by Carla Blake
The other woman handed her a tissue. Tina rubbed her lips with it then moistened them with her tongue. “ Why?” She grumbled, “ is this stuff always so hard to shift when you’ve got it wrong?”
“ Beats me.” The other woman said. “ Let’s have a look.” And taking Tina’s chin in her hands, she kissed her full on the mouth.
“ There.” She then said, after they’d pulled apart. “ I think I’ve got the last of it.”
Sophie was not at home when Tina finally walked in through the door and although she knew she should have been worried, all she could think about was the kiss and what had followed and how difficult it was now going to be to tell Sophie it was over after what she had just done.
She eventually came in half an hour later. Carrying a cheesecake inside a somewhat crumpled looking box and rambling on about how Tina was lucky it hadn’t been squashed completely flat by the moron on the tube who’d all but sat on it.
She stopped when she saw the thunderclouds gathering on Tina’s face and nervously pushed her hair behind her ears.
“ Shit.” She said. “ Gerard’s.”
“ Yes, Gerard’s.” Tina repeated, her voice hard. “ Do you know how long I sat there for this time Soph?”
“ No, but I’m really sorry babe. There was this crush on the underground you see…”
Tina held up a hand. “ Save it.” She said, “ I’m not interested anymore and I’ve had enough. I’m sick of waiting for you. I’m sick of making up excuses for you. I’m am so tired of having this same conversation over and over again that I could bloody cry!”
Sophie stared at her. “ But I couldn’t help it…”
“ No you never can!” Tina cried, thumping the table. “ And that’s the trouble! It’s never your fault is it? And it’s never you who has to stand there apologising for your absence whilst everyone looks at you as if you’re to blame. I’ve had it Soph, I really have. It’s over.”
“ But it can’t be!” Sophie cried, tears starting to form in her eyes. “ I love you! I thought you loved me?”
“ Oh, don’t try that emotional shit with me.” Tina sneered. “ If you loved me, you’d do your share of the housework and turn up on time, at least once in a while, but you never do and I’m always left sitting there like a total prat!”
“ I’ll change then! I really will! From now on, I promise I will never be late again. Ever. Please, babe.”
Tina shook her head. “ No. I’m sorry but it’s too late.”
“ But this is stupid!” Sophie all but shrieked. “ Dumping me just because I’m a little late now and then, is insane. And what was last night all about if you were planning to kick me out, or do you do that with all your girlfriends? Fuck ‘em before you fling ‘em?”
“ That’s not fair.” Tina retorted. “ You were upset, I comforted you.”
“ Yes, but you didn’t have to fuck me!”
“ And you didn’t have to let me, but I didn’t notice you protesting at the time.”
“ Bitch!”
“ Oh, so now we’re down to name calling are we?” Tina fumed. “Very mature. Look, I know you’re upset and I’m sorry for that, but I can’t help how I feel. I’ve tried, I really have, but your behaviour is doing my head in.”
“ So that’s it then, is it?” Sophie said bitterly. “ The end of our great love affair. Thanks a lot. How long have I got before you kick me out?”
Tina sighed. “ As long as you want. I’m not going to make you homeless Sophie.”
A week passed and Tina barely saw her.
What she did see, when she got up in the morning to find Sophie had beaten her out of the flat yet again, was the local newspaper spread out on the kitchen table. The ‘flats to rent’ section purposely left open.
Reading the few she had ringed, Tina blew out her cheeks. No way, she thought, was Sophie going to be able to afford those prices on her own and when she did move out, how was she going to afford this place?
The solution seemed obvious. It was just a pity Sophie used it to gloat.
“ You want me to what?” She laughed nastily when Tina eventually caught up with her and put her proposal to her. “ You want me to rent the spare room from you? Why? I thought you couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”
“ I didn’t say that.” Tina replied patiently. “ I said you could take as long as you wanted. Look, think about this for a minute will you? You need a place to live and I can’t afford to run this place on my own. If you move out, to one of these.” She stabbed at the ‘ properties vacant’ in front of her, “ then you’re just going to have the same problem as me. Needing to find a trustworthy flat mate who’ll pay up on time and won’t eat the entire contents of the fridge.”
“ And what if I say no?”
“ Then you say no. But why should you? It’s the perfect solution. You can even have the front bedroom if you want. I kinda like the back.”
A month later and Sophie was still there. Renting the back bedroom.
Tina was relieved. Relieved that relationships between her and Sophie had improved now there was no longer any emotional attachment or arguments about whose turn it was to do the washing up, and relieved that she no longer had to make excuses whenever Sophie was late. If Sophie was late now, then the only person who had to deal with it was Sophie.
They’d even got back to socializing, although strictly within the confines of the flat, and to Tina’s surprise had even shared a kiss whilst watching a soppy romantic comedy on DVD, when reaching for a tissue at the same time, their hands had touched, their eyes had met and they’d fallen into a kiss. At the time it had seemed the most natural thing in the world, but it had gone no further and afterwards, feeling excruciatingly awkward, Tina had fled into the kitchen to put the kettle on, allowing herself time for a few deep breaths.
