Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 "New Friends and Old Lovers" by Cait N.





   "I love him, of course I do, but he's different here." Jadzia Dax threw
up her hands and plopped down into a beanbag type chair.  Lately, talking
about Worf was more exasperating than exhilarating.

   "Different how?" Arandis asked.  She was the chief facilitator and
social director for the Temtibi Lagoon on Risa.  She'd also been one of
Curzon Dax's lovers.

   "He's different because he's not different."

   "You've lost me," Arandis said, shaking her head.

   "This is our vacation," Jadzia tried to explain.  "We're supposed to be
doing nothing more than relaxing and enjoying time away from the station,
from our jobs.  Instead he's walking around like he's got a painstick up
his ass!"

   "I think I understand now," Arandis answered.  She got up, a small smile
playing around her lips, and walked behind Jadzia.  Her long fingers
started kneading the tense muscles around Jadzia's neck and shoulders.

   "Ahhhh," Jadzia closed her eyes, "you don't know how good that feels."

   "I can take a guess."

   "Curzon always loved your massages."

   "Among other things," Arandis quipped.

   "Yes," Jadzia smiled, "among other things."

   Arandis withdrew her hands.  "Lie down."

   Jadzia stretched out on the floor, her sliver bathing suit in stark
contrast against the black throw rug.  She propped her head on her hands
and asked, "Is this okay, or do you want me on my stomach?"

   "You're fine," Arandis said, moving to sit beside her.  "Just relax and
concentrate on the sensations."

   "Yes, ma'am." Jadzia obligingly closed her eyes.  She let the warmth of
the candles penetrate her skin, while the sound of the nearby ocean was
tranquil and familiar.

   Jadzia felt hands on her feet, kneading and stroking.

   She sighed.  "That's nice."

   Arandis's hands moved in gentle patterns: over Jadzia's ankles, calves,
and back down to her feet.  Gradually the touch got firmer.  Up over the
knees to the thighs.  Jadzia's legs were urged apart with insistent
fingertips.  Nails scraped lightly down the inside of her thighs.

   "Mmmmm." Jadzia squirmed a little, feeling the familiar tightness in the
vee between her legs.

   The fingers became bolder, trailing across the taut bathing suit
material over Jadzia's sex.  Any lighter and it would have tickled.  Any
harder and it would have been itchy.  Not too light, not too firm, just
right.

   Jadzia felt the material of the suit pulled aside and a mouth, warm and
wet clamp over her clit.  Tongue delving between swollen lips, teeth
grazing her clit.

   Jadzia arched her back.

   Lela murmured in delight

   Tobin felt faint.

   Emony begged for more.

   Audrid blushed.

   Torias thought longingly of Lenara.

   Joran was bored.

   Curzon remembered Arandis's mouth doing other, equally wicked things.

   It was everything Dax had imagined and nothing that Jadzia wanted.

   "Stop!" she yelled, pushing Arandis away and sitting up, straightening
her bathing suit, calming her racing heart.

   "What's wrong?  Did I do something?  I know how Curzon liked--"

   "I'm not Curzon!"

   "I know.  I'm sorry," Arandis apologized.

   Jadzia got up and walked to the window, staring out into the encroaching
darkness, not seeing anything other than her own reflection.  "It's just
not what I want."

   "Sex?"

   "Yes...  No."

   Arandis asked patiently, "What _do_ you want?"

   "More than what Curzon settled for," Jadzia said in barely a whisper.

   "You're saying Curzon 'settled' for me?"

   "I'm saying that Curzon was perpetually horny and you gave good
jamaharon."

   "I see." Arandis paused.  "You shouldn't have to _settle_ for anything."

   "You know what I want?  What I really want?  As corny as it sounds, I
want warm feet and mussed hair and crumbs in my bed and prune juice
splashed on my sheets so that I end up sleeping in the sticky spot.  I want
to fight for the covers and do quick, playful battles over the vid-remote.
I want to wake up to someone else's alarm, and force them to listen to me
read just one more fascinating passage in the book I'm devouring.  I want
someone to reach over and scratch that one tiny area of my back that I
can't reach, yet always seems to itch."

   She looked back over her shoulder at Arandis, tears dried and forgotten
on her face.  "And I want Worf to be that someone."

   A smile slowly spread across Arandis's face.  "Does Worf know what a
lucky son-of-a-targ he is?"

   Jadzia smiled back.  "Not yet, but I'll keep reminding him."

   "Can we at least be friends?" Arandis asked, a hopeful look on her face.

   "I wouldn't have it any other way." Jadzia walked over and enveloped her
in a tight hug.  "I might not be taking new lovers, but I can always use a
good friend." She pulled back and kissed Arandis on the cheek.  "Especially
an old one."

   Arandis laughed.  "It's a good thing I know what you mean." She pulled
away, keeping her arm around Jadzia's waist.  "Want to go get a drink?"

   "As long as it's a Black Hole."

   "You still drink that?" Arandis curled up her nose.

   "_Some_ things never change," Jadzia said with a grin.



   THE END