Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. -----Begin Header --------------------- Story: DRAFT - The Things I Do (Preface) Author: Max (max@cherishdesire.com - http://bit.ly/CherishDesireMax ) (c) 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Max (max@cherishdesire.com) Story Codes: MF MFF FF FFF vaginal anal fist toys stretch speculum device D/s S/m tattoo pierce bestiality electro bond Version Info: DRAFT - Revision 11 Note: You may distribute this story freely so long as this header is left intact with this disclaimer and author's name unaltered. Final versions of stories are published on Amazon.com (see http://bit.ly/CherishDesireMax for Max's titles). Warning: If you are underage or this material is of no interest to you, then don't read it. Literacy comes with responsibilities. -----End Header --------------------- Author: Max ( max AT cherishdesire DOT com, http://bit.ly/CherishDesireMax , http://bit.ly/CherishDesire ) Title: DRAFT - The Things I Do (Preface) Universe: Tom Summary: Tom gets involved with Andrea and Alexi - and they decide to act out different archetypes from his stories. Includes some MF, MFF, FF, FFF, vaginal, anal, fisting, stretching play, speculum play, large toy play, device play, electro play, bondage, tattoos, piercing, bestiality. Keywords: MF, MFF, FF, FFF, Vaginal, Anal, Fisting, Stretching play, Speculum play, Large toy play, Device play, Electro play, Bondage, Tattoos, Piercing, Bestiality Language: English Availability: DRAFTS (/~Max), PUBLICATION (TBD) -------------------------------------------- DRAFT - The Things I Do (Preface) -------------------------------------------- written by Max -------------------------------------------- MF, MFF, FF, FFF, Vaginal, Anal, Fisting, Stretching play, Speculum play, Large toy play, Device play, Electro play, Bondage, Tattoos, Piercing, Bestiality -------------------------------------------- This evolving story was never intended to be so long. What started out as a NaNoWriMo project rapidly exploded into expansive sections during a few days in London and has now been following me around. Writing has taken place around Virginia, Maryland, London, Washington DC, San Francisco, Portland (Oregon), Orlando, Denver, Chicago, Seattle, San Diego, Phoenix, and continues as I carry my netbook around. The depicted individuals herein are studies of characteristics. Contrasts between philosophy, beliefs, needs, and decidedly sexual motivations are touched on both in depth and in length - with a focus on dialogue to expose how communication, inner monologue, and expectations evolve. Since the individuals reflect aggregations of behaviour and experiences, there are inconsistencies which I've tried hard to express in a manner that makes them more human. There are many authors I have enjoyed over the years, but a few shining examples have come to mind as I write this and other stories. Phil Phantom's "Ceasar's Bitch" (/files/Collections/Alt.Sex.Stories.Moderated/Year2001/ 29729) comes to mind for both the evolution of so many sexual devices and the well done story telling. It seems there are few authors now focused on these topics, and even fewer who write well enough to capture the joys and ecstasies that come with depravity and deep soul searching. In writing this I have placed any number of interesting topics out for further illumination and discussion. I feel there should be writing more about them all but realize that there is only so much time to do so. I hope other would be authors pick up those ideas and concepts, and explore them individually in the stories they write. Some brief notes before the story begins. Based on my experience it would be a truly unusual thing to completely stretch a woman's openings out this quickly and without such backlash from the pain that she physically could not play at all and psychologically would not play at all. While slow and gradual can be a boring chore, ripping everything apart tends to mean weeks of healing with no play going on, and an abiding aversion to experiencing that pain, or anything like it, ever again. It's also worth mentioning that I have yet to meet a woman under 5'10" that could handle a four inch wide toy at anything more than a very modest depth. It is entirely possible with wider hips and perhaps natural childbirth reshaping the pelvic cradle that such a thing is possible. I just state from my experience it hasn't been an ordinary event. As such double fisting the typical woman under 5'10" would be a very difficult thing for a man of average height and hand size. However, a woman might be able to do more given a slender hand which I believe is why we often see women fisting women in videos. It's also worth noting an important health risk associated with many dildos and sexual toys. At this time the chemistry of materials used for sexual toys (resulting in a label of "for novelty purposes only") can include hazardous chemicals that lead to a variety of health problems. Make sure you know what a toy is made out of, seek healthy options, and when in any doubt use oversized condoms to protect yourself from chemical substances. Phthalates in particular are quite common - and very dangerous to your and your play partner's health. Because of its length, this story spends a certain amount of time on character development in addition to sex scenes. Feedback on either or both is welcome. ------------------------ The Things I Do (Part 0) ------------------------ "No, I ran into her there again. I just can't do that any more." Alexi