Catch Your Breath

Barking. So much barking. Elise and I re-enter the house, clad in our dresses from the night before. Is it the walk of shame if you're doing it as a couple? Last night went on for a while, at this point I think I know what Elise's naked body looks like better than my own. Not that I'm complaining. After a night of many, many, many... Many orgasms, we'd managed to get a few hours sleep before we needed to shower and check out to catch our ride home.

Long story short... We're tired. Completely worn out.

And we're in love.

I keep giggling as I remember that fact, it shouldn't make me this giddy right? Like we'd basically confessed weeks ago, but it's like my anxiety can't deny it anymore. We're greeted by Ruby's traditional welcome fanfare, barking followed by more barking. Elise gives in to the demands of the pup and crouches down to pet her as I kick my shoes off.

"All that preparation and you didn't think to take a change of clothes?" I hear Rouge's voice mock us as she makes her way down the stairs. "How was it?" She adds, she looks proud, like she's attending my graduation. Come on, I'm not that hopeless... At least not anymore.

"It was amazing, I've never seen anything like that place, I was so surprised." Elise begins, unable to contain her obvious excitement. "And I had the best company I could have asked for." She decides, reaching up to grab my hand.

Rouge seems irritated by our happiness. "Impossible, I wasn't there." She responds flatly. I force back a chuckle, it's been a long night, and I don't have the strength to roll my eyes.

"I'm gonna go sleep some more, my brain isn't in a fit state to tell you off." I reply, crossing past my sister up the stairs. Elise follows close behind, honestly, if I could sleep in this dress I would, but it's way too tight, and I'm not enough of a porn star to sleep in lingerie, bless those women for somehow making this look comfortable.

I finally get some loungewear on and collapse into bed, with my beautiful girlfriend following suit. "I love you." I tell her, never gonna get tired of that.

"I love you too." She answers as I cuddle up to her. Today's going to be a calm day for us, same for Rouge from what I can tell, after today it's all systems go for Hallowe'en. Guess the only question mark is Trish...

I wonder what she's up to...

*

My name's Tricia Patel, but everyone calls me Trish, know why? I like to keep things simple, easy, carefree. Things haven't been like that lately though... I pull myself out of bed and grab the nearest clothes, why'd I say I could work today? Today's clearly a day for napping, bet Scarlet and Elise are tuckered out from their all-night bang session, I should text them.

Shower and shave? Get fucked, I'll have a wash, but like Hell am I shaving my legs for work, I'll just wear jeans. Hop in the car, straight to work, open up and... Fuck, am I ever bored.

I stand behind the counter of the shop, stock's already sorted, no deliveries today, and it's a Sunday so business won't pick up until the afternoon and I'm on the morning shift. I don't like being bored, it leaves me alone with my thoughts. I said I'd meet Skye for a late lunch when I'm done, since we became a couple thing's have been... I'm not gonna lie, things have been awesome, I'm still terrified about my parents finding out and the eventual marriage discussion, but for now, dating, getting coffee, stealing kisses, it's nice.

There's just one problem. I can't share it with my best friend. I got what I always wanted, I slept with Rouge, a lot, every way I could think of, and this is my reward. She doesn't want to talk to me. I broke the rules, I got a girlfriend, that's on me. I just wish I could talk to her, tell her how it's going, be friends again and shoot the shit. I guess I ruined that, didn't I? Without sex what do we ever have in common anymore? Alright, a bunch of stuff, but... But...

This is the problem with thinking, I can't feed myself my own bullshit. I fell for her. I fell for Rouge, even though I knew she wouldn't return those feelings, and she was disgusted by the very concept, it was rule one. I sidestepped that by getting together with Skye, who I really like, only to fuck things up anyway.

"Fuck it!" I yell.

"I think that's the point." A voice responds. Shit, I wasn't expecting anyone to walk in, customers are like rats, you're never more than six feet from one. I look around for the visitor before my eyes catch her entering the door.

"Kara?" I blurt out. "Thank fuck, I thought I'd yelled at a customer." I sigh with relief as she strolls to the counter.

Kara's been here a couple of times since the party, just for underwear, but we've gotten a pretty good rapport at this point. "I am a customer, you know?" She points out. "Just because I come here to catch up on gossip doesn't mean my money isn't worth anything! Speaking of gossip, you've been holding out on me!"

Ah, yeah, might've forgotten to mention a recent update. "Hey, so funny story, Skye asked me out and I said yes." I rush out with a cheesy grin, she can't get mad at me, I technically did tell her!

"I know!" Kara responds, shaking her head. "Heard it from Romeo herself, she's smitten as a kitten. I assume kittens get attached a lot or something." And there's the kicker, the guilt. Skye's amazing, she's everything I could ever want in a girlfriend, she's confident and sweet, and she doesn't feel the need to keep up the act around me... Which is more than I can say for Rouge.

Damn it, this is what I mean, it's not fair to keep comparing Skye to some imaginary relationship with Rouge, makes me feel like I'm letting her down. Not that I can tell anyone any of this, everyone knows everyone. I can't tell Scarlet, she's Rouge's sister, I can't tell Elise, they're all living together, I can't tell Anya or Kara, they're too close with Skye, I can't tell Gabriel or Henry, they're too close to Rouge. Rob? Ha! Too many reasons not to confide in him.

"Well, I'm pretty fond of her myself." I smile, hiding the conflict. "I'm meeting her this afternoon for lunch, in fact."

Kara's face turns suspicious. "Is she on the menu?" She asks suggestively. I wish, conflict or not, Skye's a stunner and anyone would be lucky to have sex with her. But then is that fair? She seems to take the whole virginity thing so seriously, if I'm questioning this much is it right to go through with it?

Damn it again...

I wave off Kara's jokes and eventually she takes her leave, the working day finally ends and I hand off duties to the afternoon girl. The diner I'm meeting Skye at isn't far, I'm looking forward to it, all my worries seem to relax around her, she numbs it, I could really do with that right now.

I catch sight of her as I turn the corner, my girlfriend, at last!

"You're a sight for sore eyes." I smirk, moving to kiss her, but he hand on my chest stops me.

"I need to tell you something." She begins, there's no relaxing tone of chaotic wit in her voice, she's quiet and serious. "It's been eating me up inside, and I know you won't care, but I need to say something."

I lower my head to try and meet her gaze. "What's going on? Do you want to sit down first?" I offer, she's clearly bothered by something, she doesn't get serious for no reason.

"No, I need to say it now, or I'm gonna be sick... The night I asked you to be with me, at the bar..." She begins, before trailing off. A million things are going through my mind, I expect her to say she was only joking and it's gone too far, or one of my friends had yelled at her or something. It feels like days go by before she finishes her sentence:

"I slept with someone else."

I really miss when things were simple.