"Baked Goods," by Geonn Cannon

Disclaimer: Characters and situations are all from my imagination. In fact, a couple of them might be familiar from other stories I've written.

Warnings: Sex and love between women.

Spoiler Alert: This story is set after my upcoming novel "On the Air" and, therefore, contains situations and comments that may be considered spoilers to that story. If you've read the story here at the Academy, you have nothing to worry about. But if you're waiting to buy the book (pleasebuythebook ;-D), I'd suggest keeping this one on the waiting list for the moment.

Feedback: Constructive criticism and feedback, both welcomed at neil_j_miser@yahoo.com

Baked Goods

by Geonn

Kate looked up to see that, after the initial morning rush, Coffee Table Books was practically lifeless. A couple of people stood at the counter, perusing the cookies and donuts under the glass, but the flood of customers had mostly dried to a trickle. She checked her coffee, swallowed the last mouthful, and slipped from her booth at the back of the store. Since she'd started dating the owner, she'd taken to setting up shop in the back booth to type her articles. Amy would come over and they'd take their breaks together, usually over coffee and fresh-baked cookies.

So far, Kate's work hadn't suffered from the change of locale and her waistline hadn't expanded due to the frequent snacking. Of course, Amy did help her burn off all the bad calories she put on.

Amy turned as Kate reached the counter. "What're you smiling about?"

"My exercise regimen," Kate said. Amy raised an eyebrow and Kate waved her cup. "Refill?"

"Sure, hon." Amy took the mug and retreated to the coffee maker. Kate leaned against the counter and ogled her; she was wearing white slacks, the green tie of her apron unfortunately obscuring the view of her great ass. Her t-shirt was a bit too small, revealing the small of her back. Kate rested her chin in her hand, chewing on the pinkie fingernail. When Amy turned, she handed the coffee to Kate and whispered, "Behave."

Kate's grin widened and she took the coffee. As Amy walked to the cash register, the bakery door opened and a brunette head poked out. The woman wasn't one of Amy's bakers; Kate knew all of them by sight if not by name. She was dressed in casual clothes, blue jeans and a white t-shirt, and her chestnut hair was down. That last bit was a huge no-no in the CTB bakery. The woman had to have come through the kitchen from Amy's apartment. It was attached to the CTB by a door in the bakery and there was another exterior entrance on the other side of the building.

She saw that she'd been spotted and brought a finger up to her lips in a classic 'sh!' gesture. She tiptoed across the tile floor until she was standing directly behind Amy. She gave Amy's body the once-over, mimicking Kate almost exactly, and then wrapped one arm around Amy's waist. Amy yelped as she was pulled backward. The mystery woman caught her before she fell, dipping her and bending over her at the same time. Amy's eyes were wide as the newcomer kissed her like a black-and-white sailor in Times Square.

Before Kate could get over her stupor and complain, the woman released Amy and stood her up. She wrapped both arms around Amy's waist and hugged her from behind. "Hey, Ames. Miss me?"

"Nick," Amy said. She put her hands on Nick's wrists and gently pulled them apart. "Uh, hey. Hey, this... is Kate."

Nick looked at Kate and her smile widened. "Oh. Oh." She released Amy and took a step back. "Sorry. I didn't think she, ah... I should've assumed." She stepped closer and held her hand out. "I'm Nicole Bronwyn. I used to be, ah... one of Amy's regular customers."

Amy glanced nervously around the store. Fortunately, the only customers present were at the tables by the window and had fortunately missed the entire kissing scene. Nick saw her look and lowered her voice. "Oh, God. I only kissed you like that because I heard you were out. Are you not...?"

"No, I am," Amy assured her. "It's just that I... we generally don't make out in the middle of the store like that." She tucked her hair behind her ear and said, "So. Nick. What are you doing here? I thought you were in... Where was it, Mozambique?"

"Mozambique for a while," Nick nodded. "Then London for a while, Spain. I finally got a little homesick and decided to drop in for a week or so." She glanced at Kate and said, "Looks like my timing was a little off, though..."

Kate smiled. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, hon." To Amy, she said, "I should probably go get my pack out of your apartment, though. I was kind of expecting to bivouac with you while I was in town, but..."

"Oh, don't be silly," Kate said. She looked at Amy and shrugged. "You have a perfectly nice couch, right? The bed and breakfasts in town are swamped right now."

"Yeah," Amy said, keeping her eyes on Kate to make sure she was really okay with the set-up. "You can stay with me, so long as you don't mind the couch."

"Couches are underrated. It'll be great. Thanks, Ames. And you, Kate." She smiled and said, "You're going to be over a lot, I assume? I look forward to getting to know you."

Kate winked at her. "We can exchange stories about Amy."

"Oh, God," Amy said. "I'm starting to rethink my offer."

Nick said, "I'm going to go unpack some things so she can't kick me out. Kate, it was nice meeting you. Ames... I wish I could say I was sorry for the kiss, but I'm really not." She stuck her tongue between her teeth, waved goodbye and then slipped back through the kitchen door.

Amy watched her go and then turned to Kate. "Well. I guess that makes us even."

"How?" Kate asked.

"We have dinner with Nadine all the time."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah, having dinner with my ex is the same as sticking your tongue down your ex's throat."

Amy gasped. "I did not! I was... definitely the stickee in that situation."

"The sticky? You're sticky?"

Amy's face flushed and she ran a hand through her hair. "Hush."

Kate laughed and took her coffee back to her booth.

Amy's apartment was cozy, in all the good meanings of the word. The bakery door led directly into the living room. There was room for a couch and coffee table, but not much else. Directly across, to the left of the door, was a breakfast nook with a table that almost completely filled the space. A window looked out onto Spring Street, the main road of the town, but the curtain was currently drawn. A streetlight was casting strange patterns through it onto the opposite wall. The bedroom door, directly across from the bakery entrance, was covered with an ornate curtain depicting a sunrise over water.

When Amy closed the store for the night, she slipped into the apartment to find Nick curled up on the couch. She tiptoed through the front room, pushing aside the curtain and slipping unnoticed into her bedroom. She changed out of her work blouse, which was covered in flour and chocolate drippings, and pulled on a faded blue t-shirt. She kicked off her shoes and pushed the curtain aside. Nick was sitting up now, hands cupping the back of her neck. She smiled sleepily and looked a little surprised. "You always could sneak up on me."

Amy smiled and walked into the kitchen. There was a mini-fridge under the microwave and she opened the door. "Soda? Chocolate milk?"

"Have any tea?"

Amy shook her head. "All out."

"Water's fine, then." She raised her arms over her head and stretched, her blouse pulling tight across her breasts. "I didn't plan to sleep that long. What time is it?"

"A bit after nine. I just closed the store." She handed Nick a bottle of water, turned around one of the chairs from the dining room table and straddled the back of the seat. "Despite the timing... it's really good to see you again, Nick."

"Same to you," Nick said, toasting her bottle. "Where's Kate tonight?"

"Early deadline," Amy said. "She wanted to spend some quality time down at the office."

Nick said, "What does she do?"

"She's a reporter for the local paper."

"Nice," Nick said. "How long have you two, ah..."

Amy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Just over a year now."

Nick counted on her fingers and said, "Let's see. A year ago I was... aw, man. I just had to see Istanbul."

Amy laughed. "Stop it."

There was a knock on the outside door and Amy stood to answer. She peeked through the curtain, undid the lock and let Kate inside. "Hey, baby," she whispered. She kissed the corner of Kate's mouth and drew her into the apartment. "You get done early?"

"Yeah," Kate said. "Right on time, actually. Boss was kind of hovering." She waved hello to Nick and crossed to the kitchen. She got a bottle of soda out of the fridge and sat on the floor next to Amy's chair. "What did I miss?"

"Amy was making a list of all the stuff I'm not allowed to tell you about our relationship," Nick said.

Kate shrugged. "Yeah, well. She's a coward. Stuff like what? Like she's never been with a man?"

"That's not a secret," Amy said.

"How about the time on the ferry when you fell asleep and..."

"That," Amy said quickly, "is a secret." She waved a warning finger at Nick and widened her eyes in a threatening manner.

Kate watched her and said, "Oh, now I have to know."

Amy's face slowly filled with color, her lips pressed in a tight, thin line.

"Come on, Ames," Nick coaxed. "You gotta admit, it's a funny story."

"It's a humiliating story," Amy said. She looked at Kate and sighed. "But if we promise it never leaves this room... and if you promise no more embarrassing stories or leading comments... I'll tell Kate what happened. But this is it! All right?"

Kate and Nick both promised to be good and Amy sighed. She cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Okay. I had just started CTB and I was working day and night to get the place off the ground. The, ah, books, the baking, working to get loans from whatever bank would have me... I was on my way to the mainland..."

"This is right after we started dating," Nick interjected.

"Right. I was asleep in one of those long booths by the windows. Nick was on the other side of the table and I guess... from what she told me later... I was having some pretty... vivid dreams."

"Like what?"

"I never remembered the details. All that matters is that I, uh... I was wearing cut-off sweatpants. And the dream must've gotten me turned on, so I just started to, ah..." She motioned at her crotch. "Th-through the leg."

Nick chuckled. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing."

"Oh, my God," Kate laughed. "Did anyone see you?"

Nick chuckled. "Not many people. Just enough for me to take mercy and wake her up."

Amy covered her face with her hand and shook her head. "Okay, so... most embarrassing moment of the night is over with... I'm going to bed."

"Oh, come on!" Nick said with a pointed look at her watch.

"I have to get up at 5:30 to get the cookies started," Amy said. "You remember that, right, Nick?" She grinned and bent down to kiss Kate good-night. Their lips brushed and she whispered, "See you soon?"

Kate nodded and said, "We'll behave."

"You better," Amy said. She said good-night to Nick and disappeared into the bedroom.

Nick watched her go and leaned back on the couch. "Sorry about this. Bursting in and throwing everything out of whack."

"Nah, it's fine." Kate stood and took the chair Amy had just abandoned. "I forgot to ask what you do for a living."

"I'm a photographer."

"Oh!" Kate said. Their introduction had been so shocking and Kate, having gotten over the surprise of another woman kissing Amy, had gotten used to thinking of her as Nick. She'd never thought to wonder why the name seemed so familiar. "You're that Nicole Bronwyn. My God. I've seen your coffee table books." She smirked and gestured at the bakery door. "Not to be confused with..."

Nick laughed. "Guilty as charged. Are you a fan?"

"God, yes. That picture on the street where there are leaves blowing across the street and that guy on the sidewalk is all hunkered down...?"

"For Want of a Warmer Jacket," Nick said.

"Right. I loved that one. I guess you're working on a new book now?"

Nick nodded. "Shoes."

Kate raised an eyebrow.

"Have you ever thought about shoes? They fascinate me for some reason." Kate and Nick both glanced down at each other's feet. Nick laughed and said, "See? I bought a bunch of shoes... loafers, sandals, sneakers... and I'm taking them with me everywhere I go. I've got a Bushman in the Outback wearing Air Jordans, I have a woman in a destitute African village wearing a pair of Manolo Blahniks. I offered to let her keep them, by the way, and she laughed in my face. She gave them back, put on a pair of wooden sandals that had to be as old as she was and walked away."

"Different countries, different priorities," Kate said. "I guess that goes for shoes, too."

"My point exactly. The hard part is getting a Manhattan businessman to give up his loafers for a pair of ratty old pedal-pushers."

Kate laughed. "I wish I could've seen you make that deal."

"It wasn't the easiest thing in the world, believe me." She checked her watch and said, "But... we can talk about that later. I should let you get in there with your gal."

