The Farm

[Demeter]

Essence glanced over her shoulder at Brenna. “I wouldn’t say that Brodie is exactly like Trey as they only share a mother. He was born and raised in Scotland and works over on the Scottish branch of the farm. He’s not a jerk and has a pretty mild temperament. Great ass,” she said as she opened the fridge and stuck her head in. She backed out with an apple and a pitcher of juice. She set both on the counter and looked over her shoulder at Brenna. “He’s coming to town, you know.”

She grinned at the look on Brenna’s face. “We’re having a big party while he’s in town. It’s not anything fancy; just a big get together with friends and family. I could invite you along and you could, I don’t know, accidently-on-purpose run into him.” Essence crunched into her apple and grinned at Brenna. “I’m pretty damned sure that he’s single right now and looking to end that state of being.”

[Maira]

What Essence was saying was music to Brenna's ears! The kilt-clad images of Trey surged back to the surface of her imagination and Brenna knew she was smiling like a fool as she reached over to grab the slowly closing door of the fridge so she could grab out a string cheese. As she got into the cupboard for a pair of drinking glasses, Brenna asked, "So, when is it he's gonna be visiting exactly? Gotta make sure I'm available to accidentally run into a certain hot Scotsman."

*****

Of all the family things Bella had heard about through Trey and Hope and even Essence, none of them had ever mentioned just how over the top things had a tendancy to get. Sure, they'd all mentioned that their family was huge and everybody in it was some form of crazy, but other than that she'd never really gotten any details. And now, with Trey's brother being in town for a visit, they were apparently planning a huge party. At the farm. She couldn't help but wonder why at the farm, and even went so far as to ask Trey, who answered her rather matter-of-factly, "Because he's my brother." She'd raised an eyebrow in confusion but apparently Trey was too busy or too distracted to notice and quickly went on his way.

So, here she was trying desperately to find a way to make sure all the food had a place, and the drinks. Not to mention enough seating for the adults and enough enclosed spaces for the smallest family members to safely play in. Hope had laughed at her for her efforts with the last and mumbled something about, "Like that'll hold the terrors," and then she too had wandered away. What was it with this family?

Finally, her head pounding with frustration, she let it plop down on the picnic table she'd been sitting at with her lists and plans scattered around her. It was her turn to mutter and under her breath she let slip a slightly defeated sounding, "This was not in the job description..."

[Demeter]

Essence had headed out early, mostly to stake out her spot. There were times when her knees and hips still ached something horrible and she wanted a spot that was both comfortable and close to the house. She eased out of her car, carefully rearranging the summer dress she'd decided to wear. It was long enough to cover the scars left but her accdient but it was still pretty. She glanced over as Brenna twitched her outfit back into place. She grinned at the woman. "Your mission, should you decided to accept, is to hunt down Brodie and bag him." Essence dug into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. After tapping a few icons and flicking through a series of pictures, she turned the phone around and handed it to Brenna. "That is your target. Look for Trey as Brodie is probably near him."

After Brenna headed into the already growing crowd of friends and family, Essence turned and shook her head when she saw the dog sitting off to the side of the drive way. "Hi, Saucy, did someone order you took look out for me." She grinned when the dog came up and gently nudged her off the driveway. She patted the Dane's head and nudged her back. "Take me to Bella."

Essence followed the dog through a less crowded area and shook her head when she saw Bella slumped over a table. She gave Saucy one last pat and sent her on her way before sitting down next to Bella. "You know, all you really needed to do was order enough food and drinks. We really don't care about atomosphere. It's all about family and friends." Essence laid her head on the table next to Bella's. "And why aren't you dressed for the party. If I have to wear a dress, so do you."

[Maira]

Brenna was a bit anxious. It was a very rare occasion that she actively sought out a guy. Most of the time she just didn't care, but as Brodie (Trey's brother) was going to be at this party and he supposedly was a lot like his brother, she had actually taken a lot of care picking out her outfit and getting ready. The drive out to the farm seemed to take forever and as they finally pulled in, she found herself twitching at her skirt and shirt yet again.

