Embracing The Moment

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April 1990

Putting the casserole dish back in the oven to keep it warm, Andrea McKenna glanced at the clock on the top of the stove. Her niece Mary, was already twenty minutes late for dinner, but that, the thirty-eight year old veterinarian knew, was par for the course. She had long ago accepted her goddaughter's lifelong inability to arrive anywhere on time, a practice that had begun the day she was born -- two weeks past her due date.

Even if she were mad at the twenty-one year old, Andrea knew she wouldn't stay that way for long. She loved Mary more like a daughter than a niece, and would do nearly anything for her. The same held true for the younger woman, as evidenced by the way she had stepped up to help Andrea hold it together after her aunt's breakup with her longtime girlfriend, Jenny Esposito. In the six months since the eight year relationship had ended, Mary had come to dinner twice a week.

Jenny had been Andrea's first and only girlfriend, the two having met in a cooking class that the former had been giving at the local high school as part of their Continuing Adult Education Program. Prior to that, Andrea had never even given a thought to the idea of dating another woman. She'd married her college sweetheart, only to wind up divorced six years later. In the years between, she'd dated sparingly, usually going out with most guys only a few times.

The two women had started out as just friends, but soon became close enough for Jenny to share that, not only did she prefer women over men, but, in a very short time, she'd developed strong feelings for Andrea that went beyond friendship. As stunned as she was to be told that, Andrea was even more surprised to discover that, when she really thought about it, she felt the same way.

The years they'd shared now seemed such a short time, but during them Andrea had felt that she'd truly found happiness. That was why Jenny's abrupt decision to accept a job offer downstate at a prestigious New York City restaurant had come with such devastating impact. Jenny had of course asked Andrea to come with her, but even as the forty-two year old voiced the question, she knew what the answer would be.

Unlike Jenny, who was from Buffalo and had lived in a half dozen other places before settling in McKinley, Andrea had been born in the town of fifteen thousand and, aside from college, had never lived anywhere else. Oh, she was happy to indulge Jenny with frequent excursions down to Manhattan to take in a show and such, but the sprawling metropolis was not for her. So there would be no following Jenny there, even if that meant being alone.

Of course, being willing to accept that didn't mean that was the reality Andrea wanted. After Jenny had been gone long enough for her to accept that she wasn't coming back, Andrea, at Mary's urging, took her first tentative steps back into the dating pool. It didn't take long, however, to discover how limited her options in that regard were.

McKinley wasn't Manhattan, or even Albany, and the number of available gay or bisexual women in the area was quite limited. And that was with the area being defined as any town within an hour's drive. She had a few like-minded female friends from her and Jenny's time together, but none were single. Still, they offered what advice they could, including the fact that there was a sort of 'ladies' bar' just south of Union Junction called Eve's.

Curiosity had compelled Andrea to take a look at it two months ago and she found its clientele to be an eclectic mix, which was to be expected given that it was the only establishment of its kind in a hundred miles. To her disappointment, however, she found the majority of customers younger than herself, which made her feel unaccustomedly old.

The few women near her age who had approached her at the bar expressed more a desire to engage in a quickie at a nearby motel than anything long term. An offer that Andrea admittedly found tempting, given how long it had been since she'd had anything other than solitary sex, but also one that terrified her. In the end, she had gone home alone and unsatisfied.

"Maybe I am meant to be alone," Andrea mused aloud as she adjusted the stove to the warming setting before heading back into the living room to wait for Mary.

As she passed the mirror in the small arch that separated the kitchen from the dining room, Andrea stopped to check her appearance. The reflection showed a woman who, at five seven, was above average height and weighed a hundred and thirty pounds. The sleeveless pale blue button-down blouse and black skirt she wore complemented her blonde hair, the tresses of which hung loosely across her shoulders. The V-neck of her top was just low enough to highlight a rich bust beneath it, one, if measured, would be found to be a 34B. Even if she had no one to show off to, it made her feel better to dress nicely.

-=-=-=-

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang and Andrea rose from the comfortable chair by the fireplace, wondering as she did if Mary had lost her keys again. As she opened the front door, the reason her niece hadn't let herself in became apparent -- she wasn't alone.

For a moment, Andrea feared that the figure behind Mary might be Danny Riley, her niece's current boyfriend. She didn't dislike the twenty-five-year-old auto mechanic per se, but she didn't especially like him either. She'd never been able to give a reason for it, except of course for the fact that he was screwing her goddaughter. But, as the figure moved under the porchlight, Andrea saw that it was not Danny but a young woman. Unlike Mary, who was dressed in jeans and a concert t-shirt under her jacket, her unexpected companion was wearing a simple but decorative green dress with white trim under her open coat. Standing about an inch taller than Mary's five four, she had straight black hair cut just above her neck, a slimmer figure and smaller breasts. Andrea thought her face was familiar, but couldn't recall a name or the circumstances under which she might have known her.

"Sorry I'm late," Mary said as she crossed the threshold, the apology having become so routine as to almost go unheard, "but I have a good reason this time."

"Don't you always," Andrea smiled, happy to see her even if she was again late.

