Chapter 27: Soft and Sweet

October 15th, 1995, 1:20 AM PT, Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, NV

Jill’s eyes came open; it was dark outside, at least as dark as it gets in Las Vegas. They had not drawn the curtains, so the neon lights from outside were shining in through the surprisingly small window in her bedroom. She felt totally awake, which meant it would take some doing for her to get back to sleep. She didn’t want to wake up George so she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She thought about putting on a robe, but it just wasn’t her nature to care about her naked body when she was among friends.

She walked out of the bedroom, past the enormous bathroom with the huge shower and the jacuzzi tub, and turned right and walked down the hallway to the door to their bedroom, opened it, and went out to the landing overlooking the downstairs area of their suite. Josh and Akilah’s bedroom was just past this, and she had initially assumed they were sleeping together in their room. But as she looked off the balcony, she saw the silhouette of a girl standing in front of the couch, looking out the huge semi-circular window; that would be Akilah, of course.

She quietly padded down the stairs, and then took the step up into the couch area where the window was. Akilah was, like her, completely naked. It was warm enough in the room to accommodate not wearing clothes; perhaps Jill was wearing off on Akilah, or maybe she was simply enjoying the freedom of not having to follow her parents’ rules anymore. She was staring off into the distance, as if deep in thought.

“I’d say a penny for your thoughts, but this is Caesar’s Palace, so perhaps a penny is inappropriate,” Jill said softly. Akilah started a bit, and then calmed herself. Jill had seen her naked before, and ... well she had feelings, frankly.

“Perhaps with both of us here, we could turn on the lights,” Akilah suggested.

Jill went and found the switch for the window seating area, turned it on, came back to the couch and sat next to Akilah.

“This is an embarrassing question,” Akilah said, “But you don’t ... have hair,” she indicated her crotch.

“I shave it,” Jill laughed, “I think it looks prettier that way, and it makes it nicer for George when he ... you know.”

“Know what?” Akilah asked confused.

“Licks me down there, silly,” Jill said.

“Oh,” Akilah looked a bit embarrassed, “Josh did that today, it felt really nice. I didn’t know it wasn’t nice for him.”

“I’m sure he enjoyed it a lot,” Jill said, “What’s nice for people varies from person to person. You could try it that way if you want to experiment. You just need an electric shaver.”

“Perhaps I should try, I use one on my legs,” she said, “Oh, Jill, I guess I want someone to talk to about how I am feeling.”

“I’m here for you, Acky,” Jill said, “You know that.”

“It still feels fast to me,” Akilah whispered, “I just realized, while Josh and I were making love, he’s my husband. It just ... it felt like ... a shock, really. I’m married, Jill. I didn’t think I’d ever be married, and to such a ... such a really nice guy.”

“You’re not having regrets, I hope?”

“No, Allah be praised, I am so happy,” Akilah said, “I love him so much. My mother always told me that men were like animals, especially when it came to ... making love. But he isn’t like an animal; if anything I am the one who who acts like an animal. I want him so badly, sometimes I just lose myself in it.”

“That’s nothing to be ashamed of, Acky,” Jill said, “That’s what its like when you have a good lover.”

“That’s not what I’m ashamed of,” Akilah said, “He’s ... always doing whatever he can to make it good for me, and I don’t even know what to do to make it better for him. He seems to enjoy it so much, but it’s all about me, it’s almost like ... his pleasure is extra.”

“You just have a good man, Acky,” Jill said, “If mine wasn’t so good, I’d be jealous. You can do things to make it even better for him, though, if you really want to.”

“Like what?” Akilah asked shyly, “What should I do?”

“Well, there’s a few little things,” Jill said, “Like for instance, if you’re on top of him, rub his nipples. That drives George crazy when I do that. He likes it even better when I suck on them, but that’s hard to do in most positions, so it only works if we aren’t actually having sex. Licking, biting, sucking on bits of skin, that all helps with George.”

“Sucking on bits of skin?” Akilah asked, “What do you mean?”

