Always a Bridesmaid

Sitting at a table in the rapidly dying wedding reception, Jenny Marion was trying her best not to stare. It was a losing battle, her eyes pulled back to the little group of people standing off to her left, drawn to one particular person like a moth to a flame or iron to a magnet. It seemed like the more she tried, the less she succeeded.

“Get a grip, Jenny,” she said, shaking her head, “it's just Maddie.”

It wasn't 'just Maddie', though. Jenny thought it had a lot to do with today, her best friend's wedding. She and Grace Ogden had been friends since they were barely out of diapers, more than twenty years now. The thing is, her feelings for Grace were... Complicated. Well, complicated for Jenny, anyway. Ever since one boring, momentous summer day when they were twelve, Jenny has been secretly carrying a torch for the woman.

Her oldest friend had looked so beautiful in her flowing white dress, her long blonde hair pulled up in a complicated twist. She had been so radiant, so in love with the lucky bastard standing next to her at the alter, that Jenny had felt a twist of jealousy in her heart. She wished it could have been her standing up there, being smiled at like that.

When the minister asked for objections to their union, Jenny had to bite her tongue. Her only objection was losing her only chance with Grace. Not that she really ever had one. It had become clear early on that Grace didn't feel the same way about Jenny, so she had settled for just being friends.

Sighing, she brought her champagne flute to her lips, then blinked when she found it empty. It was her fifth of the day, and she had only started drinking after Grace and her husband had driven away to begin their honeymoon. She contemplated raiding the drink table, again, but decided she probably shouldn't. Things were already getting fuzzy around the edges, and she needed to drive home later.

She glanced around the remaining guests, trying to pick out someone who'd let her take them home. Watching her best friend and first love get married reminded her that she didn't have anyone in her life, her last girlfriend out of the picture over a month ago. The thought of going home to an empty bed was just too depressing. Still, she didn't see anyone in the waning crowd that appeared to be a lesbian, nor any women drunk enough that she might be able to sweet talk them into trying it.

A couple of guys smiled when her eyes passed them, but she really wasn't looking for that tonight. She had dated a few boys in high school, had even slept with a couple of them. Now and then, she'd get an urge for a man, but she still preferred the company of the fairer sex. A certain blond haired, blue eyed girl with braces had seen to that.

Her eyes came back to the small group of people, the one that kept grabbing her attention. It wasn't the group as a collective but one individual- Madeline, Grace's little sister. Jenny hadn't seen her in three years, and the girl had changed drastically. Thirteen now, Madeline- or Maddie, as most people called her- had finally grown into her knees and was well on her way to becoming a lovely young woman. She looked amazing in her peach colored bridesmaid dress.

Great, Jenny, she thought, shaking her head, are you that hard up that you are checking out middle schoolers, now?

Feeling Jenny's eyes on her, Maddie turned from her little group of friends and saw Jenny sitting by herself. She gave Jenny a little wave and a smile, which didn't do anything for Jenny's wayward thoughts.

God, she looks just like Grace at that age, Jenny thought, feeling a twinge in her heart.

Most sisters looked alike to some degree or another, but Maddie was a spitting image of Grace when she was thirteen, right down to the braces. She had the same willowy build, the same silky blond hair, and the same startlingly blue eyes. Even her smile was lopsided like Grace's, giving her almost a coy smirk that was a juxtaposition to her sunny disposition. Grace used to joke that they were twins and her mother just had a really, really long pregnancy.

Waving back, Jenny missed Grace even more. She glanced at her empty glass, then decided to raid the bar, after all. She stumbled a little getting up, the soft ground, heels, and the alcohol wreaking havoc on her balance. No one seemed to notice, so she made her way to the bar. Dropping off her empty, she snagged another glass, deciding to sip this one.

A hand fell on her shoulder, and she turned to see Grace's mother, Alison, smiling at her. The woman hugged her and not the first time today. Laughing, Jenny hugged the slight woman back, just as happy to see her.

“Yeah, I know,” the woman said, pulling back, “I just don't get to do that enough anymore.”

“I've missed you, too,” she said, which was true enough. The Odgens were her second family, and she loved all of them dearly.

“You know, Jim and I would love if you visited some time,” Alison admonished, giving Jenny a patented mom look, “my daughter has an excuse for not visiting, but you...”

Grace had gone to college out of state, then stayed when she met her husband. It was a ten-hour drive for her to visit her mother, but Jenny lived ten minutes away.

“I know,” Jenny said, grinning sheepishly, “I keep meaning to, but...”

“No more buts, young lady,” Alison, smiling warmly at Jenny, “Don't be a stranger.”

“I won't,” Jenny said, remembering why she loved this woman almost as much as her own mother.

“Good,” Alison said, nodding, “come to dinner this weekend. Jim is going to fire up the barbecue.”

“You know I can't pass up Dad's grilling,” Jenny said.

That line made Alison smile, and she said, “Yeah, you never could.”

“Do you want me to bring something?” Jenny asked.

“A date, if you've got one,” Alison said, the statement loaded.

Laughing, Jenny asked, “Is that a subtle way of asking if I'm seeing anyone?”

“I just married off one of my daughters,” the woman said, winking at her, “just curious about you.”

“Um, no wedding bells for me, I'm afraid,” Jenny said, smiling.

“Well, I'm sure there is a girl out there for you somewhere, dear,” Alison said, patting Jenny on the shoulder.

Jenny couldn't help but glance at Maddie, then wondered where her head was. Well, she knew where it was, but how Maddie had gone from being the cute, if annoying, little sister of her best friend to a young lady Jenny was finding it very easy to look at, was a mystery. Ever since seeing her again for the first time at the rehearsal, the girl had been a distraction and was becoming more of one by the minute. Jenny couldn't get her out of her head.

She tore her eyes away from the girl before Maddie's mother caught her leering at her daughter. Smiling at Alison, she said, “I hope so.”

--------------------------------------

Jenny came awake as someone's weight shifted on the bed behind her. Her eyes widened when she found Maddie on her hands and knees, looking down at her. Her sleep-fuzzy head couldn't figure out what the girl was doing here.

“Maddie?” She asked.

“I let myself in,” the girl said, smiling, “I hope that's okay.”

“How did you get here?” Jenny asked, struggling to cast off the sleep cobwebs.

“Doesn't matter,” Maddie said, leaning into kiss Jenny. When Jenny gasped in surprise, Maddie's tongue touched her own. Jenny found herself kissing the girl back before she realized it. It took awhile for her to return to her senses and she pushed the girl away.

“What are you doing?” Jenny asked, stunned.

“Kissing you,” the girl said with that coy little smile of hers.

“I gathered that when you put your tongue in my mouth,” Jenny said, laughing.

Maddie's smile widened, and she said, “Yeah, but you kissed me back.”

“It was a knee-jerk reaction,” Jenny said, which was mostly true. The fact that she had enjoyed it was irrelevant.

“If you say so,” Maddie said, crawling atop Jenny, straddling her hips.

“Um, Maddie,” Jenny said, looking up at the girl, “I don't think you should be-”

“Hush,” Maddie said, moving her hips back and forth. A startled moan escaped Jenny's lips, and she put her hands on the girl's hips to lift Maddie off of her. The girl trapped her hands, continued to grind against her.

“Maddie, stop,” Jenny said, not liking the breathy sound of her voice. The girl heard it, too, smiling a knowing smile.

“Do you really want me to stop?” The girl teased. The lovely flex of the girl's hips was making it hard to think.

Jenny opened her mouth to say yes, but the words wouldn't come out. She moaned instead, her fingers tightening on the girl's waist. Her body responded to Maddie's weight, to the delicious friction of their bodies.

“I guess not,” Maddie said, leaning into kiss Jenny. Unable to resist, Jenny kissed her back.

Pulling back, Maddie smiled at her and said, “Woof! Woof!”

Jenny blinked in surprise, said, “Woof?”

“Woof!” Maddie said, then licked Jenny's face...

-------------------------------------------

Jenny started awake, but the tongue bath didn't end. Laughing, she pushed her black lab aside, said, “Alright, I'm up. Lady, stop!”

Panting, the dog grinned at her. Jenny scratched her behind the ears, and Lady chuffed happily, her tail wagging. She glanced at the alarm clock and saw it was exactly five minutes before it was set to go off. Laughing, she rolled over and turned it off, then turned back to the pooch. The dog was grinning from ear to ear.

“How do you do that? Can you tell time? Is that, Miss Lady?” Jenny asked. The dog did this every morning, woke her up exactly five minutes before the alarm was set to go off. It didn't matter what she set it for; the dog just seemed to know when she wanted to get up. Unfortunately, the mutts internal clock was five minutes fast.

