Nancy and Logan spent hours on her couch that afternoon. In the beginning they were sitting far apart, one on each end as they talked of their hopes, their histories, and their disappointments, of how they’d struggled, who they had become, and what they really wanted to be.

In time they drained their soft drinks, and Nancy offered to get more; Logan took her up on it, but scarcely noticed that when she sat back down she was a little closer to him. Soon afterward, he had to get up to drain his bladder, and again didn’t note that when he sat back down he was a little closer to her.

Over the course of a couple of hours they moved even closer to each other; by the time the afternoon was fading into evening they were right next to each other, sometimes reaching to touch each other, and at other times holding hands. And, in that time, they bared their souls to each other in ways that neither had dared to do with anyone else before.

By now both were getting hungry; their lunch had been a long time before, hours, perhaps even geological eons, but somehow, that didn’t matter as each of them admitted to the other truths they’d scarcely been willing to admit to themselves.

Finally they could only stand so much honesty, so much revelation, but each of them had a far, far better picture of themselves and each other than they’d ever had before. A suggestion of going over to the cafeteria for dinner was made and rejected unanimously; right now they didn’t want to tear themselves apart from each other.

Nancy only had a little food in her apartment; emergency food, so to speak, intended for times when she wanted to stay in her apartment to study, or perhaps to avoid the weather. So they made their supper out of a can of stew and a bottle of wine that Nancy’s father had sent along in case there was some special occasion to celebrate. This seemed like the perfect time, so though neither of them drank much, a glass of wine each loosened them up a bit more.

Even after they’d finished eating they stayed at the table for a while, continuing the talk that had made them so comfortable with each other. The kitchen chairs were hard, so soon they moved back to the sofa, now snuggled up against each other, with Nancy’s head resting on Logan’s shoulder, his arm around her.

And somewhere in there, without much prompting, they kissed each other – just a friendly kiss at first, just confirming that they were there, that each of them cared, but it became longer and deeper. Soon, without either really intending it, both of them felt his hand on her breast.

It was the first time Logan had ever had his hand on a girl’s breast, and he had to admit that the feel of it, even through her clothes, was intensely exciting. Nancy had felt hands there before, but they had been Mary Lou’s. While the touch at the time had felt good, this inexplicably felt worlds better. More exactly, it felt right.

She reached up with her free hand, toward Logan’s hand. Thinking that he might be doing something wrong, he started to pull it away from that entrancing touch, but she grabbed it briefly to keep it where it was. He was a little confused about what was happening, until he realized that she was unbuttoning her blouse – and before long, he was feeling bare skin there, not cotton and polyester. It felt like … well, it felt like something he’d never imagined before. It was incredibly exciting; he knew it, and if he’d had any doubts, they were soon lost when he felt her hand come to rest in his lap to feel just exactly how hard he was.

That touch … oh, my God, he thought, that touch! Ronnie had touched him there before, many times, but it had never felt like the touch of her hand there. Almost involuntarily, he let out a moan of pure delight as he kept his lips pressed to hers.

Eventually he felt her lips pull away from his, just a little. “Did I do that to you?” she asked softly.

“Oh, my God, yes!”

She kissed him again, even harder and more intensely than before, even though it only went on for a short time. This time when she pulled away she asked, “Logan, do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?”

“Is it … is it the same?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “Logan, I think it’s time.”

“Time for what?”

“Time to find out how gay we really aren’t.”

By some means that wasn’t exactly clear to either one of them afterward they made if from the sofa to the bed, losing most of their clothes on the way. But unencumbered by such obstacles they kissed and touched and caressed until their desires were greater than they’d ever been before. Logan may have been a virgin with girls, and Nancy with guys, but a lot of the principles were universal, and they found themselves adeptly learning the new ones. Irrespective of her history, Nancy found herself eager to pull him on top of her, and he was no less eager to push into her.

While having a man in her may have been a new experience for Nancy, she was used to feeling plastic push up into her – but this was something new, something better, something real. With what little of her mind was being analytical during the white heat of passion she was experiencing, she began to realize that at least as far as she was concerned, plastic was no substitute for the real thing. Then she quit caring about even that, for all of her emotions, all of her soul was focused on the wonderful sensations coming up from her groin to her brain, on the touch, the feel, the experience of it all.

Her mind was close to exploding when she sensed, rather than felt Logan’s body tensing, then she could feel him jerk and thrust deep within her to deposit his seed there. The feeling of it all sent her over the edge too, and involuntarily she let go with a sound that carried all the characteristics of a moan, a scream and a purr all at one time … and then, for at least a moment, she knew no more.