"You remember Claudia Tate, don't you?" Mary said, acknowledging her companion. "We went to McKinley High together."

"Of course," Andrea replied as the identification allowed her to place the young woman as the friend who had tutored Mary during her junior and senior years, helping her to maintain the minimum grades she needed to graduate. "Hello Claudia, it's so nice to see you again."

"And you too, Miss McKenna," Claudia responded with a warm smile.

"Oh, call me Andrea, please," the blonde insisted.

That seemed to make Claudia's smile beam even brighter.

"I ran into Claudia at Morgan's Department Store and we wound up spending the afternoon shopping," Mary said as the two young women stepped inside and Andrea closed the door behind them. "I invited her to have dinner with us -- that's okay, right?"

"I told Mary she should call first, but she said there was no need to," Claudia said. "Still, I insisted that we at least stop off and get something to bring."

Now noticing the small cloth bag with a bottle of wine sticking out of the top, Andrea said they hadn't needed to go to all that trouble, but that it was appreciated nevertheless.

"Claudia is home for Spring Break, but her family won't be back from a trip until tomorrow," Mary said as if to explain why she'd made the invitation.

"Well, she's more than welcome," Andrea again smiled as she led the two young women into the dining room.

-=-=-=-

Once they sat down at the large rectangular table, it didn't take long for them to empty half the casserole dish and most of the bottle of wine. As they ate and drank, Andrea apologized for the simpleness of the meal, stating that if she'd known that Mary was bringing a guest, she'd have made something less ordinary.

"This is more than fine," Claudia replied cheerfully. "I've been pretty much living on whatever they serve in the college mess or out of the dorm's vending machines the last few months. Any real meal is a welcome change."

Her appreciation brought a smile to Andrea's face.

"You're not at Willoughby?" Andrea asked, knowing that the nearby college didn't have dormitories.

"No, I'm at Northern State," Claudia replied between bites.

That surprised Andrea, as most McKinley High graduates who elected to continue their education chose the local school, if only for the fact that it was less than an hour's drive away. Then, remembering why she hadn't gone there herself, she asked if Northern State had a course of study that wasn't given at Willoughby.

"No, I'm a business major and the courses at both schools are pretty much identical," Claudia responded.

"I don't understand," Andrea said. "If the classes are the same, why go half way to the Canadian border when you could get the same education at a school only thirty miles away?"

"Exactly," the young woman replied, confusing Andrea even more.

It took Andrea a long moment to get the point that Claudia was making, but once she did, she understood.

"Because you couldn't go there and still live at home," Andrea said, answering her own question.

"I love my parents, but even back in high school they had a hard time accepting that I was my own person, and not just an extension of themselves. I've always had a more liberal outlook and as I got older, that often led to, well, I don't want to call them arguments, so let's just say animated discussions. So, when the opportunity to go away to college presented itself, I jumped at it."

Andrea had met Claudia's parents a few years back as part of a group that opposed a modernization of the small municipality's bylaws. Conservative really didn't seem a strong enough word to describe their reaction to the proposals, with most of their platitudes seemingly more reflective of the nineteen fifties than the eighties.

"You know, Mary," Andrea said as she shifted her attention, and the conversational topic, to her niece, "it's still not too late for you to make a go at higher education. If not Willoughby, then maybe a community college."

"Oh no, Aunt Andrea, you're the one with the brains in this family," Mary replied with a laugh. "High school was enough for me and I'm quite happy working at the beauty salon."

Not wanting to start an argument, especially in front of company, Andrea let the matter drop and, turning back to Claudia, inquired how she was doing in her classes.

"Well enough to be on track to graduate this June," Claudia replied with a touch of pride.

"Impressive," Andrea noted, "but I hope that doesn't mean that you spend all your time with your head buried in a book."

"Oh you don't have to worry about that," Claudia smiled, "Northern has a pretty active social scene."

"A lot of cute guys, huh?" Mary said.

"So they say," Claudia laughed.

"Anyone special in your life?" Andrea inquired.

"Not really," Claudia responded. "I date, but I'm not looking for anything serious, at least not right now."

Having made that mistake herself when she was about Claudia's age, Andrea thought that was a good idea.

They continued to chat for another half hour, shifting over to topics that would allow Mary to join in. They'd just begun to clear the table when the phone in the living room rang. Before Andrea could even begin to head towards it, Mary jumped up and said she'd get it, adding that she'd left her aunt's number with Danny.

From Mary's reaction once she put the phone to her ear, Andrea knew it was indeed 'Mr. Wonderful' and after a few monosyllabic replies, Mary ended the brief conversation with, "Okay, I'll pick you up in ten minutes."

Even as Mary put the receiver back on the cradle, Andrea was already sure she wasn't going to be happy with whatever had just put such a smile on her niece's face.

"Danny got tickets for the last show at the Palladium," Mary said, referring to the concert hall at the south end of town. "Freddie and the Ringtones are playing there tonight."

"Be that as it may, do I have to remind you that we have a guest?" Andrea pointed out.

"Oh, Claudia doesn't mind," Mary said before turning to her friend to ask, "Do you?"

"No, it's fine," Claudia replied.

