Ghost Writer

"Given a choice I would much rather look less clichéd." Jan informed. "This is Sara's idea." She said plucking at the black lace of the dress. "Better publicity."

"Then you should dress in what you feel comfortable with."

There was something about her voice that sent a shiver down Jan's spine, it was slow and smooth, like treacle being poured, but at the same time slightly husky. To Jan it sounded extraordinarily sexy.

"You have me at a disadvantage." Jan told her. "You know my name, but I don't know yours."

The blonde smiled, in a confident way, then offered her hand. "Kasper. Like the ghost."

Jan reached out and shook the offered hand. It was smooth and cool to the touch, and Jan wistfully, imagined the cool fingers caressing her head, easing away the tension of the headache. As a compromise she held the cold bottle against her temple.

"Do you get headaches often?" There was a very slight trace of concern in her voice. Something that touched Jan's heart.

Jan gave a short laugh. "Only when I get stressed out, and this party is a long way out of my comfort zone. The sunlight doesn't help, and don't laugh at that, it is a bit too much of a cliché that a Goth writer can't stand the sun."

"Here try these." Kasper said as she handed over her sunglasses. "I honestly can't go out in sunlight without them." She indicated the skin of her arm under the cuff of her shirt. "Pale skinned. I burn like a crisp."

As Jan automatically reached out to take the glasses, she saw Kasper's eyes for the first time and her breath caught for a second. To be fair she hadn't known what to expect, but she suddenly felt pinned to her seat by the glorious gaze of Kasper's azure eyes. To Jan they were like two small sparkling tropical oceans, crystal blue and carrying a great hidden depth. Oceans she just wanted to dive in to. She was so drawn in to those eyes, it was as if the world had stopped for a split second.

"Something wrong?" Kasper asked. Her mouth curling in to a half smile.

The world resumed spinning again and Jan tore her gaze away from those enchanting blue orbs.

"Sorry, I phased out for a moment there." Jan replied hurriedly, her cheeks turning a little red, which deepened when she realised she was still holding on to the sunglasses. To mask her embarrassment, she slipped them on.

"Better?" Kasper asked, still smirking.

Feeling a little like a teenager on a first date, Jan couldn't help but return the smile. "Yes, much better, thanks. Sorry I have a thing about blue eyes."

Kasper's neat eyebrows raised in question. "Good thing, or bad thing?"

"Oh, very much a good thing." Jan giggled.

"Cool." She said as she shifted a little closer. "Because I have a thing about dark haired Goth writers."

"Are you propositioning me?" Jan asked, feeling a little giddy at the thought.

A sly smile eased across her pale lips. "I maybe. If I bed the famous Jan Tanner, I can sell my story to the press."

Unable to stop herself Jan burst in to laughter. "Now I know you are kidding."

The hand with the cool skin reached out and gently brushed Jan's forehead, smoothing out a wayward strand of hair.

Jan closed her eyes at the gentle touch, wanting more, but not confident to ask.

"You should laugh more often. It's a cute sound."

"You're not the first to say that." Jan replied with a sigh. "I just don't seem to find much to laugh about these days."

"Then we need to change that." Kasper said easily. "Why don't I go and get us another drink, and you think about what would make you smile."

Jan watched Kasper walk back towards the house, drinking in every curve of the shapely legs that were perfectly accentuated by the close fitting jeans. "Well I can think of two things that are making me smile right now." Jan said to herself at the thought of how it may feel to have those firm thighs wrapped around her.

Sighing, Jan leaned back on the wooden bench and closed her eyes. With the coolness of the shade and the relaxing scent of the flowers, Jan felt the stress of the day ease away from her body. For what felt like the first time in years she actually felt comfortable away from her cocoon.

Something ice cold touched the bare skin of her chest.

"Fuck!" Jan jumped at the sudden shock as a small lump of ice slipped down between her breasts.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." Kasper apologised, her voice edged with a gentle laugh.

"That was a little cruel." Jan said, trying to sound annoyed, but not succeeding. A mental picture formed in her mind of Kasper teasing her body with an ice cube, and she shivered at the pleasant thought. "So what sort of name is Kasper?" Jan asked as she tried to focus on reality.

