Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Chapter Text
"have you never seen anyone since Becky?"
"No!"
"What!? not even casually? just for some attention?"
"No I'd be hopeless at casual"
"I'd get too involved and I'm not going through.....no, I'm not risking it, It's not worth it"
_____
The conversation from weeks ago rattled around Carla's head as she laid in bed staring at the ceiling,
Her posh egyptian cotton covered duck feather duvet pulled up around her chin for some comfort in the darkness.
The conversation with Lisa ran on a loop in her mind most nights now, taunting her.
(Actually it was torturing her if she was honest)
she had analysed every inch of it,
every word, every meaning and this was clearly going to be what she focused on again tonight, during attempts to sleep.
Another over analysis of her and Lisa's 'friendship'
She had already forced her phone closed after spending at least thirty minutes scrolling her old messages from Lisa and considering if the kisses meant anything.
(Could that last conversation they had technically be classed as flirting?)
Now she would undergo the usual mental marathon in the dark
The 'casual attention' conversation as she liked to refer to it as, was already number one in the top three playlists her mind did a rerun of on lonely nights.
She replayed it along with.
'You're such a great mate' festival ticket fail
and
"We had a moment and now the moment's gone" tourist identification parade.
All of them a clear reminder that Lisa wasn't interested in her in any way other than just as her friend.
Carla wasn't asking for marriage proposals and relationship commitments but she was definitely interested in more than just friends with Lisa.
(Carla was a bit of a shitty friend in that respect, But she wasn't a tourist.... she didn't think?)
Tonights mental marathon of the 'casual attention' conversation was a stark reminder, that Lisa wouldn't even consider being anything more to her.
Not even a quick fling, a cheeky snog or a straight girl experiment to satisfy Carla's curiousity about what it might feel like to be with her.
Because Lisa didn't do casual and she didn't do tourists.
Not even if they ever found themselves lonely and drunk together, at a loose end, bored in Carla's flat with nothing to do but touch each other one night.
(She had fantasised about that one playing out way too many times already)
There wasn't much point trying to push down her attraction to Lisa anymore, her urge to kiss her and just discover the short blonde woman.
And of course she didn't want to spoil their friendship just for sex, but Carla knew they were both long in the tooth now and had, had their fair share of personal traumas.
Both had already been and done the 'love of their life' thing with other people over the years.
(Surely some casual exploration between them wouldnt really get in the way of their budding long term friendship would it?)
Even if Lisa had admitted she gets too involved, Surely not with Carla, she could trust Carla.
Carla pitied her own foolishness then for thinking this way and for fancying someone who a) thinks she's straight, b) is emotionally unavailable, c) is simply not interested in her.
Tomorrow when she meets with Lisa though she decides to try bring up the casual conversation again and get to the end of this night-time mental torture.
Because she is sure there is a vibe between them, she's sensed it!
she's sure Lisa is attracted to her, she feels it!
And sometimes when Lisa looks at her, she sees it!
She's going to end the pining for her friend and admit she wants more from her.
Because Carla might be a tourist but she goes for things if she wants them.
Tomorrow she will initiate 'project casual attention!'
(Admittedly its a crap name for a project!)
___
They agreed to meet in the Bistro, hunker in their bunker after work.
Lisa comes from work in her shirt and trousers all tucked in and put together. She has on Carla's favourite light blue jacket and her hair tied far too neatly back in a ponytail.
(Carla wants to pull it out make it messy with her fingers so its falling down around her shoulders)
They were close now, they had got a lot closer over the last few weeks, Lisa almost fast tracking herself to Michelle level status as a mate.
They spoke daily, sometimes just by text but Lisa often drops in to see her at work sometimes with the intent of collecting Betsy, other days just to check in on her
(Those days makes her tummy flutter)
They seemed to be drawn to each other almost attracted like magnets.
(Or maybe Lisa was just lonely and in need of a good mate)
Tonight was going to take a different turn however because Carla had caught the eye of some late 40s male at the bar, sat there on his laptop, drinking after a late work meeting.
As her and Lisa sat chatting, their usual easy banter, she could see him regularly glancing over at them both.
Lisa got twitchy at the interaction, clearly observing it too over the hour. The male finally moved
(shit he was coming over to them, eyes on her)
"Hi, sorry to interrupt you both, but would you be willing to let me buy you another bottle to share with your friend?"
(Flashy git)
she couldn't help smile though, his voice was warm and he was attractive, his eyes didn't even leave Carla's for a moment.
She could see Lisa roll hers and bristle slightly in her peripheral though.
"That's really kind of you but I think we are good thanks, another bottle and I will be rolling out of here" she said tapping the bottle.
"Well I will be more than happy to also carry you home" he replied.
(Fuck me, he was forward)
She heard Lisa choking on her wine mid sip and then slamming her glass down a little too heavily.
"Watch it mate! date rape themed chat ups your usual go to are they?" Lisa scoffed
She could see Lisa edging her fingers around her badge in her picjet, as she stared at him.
"No! Oh my god, sorry for how that sounded, I just meant , I'd like to buy you a drink, maybe ask for your number?"
He laughed nervously, he was actually tall, dark although slightly greying ,charming, handsome, her usual type and age. A little bit clumsy too like Peter used to be, which was endearing.
He wasn't Lisa though!
But she decided to play along anyway.
"A bottle of the house merlot then please" Carla smiled
She held up their empty bottle from the table for him to take like a waiter and marvelled at her power as he jumped to attention and took it with him.
She'd always had that affect on men,
however Lisa seems bloody immune.
(Another goal for her project, find out what Lisa's sexual kryptonite is)
He turned back to the bar winking and Lisa looked at her outraged.
"Seriously him! he's your type?" she said draining her glass.
Carla looked over, weighing him up like a cow at a cattle market.
"He's not bad, good bum, I might take his number" Carla smirked enjoying Lisa's reaction.
Lisa looked at her, shocked, silent
"Right!"
"well, whatever floats your boat I guess" she said
Suddenly looking around and finding the Bistro decor suddenly fascinating.
Carla felt like now it was the time to initiate 'project casual attention'
(she has no intention of giving her number to this random man, but she won't tell Lisa that)
"He's not marriage material Lisa, I'm simply thinking casual, you know, dust away some of the old cobwebs, it's been a while!!"
Lisa looked at her, clearly stunned by how the conversation had turned from condescending Kit and Sally's numerous name drops, to this
"Isn't that what vibrators are for?" Lisa finally said bluntly
Carla nearly spat her wine over the table, and Lisa looked like she was internally berating herself for bluntly spurting out the words.
Carla blanched then, trying to not imagine Lisa pleasuring herself.
"It's not quite the same though is it?"
"Not the same as someone else's touch?"
She had never seen Lisa go so red and it was delicious so she pushed.
"You really need some no strings sex Lisa, I think it would do you the world of good to get some physical affection"
"I told you I don't do casual"
Lisa shut it down quickly
"besides, I probably wouldn't even know what to do with a woman anymore, it's been that long" she said glumly.
(maybe they could work it out together)
Carla shook her head, trying to shake the thought.
"What about doing it with someone you trust, you know a mate, no judgement no expectations?"
She really is being too obvious now, her face heats up as she realises how it sounds,
Lisa laughs
"Don't know if you noticed, but I haven't exactly got a queue of eligible lesbian mates waiting around the corner to help me out!"
"In fact you are my only friend and your straight"
Lisa looked at her then and blushed at the implication.
Carla feels herself panic and back tracks
"What about someone from work then instead?"
(No idea why she is pushing this agenda now, counter productive)
"I'm definitely not mixing work and pleasure, it's too messy"
The handsome dark haired man came back over interrupting them with the wine and handed his phone to Carla, flashing her a smile, she took it and typed in her number.
"My name's Jamie, by the way" he said smiling holding out his hand formally.
"Hi Jamie, I'm Carla?" She shook his hand back.
"This is my friend Lisa by the way"
She watched Lisa nod politely, grinding her jaw slightly.
"Well hopefully we could arrange a drink sometime Carla and get to know each other, but for now I'll leave you to your evening with your friend" He smiled as he walked off.
Lisa looked at her,
"Shall I go, leave you to it." She said sullenly,
It sounded like she was sulking.
"Although based on his chat up form, I'd like to stay and make sure you get home safe"
Carla panicked.
"No way, I'm here with you tonight, wouldnt ditch you for him" she smiled
Two minutes passed and Carla's phone suddenly flashed up on the table, she looked over at Jamie at the bar who was smiling back
"You gave him your real number?" Lisa said outraged
"I thought we were just playing him for free drink" she whispered
"Yeah well, I quite like him actually" she glanced over and he smiled,
(He was attractive but she'd drop it in a heartbeat to take Lisa back to hers instead)
She hadn't intended to give her number but Lisa's reaction had spurned her on
she placed her hands over on Lisa's then across the table.
"You're so uptight Lisa, maybe you need to consider just getting laid with someone?"
Lisa stared at her clearly taking it in, looking almost baffled by it
(She was going to chicken out)
she didn't have the courage to add the part about that person being her.
(Project mission aborted)
_____
"Jamie called, and I'm on a date tonight"
Lisa's head snapped up from the other side of her factory desk, distracted from her bacon roll and coffee, which she had brought them both mid morning on an early lunch.
"What?"
"Well, I thought why not, I'm single, spent many a lonely night in bed for the last six months"
Lisa observed her and Carla almost could feel her imagining them together. Something flashed across her face
After a stunned pause
"Well You'll need to tell me exactly where you are going and message me every hour when you are there, plus also call when home safe"
Carla looked at her dumstruck by the instruction.
"Are you serious?! She half laughed
"In fact, share your location with me, I use this app with Betsy" Lisa pulled out her phone shoving it at Carla.
(Wow this was clingy, but she liked it)
"Why don't you just come with me, be my personal bodyguard instead, you could wait outside while I have sex?" She mocked
"Hilarious!" Lisa said sarcastically
"Or we could just make it a threesome!"
(Or cut him out of the equation altogether)
"Urgh no way"
"I wouldn't touch a man with a bargepole as long as Kit"
"Plus I am not interested in threeways,I'm a one on one kinda girl"
Carla observed her rant
"It's interesting is that you actually just considered it though" Carla laughed,
of course she was joking but couldn't help pushing Lisa's buttons a bit.
Lisa blushed again rolling her eyes
"I just want to make sure you are safe, the dating world is dangerous, do you know how many sexual assaults and attempted murders I deal with originating from dating apps"
"Well It's not a blind date is it, I've met him and spoken to him"
"Are you planning on going back to his?" Lisa said abrubtly
"What!!! why?" She asked shocked.
"if you go to his I want his address texting to me so I can find you, here download this app?"
"Oh wow! Michelle just used to check my bed in the morning to see if I made it back this is another level mate!"
"You're more than just a mate Carla!"
She watched Lisa blush again as the statement slips out. Carla jumps on it
"Am I?"
Lisa is silent for a beat,
"Yes! you have become really important to me Carla"
Carla wanted to push,
(How important, important enough for more?)
She was definitely going to see this date through if this was the progress she got from Lisa.
(Was Lisa jealous or just being a concerned friend)
She downloaded the app, knowing full well her nights were now going to be consumed with checking out where Lisa was in the world.
____
She forgot to text Lisa,
she had been good through the evening, checking in at regular intervals or when Jamie was at the bar or toilet, up to the point of arriving at his address.
A swanky apartment in Salford.
She messaged the address, but then she never checked in again,
she actually quite liked Jamie, she felt the stirrings of a bit of something there for him. He seemed attentive, not overly tactile but it was nice to be touched even on the arm by him,
(Lisa barely touched her unless she initiated it)
He offered wine and they chatted while sat on his long corner sofa in front of a media wall mocked up into a fire on the screen.
It reminded her of the days living and married with Paul. Almost comforting in that respect.
He was a divorcée, with grown up kids,
he eventually made his move on her and she got swept along with it. Enjoying the attention for what it was.
The sex was ok, he was attentive enough but a bit boring.
She ended up thinking of Lisa to get herself off in the end
She imagined her underneath her, her fingers buried deep inside her as Carla ground her hips down. Lisa's mouth on her breasts, licking and sucking.
(Shit, she had it bad)
She made her excuses to leave shortly afterwards saying she had a work commitment early and she ordered an Uber.
He didn't seem to mind, seemed to be on her page and she felt a bit guilty as he pecked her cheek and saw her into a taxi safely.
She saw the messages come through then.
Lisa 10:43pm - just checking in? All still ok? Xx
Lisa 11: 51pm- You better check in soon or
I'll send a response car around to that address to bang the door down Carla?
She called Lisa from the Uber
"Are you ok?"
Lisa said rushed picking up after one ring.
"I'm fine!"
"What happened to checking in?" she sounded mad
"I'm fine Lise, im on my way home "
"You didn't stick to the agreement, one text an hour!"
Carla giggled
"Well I was kinda busy for the last couple of hours, if you know what I mean!"
she waited for it to land, for the reaction
"Oh" Lisa said quietly
There was a lingering silence after that.
Carla wanted to ask if she was ok, but she let it drop.
"Are you this intense with Betsy, no wonder she rebels?"
"Well I wouldnt let Betsy go and meet Mr date rape in the first place"
"Well I appreciate you checking in but I am fine and I'm pulling up outside my flat in five, then you'll find me all tucked up in my own bed on you app"
"Actually I'm outside yours"
What?
"Just finished work, I was in the area and I wanted to see if you were back safe"
"It's midnight Lise and You have me on an app don't you?"
"Yeah well you managed to hide yourself i was worried!"
"Oh sorry, Not intentionally"
She sat smiling into the silence on the phone at Lisa's level of care and concern.
"Fancy coming in for a brew, I'll be back in a minute? She asked quietly
Lisa hummed in agreement.
_____
"So you slept with him then?"
Carla looked at her across the sofa, a mug of tea each in hand.
She felt a little embarrassed, the woman who's fingers she had been thinking about inside her only just an hour ago.
"Yes, but!"
"But what?" Lisa asked
"I'm not sure that's a conversation for you and me, it's kinda more of a Michelle and me chat"
Lisa's head snapped up,
"Why? Because im gay?" Lisa sounded annoyed
"No!"
"because it's just not really the sort of thing you and me talk about is it?"
"Right"
Lisa said nodding, looking around
"Funny that because you were fully interested in my lack of sex life the other night"
(She had a point there)
"I'm not some prude Carla, I can handle hearing about how hairy his back was or about his non existent foreplay"
"What makes you think it was bad?" Carla laughed
"Well he's a bloke for one" Lisa said under her breath.
"Are you saying that if I had hooked up with a woman, it would have been a lot better?"
"Probably!!" Lisa dismissed
"So you have never had bad sex with a woman, then ever?"
Lisa reddened then,
"Well actually once I met a girl and lets just say, she was very emotional about sex, she cried when I made her come, and then wanted to log an entry in her diary before she would reciprocate, needless to say I didn't go on another date with her again after that"
Carla laughed
"I thought you didn't do casual" she challenged
"I was twenty!!!"
"I guess you could argue, blokes are less emotional but they come with other challenges"
"Which is exactly why I wantef to keep you safe tonight"
They sat in contemplative silence, a heaviness in the air.
"So!! did he go down on you?" Lisa then pushed
"Lisa!" Carla felt herself blush then, laughing again
"Thought not, it was bad?"
"I never said that"
Lisa raised a brow waiting
"You can't judge good or bad sex on whether or not they.....do that!.... down there!"
Carla mumbled pointing at Lisa's crotch and regretting it
Lisa nodded her head back and forth and looked up at the ceiling exaggerating her thinking.
"I think you will find, that in the lesbian sex world 'that' 'down there' is a pretty big deal"
Carla observed her suddenly feeling embarrassed
(Lisa talking about cunnilingus and making people come was not helping her cause right now)
"Ok, he was charming, diligent and mediocre in bed, I've had better orgasms if that's what your asking"
Lisa blushed
"You actually did come then?" she said quietly around her cup of tea smirking.
Carla felt her face redden,
(There she was again talking about orgasms. could she just get on with it and make her come)
"Let's just say, I know my body well enough and what position to work so I can get off on it"
Lisa was fully red now and Carla hid a smirk.
"Maybe we should change the subject!?l" Lisa stuttered
"this might be too much for my little innocent gay brain after all"
"You were the one that wanted to know, be that friend!!" Carla challenged laughing
"Well I've changed my mind"
"But just for the record, sex with someone shouldn't be such hard work to get yourself off"
"Ah charming"
"Speaks the woman that doesn't do casual"
Lisa blushed again,
"doesn't mean I didnt used to have good sex"
"Maybe you should show me what I'm missing?"
(That slipped out before she thought about it)
Carla watched Lisa unable to maintain eye contact, the comment had made her tummy tingle.
"Carla!!"
"How much did you actually drink tonight" Lisa chastised
(Nice one Lisa, back to blaming the alcohol, and tourism)
She tried another tact
"Don't you miss it? the contact the closeness of someone, making you feel good"
Lisa looked sad for a moment and Carla suddenly regretted the angle she was pushing at.
"Of course I do"
"I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me" Carla said quietly feeling bad for pushing her agenda.
(Lisa wasnt ready, she had to maybe stop this silly notion)
"It's fine, you're right, I am probably making sex into too big a thing"
she watched Lisa trace fingers around her mug thoughtfully
"I guess its been nearly four years since Bex and I were intimate and even longer since anyone else"
"decades in fact" Lisa did a humourous laugh
"Nearly four years? I thought Becky passed just under three?" Carla asked puzzled before the realisation dawned on her.
Lisa looked embarrassed.
"We were 16 years into a relationship, our sex life wasnt on top of our priorities"
"plus we had a 12 year old at home, who had just had sex education at school and was horrified by us sharing a bed and made it known, it kinda killed the mood a bit"
"Don't be embarrassed" Carla soothed
"me and Peter were hardly at it like rabbits, it's what happens in long term relationships"
"which is why I think a casual hook up isn't such a bad thing"
"Was yours definitely just casual?" Lisa asked quietly,
it felt like a charged statement into the quiet room. Like she was interviewing a suspect.
"Yep, I dont plan to see him again, nice guy, but no mega spark"
Carla's phone pinged suddenly buzzed on the coffee table Carla looked at it, Jamie!
"That's him isn't it, he's text you already?" Lisa sounded annoyed for some reason.
(Was she jealous!)
She watched Lisa roll her eyes and look across the room
"Are you jealous?"
It was out before she thought about what she was saying
"NO!!" Lisa eyes shot up staring at her in shock
"We are just friends"
"Arnt we?!" She sounded a little doubtful, a little hopeful too.
(That was interesting, the fact she went there)
Carla wanted to mention it then, her attraction. The casual idea, Ask Lisa outright, but she had also just had sex with a man!
Acknowledging the thrumming tension between them right now while she had just got back from that was probably not the sexiest idea,
she chickened out.
"I just mean, are you jealous that I'm getting some and you arnt?" Carla laughed trying to joke
"Not if involves a hairy chest and a penis no!
"happy to give that a miss!"
Carla laughed, the words came out before she could think again.
"am I missing out? On being with a woman I
I mean?"
Lisa froze suddenly them jumped up.
"I should go now it's late, its nearly 1am, and Betsy doesn't like been in the house alone all night"
Lisa was out of the door before Carla could say any more.
Chapter 2: Chapter 2
Chapter Text
Jamie persisted for another date and Carla gave in, in the end.
Clearly she had made a favourable impression on him, unlike on Lisa.
because Lisa had been avoiding her since the night of the chat in the flat and was either ignoring her messages or resorted to sending one word replies.
The truth was, Jamie was actually quite nice really he was charming, he ran his own business, like her, was a similar age, and they had lots in common and she really didn't hate being in his company.
(He wasn't a patch on Lisa though!!)
She figured if anything she at least she could work off some pent up sexual frustration with him.
Her and Jamie met in Speed Daal for a curry friday night and Carla was in two minds whether to invite him back to hers for exactly that or to just let him down gently and go back to a lonely flat to mourn the lack of Lisa in her life this week.
That was until Lisa and Betsy came into Speed Daal for dinner. They had a reservation too.
Her tummy actually flipped at seeing Lisa enter as they made eye contact across the restaurant,
Lisa looked panicked as she walked in and clocked Carla on a date with Jamie.
Another look Carla couldn't decifer flashed across Lisa's face as she observed them crossing the restaurant.
(Was that jealously maybe?)
They exchanged some awkward hellos and waves as she watched them get seated at a table on the other side of the restaurant.
Betsy then started to make inappropriate gestures behind Jamie's back at Carla.
It starting with a double thumbs up and transitioned quicky into gestures of rubbing her thumb and fingers together to suggest she had noticed Jamie's expensive Rolex and designer suit.
(He did look like he was made of money)
It was slightly vulgar but to be expected from the immature teen that was all sass and attitude.
Carla rolled her eyes at her, she would tell her off for it at the factory tomorrow.
She watched Lisa look up from the menu and bat down Betsy's hands annoyed. Blushing awkwardly at Carla's stare.
Lisa could barely make eye contact after that and Carla couldn't understand how it had got to this point after their last interaction.
She had been looking at the app each night to see where Lisa was, often finding her near or in the police station, she guessed she had been working a lot.
They ate their meals separately but Carla struggled to focus on her date, too busy trying to watch the interactions between Lisa and Betsy.
Trying to listen in but they were just too far out of reach to hear anything as they whispered at each other. It looked tense.
At one time she would have just invited herself in and joined them, pulling up a chair to their table
(At one time! How dramatic did that sound it was only last week!!)
She eventually went to leave with Jamie, however she couldn't resist a dig at Lisa first though after clearly being ignored again tonight.
It had been so blatant this time that even Jamie made comments on Lisa being off with her after they looked so close in the Bistro the night he had met her.
She stood over at their table as Jamie insisted he went to pay the bill.
"Oi you, Are you planning to reply to any of my messages this week or what?" Carla asked looking at Lisa
She was trying to keep it light but she could hear the slight edge in her own voice
"Sorry I've just been busy. Had to put work and Betsy first"
Lisa sounded hostile,
"Harsh!" She heard Betsy mumble in an exaggerated way under her breath looking at her popadoms
She wasn't sure if the comment was because Betsy came after work in Lisa's listed priorities or if it was because Lisa had completely shunned Carla altogether.
"Well I guess that's me knowing where I firmly stand then isn't it" Carla bit back annoyed now,
"Welcome to my world!! Being ignored all week and then brought out for a free meal to try and bond and make up for it" Betsy drawled
"Betsy!!" Lisa chastised clearly embarrassed.
"At least you got the meal bit Betsy" Carla retorted
She looked at Lisa then realised she sounded seventeen too.
Jamie suddenly appeared at her side and put his arm around her shoulder and tucked a hip against hers ready to leave, to claim her, he kissed her cheek
she watched Lisa twitch with something. Looking suddenly mortified at the situation.
She had the sudden urge to push him off her in disgust in front of Lisa.
(Did it bother Lisa how tactile towards her he was being)
"Hello again Lisa" he greeted
"Hi" Lisa nodded, clearly finding the words hard before turning to ignore them both, a distinct lack of effort.
Carla wanted to make her react then, anger her. She had never felt this annoyed with the woman before.
"Fancy coming back to mine for coffee?" She turned to a smiling Jamie instead, running her hand over his chest for effect.
It was completely for Lisa's benefit, and by the look on her face it had had the desired affect
(project casual attention, completely abandoned)
____
She actually didn't invite Jamie back up to her flat,
she was too annoyed, so she u-turned and made some excuse to him about a hormonal headache and her nephew been in the flat, then she watched him leave in a taxi instead.
She entered the flat, throwing her bag on the bench aggressively as she slumped on the sofa arms crossed.
"Nice one Carla, you scared her off and now she doesn't even want to be friends" she chuntered to herself on the sofa
"Let me guess, a Lisa problem" Ryan commented suddenly standing up from behind the kitchenette
She nearly jumped out of her skin
"Jeezus Ryan!!"
He laughed
"will you stop doing that to me, you're going to put me in an early grave!" She said hand on chest to her thudding heart.
"What's happened? you finally told Lisa you fancy her?" He asked ignoring her
"No!! no point, she's made it quite clear she's not interested, in fact I've just been told exactly how unimportant I am"
"Harsh!! have you just seen her then?" he said
"Yes I was on my date with Jamie, in Speed Daal, and she came in with Betsy"
"Ahhhhh!" Ryan said knowingly
"what on earth does ahhhhhhhh mean Ryan?" She said directing her annoyance at him now.
"Well that makes perfect sense as to why she was off with you doesn't it?"
"You probably just broke her poor little fragile pining heart"
"You're joking right, DS Swain, fragile and pining I highly doubt that" she laughed humourlessly
"I'm not talking about DS Swain though am I!? im talking about little Lisa!! different person"
Carla stopoed to think then, feeling bad
"She doesn't like me that way Ryan, she's still grieving her wife and why would she I'm hardly a catch am I?"
"Look, as your nephew, I'm probably bias but, whats there not for her to like?"
"You both clearly get on a lot and, she's got eyes!!!" He said flapping his hand up and down in front of her as if to show off the woman in front of him.
"do you really think she's jealous?"
"Yes!! I've seen the way she looks at you when she thinks no one's watching"
___
After a make up message to say sorry for being hostile. Lisa also apologised for her part too.
It was an awkward clunky apology via text, but a few nights later, Carla found Lisa in the Rovers, and they were soon back to sharing wine with each other again.
(Attracted, just like magnets)
"I've been thinking about what you said" Lisa said suddenly
"About what?"
"about finding myself some casual company, maybe it's time to get out there, start to live again"
Carlas head snapped up from her drink suddenly hopefull
"So anyway, i've set myself up on a dating app" Lisa finished
Carla's stomach then bottomed out,
She wanted Lisa to be open to dating or even casual affection and sex. But not with someone else though
"That's great, good for you" Carla felt the words lodge in her throat.
(This was not good for her at all though)
"I mean I'm so out of touch, might take me a while to act on it, but I decided I do need to get out there"
Carla considered her next question carefully.
"Is this a get out there relationship kinda thing or a get out there casual kinda thing?" Carla asked tentitively.
"I definitely know I'm not ready for a relationship, I'm not sure I ever will be!"
(Casual it is then!)
"And the getting emotionally invested in someone?"
"Maybe I've changed, or maybe I need to, I mean, I was with Becky for so long, how would I even know what my thing is anymore"
Carla held her hand out then and Lisa looked at it suspiciously.
"Hand over your phone! let's see this app profile then?"
(Then she could join herself anonymously and scope out the competition).
"No way!! I am not having you taking the piss!!" Lisa looked horrified
"Oh Go on, I'll just look you up anyway"
"Mmmh mm...Not telling you which dating app!!" Lisa smirked challenging back.
"I'll find out, how many dating apps can there be for women looking to meet women!?"
(She sounded like she had achieved stalker level now)
"A lot actually!!!"
"Ok fine....I'll just ask Betsy!" Carla threatened.
"NO!!, Betsy can not know about this, I want to keep it from her, she's not ready to see me move on yet, even just casually"
"Ok, my lips are sealed" Carla promised doing a zipping up motion around her lips with her finger.
"She definitely doesn't need to know that her mum wants and misses a sex life"
The words made Carla's stomach flip and a hot flush run up her neck to her face,
(So Lisa does miss sex!)
"Come on show me!! Pleeeeze, i'll give you some tips" Carla sounded like a child, putting on her best heart eyes and pleading face, whining almost holding her hand out.
"You!!!....give me some tips" Lisa laughed
"Believe me! I've seen your type and I'm not sure that you can help me" Lisa said sarcastically smiling
Carla pouted and Lisa laughed, then Carla raised her eyebrow and held out her hand one more time
Lisa eventually caved, opened the app, huffing and handing her phone over, going red in the process and sipping her wine.
The picture of Lisa that flashed up took her breath away as she studied the profile.
She looked beautiful, smiling hair cascading around her face. A genuine smile of happiness.
It caught in her throat and she couldn't speak for a moment.
Lisa had actually set this up and was putting herself out there to the world.
For someone else to come and snatch from her.
She wanted to be the one, she wanted to heal Lisa's hurt after all those years of abstaining. Be the first to touch her again after such a long wait.
(The feeling made her choke a little)
"It's an old photo..Is it awful?" Lisa asked quietly, vulnerable, noticing Carla's lack of response, to it.
"You look stunning Lisa, it's gorgeous, they will be queuing up to meet you" Carla whispered quietly
Handing back the phone.
(Shit!!)
______
Lisa arrived at her flat with a bottle of wine and a look of panic, three days later.
"I've accepted a date!!!" She announced at the door
Carla felt her insides churn with regret, jealousy
"That's great, erm, come in"
Carla produced two glasses as they sat at Carla's table opposite each other. They had been here before.
This is the very place where the initial question was asked before Carla had this half cocked initiative in her head to try and seduce Lisa.
'can I see a picture of her?" She asked
She needed to scope out the competition, find out what Lisa was looking for ain a casual sexual partner. See if she could match it.
Lisa sheepishly handed her phone over showing the profile of an attractive slim brunette.
She was attractive, and young.
"You like brunettes then?" Carla smiled knowingly
She recollected seeing photos of brunette Becky around Lisa and Betsy's place when she went to visit her.
"I guess I do" Lisa said quietly and shyly looking at her then quickly away, in another blush
(Maybe Ryan had been right about those looks)
Carla observed the profile in the app
"She's a paramedic wow impressive, so when is your date?" She asked, trying to be genuine for her friend.
"This Friday!!, I'm bricking it Carla, I really need your help"
Carla poured out the wine as they sat opposite each other.
The irony, Lisa here asking her to provide help with getting another woman between the sheets when her intention was to get Lisa there herself.
"Ok, well let's start with what have you told her about yourself? have you spoken?" She sipped her wine
"Only on the chat, but I've told her I'm not after anything serious, just casual and I haven't mentioned my role or Betsy"
"Ok! And her?"
"She said the same, she also is happy to do casual only"
(They always do say that, until they don't, look at Jamie)
"That's great, as long as she doesn't turn out to be some weird bunny boiler" Carla smirked
Lisa rolled her eyes
"How is Jamie by the way?!" She said scathingly
(That was savage)
"I saw him hovering around the factory yesterday like a love sick teenage boy!!"
Carla laughed, admittedly she hadn't expected him to keep pursuing her after she brushed him off last week.
"He just brought me lunch that's all"
"Is it getting serious?" She watched Lisa worry her lip.
"No way!!! definitely not, I'm not interested in getting into all that relationship crap again" Carla commented
"anyway this is about you, back to you?"
Lisa studied her for a moment,
"What is it about this date you are worried for?"
Lisa sighed
"Oh I dunno!! how about getting all the dating etiquette wrong or deciding suddenly I don't want sex with her, actually having sex, errr..... everything!!!"
Lisa spiralled and Carla felt a sense of protection.
"Lisa, it's just a date if you don't want something to happen you can stop it, leave, let her down, and that's ok you know"
"What if I did want something to happen and I am so nervous I end up performing badly in bed or worse I get emotional or upset!"
"Well as long as you don't get your diary out and start writing an entry before you.."
"Oh, get lost!!" Lisa interrupted trying not to smile.
"i wish I never told you that story now!!"
She half laughed with mock annoyance,
Carla laughed too.
"I'm sure when it comes to it, you won't perform bad in bed either"
"Its not just that!!"
" I've not dated anyone for years Carla, when I met Bex it was on shift together and we were friends first, working the beat together you know, it just naturally happened between us"
(Carla wished it would just naturally happen between them)
"Maybe you just need some practice?" Carla suggested
"Would you like to practice a fake date or something, with me!!"
Lisa's head snapped up in horror.
"Role play a date with you....NO I do NOT!!" Lisa sounded horrified too.
"I'm not that bad am I?" Carla wasn't sure if she was genuinely offended.
"Are you saying you wouldn't date me?" Carla then asked.
"No!! not at all!! I just mean I can't abide role plays"
"What not even in bed?" Carla quipped unable to resist
"Carla!!! Will you stop it! You're tying me in knots now on purpose, just trying to trip me up"
Carla stopped, taking a breath and smiling at the other woman clearly a bit uncomfortable.
But she was pleased, pleased Lisa had come to her with this, trusted her.
"You're so easy to wind up you know" she smirked smiling affectionatly.
Unable to stop herself from grabbing Lisa's hand across the the table and rubbing her thumb over knuckles squeezing lightly.
Lisa took a sharp intake of breath, her hand stuttered slightly like she was going to pull away but she stopped herself.
Carla looked up and witnessed the darkening in her eyes.
She knew that look, she'd seen it before, never from a woman before but it was unmistakable. It was attraction and desire.
It would be so tempting to lean over, and try kiss her now, but Lisa looked spooked so she just settled for a gentle stroke over her hand enjoying the warmth.
Lisa sat not moving. Almost enjoying the touch and the tickle of her wrist as Carla escalated it
The tension in the room, tangible. Carla broke it.
"I tell you what, I've got an idea" Carla said breaking the silence and removing her hand. Feeling the loss
(Time to active plan B of her failed project)
"Why don't you let me take you out tomorrow, like as if it's a real date, we can just eat or go for a drink. I'll show you what I would expect from my date and you can practice your chat up lines and your flirting"
Lisa stared at her
"Sounds like an absolutely awful idea" Lisa replied
Carla pursed her lips
(Ouch, that one hurt)
"Ok then, just wing it on Friday instead, I'm sure you will be completely fine with her"
Lisa looked at her again
"ok I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7pm" Lisa replied quickly
"Actually I will pick you up"
"I'm going to be the one to wine and dine you and show you what a good date should look like" Carla smiled
Operation casual attention, commence, she was going to try and seduce Lisa with a date.
(A fake one)
_______
Carla buzzed Lisa's front door
She looked stunning as she answered, in a cream jacket and tight jeans, hair down flowing over her shoulders she had made the effort to curl it. She wore jewelry and had some of her chest and neck exposed
A stretch from the stuffy high buttoned up collars Carla usually saw.
Carla had a desire to trace her fingertips over Lisa's collar bone and to the tip of her sternum protecting her heart.
Carla had also pulled out all the stops too getting ready.
She had opted for a tight fitting black shirt and jeans with just a small amount of chest and cleavage showing which was a bit of a change from her usual long kimonos and black T-shirts and leggings.
She noticed Lisa stutter slightly as her eyes glanced across Carla's outfit lingering on her chest
(Well that was new and duly noted. Maybe Ryan really did know what he was talking about)
Carla tried to hide her smile.
It was a fake date and they were well past role-play but Carla had brought Lisa a bouquet of her favourite flowers anyway.
She planned to woo her, make her feel wanted.
"Really, you bring flowers on all your first dates do you?"
Lisa looked at her cynically but thanked her taking them in.
"Well it's what I would do if I was dating a beautiful woman for the first time, which I am"
Carla said sheepishly
Lisa almost stumbled over her own door step at the comment, Carla putting her hands out to try catch her, but she saved herself
"Falling for me already are you?" Carla laughed
Lisa reddened and found the flowers suddenly fascinating
"You ok?" Carla asked
"Sorry, just flustered, got off work late and had to rush to get ready" Lisa said
Lisa gave her a look of self pity and Carla policed the urge to burst out laughing.
"Come on you'll be fine, it's just a date and it's just me" she reassured
"A fake date because I'm so pathetic" Lisa commented
"Lisa" Carla warned
She hated hearing Lisa put herself down
"How about I give you a minute, I'll wait by the car"
she said giving Lisa some space to compose herself.
She watched Lisa lock up and Carla opened the car door for Lisa guiding her into the passenger side
"Wow you're such a gentleman" Lisa jibed sarcastically as Carla climbed in starting the engine.