sighed as she stretched, holding the phone to one ear and rolling her shoulders to relax. She'd been sitting at her desk all day and had hoped Andrea was calling about something more enjoyable to discuss than another near miss with her now ex-girlfriend. "I don't know - really - what do you want to do then?" Andrea wanted to go out, but her ex seemed to be everywhere. "Not go there for a while," Andrea replied morosely referring to a bar near her work. "You know she's just going out there to rub it in. She never went there when we were going out or before that." Andrea had been stressed out a lot lately. Her ex-girlfriend's latest game of showing up at all of her old pickup haunts was putting her on edge, and upsetting her attempts to recover. The cute little trixie blonde had let Andrea pay for everything, given Andrea a few good rolls in the hay each month, and stretched out what amounted to a string of one night stands for six months before catching the eye of a pretty petite brunette, and then simply walked away without a word. "Bad enough I have to see her out with that other woman, but I really can't stand the way everyone still fawns all over her." Holding back a snicker while trying to empathise with her friend, all Alexi could say was "At least everyone else does their fawning from a distance, silly. You're the one who was convinced she'd settle down with you." It was hard given the repetitive topic to continue to be sympathetic. Alexi had pointed out the relationship was flawed early on, and didn't understand why Andrea wasn't happy it was over. There was a slight growl from Andrea followed by a long exasperated gasp. "Yeah, ok, got me there," she admitted. "She was so so cute though! And that accent -" "Which turned out to be totally fake. 'Where's your accent from?' 'Ohio.' She actually admitted it was fake. It was terrible." Alexi shook her head. "Look I need to get back to work - what else is going on?" "Ummmm... I need you. Tonight there's a few bands playing and, well, I..." "Who's playing and where?" "Well it's a band I just started listening to, and I had thought I'd have a date..." "Oh shit. You bought tickets thinking you'd have her back by now? Oh honey... seriously... you need to get over her already." Andrea hung her head low. She didn't know what was worse. The teasing she got that Alexi was her closet girlfriend, or the fact that it was Alexi she turned to after every breakup and breakdown. She had been working out all summer hoping she'd keep hold on this Jennifer and for what? Just to go back to Alexi with an extra ticket to a show and beg for company. "I don't want to go alone. I don't... I don't even know the music. She'll be there, and she'll know I'm just there, well... you know." Andrea stared into the empty coffee mug in front of her with nothing more to say. Alexi sighed. She could relate to Andrea's plight. The only reason she wasn't dealing with it herself is she had all but sworn off dating. It was all a mess anyway. She'd spent three years seeing a guy only to have him break up with her over a few stupid arguments. Taking the spring, then the summer, then the fall off was very nice. But she did really want to go out tonight - she couldn't sit in every Friday and she'd spent the last couple of weeks working from home and not going out except for groceries and errands. Plus dancing was much more appealing than just hanging around at a bar. "Look - send me an email with the address and time, and I'll find my way there. But I won't stay all night. Ok?" She hoped the most Andrea wanted was someone to hang out with for a few hours rather than a companion to keep her occupied until the morning. Alexi had nothing planned for the weekend but being productive was pretty important now that the weather was getting nicer. Andrea was relieved by Alexi's decision to join her. She latched on to it with hope and enthusiasm in her voice. "Ok! Text me when you get there so I can come to the door and give you the ticket. Thanks so much! I really don't want to be there alone tonight." Andrea came close to gushing but had to cut herself off so Alexi wouldn't know how desperate she'd been for company. "Alright, see you tonight. Bye." Alexi hung up her mobile phone and set it down on the desk. One more big stretch, reaching for the ceiling, and tossing her long brown hair back as she adjusted the piles in her thick red sweater sleeves. Despite being average height, Alexi tended to look a bit taller when sitting because of her long torso and lean arms. Her smallish breasts and stylish glasses, long straight brown hair and brown eyes, smirking smile and narrow defined nose, and long delicate fingers all tended to make her look younger than she was as well. Looking over the computer LCD, she shook her head at the partially complete proposals and decided to go out for a walk. The documents she was working on could wait another hour, and for right now she had to clear her head a bit and try to figure out what to wear for the evening. Alexi took her coffee mug from her home office to the kitchen. Along the way she caught herself in the hallway mirror and paused to straighten out her sweater some more and cluck her teeth at her new jeans. At five foot six, Alexi had always been promised by her mother that she'd grow into her slightly broader than shoulder width hips - but Alexi had been cursed and never really evened out. If it weren't for the big piled yarn sweater adding some inches of padding and laying down over the waistband, then it'd be clear