The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

FINDING THE MIDDLE GROUND

Part Three

Colleen Whyte

Claire couldn’t believe she had done it. Standing there admiring her naked reflection, eyes drawn to the tattoo on her stomach. It was of a dragon, a mirror image to Sulla’s. The tattooist had used words like ‘cute’ and ‘sweet’ until Sulla had threatened to hurt him. Now Claire had a permanent reminder of how much the girl had unsettled her life. Yet she had to admit she liked it, the excitement without really stepping outside of the bounds, although the boundary was far removed from where it used to be.

Oh well, she thought, back to work. Redressing in the ladies room she didn’t even think of the risk she was taking. Subconsciously she had almost wanted to be caught, to show off her daring to someone else in the office. She felt that they needed something to liven the place up again, since Sulla had darkened her hair you could easily miss the fact that it was still blue.

Claire slipped on her silk bikini panties, long stockings, half cup bra and heels, took another moment to admire herself and finished dressing into her jacket and knee length skirt. All very proper, except the slit in the skirt that ran almost to the hip, and the neckline of her jacket would normally suggest a blouse be worn with it. The necklace of course was still in place, neither Claire nor Sulla took theirs off except for the occasional wash. They had grown so used to the presence that they felt uncomfortable with a bare neck.

Leaning forward towards the mirror she applied a fresh layer of lipstick, one of Sulla’s which explained the charcoal shade but Claire felt it matched the triple row of onyx earrings she was wearing. Experimentally she dabbed a dot just below her lower lip to see what a stud would look like. Perhaps not yet she decided as she wiped it off. Twisting the lipstick away she dropped it in to her purse, Sulla’s actually, and made her way back to her office.

En route she stopped at Harram’s desk and waited calmly as he shuffled several sheets of paper in to a folder and handed it to her.

“These are the reports Sulla said you wanted,” he said, his eyes straying down to the swell of Claire’s bosom and the generous amount of cleavage. It didn’t hurt to look, he thought to himself, in fact it was even okay to stare, Claire had made it abundantly clear that she didn’t mind. Harram didn’t even think twice now about how Claire and Sulla seemed to work in tandem, everybody in the department just accepted it.

“Thank you Harram,” Claire replied, pretending to double check he had given her the right documents while tracing the path of his gaze. It gave her a bit of a thrill but the exhibitionist temper definitely came from Sulla’s side. Trotting away she wondered if her legs were attracting as much attention and was gratified with a sideways glance as she stepped in to her office.

Sulla arrived moments later and Claire noted with a wry smile that the girl flashed her legs at Harram as well.

“Shopping tonight?” Sulla suggested. The activity wasn’t in question, they had already decided that they needed to buy things for the apartment and themselves, it was a matter of where they were going to shop. Sulla was pushing for a trip downtown and leather, both for clothing and furniture. Claire was holding to more conservative purchases and already knew she was going to win, if for no other reason than it felt like her turn.

“Some more work clothes for you, for both of us I suppose,” Claire replied as she checked the figures given to her by Harram against the ones on her computer screen. “And don’t pout, you look just as sexy in a suit.”

Sulla pretended to sulk for a moment but it was hard when she was smiling at the thought of being sexy for her lover. So taking a different tact she said, “John from HR is cute, isn’t he?”

Claire blushed, Sulla had obviously picked up her attraction towards John. In fact Claire had quite a crush on him before she met Sulla and still liked him a lot. “Doesn’t matter,” Claire countered defensively, “He’s married.”

“Doesn’t stop him being cute.” Sulla replied, gathering up each page as Claire finished with it and signing it as correct. “We could ask him .... them out.”

“No!” Claire said quite forcefully. “I don’t know about John but his wife Catherine is very conservative.”

“They’re the most fun,” Sulla giggled as she took the last page and put them back in the folder. “You should know that!”

* * *

Claire and Sulla stepped out of the building together, after three weeks it was a common sight to the ground floor receptionist and she didn’t pay any attention. Sulla maintained the discrete gap until they were a block away and then slipped in closer to Claire so that they could at least hold hands. Claire had initially been adverse to any display of affection in public but Sulla had worn her down by compromise. As they moved further from the office and nearer to Sulla’s place they let their conservative demeanour slip until Claire had her arm around Sulla’s waist and Sulla, being just a bit cheekier, had her hand resting on Claire’s bum.

