Chapter 19

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They decided that nightclub sluttiness was the kind of thing they should do on a Friday night. That gave Kaitlin most of a week to wait. By the end, her anticipation had grown into a level of tension that felt more like nerves.

After work, she had some time to blow off steam. That called for a glass of wine and a long, hot bath. She let them warm her inside and out, and focused for a while on just breathing.

While she lay back, her kybernet pinged. (May I come in?)

Hearing Ai’s voice put a smile instantly on Kaitlin’s face. She swapped the glass to her left hand and said, (Go right ahead.)

Again came that sense of fullness from sharing her body, sharing her kybernet. Ai took a deep breath and closed their eyes. (Oh, that is a pleasant feeling.) She sank back, resting their head on the bath’s edge.

Kaitlin giggled. Her heart warmed to watch Ai experiencing something new. (Tell me more about it.)

Ai hummed. (Warmth. And a kind of ... humming lightness. How come? The bath I took wasn’t like this.)

Kaitlin laughed. (That’s not the bath, that’s the booze. You’d usually call it a buzz, not a hum.) She took a sip to demonstrate, and to give Ai a taste of that dry, fruity flavour.

(Huh.) Ai tilted their head. (That’s ... nice. But be careful. You know if you’re drunk tonight, Tony will call the whole thing off.)

Kaitlin pouted, but set the glass down. (You don’t need to worry about that. I’ve had, like, half a glass, that’s all.) Damn sweet responsible considerate brother.

Ai laughed at her pouting, affectionately amused. Since Kaitlin’s hand was now free, she gave it a quick, warm squeeze. (The bath is nice too. A kind of all-over warmth, and the support all around. A different kind of floating feeling. I’ve only had it once before.)

Kaitlin tilted their head. (Only once?)

(Yes.) Ai ducked their chin, embarrassed. (The bath at our apartment isn’t big enough for two, and I focused on things I could do with Tony.) When they’d thought she had a time limit.

Kaitlin smiled. (Any bath is big enough for two, if it’s the right two. What do you want to do?)

Ai considered for a moment, looking down along their body. (I had never considered how buoyant these were.) She cupped their breast — their left breast, to make it clear she meant to touch Kaitlin.

That touch instantly reminded Kaitlin of the tension built up in her. She gasped, their back arching to push into Ai’s touch.

Ai laughed, so soft and sweet, even as she settled into fondling her. (So pent up. You were in Tony’s bed just last night ... and you had him in yours the night before.) They’d had a hell of a week.

(No fair, ) Kaitlin whined. (You know the effect you have on me.)

(The effect? Oh, you mean how much faster your heart beats?) Ai’s fingers squeezed in tighter, as if to feel that pulse behind Kaitlin’s breast. (You mean that heat in the depths of your body?) Her fingers traced down their body, between their thighs, and caressed their eager slit.

Kaitlin jolted forward. “Ai!” The cry pulled itself from their lips.

(Too bad.) Ai’s fingers kept moving, so softly. (I hoped I’d get you to say ‘yes’.) Her fingers kept moving, exploring. Kaitlin could feel every detail from both sides: not just the stimulation at their sensitive lips, but how their heat was tangible to those fingers, even compared to the bath water surrounding them.

Though the water did dissipate their fluids, did make it harder to get Ai’s fingertips inside them. She hooked her leg over the bath’s side and lifted their hips out of the water. The kiss of cool air made them shiver; that shiver turned into twitches as Ai worked her fingers inward. A whole new warmth spread within them, mixing with the bath and the wine, building up...

And then Ai drew her fingers out and dropped back into the bath. (That’s enough of that.)

“Huh?” The haze of lust slowed Kaitlin’s thoughts. (Wait, you’re stopping?)

(Yes. You wouldn’t want to spoil your appetite before tonight, would you?) Ai tried so hard to sound innocent.

Kaitlin whined. (You horrible, merciless tease.) She loved every second.

Ai laughed, her tone warm and loving even in the midst of their wickedness. She tilted their head. (We should start getting ready. Not long until Tony will be here.)

Time to get ready for date night. The most wicked date night Kaitlin had ever had. Even before Ai’s tease, she could hardly wait.