As for the text messages , well they still came in sporadically, although after the worrying intimacy of the first few, they had gradually boiled down to more mundane messages which Tina took to be proof positive that she had been right. They were from someone who fancied Sophie but didn’t have the guts to say anything and they hadn’t actually been able to see through their bedroom window that time.
“ And the reason I’m so sure about that one.” Tina went on to say when Sophie questioned it. “ Is because he has made no mention of the fact that you no longer share a bed with me. And don’t you think he would have done? To find out you were no longer sleeping with your girlfriend should have been a cause for celebration. A chance for him to make his move. But he hasn’t mentioned it. Or anything else about us making love.”
She’d also met someone. The woman who’d kissed her lipstick away in the ladies at Gerard’s. She’d gone back there after work one evening, purely on a whim, and been delighted to find the other woman sitting at the next table, who as soon as she saw Tina, waved her over, ordered a bottle of white for them to share and apologised for taking her ‘so rudely’ when last they’d met.
Tina, pleased to see her again, merely waved the apology away. “ Forget it.” She’d said, accepting the glass. “ I rather enjoyed it if truth be known. And I’ve thought about you a lot since then. Where you were, what you were doing, that kind of thing.”
“ Well, I can answer both of those.” The other woman smiled. “ I’ve been here, hoping to bump into you. How’s things going with that errant girlfriend of yours by the way? Sorted out your little problem?”
“ No.” Tina said, shaking her head. “ Problem got worse if anything, now girlfriend is purely a flat mate, nothing else. Kind of a relief though, if I’m honest.”
“ A shame though, when things go bad like that. I’m Keri by the way.”
“ Tina.”
Keri leaned in close. “ Fancy a quickie in the ladies?” She smiled.
That had been a week ago.
And now they were an
item. The sex in the restaurant had clinched it. Keri was amazing and after shutting themselves into a cubicle, she’d braced Tina up against the door, got down on her knees, hitched up Tina’s skirt, slid aside her panties and then proceeded to lick her pussy until Tina’s knees had buckled and she’d come in one huge shuddering orgasm.
She’d never known sex like it.
Sophie’s reaction, however, when Tina finally got round to telling her, was not what she’d been hoping for, and instead of being pleased for her and bombarding her with questions as to this new love in her life, she’d sunk into the nearest chair and buried her head in her hands, bitterly asking how Tina could do this to her?
“ Do what?” Tina asked, when Sophie started to cry. “ I’ve only met someone, not announced the axing of X-factor. Why are you so upset?’
“ Because I still love you!” Was Sophie’s response. “ I always have done. Oh, I know I haven’t said anything and I’ve just gone along with your little plan like I’m fine with it, but I’m not, and the only reason I agreed to rent the back room was because I thought you might start to miss me and want me back. Now you’ve gone and met someone else!”
Tina’s heart sank. What could she say? The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Sophie, but the past was the past and she’d moved on, and she could hardly stay single forever, just to keep Sophie happy.
“ I’m sorry.” She said at last, when Sophie didn’t say anything else. “ But that’s just the way it is, and what’s to say you won’t someone.”
Sophie raised her head. “ But that’s just it. “ She said, getting up and walking out of the room. “ I don’t want anyone else.”
The days dragged on and Tina saw even less of Sophie. Occasionally there would be a post-it note stuck on the fridge stating that she’d be late in from work or a pile of screwed up tissues in the bin where she’d obviously been crying, but aside from that, she barely knew she shared a flat at all and it saddened her.
The next evening, after seeing Keri, Tina returned home to find Sophie waiting for her in the lounge. Her face pale and her hands nervously clutching her mobile phone.
Tina didn’t need to ask to know what had happened. “ What’s it say this time?” She asked, sitting herself next to Sophie and gently taking the phone from her rigid fingers. “ Let me see.”
Y don’t u an her fuck anymore? It read.
Tina handed the phone back. “ Not very nice, but nothing too bad And again, it’s probably just an educated guess because he hasn’t seen us together much. Don’t fret about it.”
Wordlessly, Sophie hit another button and handed Tina the phone.
Is she seein sumone else? The rotten Bitch
Tina blew out her cheeks. Okay, now this was something else. How dare the little bastard start calling her names, and without thinking about it, she hit the ‘ call’ button before Sophie could take the phone from her.
The number rang, seven times, before an automated voice mail message invited her to leave a message.
She left one. It wasn’t complimentary.
Frustrated, she threw the mobile onto the sofa and Sophie began to cry.
What the fuck am I doing!
Rolling over in bed, Tina gazed out at a pitch black night and silently screamed with frustration.
Why had she made love to her? Again! What was the matter with her? Where was her self control? All Sophie had to do was cry these days and she was bloody there, kissing her, touching her, letting her take her up to bed and screw the living daylights out of her.
Why did she do it? Why did she let her manipulate her like this? And what the fuck was Keri going to say when she found out about this? She ‘d probably dump her on the spot and it would deserve her fuckin’ right. Christ, was a mess!
Come morning however, Sophie appeared just as embarrassed and awkward as Tina and over breakfast promised solemnly that she wouldn’t say a thing. The only way Keri was ever going to find out, she said, was if Tina told her. She had her word.
