Always a Bridesmaid Pt. 02

I heard my phone ring and recognized the bride-to-be's face, which worried me because I hadn't heard from her since our afternoon adventures had wrapped up. That wasn't like her, and since it was now after seven in the evening it made me worry a bit. I answered on the fourth ring because that's how long it took me to pick up the phone and answer. "Hey, I was starting to wonder if--" I started.

"I have a crisis here, Jackson hated the dress and told me to go return it!" Paula screeched through the phone, nearly shouting.

I gritted my teeth, glad that I was not on video because she would have seen the rage on my face. I took a deep breath, ready to listen, trying not to call her fiance the names I was thinking of, and that he probably deserved. "Slow down. He actually said that?" I asked, giving Jackson the benefit of the doubt, knowing that I was probably wrong. He wasn't a bad guy, he just occasionally suffered from the same arrogant superiority complex that a lot of high school football stars seemed to get.

"He said it was overpriced and too revealing." She said, clearly still seething.

I knew that Paula had moments where she could react too quickly to things and make them overblown, but my intuition told me that this was not one of those times. I knew how to help her take a step back and take the emotion out of things, but it wasn't the kind of thing I wanted to do over the phone. "Well, it's early enough for a girl's night, or hell just an evening if we need to. I have tequila out, let's share a glass or two, or five." I said, cackling after the comment.

"See you soon!" Paula said, her voice already sounding infinitely lighter.

When my front doorbell chimed, I didn't have to see who it was, I already instinctively knew it was her. I barely had time to open the door when she crashed into me, hugged me close, and held on for dear life. She was wearing a coat that shielded me from feeling her body up against me which was probably a good thing for me. Paula let out a long sigh that appeared to release some of her tension and then let go of me and stepped back. "I soooooo need my bestie." she said, smiling.

"And this," I said, producing the twin of my own glass, filled with tequila.

"Mmmmmmm you always know exactly what I need," she said, swirling the alcohol in the glass a few times before taking a swig.

"I was about to hit the hot tub when you called, would be nice to sit and soak while we talk," I said.

Paula giggled and took another sip, this one much smaller than the first. "Yeah, that sounds pretty damn amazing. But unless we are planning to be nude..." she began.

'Nude, that would be way too tempting for me', I said to myself, remembering images from times we had changed around each other. Each and every time I had to stop myself from letting desire take over, even if just within my own head. I cleared my throat, pushing out the lascivious images already forming in my mind, trying not to let desire take over. "Well, you know that would not be fair to the gay girl right?"

Paula's eyes sparkled, telling me that the tequila had already started affecting her inhibitions. "Well," she said, intentionally taking another sip before adding, "Well we can't have that now can we?"

"I can lay out a swimsuit for you if you want. Or pick one if you feel up to it." I said with a wink, not certain what would happen if she did choose on her own. Still sipping her drink, she nodded in response.

I spun around on the heel of my bare right foot, my eyes catching a few nicks on my toenails that I needed to touch up. I ran my fingers through my now-loose hair as I walked back to my bedroom, debating what to suggest for Paula to wear. Was this a bad idea? She was pissed at her fiance and already buzzed which could make for a perfect storm of sorts. On the other hand, she was 100% straight and never even hinted at even a glimmer of interest in women, so it seemed altogether unlikely. We had done this kind of thing numerous times so what was the harm? I silently moved over to my dresser, slid open the third drawer on the right of the mirror, and started rifling through the sea of colors contained inside it.

If I was being honest with myself, I was feeling a little conflicted, as my own buzz had kicked in already, making my mind drift to naughty thoughts. Do I pick something conservative for her, or something a bit more daring? As I pondered the answer, I remembered that most of my swimsuits were bikinis, and pretty revealing ones at that. Of course, some were downright scandalous, so it was going to be a tough choice regardless.

Just as I had decided to behave, my eyes caught the sight of the black fabric of the bikini I had worn in the picture from Mexico, flooding my memory and senses with the recall of that moment. Perhaps it was in poor taste and slightly wicked, but I had an intense urge to live back in that moment. I slowly pulled the skimpy bikini to me, a bit surprised that I felt no shame about flirting with danger. Catching my breath, I saw several nice selections that would fit her and look sexy, but kept gravitating to something more revealing and gave my eyes something to feast upon. I would never take advantage of my best friend in the world, but a fantasy never hurts, right?

