Fringe Benefits

Marylyn Lincoln glanced up from the paper and glanced around the El car. Her gaze stopped when she saw the woman across the aisle. How had she missed this one getting on the train?

Internally chastising herself for not seeing this lovely young lady before, Marylyn spent the rest of her morning commute surreptitiously studying the other woman.

She had long, straight light brown hair that hung below her shoulders. It was cut shorter towards the front to just below her chin with short bangs, revealing a wide, smooth forehead. Her features were striking. She had large, brown eyes, a slender nose, and a mouth that just begged to be kissed.

Marylyn thought to herself that would be a lot of fun. But she was also aware that this girl was probably straight as hell and might not be the least bit interested in another woman.

Having come out of the closet when she was in college, Marylyn was well aware of how gays and lesbians were perceived by most people. Even in a relatively open-minded town like Chicago, with it's official gay neighborhood and it's annual parade.

'Well, it doesn't hurt to look or dream,' she thought. 'At least I can see where she gets off.'

Smiling at her unintentional entendre, Marylyn glanced at the girl across from her. The brunette looked up at that moment and smiled back at Marylyn.

Marylyn quickly glanced away in embarrassment, as her heart seemed to stop. The girl had a wonderfully radiant smile! A smile just about anyone would do just about anything to experience. The girl's whole face lit up and her straight, white teeth almost seemed to glow.

Sneaking a glance out of the corner of her eye, she saw the girl looking out the window of the train as they cruised through the West Side along the expressway median.

All too soon, the train went underground just before they entered the Loop. 'Now,' Marylyn decided, 'unless the girl works on the Northwest Side, she'll probably get off the train at one of the next few stops.'

As she had predicted, the girl stood and made her way towards an exit as the train approached the Jackson Street stop. Marylyn finally got a glimpse of the woman. She was dressed in comfortable khaki slacks with a medium-length dark brown leather jacket. As she noted the slightly strained white shirt beneath, she also noticed the jacket had fringe on the sleeves and across the back.

A suede jacket with fringe? Was she suddenly in Nashville? Had the Grand Ole Opry moved north? Who wore a fringed jacket in Chicago?

Then, remembering that smile, Marylyn decided the girl could wear whatever she wanted. As long as it came with that smile.

But again, she was also well aware of some people's deep-seeded feelings towards her. Especially people from the South. To some of the sons and daughters of Dixie, she had two strikes against her: she was gay and, maybe worse to them, she was black.

Having grown up in one of the more open-minded suburbs, Marylyn had only limited experience with prejudice. It wasn't until she went away to college that she really had any problems.

During Marylyn's sophomore year at school, she was interested in one of the girls on her floor. The object of her desire was a lovely blond cheerleader for the school's Division II football team.

One Saturday evening, after the football team won a big conference game that afternoon, Marylyn saw her in one of the many bars filled with celebrating students. She made her way across the room towards the girl. They ended up in a small, open space near the end of the bar.

The girl, Sherry, was pleasant, funny, and intelligent. She even seemed to pick up on many of the subtle hints Marylyn dropped regarding sex. Deciding to go for broke, Marylyn asked her if she'd like to go for a walk. Sherry agreed.

They strolled across the campus, ending up at a small pond near the football stadium. Sitting on a park bench, Marylyn draped her arm along the back of the seat and then down over Sherry's shoulder. They turned towards each other and their faces neared...

At that point, two men walked out of the bushes. One screamed, "Take your fucking hands off her! Fucking nigger dyke!"

"Not just one dyke, Joe. Looks like two fucking dykes!" the other said. "I know just what they need!"

Sherry screamed and Marylyn jumped up. "Get away from us!" she said in a calm, low voice. She stood lightly on her feet, her arms loose and extended away from her.

"Oh, the Karate Lez! Fucking black bitch! I'm gonna wax on & wax off on you, you fucking dyke! Think you can take on us? Well, you will. I like nigger pussy. It's so easy..."

"Not this one," Marylyn said.

The two advanced on her and she yelled as she kicked the nearest in the balls. He squealed and fell, clutching his crotch.

"Bitch!" the other one, Joe, snarled as he punched her in the face. It wasn't a hard punch but it distracted her enough for her attacker to grab her arm and throw her to the ground.

Silver glinted in the night as a switchblade appeared in his hand, "Gonna cut me some black pussy..."

Panicked, Marylyn grabbed the hand and held him off. But her strength wasn't enough to hold off the heavier man above her. She could only stare as the blade dropped lower and lower towards her face.

"Unnh! No! Don't... You sonuva..." Marylyn grunted as she tried to twist under her attacker.

"No, you don't. I gotta get you back for Jeff," he snarled. Marylyn could smell the booze on the man's breath.

She glanced over and saw Jeff in a fetal position on the ground moaning. She was amazed that she felt satisfaction from that with a razor-sharp knife less than an inch from her skin.

Marylyn steeled herself for the first prick of the knife when campus police came and grabbed her attacker. They had found Sherry running away from the pond and backtracked to find Marylyn in the proverbial knick of time.

After the initial hearing, she never saw Sherry again. Rumor had it that her ultra-conservative parents took her away from the evil influences of the liberal-minded college.

The two would-be rapists eventually ended up serving jail time. Jeff tried to sue Marylyn for kneeing him in the balls. That suit was thrown out of court.