the snug jeans were barely touching her narrow waist and all the curves of her hips were unmatched up top. With an angry sigh at something Alexi knew she could not change, she finished dropping off her mug and then went to her front door where she slipped on some comfortable loafers and a light jacket. Grabbing her small bag and keys, Alexi set out into the cool grey weather to walk a few blocks to her local Starbucks and snag something savoury - maybe even one of the pumpkin spice coffees that smelled so good when she had been there a couple of days before. Definitely not the gingerbread latte - she'd tried one of those and it was absolutely terrible. The dun brown jacket, red sweater collar, and blue jeans made her just another suburban woman off on an errand and for half an hour she slipped away pondering if she really needed to fix her nails and whether a skirt would be warm enough since winter had finally started to set in with chilly temperatures and wet evenings. -- Andrea got online and pulled up the web site for Aesthetic Perfection - one of the bands playing that evening. From there she got a link over to the local club they were playing at. The tickets she'd gotten online were singularly useless - listing only the promoter, bands, and city. Luckily the club web site had all the info on where, when, and who was playing. Jennifer, the ex-girlfriend, had a crush on Daniel - the lead singer - or most likely just a crush on his tattoos and long skinny build. It was his looks, and not his music, that seemed to be the primary draw for her ex-girlfriend to the band's live shows. Andrea took a deep breath and then released it. Then again. She had to fight down the urge to fixate on Jennifer. The little nymph had gotten past Andrea's defences and then taken advantage of her. What Jennifer ever saw in Andrea was an unanswered question. At nearly six foot tall, Andrea was the complete opposite of a petite blonde - broad shoulders, heavy double D breasts, short-ish highlighted brown hair (not her natural mud brown), and currently well defined biceps, forearms, abdomen, quads, and calves from regular weight training. Andrea could have any guy she wanted at her gym - well any guy who wasn't into stick figures - but she'd never really been turned on by guys. Even guys she knew were attractive just didn't do anything for her. Of course she wasn't one to talk about superficial men chasing stick women - she had a huge affection for small petite women whom she could take care of. It bordered on an obsession, and Jennifer was just the latest to slip in and right back out of her life. "Darn it," Andrea muttered. She was thinking about how lovely it had been to stroke Jennifer's blonde curls back while they were curled up together on the couch. "I really do have to move on." Andrea's casual friends - more acquaintances but a few had been buddies for quite a while - were as taken with the cute little blonde as she had been, and now Jennifer flitted in and out of Andrea's regular crowd with ease and regularity. At first Andrea just thought Jennifer needed to have a few flings and then she'd be back in Andrea's bed. These tickets were supposed to be for a getting back together night out. Instead Jennifer had at last replied to her texted invites - but the reply was limited to "See you there! I'll be out with you know who!" It was an utter disaster in Andrea's opinion. Not only had she embarrassed herself by buying a ticket for Jennifer, she had made it worse by letting Jennifer know she was going. Andrea composed an email, copy and pasted the details from the club website, and sent it off to Alexi. At least with Alexi there she wouldn't be a big lonely the whole night. And she did kind of like the music, though no where near as much as Jennifer. Alexi would probably dance as Alexi did to anything with a good rhythm so, while it would never do to admit it, Andrea would at least get to enjoy watching some Alexi eye candy. Of course Andrea would have to put up with Alexi getting talked up by guys wo were also watching her moving on the dance floor. Andrea was a bit possessive of Alexi after ten years of knowing her, but she knew if she got between Alexi and a guy then there would be hell to pay. Typically the punishment was in the form of a couple of weeks spent not having Alexi to text and chat with. The silent treatment could be really hard since Andrea usually talked to Alexi at least every other day. As a result though, ever since Alexi broke things off with her serious forever and ever heart throb on Easter weekend - Andrea had been forced to sit through innumerable men chatting up and chasing her friend. It'd gone on all summer and fall every time they went out. Andrea grimaced ruefully. If it weren't for Jennifer then Andrea would have also had to spend all summer and fall going wherever Alexi wanted just so they could get some time together. Which was ok sometimes, but could be absolutely dreadful others. It's not like Andrea had any luck hanging out at the usual girl bars - in those bars she was just another linebacker hoping for a fae lipstick girl who would later break her heart. But Alexi had Andrea come out with her to straight bars and then Alexi would vanish socializing for hours before they really got back together and danced for a bit. And often times Alexi would bring back a few interested men while Andrea was left to fend for herself. Andrea sighed. It was probably going to be like that tonight. She was really dreading seeing Jennifer there, but she couldn't