et some air,” Vanessa said.
They wandered out through the double doors and into the garden. For what felt like the hundredth time that night, Mel looked around in awe. There were topiaries cut into elaborate shapes and actual marble statues. As they strolled through the garden, they passed an old, worn mirror hanging from a trellis. Catching a glance of her reflection, Mel stopped to admire her necklace.
Vanessa sidled up behind her, her eyes lit with desire. She wrapped her arms around Mel’s shoulders, pulling her in close from behind. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to put a collar around your neck.” Vanessa’s lips brushed Mel’s ear as she whispered.
Mel’s heart began to race. Vanessa took Mel’s chin in her fingers and tilted it to the side. Mel closed her eyes as Vanessa’s lips met hers. Vanessa’s hot, hungry kisses still made Mel’s whole body weak.
“Vanessa? I thought that was you.”
Mel opened her eyes. A slender, androgynous looking woman stood next to them. She had delicate, high cheekbones and short blonde hair, and wore a suit that was perfectly tailored to her modest curves. The young woman possessed an air of cool confidence that Mel immediately knew drove every queer woman she came across wild.
“Vicki,” Vanessa said flatly. “It’s been so long.”
“Good to see you too, Vanessa.” Vicki raked her eyes down Mel’s body and back up again. “Who’s your new toy?”
“This is Melanie, my date.” Vanessa’s jaw was set. “She’s not a toy, Vicki.”
“Really?” Vicki looked at Vanessa curiously, then turned back to Mel. “Victoria Blake. But you can call me Vicki.”
Mel shook Vicki’s outstretched hand.
Vicki’s eyes fell to the choker around Mel’s neck. “That’s a very interesting necklace. Did she buy it for you?” Vicki cocked her head toward Vanessa. There was no doubt that Vicki knew exactly what the necklace was.
“Yes, I did,” Vanessa said.
“Relax, Vanessa.” Vicki flicked a stray strand of hair out of her face. “I’m not going to steal her from you.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time. Tell me, are you still preying on every new girl who walks into Lilith’s?”
“I can’t help it. They’re just so eager and obedient. It’s too easy.”
Vanessa shook her head. “You haven’t changed one bit, have you, Vic?”
Vicki smiled. “Why would I want to?”
Mel looked from one woman to the other. Were they enjoying this? Mel was beginning to feel very out of the loop. “How do you two know each other?” She asked.
“Your girlfriend here and I are old friends,” Vicki said.
Friends? Mel raised an eyebrow.
“We used to walk in a lot of the same circles, so it was unavoidable, really. Since there are relatively few lesbians on the BDSM scene, our paths crossed quite a bit.”
“Our ‘paths crossed?’ More like we clashed. A lot. Vanessa here was the lesbian scene queen until I came along. She didn’t like having a rival.”
“This rivalry of ours only existed in your head, Vic.”
“You only say that because you lost.”
“No, I simply had no desire to participate in your childish games.”
As Vanessa and Vicki traded barbs, Mel tried to process everything that the two women were both saying and not saying. Vicki’s comments made Mel even more aware of the fact that she knew very little about Vanessa’s life outside of their interactions together. She had no idea if Vanessa was still as involved in the BDSM scene as Vicki suggested she once was. She did own Lilith’s Den, after all. Mel wondered if she knew Vanessa as well as she thought.
And more confusingly, Vanessa had been unusually possessive of Mel the whole night, even more so just now in front of Vicki. Until now, Vanessa’s games of possession and control never went beyond the bedroom. Was this something else entirely? Mel hadn’t missed the fact that Vanessa had made no attempt to correct Vicki when she referred to Mel as Vanessa’s ‘girlfriend.’ For a moment, Mel allowed herself to wonder what it would be like to actually be Vanessa’s girlfriend.
Vanessa’s phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse. “It’s the caterers. I have to take this. I’ll be back in a moment.” Vanessa hesitated. She turned to Vicki, placed a hand firmly on the blonde woman’s shoulder, and said something to her too quietly for Mel to hear. Then she walked off into the garden.
As soon as Vanessa was out of earshot, Vicki flashed Mel a charming smile. “So, Vanessa has finally found a pet she wants to keep.” She ran her fingers through her short hair. “I can see why.”