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Tony’s car knew the way to the Cruise house. He spent the drive trying to get his tie tied right. He’d gone with a three-piece suit for the night, with the slacks, shirt, and jacket all in black, plus a purple waistcoat and red tie.

A suit was all he could think of to try to keep up with Kytelin. There were so many ways for a woman to dress sexy, especially a woman like them; if there were options for masculine fashion, he didn’t know them.

The car pulled up outside the house, and Tony checked his tie and his hair one more time. Such antsy anticipation. It didn’t just feel like a date; coming back to his childhood home made it feel like an awkward, exciting, teenage date. Not that he’d had many dates while he was a high schooler living at home; he’d been the type to focus more on study than romance.

And he’d never expected to pick up a date from his childhood home.

He dashed up and rapped at the door. The next second, Kytelin opened it, smiling.

Case in point: they looked stunning, and with nothing more complicated than a strappy little black dress. Plus smoky eyeshadow and plum lipstick, just like Tuesday night. A silver chain necklace hung down almost to her dress’ low, narrow, V neckline. The skirt cut high, exposing almost as much of her legs as the straps did her arms. They wore those mismatched stockings again, though their shoes were simply black, heeled pumps.

They laughed — Kaitlin’s laugh, warm and bright — at his jaw-dropped response. “You like it. Good.” They hugged him, arms looped around the back of his neck to pull them as high and close as they could manage. The feeling of her soft body called to him. “Shall we?”

“Just two things first.” He held them by the waist. “Ai.” Once he called her by name, he kissed her — warm and loving, their attraction grown stronger from weeks of experience. As he lifted off, he whispered, “Kaitlin,” and went right back in.

Kaitlin kissed him breathlessly, wild and sloppy with passion. She was more than ready for the night’s plans; by the end of that kiss, they both had to pant for air. She rested their forehead on his. “We’d better get moving. If we stay here too long, I’m going to get this suit off you and forget all about going to the club.”

Tempting. So tempting. But they’d already made plans.

Before they lost their will, they hurried out to the car. Tony couldn’t keep his eyes off Kytelin — and so he saw the soft, buoyant motion of their chest. That still had his attention even while they buckled in.

Kytelin noticed where he was looking, and Ai smiled at him. “Like what you see?”

He scoffed as the car started itself. “I can do more than see.” Curiosity had him, and he had a wonderful way to confirm. He reached across and took hold of her soft, perfect, braless breast.

A gasp filled her lungs and jutted her chest into his hand — but it was a shocked gasp. Cheeks turned red and eyes went wide, as Kaitlin stared at him.

That snapped him back to reality, and his blush raged alongside hers. “Shit. I’m sorry. A-Ai’s told me to touch as much as I want, and it’s become a bit of a habit, and...” He drew back. “And I’m sorr—”

A hand gripped his wrist and kept him from taking his hand off her. Kytelin’s left hand — Kaitlin’s hand. “I didn’t say stop.” Kaitlin blushed to say it, but she still did. “I mean ... a little groping is the least of what’s going to happen tonight, right?”

That froze Tony solid. It took a moment for Kaitlin’s permission to sink in, and then his hand started moving again. Not just cupping to feel for a bra, but massaging her through the thin material of her dress.

“Not necessarily.” When Ai spoke, it was with a pleasured hitch in her tone.

“Right. Right.” Tony’s mind was slow; feeling their breast, hearing their heavy breaths, it was so easy to look ahead to the most adventurous possibilities. But there was more to consider. “We’ll go to Club Vixen, we’ll walk in and see how people react ... and we’ll decide from there.” He looked deeply into their face. “You can pull the plug at any time. Either of you.”

Ai smiled, their eyes gleaming. “I’m simply along for the ride. This is your night, Kaitlin.”

Kaitlin laughed nervously. “You two keep teasing me like this, and I’m going to end up riding every dick I can.” She said it shyly, like she still expected them to be put off by it. She couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

Tony showed her. He kissed her, devouring her mouth, while his fingertips teased her pebble-hard nipple through her dress. By the time they came up for air, they found themselves parked. How long had they already been there?

Kytelin took a deep, steadying breath. “How do we look?” Kaitlin asked.

