Delicate Touches Pt. 03

"I'm moving out in a week. Didn't Darren tell you?"

"No," she frowned as she reached the toilet door and looked down the staircase, "I'm just going downstairs, Darren," she thumped on the toilet door, "and thanks for telling me Nicki's moving out," she headed down the stairs.

"Nicki's moving out," Darren thumped the door, "it's just you and me, baby."

"Where are you moving?"

"Elwood," Nicki lit a cigarette, "one of my regular clients, Stella has a place."

"Is she?"

"She's even gayer than me, and in a new relationship," she turned towards the house, "the sticking point was Amanda but I think I've managed to cork that one for now, she's okay with me moving in with another gay woman."

"I'm not sure I'm happy with you moving out of here," she mumbled as she reached the bottom step and glanced over her shoulder, "you were the one bright spark in this house."

"Roberta," she chuckled, "that's almost," she caught herself, "that's sweet but you know where I work, we can always catch up for a coffee, I might even give you a freebie."

"It's a date," she walked through the living room, "okay, I'm nearly in the kitchen, a letter from Tafe, is it?"

"Yeah, it'll have their logo on it."

Roberta found the letter some thirty seconds later as she sorted through the pile on the table.

"You have one from the ATO," she spoke up a moment later.

"That'll be my tax refund cheque," she replied.

"Okay, yeah, you've got a big one, one of those A4 ones."

"Open it, please."

"You sure?"

"Positive," she took another toke of her cigarette.

"Hang on, I'll put you on speaker," she set the phone down and opened the envelope, she heard the toilet door opening as she scanned the papers inside.

"It's just one of those notifications of an upcoming assessment for your new semester. You have to choose a theme, people, fashion, landscape, cityscape, etcetera, etcetera," she turned the page, "and you've got a form to fill out as well," she glanced up as she heard Darren coming downstairs.

"Cool, it's finally there," Nicki nodded, "can you check the ATO one, just in case it's a nasty one?"

"Checking," Roberta opened the envelope as Darren padded through the living room.

"Yeah, it's a cheque," she replied, "five hundred and forty two dollars, and ten cents," she glanced over her shoulder as Darren walked into the kitchen, he was stark naked and he grinned as he grabbed his cock.

"Ten whole cents, wow," Nicki chuckled.

"How's about I fuck some sense into you," Darren put his cock against her ear, "hey, Nicki, I just gave birth to another politician, this one's gonna be a Prime Minister."

"Get that fucking thing outta my face," Roberta moved away, "why do you have to be such a fucking bogan?"

"Well, I'll let you two lovebirds sort it out."

"Oh, we'll sort it out all right," she leaned back, "will you be back tonight, otherwise I'll put the chain on the door."

"I should be," Nicki picked up her helmet and gloves, "I've got to see Amanda for a while but I'm not intending staying, I have a shift tomorrow."

"No worries, say hi for me."

"I will, thanks for opening my mail," she farewelled her and headed for the front door.

Amanda was sitting on the couch drinking a glass of Bundy and Coke.

"I got you one as well," she nodded at the glass on the coffee table.

"I might skip the booze seeing as I've only got a few months left on my probationary, but Coke will go down well," she closed the door, "so, what's the drama."

"I'm worried, really worried about this Stella."

"Stella? We've had this conversation before, haven't we?"

"We have and it was never resolved."

Nicki felt a weariness filtering through her as she stared at Amanda and for a split second she thought of turning around and walking back out again.

"Okay, let's go through this step by step," she sat down opposite her.

***

"The bedroom's bigger than I thought," Mei Lin ran her hand over a double arched door that separated this bedroom from the one next door. She looked at the large floor to ceiling wardrobe that took up the other wall, like Stella's room next door and the one on the other side, the wardrobe doors had mirrors on them.

"Another mirror wardrobe," she moved around the double bed to the wardrobe.

"Yeah, according to one of the agents the previous owner was a convicted drug lord who had a lot of enemies. He had mirrors installed everywhere so he couldn't be taken unawares, there was even a mirror above my bed, I had that one taken down because it was too," she sat on the bed.

"Too seventies, but buying new doors for these wardrobes would have cost too much so I kept them," she leaned on her elbows and glanced at the smaller door that opened out onto the rear corridor.