When Essence started talking to her, she knew the other girl had sensed her nerves because she chose to make a James Bond-like mission out of Brenna snagging Brodie and she couldn't help but laugh. Once the car came to a halt she climbed out and quickly made her way toward the group of people she saw gathering near the drink table. She saw Trey right away and guessed that the man standing next to him was his brother. Instead of making a beeline for the two men, she actually went for the drinks instead and then chatted with one of the farm-hands that was milling about looking as lost and out of place as she felt. She suddenly wished she'd stayed with Essence.

*****

People had started arriving slowly, but Bella didn't shift from her spot at the picnic table. She was tired and frustrated and just wished she could go home. She loved Trey, Hope, and Essence but big crowds in general (unless there were horses involved) tended to make her a bit twitchy after a while. Considering she was already tired and frustrated from trying to do the planning Trey had asked of her, she was already a bit twitchy and she didn't see that getting any better as the day went on and more people showed up.

She didn't know just how long she'd been face down on the picnic table, but after a short while she heard two familiar sets of footsteps approaching her. The first set was a four-legged gait and she smiled knowing that Saucy had brought somebody to see her. The second set was marked by a slight limp and Bella knew that it was Essence who had wanted to find her. That dog's understanding of what people said to her was uncanny, and she was eerily good at finding somebody if she was asked where they were.

When Essence sat down next to her, even putting her head on the table like Bella's, the green haired woman couldn't help but turn her head to look at Essence. At her words, Bella felt herself frown and she asked quietly, "Then why did Trey tell me to plan these things?" The question from Essence about why Bella wasn't dressed for the party surprised her. Bella thought she -was- dressed for the party. She was wearing her nicest pair of khaki cargo pants and a somewhat slinky black shirt. Sure, her boots were the same riding/work boots she always wore to the farm but that's because she was at the farm and who knew what she might step in. Raising her head off the table finally, Bella told Essence, "I don't own any dresses Essence, and even if I did I didn't bring them with me. You're just going to have to wear a dress all by yourself." This last was said with a spark of mischief in her eyes.

[Demeter]

Essence raised her head and looked through the lists that Bella had made. "Who knows why Trey does the things he does. He's probably trying to impress Brenna's brother. I know Dru is around here somewhere and Trey probably wants to get laid. You should smack my uncle, or ask him for a raise, for making you do all this work. If he wanted to impress someone, he should have done the work himself."

When Bella confessed that she didn't own a single dress, the words just didn't compute for Essence. "You don't own any dresses? At all?" Essence shook her head and stared at Bella. "That is just obscene." She looked Bella up and down before she stood and walked a few steps away. Once she was out of earshot, she pulled out her phone and called up Hope. "Hope, it's Essence, can you do me a favor and bring over a dress that Bella can wear? She doesn't own a single one," she paused and peered at Bella where she sat at the table, "Yeah, bring the works. I bet between you and me, we can make Bella look a bombshell."

***

Brodie stood around, talking to Trey and some of the other stable owners when he spotted the blue-haired woman wandering the crowd. He glanced down and grinned. His drink was almost gone and his brother had been talking about blue-hair all night long. Judging by the looks his older brother had been shooting at the blue haired young man, he knew that Trey wouldn't be available for conversation much longer. He wondered what it was about blue hair that was so special.

He decided to find out and headed towards the drink table. He got himself some soda and greated the farm hand, asking the younger man how he was doing. He then turned to Brenna and introduced himself. "I haven't seen you around here before. I'm Brodie and who are you?"

[Maira]

Bella was quite amused by the shock on Essence's face and in her voice when she told her that she didn't own any dresses. She didn't tell her she did own one skirt though because it was black and she had it specifically for formal things like interviews or funerals. What happened next, Essence calling Hope and telling her to bring "the works" along with a dress, worried Bella. What the hell was that girl planning? It better not involve heels, as she couldn't walk in them to save her life, or make-up. It was way too hard to match make-up colors to her dark green hair, she normally wound up looking like somebody dropped a paint pallet on her face. Once Essence hung up the phone, Bella just stared at her skeptically in silence. How exactly did they think she could ever look like a bombshell with all of her piercings? They were nuts.