Things were a little quieter when she came to, realizing that Logan’s weight was pressing down on her, kissing her, his tool still in her but not as hard as it had been moments before.

They lay there for a long time, immeasurably long but wonderful none the less, their sweaty bodies touching however they could, their hands and mouths languidly exploring the wonders of each other. Finally, she trusted herself to speak a little: “Holy shit!”

“Yeah,” Logan whispered back. “I never … I never knew it could be quite that good.”

“Me either,” she sighed. “God, Logan, what a fool I was!”

“Sorry …” he mumbled. “I didn’t know either.”

“You know now,” she said. “So do I. Mary Lou doesn’t stand a chance in hell of getting me back now, not that she stood one before.”

“Neither does Ronnie,” he replied softly. “Neither does Ronnie.”

They lay in bed for a while longer, just cuddling and caressing, their bodies and minds comfortable with one another, until they exercised their new-found passions again, and then, later, still again.

As the hands of the clock reached their highest point, Logan held her in his arms once again and said, “Nancy, I really hate to say this, but I’d better be getting back to the dorm.”

“Why?” she asked, “There’s no curfew.”

“Yeah, but Trent will be wondering where I went.”

“I thought you didn’t like him.”

“I don’t,” Logan sighed. “But, well, uh, I don’t want to disturb him when I come in, and I will if it gets much later.”

“Logan,” she smiled. “That’s not a good reason. Please stay here with me. I’m afraid this bed would get awfully lonely tonight if you’re not in it with me.”

“You really want me to stay?” he asked, seemingly still amazed that such events could have occurred in the last few hours. “This still seems like a dream.”

“Yes, and it would be a nightmare if you were to leave. Please stay, Logan.”

“Nancy, you drive a hard bargain. I’ll stay. Thank you.”

“No, thank you, Logan. Thank you for everything. And, on the subject of hard …”

“Yes?”

“There seems to be something else hard right now that we might as well put to use, as long as you’re staying here with me.”

“Believe me, it will be my pleasure.”

“Mine too, Logan. Mine, too.”

Several hours later, the sun came up on a new day, but it didn’t seem to affect the two sleeping bodies in Nancy’s apartment, cuddled closely together, content in the joys of a new passion that had come the long way around for the both of them. Though it would be hours yet before they rose, they would rise with the knowledge that a new day had dawned in both their lives.

*   *   *

That same morning sun shined through the window in Mary Lou’s hospital room miles to the north. Even with the help of morphine to drive back the pain in her jaw, it had not been a restful night, for there had been doctors and nurses in and out of the room all night. Each time she’d drifted off, someone would come bustling in to check her vitals, check her bed, ask her questions she really didn’t understand, often couldn’t answer, and generally just annoy her.

At a time when Nancy and Logan were still sleeping in each other’s arms, Mary Lou was again awakened, this time by yet another doctor. Between the morphine, the residual pain, and the lack of sleep she was more than a little dazed, and the memories of her faithless Nancy with that guy were still strong. How could she do such a thing, brushing her true love off like that to take up with a man?

Between that and everything else, she wasn’t giving full attention to the doctor. “Did you have your jaw broken about a year ago?” the man asked.

“Uh, yeth,” Mary Lou replied a little absently. She was not talking well; in addition to her exhaustion and the morphine, her jaw had again been wired shut, just like it had been the last time Vixen had broken it, so she had to speak through her teeth, and the sound wasn’t terribly clear. “A year ago … last thummer.”

“The X-rays seemed to indicate it,” the doctor said. “I have to tell you that the break was worse this time. It’s going to heal, but it’s going to take time.”

“How long?” she mumbled through her teeth.

“I’m afraid it’s going to be a couple months before we can free your jaw,” the doctor said. “With the previous break we have to be much more careful to make sure you’re fully recovered before we can let you use it.”

“How long … here?”

“Another couple days, at least,” the doctor told her. “You’re a student at the college, right?”

“Yeth.”

“You’re going to require some care when you’re released, but if you’re at the college, it can be arranged for. You’ll miss some classes, but not many.”

“Good,” she mumbled, willing him to go away. She had too much on her mind and hurt too much, even with the morphine dulling her senses, to pay much attention to him. Somehow, some way, she had to get Nancy back to her!

“Hang in there,” the doctor said. “I’m going to continue the morphine every four hours for a while yet. I’ll re-evaluate that tomorrow. In the meantime, try to get some rest.”

“Fat … chance. Nurses. Doctors. All the … damn time.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s the way it has to be,” he smiled. “We have to keep monitoring you, but try to get some rest.”

