Dangerous Company [MistressH & YellowSmoke]

[YellowSmoke]

Stephanie Bullington


It was early Autumn in New York and the heat of summer was lingering delightfully into September. At the home of one of the wealthier students of Queens College, a stereotypically excessive American pool party was in full swing, complete with loud, thumping music and more beer and spirits than one would find at an Irish wake. Barry Donovan's parents were away in Italy and the sophomore had taken full advantage of their absence. By the mid-evening, over 100 people thronged in and around the sizeable pool in the back garden of the Donovan's lavish home, itself situated in the borough of Queens, not far from the 77 acre college campus. A sound system and a couple of portaloos had been erected against one flank of the wooden fence which ran around the perimeter of the garden, as had a series of fold-out tables for plastic cups, beer bottles and kegs.

By the pool, a beautiful blonde stood conversing with a friend, a plastic beer cup in one hand. Her name was Stephanie Bullington, and at 5'4 she was a petite young woman, 18 years of age and possessed of bright, blue eyes, a heart-shaped face and a slender, sultry physique. Clad in flip-flops and a light, floral-patterned sarong over a marine blue bikini, she cast quite a contrast to the plump brunette with whom she shared a dorm, and who had been too shy to strip out of her red-and-white summer dress.

"Hey, do you know where I left my bag?" Stephanie asked Angie. "The beer's really starting to kick in and want to get my poi out before I'm too drunk." She grinned, droplets of pool water glistening on her lightly tanned skin, and her fellow freshman laughed in response.

"Yeah, there's a pile of bags under the table at the end," Angie replied, pointing. "I moved it there when more people started to arrive. I don't know if any more people will fit in here; Barry's crazy to have this many people over!"

Stephanie laughed, shrugged and excused herself while she went to get her bag and the implements within. The sun was beginning to set, she reflected as she produced the steel-chained poi and a small canister of paraffin, though it was unlikely that it would set entirely before she was too drunk to play again. She knew it would be more visually impressive to play with the poi after sundown but she'd most likely be drunk by then and at any rate, she played for her own amusement and not to impress anybody else. Nevertheless, she did gather quite a lot of attention once she had the thick wicks of the poi alight and a large portion of the party-goers were quickly enthralled by the arcing ropes of fire which drew spiralling patterns around her lithe frame.

She paid little attention to the eyes upon her and the gasps and shouts of encouragement as she fell into a rhythm with the music, stringing one pattern into another, the flames lending a warm glow to her taut, flat stomach. At one point she slipped to her knees and bent back as far as she could go, the chains wrapped tightly around her fists to shorten them so that they wouldn't brush her face or body as she whirled them over her head. When the first wick finally burned out and brought the impromptu show to an end, Cassandra couldn't help but blush a little in response to the rapturous applause she received from those who had chosen to look on. From that moment on, it seemed she was never short of someone to talk to and Angie became lost in the crowd as strangers and occasional acquaintances alike offered her drinks and conversation.

 

[MistressH]

Maya Mikhailov & Aleksey Lubov

Maya had fluttered her eyes at Barry and got him and a few of his friends to drag sofas out into the back garden where she and a few of the people she let surround her sat, the music wasn't bad, and the drink certainly was plentiful, but having been raised with full VIP access in her father's nightclubs she was far from impressed.

She liked to watch the interactions between people, find out things to hold for future use or simply because she liked to be considered an astute person. And she knew that lounging on a sofa in a black bikini with thin silver chains running across it, that people liked to watch her too.

She looked to her permanent shadow; Aleksey, a bodyguard in the permanent employ of her father to give him a 'fetch the car' look when she heard various ooh's and aah's from poolside. She saw the twirling fire and smiled, biting her lip and taking a sip from her tumbler filled with vodka and ice. "Does anyone know that girl?" Maya nodded stretching out her legs and sitting up, nodding toward the little blonde in the dancing flames.

