Alicia smiled in apology as she brought the drink to the girl at the end of the bar. “From the gentleman over there.”
The raised eyebrow was enough for the question to get across. The girl rolled her eyes and took the drink. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this.” She headed over to the lone guy at the bar.
She hadn’t taken a sip by the time she got to him. On the other hand, well over half the eyes in the bar had watched her every move as she’d walked. She stopped just short of him, and looked him up and down.
If he’d had anything he’d planned to say, it was clear the bloodflow elsewhere had interrupted those thoughts. She had that effect.
“Well, you are kind of cute. Do you have a sister?”
“Wha?”
“A sister. Someone who might be as cute as you, but who I could embed my tongue in, tasting her sweet nectar, as I send her to realms of bliss she’d never dreamed are possible?” She let the end of the question drift off, then leaned in to whisper in his ear: “Or hadn’t you noticed that there aren’t a whole lot of guys in this bar?”
She leaned back as his bloodflow returned to his head-region, much of it seeming to go to his face. He quickly scanned the room. “I, um…”
“That’s ok. I always appreciate the flattery. I just don’t appreciate cock.”
It seemed to register with him for the first time that most of the women in the bar were looking at him. “Um, sorry…” He fled into the rain.
The woman sighed, then went back to her seat. She glanced at the drink in her hand, the looked back up at Alicia. “Did he pay for this?”
“Ahead of time. Sorry, he was just a bit too drunk by the time he got here. I was just hoping he wouldn’t make a scene.”
The girl shrugged, then drank, and looked at the glass. “He had good taste at least.” She looked back up to the bartender. “Sorry if I made a scene.”
“You make scene every time you walk into this place, just by walking in.” She scanned the crowd, and noted that no one appeared to need her at the moment, but the weather was keeping people away tonight. “But that’s the first sent drink you’ve actually accepted all night. Something bothering you?”
The woman chuckled into her glass. “Sorry, just feeling lonely and sorry for myself.”
Alicia snorted. “Well, if you’d accept some of the drinks sent your way… But you never lack for admirers; at least once a month I see you leave with another girl. You should try keeping one for a while.”
The girl laid her head on the bar, and raised her glass. “I wish.” She sounded like she meant it. “Get me another.”
Alicia took the glass. “You sure, you’ve had quite a lot, even for you.”
“Once in a while I just need to get drunk, please. Another.”
Alicia shrugged, and mixed the drink. “Why can’t you keep one? I’ve known some of your conquests; Nice girls, mostly. You are leaving a string of broken hearts behind you.”
The woman swirled the drink a moment before drinking half the glass. “I’m sorry about that, but there haven’t been any broken hearts. I’d know. And you wouldn’t believe me.” She drank the other half.
“Try me.”
The woman looked up, then pulled herself upright. “Why not? I’ve got nothing to loose. But…” She looked at the glass. “How about a Dirty Shirley? Something to mark the occasion.”
Alicia mixed the drink in silence, handed it back, and waited for the story.
The woman took a sip. “There was a time when I’d have rejected that drink, not because a it was from a man, but because he was being forward.” She giggled. “I was prude. And the idea of two women together… It shocked me. Utterly. An abomination. And no, I wasn’t ‘covering’.”
She examined her drink, staring at it, and her voice went soft. “I was at a ball. One of the big old outdoor ones, like you don’t get anymore. They had torches up around the outside, and colored buntings in a great big field. There was a band on stage, playing waltzes and jigs… I was on my own, and unaccompanied except for my great-aunt. She’d headed off, in search of my next great-uncle, and I was enjoying the time of my life. I’d danced with a half-dozen men, and was getting some air on the side…”
“I can’t recall the conversation, or how we got to where we got to. But I finally realized what the woman next to me was implying, and…” Her voice broke. “Oh, I caused quite a scene, screaming ‘Harlot’ and, well worse at the top of my lungs. The… the ‘help’ came and separated us. The host came up, to see what was going on. The woman was led out in shame, and I… I was led to my great-aunt, who took me home.”
“I really thought that’d be the last of it. My great-aunt explained to me that these things happened, and that it was polite to ignore them. Or at least not cause quite such a scene. I was suitably ashamed, and I went on with my life.”
