Bag of Tricks

Tina stirred and fought the urge to open her eyes as she heard Bette’s voice in the distance. Her hand reached out to Bette’s side of the bed, confirming what she already knew, Bette was out of bed and talking on the phone.

“Phyllis I just saw you at the fundraising event last night.” Bette’s voice indicated an annoyance. “What could possibly be so important that I need to meet you on a Saturday?”

Tina opened one eye and glanced at the clock, groaning as she realized it was barely after 8:00 in the morning. They had been out most of the night and Tina was thankful that Kit had the forethought to offer to keep Angelica overnight.

“This can’t wait until Monday?” Bette asked one more time clearly not happy with the direction the conversation had taken. “Fine I’ll meet you in an hour at The Planet, but this isn’t turning into an all-day event.”

Tina jumped slightly when she heard Bette slam her cell phone shut and throw it down on the table. She waited for Bette to make an entrance into their bedroom, hearing her footsteps grow closer as each moment passed.

“Are you awake?” Bette whispered fearing waking Tina up if she wasn’t already.

“Hard to sleep when you slam your phone like that.”

“I’m sorry,” Bette entered the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “Phyllis called…”

“I heard that too.”

“I have to meet her for a few hours at The Planet, are you interested in tagging along?”

“No offense, but after talking educational politics all night, I’m a little worn out. I was thinking of calling Kit and making sure it’s ok with her that we pick Angie up later. That way I can enjoy some peace and quiet while you’re gone.”

“I wish I could stay and do that too,” Bette sadly admitted. “I won’t be long though, a few hours max.”

The 40 minutes it took Bette to shower and get dressed, applying just the perfect amount of make-up to remain casual, seemed to pass by at the speed of light. Tina remained in bed, her eyes closed, her body relaxed as she thought about the previous night. She chuckled as she remembered the command Bette had on the room from the moment they arrived.

“What’s so funny?” Bette asked as she sat on the edge of the bed.

“Just a little private joke, ” Tina teased. “If you hurry back I’ll be sure to tell you as a reward.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Bette bent down and brushed her lips against Tina’s softly. She pushed Tina’s hair back and placed another gentle kiss on her forehead.

“Stay right where you are because I will be back sooner rather than later.”

Tina sighed as she heard the front door close and Bette’s car purr to life. She scooted over in the bed to place her head on Bette’s pillows, the gentle scent of Bette’s shampoo seemed to linger just long enough to taunt Tina and awaken her body.

She felt herself beginning to relax once more when there was a knock at the door. At first, Tina thought her hearing was playing tricks on her, but then as it became louder she grunted and crawled out of bed, searching for her robe to throw on in order to answer the door.

Alice looked around the neighborhood, shaking her head at the utter silence that fell over the street. In the distance, a dog barking could be heard over the rustling of the trees.

“Thank God for the proverbial dog that always seems to pop up,” Alice rolled her eyes as the incessant barking continued. “For a moment there I forgot I was actually outside.”

Alice knocked once more, louder this time, coupled with kicking the door with her heeled boot to prove her point that she wanted to be let in. When the door finally opened, Alice plastered on her best smile to greet Tina early in the morning.

“Did you forget something…?” Tina asked as she opened the door quickly. “Alice?”

“Who else would be on your doorstep?” Alice’s smile weakened as she saw a look of displeasure cross over Tina’s face.

“As sad as it is to admit,” Tina looked over her shoulder at the clock on the wall. “I’d have to say nobody but you on a Saturday morning this early.”

“Well I was in the neighborhood,” Alice began to speak as she pushed her way past Tina and into the house. “Well really just passing by and thought I’d see how last night was?”

“It was fine,” Tina wrapped her robe around her tighter as she watched Alice plop down on the sofa. “How was your night?”

“Long, I hate being taunted by the empty screen that should be my latest article. It’s like the cursor mocks me for not being able to formulate a sentence these days.”

“What top 10 list are you working on now?”

“I’m not. I am doing a freelance piece for a different magazine.”

“When did you start writing freelance?”

“When I wanted to eat,” Alice smiled. “A girl’s gotta make a living right?”

“So they say,” Tina sat down in the chair facing the couch. “What’s the article on?”

