The Side Project Pt. 02 Ch. 09-10

Chapter 9: Cassie

Ginsgiving

Thursday, November 23, 2017 - US Thanksgiving Day

Napa, California, USA

What to wear? What to wear? What to wear?

Shut up, Cassie. You're not that kind of girl. Stop overthinking this. Ky told you six times to just dress casually.

But I liked the way he hugged me in that cute sports top. I liked that a lot.

He has a girlfriend who he loves. Stop. Stop this right now.

A girlfriend who he isn't sure can love him back. And who isn't exclusive. Not even a real girlfriend, actually.

Shut up and pick an outfit, Cassie!

I frowned. Anxious inner monologue debates were not my thing and never had been. I made decisions and I rolled with them. Ky was not the first guy I'd ever had a crush on. Why was this any different?

Decision time. Black underwear. A little sexy, just in case, but a comfortable pair. White tank top with built-in bra. Comfortable jeans, but ones that made my butt look good. Green sweater that was a little tight.

Cute, classy, casual. Just right, I decided as I looked at myself in the mirror. I pulled a few errant strands of freshly washed and treated hair behind my ears.

I smiled. I had no idea if anything would happen tonight, but even if nothing did I had cause to be happy. I was spending Thanksgiving with people I actually liked for the first time I could remember.

Gummy for the road? Heck, why not? Times were good.

- - - - -

"What is up friends?!" I called as I entered Ky and Lexi's rental. The front door of the rental opened directly into the long galley kitchen. The couple were already at work prepping dinner. Ky seemed to be in the process of setting up a roasting pan, presumably for the turkey. Lexi was working on a butternut squash.

"Cassie!" Lexi squealed and bounced over for a hug. She'd kept her clothing casual as well - long-sleeve t-shirt and yoga pants. And no bra I realized as we hugged. Except unlike me, Lexi was a bit big to be braless and have nobody notice, particularly in a thin shirt. I was glad she was so comfortable around me.

"Long time, no see Cass. Would you mind being on wine duty?" Ky asked, smiling at me. He seemed like he was in a good mood. I wondered if they'd had time for a little fun while I was changing and showering.

"Sure! White or red?" I asked.

"Let's start white, we'll use some of it in the risotto. There are a few cold bottles in the fridge, I'll defer to the expert," Ky said.

"Where's the bird?" I wondered, noting there wasn't one in the refrigerator as I checked out the wine options.

Ky pointed to a plastic container at his feet. "Brining," he explained.

"Oh cool, I've heard about that but never actually tried it. What do you use to brine it?" I wondered.

"Gin," Ky said. It seemed like he was struggling to keep a straight face.

Lexi laughed like that was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. I couldn't help but chuckle a little, what an odd choice.

"It's a schtick I picked up hosting friendsgiving back when I lived out here," Ky explained. "I called it Ginsgiving and tried to mix some sort of booze into every dish. I haven't done it since I moved to Texas, thought it'd be fun to revive the tradition. Honestly with the other stuff I put in and the ice, the gin in the brine is more for smell than taste, but it's fun."

"That's super cool! I like being part of your new old tradition!" I said. Ky got more likable with just about every sentence that came out of his mouth.

Once I had poured the wine for everyone, Ky requested I help by peeling potatoes for the mashed potatoes.

"We would probably have started prepping sooner if we hadn't gone hiking, but it sure as heck is nice to have an extra set of hands for this. Otherwise heck knows when we'd have everything ready," Ky said.

"Of course, more than happy to pitch in. You guys have been amazing hosts today," I said.

"Cassie! Do you ever think about being a sparrow?" Lexi asked excitedly.

"The help is especially useful because I'm not sure I trust that one's fine motor control right now," Ky said quietly, eyebrows raised towards Lexi. I laughed.

"What brings up birds, Lexi?" I asked.

"I just think that'd be like sooo cool. You can like fly around in the trees all day and stuff," Lexi said.

"Did she slip a third gummy at some point?" I asked Ky quietly. He chuckled and shrugged.

Lexi and I got more and more into the bird discussion as we worked. I thought it was actually pretty good, because we both knew enough about nature and birds that it was semi-informed, even if it was also silly at times. The third gummy was probably also starting to have an effect on me.

Ky seemed happy to coordinate things as the main cook and let Lexi and I chat and do support tasks. I still wasn't getting too many interested vibes from him, which kind of bummed me out, but I also needed to acknowledge the reality that Lexi was right there. What did I expect to happen?

