Sugar Rush (7 page)

No, Neve decided, she didn’t see this as an attempt to prove
to Gianna that she was wanted.
She
wanted Judy, and her body thrummed
with ecstatic joy. If only they could spend the night and make love at least
once more before they drifted into comfortable sleep.

Then once more in the morning before breakfast.

“You’ve gone all quiet,” Judy observed, shifting in Neve’s
embrace.

“Sorry. I guess that took all the breath out of me.” Neve
laughed, then quickly exhaled into silence. She traced the line of Judy’s hip
and circled a spot before sliding her hand down to Judy’s pussy. Neve cupped
her soft lips and found the clit, which she rubbed gently.

“Well, I’m glad to know you’re not completely spent.” Judy
squirmed to give Neve better access, and Neve took advantage. Judy’s clit
hardened and swelled, and Neve breathed in her sex. If only she could capture
this sensation to keep with her throughout the day… Of course, she probably
wouldn’t get much work done.

“Yes,” Judy hissed, and did the unthinkable by pulling away.
The move confused Neve, until she realized Judy intended to share her pleasure.
Neve lay back again and parted her thighs, allowing Judy to overlap one leg
with hers. Sitting back over Neve’s pelvic area, Judy settled into a scissor
position and pressed their clits together. “I love doing this,” she explained,
and began a slow grind that prickled Neve’s skin.

Yes…
At best, Neve kept her pussy trimmed without
shaving entirely. This left her exposed enough to enjoy the sensual friction
building with each thrust. She met Judy’s undulation with equal enthusiasm,
loving the feel of slick pussy lips against hers. Every bump to her clit shot a
spark through her—this way of lovemaking brought the orgasm more slowly, but it
still rocked Neve to a shuddering climax when it hit.

Judy panted for a few seconds before catching her breath to
speak. “I wonder if Rach wouldn’t mind if I skipped her party,” she said,
“because I really don’t want to leave. Ever.”

Neve laughed. “You planned it. You paid for the food. Won’t
she kill you?”

“No. She might have Dot put all her drinks on my tab,
though.”

Neve leaned forward and Judy met her for a smacking-loud
kiss. An all-nighter sounded wonderful to her as well, but soon thoughts of the
outside world invaded. Unless some benevolent, otherworldly being had
dispatched elves to run Sugar Rush for her, Neve knew she had to eventually get
dressed.

Judy slid closer and they kissed and caressed some more. “If
you like,” Neve said, “you can come by the bakery tomorrow afternoon and hang
out while I finish your job. I don’t mind working alone, but the company is
always nice.”

“Can’t. I have the day shift at the hobby store tomorrow.
Filling in for somebody who took a weekday for me a while ago.” Judy pouted.
“Save me something sweet for later?”

Neve smiled. “I’m sure I can swing that.”

* * * * *

Judy dropped Neve off in front of the darkened Sugar Rush
storefront to get her car. After a long, exploring kiss that fogged the
windows, she returned to her place for much-needed sleep. Only when she’d
slipped into bed did she realize she hadn’t checked her phone for messages.

Rachael had left several texts, each more profane than the
last, demanding details of her tryst.

She smirked and called up the tiny keypad, pecking out a
response with her thumbs. “Making this quick, I need to catch some Z’s,” she
murmured as she typed an abbreviated and sanitized version of her date with
Neve.

Seconds later, Rachael came back with
Riiiight. Only you
can make a night of hot sex sound like a game of checkers. Come on, spill!

Judy texted,
I’m sorry I don’t share your desire to
record my sex life for posterity. Let’s just say we made the sexy and leave it
at that.

Any kink, spanking? Ass play? Think you’ll want company
next time?
A string of smiley faces followed.

“Good night!” Rather than relay the sentiment, Judy powered
down her phone and settled in to get some sleep before her early alarm. Dreams
of Neve wrapped around her nude body helped make the night pass more
pleasantly.

She couldn’t wait until her shift ended, leaving her free to
spend the rest of her weekend with Neve.

The short Saturday at Sugar Rush passed quickly with a
steady stream of customers and order pickups. It pleased Neve to know they were
getting more mileage out of the social media publicity. A reporter even stopped
in to inquire about an interview, and Neve held on to the woman’s business
card.

