4A/N: Hey guys! Welcome to the first chapter of Never in a Billion Years, the sequel to Never in a Million Years. For those who haven't read Never in a Million Years, you don't need to read it in order to understand this story. This story is a sequel but can also stand on its own. I will be updating this story on a regular basis, like weekly or biweekly, I haven't decided yet. Like I promised, I'm getting this out before the end of the year, and hopefully I'll have the next chapter up next week. Happy Reading!
Full Summary: Terri had made a promise to herself long ago to never fall in love. So far she had been able to keep that promise, until a one night stand comes back to haunt her. She finds herself wanting a woman that she cannot have, and it's driving her crazy. She doesn't want to fall in love, but no one can choose who they fall for.
Terri finished up her last shift at the restaurant. She was the supervisor and made a steady income from her job. That along with many scholarships helped her to pay for college. She was fortunate enough to have enough money so that she wouldn't need to take out student loans. She worked hard for years and saved up her money so that she could go to a decent college.
When Terri received her acceptance letter to USC, she was both surprised and overjoyed. She was also a little skeptical that she would be able to afford it. She was still on shaky terms with her parents, so she didn't expect any help from them. With the help of her counselor she was able to get a lot of scholarship and grant money. It was almost as if she was being paid to go to USC.
Terri didn't let this opportunity go to waste. While some other students ditched and coasted, Terri worked hard to keep a 4.0 GPA. Only a 3.5 was needed for the scholarships, but Terri wanted better for herself. She studied and did the assignments ahead of time so that she would earn all As.
During the summer between her senior year of high school and her freshman year of college, Terri needed another job that could support her financial needs during college. She became a waitress at a restaurant near the college and eventually quit her job at the bakery. She learned how to appeal to the customers, and in turn she received great tips. Throughout the years she had been able to work her way up the ladder until she landed the supervisor position. It had been a blessing because with it came with a raise, which she needed. Not only was college expensive, but so was living. The prices of gas, food, and water were all inflated due to the current economy.
As Terri was driving home from work, she was looking forward to a quiet evening at home. She had no homework because the school semester hadn't started yet, so she had nothing but a relaxing night to look forward to.
As soon as she got home, she dropped her bags in a chair and collapsed into the couch. She was too lazy to fix herself something to eat, so she turned on the TV instead. Just as she drifting off to the sound of her TV, her cell phone started ringing.
She mentally cursed whoever was calling and picked up the phone.
"Hello," she muttered into the phone.
"You busy right now?" Maria said over the phone.
"Yes, I was sleeping," Terri replied.
"Well forget about that; we're going clubbing tonight!"
Terri sighed. "No I'm not. You can go clubbing, but I'm going to stay home and get some rest. Once the school semester starts next week, I won't be getting any sleep. I need to stock up on it as much as I can."
"You're being ridiculous. A few hours of clubbing won't hurt you. You can even leave early if you want."
"You and Leslie need a ride don't you?" Terri guessed. She knew that Leslie and Maria went to a gay club every now and then to have fun. She usually went along with them, but tonight she didn't feel like it.
"Yes, we do. My car's in the shop and Leslie loaned hers to a friend. Plus, when was the last time we spent some quality time together?"
"Going to a gay club doesn't qualify as quality time. But I'll take you guys. It's not like you'll take no for an answer anyway," Terri conceded.
"Great, pick us up at 10pm. Just text me when you get here and we'll come down."
"Alright," Terri said and hung up. It really wasn't the best idea for her to go clubbing tonight. In just a few days, the first day of her senior year of college would start. Starting it off with going to a club and hooking up with some random girl didn't seem like a good idea, but it was a favor for a friend.
She had a few hours until she had to pick Maria and Leslie. Surprisingly, their high school relationship lasted, unlike Miranda and Angela. Both of them went out of town for college, so they broke up because neither wanted to do the long distance relationship.
Terri decided to take a nap while she waited for 10 o'clock to come around. She set her phone alarm to wake her up at 9:30 so that she would have some time to get ready.
It only took her a few minutes to fall asleep, and when her alarm it felt too soon. She wanted to sleep some more, but she told her friend that she would go gay clubbing with her.
Terri forced herself off the couch, and into the bathroom. She brushed her hair and sprayed on some perfume. She didn't really feel like dressing up, so she decided to forego the makeup, and just change into a black wife beater and some black jeans. She put on some silver hoop earrings, and checked her reflection in the mirror.
