Hook Me Up - Ladies In Love Pt. 01

Hook Me Up

A Ladies In Love Romance

By Magda McKune

Part One

Chapter 1

"So, what is it that you do?" the man asked across the small round table.

Lucy Lanes returned a slight smile. She knew her date would get around to asking the employment question eventually, but she didn't expect it first thing out of the gate. "I own an auto mechanic shop."

She watched the man's face for his reaction. There it was -- amusement? Curiosity? Surprise? Skepticism?

Perhaps deception was a typical phenomenon in blind dates, Lucy mused. Folks tend to want to puff themselves up to strangers, making them feel more important and more successful than they really were. Lucy expected as much. People want to make a good impression on others. Particularly single men meeting beautiful young women for the first time.

Lucy had to admit the revealing of her profession seemed to be a tad bizarre. A lady auto mechanic was not a common occupation. And yet, if she was going to make something up as a lie to a complete stranger, why not choose an occupation such as a fashion magazine editor, real estate agent, or advertising consultant?

"I run a garage," didn't sound particularly glamorous, but it was the truth.

Lucy always assumed that because of her flawless complexion and voluptuous hourglass figure, men would instantly label her as fashion model. Or at the very least, an office secretary or receptionist. Nothing of any substance, merely a pretty face and fine body to look at. No matter. Lucy had grown used to it. Though she had always been a tomboy at heart, Lucy Lanes was blessed with a fabulous supermodel figure and a gorgeous face.

Lucy Lanes was in her mid-twenties, five feet two inches tall with naturally curly blood-red hair that hung two inches below her shoulders. Her eyes were deep and dark and her lips were full and red. By the time Lucy had reached puberty, she realized her features could get her whatever she wanted from the male gender. Boys offered to carry her books in school and tried to sit next to her in class and in the cafeteria. Lucy never encouraged any of their amorous advances. Her father warned Lucy early on that boys will say and do practically anything in order to be seen with a pretty girl. When Lucy's chest expanded, she quickly discovered that the boys were being nice to her just to get a feel of her boobs. She found their fascination with her anatomy repetitive and boring.

Lucy grew distant and aloof, focusing her attention toward repairing old cars at her father's auto shop than encouraging boys. She discovered she could have much more fun hanging out with her best friend Suzie "Sparky" Commons in a greasy dirty garage than going out on dinner dates or to the movies with amorous young men.

But now Lucy was over a quarter century old and she began feeling that she had missed out on a good portion of the dating scene. She longed to find another person to share her life with, and not be tempted to wholly immerse herself in the family auto shop business. The hard part was finding someone who was interested in the inner Lucy, the person beyond the gorgeous face and perfect body. She wanted a relationship that was lasting and real, not fleeting and superficial.

Being beautiful wasn't always a blessing. Whenever a man expresses interest in a pretty gal, she has to wonder about his intentions. Is he simply regarding her as a one-night stand? A quick lay? Does he want to show her off to his friends as some kind of arm-candy trophy? Could he ever be interested in her for more than just her body?

Lucy's temporary date across the table gave a wide toothy grin and spread his arms in acceptance. "Well darlin', that's just fine and dandy!" he drawled in a deep Southern accent. This fellow was right out of an episode of Bonanza, complete with white cowboy hat, bolo tie and brown leather vest. Lucy thought the man was rather sweet in a bucolic sort of way. However, she doubted she could ever be interested in entering into a long-term relationship with Mister Fine and Dandy. There was just so much Good Old Boy country cuteness a girl could handle before she hung herself.

Lucy smiled sweetly at her temporary assignation. She shouldn't be too hard on the man. At least he was genuinely interested in her. The last speed date partner she was with had spent the entire time talking about trends in the real estate market. Now is the perfect time to buy or sell! Lucy suspected the fellow was less interested in finding a lifelong companion than in networking for potential business prospects.

"So what is it that you do for a living?" Lucy politely asked the cowboy. She was fairly certain this man was not going to be her dream companion, so she wanted to move the conversation quickly along until the bell rang, signaling their short date was finally and mercifully over.

"I'm into cattle," the man proudly announced with a wide toothy grin.

Lucy forced a smile. "I would never have guessed."

"That's right, little darlin'," the cowboy beamed. "Two thousand head of the finest angus beef you ever set your pretty little eyes on."

Lucy expelled a quiet grunt. The only angus beef she ever laid eyes on was in the refrigerated meat aisle of the local grocery store. Either that, or the fast-food takeout lane of a nearby burger joint.

"Things are just fine and dandy," he nodded happily. "Now all I need is a pretty little filly to share my homestead with."

"Good for you." Lucy genuinely hoped the man would find his dream date, and find her soon. That way she wouldn't risk meeting up with Mister Fine and Dandy ever again.

Lucy glanced around the meeting room situated in the back of the Italian restaurant and at the more than twenty other participants in the speed dating experience. The room was large and spacious, typically used for banquets or meetings of the local Kiwanis Club. It was a pleasant enough environment for meeting a stranger for the first time. God knows Lucy met up with a few bland dates in worse places than this.

Lucy began to question the logic of her getting into this whole speed dating fiasco in the first place. She imagined it would be a tad more reliable than some dispassionate online dating service. Lucy had heard horror stories of how guys would post personal photos that didn't resemble them at all. Or how married men would use it to find unsuspecting women to cheat on their wives. At least in this way, Lucy could meet the candidate face to face before agreeing to go out on a real date with him.

The woman conducting the speed dating event rang a little bell and announced, "Times' up!"

The cowboy rose to stand. "It was a real pleasure meeting you, little lady!" he drawled.

Lucy returned a sugary smile and said, "Just fine and dandy!"

Her date left his seat and another fellow took his place. This was a young man in his late twenties or early thirties, nicely dressed in a dark blue coat and maroon tie. His crystal blue eyes were set in a handsome face and he had neatly-styled short blonde hair. Lucy immediately liked what she saw.

"How do you do," the man said, reaching across the table and offering his hand to shake. "I'm Bill Burton."

Lucy smiled brightly and accepted his hand. "Lucy Lanes."

The fellow stared deeply into Lucy's eyes, as if he was studying them. "Pardon me for asking," he said with just a hint of humor in his voice, "but what's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, to say that you're stunningly beautiful would be a gross understatement. Seems to me a pretty woman like you should have no trouble finding a date."

Bill's eyes never left hers. Lucy liked that. She appreciated a man who noticed her face before her bust size. "A friend suggested this speed dating thing to me," she lied. It was entirely her idea, but she didn't want to tell the man that she was just like every other gal in the city who was looking for the right man in her life and often resorted to unorthodox means to meet them. "The truth is; I'm hoping to find someone who is searching for a lasting relationship the same as I am. I want someone who would be around for the long haul."

Bill tilted his head slightly and regarded her curiously. "Did you recently break up with someone?"

"No. Why?"

"That tinge of desperation in your voice suggests a recent void in your life that you are trying to fill. The end of a long relationship, perhaps?"

Lucy furrowed her brow with a perplexed expression on her face. "Are you some kind of therapist?"

"No," he smiled. "Merely making an assumption based on certain observations."

Lucy paused and thought a moment. "Maybe so. My dad passed away a few months ago. He and I were very close. I miss having a man in my life. Maybe that's why I'm looking."

Bill leaned back in his seat and chuckled with amusement. "Looking for a father figure, you mean?"

Lucy laughed. "Not necessarily. A regular man will do just fine."

Bill casually shrugged a shoulder. "As for a long-term relationship, that scene is not for me."

"Oh? Why not?"

"I prefer to take it day by day without any expectations. Things rarely go as you plan anyway. You start off with a short-term fling and it turns out to be a lifelong romance. Or you set your heart on something permanent and lasting and it ends much sooner than you expected. I say; go into a relationship without any expectations and see where it leads. It may save you a lot of disappointment and grief, or it may lead to something surprising and wonderful."

Lucy smiled and shook her head amazement. "Now it's my turn to ask; what's a nice guy like you doing in a place like this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I would think a man who is not looking for any type of serious relationship with a woman could find plenty of dates. A good-looking guy like you ought to have a bevy of ladies to choose from."

Bill grimaced slightly. "Not exactly. A lot of gals are turned off by my cavalier attitude. They see me as being superficial and shallow. Just because I'm not ready and willing to settle down with someone, doesn't mean I'm not open to the possibility sometime down the road. When the time is right for me to have a monogamous relationship, I'll know it. Until then, I just want to have some fun while I'm still young."

Lucy smiled and patted his hand atop the table. "I'm sure the right woman for you is out there somewhere," she said. "But that woman isn't me."

The man shrugged nonchalantly, the smile returning to his face. "Ah well," he sighed ruefully. "Your loss."

The bell rang again and all the guys shifted to their next table. The next man to sit across from Lucy instantly made her skin crawl. He had a creepy, scary presence about him, like the psycho stalker in a slasher horror movie. The guy was exceedingly thin with a bony face and a pale complexion from spending too much time indoors under artificial lighting. His short dark hair was slicked back with some kind of hair gel, and he had a disquieting gleam in his beady little eyes. "You certainly are a beautiful lady," he grinned with a toothy smile. "I've been waiting all evening to talk with you."

Lucy swallowed audibly and forced a smile. "Lucky me."

"I'm Norman Lutz." He removed one hand from his lap from under the table and a shiver instantly raced up Lucy's spine. For a moment she expected a machete to materialize in his fist. He offered his hand to shake and she timidly took it. His palm seemed normal, not clammy or sweaty.

"I'm Lucy -- " She stopped and held her breath. Lucy hesitated giving out her real name. This guy may not be a crazed stalker, but it might be prudent not to tempt fate. "I'm, uh... Lucinda. Lucinda Barnes."

"Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise," she nodded with a timid forced smile. "So, Norman, what do you do?"

"I'm a taxidermist."

That explains it, she thought. Mister Creepy surrounds himself with dead things all day. "How fascinating."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What do you do for a living?"

Lucy shrugged casually. "Oh, a little of this and a little of that."

"I'll bet you're a fashion model," he stated sincerely. "A woman with a face like yours should be on the cover of magazines."

Lucy began to warm to the fellow. Perhaps he wasn't such a bad guy after all.

"Fashion magazines, I mean," Norman continued. "Not those trashy tabloid rags where they expose murdering housewives, or seedy biker mags with chicks in bikinis stretched across the hoods of muscle cars, or smut like Penthouse or anything. I mean classy magazines like Cosmopolitan and such." He offered her another toothy grin. "Not that your body wouldn't look great in a tight skimpy revealing dress."

Lucy forced a smile. And the creepy guy was back. "You flatter me," she said. "So... do you go on many dates, Norman?"

"Not a lot," he sighed sadly. "A lot of chicks think taxidermy is a turn off."

"I would imagine so," she nodded soberly. "Perhaps it might be a good idea to not lead off with that little tidbit of information."

"You may be right."

"Maybe you can tell them about some of your other interests." Lucy eyed him intently. Besides stalking and murdering coeds in dark alleys, she mused.

Norman was thoughtful for a moment. "I like bowling. Reading mystery novels. Small engine repair -- "

Lucy's ears perked up. "Small engine repair?"

"Yeah. I tear apart and rebuild lawnmowers and motorcycles and things like that. I like working with my hands, seeing how things work and putting them back together. Kind of like taxiderm -- " Norman paused and winced sheepishly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to bring that subject up again."

"It's all right," Lucy smiled. She was beginning to warm to the man once again. The guy was simply lonely and shy. Probably didn't have a lot of social skills, which explained the unusual profession. And the need to consult a dating service. Lucy smiled to herself. At least the man wasn't an undertaker. Handling dead animals was one thing. Working with human corpses was another matter entirely. "Those sound like very nice hobbies," she stated honestly. "However, might I suggest you start off by telling women what you like to do and maybe find some common interests you may share."

