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“S he’s cute.”

“Yeah, she is,” Asher replied. “She’s free tonight.”

“Tonight?” Linden asked.

“Yes. Is that too soon? I just had a date last night, and it didn’t go well.”

“Ash, in the grand scheme of things, I’d call that date a success. I could give you horror stories that I’ve heard, but I don’t want to discourage you here.”

“Maybe I should just talk to her for a few days before going out with her.”

“You can do that,” Linden replied. “You can also just ask her for coffee and hit up a public place. Get your coffee to-go and tell her you have something to do after it, so you can’t stay too long. If you end up wanting to stay, you just tell her you’ll cancel your other thing.”

Asher rolled her eyes at her and said, “That sounds like playing games.”

“Well, that’s dating,” she said. “I can’t be there tonight, by the way. I have a date of my own.”

“You do?” Asher asked, looking up from her phone for the first time now.

“Yeah, a woman from the app, too. We’ve messaged a few times. We’re meeting for drinks tonight.”

“Oh,” Asher said and returned her gaze to her phone. “I’ll say yes, I think.”

“You will?” Linden asked, surprised.

“Why not? It’s just coffee, right? I like coffee.”

“Yeah. It’s just coffee.”

Linden watched as Asher sent a message to the woman she’d be having coffee with that night, and her stomach did a weird dance. She hadn’t eaten anything yet, so she was probably just hungry. Just then, there was a knock on Asher’s office door. Linden looked up and saw Monica and Bridgette standing there.

“Hey, you two,” she said.

“Oh, hey,” Asher added as well, looking up. “You’re early. Come on in.”

“We can wait if you–” Monica began.

“No, no. Come in,” Asher replied, dropping her phone onto her desk. “I’m excited to get started on this.”

“Yeah, so are we,” Bridgette said as they walked into the office hand in hand. “Are you going to be planning Mel and Kyle’s, too?”

“They messaged me this morning, actually,” Linden replied. “Ash has yours. I’m going to do theirs.”

“Well, let’s just make sure we pick different dates and, preferably, different months, too, because I’ll be Mel’s maid of honor, and she’ll be mine.”

“They’re coming in today,” Linden shared. “Probably soon. Jolie is in town, and Kyle planned the proposal to be before she got here so that they could then start planning everything together. Should be fun.”

She stood up.

“Want to just bring them in here?” Asher asked. “We could all plan together.” She looked at Monica and Bridgette. “Up to you two, obviously.”

“I think that makes sense. We’re all going to be involved in both weddings in one way or another. Might as well make sure everything can line up properly,” Monica said.

“I can get us the conference room,” Linden suggested. “I’ll grab Kyle and Mel and meet you in there, if they’re good with it.”

“Sounds good,” Asher said.

As Linden walked past Monica and Bridgette to leave the room, Bridgette asked Asher, “So, when are you going to get back on the woman dating horse?”

“That’s a weird sentence,” Asher said with a laugh. “And tonight, actually.”

Linden just kept walking until she was at the front desk, where she asked the receptionist to check on conference room availability. She reserved the one she needed just in time for Kyle and Melinda to come through the elevator.

“Hey, congratulations,” she said with a smile.

“Thank you,” Melinda replied and pulled her in for a hug. “I still can’t believe it.”

“I can.”

Linden turned to see that another woman was standing behind them.

“You must be Kyle’s sister,” she said.

“That’s me,” Jolie replied.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Linden.”

“You too.”

“Well, Monica and Bridgette are here, too, meeting with Asher. We were all thinking that we could chat together today. They want to make sure that the dates are good for all of you so that you can be in their wedding, and they can be in yours.”

“Yeah, Bridge and I talked about that.”

“You did?” Kyle asked her now-fiancée. “When? I’ve been with you every second since you said yes.”

Melinda smiled at her and said, “Babe, I knew this was coming. Bridge and I have been talking about our possible weddings since she and Monica got serious.”

“I got us a conference room. We can order lunch in, if you want,” Linden offered.

“Yeah. Let’s do it,” Melinda said.