After seeing Terri and Corky off for the day, Neve double-
then triple-checked the food inventory for Rachael’s party. She had everything
in its proper container. All she needed to do Sunday was load the catering van
and set up. Neve felt proud for managing the job on short notice with plenty of
time to spare. Turned out she hadn’t needed Terri to stay late at all.

She checked her watch to see she had about an hour to kill
before her date with Judy. When they parted last night, they’d planned to meet
up at Little Dude’s and let the night happen from there. Neve cleaned her
workspace and washed pans, thinking of what she’d like to do with Judy instead
of drinking beer in a loud joint.

A sharp rap on the front door jolted her from sensual images
of fondling Judy’s breasts and pussy. She looked up to see a shadowed figure
pressed against the glass, looking for signs of life. Normally Neve ignored
after-hours passersby, hoping they’d notice the sign and try again when they
were open, but the recent brouhaha with the Facebook and same-sex wedding cakes
made her think twice. For all she knew, this person wanted to ensure no
witnesses saw him or her hurl a brick through the window.

Neve hurried to the front, ready to admonish whoever had
come to bother her, but relaxed on finding Helen, her elderly bride-to-be
friend. “I know you’re closed, but I thought I saw movement and I wanted to pay
the rest of the balance on the cake,” she said when Neve opened the door.

“Of course, come on in. It could have waited, though.” Neve
offered Helen a seat and a free cookie with coffee. “I have some extras here.
We’re catering a party tomorrow. Let me know what you think,” she added. “I’m
not always my best critic.”

“They certainly look delicious.” Helen took a bite and
followed that assessment with audible yummy noises. “So you cater? We should
have you do more than the cake.”

Neve’s stomach fluttered at that. She hoped Helen and her
fiancée hadn’t encountered more problems planning their reception. “It’s not
too late to schedule if you need the food,” she said, “but let me know ASAP so
I can get it on the calendar.”

Helen nodded. “I will. It was going to be a simple
affair—family and close friends. This whole Facebook thing has gotten us so
much attention, though. Newspapers and websites are calling us now.” She
chuckled. “I never thought I’d have to dodge the paparazzi at my age.”

“The press is all good, I hope? Weddings are stressful
enough, you don’t need people raining on your parade—”

“Oh we’re fine.” Helen waved away the concern. “I didn’t
mean to make the fuss sound bigger than it actually is. I wanted to apologize
too, if our cake order caused you any trouble.”

“No trouble at all. I love baking wedding cakes, and I
promise you and Maggie will have a multi-layered masterpiece on your day.” Neve
gladly took the envelope with payment from Helen. “Give me a sec and I’ll get
you a receipt.”

They passed the brief time with small talk—Helen chatted
about their planned honeymoon with a gay and lesbian cruise line, while Neve
let the conversation give her ideas. Terri and Corky had nagged her about
taking a vacation from Sugar Rush. In all the years she’d run the place, she’d
never taken time off, beyond the major holidays when she closed. A week away on
a cruise to a tropical locale appealed to her, though the idea of going alone
did not.

She trusted Terri and Corky to hold down the fort, so why
not consider a trip now? She’d definitely earned it, and perhaps Judy could
take time off for a four-day weekend sail.

Wow.
One evening of hot sex with a gorgeous pixie of
a girl, and she wanted the romantic getaway already? Surely if she brought it
up, Judy might freak out and want to put a little distance between them. Neve
had heard the jokes about how quickly some lesbians moved in relationships—the
second date being the trip to rent the U-Haul—but Neve was willing to have her
fun for now. Who said she couldn’t ask for companionship on a cruise?

She shook her head and murmured an affirmative as Helen
talked, feeling guilty for having drifted away.
One thing at a time
, she
reminded herself. She’d spend more days with Judy and play it by ear, though a
weekend of sex on land or sea sounded great to her.

“Anyway, I’m glad to hear you still have good business
coming in, what with some of the negative attention.” Helen signed the receipt
Neve gave her and folded the carbon copy into her purse.

“To be honest, I haven’t looked at Facebook today, so I
don’t know what people are saying. We’re supplying food for a birthday party
coming up, and the person who hired us knew of you and Maggie. Judy Goldsmith?”
Neve tried the name, and Helen brightened with recognition.

