by Olivia Fox
Maybe. Who knows… naked sex-obsessed pigs might fly.
He held the door wide, guiding her into the room, where Seb and Ana sat, laughing, on either side of a large central table. Lily had been trying not to focus on the reason for their get-together, but was finding it increasingly hard to ignore the topic about to get underway; her sex life. At least Ana and Seb weren’t at each other’s throats. This must have been how they were before, when they were just two young best friends, she thought.
“Lily! Come sit down. I have an apology to make straight away,” announced Ana, suddenly switching to an expression of sheer contrition.
Seb got up to embrace Lily, and carefully studied her eyes before kissing her. “Don’t worry - she won’t bite,” he whispered.
The foursome arranged themselves at one end of the too-large table, Grayson next to Ana, with Seb and Lily opposite. Ana reached a hand across the expanse of table-cloth, to touch Lily’s arm. Lily tried to soften her pose - it wasn’t easy.
“Seb and I are friends, not lovers- it's an important pretense, but that's all it is. Will you ever forgive me for lying to you?” Ana said, gazing earnestly at Lily.
“Sure,” Lily stammered, “I guess I understand your reasons.” Your royally fucked-up reasons, she thought, but managed not to say it out loud.
Ana glanced briefly at Seb, with an unnaturally humble smile, then looked back to Lily, “You have a generous nature. I'm so ashamed. But - I'm determined to make it up to you- and here's my chance! Grayson and I would be honoured to play a part in your - adventure? Shall we call it that?”
Before Lily had a chance to utter an awkward response, Grayson spoke up. “Doesn't matter what we call it- Lily's on team mischief!” he said, holding his hand across the table for Lily to high five.
She had to laugh. She’d take comedy-Grayson over stressy-lawyer-Grayson any day. With a roll of her eyes, she gave his hand a half-hearted slap.
Seb poured her a drink, stealing her for the conversation about to get underway, and passed Grayson a beer from a centre-table ice-bucket. The two men gave each other an appeasing nod, and Lily wondered if maybe Grayson had been right on the money - perhaps she could help repair their friendship - or at the very least, help them get along a little better in the strange months ahead.
“So where shall we begin?” said Ana. “Bondage?” she looked to Grayson when she said this, rather than Lily.
He nodded approvingly. “Good place to start. We all know Lily’s got a fun little submissive streak, so that’s worth exploring some more.”
Lily’s cheeks were on fire. “Please God, kill me now,” she murmured, but Grayson had no intention of letting her embarrassment get in the way of his favourite topic. He turned to Ana and Seb to discuss the upcoming masquerade, and its potential for a whole host of submissive experiences. Seb, for the first time, seemed to be nodding approvingly at Grayson’s suggestions, while Ana’s whole face sparkled with excitement. Lily had to admit (to herself - not out loud - Jesus no!) that she’d liked Seb taking control. No - ‘liked’ was a crazy under-statement - ‘loved it with a red-hot fiery passion’ was closer to the truth. But discussing it - here - that was just plain weird. But - she thought - I guess weird is something I’d better start getting used to.
“Want to try playing Domme?” Grayson asked, finally directing his attention back to Lily.
For a second she’d thought he’d said ‘playing dumb’, and she’d been about to defend herself - she didn’t need to play dumb - she genuinely didn’t have a clue what they were on about half the time. But then she caught on. “Domme? Like, Dominant?” She said. “Whipper as opposed to whippee?” The notion hadn’t crossed her mind. Quite frankly, the idea of getting dressed up in leathers, playing at being some kind of Miss Whiplash figure, felt slightly ridiculous. But what did that say about her, that she enjoyed being bossed about but never wanted to take control herself? She wondered if she shouldn’t at least give the idea a chance. Grayson was still looking at her expectantly, and she realised she’d better say something.
“I don’t know. It doesn’t really appeal. Not really. But, I guess I won’t rule it out.”
Ana turned to Grayson, “She doesn’t seem at all the type. Something light perhaps - no more. What else? Exhibitionism perhaps?” She offered instead, this time - thankfully - directing her words at Lily.