"Well, you can at least help clean up before you go," Andrea said, a noticeable displeasure in her tone as she rose from the table.

"I can do that," Claudia interjected from behind both of them.

Not waiting for Andrea to make any further objection, Mary grabbed her coat and, after taking a moment to thank her aunt for dinner, she gave Andrea an equally quick kiss on the cheek.

"Love ya," she cried out as she practically ran out the door.

-=-=-=-

Andrea turned to see Claudia picking up both her and Mary's dinner plates. She stacked one on top of the other, then added their utensils to the pile.

"Claudia, you really don't have to help me clean up," Andrea said as she moved back to the table. "I'm just going to put the plates and such in the dishwasher anyway."

"No, I meant it when I said I'm glad to help," Claudia smiled. "It's the least I can do after such a good meal."

"It wasn't that good," Andrea laughed, the smile on her face saying she appreciated the compliment nevertheless.

Between the two of them, it only took a few minutes to clear the table, during which Andrea poured the last of the wine into their glasses, saying there was no sense wasting it. Then, stemware in hand, they moved into the living room where, affording Claudia the couch, Andrea reclaimed her lounger.

"I apologize for my niece," Andrea said as she laid her glass on the coffee table. "That really wasn't fair to you, running off like that."

"It's okay, really," Claudia insisted as she took a sip of her drink, "and it's nice to see that Mary hasn't changed. She's still as boy crazy as she was in high school."

"Unfortunately, that's true," Andrea said, remembering how worried her sister, Janet, had been that her free-spirited daughter might go too far with the wrong boy.

"I don't know Danny Riley. Is he a nice guy?" Claudia asked.

"He's ..." Andrea started to say, but paused as Claudia's mention of high school made her recall some of the questionable young men her niece had gone out with back then.

Whatever her personal reservations about Danny, she had to admit that the young man had a good job and, as far as she knew, had never been in any real trouble. Something that couldn't be said about some of the names that had just flashed through her head. And wanting to have sex with someone you cared about was hardly a crime, especially since, from what Mary had shared, it had been her niece who'd been the aggressor there, at least initially.

"He's okay, I guess," Andrea finally said.

"Good," Claudia smiled. "Mary deserves a good guy."

"Did you and Mary come together, or do you have your own car?" Andrea abruptly thought to ask.

"No -- I mean, we came in her car," Claudia replied.

Andrea let out a sigh, not finding it surprising that Mary hadn't considered how Claudia was supposed to get back home, given that her house was on the opposite end of town.

"Well, I guess I'll have to give you a lift home then," Andrea stated.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Claudia replied. "I can just grab the bus."

"Nonsense, I insist," Andrea said in a tone that said, as far as she was concerned, the matter was settled.

"Alright," Claudia relented, "but we don't have to go right now though, do we? I mean, like Mary said earlier, all I have waiting for me is an empty house, and I am enjoying the company."

"Sweetheart, you can stay as long as you like," Andrea smiled, thinking that she was enjoying chatting with someone that wasn't a work associate for a change as well. "In fact, if you don't mind sleeping on the pullout couch, you're welcome to stay the night if you want."

As soon as she'd made the offer, Andrea thought that it had perhaps been a step too far. After all, she barely knew this young woman. Claudia's reply, however, seemed to indicate the opposite.

"I'd like that," Claudia smiled.

"Well, in that case, why don't we see what's on television?" Andrea suggested.

-=-=-=-

They settled on the Sunday Night Movie on ABC, which was showing a rather predictable romantic comedy that really didn't require much of their attention to keep up with the story. As they watched, finishing off the last of the wine in the process, Claudia mentioned that Mary had told her about the breakup with Jenny and how sorry she was to hear that. She'd thought the two of them were a lovely couple.

"Thank you," Andrea replied almost automatically, slightly surprised to hear the young woman refer to them as a couple.

Despite the fact that they had shared a house for years, few people outside of their immediate circles knew that Jenny and Andrea had been romantically involved. As far as anyone else knew, they were simply two divorcées sharing expenses by living together -- much like the men in that old Neil Simon play that was later made into a film and television series. That Jenny had never been married really didn't detract from the narrative, because people just assumed that she had been.

"Did you know Jenny?" Andrea inquired, thinking that perhaps that was how Claudia knew different.

"I met her a few times at your sister's house when I was tutoring Mary," Claudia responded, "but no, I really didn't know her."

"So what makes you think we were a couple?" Andrea asked hesitantly.

"I thought it was pretty obvious," Claudia replied. "You just had to see the way the two of you looked at each other. I thought it was really special."

"I don't think most people around here would see it that way if they'd known," Andrea noted. "Given that our relationship was, shall I say, not what they saw as normal."

"Those people are idiots," Claudia said firmly.

Andrea smiled, recognizing that it was usually younger people who didn't have a problem with two people of the same gender being a couple. It often made her wonder what things might be like in another generation or two.

"Would it be okay if I asked what happened?" Claudia inquired.

Andrea again hesitated for a second, but then decided there was no reason not to share the tale. After all, it wasn't like one of them had cheated on the other or anything like that.

