Wedding Dances Ch. 01 - Swing

This two-part story follows from several earlier ones. You can find my recommended reading order at my author page. If you're starting here, that's fine, I hope the story stands alone.

If you do want to know more about background, this story is mostly dependent on Mentor, though of course that's dependent on earlier stories - see the recommended reading order. It also contains heavy spoilers for Mentor, since it's set two years after the end of that story.

This is one of a set of linked stories. Part 1 overlaps with Spa Day. Part 2 overlaps with the remaining three stories (not yet posted).

Special thanks to THBGato for some major effort improving several aspects of this story.

~~~~~

Wedding Dances

Chapter 1 - Swing

The hot tub was just what Allison needed.

Being maid of honor to her best friend, Anita, had been exciting, but also stressful. She deserved the chance to soak. While Tiff - maid of honor to Kayla, Anita's fiancée, and Allison's counterpart - had put most of the effort into the spa day, Allison had taken more responsibility for the wedding itself, and there were still several stressful weeks ahead when disaster could strike.

She didn't think it would. Anita and Kayla had opted for a simple wedding just outside the city, and Tiff would help her stay on top of events. Allison would have hated to have handled a destination wedding, or a large group. She'd been a bridesmaid to another friend, and the maid of honor had become a husk of her initially ebullient self. Of course, the best man hadn't done a damn thing to help, which wouldn't be an issue here.

Sharing maid of honor duties with Tiff had been great. Tiff was enthusiastic and capable and she would take anything Allison offloaded without complaint. She was funny, and a pleasure to work with, if also an outrageous flirt, but she could be tough with vendors when she needed to be. That had surprised Allison. She'd negotiated a far better deal on this spa package than they'd been led to expect would be possible.

So an all-girl wedding had some benefits. But, as a straight girl in a lesbian wedding party, she found it also had its downsides.

Almost everyone in the group was part of a couple, so it was hard not to feel like a third wheel if she hung out with her friends. In the bridal party were the brides, Anita and Kayla, of course, Margot and Heather, Anita's bridesmaids, who were engaged, Tiff, Kayla's maid of honor whose partner Emma would be standing for Anita, and Kayla's friend Alex and her cousin Tara, who were both unattached (as far as Allison knew) but who also weren't present. Alex lived on the other side of the country; one of the Carolinas, she believed, and Tara was working on high school finals.

Of the four attendees who were not in the wedding party, Hannah and Nyssa were a couple, Diana was a gaming friend of both brides, but Allison had barely met her, and she'd never met Monica, Heather's aunt. Monica wasn't even a wedding guest, but when Kayla had learned that Heather was reconnecting to her family, she suggested that she invite her.

Allison had had issues with Kayla in the past, and even now she thought her best friend's fiancée could be self-centered, but she had a good heart.

Still, in the whole group that left two unattached women, neither of whom she knew well enough to consider a friend.

So yeah, she was enjoying herself, but it was a more solo time for her than for her friends, and with the constant reminder that she had upcoming responsibilities, more stressful. She had a tendency to imagine dire consequences, and without a partner to distract her, it felt good to let the hot tub soak away some of her worries. Her eyes were closed, and she'd slid off the ledge, deep enough almost to be floating, water churning around her body, relaxing...

"May I join you?"

Allison opened one eye, expecting to see one of the women she knew. Instead, the speaker was a young woman whom she didn't recognize. Medium height, bright blue bikini, lightly tanned skin, round sunglasses, and dark hair in some kind of tuck. With a single half-lidded eye, Allison couldn't determine any more than that. Could it be Heather's aunt, perhaps? She didn't seem old enough to be the aunt of a twenty-five year old, but it wasn't impossible.

"Of course," she said, retreating slightly against the wall. She'd been taking up too much of the hot tub for others to be comfortable. She reached behind her for her own sunglasses. With them in place, she looked up at her visitor. "I'm pretty sure the hot tubs aren't single-occupancy, even if I'm being a hog."

The woman smiled at her, then set down her drink. It looked like a mimosa, the same as Allison's. She lowered herself into the water. "God, that feels good."

"Doesn't it, though?" Allison agreed.

"Are you with the other wedding party?" the woman asked.

"Unless your name is Monica, I guess so. One of the others. I think there are three."

"The, uh, all-girl one?"

"That's the one," Allison said. "Anita and Kayla. Anita's my best friend."

"I'd heard there was a big party of lesbians," the woman said.

Allison chuckled. "There is. And you found the only straight girl in the wedding party."

"Well, poo," the woman said, but grinned. "That's fine. I don't have to hit on every good looking girl I meet."

"Just most?" Allison offered. "Though if you're including me in that category, I'm flattered. I'm Allison."

"Natalia," the woman said. "Nice to meet you, Allison." She reached around to pick up her glass, saluting Allison with it. "It's good to meet a straight someone who doesn't run screaming from the gay."

"That's me," Allison said. "I have more girlfriends - in the generic meaning of the term, that is - than guy friends, and a significant number of them are gay. The rest of the wedding party is, as I said, at least the ones who could be here. I've gotta say, though, having a bachelorette where most of the attendees are partnered up seems weird. At any other wedding I've been to, it's the last chance for the main characters to party independently. Where are the male strippers? Where are the female strippers, for this wedding, I guess?"

"Would you want that?" Natalia asked.

Allison lifted a hand, slanting it left and right. "Eh... I'm the only one who'd be interested in guys, anyway. But the singles party dynamic? Yeah, kinda. We all like spa days, though."

"Were you local? College, I mean. Is that why you have so many lesbian friends?" Natalia asked.

"Yeah, and I guess so," Allison said. "I know most of them from university friend groups."

Natalia sighed. "I was out of state. College is a great place to meet girls. The real world, not so much."

"So what do you do when you're not hitting on girls, Natalia?" Allison asked.

"Oh, just the usual. Hang gliding, ziplining, parachute drops, mountain climbing, skiing, lion taming, olympic sprinting...."

"Is any of that true?" Allison asked.

"No." Natalia laughed. "They look good on a Tinder profile. And if she doesn't challenge the lion taming, you know she hasn't paid attention."

"You do a lot of Tinder dating?"

"I've been on one or two. Nothing ultimately successful, or even particularly rewarding."

"So what do you do when you're not taming lions or going on Tinder dates?" Allison asked.

"Walking, reading," Natalia replied. "Bike riding. Bicycle, I mean, not Harley." She grinned wickedly. "I'd rather ride Harley than ride a Harley. Ballroom dancing. I used to sail on the lake when I lived with my parents. They had a small sailboat. Maybe when I'm rich and famous I'll take that up again."

"Would you need to be famous?"

"Hmm. Good point. Just rich, really. I'll skip getting famous. Famous people are always in trouble for something or other anyway." She tilted her head, glancing at Allison over the top of her sunglasses for a moment. Her eyes were brown and merry.

"I used Tinder a couple of times before I met my ex. I seriously hope it's better for lesbians than for us straight folks. At least you don't get inundated with dick pics."

"Oh, how innocent the straight girl is," Natalia said, with a chuckle. "Sure we do. Didn't you know that the right dick will turn any girl straight? And then it's guys pretending to be women, catfishing, and couples wanting threesomes. Is there a current Mr. Allison, or is the ex the latest?"

"You work as an interrogator, don't you? You're with the Eff. Bee. Eye."

"Bzzt," said Natalia. "The ex?"

"He's still the most recent," Allison said. "I dumped him over this wedding, in fact. At Christmas. He started acting like lesbians were plague bearers. My best friend, the bride, is gay, and he's met her a couple of dozen times. I guess he was always uncomfortable. The wedding ramped that up."

"Ouch," Natalia said. "Good on you for not letting prejudice slip past."

"Yeah, I could have ignored his complaints and just done my own thing," Allison said. "I don't have to have perfect harmony with a partner. But that's a pretty fundamental disconnect."

"Yeah, it is," Natalia agreed. She picked up her mimosa and stared at the dregs. "Lunch soon, right? Oh, hey, do you want to partner up for a couples massage after lunch? No implication, it's just more fun to have a partner than solo. Or do you have other things you need to do?"

"Honestly, the reason I'm at a bit of a loose end is I don't have anyone to partner up with, so that sounds great. Just know that you're not getting into my panties."

Natalia sighed theatrically. "Not gonna lie, if that was an option, I'd choose you like a pikachu, but I can recognize that not everyone's on the same page as me. Unlike your ex, I guess." She climbed out of the hot tub, an exaggerated sway to her hips as she walked away, dripping water onto the concrete. Allison chuckled.