“I think we’ve already crossed that bridge haven’t we?” she replied. That sacrificial altar would be etched deep in her memory ‘til the end of her days.
“Yes, I expect we have. And I suppose exhibitionism is just part and parcel of what we do,” Ana conceded, looking to Grayson for agreement.
“For you,” he said. “Personally I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about having an audience.”
“So, what else?” Ana asked.
Seb decided to join the discussion. “Watching?”
Lily shrugged. “Maybe.” At least that’d be straightforward.
“How about a threesome?” He suggested. OK, slightly less straightforward.
She shrugged again. “Maybe.” It’s not like the idea itself didn’t appeal, but having all this stuff on a mental to-do list felt kind of screwy.
Ana cocked an eyebrow, half-smiling. “Forced sex?”
“No.” Seb’s answer was instantaneous.
“Oh my God - rape? Seriously?” Lily unconsciously drew back from the table.
Ana leaned in further. “Not rape - of course not. It's just a role play of a rape fantasy. Many perfectly normal couples indulge in this kind of thing, you know. And you'd be surprised how many of our clients enjoy this service.”
Lily was incredulous. “And you offer that - as a service?” she said. “So someone - who? Grayson? - gets paid to have aggressive sex? Doesn't that get classed as prostitution?”
“Whoa! Relax.” Grayson spoke up. “No. Our clients pay a flat fee for events. Anything additional is complimentary. Though it tends to be reflected in their tip.”
Ana continued where he left off, “Also we're highly selective. Good sex has to involve a degree of genuine attraction, so we would only make certain clients aware of this option.”
There was a compliment mixed in there somewhere, though Lily was too flabbergasted to give it much attention.
Seb was watching Ana with a fierceness which threatened to rip apart any sense of reconciliation. The ‘forced sex’ thing was clearly a sore point.
Ana ignored Seb’s glare. “So, you see, in actual fact it's very far from rape. There are many safety procedures in place. The victim - so to speak - is ultimately in control.”
“No.” Seb wasn’t going to be ignored.
Ana glared right back at him, “And we can see who's ultimately in control here.”
“I promised to look out for her, and I'm doing it. No rape fantasies. Too risky.”
Ana slapped the table in frustration. “There's no risk. The whole scenario is dictated by the play-victim, down to the last detail - she wouldn't even -”
“No. End of discussion.”
Ana stood up, her chair screeching against the hard wood floor. “There you go again, being so closed minded. It’s fine when it’s you who’s -”
“Wait!” Shouted Lily, lowering her voice again when she had their attention. “Before you guys start falling out - I don't think I'd want to do that anyway - it sounds a bit extreme.” A lot extreme.
Ana composed herself. She sat back down and looked from Lily to Seb as she spoke. “Fine. It was just a suggestion.”
Lily nodded at Ana, then looked at Seb, willing him to simmer down. She wanted this to be done with everyone on good terms or not at all.
Screw it, she thought. If they want to act like kids, I’ll treat them like kids. She held up her glass, looking from face to face. “Still friends?”
Somewhat reluctantly, they clinked glasses and drank.
“Anal?” Grayson interjected, causing Lily to nearly spit out her champagne. But at least Seb and Ana were fin
ally both smiling. That man really did seem to know how to cut the tension.
“Probably not,” Lily said, “And moving swiftly on…”
Grayson, shook his head. “Spoilsport. Girl on girl?”
Was it her imagination or did Seb’s face just light up? Lily took a moment… women never featured in her fantasies, though the idea wasn’t entirely off-putting, in a way she was vaguely curious to know what it’d be like to be with a woman, though she wasn’t sure about going all the way. “I don't know,” she said. “Maybe.”
Ana stood up again, calmly this time. “Lots of maybes. Let's try something, shall we? Just a little experiment.”
Lily turned briefly to Seb. He nodded.
“Ignore your boy for just a moment, and come over here.”
"Why? What are you going to do?" Lily said. She pushed back her chair, then walking cautiously round to Ana.
“Shush. I'm going to do the talking. Keep your eyes on me.” Slowly Ana began unbuttoning Lily’s top.