Two hours later, they had wrapped up. Ironing out the initial big details wasn’t usually a big deal because things would change repeatedly over the course of the process, but planning two weddings with people who would be heavily involved in both meant that they needed to lock a few things in now that wouldn’t change later. Dates came pretty easily. Color schemes came next. Monica didn’t have a preference. Bridgette wanted silver and something else but was flexible. Melinda had her own ideas, and Kyle nodded in agreement. They would all go visit venues and decide on those later, but both weddings would take place in or around New Orleans. Knowing that, Asher and Linden could get to work.

Vendors and budgets had been discussed, too, but only loosely. Lunch had been eaten. Laughs had been had. It had been one of the best work meetings Linden had ever had, yet, there was something in the back of her mind that she couldn’t quite shake. Watching her new friends all planning weddings made her wish she had one of her own to plan, too.

It was the first time she had caught herself thinking like that. She’d wanted to date around since before even coming out and knew that she’d settle down eventually, but that was the last step in her masterful step process. Slow down on the sex on first dates. Go on more second and third dates. Find someone to go on a fourth one with, and so on and so on until she finally got down on one knee, should she decide to do that, and propose. Maybe she would propose. Maybe she wouldn’t. Weddings were fine, but she could do without one. She could do without the marriage, too, technically. She just wanted one person. While Linden knew she wasn’t ready to plan her own wedding, she also felt like she might be about done with this whole dating-around thing.

When Linden looked over at her best friend, who was typing something into her phone, she thought about the fact that Asher was going on another date that night, her second one with a woman. There was that stomach thing again. But Linden had just eaten, so she knew it wasn’t because she was starving this time.

◆◆◆

“I should tell you that I can only stay for one drink,” Linden said.

Her date lifted an eyebrow and asked, “Giving yourself an out just in case?”

“What?”

“I’ve done this before, too, you know? Can you really only stay for one drink, or are you just saying that in case this doesn’t go well?”

“Oh, no. It’s not a lie. My friend needs me to stop by later.”

“Later?”

“Yeah,” she said.

“How much later?”

“In, like, an hour and a half.”

“Then, why are we in a bar?” the woman asked. “I live upstairs.”

Linden swallowed and said, “I thought you wanted to get a drink.”

“That was when I thought we would have all night.”

“Oh,” Linden said, leaning over and moving her lips next to the woman’s ear. “Do you want to take this upstairs, then?”

Her date didn’t answer her with words, but her hands moved to Linden’s belt buckle, which she undid, and Linden supposed that was an answer enough. They’d been messaging on the app for five days now. Linden usually had three or four active chats going on the app, and she’d been wanting to get together with the woman who was currently walking her up the stairs because she was sexy as hell in her pictures and had been honest in that she was seeking fun and nothing serious. She was even sexier in person and had worn a short, tight black dress for their drinks’ date at the bar that she’d smartly invited Linden to, which was downstairs from her apartment, giving them only a few steps to take before they had some privacy and a bed.

When the door was closed behind Linden, the woman sauntered into the small kitchen, which was open in the studio space. She didn’t say anything as she poured them both a glass of some clear alcohol before she carried the glasses over to Linden and handed her one. Linden wasn’t usually a fan of drinking something she hadn’t poured for herself or hadn’t watched a bartender pour because anything could’ve been in that previously open bottle, but she watched her date take a sip first and decided it was safe to do so.

The woman downed the drink in a gulp after her first sip, and Linden realized that they weren’t meant to enjoy their drinks while they talked before they got to the sex, so she downed it as well. Not a big fan of vodka to begin with, but especially not a fan of straight vodka, she did her best to conceal her reaction to the alcohol as it went down. This was the cheap stuff and not at all smooth.

“So, I was thinking that we could fuck all night long, and if that went well, maybe we’d do it again, but if you have to go in an hour or so, we should at least see if this could be something worth repeating.” The woman handed Linden her empty glass, and Linden watched her lift her dress enough to pull down and then remove a black, lacy thong.

Linden’s eyes went wide as that thong was tossed onto the floor, and her date took both glasses from her and placed them on a nearby table before returning to Linden and reaching for that belt buckle again.

“I know we talked a little about what I like, but to be clear, I love a butch who takes what she wants,” the woman said as she pulled apart Linden’s belt. “And I especially love a butch who comes prepared. Did you come prepared for me, baby?” She unbuttoned and unzipped Linden’s pants before she quickly reached down into Linden’s jeans over her boy shorts.

