r/sexystories

We were lying on the bed, naked and sweaty. Rebecca had her head on my chest. She was quiet for a long time, just breathing slowly. Her fingers were gently tracing circles on my skin.

Finally she spoke.

“I feel like a completely different person now” she said softly. “A few weeks ago I was just a divorced mom trying to move on with life. Now I just had sex with my daughter’s best friend…...and I loved every second of it”

She looked up at me with big eyes.

“I came so hard when you were licking me. I’ve never cum like that before. Not even when I was younger. Your tongue felt so much better than my ex’s dick ever did. The way you sucked on my clit and pushed your tongue inside me…...it made me shake”

I smiled and kissed her forehead gently.

Rebecca got quiet again for a minute. Then she said something that surprised me.

“I touched myself last night thinking about you” she confessed “I felt so guilty after I finished, but I couldn’t stop. I came really hard while imagining your face between my legs”

Her words made my pussy throb again.

She slowly moved on top of me. This time she was more confident. She kissed me hard, pushing her tongue into my mouth. Then she started kissing down my body. She spent a long time on my tits, sucking and gently biting my nipples until they were hard and sensitive.

When she reached my pussy, she didn’t hesitate. She licked me like she was hungry for it. She tried different things like sucking my clit, fucking me with her tongue, even licking my asshole a little. I moaned loud and held her head in place.

When I came, she kept licking until I couldn’t take it anymore. My legs were shaking around her head.

After that, she climbed up and sat on my face. She rode my tongue while playing with her own tits. She came hard, grinding on my mouth and moaning my name.

We were both exhausted after. Rebecca lay beside me and traced her fingers slowly on my skin.

“I don’t know how much longer I can hide this” she said “I keep thinking about you even when Sarah is around. This is getting dangerous…..but I don’t want to stop”

She looked at me with serious eyes.

“What if I’m actually gay? Bi? what if I never want a man again? or would I want a man again?”

The question hung in the air between us. We cuddled for a long time without talking. Both of us knew things were getting more serious.

You ever look at a girl and just know that she would be a good dick sucker?

That's how I felt about Paige. One look at her and I knew that she'd be able to blow my fucking mind with her mouth.

We had been coming to the same bar in Fort Worth, Texas, for a few years now and had developed a fun, flirty friendship. I was just recently out of a long-term, going nowhere relationship, while she was married with two young kids.

But you'd never know it with the way she dressed and acted at the bar. She loved to show off her body, get drunk, and dance. There were many times I'd be looking around the bar and see her either giving a lap dance to her husband or be up on a table, dancing and shaking her ass.

She had long blonde hair, a skinny body with breasts that defied gravity, and legs for days. I asked her once if she had a boob job done, as after two kids, they still looked like they could have belonged to a woman ten years younger. She gladly pulled down the tank top she was wearing that night, squeezed her breasts with her hands and asked, "Do they look fake?"

They did not.

Tonight, it was just her at the bar. I didn't know if her husband stayed home with the kids or if he was out of town, but he wasn't there. Not that it ever mattered to her. She would openly flirt and dance provocatively while he nursed a beer in the corner of the bar most nights.

She was wearing all black tonight, from her cowboy hat down to her boots. Her leather halter top wrapped around her neck and left her shoulders bare, with a silver buckle sitting in the center, if you could draw your eyes away from her cleavage to see it. Long strands of fringe hung from the front, swaying with every step. Her black leather shorts sat high on her waist, right below her belly button, and hugged her hips perfectly. A silver belt, matching the silver buckle of her top, was around it, part of it hanging down. They were just short enough, but I knew that if...when...she bent over, part of her ass would be showing.

"Hey, Rhett," she said to me as she walked around the bar, greeting the regulars and interrupting a few dates. "How's life?"

"Getting better, Paige, but could still use that blowjob," I responded as we clinked our beer bottles together and took a drink out of them.

When Paige found out that I had broken up with my girlfriend, she had jokingly offered to give me head to make me forget her. It was nothing unusual for her, to flirt like that and offer her body. I've known quite a few guys to leave the bar with a boner after listening to her dirty talk or have her grinding her ass on them.

I continued to keep an eye on Paige for the next few hours, as she danced and took a few shots. I knew from experience that she could handle a lot more, and usually did. For her to only have two shots and a beer, was a little unusual. I was three beers in, about what I did most nights, when I decided to walk up to her.

"So, Paige, what's going on tonight? You seem a little off."

She turned to me and giggled before saying, "Honestly, Rhett, I think I might finally give you what you want."

"What does that mean?"

She laughed as she stood up from the chair she was sitting on, finished her beer, and grabbed my hand. "Let's go."

I finished my beer as well, setting my bottle down next to hers, before following her into the women's bathroom of the bar.

"Really? In here?"

Paige pushed her body up against mine, leaned up to briefly kiss me, as one of her hands caressed my cheek and her other hand went right to my groin, rubbing my cock through my pants.

"You're not the first, but certainly the only one that has waited the longest."

"What does that mean?"

"Just shut up and let me do this," she said, kissing me again before and squatting down in front of me. I watched as she unzipped my pants, pulled the pants apart, and pulled my hardening cock out through my boxers.

She pressed it upwards, stuck her tongue out, and licked up the underside of my shaft, swirled her tongue around the tip, and repeated it a few more times as she wrapped her fingers around my shaft and started to jack me off.

"Wow," I moaned as she wrapped her lips, covered with red lipstick, around my cock, and started to bob her head up and down. She kept her hand moving at the same speed, knocking off her cowboy hat as she took more and more of me inside her mouth.

I reached down and cupped one of her breasts, squeezing it through the leather top, and causing her to moan into my mouth. As I moved my hand to her other breast, she reached behind her neck with her free hand, untied the top, and let it fall open, exposing her breasts to me.

As she continued to blow me and after I spent a moment admiring her firm breasts with erect nipples, I used my fingers to pinch and rub her nipples. I kept looking down, watching as her red lips went up and down my shaft, her tongue roaming all over it inside her mouth, and her hand kept a tight grip on my cock.

She took me out of her mouth, kept her hand going on my shaft, and said, "So, worth the wait?"

"Fuck yes. You're fucking amazing."

"I get that a lot."

"Do you ever let guys fuck you in here? Or just blow them?"

"Just blow them. Hubby is the only one that fucks my pussy."

"Damn."

Paige giggled, briefly taking me back into her mouth, swirling her tongue around my tip, and bobbing her head a few times.

"A few lucky guys have gotten to finger me. And begged to fuck me. I love to make them beg, then use my hand to finish them onto the floor."

I rubbed her nipples again before taking my hand off her breasts and moved it behind her head. She again took me out of her mouth and said, "But don't worry, I'm going to swallow your load. You're my friend, after all. And friends always swallow for friends."

"Fuck," I moaned again as she took me back into her mouth, knowing that I was getting close as she took me deep into her throat and buried her nose into my groin over and over.

She looked up at me with her beautiful blue eyes, begging me to finish, as she moved her mouth to just cover my tip. Her right hand kept going on the upper portion of my shaft while her left hand went to my balls and started to squeeze them.

"Fuck, Paige, fuck!"

I wrapped my fingers around her hair as I started to orgasm, moaning as my cock pulsed inside her mouth, and her hand pumped my cum out. I briefly closed my eyes at the start before I could open them again, and watched as she pulled her lips off my cock, and showed me all the cum on her tongue.

