The precepts of the Church of Gaea, known to its opponents as the “sex church,” were advisory rather than mandatory, mostly aimed at saving the Earth from climate change. Avoiding plastic containers; eschewing eating ruminant animals like sheep and cows; walking and taking public transport instead of driving; and pressing close against another human all night long instead of turning up the heat.

As a Sister of the Church, however, the rules were mandatory for Desiree, so on a Thursday afternoon she was riding the subway, having sold her car a few weeks back. She had her white top unbuttoned so you could clearly see a fair amount of cleavage and the edges of her red bra, and her red kilt was so short that if she bent over even ten degrees, she’d be flashing her ass. Red heels completed the ensemble, and she trusted it oglers appreciated that the bra matched the skirt and heels. It was normal for the members of the Church, especially the female members, to enjoy dressing provocatively. For Desiree it was mandatory, and she enjoyed the feeling that she had no choice but to show her body to strangers on the Metro every day.

It was, after all, the will of the Goddess. She wondered, sometimes, if the rule about transportation was less about saving the Earth and more about making sure one paraded past lots of people, but the Goddess was wise and could intend two things at once. Desiree often arranged a hookup on her rides. People propositioned her, assuming she was easy. They were right.

She gave up her seat whenever the train got crowded, knowing standing provided the best view. A jerk in the train could make her lose her balance and cause her skirt to rise, and she suspected several people were watching and hoping.

“Excuse me,” said a big man, brushing up against her. There wasn’t much room to squeeze by. She didn’t exactly move out of his way, either.

A balding older guy hunched over his laptop, which gave him an excuse to keep his head lower as he tried to peek up her skirt. Others were engaged in similar furtive glances, and a few openly stared, enjoying the display of skin on their otherwise boring ride to work.

One of the furtive onlookers caught her attention that day. Women as well as men often gawked, but this one wore a nun’s habit. A bit of red hair peeked out beneath her wimple, and she had lovely green eyes. Every time Desiree looked back, the woman looked away, but she kept sneaking glances.

At the Rosslyn stop, the man sitting next to her got up. She doubted it was an accident that his hand brushed against her skirt on the way out. Acting on impulse, and because her legs were getting tired standing in the heels, Desiree took the now empty seat.

“Hi,” she said. “I’m Sister Desiree.”

The woman blinked at her. “I’m Sister Mary,” she said. “Sister?”

“Of the Church of Gaea.”

“Oh. I’m Catholic.”

Desiree grinned. “I guessed.”

“You’re an All, then?” asked Sister Mary. “That’s a horrible pun, you know.”

“Sorry about that. Wasn’t my idea, although I can’t say I don’t have a lot of fun. Is it true y’all aren’t allowed to have any sex at all, ever?” Desiree knew the answer.

“Yes. It’s true,” said Sister Mary, nibbling on her lip nervously.

And you don’t like it, thought Desiree. She really couldn’t imagine who would, but she’d always been a frisky girl. Not everyone was made the same. Maybe the people who became nuns were mostly ace, but she got the feeling that wasn’t true for Sister Mary. “Don’t you all sometimes, you know, help each other out?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” said Sister Mary primly.

“You know, some intimate girl-girl time?”

“That would be a sin. We are married to God.”

“Most guys would be down with their wife messing with another one of their wives, as long as they got to watch,” said Desiree. She heard an aborted laugh from nearby, and realized it wasn’t a precisely private conversation. She resolved to lower her voice.

Sister Mary blushed. “Maybe some do, but I wouldn’t know about it. I don’t think God ‘likes to watch,’ anyway. He’s not a perv,” she said indignantly.

“I think whoever created us, with all the different things people like to do? She must have been a perv.”

“I shouldn’t even be talking to you,” said Sister Mary, turning her head.

“You shouldn’t have been watching my boobs, either, but you totally were,” said Desiree softly.

“I wasn’t,” said Sister Mary.

“What’s a bigger sin,” asked Desiree, “staring at another woman, or lying about it?”

