Learning more about Ashley

When I came back, late at night, Liam was already asleep, so I tried my best to make as little noise as possible and went to bed myself. I was quite tired anyway, and slept like a log until my phone's alarm woke me up the following morning.

I started my now almost usual routine: I took a shower, got dressed in some formal but sexy clothes composed of suit pants, a shirt with a blazer, and black loafers, and then put on my makeup to look even hotter. Being Irene was pretty much second nature by this point, and a small part of me would definitely miss her skin and life after this Friday. Although, in a way, I was also already looking forward to the next skin I'd be able to slip into.

I wonder what kind of people Minh has in mind...? If he knows my tastes and wants from when I was still a teenager, he probably chose someone athletic, or a law student.

Thinking about this now was pointless, though, as I'd have the answer this Friday. I went downstairs and joined Liam for another enjoyable breakfast.

"How was it last night?" He asked.

"I learned a lot. I met two members of the coven, Ashley and Matthew, and both seemed like friendly people."

Liam nodded. "Minh mentioned them once, but I've never seen them."

"I still have to meet the last three members, but so far, my opinion on the coven is fairly positive, surprisingly." I admitted. "I didn't expect a group of skinwalkers to be so... nice."

He chuckled softly. "Monsters being a lot **** and compassionate than normal humans... It is ironic. Between Minh and you and some of the humans I've crossed paths with before, it's easy to see who the real monsters are."

I smiled at him. "True. And thanks for your trust, Liam. It means a lot to me."

Liam finished his coffee before speaking again. "The more I get to know you and Minh, the less nervous I am about being introduced to the coven. Like you said, if they are similar to Minh and you, I believe it'll be alright."

"Yeah."

We finished our breakfast and left the house shortly after. Like yesterday, I drove Liam to the college campus before starting my day of work. It was becoming another routine now, one I couldn't say I disliked despite my former lack of interest in architecture. I was enjoying myself as Irene, embracing her identity and skin, and I almost didn't want it to end. It was so strange for me to love being a middle-aged woman to such extent, but after fully accepting myself, I didn't really care anymore.

The day went by in a flash and I found myself finishing earlier than usual. As such, I decided to take some time to visit a few places charged with memories of my past.

My first stop was a comic store I often frequented during my free time. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the owner was still the same, even if he obviously couldn't recognise me currently. I browsed through the magasines and books, seeing if anything caught my eyes. I left the store a moment later with a few new comics to read and share with Liam, and drove to my next stop, my former high-school.

I parked nearby, observing the students who just finished their days of classes and were busy chatting with their friends or flirting with their partners. Seeing them was making me feel nostalgic, even if my time as a high-schooler wasn't the best. I also spotted a few teachers I recognised, and some I didn't.

I went to a cafe in front of the school. It wasn't the same one I usually went to after class, though, it was a new one. Sipping a coffee inside was my former PE teacher, Steven, who seemed surprised for a brief moment when his eyes landed on me.

Weird...

I sat at a table next to him, ordering a latte. When the waiter left, he leaned closer and muttered.

"Edward, what are you doing here?"

What he asked surprised me, and I instantly turned to face him. "W-what?"

He moved to sit in front of me, appearing shy.

"I-I'm Ashley..." She confessed in a low tone before regaining her composure. "I would have liked to tell you this Friday, but I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Why are you wearing my PE teacher?" I questioned, narrowing my eyes.

"I'll explain when we're in private, is that alright?" She asked, looking around.

The cafe was quite crowded, so it wasn't a bad idea to be careful.

I nodded. "Alright, where could we go?"

"My flat isn't far, we can talk there." Ashley replied, writing down the address and a phone number on a small piece of paper. "Give me fifteen minutes to get everything ready and ring this number when you're in front of the building."

I grabbed the paper. "Okay."

On that, she quickly finished her drink and paid for it before striding outside, most likely on her way to her flat. The waiter brought me my own drink right after and I savoured it slowly, waiting for the time to join Ashley. It was tasty, even more so than what the previous cafe sold.

I then drove to the address Ashley gave me and rang the phone number. I waited a few minutes before the front door opened, revealing Vanessa, the woman Ashley was wearing last night at the club. Unlike yesterday, she was wearing more casual clothes, some black leggings, sneakers, and a white t-shirt.

She smiled and gestured at the elevator behind her. "Welcome, Irene. I live on the sixth floor, so let's take the elevator."

I followed her inside, and could notice her giving me a few furtive glances while the elevator was going up. She got out when the doors opened and led me to an apartment in the corner.

"Here's where I live. Please make yourself at home." She said while unlocking her door.

I walked inside, Ashley locking the door behind us, and observed the living room. It was a fairly small but cozy and nicely decorated place, good for a young couple. A few pictures of Steven, Vanessa, and their friends were pinned on the walls, alongside some paintings and ornaments. A hoover was lying in a corner of the room, and the table was covered with snacks and various notebooks.

"I-I'm sorry for the mess, I-I didn't expect you..." Ashley said more shyly.

"Likewise, I didn't expect you to be wearing my former PE teacher. May I know why?" I asked, sitting on the couch.

She sat next to me, but avoided my gaze. "W-well... I-I wanted to... help you, and all the other victims of bullying at school... I thought being Steven would allow me to achieve that more easily..."