Finally, more than a little defiant, Bella told Essence, "You know, you can have Hope bring all this stuff here but that doesn't mean I'm going to put it on." Then she stuck her tongue out at the younger woman playfully. To change the subject, she asked, "So, would you like some of the food or drinks Trey had me order by the truckload? I don't know about you but organizing this party has given me not only the headache of the century but I'm starving."

*****

Talking with the farm-hand had been a great distraction. Her nerves quickly faded as she stopped focusing on her "mission" and just enjoyed casual conversation about the therapeutic riding program the farm ran. She had just about been convinced to volunteer when a tall brown haired man sidled up to the table to get some soda and then asked her conversation partner how he was doing before turning and talking to her. When he introduced himself, Brenna nearly choked on the lemonade she'd been drinking. Brodie?! Had he actually sought her out, or was he really just after soda and random conversation?

Once she made sure all the lemonade was going down the proper tubes, Brenna smiled sheepishly as she apologized quietly, "Sorry about that." Then, with more confidence than she really felt, she answered his question, "I'm normally around a couple times a week, mostly when Essence wants company. We're friends and used to be classmates and roommates. She still sometimes crashes at the apartment but for the most part its easier for me to come to her. I'm Brenna by the way." The last was said with a slightly shy smile as she held out her hand to shake his.

[Demeter]

Essence sucked on her teeth for a moment while looking at Bella. “Hope can take you,” she said while swinging her legs over the bench. “And don’t try to escape. I’ll just have Saucy hunt you down again. Don’t know what you are fussin’ about. I’d think that you’d want to wear a skirt on a hot day like this.”

She struggled to her feet and grabbed Bella by her wrist, intent on dragging her to the house. “Come on, food can wait till later. You’ll never get laid if you always dress like that,” she said while pulling Bella across the yard. She may have been spending more time at the apartment she shared with Brenna but she still, officially, lived on the farm.

Essence hauled Bella into her room and plopped her down on the sofa. She pointed a finger at Bella. “Stay put. We are just going to see what we can do with that hair.”

Essence crossed the room and dug out her make-up case. “You underestimate me,” she said as she set down the makeup case on the sofa and cracked it open. By the time Hope, along with Faith, showed up with a garment bag, Essence had picked out what colors she would use and had tame Bella’s hair into a sleek twist.

Together, the three women pressed outfits up against an increasingly distressed Bella. It was Faith who, after tossing a smoky gray dress over her shoulder, told Bella that it was for her own good that they were ganging up on her. Essence finally found the right combination of clothing in a silky black handkerchief hemmed skirt, thin strapped white tank top and a black lace shrug. She narrowed her eyes at Bella. “Strip.”

It took a bit of wrestling but they got Bella down to her bra and underwear. Essence shook her head at the black bra. “That just won’t do. It’ll show.”

Faith looked down at her own chest then at Bella. “Too big, can’t share.”

Hope sighed. “Not big enough.”

Essence looked down at herself and then at Bella. “Maybe,” she muttered. She sidled up behind Bella. “Honey, what size do you wear?”

After Bella, blushing fire engine red, confessed that she couldn’t remember, Essence reached around and took Bella’s breasts in her own hands. Ignoring Bella’s squeals, Essence continued to feel her friend up. And then she felt herself up. “I think I’ve got one that will fit perfectly. It’ll probably look better on you then it ever has on me.”

She turned and dug through a drawer. Once she found the nude colored bra, Essence turned to Bella. With the bra swinging from a strap on her fingers. “If I let you change in the bathroom, do you promise not to crawl out the window?”

[Maira]

The indignity of being ganged up on by Essence, Faith and Hope seemed to never end. The worst part of all was when Essence ordered her to strip and then upon seeing her black bra declared that it wouldn't do. Essences solution to the problem? Feeling up Bella's chest to compare size with her own. If Faith hadn't stepped behind her, and Hope hadn't stepped between her and the door, Bella likely would have bolted instead of just squeaking and trying to get away. As it was, when Essence finally came to the conclusion that they were a close enough size and offered her a bra of her own to change into, Bella was practically glaring at the other woman.

Essence's next words, despite her grumbly mood, made Bella laugh. "Its very tempting, but do you really think I'd streak around the farm in nothing but my underthings when I can barely stand here in a room with my friends in nothing but my underthings without wanting to run and hide?" With that she snatched the bra from Essence, as well as the skirt and shirt, and disappeared into the ensuite bathroom to get dressed.

