Everything Changes

Claudia, however was on the other end of the spectrum. "Shush, don't be so harsh. I love seeing our two girls like that."

Mum glanced at her and turned away her head. "Have you two got the lunches ready?"

"Yes boss," I snapped as Abby and I hesitantly stepped back out of each others arms.

Mum busied herself rushing around checking everything, while Claudia came over for a cuddle. "Nice to see you two getting along." She kissed us both, which made me blush.

Abby tried to ease the tension by asking, "How come she got the first kiss?"

I snapped back quickly, "Because I'm her favourite."

Claudia laughed at my comeback. She reached up with her good hand and pinched my cheek. "You are my favourite."

Abby sniggered. "Figures."

"Oh don't be like that, child. I love you, and you know it. They shared a cuddle before Mum came back in and started giving us instructions. I was dispatched to the coffee machine, and Mum took over helping Abby. I got the distinct impression she was segregating us.

Thankfully, we were saved Mums draconian management. Claudia, who I think did so on purpose, asked Mum to drive her home because she was tired.

I worked away as the crowd built, I was the coffee machine guru, so was left to my own devices. What I couldn't do was get Abby's song out of my head. I hummed it over and over, new words and lyrics constantly popping up. I was fixated on the damn thing. I loved it. Little later in the day, I walked through the kitchen to get a new bag of coffee beans. As I walked, I hummed that damn tune and Abby heard.

"What's that song? It sounds familiar."

"It should, it's that blasted melody I heard you playing the other night. I can't get it out of my head."

She giggled. "Sounds a lot different in my head to yours."

That shocked me, maybe she didn't like it. "Sorry, I'll stop."

She scowled. "Don't you dare. I like yours much more than mine. It's more fluent, less staccato."

"Yeah, well I'm just a pop song girl these days."

"Don't knock it, girl. It amazes me how much air time you're still getting. Even after not touring or putting out anything new. You're still in their rotations."

"Lucky, I guess."

That night we got home to find Mum and Claudia fighting. It wasn't a full on argument, but there was a definite tension in the air.

"Whoa, slow down you two," Abby said loudly, as we walked in."

"Yeah, what the heck are you two fighting about?" I asked, trying to soften the mood.

Mum waved around what looked like a cheque. "This," she hissed angrily. "This is what the problem is. I am deeply offended." She ripped it up and stormed outside. I heard the front gate open as she strode purposefully up the road.

Claudia looked devastated. "What the hell happened, Mama?" Abby asked quickly.

"I tried to offer her payment for all her work. She flew up here, paid her own way. Has been doing all this work for us, but when I offered to pay, her she went crazy. She yelled at me."

I rushed over and joined in the group hug. "Claudia, you can't do that. It's not how we do things."

"What are you talking about?" Claudia said, wiping away her tears. "I was only trying to do the right thing."

"I'm sorry Claudia, but it's not the Maori way. You deeply offended Mum. She is here helping you because you are friends. She didn't want to be paid. If she saw it as a job, she would have said so. This is her Koha, a gift."

"Gift..." She spluttered. "We cannot accept that. It is too much."

"Claudia, Mum sees you as Whakapapa, Whanau. You are family. By offering her money, you are disrespecting her."

Claudia clung tightly, asking, "Then how do I pay her?"

"You don't, you offer her a gift in return, Tikanga or Koha. It's a bit tricky. But by offering to pay her, you have offended her. Don't worry, I will sort it out."

When Mum came back in she looked calmer. Abby was helping her mother take a shower so I sat Mum down, made her a cuppa. "She was trying to express her gratitude. She didn't mean to upset you."

"I know, I overreacted. I thought we were friends. I didn't expect that."

"Mum, you're being daft. You are friends. She loves you and Dad. She told me they wouldn't have got through this without you. She just wanted to express her gratitude. She knows you took time away from your job to come up here and help out. She was offering Koha as thanks. German customs are different to ours."

"Yes, I suppose. I only wanted to help out a drear friend."

"You've done great, Mum, and I know she appreciates it. Both her and Klaus feel guilty that you had to come up here and work so hard."

"It wasn't work, I was merely helping out."

Claudia walked out and heard the last of the conversation. She leaned over Mum and hugged her tightly. "Thank you Erin. I'm sorry if I offended you. I feel so guilty. You have worked so hard. Is there no way we can pay you?"

"Claudia, this. Me being here, is my gift for you and Klaus. You both looked after our daughter when she needed it most. This was my chance to say thank you. I don't want money."