Most mornings, she didn't care, but she wished she could have had the extra five minutes with her dream. Her racing heart and her shallow breathing had nothing to do with being awakened by Lady. She was a little shocked how excited the dream had made her and more than a little dismayed. She had hoped this infatuation with Grace's little sister Maddie had been the result of loneliness, too much alcohol and her tangled emotions over Grace's wedding, but the dream and her reaction to it said otherwise.

“She's thirteen,” Jenny said, out loud, shaking her head.

Lady tilted her head to one side questioningly, making Jenny laugh.

“You really want to hear about it?” Jenny asked the dog.

The black lab chuffed once and nuzzled Jenny's neck.

Jenny decided to take that as a yes, said, “Maddie is growing up, becoming a beautiful young woman, Lady. You'd hardly recognize her.”

The dog's ears pricked up. Not for the first time, Jenny thought not only was the mutt listening to her, but actually understood what she was saying. Lady had an uncanny knack for reading her mistress's emotions and knew just what Jenny needed from her.

“She looks so much like Grace did when we were her age,” Jenny said, taking a deep breath, “I couldn't stop staring at her, Lady. It was like I had gone back in time and there was Grace as she had been that summer day in my bedroom.

“I don't think I ever told you about Grace and me... We were twelve, and it was summer vacation. There was a freak rain storm that dumped rain for like three days straight. It just rained and rained. Stuck in the house, we got bored...

“It's kind of funny, but the kiss was her idea. You'd think with the way thing turned out- with me a lesbian and her just getting married- that it would have been mine, but it was hers. Hell, she had to talk me into it.”

Lady chuffed, as if to say, Yes, Jenny. That is weird.

“Anyway, she talked me into it and...” Jenny said, smiling at the memory, “and it was the worst kiss ever. Neither one of us knew what we were doing. Still, it was exciting because it was taboo. We were giggling and whispering, our bodies full of the jittery excitement.

“I think if we stopped after that first kiss, my life would have been a lot different,” Jenny said, laughing, “but we didn't stop. We made out for a while, just kissing. We got pretty good at it with a little practice, and it started to be kind of nice.”

Jenny rolled out of bed and wriggled into some jeans. As she finished getting dressed, she continued her story, “We were giggling and having a ball, then Grace dared me to take my clothes off. I dared her back and... and we did it. It wasn't a big deal. I mean I had seen her naked before. Still, it was different this time.”

Pulling her shoes in front of her, she said, “She was so cute back then, her body just beginning to change. I remember thinking how could have I not noticed before.”

She had her shoes on and she walked through the house to the front door, where she kept Lady's leash. The dog followed her, so she kept telling the story, “Anyway, things sort of snowballed from there. One dare led to another, and we ended up doing some serious making out. I mean third base stuff, Lady.”

The dog panted, looked bored.

Laughing, Jenny said, “Well, I guess that isn't very thrilling to you, but to a twelve-year-old girl... I did things to Grace I didn't even know the name for. We experimented, figured out what felt good and what didn't. We spent the whole afternoon naked on my bed, playing our naughty adult games.”

Glancing at the door, then back at the leash in Jenny's hand, Lady whined. Jenny patted the dog on the head, then attached the leash to her collar. She walked her to the little dog park down the street, let her do her business and mingle with the other mutts.

Back at the apartment, Jenny put down some food for Lady, then started her own breakfast, which meant pulling the film off a microwaveable dinner and tossing it in the microwave. As she watched her breakfast rotate on the carousel, she thought about her new novel.

She started writing stories in high school, even managed to get a few of them published in magazines. In college, she got serious about writing. Her first novel was published when she was a sophomore and the second when she was a senior. Now, at twenty-three, she was about a quarter of the way through her third book.

Hers were erotic lesbian stories that straddled the line between romantic and raunchy and, surprisingly, she has had some mainstream success with them and not just with the gay community. Her non-lesbian friends had read her stories and even they had admitted it had turned them on. It wasn't just her friends, either. She had had a book signing after the second novel came out and she had been surprised by how many straight women had shown up to get their books signed. She knew they were straight because they told her as much, a little embarrassed by their reaction to her story.

Grinning, Jenny thought about the 'straight' girls she had slept with because of her book signing.

With her breakfast steaming in its plastic tray, she sat down at her writing desk and turned on her computer. When it finished doing its thing, she got to work.

----------------------------------

Parking on the street in front of the Ogden's, Jenny turned her car off and reached for the pie she had made. Well, the pie she had taken out of the box and thawed, anyway. She wasn't much of a cook, but she had promised to bring dessert.

It was like a walk down memory lane, heading up the driveway to the Ogden's front door. She had grown up in this little house almost as much as her own home. Smiling, she thought of all the memories she had of this place, of her second family. Suddenly, she was a little ashamed of not visiting before now.

She knocked on the door, and it was opened by Maddie. The girl wore little cut off shorts and a tank top. Her blond hair was pulled up in a ponytail. Jenny's breath caught in her throat when Maddie smiled warmly at her, flashing her braces.

"Hey," Maddie said, stepping aside so Jenny could enter. Closing the door behind them, Maddie said, "Mom and Dad had to go help Aunt Carrie, but they should be back in a couple of hours. They told me not to let you go anywhere."

Laughing, Jenny said, "Okay. Where should I put this pie?"

“Um, the fridge?” Maddie said, and it sounded more like a question than an answer.

Shrugging, Jenny took the pie to the fridge, found a spot for it. Turning around, she found Maddie leaning against the center island. Again, Jenny found it hard to breathe. She knew she should be ashamed, but she couldn't help but admire the girl's long legs, bare and tan from the summer sun.

Maddie stuffed her hands into her shorts pockets and said almost shyly, "Um, I dug my sister's old Nintendo Wii out. Do you want to play some Mario Kart until they get back?"

Jenny smiled, remembering many afternoons playing the goofy racing game with Grace- and occasionally Maddie, if the squirt wasn't being too annoying at the time. Maddie used to get so excited when they would let her play, get this huge grin on her face. Jenny was pretty sure it had little to do with the game. Maddie loved her big sister, looked up to her, so being allowed to join them was special to the girl. It was kind of sweet, and Jenny used to twist Grace's arm to let Maddie play.

"Wow, I haven't played Nintendo in so long," Jenny said, laughing.

"I have it hooked up in the living room," Maddie said, inclining her head in that direction, "I'll let you be Yoshi."

Surprised the girl remembered that she always played as Mario's goofy dinosaur friend, Jenny smiled at the girl and shrugged, said, "We've got some time to kill, I guess."

Jenny followed Maddie into the living room, trying to shame herself out of watching the tick of Maddie's backside in those little shorts she wore. Ashamed or not, she found the sway of Maddie's hips as she walked mesmerizing. Suddenly, she thought it might not be a good idea for her to be alone with the girl.

Come on, Jenny, she thought, sitting on the couch, get your mind out of the gutter. She's only thirteen.

Maddie gave her a controller, then plopped down in one of the armchairs with her own controller. She gave Jenny a playful smile, said, "Ready to lose?"

Laughing, Jenny said, "Trash talking, huh?"

"I've gotten a lot better since the last time we played, and you are out of practice," Maddie said, starting a multiplayer race, "I like my odds."

"Well, let's see what you've got," Jenny said, as she selected Yoshi from the screen full of drivers. Seeing the little green dinosaur with his go-kart, she felt curiously at home. How many hours had she spent steering him around track after track? Hundreds, for sure.

Jenny leaned forward as the race was about to begin. Not really a competitive person most times, she took her Mario Kart seriously. Lakitu appeared in front of the racers, lowering his stop light into view. With practiced timing, Jenny jumped the light, getting up to speed as fast as possible. She smiled when she notice Maddie was right with her.

She has gotten better, Jenny thought, remembering the poor girl used to come in last place most times they let her play. It would be a challenge, racing her this time.

Jenny used to know these tracks by heart, and she was surprised by how much she remembered. She hadn't played this game in years, but it all came back to her as she made her way around the track. Still, Maddie was right on her bumper. One wrong move and the girl would overtake her.

Her heart started racing when she recognized this part of the track. There was one section that always got her, even though she knew it was coming. She leaned further forward when it came into view, the bane of her racing career. How many times had she ended up in the water because she was going too fast or too slow?

"Did you really sleep with my sister?" Maddie asked, out of nowhere.

Jenny gasped in surprise, looking away from the screen to gape at Maddie. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her character soar off the road and into the water, only to be rescued by Lakitu. She forgot all about the race as she stared in stunned silence at Maddie.

Pausing the game, Maddie turned to Jenny, saw the shocked look on her face. Blushing, the thirteen-year-old said, "I found Grace's diary when I was looking for her Wii."

For eleven years, that afternoon in her bedroom had been a secret between Grace and her. No one else had known. She wasn't ashamed of it, and she didn't think Grace would be, either. Maddie knowing about it wasn't that big of a deal. The girl already knew Jenny's sexual preferences, so that wasn't an issue. Still, that time spent with Grace had been special to her, something only they knew about. A shared secret.