The man nodded thoughtfully. "Good idea." He looked at her evenly. "Would you like to go out with me sometime?"

Lucy's mind pictured him opening the door to his home and inviting her inside. The walls would be adorned with a variety of dead animals and heads of various beasts, their unseeing eyes staring at her from all directions. Norman Lutz may indeed be a decent fellow after all, but she couldn't imagine living in that kind of environment. "Probably not," she said as nicely as possible. "But thank you for asking."

It was nearly eleven o'clock when Lucy entered her modest two-bedroom house and set her keys on the table beside the door. The place used to belong to her father, but after he passed away six months ago, the house and everything else the man possessed was left to her. Though she was tempted to remain in her tiny one-bedroom apartment after he died, Lucy chose to move into his house rather than sell the place.

At first it felt weird walking into her father's house and not finding him there. Lucy found solace in seeing all the old familiar furniture and décor about her. Plus she preferred the comforting illusion of coming back home rather than living in a cold, unfeeling, empty apartment.

Lucy sat in the high wingback chair and kicked off her shoes. She pondered about participating in that strange experience of speed dating in the back room of the restaurant. It was crazy, she knew, but at least it put a face and a warm body to a person before you agreed to go out with them on a real date. It was about a half step above online dating. Communicating with a complete stranger through the internet was still a gamble, no matter what they say. People sometimes post pictures of themselves that don't look anything like the real person. Of course you can exchange information beforehand, but that doesn't alleviate the apprehension and anxiety that goes with meeting somebody for the first time, or the worry of being judged as potential dating material by a complete stranger.

Obtaining vital information about a person's past, their likes and dislikes, their ambitions and desires through the internet is a good starting point, but how can you really know if there is chemistry between the two of you unless you meet face to face? Your compatibility potential may look great on paper, but what if the man has a really annoying laugh? Or has zero table manners and social skills? What if he has a ghastly wart on his chin with a three-inch hair growing out of it? Blech!

Lucy drew in and expelled a long, dejected sigh. She supposed it all boiled down to not wanting to be lonely anymore. Things were fine when her father was alive. Her mom died from cancer when Lucy was in high school and it had been just the two of them ever since. Of course, there was always her friend Sparky at the garage. Suzie Commons was her best friend and everybody who knew her called her Sparky. Lucy had a faint recollection that it was her father who gave Suzie that nickname. Something to do with spark plugs, maybe. Lucy couldn't remember. She'd try to remember to ask Sparks about it someday.

It was late and Lucy didn't feel like watching TV or having anything to drink. She figured she's just head off to bed and read until she fell asleep.

Lucy picked up her shoes and headed for the bedroom. She concluded that the speed dating scenario, submitting personal internet profiles, and going on blind dates was indeed a pain, but ultimately worth it in the end. All she wanted was to have someone else to share her life. Even at the age of 26, she felt she was getting too old to feel so alone.

Lucy entered her bedroom and tossed her shoes in the corner. She paused in front of the full-length mirror and checked out her body. She had a mighty nice figure for a gal her age. Lucy turned and struck a sideways pose with one hand on her waist to evaluate her chest and buttocks. Very nice. Any guy should consider himself lucky to be hooked up with a beautiful woman like her.

Lucy opened the bottom drawer of her dresser and removed a sheer lacy cream-colored shawl. She bought it about a year ago on a whim for the night when she would be with a man. Any man, she sighed ruefully, as she stripped and slipped her bare arms through the short sleeves. The garment fell a few inches below her crotch. Lucy glanced in the mirror and marveled at how sexy she looked in it. A shame to look so pretty for nobody but herself.

Lucy turned off the light and slipped under the covers. She lay on her back, staring at the dark ceiling, fantasizing of how it would be with her dream man. Lucy's fingers delicately caressed her flesh under the flimsy negligee. She closed her eyes and imagined it was a man's fingers touching her. His warm palms gently massaging and caressing her flesh. God, how she longed to be treated like a woman, even if it was by a stranger for only one night. Lucy's fingers traced around the full mounds of her breasts and over her tummy. How wonderful it would be to feel loved.

That was all she really wanted. Simply to be loved and be allowed to love someone in return. It had always been that way with her father. The man adored her and Lucy cherished him in return. Lucy expelled a long deep sigh and shifted her body under the covers. Perhaps someday she would find her Mister Right.

The little silver bell jingled over the door as Lucy strolled into the front office of the Fast Lanes auto repair shop. The garage was located on the West side of town, less than three miles from Lucy's father's house. Lucy used to ride her bicycle to the shop when she was younger. She now drove a white Honda Accord to work; the same car she bought with her own money on her 18th birthday.

The town had grown quite substantially over the years -- more shops, more stores, and more traffic. Many times, Lucy considered riding her bike to work again. Not only would it be good exercise, but it would probably be faster and less stressful than enduring the stop signs, traffic lights, and vehicular congestion.

"It's just me," Lucy called over her shoulder toward the auto service bay as she tossed her purse under the front reception counter.

"Hello, Me," a female voice replied.

Though it was only a few minutes before eight in the morning, Sparky was hard at work tinkering with one of the cars in the service bay. Lucy smiled whenever she thought about her dearest friend. Like Lucy, Suzie Commons loved working on automobiles. When other young girls were playing with Barbie dolls and hosting play tea service, the two had been working at Lucy's father's auto shop tearing apart engines, carburetors and transmissions. Lucy still enjoyed tearing engines apart, but she found that most of her time was spent in the front office performing mundane duties such as inventory, entering purchase orders, and sending out invoices.

Lucy discovered she loved running her own business, especially with her best friend Sparky Commons at her side. The pair had been nearly inseparable since they met in grade school. Lucy and Suzie shared a love for anything automotive. Lucy's father had owned a garage for twenty years before he succumbed to emphysema from chain-smoking Pall Mall cigarettes his whole adult life. After he passed away, Lucy took over and ran the business with her single employee Sparky Commons.

Lucy entered the auto bay to find Sparky leaning over the engine of a gold Chevy Camaro. The girl wore a dark green jumpsuit. Sparks was a true tomboy with a figure more resembling a teenage boy than a young woman. Her tall slender body was wiry to the point of being skinny with tiny breasts and virtually no hips. Her short mousy brown hair was an unruly mop. Lucy swore the gal did her own styling with a pair of pinkie shears in front of the bathroom mirror.

Sparks straightened and turned to Lucy. Her face broke into a wide smile as she wiped her hands on a red rag. "So, how did the blind date go last night?"

Lucy casually shrugged a shoulder and rested her hip on the front fender of the Camaro. "Okay, I guess," she sighed apathetically.

"You don't sound overly enthused. I take it the evening was a dud?"

Lucy crossed her arms over her chest. "Some of the guys were all right, I suppose."

"Some?"

"Speed dating," Lucy explained. "You meet a bunch of guys for five minutes at a time before you move onto the next."

"Huh," Sparky grunted, wiping her hands on the rag. "Not a lot of time to get to know someone. Then again, you can pretty much tell right away if the guy is going to be a major yawn."

"Some of them were okay," Lucy conceded. "But none of them grabbed me." She grinned at Sparky's startled expression. "Figuratively speaking, of course."

"No doubt."

"I didn't feel any chemistry for any of them. That instant connection, you know? You can always agree to go out with one of the guys later if you want to, but I didn't see any point in meeting up with someone if there was very little possibility of romance in the future."

"Speaking of future," Suzie grinned, "have you made any plans for your birthday? I know it's coming up at the end of the week."

"Please! Don't remind me," Lucy groaned.

"Why not?"

"I'll be twenty-seven years old. That's more than a quarter of a century. Being alone and uninvolved at my age makes me feel like a genuine spinster."

"You are not alone, girlfriend. You will always have me."

Lucy gave her companion a warm smile. "Yes, Sparks. I will always have you." She nodded to the car he girl was working on. "So how is it coming?"

"Almost done. There was a glob of gunk in the gas filter. That's why the engine kept dying no matter how much I pumped the gas pedal. It should be running like a top in about a half hour."

"Great! I'll call the client and tell him he can pick up the car this afternoon."

"Sure thing." Sparky wandered over to a red BMW in the next bay. "Did you locate the timing belt for that Toyota yet?"

"No. I called O'Reilly's but they didn't have one in stock. I'll try AutoZone this morning."

"Sounds good." Sparky hunched her body over the engine under the open hood of the BMW and removed the radiator cap. "So how about you and I go out for a drink after work?" she asked without looking up.

Lucy turned and tilted her head with a curious expression. "Why? It isn't my birthday yet."

"There doesn't have to be a special occasion, Luce. Although, I suppose I can think of a few good reasons why we should."

Lucy grinned and rested her hands on her hips. "Oh really? Such as?"

"First of all, we haven't been out together for a drink in practically forever. I'd say we were long overdue."

"Good point."

Sparky straightened and wiped her hands on the red cloth rag. "Second, such a thoughtful gesture would go a long way to solidifying our boss/employee relations."

Lucy chuckled with amusement. "And we both know how important that is."

"It might also help you forget about the concerns of the shop for maybe an hour or so."

"Another important consideration." Lucy allowed a wry smile. "Not to mention that this just happens to be Tuesday and the Cannery down the block has two-for-one drinks on ladies' night."

Sparky grinned brightly. "You see? Now you're getting the idea."

Lucy turned from the shop and walked toward the office. "It's a date."

Sparks chuckled and moved to a nearby tool bench and picked up a socket wrench. "Hopefully better than the dates you've been going on lately."

Lucy paused with a hand on the doorknob and glanced over her shoulder at the girl. "The only difference being I'll expect this date to show me a good time."

"I'll do my best," Sparky murmured from under the auto hood.

Chapter 2

At five that evening, the two ladies closed up shop and walked down the block from the garage to a small tavern called The Cannery. It was a quaint, unpretentious establishment with darkened windows containing several neon signs advertising beer. The place was cozy with less than a dozen small tables and a long bar situated on the right. It was early evening and there were only a few patrons in the place -- two men at the bar and an older couple at a table near the door. The ladies opted for a quiet spot in the rear. A brunette in her mid-thirties came around the bar to take their drink order. She had long straight hair past her shoulders bound in a ponytail, extra-tight denim jeans at least one size too small, a peach-colored sleeveless top, and numerous tattoos adorning her bare arms. The woman tried to appear more cheerful than bored and nearly pulled it off. "What'll you have?" she asked.

"Is there a toofer special today for ladies?" Sparks asked.

The barmaid nodded once. "Yep. All night long."

"Well then!" Sparky grinned brightly, excitedly rubbing her hands together in anticipation. "Two vodka tonics and two bourbon and cokes, please." She turned to Lucy and asked, "And what do you want to have?"

Lucy laughed and rested her hand on her friend's arm. "That will do nicely for a start." She smiled at the brunette bartender. "Two and two for now, please."

"Sure thing." The woman nodded and turned for the bar.

Lucy grinned at her friend. "How did you know I still prefer bourbon and coke?"

"Lucky guess. It was what you drank when we were in high school, sneaking booze from your dad's liquor cabinet."

Lucy nodded. "I don't think we fooled him for a minute."

"Nope. The man was a real saint for not paddling our butts for swiping his good liquor. I'm sure he knew we were both guilty as hell, but he never said a word. Even restocked the bottles of booze when they got low."

"I'm pretty sure he knew about it all along. I imagine he thought it was better for us to get drunk at home than to sneak out and misbehave behind his back."

"Like I said, the man was a saint. If only for putting up with our shenanigans."

Lucy nodded in agreement; her face solemn. "I sure miss him." She glanced down and noticed that her hand was still resting on Sparky's arm. Lucy smiled and slid her hand down to take her friend's hand in hers. "I'm so glad I had you to get me through losing my dad and having to take over the family business. I could never have done it without you."