They’d already looked great. Now their fair face was flushed with excitement, their lips were swollen from their kiss, and their nipples stood out proudly within their dress. Tony barely had one word. “Stunning.”

They smiled — Kaitlin’s smile, wide and giddy. Every compliment seemed to hit Kaitlin more deeply than Ai, more intensely.

Tony left the car first and hurried around to open the door for them. They’d parked a brisk walk away, and Kytelin moved with Ai’s precise glide as they approached.

Club Vixen was nicely discreet: its sign was even an abstract picture, the curves suggesting a naked woman without outright displaying one. The two-story building had a blocky shape and sleek black colour, and it fit in with the restaurant on one side and courier company on the other. The entrance stood right at the corner, so the queue stretched into the privacy of the alleyway. A few people were lined up, even so early in the night.

Still, the line was short enough that it only took a few minutes for them to reach the front. The tough, blonde bouncer soon waved them in with her yellow-and-black bionic arm.

Tony started to step forward — but Kytelin froze at his side.

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There it was. The door of a sex club, just waiting for her to enter. Not on vacation, but there in her own city. She could scratch every lustful, promiscuous itch she’d ever had.

But she didn’t have a rental body as a buffer. She’d be there as herself. What if she saw someone she knew? What if they saw her? She felt the hypothetical looks like spotlights, hot and scrutinising. She choked. Tension locked up their body.

Yet even in the midst of such nerves, she still wanted to try. And she had help. (Ai?) she whispered. (Can you walk in?)

(Not like you.) Ai didn’t step forward, but she took Kaitlin’s hand with a firm, supportive squeeze. (It’s not just about getting inside. We want to make an impression. To call for attention. I helped with our makeup, I helped to get dressed, but you’re the only one who can strut in and make everyone want to look at us. To look at you.)

Kaitlin shivered at the feeling of desire in Ai’s tone. She remembered what they’d said before: Ai had a way of gliding, but Kaitlin had a stride. Walking into that club called for that kind of stride.

A touch on their back brought her partially back to reality. Tony’s eyes showed the same encouragement that she heard in Ai’s tone and felt in their touches. He wanted to see how she could move.

They had such confidence in her. They knew that she’d look good. They knew that whatever happened, they’d make one hell of a night. Their confidence buoyed her. She could forget about the rest of the world. She wasn’t walking in for strangers, or for friends who might not even be there. She was walking in for Ai and Tony.

After her first few steps, she gained momentum. As she crossed the threshold, she fell into rhythm with the club’s primal, bassy music. Once she was inside, the beat resonated with her, down to her bones.

Club Vixen’s front room was an open, combined space. Here, a bar running halfway along one wall; there, a grouping of leather couches; there, a dancefloor that reached all the way to the wall. Bare-chested staff circulated, carrying trays of refreshment. The layout seemed somehow familiar.

The people there were so much more overt than at Get Hooked. A couple pinned each other to a wall, in the shadows just off the dancefloor’s edge; two women were making out on a couch; and a pretty, androgynous young man had a black-haired woman bent over the bar. And it just wasn’t a big deal. Others watched, but not in aghast shock or leering lechery; they simply ... took an interest.

And they looked at Kytelin with the same interest. Even with their clothes on, people still gave them the same casually carnal attention. She’d worried about how that would feel in her own skin, but it felt good. She strode forward with their arms loose and their hips swaying, like that club entrance was a fashion show catwalk.

(That’s it, ) Ai whispered. (You’re doing so well.)

(You look so good, ) Tony added.

They liked her. That was the most important thing. Kaitlin felt a smile come to their lips. Even if her audience were only Tony watching from behind and Ai feeling every step, she’d feel good about it. She put in an extra bit of wiggling, just for Tony.

But they weren’t her only audience. Around the club, heads turned to face her. Jaws dropped. Eyes went wide. A few steps later, she received a yes/no request from the DJ, just like Carla would send. She said yes, and an actual, literal spotlight shone over her. And she’d thought a spotlight was supposed to feel bad. While she was swept up in the moment, the attention didn’t scare her. That bright light made her feel hot, in so many ways.

So many eyes on her and loving every curve, every movement. On impulse, she added a twirling dance to her walk. As she finished, she blew the DJ a kiss, laughing all the while. Even through the club’s music, she heard a few whoops.