Maddie saw the look on Jenny's face, and she looked away, "I'm sorry. I- I shouldn't have read her diary and... I shouldn't have brought it up. It's none of my business."

Sighing, Jenny said, "It's fine. That was a long time ago, and it was just the one time. No big deal."

"Grace thought it was," Maddie said, finally meeting Jenny's eyes, "she wrote about it for like a month. Pages and pages, trying to decide if she wanted to do it, again. Whether you wanted to. She hoped you would make a move, so she wouldn't have to decide. She really thought you would... Make a move, I mean. When you didn't, she let it go."

Jenny listened in stunned silence, seeing the truth of Maddie's words in her eyes. Had she really let the opportunity to be with Grace slip through her fingers? If she had just spoken up, told the girl how she felt, would they have ended up together?

She had no idea, only that she had blown it when she was thirteen.

"What was it like?" Maddie asked, pulling her away from her thoughts.

Blinking stupidly, Jenny asked, "Sleeping with your sister?"

Maddie laughed and said, "Eww, no. What's it like... you know, with another girl?"

Jenny gave her a weighing look, asked, "Why do you ask?"

Her cheeks turning a brighter shade of red, Maddie stammered, "Um, I... I was just curious."

Surprised, Jenny asked, "Just how curious?"

Embarrassed, Maddie said, "Never mind."

Huh, Jenny thought, looking at Maddie not looking at her, I think it is more than just an idle curiosity.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jenny asked, setting her controller down.

Maddie looked at the controller setting on the coffee table, then finally met Jenny's eyes. She looked like she was going to say something, then chickened out. She got up and headed into the kitchen, instead.

Jenny watched her go, wondering what that was all about. Finally, the need to know got the better of her and she got up to follow the girl. She found Maddie in front of the fridge, staring inside, but not seeing the food. From the archway, Jenny watched her for a second, a slow smile spreading on her face. She recognized the look of someone deeply infatuated with someone. It was the way she used to look at Grace.

Leaning against the archway, she asked, "What's her name?"

Startled, Maddie looked at her, her beautiful eyes widening. She stammered, "Wha-what are you talking about?"

She just smiled knowingly at the girl, and Maddie squirmed uncomfortably. Jenny wasn't sure if she was going to spill her guts or run away. Turned out, it was neither. She just froze like a deer in the headlights, realizing she had given herself away.

"How did you know?" Maddie finally asked, chewing on her lip.

Jenny said, "You got all flustered when I asked just how curious. Then you had that miles away look on your face a minute ago. Only a pretty girl can do that. She is pretty, right?"

Taking a deep breath that she let out as a nervous laugh, Maddie said, "She's beautiful."

Jenny's smile widened, and she asked, "It is kind of scary and exciting admitting that out loud the first time, isn't it?"

Maddie gave Jenny a curious look, then nodded. She seemed surprised by Jenny's empathy, by her understanding of the confusing emotions and thoughts that must be running around her brain.

"Come on, Kiddo. I've been there, remember," Jenny said, pushing away from her post in the archway and going to the girl. She grabbed a couple of Cokes, closed the refrigerator door, then steered Maddie to the kitchen table. She sat down and handed one of the Cokes to Maddie, said, "You've got a leg up on me, though."

"I do?" Maddie asked.

"You've got me, if you want to talk about it," Jenny said, meeting the girl's eyes.

Maddie thought about that for a long moment, then smiled shyly at Jenny and nodded, "Thanks."

"So, what's her name?" Jenny asked.

"Um, no names," Maddie said, blushing.

"It is someone I've met, then," Jenny said, grinning at Maddie, "A friend of yours, perhaps?"

Maddie just gave her a look and shook her head. She wasn't saying it wasn't a friend, just that she wasn't telling Jenny. Laughing, Jenny held up her hands in defeat.

"Does this mystery girl know you have a crush on her?" Jenny asked, opening her Coke and taking a sip.

"No," Maddie said, looking down at her own can.

"Do you think she'd be interested in you?" Jenny asked, then added when Maddie gave her a sour look, "I didn't mean it like that. You are a very pretty girl, Maddie. What I meant is she into other girls?"

"Oh," Maddie said, grinning sheepishly, "Um, yeah she is."

"Is she dating anyone? Assuming she is old enough to date?" Jenny asked, laughing when Maddie rolled her eyes at her weak attempt at fishing for more information about the girl.

"No, she doesn't have a girlfriend. At least, I don't think she does," Maddie said.

"So, she is into girls but doesn't have one on the hook at the moment," Jenny said, making Maddie look up at her, "and she is beautiful. Does that sum it up?"

"Yeah," Maddie said, laughing.

"Are you going to ask her out?" Jenny asked.

"I- I don't know. There are some more... Variables."

"Variables?" Jenny parroted.

"She's older than me," Maddie said, looking down at her can, again.

"You mean like an eighth grader?" Jenny asked, even though she figured it wouldn't be something that simple. If she had to guess, it was a high school girl Maddie had a crush on. She could relate to that; she had had a thing for the older girl's when she was Maddie's age.

"No," Maddie said, laughing.

"I was hoping you'd say yes," Jenny said, smiling at the girl, "this girl... It is someone you know, right?"

Maddie looked at her for a long moment and Jenny saw the girl trying to make up her mind whether to open up or not. Finally, Maddie nodded.

"Someone you trust? Are comfortable with?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah," Maddie said.

Nodding, Jenny said, "Then I say go for it. Be bold."

"Be bold?" Maddie parroted, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Don't be like Grace and me," Jenny said, sighing, "don't let an opportunity slip by because you were too scared to try."

"Just go for it, huh?" Maddie said, mulling it over.

"In the off chance this is really bad advice," Jenny said, laughing, "could you leave my name out of it."

That line made Maddie grin, and she started to say something when the phone started ringing. The girl answered it, "Hello... Oh, hey, Mom... No, she is right here... Um, yeah. I'll put her on. Is Aunt Carrie okay... Oh. Tell her I love her for me... Okay, here is Jenny."

Jenny took the phone from Maddie, giving the girl a questioning look as she put it to her ear. Maddie could only shrug. Frowning, Jenny said, "Hey, what's up?"

"Sorry about inviting you to dinner, then not being there," Maddie's mother said.

"Is everything okay?" Jenny asked.

"My sister had surgery and needs some help around the house," the woman said, then added, "I've got a huge favor to ask you. Jim and I are going to stay here tonight, help her catch up on some housework, then drive her to her appointment tomorrow. Do you think you could stay with Maddie tonight? She really doesn't need a babysitter, but I'd sleep better if you were there."

"Um, yeah," Jenny said, surprised, "I can do that."

"You are a life saver, Jenny. I was going to drive back to get her if you couldn't do it," Maddie's mother said.

"It's no problem," Jenny said.

"Can I talk to Maddie for a few minutes?" She asked.

"Here she is," Jenny said, passing the phone to the girl.

She grabbed her Coke and headed back into the living room. Sitting on the couch, she wondered what sort of girl Maddie had a crush on. She shook her head when she thought about her advice, hoping she hadn't just told the girl to ask out some college student.

Or worse, Jenny thought, laughing, someone like me.

Jenny got a little shiver of excitement thinking the girl's secret crush could be her, and she berated herself for it. She technically matched the information about the girl Maddie had a crush on. She was older and she did fit the category of someone Maddie knew. She was definitely into girls. Well, women, anyway.

Girls, too, apparently, she thought, shaking her head.

Maddie came into the living room, sat back down in her armchair. She smiled at Jenny, said, "Came for a free meal and got roped into babysitting, huh?"

"Looks like it," Jenny said, laughing, "I'm going to need to let Lady out and grab some stuff from my place, if I'm staying here. Want to come with me or hang out?"

Grinning, Maddie said, "I haven't seen Lady in so long. I'll come with you."

"Grab some shoes, then," Jenny said.

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Standing in the open doorway to Grace's room, Jenny was overcome with nostalgia. It hadn't change a bit since the day Grace went off to college. It was kind of sweet that the Ogdens hadn't packed up their eldest daughter's stuff, had kept her room just like she left it. The room was like stepping back in time to the summer after high school. Looking around, Jenny had to smile. She had made so many great memories in this room.

She set her backpack on the bed, then walked around the room. This space just screamed Grace, all of her hobbies and passions filling it. It made Jenny miss the girl.

Yawning, she kicked off her shoes, then unbuttoned her jeans. She wriggled out of them, tossing them near her backpack. In just her panties and t-shirt, she dug her laptop out of her backpack. She sat on Grace's bed, leaning against the headboard. Pulling the computer onto her lap, she fired it up.

