Good Intentions (37 page)

“He would not,” she interrupted dryly. “Aw, you don’t even know what I was gonna say!” “I do indeed,” Lorelei smiled. She looked at Carson levelly as her voice took on a sweet tone. “Your ambitions are plain as day, and your approach as clumsy as a drunken vagrant. Come back to me in ten years when you have learned some measure of subtlety and charisma. I shall laugh at you then as well , but I will at least give you a round of applause for your efforts.” Stunned and speechless, Carson withdrew. Lorelei wasn’t even looking at him anymore. She was still eyeing the darkly-dressed shadow floating back toward the living room. As she did, Drew leaned in to say quietly, “Daaaamn. You smack everyone down that hard?” “When I feel like it,” Lorelei grinned back. “I’m not from a very nice neighborhood.” The “bar” had become a bit busier over the last few minutes. Guests had continued to show up as the night wore on. Drew and Lorelei happily mixed and doled out more drinks for more people as the faces became a bit more diverse. It was much more than a high school reunion party; paths had diverged after graduation, after al , and most everyone had made new friends. There were multiple schools, workplaces and social circles present. The underaged drinkers soon became the minority. That was a bit of a relief for the host. Sherri hadn’t stressed about it a lot, but it was at least a minor worry that was reduced through this dilution. The slender hostess began pitching in to help in the kitchen at Lorelei’s invitation. She slipped between the older woman and the younger “bartender,” pointedly staying closer to Drew and bumping into him a lot. Lorelei was pleased to see it. Sherri was an adorable, lithe young redhead, dusted with freckles and classically Irish features from head to toe. She also had an obvious liking for the young man behind the kitchen counter. The scent of Lorelei’s lusty kiss upon his lips only left Sherri less inhibited about showing it. “God, you two are a lifesaver,” Sherri laughed as she bent around Drew to grab yet another bottle of juice for mixers.

“You can stay al night, right?” The question seemed to be to both of them, but Lorelei knew better. She didn’t answer. “I ain’t got anywhere to be in the morning,” Drew shrugged. “I can stay or leave whenever.” Sherri stood up straight, very much up against him. There was a confident, taunting glint in her eye. “Or just stay,” she suggested. Drew may have gotten a little extra help because of Lorelei’s kiss, but he was more than capable of making things happen on his own. “That could happen,” he answered. Just as Sherri stepped back, though, Drew was struck between the eyes by a flying black hair scrunchie. The source was on the other side of the counter. “Stop flirting and make me a drink!” demanded the scrunchie’s owner happily. “I’m growin’ a beard over here!” “Aw, it’s my girl, whassup?” Drew grinned broadly. “I didn’t know you were comin’!” Taylor would have claimed the hug to which she was entitled, but with the counter between them she settled for a fist-bump. She wore simple but flattering blue jeans and a snug black t-shirt. “I’m a rebel,” she smirked. “An outlaw. I’m makin’ my own rules from now on…oh.” Taylor blinked. “Hel o, Taylor,” Lorelei said, finally turning around from the opposite counter. She passed a glass of something yel owish and a bit foamy off to the woman next to Taylor. “It’s good to see you.” “Uh, yeah,” Taylor blinked. “Hi, Lorelei.” “Oh, you two know each other?” Drew asked. “Yeah, we met. Wednesday night, at the mal . And the hospital,” Taylor said. She hadn’t really taken her eyes off Lorelei, nor had Lorelei turned away from her. The young brunette wasn’t hostile, but she seemed a bit unsure of how to handle the moment.

Lorelei took the initiative. She stepped around from the kitchen counter, smoothly navigating through the crowd on the other side to come closer. “Taylor, I’ve been hoping for a chance to talk to you more,” she began. “Wednesday night was so crazy for al of us. I know you just got here, but could I steal you away for a bit? Would you mind?” Pausing only to glance at Drew, who was already distracted again by Sherri, Taylor nodded. “Sure. But is…Is Alex around?” “He’s here,” Lorelei smiled knowingly, “but he’s in a private conversation right now.” * “Ohmygod you’re fuckin’ great,” Jocelyn breathed out. “Wow. Just wow.” “I’m flattered,” Alex said. “I just didn’t want to be like one of those guys who rushes things.” “How many guys do you think I’ve been with?” she asked with a bit of an indignant pout. “I wouldn’t guess a very high number. Not as many as there’ve been guys who were hoping they could get with you.” Jocelyn made a feigned gasp. “Oh, so you’re saying I’m a tease?” Alex grunted. “Wow. I just keep digging deeper. Can we stop talking now?” She reached up and grabbed his hair fiercely. “I think you’d better,” she grinned.