"Here ya go!" I said cheerfully, lobbing the skimpy garment in her direction.

Paula caught it with her left hand, a pretty good feat considering that she was right-handed. Downing the rest of the pale liquid, she shook it in front of her face before swallowing it. "Where the hell is the rest of it? Might as well go nude with as little as this covers," she said, giggling so much I thought she might not remember to breathe.

"You are hilarious," I said, slipping into the adjacent bathroom to give her some privacy. I could hear her humming as she undressed, as evidenced by the soft sound of things dropping on the floor. I flung my clothes over the hamper to the left of the door and pulled the bottoms up until they fit snugly, letting go of the elastic, and making a loud snapping sound when it hit my skin. Suppressing a giggle, I turned towards the mirror, my breasts on full display in the reflection. I cupped them and smiled at the view, knowing that they were one of my best features and admired by women and men alike. Snapping back to reality, I tied up the top and opened the door, shocked to find my best friend closer to the door than I expected her to be.

I felt my breath catch as I took in the sight of her body in the borrowed swimsuit, which showed lots of skin in all the right places. Paula's shapely legs filled my field of vision, arousing me slightly, though I did my best to hide it. My eyes traveled upward, past her incredibly flat tummy, to her breasts, and at that moment I panicked, worried that I might have offended her. Her own eyes were on my breasts as if fascinated by them, surprising since she had seen this view many times in the past. I cleared my throat. "It's not polite to stare," I said, slapping her shoulder playfully.

Paula's face reddened as I caught her looking as if doing something wrong or at least distasteful. "Um, sorry, just...always envied how much bigger yours are than mine," she said, turning away. I was about to call bullshit on her, but the fact that she had made that comment many times before made me rethink it. I mean she wasn't ogling me, was she?

Careful not to cross any lines, I leaned in and gave her a loose hug, one that communicated reassurance without getting too close. As I pulled back, I headed out the door and in the direction of the porch area, grabbing the bottle of tequila as I did. "Let's go relax, Pauls!" I said loudly. I sat the bottle at a small table attached to the edge near the back of the tub and slid down into the frothy water.

I settled into one of the fiberglass seats and sloshed another helping of tequila into my glass and leaned my head back against the cushion made for that purpose. After a few minutes passed and no Paula, I started to get concerned. "Hey, you ok? You seemed ready to jump in before I got out here!" I shouted, not caring who heard.

Seconds after my verbal prompting, Pauls scurried out in my direction, a towel wrapped around her body as if to hide the sheer volume of exposed skin provided by the borrowed swimsuit. "Sorry, just was feeling self-conscious," she muttered, dropping the towel and sliding into the water so rapidly that it made ripples among the froth.

"Yeah, and you forgot your glass. Don't tell me you are all done!" I said, splashing the water in her direction on the other side of the hot tub.

Paula giggled and rolled her eyes. "Well, shit." she sputtered, reaching for the side rail to get out.

"Oh to hell with that, we can share a glass. I am not afraid of your cooties!" I laughed, reaching across.

Paula floated over and took the seat next to mine and accepted the nearly full glass from my hand. Grinning, she brought it to her lips, unintentionally placing her lips where mine had been, shown by the residue from my lipstick. My eyes watched as she drank in a pretty big amount before licking her lips and handing it back to me. "Ahhhh." she said with a wink and smile.

Without trying to be too obvious, I took a good look at her full lips, turned on at the thought that our mouths had been in the same spot on the glass. It was tantamount to our lips actually touching in a transferred kiss, and whether Paula knew it or not she had tasted my lips, my kiss. I started to let my mind wander to the idea that if I had been pleasuring myself and tasted my own juices, that she would have done the same, regardless of her orientation. Even so, I adored my best friend and would never want to do anything that might risk our relationship, and forced my thoughts back to reality.