“Here, let me show you...” Jill approached slowly to give her a chance to object, and then kissed the curve where Akilah’s shoulder met her neck, then lightly bit it, licked it softly, and then softly sucked on it until Akilah moaned a bit.

“Does that work with all men?” Akilah said slightly huskily.

“I don’t know, actually,” Jill said, “I only do that with George. The other guy I had sex with, I didn’t give a shit about his pleasure. Didn’t do any of that stuff. How did it work on you?”

“That felt, wow, Jill, I did not know I could enjoy having you do it-” Akilah cut off what she was saying, and looked embarrassed.

“It’s ok, Acky, I enjoyed it, too,” Jill said, as she sat again on the bench, giving Akilah a normal amount of personal space.

“I’m also upset about my parents, Jill,” Akilah said, changing the subject and replacing it with something else that was really bothering her, and making her stare off into the space of the Las Vegas skyline, thinking.

“What about your parents?” Jill asked.

“I called them this morning,” Akilah said, “Before Josh and I ... well, you know.”

“I think I get the gist,” Jill brushed it aside, “From the expression on your face, it didn’t go well.”

“No, it did not go well, Jillian,” Akilah sighed, “My father disowned me, actually.”

“I’m so sorry,” Jill said, “I guess that wasn’t what you were expecting.”

“It was not what I was hoping for,” Akilah replied, “He told me we have no need to ever talk again because I am not his daughter. But I guess ... I guess it was what I was expecting.”

“How did your mom take it?” Jill asked, “Was she on the phone with you?”

“She was on the phone,” Akilah said, “She didn’t really speak much. She was very angry with me; she said so. She asked me to call her again in a few days, but my dad took her off the line, and told me to not call again.”

“Perhaps you should call her in a few days when you know your father won’t be home,” Jill said, “Maybe you can keep a relationship with her.”

“She’s a good wife, Jill,” Akilah said softly, “She will obey my father.”

“Obedience isn’t what makes you a good wife, Acky,” Jill told her, “If you trust Josh, and his guidance, then of course you should listen to it, but you don’t have to do everything he says. I bet you he would tell you that, too. If you think that in your heart, for some reason, Josh is deeply wrong on something, you should feel free to act as you think is right. It would be wrong to lie about it, unless it was really for his own good, but you should follow your heart, honey.”

“This is America, this is different,” Akilah scoffed, “I know Josh would not expect my blind obedience, that is part of why I love him, but my father is different.”

“The worst that would happen would be she tells you that your father has forbidden her to speak to you, and she hangs up,” Jill said to her, pointedly, “Maybe you can work on your father through her, that would be the best outcome. Paternal love is a lot stronger than you realize, I think.”

“I can’t change my father’s mind,” Akilah said, “I know I can’t. He can’t recognize me, he can’t imagine how I could go out and marry the enemy of our people. He is too stuck in his beliefs to understand that I don’t see it that way; I can’t see it that way. He doesn’t understand how I see the whole thing, and he beat me when I tried to explain to him how I saw it once, so I stopped trying.”

“How you see what?”

“The whole stupid conflict in Israel,” Akilah said, “The Jews were the first major settlers in the area now known as Israel and Palestine, but that was over 3000 years ago. 2000 years ago, the Romans took over the land, and kicked most of the Jews out of the area. About 1400 years ago, Mohammad’s armies took over the land, kicking the Romans out. Then the British took over after World War One, in 1917, when they conquered what was then known as the Ottoman Empire, and established support for a Jewish state in the land.”

“They finally allowed the creation of that Jewish state in 1949. So basically the state was Jewish, then Roman, then Ottoman, and then British. The Jews felt like they had a right to their, effectively stolen, land. The Muslim side feels that the Jews stole land that had not been theirs in thousands of years; it would sort of be like American Indians being handed back the United States, and expecting the people currently living in it to be happy.”