Lily’s hands flew up to stop her. Ana simply waited. Sure enough, Lily got a grip on herself; if she was willing to consider a threesome, she should surely be able to cope with this. Lily locked her fingers together behind her back, hoping this might keep her hands from acting on impulse.
Ana began again, this time moving in even closer, so that Lily wasn’t able to look anywhere but straight into her eyes. “You see the thing about sex -” Ana said, “- the mind blowing kind - is that it's all about power. Giving it, taking it, using it. And that nervous feeling you're getting right now -" Ana looked slowly from Lily's eyes, to her lips as she spoke, "- doesn't matter who you're with- if we direct it right - it becomes- something else entirely."
Oh my God. She's going to undress me. Here. In front of Seb.
She kept unbuttoning, until level with Lily's bra line, then placed a manicured finger on Lily's lower lip. She slowly traced a line with her fingertip, down Lily's chin, to her throat, then down to her collarbone, then between her breasts. "You don’t have to be gay,” Ana said, “to enjoy being with a woman." She traced her finger along the edges of Lily’s bra. Every nerve ending in Lily’s body seemed to have redirected itself, shooting tingles of sweet ice and fire across her skin. Ana’s mouth curled into a smile as she returned to her mission, ready to unbutton further. "Now do I stop or keep going?"
Lily suddenly realised she'd stopped breathing. Feeling Seb’s eyes on her, watching her with Ana, sent her hormones into a frenzy. But, she had to admit, it wasn't just that. She felt hypnotized, pulled into Ana's thrall, and - strange as it felt - she wanted to stay there.
"Keep going," Lily said, barely audibly, her eyes locked to Ana's.
"Good girl," Ana said. She, began buttoning Lily back up again and, smiling seductively, kissed her lips. "Seb - I think I love her. Can I have her when you're done?"
"I wouldn't hold your breath," he said. Then turning to Lily, as she stumbled back to the safety of her seat, "See, didn't I tell you - we always seem to go for the same girls."
Christ. Lily didn’t know where to look. The very visible bulge in Seb’s trousers wasn’t helping. Clearly that had been as much of a turn-on for him as it had been for her. She looked desperately to Grayson for support, but he seemed lost in his own little reverie, absent-mindedly peeling the label from his beer bottle.
“Nice little fantasy?” Ana asked him.
He grinned. "So...” he said. “I think we should get the girl-girl experience booked in nice and early. I'm playing spectator."
Holy fudge. Lily looked at Seb, half wondering if he might be about to spring up and punch Grayson's lights out. On the contrary, he was laughing. O-kay…
"If she wants you there," he said.
“Of course,” Grayson agreed. “But it’s always good to have an extra pair of hands - or - you know - a dick - just on standby. In case of emergencies.”
Seb was totally unrattled. Christ! She thought - so he really is giving me free reign to experiment.
“As I said,” Seb replied, still looking vaguely amused. “If she wants you there.”
Grayson reached across the table for a second high-five, but Lily thought better of it, and simply laughed it off. No matter how unfazed Seb seemed, she didn’t want to go taking the piss.
Ana, meanwhile, was pretending to take offense. “If she wants him there? Do I not get a choice?” she said, pouting.
Playing along, Grayson pulled her into a smothering bear-hug. “You always get a choice, honey, it’s just we always know you’ll choose the dirtiest option. And, in this case, I’m the dirtiest option.” He planted about a billion little kisses on her head before she managed to bat him away, sticking out her tongue in mock-irritation.
Seb, who seemed used to their fooling around, turned back to Lily. “Is their anything we didn’t cover? Anything else you want to try?”
“That’s enough. Definitely. More than enough,” she said. Then more quietly, “I just wish you weren’t going to be gone for so long.” If Seb hadn’t been disappearing for a month he’d be a huge part of all this experimentation. With him here, she’d be able to start slowly and get gradually more adventurous. But with Ana and Grayson running the show, she was jumping right in at the deep end.
“Want to wait until I get back?” Seb asked. The other two quietened down, now listening intently.
