Beautiful Pt. 06

The clock ticked under five minutes, and still she kept going, just under what I needed. Tears spilled from my eyes in my desperation. Still she continued, thrusting and grinding, playing with me mercilessly. Three minutes, then two. Her fingers removed themselves from my clit making me moan in frustration, but then I heard something whir to life. A vibrator, which suddenly was pressed against my clit. Coach's pace increased and my body began to tense in preparation for release.

"It's time for you to come now, baby." The clock ticked under a minute, and I passed the point of no return, my body going almost numb for the briefest moment before it exploded into ecstasy. From my fingers to my toes I came, screaming into the pillow in front of me as pure waves of bliss pulsed and echoed through my body. Coach Dalton kept the vibe to my pearl, and her phallus teased against that deepest source of pleasure, and it was undiluted heaven.

Finally it passed, and I slumped forward onto the mattress as the last seconds ticked off my lover's phone. The phallus slipped out of me as Sandy turned off the alarm, leaning over my exhausted body and whispering in my ear. "I win."

I whimpered. "What do I have to do?"

She touched my lower lip, and I kissed her fingertip as she spoke. "I think I'll start with this pretty mouth. I'd like it to pleasure me, every inch of me." She rolled over onto her back. "You can begin when you're ready."

I'm not sure how I had the strength to move, but I managed to turn towards her, coming over on my side and kissing her deeply. Our tongues danced and swirled for a few luscious moments before I pulled away and began my work. I did exactly as she asked, kissing her on the forehead, and down over her cheek. I spent time on her ears and neck, luxuriating in each part of her that I knew would bring her pleasure.

I could feel the tension that had built up over the week begin to flow out of her as I worked, her head lolling back, eyes closed and lips parted as I captured a taut nipple in my mouth. Her hand caressed the back of my head as I continued, and I felt almost ethereal, floating there in a haze of contented bliss as I pleasured the woman I loved.

I moved down one leg, then back up the other, sucking on toes, licking the impossibly sensitive skin of her inner thigh, tickling her behind the knee, forcing her to devolve into a gyrating puddle of goo long before I let my tongue run up through her sex. But that was just a tease, as I pushed her legs back and spent some time on her cute little rosebud before I set to my task properly.

It seemed to take only moments before Sandy's powerful body seized beneath my attention. Over and over I took her to the mountain top, until she reached down, hooking two fingers under my chin and drawing me up for a desperate kiss.

She rolled me onto my back, covering me with her body transfixing me with her gaze. "That was perfect, baby. I'm going to take you now. Understand?"

I nodded, unable to speak, and she slid off of me, standing next to the bed. "Touch yourself, Melanie. Get that pussy ready for me." I obeyed, my fingers swirling around my tingling clit as she picked the strap-on up from the floor.

Before she buckled it into place she added the attachment that went inside her, and she activated the built in vibrator before climbing between my legs. I was happy, because this time was going to be about sharing pleasure.

She entered me with one smooth motion, her face inches above me, eyes boring into mine. "Who do you belong to, Melanie?"

"You. I belong to you."

Her mouth found mine as I wrapped my arms and legs around her. She began to work in me, not thrusting really, more of a deep grinding motion, and it felt exquisite. Her tongue ran over my earlobe, as her hand slipped under my head, pulling it to the side and allowing her access to my sensitive neck.

We moved together, pleasure building in us both. I'd never felt so connected to another person, so one with them, and I knew that Sandy was my partner. Not just that I wanted that to be true, or that I was surrendering to my love for her. No, it was deeper than that. It was trust. For the first time I trusted that Sandy felt the same way I did, that I was not only worthy of that type of love, but that it actually existed between us, radiant and pure.

Her mouth settled on mine again, and the bliss of orgasm carried me away. As I came down Sandy began to tremble, and I held her to me as her climax claimed her. On and on it went until finally she stilled in my embrace.

"Oh, god, Melanie, that was, it, ooh, gotta take it off." She reached down, and we giggled as she silenced the vibrator and got it unbuckled and onto the floor. We collapsed back onto the mattress together, giggling and wrapped up in each other.

As our laughter subsided our gazes locked, fingers entwined together. Her voice was strong, but filled to the brim with emotion. "I belong to you, too, you know. Since the first time we kissed, the first time I held your hand. Honestly since the first time I saw you across the room at that dinner, my heart's been yours."