Most of her acquaintances shrugged but one girl smiled brightly, "I think her name is like, Samantha or something. No, Stephanie, that's definitely it! She knows Angie."

Maya turned to the girl and arched an eyebrow, smiling sweetly, "Am I supposed to know who the fuck Angie is Nicole?"

The other girls laughed at Nicole's expense and Maya swung to her feet, she wasn't exceptionally tall, some five foot eight, with long dark hair and dark eyes, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and walked barefoot to the blonde girl, Stephanie. She was surrounded by people after her little spectacle but the crowd always parted for Maya.

As it should.

She waved for Aleksey to stay behind when she approached Stephanie and she put on a warm smile, making sure to lighten her voice and seem genuine. "Hey, that was so cool! The most fun I've had all night watching you." At least that bit was sincere, Maya thought, she tilted her head and looked Stephanie up and down frowning, "I'm really sorry, but I don't know your name," She stuck out her free hand to shake, chains tinkling softly as she moved, "I'm Maya by the way."

 

[YellowSmoke]

"Oh, thanks. I'm Stephanie," the blonde replied with a grateful smile, taking the sable-haired beauty's hand in her own. Her grip was gentle, her eyes drawn to linger on Maya's as her approach had seemed uncommonly direct, though in no way threatening. She guessed that she was a confident sort of girl, though she had never seen her before. "Do you go to Queens?" she asked, her interest piqued enough that she failed to notice the drop in conversation around her, or the way some of the other party-goers slunk away or drew back to whisper to each other. Some of them did know who Maya was, and they were wary of her.

Not everybody knew who Maya Mikhailov was, but those who did knew that she had family involved in organised crime; some knew that she was the daughter of one of the most influential mob bosses in town, and still more had heard the rumour and judged it as nothing more than a potential truth, along with some of the other rumours which circulated about the young woman. The one thing which all those who knew her agreed upon was that she was not worth crossing.

Across the garden, Angie caught none of the exchange. Her attentions had been taken by a tall, thin youth who drunkenly assured her that she was the sexiest girl at the party and though she didn't believe it, the flattery did not fail to have an impact on her.

"Come on, take your dress off," he half-slurred, trying to be charming and teasing one strap of the garment with a hand. "Everyone else is in their bikinis, and I know you'd look good in yours..."

By the pool, Stephanie slowly withdrew her hand from Maya's, her blue eyes still gazing inquisitively into those dark ones which looked back at her. Her poi hung from the other hand, wicks resting upon the ground by the water's edge. Her attention had been caught by one or two of the boys present over the course of the evening, but it was now fixed firmly upon bikini-clad girl who'd approached her.

 

[MistressH]

Maya held Stephanie's gaze and wondered if the shorter girl's interest was more than just based on her straightforward approach, maybe it could be something more... Promising. "Yeah, I'm at Queens, Barry wouldn't be able to figure out how to invite someone from outside college." She chuckled lightly and took a sip from her vodka, eyes still on Stephanie's face. The blonde intrigued her because she couldn't read her straight away.

The silence around them meant Maya could actually hear the chink of the ice in her glass and she smiled again, she liked the respect and fear afforded to her because of the rumours about her and her family, some of them she'd even helped encourage.

She tilted her head and one corner of her smile drew up, "I was going to leave and head to a club soon, but I think I'm more interested in staying now. Would you like to sit with us?" She nodded behind her to the sofas laid out on the lawn. "You can bring a friend if you like." Maya smiled grinned wider.

She already knew that she wanted this girl to herself.