Kate looked at the clock on the wall and groaned. She stretched and said, "Yeah, you're probably right. It was nice to meet you, Nick. Despite how we met."

Nick smiled. "Sorry about that. It's just been a long time since I saw Amy. I just assumed... well, hoped..."

"I understand. Night. Oh, the bathroom is..."

"I know."

The fact that Nick had spent nights here before finally settled in. Kate nodded and said, "Right. Well, good night."

"Night, Kate."

There was a short hallway between the living room and the bedroom. The bathroom door was to the right and a small storage closet was to the left. Kate slipped past those into the darkened bedroom.

Amy was just sliding under the covers, having changed into a faded blue KELF-AM t-shirt. Kate stripped down to her panties and peeled off her blouse. She went into the bathroom and returned a few minutes later, naked under a white pajama shirt. She crawled under the covers and kissed Amy's cheek, her breath minty-fresh. She slid her hands around Amy's waist and whispered into her ear. "My first girlfriend went down on me on her parents' front porch. When I came, I banged my head into the wall so hard, her dad came out to see what was happening. He walked out and his little princess still had her head under my skirt. After that, her coming out was kind of redundant."

Amy smiled. "Thank you."

"Tit for tat," Kate said with a shrug. She settled down behind Amy, spooning her from behind. She kissed the back of Amy's neck and slid her hand down to Amy's thigh. "Wanna fool around?"

"Nick is in the living room."

"Then we'd have to be quiet," Kate whispered. She moved her hand between Amy's thighs and pulled the t-shirt out of the way. Amy spread her legs and let Kate's hand in. "Think you can be quiet?"

Amy closed her eyes and rolled her hips. "Mm. Willing to give it a try..."

Kate smiled and nipped the skin of Amy's shoulder. She spread her fingers and Amy moaned. Kate snickered. "You have to try harder than that."

"I'll do my best..."

The next morning, Amy's alarm went off at five. Kate groaned and rolled away from her, pulling the pillow over her head. Amy slipped out from under the covers and shut off the alarm. After a quick shower, she dressed in the darkness. Kate was still entombed, so Amy burrowed under the bedclothes to steal a kiss. At the touch of Amy's lips, Kate stirred like sleeping beauty. She slurred, "Habbanah dah."

"You have a nice day, too," Amy snickered. She left the bedroom and, as she crossed the living room, snickered at the sight of Nick curled up on the couch. She also had a pillow over her head. 'If they only knew how alike they were...,' she thought. She left the apartment as quietly as possible and washed her hands in the bakery sink. There was a knock on the front door of CTB and she hurried to let her employees in.

Stephanie was, of course, the first one to arrive. "Morning, Amy," she said. "You have a good night?"

"Uh," Amy said. She thought back and she said, "It was a little out of the ordinary. Let's say that."

Stephanie, used to her boss' usual close-mouthed attitude, accepted it and headed behind the counter.

Kate woke up to the sound of the shower. She was on the edge of the bed, trying to wake up enough to go join Amy in the bathroom, when she realized that it probably wasn't Amy. She pulled on the clothes she'd worn the night before and left the bedroom. She was sitting on the couch, tying her shoes, when Nick came out of the bathroom.

She was wrapped in a towel, her dark hair still wet, and came up short when she saw Kate. Kate looked up, momentarily stunned by the naked legs and shoulders, and managed a smile. "Hey. I was just on my way out."

"Work?"

"Uh, no... I've got the rest of the day off. I'm just going to go home."

"Oh, don't!" Nick said. "Look, I was planning to go back to some of my old haunts, see some familiar faces. I'd really like some company if you didn't have anything better planned."

Kate hesitated.

"I'd take Amy, but you know how she is. She'd never leave the shop even if she had a hundred employees to watch it for her. Please?"

Kate sighed and checked her watch. "I suppose I could spare a couple of hours for a trip down memory lane."

Nick smiled and clapped her hands. "Okay! Let me get dressed real quick and we'll go." She walked to the coffee table and bent down to get her bag. Kate, trying to ignore the peach-blossom scent of shampoo in Nick's dark hair, found herself focusing on the way her breasts filled out her towel. Nick was oblivious and carried the bag back to the bathroom.

Kate pushed herself off the couch and went through the bakery to CTB. Amy was giving change to someone who was holding a tall white bag filled with donuts. Kate touched the small of Amy's back and whispered, "Can I steal you for a second?"

They stepped away from the cash register and one of Amy's workers stepped in immediately. "Nick invited me out to drive around today. Look at some of her old haunts. Is that okay?"

"Sure, baby," Amy said. "Have a good time."

"I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't get jealous or anything."

Amy laughed. "Not at all." She kissed the corner of Kate's mouth and said, "Have fun. Call me around lunchtime if you're somewhere I can meet you."

"Okay. I'll call you anyway just to hear your voice."

"Aw, fresh," Amy said. She pecked Kate's lips and said, "Okay. I better get back to work."

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you, too."

They separated and Kate returned to the apartment. Nick was just coming out of the bathroom, having dressed in cargo pants and a blue blouse hanging open over a white tank top. She had some kind of ornate string necklace with some kind of bone hanging down between her breasts. She smiled when she saw Kate and said, "You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Kate said.

They left the apartment and walked to Kate's car. "You don't mind taking the green beast, do you?"

"Better than renting one," Nick said. She went around to the passenger side and got in. "I was thinking we'd go up to Sholeh Village first."

"You want to see the whales?"

"No, but the harbor. God, I miss boats. I've spent the last couple of months landlocked. Absolutely hellish for an island girl like me."

Kate pulled away from the curb and aimed the car to the edge of town. "You and Amy," Nick said suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Were you a customer of hers? I mean... I don't want to pry. Just tell me if it's none of my business. But I'm curious."

Kate hesitated. "Well... it's kind of personal. Amy was there when I was going through a rough patch. She comforted me and I... fell for her. Hard."

"She's very... fall-able."

Kate laughed. "She is at that. How about you?"

Nick shrugged. "Amy had just come back to the island. I was working at Butler Photography... you know, the old work-wherever-will-hire-you-just-to-be-peripherally-attached-to-your-dream-profession thing."

"Like working on the school paper," Kate nodded. "I totally get you."

"I was doing freelance work for the newspaper - your bosses, in fact - and went down to take pictures of the grand opening. She flirted with me while we were setting up shots and, ah... ooh. I probably shouldn't tell you this. She got pretty embarrassed when I told the masturbation story..."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come on. Just between us girls."

"We had sex in the stacks," she said, referring to the bookshelves that gave Coffee Table Books its name. "The next time we saw each other, she wanted me to take naked pictures of her."

Kate gasped. "Oh, my God. You took those?"

"Guilty. You've seen them?"

"Amy loves them. Loves them. My favorite is the one with the white blouse and black panties... where her hair is in her face. I don't know why I gravitate towards that one. I mean, she's naked in all the others. But that one picture..." She exhaled and shook her head.

"It's the context," Nick suggested. "You have a sea of pictures of her naked and then this coy, secretive, almost shy pose. I've always believed women are sexier when there's some left to the imagination."

Kate nodded. "I'm right there with you."

They had left town, following a tree-lined winding road that carried them deeper and deeper into the forested interior of the island. They listened to the radio and made idle chat about island politics - a Dugan was mayor last time Nick had lived on the island, but not the one who was in office now - and old memories of favorite haunts that Nick was hoping to visit.

"That's the good thing about living in a small-town like this," Kate said, "especially one on an island. We don't have to worry about places like Coffee Table Books or Gail's Seafood Shack getting knocked out of business by Borders or Red Lobster. The chains shun us. And I say let them have the mainland."

"I went to a Wal-Mart and was just... horrified. Everything you'd want, right at your fingertips. But it was like... buying from a machine. They even have checkout aisles now with self-checkout. If you want, you can completely avoid contact with another human being."

"Not always a bad thing," Kate said. She was remembering all the times she'd run out to the store before breakfast because she was out of eggs or milk. The thought of being able to buy whatever she needed without a checkout clerk seeing her Powerpuff Girls pajama shirt was awfully tempting. "But not all the time. I'd start to feel like I was in Star Trek or something."

Kate parked in a gravel lot and they walked down a steep incline to a farmer's market. People had set up shop to sell paintings and glass figurines and Nick stopped to browse a few of the tables. They continued on into the main part of town, where the tall hotel overlooking the harbor stood unchanged since the 1920s when President Coolidge had stayed there for two nights. They walked along the dock, laughing at the humorously-named boats like Remember the Alimony and Water Log.

Around a quarter to eleven, Kate suggested they head back to town and pick up Amy for lunch. Nick agreed and they walked back to the car. "So, what do you think?" Nick asked as they climbed the rise to the parking lot.

"Of what?" Kate asked. "I've been to Sholeh before."

"Not of the town," Nick laughed. "Me. I kind of wanted today to be a... get to know Nick day for you. Me and Amy have the history, and I felt kind of bad last night. Like we were making you the third wheel."

Kate shook her head. "I didn't feel that way at all. But... thank you. You're not so bad. Of course, anyone dating Amy would have to be all right."

"She's definitely special," Nick said.

Kate was dialing her cell phone as they pulled out of the lot. Amy picked up after a few rings. "Hey, babe. Nick and I are coming back from Sholeh. Where did you want to stop for lunch?" She listened and then said to Nick. "Serenity Café all right? It's right across from CTB."

"Fine, I love it," Nick said.

"Sounds good. Uh, about twenty minutes. Okay. See you there. Love you." She hung up and tucked the phone back into her pocket. "She'll meet us there."

"Is Serenity still mostly tourist-free?"

Kate smiled. "Hence the name."

"Good. I feel kind of guilty. But that's the part I liked least about living here... seems like you spend half your time hiding from the tourists."

"It's not so bad," Kate said. "They're everywhere during the day, but the night belongs to the locals."

Nick said, "That's true. Amy loves them, though."

Kate shrugged. "Well, they're her bread and butter."

"It's more than that," Nick said. She seems to truly love... interacting with them."

"Oh," Kate said. "Well, that's just Amy. She loves people."

Nick grinned. "That she does."

They arrived back in town and drove to the Serenity Café. Kate pulled into a narrow alley that was infamous for being too narrow for two cars to pass one another. If someone was trying to leave at the same time someone else was trying to go in, there would be a brief game of chicken before one car was forced to back up and let the other go through. Fortunately, Kate made it through to the parking lot without incident.

She parked and they walked to the back entrance, heading into the pleasantly-dark restaurant. The counter ran along the left side of the restaurant, with the booths on the right and a sea of tables in between. There was a jukebox between the restrooms and the dining area and Kate paused to peruse the selections. Nick continued on to grab a booth, as the restaurant was already filling up for lunch.

Kate fed a dollar into the machine and dialed up "Stuck in the Middle with You." The LED screen told her that her song was eighth on the current play list. She turned away from the jukebox as the front door opened and Amy hurried in. They saw each other at the same time and shared a smile. Kate gestured at the booth Nick had taken over and they met in the middle. "Hey," Kate said, pecking Amy on the cheek.

"Hey, yourself." She slid into the booth across from Nick and Kate sat beside her. She put her arm on Amy's thigh, a quietly possessive gesture that amused Amy. The waitress approached and took their lunch orders. When she left, Kate nodded at Nick and said to Amy, "I'm starting to see why you were dating this spitfire."

Nick thrust her chest forward and batted her eyelashes. "You mean besides my smoking body?"

Kate laughed. "Yeah, besides that."

"You guys didn't talk about me, did you?" Amy asked.

Kate clamped her lips together and Nick whistled innocently. Amy groaned. "God save me from exes and current girlfriends conspiring."