back out now. And Jennifer's new girlfriend - well at least she was a nobody. If someone Andrea knew had started dating Jennifer, it would have been a kick in the face. Andrea, uneasily thinking about how things would go at the club, went back to work processing claims and appointments. If she got all the queue caught up then she'd be able to leave early. This time of year most of their patients were scheduling things for during the winter holiday breaks, and all that remained was follow ups on the usual light patient load, processing paperwork, and keeping the schedule accurate so the oral surgeons knew where they needed to be when. -- Tom left his townhouse early just to get stuck in traffic. Traffic that was going who knows where because after slowing down to thirty miles per hour for fifteen minutes, it all just opened up and he was over the bridge and into the city in no time. "Now to find parking," Tom said to himself and the GPS that was happily complaining that he should take alleyways and residential streets that would dump him into a nasty traffic circle that he was tactically avoiding. It took him an extra five minutes to drive by the venue and get off on side streets to find parking. Another ten to finally find some curb spaces within a few blocks. Tom considered once again the wondrous notion of a club with its own parking or even paid parking in a garage that stayed open until the morning. Downtown garages shutting at one o'clock were just a ridiculous waste when the music didn't stop until two thirty. He methodically stowed his GPS, iPod, and other gear then picked up the ticket receipt print out, and then got out of his SUV. Opening the passenger door he took out a twelve pack of hefeweizen, then closed up the car and locked it. After checking the street signs for any gotchas - like street cleaning starting at the stroke of midnight - he slowly made his way down the block. At the intersection he text'd himself the street corners so he'd be able to find his car later if he got turned around. Then he hiked off in the direction of the club. In his BDU trousers and black short sleeve nylon shirt, Tom probably should have been at least chilled by the cool temperatures. The sky had cleared and without a layer of cloud insulating the ground, the temperature had dropped to the upper thirties and threatened to dip to freezing later. Yet Tom moved unimpeded by the cold, his chest and arms emphasized by the snug fitting shirt and the weight of the beer in hand, and his stride deliberate and certain in his black combat boots. When he got to the door, the promoter he knew said hi, he got his ID checked and crossed off the door list, and Tom went inside to take the beer up to the guys. Aesthetic Perfection were friends of a good friend of Tom's from out west, and one of the opening bands on tour with them were guys he'd run into on other tours in the past. With sound check going on and the club starting to fill up, Tom had to work his way through a few social cliques chattering in clumps before he made his way to the back where the crew were finishing up things. He plunked down the hefeweizen with the sound engineer - with a promise that it be watched until Daniel and his guys were off the stage - and then he headed on to the dance floor. The dance floor wasn't particularly big. Avoiding an annoying loud mouthed blonde and anorexic brunette who were decidedly 'out of uniform' for the event, Tom found some space near the stage with an arm's length of space all around him. The DJ was someone who looked familiar but so far the music was just a mix mash of stuff - the sound checks kept cutting over it anyway and the guy spinning music was obviously irritated by that. Tom enjoyed shuffling around a bit to an older song, and then whipped around when he heard Faderhead come on. One of the house DJs from a different club waved to him from the booth - she knew he preferred Deutsch EBM and must have tossed something in when she got to the booth. The other DJ was leaning back drinking while she set up and got settled in. While Tom danced he kept an eye on the scattered throngs and flow of people around the room. He recognized a good half of the people there. Mostly regulars for this sort of music. There seemed to be a dozen or so people from a contingent he didn't recognize at all. The blonde and brunette from earlier were now in deep conversation with those folks - all women, a few really butch, and not too interesting. Smatterings of other folks dressed appropriately but unfamiliar to Tom gave him the impression that some folks had come from out of town. And then there was the latest band of younger folks who were a combination of bad entertainment (fake poi using striped nylons and weighted balls) and poorly costumed (in imitations of online videos). He shrugged and pondered if they'd all be lucky enough to see the panda furry girl show up and prance around. Tom sighed and stretched - letting his muscles pull his joints a bit apart but being careful not to overextend. His left shoulder still ached from something he'd done the weekend before in London, and since that trip he was trying to get back into the gym regularly since there were holidays coming up for Thanksgiving and Christmas that would leave him with a lot of down time. He could feel the touch of his own reflection, and caught a glimpse of himself in windows spaced along the wall. The lights were running slow and steady - later when the bands were on they'd be pulsating with the rhythms - and the floor was