Once she was behind a closed, locked, door Bella started to shake and she had to hurry to sit down on the edge of the tub before she collapsed. What he hell had happened with her body? She had been nervous once she was practically naked, but that was all. Then Essence had felt her breasts to check her size and holy crap! The feelings that had raced through her body were just as equal a source of her blushing as the fact that she was nervous and practically naked in front of her friends. She'd never before had any inkling of attraction toward another woman so why the hell had her body decided now was a good time to let her know?

She hadn't realized just how long she'd been in there until somebody knocked on the bathroom door and Hope's voice asked, "Are you still in there Bella? Is everything okay?" Jolted from her thoughts, Bella answered that she was and then she scrambled into the clothes the other women had picked out for her. Once she was finally dressed, Bella looked in the mirror and stopped, shocked at what she saw. She actually looked girly and surprisingly well put together despite her piercings and hair color. How the hell had Essence managed that? Still in shock, Bella opened the door and stepped into the room. She didn't say anything, instead she waited to see what the other women's reactions would be.

[Demeter]

Brodie grinned at the blue-haired Brenna. "So you're the one who keeps Niece Essence out of trouble. Essence hasn't shut up about how great you are and what a help you've been in her recovery. Its been all. Brenna this and Brenna that and how you kept her from being completely bored while laid up in bed. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she has a crush on you."

He tilted his head and smiled at her, liking the way she blushed. The way she'd choked on her drink had been cute too. "Has anyone in the family thanked you properly for keeping Essence occupied during those first few weeks? We all owe you a debt of gratitude. I was here then but she kept blowing up my phone with texts about this or that. I can only assume you are the only reason anyone got any peace. Tell me how you did it! Did you drug her?"

He grinned again and invited Brenna to load up a plate and join him at a table to talk. 
****
When Bella finally exited the bathroom, it was Essence who wolf-whistled. "I knew there was a good looking woman under those barm boots and baggy pants. Look girls, she has legs!"

While Faith and Hope laughed, Essence held out a pair of low heeled shows. "Why don't we go show off this version to the crowd outside?"

With those last few words, Essence pulled Bella outside to the party. Sure enough, many of the people they worked side by side with stopped to do a double take. Trey, with Dru glued to his side, grinned at the woman. "You look nice and good job on this party."

Eventually, Essence escorted Bella through the gauntlet of coworkers to the table they'd been at before. Essence sat sideways, stretching her bad leg out on the bench and texted Faith to bring food over. Once plates heaped with BBQ fare had been delivered to them, Essence grinned. "See, told you that you'd look hot. You might get a guy now. Heck, I'd slept with you if I thought you could bend that way. "

[Maira]

Hearing Brodie basically singing her praises, Brenna couldn't help but blush. Darn Essence and her gossipy ways, apparently he knew a lot about her and she knew next to nothing about him except that he was Trey's extremely hot younger brother. When he invited her to eat and talk with him, Brenna just nodded and got herself a random selection of food before following him to a table.

When she sat down, Brenna looked at the food on her plate and realized she had no memory of picking half of it and she was grateful that it at least wasn't a plate full of stuff she totally hated. She nibbled on a little cube of cheese, and took a sip of whatever beverage it was she had sloshed into her cup. Unfortunately she wasn't as lucky with her drink as she had been with her food. She'd somehow managed to get rootbeer instead of lemonade or cola. Darn sexy man, distracting her from grabbing the correct bottle to pour into her cup.

Gingerly placing her cup a safe distance away, Brenna asked Brodie, "So, you seem to know a fair bit about me, how about you tell me something about you?"

*****

The wolf-whistle was totally unexpected and, refusing to blush Bella just glared at Essence. Of course she had legs! You didn't do the amount of hard labor Bella did for Trey, and didn't ride as often as she did, without developing rather nicely toned legs. Hers just also happened to be rather long and the skirt hit her a bit further above the knee than she would have liked even though Essence, Faith, and Hope apparently approved.

When Essence dragged her out to the party proper, Bella had to admit that it was rather fun watching the reactions of her coworkers and Trey. Nobody had ever seen her in anything but boots and jeans and it showed when they gawked at her.

