Laura's poor asshole, though wounded from the hammering Eric had given it, recovered more quickly than she expected. God, maybe I'm getting used to this, she thought. I've had more men in the last three weeks, Rob and Eric, than I've had in such a short space in my whole life. My pussy and my ass feel like they've been probed and plundered and spurted into a gazillion times. I never knew anyone could come so much as that kid.

And yet it wasn't for two or three days that the memory of what had happened between her and Trina came throbbing back to her, so sharply that one night she awoke from a dream with her face wet from tears. She didn't know if it were Rina or Trina she had been longing for in the dream. They seemed inextricably woven together to her. Somehow she knew that Rina would have said the same thing to her that Trina did.

A desolate depression came over her for days, weeks, and even though she threw herself headlong into work and into bed with Yvette and Sholandra repeatedly, she couldn't shake it. Then, the most shocking thing happened. Trina phoned her, one evening.

"Wanted to apologize for what I said to you," she said quietly. "I . . . didn't mean it."

"Yes. You did," Laura said calmly.

"At the time, maybe. I been thinking. I know she cared about you. She wouldn't of done it otherwise."

"Thank you." Laura was cold. She couldn't let herself be any other way.

"Look, maybe we could get together again. Just to talk, you know?"

Laura felt a sharp throbbing pain in the pit of her stomach. I don't think I can take another rejection from her, she realized. But she also couldn't resist, couldn't forsake the chance.

"Okay."

"How about . . . you know, now?"

"Now?" It was eight o'clock on a Friday night.

"My kid is staying with his grandparents. I ain't got nothing to do."

"I don't either," Laura said, feeling her pulse accelerate slightly. "Want to come over here?"

Then she realized that, to Trina, she was a 'lesbian'. Trina wouldn't want to come to her apartment.

"Sure," Trina said. "Where do you live?"

Laura was flabbergasted. Really? You really want to come here?

"427D West Farrington Ave." Laura said. "Know where that is?"

"I can find it."

"Just ring the bell and I'll let you in."

"See you in a few minutes."

Oh god! Laura thought as she hung up the phone. I don't believe this!

She realized that her sexual desire for Trina was all entangled with her relief at just being able to see her again. She wanted her, but she couldn't let that surface. It was just what Trina would fear, and it would send her away again.

Laura had just about got control of her feelings by the time the downstairs buzzer rang. She took the elevator down and let Trina in herself at the front door.

"Hi," she said, smiling brightly, trying not to seem too phony.

"Couldn't you just buzz me in?" Trina asked.

"Oh, sure. But I wanted to let you in myself. Just happy to see you, I guess. Happy you . . . don't, you know, still feel that way about me."

Trina looked spectacular, as Laura had feared she might. She wore tight jeans and a tight red sweater, gold hoop earrings, very large, and boots. She was to die for, Laura realized. I've never seen anyone so beautiful except her sister, she thought. Laura realized that her pulse was racing.

She was very nervous. "Would you like something to drink? Or snacks? I think I've got some pretzels somewhere, or some crackers and cheese."

For the very first time since Laura had known her, Trina broke out into a genuine, broad, infectious grin. "Are we going to have a party?" she joked. "Just you and me?"

"I . . . guess so," Laura stammered nervously. "Or we could go somewhere."

She still believed Trina must think she, Laura, was going to make a pass at her any second.

"You got any Scotch?" Trina asked, eyes twinkling now.

"I'm afraid not. But I have vodka. And tonic or Seven-Up."

"I could have a vodka and Seven-Up."

"Good."

She followed Laura into the kitchen. The pattern was just too much for Laura, who began trembling and had to take several deep breaths. The kitchen, this same kitchen, was where Rina had cut her hand on a wine glass, and Laura had sucked the warm, flowing blood, and they had ended up . . . entangled and moaning on Laura's bed.

Her head whirled at the thought, and her blood hammered. But she kept control of herself, with difficulty. She made them both drinks and they returned to her livingroom.

"Did you live here when you and Rina . . . you know?" Trina asked casually, looking around.

"When I knew her?" Laura said pointedly, trying to steer away from the sexual innuendoes of Trina's question. "Yes, I did. She spent lots of time here, yes."