For the remainder of her two and a half years in school, Marylyn attended, and later assisted, sessions at the student rape counseling center.

While working at the center helped her deal with the ever-present spectre of the assault, it didn't really help her address the unease and fear she felt at the blatant racial hatred her attackers exhibited. That was something she had to learn to deal with on her own over the next few years.

Before she realized it, the train came to a stop at the Washington stop. Marylyn shook her head trying to dismiss the dark memories. She managed to get off just as the doors started to close. Heading up to the street, she looked around the Daley Plaza, then chuckled when she realized she wouldn't see the smiling beauty. Even if she climbed the giant Picasso in the middle of the plaza.

The rest of the day, she found herself thinking of the young lady and having to force herself back to concentrating on her work. The buckskin jacket, as she thought of it, was bothering her, for some reason.

'She might just be a fan of country music,' she mused several times that day. 'Even if the girl is from the South, that doesn't mean she'd be a bigot.' This always brought her to the point where she chuckled out loud in her cubicle as the next thought inevitably arose, 'Hell, I'm putting the cart before the horse is out of the barn. I don't even know if she's straight, gay, or even bi...' Then she would laugh again at her rural metaphors.

While confident that everyone was bisexual to some extent, Marylyn realized that, if it were true, many choose to ignore or restrain that part of themselves.

Finally, the work day ended and Marylyn joined the hundreds of others leaving work at that time, crowding the bus stops, El stations, and subway platforms. As was often the case at the end of the day, she had to stand when she boarded the train.

When the train pulled up at the Jackson platform, she scanned the crowds for the girl she had seen earlier in the day. She was not surprised when she saw no sign of the young beauty. The surprise would've been seeing her in this one car out of all the Els running during rush hour.

Getting off the train in Oak Park, Marylyn stopped at a small grocery store and picked up some odds and ends she needed before walking on to her apartment.

She tossed her mail on the coffee table, saw no messages on her machine, and turned on the television. At least she was home in time to catch "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer", even if it was a rerun.

As she watched, her mind kept turning back to the girl on the train. Was she from the South? Would she care that Marylyn was black? Presuming she'd be interested at all.

The next morning, Marylyn stopped at a little coffee shop before proceeding to the train platform. As she stood there among dozens of other commuters, she scanned the crowd. No sign of Wrangler Jane, as she had begun calling the girl she had seen just once the day before.

As the El pulled up and she got on, she gazed around the car but saw no one. 'Damn,' she thought. She had come to recognize, if not know, many of the people she rode with everyday. But she had taken the train enough to know that there were thousands of people she might see only once or twice and then never again. And it was beginning to look like Wrangler Jane was one of those.

The rest of that day passed quickly. Marylyn had a large project she was putting together and it took most of her time. Almost before she was aware of it, it was time to head home.

Like the day before, she watched for Wrangler Jane as the subway headed south then west away from the Loop. And, like the day before, she saw no sign of the lovely 'cowgirl' on board.

Unfortunately for Marylyn, this situation remained unchanged for the next two days. By the time she got off the train on Friday, she was certain she'd never see Wrangler again.

Arriving at her apartment, she found a note taped to her door from her next-door neighbors. Steve and Allison Conrad were going out to dinner at one of the better Mexican places in town and wanted to know if she was interested.

Marylyn smiled, this might be just what she needed. She went to knock on their door. Steve, a handsome man in his mid-thirties answered.

"Hey, Mar! Got our note. Wanna join us? Margaritas!!!"

Laughing, Marylyn said, "I'd love to. Give me ten minutes?"

"Take twenty. That's at least how long it'll take Allie to get ready."

They both smiled at the shouted "Hey!" from the bedroom.

"Hi Allison!" Marylyn called before going back to her place to change into jeans and a comfortable shirt.

After splashing water on her face, she grabbed a brush and ran it through her hair. It took some work but she liked how it looked styled to hang around her shoulders with a gentle curl. While she liked the more natural tight curls on most black women, she thought the time and trouble to get hers styled was worth it. But what about...?

She stared at the pretty reflection and said, "Get over it, girl! There are plenty more cowgirls out there."

Later, as the three were sipping margaritas and munching on the complimentary chips and salsa, Steve told them about an incident on the floor of the Board of Trade where he worked. Fortunately for the ladies, Steve was able to take the most boring story and make it hilariously funny.

"Steve, that has got to be the stupidest story you ever told us," Allison said.

"Yeah? Well you laughed!" Steve responded.

"Just being polite, dear," Allison patted his hand.

Marylyn saw the gesture and smiled. If they could make their marriage work, maybe she had a shot at something wonderful too.

Steve happened to be white and his wife was African-American. They were the perfect mixed marriage as far as Marylyn was concerned. Both loved and respected the other.

And they were a lot of fun to be with.

"I saw a goddess the other day," Marylyn said. At her friends' urging, she told them about Wrangler Jane. They were both sympathetic when she told them she hadn't seen the girl since that one time.

While the waiter came with their food, Allison said, "Don't worry, Marylyn. If it was meant to be, you'll see her again."

"Yeah, I guess so..."

The three of them proceeded to devour the food spread before them. As Marylyn took a bite of her second fajita, she froze staring straight ahead.

"Mar, what is it?" Steve asked as he turned to look towards the door. "Is that her? She's a knockout!"