“Will … try,” she replied, but with the vision in her mind of Nancy rejecting her once again, while the guy stood by her side. Somehow she had to get Nancy to come to her senses!

It was only after the doctor left that she realized that she had yet another problem: how was she going to get Ray to let her use his car again? With her jaw wired shut, she couldn’t even use the means she’d used to convince him before!

Nancy, Nancy … why did you turn your back on me?

*   *   *

A little later that morning Susan climbed the stairs to Nancy’s apartment. She’d heard the night before from Cody that there had been some trouble between Nancy and her former girlfriend, but she wasn’t clear on the details. It wasn’t as if it mattered since it was none of her business, and whatever it was, apparently it had been cleared up.

But she needed to talk to Nancy for a moment and had missed her for a couple days, so she decided it was time to try again. She knocked on the door lightly, once, then twice, until she heard Nancy call from inside, “Who is it?”

“Susan.”

“Hang on a minute, Susan,” she heard from within the apartment. “I’ll be right out.”

Moments later the door opened; Nancy was standing there, her hair disheveled, wearing a long T-shirt. From what Susan could tell, she had nothing on under it. “What’s up, Susan?” she asked.

“We keep missing each other,” Susan smiled. Nancy showed all the signs of having had a very good night. Whatever the fracas with her girl friend must have been, it couldn’t have been that serious. “This afternoon I’m hosting a cookout in the back yard. Hot dogs, baked beans, chips, and that kind of thing. I’m inviting a few people over, a couple of administrators, and some kids. Everyone in the house is invited.”

“Sounds good,” Nancy smiled. “It’s not going to be long before we’re going to be past the season for yard parties. I’ll be there unless something comes up.”

“Good. Hey, we haven’t had much chance to talk to each other, but are things going all right for you?”

“Susan, they’ve never been better. Never!”

It was just at that moment that Susan’s glance wandered from Nancy’s face over her shoulder, and there, deeper in the apartment was a guy – a good-looking one, maybe a little taller than Nancy, wearing a feminine-looking robe, probably hers, and with a cup of coffee in his hand. Enlightenment dawned instantly. Nancy had indeed had a good night; Susan now recognized what had to be a very well-fucked look about the younger girl. “You look like it,” she smiled. “I thought you did girls.”

“I did, Susan,” Nancy whispered. “I used to, but I don’t think any longer. I hope you’re cool with it.”

“If it’s what you want, I couldn’t be happier,” Susan grinned. “Enjoy yourself, Nancy, and feel free to bring your friend this afternoon. It’s just going to be hanging around the yard and shooting the bull this afternoon, so it’ll be good to have another new face with us.”

“I’ll ask, but we’re still getting used to it.”

“You know,” Susan raised her voice a little. “You look a little tired. Maybe you ought to think about going back to bed for a while.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Nancy smirked, reading Susan’s meaning clearly. “I think maybe I will. I’ll see you later.”

Susan headed back down the stairs with a grin on her face. That was not what she’d been expecting to find in Nancy’s apartment, not in the slightest! The girl had been very quiet, and Susan hadn’t gotten to know her very well – in fact, the party this afternoon had been at least partly intended to draw the girl out a little. Susan had known that Nancy considered herself a lesbian and had problems with her former girl friend – Cody had told her about it, back when the kids had moved in – so this was a really unexpected development.

But as she had told Nancy, so long as she was happy with it, then Susan was happy with it. At least someone in this building had found a lover!

In fact, Susan thought as she turned into her own apartment, she envied the younger girl a little. No, a lot. At least she had someone to share her life with for a while, even if it proved to only be a one-night stand. It had been a long time since Susan had been able to share herself with someone like that, or even just have a close friend to spend time with. Ever since it had come to her she’d increasingly felt isolated. It would be nice to have a friend, someone she could share things with, and that had been part of what organizing this cookout had been all about, to troll around with hopes of finding a friend or two.

Nancy, you’re a lucky girl, Susan thought as she headed into her apartment – her empty apartment. Maybe someday something will work out for me.

*   *   *

On the far side of Hawthorne from Southern Michigan University, Bonnie Lederer was angry. No, downright pissed off.

Again.

Not only had her husband Phil blown off church again to go hang out with his friends, drink beer, and watch football, he still hadn’t done anything about that goddamn gun!

The gun had been a bone of contention for a long time. Bonnie didn’t like guns and didn’t like having them around the house. In fact, it was just one gun, the only one Phil owned as far as she knew, but the goddamn thing was sitting in a closet where their daughter Colette could get to it. Phil hadn’t had the goddamn thing out in years, but Colette was at age where she was into everything, and three times in the last two days she’d been in that closet, pulling things out and looking at them, playing with them – and twice it had been that goddamn gun!