At some point on our third glass of wine my brain finally made the connection perhaps it should have hours ago. If Lexi was primarily a lesbian, that meant she liked women. I was a woman. I started paying more attention to the subtle signs coming from Lexi, trying to figure out if she was interested.

I had no real experience trying to interpret the romantic interest levels of other women, but I thought I was picking up some subtle hints. That changed the framing a lot.

I knew they were not a totally traditional couple. Was I some sort of target? A plaything? I found myself less repelled by the idea than I'd initially thought would be the case.

I'd never been with a woman, but I wasn't totally opposed to the idea. Growing up in Utah anything other than heterosexuality wasn't even acknowledged. I'd become more open-minded after college, but I had only ever been with guys, and my one real romantic long-term relationship had been with a guy. Still, I wasn't totally against the idea of experimenting, I found women attractive enough and liked breaking potential new ground.

I resolved to see where things went naturally. Although they might be interested in something more than just friendship, I'd never gotten any remotely creepy vibes from Ky and Lexi. And they clearly cared deeply for one another, even if they had some hangups. It occurred to me if I was ever going to experiment with a couple, it would probably be one a lot like them.

- - - - -

I think it was around the time we opened the third bottle of wine that I made a decision. I wasn't going to push it, but if Ky and Lexi made a move I was going to say 'yes' and see what happened. I was nervous, but that was just because of my inexperience with women, not because of anything they were doing.

Ky and Lexi kept doing everything imaginable to make sure I was having fun and at ease. If Ky had let even a stray glance linger, I had missed it. Lexi was a little more touchy-feely but it was much more in a close friend way that felt totally normal, not a pushy potential partner. She was also drifting back into her shit stirrer persona as the weed wore off, the large meal hit home and the wine flowed.

Ky picked up on that and the pair were sniping at each other like the old friends they were, all in good fun. I understood Ky's doubts about Lexi's true feelings, but as best I could tell the girl was head over heels for him. It was reassuring in a way. If two such different people could find each other, my person had to be out there too.

The food had all been at a minimum really good, with some of the dishes really excellent. Like Ky had warned, the gin for the most part was just an aromatic once the turkey was cooked. But the brine had kept the meat tender and he'd done some basting while the turkey was roasting that had given it a delicious texture. In my opinion the butternut squash risotto with white wine was the true star of the show, which Lexi appreciated because she'd spent nearly half an hour grating the squash. The vodka cranberry sauce was a hit too.

"So Lexi, your first Ginsgiving, favorite dish?" Ky asked.

"Still stuffing," Lexi said and giggled to herself.

"Is that a sex joke or your actual favorite?" Ky asked.

"Why not both?" Lexi asked.

Ky rolled his eyes. "How about you Cassie?"

"It was all really good, you guys. I don't think I've had a Thanksgiving meal this good in, I dunno, maybe ever," I said.

That got us on the topic of old Thanksgiving traditions. Lexi, Ky and I all had different variations of the same story. Obligatory trips home to see family. Mediocre conversation and food. Relief when the holiday was over and we could go back to our normal lives. Neither of them had bothered with family Thanksgiving in the last five years. I told them about my sad attempt to rekindle with my family three years ago, my first in California, after having left Oregon and the frustrating trip that had been.

"I think we should keep this new tradition going for a while," Lexi said. "I really liked last year when we just made dinner and hung out, Ky, but this is better. I think Thanksgiving is a holiday that deserves a big meal and friends."

"I'll drink to that," Ky said. His smile was impossible to miss. He liked the idea of Lexi being around every year on Thanksgiving for 'a while'.

"Cheers. I like your philosophy," I said. I'd convinced myself spending Thanksgiving alone the last two years had been fine, but Lexi was right. This was better.

"Let's make a pact. Let's do this again next year. You know, if we want to. Like if you have a new boyfriend or something and want to spend it with his family that's cool, Cassie. But let's do this again if not. We can invite all our friends next time too. It'll be awesome," Lexi said.

"Aww that's sweet, Lex. Thank you," I said. I reached over and squeezed her forearm. Lexi smiled at me shyly.

"I like that idea, Lex. Let's do it. This was always a more-the-merrier gathering back when I hosted it in my 20s. This is the kind of thing I want to spend my money on. Good experiences for us and our friends," Ky said.