They both laughed at that and were recounting their trip to Sholeh when the waitress arrived with their food. When they were alone again, Nick said, "So, I noticed you guys are sitting in each other's laps, practically. And Amy, you said you would never come out as long as you were living here. When did Squire's Isle become a homosexual haven?"

"It's kind of a long story," Kate said.

"There's a book about it," Amy said. "I think we still have at CTB if you wanna give it a read."

"I definitely will," Nick said. To Kate, she explained, "When I lived here, it was like... living in a bubble. I was always worried that it would pop and people would find out I was gay. But now it's... accepted. Hard to believe."

Amy shrugged. "We won't have any Gay Pride parades down Spring Street any time soon, but it's definitely not the town you left. We even have a gay bar."

Nick almost choked on her drink. "December Harbor has a gay bar?"

"It's outside of town," Amy said. "About halfway between here and the other side of the island."

"Take me there," Nick said. "Tonight?"

Amy hesitated. "The store..."

"You can have Stephanie shut it down," Kate said. "We haven't been for a while, hon. Might be nice to see some familiar faces."

Amy put her arm around Kate and pulled her close. "Yeah, okay. Now... I skipped breakfast, so... maybe we could give the food our undivided attention."

"I second that," Kate said. She took her hand off Amy's thigh and they went to work on their food. Halfway through the meal, the song Kate had chosen on the jukebox began to play. Kate lightly slapped her hand on the table in time with the hand claps in the song.

"Well, I don't know why I came here tonight," Amy sang along. "I got the feeling that something ain't right. I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair, and I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs."

Nick shook her head. "You guys are the embarrassing kind of cute."

They laughed, but they stopped singing. Kate replaced her hand on Amy's thigh and Amy continued to tap her toes along with the beat.

Amy went back to work and spent the entire day focused on what Kate and Nick were up to. Nick was a great person, but she could be a little... free with the information. While Amy made up batches of snickerdoodles and macadamia nut cookies, she pictured Nick regaling Kate with the time they'd made love in a car outside of CTB. Or the time when Amy's orgasm had frightened the people in the office above CTB and they'd come bursting in on quite the scene.

Of course, Kate had her own tales to tell. The costumes, the handcuffs under Amy's bed, the strap-on. She blushed just thinking about it, as if the customers on the other side of the counter could read her thoughts.

They had made plans to meet at the Outskirts, the island's only real gay hangout, at six. Amy sleepwalked through the rest of the day and, at 5:30, handed things over to Stephanie. She went into her apartment and washed the cookie dough and batter from her hands, took a quick shower and changed into something a little more appropriate to dancing. She found her old black leather knee-high boots and matched them with a denim skirt and a maroon blouse.

She felt utterly conspicuous, but it didn't matter. She checked her make-up in the mirror, kept herself from checking on Stephanie - 'one more time before I go' usually turned into 'I might as well stay until closing' - and left the apartment. She walked down the block to the long-term parking lot where she kept her car. She hardly ever used it, but every now and then it came in handy. She hated relying on Kate to get around, especially if she had to go to the mainland for something, so she had kept the junker she'd had when they first started dating.

She worried the entire drive to the bar. 'What if Nick told her about the time I wanted to be spanked? God, or the time I...' Her eyes widened at the thought. "No," she said out loud. "She wouldn't. We agreed that was embarrassing enough for the both of us and we'd never talk about it again." She nodded, reassured, and pulled into the parking lot of the bar.

She spotted Kate's car and parked next to it, tugging her skirt down as she walked into the bar. There seemed to be more people on the hardwood dance floor than at the tables circling it. Amy walked around the edge of the room to the bar at the back. "Molson?" she called. The bartender nodded and popped the top on a bottle direct from the ice box. Amy handed over the money rather than starting a tab - she didn't plan to stay that long or drink that much - and scanned the room for her lover.

Kate was at a table in the corner, alone and digging through the peanut bowl for a cashew. Amy plucked a handful of cashews from the bowls on the bar and walked up behind Kate. She wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed one of the salty nuts against Kate's lips. "Mm," Kate said, accepting the nut and kissing Amy's fingertips. She sagged against Amy's body. "How'd you know I loved cashews, Nick?"

"What?" Amy said.

Kate chuckled and turned around. "I saw you come in." She kissed Amy's lips and brushed her hair. "Hi," she said softly. "I missed you today."

"You, too." She straddled Kate's legs and sat on her lap, looping her arms around Kate's neck. "Where's Nick?"

Kate gestured with her head. "Dance floor. Grinding with some woman from Sholeh."

Amy nodded and kissed Kate. "You want to dance?"

"I'm kind of loving it right here," Kate said. She put her hands in the small of Amy's back and pulled her closer. She leaned in and kissed the sweet spot on her neck. Amy sighed and closed her eyes. The management at the bar was cool with public displays of affection, but they were kind of pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable. "Um. Kate. You might want to stop..."

"Okay," Kate said. She kissed Amy's neck, swirled her tongue along the cup of Amy's earlobe and leaned back.

Amy was moving to a seat of her own when Nick came off the dance floor. She was wearing a white t-shirt, a black vest and black jeans. Amy realized she and Kate had both changed clothes since that afternoon. "Hey, where did you guys...?"

"We stopped at Kate's on the way here. She let me borrow some stuff."

Kate gestured at the shirt. "That's her shirt, though," she said. "All of mine kind of, ah..."

"I might as well have come topless," Nick said, joining Kate in the laugh.

'My ex and my current girlfriend have an inside joke. Oh, joy.' She took a swig of her beer and was about to suggest going out on the dance floor when a familiar song began to play. "Well, I don't know why I came here tonight. I got the feeling that something ain't right..."

Amy looked at the jukebox in the corner and then looked at Kate. "Did you...?"

"I did," Nick said. "Go on. Go dance. I'll protect our table."

Amy slid out of her chair and took Kate's hand. They walked out onto the dance floor and began moving to the beat. Amy swayed, while Kate lifted her hands over her head and clapped along with the music. Kate's dance to the song mimicked Michael Madsen's dance in Reservoir Dogs. Amy put one hand on Kate's hip and pressed close to her, swaying her hips and focusing on the way Kate's shirt moved across her chest.

"Like my breasts," Kate whispered.

Amy grinned. "They're very nice."

"Nick's are bigger," Kate said.

Amy moved close and cupped Kate's breast through her shirt. They kissed and Amy whispered against Kate's mouth, "They feel all right to me."

Kate moaned and arched her back into the touch. The song ended and another, slower song began. Amy automatically put her arms around Kate's waist and began to slow-dance with her. She rested her head on Kate's shoulder, felt Kate's hands on her back and let herself be led. "You really have a good time today?"

"Mm-hmm," Kate said. "I liked hearing about your wild days."

Amy blushed. "How much did she tell you?"

"Nothing too embarrassing," Kate promised. "She said that you disappeared for five years before you bought CTB. Born here, left before finishing high school, came back when your Dad died. She didn't tell me where you were."

"She doesn't know."

"Oh."

"I haven't told anyone," Amy said. She pulled back just far enough to look into Kate's eyes. "Don't think I'm not telling you because I don't trust you." She thought and said, "I think that's a triple negative. But... I'm not proud of those years. I need to come to terms with some stuff that happened before I let anyone in."

Kate brushed Amy's hair and kissed her forehead. "I understand."

Amy replaced her head on Kate's shoulder. "What did she tell you?"

"How you started CTB. How it almost died the first year, but you refused to give up on it." She kissed the top of Amy's head. "Kind of made me love you even more."

Amy smiled against the material of Kate's shirt. When the song ended, they left the dance floor and returned to their table. Nick was talking with someone who slipped away as soon as Kate and Amy sat down. "Who was that?" Amy asked.

"New friend," Nick said. She nodded at the bar and said, "I'm going to get a refill. You girls want?"

Amy held up her barely-touched Molson and Kate said, "Yeah, get me a Labatt Blue."

Nick left the table and Kate said, "She's only going to be staying until Saturday." Amy cuddled closer to Kate, almost falling off her chair, and Kate leaned in to whisper in her ear, "If you want to fuck me before then, we can sneak off to my apartment." She nipped at Amy's earlobe, the words and the kiss causing a shudder to run through her body. "Okay?"

"Yeah," Amy gasped.

Nick returned with Kate's beer and said, "So, Supper. Are we eating here? Going out? Having peanuts for supper? I want to treat you guys. Host's choice."

Amy and Kate looked at one another and Kate shrugged. "Gail's is always good."

"Gail's it is," Nick said. "We'll stay for another couple of dances, let Amy finish her pisswater..."

Amy flipped Nick off and took a drink.

"In the meantime, Ames, you mind if I dance with your girl?" Nick asked Amy.

Amy waved them off. "Go ahead. Just no slow songs. I know you get all-hands during those ballads."

"Aw, ruin my fun," Nick said. She took Kate's hand and guided her out onto the dance floor. Amy turned in her seat and watched as they began to dance to "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree." Nick said something and Kate laughed, keeping her hands firmly on Nick's shoulders as they moved to the music. Nick put her hands on Kate's back. When she turned to face Amy, she smiled and bit her lip. She lifted her hands and moved them down, as if she aimed to cup Kate's ass.

Amy raised her eyebrows and shook her head slowly.

Nick faked a pout and moved her hands back to Kate's shoulders.

Amy put her beer bottle down and went out onto the dance floor. She stepped up behind Nick and tapped her on the shoulder. "Mind if I cut in?"

Nick slid an arm around Kate's shoulder and pulled her in. "Which one of us are you asking?"

Amy smirked and took Kate's hand. She pulled her away from Nick and pressed her body tight against her. "I was asking my girl."

"Lucky girl," Nick smirked. Someone touched Nick's shoulder from behind and she turned, smiled and accepted the stranger's invitation. As they moved around the dance floor, Amy caught glimpses of Nick across the room. She was watching them. When she saw Amy had caught her, she smiled and turned her attention back to he current partner.

"Did she try to grab my ass?" Kate asked.

"Hmm?"

"Her hands disappeared when we were dancing. I thought she might be going for my ass."

"She was just teasing."

"Ah. You're not jealous, are you?"

"No! Of course not." She put her head on Kate's shoulder and said, "Well. Maybe a little. Nick is hot."

Kate snickered and moved her hands to Amy's waist. "I love you. I wouldn't cheat on you with anyone."

"Angelina Jolie?"

Kate scoffed. "In that case, I would cheat on you. But I'd let you watch."

Amy shivered at the thought. "You're so good to me." She tilted her head up and kissed Kate's lips. She found herself hoping that Nick was still watching. She'd never been much of a voyeur... the one time she'd had an orgasm in public, she'd spent most of the time worried someone would see or look over. But now, she wanted Nick watching. She wanted Nick to see Kate kiss her like this. She balled her hands in Kate's t-shirt when they broke the kiss. "Wanna drop Nick off at my place after dinner? Make some excuse about going to your place?"

"Why? You wanna be loud?"

Amy groaned and pressed her face against Kate's cheek.

Kate laughed and kissed her eyebrow. "We'll make something up."

Amy let Nick drive her car and she rode with Kate. Amy pulled out her cell phone and called Stephanie to open the store in the morning. "Yeah," Amy said. "I'm bushed. I think I'm going to try and sleep in tomorrow. Thanks, Steph. You're a life-saver." When she hung up, she said, "I'm going to have to start scheduling days for her to open. She loves it and it really takes a load off me."

"I've been telling you that forever," Kate said.

Amy shrugged and said, "I wasn't ready before now."

Kate reached over and lightly massaged the back of Amy's neck. "Now you just have a reason to stay in bed in the morning."