“A little of this,” Alice shrugged her shoulders for effect. “A little of that. I was actually hoping you’d help me with part of it.”

“Ah, the true reason behind the early morning visit.”

“Not true,” Alice smiled. “Just an added bonus.”

“Do I have time to change and make myself a cup of coffee?”

“If you hurry,” Alice muttered as Tina made her way to the kitchen and started the coffee pot brewing.

“What was that?”

“I’m on a deadline,” Alice shouted back. “So I said if you hurry you can.”

“How kind of you,” Tina appeared once more in the archway leading to the family room. “When is the article due?”

“In 2 days.”

“What’s the hurry? You’ve written under worse deadlines before.”

“But this time I need your help,” Alice smiled. “Hurry up and change. I’ll be waiting.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Tina muttered as she made her way to the bedroom to change into clothes.

Alice looked at her watch as she started to bite the already short fingernails on one hand. She quickly noticed what she was doing and dramatically threw her hand down by her side.

“If I’m going to shake Oprah’s hand when she begs me to be on her show it better be with well groomed fingernails.”

“What was that?” Tina asked as she appeared in front of Alice once more. “What about your nails?”

“Oh,” Alice blushed slightly and waved her hand in the air to dismiss the question. “Nothing important.”

Tina curled up in the chair opposite Alice with her cup of coffee. She was dressed casually, looking very comfortable in a pair of khaki cargo pants and a white t-shirt. Her feet were bare, displaying perfectly manicured toes, which she quickly tucked beneath her body in a comfortable position.

“So what is this article on?”

“It’s called ‘Bag Of Tricks’ and is part of a series for this new lesbian magazine that’s being launched. My job is to write an article about spicing up long-term relationships.”

“Spicing them up how?” Tina asked as she arched an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Sexually,” Alice smiled as she watched Tina roll her eyes.

“You want my advice on how to spice up long-term relationships in the bedroom?”

“Not exactly,” Alice tried to soften Tina’s resolve. “It’s specific to a set of….”

“A set of what?” Tina pressed anxious to discover what Alice truly wanted.

“A set of specific toys that they want reviewed.”

“Toys?” Tina asked nervously.

“I have them in this bag,” Alice’s eyes traveled to the bag beside her. “It’s really simple things that I’m sure you’ve already used.”

“Oh really?” Tina arched her eyebrow in question. “Why would you think that?”

“Hello,” Alice said sarcastically. “Did we suddenly forget that I dated Bette too?”

“No I didn’t forget, but you assume that our sex life is like yours, which wouldn’t be a safe assumption. Why don’t you just ask Shane to review these toys? She probably owns most of them.”

“Because Shane’s relationships last all of a week these days. This is about a spicing up a long-term relationship, not getting off with a one-night stand. Think about me starving away,” Alice began pleading her case. “I can barely afford a cup of coffee at The Planet these days and this article pays a lot. Besides, despite you helping your dearest friend and Earth Mother to your only child, you’ll have some fun with your wife. How bad can that be?

“When you’re involved I’m typically surprised at the results.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Alice smiled. “What do you say Tina? Will you please help me? All you have to do is use the toys in this bag and tomorrow I’ll come by and you can tell me your review of them.”

“I don’t know Alice,” Tina squirmed in her chair. “I appreciate my sex life as it is thank you very much.”

“You’re the only one that can help me,” Alice whined. “I’ll grovel if I have to.”

“You aren’t now?”

“Please,” Alice dragged the one syllable word out longer than what should have been humanly possible. “Just use the toys and have some fun. I’ll ask you a few questions and you just have to answer them. I swear it will remain anonymous or you can beat me within an inch of my life.”

“As tempting as that sounds,” Tina smiled at her friend. “You’re assuming that, even if I said yes, Bette would agree to all of this and that would be a feat.”

“She’ll agree if you want her to,” Alice said. “Just make it irresistible to her.”

“Uh-huh,” Tina said sarcastically.

“I just need an honest answer as to whether or not you feel it would help spice up a relationship that is knocking on lesbian death bed’s door.”

“We aren’t knocking on any such door,” Tina exclaimed defensively. “You have a way of flattering those that you’re begging for help!”

“I don’t mean to offend, but let’s be honest it couldn’t hurt for you to spice things up.”