The pale lips parted slightly and the tip of a delicate tongue chased a small amount of moisture from them. "My mother is Danish, and wanted a boy." She said in an offhand manner. "No surprise that I turned out to be a little tom-boyish."

"I wouldn't say that." Jan blurted out. Then blushed at her own forwardness.

"So, what are you writing currently?" Kasper asked smiling at Jan's embarrassment.

Jan snorted, relieved to change the subject. "Absolutely nothing. I'm suffering from a major block."

Those crystal blue eyes turned back to pierce Jan's souls once more. "Have you tried writing about a different topic?" She asked after a short time. "I have heard it's good to switch subject matter around."

"Yeah, maybe I can do some fantasy fiction or something. Maybe a story about a boy wizard who goes to magic school." Jan muttered sarcastically, then added quickly. "Sorry I didn't mean to sound derogatory, but I honestly have no idea what else I could write about."

Kasper shifted slightly closer so one of those shapely legs was pressed against Jan's, and she couldn't help but glance down at Kasper's chest to get a sneaky peak at the pale skin that formed the slight valley of cleavage half hidden by the linin shirt.

Almost as if she knew what Jan was doing, Jan's hand reached up and popped open the next button down on her crisp white shirt. "This is some serious heat." Kasper muttered as she caressed the cold beer bottle against her skin.

Jan felt a flutter in the pit of her stomach as she shamefully watched a trickle of moisture trace a minute river down the valley. Kasper was now so close she could feel the warmth of her breath on her skin. She inhaled slowly, breathing in the beautiful perfume that blended with the scents of the flowers.

After what felt like a year she exhaled.

"So, erm, what do you think I should write about?" Jan managed to ask, trying to bring a little stability to her mind. She took a pull on her beer to lubricate a suddenly dry mouth.

Kasper backed away a little, that sly half smile on her face. "Ever thought about erotic fiction?"

There was a splutter followed by a fit of coughing as Jan fought to swallow the mouthful of beer, and not spit it all over the grass.

When she had regained a little breath and some composure, Jan looked back to Kasper. "Seriously? I wouldn't know where to start."

"I don't believe that. I bet you've had lots of romantic trysts."

What started out as a smile swiftly died on her lips, as Jan mentally flicked through her previous girlfriends. None of which, she would have referred to as romantic trysts. It seemed like an age since she had actually been out with someone, let alone actually slept with another woman. While she clung to the safety of her hideaway, Jan was fully aware she had cut herself off from more than just the annoyances of the world.

"Believe me, I hardly have the time for relationships now-a-days." Jan admitted with a wistful tone, as she once again let her gaze fall on the visible bare skin of Kasper's chest, wanting to lick the moisture that remained from the touch of the bottle.

"Well, what if I helped?" Kasper asked, her lips curling back in to a slightly smutty smile.

"With the writing, or with relationships?" Jan replied with a laugh.

Kasper's pale lips brushed the top of the beer bottle in such a sensuous way Jan immediately wished she hadn't laughed.

"I was hoping for both." Kasper whispered as she slid closer once more.

The scent of her perfume washed over Jan once more, mixed intoxicatingly with a slight undertone of Corona, and she felt her heart race with excitement.

"So..." Jan started, then paused while she swallowed nervously. "How would that work?"

Delicate fingers tumbled through Jan's hair, then traced a line down behind her ear and on to the nape of her neck. Jan shuddered at the touch, partly aroused, partly apprehensive.

"Well, first off I am going to seduce you, then make love to you." Kasper breathed in to her ear. "After that you could write a story about it."

Feeling slightly flushed at the closeness of the uninhibited woman sat next to her, Jan breathed out slowly, trying to bring some balance to her mind.

"That sounds interesting." She replied, then with a hint of bravery she didn't really feel added. "But a little ordinary, don't you think."

A delightful peal of laughter escaped Kasper's lips. "Well I was being gentle. If you like I can be far more adventurous than that."

As it was Jan was already feeling the effects of her arousal and the several beers she had consumed, and something pushed her to wonder just how far Kasper was willing to go. "What do you have in mind?" She asked, her voice only slightly above a murmur.

Much to Jan's disappointment, Kasper moved away again, and although she wore the same half smile, this time it was laced with a slight curiosity.

"How far do you want me to go?"

