Delicate Touches Pt. 06

"One of the so called benefits of living by the sea is faded paintwork on your car," she finally pulled the belt free with a flourish, "it was enough to keep me in check."

Mia moved forward slightly and brought the belt down to examine the embossed lettering on it.

"So, where was your mum in all this?"

"Oh she played her bit well," she rubbed her thumb over the lettering, "she was finally able to be a mum and she let Yvette become my second mum, I love the belt, ninja," she indicated the name on the belt, "and the model number is it?"

"Yeah, he can do any lettering you want, even Lesbomania if you want."

"Yeah, I can imagine that," she mused, "might see if the girls want one too."

"And what about your dad?"

"You are a curious girl, aren't you?" Mia poked her belly.

"My dad moved to America," she shifted back and looked down at Nicki's right foot, "he got into trouble with the booze," she undid her shoelace, "and wound up in jail for thirty days," she pulled the shoe off.

"Okay," Nicki raised her right foot slightly, "and then?"

"He fell in with one of those mega churches when he was released from jail," she got her fingers behind Nicki's sock and pulled on it, "a bit like the Johnny Cash song," she dropped the sock on the floor.

"My dad is now a fair dinkum preacher over there," she started undoing the other lace, "but I've only seen him twice," she finished undoing the lace, "once on my eighteenth birthday," she pulled the boot off, "and once when his mum died of cancer."

"How was it?" Nicki asked as she started pulling her other sock off.

"The first time was well, emotional I guess," she ran her hand up Nicki's leg, "but the second time was just fucking painful," she reached her waistband and hooked her fingers behind it.

"Gran was getting buried in Carlton in the same grave as her father," she slid her fingers along to the trouser flap and rubbed the button.

"I came up from Torquay with Yvette in my Porsche and dropped her in town, it was during one of my uni semester breaks. Afterwards me and dad went to a café and it all came out," she withdrew her hand and traced a finger up one of her bust darts.

"My mum was going to hell if she kept displeasing the Lord, so was Yvette and even I was going to go to hell."

"A familiar story," Nicki looked down as Mia reached her breast, "one of my school friends was just like that, when she was in school."

"And now?" Mia slid her fingers over her breast, feeling the lacy pattern beneath.

"She turned gay."

"Did you?" Mia reached the edge of the cup.

"Guilty as charged," Nicki grinned as Mia traced her way up the strap to her shoulder.

"How many women have been with you for the first time?" Mia slid her fingers along her shoulder.

"Quite a few," Nicki replied as Mia thumbed the top button.

"And yet you're single again?" Mia kept rubbing the button.

"Yeah," Nicki replied, "it's one of those things I'm still trying to get my head around, my problem is that I put so much into it from the very start and find I wear myself out."

"You should start the same way you want to continue," Mia eased the button through the buttonhole and the collar sprang apart, "Yvette told me that when I brought my first boyfriend home," she slid her fingers behind Nicki's collar.

"I like my independence," she reached her earlobe, "I don't want another person moving in here," she drew her fingertips up her earlobe, "and I've had plenty of offers from guys, especially since I moved into a house across the road from a drug dealer."

She ran her hand through Nicki's hair.

"And I like my straight girlfriends too, I'm not into the green-eyed monster thing. I get that from my two mums," she inched closer, "they've both got straight and gay girlfriends but they stay faithful to each other," she slid her other hand up the placket, pulling it at the same time.

"I don't cheat on a partner and I've had the temptation thrown in my face several times," her other hand moved to the back of Nicki's neck.

"The thing with Roberta was a first for me," Nicki replied as Mia's hand slid along her shoulder, "and I'm still trying to process it," she went on as the front of her shirt rose.

"Darren's a dick, a classic bogan but if she wants to fuck someone else she needs to ditch him first," she went on as Mia reached the bra strap, the second button was now tight against her throat.

"And if she ditched him? What then?" Mia's hand rested on the second button.

"If I'm single maybe," she replied, "but it's a big maybe as in I'd need a couple of months before I let her back into my life."

"Why?" Mia raised an eyebrow, "why not just fuck each other's brains out?"

"If it was just some guy I didn't know then fine but I know Darren and I still want him as a friend, it might be harder to gain his trust," she replied.

Mia pulled on the strap and then there was a sudden release as she undid the second button and slid her hand under the shirt.

