Chapter 3: Chapter : Something in Common

Lucy Felthouse Nerd and amateur photographer Justine is partaking of one of her favourite pastimes—visiting a historical site—when she bumps into Amber. It turns out they’re both equally enthusiastic about exploring stately homes, abbeys, stone circles and the like—and their surprise at meeting someone with similar interests leads them on another adventure together, which doesn’t end at the site.

Justine was so engrossed in framing the perfect shot of the tallest part of the ruined abbey that she didn’t notice anyone else entering the grounds. In fact, her fellow history lover had opened the gate, walked through it, closed it and walked a couple of hundred metres across the grass towards her without her noticing. Justine only became aware she had company when a voice came from close behind her.

“Wow, that’s gonna be a great shot.”

Justine was glad she had her expensive camera on a strap around her neck otherwise she’d have dropped it. And given she was standing on a little bit of ruined wall, that would definitely not have gone down well. The thought of her precious camera being smashed to smithereens sent a shudder through her. She spun round to face the person who had startled her, ready to tell them off for creeping up on people.

But when she caught sight of the potential camera-wrecker, she totally changed her mind. The woman that stood before her was stunning. She was dressed in casual clothes; jeans with a rip in one knee, a baggy t-shirt with a tree on it and a pair of Converse. She was definitely a woman after Justine’s own heart. And many other things besides, Justine thought as she watched wisps of the other girl’s shiny red hair blow in the breeze. The girl’s startling blue-green eyes, rosebud mouth and cute button nose certainly didn’t do anything to harm her appeal.

Justine realised she was staring but still hadn’t said anything. She shook herself, then stammered, “Y – you made me jump.”

“Sorry. I thought you’d have heard me coming.”

“I didn’t.”

“Sorry. Again. Hope I didn’t ruin your shot. My name’s Amber, by the way.” She stuck her hand out, and Justine took it. They shook hands, then parted.

“So,” Amber said, looking around, “you here by yourself?”

Justine nodded. “Sure am. It’s impossible to get any of my friends to come to any of these places with me. They’re quite happy to go to the pub, the cinema, or shopping. But if I mention ruins, a stone circle or a stately home, they don’t want to know. You?”

“The same. Sometimes I wonder how I got to be friends with them in the first place! They don’t know what they’re missing.”

“I know, right? It’s not just the fact that these places are so beautiful and serene, it’s the history that goes with them.”

Justine realised that Amber was staring at her, wordlessly. “What?”

Amber blinked twice, then opened her mouth. She seemed to struggle with what she was going to say next, making Justine wonder what on earth was coming. “It’s just… you could have taken those words right out of my brain. I’ve never met anyone that feels the same way about these kinds of places as I do. It’s strange. But the good kind of strange.”

Justine had no idea how to respond to that comment, so she said nothing. She, too, had never met anyone that loved heritage the way she did, which was why none of her previous relationships had worked out. She felt it was necessary to have something in common with a partner, particularly the thing she felt most passionate about. But unfortunately, sooner or later her relationships had paid the price for her going off on adventures by herself. She’d been labelled boring, a geek, and even both on one occasion. It had hurt, at first, but then Justine realised that she wasn’t at fault – everyone has their interests, and why on earth should she change hers, stop doing what she loved, for the sake of someone who wasn’t willing to try something new or different?

Amber continued to look at her, as though expecting an answer.

“Oh, uh, me either. Hence I’m always visiting these places by myself. This is my second site today. I have one more planned before I head home.”

“And where’s that?”

“Where’s what? The next site, or home?”

Amber’s expression altered from curious to mischievous. Dimples appeared in her cheeks. “Well, I meant the next site, really. But if you want to tell me where you live, then that’s okay, too.”

Justine raised her eyebrows. Was Amber coming on to her, or something? Or was she just eager to make friends with someone that shared the same nerdy hobby? “Erm, well the next site is something a bit different.”

