"Give me twenty minutes."

Thursdays at The Maypole were perfect. The weekend crowd wasn't gumming up the line to the restroom and they didn't have to wade through the sea of women who came in to take advantage of the half-priced drinks offered every ladies' night. Ronnie hated ladies' night. They weaved through the line, skipped flashing their IDs because Oksana had trained the owner on and off for a while now, and slipped into the bar. She tried not to think about Annie as Ronnie ordered her drink.

She soaked in the music. The Gaga/Britney mash-up was blasting so loudly it vibrated her eardrums and her bones, but she didn't feel like dancing. There were a few women in the crowd of gay men, but Oksana knew them all and she wasn't interested. True quality time with Ronnie it would be.

"So what's going on with you?" Ronnie raised her voice. Fuck. There was no point in fighting this. Everyone could tell she was off. She'd mentioned Annie to Ronnie and Noelle before, said that she thought Annie was hot, and immediately told them she was taken when Noelle's eyes lit up at the prospect of matchmaking. At the time, they all agreed: get Annie fit and trim for her wedding dance, then send her packing. But no. Oksana couldn't keep her mouth shut or her hands to herself, and once again, she was screwed. Hopefully, one day Oksana would know a train wreck when she saw one.

She turned around and put her forehead on the bar. After a few deep breaths, she stood and faced her. Ronnie put her drink down. She knew this was serious.

"I fucked the reality show producer. The straight, engaged reality show producer," Oksana said over the Gaga.

"Fuck you. You're lying."

Oksana shook her head and took a sip of Ronnie's drink. She winced and set the glass back down. It was more Red Bull than vodka.

"I fucked her and then I started texting her. It got out of hand."

"And?"

"And it got out of hand. So I put a stop to it."

"Let's go sit." Ronnie liked to get comfortable before she laid into you. Oksana followed her toward the edge of the dance floor. "I Facebook stalked her, but there's no real picture," Ronnie said over her shoulder. Which was true. Oksana had looked her up too, but instead of the lick-able blond bombshell, there was a picture of Aileen Quinn from the 1982 film version of Annie. It was cute, really.

"Yeah, she-" A familiar laugh coming from the dance floor stopped Oksana right in her Converse. "Oh shit." Pure terror snaked up the back of Oksana's neck.

"What?" Ronnie asked.

Annie was what. Oksana peered through the throng of moving bodies and spotted the person she needed to avoid. Yup, it was Annie all right, smashed between two go-go boys.

Oksana should have left. She should have dragged Ronnie, or ditched her if she resisted, and headed right back home, but something wasn't right about what she was seeing.

Annie admittedly never hung out in West Hollywood. "Work, then my body craves the beach," she'd joked a few times. Plus, aside from the two glistening employees grinding up against her, Oksana got a feeling that Annie was alone. There were no friends looking on, no other girls dancing close by. But it was more. Something wasn't right about the way Annie was moving.

"Is that her?"

"Yeah," Oksana gasped.

"She is hot, and dios mio, she's wasted."

Ronnie was right. It was barely ten thirty, and Annie was blasted off her ass. And she'd been drunk the other night too.

Oksana stormed across the dance floor. One of the go-go boys caught her eye and grabbed the other guy by the shoulder. They both looked in Oksana's direction before scurrying off to their pedestals, knowing full well a woman moving with purpose when they saw one. Annie kept dancing. She looked so beautiful as she swayed to the music. Her hair swept up in a ponytail, her tank top showing off her smooth shoulders and neck. Wisps of her bangs stuck to her forehead with sweat.

Gorgeous.

Oksana steeled her nerves as she reached for Annie's hand, ignoring the heat that shot up her arm the moment they touched. Annie spun around, and the second she realized whose fingers were gently gripping hers, her face lit up like the Hollywood sign.

"You came!" she shouted gleefully. "I mixed up the nights, and then one Mojito turned into four and then-I just love Gaga!"

Oksana leaned down so she wouldn't have to yell. "Annie, are you alone?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter." She threw her arms around Oksana, who thanked her good balance for keeping them upright. She shivered as Annie nuzzled her face between her breasts. "I wanted you to come and you came."

Despite her dread, Oksana's arms went around Annie and she pulled her closer.

Beside them, Ronnie was laughing her ass off.

Chapter Four.

The Further Complication of Things Annie woke with a harsh gasp, her heart thumping hard at the base of her throat. She'd had one of the dreams where you trip, and the momentum of the fall and the desperate reaction to save yourself jerk you awake. Annie sniffled sharply as she lifted her head off the pillow. She rubbed her face, and just as quickly, she flinched.

She wasn't in bed alone.