"It's almost ironic, but the circumstances of our breakup were as much of a twist of fate as those surrounding how we met," she began. "I don't know if Mary ever told you, but Jenny and I met in a cooking class she was giving at your high school."

Claudia indicated that she had with a nod of her head.

"The funny thing was, that wasn't the class I'd gone there to sign up for," Andrea said with a smile as she recalled the night in her mind. "I was supposed to go to room 302, but misread the card and wound up in 308 instead. I didn't realize my error until Jenny began explaining the course and it sounded a lot more interesting than the ceramic class that I was originally there for. So, I signed up for it instead."

"I love stories like that," Claudia said, "of things that were meant to be."

"Jenny's job offer in New York also came about by accident, quite literally in fact," Andrea continued. "The owner of the restaurant that she's now a chef at had a flat tire on the Thruway coming back from Kingston, and McKinley turned out to be the closest exit. Once here, he decided to have dinner while his car was repaired and Salducci's, where Jenny used to work, was just across from the garage. He was so impressed by the meal she made that he offered her a job on the spot. Working in a place like that, especially in New York City, had always been Jenny's dream, so ..."

Claudia nodded her head in understanding. There wasn't any need for Andrea to say more. She hesitated in asking the question that had formed in her head while she'd been listening, but only for a brief moment. The worst that could happen, she decided, was that Andrea wouldn't answer.

"Have you met anyone since?" Claudia asked.

"No, not really," Andrea said, finding she was enjoying the opportunity to be open about what she'd been going through. "I mean, McKinley doesn't exactly have a thriving lesbian community."

"Maybe not, but there are other women like you out there," Claudia said supportively. "I mean, you met Jenny, didn't you, and you weren't even looking."

"Perhaps," Andrea conceded. "But it's not just finding someone else that likes women, it's finding one who I can make a connection with."

"Have you considered dating men again?" Claudia asked, shifting the topic as she remembered Mary once mentioned that her aunt had been married at one time.

"The thought did cross my mind," Andrea shared, "but even before I met Jenny, I think I somehow knew that a man wasn't really what I wanted."

"Why did you get married then?" Claudia asked.

"Because, even though it was nineteen seventy-three, and the rest of the world was already in the second decade of the sexual revolution, here in McKinley it hadn't yet made all that much of a difference," Andrea explained. "I had a bachelor's degree and was on my way to a doctorate, yet people still looked at me with suspicion because I wasn't married, or at least engaged."

"Which they wouldn't have done if you were a man," Claudia observed, prompting Andrea to agree with a slight nod. "I'm glad things aren't like that anymore. A woman doesn't need a man to make her way in the world, something you've proven with your veterinary practice."

Andrea knew that was only partially true, but didn't want to dispel the young woman's determination to make it so. Perhaps by the time she was the blonde's age it would be taken as a given.

The conversation paused for a moment, during which Andrea found herself considering a question which had been on her mind for some time as well. This seemed as good a time as any to give it voice.

"What I find myself asking a lot these days," she said after another long breath, "is whether I really am interested in women, or was it just one particular woman?"

"That is a good question," Claudia observed. "I guess the only way to find out for sure is to get back in the game again and see what happens."

"You make it sound all so simple," Andrea laughed.

"It can be," Claudia suggested. "Sometimes, all you need is a little uncomplicated fun to help you move forward."

"That's occurred to me too, but ..." Andrea smiled and then shared what happened during her trip to Eve's.

"I've heard of that place," Claudia said, which surprised Andrea.

"You have?" she asked her.

"Well, it's not all that far from my school and I've heard a few girls talk about it," Claudia explained.

Andrea thought of the college aged girls she'd seen at Eve's and wondered if any of them had been from Northern State.

"Why didn't you take any of those ladies up on their offers?" Claudia inquired.

"I guess I couldn't find the nerve," Andrea said. "I think I was too afraid that I'd start something I couldn't finish."

"Do you regret it?" Claudia further asked.

"Sometimes," Andrea said, "but not enough that I could bring myself to go back and try again."

Claudia opened her mouth as if she was about to say something else, but Andrea interrupted her with the thought that she'd like another glass of wine, asking the younger woman if she'd like one too.

"Sure, why not?" came her reply. "It's not like either of us is going anywhere."

Rising from her chair, Andrea headed back into the kitchen. As she removed a bottle from the refrigerator, uncorking it with a practiced hand, she realized that it wasn't so much the drink she wanted as a chance to collect her thoughts. What was she doing having a discussion like this with a girl little more than half her age?

Returning with the wine, Andrea poured only enough to partly fill their glasses. After all, she just wanted to feel relaxed enough to continue talking, not become inebriated.

"Now, where were we?" she said to Claudia as this time she sat down next to her on the couch rather than on the recliner.

"I was saying, I think you really just need to get laid and stop overthinking it," Claudia repeated.

"You have a volunteer in mind?" Andrea quipped as she brought her glass to her lips and took a drink.

Claudia did the same.

"I might," she said afterwards.

That brought a look of confusion to Andrea's face.

"You're too beautiful a woman to be spending her nights alone," the college student said after lowering her glass.