Sparky smiled warmly and turned her hand over to lace her fingers with Lucy's. "You would have survived it. You are much tougher than you realize."

The barmaid brought a tray with four drinks on it. "Thanks!" Lucy grinned happily. "Keep a tab running for us, if you please."

The woman gave them an enigmatic grin. "Sure thing, ladies." She turned on her heel and headed back to the bar.

Lucy's face belied a quizzical expression. "That was a very odd look that gal gave us just now."

Sparky laughed quietly and raised her hand holding Lucy's. "She probably thinks we're a couple."

Lucy awkwardly cleared her throat and withdrew her hand from Sparky's grasp. "I imagine she did."

Suzie lifted one of the vodka tonics to Lucy in a toast. "To my best friend in the whole wide world."

Lucy smiled brightly and raised her glass. "To BFF's forever!"

Sparks lowered one eyebrow and remarked, "One F already means Forever. BFF... as in Best Friends Forever."

"Then we're BFF and F," Lucy giggled, clinking her glass to Sparky's. "Best Friends Forever and Forever!"

"Amen to that!" Suzie nodded. "Forever and forever!"

The first drinks went down quickly, and Sparks raised two fingers to signal the woman at the bar to bring another round. "So tell me, where exactly are you on your quest for the perfect date?" the girl pried. "How is it going?"

"It isn't," Lucy huffed in disgust. "I swear, the dating scene is a whole lot harder than I imagined it would be. I mean, I thought it was going to be like in those romance novels, where the girl accidentally bumps into the man of her dreams in the grocery store or on the street corner waiting for the light to change and they live happily ever after."

Sparky nodded knowingly. "A meet cute."

"A what?"

"A meet cute. It's what they call a scene in a movie where the gal meets the guy under unusual circumstances. Like in the film The Wedding Planner with Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey."

"I love that movie!"

"Me too. Remember when she gets her shoe stuck in a storm drain grate and he saves her from being flattened by a runaway dumpster? That's a meet cute."

Lucy nodded with understanding as the barmaid delivered a fresh round of drinks. "I get it." The woman collected their empty glasses and left. "The fact of the matter is," Lucy continued, "dating these days is more like trying to win the lottery." She took a hefty swig of her drink. "You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you meet your handsome prince."

Sparky looked at her. "You're not kissing a lot of strange men, are you?"

"That's simply a figure of speech. I'm not kissing much of anything lately -- frogs, princes, men, or anything else for that matter."

"Well, personally I think this whole dating scenario is beneath you."

Lucy looked at the girl with curiosity. "What makes you say that?"

"You're trying too hard. You are the most attractive woman I have ever met, Lucy. You should have dozens of guys hammering on your door begging you to go out. A gorgeous honey like you shouldn't have to go looking."

"If I don't look, how will I find my perfect mate?"

"Maybe you're over-thinking it." Suzie rested her hand on Lucy's arm. "I saw a video the other day," she continued. "There was this girl who was walking through a shopping mall typing on her cell phone. She was so focused on her phone that she didn't look where she was going. She fell head-first into a fountain."

Lucy covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh. "That's terrible!"

"The point is; maybe you're too focused on one outcome. You need to poke your head up and glance around once in a while to get the full picture."

Lucy smiled at her friend. "My, how profound you can be at times."

Sparky withdrew her hand and picked up her drink. "Alcohol makes me wax philosophical."

"So what about you?" Lucy asked. "Are you seeing anyone, Sparks?"

"Nope."

"Why not? You need to have some interests outside of work. Maybe if you met some guy that you could hang out with... "

"I'm not interested in dating guys," Sparky commented dryly. "Dating typically leads to sex."

Lucy shrugged casually. "Which is not exactly a bad thing."

"Sex with guys is not for me," Sparks snorted in disgust.

Lucy frowned with a puzzled expression. "Are you saying that you're still a virgin?"

"Yes, thank heaven."

Lucy looked at the gangly girl and realized that the discovery did not come as a complete surprise. "Why the dislike of men?"

"I don't dislike them," Sparks explained. "I just don't want to have sex with them. You remember that I was the youngest child of five with four older brothers. Thus, my interest in auto mechanics. There were always cars and trucks in various stages of repair around our home. You might say I learned about cars and engines through exposure and osmosis." She took a swig of her drink. "Growing up in a house full of boys, it was inevitable I would catch one of them in the buff. I discovered early on that my anatomy was different from the rest of the family. I was curious and wanted to know more about the human body. I read up on the subject. That crap scared me to death! A man's penis is something I absolutely do not want inside my body, thank you very much. All those diseases and icky bodily fluids? Blecccch! Not to mention the chance of getting knocked up, which is a whole other messy can of worms in itself. No ma'am, sex with a guy is definitely not for me."

"Well, I for one had sex once and I can attest that it is an experience not to be missed."

Sparky lifted one eyebrow. "Just once?"

Lucy allowed a small smile. "In high school. Brad Swanson, the football jock? Remember him?"

"Oh yeah. Not too hard on the eyes, but with the IQ of a fence post."

Lucy chuckled and nodded her head. "That's him. He and I sneaked some peppermint schnapps out behind the bleachers one night and I was feeling loose and adventurous. He wasn't bad as sex partners go, and it wasn't exactly the most romantic locale for losing my virginity, but I don't regret it. It was fun, but the experience removed further thoughts of sex from my system." Lucy paused and took a swig of her cocktail. "I'm not afraid of sex, but I'm not eager for it, either. I'm not dating to find a sex partner. I just want to meet someone who makes me happy and who I can settle down with." She stared at her glass and shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe that's why I'm on this quest to find my Mister Right. I have this fantasy illusion that there is a "happily ever after" ending out there somewhere with my name on it."

Sparks smiled warmly. "Well, if anyone deserves it, honey, it's you."

"You're sweet."

Sparky glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's getting late and it's a work night. I suppose we ought to be heading home."

"I suppose you're right." Lucy rose to leave. "I really had a wonderful time," she stated honestly. "Thank you for inviting me out for a drink."

"It was fun. We should do this more often."

"Yes, we should." Lucy paid the bar tab with a credit card and the women walked together out the door.

"Thanks for buying my drinks," Sparks said. "We could gave gone Dutch, you know."

"Consider this Employee Appreciation Night."

Sparky laughed and slipped her arm through Lucy's elbow. "Then we have to go out again on your birthday. My treat."

"No argument there." They walked arm in arm down the block to the auto shop parking lot. Lucy stopped by her car and turned with a bright smile. "See you tomorrow, Sparks."

"Yep." Sparky draped her arms around Lucy's neck and planted a lingering kiss on the woman's mouth. Lucy was too stunned and surprised to react. She didn't fight the girl's embrace. In fact, she rather enjoyed it. After a while, Sparky leaned back and smiled happily at her friend. "Happy early birthday, sweetie!"

Lucy was still dazed. "Yeah," she murmured. "Thanks."

Sparky smiled into her friend's eyes for a few moments, then leaned closer met Lucy's lips once again. Lucy didn't resist. She had to admit it was a very delightful experience. It had been a very long time since Lucy had been kissed goodnight and this sweet innocent gesture was a pleasant ending to a wonderful evening. Lucy didn't care that it was Sparky who was kissing her. It was very nice and very welcome.

Sparks broke their embrace and offered a bright smile. "See you tomorrow!" She turned and walked to her car without glancing back.

Lucy stood immobile in the dark parking lot staring at her friend. How extraordinary. The two had been pals for nearly two decades. And yet, Lucy couldn't recall ever kissing the girl before. And this was no ordinary kiss. It was far better than any kiss Lucy could remember.

Lucy moved slowly to the driver's side door of her car. She doubted it was the booze that made her companion so affectionate. Perhaps Sparky harbored more than friendly feelings for her. Lucy shook her head in dismissal. They were simply best friends, that was all. Sparky wanted to give her something special for her birthday and expressed it in a kiss.

Lucy allowed a small knowing smile. And hoo boy, was it ever special!

It was less than a ten-minute drive home at that time of the evening and Lucy had plenty of time to think about that kiss. She didn't visualize Sparky's face during her intimate recollection, only the sweet sensuous sensations that lingered long afterward. It could have been anyone who had kissed her. And yet, even in knowing it was her best friend -- a female friend, no less -- failed to cheapen the experience. It was fantastic, exactly how a tender and loving kiss should be. Lucy had been searching her whole adult life for someone who could make her feel a flutter in her chest and skyrockets explode in her brain. What a surprise to discover it was her dear friend Sparky Commons who did that for her.

Lucy grinned coyly. Sparky was aptly named, she admitted. That hot young lady certainly had a way of sending sparks of electricity throughout her entire body.

Lucy mentally shook herself back into reality. It had to be the booze making her entertain such lewd thoughts about her sweet gal pal. Surely there was nothing more to it than a simple kiss. She and Sparky showed affection to each other all the time with hugs and pats on the back. And yet, Lucy couldn't recall ever having her friend kiss her before. She certainly would have remembered it if she had.

This was nothing more than an unassuming display of affection, Lucy mused. But was there more to this than mere camaraderie between friends? Did Suzie think of her in a sexual way? That kiss was more than a mere "good pals" kiss. Her friend desired her... perhaps even lusted over her.

Lucy laughed out loud at the absurdity of the notion. She and Sparky in a relationship? That's crazy talk! They both had been momentarily swept away by a sudden spontaneous impulse amplified by too much booze, nothing more.

However, Lucy couldn't totally dismiss the possibility as she pulled her car into a vacant spot in the parking lot. There was definitely something more than mere friendship to that goodnight kiss. Lucy shut off the engine and sat in the dark, listening to the gentle pinging of the motor as it cooled. She wondered why she was giving so much thought and concern over a brief impulsive act. Perhaps there was some underlying desire on Lucy's part that she was reluctant or afraid to admit. She had allowed Sparky to kiss her, after all. She could have stopped the girl, but she didn't.

Lucy liked the kiss. She liked it a lot. And, try as she may, she couldn't stop thinking about it.

The next morning, Sparky was slightly taken aback to find that Lucy had made it into the shop before she did. This was a rarity. Lucy glanced up from her desk at her friend as the mechanic stepped through the front door. "We have to talk," Lucy stated evenly.

Sparks stopped and rested her forearms on the front register counter. "What? No, 'Hello, Sparky. Good morning, Sparky?'"

Lucy grimaced slightly. "Good morning, Sparky. We have to talk."

"I suppose you want to discuss that kiss."

"Of course I want to discuss that kiss."

"What about it?"

Lucy furrowed her brow with concern. "Don't tell me you haven't been thinking about it."

Sparks scowled and crossed her arms over her underdeveloped chest. "Of course, I have. It was absolutely fantastic. Incredible. Best kiss ever. How about you?"

"You know damn well it was."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Best kiss ever. But that's not the point."

"What is the point?"

"The point is; what do we do about it?"

Sparky shrugged and moved around the counter toward the coffee pot. "Nothing."

Lucy swiveled in her chair to watch her. "What do mean, nothing?"

"We go on with business as usual." The girl filled a ceramic mug with coffee and stirred in a pack of sugar. "It was just a simple kiss after all."

"It was more than just a simple kiss and you know it."

Sparky turned to her and rested her hip on the edge of the countertop. "You're damn right it was. I thought about it a lot afterwards. I thought about how I wanted to kiss you a whole lot more because it felt so great." She took a sip of her hot coffee. "But that was last night. Both of us were off the clock, and what we do in our free time is entirely up to us."

"But that's just it. It was us. You and me, kissing in the parking lot. You and I are friends, Sparks, not... you know... friends... in that sense of the word."

Sparky gave a playful grin and chewed on the end of her red plastic stir stick. "So what's the big deal? You liked it. I liked it. A nice ending to a nice evening."