I threw back the rest of the drink and poured another before passing it to my brunette friend once more. "So, Jackson thought your dress was too slutty and too expensive?" I asked, knowing the way I phrased the question would likely get her dander up.

Paula imitated my action on the previous drink of tequila but was careful not to ingest too much at once. "Well, not exactly, but his first reaction didn't earn him any points in my book. His eyes went wide, not in an oh-that-is-fucking-gorgeous way, but more like, are-you-fucking-serious, she said after drinking.

"So what did he say, exactly?" I asked, reaching for the glass and taking a small sip this time.

Paula sighed. "Well, he took a few seconds to think about what he was gonna say, I'm guessing that knowing I'm a lawyer I could tear his words apart. He kind of made it sound like a question, but he implied that it showed way too much skin," she said, shaking her head to make her hair loosen up.

"And how did he know how much it cost?" I inquired, leaning back and resting my head again.

Paula sat up, eyes bright, and leaning in like she was about to reveal some big secret. "I told him before he asked, I knew it was the next question anyway. I can read him well enough for that. Plus he is pretty money-conscious, which is strange considering how rich his family is." she said with a smile, leaning back again.

"Hmmm," I said, trying to discern what had set her off. So far, what her hubby-to-be had said sounded pretty innocuous to me.

"Well, he started saying something about not wanting to embarrass him in front of everyone." Paula went on, giggling, a sure sign that the buzz was in full swing now.

'Now it makes sense', I thought to myself. "Yeah, as if someone implied I would somehow make them look bad by something like that, I would be pissed too!" I said angrily. I didn't necessarily dislike Jackson, he clearly adored Paula, but at times he could be a complete idiot!

"Yeah, it made me feel like his image was more important than the happiness of his future wife!" Paula responded, voice shaking with some residual anger. She grabbed the drink out of my hand, laughing while taking another gulp. A second later, she started to dance around in the water like nothing else mattered in the world. This was the side of herself that she kept hidden and walled off, rarely giving anyone a glimpse of it, the carefree, funny, slightly wild, and crazy girl that I knew and cherished.

Rivulets of water moved downward from her neck, over her collarbone, and into the supple crease of cleavage created by the borrowed bikini top. The sight was incredibly lovely, sensual, and altogether sexy, making me wish I could trace it with my finger just to see how it felt. Despite my best efforts at self-control, I felt desire bubbling up from deep inside me. Well, more like a gigantic wave, if I was being honest with myself. Now, it may sound all sexual but it's so much more than that, which is why having my attraction being unrequited was small in the grand scheme of things. Aside from our long shared history, we had similar viewpoints and interests, our personalities complemented one another, and we just shared this deep emotional bond. I "got" her and she "gets'' me, which is rarer than you might think. That in and of itself was more than worth it, no matter what I might fantasize about from time to time.

"Want me to go kick his ass?" I asked teasingly, feeling my own buzz increase. She knew I was kidding, but it was fun to say it anyway.

Paula turned and looked over her shoulder, a devilish expression dancing across her perfect facial features. "Oh that is a very tempting offer, but I am pretty sure he would press charges," she said with a pronounced giggle.

I raised my glass, as if proposing a toast, and replied, "Well that's why having an attorney as my bestie is such a plus! You would get me off in a New York minute!"

Paula burst out into a raucous laugh that made her whole body jiggle. "Get you off? No wonder you got me drunk, so you could have your way with me," she said, barely able to speak through the hysterical laughter.

I could feel the blood filling my face and probably making it the deepest shade of red ever known to humankind. I had walked right into that one without even realizing it, and of course, I took the cheater's way out to save face. "Well, I blame the tequila babe. It brings out the worst in me." I said, making exaggerated gestures with my body and free hand.

Paula snatched the glass from my hand playfully and drained it completely. "Why the fuck should you have all the fun?" she said, sticking her tongue out playfully, before handing me the glass back.

I refilled the glass, resolving this time to nurse my drink more slowly before I lost my very last ounce of good sense. "Fair enough, nothing wrong with that," I said as calmly as possible. Sometimes I swear she teased me on purpose just to see how I might react, but even if that was true it was still fun, even if nothing ever came of it.