~~~~~

After drying, Allison slipped into her lightweight sundress, then went to find lunch, running into the rest of the bridal party. She told them of her meeting with a lesbian from a straight wedding party, saying she'd have to introduce them later. She finally had the chance to meet Monica, who was older than the rest of the party, but seemed very comfortable with them.

Not sure when she was supposed to meet Natalia for the massage session, and having no way to contact her, she wandered around, hoping she'd run into the girl. She finally found her at the end of a hallway, examining a display of leaflets.

Natalia looked up as she approached, giving Allison a warm smile.

"I didn't know when we were going to get together," Allison said.

"Huh. I was just thinking we'd magically know when to show up, I guess," said Natalia. "That wasn't very smart, was it?"

"I didn't challenge you on it," said Allison. "Scheduling didn't seem a thing that was needed."

"Then why don't we..." Natalia's eyes opened wide at something over Allison's shoulder. "Oh, fuck," she said. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." Then with a panicked expression, she said, "Kiss me. Now. Quickly."

"What the f..." began Allison.

"Pretend!" Natalia said, insistently. "Just a peck. I'll explain later. I'll owe you big time. Play along, okay?"

How do you turn down someone in such dire apparent peril? She touched her lips to the girl's, relieved to find that Natalia backed away quickly, a smile on her face that must have been fake, but that looked convincing. She took Allison's hand in her own as she looked up.

"Oh, hey, Mrs. Johnson!" she exclaimed. "I didn't know you were going to be here!"

"It's Dawn, dear, I know I've told you," the woman said. She was medium height, sturdily built, with steel gray curls. Something about her eyes told Allison that she was a formidable person. "I didn't want my Mia getting into anything unsavory. You know how these bridal parties can be."

A girl trailed in the formidable person's wake. This must be her Mia.

"Oh, Mrs. Johnson, you know we'd never organize anything like that."

"I always say, you can't be too careful, dear." Dawn turned to fix Allison with her grey-blue eyes. Allison felt like a bug on the sidewalk, wondering whether Dawn was going to step on her. "And who's this? I don't recognize you, dear. Are you one of Caroline's friends?"

"This is my friend Allison, Mrs. Johnson," said Natalia, with just the right amount of emphasis to imply that she was something more. "She's part of a different wedding. It seems we scheduled our spa days at the same time. Isn't that great?"

"Isn't it, though," said Dawn, with more than a hint of suspicion, but seeming not to know what to be suspicious about.

"You remember I mentioned Mrs. Johnson," Natalia said to Allison. With a quick, hard squeeze of her fingers, she said, "She's Noah's mom."

"Oh, right. Of course. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Johnson," Allison said, her fingers feeling bruised. Noah, she suspected, was the groom, which would make Caroline the bride.

"It's Dawn, dear," said Dawn. "You will be joining us for dinner, won't you?"

The flash of panic in Natalia's eyes suggested she hadn't foreseen this. "She has her own party, Mrs. Johnson. I can't keep her away too long."

"Nonsense," scoffed Dawn. "They must see her all the time," she insisted. "It will be good for her to meet more of your friends, and for Mia to be around more..." her voice dropped conspiratorially, "gay people. And there will be dancing! You must know how good a dancer Natalia is if you're her..." her voice dropped again, "girlfriend."

Oh, dear God, what had Allison gotten herself into?

"Yes, we all plan to be at the dance," said Allison.

"Will there be any other... lesbians?" Dawn asked, the last word a whisper.

"Most of the party, ma'am. The two brides, for a start."

Dawn's eyes became wide. "You must introduce Mia to them! Perhaps some of them are around now?"

"We have to go, Mrs. Johnson. We have massages booked. But we..." she gave Allison a nervous glance, "will see you both this evening."

"Alright then." Dawn gave them a dubious stare, then left, towing Mia behind her.

When the woman had left the hallway, Natalia released Allison's hand, slumping against the nearest wall. "Oh, crap, what have I done?" she asked. "I panicked. I thought if she thought I had a girlfriend she'd leave me alone. Instead I've dragged you into her orbit."

"Natalia... dearest girlfriend," said Allison, "my love, will you please tell me what the fuck is going on?"

Natalia hid her face in her hands. "Let's go get a drink. We may need more than one, today. And get our names down for a massage."

~~~~~

They sat outside, close to the pool. They were scheduled for a pre-massage hot tub session in thirty minutes, table in an hour.

"Start talking, doll," Allison drawled.

"Dawn is Noah's mom. Noah's marrying Caroline. I'm one of Caroline's bridesmaids," Natalia said, in a rush.

"I had that much figured out," Allison said.

"Dawn is the most overbearing person I know," said Natalia. "Her daughter Mia came out a few months ago. The good news is Dawn isn't a homophobe, even if she's awkward around lesbians." She whispered the word as Dawn would, making air quotes. "The bad news is that Momma Dawn is going to see to it that Mia finds a girlfriend, if she has to hunt one down and tie her up herself. I've barely escaped being her target before. I avoid her, always. I really didn't think she would be here. This is Caroline's bachelorette, and Dawn is not in the bridal party. Nor is Mia. When I saw her, I figured I could sidestep her matchmaking by having a girlfriend at the ready."

"Maybe with fifteen minutes prep you could have found something better," Allison said. "Maybe with fifteen seconds thought, you might have realized anything would have been better." She grinned at Natalia, who wouldn't have seen, because she had her hands over her face. "It's okay, you know," Allison continued. "I'm enjoying this."

"What? Why?" Natalia dropped her hands.

Allison took a sip of her drink and grinned again. "I'm seeing this tough-talking lesbian Lothario, lion tamer, Tinder dater, choose you like a Pikachu - that was pretty good, by the way - reduced to a nervous wreck, just because you don't want to date her daughter!"

"I'm not a nervous wreck!" Natalia objected. "I'm distraught because I dragged you into this! I thought it would be oh, look, she has a girlfriend, they just kissed, she won't be interested in my little girl, and instead you now have a whole girlfriend part to play. And you're straight!"

Allison bit her lip. The situation really was amusing. "Are you a good dancer? I meant to follow up on that when you mentioned dancing earlier."

Natalia was clearly surprised at the change of topic. "I am. Very."

"So am I," said Allison. "I did local competitive dance as a teen. I love dancing. I've even danced with girls before, since there are always more girls than boys in teen groups, and I've been helping one of the brides with her salsa. This might be fun. Can you lead?"

"Honey," Natalia's tone was acerbic, "I'm gay."

~~~~~

The massage was, not to overstate the facts, wonderful. Allison felt like a new person after it. She and Natalia had chatted in the hot tub, then tried to continue their conversation through the massage, but the enforced relaxation made it hard to focus, while the massage therapist's hands beat and squeezed the tension out of her. She was even looking forward to the challenge of playing Natalia's fake girlfriend at dinner.

"You know," she said, surfacing from her stupor for a moment, "you are going to owe me big time for this. Big. Time."

"I know," came a subdued voice from the other table. "I know."

~~~~~

After the massage, they slouched in lounge chairs in the sun, with water bottles to rehydrate.

"Looks like you just did the same as us."

Allison looked up to see Anita grinning down at her. She and her fiancée were in swimsuits, carrying water bottles. "Couples massage?" she asked.

"Yeah. You did couples, too? Who with?" Anita asked, eyebrows raised.

Allison waved her water bottle toward the girl in the next chair, who was looking up at the pair. "It seems I found a girlfriend. I didn't even know I was looking for one. Natalia, my love, this is my best friend, Anita, and her soon-to-be wife, Kayla."

"You're not going to let it rest, are you?" came the girl's exasperated voice.

"I'm not," Allison agreed. "I'm enjoying making my girlfriend squirm. Isn't that something you lesbians like to do?"

As Anita and Kayla settled into their own chairs, she outlined the situation. "Having met Dawn, though, I can't say I wouldn't have wanted to do the same in Natalia's place."

"Is her daughter such a problem?" Kayla asked. "Maybe go out with her a couple of times, break up before she has time to get attached, tell her mom it didn't work out?"

"Oh, God, no." Natalia rolled to face them. "Dawn would have us married within the year."

"If she's really so overbearing, what about your friend, the bride?" Kayla asked. "She's marrying a man with issues."

Natalia shook her head. "Noah's great," she said. "He can handle his mother. They're not close. If it weren't for Mia, he might cut contact entirely."

"Poor girl," said Anita. "I can relate."

"Hmph, I guess you can," said her fiancée.

~~~~~

Allison hadn't brought many clothes, but the dance had been part of the plan from the beginning. The resort had a dance band and a large hall. She'd expected to be dancing mostly with Kayla, who often looked to Allison when Anita decided she'd spent enough time on the floor. Tonight she'd have a different partner, and she'd find out whether Natalia's boasts had merit.