Lucy frowned at the girl. "How can you act so cavalier about this?"

Sparks casually shrugged a shoulder. "Look, Luce. You and I have been friends forever. We grew up together. We're closer than family -- closer than sisters. You can't blame me for harboring a modicum of affection for you, can you?" She allowed a slight grin as she sipped her coffee. "Plus, you must admit you turned out to be a real knockout in the looks and body departments. A ten point five. Any warm-bodied person with a pulse couldn't help but be turned on by you. I am no exception. So sue me if I wanted to express a little affection for my best friend in the whole world every once in a while."

Lucy eyed her companion curiously. "Wait. You were turned on by me?"

"Absolutely. Before, during and after that kiss." She clamped the straw in her teeth and grinned lecherously. "Don't tell me you didn't feel even the slightest bit of tingling when you were locking lips with me last night."

"Hell, it was more than a tingling. You rocked my whole world with that one damn kiss. My brain wouldn't stop spinning. I attributed it to all that booze we had."

"Rocked your world, you say?" Sparky chuckled and inclined her head to Lucy's chest. "That explains why your nipples are as hard as pencil erasers when you recall the incident."

Lucy glanced down and spotted her pointed nipples poking the fabric of her brassiere under her pink blouse. She quickly crossed her arms over her chest and regarded the girl skeptically. "Well... I suppose with us being such longtime friends and working so close together every day, something like this was bound to happen sooner or later."

Sparks nodded soberly. "Yep. Bound to happen."

"We don't have to make a federal case out of it."

"Nope." The girl sipped her coffee. "So, are we good?"

"Of course. We're always good." Lucy turned back to her desk and pretended to concentrate on paperwork. "Just for the record," she murmured out the corner of her mouth. "I am quite certain that kiss was much more than a mere expression of affection."

Sparky chuckled as she pushed herself from the counter and crossed to her boss. "Hell, yes, girl!" She patted Lucy on the shoulder and turned to the door leading to the service bay. "You sure got that right!"

The day continued as normal and Lucy was grateful that the events of the previous evening were no longer a topic of discussion.

Around noon, Sparky strolled into the front office. "I have to pick up a distributor cap and some manifold gaskets for that red Buick Le Sabre," she explained. "Want me to grab some sandwiches for us on the way back?"

Lucy glanced up from her desk and smiled. "That would be nice. You need any cash?"

"I'm good." Sparks rested a hip against the counter and said, "Speaking of food, how's about you come over for dinner tonight?"

Lucy's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Lucy was learning something new about her longtime friend every day. "You? Cook?"

"Yes, me cook," Sparky smirked. "I'm not just a pretty face and a first-rate mechanic, you know. This gal's got skills."

Lucy leaned back in her chair and chuckled. "I find it hard to visualize you with an apron on, puttering about the kitchen like Donna Reed."

"My apartment actually came complete with a real kitchen when I moved into it. Eventually, I somehow managed to learn how to boil water and other culinary things like that."

Lucy laughed. "My! You are just full of surprises!"

"Tell you what; how about you come over to my place around seven this evening? I'll make dinner for the two of us. It will be a private little early birthday party with just us."

"I wouldn't want you to go to a lot of bother on my account."

Sparks shrugged a shoulder. "What bother? You throw something frozen in the oven and toss a side salad. It isn't rocket science."

Lucy furrowed her brow with skepticism. She couldn't picture the tomboy auto mechanic hovering about the kitchen preparing a meal for dinner guests. Then again, why not? Lucy had no plans for the evening and it might be fun having a dinner party with her best friend.

Lucy nodded and said, "Sounds like a great idea."

"Great!" Sparky exclaimed. "It'll be a night to remember."

Lucy chuckled and shook her head as she recalled the surprises of previous evening. Perhaps this night may prove to have a few surprises as well.

Chapter 3

Suzie Commons opened the door to her apartment and smiled brightly at her guest. "Right on time!" she chirped happily.

Lucy stood on the landing and gaped openly at the girl. She had never seen her friend so dressed up before. Sparky wore a red sleeveless calf length dress with her slender bare legs ending in matching red two-inch heels. Her short dark hair was nicely styled and the girl was even wearing makeup. "Wow!" Lucy exclaimed with unrestrained surprise. "You look fantastic!"

"Thank you!" The girl opened the door wider for her guest to enter. "You look mighty fine yourself, girlfriend."

Lucy wore a navy blue knit sweater and a black pleated skirt to her knees. Quite the change from her usual tee shirt and denim jeans.

Sparky wrapped her arms around her friend and pressed her cheek to the side of Lucy's face. "I'm excited about having you for dinner," she said. "I don't recall having anybody over for dinner before."

"I'm happy to be your first." Lucy paused as her friend broke their embrace and closed the door behind her. "What, that's it?"

Sparky paused and frowned at her. "That's what?"

"You said that what we do when we're off the clock is our own business. After that kiss you laid on me last night, a welcoming hug doesn't quite cut it."

Sparky draped her arms around Lucy's neck and grinned playfully. "What on earth was I thinking?" She kissed Lucy softly on the mouth. "Better?"

Lucy smiled warmly and nodded. "Much!" She offered her hostess the bottle of wine in her hand. "Is merlot okay with you?"

"It's perfect." The girl accepted the bottle. "Care for a glass before dinner?"

"I'd thought you'd never ask!"

Sparky gestured to the living room. "Make yourself at home and I'll go fill us each a glass."

Lucy stepped into the room and took in her surroundings. Her friend's apartment looked like it was ready for a photo shoot for House Beautiful. It was bright and cheery and cleanly decorated in light blue and dazzling white. "Wowzah!" Lucy exclaimed in awe. "Your place is really nice!"

"Thank you," Sparky giggled as she rummaged through a kitchen drawer for a corkscrew. "You sound surprised."

"I am. Somehow I expected something a little less... feminine."

"Should I be insulted?"

"Certainly not. You are so involved with motors at work. I didn't imagine you would be so into frills and lace at home."

"As I mentioned before," Sparks called from the kitchen. "This gal is full of surprises."

Lucy lightly caressed her fingers along the supple contours of the leather couch. "You can say that again."

Her host laughed and brought their wine glasses. "I suppose you half expected to find a greasy car engine up on blocks in the living room and piles of motor magazines strewn about."

Lucy chuckled. "As a matter of fact, I did."

Sparks handed Lucy her glass. "I get enough of that at work. When I come home, I like to remove myself from that mindset."

"You most certainly do that." Lucy glanced around. "Your apartment is incredible, dinner smells fantastic, and you look absolutely breathtaking. You truly amaze me, Miss Commons."

"Thank you!" Sparky held her wine glass in a toast. "I told you tonight would be a night of surprises."

Lucy smiled. "It sure is."

Her hostess gestured to the couch and they sat facing each other. "I hope spaghetti is okay with you," Sparks said.

"Spaghetti is great," Lucy smiled. "But you didn't have to go to a lot of trouble over me."

"What trouble? You boil water for the pasta, open a jar of sauce, and warm a loaf of French bread. Simple and easy."

Lucy laughed. "It's more than I make when I'm by myself. I usually grab some takeout or zap one of those instant dinners in the microwave. Having someone make a home cooked meal for me is a real treat."

"Well, then, we should make this a regular event. Dinner once a week at your place or mine. Nothing too fancy. Whomever is hosting picks the meal and the guest brings the wine."

"Deal!" Lucy beamed, offering her glass in a toast.

"And no shop talk on date night," Sparks added with playful sternness as they touched glasses.

"Agreed."

The ladies had a marvelous dinner, chatting about television shows they liked and public figures that they didn't. Lucy was amazed at how much they had in common, and how much she did not know about her dearest friend. Sparky was smart, articulate, and quite charming. Lucy smiled as she recalled the parade of men she endured as the speed dating experience. One evening with Miss Commons was much more fun than any of those guys has been.

They sat at the table talking long after the meal was finished. At last, Sparky rose to her feet and began clearing the dishes. "Let's get another glass of wine and sit in the living room."

"Sounds like an excellent idea."

Lucy helped clear the table and fill the dishwasher as her host stowed the leftovers in the refrigerator. They retired to the living room with filled wine glasses and settled on the sofa together.

"Are you going to go on any more of those speed dating outings?" Sparky teasingly pried as she kicked off her shoes and tucked her bare legs under her rear.

"I don't know," Lucy frowned. "The whole experience is just about as lame as it sounds. But I don't really know what else there is to try."

Sparks asked, "Why this need to date men all of a sudden?"

Lucy shrugged. "I don't know. My birthday is the day after tomorrow and I'll be 27. I've been thinking I'm more than a quarter of a century old and have never been in any serious relationship. I suppose I'm just afraid of ending up alone."

"You have me."

Lucy smiled. "Yes, Sparks. I do have you."

Sparky regarded her friend thoughtfully. "Perhaps you should try thinking outside the box."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever thought about getting romantic with a girl?"

Lucy was somewhat taken aback. "A girl?"

"Yes. Half the human population is female. I think you're limiting your prospects by only searching for a male partner."

Lucy chuckled and drank her wine. "Any particular gal you have in mind?"

"Sure. Me."

Lucy paused with the glass an inch from her lips. "What?"

"Why not date me? I know we get along fine at the shop. Why can't we see each other socially as well?"

"I don't think of you in that way. Not in a romantic sense, that is."

"I don't think of you romantically either. However, neither of us have much of a social life. Why not date each other until your Mister Perfect comes along?"

Lucy shook her head in bewilderment. "I can't believe we're having this conversation."

Sparks regarded her friend soberly. "All I'm saying is; don't limit yourself to one possible outcome. You keep chasing men and you'll end up sexually and emotionally frustrated because you never find Mister Right. Plus, you keep telling me you feel like you're getting older. Guys don't want to get into a relationship with a woman who is desperate to settle down."

"I am not desperate."

"You know what I mean. As long as you are dabbling in the dating scene, why don't you date me?"

Lucy furrowed her brow with a puzzled expression. "Date you? As in date date?"

"Yes. You know, two people going out together on a date? Dinner, drinks, etcetera. A real date date."

A light of realization gradually dawned on Lucy's mind. She remembered the kiss from the other night and wondered if there was something more to it than close friendship. "Wait a minute! Are you telling me that you're into girls or something?"

Sparky casually shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know. I have to admit I've never been with a girl before. Come to think of it, I've never been with a guy before either, so actually I have nothing to compare it to."

"You told me last night at the bar that you're a virgin," Lucy probed. "Is your disinterest in men more from an interest in women instead?"

"I don't know. To tell you the truth, I was never excited about guys because I found that they were never excited about me. You know that I've been a tomboy all my life. I was always more interested in cars than I was in boys. Plus, this scarecrow physique of mine has never been anything to get fellahs aroused. Metaphorically speaking, I'm a clean slate looking for someone to make their mark on me."

Lucy frowned. "This is all very peculiar."

Sparks set her drink aside and regarded her guest evenly. "Tell me honestly, how do you know you only prefer men?"

Lucy hedged reservedly. "Well, of course I do. I mean... I guess so. Quite frankly, I've never been with a girl, so like you said, I have nothing to compare it to."

"Then how can you be sure you won't like it?"

"It isn't a question of liking it! It's a matter of whether it is acceptable or not."

"Socially acceptable, or acceptable to you?"

"Let's just say, I hadn't even considered it until now."

The girl pointed an accusing finger at Lucy's chest. "A-ha! So you were considering it!"

"I didn't say that."

Sparky eyed Lucy evenly. "What about your banging Brad Swanson behind the school bleachers?"

"What about it?"

"Premarital sex is not considered acceptable behavior either. And yet, there you are."

Lucy glared at Sparks defiantly. "That wasn't so much sex as it was... research."

"Research!" her friend guffawed.