* “He’s in bed with someone else, isn’t he? Like right now?” Lorelei had hardly closed the door to the upstairs bathroom behind them. As she twisted the knob to lock it, she said, “Yes.” Taylor looked at her in shock. “What the hell ? How can you be okay with that?” “I encourage him,” Lorelei shrugged. “But that’s—!” “Taylor,” Lorelei broke in, “be calm. You are safe here. Speak truth to me, and believe that I will speak only truth to you. ” She watched Taylor closely, noting that there was only a brief flutter of the young woman’s eyes under the power of Lorelei’s suggestion. Satisfied, she spoke again. “You weren’t bothered to find him with Audrey that night, were you?” “I was—I, um…” Taylor stammered, not sure what to say. She rested her butt against the countertop around the bathroom sink while Lorelei stood straight and poised just to her left, between Taylor and the door. “Not…I was a little bothered by it, but I wasn’t mad at him. I just thought she didn’t deserve him. She’s a real bitch, and he’s always been such a nice guy. Right up until he started jumping every woman with a pulse, anyway.” “Why weren’t you mad at him for that with Audrey, then?” “It’s not like he was my boyfriend.” “Nor is he now. So why be angry with him? He has betrayed no one.”

“Why aren’t you angry with him?” “I’m not like other women.” She saw that it plainly wasn’t enough of an answer. “This will sound strange, I know,” she explained, “but I want this for him. The one thing he has longed for most is love. He has found that with me. I have no fears for our relationship. Therefore, I want him to have what makes him happy, and I know that in addition to his longing for love, his sexual appetites are exceptional. I am not saying others should feel this way. Far from it. I’m simply saying this works for me. “Real y, it’s a testament to his character that he isn’t a lying, cheating, philandering pig given how strong his sex drive is,” the older woman smirked. “I know very well that if I asked him to sleep only with me, forsaking al others for as long as we are together, he would. Had he fall en for someone else before me, he would be just as loyal to her. Al the will ing women in the world would be as ashes in his mouth if he thought it came at the expense of another’s pain. “I’ve had to work to get him to simply enjoy himself,” she said. “I want him to have his cake and eat it, too. I have taken that too far to turn back. To demand he be exclusive with me now would break his heart, because he would have to let down certain others.” Taylor looked on skeptical y. “He’s already got another girlfriend?” “No. But there are those very close to his heart. There is already at least one other with whom he will inevitably grow much closer, likely as lovers.” Seeing Taylor frown quizzical y, Lorelei said, “You remember the blonde? In the parking garage?” “A little,” Taylor shrugged. Her frown grew deeper. “More, now that you mention it. Didn’t she help us?” Lorelei nodded. “She looks out for him. There is a deep connection there. I must leave it to him to explain more to you.” After a moment, Taylor ventured, “Who else?” “You.”

Taylor shook her head. “ Oh no. I’m not looking for a new boyfriend,” she said firmly. “Not right now. And not to share.” “Understandable. But you came here tonight looking for Alex. You came knowing he was involved with another…and knowing that he cares for you deeply. You have seen how much you mean to him, and that he will keep silent at your request. And you have already shared a brief intimacy that has surely fil ed your thoughts since, and that you yearn to share again.” Lorelei shifted to stand directly in front of the younger woman. Taylor knew it should feel much more uncomfortable or even intimidating, but strangely, it didn’t. Her discomfort was mild and easy enough to overcome. “He loves me, Taylor. He will never leave me, nor I him. I want you to have no il usions about that. Yet at the same time, there is a place in his heart for you that will always exist, entirely independent of me or any other relationship in his life. Perhaps not as a lover, but certainly as more than a friend. You are safe with him, Taylor. And therefore you are safe with me. I want you to understand that.” The frown remained, but she nodded. “I don’t feel threatened,” Taylor said. “Just a little confused and…and I don’t know what else.” “Of course you’re confused. You live in a society that lauds monogamous love. There’s nothing wrong with that. It works beautifully for most, and is in truth ideal for most. I am a different sort. Put to rest your concerns about how I feel in this.” Taylor shrugged. “I guess I can do that.” “Then it comes to you, Taylor. You came here looking for Alex tonight.” “Yeah. I did.” “Why?” “Because it wasn’t until al this shit with him at the mal and then my boyf—my ex-boyfriend,” she corrected, “that I

