I looked across the room at Janie. She was so beautiful and a complete contrast to me. She was the epitome of sophistication compared to my rustic look. Her blonde hair styled to perfection, and her makeup looked so natural. If I didn't see her put it on, I'd swear she wasn't wearing any. She wore a simple summer dress that accentuated her body and her ever present rainbow necklace. My brunette locks were always unruly and pulled into a ponytail. My makeup was limited to some lip gloss. I wore a simple purple tee with a heart motif, skirt and my cowboy boots. I also wore a matching rainbow necklace. Janie had told me I was a lost cause, and she was happy to see me out of my leggings and leotard that I usually wore. We'd known each other for three years, although this was the first time we made the trip home.

We lived and met in New York city, the city of lights, adventure, and some of the most fascinating people. At least that's what I always thought when I lived at home in Piedmont, South Dakota. Growing up with a population of just over two hundred didn't make for many fun evenings. Everyone knew each other's business, and if you weren't related, you probably knew them since birth. Your destiny was to get married, pop out a couple of kids, and work at the Country Corner Cafe if you stuck around.

I had bigger dreams, and right after high school, I jumped on a bus and headed east. I'd never felt like there was anything for me in that hick town. The boys did nothing for me. Oh, they tried to be great dates. They took me to the movie theater or the diner and then up to Pincher's Point Road. They were all the same. Cop a feel, try to get in my pants, and 'see ya later.' I experimented with a few, but no one ever shook me to the core. I had began to wonder if something was wrong with me.

My mom saw me off, and I made an empty promise to visit soon.  Dad was hungover as usual and had to throw out one last dig.

"You'll never make it. Don't think you can crawl back here, asking for a handout. Once you leave, that's it."

Dear old dad, I could always count on him to make sure I knew why I left in the first place. I was used to it, but it still stung.

My dream was to get into a great dance school then perform on Broadway. I applied to several schools, but I will never forget that first audition. I had three minutes to make a great impression. The teacher looked me over and told me I had the basic technique down but I didn't show enough passion. I was devastated.

I needed to get into dance school. My money was running out quickly. New York was way more expensive than home.

I grabbed my bag, and with tears in my eyes ran out the door. I wasn't looking ahead when I walked right into Janie.

She helped me to my feet and gave me a bright smile. Her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders. She was beautiful.

"Hi, I'm Janie. Are you okay?" she asked.

I tried to hide that I was crying and told her, "I'll be okay. I'm Maggie, well, Margaret, but everyone calls me Maggie." I stuttered over the words like a child who had just gotten scolded.

Janie told me, "I am about to get a coffee, and you really look like you can use one. Come join me."

When we got to the coffeehouse, it was almost empty. We sat in a corner to talk. I don't know what came over me, but suddenly I began to word vomit. I couldn't stop myself, the tears flowed as I told her about coming to New York, running out of money without a place to stay, and finally about the audition.

Janie wrapped an arm around my shoulders in a protective manner.  Once I finished, she gave me a moment to compose myself before telling me, "Today happens to be your lucky day. My roommate decided she was going to move in with her girlfriend. I was headed out to put some flyers out to advertise for a roommate."

"Are you serious? You don't even know me." I asked skeptically.

"I know enough that to get an audition in that school, you must have something special. They don't audition just any Fancy Nancy. You haven't killed anyone, have you? Are you hiding a husband at the hotel?" she said with a smirk.

I laughed, "No to both. Thank you. You're so kind to me."

Janie helped me get my things from the hotel and took me to her apartment. It was a great to have a place to stay.

After that day, we seemed to be the perfect roommates. She helped me learn how to show passion in my dancing. She had been a dancer for a while but landed wrong, twisting her knee and breaking her leg. After which she went to work in fashion, this she said was her true calling.

I was accepted into the school and was going into my final semester. It had been grueling for a while, but Janie always was there for me. She massaged my aching feet and my sore back.

With my schedule, I didn't have time to date, which was fine with me. About a year after I moved in, I asked Janie about her relationships. She never brought a guy home or talked-about any. She just blew me off with a giggle and said, "Sweetie between work and keeping your muscles limber I have enough to keep me busy."

I dropped the subject after that. She went out with clients and to a few functions. I just assumed she was dating one of her coworkers or a client.

One night after a particularly long day with double classes and an audition for an off-Broadway show. I was exhausted, and every muscle in my body hurt. Janie took one look at me and drew me a warm bath. She added some oils to help me relax. The water felt divine.

Once the water started to cool, I wrapped a towel around me to head to my room. Janie directed me to lie on her bed. She had a diffuser that released a light flowery scent. Once I was comfortable, she began to massage my temples. She then gently ran her fingers through my hair, massaging my scalp.

My eyes closed as she moved to my shoulders. She took her time, kneading out the tension before she continued down my back. When she moved, the towel slipped open, revealing my nakedness.

Janie slowly massaged my back before moving to my feet. Taking her time, she found the sorest areas, she pressed and pulled and rubbed both feet. When she got to my legs, she felt the knots and made sure to work them out of my calves.

Reaching up to my thighs, her fingers released all the stress from the day.

When she began on my butt, I thought I heard her breath hitch slightly. Somewhere in my mind I had hoped she did. She told me to roll over. I didn't think to hold the towel, and I saw a slight glimmer in her eye as she looked at me.

That glimmer made me not feel so guilty about how often I thought of her.  I was confused, but I knew what I felt was more than friendship. I never had the guts to make a move though.

Instead of massaging my face, she leaned in and kissed me tenderly which pulled me out of my reverie. She waited for my reaction before she pressed her lips against my mouth. I had never felt butterflies like this before. When she went to pull back, I held her still and kissed her back.

Janie looked into my eyes questioningly. In response, I leaned up to her and kissed her again. I gripped her camisole and pulled it over her head. Her hands started to roam over my small breasts. My nipples under her touch stood erect.

I unhooked her bra, which released her perfect breasts. She kicked her shorts off before she climbed back up beside me.

"Let me show you what I've wanted to do for so long," she whispered in my ear. Then I felt her suck my nipple into her mouth. I gasped as juices flowed from my pussy. I had never wanted anything as much as I wanted her.

She nipped and bit one nipple then the other before she kissed over my flat stomach to the ache between my legs. The first time I felt her lap at my juices, I thought I would jump out of my skin.

She grabbed my hips and held me still as she bit my nether lips and lapped up my essence. She looked up at me and winked before she sucked my clit into her mouth.

I let out a moan and tried to move away but wanted more. She held onto me with one hand and slipped her finger into my slit. She didn't show me any mercy. As she felt me clench, she would slow down.

Then she would do it again with two fingers pumping hard. She bit down gently on my clit, and I came all over her hand. She didn't relent and brought me to a second orgasm, and I lost count of the smaller aftershocks.

Janie slid beside me and kissed me. I could taste myself on her. She cradled me against her breast as I fell asleep.

I thought things would be awkward after that, but I found what I was missing in reality. Janie helped me discover who I was and just how passionate love could be.

We talked about that night and laughed about how long it took us to get up the nerve to show how we felt.  We don't look at it as wasted time any longer. Instead we see how our friendship blossomed into this beautiful love.

Now here we are in the middle hick town with my whole family ready to barbecue. I walked over to Janie, and she grabbed my hand. I felt her ring against my fingers which gave me the courage to turn toward my family, and I said, "Mom, I need to share something with you.  Last week Janie and I got married in a ceremony on the steps of the Stonewall Inn during pride week with several other couples. I hope you all can accept that I love her and that we are happy."

I glanced around I saw the shock on some faces, confusion on others, but my mom came over hugged us and welcomed Janie to the family.