Awakenings - SF1 (40 page)

He gave her a hurt look as he moved back, but he respected her wishes and went back to sit down on the couch. He looked up at her and tentatively patted the couch cushion next to him. She smiled and sat down next to him, allowing him to wrap his arm around her.

"I know I was wrong, Jamie, but I am so jealous of that woman I can't see straight," he finally revealed.

"Jack, what on earth do you have to be jealous about?" she asked, completely astounded by his admission.

"Jamie, how would you feel if my law review partner was a gorgeous woman with a reputation for seducing every guy she could get her hands on?" he cut her off with a raised hand when she tried to interrupt. "And what if I spent a lot of my free time with her, not doing school work, just hanging out?" He cocked his head at her, "Wouldn't that bother you?"

"That's not a good analogy, Jack," she explained patiently. "A better one would be if your partner was a very good looking gay guy who had a reputation for dating lots of other gay men." He began to scowl at this analogy. "It would not bother me one bit if you became friends with a gay man," she added.

"That's not the same thing," he replied confidently, concurrently trying to figure out why it wasn't.

"Tell me why it isn't?" she said sweetly, knowing he could not.

"I don't know but it's not," he said firmly.

"Okay, let's start over. Tell me why you are jealous of her."

"I'm afraid she is just being friends with you to seduce you," he admitted with an embarrassed look.

"Well, I'm not sure who that insults more, but go on," she encouraged.

"I don't see how hanging out with her is any different than hanging out with a guy who is after you," he finished.

"Well, it's simple, really. One-she is not after me. Two-she is not a guy: she is a woman. Three-I'm committed to be married to you. I would not cheat on you with a man or a woman," she replied.

"How do you know she isn't after you?" he said.

"Because I asked her," she said simply.

"You what?!" he shouted.

"I had heard the rumors about her and I had seen her flirting with the other women in class so I asked her if she was interested in me," she stated patiently. "I had no interest in developing a friendship with her if she was going to be flirting with me the whole time."

"What did she say?" he asked, perplexed by this development.

"She said she knew I was straight and that she didn't like to date straight women. She also said that she thought I was cute and that she had been interested, but that she didn't like to date her friends."

"And you believed her?" he asked as though Jamie was slightly slow.

"Yes, I did and I still do. We spend a lot of time together Jack. She tells me all about her life and the women she sees. I know her family. I know what kind of person she is. She is loyal and honest and very forthright. She is very funny and bright and interesting. And I trust her completely, Jack." Just to tweak him a bit she added, "She's got 3 older brothers and about a dozen cousins who are just as good looking. And the best looking one of the bunch is always flirting with me. That's who you should be jealous of," she said with a smirk.

"Oh, now I feel better," he grumbled. "Look Jamie, I know you don't have a lot of experience with guys but we tell girls anything to get them into bed. A guy will spend years being your friend just in the hopes of one day sleeping with you."

"I may not have slept with other men, Jack, but I do have some experience," she replied. "I know many guys are like that. But in my limited experience lesbians are not. You seem to think she's a man without a penis. But she's a woman, Jack." She fished around in her head for an example. "How many women do you know who work really hard to get a guy to sleep with them?"

"If they're good looking, they don't have to," he said, slightly perplexed.

"Exactly. Women generally don't go to great lengths to hit on guys. The lesbians I know are more like that than they are like guys." He looked suspicious. "Oh
,
they flirt with each other but they don't come on like guys do. It's much more subtle."

"That favors my point!" he said. "It's harder to tell when she's coming on to you. It's more invasive than aggressive."

"Surely you agree that Ryan is great looking." He gave a slight nod. "She can have her pick of women at school. And believe me, they practically throw themselves at her. She certainly would not be wasting her time trying to turn me into a lesbian when she has so many to choose from. That just doesn't make sense."

"So you are saying that she treats you just the same as any of your other friends, right?" he finally asked in challenge.

She thought about this for a long while. She did not want to prolong this, but she wasn't going to lie. "No, that's not true," she admitted. "The dynamic is different with her. She's very comfortable touching other women and that makes her a bit more physically close than my other friends." She gathered her courage, "And she's very comfortable in her own body. She's a massage therapist as well as a trainer and she's very comfortable with physical affection."