After using her hand to squeeze the last few drops onto her tongue, she stood up and gave me an amazing view as she swallowed my cum down her throat. I felt her grabbing onto my hand and bringing it to her groin, pressing it against her pussy through her shorts. I rubbed up and down with my fingers, feeling how warm she was as she pressed her body against mine again and kissed my neck.

"Hmm...that feels good. But, as much as I want to continue, my hubby is flying back into town as we speak, and I can't wait to get home to him."

She stepped away from me and I watched as she pulled her top back up and tied it behind her. As she saw me sneaking one last peek at her breasts, she smiled and said, "I'd send you a picture of my tits so you always see them, but I don't know if you'd ever leave your house."

I shrugged and said, "I mean, there's worse ways to live."

Paige laughed before saying, "Don't forget to tuck your cock back in before you leave the bathroom."

I looked down at my limp cock, still sticking out of my boxers, and heard her walking out of the bathroom as I put myself away and quickly followed her out, not wanting to be caught by myself in the women's restroom. I caught Paige's eye as she made a phone call at the bar, and she blew me a kiss.

She left the bar a few minutes later, but not before coming up to me and whispering in my ear, "My hubby will be out of town next week too. You better be here."

Rebecca looked at me with hungry, desperate eyes.

“This is getting too dangerous” she whispered. “But I don’t know if I can stop…..Should we fuck?”

Her words made my pussy throb. I didn’t answer. I just pulled her into a deep, hungry kiss. Our tongues tangled as I pushed her back against the kitchen counter. Her big soft tits pressed against my chest.

We quietly rushed to her bedroom. The second the door closed, we took off each other’s clothes fast Rebecca’s hands were shaking a little as she took off her shirt. Her heavy breasts spilled out. I immediately grabbed them, squeezing them softly before sucking on her hard nipples. She moaned loudly and held my head against her chest.

“Oh my god…..that feels.....so good” she breathed “No one has sucked my tits like this”

I pushed my hand between her legs and slid two fingers inside her wet pussy. She was incredibly wet and warm. I fingered her slowly at first, curling my fingers, while I kept sucking her nipples. Rebecca’s hips started moving against my hand. Her breathing was getting heavier

I pulled my fingers out and licked them clean in front of her. She watched me with wide eyes.

I spread her legs wide. I kissed down her body, her neck, her tits, her stomach until I reached her pussy. I licked her slowly at first, tasting her sweet juices. Then I sucked on her clit gently.

Rebecca’s back arched. “Fuck…yes…..right there….”

I licked faster, sliding my tongue inside her and sucking her clit. Her thighs started shaking around my head. She grabbed my hair and pushed my face deeper into her pussy.

“I’m gonna cum…...” she moaned.

Her body tensed up and she came hard. Her pussy pulsed against my tongue as she flooded my mouth with her juices. I kept licking her through the orgasm until her legs stopped shaking.

When she recovered, she pulled me up and kissed me deeply, tasting herself on my lips.

“I want to make you feel good too” she said, still breathing heavy.

She took off the rest of my clothes and pushed me onto my back. She was nervous at first, but then she started kissing down my body. She sucked on my nipples, then moved lower. When her tongue finally touched my pussy, I moaned loudly. She licked me slowly, exploring, then found my clit and sucked on it.

It felt amazing. I held her head and guided her until she got the rhythm right. Her tongue was warm and eager.

We ended up in a 69 position. I was on top, licking her pussy again while she licked mine. The room was filled with wet licking sounds and our moans. We were both grinding against each other’s faces.

Rebecca came again, moaning into my pussy. The vibration pushed me over the edge too. I came hard, shaking on top of her.

We collapsed on the bed, sweaty and breathing heavily. Rebecca rested her head on my chest.

“I can’t believe I just did all that.....” she whispered. “It felt so good…...better than anything I’ve had with a man. But I still feel so guilty..…”

She looked up at me with mixed emotions, she was satisfied but conflicted.

“What are we doing?” she asked softly

Rebecca had texted me the night before asking me to come over. She told me Sarah didn’t know I was coming.

When I arrived, Sarah was upstairs in her room studying with headphones on. Rebecca opened the door and quickly pulled me inside. She was wearing a loose white buttonup shirt (it was oonly half buttoned) and very short denim shorts. No bra. Her big tits were moving freely and the shorts were so tiny I could see the bottom of her ass.

We went to the kitchen. At first we talked normally.

“How have you been?” she asked while making coffee. “School going okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine” I said. “Just busy with some….uhhh….assignments”

We talked for a while about some pretty normal things. Like,  Sarah’s studies, the weather, random stuff. But the energy between us felt different

After a few minutes, Rebecca got quieter.

“I’ve been thinking about you a lot these past few days you know….” she admitted, looking down at her coffee. “That kiss we had….I keep replaying it in my head. I’ve never kissed a woman before. I always thought I was straight, but now I feel so confused. Never thought that after being married for years that I’d liked a woman’s lips”

She looked at me with nervous eyes.

“I feel really guilty too. You’re my daughter’s best friend. If Sarah ever found out, it would destroy her. I’m supposed to be the responsible mom here, not someone who makes out with her daughter’s friend behind her back”

I stepped a little closer.

“I know it’s complicated” I said. “But I can’t stop thinking about it either. Every time I see you, I get this feeling in my body”

Rebecca bit her lip. “Really? what kind of feeling?”

I looked her in the eyes.

“The kind that makes me….. wet” I said softly

Her cheeks turned red. She looked around to make sure Sarah wasn’t coming down, then stepped closer to me.

“I get wet too” she whispered. “I touched myself the other night thinking about you. I feel so ashamed…..but I liked it….I really do”

The tension was getting too strong. I couldn’t hold back anymore.

I gently took her hand and slowly slid it inside my shorts, then inside my panties. Her fingers touched my soaked pussy.

“This is the only proof I can provide on how much I think about you” I whispered.

Rebecca’s eyes widened. She could feel how dripping wet I was. She let out a small shaky breath and gently rubbed my clit with her fingers

“Oh fuck….you’re really soaked” she whispered.

We started kissing hard right there in the kitchen. Her fingers kept rubbing me while our tongues played. I slipped my hand under her shorts and found her pussy…..she was dripping wet too. I rubbed her clit while we made out.

We were trying to stay quiet because Sarah was just upstairs.

Rebecca moaned softly into my mouth. Her hips moved against my hand.

Suddenly we heard footsteps from upstairs.

We quickly pulled our hands out and fixed our clothes. Rebecca’s face was flushed and she was breathing fast.

Sarah came down to get a drink. She didn’t notice anything.

“Oh hey girl, why are you here?” I then replied “Oh-uhm…I was------” Rebecca then interrupted me and said “I just asked her to buy something. Don’t worry about it”

Sarah then said “Sure…..you two okay?” she asked.

“Yeah yeah” Rebecca answered, trying to sound normal.

The second Sarah went back upstairs, Rebecca looked at me with hungry eyes.

“This is getting too dangerous” she whispered. “But I don’t know if I can stop…..Should we fuck?”

A few days later, Sarah invited me over to hang out at their house. When I arrived, Sarah was already locked in her room studying hard for a big test. She had her headphones on and told us not to bother her unless it was something important.

Rebecca came out of the kitchen to greet me. She was wearing a loose white button-up shirt and very short denim shorts. The shirt was only half-buttoned, showing a lot of her deep cleavage. She wasn’t wearing a bra, so her big heavy tits moved and bounced with every step. The shorts were so tiny that the bottom of her ass cheeks were visible.

“Hey sweetie,” she said with a warm smile. “Come in. I’m just making some coffee. Want some?”

