Laura's Sleepless Night Ch. 01

As Laura stepped into the crowded Manhattan bar where she was going to spend her Friday evening, she scanned the crowd for her friends. She had taken a train in alone later than she intended. Until a few hours ago when her fiance let her know that he wouldn't return from his academic conference until Sunday, she didn't even think she'd be here -- she was eagerly awaiting his return. So much for that.

As she looked around for any sign of her crew a familiar hand tapped her on her shoulder. It was her friend Diana. She was decked out in a stylish white dress straight out of Gossip Girl. "Going casual tonight?" she smiled. Laura hadn't felt like overdoing it this evening, opting against a dress in favor of a pair of designer jeans that might as well have been painted on her long, toned legs. A simple red-and-white long-sleeved shirt that hugged her small, pert breasts completed the ensemble. She was, perhaps, underdressed for this occasion, but the brunette had still turned a couple of heads when she entered.

"We're in the back. Follow me!"

Laura followed Diana to an open area in the back of the bar, where seats surrounded a dance floor. The rest of her friends were there, mingling with each other and others. Laura ordered a drink from the nearby bar and said her hellos.

"We're not staying here too much longer..." Diana mused.

"Sorry I got in so late, I didn't know I was coming until a couple of hours ago."

"We're glad you did." Diana smiled and returned to the rest of the group.

"I'll join you in a moment."

Laura wanted to scope the place out a bit. As she walked about the room, her eyes locked with another woman. Slightly older, she had long, black, wavy hair. Perhaps a couple of inches taller than the brunette Laura, she shared her gift for legginess, but cut a slightly more voluptuous figure -- the short purple dress she wore was low cut, displaying her ample cleavage. Laura recognized her face, framed by thick-rimmed red glasses, and her body immediately.

"Cassandra!"

She smiled warmly and walked over to the girl. "Laura!" The two embraced. They hadn't seen each other in a number of years, since Laura was an undergraduate. Cassandra was, at the time, a Doctoral candidate, and a TA for one of Laura's biology classes. Her relative youthfulness and good looks made Cassandra something of a favorite for recitation sessions, especially among the boys, but the two had developed a close relationship during the course. Laura often appeared at office hours to discuss material. She admired her intelligence, her looks, and her fashion sense -- in that sense she was a bit bolder and braver than Laura, and that trait was endearing to her. She noticed the way she was looked at, and even caught herself admiring the older academic on a few occasions.

The two quickly became reacquainted over a cosmo. Laura told her about her plans, her friends being there, her being alone. She was tired, and not even the sight of her usual group had really rejuvenated her. Cassandra congratulated her on her engagement sincerely -- silently cursing her man's luck at his situation. As Cassandra had an idea about Laura's admiration, Laura knew little about Cassandra's private life.

While Cassandra knew she could have most men -- she wasn't blind to the looks she got for her outfits in lecture, often punctuated with high boots and high skirts -- her true preferences lied elsewhere. From her first experiences with girls as a freshman, she had enjoyed women more, and although she had a reputation as something of a man-eater, it was women she enjoyed chasing.

The female form had been something she'd enjoyed only a half dozen times or so, but she'd never had one like Laura, who was one of the more beautiful girls she'd seen. As a TA, she noticed looks from younger women, too. She enjoyed gazing at them -- meek nerds, fashionistas, college athletes -- they all had their charm. For example, one of her fonder teaching memories was staring into a blonde volleyball player's eyes while standing in front of her seminar and describing the biology of the human orgasm. She smiled and with a glance under her desk noticed that the poor girl's legs were trembling by the time she had finished. The thought that she could have enjoyed her athletic thighs at any time if she wanted to take the risk was a favorite for a long time afterwards, even when enjoying other women, safer women who didn't have the potential of getting her in trouble.

It was true that Laura admired Cassandra, but the former had no idea of her mentor's thoughts for her. She had noted Laura's enthusiasm for her, the glances, the office hour discussions about tests or labs or sometimes life. And for her part, she had become familiar with the curves of Laura's body, the light of her eyes, the length of her legs. She didn't feel as comfortable being more forward than a tap on the shoulder or a hand on her knee during office hours. She often caught her looking at her face intently reading the board, or studying the sway in her hips when she entered the room. It was the little things...they occasionally kept her up in bed at night, and sometimes invaded her daydreams.

As the two became re-familiarized -- Laura was now in graduate school herself, while Cassandra was working as an adjunct at a college in New York City-- Laura's friends returned.

"Come dance with the rest of us! Bring your friend if you want." Diana barely acknowledged Cassandra as she egged on Laura. Laura glanced at Cassandra. "Well, if you're not taken this evening, I'd be happy to accompany you..." Cassandra offered, giggling.

"Sure!"

The two made their way over as Laura finished one drink. "Next round is on me" -- Cassandra came back with two Martinis. They each took a couple of sips, glancing around, before setting them down and making their way to the floor.

"It's too bad you're by yourself tonight."

"Yeah, I know. He's busy a lot."

"His loss." Cassandra smiled as she slinked behind Laura, her hands on her hips. Laura laughed "I guess so."

"I know so. You know, you were always my favorite student."

"Really?" Laura was genuinely surprised. She didn't speak up much in class.