“Which lasted about a week. I’d gone for a walk in the park, just down from where I was staying, and when I came around the corner… Was an old woman. I saw her, and I couldn’t move. Not one muscle. The sounds stopped, it went quiet, and there was just the two of us…”
“Her words I remember: ‘You ruined the life of my heart’s-daughter, and my apprentice. For this you shall pay. None of what you called her was true but this: ‘Witches’ we are. And as for <em>you</em>… You shall learn the joys of sapphic desires, and embrace the ‘harlot’ title you so blindly waved about.’ Her hands came up, and light came from somewhere. ‘From this day forth, you shall taste of a woman’s love, not once, but no less often than once a week. And not just one woman: You shall require variety. No one woman will satisfy you for more than a month, after which you well need to find a new woman to taste of.’ That was the end of the scary part. ‘But the goddess would never let me use love as a curse, and no curse can be without a way out: If you ever manage to fall in love, and the woman in love with you, you need never tire of her taste. You will serve her in all things, and her love shall sustain you.’ And then… Poof. The world went back to normal, and she wasn’t there.”
“Well, I hurried home, but my great-aunt was out, and by the time she came back I’d convinced myself it was all some sort of waking nightmare or something, and ignored it. Until a week later…”
“I’d felt a need creeping up on me, but it had suddenly become all-consuming. I remembered the old witch, and snuck out. I found a brothel, and snuck in the side, paying double. I tasted muff for the first time that night, and I was a virgin in every sense of the word.”
“I’ll spare you the rest of the history. But I’ve gone to anyone who might be able to lift this curse, with no luck. Once a week, at the very least, I have to have my face between a woman’s legs. And it has to be a different woman every month. At first… Well I had a hard time accepting it. I grew to accept it, and then… Well,” She grinned, and looked up; “it’s a wonderful place to be, isn’t it? So delicious, and they know exactly how to repay the favor…”
She took a gulp from her drink. “But, it gets lonely. And that’s why I go through women so quickly.” She looked around the bar. “At least this is a more enlightened age; it’s a lot easier to find interested women these days.” She turned back to Alicia. “So, think I’m crazy yet?”
Alicia was trying to keep an open mind. “Not entirely.”
The woman snorted. “Sure you do. But the witch’s curse did do me a slight favor.” She gulped the rest of the drink, then brought the glass down on the bar-top. As hard as she could, managing to shatter it.
“What the?” Alicia was rapidly losing her doubts to the state of this woman’s sanity. She saw blood, and moved for the first-aid kit.
A hand grabbed her wrist, and the woman opened her bloody hand, palm-up. The scratches were already fading, without a scar. “That good enough proof for ya?” She raised the hand to her face. “Don’t get sick, don’t get old, heal up… Not bad a bad price for being turned into a lesbian slut.” She laughed. “Can get drunk, but it takes a lot.” She laughed harder, then fell off her stool.
Alicia rushed around, but she was out cold.
“Grahh, where am I?”
“My apartment. You were way too drunk to be sent home.” Alicia answered.
The woman sat up, and then groaned, putting her hand to her head. “Uhhh. I forget how much I hate getting drunk.” She looked around; it was a simple studio apartment, in two levels. She was on the couch on the lower level. “Did we…?”
“No. You were completely passed out drunk. And that fall off the bar stool didn’t help much either.”
“Sorry about that. And… There was a glass. I’ll pay for that, no problem.” She looked up at her host. “I didn’t really mean to dump all of that on you… I’m Shirley by the way. Not sure if we’ve been introduced.”
“Nice to meet you, Shirley. I’m Alicia, in case the name of the bar didn’t give that away.”
Shirley laughed gently. “Thanks. And thanks for the place to crash.”
“No problem; You are a regular.” Alicia paused. “So… How does that healing stuff work?”
Shirley turned so she was sitting. “I really did tell you everything, didn’t I?”
Alicia nodded.
Shirley sighed. “It hurts, and it takes more time for larger stuff. There’s some critical level where I can’t handle it immediately; I woke up in a morgue once, still bleeding. Like my drinking: I can drink for ages without getting drunk, then I have one more small one, and suddenly I’m completely blotto. That got me called a witch once or twice. I’m not sure what the limits are, never wanted to test them. Put me in a fire and I’ll burn; I don’t want to know what it’d feel like to recover. If I could.”
