Mandy Ch. 01

Joe and Melissa met in college and fell in love. They married shortly after graduation and fulfilled a dream by opening a steak house on a busy street near the center of town. They worked hard, sweating every little detail of their establishment on a daily basis, understanding every step of the way that there were no guarantees, that their hard work and financial investment may never be rewarded. The steak house grew in popularity over the next few years, however, winning several local awards and generating faithful crowds. Years later, they constructed an equally successful restaurant several miles away. They built wealth and success, purchased a nice home in a quiet, clean suburb and became financially secure. They handed the day-to-day operations of their establishment to managers and they were free to relax and have fun.

In their forties, Joe and Melissa found their marriage in tatters, the unfortunate consequence of a lifetime spent hard at work. They operated more like business partners than lovers, a fact that became painfully obvious whenever free time became available. Their dinners were spent in awkward silence and their days were spent pursuing separate interests. Even their impossibly green and flowery suburb held little comfort. The spark had disappeared long ago; both Joe and Melissa knew they were likely headed for divorce. They were withdrawn and depressed.

That is, until they met Mandy.

Mandy moved into the same cul-de-sac where Joe and Melissa lived, merely two doors around. When she pulled up with her rental truck filled with furniture, Joe and Melissa introduced themselves and offered to help her. Immediately, the married couple noticed something about Mandy – there was a vibrancy to her that was hard to find in their stale, strictly controlled surroundings. Dressed in a plaid button up shirt, tight jean shorts and brown hiking boots, she was eager to begin work.

"Oh thank you," Mandy said to the couple after the move was complete. "I was planning to spend all evening moving in."

"Hey, no problem," Joe responded. "We're glad to have you in the neighborhood."

Joe returned to his house and left his wife to continue her conversation with Mandy. The two women talked at some length before Melissa returned home.

"I invited her for dinner tomorrow night," Melissa announced. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all."

- - - - -

"I'm a real estate agent," Mandy explained at dinner. "I love it. Helping people buy and sell their homes is like helping people fulfill their dreams."

"Well, that's great to have a job you enjoy so much," Joe answered.

"What do you do?" Mandy queried.

"We own two restaurants in the area. We keep busy running back and forth between them."

"Really? Which ones?"

"The Broadway Steak House. We have two locations now."

Mandy nearly leapt in excitement. "Oh my god, I love that place! You own that? That's great!"

Joe and Melissa smiled slightly, but otherwise looked downward. After fifteen years of owning both restaurants, they were exhausted. Yes, the restaurants served high quality food and were popular, but the process of keeping them afloat had been repetitious and difficult.

"Its been a lot of work," Melissa offered apologetically.

"Oh," Mandy responded. "Well, if you don't enjoy it, you could sell it and retire."

Joe and Melissa were quiet. They had discussed various options related to the two businesses, but hadn't come to a decision. The inflow of cash was nice and prevented them from worrying about financial difficulties.

"I'm sorry if I said something wrong," Mandy said, sensing discomfort in the room.

"No," Melissa said, shaking her head slowly. "I think sometimes we get bored with things. Yeah, our success has been nice and provided well for us, but there has to be more."

"Maybe you don't have enough fun," Mandy opined. "Everybody needs something to look forward to."

"Yeah," Melissa said. "I guess we are both looking for that something."

Mandy took a bite from her plate, which included a type of jerked chicken. A vegetable mix and stuffed baked potato were served on the side.

"This food is amazing. Do you serve this at your restaurant?"

"Some of it, yes, but we threw in a few different spices..."

"Mmmmmm...it sure is delicious."

Mandy was such a delightful guest that both Joe and Melissa felt better simply for being around her. They walked her to the door, then Melissa left to walk her home across the cul-de-sac.

"Thank you, it was a wonderful evening," Mandy beamed.

"You're very welcome. Joe and I tend to be a bit reclusive, so it was really our pleasure."

"Aww, you two shouldn't be reclusive. You've so much to offer the world."

"Well, thanks. Maybe you're right."

- - - - -

Early one morning, Joe and Melissa heard a knocking at the door. Mandy was there, asking if anyone wanted to go out and walk her dog with her. Melissa's first instinct was to decline. She always chose isolation over interaction – dealing with customers and employees made her weary of interaction with the outside world beyond what was necessary, but a voice inside made her go this time. Mandy and Melissa had something of a friendship forming, still in its early stages but exciting nonetheless. Joe would stay behind and mow the lawn.