Jan took a breath. In reality she hadn't felt as much attraction for anyone as she was feeling for the slightly odd Kasper, but there was something about the way she phrased that question that made Jan stop and think. The question was a good one. How far did she want Kasper to go? She wasn't inexperienced, and when she was younger had been very adventurous, but there was a niggling sensation that there was something different about Kasper.

Jan's curiosity overcame her fears.

"How far do you want to take me?" Jan asked, trying to sound assured.

Kasper smiled and traced a cool finger across Jan's lips. "I'm not sure. I like a lot of things, that I suspect may be out of your comfort zone."

"How do you mean?" Jan asked puzzled.

"You really have no idea who I am do you?" Kasper asked as her smile grew.

The familiar frown creased Jan's brow again. "Is there a reason why I should?" She asked.

Kasper shifted no the bench slightly as something in her demeanour changed. "It may help if you knew my full name is Gabriel Kasper Lindquist."

The words swam around in Jan's head. Something was very familiar about the name, but she couldn't quiet place it. Then there was an imaginary click as the penny dropped.

"G.K. Lindquist!" Jan nearly shouted. "You're the author G.K. Lindquist."

The pale lips formed a tight smile and Kasper nodded.

"Damn, I'm so dumb." Jan said shaking her head. "Sorry I should have guessed, but I always thought Gabriel Lindquist was a man."

"Well, I did say my mother wanted a boy." Kasper said with a shrug. "But now you know who I am."

Jan was by no means a fan of Kasper's work, but you would have had to have lived on the Moon not to have heard the name. Since the Fifty Shades films had been a success, some companies had taken a few gambles on other such works. One of them being 'The Sliding Scale,' a book by the then unknown author, that was the story a woman who was a sex addict, and craved many different forms of kink. It was heralded as ground breaking as the lead role was gay, and suited the current feminist movement.

Jan's mind joined the dots between the new information and what Kasper had been saying. Things fell in to place.

"The story is based on you." It was a statement not a question.

Again the pale lips moved in to a forced smile. "Guilty as charged. I didn't think it would become the topic of everyone's breakfast conversation when I wrote it though. And now I find everyone expects me to behave like the character in the book all the time. Hence why I go by Kasper now, trying to stay under the radar."

Instinctively, Jan glanced down at her black lace dress, knowing exactly what Kasper was saying.

"No problem there." Jan told her, sympathising. "I haven't read the book or seen the movie, so I don't expect you to be anything."

"But you do know what it was about?"

"I think most people in the western world know what it is about." Jan replied. "But I will say I know none of the details."

The restrained expression on Kasper's face changed a little. "And how would that make you feel about having a relationship with me?"

"When I saw you standing on you own, I felt drawn to you, as if there was something magical about you." Jan admitted. "I had no idea who you were then, and honestly I still don't, but I am still attracted to you. I feel there is something very special about you Kasper."

The gentle smile returned once more and the cool fingers brushed at the unruly strand of hair on Jan's forehead once more.

"That's funny you should say that." Kasper said. "When I got off the train, I walked in to a bar and you were sat there. I felt a very strong connection to you immediately. But I am afraid that people want to have a relationship with me just to see if I match up to the book. So I walked away. Then when I saw you again here I just had to speak to you. My plan was to just to have sex with you, thinking that would be all you would want, but as we have been speaking, I realised you had no idea who I was and that made a great deal of difference."

"Thank fuck for that." Jan said with a broad grin. "I thought I was imagining smelling your perfume everywhere, turns out you were just stalking me."

The tension eased with Jan's casual comment and easy laughter, and Kasper shuffled closer to Jan once more. "Shall we begin again?" Kasper asked as their shoulders touched.

"Well we don't have to rewind all the way." Jan told her. "Why don't you tell me more about yourself."

Kasper drained the contents of her bottle. "I am not a sex addict with a list of kinks a mile long." She started. "But I do love the act of sex and I do have quite a few kinks."

"What about making love?" Jan asked quietly feeling a little shy again.

The bright blue eyes turned away to stare at something a long way off. "I don't know if I can answer that." She replied. "I haven't ever made love to someone."

The imaginary click happened again, as Jan realised that Kasper was admitting she had never had a serious relationship. Then it dawned on her that she couldn't think of one of her relationships that were meaningful either.