Andrea found herself unsure how to respond to the compliment, as it made her feel both pleased and embarrassed at the same time. Finally she simply said thank you, but she hardly thought herself beautiful.

"Well, I do," Claudia said. "In fact, I've thought that since the first time I saw you."

Andrea thought that was a strange thing to say. How old had Claudia been back then, sixteen?

"In fact ..." Claudia said, pausing for a long second, "I guess it can't hurt to admit it now, but I actually used to have fantasies about you. There were nights that I'd masturbate while thinking about you, wishing that I was sharing your bed instead of Jenny."

"Claudia, you were sixteen years old," Andrea said, slightly shocked at the girl's admission as she repeated her previous thought aloud.

"Seventeen, actually," Claudia corrected her, as if the extra year made a difference, "but, as I'm sure you've noticed, I'm not seventeen anymore."

"No you're..." Andrea started to say, but stopped, realizing that pointing out that Claudia was twenty-one really didn't have the same weight as her previous observation. In fact, all it did was emphasize that she was, by any standard, an adult. She also realized that, even though the years between them were the same, the gap between thirty-eight and twenty-one seemed a lot narrower than between thirty-four and seventeen.

"I've known that I was attracted to girls since middle school," Claudia continued, "and eventually I also realized that I was even more drawn to older, well at least more mature, women."

"Claudia, I don't know what to say," Andrea said, a tremor in her voice showing she was still a bit stunned. "I'm flattered, but..."

"You don't find me attractive?" Claudia interrupted.

"Of course I find you attractive, but the age difference..." Andrea said, even though she'd already admitted to herself how hollow that argument felt.

"You'd hardly be my first, you know," Claudia smiled. "So don't think you'd be corrupting my morals or any nonsense like that. I haven't been a virgin for a long time."

Silence filled the room for a long few moments, until a disturbing notion entered Andrea's thoughts.

"Did Mary put you up to this?" she asked, thinking that the way this seemed to be playing out seems too convenient to be coincidental.

"Mary doesn't know that I'm gay," Claudia stated. "I wasn't out in high school and our running into each other at Morgan's really was just fortuitous. And when she asked me to come to dinner, I just couldn't say no, especially after she'd mentioned that you were single again."

"Why?" Andrea asked. "What did you think was going to happen?"

"To be honest, probably nothing," Claudia admitted, "but as the old saying goes ... nothing ventured, well, you know."

"You and Mary, the two of you never..." Andrea asked, suddenly feeling the need to confirm that despite Claudia's statement."

"Well, we sort of made out once," Claudia smiled, "but that was just practice for boys -- at least for her. She had that thing for Ken Walton, if you remember."

Andrea did remember Ken Walton, who had been her niece's first real boyfriend. The two had gone to the junior prom together, and while her parents had already had the talk with her, Andrea was more realistic about teenagers and sex and had slipped a condom into Mary's dance purse. It had been returned to her unused the next day, but it made Andrea feel better that it had been there -- just in case. Thinking of the junior prom also made Andrea remember something about Claudia in reference to it.

"You went to the junior prom with Jimmy Ferguson," Andrea said, recalling the skinny, blond-haired kid that lived just down the block from her sister's; the memory seemed at odds with what Claudia had just said about her early realization about her sexuality. "I remember that because I'd gone to Janet's house that night to see Mary in her dress. He had just gotten his license and his father had lent him the family car to drive the four of you to the dance."

"Yeah, I went to the prom with him, but we weren't dating. That was just to get my mom off my case," Claudia explained. "His parents were family friends and, shy as he was, I figured he was a safe date."

"Was he?" Andrea asked out of curiosity.

"Well, he did try and cop a feel when we parked up at Thompson's Point after the dance," Claudia laughed, "but I told him I wasn't that kind of girl and he stopped. I think he was more afraid that I'd tell his mother than anything else."

Claudia worried for a second that Andrea was going to ask what Mary was doing while that was going on, but thankfully she didn't. She didn't want to have to lie about having glanced into the back seat where Mary and Ken were and seeing them in a state of partial undress. Him with his pants open, and her with her dress pulled partly down, her breasts exposed.

"Aren't we getting off the point?" Claudia asked, wanting to put any other discussion of that night behind them.

What she didn't realize was, that was exactly what Andrea had intended with her question about the junior prom. The diversion gave her more time to think.

"I guess we did," Andrea said sheepishly.

"So, what do we do now?" Claudia asked.

"I'm not sure," Andrea admitted.

"Well, we could finish watching this silly movie," Claudia offered, gesturing at the television, "or ... we could throw caution to the wind and see where the night might take us. The answer might surprise you."

Andrea found herself staring at Claudia for what seemed to her to be a very long time, but in reality was only a few seconds. Reaching for the remote control sitting on the table, the veterinarian made a decision as, with the press of a button, she caused the imaginary lovers on the screen to fade into non-existence. There comes a time, she told herself, that you have to just live in the moment and let tomorrow take care of itself.

-=-=-=-

A long absent thrill raced through Andrea's body as she felt the press of Claudia's lips against her own. An excitement that doubled as it was followed by the caress of the young woman's tongue as it slipped into her mouth. In response, the blonde eagerly pulled the darting appendage further within, stroking its underside with the tip of her own. Part of her still couldn't believe she was doing this, yet, despite that, she felt no desire to pull back from the line she'd just crossed.

