Oksana remembered everything about her first times with Stacy, the not-so-shy butch in her homeroom, but all she could picture was Annie sprawled out on top of her. The feeling of her wetness soaking her skin. The sound of her sighs. She forgot all about her story, her past, and focused on her future.

"Everywhere. She kissed me. Fingered me. Took my virginity in every way she could think of."

"What happened to Stacy?" Annie whispered, closing her eyes.

"She works for the city, I think."

Then Oksana couldn't take any more of her own teasing. She reached between them and wrapped her arm around Annie's waist, pulling her closer. She ducked her head and took Annie's nipple in her mouth, curving her lips to take it in deep. She sucked and pulled with a teasing pressure, drew her tongue over the tip again and again. Annie squirmed more, forcing her tit further into Oksana's mouth. Her teeth lightly caught the wet skin, and Annie moaned.

They both tore at the sheet to free themselves. Oksana slid on her back, pulling Annie with her. She wanted more of her breasts, more of her full nipples, and that's what she took. Cupping Annie's ass and leading her into a slow grind along her stomach, Oksana continued to lick and suck. She risked a glance above and was struck dumb by the sight of Annie. Her hands braced against the wall. Her head lolling back, moving from side to side as her hips drove hard and lower on Oksana's hips.

Annie leaned back and made a small noise of pleasure when Oksana followed, keeping her mouth latched to her breasts. Oksana's tender skin twitched, hot and wet under Annie's fingers as she explored her slit. She moaned with Annie in her mouth as she stroked her clit for a few agonizing minutes before drawing her fingers lower. One digit sank in with ease, Oksana's juices slicking a smooth entrance. Annie added two more fingers with no pretext, driving deep into her pussy. Oksana's uncontrollable whimpers pitched higher.

"You like this?"

Oksana let her nipple drop from her mouth. Her hips surged as she caught sight of the trail of moisture that led from Annie's nipple to her mouth. "Yes. Yes," she panted under Annie's driving thrusts. Annie flipped over and speared Oksana with her tongue.

"Oh God!" Oksana cried. She grabbed on to Annie's hips to steady herself. She rode out her first orgasm, hips bucking in the sheets. Annie wouldn't let up. Oksana had never known anyone to go down with such enthusiasm, but who was she to stop her?

She reached up and parted the pert cheeks in front of her and stroked Annie's swollen, wet lips. She rubbed Annie with her thumb, back and forth over and along her clit. Annie's shoulders shot up and she rocked back onto Oksana's hand.

Annie moaned unintelligibly and slid back even further.

"Move back," Oksana groaned as she grabbed Annie by the waist and pulled her all the way up.

Annie followed her cues and gave Oksana better access to what she was after. She worshiped Annie with her mouth and her fingers, distantly aware of Annie's constant caresses between her legs. Soon Annie came, her whole body frozen and tense before violent tremors shuddered down her back, through her legs.

They righted themselves and settled back beneath Annie's sheets. Oksana kissed her, breathing heavy, sharing their salty-sweet taste.

Oksana fell asleep once more in Annie's arms, fully aware of their undeniable chemistry between them, hoping that the rest, the real friendship, and eventually, the love would follow.

Chapter Eight.

The Courtship "Do you think she'll like me?" Annie asked.

Oksana flashed a teasing smile. "I don't know. She hates most people."

"I'm serious. I think I'm really nervous. I've never-" Oksana looked over at Annie sitting beside her in the SUV. She looked so hot. After a quick shower, Annie had ditched the contacts Oksana had no clue she wore for some black frame glasses that stood out against her blond hair. She'd changed her clothes twice and finally settled on some jeans and a light blue shirt that showed off her boobs. At the last moment, Annie grabbed a zip-up hoodie to cover her cleavage in front of Baba Ina. Oksana thought Annie looked perfect, good enough to take in the backseat again, but she didn't like the scowl on her adorable face.

"What?"

Annie took a deep breath, and Oksana could see she was forcing a smile. "Nothing. I was just thinking that I haven't even met Jeff's grandmother yet." Annie laughed and a genuine smile turned up her lips. "Guess that won't be happening now."

"It still can."

"No," Annie said. "I want this." Thank God the light turned green. Oksana forced herself to focus back on the road in front of her and the cars around them and not on the emotions changing on Annie's face.

Oksana wondered how long it would be like this. The awkward mentions of Jeff and Annie's family. She wondered, really, how many months she would have to feel this uncomfortable tension with this situation now that she and Annie were "together." Annie had been clear about what she wanted, and that was Oksana.

She believed that the bride-to-never-be was comfortable in her decision, but Oksana still felt like something was going to go wrong. Something besides Annie's entire family, all her friends, and her fiance going completely grade-A bananas when they found out that Oksana had come between Annie and Jeff. Since the moment they'd woken up, still cuddled around each other, there was this cloud of doom that Oksana couldn't seem to shake.

How in the fuck did I end up in this situation? She scolded herself for the tenth time as they coasted through Beverly Hills.

