Jazz's Story - part 4

It was the weekend, and Jaspreet was excited because Kim was coming down to see her. Her parents were inviting lots of people round for a barbecue, which seemed as good an excuse as any for Kim to visit.

She rolled up in her rusty red Fiesta, blasting NewJeans from the stereo, early on Saturday morning. She would stay the night and head back the next day.

The whole family was there to greet her, with hugs and all the usual questions: How are you settling in? Are you enjoying your classes? Are you eating properly?

Jaspreet's folks loved Kim. And Kim loved them. Sometimes Jaspreet had to physically drag Kim away from them.

Fortunately today was not one of those occasions. There was work to do preparing food, and countless aunts, cousins and other randomly-related individuals would soon be arriving to help marinade, season and organise enough food to feed an army.

Jaspreet and Kim helped out where they could, chopping tomatoes and assembling skewers ready for the meat. The whole house was buzzing with good-humoured activity and comical banter. One elderly Auntie was running around with the Chai, trying desperately to protect it from the grasping hands of another elderly Auntie who wanted to add pepper to it. Both were laughing so hard that tears ran down their faces and they had to support themselves to stay upright.

Guests started arriving around lunchtime, which was about normal for an event scheduled to start at three. Someone shouted out asking Jazz and Kim if they could sort out the music. So they spent a happy hour or so creating a playlist. Jaspreet took care to include some remixes she knew would really annoy half the people there. She couldn't wait to watch their faces when the songs came on.

They were having so much fun, Jaspreet didn't even notice when Andy arrived with a Kachumber salad and a sheepish expression. She and Kim had found a nice corner to sit in, with food piled up around them and where they could giggle together. It was Kim who caught a glimpse of him first, chatting to a guy from across the road. He was trying taking great care not to look across to them. Jaspreet knew he would prefer it if people didn't see them together, so regrettably she would have to keep her hands off him for now.

Kim looked at Jaspreet.

"Soooo" she began, with a sly smile. "You and Andy, eh? After all these years?"

Jaspreet flushed a little, and choked slightly on her chicken.

"You WILL tell me everything." Kim stated, firmly. "Now. Go on."

Jaspreet looked across to Andy and then leaned conspiratorially close to Kim so she could whisper.

"Not here! What if someone hears? You know what this lot are like!"

Kim frowned disapprovingly.

"Well, at least tell me if it was any good." She said.

Jaspreet's eyes widened.

"Oh god, it was good."

"And was he," Kim prompted "was he ok? I mean, was he nice to you and everything?"

" Oh, he was SO nice! He really was. I think he was surprised by the whole thing, and probably thinks he's too old for me and it's all a bit dodgy. But he is really sweet. And," here Jaspreet dropped her voice lower still "his cock is amazing!"

She looked earnestly into Kim's eyes, trying to communicate wordlessly the veracity of this statement. She looked so serious that Kim broke down into giggles. Which made Jaspreet break into giggles.

And then, under cover of the music and the loud conversations, Jaspreet relented and told Kim everything. She spared no detail describing actions, positions or sensations. All prompting dramatic gasps and 'ew!'s from Kim at the appropriate moments.

The pair of them laughed and joked and swapped Andy-related innuendos for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening, until most of the guests had gone and it was time to start clearing up.

They were both weary when it came time for bed. Kim would be sleeping in Jaspreet's bed, which was more than big enough for both of them. Other relatives were sleeping in all sorts of locations around the house, including a tent that had been pitched in the garden to cater to the overflow.

Jaspreet had loved all the noise and chaos of the day. It felt like home to her. And yet there was a sense of relief at being able to get into her bedroom and close the door. Inside was peace, and quiet and dim lighting.

And Kim, sitting on the bed in a Black Pink nightie and scrolling on her phone.

Jaspreet flopped down on her stomach next to her, and mumbled into the mattress.

"Eeeooffuuuoooeeeddd" she said feelingly through the duvet.

"Totally." Agreed Kim, not looking up.

Jaspreet rolled over with a grunt. "I said," she responded as though Kim was being unreasonable. "I fucking love my bed."

Kim smiled and looked down at Jaspreet. Then she poked her playfully in the stomach. "Well, it suits you " She said, and then narrowed her eyes mischievously. "Buuuut... It's not as good as a dining table, is it? Or a sofa? Hey! Maybe you should sleep downstairs on the dining table and leave the bed to me!"

"Stop!" Said Jaspreet, slapping Kim lightly. "Don't make me laugh! I'm too tired to laugh!"

"Fine." Said Kim, putting down her phone and lying down next to Jaspreet. Jaspreet shuffled over and rested her head on Kim's chest.

"So, which one was best? Dining table or sofa?" Kim asked.

Jaspreet gave a weary laugh.

"I don't know!" She said. "I think it was more comfortable the second time. But the first time..."

She paused. She could not see Kim's face, and seemed a little uncertain.

"Kim?" She said

"Jazz?" Kim responded.

" Have you had sex?"

Kim was silent for a while. And Jaspreet held her breath. They talked about sex things all the time, but for some reason it had never occurred to her to ask this question. Kim always seemed so knowledgeable, she just assumed she had.

"Huh" said Kim.

"You don't have to answer!" Jaspreet said, lifting herself up to look at Kim. "I'm sorry! I was just... Wondering."