While it booted up, she wondered how Lady was doing by herself. Maddie and Jenny had taken the mutt to the park, spent a couple of hours taking turns throwing a tennis ball for her. They hadn't intended to take turns, but Lady took upon herself to include Maddie in the fun. Maddie had thought it funny, the way Lady would bring the ball first to Jenny, then her, repeating the cycle over and over without messing up the order.

Maddie had scratched the dog behind the ears, saying, "You are an odd duck, Lady."

The dog had chuffed indignantly, as if to say 'How dare you call me a duck?'

After they dropped Lady off at the apartment and Jenny took a few minutes to pack a bag, Jenny took Maddie to dinner. They caught up over some Chinese food. The girl impressed Jenny. She didn't remember being as grown up as Maddie was when she was her age. A lot had changed in her years away. The annoying little sister of her best friend was becoming a fine young lady.

It hadn't done anything for her attraction towards the girl. If anything, it made it worse. If she could still see Maddie as a pain in the neck brat, it might curb her interest. The intelligent, funny, and beautiful girl she had dinner with was anything but annoying.

Shaking her head, she pushed thoughts of Maddie aside and saw her computer had finished booting up. She opened her word processor program, then the latest novel she was working on. She smiled, thinking this was her third one, the other two published by a fairly decent company. The first one did okay, but her second one... She was down to working only a shift or two a week at the restaurant. Her placeholder shifts, she called them because they did just that- held her place as a waitress at Applebees. She really didn't need the tips she made, not with the novels doing so well, but she was still a little scared to quit her job altogether.

If this third novel did as well, maybe she'd be ready to turn in her order book and apron, to call herself an author with a straight face. She thought it was a title that needed to be earned, not just one given out because of a published short story or even a novel that no one reads. With three successful novels under her belt, she would feel comfortable telling some beautiful girl at a bar that she was an author if she asked 'What do you do for a living?'.

It would be nice to be self-sufficient, to not rely on the generosity of strangers. When she first started waiting tables, she assumed if she busted her hump for her customers, was polite and helpful, she could make better money, but Jenny soon learned nothing she did really changed how much money people were willing to tip. As long as she didn't pour hot coffee in their lap or bring them the wrong food, she made about the same with minimum effort as she did if she went above and beyond.

She still went that extra mile, though, because it wasn't in her nature to half-ass things.

Finding the beginning of the last chapter she had finished, she re-read what she had written. She always did this before starting a new chapter for two reasons- one, it helped with continuity and, two, she could fix any glaring grammar mistakes.

She had read about half of the chapter when there was a knock at the door. Setting the laptop aside, she got up to see what Maddie needed. They were alone in the house, so she didn't bother with putting on her jeans, answering the door in just her panties and t-shirt.

Belatedly, she remembered Maddie had just admitted to being attracted to girls. It didn't dawn on her until the girl's eyes widened at the sight of her bare legs and the cute panties she wore. The girl's eyes lingered a little too long, and Jenny felt a flush of excitement that Maddie was checking her out.

"What's up?" She asked, when the girl finally met her eyes.

"Um, it is starting to rain, and your windows are down," Maddie said, recovering some.

"Shit," Jenny said, grabbing her jeans off the floor, shimmying into them. She caught Maddie watching her out of the corner of her eye, and she could feel the girl's gaze hot on her skin. When she straightened up, the girl wasn't looking anymore, but she knew she wasn't mistaken. Maybe it was because Jenny was half naked, but she was definitely looking.

Not bothering with shoes, she ran downstairs and out the front door. It wasn't just raining but pouring down. Even the short jog to her car was enough to soak her to the bone. Jabbing her key into the ignition, she rolled up her windows. The return trip to the house only made her clothes even soggier.

From the porch, she reset her alarm, then went inside. She shivered as the air conditioning found her wet skin and goosebumps broke out on her arms.

She sloshed her way back to Grace's room, in desperate need to get out of her wet clothes. She found Maddie sitting on Grace's bed, looking at her laptop. The girl grinned when she came into the room.

"Is this your new novel?" Maddie asked, pointing at the screen.

"Um, yeah," Jenny said, closing the screen. She didn't want Maddie reading her smut.

"I can't wait to read it," the girl said, getting up, "I loved your other two books."

That made Jenny look up in surprise, and she looked wide-eyed at the girl, as she asked, "You've read my novels?"

"Yeah," Maddie said, blushing, "don't tell Mom, though."

"I think you might be a little young for my novels," Jenny said.

Laughing, Maddie said, "You are probably right. They were definitely... an eye-opener."

Snorting, Jenny said, "I bet they were."

With a playful smile, the girl asked, "Have you ever done any of those things you write about in your novels?"

"That is none of your business," Jenny said, laughing. Remembering she was dripping everywhere, she said, "I need to get out of these clothes. I'm making a mess."

"I'll grab you a towel," Maddie said, hopping off Grace's bed. She disappeared into the hallway.

Jenny stripped out of her soaking wet shirt, then shimmied out of her jeans. Her underclothes were just as wet, but she would have to wait until Maddie returned with the towel before doing anything about them.

Maddie returned with a plush towel, handing it to her. Jenny made quick work of drying off, then noticed the girl had lingered in the doorway. Her heart racing, she realized Maddie was watching the whole time. The girl had more than a passing interest in seeing her nearly naked body. The thought excited her more than she liked to admit.

The girl didn't seem like she was going anywhere. Jenny knew she should shoo her away so she could get dressed. That would be the right thing to do. The problem was, she didn't want to do the right thing. The girl's eyes on her made her shiver deliciously, and the thought of stripping out of her wet underthings made her shiver, again.

Her hands were shaking as she picked up her backpack and set it on the bed. She was flushed with a naughty excitement as she dug out some dry underwear and a t-shirt. She glanced at the doorway out of the corner of her eye, hoping the girl had left. Maddie was still standing there, leaning against the door frame. Her eyes were on Jenny.

This is such a bad idea, Jenny thought as she reached behind her back to undo the catches on her bra. She shivered as the garment slipped from her bare breasts. Hooking her thumbs in the waistband of her panties, she wriggled them off her hips, then down her long legs. Naked, she used the towel to finish drying off, taking much longer than needed to dry what little skin her panties and bra had covered.

Maddie never looked away, her eyes heavy on Jenny's naked body. They were thirsty eyes, drinking Jenny in the way a man dying in a desert would a tall glass of ice water.

Jittery with adrenaline, Jenny slipped into her fresh panties, then the shirt. Dressed again, she finally looked at Maddie. She wished she hadn't, seeing the girl flushed with excitement and the desire in her eyes. Jenny's stunt had worked all too well.

With some effort, Maddie seemed to shake off the spell Jenny had had her under. Clearing her throat, she said, "Let me have your wet clothes. I'll throw them in the dryer."

"Okay," Jenny said, gathering up her wet clothes and the towel and handing them to the girl. The girl took the dripping bundle from her, then left the room.

Jenny crossed the room on rubbery legs, closing the door. She put her back to it, wondering what the hell she had been thinking. It was a very dangerous game she was playing, one she should never have begun. Putting her hand to her mouth, she wondered if she had already gone too far. If not, her toes were right there at the line she shouldn't cross.

Pushing away from the door, she went to the bed. She glanced at her laptop but didn't pick it up. Any chance of getting any writing done tonight had gone out the window. She saved her document, then turned off her computer.

Staring at the wall across from the bed, but not really seeing it, Jenny tried to figure out what she should do with Maddie. The best course of action would be just to get through the night, then never come back. Mrs. Ogden probably wouldn't understand, but it would be for the best. Jenny didn't trust herself around the girl, especially after seeing the look in her eye as watched Jenny undress.

She shivered at the memory of Maddie's eyes on her naked body, her gaze hot on her bare skin. When a woman looked at her the way Maddie had, there was usually one thing on their mind.

"Shit," Jenny said, running her hand through her hair, "she's a teenager, a bundle of hormones. It didn't mean, anything."

A knock at the door brought her thoughts up short, and her heart started racing. There was only one other person in the house. Maddie was the last person she needed to see right now. Her thoughts were still a mess and seeing the girl in those little shorts wouldn't help any. Still, she couldn't leave the poor kid out in the hallway.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "Yeah?"

"Can I come in?" Maddie called through the door.

"Um, sure," Jenny said.

The door opened, and Maddie stepped into the room. Her eyes went to Jenny's laptop, now lying closed beside her. She nodded at the computer and asked, "Not writing?"

"Couldn't concentrate," Jenny said, then regretted it almost instantly. While it was the truth, it came out sounding flirty to her ears. She cringed inwardly when a smiled tugged at the corners of Maddie's mouth. It must have sounded flirty to the girl, too.

Maddie came to the bed, sitting at the foot of the mattress facing Jenny. She tucked her hair behind her ear shyly, then asked, "What's the new story about?"

Laughing, Jenny said, "Can't tell you."

Maddie rolled her eyes and said, "Come on, Jenny. You know I'm going to read it when it comes out."