So she had a single dress in her garment bag, a flowing purple off the shoulder dress that would double well as a "date" outfit. And low heels for dancing. She'd remembered to trade numbers with Natalia, and texted her when she was dressed.

Natalia waited for her outside. Her eyes swept over Allison. "Jesus," she said. "You clean up nicely, don't you?"

Allison chuckled. "You're looking pretty good, yourself."

Natalia was wearing a red velvet hip-hugging mini dress with hose and pumps. "As if you would know."

"Hey, I can tell what looks good," Allison objected. "Seeing a beautiful woman might not affect me like it would Anita or Kayla, but I still know beauty when I see it. Isn't that dress a little warm for summer?"

Natalia's face had colored at Allison's words. She shook her head. "No, it's well-ventilated."

Allison glanced at the high hem and the V-neck spaghetti strap top, a couple of inches of smooth, tanned cleavage on display. The best push-up bra Allison could buy wouldn't give her half the effect. "I guess it is."

"Shall we seek out Dawn?" Natalia suggested.

"Let me introduce you to my other friends, first," Allison said. "They should have arrived a few minutes ago."

The dance band wasn't a large ensemble, but their arrangements of big band music was good for both dancing and dinner conversation.

When Allison and Natalia arrived at the table, Kayla had already shared the story of Allison's temporary fake relationship. Everyone there commiserated with Natalia and wished her the best with her own bridesmaid duties, which were only three weeks away, Anita's wedding six weeks after that.

"Time to beard the lion in her den," said Natalia.

"It's good that you have lion tamer on your resume, then, isn't it?" offered Allison. She reached out to take the other woman's hand, which appeared to cause Natalia a moment of confusion before she recalled that they had parts to play.

Even though only the female half of Caroline's wedding party was present, the group was slightly bigger than Anita's. There was Caroline, her maid of honor, four bridesmaids, including Natalia, her mother and sister, and of course Dawn and Mia. Eleven people, with Allison, at a large table.

For the first time, she felt apprehensive. These people were important to Natalia, and as much as she had created this situation, Allison liked the girl. She didn't want her poor acting skills to cause her problems.

Allison had expected to be interrogated about Natalia's newly-discovered relationship. It didn't begin until they were working on the main course.

"Where did you meet Natalia?" Caroline asked Allison.

"Ziplining," she replied instantly. She'd been waiting for that question.

Natalia had just taken a forkful of food. That was unfortunate. By dexterous application of her napkin and a glass of water she managed not to spit the food back onto her plate, though it appeared to be a close call.

"Oh, sorry," Allison said, before she'd finished coughing. "I'm wrong. It was hang gliding."

Natalia gave her a dangerous look. This time she was able to speak. "Allison..."

"Was it parachuting?" Allison asked, disingenuously.

"I've never done any of those things!" Natalia said. "You know that!"

"Well, that's what it says on your Tinder profile!" Allison announced.

Natalia raised her voice to a wail. "They are not on my Tinder profile!" She looked around the table. "Did I just admit to having a Tinder profile?"

"I think you did, Nat," said Caroline.

Natalia sighed. "We didn't meet on Tinder. We met in a coffee shop."

That was a convenient lie for Allison, so she stepped in to help out. "Level Grind in the U district." A flash of inspiration struck that would definitely work for Natalia and would be plausible to the rest of the group. "I had my notebook open to a web page about bridesmaid etiquette, since I'd just become my friend's maid of honor."

Natalia slipped right in. "So I asked her what she could teach me about being a bridesmaid."

"That's sweet," one of the other bridesmaids interjected. "What did you learn?"

"Well, nothing," said Natalia. "I had ulterior motives." She smirked at Allison. "I mean, look at her. Who wouldn't? Especially when I discovered that it was a lesbian wedding."

Allison felt her face heat from the complement, but Natalia had perfectly pitched the ball back to her. She now had a topic she was intimately familiar with and which would interest the party. It was fifteen minutes before the conversation began to flag.

And she still had a way to stay relevant without knowing anything more about Natalia. When one of the bridesmaids eyed her speculatively, she turned to Natalia. "You told me you had all those things on your profile."

"I lied, babe," she said. "No one who's not a troll would claim those hobbies. But you know what that tells me?"

Allison shook her head while her fake girlfriend made cow eyes at her.

"It means you've never tried to find my Tinder account. That makes me happy."

Allison laughed at that. She held out her hand. Natalia took it for several seconds before returning to her food. Lowering her voice enough to sound like she was intending the words to be private, Allison said, "I hope you've deleted it now."

"Of course I have, babe," Natalia replied.

The performance seemed convincing enough. Allison would believe it herself if she didn't know better. The women at the table opened up to her then, and she caught Natalia giving her a pleased, almost possessive smile. Job well done.

When they were waiting for dessert, Caroline spoke up. "So you're using your plus one, Nat?" she asked. "That will be a relief. Emily wasn't sure how we'd balance your table." She smiled at her maid of honor, who nodded in agreement.

Allison glanced at her companion, seeing another flash of panic. Oh, shit. Another issue they hadn't anticipated.

"Uh," Natalia began, clearly at a loss. "We didn't plan for... uh, haven't been together long, and no one knows her..."

"We know her now," Caroline declared. "I like her. You like her enough to date her." She turned to Allison. "Do you have plans more important than supporting your girlfriend as a bridesmaid?"

Well, when she put it like that... Christ, Natalia, we met five hours ago and you've turned my life upside down. You owe me so big I don't think you even have the currency to repay me. "Uh, no, nothing that I can't postpone. I guess I need to find a dress..."

"There's no dress code for guests," Caroline said. "What you're wearing now is lovely. We won't tell anyone we've seen it before, right, girls?"

When the topic turned to gossip about someone not in attendance, Allison began to relax.

"Thank God you said Level Grind," whispered Natalia. This time her words were too quiet for anyone to hear.

"Why's that?" Allison asked.

"I didn't know where you lived. I could hardly ask, if we're supposed to be dating, but we're halfway between two cities here. You might have been from the wrong side of the mountains."

"Oh fuck," Allison whispered in return, giving her a relieved smile.

"Yeah. That's one hurdle crossed."

~~~~~

Two glasses of wine and a very fine coffee later, Allison's turmoil was becoming resignation. Anita was going to love this predicament. And - oh God, Allison felt a shiver at the thought - this would be fodder for Tiff's mischief for years.

There was one aspect of the charade that she was looking forward to. She leaned toward Natalia and whispered, "Are you going to ask me to dance? You are the gay one, remember?"

"Are you being prejudiced?" Natalia whispered back, with a smile. "You're perfectly free to ask me. Especially because at this table you are gay. No one here will bat an eyelid if you ask me."

"You're leading," Allison whispered. "You ask. Those are the rules."

Natalia chuckled, with a shake of her head. "Allison, would you like to dance?" She stood, holding out her hand palm up.

Allison rose and placed her hand on the woman's. "Of course, babe." She schooled her face not to show amusement at the slight rise in Natalia's eyebrows.

~~~~~

Natalia was a good dancer. Very good. Better than Allison, in spite of her teen competitions, and entirely comfortable with leading. When she realized that Allison was able to pick up on minute cues they began to be less reserved in their dancing, Allison relying completely on Natalia's touch to signal dips, turns and independent steps. After a very energetic swing number, she heard applause from Anita's table. Tiff stared at them with her mouth open.

Kayla beckoned them over. She stood, motioning for Natalia to sit. "That was brilliant," she said.

"Yeah, well, that's the good part of the evening," Allison said.

"More problems with the lioness?" asked Kayla.

Allison shook her head. "Worse." She glanced over at Natalia. "You tell them."

Natalia took in a deep breath, then let it whoosh out before taking another. "Allison is now my date for the wedding in three weeks."

"You're really dating?" asked Tiff, her eyes wide.

"No!" Allison hissed. Then she added, "Except, yes."

"I am so fucking mad at myself for doing this to her," Natalia said.

Moved to sympathy, Allison squeezed her shoulder, leaving her hand in place on the girl's warm skin. "It's okay. It wasn't a bad idea. It just... took on a life of its own." She grinned at Tiff. "If we're not careful, her friends are going to have Natalia married to me instead of Mia."

Tiff smirked, grabbing her girlfriend's hand. Emma grinned at her. "There are worse things in life than being hitched to a good woman," she said.

"Don't even joke about it," said Natalia.

"Tiff jokes about everything," said Kayla. "But you realize that you can't just be together in three weeks? You have to act like you like each other. Gaze into each other's eyes. Hold hands. Maybe even some kissing."