For a short moment, she closed her eyes before she turned. She'd gotten drunk, but not that drunk. She remembered where she'd gone, how she'd gotten there, and how she'd gotten home, exactly who she'd been elated to see, and that very person was the same person who had driven her tipsy ass and her hybrid all the way back to Venice. It definitely wasn't a matter of who, but a matter of what next?

Annie's instincts, light years ahead of her brain, made her whip her shoulders around to face Oksana.

She was sitting up in bed, above the covers, her head tilted back against the wall. Her breathing was steady and her eyes were closed, but she wasn't sleeping. A muscle in her jaw twitched like she was trying to hold still. Annie looked her over for a moment in the light coming from her closet. Oksana was still in her white low-top Chucks, and her short pleated skirt and a white tank top. The bra she had on was navy blue, the same color as the skirt. Annie's eyes ran the length of Oksana's long body once again, from her feet crossed at the ankles hanging just off the bed, up to the gunmetal studs in her ears. Finally, her gaze settled on Oksana's left breast.

Her nipple was hard and the rounded edges of the piecing were prodding against the fabric.

"Are you still drunk?"

Annie looked up at the dry sound of Oksana's voice. Her eyes were still closed.

"No." Annie cleared her throat and tried to explain further. She'd made a thorough ass out of herself, and the last thing she wanted to do was piss Oksana off even more. There had been a few too many drinks, but a full dose of crazy and adrenaline had lead to her ridiculous showing at The Maypole. And now there was no hangover, just a lot of embarrassment and a little bit of dehydration.

Slowly, Annie crawled out of bed and stood. Looking down, she closed her eyes and breathed out even more nonsense. Oksana had helped her get changed for bed. One of Jeff's Nikon T-shirts covered her down to her knees. More of the night before came flashing back, the awkward ride home where Annie would not shut up, Oksana's concern about her open yard fence and her broken garage door. Her concern about Annie in general. She looked up at Oksana again whose eyes were still closed. No part of this could be good.

"Please don't leave. I-"

"Okay," Oksana replied calmly. Annie hesitated a moment before walking out to the kitchen. What the hell was wrong with her? She'd pounced on Oksana like a cracked up leech at the club, given her the freaking lazy motorboat in front of her friend, and ultimately scared Oksana so badly that putting Annie in a cab clearly wasn't an option. Annie chugged down a glass of water as she leaned against the counter. The clock on the stove glowed four thirty a.m. in neon green. No plan. She didn't have one, but somehow she had to convince Oksana to let her apologize. It was too early in the morning to think of anything beyond that.

Annie stepped back into her bedroom to find Oksana in the exact same position. Eyes still closed, head still tilted back. Annie had to know.

"Why did you stay?"

Oksana opened her eyes. "I watched a friend puke in his sleep. He's fine, but it scared the shit out of me. You seem to be drinking a lot lately. Not that I'm around you enough to make a comparison, but you know..."

"I'm a pain in your ass, but you didn't want me to die."

Oksana pursed her lips and nodded. "So what happened?"

"I...uh...I needed some clarity."

"About?" Oksana scowled.

"I wanted to know how gay I am." Yes, Annie. You just said that.

"I was wondering why you weren't wearing your ring. Ladies' night is Friday night."

Annie glanced down at her bare finger. It felt wrong leaving the diamond at home, but she couldn't test her theory if she was sending out signals that she was taken. Just going over that logical move in her head made Annie feel like the lowest piece of shit and she felt even worse when she looked up and caught Oksana's eyes as they flashed with hurt.

That was enough for Annie, the lingering look on Oksana's face. It was jealousy and it turned Annie on like no other look could. All it took was one step into that club and she knew the confusion she was feeling wasn't about women in general. It was about Oksana. The one person who had taken care of her and was now visibly pissed that Annie had gone out lady hunting. This round went to Oksana.

Crossing the room at lightning speed, Annie all but dove headfirst into Oksana's lap. Seconds before their lips mashed together, Annie didn't miss the small fact that Oksana had reached for her too, her arms wide open to catch Annie the moment she saw that she was on the sexual charge.

Their kiss was heated and rough. All tongues and lips and teeth. Annie scrambled across Oksana's lap, straddling her stomach as Oksana moved them further onto the bed. Annie sat back just long enough to tear off her shirt and Oksana's tank top before she attacked her mouth with renewed desperation.

Oksana kissed her back with just as much passion, moaning as Annie sucked on her swiftly swelling lips. The same sounds pushed up from her throat as Oksana pawed at her ribs, gripping the suddenly hypersensitive skin of Annie's back, maybe hard enough to bruise, but she didn't care. She couldn't fight her need anymore. Oksana wanted her too, no matter how she tried to end their relationship the night before, despite her anger with the way this night had played out, Annie could feel it in the way they touched, the way Oksana's tongue moved inside her lips. Oksana wanted to be with her, if only for tonight. Oksana could have made her way back home once she dropped Annie off.