Then her phone went off.
I love girl, girl sex. Almost as much as u.
Tina reached for her coat. “ That’s it.” She said determinedly. “ I’m going to the police.”
Sophie snorted. “ Don’t bother.” She said, draining her coffee cup. “ I’ve already been, and they don’t want to know. Unless this - whoever it is – actually starts to physically threaten us, there’s nothing they can do.”
“ Right.” Tina cried. “ So what are we supposed to do then? Ignore it and let some perv continue to get his jollies sending you obscene texts? That’s ridiculous!”
Sophie shrugged. “ I know, but what can I do, except change my number.”
“ Are you going to?”
“ I dunno. I’ve thought about it, but when I think of all those people I’ll have to notify, I’m not sure I can be bothered.”
Tina sighed. “ Well, it’s up to you, but I know what I’d do.”
Eventually Tina told Keri about them. They were in a restaurant, supposedly having dinner to celebrate their first month together, but after ten minutes of watching Tina poke her steak around her plate, Keri finally laid down her knife and fork and asked her what was wrong.
Then it all came out. The text messages, Sophie’s reaction to her having met someone else. The increasing intimate nature of the messages and Sophie not wanting to change her phone number, followed by the most recent message that had only come in this morning and stated quite category what the messenger would like to see Tina and Sophie do together. She finished by telling Keri that she was really sorry, but she had slept with Sophie after Sophie had become totally distraught over one of them and cried in her arms.
Silence.
Keri didn’t say a thing. Then standing up, she took Tina’s hand and without saying a word, led her into the ladies, placed the ‘out of order’ sign outside and led her over to the basins.
“ Remember when we first met?” She said, brushing Tina’s lips with her thumb. “ Remember when I kissed you and we went into a cubicle and you let me go down on you? Remember how much you trusted me then? That’s how much I trust you now. If you slept with Sophie, then I’m pretty sure it’s only because she made you. You said yourself that she didn’t want to let you go and this sounds like the only way she knows of keeping you. You’re a good person, Tina. A kind person and Sophie knows that. She’s using you sweetheart and these texts she’s been getting, well, it might just be me, but they sound just a little bit too convenient to be true.”
Tina frowned. “ What do you mean? Convenient?”
“ As in, I think she might be sending them herself.”
“ What?!” Tina laughed, instantly dismissing the idea. “ No way! Why would she want to do that? If you could see how upset she was.. “
“ Exactly. She was upset. You went to bed with her.”
“ That’s not fair.”
“ Maybe not, but if she is sending them herself, then it achieved exactly what she set out to do. You went back to her. If only for the time it took you to make love to her.”
“ And you really think that’s what’s she’s doing? Tricking me into staying with her?”
“ It’s a possibility. And I bet she promised not to tell anyone what had gone on between the pair of you as well?”
“ Yeah, come to think of it, she did.”
“ Then there’s something else she now has in her back pocket. The chance for blackmail. You do what she wants or she threatens to spill all to me. Classic.”
“ But this is Sophie we’re talking about!” Tina said, rubbing at the pressure point between her eyes. There was definitely a headache coming. “ I can’t believe she would do such a thing.”
“ I know.” Keri replied sympathetically. “ And in all honesty, we don’t know she has, not for sure, I’m just saying it’s a possibility.”
“ So how can we find out?”
Keri shrugged. “ Watch her. Try and find out whether she has another mobile she could be sending them from. Invite me over to spend the night. And in the meantime, I would really love to snog the face off of you.”
Sophie was not impressed by Keri’s presence in the flat and although she was polite and took care not to show any other feeling than complete indifference, it was clear by the set of her shoulders and the way she put down her cup just a little too loudly that she wasn’t happy about Keri being there.
“ She’s totally pissed off.” Keri observed once Sophie had got up to use the bathroom. “ If looks could kill I’d be six feet under. Be interesting to see if a text comes in once she gets back. “
But nothing did and although Sophie’s mobile was resting on the sofa in full view of everyone in the room for the entire evening, the irritating warble did not sound and nothing came in.
“ Seems I was wrong.” Keri admitted later once Sophie had retired for the night and they were in the kitchen, washing up. “ Either that was a missed opportunity or she’s a damn sight cleverer than I give her credit for.”
Tina didn’t say anything.
“ Please, don’t stop. Oh, God. Keri. Please…”
They were making love. The curtains fully closed at Keri’s insistence. Tina might like sleeping with them wide open, but she was damned if she was going to let some potential pervert get an eye full, and so with just a single candle to light the room, they’d tumbled into bed.
And Tina was about to come.
They’d started off slowly. Kissing and touching, restricting their hands to purely neutral areas in an effort to make it last. But then Keri had whispered in Tina’s ear that she loved her, and followed this by cupping both Tina’s breasts in her hands and running her thumbs over Tina’s nipples, and they had succumbed to their passion.
Now, with her finger sliding effortlessly up and down Tina’s swollen pussy to finger her clit and make Tina gasp and moan and writhe on the bed as waves of pleasure coursed through her, Keri was on the brink of making her girlfriend come.