Hands reached out to caress exposed flesh, with Andrea's coming to rest on Claudia's thigh, while the brunette reached for the side of the blonde's face, stroking both it and the expanse of her neck. From there they worked their way to the surrounding areas, all the while continuing to share ever more intimate kisses. Quiet moans filled the air, punctuating each new interaction.

A longer, louder cry spilled from Claudia's lips as she felt the press of Andrea's hand against her left breast, the press of her fingers causing the nipple beneath the layers of clothing to come to life. A moan of encouragement that invited Andrea to go further.

"Claudia ... I ..." Andrea started to say, only to have that last bit of hesitation cut off by the press of the smaller woman's lips.

"Talk later, fuck now!" Claudia said between a flurry of kisses, again thrusting her tongue deep into the recesses of Andrea's mouth.

There was an aggressiveness in Claudia that shocked, yet also aroused Andrea. One that didn't seem to match her personality. Then again, she told herself, she really didn't know the girl that well. In fact, it would be fair to say, she really didn't know her at all. A realization that just as quickly faded as she felt the young woman's hands on her own breasts, gripping the ample globes with an almost frightening intensity, causing her pert nipples to rise in response.

Long minutes of foreplay, with hands and mouths discovering each other's more sensitive places, continued, stoking rising embers of desire. Despite her initial hesitation, Andrea was soon giving as good as she got, sliding her right hand down the length of Claudia's body until it came to rest between the brunette's legs. There to press the flat of it against the cloth covered mound and delight in the discovery that it was already quite wet.

"Yes, right there," Claudia moaned as she felt Andrea's fingers roll back and forth against her pussy. "That feels so good."

The words had barely left Claudia's mouth before they were crushed by the press of Andrea's lips, her own ferocity rising to match that of the younger woman's. Without slowing the motion of the hand, Andrea used the other to press the smaller woman down on the couch, lifting her own body to follow. Fueled by all of the pent-up desires of the last few months, she kissed Claudia again, prompting her to reach out with both of her own hands, wrapping them around the back of Andrea's head to pull their lips even tighter together.

"I used to dream about doing this," Claudia gasped as their lips finally parted.

Now totally involved, Andrea smiled as she reached out for the zipper on the side of the brunette's dress, drawing it downward. Lifting her hands upward, even as she shifted her body in the same direction, Claudia returned the smile as Andrea lifted the garment up and off of her. The green wrap barely had time to drop to the floor before their mouths met again, yet in that brief interval, Andrea took the time to note the simple cream-colored bra and panty set her actions had exposed.

The modest undergarments, Andrea thought, gave credence to Claudia's earlier claim that none of tonight had been preplanned. If it had, surely the twenty-one-year-old would've worn something far sexier. Not that Andrea was about to complain, not when neither would be on much longer anyhow.

Pressing Claudia back down onto the couch, Andrea ran her hands down the length of her body, caressing the soft flesh as her fingers danced across it. Her heart was racing and fire filled her veins as a flood of wanton lust washed away the congenial manner she had exhibited earlier. She ran her hand across Claudia's chest, using her index finger to draw a line from the gap between her breasts, down across the flat of her stomach, finally coming to rest between the folds of her vaginal mound. The expression on her face as she did so was one of wicked expectation.

"I guess it wasn't just Jenny," Claudia unexpectedly said with a sinful smile of her own, referencing Andrea's earlier doubts about her preference for female company.

"Fuck now, talk later," Andrea replied, echoing Claudia's earlier response.

"Works for me," the young brunette laughed as, lifting Andrea back up into a sitting position, she followed suit and began to undo the buttons on the blonde's top.

She'd only gotten halfway down the row when, briefly pausing, Claudia pressed her face against the now exposed crevice between Andrea's breasts, kissing the supple flesh and running her tongue along their sides. Then, lifting her head back outward, she again took up the task. Once all the buttons had been undone, Claudia slid Andrea's blouse off of her, revealing the black lace bra that held her large breasts in check.

Back in her senior year of high school, Claudia had attended a Fourth of July BBQ, one to which Andrea and Jenny had also been invited. Little about the party had been memorable, with the notable exception of the outfit the veterinarian had worn that day, a low hanging pair of jeans coupled with a matching corduroy bikini top. The latter was designed to show off the charms beneath it as much as possible, without crossing the line to impropriety. It was a memory that Claudia had jilled off to on many a night and the thought that she was about to see them for real was almost overwhelming.

She reached out and ran her hand across the exposed top of Andrea's mounds, feeling the warmth of the other woman's excitement -- a feeling that was reflected in her own body as well. Moving first to the brassiere strap draped across the blonde's left shoulder, Claudia gently slid it down the length of her arm, repeating the action with the one on the right as well. No sooner had she done so when Andrea reached behind her back and, in a well-practiced motion, undid the twin clasps that held the support garment tight against her chest, causing it to drape loosely over her bust.

