Chapter 38

Joe was up and out early Saturday morning with Union business to take care of at Johnson Construction as well as contracts to settle with lawyers for future business. The final transfer of stock to the employees was drawing closer and Joe was doing everything he could to make the transfer smooth. The last two years had been good ones for the company and Joe liked to think that the fact he had taken a bigger role in the operation was part of it. His share of the operation was negotiated to a yearly dividend until his retirement age of 65. At that point he would draw a regular retirement based on his lifetime earning power with the company. After his success with the markets he was quite well set to put forth all the plans he and Selena had.

With Joe out early Selena rolled over and slept hard until she heard the shower running. She was surprised to see 11:20 on the clock and she realized it must have been Jeromy getting ready for work. She threw on a robe and went to the kitchen to see Lucy and apologize for being so lazy. She was surprised to find no one up except Jeromy who was just coming out of the guest room.

"Luce is still sleeping, believe it or not. I think her mind is finally at rest. She wanted so bad to call her parents and talk to her mother, but she knew they would be upset and spend money they don't have. I think having you and Joe for friends and support as well as assurance that I loved her unconditionally eased her tension." Jeromy said as he sat at the table as he smelled the coffee.

"She worried you might jump ship, but I thought you two were pretty solid." Selena said as she poured.

"Selena, I really love her and I'd ask her to marry me right now, except we both have to finish school and get settled into careers." Jeromy said with doe eyes as he dreamt.

"It wouldn't hurt to state your intentions. It might give you both a reason to work that much harder towards you goals." She added.

"That wouldn't be too forward? Assuming too much?" He wondered.

"No, I don't think so. I think she feels the same way. If you wouldn't come clean with your hearts intentions, maybe you aren't as serious as you may think." Selena warned.

"No, No, I AM sure. I love her so much and the events of the week proved it to me. Instead of the urge to kill that asshole, I was more concerned about her, her well being, her psyche. I just wanted to hold her and protect her and she couldn't wait to make love to me again. Her self-esteem took a great step forward and I think it made a difference in her feelings for me." Jeromy insisted as he looked at his watch and realized her was running late to be at work at noon.

"Well, you guys should talk soon and get things straight, AND you better get going. Should I let her sleep?" Selena asked as she got up to walk Jeromy to the door.

"She's close to 12 hours. If you have plans you might better think about getting her up. We sort of a... um... a... wore each other out last night." He said with a little grin as he stepped out the door after getting a peck on the cheek from Selena.

Selena sat back down to finish her coffee and then decided she should check on Lucy. She went to the door and quietly opened it. Lucy was still asleep lying nude on her stomach with the sheet pulled off. She had seen her nude many times but today she saw how shapely her little athletic body was. She apparently had been tanning as her tan lines were all but faded and her body had a perfect summer tint. She surmised that Joe had admired her round shapely butt more than once, and for that she could not blame him. She decided to leave her be and closed the door. Just as it clicked shut she heard Lucy call out.

"Jeromy? Are you leaving without kissing me?"

"It's Selena. Jeromy just left a few minutes ago, and I bet he kissed you, but you were out cold." She said as she cracked the door open a bit.

Lucy rolled over and searched for the end of the sheet to pull over her.

"Look at me in the nude. We passed out after wearing ourselves out." Lucy said with a blush.

"You remembered they took off your patch for the police photos, right?"

"Yes, I did, before we got too far. I doubt I'm fertile right now, but I DON"T need a surprise. We had fun anyway. Selena, you know I really love him don't you?" Lucy said, embarrassed a bit being caught naked before she pulled up the sheets.

"I think he really loves you too. You guys might want to get honest about that soon if you think you're crossing into that zone where you begin to talk about lives together." Selena said with a motherly tone.

"I really thought he would come here last night and walk away. I figured being a slut caught up to me. He knows I slept with girls and he knows I PICKED UP Jesse the first time." She started to tell her friend before she interrupted.

"Lucy we ALL did things that we might be ashamed of at one time, but we grow past them. We aren't perfect. I think Jeromy loves you and anything you did before you met him is none of his business, really. But we share things to show our imperfections and to be honest. When I worked at The Corner Store Joe had slept with every girl I worked with. He slept with my boss before I was born."