"In a manner of speaking. I wanted to see what all the hullabaloo was about. Once I did it, I got it out of my system."

"Well, then, if you consider your first sexual experience with a man to be research, you can claim that it would be the same scenario doing it with a woman. I could be your research assistant, so to speak."

Lucy gaped at her friend in shock. "That is not the same thing!"

"So, what I'm hearing is; you have considered having a sexual experience with a girl, but you don't want it to be with me."

"It's not that simple, Sparks. You're my friend."

"Your best friend, who you admitted to just this morning that I was the best kisser you ever had. Rocked your world I believe was the phrase you used."

"I don't deny you are a fantastic kisser. But that's a far cry from having a sexual relationship with you. I mean, for God's sake, Sparks! You're asking me to have sex with you!"

Sparky picked up her glass and casually took a sip. "As a matter of fact, I am. What's the big deal with that?"

"The big deal!" Lucy sprang to her feet and paced the floor in agitation. "Having sex with my best friend! A girl, no less! You don't see a problem with that?"

Sparky studied her companion without emotion. "I see two things. First of all, nearly all relationships begin with two people starting out as friends. Eventually they grow to think of each other as more than that. They experiment with sex. They fall in love and get married. Having sex with a friend like me is a big advantage over meeting and dating a complete stranger."

Lucy stopped pacing and scowled at her partner with her fists balled on her hips. "You're twisting this around to make it sound like it's a good idea."

"Secondly," Suzie continued, her voice remaining even, "you say you're searching on the internet for companionship. I can provide companionship as well as anybody. I happen to think you are very attractive, Luce. I may not be the most alluring partner in bed, but I bet I can be a fast learner. I'm very willing, and I guarantee to be much better than any one-night stand you meet in some bar or on the internet." Sparky rose to her feet and sauntered sexily over to her boss. "Third... and more importantly," she cooed seductively, "since we work together, I can satisfy you whenever you need it." She waggled her eyebrows lecherously. "A little ribald rendezvous in the parts room for a quick nookie fix makes the afternoon go by much faster."

Lucy expelled her breath in an irritated huff. "I can't believe we're even having this discussion."

"You're just afraid you'll like it."

"I'm not afraid of that at all."

"Then kiss me."

"What!"

"Kiss me. If you don't feel even the slightest stimulation or arousal, I promise I'll never bring the subject up again."

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"No? Is it because when we kissed last night, it thoroughly rocked your world? You told me this morning it was the best you ever had. I'm betting you are afraid you'll end up liking it. Or even worse, you'll end up wanting it."

"I will not."

"Pucker up and prove it."

Lucy hesitated, then shrugged in acceptance. Why the hell not? She and Sparky were good friends, after all. What harm could it do? Lucy stepped closer to her friend and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

Sparky frowned in disgust. "Seriously? You call that a kiss? No wonder none of your dates ever work out."

"Hey! It isn't like a whole lot of my dates ever make it to the kissing stage."

"You are such a fraidy cat. Do you want me to show you how it's done?"

"I think I can manage to give a person a proper kiss, thank you very much."

"Then show me."

Lucy draped her arms around Sparky's shoulders and planted her mouth securely on the girl's lips. She realized immediately that it started out too aggressive and firm. Lucy eased back a little and tried to make the kiss more passionate and romantic. Her partner exhaled softly and wrapped her arms around Lucy's back. Lucy responded by parting her lips and touching her tongue to the girl's lips. Sparky opened her mouth and lightly probed her tongue against Lucy's.

Lucy sighed with contentment and ground her mouth harder onto her partner's. For a self-proclaimed novice, Sparks sure knew how to kiss. Lucy felt her companion's hands roaming over her back. It was so erotic and romantic. Her loins began to tingle and her heart beat loudly in her chest. Lucy could not remember when she felt such passion during a kiss before. Their tongues tangled in her friend's mouth. God, it was incredible! The girl was right -- Lucy had no idea what she had been missing.

Lucy broke their kiss and leaned back, smiling smugly. "So what do you think about that?"

Sparky furrowed her brow with a contemplative look. "I'm not sure. I think some more data is required."

"More data?"

"More kissing. One sample is not enough for a proper evaluation."

Lucy grinned knowingly. "I see. In other words, you liked it."

Sparks smiled demurely. "Yes. I liked it. So give me more, already." She leaned closer and met Lucy's mouth in a tender embrace. Lucy did not resist. Their kiss grew in heat and passion. Their hands roamed over each other's body. It was as erotic and romantic as anything Lucy's mind could conjure. She had to admit Sparky was right. Lucy did like it -- a lot.

After a long while, Lucy leaned back and smiled at her friend. "I have to admit it, girl, you are one fantastic kisser."

Sparky smiled. "Not bad for a first try."

"With a girl?"

"With anyone."

Lucy looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Are you saying you've never kissed anyone before me?"

Sparky's face contorted in a grimace. "Not like we just did. Oh, I know how to kiss, of course. I read a lot of trashy romance novels and watch sappy movies. I've just never had the opportunity to practice before you."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Sparks shrugged apathetically. "Well, you know me; always the loner. Living like a tomboy all my life." She gestured her hand along the length of her body. "This unimpressive stick figure of mine is not exactly desirable to the male gender."

"I happen to think you are plenty desirable."

"Well... thanks. I know it is just my best friend talking, but thanks anyway."

Lucy picked up her glass and downed the last of her wine. She crossed to the kitchen for a refill. "To be honest, this isn't the wine talking or your best friend talking. My unbiased and totally clinical assessment is that you are an incredible kisser -- bar none."

Sparky finished her wine and offered her glass for a refill. "Thank you for that magnificent and unquestionably honest evaluation."

Lucy topped off both of their glasses. "I must admit; I really am starting to warm up to the idea of you and me dating."

Her friend smirked as she picked up her wine glass. "Sure, now that you've gotten to first base."

"That kiss we shared was merely an added bonus." Lucy gestured her glass in a sweeping arc to include all of the girl's apartment. "I'm talking about this. You and me, having drinks and dinner together. I like this a lot. Although I wouldn't exactly call this a real date."

"Why not?" Sparky asked matter-of-factly. "Dinner, drinks, conversation, companionship? You claim to have just as much with a man. Why not when it's with you and me?"

"Because you're my friend," Lucy grinned with amusement. "It isn't the same."

"Why not? You don't think a girl can have a genuine date with another woman?"

"Well... maybe," Lucy hedged. "I suppose so. But it's not the same. When you say the word date, you assume there is some aspect of romance involved."

Sparky shrugged a shoulder. "Hey, I can be as romantic as the next guy."

Lucy chuckled with amusement. "I'm sure you can. I'm just not sure a gal can be romantic with me."

"What about all that kissing and hugging we just did?"

"Kissing you is wonderful. Fantastic even. But that isn't the point. We're both girls."

"This is true. However, there isn't any hard and fast rule that says two ladies can't see each other socially."

Lucy looked at her friend with a wry smile. "Up until I saw you in that dress tonight, I have to admit I never really thought of you as a lady before."

"Thanks a lot!" Sparky guffawed.

"No offence," Lucy chuckled.

"None taken. But what about the possibility of you and me actually dating for real? Like real date dates?"

Lucy casually shrugged a shoulder. "Personally, I don't see any harm in having dinner together or going to a movie now and then. It sure beats spending the evening all alone watching TV."

"What if one or both of us wants more than that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean sex."

Lucy expelled her breath in shock. "Wait, what?"

"Seriously. You and I are in our twenties and neither one of us is scoring any bed action. I propose a little gratuitous sex every once in a while to relieve frustration and tension."

Lucy stared at her host in astonishment. "I can't believe we're actually having this conversation."

"Why not? You told me that things are none too rosy on your quest to find a good man. I can help get your rocks off until Mister Goodbar comes along." She eyed her friend calculatingly. "Think of it as having friends with benefits, as they say."

Lucy felt her face redden as she walked uneasily to the couch. "I think that may be taking matters a bit too far."

Sparks followed. "Don't tell me you didn't like it when I kissed you earlier."

Lucy stopped at the couch and turned back to her friend. "You know damn well I liked it. It was awesome. But now you're talking about much more than that. You're talking about lesbian sex."

Sparky wiggled her eyebrows comically. "Yes, ma'am. I most certainly am."

"Do you even know how to do that?"

"No, but I read a lot, and have a pretty good idea of how it's done."

Lucy dropped heavily to the couch in disbelief and downed a hefty gulp of wine. "This is nuts."

"What's the big deal?" Sparky scoffed as she alit on the cushion next to her friend. "Have you ever masturbated?"

Lucy hedged reservedly. "Well... yeah. Sometimes."

"It's the same thing. Two naked women masturbating one another."

"It's not quite the same," Lucy snorted.

"How do know unless you try it? We can get each other off one time and if you don't like it we won't ever do it again."

Lucy shook her head and gulped some more wine. "I can't believe I'm actually considering this."

Sparky grinned widely and pointed an accusing finger at her companion's chest. "Aha! You are thinking about it!"

"It must be the wine talking."

"No, it's sound reasoning talking. You and I can have dinner together, go to movies together, and have sex together. It's a perfect way to relieve tension after a busy day at the garage." She rose from her seat. "You know I'm right."

Lucy frowned at her. "Where are you going?"

"To refill our wine glasses." She lifted Lucy's glass from her hand.

"If you do that, I will have no resistance at all," Lucy grunted.

Sparky leered over her shoulder at her guest. "That's my intention."

"I believe you are trying to seduce me."

Sparky chuckled and poured the last of the wine from the bottle. "Merely trying to get you to come around to seeing my point of view."

"And what exactly is your proposal, Miss Commons?"

"That we don't have to be bona fide lesbians in order to take care of one another. We can simply be good friends helping each other out as needed."

Lucy chuckled and shook her head in disbelief. "I swear you can rationalize anything."

"Hey, I'm not only thinking of you, girlfriend. This gal happens to have needs too." Sparky returned with Lucy's glass. "I'm almost the same age as you and don't have any prospects in the partner department either." She handed the glass to Lucy. "I could definitely use some gratuitous satisfaction myself from time to time."

Lucy's face took on a philosophical expression. "All right, let's say for the sake of argument that I was interested in accepting your proposal. How would that work? Two women together, I mean?"

Sparky sat next to her on the couch. "I imagine the same as with a guy." She lightly caressed Lucy's cheek with her fingers. "Some touching... some kissing." She leaned closer and met Lucy's mouth in a soft kiss. "Undressing..." Her hand slid down Lucy's neck and across her breast. "I'm sure from that point we can manage to figure it out."

Lucy took Sparky's hand in hers before the girl demonstrated the undressing sequence. "I don't know," she hedged. "It still feels kind of weird. Making out with my best friend and all."

Sparky leaned back and scowled. "You have this nasty habit of over-analyze everything." She leaned closer with a seductive smile. "Kiss me once more and tell me you don't like it."

Lucy regarded her friend thoughtfully. It might be the wine talking, or the ribald conversation they were having, but in that instant, Lucy found Sparky to be surprisingly attractive. And obviously quite willing to please her. Lucy had to admit her companion's proposal did make a lot of sense. Friends with benefits, so to speak. However, Lucy hesitated because she felt concern that their business relationship would succumb to the sexual aspect.

Sparky said they could do whatever they wanted once they were off the clock. If that meant dating one another, so what? Many women have taken that route before and have felt none the worse for it. Besides, it would be nice to have some kissing and cuddling and maybe a little more than that with a person she trusted and truly cared for. The two of them were already best friends. She and Sparks would have some gratuitous sex once in a while until something better came along. A pleasant way to relieve tension and frustration, as Sparky so eloquently put it. Lucy could give it a try and see if it worked out. They could always abandon their sexual encounters if it proved to be too awkward. In any event, one little kiss didn't seem to be that big a deal to settle the issue.