Mandy was a bouncy extrovert, certainly a refreshing change of pace for Melissa. They talked openly about many things, some of them very personal.

"I love Joe a lot, with all my heart, but it seems like we are trapped. Our business is set, our money is set, we're not moving and nothing ever seems to change. It's hard to get excited about anything."

"Something needs to change, otherwise you'll just get depressed and go crazy."

"I feel like I'm already there."

"Oh no, that's awful."

"Listen to this – this guy who has managed one of our restaurants for almost six years now has been flirting with me. I think he wants more, and the bad part is how tempting it is."

"Are you going to go through with it?" Mandy was suddenly on edge with curiosity.

"Oh, no. I love Joe. But still, I'm dying to feel something again...passion or lust or something...anything, you know?"

"Are you and Joe intimate?"

"No, not very often. When we first met, it was exciting but it hasn't felt that way for years. Decades," she sighed. Melissa's body sagged then and sadness overwhelmed her. Mandy reached her arm around and held her close until the tears stopped flowing.

Then, Mandy lifted Melissa's face and gently kissed her. Melissa paused for several seconds as their lips met. The kiss was warm and tender, just the type of touch she had been longing for. Melissa returned the kisses finally, and they spent several moments embraced, kissing and cuddling.

"Oh wow," Melissa sighed as she pulled away. "Oh wow."

"You're a beautiful woman, Melissa," Mandy whispered. "You deserve to feel like one."

"I can't...that was...wrong...wasn't it?"

Mandy turned Melissa's face back up toward hers. She leaned close, touching her forehead with her own, clearing Melissa's long hair from her eyes. "I won't do that again if you don't want me to. I'm sorry."

- - - - -

Mandy and Melissa grew much closer over the ensuing several weeks, a fact that was not lost on Joe. Every day, they found something to do together. They went shopping, or ate lunch somewhere or went walking in the nearby park. One day, they drove to a retirement home across town to visit Melissa's mother, who was elderly and suffering with Alzheimer's Disease. Mandy was a supportive and enthusiastic friend, which had rubbed off on Melissa in many ways. Melissa was softer now. More gentle. Joe remembered how Melissa was when they met, before owning two restaurants that required nearly constant attention. Melissa had been a brilliant, innocent shining light. She had a hunger for life that seemed, somehow, to be returning. Joe was intrigued by her transformation.

"I need to ask you something," Joe began cautiously.

"Yes?" Melissa responded, noting his apprehensive tone.

"Are you and Mandy...just good friends...or is there something more?"

Melissa's jaw nearly dropped. She stared at Joe, then began giggling. She never thought she had heard anything so funny. Joe took a deep breath and rolled his eyes, uncomfortable that his dramatic question had been found amusing.

"We're friends, Joe," Melissa finally said as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"That's good, I guess. You two get along so well, and you seem so much happier with her around."

"Huh. I guess there is truth to that."

"If you two really were more than just friends, I don't think I would be upset."

Melissa's jaw nearly dropped again. What was her husband saying?

"You've known me for two decades, Joe. Have you ever known me to be a lesbian?"

"No, I'm just saying...you two have something and it shows."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this."

"God, Melissa. We've been doing the same thing for so long, it's gotten dull and you know it. But now, you're so different. Lively. Beautiful. Like you have something to look forward to again. That's a good thing."

Her husband had discovered a truth that she thought she had suppressed. She was drawn to Mandy for many reasons – her youthful exuberance, her optimistic impulsiveness, but also there was that tender kiss, the affection Mandy showed for her when she was down. She enjoyed spending time with her, and had even allowed a sexual fantasy or two to creep into her mind. Now her husband had given this fantasy a voice, allowing it a foothold into the real world.

"Mandy and I kissed several weeks ago, but we haven't done it again."

Joe was not shocked by this admission. If anything, he was shocked that the kiss had not been repeated.

"Tell me about it."

"We were walking her dog. We were talking, and I began getting emotional telling her how drained we both feel and she was just trying to be supportive and I cried and it just happened. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. Come here, on the couch. Be with me."

Melissa snuggled up to Joe on their large sofa. Joe wrapped his strong arms around her.

"Baby, maybe this is the kind of thing we need. We've been in this awful rut for so long, I think we both want to run away. You're so soft now, so sensual, I think Mandy has been a very good thing for you, maybe even for us."