Allison slapped her husband lightly on the arm but had to agree. "She is a beauty, Mar. If I wasn't straight, I'd be all over her myself."

"That I'd pay money to see," Steve said, only half joking.

"I guess I..." Marylyn was at a loss for words. That situation worsened when the girl in the fringed jacket glanced over, smiled and nodded at Marylyn. Marylyn was so surprised that she could only stare at the young woman.

"Marylyn? Marylyn!" Steve said.

"Whu...?"

"You still with us, sweetie?" Allison asked.

"Why don't you go over and say hello?" Steve suggested.

"I couldn't. Not now. I just looked like a complete idiot. She must think I'm a head case," Marylyn moaned. "Anyway, she's with someone."

The girl that haunted Marylyn's thoughts was indeed dining with a companion. A female companion. A point Steve wasn't going to ignore.

"Hey, at least she's with a woman. There may be hope..."

"Yeah, right!" Marylyn snorted. "She's probably a coworker or something."

"Marylyn, what's with you? You've never been this way before when we've been out," Allison said.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because she's so... I don't know." Marylyn sighed dramatically, "I'm so pathetic."

Steve snorted a laugh, "Yeah, you are."

"Steve!" Allison said to her husband before turning to their friend, "Mar, just act the way you did when you met Laura. She was gorgeous too. But you managed to win her over."

Marylyn had met Laura Cornell, a high school English teacher, a little over a year before. She was out with the friends she was with tonight. They were in a bar in nearby Elmwood Park when Marylyn saw the pretty woman come in. She struck up a conversation and found that the pretty blonde was alone and interested.

They spent the next six months in a torrid love affair. It was the greatest relationship of her life. The only reason it ended was Laura's transfer to a prestigious private school in Ohio. Laura couldn't pass up the opportunity just as Marylyn couldn't give up her career.

They had stayed in touch but they both realized the affair was essentially over. But while it lasted...

"I was drunk when I met Laura. You know, liquid courage?" Marylyn said. "And anyway, she wasn't with someone."

"You're nervous! That's so cute," Allison laughed.

"Yeah, you're a chicken!" Steve said.

"I am not! Just not... What if they're an item?"

"An item? Who says that anymore?"

"Steve..." Allison said warningly.

"Well, there goes your chance out the door," Steve observed. "Guess they didn't want to wait for a table."

Marylyn looked sadly towards the front as the object of her obsession slipped through the small crowd at the entrance and out into the early evening. "Damn!" she muttered to herself.

After they finished dinner, the threesome left the restaurant. The Conrads were determined that Marylyn would enjoy herself. Marylyn, for her part, tried to enjoy herself too. And, as the evening went on, she did.

Much later, the three of them returned to their apartment building giggling, although Steve would deny he ever giggled. As they entered the foyer, Allison shushed them both, saying, "It's really late. Quiet."

"It's not late," Marylyn argued, glancing at her watch. "It's only..." She squinted to focus and said, "It's only 2 AM."

Steve grunted, "Yeah, well I've been up since 5 so I'm going..." He gestured up towards their apartment and headed up the stairs, stumbling on the first two. This caused both women to renew their giggling as they followed him upstairs.

Marylyn woke up and stared groggily at her alarm clock. It was almost noon.

She lay there for a few minutes then crawled into the bathroom. Gulping some aspirin, she then turned on the shower. When the water was warm and to her liking, she stepped in.

After washing herself, she stood under the warm spray and let the water run down her dark skin. As her headache disappeared, she felt herself becoming aroused.

'Why am I always so excitable when I'm hung over?' she mused with a quiet chuckle. 'Ah well, may as well take care of it...'

Marylyn's left hand played over her already erect nipples, first her left breast then her right. The right hand slid down her flat, smooth stomach and combed through the short, curly hair between her legs.

Closing her eyes, she felt wetness between her legs that had nothing to do with the shower. As her finger tips played lightly with her outer labia, she sighed quietly. It wouldn't take much to get her off today.

Her strokes across her hard nipples and her swollen nether lips strengthened. Ripples of pleasure slowly grew to waves that course through her body. As those waves grew in strength, Marylyn relinquished her hold on her nipple and slid the fingers of her left hand into her hot wetness while she began to flick her clitoris with the fingers of her right hand.

Throwing back her head, she cried out as her orgasm flowed through her. Falling back against the tiled wall of the shower, her fingers slid out of her as the young woman's whole body went limp.

Taking a deep shuddering breath, Marylyn opened her eyes. She was sitting in the tub where she had slowly slumped after making herself cum. The smell of sex was weak and dissipating as the shower continued to flow but she could detect her own aroma and smiled.

"God, I've got to get laid!" she declared aloud.

Marylyn reflected on this statement as she used the shower for it's more traditional purpose. She did miss sex but she never really enjoyed one-night stands. She had only a few of those under her belt but they were not memorable. Not like her times with Laura or Jessie, her roommate and lover her last two years at school. Or even Binnie, the big mistake she had made when she was out of school and on her own.

These, even the weird relationship with Binnie, had love a huge factor in the sex. Marylyn knew she would be considered a little old-fashioned but she didn't really care for sex unless she cared for the girl she had it with.