She was satisfied enough with her appearance, so she grabbed her purse and left the apartment. It only took her about fifteen minutes to reach Maria's place. By the time she got there, Maria and Angela were still getting ready.
"Typical women," Terri muttered to herself as she waited for the two in the living room.
After five minutes passed, Terri shouted, "Hurry it up, you two!"
Both of them emerged from the bathroom dressed to the nines.
"What's all the hollering about? Some of us like to look nice when we go dancing," Leslie said.
"I look nice, and it only took me a few minutes to get ready," Terri said motioning to her casual appearance.
"Well, we're way more feminine than you are. Ergo, we take long to prepare," Maria pointed out, studying her reflection in the mirror.
"You have five minutes to get ready or I'm going back home," Terri said, glancing at her watch.
Most people used their cell phones to check the time, but cell phones aren't allowed everywhere, so Terri kept a watch on her at all times.
Maria sighed and picked up her and Leslie's purses. "We're ready. Let's go."
"Finally," Terri muttered.
The club was packed which was not unusual. Terri knew that she was going to be on her own because Leslie and Maria usually went to clubs to do a little role playing. They were near the end of the honeymoon stage of their relationship, but still going strong.
Terri made a beeline for the bar. She wasn't going to drink much because she still had to drive home. She climbed onto an incredibly tall bar stool and signaled the bar tender.
"What'll it be?" the bartender asked and extended his hand.
"I'll have an apple martini," Terri said and gave him her ID. Once he saw verified that she was 21, he gave her the card back and began working on the drink.
As Rhia downed another shot of tequila, she pondered over the events that just had transpired a few hours ago. Eyeing her last shot, she knew it wasn't enough to dull the pain. The bite of the alcohol as it went down did not even slow her down.
"I'll have five more shots of Jose Cuervo," the blonde next to her said. Terri observed the large collection of empty shotglasses in front of the women. That woman was going to be in for a nice surprise in the morning.
"You might want to take it easy, hun," Terri said, handing the bartender her debit card. He swiped it and gave it back to her along with her drink.
"Mind your own business, ginger," she snapped. Pity was not something she needed right now.
"I'm cutting you off," the bartended said. "You've had enough."
"Not nearly," the blonde replied and put her head down on the table. Terri studied the woman for a second, and then turned to the bartender.
"Be nice to her," Terri advised. "She just found out that her boyfriend cheated on her."
The woman's head snapped up, and her blue eyes glared at Terri. "How do you know that? Did you sleep with him too?" she hissed.
"No, fortunately I'm a full time resident of VagTown," Terri said with a giggle. The blonde woman's glassy eyes gazed back at her in confusion.
"Huh?" she asked.
"She's a lesbian," the bartender clarified. The blonde woman's eyes went wide and her cheeks turned red.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know!"
"Um, honey? You're in a lesbian bar. What'd you expect?" Terri asked.
The blonde looked down at her empty shotglasses. "It wasn't exactly my idea. My friends thought it would cheer me up to be hit on by gay people."
"What are we? The straight women's support group?" Terri asked. The woman merely looked down as her cheeks reddened even further.
"So let me guess, he cheated on you with someone you know?" Terri continued. The woman nodded.
"My sister. They're in love," she muttered. Terri nearly choked on her drink. She wiped her mouth with a napkin.
"Are you serious?" she asked.
"Yep. They want my blessing." Terri felt an enormous wave of sympathy for the woman. To be betrayed by a family member like that had to be terrible.
Terri downed her drink. "I hope you told them to-"
"Shove their happiness up their ass," the blonde finished. "Yep. Then I chased them out of my house with a butcher knife." She smiled slightly. "That was fun."
"I would have loved to see that," Terri said. "Well, seeing as your friends ditched you in your time of need, I will gladly take over for the time being. Do you want to get out of here and get some food?"
"I'm not gay,'' the blonde replied.
"That wasn't what I asked. There's a Denny's down the street. You need to sober up a little before you go home," Terri said. "And just to let you know, just because I'm gay doesn't mean I go after every woman I meet."
The blonde winced in embarrassment. This woman was just being nice, and she was behaving like an asshole. "I'm sorry. Sure, I'd love to. I'm Rhia by the way."
"I'm Terri. Now let's go get some grub." That name sounds familiar for some reason, but I can't place it, Terri thought. She decided to shrug it off.
30 minutes later
"Feeling better?" Terri asked, glancing down at Rhia's half empty plate.