Melissa was embarrassed. She had no idea how to respond.

"If you want to do more with Mandy, you have my okay so long as you're honest about it."

Melissa huffed. She never imagined herself as a woman who would make love to another woman, much less while she was married. The thought was patently ridiculous, of course. It would never happen.

One problem: Ideas, like seeds, grow quickly once planted.

- - - - -

"I want to tell you something," Melissa said to Mandy several days later. They were eating lunch at a local pizza bar. Mandy was playing with a salad and sipping a diet soda.

"Oh, this sounds good already," Mandy gleefully replied.

"I told Joe about our kiss."

"What kiss? Did we kiss?" Mandy asked with a puzzled look. "You'd think I'd remember..."

"Uhhh..."

"I'm kidding!"

"Oh..." Melissa laughed, but she was also relieved.

"I could never forget that kiss."

"Joe says you have made me softer. Happier."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He also asked me if we were more than just friends. He said it was okay if we were."

Mandy's face turned red. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen."

"It's okay."

"How did you respond?"

"I didn't. I just sort of kept quiet and thought about it."

"What do you want to happen?"

"Nothing. I just told you because I knew you'd think it was funny."

Mandy looked skeptically at Melissa. "Admit it, sweetie, you want me."

Melissa laughed so hard she spilled her drink on the table. "Of course I do, you're one sexy girl."

"You want another kiss."

"Many kisses."

"Did it make your panties moist?" Mandy was having fun now, teasing Melissa and escalating the conversation.

"Uh huh," Melissa responded, her face turning red from embarrassment. "How about you?"

"Soaked."

Melissa and Mandy laughed. It felt good to laugh.

"So tell me," Mandy asked more seriously now. "Have you been with a woman before?"

"Oh god, no, I was always a nice little girl," Melissa replied. "I was told I'd go straight to hell for even thinking things like that."

"Would you like to try it? You might like it..."

"I...oh god...I don't know...I heard that hell is hot this time of year."

"You won't go to hell. Maybe just the opposite."

"I would like that...with you...yeah...I think..."

"Yes, then you'll go home and tell Joe all about it. He'll love it."

"Really? Do you think so?"

"Oh yeah. I bet he's thought about it many times already."

Melissa got curious. "Have you ever been with a woman before?"

Mandy smiled. "Yeah, many years ago. I was curious and it was fun. And I didn't go to hell."

"Oh," Melissa mumbled. "I guess I'm just a virgin at this."

"I'll be gentle," Mandy beamed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

They arrived at Mandy's home an hour later, many hours before Joe was due to arrive at home. Melissa felt her heart pound in her chest. She couldn't wrap her mind around the idea that Mandy would soon become her lover. With her husband's approval, for crying out loud.

Melissa tried to focus on Mandy. She really was a beautiful woman, she thought; smooth skin, black shoulder-length hair with cute bangs, dark brown eyes the same color as her hair and a soft smile that made you want to smile right back. Mandy carried a confident but mischievous look with her nearly always, and Melissa felt a surge of attraction for her. Mandy was shorter, perhaps five-five, and had the kind of hourglass figure that men love to drool over.

Mandy put on some soft music to help calm Melissa. She held Melissa's hand and brought her to the bedroom. Melissa was a cute but timid woman, Mandy thought. Outwardly, Melissa appeared composed and confident – as a businesswoman should, she supposed. Deep down, however, there was a playful girl lurking, waiting to come out, tamped down by years of drudgery. More than anything, Mandy wanted to see this playful girl emerge once more.

"Let me know if you are okay," Mandy reassured Melissa.

Melissa nodded as she lay back on Mandy's bed, not knowing what to expect. Feeling inexperienced, she allowed Mandy to set the mood and take the lead.

Mandy laid down beside Melissa and stroked the hair away from her face. Melissa swallowed hard and looked up sheepishly at her. Mandy's confident touch was all she needed to stay composed. Everything would be okay.

They moved closer, not quite kissing, but studying each other. Mandy smiled and Melissa couldn't help but smile back, then they finally kissed again. Melissa responded more quickly this time, returning her kisses eagerly. When Mandy introduced her tongue, Melissa accepted it completely. The subtle caress of Mandy's lips and tongue felt so good, so perfect.