"Where are we going then? " Lisa asked
"A bar" Carla replied "seeing as you weirdly don't want to eat on this date"
"Well food is such an intimate thing to do with someone isn't it!"
Carla side eyed Lisa eyes focused on the road.
"It's me Lisa we eat out together all the time!?"
"Well you said this was a proper date run through and if it's just a casual hook up then do I really need a three course meal inside me and a massive food and wine bill"
Carla couldn't resist such low hanging fruit and so she said it
"Are you intending for this to be the full run through, back to mine for sex too?"
She waited for Lisa's response, Lisa seemingly lost for words for a moment. The air in the car seemed to swallow them up like a vacume and Carla started to regret saying it or putting it out there.
She had to fill the silence, it was too much
"oh relax Lisa!!
"And don't be a cheep skate on your dates, you got to make a bit of effort you know, even to just get laid" Carla elbowed Lisa a little.
I guess paying for them to eat a full meal before sex feels to me like paying for sex"
"Wow, how you woo me!!" Carla jibed back at her coming out of character for a bit. Looking over at Lisa smirking
Lisa put her fingers on her temples
"Urgh, why am I even considering this, it's pathetic, I was perfectly happy before, just me and Bets"
"Actually Lisa, if I remember correctly you and Betsy were perfectly miserable, you still are some days" Carla challenged her.
They pull up at a tidy looking wine bar after a few minutes drive, not too pretentious but cosy and Lisa jumps out before Carla can get all chivelrous again and open her car door.
Lisa also beating her to holding the bar door open for her,
"Thank you, why don't you find a seat and I'll order our drinks, your usual?" Carla asked and watched Lisa nod smiling "a large" and Carla laughed
Carla returned to a table in the corner that Lisa had found and opted to sit right next to her on the bench, thighs touching, plonking herself down virtually on top of Lisa.
"What on earth are you doing" Lisa asked slightly stunned
"I'm sitting next to you" she replied innocently
She could feel the warmth of Lisa's thigh the smell of her shampoo and perfume.
It made her want to lean over and kiss her cheek.
Lisa looked between them, at the lack of space then to the seat opposite before back at Carla stunned at the invasion of her personal space.
"If we are on a casual date and I'm looking to get laid with you two hours from now, I'm not going to sit over there am I" Carla reasoned pointing opposite
Lisa suddenly looked petrified,
"You know this is still a fake date right and I am not going back to sleep with you because you are in fact straight"
(Ouch that stung a lot!)
Carla swallowed composing herself.
"What's the point in a test run if you don't embrace the practice Lisa!" Carla argued sipping her wine feeling a bit snippy about the last comment.
(So many mixed signals)
She took a deep breath
"So what do you do for a living then Lisa?" Carla asked trying not to laugh into her small wine as Lisa squirmed
"You're not serious!, no role plays I said" Lisa looked like her head was going to pop off by now.
Carla laughed again
"Ease up!" She coaxed and placed a warm hand on Lisa's thigh rubbing it affectionatly and then watched as Lisa nearly jumped out of the seat next to her.
"Sorry!!" Carla said suddenly concerned lifting her hand away quickly.
(Here she is recoiling to her touch again, this was a lost cause, either that or she was hopeless at seducing a woman)
Lisa settled next to her then rubbed a finger and thumb over her temples, a sigh of distress.
"No, I'm Sorry, I didn't mean to react like that, I'm just on edge, I don't know why I am even considering doing this date tomorrow "
Carla spoke quietly then looking at the blonde.
"You know this is just me, don't you Lise"
"I would never hurt you intentionally, no matter what was going on between us, I care too much"
Lisa studied her again then, and Carla watched her eyes track to her own lips, before she quickly looked back up to her eyes again before turning away.
Carla got the courage up to risk a hand back on her thigh and this time Lisa remained still. Looking at it and swallowing
"Thank you, you mean a lot to me too!" She croaked back.
"I don't want to lose your friendship Carla, I've never had such a good mate"
(Urgh, another great mate comment, this was fruitless)
Carla cleared her throat but left her hand on Lisa's thigh, she had an urge to stroke the tips of her fingers against the inside of her thigh. Squeeze the supple muscle but she knew this was crossing the line.
"Maybe we should discuss exit strategies for tomorrow instead" Carla said quietly
"Exit strategies?" Lisa looked puzzled.
"Yeah you know, if it all goes a bit wrong and you want to escape, like you realise she has bad breath or really hairy arms"
"What have hairy arms got to do with anything?" Lisa laughed then,
"Well, you don't like hairy blokes so I figured you would feel the same about hairy women?"
Lisa full on laughed then the tension from earlier disappeared.
"Ok, bad example, I just mean things that might give you the ick about her! What does give you the ick by the way?"
"That saying for one!" Lisa sardonicaly replied.
Carla looked at her, unimpressed, this woman could be so frustrating and Lisa must have realised as she answered.
"Ok women that are over clingy and not independent, and I really hate being interrupted!!"
"You know that thing people do when they hum and nod constantly in response to you. 'aha aha aha' you know to show they are listening when they are really just wanting to talk about themselves"
"Aha" Carla replied smirking and Lisa tapped her thigh in mock annoyance.
Her hand was still on Lisa's warm thigh and she loved the feeling,
God how she wanted to stroke it higher, listen to Lisa sigh again
(She was about to commit a sin soon, get arrested by Lisa for indecent assault)
"What about you? What gives you the ick?' Lisa asked
"Well personal hygiene is a big one obviously, no excuse for bad breath or body odour"
"Obviously!" Lisa said sipping her wine too
"And I really don't like too much.... saliva"
Lisa, burst out laughing
"What?" She turned her upper body to look at her as if she hasn't heard right.
"Well I saw Jamie the other night and he did this thing where....."
She saw Lisa stiffen next her her, felt it on her thigh, so she removed her hand, stopping mid flow.
"You slept with Jamie again?" Lisa asked sounding annoyed
Carla could visibly see Lisa's jealously simmering now
(It was jealousy, she was sure of it now)
"Doesn't matter, forget it, this is meant to be about your exit strategy let's get back to that"
"It does matter!! What did he do?" Lisa interrupted looking concerned
"When we were making out he.... full on licked up and across my whole neck and stuck his tongue in my ear"
Carla said slightly embarrassed, Lisa also blushed
Then she watched Lisa's eyes track across and down her neck almost imagining it.
Lisa licked her own lips and it made Carla feel suddenly hot.
"Neck licking not your thing then?" Lisa drawled at her finally smiling.
It was just really wet and icky like I could feel his saliva still drying on my neck" Carla then shuddered involuntarily.
"That figures" Lisa smirkrd
Lisa sipped her drink almost sitting there knowingly
"What does?!" Carla asked puzzled.
"Well you definitely wouldn't cope with another woman, It all tends to get a bit wet and licky with a women sometimes" Lisa laughed
Carla felt her face go hot and she suddenly felt a rush between her thighs at the prospect of that act.
"It's not the licking that bothers me" Carla defended a little too abruptly.
(She's fantasised a lot about Lisa licking her for fucks sake)
"I think it was just the fact that it was him......I mean Peter used to....."
Lisa looked at her slightly horrified
"....Never mind actually"
(she definitely didn't need to share that)
Lisa looked awkwardly around the room then,
"Is that the end of Jamie then?" Lisa asked fingers messing with the table awkwardly
"Oh yes!!! He can keep his bodily fluids to himself from now on"
Lisa made a fake gagging noise
"Please stop!!" She said dead pan holding a hand up.
"What's your date even called anyway?" Carla asked needing to change the subject.
"Evelyn, she's a bit younger than me. That's another worry"
"How much is a bit younger"
"She's just turned 42"
(That made her feel old, how does she compete with that!)
"So exit strategy if she is a bunny boiler, has hairy arms, does the 'aha' too much or is too generous with saliva" Carla asked around her wine.
Lisa smiled
"Well I guess I'll send you a message in the toilet and you can call me with an emergency"
"What, I'm your exit strategy!!" Carla laughed.
"And what happens if you do want to move things forward with her, are you going to make the first move on her and how?"
Lisa looked absolutely confounded at this point,
"Well that will depend on her, she won't be able to come back to mine tomorrow night as Betsy will be there, so she's gonna have to do the asking"
"And how will you respond?" Carla drawled at her,
Lisa swallowed
"I dont know yet, that's what I'm terrified about"
"Let's try!?" Carla whispered
Lisa looked at her confused and then , before Carla could second guess herself She leaned into Lisa, up really close to the shell of her ear, her hot breath against it.
Lisa shuddered lightly, and Carla whispered placing a hand lightly back on her thigh again at the same time
"Could I get you another drink Ms Swain? Or would you like to just take this back to mine?"
She watched as Lisa suddenly exhaled a small sound escaping the back of her throat she felt the muscle in her leg twitch as she unsuccessfully tried to squeeze her thighs together subtly.
There it was, all the confirmation Carla she needed.
(Lisa seemed to be affected by her)
Chapter 3: Chapter 3
Chapter Text
It would have been so easy to just lean over Lisa now. Place her lips against the other woman's.
(If this was a real date, it's exactly what she would have done already)
Lisa hadn't moved either, eyes firmly trained on Carla's cheeks, scanning, waiting.
Carla still touching her thigh, as they sat together in the bar, faces close, eyes concentrated on lips.
Carla holding her breath
Lisa the opposite, almost breathless, like she's been winded.
Carla watched as Lisa twitched slightly uncomfortable
But she still didn't move, she wanted Lisa to spell it out, make it official, push her away.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Carla asked regretfully, quietly.
"No!"
"I trust you Carla" Lisa whispered back still staring
They sat silently for a second, it felt like hours. Carla finally speaking, her voice low, sounding like gravel crunching under foot
"when the time comes are you going to make the first move to kiss her or should she be the one to kiss you?" Carla asked quietly. A whisper.
Double meaning clear in the question, it was wholeheartedly about them and she was sure Lisa knew it too.
Lisa didn't move, but there was a small sigh, like she was fighting it, the urge to move forward onto Carla's lips
So Carla leaned in, warm lips ghosting over Lisa's.
She heard a small sound come out the back of Lisa's throat as she nearly brushed her lips lightly on hers. They tingled in anticipation.
Lisa smelling of wine and toothpaste and shampoo and all the comforts of home.
Carla closed her eyes, ready to fully press in and test the waters.
Embrace the result, good or bad.
It was then that Lisa jolted back, moved hips suddenly away and the spell was broken
Carla opened her eyes, she wasn't sure whether to laugh at her own stupidity or cry.
(Lisa had been leaning in to the kiss, she was sure of it!!!)
"I'm sorry my phones vibrating, I need to get this" Lisa suddenly announced.
The reason she had moved her hips, jolted away.
Carla watched as Lisa fished her phone out of her Jeans pocket, Carla moved back slightly too to give her some space.
"Betsy!! is everything okay?' Lisa asked
Carla watched as some story unfolded on the other side of the phone, Lisa's face clearly a picture of confusion.
"Betsy! you're not making any sense. Are you drunk? Have you taken something darling?"
Lisa looked worried, Carla could see on her face how she was scanning the noise in the background of the call, trying to collect evidence of her location
"Betsy, stay right where are you, Betsy don't move. Stay put, I'm coming"
"Betsy!?" The call had cut off
Carla observed Lisa's pale face as she started to scroll into the app she had made Carla download, looking at Betsy's location and standing up from the bench grabbing her jacket
"What's happened? Is everything okay?" Carla asked also getting her things too
"She sounds drunk, or worse, completely out of it at some house party I'm going to go and pick her up"
"I'll drive you" Carla reassured
They drove quickly. Lisa bouncing her knee in the passenger seat staring intently at the app as they got closer to the location
She had tried to reconnect the call to Betsy several times but Betsy hadn't picked up
"She'll be okay" Carla whispered rubbing Lisa's knee again.
"We don't know that!!"
"She's called me Carla and that means she's in trouble, what If she's been spiked or something awful has happened to her, someone has done some ungodly thing to her"
They quickly pulled onto a smart looking housing estate and it was obvious where the party was based on the five-bedroom house lit up with loud music.
It was a million miles away from the kind of house party Carla would have attended on her council housing estate at 17 and she felt a little bit more at ease.
She followed Lisa as she burst in to the front door, disrupting the bodies of teens before someone Lisa recognised pointed her in the direction of a bedroom.
Carla and Lisa found Betsy pretty much unconscious on the bed. Still fully clothed, her friend Sabrina with her holding a bowl.
After finding out what Betsy had consumed which seemed to be just alcohol, Lisa and Carla grabbed the teen, who was now semi conscious,
With one arm over each of their shoulders they guided her down the stairs and placed her in the back seat in Carla's car.
"You better not be sick in the back of Carla's car Betsy, I swear"
Lisa warned as she climbed in the back with her.
Carla drove quietly and carefully back to theirs before helping Lisa, to get Betsy over the threshold and up the stairs into bed.
She fetched water and painkillers and a bowl under Lisa's instructions as Lisa undressed her daughter
She returned to see Lisa over her, sat stroking her head on the bed. Tucking her in like a small child.
(So much for her seduction plan on this date, Betsy had pretty much cock blocked her)
"I'm so sorry about this" Lisa apologised again
She looked at her sympathetically
"We've all been there Lisa, it's a right of passage for her age, I'm just glad she's here with us and safe now" Carla whispered quietly leaning on the door frame of Betsy's room.
Watching the two of them, it made her feel warm. Like the were fast becoming family to her.
Apart from Ryan and Bobby, she really only had the Swains around her now.
"You don't think that she's been given anything else do you? spiked?" Carla added
"I've checked her heart rate and pupils, it appears to be just alcohol induced and I trust Sabrina's account"
I'll keep an eye on her tonight, see how she is in the morning"
"I should probably go, leave you to it"
Carla said trying to keep any disappointment out of her voice.
(They had nearly kissed, she was sure of it)
A sudden tension grew in the room again, like a reminder of what had nearly happened before the Betsy, drama had diverted them.
She watched Lisa blush lightly
"You're welcome to stay you know!" Lisa whispered looking at her.
Carla's heart thudded suddenly, skipping fast in excitement, anticipation again,
She looked at Lisa, waiting for more, wanting more.
Then,
"Do you want me to make up the spare room?" Lisa asked.
Her heart then dropped into her stomach like a lead balloon at that.
Oh God! Yes she wanted to stay, keep them both safe, but she wanted to stay in Lisa's bed and that was clearly not going to be on the table.
Maybe Lisa's phone ringing had saved her the embarrassment of a terrible rejection earlier.
Lisa pushing her off and telling her she had crossed the line.
The sensible side of her spoke out instead.
"I'll get off back home. I'm good to drive, I'll leave you to focus on Betsy"
Lisa nodded,
"Give me a call in the morning and let me know how she is" Carla said almost sadly.
"Thank you Carla, for looking out for us both, you really are a great mate, we dont deserve you"
(There it was again, emphasis on mate)
Carla stopped, turning before going out of the front door that she had been edging to as they had the conversation
"You do deserve it Lisa, you and Betsy, you are both so deserving of all the love in the world"
Lisa looked at her eyes slightly wet. A half smile in appreciation.
"Yeah well, you put up with a lot from us"
Betsy getting drunk or not turning up at the factory and let's not forget you having to spend your evening coaching me through a first date"
Carla felt like all the hard work she had done tonight was completely pointless. Lisa really didn't get it.
(For a detective the woman could be really dense sometimes)
"Are you still going to go on your date tomorrow?" Carla asked
"After all what happened tonight I mean?" Carla whispered
Carla wasn't sure if she was referring to the near kiss between them, or the Betsy drama stopping the date, but Lisa's response suggested the latter.
"I'll see how she is tomorrow, then decide. I'm sure Betsy will be fine,"
Carla nodded,
that and the offer of the spare room making Lisa's position on them loud and clear.
She'd half hoped that Lisa might raise what had just occurred between them in the bar again but clearly she was going to dismiss it pretend it didn't happen.
"Well, good luck tomorrow. Lisa"
"Thanks, I'll need it"
"Goodnight Carla, drive safe and text me when you're back "
She tried not to look back, as she walked out to her car.
____
Carla couldn't stop thinking about the nearly kiss.
It was now firmly replacing any other conversation or scenario in her mind
Instead, she just kept playing the feeling of Lisa's ghost lips.
The soft noises she made
the way that her fingers had suddenly gripped tightly onto Carla's hand laid over her thigh as if she was trying to ground herself on Carla.
She'd been desperate to escalate it. Press her lips fully against her, Run her hands down the column of Lisa's neck across her shoulders down her body.
Desperate to push her tongue in. Lick the roof of Lisa's mouth. Feel Lisa lick across her mouth and chin and even up her neck, into her ear.
It didn't seem so gross when she thought about Lisa doing it
Tonight however as Carla laid in bed alone, Lisa was firmly out on her date with Evelyn.
In fact right now Lisa was probably at Evelyn's house or flat.
Getting intimate with her for the first time since her wife passed. Moving on with her life casually like Carla suggested.
Lisa of course had been checking in as promised through the night during her date
They had met at a bar, and she had been given snippets over text about it going well.
That Evelyn was nice, really attractive apparently.
Carla hoped and prayed for each text that came though, hoping it was the text request from Lisa to call her.
The request from Lisa to activate her exit strategy her escape plan.
Sadly that text never came through and as the night went on, the messages got less and less.
What made this whole thing even more pathetic was the fact that now Lisa was probably in the middle of doing some sexual act with another woman while Carla lay in bed and fantasised about a fake kiss that actually didn't even happen.
Carla's phone buzzed flashing in the dark on her bedside table.
She grabbed it quickly opening it, then deciding whether to open the message for a moment, did she even want to know.
Lisa - 10:48pm - Home safe now will tell you about it tomorrow, sleep tight xx
It wasn't ridiculously late. Maybe Lisa hadn't gone back to Evelyn's at all, but either way Carla felt miserable about it all.
___
"I couldn't do it!"
Lisa admitted as she stood in Carla's flat. Hands shoved in her coat pocket.
Carla almost felt flooded with relief at the admission and then a little bit gutted for Lisa. She wanted to wrap her up, hold her.
She did, stepping forward into a hug, Lisa releasing her hands and grabbing her back. It was a short hug but Carla poured in all the reassurance she could, wanting to grab Lisa's ponytail but opting to rub her back as Lisa rested a head on her shoulder.
She invited Lisa to sit down, offered her a drink.
"Was it her hairy arms?" She half joked, pouring their tea's
"Actually she was really lovely" Lisa sighed putting her head in her heads
"and really fucking fit"
The admission created a stabbing pain, of course Lisa found this young date attractive, what did she have to offer, she was washed up, high maintenance and nearly 50! full of trauma and scars to show for it. A bit of a nightmare really.
(And straight aledgedly)
"So what happened?" Carla asked empathetically,
sitting opposite Lisa handing her a drink.
"We got on relatively well, she was chatty, not awkward at all"
"And well.... we kissed, after a couple of drinks,. It was nice"
(That hurt, Carla didn't care to know who made the first move)
"But, I just didn't feel it"
"There was just no urge to tear her clothes off, and even though she was hot I just felt...."
Carla waited,
(She just felt what??)
"I guess I'm just not ready Carla!"
Carla nodded and hummed unsure whether to be relieved or disappointed at that.
"That's ok, it's good that you didn't feel pressure to just go into it bacause she was attractive and willing"
"I just didn't feel ready to hand myself over like that, I know it sounds stupid"
"Please don't beat yourself up" Carla said soothingly
"It's not that big a deal, Lisa its really not"
"Maybe you're just not a one night stand kind of girl and that's ok"
"I told you I'd be hopeless at casual!" Lisa laughed humourlessly
"How did you leave it with her?"
"Open but I could tell she was disappointed, I said I would maybe call her when I was ready"
"You were honest with her about it then"
Lisa nodded
Carla leaned over placing a hand on Lisa's forearm.
"You tried Lisa and you're not ready and that's ok" Carla soothed
Lisa looked from Carla's hand settled on her up at her, it made Carla suddenly feel self conscious under the scrutiny of her stare.
"I think we both know why I couldn't go back with her Carla?"
Lisa spoke into the silence
Her heart rate suddenly excelled at the intense eye contact.
Was Lisa finally acknowledging this vibe between them, was she going to admit to feeling something for her too.
She held her breath,
"I think it's about trust, ya know, like to be that intimate with someone I really need to trust them properly"
Carla tried not to exhale the breath she was holding out in huff of dissapointment.
(She actually thought for one second there Lisa was going to admit to being attracted to her)
"So you need to build up trust with someone first, ok that's pretty normal" Carla tried not to sound too disappointed.
She might have felt dissapointment that Lisa wasn't admitting to feelings for her but at least she wasn't going to have to listen to Lisa to telling her how good or bad Evelyn was in bed.
"Maybe you just need to go on a few more dates with her first? Get to know her better?"
"I think I'm just going to knock this whole idea on the head"
Carla nodded,
It was probably time for her to just retire this whole idea now of trying to seduce Lisa and just focus on being friends.
"Hey, fancy a takeaway and a movie tonight, Ryan's out with friends and so are his smelly feet?"
Carla asked and Lisa smiled, it felt comforting.
"Actually, Betsy's grounded after the drinking"
"I've got to get back, I need to make sure she stays in the house all night"
"Ok" Carla said feeling disappointed again.
"But you could come over to mine. Still do a takeaway and a movie. I'll get us a couple of bottles of wine to share"
There was no way that Carla was going to reject that offer. Despite the disappointment of knowing Lisa wasn't into her or anyone for that matter.
She still wanted to spend time around the woman, she loved her company even as a friend.
At least she had Lisa as a friend and that in itself was something.
(Project casual attention fully aborted)
___
When Carla arrived at Lisa's she ordered some pizza for them and Betsy as they sat together on the sofa with wine.
It felt homely, and even though it was Lisa's and Betsy's place, littered with photos of Becky and them everywhere, Carla always felt welcomed by the pair.
Almost starting to become like a surrogate family.
Betsy had actually opted to spend most of the evening upstairs tonight, only coming down for food and dissapearing to sulk back upstairs at being grounded. Lisa still not impressed with how drunk she had got.
Now they were alone again in the living room, Carla and Lisa sat cosy in front of the fireplace on Lisa's small two seater sofa. The other sitting chair now vacated by Betsy.
Lisa turned down a lamp and grabbed a blanket from a storage tub covering them as they settled into a film together.
She half watched Lisa in the glow of the dim light,
Lisa was absorbed in the film, Carla not so much.
But she enjoyed looking at Lisa, her beautiful profile in the dark. Watching those expressive eyes take everything in on the screen as they flicked across it.
Carla's long legs started to get restless on the small sofa and irritable,
after a while or so she shuffled around the seat, trying to get comfy aware she was probably disrupting the film for Lisa.
After shuffling again and pulling on the blanket for what felt like the tenth time in five minutes, Lisa eventually huffed, and looked at her, questioning, pausing the film
"Are you bored?" Lisa asked
"Sorry restless agitated legs, probably the wine" Carla commented.
Lisa stood up and dissapeared then came back with two paracetamol and some water. Handing them to Carla
"My nan used to swear by a couple of paracetamol for restless legs" she said sitting back down.
Carla thanked her and necked the tablets with her water
"Put them up here?" Lisa then said tapping her knee as she got comfy again.
Carla looked at her puzzled,
"Your feet, stretch them out over me, it's impossible to be comfy on this tiny sofa without touching"
Carla swallowed, unsure before tentatively swinging her legs up onto Lisas lap, Lisa rearranging the blanket around them.
Lisa didn't often initiate physical contact, this was new.
What she didn't expect was Lisa's sudden nimble fingers digging into her calves through her leggings.
She almost jolted at first, before relaxing into the unexpected calf massage.
She definitely wouldn't concentrate on the film now as Lisa's thumbs dug delightfully into her calfs. Rubbing and soothing the muscle.
After a few minutes of Lisa's massaging on both legs Carla sunk down further onto the sofa and sipped her water. Head back and humming loudly.
A smirk appeared on Lisa's face as she remained focused on the film.
"You're so smug" Carla smirked at her quietly.
"Am I?" Lisa continued smirking back
"You know full well that you're good at that.... honestly Lisa it's sending me" Carla drawled out.
Lisa laughed
"Well if you fall asleep at least I can enjoy the rest of this film in peace" Lisa smirked again.
Her hands traveled up to press behind Carla knee the other then going on the top of her leg suddenly squeezing and rubbing the top of her thigh above her knee
(Shit, that action was going to turn her on, not put her into a slumber)
Lisa continued kneeding above her knee with her fingers drifting higher up her thigh as her other hand went back to squeezing her calf with her thumb and fingers.
She studied Lisa's concentration on the film as she continued with the movements mindlessly. Rubbing and gently squeezing Carla's leg.
Carla was trying to get her breath under control, trying not to squirm again under the feeling of Lisa's fingers running up her thigh, trying not to clench her thighs or make it obvious that the now friendly leg massage was really turning her on.
(She was getting wet)
Lisa swapped to her other leg for a little while, continuing the same actions as Carla guiltily enjoyed it, all while feeling aroused.
Eventually Lisa moved back to the safety of Carla's ankles and feet. Squeezing them affectionatly
"Does That feel any better? The paracetamol kicked in yet?" Lisa asked
Carla nodded, finally making excuses to go to the bathroom and compose herself.
____
The film ended and she helped Lisa clear up as Lisa made up the spare room for her.
Obviously she was disappointed, but she was also very aware that her plans to seduce Lisa were dead in the water now.
She longed to go back to the leg massage on the sofa again, pretend Lisa was her girlfriend and that in any other given scenerio she would be able to climb over the sofa, straddle her and escalate the physical contact into the bedroom between them.
It just wasn't going to be!
Instead Lisa handed her clean towels on the landing, the house downstairs now all dark.
A glow and flicker came from around Betsys door and Carla was sure she could hear a film playing, the teen clearly baracaded in for the night.
Either that or she had climbed out the window and was out with mates pretending to be in.
Lisa stood in front of her, outside her bedroom door. Lisa's double room literally opposite at the top of the stairs
"You got everything you need?" Lisa whispered quietly.
"I'm gonna turn in, I need a shower" Lisa added
Carla smiled and nodded
(Actually, what she needed was a kiss, she needed Lisa's nimble fingers working around her body again like before)
"Mind if I brush my teeth first" Carla asked
"Of course! I'll give you five to use the bathroom"
They both didn't move though, a weird tension hanging over them again as she was watched Lisa battle with something internally.
Eyes glancing across Carla's features in the semi light.
She wanted to ask, push for whatever was on Lisa's mind, but Betsy was literally metres away in the room next to them, they were just outside her door.
Carla reached forward instead and tugged lightly on Lisa's hoody, by one of the chords, she wanted to pull her forward into her with it. Touch lips again or at least hug her
She watched the shine of her eyes light up in the dark, pupils dilate
"Thank you Lisa, for tonight" she whispered
Lisa almost rolled her eyes,
"Its hardly anything to thank me for! a bit of Pizza, some wine and a leg massage"
That hung in the air between them. How could it not be more.
"I've been pretty lonely since the divorce" she said honestly
"I know Ryan's at home but it's not the same as having someone to talk to, share this stuff with"
Lisa stepped a bit closer. Stepping into Carla's playful tugging of her hoody cord.
She could hear and almost feel her, ragged and measured breaths.
It was there again, another moment, like the one in her flat, or the one in the wine bar, undeniably there between them. Why was this not progressing into more.
She felt herself naturally lean forward, desperate to pull Lisa into her spare room and onto the bed.
Lisa leaned too, eyes on Carla's lips quickly.
The door handle to Betsy's room suddenly clicked and they jumped apart as the teen stood in front of them.
"What on earth are you two weirdos doing hanging around out here on the landing in the dark?"
Carla heart had jumped into mouth as she flinched at Betsy calling them out, another near kiss.
Lisa answered
"We are going to bed missus and you need to be turning that TV off yourself soon, not up watching all night, then in bed all day tomorrow"
"Any cold pizza left?" Betsy asked
"In the fridge" Lisa replied.
Betsy pushed past them and they stood back in silence.
"Night then Carla" Lisa whispered turning to her room.
"Yeah goodnight Lisa"
(Why did she get the impression she was destined for dissapointment where this woman was concerned)
Chapter 4: Chapter 4
Chapter Text
She couldn't sleep,
(obviously)
It could have been the strange bed and room, but it wasn't.
It was the thrumming sexual tension coursing through her body, the elevated heart rate, the damp feeling between her thighs.
It was knowing full well that Lisa was laid metres away from her, one dividing wall between them.
It was hearing every little movement, as Lisa clearly tossed and turned on the bed next door to her.
She hadnt noticed it much at first but as soon as Betsy turned her TV down at Lisas shouting request, she could hear it all. Every floorboard creak, mattress twang, light clicking on and off.
She imagined Lisa tucked up in bed, wondered what she wore to sleep in at night, imagined her blonde hair all cascading around her on the pillow.
She imagined Lisa's nimble fingers from earlier and the things they could probably do to her body with the right placement and pressure if she was laid in the bed next to her.
She even imagined knocking on Lisa's bedroom door, or walking in unannounced, pulling back the covers and climbing into the bed next to her.
No words just action.
She laid for sometime staring at the ceiling, pondering her desperation to make Lisa more than just a platonic friend.
She couldn't ever remember a time in her life when she had felt so consumed with the idea of sleeping with someone.
(Maybe it was because Lisa was forbidden fruit)
She had at one point heard a floorboard creak outside her door. She lay still, wondered for a short moment if someone was outside her door. Lisa breathing heavily on the other side of it.
Wanting to come into her and speak about what had just happened again.
But the noise disappeared and she heard Lisa's bedside lamp click and she realised it was and always would be a pointless fantasy.
After a couple of hours of torturously tossing and turning in the dark she looked at her phone, it was past 1am.
(And she decided she needed water)
Carla crept out of her room quietly to head downstairs across the darkness of the landing.
Suddenly hitting that creaky floorboard herself.
She stopped on the landing freezing. Hoping she hadn't woken the two now sleeping Swain's
It made her more convinced someone had been outside her room before, just a few hours ago. Maybe it was Betsy sneaking out.
(It's what she would have done at her age)
No one stirred so she carried on and crept down the stairs
Finding a glass in one of the cupboards in the kitchen moonlight. She turned on the tap letting the water run cold for a moment so her water was chilled before filling a glass and taking a long drink.
Placing it down on the worktop before standing with her hip against it, arms crossed staring out of the window into Lisa's back yard, lit up by the moonlight cascading into the kitchen.
She was hardly going to sleep tonight so she considered going in the lounge and quietly putting the TV on.
She could sit up and contemplate how tragic her crush on Lisa Swain really was instead.
Was she still pushing too hard, taking advantage of Lisa's vulnerability,
(Maybe she was just seeing things that didn't exist)
She never heard the other person come into the kitchen behind her silently,
It was a dark shadow that appeared in front of her in bed shorts and a t-shirt, making her realise she wasn't alone.
She wanted to gasp but held it back.
Eyes adjusting to Lisa stood in front of her in the middle of the small dark kitchen. Hair flowing around her shoulders and barefoot.
They stood in the semi darkness staring at each other for a few silent seconds before Lisa finally spoke
"Are you okay?" Lisa asked in a whisper, looking concerned.
"Just couldn't sleep" Carla admitted
"Yeah me neither" Lisa replied.
Carla studied her for a minute, and something shifted
The Lisa stood outside her bedroom door before on the landing a few hours ago had looked unsure,almost sacred about what she wanted,
this Lisa standing in front of Carla right now however seemed unwavering in her need.
Darkened eyes and a look of longing and determination.
Carla's heartbeat quickened, so much that she felt like it might thud out of her chest onto the kitchen floor.
To her delight though , It took less than two strides to find Lisa was pressed up against her,
The speed of the movement pushing her back against the worktop as hips pressed on hips and in even less time than that Lisa's mouth was suddenly on Carla's.
The kiss was not soft or delicate and tentative.
It was mind melting, thought diminishing and breath stealing,
It was everything Carla would have wanted a kiss with Lisa to be.
Carla hummed into the taste of her, the smell of her it's pressure and warmth.
The sudden work of Lisa's tongue making it's way into her mouth. Hands weaving in to her hair and tugging her head closer.
She reciprocated of course she did.
The absolute elation of finally kissing her as she pressed a slither of tongue back in Lisa's mouth and grasped her face and cheeks
A small groan and sigh escaped from Lisa into the back of her throat and it sent her to another place.
(Fuck!)
Her legs went like jelly as arousal pooled in her lower stomach and between her legs.
A warm and satisfying wetness, and the feel of that made her stomach swoop again.
Carla was grateful that Lisa was using her own hips to pin her steady up against her kitchen worktop.
(She needed to be touched already)
Lisa's hands seemed like they were going to do just that, as they drifted down the sides of Carla's body to the top of her thighs.
Lisa broke the kiss and Carla almost mewled in disappointment until she realised Lisa was half squatting, hands grabbing the backs of her thighs as she hoisted Carla up in one unexpected and fluid movement onto the kitchen worktop,
bum perched safely, her mouth straight back on Carla's desperately.
(Fuck that was sexy as hell! was Lisa about to take care of her on her kitchen worktop)
A sudden tight grip pulled on Carla's bum, like Lisa wanted them to merge together more as she pushed her hips in towards carla's core, pulling Carla to the edge of the worktop and holding her there.
Carla eliciting a noise she didn’t know she could even make.
"Lisa....." she huffed out into her mouth as another long groan followed.
Lisa pulled back from the kiss,
"Shhhhhh, Betsy might hear us" Lisa whispered against her lips
It sounded affectionate. Proud almost.
(And now it was a secret)
Carla tried to bring Lisa as close to her as possible, squeezing are thighs around her as she stood between her legs, her arms tightening and pulling her in by her head and back.
And It feels like Lisa is trying to do the same.
Carla's hands tangled in Lisa's lush blonde hair. She had been desperate to touch it forever, tugging lightly and relishing in the groan from Lisa that vibrated into the back of her throat.
Carla's centre now aching, throbbing as Lisa continued her assault on her lips, hips pushing, hands working across her back, around to her chest.
A thumb lightly brushing against one of the free peaked nipples under her silk bed shirt.
Carla moaned again in complete anticipation of where this might lead and Lisa suddenly released her hold to try to quicky cover Carla's mouth, stem the assault of noise in the silent house.
but instead she suceeded in knocking the glass tumbler that was on the worktop onto the floor
A loud smashing of glass sound on the floor of the kitchen
They both froze.
Standing breathing heavily on each other, the silence more deafening than the glass shattering.
A door opened upstairs and there was thudding on the staircase
Broken glass everywhere as Lisa jumped backwards off Carla
"Lisa watch your feet" Carla warned sliding off the worktop as they both look at each other like rabbits in the headlights waiting to get caught out.
Trying to also process what had just happend before the interuption of Carla's glass of water sliding and smashing all over the floor.
The abrasive and bright kitchen light flicked on Betsy stood there disheveled from sleep with messy hair, looking at them questioningly
"What's the hell is going on? I was scared someone was in the house!"
Lisa stood silent, stunned unable to move or reply
so Carla spoke
"Sorry Betsy love! it was just me, I came down for water and your mum followed me, she spooked me in the dark and I dropped the glass"
(It wasn't an out and out lie at least)
"Why were you both stood in the dark?" Betsy asked as if she was speaking to children caught stealing biscuits at a sleepover.