comfortable underfoot. The song went through its motions almost lazily depsite the throbbing bass and beats. Moving through the sound, Tom let his weight flow out his extended arms and he physically connected to something not there. As if there was a rope coming down from the ceiling, Tom gripped a spot in the air and then rotated the full of his body around it. Then he landed softly and lunged out with both hands moving together as if they held knives. Sweeping back he slowly pulled in everything while lifting off both feet in a backwards motion and then hung in the air for a moment before hitting the floor in a bound and slipping between invisible walls before swiveling and step step back into a hard turn and snapping motion of his hands and forearms. Andrea watched him over the heads of the people around her. She was trying very hard not to look at Jennifer while playing it casual like she was out on her own. Andrea still found it hard to fight the urge to check for Alexi every few minutes though. She was thankful for a distraction to watch. Whomever the guy was he could move like no one's business. Andrea almost cried out as a couple of girls she knew backed into his space - and then watched as he neatly stretched out along the length of them and with only a look over his shoulder narrowly avoided punching one in the head and shoving the other out of his way. It was threatening but also so perfectly controlled. To reiterate his point, he swept by them again very visibly was making the motions of throwing them out of his path without ever touching them. While he danced and Andrea watched, Jennifer saw Andrea and waved. She didn't seem to catch Andrea's eye so she stepped out of the crowd still waving, which meant stepping forward right into the open space Tom was dancing in. Andrea took a sharp breath as she saw Jennifer and then saw Tom's forearm came to an abrupt stop just before clotheslining the blonde across the throat. Tom slipped backwards in a strangely fluid motion and felt the ache in his lower back from twisting his inertia and momentum into the ground to prevent bowling over the damn blonde who just fully stepped into his way without a care in the world. It was the same one with volume control issues earlier in the evening. Looking in the direction of where the blonde was waving he saw a tall broad shouldered woman grimacing. At first he though he was about to have an amazon come over and try to beat him down, but then he realized the grimace was a reaction to the blonde. "Heh," Tom said to himself. "I'm not the only one who has issues with this kid." Then he whipped himself around the blonde and slid past her with only inches to spare. "I think you belong back with your people, little one," he said with a feral smile as he turned directly in Jennifer's personal space and made it suddenly feel very crowded. "Because," he added as he step stepped backwards and then moved in a quick lunge that then burst sideways before ever coming in contact with her, "I was dancing here and I will continue dancing here." Jennifer stumbled back and out of Tom's way, and then tried to cover it by striking an indignant pose and turning back to her friends. Her brunette started rattling on about how out of control the crazy guy was and how people like that just shouldn't be tolerated. But Jennifer was still numb from shock - the Tom had been very larger than life and his comments were a scolding that triggered all the bad memories of being in school and getting caught doing something wrong. Andrea was watching and saw Tom go back to doing as he wished until he caught a glimpse of something. Then he stopped, put both hands to the back of his neck and flexed his biceps and shoulders with a half stretch, and then headed to the sound engineer's table. "At least he distracted Jennifer," Andrea thought. The notion that when they were out Jennifer put on this absolutely sweet best friends act but in private couldn't stand to even look at Andrea made her upset. She was about to check the door when she saw Tom jogging some bottled beer over to the stairs and calling out to someone. Andrea was shocked to watch Tom simply go over the rope blocking the stairs and jog up. He didn't pause or hesitate. He had full run of the place it seemed. He couldn't be with the band, could he? The stairs opened up on a balcony, and Andrea moved to where she could look up at an angle and see Tom giving some guys the beer and talking a bit. Then he headed back downstairs. Two of the guys took beers and opened them, walking over to the balcony rail and looking down at the crowd. Andrea noticed Jennifer waving again from the opposite side of the floor - bouncing up and down like a cute little high school cheerleader in her tartan short skirt and slightly unbuttoned blouse with plenty of black lace bra showing. Andrea felt a wave of nausea as she realized how much she missed holding Jennifer. She turned around to see whom Jennifer was waving at. That's when she realized that dancing guy had just taken beers up to Daniel from Aesthetic Perfection. And Daniel was totally blowing off the bouncing blonde as he looked around and leaned his heavily inked forearms on the railing surveying the crowd. -- Tom enjoyed the opening band. It was something local he'd not heard before, but the programming and singing were pretty good. He had most of the front to himself, probably four of five other people were up near the stage but one kept to the wall to Tom's left and the rest were a good three strides to his