Author's note: 'Laurie's Milk' is written linearly, and continually references previous chapters in character thought and dialogue. This happens in Chapter 4 especially, as the plot is heavily influenced by the events in the previous chapter between Laurie and Danny, having occurred two weeks before Danny meets Laurie in the coffee shop below. It isn't necessary to read the previous chapters to understand the next, however it will give proper context.
*****
Laurie fidgeted in her seat, pulling at the sugar packet between her fingers. She was sitting at an outside table at her favourite cafΓ© waiting for Danny. Angus slept in his pram next to the table, while an empty coffee cup sat between her elbows.
"Where is that girl?"
she thought.
"Laurie!" called a voice from behind.
Laurie turned to see Danny waving as she walked up the sidewalk towards her. She was dressed for the warm spring weather they were experiencing in an off the shoulder maxi dress and sandals. She walked up to Laurie and hugged her where she sat, before dropping herself into the seat opposite her.
She looked into Angus's sleeping form in the pram and smiled, making cooing noises and wiggling his tiny toes, before returning her attention to her friend.
"Sorry I'm late. Work is a bit mental," Danny said. "One of my bartenders quit on me this morning. The prick demanded to work nothing but night shifts, so I've spent my morning scrambling to redo the roster while everybody bitches and moans about who gets preferential treatment and all that bullshit. That's exactly what I want to hear when I have to go in on my day off to fix shit so the place doesn't fall down around them all. It's exhausting." She exhaled, and picked up the menu. "So what looks good?"
She perused the menu a while before the waiter came to take their order, Danny getting a Chicken Cesar Salad while Laurie ordered more coffee. The waiter left and Danny looked at Laurie curiously.
"Don't you have to watch your caffeine while you're breastfeeding?" she asked.
Danny shrugged. "A couple of coffees aren't going to hurt anybody."
Danny smirked. She then proceeded to unload on Laurie about the various employees at the bar she co-owned, and for the millionth time wondered aloud if it time for her to become a silent partner and go back and study or something.
Danny's lunch came out with Laurie's coffee. Danny got stuck into consuming her salad while Laurie only played with her new cup, turning it on the saucer between her fingers. Danny looked up from her meal, and realised the whole time she had been speaking, Laurie had looked tired and drawn. And honestly, a bit worried.
She stopped chewing and swallowed. "Laurie, is something up?" she asked.
Laurie sighed, looking into her cup. "I'm just... I need to tell Steve what we've done Danny."
Two weeks ago, Laurie and Danny had spent a night out on the town together that that resulted in the first lesbian experience of Laurie's life. They drunkenly hooked up in their room's hot tub, and again that same night while still feeling aroused, and a bit drunk, from the first time. Both of those times Danny nursed from Laurie, which at the time was out of necessity to stop Laurie's discomfort, and both girls had undeniably enjoyed the experience.
They had promised to work out what they would tell Laurie's husband Steve and Danny's boyfriend Alex, also Steve's best friend, in the morning after their tryst, but the next day involved shopping, getting pampered and, in the heat of excitement at this new facet of their friendship, a lot more kissing and nursing. By the time they parted company they had not once discussed it.
Laurie had still intended to bite the bullet and tell Steve the moment he came home from his boy's trip camping with Alex. But the moment he came home, Steve's phone rang.
He had been working on a novel since they had had Angus, and the literary agent he sent his manuscript to was calling Steve to say his work was being optioned by an important publishing house in the city. He had been too happy after taking the call for Laurie to drop that bomb on him, and every day since, he had been busy working at his day job, or on the phone or computer, or driving into the city for meetings, trying to sort out his book deal. There was just never a good time to pin him down and deliver the news.
Since that weekend, Laurie and Danny had also conspired to meet up twice to engage in ANR. The first time they met at Danny's club. Danny had simply walked Laurie to the green room they used to house the live bands that played there some nights when they weren't onstage. Danny had sat Laurie down, lay across her lap and drained one breast, then the other.
The second time was potentially riskier as it happened in Laurie and Steve's home, while Steve was downstairs with Angus. It had started out as a nursing session, same as before, but both of them got a bit too handsy, a bit too horny, and the session ended with Danny eating Laurie out. With the resulting orgasm came a wave of guilt for Laurie, for while she had partially blamed the alcohol for their antics at the hotel room, nursing Danny now was something she had only planned to do for cathartic purposes. The last time, it truly felt like she had cheated on Steve.
Danny looked at Laurie thoughtfully. "Well, okay, why haven't you told him?" she asked.
Guilt wasn't the only thing holding her back from telling Steve.
"Because, what I have to tell him involves
you
Dan," she said quickly. "You're dating Steve's best friend. I mean, me telling Steve, it really could ruin both of our relationships."
Danny stared at Laurie, looking at though the thought of that reality had not occurred to her until right this moment.
"Well, I mean, Alex knows that I like girls" said Danny slowly, processing Laurie's words.
"Have you done anything with a girl since you've been with Alex that he wasn't there for?" Laurie asked. "Would it be any easier for you to tell Alex about this than it would be for me to tell my husband?"
Danny looked into her half eaten plate, suddenly not hungry.
"No, I suppose not," she answered finally. She sighed. "Okay, what are we going to do?"
Laurie looked at Danny with pleading eyes. "I want to tell Steve about us, about what we've been doing. And...I...I was hoping I could convince you to tell Alex too."
Danny looked at Laurie unreadably. Her face then split into a massive grin, and Danny started to laugh at Laurie.
Laurie looked at her in surprise. "What? What is so funny?"
Danny fought herself down to a chuckle to get the words out. "I'm sorry Laur, but really, did you think you were going to have to bargain me down to get me to agree?" Laurie still looked blank, so Danny leaned across the table and took hold of Laurie's hand. "Laurie, we might've only met because our partners are besties. But despite anything else, including what we've been up to behind their backs, I think of you as one of my best friends, and I love you, you silly woman. If telling the boys is what you need for some peace of mind then, okay, let's tell them. Together."
Relief flooded through Laurie. "Thank you Dan" she trembled.
"It's alright hon. Though, I'm not sure what I'm going to say exactly. I don't think it'll be easy," Danny replied, furrowing her eyebrows thinking. "Should we do it tonight?"
Laurie nodded. "I want to get it off my shoulders, if that's okay."
"Fine with me hon," agreed Danny. She looked at her watch. "Sorry, but I've got to get going to sort more shit out. But I promise me and Alex will have a good long talk tonight, okay?"