"You seem to have such a healthy philosophy about all that stuff with the money," I commented. "It's honestly kind of impressive."

"I don't know about that. I mean it still hasn't fully sunk in yet, ya know? But even so, put yourself in my shoes, would you do anything different?" Ky asked. "I mean you seem like a super grounded person, I can't see you going off and buying something extravagant immediately."

"I guess I see your point. I like to think I'd handle it ok, but who knows," I said.

"What would you want to do if money was no object?" Ky asked. "Or less of an object anyway - the equivalent to what I was talking to you about this afternoon."

"I don't know," I said. "I admit my first thought would be to just plow it into environmental causes, but then I think about what you said earlier, Ky, about effecting change. I think what I'd really want to do is start a business focused on truly sustainable food production. Even a lot of organic operations aren't actually all that sustainable because of their water and land usage relative to the amount of food they produce. I would love to run something that models what truly ecologically friendly agriculture looks like."

"That's a super cool idea! I legitimately love it. There's a ton of crossover with that and what I do professionally," Lexi said.

"Well I want to make food, not fossil fuels sustainably," I teased Lexi. She made an annoyed, but amused face at me.

"Very cool idea," Ky said. "I'm impressed by your vision."

"Thanks, I mean I did sort of steal it from you," I admitted.

He shrugged. "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?"

Fuck, I liked these two. I was progressing from being ok if a move was made to kind of hoping one would be.

- - - - -

We had cleaned up from dinner and relocated to the seating area. We had popped a fourth bottle of wine and were nearly done with it. It was a natural time to call it a day, but like after brunch and after our hike I sensed none of us wanted that. We were having too much fun together.

"Let's do one more bottle!" I suggested. "I have one that's special to me I'd like to share with you guys."

I hopped up and pulled a bottle I'd brought with me out of my bag.

"This is our Petit Verdot from my first year at the winery. The vines were under more water stress that year, so it drinks a little drier than a normal Petit Verdot even though technically it isn't. It's a favorite," I explained as I opened the bottle.

"This is really fucking good wine," Ky opined after taking a sip.

"Agreed, thank you for sharing it with us, Cassie. That's really cool of you," Lexi said.

"Least I could do. This was an amazing day," I said, truthfully.

Our conversation over that last bottle got a little silly. A little sappy. We were all feeling the effects of a long day with a lot of booze, tryptophan, and weed. I still wouldn't have traded it for anything. Ky and Lexi were my tribe. We had only just met, but sometimes when you meet like-minded people, you just know you're going to be friends for a long time. That's how I felt.

"Alright, probably time to call it a night," Ky said. "You have to work tomorrow, Cass?"

"Yeah, covering a couple tours in the morning then one of the normal guides, who was just up in Sacramento for the holiday, has the afternoon tours so I can get back to doing my normal job," I said.

"Would it be alright if we hung out a little bit in the afternoon?" Lexi asked. "I'm really interested to see some of the more hands-on stuff you do. Or is that weird?"

"Should be fine, I'll have one or two assistants working for me, but I can just tell them you're a colleague or something. Close enough, right?"

"Awesome! That'll be cool," Lexi said.

"Text me when you're getting to the lot, I'll come meet you," I instructed.

I began picking up my things and getting ready to leave.

"Cassie, do you really think you should be driving? We've had a lot of wine. We were already pushing it with the gummies this afternoon," Ky said.

Ah, here it was. The move. I took a deep breath. I thought Ky might have tried something a little smoother, but this was a decent angle.

"I suppose you're right," I said and smiled at him.

"Cool, I knew you were a smart one," Ky said.

I wondered how this would start. Would one of them just kiss me? Would we have a talk about boundaries? I sort of hoped so because I was still a little nervous about my first time with a girl.

And then, to my eternal confusion the couple simply started getting ready for bed. Teeth were brushed. Sleeping clothes changed into, respectfully, in the bathroom. Water bottles refilled and set on the nightstands.

"Here, I brought an extra toothbrush. Nashville lesson," Lexi said and tossed me a closed package. While I was brushing my teeth Ky made up the couch for me with a spare pillow and blankets.

The rental was the first story of a house that had been converted into a duplex. As such, the floor plan was very open and there was not a separate bedroom, just sort of an alcove partially around the corner from the couch in the sitting area. I was at least partially visible from where Ky and Lexi had crawled into bed.