“Yes, I know Judy. Lovely girl. She works at the hobby store
on Main—I’m in there all the time,” Helen said, and Neve sat down next to her with
a coffee. The temptation to pump Helen for information on Judy called silently,
but she didn’t want to turn the conversation completely in that direction.
Helen might ask questions, and Neve honestly didn’t know what she’d say. Were
she and Judy a couple, dating? No sense in presenting an opportunity for a
rumor.

Besides, Helen’s smile seemed to relay what she needed to
know about Judy at present. She was worth getting better acquainted with.

“Judy’s having the party for her friend at Little Dude’s,” Neve
explained. “Girl who works at the coffee shop downtown.”

Now Helen looked confused. “That’s a lesbian bar, isn’t it?
Maggie and I are pretty much homebodies, and I never hung out at the clubs.”

Neve shrugged. “Same here. I’m going there tonight, so that
should be interesting.” Work prevented her from getting too social in the gay
and lesbian community—hell, pretty much anywhere. Though she’d lived in the
town much of her life, Neve couldn’t drive to the local LGBT spots if asked.
“Her friend Rachael is apparently very popular, enough that they need the space
for the party.”

Helen looked up from her coffee mug. “Rachael from the
coffee shop. Oh, you must mean Rachael Morris over at Buzzhouse.”

“Hair like a paranormal Barbie doll, glitter on her brows?”

Helen laughed, nodding. “I do know her, or rather
of
her. That would make her a Libra then. Maggie does astrology charts as a hobby,
so I know all about it. Libras are very friendly, love excitement.”

Neve said nothing. She didn’t follow the zodiac and wouldn’t
know when Mercury went into retrograde, much less how to pair which sign with
which month. She also had no reason to doubt Helen, and considering what Judy
told had her about Rachael, the description seemed accurate.

“If I recall, Rachael and Judy were an item once,” Helen
said. “Wonder if they still are?”

“Really?” Neve’s heart unexpectedly sank.

“Oh, look at the time. I need to meet with the
photographer.” Helen stood to leave and Neve snapped out of her reverie.
“Friend of a friend looking to build a portfolio,” the old woman explained.

“That’s good. One less thing to worry about, I hope.” Neve
wanted to sound more excited for Helen and her partner, but this recent news
rankled her. Had Judy lied to her about her history with Rachael? Or perhaps
Helen was mistaken? Neve hoped for the latter. She and Judy had made love last
night, and Neve refused to get involved with another liar.

She saw Helen off with as cheerful a goodbye as she could
give. Once she shut everything off and cleaned the bakery to her satisfaction,
she locked up. All the while, thoughts of Judy occupied her mind. If Judy and
Rachael had been an item, why hide that fact from her? Neve considered the
possibility that Judy might think she’d get uncomfortable dating a woman whose
best friend was an old flame. To be honest, Neve didn’t have a problem with it.
But had Judy told a white lie to spare her feelings?

Or was their relationship perhaps ongoing?

The only way to get to the bottom of this would be to ask
Judy directly. In an hour or so, she’d have her answer, and no amount of
seductive kissing and caressing from Judy would keep Neve from learning the
truth. If she and Judy intended to have a relationship, they couldn’t have
falsehoods hanging over them.

Lord, give me strength
, she prayed, taking the wheel
and driving into traffic with thoughts of Judy’s sexy body clouding her mind.

* * * * *

It disappointed Judy to not see Neve’s car when she pulled
into the gravel lot behind Little Dude’s. She had arrived earlier than the
appointed meeting time, but couldn’t wait to see the gorgeous baker again. Her
work shift had dragged like a snail with nowhere particular to go, and all Judy
wanted now was a cold drink in one hand and a hot woman in the other.

Thankfully she didn’t have to wait for the former. Judy
found two empty barstools and marked one for Neve with her purse. Minutes
later, after the first sip of a fruity martini, a finger tapped her shoulder.

She tried to mask her crestfallen expression upon seeing
Rachael and her Fonzie clone joined at the hip.

“Well, hello to you too.” Rachael wrinkled her nose at her
and snuggled closer to her boi. “You remember Chaz, right?”

Judy shook a work-roughened hand and nodded. “I’ve seen you
around,” she said, thinking better than to mention Rachael’s live-sex feed from
earlier in the week.