"All right," Lucy agreed. "One kiss."

Sparky inched closer and slipped her free arm around Lucy's waist. She pressed her lips to Lucy's mouth in a long passionate embrace. Though Lucy was mentally prepared for it, the sensation was far better than the previous kiss they shared. This was like nothing she had ever imagined. Fireworks instantly went off in Lucy's brain. No kiss had ever stirred such passion in her like that before. No man had ever made her feel the delicious sensations she felt in that very moment. Lucy felt her defenses dropping and her resistance melting away. She realized in that moment that this girl was getting her aroused and one kiss would not be enough. Lucy wanted more.

Lucy encircled her arm around Sparky's slim figure and pulled her tighter to her chest. She crushed her mouth to the girl's, her hot breath rushing into her partner's mouth. Sparky caressed her free hand over Lucy's spine and slid her fingers lower to grope her rear. Lucy moaned with arousal and stroked her fingers over Sparky's back. Her friend was right; they both desperately needed an outlet for pent-up sexual tension.

"Oh God, yes," Lucy panted into the girl's mouth. "You are one wonderful kisser."

Her companion leaned back and smiled seductively. "They don't call me 'Sparks' for nothing."

Lucy leaned back and fanned her face with her free hand. "Wow! You are incredible!" She hurriedly took a gulp of wine. "I have to admit, Sparky, you are one amazing kisser."

Sparky grinned and took a sip from her glass. "Your kisses are like those potato chip commercials. I can't have just one."

"My sentiments exactly." Lucy set her drink aside and moved closer to the girl. "Personally, I believe more data is required to ensure a proper evaluation."

Sparky grinned playfully. "More kissing?"

"More petting." Lucy raised her hand and lightly brushed her fingers over Sparky's chest. "It's true we're best friends." She leaned closer and pressed her bosom against her friend's body. "But it wasn't until tonight that I realized just how attractive you are."

"Really?"

Lucy caressed the girl's cheek with her fingers. "An attractive woman who knows how to kiss like nobody's business." She leaned closer and touched Sparky's mouth with her lips. "You make me want more."

Lucy closed her eyes and tenderly kissed the girl. Sparky's lips were so soft and supple. Her mouth felt so wonderful, so arousing and exciting. Lucy never knew a kiss could be so amazingly satisfying.

Sparky responded to her embrace with a long, contented sigh. The girl slipped her hands under Lucy's sweater and encircled her waist. She lightly caressed her hands over Lucy's bare back. Lucy exhaled her breath in a low throaty moan. Her flesh tingled with arousal. She never realized her friend could be so erotic!

As they kissed, Sparky's fingers slowly slid up Lucy's back and dipped under her bra strap. Her other hand moved up under Lucy's bra and cupped Lucy's breast in her palm. Lucy didn't flinch. It felt great having someone touch her chest. She surmised that the wine and the petting was making her lightheaded and a tad adventurous. Sparky deftly unclasped Lucy's bra behind her back. She smoothed her fingers along Lucy's bare spine under the sweater. Lucy exhaled her hot breath into Sparky's mouth. God, it was so delicious! Lucy couldn't remember the last time she had someone touch her body like that. Or being with someone she wanted to.

At last, Lucy leaned back and exhaled her breath in a gasp. "Whew! God, girl! You make me so hot!"

Sparky kept her hand under Lucy's sweater and gently massaged Lucy's spine. "You are one sexy lady, Luce."

"And you are one sensuous gal."

Sparks moved a hand around to the front of Lucy's sweater. She snaked her fingers under the loose cup of Lucy's bra. Lucy felt a jolt of electricity surge through her entire body as Sparky's fingers connected with the soft supple flesh of her breast. Lucy closed her eyes and sighed with deep contentment. "Oh God, yes," Lucy moaned. "What you do to me."

"Is that good?"

"Oh, hell yes, it's good!"

"I like touching your body." Sparky smoothed one hand over Lucy's back as her other hand gently groped and squeezed her breast. "You always were one sexy woman."

Lucy opened her eyes and stared without expression at her friend's face. "We should probably stop."

"Why?"

"Because we may go too far and do something we might regret."

"Like what?"

"I don't know what. This is totally unfamiliar territory to me." Lucy leaned back and frowned with frustration. "I mean, I suppose kissing and touching is okay..."

Sparky smiled and gave Lucy's breast a gentle squeeze. "There's nothing wrong with kissing and touching." She moved her other hand around to Lucy's front and groped both of her boobs under the sweater. "In fact, I'm all for a whole lot more kissing and touching."

Lucy caressed the girl's shoulders and gave her friend a playful smile. "It seems like you're taking the initiative in the touching department."

"I happen to like touching you." She quickly lifted Lucy's sweater and bra up over Lucy's bosom to expose her chest. "And kissing too." Before Lucy could react, Sparky leaned forward and pressed her lips to one of Lucy's nipples.

A sudden jolt surged throughout her entire body. Lucy gasped and shuddered with sensuous arousal. "Oh God, Sparks!" she exhaled lustily. "You are so erotic!"

Sparky cupped Lucy's tits in her palms and moved her mouth from one nipple to the other. She tenderly sucked and flicked her tongue over each sensitive tip before moving to the other. Lucy raked her fingers through Sparky's short dark hair. "Oh baby, what you do to me!"

Sparky moved her mouth up to hungrily kiss Lucy's lips. Lucy rasped breathlessly and snaked her tongue to probe her lover's mouth. Lucy had never felt so aroused and alive in her whole life. She was with a partner who truly desired her and whose only intention was to give her pure pleasure. It was more than she had ever hoped or expected from another person. Lucy instantly realized with blinding clarity that they had suddenly crossed the threshold of becoming much more than mere friends. They had progressed far beyond the limits of friendship and had actually become lovers. Lucy knew they could never go back to the way they were, even if she was crazy enough to ever want to.

Sparky drew back and stared intently into her friend's eyes. "I want to tear your clothes off and kiss and lick every delicious inch of your luscious body."

Lucy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What... you mean, right here?"

"Right here, right now!" Sparky leered lustfully and began to peel Lucy's sweater up over her head.

"You mean, on the couch?"

Sparky grinned and tossed Lucy's top onto the floor. "Yep." She slipped Lucy's bra off her arms and flung it aside. "We'll reserve the bedroom for next time."

Lucy chuckled as her companion eased her onto her back to lie across the cushions. "You sound so sure that there will be a next time."

"Oh yes, my dear." Sparky leaned down and kissed Lucy's neck and shoulders as her hands caressed the woman's bare chest. "Most definitely."

Lucy sighed with sheer contentment as her fingers groped through Sparky's short dark hair. "You are so good."

"I told you," Sparks panted lustfully. "I read a lot of romance novels."

Sparky moved her lips from one nipple to the other, tenderly licking and sucking one before shifting her attention to the other. One hand massaged Lucy's chest as the other caressed over her bare tummy. "I never knew you were so talented," Lucy sighed dreamily.

"I never knew you were so sexy," Sparks breathed lustfully. Her free hand moved lower to between Lucy's legs and her palm rubbed over the girl's pubic mound. "Am I getting you aroused?"

"Oh, baby," Lucy mewed, relishing her partner's tender ministrations. "I am way past getting aroused." She parted her legs wider for the girl's hand. "I like what you're doing."

Sparky slipped her hand under Lucy's skirt and rubbed her fingers over Lucy's panties. Her mouth moved from one breast to the other, her tongue swirling around the sensitive tip of each nipple. Lucy writhed with stimulation. Never before had anyone been so attentive to her sexual needs as this sensuous gal. Lucy had heard the phrase making love, but she always equated it to the act of sexual intercourse. She never dreamed any experience could be so caring and intimate.

Sparky pressed her fingers to the panty crease covering Lucy's vagina. She stroked her fingertips up and down and around the area as she licked the girl's bare breasts. Lucy felt a tingling in her loins and sensed the juices welling up inside her. She was really turned on now and silently begged her partner to never stop. The sensations were so delightful and delicious. She wanted this feeling to go on forever.

Lucy felt her entire body tingling with arousal and knew she was getting close to release. Her breath came in short gasps and her body trembled beneath her lover. "Oh yes," she panted breathlessly. "Oh yes, baby, keep that up."

Sparky shifted above her and stared down into Lucy's face. "Are you going to cum?"

"Oh yes," Lucy whimpered. She clamped her hands onto her lover's neck and stared into the girl's eyes. "You're going to make me cum."

Sparks rubbed her hand harder and faster over Lucy's vagina. "Cum for me," she demanded softly. "Cum for me, Luce."

"Oh God, yes," Lucy gasped. "You're doing it."

"Cum for me," Sparky repeated. "Come on, baby."

Lucy suddenly pulled Sparky's mouth down onto hers in a fiery kiss as her pussy erupted with a flow of nectar inside her panties. She shook and shuddered beneath her lover as a muted scream escaped her lips into her companion's mouth. She trembled with release and then gradually relaxed with a sigh of utter satisfaction. Lucy stared dreamily into Sparky's face. "That was intense," she murmured quietly.

The girl smiled warmly and said, "The pleasure was all mine."

Lucy giggled. "Well, not all yours." Lucy lazily climbed off the couch and picked up her sweater and bra from the floor. Sparky watched her friend and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I should probably be going before we go too far."

"Personally, I'm all for going a bit further," Sparks leered lustily. "Especially now that I've seen your sexy body."

"Well, I for one am not ready for that yet."

"Yet?" Sparks grinned lecherously.

"You and I are good friends, Sparks. I don't want to jeopardize that by turning what we have into a purely sexual partnership."

Sparky leaned back across the sofa and opened the front of her dress. She bared her naked chest at Lucy and cooed seductively as she lightly traced a finger through the cleavage of her petite breasts. "How can you leave a poor gal like this?"

Lucy chuckled and shook her head. "You are a very naughty lady."

"Yes, I am." Sparky raised her leg and hooked her ankle on the back of the couch offering Lucy an unobstructed view of her panties beneath the red dress. "Very naughty."

Lucy smiled and moved to sit on the cushion next to her. "What am I going to do with you?"

Sparky lifted the hem of her dress to her waist and grinned. "Anything you want to do, honey."

Lucy dropped her clothes to the floor and sprawled her body on top of her partner. "You are being seductive on purpose," she growled lustfully.

Sparks grinned and wrapped her arms around Lucy's naked back. "Is it working?"

"Absolutely." Lucy pressed her breasts to her lover's chest and hungrily kissed the girl. She could no longer hide her desire for her friend. This was lust, pure and simple. Sparky had offered her unconditional sexual satisfaction and Lucy intended to return the favor. She wedged one arm between their bodies and rubbed her fingers over Sparky's panties.

"Just a minute," Sparks murmured into Lucy's mouth.

Lucy stopped and rose up supported on one arm, her other hand clamped on Sparky's crotch. "What is it?"

"Give me a sec." Sparky lifted her butt off the couch and quickly peeled her briefs down her legs. She spread her knees wide with her panties gathered around her ankles and pulled Lucy's lips down onto hers. "Now you may continue," she panted into Lucy's mouth.

Lucy rubbed her fingers over Sparky's naked vagina. She smiled as she kissed her partner, thinking how sexy and erotic it was feeling her best friend's pussy. She swirled her fingers around the girl's pubic mound and over the soft folds of her vagina.

"Oh yes," Sparky exhaled into Lucy's mouth. "You have a sensual touch."

"You are one sensuous woman," Lucy growled.

"Suck my titties."

Lucy shifted down her friend's body and flicked her tongue over the pointed tip of her partner's erect nipple. Her fingers continued to massage the girl's pubic area. Sparky writhed and panted breathlessly beneath her. "Oh God," she moaned. "You are so good."

Lucy moved her mouth to the girl's other breast. "You like?"

