Finally, a Day Off

"She wants something more if that doesn't scare you off."

"Never dated a woman for longer than a week, but I'm not against it."

"Good, I've never seen two people look at each other like that."

"What? She's hot! And naked! I can't help myself." Grace blushed and smiled before catching the ball one more time. "I... uh... I'm going to go talk to Lucy and Mel again." She tossed the ball and bounded back toward their other friends.

"You do that." AJ chuckled at the lass as she beat a hasty retreat.

The football was tossed around a little more before Celina reappeared. "Gummy? X told me you partook."

"I have my own." AJ smiled but accepted one. A single gummy just mellowed him out and melted any anxiety. Taking two or three was a different story.

"Yeah, but free tastes better." Celina smiled proudly.

"So, if I trade one of mine for yours, are they both free?" AJ shook his head.

"No, I got these for free."

"Did you? They look like Big Greens. You're not a serial kleptomaniac, are you?" AJ smiled. "Just trying to find the one thing that makes you imperfect." He shrugged.

"Other than the fake titties?" Celina returned the shrug.

"I can assure you those look perfect too." AJ winked.

"No, I didn't steal them, knowing French got me them for free." Celina popped one of the gummies in her mouth.

"Bilingual? Mr. Etienne just a fan of sparkling conversations?" AJ figured out that they were standing amid a group of people, but only Celina was there in the conversation.

"Quadrilingual, actually, though my Guaraní has probably atrophied." A quick proud smile crossed her face.

"Guaraní? Are your parents from Paraguay?" AJ asked. That nugget of knowledge came from the same Geography class as the discovery of the swimming hole. Glad I didn't skip that class too often.

"My grandpa Immigrated from Paraguay, actually. You're the first guy that had any clue what Guaraní was."

"So, English, French, Guaraní, and Spanish... I'm willing to guess, as it is Paraguay's other official language. I feel like a slacker. I only have English and Spanish down."

"I'd ask if you were hiding an encyclopedia in your pocket, but I don't see any pockets. Unless you're kiestering something." Celina giggled. It was a sound that he needed more of, even if it needed to be at his own expense.

"One lucky geography class. I don't even have my phone on me." AJ chuckled. "So, how did French get you free gummies?"

"Gummies and a hash brownie! That's for dessert later, though."

"An even better deal."

"Yup. So, Grace went in with me to see if she could help me get the two-for-one discount as I didn't want to strip." Celina explained although she now looked very comfortable in her current outfit. "I usually need a gummy or joint before I get out of my own head. Well, Mr. Etienne was working on paperwork, and his nephews were working."

"So, where did the French come in?"

"Those two knuckleheads thought they could ogle and talk about Gracie without our knowledge. They said some pretty crude things."

"Oh no!"

"I mean, she's hot, but don't talk about her pussy where her best friend can hear. I asked how much the items were in perfect French, and they may have shit themselves." Celina laughed. "They gave product away as a form of apology."

A basketball plopped onto some soft ground beside them. In minutes they were out playing games with Grace and X. Celina would have to provide pizza sometime this weekend as she was on the losing team, but AJ would have been happy with either outcome as long as it promised more time with Cel. Fuck, I'm falling for her, and I don't have the time.

Celina -- A few hours later

For the first time in years, Celina feared that she may have committed a cardinal sin of edibles. She increased the dose because she hadn't felt anything yet. Instead of the single gummy to control her anxiety and provide a pleasant mellow mood, Cel had three and was now wandering the woods higher than she had been in some time. Even worse, she managed to get AJ to join in on her folly. She prayed that she would not be overcome with a giggle fit in her state. It was a genuine risk that she had not experienced since college.

Luckily, X and Grace were looking out for them. They plodded with Brad, Mel, Lucy, and Salvy in tow. Perhaps hearing the good news that Melanie was pregnant so no one else was eating the gummies in the group. The only sensible thing was to have one more.

Melanie and Brad's wedding was a month away, and they wanted a big family. Still, the pregnancy was a surprise. Lucy was overjoyed to have someone join her in the preggers group. The happy news had Celina thinking about what she wanted in life. It was going to be more than being a famous chef. She was delighted to have learned so much from her boss but didn't know how much longer she could do 70-hour weeks. She had been raised as an only child and always wanted a brother or sister. Cel wanted a family; her hectic work schedule would never allow that.