"Because I figured stumbling around in the dark was more likely to wake everyone" Carla joked sarcastically
Lisa finally found her voice
"I heard Carla get up and I just wanted to check she was ok"
"Cool ..right whatever ....well I'm off back to bed you weirdos"
Betsy turned, to leave
Lisa suddenly sprang into action at Betsy's retreating back, picking up the big shards of glass as Carla got some kitchen roll for the water.
Silence fell on the both of them as Lisa focused on the task. No eye contact, Carla could see her worrying her lip.
"Are you ok?" Carla asked quietly, knowing Betsy was back in her room now.
"Fine" Lisa dismissed
"Lisa?!!" Carla warned, she couldn't deal with a u-turn now, not after what just happened, that kiss!
"I'm sorry, I should never have taken advantage of you like that, you are a guest in my home, I shouldn't have done what I did" Lisa rushed out.
Carla looked at her trying to make eye contact to no avail as Lisa wrapped glass into the bin.
"Im glad you did Lisa!" she blurted out
"I've been thinking about it for some time"
Lisa practically ignored her and instead tiptoed up to grab another glass, filling it from the tap and handing it to Carla"
"we should go back to bed it's gone 2am" she simply said
Carla looked at her
(Her bed? the spare bed? together? alone?)
"Can't we talk about this please Lisa? What just happened between us"
Lisa finally made some eye contact, the mask back up.
"In the morning!" She whispered.
Carla watched as Lisa stood by the door hand on the light switch, waiting for Carla to retreat back to her spare room.
Finally climbing into bed alone, reeling at what had just happened.
Lisa had already left early for work in the morning, leaving a snoring Betsy, a spare key and note about helping herself to breakfast.
________
Carla sat in her flat feeling deflated hours later.
She was waiting for Lisa to show up. She had promised they would talk, she would come around after work.
It was getting late though and Carla had even forced Ryan out of the flat for a few hours, not wanting him hanging around as they talked.
Lisa had initially been avoiding her messages all day, since the previous night and the kiss.
(Well if she could call it just a kiss, more like an out of body experience for Carla)
However after a persistent plea from Carla and ongoing request to talk, Lisa agreed to come around and discuss what had happened.
It was just after 8pm when Lisa buzzed at the flat.
The familiar thud of her feet up the stairs instantly recognisable.
It was awkward at first between them, an unusual and off silence like a dynamic had switched between them and Carla figured that now was probably a good a time as any to get her desires off her chest.
Lisa stood defensively though with her hands in her coat pockets, hovering by the door like she wasnt planning to stay
"Are we alone?!" She asked looking around the flat for signs of Ryan
"Yes, would you like a drink? And maybe even a sit down, so you don't look so ready to bolt out of the door"
"Is that wise, Carla?" Lisa combated
"Why I don't bite, unless you want me to!" She whispered the last bit under her breath.
She watched Lisa huff in an annoyed way before choosing to lean on the breakfast bar instead,
"I'll just have water" she said.
(Never a good sign, a simple drink if you plan to escape)
Carla needed to tread carefully now, but Carla didn't always find it easy to tread carefully in these type scenerios.
Carla poured some water and handed over the glass, their fingers brushed and Lisa practically jumped out of her skin.
Carla laughed,
"Are you always this jumpy after a kiss, or is it just me?" She said cynically
"Don’t start, Carla" Lisa sounded tired.
"I think you will find I’m not starting anything"
"You kissed me, remember?" She spat ironically
(She was going to stay on brand then, not tread carefully at all).
Lisa did the look then, the almost agitated and sad look she gave when she wanted to warn Carla she was being pushed too far.
Warn her that she was struggling and ready to run away.
Carla felt bad for saying it as she knew she actually probably wanted the kiss much more than Lisa even did.
"Semantics!! The point is… it happened between us. And it wasn’t exactly a polite peck on the cheek, was it Lisa?"
Lisa blushed as Carla thought about being lifted onto the worktop by her.
(Fuck, she was hot and strong)
She knows Lisa's hand would have found it's way into her pyjama pants if it hadn't been for the broken glass.
Lisa turned away slightly, conflicted, still not speaking at first, but finally
"It was a mistake, I shouldnt have" she said quietly fingering the glass she had placed on the breakfast bar, elbows leaned
Carla felt frustrated.
"Well it was a bloody good mistake Lisa! It felt good to me anyway"
"and what is so wrong with going along with something that feels good for once?"
Lisa got slightly angry then,
"Because of this" she pointed between them,
"you and me— it’s complicated. You're… well, you're you. You're Carla. My straight friend"
Carla could hear a tinge of sadness in her voice.
"Hardly!" She admitted
(Was this going to be her coming out story)
Lisa looked at her then like she wanted to hear it but was also unsure if she did.
"And why is it complicated?" Carla added.
Lisa licked her lips
"You don’t do simple. Or quiet. Or safe. You do chaos wrapped in..... Chanel"
Well that was enlightening, she felt a little stab of pain at that because she thought she was actually a stable figure in Lisa and Betsy's life.
clearly not in Lisa's mind. In Lisa's mind she brought chaos
"Yeah, well you just do scared, behind a load of sarcasm.
She watched Lisa flinch a little at that and she reigned in her anger. Speaking softly
"Come on, Lisa. You felt that spark. I know that I did, and we don’t have to make it a big deal between us, do we?"
"That’s easy for you to say, you can do casual" Lisa argued
"Yes you're right, I’m not asking for forever or hearts and flowers. Just… a bit of fun. Two grown women, no strings. We enjoy each other’s company, that’s all"
Lisa looked at her and she wasn't sure if it was consideration or a state of shock about the proposition.
"You make it sound like it's that easy!"
"It can be!?" Carla challenged
Lisa looked around the flat anywhere but Carla,
(Looking to run again no doubt)
"I should probably go!"
(Bingo!)
"Just… stay Lisa please. Have a proper drink with me, Let’s not overthink it, let the idea just marinate"
"And what happens tomorrow?" Lisa says softly "after I've marinated all night in your bed as you put it!
Carla covered a smirk wanting to laugh at Lisa's quip.
"Well tomorrow, we see how we feel"
Lisa looked unimpressed with Carla's lack of consequences.
"But right now? I want you. And I think you want me too!?"
Lisa meets her eyes, they darken, its uncertain, but tempted.
(She so wants her!!)
So Carla steps closer, around the breakfast bar, slow and deliberate, offering her a wine glass that she had put out already for Lisa with the unopened bottle of white wine in her other hand.
"No pressure. Just a night. Just us. No expectations" Carla whispered
Lisa took the glass, finally, lifting it from her, eyes not leaving her
fingers grazing again and Carla knew then that if she lunged forward to capture Lisa's lips she would probably have her where she wanted her.
"Just one night?" Lisa asked eyebrows raised
"One night! Carla replied
(to start with anyway!!!)
She poured the wine and Lisa removed her coat opting to place it over a chair before moving to sit at the table, sipping the wine.
Carla pulled out a chair and sat opoosite
Another tension filled silence.
"Have you eaten?" Carla asked
Lisa looked at her and reddened, a deep red and Carla laughed
"Please tell me your brain didn't just go where I think it did" she poked at her laughing again.
Lisa half rolled her eyes and then made her face stoic again
"It did didnt it? Have you got a dirty mind Lisa Swain?"
"Carla this is dangerous, you know that?" Lisa sighed, defenses back up at the sex talk.
"Well it just so happens Im an expert at living dangerously and let’s be honest, you’re not into playing it safe either are you detective?"
She recollected Lisa confession here before about running into danger.
"That's not true, that's just work, I’m not like you in my personal life. I don’t... dive in headfirst"
"Sounded like you were thinking of 'diving in' a minute ago"
"Carla!!" Lisa chastised,
"Is this just a game to you?"
"No.... No I'm sorry"
"This... you... it’s different. You make me think twice, and that’s rare"
Lisa laughed, dryly
"Is that supposed to flatter me?"
"It’s supposed to tell you I don’t do this kind of thing often. Not propositioning my friends like this anyway"
"And what if you decide half way through it's not for you, you don't like it or don’t want it?" Lisa said quietly, doubts rising to the surface for Carla to see.
(Carla actually hadn't thought of that she was so desperate for it)
"Then I guess I'll ask you to stop and you will respect that, just the same, if you asked me" she said honestly.
"But that kiss we shared? That told me otherwise"
Lisa didnt answer. She looked away, the wine swirling in her glass. Carla reached out, bravely brushing a strand of hair behind Lisa’s ear, slow, deliberate.
"You don’t have to prove anything. Not to me Lisa. We can stop here. Or..."
"Or what?"
"Or you can stay the night. No pressure, no promises. I’ll even let you steal the covers"
"You know i’m not that good with casual arrangements, I told you this?"
Carla nodded
"No, But you trust me so I think that you’re tempted"
Lisa leaned in just slightly close enough to blur the lines, but not quite crossing it.
"If I stay... I don’t want to wake up tomorrow and feel like it ruined our friendship"
"It won’t I promise"
"You can't promise that Carla" Lisa said annoyed
"But I can promise that I care for you, my attraction towards you is not nothing"
Lisa looked at her.
She was going to lean in further, Carla's could tell.
Footsteps thud up the stairs then towards them getting louder.
She is going to murder Ryan for his timing, both him and Betsy
(If she doesn't die from sexual frustration first)
The door clicked open and Ryans smug face appeared
"Hi Lisa, wasn't expecting you here?" He said all breezy, clearly not reading the room.
Carla really should have given him the low down before she sent him out to the gym for a few hours.
"I'm actually just about to go, Betsy's still grounded so I need to get home" Lisa stood saying it directly to Carla, message loud and clear.
"Lisa!?" Carla almost begged quietly
"It's just a bad idea Carla!"
Lisa said goodbye leaving and the downstairs door clicked shut, Ryan watching a defeated Carla put her head in her hands.
"Did I interrupt something important"
"YES Ryan!!"
____
Chapter 5: Chapter 5
Chapter Text
As it turned out, Lisa ended up with a burst pipe at her house a few days later, water damage everywhere, water and electric shut off for a few days while they sorted out the insurance and got somebody out to come and do the repairs.
It was going to be three to four days before they'd be able to go back to living in their house.
Since the conversation in the flat interrupted by Ryan, Lisa had remained pretty quiet, putting a bit of distance between her and Carla again. Strategically avoiding Carla, not dismissive or rude but not forthcoming either.
So it was a bit of a shock to receive the phone call from Lisa randomly one day, stressed and needing to vent.
It made perfect sense when she explained what had happened at the house, Carla was pretty much one of her only current friends she could offload to.
Lisa explained that she had looked at hotel options for her and Betsy, but with no guarantee that the insurance company would cover that cost, and a lack of cheaper options available due to a local event in the area and most accomodation booked up.
Carla naturally offered to put them up at the flat.
So here her and Betsy were, temporarily moving into Carla's flat dragging in their cases.
It was going to be a squeeze with Ryan there as well. But he had graciously offered to stay with a mate for a few days leaving his room to them.
Of course Ryan's bedroom was tiny, a small double bed squeezed in and very little floor space, not like Carla's double room so of course Betsy would complain about having to share it with Lisa when she saw the size of it.
Lisa telling her to not be such an ungrateful little twerp and suck it up.
"You can always share with me instead Betsy!"
Carla had joked, knowing full well that the teen would not want to be in a bed for three days with her boss.
Carla would of course have more than happily offered up a bed share to Lisa, but knew that in the current climate that was going to cross a line, so she kept quiet.
Lisa's embarrassed look at her confirmed what she was thinking about that scenario too.
Lisa in the end offered to sleep on the sofa just to appease Betsy and stop her moaning.
Whatever the sleeping arrangement turned out to be in the end, the situation had put Carla pretty much back in very close proximity with Lisa for the next three or four long days.
She was going to be sharing a bathroom, seeing her wrapped in a towel or pyjamas, trying not to brush against her as they moved around in Carla's small kitchen or sat on the sofa together at night.
One golden rule she set herself was trying not to mention 'the chat' they had had about their casual arrangement
(It was going to be a kind of torture really)
There wasn't much Carla could do except, respect Lisa's wishes and try not to push it.
She had finally admitted her attraction, had made it clear explicitly what she was hoping for from Lisa But Lisa simply didn't want to go there. Ruin what they had as friends and she had to respect that now.
The underlying tension remained still simmering between them though, as they agreed to get takeaway for dinner on Friday night.
Betsy was a buffer for a while before she eventually retreated to her 'new' room leaving Carla watching Lisa laid out on her sofa from her own small armchair.
"Do ya know, I think im gonna hit the sack too, got a good book waiting for me" Carla smiled, almost trying to put the distance between them.
Stop herself acting out something stupid.
(Was she actively running away now, what went so wrong with her seduction plan)
Lisa looked at her and she wondered if maybe she witnessed a flash of disappointment across Lisa's face at the statement,
she pushed it down....maybe it was a flash of relief instead.
"Look Carla, I'm really grateful for this, taking me and Betsy in like this"
"Of course I would, glad to have you both"
"Really?! Because I know things are a bit strained between us?" Lisa admitted.
Carla studied her for a moment pursing her lips and lowering her voice.
"Lets just draw a veil over that one shall we" Carla said embarrassed shutting it down
Something else flashed on Lisa's face
(Disappointment, it looked like disappointment)
Maybe this was where she was going wrong all along!
Did Lisa in fact like the chase?
Carla was a pro at getting men chasing her, following her around like lost puppies. They fell at her feet all the time, even now and she was nearly 50.
Maybe this is where her masterplan had fallen down with Lisa. She had thrown herself at Lisa. Laid out exactly what she wanted too brashly.
Maybe Lisa the type of girl that liked to work for someone, did Lisa enjoy the chase, someone playing hard to get.
This was definitely a new strategy for her project direction now.
"Your welcome to stay as long as you need, your my best mate" Carla said poking Lisa's shoulder lightly and awkwardly as she stood to leave.
Lisa stared at the spot where Carla had just poked her almost looking offended by it. Like she knew it was cold for Carla who was always more tactile.
"You gonna be ok on here?" She pointed to the couch
"Better than Betsy kicking and huffing at me, or me having to watch her grumpy face by "phone glow' all night"
Carla chuckled
"Night then Lisa" Carla turned swaying off.
She could feel Lisa watch her retreating back.
she tried not to flash a knowing smile.
___
Carla was running late for work the following morning, the Swain's arrival in her flat her thrown her routine somewhat and she had tossed and turned in bed most the night again, knowing Lisa was so close by.
Lisa was off work for the day, taking time to try and sort her burst pipe crisis and Betsy had a late morning at college so naturally Carla got wrapped up in the laziness of the morning with them.
After chatting for too long over breakfast and then realising the time, plus an impending meeting in her schedule she rushed to get ready
After blow drying her hair and feeling too hot she
half threw on some black trousers and a black shirt, left it un-fastened so the cooler air could lick her skin as she used the bathroom mirror to apply her makeup quickly.
She hadn't locked the door, and Betsy appeared in there apologising for bursting in on her but claiming to be cheekily looking for some moisturiser to borrow.
Carla smirked and chastised her for already stealing half her stuff in less than 24hours of staying there but she offered Betsy her own to use.
Betsy thanked her with a knowing and cheeky look before backing up to go back to her room.
As soon as Betsy left the other blonde suddenly appeared then.
Lisa walked in, holding a towel and stopping dead. Frozen at the sight of Carla in the mirror, half dressed, black lace bra and cleavage on display for all.
"Oh shit im sorry, I thought Betsy had just left and it was free"
She went to back up out of the door.
Carla turned fully and clocked Lisa's not so subtle glare to her exposed chest and tight fitted lace black bra underneath her open shirt
She watched Lisa blush.
Of course her underwear looked good on her,
Carla Connor was the queen of underwear and she knew it.
Lisa knew it too now!!
"It's fine, I'm coming out" Carla finally rasped quietly
(Double innuendo much)
Lisa didn't move though, eyes desperately trying not to focus back on Carla's chest. Looking very much like a rabbit in the headlights.
Carla grabbed her makeup bag and stepped forward towards Lisa, started to thread up the button of her shirt from the bottom with her free hand.
She was clearly affecting Lisa and it felt good.
Lisa all but trying not to stare and failing terribly
She finally got right in front of her, Lisa not moving.
She smirked at the beautiful natural dusting of blush across Lisa's cheeks.
She heard the small exhale of air from Lisa. Her breath almost wobbling from her throat.
God she could kiss her right now, sod her meeting,
her whole business could fall down around her ears for all she cared if it meant one more kiss with Lisa like the other day.
To feel that press of mouth and exploration of tongue again, those roaming hands.
Lisa flinched slightly almost questioning Carla's proximity, the fact she was up in her personal space as she gripped at bit too hard onto her towel and wash bag
"Lisa?!" Carla rasped
"What?!" Lisa said
"I need to get past... you're blocking the door?!" Carla smirked knowingly
"Shit sorry" Lisa stumbled back embarrassed and panicked, letting Carla by
Carla knew exactly how she was going to seduce Lisa now.
(From now on she was gonna play hard to get, flirty nonchalance!!)
_____
Betsy went out to a friend's that evening leaving Carla and Lisa alone in the flat for the night.
Lisa cooked for them and had it prepared for when Carla got back.
She had also been shopping and filled her fridge as a thank you.
They ate together, discussing their days, Lisa's sharing news about her house the damage and work been done after spending hours of the day on the phone to the insurance company.
Carla shared titbits about the trials and tribulations of the factory staff and orders going missing courtesy of Kirk.
It felt relaxed between them again, and although the tension was still there, they felt like friends again before anything else.
They settled on the sofa, opting for another film, both on the sofa a safe distance apart.
Arguing playfully for thirty minutes over genres and what to watch. Critiquing each others film choices and favourites.
In the end Carla won out, purposely picking what she knew to be a particularly raunchy film.
She had tried watching it with Ryan one night but they both agreed after a while it was not an aunt and nephew appropriate type watch and turned it off for a sci-fi.
Lisa had never seen it though before but Carla remembered that is had a number of explicit sex scenes in it.
It was probably a bad idea but after the morning in the bathroom she kind of wanted to see if she could get Lisa a little bit hot and bothered again.
Meanwhile she would nonchalantly pretend to not be affected by it.
She wasn't sure if it was her imagination either but they also seemed to drifting closer together on the sofa. Every time one of them got up for a drink or to the loo. They would end up sitting an inch or so closer to the other woman on their return.
(Attracted Like magnets)
They got into the film and a particular explicit scene came on between a man and a woman, the woman particularly vocal. It was probably the third sex scene of the night.
"Bloody hell, Carla, what is this?" Lisa asked eyes widening
Carla laughed but clearly feeling a bit sheepish for purposefully choosing it, just to get a reaction from Lisa
"I thought it was meant to be a rom-com!" She lied
"Rom-com? There is nothing funny about it, It's borderline soft porn!"
Lisa exaggeratedly pointing at the screen to a man and woman bonking on every surface going.
Carla giggled,
"Well, I laughed when she slipped off the counter mid snog earlier if that counts!?"
"Slipped off... onto his.....anyway!" Lisa said in shock
She pretended to cover her eyes dramatically and be outraged.
"I swear I just saw more of that bloke than I ever care to see in my lifetime again"
Carla full on laughed, this was fun,
not really the reaction she had planned on,
She had been going for turning up the sexual tension in the room with Lisa but it was actually turning out to be hilarious instead
"Seriously though, you picked this! You said let's watch something light." I thought we might get Sandra Bullock, not Fifty Shades of Beige Sofas.
Lisa said pointing at the screen again to another outrageous position the couple were now in.
Carla doubled over in laughter before grabbing her drink to take a sip composing herself
"Hey! I'll have you know beige sofas are classy"
"Not when there's a half-naked bloke grinding on top of one"
Carla laughed again
" Oi! It’s got good reviews, I'll have you know. "Sensual and thought-provoking." She said in mock defense
"Yeah, it’s got me thinking, alright, like whether to lock the door in case my teenage daughter comes back and bursts in any minute to see me watching porn with her boss".
Carla tried to reign in her laughter
"Well, I'm gonna be honest I chose this one because i'm pretty sure she brings home a woman a few scenes down the line so I figured it was a good diverse choice for us both"
"Stop!!" Lisa said part outraged and part amused. The upturn of her lips betraying her act of being annoyed with Carla.
"I’ve already got second-hand embarrassment for both of us" Lisa warned.
"At least it’s not boring, though. You’ve got to admit, it beats watching another depressing documentary about serial killers"
"That was one time!! and you fell asleep twenty minutes in!"
"That’s because it was all talking and no action. This however? Plenty of action"
Lisa rolled her eyes at Carla as they both continued to watch.
The said scene with two naked women appeared then, she watched Lisa shift uncomfortably as on screen one women started grinding her hips and groaning against the other. Carla had to admit it was hot.
she had never really fully appreciated it before but with Lisa next to her and the implication of them being so close to something similar, it did things to her.
(Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all)
"Oh give me strength!" Lisa said under her breath going red under a hand over her face.
"Wow, they are really going for it arnt they?" Carla half laughed winding Lisa up more.
One of the women on screen made a move to go down on the other, as the receiver groaned loudly it reverberated around Carla's surround sound system
"Well... she seems to be really in to that!!!" Carla half laughed feeling even more hot herself and a bit red.
"Carla!! Stop it!!"
Lisa threw a cushion at her. Carla dodging the cushion, laughing.
"Right, that’s it, you’re banned from choosing any future films. Next time we’re watching Mamma Mia and I'll make you sing"
Carla continued to laugh. It wasn't the response she had hoped for from Lisa, she had actually wanted her to dive across the sofa and grind vigorously on top of her instead, but this version of Lisa was priceless.
"stop moaning about my film choices and drink your wine instead" Carla grinned
Lisa lifted her wine from the table
"To dodgy film nights and bad decisions" Lisa said raising it then to clinck her glass.
"Bad decisions hey?" Carla teased looking at her and clinking glasses
Lisa blushed going red realising Carla was referencing the proposition from their kiss that she had turned down a few nights ago not the film choice
"Carla!" Lisa warned
"Wouldn’t have it any other way!" Carla smirked
_______
They went to call it a night, Carla tidying up in the kitchen and Lisa changing for bed in the bathroom
Carla watched as Lisa snuggled into the sofa pulling the borrowed duvet around her humming and content.
Lisa looked really good in her flat, happy and relaxed.
"You know, if you get any more comfortable on that sofa, I might start charging you rent"
Lisa laughed softly
"Might take you up on that, this sofas is actually comfier than my own bed"
"Mmm. Well, You do look good on it too"
A small pause. Lisa looked at Carla. The air shifting slightly again
"You flirting with me again, Connor?"
"No!"
"you made it abundantly clear you weren't interested the other night "
(Nonchalance)
Lisa, looked at her meeting her gaze, it was silent for a moment while Carla clattered stuff into the dishwasher.
"I just feel like crossing that line could ruin exactly what we had tonight....I just don't want to lose that"
Carla watched her from behind the kitchenette
"And we haven’t..... I’ve been very well-behaved, considering you’re prancing around in my bathroom half naked, eating my food, and hogging my telly"
"I think you will find, you were the one prancing half naked in your bathroom this morning!"
(She noticed then! )
Carla just smiled, knowingly.
More silence, then
"It's not that I don't want you Carla"
It hung in the air, like the confession came out of nowhere. Carla's head snaped up to look at Lisa.
Sat vulnerable on the sofa.
"I actually really, really want you!" she said quietly looking down and fidgeting with her fingers over the duvet,
Carla walked across the room sitting on the edge of her coffee table, facing Lisa now. Their knees almost touching, as Lisa turned to sit up and face her.
"I’m going to stop pretending this isn’t driving me mad Lisa" Carla said quietly
Lisa gave a tense smile, eyes flicking to Carla’s lips then away.
"I don’t want to ruin it"
"Ruin what?"
"This. Us. I like you. I like this....being able to laugh with you, trust you"
"And you think sleeping with me would change all that?"
"It could. What if it gets messy?"
"Lisa... it’s already messy. You’re on my couch all night, and I can’t stop thinking about kissing you"
"Every time you smile or laugh at me like you did tonight, I feel like I’m losing my grip on reality"
"Then why haven’t you? Just kissed me I mean"
"Because I wanted to ask you first, make sure you were up for that and you said no, a firm no" she laughed humourlessly.
There was another charged silence. Lisa shifting slightly, breath catching. She looked at Carla.
"if I say no again tonight?"
Carla instinctively moved closer, barely a whisper
"Then I’d wait. But I’ll still be thinking about it. All night. Next door"
"You always this patient?" Lisa said voice low
"Not usually. But I think it would be worth it"
Their faces are close now. Lisa’s hand twitched, like she wanted to reach for her but doesn’t.
"What if we just stay right here? Always on the edge of something?" Lisa asked
"Then I guess we will always be in this limbo, until one day one of us gets bored or moves on with someone else"
Carla said soft and intense.
Lisa reaction to that looked almost pained, like the prospect of Carla moving on with someone would have more devastating consequences for them than the former option of getting into a messy no strings arrangement.
Carla went to stand, needing to make the space again. She moved towards her bedroom quietly
Before having second thoughts, stopping
Turning to watch Lisa, watching her from the couch.
Then she did it
(One last ditch attempt)
She held her hand out to Lisa, from outside the bedroom door. Looked at her with longing, intent.
She watched as Lisa looked back at it, a gasp, breath hitching and shoulders rising, as she studied Carla's gesture.
Then she stood, it seemed to take an age but she walked slowly and yet with purpose towards Carla who stood still waiting, her breath held.
Lisa made it to standing in front of her, fingers softly grazing hers, before gripping hold of her hand tightly
Carla simply pulled them into bedroom.
Chapter 6: Chapter 6
Notes:
Please don't hate on me for this chapter. It's part of the wider story arc honest 🫣
Chapter Text
It took a moment to register as Lisa gripped her hand and she pulled her in to the bedroom,
this time Lisa wasn't going to resist.
The door closed behind them, Lisa looked at her in awe, she really was stunning.
Her sparkling eyes drinking Carla in. A look of desire, lust, want could be seen, but also what looked like fear.
Carla's heart leapt into her throat and got wedged there.
She couldnt help but suddenly focus on the fear,
was Lisa scared? was she pushing her too hard for this? Was she even really ready at all?
By Lisa's admission, it had been well over three years since she had been intimate with another person.
Then Carla's own fear took hold and her brain started to betray her in the worst possible way at the worst possible time.
Had she brushed her teeth?
when was the last time she changed her bed sheets?
what would Lisa make of her nearly 50 year old body and scars?
What would happen if she got down to it and couldn't make Lisa feel good?
She must of been stood dumstruck for a little while not moving as Lisa broke her thoughts in the quiet of the room.
"Carla? You are sure about this aren't you?"
It sounded quiet and pensive as she asked
Carla looked at her, Lisa's sudden vulnerability about the situation starting to make the feelings of doubt she had grow.
But then she suddenly remembered the kiss on Lisa's kitchen worktop and then the explicit sex scene they had just watched earlier of the two women and all doubt dissapeared completely.
She wanted Lisa grinding her naked body on top of her in that same way right now, she wanted to listen to her making those kinds of noises. she wanted Lisa to explore and worship her body in the way she had been fantasising about for weeks.
Carla figured that actions might speak louder than words so she stepped forward and claimed Lisa's lips, at first it was soft, almost grazing her lips but then quickly she progressed to kissing her with vigour and purpose. Taking control like Lisa had during their first kiss in kitchen.
Hands quicky coming up to clasp over her face and tongue seeking entrance as she pressed her mouth into Lisa's warm pillow like lips.
Lisa moaned into it almost immediately, the sound reverberated against her mouth.
it sounded so good, it made her tummy flip and her centre start to throb urgently.
She felt Lisa's hands going around her back to grasp hold of her, the noise and touch from Lisa making Carla to want to explore more as she continued with more enthusiasm.
She wondered what sounds she might elicit from touching other parts of Lisa's body as her hands slid down her muscular back and arms.
(God she wanted to touch her, make her feel good)
The sudden acknowledgement of that shocked her a little as she had always just fantasised up until now about Lisa going down on her or fucking her.
Carla tugged the smaller woman towards her, desperately wanting more contact of some sort.
She couldn't recollect how she had become so fascinated and needy of the body in front of her.
Lisa's tongue pressed against hers, as she pushed herself flush up against Carla, taking the lead to back her up towards the bed. Hips touching hers.
The backs of Carla's knees hit the mattress and she too then groaned.
"Fuck Lisa!! I want this so much"
she huffed into Lisa mouth at the realisation.
The confession made Lisa pull back though.
Eyes seeking hers, breathless, Lisa out of breath,
Her forehead resting on Carla's as hands came up to cup Carla's face.
a few seconds like this passed as Carla tried to get a read on what Lisa was thinking, but before she could ask if she was ok, Lisa spoke.
"I'm so terrified of messing this up for you" Lisa admitted quietly
"Messing up what?!" Carla asked confused
"Your first time with a woman... I really want you to enjoy it" she whispered honestly.
(Carla felt there was some wider meaning or message behind that)
She felt fingertips graze her cheek, Lisa's gaze following her own fingers as they danced across Carla's face. It was more intimate than anything else they had shared before, almost affectionate as she said it.
(Dare she say it felt loving!!)
It made her heart melt but she pushed past that to Lisa's statement focusing on what Lisa said about her first time.
"Honestly!....well there is no denying I feel like a flaming virgin again"
She did a little ironic laugh at her own admission
"...well a virgin with a mortgage and a decent credit score"
Lisa giggled at her joke and it eased the tension
Carla looked at her,
"I want us to just do what feels right together" Carla whispered against her
"Like I said to you before, there are no expectations from me"
Lisa half smiled biting her bottom lip. It was adorable and it made Carla pounce back to her lips for more.
She wanted to bite them and so she did smoothing her tongue over one after nipping at it
Lisa moaned again against her,
She desperately wanted to just shed all her clothes in this moment get them off as quickly as possible but she was keen to let Lisa take the lead on that too.
Not wanting to push too quickly, too soon.
Lisa did lead though and went to grab at her shirt buttons making quick work of opening them one by one, in between kisses.
Exposing the lace underwear from that morning,
Lisa now allowing herself to take it in and appreciate her properly this time, noticing the old scars from her kidney surgery, wrapped above her hips
Lisa brushed trembling fingers against one of the scars, looking at them thoughtfully.
Carla wanted a distraction from that possible conversation right now, so she tugged gently encouraging Lisa's t-shirt off over her head in one fluid motion to reveal her naked torso too.
She was already bra less, after getting ready for sleep.
She watched Lisa take a deep shuddering breath, steadying herself to be appraised by Carla.
Carla drank her all in,
She was stunning, full perfect breasts and light pink nipples, her stomach soft and toned, a glint of jewellery in her belly button.
She had been always been able to appreciate a woman's body, now she desired this one.
but Carla could see Lisa lightly shaking at the reveal, like she was cold in the overly warm bedroom.
Lisa's breath was held as she stood exposed against Carla, face hiding almost in the crook of Carla's neck
Lisa's torso felt almost cold against Carla's warm skin exposed by her now open shirt and Carla just wanted to scoop her in, wanted to hold her.
She ran a hand into Lisa's hair, anchoring herself and Lisa gently as she felt her exhale against another kiss, Lisa fingers still trembling against the warm skin around Carlas hips.
Carla pulled back then,
"Hey, are you okay?"
She said touching her head to Lisa's forehead again as she asked this time
"Yeah... Its just," Lisa exhaled again closing her eyes.
"It’s been so long since someone new touched or saw me like this"
They had talked about this, they had shared how Lisa felt, but all she could see and feel now was complete vulnerability from the other woman,
a vulnerability she felt like she was creating,
not one that was openly being handing over and she just felt a sudden urge to protect Lisa instead.
Was this really worth it, just for a casual hook up with Lisa, this was clearly a bigger step for her than Carla had realised.
She had never truly seen Lisa like this before, she was always so strong headed, sarcastic, self assured and confident and although she had witnessed some insecurities when Lisa let her guard down, this felt like another level. A deeper layer of something.
So she said something really cheesy
"Not being seen like this by people is definitely a crime you should investigate, because you are absolutely beautiful Lisa?"
Lisa blushed
"Wow That was pretty corny!!!" Lisa said dryly, smiling but still shaking
Carla made a decision then,
she leant down grabbing the T-shirt she had just discarded on the bed and handing it back over to Lisa.
"You are beautiful, stunning and I want to touch you but right now I'm going to ask you to put this back on!"
"What?!" Lisa asked looking puzzled almost horrified
"Put it back on Lisa... you're not ready"
"But I am! I want you!!" Lisa argued
"I know you do, and you can have me, not tonight....but when you're really ready"
(This was going to break her, she was going mad!)
Lisa pulled her t-shirt back over her head looking rejected.
Carla grabbed her shoulders forcing them to look at each other. To reassure her this wasn't a rejection.
"Listen, I'm going to go in the bathroom and get ready for bed, but I would really like it if you climbed in my bed tonight so we could maybe cuddle when I come back"
"That doesn't sound much like a casual sexual arrangement Carla" Lisa whispered looking confused
"Yeah well you're my friend first and foremost and as your friend I think that's what you need right now, get in my bed!"
Carla grabbed some pyjamas from a drawer and disappeared into the bathroom closing the door and slumping against it before quietly smacking the back of her own head against it several times.
(What on earth was she doing!)
She had full on just chickened out of having sex with Lisa.
Lisa probably had run off already back to the sofa at this point, or worse she was searching for a hotel on her phone.
Carla changed and then stood chuntering to herself under her breath as she removed her make up with a pad and brushed her teeth too vigorously.
All the things she had wanted to push for, all the nights of fantasising and getting herself off thinking of her best friend, and as soon as she had the opportunity, Lisa there and willing,
she had pulled the ejector cord and took herself straight out of the situation
But despite her casual desire, she cared about her friend Lisa most of all,
she couldn't willingly force something that Lisa wasn't fully ready for just so she could fulfill a fantasy about sleeping with her best friend.
She took some deep breaths, composing herself. Ready for what was to come when she returned.
Surprisingly Lisa was under her duvet in the bedroom, looking awkward in the middle of her bed, clearly feeling out of place.
"I didn't know which side you prefer"
The room was quiet, the soft amber glow of the bedside lamp and Lisa looked beautiful against it.
"So you took the middle" Carla smirked at her
She climbed in next to Lisa offering an arm out and Lisa shuffled over for her before reluctantly snuggling in against her,
she smelled amazing and felt much warmer than before as Carla relished in the closeness again of her body against her, slightly regretting the fact she wasn't naked.
Lisa rested a head on her shoulder, breathing a little unsteady and there was a moment of silence before Lisa spoke against Carla's collar bone, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I’m sorry if I ruined it" she said
Carla's heart broke,
"Please don’t Lisa, you've done absolutely nothing wrong" Carla said softly, whispering into Lisa's hair
"Well you just pied me off Carla so clearly I've done something wrong?"
Lisa lifted her head to look at Carla she could hear the agitation in her voice.
"Then I should be the one apologising shouldn't I, for pushing you and leading you on and then stopping it"
"Why did you stop me!?"
"I didn’t want to stop you Lisa. Believe me, I'm seriously questioning my own sanity at the moment!"
"But it felt like… maybe you weren’t quite ready"
Lisa sat up then fully pulling away from Carla's hold, she felt the loss.
"I was sure. I am sure. Or at least I thought I was, until you looked at me like I was about to fall apart"
"That wasn’t what I was thinking" Carla defended
"No!? Then what was it? Because one minute we were fine, and the next, you're pulling away like I'm some wounded animal you’re afraid to touch"
Lisa's voice rising
"I just didn't want to push you too hard into something you would regret"
"What?! like regretting ruining our friendship"
"which clearly we are already managing to achieve and the most frustrating thing of all is that we didn't even get an orgasm out of it first?" Lisa said flatly
(Ouch she deserved that!)