 

[YellowSmoke]

Confident? Definitely. She really is direct... Stephanie could hardly blame the other girl for being so upfront; if she had Maya's looks and allure she might well be more confident too, though in truth she was far too laid back to be compared to the dark-haired girl. She liked to laugh, to relax, and anything novel or fun was liable to grab her interest in a way rather different to how Maya had stolen her attentions just now. She was honestly not very used to people being so up-front with her, and even if she'd wanted to she didn't think she'd be able to refuse the offer to join her. She didn't want to refuse though; she was... well, interested. The sofas only added to the intrigue; she assumed that Maya must be good friends with Barry Donovan (Stephanie barely knew him at all, but she wasn't sure that everyone here did) if she'd managed to wrangle couches from the house. She had mentioned him by name too, as though she knew him. Anyway, it didn't really matter.

"Sure," she shrugged, smiling. "I only came here with one friend and I don't know where she is now... I'm sure she's fine though. I can catch up with her later."

Were she to have spotted Angie through the crowds, she'd have known that they would have stuff to catch up on later; her roommate's suitor had not been successful in getting her to remove her dress, but he had managed to coax her into a drunken make-out session, and she didn't stop him when he slid one hand up her thigh and traced the outline of her ass through her bikini bottoms. It was fortuitous for Maya - not that she would care regardless - for Angie had some idea who she was, and would not have been much comforted by seeing the supposedly dangerous young woman associating with Stephanie.

More interested in staying? the blonde thought as they made their way back to the sofas. Because of me? She couldn't help but wonder what the attraction was; if Maya was interested in her or if the attraction was just that: physical attraction. In either case, she would not complain.

 

[MistressH]

Maya's voice perked up again when they got back to the sofas, "Hey everyone, this is Stephanie, the fire girl." She sat on the empty white sofa with her toned legs curled under her before cocking her head and looking up at Stephanie, patting the empty seat beside her. "Come on, sit, meet people." She smiled.

She turned her head slightly and smiled at Aleksey, "Alex, my drink is done, could you get me another?"

The tall man nodded and took her glass, cutting a path through the crowds almost easier than Maya had. His tall muscled stature and the suit he wore setting him distinctly apart from any of the others.

"So, Stephanie, this is Nicole," She pointed to the petite strawberry blonde on her right in the arm chair. "And those two are Ana and Tor, short for Victoria." She indicated the two curvier blondes opposite her in a love seat looking at Stephanie with some interest. "They go to Queens too."

Aleksey returned and handed Maya her drink before standing at a respectful distance, Maya didn't bother acknowledging his return. She took a sip and smiled, "So what do you do at our fine institution?" She joked.

 

[YellowSmoke]

Stephanie smiled and greeted each of Maya's friends, though Alex's presence struck her as being quite out of the ordinary. The man stuck out like a sore thumb, and as she followed the his hulking frame for a moment she wanted desperately to ask who he was - why he was dressed so formally at a pool party - but it didn't seem the place to do so. He looked like a bodyguard, though Stephanie could only guess so, and combined with Maya's apparent status as the centre of the small group, she couldn't help but wonder if the dark-haired girl wasn't of some importance. Did she really not recognise her? Should she recognise her? Stephanie had moved to New York only a couple of months ago, so it was not inconceivable that Maya was some kind of local celebrity. The thought only made her more interested in the curious young woman.

"I like it so far," she replied after a shrug, not wanting to respond to Maya's jesting comment too enthusiastically. The truth was Stephanie was quite enjoying college life so far, though her fresh surroundings had a lot to do with it. She was a small town girl in truth, her voice softly tinged with a hint of a southern accent, and the hustle and bustle of New York fascinated her. Most people whom she'd met had been nice to her - though she hadn't assumed that her looks had much to do with this - and so far her classes had been interesting. "What do you all study?"

She let her eyes drift around the group before settling back on Maya. She tried to guess what the girl studied but - like so much about her - that remained a mystery. Drama? Maybe she's already done some acting; that might explain the guy in the suit...

Down the garden, the party-goers seemed to have forgotten about the ominous presence in their midst, or were at least glad that some unfortunate soul was occupying her. The music still pumped loudly from the speakers set up beyond the pool and somewhere towards the end of the garden an intoxicated Angie had allowed herself to be dragged into the bushes as tongues rolled and lascivious hands wandered over her body. The college life was very much in full tilt.