"I believe you," Mia moved her other hand back again and around her neck, "but that's assuming you and I last more than one night," she tilted her head to one side and brushed her lips against Nicki's.

It was little more than a peck on the lips and under different circumstances she might have put a different interpretation on it, but Mia's slow and casual wardrobe adjustments had ratcheted up the sexual tension. Nicki felt almost powerless against this woman. Mia kissed her again and this time she opened her mouth and worked her lips slowly and passionately. She pulled back a few moments later and looked down, a smile nudged her lips.

"Well whaddya know, mum was right."

"About?"

"Kissing a woman," she looked at her, "it's soft."

"Yeah, it's why I like women so much," she moved her hand along Mia's leg, "I'm the same, I want Mei Lin as my best friend," she moved her left hand along Mia's other leg, "despite the fact I think she's hotter than hell."

"She is hot, I'll give you that one," Mia dropped her hands to Nicki's waistband, "I thought it was just because of the way she posed," she looked down as Nicki brought her hands back to her right knee, which was now pressed hard against the back of the couch.

"It isn't just the physical," Nicki turned her attention to the three buckles on her boot, "Mia is like a human sponge," she worked the first buckle free, "you think she's introverted because she's just sitting there saying nothing," she reached the second buckle and pulled the leather strap out of the keeper.

"But she's actually taking everything in," she pulled the strap out of the prong, "Mei Lin had a very restrictive upbringing, her mum is a staunch Catholic and now that she's flown the nest," she undid the strap, "she's absorbing everything around her," she moved down to the third buckle.

"Is she aping you?"

"Sometimes I think she is," Nicki went to work on the buckle, "but she puts her own spin on it," she undid the buckle.

"Give me an example?"

Nicki frowned as she went over the last few weeks.

"The other day we were talking about insurance," she pulled at the zipper on her boot, "Stella was looking at other quotes and I'm thinking of changing companies myself," the zipper slid down, "and Mei Lin was sitting doing some homework on her laptop," the zipper reached the bottom.

"The next day though she handed us both printouts from some comparison website with quotes for a car and a bike," she grabbed the boot and pulled it off.

"Okay," Mia slid back a little and propping on her elbows, raised her other leg.

"It wasn't just the printouts," Nicki undid the top buckle on the other boot, "she'd actually read all about insurance, she must have been up half the night," she reached the second buckle, "and even Stella said that Mei Lin had told her things about insurance she didn't know."

She undid the second buckle and moved to the third.

"That's just one minor example," she pulled the leather through the keeper and jerked it back to free the prong, "Mei Lin is like a pool, she watches everything you do and say and stores it away for future reference," she leaned forward and tugged at the zipper.

"Which is why I couldn't be her girlfriend, knowing my luck she'd throw something up in my face," she pulled the zipper further down, "not that she gives me that impression," she reached the bottom of the boot.

"But I'd rather err on the side of caution," she pulled the boot off and dropped it beside the other, "fucking cool boots but."

"Huh?" Mia's eyes shifted, "sorry, I was drifting again."

"You writing another song in your head?" Nicki slid her hands up Mia's stockinged legs.

"Kind of," Mia eyed her, "so, now that you've gotten my boots off, where do we go from here?"

"I was kinda hoping to go further," Nicki moved her hands further up her legs to the suspender straps, "unless you're too tired or feeling unsure."

"I'm a muso," she smirked as Nicki undid one of the snaps, "and we musos are night owls," she went on as Nicki undid the other snap.

"And if I was unsure," her eyes shifted as Nicki pulled the stocking down her leg, "you certainly wouldn't be taking off my stockings."

"Point taken," Nicki removed the stocking, "so I was the first woman you ever kissed?"

"Yeah," she parted her legs and pulled her skirt down a little, "but you almost missed that boat."

"I did?" Nicki undid a snap on the other stocking.

"Dorothea," she replied as Nicki undid the other snap, "my lecturer at uni when I was oh, in my first year at uni, "she dropped me off at the flat I was sharing with two other gay women," she paused as Nicki pulled the stocking over her knee.

"And?" Nicki glanced at her.

"Dorothea had recently come out, she'd been married for twenty years and after her marriage ended she decided on a change of scenery," she smiled as Nicki pulled the stocking further down her leg, "and to cut a long story short," she rested her head on a pillow lying on the arm of the couch.