"The house was seized by the National Crime Authority because it was purchased with drug money and put on the market, but even though there was interest, the price was too high and people were worried that one of his enemies might carry out a drive by shooting. By the time I turned up the agent was desperate to sell at a much lower price and my offer was accepted," she eyed herself in the mirror.

"It's the only negative thing about this place to be honest, its legacy, but it's got location, plenty of space, a backyard that's small enough to take care of and yet roomy enough for barbies. I kept the CCTV cameras in place and signed up to a security agency so it's secure enough."

"And it has a double bed," Mei Lin stared at the mirror as Stella leaned back on her elbows.

"Yep," Stella crossed her legs, "there's room for two or more if that's your thing."

"It's not," she slid a door open and stared at the boxes stacked up on the floor, and Stella followed her line of sight.

"That junk will be on the nature strip if you move in, although I'll keep the record player."

"Why not an op shop?" Mei Lin picked up an ornament, "or sell it online?"

"I don't have the time," she sat up.

"I could, maybe," she put the ornament back.

"Whatever," she patted the bedspread, "come sit by me and tell me why you want to move into a house once owned by a drug lord?"

Mei Lin sorted through the reasons in logical order as she moved to the bed. She'd tossed up the possibility of outing herself as 'curious' on the drive back from Evie's place because it seemed almost logical to align herself with gay women. However she'd dispensed with that one because her sexual orientation was not on the table.

"I need to get out of home," she sat on the bed and angled herself towards Stella.

"As you saw a couple of hours ago, I have to take a dildo with me in case mum finds it. I have a strained relationship with my mother."

"I noticed that," Stella nodded, "but I'm asking you to move in, not your mother, "so, she nudged her leg gently, "convince me that this will work out."

Mei Lin felt her courage evaporate as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Convince her? What kind of a question was that?

"I'm nineteen years old," she finally spoke, "I have no experience with living out of home unless you count the seminary and my auntie's place. I have so much stuff I need to know and learn but I'm not going to learn much more at home. I could stay at home quite happily but then I'm not going to grow as a human being, I'll stay in a rut and just put one foot in front of the other. Today, for the first time I told another woman all about me, and she didn't laugh at me or lecture me or even make condescending remarks, she just listened. I don't know if I'm the right person to live here but I'm not going to know unless I give it a go and see what happens. Fill my life with new experience and ideas," she stared at Stella in the mirror as the other woman leaned back on her elbows.

"I wish I'd been that mature at your age. I was too busy drinking my way through a law degree to pay much attention to anything else," she contemplated herself.

"No bringing drink back here. I don't care if you come back as pissed as forty arseholes, I've told Nicki she can have a bit of weed here as long as it's just for personal use and it stays in her room and doesn't find itself into the living room."

"I don't smoke weed."

"You said that yesterday," she replied.

"You'll pay your rent, put in for food once a week and if you bring a guy home I want to meet him first, I'm not your mum but this place is a haven for all of us and I know how men think. If you want to fuck anyone, do it in your room or in a place where you can't be disturbed."

"No worries," Mei Lin touched herself.

"Okay," Stella sat up and stared at their reflections, "in that case I'm asking you to move in, I was going to ask for a minimum six months but let's just take it on a month by month basis."

"Cool."

"Come on," Stella rose and moved in front of her, "she's making hot chocolate, we'll be heading off to bed but this is your bed now so you can crash out when you want," she tugged at the collar of Mei Lin's blouse, "if you want this washed and dried before tomorrow morning, bring it through to the living room," she took a step back.

"Okay," Mei Lin pulled her eyes from Stella's crotch, suddenly aware she'd been caught looking but Stella didn't seem perturbed because her smile remained fixed as she dug her hands into her pockets.

"You've got a top or blouse to change into?"

"In my knapsack," she glanced over her shoulder at the bag on the floor.

"Cool," she inclined her head, "well, we'll be in the living room, we're not up for much longer because we both have to work in the morning."