Tina stared at Alice with her mouth wide open, as if she were going to begin to defend her relationship, but quickly shut it and folded her arms across her chest.

“Will you do it?”

Tina sighed and took a sip of her coffee before reluctantly nodding her head. Alice jumped up and began to hug Tina, almost spilling her coffee into her lap.

“Don’t get too excited, I’m not promising that Bette will use any or all of the things in that bag.”

Once Alice had left, Tina began to pick up the numerous toys that had been scattered about by Angelica. She bent over and picked up a few blocks when her eyes quickly darted to the bag still perched on the couch.

“Lesbian death bed,” Tina muttered while she rolled her eyes.

She tossed the blocks into Angelica’s toy box and then picked up a few teddy bears that Bette and Angelica had been playing with the day before. She looked up and saw the bag once more.

“Why are you staring at me?”

Tina walked over to the couch and sat down next to the bag. She looked at it, then stared straight ahead for a moment, then glanced back at the bag. She arched her neck to try to peer inside, but it was too dark inside and she couldn’t make any of the contents out. She slowly slid one hand over to the bag, up the side, and rested it momentarily near the bag’s opening.

“I can’t believe I agreed to this.”

She heard a few kids outside riding their bikes and jumped from the startling noise. She looked around the room quickly, then grabbed the bag, and marched to her bedroom on a mission. She sat the bag on the bed and then sat down herself, sitting crossed-legged in front of the bag.

“You can do this Kennard,” Tina said to reassure herself. “I’m sure it’s nothing that you haven’t used or seen before.”

She slowly opened the bag and placed her hand inside. She felt a cold, hard object first. She wrapped her fingers around it and pulled the item from the bag. After releasing a sigh of relief, Tina chuckled at the item in her hand.

“Handcuffs,” Tina laughed. “Bette’s more of a silk scarf type of woman but overall that’s not too bad.”

Tina slowly put her hand back in the bag and felt a smooth plastic object. She bit her bottom lip in anticipation as she wrapped her fingers around the item and pulled it from the bag. She smiled as she read the jar of body butter, noting that it was coconut flavor, and then opened it. She held the jar to her nose and sniffed the aroma that reminded her of suntan lotion.

“Not too wild,” Tina said softly. “I hope it doesn’t taste awful though.”

Tina was so engrossed in hesitantly tasting a sample of the coconut body butter that she didn’t hear the door open nor Bette call out her name. Bette, when she didn’t receive an answer, explored the house and ended her journey in the entranceway into their bedroom with her hand on the door to support her.

“What…” Bette stammered. “I just….”

Bette’s eyes took in the contents that Tina had already taken out of the bag and placed beside her, as well as the next item she had in her hand.

“What the hell is going on?” Bette asked as Tina felt the blush creep up her neck and cheeks.

“Oh,” Tina shook her head and offered Bette a weak smile. “This isn’t how it looks.”

“So you aren’t sitting on our bed with some sort of…” Bette’s voice trailed off momentarily. “What are you doing with all of this?”

“Alice stopped by,” Tina tried to explain but cringed at how the beginning of the explanation sounded. “I shouldn’t have started with the Alice part.”

Bette walked slowly toward the bed but maintained a safe distance to hear the explanation.

“Alice asked us for help, and although I agreed to take a look at what she wanted, I’m suddenly feeling very silly about it.”

“Help?”

“Come here,” Tina held her hand out. “Let me start at the beginning.”

Bette sat down on the bed across from Tina with the bag in between them.

“Alice is writing a freelance article and needs help.”

Bette arched her eyebrow in question for Tina to continue.

“It’s an article on spicing up the bedroom in a long term relationship. It’s specific to this set of….”

“Toys?” Bette finished Tina’s sentence when her voice trailed off.

“Come on Babe, it’s not like we haven’t used some of this stuff before.”

“Really?” Bette arched an eyebrow as she held up the handcuffs in question. “I don’t ever remember using these.”

“You are more of a silk scarf kind of woman,” Tina smiled. “I will admit that, but handcuffs is the same concept right?”

Tina reached into the bag to retrieve another object as Bette smelled the opened jar of body butter and crinkled her nose up in disgust.

“This is not what I would call coconut.”

