Delicate Touches Pt. 02

"No need to tie me down now, but thanks for being so fucking patient."

"Patience isn't my middle name," he replied, "but it should be," he turned and glanced at the door, "well, I'll leave you two love birds in peace and we'll be out of your hair in two shakes," he nodded at Evie, "lovely to have met you, darling."

Evie smiled and nodded as John turned and sauntered out of the room.

"Frank, have I got news for you!"

Evie waited until he was out of earshot as Stella undid her belt and trousers.

"Gay John?"

"It's not a put down," she unzipped her trousers, "he always introduces himself as Gay John, it's his way of judging whether or not a man is bendable. It's not a bad tactic to be honest, he gets more sex in one month than I had in one year when I was drinking."

She eased off the bed and pulling the blouse off her shoulders, let it fall to the bed and stood up.

"And don't worry about getting undressed in front of him," she pulled her trousers over her hips, "he sees me in the nude a lot and he's never even blinked. John is about as gay as you can get," she let the trousers fall to the floor and stepped out of them.

"Do you want to change clothes? I've got plenty that will fit you, you're about the same body shape as mum so her old clothes might get some use after all."

"Um, not right now," Evie slid down the bed and put her hands over her belly, "but if I'm staying the night I might borrow something for work tomorrow."

"Sure, no worries," she opened the wardrobe door, "her clothes are in the left hand side," she pulled a checked shirt out and slipped the hanger out of it.

"What do you fancy for dinner?" Stella slipped an arm through the sleeve, "any allergies I should be aware of?"

"None," she replied, "I've got a broad palate."

"Good to know," she slipped her hand through the other sleeve, "well at least now I've got a chance to try out some recipes in the books mum buys me every birthday. John's a gourmet cook and if we're both home together I stay out of my own kitchen because nothing is right," she started to fasten the buttons.

"My mum's the same, especially with Asian food," Evie replied.

"Yeah my mum's pretty much the same but lately I've been able to cook for her but it's only because she's got arthritis," she fastened the last button and walked to the tallboy.

She opened a drawer and took out a pair of blue jeans. Evie watched her put them on and just as she finished fastening them her phone buzzed.

"Who's that?" Evie sat up and edging forward to the end of the bed, pulled her phone out of the handbag and stared at the screen.

"Two friend requests?"

"From whom?"

"Nicki and Mei Lin," she glanced up, "that was quick."

Stella's phone buzzed a few seconds later and the older woman grinned, "and no doubt that's Mei Lin sending me a request," she walked to the bed and pulled the phone out of her bag.

"Yep," Mei Lin requesting a friend," she tapped it and then sat down as the browser loaded the link, "wow, would you look at that?"

Stella held out her phone. Mei Lin's Facebook profile showed her with a horse, she was holding the reins. The horse was white and so was her outfit, white blouse and white jeans, the text under it had a link directing her to an Instagram picture.

"She's got an Instagram profile as well."

"Should I?" Stella looked at her.

"Why not?" Evie tapped the link on her phone, "I'm following her on Instagram."

She glanced at her a moment later.

"How does that work? Friendships with women?"

"It can be a minefield," Stella admitted, "the myth of the green eyed monster is real enough. It's one of the pitfalls about gay relationships. I can go out with a guy and my girlfriend won't even blink, but if I'm out with a girl she wants to know all the details."

"Especially if she's gay."

"Oh yeah, that's where angels fear to tread," she flicked the screen, "she's certainly a model, check out her outfits."

"Yeah I know," she was flicking through them as well, "I still can't believe she isn't with a guy, she must have heaps of guys following her yeah, look," she held her phone up.

"A marriage proposal," Stella chuckled as she read the comment, "probably not the first one she's had either, men will propose at the drop of a hat if they think they can swing a leg over."

"Maybe she's just focused on her studies and modelling career."

"She wouldn't be the first," Stella murmured.