I realized maybe I needed to send a signal that I was interested. I pulled off my sweater, revealing the thin tank top underneath, then neatly folded the sweater before setting it on the armchair. No reaction. I repeated the process with my jeans so I was just in my underwear. Still no reaction. I waited a full ten seconds. Giving anybody looking a plenty good view of my butt, which I considered my best asset. Nothing.

Ok Cassie girl, looks like you misread that one, I thought. With a small sigh I crawled under the blankets and tried to go to sleep. I thought I heard whispering coming from the bed, but wasn't sure. I turned the day over in my mind, wondering where it'd gone wrong. Then I chastised myself. Nothing had gone wrong. I'd had one of the most fun days I'd had in years. Secure in that knowledge, I let the wine do its work and drifted off.

- - - - -

Friday, November 24, 2017

Napa, California, USA

The couch was not comfortable. It had been fine to sit on and sip wine, but it was too soft and lumpy to be comfortable for sleeping. I'd woken up around 2 AM and struggled to get back to sleep.

It was sometime even deeper into the wee hours when I woke to the sound of movement. One of them was out of bed and headed my way. I panicked. Things were about to take a very strange turn.

Whoever it was turned right and padded towards the bathroom instead of approaching the couch. The door closed and the light came on. I heard the faint sound of urine hitting the toilet water from waist height. Ky then. He washed his hands and turned out the light, then walked back towards bed.

He must have noticed my movement because he stopped all of a sudden.

"Trouble sleeping?" he asked in a whisper.

"Yeah, sorry, this couch isn't the best," I admitted.

"Ah, sorry. I didn't realize. Come to the bed. It's a king, plenty big enough for all three of us," Ky suggested.

"You sure?" I asked.

"Yeah, you have work in the morning, you need a good night's sleep. I'll put Lexi in the middle as a buffer between us," he offered.

"Unless I have been significantly misreading the signals this evening, I think I want you as the buffer from her and not vice versa," I said.

Ky chuckled softly. "You're probably not wrong."

I threw off the blankets and stood up. I wasn't sure how well Ky could see in the dim light, but my skimpy attire wasn't leaving a whole lot to the imagination. I followed him to the bed. He climbed in and spooned up to Lexi. They looked adorable. I had a fleeting thought I wouldn't mind being in the middle of that at all. I climbed in and faced away from Ky.

The bed was much more comfortable and I was back asleep within minutes.

- - - - -

I woke up at dawn. Being an early riser was part of my job. I might have had a fancy title and an environmental studies degree, but at the end of the day I was a farmer. Like generations before me, I woke up with the sun.

I was warm. Way too warm. I quickly realized why. I was in someone's arms. It had to be Ky, it was way too big of a frame to be Lexi.

I hadn't been held that way for years. Firm, but gentle at the same time. It was wonderful. I decided I did not need to be up any time soon. This was too good of a cuddle.

Then I realized one other unique feature. Ky's arms were around me, but there was a small third hand on my shoulder. Lexi. Probably cuddled up behind Ky. I realized that didn't bother me at all.

Chapter 10: Lexi

Priorities

Friday, November 24, 2017

Napa, California, USA

"FUCK Ky, FUCK meeeeee," Lexi wailed. We were naked and she was currently aggressively riding my cock in the cowgirl position. Cassie had been gone less than two minutes.

We'd hugged Cassie goodbye after a morning meal of leftover breakfast casserole, with promises to meet up later. As soon as the door was closed, we hadn't said a word. We just raced to the bed, stripping off our clothes as we went.

"How the fuck did we have a hottie prancing around here in her underwear last night and not fuck her?" Lexi asked. She was writhing up and down on my dick, eyes closed. Obviously envisioning our new friend's barely-clad form from the night before.

"Well pretty simple, we were all kind of messed up. We were getting into questionable consent territory," I said. "But more relevantly: I realized somewhere during our second bottle of wine that girl is way, way more valuable to us as a friend, and maybe business partner, than she is as a hookup."

"Have I told you lately that I hate it when you make too much sense?" Lexi asked. She was glaring at me, but she wasn't angry. She was the more impulsive of the two of us, but she also knew how to apply cold logic when it was warranted.

"I'm glad you see it. We can go pick up some horny bicurious girl at a winery today. People we have a deep connection with like Cassie are hard to find," I said.