"Well I was so excited when I showed Jacks the dress, and there was no question he was gonna get laid tonight!" Paula blurted out, her face revealing a moment later that she had not just thought that but said it out loud.

Because I had just begun swallowing a small sip of my drink, my reaction to the unexpected sexual comment made me choke, making me cough intensely. Waving my hand to let her know I would be okay in a moment, I took a second or two to clear my airway. Once I could speak again, I scolded her sternly saying, "Are you trying to kill me here?"

"Sorry, but I gotta say it was worth it watching you go all crazy like that! Plus, it's true, I have been super horny the last two days and not been able to let off any steam." Paula said casually as if we were talking about the weather or some sale at a clothing store.

I let out a long sigh, partly out of exasperation. I knew her well enough to tell that what she said was indeed true, but also that there was no expectation from me to do anything about it. Paula could be a flirt under the right circumstances but this was anything but that. My mind started swirling with suggestions, none of which involved any sort of sapphic activity whatsoever.

"Well since you put it that way..." I started to say, failing to stifle a hearty laugh.

"You are such a smartass, but sorry to say that I'm not going to dip my toe in that side of the pool." she shot back, clearly joking with me.

"Very funny, I was just going to suggest that I go in and give you some...well...you time." I suggested as I started moving towards the spot to climb out of the hot tub.

Paula laughed incredulously. "Yeah, I'm not sure the logistics of doing that in a hot tub sound all that appealing." she sighed.

Her comment snapped my mind back to many memories of spending time pleasuring myself in the hot tub by myself, making me think that maybe she just needed a few suggestions. "Oh, you have no idea how fun it can be. I have had some very sexy times out here when the mood strikes me. I can give you some pointers and then leave you to your business." I told her, instantly thinking that I had way overstepped any boundaries of good sense.

Paula looked right at me, eyes locked, her eyebrows furrowing, as if contemplating my words and how to respond to them. I honestly panicked and wanted to jump out of the bubbling water and hightail it into the house before I could be called out for even bringing it up. "Okay, let me hear your crazy ideas!" she said playfully.

I floated over to a spot perpendicular to the area where we had been sitting, where I could stand and hold on to the side if I so wished. I crooked my finger in her direction and motioned for her to join me, which she did, gliding across like she was ice skating or something. Reaching my right hand down into the water, I located one of the jets positioned on the side of the tub. "Put your hand down here, it's not a trick, trust me," I said, still wary if I should be sharing this with her.

I watched as my friend plunged her right hand under the water, fumbling along until her fingers brushed mine, making me draw mine back quickly. I was very aware of how close to the line all of this might seem to her, but also sincerely wanted to help with no strings attached. Paula giggled as she felt the powerful stream hit her hand, and I was relatively sure she figured out what I was driving at. "Ah ok, it's not gonna give me an infection or anything right?" she asked.

"All you have to do is...just find the right spot to stand and the rest is...well...it works itself out," I said, ignoring her ridiculous question. I watched as Paula gripped the top of the fiberglass and pulled her body closer to the jet, moving erratically to a couple of different positions before groaning in frustration. Patience had never been her strong suit, nor mine for that matter.

"Damnit, you made it sound easy!" she barked.

"Oh for fucks sake!" I snapped, probably more stridently than she deserved. Without thinking, I grabbed her hips and pushed her to one side and then down slightly, searching for the best position for her. I had done this myself, of course, but it was quite different to try and help someone else to do it.

"Oh....oh WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW...." Paula moaned all at once, gripping the sides so hard that her knuckles turned white.

Satisfied that I had gotten her to the right place for some personal fun, I started to remove my hands from her hips and move to the way out of the tub. "Don't let go of me, this feels perfect and I really fucking need this right now!" she said, half moaning and half growling.

I felt a shiver pass through me. This was uncharted territory for both of us, but more so for Paula. There was a sensual danger to what was happening, as it seemed to breach the boundaries of being friends, but not making us lovers either. My emotions moved from sheer delight, to intense fear, and back again, but eventually both melted into a simple satisfaction of enjoying what was happening in the moment.