"We fake kissed once, we can do it again," said Natalia. "I don't know about gazing longingly at each other, though. We might start laughing. Or crying."

"Maybe you need to practise," offered Tiff. "Go on a real date and stare at each other."

"Tiff, do you mean stare," Allison pointed to her eyes, "or stir?" She made the motion of stirring a pot. "Because you're very good at one of those."

Emma smirked at that.

"She has a point, though," said Anita. "Not about the staring, but you could go out for coffee and learn a little about each other's history."

"Yeah, I'll open my notebook to 'Bridesmaid Etiquette,' too," Allison said. "What about it, Natalia? Level Grind, Monday evening?"

"God, I'm taking up so much of your time," Natalia said, "but I guess I could."

"It's okay, you'll be paying for the coffee," Allison said. "I think we should get back to your friends. Do you want to dance some more?"

"Sure, but then I need another glass of wine." She stood and took Allison's hand.

"See you all tomorrow," said Allison with a quick salute to the wedding party.

"How tall are you?" Allison asked, as they danced back to Caroline's group. "About five six?"

"Five five," said Natalia. "Say, five seven in these shoes."

"I'm not used to dancing with anyone less than five ten. I like not having to strain my neck so much to see my partner. And I think you lead better than any guy I've danced with."

And, truth to tell, the feel of the dance hold was interestingly different with a girl. When she danced with Kayla she'd avoided getting so close. She wasn't used to the smooth skin against her palm, the occasional soft pressure against her chest or the gently spicy fragrance that reached her when she was close to her partner.

~~~~~

It wasn't just coffee.

They did meet at Level Grind. It was a laid-back evening, and successful, in that each learned a superficial amount about the other. Perhaps more importantly, Allison discovered that she enjoyed Natalia's company outside the strange atmosphere of the resort, with their scheming and dancing. Natalia, her hair down, in denim shirt and jeans was still fun to be around.

But then there was another minor panic the following day.

Natalia: "Hey, Allison, are you doing anything Friday?"

Allison: "I don't think so."

Natalia: "Noah and Caroline want to see Thunderbolts. They asked me if I want to go, but they seem to be expecting my "girlfriend" to join me. I'll buy your ticket if you can come."

Allison: "It's Thunderbolts*. And you can buy my ticket if I can pay for concessions."

Natalia: "Why the asterisk?"

Allison: "I have no idea, but I want to see the movie. It's a date!????????????"

Natalia: "This was such a bad idea and I hate you!"

Allison: "I know! Where shall I meet you?"

Before the movie evening was over - though not until Allison learned what the asterisk meant - Caroline invited the pair to go bed shopping with her and Noah. They had decided that they didn't want to spend their wedding night on the creaky old queen bed in their apartment. But allowing for delivery time and the fact that their lives were about to get very busy, this weekend was the only time they had to make a selection. Did Natalia and Allison want to join them?

Of course, they'd buy the pair drinks and burgers at one of the downtown brewpubs.

Allison made a microscopic shrug to Natalia.

"Uh, sure," Natalia said.

Allison had no difficulty staying deadpan when Caroline needled them about their shared mattress preferences, or whether a particular headboard could have useful properties, but Natalia's face grew pink a few times.

"You make a terrible Lothario," Allison whispered.

"What was that?"

"Lo-tha-ri-o. You're a poor one, Natalia."

"God, tell me about it," she griped. "And call me Nat. My friends do. It will be weird if you keep calling me Natalia."

"Okay, Nat,' Allison said. "Call me Ali."

Natalia and Allison left the pub together for appearance's sake, hand in hand, but took separate Ubers when they were out of sight.

And there was Caroline's "final girls' night." Which purpose Allison would have expected the bachelorette to serve, but Caroline wanted something less formal and involving far more alcohol. That turned out to be a downtown karaoke cafe. Allison agreed to go, but only if she could be a designated driver.

"Noah offered to take everyone home in shifts, Ali," Natalia said.

"Mmm. And what happens when he finds out he isn't dropping me off at your place?" Allison responded.

"Oh, right. Good point."

"Also, I'd prefer to be sober in case of any awkward questions," Allison said. "And I really don't want a hangover the day after."

~~~~~

Allison collected Natalia and two more of Caroline's friends, while Noah made two trips with three women each, giving a party of ten. The cafe was a boisterous place on a Saturday. The drinks were reasonably priced and arrived very quickly. And the pizza wasn't bad. Nat was soon sounding a little tipsy.

The party was becoming steadily louder, but in that place no one cared. There was outdoor seating for anyone who couldn't take the noise. The biggest downside was that the karaoke singers competed with the crowd. Though for several performers this was a good thing.

Caroline took a turn, and acquitted herself well. She had a good voice, though she wasn't entirely on key. One of the other women sounded like she could be a pro.

One of the friends tried reckoning the time that Natalia and Allison had been dating, deciding that she knew that they couldn't have been dating as early as Nat claimed. Natalia explained that they'd kept the relationship quiet until they knew that it wouldn't fall apart, and it was only by accident that they'd been discovered at the resort. That sounded like a clever invention, but Allison, with sobriety on her side, reasoned quietly with Natalia that if she claimed she planned to hide the relationship from her friends they might get upset, so she shut that down.

Instead of trying to convince anyone else by logic, she moved her chair so she could lean against Allison, who draped an arm around her shoulders.

Caroline got it into her head that since none of the other women had a partner present, Natalia would have to sing a love song. She resisted for at least fifteen minutes, but finally yielded to inevitability, and after a long wait, was summoned to perform Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years."

The background noise was high, but she could be heard, and held the tune well, if some of the words were a little slurred. While she was singing, Caroline marched around the table, and with two of her friends dragged Allison to her feet so that Natalia could face her. When the song was finished they gave each other an awkward wave.

Natalia returned to her seat. Allison wrapped her arm around her when she flopped back against her. "God, I was nervous as hell," she said.

"You were fine," Allison said, "as much as I could hear."

The party ended a little after one, when Noah showed up to take the first contingent of very drunk women home. When he returned for the rest, Allison gathered up her party. Wrapping her arm around Natalia was less about maintaining their deception and more about keeping her upright. At her apartment, Allison watched her until she'd successfully entered and closed the door behind her.

~~~~~

Natalia: "Oh God! My head! Why did you let me drink so much?"

Allison: "Even if we *were* girlfriends, 'babe', that wouldn't be my responsibility!"

Natalia: "I know, I know. Thanks for getting me home safely. Thanks for coming. I had a good time. I'm just paying for it now."

Allison: "I did, too. You have a nice voice. I'd like to hear you sing sober sometime."

Natalia: "I don't sing sober, so that's the best you'll get."

~~~~~

Allison wasn't invited to the rehearsal dinner, thank God. That was for the wedding party only, no plus ones.

After the girls' night, she and Natalia had kept up with occasional text messages about the wedding itinerary. Nothing more than that, since there were no more fake relationship panics, but she found herself pleased whenever she received another. They had become friends. Which wouldn't have happened without the stupid theatrics. So maybe they were no less stupid, but she couldn't complain too loudly.

She was still concerned about what would happen when Natalia revealed that she was single. That was going to upset her friends. If she admitted the truth, that she was never partnered with Allison, they were going to be disappointed in her, but if she announced a breakup, they would be disappointed for her. Allison began to wonder whether she should make herself the one for them to blame. Maybe if she broke up with Natalia in some dramatic fashion, Natalia's friends would sympathize with her.

But the thing was...

The thing was, any breakup, even if it was as fake as the relationship, would result in them not being able to be friends anymore. Because how could they be together around Natalia's other friends, who'd be uncomfortable with Allison being there?

She realized that the rules could be different for her lesbian friends. Heather and Hannah, who were exes, were as close as sisters. Allison and Kayla were friends with most of their ex-one night partners. But even in their world, breakups from the kind of committed relationship they were roleplaying were still rough. Heather and Hannah were a special case. They'd simply realized they were better as friends than partners. But she'd talked with friends of Grace, a Gabby's regular, who'd split from her girlfriend Kennedy last year. She'd been as hurt as any het girlfriend, or as Allison herself after she'd been dumped in the past.

But if they transitioned their dramatic roles from girlfriends to amicable exes, that meant pretending forever that the relationship had been real. And there would be one group of friends who believed, while another, Allison's friends, who knew the truth. That was the plot of a farce.

Admitting the pretense would anger Natalia's friends, who'd already invested in their deception, emotionally with the movie, shopping trip and girls' night, and financially with the wedding invitation.

