Losing My Balance Ch. 05

He turned to Irri and wiggled his eyebrows. Irri had been looking down for a moment, but when she looked up, I could see a hint of conflict in her eyes. She was flushed, but she probably wasn't flushed from the alcohol yet. I couldn't tell if it was because she wanted it or because she didn't. Either way, I wasn't happy. Whoever suggested playing this game is an idiot. Oh wait, that was me.

I watched on wearily.

Jin was being silly and waved his hands, "Go about your business people, nothing to see here!" He leaned down to her and cupped her cheeks, giving her a firm deep kiss for a few seconds.

I could see her lean slightly into it as she rested her hand on his chest.

I felt my pulse raise and I glowered. Nisha looked at me for a second and raised her eyebrows and then shrugged, smiling.

I tried to control my breathing and my facial expression to show that it didn't make an ounce of a difference to me.

When they broke off, Jin was grinning and looked so proud of himself. It made me want to go over and grab Irri and tell her to stop playing with him. And following tonight's pattern, she avoided eye contact with me. She sped off to the bathroom instead. I just sat there, frozen and angry.

After, Nisha wisely called for a break, announcing she needed to satisfy her sweet tooth. She had brought some cookie dough over. Jin and Lee ran over to the kitchen with her while Irri headed to her bathroom.

I didn't head to the kitchen.

*****

From Irri's Eyes:

That will teach her! I stalked into my bathroom, which I didn't even need to use. I just needed a break. Okay, I shouldn't have used Jin, but I'm pretty sure he didn't mind the attention and it wasn't anything serious anyway. I knew because he had even just texted me from the kitchen, telling me not to worry and that it was all in the name of fun! What a sweetie.

I knew Bee was pissed at me, and I knew she knew that I was avoiding her... But that's what she gets for trying to tease me all afternoon! I know it's not playing fair, but she ALSO promised me that she would lay off, and she didn't.

Just because there's an attraction there, doesn't mean you need to act on it as much as you want to. I was standing in my bathroom, looking in the mirror, and gripping my counter when she walked in.

Damn it, I forgot to lock the fucking door.

I turned around, forcing a smile and raising my eyebrows at her, "Didn't anyone teach you how to knock lady?"

Bee just glared.

She crossed her arms and stood a few feet away from me. My eyes drifted over her body language and then just her body. She was wearing a big knit cardigan over a shirt that hung loosely over her. The only shapes you could see were the curves of her breasts and the slight swell of her hips. Her chest was slightly flushed from the alcohol and her hair was wispy over her neck from the always present messy bun of her hair. Her eyes narrowed at me.

"What was that Irri?" Bee's voice was low and controlled.

"What was what, Bee?" I tried to smile again.

She took a step towards me, and I raised my eyebrows again.

"You know what I'm talking about!" She said quietly but insistently.

I shrugged, "I'm just playing the game."

Now Bee was right in front of me, a lean away. She raised her eyebrows now, her voice dropping even lower, "Thought you didn't want to play our game."

I rolled my eyes, "I'm not talking about that!"

Bee snorted and leaned forward... We hadn't been this close since that night, my breathing hitched automatically, and I felt my pulse racing. This isn't what we agreed on. This isn't how it's supposed to be. I'm supposed to be over this. She's supposed to be over this.

*****

From Bee's Eyes:

Irri's breathing was erratic. Her chest was rising and falling visibly underneath her tight long sleeve shirt. I looked her up and down intently. How did she make me feel like this? So... possessive and serious. I didn't want to let her go and play this off as a joke. I wanted her to respond to me the way that she really felt...

I couldn't even help it anymore. I needed to touch her in some way. Irri had been leaning against the countertop, so I placed my hands on either side, and pressed the length of my body against hers.

I think both of us held our breaths for that moment.

I tipped my head down; I could taste her breath, smell her perfume, and feel her body. Her eyes were dark and deep when they locked onto mine.

I murmured softly, "Can't you feel this?"

Irri started breathing heavier. I could feel each inhale and exhale of her body against mine.

Bringing my head forward and my lips to her ear, I whispered, "Don't you want this?"

My hands slipped around her, embracing her as she pushed herself against me, not making a sound except to let out a soft gasp when my lips brushed against her ear.

I opened my mouth again, but instead of speaking I bit her lobe, tugging it.

Irri stifled a moan, her body jolting against mine for a moment.

She was trying so hard to resist me, didn't she know how good it felt to give into the spark between us and see what could happen? Didn't she want to be with me as badly as I wanted to be with her?