Intoxicating. The wine was mostly out of her system, but she felt like she was drunk on the attention. Even after the spotlight switched off, she felt hot to her core.

Now they had more shade, Tony came close behind her. He touched her shoulder, his hand light and reverent. (How are you feeling?)

She knew what he really meant. They’d walked in. They’d done everything they’d planned, everything they’d hung the night on. If she’d had enough, they could just leave.

Like hell.

She kissed him like she wanted to bruise his lips and suck his breath away, just to show him and Ai how she was feeling. When she finished, she had both hands clutching at his shirt, while his fingers dug into her back. “Let’s get some drinks,” she said, “And hit the floor. I want to have fun.” She was in no hurry to leave.

Going up to the bar was less of an event. It meant they had to come up closer to that couple, but it didn’t interrupt them at all. The skinny, purple-haired androgyne gave them a quick, friendly smile, but mostly focused on his partner: a classic, black-haired, pale-skinned gothy woman in awesome boots and not much else. She kept her head low, hidden behind a curtain of ink-black hair.

The bartender was a brunette woman with reddish-brown eyes and a very long, very low ponytail. She smiled at them, no less amiable or professional for the sex happening a few feet away, nor for her own hefty, bare breasts. It was simply ... the way things were.

Once they’d had their drinks, they headed out to the dancefloor. Kytelin led the way; Kaitlin could feel Ai’s eagerness just as bright as her own, hastening their steps as they drew Tony along in their wake.

Kaitlin smiled. (You go ahead.) It wasn’t just her night, and if Ai wanted to dance, then Kaitlin wanted her to dance.

Ai’s gratitude came in the form of a giddy, nonverbal squeal, just before she pulled Tony in against them. He laughed, surprised at first, but soon drew his own arms around her. Kaitlin had seen them dance before, but now she got to feel it. Got to feel their sync, their passion, their delight in each other.

And something that they hadn’t shown the cameras. As they whirled around the dancefloor — as Ai twirled and Tony caught them, as Ai turned their back to press closer against him — Kaitlin could feel how dearly they wanted to do more than dance.

They could, too. While Ai was totally wrapped up in dancing and in Tony, Kaitlin had some attention to spare. She saw how the others at the club moved. How they kissed, how they touched, how they took each other when the whim struck them. A little grinding was the least of the PDA at Club Vixen.

That song ended, shifting into something with a heavy, downtempo beat. Ai handed off control; Tony could swap one dance partner for another without anyone needing to move.

Instead, Kaitlin focused on moving with him. They still had their back to him, so she pressed backward tightly, hips rolling, grinding against his lap, in time with the music. It made him gasp, with both surprise and sensation; he was already hard with excitement, and he soon joined her in that close, clothed pressure.

Ai had danced with Tony; Kaitlin moved with the music, but that was incidental. She’d never been so openly sexual on a dancefloor before, and it felt good. Liberating. People looked but didn’t stare, not with so many others doing the same thing. She reached up and behind her to hug his neck, while his arms laced around her waist, just below her breasts.

Holding her like that, he had an easy view over her shoulder and down her cleavage. (Can ... can I... ) Even his kybed speech was faltering and shy, though his tensing fingers helped carry his desire.

Kaitlin giggled at that shaky, indirect approach. Of course Tony wouldn’t know the little bit of ‘etiquette’ that Kaitlin had learned; it was her turn to teach. (When I did something like this on Dusk, we had a specific way of asking questions like that. Same with the DJ just before, before the spotlight. So it’d be something like... ) She sent him one of those yes/no boxes: ‘Do you want to feel up our tits?’

The wording made him whine ... but he still hit yes, and his hands rose. Tentative at first, a light caress that made them jolt towards him in search of sensation; but they finished out the song with kneading squeezes in time with each beat. More people turned to watch how he touched them, but still no shock and no creeping. Just a little envy. And they should be envious; Tony’s hands felt amazing.

But as much as she’d loved that dance, the song was over. She leaned back against him, urging him away from the dancefloor. She still wanted to do more, but dancing didn’t feel quite right.

He took the hint and slid out from behind them, took their hand, and led them to the couches. “What do you want to do now?” They found an unoccupied couch and sank in.

