Smooth Sailing (21 page)

“I
had
to. If you start to develop, you screw up your center of gravity. Breasts and hips don’t work in gymnastics.” Of course it sounded stupid to an outsider, but inside gymnastics you realized that was one of the sacrifices you had to make. It was all about the team, and the team always won over the individual.

“Okay. Let’s get off this dismal topic and talk about today. How do you feel?”

“Fine. Good, actually. I called my mom and told her and she’s going to tell my dad and my sister.”

“You called your mom already?”

“Sure. I’m not going to change my mind. I might as well get the process started.”

“This isn’t the same as building a roller coaster. It takes time, and you’ll have second thoughts. Everyone does.”

“No way,” she said, chuckling. “I’ve thought about it, made my analysis and disseminated the information to the interested parties.” She waited a second, met by stone cold silence. “I was kidding, Kaatje…partially.”

“It’s the partial part that has me worried. I don’t want this to come back and slap you in the face. Why don’t you take it slow?”

“No, that’s not me. I’m a lesbian. I’ve always been one, I just didn’t stop to smell the…” She chuckled evilly. “That probably isn’t the best analogy. But I am one, and that’s a major item I can cross off my to do list for my personal life.”

“This isn’t how I’d handle this, but I think I know you well enough to know I can’t change your mind.”

“Not me. I’m still considering going back into competitive gymnastics. My mom can’t keep a close watch over me out here in LA.”

“I wish I was sure you were kidding.”

“I’m obviously kidding. Do you know how many hours a day you have to work to be competitive in gymnastics? Teddy Bear would never allow it.” She hung up with the sound of Kaatje’s lovely laugh caressing her ear.

A WEEK LATER, Kaatje was back in Holland for her friend’s wedding when Laurie called late on a Saturday afternoon. “Hi,” she said, unable to keep the excitement from her voice. “How would you like to meet me in Madrid?”

“Madrid?” There was a slight pause. “You know Madrid’s not in The Netherlands, right?”

“Very funny. I’ve been studying a map of Europe, and I know right where it is. You know Madrid’s where our European theme park is, and I’ve cleverly managed to convince Fernando that I could learn some things from the people there—since that was the last park to go on-line.”

“Clever. That’s a fantastic idea. When do you want me?”

She felt a lump form in her throat. “Right now.”

“But will we be able to spend time together? I know your schedule in LA. I’d like more than a few hours while you’re asleep.”

“Well…” She could feel herself deflate. “I need four days in Madrid. I’ll add a vacation day and we can have a long weekend. We can tour Madrid together for three whole days. Fernando will think I’ve lost my mind, but he’ll let me do it.”

“How about this? You do your work, then come to Amsterdam. If you want to know me better”—her voice lowered to a sexy register—"and I think you do, this is the place to do it.”

*

Two weeks later, after having spent three days grilling her fellow operations-staff team members about everything from weather problems to security issues, Laurie was ready to leave Teddy Bear Europe. She’d kept the poor people so late into the evenings that she was finished a full day before she’d planned, and she guessed each of them would call in sick the next day. She was on her phone on the way to the airport, finagling an earlier flight to Schiphol. “Kaatje,” she said into her earpiece when she’d arranged everything. “Change in plans. I’ll be there by six tonight.”

“Really? Then I’d better get rid of these other women and get dressed. I’ll be waiting.”

*

Because neither Kaatje nor her parents owned a car, Laurie took a cab from the airport. The Hoogeboom house was on a neat, well-scrubbed, narrow street, not far from the historic center of town. The tall black building with sharp, white trim had five floors, with three windows on each of the first four floors and one small window on the top floor. She was pondering why each floor was distinctly smaller than the one below it, when Kaatje poked her head out of the window on the fifth floor. “Come on up!” she called out, smiling a ten-thousand-watt smile.