Wearing only a terry-cloth robe that hung to her knees, she sat on the sofa and turned on the TV. Not much on that interested her. She settled for Andy Griffith reruns that Channel Nine almost always showed before Cubs games. Without knowing, she dozed off.

Two hours later, she woke up to someone knocking on her door. As she groggily got up from the couch, she noticed the Cubs were losing. 'Typical,' Marylyn thought.

At the door stood Steve, looking about the way Marylyn felt when she woke up several hours earlier. "Hey, Steve. What's up?"

"Uh, do you have any aspirin? My head aches like you wouldn't believe!"

"Yeah sure. Come on in. Have a seat."

A few moments later, Marylyn returned to the living room to find Steve shaking his head at the game on TV. "How many do you need?" Marylyn asked.

"Goddamn Cubs," Steve growled. "Uh, I guess 4 or 5 if you don't mind." Seeing the look on Marylyn's face, he quickly added, "Some are for Allison."

"Here, take the bottle & bring it back later. What are you two up to tonight?"

Taking the proffered bottle, Steve replied, "Nothing. Maybe something from Blockbuster and a pizza."

"I didn't think you drank that much..."

"I did a couple of shots at the bar with the guys while you two were playing pool." Steve chuckled and said, "You both have fans."

"Fans?"

"Yeah, the guys were definitely admiring the jeans you were both wearing," Steve said with a smile.

"Pig!" Marylyn jokingly said, lightly slapping his arm for emphasis.

"Can I ask you something? I've been wondering for a while but..."

When Steve hesitated, Marylyn said, "Ye-es?"

"Well, it's just that... Have you ever looked at Allison as more than a friend?"

'Here we go. The threesome proposition. I always thought Steve was better than that,' Marylyn sighed to herself. Aloud, she said, "Not since we were in college. And no, nothing happened. We met in class, I thought she was hot, but she was straight and we became best friends."

"Good."

"Good? I thought..."

"You thought I was going to suggest something? No, I love her too much to share. Even with you. I guess...when I'm hung over I usually feel depressed and inadequate. I'm sorry I even asked." Steve stood and headed for the door.

Marylyn pulled his shoulder and hugged him. "She loves you too. You have nothing to worry about."

"Thanks. Sorry."

"And don't apologize. Anyway, my tastes usually run towards white meat..." Marylyn laughed. Steve laughed with her, feeling better.

"If you wanna come over later..."

"Thanks Steve. Maybe I will."

After Steve left, Marylyn spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning the apartment. The nap she took had helped clear out the vestiges of the night before.

Finally she looked around and said, "Well, at least it's better than before... I need another shower."

An hour later, she was pulling on a tight, white t-shirt with a sparkily 'GRRL POWER' iron-on in the newly traditional rainbow spectrum across the chest. She normally wasn't so obvious about her sexuality but something told her to pull that shirt on. And anyway, the tightness accentuated her bosom and the bright white material nicely contrasted with her dark skin.

A pair of tight jeans were added to her ensemble. As she finished pulling them on, she shook her head in bemusement. She finally admitted to herself that she wasn't going to watch movies with Steve and Allison tonight, she was too restless.

She grabbed her short, well-worn, black leather jacket, and left her apartment, stopping by her friends' place. After accepting two slices of pizza and spending about half an hour with them, she left to see what trouble she could get into.

Marylyn headed for a nearby area known for the proximity of several bars and pubs along the street. She stopped at a sports bar but didn't feel like dealing with the apparent frat reunion that took up half the room. Heading across the street, she went into another popular watering hole.

She walked up to the bar and nodded to some casual acquaintances. As she sipped her beer, she scanned the small crowd and froze. SHE was here! Wrangler Jane was across the bar from her and apparently alone.

Wrangler looked up and smiled at Marylyn, causing the young woman's heart to skip a beat. Somehow, Marylyn managed to wave halfheartedly, staring at the girl the whole time.

The girl, wearing her trademark suede jacket with the fringe, came around the bar. "May I join you?"

Marylyn nodded, took a swallow of her beer, and finally said, "Please do." She set the bottle down, wiped the condensation off her hands and held out her right hand, "I'm Marylyn."

Taking the slim hand in hers with a firm grip, the other woman shook hands and said, "Hi. I'm Stephanie. Pleased to meetcha."

Marylyn smiled, she did detect the barest trace of a southern accent in the girl's voice. "You're not from around here, are you?" she asked.

Stephanie chuckled and shook her head. "I thought I had that accent thing licked. But to answer your question, no, I'm not from around here. I was born and raised outside Memphis in Germantown, Tennessee. You?"

"Yeah, born & bred in greater Chicagoland," Marylyn replied.

"Really? Must've been great. I love it up here. I moved to the area about three months ago from home and haven't regretted it," Stephanie said. Then she added, "Well, I do miss my friends. So I'm glad I saw a friendly face. I was about to go to Blockbuster and rent something for the night."

"Friendly face? But we just met..." Marylyn said.

"Not exactly. I've seen you on the train quite a bit the past few weeks. You work downtown?"

"Yeah, at Marshall Field's. Advertising. Not really all that exciting but the discounts..." Marylyn rolled her eyes in mock ecstasy.

"Wow. Maybe it's a good thing I met you. I love to shop. And deals...?" Stephanie laughed.