right. So he danced and amused himself. The second band were guys he knew from other shows he'd gone to. They were used to seeing him around as well and a couple of times the keyboardist was leaning into Tom as they both shouted out the chorus. It was then that Tom noticed the good looking amazon chick had left the sidelines by the door and was now closer to the front. In front of the amazon, leaning back into her well formed chest, was a nice looking librarian type - probably right around Tom's own height - wearing black tights, a knee length skirt, and a black fishnet top with what could only be a padded bra underneath. The two had looked his way more than once, but largely played oblivious when he returned their glances. Tom kept dancing and enjoying the music. A few people came up to get his attention and he waved back. Two guys came up and he shook their hands and stopped moving for long enough to exchange some quick words. After the second band finished, Tom listened for what the DJ would put on, shook his head in dismissal, and then made for the bar. On his way he saw the amazon looking a bit lost and missing her friend. "Hey there, need anything from the bar?" he asked casually. She was definitely built and looked like she cared a lot about the little details. Her trousers were slightly loose on her hips and legs, but made clear the nice curve of her buttocks and the well formed mass of her thighs. They were cut like combat trousers but without the hip pockets - and showed signs of having been ironed. Her top was a long sleeve knit pull over with a high collar sporting a zipper front that went from the height of the collar to mid breast. And her breasts looked lovely held tight against her chest, definitely well shaped and bigger than a handful. The amazon's shirt cuffs were folded back just so, and her sandy coloured hair was made to look messy but was actually quite well tended. Tom looked into her face and enjoyed the smooth curves and well shaped lips. But Andrea wasn't looking at him. Andrea was practicing looking right past Tom. A benefit of her height she could pretend he wasn't even there. Tom laughed though and side stepped over to her. "Hey. Seriously. I think I may need an escort after how that blonde bimbo walked right into my path and then her friends declared jihad on my ass for telling her to get out of my way." He gestured toward Jennifer and her friends who had taken up a position covering half the short bar. Andrea looked down at Tom with mixed feelings. "That blonde," she said harshly, "is my ex-girlfriend." She expected Tom to turn tail and run. Instead he laughed and winked at her. "Well I can understand why you might be avoiding the bar then too. But it sounds like your first drink is on me, so you'd best step up so I don't screw up again." He paused and looked Andrea in the face. There was sympathy there but also a warm smile. "C'mon, you've got nothing to lose. And if they turn on me then you can always say you were bringing me over to apologize because you were covering her back." Andrea reluctantly let Tom lead her to the bar. He didn't touch her; he didn't take her hand; but he'd look back and she'd come forward a bit more. By the time they got there, pushing through the crowd, Jennifer and her friends had moved away with scowling looks at Tom. Andrea realized that Tom was probably the best person to be around if she didn't want Jennifer to come over and dress her down - all with a super saccharin sweet smile. That's how Alexi found Tom buying Andrea a drink, and Tom got Andrea's phone number, and then Alexi's phone number, and they ended up together at the front center of the stage singing along to Aesthetic Perfection while totally blocking Jennifer's view. That's how Andrea met Daniel and the other guys, found out Tom seemed to know way too many people, and Alexi got kind of upset about not being the center of attention and left early. Not without a big hug from Tom and a kiss on the cheek that seemed to be very friendly and caught Alexi a bit off guard. Afterward Andrea stuck around - she had nothing to do Saturday morning so why head home? Tom convinced her to do a food run with a few of the crew and they brought back take out for the guys who were busy loading and preparing for the morning drive to the next gig. Along the way they talked a bit about nothing, with Tom asking her about where she usually hung out, and Andrea learning Tom jumped from city to city for shows he liked. It was probably the third or fourth reference to something that happened in London the week before that Andrea finally decided to cool his interest. "Tom, I'm a lesbian. I'm sure you can figure that out knowing Jennifer was my ex-girlfriend. You're not going to win me over with stories about other countries. I don't do guys." Tom smiled at Andrea. They were sitting in the van amongst drunk and exhausted people who suddenly had something to pay attention to. He felt the eyes all shift to them. "It's how I live. I don't travel to impress people. I travel because it's what I do. Just like you do girls because that's what you do. But I'm sure if that's what you want to talk about, we all," and he gestured around to seven guys now decidedly more alert than a moment before, "are incredibly interested in knowing all the terrible and amazing details about things you've done to women." There was a chorus of "Hear, hear!" and Tom busted out laughing. "Seriously though Andrea, if we're keeping you up then just say so. I need to get out of here anyway. These guys