“Sulla,” Claire murmured as they neared the entrance to the apartment building, “Since you’re living at my place, do you really need to keep paying rent here?”

“Maybe I need a place to escape from you when it all gets too much,” Sulla joked, neither of them believed for a moment that they would ever be apart. “Besides I don’t want to leave Grace and Hannah in the lurch, its pretty hard to find a safe flatmate around here.”

“Perhaps they could move to a nicer area.”

“You haven’t been on the front line for a while, have you?” Sulla commented, “They can barely afford this place. Anyway, do you really want to walk out of your apartment dressed like we’re going to dress tonight?”

Claire paled, she dreaded to think where Sulla would take her tonight. Her trepidation was quickly overcome though as the excitement of stepping in to Sulla’s world again took over. Intellectually she could tell herself that it was just a midlife crisis but emotionally Claire loved being out, being seen, causing a stir, provoking lust and envy.

“That’s my girl,” Sulla giggled and Claire reddened. Going up the stairs, stepping over a sleeping old man who stunk of whisky, brought home to Claire that this wasn’t her world. Or should that be, she wondered, hadn’t been her world?

For once Sulla had remembered her keys and they went straight in to find Grace was already there reading a book on the couch. The demur red head gave them a quiet greeting, her genuine pleasure at seeing them overshadowed by her inability to deal with the fact that Sulla and Claire were lovers. Somewhat self consciously she shifted on the couch so that there was room for someone else to sit on it and was relieved when Claire chose to sit elsewhere while Sulla disappeared in to the bathroom.

There were several minutes of nervous silence which Claire broke with an attempt at small talk. “Sulla tells me you work as a receptionist not far from our office. I’m surprised we haven’t bumped in to each other at lunch time.”

“I tend to eat at my desk,” Grace replied as evenly as she could manage. She liked Claire but they moved in very different circles, Grace thought, not just the gay bit. It probably didn’t even occur to the successful woman that she couldn’t afford to buy lunch. There was a bit of guilt as well, the one time Grace had seen Sulla and Claire on the street she had avoided them.

“I used to do that,” Claire said lightly, and then trailed off into an embarrassed silence. She had been about to tell Sulla’s flatmate that it didn’t actually help you get promoted. Fishing around for another topic, she settled on the book Grace had been reading. “Do you read much Winnifred Norton?”

“This is the first,” Grace answered, glad of the escape. “I picked it up in a second hand store last time I was in town.”

Claire couldn’t think what to say next, ‘that’s nice’ was too condescending, a light remark about not having much time herself to read was likely to embarrass the other woman with the likely connotations. She couldn’t talk about Sulla, she couldn’t talk about work.

“You don’t mind if I make myself a cup of coffee?” she finally blurted out, not that she wanted one but anything was better than silence. It caused Grace to relax visibly as well.

“Oh sure. I should have offered,” she replied, hopping up to her feet. “I’ll just go put the jug on, no trouble ...” And she was out of the room.

Claire used the time to come up with some ideas for light conversation, but as it turned out she didn’t need to. Just as Grace was coming back in to the lounge with two steaming mugs, Sulla exited the bathroom naked except for her choker and the towel she was using to dry her hair. Claire flushed, and began, “I’m so sorry ...”

“Don’t worry,” Grace replied easily, “She’s always done that.”

Claire managed a light laugh, and then had to get to her feet as Sulla wanted her in the bedroom. “Um, sorry,” she apologised, “Sulla’s in a rush so I don’t think I’ll have a chance for the coffee.”

In the bedroom Sulla was looking quite serious, she had already pulled out a selection of clothing and was dividing it in to two piles on the bed. Claire went over and gave her a hug from behind. “Sorry about that,” she whispered in the girl’s ear.

“S’okay,” muttered Sulla, her mood lightening already. “I could really feel your embarrassment. I wanted to give you something to talk about with Grace but most of it is pretty personal and it wouldn’t sound right coming from someone she hardly knows.”

“I can empathise with her,” Claire replied, “I would have been really awkward if one of my friends was gay.”