“They have now spent the entire time from 1949 until now fighting over it, sometimes in armed conventional warfare, sometimes with other means like what you would call terrorism. My take on it is that both sides have a point, but both sides are acting stupidly. They are both slaughtering and oppressing primarily innocent civilians over what is, effectively, a land dispute, although both sides consider portions of that land- partially overlapping - as very religiously significant.”

“So what is the solution in your opinion?”

“Well, I’d love to have them either split the land into Muslim and Jewish countries with some shared land, or merge the governments and create a secular state of the entire country. But that will never work, there are too many awful, pig-headed, violent zealots on both sides for that to ever work. Those people, which is generally a small percentage of the overall population on both sides, they would never settle for anything less than the complete removal or death of the other side. So the real solution to the conflict is to kill all of them, or let it keep raging, or let them kill all of themselves.”

“That’s pretty cynical, Akilah.”

“You grow up in that world, and tell me if you see another solution,” Akilah said, “Anyway, part of the whole problem with all of this, is my father is one of those zealots. Don’t get me wrong, I hope I am totally wrong. Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin are even as we speak trying to work out a fair peace agreement, and I truly believe they are both working in good faith, but I know of too many people on both sides who want them dead.”

“I didn’t realize you and Josh were so...” Jill thought, “Romeo and Juliet, really.”

“I have never actually read that play,” Akilah said, “So I wouldn’t know.”

“You should,” Jill said, “Although I hope your story ends differently.”

“Jill, can I change the subject?”

“Of course, Acky,” Jill said, “What else did you want to talk about?”

“The other morning, I am sorry I ... did that.”

Jill stared at her, “I’m not, Acky, not at all. I don’t think you really are sorry you did it, I think you are sorry you might have upset George or offended me, or upset Josh. I can assure you didn’t offend George or me, and I think Josh is...”

“He is,” Akilah said, “I am just scared that this is some sort of trip into madness.”

“It could be, for some people, maybe,” Jill said, “I think it requires being careful, Acky. But you have to understand, there are different kinds of love and different kinds of lust.”

“What do you mean?” Akilah asked.

“I love George,” Jill said, “I love him in a way I could never love anyone else. We are ... soulmates. Our life together, the way we are, it is a one way track with no way of derailing. I’ve seen you and Josh; I know you share the same kind of love.”

“I don’t love George in that kind of way, though,” Akilah said.

“Exactly. But I bet you think he’s hot,” Jill laughed.

Akilah looked really embarrassed, like a deer caught in headlights.

“Be honest,” Jill said, “You do, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she hissed, “How could someone not? He is so handsome, he could be in Playgirl. He’s so big- excuse me.”

“You’re excused,” Jill laughed, “I know what you mean, believe me, I really know what you mean. I find Josh very sexy, to be honest with you, it’s all in his ... personality. As you said, he really ... he’s so selfless. I love him, Acky, I really do love him. That’s why I keep telling you, think of us as family. And I lust after him, too, I want to feel the things that make you so content and happy after you make love, Acky.”

“I...”

“Don’t look so scared, Acky,” Jill said, “I would never do anything to hurt your relationship. I’m not saying I don’t want to try stuff together, but it has to be totally mutual, and comfortable for everyone. If any one of us is even a bit uncomfortable, I don’t want to touch this with a ten foot pole. What we all have now is too valuable to risk.”

“You’re talking about partner swapping?” Akilah asked, suddenly looking scared and sad.

“No, Acky, god no,” Jill said, moving over to her and putting her arm around her, “It’s so much more than that. You see, I love you, Acky. I really really love you. You’re so beautiful, inside and out, so otherworldly beautiful. I ... I ... I want you, too.”

“What?” Akilah said, “I know Josh sees me as beautiful, and I think that is because he loves me, but Jill, I am not beautiful. I can see myself in the mirror. I am not beautiful. I’m a little too wide, too short, my face is ... very plain, my nose is too big, my eyes are too wide. You are beautiful, Jill, you have the body of a model and the face of an actress. You are so vivacious, so alive...”