"Like what?" he inquired suspiciously.

"Like rubbing my legs after a workout, or giving me a hug when I've had a bad day," she replied.

"And you truly don't think that she gets aroused when she touches you?" he asked warily.

"I'm certain that she does not," she replied firmly.
Thank you; thank you for not asking the inverse question

After another hour or so of discussion Jack agreed that he would try harder to accept Ryan as a part of Jamie's life. He also agreed that he would do his best to not interfere in her choice of friends or activities. By now it was nearly 10 o'clock and Jamie had an early class.

"Can you stay over tonight?" he asked as he began to nuzzle her ear and neck.

"I've got an 8 o'clock class honey. I'd have to get up before 6 to make it," she replied as she kissed his cheek. He was not to be dissuaded however, and within minutes she found herself half naked on the couch. She decided that this intimacy was something that he really needed so she let him continue his quest. She felt gentle and loving towards him as he touched her body reverently. He pushed a bit faster than she would have liked, but all in all it was a pleasant experience.

His head rested on her breast as she rubbed his back and rocked him slightly. "I love you, Jack," she murmured into his ear. "I love you."

When Jamie arrived home just before 1 a.m. there was a message on her machine from Ryan. "Hi. Call me if you need to talk. It doesn't matter how late it is."

She is so sweet to me. I don't know what I've done to deserve her friendship, but I'm really happy I have it.
She didn't feel the need to take Ryan up on her offer and she didn't have any intention of waking her up needlessly so she refrained from calling.

She barely made it to her 8 o'clock class. After a rather tedious class discussion she stumbled out of the classroom sleepily, bumping directly into a grinning Ryan.

"Somebody didn't have their latte' yet," she teased.

"It's that obvious isn't it?" she agreed. "I barely made it to class. Speaking of class, what are you doing here?"

"My lab was canceled so I had some free time. I thought I'd come see how you were."

"I didn't know you even knew what classes I had on Tuesday, much less where they were," she said, slightly amazed.

"Of course I know those little details," Ryan said, a bit puzzled. "Don't you know my class schedule?"

"Yeah, I guess I do," she admitted. "Is this what you meant about women being more connected than men?"

"Precisely," Ryan agreed as she guided her through the building in search of a latte'.

Jamie spent a few minutes updating Ryan on her evening with Jack. "It sounds like it went pretty well," Ryan said thoughtfully. "I've got to admit that his assumptions about me are not uncommon. Hopefully he'll realize over time that all I want from you is friendship...and lasagna," she grinned. "But he really does sound like he wants to make you happy, Jamie."

"I know he does, Ryan," she acknowledged. "I think you're advice was right on point. I need to spend more time letting him know what I need rather than expecting him to just intuit things."

"I really hope it works out for you, Jamie," she said sincerely.

One Tuesday in early November Jamie showed up at the gym hoping to get a little cardiovascular work in. She looked around for her friend and found her in the rear corner of the gym chatting with a woman. Trying to be unobtrusive, she hopped on a Stairclimber to get warmed up. But being on the slightly elevated machine gave her an even clearer view of the action and she could not help but watch.

Ryan was leaning up against one of the chest press machines. The woman was seated on the integrated stool of the machine and she gazed up at Ryan with a very flirtatious look. Jamie was pretty sure that she was not a client and as she looked more closely she noticed that the woman was considerably older than Ryan.
She's old enough to be my mother!
she thought in alarm. The woman looked to be about 45 or so, but she was in great shape. She was about 5'6", very fit, with short dark hair. She looked very well taken care of, and the thought occurred to Jamie that this could be any one of her mother's friends.

Ryan had adopted a very casual pose. She had one of her long arms extended above her head to hang over the top bar of the machine. She was leaning against the bulk of it and the woman had to crane her neck to make eye contact with her. But even though her pose was casual there was that barely concealed force that just begged to be released from her body. Jamie had often seen her look completely relaxed and casual. But every time Ryan was sizing someone up she adopted this predatory posture. Jamie had to admit that it was very appealing and for one brief instant she was jealous of the seated woman. But she quickly brushed that troublesome thought from her brain as she tried to watch while appearing not to.