*****

From Irri's Eyes:

It literally took every ounce of willpower I had not to give into her. Every ounce. I wanted so badly to hop up on the countertop, wrap my legs around her long lithe body, arms around her neck, and proceed to kiss the living daylights out of her.

But there was one thing that let me resist. It let me resist the blood rushing through my head, the clench of my pussy when she bit my ear, and the billions of skin cells that were feeling her contact against me.

What was it?

I shook my head and pressed my hand to her chest, lightly pushing at her.

I looked up at her with hooded eyes, "You can't keep backing me into a corner Bee."

Her golden eyes locked with mine and her mouth tightened, "Backing you into a corner implies I'm not giving you a choice." Her voice was hoarse.

Bee took a step back and I almost let out a needy sound at the loss of her heat against mine.

Her eyes pinned me back against the counter and then she said something that created a different kind of heat, "I've been trying to be brave FOR you Irri, to show you that sometimes you have to take risks, that sometimes it's worth it."

I glared at her and now leaned away from the counter. A wave of anger washed over me and my voice quivered with strain, "You think the reason I'm not giving into this is because I'm a coward? I'm trying to preserve our fucking friendship Bee! You're the one who's so willing to just let it go for some physical satisfaction..."

Bee laughed suddenly. It wasn't her usual laugh, it was more of a bitter one and it surprised me.

Bee's face was drawn into a sad and forced smile. Tipping her head down, her hair fell across her cheeks, as if she needed any gentle touching that she could get. Her voice was quieter than before but steadier than mine, "Don't you know... don't you know that anything with you is more than just physical attraction? I could get that anywhere... I thought you knew me better than that."

Realization came crashing down on me at that moment. It was one of those long moments that seemed to be frozen in time. In reality I was just silent for a while.

Bee could get a girl any day of the week. But she pursued me, she let me have my space, and she let herself be vulnerable by trying again with me even after I had basically rejected her.

I didn't even consider that this is what she had been thinking. I hadn't even considered it an option because honestly it was too frightening.

Deep down, of course Bee was more than just a physical attraction to me. I loved her for all that she was in the platonic sense already. The truth was, I was afraid of being just a piece of ass. Of being another girl on her list of girls. Not that she treated them like shit, but in the sense that I would just be a short lived fling. I was afraid of developing feelings and her not having them back for me. I was afraid of losing my best friend.

I tried to reach out to her but she stepped away from me.

Bee murmured out, turning away from me dejectedly after I was silent... "I get it Irri. I won't try to "back you into a corner" again. We can just go back to before, I promise."

I was frozen because I was trying to wrap my head around everything. I couldn't even manage to move my legs or speak to stop her from leaving the bathroom.

What was I to do about this? How could I fix this? How did I want us to be? She left the ball in my court. Bee, my best friend, 'fessed up to feelings and I didn't even know in what way I wanted to reciprocate. I just knew that deep down, I had something in my chest that was begging me, pushing me to go and do something. Bee was right, I was being a coward. And maybe there was something I could do to change at least that part.

*****

From Bee's Eyes:

I tried to control the tears that wanted to well up in my eyes. Goddamnit. Irri thought this was physical for me? That I just thought with my pussy? Sure, I wanted to kiss her and touch her, but it was deeper than that. I hate being the angry crier type. This wasn't the time or place for that, so I gulped it down along with the rest of my drink and tried to pull up my big girl panties. I wish none of this had happened.

Everyone headed back into the living room with fresh drinks, ready to resume the game.

Irri almost strutted back into the room in a way that made me want to raise my eyebrows. I tried to ignore her but my eyes were drawn to her regardless.

Was she suddenly relieved that she didn't have to reject me again? Figures. She's back to being normal Irri and playing it safe. Whatever. I rolled my eyes to myself.

This time, Irri made eye contact with me and shot me a small smile. She sat next to Nisha and in between Lee on the couch. Jin sat next to me on my right. He was sitting in an arm chair and I was sitting on dining chair. Right, I warily glanced over at Jin, just use 'em and lose 'em. Glad I was out of her line of fire, or rather lack of it.

We muddled through a few more plays of the game, and I started to feel a bit better. I would shrug off this rejection and find a cute girl to drown my sorrows in. Things would be better, and at the end of the day at least I still had Irri in my life in one capacity or another. Grumpy cowardly Ewok that she was. I'd forgive her after a couple of weeks of licking my wounds and losing myself in some physical fun with no strings.

Soon, it was Irri's turn again to draw a wooden block. She reached for a block and slowly pulled it out. As she read it to herself a small bright smile suddenly took hold of her lips. Her cheeks were flushed red and she bit her lip. Despite being angry at her, I couldn't help but watch the way her thick hair cradled her face. Well, at least when I was looking at her she couldn't look at me.

