asked. “Or did Eric man up?”
“Oh he manned up, alright.” Jillie made a sound between a sniffle and a snort. “Come in.”
Christina sat on the bed, but then jumped up with a yelp. “Sorry. The new riding crop I gave Bryce left a nasty welt.”
Jillie rolled her eyes. “Is that why your eyes look all glassy?”
“No.” Christina smiled wide and rubbed her ass. “Bryce told me he loved me.”
“Yay!” Lisa exclaimed, wrapping Christina in an impulsive hug.
“That’s great,” Jillie said.
She fought jealousy’s stabbing pain. She was truly happy for her friend but even more painfully aware Eric had mentioned nothing of love.
“Thanks, Jil,” Christina said. “When I was uncertain about my needs, you really helped me work through my fear.” She reached out and grabbed Jillie’s hand. “And your spanking adventure? How did it go? Was it everything you’d fantasized about?”
Jillie tried to smile, but her lips quivered.
“Oh honey, I’m sorry,” Lisa rushed to her side and rubbed her back. “The first time can be a shock.”
“No, the night was beautiful. Well, after a rough start, anyway.” She bit her lip. “Why didn’t you guys warn me how I was going to feel? I’m nervous and embarrassed and all I want to do is curl up at Eric’s side and never leave.”
“Oh, hon,” Christina soothed. “Part of you knew this was going to be your reaction. Hell, you pretty much had it all planned out.”
“I didn’t think I would feel this strongly,” Jillian said defensively.
Christina challenged her with a look of disbelief.
“Give her a break, she’s new,” Lisa said.
Chris pursed her lips. “Tell Lisa how far back your crush on Eric goes. She didn’t know you back then.”
Jillie looked at Christina with surprise. “You knew? Am I that obvious?”
Christina nodded. “Since you were about twelve.
“How does Eric feel?” Lisa asked.
Jillian threw up her hands. “That’s the problem. I don’t know.”
“I suggest you ask him, then,” Christina said.
“I can’t.”
“You asked him for a spanking,” Lisa pointed out. “How much harder could it be to ask him how he feels?”
“A lot!” Jillie said. “He’s such a player. That side of him has always made me keep my distance.”
Christina smoothed Jillian’s hair from her forehead and cupped the side of her cheek in a way that reminded Jillie that Christina was a mother.
“Honey,” Christina said. “I hate to tell you this, but I’m going to be honest. This was never just about a spanking. It was about you and Eric all along. I would have warned you if I thought you were heading for trouble, but you and Eric have been friends for a long time and I thought you both would finally see how good you could be for each other.”
“Last night was magical.” Jillian sighed. “I just don’t know if I can sustain it.”
“Look,” Lisa said, “you aren’t going to know all the answers right away, so deal with it.”
“She’s right. What-ifs can drive you crazy. Trust your feelings.”
“But my feelings say I’m in love,” Jillie confessed.
“I’m not at all surprised,” Christina said. “And something tells me Eric won’t be, either.”
Lisa patted Jillie’s shoulder. “You told me when I was confused about Ben to trust myself and to go and get him.”
“What are you waiting for, Jil?” Christina asked. “Don’t lose courage, now.”
“Go and get him,” Lisa said.
****
Eric turned down the gas on his stove and checked his beeping cell.
A text from Jil flashed. On my way.
The trip from Route 73 would give him just about enough time to finish up his specialty—eggs with rosemary and onions. He guessed they were his specialty, anyway. He’d never actually made them for anyone but himself.
He broke a few eggs into a bowl and added the fresh herbs he’d chopped.
Cooking for Jillie felt normal. Having Jil in his house felt right. Was his pleasant, domestic sort of feeling so
“Oh he manned up, alright.” Jillie made a sound between a sniffle and a snort. “Come in.”
Christina sat on the bed, but then jumped up with a yelp. “Sorry. The new riding crop I gave Bryce left a nasty welt.”
Jillie rolled her eyes. “Is that why your eyes look all glassy?”
“No.” Christina smiled wide and rubbed her ass. “Bryce told me he loved me.”
“Yay!” Lisa exclaimed, wrapping Christina in an impulsive hug.
“That’s great,” Jillie said.
She fought jealousy’s stabbing pain. She was truly happy for her friend but even more painfully aware Eric had mentioned nothing of love.
“Thanks, Jil,” Christina said. “When I was uncertain about my needs, you really helped me work through my fear.” She reached out and grabbed Jillie’s hand. “And your spanking adventure? How did it go? Was it everything you’d fantasized about?”
Jillie tried to smile, but her lips quivered.
“Oh honey, I’m sorry,” Lisa rushed to her side and rubbed her back. “The first time can be a shock.”
“No, the night was beautiful. Well, after a rough start, anyway.” She bit her lip. “Why didn’t you guys warn me how I was going to feel? I’m nervous and embarrassed and all I want to do is curl up at Eric’s side and never leave.”
“Oh, hon,” Christina soothed. “Part of you knew this was going to be your reaction. Hell, you pretty much had it all planned out.”
“I didn’t think I would feel this strongly,” Jillian said defensively.
Christina challenged her with a look of disbelief.
“Give her a break, she’s new,” Lisa said.
Chris pursed her lips. “Tell Lisa how far back your crush on Eric goes. She didn’t know you back then.”
Jillie looked at Christina with surprise. “You knew? Am I that obvious?”
Christina nodded. “Since you were about twelve.
“How does Eric feel?” Lisa asked.
Jillian threw up her hands. “That’s the problem. I don’t know.”
“I suggest you ask him, then,” Christina said.
“I can’t.”
“You asked him for a spanking,” Lisa pointed out. “How much harder could it be to ask him how he feels?”
“A lot!” Jillie said. “He’s such a player. That side of him has always made me keep my distance.”
Christina smoothed Jillian’s hair from her forehead and cupped the side of her cheek in a way that reminded Jillie that Christina was a mother.
“Honey,” Christina said. “I hate to tell you this, but I’m going to be honest. This was never just about a spanking. It was about you and Eric all along. I would have warned you if I thought you were heading for trouble, but you and Eric have been friends for a long time and I thought you both would finally see how good you could be for each other.”
“Last night was magical.” Jillian sighed. “I just don’t know if I can sustain it.”
“Look,” Lisa said, “you aren’t going to know all the answers right away, so deal with it.”
“She’s right. What-ifs can drive you crazy. Trust your feelings.”
“But my feelings say I’m in love,” Jillie confessed.
“I’m not at all surprised,” Christina said. “And something tells me Eric won’t be, either.”
Lisa patted Jillie’s shoulder. “You told me when I was confused about Ben to trust myself and to go and get him.”
“What are you waiting for, Jil?” Christina asked. “Don’t lose courage, now.”
“Go and get him,” Lisa said.
****
Eric turned down the gas on his stove and checked his beeping cell.
A text from Jil flashed. On my way.
The trip from Route 73 would give him just about enough time to finish up his specialty—eggs with rosemary and onions. He guessed they were his specialty, anyway. He’d never actually made them for anyone but himself.
He broke a few eggs into a bowl and added the fresh herbs he’d chopped.
Cooking for Jillie felt normal. Having Jil in his house felt right. Was his pleasant, domestic sort of feeling so
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