The first time she’d caught Colette playing with the thing Bonnie had spanked her little round bottom royally, but it hadn’t done a damn bit of good. Then she’d raised hell with Phil about leaving the gun where Colette could get at it, and Phil had told her that it was her job to keep Colette out of his stuff, then put the goddamn thing right back where he’d had it.

Of course, the first chance Colette had, she’d gone right straight for the goddamn thing again. In desperation, Bonnie had whacked her little bottom again, and then put the gun and the stuff that went with it up on the top shelf of the closet where Colette shouldn’t have been able to reach it. Then, a few hours later, Colette was in the closet again, and Bonnie was sure she was again looking for the goddamn thing.

That took the prize, as far as Bonnie was concerned. There was no goddamn reason at all for a gun being around a house with a kid who got into things the way Colette did. It had to go, and if Phil wouldn’t do anything about it, then by God she would. Hell, he never used it; he might not even know it was gone. If he did notice it and raised hell about it, then at least the goddamn thing would be out of the house and away from Colette.

There was a small cloth backpack in the closet that Bonnie had used for school. The first chance she got, she opened the backpack and stuffed it with the gun, the things the bullets went into and some loose bullets – everything she could find that had anything to do with the gun. She took it out to her car and put it behind the seat. Tomorrow, she resolved, when she had to go to work out at the truck stop in Bradford, she’d throw the goddamn thing out the car window, and that would be the end of that. At least Colette wouldn’t be playing with the goddamn thing any longer.

*   *   *

Nancy didn’t have the slightest problem with following Susan’s advice, although she finished her cup of coffee first. Of course, Logan didn’t mind joining her, either.

Well, he had a little problem with it. “I really ought to get some studying done today,” he told Nancy as they were getting back into bed. It was a little messed up and damp in spots, and after the night they’d had, it had every reason to be. That didn’t matter much to either of them – they were both still caught up in the wonder of the way their lives had turned around in the last day.

“I should, too,” she replied. “But I think I can manage. Right at the moment, this is what I’d rather be doing. After all, we settled one question once and for all last night, and I find it a huge relief to know.”

“Which question is that?”

“Just how gay we both aren’t.”

“Yeah, last night changed my outlook on that a little. Well, more than a little.”

“Logan, are you happy with it?”

“Yes, I am,” he said thoughtfully. “Bearing in mind that I never expected anything like this to happen at all, ever, I’m finding that a lot of things that never quite made sense to me, now, well, they do.”

“That’s about how I feel,” she said. “I don’t think we need to hang around the GLBT SIG any longer.”

“Yeah, I’m not sure we qualify for it any more, either. I mean, at a minimum, we’re bi, and it’s more than a little surprising to discover that I might even be straight. I mean, I’ve been hanging around with gays so long, I guess I thought that was more or less how it was supposed to be.”

“I know what you’re saying,” she agreed. “I thought I was a lesbian for so long, I guess I’m surprised to find out I’m not really one. At least, I think I’m not anymore, and maybe I never really was. I mean, yes, I had some good times with Mary Lou, but I had more bad times than good. She was a lousy lover, anyway. She wanted to have things done to her, but she was never quite as enthusiastic about doing them to me.”

“Fuck her,” he snorted. “Well, I mean, don’t fuck her, but to hell with her. She’s part of your past, like Ronnie is part of mine. The hell with the past. I know I’ve moved beyond my past, and I think you’ve moved beyond yours.”

“We’re saying the same thing, Logan. The same thing.”

“I agree,” he smiled. “Nancy, is this going to work? I mean, between us? This has come down so damn quickly that my head is still swimming. I still can’t quite believe this is happening.”

“I hear what you’re saying, Logan. I’m having trouble believing it too. We went from friends to fuck buddies to lovers awful quickly, and I’m happy with it. But it’s so fast that I can’t help but think that maybe it’s a little too fast. I’m not saying we need to back off from each other, but I think we’d better spend some time thinking about where we’re going.”

“That’s fine with me,” he said. “I need some time to process things, too, but I don’t want to back off just yet. Let’s try to just be friends and fuck buddies and lovers for a while before we start thinking about pushing beyond that. We’re barely started here at school, after all, and we’ve got a lot more to be thinking about besides each other.”

“Once again, I couldn’t agree more,” she smiled. “But let’s not close the door on anything either. Now, let’s have a little fun, then maybe take a little nap. I want to go to that cookout this afternoon so I can show off my brand-new boyfriend.”

“I probably won’t know anyone there,” he laughed. “But I want to show off my brand-new girlfriend, too.”

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