Amy smiled and purred as Kate's fingertips found and released tension in her neck. They followed Nick's taillights back into town and to the harbor-side restaurant. Gail's Seafood Shack was right on the water, within spitting distance of the ferry lanes and Front Street. Tourists waiting for the mainland ferry were drawn by the siren's lure of fresh seafood off the outdoor terrace. If the winds were right, the restaurant would be packed by ten in the morning and wouldn't have an empty table until closing.

They were lucky to arrive when they did; a ferry had just left and most of the customers had cleared out. They were led to a table at the back underneath a painting of a sailboat on rough seas. On the wall trim above the napkin dispenser, the restaurant's designer had painted the words I got myself a table with a view of the breakers in the bay.

While they ate, Nick reminisced about her time on the island. Kate talked about meeting and falling in love with Amy. They talked about Mayor Dugan - not the one Nick had known, but familiar just the same - and Sheriff Rucker. Nick was almost brought to tears by the news that Jennifer White, one of the best players on the all-women Squire's Knights baseball team, had been paralyzed from the waist down in an accident.

Nick paid, as promised, and they trekked back to Amy's apartment. Nick parked Amy's car in the street and Amy said she would take it to the long-term lot whenever she got a chance. She and Kate exchanged a look and Kate stopped just inside the front door. "Uh, I need to go pick something up at my apartment."

"I'll go, too," Amy said. "I haven't seen you all day."

Nick raised an eyebrow and said, "I wasn't born yesterday, guys. You want me to clear out for an hour?"

Amy blushed and Kate smiled. "Well, if you don't mind..."

"No problem. But first, I had one more surprise in mind. If you can wait for a couple minutes...?"

They looked at each other and shared another wordless exchange. "Yeah," Kate said. "What's the surprise?"

"I don't want to scandalize you or anything," Nick said as she shut the apartment door. She walked to the kitchen table and sat straddling the back of the chair. She pulled a small plastic bag out of her back pocket and set it on the table.

Kate's eyebrows went up. "Pot? What are we, eighteen?"

Nick shrugged. "Hey, I like it. Amy used to, but..."

"I haven't smoked in years," Amy said, eyeing the baggy with trepidation. "When did you get it?"

"At the bar. Some chick came up to me and offered."

Amy picked up the bag and cracked the seal. She bent down, inhaled and coughed. "Oh, wow. That's, uh... the good stuff."

"We don't have to share," Nick said. "I'd just rather smoke it here than out where Rucker might nab me for possession."

"Kate?" Amy asked.

Kate shrugged and said, "I'm game if you are."

Nick brightened and pulled out rolling papers. "Wonderful!"

Kate and Amy sat on the couch and waited as Nick rolled a joint. She pinched it between her lips and lit the tip with a small lighter she pulled from her hip pocket. She took a few puffs and held her breath as she passed it to Amy. Amy took a hit, closed her eyes and slowly let the smoke out of her mouth. "Yeah. Really, really good." She held it out to Kate.

Kate took the joint and hesitantly brought it to her lips. She inhaled, closed her eyes and let her breath out in a cough. "Sorry," she said. "I'm worried I'm going to look like a moron."

"You look fine," Amy said.

The joint made the rounds again, this time staying longer with each woman. Kate stood up and went to the kitchen and returned with a chocolate bar. Nick laughed and said, "What, do you already have the munchies?"

"Maybe it's just psychological," Amy suggested.

"No," Kate said, tearing the wrapper open. "I heard chocolate increases the enjoyment of pot. Or... something like that. Hell, it's chocolate. Why do we need an excuse?" She tore off three squares and ate them methodically, first biting the square in half and then biting off the rest. When she was finished, she chewed and swallowed slowly.

Amy shrugged. "Well?"

"I have chocolatey fingers," Kate said.

"I want chocolate," Amy said.

Kate put the chocolate bar in her other hand and stuck her stained fingers out to Amy. Amy leaned forward and sucked them clean, using her tongue and sucking them until all traces were gone. Nick watched Amy's tongue roll across the flesh, changing it from brown to slick and pink. She bit her bottom lip and looked down at Kate's other hand. "Oh, hey. Your other hand is getting all melty."

Kate looked down and said, "Aw, man..." She handed the melting bar to Amy.

Nick said, "Can I have some, too?"

Kate arched her eyebrow and slid forward on the couch. She held her chocolate mess of a hand out and said, "Be my guest."

Nick smiled and leaned forward. She balanced herself on the edge of the coffee table and licked Kate's palm. She looked over at Amy, who was nibbling on the chocolate bar and watching with wide eyes. Nick traced what she thought to be Kate's lifeline, nipped at the meaty part under her thumb and gently sucked the chocolate from the pads of her fingers. She closed her lips around Kate's thumb and sucked it deep into her mouth, sucking even after the chocolate was long gone.

She looked up at Kate and immediately knew that a line had been crossed. She sank back into her chair and Kate retreated to the couch. Nick realized she was still holding the joint and passed it to Amy. An idea dawned on her. She wouldn't have suggested it a few minutes ago, but sucking chocolate off Kate's thumb had changed the rules.

"Hey," she said softly. She tilted her head at Kate and said, "Shotgun her."

Amy chuckled and shook her head. "Kate doesn't want to shotgun."

Kate looked between them. "What? What's a shotgun?" She giggled and said, "Well, I mean, besides the obvious."

Amy hesitated and then sighed. "It's easier to just show you." She sat up straight and took a toke. She held it in her mouth and slid closer to Kate. She put one hand on Kate's shoulder and pushed her down onto the couch cushions. Amy slid on top of her until their lips were even. She leaned down as if for a kiss and lightly parted her lips.

"Breathe in," Nick said.

Kate opened her mouth and breathed in the smoke. Amy slid her hand down to Kate's breast and closed the distance between them. She kissed her passionately, her fingers squeezing as Kate bent her knees. Amy settled on Kate's lap, her left hand extended with the joint between her thumb and forefinger. Kate's toes curled and she moaned into Amy's mouth. Kate untucked Amy's shirt and smoothed her hands across the bare skin of Amy's back.

"Guys," Nick said.

Amy broke the kiss and sat up, blinking rapidly. Nick was still straddling the chair, eyes slightly glazed. Her nipples were hard and sticking out against her t-shirt. She rubbed the back of her neck and chuckled nervously. "Not exactly what I had planned, but thanks for the show."

Amy laughed and sat up, pulling Kate up with her. Kate shifted on the couch and ran a hand through her hair. The dark curls had gotten flattened against the pillow. "Sneak preview of tonight," she said to Amy. Amy nudged her with an elbow and looked pointedly at Nick.

Nick took the joint from Amy and inhaled. "Point taken," she said. She handed the joint to Kate and stood. "I'll get out of you guys' hair."

Kate stood up and blocked Nick's way to the door. Nick blinked and took a step back. "Kate?"

Kate said, "Amy?"

Amy rearranged herself on the couch, sitting on her knees. "Yeah," she whispered.

Kate slid her hands around Nick's neck and pulled her forward. Nick kept her eyes open through the kiss, unsure what was happening. When Kate released her, she stepped back and smiled nervously. "You guys are wasted."

Amy slid off the couch and closed in on Nick. "Not that wasted," Amy said. She took the joint from Kate's fingers and laid it on the coffee table. She laced her fingers with Kate's, shared a meaningful look with her and then turned to Nick. She leaned in and circled Nick's lips with her tongue before completely giving herself over to the kiss. She let her tongue explore once-familiar terrain and imagined she could taste Kate's breath in her mouth. Nick closed her eyes and sagged against Amy's body, unsure what to do with her hands. When Amy released her, she turned to Kate and saw that her eyes were wild. She was breathing hard, her skin flushed and revealing a fine spray of freckles across her nose and cheeks that Nick hadn't seen before.

"You guys are serious?"

"Absolutely," Amy said. She kissed Kate and slid her hand down to Nick's ass. She gasped, tilting her head back and letting Kate kiss down her neck. "This is what you wanted? You wanted to see me fuck my new girlfriend?"

Nick stuttered for a moment and then said, "Uh. Well, no. Not... not..."

Kate kissed Amy's breasts through her t-shirt and Amy moaned.

"Guys, I should just go," Nick said, her voice rough.

Amy opened her eyes and grabbed the belt loops of Nick's jeans. "That's a good idea. You're thinking clearly. Making rational decisions."

Nick nodded. "Yeah, actually."

Amy leaned in, her lips just barely touching Nick's. "We've had just as much pot as you." She extended her tongue and licked Nick's mouth. "All it did was loosen the gears. Come on. All the stuff we did... we never had a threesome... all the stuff Kate and I have done? We've never had a threesome, either. Two birds, one stone..."

Nick looked at Kate and then pulled Amy close. They kissed passionately, Nick thrusting her tongue deep into Amy's mouth. This is what she'd come to the island for, this is what she'd been expecting; Amy, hot and willing and horny. Kate was a bonus. She broke the kiss, leaving Amy panting, and turned to Kate. She brushed her thumb across Kate's bottom lip and thought about the day they'd spent together. Thinking how lovely she was, how funny she was... thinking how, if she couldn't have Amy, at least Amy had someone like this.

She and Kate shared a gentle kiss, exploring one another before going for broke. Kate tasted like chocolate, with just a hint of marijuana smoke. Kate brushed her tongue across Nick's bottom lip, coaxing it open and pushing her tongue inside. Nick closed her lips around it and stepped closer to Kate. Amy let out a quiet whimper as she watched. Whether it was from pleasure or jealousy, neither Kate nor Nick could tell. They broke the kiss and Nick stepped back. "How far are we taking this thing?" she asked.

"All the way," Amy said, looking at Kate. She kissed Kate's cheek, the corner of her mouth and then kissed her hard.

When they separated, Kate exhaled and looked at Nick. "Yeah," she said. "As far as you want."

Nick exhaled and stepped back. She brushed her hand down Kate's chest and turned her hand around, resting her knuckles against Kate's breast. "I want... to watch you and Amy."

"Yeah?" Amy said.

Nick smiled. "For starters."

Amy stepped back. She took Kate's right hand and Nick's left and walked backwards towards the bedroom. As they passed the bathroom, Kate reached out and turned on the light. It cast enough of a glow into the bedroom that they could see, but left things dim enough to cover a multitude of sins.

When she reached the bed, Amy released Nick's hand. "You can sit over there," she said, absently gesturing towards a chair in the corner. Nick sat down and spread her legs apart, leaning forward so she wouldn't miss a thing.

Amy and Kate came together and kissed hungrily, Amy's hands seeking the buttons of Kate's blouse. Kate got Amy's shirt undone first and pushed it off her shoulders. She was wearing a spaghetti-strap top underneath, pale pink thin enough to show she wasn't wearing a bra underneath it. Kate crouched and kissed the bare flesh of Amy's chest, running her tongue along the smooth skin over her breasts.

Amy undid the buttons of Kate's blouse and tore it away. She wore a black bra underneath and she reached behind herself to unhook it as Amy undid her pants. Kate's pale legs appeared, her panties skimming down them just as quickly as her pants. She stepped out of them and knelt before her lover, naked and unashamed.

Nick moved her hand down her thigh and pressed a hand between her legs. She groaned as Kate's breasts appeared, only to be immediately covered with Amy's hands. Kate pushed Amy back and they tumbled together onto the bed. Kate pushed herself up on her hands, hovering over Amy and settling between her legs. Kate said something Nick couldn't hear and then scraped her fingernails down Amy's stomach.

Amy spread her legs apart as Kate pushed her denim skirt up. Amy was wearing panties, but Kate just pushed them aside and began to stroke with two fingers, the same two fingers Amy had been sucking a few minutes earlier. Amy lifted her hips and moaned, rocking against Kate's hand.