Laurie’s one suitcase wasn’t hard to carry up the stairs. The stairs, though, were another matter. They definitely were built for someone with feet shorter than hers, and each flight curved strangely, taking up much less space than US staircases. Kaatje bounded down to meet her on the second floor. She tossed the suitcase behind her, then grasped Laurie in her arms like a treasured doll. “It’s so fantastic to see you,” she whispered in her ear.

“Kiss me,” Laurie murmured. “I’ve missed your kisses so much.”

They exchanged many, finally stopping when the second-floor resident excused himself as if he’d done something wrong when he had to wedge his way past them.

Kaatje picked up the suitcase and took Laurie’s hand. They climbed to the third floor, where they stepped into a space different from any Laurie had ever been in. She would have wasted a minute looking around if not for the pink, full lips located conveniently close to her own. They fell into each other’s arms. Laurie was not even aware that she still wore her heavy coat, scarf, and gloves. It wasn’t until she thought she’d faint from Kaatje’s fervid kisses that she realized she was ridiculously overdressed.

“Can I take off my coat?”

“If you insist.” Kaatje grinned at her while helping her out of her coat. “You know,” she said, taking her in her arms again, “as long as we’re at it, why not keep going?” Her eyes gleamed devilishly when her fingers played at the buttons on Laurie’s blouse.

“I’ve been working since dawn,” Laurie said. “How about taking a shower with me?”

“We can do something like that.”

It wasn’t that she was tired, even though she was. Being in Kaatje’s other home was very disconcerting. She even looked different, with her hair hanging loose against her shoulders, and her skin a shade or two lighter than it was in the summer. It would take a few minutes to reconnect with her. Minutes that Laurie needed to be clothed.

Kaatje took her hand and led her up an open set of stairs strangely located right in the modern living room. On the fourth floor a pair of bedrooms, bracketed a modern bath, all white, with sparkling tile and angular fixtures. The room was big, with a free-standing shower in one corner and an ultra-modern tub with a wide, flat lip.

Kaatje put her arms around Laurie again and kissed her gently. “Indulge me?”

“In anything.”

“I’d love to bathe you. I’ve been fantasizing about it.”

“I’ll never take another shower if it would make you happy.” That was true. In just the time it took to walk up the stairs, she was ready to reveal every part of herself.

After starting the bath, Kaatje slowly undressed her, an expression of intent interest on her face. After she lent a hand to help Laurie step into the tub, she sat on the side and lathered up a cloth. She washed her tenderly, tsking when her hands slid over the curves that had diminished since they’d been together. “Eat more candy,” she grumbled, a grin poking through her scowl.

“You should encourage me to be thin. I feel better when my clothes aren’t tight.”

“I feel worse. Doesn’t that count for something?” After she finished her task she helped Laurie to her feet and beautiful blue eyes glided over Laurie from head to toe. She wrapped her in a big, white towel and continued to gaze at her longingly. “You’re clean. I’m clean. Got any ideas?”

“Just one.” They were connecting perfectly now, as though it were just a few days since they’d seen each other. When she looked into Kaatje’s eyes Laurie saw concern, kindness, avid interest and that spark of eroticism that could emerge on a moment’s notice. It was out now, and Laurie took her by the hand and started to walk to the closest bedroom, but Kaatje cleared her throat and pointed at the open staircase. “Got it.”

They climbed to the fifth floor, where the ceilings were a little low, but a big skylight let in the grey light of twilight. The room was tiny, just big enough for a carved, blond-wood bed with small tables on each side that held thin, modern lamps. Kaatje flipped one on, and the room looked golden and cozy. Taking her time, Laurie began to methodically undress Kaatje. Her hair was a little longer, not held back in a ponytail, and her tan had faded, but the biggest change was Kaatje’s clothing. Laurie had only seen her in shorts and swimwear, and having her all covered up in a heavy wool sweater and jeans was odd. But once she got her down to her underwear everything was perfect. “I’ve missed these,” she murmured, placing a kiss on a nipple hardening through the soft fabric of her bra.