I followed her into the kitchen. We started talking about normal things at first, but the conversation quickly turned more personal. Rebecca looked a little nervous but also excited.

“I’ve been thinking about you a lot these past few days,” she admitted quietly while stirring the coffee. “That kiss we had… I can’t stop replaying it in my head. I’ve never kissed a woman before in my life. I always thought I was completely straight, but now I feel so confused and guilty.”

She looked at me with soft, emotional eyes.

“I feel really bad about it too. You’re my daughter’s best friend. If Sarah ever found out what we did, it would break her heart. I’m supposed to be the responsible mom here, not someone who makes out with her daughter’s friend behind her back.”

I stepped closer to her until our bodies were almost touching.

“I know it’s complicated,” I said. “But I really like spending time with you. That kiss felt really good for me too.”

Rebecca bit her lip. She looked nervous but her eyes were full of want. She stepped even closer. Our bodies were now lightly pressed together.

“I keep telling myself I should stop,” she whispered. “But when I see you,

I just want to kiss you again.”

I couldn’t hold back anymore. I leaned in and kissed her. This time the kiss wasn’t short. It started soft and gentle, but quickly became deeper and hungrier. Her lips felt so warm and soft. She put one hand on the back of my neck and kissed me harder. I put my hands on her waist and pulled her body against mine. I could feel her big soft tits pressing into my chest.

We were making out quietly in the kitchen while Sarah was right upstairs with her door closed. Rebecca let out a small soft moan into my mouth. One of my hands slowly moved down and squeezed her ass under her shorts. She wasn’t wearing any panties. I could feel how warm and wet she was getting.

Suddenly we heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

We quickly pulled apart. Rebecca’s face was flushed red and she was breathing fast. Her nipples were hard and poking through her shirt.

Sarah walked into the kitchen to grab a snack. She didn’t seem to notice anything strange.

“You two okay down here?” she asked casually.

“Yeah, we’re fine,” Rebecca answered, trying to sound normal. “Just chatting about random stuff.”

Sarah took her snack and went back upstairs. The second her door closed, Rebecca looked at me with guilty but very horny eyes.

“This is getting so dangerous,” she whispered. “We really can’t keep doing this here… but I don’t know if I can stop either.”

She gently took my hand and slid it under her shorts again. My fingers touched her bare, wet pussy for a few seconds. She was really soaked.

She let out a soft breath and then pulled my hand away.

Later that night when I got home, I received a text from her:

Rebecca: I can’t stop thinking about your hands on me. This is so wrong but it feels so good. What are you doing to me?

I went to bed that night extremely horny, reading her message again and again.

A few days later, Sarah texted me to come over and hang out. When I got to their house, Sarah was on the couch watching Netflix, barely paying attention to anything else.

“Hey girl, just chill in threree. I’m in the middle of this show” she said without looking up.

I walked into the kitchen and stopped in my tracks. Rebecca was there wearing a loose white tank top and a very short black skirt. She was reaching up to grab something from the top shelf. The skirt rode up high and I could clearly see she wasn’t wearing panties. Her pussy and ass were right there. My pussy tingled hard.

She turned around and smiled when she saw me.

“Hey you” she said warmly “Want something to drink? I just made fresh lemonade”

“Yeah, sure” I said, trying to sound normal.

We stood by the counter talking while she cut some fruit. Every time she bent over to get something from the fridge or reached up, I got another good look under her skirt. No panties at all. I could see her smooth pussy lips. It was driving me crazy. My own pussy was getting wetter by the minute.

Rebecca noticed me looking but didn’t pull her skirt down. Instead she gave me a small playful smile.

“You’ve been staring a lot today” she said in a teasing voice. “Is there something on my clothes?”

I felt my face get hot.

“You just look really good in that skirt” I answered.

She laughed softly and leaned against the counter, pushing her big tits forward a little.

“Really? Even this old thing? I’ve been too lazy to do laundry lately” she said, then added with a smirk “I guess I should be more careful what I wear when you’re around.”

We kept talking while she finished cutting the fruit. The conversation started normal but slowly got flirty.

“So…..have you been thinking about that night?” she asked quietly, not looking at me directly.

“Yeah.....like a lot” I admitted.

She bit her lip for a second.

“Me too” she said. “I keep telling myself it was just the wine, but….I can’t stop remembering how soft your lips felt. It’s confusing the hell out of me. I’ve never felt that with a woman before”

I was getting super turned on listening to her. My pussy was throbbing.

“Was it bad?” I asked

“No” she said quickly. “It wasn’t bad at all. That’s the problem”

Sarah was still in the living room, laughing at her show, completely clueless about what was happening in the kitchen.

Rebecca bent over again to pick up a spoon she “dropped” This time she stayed down a little longer. I got a full clear view of her pussy from behind. I was so horny I could barely think straight.

When she stood back up, she smiled at me like nothing happened.

“You okay?” she asked innocently. “Your face is all red”

“I’m fine” I said, my voice a little shaky.

She stepped closer to me and gently touched my arm.

“You’re cute when you get nervous” she whispered.

We stayed in the kitchen talking for a while longer. Every little move she made gave me another peek. By the time I left, my panties were completely soaked.

Later that night, I got a text from her:

Rebecca: Thanks for coming over today. The house feels nicer when you’re here. Maybe you should stay here again next time

I woke up the next morning and the bed felt empty. Rebecca wasn’t lying next to me anymore. My mind immediately went back to the kiss from last night. How soft her lips were. How warm her body felt against mine.

My pussy was still wet and throbbing. I lay on my back and slowly slid my hand into my shorts. I pushed my fingers under my panties and started rubbing my clit slowly. It felt so good. I closed my eyes and remembered the way Rebecca kissed me. I rubbed a little faster, sliding my fingers up and down my wet pussy slit

I was getting really into it. My breathing got heavier. I bit my lip to stay quiet as I pushed one finger inside myself. I imagined it was Rebecca’s hand touching me instead. My hips started moving a little against my fingers. It felt amazing.

Right when I was really enjoying it, the bedroom door suddenly opened.

I quickly pulled my hand out of my shorts and pretended I was just waking up, my heart pounding like crazy.

Rebecca stood in the doorway wearing a simple tank top and shorts. She looked a little shy.

“Oh…..you’re awake” she said. “I made breakfast. Let’s eat”

I nodded and got up fast, trying to act normal even though my pussy was still aching and my fingers were wet. We went downstairs to the kitchen table. She made eggs, toast, and coffee. We sat across from each other and started eating quietly. The tension between us was thick.

After a few minutes, Rebecca finally spokke

“About last night......” she said softly, staring at her plate. “I don’t know what happened. I’ve never kissed a woman before. I always thought I was straight…...but when I kissed you, it felt good. That scares me”

I felt my pussy twitch under the table.

“I liked it too” I said quietly.

Rebecca looked at me for a second, then looked away again. Her cheeks turned a little pink.

“We probably shouldn’t do that again” she added, but she didn’t sound completely sure. “You’re my daughter’s best friend. This is all so confusing right now”

We kept eating in awkward silence. Every time our eyes met, the air felt heavy. I was still super horny from touching myself earlier. I kept thinking about how close I was to cumming before she walked in.

After breakfast, we washed the dishes together. We stood close in the kitchen. Her arm brushed against mine a couple of times. Neither of us said anything about it.

When I was leaving, Rebecca gave me a long hug at the door. Her body felt soft and warm.