Nick tried to watch everything; Kate's pale breasts with their small brown nipples standing erect, Amy's naked thighs, spread apart to let Kate work, the perfect heart-shape of Kate's ass leading up to the long, smooth, sexy line of Kate's spine as she slumped over Amy's body. The muscles of Kate's arm worked like a machine, her elbow going back and forth ever-so-slightly as she moved her hips forward in time with her fingers.

Nick leaned back and undid her trousers. She pushed them down her legs and kicked them away. Kate was taking her time, leaving Amy's pussy to explore her thighs and the inside of her knees. Kate finally sat up and pulled Amy's panties out of the way to have more room to work. She tossed them over her shoulder and looked over, her eyes drawn to the dark hair between Nick's legs. Nick spread her knees further apart. "Your girlfriend is waiting," she said.

Kate smiled, licked her top lip and turned back to Amy. She pushed the hem of Amy's skirt out of the way and bowed down before her. Amy cried out and lifted her legs, hooking her ankles together and resting her heels on Kate's back. Kate dragged her fingernails down the inside of Amy's thighs and Amy let out a long, keening cry.

The cry was more than Nick could take. She stood and stepped out of her pants, keeping a hand working between her legs as she walked to the bed and knelt on the mattress. Amy felt her weight and broke the eye-lock she had with Kate. She moaned and reached out, clutching at the hem of Nick's shirt.

Nick crawled on her knees until she was kneeling over Amy's head. She shivered and forced herself to keep her eyes open. She looked down at Kate and kept eye contact as she lowered herself onto Amy's waiting lips. She shuddered as Amy slipped her tongue between her pussy lips, a gentle stroke that sent Nick reeling back in time. No one had ever touched her like Amy, no one had ever made her come the way Amy could.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Kate watching her. 'Her girlfriend is licking my pussy,' she thought, and groaned out loud. She pulled her t-shirt over her head and bared her breasts. Kate lifted her head and kissed Amy's thigh with come-wet lips. "Oh, yes. You're so beautiful..."

Amy's tongue circled Nick's clit and her hands came up to cup her ass. Nick groaned and threw her head back, trying to force Amy's tongue into her. Kate lifted her head and watched as Nick moved back and forth, watched her lover's jaw move back and forth as she swept her tongue across the wet folds. It was a position she'd never had, an angle she'd never seen. She thought of Amy going down on her, the long, slow process Amy made of oral sex. Amy could hold off an orgasm until dawn if she wanted. Sex could be torture and the release would be bliss.

She sat up and rearranged herself, lifting her leg and straddling Amy's left thigh. Her own thigh pressed against Amy's pussy and they both gasped at the contact. She and Nick were now face-to-face, breathing hard, sweaty and within moaning distance of orgasm. Kate reached up and clutched Nick's neck. Nick grabbed a handful of Kate's hair. They tugged each other forward and kissed as if desperate for a breath of air.

Kate's tongue snaked into Nick's mouth and they shared a gasp, Nick pushing Kate's tongue away and running across her teeth. Amy released Nick's ass and moved her hand down, touching Kate between her legs. As she worked Nick with her tongue, her fingers parted Kate's pussy lips and corkscrewed their way inside. Kate moaned into Nick's mouth and rocked against the invading fingers.

Kate leaned back and Nick watched as she fucked herself on Amy's hand. Moving up and down, giving her hips a slight forward twist every now and then. She reached out and slowly ran her hands down Kate's chest. She pinched the dark nipples, used her fingernails to play connect-the-dots with Kate's freckles. Kate kept her eyes open, watching Nick, occasionally letting her eyes dip down to her bare breasts.

Nick came first, crying out and pulling Kate into a hug. Amy's thumb worked Kate's clit and soon she was gasping as well. She closed her teeth on Nick's shoulder in a playful bite, swept her tongue across the captive skin. When they both had come, Nick lifted herself off Amy's face and collapsed. Kate fell to the opposite side, her feet and Amy's even with Nick's head. Amy sat up and peeled off her tank top, then lifted her hips to yank her skirt down.

Nick sat up and leaned across Amy's familiar, naked body and kissed Kate's thigh. Amy ran her hands over Nick's naked back and watched as Nick's lips got closer and closer to the dark hair between Kate's legs. "I'm going to eat your lover's pussy," Nick said quietly.

"She tastes good," Amy whispered.

Nick pushed Kate's legs apart and proceeded to decide for herself just how good Kate tasted.

The next morning, Amy woke up with her face against someone's shoulder. She wasn't sure whose it was, a thought that pushed her firmly out of dreamland. She kept her eyes closed and slid her hand down the anonymous shoulder. The body shifted and she heard a purr of contentment. With her hand against her lover's hip, Amy slid forward and snaked her arm around to grope her lover. Small breasts, just enough for Amy's hand to fill, which meant she was cuddling Kate.

She opened her eyes and lifted her body, moving in for the kiss as Kate turned towards her. Their lips met and they kissed slowly. Amy felt a hand on her hip and knew Nick was starting to stir behind her. "Hey," she whispered. "Was last night...?"

"No," Kate said. She shook her head, her sleep-hazed eyes flashing bright. "No, last night was good," Kate assured her.

Amy brushed the hair out of Kate's face and kissed her nose and eyelids. Nick grunted and Amy looked over her shoulder. Amy wasn't sure how she'd ended up in the middle. The last thing she remembered, Nick had been kneeling between Kate's legs. She'd collapsed with her head on Kate's chest after her orgasm and they'd let themselves fall asleep after that. Apparently she had sought Kate out even while half-conscious.

She waited until Nick's half-lidded eyes stopped searching the room and settled on her. "Morning," she said.

"Morning," Nick said, stretching and letting the blanket fall away from her breasts.

Amy looked down and then quickly looked back up. She cleared her throat and nodded towards the bathroom. "I should shower... get to work." The clock said 6:42 and the sun was brightening the bedroom window. She'd never been later to work than seven, so she had to hurry. She slipped forward and sat on the foot of the bed. She found her panties and pulled them on, feeling inexplicably shy about Nick seeing her ass. She got up and headed to the bathroom.

Kate rolled onto her back and gathered the sheet over her chest. Nick slid up and leaned against the headboard, pulling her pillow free and holding it against her breasts. Kate smiled up at her and said, "Well, that was... uh..."

"Hot?" Nick suggested.

Kate laughed. "That too. Also... unexpected and... unprecedented."

"You've never had a threesome?"

Kate shook her head.

"I've had one. There was a guy involved that time, but this was... much better."

"Glad to hear it," Kate said. She gathered the sheet around her, leaving Nick the blanket, and walked to the closet in a makeshift toga. She gathered a t-shirt, a blouse, a pair of white jeans and some underwear and carried the armful to the bathroom. She knocked lightly on the door and then stepped inside, leaving the clothes on the counter for Amy to find. If she was shy about Nick seeing her ass, she probably didn't want to have to search for clothes after her shower, either.

Kate walked back to the bed and sat with her back to Nick. She pulled on her jeans from the night before without bothering with underwear. She squirmed into her shirt and stood up, trying to remember where she'd taken off her shoes. She saw Nick watching her and figured she should say something instead of just running out. "I, uh... should probably get to work."

Nick nodded. "Yeah." Kate turned to leave and Nick shifted uncomfortably and said, "Hey, Kate? Look, I don't want you to feel... uncomfortable or anything. As far as I'm concerned, last night was..."

"Last night was my idea," Kate said. "And Amy's. You don't have anything to apologize for." She hesitated and then walked back to the bed. She bent down and kissed Nick's lips. It was gentle, close-lipped and almost sisterly save for the fact Nick was naked under the pillow. Kate pulled back and brushed Nick's hair. "I'll come back over tonight."

Nick smiled. "Okay." She watched Kate leave and then slipped out of bed. She went to the living room and pulled some clean clothes out of her bag. By the time Amy got out of the shower, Nick was dressed in a gray tank top with "ARMY" written across the chest and a pair of old jeans. "Morning," she said.

"Hi," Amy said. "Where's Kate?"

"I think she went home to shower."

Amy nodded and went into the living room. "So, uh... wh-what's your plan for the day?"

"I think I'll just walk around. See the old town, see what's changed."

"Sounds like a plan," Amy said. She gestured at the bakery door and said, "I should..."

"Oh, yeah, go," Nick said. "I'll see you later." She stood as Amy moved towards the door and they hesitated. "Should we... I don't know, kiss good-bye?"

"Did you kiss Kate?"

"Yes," Nick admitted. "But... well, it's different. No history there."

Amy stepped forward and kissed Nick. Soft, gentle, just like old times. They parted with a sigh and Amy said, "I'll see you tonight."

"Okay," Nick said. Amy went through the bakery door and Nick was left alone in the apartment. She picked up a light jacket and slipped it on, locking Amy's apartment door behind her as she went out into the early morning sunshine.

Kate took a little longer than necessary brushing the rat's-nests out of her hair. She stood in front of the mirror after her shower and looked at herself. She'd done the same thing the morning after she'd had sex with a woman for the first time. She still expected to look different. Maybe she thought her freckles - the bane of her adolescence - would have faded or her eyes wouldn't be so wide. But no. Sex with a woman, or sex with two women, and she was still the same old boring Katherine Price.

She smiled at her reflection and put some toothpaste on her brush. "Same old Kate," she said. "And two women wanted to go to bed with me last night." She winked at herself as she began brushing. "You sexy beast," she slurred around a mouthful of Crest.

Amy was sure it was written on her face. She wrapped a jelly donut with a napkin and placed it in a bag. "Here you go," she said to the customer. "Have a nice threesome."

Of course, she said 'have a nice day' out loud. But she couldn't help feeling it kept slipping out. "Your total comes to threesome-seventy-nine. Would you like another donut? They're threesome for the price of two. Good threesome, welcome to Coffee Threesome Books." She rubbed the back of her neck and wandered into the bakery to use the smells of baked goods to get her mind off what had happened.

And then, naturally, thinking of baked goods led to the pot they'd smoked. The hazy logic she'd felt as she led Kate and Nick into the bedroom. She was still sure she'd been in her right mind, she didn't blame the pot or a lack of inhibitions for what had happened. She loved Kate, she had once loved Nick and they were both there. And she'd been horny as hell.

Stephanie came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, are you all right? You seem distracted."

"I'm fine," Amy said. "Just a little wasted, that's all."

Stephanie nodded. "Did you have a threesome last night?"

Amy's eyes flashed open. "What?!"

"Did you stay up late last night?" Stephanie repeated. "You look like you didn't get any sleep." She grinned and leaned forward. "That girlfriend of yours keeping you up?"

Amy smiled. "She's only partly to blame..."

"Well, I have things pretty well covered here. If you wanted to go home and get a little rest..."

Amy pushed a hand through her hair and looked over her shoulder into the store. She sighed and reached back to untie her apron. "I probably should. You're sure you're not trying to take over my shop?"

Stephanie laughed and took Amy's apron. She draped it over her arm and said, "Just remember this when it comes time to talk about raises."

"Will do," Amy laughed. She went through the bakery to her apartment, grateful to find Nick was still gone. She kicked off her shoes but stayed dressed as she collapsed into bed. The blankets still smelled of sweat and Kate's perfume. There was a bit of Nick there as well, but Amy focused on Kate. She sniffed the pillows, finding the one that smelled strongest of her lover and curled up with it. She was asleep in seconds, both arms wrapped around the pillow.

Nick spent the morning on Front Street, wandering from the ferry lanes down to the harbor entrance. A couple of people were wandering along the docks, either to or from their sailboats. She found a bookstore and bought a copy of the book Amy and Kate had recommended. She found a bench and thumbed through the book, but hardly got more than a couple of paragraphs before her concentration drifted.

