The Twelfth of Never Ch. 03

"Emma?"

"Mmmm?"

"Make love to me again, please. Very slowly."

We didn't get much sleep that night.

We showered together in the morning but this time there was no tension, only joy and laughter and love. If you haven't tried it, I can recommend a mutual orgasm in a shower stall built for one person. It does make the knees a bit shaky, though.

When we were dressed, Sam opened the cabin door a little and peeped out. "Oh, shit! Lecherous Len's out there."

"Who's Lecherous Len?" I asked.

"Len Mead, one of the deckhands, thinks he's Casanova's reincarnation. He's harmless enough but he keeps asking me to go out with him—even when I tell him to fuck off, he thinks I'm just playing hard to get. God, even if I was totally straight and gagging for a length of cock he wouldn't stand a chance."

I had to see this Adonis. I opened the door slightly to have a look. Further along the deck, working with a bucket and mop, was a small, scrawny man dressed in dungarees, bald but with a long, greasy fringe of hair hanging down over his ears. I doubted whether he'd stood near a razor for at least a week and a stub of cigarette adhered to his bottom lip. He was unlikely to see forty, or perhaps even fifty, again and if he thought women would find him attractive, then he obviously hadn't looked in a mirror for some time.

I couldn't help laughing. "Why is it that so many men who think they're God's gift to women are such sleazeballs?" I asked Sam.

"Beats the hell out of me."

"Come on," I said, taking hold of Sam's hand, "Let's give him a quick thrill, something to talk about in the pub tonight."

Leaving the cabin, we made as much noise as possible to attract attention and Lecherous Len immediately began to preen. Not one gorgeous woman but two to admire his manly person. I pulled Sam into a close embrace and planted a big wet kiss on her mouth. "Lovers and best friends for ever," I announced loudly.

"Yes, lovers and best friends for ever," Sam echoed and returned my kiss with interest. We made sure that he could see our tongues hard at work. Then hand-in-hand, we walked past the goggling Len.

"Morning, handsome," I said, "What's the matter? Haven't you ever see a lesbian before?" We managed to turn a corner by the end of the crew cabins before collapsing in a fit of laughter.

When we reached the four-berth cabin, it was empty save for our bags piled neatly on the floor. I guessed the girls were at breakfast so we went to the restaurant and saw them sitting at a far corner table. Several other people, probably picked up at another island en route, were sitting around having breakfast.

Amy spotted us first. "There's Aunt Emma now!" she shouted, "And she's got that lady steward with her." Then with her usual lack of tact: "And look, they're holding hands!"

We went to join them. As we approached, Sophie had an "I-told-you-so" look on her face. I introduced my nieces then said: "Girls, this is Sam. We're going to be married."

"Yeeehaah!" Amy jumped from her chair and high-fived us both before throwing her arms around us. Sophie and Beth weren't far behind and there we were, a hugging, clutching mass of females. And there was a scattering of applause from some of the other breakfasting passengers.

"Can I be your best man, Emma?" said Sophie.

"And can we be your bridesmaids?" asked Beth and Amy.

Epilogue

That was nine years ago and we've been together ever since. We had to wait some time for our 'marriage' for the new Civil Partnership law to come into effect but we made it about a year after we met. So I am now Emma Wainwright-Parry and Sam is Samantha Parry-Wainwright.

Our plan to date was a good one, giving us, as it did, plenty of time to know one another better. And our love grew and grew. We met each other's families and found them to be as loving and welcoming as our own.

Now, of course, the girls are all grown up. Sophie and Beth are also civil partners and both work in the theatre, Sophie in production and Beth in scenery and design. Their coming out to the family was accepted happily and I think before they did come out their relationship was fairly obvious. The only dissenting voice came from an elderly aunt who had been born in the early Twenties. But nobody took much notice because her self-appointed purpose in life was to contradict everyone and everything. Had the rest of the family disapproved, I'm sure she would have supported Sophie and Beth.

Amy lives with her childhood sweetheart Carl and both are at the same university, training to be physiotherapists. Amy is as tactless as she ever was but still as loveable. And I think it's a good thing that Amy prefers men, otherwise the family might get the idea that I'm contagious.

Shortly before our 'wedding' Sam was surprised and amused to receive a good wishes card from, of all people, Lecherous Len. He wrote:

"Sam,

Sorry if I was a nuisance but I didn't realise about you. Hope you and your

girl are happy—what was it? Lovers and best friends for ever? Best wishes,

Len Mead

PS If you ever change your mind..."

"Hope springs eternal," Sam grinned.

Sam and I had our civil partnership ceremony at a Register Office and then a friendly vicar blessed our union in the grounds of his church. As well as family, we both had special friends with us, mine being my boss and his lovely wife Helen, Fran and Dot and Jacob with his partner Tony. My sister Hilary, by now married herself, told me that I'd probably found a better partner than I would have done if I'd been straight.

We wore identical slim white dresses with scarlet trimmings. Before we were called in to the Registrar, I took Sam to one side where no-one could hear us and told her: "I adore you, Sam, and I'll never let you down again."

I had to fight back the tears when she took my face in her hands and said: "You've never let me down, beautiful brown eyes."

After the ceremony, after the Registrar had pronounced us legal partners, we embraced and kissed and I whispered in her ear: "I love you so much that I'll sleep in the wet patch—for tonight at least." Everybody wondered why we fell about laughing but they were happy for us. At the reception afterwards, Sophie and William, Sam's younger brother, gave lovely speeches as our best men (or should that be best persons?). Our respective fathers more-or-less said the same thing in different words, that they were so proud of their beautiful daughters and pleased to welcome a beautiful new daughter into the family.

Recently, the government passed a new law to legalise gay marriages so soon we'll be doing it properly—we will be wife and wife at last. We might even try to persuade Sophie and Beth to make it a double wedding. What the hell, we might as well ask Jacob and Tony to make it a triple.

Sam and I live out of town now and are in business for ourselves, working mainly from home. We do advertising and PR work for small local businesses that couldn't hope to meet the big companies' fees. Several years ago, Alan LeStrange sold out his business, making himself even richer. He reckoned that we were good enough to go it alone and put up the money so that we could get started. He's very much the hands-off partner but is always available when we need advice. He and his Helen treat us as the daughters they never had.

And we have a family. Amanda, seven years old, was born to Sam and Jonathan, five, was my contribution. Jacob and Tony provided the sperm and act as much loved uncles. The children are doted on by both our families and we have our work cut out to ensure that they are not spoiled. Anyway, when we get married properly we have a ready-made bridesmaid and page-boy set.

So, we're very happy. It's not always been plain sailing and we're not perfect—we have our spats and arguments like any couple but we never allow the sun to go down on them. And anyway, we're agreed that the making up as the sun goes down is a lot of fun. And let me just add that we're in it for the long haul—I intend to grow old with Sam and I can't think of anything better.

At our civil partnership ceremony we exchanged identical wedding rings. Both are wide bands with our names and a special quotation engraved on the inside in exquisite tiny lettering.

Mine reads: 'Samantha loves Emma...' and Sam's reads: 'Emma loves Samantha...' And that special quotation? '...until the Twelfth of Never'.

The End