Chapter 1: In Old El Paso

December 11, 1876

The stage coach from San Antonio had just arrived in El Paso. Among the disembarking passengers was Della Cord. The 27 years old young woman was dead tired after the bone jarring journey over the high plains of Texas, she longed for a soak in a hot bath and the comforts of a soft bed. After stepping out of the coach she stretched herself, trying to loosen her stiff joints. Many a male admiring eyes took in the view of the blonde woman as her breasts heaved and swelled under her white blouse.

Seemingly unaware of the effects of her action on the men around her the curvaceous woman collected her baggage and walked towards the "Casa Las Palmas", one of the few boarding houses in the city respectable enough for a single woman to find a room without any undue comments or being mistaken for a travelling prostitute. Not that Della Cord wasn't an attractive woman. Far from it, the 5"8' woman had a heart shaped faced which many a men (and women) had found extremely pleasing to the eyes. Despite her height Della was not ungainly and her weight was well distributed and proportioned over her frame with feminine curves in all the right places. Her breasts nicely filled out her blouse and despite her loose fitting skirt the flare of her hips and the swell of her flanks was still perceptible.

Upon arriving at the reception Della was informed that unfortunately none of the single rooms were available, the only remaining option being a double room. On hearing the news Della sucked in her lower lip and started chewing on it. It was a childhood habit expressing her unease and displeasure when things were not to her liking. Upon further enquiry Della was told the daily rate for a double room was $2.50 compared to a buck fifty for a single, this difference was certainly out of her tight budget. The concierge upon sensing Della's discomfort quickly added that a solution might still be possible. Steeling herself for the inevitable sexual proposition which were going to follow Della forced herself to listen. Senor Esposito, the concierge informed her that she was not the only woman in such a predicament and if she do not mind sharing a double room there was another single woman also looking for a room.

After Della had agreed to the proposal by a nod of her head the concierge called out for a "Miss. Johnson". Turning her head Della was surprised to see a figure wearing a Stetson and clad in men's clothing responding to the call and striding towards the reception. Before she could voice her concern the figure reached the desk and took off the hat releasing a cascade of shoulder length brown hair and an attractive feminine face previously obscured by the Stetson. The woman was slightly taller than Della maybe an inch or so. Della remembered her as a fellow passenger on the stage coach, but as both of them were seated at considerable distance from each other Della had not paid much attention. Now at close quarters both the women surveyed each other with just a glance, appraising each others bodies in a manner only women can do.

After shaking hands, the newcomer introduced herself as Samantha "Sam" Johnson. As both the girls walked towards their room Sam was slightly ahead which gave Della to view her more clinically. Della was surprised that despite the male clothing their was nothing masculine about her roommate. She guessed her to about her own age with a pleasing hourglass figure and a well endowed chest.

After they were inside the room, both of them surveyed their surroundings. The central fixture was a large double bed. Sam had expected that despite this being a double room at least their will be two single beds. Glancing towards Della she gave have her a wry smile signaling "Oh Well". Della answered with a shrug of her shoulders and set her tote bag down on the double bed and sat herself down on one of the chairs by the window overlooking the main city street the Mesa Grande Avenue.

"I don't know about you but I am going to have a hot bath" Sam remarked.

"You go ahead first then" Della added.

Sam got up and went out of the room in search for a chamber maid to prepare the bath for them. She returned after a few minutes with a glum expression.

"So what happened?" Della asked

"Hot baths are available only in the morning, the best the maid can do is to bring a basin of hot water so that we can wash our face and hands" Sam replied.

"Oh no, I feel so sticky and sore. I was looking forward to a soak in a hot tub" groaned Della.

Both the women began talking as they waited for the hot water to arrive. As they exchanged background information Sam told Della that she is 25 and originally from Mobile, Alabama and she had come to El Paso as she had inherited a small ranch from her maternal uncle. Since the civil war there has been nothing much to do in Mobile as such it was not a difficult decision to pack up and head west for a new life.

In return Della informed that she had come from Springfield in Illinois and had been raised there on her family's farm. She said that she had married a railroad engineer from Wichita and had lived there for the last 5 years. After her husband had died last year from gun shot wounds when his train was attacked by train robbers, she had gone to San Antonio to find employment. It was there that she had been appointed as a school teacher and assigned to El Paso to a school run by the Catholic Church.