Marylyn laughed along with her new friend. She felt much more at ease with every passing minute. However, while she did feel more relaxed with the beautiful girl, the attraction she had been feeling was growing as well. This could definitely be a problem.

"So, what about him?" Stephanie asked several beers later.

"Who? Mr. Scruffy there?" Marylyn replied. "Maybe after a bath and a shave..."

"So, you don't find anyone in here attractive," Stephanie declared.

'That's not true. Not by a long shot,' Marylyn mused.

When she didn't say anything, Stephanie finally asked, "Or is it just men that don't attract you?"

Startled by the starkly stated question, Marylyn stared straight ahead. She was afraid to look at her new friend. But she was equally afraid that she was missing something, something important.

"Well?" Stephanie asked, gently pushing her elbow against the black girl's arm.

"I...that is..."

"Hey, it's okay. I kinda thought so when I finally saw what your shirt said. A girl I work with has one. She bought it on Halsted Street. And yes, she is a lesbian," Stephanie explained. "And no, it doesn't bother me. To each his, or her, own."

Marylyn finally looked over at her new friend. She saw friendship, understanding, and concern there. What she didn't see though, was interest.

"To quote a classic, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship," Marylyn said. They both laughed easily.

"So, what's up with the fringe?" Marylyn asked as they left the bar.

"You asked that earlier. What? You afraid of a little fringe?" Stephanie laughed.

"Yeah, 'Fear of Fringe'. Great idea for a book. I could be the Erica Jong of the... What are we in now? The zeroes?"

"Just say the early 21st century," Stephanie responded. "I don't think the title has the zing you need for a bestseller."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

That night, Marylyn lay alone in her bed thinking about what had happened. She was surprised to find out that she didn't hurt as bad as she would've thought. Maybe there was something to the old saying about age and wisdom, the twenty-something girl reflected.

Over the next several weeks, Marylyn and Stephanie spent a lot of free time together. They often met for lunch downtown and hit the summer festivals around the area on the weekends. Steve and Allison readily accepted her into their little group and the four of them got along famously. Soon, Stephanie felt like she'd always been part of this tight-knit group. Marylyn even met her 'competition' from the Mexican restaurant, a coworker of Stephanie's.

In August, talk turned from the Cubs dismal chances to football. Allison was appalled that their new friend was as avid a football fan as her husband and her best friend. "I'm even more outnumbered," she lamented.

One night, the four of them were in one of the larger sports bars in Oak Park. There were three pre-season games on the monitors above the central bar. Steve and Marylyn were watching the Bears and moaning the fact that they were playing so far south in Champaign while the stadium was being rebuilt.

"Sucks. If we want to go any home games, we have to drive three hours south! No CTA, no Metra trains," Steve groaned.

"There's Amtrak," Marylyn offered.

Allison jumped in, "You have been to a grand total of one, count'em, one game in the past two years! I don't see what the big deal is..."

"But why Champaign? Why not Evanston?"

But rather than get mixed up in that conversation yet again, Marylyn turned to her companion, "So, how're the Titans doing?"

"Shitty."

Marylyn smiled. Whenever Steph swore, her accent became more noticeable. It added a sweet touch to her speech.

"Don't you be laughin' at my accent, goddamnit! I'll bring up your phobia..."

"I'm not afraid of fringe! And I wasn't making fun of your accent. I think it's adorable," Marylyn said. What she didn't say was 'as cute as you are.' Even after all this time as friends, she was acutely aware of how attracted she was to the young southerner.

"So what are you going to do about next Saturday?" Steve asked.

Welcoming the distracting interruption, Marylyn answered, "I guess I'm going stag. I can't think of any way to get out of it."

"Out of what?" Steph asked.

"Marylyn has a wedding to go to next weekend," Allison explained. "Since she's not seeing anyone, she has taken Steve as her 'date' to a couple of these. But..."

"You two have your weekend up in Lake Geneva," Stephanie finished. Turning to Marylyn, she asked, "So why do you have to go? You can just send a gift later."

"No, Janice was the first person at Field's to accept me when I started. That made things so much easier. She's like my best friend there at work. I really have to go," Marylyn said.

After a quiet moment, Stephanie said, "I'll go with you."

"You want to go?"

"Sure. Why not? There are always single guys and gals at weddings. Maybe we'll both get lucky," Stephanie said with a wide smile. "And it's not like we're going on a date. It's just a big dress-up party."

"Yeah, okay. It'll be fun," Marylyn said, only half believing it herself. To herself, she said, 'Not a date... Single guys... Damn!'

The week passed quickly. Thursday, Steve and Allison left for Wisconsin directly from work. Marylyn and Stephanie met to take the train back as they had been for the past few months.

Stephanie seemed unduly eager for Saturday to arrive. Marylyn looked forward to it but another part of her dreaded it. What if Steph did meet some guy? Even though she and the southern girl were just friends, seeing that would hurt. And she really didn't want anymore pain in her life.

Finally, Saturday arrived. Marylyn looked at herself in the full-length mirror and was not impressed. She was, however, her harshest critic. Where she saw nothing special, others saw a vision. Today was no exception.

She had put on one of her better dresses, a white mid-length with bare shoulders, a plunging neckline and an even deeper plunging back. It provided a splendid contrast to her dark skin.

She had her hair loosely curled and it framed her face nicely. Some light touches of makeup and she was ready to pick up Stephanie.

