Ruby and Scarlet's Day

Author's notes:

There's no sex here. Don't bother looking.

This story was written for the Pink Orchid 2024 for Women-Centric Erotica Challenge.

*****

"How about 'The Crimson Poppy'?" Ruby asked, listening to the sound of it as she said it. She was sitting up in bed that morning, tablet on her knees, trying out ideas for what to name the coffee house she and her girlfriend would soon be opening.

"Mmmpf mphm phhmm," came from beneath the blanket beside her.

"What?"

Scarlet, not the morning person Ruby was, pulled the bedding off of her head. "Are we running an opium den?"

Ruby thought, tried saying it again, a little louder, "'The Crimson Poppy'." She shook her head. "Scratch that one off the list then. But we have to pick a name soon. We have to get the name out there in the public mind, on social media and everything, before we open. Build some excitement. Grab the returning students as soon as they move back in."

"'The Carnelian Chrysanthemum'," Scarlet teased before disappearing back into the warmth of the bed again.

Ruby bopped her sharply on the head before lowering her feet to the floor and standing up. She retrieved Scarlet's blouse from the floor where she'd dropped it the previous evening and put it loosely over her shoulders.

"'The Vermillion Geranium'," the bundle of blankets mumbled.

Ruby smacked her best friend and lover on the ass, "too many syllables and you know it, smartass. Plus, the signs would cost a fortune."

Ruby went to start her morning. The day's first pot of coffee began its alchemy, transforming simple water and grounds into the elixir of life, as she relieved herself and washed up.

With her first cup of coffee and tablet in hand, she went out onto the balcony to greet the sunrise. The distant mountain peaks glowed as with an inner joy. Ruby laid out her yoga mat and ran through her sunrise stretches before settling into a chair to catch up on E-mails and read the previous day's status update from their contractor.

Ruby sipped her coffee as she worked; responding to questions, approving expenses, choosing finishes. The punch list seemed to never end. The comforting scent of Scarlet's perfume on the blouse energized her as much as the coffee did.

Scarlet was an artist and didn't take life as seriously as she did, but Ruby couldn't see herself completing the coffee house project on her own. Scarlet's greatest quality was her loyalty. Ruby knew she could count on Scarlet when she needed her. Scarlet's humor when she felt overwhelmed had also gotten her through many a stressful situation over the years.

"'The Roseate Ranunculus'," Ruby heard from inside the apartment after an hour or so.

Scarlet was sipping coffee just inside the sliding door to the balcony. She watched Ruby, always working, always so serious. It was beyond her how anyone could get up so early and have a functioning brain. But she loved watching Ruby doing her thing. Ruby sitting in the morning sun, wearing nothing but panties and her blouse, unbuttoned as usual, drinking coffee, typing, sending out instructions, decisions, keeping her dreams on course.

Ruby had always been more ambitious than Scarlet was. She had been a business major, while Scarlet hadn't really thought about what major would suit her. As with so many college friendships, the two probably wouldn't have met at all if they hadn't been assigned as roommates in their freshman year. She had joked that Ruby could run the business and Scarlet would help hide any bodies which happened to require hiding along the way.

Ruby paused her typing just long enough to raise an eloquent finger.

Scarlet laughed as she stepped out onto the balcony carrying a tray with the carafe of coffee, yoghurt, some buttered toast, and a small selection of fruit. She refilled Ruby's mug before doing her own brief yoga routine.

Ruby drank coffee as she watched Scarlet stretching, twisting, flexing. She wore her usual morning ensemble of a cropped cami with matching tap pants. The turquoise set today. The silk flowed across her lover's lithe body; the curves of her ass, the contours of her breasts, her abdomen, so muscular and taut.

"Maybe we should put in a small stage, and we can have open mike nights so you can do a comedy act, miss smarty pants," Ruby joked.

"Sure, that's a good idea," Scarlet agreed. "And lesbian poetry slam nights. Add it to the list."

"I was joking."

"Yeah, but you don't do that comedy thing very well. You're the idea lady."