Tina felt a cardboard box with her fingers and frowned, knowing she had to remove it from the bag. She slowly pulled the box from the bag as her eyes widened, seeing the back of the box. It was decorated in bright colors with illustrations on the back that caused Tina to quickly flip it over. That decision, as it turned out, was not the wise one.

“Jesus!” Bette exclaimed. “You’ve got to be kidding!”

The front of the package was decorated in the same bold colors, but there was a clear plastic window displaying a rather large, outrageously colored dildo.

“This is even too much for Alice,” Tina said as she slowly opened the box and turned it upside down dumping the contents out.

Tina’s eyes widened when, along with the large dildo, two additional ones fell on the bed. Tina quickly stuck her head inside the bag and searched for a harness to accompany the strap-on choices they had. She pulled it out and held it in her hand as Bette stared at the large dildo that served as the display model.

“I guess we get to choose the size we want,” Tina said trying to break the blanket of silence that fell between her and Bette.

“Are you seriously considering this?” Bette asked still focused on the larger toy, which was resting on the bed near Tina’s knee.

“I think one that’s smaller would be exciting,” Tina admitted shyly. “We used one a few times.”

“The common denominator being that I was slightly intoxicated those times.”

“And it was amazing without your usual dexterity,” Tina purred as she leaned forward and nudged her nose against Bette’s, her breath caressing Bette’s face. Tina pulled away and smiled at her wife, who still didn’t seem convinced.

“Uh-huh,” Bette mumbled as she looked at the choices in Tina’s hand.

“Imagine,” Tina leaned forward and kissed Bette seductively on the lips. “It would be like you were so deep inside me.”

Bette’s hand instinctively wrapped around the back of Tina’s neck to pull her closer and deepen the kiss.

“Or if you’d rather,” Tina smiled against Bette’s parted lips. “I can use it on you.”

“You are not topping me,” Bette said emphatically. “I don’t need a strap-on to….”

Tina began to chuckle as Bette’s voice trailed off.

“To what Babe?” Tina asked as she ran her fingertips up Bette’s arm. “You don’t need a strap-on to have an orgasm with me?”

“No I don’t.”

“I don’t either, but the article is about spicing things up in the bedroom,” Tina pushed Bette back gently so that she was lying on her back looking upward at the ceiling. She crawled over to Bette’s body and straddled her as she placed gentle kisses on Bette’s neck, talking in between each one.

“I have to admit,” Tina sat straight up and removed her shirt and bra, throwing both of them to the ground. “The thought of using all this stuff in the middle of the day has me more than a little excited.”

Tina’s fingers began to play with the hem of Bette’s shirt, lingering there momentarily, before inching the shirt up to caress the skin on Bette’s stomach. She inched down Bette’s body and began to kiss the area that her fingertips had just tickled. The light hair on Bette’s body stood at attention while Tina used the tip of her tongue to taste Bette’s skin.

“Hand me the body butter Babe,” Tina requested in a husky voice.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Bette said as she felt Tina’s hands snake up her shirt.

“Does it feel like I’m kidding?” Tina squeezed Bette’s breasts that were still encased in her lacy bra.

The groan that escaped from Bette’s throat was enough inspiration for Tina to continue. She sat straight up again, but this time tugged at Bette’s shirt to quickly remove it. As she unfastened Bette’s bra and discarded it, she also kicked the bag with the remaining toys over to the side of the bed. Tina felt Bette’s thumbs massaging her rock hard nipples as she reached over for the jar of coconut body butter. She dipped two fingers into the jar and scooped up a small amount of the cream. Tina rubbed the cream on Bette’s breast, ensuring that the nipple was completely covered as well as the surrounding area.

Tina bent her head down and tentatively licked a small portion of the body butter off Bette’s skin. When she moaned her approval, Bette snaked her hand through Tina’s hair and pulled her closer to her breast.

“You taste so good,” Tina purred as she licked the covered area surrounding Bette’s hardened nipple.

Tina ensured she licked off the cream before she took Bette’s nipple in her mouth and began to suck on it hard. She lightly grazed Bette’s nipple with her teeth and then held it between them, pulling it away from Bette’s body.

Tina smiled as she felt Bette raise her hips off the bed desperate to gain contact with Tina. Tina placed a hand on Bette’s hip to push her lower body back on the bed and released Bette’s nipple to pick her head up and look into Bette’s expressive eyes.