"I can't stop you from reading it, but at least I can blame it on poor parental supervision. My conscience will be clear."

"Wow," Maddie said, laughing.

"Besides, I need to sell all the copies I can," Jenny said, grinning at the girl, "Lady has a very expensive Milk Bone habit. She's hard to live with if she doesn't get her fix."

"I doubt that," Maddie said, grinning, "Lady is a sweetie."

"You know," Jenny said, thinking about something, "you should feel honored. She won't let just anyone play fetch with her. A few of my girlfriends have tried getting on her good side, but none succeeded."

Maddie smiled shyly at Jenny, took a deep breath, and said, "Maybe she was trying to tell us something."

Caught off guard, Jenny could only blink stupidly at the girl. Was Maddie saying what she thought the girl was saying?

"Um, Maddie-" Jenny said, but the girl cut her off by holding up her hand.

"I know you were looking at me at the reception," Maddie said, meeting Jenny's eyes and holding her gaze. A playful smile tugged at the corners of her mouth when Jenny started to deny the accusation, and she shook her head, said, "I caught you a few times. You would look away guiltily, but your eyes always came back to me."

Jenny looked at her a long moment, then sighed, "You looked so beautiful in your bridesmaid dress."

"So did you," Maddie said, leaning forward, "I couldn't stop looking at you, either."

Her heart was thumping a mile a minute in her breast as Jenny saw the truth of Maddie's words in her eyes. Swallowing hard, she asked, "Maddie, what is this?"

Maddie smiled at her, said, "Me, taking your advice. Being bold and not letting an opportunity pass me by."

Laughing and shaking her head, Jenny said, "The one time someone listens to my advice..."

"Are you saying it was bad advice?" Maddie asked, playfully.

If I had known I was the one you were talking about, yeah, Jenny thought, but didn't say it. Instead, she took a deep breath and said, "No, it's still good advice, but Maddie-"

"Yeah, I know," Maddie said, laughing, "I'm too young, or it's too illegal. I know all the 'buts'. I'm just hoping you'll take your own advice and not let an opportunity pass you by because you are scared."

Jenny looked at the girl with new respect. The girl had taken her advice and ran with it.She didn't remember being so bold when she was Maddie's age. Smiling appreciatively, she said, "Using my own words against me, huh?"

"Did it work?" Maddie asked, meeting Jenny's eyes.

Taking a deep breath that she let out as a nervous laugh, Jenny said, "I don't know... Maybe."

Grinning, Maddie asked, "Just maybe?"

Jenny laughed, said, "Probably."

Maddie just looked at her, and Jenny knew she was in trouble. The look in her eyes and that cocky, lopsided smile did her in and her resistance crumbled. She never really stood a chance, anyway, because she really didn't want to resist. She wanted the girl so bad.

Getting to her feet, Maddie asked, "Will you dance with me?"

"Dance with you?" Jenny parroted, raising her eyebrows.

The girl went to Grace's old radio, turning it on. She glanced over her shoulder at Jenny as she started a CD, said, "You were so beautiful in your bridesmaid dress, with your hair up... I wanted to dance with you but I... I didn't think I could have done it, dance face to face with you without you seeing that I liked you. So, I missed my chance."

Finding the song she liked, Maddie came back to the bed. She held out her hand to Jenny, the girl smiled shyly. Jenny didn't think the girl was breathing as she waited to see if Jenny would take her hand. It was sweet, and Jenny couldn't remember the last time someone cared enough to be nervous about asking for a dance.

The last of her resistance slipped away, and she took the girl's hand, got to her feet. Maddie moved close, and Jenny put her arm around the girl's waist. As they danced in a slow circle, Maddie moved even closer, pressing her body against Jenny. The girl felt so good in her arms that Jenny was having difficulty thinking straight. When Maddie tilted her head up, Jenny kissed her before she could think better of it. Maddie kissed her back, her lips parting to let Jenny's tongue into her mouth. Her frustrated desire for the girl got the better of her, and she couldn't stop kissing her.

Only when the song came to an end did they come up for air. Maddie gave her a shy smile, meeting her eyes nervously. Jenny saw the girl needed her to be okay with what they had done. She smiled reassuringly at Maddie, giving her one more quick but heated kiss. When their lips parted, this time, Maddie's smile wasn't shy anymore but playful.

Maddie took Jenny's hand, pulling her towards the door, "Come on. Let's go to my room."

Following her, Jenny asked, "Why your room?"

The girl cast a glance over her shoulder at Jenny, favored her with a smile that made Jenny forget to breathe for a few seconds, then said, "Because it seems weird to do it in my sister's bed."

Suddenly hot with adrenaline, Jenny knew she needed to stop this, to tell the girl they needed to slow down. Or even better, stop completely. She had crossed the line when she kissed Maddie and, as she followed her down the hall to her bedroom, she was getting further and further away from the right side of it.

She ran out of hallway before she could work up enough saliva to tell the girl they couldn't do this. Once they were in Maddie's room, the girl released her hand and closed the door behind them. Maddie moved against her, and Jenny found herself pinned against the door. Meeting Jenny's eyes, Maddie saw the struggle behind them.

"It's okay," Maddie said, her voice a little shaky, "I want this to happen."

The same way Maddie could see her struggling with her desire, Jenny could see the nervous excitement in the girl's eyes, a willingness. Jenny was undone by the passion in them and, when Maddie wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed her, Jenny surrendered to her desire. She kissed the girl back, her hand sliding up Maddie's back and into her silky blond hair.

When Maddie took her hand, she let the girl lead her to the bed, stretching out on her side facing her. Jenny couldn't remember being this nervous about being intimate with someone in a long time. Her heart was knocking around her ribcage like a crazed animal and her hands were shaking. Maddie looked as nervous as she felt, but Jenny thought the girl had a reason to be nervous.

"Um, Maddie," she said, caressing the girl's arm, "have you... Is this your first time?"

"Yeah," the girl said, meeting Jenny's eyes.

"Are you sure you want to waste it on me?" Jenny asked.

Laughing, she said, "It's not like I'm settling."

That line pleased Jenny more than she liked to admit, but she asked, "Are you sure?"

Maddie leaned in a kissed her, said, "Certain."

When Jenny met her eyes, she saw the girl was indeed certain. Nervous, but certain. She smiled reassuringly at Maddie, said, "If you change your mind, we'll stop."

"I won't change my mind," Maddie said, giving Jenny a lingering kiss. She favored Jenny with a smile that was somehow coy and innocent at the same time as she slipped off the bed and got to her feet. She hooked her fingers in the hem of her shirt, pulling it up and off. Tossing it aside, she unbuttoned her jeans, running down the zipper.

Jenny couldn't look away as the girl slowly wriggled the jean shorts from her hips, then down her long legs. Stepping out of them, she looked up at Jenny, shyly. She looked so vulnerable, unsure of herself, standing there in just her bra and cute little panties. Conflicting emotions tore at Jenny, and she didn't know whether to grab a blanket and cover the girl up or finish what Maddie had started and remove the rest of her clothes.

She couldn't take her eyes off of Maddie, found her young, lithe body fascinating. Long in the leg and narrow in the hip, with a sexy belly and small, proud breasts, Maddie was becoming a very sexy young woman. The adopted big sister part of her was hushed by her blossoming desire for the girl. The urge to cover her with a blanket vanished and she needed to see the rest of her.

Swallowing hard, Jenny slid off the bed, moving to the girl. Maddie looked up at her, met her eyes. The teenager smiled when she saw she had Jenny's attention, her confidence bolstered by the look in Jenny's eye.

Jenny popped the catches on Maddie's bra, and the girl helped her remove it. Putting her hands on Maddie's hips, she let her hands slide up the girl's flanks to cup her small breasts. Maddie's breath caught in her throat, and her eyes widened. Jenny thought for a second she had gone too far too fast, but then Maddie bit her lip, her big eyes flashing mischievously up at Jenny.

"Is this okay?" Jenny asked.

"It's a little late to ask now," Maddie said, playfully. Her hands stole under Jenny's shirt to cup her breasts, drawing a groan from Jenny as her palms drew across her stiffening nipples. She pushed Jenny's shirt up onto the slopes of her breasts, revealing them. Her eyes were hot on Jenny's bare skin, and it made her shiver.

Jenny removed the shirt completely for the girl, then looked down at her own panties. When she looked back up at Maddie, the girl seemed to get the message. Maddie's hands were shaking as she hooked her thumbs in Jenny's panties, pulling them down. Jenny stepped out of them, kicking them aside. Again she shivered as the girl's eyes caressed her naked body.

"You have an amazing body," Maddie said, blushing when Jenny laughed at the awkward statement. Still, it made Jenny smile because she thought the girl meant it. Maddie saw the smile and shrugged, said, "Well, you do."

Pulling the girl close, Jenny kissed her and said, "I think you look pretty amazing yourself."

