Chapter 215

A management retreat for selected employees was held for two days at the Sonoma Mission Inn, a famous and expensive nearby resort. Laura was obliged to attend and pleased to notice that Rhonda would not be there, nor Yvette. Each person had her or his own room, in the old section of the Inn, and Laura was the envy of those who did not get picked to go.

However, in the event it was all hard work. They might be at a spa and golf paradise, with heated swimming pools and a four star restaurant, but they spent most of both days doing group exercises focusing on mission statements and corporate objectives. The only thing to liven it up a bit for Laura was the unexpected presence of Tamara Taylor, who attended as part of a cross-functional work team.

More surprising, Tamara, who had been so hostile and censorious to Laura in the past, nearly accusing her of some horrible crime for staring at her, almost implying Laura wanted to rape her or worse, was very friendly and sweet. Also shockingly gorgeous, as Laura already knew. Since she had already been caught licking Tamara with her eyes (she couldn't deny it, to herself), Laura had to be doubly careful not to repeat the offense.

Fortunately, there were plenty of other people around during the day-long meetings to keep both of their minds on track. Laura used the meetings skillfully to drink in Tamara with her eyes whenever she was behind her, or off to one side, where it wouldn't be obvious.

She really was delicious, her hair long, soft, dark-honey colored, the kind of hair Laura knew many of her own girlfriends would kill for. Her skin was not dark but tawny, not even the deep golden hue of Camille, or the rich tan of Sholandra, but more like Vanessa's skin, a light mocha or café-au-lait tone, exquisitely smooth and glowing with health. Her eyes were dark brown, very alive, vivacious, sparkling and direct.

And Laura did not even dare to let her eyes linger on Tamara's body. Tamara was about as tall as Laura, but whereas Laura had a long, lean model's body, Tamara's was more classically formed, almost perfectly proportioned, with larger breasts than Laura's, a very slender waist, and fuller hips. Of course, she wore tailored business clothes that only allowed Laura to imagine what lay underneath them, but Laura couldn't help thinking about it.

Somebody gets to fuck that delicious creature, she thought, admiring Tamara's tiny waist from across the room, surreptitiously. But then Laura felt guilty for even using the 'f' word in her thoughts. Wanting to sleep with the beautiful Tamara had got her into trouble before for staring too blatantly at the girl. She had to be more careful.

As it turned out, after a group dinner in the Grill, the four-star restaurant, people lingered in the bar or the terrace, around the pool, and by nine o'clock Laura found herself sitting at a poolside table alone with Tamara. All the others had drifted off to bed.

Warm and relaxed after a few drinks, Laura was even able to give up the desire to sleep with this girl. She knew from Tamara's earlier hostility that there was no chance anyway, and so she luxuriated calmly in talking to her and looking at her loveliness. Tamara was now friendly and warm herself, betraying no sign of her earlier accusatory attitude to Laura, until just before they both stood up from the table to return to their rooms.

"By the way," she said softly, placing one hand on Laura's arm. "I want to apologize for that morning. When I... accused you of staring. I was out of line."

She paused, waiting for Laura to speak, looking directly, almost searchingly, into Laura's eyes. Laura didn't know what to say.

"Oh... it's okay. I get stared at a lot myself."

"I'll bet you do," Tamara smiled.

They walked together back from the pool toward the Inn. Soon they found themselves in the same corridor, and when Laura got to her door and started fishing for her key, they both realized at the same second that Tamara was doing it too, standing at the adjacent door.

"Gosh, our rooms are right next to each other," Tamara exclaimed. "Hope you don't snore."

No, Laura thought, I don't. I don't think so, anyway. But I might give off a little orgasmic squeak if I have a dream of you, sweetie.

She realized in the middle of this reverie that she was staring in an unmistakably sexual manner again at Tamara. She moved her head from side to side to shake herself out of it.

"If I do, just bang on the wall," she smiled.