realized what a good friend he really is. Gabriel—my ex—he’s not the first guy to treat me badly. He was really good at first, but then we got to UW and he had girls throwing themselves at him and he turned into a total shit. I was just about to break up with him anyway when Alex turned up, but…I mean, I wasn’t looking for a rebound. I can’t even explain why I hooked up with Alex like that. God, that was so crazy.” “I can explain it,” Lorelei put in with a quiet, sly smile. “But tel me,” she said, more seriously, “do you regret it?” “No,” Taylor said after a moment. She fidgeted a bit. “I don’t. I’ve been really glad about it, actual y. I just…I felt really safe with Alex al of a sudden. Like emotional y, not just because of those guys that night. Even—right when I saw him shopping there, I had this instant reaction like, ‘Hey, that’s my friend who’s always so nice to me. I’ve missed him.’ But then there was my boss al over him, and that pissed me off, and once I had chased her off just being alone with Alex felt so good…even before I had really decided to have sex with him. So I guess I felt like there was something special there. But now here he is getting into who knows how many women’s pants, just like Gabe!” Lorelei tilted her head thoughtfully and said, “Consider this: if the attentions of other women have changed Gabriel, do they seem to have changed Alex?” She thought about it. “Not real y, no.” “They have,” Lorelei admitted, “in that he is much more confident now. But where your ex-boyfriend apparently fell to his ego, Alex is desperate to stay grounded. He’s terrified of harming or betraying anyone. As I said, my greatest chal enge with him has been in getting him to let go of his inhibitions and overwrought concerns for the feelings of others and just have a good time. I think you’l find that Alex won’t let his success corrupt him.” Taylor’s arms went around her sides, then back down into her lap. “I guess I can see that.” “And so here you are.” Lorelei stepped a little closer, taking Taylor’s hand as if they were close friends. “Taylor… While you may not be looking for a new boyfriend, I think we both know that night at the mal isn’t really over for you yet. He’s not looking for a serious romantic relationship with you, but that intimacy was not at al lost on him, either.” “You’re saying he’d be a good friend with benefits?” Taylor asked. The faintest hints of a self-deprecating and yet

hopeful smile played at the corners of her lips. “I imagine so,” Lorelei smiled, “but that will be for the two of you to decide. What matters is that he cares about you.” “It seems crazy that you’re okay with it being more than that.” Lorelei’s smile turned a bit, at once dark and inviting. “I would very much like to help you both,” she offered. Taylor’s eyes widened. That was not what she meant. “Woah,” she said, “I’m not into—” “Taylor,” Lorelei broke in. Her tone had become even more soothing, but in a way that was hardly calming at al . “I am something of an expert in body language. You seem to be dealing with a bit of restlessness here…a not unpleasant restlessness.” The younger girl’s eyes remained wide, like a deer in headlights. Lorelei came ever closer. “You are entirely safe with Alex,” murmured the gorgeous, sexy, experienced woman. Her hands slid up Taylor’s arms. “And you are entirely safe with me. What is said and done here will only leave this room if you wish it.” Shuddering with every breath, Taylor was at a complete loss for words. It wasn’t conscious thought but instinct that held her in place. She wasn’t entirely sure what was going to happen, nor if she really wanted it, but at the same time she didn’t want to stop it. Lorelei paused, feeling the girl shake like a leaf. Apart from having influenced Taylor’s conversational calm and feelings of safety and honesty, she used no supernatural influence. Lorelei had advantages of beauty that few mortals could match, of course, but the moment came almost entirely out of her natural sensitivity to desire and her vast experience. “If you wish me to stop,” Lorelei reassured her, “I will stop.” Her kiss was soft on Taylor’s lips. She pressed gently, feeling only the slightest, reflexive return from the nervous girl at first. Lorelei’s kiss slid across Taylor’s mostly closed mouth patiently and invitingly until she felt Taylor’s lips begin

to tentatively part. Then she moved in a bit closer, bringing legs and breasts against each another as she gathered Taylor into an embrace. Taylor’s will ingness grew. She was timid at first, but her head began to swim and she felt herself getting very warm. Taylor had never kissed another girl. She hadn’t ever really even considered it outside of musing that it wouldn’t be so bad whenever the issue came up in a film and such. Taylor had been to parties where guys had encouraged it, but she wasn’t one for putting on a show for a crowd of guys just looking to get their jol ies. This, however, was entirely different. Taylor felt something entirely new as she melted into the arms of Alex’s strange, endlessly confident lover. Her arms slipped around Lorelei as she moved from shy recipient to hungry participant in their long kiss. She let go of her fears and instead found herself holding Lorelei around the waist, then by the shoulders, then even with her hands roaming over Lorelei’s perfectly rounded ass. Her body became more toned and healthy under Lorelei’s attentions, too. As she was a naturally very lovely young woman, the changes were slight. Taylor didn’t feel a thing. Tiny blemishes in her skin faded away. The last of her scrapes and bruises from her tumbles on Wednesday disappeared. Her stomach tightened only by a small amount, but what was already quite attractive became downright unfair. From a room nearby, Lorelei had felt Alex’s pleasure for the last twenty minutes and more as he threw himself into the joyous task of driving his sexy young partner to ecstasy. He had only al owed the briefest respite after from their first romp before he began a second. Lorelei could see him through Jocelyn’s eyes. Overcome with arousal, Lorelei had to fight the urge to rip Taylor’s clothes to shreds and take her right there in the bathroom. Time for that later, though, she thought. Her plan, conceived in mere seconds after Alex had mentioned this party two days ago, was going very well indeed. She could maintain her self-control in order to see it through to its fruitful completion. *