Everyone was cheering her on as Nisha called out, "Read faster Irri!"

Irri wiggled her eyebrows, "Alright. It says I have to give a lap-dance."

Nisha laughed, Jin whooped, Lee whistled, and I rolled my eyes.

Great, another Jin and Irri interaction, this time a probable hard-on included!

Lee went over to the speakers to select a song, "So what does the lovely Irri wish to shake her ass to? And, who is she going to do it on?"

Nisha wiggled her eyebrows, "Arie is going to be so jealous she missed this! She always talks about how Irri is the best dancer!"

Irri just smiled demurely as she stood up, "Play 'Lips' by Marian Hill. And you're just going to have to wait and find out."

Like it wasn't obvious anyway. Jin looked so pleased with himself, such a shit-eating grin. It made me want to stab a fork in my eye. Jeez, grumpy Ewok mood must be contagious or some shit.

The song started, I didn't even feel like watching so I closed my eyes and listened to the song's lyrics.

The chorus made me want to shake my head, "Your lips, they got me going, heart flips..." When you're into someone, every song just tends to point back towards them. Especially this one. Earlier tonight I had been inches away from her lips.

I kept my eyes closed, not really caring what the others would think of this. Maybe they thought I was sleepy. That is until...

I felt two thighs sliding on either side of my leg.

My eyes shot open, and I gasped. Irri's deep hickory eyes were locked onto mine, and my mouth was in a literal "O". She raised an eyebrow as she grasped the back of my chair and slowly started to rock her hips to the beat of the music. Her legs gripped mine, squeezing them together. Biting back a groan my hands tightened into fists.

The weight of her in my lap, her temperature as her body rubbed against mine was something that I could get used to. I tried my best not to squirm underneath her.

If you remember, Irri is a fantastic dancer. The way she rolls her hips and her ass is the kind of thing that makes you want to fuck someone. I'm not talking about lie on top missionary style or lazily play in bed with... I'm talking down on their knees, ass towards you kind of fuck someone. And on top of that, it was her. The girl I had been dreaming about kissing and more was on top of my lap. It took everything I had not to grab her and kiss her.

Everything seemed hazy and what happened earlier was a murky memory.

My eyes locked onto hers: the way Irri licked her lips while looking at me and how her breath hitched when her body rolled towards mine was more intoxicating than the alcohol I drank tonight.

I felt the heat of her body; her legs were deliciously surrounding mine. I loved her curvy strong thighs and the way they pressed my legs together. Especially the way it made my pussy tingle. It was the most pleasurable torture.

If I was capable of having a hard-on I would have one right now. Well maybe I have a clit-on then. I was soaked through. I could smell her woody flowery perfume. Irri's breath grazed my face. Irri was not breaking eye contact with me for a moment. Her eye brow was raised in a challenge. I was almost panting and she was only using her hips and eyes on me right now.

My body had goose bumps. She was telling me something. She was telling me that this was her move. I might have to take back what I said about her being a coward.

My whole body was electric underneath her. I tried to contain what I was feeling considering our three friends were around us. I only looked up when I heard Lee whistle. Glancing over at at Nisha, she had a knowing smile on her face which made me curious as to what she knew or thought she knew. Jin however looked dejected and I flat out grinned at him. Sucks to suck!

Okay, I was being a bit cocky.

My eyes caught Irri's again. And she leaned even closer, biting her lip. Her thick highlighted hair fell across my shoulder as her lips moved towards my ear. Just as she was starting to say something, my hands instinctively reached around her waist to pull her into me...

But at the first sign of a touch Lee hollered out, "And, time!" He grinned as I glared at him, "Don't you know you're not supposed to touch the strippers!"

Irri was still pressing into me, breathing fast as she sat straddling my lap. Nisha applauded politely and Jin did too (albeit not as happily). A deep blush colored Irri's cheeks as she slid off of me.

Lee instantly started asking Irri questions and tips for how to do a good lap-dance. He was making future plans for his boyfriend. And started texting the lucky man immediately. Meanwhile, Jin and Nisha were in an avid discussion of music, I think they were also letting Irri cool off and avoid her after lap-dance shyness. Not to mention, I had a feeling that Nisha was distracting Jin on purpose.

As Irri started to move away from me, I caught her hand, tugging her back. Her hand was slightly sweaty and hot in mine. She stumbled against me, on the edge of falling into my lap. Her eyes wouldn't meet mine, despite her body pushing against mine.

I tugged and motioned Irri to lean down while I leaned up, murmuring in her ear, "I'm sleeping in your bed tonight."