"Oh, yes," Sparky sighed with contentment. She lightly raked her fingernails over Lucy's back. "Getting off is so much better with a partner," Sparky rasped breathlessly. "Keep it up." Lucy licked her friend's breasts and stroked her vagina, the girl undulating her body below her. "Oh fuck yes," she whimpered. "You're going to make this girl cum."

Lucy rose up and stared down into the girl's face. She never realized how beautiful Sparky truly was. "You gonna cum for me, baby?" Lucy demanded, her fingers moving feverously over the sensitive nub of Suzie's clit. "Are you gonna cum?"

"Oh yes," Sparky whined pitifully. "I'm going to cum. Keep it up. Just like that. Yes!" The girl arched her spine off the sofa cushion. "That's it. Oh, fuck yes. I'm so close. Don't stop. Don't stop. That's it. Oh yeah. I'm cumming... I'm cumming... oh fuck... YES!"

Sparky shuddered and jerked as her cunt erupted with juice onto Lucy's fingers. Lucy continued to rub the girl's seeping vagina until her friend collapsed utterly spent beneath her. "Holy shit," he girl exhaled dreamily. "You are incredible."

Lucy lowered her body to lay on top of her friend's naked chest. "You're pretty wonderful yourself." She tenderly kissed her contented companion on the lips. "I'm glad we decided to be best friends with benefits."

"Me too." Sparky sighed deeply and tenderly stroked her fingers along Lucy's bare spine. "We definitely need to do this again sometime." She smiled coyly at her friend. "How does tomorrow night sound to you?"

Lucy laughed. "Ye gads, I've created a monster!"

"I just know a good thing when I find it." She softly kissed Lucy on the mouth and smiled demurely. "I happen to be looking at a good thing right now."

Lucy grinned happily. "You're sweet."

Chapter 4

The next morning, Lucy arrived at the shop to find that Sparky had already opened the office and had a pot of coffee brewing.

"Hey, girl!" Sparky chirped merrily as she poured herself a cup. "I got an email from the parts distributor over in Knowlton. He found that fuel injector I was looking for. Do you want me to run over and pick it up or have him ship it to us?"

Lucy set her purse aside and regarded her friend curiously. "What are you doing?"

Sparks looked bewildered at her boss. "What do you mean?"

"How can you act like nothing happened between us last night?"

The mechanic gave her friend a knowing smile. "Did you expect me to throw my arms around you and give you a big wet sloppy kiss on those beautiful luscious lips of yours?"

"No... well... maybe..."

Sparky flapped her hand dismissively at the woman. "Of course I realize something happened. Something amazing -- incredible, if I may say so myself. Things are different now because we are different. Yesterday we were two good friends and today we are two good friends who got laid last night." She moved around the counter to her employer. "However, what we do in our personal time should have no effect on our working relationship."

Lucy remained puzzled. "If you say so."

Sparks stepped close to Lucy and gave her a long wet kiss on the mouth. "Good morning, boss!" she lilted brightly. "Better?"

Lucy laughed with good humor. "Much!"

"Just remember that at the shop we are all business. But after hours, we can do anything we want." Sparky smiled demurely and drew a finger over the top of Lucy's breast. "And I do mean anything!"

Lucy chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Sounds great to me!"

"Fabulous!" Sparks patted Lucy on the butt and said, "Now let's get to work, boss!"

Lucy found Sparky in the parts room looking for a specific oil filter. "I have a question for you," Lucy posed without emotion in her voice. "What would you consider to be sexual harassment in the workplace?"

Sparky's eyes never left the tags on the parts bins. "Your not kissing or groping me whenever you pass by me, that's what."

"What happened to 'all business at the shop'?"

"A little employee appreciation goes a long way in maintaining company morale."

Lucy chuckled and moved closer. She caressed her hand over Sparky's back down to her rear. "In that case, I'll try to be a more attentive boss in the future."

The girl giggled and turned her face to her friend. "I'd appreciate that." She looked back to the bins on the shelf. "And I definitely appreciate that, too."

Lucy grinned and groped her friend's butt. "You like that?"

"Yes."

Lucy moved closer and pressed her breasts against Sparky's arm. Her hand continued to massage the girl's rear. "How about this?"

"Much better." Sparks turned her head and met Lucy's lips in a lingering kiss. "Working conditions around here are definitely improving, one hundred percent."

"I'm glad." Lucy kissed her once again and smiled. "I told Kevin Baines he can pick up his Camaro sometime this afternoon."

"It's all done but the paperwork."

"Great." Lucy removed her hand and turned to leave. "I'm glad you and I had this little chat, Miss Commons."

Sparky giggled. "Me too." As Lucy turned to leave, she heard Sparky chuckle under her breath. "The hell with sexual harassment," she murmured. "Our way is so much better."

Shortly before noon, Sparky entered the front reception area and found Lucy entering invoices into the computer. "I need to run to O'Reilly's to pick up a manifold gasket," the girl said. "You need anything?"

"Sure." Lucy removed a twenty-dollar bill from her purse and handed it to her. "Stop and pick up a foot-long sub sandwich for us to share for lunch. Any kind is fine with me. You choose."

Sparky nodded and accepted the cash. "Sounds good. You want any chips or a drink with that?"

"Yeah. A bag of anything and a diet Coke is okay."

"You're easy," Sparky grinned with a seductive wink. "I like that in a woman."

Fifteen minutes after Sparks had gone, a woman with a white Ford LTD pulled into the lot. Lucy strolled out the door to meet her. "Hello!" Lucy called cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"

The lady opened the door and climbed out. "Are you the mechanic?"

"Sometimes."

The woman looked Lucy up and down with a skeptical frown. Lucy smiled, knowing that most people typically didn't associate gorgeous redheads wearing a pleated skirt and short sleeve blouse with wrench-turning grease monkeys. "It's my car," the lady explained. "It recently developed a rattle under the hood. It doesn't sound too serious, but it is rather annoying. Do you think you could take a look at it and tell me if it is serious or not?"

"I would be happy to. Let's pop the hood and take a look." Lucy reached in the open driver's door and pulled the lever to unfasten the latch. She circled to the front of the car and raised the hood. Lucy examined the engine for any obvious loose housing or cowling.

"Start her up for me, if you please." The customer climbed into the car and started the engine. The metallic clatter was immediately evident.

"You see what I mean?" the lady whined pitifully. "This car was a gift from my dear departed husband, God rest his soul," the woman explained nervously. "I shudder to imagine having to give it up."

"I understand," Lucy nodded sympathetically. "Shut the engine off for me, please." The woman did as she was instructed. "I'll be right back." Lucy ducked into the garage and returned with several wrenches. She tinkered under the hood for a few moments, then poked her head out. "Try it now."

The woman started the car. The noise was gone. "You did it!" she exclaimed, her face a combination of amazement and joy.

Lucy gave her wry smile and shut the hood. "No big deal. The bracket for the horn had come loose and was making a bit of a racket. I tightened up the securing nut, that's all."

"How much do I owe you?"

Lucy smiled and flapped her hand in dismissal. "Think nothing of it. I was glad to be of service."

The lady was pleasantly surprised. "You won't charge me?"

"Nope. It does my heart good to help a lady in distress."

"That's very kind of you."

Lucy offered her hand to shake. "Come on back if you ever have a problem. We're here to help."

The lady regarded her in curious amazement. "What is your name, young lady?" she asked.

"Lucy Lanes. I own the shop."

"You're a very lovely lady," the woman remarked honestly. "I didn't expect someone like you to be working on cars."

"Don't let this pretty face and fine figure fool you," Lucy laughed. "I've been an auto mechanic practically all my life. My father owned the garage until he passed away a few months ago. Now I'm in charge."

"Do you enjoy it?"

Lucy was thoughtful for a moment, then said, "I don't think there is anything I'd rather be doing. I provide a service to the community and I have fun doing it. What more can a woman ask out of life?"

The lady chuckled and nodded in agreement. "What else, indeed!" She shook hands with Lucy and moved to sit behind the steering wheel of her car. "I shall remember to bring business your way, young lady."

"It will be greatly appreciated," Lucy smiled and waved. "Have a great day!"

Sparky entered the front door carrying a paper sack in each hand. "Anything exciting happen while I was gone?"

"Not much. A woman had a problem with a noise that turned out to be loose support bracket. I fixed it and sent her on her way."

"How much did you charge her?"

Lucy shrugged casually. "I didn't. It wasn't worth writing up a service ticket for that little thing."

Sparky set the sacks down and nodded with understanding. It wasn't unusual for the garage to provide pro bono work to help foster good PR and perhaps garner potential future customers. "Sounds like something your father would do."

Lucy smiled at her friend. "It's nourishment for the soul to do a good turn now and then."

Sparky chuckled under her breath. "How philosophical of you."

The two ate lunch in the front office, Lucy in the swivel chair at her desk and Sparky relaxing in a chair at her side, the girl's feet resting atop an open drawer of a filing cabinet.

"So, why don't you come over to my place for dinner tonight?" Sparks asked between bites of her sandwich.

Lucy tilted her head with a curious expression on her face. "Tonight?" A knowing smile crept across her lips. "It seems like you can't get enough of me this week."

Her friend casually shrugged a shoulder. "Nothing fancy. We can order delivery or grab some takeout." She allowed a small smile. "To be honest, I was hoping we could pick up where we left off last night."

Lucy returned a wide grin. "To be honest, so would I."

Sparky paused between bites. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I have to admit, I am more than a little curious about what happens next. To be honest, being with you is fun, exciting, and very satisfying. You got me wanting more of that."

Her friend tilted her head with a puzzled expression. "You're not worried we'll become sexual partners?"

"I was concerned about that, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea." She took a drink of her soda. "I mean, when you enter into a relationship with someone, you go through the process of finding out things about one another -- their likes and dislikes, things you have in common." She stabbed a crouton on her salad and ate it. "You and I are already past that. If this was a courtship ritual between a man and a woman, I would say that a physical relationship would be the next logical step."

"Perfectly reasonable," Sparky nodded in agreement.

"Perhaps sometime down the road, the sexual aspect may taper off to be more focused on cuddling, hugging and kissing."

"Perhaps."

Lucy pointed her fork at the girl for emphasis. "Therefore, if we follow the process to its logical and inevitable conclusion, sex is merely a phase in a relationship that blossoms into a stronger and closer friendship."

"Just so long as sex is part of the cycle, it's okay by me."

"Then it's settled; dinner and sex at your place."

Sparky ate a potato chip and nodded sagely. "Seven o'clock okay with you?"

"Sounds perfect."

Miss Commons opened the door to her apartment and grinned broadly at her guest. Lucy wore a sleeveless dark blue satin dress falling a few inches above the knee. "Wow!" she exclaimed in awe. "You look incredible!"

"Thank you," Lucy smiled genuinely. She had a carryout bag of Chinese food in her left hand and a bottle of white wine in her right. Lucy nodded to her companion. "You look pretty amazing yourself."

Sparky performed a cute curtsey in her pleated scarlet skirt that nicely matched her lacy cream short-sleeve top. "Thank you, madam," she smiled. "I like to look like a real girl every now and then."

"Well, you certainly succeeded in that respect." Lucy raised the bottle in her hand. "I brought some Chardonnay for dinner. I hope white wine is okay with you."

"Works for me." Sparky opened the door wider for her friend to enter. "We can chill out and have some wine on the couch, unless you're hungry now."

"We can relax a bit first." Lucy set her packages on the kitchen counter and turned to her hostess. She opened her arms, inviting Sparky for a hug. Sparky moved closer and took the girl in a warm embrace. After a short hug, Sparky relaxed her hold on her friend. Lucy kept her arms around her friend's waist and leaned back, eying her playfully. "What, no kiss hello?"

Sparky giggled and gave her companion a quick peck on the lips. "Hello!"