"She came onto me, she admitted that she liked me and I guess because I was in between boyfriends at the time," she scratched her belly as Nicki peeled the stocking off her foot.

"I thought why the fuck not?"

"And what happened to stop you?" Nicki rolled the stockings together and put them on the table.

"A text," Mia sat up suddenly as her phone beeped, "I got a text."

She read the text and then swore.

"Fuck it," she stabbed the screen and put the phone to her ear.

"Stevie," she spoke a moment later, "don't you fucking dare pull out," she looked at Nicki, "if you cancel now you're going to regret it."

"I don't feel right. Why am I indulging myself like this?" Stevie sighed, "it's a fucking fantasy, she's a lesbian's wet dream."

"Maybe so but don't judge a book by its cover," she rested her hand on Nicki's leg, "I'm still with Nicki now and I've learned a thing or two about Mei Lin."

"Such as?"

"Let's just say she'd be the best thing to happen to you, ever but you're going to have to pick yourself up off the fucking floor and get with the fucking program. I can't say much more than that because the rest is up to you, so please, please, please don't fuck this up."

"She's too good for me."

"Maybe she is but you're a good woman going to seed, why you were with that fucking loser for so long is beyond belief, I would have dropped her like a hot potato months ago but you just held on because you keep lowering yourself. You do it with every woman but this woman might just raise you up, but you've got to be prepared to change," she traced her fingers up Nicki's shirt.

"So, find something nice to wear, put on some makeup tomorrow and do your hair, she'll outdo you in the wardrobe department without blinking an eye but don't let that put you off, okay? Go out and show her a good time, it's a fucking date not an all night clit licking session."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, you're right."

"I know, send me some selfies in the morning, I'll be texting you until you do, okay?"

"Okay, okay."

Mia farewelled her and rested her head on Nicki's shoulder.

"Fucking lesbos," she sighed, "it's one drama after another."

"I hope she doesn't pull out," Nicki pulled on her tie, "Mei Lin has been fretting about this date for the last few weeks, sometimes she's all for it and other times she's unsure of herself."

"Sounds like they might be a good match as long as they're not both fretting on the same day," she glanced down as Nicki fiddled with her tie.

"What're you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I should claim my new tie back before you get too attached to it," she murmured, "does Stevie have a favourite breakfast treat?"

"Croissants," Mia said as Nicki reached the knot, "she loved it when we did a few gigs in some of the beachside towns, we used my joint as a base and Yvette made croissants every morning," she looked at her as Nicki slid her finger into the knot.

"Why, what are you thinking?"

"I could text Mei Lin and suggest she take along some croissants tomorrow morning," she pulled some of the tie out of the knot, "it's not like I'd be," she stopped as Mia put a hand on top of hers and shook her head.

"No," she said, "she'd know I'd spoken to you, and I realise it might be a big thing to help things along but if Stevie's going to grow she needs to do it herself."

"Okay," she stared into her eyes, feeling almost embarrassed by her clumsy suggestion, Mia drew a hand up her front and then she grabbed her right breast firmly and held on, "sorry."

"There's no need to apologise," she let her hand fall away, "and just going by the way you talked about Mei Lin I can only imagine you must feel conflicted."

"There is that aspect," Nicki tightened her grip on the knot, "but this is for the best, she wants to be friends forever not lovers until we get tired of each other."

"I understand that," Mia slid her fingers behind the placket and she pulled upwards, "promises in the dark are easily forgotten in the morning, and this doesn't mean we're an item," she smiled crookedly, "if we have a good time tonight then there's always tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow arvo I'm working," Nicki started pulling the tie out of the knot.

"And I'm working tomorrow night," Mia pulled on the placket.

"Lesbomania are working on a Sunday night?" Nicki pulled more of the tie out, "where?"

"We're not working as Lesbomania," Mia slid her hand down the shirt and along her waistband to the trouser flap, "we go into the Royal Childrens hospital in the city and spend time with the kids in the cancer ward."

She undid the flap button.

"Huh, okay," Nicki pulled the tie out of the knot, "singing?" Nicki flicked the tie back around again as Mia grabbed the waistband with her other hand.