“Come back soon, okay?” she whispered

I nodded. My whole miind and body was still horny

A few days later, Sarah texted me asking if I wanted to come over for a “chill night” When I arrived, she was already buried in her room with headphones on, cramming for midterms.

“Sorry girl I’m gonna be useless tonight” she called out from upstairs. “Just hang with Mom if you want!”

Rebecca greeted me at the door with a warm smile and a glass of wine already in her hand. She was wearing a soft oversized sweater that hung off one shoulder and tight black leggings. She looked cozy and incredibly sexy.

We ended up in the living room again. After two glasses of wine, Rebecca started opening up more than usual.

“I haven’t been touched in so long” she admitted quietly, staring into her glass. “Not just sex…..but even simple affection. My ex was so selfish in bed toward the end. It was always about him. I can’t even remember the last time I actually felt desired”

Her words hit me hard. That familiar tingling between my legs returned, stronger this time.

“You deserve to feel wanted, Rebecca” I said softly. “You’re incredibly attractive. Any man would be lucky”

She gave me a small, sad smile. “That’s sweet… but sometimes I wonder if it’s even worth trying with men anymore”

There was a pause. Then she looked at me almost shyly.

“Would you mind giving me another massage? My back has been killing me from all the stress”

“Of course"”

This time we went up to her bedroom. She dimmed the lights and lay face down on her bed. I grabbed the bottle of massage oil she kept in her nightstand.

I warmed the oil in my hands and started on her shoulders, then slowly worked my way down her back. When I reached the hem of her sweater, I hesitated.

“You can push it up if you want” she murmured into the pillow. “It’s fine”

I slid the sweater higher, exposing most of her smooth back. My hands moved over her skin with more confidence now. Every time my fingers pressed into her muscles, Rebecca let out soft, breathy moans that went straight to my pussy.

“God…..your hands feel amazing” she whispered.“So much better than I expected”

I kept going, massaging lower toward her waist. The leggings hugged her ass perfectly. I had to bite my lip to stay focused. My own panties were getting soaked.

After twenty minutes, Rebecca turned over onto her back. Her sweater was bunched up just below her breasts. Her face was flushed, eyes half-lidded.

“You’re making me feel things I haven’t felt in years” she said quietly, almost like she was talking to herself.

I poured more oil on my hands and started massaging her arms, then moved to her collarbone area. My thumbs brushed just above the swell of her breasts. Rebecca’s breathing got heavier. Her nipples were visibly hard through the thin fabric.

“Do girls your age…..like when someone takes their time like this?” she asked softly, voice a little husky.

My heart raced. “Yeah…..I think we do. It feels really good when someone focuses on your body”

She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh as I continued. I was so wet I could feel it starting to soak through my panties. The urge to lean down and kiss her neck was getting harder to fight.

Eventually I stopped, even though I didn’t want to. We lay side by side on her bed. Rebecca turned toward me and rested her head on my shoulder. Her hand gently rested on my stomach, then slowly slid down to my hip.

She didn’t move it any further, but the weight of her palm so close to my ass made my pussy throb painfully.

“I really like having you here” she whispered. “You make me feel safe…..and beautiful.”

I swallowed hard, trying to control my breathing.

“I like being here with you too, Rebecca”

We stayed like that for a long time. Her hand never moved higher or lower, but the tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Sarah was still upstairs, completely unaware.

Sarah was staying over at her boyfriend’s place the whole night, so the house was empty except for me and Rebecca.

We ordered some food and opened a bottle of wine. After we ate, Rebecca went to her room and came back wearing a short white silky robe. It was loose at the front and showed a lot of her legs and cleavage. She looked hot without even trying.

We sat on the couch, turned the lights down low, and picked a movie. About halfway through, there was a long lesbian sex scene. Two women were kissing really deep, touching each other’s bodies, and moaning loud. They were going down on each other and everything.

I felt my face get warm. My pussy started tingling and getting wet.

Rebecca moved around on the couch. She took a big drink of wine and let out an awkward laugh.

“Wow…...they’re really going at it, huh?” she said.

I laughed too. “Yeah, it’s pretty crazy”

We both went quiet and kept watching. I kept sneaking looks at Rebecca. Her cheeks were red and I could see her nipples poking through the thin robe. She didn’t change the channel. The scene went on for a while and the moans filled the room.

When the scene finally ended, Rebecca finished her wine fast and poured another glass. We kept talking and drinking. After a while she started getting emotional.

“I miss feeling wanted” she said quietly. “My ex husbandd barely touched me for years. He made me feel like I wasn’t sexy anymore”

She looked really sad. I moved closer and hugged her. She hugged me back tight and rested her head on my shoulder. We stayed like that for a long time. I could feel her soft breasts pressed against me and smell her nice shampoo.

Then she pulled back a little and looked me in the eyes. A few seconds later, she slowly leaned in and kissed me.

At first the kiss was soft and gentle. But then it got deeper. Her lips felt warm and nice. She put her hand on my face and kissed me harder. My pussy got super wet super fast. I could feel my heart beating like crazy.

But suddenly Rebecca pulled away. She was breathing fast and looked surprised at herself.

“So-sorry.....I don’t know what came over me” she said, touching her lips. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that”

I was still really turned on. I leaned in to kiss her again, but she gently put her hand on my chest and stopped me.

“I think we’re both tired and a little drunk” she said, not looking at me. “We should just go to sleep now”

She got up quickly and went upstairs. I followed her. We changed into our sleep clothes without saying much. When we got into bed, Rebecca turned her back to me.

The room felt super heavy. I was lying there with my pussy still throbbing and wet. My mind kept replaying the kiss. I could hear Rebecca breathing fast too. She wasn’t asleep.

Neither of us said anything.

But the tension in the room was crazy strong

The next morning I woke up with Rebecca’s arm still draped over my waist. Her body was pressed against my back, one of her thick thighs resting between mine. I could feel the heat of her pussy through our thin clothing. My own pussy was soaked. I stayed still for a long time, just enjoying the feeling of her warm, soft body wrapped around me.

When she finally moeved, she didn’t pull away immediately. Instead she hugged me tighter for a moment.

“Mmm…...thank you for staying” she whispered, her voice still sleepy. “I slept so well”

She eventually got up to make breakfast. I stayed in bed a little longer, trying to calm the throbbing between my legs. I touched my pussy and it was soaking wet

Sarah came home later that afternoon, completely clueless. She complained about her group project and then disappeared into her room to take a nap. Rebecca and I were alone in the living room again.

A couple hours later, Rebecca came downstairs wearing a new sundress she had just bought.

“Hey…..can I get your opinion on this?” she asked, sounding a little shy. “I want to feel attractive again, but I’m not sure if it’s too much”

The dress was soft yellow, knee llength, with a modest neckline that still couldn’t hide how full her breasts were. It hugged her waist and hips beautifully.

“You look incredible” I said honestly, my eyes roaming over her body. “It looks really good on you”

Rebecca smiled and did a little spin. “Really? You don’t think it makes me look old?”

“Not at all. You look hot, Rebecca”

The word “hot” slipped out before I could stop it. She paused for a second, then laughed softly, but I noticed her cheeks turned a little pink.

Over the next hour she tried on three more outfits for me, each one a little more revealing than the last. A tight black top that showed a lot of cleavage. A short skirt that made her ass look amazing. Every time she came out of her room to show me, she asked for my honest opinion and stood a little closer.

After the last outfit, she sat down next to me on the couch, still wearing the tight black top and the short skirt.

“You’re really good for my confidence” she said quietly, looking at me. “I haven’t felt pretty in a long time. But the way you look at me…..it makes me feel desired again”

My heart was pounding. I wanted to kiss her so badly it hurt.