Amber’s face adopted an expectant expression. “Oh? Do tell.”

“The Chained Oak.”

The redhead’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding? I’ve always wanted to go there – but I’m not too sure exactly where it is.”

Justine forced the next words out before nerves prevented her from saying them. “So why don’t you come with me? It’s not that far from here. You know the history, right?”

“I’ll be honest I can’t remember all the names and dates, but I know the gist. The Earl of somewhere upset a witch and she put a curse on the tree, so for every branch that fell, a member of his family would die. He didn’t believe a word of it until it happened, and when it did, he ordered his servants to chain up all the branches of the tree so they couldn’t fall off. Nobody really knows the truth any more, but the tree and its chains are one hundred per cent real.”

“Sounds about right to me. Okay, well I have some more photos to take, so shall we meet back here in half an hour? Is that enough time for you to look around?”

Amber nodded. “I can be ready whenever you are. I’ve been here before, anyway. I just like visiting.”

Justine smiled. “I don’t blame you. I like it here, too. See you soon, then.”

With that, Justine slipped back into her own little world of framing and taking shots of the ruined abbey. It was a bright day, so she had to work hard to make sure the glare from the sun didn’t ruin or wash out her shots. She knew she could always touch images up on the computer afterwards, but she always tried to get photos as perfect as she could while taking them.

A little while later, she happened to look over at where she’d been when Amber had arrived and saw the other girl standing there, waiting. A glimpse at her watch told her that her half an hour was up – ten minutes ago. Justine hurried over to Amber, an apologetic expression on her face. “I’m really sorry, I got so engrossed in what I was doing that I had no idea what the time was. You should have shouted at me!”

Amber shrugged. “Nah, it’s okay. You looked so happy and content that I didn’t want to disturb you. It’s only ten minutes, anyway. Ready to head to the legendary oak tree?”

“Absolutely,” Justine replied, smiling at the pretty redhead. “Now, it’s pretty difficult to park to once you’re there, so I was thinking we drop one of our cars off at my house on the way. Is that okay? We have to drive past the village I live in to get there.”

Amber nodded. “Yep, no problem. I’ve got to come back this way to get home, so we’ll drop yours off, then I’ll take you back home afterwards. I’m a good driver, I promise.”

“Okay, that sounds good. As long as you don’t mind driving.”

“Of course not. You’re being good enough to let me tag along with you, so it’s the least I can do!”

***

At Justine’s instruction, Amber pulled into the lay-by which was actually a service entrance for the famous theme park which was behind the high walls. Justine had been to the theme park many times – inevitable when she lived so close – but although she enjoyed it, she enjoyed the history of the Chained Oak much more. A little thrill of excitement zipped through her as she realised she was about to show a fellow geek something they’d never seen before – except perhaps in photographs. But that was hardly the same thing.

The two of them got out of the car and Amber locked it behind her, before following Justine to the edge of the road. They were on a bend, so visibility wasn’t the best.

“You look left, I’ll look right, okay?” Justine said.

“Yep. I’ll shout when it’s clear.”

After a few seconds, both of them said, “Okay!” at the same time, then dashed across the road. Amber turned to Justine once they were safely on the other side, and said, “Now the name of the B&B makes perfect sense! Is it in there?” She pointed to the woods behind them, and Justine nodded.

“It sure is. And yes, that’s why the B&B is named after it. You ready to see it?”

“What do you think?” Amber brandished her camera, her grin reaching from ear to ear.

“Okay, let’s go.”

With that, Justine walked through a gap in a dry stone wall and onto the path which led into the woods. She could hear Amber moving close behind her. Several minutes later, they came upon the clearing which held the tree, and Amber squeaked excitedly.

“Wow! I wasn’t expecting to find it so quickly, or so easily. I had visions of it being right in the middle of the woods. This is awesome – I can’t understand why more people don’t visit it.” She looked around, confirming that there was nobody else around.

