May's in Trouble

"I'll take Medusa," announced May, "she's my favorite Greek heroine."

Claire's face contorted as she tried to form a reasonable response. "I don't know if she's a heroine. As I recall, she's definitely more tragic than villain, but she turned a lot of people to stone."

She was thinking too much. May raised her hand indicating she had a counterpoint. "Turned men into stone," she corrected confidently, "leaving us women free to write poetry and watch the naked Olympics in peace. Plus, imagine what it'd be like to kiss her with all those tiny mouths."

Claire genuinely laughed, a beautiful, wonderful laugh. It was deep and throaty, yet still rapid and feminine like a giggle. May felt herself blush a bit at making her crush laugh. She hadn't really been trying to joke, so Claire's joyous response was an unexpected bonus.

"Well," Claire gleefully said with a shrug, "she may be a fun kisser, but how's she in a fight?"

Not too good as it turned out, at least not with May controlling her. This was a bit unexpected because in her experience these games were usually won by whoever could attack the most, and May could mash that attack button faster than anyone she knew. Yet whether it was tail swipes or rock throws Claire's werewolf would always block or counter. Aggressively, May started hammering the buttons in random patterns. She knew there was a sequence that'd win her the match; she just had to thousand-monkeys a solution out of it.

But try as she might, her minion's healthbar was still dropping faster than her opponent's. "Already figured about what you're going to make me for lunch?" taunted Claire. "You know, because you're going to lose,"

"Ha, in your dreams," May fired back, tilting her controller to give her attacks extra power. "I've got a secret move that'll have you saying 'what do you want on your sandwich?' in no time at all."

"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots," mocked Claire as her character ducked then lunged at May's medusa.

"You should be. Here comes the combo. Hiiiyah!" May acted fast, but not in game. Instead, her target was Claire herself. She dove across her friend reaching for the controller in her hand. Unfortunately her opponent proved more nimble, and simply held her controller out of her assailant's flailing grasp while May was left splayed across her lap.

"You're such a brat," laughed Claire as she brought her hand down to playfully smack May. Intended or not, her blow landed firmly on her upturned ass.

May froze instantly. Though playfully gentle the slap had sent a shudder up her spine.

"Sorry, was that too rough?" asked Claire, a little startled by her friend's pause.

"No that's fine," said May, somehow managing not to add, I wish it was harder.

"Knock Out!" declared the announcer as Claire's character won the match.

"That's not fair," huffed May as she sheepishly returned to her seat, defeated in and out of game. "My beginner's luck was supposed to kick in."

"I doubt it would've helped you much," gloated Claire, but her face relaxed with genuine sympathy as she added, "but we could void the bet for the reason of me being too awesome."

"Don't you dare let me off the hook that easily," May threatened, "or I won't make you my famous chicken noodle soup."

Claire raised her hands in surrender. "No one could accuse you of being a sore loser."

A twinkle adorned May's eye as she thought of her perfect comeback. "Please, you didn't spank me nearly hard enough for me to be sore."

Claire conceded the point with another laugh. The pair continued to talk, meandering between various topics. Family came up at some point, and May found it surprisingly easy to explain her rocky relationship to Claire, even though she'd just met her yesterday. The blonde's cool intensity made her feel safe and open. Moreover, Claire was an excellent listener not only giving May her undivided focus but also asking probing questions and letting her expression shift in subtle ways as she predicted where the story would go. For example, when May had started weaving the tale of how she'd repaid her Aunt's incessant snooping with some disinformation, Claire's briant blue eyes had glittered with anticipation when May described her stash of homemade "bitcoin bills".

In fact, Claire was such a good listener that May started to feel guilty about how much she was talking, but every time she tried to stop to let her new friend speak, Claire prodded her on or asked for another detail to be clarified and set May off again. Not only was this bad social form, but it also hampered May from seeing the real Claire. Otherwise, she'd just keep seeing the athletic blonde as her fantasy ideal. Right now that was a badass detective handcuffing naughty criminals and spanking them with her baton.

"Uh, everything okay?" asked Claire, "Was that a sore subject?"