As Mei Lin unbuttoned her blouse a few minutes later she let her mind move outwards beyond the walls and into the kitchen where she heard the murmur of voices. She pulled the blouse over her shoulders and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she turned away to walk to the knapsack. Was this a good idea? Stella had an earthy sensuality and the worldliness that only an older woman could possess. Her peers might try to mimic an older woman but it was always with mixed results, Stella however had it in abundance.

Evie on the other hand appealed to her in a more direct way, Mei Lin mused. Evie was obviously taken by the older woman and Mei Lin had the feeling she'd been in a similar situation to herself prior to meeting Stella. Had she also been a virgin? She discarded that as being little more than a myth, for now but as she donned a black cotton tee shirt Mei Lin had the feeling she was on the edge of something much bigger. The last thing she did before joining Stella and Evie in the living room was to send a text to Linda.

Mei Lin: I got the place! I also got a job interview with Stella!

The answer came back as she made her way to the living room.

Linda: Congratulations! I'm so proud of you.

"So, what do you think of moving into a lesbian household?" Evie asked her some five minutes later as Stella loaded a few clothes into the washing machine.

"It's different, none of my friends are gay but I'm definitely looking forward to moving in," her eyes shifted as Evie changed position so that she was lying on the couch. Evie was wearing a white blouse under a light green cardigan, she slid her hand beneath the waistband of her jeans and a smile nudged her lips.

"I was much the same," she admitted, "I was always the curious type but didn't dip my toes into the pool until the other night."

"So, how does it compare with guys?"

Evie hesitated before replying.

"I was with guys but there was no sex, which tells me a lot about my sexual orientation. I had all the opportunities to lose my virginity to a guy but kept pulling away all the time."

She shifted her position slightly.

"What about you? Have you got a boyfriend?"

"No," she replied, "I'm sweet nineteen and barely been kissed."

"Well, this should be interesting for you," Evie grinned, "we'll find you someone, male or female," she glanced at the television set for a few moments.

"It's early days for me as well, I'm still learning about myself as well as Stella."

"So, you're not thinking of moving in as well?"

"Not yet," she replied, "we haven't known each other that long and I've seen that movie before, let's just see how we feel about each other in six months time."

The conversation moved onto other subjects when Stella returned and sometime later, pleading a need to get some sleep, Mei Lin vacated the living room leaving them some privacy. She had a heightened sense of awareness because she was in a strange environment and thus she could hear the giggling, the murmur of voices and some time later they moved to Stella's bedroom.

The giggling was much louder and to distract herself, Mei Lin set to examining the items in the the wardrobe but just she knelt down to lift the old turntable from the top of two boxes piled on top of each other she felt the colder air and when she looked closer she saw the spyhole some three feet from the floor. From a distance it looked as if it was a screw head because there were a row of screws above and below it but this particular 'screw' was twice the diameter. She recalled Stella's comments about the previous owner and out of curiosity, she put her eye to the spyhole and then blushed.

Mei Lin could clearly see Stella's back. She was unbuttoning her blouse while Evie lay on her side, her blouse was partially unbuttoned and she'd just discarded the cardigan. Stella fumbled with her cuff buttons as Evie said something that was inaudible and then she was advancing towards the bed, Evie rolled onto her back and waited as Stella crawled across the bed towards her. Hands reached out to touch her breasts as Stella straddled her and then they kissed.

Mei Lin swallowed, instinct and protocol demanded that she move away but she found that to be an impossible task as Stella slid her hand beneath Evie's jeans and began rubbing her. Evie closed her eyes and arched her back as Stella kept up her momentum. Mei Lin finally pulled back as Evie undid her jeans. Her heart was in her mouth as she stared at the spyhole. Did Stella know it was still there? Surely she must have known. Then again, Mei Lin looked up and down, unless you were close enough and had reason to suspect its existence it could stay there for years.

She could hear groans now and for a minute or two she fought the urge to look again before finally moving back to sit on her haunches. She felt aroused and guilty at the same time, the guilt she knew came from her upbringing. The Catholic church wasn't exactly favourable to sex outside of the sacred bonds of marriage, let alone gay sex.