Great, the introspective high instead of the giggles. The group was headed up to a cave Grace and Celina had found when they had to detour around a fallen tree. Fortunately, Salvy, Brad, and Tyson took care of the tree before the extra half mile had to be the route to their little piece of paradise.

The little cave they had discovered on the detour had once saved them from being out in a sudden violent thunderstorm. It was also the site of Celina's most public sex act. Even if Grace and her beau hadn't been paying any attention, they were on the other side of the open cave while Celina rode her lover. She was to this day embarrassed by the brazen fornication, but it had made her cum harder than almost any time in memory.

When they got to the cave, Lucy, Salvy, Brad, And Mel decided to use the shelter for the same purpose Grace and Celina once had. They weren't the only ones using the facility, and if Grace hadn't bowed out this time, Celina might have used it with the handsome man beside her. AJ had her intrigued.

Instead of discovering if AJ was as well-endowed as the rumors had told her, they retreated to the lake for a swim in the heat of the day. It took about an hour of floating and swimming for the THC to release its hold on her mind. AJ got them a pair of Pride Brews, and they found a shady spot to converse as the ladies took off to new adventures playing together.

Alejandro and Celina covered topics such as their college classes; they shared a calculus class with Grace and X without realizing it. AJ confessed to his pothead phase the semester after that class. Celina teased him and said she was glad not to have known him back then. They then covered movies and music, their taste wasn't the same, but he wasn't an uncultured lout.

"What are you going to do after your MBA?" Celina asked as she downed the last sip of Pride Brew, it was delicious, but beer wasn't her favorite. She may make an exception for beers of this quality, though.

"Honestly?" AJ asked and looked down.

"No, make something up to impress me." Celina almost swore as she couldn't help giggling again. AJ made her happy and a little loopy.

"Rule the world? Take over a trillion-dollar corporation?"

"Those would be impressive."

"I thought I would start working my way up in Denver, but things change."

"How?"

"I don't think I want to leave my current position. I was angry when I couldn't keep the mill running. I wanted to be in charge of the evil faceless corporation. I thought everyone was only out for themselves, so I might as well get mine. Things like this, though," AJ held up the Pride Brew can with a smile. "Are what really matters. Every cent of net profit was donated to LGBTQ+ charities."

"Nice."

"I can make a difference here and make a profit to provide for my family. Plus, X needs me."

"It must be nice to work with your best friend."

"Most of the time. Arguments about the company's direction aren't always fun, but we've learned not to take the brewery personally. I hope she takes the interim tag off my CEO position when I graduate."

"You think she will?"

"If I'm lucky. She needs me as much as I need her. I'm her only local family nowadays." AJ's smile flashed briefly again. "So, did your parents name you after the singer?"

"Not the one you think, no. A singer was a part of the name, though."

"Okay, there's got to be a story there."

"One of my parents liked Celine Dion, and the other was a comic nerd and a fan of Batman, so Selina Kyle was the other inspiration."

"Catwoman?"

"Yep."

"So, did you learn French from your father or mother?"

"Both, actually." Celina could sense he was trying to figure out which parent was responsible for each part of her name. "Dad's trilingual, and mom's Quadrilingual." She did leave him a little bit of a clue, though.

"Why does your dad like Celine Dion? Was it Titanic?"

"I was born in early 97 before the film came out. I'm only a year younger than you." Celina chuckled. "Papa liked Celine Dion before the movies. She came from Quebec and sang in French and English."

"Huh. Guess that makes sense. Your mom's the nerd?"

"Yup, still is. She makes a great living writing sci-fi novels. Are you a reader, AJ?" The written word was still vital to her, even if she went down her own path.

"Used to be when I had time. I have an e-reader that gets a lot of work, but it's almost all non-fiction for school now. What about you?"

"Yeah, I'm a beta reader for mom tease days, though I prefer more romance and mystery when I'm not reading hers."

"Sci-fi and fantasy, personally. I may have to look up your mother's books when I get some free time."

"She's good, even if I'm biased." Celina spent a few minutes explaining the series of space operas that she had written. A few had been bestsellers, and more had been award winners. AJ seemed genuinely interested.

"I liked the pizza wager earlier. You want to make a similar arrangement about those two lovebirds getting married?" AJ smiled and pointed toward the two ladies wrestling over a football in the pond.