"Oh, Erin, we loved having Tui stay with us. She is part of the family now, as are you and Tom."

"Then lets not talk of money again. Whanau, we are all Whakapapa."

They started talking again, and I escaped out to the van. The door was barely shut when Abby walked in. "Bloody hell. That was tense."

"Yeah, Mum can get a bit easily offended. She wears her heart on her sleeve."

"Can I hear what you did with my song? I assume that's why all the recording stuff is out?"

"Yeah, but today at work, I found some better lyrics. I want to include them."

"So do it. Pretend I'm not here."

I giggled anxiously. "I can't do that. You might hate them. Could you go away and come back in an hour?"

"Fuck me, girl. It's my song." Abby huffed.

"Yes, that's why I'm so trepidatious. Please, let me add in the new lyrics and then I'll play the whole thing for you."

With an unhappy sigh, she said, "I'll be back in an hour, no later."

I quickly delved through my handbag looking for the scrunched up paper with the lyrics. I sang them through a few times, adjusting where needed, and then hit record. I loved it.

The new lyrics flowed better, and took some of the cheesiness out of it.

Forty minutes later, the door burst open and Abby barged in. "Right, let's hear it."

"I said an hour."

"Fuck you, I know you're finished."

She handed me a tequila sunrise, and clinked glasses. "All right, miss big shot producer. Let's hear this masterpiece."

We sipped our tequilas, leaned back against the cushions on the bed and I hit play.

The van filled with the R&B influenced beat, the thick funky drums and fat bass line. Then my lead guitar track cut through just before the vocals came into effect.

Abby gasped as she listened, her eyes wide, her foot tapping on the end of the bed. As it came to an end, I glanced suspiciously at her. She hadn't said a word. She gulped what was left of her Tequila down and closed her eyes.

Preparing to be ripped to shreds, I sank the last of my tequila as well.

We were like that for about ten minutes, resting with our backs on the pillows and our legs stretched out on the bed.

"Fuck, Tui... I don't know how you did that, but I love it."

"You do?" I spluttered.

"God yes, do you gave a copy on your phone?"

I nodded, and she jumped up. "We have to take that in and play it for Mama."

She literally dragged me down the narrow stairs of the van and burst into the kitchen. Claudia and Mum were sitting with an empty bottle of wine, chatting and laughing.

"Mama, Erin, You have to hear this." She grabbed my phone, connected it to the sound system and hit play.

The room filled with the sounds. Apart from the music, there was silence. Abby, Claudia and Mum, merely listening, taking it all in.

When it finished, Abby screamed. "Well, is it brilliant or what?"

"It's more than that," Claudia gushed. That is remarkable. Did you write that, Tui?"

"What?" I gasped. "No, that's Abby's song. I just recorded it."

Mum applauded. "That is a beautiful song, Abby."

"She's telling lies. She heard me playing a little piece the other night and turned it into this. She wrote it."

"No!" I snapped. "It's your song."

"Don't be a bitch. All I provided was the melody."

"That's the heart of the song, dumb arse." I threw back at her teasingly.

"Fuck you." She snapped back. Enjoying the banter.

"Stop it, there's no need for that sort of language," Mum demanded.

Abby, grimaced. "Sorry Erin."

Claudia interjected. "Sounds to me like you both wrote a song, and such a beautiful one at that."

"It needs Abby's cello, though; that has to be the heart of the song. That's what inspired it." I stated firmly.

"Yes, I can hear cello in that," Claudia said in agreement. "Do you think it would be rude to phone Klaus, I know he would love to hear this. He loved listening to the two of you play together."

Abby laughed. "Mama, it's after ten. He will be fast asleep. I think he can wait until tomorrow"

There were hugs all around, before I said, "I need to get to bed. Good night."

Back in my little van, which seemed in many ways to be like my cocoon, I relaxed back on the bed feeling very smug. I hadn't expected Abby to be quite so taken with it. Yes, I expected her to at least like it, but to see the look of adoration on her face. That was something else. It gave me a warm fuzzy glow, okay, perhaps the tequila had added to that, but still, I was very happy.

The knock on the van door brought me to my senses. "Hello?" I asked softly.

"Open the damn door. It's me, Abby."

Unlatching the door, Abby quickly climbed up inside. She was carrying the tequila bottle. "Oh fuck no." I sighed.

She grinned, replying cheekily, "Oh, don't be a stick in the mud. We have to celebrate."