should be sleeping." Then he stood up. "C'mon, let's go before they drag your dark woman secrets out." Andrea shook her head. Tom had, in the span of a few hours, proven utterly incorrigible. "Yeah, I need to go too." Then she mock school teacher'ed at the crew guys who were moaning and offering 'one last drink' - wagging her finger at them all. "No sex stories for any of you." She followed Tom out of the bus as Tom shook a few hands and said his good nights and well wishes for the tour. Outside of the bus, the door closed, he turned to her. "Thanks for being a good sport. I didn't realize I needed some company tonight, and I'm sorry we ran off your friend." "Feh, her, well she's like that sometimes." "And please, please don't think the wrong thing by me saying you are good looking and, well, anything else I said that might have rubbed you the wrong way. I had considered you may be mostly a woman's woman - but your friend, what was her name, definitely was straight so I didn't know for sure." Andrea snickered. It was cold out, but Tom's compliment retraction gave her a warm glow. "So now I know the truth," she teased him with an accusing finger. "You were just complimenting me to get in my pants." Tom took her pointing finger and stroked her hand. Ordinarily Andrea would have yanked her hand back, but with Tom it was alright she guessed. "Every compliment I gave, I meant sincerely. You're a really gorgeous woman, but you can't expect the anorexics and pretty lipstick girls to really appreciate that. They spend all their time staring in mirrors after all. Too busy to even notice the rest of us unless they want something from us." He shook his head and then let go of her hand and stepped back. "Now when do we go out again? You can chase the pretty young things and I'll chase the older good looking women. Sound like a deal?" Andrea was still pondering the lingering warmth of Tom's fingers when he had stroked her hand. He was attractive - his closely cropped hair and compact build balancing how powerfully he expressed himself physically and socially. And she was comfortable with him though that might just be how tired she was from being out all night and the drinks she'd had. Still it was just an issue of wiring, and Andrea had never been wired to respond sexually to boys. "I'll give you a call then," Tom said calmly as the pause hung in the air. Andrea was tired and fading fast as best as he could tell. "Hey," he said putting a finger to her chin to get her attention, "do you need a ride home?" Again Andrea didn't pull back - doubly weird because she hated people who touched her face. Tom was looking at her with a mixture of his own fatigue and a bit of concern. It was really nice of him to ask. Alexi never asked. "I think I can catch a bus from near here. It's not too far." "Bullshit. Why don't I give you a ride to a block or so from your place - just in case you don't want me to know your address? I'm not asking to go in with you, but it's cold, you're tired, and I don't want you to catch a cold waiting for a bus." Tom didn't wait for a response, he just started heading for his car. Andrea held back. "No, seriously, I'll just catch my bus." Tom stopped and turned. With a shrug of his shoulders, he said "If that's what you really want to do. I know you can take care of yourself. I just think it'd be easier and get you safely in bed a lot sooner if you let me give you a ride." He pointed through the buildings. "I'm parked about three blocks that way - I text'd the street intersection to myself so I wouldn't forget it." He walked back and took out his phone. "See it's V and 7th." He showed Andrea the text message he sent to himself. Andrea laughed and caught him a bit by surprise when she linked Tom's arm with hers in the crook of her elbow. "I guess I better lead you to your car then, mister. Because V and 7th is actually," and she pointed in a direction ninety degrees off from the direction he had pointed in, "that way." "One ride in exchange for finding my car. Sounds darn fair." And they laughed a bit and walked off arm in arm for a few paces before unhooking. Tom chattered about some of the stuff he'd seen during the night as Andrea led him to his SUV, and he dropped her off on his way back out to his place at a location which was likely her real address. -- Once Tom had gotten back out on the interstate, he was tempted to call a friend and chat. But it was late, close to four in the morning, and his friends in Chicago would be still drinking and his friends on the west coast would just be settling in at their clubs and dancing. He was tired, but it had been a really nice evening. The bands did well, he got some good dancing in, he got to hang out with Andrea, and he caught up with some folks he enjoyed socializing with. He was still endorphin buzzing, but so be it. Relaxing in the driver's seat, he cruised along when he caught the lingering scent of Andrea's perfume. It was a light but dark scent - more like an opium extract than the flowery stuff he usually ran across these days. He decided tt was quite nice as he talked to himself about the events of the evening. He was tempted to call her as well, but that'd have to wait until the afternoon. He was going to invite her out to the regular Saturday night club and see if she enjoyed the music there. Despite the association of the bands with her ex, Andrea had seemed to really like the DJ sets as well as the live stuff, and the regulars on Saturday included a handful of women as tall as Andrea and some both