"Much, thanks. I really needed this," Rhia said in between bites. She was wolfing down her food like a competitive eater.
"You're welcome," Terri said, and finished off her glass of water. She had ordered fries covered in bacon and cheese. Rhia had ordered a double cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake. Add in the fact that she was on the skinny side, Terri was getting a little jealous.
"I have a fast metabolism, and I work out like crazy," Rhia said before Terri asked.
"Oh sorry, I was staring," Terri said and went back to her food.
"It's no problem. I get those looks all the time. I work hard to keep my body fit, and curvier women give me dirty looks as if I'm anorexic or something. What they don't know is that I would love to have the curvy bodies that they do. But when I put on weight, I don't look as good as they do," Rhia admitted.
"So you go with what works, huh?" Terri asked.
"Pretty much," Rhia said and shoveled some more fries into her mouth. She looked over at the young woman next to her. "Why are you being so nice to me? I'm a complete stranger."
Instead of answering, Terri reached out and wiped off a makeup smudge off Rhia's face. "Because you're having a bad day. Plus, why shouldn't I be? Life is too short not to be."
Long after Terri removed her hand, Rhia could still feel the warmth on her cheek. Rhia felt herself missing the loss of contact. "You're so sweet."
Terri shrugged. "So people say. Now why don't you tell me everything regarding this whole boyfriend situation."
Taking a deep breath, Rhia began her tale. She had been together with her boyfriend for over a year. Things had been going remarkably well, but there seemed to be no thought of a proposal in sight. He had already met her family and friends, and both approved of him. Then one day, he said they needed to talk. She thought he was going to propose or at the very least ask her to move in. Imagine her surprise when she walked into his apartment to find him and her sister making out on the couch.
"That was what he wanted to tell me. That he was in love with my sister, and they had been messing around behind my back for almost six months. I loved him. I can't believe that they could do something like this to me?" Tears reappeared in Rhia's eyes for the umpteenth time that night.
Terri pulled the blonde into her arms and held her as she sobbed against her shoulder. She ignored the looks and stares that the other patrons were giving her. They were just being nosy.
"Was it true love?" Terri asked. Rhia paused and pulled away slightly.
"What do you mean?" she asked. Who the fuck cared if they were really in love? They had betrayed in the worst way possible.
"While I believe that they should have been upfront with you from the start, I do believe that you should forgive them if they are truly in love," Terri began, and then tensed her arms to prevent Rhia from pulling away.
"Let me go," Rhia hissed. She knew she was older than the redhead, but for some reason the woman was stronger than her.
"Rhia." Terri's voice was tranquil and soothing. Rhia relaxed once more in the redhead's arms and looked into her blue eyes.
Rhia felt her heart skip a beat. Somehow, this woman had a calming effect on her. Just looking into her eyes made Rhia feel like the world just consisted of the two of them. She felt a light tough on her chin. The gesture was intimate but comforting.
"Don't waste anymore tears on them. They are not worthy of them. Now promise me you won't cry over them anymore," Terri stated.
Wiping away her tear, Rhia nodded. "I promise." Terri smiled and gently ruffled the blonde's hair. She has such a beautiful smile, Rhia thought. I feel like I've known her for years.
"Now, eat up. It'll help with your upcoming hangover," Terri said, motioning to the food.
Right on cue, Rhia's stomach growled. She resumed eating the highly caloric meal.
Rhia caught herself studying her companion's face throughout the meal as if trying to determine something. "You know, the way you speak and the way you look don't match up. You're young but talk as if you've experience everything. I don't even talk like that, and I'm…never mind."
"I'm twenty one years old and have pretty much gotten some real world experience thanks to my parents. They don't agree with my lifestyle." Terri muttered.
"Wow, you're young," Rhia responded. She put down her food and sighed. Today was not her day. This woman was significantly younger than her, and they were just chatting away like old friends. The age thing was a little disconcerting.
"Is there something wrong?" Terri asked, picking up on the newly created tension instantly. "Other than our ten year age difference?"
Rhia stared at her incredulously. "Okay, how do you do that?"
"Do what?" Terri asked with an innocent look on her face. She was trying so hard not to laugh every time she caught the older woman off guard.
"Make these incredible guesses. Every time you guessed correctly," Rhia commented.
Terri winked at her. "It's a skill I picked up in my teens. It's been very useful so far."
Rhia barely heard a word Terri said after she winked at her. The simple action caused a warm feeling to consume her body. The heat traveled up to her cheeks, and she was certain that it was showing.