"What exactly are we celebrating?"

"The birth of a great song."

I pulled the door shut, and she came and sat with me on the bed. "Sorry, it's just tequila and orange juice, oh and a little vodka."

"Jesus, girl. I'll never get up in the morning."

"So, we'll be late. It'll be a change." She poured us both glasses using the plastic cups from my cupboard. It didn't seem as much fun touching the plastic cups with a little thud.

My first taste made me shiver uncontrollable. "How much orange juice is in this?"

"Not much." She laughed, grimacing as she took her first sip.

"Tui, I just wanted to say thank you for helping out my parents, and also for helping me get home. I would still be stuck in the bloody UK if it wasn't for you."

"I came home because I love your parents. It's me who should be saying thanks for bringing me here and introducing us. Without them, my life would have been completely different."

"In what way?"

"I was stuck in that god awful flat. All my money was going on rent. Being able to live here gave me opportunity. You, as well, teaching me how to busk, to perform in front of people. I couldn't do that before meeting you,"

"You always had the ability, Tui. It's not like I taught you."

We piled up some cushions against the back door, which acted as the headboard. We wriggled back until we were comfortable. We touched plastic cups and took another painful sip of the biting liquid.

"God, I was blown away when we saw you in London you know," Abby said with an air of respect.

"You definitely caught us on a good night. The guys were all on fire that night."

"So were you; god I was so envious, your voice was fantastic. I loved seeing you reach higher. Not always getting it, mind you, but the way your voice broke up, the way it crackled like feedback."

I giggled. I wasn't sure it was actually a compliment. She saw my confusion. Squeezing my arm, she said, "I meant it was great. Seeing you strive for more, always reaching, extending. It was amazing."

"Thanks, coming from you that means a lot."

"Me?" she said disbelievingly. "What have I ever achieved... Nothing that's what."

"Stop it," I gushed. "You have achieved so much. You played with the NZSO, The LSO."

"Oh please. That was never my goal, that's never what I wanted. It's why I gave up on my music degree the first time."

Another drink, this time it goes down a little easier, in fact, it was tasting pretty good. She noticed how easily it went down, and giggled, issuing a dare. "Race you to the bottom."

We both took large gulps, although my cup was way fuller than hers.

She beat me easily. "So what's my prize?"

I shrugged. "Dunno, I'll make coffee in the morning?"

"Oh how weak... Coffee. You can do better than that."

I giggled again. "You tell me then. What do you want?"

"A kiss." Her cute smug smile disappeared as the words dribbled hesitantly from her mouth.

I couldn't make up my mind if I was amused or bemused. "A kiss, you think that's a good idea?"

The smirk on her face got bigger by the second. "Tui, you know how I feel about you, that hasn't changed. I know things got fucked up. I know I fucked up, but since we got home, it has been amazing working together, all the laughs we've had. I think a kiss is a great idea."

I took in a long deep breath. "What if the kiss is so good we can't stop?" I tried to keep it light, but my tummy was flip-flopping like crazy, and it wasn't the tequila.

Her smirk returned, "God, I hope it's like that. I love kissing." She leaned towards me, her moist sexy lips pursed, her tongue sliding over her bottom lip.

I leaned towards her. The first touch as her mouth grazed deliciously over mine was electric, an entrée. Her free hand slid up my arm, over my shoulder, then tantalisingly up my neck, her hand forceful, firm yet soft, held my head as her mouth returned to mine.

Our lips touched, and I felt the velvety texture. I opened my mouth, her lips so succulent, giving, moist, firm. It was a caress, a sensuous salacious lubricious coming together.

Even with my eyes tightly shut, I pictured her beauty, our lips moving, sliding delicately together. The temperature went from comfortable to searingly hot in seconds. My mouth filled with her dancing tongue. It slid teasingly over mine, tangling and twisting, sliding and slithering like the hunting cobra of desire.

It was probably minutes, but felt like hours as we sat, our tongues answering questions we had been too scared to ask.

My heart thumped in my breast; my pulse raced. I felt hot, like there wasn't enough air in the van to sustain life. My breath came in short sharp gasps; I panted animalistically trying to think, trying to breathe.

We separated. I felt her grip on my head soften, and she moved slowly back from me. Our eyes opened simultaneously. Her smirk, that cute delicious contemptuous smirk returned in full glow as she mouthed the word, 'WOW.'

My hand shakily held out my cup for a refill, and she nodded. "Good idea."