She drove the few blocks to Steph's and went to the door. Stephanie answered when she rang the bell and gasped at the beauty waiting for her. "God, Mar, you're stunning!"

Marylyn looked down in embarrassment but not before she saw how lovely Stephanie looked. She had a dark skirt that hung to mid-shin but was slit up the right side practically to her hips. She had on a light blue, long-sleeved blouse that showed a lovely hint of cleavage. Her dark hair was pinned up, exposing her slender neck. As with her friend, the woman had only a hint of makeup, primarily lipstick.

Marylyn, after drinking in the sight of the southern beauty, managed to say, "You are gorgeous."

"Thank you. Shall we go?"

Marylyn led the way to her car and they set off for the church. Once there, they milled around outside the building with some of Marylyn's coworkers. The interior of the old structure had horrible air-conditioning and it was cooler in the shade of one of the old trees.

"So, this your new girlfriend?" or a variation was the most common question from her friends. She took pains to point out that Stephanie was there as a friend only. But she did like the fact that all of them were accepting of her lifestyle.

The ceremony in the church was mercifully brief. After the new tradition of blowing bubbles at the bride and groom as they left the church, there was a break of almost three hours before the reception. The Elks Hall was only a few blocks away so it would take no time to reach it.

To fill the gap, Marylyn suggested they all head to a nearby Irish pub. Her 'date' and her coworkers agreed. It had to be cooler than outside.

They spent almost an hour and a half at the Irish Corner before heading to the reception. In that time. Stephanie had proven her worth at steel-tipped darts with several of the Field's folks. Marylyn, who much preferred pool, simply watched, enjoying the way the woman moved as she threw. 'No law says I can't look,' she rationalized.

All of them ended up at the same large, round table in the reception. One of Marylyn's coworkers commented happily that they were at least close to the bar.

The dinner was better than most wedding dinners. The bride's family had gone all out and served shrimp cocktail appetizers and either steak or broasted chicken for the entree.

After the tables were finally cleared and the DJ started playing music for dancing, Marylyn sat back and said to Stephanie, "Are you enjoying yourself? We can always leave if..."

Steph interrupted, "I'm having a lot of fun. Your coworkers are a blast! If you want to go though, that's okay with me."

"No, just wanted to make sure you weren't bored or anything."

"Not at all. Wanna dance?" Steph asked brightly.

"D-dance? Us?" Marylyn stammered.

"Sure. Why not? I've been to a lot of these things where I ended up dancing with one of my friends because my date had two left feet. C'mon..." Stephanie stood and took Marylyn's hand, pulling her up and over to the dance floor.

The DJ was playing a fast song and both women soon were dancing and enjoying themselves. The next song was also a fast dance tune so they stayed out on the floor.

After this, the music slowed to an old slow-dance number. Marylyn started to move off the dance floor when Steph stopped her and pulled her close. Placing her arms over Marylyn's shoulders and around her neck, Stephanie started to lead them in a slow, close dance.

Marylyn, clearly surprised by her friend's actions, tentatively placed her hands on either side of the girl's waist. As the song went on, her hands slid around to Stephanie's back. The distance between the two women closed as well. Soon, they were pressed together as they swayed to the music.

Stephanie sighed and rested her head on Marylyn's shoulder. Her hands had slid down to Marylyn's lower back, just above her ass. Marylyn could smell her friend's perfume. And something else?

All too soon, the music stopped. Stephanie quickly stood back and Marylyn felt another pang of loss.

They turned towards their table when the DJ announced it was time for the bouquet toss. Marylyn and Stephanie stayed on the floor with the other single women.

As the bride tossed the bouquet, many of the women squealed and tried to grab the bundled flowers. It got bounced by a grasping hand and ended up in Steph's hand. Her face reflected her surprise at the catch.

"Guess you'll be getting hitched soon," Marylyn joked.

"Yeah, like I'm seein' someone," Stephanie said as they returned to their table.

"What? No prospects? Even here?"

"Are you nuts? Here? Frat Central?"

Both girls laughed. "Yeah, if I was straight, I'd have a hard time finding anyone here."

"What about the girls?" Steph asked.

Marylyn looked away, "I...there's... No."

"Hey, you wanna get outta here and grab a drink somewhere else?" Stephanie said, changing the subject.

Still not looking at her friend, she agreed, "Yeah. Let's get outta here."

They agreed that neither one of them wanted to go to a bar or tavern. They headed back to Stephanie's apartment.

"Would you like to come up for a glass of wine?" Stephanie offered as they pulled up in front of her building.

Marylyn agreed and they went up. Stephanie lived in one of the few tall apartment buildings in Oak Park. With a large picture window opposite the door, she had a view to the east towards the city. The towers in and around the Loop were all lit. It almost looked like a dream.

A dream that vanished as Stephanie turned on the lights.

"Wow. That's a hell of a view," Marylyn said.

"That's right, you've never been here before," Stephanie said. "Want the tour?"

Showing the one-bedroom apartment was a quick task and soon the two friends were sitting on the couch, looking out the window towards the city.

"Let me turn the lights down," Steph said. "The view is much better."

As they sat in the dim light, Stephanie looked at her friend. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"When you... At the reception, you hesitated when I asked you if you saw anyone interesting. Who was it?"

"No...no one."

