I know you're cumming. It's beautiful. Let it happen. Nobody can see, but us." Emily whispered whatever she could think of, remembering Caroline's tone, Jamie's acceptance of Steph. No judgement. Acceptance. And Naomi shook more, curving forward, her elbows bending, her hands gripping the table, her face grimacing. Someone looking over would think she had eaten a bad meal, or was suffering bad news. But Emily could feel the climaxes moving through her, one passing followed by another wave, each crashing onto another.

"Ohgodohgodohgod," Naomi emerged out of it, her eyes tearing, smiling and shaking her head. "What the fuck!?" She turned to look at Emily, planting a kiss on her cheek. "You weren't fucking kidding...oh godohgodohgod." She pulled her hands away to wrap herself around Emily. "It's so fucking intense," she whispered in her friend's ear. "I've never felt anything like that...ever!" She was giggling, looking around the diner, her vision blurred. 'Thank you," she whispered, planting another kiss on Emily's neck. "Last night," she continued, too softly for Jamie to hear. "In bed. When I was texting Mitch...I was playing with myself...shhh...I have to tell you. Complicit is making me. And I could see the party tonight. All of us. And I...I...oh fuck." She grabbed Emily again, another wave crashing over her. "Fuck!" the word whispered against Emily's ear. "I'm going to do something...fuck...fuck...I'm going to have sex with Jamie tonight..." And she slumped against Emily's shoulder, her eyes closed, tears leaking down her cheek.

Emily looked over at Jamie, wondering how much she'd heard. But she was intent on her drawing, her pencil flying and stopping, tiny strokes followed by larger ones. She didn't look up at Emily's gaze, focused entirely on her work. Emily nodded, unwrapping herself from Naomi to look at her. "You...you're going to be okay." She smiled uncertainly at Naomi's annoyance.

"You don't get it," she said. "This is fantastic. I'm...I'm not...I'm not worried at all!" She turned back to the table, shifting on the bench to get the tail more comfortable, looking back at her food.

Emily nodded, thankful and a little confused. She waited a bit before reaching across to grab her own plate and drag it in front of her.

"Did you see this, Naomi?" Jamie turned her sketchbook to show the two of them what she'd been working on.

They gasped at the same time. The sketch showed two women, entangled, their faces buried between each other's legs, one with a tail hanging down against crumpled sheets.

Naomi looked up, for the first time alarmed at what was happening, glancing at Jamie and then to Em, shaking her head. "No...fucking...way." She stared at the picture and back again. "That's not possible! What the fuck!" Her voice was rising. Jamie pulled the drawing away before the server passing by could get a glimpse of it, Naomi's reaction the only answer she needed.

Em sat stunned for a couple of heartbeats, quickly recovering. She thought Complicit couldn't surprise her, but...How is that possible? How could I ever expect this to be normal? She stared at the remaining stack of pancakes and wolfed them down, suddenly, unexplainably ravenous. She focused on eating, letting her feelings settle down about this latest development.

Naomi was trying to get her breath under control, staring at Jamie, her eyes wide, unfocused. She smiled, tentatively, relaxing when Jamie smiled back, her face open and nervous. "I...it's okay," Jamie said quietly, her tone suggesting anything but. "I can't see any other way...I've been thinking about it all morning." She looked down, her face bright pink, shaking her head.

She must be freaking out! Em studied Jamie's face. She can't be okay with it! Em knew this went against everything Jamie had been brought up believing. How could she just sit there and accept it? She should be jumping up and racing out of here! She looked over at Naomi, equally worried that she'd be okay having sex with another woman. Shit. Just having sex at all! What was Complicit capable of? But she knew it wasn't Complicit entirely. If it simply reduced inhibitions, then it revealed whatever each of them was already considering. Except for women. It did something different for women. Caroline jumped into her thoughts. That, and the butt plug tight inside her, made her shift against the padded seat, wondering if Jamie had any other drawings she wanted to share.

"You guys ready?" Naomi looked uncomfortable. "Cuz...I don't think I can sit here much longer."

Em looked over and down, seeing Naomi's shorts had darkened between her legs and nodded, a new aroma joining the smells of their food. She waved for the server as they each put down cash and collected their things, all of them more jumpy than when they'd arrived.