"Okay. Nightie night."

Laura smiled again and watched the girl go into her room and close the door. She went into her own. The rooms were small but stylish, renovated from a more remote time to look quaint. They had fans instead of air conditioning, and canopied beds. Since this was the wine country, each room had a complimentary bottle of wine on the bedside table.

She changed into a fluffy pink bathrobe she had brought, wearing nothing underneath, figuring perhaps she would read for a while, then take a bath. She had not really noticed that there was a locked door between her room and Tamara's until she heard Tamara knocking on it from the other side.

"Laura..." her distant, muffled voice could be heard, raised but trying not to shout. Another knock.

Laura went over to the door. She looked down at the bolt. Obviously, the rooms could be used by people who were together and needed a larger space.

"Yes?" she said, leaning her face against the door, not wanting to raise her voice either.

"I'm not sleepy. Can I come over and talk?"

"Sure."

Each unlocked her side of the door, and Tamara came into Laura's room, leaving it open. She was wearing a thin white cotton nightgown and carrying her bottle of wine. Laura, ever aware, couldn't help noticing the swaying globes of Tamara's loose breasts moving under her gown.

"I thought we might have a glass of wine together," Tamara said. "Maybe it'll make me sleepy enough to go to sleep."

"Worth a try," Laura said.

Tamara sat in the small Queen Anne-style chair and Laura on the bed. They sipped wine and chatted.

"You're a lesbian, aren't you," Tamara said, without warning.

Laura almost choked on a sip of wine. "I... don't think of myself that way," she gasped, flushing, looking down at her feet, which poked out from under her bathrobe.

"I saw you and that beautiful girl with the braids. You know... looking at each other. I don't know if anybody else saw. But it was pretty obvious. Maybe most people wouldn't think it, though, since you're both so beautiful. Most people think they're bruisers, lady wrestlers and like that. Not gorgeous like some model, like you two."

Laura tried to smile, feeling her face was very tight, wishing desperately for the blushing to stop.

"I think Rhonda's one too," Tamara went on. "You know her? Rhonda Reardon? She's never come on to me, of course, but I think she'd like to. And she's definitely got something going with a couple of girls. I see her with them sometimes. They just have a look like they've been rubbing together, know what I mean? Sometimes you can just feel those things. Like you and that sister who wears the expensive business suits. Once in a while I see her going into your office, or you two going out to lunch. You're doing it with her too, aren't you?"

Laura was flabbergasted. She was so flummoxed that she could hardly speak and kept twisting the fingers of the hand that held her wine glass with her other fingers. "Why do you think so?"

Tamara laughed softly. "She looks at you like your shit doesn't stink, if you'll pardon the expression."

"Maybe she likes me."

"I guess she does."

Laura pursed her lips, feeling her anger grow. "Did you come over here so you could insult me?"

Tamara looked genuinely shocked. "It's not an insult. They're both completely beautiful, and so are you. Why shouldn't you guys sleep together if that's what you want?"

Laura smirked and nodded. "As long as you don't think I'm making a pass at you," she said, relieved to be able to be blunt.

Now Tamara's eyes registered a deep, knowing, scheming comprehension, as if she were getting into territory she had hoped to discover. Laura was surprised to see it, but it wasn't unwelcome. There was more to this visit than she first suspected, and it aroused her interest. Is this a game?

"What would it be like if you did?" Tamara asked, looking directly into Laura's eyes with her Baby Browns, her face open and inquisitive, very beautiful.

"If I made a pass at you?"

Tamara nodded, still not releasing Laura's eyes. She was very bold, Laura thought.

"First... a toast," Laura said, raising her glass. "To us... to knowing each other better." She veiled her eyes, letting them smoke with meaning.

Slowly, her eyes still locked to Laura's, Tamara raised her wine glass to her lips. They were full lips but not thick and sensual. Her face had traces of African ancestry, but her features betrayed the strong Caucasian component of her blood, also shown by her light tawny skin. She took a sip, and wine dribbled down her chin onto her nightgown, making big dark red splotches.