"N-no," stammered May as she was yanked back to reality. "I was just, uh, admiring beauty. The beauty outside I mean," she explained, gesturing to the bland landscape outside that could probably pass as being in her eyeline. "By the way, what do you do for a living? My money's on law enforcement."

"Nothing that exhilarating, sorry. Capital Projects Liaison for the town, I find it fulfilling, but the most exciting day for me was when I hooked that frisbee on a fire hydrant in one try."

"I bet you couldn't do that twice."

"My, my, May," chided Claire playfully, "you seem quite the gambler."

May smiled and shrugged. "I guess you just bring out my mischievous side. What's the worst that could happen anyway."

"Well last time we gambled," said Claire, her face fiercely stoic in that way that took May's breath away. "I literally spanked your ass, remember?" She raised her chin, taking on the air of a conqueror. "Do you really want a repeat?"

"Oh, I really would like that. Um, to play videogames with you I mean, friend. But first I want to see your impressive frisbee skills."

"Honestly, it was probably a one time thing. However..." Claire flexed her jaw, and May thought she saw the beginnings of a scheme behind those icy-blue viking eyes. "For the sake of fun, I'm willing to bet I can do it again. Do you want to go double or nothing? If I can get this frisbee on a fire hydrant with my first try you make me lunch and supper; if I can't you're off the hook."

Fuck, she's trying to let me out of the bet. "Hey," May said, a bit indignant at being patronized. "I'm not going to give up spending lunch with you so easily."

"Alright, what about this: if I miss, I'll make us lunch. And if I succeed, it's not only lunch, super, but you'll also be my maid for the day." Her tone was calm and flat, and she adopted a stern mask of an expression, prompting May to wonder what was churning beneath the surface. "I suggest you take that offer."

May couldn't refuse. Was Claire flirting with her? It was a sexy thing to be trapped as somebody's maid, right? No, she was just projecting her own fantasies. Doing the dishes or cleaning someone's place was a pretty common thing after a bet between friends. Moreover, Claire saying she was straight was just about the only thing May could remember from last night. Even so, caught in the narrowed stare of those baby blues and looking back at that determined expression May was helpless. "Uh, yeah," she nodded, "yup, seems fair, buddy ol' pal." If life were at all fair, you'd be having constant fantasies about tying me up and spanking me again.

Claire grabbed her throwing weapon and the pair went outside. Cold swirled around them, even as they entered the vestibule. Immediately after stepping through the outer door, May was again hit by the desire to cuddle her crush because the wind picked up and started tickling her all over. It practically even pushed her into Claire at one point.

"I'm aiming for that hydrant," stated Claire, pointing casually to her target a few buildings over.

"Uh, we can get closer, give you a fair chance."

"I'm fine."

May still couldn't read Claire. Was she cold too? Was she worried her chair couldn't go through the deep snow? Or was she just that confident? It seemed a bit ridiculous from this distance, but maybe the blonde had some Olympic talent. Images of Claire as an athlete in Ancient Greece once again flirted into her mind. May wrapped her arms around her breasts trying to warm her wind-licked nipples. Whatever got them inside quicker was fine by her.

Casually, Claire reeled back and flung the frisbee. For a moment it looked like the discus would sail far from the target, but something unexpected happened. The wind nuzzled under the projectile and lifted it towards the distant steel stump. The frisbee sliced off the hydrant's snow cap before catching the metal tip and lolled a few lazy circles. For a moment, it looked like the frisbee clatter off, but a quick gust steadied it, leaving the disc perfectly balanced.

Slack jawed, May looked at Claire who was herself staring at the hydrant. "How the hell did you pull that off?" she asked, once she'd managed to close her mouth.

"Well, I never..." replied Claire to herself. She turned to May. "Um, could you get that back for me?"

"I guess I have to." May nodded, still trying to figure out how Claire knew the wind would blow like that. "I'm your maid, right?"

"Yes," replied Claire slowly, "yes, I suppose so. First grab my frisbee for me please." She turned towards May and upon seeing her goosebumps quickly added, "you can grab your coat first." Then her eyes lit up and a minxy smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she calmly commanded, "next, I want you to come to my apartment, wearing something more appropriate for a maid."