"This is weird for you guys, right?" Jamie asked from the back seat as Emily pulled into traffic. "Like, this isn't 'normal' right?"

Emily burst out laughing, relieved at releasing the tension she'd been feeling. "Oh my god! NO!" She caught Jamie's eyes in the rearview mirror to make sure she understood she wasn't laughing at her. "I mean. I don't have any more experience than either of you! I just got started a week or so ago! But I'm pretty sure this isn't 'normal,' Jamie."

Naomi just shook her head, embarrassed by how wet her shorts were, shifting uncomfortably. "I think I'm going to need to take a shower, Em. That be okay?"

When she turned onto her street she could see the crew spilling out to their trucks for lunch. Em slowed the car and pulled it off to the side before she got too close, not wanting to call attention to themselves. Naomi looked over, confused. "You want to have those guys all over you right now?"

Noami turned back and nodded. "Thanks. No."

When the coast was clear, she pulled into the driveway, Naomi spilling out before she'd brought the car to a stop.

"I think I'm done, for now, Em." Jamie sounded tired. "I've got class in a little bit and I want to rest up before..."

Em looked over to make sure she was okay.

"...before tonight." She pursed her lips.

Em thought she was scared at first, about to reach out and hug her, but realized she was preoccupied, distracted, a little lost. "You don't have to..." she began, but Jamie cut her off.

"No. Don't. You don't know me. None of you know me. I'm...I'll be fine." Her eyes glistened. "I'm actually looking forward to it. But I'm worried about Naomi. She's so...this is all so new to her."

Em raised her eyebrows, surprised. "Uhhh...okay?" But this isn't new to you? Who are you?

Jamie stared back, giving Em the same look she'd had the day before. "Yeah. I know. My reputation. Straightlaced." She lowered her voice. "I spend a lot of time protecting that reputation, and this little fragrance is undoing a lot of hard work." She sighed and pulled her bag out of the car, looking up with a thin smile. "I'm worried about all of you. Tonight's going to be fun for me! You can count on it." She flashed a wider smile, holding Em's stare for a heartbeat too long before turning to her car. A few steps away she turned back. "I'll be back around 7:30 to get my stuff upstairs and help, yeah?" Em nodded, thanking her, keeping her face neutral.

"I had the weirdest conversation with Jamie just now," Em reported to Naomi when she passed by the bathroom. The door to the hall was open, Naomi's figure blurred behind the shower door, the foxtail on the counter, two butt plugs sitting in the sink. She picked up the apothecary and brought it out, noticing Complicit had filled the hallway; they'd left both doors open when they'd left earlier.

"What?! I'll be out in a minute, I can't hear you. Everything okay?" Naomi stuck her head out, water dripping from her hair.

Em smiled, walking to the bedroom. "Yeah," she shouted back. "I'll tell you when you get out!"

"Wassup?" Naomi was toweling off her head, standing naked in Emily's doorway, her skin glowing from the hot shower.

Emily had always admired Naomi's body, so well proportioned, her muscles toned, her skin such an amazing color. But she especially admired her breasts. Naomi had perfect breasts as far as Emily was concerned. She never had a problem fitting into a bra or a bathing suit, as if clothes were just designed for her shape. Not overly large, they were the perfect proportion to the rest of her. Naomi had gotten her breasts a lot earlier than Em, at least a year, a development Naomi wasn't very happy with. But it had given her a head start getting used to her body. Her friend had always been slight, but Emily remembered when Naomi's hips flared in 9th grade, which along with a pair of glutes and those breasts, stopped every guy in school. Naomi hated what guys did when they saw her. It took until Junior year to figure out how to deal with it, eventually realizing she couldn't control what her body did to them. Em remembered the late night worries, Naomi in tears at the start of the year, and by the spring, resolved. Naomi loved her body, loved it and was fascinated by it. She understood it and she used it like a weapon when she needed to. Sometimes, it seemed to Em, Naomi went a little too far, as if she was indifferent or ignorant of what might happen to her if she wasn't careful.

"What?" Naomi had stopped drying off, dropping her arms to wrap the towel around her neck. "What were you shouting at me?"

Emily pulled herself back. "Jamie. I just had the weirdest conversation with Jamie."

Naomi waited, staring at her fingernails, unconcerned about standing around Em's doorway buck naked.