"Thats not true, I stopped it because of our friendship... And the only thing ruined tonight is my underwear again!"
Lisa looked at her outraged looking ready to jump off the bed
"Really mature Carla!! and totally unhelpful"
(This was really not the kind of shouting she was wanting Lisa to do from her bed tonight)
"I'm sorry, I'm completely fucking this up"
She said defeated, calming the tension in the room. Fingers on her temples.
" I just, care about you and for that reason I dont want to force you to being some notch on my bed post"
Lisa eyes narrowed at her,
"You are now completely confusing me, I thought you said you wanted to try a casual relationship, no strings"
"I did, but you need to be on that same page too darling!"
The term of endearment echoed around the room for a moment.
Lisa's anger seemed to subside and she settled on Carla again.
she let out a steady breath of relief as Lisa seemed to calm down on her before speaking again.
"I just... I finally allowed myself to have you....and you made it feel like a mistake"
She could almost hear the tears in her voice, even though she couldnt see Lisa's face now. Unsure if she was crying.
"Oh my god, Lisa I'm so sorry, I never intended for that" she whispered
She tilted Lisa's chin to look at her.
"As far as I am concerned, you can have me, it's not a mistake, I want you, I've thought about this a lot"
"But!"
"But I’d rather be here like this, holding you now, than rushing into something you’re not ready for. You’re not some project..."
(The absolute irony of what she just said not lost on her!)
She moved on quicky
"I just want to make sure you feel good with me too" Carla confessed quietly looking at her own fingers.
"So what? Are you suggesting we take things slowly?" Lisa asked
"I still asked you to get into my bed didn't I?" Carla replied looking at her
Lisa's eyes tracked to Carla's lips and she tentatively pressed her face forward to capture them. Carla returned the kiss instanty.
It was slow and sensual and it began to build up starting to escalate again, it was going to take every ounce of willpower for her not to remove the t-shirt again after she decided to deprive herself the first time around.
Lisa pressed into her more, as the kiss progressed in the dimly lit room, a rock of her hips starting to roll against Carla.
Carla felt like her brain was going to short circuit as Lisa made another noise in response to the feel of it.
Lisa finally pulled back after a few minutes of kissing as they studied each other again. Carla trying to catch her breath.
"I'm not going to be very good at this slow business if you keep doing stuff like that to me" she croaked
"More ruined underwear?" Lisa jibed at her going back for another kiss.
"You don't even know the half of it, this last few weeks"
____
Carla wasn't sure how she had survived the night.
Lisa Swain's warm and compact body pressed up against her throughout it all
She had barely slept, but in the best way.
(Well almost nearly the best way!)
Her and Lisa had pretty much driven each other crazy all night with slow sensual kissing and subtle strokes and touches that kept getting a little bolder through the night.
Things getting occasionally heated mid kiss as they would escalate to hips rocking and grinding and thighs pressing.
Carla questioned her own decision making skills again, as she became worked up in the most wonderous way by this woman.
Then they would both pull back a little, restrain, themselves. Catch a breath. Wait.
(Why oh why oh why?)
She knew deep down, why!!
she just felt that there was something there, behind Lisa, something that suggested she wasnt quite on the same page as Carla.
She needed to get past that for them to trust each others intentions fully.
They slept eventually and when she woke she found Lisa flat on her back staring up at her ceiling.
Lisa absently stroking lazy fingers up and down Carla's arm as Carla laid up against her.
She watched her for a moment before interrupting her daydream
"Morning" she half groaned at Lisa, stirring fully
"Have you slept at all?"
Lisa turned to look at her.
"surprisingly well actually for the short time we got to sleep!"
Lisa turned fully to face Carla, stroking her hair, tangling it playfully through her fingers.
A really intimate act again,
Lisa then pushed forward for another kiss, before she could think about it for too long.
Carla hesitant to reciprocate, slightly worried about her cotton wool mouth and dry cracked lips but Lisa didn't seem to mind as she moaned into the morning kiss,
Lisa's hand finding it's way under her night shirt to feel the warmth of Carla's soft belly.
Lisa had got bolder with those touches through the night, seeking more and more bare skin,
They continued at their newfound pace, Lisa's fingers tickling around Carlas hips.
God it was driving her absolutely wild again, desperate to just actually grab Lisa's hand and shove it into her waistband between her legs.
Lisa stopped on her largest scar, feeling it lightly with fingers like she was mapping it to memory
Breaking their kiss,
"Are you able to tell me how you got these?" She asked quietly
"I thought you knew about my kidney transplant?" Carla said dismissively
"You never really told me anything, I didn't realised you had an entire organ transplant?" Lisa asked
"Yes about seven years ago now, some poor life choices and bad luck led me to have kidney failure"
"And you had an entire transplant, that must of been hard?"
"Could we talk about something else?" Carla replied
She didn't want to get into estranged family and Aiden her donors suicide right now.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to overstep"
Lisa pulled her hand away quickly but Carla caught it by the wrist holding it from the extraction.
"No I'm sorry, it's just a tough subject, my late brother donated his kidney and I'm so grateful to him to be alive"
She placed Lisa's hand back under her t-shirt and over her hip.
"Sorry to hear that, about your brother"
Lisa went back to tickling the skin there in soft strokes.
"are they ugly?.....the scars? Carla's asked feeling a little insecure
"What? No way, they are beautifully and uniquely part of you and your incredibly sexy body " Lisa complimented sincerely blushing slightly
"I've never had another woman's opinion before."
" I personally think my torso looks like a road traffic map but I guess the men I've been with never seem bothered because they are always too busy staring at my other.....assets!"
"I can see why!?" Lisa smirked
She leaned in again for a kiss, giving reassurance, and that with the motion of stroking her hand back up across Carla's hip and towards her rib cage sent Carla up like a rocket suddenly.
She groaned loudly into the room and Lisa looked at her eyes darkening, almost like she was toying with pushing it further.
"Don't look at me like that!" Carla pleaded
"Like what?" Lisa said feining innocence
"Don’t tempt me, Swain. I’m dangerously close to giving in and ruining this incredibly slow-motion seduction we’ve now got going on"
"In fact, do you want a coffee" Carla jumped up out of the bed, needing distance between them.
"Well what I want is you moaning like that again! but I guess coffee will do!" Lisa replied
It felt nice, to finally be in a place where Lisa vocally desired her. Now all they had to do was negotiate what that might look like going forward when it came to it.
"Mind if I jump in the shower first" Lisa asked
"Betsy is due back and I'd rather she didn't find us like this?"
"Find us like what?!"
"Uneventfully not sleeping with each other!!"
Carla joked from the side of the bed pulling on a robe.
(A tinge of regret about that though)
"Well as you well know that non event last night is the most action I've seen in... well forever, so Betsy definitely won't approve"
"You secret is safe with me!" Carla smiled
Before adding
"Especially considering it was me that had to restrain you from crossing the line at least three times last night" Carla winked
"It was four actually, I counted and I think you will find it was me having to restrain you although didn’t hear you complaining too much at the time about me pinning you to your bed"
Carla felt more arousal pool in her core. This woman was going to kill her at this rate, one sexually frustrated day at a time.
"Urgh please remind me why I stopped us again last night" she almost huffed to herself
"Because you think I'm not ready....." Lisa retorted
She stood up then beside the bed next to Carla. Before slowly pulling her t shirt up over her head,
It was confident and sexy and as she stood half naked in front of Carla, a complete contrast to the night before.
Complete and utter seduction role reversal!!
'....But I am ready for you Connor!!"
She then swept past Carla and into the bathroom.
Chapter 7: Chapter7
Chapter Text
Carla made the decision to finish work early,
apart from being knackered from spending half of the night before awake with lisa, she was also very aware that it was Lisa and Betsy's last night in her flat.
Lisa had messaged her in the day to say that the remedial work had nearly been completed on their house and that it was just decoration left so they could move back in the following day.
She felt a bit disappointed knowing that Lisa wouldn't be staying in her flat any longer. She actually didn't mind having Betsy around too, she was getting more and more fond of the kid.
Work had been torturously slow for Carla, she had spent it daydreaming about Lisa. Fantasising about getting her back into her bed. Thinking non-stop about their nearly night together, the other woman's initial reluctance and then teasing this morning.
The kissing, the tickles, the hips grinding and quiet moans against her. There was no denying she was a little bit obsessed with the other woman now.
She still wasn't sure if Lisa was completely on the same page as her. But what she did know is that she wanted to get back home as quickly as possible and explore what ever it was brewing between them.
(She felt ridiculously horny now and needed Lisa to relieve that tension too)
As she walked back to the flat from the factory, she had planned out how she would just grab the other woman, drag her straight back into her bedroom to finish what they had started the night before.
She entered the flat. Hoping that maybe Betsy might have gone out with mates again for the day leaving Lisa and her alone to explore that prospect.
No doubts or holding back this time.
However, as she unlocked the door she found both the Swain women on her sofa watching a film cuddled together.
(They looked pretty cute together like that, it felt nice to come home to)
Lisa nearly jumped up at her arrival.
"I didn't expect you back for a couple of hours. I would have prepared some early dinner or something if I'd known"
(Domestic)
Lisa looked relaxed and beautiful in jeans and hoody, her hair loose around her shoulders.
"It's fine. I dont expect you to do that, you're my guests after all"
She felt slightly disappointed she couldn't drag Lisa off right now so She went to pour herself some water from the fridge. A slight tension headache still rumbling from the day.
"Yeah well I kinda feel bad that we are just slobbing around in your flat all day while you have to go to work"
Lisa said moving awkwardly into the kitchen to stand beside Carla.
"we also found your secret chocolate stash...sorry!!!" Betsy piped up from the sofa
Carla took a drink and found some paracetamol from a drawer.
"Well that's an impressive achievement considering Ryan has lived here on and off for over a year and still hasn't found it yet"
Carla retorted, unbothered that her supplies had been ransacked by the two women she was starting to care a lot about.
Lisa watched her carefully, placing a light hand on her lower back. The warmth making her giddy.
"Are you not feeling too good?" Lisa asked quietly with deep concern, watching Carla swallow the painkillers,
Betsy busily absorbed back in the film now.
The way Lisa asked was full of care and she could feel Lisa itching to put arms around her, move to offer comfort, but she couldn't, not here in front of Betsy.
"Just a headache, poor sleep and a tense day that's all" she reassured her.
Lisa nodded in understanding and something hung in the air between them,
she really wanted to kiss her again right now, that would ease the tension headache for sure.
Lisa moved back over to the sofa to sit with Betsy
"What film you both watching?" Carla asked joining them, leaning a bum cheek on the arm of the sofa.
"Some god awful rom-com" Lisa replied
"Betsy's taste in films are officially worse than yours"
Lisa raised an eyebrow at her behind Betsy's back, an inside joke about the explicit sex scenes in the film they had watched the night before.
"Why? what did you make her watch last night?" Betsy suddenly asked paying attention again
Carla reddened, but luckily Betsy was too busy staring at the TV to notice the secret flirtation between her mum and boss going on behind her back
(or the panic on carla's face)
“Just....erm.... Julia Roberts healing some emotional trauma by sautéing garlic in a Tuscan villa.”
She spat out quickly thinking on her feet. Not remembering the film name.
She gave Lisa a warning look to match her hidden smirk.
"Eat, pray, love!?
"Yeah that's the one" Carla played along hoping it wasn't actually one of Lisa's favourite films.
Yup!! not really mum, she prefers something more logical and less touchy feely!" Betsy responded
"Well... it was certainly touchy feely last night, wasn't it love?!"
Carla couldn't resist that one, smirking back at her.
A reminder of wondering hands in bed.
It was the term of endearment that caught her out though, it had just tumbled out, she hadn't used that since Peter.
Lisa blushed, coughing awkwardly and stood up quicky
"I'm going to start preparing some food for us all"
Lisa shot Carla a warning look as she passed her.
"You started it!" Carla mouthed silently at her and Lisa responded with a smile and lip bite.
(Fuck....that lip bite did things to her)
"Cant we just get pizza instead!?" Betsy pleaded turning to look at them both.
"Let's watch another film together and have pizza...please, it's our last night!"
Betsy clearly not planning to go out tonight then to leave them alone much to Carla's dissapointment
If Betsy was in the mix between them she was going to be required to be on her best behaviour. Back to keeping things strictly friends between her and Lisa then.
"Better get on and choose a good film for us all to watch then Betsy while me and your mum order pizza, make sure you pick well!?" Carla chirped
“does that mean I have to put something old on. Cause If it’s got people using landlines, I’m out.”
Lisa scoffed at her daughter and Carla looked at her in mock offense too.
“Just for your information Betsy....me and your mum had perfectly meaningful cinematic experiences on VHS"
"VH what?"
_
They squashed up together on Carla's grey kidney shaped sofa after food and of course it was inevitable Lisa would end up snuggled right next to Carla.
It was part delight and part frustration all rolled into one.
She tried not to touch her, knowing full well Betsy was sat on the other side of her and could probably see any movement between them.
She tried to regulate her breathing too, not really focusing much on the newest Bridget Jones film Betsy had chosen to put on at all. Instead fantasising about what she could do to Lisa on this couch right now
She shifted about again, feeling Lisa eyes scanning over her regularly, watching her too.
Lisa was clearly not paying attention to the film much either and she wondered if she was fairing much better than her in the arousal stakes.
It was a long film and after an hour in, Betsy shifted uncomfortably next to Carla too, clearly wanting to stretch out.
she suddenly opted to throw a large cushion on the floor in front of them and sit on it with her back against the sofa, long teen legs stretched out,
Carla watched her scroll through her phone part of her attention on that and part on the film.
It seemed none of them were really paying much attention to it.
Carla took the opportunity to stretch her own legs out in the space Betsy had vacated, making her body position change so she leaned a little more into Lisa.
It was the closest they had gotten again since first thing that morning in bed.
She could smell the other woman, the sweetness of her breath, her shampoo, the personal brand of pheromones that seemed to be a driving force in her attraction to Lisa.
She could feel the warmth of her body too, it vibrated off her almost calling Carla closer, inviting her touch.
She suddenly got what she desired when she felt a light and tentative touch to her hand.
Lisa was stroking it discreetly between them, now that her daughter had moved from any obvious line of sight
Lisa's fingers tickled across her palm and wrist.
It was mind numbingly sensual.
Carla could feel the tension rising in her again, more than all day if that was possible.
(If this woman didn't touch her properly soon she might just implode)
She tried to distract herself from any more unsavoury thoughts by stroking Betsy's hair as she sat leaned with her head back on the sofa in front of her, Carla cording her fingers through the pink and blue hints within her blonde curls.
Betsy hummed like a cat in appreciation and snuggled down more as Lisa watched Carla affectionately stroke her daughters head.
She caught the gaze Lisa gave her, it was somewhere between desire and something else, something really heavy and it made Carla's heart suddenly thud in her chest to find Lisa look at her that way
They looked at each other in the semi dark the light flickering from the film on Lisa's face, Betsy distracted by her phone again.
Carla leaned into Lisa slowly, Lisa leaned in too.
Carla's lips ghosting Lisa's silently,
it was a barely there kiss. Lips tickling one another noses nuzzling, foreheads touching before they both pulled back in silence, not wanting to push it, gazing at each other.
It felt more intense than anything though, and Carla actually considered smothering Betsy with a sofa cushion, just to get Lisa alone for a bit
She spent the remainder of the film in blissful agony, highly strung and worked up, head still pounding around the temples as she tried to relieve the tension with her own fingers for a minute.
Lisa kept observing her regularly and looking over.
"Paracetamol not working?" She asked in the dark to Carla quietly concerned
Carla shook her head,
"Want me to massage your head?" Lisa suddenly whispered at her.
Carla looked at her worried that the request was too obviously intimate, but then noticed Betsy hadn't even stirred at the conversation between them.
Lisa patted her thigh encouraging Carla to lay down and rest her head on it.
Carla swallowed hard at the prospect of getting so close under Betsy's scrutiny, not wanting to slip up, but she obliged. Shuffling across the sofa and laying her head on Lisa's lap.
Closing her eyes as Lisa lightly rubbed on her temples with fingertips.
This seemed to becoming a trend, Lisa's nimble fingers massaging her body parts during films.
(although she knew there was really only one body part she wanted Lisa massaging)
She really needed to stop thinking this way now, No wonder she had a tension headache.
Lisa's magic fingers worked again, and it felt divine as she started to get lulled into a sense of relaxation. Headache easing.
Normally she would drop off to sleep, but there was no way, not tonight, not this close to Lisa and so incredibly turned on.
Several minutes into the head massage she the got a wicked idea.
It was probably a little bit of a cruel thing to do to Lisa but she couldn't stop herself as soon as she thought about it.
She shifted her body slightly turning to slide her free hand up, looping it discreetly between Lisa's legs. fingers able to start a stroke at the inside of her knee.
She felt Lisa tense up, an almost shudder. Sensing her sharp intake of breath.
She then began to execute some finger strokes, higher through her thick jeans.
It had the desired result,
She didn't dare look up at Lisa but she could feel all her other senses as she started to carefully tickle fingers deeper up her inside leg as far as she could reach in this position, squeezing lightly.
Another controlled and shuddering breath came out of Lisa. Her thighs twitching at the touch under her
Lisa's fingers how now stilled on her head to the sensation, gripping Carla's hair lightly.
She could almost feel Lisa's pounding pulse through her body. As her thighs suddenly squeezed together to the strokes, trapping Carla's hand to stop it.
Lisa clearly struggling to control her breathing, not wanting to say anything or move too suddenly in case she alerted Betsy to what Carla was doing.
From her current position, she couldn't quite reach up higher to the junction of Lisa's thighs, but she wouldn't do that anyway. Not in front of Lisa's daughter, it was hardly appropriate.
She had intended only to make it known that she still wanted to touch Lisa after this. When the flat went dark and quiet and Betsy was snoring.
She eventually withdrew her hand just resting it in a safe place, giving Lisa some relief.
But Lisa clearly didn't like to be out done in this game of teasing and she felt Lisa's arm shift slightly and then lay to rest on her ribcage, right next to her right breast.
She knew straight away what was coming as a teasing thumb and fingers started to stroke the soft underside of her boob through the fabric of her shirt
(Fuck, Lisa was going to play her at her own game)
She braced herself.
Thumb strokes getting bolder and closer,
Carla could feel her nipples painfully starting to pebble and strain against the material of her shirt in anticipation.
It was sweet agony,
She did it then, Lisa actually went there
bold fingers swept fully across her breast, brushing ever so lightly across her hardened nipple. Grazing over the top of it so brashly.
(Fuck)
It made her body nearly convulse at the touch.
Arousal shooting from it down her stomach and to the bundle of nerves between her legs. Another pair of ruined pants.
It took every ounce of control to not react.
Then Lisa actually did it again, a second time. Much more pressure this time. Almost tweaking it this time with her thumb.
Carla virtually jumped out of her skin, a noise escaping the back of her throat, betraying her.
sitting up quickly to create the distance between her and Lisa.
The noise and movement made Betsy stir.
"What's wrong with you?!" Betsy asked
"Sorry just cramp" Carla mumbled trying to quickly compose herself,
Straightening her hair out and jumping up to the kitchen in complete and utter panic to get water... go to the loo.. anything not to reveal what was going on
"Anyone want a drink while I'm up!?" She asked
She observed Lisa sat looking smug from the sofa, elbow resting her head on the back of the chair, a smirk on her face as she looked over at Carla.
(That fucking lip bite)
_
The film finally ended and Betsy made her excuses to go to the bathroom.
Carla virtually pounced on Lisa then across the sofa, after spending the rest of the film at a safe distance.
"What the hell was that Swain?" She whispered harshly, but tugging playfully on Lisa hair.
"You started it!" Lisa retorted, smirking, repeating what Carla had just said earlier.
"Running fingers up my inside thigh, when you know full well what I've been thinking about doing to you all day!"
They sat in contemplative silence on the sofa grinning at each other like a pair of idiots,
waiting for Betsy to finish using the bathroom but savouring the space they had for a few minutes.
"How's your head feeling, did the massage work?" Lisa asked seriously in hushed tones brushing Carla's temple again lightly with her fingers
"Well the head massage was amazing actually, but..... I think you'll find that for the type of headache I've got you were probably rubbing in totally the wrong place babe" Carla laughed
Lisa looked at her gobsmaked, realisation hitting her
"Oh ok!"
Carla fully laughed at her, eyes narrowing seductively.
"I want you!" Carla suddenly said and Lisa's breath hitched again.
Carla moved over the sofa towards her, pressing up against Lisa meeting her lips as she met her half way.
Accepting another kiss, She couldn't resist kissing this woman
She put her mouth over Lisa's, hands gripping at her ears before letting fingers glide into loose blonde hair. Lisa's tongue pressing back into her mouth.
She moaned lightly into it, she couldn't not
"Shhh!" Lisa hushed
"Better stop, Betsy might appear in a minute" Lisa whispered
"Would it be such a bad thing, if she knew we were doing this?" Carla said
Lisa looked at her,
"What is this we are doing though Carla ?" Lisa asked honestly
Carla couldnt answer straight away, the lines already so blurred for them,
"Two people who just want to make each other feel good"
She watched Lisa nod, expression unreadable
So she pushed for another kiss, face pressed into Lisa's, forehead touching hers again
"Please tell me you are at least planning on getting into my bed tonight" Carla huffed against her.
Lisa pulled back, putting space between them and looking to the bathroom door.
"I can't Carla! what if Betsy comes out of her room and sees I'm not on the sofa, it's going to raise questions"
Carla felt livid almost annoyed but took a breath.
"Are you being serious!" You can't tease me like that this morning and tonight and then leave me hanging like this Lisa?!" She pleaded
Both quickly pulled away from each other to the flush of the toilet next door.
Tension filling the air, Carla scooted back slightly to create more personal space before the teen returned slumping herself on the sofa between them.
"Think i'm gonna go take a shower before bed, leave you two to it" Carla announced getting up
"Need to try and do something to relieve this headache"
Lisa looked at her slightly put out by that suggestion.
"I'll say night ladies, you know where everything is, help yourselves"
When she returned to the bedroom after her shower to retrieve her phone, Lisa had messaged
Lisa - 9:05pm - I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me, I promise to make it up to you with a massage in the right place next time xx
She opted to sulk and ignore it.
__
It was 1:00am, the flat silent, the only din was from Carla's body as she lay alone in her bed.
She'd gone to touch herself earlier, but she couldn't do it, not with Lisa so achingly close by. Not when she just wanted Lisa's touch instead.
she had opted for the shower, making it colder and colder to try and dull down the thrum of excess energy in her body.
She tossed and turned again on the sheets, sleep evading her, before eventually she heard the quiet click of her bedroom door.
"You awake?" Lisa whispered across the room
Carla watched her,
Her heart racing as Lisa crept across the floor and climbed quickly and quitely under the sheets next to her.
Lisa's body quickly covering hers as she laid over her mouth on lips in seconds, a deep pressing kiss of total need against Carla.
It made Carla feel on fire, elated
Carla pulled back a little, tried to focus on Lisa's face in the dark.
"What are you doing in here?" She whispered, like she didn't know.
"I've come to give you exactly what you need" Lisa whispered back
The words ricoched around her ears and made her head short circuit.
Lisa's lips back on Carla's again, tongue probing into her mouth, hands wrestling their way down Carla's pyjama shirt to seek it's removal.
Carla moaned lightly into Lisa's mouth, Lisa pulled back to look at her.
"You have to be quiet though, do you understand, no loud noises Carla!"
Carla nodded feeling completely dumstruck by this version of Lisa in the darkness. A complete contrast to the night before, the woman that didnt want to let her down, didn't seem ready.
(Maybe they were on the same page now)
She half wanted Lisa to just consume her, here and now, have her wicked way with her
But she was half considering if this was really the best time or place, muffled moans and groans, a post midnight booty call.
Should she maybe ask Lisa to wait again...make it special, a date, a dinner....a hotel room.
(Special!? Where did that come from? That wasn't on the original project agenda)
Lisas hands won the battle for Carla, taking away the decision as fingers moved up over her rib cage finding her bare breasts,
Lisa didn't tease anymore, hands stroking with purpose over Carla's hard pebbled nipples.
She couldn't help the noise, it was involuntary from the back of her throat, loud and gruttural. Lisa almost trying to muffle it with a kiss before pulling away
"Carla!!!" She warned in a harsh whisper.
"If you're too loud, I won't be able to take care of you!"
"sorry" Carla huffed breathlessly at the feel of Lisa's fingers still playing on her breasts, too far gone now to care.
Lisa sat up, pulling carla's shirt over her head in one fluid motion.
(God she was smooth)
Mouth finding and lightly nipping at Carla's neck as fingers pulled on the silk bed shorts she was wearing, easing them down her hips, fingers dipping into the waistband. Tugging at the shorts Carla had on and pulling them off.
(Shit this was really happening right now)
She was naked before she knew it and Lisa sat up on her knees about her to fully appraise her in the dark.
"You are so much more stunning in the flesh than all the hundreds of times I imagined this"
Lisa whispered,
Voices still hushed and silent in the dark
(Hundreds of times! Lisa had been pining for her too)
"Can I touch you?" Lisa asked
Carla nodded and Lisa's mouth found her neck again as fingers stroked slowly down her soft tummy teasing around her hips.
Lisa placing her mouth back over Carla's in anticipation of the whimper she would make as Lisa's fingers dived into the wetness between her legs
The first touch of finger tips on her wet centre felt electric.
She did moan, and Lisa swallowed it with one of her own,
"Fuck, you feel good Carla, You are deliciously wet"
She whispered it, stroking her fingers up and down Carla slit with a light pressure
a mouth over Carla's breast now, firm tongue licking and doing otherworldly things to one of her nipples as her tongue then started swirling around it. Fingers starting to gather a pace against her clit.
She arched her back up into it.
"Fuck Lisa, I'm really not going to last long if you keep doing that" Carla whispered through laboured breaths
She was gone, she was so far gone.
Lisa lifted her head to look up at her.
"Oh no....You need to wait, I'm hoping to taste you first" Lisa whispered.
Lisa took the pressure off her clit and moved her fingers to her entrance, gently probing before pushing them in just at the tips.
Carla body convulsed at the feel of it.
Lisa moved back up to kiss her, almost watching her waiting for her reaction
"please stop teasing and put your fingers inside....oh fuck"
Lisa pushed them in, the right speed and pressure and Carla rocked against them, another whimper covered kiss as Lisa took it all in.
"Shhhh, you're getting too loud" Lisa warned but she could hear the smile in her voice, she was enjoying it.
"I need to touch you too" Carla said against her mouth
"But I'm taking care of you right now" Lisa dismissed.
Lisa continued to press into her as carla rocked against her.
"Remember, how you told me that you knew exactly what position or how to work to get yourself off during sex?" Lisa spoke
"Hmm mm" Carla hummed unable to put a coherent sentence together right now
"That really turned me on so much"
"I couldn't stop thinking about you"
"Really?" Carla asked
"I wanna show you what it means to have a partner do all the work for you"
Lisa licked a long stripe up the column of Carla's neck, biting lightly on her ear lobe, Carla squirmed against the feel of it
Lisa pulling back quickly.
"Sorry, I forgot... too wet and licky?"
Carla laughed quietly, it was almost the laugh of a woman been driven insane.
"I'm all in for wet and licky where you are concerned Lisa Swain" Carla huffed out.
"Is that so!!" Lisa smirked
"Does that mean you will let me taste you then?!"
"I'd be disappointed if you didn't, I've not stopped thinking about it"
Lisa nodded and moved down her body, stopping to agonisingly focus on kissing her breasts, her belly button , her scars.
Lisa's fingers still working inside her until they suddenly didn't. She almost cried out at the loss of contact.
Lisa lifted her hips, pulling a cushion underneath her lower back before lifting Carla's thighs over her shoulders.
Carla watched her mesmorised by it, breathing deeply.
Lisa nuzzled into her with her nose and mouth and she was done for.
Every fantasy, every night of longing to be touched, every innuendo or flirtation between them suddenly coming into fruition between her legs as Lisa's expert tongue lapped at her.
Fingers back in position curling up inside her. A huge ball of energy bursting out from between her legs to muffled sighs and cries as she tried not to shout too loudly about how much she loved the damn woman for making her feel this way right now.
It was coming, oh yes it was coming and it felt so intense. She tugged and grabbed at Lisa hair.
Writhing and rocking her hips against her mouth.
"I'm going to come Lisa" she whispered at her keeping it low. Trying to maintain composure in some form.
The cadence and roughness of her low and wrecked voice making Lisa's eyes dark as she watched her.
Lisa didn't stop but kept going and Carla's body spasmed against her silently as she came against Lisa's mouth, wetness seeping around her thighs.
A low controlled hum into the room as Lisa lead her through it, fingers diligently pumping into her and mouth sucking hard against her.
Carla swallowed another moan, almost huffing instead, mouth clamped shut
"Shhhh, that's it ...good girl" Lisa whispered on her
It would have been a complete cliché to say she had never felt anything like it, or this intense. But the truth was she had never felt anything like this.
Lisa slowed, bringing her back down to earth, before moving up the bed.
Carla's warm and slightly sweaty head still spinning.
Lisa kissed her, she could taste herself and feel all the messy wetness on Lisa's mouth and chin and she loved it.
Thighs dripping, and......Lisa still clothed. She needed to do something about that.
"That was really fucking sexy, you are beautiful Carla!!" Lisa whispered at her
"I think I nearly blacked out" Carla smiled. Watching Lisa lick her lips,
Lisa smiled and kissed her again and Carla grabbed at her t-shirt, wanting it all removed, it was amazing but she hadn't even had chance to explore any of Lisa yet.
Lisa stilled her hand in the shirt, looking at her,
"Mind if we just lie here together for a bit first" Lisa asked
Carla nodded in agreement, pulling Lisa into a hug against her naked form, Lisa half on top of her, head on her shoulder.
They lay silently for a minute, just breathing each other in.
"Are you ok?" Carla asked concerned.
"I'm amazing, that was amazing" Lisa answered nuzzling into her neck.
"Are you sure?" Carla probed quietly
"Yes....I should probably get back out there in a minute, just to be on the safe side"
Carla looked at her in the dark.
"Woah, hang on a minute, I'm not some pillow princess you know?"
"Carla it's fine!"
"No it's not fine, I'd actually quite like to touch you!" Carla sulked.
"And I'd like you to, but maybe tomorrow, when Betsy's not next door cramping my style" Lisa added.
This felt strange, but she could hardly argue,
it was supposed to be a casual arrangement between them anyway. What was she supposed to do, throw her dummy out of the cot and cry because Lisa wouldn't stay and cuddle her.
"Promise?" Carla asked
"I oromise, round two tomorrow"
She placed a kiss over Carla's mouth again.
"How's the headache now?" Lisa smirked
"Completely cured" Carla grinned.
Chapter 8: Chapter 8
Notes:
Apologise for the longer than usual hiatus. Here is a bit of a filler chapter I'm afraid but hope to be back regularly posting soon.
Chapter Text
Carla spent the morning in the factory on a high from the night before.
High over what happened between her and Lisa,
Her tummy fluttering each time she recalled what had happened in her bed between them.
Granted it hadn't been the long night of passion that she had perhaps hoped for between them but Lisa's performamce had more than met her expectations.
She was also very aware that she hadn't even had chance to properly enjoy or touch Lisa yet. But she didn't care because what they had shared had been ridiculously hot and intense and most importantly, Lisa had definitely promised her more of it.
By lunchtime she was still in a great mood and they were also ahead with orders so she sent all of the staff out for an extended lunch.
She sat alone, checking off some invoices when Lisa appeared, dressed in her work wear, shirt buttoned tight around get neck and sleeveless jumper pulled tightly over it, a slight smirk on her face as she found Carla at her desk.
She looked so official and well put together and Carla had a urge to pull out her neat ponytail, mess up her hair and unbutton and dishevel her.
"Hello you" she smirked, blushing slightly as she suddenly remembered Lisa's face between her thighs again, from the night before
Feeling suddenly hot and bothered.
"How's the house, all settled back?"
"All good, just a bit of decoration required, where are all your staff?" Lisa asked puzzled, looking around.
"Oh it's Fizz's birthday so I said they could take an hour for lunch, obviously every one of them is suddenly Fizz's best mate now and no one wanted to stay and help me with these!"
She pointing haphazardly at the screen and paperwork on the desk.
"Totally loyal to their queen then!?" Lisa laughed
"Well they might all be two faced opportunists but at least they are my two faced opportunists" Carla replied
Lisa giggled and the bit her lip.
"So we're alone then?" She suddenly asked quietly and seriously
Lisa looked at her, eyes darkening before leaning down to place lips on Carla's, briefly brushing over them gently.
Carla kissed her back briefly before pulling away, looking around at the empty factory.
(Well that felt wildly like anything but casual)
"Not here eh, someone might see us!" Carla whispered, feeling another blush.
"Are you ashamed to be seen kissing me or something?" Lisa asked seemingly a bit put out for a few seconds, her back going rigid.
"No!" Carla defended
"but the staff do gossip Lisa, and Betsy works here too"
"If I remember correctly you were pretty keen to keep it quiet from her last night" Carla added
Lisa visibly softened.
"Which you did an amazing job of by the way" Lisa raised her eyebrows flirting making it clear what she was referring to.
Carla reddened and felt arousal pool between her legs again, god this woman drove her wild already.
Lisa looked serious again.
"Look I came in to see you because I'm not going to be able to come over later tonight like we planned"
"What!? but you promised?" Carla sulked
Suddenly realising her promise was not on the table anymore.
"I'm sorry, the house took longer to sort than I thought this morning so I've got to stay on and work much later"
Carla stuck her chin out in protest.
"Right!" She simply said, clearly disappointed.
(Good mood rapidly declining)
"Which is why I'm here right now on a very quick lunch break to maybe try and make it up to you"
They looked at each other silently for several seconds almost in a stand off. Carla trying to understand what Lisa was getting at and Lisa moving from foot to foot awkwardly, waiting for it to land.
It didn't so she spoke again,
"Any quiet store cupboards we could maybe slip into together for ten minutes?" Lisa suggested looking again around the empty factory for witnesses.
"Are you serious?" Carla scoffed "I'm nearly 50 not 15 Lisa!!"
"You telling me you have never had a secret tryst in your own factory in all these years?!" Lisa asked
"Actually don't tell me, I'd rather not know!" She added quickly.
Carla watched her for a minute,
Then she stood up abrubtly and grabbed keys from a drawer to walk over to lock the office door.
She then returned and pulled Lisa by the hand through to the back of the factory, leading her to a door off the side of the factory office, it was a larger than average stationary cupboard.
Carla turned to look at her, pulling the door too behind them.
Once inside Lisa virtually pushed Carla back against some metal shelves.
Going in for a kiss, she pressed up against Carla, warm lips and tongue soothing, stroking against hers.
They both hummed into it,
It started slow but progressed quickly to small whimpers and teeth biting gently at lips.
Carla returned the kiss, clasping at Lisa's ponytail tugging lightly around her grip, while her other arm pulled Lisa in by the hips. Wanting the feel more of the detectives body against her.
Lisa's warm hands landed on her hips pressing her back against the shelving unit more, thumbs digging lightly into her as her body pressed the length of Carla's
"I've not stopped thinking about you and what happened last night?" Lisa hummed into her mouth suddenly.