“You, Acky, are at least as alive as I am,” Jill said very seriously, “You are so true, so sharing of yourself, so kind and sweet, so smart and independent. Your body is so shapely, your eyes so alive, your smile so bright. Acky, you are so beautiful, I want to paint you.”

“Stop, please,” Akilah said, “That is nonsense.”

“No, really,” Jill said, “I took pictures of you and Josh together in bed the other night, I want to paint from them. I think they would be ... so beautiful.”

Akilah looked deeply into Jill’s eyes; the next thing she knew Jill’s other arm was on the side of her face. They were staring at each other, searching deeply into each others souls, trying to convince the other of something Akilah couldn’t quite put her finger on. Then Jill kissed her, softly on the lips, a certain degree of longing and feeling in there. Akilah felt electrified, hot, enlivened, and somehow very aroused.

Akilah stood up, panting and feeling wet and a bit confused. She knew she had been truly turned on just by that kiss. Jill stood up with her, and put her arms all the way around her and held her close. They shared full frontal contact, their warm bodies pressing tightly against each other. Jill kissed her again, longingly, deeply, and Akilah responded with a certain amount of hunger, their hands exploring each others backs.

Jill broke off eventually, “There ... you see?” Jill panted, “The difference? You see it? I love you ... I want you ... but it is different, you see?”

Akilah stared into her eyes, “Yes, I see it... , “ also panting, “I do not want Josh less, this is just ... more. Additional. It adds, yes, it adds. Yes, Jill, I love you, I really do love you.”

They kissed again, “I love you, too, Acky, the same way,” she said, “If we can work it out, it can all be more, without it being less, I hope. But friendship, family, it must come first.”

“Yes,” Akilah said, “Family always first.”

“I want to wait until we get back to our house, okay?”

“Yes, of course,” Akilah replied, “I think we should go back to bed before we go further than we should alone.”

They walked back up the stairs, and at the top they embraced again.

“Good night, Jill,” Akilah said, rubbing her nose on Jill’s cheek.

“Good night, Acky, sleep well,” Jill said, softly rubbing her left side with her hand, and nuzzling the crook of her neck.

They disengaged and went back to their own rooms.

October 15th, 1995, 10:20 AM PT, Imperial Palace, Las Vegas, NV

They all woke up in the morning, and they finally had fresh washed clothes, some of which were bought at the Forum Shops at Caesar’s. It was hot outside; it was Las Vegas, it was always hot outside. George was wearing a pair of Bermuda shorts, and a Caesar’s Palace T-shirt. Jill was wearing a light blue tube-top that didn’t quite cover her navel, and a pair of thigh length cut-off jean shorts. Josh had been brow-beaten by Jill into buying a t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. Akilah had decided that she was going to try American culture on, and was wearing a v-neck girls’ t-shirt in pink, and a pair of capri pants in white. John was still wearing a button down shirt in blue and pair of khakis.

George had ordered a full American breakfast for five to be delivered to the room, and they mostly enjoyed eating it. Josh already enjoyed having bacon, and Akilah was tempted, but decided to avoid it for now. Scrambled eggs, toast, potatoes, and pancakes completed the meal. It was tasty and reasonably well done but not exceptional; it had nothing major on the Holiday Inn, really.

George had read about a car museum at the Imperial Palace hotel across the street, and had suggested that they go to see it. The Imperial Palace casino had a thickly laid on Asian theme to it, laid on with the same over-filled trowel of excessive gaudiness that had been used on the Roman theme of Caesar’s Palace. It was part of what gave the Sin City its charm of excess. Excess so ridiculous that it become reasonable again, somehow.

George, Jill, Josh, and Akilah went to the museum, while John had planned to buy a new watch for Gretel; she had really liked the Omega Seamaster shown in the previews for the new James Bond movie, GoldenEye and he had liked it too. He was thinking it would be a cool idea to get a full-size model for himself and the midsize model for Gretel so they could have matching watches. He was going off in search of them; he had heard they were very competitively priced, about a third what the Rolex Submariner was going for.