“I do think you’re beautiful” I admitted, my voice lower than usual. “Like…...really beautiful”

Rebecca held my gaze for a long moment. The air between us felt thick. She reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair from my face. Her fingers lingered on my cheek for a second longer than necessary.

“You’re such a sweet girl” she whispered.

For a moment, I thought she might lean in. My pussy was tingling like crazy. But then we heard Sarah’s door open upstairs and we both pulled back quickly.

Later that evening, before I left, Rebecca hugged me at the door. This time the hug lasted longer. Her big soft breasts pressed firmly against me. When she pulled away, her eyes dropped to my lips for just a split second.

“Come over again soon, okay?” she said softly. “I like having you around”

Sarah, who was standing right there, just grinned. “You two are so cute. I’m glad my best friend and my mom are close.”

If only she knew how close we were getting.

After the movie ended, Rebecca didn’t move. She stayed curled up on the couch with her wine glass resting on her thigh. The credits rolled but neither of us reached for the remote.

She let out a long, tired sigh.

“I really am trying to move on, you know” she said softly, staring at the ceiling. “I go to the gym. I try to dress nicer. I even downloaded a stupid dating app last week…..but every time a man messages me, I just feel sick. Like I’m not enough anymore.”

Her voice cracked a little on the last part. The wine had loosened her up, and the loneliness she’d been carrying was starting to spill out.

Without thinking, I shifted closer to her on the couch.

“You are enough, Rebecca” I said gently. “You’re more than enough. Any guy who can’t see that is an idiot”

She turned her head and gave me a sad, grateful smile. Our faces were closer than they’d ever been.

“Thank you, sweetie. You always know what to say”

There was a long pause. Then I took a small risk.

“Your shoulders look really tense” I said. “Want me to give you a massage? Might help you relax”

Rebecca hesitated for a second, then nodded. “That…..would actually be really nice"

She turned her back toward me and pulled her hair over one shoulder. I got up on my knees behind her on the couch and placed my hands on her shoulders. The moment I touched her, that familiar warm tingle shot straight down between my legs. Her skin was soft and warm through the thin tank top.

I started slow, pressing my thumbs into the tight muscles around her neck and shoulders. Rebecca let out a deep, involuntary moan.

“Oh god…..that feels good” she said

I kept working, slowly moving down her back. Every time she moaned softly or sighed in pleasure, my pussy throbbed harder. I could feel myself getting wet. I tried to focus, but my eyes kept drifting to the curve of her waist, the way her tank top rode up slightly, revealing a sliver of smooth skin.

“You’re really good at this” she murmured, eyes halfclosed “Your hands feel so nice.”

After about fifteen minutes, she was practically melting under my touch. I was so turned on I was scared she might notice my breathing had changed.

Eventually she turned around and looked at me with soft, tired eyes.

“I don’t want to be alone tonight” she admitted quietly. “Would you mind sleeping in my bed with me? Just so the house doesn’t feel so empty”

My heart skipped.

“Of course” I said, trying to sound normal. “Whatever you need”

We went upstairs. Rebecca changed into a loose silk nightie in the bathroom while I stayed in my tank top and panties. When she came out, the nightie clung to her full breasts and hips. She looked incredibly sexy without even trying.

We climbed into her big king-sized bed. At first we stayed on our own sides, but after a few minutes Rebecca rolled over and faced me.

“Can I.....hug you?” she asked shyly.

I nodded.

She moved closer and wrapped her arms around me. Her soft, heavy breasts pressed against my chest. One of her legs slid between mine. I could feel the heat of her body and smell her shampoo.

“Thank you for being here” she whispered against my neck.

I swallowed hard. My pussy was aching. I was painfully aware of how close her thigh was to my center.

I gently rubbed her back in slow circles, trying to comfort her while fighting the growing wetness between my legs.

We stayed like that for a long time. Rebecca eventually fell asleep in my arms, breathing softly against my skin.

I lay there wide awake, heart racing, pussy throbbing, wondering what the hell was happening to mee

Nicole

After more than three hours in the waiting area, the small meeting room robbed me of the thinness of oxygen. Still, I longed for a release that I could read from the faces of my predecessors. A pair of lawyers behind the counter encouraged me to imitate their smiling reception, and I cheered up. Not because of them, but because of my prospects in their hands.

 "Take a seat, Ms. Xiong. You must be a popular girl," the older lawyer sighed and placed a bundle of the sealed envelopes in front of me. "Four applications. We can discuss them from the first to the last, but you are probably mainly interested in the fact that the signature of your fiancé is on the uppermost one." He snorted to emphasize again that he knew how our negotiations would go.

The last remnants of doubts left me as soon as I read the whole of my beloved's name. I added mine to the other corner, and the spell of my heart sang a warm melody.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Yoon," the lawyer told me as soon as I handed him the document. "On behalf of the principal, I am to inform you that your lessons of the Lovemaking have ended. You are expected to spend the evening only in your room. Except for today. You are to come to prepare your wedding dress."

My name is Nicole Yoon.      

The mere awareness of my new surname filled me with hope. It was as if the smallest of my toes left The Princess Tower. I was determined to say goodbye to Carl, even though I didn't have to go to see him anymore, and even I was discouraged against it. I had to suffer the tailors, though. They must have had all my measurements on the computer a long time ago, but some guys with inquisitive hands just had to touch me just an inch from my bra or panties. I almost calmed my discomfort, because the design of my wedding dress on the monitor was way cool! There were horses; that was given. I also found historical war scenes, and above all, a lot of sex. There was still some space for a badge on my left breast, but I was still afraid to ask what it meant.

The working conditions may have changed, but I haven't. I still love the same man, and I know that when you are searching for a job, a positive attitude will help.

"You're an excellent lover, homemaker and submissive, Miss Xiong," Weatherby told me recently during a consultation. "However, we are afraid that all this is a manifestation of unhealthy ambition that could jeopardise your marriage."

I laughed nervously and waved my hand dismissively.

"Peter is the best thing that has ever happened to me! My primary ambition is to make him happy and strong. I'm from a family of two children, and I'd like to have three! In such a situation, if you understand me, I have no choice but to work from home. If my husband allows me!" The surrendering woman with my body stretched her hands to the ceiling.

"According to your psychological profile, you could be putting pressure on your husband," said a suspicious Weatherby sternly.

"There's a difference between putting pressure on Peter and inspiring him based on The Princess Tower lessons," I said. "Without them, he would hardly have thought that we could start a company to produce and distribute the sex toys!"

I had nothing to be ashamed of. From the first day, I was publicly humiliated in front of all the men in the area. That didn't change anything about who I was inside. As much as Peter may have changed as a result of the experience with me and Carl, he was still an indecisive, weaker man, and he needed my guidance. The establishment may not know, but of course it will be me who multiplies the family fortune.

"When Miss Xiong comes out, tell her we'll talk. She is not allowed to have any excuses."

It was the first time I had heard a veiled female voice from behind the crowd – too old to belong to one of the Princesses. The tailors had already taken all conceivable measurements from me. So I jumped down from my stool to meet the uncompromising matron.

I didn't really know the old lady in the silvery dress, but she looked at me worryingly.

"Miss Xiong," she breathed.

"Mrs. Yoon," I corrected her.

"How could I forget?!" The old lady patted my shoulder lightly. "You're married, and that's the thing that brings me here." She scratched the bridge of her nose and introduced herself to me. "Elizabeth Hoffmeister. I'm... Carl is my son, you see. I'd like you to get dressed and follow me to the lounge, where we can discuss your decision."