"I thought she might be freaked out a little about what she'd been drawing, or seeing, or even that she was seeing the same shit you and Steph were seeing..."

"Wait! What? She saw Steph eating me out?" Naomi looked up, confused, blunt as ever.

Emily snorted, shaking her head in disbelief. "Sheesh, N. You're amazing. No. Jamie sketched what you saw, right? Well, she saw the same thing Steph saw for tonight: Jamie will be sketching Steph. They both knew we'd all be naked tonight."

Naomi looked even more confused, shaking her head. "What? It's a BNL, right? Like, duh? But. Wait. Jamie will be sketching Steph? Steph hates to be naked...and she's posing? How's that even possible?"

Em barked a laugh. "That's what you got out of that? That Steph was going to pose for Jamie tonight and that's weird? I mean, yeah, that's weird, but that's the least weird thing of the bunch, right? Didn't you hear me? Jamie and Steph both predicted what was going to happen tonight. No," she held up her hand, "not just that we'll be naked at a Bare Naked Ladies party, but that Steph would be lying on the pile of clothes letting Jamie sketch her. Besides, aside from you, how naked are most of us at BNLs?" Emily stopped to reflect on past parties and realized she rarely got out of her underwear, except when it was at Caroline's hot tub. She raised her eyebrows at Naomi, waiting.

Naomi sat down on the bed, staring at the plug set they'd left earlier. The room was thick with Complicit; Emily had almost stopped smelling it, wondering what effect it was having on her friend.

"Does it scare you?" Naomi looked up.

It was Emily's turn to be confused. "Which? That Jamie, Steph and I all saw the same scene tonight? Or that Jamie sketched what you saw happening between you two? Or the fact that we can just sit here talking about it as if it's nothing? Or how I've become a subservient fuck-toy for a cro-magnon in the basement? Or that I might be putting my mother at risk with Complicit?" She gaped at Naomi wondering what of all that Naomi thought she should be afraid of.

Naomi had started laughing at the onslaught of words and questions, covering her mouth. "Stop. Stop Em! Fuck!" She fell over laughing. "Yes! Yes! Are you scared by any of that?" She could barely get the sentence out between giggling.

Em stared at the tiny heart tattoo on Naomi's thigh, the one she got that Junior year, remembering Naomi's panic that her parents might find out. She knew her friend. She knew she was freaking out about what was going on. She knew her laughing was just this side of crying, and that she wasn't ready for what Complicit was putting her through. As if you are! "Hey. Naomi." She reached over and stroked her shoulder, running her fingers through her hair. "It's okay. You don't..." And for the second time that morning, her concern was misplaced.

"No! It's okay." Naomi stopped giggling long enough to look up at Emily. "I'm not worried about tonight." She shook her head. "I don't know why. I should be. I mean, I'm not gay. I've never thought about having sex with a girl. But as soon as I saw what Jamie and I were doing I got so turned on, Em!" She had pushed herself over onto her stomach, her legs stretching out off the bed. "I came so many times last night, just thinking about it..." She buried her face in the covers.

Emily kept her hand on Naomi's shoulder, playing with a strand of hair, exhaling, trying to get her own thoughts in order. "But I wanted to tell you the strangest thing about what Jamie said," Em said quietly. "Like, you know her pretty well, right?" Naomi and Jamie had had a few classes together and hung out after school.

Naomi looked up and nodded, her eyes glassy, her feet kicking up and down slightly.

"She said she was worried about you...That she was 'actually looking forward to it,' meaning going down on you, tonight. That we didn't know her or that the reputation she's been building was going to be ruined now. Does any of that mean anything to you? Does that sound like Jamie?"

Naomi jerked up at this latest revelation, pushing onto her elbows and gathering her legs under her. "She said that?" She pulled the towel from around her shoulders and focused on folding it, thinking. "That's pretty weird, Em. No," she shook her head, focusing on the towel, "she's never said anything about her sex life to me. I figured she'd be a virgin til she got married." She looked up. "That's as weird as what we'll be doing tonight." Her expression changed. "Fuck Em! I'm going to have sex with Jamie!" Her eyes grew wide and she started laughing again, gripping a corner of the towel and whipping it over their heads waving it like a flag.