"I guess that makes two of us."

"What a pair we are." Kasper said openly. "Two people half living in a world of fiction, and half in reality."

Silence fell in the shaded are of the garden. Jan felt a lot of empathy for the blonde Kasper and she wanted to bridge the gap between them, but really had no idea just how to do that. She understood that Kasper didn't want people to think of her as the character in her book, but at the same time, Jan realised that the character was a partial reflection of the writer. The glimmer of an idea came to her.

"Why don't you tell me what you had planned to do with me fictionally?" Jan asked. "Then we can talk about what we will do in realty."

The naughty smile crossed Kasper's lips once more and she lifted her empty bottle. "How about another drink first?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." Jan agreed, happy that her gambit had paid off and was drawing Kasper out from behind the wall she had built for herself. "Why don't I get you one?"

"Better plan." Kasper answered. "Why don't we go together. If you don't mind being seen with a nymphomaniac that is."

"Are you kidding?" Jan laughed. "It'll do wonders for my street-cred. You better have these back though" She said handing back the sunglasses. "Can't have you going blind on me."

As the pair of women walked back down the garden towards the house and the main congregation of the party, Jan let her hand slip in to Kasper's, relishing in the touch of that soft cool skin once more. Mostly the groups of people payed them no heed, but, much to Jan's annoyance, one or two nudged each other and either leered or shared a private joke.

By the time they reached the plastic drum containing the cold beers, the Jan that had been sat talking to Kasper had dissipated. Replaced by the same old Jan that wanted to tell the world to get screwed.

"You know I am sick of people judging others by their own small minds." She said quietly, her voice edged by irritation.

A look of sadness crept on to Kasper's face as she noticed the source of Jan's irritation. "Sorry." She whispered. "This is exactly how it is for me. All they think of is scenes from my book, and no doubt, they will be assuming that is what we will do."

"Better give them something to talk about then." Jan replied, loud enough to attract the attention of the closest party goers. Before Kasper could reply, Jan leaned in close, pulling the slightly taller blonde down to her level, and kissing her hard on the mouth. There was a half second of resistance from Kasper, then she responded in full, wrapping her arms around Jan's waste and hugging the other woman tightly, as she lost herself in the passionate kiss.

With a brash confidence that arose in the realms of Jan's fictional mind, she guided Kasper's hand upwards so it cupped her own breast, relishing how Kasper played in to the role and gently fondled her.

The various giggles and sneer's died away as the passion of the clinch incited embarrassment or jealousy in those watching. The embrace went on for a short eternity, and when they broke apart both women gasped.

"Wow." Jan muttered as she considered going for a second helping.

"That was unexpected." Kasper breathed, her eyes sparkling with new fire, fanned by desire.

Jan gazed in to the red lenses, once more feeling her self-control slip and wondered how to follow up on the impulsive action.

"D'ya think that one knows anything about trucks?" A loud voice with an Australian accent broke the spell, and a small ripple of genuine laughter ran around the garden.

The pair of woman blushed and giggled as one.

"I would like to say 'I told you so' when I said there would be interesting people here." Sara said butting in to their shared giggle.

"You did." They both acknowledged, then paused as they realised there may have been a little planning about how they met.

"You set us up." Jan observed. "That's why you were late to the station, and you picked Kasper up first. That was why it took forty minutes to make a five-minute trip."

Sara grinned in reply. "I may have helped fate along a little." She admitted.

"You little minx." Jan cried, trying to remain serious as she turned to Kasper. "I think we should dump her in the beer chiller."

"While I think she does deserve that." Kasper replied trying to hide her smile. "That would be a waste of ice cold water."

"Yes I think you're right." Jan admitted after a moment's thought, then lifted a handful of half melted ice from the bin. "We can afford to lose a little ice though."

"Don't even think it." Sara warned with humour in her voice. "This dress is a Moschino and is worth almost as much as our friendship."

"Okay." Jan relented. "I suppose I should thank you for interfering." She admitted, then returned her attention to Kasper. "That is if you are still interested in continuing our conversation."

"I can't think of anything better I would rather do." Kasper replied, her face reflecting the humorous display. "Although it would be nice if our hostess could have the cold drinks moved to the end of the garden to save us walking back and forth."