Maddie kissed her deeply, and Jenny took a second to wonder why the girl was so much better at it than she had been her first time. Finally, she had to ask, "Where did you learn to kiss like this?"

"Why? Am I doing something wrong?" Maddie asked, her insecurities rearing their ugly head again.

"No," Jenny said, smiling reassuringly at her, "you are a wonderful kisser. I'm just curious how come."

"I read an article on kissing, once," Maddie said, the started grinning, "but mostly I learned from reading your books."

"You learned to kiss from reading my books?" Jenny asked, her eyes wide. When the girl's grin widened, and she nodded, Jenny said, "Huh, I must be an amazing wordsmith."

"I learned all kind of things," Maddie said, sinking to her knees in front of Jenny, "reading your novels."

Jenny gasped as the girl's lips brushed against her tender bud. Her heart was jackhammering in her breast as she looked down at the thirteen-year-old and she had to bite back a nervous giggle as Maddie's tongue caressed her clit. Her mind was spinning its wheels, trying to take in what was happening to her. She knew this was a possibility when Maddie took her hand in Grace's room and led her here, but thinking something might happen and having it actually happen are two very different things.

The hot, wet flick of Maddie's tongue drew a moan from her slack mouth. What Maddie was doing to her felt so good, had her nerve endings singing praises to the girl. Her body knew what it wanted, even if her mind was still trying to figure out how she felt about Maddie doing this to her.

Waves of pleasure were washing through her, eroding her misgivings about letting a thirteen-year-old girl do this to her. When Maddie rolled her eyes up at Jenny, and she saw the excitement in the girl's eyes, saw the smile on her face, she forgot to care about her being so young. Her hand slipped behind Maddie's head to hold her to her pussy, her fingers tightening in the girl silky blond hair.

She knew then- whatever happened, she was going to go with it. She'd deal with whatever consequences came with that decision later. Right now, she was going to enjoy herself. It was both frightening and liberating in equal measures, giving into the urge to be with the girl. Her body was almost thrumming with nervous energy.

Jenny gasped as Maddie's fingers pressed against the opening of her vagina, slipping into her. Her thoughts were put aside as the girl found that magic spot deep inside, the pressure of her fingertips on that spongy gland making Jenny moan and her hips gyrate against her hand. When Maddie's mouth returned to her bud, it was almost too much to bear.

Why is she so good at this, Jenny wondered through the haze of pleasure. The girl was driving Jenny's body wild with her tongue and fingers, seemed to know exactly what she was doing. Maddie had her feeling so good, she began to think she might have been duped, that the girl really wasn't a virgin.

Finally, she had to ask, “Why are... God, that feels so good... Why- why are you so good- Oh God- so good at this? Are you sure you've never done this before?”

The girl just giggled, didn't let up for even a second. The giggle wasn't much of an answer, but Jenny decided she didn't care as long the girl didn't stop that lovely thing she was doing with her tongue, her fingers.

Maddie already had her tiptoeing along the edge of an orgasm, her body gathering tension. Her hips were gyrating against the girl's mouth eagerly, and her cries of pleasure filled the room. She had just a split second to think a thirteen-year-old girl was going to make her come, before Maddie did just that. Jenny almost knocked Maddie over as her body jerked like a marionette whose puppeteer had a bad case of palsy.

Trembling all over and barely standing on wobbly legs, Jenny stared wide-eyed at the girl kneeling before. She had written a few scenes where a woman has one of those world shattering orgasms, but she had never actually had one herself. At least, not until now. Maddie had made her come so hard, she thought she was going to pass out for a second.

Not trusting her legs, Jenny sat down on the bed. Favoring Maddie with a half-stunned smile, she said, “Jesus, Maddie. You know, if you really are a virgin, you are horrible at it.”

Laughing, Maddie got off her knees and came to the bed. She sat sideways on Jenny's lap, putting an arm around Jenny's neck. She stole a quick kiss, before saying, “Chapter four of your second book.”

“My second book?” Jenny parroted, raising her eyebrows. Maddie just smiled at her, so Jenny thought about, then started laughing and shaking her head when it sank in what the girl was saying. Giving her a dubious look, Jenny said, “You are kidding right? You couldn't have gotten that from... Oh, the balcony scene.”

“The balcony scene,” Maddie agreed, excitedly, “God, I loved that scene. It gets me horny every time I read it.”

Snorting in surprise, Jenny laughed, “Wow.”

Jenny never expected one of her books to bring her the best orgasm she ever had, but it appeared to be what had happened. She had written a very erotic, very graphic sex scene involving two women on a balcony. Maddie must have read it like an instruction manual on how to please a woman. She didn't miss the irony of the situation.

I've written some pretty raunchy stuff between my two books, Jenny thought, with a shiver of excitement working up her spine, I wonder what else she learned how to do.

Maddie was grinning at her, said, “I got the wheels turning, didn't I?”

Rather than answer her, Jenny put her arm under the girl's knees and the other around her back. Maddie laughed as Jenny picked her up off her lap and got to her feet. Jenny tossed her onto the bed, making Maddie laugh harder. From her back, Maddie looked up at Jenny with a nervous curiosity, wondering what Jenny intended to do next. She watched as Jenny crawled onto the bed, moving between her legs. The girl chewed on her lip nervously but her cheeks were flushed with excitement.

Jenny smiled at her, then kissed the inside of one knee, then a little higher on her thigh. She heard the girl inhale sharply, then forget to exhale as her next kiss was even further along her thigh. The girl's skin was so soft and smooth against her lips, Jenny found herself getting almost as turned on as Maddie. She made the girl shiver when she brushed those baby fine hairs on her inner thighs, just south of the thin cotton panties the girl wore.

She kissed the girl's stomach, just above the elastic waistband of her panties and the girl sighed. Hooking her fingers in them, Jenny pulled the underwear down just enough to kiss that untouched skin that even the tiniest of bath suits would still cover. Maddie's breathing got all funny as she nuzzled the hollow of one hip.

Looking up at her, Jenny smiled and said, “Lift up so I can take these off.”

Maddie hesitated only a split second before raising her backside off the bed. Jenny worked the panties off one hip at a time, teasing herself and the girl by going slow. Finally, the fabric was low enough that Jenny could see blond peach fuzz, then Maddie's girlhood. It looked as sweet and tempting as any forbidden fruit.

She ran Maddie's panties down her long legs, then tossed them aside. Smiling down at the very naked girl, she asked, “Are you still okay with this?”

With a nervous little laugh, Maddie said, “Like I'm going to stop when we finally get to the good part.”

Jenny moved between the girl's legs, put her hands on her thighs to spread them wide. She heard the girl inhale sharply as she lowered her mouth toward her girlhood. Smiling, Jenny veered to the left at the last second, kissing her thigh, instead. The girl was so excited, she moaned before she realized Jenny had missed the mark. Jenny rolled her eyes up to the girl's, giving her a playful smile. Maddie gave her a dirty look.

It didn't seem fair to tease the girl anymore, so Jenny gently kissed her bud. Maddie gasped at the first caress of Jenny's tongue, her body jerking. Her eyes grew wide as her hips began to move on their own. The first moan that came from the girl's slack mouth seemed to catch her off guard.

I guess reading about it isn't the same as experiencing it, Jenny thought, amused by the girl's reaction to the pleasure her tongue was waking in her young body. Keeping in mind this was Maddie's first time, Jenny took her time, introducing the girl to all the wonderful things she could do with her mouth. It was all new and exciting for the girl and Jenny got to experience it with her, got to be a part of Maddie's discovery of the joys of sex.

Maddie's soft moans filled the bedroom, getting louder as the girl grew more and more excited. Her body writhed under the sweet torture of Jenny's tongue caressing her tender bud. Jenny didn't let up, kept edging the girl closer and closer to a climax.

Jenny heard the girl start to come, heard the change in her cries. She rolled her eyes up at Maddie, almost laughing when she saw the girl's eyes get big as she also realized she was going to come. Jenny winked at her, and the girl stiffened against her mouth. She cried out in ecstasy as her body exploded with pleasure. Jenny smiled as the girl shook with her orgasm, used her fingers to gently massage Maddie's bud to keep the pleasant sensations flowing through her young body.

Maddie stretched like a cat in a sunny spot, smiling at how incredible she felt. Smiling, Jenny crawled up the girl's supine body to give her a kiss and Maddie returned it passionately. Jenny's heart started pounding faster in her breast as she sensed the girl was far from done for the night. As her body began to respond the eagerness of the girl's kiss, she realized she wasn't ready to stop, either.

I don't know if I can still keep up with a girl Maddie's age, Jenny thought, amused, but it should be fun to try.