Mary thought. “Well, doing both would be worse than doing either one. I take back my statement, because yes, I was looking, hoping that when you shifted your shirt would close a little.”

“You’re still not telling the truth.”

Mary just took a deep breath and blushed more.

“Are you gay, Mary?”

“I had a boyfriend in high school, so I don’t think so,” said Mary. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

“Was the sex good?”

“None of your business,” said Mary.

“True,” Desiree agreed, and went on anyway. “High school guys are generally fumbling their way around. Sex keeps getting better.”

Another deep breath, and Mary said nothing.

“How did you decide to become a nun, Mary?”

Mary seemed to hesitate before answering, and as she did her eyes drifted to Desiree’s chest. Desiree didn’t call her on it, but she arched her back to give the nun a better view, which let Mary know that Desiree knew where she’d been looking.

“My brother was sick. I promised God that if he cured him, I would become a nun.”

“And he got better?”

“He got better,” said Sister Mary, although her brows knitted in a way that made Desiree think there was more to the story.

“So you followed through on your promise.”

“Yes.”

“Sounds like a fair deal. Although it would make more sense for your brother to become a monk. Did he?”

Sister Mary snorted. “Hardly.”

“Don’t tell me he’s one of us now?”

“No, not that either.”

“When was this?”

“Five years ago.”

“So just a year before we started healing people.”

“Yes.”

“You could have made a very different promise!”

“I suppose,” said Sister Mary, looking wistful even as she tried to sound dismissive.

“If you want, I’ll check up on him. Make sure he’s still… um, sickness free.” As an initiate of the church, having consensual sex with Desiree would cure any communicable disease. Scientists had isolated the “Gaea virus” that seemed to carry powerful antibodies, like an STI but useful. What they didn’t understand was how to replicate it, or why it only seemed to retain infectious levels in the bodies of those the Church had sanctioned. The Church never denied there might be a scientific explanation, though many of the worshippers preferred a mystical explanation. Desiree didn’t have an opinion. If it worked, it worked. She believed in the Goddess, though. The Church had transformed her life for the better, had given her purpose, and she was getting lots of sex.

“I think they are probably keeping him safe, and they don’t allow visitors.”

“They?”

“The prison officials. He shot someone while robbing a bank.”

“Oh.” Desiree paused. It would be easy to go in for the kill. So you got God to save him from being sick, in order for him to shoot someone. Or alternately, to suggest that it seemed unlikely God would have saved him for that purpose, and far more likely he would have gotten better, anyway. She resisted the urge. “If God works in mysterious ways, that’s … um….”

“More mysterious than most,” said Sister Mary.

“Yes,” agreed Desiree. Her desire to debate the nun had vanished, and she felt only compassion.

“Go ahead, say it,” said Sister Mary.

Desiree shook her head. “I have nothing to say. I’m so sorry. May I hug you?”

“Just a hug?”

“Yeah, just a hug.”

Mary nodded, and the two embraced. Desiree suspected that may have attracted more attention than her outfit.

“That felt good,” Mary said.

“There is more where that came from,” said Desiree. She innocently only meant more hugs, but she realized it might have seemed like a come on.

“Where is your Church? Is it the one on 12th street?”

“Yes.”

“I know where it is. It used to be a Baptist church. They were always trying to save us.”

Desiree chuckled. She hadn’t thought any of the surrounding churches would regard the Church of Gaea as an upgrade, but she wasn’t surprised they didn’t all get along.

The chime sounded. “Well, this is my stop,” said Sister Mary. “Have a good one.”

“You too,” said Desiree.

She watched the Sister depart at least as intently as Sister Mary had ever looked at her.

The man in front of her turned around. “You and the nun? That was hot.”

