"Stick that ass out for me." She obeys, and I kiss her mouth when she turns her face to the side and our mouths meet a little crookedly. I penetrate her and feel my belly bump against her ass. It's enough to make me think I'm going to come. I reach out with my free hand to masturbate her until I feel her melt into a long, low moan. I take my hands off her and hug her.
We finish showering. I put on one of the robes and hand her another, and she tells me she's going to the bedroom and asks me to send her love to Sarki and Elisa.
"It was a wonderful Christmas. Thank you for your friendship, Megs," Vanessa murmured as we stood in the hallway. I kept my voice low, mindful of the two still sleeping soundly inside.
"Nothing changes between us, right?" I asked, seeking that silent reassurance. She smiled, shaking her head softly to dismiss any doubt.
"Nothing at all. We’re still friends, and if something happens again... well, then it happens," she laughed, moving toward thedoor. "I don’t think we’ll run into each other again this trip, though. I have to head out of New York today."
"Kels mentioned you might be able to help me put together an image team?" I reminded her. She beamed and nodded immediately.
"I’ll send you the best in the business. Just give me the address."
"This isn't goodbye, Nessa." I said firmly. She laughed, resting her hands on my shoulders for a moment.
"No. But we both know that, sexually speaking, it was just a mix of lust and timing," she noted, and I offered a small, honest smile in agreement. "You’re an excellent friend, Megan. I’m not going to ghost you just because we had two amazing fucks. In fact, that’s all the more reason to stay in touch." I let out a laugh, which only made her smile widen. "I’ll help you with your investment portfolio and your branding. It was a pleasure to meet you, Your Honor."
I pulled her in for one last kiss right there in the hotel hallway before watching her walk toward the elevator. I waited until the doors slid shut before retreating into the room.
The first thing I did was call the front desk to order breakfast for three. And plenty of coffee.
I grabbed my phone and settled into the armchair by the bed, scrolling through a backlog of emails while the city woke up outside. A while later, I heard the staff quietly setting up the meal in the foyer. Most of the messages were congratulatory notes regarding my Senate confirmation, but one in particular caught my eye: an email from the Governor of New York.
He wrote that he was thrilled with my approval and noted that the city would always welcome me with open arms. I saved his reply for last, looking up just as I noticed Sarki beginning to stir. She clutched her head as if the entire world were spinning on its axis. I moved to the bedside immediately, steadying her arm.
"It’s okay," I whispered soothingly. "It’s just a hangover."
I whispered, and she gave a small, weary nod. I helped her up and guided her to the bathroom. As soon as I pulled the door shut, she stepped into the shower, letting the steam fill the room, and just stared at me. For a split second, I was braced for the fallout—thinking she was pissed because I’d slept with her wife. But then, out of nowhere, Sarki just started laughing.
"God, what a Christmas! Megan, it’s so good to have you back. Seriously... what a Christmas."
She kept laughing as she washed her hair, the sound echoing off the tiles. I joined in, realized it was far too early to make a joke about how incredibly hot her wife was—it would always be too early for that one. I tossed her a towel the moment she killed the water. When we stepped back into the bedroom, Elisa was still out cold, sprawled across the bed like she owned every inch of it.
"She always sleeps like the dead afterward, doesn't she?" I remarked as we retreated to the living room.
"You have no idea. And if we dare wake her up, we’ll be dealing with a mood swing for the ages."
Sarki left a note on the table and a text for Elisa while I changed. Hours later, Elisa finally emerged, still in yesterday's clothes and looking completely drained. We talked for a while, and before I headed back to my own room, I kissed her forehead.
"Lisa, it’s okay. Really. You can even pretend none of it ever happened." She patted my shoulder, offering a weary, kind smile.
"Megan, I always pretend nothing happened." We hugged again, and I said my goodbyes at the door with Sarki.
"I’ll be waiting for you in D.C.," I told her firmly. "Seriously, Sarki, look into moving there. You can be my lawyer, and you already hate North Carolina. Other clients will follow, and Lisa’s work takes her everywhere anyway." Sarki gave me that knowing smile, my best friend in the world.
"We’ve actually been considering it since your transfer came through. It’s a real possibility." I lunged forward and pulled them both into a tight embrace.
"Oh, thank God. I love you guys. Just don't stay too far away, it's way too annoying to gossip from a distance."
I decided to clear my head with a walk. By the time I’d woven through the crowds of Times Square, my watch told me it was past 5:00 p.m. I was restless, fueled by an underlying anxiety about the trip and a growing curiosity I couldn't quite name.
I shot Charlotte a message, asking if the club was open. The moment she confirmed, I hailed a cab. The holiday traffic was hellish, taking over an hour, but as soon as the elevator doors opened, Charlie was there waiting for me at the bar entrance. She told me the night was on the house, Kelsey’s orders: if I ever stopped by, I was to be treated as a guest of honor, not a regular.
We settled at a table with a Cosmopolitan for me and a lethal-looking Cuba Libre for her.
"So, what happened to make you parachute in here on the literal birthday of Jesus?" she teased. I laughed, rubbing the bridge of my nose as I tried to find the words.
"And that’s confusing you because, with Kelsey, you’ve leaned so much further into submission than into control?" Charlie asked, her voice calm and analytical. I nodded, the truth of it sinking in. "That’s perfectly common, Megan. Nothing unusual. We shift our behavior based on the situation and the person we’re with."