Kim smiled at the guileless concern on Jaspreet's face.

"It's ok." She said. "It's just. Mmm. I don't really know.""

She paused, thinking.

" Do you remember, what nearly two years ago? You and your family went to visit family in Patiala?"

Jaspreet nodded.

"Right. You were away for about three months. And I ended up hanging around with... Ok, you know that little Korean shop, by the market? And that girl who was always in there, Ji-woo? The one with the blue hair? Well, she's the daughter of the man who owns the shop. Anyway, we... Well, we hung out a lot. And we... Kissed. And did things together."

Kim was sounding increasingly uncomfortable.

"I mean, we didn't mean to or anything. It just started out as a stupid game. But... Yeah. And I don't know if that counts as sex. I mean, not in the way...

... Arrgh!" Kim covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. She was blushing crimson. It suited her.

"Heeyyyy" said Jaspreet, soothingly. "It's ok! But. I'm really sorry to tell you this..."

Kim peeked suspiciously from between her fingers.

"... but I don't think kissing really does count as sex".

After milliseconds pause they both exploded into laughter.

" I knew it!" Kim shouted above Jaspreet's guffaws. " I just knew you were going to say something stupid! Ugh, Jazz you are just so predictable!"

She pushed Jaspreet off her chest disgustedly. Jaspreet feigned a look of abject sadness.

" I shouldn't have said anything!" Kim moaned, pounding her hands in mock frustration.

"Aww, babes!" Jaspreet crooned. "Come on! I've told you everything about my sex life! It's your turn! Go on! Pleeeeease!" She pawed pathetically at Kim. "What did you do apart from kissing?"

Kim threw her hands over her face again, and groaned.

"Did she put a vibrator into you, like you did for me?" Jaspreet persisted. "Did she kiss you down there?"

Kim growled.

"Did she put her tongue up your bum?"

" Jazz!" Kim bellowed, while Jaspreet rolled around in hysterics on the bed.

They wrestled around happily, with Kim calling on all her weight and strength to pin Jaspreet down with her legs, and tickle her mercilessly until she was begging for mercy.

"Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry!" She wailed.

Kim stopped the tickling, and flopped off Jaspreet to lie next to her. They lay there for a while, with Jaspreet wheezing.

"Yes." Kim said, eventually.

"Yes what?"

"Yes, she did put a vibrator in me, if you must know."

Jaspreet grinned impishly.

" And she kissed me down there." Kim went on. " And I kissed her down there too. And we rubbed our bits together. And we used our fingers on each other a lot. And I orgasmed, like, a million times and so did she. And it's because of her that I was able to show you stuff!"

Kim said all this in a rush. There was a hurt defensiveness that showed beneath all the giggles and play fighting.

Jaspreet sat up and looked at Kim with a devastated remorse.

"Oh, babe." She said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything."

Kim couldn't help but melt in the face of those puppy eyes.

" I know", she smiled. "It's just. I wanted so much to tell you all about it. But I didn't know how. Back then, we didn't really talk about this kind of thing."

Jaspreet laid herself down on Jaspreet's chest again, hugging her.

"But we've talked so much about it since." She said. "Why didn't you tell me when I was going on and on about Andy? Was it because you'd been with a girl?"

Kim didn't answer. Jaspreet could feel her chest lift as though about to say something, but it deflated again in silence.

"Do you still see Ji-woo?" Jaspreet asked.

"She went back to Seoul." Kim answered. "Just before you got back"

"I'm sorry." Jaspreet said.

They were quiet for a while.

"Kim". Said Jaspreet. "You know I love you. And I wouldn't care if you prefer girls to boys. I could never love you any less."

Kim reached round Jaspreet and returned her hug with a fierce squeeze, eyes shut tight.

"Although it does explain how you knew so much about the vibrator ", Jaspreet said innocently. "You knew exactly where to put it, and I have to say your technique was amazing. I mean I'd give it a nine out of ten."

Kim laughed, and sniffed, and wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand.

" God!" Jaspreet went on. "Just think! All that time I was so desperate for sex, and I could have had sex with you! Shit, that would have made it all so much easier!"

Kim laughed harder the more Jaspreet went on, enjoying the playful prattle that was so endearing.

"I wouldn't have had to go through all that faff with Andy! God, Kim, that's so selfish of you. You just sat there and let me go through all that when you could have just fucked me yourself! Wow. Some friend you are!"

"Stop!" Kim laughed, putting her hand over Jaspreet's mouth to shut her up. "Stop!"

"Fbf fffmmm frrr fr brrrr" Jaspreet went on happily.

Kim rolled over on top of Jaspreet and again they played at wrestling, while giggling and barking with laughter.

And again, Kim easily won the contest, with Jaspreet desperately yielding to the superior force.

They lay there together, dozing peacefully, until Jaspreet finally got up, stripped quickly and got into her pajamas. They got under the covers and snuggled up together.

"Kim?"

"Mmm?"

In the dark, and half asleep, Jaspreet's words were slurred with tiredness.

"Would you? If I asked?"

Kim gave her a squeeze, and seemed to not be breathing. Then, quietly but firmly, she replied.

"You know I would."

And with that, they drifted off into strange and disconcerting dreams about being on the edge of things. And of things ending.