"Liar," Stephanie said good-naturedly. "You can tell me."

"Why is it so important?" Marylyn asked, not bothering with denials anymore.

Now it was Stephanie's turn to feel uneasy, "I was... I guess I was... Was it me?"

"I..." Marylyn took a gulp of her wine, "Yes. I am attracted to you. I have been since I first saw you on the El months ago. But I know you're not... And your friendship means too much to..."

"Well, friends are supposed to talk. And how do you know that I...well, that I wasn't interested?" Stephanie asked in a quiet voice.

"Please don't..." Marylyn replied in a sad voice.

"I'm serious, Mar. How do you know if you don't ask?"

"Are...are you interested?" Marylyn's voice was practically a whisper.

"Before I met you, I would've said no. Not a chance. But...I like you. A lot. I've had more fun with you than anyone else in a long, long time. After tonight..."

"Why tonight?"

"When we danced? Slow danced? I felt so right in your arms. So safe. So loved. I didn't want the song to end.

"I still don't."

Stephanie turned and caressed Marylyn's face then leaned in and kissed her. Their soft lips moved gently together for a moment before Steph sat back.

"Wow. I...liked that."

"So did I," Marylyn agreed.

"Good." Stephanie leaned towards Marylyn again. She leaned in as well, and they kissed again.

This time, Marylyn opened her lips and traced Stephanie's lips with the tip of her tongue. The soft lips quivered then parted and Marylyn slipped into Stephanie's mouth.

Stephanie's tongue lightly touched Marylyn's then darted back before reaching and caressing the supple invader.

They stayed that way for several long moments, their tongues sliding in and out of each other's mouths. It was one of the most passionate kisses either woman had experienced.

"Oh my God!" Stephanie whispered. "That was..."

Marylyn could only stare into her friend's eyes. Did she see desire there? Or fear?

"Marylyn, I...I'm not sure what to do but I want..."

"Stephanie, you don't have to do anything. We don't. We can just forget this ever happened," Marylyn quickly said.

"No, that's not it. I don't want to forget. I don't want it to end. I just don't know what to...do."

Marylyn sat and stared. She did? She wanted Marylyn?

Stephanie took one of Marylyn's hands and whispered, "Please. Show me what to do. Make love to me." She turned the hand, exposing the paler flesh of the palm and pressed her lips there.

"Here?" Marylyn asked, her voice hoarse with lust and desire.

"Please." She squeezed the hand she had just kissed.

Marylyn leaned in and kissed Stephanie, her free hand sliding along the soft skin of the southern girl's neck then up into her hair. Pulling the pins free, she let Stephanie's dark hair fall in a silky wave.

Slowly, Marylyn slid the bottom of Steph's blouse out of her skirt before undoing the buttons, exposing the pale flesh.

Sliding the blouse off her shoulders, Marylyn unclasped the woman's bra and then gently cupped Stephanie's breasts; her dark skin an erotic contrast to the pale rounded flesh.

Marylyn thrilled to the feel of Stephanie's hard nipples poking into her palms and slowly moved her hands to pinch and stroke the nipples with her fingers.

Still kissing Stephanie, she finally, reluctantly pulled away from her mouth and began to kiss and suck the pale skin of her throat, moving down to the soft swell of the woman's breasts.

Her tongue traced the dark circles capping Steph's breasts without touching the nipples at their centers.

Marylyn ran her tongue in a small spiral until she reached and began to play with one of Stephanie's nipples. A gasping sigh was her reward.

After thoroughly bathing that nub with her tongue, she turned her attention to the other breast and repeated her slow, teasing play.

Stephanie leaned down and kissed the top of Marylyn' head, "Thank you... I..."

Marylyn raised her eyes and saw tears in Stephanie's. She quickly took the girl in her arms. "What's wrong?"

"This... I feel so good... No one has made me feel like this in a long time."

"So, you want me to go on?"

"Oh God, yes!"

"Okay, stand up Stephanie. I want you naked."

The young brunette quickly stood and pushed her skirt, pantyhose and panties off. She stood and turned quickly before her new lover. A little nervously, she asked, "You like what you see?"

"Yes! Very much." Marylyn then laughed, "I wanted to strip you."

"Next time," Stephanie promised.

Marylyn stood and took the naked woman in her arms and kissed her. Stephanie giggled into the kiss.

"What's so funny?" Marylyn demanded.

"I was just thinking how silly and how hot it must look - you still dressed and me naked."

"Well, we'll just have to correct that. Sit down," Marylyn said, gently nudging the beautiful nude down onto the cushions. Then she slowly peeled off her dress, revealing her high, firm breasts. Standing in her panties and shoes, she turned and looked over her shoulder, asking, "Like what you see?"

"You are so beautiful," Stephanie breathed, as Marylyn kicked off her shoes and tugged down her panties, revealing a neatly trimmed triangle.

Marylyn turned and knelt in front of the other woman. First kissing Steph softly, Marylyn again began to kiss her way down the quivering body. Only briefly stopping at the pert breasts, she moved down further to the heart of the matter.

She gazed at the dark furry triangle and the glistening lips beneath. "So beautiful..."

Marylyn leaned closer and blew a stream of air into Stephanie's vagina. The seated woman sighed loudly at the cool air moving over her hot flesh.

