There would be humour in the tone, a hint of teasing, but it would be done with love. Mandy’s smile faded as the pain hit her, stuttering her heart. Just over a year since Rebecca had gone. A year of battling her emotions while pushing on with opening this club. The joy of that tempered by the emptiness left without Rebecca to share it.

“You okay, Mandy?” Dee’s voice was laced with concern. She had worked for Mandy as the assistant manager since the day they opened, and they’d become quite good friends.

Mandy blinked back tears and inhaled deeply.

“Fine,” she replied, her voice quavering more than she liked. “I’m fine.”

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

Melbourne, 1997

The music was thumping through the floor of Toolbox, the small, dark club Mandy had discovered during her first week in Melbourne. Saturday night was in full swing with wall-to-wall dykes bumping and grinding to the beat, and the air was hot and sweaty. Just the way Mandy liked it. She urged Suzy to follow her to the back of the club, but Suzy was dragging her heels a bit, which Mandy didn’t like.

She’d thought she’d read Suzy’s responses to her overtures on the dance floor correctly, but now she wasn’t so sure. She pulled her into the toilet cubicle anyway and locked the door shut behind them. She gently pressed Suzy against the door, and leaned into her firm body. If Suzy was having a few doubts, Mandy was happy to assuage them. She dipped her head and trailed open-mouthed kisses down the length of Suzy’s neck. Suzy trembled beneath her, and Mandy smiled into the soft skin beneath her lips. Moving upwards, she found her earlobe and nibbled lightly before biting down a little harder. The small groan that Suzy emitted sent a nice little pulse of desire to Mandy’s clit.

“Okay, baby?” Mandy whispered against Suzy’s ear and was rewarded with another groan. Suzy latched onto Mandy’s hips and pulled her closer. Oh yes, job done. Mandy pulled Suzy’s tee shirt from out of her cargo pants and ran her hands straight up her body and over her breasts. It had been obvious on the dance floor that Suzy wasn’t wearing a bra. Her breasts were small, not even a handful, really, but Mandy didn’t care because Suzy’s nipples responded just the way she liked, hardening rapidly and pushing into her palms. Every touch she bestowed on them had Suzy grinding just that little bit harder against Mandy’s thigh.