Pulling back from the kiss, Jenny got to her knees and straddled one of Maddie's hips. The girl looked up at her with interest, curious about what Jenny had in mind. Jenny smiled at her as she lowered her body to the girl's. Maddie's eyes widened as their bodies nested together, then she grinned as she figured out what was about to happen, her eyes flashing at Jenny. The girl bit her lip as Jenny began to rock her hips back and forth, moaning as their bodies ground together.

Jenny leaned in to kiss the girl, her hips never stopping. Maddie kissed her back, and Jenny could feel the girl's excitement. Smiling, she wondered if it was because the girl was getting to do all those naughty things she had read about in her books. Or, maybe, she was just turned on by being with Jenny, the closeness and the lovely friction of their bodies coming together. She found herself hoping it was the latter.

Unable to resist, Jenny let her hands roam over the girl's lithe and lean body. She couldn't get enough of Maddie, thrilling to the feel of the girl's soft skin under her fingertips. She couldn't find an inch of Maddie she didn't like, and she was pretty thorough in her exploration. The girl was perfect.

She wasn't the only one who couldn't keep her hands to herself. Jenny shivered as the girl's hands roamed over her body. Maddie's touch was hesitant at first, but grew more eager as the girl became comfortable with touching Jenny like this. More than comfortable, she clearly liked the way Jenny's body felt, was turned on by the intimacy. Jenny could see it in her eyes, that she found Jenny as fascinating as Jenny found her.

Maddie discovered that she could meet Jenny counter thrust for thrust, pushing her hips up into Jenny. The lovely friction between their bodies only became even more sweet, more intense as they found their rhythm. Their excited murmurs of encouragement and little cries of enjoyment filled the room.

Wanting the girl to experience everything, Jenny got off of Maddie, stretched out on her back. The girl sat up, looking at her expectantly. Jenny smiled at her, put a hand on the girl's hip and urged her to switch positions with her. Grinning, Maddie crawled atop Jenny, straddling on of her hips like she had seen Jenny do. Their bodies came together again, fitting together like they were meant to. It took Maddie a few false starts to get the motion right, but she figured it out.

Jenny loved tribbing like this, loved being able to watch the sensual flex and twist of her partner's body. Maddie was no different. Jenny thought the girl had a certain grace about her, a fluidity of motion that Jenny found mesmerizing.

Sitting up, Jenny cupped the girl's breasts, teasing a moan from her slack mouth. Jenny kissed the slope of one breast, running her tongue over the soft skin to trace Maddie's little pink areola. She trapped the stiffening nipple with her lips, gently sucking on it. Maddie's back arched and she groaned thickly. Her hand came up and slipped around the back of Jenny's head. Smiling, Jenny moved to the girl's other breast, torturing that nipple, as well. Maddie's fingers tightened in Jenny's hair, and it was sexy as hell, Maddie being a little aggressive.

Jenny urged the girl to put her other leg out behind her, so Maddie was essentially sitting in her lap. With an arm around the small of the girl's back, Jenny muscled the girl onto her back, making Maddie giggle at the sudden position change. Jenny smiled down at her, lowering herself so that she was laying between the girl's thighs. Maddie's eyes widened as Jenny began to grind against her, and Jenny realized she hadn't written this position into one of her stories. This was virgin territory for the girl.

Well, it's technically all virgin territory for Maddie, but I can still surprise her with things she didn't read about in one of my books, Jenny thought. She was surprised how much she liked being the one to teach Maddie these things. It was the widening of her eyes and the smile that crossed her face each time she discovered something new. The girl's enthusiasm to learn was exciting and endearing, and Jenny smiled affectionately at her.

Jenny got a naughty shiver up her spine as Maddie wrapped her long legs around her waist, her ankles crossing behind her. It wasn't something she learned in one of Jenny's books, just something she figured out on her own. The girl had just had a sense about her, seemed to know what was sexy or would feel good even if she shouldn't. Excited, she thought that the girl really was a virgin, just not very good at it.

Putting her hands on either side of the girl, Jenny supported her weight with her arms, so she could really grind her body against Maddie's. She was breathing heavy, and a light sheen of sweat broke out all over body as she focused on driving herself and Maddie toward an orgasm. It felt so good, each meeting of their bodies, sending shock waves through her body.

She saw Maddie's eyes widened, heard her cries become urgent, and knew the girl was going to come, again. One, two, three more thrusts of Jenny's hips and the girl stiffened beneath her, crying out loud enough to wake the neighbors. Jenny slowed but didn't stop, each roll of her hips making Maddie gasp and her trembling body jerk. Finally stopping, she leaned in and kissed the girl. When she pulled back, Maddie gave her a dazed smile.

When Maddie's legs released her, Jenny slipped out from between them. On her hands and knees, she urged the girl to kneel behind her. Maddie moved behind her, and Jenny smiled at the girl over her shoulder. She took the girl's hands and put them on her hips, then pushed her backside against the girl's lower abdomen. The girl seemed to get the idea, giggling as she thrust her hips forward. Jenny put her hand on the girl's hip, moved her to the left about three inches. When Maddie rubbed against her this time, a surprised moan escaped the girl.

Grinning over her shoulder at Maddie, Jenny said, “I didn't think it would work either, my first time.”

Jenny pushed back into Maddie's thrusts, moaning as the girl's upper thigh turn hip area rubbed against her deliciously. The impact of their bodies coming together sent waves of pleasure crashing through Jenny, forcing a moan out of her slack mouth each time. Maddie's fingers tightened on her hips, and the thrusts came faster, then harder. Again, the girl just seemed to know just what to do, or, at least, figured it out pretty quickly.

She put folded her arms and rested her head on them, changing the angle of her body. The lovely sensation of Maddie slamming her lower abdomen against Jenny's buttocks only became lovelier in this new position. She was able to get more pressure on her clit, and those waves of pleasure started crashing into her harder. Her cries grew louder as her body began to feel amazing and her fingers tightened on the sheets as Maddie rocked her forward with each thrust of her hips.

It was kind of exciting, submitting like this, letting the girl have her way with her. She wasn't into the whole sado-masochism scene, but, sometimes, she liked it when her partner took control. She was a little ashamed that the fact that it was a thirteen-year-old girl in control excited her even more. There was something kinky, taboo about Maddie being the aggressive partner. As the adult, she should be the one in control, and it made her shiver deliciously to give it up to the girl.

Maddie had her worked into a state and she knew she was going to come, already felt the tension enter her body. As her hips began to lose their grace, Maddie's fingers dug into her hips, and the girl kept thrusting hard against Jenny. Almost too late, Jenny sensed the girl was close, too. She tried to slow her orgasm, but she couldn't hold it back. She cried out as she climaxed, her whole body shaking with it. Maddie didn't let her fall apart, kept slamming into her. She gasped each time they came together, her too sensitive bud not ready for the impact. Even before the first one had died out, she felt a second orgasm swell inside of her. This one tried to shake her to pieces, and she couldn't take anymore. She collapsed to her stomach, pulling Maddie down atop her. Still, it had been enough, and she felt the girl trembling atop her.

Gasping for air, Maddie rolled off of Jenny and onto her back next to her. She gave Jenny a sated smile, the fire of desire finally burned out in her beautiful eyes. Jenny was glad, thinking she was going to be sore in the morning, already. Still on her stomach, she propped up on her elbows and leaned in to kiss the girl.

“That was amazing, Love,” Jenny said, kissing the girl's shoulder.

“I was okay?” Maddie asked, some of her shyness returning.

Smiling, Jenny said, “More than okay. Hands down, best sex ever.”

That made Maddie smile and giggle. She looked away but not before Jenny could see the girl was proud of that compliment. Sighing happily, Jenny thought the girl should be proud. She hadn't been kidding when she said it was the best sex she had ever had.

Kissing the girl's shoulder again to get her attention, Jenny said, “Take a bath with me.”

“A bath?” Maddie asked.

“It'll help with tomorrow morning,” Jenny said, getting off the bed, “you are probably going to be sore when you wake up. A bath helps.”

The girl nodded and Jenny offered her hand. Grinning, Maddie let Jenny help her to her feet, and they left the bedroom hand in hand. In the bathroom, Maddie got them some towels as Jenny got the water going in the tub. As they waited for it to fill up, Jenny pulled the girl against her, kissing her tenderly.

Pulling back, she met the girl's eyes and asked, “Are you still okay? With this? With everything?”

Maddie smiled at her and nodded, said, “More than okay with everything.”

“Yeah?” Jenny asked, hopeful. She really needed the girl to be okay with what they had done, not least of all to ease her guilt. She didn't want to think about the girl suddenly having second thoughts about what they had done.

“Yeah,” Maddie said, kissing her. Some of her fears laid to rest, Jenny kissed her back eagerly.