Rhia cleared her throat. "So what is your spidey-sense telling you now?"
Terri usually would have taken that as her cue to close the deal, but not tonight. "That you are physically and emotionally exhausted and could benefit from a good night's sleep."
Rhia didn't know why, but she was slightly disappointed. "You're right. It is getting late."
Terri stood up and stretched her arms. "Stay here while I pay the bill and call you a cab." She grabbed her purse and walked to the counter.
Rhia took the free time and checked her phone. She had numerous texts and voice mails from her friends. It seems like she had forgotten to tell them that she left the club.
She sent them a quick text letting them know that she was fine. If they were really concerned about her, they wouldn't have just ditched her at the club. She had been hoping for a girl's night in, but they had convinced her to go out with them instead.
Rhia admired Terri from afar. She had been shown more kindness by a stranger than her own friends in her time of need. Her eyes followed the younger woman pacing near the counter as she talked to the taxi company over the phone.
She signaled to Terri that she was going to the restroom and entered the small room. Her image in the mirror was slightly frightening. Her makeup was smudged from when she was crying earlier. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her hair was a mess. It was amazing that Terri had stayed with her for this long.
She gathered some soap and water in her hands and washed the makeup off her face. It took some scrubbing with a paper towel, but she managed to get most of it off.
After drying off her face, she realized that she looked much better without makeup. She brushed out her long blonde hair so that it wouldn't look so frizzy and used a black hair tie to secure her hair in a tight pony tail. She also brushed out her bangs so that they lay slightly curved against her forehead.
Giving herself a once over she decided that there were still a few adjustments that she could make. She pulled on her clothes to straighten them out. She really wanted to put on some lip-gloss to make her thin lips look appealing, but she settled for chapstick instead.
Rhia looked herself over once more. Her handiwork wasn't perfect, but it was the best she could do considering the circumstances.
When Rhia came out of the restaurant, Terri noticed that the blonde looked like a completely different woman. It wasn't just her appearance, but her stance and body language were giving off different signals than they had a half hour ago.
Oh, this is going to be interesting, Terri thought. "Feeling better?"
Rhia gave her a dazzling smile. "Much better. Thank you for bringing me here, I had a great time tonight because of you." She lightly touched Terri's arm.
Terri smiled back at and led her out of the restaurant. "You're welcome. The taxi should be here in a few minutes," she said, leaning against the building
"Actually, I'm not ready to go home just yet," Rhia said and turned around to face the redhead. Am I really going to do this?
Terri stared into the Rhia's bright blue eyes, anticipating the anxious blonde's next move. When Rhia bit her lip, Terri's self control almost snapped, but she restrained herself.
What in the hell am I thinking? I'm ten years older than her, and I can't stop thinking about what it'd be like to kiss her, Rhia thought. If she made the first move, this would be a lot easier. She glanced down at Terri's full lips. They were so tempting and inviting.
Terri did not move a muscle. She was fixated on Rhia's eyes. She so desperately wanted to slam the woman against the building and kiss her into oblivion, but she wanted—no needed—the blonde to make the first move.
Screw it; it's now or never. Rhia closed the distance between them and touched her lips to Terri's. Once she felt those soft lush lips against hers, she knew immediately that she wanted more. She cupped Terri's face and kissed her with an increased passion.
Terri was in heaven right now. Who knew a simple kiss could evoke such a feeling of passion. She wrapped her arms around the blonde and returned the kiss with equal intensity. She moaned as she felt teeth gently nibbling on her bottom lip followed by a soft tongue caressing it.
For a supposedly straight woman, Rhia was certainly being very direct with her. As much as she yearned to feel more, Terri kept her hands at Rhia's waist. She knew from experience that premature touching could ruin the moment. Instead, she opened her mouth so that they could deepen the kiss.
As soon as she felt Rhia's tongue touch hers, her entire body exploded with desire. Rhia's tongue was gentle, tentative, but demanding as well. They were both lost in each other until the taxi decided to show up.
The honk from the driver brought them back to reality. Terri parted from Rhia reluctantly and took pride in the ravaged appearance she had given Rhia.
Rhia's eyes were glazed over in desire, and her lips were swollen and red. "Let's go back to your place."
Terri had to force herself to take the chivalrous route. She really didn't want to, but after everything this woman had gone through tonight, it was probably best for it to end this way. "I'm sorry. I can't. You've been through one hell of an emotional roller coaster today, and I don't want to add to it."