Faking a hostile split had to be the best option for Natalia, as much as Allison didn't want it. And in that light, the stupid theater was even more stupid. Maybe they could have become friends without it. With it, becoming friends was almost a given, but staying friends wasn't going to be possible.

And that hurt. She liked Natalia.

Maybe because of the play acting, because of having to understand enough about Natalia to be able to pretend to be close, she found herself thinking about her differently from, say, Anita, who'd been her best friend for years. She loved Anita platonically with all her heart, but she would never imagine what Anita would want to wear, or to eat, or what music she might want to listen to, but she frequently wondered what Natalia would like, or whether she'd enjoy an activity that Allison had planned.

The thoughts were weird, but she'd had to consider Natalia differently from her other friends for their deception to be believable. So maybe it was understandable when unsentimental texts like "Meet at 9:30" or "You will be in the 3rd limo" became minor treasures. Or, when her phone pinged, that she found herself smiling at Natalia's name.

~~~~~

Whatever Caroline had said, Allison decided that she wanted a different dress for the wedding. She found a glossy green strapless sheath dress with a moderate slit. She had shoes that would work with it, and she found a pair of costume gold earrings that dangled in multiple strands which would look good with the dress's color. She sent a photo to Natalia to check if it was suitable. Natalia's heart emoji confirmed her choice.

The wedding took place in an Episcopal church. Since Allison didn't know any of Caroline's or Noah's friends, other than those in the wedding party, whom she wouldn't be with during the ceremony, she wasn't really able to refuse when Dawn took it on herself to place her beside Mia. The daughter turned out to be a pleasant, intelligent woman, though she seemed five years less mature than her actual age. She needed to get space from her mother to grow up, but only she could make that choice.

The groom, Noah, was a handsome man. A bit more cerebral and a bit less earthy than the type of men Allison would usually flirt with or take to bed, but if he was more independent than a son of his mother should be, the marriage had a chance of surviving. Allison felt that Natalia had probably read him correctly.

Caroline, of course, was stunning, in a long gown with flowers twisted into her updo.

The bridesmaids were in matching floor-length plum mermaid dresses. Natalia's hair was in an elaborate knot. She was lovely to the point of making Allison's stomach roil, which was a reaction she hadn't expected. Natalia was objectively beautiful, of course. She'd recognized that the first time she'd seen her. But Allison didn't recall a woman's beauty ever triggering an emotional response.

There were tears in Dawn the Lioness's eyes. She may be an overbearing woman who inadvertently attempted to destroy her children's lives, but she also cared for them.

After the service were photos. Allison joined friends of the couple watching the poses and the shots, especially the ones with Natalia. She wouldn't have thought of plum as a particularly attractive color. She would have assumed it was chosen to avoid taking attention from the bride. But on Natalia it was art in motion.

Finally, the photos were done. Natalia made her way over to Allison. They were supposed to appear to be affectionate, so Allison took her hand. It was surprisingly easy, and didn't feel awkward.

After the meal and the champagne, they danced. They were comfortable enough with each other's styles now that they could have put on an exhibition, but this wasn't the time or place, so they just spent an hour in each other's arms, delighting in their mutual avocation. Allison really hoped they could find a way to avoid losing touch. She'd never had such a pleasing dance partner.

Kayla had said they'd have to stare into each other's eyes, and probably kiss, to convince everyone that they were together. But they were so comfortable with each other that extra persuasion didn't seem to be necessary.

They were sitting at their table, with a final glass of champagne. It seemed that Natalia was in no more of a hurry to leave than Allison was. "Nat?" she began.

"What's up?"

"I know how you're going to repay me for this massive debt you've accrued."

"Oh, you do?"

"Yeah. You're going to be my date for Anita's wedding next month."

"You're... what?" Natalia frowned. "You're going to make me pay for dragging you into a fake relationship by... dragging out the fake relationship even longer?"

"Thing is," said Allison, "everyone I know is part of a couple. The wedding party is mostly couples. The brides' friends are in relationships. My best friend will be there, but of course she's the star. Part of the coupliest of all of the couples. I don't want to be the wallflower. We're done with pretending to be girlfriends. It will just be a friend date. The next few weeks are going to be stressful, and I'd like to feel I have someone in my corner. And the thing is," she said again, then paused, considering how to continue. "The thing is, I don't really want to break up with you."

Natalia frowned. "But if we're not together, there's nothing to break up."

"Yeah, but your friends don't know that, do they?" Allison argued. "We have to stage something for you to be single again. Or we can wait until they assume we've drifted apart naturally. I don't want to lose you as a friend, and when you do find someone to date, I'm going to hate to lose you as a dance partner. It would be great if none of those things happen while I'm stressed over the wedding."

Natalia studied her for several seconds before nodding. "To tell the truth, I wasn't ready to deal with the drama of not having you to lean on," she said, "since I still have Dawn to think about. Now the wedding's over, I hope Dawn and I won't be moving in the same circles, but it might take some time to extract myself. If it's what you want, I'll do it."

"I'll want you for the wedding itself, of course," Allison said, "and the reception, but there's also an informal day on Thursday. Axe-throwing, and dancing at Gabby's. Not at the same time, fortunately."

"Axe-throwing?" Natalia looked at her like she'd grown a second head.

Allison laughed. "That seems to be everyone's reaction. Our friend Fi manages the place. She's arranged for it to be open exclusively for wedding guests on Thursday. She gave us a session when we were planning, and it's a blast. We're going to be there in the afternoon and early evening, get a burger there, then go on to Gabby's, since it's the third Thursday club night."

"Gabby's is the LGBT bar? I've heard about it but never been there. It has a... a reputation. Maybe as a straight girl you're not so familiar with it?"

"I'm aware of the reputation," Allison said, with a grin. "It isn't just a reputation. It's definitely lesbian hookup central, but it's also a casual place with an inclusive atmosphere. It's cool, and most of the wedding party and guests are regulars. I visit quite often with Anita. If you're with me, or fake with me, you probably won't be hit on too much."

"I'm not a one night stand kind of girl," Natalia said. "I guess the reputation has kept me away, but if you all like it maybe I should check it out." Then she smiled. "Besides, if you're taking me there on a date, how can I say no? Same with the axe-throwing. It sounds more imaginative than most of my dates."

Allison felt warmed by the smile, and couldn't help returning it. "So, Thursday and Saturday, and your debt to me is repaid!" Allison said.

"You could have asked for a lot more," said Natalia.

"And you can say no," Allison countered. "You don't really owe me anything. I'm not demanding a pound of flesh."

"This fake relationship has been weird," Natalia said, "but it's come to matter more to me than just avoiding Dawn and Mia. You're giving me the chance to bid it farewell before we have to take a wrecking ball to it, and I appreciate that. Will you text me the details?"

"I will," Allison said.

~~~~~

Allison had been thinking about Natalia, the morning after Caroline and Noah's wedding. She'd spent so much time in the other woman's company lately that it would feel strange not to see her for the next six weeks. But a thought had occurred to her.

Allison: "Are you glad the wedding's over?"

Natalia: "Yes and no. Strange that I don't have it to look forward to now, but I guess I have yours."

Allison: "About that..."

Natalia: "Did you find a real date? Are you kicking me to the curb?"

Allison: "No, no, I'm not. I'm hoping *you* don't find a real date and kick *me* to the curb."

Natalia: "I have a debt to pay!"

Allison: "You said I should have asked for more."

Natalia: "I did, but you didn't."

Allison: "Natalia, babe..."

Natalia: "..."

Allison: "Natalia, love of my life..."

Natalia: "OK, I'm getting nervous here."

Allison: "Natalia, I have an idea..."

Natalia: "*Sigh* what is it *babe*?"

Allison: "I'm working with the brides on their wedding dance."

Allison: "I wondered if you'd like to help for pizza and beer."

Natalia: "Could be fun? Call me."

"You met the two couples who live together," Allison said. "Tiff's the one who asked if we were really dating and joked about us getting married."

"I remember," Natalia said. "Short, dark hair. Girlfriend has those dreamy golden curls you could just sink your fingers into."

That description made Allison weirdly uncomfortable. "I'll take your word for it. Yes, that's Emma. Then there's Heather and Margot. They have a house. It isn't huge, but the living room isn't a bad size. They've said we can use it to work on a dance routine."

"Okay," said Natalia.

"It's not perfect," said Allison, "because neither Anita nor Kayla are great with waltzes, and waltzing needs so much space. But we're going to borrow a room at Heather's church in a couple of weeks, so we can work on the steps here and get them comfortable with the full routine later."

"And what would you want me to do?"