She hadn't expected to be tired. There had been times overseas when she'd stayed up for three days straight trying to get a book finished or photos developed. Sleep wasn't exactly a necessity. Of course, they had been three days going, working, focused on a goal. If she napped, she tended to get sleepy faster. The two or three hours she'd spent sleeping in Amy's bed must have knocked her off her stride.

She stretched and yawned. If she got up and walked, before long she would be fully awake. If she stretched her legs, got some fresh air, focused on sightseeing, she would forget all about sleep.

Of course, if she stayed on the bench, Sheriff Rucker would eventually give her a ticket for being a bum. She stood up, cracked her back and walked down Spring Street. Maybe just a little nap, to wake herself up.

She let herself into Amy's apartment and undressed. She left her panties on, because she wasn't entirely comfortable with sleeping in the nude, and pushed aside the curtain.

Amy was in bed. She was curled on her side, asleep on top of the blankets and cradling a pillow. Nick hesitated and then walked up to the bed. "Ames. Amy, can I take a nap?"

"Umm-mm," Amy murmured.

Nick crawled into bed and pulled the covers up over herself. Amy rolled over, the pillow between them, and put her head on Nick's chest. Nick kissed Amy's forehead, put an arm around Amy and drew her close.

Kate busied herself with work. She had pulled all-nighters before, of course, finishing a story and for more prurient pursuits. As soon as she got to work, she poured herself a mug of coffee and that was the last she saw of the bottom of her mug. She kept the caffeine flowing and didn't even stop for lunch. When three o'clock rolled around, she was so surprised that she finished what she was doing before she began packing up her things to go.

She passed by the assignment desk and grabbed the sheet labeled with her name. She didn't bother to read it - enough time to be pissed off about her crappy story tomorrow - and shoved it into her bag and left the office.

Amy's apartment was walking distance and she set out. She wasn't sure if she was hoping to see Nick or not. The night before had been fun, had been great, in fact. But she wanted an opportunity to talk with Amy privately without having to worry about Nick's feelings being hurt. She still didn't know if it was a one-time thing or if Nick expected a repeat performance that night. If she did, Kate made a point to start earlier. She had made it through one day, but there'd been nothing to do but busywork. Tomorrow she'd really need her game together, and that meant plenty of bed rest.

She went into CTB and scanned behind the counter. She saw Stephanie and said, "Amy?"

"She went home," Stephanie said. "She was feeling pooped."

"I'll buy that," Kate laughed. "Thanks, Steph."

She left the shop and went around to the outside entrance of Amy's apartment. She entered without knocking and headed for the bedroom. The first thing she saw was a bra hanging over the arm of the chair. There was a pile of clothes on the floor between the couch and coffee table. She stepped over it and pushed the curtain aside and froze in the bedroom doorway.

Amy and Nick were curled together in the center of the bed. Nick was obviously naked, her leg thrown casually over Amy's hip. She stammered, "Oh," and backed up, hitting the door frame with her shoulder. "Ow. Shit."

"Kate?" Amy said, waking up slowly in the pre-twilight gloom of her bedroom. She gently pushed Nick's leg aside and pushed the blankets away. "Katie? Wait." She thanked her lucky stars that she hadn't undressed for bed, but her jeans were riding her hips in a peculiar way. She tugged them into place and reached the front door seconds after Kate had left. "Katie, wait!"

Kate stopped and turned to let Amy catch up. "Look, you guys have a history. I totally understand. You don't..."

"Nick is a selfish bitch," Amy said, gasping for breath. She cupped the sides of Kate's head and said, "She only cares about herself. She might say she loves me, she might even believe it herself, but the truth is, when it really matters, she'll let you down."

Kate looked down at the sidewalk.

"I would never, ever be with her again. Last night was... amazing. It was comfortable and amazing because you were there. Nick was... was like... a sex toy. You know? An accessory." She pressed her forehead against Kate's and said, "We weren't doing anything. I was asleep and she came in and... we slept in the same bed. I didn't even realize she was naked until I rolled over. I love you. I... like her."

Kate cupped the back of Amy's head and closed her eyes. "I just saw you with her..."

"I know," Amy whispered. She pulled Kate close and kissed her lips. She may have been 'out and proud' for a year, but she'd still been shy about public displays of affection. It was the first time she and Kate had kissed like this in public. Kate stepped closer and put her arms around Amy's shoulders and pulled her close.

When they parted, Amy self-consciously looked around and then planted her head on Kate's shoulder.

"What did you mean?" Kate asked. "About Nick."

"The reasons we broke up in the first place," Amy said. She gestured at Coffee Table Books, the windows glowing invitingly in the gloom. "Let's go in there." She took Kate's hand and guided her to the front door. It was set into the corner of the building and two steps led up to it.

When Amy stepped inside, Stephanie waved from behind the counter and then frowned. "Are you okay, Miss Wellis?"

Amy smiled. She only became 'Miss Wellis' when Stephanie was really worried. "I'm fine, Stephanie. Thank you." She guided Kate to the back of the room and slid into the last booth before the stacks. There was no lighting in the stacks, so the light faded abruptly beyond where they sat. The few customers were loitering towards the front of the room, sitting at the tables by the front door. Stephanie was wiping down the counter, so they were alone in their dark booth.

Amy put her head on Kate's shoulder and spoke in a whisper. "Nick and I had been a couple for about a year. I left work one night and walked in on her packing her bags. She'd gotten a call, an assignment in Australia. She had to leave on the last ferry of the day to make her plane on time, since it was the last flight out until the next day. So she was just going to walk out. She said she planned on calling me from the airport, but the catch was that the assignment was for six months. In Australia. I mean... we'd been together just long enough to consider making it long-term, but too long to just... end it.

"So I wanted to talk about it. She wanted to go. She had a time table. She promised we'd talk when she got back. She just expected me to wait for her. Like I was a puppy." She sighed and dabbed at her eyes. "So finally, I told her that if she left before we'd resolved everything, she might as well stay gone. She picked up her bags and walked out. Left me crying on the couch."

"Oh, baby," Kate whispered.

"I'm not mad at her anymore. As you could probably tell from last night." She smiled weakly. "But I could never, ever make myself love her again."

"You could," Kate said. "Accidentally. Love isn't something you plan on, right?"

Amy laced her fingers with Kate's. "You can prevent someone from getting into your heart if the door is blocked. You fill up my heart so much, Kate. Nothing's getting through."

Kate blinked and tilted Amy's head to hers. They kissed again and Amy squeezed her hand under the table.

"That doesn't mean I don't find Nick attractive," Amy said when they parted. "Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy last night. Or watching you two." She arched an eyebrow and traced the back of Kate's hand with her fingertip.

Kate smiled. "I loved watching you with her," she said quietly. "It was... like an out-of-body experience. Seeing up close and personal what you look like when you're going down on me. Seeing how you work from a third-party viewpoint."

Amy looked towards the door and said, "Why don't we go home?"

"Yeah?"

Amy kissed the corner of her mouth and pushed Kate out of the booth with her hip. When they passed the counter, Stephanie said, "Good night, Miss Wellis!"

"Night, Steph. Keep up the good work."

They hurried outside and Amy looked over her shoulder at Kate. "I have a good idea. Trust me on this." She pushed open the door of her apartment as Nick was reaching for the knob from the other side. "Nick."

"Amy." She had dressed and pulled her hair into a loose ponytail. She glanced at Kate and said, "Look, I've caused enough trouble here. I should get out of you guys' hair."

Amy pushed her back into the apartment and shut the door. "No," she said. "Look, we've all been kind of walking on eggshells all day." She stepped between them and shifted her gaze from one to the other. "What happened? We had sex together. It was damn good. But Nick, it doesn't mean that I want you back. And Kate, it doesn't mean you're not enough for me. We understand each other, right?"

"Yeah," Kate said.

Nick hesitated, but then nodded as well. "I never for a minute thought last night meant you were taking me back, Ames. I was just worried I might be... causing a rift between you guys."

"Well, don't. Nothing can come between us." She slid her hand up and down Kate's forearm and stepped closer to her. "Kate. Kiss Nick."

Kate looked at Amy and then licked her lips. She leaned forward and touched Nick's cheek. Their lips met in a tentative kiss, a brief flicker of contact followed by a brush of tongues. Amy's breath caught as she watched them; she moved one hand to Kate's hip and moved the other to the back of Nick's head. She threaded Nick's fine, dark hair through her fingers and tensed her fingers on Kate's hip.

When the kiss broke, Kate stepped back and looked down at Nick's chest. She looked at Amy as she cupped Nick's breast and brushed her thumb over her nipple. The bud hardened and Nick sighed. She turned her head and looked at Amy. The corners of her mouth twisted into a smile and she said, "Round two?"

Amy grinned. She stepped back and reached for the hem of her shirt.

"No," Nick said. She glanced at Kate and they separated. Kate's hands went to the button of Amy's jeans while Nick took the hem of her shirt. Amy lifted her arms over her head. Nick pulled up while Kate tugged down, both of them baring Amy from the middle out. She was wearing pink-and-purple striped panties with a bow in the middle, her thighs rubbing against each other as she lifted her legs to step out of her pants.

Nick tossed the t-shirt aside and cupped Amy's breasts. She ran her thumbs over the lacy cups of her bra as Kate eased her thighs apart. Amy whimpered and said, "I need... I can't..."

Kate saw Amy's knees trembling and put her hands on her lover's hips. She guided her and Nick back towards the couch, moving forward on her knees. When Amy dropped onto the couch, Nick sat next to her and drew Amy's shoulders onto her lap. Amy lifted one leg and planted the foot on the arm of the couch. Kate knelt between her spread legs, licked her lips and kissed Amy through her panties.

Nick stroked Amy's belly and breasts, both of them watching as Kate worked. She licked and kissed her way from Amy's knee to her upper thigh, then repeated the path on the other leg. Amy squirmed on the couch, lifting her hand and stroking Nick's breasts through her top. Nick slipped her free hand under Amy's head and unzipped her pants. She bit her lip, looking into Amy's eyes as she reached into her pants and touched herself.

Kate wet her lips and used her thumbnail to push Amy's panties out of the way. Amy lifted her hips in anticipation, her legs trembling as Kate blew across her pussy lips. Her tongue curled out like a wisp of smoke, the tip circling the hood of Amy's clit. Amy jerked and reached out, inadvertently closing her hand over Nick's breast. Nick arched her back and sighed. Amy squeezed, the t-shirt between her hand and Nick's flesh ruining the sensation a bit. But she still felt the hard nipple, the fullness of Nick's breast filling her hand. It was enough.

Holding Amy's panties out of the way with one hand, Kate slid her tongue forward. She parted Amy's lips and curled her tongue.

"She eats you like an expert," Nick whispered.

"She de--" Amy gasped and swallowed hard. "She devours me..." she managed.

Kate smiled, but didn't interrupt her assault. She slid her free hand up and down the underside of Amy's thigh, raking across goosebumps with her fingernails. Her tongue thrust forward and back, forward, back, curling around her clit a few times for good measure. She opened her mouth wide and moaned as she closed her lips around Amy's mound. She flattened her tongue against the moist slit and rolled her tongue.

"Oh, God," Amy gasped. She grabbed Nick's shirt and jerked at it. With help from Nick's free hand, she got the t-shirt up and off with only a few snags. She turned her head and immediately latched onto Nick's naked nipple. She swabbed it with her tongue, closed her teeth around it, sucked hungrily in an effort to ignore - just a little - what Kate was doing to her. If she didn't change her focus, she would come far too early for her plans.