Yes, she thought. Yes and No. Waiting would push things back by a month. Waiting would feel like dependence on Seb, and however much she wanted him, she needed to be her own person.
“No,” she said, and tried to look like she meant it. “No need to wait.”
“Thank Christ for that,” said Grayson. “You do not wanna miss the masquerade, Lily. It’s gonna be awesome.”
Sure, Lily thought. If I ever get round to organizing it. But she smiled at Grayson all the same; happy, at least, that they all seemed to be getting on, and yes - she admitted to herself - she was kind of excited by the idea of the masquerade.
Seb took her hand. “You want to go?”
“I think so,” she said. “Is that OK?” After all, he was paying.
Seb waived away her question, like money really wasn’t the issue. “Of course. Just don’t feel forced to do anything you don’t want to.”
“We’ll take good care of her,” Ana assured him.
“Thank you,” he said. It was more than mere politeness. “I mean it,” he said. “I don't like arguing with you. With either of you.” He included Grayson out of courtesy, but his eyes were focused on Ana. “I know we’ve had our differences of opinion, but hopefully we can start to work things out between us.”
“Oh stop, or I'll cry,” Ana said glibly, but Lily thought there was genuine emotion there too.
Grayson, took a final swig from his beer, then put the empty bottle down on the table. “Who wants food?” he said.
Lily had forgotten about dinner. Butterflies were still fluttering about her insides since her little encounter with Ana. All the same, she was happy to drag out the re-bonding.
Once they’d checked the menu, Ana rang a bell, calling a waiter to take their orders. Luckily for Lily, most of the restaurant’s offerings were decorative but minimal. She poked at a Winter Salad, while Ana grilled Seb on his upcoming exhibition; it was as though they’d not spoken properly in months. Hell, maybe they hadn’t.
“You are allowed to eat proper food, you know,” Grayson told Lily. “We won’t make you foot the bill.”
Lily thanked him for his extreme generosity (there may have been the tiniest hint of sarcasm in her voice) but told him she’d pay her way - thank you very much - and that she genuinely wasn’t hungry. As it was, Ana insisted on paying. “My restaurant choice: my bill,” she’d said. And Grayson assured Lily that, should she like to choose a restaurant some time, McDonald’s would do just fine.
“Don’t think I won’t slap you,” she’d joked, to which she’d received a predictable, 'Oh, baby!' from Grayson.
All in all, the evening ha
d been a success. The foursome had parted on good terms having formulated a vague, albeit unusual, action plan for Lily; good food and overpriced booze had been consumed; Lily had managed not to do anything too embarrassing, bar asking Ana to keep undressing her; and she was getting much better at dealing with Grayson's sense of humour. Yes, overall Lily felt it could all have gone a hell of a lot worse.
Best of all, Seb was dead set on accompanying her back home, which meant they'd have a few hours together before he'd be needing to disappear back to Hatherly to finish packing his case. And, quite frankly, after all that sex-talk, a few hours with Seb sounded like sheer unadulterated heaven.
13
As they stepped through the front door, Lily mentally congratulated herself on having tidied. She’d already tucked herself into bed last night when she’d begun to wonder if Seb might come by the next day - so, preempting any more crazy-talk about cleaners, she’d dragged her sorry carcass out from under the covers and given the place a quick once over. Now, here she was, able to relax with her honey, with no need to do the famous knicker-run.
She did however desperately want to have a shower before she and Seb started anything physical. Seb offered to join her but, as Lily’s shower was just an over-the-tub attachment, the logistics of both of them showering together didn’t look good. So instead, she ran a bath; there wouldn’t be much room, but it’d be less of a health hazard.
Seb shrugged off his jacket and slung it over the door. Before his fingers had a chance to start unbuttoning his shirt, Lily’s hands were there, doing it for him, craving the firmness and warmth of his chest.
He began unbuttoning her top also, then paused. “This blouse -” he said, “- a favourite of yours?”
“No,” she panted, pulling Seb’s shirt from his muscular shoulders.
“Good. I’ve an account with a tailor in Saville Row. He fits women too. I’ll write down the details.”