"Oh god... look what I've done!" she said, exasperated, wiping away the dribbles from her chin with the back of one hand. "I've ruined it! And it's my favorite!"

Laura got up from the bed, setting her own glass on the bedstand, taking Tamara's from her while Tamara examined the wine stains. "You have to soak it in cold water immediately. And salt would help. Maybe there's some salt around. Or we could go down to the restaurant and borrow a shaker."

"It's the only one I brought," Tamara sulked.

Laura took charge. "Go back to your room." She pulled her up out of the chair with one hand. "Take it off and soak it in your basin in cold water. I have a nightie that I'm not wearing. I'll bring it to you."

Tamara nodded. Halfway through the door connecting their two rooms, she looked back ambiguously at Laura. "Why don't you just throw the nightie through the open door onto the bed," she suggested. "You don't have to come in."

Laura blushed hotly again. "Of course," she said, feeling very embarrassed.

Did she think I was going to rape her? she wondered.

But when she opened her suitcase to get the nightie, she wondered if it were such a good idea after all. Packing in a hurry, she had thrown in a wispy, diaphanous, peach-colored thing, very skimpy and sexy, probably hoping in the back of her mind to see one of her darlings-Yvette, or Karen, or Sholandra, even April-at the retreat. She had given it no thought until now, but if Tamara saw this sexy little number, she would again think Laura was trying to seduce her. Which, on the other hand, before dribbling the wine down her chin, she had seemed to be inviting.

It was all too confusing for Laura, who was already tired after a day of meetings. Why doesn't she just take that precious little black (café-au-lait) pussy that she doesn't want Rhonda or I to have and pack herself off to bed naked, with both doors securely locked? Laura wondered.

Nevertheless, she walked over to the open connecting door and tossed the peach nightie through it onto Tamara's bed. Tamara was still in the bathroom soaking her stained nightgown. Laura again sat on the bed and sipped her wine. There was no TV in the rooms, and she would have given anything for one right now, to fill the silence.

Moments later, Tamara peeped through the door, craning her neck-a long, smooth, beautiful neck-around the door frame. "This is too sexy," she giggled nervously. "I'd feel embarrassed to come back in it."

Laura grinned sardonically. "I'll hand you your wine and you can drink the rest of it over there."

"Oh well... maybe it isn't so bad. If you promise not to look."

"No promises," Laura said, honestly.

Tamara came back into her room anyway. As Laura had already guessed, the girl's near-naked body was a paragon of perfection, the closest thing to perfect Laura had seen since Lorrie Barnes, ex-Playmate. Tamara would make a perfect Playmate herself with a body like that, Laura realized.

"You look great in it," Laura said, again honestly. "It's yours. I make you a gift of it. The fellas will be drooling all over their boots."

Tamara smiled demurely, the first time Laura had ever seen her uncomfortable. She wondered if this might be a bad idea after all. Tamara was half-naked, her large dark nipples clearly visible through the mesh of the sexy nightie, her marvelous light-brown thighs bare and smooth. Laura was still tightly-wound in her bathrobe.

"What about the girls?" Tamara asked pointedly.

"Some of them will too," Laura admitted. "I will."

"You're not wearing boots," Tamara said, glancing down at Laura's bare feet.

"I'm not wearing anything," Laura said softly. "Under this, I mean," she flirted back.

Tamara looked down at her own inadequately-concealed body. Her full young breasts swelled invitingly under the filmy nightie. She was still wearing her panties, actually a champagne-colored thong that went very well with the nightie. It was very alluring, and Laura tried not to look.

"I feel like I might as well be naked too," she said. "Gosh, this thing is great. Are you really going to let me have it?"

Laura nodded. "It'll give your boyfriend a woody for sure."

Tamara laughed. "You're kind of funny."

"Thank you."