"Help me? You were already wearing him back when I was still a student?"

She timidly nodded. "I-I became a skinwalker shortly after the start of your last year. Luke and Viola were in the same college as me, and resumed their bullying now that you weren't there anymore. Minh saved me from them and... decided to bless me."

I snorted of frustration. "Luke went back at it, huh... At least Minh was able to help you."

She smiled softly. "Y-yeah. W-with these powers, I... I wanted to repay you. And do something for all the other victims of bullying. I wanted to change things... So I became Steven."

When she mentioned this, I recalled my PE teacher becoming a lot more invested in campaigning against bullying and harshly punishing any kind of bullies during my last year of high-school. While he never was one to turn a blind eye to kids in trouble, he wasn't as involved before my last year of high-school.

"I see, that explains the change. I was wondering what might have happened. Thank you for that, Ashley. I'm sure you managed to help a lot of people." I replied, giving her a warm smile.

Hearing my praise made her blush deeply. "T-thank you... I-I just wanted to... make you proud..."

"So, Steven is your main skin, then?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, for now..."

"And who's Vanessa, then?"

Her cheeks reddened and she looked away again, rubbing her thighs together. "She's... Steven's girlfriend."

I tilted my head. "Steven's? Not yours?"

"I... I only really started dating her to keep playing my role."

"Ah, I see."

"She's a nice girl, but I... I already love someone else." She declared while giving me a nervous but loving glance.

It was my turn to blush at that. "R-right..."

She came closer, timidly holding my hand. "I... I truly love you, Edward... You coming back, it's... it's like a dream come true."

She was clearly devoted to me, there was no doubt about it. It was strangely flattering to know someone loved me so much, I had to admit. I was considering whether or not I should try to date her. She was a skinwalker too, so it wouldn't be the same as dating a normal human, but so far, I found Ashley charming and cute. She may have been hiding things from me in the past when she saved me, but it wasn't out of malice, and she and I apparently shared similar morals. It was definitely too early, but I was willing to give her a chance.

I tried to regain my composure and smiled at her. "Thank you, Ashley. I'm not really sure how it'd work, but I guess we could try going out and see how it goes?"

Her eyes widened but almost sparkled. "R-really?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I don't know you much yet, but you seem like a nice girl I'd like to get to know better."

As soon as I finished my sentence, she leaned closer and pressed her plump lips against mine, surprising me. After a second to comprehend what happened, I wrapped my arms around her neck and returned the kiss. Kissing a woman as a woman was a novel experience, even if it technically wasn't my first time due to Minh's surprise kiss the first day I donned Irene. Here, though, I could enjoy it fully as our tongues danced in our mouths. My pussy was twitching and getting wet, my arousal growing stronger with each passing second.

I'm gonna get addicted to this feeling...~

A moment later, Ashley broke free from the kiss and smiled warmly at me. "Sorry for acting impulsively, but I'm so happy... I've been dreaming to hear these words from you for so long... I'd be such a mess if I wasn't relying on Vanessa's personality for the time being."

I smiled back. "Did you enjoy the kiss?"

"I did, yes. I've always wanted to kiss you."

I became more serious as I leaned on the back of the couch. "Hmm, there's something you should know, though... I plan to return to my normal self after this Friday, but I'm... seriously thinking about living as a woman most of the time..." I admitted, my cheeks red with embarrassment. "I... grew to really enjoy my time as one."

She giggled quietly. "I had the feeling. It seems to be the case for most of us." She then gave me a kiss on the cheek. "But I don't mind either way, I love you no matter the gender or skin."

I blushed even more at her loving declaration. "Thanks, Ashley."

"What about you? Do you have any preferences when it comes to gender or appearance?" She then asked. "I'd be whoever you want."

"Hmm... I can't say I hated being a straight girlfriend for a few days, but I do prefer women still. And for appearances, I'm not really picky."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind." Ashley said before resting her head against my shoulder. "I love you, Edward..."

It'd probably be a strange sight should anyone see us. A woman in her late twenties acting all romantically with a woman in her forties.

"Aren't you a little weirded out that I'm Irene right now?" I asked Ashley.

Her head rose up and she smiled. "Not really, no. I know it's you under her skin, and that's enough for me." She then glanced away, her shy nature slipping through her more confident facade. "Although, I... admit I wouldn't mind spending some time with your original self, too."

"I understand. I will return to myself soon anyway."

She stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking again. "Would you... mind removing Irene's skin for a short time?"

I tilted my head. "Why?"

She blushed and muttered under her breath. "Minh... Y-you already did it with him... I-I want to... do it too..."

"You want to... sleep with me?" I asked, surprised.

She slowly nodded, giving me a clear answer. It was true that I already had sex with Minh, but he was quite assertive back then. Not that I didn't enjoy it, because I did. Here, Ashley was waiting for my answer, but clearly hoping I'd accept. I was wondering whether we were going too fast, considering that I only agreed to start dating her today, and barely knew her. Her current skin was very attractive, though, I couldn't deny it. Her coffee-like skin, her brown shining eyes, her curly dark locks... Vanessa was a beautiful woman, and the idea of having sex with someone like her seemed quite enticing...