“I think I like the taste of you better,” Tina smiled. “I can feel how wet you are.”

To illustrate her point, Tina rubbed her thigh between Bette’s legs. She felt Bette’s warmth and moistness through her thin linen pants. Tina inched her hand between them and untied the waistband of Bette’s pants. She pushed herself into a sitting position once more, grabbing the waistband of Bette’s pants and yanking them down her body. She made sure she also removed Bette’s lacy thong in the process.

Bette arched her hips off the bed as Tina assisted in pulling her pants down past her thighs, over her calves, and finally off Bette’s body completely. Before she resumed her position, Tina also discarded the rest of her clothing quickly.

Bette moaned as she felt Tina’s arousal seep past her swollen lips and onto Bette’s leg. She instinctively rubbed her thigh against Tina’s throbbing clit, pleased when Tina reacted by throwing her head back and gasping at the feel of contact when she needed it the most. Bette sat up, pushing Tina into a sitting position straddling her lap. Bette’s focus was straight ahead, as she was eyelevel with Tina’s hardened nipples.

Bette tentatively placed one finger into the jar of body butter and scooped a small amount out on the tip of her index finger. She rubbed it over one of Tina’s nipples and quickly lunged forward taking it in her mouth.

Tina held Bette’s head close to her breast as she placed gentle kisses on the top of Bette’s head. She sucked hard on Tina’s nipple, relenting only to repeat the previous actions on Tina’s other breast. Her fingers replaced where her mouth had been and continued to tease one nipple while her mouth feasted on another.

“Damn Bette,” Tina moaned as she clenched her thighs around Bette’s body. “We better hurry and try the rest because I’m not sure I can wait much longer.”

Bette looked up as Tina attacked her mouth, thrusting her tongue inside Bette’s mouth and running the tip of it against the roof of Bette’s mouth. The kiss was one of passion, hungry, desire, but was short lived as Tina tore her mouth away from Bette’s to take a much-needed breath.

“What else do we have to experiment with?” Tina looked to the side where she had kicked the bag over. She smiled as Bette’s fingertips tickled her thighs and Bette’s lips feasted on the valley between her breasts.

“Even your sweat tastes better than that coconut shit,” Bette licked the beads of perspiration that were dripping between Tina’s breasts.

Tina pulled a box over to them which was smaller than the one that contained the various sizes of dildos. The device was shaped like a dolphin, and confused as to what it was, Tina turned the package over and began to read the few text lines of instructions.

“We’ve never used this before,” Tina said breathless.

Bette was making it almost impossible to concentrate when she turned her focus back to Tina’s breasts. She touched the tip of her tongue to one of Tina’s nipples once more, teasing it to the fine line between pleasure and pain.

“You put it on the strap-on,” Tina moaned and arched her chest toward Bette’s mouth, pleading for her to take more of her into her mouth. She dropped the clit stimulator next to them and pulled Bette’s head closer to her breast.

Bette turned her head and looked up at Tina, her head thrown back, her breathing erratic, and felt a sense of pride having pushed Tina closer to an explosive orgasm. As Bette bent her head to take Tina’s other nipple in her mouth, her progress was stopped when Tina’s hands held her head still.

“We need to be able to say something about these toys,” Tina said serving as a voice of reason.

“They make a good paperweight if you’re into dolphins?”

“Babe,” Tina pleaded. “Don’t do it for the article, do it because I’m straddling you, as wet as I’ve possibly ever been, at the thought of having you so deep inside me.”

Bette felt her resolve slip a notch.

“I love when you fuck me,” Tina said seductively. “But I want you inside of me as deep as you can possibly be.”

Tina reached over, seeing Bette’s hardened look soften, and grabbed the medium sized dildo, holding it up so both her and Bette could see it. She lightly traced a pattern on it with her fingers as Bette stared in amazement.

“Anytime you want to stop,” Tina whispered. “We’ll stop, but given how fucking amazing it’s been in the past when we both weren’t fully there….”

Bette moaned as Tina’s voice hung in the air filled with suggestion and promise of the moments to come.

“The harness is over there,” Tina said with a smile.