"I feel very uncomfortable being almost naked. I think I'll just go back to my room and try to go to sleep."

Laura sighed inwardly. Tamara was wildly desirable but also very annoying in her half-flirtatious, half-judgmental way. I'm tired of playing Whose Got The Button with you, my dear, she thought. Either you want to spend the night in bed with me, or you don't.

"I understand," Laura said, unable to disguise the weariness in her voice. "You go ahead. See you in the morning."

Tamara lingered at the shared door. She seemed to be hoping Laura would call her back. But Laura wasn't going to give her the opportunity to be coerced. She smiled, tightly.

"Goodnight."

Tamara smiled and nodded. She went into her own room and closed the door. Laura listened for the bolt but didn't hear it. She didn't lock her side either. There was always a remote chance...

Gosh, she's so beautiful, Laura thought. I'm sorry she couldn't take the plunge. I think half of her wanted to.

Laura finished her wine and slipped into bed naked, having given her nightie to Tamara. She drifted into a half-sleep, then broke out of it when she heard Tamara rapping softly on the adjoining door.

"Laura?"

"Yes."

"I can't sleep. Could you come over and rub my neck and my back to help me sleep?"

Laura smiled in the dark. "Sure. Give me a minute."

She got out of bed and slipped back into her robe. When she entered Tamara's room, the dim bedside lamp was on and Tamara was on her stomach in the bed, her chin on her hands on the pillow. The covers were pulled up over her ass. She had also pulled up the nightie above her shoulderblades, exposing a delicious naked back. She smiled up at Laura.

"My financé always does it for me when I can't sleep," she explained.

Laura sat on the edge of the bed and put her fingers on Tamara's beautiful smooth back. She was an excellent back rubber but had to control her urge to lean forward and kiss this marvelous expanse of naked, firm, warm flesh while she was also rubbing it.

"Your fiancé," she murmured. "What's his name?

"Stewart. He's a football player. He plays defensive backfield for the Bengals. Do you know football?"

"Not a bit. You have a beautiful back."

"That's what Stewart says."

Laura found herself remembering Deshona, whose back she had also rubbed like this, an act that had resulted in a sexual meltdown for them both. She tried not to compare, but Tamara's back, though lovely, was second only to Deshona's masterpiece. She also remembered how Deshona loved to be fucked in this position, and had described how her ex-husband had loved to fuck her that way, while rubbing her back. Did Tamara's 'fiancé' do the same thing to her?

"Mmmm, Laura, that feels good. You're good at this," Tamara murmured dreamily as Laura's fingers explored the smooth, satiny flesh.

Laura was aroused, there was no denying it. She wanted her now more than ever. She wondered if Tamara were becoming aroused too.

Laura had thrown her bathrobe on loosely, and the movement of her arms while rubbing Tamara's back loosened it further so that it gaped open in front. This gave her an idea. She always found the feel of another woman's naked breasts pushing into her own back very erotic.

Without interrupting her motion, she leaned forward, letting her naked breasts swoop across Tamara's skin, grazing it with her nipples, then pushing them even closer, feeling them squash against Tamara's flesh. Tamara did not seem to react. Laura leaned closer, so close that Tamara could feel her warm breath on her back and her neck, where Laura had pulled up her long hair.

"Oh Laura... should we be doing this?" she smiled, eyes closed. "It feels too good to believe."

"You like it?"

"Oh yes."

"Do you like this?" Laura kissed one shoulderblade, right in the smooth hollow under the tip of its wing.

"Yes," Tamara breathed.

Laura took her reply as an invitation to continue, and she did continue, caressing Tamara's naked back more aggressively now, kissing the smooth warm skin everywhere. She kissed the nape of her neck, then the backs of her shoulders, the shallow groove made by her spine, kissing all the way down to where the bedcovers concealed her bottom. Then she moved her lips slowly up again, now skimming her naked breasts again along Tamara's back.