"I've got a rough routine, but you could polish it with me," Allison said. "We can dance it out, show it to them, then work with them individually. There'll be free pizza and beer. Except at the church, that will probably be pizza and coke, but there's nothing to say we can't go out for beer afterward."

"What song?"

"'Come away with me,' Nora Jones," Allison replied.

"Oh, yeah. Nice waltz," Natalia said. "I'll do it, as long as I'm not tied up. Text me where and when?"

"Sure," said Allison. "Maybe the two of us should meet first to rework the routine."

"I'm up for that," said Nat.

Natalia improved Allison's routine, and the two danced it together until they had perfected it before involving the brides-to-be. Then she helped Allison to demonstrate each section, after which she would lead Anita, while Kayla danced her part with Allison. The process was far smoother and more effective than anything Allison had done earlier.

The house's residents mostly stayed out of the room, though they checked in on the dancers occasionally, bringing beer and water. When the session was drawing to a close, Tiff called in a pizza order, and they moved the furniture back into place.

There wasn't enough seating for everyone, but Tiff insisted that the visitor be comfortable, so Natalia, Allison and Margot lounged on the sofa, while Anita and Kayla took chairs. Emma sat on the floor with her back against the wall, with Tiff in her lap. Emma claimed that she had the best spot, because her girlfriend fed her pizza so that she didn't have to move.

Heather wasn't present, since she was working her shift at the coffee shop. When Natalia learned which, she gave Allison an accusing stare. "That's why you know the place!"

"Right," said Allison. "I guess you didn't know. The topic didn't come up while we were on our coffee date."

"'Coffee date'" drawled Tiff, making air quotes.

Allison sighed.

"My first date with Heather was a coffee date there, before it became Level Grind," observed Margot.

"So there's a history," Tiff said.

"Now that I know the connection, I'm sure I've seen Heather there before I met her at the resort," said Natalia. "I had an idea I might have met her before, but I was thinking about other things at the time."

"Mmm, right," said Allison. "Like burying your fingers in Emma's curls."

"Ali!" Natalia squeaked, while Tiff said, "Oh, really?" her eyebrows rising almost as far as Emma's.

"Don't tell them all my secrets!" Natalia wailed. Her face had turned bright red. "It's bad enough they know all about Dawn Johnson and my terrible fake dating plan!"

"I could loan her to you," Tiff suggested, "but I don't think I'd get her back."

"Got that right," said Emma.

"Another of her secrets is that she's never been to Gabby's," Allison announced. "She's nervous of its re-pu-ta-tion."

"That's entirely fair," said Margot.

"You should come with us," said Tiff. "We can keep you safe from the big bad lesbians."

"Tiff," interjected Kayla, "you literally did the exact opposite of that. 'Hey, you!'" she mimicked. "'Come over here! Kayla thinks you're hot!'"

"You needed encouragement!" Tiff said.

"So, you two met at Gabby's?" Natalia waved a finger between Kayla and Anita.

"No, she introduced me," said Kayla. "She tossed me into the deep end of the dating pool, then rescued me for her own nefarious purposes."

"She says that," Anita added, "but she hasn't yet figured out how nefarious I am. She will, soon enough. After the wedding, when it's too late."

"Tiff's right, though, babe," Allison said. "You should join us on Monday."

Every pair of eyes in the room turned to Allison, who frowned. It took her a moment to realize what she'd said. "Shit. Sorry, force of habit." Allison felt her face growing hot. "Tiff's right, Nat."

Natalia's face still seemed slightly flushed. Her expression was unreadable. Then it cleared as she glanced around the room. "I think you're all insane. I understand why Allison likes you. Okay, I'll go."

~~~~~

When Natalia agreed to meet them at the club, Allison found herself worrying that she'd be spirited away by one of the real lesbians. But either because she wasn't a one night stand girl, or because she preferred dancing with her friend, Natalia wasn't lured away, though she didn't dance exclusively with Allison.

This set the pattern for the next few weeks. Natalia had to skip the club one Monday, and Anita and Kayla couldn't make one Saturday practice, but Allison was pleased to see her friend once or twice each week, and found a growing pleasure in being in Natalia's arms on the dance floor or in the living room.

She wondered idly whether Natalia had more of a problem with the situation than she did, having different reasons to like having her arms around a girl, but she never appeared uncomfortable. And she never accidentally called Allison "babe."

With less than a month to the ceremony, Heather led them to her church. Allison had expected to use one of the large side rooms, but the pastor's wife, Kris, said that since no one was using the church hall, they should practice there, where they would have as much freedom to move as they needed.

Having danced only in one small room before, the first run through seemed cramped, though they remembered the steps. After working for an hour, everyone was pleased with the result, though they returned the following day for a final practice. Allison declared them ready for the big day. By her side, Natalia smiled as she nodded agreement.

~~~~~

The party at The Axe's Head was scheduled to start at three p. m. Allison showed up at two thirty, with coffees for the staff at the bar. There were three, including Fi, the manager, whom she knew from Gabby's, and who was a friend of the brides. She was in her usual black, but today her hair was streaked with emerald, and if her makeup was less dark than normal, her lips were an unusual shade of violet.

Roxy, the tall dark-haired bartender wore jeans and a tee shirt featuring the bar's logo. The third person there, Kate, was between the two in height, with shoulder-length blonde curls. Fi introduced her as a coach from out of town. She wasn't supposed to be working today, since the bar was closed, but she'd volunteered to show up and help out.

Anita and Kayla arrived precisely at three, followed by Ann, a friend of the couple who now lived on the east coast. She gave the couple and Fi hugs, then fell into conversation with Kate.

Next to arrive was Grace, the girl hurt by last year's breakup. Her hair was almost pure white, with a slight tint of lilac, with stripes of pink and blue. With her was a taller girl with long legs and an athletic build. When she saw Kayla she danced around her, calling her "Auntie Kay," while the girl with colorful hair wore a long-suffering expression. That had to be Tara, Kayla's cousin. Allison had never met her, but she'd heard plenty of stories from Anita and Kayla. She was some kind of computer genius, running a small-scale server farm at her parents' house for games.

Fi sent them to one of the lanes for training, and Allison chatted with Fi until Natalia arrived. Anita and Kayla had returned to the bar area to greet new guests. Allison greeted Natalia warmly, welcoming her into the small huddle of the two brides and herself.

"Since this isn't an official event, I can relax," Allison said. "Fi's taken care of the planning. I'm looking forward to visiting Gabby's, too. I've never been to the Thursday dance, but Kayla tells me there's more focus on ballroom. We'll be in our element, babe." She emphasized the last word to clarify that it was intended in irony rather than accidental.

"Yeah," Kayla said. "Dancing's more sophisticated on Thursday, if that's the right word. There'll be more swing, more samba, and there will be waltzes, so Anita and I might practise some. Also, fair warning, there are more predatorial patrons than Mondays."

"Don't let anyone steal my friend," Anita charged Natalia. "We need her for a couple more days."

"Not after that?" Allison whined. "I guess I know where I stand."

After Anita and Kayla left to meet other arrivals, Natalia said, "Speaking of Gabby's, I'm going to need to go home to change after we're done here."

"Right," said Allison. "I brought my dress. I need to ask Fi if I can leave my bag here and pick it up tomorrow."

"Do you want to come with me, instead?" Natalia suggested. "I can take you back to my place to pick up your bag after Gabby's. You can Uber home from there. Or are you driving?"

Allison shook her head. "You are?"

"I'm not a big drinker," Natalia said. "Usually," she amended. "Girls' night was a special occasion. I drove here and I'll be driving to the club."

Allison felt a touch on her arm. She turned to find Fi by her side. "You should take a turn in a lane while it's still quiet," she said. "Ann and Alex have the last lane. Why don't you and..." she glanced at Natalia.

"Natalia," Allison said. "She's a friend I've bribed into joining me. Alex is here?" Her voice rose. She hadn't noticed her around. "Oh, and Nat, meet Fi. This party is her idea."

"Hi, Fi," said Natalia, then with a conspiratorial grin, added, "I think the word is 'extorted,' not bribed."

"I'm unsurprised," Fi said. "Welcome, anyway. Let me take you to the lane."

The lane was empty when they arrived. "They must have stepped out," Fi said. "If they don't return in the next couple of minutes, I'll send Kate to instruct you."

"Alex is a friend of yours?" Natalia asked as they took a seat to wait.

"We've met a few times. I don't know her well, but she's one of Kayla's bridesmaids," said Allison. "I didn't think she was arriving until tomorrow. Hey!" she said, as Alex and Ann returned, looking surprised to find people there. "It's been a long time. Two years, right? This is my friend Natalia."