tall and a bit heavier. It seemed what Andrea wanted most of all was a crowd of people she could fit in with - and luckily the local goth-industrial-EBM-synthpop scene included a good helping of other women and men who were same-sex oriented. Of course, Tom sighed, he'd best not let his wishful thinking get to him. Andrea was definitely a rebound risk and a lesbian rebounding with him could be emotionally messy. Never mind how easily he could go for a woman like Andrea. "Best not tempt the fates," he sighed. By the time he was in bed, Tom had a plan involving calling Andrea after lunch to pick her up and hit the club dancing, and then maybe get her to go to the all night crepery for a bit of eats afterward. He slept uneasily as his back tried to sort itself out after the strains of the evening's dancing - which the cold in the car had turned into muscle knots and side cramps. Eventually he was sound asleep and the dim glow of the grey day's dawn crept into the rooms of each of the three - Tom, Andrea, and Alexi - as they rested and the quiet unseen strings of the fates wove a delicate web around the world entangling them all. -- Andrea started when the phone rang again. "Sheesh, can't a girl sleep in in peace," she moaned. Tom hadn't been drinking the night before, but she'd let 'the boys' talk her into a few beers and shots. She kept her eyes turned away from the windows and picked up her phone. The plastic felt soothing and cold against her face as she answered it. "Hey, Andrea, it's Alexi. Can I come over for lunch?" Alexi sounded very perky and excited. Something that surely wasn't called for at one o'clock in the afternoon after Andrea had only had eight hours of broken sleep. Andrea groaned and grumped. "Please turn down the volume. I was out very late last night, and it's my day to sleep until there is no sleep left. Why do you want to come over for lunch? I'm in bed still and that's where I was hoping to stay..." "Oh, admit it - you're awake now." "Not that you didn't try to wake me earlier. Ugh." "Huh? I didn't... Well, never mind that. I'll be there in about fifteen minutes. We have to plan our outfits for tonight." Andrea paused. She had no plans for tonight. "What is tonight? We're going someplace? I must have forgot." She racked her brains searching for something. "No, silly. Tom just called, and he wants me to bring you with us to a club tonight. He said since I was enjoying dancing so much and you were kind enough to keep him company with the band... he said you hung out with the band and the tour bus guys all night - you're pretty sneaky!" "Nothing sneaky about it. He knew most of them, and they were just talking about music and places and stuff. Gawd he talks forever if you let him. Forever." Alexi smiled. Her voice sounded shy when she responded. "Yeah, I know. I like how he talks. And he's been all these places. And he was a really good dancer - I mean even you have to admit he was really good. He got you to dance even." She got quieter. "I'll be there really soon. Please let me in. I have to look good tonight." Andrea might have been still rubbing the grit out of her eyes, but she knew that sound. "Oh no, Alexi, just no," she moaned. "You really like that guy?" Alexi's pout could be heard from a mile away. "Yes. Yes, I do. We talked for a good forty five minutes, and he was really nice. Did you know he doesn't even drink? Anyway - I'm parking now so I need to go. See you in a few." Andrea heard the phone fumble and then disconnect. She collapsed back into her bed, comfy in her pajamas and uncertain about facing the world quite yet. Her phone chirped and she checked it. She had a text message and a missed call. The missed called was just over an hour ago, and the text message from shortly after. But it was a number her phone book didn't have. She clicked read and the text message opened. "Hey there! Maybe you're still sleeping. Come out dancing tonight. I'll call alexi and give her the details. Tom" Andrea hugged her pillow to her head, phone still in hand. "Oh shit," she thought, "he called me first. It's me he wants to come out with him." Her head throbbed for a good minute then she decided to get up. Alexi had to let herself in with her copy of the apartment key, and when she got to the back bedroom Andrea looked guilty as she shuffled around picking out something to throw on after her quick shower. Alexi was too hyper to notice though, and immediately started talking about her ideas for the evening. "It's one of those gothic places - so I have to find something tastefully black!" She rambled on like that - mostly talking out loud to herself. Andrea had deleted the text message, but not before adding Tom's number to her phone and replying. "I'll be there. You better be nice to Alexi. Andrea" -- (to be continued) -- by Max ------------------------------------------------------- This DRAFT is provided for your enjoyment. Please support the author with your purchases and by promoting published stories. Max ( http://bit.ly/CherishDesireMax and http://bit/ly/CherishDesire ) PUBLICATION (TBD) Keep up with the latest Alexi & Andrea stories: http://bit.ly/Ladies_AlexiAndrea ------------------------------------------------------- Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated. Non-commercial re-posts to web or similar venues are allowed provided copyright information remains on the re-posted story. Please do not delete the copyright information. No commercial reprints are authorized. --------------------------------------------------------