Bette reached over to grab the harness as well as empty the rest of the bag out beside them. Her eyes did a quick inventory of the remaining toys.

“What the…..” Bette stared in amazement as she held up a set of nipple clamps. “Absolutely not, I am not crossing over that line between pleasure and purposeful pain.”

Bette threw the nipple clamps on the floor quickly. Tina knew not to push the boundaries on that particular toy, but instead focused her attention on the one remaining toy. She held it up to Bette’s eyelevel and smiled suggestively.

“Is that what I think it is?”

“That depends,” Tina chuckled. “If you think it’s a vaginal plug that goes inside the leather harness then you’d be right.”

“Oh dear God,” Bette shut her eyes as she processed the information.

“See when you….”

“I know how it works,” Bette interrupted Tina quickly. “I wasn’t born yesterday.”

“Have you used one before?”

In an expert maneuver to avoid the question, Bette reached between them and massaged Tina’s throbbing clit. Tina dug her fingers into Bette’s shoulder blades and closed her eyes as a wave of pleasure shot through her body. Bette’s breathing became even more labored and she felt the amount of wetness that was pooling between Tina’s thighs. She slowly circled one finger around Tina’s opening causing her arousal to seep out of her lips, down her slit, and onto Bette’s skin.

“God hurry Babe,” Tina pleaded.

Knowing how important it was to Tina that they use the toys Alice had given them, Bette quickly retrieved the dolphin shaped stimulator and fumbled with it briefly, trying to slip it onto the dildo. When it refused to cooperate, she tossed it aside. She felt Tina place soft kisses on the top of her head as she focused on the task in front of her. She slipped the dildo into the harness and was about to stand up in order to fasten is when Tina stopped her progression.

“I want you to try it with the plug. Please do it for me.”

Bette held her hand out, despite the voice of caution inside her that was trying to talk her out of using it. Tina smiled when she placed the plug in Bette’s hand, and watched intently as the sight of Bette placing it in the harness, exciting her more.

Bette slid the plug into place and fastened the harness onto herself quickly, her own arousal building faster than she thought possible. Tina laid on her back, opening her legs wide, giving Bette as much access as she needed to enter her fully.

Tina waited in anticipation as Bette inched the dildo slowly inside her, cautious to allow Tina’s body time to become accustomed to the size of the dildo, which was slightly larger than the few fingers Bette usually used to pleasure her wife.

Once Bette was all the way inside, Tina wrapped her legs around Bette’s body and pulled her in deeper than they both thought possible.

“Fuck,” Tina threw her head back as pure pleasure shot through her body.

Urged on by Tina’s reaction, Bette began to move, barely inching herself out of Tina and thrusting back in. The first time she did this move with purpose, Bette felt the plug inside her own body, adding to what was already sensory overload.

“Oh my fucking God Tina!” Bette cried out as she felt her orgasm fast approaching.

Tina grabbed onto Bette’s ass and pulled her deeper inside. Her fingertips dug into Bette’s flesh as she increased the tempo. With every passing moment, it became virtually impossible to control the tempo of their lovemaking.

“Come with me,” Bette said as she felt herself dangerously close to the edge.

Tina felt Bette reach between them and press on the part of her clit that wasn’t hidden by the dildo that was being thrust into her at a quick pace. As Bette massaged Tina, they both approached their orgasms quickly.

“Don’t stop Bette!” Tina screamed as she clenched her thighs around Bette’s body. She lifted her head and bit down on Bette’s shoulder, tasting the salt of her perspiration on her tongue.

“God Tina!” Bette thrust several more times before Tina collapsed underneath her and she slowed her movements. She lay on top of Tina for a moment before she moved her hips and Tina gasped feeling it deep inside her.

“Bette,” Tina whispered as her eyes rolled back in her head.

Bette pulled out slowly and unfastened the harness, throwing the contraption to the side. She rolled over on her back and smiled as she felt Tina snuggling up to her and laying her head against her chest.

“Babe,” Tina played with the beads of sweat that had pooled between Bette’s breasts. “I don’t know about you, but I plan on giving Alice a rave review.”

Bette laughed for a moment before kissing Tina lightly on her damp hair.

“I plan to deny ever using any of this,” Bette laughed as Tina shook her head and nestled into her arm to sleep.