Mandy cupped Melissa's breast as their kisses deepened. Melissa sighed and moved her arm away from her body, giving Mandy complete access. Mandy pulled away from the kiss just long enough to unbutton Melissa's shirt, reach behind and unclasp her bra and reveal both breasts. Melissa's skin was ivory white. Her firm breasts rose from her body, heaving gently upward as Melissa took a deep breath. Melissa's beautiful light brown nipples begged to be noticed, partially erect in anticipation of Mandy's touch. Mandy kissed the nipple closest to her.

"They are beautiful," Mandy whispered.

Melissa sighed and moved her arms to the side. Mandy responded by sucking softly, like a child might suck on a candy. Melissa emitted a sexy little gasp while Mandy followed her gentle sucking with an even more gentle bite.

"Oh...my...."

"You like this?" Melissa teased.

"Yes...you're driving me crazy..."

Mandy sucked slowly, patiently. There was no hurry. She switched nipples occasionally, using those small kisses and bites to make sure each side was equally satisfied. Both nipples hardened, making Mandy want to keep them between her red lips and play with them all day.

"I want to see yours," Melissa pleaded.

Mandy pulled her top over her shoulders, unfastened her bra and tossed it aside. Melissa's eyes widened; Mandy's breasts were round and firm, with dark areola about the size of a half-dollar. Mandy cupped her left breast and offered it to Melissa's mouth. Melissa accepted it curiously, licking the tip and feeling the nipple thicken under her tongue. She was woefully inexperienced, but Melissa knew she was arousing Mandy.

Like excited, happy bunnies, they stripped down and played with each other. They inspected and explored, their hands seeking every nook and crevice, massaging everywhere that felt good and playfully penetrating every interesting hole they could find. Melissa never felt so open – here was a friend that she could share anything with without fear of judgment, a friend who opened her eyes to a possibility that would never have occurred to her in a million years.

Mandy positioned Melissa on her knees. She asked Melissa to grab onto a brass rail that was part of her headboard. Mandy positioned herself between Melissa's legs and instantly began licking, savoring the taste of her soft pink hole.

"Oh fuck..." Melissa responded. She never, ever swore, but right then, with Mandy's tongue stimulating her most private region, she found no other way she could express herself adequately.

"Fuck, Mandy...oh fuck..."

Mandy reached up and pinched Melissa's nipples and held them as she went in for the kill. Melissa looked down, between her legs, saw that her lips were parted wide and watched Mandy's tongue freely dance between them.

"Yes...fuck yes..."

"That's my girl," Mandy encouraged her. "Cum for me, baby..."

Melissa writhed on Mandy's face, arching, trying to grind her clit across her lips. Mandy licked and sucked everywhere, making certain to hold her tongue against Melissa's clit every chance she could.

"Ohh...ohhh...fuck..."

Melissa knew she was going to cum and was embarrassed. She wondered if she should stop and warn Mandy that it was coming. Maybe Mandy wouldn't want to taste her as she came. Melissa was so close, and it felt so good, she couldn't wait any longer...

"That's it, Melissa....that's it...feed me, baby."

"Oh yes...oh yes...yes....yes...."

Hearing Mandy call out her name pushed Melissa over the edge. She thrust one last time across Mandy's mouth. Mandy's tongue caught her perfectly and she climaxed, explosively and beautifully. Melissa felt thick juices seep from her opening, but Mandy was down there, enjoying it all. She couldn't believe it.

When she calmed down, she reciprocated for Mandy. As Mandy lay back, legs spread on her bed, Melissa played with her pussy like a child studying a new toy. She fingered her lips, opened them, pulled back her hood and proudly exposed Mandy's clit. She gave it a soft kiss with a promise to return for more – so much more – as she continued to wend her way around Mandy's body. Melissa was fascinated by her pussy, but also by her thighs and ass and all of the tender regions between. She kissed and massaged everything before fulfilling her promise to satisfy that little nub she uncovered.

As she opened her new lover's hood and pressed the point of her tongue down upon the nub beneath, she slid a finger gently inside of her vagina. She licked her clit, flicking it back and forth across her tongue as she rubbed inside, passively wondering if there was a g-spot she could find. Mandy was enjoying everything, cooing seductively, until Melissa found the spot.

Mandy's body jerked. She sat up on her elbows and watched Melissa lick her. Mandy felt her fingers work deep inside, rubbing places that she didn't know could feel so good. Mandy knew she couldn't stand much longer, the feelings were intense, deep, and personal. She couldn't accept that this innocent woman had found a new special spot inside her body that she didn't know existed.