“Fuck,” Linden let out, pressing her back against the door.

“You didn’t. I thought you would’ve taken my hints.”

“I came here from work,” she said as that hand cupped her hard and then pulled out completely. “Next time,” she added.

“I have one you can put on for me. It’s in my drawer.”

“Oh,” Linden said.

She knew this woman had done this before. That much had been obvious from their messages. But this was a routine her date performed often, given how smoothly it was going so far. Linden had been one of many, which didn’t bother her, but she’d thought they’d at least talk over a drink before they got to this part, if they got to this part at all.

“Wear it for me, fuck me with it, and next time, I’ll give you whatever you want.”

“Next time?” Linden asked, wondering why she’d have to wait until then to get what she’d want, which quite frankly, was an orgasm from another woman’s mouth.

“Yes. You only have an hour, right?” She pulled at Linden’s shirt until it was out of her pants. “I like to take my time when I come.” She reached for and undid the first button on Linden’s shirt. “I’m going to ride you until I’m close. Then, I’m going to sit on your face until I can’t stand it anymore. When I’m ready, you’ll fuck me from behind until I come.”

In their messages, they hadn’t talked like this, so Linden was completely unprepared, and talking like this wasn’t much of a turn-on for her. She was overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do, which was odd for her because this wasn’t exactly her first time messaging and then meeting with a woman that she’d planned to have sex with.

When her phone dinged in her back pocket, she used it as her chance to get some space between her and her date, who’d been about to remove her shirt. She pulled her phone out and cleared her throat.

“Sorry. One second.”

“I’ll get what we need,” the woman said as she walked away toward the bed.

Linden looked down and saw a message from Asher, who was waiting for her date to arrive.

Asher Hahn : She’s twenty minutes late. What do I do?

There was a second message.

Asher Hahn : Sorry. I forgot you’re on a date of your own. Never mind. I’m an adult. I’ll be fine.

Linden looked up and saw the woman pulling out a harness with the dildo already attached from a dresser drawer. She also pulled out a bottle of lube and set it on the bedside table. Before she turned toward Linden again, she unzipped her dress and let it fall to the floor. She was gloriously naked, and when she turned around, Linden got her first taste of just how sexy this woman was, and she swallowed. Her date smirked. Linden felt the wetness pool between her thighs and watched the woman as she walked, hips swaying, back over toward her, holding the harness out for Linden to take.

“Here you go, baby. This is my favorite one. Will you wear it for me and make me come?”

Linden looked back down at her phone, then up at the woman, and back down again.

“Is something wrong?” the woman asked.

“Um… My friend… The one I told you about…”

“What about her? You said you had an hour, at least.”

“I did. Well, I thought I would. But she needs me now instead.”

“I’m standing in front of you naked now, holding out a harness, and you’re telling me you don’t want this? You want to go meet a friend instead? I’m wet for you, Linden,” she said and moved her hand back inside Linden’s still undone pants, going farther down this time and inside Linden’s boy shorts. “Oh. You’re wet for me, too, baby.” She stroked her once. “Hmm… Maybe you just need me to take care of you first. Would that get you to stay?”

Linden tried to prevent her body from reacting, but her hips bucked on the second stroke.

“Yes, that’s what you need,” the woman said. “Let me take care of you first.”

“Fuck,” Linden let out.

Then, she pictured Asher sitting at a restaurant all by herself, and she put her hand on the woman’s forearm.

“I’m sorry. I really do have to go. Another time.”

“Another time?!” her date asked, removing her hand. “Another thirty seconds, and you’d be coming and shoving me down on my bed to fuck me.”

“I’m sorry. I have to go,” Linden told her.

She buttoned and zipped her pants before she rebuttoned her shirt and haphazardly tucked it back in.

“There won’t be another time, Linden.”

“Okay. I understand,” she said. “Sorry, again.”

Linden turned, opened the door, and closed it behind her. She gathered herself before she walked down the stairs, hit the street, and headed in the direction of the restaurant where she’d find Asher. She wasn’t sure if she hoped Asher was still alone because she’d been stood up or if she hoped Asher’s date had arrived. She knew she should be hoping for the latter, but as she hurried along the somewhat crowded sidewalk, she knew it was the former that she hoped for.