Lisa's thigh suddenly pushing forward to wedge itself between Carla's legs applying pressure and pinning her back more, Carla moaned lightly into it.
They kissed again and Lisa's hands worked up over the thin black t-shirt under her Kimono. Hands roughly feeling her breasts, brushing against her already hard nipples through the clothes.
"Fuck Lisa, what are you doing to me" she husked in the semi light of the cupboard.
"You like that don't you!"
It was more if a statement than a question,like Lisa had discovered exactly what switch to trip to get Carla where she wanted her to be.
"May I touch you again?" Lisa almost whispered
Carla nodded dumbly, unable to argue, even though she knew it was completely risky and juvenile to be doing this back here in the middle of the day in her own factory.
But She also knew her staff, and if she had just let them go for an hour's break at the pub, she probably wouldn't see them back this side of 2:15pm anyway.
(Plenty of time)
She felt Lisa start to play with the button on the top of her skinny black jeans tugging it undone harshly, pulling at the zipper. It made her legs turn to jelly.
Kissing her again and seductively sliding a hand down into her jeans to find out what was waiting for her.
(Carla was glad she had chosen a nice lace knicker this morning)
It felt ironic really, that Lisa, this woman would be fiddling around in her knickers in a cupboard in her own knicker factory,
Her fantasies hadn't even reached anything beyond a bed and even just the notion of this was immensely hot.
She felt Lisa's fingers slide across the lace wetness,
Carla practically whimpered at the contact loudly.
Lisa pulled back slightly a little shocked at the sound, looking at her to check the sound actually came from her,
Carla suddenly felt weirdly embarrassed
"Sorry....it just took me by suprise" Carla defended, wondering if she was being too loud again.
"What!! oh please do...NOT apologise" Lisa looked overjoyed.
"If those are the kind of noises I deprived myself of listening to last night then I am deeply regretting it"
Carla kissed her again, pulling Lisa's head in more harshly,
She wanted desperately to touch Lisa too who at the moment seemed to be truss up in her tight police outfit like she was wearing a clothing chastity belt.
But when Lisa's fingers pushed the lace aside of her knickers and made contact with her slick skin, she was fully gone again.
(No hope)
Lisa didn't waste time, rubbing with intent across her, fingers teasing and dipping towards her entrance and then back across her, wet and sliding with ease.
Carla whined again as her bum found purchase on the edge of a lower shelf, the next shelf up was digging into her shoulder blades, but she really didn't care, the feeling Lisa was creating between her legs felt too good.
Lisa seemed to readjust, one hand into Carla's hair, gripping it tightly between fingers and tugging gently, turning Carla's head so that Lisa could get access to and start kissing and biting her neck, breathing into her ear.
The fingers of her other hand finally pushing inside Carla fully, deep, her palm and wrist flat against her, continuing the much needed contact.
She groaned again at the sensory of it all, and Lisa practically whimpered back in her ear
"Oh fuck Carla, keep those noises coming, they are doing something to me!!"
She could feel Lisa rubbing herself up against her thigh as she started a rhythm inside and against Carla.
Lisa was actually fucking her in her stationary cupboard behind her office and she felt excited and sexy and so wanted.
She also felt her legs start to shake as tension built up.
Lisa tugged at her hair again lighly, a warm mouth against her ear while her other movement got bolder with more intent
"Do you think you could come for me like this?" Lisa asked in her ear. It sounded like a plea or prayer.
She was pretty sure she would, but again her mind went to the fact she still wasnt touching Lisa,
she suddenly shifted her hand not supporting herself on the unit shelf and reached forward between them, running a hand up Lisa's inner thigh towards her clothed crotch, pressing it fully at it's destination, she could feel the delicious heat emanating from her centre.
Lisa practically mewled in her ear at the new contact and pressed herself against Carlas hand seeking more.
The movement and noise sent Carla.
Her climax hit quicky her inner walls squeezing against Lisa's fingers, there was no warning, she couldn't even warn Lisa as wetness flooded Lisa's hand a long loud groan escaped her and echoed around the cupboard space
"Fuck......I'm already coming"
(She was going to have to go home and change after this)
She started to come down and get her bearings.
she could feel Lisa humming and smiling against her ear as she finally stopped seeing stars,
Lisa slowing and holding her, seemingly just feeling it, all the little twitches and shakes Carla's body did against her fingers.
All could be heard was their deep breaths, formulated by each woman in the quiet factory stationary cupboard.
Eventually Lisa spoke.
"Are you ok?" Lisa whispered, nose still pressed to Carla's ear.
Still very much inside her, body against her, holding her up to the shelf, back and shoulders now pressing more uncomfortably against it.
Carla composed herself
"think I might need to visit my chiropractor but yes, im satisfied that are no missing stationary items from here officer"
Lisa laughed biting her lip and slowly removing herself from Carla, watching carla as she started to adjust her own clothes and readjust her hair. Fastening herself back up quickly.
Lisa looked at her and something shifted as they made eye contact, it was a look of complete want and awe and it scared Carla a little in it's intensity
"I should probably get back out there" Carla croaked pointing to the door
Lisa nodded looking a little embarrassed, about the weird look they had just shared.
Carla leaned forward to peck her on the cheek, it felt a bit hollow, odd. Like she had just rejected Lisa's advances and was giving her an awkward sympathetic kiss on the cheek instead.
It was a million miles away from the night before where she had held and cuddled Lisa against her afterwards, stroking her hair.
She decided to get back to their friendship and quickly, find a safe space.
"Have you got time for a coffee before you go back to work?" Carla asked.
Lisa nodded again.
"I'm just going to use the ladies, get cleaned up"
she raised her hand up, the one that had been in Carla's pants and Carla reddened again.
"Yeah Sorry about that!" Carla shifted awkwardly
Lisa nodded her head left to right
"Don't apologise....besides it comes with the territory"
Carla blushed again, she wasn't sure she could deal with this role reversal, it was usually her making advances, sexual innuendos and pushing the boundaries of their friendship.
They returned to the office, the factory still empty and Carla made them coffee as staff started to dribble back in from their long liquid lunch.
She watched Lisa pull up a seat and sip her coffee next to her.
She really needed to touch Lisa now. Get back in control. Time to plan a seduction, get the other womans clothes off next time.
____
It was two days before she got chance to get Lisa alone again.
Lisa had been stuck between work and some Betsy drama with her college and Ryan was back in the flat so no hope of any secret day trysts or night ones either for that matter, Carla would have taken either.
She was driving herself slowly insane now thinking about touching Lisa, replaying the office, again and again in her head. Lisa's reaction to her touch.
Well..Lisa's reaction to her fumble as she still wasn't completely confident of what she was going to do in that department but she was definitely eager to find out.
Especially if Lisa was going to react anything like she did in the cupboard.
She had obtained some vouchers for a spa stay at Chariot hotel off Debbie Webster and had ended up inviting Lisa and convincing her to join her for a couples spa retreat, it included a meal and an over night stay in the hotel so Lisa agreed to finish work early friday lunch and meet her.
It was probably pretty obvious what Carla's intention for them was based on the fact there was a hotel room involved but they were well beyond that now, especially since Lisa had already taken her apart twice already, once in a cupboard.
There was still a bit of tension between them around what casual looked like but Carla figured that maybe they could use the time together at the spa to discuss some ground rules around what was going to be acceptable between them and what was maybe crossing the line into other territories.
Either way, Carla was still feeling confident that a spa with her best friend and maybe a chance to make her come undone in a hotel room afterwards was a great idea.
So on Friday afternoon they found themselves in a softly lit private spa room with low ambient music.
Lisa and Carla, both in soft white robes, having just been led into the mud therapy room.
A large tub sat filled with rich volcanic mud in front of them, steam rising gently from the surface. The air smelled faintly of eucalyptus and something earthy.
Carla smirked as she dropped her robe and hung it up to reveal a black bikini, watching as Lisa tried to avert her gaze for a second.
"Well, this is romantic, in a very “down and dirty” sort of way" she fingered some of the mud from the tubs, rubbing it between her fingers.
Lisa laughed a little breathless,
"Well You certainly know how to set the tone, don’t you?" She teased
Lisa dropped her own robe and Carla watched mesmorised as she observed the toned muscles rippling down Lisa's arm and back as she hung her robe next to Carla's.
She turned and Carla drunk in the lush smooth curves of her wide hips and the way her dark blue bikini captured ample breasts, showing some cleavage and her belly button ring. The belly jewelry was not what she expected.
It was the most naked she had seen Lisa and she was beautiful.
She watched Lisa blush slightly, obviously aware that Carla was checking out her body for the first time.
"Will I do?" Lisa asked almost coyly.
(Oh she would most definitely do!)
"Well we could actually just skip this part and go straight back to our room with prosecco" Carla drawled hand still full of mud.
She slowly walked over and brushed her already muddy fingers across Lisa's nose and chin, laughing.
"Oi!!" You're going to regret that!" Lisa challenged going to scoop some mud herself ready to get revenge.
"I'm sorry! Stop I'm sorry!" Carla laughed holding her hands in surrender before moving to wipe her thumb across Lisa's face and remove the residue.
She wanted to kiss her again, but maybe they needed the boundaries talk first, make sure they had the ground rules set.
Lisa backed down and went to step into the tub. Carla appraised her body again and Lisa’s eyes lingered on Carla watching her.
"So… are we doing this properly or are you just going to flick mud at me like a five-year-old?" Lisa asked
Carla grinned as she climbed in beside Lisa,
"Do you want the friendly spa experience… or the full contact version?"
Lisa laughed
"Considering they probably have CCTV in here I’ll just take the friendly spa version for now thanks"
"Just for now?" Carla teased and Lisa blushed again.
Carla laughed and Lisa moved in front of her as she began gently rubbing mud over Carla’s shoulders. Her movements slow, almost unsure, but tender.
Carla relaxed in the touch eyes fluttering shut slightly, taking a deep breath, and enjoying the touch again, voice lowering
"You’re taking your sweet time, Swain"
"I'm trying not to get too carried away" Lisa admitted quietly stroking the mud over Carla's sternum and upper chest.
Carla smirked watching Lisa’s face as she tried not to stare at her boobs too much. Carla turned, giving Lisa access to her back.
Lisa continued to rub the mud into her skin, on her upper back massaging it on thoroughly. Carla groaned at the contact
"Stop it!" Lisa warned smirking
"Stop what?" Carla asked innocently.
"You know what I'm referring to, those noises!" Lisa warned and Carla loved the effect she had on the other woman.
"Alright, your turn then. Come here" Carla said playfully.
Lisa hesitated, then shifted closer and Carla turned around facing Lisa's back, she began rubbing the warm mud over Lisa’s shoulders and down her shoulder blades.
It was slow, deliberate. Her fingertips maybe lingering a little too long at the base of Lisa’s neck.
"You are tense, You need to loosen up" Carla commented.
"It's a bit hard to relax when you're touching me like this" Lisa said breathlessly.
Carla leaned in, voice near Lisa’s ear, ready to tease again
"Like what?"
"you know exactly what you're doing" Lisa said quietly. Carla knowing fully well there was double meaning in that
Carla grinned leaning up to the shell of Lisa's ear, her breath brushing Lisa’s skin behind it
"Of course I do!!" Carla laughed admitting it.
Silence stretched between them again as Carla continued to rub Lisa's shoulders, the mood was dipping into something heavier.
"What are you actually doing though Carla?" Lisa asked quietly, seriously
Carla pulled back slightly, she hadn't expected Lisa to challenge it after the factory encounter on Tuesday,
Lisa instigated that. In fact she instigated the late night visit to Carla's bed too. Lisa led on it all even though she suggested it.
"Well....I'm in a spa. Getting muddy. Not overthinking us" Carla hated how guarded her voice sounded.
Lisa nodded but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes
"Right. Just… casual"
Lisa turned and continued to rub more mud on bare bits of Carla's skin, her hands slow again, there was something almost aching in the way she lingered on Carla’s collarbones.
"You really are hopeless at casual, arent you?" Carla spoke softly making eye contact.
She couldn't believe she voiced it out loud but I guess they had to talk about it somehow, they had always been honest with each other.
"I told you I'd be hopeles at it!"
"I guess that's because I'm only ever attracted to people that I've formed some emotional bond with"
"Is that going to be a problem for us then? this arrangement, because I don't want a relationship beyond friends first with benefits second, and I don't want to lead you on into thinking it's more?
The silence that followed said more than either of them was probably ready to admit
"It's not that I want a relationship Carla, because I'm definitely not ready for that!! and neither is Betsy"
"but when I sleep with someone, then I need to have the that emotional connection with them. I guess it's what gets me off"
Carla hated herself in that moment for how turned on she got from the comment Lisa made about getting off, she was supposed to being serious right now.
She leaned back relaxing into the mud opposite Lisa who scooted to the other side arms over the warm tiles.
"Then I think we need some rules don't you?"
"Work out a balance of what is acceptable and what is off limits"
Lisa nodded,
"Ok!"
" so acting like an actual couple at a couples spa retreat off limits or not?" Lisa spoke Carla could sense the challenge in her voice.
Admittedly a romantic night away at a spa probably was giving non casual signals.
"Don't be soft, mates do couples spa activities all the time" Carla defended
"Straight friends that don't fuck Carla?!"
Carla's tummy flipped at the frankness
"Ok, I take your point, so strictly no romantic gestures...or couple type activities other than what we already did as friends!"
"I'd rather keep it a secret too from Betsy, you havent told Ryan have you?" Lisa asked
"No, although if I don't tell him that is going to make meeting up for anything slightly challenging what with Betsy at yours at Ryan at mine"
"Ok, but he can't tell Betsy" Lisa warned "or anyone"
"Maybe kissing in public should be off limits too then" Carla warned.
Carla refering to Lisa going to kiss her in the factory, Lisa blushed at the comment.
"Ok, we only kiss then when...." Lisa stopped mid sentence and Carla raised her brows at her expectantly.
"Only when what DS Swain?"
"....we sleep together" Lisa finished.
Carla looked at her, caked in drying mud, her striking blonde hair, eyes sparkling at her.
Some boundaries set maybe, Carla however just desperate to get her back to the hotel room.
Chapter 9: Chapter 9
Notes:
I am still here.
Chapter Text
After showering off in the mud room and going their seperate ways for some independent treatments, they eventually met back up at their room.
They planned to relax for a couple of hours before a hotel restaurant reservation at 7pm.
Lisa made excuses to check in on Betsy and make sure that she was safely tucked up at her friend Sabrina's for the night.
Carla opened a complimentary bottle of prosecco from a bucket left in their room.
Carla observed Lisa looking refreshed and soft as she sipped from her glass sitting back on one of the mini sofas.
"This is the life! that facial and head massage felt amazing" Carla commented as she watched Lisa place her phone back into a pocket on the front of her small holdall.
One thing Carla had noticed about Lisa, especially since she stayed in the flat was how precise and tidy she was about everything. Always so neat and organised. It screamed control freak to her.
(She seemed to prefer taking control in other ways too)
She watched Lisa carefully, stood in her matching white robe as she rolled her shoulders and almost cracked her neck,
"Do you know, that massage was a bit weak for me, I still feel a bit tight between my shouder blades"
Carla stood and handed her, her poured drink. She couldn't resist placing the other hand on her shoulder to squeeze it lightly.
"Oh no....I hate it when that happens!!"
Lisa sipped her drink observing the contact from Carla cautiously.
Carla wanted to kiss her but was unsure if that was crossing the line here, especially after their chat, maybe it would instigate sex or maybe Lisa would think she was blurring the boundaries of their friendship again.
(Fuck it!)
"well I tell you what, why don't you get on the bed and I can try sort that out for you" Carla offered.
"What You?!" Lisa laughed
"You are going to give me a massage?"
"I've actually been told I'm very good at massage, go on, take this off!"
She tugged at the robe Lisa stood in, wiggling her eyebrows seductively.
Lisa looked at her for a minute before rolling her eyes and reluctantly releasing the tie and shrugging it off to drop it on a chair by the bed
Back to being bikini clad and half naked but in the privacy of their hotel suite now, alongside a large king bed.
Lisa walked over and went to lie flat on her stomach on the bed, arms above her head on the pillow. Wriggling around lightly to get comfy.
Carla admired her lay there, the curve and dips of her compact body, the different tones of her skin.
(She actually had Lisa right where she wanted her now)
Carla almost gulped nervously before finally snapping out of her trance into action. Grabbing some moisturiser and carefully climbing up on the bed, kneeling at the side of Lisa.
"Can I undo this?" She asked quietly tugging lightly at her bikini bra strap.
"Yes" Lisa said quietly as Carla used her thumb and fingers to flick open the bra in one quick movement and Lisa twitched as the bikini top fell loose and down her shoulders, she squirted cream into her hand and warmed it between her fingers and palm.
"That felt a little too smooth for someone whos never slept with women before" Lisa laughed nervously
"I've been unclipping bras for years Lise, and removing knickers...I mean granted mainly off plastic mannequins but the principles the same I guess"
Lisa laughed, and then fell suddenly silent and serious as Carla started to rub her back, leaning over to massage it into Lisa's shoulder blades, neck and supple back muscle.
She applied more pressure and Lisa groaned clearly enjoying the deeper contact.
Carla took a deep breath starting to feel more turned on as she imagined her own wondering hands dipping lower to Lisa's buttocks and squeezing at them.
"More pressure?" Carla asked
"Yes please"Lisa hummed
The room remained mainly silent apart from the occasional hum or breathy sigh from Lisa and the sound of warm moisturised hands slapping on skin.
Carla continued her work watching Lisa's muscular back twitch, tense and soften under her touch, feeling Lisa relax more and more into it.
Carla felt her own lower back twinge from leaning over
"Mind if I sit on top of you" she asked after a short while. Lisa hummed in agreement and she lifted herself over Lisa thighs bracketing her hips
Her own core pressed up against Lisa's buttocks. She could feel the warm heat emanating between them. The wetness and the anticipation
Lisa moaned at the contact and Carla was under no delusion Lisa could feel the wet warmth of her core. She continued to massage across her shoulders and arms, moving back to her neck.
"You are pretty good at this actually!" Lisa mumbled into the pillow
Carla carried on for several more minutes. Desperate to turn Lisa over, kiss her, touch her more intimately.
She watched Lisa lay there, taking measured breaths and keeping her sighs controlled, she looked like she might be struggling, turned on again, Carla had to know.
Surely this was going to be it now, her chance. she'd been fantasising about it for weeks
Carla got onto her knees again and leaned over Lisa. Hands pressed into the bed either side of Lisa's head to support her own body weight. Her hair fell down around her and tickled Lisa face as she placed lips near her ear.
"Turnover" She hummed suggestively
Lisa stiffened slightly for a moment, before she eventually peeled herself around to face Carla, Carla issuing her the space, still in her own robe
Carla suddenly fully aware that Lisa was nearly naked under her as her bikini top fell away in the motion
Carla watched her, took in every slow moment of it.
Drifted her gaze over Lisa's face down her neckline, sternum and breasts. Observed the softness of pale skin against contrasting pink nipples,
if Carla had been worried about not being attracted to Lisa's assets or her body when she had her fully naked, she needn't have been,
she was itching to play with them now, feel them in her mouth.
Lisa looked at her shyly biting her lip so Carla let her full body weight fall on top of Lisa almost with a need to cover and protect her as her mouth and tongue collided with Lisa's.
The moan from Lisa was otherworldly as they shared another breathtaking kiss.
She tasted of mint and vanilla and bubbles and something uniquely Lisa ,
She relished the softness around her soft lips and chin
A small noise escaped the back of Lisa's throat. Almost like a surrender as Carla hands continued their massage this time down Lisa's shoulders rolling them seductively down towards her breasts
It was a tentative touch at first, she felt almost like a teenage boy touching his first pair of breasts, it wasn't that Carla was worried but she definitely wanted to get this right.
Lisa hadn't had anyone near her like this in a significant period of time, she didn't want to be a disappointment.
Even though the touch was feather light, Lisa groaned into it and her hips instantly rocked up to meet Carlas body, Her back arching up off the bed.
It looked and felt supreme and Carla liked it
So she did it again. Brushing across both of her nipples more confidently and much firmer this time.
Lisa practically growled again before she went into action and started tugging at Carla's robe pulling the tie apart and pushing it off her shoulders, bikini top to follow quicky too.
They were very nearly fully naked together now
It had dawned on her that all their previous sexual encounters had included clothing.
(Lisa clothed mostly)
Kisses continued to escalate as Carla boldened her touch and then wedged a thigh between Lisa's legs applying pressure, it felt instinctual, another delicious groan emerged from Lisa but not as delicious as the desperate hip rock Lisa did to seek friction against her thigh.
Lisa suddenly caught her off guard with another one and flipped her over on the bed. The smaller woman's strength unbelievable.
she practically tossed Carla over onto her back tugging at the clothes still remaining on Carla's body to remove them swiftly.
Lisa's fingers on one hand found purchase on her breast as her other hand edged its way down between her legs.
Carla resolved to not go down without a fight and started to tug at Lisa's underwear. Trying to pull the garment down her hips as she rolled over the top of her, Carla managing quite a smooth manoeuvre as Lisa kicked her legs up to get the bikini bottoms removed.
They were fully naked now both of them for the first time as Lisa pressed a full body against Carla
Carla hummed into the feel of it.
Carla tried to turn her back over make more contact with her body. Touch her again in some way. But Lisa diverted it, grabbing Carla's hand and lacing her fingers through her own, pinning it up behind her head to the bed before moving to lick the column of Carla's neck biting lightly.
Lisa Fingers paused. Waiting, ready to dip down between Carla's legs. Carefully feeling around the apex and roughness of the soft hair found there
Lisa lifting herself to watch Carla's reaction. Almost like she was ready to worship her.
Carla gulped a breath of air before Lisa dipped her fingers in. Lisa already seemingly an expert on how to touch her, Carla practically tried to stop her own eyes rolling into the back of her head as she moaned quietly.
This wasn't what she intended. It was her turn to take the lead, but Lisa was clearly going to fight her for it. Fight for the power
Carla whimpered and ground her hips once against Lisa's hand, before finding some resilience and trapping Lisa's fingers with her hand between her thighs to still her.
Lisa lifted her head again slightly to look at Carla questioningly.
"Are you ok? Do you want me to stop" Lisa asked confused
Carla observed her seriously from her position in the pillow, Lisa really was beautiful.
"Is this how this is always going to go between us?"
"What?" Lisa asks looking genuinely confused
"You just getting me off and then swerving my attempts to touch you back?"
Lisa looked resigned. Blushing lightly like she'd been caught out
"I just wasn't sure if you'd be ready for that yet!" She said quietly.
"I think I've made it abundantly clear that I'm ready to touch you" Carla argued
Lisa looked at her shyly
"It's okay. You know if you're not I can wait. I actually enjoy giving...."
Carla looked at Lisa hoping her face portrayed the state of confusion she felt.
"Do you have any idea what I have been dreaming of doing to you Lisa?"
It came out low and rumbling and seductive and she watched Lisa's eyes darken at it.
"All Ive been able to think about for the last three days is what it's going to be like when I finally watch you come on my fingers"
Lisas breath hitched before falling heavy, an intensity back in the room. But she didn't comment. Almost like she was processing it.
"I just.....I'm not very good at giving over control" she said quietly
Carla looked at her waiting for her to expand, as they both lay naked pressed together. She felt herself soften slightly below Lisa,
"You know, when I lost my wife, I promised to protect myself and never let anyone in again, not even physically, So yeah, that's why Im struggling with casual, Carla."
Carla looked at her feeling conflicted, part guilt, part frustration. She reached up and stroked some strands of blonde hair back behind Lisa's ear.
"Thank you for sharing that with me" Carla whispered watching her
"But" Lisa said anticipating it
Carla smiled
"But, if we are going to do this, I'd really like to try take care of you this time please?" Carla asked quietly
There was a pause, like they were frozen in time for a moment then Lisa nodded, seemingly willing to concede defeat, pulling off Carla and turning over back onto her back. Carla following her body.
They looked at each other for a moment silently, an understanding passing between them,
Lisa lips suddenly found hers as she pulled Carla towards her, hands seeking Carla's wrists, gently tugging them to place her hands back on her chest. Carla pulled back slightly again
"Now I'm suddenly nervous!" Carla whispered, it almost turned into a tense laugh, she watched Lisa's eyes flicker over her
"Don't be please!" Lisa reassured
"No matter what I feel about control, I'm pretty confident that you'll make me feel good" she continued
She decided not to focus on it just to close her eyes and do what felt completely natural as her mouth went on to Lisa's neck and down her collar bone, she felt Lisa's hand start to thread into Carla's hair.
Carla rolled her fingers across Lisa's nipples placing kisses and Lisa whined into the touch.
It made Carla feel a pressure suddenly build up between her own legs.
She pressed a tongue across one of Lisa's nipples and Lisa seemed to grab her hand again, this time carefully pulling it down, lower, towards her lower belly.
Edging her nearer to where she wanted to be touched.
It was a pretty big hint that she was ready to be touched and Carla steeled herself for it as Lisa confirmed it verbally.
"God Carla, I'm so turned on"
Fingers traced around Lisas warm tummy, feeling the curve and the dips. Stopping short of her hip.
She noted how the tickle of fingers made Lisa react, she pulled Carla on top of her more, gripping her head and hair more and pulling her back up for a kiss.
It's felt deep and sensual and Carla's slowly ventured into the new territory finger tips grazing into warm wetness.
The noise from Lisa was transcendent, unearthly addictive all in her mouth at once.
Lisa whined at the contact her body almost tensing up against her and she responded again and again and it made Carla want to repeat that over and over that first touch.
(She would definitely repeat it in her head later)
She got bolder with her fingers. Brushing up and down the whole of Lisa and back, enjoying the sensation of her, the slick wetness. The realisation that nobody had probably touched Lisa like this in a long time, making her more keen to perform this well.
"You feel good" she whispered on her mouth and Lisa seemed to relax more, Carla unaware of how tense and taught her body had been until that moment.
So she stroked more, Lisa lifting her hips to meet her fingers, the visual of it making wetness pool between Carla's own legs more.
Lisa kissing her harder with every teasing stroke.
"I was scared you would hate this!" Lisa admitted breathlessly against her pulling away from the kiss briefly
Carla's fingers lingered at Lisa's entrance,
She could feel Lisa almost shaking against her. Her body shivering at the administrations. Carla's fingers teasing across her entrance as they traced down to the junction between her thighs.
Lisa whimpered desperate to seek more contact and it made Carla smile against her.
"Do you want me inside you sweetheart?" She asked
(Sweatheart!! Where did that sneak out from)
"Yes please darling!" Lisa hummed
Carla felt a warm buzz inside from the term of endearment but she pushed it down,
(just sex talk that's all, nothing in it)
Carla chose two fingers and pressed them slowly into Lisa who rocked against them, mewling to the feel of Carla entering her with not one but two fingers, it was a bold move but it payed off as lisa rocked onto her fingers. Lisa pushing down for some depth.
"Oh shit!!" Lisa huffed sounding winded
Carla might have been a novice but she wasn't daft as she started to create a natural pressure on Lisa and Lisa's body responded in kind, getting wetter and more vocal.
It felt natural, so she moved, running a tongue down Lisa's chest across her nipples again, stopping to lick and suck each one into her mouth. Almost nibble on them, as her fingers continued their administration.
Lisa curling and lifting her hips to each movement. Her eyes closed concentrated on the feel of carla inside her and against her.
She continued dropping lower still, tongue finding the belly button ring and flicking around it, before she used her other hand to pull her hair out the way, and slowly lift Lisa's hip, swinging a thigh around her and shuffling her shoulders to get comfy, between Lisa legs.
Lisa suddenly went tense and froze looking down at her.
"You really don't have to do that, what you are already doing is more than enough"
"Maybe I really want to" Carla spoke slowly, close to her, the vibrations making Lisa do an involuntary shudder.
She waited looking at Lisa and Lisa nodded in consent, somewhat still looking slightly unsure.
"If you want to stop at any point......"
"Shhh" Carla almost blew the noise onto Lisa and Lisa's hips rose to meet Carla's mouth. Realising that she was committed now, Lisa had given her an out. But now she was here. She couldn't not. And she wanted to
She started with a kiss, a press of her lips onto Lisas most intimate parts, getting used to the warmth, the wet the the smell of her.
It wasn't offensive, in fact, the opposite it was intoxicating. And Lisa's response made her more willing to explore it further. She almost shoved her fingers back inside her with the contact and Lisa keened against her.
The response was everything, she could completely understand why people would find this addictive.
She tentatively used her tongue flatly against her, and watched as Lisa practically melted into the mattress. Another lick, firmer hard lick this time. All across Lisa as a fingers continued to manipulate Lisa's walls.
"Oh my god!! Lisa spoke into the room suddenly.
Carla stroked her free hand across Lisa's belly, continuing with her mouth and fingers on her. A light suck now which Lisa seemed to enjoy.
Carla maintained a steady rhythm on Lisa, every lick or press eliciting a different sound, movement or shudder as Lisa writhed around underneath her more.
She felt Lisa tapping the hand that rubbed around her belly, grabbing at her fingers lightly as she pulled it towards one of her breasts, encouraging Carla to play or touch her nipple, Carla obliged again and started to roll her thumb over the top, squeezing lightly.
There was almost a sudden shift as suddenly Lisa started to tense beneath her, her fingers suddenly being squeezed by Lisa's walls, her centre pressing into Carla's, face seeking friction, soaking Carla's chin.
Lisa going silent at the tension, she wondered if she was doing something wrong but as she looked up to check she watched as Lisa came undone against her, a sexy puff of air and grunt released from her mouth and a low moan.
Of course she had watched her bed partners come before, she had got drunk or high on the power of it. Enjoying making them explode with pleasure.
But this felt different, intoxicatingly different.
As Lisa fell apart, Carla fell completey in love with the awe of it.
Utterly mesmorised by it all, the feel, the movements and sounds, the way Lisa's eyes focused solely on Carla below her.
The way her hair cascaded around her as random strands stuck to her warm skin. The light blush from the exertion on her cheeks, the way her hips rose off the bed with every wave of pleasure to the sound of more low and controlled grunts.
The way she looked completely wrecked and absorbed in Carla and what she was doing to her.
It took a while for them to snap out of it. It was trance like between them and something passed, and Carla felt a small twitch in her chest. The first stirring of something non sexual but non platonic.
She felt it once with Peter, and with Liam and now...
Lisa started pulling on her suddenly, distracting her from the analysis of it and trying to bring her up to eye level.
Her mouth and fingers soaking wet as she kissed her, but Lisa didn't seem to care as her hand quicky moved between Carla's legs, seeking her out as Carla almost hovered over the top of her.
The touch was electric and Lisa's fingers slipping over her made her realise how wet she had become too. Lisa hummed in appreciation as she explored Carla's entrance and they continued to kiss
Lisa wanted control back, she could sense it, a sudden veil going over her, the vulnerable woman she just watched let go, dissapearing as quick as she saw her.
Carla didn't overthink it, she was horny and wet so she climbed over Lisa hips bracketing them again opening up to give Lisa access to her.
Lisa suddenly sat up, smoothly pulling Carla into her lap with her other arm and sitting her on her thighs as two fingers slid inside her at the motion, thumb maintaing contact on her clit, Carla virtually cried in pleasure.
Lisa began encouraging Carla to ride her fingers, pulling her harder into her lap as her thumb bumped and pressed against her and her mouth found her neck and earlobe, biting and sucking against it. Her free hand grabbing Carla's hair tugging away lightly but still holding her close.
Carla felt cradled like a baby,
"Your turn to come on my fingers!" Lisa almost commanded at her in her ear
It didn't take her long from that, in fact it felt embarrassingly quick as she rolled her hips onto long seeking fingers deep within her. Feeling the rythmic pressure against her and the familiar rush of pleasure between her legs, the tightening of her tummy. Lisa huffing in her ear words of encouragement.
"Oh fuck me Lisa!! you are way too good at this" she huffed it out almost laughing at her own embarrassing admission in the room.
"Then show me, how good it is" Lisa responded, the sass. The versatility of this woman to be vulnerable and delicate and insecure in one moment and a complete sexual menace the next.
She came hard again, sat in Lisa's lap on the bed, chin and fingers still sticky, the relaxed coolness she had felt after her treatments in the spa now gone, a wecked and sweaty mess left as she felt Lisa's fingers slip and slide more around her and inside her.
"That's it darling, good girl" Lisa coaxed
She grounded herself eventually on Lisa, held her, huffing into her ear as her body vibrated and calmed. Something twinged again, this time in her chest and stomach.
Tentative green eyes found her face as Lisa stroked her back gently, coaxing her down, but she couldn't make the eye contact so she burried her face in Lisa's shoulder.
Something had shifted inside her suddenly and she needed time to process it.
Chapter 10: Chapter 10
Chapter Text
Carla pushed down whatever the little niggle in her head was that bothered her in the hotel bed that late afternoon.
She wasn't prepared to entertain it.
Maybe she just got caught up in the moment. Did it even have to mean anything at all if she forgot about it?
Besides that, she he was determined to stay true to what she had promised Lisa and maintain a friendship first and foremost before anything else,
Of course sex between them was a bonus, but it couldn't be more than that. She didn't need that complication.
Lisa definitely didn't need that complication based on all the emotional baggage she was carrying either.
Carla had eventually extracted herself from the bed afterwards, they had awkwardly moved around the room for thirty minutes as they got ready together for a meal, avoiding eye contact and making small talk about some awful quiz Lisa had turned on the TV to try and relieve the weird atmosphere between them.
It lingered for a while but eventually subsided as they got out into the public space of the hotel and began to talk like old friends again, giggling over the menu and poking fun at Debbie Websters choice in decor.
Lisa had this beautiful glow about her all night through the meal, Carla had never seen her like that before,
(Clearly a just got laid kinda glow courtesy of her)
It made her tummy swoop momentarily but she pushed it aside. She could handle this, it was just because Lisa was new to her, a woman, that's all. It was the novelty of it all. Sex with another woman.
Afterwards they had gone back to the hotel room, four glasses of red wine down each, both relaxed and open, they pretty much fell straight into bed, mouths clashing as they stripped each other off slowly and ended up fucking all night.
It was like it suddenly became the most natural and normal thing for them, Lisa using her mouth again on Carla as they touched and teased climax after climax out of each other several times, Keeping each other from sleep most of the night.
They did sleep eventually though, and Carla woke to find herself tangled naked around the warm body of the little petite blonde woman. Lisa mindlessly stroking her lower back quietly, clearly awake staring across the hotel suite deep in thought.
She didn't dare move at first, enjoying the contact and the affection from Lisa. Not wanting to spoil the moment as she silently acknowledged that any minute she would need to mark the end of the casual arrangement and go back to just friends
Well until next time anyway.
Lisa's touch was turning her on again, but the longer she lay there the more she started to overthink it and panic. She didn't want to have to face an awkward interaction between them.
Eventually she went to extract herself again like the previous afternoon, making excuses for a shower, trying not to think too much about how close they were suddenly getting.
Sleeping the night cuddled up together probably made all the boundaries at little bit blurry, both as sexual partners and as friends.
Lisa tugged her back though, just as she went to leave the bed and she froze mid escape
"Don't go just yet?!" Lisa asked quietly
It was soft and low and Carla couldn't resist.
She turned back to look at her in the bed, duvet pooling around her exposing her chest and breasts, hair wild and luggy from where Carla had been tugging and running her fingers through it all night, she watched Lisa lick her bruised lips. Seeing her eyes darken with desire.