Still, as fun as shocking people was, she was happy when they finally made their way back to the table they'd claimed earlier. At first she went to sit like she would have in her jeans, but quickly realized that when she sat the skirt hiked up even further along her thighs and she was suddenly even more self-conscious. Damn skirt! After a moment she figured out a relatively easy and modest way to sit and she joined Essence on the bench of the table.

She hadn't been aware that Essence had put Faith up to bringing them plates of food, but she had to admit she was grateful. Getting everything ready for the party had been exhausting and she was starving. Her first bite of BBQ was quickly interrupted by Essence telling her that she looked hot and suggesting she could get a guy if she wanted. She was just about to object, saying that she wasn't looking for a guy, but then Essence informed her that -she- would sleep with Bella if she thought she liked women. The bite of BBQ lost all taste in her mouth, and she just stared in utter shock at the other woman. Then, much to her dismay, Bella felt her cheeks get really hot and that just embarrassed her even more which made her cheeks get even brighter and for lack of any other options, Bella mumbled, "Excuse me," and then she bolted from the table. She was pretty sure her skirt flipped up when she scrambled over the bench to get away but at this point she just didn't care.

Somehow, Bella managed to make it through the crowd without getting stopped by anybody and as soon as she was clear from the crowd she kicked off her shoes and ran. Running around a farm barefoot was definitely not the smartest thing to do, but her running in heels was even less smart. Half way to the barn, Bella realized that her idea of grooming a horse or two while she thought things out wasn't going to work very well in the totally impractical but pretty clothes. With a grumble she changed direction and headed toward the main house to get her normal work clothes back on.

Normally she wouldn't have let herself into Essence's bedroom, but considering her clothes were in their she felt like she had a good excuse. Slipping through the partially open door, Bella then started searching for her clothes. It took her a while, especially to find her bra which had somehow or other wound up under Essence's bed. She knew none of the girls had approved of that particular undergarment and she had a funny feeling that her bra had purposely been hidden from her. Once she had all of her clothes gathered, she took one last look at herself in Essence's long mirror and then turned away so she could strip and change.

As she removed the skirt and strappy shirt and shrug, Bella almost regretted it. She really had liked the reactions of people and as much as it confused her she also enjoyed Essence's comments a little bit. Bella really had no idea what the hell was going on with her body, and even less sure what her heart was trying to tell her. She had never in her life been even a little bit interested in a woman and this whole development was unexpected.

Lost as she was in her thoughts, Bella didn't hear the feet coming down the hallway and stopping in the doorway. She also wasn't aware that she had stopped changing while she was still only in her underwear and bra, her jeans still in her hands and her shirt in a ball sitting next to her on Essence's bed.

[Demeter]

Essence blinked when Bella scrambled away from the picnic table. She had an inkling if just why the other woman had felt the need to run away and that made her grin. Essence had never gone about trumpeting that she was a lesbian. Her family and close friends knew about it and that was good enough for her. She'd never said anything to Bella but now she was thinking it might be a good idea to inform her. 

One if the reasons she kept the truth close was that her fellow ballerinas would probably freak out, seeing as how they all changed together. Yeah, she decided as she stretched her legs out, she should probably say something to Bella. She'd felt how the woman had jumped when she'd felt her up (and that had been a moment of heaven, if she conveniently forgot the smirks Faith and Hope had thrown at her) and the way she'd reddened and scampered off at the mention of possible sexual encounters. But first she was going to let Bella calm down while she soaked up some sun and ate her brother's truly exceptional BBQ chicken. 

As she ate, plowing through the plate she'd been given since she was no longer on a super strict, Essence thought about Bella. She'd first come to the farm about a year ago when Essence had still been in some pretty intensive rehab for her injuries. She'd first fallen in like with the woman while watching her deal with the horses from the humane society. She'd believed that she'd had no chance with Bella but now she wondered. She'd fallen, completely, watching as Bella jogged beside horses during the recently launched therapy program and how she treated the kids and adults. 

Once she'd polished off her chicken, Essence got to her feet to hunt Bella down. She started in the most obvious place: where Bella's clothing was. Essence went to her own room where she found Bella sitting on the bed, wearing only her underthings and clutching her pants. "Bella, is everything okay?"