"I know." I reached up and caressed her cheek, the brightest, most lovely smile breaking across her face at the confidence in my voice. We kissed and cuddled, eventually finding our way under the covers and into dreamland together.

***

The next day was almost perfect, emphasis on the almost.

We had a bit of a lie-in, some sleeping, some kissing and touching and generally fooling around. But eventually we made it through the shower and to a little brunch spot where we shared bits off our plates like lovers do. From there we made our way over to a farmer's market, where we picked up some honey, jams, soaps, and a few thick cut pork chops for dinner.

Unfortunately it was a windy and cold November day, so going for a walk was off the table, but we ended up at a movie. Don't ask me which one, since we sat in the back row, and well, yeah. Fortunately there weren't many other people in the theater, so I don't think we disturbed anyone.

Dinner was lovely, stuffed chops and veggies, along with a nice Pinot Noir. After dinner we talked to Paige while her father drove her back from Virginia. She raved about the campus and the girls she'd met. We played two games of cribbage, which I won. This caused some playful sulking on my overly competitive girlfriend's part and I 'oh, poor babied' her relentlessly as we snuggled on the coach.

Snuggles led to kisses, which slid off the sofa and onto the plush area rug in front of the fireplace. A few hours later we dragged our tired, satiated bodies up stairs and climbed into bed.

"Did I make up for beating you at cards?"

Sandy heaved a fake sigh. "I guess. I have to admit that pretty mouth of yours is very talented."

I giggled, sinking deeper into her embrace. "I aim to please."

"And you do." Sandy kissed my temple, and we snuggled together under the covers. The clock read a little after eleven. It had been a perfect day up till then, but it ended as Sandy's phone began to buzz from the nightstand.

She sat up and grabbed it, a frown forming on her face. "It's Principal Harrison. Hello?"

She held the phone between us, set to speaker.

"Coach, I'm sorry to bother you so late, but I thought you should know, before you find out some other way. Is Melanie Pierson with you?"

"Yeah, I'm here Patrick. What's going on?"

"Just terrible business." You could hear him gather himself for a moment. "It's about Kaylin Ellis. She attempted suicide today."

I gasped, covering my mouth as I watched all the color drain out of Sandy's face. She stared at me, the fear evident in her eyes as she responded. "Is she...?"

"She's alive, still unconscious. She lost a lot of blood. I just, I didn't want you to find out some other way."

"Thank you, Patrick. I appreciate that."

He sighed heavily. "There is one more thing. I talked briefly to Mary Ann Ellis, and they're, I mean, she was really upset, but they're blaming you, somehow. Some kind of conversation with their daughter?"

Sandy's face hardened. "I've talked to her a few times, but it was in confidence. Obviously I didn't have any idea this would happen, or I would've warned someone."

"Confidence or not, they're looking for someone, anyone to blame."

"I appreciate the warning." Sandy said goodbye and hung up with a huff. "Unbelievable, there's a girl fighting for her life and he's worried about the school's liability." She sniffed.

"Hey, come here." I pulled Sandy close, her arms going around me as she buried her head on my shoulder. She took a few deep breaths, and I stroked her hair, whispering in her ear. "She's going to be okay, I promise."

She sniffled, and I held her a long while, before she pulled away. "She was so scared when she talked to me."

"I know."

"I told her not to tell her parents. That's standard, if you know a child won't get a good reaction. It's better to stay in the closet than end up on the street."

"Yeah, you're right. You know you are. This is her parent's fault, not yours."

Sandy nodded.

I held her for a long time, eventually getting her under the sheets. I was scared she might want to be alone, to leave, but she didn't.

I hadn't once felt like I was necessary to Bill. Important, valuable, maybe, like a car or a nice house, something he'd wanted, but he'd never needed me.

Sandy did though, right now. I could feel her drawing comfort from me, resting in my strength. That was a new experience for me. But I felt up for it, like I could handle being this for her. We found our way under the covers. She felt so small in my arms, crying gently as I held her. I'd never seen this side of her, and it only made me love her more.