“And the rest?”
“Once a week, and once every four weeks. You don’t know how grateful I was that it’s not a lunar month. And… Well, I’ve avoided drugs, but withdrawal symptoms seem to be a good explanation as any. If I don’t meet the curse… Well, it’s not really pretty.” Another sigh. “I can speed it up; and once I switch girls I can’t go back. I try to hold on to each one as long as I can…”
Alicia sat down and put her arm around her. “That’s ok. You do your best, I’m sure. And it’s not really your fault.”
“I am sorry I yelled at that girl. But, well, I was young, and it was a different era. I hadn’t been exposed to any of it, and, well, my upbringing…”
“How did your parent’s take it?”
“They’d died recently. All I had left was my great-aunt. She was… Well, I think she’d have been understanding, if I hadn’t been acting like a slut and if I hadn’t had that outburst. I… Kinda left on my own. Came North. Headed for the big cites. I had a couple of bad months, but…”
“Well, it looks like you’ve held together ok.”
“I’ve had some time to get myself here. But thanks. And normally I’m not so melancholy. I just… Well, it’s been a while since I told someone. Last one… Was a Catholic priest. He tried to exorcize me. Didn’t help.”
Alicia let her lean against her shoulder for a moment. “Well, you want some breakfast? Or can I call you a cab?”
Shirley stood up. “No, thanks. I won’t impose more than I already have. It doesn’t seem to be raining this morning, and I can handle myself. Thanks. For… Everything.”
“No problem.”
Alicia didn’t see Shirley for a couple of weeks. She walked back into the bar on a Friday night. “Sorry, I’ve meant to be back, but, well I was having a good time with Sara…”
“It’s ok. Your usual?”
“Sure, and make it two. And I think I have a tab I should pay.”
“Get it at the end of the night. No problem.”
“Thanks.”
“So… Sara’s month up?”
Shirley nodded, sadly. “Last night… She just didn’t do it for me. I know the feeling. I hope I let her down easy, but time will tell.” She was scanning the crowd.
“Looking for your next?”
“Yeah. I can’t afford to take ages to seduce them…”
“Well, good luck.”
“Thanks.” She took the drinks, and set off for her first target of the night.
“That slut.”
“She doesn’t care about anyone’s feelings. She just…”
“You have to admit she’s got a talented tongue though.”
The other girls in the group glared at the last speaker. They had all been watching Shirley walk out the door with her latest conquest, from the back corner of the bar.
“You girls are a bit hard on her. It hurts her too.” This was Alicia, bringing up the latest drink order.
“Oh, really? How would you know?”
“I’ve seen her, sitting right where you are now, getting drunk over it. She really wishes she didn’t have to go through lovers so fast.”
‘Hmphf’. Seemed to be the general consensus.
“Look, she was with each of you for about a month, right? In that time, how well did you get to know her?”
They looked at each other. One blushed. “Um, we spent most of that time in bed…”
“…But she did like to go out, if she could. I remember, she took me to this wonderful little play…”
Convinced that the topic had changed, Alicia left them alone.
Alicia listened to the request, and stopped the girl. “If you really want to impress her, order a Dirty Shirley. But I have to warn you: She’s only in it for the play. People thinks she plays with woman’s hearts, but… Well, just don’t expect anything long-term.”
“You sound like you know her.”
“She’s been a regular for a while.” Alicia glanced over to where Shirley was watching the conversation unobtrusively. “Just giving you fair warning.”
“No problem. I can take care of myself, and I like to play too.”
“Well, then, I have one other warning to give: She’s pretty horny tonight.” And she left to make the drink.
“That for me?” Shirley asked, innocently.
“Don’t play; I know you were watching that kid give the order. Be gentle on her if you can.”
“Thanks. I will. But I know you warned her.”
“I did. But I also know it’s been five days for you. She got that warning too.”
“Thanks.” She switched on her best seductive smile, and beckoned her admirer over…
There was a cold rain, and Alicia was glad she wasn’t going to have to leave the building to go to work when the knock on the door came.
Shirley stood there, soaked to the skin.
“Shirley! Come in! What’s up?”