"Those would have to be pretty favorable odds for me to bet against them. You saw that kiss, right?"

"Yeah, you missed the look on Grace's face when they first saw each other. I'm not betting against it."

"Well, darn, we'll have to leave it at just pizza tomorrow."

"Something to look forward to." AJ had a wan smile as if a single day wasn't enough.

"Do you play cornhole, AJ?"

"Not well, why?"

"I need a partner for the tourney they got going. We got a shot if you can toss it in the right direction. Drunk frat guys can't be that much of a challenge."

"We got some time for practice?"

"A little. Don't worry, I'm good. I'll make it worth your while. What do you say we split my ill-gotten brownie when we return to civilization?"

"Wait, I get to play a game with the prettiest gal here and get half a hash-based dessert, and all I have to do is embarrass myself a little?"

"Yeah."

"Sign me up."

Alejandro -- an hour later

"Four more matches, and we got this thing, AJ." Celina came over and collected a high-five. They had to sit out the next game after defeating Grace and Lexi. "You're getting some nice spin on the bag."

"Thanks, had a good teacher." AJ smiled, then looked down and blushed a little. "So, uh, do you want to make pizza tomorrow a date?" He had to shoot his shot with the woman who had captured his attention all day.

Celina blew out a long sigh, and AJ's heart dropped; he knew it would be bad news. "Listen, AJ. I think you're great, but I don't have time right now and want to give you a fair shake. When you leave school, and I get a little more time, we can try if no one has snapped you up by then. You know there'll be a wedding in a year or two, and we'll have to maid of honor and man of honor. I would hate for that to be awkward." Celina slyly pointed to the new couple watching the tourney but frequently kissing each other.

"Well, darn. I didn't want to regret not taking a chance. You still need a friend, though, right?"

"Are you kidding? We still have a tournament to win." Celina smiled. "Half a free hash brownie has to be worth something."

The next round was another crushing victory for the pair, primarily thanks to Celina, but AJ made throws when he had to. Between matches, he went to get a gummy from near X and told her that Celina had said no when he asked her out. X was empathetic but talked him out of a gummy until after the tournament.

The semi-final game was a real nail-biter; Celina was perfect. AJ had to get his last bag in without knocking in the opposing team's blocker to force a playoff. He looked to Celina, who motioned for him to recall their training. Luckily it was tough to forget anything that involved that beauty.

When the bag left his hand, something about it felt right. It spun around the defender and landed perfectly in the hole. He was shocked when Celina suddenly ran over and embraced him. It was their first contact other than high fives, which sent a wave of pleasure surging through him. He had to keep his mind off how perfect she felt in his arms lest something else pop up and embarrass him.

"Not bad for a rookie."

"Beginner's luck."

"Just win this round, and we're finals bound." She kissed him on the cheek and bounded to her side of the play area.

Don't read too much into that. AJ tried to keep himself from staring at Celina's firm ass as she took her position. He needed to keep his mind on the game if they were to advance. Grace and X cheered from the sidelines. The tall redhead had stolen X's black and pink cowboy hat, and X looked remarkably unperturbed.

The bags fell their way this round. When Celina tossed the last bag, there was no doubt that they were advancing to the finals. Celina did a little happy dance with an incredible shimmy, spins, and a butt shake. AJ could only cheer and clap. He glanced over to his friends hoping they were witnessing the display. They were talking to Lucy and Salvy. The latter had on a backpack, and it looked like they were leaving.

"Nice job, AJ." Celina came over to strategize for a minute while the other team in the finals was fetched. "You're not quite the boat anchor I feared you would be."

"You practically won that round yourself."

"Practically, but not actually. You've done great. Let's kick these guys' asses, then get a gummy piece and another beer to celebrate."

"There's victory whiskey on the line."

"No, thanks. I don't mind beer, but I'm not a whiskey girl."

"Huh, if you win, I'll bet I can trade the whiskey for a box of wine."

"As long as it's a red. That goes better with the chocolate in our split brownie." Celina leaned in and kissed him on the cheek again. "Grab your bags, and let's win this thing."

"Yes, ma'am. Keep kicking ass."

"I plan to." Celina turned around and winked.