***

Mei Lin stared at the phone as the friend requests were accepted. The ride back on the train had been quicker than she'd hoped as the train was an express all the way to Box Hill. She'd been distracted by several of Nicki's posts that were now appearing on her news feed page, she had a quirky, down to earth sense of humour. Most of the time she posted memes mocking Trump, the Israeli Prime Minister, Netanyahu, the current Australian Prime Minister Morrison but there was one picture that brought a lump to her throat. It was a picture taken at the café just as they all got ready to leave. It showed them all sitting together with the message above it announcing that she was moving in with Stella and hopefully Mei Lin. A half dozen heart emojis followed.

As the train pulled into Ringwood some time later she sent a Snapchat request and as the announcer informed passengers continuing to Lilydale that they would have to change trains Nicki accepted the request.

Mei Lin tapped the icon next to her name and a video clip started playing. It was taken by someone else obviously because Nicki was in full view with another woman. She was making a wardrobe adjustment as she folded the collar up. The text was quite blatant.

Making her more beautiful.

The next clip had just the woman in it, she was standing on a bridge, her hair was flying in the wind and she flicked at it as she turned her head to one side. The text was openly suggestive.

Hotter than hell!

Mei Lin grinned as she took a quick selfie video and added the message.

Hotter than me? Surely not?

The message came back with a large animated beating heart and the message.

Be still my beating heart! Great meeting you today. Hope all goes well with Stella. X

Mei Lin contemplated her reflection in the mirror. She still hadn't changed out of her outfit yet but she'd only just arrived home fifteen minutes ago after alighting from the train at Bayswater station where she'd left her fifteen year old Nissan Skyline parked in the carpark. In the near distance she could hear her mother's voice, barely audible above the noise from the television.

She took off her watch and a bracelet and put them into her jewellery box but just as she was about to undo the brooch her phone beeped twice, she let go of the brooch and getting up, walked to the bed to retrieve her phone. She smiled as the friend requests she'd sent to Stella and Evie were accepted and then it beeped a couple more times as they followed her Instagram account. She knelt on the bed and promptly followed them back before scrolling through the galleries.

Evie's was quite extensive, she was a prolific poster, mostly of the places she'd been but there was the odd selfie to go along with her profile picture that showed her sitting on the front steps of a suburban house along with a Border Collie. She was wearing a pale peach blouse that hung over her jeans. She looked a little younger in this photo. Stella's gallery was a lot smaller and most of the pictures were of her and her friends and family. She was drawn more to Stella than Evie simply because there were more pictures of her.

She returned to the dressing table as she kept scrolling and sat down again, one hand fumbling at the brooch as she studied an older photograph of Stella. It was obviously taken when she graduated from law school because she had the mortarboard hat, white blouse and black gown. A lump came to her throat as she let her imagination loose and then she undid the brooch and put it beside a framed portrait of Mei Lin and her grandmother.

She put the phone down and undid the top button and parting the collar, stroked her throat slowly. The pleasurable sensations brought a smile to her lips. Today had been a good day, Mei Lin drew a hand down over her front, imagining for a moment that it was Fatima stroking her instead. She reached her belt and fiddled with the double ring buckle and then slid her fingers back up to the shallow vee and undid the next two buttons to deepen the vee. Fingertips danced daintily up and down as her imagination started feeding her erotic images and at first it was just Fatima, Kristen Stewart and a few other actresses but then she saw Stella's face in her mind's eye.

She banished the thought just as quickly and reverted to her usual fantasies and drew her fingers along the edge of the ruffles, her nerve endings tingled. She did this a few more times and then undid the next button to show more skin. A feeling of nervous anticipation mingled with guilt flooded through her as she gingerly brushed her fingers over her breasts and then Stella appeared in her mind's eye and this time she'd brought Evie and Nicki with her. Mei Lin stopped and opened her eyes as the primal desires took hold. Her hand was dangling in the vee of her blouse, she felt the wetness down below. She turned and listened for a break in the normal rhythm, anything that might interrupt her but all she could hear was the evening news and her mother's voice as she talked to her father.

She released another button and slid her fingertips down the edge of the vee to the bottom, she cocked her head once more as she fiddled with the button, a lump came to her throat as she rose slowly and moved to the bed. She was momentarily distracted by a statue of the Virgin Mary on her bedside drawers. It had been a present from her mother on her eighteenth birthday, to remind her that Our Lady was always watching. But the Blessed Mother's eyes were as lifeless as the day she'd unwrapped her. The thought occurred to her that if Stella let her move in she could hide the statue in a box under the bed.