Maybe her friend could have followed them, but Oksana had stuck around and Annie wanted to know why. She wanted to take this force between them to its limits, and in the morning if things were really over between them, both personally and professionally, she could take that defeat face-to-face, not over text message. If it was coming, she wanted real closure.

But that end would have to be dealt with later, when Annie could focus and think. Roughly groping one of Oksana's breasts in one hand and gently stroking the nipple and piercing of the other, Annie couldn't think of anything beyond this moment. Nothing beyond Oksana's breath mingling with hers and the wetness pooling in her underwear mattered.

Suddenly Annie jumped off the bed. Oksana looked like she was trying to regain some sense of composure, to calm her panting, but she lost that battle as soon as Annie yanked off her sneakers. Her hands went right to her nipples while Annie grabbed her hips and tugged her further down the bed. She might have been short, but their weight sessions had paid off. The swift yet gentle move of aggression registered as shock in Oksana's heated stare and the look sent another surge of pleasure down to Annie's pussy. She watched as Oksana tweaked her nipples again, arching off the pillows. Annie didn't say a word as she flipped Oksana's skirt up over her stomach and pulled down her panties. Oksana watched her in the dim light. It had been a long night for them both. Slight bags were starting to form under Oksana's eyes, but they still raged with fire, her lips still wet from their kiss. Annie would definitely attack them again, after she latched onto Oksana's clit.

Annie tried her hardest to be gentle, but she had to taste Oksana. She sucked on her pussy, drawing her tongue over every inch of skin she could reach. It was a fine demonstration of clumsiness, Annie knew. She was all over the place, but she couldn't get enough of Oksana's taste or her smell. Her own pussy clenched and released, aching for its own turn at attention, but that ache just spurred Annie further. Her ass bounced in the air, her thighs squeezed together. Her fingers pressed inside Oksana's hot sweetness, and as she pumped in deeper and faster, Annie glanced up only to be trapped by Oksana's dark gaze. They stared at each other and it was clear that at least this encounter was no mistake.

She had no fucking clue what she was going to do. She'd never wanted to touch Jeff this way, never reacted this way to their closeness, never coated her own underwear at the sounds he made when she searched his body. They'd never taken that kind of time. Annie knew she would come eventually, but it was Oksana's pleasure she craved, her body she yearned to be wrapped around, thrust inside of. She sucked harder, using her tongue to stroke over Oksana's hardened clit and her fingers to bring her closer and closer to climax. Annie knew she had her when Oksana's hand dropped from her nipple to the back of Annie's head. Oksana gripped her hair in her fist and ground her crotch down on Annie's face.

Out of nowhere, Annie came.

Annie's eyes slammed shut as Oksana continued to ride her mouth. She trembled, gripping Oksana's hip to keep herself steady. Almost immediately, Oksana cried out under the weight of her orgasm, her pussy spasming around Annie's fingers. Annie savored the feeling of filling another body, of being inside Oksana, a feeling she'd been craving for so long. After a few moments, Annie scrambled up her body. Oksana took her in her arms again and let their legs intertwine as their lips met. Oksana licked her mouth clean, the bold move making Annie shudder and moan again.

It took some work on both their parts, but the kissing didn't stop as Annie managed to shimmy out of her underwear and help Oksana out of her skirt and bra. Oksana pulled Annie down on top of her and brushed Annie's hair out of her eyes. Annie gently stroked the short hair on the crown of Oksana's head. Oksana sighed as Annie swallowed nervously, her desire bubbling up from her stomach as her body pressed Oksana's into the sheets. She was ready for more, but she wanted Oksana to say it was okay.

"Fuck me again," Oksana breathed.

"I just want to touch you," Annie replied, her breathing just as heavy. This was more than fucking for Annie. With a slight nod, Oksana seemed to understand. She met Annie in the middle and they kissed again. This time the kiss was tender and drawn out, with gentle caresses up and down Annie's back, teasing passes over the cheeks of her ass soon had her body grinding slowly against Oksana's thigh.

She whimpered, massaging her swollen lips over Oksana's heated skin, feeling Oksana's own juices ease across her body.

Annie rode her slowly at first, their lips and tongues always in contact, their teeth always exchanging gentle nibbles and bites. Soon the pressure became too much. That first orgasm had only been a hint of what touching Oksana's soft skin could make her feel. Now that there was real contact, Annie's pussy throbbed almost painfully at the hint of more.