Jenny sighed as she eased into the hot water, then scooted all the way back so Maddie could sit between her legs. Jenny wrapped her arms around the girl's neck, and Maddie leaned back into her. She loved how the girl felt in her arms, and she thought she could get used to holding Maddie like this. The thought was both intriguing and disturbing. The girl had a few orgasms but did she want anything more than a quick roll in the hay? Jenny was afraid to ask, and she didn't know which answer scared her more, yes or no.

“Tonight was pretty crazy, huh?” Maddie asked, the smile clear in her voice.

“Yeah,” Jenny agreed, wondering if she meant the same thing as the girl.

“I got to sleep with my favorite author,” Maddie said, making Jenny laugh, “I'd ask you to sign a copy of your book, but I have it on my Kindle.”

“Maybe when you are older, I'll give you a signed copy,” Jenny said, then added, “assuming they are still making real books by then.”

Maddie fell silent for a while, and Jenny thought she was thinking hard about something. As the pause in the conversation stretched, she began to get nervous. She got the feeling Maddie was thinking about the question she was afraid to ask. Had the comment 'when you are older' made the girl think about their future, assuming she was interested in having one with Jenny.

Finally, Maddie asked, “Are we going to do this, again?”

“Would you want to?” Jenny asked, her heart racing.

“I asked you first,” Maddie said, turning in the tub, so she was facing Jenny.

Looking in the girl's eyes, she couldn't lie, “I wouldn't mind doing this again.”

“You mean have sex, again?” The girl asked, her eyes searching Jenny's.

Jenny thought she knew what the girl was really asking, so she smiled at the girl and asked, “The sex was amazing.”

Maddie's tone was a little off as she said, “Yes, it was.”

Her heart was pounding in her breast as Jenny took a deep breath and said, “Then again, the whole afternoon and night were fun, too.”

The girl perked up and her eyes locked on Jenny's. Jenny could see the girl was interested in more than just sex from her. The girl was beautiful and funny and smart and pretty great in the sack. If she were eighteen, trying out a relationship with her would be a no-brainer. As it stood now, any relationship they might have would be complicated at best. She couldn't even begin to wrap her head around the mechanics of it.

“What are you thinking about?” Maddie asked, and Jenny realized she must have mentally wandered away for a while.

Sighing, Jenny said, “I was just thinking this would be easier if you were eighteen.”

“Does my age bother you?” Maddie asked.

“Not as much as it should,” Jenny said, smiling at her, “but it presents some... complications, if you want more from us than a one night stand.”

Maddie searched her eyes and must have seen what she wanted to see because she smiled warmly at Jenny. The girl moved back into Jenny's arms, snuggling tight against her. The girl sighed happily as Jenny wrapped her up in her arms.

After a moment, Maddie said, “We'll just have to figure out how to make it work.”

Jenny had to smile and squeeze the girl a little tighter. She wondered if the girl knew just how difficult it could be. She wasn't going to ruin the moment for Maddie by bringing it up. Hell, she refused to think about it, didn't want to ruin the moment for herself. She had finally gotten an Ogden girl to go out with her, something that made her smile brighter. Sure, it wasn't the sister she originally intended, but she didn't feel like she was settling.

“You know, it was sweet of you to offer to help me with my writing,” Maddie said, out of the blue.

“I did?” Jenny asked, frowning. Had she missed an exchange in their conversation? She really didn't think so.

“Of course, you did,” Maddie said, laughing, “it was after we bonded over dinner and I told you about the creative writing class I'm taking in school.”

“You are taking a creative writing class?” Jenny asked, smiling as she began to realize what the girl was suggesting.

“Um, yeah. We had to write a short story in class, and the teacher liked mine so much she got me into an after school program usually only offered to high school students,” Maddie said, pride creeping into her voice.

“Very cool,” Jenny said, kissing the girl's neck.

“I figure having a published author as a family friend can't hurt my writing, right?” Maddie asked, sighing as Jenny kissed her shoulder.

“Do you really want my help with your writing, or are you just looking for an excuse for us to have some mattress time together?”

“Can't it be a little of both?” Maddie asked, laughing.

“Do you think your mom will be up for it?” Jenny asked, letting her hands run down the girl's arms. The girl was beginning to respond to her caresses.

“It was her idea,” Maddie said, then snorted, “the help with my writing part, not the mattress time part.”

"Really?” Jenny asked.

“Yeah. She was going to spring it on you at dinner before she had to go help Aunt Carrie,” Maddie said, running her hands over Jenny's legs.

“Huh,” Jenny said, realizing they had a plan, of sorts, for finding some time together, “but wait, isn't school out?”

“Yeah, but the class is actually taught at the University. It's an advanced placement class and meets year round.”

“You are taking a college level writing class?” Jenny asked, impressed.

“Yeah,” Maddie said, the pride back in her voice. This time, Jenny thought she had every right to be proud.

Laughing, Jenny asked, “Are you sure you need my help?”

“Of course,” the girl said, laughing, too.

“Well, I can help you with something,” Jenny said, cupping the girl's small breasts, “even if it isn't your writing.”

“How do Thursdays sound? We can get together at your place and talk about nouns and adverbs and prepositions,” Maddie asked, turning so she could grin at Jenny. That grin said that parts of speech were the last things they'd be worried about.

“Sounds like Thursdays are looking up,” Jenny said, kissing the girl. She felt the girl getting aroused again and thought, Maybe the fire wasn't out, after all...For either of us.

One of her hands slipped from Maddie's breast, down her taut belly, and between her thighs. The girl sighed as Jenny's fingers teased her bud, mashing it in lazy circles. The girl's body began to move with a mind of its own, her hips undulating against Jenny's hand. Her soft sighs became moans as she became excited, again.

The girl leaned forward a little and her arm slipped between them. Jenny felt Maddie's hand slip down her stomach and into the junction of her thighs. Maddie's fingers found her bud and Jenny moaned. As her body responded to the girl's touch, she knew she had been right about the fire of desire not being out between them. In fact, it was burning white hot, again.

The water lapped up the sides of the tub, disturbed by the writhings of Jenny's and Maddie's bodies. As they grew more and more excited, they were in danger of making a mess. They didn't care, too lost in each others touch and the wonderful sensations washing through their bodies.

Jenny felt the first stirrings of an orgasm deep inside, and she couldn't believe she was going to come, again. Then she heard the change in Maddie's cries and knew the girl was close, too. She held off her own orgasm until she felt Maddie stiffen against her. Only the girl cried out in ecstasy, did she let her own body go crazy.

Wrapping the girl in her arms, Jenny said, “We need to put some clothes on before neither one of us can walk in the morning.”

Maddie turned to grin at her, asked, “Do you think clothes will help?”

That grin made Jenny's heart beat faster in her breast and heat blossom between her thighs, and she said, “Probably not.”

------------------------------

Jenny opened her eyes when she felt someone's weight settle on the bed behind her. Rolling over, she saw Maddie smiling down at her. The girl wore snug jeans and a heavy coat, her nose red from being out in the cold.

She wasn't all that surprised to see the girl. After all, she had given Maddie a key to the apartment last month, sort of a six-month anniversary gift.

They had started out seeing each other on Thursdays, but soon found little ways to spend more time together. Maddie's mother eventually stopped wondering why Maddie wanted to spend so much time with Jenny, probably just figured they had become friends. That was true enough. Maddie was her best friend, usurping the spot from her older sister.

Mrs. Ogden had asked her a couple of times if Maddie just showing up bothered her and Jenny had answered honestly that it didn't. After that, Maddie sort of came and went as she pleased. She never abused the privilege because she didn't want her mother getting too curious about them. So, Jenny got to be with Maddie more than she expected but still not nearly as much as she'd like.

The girl leaned in and gave her a toe-curling kiss and Jenny kissed her back eagerly. It lingered a while. It had been a couple of days since she had seen Maddie and she needed her fix.

Pulling back, Maddie grinned and said, "Woof!"

"I shouldn't have told you about that dream," Jenny said, pulling the giggling girl atop her.

"I took Lady out for a walk," Maddie said, grinning, "so there's no rush to get out of bed. We can celebrate your book going number one on the bestsellers lists."

"I'm number one?" Jenny asked.

"You edged out Stephen King," Maddie said, excitedly, "my girlfriend is a number one bestselling author!"

"Mm... I love the way you say my girlfriend," Jenny said, smiling warmly at the girl. It was true enough. She loved hearing the girl say it.

"Well, I love you," Maddie said, then pulled the covers down to look at Jenny, "especially when you are naked."

"I love you, too," Jenny said, thinking it was the first time she said it to a girl and really meant it. Grace had had her heart for a long time, so no girl could ever really get close enough for her to mean it. Grace had lost her claim on Jenny's heart, though. It belonged to Maddie, now. She knew it was crazy to be so hopelessly in love with a girl still in middle school, but she couldn't help it. By a stroke of luck, Maddie seemed to love her just as much. Maybe in four years or so, when Maddie was eighteen, it would be Jenny's turn to be the bride and not just a bridesmaid.