Their opponents looked too inebriated to be much of a threat, but the pair had breezed through their half of the bracket. One of the hulking guys had an eternal scowl, while the other had an affable smile and a smooth arm swing on each toss.

AJ had just picked up his bags and watched Celina collect hers. Romance was off the table for him this evening, but it didn't mean he was blind. She has to know how she's showing off her pussy when she bends over like that, right? He mused to himself.

Looking away before something popped up, AJ saw that the bulkier man was also ogling Celina's womanhood. However, unlike AJ, the bastard stepped behind the woman and grabbed her ass. Celina spun around like a coiled spring and landed a mighty slap on the drunk asshole's face.

"Nudity doesn't mean consent, jackass!" Celina's eyes were full of fury as she stared down the taller and broader man that had to weigh three times as much as she did. Her fists were tightly balled up. It wouldn't be a slap if she were to strike him again.

AJ dropped his bags and sprinted over before things got any uglier. The enormous frat asshole tried to take a swing at Celina, but three of his buddies caught the arm before he could. The scrum was slowly moving down the runway as Celina wasn't giving the man any room to walk off.

"Probably a dyke anyway!" The frat guy yelled out with rage. AJ could see the vibrant red impression of Celina's hand on the man's cheek.

"Don't use that word just because I'm not into you, asshole! Not everyone is into muscle-bound jackasses with tiny cocks!" Celina laughed derisively. "Looks like you like getting slapped."

The seething giant's cock was fully erect and much smaller than average. "Fucking dyke!" He roared again as AJ stepped beside his new friend.

Alejandro put an arm around Celina, hoping to start de-escalating the situation. It seemed like Celina could take the jackass, but AJ didn't need a fracas with the four of them against an entire fraternity.

"Don't fucking use that term!" Celina growled furiously. Fortunately, the asshole's friends pulled him away before things got ugly.

"We're so sorry, ma'am." The roaring man's teammate was apologizing profusely. "I've never seen him like this. We're taking his dumbass home now, and there will be consequences."

"Okay, okay!" Celina still looked like she wanted to lunge through the crowd and knock the asshole on his ass. "When he sobers up, make sure someone drills it into his thick skull that his actions and language aren't acceptable."

"We forfeit. Enjoy your win." The last part of his words could have been considered snippy if not for his contrite gestures and tone of voice. The man shook his head one more time. "I'm sorry again. That's not how we want our fraternity represented." He bowed a little and then left into the crowd.

"What's wrong, you two?" X asked as she and Grace joined them in the center of the cornhole area.

"Some jackass copped a feel when I bent over to pick up my bean bags and didn't like getting slapped for it," Celina stated, fury evident in her eyes. "He just about got laid out for it. Nudity doesn't mean consent!" She shouted toward the frat guy. Celina finally looked back toward AJ. "Thanks for keeping me from breaking a knuckle."

"You had him, but I'm pretty sure a bruised or broken hand is hard to cook with." AJ released her shoulders.

"Let me get you a beer and a gummy." Grace offered. She gave Lex a look that said to provide them with a minute.

"Yeah, good plan." Celina followed after her best friend.

"I guess the tourney is over now." X grabbed AJ's own bag of gummies and offered him one.

"I didn't want to win by forfeit. Damn, Celina can spin that bean bag well." AJ couldn't help his proud smile.

"Grace told me that's what they do after shifts to blow off steam. What did you win?" X was very informed.

"Bragging rights and some whiskey from the same distillery you got the aging barrels from." AJ popped a gummy in his mouth and chewed it as he calmed down. He wasn't the fighting type but had similarly stepped in when X had gotten unwanted attention out on the town. A sudden fatigue washed over him as the adrenaline drained from his blood stream.

"That's a good whiskey."

"Yeah, but I have a supply of it already."

"Celina was your ringer anyway."

"I traded it for some wine. I've seen a few boxes floating around, and she's the wine type." He had made the trade between rounds, he had been confident of Celina's win for a while.

"She's going to be at Brad and Mel's wedding soon." X waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Huh." They sat on the blanket they had laid out early in the day. He was just hoping for the few years until he could ask Celina out again breezed by.

"You. You're taking me dancing." Celina came back and offered a hand to AJ. "I got to know if you are going to embarrass me at the wedding in a few weeks. You're taking me as your plus one. If you can dance."