Kaatje reached down and opened the front closure, releasing her breasts to Laurie’s care. “They’re yours now. Do whatever you’d like to them. They’ve been lonely.”

Laurie tumbled her to the bed, where they rolled around for a moment or two, relishing the feel of their bodies contacting again. After peeling off Kaatje’s panties, Laurie sated herself on getting reacquainted with Kaatje’s delightfully soft skin. It had lost much of its golden glow, but tan or not, Kaatje was a beauty. A true beauty. And Laurie would have been content to stay right where they were until she had to leave in a very short three days.

*

They sat up in bed, eating everything Kaatje could rustle up from the refrigerator. “I don’t know what kind of hold you have over me,” Laurie said, “but I’ve never been more focused on sex in my life.”

“Tell me about that.”

“I just did. I think about you and I start thinking about having sex with you. I hardly ever think of you with clothes on,” she admitted, chuckling.

“Does that make you think about…oh, I don’t know…being gay?” She stared at Laurie with comically wide eyes.

“I’m done with that. I barely have time to squeeze in a few minutes of fantasizing about doing it with you before I fall asleep every night.”

“Interesting.” Kaatje got up and started to gather their empty plates and containers. She didn’t say a word as she busied herself for quite a few minutes.

“I said something wrong.”

Silently, Kaatje looked up at her.

“Come back to bed.” Laurie patted the surface. “Please?”

She didn’t rush to comply, but Kaatje finally meandered over. “Yeah?”

“I still don’t think you understand how busy I am.” Kaatje rolled her eyes but Laurie continued. “I mean it. I have to squeeze about twenty-four hours of work into an eighteen-hour day. The only time I have to reflect is when I force myself to shut off the pile driver that’s slamming around inside my head and focus on you. I lie in bed and write you a note, then try as hard as I can to keep those other thoughts out. You just don’t know how hard that is.” She looked like one cross look would make her break down, so Kaatje took her in her arms and cooed gently.

“I hate that you let yourself be this consumed by work. It’s not good for you, Moppie, it’s really not.”

Letting out a sigh, Laurie raised her head. “Moppie?”

Kaatje’s tan had faded, and no longer provided cover for her blushing cheeks. She nodded. “I hadn’t planned on that coming out.” She hated being such an open book, but she’d never been able to hide her thoughts or her feelings.

“What’s it mean?”

“It’s a pet name. Like ‘honey’ or ‘sweetie.’”

“I like it. Moppie,” she repeated, trying it out.

“Would my Moppie like to get dressed and take a walk around? I have an awful lot to show you.”

“Sure. Maybe we can get dessert.”

Kaatje touched the tip of her nose. “You get two. I have to put those curves back on you.”

*

They walked through Kaatje’s neighborhood, with Laurie stopping every other minute to remark on a house or a church. “How old are these buildings? They look like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

“Seventeenth century or a little later, for many of them. There are lots of sixteenth-century buildings a few streets from here. But when we get to the more commercial streets you’ll see some new, very modern buildings. It’s a nice mix.”

“This couldn’t be more different from LA if it were on Venus.”

“I haven’t been to LA.”

“But you’ve been to the US.”

“Yes. New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Boston just to do the tourist thing. Florida quite a few times to buy things. And a few friends and I went to the Grand Canyon to do a long river rafting trip. That was fantastic. Have you ever been there?”

“No, I’ve never been anywhere near it. Did you camp?”

“Yeah. It was a week-long trip. Pretty exciting stuff. We don’t have anything like that in Europe. Different animals, plants, everything. You should go.”

“Eh…I’m not one for camping. I’m not crazy about plants or animals either,” she admitted, slightly embarrassed.

“Maybe you haven’t been camping with the right people.”

“I’m lying. I might love camping. I’ve never been.”

Kaatje put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her. “I think you might be a little tentative to try new things. I don’t know where I get that idea…”