***

Sleep was a long time coming for both of us. I could almost feel Sandy's brain whirling through the possibilities, searching for a way to make everything right. I wish I had an easy answer for her, but I didn't. I had texted Paige, telling her to call me as soon as possible. She'd had a long day, though, and I wouldn't be surprised if she were already in bed.

She called the next morning, and the tremor in her voice told me she'd already heard. Paige wasn't the weepy kind, but I could hear her crying on the other end of the line. I could tell she felt like she'd somehow failed her friend, and maybe she had. Maybe we all had, in a way. Maybe we should have done something different, but to be honest I didn't know what that could have been.

My mind whirled through all of the possibilities as I sat in church, Sandy by my side. I was hoping that God would speak to me during the sermon, but no such luck. It was a generic message, based on serving each other, one I'd heard the pastor give a dozen times, variations on a theme.

As my mind wandered, my hand slipped into Sandy's without conscious thought. My lover's face turned towards me, wordlessly asking me if I were sure about this. I was confused for a second, before her hand moved and I glanced down at our interlocked fingers. I'll admit my first reaction was to pull away, but I didn't. An elderly gentleman to our right looked over at us, his eyes flicking down to our handclasp. His look turned ever so slightly icier as he looked back toward the front.

***

"Pastor, could we speak for a second before you leave?"

"Of course, Melanie."

I'd introduced him to Sandy a few weeks ago, as just a friend, but that ended today. I said 'thank you' and moved on, since there was a good-sized line to shake the pastor's hand, as usual.

We moved over to the seating provided in the large foyer, where Penny Hobson immediately approached, her face wearing her standard gleefully fake smile. Okay, it wasn't exactly 'fake', she just was happy about something other than seeing you.

"Melanie! You brought your friend again!"

I took a moment to flash an equally inauthentic smile. "Nice to see you, Penny. You're well, I hope?"

"Very well, thank you. So, I hear you two were getting emotional during the service." She sat down next to me and patted my knee, dropping her voice to a whisper. "We've all needed a friend's hand to hold from time to time. No one is thinking anything salacious."

What a liar, that was exactly what she was thinking. I looked her square in the eye. "I wasn't worried about that. There's nothing salacious about me holding hands with my girlfriend."

Her mouth dropped open, but I continued before she could respond. "Everyone knows you like to gossip, so that should be a juicy one for you. Enjoy, but I'd do it quick, as I don't intend on keeping it a secret for long."

She didn't say a word, and I watched the faux-pleasant look drain away from her face. Fortunately, she left without saying another word, almost running over to where a group of her friends were congregating.

"You sure about this?"

"Yes." I watched as Penny spoke quickly to the gathered group of women. As she did the others' eyes flicked towards me. "I'm done hiding. And if we can't be together here then I won't be here. That's the end of it."

Sandy sat down next to me, a wry smile on her face. "I think I've been a bad influence on you."

"Nothing bad about it." I leaned in and kissed her cheek. When I sat up Pastor Daniels was standing next to us.

"Well, I think I can guess what we need to talk about."

***

It was early evening and I was lying down, head on Sandy's lap. I had my Kindle out while Sandy watched a football game. Our conversation with the Pastor had confirmed what I had already guessed. I wouldn't be banned from services or anything, but he couldn't acknowledge a same sex relationship, and I wouldn't be permitted to hold any kind of leadership position in the church. Not that I held any at the moment, but still.

I'd stayed at that church for reasons previously discussed. It wasn't overly conservative without being able to to be called liberal. But the underlying bias was still there, as much as I tried to ignore it, even if it wasn't always talked about.

I'd already made the decision, and I was just mulling over how to tell the kids, and my parents, that I wasn't staying there. As I was running through these issues my phone dinged from the side table. I sat and picked it up, looking at the screen.

Bill - Turn on channel 6, quick.

I sat up and pointed at the T.V. "Sweetheart, put on channel 6."

Sandy pointed the remote and made the change.

"Thank you, Devon." A pretty brunette reporter was standing in front of the Lost Valley High School sign, talking into her microphone. "For the second time in a few weeks the Lost Valley High Field Hockey team is making news, this time for a very serious reason."

