Happy New Year

Monday January 3rd 2005 ? 8:15pm ? The Community Centre

?Ohhh, I?m really not sure about this,? moaned Chantelle, as she and Kelly approached the party.

?Don?t be stupid,? her friend replied, putting an arm round the black girl to reassure her.

?I?m just not really, you know?. into that stuff,? Chantelle worried.

?You seemed pretty interested last week,? Kelly retorted. ?Anyway, you?re going to look like the side of a house in a few weeks and Jay?s already cleared off.?

?I?m only three months,? Chantelle protested, pulling in her still slim belly.

?Not the point,? answered Kelly, more confident around her twenty yer old friend than with some of the older women. ?The boys aren?t going to be staying around long once you?ve had a kid. You might as well get used to a few more nights out with the girls. And you might as well get to know he other mums.?

?Getting to know them is not a problem,? said Chantelle. ?But getting to know them in that way, that?s different.?

?You?ll be fine,? answered Kelly, as they reached the gates of the centre. ?Just stick with me, if things get too freaky.?

Loud disco music emanated from the hall in front of them. Not too loud to upset the neighbours, but loud enough to inicate that a private party was taking place and to muffle any unfortunate noises. This was the Pampered Pussy Club?s New Year Party and recruiting drive ? not that they had used that name when describing it to husbands and partners ? most of whom were babysitting the kids tonight.

Nervously, the two twenty year olds pushed open the front doors of the community centre.

In the lobby, two women were talking animatedly. One, Kelly recognised immediately as Donna. The buxom redhead was spilling out of a short green party dress. The woman she was talking to was one of the newcomers, who had been invited along by Ali. An Irish woman. Shawna? Yes, Kelly thought, that was her name.

?Kelly! Good to see you,? Donna cried out, on seeing the two younger women. ?Did you have a nice Christmas??

With that, the redhead rushed over to give the young woman a welcoming kiss, as the hostess should. However, when the kiss began to liger beyond the accepted norm, Chantelle began to get a bit unsure. As it continued on, the black girl looked nevously at Shawna. The Irish woman gave her a broad grin in return.

Chantelle looked back to the kissing couple. As, soft moans began to escape from Kelly and Donna, Chantelle realised that in spite of herself, she could not drag her eyes away. They were drawn inexorably towards the locked lips of her friend and this other woman. Drawn to their kiss in a way that, Chantelle realised, she had been drawn to this group. Ever since that afternoon in Erica?s house, three months ago, Chantelle had felt compelled to come here.

?And this must be the young friend that you were telling us about,? Donna?s voice was saying.

Chantelle jerked out of her reverie and realised that the kiss had ended and Donna was smiling at her. The black girl jumped back in alarm.

Maybe she wasn?t ready just yet after all.

?Would you both like to go through?? Invited Donna, unfazed.

The two girls walked through a second pair of doors into the party.

The hall where the mothers? group usually met had been transformed. Instead of childen?s toys and coffee area, it was hung with streamers and decorated with baubles and colored sheets. Music played loudly and groups of women were dancing. Kelly was overwhelmed. Somebody had put a lot of work into this party and she felt a slight pang of guilt that it hadn?t been her.

She also reflected that the group had more than doubled in size and had come along way in the last eight months, since that first evening when they had all comfortably fitted into Helen?s living room.

Chantelle was overwhelmed as well. She hadn?t fully take it on board until now. She was amazed to see all these respectable women ? many of them with guys at home ? who were also into each other. She recognised the tall blonde, talking and laughing with two other women. That was Erica, who she had seen in bed with that other woman.

Talking of which? that other women, the smaller blonde was walking towards her now.

?Would you like a drink?? Tracy asked her.

?That?s not much of a chat up line,? laughed Chantelle.

?It wasn?t supposed to be,? the slim blonde responded. ?I really was just offering you a drink.?

?Oh, OK. Sorry,? answered Chantelle uncertainly.

?Of course, if you?d like to dance instead?? began the blonde, sensing the disappointment in Chantelle?s voice.

The black girl grinned and the two women moved together. A confusing mixture of emotions overcame the twenty year old at this point. Something within tried to reassert itself, to tell her that this was wrong and should not be. And it felt so right and so natural. She was dimly aware that the music had changed. The loud party music had changed tempo, had become slower and more sensual. She drew closer to the slim blonde until their lips almost touched. And then it seemed only natural that their lips should touch. Chantelle gave herself over to the kiss?

?And then jerked suddenly back. Kelly? What about Kelly? Was she betraying her friend?

Guiltily the black girl looked round. But Kelly was laughing with a group of other women, two of whom were groping her small breasts. Around the room other women were pairing off or foolng around in groups. Reasured, the black girl turned her attention back to her partner and this time it was she who initiated the deep and lasting kiss.