Rhia brought her in for another quick kiss. She took a deep breath and said, "Look. Yeah, I've had a pretty shitty day. Actually, I was having a shitty until this beautiful redhead took it upon herself to cheer me up while my friends just ditched me when we got to the club. I have never kissed or even been attracted to another woman, and I don't think I will ever be again. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, and it's never ever going to happen again. I want to make it last for as long as possible. So take me back to your place before I lose my nerve and walk away."
Terri chuckled slightly. "Now that's something you don't hear every day."
Rhia couldn't think and could barely elicit a moan as her body erupted in pleasure for the umpteenth time that night. She fisted the sheets in ecstasy as Terri's tongue kept working on her clit.
"Oh my god," she breathed out. "I don't think I can go again." She ran her hand down her sweat slick body. She was on the brink of exhaustion, but the mind numbing pleasure kept her awake.
Terri lifted head up from between Rhia thighs. "I don't know about that. I think you have a couple more in you." She slid two fingers into her, and Rhia arched her back in pleasure.
"Oh god!" she moaned as Terri's fingers curled against that spot. Terri lowered her head and resumed giving attention to Rhia's little bundle of pleasure.
Terri's tongue was getting a little fatigued, but she wanted this night to last for as long as possible. Rhia had been right. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and she wasn't going to waste it. She decided to stop thinking and focus on pleasuring Rhia.
She bit down on Rhia's clit and increased the pace of her fingers. Within another minute, Rhia was having another full-bodied orgasm. She collapsed against the bed.
"I can't take it anymore. I'm not going to be able to walk tomorrow," Rhia said in between breaths. Terri climbed up her body and planted a searing kiss on her lips. She trailed kisses down her chin and to her neck.
"You mean today. It's almost 3 o'clock in the morning," Terri said and lied down on the bed next to her. She took a few minutes to catch her breath. She was exhausted too.
"I should head home, but I can't will my body to move." Rhia snuggled into the bed and let out an exhausted sigh. Her eyelids fluttered closed.
"I'm not kicking you out. You can spend the night," Terri replied, then realized that her guest was already sound asleep.
"So when you woke up, she was gone?" Maria asked, and then took a sip of her coffee.
Terri nodded. "Yep. No note or number. Just gone. Probably realized what a mistake the whole thing was." She broke a piece off her croissant and popped it into her mouth, savoring the warm buttery flavor of the pastry.
Maria detected a hint of something in her friend's voice. "Do you think it was a mistake?"
"Honestly? No. I enjoyed every moment and would have liked a repeat performance, but I knew it was long shot going into it. I don't know how many one night stands I've had with curious straight girls. They always seem to be the most alluring," Terri admitted.
"Bull shit. You just like unavailable women. If you don't snap out of it, you're going to get hurt one of these days," Maria warned.
Terri scoffed. "Highly unlikely. In order to get hurt, I would have to fall in love, and that's never going to happen."
"You never know. Love has a way of creeping up on you when you least expect it. Look at me, I'm in a committed relationship with Leslie, who I once hated. I love her so much, and I never thought that we would end up together. You don't choose who you fall for. I just hope that you don't learn that the hard way," Maria said.
Terri just rolled her eyes at her friend and ate another piece of her croissant. Her instincts told her that something was on her friend's mind. That was when she noticed Maria absentmindedly touch her jacket pocket. Terri's eyes zeroed in on the shape of the object, and she smiled. She took out a few dollar bills for the tip and placed them on the table as she finished the last piece of her croissant.
"Good luck with the engagement proposal," she commented as she walked away. "Let me know how it goes."
Terri cursed her necessity to always arrive early to places. It was the first day of the semester and she made it to the classroom thirty minutes early. Since there was no one there, she stood outside of the classroom, waiting for professor and other students to arrive.
She kept herself entertained by listening to music on her phone. The time passed by slowly, and when the professor arrived, Terri wished she hadn't enrolled in this particular class.
Blue eyes wide in fear and shock, Rhia stood across from her holding a briefcase and key to the classroom.
Terri felt her heart drop into her stomach. You have to be kidding me! She's my professor?! And then it dawned on Terri why Rhia's name sounded so familiar. On her class schedule next to the title of the class Advance Creative Fiction Writing, was the name Rhia Wilkerson, her professor for the semester.
Only in my world would my professor be the woman I had a one night stand with the other night, she thought solemnly.
A/N: Hope you guys liked the first chapter! There are more to come, so review if you want more.