“Uh, thanks,” said Desiree, glad that her stop was next. She gave up her seat, and went back to standing and being ogled, but her heart wasn’t in it. She wondered if she should have tried to seduce Mary. She seemed so sad, and clearly she was at the very least bisexual. She was still thinking about it as she got off at the next stop. She bent at the waist to insert her ticket, flashing the people behind her, more out of habit than intent. Each day more and more people congregated around the machines that let you add money to your ticket, a spot with an excellent view of her ass. Hopefully they noticed her red thong matched her bra. Sometimes she entertained going commando, but she didn’t want to get arrested.

That morning she had work to do. Sometimes a rich donor would need “attending to,” and she enjoyed that part of her work. Being whored out by the church turned her on. But today was boring, mostly clerical work on the computer. She had a notion that if she ever became a secretary or an administrative assistant, she’d enjoy bending over to put away files, but the Church kept a paperless office as part of its green initiative. At least she was picking up some database skills for later in life.

At quarter to eleven Sister Licentia, a short curvy woman with a fondness for corsets, came over to her desk. “Sister Desiree, you have a visitor. Room 213.”

Sister Desiree grinned as she rose from her chair. Fucking someone, or giving a blowjob, would be a welcome change of pace.

“This one is rather unusual,” said Sister Licentia.

Whips? Chains? “I can do unusual,” said Desiree.

“I know,” said Sister Licentia.

She arrived in 213 to find Sister Mary waiting. It was a Sunday school room once. Now it had a bed and a sex swing. Mary sat on the bed, dressed in her habit and wimple.

“Sister Mary?” asked Desiree, mostly because she didn’t know what to say.

“Hello, Sister Desiree. May I tell you a story?” asked Mary.

“Of course.” She sat on the bed next to the nun.

“I had confession today, and I told the priest of my encounter with you, and the things I felt. I could tell he was getting excited by my confession, and he tried to say it wasn’t a sin, when we both knew it was.”

Desiree nodded. “I don’t think there is anything sinful about desire,” she said. “That’s not our hang-up here. But go on.”

“We both knew that it’s supposed to be a sin, anyway,” said Mary. “But I think that priest has lustful thoughts for me. So, I didn’t feel absolved. Absolution is simple. You’ve confessed, and you’re done. I had to wrestle with it, instead. The same way I have wrestled with what happened with my brother. The priests and the sisters say that my taking holy orders was the good that came out of it, but I can’t help but feel I was cheated, and then I feel guilty for thinking that.”

“It seems only natural,” said Desiree.

“I still believe that all things happen for a purpose,” said Sister Mary. “And it struck me that perhaps my purpose was to reach out to you, and save you.”

“I don’t want to be saved,” said Desiree. “I’m very happy, and I don’t believe in heaven and hell.”

“Is that true?”

“Totally.”

Sister Mary leaned over as if for another hug, but kissed Desiree instead. It wasn’t a chaste kiss, either, but a full-on press of lips. As her lips parted, Desiree responded, and Sister Mary’s tongue danced with hers.

“Technically, you’re supposed to ask first,” said Desiree. “We believe in consent here. But retroactively, I enthusiatically consent.”

“Show me happiness, Sister Desiree.”

“Gladly, Sister Mary,” said Desiree. “I think perhaps I could do that best if you would take off some clothing. Don’t worry, no one will disturb us.”

Sister Mary stood and pulled up her nun’s habit. To Desiree’s surprise, she wore nothing underneath. She was a good-looking woman, freckled, with pert breasts and hard nipples like pencil erasers. Her long flowing red hair, once released from the wimple, was gorgeous.

“Sit back on the bed,” Desiree said, standing.

Mary sat, and watched as Desiree undressed in front of her. First the shirt. Then she unclasped the bra and let it fall, revealing full, lush breasts. She shimmied out of her skirt, and finally she peeled off her thong with deliberate slowness.

She’s been waiting a long time to make love to anyone, thought Desiree. I shouldn’t make her wait any longer.

She joined Mary on the bed, and lay with her, embracing. They explored each other’s bodies with groping hands until Desiree led Mary to the wetness between her legs. Desiree found Mary’s clit, massaging it with expert fingers. It didn’t take long for Mary screamed out her pleasure.