Kaitlin had expected to be restless and unsure; she wanted to do something, but didn’t know what. But the answer hit her in a flash. “I want to do whatever you want me to.” As she said each word, the idea felt increasingly right.

She felt a surprised, gleeful gasp from Ai, while Tony’s eyes went wide. “Excuse me?” he asked.

“I mean it.” She leaned into his side, one hand laid on his chest. “You liked how Carla kept control, right? Well...” Her heart skipped a beat. “I’m giving you control now.” They quivered — she could feel the eagerness from Ai too. “Tell me what you want from me.”

Tony shuddered. His cheeks turned such a sweet, cute pink, while his eyes burned with passion. He looked into their eyes for a long, probing moment. (I-I want you to take that dress off.) Back to kybing, back to privacy. Such a shy admission, but he’d been bold enough to say just what he wanted.

Impulse took her. She kissed him with enough force to push him back into the couch, though only for a few seconds; then she drew back. (Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.)

Kaitlin strode back to the dancefloor, but then they traded back and forth: Kaitlin’s smooth, flowing, hip-rolling dance for a few bars, then Ai’s precise series of snapshot poses for a few more. It felt like dancing with Ai, in a way that intoxicated Kaitlin more than any drink.

They teased. A swirl of their hips to flick their short skirt; a brush of fingers to knock a strap off one shoulder; a caress to highlight their perky nipples. The others could tell they were dancing to make a show, and while Tony watched with rapt attention, other clubbers started to take notice.

Another consent message came in from the DJ, another request to spotlight her. To be under spotlights while she stripped almost naked — the thought alone made her squirm.

But they were closer now. Kaitlin looked at the DJ’s booth and got a good look at her grinning, elfin, familiar face. Nita.

Kaitlin’s heart leapt into her throat. Now that she’d recognised one, others fell into place. That purple-haired androgyne was Alex in their new body. Their pale lover in the nice boots, that could be Jackie. ‘Her friends could see’ wasn’t hypothetical anymore; they were there. Two or three so far.

They were the same friends who’d seen her at her most repressed, seen her withdraw from almost every risque invitation. What if they thought she was a hypocrite to come out and play now?

Or what if it was the opposite, and they were too eager to play with her? She’d dealt with creepy, over-eager people before, and she didn’t want to deal with it from friends. She still didn’t know how she felt about adding real-life friends with benefits at all, let alone adding benefits to friendships she already had.

And potentially worst of all, they’d seen her dancing with Tony. They’d seen how her brother touched her now. What if her friends judged them? What if they were disgusted?

All those what-ifs slammed into her at once. Their hands froze on their dress straps, while she gasped, their head soon swimming with hyperventilation.

Until Ai took over, taking slower, deeper breaths. (Kaitlin. What’s wrong?)

Tony noticed, too, even from his position on the couch. (Are you alright? I’m here.)

Such supportive warmth, such affection and understanding, such concern from both of them at once. Kaitlin could breathe again, but she still couldn’t move her hands. (I’m sorry. I can’t. I’m sorry.)

(It’s alright.) Tony’s voice was so warm and soothing. (You don’t have to.)

But Ai caught the edge of regret in Kaitlin’s voice. (Do you want to?)

Kaitlin hesitated, not yet stepping off the floor. She looked inside herself for the answer. (I wish I could be that adventurous, Ai, but I just ... can’t.)

(I can.)

The confidence in Ai’s tone took her breath away. Kaitlin nodded once and surrendered her control.

Ai started dancing again, like they’d never paused, flowing from one step to the next. Nita must have noticed the change in style; on the fly, she mixed some symphonic into the metal. Ai’s favourite. Kaitlin finally hit the ‘yes’ button, and the spotlight warmed them as Ai showed the club how she could move.

That turned heads, so many heads. Nita barely watched her sound system; others on the dancefloor slowed down to watch them; and best of all, Tony was on the edge of his seat.

It was time. Ai brought their hands up to their shoulders again. She didn’t hold back: a quick flick dropped the straps along her arms, and then a smooth shrug let the whole dress slide off, all the way down to pool at her heels.

Kaitlin didn’t have to lift a finger herself. She could just bask in the feelings. In the sense of beauty and sexuality, of carnal pride, that came from making so many jaws drop. There they stood, wearing almost nothing — just panties, shoes and some accessories — and the people around them loved it.