Chaz’s voice came out softer and more feminine than
expected, yet Judy detected an edge to it. “We’re going to order a pizza for
the back room. You want in?”

Little Dude’s offered a limited menu of cold appetizers so
patrons could balance their booze. They allowed the pizza parlor next door to
deliver. It was a nice arrangement that seemed to benefit both businesses,
since people tended to stay longer at the bar after eating. “I’m waiting on a
date, but sure. Let me know how much I owe you,” Judy said.

“I’ll look for you when it arrives. If you’ll excuse me
first, however, I need to freshen up.” Rachael planted a wet, lengthy kiss on
Chaz before tearing away for the ladies’ room. Chaz smiled appreciatively after
her, watching Rachael’s firm ass move in her tight jeans.

Please don’t say anything
, Judy silently begged. She
loved Rachael like a sister, and the idea of possibly discussing her sexual
attributes with Rachael’s partners never made her comfortable. She preferred to
close her eyes for a moment and conjure the memory of Neve’s perfect,
heart-shaped posterior. Judy regretted not spending much time the other night
worshiping those smooth globes and the puckered hole within, but perhaps
tonight she’d rectify her neglect.

“Aw, shit,” Chaz muttered, looking away. Judy followed her
stare, and her heart skipped upon seeing Neve enter the bar. Damn, but she
cleaned up well after a day of rolling in the flour. She wore a long-sleeved
cream blouse with black jeans that showed off her shape very well. Dark boots
completed the ensemble, and didn’t look comfortable enough for dancing. Fine by
Judy—they could spend the evening tucked in a corner booth, munching pizza and
making out.

Pleasant as that sounded, though, the way Chaz reacted to
Neve’s entrance bothered her. Why did Rachael’s latest fling sound so annoyed
at seeing Neve?

Before Judy could move to greet her date, Chaz leaned
closer. “I just spotted my ex,” she grumbled. “I should know better than to
come here on a weekend. You can’t avoid running into a lesbian you don’t like
at the only dyke bar in town.”

“Yeah, those are some great odds.” Judy felt queasy. When
were Chaz and Neve an item? She took a deep breath and fought to mask her ill
feelings. Neve’s past wasn’t supposed to concern her, and if Rachael had a
problem with this history they’d find a way to work it out.

Yeah, right. Rachael, the equal-opportunity lesbian? She’d
stage a sexual intervention.

To Judy’s surprise, Chaz didn’t turn away when Neve came to
the bar. She kissed Judy’s cheek. “What’s the word, bird? Have you been waiting
long?” she asked. “I had to shower off several dozen cupcakes. Now I’m ready
for a drink.”

So far, so good. Judy smiled and steered Neve to the empty
stool. “We can help you there. What are you drinking?”

Neve settled on the same fruity martini, with Judy promising
to sip slowly so she could catch up. When Chaz moved around her to speak to
Neve, Judy held the stem of her glass so tightly she thought it might snap in
half.

It surprised her, then, when Chaz held out a hand and said,
“Seeing as how Judy is too smitten by you to speak, I’ll introduce myself. I’m
Chaz.”

“Neve. Nice to meet you.” Neve shook her hand and Judy
relaxed. One potential awkward situation dodged. Obviously Chaz had fixated on
somebody else in the bar.

“You look familiar,” Chaz was saying, “but I don’t remember
seeing you in here before.”

“Hey, watch it,” Judy warned in a playful tone.

Neve laughed, clearly flattered by the attention. “I own
Sugar Rush, the bakery on Vine Street and—”

Her voice failed suddenly and her expression fell into
shock. Whatever happened, it affected Chaz too. Rachael’s boi let out a
muttered curse as a fourth woman approached their party.

Judy recognized her as the same person who was with Neve
outside the bakery last night.

Well, crap. Of all the lesbian bars in all the world…

Neve held her breath for a long moment before slowly
releasing it through her teeth. Why
wouldn’t
Gianna show up here on a
weekend? Where else could one indulge in a rebound and find a willing partner
for sexual pleasure? Gianna joined them, looking shy and contrite in a blue
halter-top dress that was out of place for the season. She wore her dark hair
over her shoulders, and bright-red lipstick gave her the appearance of a 1940s
movie star stepped off the screen into a very different Land of Oz.