“Mmm, you were such a prude before I seduced you,” Sulla said with a laugh, and then with mock seriousness, “Now get undressed. I have a special look I want to try out on you, lover. Or should I think of you as my shop dummy?”

Claire feigned offence, but she couldn’t keep Sulla’s renewed happiness from infecting her and was smiling as she took off her work clothes. She then set about putting on the lingerie that Sulla had chosen for her, sheer black stockings, g-string panties, an underwire bra designed for a dress with no back. That there was underwear at all relaxed Claire, and by its elegance she could expect something other than a grunge bash.

“I’ve managed to do a bit of shopping without you knowing,” Sulla bragged as she produced a bag from under the bed. “It should be your size.”

Realistically there was little chance that it wouldn’t be, Sulla and Claire knew each others measurements intimately. So Claire was surprised when Sulla handed her the shiny black dress.

“Its a size too small ...” Claire said as she held it up to her body.

“Then its just right,” Sulla said. “Hurry up and put it on.”

Claire acquiesced and slid the smooth material over her head and down to her waist, some complicated manoeuvring and she was wearing the backless black minidress, the glistening wet look material clinging to her body like a second skin.

“Now that,” Sulla giggled, “Is sexy!”

“What about you,” Claire countered, “I expect something at least as tight since I’m not going to be able to sit down tonight.”

“Oh its tight,” Sulla continued to giggle, “In fact I’ll need your help with it.” So saying she produced a red leather tube dress that took them fifteen minutes of struggle to squeeze Sulla’s lithe body in to. But once in place both woman decided it was worth the effort. Stepping in to their shoes they were ready to go.

In the lounge Grace glanced up to bid them a good night and instead yelped in surprise. “Oh wow! You two look so ...” Her voice trailed off, she wanted to say sexy but that wasn’t in her mores.

“Don’t we just,” Sulla teased as she did a catwalk strut. “You should try it.” Sulla stopped and became very serious. “In fact, you should.”

“I ... no Sulla, its okay,” Grace visibly backed away without leaving the couch. There was a hint of terror about her, and at least part of it was because she wasn’t as repulsed as she felt she should be.

“I have another outfit,” Sulla went on regardless, “It should fit. You really need to kick back and have some fun, roomie. You don’t even have to come with us, just get dressed up and then see how you feel.”

“No,” Grace murmured without any conviction, “I couldn’t wear anything like that.”

“Of course you can, you’ve just forgotten how beautiful you are.” Sulla insisted. “I think we can make a swan, don’t you Claire.”

Claire nodded, she could feel Sulla’s enthusiasm infecting her again, could feel it combining with her own excitement at daring to wear such a sexy dress, to going out to risque clubs and parties. She felt that she should share it with Grace, and that Sulla felt the same way.

“I don’t know,” Grace wavered, “I don’t really have the looks ...”

“Yes you do,” Claire insisted, “You’re very pretty, its just the drab clothes that hide it.”

“Really? I mean, its nice of you to offer but ...” Grace couldn’t think of anything else to say, the thought of dressing up, of wearing such exotically sexy clothes was filling her mind.

“Just give it a try,” Sulla cajoled, “See how if feels, see what you look like.”

“I don’t know,” Grace repeated but she had put down her book and was slowly getting to her feet. She didn’t resist as the two women guided her in to Sulla’s bedroom, it almost felt like she was dreaming and it was a nice dream.

Her inhibitions seemed to have left her as she undressed in front of them, somehow the fact that Sulla and Claire were gay lovers didn’t seem threatening any more. She even let Claire help her put on a pair of patterned white stockings. The dress she managed on her own, it was white lycra with reinforcing that pulled her waist in tightly and pushed her breasts up and out without needing a bra. Her image in the mirror caused Grace to gasp in both joy and amazement, she looked five years younger and sexy as hell.

“Ready to go,” Sulla prompted, sensing that Grace could happily spend the entire evening in front of the mirror. Grace nodded, excitement coursing through her, and arousal. The trio trotted out just in time to answer a knock at the door.

Brendan had arrived a good ten minutes earlier, it had taken him this long to screw up the courage to knock. He had come to end his somewhat platonic relationship with Grace. He hated himself for it, trying to rationalise that it was for the best. Both of them were very shy, so much so that they had hardly even gone out in the six months they had known each other. He felt they both needed to find someone new, someone who would drag them out of their shells. He still hated himself.