After a few minutes the woman tried to stand but Ryan was directly in her path. She did not budge one inch and the woman was forced to alter her path a bit. Since Ryan had a good 6 inches on her the woman still had to look up to meet her gaze, but she seemed unable to look away from Ryan's penetrating stare. They were standing terribly close to one another and Ryan was clearly not going to move. To get past her the woman placed her hands on Ryan's waist and gently guided her out of her path.
Gotcha!
Jamie thought.
Once you touch her there's no escape!

Ryan leaned over to hear a question and when she lifted her head again she had the confident smirk that she so often wore when she was hitting on someone. She nodded her head slowly and leaned back on her heels to watch the woman make her way to the locker room. She walked over to another trainer and spoke to her for a moment or two, and then she went to the front desk and chatted with the woman on duty. She didn't look into the cardio area, so she did not see Jamie. Next she walked over to the coat hooks and picked up her leather jacket and walked out the front door with a definite swagger.

A minute or two later her prey emerged from the locker room. She left quickly and Jamie spent a moment wondering if they were meeting up in the parking lot.
Knowing Ryan they don't even have to leave the lot if that woman has a big enough sports utility vehicle,
she thought as a shudder rolled down her body.

Ryan stood by her bike, grinning wickedly at the woman as she exited the building. "Wanna go for a ride?" she teased in her deep rumbling voice.

"Aaah, I don't think that's such a good idea," Laura said hesitantly. "I really can't afford to be seen on the back of a motorcycle."

"Are you a spy or a fugitive from justice?" Ryan asked casually.

"Nooo, but I'm fairly well known around the East Bay, and my..."

"Husband?" Ryan supplied.

"Yes, my husband is well known too," Laura admitted. "Does that bother you?"

"It depends," Ryan replied. "Is this the first time you've..."

"Hardly," she scoffed. "We've been married for twen...
a long while. We have an arrangement."

"Will this be the last time you do this?"

"Doubtful, unless you can keep me faithful to you," she purred as she moved to stand even closer.

"Doubtful," Ryan admitted with a smirk. "Any kids?"

"Yes, but not at home. They're away at ...school."

"So you would say that spending the afternoon with me will not alter your world in any significant way?"

"Well," she said, as she brushed up against the taller woman. "I hope it will. But I promise it won't have a negative impact on my life. Or that of my family."

"One last question. And please don't think I'm as full of myself as this sounds. Do you have any interest in having an ongoing relationship with me?"

The woman's eyes grew wide with surprise. She shook her head briskly and said, "Honey, my life is nearly perfect. The only thing I don't get enough of is good sex. I have no interest in losing my husband or the fragile respect of my children so if that's what you want let's stop right now," she said firmly.

"You're my kinda woman, Laura," Ryan said with a grin. "Where to?"

Laura hopped into the driver's seat of a new black Mercedes S class sedan. "Nice ride," Ryan said as she looked around.

"Thanks. I just got it a week ago. I like it pretty well but it's a little sedate, don't you think?"

"A little, but I'm sure you have other outlets for your wild side."

That earned her a little smirk and a gentle pat on the leg. "Do you prefer the Mark Hopkins or the Fairmont?" Laura asked as she got on the freeway leading back to the City.

"Never been in either, so it's your choice," Ryan said noncommittally.

Laura shot her quizzical look but continued the planning. "Okay, I'll drop you off a block away. Then you go in and get us a room. I'll pay you back of course. Then I'll meet you by the elevator. Please don't talk to me or acknowledge me in any way, though. Okay?"

Ryan looked a bit askance as she admitted, "I don't have a charge card. Can you stop at an ATM?"

"Jesus! You are over 21 aren't you?" she asked tentatively as she turned to give Ryan another appraising glance.

"Yes, I am," Ryan replied with a smile. "I'm still in school at Cal. The personal training is just part time."

"How do you manage without a charge card?" Laura asked.

"Well, I live at home, I don't have a car, I don't buy groceries, I never go on vacation, and I don't buy things over the Internet. Other than that, why
would
I need one?"