"I know. And you're right, it is a good idea. Fuck, one more thing to add to the list." Ruby started typing the entry onto the punch list for the contractor. "No, it's more than just one thing: stage... lighting... sound system..."

"Stripper pole."

"Strip..." Ruby paused, scowling at Scarlet's grinning face. Then she shrugged. "What the fuck, stripper pole." She typed it onto the list. "It's easier to put it in now rather than later." She sent the updated punch list to the contractor. "Now I'm imagining watching you working the pole while reciting lesbian poetry."

"I want to make that happen for you," Scarlet said as she sat down at the table across from Ruby.

The pair ate their simple breakfast, then headed off to their soon-to-be coffee house.

-----

The location was really coming together, looking almost like this crazy dream could actually work.

"'The Magenta Marigold'," Scarlet quipped as they entered the space.

"I don't think that one even makes sense," Ruby responded as she opened the blinds so they could see the chaos which had to be a coffee house before the new college year began.

The contractor arrived shortly thereafter. "A stripper pole?! You two are crazy!" he complained.

"Can you at least give us an estimate?" asked Ruby.

"Of course I can, but consider your ceiling height." He got out a tape measure and showed his clients the problem he foresaw. "The stage should be, what? About a foot high? Above the stage you'll need... say... a foot-and-a-half? For the support for the pole and the lights. And you'll want to be able to stand up, probably raise your hands without breaking a nail on a light or the ceiling." He began sketching some figures on a scrap of wood. "I'm taller than you two, and I can reach up to... about seven-and-a-half feet... that's close to ten feet total." He had Scarlet raise her hand and measured her. "It'll be tight, is all I mean. But I guess it can work," he finally acquiesced.

"Good, get us an estimate for the stage with supports for lights and speakers, the pole, and its installation," Ruby instructed. "I think we can source the lights and sound system components from some friends of ours."

Scarlet looked at Ruby. "Where would we find those things just lying around?"

"Don't you think Claire's place needs new equipment? I mean, those speakers she has in there have never properly filled that cavernous space she has... don't you agree?" Ruby prompted.

"Ohhh, yeah, you're right. I think I've told her that many times," Scarlet replied, thinking back on many evenings the two had spent dancing at Claire's underground lesbian social club across town.

"Let's go talk with her tonight. We can probably negotiate some sort of deal with her."

Ruby and Scarlet resumed painting the restrooms and the back corridor as more workers arrived to continue the work of constructing the bar area with the contractor.

By the end of the day, the restrooms were complete, the structure of the bar was roughed in and plumbed, and the space they had chosen for the stage had been measured and marked off with chalk. The contractor and his workers had quit for the day, leaving Ruby and Scarlet to tidy up before leaving for the night.

"This is happening, babe, I can see it," Scarlet reassured her partner as they held each other, looking at the chaos of the space, seeing the progress which had been made that day.

"It really is, I know. This is so scary, exciting. I couldn't do it without you." Ruby kissed Scarlet, closed the blinds, and turned off the lights.

"Then you would be doing something else, and rocking that instead, but you'd still be you, indomitable follower of dreams."

Ruby locked the space and they headed back home.

-----

"When were we last at Claire's? Valentines' Day?" Scarlet asked while looking through their closet for a dress to wear to the club that night.

"Yeah, that sounds right. I hadn't realized it had been that long," Ruby responded as she stepped into the shower.

"I'm feeling summery and flirty tonight, how about you?" Scarlet said.

"Sure, pick me anything."

"You looked really cute in that Tinkerbell costume at Halloween, how about that?"

"Just a summer dress will do, thanks," Ruby replied firmly. She stepped out of the shower and Scarlet took her place.

Scarlet had laid two dresses out on their bed for them to wear to the club that evening. Ruby's was a bright floral print in yellow and orange. She slipped it on, it slid silkily down her naked body, the hem fell to just above her knees. The dress shaped itself to her curves, the scooped neckline showed off her cleavage. Ruby added a necklace and selected a pair of low-heeled shoes.

By the time Ruby was dressed, Scarlet had finished her shower and was applying some light make-up. She watched Ruby putting her shoes on. "You look great, babe. You're sure to get laid tonight."