Kate sat up and watched Amy suck Nick's breast. She kissed Amy's belly and knelt between her thighs. As she kissed Amy's breast, she placed a hand against her own hips and aimed two fingers towards Amy's wet pussy. "Amy," Kate whispered.

Amy's answer was a muffled whimper.

"I'm going," Kate grunted and thrust her hips forward. Her fingers slipped into Amy and she cried out. Kate finished, "to fuck you. I'm going to fuck you."

She rocked her hips forward, using her fingers as a cock. She clenched her ass with each forward thrust, putting all her strength into pushing as deep as she could. Amy arched her back and lifted her hips off the couch cushions, no longer worried about coming too fast. There would be other orgasms tonight, that was almost guaranteed. She tightened her muscles around Kate's fingers and let herself go, her legs quaking and her stomach rising and falling with each rapid breath. Her toes curled in the carpet and she became the first victim of the night.

Amy kissed Nick's cleavage, dragged her tongue down to Nick's belly button and then lay boneless across her former lover's lap. She could feel Nick's fingers against her back, slowly rising and falling as she masturbated in her jeans. She wanted to move, wanted to continue the game, but for the moment she was catatonic.

Kate bent down and kissed Amy's pubic hair, then licked her belly and kissed each of her breasts. By the time she reached Amy's lips, she had recovered enough to return her kiss with interest. She curled her tongue inside Kate's mouth, tasting her own juices and sighing hungrily.

"You guys," Nick whispered. "You guys are just... fucking... gorgeous to watch."

Kate smiled and kissed Amy one more time before she sat up. She lifted Amy's legs and slid underneath them to sit next to Amy on the couch. With their shared lover across their laps, Kate leaned in and kissed Nick again. Nick idly stroked Amy's breast with her free hand as she thrust against Kate's tongue. Amy watched it all from her unique angle, breathing hard, horny again already as she watched Kate play peek-a-boo with Nick's tongue.

"I love how Kate kisses. I love seeing her kiss someone... getting to see it." She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and swept her tongue across it in a mimic of Kate's pet move. She sat up and looked down. Nick was still masturbating, her nipples wet from Amy's tongue. Kate was still maddeningly fully-dressed. Amy leaned in and brushed her tongue between Nick and Kate's lips. Kate turned her head slightly and Amy found her mouth suddenly occupied. Nick drew a line of kisses that started high on Kate's jaw and ended at the sweet spot below Amy's ear.

Nick suddenly stood up and Amy straddled Kate's hips. She brought her knees in tight, like she was riding a bull, and cupped Kate's face in her hands. Their kiss deepened, Kate's hands roaming Amy's naked body.

Suddenly, there was a flash like lightning. Amy pulled back and looked over her shoulder to where Nick was standing with her camera. She'd taken off her pants and shirt, standing there in just her wet panties. "Is this okay?" she asked, lifting her right foot and drawing it up her calf. "You guys are just... you're so gorgeous together."

Amy kept her eyes on Nick as she resumed their kiss. Kate cupped Amy's breasts and opened her eyes as the camera flashed again. Nick moved to one side for a new angle, tilting her head and putting her hand back between her legs as she lined up the next shot.

"Forget about her," Kate breathed against Amy's mouth. "Just fuck me. Take my clothes off."

Amy worked the buttons of Kate's shirt and slowly, methodically stripped her. Every now and then, the camera would flash. Before long, they forgot all about it. Kate lifted her hips and Amy dragged her jeans and panties down to mid-thigh. She pushed a hand between Kate's legs and cupped her pussy with one hand. As her middle and ring fingers pressed against her slit, Nick embraced Amy from behind and kissed her shoulder, her neck and tilted her head back for a kiss.

Nick cupped Amy's breasts and looked down, watching Amy's fingers slide into Kate. "So lovely," she whispered, flicking Amy's earlobe with her tongue. Amy circled Kate's clit with her thumb and leaned back into Nick's embrace. Kate arched her back and came, her muscles tightening on Amy's fingers as she jerked beneath her. Amy drew Kate to her and kissed her as Nick's tongue drew a trail down her back. Amy felt utterly surrounded, but she didn't care. She was trapped between two gorgeous women who wanted her, who wanted to be with her, and she was ready to come again.

But it was Kate's turn.

Nick reached around Amy and cupped Kate's breast. From Kate's position, it looked like Amy had sprouted a second set of arms. One hand on the back of her head, one thrusting between her legs and one for each breast. Twenty fingers ready to pleasure her. She arched her back and pressed herself against Amy's hand, the muscles in her legs going taut as she came. She rocked her head forward and her hair got in her eyes, but she didn't care.

When she finally sagged back to the couch cushions, Amy and Nick both brushed her hair out of her face. Her skin tingled at their touches and she looked up at them. Nick's face was visible over Amy's shoulder and Kate ran her hand down Amy's chest. "Nice," she whispered. Amy kissed her and then turned her head to kiss Nick. Kate sat up and waited until Amy retreated to kiss Nick as well. She pulled back and looked at Amy. "Nick hasn't come yet."

"I did," Nick said as she kissed Amy's shoulder. "I came while I was watching you two."

"Well, that's no fun," Kate said. She nudged Amy off of her and stood up. She put her arms around Nick's waist and danced with her as Amy pulled her panties down. Kate kissed Nick's neck as Amy ran her hands over Nick's ass and thighs. Kate's fingers circled Nick's navel as Amy gently brushed her thumb across her wet pussy lips.

Nick gasped and jerked her hips forward at the touch. Kate slipped her hand down and spread Nick's pussy lips apart. Amy took the invitation and lifted her head to lick the exposed pink flesh. Kate kissed the spot where Nick's shoulder and neck met, nipping and sucking and sweeping her tongue across the captive flesh. Her free hand cupped Nick's breast and pinched the nipples until they were almost painfully erect.

Amy moved her tongue in quick, gentle circles. She slipped the tip into Nick and then retreated, circling around and finding her clit. She licked Kate's fingers and dipped in once more. By the time she stood up, Nick was trembling in Kate's arms. Amy embraced her from behind and Kate knelt down. Nick groaned and arched her back, reaching behind her to stroke Amy's pussy as Kate closed her lips around her clit.

Amy cupped Nick's breasts from behind and held her as Kate used her fingers and tongue on her. Amy whispered sweet dirty nothings in Nick's ear, pushing her firmly over the edge. She grunted and thrust her hips forward, coming against Kate's questing tongue. Kate licked and sucked the sensitive flesh until she felt Nick's hand on her head. She stood up and kissed Amy first, then kissed Nick.

They went back and forth briefly... Nick kissing Amy while Kate watched, Amy kissing Kate while Nick licked and caressed their breasts, Kate and Nick kissing as Amy massaged their asses. Kate pulled back, face flushed and her lips parted. She looked at Amy and cupped her cheek. "Bedroom?"

"Yeah," Amy nodded.

Kate took Nick's right hand and Amy's left and guided them through the curtained door. A few seconds later, Nick hurried back out. She snatched up her camera off the coffee table, checked how many exposures were left and went back into the bedroom with it.

Nick drew circles with her fingernail on Amy's shoulder blade. Kate was lying on Amy's opposite side, on her back, and Amy had an arm stretched across her breasts. Nick was the odd-woman out, lying to one side of the lovers. She had been spooning against Amy's back when she woke up and slid to one side to get a better angle of them.

She stopped drawing and pulled her camera off the headboard. Three exposures were left. She rose onto her knees and aimed the lens down. She snapped a photo and climbed off the bed, circling to the other side and getting down on one knee. Amy stirred at the sound of the second snap. She blinked sleepily, realized who Nick was and what she was doing, and smiled. "Morning."

Kate blinked her eyes and rolled towards Amy. She buried her face against Amy's shoulder and Amy kissed her temple. "Don't move," Nick said. She lifted the camera and snapped a picture. The film rewound noisily and she put the camera on the nightstand. Amy held a hand out to her and Nick climbed back onto the mattress. She pressed against Kate from behind, embraced her, and kissed Amy's lips.

"Don't you have to be at work?" Kate asked, her voice muffled against Amy's chest.

"Oh, would you two like to be alone?"

"No," Kate said. She lifted her head and looked over her shoulder at Nick. "We should probably say that right now. We're the three of us or it's just me and Amy."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Nick said, brushing Kate's hair.

Kate breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I don't want to exclude you, Nick. It's just..."

"You guys are the couple, I'm the add-on. I'm completely okay with that."

"Me too," Amy agreed.

Kate rolled onto her back and said, "Good. So. Since the three of us are all here..."

Amy and Nick smiled at each other. "Wanna go first?"

"Well, I'm the guest. It's your house. You should go first."

"Oh, I insist..."

"Ladies," Kate sighed. She put a hand on each of their shoulders and pushed them both down. She spread her legs and said, "Learn how to share."

Amy and Nick went under the blankets together.

They determined before Amy left that their "only the three of us" rule didn't extend to sleeping. Amy showered and dressed, giving them both a kiss good-bye before she left for work. She paused in the doorway, watching as Kate curled against Nick's side. She smiled and said, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Well, since you've done both of us in the past, not to mention this morning," Nick said, "you aren't really excluding anything."

Amy laughed and said, "Well, try to follow the rules, then. I'll see you this afternoon."

Kate waved sleepily and settled her head on Nick's shoulder.

Amy went through the living room, taking the time to pick up their discarded clothing and place it in the laundry bag, and continued into the bakery. She reached CTB just before Stephanie started knocking on the front door. Amy waved at her as she rounded the corner and unlocked the door for her. "Morning," she said.

"Hi," Stephanie said. She started to pass Amy and then turned around to look closer. "Wow. You look refreshed."

Amy shrugged. "Good night's rest," she lied.

Stephanie continued on to the counter. "My friend has this goop that she spreads on her face before she goes to sleep. It's supposed to open up the pores, but I can't get past the smell." She put her bag under the counter and said, "Did you sleep with anything on your face?"

Amy hoped Stephanie couldn't see her blush in the early-morning light. "Nope. Nothing special."

"Well, you do look great," Stephanie said. "You have the cookies started?"

"Not yet. You can go ahead and do that."

When Stephanie went into the bakery, Amy picked up a napkin dispenser and peered at her reflection. She didn't think she looked that different. She tucked her hair behind her ears and put the dispenser back on the counter and started to prepare the store for the day's customers.

They got Chinese takeout for dinner that night, relaxing and watching a movie on TV. Kate and Amy sat on the couch with Nick pulling a chair from the kitchen table. "Soy sauce?" Kate asked. Nick searched the bag and came up with a couple of packets. She leaned across the coffee table and handed them over.

Nick finished her food before the movie ended and checked her watch. "I'm going to take a shower before bed. Is that all right?"

"Sure, go ahead," Kate said.

Nick hesitated before she left. "Um... just kind of unsure about the sleeping arrangements..."

Amy glanced at Kate and said, "You can sleep with us."

Nick smiled. "Just wanted to be sure. I'd hate to have assumed and..."

Kate chuckled. "Like we'd kick you out of bed."

"Don't use all the hot water," Amy said as Nick disappeared through the curtain. She turned back to the movie and nodded with her chin. "Do you think she's hot?"

"Who, Nick?"

Amy smirked. "I know you think she's hot. I meant Kate Beckinsale."

"Oh, hell yes," Kate said. "Did you see Laurel Canyon?"

"Mm," Amy said. "Lots of times. Beckinsale is my second-favorite Kate." She reached over and slipped her hand between Kate's legs.

Kate chuckled and put her takeout box aside. She guided Amy's hand higher and bit her lip as Amy began stroking. She groaned and lifted her right leg, resting her foot on the coffee table. "I think that... seam on jeans is there just for this purpose."