Sliding her hand under the left cup, Claudia slid it off to the side, just enough to lay bare the thick pink nipple it had shielded. The sight proved more than the brunette could resist and she wasted no time in closing her lips around its hardness, drawing its length into her mouth.

"Mmmmm," Andrea moaned loudly as she felt the wetness of Claudia's mouth engulf her.

Her tongue rolled back and forth across the supple flesh of the blonde's breast, caressing the sides of her nipple before again kissing both it and the bright pink radius around it. Exposing Andrea's other mound, Claudia repeated her actions there. She moved back and forth between the bountiful spheres, bestowing on both all the delights she was capable of imparting. All the while she was encouraged by a seemingly never-ending series of sighs and moans from Andrea.

Claudia shifted her attention downward, taking hold of Andrea's skirt and sliding it off of her. Wasting no time, she spread the other woman's legs, giving her a clear view of her dark lace panties, the sheerness of which did little to conceal the prize beneath. One that came into even clearer view as the brunette removed them as well.

Even though she'd had little expectation of anyone other than her doctor seeing her there of late, Andrea still diligently trimmed the hair covering her mound, so that only a thin layer of fuzz covered it. Claudia's eyes widened in appreciation, even as she brought her head down between the blonde's legs in order to plant a kiss in the center of her flower. A kiss that sent a shudder through Andrea's body.

After doing so, she again turned her attention back to Andrea's breasts, kissing both excited nipples, even as she slid her left hand down between the blonde's legs, her outstretched fingers caressing, then penetrating the depths of her womanhood. A third finger followed the first two, then a fourth, all buried to past her knuckles.

"Oh God, yes!" Andrea cried out as she felt Claudia inside of her, the motion of her hand sending radiating delights across her body.

With her mouth still tightly wrapped around Andrea's nipple, Claudia added her thumb to the mix, rubbing it against the blonde's clitoris, even as the rest of her hand continued to slide in and out of her body. They shared another deep kiss before the brunette shifted to the other mound, there to repeat her performance.

Finally, Claudia took both breasts in her hands, kissing and squeezing each one last time before she began to work her way down toward the real prize. A wet trail of kisses marked the way, the last planted only an inch above her mound as she slipped into the space Andrea had created by spreading her legs even wider.

Laying a hand on each of the blonde's inner thighs, Claudia brought her head as close as possible, reaching out her outstretched tongue to fill the gap that had been occupied by her fingers. The result of the exchange was immediate as, leaning back with one hand on the back of the brunette's head and the other around her right breast, Andrea moaned even more loudly in appreciation.

Fueled by her teenage fantasy coming to life, it didn't take long for Claudia to bring Andrea to the brink of ecstasy. She demonstrated a skill that transcended her years, the result of having had more than her share of lovers, many of whom had been older and had provided an education which in its own way was as valuable as that which the college had provided. There had even been one lover who had contributed to both.

With remarkable dexterity, Claudia explored deep within the confines of the blonde's core, discovering all her secret places and making the most of that knowledge. Leaning back against the cushions behind her, Andrea floated in a sea of satisfaction, adding to the delights brought forth by the young woman between her legs as she continued to use one hand to play with her breasts and the other to hold back her clitoral hood, giving Claudia greater access to the pearl beneath it. An access she was making the most of.

Already at the precipice, Andrea knew she couldn't hold back the torrents of desire building within her much longer. It had been too long since she'd enjoyed an orgasm other than by her own hand, and it was already clear that the one about to be unleashed was going to eclipse any of those.

Claudia didn't have to even look up to know that Andrea was close; she'd long ago learned to recognize the signs of an approaching climax by how a body felt against her. That knowledge spurred her to give even more of an effort to make it as memorable as she could. This was a moment she had dreamed about for years, and she wanted it to be one that both would remember.

Lifting herself from between Andrea's thighs, Claudia once more carried herself across her outstretched body, retracing her earlier trail of kisses and soft licks until she again found the other woman's mouth. Another round of deep kisses followed, after which she rolled the taller woman onto her knees, with the upper part of her body pressed against the couch's armrest and the lower half rising in invitation. Not wanting the fires within her to cool for even a moment, Andrea helped keep them alive by sliding her hand down between her legs so that her extended fingers could play with her pussy.

With a hand on each of Andrea's ass cheeks, Claudia brought her tongue back into play, running the tip of it, first against the tightest of the other woman's holes, then to the wettest, slipping it deep inside even as Andrea furiously stroked her clitoris. Despite being half the blonde's age, it was clear that the brunette had twice her experience, demonstrating skills that the older woman could only envy.

Then, in a burst of ecstasy, Andrea came with explosive force, causing her body to quake in frenzied abandon as the shock waves of her orgasm reverberated throughout her body. Time seemed to freeze for just a moment, one which came as close to perfection as she could ever have imagined.

-=-=-=-

"That was unbelievable," Andrea panted as her racing heart calmed enough for her to speak again. "I never knew it could be like that."

That surprised Claudia, given Andrea's long relationship with Jenny. Then again, if you never had anything to compare it against, even mediocre sex could seem fantastic. But rather than say that, she simply smiled, satisfied that she had brought her one time dream to a new level of fulfillment.