****
Brodie grinned. "There's not a whole lot to know about me. I live in Scotland on my father's farm. Trey is my half brother through my mother. I oversee the breeding program there though my Da is starting to let me take over other parts as well. My life is pretty much the horses."

"There's nothing all that exciting about me. What about you? All I really know is that you are incredible at distracting Essence. For example, if you don't like that type of soda, why'd you pour it?"

[Maira]

The sound of a voice from the doorway startled Bella and she jolted to awareness, as she did so she dropped her jeans and her t-shirt rolled off the bed to land on top of her jeans. Her skin flushing crimson, even more so when she saw it was Essence, Bella quickly gathered up her clothes and pulled them on as fast as humanly possible.

Fully dressed, and as red as a sunburnt fire-truck she was sure, Bella finally turned her attention back to Essence and asked, "What did you say?" In her surprise at being found in nothing but her bra and panties any memory of just what it was Essence had said was long gone.

When Essence repeated herself, Bella sighed and shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans. Staring at her bare feet, Bella took a steadying breath before answering, "I'm not used to being complimented, especially not by a woman who earlier grabbed my boobs." She was so lost, her own heart was demanding she look at Essence and see the woman for who she really was, but her mind was trying to remind her she didn't like girls. Her body, well it just wanted Essence to put her hands on her again...

[Demeter]

Essence stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. She leaned against the door, foot propped up against the stained wood. It was a shame that the woman didn’t know just how liked and admired she was. Her appearance kept many of the staff members and parents of students from approaching her to tell her just how much she was appreciated. Essence heard all of it, though. She smiled softly at Bella. “Your changed appearance made you a bit more approachable, I think. Many of the staff members here at Three Willows admire you, Bella. It’s a shame that you haven’t been complemented more.”

Essence pushed away from the door and crossed over to where Bella stood. She laughed softly when Bella took several steps backwards. “And the parents of the students, they just love to tell me how their kids are full of stories about Miss Bella. And you have such a touch with not only the horses but the people in the therapy program. You have a wonderful ability to pair a person up with just the right animals. That wounded police officer that just started a few weeks ago? He told me how he was so afraid that he’d get some plodding nag but was pleasantly surprised when you put him up on Frankenstein.”

By now, she’d backed Bella against a wall. She didn’t think that the girl was scared of her; just nervous about the situation. Something was going to happen and Essence wasn’t about to back off until she knew what that something was. “And not only the staff and parents, Bella. Trey greatly depends on you and I greatly admired you. I have to confess something, Bella. I don’t just admire you. I like you, as in, I like you in a romantic sense. I’ve never made a secret of it but I don’t go around blurting out that I like women.”

Essence reached out and tugged on a lock of hair that had snuck out of the easy up-do she’d twisted Bella’s hair into just a little bit ago. She twirled that lock of hair around her finger. “I always thought that I would never have a chance with you since you never looked at me that way but now I wonder if you just don’t know what you like. Have you ever gone through an experimentation phase or as it all been school and work for you?”

Essence leaned in. “Wanna find out if you like women with me?”

[Maira]

As Essence approached her, talking softly and telling her things she'd never heard from her students or their parents, Bella backed slowly away. She wasn't scared of Essence, just wary and confused. As much as her body wanted Essence to touch her again, to see what it felt like again, Bella wasn't sure if that's what she really wanted and so it was easier to just back away. That is, until Essence had her backed up against a wall.

She could have scooted around Essence but Bella didn't move, she just listed as the other woman talked to her; her voice was soothing and almost hypnotic. When Essence finally got around to the point of what it was she was saying, the part that Bella had been waiting to find out for sure, the green-haired woman's skin flushed brightly again. Then Essence tugged on a lock of hair, which must've come loose from the twist in her hurry to put on her shirt, and something in Bella shifted.

Her concentration on what Essence was saying got a bit hazy, but she did catch the question about if she'd always been about the business of work and school, her answer was to nod silently. The next question, as Essence leaned in toward her, was a bit of a shock but thanks to the haze Essence's proximity had put her in, Bella again nodded silently, this time with an embarrassingly shy smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

The answering smile from Essence was really all the encouragement Bella needed and despite her brain's protests, Bella gave into the curiosity of her heart and her body and leaned off the wall and gently into Essence. Before she could second-guess herself, Bella placed her arms around Essence's neck and stretched up to plant a cautious, tender kiss on Essence's smiling lips.