Mei Lin moved back to the bed and eyed her knapsack and whilst she couldn't see the dildo inside it was almost as if she had x-ray vision. She reached down and plucked it out for a closer look, there were basic instructions stapled to the back of the label and she read them as the groans became louder and louder. One piece of advice stuck in her head and she returned to it time and again, she might need lubricant and that was one thing she hadn't bought but she recalled seeing the bottles in the shop that day. She thought of texting Linda but then changed her mind when she saw the time and then she saw a Facebook update from Nicki, it was another Scott Morrison meme, showing the Australian Prime Minister surfing a wave of oil while the text floated behind him on a burning boat. Bugger Climate Change, Surf's Up!

Mei Lin grinned and sent her a text.

Mei Lin: Sorry to bother you so late, need advice, I just bought a dildo but didn't realise I needed lubricant as well. What can I use instead?

She blinked as the answer came back a few seconds later.

Nicki: You should produce enough lubricant if you stimulate yourself but saliva will work. I've got my own supply here.

Mei Lin: Thanks, sorry to bother you so late.

Nicki: No worries, just lying on my bed updating my Facebook profile.

Mei Lin: Loved the surf one!

Nicki: It's an older one I reposted but thanks. Enjoy your session, make sure and get yourself aroused first before trying penetration.

Mei Lin thanked her and then eyed the dildo. So, she had to produce lubricant? Of course, she grinned, the vagina is its own natural ecosystem. She undid the packaging and pulled the dildo out for a closer inspection. She felt the shaft as she recalled the instructions she'd just read along with things she'd heard and read over the years in clinic waiting rooms and other places.

Some five minutes later as Evie's groans turned into cries of passion Mei Lin turned out the light and slipped beneath the duvet. Her eyes adjusted to the glare of the screen as she checked her wi-fi connection, Stella had already given her the password and as if sensing her innate curiosity she'd dropped the one liner that there were no child locks because 'we're all adults here.'

The site she accessed was one that was blocked at home along with anything else that might be even vaguely pornographic. Her mother was a keen Internet surfer and seemed particularly keen on adding more and more sites to the blacklist. Mei Lin flicked down the screen, lingering on First Time encounters before stumbling across the Lesbian section.

The clip she saw was short and the lines a little clichéd but it was an eye opener. Two women going for it on the couch and some time later they were both naked and licking each other out. Mei Lin replayed that clip twice more before looking at another one that had a masturbation hashtag. This one was actually quite informative and based on what she'd seen, Mei Lin began a slow and almost leisurely exploration of her genitals. What was it Linda had told her that previous day?

"Take your time with masturbation, don't make orgasm the ultimate goal, it's about filling the needs you have right now not the magic O."

Due to the fact Stella and Evie were next door, Mei Lin opted to use Linda as her fantasy partner as she masturbated and as the first ring on the shaft penetrated her, she experienced a wave of panic that it might get stuck, especially when her passage closed around it but then she withdrew and rubbed herself with the tip before trying again.

Her session this time however was a success and yet as she lay there some half an hour later she felt a twinge of dissatisfaction. Was there more to it or did she just need practice?

A light tapping at the door caused her to prop on her elbows.

"Yes?"

Stella opened the door and held out the blouse she'd just washed and put through the dryer.

"I'll hang it on the knob," she hung it on the door knob, "go back to sleep."

Nevertheless, it was a restless sleep, disturbed by dreams of women having sex with each other and her but by the time sleep finally claimed her, Mei Lin had already resolved to read up more about masturbation at least.

She was on a journey now but where would it end?

***

Half an hour earlier.

Roberta lived in one of the postwar houses that had been built in the aftermath of the Second World war. For years the retail value of houses built within sight of Pentridge Prison had been quite low, no one wanted to be too close to the prison but now that it had been closed and turned into very expensive housing units with the ominous sounding name of The Walled City, prices had surged and now this tiny house was worth a lot more.

Roberta's mother was in Roberta's room fetching some clothes for tomorrow. The text had come through while Nicki was patiently explaining the rules to Amanda, who was still unsure of her place in Nicki's life. It had become a wearisome mini-drama with her constant up and down. At first she'd been supportive of her bipolar condition but that was because Amanda was managing her meds, but lately she'd been skipping her doses, citing a desire to be pill free, which worked fine for three to five days until she was at the raggedy edge. She'd then take three to five days worth at once and be bouncing off the walls, once or twice she'd been hospitalised and had her stomach pumped.