She broke from their perfect kiss and rested her forehead on Oksana's shoulder as she pressed herself harder and harder to her body, bringing them both closer. This time Annie came explosively, her eyes momentarily blinded by the pleasure, her throat driven hoarse as she called out Oksana's name again and again. Oksana gently gripped her chin as she shuddered against her chest and brought their lips back together. More slow kisses, deep and penetrating in a way Annie knew she would distantly regret.

Annie was spent, but she wasn't done with Oksana yet. She pressed her fingers back between their bodies. Her lips went to Oksana's right nipple. She sucked and licked the hard pink tip with just the right amount of force.

She filled Oksana, three fingers this time, quickly plying another orgasm from Oksana while she continued to lap at her sensitive breasts.

Once the room righted itself and they could breathe again, Annie rolled them under the covers and spooned Oksana, her own breasts securely pressed against her back. She felt Oksana tense for a moment, but Annie loosened her grip and gently rubbed her stomach with reassuring strokes. Soon Oksana's muscles seemed to relax in Annie's arms, and not long after, Annie could hear her light snores. Annie lay awake for a little while longer, enjoying the feeling of a full bed and a soft, warm body. Oksana's body.

She still had no plan, but now she had answers. She was definitely a little bit gay and she wanted more time with Oksana.

Annie's eyes fluttered open, and this time her gaze landed on the sleek body on the edge of the bed; the soft, trimmed hair; and the perfectly toned back. Oksana pulled her tank top over her head then paused.

Annie was afraid to move. This was the awkward morning after she'd been wanting to avoid, but now things were more complicated. There were feelings that could no longer be ignored, but there was still a wedding on the books and still a fiance to return.

"I have to get going," Oksana said quietly. She turned slowly and looked over her shoulder at Annie. Her expression was hard to read. Annie saw the hesitation and the anxiety, but there was a glimpse of hope in those eyes.

Annie glanced at the clock. "It's six a.m." She still had three hours until she had to be at work.

Oksana turned back around and reached for her sneakers. "I have a session at seven thirty."

"Oh. Well..." Annie scrambled for something to say. "Wait, how are you getting home?" Annie had acted like a real jackass. The chance encounter had been an answer to her prayers, and the sex exactly what she had been after, but ultimately, she'd trapped Oksana and stranded her in Venice. Bravo, Annie. Bravo.

"My friend Scooter is outside."

"Oh!" Annie jumped up and searched around for something to wear. She could feel Oksana's eyes on her. She waited patiently while Annie dug up some shorts and a shirt.

"Ready?" Annie asked once she was decent. "I mean, right. Let's go."

With her clutch purse in hand, Oksana followed Annie to the living room, and when she released the lock to the front door, they faced off in the pre-dawn gray of the Venice morning.

"Thanks for bringing me home." Annie didn't want to offer an apology. The last thing she wanted Oksana to think was that she didn't enjoy the time they'd spent together. What she really wanted was for Oksana to stay. She wanted to make her breakfast, or buy her breakfast at least. She wanted to be with her until the last possible second.

"It's fine," Oksana said, looking down at her Chucks. "Just be more careful next time."

"There won't be a next time." Annie laughed nervously, then cursed herself. "I didn't mean-" She took a deep breath. Okay, dumbass. Use your words. She could feel it; Oksana was closing up. "I'll see you again?"

Oksana frowned. "Yeah. Tomorrow morning."

"Right..." Annie was drawing a blank. What the hell was tomorrow?

Oksana's eyes flashed wide and she nodded with full meaning at something behind Annie. She turned and looked at her wedding dress hanging from the decorative trellis beside the living room door. She did a quick scan of the room as she turned back to Oksana. There were bridal magazines everywhere, photos of possible hairstyles spread on the coffee table. And her copy of the fucking seating chart was on the couch. Annie had left it there a few days ago. Megan had called before work to tell Annie that Shane's stepmom had decided to bring a date after all. Oksana was looking over every detail of her wedding. Of course they would still have plans for Saturday morning.

"Our session. Right!" Annie's stomach turned.

"It's okay." Oksana patted her shoulder in understanding, which only made things worse.

Be mad at me, Annie thought. Be something; just don't leave...But she kept her mouth shut.

Oksana walked to the end table near the couch. When she came back to the front door, she bent low and forced Annie to look her in the eye. There was no animosity. No regret. Any smidge of hopefulness was gone as well. It was all in direct contrast and a perfect complement to the cool metal Oksana softly pressed into the palm of Annie's hand.

"Really. It's okay" Annie opened her hand and numbly stared at her engagement ring. With the tip of her finger, Oksana caressed the round diamond as she murmured softly, "Now you won't be wondering anymore. You'll know."