[Demeter]

Essence kept the kiss chaste and closed mouth but she did wrap her arms around Bella's waist. She didn't want to move to fast and scare the woman away. She pulled Bella closer to her until they were pressed together. She wanted Bella to know what another woman's body felt like. 

She'd experimented during high school and the early years of college. All of her experiences with men had been boring and unsatisfying. Women, on the other hand, excited her. She loved the softer, fuller curves of their bodies. She loved the way they looked, felt and smelled. And Bella had captured her interest on all levels. 

She pulled away from Bella, moving her head back just enough to look down at her. Her cheeks were flushed a light red. She was absolutely beautiful. "Bella, do you want more?"

After a moment of hesitation, the woman nodded and Essence, keeping her arms around Bella's waist, walked them back to the easy chair she'd stuffed into the room. As she sat down, drawing Bella down to her lap, Essence said that sitting would be more comfortable. 

She could hear the party outside her window. Her aunt was yelling at her cousin, telling him to get out of a tree and to bring Lani with him. Inside, she sat with Bella on her lap. The party was unimportant compared to what was going on in her bedroom. She looked up at Bella and smiled at her. "Can I touch you?"

[Maira]

Her nerves, everywhere that she and Essence touched, were on fire with sensation. She'd never had this reaction when boys kissed her but as much as she enjoyed it, Bella couldn't help but be skeptical. Surely her body was just reacting so enthusiastically because it had been so long since she'd been intimate with another person. Right?

When Essence pulled away from her, even leaving her arms around her waist, Bella felt the loss of contact with her like a brick to the stomach. She knew she was flushed, could feel the warmth in her cheeks, and the look on the other woman's face made her think that Essence enjoyed seeing her so worked up.

Essence asked her if she wanted more and Bella smiled as she nodded, "yes". She let herself be led to the easy chair in the room and when Essence sat, Bella was pulled along with and she wound up square in Essence's lap. She wasn't sure what to think or do but Essence's next question caused Bella's breath to catch, and it also gave her an idea of what to do. Gently brushing her fingertips on Essence's cheek Bella leaned in as if to kiss her but instead she answered softly, "Please Essence, show me how this can be."

[Demeter]

Essence trembled as Bella's fingertips touched her skin. Even though she wanted to pick Bella up, lay her on the bed that was just a few tempting feet away and love her until she couldn't think, Essence knew she had to go slow. She didn't want to overwhelm Bella with these new sensations and scare her away. 

Essence lifted her hands away from Bella's waist and thread them through her hair, knocking loose the pins she'd put there an hour ago. She ran her fingers through the silky mass of hair. Keeping one hand tangled in the strands, Essence stroked a finger down along the curve of Bella's jaw, brushing the other woman's lower lip with a thumb. She kissed Bella, lightly on the lips while her hands slid down. 

She wanted to uncover every inch of Bella's skin and discover the sweet, dark places that would drive her to pleasure. Instead of following through with her wants, Essence kept her hands above the clothing while she kissed Bella and stoked her body. The kisses were no longer chaste. Essence moved her mouth over Bella, coaxing her to respond by darting her tongue out, touching it to her lips. As she kissed Bella, Essence glided her fingers up and down the other woman's sides. Her fingers caught on the edge of the other woman's shirt hem, allowing her a few moments to feel her smooth soft skin. 

Essence moved her kisses along Bella's jaw while her hands scooted over to trace the curves of Bella's breasts. She came back to Bella's mouth, kissing her and coaxing her to open up while her hands went down to cup and squeeze Bella's bottom. 

Her own body trembled wherever Bella's curious hands touched her. She moaned quietly, just barely audible, whenever Bella touched a sensitive spot. "Bella, beautiful Bella, you have no idea how much I want you. I want to taste you, touch you and watch you as you are overcome with pleasure. I want take you to bed and I want to go places with you. What do you want, Bella? Do you want the same things?"