I didn't understand why the lady should discuss my personal choices, but I needed to find out what was bothering her. She remained silent the whole time until we reached the lounge and sat down.

"I found my son's relationship with you rather strange," she said slowly. "Hearing about him, giving himself to the betrothed girl every night. Hearing about her—that is, you—being willing to sleep with two men at once. "Forgive me—" She touched my knee. "I didn't want to go to this place. As a free woman, I didn't. Our son was chosen for my husband's merits. But then I heard what was happening here, and I had to rush to help him. And Carl told me about you. He wanted us to meet, which I didn't until he did that-"

"What did he do?" I dug my fingers into the sofa. Dammit, Carl, you are rational…

Mrs. Hoffmeister blurted out an answer. "You know, he was sure how the whole thing would turn out. That you would choose your fiancé. He was devastated that... that you didn't even open the envelope with his application."

Yes, I didn't even bother opening them. One of them was from Carl??

"I didn't find out who they were from," I admitted.

"I don't know if my son had any hope that you would change your mind once you saw his signature." Mrs. Hoffmaister sighed. "He was never good at talking to girls and had many fantasies when he did strike up a long conversation with one. He had been carrying something unpleasant about him since the day his sister died."

It took me more than three minutes before I could answer. 

"Yes." I had to support my head with my hands. "That can hurt people."

"Miss Xiong, you were expecting a visit from your family, weren't you?" "That's right," I confirmed it to the policeman in my backyard. I made enough lemonade to drink it together all weekend. Dad, Mom, and Brother Steve were supposed to spend most of their visit in the bathroom, which wouldn't grub me in a wrong way. However, the question alone, coming from the cop with a stern expression… I felt it under the skin like a long sting, burrowing underneath.

"You should sit down," the cop suggested.

"No!"I was angry. I was looking for an anthill to kick, some fly to squash. "Say it!"

"The pilot did everything he could, but the plane did not survive the maneuver at the airport. All the passengers were burned."

For me, the cop embodied that message. I had to escape. I ran home, but I didn't have a final line, only the starting point and the continuum.  I remembered my parents' affection, Steve fighting with his hyperactivity, Dad losing his job, homeschooling, and the rise of our mother. Dad finding a new job, which in turn relieved Mom of worries forevermore. They all were strong in the end. Conquerors of life, now conquered by death.

Sometimes deceased people in the underworld were called shadows.

But no, they were less than shadows.

Less than a specter.

They were no more.

"We miss Laura," Mrs. Hoffmeister lamented. "These days, however, I'm glad that she didn't live to see someone really hurt her, but it's not much of a consolation." I could hear her contempt for our regime in her voice. Even after so many months here, I bit my lip so that I wouldn't say something sharper and more specific.

"Carl is a sensitive and clever young man," I assured the old lady. "But I never would have thought that he'd cling to me like this... If he wants closure, I'll give it to him as soon as I've made breakfast tomorrow."

"It is my pride, if I have brought him up so well," said Mrs. Hoffmeister. "He doesn't push anyone to heal his old wounds. But he should also be able to heal them himself. Once. Until then, I'd be grateful if you say a few well-chosen words to him."

"You know," I remembered something. "My religion emphasizes that life is a mess because we inevitably get used to pleasant things and long for them even after they end, and we will wish for more of them. I'm starting to understand, but I can hardly lecture others about it."

Nicole Yoon—Buddha's faithful printer.

"You don't have to teach him about spirituality," Mrs. Hoffmeister reminded me. "My little cup broke. He needs to collect the shards and get some glue so that he won't be so fragile."

I was about to comfort her when a tailor appeared in the lounge, holding a tablet.

"Mrs. Yoon, I have the final design of your wedding dress here. You'll definitely be satisfied."

As if I could object to your tastes.

The design consisted of details that I already knew. I was only interested in one place, and I still didn't understand it...

What does the badge mean? "I pointed to the thing on the chest of the dress. "Why is the number two there?"

"I'm surprised you don't know," the tailor stopped. "Mr. Yoon is already married. You're his second wife."

I felt as if Cupid's arrow were breaking in that badge.

I hid what the guileless-looking young man had told me from the girls in the room. It would have seemed like blasphemy to shove my problems in the face of Ruby, who was supposed to stay in the Tower for the next school year. To the face of Pat, for whom allegedly no one asked, destined to be auctioned off as some antique lamp from the estate. Claudia had no choice but to nod to the applicant, her photographer, and refused to talk to me or the girls begging for comfort. I wasn't going to dissuade my roommates from the idea that the brightest part of family life was before me, even brighter than that of Alice, for whom her husband was waiting to grab her, dressed as on the day of her arrest, in her open arms.

I begged the various faces of the bureaucracy to allow me to talk to Peter, but they wouldn't budge. "You will talk to each other only after you return. The end of the school year must not be disturbed by the contact from the outside."

Everything is good, and happiness never goes away. I remembered a motto that I had more or less believed in since James White was courting me. So why did I cling so much to the moments when the happiness was right in front of me, when it seemed like a hand extended by the universe was running over my shoulders?

Perhaps the incomprehensible testimony of Peter's second wife was meant to indicate that I should search for love elsewhere?

I was only partially prepared to find out that when I wanted to go and see Carl, the wardens and the Princeps' military supervisors wouldn't let me.

"You're a married woman." I heard it six times that morning. "Now it's inappropriate for you to associate with a man who's got...physical knowledge of you."

"I need advice from him about marriage," I excused myself. "And I'm just going to talk to him in public."

My words eventually softened the right men, and I made it to the lounge, which, after being occupied by the Heirs turned into a loud fight club. Several groups of boys and girls were arguing with each other and even slapping themselves; one blow resulted in another from the opposite side. Vulgar insults flew through the air, as did sarcastic girl giggles.

"She's proving it again and again!" shouted Lucas Balaban. "She's a manipulative bitch, and it doesn't matter to her that she was ousted!"

"Boy, if you feel like a tool, you are invited to do so, but I will do what my conscience and my courage tell me to do. I didn't mind Mayson and Arnolph having their business here and me having mine. "Neither do I care for the conclave in Washington," Arthur FitzPatrick responded." And I will not care till we'll get Cooper inaugurated as Gilbert's successor. He is the one who'll make justice our new currency.“

I pushed him away to get to Carl, who was sitting alone on the sofa, and greeted him.

"I thought you were cool with what's going on politically?" I began, uncomprehending.

"Who can know what will happen and when?" Carl tried to regain his balance, but he gasped as soon as he saw me. "Many of us are relieved that Arnolph is already helpless. But now, all of a sudden, he has sent some explosive material to Washington via a judge. Moreover, it is said that the FBI busted both Brunkows. Suddenly, many of us would obey our parents and drive away. We just hope everything  will be better after the election."

"We already know that you, faux-princesses, can't be trusted," said a sharp and cold girl's voice. "That Shieldmaiden's party of yours is selfish to the core. They should cut out pieces of your brains!"

Bellinda, I realized. It wasn't just that she was a loyal Heir. She despised me personally because of Peter and the rifle act.

"I understand you. That surgery would bring them to your level!" Carl defended us. I turned just in time to see Bellinda furrow her brow and barely hold back her tongue in her teeth, hissing softly but as menacingly as any venomous viper. 

"Don't waste your life on the likes of her," Carl urged me. "Why did you come?"

"I heard how I disappointed you. I came to apologize."