“Oh my –” Mary stopped, clearly unsure how to finish. “Oh that feels wonderful. Thank you!”

“We’re just starting,” Desiree told her. She was horny, her pussy aching with anticipation. But she was getting several orgasms a day, and Mary might not have cum in years. She’d been ready to go, though. Surely the nun had pleasured herself sometimes. Still, cumming from another person’s touch was very different.

Touch, or tongue. Desiree slid down and parted Mary’s legs, and licked the nun’s pussy. Mary had a full bush of red hair. Desiree normally wasn’t a fan of getting hair in her teeth, but right now she didn’t care.

“Let me pleasure you,” said Mary, her protests sounding a bit week.

“You have years to make up for,” said Desiree. “Now hush. Let a sister take care of a sister.” Mary tasted sweet, with a hint of tanginess. Desiree lapped her up eagerly. After all that waiting, Mary deserved the best she could give.

Desiree wasn’t a fumbling high school lover. She knew what she liked, but she’d been with a lot of other women and everyone was different. She watched Mary’s responses. She responded to her tongue, and to a finger curled inside her pussy. It didn’t take long to make the nun scream and thrash on the bed. Desiree kept licking, fingering her expertly now that she knew what worked.

The third time Mary squirted.

“I’m so sorry! Oh my god!”

“It’s beautiful,” said Desiree.

“I peed the bed! And, uh, your face.”

“It’s not pee, it’s squirt. Lots of people would take it as the ultimate compliment.” Desiree licked her lips.

Mary shook her head. “I… I’ve never done that before.”

“Happy to be your first. Have you ever licked a woman’s pussy before?”

Mary shook her head again. “Never.”

“Want another first?” asked Desiree.

“Yes, please.”

They turned to avoid the wet spot. Desiree sat at the edge of the bed, and Mary knelt on the floor. Mary was not nearly as skilled, but Desiree directed her, and Mary was a willing pupil. And she’s had plenty of experience kneeling. She’d never had a nun try to get her off before, and that only made it hotter. It took a while, but soon intense pleasure rolled through Desiree’s body as she came.

“I could worship you,” Mary said.

“Pretty sure that’s blasphemy.”

“I know,” said Mary. “The kind the priest wouldn’t absolve no matter how hot he thought it was.”

“You don’t want absolution, do you, Mary? Absolution gets you back to where you were before, and you want to change.”

Mary nodded. “I think I’m gay.”

Desiree smiled. “You might be. But the only guy you’ve had is a guy in high school, who was probably a virgin or close to it when you met him?”

“Yeah.”

“Might be worth some exploration before you decide. You can still… come worship me any time you wish.”

“Maybe I could become an All, like you.”

“Maybe so,” agreed Desiree. “But again, you need to explore. An All isn’t allowed to only do girls, or only boys. All means all. If you don’t like being with men, you need to find that out. If you do, that’s worth finding out too.”

Mary nodded. “I… don’t have any possessions. And no place to live. I didn’t think this through.”

“You can live with me until you get your feet on the ground.”

“Are you sure?”

Desiree nodded. “I also believe things happen for a reason. You were not meant to stay there, Mary. You’re a sexual dynamo. We’ll figure out the next steps together, and someday you will fly from me, like a butterfly who wrapped in a chrysalis until she was ready.”

Mary looked at the habit on the floor and nodded. “I was pretty well wrapped.”

“You were.”

“I didn’t belong there.”

“You didn’t,” Desiree agreed.

“I don’t think that priest does, either.”

Desiree grinned. “Maybe we can save him next.”

Mary gave a shy smile, and then her lips widened. “That sounds positively diabolical.”

“No,” said Desiree. “No devil involved. Just a loving goddess who wants everyone to satisfied and fulfilled. Come … let me remind you of her embrace.”

“Does this embracing involve your wonderful tongue?”

“It does now,” said Desiree.

THE END OF CHAPTER TWO