Mary felt conflicted about what had just happened. She didn't find Kristen's attitude appropriate, and she wasn't a doormat, but she didn't want to hurt her friend's feeling either.
"Honestly, uh... I don't think there's anything wrong with having a little pudge, you know?" Mary felt her bulge more distinctively against her sweater and she unconsciously started tugging on the waist again. "Or even a lot, if that were the case. And if Jeremy doesn't like it, well, that's too bad for him. But I would be grateful that you do not make negative comments on my body; I would rather have you be my friend and ally rather than doing the whole peer pressure thing..."
Kristen's eyes opened wide and she started blushing, stammering an apology.
"I'm... I'm so sorry Mary, I... I didn't mean to offend! Oh gosh... You're right, that was uncalled for. As I said earlier, I actually find your belly very cute." She blushed harder. "I actually prefer it that way. I rather like curves in people. I find you gorgeous" Kristen blurted out.
Mary was taken aback. It became a bit more clear now, why Kristen spoke about Jeremy with a hint of jealousy. This wasn't about him - she probably liked her! And Mary had been totally oblivious to the signs. She felt quite silly now, she had heard another coworker in the past mention the fact Kristen was bi, but it had totally slept out of her memory. At work she had a tendency of assuming everybody was straight until proven otherwise. Mary was annoyed at herself about being so blindsighted, in restrospect.
"It's okay, thank you for understanding. And thank you for the... compliment. I'm not used to flirting with girls or anything like that, sorry for being such a dork!"
Kristen laughed a little and asked nervously: "Oh, I thought you'd be pretty popular! Have you... dated any before?"
There was a brief silence, as Mary was trying not to look at the floor too hard. Damnit, she was no schoolgirl anymore! She took a deep breath before answering. "It's a bit embarassing, if that's okay with you I would rather talk about it in a more private place." They were still standing in the loft's main room and close to other party-goers. "Let's find a more quiet place to chat."
Kristen nodded and they exited the living room to find the bathroom - it had a lock, and Mary didn't wan't be interrupted mid-conversation while opening up about intimate topics. Kristen sat on the edge of the bathtub while Mary closed and locked the door, took another big breath, and turned around, looking at her friend in the eyes.
"This is actually embarassing for me: I've always felt attracted to women, but I'm 25 and I've never had an opportunity to explore this before. My gay and bi friends were always in relationships already or just saw me as a straight friend, and I don't have the self-confidence I have with boys when I'm around girls... So basically, I don't know how to handle that kind of situation."
Her friend Kristen seemed to be listening very seriously; she nodded and replied: "There's nothing to be ashamed of. I didn't want to make you feel pressured either, I just wanted to let you know I'm... here. If you want to talk or... anything. If you were interested. I could take it slowly and be gentle with you. But if not, that's okay too..."
Mary's heart jumped in her chest and she felt warm and fuzzy. Kristen was so sweet! She could not believe it.
"Thank you... I'm so grateful. I think I would like that, yes."
Kristen smiled and stood up, and slowly crossed the bathroom towards Mary. She stopped in front of her and raised a hand to caress her cheek. Mary felt a shiver run through her body. Kristen leaned towards her face, kissing her softly on her lips. The two of them sighed and kissed again, more firmly, pressing their bodies closer. Suddendly Mary could feel Kristen's belly against her udder through the fabric, and her teats hardened a bit; she jumped back in panic.
"I'm sorry Mary, is there anything wrong? Let me know if I'm going too fast..."
Mary shook her head. "It's not that. There's... something else. It's very embarassing, I haven't told anyone yet. Can you promise me to keep it secret if I show you?" Kristen nodded; "Of course, you can trust me."
Mary slowly lifted her chenille sweater, exposing her swollen udder. It seemed fuller than when she had left her house earlier - no wonder that it was bulgeing more. Her teats also had grown a bit longer and felt very sensitive. Kristen stared for what seemed like an eternity, speechless. Finally she opened her mouth to break the silence.