"Good point, I guess," she admitted, giving Ryan another quick glance. "No one's going to come looking for you if you're not home for dinner, are they?" she asked, only partly in jest. "I don't want to see your picture on the back of a milk carton."

"Nope. I don't even have a curfew," she said happily.

Laura pulled up in front of an ATM and handed Ryan her card along with her security code. Ryan gave her a small scowl but she got out and withdrew the requested $600. When she hopped back in she remarked, "It's not a terribly good idea to trust a stranger with your ATM card and your access number."

"It's only money," she said lightly. As Ryan tried to hand the card and the money over. Laura took the card but instructed Ryan to keep the money. "You don't want to look like you don't have a little extra," she advised.

Ryan had been to hotels with women, but always cheap little places when neither she nor her date could find a better place. She had also been with older women, but they were always lesbians. This was a first for her and the thought of having sex with a married woman old enough to be her mother was both titillating and a little frightening. This woman had obviously been around the block a few hundred times and Ryan was a little afraid that Laura's experience would upset Ryan's own natural dominance. And even though she was attracted to her she did not want to submit to a stranger. "So, do you usually go out with women?" she asked to flesh out the issue.

"No, not usually," she admitted. "But you just look like too much fun to pass up."

"But you have been with women before, haven't you?"

"Yes, dear, I have. Will you stop worrying? I promise I won't fall in love with you," she said with a hint of exasperation. "Why are you so careful anyway? You're not the daughter of a famous politician are you?"

"Hardly. My dad's a firefighter. I just don't like to cause trouble or hurt anyone's feelings," she said honestly.

They paused at a long red light and Laura turned to look at her closely, "You really are cute, you know." She reached over and cupped Ryan's cheek and trailed her thumb across her lips. "Why is a beautiful young woman doing something like this, anyway? Why not find someone to love?"

"I don't have time for that right now. I've got too much to handle as it is. After I'm finished with school I'll start thinking about settling down. But until then, I'm only interested in good, clean, fun," she said with a leer. "And the clean part is optional."

Laura dropped her off about a block away from the hilltop hotel. "Get a nice room, Honey. I hate to feel cramped."

Ryan dutifully climbed the hill, smirking to herself that when Laura called her honey it reminded her of her aunts. She didn't fit in very well in the opulent surroundings in her blue jeans and leather jacket, but she carried herself with so much confidence that she received only appreciative glances. She walked up to the front desk and requested a room for one night.

"Very good, Ma'am," the obviously gay clerk replied.

"What do you have available?" she asked.

He looked down his computer screen and informed her, "I have a single for $135. That's in the back of the hotel, no view. And the only other rooms I have are suites. That's two bedrooms and a sitting area. Those rooms are $450," he said.

"Is that really the best rate you can give me?" she asked with a friendly but determined look.

"Well," he said, "I could give you a discount on the suite. We still have, um... six of them left. Do you only need it for one night?"

"I only need it for one hour," she said with a wiggling eyebrow.

"Oh... ohhh," he said as he saw the light. "How about $300?"

"Sold," she said as she peeled off $350 to cover room tax. He handed her the access card and gave her a wink. "I assume I can just fill in the name and address with any old thing that comes to mind?"

"Knock yourself out," Ryan grinned.

"Have fun," he said lightly.

"Oh
,
I will," she promised. She walked over to the gift shop and purchased two toothbrushes and some paste, then strode confidently over to the elevator. She looked straight ahead and pushed the up button. Seemingly from nowhere Laura appeared a few feet away. They both got on along with a few other passengers. Their room was on the top floor and by the time they reached it they were alone. Ryan continued to ignore Laura, assuming that she would break the silence if she chose to. When the doors opened Ryan turned to the right but Laura hung a left. She walked to the end of the long hallway and opened the door to the suite, leaving it ajar as she entered. A few minutes later Laura came strolling in, and looked around with appreciation.

"You went all out, didn't you?" she said happily.

"Yep. You look like you're used to first class," she replied. "But I got you a deal. I talked the clerk down from $450 to $300."