We touched cups and her gulp was as big as mine. The liquor no longer biting, now it flowed like water sustaining the desert my mouth had become.

"Tui," she whispered.

"Yes."

"That kiss..."

"I know, you don't have to say it."

Her hand moved, it rubbed my goose-bumpy skin. It was comforting, and yet seductive. Again it travelled up my arm, onto my neck where she caressed and stroked my exposed flesh. She pulled, not that she had to. Our mouths came together and the orange-tinged tequila only fuelled the fire burning within.

The kiss had changed. It was no longer inquisitive, enquiring. Now it was laden with passion burning so hot, I was scared we might spontaneously combust.

Her hand moved imperceptibly until it cupped my breasts. She squeezed, caressed, fondled. her fingers working inside my Tee. My naked flesh soon filled her hands as her tongue played with mine, our breathing short, panting.

I had to move back; my hand shook so much I was scared I was going to spill what remained of my drink.

As I moved back, her hand stayed inside my Tee. "You didn't like?" she whimpered.

I skulled what remained of my tequila, and threw the empty cup on the floor. She giggled sensuously, and reciprocated. As she drank her drink, I lifted my Tee up over my head, leaving my upper body naked for her eyes to feast on.

"Oh you dirty little girl." She laughed. "Are you trying to seduce me?"

"No," I said with confidence I wasn't feeling. "I'm trying to fuck you."

She threw her empty cup on the floor where it rolled to end up resting against mine. When we saw it land, we both giggled. "That's a sign," she said, her voice filled with mystical intent.

We came together, our naked bodies crashing together lustfully, her breasts, so much bigger and pillowy than mine, mashed together.

Our hands roamed wildly. Her fat erect nipples hardened under my caress, my thumb and forefinger adjusting her volume to full. I pinched, I twisted mercilessly as I loved myself.

When her mouth covered my heaving breasts and she suckled greedily on me, I was in heaven. The girl of my dreams wanted me as badly as I wanted her.

I tugged and pulled crazily on her jeans, trying to get them off. "Help me, or I'm reaching for scissors," I moaned between kisses.

She wriggled her bum, allowing me to pull them down over her thighs. I threw aside her jeans as she slid her little cotton panties down and threw them in the same pile.

She laughed seductively. "Your turn." My mini and peach coloured briefs followed and we were naked together, our bodies sliding seamlessly. We were one under the sparkling night sky that glowed through the open sunroof.

She rolled me on my back, lying atop me. Her kisses rained down everywhere: my tummy, my breasts, my arms. My hands were too busy investigating the succulence of her perky arse, the flesh so firm, supple, deliciously filling my hands as I kneaded and squeezed, Pulling her cheeks apart so I could slide my hand between her quivering legs and feel the salubrious moistness of her sex.

Her lips were fat and engorged with the blood of desire, her vagina opening easily as my finger slid appetisingly into her molten core.

That first touch: I loved the feel of desire, seeing how aroused she was. I could feel her secretions libidinously inviting me in, the walls of her pussy clutching at my finger.

Her cooing harmonious whimpers echoed my own.

She wriggled, moving one leg between mine, her pussy opening wide and sucking onto the fleshy part of my upper thigh. I could feel her damp slippery pussy sliding against my thigh, her leg jammed between mine.

I joined her, my own vagina opening to suck onto her skin: the sweaty sticky flesh. She moved slowly, her whole body caressing mine, her nipples roughly grazing and teasing mine. Her mouth glued itself to mine, our breath exchanging through open moaning mouths.

It was beautiful, powerful, liberating, my love and desire returned with interest.

As her body moved faster with more intent, I followed, our bodies in synch as we fucked like bitches on heat, our orgasms only moments apart.

It was a moment of absolute connection. Our bodies were one, our minds swirling together, words unnecessary. When I finally opened my eyes, Abby lay sprawled out on top of me, her face above me, her eyes staring down into mine, our breath intermingling. She lowered her head, and this time our kiss was one of satisfied lust. It was light, delicate, a blooming flower.

I nibbled playfully on her bottom lip as she nipped mine in return.

"Tui, that was beautiful."

"Yes..." was all I could think to say. My brain was now a mass off melted toffee. It was barely functioning well enough to keep me alive, let alone converse.

She moved to lie beside me. Face to face we lay, her hand sliding through my hair. "God you're beautiful," she whispered breathlessly. "I wish I had the courage to do this when we first met. I wanted to. God, I wanted you so bad it hurt."