There was no excuse for how weak Oksana was when it came to Annie. They'd barely scratched the surface of what Oksana was into sexually, and she was convinced she'd only seen a glimpse of what turned Annie on, she had already given Oksana the best orgasms of her life. It didn't matter that Oksana's undoing was as simple as some gentle attentiveness to her nipples or three fingers thrust deep inside her cunt. She couldn't handle the thought of not sleeping with Annie again, and soon.

But beyond what her body was screaming at her loud and clear, Oksana's insecurities and their new relationship status be damned, she was starting to think that Annie actually had feelings for her. Those three months before they crossed that unforgivable line had meant something. Oksana had been charmed by Annie fully.

As she drove them toward the big house in West Hollywood, it was that realization, the notion that this whole thing has been building, that Annie had picked her over Jeff, which made Oksana stick with their decision to try to work out some sort of a real relationship. It didn't matter how much of a flake she thought Annie could be; no one ended an engagement and declared their sexual orientation as something other than straight without giving it some serious thought. Annie was risking a lot, and Oksana couldn't ignore the fact that Annie stood to lose so much just for a chance to be with her.

Even though Oksana didn't exactly trust the reality of how refreshing Annie's eagerness was, the only obstacle standing in Oksana's way was her own fear of getting hurt. She had to let go and let Annie in. What other choice did she have?

As it got closer to noon, Oksana was forced to pull herself out of Annie's bed and get back to her life. She had a full day of driving Kat around from the MAC Counter to the Sephora showroom in between the weekly errands they ran for Baba. She never thought Annie would want to come along.

Oksana glanced down then over as Annie gently squeezed her thigh. "Are you okay?" she asked sweetly.

No, because I'm totally freaked this is going to end badly. "Yeah. I'm fine. And don't worry about Baba. She'll like you."

"Are you sure she doesn't think I'm a slut?"

Oksana laughed. "Who ever called you a slut?"

"I just know how it looks."

"Well, my grandma cares how it is. She could give less of a shit how it looks. Just don't win her over then change your mind. She might have you killed."

Silence from the other side of the car made Oksana glance over again. At the same second, Annie looked up from her lap and leaned over the seat. Oksana swallowed thickly as Annie's lips softly brushed her cheek.

"I'm sorry," Annie muttered. "I'm going to work this out soon. I promise. I'll tell him and that will all be over."

Oksana couldn't understand why, but her stomach started turning. Thinking that comforting Annie might help her own shaky nerves, Oksana wove their fingers together in her lap.

"I know. It's okay. We didn't plan it, but we'll both roll with it. Okay?"

"I like that plan." Annie sighed with a light smile, settling closer to Oksana in her seat. "So what does Baba Inna do when she's not kicking ass and taking names the Russian way?"

"She only knows how to do it the Russian way. She owns a store on Curson and three laundry mats."

"Is it the store that gives away free condoms?" Annie giggled.

"Yeah." Oksana smiled to herself, thinking of her grandmother yelling at the high school kids who abused the free samples. Baba hated that convenience store, but she liked working there better than socializing with the other old Russian ladies in West Hollywood. It got her out of the house while Kat was at school and on nights when she didn't feel like sitting on the couch. The rest of the time, her two employees, Fel and Gabe, held down the fort. Oksana didn't care for Fel, but he made nice with all the vendors and came in even on his days off to stock deliveries. Gabe was great with Baba, and that won him massive points.

"Get the fuck out! Does she have bright red dyed hair?"

"Yeah. That's Baba."

"Holy shit." Annie laughed louder. "She's fucking scary."

"No, she isn't." Okay, she is. Baba was really a sweetheart, the best grandmother/mother that Oksana could ask for, but to people who weren't immediate family, on the payroll, or Russian, she was a little bristly. "My uncles in Vegas set her up with a little something of her own before they took off so she could take care of me and Kat."

"That doesn't sound shady at all," Annie said, tickling Oksana's palm.

"It's all legal. I swear." At least she told herself it was. Her uncles were a little on the shady side. Still, nice guys.

"Hey...where are your parents? I'm sorry, I just-" Annie backpedaled. Oksana hadn't meant to flinch. She tightened her grip on Annie's hand and pulled it closer to her stomach. A sign of trust maybe.

"No, it's okay." Every one of her friends had asked the same thing at some point. She should have guessed Annie would be so forward so soon. "My mom is in Paris and my dad is back and forth between there and Guinea Bissau."

"I remember you said West Africa, but I don't know exactly where that is," Annie admitted, which Oksana liked. Most people just nodded or said something stupid about the benefits of the Panama Canal just to keep the conversation moving.

"It's on the coast. I'll show you on a map sometime."

"What do they do?"

"My dad is in the fishing industry, but I think he traffics drugs," she said bluntly. "And my mom is, well, she used to be a ballerina. They met in London while she was on tour. She had me and then went back to the company to get back in shape. She had to quit when she had Kat though. That huge baby ruined her figure forever. She runs a school now."

"So you were both raised here?"