Amy chuckled and said, "Think Levi Strauss had female masturbation in mind when he put the seam there?"

"Maybe not the seam," Kate said. "Maybe... just that... little bump."

"This one?" Amy asked.

"Mmmm... mm-hmm..."

Amy put her food down and turned to face Kate. They kissed and she lifted herself onto Kate's lap. "Hurry," Kate whispered, undoing her pants and pushing Amy's hand inside.

"We have all night," Amy reminded her.

Kate glanced towards the bathroom and Amy caught the unspoken message: she didn't want to share with Nick. Not this time. Amy shifted her weight and pushed down with her hand. She pushed aside Kate's panties and rubbed her knuckle against Kate's wet lips. Kate groaned and arched her back. Amy rocked her hips and looked into Kate's eyes, biting her lip as she pushed her fingers inside. "Good?" she whispered.

"Yeah," Kate gasped. She locked eyes with Amy and trembled, clutching Amy's arm and holding it in place as she came. She kissed Amy's chest through her shirt and let Amy's hand slip out of her jeans.

They kissed and Amy whispered, "You can get me later."

Kate smiled and raised her eyebrow at the possibilities. They returned their attention to the movie - Kate Beckinsale was berating Adam Sandler in couples therapy - and, a few minutes later, Nick came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. She pushed the curtain aside and said, "I'm going to bed. Anyone want to join me?"

"I'm going to stay for the rest of the movie," Kate said.

"Me too," Amy said, her arm draped across the back of the couch behind Kate.

"Okay," Nick said.

When the curtain was back in place, Amy raised her voice loud enough for Nick to hear, "Not even a kiss good-night."

"It's a shame," Kate agreed, just as loudly. "I guess the spark has gone out of the relationship."

The curtain flared out and Nick stormed out of the bedroom. She was stark naked, her skin still wet from the shower. She stepped around the coffee table, planted her feet shoulder-width apart and bent at the waist. She kissed Kate long and hard, making sure she knew for a fact that there was no death in their spark. She pulled back, turned to Amy and planted an identical kiss on her lips.

She stood up, leaving both women slack-jawed in her wake. She smiled, thrust her hip at them and said, "Night, girls." She turned and sashayed back into the bedroom.

"Do you care what happens to Adam Sandler?" Kate asked, eyes locked on the still-swinging curtain.

"Not even a little bit," Amy agreed.

They shut off the movie and chased after Nick.

Three nights later, Kate was starting to get used to three bodies in Amy's queen-sized bed. Two arms reaching across her, originally unsettling, was now to be expected. When they suggested a dinner at Harbor Lights, Nick had opted to stay in. "Sounds like a romantic night to me," she said. "Go. I'll stay in and mess with some of my photos."

Kate had initially protested, insisting Nick was welcome to come with them, but she had to admit she was glad they were alone. The dinner had been fantastic and the conversation had been even better. They sat next to one another so they could hold hands under the table. When they finished their meal, they walked along the boardwalk hand-in-hand. The moon was full, reflecting off the harbor. The tall masts of sailboats that had been put away for the night swayed gently in the breeze. A man closing up shop for the night was singing "Que Sera Sera" in a loud enough voice that half of the island probably heard him. Fortunately, he did the song justice. It added to the surreal romanticism of the night.

"Will I be pretty, will I be rich?"

Kate squeezed Amy's hand and got her to stop. Amy turned and put her hands on Kate's waist, stepping close to feel the warmth of Kate's pea coat. She rested her head on Kate's chest and said, "This is really nice."

Kate kissed the top of Amy's head. "I love you."

"This was her wise reply..."

"I love you, too."

"I've missed this. Just me and you."

Amy nuzzled Kate's coat. "In a couple days, Nick will be off again."

"I know. And is it weird that I feel bad about it? I mean, I love this, but... having her here..."

"It's fun," Amy smiled.

Kate chuckled. "It is. Maybe we could invite Nick back next year."

"Or for Christmas," Amy suggested.

"Will there be rainbows, day after day?"

"You want that for Christmas, baby?" Kate asked. She slid her arm around Amy and they continued walking. "Nick on your bed, wearing a big red bow?"

"Mm, throw in you dressed like Mrs. Claus and we've got a date."

Kate giggled and they applauded the singer as they passed. He bowed to them and went back into his shop. Amy put her head on Kate's shoulder as they meandered their way through the streets back to Amy's apartment. Kate chuckled as she pushed the door open, the smile freezing on her face when she saw what was happening inside.

Nick was standing at the couch, bent over her bag. The pillow she'd had on the end of the couch was missing, obviously stuffed into the clearly-packed bag. She had on her coat, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was checking her cell phone when she heard the door and straightened up. "Kate, Amy."

Amy came around Kate's shoulder and looked at what was happening. "What's this?"

"I got a call," Nick said. "A publisher in New York wants to see my shoe photographs."

"The villager in Manolo Blahnicks," Kate said.

Nick stuffed the phone into her pocket. "Yeah. Anyway, he wants to meet me in person. Get a feel for me as a person and look at some photos that haven't been faxed or sent over the Internet. No filter, as it were." She smiled nervously and dropped the bomb. "The interview is day after tomorrow. If I want to get there and be ready, I should leave as soon as possible."

Kate felt herself tense. This was why she and Amy had broken up in the first place. She reached out and took Amy's hand, but Amy merely squeezed it and said, "When are you going?"

"Tomorrow. First ferry to the mainland. 6:30 or so."

"So we have one more night," Amy said.

Nick smiled. She gave a relieved sigh and nodded at her bag. "Yeah. And part of the morning."

"Let me call Stephanie. I'll have her cover the morning for me and we'll give you a proper send-off. In fact..." She slid her hand out of Kate's and grabbed the belt of her coat. "Why don't we start right now?" She tugged Kate to the bedroom by her belt. Kate grabbed the waistband of Nick's pants and dragged her along.

The sky was hinting at snow the next morning, the sky turning slate-gray instead of yellow in the pre-dawn hours. Kate had called a cab company on the mainland and assured Nick would have a car waiting at the Anacortes ferry lanes to pick her up and take her to SeaTac. There were a few benches underneath Gail's Seafood Shack's outdoor patio and Nick placed her bag on one before turning to face Kate and Amy.

"Looks like this is it," she said.

"It's been a lot of fun, Nick," Amy said, stepped forward and hugging her tightly. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too," Nick said. She closed her eyes as she held Amy close. When they parted, she looked at Kate and said, "But you've found someone to take care of you. That's good enough for me." She stroked Amy's cheek and kissed her on the lips.

Kate tried not to watch, but found herself unable to look away. She bit her bottom lip and shifted from one foot to the other until they stepped apart. "Kate," Nick said. "It's been really nice getting to know you."

"You should hear what we have in mind for Christmas," Kate said. She cupped Nick's face in her hands and kissed her hard, not only saying good-bye but, in a way, trying to take back the kiss Nick had given Amy. Proving her superiority, maybe.

When they parted, Nick exhaled and fanned her face. "Whoo. If Christmas is anything like that, just call me Mrs. Claus."

"Actually, Kate is supposed to be Mrs. Claus," Amy said with a sly grin.

Nick chuckled and caressed the back of Kate's neck. "Okay," she sighed. "I better board the ferry before we have a replay of last night." She ducked her head and picked up her bags as she reluctantly let her hand fall from the back of Kate's neck. "I'll give you guys a call sometime soon." She bit her bottom lip and stepped back. "Okay. I'm going."

Kate put an arm around Amy's waist, telling herself it wasn't a possessive gesture, and they watched Nick walk down to the boarding area. Kate scratched her fingernails in the small of Amy's back and bent down to kiss her cheek. "Any other ex-girlfriends I should be looking out for?" she asked as she guided Amy back towards the apartment.

"Hmm," Amy thought. "None that know me by Amy Wellis. We should be safe."

Kate chuckled.

"I'll tell you what I do have, though."

"Hm?"

"A whole day off from work." She slipped out of Kate's embrace and started jogging backwards. "Hopefully someone will come and help me figure out a way to spend it."

Kate grinned. "Oh, someone will come all right." She broke into a run and chased Amy all the way back to the apartment.

Two weeks later, Kate returned to Amy's apartment to find a wide package leaning against the front door. She unlocked the door, picked up the package and slipped inside. The package was addressed to both her and Amy so she set down her bag and ripped the box open. A manila envelope slipped out onto the table, along with a large item wrapped in a brown paper bag.

A note was scrawled on the front of the manila envelope. "K+A, Got these developed and I thought they belonged home with you. I framed my favorite of the bunch. Love you guys, Nicole."

Kate smiled and opened the envelope. She poured out the photographs and was confronted with page after page of her naked body. Her eyes widened as she thumbed through them, absently finding a chair and lowering herself into it.

One picture showed her on Amy's lap, staring into Amy's eyes as they kissed.

Both of them naked, eyes closed and lips parted.

An extreme close up of Amy's lips kissing a line of Kate's freckles.

She went through them, one at a time, sometimes taking a moment to figure out which direction was up and whose body was whose. She was breathing hard by the time she got to the bottom of the stack. It was like she'd just finished thumbing through a porn magazine, only better. This was the woman she loved, the woman she'd get to make love to in a few hours. She licked her lips and glanced at the parcel that had been included with the loose photos.

She tore the wrapping paper open and turned it over. Her lips parted and she was surprised to find tears on her eyes.

The picture had been professionally framed and matted. It was black and white, framed on top by the brightness of the window and on the bottom by a wrinkled white sheet. Kate was lying on her side, her back bare. She had her shoulders hunched and the side of her face was just barely visible. Amy loomed on her opposite side, eyes half-open, face puffy with sleep and her hair caught in her eyelashes. Her lips were pursed, placing a gentle kiss against Kate's temple as she slept.

The image gave Kate goosebumps. She had no idea when it had been taken, but it must have been the morning Nick brought the camera to bed. She wiped at her face and pulled out her cell phone.

"Coffee Table Books," Stephanie answered.

"Could I speak to Amy, please?"

"Oh, sure, Miss Price. Just a moment." A click, some unidentifiable Muzak and then Amy came on.

"Kate?"

"Come home," Kate said.

"What?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just... you need to see something."

"I'll be right there, sweetheart." Kate hung up and, not a minute later, Amy came into the living room. "Baby, you're crying." She knelt in front of Kate and saw the picture.

"Look at what Nick did for us," Kate said softly. She turned the frame around so Amy could see.

Amy gasped and brushed her finger down the glass. "I forgot she'd taken these." She looked at the photos splayed across the table and blushed. She looked back at the frame.

"Those others are like porn," Kate said. "Not that there's anything wrong with that. Got me good and worked up. But this... God. If this was how she saw us, it's no wonder she didn't try to start anything up with you again."

Amy brushed Kate's tears away and kissed her lips. "We can hang it in the bedroom."

Kate nodded. "Yeah. Later, though. I want to look at it a little longer."

Amy smiled and stood up. "Me too." She moved Kate's hands and sat in her lap, putting an arm around Kate's neck. Kate propped the framed photo against Amy's thighs. "It's gorgeous work."

Kate kissed Amy's shoulder. "A good subject."

"The best," Amy agreed. She turned her head and bent down to kiss Kate's lips.

They stayed like that as the light coming through the window faded and they couldn't make out the details in the photo anymore. When they had to get up to turn on the light, Amy suggested they go ahead and find a spot on the bedroom wall for the picture and promised they could admire it from the bed.

Kate locked the front door and the bakery door and started to follow Amy into the bedroom. On second thought, she went back to the kitchen table and gathered up the more risqué shots Nick had also sent.

As long as they were going to be looking at pictures in bed...

end

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