"I know you're right, but still. Fuck. She's so hot," Lexi said.

Lexi was right. It had taken all of our self-control not to make a move when Cassie stripped down to her skimpy outfit before bed, practically inviting us to escalate things sexually. I'd doubled down when she joined us in bed in the middle of the night and I'd kept my hands to myself. Well, for the most part.

The cuddling had not been intentional. I must have gotten disengaged with Lexi at some point in the night and rolled over, then grabbed Cassie on instinct, thinking she was Lexi. Active sleeper at work. But when I woke up and realized what had happened, well, Cassie felt damn good in my arms. Like she fit. A lot like Lexi.

"You know, most girls would get annoyed when you're having sex with them but so obviously thinking about another girl," Lexi said.

"Mmmmhmmm, but you're not most girls. And are very obviously doing the same thing," I said, laughing slightly.

Lexi grinned, shrugged and went back to what she was doing - riding my dick.

She leaned forward and put one hand on my chest to steady herself. The other hand was working her clit. Her eyes were closed in concentration. Her hips were working her slowly up and down my shaft.

"Yeah, work my shaft with your tight little pussy," I said. "Where are you thinking of Cassie's lips right now? Your lips? Your tits? Your clit?"

"FUCK YES, FUCKKKKK KY, CASSIE, FUCKKKKKK," Lexi wailed as she climaxed. I had my hands on her hips for support and I felt her body quiver.

"Fuck, I guess we're over worrying about sexualizing her," Lexi said once she'd recovered.

"I am. She's too hot not to think about. But I'm serious about keeping that line. She may end up as the one that got away, but there are plenty of other girls in this world to play with. She's too valuable as a friend," I said.

"Too. Fucking. Logical," Lexi whined and got off me, then rolled on to her back. "Now come fuck me and think about how hot it would have been last night with her watching us and joining in."

I didn't hesitate. I got between Lexi's legs and pushed my cock in to the hilt. All the while thinking about how great Cassie's barely clothed body had looked, and felt, in my arms.

It was turning into kind of a weird sexual encounter. We were both basically using the other as a living sex toy while mainly thinking about fucking Cassie. I thought about how much Cassie and I had developed our friendship in one (admittedly long) day. I started to have weird thoughts about the kipona aloha discussion from yesterday. Whether Lexi could ever feel that depth of feeling for me.

I mentally chastised myself and re-focused on what I was doing: fucking the girl of my dreams. Maybe that was sort of a weird way to think of Lexi. Maybe she would never love me the way I loved her. But maybe that was fine. Not everything had to be in perfect balance. I could make some sacrifices to spend the rest of my life with a woman as amazing and perfect for me as Lexi.

I expressed my love the best way I knew how, at least in the bedroom. I got her off. I stopped thinking about Cassie. I focused on thinking about Lexi. Sexy, horny, soaking wet pussy Lexi, writhing beneath me.

I saw it in her eyes when she noticed my change in demeanor. I stopped worrying about the rhythm of thrusting to get myself off and angled my cock to pleasure her. One of my hands went to her clit. Seemingly understanding what I wanted, her hands went to her nipples.

"You're so fucking hot, Lexi. And you feel so good," I breathed.

"Yes Ky, yes. Be my magic dick, make me forget about all the girls, you make me cum SO FUCKING HARD!" Lexi exclaimed.

"You're my number one slut, I'll always take care of you. Every time," I said. Perhaps a bit possessively.

"Fuckkkk, how? How do you do this to me? I'm going to fucking cum again!" Lexi whined, then shivered as her orgasm overtook her. It wasn't a big one, but it made me feel good. Proud. I could always make the number one lady in my life feel taken care of.

"Ok now you, before I feel guilty. Fill me, I want to feel your dick shooting a bucket of cum inside me. I bet you have a big ass load stored up from last night, don't you? Give it all to your number one slut," Lexi requested. Her eyes flashed with desire as she stared at me hungrily.

She was moving her hips lustily to meet my thrusts as she spoke. She was right. Between the temptation of the night before and that morning I was on a hair trigger by that point.

"Ugh, yes, fuck yes Lexi, you're amazing," I grunted, then pushed myself as deep as I could inside her and came. It did feel like a huge load. Lexi held my shoulders and crooned. The way she looked at me once I'd finished was as if she'd won some sort of grand prize.