Carl snuggled up to me, and I don't think it was just to make me hear him better in that tumult.

"She told you..." Carl was rather relieved. "I'm sorry, Nicole. I thought you'd open the other envelopes, if only out of curiosity. And then you would think about it, because I mean something to you."

I smiled at him as much as I could. "Of course you mean something to me, but I already had a plan for my life."

"I've been a part of your life," Carl said, all the more bitter. "Besides, I've always been willing to help women; now I'm an unofficial Shieldmaiden!"

"Virtue doesn't make you the man of my choice!" I snapped at him, but then I put on my kind face again. "I understand that you may feel that your life is empty and you want to fill it somehow, but you can't rush it. You have to find someone whose life fits with yours."

"This is not how people were doing it originally," Carl said. "Love was their duty."

"I think that's just your excuse for being lazy," I retorted. "These thoughts... They're just words, and words can be misleading. You never acted that way while I taught you how to fuck. You never acted that way when White threatened you to your face. I think you got this idea when you met the man I thought loved me!"

"Who you thought loved you?" Carl was genuinely confused.

I realized my slip.

This was not something that anyone else was allowed to hear. I moved closer to him and whispered in his ear in a truly loving way. "Peter is already married. I don't know to whom."

Carl looked encouraged for a moment before trying to project compassion on his face. "And you're going to marry him anyway?"

"There's nothing I can do about my signature," I reminded him. "Maybe he still thinks he loves me, but something happened that I don't understand, and he will explain himself. Otherwise, I am not looking forward to freedom."

"I don't know how he could have done this to you," Carl said, enraged. "Whatever the outcome, my apply was supposed to be a sign of my affection."

I became nervous, unsure what to think about the derailed conversation.

"I used to think Peter was my safe harbor. But if he's not faithful to me, I guess I must thank you."

We held hands. Peter was performing a plastic smile, and I was grateful that I couldn't see my own face.

Behind Carl's shoulders stood Arthur FitzPatrick. "Pure love," he overestimated us. "That's such an inappropriateness in our hate circle that we should kick you out."

He went to borrow my right arm from Carl. "All I'm saying is that this place has lost the romantic spirit it took so long to build, Ms. Xiong."

"Owwww!" Something from his palm pricked my hand. I didn't see any ring, and I didn't care.

"I'm Mrs. Yoon!" I corrected him. "Stick somewhere your fingers and your suggestions!"

Carl forced me back onto the sofa. "Guards!" he shouted to the nearby warden force. "I think my ward needs some—unsupervised discipline."

They complied with him surprisingly willingly. The wardens took us to our perfume-making cottage and handed him paddles with long metal spikes. He dropped it as soon as they left the room. He kissed me on the lips for so long, as he had never done it before. For the benefit of doubt I gave to Peter, I should have resisted, but Carl's tongue just tasted so good, and in the spirit of our Lovemaking lessons, I tried to make mine also taste good to Carl. His hand fumbled under my skirt and into my panties, and when he verified that I had gotten wet in the right places, he pulled them down and threw them in the corner.

I knew why I hadn't taken the chastity belt.

Carl pulled away, pulling his pants down.

"I think we have much more delicious bits," he told me, and I knew immediately what his desire was. He lay down on the table, and his cock was already waking up to a new life. I threw off my skirt and walked over to him. Two fingers were enough for me to help achieve a full erection. I ran my tongue over his cock. It was especially good for the boy, so I positioned myself so that my ass and waist were near his head. Carl didn't need to be encouraged. His tongue went hedonistically over my labia and then to the inner side of my womanhood. Of course, I needed to properly reward him, so I kissed his glans and then took him in my mouth whole, so I had him inside me in two ways. I kept swaying forward and backward, prolonging our common pleasure. We needed to dissolve our melancholy in sex.

Even though I was counting on Peter to be able to explain the whole thing to me somehow, I succumbed to the discharge of lust. As long as people exist, two things are certain. They will feel joy and they will suffer. So let's make the joy lasting and meaningful.

At that table, Carl and I indulged in a few more pleasures, including the peculiarities which people call perversions. Carl even walloped my ass a few times to make it look like some kind of punishment had been done.

All this delay meant was that I had to stay longer for Homemaking, which was ninety per cent of today's class, especially for assigned women like me. 

I returned to my room quite late at night. Into the darkness, but not into silence. Pat was crying. When I tried to calm her down, she pushed me away.

There was no point in lying to herself. She hated my status, and if I tried to explain to her that mine didn't particularly suit me either, she would just laugh at me. 

I lay down in bed, convinced that I would fall asleep at most an hour before the wake-up call. But then I started to feel an intense pain above the bridge of my nose. I pressed my head into the pillow, and lying there in a faint, I was delivered into a dream that was not sure of its reality.

"Thank you for the pearls, Nicole," Carl said. "Here, you get two nice car toys in exchange."

They were adorable! "Thanks, Carl. I've always liked blue. But I'll probably need a lot of milk to make them last for a few days, right?"

"Mrs. Xiong, turn your attention to us!"

I saw Peter. Surrounded by two women!

"I'm Mrs. Yoon," I corrected the woman who had addressed me, pointing to my love. "When I get to him, he'll have to explain to me who his first wife is!"

"It's me," said the woman whose hair color was constantly changing. "Your husband married me for my safety."

"Was your safety more important to him than my marriage?"

"Nicole, focus! This is a lucid dream brought on by the nanobot injection, given by our associate FitzPatrick. I am Katarzyna, although most of my colleagues know me as Agent Swallow. I, Larissa, and Peter here are calling you."

"Wait, are you all really here? Even Carl?"

"The three of us are real, love," Peter said. "We don't even see Carl."

"What?" Carl asked. "Friendzoned first and now, I don't exist?"

I wasn‘t paying attention to him. "Lewandowska, are you here, too?"

"After the fall of Olsson, I hid in the place of another of our agents. I have been waiting for an opportunity to make this connection. We are broadcasting to you and a few other acquaintances tonight to explain the new task."

"What if someone wants to trick me? I thought. "You can pull most of the things you tell me from my head!"

"Nicole, please listen to them!" Peter urged me. "I think when they explain what they want, you won't resist."

The next day's breakfast confirmed the growing trend that the inmates were mainly interested in applications. The most desperate and vocal were those like Pat, who either had not been demanded at all or by the man in whose arms they did not want to end up at any cost. Of course, that meant that they would end up on the stage as slaves of old and given over to the highest bidder. I've seen some desperate attacks here and there, directed at those of us who were known to be getting back together with our loves, old or new. I've noticed that Stacey Hamilton avoids these discussions. As we were leaving the dining hall, I seized the opportunity to start talking to her.

"I tore up a few envelopes before I even opened them," Stacey admitted. "We're working to improve our conditions better, not become the property of a man who will order us by post."

"When you put it that way, didn't you dream about something distressing last night?"

Our conversation was interrupted by the wardens, but between cooking and embroidery, we agreed. Yes, we were dreaming of the same thing, and yes, the request did sound logical. Under different circumstances, we would have been scared of the machinations orchestrated by the Polish secret service through its plots.

Gathering those who had been stung by FitzPatrick was not difficult. All we needed to do was to ask the Shieldmaidens and their girlfriends. Even those who had not received any messages joined the required, easily understood mission.

"We appreciate the support our movement has received." We kissed the ass of Principal Weatherby. "And we have come to the conclusion that it is necessary to issue a political statement that reflects your positions."