"Sometimes, we take guitars in but some of the kids just want to play, we do try to teach kids who want to learn a few chords," she unhooked the metal clasps and slid her fingers along to the inside button, "it's a pretty good program, they get people coming in to teach them painting and writing, anything to keep their minds off the cancer."

"Photography?"

"I don't think they've got anyone doing that," Mia undid the button, Nicki glanced down at her waistband and then she pulled on both ends of the tie.

"I could ask for you."

"Do it," she smiled.

"Ask?"

"Yeah," she tilted her head and kissed her on the lips, Mia straightened up and leaned into her as she slid a hand down the front of Nicki's trousers. She reached her pussy and moaned something that was unintelligible because their lips were locked together. Mia drew a finger between her lips and then they parted for a brief second.

"Okay, so you're all woman."

"Two can play at that game," Nicki dropped her hands to Mia's legs and kissed her again as she tickled her way down her thighs. Mia stopped rubbing her as Nicki found her panties and flicked her fingertips down her perineum. A moment later Mia pushed her mouth harder against her and locked a hand behind her neck. Nicki kept caressing her perineum through the silk panties, Mia whimpered and broke free for a few moments to catch her breath, she was breathing shallowly and Nicki slid her other hand up the front of her panties and then down behind them. She moved over the patch of hair and down to her lips. Mia breathed in and out slowly and then just as Nicki reached her opening she purred.

"And you've just arrived at your destination," she stared into Nicki's eyes, "but this doesn't go any further here," she withdrew her hand.

"It doesn't?" Nicki's eyes widened.

"Nope, the couch is meant for sitting in not sleeping," she leaned forward and picked up her phone, "so, if you want to go further you'll have to follow me down the darkened passageway."

"I do like dark passageways," Nicki picked up her phone as well.

"As long as they're lubricated," Mia rose and held out her hand.

"Well if they're not I always carry lubricant," Nicki took her hand.

"A regular girl scout," Mia led her to the door and switched off the light, Nicki's eyes widened to adjust to the semi darkness, the only light came from the porch light shining through the leadlight in the door.

"Do you want the front light off?"

"Leave it," Mia kept walking, "it's there for the cat, he's probably out hunting again."

"We had a cat like that for years," she held onto her waistband to keep her trousers from sliding down her buttocks, "Spider was half feral, she used to leave rats and birds and even a possum at the front door."

"Yeah, Dorothea is the same."

"You named your cat after the woman you nearly slept with."

"The name fitted," they reached the bedroom, "one's an actual cat and the other was cat like," she flicked on the switch and stepped inside.

Nicki stopped in the doorway to take in a bed such as she'd never seen before. The bedhead was made of tree branches that had been lacquered to a golden brown finish. They were attached to fence posts that supported an overhead frame that was also made of tree branches. Railway sleepers formed the base and velvet drapes were tied back at the posts, chiffon curtains however meant that the thicker drapes could be left tied back.

"Jesus fucking Christ," she stared at it, "you made this too?"

"Yeah, with a little help from my friends, the CFA were also helpful. One woman collected tree branches from outside houses when they were out checking for fire hazards and brought them here over a couple of nights. All it cost me was plenty of home-cooked meals and a few drinks," she grinned crookedly, "she was hoping for something else as well but I don't cheat."

"Good to know," Nicki replied, "but it'd be a bitch to move though."

"I don't intend moving for quite a while yet," she put her phone down onto an antique suitcase that had been turned into bedside shelves, "this is a long term project, which explains why I go through so many guys," she perched on the edge of the bed.

"One of my red lines when it comes to partners is this place, I pay the mortgage and I fix whatever needs fixing. Most of the guys I've dated over the last couple of years just can't get their heads around a woman who does home repairs. I can unblock the shithouse, clean the leaves out of the guttering, change light globes and even put in new windows."

"I'm much the same myself, when it comes to cars and mechanical stuff."

"Well that's food for thought," she leaned back on her elbows, "although my car is always fixed by my mechanic down in Boronia, he's an old guy who just works out of his backyard but he knows my Porsche inside out but if you're any good with diesel generators I've got one in the back shed that needs some tender loving care."

"I can do tender loving care," Nicki unzipped her trousers.

"Don't tell me," Mia smiled, "it's your middle name."

"It fucking well should be," she let the trousers fall to the floor, "oh dear, now you've seen my legs," she stepped out of a leg, "you want music?"