"None of that bothered you?"

"Of course it bothered me, but when I thought of what a sweet man he was and how nice he treated me I made him give me a chance. He wanted nothing to do with me. I chased him. I overlooked things I could not change, but I worked on changing the things I could."

"You've made me feel so good Selena. Come here and we can share one of our special hugs. You are such a great friend." She said as she stood and opened her arms as the sheet fell from her.

Selena went to her and let her robe fall open as their breasts met and they hugged and embraced.

"I couldn't bear to see that fucking caveman walk away so smug after using you like an animal. I wished I killed him." Selena whispered.

"What would have happened if you weren't there? I would have hid it and crawled deeper into my shell and probably lost Jeromy." Lucy said crying.

"No ifs or buts now. We took care of it and all is fine now." She whispered back.

Selena went to break the erotic hug that, to her, signified how close they were, but Lucy pulled her closer.

"If I had my leather harness panties with that rubber cock I would ask you to make love to me. I need it NOW!" Lucy blurted out between her tears.

"Lucy!" Selena shouted as she broke the special hug. "You know we aren't that way and I thought you stopped all that stuff!"

"Selena I'll always be excited by bi-sexual thoughts and this is the first one I've had since Jeromy. Don't get mad, but you know I do love you as my dearest friend and you loving me that way would make my spirit soar. Last night when Jerr got in me it felt so good to enjoy that. It was like saying to that animal who forced me, "see you didn't hurt me and I LOVE this". But he had to stop when I realized the patch was off. Now I've scared you off. I'm sorry." She cried as she turned away in embarrassment.

Selena rushed behind her putting her hands on her shoulders and talked softly in her ear.

"Lucy, I'm not scared off. I'm just shocked at you saying that. We've never done that, and we shouldn't" She consoled to her.

"Yes, I did do that with you, but YOU didn't ME. I did make love to you with that harness while you screamed for me to fuck you. You don't remember it, but I think of it almost everyday and thought if you would just love me back someday there would be closure to it. I never thought I could ever ask you, but after being shortchanged last night and then dreaming about you, and now you are here today, it just kind of came out. I'm so sorry." Lucy said as she began bawling even harder.

"Shortchanged? I thought you had a great night? Jeromy was overwhelmed this morning." She asked.

"Oh, it was great in that he made sure I got off with his hands, and I near sucked the cock right off of him and tasted all he had. But when I was feeling him deep in me, where that Jesse bastard hurt me and it was gooooood. But then I had to stop Jeromy. All I could think of as I went to sleep was you soothing my needs, like when you were my protector. I know you love me and I love you, and I know we aren't lesbians. There's just an inner need to share something with you after what you did. GOD, I DON'T KNOW! I'M SO CONFUSED RIGHT NOW." Lucy said as her crying turned into an out and out bawl.

Selena stepped up to hold her as Lucy began to go to the floor in resignation. Selena twisted and ended up plopping down on the bed holding her friend in her arms.

"Don't cry Lucy, my confused and loyal friend. We can solve this. I want to make you happy and I will not abandon you. I hate to keep things from Joe, and I never have. But this is something he may never understand. Good Lord, I barely understand it! Get dressed and I'll drive us to the dorm. We can't be here." Selena said surprising Lucy.

"Really? Do you want to or are you just doing it for me?"

"Of course I'm doing it for you. Hell, I don't even know if I CAN do it, or even WHAT you want me to do! This was your lifestyle, not mine!" Selena spat back in resentment.

"Oh please Selena, I've only used that toy twice each way and once was with you. If you think I'm asking you, or forcing you to do something that you think is lezzie, TELL ME! I'm not lezzie and I don't want you to feel that way. This is something intimate that I would only ask my most trusted and best friend. Do I think it's normal? NO I DON'T! But do you know what? My body is crying out for this closure and after the way you defended me this week, I know you love me enough to help me. My therapist told me to find closure with all my feelings of bi-sexuality and I did that, with this one exception." Lucy said defending her feelings.

