SS Undercover Ch 14

Cassie sighs, cringing inwardly. She, Kylie, Elsa, and Colby deserve this. Apple probably does not. She chews her lip, then makes a conciliatory gesture with both hands. “OK, um, ma’am. If there’s a way to keep her out of jail,” she says, indicating the sobbing Apple with her eyes. “We will play ball.” She grabs Elsa and Kylie by the shoulder and squeezes.

The cop looks her up and down, then she sighs too. “That’s probably for the best. I don’t have any problem believing that you have a driver’s license. And I believe that something scared you. But I don’t believe that you had healthy, positive intentions to make the community a better place when you decided to get in that car dressed like that.”

Cassie glances at the others, then herself. “We’re trying to confront a panty thief.”

The cop looks startled. “People still do that?”

“I guess.”

“What went wrong?”

Cassie shrugs. “Our information was bad.”

Ellen rubs her face, then gets out a pad and pen, beginning to write. “I’m still writing you a ticket. They’re doing the community garden in the park tomorrow, then the cleanup. You’re all going to be there from start to finish. Nine to six. You’re going to make sure Willow Street gets taken care of. There’s basically no volunteers over there.”

There’s no way that the others are excited about a full day of community service, but they know a good deal when they hear one.

“Oh, thank god,” Cassie says, letting out an explosive breath.

“You must really like picking up trash,” the cop says, still writing.

“I was afraid you were gonna ask for sexual favors or something.”

She glances up. “Jesus, kid. I’m not that kind of cop.”

“Yeah, Ellen’s not a creep. Just an asshole,” Elsa says.

“Don’t be late.” Ellen rips off the ticket and hands it over, then returns to her car.

“**** labor,” Elsa says with a scowl as Ellen drives off. “That’s what this is. Just like those prison jobs where they pay you like two sticks of celery for a day’s work.”

“Dude, you wish you could get celery in prison. I think they just give you peas and ramen,” Colby says. She finds Cassie’s hand and gives it a little squeeze. “Good job.”

Kylie seems to come to her senses. “Her? I’m the leader.”

Cassie puts her arms around the sniffling Apple. “You’re fine. It’s no big deal.”

“Ringleader. Of delinquents,” Colby says.

Kylie tosses her hair. “Someone’s got to do it.”

They pile back into the car. Apple has settled down, but she still looks traumatized. It looks like the panty pervert is getting away with it for now, not that anyone seems to care very much. No one’s talking about it now, miraculously, but Kayla should probably hide the next time she sees Elsa or Kylie coming into the diner. Well, not Elsa. Elsa obviously has a thing for her, although Cassie isn’t sure that Kayla has noticed. Or that Kayla is interested in girls. That’s rough; that much, Cassie can relate to. There’s almost nothing harder than having a crush on an oblivious straight girl. It’s just a little weird that it’s Kayla, though. There are plenty of women at UFG who can match Kayla for looks and effortlessly lap her in personality.

“What’s Kayla’s deal?” Cassie asks as they leave town.

“What do you mean?” Elsa sounds defensive.

“I mean, she’s really prickly.”

“She has a reputation for sleeping around that she probably isn’t proud of and she works in a diner where half the customers are college kids whose lives hopefully actually going somewhere,” Colby says.

Cassie glances at her in the mirror. That’s a succinct and merciless way of looking at it.

“Her parents divorced. I think she’s had a hard time with it,” Elsa mumbles, looking out the window.

“Her sister is so sweet, though,” Kylie says.

CCL House is still standing, and it looks spookier than ever now that the hour is so late.

The five women in S&M gear shuffle tiredly into the bright foyer. The house is quiet, but everyone turns as Apple struggles to take off her bodysuit right away. Cassie doesn’t blame her; they’re all on the same page. As fun as these costumes are, they aren’t comfortable, and they don’t all fit well. Everyone is riding a little euphoric high of having escaped a terrible fate; it’s a muted elation, but elation is the only word for it. Zippers zip, buckles pop, and heavy garments fall to the floor.

Dried sweat, red pinch marks, and lines from the ill-fitting corsets and harnesses cover them all. It’s not until it’s all off that there’s anything resembling self-consciousness.

But there’s none of that in Kylie.

“Cassie,” she says.

“Yeah?”

“I’m all gross.” Yes, they all are. Even if it wasn’t a beastly hot and muggy night, getting pulled over like that would’ve generated eight thousand gallons of sweat.

Kylie moves a little closer, and Cassie’s heart rate speeds up. This isn’t subtle body language. “You got enough of that white knight left in you to wash my back?”

“No. But I’ll let you wash mine.” Cassie puts her arms around Kylie’s neck, brings her in close, and kisses her. A night like this creates a lot of feelings, and Cassie isn’t about to try to keep them all inside.

That seems to work for Kylie, who eagerly presses herself to Cassie and kisses her back.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Colby says, sliding her hands between their bodies and trying to separate them. “Public indecency. Naked women making out in the hallway. You can’t do this. This is a Christian manga. I mean, you can’t do it—uh, without me. You wouldn’t do that, right? Exclude me, everyone’s favorite person?”

“Hey, whoa.” Elsa pushes her way in. “If there’s a party, I’m in it.”

Cassie is surprised; she’s also not surprised. She doesn’t need her brain to keep up with all of this; she’s already made the decision to go with her feelings. Trying not to laugh as naked women start marching up the steps, she looks over her shoulder.

Apple stands alone, looking distinctly fragile.

Cassie hesitates.

Should she follow the others upstairs?

Or comfort Apple?