"Yeah. It was nice to talk to someone other than some leering freshman." The two laughed.

Cassandra brought her close and pressed against her. Laura's clothes only accentuated her lithe form and Cassandra spied her firm rear with a smile as the two moved to the music. Her friends laughed as they checked out the two girls dancing innocently -- Laura finally felt like she was having some fun.

The two continued to dance through one round of drinks, and then another and another. The moves got a bit slower, less coordinated, but Cassandra pushed the envelope slowly. Cassandra had turned Laura around so they were face to face, just playfully gracing her butt through her tight jeans and working her hands up her sides. Laura could only smile playfully. As she moved her hands down to the sides of Laura's hips Diana intervened --

"Hey ladies, we're deciding to head to a new place. You want to come?"

Laura looked at her, unsure of what she wanted. She didn't want to ditch her friends, but she was enjoying her old TA's company. She always was enjoying, she realized, her playful attention. How many times would she get to see her like this again?

Cassandra leaned in and whispered in her ear "I want to stay here -- don't you? We can meet up with them in a bit."

Laura nodded. "We'll stay behind a bit. We still have cocktails to finish, anyway" gesturing to the two drinks that they had only sipped at, albeit they were each a few in now. Laura was happily buzzed but still quite aware of her limitations.

"Suit yourself!" Diana and her friends said their goodbyes and vacated and the two soon returned to their dancing.

The lights got a bit dimmer and as they did, Cassandra's dormant lust only further awakened. Her hands glided onto Laura's stomach -- firm, as she'd imagined -- down to her belt. Laura giggled and shooed her hands away, so Cassandra moved elsewhere, slowly rubbing Laura's sides at the two girls got closer.

"You're a good dancer."

"I have a good partner."

Laura was definitely enjoying the attention. She enjoyed it even more when Cassandra leaned in and whispered into her ear.

"You don't deserve to be alone tonight..." Her hands touched Laura's hip bones, and then rose back up. To her delight, Laura didn't protest when her fingers grazed the sides of her small, pert breasts through her shirt.

"Not with this body."

Laura felt a shiver down her spine and a twinge below her belt. The alarms were going off, but what the hell, she thought. She deserved some fun, and nothing bad would happen from dancing with an old acquaintance. If she took things a step too far, she could always stop her. No problem.

Cassandra muzzled her old student's neck playfully and gyrated against her as Laura let her hands down. If her eyes weren't looking down she'd have noticed a few bar goers were watching the pair, but she didn't particularly care. The lighting was too dim to make anything out regardless.

Cassandra brought her hands around Laura again, and worked them down either leg as far as she could over the tight denim, then back up. It was time to chance something more.

As she playfully pecked the crook of Laura's neck, one of Cassandra's experienced hands "accidentally" graced the crotch of Laura's jeans, just enough to elicit an inaudible gasp and a smile from the younger woman as she playfully swatted her hand away.

"What's the matter?"

"I like guys. I'm engaged, remember?"

"You seem to like me. You seem to like this."

Laura hadn't noticed that in the haze of the dancefloor they had moved into something of a corner.

"Maybe."

"Just maybe?"

Cassandra turned the girl around and Laura found herself leaning back against one of the walls. Cassandra ran a hand down her face as she playfully pouted. "Is that any way to talk to your old TA? I did give you an A."

"I earned that A." Laura replied with playful defiance.

"Mmhmm."

Cassandra's fingers traced Laura's lips. They parted slightly. She had her signal.

Before Laura could issue any protest Cassandra leaned in and pressed her lips against Laura's, and much to her surprise and delight, Laura's lips surrendered readily. One of Cassandra's hands stroked the girls long brown hair, while the other continued to caress her face.

Her mouth was as inviting as she imagined it. Laura stood frozen in shock that a woman she had looked up to a few short years ago had put her in this position. She'd never kissed another woman and it showed in her tentative response, but as her body overcame her mind, she grew into Cassandra's attention and she wrapped an arm tentatively behind the woman's back as she gently pressed into her.

"You're a natural", Cassandra whispered as she released the girls lips.

"Il like guys -- I have a fiancée, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah. There's nothing wrong with trying it out. He probably wouldn't mind just a kiss or two with an old friend, right?"

Laura smiled, "I guess not. I liked it."

"Didn't think I was like that, did you?" Cassandra smiled.

Laura was only able to shake her head in response before Cassandra leaned in again. This time, Laura was more ready, but Cassandra was still pushing the issue. Her hand lowered from her face and, again, gently grazed the front of her tight shirt as the two made out. She grazed her fingers over Laura's chest and, to her delight, felt two bumps that let her know how much Laura was enjoying this. The younger woman shuddered but still Cassandra's hand went lower, trailing down down her stomach. Just as her fingertips were approaching the button of her jeans she was pushed away, Laura looking at her wide-eyed and breathless.

"Did you like that?"

"Of course."

"I have an apartment not two blocks away. We could have some drinks there and...talk further."

"I shouldn't, I have --" Cassandra replied to her defiance with a brief, hard kiss.

"Shouldn't what?"

"I suppose I could stay a bit..."

With a smile Cassandra stood up straight and took Laura's hand. "Come with me."