"At worst, I'll just have to settle for another night with you."

Scarlet smiled as she zipped up Ruby's dress.

"Okay, but I can't promise you anything. I might be busy myself." She picked up the dress she'd chosen to wear. This dress was more boho chic than Ruby's, with a darker color palette and fringe. She slipped it on, the hem fell to her mid-thigh. The dress had buttons all up the front, but Scarlet never buttoned the few at the top and bottom, allowing for more freedom of movement as well as revealing more of her body than the designer may have intended.

Ruby watched her lover buttoning only the middle half of her dress. "Slllut..." she teased gently as she put her arms around Scarlet. The two lovers made eye contact in the mirror. "You look amaaazing, dahling."

"Thank you, sweetie, let's go," Scarlet replied once she had added some jewellery to her outfit. Taking a pair of heels in hand, she led the way out to the car.

-----

Ruby and Scarlet descended the dimly-lit stairs and entered the main salon of the club. A few couples were already present, dancing, or talking at tables or on couches. A few solo women were at the bar, holding glasses of wine and checking out the others.

What was colloquially referred to among the local collegiate lesbian scene as 'Claire's underground lesbian social club' had no proper name, no listed address, not even a web presence. Women who knew of it knew not to leave an online review, no matter how glowing.

Ruby and Scarlet had learned of its existence soon after they had become lovers early in their freshman year. Their dorm's RA regularly referred new students to Claire's, so it wasn't long before they began attending events there.

Now, ten years later, they went less frequently, but they enjoyed making an evening at Claire's place a special event for themselves. On a summer evening between semesters, there would be fewer attendees. The core crowd of local women, their close friends, would be enough to help them keep in touch with the community.

Some of the women greeted Ruby and Scarlet as they entered the room and made their way to the bar.

Claire watched them approach. "Have you picked a name for your place yet? How are you going to advertise without a name?" she asked.

"'The Purple Pomegranate'," replied Scarlet.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "No, we haven't," she asserted. "You never decided on a proper name for this place."

"Which of these sounds better: 'Claire's Lesbian Intellectual Tavern' or 'Claire's Underground Naughty Tavern'?" Claire asked.

"I can see the problem, but after all these years, you must have come up with a few other possibilities," Ruby prompted.

Claire shrugged. "I just call it my basement. Officially, it's just an extension of my wine and cheese shop upstairs, so it doesn't need its own name."

"How about 'The Wine Annex Tavern'?" suggested Scarlet.

Claire laughed. "Or 'Girls' Alcohol Swigging Hideaway'." She looked around at the other women in the room, then leaned toward Scarlet and said, "don't spread this around, but I like to take a dick on occasion."

Ruby and Scarlet put on properly scandalized expressions, as if grasping their pearls. They ordered a bottle of their favorite Chardonnay and a charcuterie board, which Claire brought to them at a table a few minutes later.

The women were watching the couples swaying on the dancefloor, bodies entwined sensuously, lovers in their own little worlds, hands caressing, lips nibbling, hips thrusting.

"You know, Claire, Scarlet and I were talking earlier. We've always thought that the sound system in here was a little..." Ruby began.

"Anemic?" Scarlet suggested.

"Anemic, yes. You have such a large space to fill and the sound system doesn't really have what your fabulous club deserves."

Claire looked at the two. "Oh? What are you proposing? I feel like I'm about to get the major business from a business major."

Ruby smiled, "well, we were thinking that your current system might be better suited to our tiny little coffee house than to your cavernous space. If you were to replace it with the system this fabulous venue deserves, we could buy your current system to help you finance it. It would be a win-win really. Everyone will benefit."

Scarlet smiled at Claire. Claire might feel like Ruby was trying to put one over on her, but she could never refuse the sweet innocence of a girl like Scarlet.

"When would you need my equipment?"

"It would be best to have your new system installed early enough that we can install your old one before classes resume next month," Ruby replied.

"I'll need a contractor and some help to remove this system and install the new one."

"We'll help, and you can borrow our contractor," Ruby offered.

