My short story “Anything But” is now live in Aurore’s members section; their Instagram has a post with some nice quotes from it if you’re curious!
In this story, the narrator (gender nonspecified, though Aurore has categorized this in their “her & her” section) navigates intimacy with a woman who likes them a lot, but isn’t a fan of kissing. So their second date ends with a hot session on their couch that involves…anything else they can come up with.
I’ve always been interested in sex and romance that don’t follow conventional scripts. There are many reasons why someone might like or not like a certain thing, from trauma to brain wiring to just plain personal preference. Sometimes it’s a matter of physical ability. And in the moment, the “why” isn’t as important as the question of what you and your partners can explore that answers your actual desires.
Forget a script you “should” follow. Embrace creativity.
And maybe it’s the creative element that keeps me coming back to this idea as a writer. This won’t be the last story you see from me about sex beyond the scripts. There might even be more from this particular couple, as they look at the many different options that “anything but kissing” leaves on the table – or invent some new ones.