“Thanks. I…”
“Hold on, you’re shivering. Let’s get you warm first.”
“That’s not why I’m shivering.”
“What?” Alicia turned back to her friend, and took a better look. Sure, she was soaked through, but her face was white, and her eyes were wide, and she was trembling…
“I… Had a problem last night.”
Alicia did some mental reviewing. Yes, it was about that time of the month, but Shirley had seemed to be doing well with her new girl, and they’d left together two nights ago.
“I took Mary to my favorite little Italian place. A little candlelight, a little wine… I was sure I would be able to get into her pants last night. Then… Kayla showed up.”
“She was… Two months ago, wasn’t she?”
“Yeah, and apparently I hadn’t let her down a well as I thought I had. She’d been plotting, and figured I would take my ‘new conquest’ there…” Shirley bit her lip. “She threw a scene. A big one, called me a slut, called me all kinds of things. Mary… ran. I don’t think I can get her back. Not quickly enough anyway.”
“How long has it been?”
“Yesterday… Was eight days.”
“Oh.” She looked at her friend again. “So, this is withdrawal.”
Shirley nodded. “I… I know it’s an imposition, and I don’t want to change what we have, and you know I’ll have to leave you in a month, but… Please? I… I don’t want to go looking for a whore. Or be one.”
“You’ve been one?”
“A few times. Girls-only, of course. But… It meant a steady supply. Until someone decided they wanted to be a regular…”
Alicia gathered her friend in her arms, just to hold her for a moment, and to still the shaking in Shirley’s body. “I promise, I’ll still be your friend in a month. No matter what.”
“Thank you.” She held on for a moment, then shifted position for a kiss.
Alicia felt her blood heating despite herself, and came up for air. “I… It’s been a while for me. How do you want to do this?”
Shirley laughed. “Don’t worry. Though, if you are nervous, I could make you a drink.”
“That’s ok.”
“Good.” She took Alicia’s hand, and led her up to the loft/bedroom, then sat her on the bed. “I’ll take care of everything. Sorry if I’m a bit light on the foreplay today…”
“I understand.”
Alicia was wearing jeans, or was when she sat down on the bed. Shirley was obviously trying to take it slow, and drew herself down Alicia’s body in a manner that managed to set off every zone Alicia had. The jeans were loosened, and slowly drawn down with shaky hands that tried to caress her legs.
“It’s ok, Shirley. Take what you need.”
Shirley looked up from where she was trying to seduce her friend, and saw understanding. “Thanks.”
Alicia’s panties didn’t survive the trip, and Shirley literally dove upon Alicia’s newly bared slit.
Alicia wanted to say something, but soon forgot what it was as her breath caught. Shirley’s tongue was expert. No questions there.
One moment it was caressing her clit, barely teasing, the next it was deep in her pussy, managing to feel bigger than it could possibly be. Then it was…
Alicia quickly lost track, and lost desire to keep track.
Then she lost consciousness.
Shirley was cuddling her when she woke back up. “That was…”
“I have had a lot of practice.”
Alicia had to laugh. “Well, I can see why you’d spoil a girl on anyone else.” She enjoyed the feel of her friend in her arms. “Would you like me to return the favor?”
Shirley shifted their position, so they were face to face. “You don’t have to.”
Alicia decided to answer with a kiss.
The favor wasn’t returned directly, but the both came, eventually.
They took separate showers, and Alicia was rushing to get the bar ready to open on time.
Shirley decided to help out.
“So… Are you going to see if you can make it up to Mary?”
“I… I could probably, now.” They worked in silence a moment, before Shirley stopped and turned to Alicia. “I don’t want you to be a one-day girl. Please, can I give you a full month? I know it makes the ending harder, but…”
“Sure. I think I’d like that.” She paused a moment. “I didn’t really want to be a one-day girl either.”
Shirley walked over and gave her a kiss. “Thanks.”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it up to me. Later.”
And they got back to work.
Shirley hung out at the end of the bar all night, just nursing a Scotch, and turning away any other drinks sent her way.
“So… How do you want to work this? I mean, I’m kinda tied to the bar…” Alicia had found an excuse to polish that end of the bar.