Stella, she closed her eyes and allowed the image to fill her mind. She felt the quickening of her pulse as she undid another couple of buttons to expose her bra and stroked her belly gently at first and then she picked up the pace and undid another button. Mei Lin then moved to her breasts, pinching her nipples to arouse them and then she moulded them slowly, allowing the idle fantasy to take form in her mind. She returned to Fatima again and then swapped the image with a woman she'd spoken to at Bayswater Station and combined them so that the woman was undressing Fatima whilst she watched.

Her nipples were hard now and she caressed her belly all the way to her waistband and back up to one of her breasts. Mei Lin's mouth parted slightly as she took the fantasy further and then just as she rubbed her pussy through the trousers she had a sudden picture of Stella crawling across the bed towards her. The blouse was partially undone and hanging loose.

Mei Lin unzipped her trousers and sliding her hand inside, began rhythmically working herself with short firm strokes but just as Stella reached her she heard footsteps approaching and she sat bolt upright and hastily fastened a couple of buttons. She knew it was her mother by the lightness of her tread but just as she was about to close her zipper she heard her mother carry on past the door to her own bedroom. She stayed on the bed and listened for her return but then she heard her mother's phone ringing in the bedroom.

Mei Lin slid off the bed and she padded across to the door and eased the snib shut. As she returned to the bed she pulled on the belt rings and eased the cloth belt through them and then knelt on the bed as she undid the single button. The waistband sprang apart and she looked down at herself, she couldn't see her panties because the blouse was in the way but as she crawled forward she felt the blouse falling downwards.

She laid down on her back and unbuttoned her blouse completely. Images of Stella sprang to mind instantly despite her best efforts at keep them contained and it was the forbidden aspect that most excited her. Evie was obviously Stella's girlfriend. She massaged her breasts again as she let the fantasy play out and before too long her hand ventured down to her pussy once more.

Masturbation was one of those forbidden activities according to the limited sex education classes in the Catholic high school she'd attended. It would make you turn gay and if you turned gay then God would throw you into a lake of eternal fire where you would burn forever and ever. As to how this was scientifically possible hadn't been explained but faith was everything or it was nothing.

Mei Lin however had found an ally in her mother's sister. She'd given her a more contemporary sex education book she'd bought online. It was a marvellous and yet frightening read, filled with actual photographs and coloured diagrams showing how it all worked. Unlike the school text books and the dry literature she'd been exposed to at the seminary, this book was neutral on the subject of gay sex and indeed had separate sections about it, complete with photographs.

It was those photographs that had remained uppermost in her mind and that book was now hidden at the back of her wardrobe where her mother never ventured. Mei Lin half considered dragging the book out but then changed her mind as she tapped her clitoris lightly and as she woke her vulva she licked her finger and then slid the hood back to gently rub it. The waves of pleasure that flooded through her caused her to whimper. It was such a strong sensation that she almost stopped but as she kept rubbing and applied firmer pressure it became easier to bear.

Mei Lin moved her other hand down to her vulva and forming a scissor with two fingers, put some pressure on her vulva and began sliding her fingers up and down. The feelings of warmth spreading through her were intoxicating as she kept rubbing herself, her clitoris was now awake and she licked her finger once more before returning to it.

The thought occurred to her that maybe she should penetrate herself and as she inched down to her opening, she spread her legs as far as her trousers would allow and slid a digit inside. She was wet and the digit slipped inside easily but as she tried to go deeper she felt some pain and so she pulled out and went back to rubbing. However she soon tried again and this time she went deeper. She kept her finger inside and closed her legs, feeling the walls trapping her finger and when she pulled it out a gasp escaped her lips.

God that felt good!

She tried it again and this time she rubbed her clitoris at the same time and as she became more and more aroused she felt herself drifting. Images of Stella filled her mind, alternating with Nicki and Evie, not always in that order.

"Mei Lin! Open this door!"

Mei Lin's eyes snapped open as she heard her mother turning the handle of the door. For an instant she panicked and then remembered the snib and pulled her finger out and waited for a few more seconds as her mother turned the handle again.