Lucy pouted. "That's it?"

Sparks wrinkled her brow with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean?"

"I've been thinking about kissing you all day. I don't know about you, girlfriend, but lately I've been feeling some serious electricity between us. Every time I've felt sparks flying from your kiss, it was after cocktails at the bar or after we downed a bottle of wine the other night. I want to try an experiment. I want to try kissing you before we open that bottle, just in case it was the wine doing the talking and not your lips."

Sparky chuckled and shook her head. "A little gratuitous kissing and groping and I've unleashed a monster!"

"Let's call it experimental research."

Sparky laughed and nodded. "Very well. Let's check it out."

Their lips met softly for a lingering embrace. Lucy sighed and exhaled her breath into her lover's mouth. This kiss was just as wonderful as the one last night, but without as much passion. Sparky flicked her tongue into Lucy's mouth and moved her hands lower down Lucy's back. Her palms lightly stroked over the girl's rear. Lucy gasped and pulled Sparky closer to her chest. Her loins tingled with arousal. For the first time in her life, she wondered what it would be like to have hot unbridled passionate sex with a woman. Sparky groped Lucy's butt with her fingers and Lucy pressed her crotch to the girl's hand. Lucy hungrily kissed her partner with rising passion. Her loins tingled and an electrifying jolt instantly spread throughout her body. Lucy felt her temperature rise and her face flush. She was definitely getting turned on!

Lucy suddenly realized that if they didn't end this soon, she was going to make out with her best friend right there on the kitchen floor. She broke their embrace and leaned back, her pulse quickened and her breath in short gasps. "Holy shit!" Lucy rasped breathlessly. "That was one hell of a kiss!"

Sparky smiled and nodded. "Nine point five on the Richter scale."

Lucy moved a step back, her hands still resting on her friend's waist. "I think we can state with a substantial amount of certainty that it definitely wasn't the wine last night."

"Definitely not."

Lucy broke away and moved to the wine bottle on the counter. "Whoo!" she exhaled, fanning her face with her hand. "Speaking of wine, I think I could go for some right about now."

"Good idea." Sparky opened the bottle and gestured her head toward the living room. "Let's go relax on the couch."

Lucy returned a wry smile. "I seem to recall what happened the last time you and I were on that couch."

"And I see you are wearing a skirt again tonight," Sparky wryly replied. "Should I check to see if you are wearing any panties under there?"

"Maybe later," Lucy laughed. "Let's have some wine first."

Sparks filled two wine glasses and offered Lucy one. "To us!" she toasted.

Lucy tilted her head with a curious smile. "To us?"

"Yes! Two lovely ladies sharing a lovely evening together."

"Lovely!" Lucy chuckled and tapped her glass to her host's. "To us!"

Sparky slipped her arm through Lucy's elbow and led her to the living room. "Seriously, Luce," she said, "I've been giving a lot of thought to our current dating arrangement."

"Fantasizing about having hot girl sex, you mean."

"Well, yeah. There has been a lot of that." She steered her guest to the couch and they sat. "But mostly about the companionship aspect. Don't get me wrong; it's great working together at the shop. But now it feels like I have someone I can share my life with, you know? You and I have been best friends for years, but now I have a chance to be truly intimate with someone. More than just friends, you know?"

"I know what you mean," Lucy nodded as she sipped her wine. "I've been looking for that kind of relationship with a man. The kind of intimacy where I can be free to tell my partner my innermost secrets and desires. To open myself up completely without fear of judgment." She rested her hand on her friend's knee. "I feel like I can have that kind of relationship with you, Sparks. It's an intimacy and connecting on a soul level that I yearn for."

"Me too." Sparky sipped her wine and smiled demurely over the rim. "Speaking of intimacy, why don't you and I get naked and go for a quick roll in the sheets?"

Lucy expelled her breath in a loud guffaw. "Wow! You don't waste any time, do you?"

"Hey, you're the one who is still looking for the perfect man in her life. That means someday I may be sidelined for Mister Wonderful. I have to grab every opportunity I can when the moment it presents itself."

Lucy glanced at the kitchen. "What about dinner?"

"That's what microwaves are for." Sparky set her drink aside and rose to her feet. "What do you say?" she grinned, offering her hand to her friend. "Feeling a little frisky?"

Lucy laughed and shook her head in disbelief. "What am I going to do with you?"

Sparky took Lucy's hand and helped her to her feet. "That is a very good question," the girl leered lustfully. "What are you going to do with me?" Sparky led Lucy by the hand to the bedroom and stopped beside the bed. When Lucy began to unbutton her blouse, Sparky said, "Wait!"

Lucy paused and frowned with a puzzled expression. "What for?"

"Leave your clothes on," Sparky smiled seductively. "Except for these, of course." She lowered to squat on her haunches and reached under Lucy's skirt, tugging her panties down her legs.

"You are one sexy lady!" Lucy laughed. She kicked her briefs aside as Suzie removed her own panties.

"I just want to experiment, that's all." Sparks moved closer and cupped one of Lucy's breasts in her palm. "I think it's more erotic when you leave something to the imagination."

"Did you read about this in one of your romance novels?"

"How did you guess?"

Sparky gently squeezed Lucy's breast in the blue satin dress and crushed her mouth to Lucy's lips in a fiery kiss. Lucy wrapped her arms around Sparky's waist and returned the kiss with equal passion. She loved having a partner who wasn't afraid to try new things.

Lucy slid her hands lower and groped the girl's buttocks in her hands. Sparky flicked her tongue into Lucy's mouth and the two were quickly sharing a French kiss, their tongues tangling as they groped one another beside the bed.

Sparky moved her other hand between their bodies and reached under Lucy's skirt. Her fingers probed between Lucy's legs and tickled the sensitive nub of her clitoris. Lucy's heart fluttered in her chest with arousal. This gal really knew what it took to turn her on. Lucy slipped her hands under her companion's skirt and groped the girl's bare butt cheeks in her fingers.

Sparky leaned back and eased her mouth from Lucy's, their tongues still flicking and tickling in the space between their lips. "Feel me," Sparky breathed lustily.

Lucy brought one hand between their bodies and probed the girl's pubic area. She quickly found her partner's vagina and began rubbing her fingertips in and around the soft fleshy folds. It was so erotic, kissing and fingering each other standing beside the bed. Lucy closed her eyes and imagined she was masturbating herself, but her fingers were not responding to her brain. It was like they had a mind of their own. Lucy shoved her fingers in deeper and soon she was pumping in and out of Sparky's damp slit. Sparks did the same, quickly raising Lucy to a fever pitch.

"Oh god, yes," Lucy panted lustfully into her lover's mouth. "You got me so hot!"

"And wet," Sparky breathed.

"So are you."

"I think this experiment requires closer examination." Sparky quickly dropped to her knees and flipped the lower hem of Lucy's dress over her head. She ducked under Lucy's dress and pressed her mouth against Lucy's crotch. Lucy squealed in surprise and clamped her hands onto Sparky's head. The girl grabbed Lucy's bare butt in her hands and pulled the girl's vagina tighter to her mouth, her tongue plunging deep into the furthest recesses of her friend's womanhood. Lucy gasped with lust and pulled Sparky's face tighter to her cunt.

"Oh fuck, yes," she panted breathlessly. "God, you are so erotic." Sparky licked and lapped Lucy's pussy, her tongue snaking in and around the woman's moist delicate folds. "Oh shit," Lucy shuddered. "For a novice at this sort of thing, you catch on real quick." She felt the juices welling up inside her and knew she was getting close to a climax. "Oh fuck, Sparks," she whimpered. "You're going to make me cum."

Sparky continued to lick and lap Lucy's vagina, sending the girl's mind into sensual overload. Her body quivered and her legs felt weak. "Oh yes, baby," she moaned. "You're making me cum." Lucy's body shook and jerked as she felt a surge of juices explode from her sated snatch onto her lover's tongue and lips. It was incredible! Nobody had ever performed oral sex on her before. It was fantastic!

Sparky rose to stand and crushed her mouth onto Lucy's in a long passionate kiss. Lucy licked her tongue in and around her lover's mouth, tasting her own pussy nectar on her tongue. It was so sensuous and erotic! Sparks leaned back and smiled at her friend. "Was it good for you?"

"Ho, yeah," Lucy leered lustily. "Now it's my turn." She forced Sparky to lie on her back upon the mattress and flipped the girl's skirt up to her waist. "Turnabout is fair play!"

Lucy leaned down and clamped her hands on her friend's knees, forcing the girl's legs wide apart. Her face was mere inches from the girl's pubic area. Lucy had never seen another woman's vagina so close before. It looked pretty and surprisingly inviting. Lucy flicked her tongue out and licked the folds of her pussy.

"Oh yes," Sparky sighed dreamily. "Lick me, Luce."

Lucy moved closer and swiped her tongue along the damp slit. The taste was salty and delicious. Lucy instantly wanted more. She pressed her face against Sparky's cunt and shoved her tongue deep inside her.

"Oh fuck," the girl rasped. Sparky lay spread eagle on the bed, her hands clutching fistfuls of the bed spread. "You are one incredible lover."

Lucy licked and lapped the girl's cunt, her tongue flicking over the soft fleshy folds. Lucy removed her hands from Sparky's knees and slipped them under her chin to cradle the girl's butt in her palms. Lucy lifted Sparky's rear off the bed and probed her tongue even deeper inside her.

"Shit, yeah," she moaned in lustful delirium. "You go, girl."

Lucy held Sparky's butt up with one hand and poked a finger of her other hand into the girl's vagina. She flicked her tongue over the sensitive nub of her lover's clitoris as her finger sawed in and out of her seeping slit.

"Oh, God! You're fucking me," Sparky moaned. "You're really fucking me."

Lucy kept up her assault on her friend's pussy. Sparky began to whimper and writhe atop the bed. Suddenly the girl jerked and spasmed and a flow of juice flowed onto Lucy's tongue. Her lover's cunt cream tasted delicious and Lucy lapped up every drop. Sparks lay panting on the bed, spent and content.

Lucy crawled on her hands and knees above her friend and smiled down at her languid companion. "Was it good for you?" Lucy giggled.

"We went light years beyond good," Sparky sighed dreamily. "You were absolutely amazing."

Lucy lowered her lips to tenderly kiss her partner. "I like it when you come up with new ways for us to explore one another."

"Me too." Sparky wrapped her arms around Lucy's back and held her close to her chest. They exchanged a long, tender kiss.

At last, Lucy lifted her head and smiled. "Ready for some food and wine?"

"I'm ready." Sparks smiled happily and stroked her finger across Lucy's cheek. "How did I get to be so lucky to have a friend like you?"

"BFF's," Lucy smiled. "Best friends forever."

"And then some," Sparky cooed.

They dined on orange chicken and fried rice as soft jazz gently wafted from the stereo. They talked for hours, covering every topic they could think of.

"I want you to stay the night," Sparks remarked casually.

Lucy raised her eyebrows and cocked her head. "Sleep with you?"

"Perhaps eventually, after we've had plenty of mind-blowing sex."

"I think that may be taking things a bit too far," Lucy said. "Hell, we only just started kissing a few days ago."

"Are you worried the excitement will wear off?"

"On the contrary. I'm afraid I'll like it too much and never want to leave your bedroom."

Sparky offered a knowing grin. "There is that possibility."

Lucy caressed her fingers along her friend's arm. "There is no need to worry over me losing interest in you, Sparks. I found a good thing here. I don't want us to overdo it and burn out in a super nova of sex."

Sparky chuckled and said, "There is that possibility as well."

"I really do want to sleep with you, Sparky. I just want us to take it slow and not rush it."

"I understand." She took Lucy's hand in hers. "I think I found a good thing too. Each time we're together, it keeps getting better and better."

Lucy smiled affectionately at the girl. "It most certainly does."