Ann had been instructed on the gentle art of hurling sharpened metal at targets, so she shared her knowledge, and they practised for a while before informally scoring some games. After an hour or more, Alex and Ann took a break, relaxing with soft drinks while Allison and Natalia competed.

When a voice Allison recognized as Tiff's called for attention, Allison groaned. Trouble - Tiff's kind of trouble - was likely brewing.

At the bar, Tiff explained the party game she'd created, which required scoring duels between two teams, one for each bride. Allison facepalmed as she explained her stripping game, which Fi - fortunately - had convinced her to turn into a virtual stripping game, where each bride would pretend to remove an item of clothing for each loss of an axe-throwing duel between members of the teams.

As Anita's maid of honor, Allison was captain of her team, while Tiff captained Kayla's. Tara and Grace had been called back from an excursion they'd made to the arcade next-door - which was another of Fi's projects - to play for Kayla. Kayla's team was one short, so Tiff also recruited Natalia.

The game ended when Tara's final throw beat Margot's, leaving Anita to mime removing her final item of clothing and, as the loser, to perform a surprisingly erotic dance to Rihanna's S&M.

Natalia leaned close to Allison and murmured, "Your friends are pretty awesome, you know."

"I think they're your friends too, now, Nat," Allison said.

After the game, it was time to eat. While they were waiting for the food to arrive, Allison took a head count of who was continuing on to Gabby's. Most of the party were, but Tara shook her head. "Can't. I'm not twenty-one. The hotel has a nice pool. I think I'll just stay there."

"Not me," said Grace, offering no other explanation.

"Want to come swimming?" Tara asked her.

"Sure."

~~~~~

The event began to wind down after people had eaten, most participants sharing cars to Gabby's. Allison picked up her bag and left with Natalia.

Natalia's apartment was nearby. While Natalia was changing, Allison borrowed the guest bathroom to change into the green dress she'd worn to Caroline and Noah's wedding. Not long after she'd finished reapplying makeup, Natalia returned in a floral pattern criss-cross halter top, with red pants and short-heeled lace-up ankle boots, her hair pinned up. She was holding the top in place. "Help me with this?" she asked. "I can do it, but it's hard to keep the straps untwisted, and tying the bow is frustrating."

Allison's mouth felt dry. She moistened her lips with her tongue as she crossed the fabric straps over Natalia's bare back. Natalia held one in place while she turned, the other strap settling above her navel, ready for Allison to tie into a bow. Forming and testing the knot made Allison unaccountably nervous.

"That looks good. Could we try a few moves before we leave?" Natalia asked.

"Moves?" Allison's brain seemed to be running at low speed.

"Your friend said there's some serious swing dancing happening," Natalia said. "We were great at the hotel dance, but I didn't want to risk dropping you. Have you done many lifts, flips, slides?"

"Not since I was under eighty pounds," Allison admitted. "And if you sit me on your shoulders, my dress will split."

"We'll avoid that then," Natalia agreed.

"How strong are you?" Allison asked.

"I'm guessing you're under one ten?" Natalia asked.

"One oh eight," Allison replied.

"It won't be a problem, but let's try a few," Natalia said. She turned on a bluetooth speaker. When it beeped she keyed something into her phone, and after a YouTube ad the speaker began to play "In the Mood."

After a few steps, Natalia tried a few simpler lifts, leading up to a flip and a cartwheel, Allison keeping up without effort. The sheath dress hugged her hips closely enough to stay in place for a brief time upside down. They continued through the number, to be sure that Allison was okay with Nat's signals.

"Oh, yeah, we're good," Natalia said. "We're very good, and the top isn't going to come apart at an awkward moment."

"That was a possibility?" Allison asked, the nervousness suddenly returning.

"I hadn't danced in it before," Natalia admitted. "So yeah." She straightened the band where it widened over her breasts. "It's stable."

When Natalia slipped on the jacket that matched her red pants, hiding the bow and her bare waist, Allison felt an odd sense of loss.

~~~~~

Most of the party was tipsy when Allison and Natalia arrived. Allison was surprised to find that the club was in its larger configuration. On Mondays, that wasn't the case during college vacations. The movable walls were closed up so that there was only half the space. Now there were tables up against the larger dance floor.

The wedding group wasn't seated. There were too many for a single table, or even a couple of tables pulled together. The small crowd stood by the dance floor, close to the bar, couples breaking free from time to time to dance, a steady stream of traffic between the group and the bar. A DJ was playing a wide range of music, from big bands to 80s ballads, with occasional trips into the current century.

Not everyone was drinking. Heather nursed a single glass of wine. She very rarely drank more than one. She was probably playing designated driver for half of the wedding party.

Some of the women were being more demonstrative than others. Anita and Kayla gave each other smoldering looks that as often as not led to a kiss. Which seemed natural for a couple two days from officially joining their lives. Heather nestled into her fiancée Margot's arm. Tiff and Emma weren't snuggling - how could Tiff keep the group entertained if she wasn't free to move around? - but most of the time their fingers were intertwined. Ann had her hand on Alex's back, her fingertips dipping slightly into the waistband of her skirt. Allison hadn't realized they were together. All of the other wedding guests present were also paired up - Val with Kennedy, Suse with a partner she didn't recognize, Nyssa and Hannah, who were among the few guests who were not Gabby's regulars. Others Allison didn't know.

Fi, when she showed up, had two girls in tow: her partner Jenna, and Kate. Fi and Jenna were a study in contrasts, Fi's clothing and make up somewhere in the neighborhood of goth, while Jenna's sun-bleached blonde hair and sky blue mini dress had the look of a model, though Allison knew she'd probably spent the day working on a landscape. The two had their arms interlocked, and the adoring looks they gave each other were second only to those of the brides.

It seemed that only Allison didn't have a possessive touch on her partner. And Kate, who glanced their way occasionally. So when Natalia leaned close to make a comment, Allison rested her hand against the small of her friend's back, careful to keep her fingers on her jacket, not on bare skin. "We're being watched," she whispered. Natalia leaned against her, renewing their shared fiction. "Should we pretend to be together again?"

Natalia made a tiny nod of her head.

"I don't think those two are entirely with us," Natalia murmured, a moment later, her eyes flicking toward Alex and Ann, her lips so close to Allison's ear that her breath made her shiver.

"What do you mean?" asked Allison.

"Their eyes are glassier than they were. They're not drinking and they seem very laid back."

"Oh," Allison said. "You think they've been smoking something strange?"

"Eating, probably," Natalia countered. "Something friendly that they're tuning out with."

She was probably right. Maybe that accounted for the fingers in the waistband.

Allison's glass had been empty for a while. She collected orders and headed to the bar. When she returned with a tray, Natalia had hung her jacket over the back of a nearby chair. Kate seemed to be eyeing her speculatively, and Allison wasn't surprised that after she'd distributed the drinks, Natalia leaned back against her, which required her hand on her waist if they weren't to appear super awkward. Her smooth skin was warm under Allison's fingers, and Allison was suddenly unsure if her Vampiro cocktail had enough ice.

Their conversations were becoming louder and less coherent as the drinking continued. Allison began to feel a slight buzz, though she was far behind most of the group. Alex and Ann weren't the only ones with glassy eyes, though she was certain Natalia was right. There was a different quality to the boisterous expressions of most of the women compared to that pair's euphoric languor.

Kayla kissed her fiancée again, then sauntered over to take Allison's hand. "There's too little dancing going on around here," she said.

"Alright, alright," Allison said. She couldn't resist letting her fingertips slide over Natalia's back as she moved away. "I'm being summoned," she said, following the dark-haired woman.

Her friendship with Kayla had gotten off to a rocky start. Allison considered Kayla's frequent one night stands to be cheating on her friend Anita, while Kayla had convinced herself that Anita and Allison were lovers. The misunderstandings had taken months to get past, but now Kayla was second only to Allison among her gay friends, and she shared her interest in ballroom dancing, while Anita was indifferent.

Dancing with Kayla was refreshing. She'd improved so much over the last few months of occasional practice at Gabby's. As much as Kayla had become a friend, though, Allison felt no more attraction to her than she did to Anita. Together they were good, but she didn't feel the chemistry she'd had with Natalia at the resort.

For the first time, she was finding herself a little nervous about that chemistry. The girl's top was barely more than a tailored ribbon from neck to waist. Plenty of coverage, for sure, it wasn't particularly racy, but the soft narrow strap that Allison had tied into a loose bow seemed too flimsy for what it guarded. A single tug would unravel the entire top. And it left her back almost bare, the skin at her waist smooth to Allison's touch. Not to mention the revealed navel in the flat belly. And then Natalia's hands on her when they'd practised at her house had made her skin prickle. She was looking forward to dancing with her, as always, but she realized she was postponing doing that.