At first Trina looked at her hard, but then looked away nervously, as if she were uncomfortable about seeming interested in what Laura and Rina had done here. I fucked her almost every way it was possible to fuck her, Laura wanted to tell her. She loved it. We both loved it. Yes, in there, in my bedroom. We fucked. We moaned and came in each other's arms. Yes, we did.

"Her boyfriend Gerald, you know, the guy who killed her, he hated you," Trina said, looking down. "Told me. I was at the trial. He told me he would have killed you too, if he could."

Laura shuddered. "God . . . I guess he would have. Is he still in prison?"

Trina smiled bitterly. "He still in prison. His sentence is twenty-five years."

Laura could still remember being held down while Gerald raped her, and how she had climaxed in spite of herself, making everything worse. She was so distracted by her own thoughts, her own guilt, that she didn't notice the big tears sliding down Trina's cheeks until they began to drip from her chin and jaw. She went over and sat next to her on the sofa.

"Why are you crying?" she asked softly.

"I don't know. I felt bad for you, the other day. You seemed to still be hurtin' for her. Now I feel bad for me. I can't believe she's gone. All this time. I still can't believe it."

Laura wiped away Trina's warm tears with her fingers. "I can't either."

Their faces, their mouths, were very close. Laura, having kissed several beautiful women, could not keep her eyes instinctively from falling to Trina's sensual lips. But then she self-consciously raised them again, quickly. She caught Trina looking down at her, Laura's, mouth.

I'm going to do it, Laura thought. I can't stop myself.

She moved her mouth even closer, until their lips brushed. Laura kept moving, pushing her mouth against Trina's, kissing the girl before Trina could pull back. And Trina did not try to pull back.

Miracle of miracles, she kissed Laura back, not eagerly or aggressively, but warmly, her full lips curving into Laura's, then parting slightly, as if to invite Laura's tongue. Laura didn't know how far to go. She raised her fingers again to Trina's smooth, wet cheek, caressing it tenderly, then tentatively slipped the tip of her tongue into the gap between Trina's lips.

Trina's tongue met hers. Their tongues did not coil passionately together. Instead, they met and touched and caressed, infinitely tender, tentative, then withdrew. Laura let her mouth slide away to Trina's cheek, then to her neck, then up to her ear.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Trina kissed her cheek. "Don't," she whispered back.

Laura didn't know what it meant. Stop? Don't thank me? Her lips came back along Trina's incredible smooth cheek to her lips again, a second kiss, as full of emotion as the first, but no more daring. But at the end of it, Laura slipped one hand under the back of Trina's sweater, touching her warm, smooth back.

Trina did not resist. Laura kissed her a trifle more heatedly, slipping her other hand under the sweater too. While they kissed, she inched the sweater up. Suddenly, their mouths came apart. Trina stared at her, deeply, her dark eyes throbbing.

Then, without speaking, she sat back from Laura and with crossed arms pulled the sweater over her head in one motion. Her hair was slightly mussed, and she shook her head to right it. Her breasts jiggled slightly, inside her bra. They were much larger than Laura had imagined.

Trina's whole, gorgeous upper body gleamed, a perfect reminder of Rina, in every way as exquisitely beautiful as Rina had been, except that her breasts were two bra sizes larger. Her dark eyes still burned into Laura's. Laura couldn't figure out Trina's expression, or her actions. Why was she doing this?

Does she want me to make love to her? She must. But she was so resistant before. I don't get it, Laura thought. Slowly Trina reached behind her back to unfasten her bra. Laura was hypnotized. She watched as Trina fiddled with the clasp, then the bra went limp. It slid down Trina's arms, and she dropped it on the floor beside the sofa.

Her naked breasts were breathtaking to Laura. Just as exquisite and perfect as Rina's, only much larger, riper, round, jutting gourds, beautifully spherical. And her nipples were huge black satin bulbs, swollen soft fruit, protruding a good inch from each dark, gleaming breast.

Laura swallowed. "You're . . . so beautiful," she whispered.

Trina shook her head. "Rina was the beautiful one," she said softly.