Soon the sighs turned to moans as Marylyn began to lick the hot, soft flesh. She slipped her tongue deeply into Stephanie then pulled out and traced her inner and outer lips, exploring every crevice, every nook and cranny.

She nibbled on the puffy lips, tracing the edge caught between her teeth with her tongue, and tugging on it gently. Then she repeated this with the other swollen lip. Every touch of her mouth brought a sigh or a moan to Stephanie's lips.

As the girl's pussy was explored, her dewy cum built up. Marylyn slipped first one finger then a second into Steph's soft humid slit. Slowly she pumped her fingers in and out.

"Oh fuck me! Please fuck me! God! Marylyn! Please don't stop. Make me cum!"

The black woman was happy to oblige. She suckled Steph's clitoris as she increased the pace of her fingers as they slid in and out of her thoroughly soaked pussy.

As she knew it would, the combined effects of her sucking on the little nubbin and her finger fucking brought the girl to her first lesbian orgasm. Stephanie cried out as she came. At that moment, her fluids gushed onto Marylyn's hand.

Marylyn sat back on her heels, licking her fingers clean as she waited for Stephanie to come back to her. Finally the pretty girl opened her eyes and looked at her lover.

"That was incredible," she whispered. "I don't know when..."

"I'm glad. You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that. I'm so glad you enjoyed it too."

"How could I not?" Stephanie laughed. "You are incredible."

Marylyn sat next to her, their bare hips pressing together. She kissed Stephanie softly. Stephanie took the kiss to the next level, practically shoving her tongue into Marylyn's mouth. Not that Marylyn was going to complain.

"I want to... I don't know..." Stephanie looked pleadingly to Marylyn.

"What? That you won't be able to please me?" Stephanie nodded, her eyes sad. Marylyn put her finger under the girl's chin and lifted her head. "I am already so pleased that anything else is a bonus. Okay? You do what you want to. If you don't want to or aren't ready, that's okay. I'm just fine with that. Okay?"

"I want to. I really do. I just never thought I'd ever... I'm scared, Marylyn," Stephanie declared.

"I was to the first time. It's different. Different from anything else. Like the first time you had sex with a man. But it can be so soft and tender."

Seeing Marylyn's beautiful, encouraging smile, Stephanie smiled back, "Okay. I think... No, I know I'm ready."

She knelt in front of Marylyn, unconsciously adopting the same stance the black girl had. Leaning forward, she kissed one of her breasts, licking the nipple softly. She was thrilled when it grew hard under her tongue. Steph moved to the other breast and licked at that, thrilling again as the nipple at her touch.

After sucking on one then the other breast, she finally slid her fingers across Marylyn's nether lips. They were so warm and so wet!

"Ready or not, here I come," Stephanie said with a giggle.

'And here I come,' Marylyn thought.

Stephanie slowly peeled the pouty outer labia apart and stared in wonder as the pink flesh within. It was one of the most memorable moments in her life. Quickly followed by another as she finally moved her mouth up to the hot pinkness.

Placing a chaste kiss on Marylyn's pussy at first, she snaked her tongue out to taste, for the first time, another woman. The pungent, musky flavor was a surprise but she quickly overcame her initial repugnance and found it was a flavor she could easily develop a taste for.

Marylyn knew that the girl wouldn't be very adept at what she was doing. It was her first time after all. But Stephanie's enthusiasm, once she got into it, more than made up for her lack of talent.

Stephanie thrust her tongue as deep into Marylyn as she could. She smiled as she French-kissed her best friend's pussy. Her lover's pussy, she corrected herself. She only hoped, as she tongued the hot slit, that she could please the woman.

Without even being aware of it, she brushed her nose against Marylyn's clitoris. Mar moaned loudly and Stephanie realized what she was doing seemed to be pleasing her new love.

While she continued to probe Marylyn's vagina with her tongue, she intentionally brushed her nose across the hard clit.

Marylyn grabbed the back of Stephanie's head and pushed her face into her crotch. This forced the southern girl's nose against Mar's clit and her tongue even deeper into her.

With a cry, Marylyn came. Her honey flowed over Steph's tongue and into her mouth. The novice swallowed as much as she could. she was definitely coming to like the taste.

Marylyn recovered with a shuddering sigh as Stephanie sat next to her. She kissed the brunette, tasting herself in Steph's mouth.

"Was I okay?" Stephanie asked when the kiss ended.

"Silly girl. I came didn't I? God, did I come!"

"Yes, it was...delicious," Steph decided.

They sat holding each other for a time in comfortable silence. Finally, Marylyn looked into Steph's eyes and asked, "So, now that you've tried it, is this a one-time thing?"

Looking into her eyes, Steph said, "No. I hope not. Do you want it to be?"

"No! No, I want... I lo..." Marylyn shook her head. "I loved what we did. And I'd love to do it again."

"And again," Stephanie agreed with a happy laugh. She caught Marylyn's unfinished pronouncement and, while she too felt the warm glow deep inside, she knew it was too soon, and this was too new to her, to say anything like that. Yet.

But, by the time their friends returned from Wisconsin, they were happily ready to tell them of the change in their relationship.

And by the next year, Marylyn and Stephanie were taking their own romantic weekend getaways, happy in their shared love.

And Marylyn's 'fear of fringe', that Stephanie had so often joked about, was laid to rest permanently.