"Wouldn't my saying NO to you be closure too? Wouldn't my telling you that I would feel guilty afterward buffer your closure if we do it?" Selena spat once again.

"So you're not going to do it after you tell me to get dressed so we can go?"

"NO, but answer my question. Wouldn't my saying NO to you be closure too? Wouldn't that be the end of it? The fact you asked, and then I said no should bring your closure, RIGHT?" Selena reasoned.

"All Right! YES, it would! But it wouldn't bring me what I need to make this dream, this fantasy come true and satisfy the one dirty pleasure I hold from my old life. I know what I want and need for the rest of my life, and that's Jeromy. I wish he would say the same to me, but I guess I'll just have to wait for that. You making love to me is my only open door to free myself from what I was. I just about left it behind until I saw you out the dorm window, when you destroyed the son of a bitch that hurt your friend. (tears start pouring out again) It was then I knew how much you loved me and I loved you and that itch rose up within me again. When Jeromy had to stop last night I knew I would actually ask you." Lucy said admitting her lust and reasoning as she got up from Selena's arms and sat straddling the end of the bed post.

Selena crossed her arms nervously and then put a hand to her forehead as she bent forward. "For Christ's sake, if you looked in the drawer you would have found a condom for him and maybe solved all this."

"If only it were that simple. Jeromy can't use latex, he needs lambskin and they're like $4 apiece, that's why I'm on the patch. We just use them when I'm fertile to be sure we're safe." Lucy said calming herself. "Otherwise he probably would have screwed the daylights out of me last night."

"Well Lucy, let me tell you two things. Jeromy would ask you to marry him if you would send him a signal that it was total commitment you wanted. You guys need to talk frankly to each other. Secondly, I will still do what you asked me if you promise that it never comes up again and no-one ever knows. You aren't forcing me, but I don't want this. I want to make you right with your life, your conscience. I'm not saying I won't enjoy it. I'm not saying I won't be regretful afterwards and that's about my never wanting to keep anything from Joe, and I'll probably tell him about this, just not today, or tomorrow. He WILL understand, and then maybe he can explain to me. Come on before I change my mind. Let's get dressed and go to the dorm." Selena said looking and pointing at Lucy as she walked out the door before pivoting on her heel and looking back into the room.

"One more thing! When we're done pick one toy that Jeromy knows about, not the harness, and I throw out the rest. If this is what you say it is, you won't need them." Selena said pointing at her.

"OK!" Lucy said with a decisive nod, hoping she proved her point to her friend.

Selena went and quickly pulled on the same designer running suit she wore when she went to the dorm the previous Monday. She wore no bra or panties, but slipped a LightDays pad and thong into the pocket of the top. She felt somewhat excited and somewhat afraid of what lay ahead of her. If she were to bet, there was a 30 per cent chance she would chicken out. If she got the overwhelming feeling that she was cheating on Joe, it was over.

She gathered her pocketbook and looked in the mirror and sighed at herself.

"You must be the best friend ever, or fucking nuts" she whispered to herself aloud.

Lucy dressed much the same as Selena and they went to the Mustang and got in. She had left a note on the elevator panel for Joe. "Ran back to dorm and then library with Lucy. See you soon. XXX000. S"

The ride to the dorm was silent until they pulled into the lot.

"Tell me how you feel about it right now." Lucy asked in an excited tone.

"Nervous like a virgin." Selena answered.

"Wet?" Lucy said as a quip.

Selena paused as she opened the door and whispered with a wry grin "Fuck you bitch."

"I know the fact that we've shared intimate moments, intimate thoughts and have been there for each other has you a little turned on about this, hasn't it?" Lucy said trying to catch up to her swiftly walking friend. "Hasn't it?" she said raising her voice to make her point still trailing her.

Selena stopped in her tracks.

"What do you want me to say? I'm here to make you happy, to un-fuck your mind. Don't read anything into the fact that I'm a little excited by it. Yes, I love you, you fuckin' little bitch. I risked my life for you this week and I'm about to trust you to show me how to take the place of a man for you while you fantasize something I probably don't fully understand." She blurted out with her fists clenched at her side while she turned to face Lucy.