27. Zoe
Zoe
Gretchen threaded her fingers through mine and led me back to her house.
We’d only walked about a block, so it didn’t take too long, but as we walked I replayed what she’d said.
I was mature enough to accept my part in what went wrong in the relationship, including being too complacent about someone taking care of me and not communicating my feelings.
But I was glad to see that Gretchen could take responsibility for her own part.
Her interfering with my job and trying to use her influence with my boss was egregious.
Poor Julia had been simultaneously pissed at Gretchen and uncomfortable to tell me what happened.
Fortunately, she hadn’t held it against me.
When we got back to Gretchen’s house I thought she’d lead us right into the bedroom – I hoped she would anyway – but instead she led me into the kitchen.
“Before we get distracted with sex, let’s talk about boundaries and expectations,” she said, her expression serious.
I could tell that she’d planned for this, and practiced it maybe, so I let her say what she needed to say. It all boiled down to communication, and her being my partner not my manager.
“What about you?” she asked when she finally wound down. “What are your expectations of me?”
“Treat me like a grown-up, talk to me, ask me if I want help instead of just doing something. And don’t use your efforts to fix things as a way to avoid what you need to see in yourself. You don’t need to be useful for me to love you.”
“Is that it?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I’m a simple woman. Now about those orgasms…”
She sent me an exasperated look, so I kept talking.
“Here’s the thing Gretchen, unless I’m wrong – in which case please tell me – everything was good between us before, other than you trying to run my life and wrap me in bubble wrap.
That tells me we have a good base to build on.
I know that neither of us has a lot of experience with relationships, so we’ll both fuck up from time to time, but we’ll work through things as they come up, okay? ”
“Okay.”
I stood up and grabbed her wrist. “Let’s go.”
We rushed to her bedroom, laughing. I paused to send my grandmother a text letting her know that I’d be at Gretchen’s and to call if she needed us, then made quick work of removing my clothes.
When I turned back around, Gretchen was already naked.
I raked my eyes over her body, refreshing my memory on everything I liked, especially those grapefruit sized tits with the dark red nipples. Those were my favorite.
I stalked towards her and she laughingly took a few steps backwards until she ran into the wall.
Following her, I bent at the waist, taking one nipple into my mouth and biting down enough to make her squirm.
Gretchen pressed one hand against my head, holding me close.
I teased her nipple with my tongue, adding suction and then relaxing over and over again, getting my fill.
She lifted one leg, wrapping it around my thigh, and I let go of her nipple long enough to grab her waist and boost her up against the wall.
Her fingers dug into my shoulders and her feet hooked around my lower back.
Then I kissed her again, long and deep and claiming.
Gretchen’s tongue tangled with mine, both of us dueling for control.
While the kiss continued I wedged one hand between our bodies, making my way between her legs.
I gave her mound a squeeze that made her cry out against my lips, then I slid inside her slit, finding her wet and ready.
I slid my fingers back and forth a few times before sliding my middle finger inside her.
Gretchen clenched her inner muscles, sucking me in, and I added a second finger before I started pumping in and out roughly.
“Fuck, that feels so good,” she gasped as she pulled away from the kiss. “Keep doing that.”
“Try and stop me,” I said, lowering my head to bite down on the skin of her neck.
She smacked her head against the wall hard enough to rattle a picture over the bed and cried out my name.
I kept fucking her with my fingers, keeping her pressed against the wall with my weight. I shifted my hand enough to move my thumb up to her clit, sliding it back and forth. When I bit her neck again, Gretchen lost control, bucking against my hands and shaking against the wall.
I continued to pump into her until the tremors slowed down, then slowly pulled out. Gretchen slid her feet to the floor, then gripped my shoulders again as her knees gave out.
“Damn, I can’t feel my feet,” she said. “But now it’s your turn.”
She pushed me backwards until I reached the bed, sitting me on the edge. She spread my legs wide then knelt down between them, bringing first one and then the other leg over her shoulder. I fell back on my elbows, watching as she lowered her head and gave me one long lick.
“Yum, just like I remembered,” she said, satisfaction deep in her voice.
This time when she lowered her head between my legs she was serious, flattening her tongue and licking me up and down over and over again.
I was shaking with arousal, so ready to come, but trying to make it last. Gretchen inserted one finger into my opening, then added a second, spreading her fingers wide to stretch me before adding a third.
“I feel so full,” I whispered, dropping down to my back and staring up at the ceiling.
“Just wait.”
She used her other hand to scoop up my cream, then moved her free hand underneath me to press against my back entrance. I gasped loudly as she slowly inserted her finger, just to the first knuckle, and began moving in and out in tandem with her fingers in my pussy.
I tried to hold out a little longer, but the pleasure was too intense. Lightning flashed down my spine, and my back arched off the bed as I made a noise that wasn’t even human. Then I was coming so hard that my vision turned fuzzy, and I forgot how to breathe.
I couldn’t say how long it lasted – a few minutes, maybe an hour – but when my body finally calmed I felt more wrung out and sated than I’d been in my entire life.
Gretchen stood up, pulling the comforter down and then helping me get underneath it before she snuggled up against me, face to face.
I rested my head in the crook of her shoulder while we waited for our breathing to return to normal.
“I love you,” I said, leaning up to press a kiss against her lips.
“I love you more,” she said, and I could tell by her serious expression that she meant it.
“Grandma’s going to be so excited that we got back together,” I said. “I swear she was more upset about the breakup than I was.”
“I’ve missed her too,” Gretchen said. “She keeps me young.”
“Yeah no kidding, she has me going to hip hop dance class with her and she’s much better than I am.”
“Has she made you go with her to Pilates yet?” Gretchen asked.
“No, she said her teacher is on maternity leave, and she doesn’t like the sub.”
“Just wait. She made me go with her one time and it hurt to breathe for three days because my abs were so sore. Meanwhile Jan didn’t even break a sweat.”
I laughed. “That sounds right.”
“What happens next?” Gretchen asked, looking a little vulnerable. “With us, I mean?”
“We date. We talk. We spend time together, and we see where everything goes from there.”
“I already know where I want things to go,” she said softly. “I want my ring on your finger, and your ring on mine.”
“Let’s just take things one day at a time, okay? There’s no rush.”
She nodded. “You’re right. And you’ll be right next door, so we’ll be able to see each other all the time.”
“We both need our space too,” I reminded her. “I want to make my own friends and have my own relationships. I don’t want to be one of those couples who have to do everything together, it’s annoying.”
“Okay, we’ll go slow, I promise.”
There was no way she could keep that promise. I knew it. She knew it. I’m sure my grandmother knew it. But learning patience and how to let go of being in control would be good for her. We’d figure it out together. I had no doubt about that.