(Sod blurry boundaries, she wanted more of this woman)
Carla shuffled back in to the bed pulling over the duvet and laying dramatically flat against the pillow next to Lisa again, stretching like a cat before turning to face Lisa, propping herself up on an elbow, almost looking down across at her
Lisa looked beautiful, it made her breath hitch a bit especially as Lisa's eyes greedily drunk her in, an appreciative glance across her breasts down her torso to her belly button.
"Looking to go for round five with me are you Swain?" Carla said confidently
Lisa blushed heavily
"Have you actually been counting?" She asked awkwardly
"Maybe!" Carla smirked leaning forward to capture Lisa's lips gently, brushing her own against them, testing.
As soon as she initiated it though Lisa literally pounced on her, pulling her down on top of her, it knocked the wind out of Carla, making her tummy flip and tickle in a good way.
Lisa's fingers gripping at her buttocks so she could pull her hips towards her and shove her thigh up between carlas legs.
Carla moaned and wetly bucked her hips on Lisa's thigh as they began to roll around together on the bed like that for five minutes kissing. She was still deliciously sore from the antics of the night but more than happy to overlook that now for another orgasm.
Carla had quickly learned that Lisa enjoyed having nails scraped across her lower back and buttocks.
A delicious shudder escaped her whenever she did it, goosebumps tracking all across her skin. So Carla did just that and was rewarded with a delicious moan and Lisa's hips seeking hers in return.
They followed an already established pattern, as their bodies entwined on the bed, mouths and fingers touching as they huffed and groaned onto each other, the daylight flooding into the room.
It was hot, intense, mostly silent and as Carla reached a peak and came under Lisa's fingers again, Lisa quicky seemed to follow her bucking and grinding against her thigh of all places to get the friction she needed to get herself off in time with Carla.
before she knew it they were laid as a tangled sweaty mess in the sheets, holding each other again, foreheads pressed together heavy breathing and exhausted.
Lisa placed some soft kisses against her before holding her closer, kisses moving to her shoulder as she began stroking fingers up and down Carla's spine again.
It made Carla tingle all over, she could feel the love and care poured into it. She allowed herself to lay with it for a while though a small internal battle stirring inside her again as the flash of the orgasm subsided all together.
Maybe that's what Lisa enjoyed about sex, the closeness and bond afterwards.
She couldn't help but nuzzle her nose into Lisa's neck, smell the skin. Brush her lips against her pulse point as it thudded in her neck. Lisa shuddered against it and it made Carlas tummy flip again before more internal panic set in
"I should go and shower" Carla said suddenly pulling out of the embrace.
"I've got to get back to something at the factory this morning"
She pulled herself out the bed quickly grabbing for a robe to cover herself,
Lisa pulled the duvet up around her as a protection, looking almost disappointed at her sudden and fast extraction.
"You have to go to the factory on a Saturday?" Lisa asked suspiciously raising an eyebrow
(Busted!)
"I just didn't check in on an order that's due out first thing Monday, it's been niggling me all night"
Lisa nodded seemingly not accepting the weak response based on the look on her face.
"I run my own business Lisa, I never get a day off and times are tough for the business at the moment, a lot of competition" she confirmed her own lie.
"Do you want me to make you a coffee for when you come out of the shower" Lisa asked quietly
"That would be nice" Carla confirmed grabbing her wash bag and towels for the shower,
"I won't be long"
As the water ran down her body, Carla tried not to analyse the feeling that was becoming lodged in the middle of a chest. Why all of a sudden was she worried about this turning into more.
It's not what she wanted and Lisa made it clear a relationship was not on the cards for her either.
She figured maybe another talk with Lisa about boundaries again.
(And no more post sex cuddles)
__
They didn't get to talk much about setting boundaries because for the next two weeks, they were pretty much at it like rabbits.
Lisa turned up at regular intervals to the flat or factory all hours of the day and night. Carla taking extended lunches or shuffling Lisa into her room under Ryan's nose at 11pm at night when her shift finished late.
Lisa invited her over for a couple of nights when Betsy was out.
She never stayed over at Lisas and would make excuses about early starts at the factory. Lisa seemed to be on the same page too, often wanting to get back to Betsy and leaving the flat.
They seemed to have pretty much nailed getting each other off quickly, but there were times it was slow and sensual, or dirty and loud too and Carla couldn't deny it was the best sex of her life.
It seemed like they were actually getting into a mutually beneficial and agreed routine when it came to their friends with benefits arrangement too, and Carla felt like their friendship was remaining in tact.
(Not that they had time to be friends between all the sex)
Then Friday night rolled around again,
Carla had, had the day from hell. It was an abysmal day at the factory as far as work days go and she couldn't help but fear things were taking a turn for her business.
Half the staff had called in sick that week putting them behind on some big orders, Carla had had to call clients to ask for deadline extensions which was bad business in it's self.
Then to top it off Sally, Kirk and Sarah between them had pretty much managed to collectively bring down her business to it's knees in one fell swoop.
She got back to an empty flat, determined to drown her sorrows in a bottle of wine or two, pass out and have an early night and try and forget about eighteen years of keeping Underworld afloat only to lose it now to negligence.
Lisa had text during her mid pour of a bottle of red wine,
even on Lisa's dodgy detective shift pattern she had still managed to keep to their daily sex routine and meeting.
(She felt like she might have awoken a sex menace in Lisa)
Carla pulled out a second glass from the cupboard and poured, knowing full well more texts would follow soon as Lisa tracked down her location.
Within ten minutes Lisa was buzzing the door to find her in the flat another bottle of wine in hand.
(Perfect, she could get obliterated)
She handed Lisa her filled glass as she entered and Lisa shrugged off her coat and sat on her sofa with her.
"Saw your texts! What's happened? You look like you just found out Primark have ripped off Underworlds best knicker line"
Carla nodded solemly, swallowing thickly, she felt tearful, emotional. Not something that often happened in front of Lisa.
(Not since the divorce papers came through anyway and they shared a moment that night)
"It's much worse" Carla sighed
"Come on spill" Lisa asked tapping the sofa next to her and she was grateful for her friend again.
"Kirk managed to back the van into the factory gates, so we couldn't deliver the one order we finished this week to one of our regular clients on time, now I am having to give them a huge discount"
Lisa observed her for a moment
"And that's got you this upset!?"
"Not just that! Sally decided to over step and go all 'the apprentice' on me when I was out and completely messed up the meeting I had initially set up with another potential client losing me a significantl bit of business"
She gulped her wine,
"Then finally to top it all off, I found out that Sarah had practically sexual harassed one of my most influencial customers in the week and as a result I have had to offer him a massive discount too, to which all my other big clients have found out and are demanding the same or to take business elsewhere"
"Ouch" Lisa said sympathetically
"Plus I've had to endure Fizz all day texting me motivational quotes to cheer me up. I swear, Lisa, if she tells me again to 'trust the process' one more time, I’ll process her P45"
Lisa laughed out loud putting her hand over her mouth at Carla unappreciative glare
"Sorry, you know, you’re dead sexy when you’re stressed’ Lisa whispered.
"Well dont be getting any ideas young lady, the only place you are taking me tonight is through some therapy and maybe for one of your dodgy kebabs"
Carla felt close to tears and Lisa's sensed it, laugh died down a little
"Well, I was kinda hoping to come over and take your mind off all of that, but I guess you are not so keen on getting your clothes off then?!"
(She really had created a sex monster)
"The only thing I want to get off my chest right now is not my bra but is how useless my staff are" Carla said gulping her wine in one more swing, draining the glass.
"Wow Ok!! slow down" Lisa said shuffling closer to her suddenly looking concerned a hand on her thigh.
"Drowning in wine and waking with a thumping hangover is not going to help is it?"
"That’s great advice an all Lisa... but right now,!" Carla gestured dramatically to the empty wine glass standing to go fill it again.
Lisa leaned back looking worriedly at her as she rest her knuckles against forehead, elbow on the back of the chair.
"Alright, come on let's talk, vent away I'm listening" Lisa said tapping the sofa next to her again.
"But just so you know, I’m charging you emotional labour in more wine" she tipped her half empty glass in Carla's direction
Carla brought the bottle and poured the wine, placing it on the coffee table and slumping next to Lisa, close.
"I've had that business for nearly 18 years Lisa" she said sadly looking at her.
"give or take a few blips and disasters which is a bleeding miracle I survived through."
Carla drained another glass, and Lisa intervened,
"Stop that" she asked trying to pull the glass away Carla snatched back pouring more
"I mean, I've been close to losing it before, going bust, but this!?"
"Are things that bad?" Lisa asked placing an affectionate hand on the back of Carla's neck and rubbing fingers
"If I honour these discounts, I'll be making a significant loss, four of my biggest and regular clients" Carla said fingering her glass, she could feel Lisa's face scanning her concerned.
"Plus that new client that sally scared away, they were bringing thousands of pounds of new business over the next year"
"I honestly don't think I can come back from this!"
"How on earth did Sarah manage to do that, I mean you don't just accidently sexually harass someone!?"
"It's all my fault" Carla admitted
"What? Why?" Lisa's asked continuing to stroke Carla's shoulder soothingly
Carla gulped more wine, half emptying the glass again.
"I let Sarah do that pitch to that important client and I should have been there to supervise, she clearly felt under pressure"
She didn't often get upset, in fact she was a pretty tough cookie, but she felt tears threaten her, rubbing her eyes lightly.
"You can't blame yourself for that!" Lisa soothed
"Oh I can!!!
Lisa watched her waiting
"Especially as I let her do it so I could come here to meet you for sex instead"
Carla admitted covering her face with one hand, wine glass dangling in the other as she slumped forward.
She was sure she heard Lisa gasp ,
"Oh Carla I'm sorry!" Lisa shushed her putting down their wine glasses finally managing to extract it from her fingers, and pulling her affectionatly into a hug on the sofa.
Carla accepted it, allowed Lisa to pull her in,
"I'm so sorry, I don't get upset like this, look at the flamin state of me, I'm usually hardfaced about this stuff" Carla moved trying to dab at her the wet around her eyes.
"Don't!" Lisa said sternly "of course it's ok to be upset, this is your business, your livelihood"
"What a mess Lise, what am I gonna do?" Carla looked at her almost hopeful for the solution.
Lisa's gripped tighter and Carla burried her head I to her shoulder.
"It's ok darling, just breath" Lisa soothed, Carla really wasn't expecting the kiss to her head though.
"Heavily discounting one client is bad enough, but four, not to mention Underworlds ruined reputation, might as well start laying off staff now"
"Maybe you should start with Sarah!" Lisa commented under her breath almost.
"I fucked up Lisa, literally" she said looking at Lisa through blurry eyes a tense sardonic laugh, Lisa stroked her cheek
"If it's any consolation, I've being missing in action at work too, totally distracted by you, got pulled in by Costello yesterday about my lack of productivity on three cases"
Carla rubbed her face, swallowing and sitting up for wine.
"Maybe we should knock this arrangement on the head then for the sake of our careers"
Lisa looked down at her fingers twirling them together
"If that's what you want" she said quietly
"It will have to come to an end eventually, you will probably get bored of sleeping with me or want to move on to someone new, a man"
Carla could sense the reluctance the tightness in Lisas voice, the statement was loaded with so much but she didn't have the capacity to analyse and unpack it right now.
She stood again,
"Do you know, I think im just going to go to bed, try and sleep this nightmare off for a few hours at least"
"Things always feel better in the morning?!" Lisa summised
Carla laughed sardonically again.
"I'm sure they will feel great when I wake up in this tiny little flat, nearly 50, unemployed bankrupt and still very much single"
Lisa looked at her slightly agrieved, clearly not wanting to let go just yet
"Then I don't want to leave you like this, you need someone with you"
"Lisa it's fine" she defended
"It's not fine! You just downed four large glasses of red wine in ten minutes"
"Ok, You are welcome to stay. But just so you know the only thing I’m interested in getting under tonight, is my duvet"
Lisa blushed hard,
"That wasn't what I was thinking...." She trailed off
"We are still friends Carla and you need me"
Carla nodded as they turned off lamps around the flat and Carla locked the door, both went into Carla's bedroom, Carla finding Lisa a spare toothbrush and a t-shirt again.
They changed and washed quietly and got under the duvet.
Lisa turned to face her, a hand drifting up to stroke her hair.
"You're going to be ok you know, you're the strongest woman I know, you're a fighter, you'll bounce back"
Carla turned and looked at her, a sudden urge to pull her in and have Lisa hold her again.
Lisa must have read her mind
"Want me to hug you?"
Carla nodded and Lisa shuffled close, pulling Carla, in, wrapping arms around her
"Turn over, I'll spoon you" Lisa whispered into her hair.
She obliged, not able to overthink it too much and desperate for Lisa's comfort and touch. She was getting used to the daily physical contact from her, the smell, the softness, the way her eyes sparkled at her when they spoke.
Four quickly consumed glasses of wine in, she pulled Lisa closer into her back, considered grabbing her hands that sat soft around her belly, maybe Lisa could take her mind off things.
She felt Lisa nuzzle into her hair, sniffing it affectionatly and Carla felt the stirrings of something this woman kept igniting in her.
She grabbed Lisa's free hand, tugging at the fingers tickling her scar and unceremoniously shoving her hand down the front of her PJ's.
Lisa gasped into her hair,
"Are you sure" she asked quietly.
"No, but I need a distraction and you stopped the wine"
Lisa pulled her in from behind hugging her tight with her other arm, fingers lightly pressing down into wetness. Stroking over her tenderly.
Carla hummed and it spurned Lisa on, so she rubbed with a little more intent, gathering some pace
Carla could feel her watching observing,
She tried to relax into it but after several minutes she felt Lisa slow
"Your head's not in this is it?"
"Sorry!" Carla whispered
"Don't be" Lisa withdrew discreetly wiping her fingers across Carla's pj bottoms.
Carla needed more, not just sex, that was definitely off the table but she needed something else, she turned in Lisa's arms slightly.
Lisa looking at her in the dark
"You ok" Lisa whispered worriedly
Carla pressed into her for a kiss, she couldn't not.
A small noise escaped the back of Lisa's throat as she reciprocated slowly at first tentatively, there was no sexual intention behind it, just comfort as Lisa poured care back into the kiss.
Finally pulling away leaving Carla breathless in acknowledgement that that was what she needed from Lisa.
Completely slap bang in the middle of everything she was avoiding. It sat in the middle of all those blurred lines
Lisa spoke looking at her
"Whatever happens with the factory Carla..." She whispered
"I'm not going anywhere, I'll always be here for you"
Carla nodded and kissed her again.
Chapter 11: Chapter 11
Chapter Text
Carla stretched out on her back to the feeling of a warm lump pressed on her. Blonde hair cascaded across her chest, Lisa practically koala hugging her, still snoring deeply.
She felt warm and light even though there was the heaviness of Lisa on her body. It felt nice though, the contact and closeness of someone again.
Carla watched her for a while as she slept,
The truth was Lisa looked adorable, curled on her this way. There was no denying she felt something deeper for this woman.
What she felt exactly wasn't something she fully wanted to explore just yet though.
Lisa stirred gently against her. Little puffs of air as she breathed in and out.
Carla stroked back the blonde locks that had fallen over her face, she was forever itching to touch her hair. Obsessed with the bright silkiness of it. It was definitely one of the most novel things about being with a woman with long hair, of being with Lisa
The warm feeling didn't last,
she remembered what had happened the day before, it hit her like a truck,
The disastrous day at underworld, how she had let Lisa in.
(Crossed those agreed boundaries yet again, hadn't she)
Today she had to try and at least sort the mess at Underworld out before she saw her business decline for good.
It wasnt long before a set of green sleepy eyes were seeking her, watching her from the cushion of her breast.
"Morning" Lisa smiled looking up at her still not moving off her.
"You feeling any better?" She asked groggily
"Honest answer?! No! But thanks for asking" Carla croaked sarcastically
Lisa grinned
"Ah, there she is!! the optimist I know and tolerate" Lisa bit her bottom lip teasingly. Still looking at Carla from the position laid on her chest.
Carla shot her a look but couldnt quite hide her smirk, as giddiness fell over her.
"You love me really!" Carla said, It was out there before she could really think about it, but the words bounced around the room and Lisa twitched slightly, off guard before she seemed to recover quickly with a quip.
"What's not to love, shrewd business owner, funny friend....great in bed" a hint of sarcasm hit Lisa's voice.
"Are you taking the mick young lady!" Carla scoffed still stroking Lisa hair.
"I'm about to see my business go down the pan, I probably was anything but funny last night, in fact I was bloody miserable and all good in bed means right now is that, I make a great pillow!"
Lisa giggled
"You really are a full package, aren’t you? Lisa's smirked eyes sparkling, Carla wanted to kiss her again.
"At the moment I’d say I’m more of a limited edition. Slightly damaged, no returns, kinda package" Carla replied casually defeat in her voice
"Oh, come off it. You and Underworld have survived worse" Lisa argued
"Such as?"
"hostage situations, breakdowns, about at least three different husbands"
"Four actually" Carla deadpanned
"The point is, I'm sure you’ll manage to overcome some clients chancing their luck for a discount and one missed business opportunity"
"What about my reputation!! I don't like the idea that underworld is being run by a load of over promiscuous female sex fiends!?" Carla raised a brow.
"Well I've never had any complaints" Lisa smirked
Carla mock hit her,
"You really know how to make a girl feel good don't you?" Carla laughed
"Well that’s me, brutal honesty, wrapped in charm and caffeine withdrawal, on that note do I get a morning coffee or not before work?"
"That depends!"
"On what ?"
"Fancy testing your theory to see if I'm still good in bed first?"
Lisa looked at her eyes going dark before she sat up, climbed slowly up the bed towards her
She got her face up close to Carla and she licked her lips, Carla didn't move laid flat watching her beauty.
"I thought you were not in the mood, too stressed" Lisa admitted stopping short of kissing Carla.
"Changed my mind"
Lisa pecked her on the nose really quickly and sat up, pulling away.
"Hold that thought, sadly I've got to get to work"
Carla huffed,
"Guess I better make you a coffee then!"
__
Carla hadnt planned to be in the factory on a Saturday but as a result of the previous day she had her work cut out sending emails with grovelling apologies to her most reliable clients, trying to get them to have sympathy and be a bit more rational.
She wouldnt honor their discounts, she would have to take the hit and lose the business. She still had her pride.
What she hadn't expected however was a phone call that afternoon from Eli, the client accusing Sarah of sexual harassment and the reason all her other business was looking for a hefty discount.
He had backed down, somewhat, not completely but definitely enough for her to manage the loss more effectively and not cave in to some of her other clients.
It was a revelation and a relief, the pressure from the previous day disappearing
Now she just needed to work on Sally's mess with the new business proposal and she had managed to schedule a lunch meeting at least with the client who agreed to listen.
She locked up the factory, stopping at the Rovers for a drink before popping into Roy's at closing for a cuppa and a chin wag and to tell him all about the drama.
He ended up cooking for her and by the time she made it back to her flat it was early evening and she felt a hell of a lot lighter than the previous day.
Predictable but her phone buzzed again,
Lisa
Of course it was Lisa
Lisa arrived minutes later with a bottle of wine again and what looked like a brown paper takeaway bag.
"Can I interest you in sharing this with me?' she asked holding both up as Carla opened the flat door
"The wine yes, but Roy fed me earlier, although knock yourself out, you know where everything is" she offered pointing her into the flat,
Lisa shrugged off her coat and went about finding a plate, she looked good in her kitchenette and Carla had to shake the thought of how they worked well together again.
"Betsy?" She asked
"Sleepover at a mates" Lisa replied
"She often does that, when I work these long weekends"
"Ryan?" Lisa replied
"Still not back from Ireland, missed his mum"
There was a strange silence fall over them as Lisa sat at the table to eat, pulling up her chair and offering Carla her poured wine.
"I would let you eat that on the sofa you know, it's only Peter I used to ban from doing that" she smiled pulling up a chair and pinching a popadom from Lisa's bag.
"Do you know Becky used to have horrendous table manners"
Carla watched her suspiciously, she hasn't mentioned her wife in a while. She watched her, admiring the way she gracefully used her fork to eat
"Why are you here then Lisa?" She asked sipping her wine.
(Like she didn't know)
Lisa looked at her, freezing the movement of her cutlery, looking worried.
"Do you want me to go?" She asked quietly
"No" carla answered instantly
Lisa half smiled
"I thought you were, 'holding a thought for me'" Lisa said seductively, before wiping her mouth. Reminding Carla of their morning interactions,
Carla half rolled her eyes knowing in about thirty minutes she would probably be rolling Lisa around in her bed instead.
She felt the sudden pulse between her legs at the thought.
"You sure you don't want some? I wont eat all this" Lisa offered her food again.
Carla grabbed a fork and shuffled her chair up closer, helping herself to a forkful of food.
It was intimate again, domestic and she felt Lisa's intense stare at her jaw as she chewed the food, Lisa watching over her wine glass.
"You had a better day darling?" It was said with quiet care
It clicked quickly into place then, Lisa's question and her eagerness to come around back to the flat.
Carla observed her, Lisa not managing to achieve the poker face she had probably hoped.
"What happened this afternoon, That was down to you wasnt it?" Carla asked
"I don't know what you're talking about" Lisa replied pushing away her plate, wiping her mouth again and sipping her wine.
"Oh come off it Lisa, I had a random call off my client Eli this afternoon apologising and wanting to negotiate a much more reasonable discount, he even agreed to call up some of the others and admit he had misread the situation with Sarah?"
She studied Lisa questioningly who raised her eyebrows smugly
"Ok, I might have found him today and had a little word with him today"
"You threatened him?" Carla sat back shocked.
"No, I just reminded him that extortion & blackmail don't look great when you're making a complaint of sexual harassment against an organisation and that the police were impartial and will investigate all angles"
"What did he say?"
"That it wasn't an attempt at extortion and he was just asking for compensation"
"So I suggested to him that some may think he had made the charges up against Sarah for other gains"
"Lisa!!"
"You could get sacked for that if someone found out we were friends!"
"Hardly, what I told him was the truth"
"Besides, you were really upset, I was worried about you"
" You'd risk your career,all for me?"
Lisa, looked at her stern and serious
" I'd do anything for you Carla"
The words almost trailed off at the end.
A thickness in the room, an intensity at the words, Carla had this huge urge to ease it somehow.
"And that's why your such a good mate" Carla smiled
(The irony, the role reversal)
Her now saying to Lisa what she had said to her about the festival tickets all those weeks ago,
Trying to putt some invisible barrier or distance between them.
"Thank you!" She added, a hand on Lisa's shoulder standing up to grab more wine a distraction.
Lisa stopped her standing too, a hand over Carla's
"Come here" she whispered
They hugged, similar to before, on that day in the bistro.
Different this time, no sore ribs, no rumbling curiosity or one sided sexual tension that she had experienced back then.
This time Carla felt something else, a warmth and comfort, a need to consume the women holding her briefly.
Lisa's fingers tickled her neck and she felt that instant arousal again, it bounced down her thighs and between her legs then up her stomach,
The type of arousal that only this little blonde detective seemed to elicit. Exclusively Lisa.
She found her mouth, Lisa moaned into it and Carla started to push her backwards towards her bedroom.
Lisa's back bumped into the bedroom door and she giggled almost breathless, looking over Carla
"I've been thinking about doing this all day" she admitted eyes dark
"I can't get you off my mind Carla"
Carla, grabbed at her pullover tucked over her shirt and she pulled and lifted it over her head, itching to undress her more, undo every button quicky and see that exposed skin, the pinkness of Lisa against all her other parts, she wanted to bury her face, on her, place her nose lips and cheeks against Lisa's body.
(Make the woman fucking scream with her mouth)
She started to pull off clothes animalistically, and Lisa followed her lead pulling her top over her head, pushing her waistband down her hips, knickers and all.
They made light of clothes and Lisa pushed her on top of the bed and straddled her. Naked, beautiful.
She pressed light fingers on Lisa's breast, gentle brush on her nipples and Lisa thanked her in kind with a delicious groan as she ground down on Carlas body seeking more, wet and ready.
She actually wanted Lisa like this forever,
Always over her like this, looking down at her with such admiration dare she say such love.
(She had to push those thoughts away, they were not healthy for their friendship )
Lisa pressed her mouth back on Carla and they moved together, natural, instinctually. Lisa fingers mouth, tongue on her, inside her, in all the right places. Playing her like a fine piano.
She could sense Lisa on top of her, desperate, needy, little whines each time she teasingly touched her.
So she took her, took control. Watched her start to fall apart on top of her. Lisa's eyes concentrated on Carlas throughout.
They were connected, it's what drove Lisa, she had learned that over the last couple of weeks. She had learned so much so she played into it, she wanted to, needed to give Lisa what she wanted.
She felt her own orgasm building and it drove her to touch Lisa deeper, harder, faster.
They often came together now like this, second nature to them, so connected.
"Fuck Carla, I'm so close, so quick, so close" Lisa hummed in her ear
Her free hand tugged on Lisa's hip pulling and encouraging her against her as she watched her fall apart, come undone.
It was beautiful, something tickling on her chest at the sight of it, she felt overwhelmed by it but drawn towards it all the same, she came too, making a loud growling noise in Lisa's ear.
It made them giggle, as she came down holding Lisa's against her. Lisa's eyes firmly on hers. Full of something past desire now.
She wasn't prepared for the next part,
(Truth was she would never be prepared)
Giggling together, Lisa biting her lip
"I love you"
Silence
Carla froze, The playfulness drained from Lisa's face as if someone’s flipped a switch.
"What?" Carla whispered the word stuck
Lisa quiet, panicked, stiffened on top of her, before swinging herself off Carla
"Forget I said that, I just.... That came out wrong"
Carla sat up, gathering the sheet around her chest. The distance between them widened immediately.
"Lisa…"
More silence awkwardness.
"we said this wasn’t..."
"I know. I know exactly what you said Carla"
Lisa butted in angrily
"I didn’t plan it ok I just....I can't help.....I told you I didn't do casual, "
"well you shouldn’t"
It was said too quickly, too firmly and she watched Lisa flinch as the words hit her.
"Right. Yeah. Of course" Lisas words fading in the room.
Carla looked away, fiddling with a bracelet that she had discarded on her nightstand as a distraction
(anything but looking at Lisa’s eyes right now)
"I think maybe we should...I don’t know....have a break from this"
The words crackled in the air and she was suddenly very aware of how naked Lisa and her were next to each other.
There was a beat of silence, Lisa nodded, swallowing hard, already up then pulling her clothes from the floor where Carla had virtually torn them off before.
"Sure. No problem" Lisa said through gritted teeth jaw tense. The hard faced detective she has originally met in front of her.
Carla didnt stop her. Didnt move. Could only hopelessly watch as all the promises about not ruining their friendship with what ever this was faded away.
(She was fucking this up)
Lisa finally dressed reached the door, she paused.
"For what it’s worth… I didn’t mean to make it weird Carla"
Carla’s voice was small, almost a whisper.
"You didn’t. I just ...can’t do that with you"
Lisa nodded, smiled without meaning it, and left.
As the flat door shut, The silence after was sharp, the kind that lingered with dread and regret
Carla exhaled and stared at the rumpled bed next to her, pressing her palms to her eyes.
(Shit)
Chapter 12: Chapter 12
Notes:
A little angst to follow im affraid,
Plus, unlike all my other fics, for the purpose of this fic I have made Carla a little bit dumb to her own feelings
Sorry! But I hope you enjoy.
Chapter Text
Carla woke up hating herself,
A hangover headache from where she had demolished the rest of the wine in her flat, a dry mouth, and swirling feelings of regret about Lisa.
Lisa had walked out.
Not said anything since, no text to say she was home safe like she normally would. No check in to make sure Carla was ok. No sarcastic jokes shared or promises made to see each other or meet the next day.
(Project casual attention had crashed and burned)
Of course it would, of course there would be feelings and messiness and an absolutely ruined friendship by the end of it
Lisa knew it, had even warned her against it, and yet she had chosen to ignore any obvious warning signs and instead just pushed.
She had always prided herself on being quite an emotionally intelligent woman, but not this time, this time she had been driven by something else, blinded by need to experiment and explore something.
All at the expense of one of her best ever friendships.
Carla moved around the flat, making coffee and over analysing it,
If she was really that curious about women why had she not just joined a dating app? find a woman willing to show her the ropes? An attractive blonde!
(Because she only wanted one particular blonde)
She played what happened back in her head, trying to analyse it. Lisa's slip up, her confession in a haze of blissful connection,
it could have just been the orgasm the endorphins or the moment,
they were giggling together too laughing through the exertion, the ridiculous animalistic noise that Carla made, the joy of being together and making each other feel good.
Maybe Lisa had just meant that she loved how Carla made her laugh or how she loved their friendship or loved her as a friend.
She should have made Lisa stay, talk about it, but instead she had a knee jerk reaction and panicked.
But when she analysed it again, she remembered how Lisa had broken a golden rule at work. That Lisa had persistently been seeking her daily, she had confessed that she would do anything for her. She had been soothing, and cuddling, and kissing her everyday.
(Staring lovingly at her like she had hung the moon)
Carla should have read it better, seen the signs, taken a step back and set better boundaries
'i love you' still echoed around in her ears, the intensity of it, Lisa voice smooth against the shell of her ear.
It made Carla panic, she couldn't offer her that,
No one was suppose to get those kinds of feelings in this arrangement. Carla didn't want another relationship, not such an intense one and not with a woman, she was straight for fucks sake.
(Or was she? What was she now? bi curious, bisexual or did it even matter)
Lisa had said she would be hopeless at casual, warned her she would get too attached,
She also said that she couldn't allow herself to do that to herself again, get involved, so why had she?
By mid morning, Carla had drained nearly four cups of coffee, entertained every outcome and concluded that she had well and truly hurt her best friend and destroyed their friendship.
She picked up her mobile tapping something out and then deleting it
*Are you ok Lisa?*
Delete
*Can we talk?*
Delete
*Im sorry for how I reacted*
Delete
*Can we still be friends?*
Delete
(The last one was pretty pathetic even by her standards)
So she did what Lisa would probably do,
Didn't send anything, ran away and left it.
didn't text, didn't call, burried her head in her sand. Got up on Monday morning and went to work.
__
Her next encounter with Lisa wasn't ideal,
They had ignored each other for the best part of a week. four long days to be precise, four long lonely days and nights without Lisa laughing with her, sharing food and wine with her, Lisa's gorgeous naked form pressed up against her in bed
She missed her, She missed her best friend.
It was a Wednesday morning when Lisa stomped into her office at Underworld, she wasnt alone though. She had a police heavy with her in uniform. He stood at her shoulder, towering over the small woman.
Carla sat at her desk as DS Swain stopped dead in front of it, her hair tied up perfectly in a pony tail not a strand out of place, leather jacket over a vest knit and shirt, hands in pockets firmly, a stoic look at Carla.
(This was official business)
"Lis?!"
"Detective Sargent Swain" she cut Carla down harshly,
She lifted her badge out of her pocket to make a point, as if Carla needed to see it.
Carla had to grit her teeth together to stop herself from making a sarcastic comment or rolling her eyes at Lisa.
Lisa's poker face was giving her nothing today though, the mask was fully on.
"What can I do for you and your colleague, detective Sargent Swain?" Carla ground out to make a point.
She eyed the officer stood next to her. He towered over Lisa like her personal body guard, refusing eye contact with her, She half expected him to grunt.
At least Carla was safe in the knowledge that Lisa was relatively protected at work with him following her around and breathing down her neck.
(That thought felt important to her, that Lisa was safe)
"I need to speak with all your staff about a spate of muggings and attacks occuring in the vicinity, we are doing door to door enquiries to see if anyone has any information"
"Right!!" Carla eyed them suspiciously,
"Well you do know that them lot in there would struggle to notice if one of the sewing machines grew legs and walked out dont ya?!"
Carla watched Lisa grind her jaw at her flippant comment
"All the same Ms. Connor, I need to speak with them all, it's quite a sensitive case, is there somewhere private we can set up some interviews"
Lisa looked around the factory fully aware there was a lack of private rooms in her factory,
Lisa knew what the inside of one of her store cupboards looked like though and after the formal name use she couldn't help having a dig.
"Well unless you want to use the stationary cupboard! I guess you will have to use my office"
She was sure she could see a light blush across Lisa's cheek at the comment.
It was a bit of a mean thing to say really under the circumstances. She couldn't help it though, this version of Lisa stalking in like this and pretending they were nothing to each other, not even friends, had hurt
"Can I get either of you a tea or coffee?" Carla asked standing and picking up her laptop and paperwork to move to the staff room.
Both declined, non verbally.
(Wow they must have some really great banter together in the police car)
"Right well I'll send the first one in then" Carla sighed
__
Lisa and her coworker has been at it for the best part of an hour.
She watched the woman in action through the glass partician, she really was formidable like this, and although she couldn't hear the conversation she watched as each staff member carved and folded to her interrogations even though they were only potential witnesses.
Finally she noticed the grunt of an officer with her disappear outside to take a break
She used the opportunity and walked around to the office, tentatively up to Lisa who was making notes on a tablet at her desk.
She made an announcement, not wanting to sneak up on her. Clearing her throat to make her presence known
Lisa must have already sensed her though, speaking without looking up.
"I only have a couple more to speak with, then you can have your office back" Lisa dismissed
Carla let out a puff of air, hands on hips, frustrated
"Lisa!!!" It sounded desperate, almost pleading,
"Let's not do this please!?" Carla almost begged "we need to talk"
Lisa's head snapped up angrily,
"Don't!"
"I'm not doing this here now with you" she cut off angrily in a harsh whisper.
"Is that why you brought that grunt with you, a deflection tactic" Carla mocked, pointing towards the door.
Lisa eyes narrowed at Carla
"No, I brought PC Collins with me because I'm investigating women getting brutally attacked in broad daylight and my boss doesn't want me doing it alone for obvious reasons"
Carla nodded sullenly, feeling suddenly fully chastised and completely insensitive to all the victims who had been attacked.
She stood in silence for a minute under Lisa's cold stare, she had the urge to want to walk up and hug her.
"Are my staff safe?" Carla finally asked quietly
Lisa sighed shaking her head.
"Well as they are predominantly female it made sense to start here".
"We are trying to establish if any of them suspect they have been followed home or anything"
" I thought you would have avoided coming here for as long as possible, under the circumstances " Carla scoffed still feeling a bit salty.
"As tempting as that was, unfortunately I am also a professional that cares more about woman getting attacked than my own pride"
Lisa reddened at the statement and Carla felt bad again for trying to push her into an argument.
It was silent for a beat.
"I know you are" Carla finally said sympathetically, she stood to go and get another staff member.
The truth was, Lisa was a good person.
"Carla!"
Carla stopped and turned,
"Ill need to talk to you as well at some point ?"
Carla looked at her slightly annoyed. Was she really going to carry on pretending that nothing was happening between them.
"Well I've seen and heard nothing so you will be wasting your time speaking to me" Carla replied at the door
Lisa nodded and she went to leave
"Carla!"
She stopped again
"You will be careful won't you? Coming and going from here each day, locking up at night"
Carla looked as Lisa's face softened.
"Sure" Carla agreed before leaving
____
What Carla didn't expect from Lisa over the next few days was the ongoing police surveillance outside the factory that seemed to be happening each night as she left work and locked up.
At first she had noticed the marked police cars patrolling around a couple of times, then eventually one night there was no police car but she had found Lisa parked up outside.
They hadn't spoken since the factory, Carla had sent a text to Lisa asking if they could talk but Lisa had ignored it.
The first time she had seen Lisa she had stopped to ask what she was doing and Lisa had insisted she was doing enquires in the area.