"No, I lived in Moscow with Baba until I was eleven, and then we followed my uncles here."

"And Kat?"

"Mom flew here to visit, then oops, had a baby on American soil while she was in town." It worked for them all in the end, but Oksana didn't bother to hide her resentment.

"How often do you see her? Or him."

"Once every three years. She comes to visit Kat mostly."

"And him?"

Oksana just shrugged. Her father was a nice man. They always had calm, pleasant conversations whenever they were together or whenever he called. He always gave her a firm hug and kiss and told her to be a good girl for Baba, even when she crossed into her twenties, but they had no relationship to speak of. Her mother called the shots in what they called a marriage, and if she didn't want any children around, he was okay with that. Everyone was better off.

Annie took the hint from her silence and moved on. "These uncles, they are your mom's brothers?"

"Yeah. Yuri and Victor. They're pretty cool. What about your family?" It was Oksana's job to get inside her client's lives, but Annie never talked about her family. They'd spent most of their sessions laughing about silly wedding traditions and creating inside jokes about the noises Annie made the first time she did a squat.

"No brothers and sisters. My dad is in finance, but he might be trafficking drugs too, come to think of it." At that, Oksana laughed. Annie smiled back. "And my mom owns a boutique with her friend."

"What kind of boutique?" Oksana asked, glad to be off her weird family for a moment. She drove into West Hollywood and slid her fingers up Annie's wrist, under the fabric of her pink hoodie.

"Designer accessories for dogs," Annie said. "I wish I was kidding, but I'm not. She's kinda...I don't know. I basically raised myself. She's pretty involved with her social life and the accessories of course. Worked out perfectly though. She couldn't have cared less when I said I wanted to work in movies or that I ended up in reality TV."

"Do you like dogs?" Oksana was so worried about dating an almost married woman she forgot about Baba's stupid mastiff whose size alone scared the shit out of the whole block.

"Yeah. Do you have a dog?"

Oksana didn't answer right away. In a few hundred yards, as soon as they pulled up to Baba's house, Annie would see for herself.

Baba Inna was standing in the driveway with a lit cigarette dangling from her lips and her hand clutching Vasily's leash. He lumbered around in circles looking for something to lick off the sidewalk.

Fuck.

Annie chuckled softly beside her. "This is grandma."

"Yes. At least she's smoking outside today."

"And the dog, is he cool?" Oksana watched Annie's wide eyes as she inspected the dog through the passenger window.

"Yeah. He's a big puppy."

Oksana pulled past her grandmother and put the Tahoe in park. There was no way to prepare Annie for Baba's quirks so Oksana just opened her door and met Annie around the other side. They walked, holding hands, to the end of the drive where Vasily met them, panting and slobbering in hello. Oksana actually relaxed when Annie casually stroked his enormous sandy brown head with her free hand.

Right on cue, Baba Inna started on Oksana in her slow, gravelly Russian.

"Good afternoon, darling," she muttered, patting Oksana on the hip. Oksana fought rolling her eyes. Of course Baba would bring attention to the time.

Yes, Baba. It's almost noon. And yes, I'm wearing the same clothes I left in. I spent the night out. Fucking.

"Annie, this is my grandmother, Inna. Inna, this is Annie Collins." She reached over and scratched their dog under the chin, just enough for him to drool all over her wrist. "This is Vasily," she cooed.

"Hello." Annie smiled at Baba and the dog. Oksana could read the anxious look on her face. Annie probably wondered how the old woman talked with a lit cigarette still in her mouth, and like most people who met her, she probably wondered if Baba spoke any English beyond growling out totals from behind her cash register.

Baba stared at Annie for a moment, her left eye squeezing into her trademark squint. She took her cigarette and dropped it on the pavement, leaving it to nature to extinguish the butt. "Come inside," she drawled to Annie. As soon as she turned her back, Oksana ground the cigarette out with the heel of her Adidas.

Trailing Baba Inna and Vasily up the front steps, Annie turned to Oksana, eyes wide with a closed lipped chuckle. So far so good, but Oksana knew they weren't out of the woods.

They followed Baba into the kitchen that probably looked like a Betty Crocker shrine to Russian folk art to Annie. Russian cookbooks and Siberian kitsch lined every sill and counter. A Soviet soldier popped from the front of the cuckoo clock and startled the fuck out of Annie. The little figurine marched in measured steps as the time chimed off.

Oksana was psyched that the place smelled more like spices and onions than cigarettes. She kept an eye on Annie as she watched Baba shovel some leftover eggs into Vasily's bowl. Once he was fed, Baba turned on them. She looked at Annie more closely as she came around the kitchen table. She took Annie's hand and turned it palm side up. With thick fingers, she got a decent hold. Annie yelped as Baba pinched the skin on her wrist. Baba ignored her protest and looked up at Oksana instead.

"You did this to her," she said.

Oksana rolled her eyes this time. She replied in kind. "Yes, Baba. Her dress was two sizes too small."

"Well, now she won't be wearing the dress."

"I don't know that for sure," Oksana said.

"I do."