God, what was happening to her brain? Kayla gave her a concerned look at the end of the next song, then announced that she needed to get back to her almost-wife.

Allison was not pleased at all to see that Kate had stepped close to Natalia. Allison's faux partner gave her a look of entreaty. Goosebumps notwithstanding, Allison moved up behind her friend, slipping an arm around to squeeze her waist. When Natalia leaned back against her, she moved her other hand to the girl's belly, holding her close as she briefly touched her lips to her neck.

Paradoxically, Natalia seemed to relax at the proprietary gesture. Allison assumed she'd hit the right tone. She noticed Kayla giving her a curious look. Fortunately, Tiff was focused on Emma and saw nothing of the drama.

Natalia turned to whisper her thanks, then moved back to Allison's side, relieving her of the necessity of holding her so closely. Free to pick up her drink, Allison took a large sip.

"May I try that?" Natalia asked, leaning in as Allison held the glass for her. "That's nice. What is it?"

"Vampiro," Allison stated, feeling herself back on firmer ground. "Tequila, tomato juice, fruit juice, peppers."

"It has a nice bite," Natalia said, adding, slyly, "I like a little bite."

~~~~~

Alex and Ann had vanished while Allison had been dancing with Kayla. Though no one else showed any sign of wanting to leave, the group seemed to be fracturing, forming smaller knots of one or two couples. Allison felt a pang of sympathy for Kate. Being without a date at an event like this was awkward - which of course was why she'd wanted Natalia to be there as her date, even if the fake relationship was over.

A stir of excitement rippled through the group, focused on Kate. She seemed animated about something. Allison frowned at Anita, who announced that Kate had just discovered that the band "Of Darkness" would be playing on Saturday. Anita had told her she'd be welcome to join the afterparty if she was still in town.

"I've seen them live a couple of times now," Kate said. "How the fuck did you manage that? They're awesome! I'm totally in love with the guitarist. She's tiny but fierce! The way she shreds makes me wonder what else her fingers can do, know what I mean?"

Allison was pretty sure that if the token straight girl knew what she meant, so did the entire club.

Anita explained how she and Kayla had helped Michelle, the lead singer and bass player, through a difficult situation, and how the band had decided to celebrate their wedding. Natalia seemed as thrilled by the idea as Kate had been, though she whispered, "You won't make me see the show alone, will you?"

"No way," Allison replied. "I'm staying for the afterparty. My responsibilities end before the show, and I'll be wanting to unwind."

"Seems there's at least one thing Kate and I have in common," Natalia said. "Now, are we ever going to dance? It sounds like the DJ started a swing set."

Swing dancing was always high energy, but with the right partner it was intoxicating. The best time Allison had had with swing, she must have been no more than thirteen, and her partner was a boy called... Nathan? She thought it was Nathan. He'd been fifteen, and had been dancing for years. He flipped her over, bounced her into the air, dipped her in all directions, and was generally brilliant. She'd loved it, and if she'd been any older she'd probably have developed a crush on him.

Natalia was even better, spinning and swinging her around, turning her upside down, supporting her body at a low angle. With a less confident partner, centrifugal force could have spun Allison into other couples. Their dance was joyful. More than that, it was a celebration, and when the DJ changed the tempo, Allison was disappointed that the segment was over, though she doubted she had the energy for much more.

The next song was back into the 80s with Thomas Dolby, which tempted most of the wedding group onto the dance floor. Natalia and Allison were both breathless, but they remained on the floor for this and "Under Pressure," before the music moved on to Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time."

Natalia held out her left hand for Allison's right, then led her into a smooth rumba which kept bringing Allison against her body before spiralling away in a sensual curve, leaving Allison caught up in the impression that they were sharing a moment. The prickling had returned, and was charging her senses.

She lowered her hands at the end of the song, as it faded into Halestorm's "Beautiful with You", a rare twenty-first century selection that may have been a request. Natalia caught her hands in her own, holding them as she began to sway side to side.

The other girls from the wedding were also swaying, each couple with their arms around each other. After a moment, her eyes on the other girl's, Natalia placed Allison's hands on her waist, then took her upper arms, drawing their bodies together.

There was no polish to this dance; no form, no steps, just slow swaying, bodies in contact. Allison's emotions were in turmoil. Her feelings were out of place, yet somehow right. Her fingers held skin that was warm, dry, soft over firm muscles. The delicate spice of Natalia's perfume that had insinuated its way into her awareness before stirred a yearning within her. She swayed with the taller woman, feeling the touch of her body against her own, a soft pressure against her chest.

As the song ended, Natalia leaned back to look at her. Allison froze. Her fingers tightened on the silky smooth skin of her waist. She looked up, then wished she hadn't. The searing contact of Natalia's eyes on hers surpassed any of the drama of their dancing. Allison couldn't tear her gaze away. She felt as if her world had just been upended, and it was several seconds before she realized she was, in fact, still breathing. She finally released the girl's waist, Natalia's hands sliding down her arm as she stepped back, catching her hand and holding it as she led them back to where the group had been standing, other couples also drifting in.

She felt that everyone was watching her, not knowing what to make of her apparent disconnect on the dance floor.

Well, that was fair. Neither did she.

There didn't seem much point in staying. If Tiff had tried to interrogate her, she wouldn't have known what to say. After exchanging a few words with Natalia, she held up her jacket for her, and they left, Allison still feeling that curious eyes were following them.

~~~~~

They barely spoke on the drive to Natalia's. At her apartment, Natalia held the door open without comment, then closed it behind her.

"Either I just broke our friendship, or it just broke me," Allison said. Her voice sounded rough to her own ears.

Natalia was unpinning her hair. "I think it's been breaking for a while," she murmured, setting her hairpins on a side table, "and I think it was a joint effort."

She shook out her hair, which cascaded over her shoulders.

Allison glanced around the room, seeing nothing. Then she looked at Natalia. The girl's face was framed by errant strands of hair, and her eyes were almost black. "Do you like me?"

Natalia seemed confused by the question. "I think you know I do, Ali. I feel like it's embarrassingly obvious that I do."

"I mean, if you don't, I can just leave. We don't have to figure out what's happening. We don't have to fix anything."

Natalia stepped forward, taking Allison's hands in hers. She looked into her eyes, glancing from one to the other, as though trying to study what lay behind them.

Releasing Allison's hands, she moved her fingers up her arms until they reached her shoulders, her eyes still holding Allison's. Then she drew Allison forward and pressed her parted lips to hers.

Allison froze with shock. But after a moment, she felt her own lips part slightly, almost without her conscious intention. She began to return Natalia's kiss. Heat flooded into her.

After a time, she raised her hands to Natalia's shoulders and pushed her away, but gently, not rejecting her. "Oh, God," she breathed.

The girl's lips twitched in amusement. "You hadn't figured it out, had you?"

Allison shook her head. Her movements felt jerky, like she was cosplaying a robot. "I... I knew there was something," she said. "I knew I'd become a little, uh, fixated on you? I haven't wanted to take a break from you since Caroline's wedding. I didn't realize how much it had turned into wanting you."

"I've felt it," said Natalia. "And maybe you can have me, but not until you've thought about what that means to you. To us."

Allison nodded. "Yeah," she said. She released the pressure on the girl's arms. If she wanted to kiss her again, Allison wasn't going to let being straight get in her way.

Natalia wanted very much to kiss her again. That was clear in the way her lips met Allison's, and in the speed she deepened the kiss. It was clear in the gentle touch of Natalia's tongue against hers. And the way Allison groaned spoke to how much she wanted it, too. Her fingers closed on the girl's waist again. On that skin that seemed like scarily forbidden territory just an hour ago.

The bow of Natalia's top touched the back of Allison's hand. She reached for it, drawing on it gently. The delicate fabric slipped loose as easily as she'd half hoped and half feared. The knot drifted apart, the straps falling free.

Natalia stepped back, her hand holding the freed hem against her body. "Oh, no," she said, her voice carrying more than a hint of humor. "You don't get me that easily."

Allison felt chagrined, but she didn't object. Her mind raced with confusion and desire.

"I like you, Ali," Natalia said. She looped the ends of the bow together so that the top wouldn't drift apart. Moving back into Allison's personal space, she reached out a finger to run over Allison's waist. "I think we could have something special." She took a breath. "I'll tell you something you need to know. I want you, too. I really don't want to send you home right now. But I won't squander what I think we could be by being impatient." She stepped back. "Call your ride. I'll see you on Saturday."