The door opened and his jaw dropped. Three sexy women will do that every time. For a moment he thought he had gotten the wrong apartment, then Grace spoke.

“Brendan?”

He swallowed hard and tried to come up with something that didn’t make him sound like a total drip. Fortunately his hormones took over. “Grace! Ohmygod! You’re gorgeous!”

That response surprised, and elated, Grace. She licked her lips and gave him a ravishing smile. “Really?”

Brendan managed to nod dumbly, not a bad move in the circumstances. From behind Grace, Sulla and Claire looked at each other, smiled and slipped through the doorway, ducking so as to not break the eye contact between Brendan and Grace. As they went down the hall they heard Brendan say, “How would you like to go out, I mean, oh I’m sorry, I need to change ...”

“Or we could spend the night in,” Grace breathed as she took hold of his tie and pulled him in to the apartment.

“That’s almost a shame,” Sulla commented lightly as took Claire’s hand. “I was looking forward to seeing Grace dance.”

Claire was silent a moment longer before asking, “How much do you think that was our doing? I mean did we just talk her in to it, or ... it really felt like we were influencing her, almost compelling.”

“Feeling guilty?” Sulla asked, more out of habit than anything else as the emotion she was reading off her companion wasn’t guilt, it was far more complex, almost aggressive.

“I was just thinking that we could make a few changes around the company,” Claire mused, “Share the load a bit more equitably.”

“Sounds like a scheme,” Sulla replied, then added with a cheeky nuzzle against Claire’s ear, “for tomorrow! Tonight is for sex, sleaze and making everyone hate us for being so damn sexy.”

“Mmm, I like that,” Claire agreed, and only a very small and very old part of her wondered why.

* * *

Claire did all but forget who she was that evening, she was more an extension of Sulla, shamelessly showing off, basking in the attention. Bouncers let them in past queues of anxious would-be patrons, dancers gave them room to be centre stage, everyone wanted to be with them. They even danced with other partners, secure in knowing if either of them ran in to trouble the other would know instantly. So they accepted phone numbers, vetted a few that they might keep and by the early hours of the morning they were so horny that it wasn’t the need to get up for work the next day that made them want to get home.

It was to Sulla’s place, the mood was for fast and furious sex and that was Sulla’s side, Sulla’s environment. Tender embraces, kissing and teasing each other’s bodies, love making happened at Claire’s place. Now they just wanted to fuck, and that meant staggering in the Sulla’s apartment already trying to shed the dresses from their sweaty bodies.

It was on the lounge floor that Hannah again walked in to find two naked women in the throes of passion. Hannah wasn’t sure if she should express her displeasure or quietly slip away to her room, and her indecision was her undoing.

“Hannah,” Sulla purred as she raised her head from Claire’s breast, the teeth marks still visible in Claire’s hard nipple. “Why don’t you join us?”

“Um, no thanks ... I ...” Hannah was acutely aware of how out of place her polite refusal sounded, as though she was declining a cup of tea rather than responding to the lustful advance of her flatmate.

“C’mon,” Sulla urged, “Claire wants you to, don’t you lover?”

“I ... oh, its okay ... I mean,” Claire stuttered, not sure what she did mean. She was so excited at the moment, so hot that anything would seem like a good idea but there was that nagging reminder that what she was doing wasn’t normal.

“Claire, honey,” Sulla cajoled with a sultry whisper, “You want Hannah to join in, to make it with two other women, to have us sucking on both your tits at once, to have her lovely tongue in your snatch, to ...”

The images overwhelmed Claire, she could see what Sulla was thinking, of three glistening, feminine forms writhing around in pleasure, of two women teasing the third unmercifully. Claire and Sulla’s desires merged and Hannah was hit by a wave of pure arousal. She rocked briefly and then without a conscious thought began to unzip her jacket. Shrugging it off her shoulders, she couldn’t wait any longer, she needed the physical contact being offered to her and she dropped first to her knees and then on to all fours so that she could take Claire’s right breast in her mouth. Sulla smiled and dragged her studded tongue down over her flatmates cheek before making her own way to Claire’s other breast. And subject to the attentions of two women, Claire shuddered and squealed in ecstasy.

* * *

end of part three