This time however she wasn't going to let her get away with it. When she spotted her she couldn't resist jumping into the passenger seat next to her.
(It wasn't the first time she had done this)
Lisa virtually jumped out of her skin at the intrusion , hand going over her heart.
"Carla jeez" she huffed
"If you are hanging around here to safeguard me leaving work, based on that lack of surveillance I'm pretty screwed ain't I"
Carla laughed at her own joke but fell silent at Lisas sudden unimpressed look.
"for your information, I'm not actually just here for you, we are taking it in turns to patrol the area"
Carla nodded, not buying it
"Thats why you're off duty then?" She observed,
it was a guess really on instinct, but Lisa Looked at her startled and she figured she was on the money.
"I've just finished actually" Lisa replied defensively
"Okay" Carla nodded slowly drawing the word out and smirking
"Does that mean you are free to talk about what happened between us now?"
Lisa seemed to bristle the let out a long sigh
"Carla there's nothing to say"
'we were sleeping together for a while, I got carried away in the moment and now we are taking a break like you asked, what more is there to discuss" Lisa summised looking out of the front windscreen her short rant finished
"Why did you say it?" Carla asked
"Oh I dunno, a moment of madness I guess, but believe me Carla you made it pretty clear how you felt about it!" Lisa spat angrily
"Im sorry I reacted the way I did!" Carla tried
"I just panicked"
Lisa remained silent before, finally replying
"Look it meant nothing I realise that now, I mean if you think about it, you and me it's ridiculous, Betsy for one would hit the roof If she found out her mum and her boss were sneaking around like teenages"
"It's better this way, finished"
Carla felt a small tickle of disappointment in her lower stomach at that comment.
"I promised I wouldn't let this ruin our friendship Lisa and I stand by that!?" She said quietly.
It was almost a question, like she was asking Lisa if it had.
Lisa remained quiet, observing those walking by a distraction, so she had to fill the silence again
"Look maybe this is a warning sign, a reality check that it's time for us to just go back to being friends?"
Lisa didn't reply, still staring intently out.
"Lisa!?"
"Put your seatbelt on!!" Lisa spoke suddenly
"What?"
Lisa started the ignition, moving off from the curb
"I said put your seatbelt on....Now!!!
Carla did as told and then turned to look at Lisa
"What is this Lisa?" She asked confused
"I very suspicious looking male who matches the description of our suspect following a young women over there who's just been dropped off by that cab, sit tight and be quiet"
Lisa flicked the car radio on and suddenly a load of police speak filled the car, she crawled slowly down the road from the factory on the tail of the man walking at some pace behind a woman.
Lisa pressed the screen and a ringtone sprung into life in the car making Carla jump.
"Swain? What's up, thought you'd gone off duty an hour ago?"
It was the voice of the condescending arsehole DC Kit Green
But despite that Carla raised an eyebrow at Lisa having been proved right, she had been off duty.
"I need you to call something in for me, There's a suspicious looking male, currently stalking a woman down viaduct street and on towards victoria park"
"Ok, description?"
"IC1 male, about 5ft 8, green jacket and black jeans and trainers, black cap"
"Just like our victims description then, Ill ask them to deploy someone urgently"
"I'm currently tailing him, what's the current shift call sign?"
"Tango zulu but look Lisa.....Don't you approach him alone or do anything stupid will you?"
"Just make sure they kill the sirens Kit, I don't want him spooked if it is him"
Lisa ended the call and the police radio crackled into life confirmed Kit had called in the request
They continued to tail the man him slowing, Carla remaining quiet,
"Is that definitely him" Carla whispered
Lisa was silent
"Shit she is going to cut through the park" Lisa exclaimed
"And so is he" Carla pointed to the man speeding up to the woman.
Lisa cut the engine, pulling off her seat belt
"Carla you need to stay right here in the car, keep it locked do you understand!!" She said harshly
"You're not following him are you?" she pleaded looking horrified at Lisa
"It's my job Carla, just promise me you will stay in this car?!"
Carla nodded as Lisa slid out slamming the door and waiting for Carla to lock it before running after the man who had entered the park entrance.
Waiting for her, it felt like hours,
She heard various conversations spring into life on the police radio.
"Come on, where's this bloody cavalry" she hissed to herself, worried about Lisa alone in the park
Finally some sluggish sounding officer spoke up claiming to be searching the other side of the park,
(Shit they were on the wrong side and Lisa still not back)
Carla pulled out her phone remembering the app Lisa had made her download, she found Lisa located on the west side of the park, her blob slowly moving.
It's was a quick and not really well thought out decision to go and find her.
Bit she was worried, what if Lisa had got this wrong and she became the victim.
(The thought crushed her chest a little)
She unlocked the door and stepped out, Lisa was going to kill her for this but she couldn't willingly leave Lisa alone in that park.
She placed the car keys between her knuckles to make a weapon of sorts and entered carefully, looking tentatively in the shadows and at her phone, moving towards Lisa's location.
She moved down the main path into the centre of the park, a jogger with a dog going past her making her feel more reassured that she would be ok,
Fingers pressed into the keys in her fist and her phone as she carried on walking with the added security measure in the dark.
Maybe she should have stayed in the car with the radio instead, the officers were probably with Lisa by now.
She lingered back, going to turn around when suddenly the man they had followed appeared from behind a tree, walking up and in step with her
(She could feel her heart thudding with dread, she had been here before)
he stalked beside her, with intent, it was chilling
"Hello, love, what you doing in this dark park all alone?"
She must have looked spooked because he lunged at her,
Carla wasn't a stranger to being attacked in this way though
She threw her fist forward with all her might slamming it on his cheek bone, keys between her knuckles
(The action hurt, jeez it hurt a lot)
A crushing pain in her hand, but he had doubled over so she kicked him in the shin and ran, scrambling with her phone to try call Lisa.
"You bitch" he howled in pain before gathering himself to run towards her, coming up behind her fast
(why did she not just stay in the car)
He grabbed her shoulders pushing her hard and sending her hurtling towards the ground, Luckily she hit a mound of grass not the concrete, but her phone went skidding across the path shattering the glass.
"You're gonna pay for this" he spat at her, pointing at his bloody nose and already swollen cheek.
He ran over, stamping at her hard in the ribs, it winded her and she felt intense pain, she was sure she heard a crack. She felt suddenly dizzy and sick and unable to fight back as she waited for the next attack.
It didn't come, it took her a moment to focus on the sudden flash of high vis jacket as she heard the familiar police radio again.
"You ok love?" A redheaded female officer leaned over her as she watched a couple of officers pin down and handcuff the assailant in front of her
She half nodded grimacing in pain.
"Carla!!?" She suddenly heard Lisa voice in the distance,
She felt relief at hearing her
Lisa had run over and was leaning over her worriedly, a careful hand clutching her wrist to inspect her swollen and bruised knuckles
"Are you hurt? Did he touch you?" Lisa asked breathlessly, the worry in her voice evident.
"I think I broke my hand!" Carla huffed out unsure if the pain was worse there or in her ribs.
The sluggish sounding male officer from the radio earlier suddenly spoke up.
"I'm not surprised Sarge, by the looks of him she's given him a right wack, she's bust his nose"
"We need to get you to hospital, can you stand?"
"My ribs, he gave me a good kick" Carla huffed
Carla managed to focus on Lisa through the pain, blood was trickling down the side of her face, a cut on her head
"You're hurt too"
"It's nothing, he just caught me in the tussel" Lisa dismissed
"Think you need to get checked out too Sarge, it might need stitching" the female officer spoke.
"The other unit just arrived with the van, I'll take you both down to the hospital"
Carla looked over at Lisa a look on her face that she couldnt quite decifer, but it was clear Lisa was full of sympathy and worry.
"Why didnt you just stay safe in the car" she whispered
__
Lisa brought over a vending machine tea and placed it next to Carla who sat in a hospital issue wheelchair which Lisa had insisted she put her in at the front entrance,
she sat next to her on one of the plastic A&E seats sipping her own flavourless scalding hot water.
The thought was kind, but she doubted she would drink the tea as any sort of movement required her to endure a ridiculous amount of pain. She decided to just focus on not moving, talking or breathing too quickly.
Both of them had been triaged and she awaited an x-ray, Lisa was waiting on a nurse to clean up her cut and check her over for concussion.
Lisa had been caught around the head by the assailant as she had gone to drag him away from Carla. He had managed to elbow her with some force above the eyebrow, busting the skin.
"Thanks for the tea!" Carla said, blowing out a frustrated puff of air.
They had already been waiting over an hour and although it wasn't the busiest A&E department she had been in, they still anticipated a good few hours of sitting there yet.
"My pleasure" Lisa replied sarcastically
Carla watched as Lisa's grimiced to a head twinge.
"How's your head?" Carla asked
"Nothing a wetwipe and a couple of paracetamol wouldn't sort out" Lisa dismissed
"Well I feel like I've been stood on by a baby elephant and I'm pretty confident this hand is going to be out of action for a few weeks"
She watched Lisa turn a funny shade of red and felt her own face get hot, clearly realising what Lisa had been thinking about.
Lisa cleared her throat awkwardly.
She decided to ignore any awkwardness and removed the ice pack the triage nurse gave her to observe the swelling, her knuckles were turning different shades of blue.
"Why did you get out of the car Carla? When I told you not to!" Lisa asked finally sounding annoyed.
"I was worried about you" Carla answered honestly.
"You were pretty much wondering around in that dark park on your own with no back up, anything could have happend to you"
"It's my job Carla!"
"Being a police officer doesn't make you immune to being attacked" she spoke angrily back, both trying to keep their voices low so the other patients waiting couldnt hear them.
An old couple stared over at them disapprovingly.
"So, let me get this right, in your wisdom you thought that two of us wondering around the park at risk of being attacked was a better option?" Lisa asked
"I was tracking you on my phone, I thought I'd find you pretty quickly to be honest"
"Why?"
"Safety in numbers and... Kit specifically said not to go alone"
"Well Kit is my subordinate and should learn his place, and when I said why, I didn't mean that!, I was refering to why did you come after me?"
Carla looked at Lisa for a short while, her pretty lips and eyes, she was beautiful even with dry blood caked down her hair and face.
"Because I care about you, you're my best friend, I dont want anything to happen to you like that"
'is that the only reason?" Lisa pushed.
"Yes!" Carla said determinedly
There was a tension between them, Lisa looking thoughtful, while she felt like her feelings were being interrogated.
"Look Lisa, I can't give you anything more than friends, you know that, I mean I'm not even, that way inclined for starters"
(That probably sounded worse than she had intended)
"Wow!!" Lisa said looking at her shocked
"Did I actually just hear you say that?!"
"I didn't mean ...."
Lisa cut her off a curt whisper, lips barely moving.
"You didnt seem all that straight when you were asking me to sit on your face the other day Carla!"
It made Carlas tummy turn over, she couldn't decide if it was in a good or bad way.
(There was no denying she enjoyed Lisa that way)
She heard her name being called which interrupted the tension.
Lisa looked furious, she hadn't actually meant the comment in that way, she was just trying to explain that she wasn't up for a relationship. Not after how it turned out with Peter.
She tried to stand, feeling a sharp pain and slumping back in the chair.
"I guess I better come with you!" Lisa spat, standing to pull her wheels, unclipping the break with her foot.
They didn't speak for the next two hours, other than being polite and to share a sandwich which was dinner,
They didn't speak anyway until Carla was eventually told she was free to go home, sporting some severely bruised ribs and fractured fingers and it dawned on her she could barely do anything, she would have to go home with Lisa.
Chapter 13: Chapter 13
Chapter Text
Lisa helped Carla through her front door and onto her sofa in the lounge
The painkillers had helped a little with the pain but generally Carla was pretty useless.
To top it off, the way the nurse had bandaged her hand had made it look like she had lost a fight with a roll of cling film.
She had argued with Lisa, feeling embarrassed and asking to be dropped back at her flat, claiming she could manage alone but her lack of ability to even open the taxi door outside the hospital had been all the proof Lisa needed to bring her home.
Carla had pleaded her case, said she could ask Roy over to help her at least until Ryan came home in a few days,
but in the end Lisa had insisted she stay at hers for a couple of days instead and then both her and Betsy could help look after her.
It was really late by the time they got back and as they were still barely speaking after the argument in the hospital, Lisa quietly went upstairs and made up the spare room, finding Carla some pyjamas, a towel and spare toothbrush.
Carla winced up the stairs before finally struggling out of her clothes with only one hand and a shed load of pain.
Lisa had checked in on her after twenty minutes and an ongoing range of expletives coming from the spare room, and ended up having to offer to help her get dressed.
It wasn't like Lisa hadn't seen it all before anyway.
Lisa had probably licked, sucked and kissed every inch of her upper torso before now
(That thought sent a shot of familiar arousal through her body)
She looked away respectfully though as she helped Carla remove her bra.
"Can I get you anything else?" Lisa asked curtly pulling down the t-shirt to cover Carla,
Carla sat down on the bed examining her ridiculously bandaged hand and shaking her head,
"Maybe just the painkillers, for in the night, I can't imagine I'm going to sleep well"
Lisa nodded,
"I'll get them and some water so you don't have to wonder around downstairs at 1am again"
It was a callback to the night they had kissed, Lisa had found her in the kitchen and lifted her onto the kitchen worktop.
(How she wished they were back there again before Lisa's slip up)
Lisa went to leave the spare room, and Carla could hear Betsy's television humming in the room next door. She watched Lisa return, her hands full with the water and pills.
She needed to break this tension, Lisa occasionally side eyeing her angrily was getting too much on top of dealing with aching ribs and sore fingers.
"Lisa I'm sorry for what I said in the hospital" she said quietly
"Right" Lisa said dismissively
Carla lowered her voice aware Betsy was next door.
"It wasn't meant to be about.... sexuality, I was just trying to explain that I don't want....im not in a place for a relationship like this"
"A relationship like what Carla? With a woman you mean!" Lisa was still obviously angry
Carla sat stunned huffing slightly.
"No! An intense relationship with anyone Lisa!"
Lisa seemed to see red at that but managed to keep her response to a low annoyed hiss.
"Do you know what!?... I knew I shouldn't have got involved with a straight woman... it's like rule 101 of being gay. I learned that lesson when I was like 20 and yet I still went there like an idiot 26 years later!"
Carla remained quiet unsure of how to challenge that. She could feel her own blush creeping up her cheeks
"I mean clearly that is all I am to you? A dabble, an experiment right?"
(That notion she would defend)
"No of course not, you're my best friend and I told you exactly what it was about when we started it"
"Just two friends, making each other feel good, because we could and wanted to!" Carla replied
"Yeah well, what you said at the hospital didn't make me feel good Carla, in fact it made me feel like your dirty little secret"
Lisa spat keeping her voice low below the volume of Betsy's TV in the room next door.
It sounded like love island, or maybe MAFS.
People arguing over superficial relationship problems while here her and Lisa were in the room next door having their own real life relationship dilemma.
Carla could see tears had formed in Lisa's eyes, she hadnt meant to hurt her, she knew Lisa was fragile and she also knew Lisa wasn't in the market for a relationship, so why was she fucking this up so badly.
"I'm so sorry!" She said genuinely,
going to stand for a hug and deciding to stay put because of her ribs twinging and Lisa's stance which suggested she didn't want Carla to invade her personal space
"Look Lisa, I am so attracted to you, for obvious reasons, I mean look at you" she raised her good arm at Lisa as if to showcase her point
"And ok yes maybe I am a 'tourist' or bi curious, or just bloody confused at the ripe old age of nearly 50 but..... the you and me thing!....I just want you to know that I have never felt embarrassed or ashamed of it"
"In fact, the part I actually quite like the most about it, is that you are in fact a woman" she admitted honestly voice trailing off.
Lisa bit her lip thoughtfully, a long silence and Carla knew exactly why Lisa was probably so good at interviewing suspects as she squirmed herself in Lisa's quiet
"Lisa, I just!....you spooked me that's all, after Peter and that mess, plus five failed marriages and a shed load of trauma, I just don't want anything heavy with anyone and those words you said, they terrified me"
Lisa finally spoke,
"Look Carla, we both need some rest, try and get comfy and I'll bring another pillow in for you"
She climbed awkwardly into bed trying to arrange the pillows to get into a comfy position, knowing Lisa probably needed to process what she had just said.
Lisa returned with another pillow
"Thought this might help" she explained tucking it up next to Carla to prop her up a little.
"Thank you"
"Yeah well I feel part responsible for this, I should have known you were far too stubborn to stay in the car"
"Yeah well don't, if you truly knew me you would know that trouble just follows me everywhere, like a lost puppy"
"Well I'm glad we found him in time, it could have been really nasty" Lisa said quietly
They said goodnight and Lisa offered to turn off Carla's lamp to save her stretching over.
"You'll shout if you need anything won't you?"
Carla nodded in the dark, she desperately wanted Lisa not to go, to just climb in to the bed next to her and hold her but after the last ten minutes of conversation it was far too messy to ask.
(So here they were again, seperate needs and separate beds)
__
Of course the nightmares would come, the park experience had brought back all sorts of past trauma from the little compartments in her brain that she had firmly slotted away. Plus she was alone, in pain, and in a strange bed.
She didn't realise her nightmares were so loud though, not until Lisa shook her gently awake, leaning over her concerned.
"Carla, shhhh it's ok, it's just a nightmare" Lisa soothed firmly
The other woman's warmth and smell bringing her comfort, she could see Betsy's sillouette in the doorway from the landing, she had clearly woken them both.
"Sorry, did I wake you both?" Her voice gravely, slightly disorientated.
Lisa scanned over her face, clearly noticing her wet cheeks
"Go back to bed Betsy, she's ok, I'll stay with her for a little bit"
Betsy looked worried for a moment, unsure she should leave, before she turned on her heel and stalked back to bed
"Bad dream about tonight?" Lisa asked gently, combing Carla's hair back.
"Yes, sorry was I shouting out?"
"A bit" Lisa studied her in the dark " you scared us"
They stared at each other in the dark.
"Carla?" Lisa said tentatively
"He didn’t hurt you, did he? I mean other than physically?...you know before we got there?"
Lisa had been there in the back of the police car when she had recorded her initial statement of what happened to the police officer.
She knew nothing like that had happened, so it begged the question, what had Carla been shouting out in her sleep to make Lisa question it.
Carla gave out a shaky laugh.
"Only my pride, but thank you for waking me, sorry for scaring you and Betsy"
"Well it's understandable, you had a big scare tonight"
"Him!! He didnt scare me! I’ve had scarier breakfasts than him"
She tried for bravado but Lisa looked at her knowingly, her head tipping to the side as a warning her not to make it insignificant
"Ok...I admit it brought a few things back. Things I’d rather not think about" she whispered quietly playing with the duvet.
Lisa watched her for a moment before she shuffled onto the bed next to Carla, arms going around her carefully.
Carla propped herself up onto Lisa's chest, wincing with the pain in her ribs a little, They half lay half sat in silence, Lisa stroking her head as she listened to Lisa's heartbeat.
"You don’t have to share with me anything. Not unless you want to" Lisa whispered into her hair.
Carla swallowed, she wanted to.
"When he grabbed me, well almost cornered me, it sent me back to a place and time where it had
happened before" Carla paused her breath quivering.
Lisa nodded watching carefully but allowing Carla space.
His name was Frank Foster… he attacked me once in my flat, He was supposed to be my fiance. My business partner. But he turned on me when I tried to break our engagement off"
"I didn’t recognise who he became in that moment but he wasn't the man that I dated and did business deals with, all I know is I didnt try hard enough to fight him off, and it left a mark, you know? Not one you can see"
She could hear Lisa trying to control her breathing, swallowing, remaining calm and quiet against her
"I think that's why I hit him so hard, sheer determination not to let someone defile me in that way again"
She felt a tear but it wasn't hers,
"Carla… I’m so sorry" Lisa said softly, "how old were you when it happened?"
"I'd just turned 36"
Carla replied staring across the darkness of the room
" No one has the right to ever put you through something like that"
Carla sardonically laughed,
"That’s not even the whole mess of my life, before him, my second husband Tony Gordon, held me hostage in the factory after escaping prison for murdering someone I loved, tied me up, threatened to kill me, Men with power issues seem to be my specialty, apparently I seem to attract them!!"
Lisa pulled her tighter into the hug, not too tight obviously aware of her sore ribs.
"And you survived all of them, and you are still the strongest woman I know" Lisa replied
Carla hummed at the compliment, then it dawned on her that she might have said stuff in her nightmare, things she didn't share often.
"What was I shouting out? What scared you both? Betsy looked horrified?" Carla asked concerned, her voice hitched
"Shhhh it doesnt matter, What's important is that you are safe here with me and Betsy now"
They remained in a hug in the silent room for a few moments before Carla spoke.
"Lisa, are we ok?!" Carla asked quietly looking at her in the dark
"Yes!"
"Do you honestly think I'd have made you stay here, if we weren't"
"even though you're bloody infuriating sometimes!" She added
The comment made Carla feel choked up inside,
Lisa really was a beautiful soul, She would make a loving and loyal partner,
(Loving and loyal, everything Peter and Paul and Tony and Frank had never been)
"Will you stay with me" she suddenly asked
She felt terrible for asking after how she had reacted that day in the flat when Lisa blurted out those three little words
Lisa looked at her before standing and pulling back the covers then sliding in next to her. The warm press of Lisa's body against her felt so comforting again.
"Always" Lisa whispered "I'm not going anywhere" she whispered into her hair
They lay like this for sometime, together, Lisa holding her, Carla's mind whirring around and her ribs aching.
Lisa affectionatly spooning her and stroking her until she eventually fell asleep feeling safe.
__
She didn't want to move when she woke, Lisa was curled around her gently, warm and pliant and Carla realised how much she had missed the other woman's closeness in the last week.
A warmth radiated off her body making Carla feel calm and content after the nights trauma,
Lisa's smell was intoxicating, it felt familiar like home, it made her want to press her nose into her hair or neck. She missed kissing those lips too.
(She could actually fall in love with this woman if things were different)
She had pins and needles in her bandaged hand and it was this that had woken her as she carefully flexed her knuckles and fingers to stop the tingling.
Lisa sighed against her, feeling her movements and stirred slowly, stretching as their eyes met.
"You ok? How you feeling" She asked from the pillow.
the look made Carla feel a little ashamed after Lisa had to wake her from a nightmare, plus the decision to enter the park in the first place, not her finest hour.
"Sore and a bit embarrassed"
"Please don't be!" Lisa simply said
She wanted to lean in and kiss her and Lisa looked like she was thinking the same as they stared at each other for a minute.
"How's you head?" She asked stroking back strands of hair that were sticking slightly to the cut that had been taped with thin steri strips on Lisas temple
"Fine, its just a scratch"
Lisa blushed a little at Carla's soft touches to her hair and looked around the room for a distraction and then stretched.
"I should probably get up, before Betsy sees us in here and asks too many questions"
(Betsy must be blind if she hasn't sussed them out yet)
"I'll make us some coffee & breakfast, do you want a shower or anything, a bath"
"Why?? do I smell?" Carla asked almost sniffing the air around her.
Lisa grinned
"No but I thought you would appreciate it and might need some help, I can run you one"
Carla held up her bandaged fingers and knuckles
"What about this monstrosity"
Carla had already made it known to Lisa several times in the hospital that she didnt appreciate the bandages the nurse had strapped about her hand.
"Take them off, I'll re-strap your fingers afterwards, and I'll do a better job than that!"
Lisa pointed at it smiling
"Well those over worked and underpaid NHS staff have got to get their laughs in somewhere havent they" Carla replied holding her hand up to make a point
Lisa giggled again and it sounded beautiful it made her laugh too, much to her regret when her ribs throbbed.
"Ouch that hurt" she winced clutching her ribs and reaching over for the pain killers
"I'll run you a bath" Lisa smiled
Carla watched her retreat feeling suddenly lighter.
__
Carla remained at the Swains for a couple of days,
Betsy didn't question it when Lisa explained there was no one at the flat to help Carla recover and she had kindly put them up when the pipe burst in their house.
There was no denying it had been hard for Carla though
She felt conflicted,
Being so close to Lisa, being cared for by her, cooked for, having Lisa offer to wash her hair in the bath, run and fetch clothes and toiletries from the flat for her. Lisa had even kindly picked her work laptop so she could make some calls and oversee the factory.
It has been domestic, like a couple, and it worked and Carla thought it was everything she was avoiding but yet she was drawn in to it and it made her feel insane.
Lisa had lovingly strapped her fingers up with some tape from her police issue first aid kit that she had in the back of her car and had honestly made a much better job of it.
She had re strapped them a few times actually and each time she did it, it felt so intimate, all of it was all so intimate between them.
Just like what a loving partner would do, accept they weren't loving partners, they were mates at best and mates that had probably seen or touched a bit too much of each other than she would care to admit to others.
Yet when Carla's ribs started to feel considerably better over the next day, bruises aside she found herself not disclosing that to Lisa, she didn't want to burst the bubble and go home, she didn't disclose that she could sit and lay more comfortably.
She probably needed to think about going home but she resolved to stick around for just one more night with Lisa.
(If she went home, she'd have no idea where they stand as friends or lovers)
Even though she knew the night would be torture again, as Lisa opted to sleep in her own room again now.
(She missed being held by her, touched, kissed)
They sat on the sofa, Lisa had cooked a pasta dish and Betsy had gone out to stay at a mates after they all ate, they opted to watch a film. Carla still on the strong pain relief although feeling better.
They had kept a respectable distance, but it was inevitable they would drift together and part way through the film Carla found she was pressed up to Lisa's side and was reaching to play with her hair.
Lisa looked at her as she felt the tickle of fingers against her own blonde tendrils.
"Don't Carla" she breathed out barely a whisper.
Carla felt the intensity of them in that room then, it consumed her as inner desire drove her.
"Don't what?"
She asked eyes scanning Lisa's lips and face. Making it clear what she wanted.
"Don't play with me!" Lisa said quietly
She closed her eyes and let out a long breath, trying to control what was happening here
(She didn't know what was happening anymore)
When she opened her eyes, Lisa was looking at her, face close, eyes dark and questioning, she deserved an explanation
"The problem is Lisa, I still want you!"
The words seemed to drop into the room and echo around them and Carla wanted to take the sounds back as Lisa gasped
Lisa opted not to speak,
She pressed her lips on Carla and Carla melted completely into it ,hands moving to thread fingers through Lisa's hair as she deepend the kiss and pressed her tongue in.
Lisa hummed straight into it. That delightful but familiar noise from her that sent small shockwaves between her legs, she wanted her, she wanted her on this sofa now.
Carla ignored the dull throb of her ribs as she straddled over Lisa's lap.
Ignoring the film, ignoring the pain, eager just to ravage Lisa on the sofa right now, rock them both to orgasmic oblivion and forget all the drama of the last week.
(It was so good until last week, but they could move past that)
"Woh, you ok?" Lisa pulled back at Carla's hiss as her ribs twinged.
"I will be fine, but I do need you to take me up to your bed right now"
She leaned back in, seeking lips again, fingers seeking Lisa's breasts above a chorded green hoody she was wearing.
They didnt hear the front door bang, over Lisa's long whimper
or the footsteps skipping quickly into the lounge as she ground down into the other woman
"You have got to be kidding me!!!"
Carla sprang back off Lisa at the sound of the familiar teens voice
Lisa's head whiped around
"Betsy!!"
Betsy stood staring dumbfounded, gob wide open at the shock of the scene on front of her.
The silence consuming the three of them for a minute before Betsy turned to answer
"Please tell me this is not actually happening! You two are shagging?
"Betsy" Lisa almost chastised, clearly mortified, embarrassed her daughter had caught her out with her boss
"Oh my god, this is gross, I knew you were both being weird"
Lisa sat in shock so Carla spoke
"I can imagine what you are thinking Betsy but..."
"Don't you dare speak to me!" Betsy cut off
"Mum!? I can't believe you would do this, betray mum with her?!!
The echo of the front door slamming was all that remained between her and Lisa in the room after that.
Chapter 14: Chapter 14
Summary:
Apologies this has taken so long to update
For anyone that's not lost interest, hope you enjoy
Chapter Text
The silence was deafening, the banging of the front door still echoing around the room, even the TV seemed quiet.
Lisa didn't move off the sofa, maybe it was the shock of what had just happened, but she looked mortified by it. Carla felt her own embarrassment too.
(Caught out like a pair of teenages by Lisa's daughter)
"Maybe one of us should go after her" Carla tried breaking the silence.
Lisa sighed,
"There's no point, she won't listen, not when she's like this"
Carla looked at Lisa defeated,
"Well one of us should at least try?! you know, find her, go and explain"
Lisa's head snapped up to look at Carla clearly annoyed.
"What exactly are you going to explain to her Carla?"
Lisa's voice raised in pitch and volume as she stood to make her point
"Oh sorry Bets, I forgot to mention... me and your mum, we casually shag each other" Lisa said in a mocking tone.
She watched Lisa place fingers and thumb on her temple as though she had a tension headache
"this is exactly what I was trying to avoid" Lisa grumbled quietly.
Carla winced at the words, they weren't particularly harsh but she could hear the resentment in Lisa's voice.
She decided maybe it was best to just keep quiet, let Lisa process it for a moment.
"I mean, she was supposed to be staying at Sabrina's, what the hell was she even doing back here!" Lisa sighed defeated.
Carla couldnt sit back quiet for long though, she needed to take action.
"I'll go after her, give me your keys?" Carla finally asked standing
"No Carla, You can't drive, not injured"
"Ey give over! I'll be fine Lise, besides I can hardly run after her can I? give me your keys!?"
She held out her hand again for Lisa to hand them over.
Lisa reluctantly walked over to the sideboard and picked them up.
"She won't listen! and even if she did! what on earth are you going to say to her?"
"Well you are right, she probably won't listen, but I can try. Maybe let her take all her anger out on me"
Lisa looked at her slightly puzzled
"Well 'this' you and me, it was my suggestion wasn't it" Carla explained flapping her good hand between the two of them.
Carla pulled her boots and coat on, wincing slightly at the bend and ramming her feet in uncomfortably.
She went and got into the car on the driveway, Lisa stood watching, arms crossed over herself protectively from the bay window.
she had never driven Lisa's car before but found it relatively easy and comfortable to drive.
(Everything about Lisa, her home and life was easy and comfortable)
After several minutes of scouring the local streets, she found Betsy,
The teen was storming down the road three streets away,
Carla slowly pulled up alongside her, lowering the automatic window.
"Betsy!"
Betsy's clearly heard her but carried on walking anyway.
"please get in the car so we can talk?" Carla pleaded
Betsy slammed her hands in her pockets, jaw set, increasing her pace
"I'm going back to Sabrina's" Betsy spat and Carla lightly pressed the accelerator to keep up alongside her
"Oh come on Betsy!! please?" Carla tried again, shouting through the window.
"I've nothing to say to you!" Betsy dismissed
(Nothing)
"Ok! Look how about you just let me give you a lift then, it's freezing out here?"
Betsy stopped and turned, looking up and down the street for an option before sighing in defeat, grumbling and yanking the door open to the car, slumping in the passenger side.
Betsy choosing a warm chauffeur service over her own morals
(a girl from her own heart)
Carla waited for her to belt up, before slowly setting off again
"Where am I taking you?" Carla asked not wanting to push too hard
"The Blossom Hill estate" Betsy replied arms folded over her chest defensively
"Wow That's a pretty swanky estate" Carla replied knowing of it, it was about a mile away.
The noise of the car engine rumbled between them in the silence, Betsy clearly not up for small talk.
She eventually spoke,
"Yeah, well Sabrina's parents are some high flying lawyers, they can afford it"
Carla nodded as they drove along in silence for a short time longer, weaving through the residential area
She needed to break the ice, establish what Betsy was thinking and feeling towards her mum. For Carla, sustaining their relationship was priority here, she knew how important it was to Lisa.
"A bit different from the shit hole of an estate I grew up on, my mum was the local bike and resident drug addict"
"Yeah, you said" Betsy dismissed looking out of the passenger window. Trying to show disinterest.
Carla tried again,
"You know it's funny, I still loved her....my mum I mean... even after all the things she didn't do for us as kids"
Betsy sighed
(Lots of Swain sighs for Carla to deal with tonight)
"weird ain't it, how you can still forgive and love someone that lets you down"
That last bit did it,
Betsy seemed to snap out of her nonchalance.
"Look, I know what you're doing, and if it's to make me feel guilty about giving mum a hard time then don't bother"
Carla, held her breath and drove quietly for a minute, deciding to back down, at least she had Betsy in the car safe and talking to her somewhat.
"Why did you come back to the house?" Carla asked quietly
"Why? are you pissed off that I interrupted your little hook up"
"No....I..." Carla stuttered for a bit, speechless for once.
Betsy took pity on her.
"If you must know I walked back because I forgot my headphones and I need them tomorrow"
Betsy must have suddenly had a thought as she snapped open the glove box and looked gleeful, as she spotted some ear buds in there, ones that Lisa kept there when going to the gym,
Betsy snatched them up triumphantly.
Carla half watching her eyes straying from the road
"Arent they your mum's?" Carla asked
"Yup!"
"Shouldn't you ask permission?"
"What?! Like she asked mu permission to move on from mum and start sleeping with you"
(Ouch!)
Carla took a breath
"Look! about that Betsy"
Betsy rolled her eyes,
"Please don't be so hard on your mum, if you're going to be angry at anyone, then blame me"
Betsy looked over at her as she slowly turned another corner into the destination. They were in the posh estate now.
"Why? When I knew she fancied you ages ago!"
"It's been pretty pathetic watching her drool all over you everytime she came into the factory pretending to check up on me"
(Well that confirmed that then, Lisa did have a long term crush on her too)
Carla wasn't quite sure where to place that information, right now in some respects it made her feel giddy.
"It must have been a shock for you, seeing us like that?" Carla tried her voice light and careful, Betsy ignore answering through, interrupting with her own question.
"Do you love her?"
It came completely out of leftfield and Carla nearly turned the wheel of the car into the curb,
she opted to pull up safely to allow her to compose herself, unsure how to answer.
"....well......love....its a big thing Betsy!!"
"So it's just sex between you then?" Betsy interrupted again
Carla sat stunned, mouth open, age probability looked like a fish, Betsy didn't pull her punches.
"It's number 60, on the right" Betsy said, pointing to the house down the road breaking the awkward silence.
Carla drive slowly outside of it.
"Betsy please listen!"
Betsy held the door handle as she stopped, looking ready to run, but she listened anyway.
"Me and your mum, it's complicated"
"I care about her a hell of a lot, she's my best friend"
Carla took a breath, almost huffed the air out.
"I honestly actually don't know what we are but...Her priority is always going to be you ok?"
Betsy nodded, still not looking convinced
"You won't be too hard on her about it, will you?"
"Tell her I'll be home after college on Monday" Betsy replied, slamming the car door.
___
When Carla returned she found Lisa on the sofa, sat in silence, tear streaked face.
She looked small and vulnerable and Carla just wanted to wrap her up and hold her.
When it came to Lisa's daughter she was undoubtedly her achilles heal.
"Where is she?" Lisa asked "did you find her?"
Carla moved over to the sofa sitting and offering her arm,
Lisa looked at it before accepting the hug,
"That bad!" She commented
"Shes staying at Sabrina's until college on Monday, I just dropped her off" Carla confirmed answering Lisa's question.
She watched Lisa search her face for more,
"And?"
"Well she is definitely pissed at us!"
Lisa sighed "What did she say?"
"Not a lot, she just asked if it was serious between us and she seemed pretty angry about...."