[Maira]

Being at the mercy of Essence's hands and lips left Bella breathless and trembling. Her own hands did their own share of exploring and at first she was nervous, never having touched another woman intimately, but she quickly became more confident and she easily discovered where to caress to get Essence to react with moans and trembling of her own.

When Essence started talking, Bella moved on to trailing kisses down her neck to her collarbone. Then, the questions started and Bella stopped, startled. She pulled back from Essence and her hands went to her own lap. She couldn't look the other woman in the eyes. In a hushed tone she answered, "I've never been with anybody like that Essence, not even the boys I dated in the past. It may be a bit old-fashioned and uncommon now but I've always wanted to save that part of myself for when I got married or at least found somebody I planned on marrying."

She was trembling again, and wringing her hands in her lap, but this time it was because she was worried about what Essence would think and say. When no answer was immediately forthcoming, Bella added, "This isn't a 'never', you know. Just a 'lets wait a while and see where things go'. I'm sorry I can't give you more than that right now." Finally she looked up at Essence, her eyes hopeful as she waited for Essence to say something.

[Demeter]

Admittedly the confession startled Essence at first. She didn't think that she'd ever been with anyone who's never fully been with anyone. At Bella's rushed explanation that her hesitation wasn't a never but a wait and see, she gave the woman a slow smile. After a quick peck on the lips, Essence smiled again. "This isn't just about me, you know. I can wait for you, she said, giving Bella a quick squeeze around the waist. 

Her smile turned to a grin. A naughty grin. "Doesn't mean I'm not going to stop try convince you," she said while going in for another kiss.

****
Essence happily spun in her computer chair. Since no one was looking, she did a happy little chair dance. With her toes tapping on the floor and her hands waving in the air, she looked quite cheerful. She'd spent hours making out with Bella while partied outside her window yesterday. 

She hadn't pressed Bella for anything but she had encouraged the woman's tentative explorations. The bits if her body that Bella has touched still tingled. She'd let Bella move at her own pace, for now. 

Glancing at the clock, Essence scrambled up. As happy as she was, she had to go to her appointment with her sadist physical therapist.

[Maira]

While she'd been wrapped up in the sensations and emotions that making out with Essence caused, Bella hadn't given a second thought to what she was doing. Later that night, however, when she'd gone home to her own bed, the reality of just what she had done hit her. Hard.

She'd gone to work the next day but had avoided Essence, and the farm office, like the plague. She hadn't straightened out her own thoughts on the whole situation yet and the last thing she wanted was Essence influencing her before she'd had a chance to wrap her brain around the situation.

Bella haed never been totally intimate with anybody, not even the one boy who had been silly enough to propose to her on the night before she moved to the west coast. She had only been with boys up until this point and to say that the experience had been different was a huge understatement. She'd never really gotten quite the thrill out of making out with the boys that they seemed to get and she thought that it must've just been because she was a girl and they were boys.

Yet with Essence... With Essence she had, for the first time, not wanted to stop at the simple kisses and caresses. Hands had slipped below shirts a few times, but Bella had wanted more. Bella had wanted to give Essence the full access that she clearly desired. For the first time, Bella had been tempted to forgo her self-appointed restriction on just who it was that got access to her body. After all, she barely knew Essence. Certainly they were friendly but that was about it, and that was mostly because they worked together.

It took Bella four days to get her thoughts and feelings mostly in order and finally stop avoiding Essence. When she walked into the office, the other girl was talking to Trey about something and she felt her cheeks turn a light shade of pink. She hadn't even thought that her boss, Essence's uncle, might be around when she wanted to talk to her. She nearly turned and bolted but she knew that would draw more suspicion from the man than merely waiting her turn.

When Essence finally got out of the main desk chair, Trey took it and Bella did her best to smile in her normal manner at him before turning and following Essence out of the office. As soon as they were out of earshot, and when she was sure nobody was around, Bella gently shoved Essence into an empty stall and pushed her up against the wall, kissing her soundly before the other girl could say anything. When she pulled away, Essence was breathless and staring in shock. Bella smirked and apologized, "Sorry I've been avoiding you, I just needed to figure this all out." She kissed Essence one more time, then turned and walked away. She had horses to get ready for lessons after all.