"Mei Lin! Are you all right?"

"I'm resting, mum," she yelled back.

"Why are you resting with the door locked?"

She sighed and zipping up her jeans, fastened the button and sat up. She almost buttoned her blouse but then decided against it as she framed the words in her mind. She unlocked the door some ten seconds later and stared at her mother.

"Because I don't want to be disturbed. I was trying to sleep!"

"Like that?" Mei Lin's mother stared at her state of undress.

"Yeah, like this," she replied.

Her mother switched to Malaysian as she usually did when she was angry or upset.

"I do not know what happened to the little girl I held at my breast."

"For God's sake, speak English," she yelled back, "why don't you speak English?"

Her mother took a step back, startled at the venom in her voice. She looked over her shoulder as if expecting help and then turned back to her. Mother and daughter stared at each other and eventually she threw her hands in the air.

"Do not yell at me. I am your mother. I came to tell you dinner is ready but all you do is yell at me. Why?"

"Okay, I'm coming. I need to get changed," she closed the door in her face and put her back to it as she closed her eyes.

I need to move. Anywhere, Mars, Mercury, anywhere but here.

She pushed away from the door and unbuttoned her cuff, intending to change out of the clothes she was wearing in order to put her mother's fears to bed, for now but just as she undid the other cuff her phone rang. She picked it up and stared at the screen.

It was Stella.

"Hello? Stella?"

"Hey Mei Lin, are you at home yet?"

"Yeah, I've been home for nearly an hour," she sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at herself in the mirror, "and you?"

"Yeah about the same, just lying down for a bit."

"Me too," she flopped onto her back, "I accepted your Instagram request."

"Touché," Stella stared at her bare feet, her toenails needed painting.

"Are you still there?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm just staring at my toenails and thinking I should paint them again," she glanced over as Evie stepped into the living room with a glass of Coke.

"Listen, I know I said we'd catch up tomorrow but I've got to head out to an AA meeting seeing as I'm missing one tonight."

"Okay, that's cool."

"How about Friday night?"

"Friday night," she almost said yes and then she closed her eyes as she recalled the visit to a bridal shop for her sister's wedding. How could she have forgotten that in the space of forty eight hours? Mei Lin swallowed her guilt.

"I have to take my mother shopping for bridesmaid dresses, my sister is getting married. Maybe Saturday?"

"Well, Saturday's a long way away. I might have to consult with my better half," she winked at Evie as the younger woman lifted her feet and then sat down, she put Stella's feet onto her lap and then squeezed her foot.

"Oh okay."

"And that means Sunday's probably out for you as well?"

"Sunday we go to mass, mum goes twice but I only get to go once, but I'm really keen to look at the place and see if it's what I'm looking for. I really, really need to get out of this place."

Stella sat up as the germ of an idea came to her.

"Okay, look I need to put you on hold so don't hang up," she pressed the mute button.

Mei Lin sat up and waited for what seemed like an eternity but the clock on her phone only showed that fifteen seconds had passed before Stella came on the line again.

"Okay, I've spoken to Evie and we've got a cunning plan. Do you have anything planned for Friday during the day?"

"Nothing."

"Okay, I can get to a meeting on Thursday night in East Ringwood. I already have your address so how's about I swing by sometime between quarter to ten and quarter past ten. I'll pick you up and on the way back to Elwood we'll swing past Evie's place and pick her up. You can stay in one of the spare rooms overnight and that way you'll have time to check the place out and we'll be able to check you out as well. How does that sound?"

"That's, that's fine by me, I'll give you money for petrol."

"Don't worry about," she chuckled, "I've travelled further for a fucking drink. Okay, if anything changes I'll call you and we'll make other arrangements, okay?"

"No worries, thank you."

"You're welcome," Stella farewelled her.

Mei Lin's head hit the bed with a soft thump and she let out a sigh of relief.

Thank God.

***

Stella squinted at Evie as the younger woman had some more Coke. Her own can was still half full but Evie had gone through to the toilet to empty herself out as she put it. Whilst she'd been making arrangements with Mei Lin she'd left the room again and when she stepped into the room again she was wearing her jacket.