 

[MistressH]

Maya caught Stephanie watching Aleksey and wondered what the girl thought of their strange group, she obviously had no idea who their families were, and hadn't been around long enough to hear about the rumours or she might have been a bit more cautious about sitting with them.

Her naivety was actually a little hot. Maya loved to corrupt innocent girls, it was a hobby, like basketball or stamp collecting.

"We haven't chosen our majors yet." Maya stated simply, "Although Tor, Ana and I are being encouraged by our families to go into business, or law, so we can help out when we graduate but we want to make the decision for ourselves." Maya paused before smiling and nodding towards the strawberry-blonde "Nicole here wants to be a writer."

Nicole blushed brighter than her hair, "It's nothing to be ashamed of." She sulked.

"No one said it was Nicole," Maya shot her a friendly smile, with a little teeth on show. "What are you studying Stephanie? You don't look like one of the stereotypes we get around here so it's hard to place you."

"She's obviously like, dance or something with that hot bod'." Tor laughed and Ana frowned, moving her legs onto Tor's lap possessively.

 

[YellowSmoke]

Strangers one and all, the interaction between the other girls had Stephanie rather intrigued, and nothing more so than that between Tor and Ana. She blushed a little at the compliment and it became apparent to her that these girls may be more than just friends; even the idea that practising lesbian or bisexual women found her attractive made her nervous, flattered and giddy with excitement. Her home town wasn't so backward that homosexuality was frowned upon, but it was something of a rarity, and certainly not something which she'd come into contact with too often. She was curious though, and rare as it was, she was no stranger to the touch of another woman. Still, that had been little more than exploration between friends: kissing and heavy petting at best, though she and a friend had once brought themselves to orgasm by one another's side. That had marked the piquing of her interest in the same sex, and since then it had lingered, searching for an outlet as she bowed to society and continued her sexual exploration with males alone. College was a time for new experiences though - for finding oneself - and she'd had an inkling after all that Maya was interested in her from the start. If not that, there was certainly the idea that she might be, and that alone had been enough to draw her the beautiful young woman's company.

"Music," was all she could say for a moment, all too aware of a tightness in her chest and fearing that she looked very much the deer in the headlights. "I'm studying music... but I was going to sit in on some English lit classes," she added with a sympathetic smile in Nicole's direction. Her memory clung to the fact that the others were contemplating business or law, but the curious detail of why quickly faded away in the wake of her bashful receipt of Tor's compliment, and her over-awareness of the other girls eyes. For a moment she had found it rather curious that their families should be pushing them towards those particular pursuits, but then she was the new girl amongst a group of friends - or more than friends - and conscious only of herself.

Her eyes flashed back to Maya and in the brief infinity of time it took for her to respond, Stephanie went through a whirlwind of emotions. Were the Arts laughable to her? Did Stephanie even care? She was very attracted to the sultry, raven-haired beauty and all too eager to explore her sexuality, but that shouldn't sway her feelings about her own chosen pursuits. She loved music - it was a path through which one could express emotions in a way far more visceral than words - and there would be other women who might share her passions... but Maya was right here, right now, and gosh, was she pretty.

 

[MistressH]

Maya chuckled when she saw Ana's response; her cousin did not like the idea of Tor finding anyone else attractive, even when she had made a joke about Barry being a 'big strong man', when he brought the sofas out to the lawn had earned her a kiss so passionate and possessive that she'd gone bright red.
And it was hard to make Tor show any of her emotions.

What intrigued Maya most of all was Stephanie's reaction, despite the light southern accent she seemed almost transfixed for a moment at the sight of Ana's strong yet subtle moment of affection. Maya smiled more genuinely now, perhaps this little blonde girl had been a better pick than she'd originally thought, she was pleased, it was not often she surprised even herself with her insight.