Justine shrugged. “A lot of people just aren’t bothered about stuff like this though, are they? Which is why we’re both always visiting these kinds of places alone!”

“That’s true,” Amber replied, then proceeded to take photos of the tree and its chains from every conceivable angle.

Justine smiled at the other girl’s enthusiasm. It was nice to see someone else that actually gave a shit about heritage, myths and legends, history and the other similar things that interested her. Maybe, if Amber didn’t live too far away – which she’d indicated that she didn’t – then they could make some excursions into the countryside together. It’d be a lot more fun sharing her experiences with someone else. When she saw all these wonderful things, she often wanted to say “Ooh, look at that” or “Wow, how cool” but there was nobody to say them to. Often she spoke anyway, her words being lost on the rocks, buildings, monuments, plants and trees she was so often awed by.

***

Amber steered onto Justine’s driveway and stopped the car, dropped the gear to neutral and pulled on the handbrake. “Wow,” she said, her eyes bright. “That was such a cool place. Thanks so much for letting me come with you. I’d probably never have found it without you.”

Justine smiled. “It’s okay, it was nice having company, for a change.”

“Hmm, I know what you mean.”

Silence hung in the air for several long, uncomfortable seconds. The nervy part of Justine wanted to open the car door and make a hasty retreat. But another part of her – the loneliest part – wanted to invite Amber in to her house for a coffee and a chat. And maybe to arrange further excursions together. And if things started leaning towards the romantic, then that would be good, too. She certainly wouldn’t turn down the gorgeous redhead. But would Amber turn her down? She thought she’d been flirting with her earlier, but she couldn’t be sure.

Justine decided there was only one way to find out. She sucked in a breath to steel herself. “So!” she said, brightly. “Would you like to come in for a drink or something?”

A slight look of surprise washed over Amber’s face, and Justine wondered what had surprised her. It was then that she realised how her words may have been construed – she’d said “or something.” She’d meant it in a perfectly innocent way, but she knew how easily it could have been misunderstood.

“I – I mean, it’s okay if you don’t want to. I – I j – just thought it’d be nice to chat, maybe look through some of the photos we’ve taken?”

Amber cut in before she had chance to stammer and blush any more. “I’d love to, thanks.”

“Okay, great.”

A few minutes later, they were both seated at Justine’s kitchen table, cradling cups of tea and exchanging stories and experiences about the various places they’d visited. It turned out they’d been to many of the same places, and even had a few mutual favourites.

Justine took another sip of her tea, raising her eyebrows as she saw the way that Amber was looking at her. She swallowed carefully, then asked, “What?”

Amber grinned. “Sorry. It’s just that I can’t believe how alike we are. I never thought I’d meet someone as geeky as me. I bet if we started talking about films, books, music and food, we’d probably have something in common in those departments, too. It sounds really cheesy, but although I don’t really believe in that stuff, I feel like it’s fate that we met. I went to the abbey today to try and cheer myself up – I’ve been feeling pretty lonely lately. And there you were.”

“I know what you mean.” Justine nodded. “Being lonely sucks – especially when we’re such good catches!” She laughed. But when she caught Amber’s eye, her face straightened immediately, because the look on the other girl’s face could only be described as wistful. “Hey,” Justine said softly, reaching across to take the other woman’s hand. “I didn’t mean to upset you. And actually, I meant what I said. About you being a good catch. Any girl would be lucky to have you.”

Amber frowned, then looked down at where their hands touched. “How did you…?”

Justine shrugged. “I guess the same way that you knew I was, too.”

Now Amber’s expression warmed considerably. “You mean you are? I thought I was just wishful thinking. Finding a girl as hot as you that’s available and a geek? This must be my lucky day.”

Draining the last of her tea, Justine stood and put the empty mug on the worktop. Then she turned and walked towards her bedroom. It was rash, she knew. They’d only just met, and yet somehow, it still felt right. She decided to go with her gut feeling. “Want to see just how lucky your day is?”