Kaitlin found her confidence again, and Ai handed control back. She stepped out of the pile of silk, every gesture a show: a stretch of their leg to show the cling of silky stocking along smooth, shapely limb; a sway of their hips as she came down, to show their womanly breadth and the tight fit of their panties; stepping with enough force to shake their breasts. A quick twist turned their back and she took a long, graceful bend to pluck their dress from the floor.

The strip was done; Kaitlin turned up the tease and showed off for the rest of the song. When the music changed and the spotlight turned off, Kaitlin strutted her way back to the couch.

Even with how the others had worshipped them with their eyes, nothing compared to the look of loving awe on Tony’s face. After one quick check — aw, he was already using those yes/no boxes — he yanked them into his lap and kissed their mouth off. They straddled him readily, they kissed back with just as much intensity. Kaitlin didn’t even know how much of it was her and how much was Ai; they both wanted it.

Tony laughed when they came up for air. “I was going to ask how you were feeling, but ... wow. Must be good.”

Kaitlin giggled, resting against his shoulder. “I could say I feel like a goddess, and it’d feel like an understatement.” She kissed his neck.

Ai added a soft hum, teasing his skin. “The way our heart’s racing, the way she gasps for breath. She loves this, Tony.” And the astonishment in her tone showed how much she loved Kaitlin loving it. She rolled their hips, grinding down into Tony’s hardened lap.

He gasped for them. For a few beats, he rocked upwards, pressing just as hotly. Watching the show had wound him up just as much as it had wound them to perform it. But he clenched his teeth and resisted. He set a hand on their hip, easing them back. “Hold on.”

Kaitlin whined, but stopped. “What is it?” Why was he holding back?

First, he reassured her. “You’re sexier than I can say. I want you so much it hurts. But I can have you anytime.” The confidence in his words sent a shudder down their spine. “The others here aren’t so lucky. Wouldn’t you rather have someone else?”

She stared at him. No tease; he wasn’t suggesting it just to yank it away. No jealousy. Looking into his face, she found only eagerness. He wanted to share her just as much as she wanted to be shared.

That emboldened her to speak her mind. “Yes,” she whispered. “I love how they look at me now, how much they want me. I want to see just how dumbstruck they get if they actually have me.” But how to invite someone? Who to choose? She twisted about to look over their shoulder. She felt like they had the pick of the crop after that dance.

Wait, was that—

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Someone else had taken over DJing, and Nita was walking right towards them. She wore practical sneakers, tiny painted-on black shorts, and a deep purple half-top. It draped over her, and was just sheer enough to allow a hint of gleaming steel to be visible at her chest, while it was short enough that her rose-vine tattoo peeked out from underneath.

Oh god. Kaitlin hugged herself against Tony, hiding her breasts by pillowing them into his suit-clad chest. Ever since she saw even some of those videos, she had trouble looking at Nita without noticing just how fit, tight, and hard her body was, how boldly she smiled, how smoothly she moved. When they’d seen each other on Sunday, they’d managed to get by with just a little awkwardness. No way could Kaitlin keep herself that cool in a sex club, especially with the state she was in. She was already confused about friendship with benefits, and Nita’s presence was even more confusing.

But she still smiled over their shoulder, and waved a shy arm in greeting.

“Ho-ly shit.” Nita grinned wider with every step. “Damn, Ai. You’ve got some moves. Especially after the dress came off. What, have you two been practicing?”

Ai laughed, a wicked smile spreading over their face. “Thank you. Though I can’t take all the credit; I wasn’t the one dancing then.”

Nita blinked. She glanced above their head, and her jaw dropped wide. “Kaitlin Cruise, out at Club Vixen? Never thought I’d see the day. I just thought Ai’d put Tony up to it.” She nodded to the couch. “D’you mind?”

They took a brief pause to discuss, kybing back and forth. Including a new request from Tony, and the kind of encouragement from Ai that made Kaitlin weak at the knees. In the end, Kaitlin took a deep breath and turned around, facing Nita as she slid to sit beside Tony instead of on him. “No, no, go ahead. Though you have it around the wrong way.”