"I don't know if I can do the same, but I certainly can't wait to try." Andrea added.

That made Claudia's smile even broader.

Reaching out for Claudia's hand, Andrea led her off the couch and into the bedroom, the center of which was occupied by a king sized four posted bed, complete with an overhead canopy. As magnificent as it was, Claudia wouldn't have cared if it was a folding cot.

The two of them climbed onto the bed from opposite sides, meeting on their knees in the center to share another kiss. Normally, Andrea felt tired after orgasming, but right now she felt energized, her body filled with an enormous energy. All of which was focused on one goal, to give Claudia the same gift she had given her. A second and third kiss followed as Andrea repeatedly sought out the sweetness of her mouth, driving her tongue deep within. Filled with intoxicating desire, she was like a woman possessed.

Slipping behind Claudia, Andrea kissed the back of her neck, then moved across its nape, leaving a wet trail in her wake. At the same time, her hands closed around the younger woman's breasts, squeezing both softly, prompting the brunette to cover the blonde's hands with her own, encouraging her to do so harder.

"I like it a little rough," Claudia said softly as she tilted her head to the side in order to give Andrea greater access.

Eager to give Claudia what she wanted, Andrea quickly applied more pressure. Running her hands back and forth across the rounded globes, she slid the tips of her fingers under the thin material covering them to caress, first the soft flesh, then the hard nipples at the center of them. An appreciative moan filled the air as, releasing one hand's hold on Claudia's chest, Andrea moved it to the clasp on her bra, sliding it free in a single deft motion. Then, removing her other hand as well, the blonde took hold of the straps around the brunette's shoulders and slid the now loose undergarment down and off of her before tossing it aside completely.

The white strip hadn't even landed on the floor before Andrea hands, no longer barred from the small but supple orbs by even that flimsy obstruction, again took each in hand. At the same time, she drew the smaller woman's mouth to hers, kissing her hard. Another kiss followed, after which Claudia leaned forward, allowing Andrea to slide off her panties as well. Having discarded their footwear during the movie, both were now naked.

Andrea ran an outstretched hand across the cheeks of Claudia's ass, her fingertips brushing down the gap between the smaller woman's thighs as she traced a line down the length of her hairy mound. Her hand repeated the motion, this time more firmly as, adding a bit more pressure, Andrea pressed the tips past the folds and inside of Claudia.

"Oh that feels good," Claudia moaned loudly as she felt the press of Andrea's fingers inside of her. Finger that penetrated ever deeper with each thrust of the blonde's hand as they played the young woman's sex like a fine instrument.

She continued to do so for several long minutes, igniting an inferno within Claudia, one which quickly began to blaze out of control. Now it was the younger woman's turn to be impressed, her body quivering and quaking as Andrea demonstrated some impressive skills of her own.

Pressing Claudia down on the bed, Andrea again shifted position, straddling the larger woman in a way that their mounds now pressed against each other. With a euphoric expression on her face, she began to slowly move back and forth, picking up speed with each repetition. Together they shared a loud moan of satisfaction as their clits rubbed against each other, sending echoing waves of delight throughout their bodies.

Faster and faster they moved, rocking back and forth as the pleasures their actions produced continued to increase in intensity. Each reached out for the other, their hands interlocking to keep themselves connected as their motions became even more intense.

Then, in a sudden shift, Claudia broke their connection and swung her body around so that her mound now rested just above Andrea's face. The invitation was clear and the taller blonde reached up and, wrapping her arms around the dark haired woman's thighs, pulled her downward.

"Oh yeah, baby, that's it," Claudia cried out as she felt Andrea's tongue slide deep inside of her, "eat my pussy. I've dreamt about this for so long."

And while Andrea had never even considered being where she was at the moment until less than an hour before, she nevertheless gave the effort all she had. She might have only had one partner to practice on, but she had done so enough times to have grown quite good at it -- or at least good enough to make the woman above her happy.

Reaching down between her own legs, Andrea plied her own pussy with her fingers even as her tongue continued to work its magic on Claudia's. A dual effort that came to fruition a short time later as first Claudia, then herself, exploded in orgasmic fury.

-=-=-=-

Morning found the two of them still in bed, still naked and intertwined. They'd made love a second time during the night, finally succumbing to exhaustion an hour before dawn. The sleep that had claimed them was deep enough that neither stirred when their privacy was disturbed several hours after that.

'Fuck!' Mary thought as she stood in the doorway of Andrea's bedroom, taking in the sight of the two interlocked women, their nude bodies still covered with the aftermath of the night's exertions.

A sense of guilt at having abandoned Claudia last night had prompted her to stop by Andrea's on her way home, if only to apologize. She hadn't expected to find her old friend still there, and especially not in her aunt's bed. But while it had been a surprise, it wasn't one that displeased her. In fact, it brought her a sense of relief, as it said that Andrea had finally begun to move on.

As quietly as she could, Mary left the way she came, taking care to ease her car out of the driveway as silently as she could. When she called Andrea on the phone an hour later, she expressed surprise when her aunt mentioned that Claudia had stayed over, and even offered to take the two of them to breakfast to make up for last night. She figured that both of them would need the energy to face the new day.

END