Amber stood up so fast that her chair fell over backwards. With a giggle, she righted it and chased after Justine, who was over by her bedroom window, drawing the curtains. “I don’t want to give the neighbours a heart attack.”

“No, absolutely not.” Amber agreed, closing the door behind her. “So, about this lucky day?”

Justine moved back towards Amber and slipped her arms around her waist. The women were roughly the same height, so their breasts, tummies and hips pressed together as they embraced. Then, as if they’d received an unspoken command, they kissed. Quickly, the room was filled with feminine moans and groans as the pair duelled with their tongues and grabbed each other’s bottoms to pull their bodies closer still.

After a few super heated minutes, Justine pulled away with a gasp. “Fuck,” she said, staring, wide-eyed at Amber. “If you’ll excuse my abruptness, I seriously need you to be naked and on my bed. Right now.”

Amber nodded and began pulling off her shoes and clothes, as Justine did the same. With seconds, they were both nude. They clambered hastily onto the bed, reached for one another and fell down onto the duvet in a tangle of smooth, pale limbs. Their mouths met once more, and the sounds of their increasing pleasure grew louder as they became lost in one another.

Justine rolled her hips towards her new lover. She could hardly help herself – by now her need was so great that she was desperate to have Amber’s fingers – and mouth – on and in her pussy. Thankfully, the redhead took the hint and without hesitation pushed her hand between Justine’s trembling thighs.

“Oh fuck!” she yelled, as nimble fingers parted her rapidly swelling labia and sought the distended bud at their apex.

“I could say the same thing,” Amber replied. “You’re so wet already, and I’ve barely touched you. That’s really fucking hot!”

Justine didn’t say anything. She couldn’t – she was too busy biting her lip and tangling her fingers into the duvet as Amber’s fingers stroked and rubbed at her clit. At the rate Amber was going, it wouldn’t be long before Justine came. Not that she was surprised – it had been a while since anyone else had touched her down there, much less somebody so freaking hot. And talented.

“Oooh, God!” Justine said as the redhead slipped two fingers inside her and sought out her g-spot. Then, just when she thought things couldn’t possibly get any better, Amber crawled down the bed and closed her pretty lips around Justine’s clit.

Now Justine clung to her bedspread so tightly that her knuckles turned white and started to ache. But she really didn’t care – all she could think about were the delicious sensations crashing through her body. The pressure against her g-spot and around her clit was immense, and before long she felt the pleasurable tingles at the base of her spine which hinted that her orgasm was imminent. Her abdomen grew tighter and tighter as Amber teased her most erogenous zones. Then, with a few more deft flicks of her tongue, Amber sent Justine over the edge.

Screeching like a banshee, Justine bucked and writhed on the bed as her climax scorched through her like a wildfire. She heard Amber gasp as her fingers were squeezed tightly by Justine’s strong internal muscles. She grinned a little; then wider as pure orgasmic bliss overtook her body. She tensed… then released and felt utterly boneless as she sank back into the mattress, gasping.

Amber moved back up the bed and lay back on the pillows, then pulled Justine into her arms. Justine went willingly, snuggling into the redhead’s grasp and sighing contentedly.

“Wow,” she said. “Just… wow. There are no words to describe what just happened.”

Amber giggled, idly stroking Justine’s hair. “I aim to please.”

“Well,” said Justine, turning in Amber’s arms and pressing a kiss to her lips, “that’s just something else we have in common, isn’t it?”

She moved down the redhead’s pale body and settled eagerly between her thighs with a grin. Now it was Amber’s turn to grip the duvet until her knuckles turned white.

The last rational thought that went through her head as she lowered her mouth to Amber’s slick pussy was that she had a funny feeling she wasn’t going to visit a geeky place by herself ever again. And for that, she couldn’t possibly be any more grateful.