(Maybe now not the time to mention the dead wife's name with Lisa clearly upset)
"About Becky!" Lisa filled the blanks anyway, placing her hand back to her forehead.
"I shouldn't have let this happen" Lisa chastised herself.
"You have the right to move on with your life Lisa!" Carla reasoned rubbing Lisa's shoulder and pulling her in to her body closer for comfort.
Lisa didn't make eye contact instead chosing to just stare absently across the room,
Carla noted how she often played with her fingers anxiously when feeling disregulated.
"Look there is nothing much more we can do now tonight, we know that she's safe"
Still nothing,
"It's late, how about we go to bed"
Lisa's nearly got whiplash as her head snapped up to look at Carla
" I hardly think that's a good idea right now do you?" Lisa accused her voice high pitched.
Carla, softened and sighed herself.
"Lisa I didn't mean for that!" She whispered quietly, tangling her fingers into Lisa's hair.
"You're clearly upset, come on. Let's go upstairs and I'll cuddle you"
Lisa blinked at her blankly several times
"if you'll let me?" Carla soothed again, voice all croaky but soft
Lisa seem to agree willingly as within twenty minutes they were both tucked up in Lisa's double bed, Carla wearing another pair of borrowed pyjama bottoms and t-shirt.
She really needed to go home tomorrow plus the ribs were more than recovering now apart from the odd twinge.
Her fingers were still strapped together with Lisa's tape and a little bruised but she could move them more.
Carla flicked the light off and shuffled herself up to Lisa under the duvet. She pulled her in to spoon her, sliding an arm underneath the other women and pulling her in either side then slotting her legs behind Lisa's.
Lisa didn't resist her at all, pushing her bum back against Carla and she almost hummed into the feel of it but deciding to hold the noise back. Carla couldn't help but press her nose up to Lisa's hair, smelling her shampoo.
They lay like this for some time. Just breathing against each other feeling each other's hearts beating under the soft covers.
Finally, Lisa spoke again in the dark.
"What did Betsy actually say to you? I know there's more?" She asked.
Carla took a deep inhale, she couldn't lie to Lisa, she wouldn't.
(Maybe she would lie to herself, but not Lisa)
"She asked if we were serious and she also asked me if I was in love with you....or if.... we were just.....if it was just sex between us!" Carla admitted
She felt Lisa stiffen slightly against her.
"And, what did you say?" Lisa asked It came out as a whisper, like she was scared of the answer but couldn't resist asking anyway.
"I just told her that it was more complicated than just that, but that I care for you deeply as a friend"
Lisa didn't move or comment.
"I also told her that I hadn't really thought that much about it"
She felt Lisa nod but remain quiet.
It was a half truth, her and Lisa had talked about it. Well Lisa definitely knew Carla's stance on it all and what she thought of them as a couple anyway. But maybe Carla was still in denial about more.
Carla held her breath in anticipation of what was to come, she could feel a response bubbling up from the other woman's body.
Then it came,
"This has probably got to stop Carla" Lisa suddenly said with finality.
Carla didn't respond, didn't move just swallowed.
"This thing, whatever it is,? It's got to stop. For all of us" Lisa spoke again, her voice shaky
Carla couldn't describe the feeling, but there was a sudden creep of disappointment that danced up from her stomach and into her chest like she was losing out on something precious. Like a child not selected for a reward.
(They had almost got back on track tonight after the disaster last week)
She still held Lisa tight against her though, and Lisa let her.
After a few seconds she felt herself nodding against Lisa's back. She was sure that Lisa sensed the silent agreement as she let out a breath she was holding.
"I agree, if that is what's for the best"
She finally spoke the words but they got stuck in her throat.
She didn't agree at all really but she had to support Lisa and Betsy, she cared about them, she always had.
Another response came, a question actually that sat inside her head itching to get out of her mouth.
She knew she shouldn't ask it, but she had to, it was an idea waiting to be rejected by Lisa.
Dipping her head towards Lisa's hairline near her ear the words sultry as she spoke them.
"You are completely right, we should probably end this...
"But" Lisa replied in anticipation of Carlas caveat.
"...could I just have you tonight? Carla asked quietly and innocently in Lisa's ear.
Lisa's physical reaction was obvious, a gasp
"Just one more time?" She asked again.
The words as they had a desired effect,
Lisa didn't say anything, just quicky turned in Carla's arms, looking at her
"A goodbye fuck?" Lisa asked her voice sounding strained
(Wow! Just wow! ever the blunt detective!!)
"Well it's not really goodbye is it, if we are still best friends" she replied sarcastically
"...and lucky me! Getting stuck with you every day, and your 'unique' personality quirks" she joked
"My personality quirks!" Lisa said affronted but Carla could tell she was mocking her again,
"that's rich from the women who mostly reminds me of how patient I can be with people who exhaust me." Lisa giggled at her in the dark,
Carla couldn't help but smile back.
it had been a while since she had seen laughing and smiling Lisa and she missed her, she really was beautiful.
Her eyes watched Lisa's mouth before gradually scanning up her face and as Lisa eyes looked black before her mouth found Carla's.
The rest of Lisa quickly shuffled over in her arms as they kissed
She poured everything into kissing her back.
Lisa's hands started making light work of her t-shirt. Yanking it up over her head, Lips barely leaving hers as the shirt passed her face.
She groaned into the feel of Lisa's fingers across one of her nipples, stroking lightly on the hard nub with the pad of her thumb.
Fuck it felt good again and she tugged on the other woman's bed clothes pulling them all off too, quicky wanting the feel of complete skin on skin. Lisa warm and pliant against her.
She also wanted to make this last. If it was going to be her last chance to enjoy this she didn't want quick and fast, or hard and passionate. She wanted to take her time, commit every part of it to memory, slowly and sweetly.
so she pushed Lisa back against the bed, pinning the small blonde down into the mattress with her own body.
She put more effort into her kiss, slowly, seductively almost slowing Lisa down. Her tongue lacing itself around Lisa's mouth as Lisa gave a vibrating groan against her in appreciation of it.
Carla lifted her thigh to press it between Lisa's legs, knowing exactly where she would want the pressure and feeling the warm heat enemate from the woman's centre.
Lisa was always ready for her,
Carla grabbed at Lisa's buttocks with her good hand, pulling her thick hips in, digging in fingernails. It gave her ample opportunity to apply more pressure, steadily encouraging Lisa against her thigh.
She made mental notes on all of it, the subtle rock of Lisa's hips against her and the tight little whimpers and groans she already made,
Lisa moved eagerly and fluidly and Carla revealed in the response she elicited out of this little blonde beauty.
It was addictive, it all was, she was,
The taste of Lisa's tongue on her mouth which was uniquely her. The way she would gently bite or suck on Carla's bottom lip as Carlas hands pressed on her body in different places.
The smell of Lisa, her skin, particularly when she was aroused, Carla reveled in rubbing a nose against her to take in her pheromones
The touch, the softness of her skin and hair and the way she could still feel the rippling muscles of Lisa's compact form moving underneath the softness.
The truth was, she had never really been so in tune with a sexual partner before. Maybe this was what it meant to be with a woman, maybe this is what it meant to be with Lisa.
Maybe it was time for Carla to acknowledge this was maybe something more for her.
But not right now.
Carla's dominant hand was strapped, so she moved down Lisa's torso with her mouth and lips instead, swirling her tongue against hard pink buds pulling another groan from the woman, Lisa's back arching off the bed at the touch.
She looked up at her, from under her eyelashes her own hair falling around her face as she flipped it back out of the way, Lisa's eyes darkening at the movement made by Carla.
They stared at each other for a moment before Carla spoke
"How would you like me to make you come darling?" She asked.
The question made Lisa huff in frustration, like there was too many choices. Or maybe it was the affectionate term she used.
So she pressed on
"With my fingers?"
Lisa stared her down not moving
"Or with my mouth?"
Lisa nodded eagerly to that
"You know that I love that" she breathed out placing the crook of her elbow over her forehead almost to hide her face.
Carla continued her exploration towards Lisa's warm wet heat, slowly kissing around the apex between her legs.
She wanted Lisa to tell her,
"Would you like my fingers inside you too" she whispered against her.
Lisa shuddered and groaned hips coming off the bed with n anticipation.
"Your injured" Lisa huffed out.
Carla smirked
"I still have one good hand" she tickled the fingers around Lisas entrance treasing and Lisa jolted before rocking her hips. the movement almost forcing Carla's waiting fingers inside her.
It made Carla gasp slightly, but she pressed in two, before carefully adding another.
"Fuck Carla" Lisa whimpered
Carla licked a long flat strip against Lisa, enjoying the taste of her arousal. Repeating it three or four times,
Her bandaged hand pressing down flat against Lisa stomach to hold her now erratic hip movements
"Calm down beautiful" she soothed against Lisa's core a smirk against her own lips. She delighted in the reaction she could elicit from the woman, watching her writhe from below
Lisa shuddered,
Carla didn't want it to end.
Carla took pity on Lisa though and applied a kiss against her as her good fingers carried on seeking out her soft inner walls pressing in long and straight motion. Working her up gradually and deliberately.
She felt Lisa's eager hand press on the back of her head, trying to create more pressure more resistance from Carla's mouth but Carla pressed back blowing and teasing lightly instead.
"Oh my god Carla, please don't tease!"
Carla gave in, her own arousal threatening to ruin her as she pressed her own thighs into Lisa's bed
She began kissing, licking and sucking harder, fingers starting to press and push in and out of her more vigorously.
A sudden cacophony of sound emerged out of the woman, as her hips pushed off the bed.
It came fast and intense but it was so beautifully hypnotic she didnt care how quicky it took them both by suprise.
Lisa's strained cries in the dark, as Carla took her through every last wave of it, drawing it out for as long as she could, until she was limp on the bed, breathless and wrecked underneath her.
They lay still for a min panting, Lisa's fingers playing with Carla's hair lightly as she stared at the ceiling.
Carla soon smoothly kissed her way back up Lisa's body, finally face to face with green eyes.
Lisa looked somewhat blissed out, her eyes lids heavy her lips and cheeks red, but she also looked sorry, regretful, a sadness lingered behind her eyes and Carla wanted to kiss it away.
"You ok?" She heard herself whisper as she hovered over the other woman.
Lisa nodded, unsure as they lay still panting at each other in the dark, just staring.
Unsure what this meant or where to take it.
Then she felt Lisas fingers ticking her tummy, seeking her waistband, taking no time to linger, as she pressed the pads of her fingers down into Carla's wetness.
She groaned at the contact and so did Lisa, well a gasp really
"Has fucking me with your mouth really just made you this wet?" It felt teasing but probing also, curious from the detective
"You know that it has" she brazened it out, scared to be pulled into whatever Lisa was implying.
She didn't think too much as Lisa suddenly pressed two fingers inside her, inside the pyjama pants, elastic now straining at her waist.
Carla rocked her hips on to them though, seeking depth and moaning heavily almost sitting up above Lisa into her fingers.
Lisas eyes darkened again and her pj bottoms quickly came off as they worked together before Carla topped Lisa again, sitting on her waiting fingers, gushing wetness seeping onto lisa as she lay beneath her.
They remained in that position for a min just staring at each other.
Then Carla rocked her hips against Lisa's hand a couple of times so just to test the water gague a reaction.
Lisa clearly approved, eyes dark, lids heavy and lips parted
"Fuck my fingers" the register low, commanding.
Lisa wanted her to perform for her,
So Carla did,
It was pretty much like she did with men, on top, seductively hovering over them, hips rolling and controlling the pleasure.
But this was Lisa, and this is what she had fantasised about with those men. Well one man.
This woman, doing this to her instead.
She could fuck herself into oblivion on top of Lisa like this, knowing Lisa was getting off purely on her pleasure. Not having to worry about who was coming first. It was her
She watched the other womans reaction to it below her, as her hips got faster and she felt Lisa's thumb start to press on her clit with every forward movement and it made her work faster.
Lisa cleverly curling her fingers inside her at the right time.
"Shit, I'm going to come soon if you keep doing that" Carla cried out at her.
Instead she found Lisa's free hand exploring her breasts as that damn thumb started to stroke across her nipple again with purpose.
"Do you want me to come like this, this last time?" She asked, the words barely finding their way out through the huffs and groans
"Yes!" Lisa replied
Raising her hips to meet Carla, pressing in deeper, thumb harder.
That sent her.
That and the eye contact, she couldn't stop staring at her as her hip thrusts got faster and her, cries louder.
She pulled at Lisa's wrist, trying to make sure she didn't withdraw as wave after wave of pleasure consumed her, walls going tight around Lisas knuckles, fluttering hard.
She felt suspended for a minute before she eventually slumped exhausted, across the other woman.
Lisa stopping any movements of her fingers but remaining inside her.
Lisa's nose and mouth nuzzling at her ear, and in her hair.
"You are beautiful Carla Connor" she whispered
She wanted to make a sarcastic retort, turn it dirty or vulger, make a joke about their last encounter being a 'good un'.
But something else consumed her as she nuzzled into the other woman,
almost shivering at the sheen of sweat on her skin. Her ribs twinging in pain, she hadnt noticed that mid flow.
She wanted Lisa close and comforting her. The other woman by her side till morning at least
"Just hold me" Carla whispered
And Lisa did.
Chapter 15: Chapter 15
Chapter Text
Lisa was avoiding her again, it was obvious.
After agreeing that they should continue just as friends, and Carla leaving Lisa's house to go back to her flat the next morning, Lisa had become decidedly distant again.
She wasn't off with Carla as such, but the ongoing excuses about having to work or choosing to spend time with Betsy instead, and the reluctance to be alone with Carla at her flat or in the factory felt blatantly obvious.
Obvious for nearly three whole weeks now.
Carla tried to be patient, act normal, she figured they would get back to some form of normality eventually, her and Lisa often having ups and downs in their friendship, but they always came back to each other in the end. Like magnets.
The truth was that this arrangement had impacted their friendship. Even though she was adamant at the time it wouldn't. Inevitably it had happened, and it appeared to be awkward between them again now.
She missed Lisa's company, their chats and jokes, she wanted her close in other ways too, Carla clearly didn't just want to be just friends with Lisa anymore. She was addicted to her, to being intimate with her.
(That was something Carla was going to have to unpick at some point)
However she was pretty sure she didn't want any kind of romantic relationship either.
When she thought more about it, Carla actually couldn't blame Lisa for keeping her distance.
In reality Carla was an absolute walking red flag. As her friend, If Carla had been giving Lisa advice on exactly this, then she would have told Lisa to turn and run a mile by now.
Lisa also had a lot more to lose than her too where Betsy was concerned. They had both had their hearts broken when Becky left them.
It wasn't just Lisa,
Betsy was distant with Carla too, sulking around the factory and refusing to speak to her unless it was necessary. Rolling her eyes if Carla asked how her mum was doing.
No amount of invites for dinner at the Bistro or a free latte and lunch would buy the time of either Swain woman so she could even start to sort this all out.
(She missed them, she missed Lisa)
Often Carla would find herself hovering over old text messages from Lisa on her phone, considering sending just one, asking the blonde detective for a hook up, another night.
She knew it was wrong, knew it would be badly received, but wanted to try anyway.
She didn't though, she respected Lisa's wishes.
__
As Christmas approached, so did the Underworld Christmas party.
They had, had some eventful ones over the years, some in the factory itself, however nowadays she found it easier to just put some money behind the bar of the Rovers or the Bistro.
Sally and Sarah had organised it this year, opting for a meal followed by drinks and a party at the Bistro, Sarah managing to convince her brother Nick to give them a hire discount if they had it on a quiet night and Ryan had agreed to DJ for a small price but Carla didn't mind helping him out with a bit of extra work.
Carla herself had planned to just pop in for one quick drink,
show her face and offer to buy all the staff a drink, then make her excuses to leave them all to it.
(She would pay for any drunken damages in the morning)
What Carla hadnt banked on however was Sarah agreeing at the very last minute with Kit and Nick that Weatherfield CID could have their own Christmas do there on the same evening, and share the venue after their plans fell through.
She figured if anything was going to keep her staff in check and on their best behaviour, it was probably a shed load of police officers turning up and having their party in the same venue.
That however meant Lisa would be there.
Well if she turned up!
which Carla imagined she would if it meant she had the opportunity to keep tabs on what Betsy was drinking all night.
When Carla arrived, The Bistro was already too warm, too loud, and too festively violent with its decorations.
She had opted to miss the meal and now most of her team were milling around drunk, singing loudly and dancing or cuddled around tables in booths playing drinking games
Underworld’s workforce had populated every corner, but clearly visible were the splattering of police staff.
If Weatherfield’s entire CID had gate-crashed then it was true what they said about police staffing being on its arse.
She stood and observed the scene for a while from the bar.
“wondered when you might show your face” said a voice just behind her.
Carla didn’t have to turn. She knew the voice. Knew the exact warmth of it, the humour curled in the vowels and it sent a tickle down her neck and spine. Her stomach tightened in a way she was growing to like.
“Lisa,” she said, attempting casual and missing by several miles.
“Didn’t realise your lot were working undercover tonight!” she tried to joke.
Lisa stepped up beside her, hands in her trouser pockets.
Lisa nodded toward her colleagues.
“Blame Kit! He insisted this is where our do was happening. Apparently The Dog & Gun didn’t have space for us in the end. ”
“Right,” Carla muttered, pulling a face, the dog and gun was a dive for sure, she had nothing more to add, still annoyed with Lisa.
"Well, it was this or a quiet one in the Rovers, which I would have been happy with but seeing as we are only a team of six, Kit's desire to be around Sarah all night was enough to sway the rest of them and me and Costello lost the vote"
"So it wasn't your desire to be around me then?" Carla replied sardonically, clearly showing she was pissed off now.
Lisa had the good grace to look a bit embarrassed and there was an awkward silence.
"Sorry, I thought some space might be a good idea, after what we decided" she said quietly.
(What she decided, she didn't really have a choice)
“Anyway...."Lisa continued
"It looks tonight like I'm losing my dignity here, in front of your staff, my own daughter...and you....if you're staying a bit?" Lisa said smiling lightly
There it was again, that flicker of warmth Carla tried to ignore, the one she’d last experienced more than several weeks ago when things between them were, whatever that had been at Lisa's.
They stood in silence just long enough for it to be awkward again
The daughter in question Betsy barrelled toward them suddenly, coke in hand and cheeks already rosy from the consumption of something alcoholic.
“oh just great!” she announced, loud enough to draw attention from a near table of Izzy, Fizz and Sean.
“The two of you together. How sweet!”
Carla stiffened. “Betsy We’re not...”
“Speaking?” Betsy supplied interrupting Carla. “I’ve noticed!"
"And now you're both doing that thing where you pretend you’re not avoiding eye contact but actually you both are, urgh get a room.”
Lisa coughed under her breath and Carla scowled, going slightly red as Fizz, Izzy and Sean exchanged knowing looks.
(Great!! tomorrows factory gossip noted)
“right pass that drink over young lady, I want to check it for alcohol” Lisa waded in.
Betsy rolled her eyes, shoving it in Lisa's hand before storming off.
Before Carla could escape the interaction and do some damage control among her troops, Kirk blundered over wearing a Christmas jumper that flashed LED reindeer nipples in perfect synchrony.
“LOOK!” he said proudly. “They light up when I dance Mrs Connor!”
He began to shimmy in front of Carla awkwardly and she watched Lisa struggle to keep a straight face.
Carla suddenly held up a hand like she was stopping traffic.
“No!"
"That’s enough festive trauma for one evening, thank you Kirk”
Lisa choked on a laugh, and a sip of Betsy's drink,
“Kirk, I have to say… that’s possibly the most disturbing Christmas jumper I've ever seen!”
“Was a gift from Beth,” he said defensively walking off in a sulk to his next victims.
"So has it then!?" Carla asked tersely turning to Lisa and pointing at her hand
"Has it what?" Lisa asked puzzled, shaking her head
"Has Betsy's drink got alcohol in it? She asked
Lisa sniffed it,
"I don't think so!"
"Good because I told Nick there would strictly be no underage drinking. I've not I only got my business reputation to think about, I also don't want to give my ex husband any reason to have a go at me"
Lisa looked suddenly horrified.
"Sorry?!.....ex husband? You were married to Nick Tildsley?"
"Only for 30 minutes but apparently according to the law, that still counts" Carla quicky threw out there.
Lisa focused back on the drink
"Well it tastes like coke to me but I've already had more than just a few drinks so maybe....." she shrugged dismissively
"....you've slept with him?!" Lisa's voice a surprised whisper, looking over at the man behind the bar who was squinting at folded napkins.
Carla rolled her eyes not at all impressed by how fresh Lisa actually was, she needed a drink herself to deal with this.
Here she was, spending the last two and a half weeks pining over this woman again and Lisa barely seemed phased by the end of their arrangement.
Carla felt almost agrieved by it.
She grabbed a bottle of the pre-bought wine she had agreed to pay for from a cooler on the bar and an empty glass pouring a large one.
"So what if I did, he was actually a very sweet boyfriend....fiance.... husband....whatever"
She watched Lisa roll her eyes
"And I thought Jamie was bad!" Lisa mocked grabbing a drink too.
Carla could sense the tension in Lisa's spine, she had really started to wise up to Lisa small tells in her body language. She really didn't like the idea of Carla sleeping with someone else.
Carla didn't know whether to take offence or use Lisa's jealousy to her advantage but before she could respond Kit swaggered over, bottle of beer hanging from his long lanky fingers.
Clearly over to wind Lisa up which was his favourite pastime.
“Didnt you two receive the memo about this being a Christmas party?"
He stood by the bar next to Lisa
"You're both bringing the mood down in here, Ryan's gonna resort to playing Everybody hurts by REM in a minute”
Carla spluttered on her wine “We’re fine!”
Lisa nodded fiercely. “Very fine thanks.”
“Mm-hmm,” Kit said, not believing a syllable and raising an eyebrow as he leaned on the bar.
"Might wanna tell that to your faces"
Carla made an excuse at this point to go and interact with staff taking her wine with her and leaving Kit at the bar alone with Lisa.
She was stuck here now with Lisa's eyes tracking her around the room, aware of Kits comment and wondering if others had noticed the tense atmosphere between them.
She should maybe try avoid Lisa for a bit, give her a taste of her own medicine. But she couldn't help but watch the other woman who also seemed to be seeking her out too.
(When did this get so complicated)
Then suddenly, there was someone else appear and Lisa's attention turned.
It was another woman, one Carla hadn't ever seen Lisa with before.
Curly long dark hair, brunette with tanned smooth skin, brilliant white teeth and a slim waist. Taller than Lisa, which wasn't hard but definitely a little too tactile with Lisa for Carla's liking.
She had gravitated over to Lisa between Kit and Betsy and at one point,
Carla caught Lisa laughing at something this imposter had said, her head tossed back, smile bright, enough to warm the bloody room and Carla felt something in her chest twist sharply.
She pretended she hadn’t. But Lisa saw her looking too.
Carla tried to piece together who she was, she counted out and clocked the rest of Lisa's team. DI Costello, her boss, Kit obviously, little Craigy and the female Jess, the two uniformed officers that worked under their team. The sixth team member. This random woman.
She moved around the room and managed to do some not so subtle digging with Sarah who informed her the woman was a new DC on secondment and Lisa was managing her,
Apparently she had arrived two weeks ago and Kit had been complaining to Sarah none stop that Lisa clearly fancied her as he kept getting delegated all the crappy jobs so Lisa could work with her instead on the Gucci stuff
(Two weeks?! no wonder Lisa was always working late, she had a new distraction now)
Carla suddenly felt more annoyed, angry, even jealous.
She simmered quietly in the corner as Sally bored her with stories of her most memorable Christmas pasts in the factory, Carla unable to get her thoughts away from the two women huddled next to each other by the bar shoulder to shoulder.
As the night continued to unfold, everywhere Lisa went, someone conveniently moved aside, nudging Lisa into the same part of the room as this new women.
Her name was Jen apparently,
They had been together now for nearly an hour completely inseparable,
(Not that Carla was timing it much)
So Carla decided to do the only thing she knew how to do best. Flirt with someone.
She could go home instead, ignore it and move on, respect Lisa's wishes or she could Look around the room for an eligible bachelor. If Lisa could drape herself all over somebody then so could she.
The problem was, there was no one, her staff were completely out of the question and that left the police officers, Craig and Kit were a bit go, unless she got to know Costello a bit better?!
he really didn't look the type
So she chose the one person left, the one that Lisa had been annoyed to find out Carla had, had a relationship with.
Nick.
He wasn't an eligible bachelor either, he had Toyah who was working the bar too but she was just collateral damage for Carla's plan at the moment.
(She reasoned she had probably drunk way too much free wine in a short time)
Lisa and Jen had moved into a booth together with Craig and Costello so Carla moved over and pulled a bar stool up next to Nick as he counted cash from the till.
He smiled at her and lifted an open wine bottle offering to fill her glass.
She smirked at him,
"Already counting out all the profit you have made from ripping off me and my staff tonight are you!?" She laughed sarcastically leaning in and He smiled at her closing the till.
"Don't ever change Carla" he smiled affectionatly.
(Well that was easy)
"Join me for a drink?" She asked, trying her luck and patting the bar stool next to her.
He looked over at Toyah who was busy polishing glasses.
"Yeah why not" he smiled coming around the bar and pulling up the stool to face her, sitting close enough.
Her and Lisa had sat here once together. She had gone to hug Lisa that time and Lisa had flinched. Recoiled from her, walked out. Unbeknown to Carla at the time she was injured.
She pushed the memory away, focusing on Nick.
"Dont ever change you say!? What if I already have?" She asked him but it was totally rhetorical.
Carla found herself leaning against the bar, knuckles supporting her head as she watched Lisa across the room as she confiscated a spoon from Craig who was attempting to use it as a microphone, the brunette Jen over exaggerating a giggle at Lisa, looking at her with dopey eyes.
Lisa caught her watching. Their eyes lingered on each other for a moment.
Nick interrupted her thoughts
"Well that's a bit deep and reflective for the Christmas office party" he mocked
"Are you feeling ok?"
She focused in back on him, smiling,
"Guess I just don't know what I am doing with my life, I'm 50 in a few weeks and here I am single and....."
"Having a mid life crisis?" Nick smiled shaking his head at her teasing
"No! actually" she rebuffed looking perplexed
"That's why you are not trying to flirt with 'me' of all people then?" he grinned drinking from his glass.
Carla blushed,
He had actually always been good at grounding her, more than Peter who used to just rile her up. Shame she never really loved Nick enough to make it work.
"We had pretty good chemistry once didn't we?" She asked
She leaned in to him, sipping her drink
"Yeah!" He agreed
"I thought so, I fell hard for you Carla Connor, at the time anyway"
She put a hand on his knee, it was more affection than an advance on him but she knew Lisa wouldnt know that.
"Are you happy with Toyah, Nicolas?" She asked
She hadn't called him that name for some time. Not since they dated
"Yeah actually, I am, we just click, and after Leanne and the whole affair, I realised thats more important than what people think about us being together" he smiled sipping his drink again.
She looked about the room, spotting Lisa again. Lisas eyes locking with hers from over in the booth, she was clearly observing them however 'Jen' was practically sat on her knee now opposite Craig and Jess.
Carla scooted her stool closer to Nick, discreetly
(This was getting silly now, especially as Toyah was milling around the bar with raised brows)
"Could you imagine me in a relationship with a woman?" She suddenly asked Nick randomly
Nick coughed and spluttered his drink
"What? are you feeling ok? A woman?" He asked placing his hand on her shoulder
(Well that's an answer)
"Shush" she hushed him looking over the room, Lisa was full on scowling at them now, clearly not paying attention to her group.
"Ahh I see" Nick suddenly said
Carla looked at him waiting for more,
"There's something going on between you and DS Swain isn't there?"
"What makes you say that" she sat up defensively flirting aborted.
"Well I saw you awkwardly talking earlier, and the eye tennis you both keep playing, plus if looks could kill, right now her colleagues would be conducting my murder investigation" Nick laughed
"That obvious is it?!" She resigned
He looked at her over his glass,
"Good for you, Carla" he said again smiling.
"You would make a very beautiful couple"
"Ah," she shook her in denial
"no way! we are actually....."
Suddenly Sally appeared interupring them. Stood in front of them, with her phone
“Right,” she said, “we’re taking a photo. Christmas memories!”
Before Carla could protest, Sally made them squash together, Their shoulders collided. Their faces were inches apart, knees banging and Nick pulled her in tight for a hug
"Say mistletoe" Sally cheered
Lisa was virtually stood next to them once Nick had released her. Looking tense again, spine straight, fists curled around her thumbs. Carla could sense it she was upset. It had worked.
"Carla, can I have a word?" Lisa whispered harshly.
"Ahh DS Swain!, come have a picture with Nick and Carla"
Sally innocently asked, interrupting Lisa's request.
Nick stood quickly, "actually Sal, I need to go help Toyah collect glasses and clean out back."
Carla watched him sheepishly slip away as she focused on the remaining people
"ok, one quick one with just you two then, please!"
Sally practically shoved Lisa into Carla's lap.
She could smell Lisa's shampoo, her perfume, it took her back to Lisa's bed, the spooning the closeness and she longed for it again. To touch her skin, make her come.
Carla saw the opportunity and gently grabbed at Lisa's hips pulling her back to stand infront of her for the photo, as she remained on the stool.
fingers lightly digging in at her hips as she pulled her towards her, knees touching Lisa's bum
she placed a chin on her shoulder for the picture, then opted to just go all out, claim her from the imposter, wrapping her arms around Lisa waist. Pulling her close. Lisa gasped slightly. Her heart beating
(It was as close as she was going to get right now)
Sally snapped the photo of the two smiling women delighted. “PERFECT!" She gushed
"Very...... couple-y.”
It made Carlas heart thud and stomach swoop
Carla leapt back releasing her arms. “Sally!”
Sally gave them both a knowing, nosey look, the kind that suggested she was two proseccos away from staging an intervention using mistletoe but she opted to skip away leaving them alone.
Lisa turned looking flushed, annoyed. Jaw grinding lightly.
Carla refocused them on the task at hand. The reason Lisa had come over.
"You wanted a word!" Carla asked challenging Lisa, still slightly jealous and annoyed about the new team member Lisa was drooling over all night and probably choosing to spend each day with instead of her
"Yes actually, it's about Betsy, she just told me you increased her hours to an extra shift a week, you didnt tell me you were doing that?" Lisa asked annoyed hands back in pockets of her trousers again.
(Was this woman actually for real)
"Well no Lisa I didn't tell you, because Betsy is actually the one on my payroll! not you!"
"I don't want her missing more college, she's already behind on coursework deadlines"
Carla looked at her pointedly
"Is this really what you came over here to speak to me about, right now! At least seven drinks down, 10:15pm at a Christmas party?"
"Well now seems as good a time as any to me!" Lisa argued tensely shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly
(She really hated stubborn Lisa sometimes, well loved to hate her)
She noticed Nick looking over sheepishly, clearly in earshot of their conversation from behind the bar again.
"Surprised you were able to prize yourself away from your new attraction over there" Carla said quietly around her now empty wine glass. She couldn't help herself.
"What?" Lisa asked suprised
Carla stood grabbing her bag,
"Forget it Lisa, I'm going home, you know where I work if you you want to speak about Betsy's hours at a more appropriate time"
She slung her bag over her shoulder after fishing out her keys,
"Carla!" Lisa protested trying to stop her
She didn't look back, she was furious. How dare Lisa virtually ignore her for nearly three weeks and then flirt with another women in front of her before making some shoddy excuse to argue with her.
She thudded out of the Bistro and down the street to her flat, how on earth had it come to this, how had she suddenly got so possessive and jealous over Lisa flirting with another woman.
She sucked in the cold air, watching her warm breath as she tried to compose herself.
It wasnt long before she heard footsteps behind her, light and fast
"Carla wait!"
She slowed to a stop just outside her flat and turned. Lisa had her coat on, clearly choosing to leave too.
"What the hell was all that about, in there?" Lisa asked pointing back up the street to where they had just come from.
Carla looked at her
"Well you tell me Lisa? You're the one that been avoiding me for nearly three weeks"
Lisa looked up and down the dark street, Carla watching as her breath curled up around their faces. Lisa looked buzzed, drunk, eyes sparkling.
"Can we go up? It's freezing, I don't want to do this here" Lisa asked nodding to her flat door as Carla stood poised with keys
Carla agreed and they walked a short and awkward silence up to Carla's flat. Carla pleased she has left some low lights and the heating on as she chucked her bag and keys down on the counter and placed her hands in her blazer pockets turning to look at Lisa.
"Well?" She asked
Lisa sighed standing awkwardly in Carla's flat.
"When you left mine the other morning, things just felt a bit....I dunno....weird between us"
"Weird? How?" Carla challenged
"You seemed....distant....pissed off" Lisa shrugged
"I thought some space might be a good idea, for us both
"I wasnt pissed off Lisa! I'm the one thats invited you around for dinner, numerous times in the last two weeks, asked you daily if you wanted to meet for coffee or a drink"
"Im sorry, I guess I thought it was important for Betsy too, plus I've actually been really busy at work!"
"Well clearly!! Was pretty obvious to me just how busy you have been tonight!"
Lisa looked at her puzzled
"Seemed pretty cosy with your new colleague Jen, Kit thinks so too!"
Lisa scoffed and exasperated sigh at Carla, hand on head for a minute
"Jen?! Are you serious, she's my surbordinate, and I'm her mentor, not to mention she's completely straight, she just left her boyfriend"
Carla raised a suspicious eyebrow and then scoffed back
"Straight! yeah right, aren't we all"
"Whats that supposed to mean?" Lisa asked voice rising
"I was straight Lisa! Well I was until I suddenly wanted to climb into bed with you"
"she was all over you tonight, and you her"
The words made Lisa flinch.
"Is that why you practically went and sat on your ex husbands knee?"
(Busted!)
"Were you trying to make me jealous?" Lisa said
They were practically shouting now and Carla was pleased Ryan had agreed to DJ at the party and was still there.
"Maybe!" Carla said quietly lowering the volume in the room
"Yeah well it clearly worked Carla because here I am yet again, stood in your flat following you around like a...."
"Like a what?" Carla pushed Lisa didn't finish the sentence though
"The point is Carla, I am here, checking in on you, not over at the Bistro getting more drunk and snogging my colleague" Lisa mocked
"So you do fancy her?"
"What's it to you if I did?" Lisa challenged
Carla couldn't answer that and a silence engulfed them, both breathing heavily.
Carla's phone suddenly pinged to life and buzzed several times, the group WhatsApp, she snapped it up as a distraction leaving Lisa hanging on her answer.
It was her machinists arranging to move the night on to a club in town, and photos, lots of photos, sally had messaged her seperatly though
She opened it, a photo appearing, the one of her and Nick the the other her and Lisa, that sally had taken less than an hour before
She stared at it for a moment,
Lisa looked stunning, smiling into the camera eyes sparkling and white teeth her hair curled and flowing around framing her face.
Then there was her, she looked happy too, gripping Lisa in a hug as she rested a chin on Lisa's shoulder affectionatly.
They definitely looked like a couple
"Oh" she gasped unable to control her reaction to the photo.
"What is it" Lisa stepped towards her catching a glimpse at the picture. Close to Carla she could almost taste her lips.
She watched Lisa's side profile as she examined the picture on Carla's phone in her hand
"it's a really nice photo" Lisa whispered quietly
Lisa's eyes looking up , seeking hers face, chin close, lips near.
Carla leaned in to it, and so did Lisa.