“I noticed. You work here every night, and live right above. Don’t you ever take a day off? Sundays don’t count.”
“I do well enough. I keep meaning to hire some other bartenders, but never seem to get around to it. I usually hire a girl from the college when they are in session, just to wait tables, but I generally don’t need to.”
Shirley looked around. “Ever wanted a bigger place?”
“Not really. I kinda like the ‘everyone knows everyone’ feel of this place. It’s big enough that it’s not all regulars, and it’s small enough that I can keep track of what’s going on.”
Shirley noticed someone walk up to the bar, and tilted her head. Alicia followed the glance, and went to serve a customer before coming back.
Shirley continued the conversation. “Yeah, I can see that. It’s one of the reasons I like the place as well, although it’s a bit small to be primary hunting grounds… But, back to your question. Since you are so tied to the bar, I can just stay here, if that’s ok with you. Or I can come over a couple times a week if that’s all you want…”
“Girl, you could make any woman a sex addict. I’ll take all I can get. Unless… You only want to a once a week.”
“Oh, no! I um… Well, anytime anyplace, I’m interested.”
“That you or the curse?”
Shirley relaxed a bit at that. “Well, it’s not part of the curse, and at the beginning I kinda hated… But, well, I’ve learned to like it. A lot.” She smiled, a bit, laughing at herself. “I think that old witch knew that would happen. I had called her apprentice a slut, after all.”
“You don’t act like a slut.”
“Don’t I? I beg women to let me get between their legs. I spend all my time worrying about how I’ll make sure they’ll be interested the next time, and how to get the next one interested. Most of my life is about how to get sex.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t.”
Neither of them noticed the next customer at the bar for a moment. “You try to care for the women you go through. To give them more than just sex.”
“Yeah, so? Just because I’m about the sex, that doesn’t mean I can’t give them a good time as well.”
They noticed the customer, and Alicia went to serve her.
Shirley started up again as Alicia came back. “Look, I’m a slut. ‘Anytime, anyplace’. Nearly anyone as well, just by necessity on occasion. I try to hold on to girls as long as I can, show them more to life, because I want there to be more to life than just bouncing from bed to bed. It’s my social life, my way of getting out and being in the world. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the sex. I want more than just sex in my life, yes, but even without the curse the sex would be important.”
Before Alicia could think of a response, a new group came in, and she was busy for a while.
“That curse really messes with your life, doesn’t it?”
Shirley nodded. “It’s not just the sex. It’s that all I have time for is sex. Either doing it, or finding a new partner, or making sure my current partner will be in the mood when I need her to be.”
“I’d say you need a vacation.”
“It’s not a job. Not right now, anyway.”
“Close enough. And I’ve heard burn-out before. Here, I’ll make you deal. This month you are with me. Don’t worry about the sex. Don’t even think about it, if you don’t want to. If you are interested, I promise I won’t say no, as long as it doesn’t interfere with running the bar. Just deal with other things for a while. When the month’s up… Well, deal with that then.”
“I’ll have you so sexed up you can’t think straight.” Shirley replied, with a smile. “But, thanks. I’ll try not to worry about it for a while. It’s a bit of a habit, though.”
“That’s what I mean by burning out: When ‘worrying’ about something is a habit, you are in trouble.”
“I think people were avoiding making orders tonight.” Shirley said, helping to clean up.
Alicia was in her normal routine. “Hmm?”
“They stopped sending me drinks halfway through the night, and people would order drinks in groups. They were also watching us a bit.”
“You sure about that?”
“I was paying attention.”
Alicia reviewed in her mind. “You might be right.” She was swaying a bit as she swept the floor, humming to herself.
Shirley stopped to just watch her a moment. “Someday you’ll have to tell me how you stay in such good shape while running a bar.”
“Look who’s talking.”
“<em>That’s</em> evil magic. I haven’t aged a day since I was nineteen. <em>You</em>… You look sexy all on your own.”
“Thanks.”
Shirley watched a moment longer, just long enough to wait until Alicia was back in front of the bar. Then she advanced, and stopped her with a kiss.
“MMfh?”
“Up on the bar; I’m cashing in on our deal. We can clean up in the morning.”
Alicia was only confused for a moment, and happily went along with Shirley’s plan for the rest of the night.
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