When Stephanie's eyes found hers she laughed lightly, "Oh, Tor, you must be even more pleased." She laid an a hand lightly on Stephanie's forearm and leaned in slightly as if it were a secret, "Tor here is practically a maestro on that violin of hers. You'll have someone you know in your classes. That's nice." She leant back, holding Stephanie's eyes for a little before looking to Ana, who by now was sitting in Tor's lap and running her fingertips over the taller girls forearm. "And Nicole's English classes are fun to sit in on, Ana and I do it all the time. You should definitely join us especially since-"

Aleksey tapped Maya gently on her arm and handed her a phone, obviously hers, "Your father Miss." He spoke solemnly.

"Thank you Alex." She smiled and took it, "Sorry girls, you know what it's like, I'll be back in a second, why don't you all get to know each other better." Maya looked pointedly at Ana and stepped away her voice more hushed.

 

[YellowSmoke]

Stephanie was growing more and more intrigued by Maya. Who was this woman who was important enough to have her own guard or servant - whatever it was that the bulky, suited man was - and how was it that she did not know her? Her face was beginning to look vaguely familiar, but only in so much as that she felt she should recognise her, and was striving desperately to place her somewhere. She was almost certain that she had no idea who she was. Perhaps others would - they must - and the prospect of finding out in the days to come excited her. It must be obvious to Maya that she did not know her, and how wonderful must it feel for someone famous - on whatever scale - to meet someone person-to-person, and to interact based solely upon that and not on the pretence of some fangirl oohing and aahing over their idol?

"So you play the violin?" she asked Tor with purposeful interest and enthusiasm, making up a little for the nervousness which assailed her when she first turned back to the group devoid of her introductress. She'd grown used to the nervousness since moving to New York; she'd always been good with new people and was a sociable young woman, but she was a little wary of cliques and the sense of judgement she expected in big cities. Everyone looked up to NYC, and everyone here knew it: in small towns you could - more often than not - be judged little and solely upon your merits, but she feared that here she was expected to live up to pre-existing expectations, and she had little idea as to what those expectations were. All in all though, she handled the perceived pressure well, and it had not hurt her that she was so friendly, vivacious, and not least of all so beautiful, though she didn't act as if she knew it.

"That's awesome! What kind of stuff do you play?"

It excited her too that she might become friendly with some of the group, and in doing so broaden her in-college horizons. She had been intending to sit in on English lectures for a couple of weeks now, but between not knowing where they took place and her being pleasantly roped into other activities with new friends, she had not found the time. She could hardly complain: it was so much fun getting to know new people, and she had a need for new people. Everyone she had known prior to the summer was now far away, and she was beginning her life in New York with a clean slate and no friends with whom she could associate by any way other than email, telephone, or some other form of impersonal interaction.

 

[MistressH]

Tor gave Ana a stern look and held her hand, "Now, now Anastasia, be nice, the poor girl is new, we were all new to this once." she tilted her head before turning and smiling openly at Stephanie, "I was a child genius, but sadly once I reached that stage I just didn't get better. I'm too old to be a prodigy now, but I still love it. What do you play?" She asked before grinning widely, "or do you sing? That would be cool. We don't have enough balance of people with talent versus people with ego in our classes." Tor looked absent for a moment before replying, "Scherzo Tarantelle is probably my favorite, it impresses people, and why play the violin if you're not trying to get people's attention." She looked Stephanie up and down slowly, her dark eyes lingering far too long, "much like swinging flaming poi around at a pool party, right Stephanie?"

Ana's jaw clenched, and she cut off Tor quickly "So, do you know Maya at all? Because we'd so love to know why she picked you out so quickly. Usually she's very... Selective about her company." Ana's face was a picture of jealousy and real interest, and her knuckle's were white where she clung to Tor's hands. Nicole just sat back and watched Maya over Stephanie's shoulder keeping one ear on the conversation.