"No," Laura shook her head back. "You're very beautiful."

She leaned forward and kissed Trina again, filling her hands with the girl's extraordinary naked breasts. This time their kiss was more heated, and Laura couldn't keep her hands from moving, squeezing gently. Trina was very yielding, unbelievably so to Laura. I can't believe you're letting me do this, she thought.

Laura kissed her long beautiful neck, then dropped her lips to one of Trina's huge nipples. She licked it lovingly.

"Ohhh!" Trina moaned softly.

Laura opened her mouth and took it inside. Trina's soft nipple was so large that it completely filled Laura's mouth. She remembered how the first time with Jonelle, she had taken all of Jonelle's breast completely into her mouth. But Trina's nipples were the biggest she had ever seen, or sucked.

Trina's nipple was so big that Laura could suck it and stroke it with her tongue vigorously at the same time. Trina loved it, and she squirmed and moaned some more. Laura could feel her pussy filling with juice, and she knew Trina must be feeling the same thing. She released the wet nipple and kissed Trina's mouth again. This time they kissed passionately.

"You have such beautiful nipples," Laura whispered.

"They're not as sensitive since my kid," Trina murmured, her dark eyes glazed. "You can do it harder."

Laura dropped her mouth to Trina's other nipple, and she did do it harder this time, sucking the huge bud hungrily, squeezing the magnificent firm ball of flesh with her fingers at the same time.

"Ohhh! Oh!" Trina moaned, her body quivering, responding sharply to Laura's mouth.

She had leaned back, and Laura had half-pushed her, into the sofa cushions, where she now writhed as Laura devoured her naked breasts. Laura held the wet globes and kissed Trina's mouth, this time in undisguised lust, a searching, demanding kiss.

"Oh girl, I want to make love to you," she breathed into Trina's ear.

But for some reason Trina panicked at this. Her body stiffened. She sat up, her face a mixture of wild arousal and shock and fear.

"No," she said, pushing Laura away. "No."

She snatched up her sweater, which lay beside them on the sofa, and covered her naked breasts with it. Laura was flabbergasted. Oh god, don't let her do this! she thought. You want it, Trina!

"Trina . . ." she said, trying to be calm.

"No," Trina shook her head. Her eyes burned into Laura's, still throbbing with lust, but also streaked with fear.

"It's okay," Laura reassured her.

Trina shook her head. "I'm not like that. I'm not a lesbian. Not like you and . . . Rina. I . . . can't."

Laura nodded sadly. "I'll turn around while you dress," she said softly.

She went to the other side of the room, turning her back on Trina while Trina put her bra and sweater on again. When she heard her get up from the sofa, she turned back.

"Trina, I---"

"You don't have to explain nothing," Trina said, not hostile. "Really, you don't."

"I wouldn't have done anything like that if I thought you didn't want it," Laura said.

"I know."

"I mean it."

"I know."

"But you don't know how I'm feeling. I'm . . . crazy about you."

Trina smiled, a very sweet smile. "You crazy about Rina, not me."

Laura shook her head. "No. You. Rina's been gone for two years. It's you."

This somehow captured Trina. She paused at the door, her eyes locked with Laura's. Laura took the opportunity to take her hand, and to draw closer.

"Look, I know you think it's wrong. But let me kiss you at least one more time, before you leave. For my sake, okay?"

Trina nodded.

She was remarkably open and yielding, letting Laura's lips curve into hers, letting Laura embrace her. After a few seconds, she embraced Laura too, at first gingerly, then more firmly. Their breasts mashed together, and their tongues became entangled. They were both panting softly when they pulled back.

"Gotta go, Laura," Trina said. "Gotta go."

Laura kissed her neck. "You want to."

"No. Gotta go. Let me go."

"Okay. But Trina." She caught Trina's face in both hands, an exquisitely beautiful face, an identical copy of Rina's face. "I want you, not her. You."

This time Laura kissed her goodbye, an aching, slow kiss, which Trina seemed to feel down to her toes. Then Laura opened the door for her.

"Call me?" she whispered. "Please?"

Trina nodded noncommitally before heading down the corridor to the elevator.