The scene shifted and Mary Ann Ellis was talking into a microphone in front of several reporters. "Last week there were reports of inappropriate behavior by the Coach of the Lost Valley Field Hockey team. My husband and I removed our daughter from the team as quickly as possible, but we had no idea that the Coach in question had already been grooming our daughter to believe she was a lesbian. And that grooming almost cost her her life." The grief on her face was real, but it was overlaid with a bone chilling mask of anger and hate, and I felt the block of ice forming in my chest as I watched her speak.

"I want the school held accountable for their inaction, which could have been deadly. And I want the Coach removed. School officials do not have the right to indoctrinate our children into sin, to groom and sexualize innocent boys and girls."

The screen cut away, back to the reporter lady. "Now, we aren't releasing the name of the young woman in question, as she is a minor. According to her family, however, she remains in critical condition at Duke University Hospital. We have not been able to reach Principal Harrison, however we did speak to Lenoir Madden, a member of the Raleigh School Board, who stated that she intended to look into the matter immediately. This all comes on the heels of the Lost Valley Lady Panthers' first playoff victory in a decade. The controversial new coach, former Olympian Dr. Sandra Dalton, has been at the helm of the program for less than one season."

Sandy shut the TV off, and I put my hand on her knee. "Sweetheart?"

"I don't want to hear what they're saying about me."

I put my hand to her cheek. "You are a wonderful coach and role model, and the girls all adore you. And, um." My cheeks flooded with heat.

"And what?"

"Do you have any idea how much better my life is with you in it? How happy, how alive I feel since I met you?"

Sandy's eyes closed, a tear slipping free as she leaned into my hand. "I love you, Melanie."

The sincerity, the complete vulnerability in my powerful lover's voice made my heart break. My lips found hers, she sank into our kiss as accepted the strength I was offering. I broke away. "I love you too, and I'll be right here through this. I promise."

"I know."

I took Sandy back to bed, but I didn't try to pleasure her or initiate anything. But I did hold her close, gently massaging her neck and pressing soft kisses to her forehead and temple. I loved the was she gave herself over to my care, just letting me hold her close as she cried softly in my arms.

***

The waiting is the worst part, not knowing when the other shoe would drop. A story appeared in the paper the next morning, detailing what was known about what had happened. Kaylin wasn't named, but it was pointed out that she was a former member of the Lost Valley Lady Panthers, under the leadership of 'controversial coach' Sandra Dalton. Paige and several of her teammates tried to go to the hospital to visit Kaylin, but her parents refused to allow them in.

By the time Paige got home she was in tears. I consoled her as best as I could, and she came into my room with her brush after she'd showered that night. She sat on my bed as I brushed her hair.

"Is Coach Dalton gonna get fired, Mom?"

"I hope not, sweetheart, but I don't know."

"But it's not her fault! It's Kaylin's parents' fault. How can they be like that?"

"Because they think they're trying to save her, misguided as that is. They have to vent their anger somewhere. Some people can't accept that others are different."

"I'm glad you're not like that, mom."

My eyes misted over. "I remember when you were born, holding you, looking at your tiny wrinkled face. I still felt like a kid, with no business being anyone's mom. But there was this little life in my arms. I wanted to know you, to learn about who you were, what you'd become. My mom had decided who and what I was going to be from the moment she knew I was going to be a girl. I refused to do that to you."

"And that didn't include being a lesbian, did it?"

"Ah, no, it most decidedly did not." I ran the brush through her hair again. "But I want you to be anything you want. To be with anyone you want, as long as they're good to you. And I want you to be strong enough to need someone."

"To need someone?"

"Yeah. It takes a lot of strength to let yourself be vulnerable, to admit you need people. Especially today, when everyone tells women we can't need anyone, especially a partner."

"Just women?"

"Oh, men need people, too. In some ways they have it worse. I don't think we can really know the pressure men feel to be ascetic and emotionless. Too many men see emotions as weakness. It gets drilled into them when they're just boys. I saw it happen to your brothers. It takes a lot for a man to admit he needs someone. But they're just as lonely as we are." I ran my fingers down through Paige's hair, feeling for tangles. I didn't find any, so I kissed the back of her head. "I think you're good to go."

"Thanks, Mom." She leaned back against me, and I held my baby girl against me. She rested there for just a second. "I'm going to ask Brandy out, after the season. I like her, Mom. I don't want to be afraid. Kaylin was so afraid."