Weatherby made no secret of his newfound joy, but something held him back. "You want to send a message to Washington? That would have to be something very intelligent and relevant." The principal stood up and, without asking us, poured himself and our delegation drinks. "The political situation has now become both simple and incredibly dramatic. Vice-chairman Cao has disappeared. The only one who could theoretically help us is his colleague, fellow Neumann, whom military intelligence has recently successfully isolated, but fellow Cao himself is still impossible to apprehend and deaf to any calls. Many members of the Conclave were disappointed that the election of the new Princeps lost such a promising candidate."

"It's us who don't want the wrong voice to win it!" I told him. "We consider fellow Cooper to be a weakling. Jesus Christ, he might even be a traitor! We want to make it clear to our legislators that we definitely do not support him."

"Neither do I," Weatherby said, happily drinking from his glass. "I think you're going to send out a positive signal."

If the Poles are not mistaken, that is*.*

"Many members of the Conclave have terrible contempt for the Shieldmaidens and their role in Green's Fall," Agent Swallow said. "They're all like Cao. Misogynists who also think that it is a farce when the inmates of the re-education institution mix with political figures. However, if someone like that says she hates Cooper, they'll take it as proof that Cooper isn't controlled by women, and he'll be more acceptable to them as Princeps."

We are the responsible ones; we will choose the new leader. Even if it will be by the childish technique of reverse psychology.

Almost all of the Shieldmaidens made a clip slandering Cooper, well aware that our actions can have different, even contradictory, consequences. Out of all the possible responses, we received one from an unexpectedly close source.

We didn't discuss our activities or, God forbid, their motives. One advantage of the school year ending was that in the evenings we weren't so exhausted and we had more fun together between dinner courses.

"I used to love holidays," Helen said. "Sometimes it was the sea, sometimes it was history. I enjoyed the waves, and my parents swam nearby, making me siblings. It was compensation for the torment of school. We should probably convince our husbands to take us across the ocean."

"Peter always wanted to see India, but it would put us down even if we had gotten a travel permit," I pondered.

"Leave that to your man. Wouldn't you like to visit us again?"

A woman spoke up from among the uninvited guests in our dining room. Behind Bellinda were Lucas Balaban and a burly guy whose name we didn't know.

"Why did you come here?" I made no attempt to hide my hostility.

Bellinda clapped briefly. "We liked your last performance. You expressed the words that no one would listen to from us. We would like to invite you to the lounge and help us settle our differences of opinion."

It sounded uncharacteristically guileless coming from her, but our group was in no position to refuse such a polite suggestion. Quite a few of us responded to the request. I stood up. I hadn't been one of the shieldmaidens from the beginning, but this mattered to me personally. Stacey and Therese also stood up, as did Claudia and Adriana or Roxie, as representatives of the "military wing". Montserrat Gutiérrez, an actress from the series that inspired us, also joined our representation.

The lounge was already packed before we arrived. Some Heirs were seated, but most were standing. Unlike my previous visit, they were all keeping quiet.

Bellinda squeezed us into the middle of the room, which was an extremely uncomfortable position for us. Her expression suggested she was enjoying it.

"I understand you have many admirers among us," said Bellinda, the former kindness quickly fading from her voice. "You might be surprised how many of them were not only supporters of former principal Arnolph but also of Timothy Cooper in the current elections. They presented him as a candidate who would right the alleged wrongs that you, as courageous warriors, stood up against. We, on the other hand, argued that his election would be absolutely unacceptable. You even called him a weakling. Perhaps you should explain in your own words what the ideal candidate should look like."

"Yes, this attitude of yours has confused many!" said a voice older than I was used to hearing here. A man named Joseph Singerton stepped forward from among the youngsters. Stacey had told me that he was Jenine's husband.

Bellinda snickered. "Our heroines understand well-put structure. They can suck it up to Princ.. Principal and to the current princeps."

We had not many gifted speakers among us girls, and I don't think we even thought beforehand that we would have to defend the cunning actions of the Poles to someone. I could tell from the faces of my comrades that they were displeased with this pressure. So I stepped forward and looked into those sad male eyes.

"We are no longer going to be defended by weak men," I told them resolutely. "We want someone at the helm whose steadfastness we can be sure of. If he has real inner strength, he will enter into dialogue with us."

"No one will talk to you; that's the magic!" Lucas Balaban said. Bellinda nodded, but her gaze did not leave us.

"A lot of terrible things have been done among us. Much of them by women of your nature," she said slowly. "I spoke to Principal Weatherby, and he agreed that it was shameful that so many men had been infected by your views."

"This was no infection, but an epiphany!" shouted a Heir, whom I had heard for the first time. "What we were offered here is a perversion of freedom. We are not free if we participate in slavery!"

An empty gesture, I thought. But if there are more such voices in the society...

"Let's be honest with ourselves," Bellinda growled. "You can only say this because the Justice Department won't arrest its boss' son. The principal suggests that all the Shieldmaidnes' tutors end lessons for their wards, cut off contact with them, and return home."

"We're done in a few weeks!" FitzPatrick said mockingly. "What will we achieve with such a gesture?"

"The political situation is fucked," Bellinda reminded him. "Any time is fine for a good gesture!"

Suddenly, one of the Heirs stood up. It was Carl. He looked at me as if some of his machinery had exploded inside him. I didn't understand it at all.

"I agree with you," he told Bellinda. "But we must face it together. We will vote on it. If we agree with you, we will all leave to solidify Princeps' peace!" 

He stood next to a shocked Bellinda. "If our Rapunzels don't want us as protectors anymore, then either we have failed or they have. We helped them with the fucking; now we have to pay for whores who will behave professionally."

"You have to listen to mummies and daddies, right?" Stacey quipped.

“No,” Carl said. “We’ll leave together and then we’ll decide where to go next.”

I didn’t recognize him, and it saddened me to see how many other Heirs patted him on the shoulder. I found myself searching for the brave anti-establishment figure who had spoken a moment earlier, but I didn’t find his face or hear his voice again.

"Take all the guests out for the voting!" Lucas Balaban suggested. A few wardens and stronger men began pushing our Shieldmaiden group and Mr. Singerton into the hallway. At this point, I wouldn't have minded if they had just locked us in our rooms and kept us there until we left. I didn't understand how anyone could accuse us of betrayal. 

Everything in life can be overcome. It's just that some changes can be better prepared for and others worse.

"Believe me, what we did was necessary; otherwise we wouldn't have done it." It was important to comfort Mr. Singerton, but it wasn't me who had made the decision; it was Stacey. 

"I know," Mr. Singerton said, standing away from the women. "We all have our reasons. But believe me, I don't feel like defending anyone except my wife."

"And I can forgive only my husband," I said. "I think few people are as lucky as Jenine or me in having a partner."

Joseph walked over to me and kissed my hand. "Do your best for your husband, just as I'm trying to do for her. I have one more thing planned, but if that doesn't work out, I should tell her how to survive in a world of the endless dark."

I kissed him lightly on the cheek. My colleagues muttered. "Just remember that people doing bad things is like bad weather. Help others, but strip out of your mind, and you'll endure everything."

"Are you spiritual?" Joseph asked me.

"I'm sort of Buddhist."

"It always seemed to me that Buddhism is Hinduism for whiners," Joseph said. "But you must look everywhere when you search for good advice." 
Bellinda emerged from the lounge, looking as if someone had put her in the same monkey costume they had put us in for the interrupted game.

"You can come back if you wish, but I don't know if you'd be interested," she said. "We are leaving. Immediately. I'm glad you won't be too grateful about your departure."