"Max isn't your contractor, he's my contractor, I let you borrow him," Claire complained. "Anything else? Maybe you want a ratty old couch or two?"

"Actually... we were thinking that you should probably also upgrade the lighting around the dancefloor, install modern energy-efficient lights."

"And we'll throw in a disco ball," added Scarlet.

"Deal."

The evening passed as they usually did. Wine was consumed. The women danced together and with some of their friends. More wine was consumed. Dresses fell to the floor and the dancing resumed.

Ever since their first visit to Claire's early in their freshman year, Scarlet had always spent more time on the dance floor than Ruby did. Scarlet had a strong hedonistic appetite to satisfy. Ruby would spend much of their evening watching Scarlet enjoy herself. Tonight, Ruby spent some time talking up the coffee house amongst the other attendees, promising to have chosen a name for the coffee house and that it would be open by the time students began arriving.

Once classes resumed, an influx of returning students and curious new freshmen would pack the dance floor with a mass of writhing young bodies. On Halloween, Claire's basement would be standing room only.

By midnight, Scarlet was exhausted. She flopped, naked, onto the couch beside Ruby and leaned against her. "Take me home, darling, get me to bed," she muttered.

Ruby kissed her on the forehead. "Sure, babe, I'll fetch your dress and then we can leave." She found Scarlet's dress lying limply on a chair near the bar. Her shoes were beside the corridor to the ladies' rooms.

Scarlet had lain down on the couch, her head was now on the lap of the woman Ruby had been speaking with. The woman was stroking Scarlet's hair when Ruby returned.

"Up you get, Scarlet, time to head home," she urged.

"Just a few more minutes, sweetie; this is nice," Scarlet murmured.

Ruby pulled Scarlet up by the hand and Scarlet reluctantly raised her arms so Ruby could slip the dress down over her head.

Scarlet turned to the woman she was sitting beside. "It was nice meeting you. I hope we meet again," she said seriously and kissed the woman.

"I hope so too, Scarlet, I'm your head of department. Ruby, get her home."

Ruby got her home.

-----

Entering their apartment, Scarlet was laughing. "Did you see the look on Angela's face? It was priceless! She didn't know what I was gonna do."

"Yes, but behaving like that in front of your department head is risky. It could come back to bite you on the ass."

"I know, but it's summer and she's so stuffy all year. I want her to loosen up, enjoy herself."

Ruby took Scarlet in her arms. "I'll be sure she's at your stripper pole poetry reading debut." They kissed. "I love this dress on you, but it has to come off you now." She eased the straps of Scarlet's dress off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Ruby's dress followed it soon after. The lovers kissed a tender moment longer before heading to the bathroom.

Scarlet started the shower running and stepped in. The hot water soon rinsed her body of the combined sweat of all of the women she had danced with that evening. The sensuous writhing of body-on-body had left an erotic cocktail of pheromones upon her which Scarlet delighted in but which Ruby preferred she wash off before getting into their bed.

Ruby joined Scarlet in the shower a few minutes later. The scent of the body wash they had chosen perfumed the steamy air as the two washed each other of all traces of the other women at the club that evening. Before long, only Ruby and Scarlet remained in the shower, the others had all been rinsed down the drain.

Scarlet finished in the bathroom first and slid into their bed.

Ruby finished tidying up, turned off the lights, and joined her a few minutes later. She snuggled close to Scarlet and caressed her breasts. "I love you, babe," she whispered before kissing her.

"I love you too, sweetie," Scarlet replied.

The two held each other and kissed tenderly for several minutes.

Ruby rolled Scarlet onto her back and lowered her hand to stroke her lover's pussy.

"Mmm... Ruby... Ruby..." Scarlet murmured, "I love when you stroke myyy... mmmyyy... pink... orchid."

Ruby paused, looking at Scarlet.

"What? Why'd you stop? It felt good."

"The Pink Orchid."

Scarlet thought a moment. "Nah, surely we can't be quite that obvious."

Ruby kissed her and resumed stroking Scarlet's pussy. "The Pink Orchid," she declared with finality.

"The Pink Orchid," Scarlet agreed. "I'll design the logo tomorrow."