Pam and Leah are sitting at the table in the event hall.
"Do you want to dance?", Leah asked Pam.
Pam nodded in agreement.
Pam didn't tell Leah about her encounter with Isabella in the hallway earlier that afternoon. It's not that Pam has an intention of keeping secrets from Leah, but she wants to see how Leah will handle this issue.
The whole day Leah is fidgety and acting like a timid girl, and Pam does not recognize this Leah. Sure, Leah told her about Isabella and Pam appreciates that (otherwise she would be in for a huge shock when Isabella approached her), but Leah also needs to face her fears and not try to avoid them. At least this is what Pam thinks.
On the dancefloor…
Pam's arms are on Leah's waist while Leah's fingers are laced behind Pam's neck.
They are moving with the beat of the song in silence.
"I am sorry, Pam.", Leah said almost halfway into the song.
"For?"
"For acting like a brat. I realize that my behavior impacted you and I am thankful that you are still here and listening." Leah paused and observed Pam's expression which didn't show her anything other than Pam is not impressed with what she heard and it's obvious that Leah needs to say more. "I would like to give you an explanation why I'm out of it the whole day, and honestly… I am thinking about it and I don't have an answer. I just freaked out and I don't know why myself. What I know is that I don't love her, and I don't have any intention of getting back with her… I want to be with you."
"Maybe if you focused more on me than on her, you would not freak out.", Pam said after a long silence.
"Is it too late to fix this?", Leah asked timidly.
Pam smiled. "I am still here."
"Thank you…"
Leah's next words were interrupted when two young men stood next to her and Pam.
"Excuse us, but we saw you two fine ladies dancing and we are offering ourselves as your partners.", one of the two men said with a stretchy Southern-American accent. "I am Caleb, and this is Fane."
Leah glanced at Caleb and Fane. They are both in their early thirties, tall, handsome… but unfortunately not their kind of handsome.
Caleb and Fane are two higher-ups from the White foundation who are reporting to Ryder and they collaborate with Aiden on a regular basis. That is how they got invited to this wedding.
Leah looked at Pam and smiled. "What do you think?"
Without a word, Pam placed her palm at the back of Leah's neck and pulled her in for a kiss.
Caleb and Fane stood speechlessly and stared at Pam and Leah who were kissing without showing any intention to stop. After an unknown measure of time, the two men composed themselves enough to move away from Leah and Pam.
"I must admit, it's hot as hell to watch them make out.", Caleb said to Fane while loosening up his necktie and undoing the top button on his shirt.
"Yeah. I got a hard-on.", Fane admitted. "Both of them are hot. Do you think that they might take us in for a foursome?"
Caleb thought about it. "We can ask later."
On the side of the dancefloor…
"Are you OK?", Brandon asked Isabella who stared at Leah and Pam without any willpower to look away.
She didn't react to his question at all.
Isabella balled her hands into fists. That should be her! Leah is a hundred times a better kisser than Brandon. And Leah's body is softer, and she smells sweeter, and she knows how to make her come, and she does not snore, and she does not leave bits of toothpaste in the sink after brushing her teeth, and she has much less body-hair, and she does not leave dirty dishes on the table after her meal, and Leah is better than Brandon in so many ways that is impossible to name them all… yet there she is: kissing another woman on the dancefloor while Isabella is standing next to Brandon and watching from the side.
Isabella can't help but feel dejected for her powerlessness to stand up for what she wants. Her soul is aching from desire to be out there instead of Pam, holding Leah and kissing her passionately... but that is only a second long illusion before image of her father replaces everything... and he is looking at her with disapproval... rejection...
Suddenly, Isabella wondered, is it worth it? What can happen if she comes out as gay? Her father is an old man, and nature will take its course and he will die soon. It is not a nice thought, but it is the truth. As for Isabella losing her standing as a businesswoman... she never wanted that business to begin with. Isabella accepted this business game only so that her father stops forcing her into marriage. Now she realizes how wrong she was... as soon as she stabilized herself in the company, her father started setting her up with other guys, like Brandon.
Isabella always wanted to focus on her art. So why is she going along with this? Why is she indulging her father and fitting into the mold of this perfect-daughter he created for her? That is not her. Why...?
"Are you into those kinds of things?", Brandon's question made Isabella snap out of her daze.
"What?"
Brandon gestured with his chin toward Pam and Leah and clarified: "Other girls. Do you want to ask them to join us?"
"Us?" Isabella didn't understand why Brandon assumed that he should be included.
Brandon frowned. "You didn't really think that I am asking about them joining only you? What will I do? Watch?"
His question made Isabella come to her senses and realize that she almost blurted out her darkest secret. She needs to fix this. Fast! "Of course, not. You are the best, why would I ever wish to be with anyone other than you?"
Brandon grinned. Yup, he is the best.
Isabella rolled her eyes internally while thinking that Brandon can't find her G-spot even with a map in his hand. She wondered, how would Brandon react if he knew that she fakes orgasm with him (every time)? Would that crack in his ego?
But that is not important… it was never important. Isabella goes through the motions with Brandon, he is happy, so her father is happy as well, and Isabella gets it out of her system with her toys, by herself; just how she did before Leah came into her life and everyone is happy. But that is not the truth because she is not happy…
"You would not be opposed in adding someone in the mix?", Isabella asked Brandon cautiously.
He thought for a second before answering: "As long as it's female and hot, I am game."
"Really?"
Brandon scrutinized Isabella. "Do you have someone on your mind? I didn't know that you are a naughty girl. I should give you a double dose of Brandon tonight." He ended with a smug grin.
Isabella cleared her throat awkwardly. "I don't have anyone on my mind. I was just asking…" She didn't want to comment on the 'double dose of Brandon', hoping that he will forget about it.
"If you don't have anyone on your mind, we could ask those two." He pointed with his chin toward Leah and Pam again.
Isabella sighed. Yeah, right. Like Leah would like to touch her again. After her talk with Pam in the hallway and seeing this scene in front of her, Isabella knows that she can only dream about it.
"You don't seem willing?", Brandon probed. He noticed that Isabella's mood dropped.
Isabella forced a smile and quickly came up with a coverup: "Three, girls? You don't think it's too much for the first time?"
Brandon bobbed his head while thinking. "You are right. We should start by adding one and see how that goes. You are a smart cookie."
Isabella was not sure how to answer, so she decided not to.
Her eyes were drawn toward Leah who is holding and kissing Pam in front of everyone and Isabella's chest was aching to the point of making it difficult to breathe.
"How about we go and get some drinks?", Isabella suggested.
Brandon has no objections. "Sure. I hear that at the bar we can get some unique cocktails…"
"Sounds good.", Isabella mumbled and walked after Brandon into the event hall toward the bar while doing her best not to look toward the dancefloor.
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