Chapter 288

There was an uncomfortable shock in store for Laura.

She was in ninth heaven after her night with Arthell, which helped to cushion the blow a little, though not much. While lying in bed with Sara on Friday night, in Sara's apartment, tired and happy after an hour of intensely sweet and tender fucking, Sara grew solemn. Tracing an invisible line down Laura's cheek with one finger, her dark eyes wide and limpid, she asked,

"Would you hate me if I did this with another woman?"

When Laura, who was floored by the totally unexpected question, failed to answer right away, Sara went on. She even kissed Laura's mouth, half-open with awe and shock, first.

"Don't be shocked," she whispered. "It wouldn't mean I didn't love you. I know how upset you were when Evangelina paid me that visit. Even though she and I are old friends. You see it didn't affect the way I feel about you." Sara's fingertip made a curve under Laura's chin and up her other cheek. "And I know you haven't been exactly... how shall we put it... chaste? I don't mean just Dee Dee. But I'm not blind. I can sense when you've been... you know, sniffing some other chick's crotch."

She made one of her devastatingly funny faces, which, in spite of her stunned silence, made Laura laugh. It was a gesture that made it absolutely impossible for Laura to lie and protest that Sara's accusation was not true. She considered it the better part of discretion to remain silent.

But when Sara did not go on, Laura said, "I wouldn't hate you. I would never hate you."

"I hope you mean it," Sara said softly.

"Why. Have you done it already?"

Sara shook her head, looking suddenly very innocent and shocked to be suspected. "Only with Lina. I mean, Evangelina." She propped her head on her hand, gazing intently into Laura's eyes. "There's this nurse who works down at 450 Sutter, across the hall from my office. We meet in the hallways, in the elevator, down at the snack shop, you know. She's been sort of, well, you know, coming on to me. It's kind of getting under my skin, if you know what I mean."

Laura nodded sympathetically, not knowing what else to do. She was both pained and fascinated by Sara's account of this attraction. "And you want to give her the green light? See what happens?"

Wide-eyed, Sara slowly nodded. "She's kind of pretty. Not as gorgeous as you are, but..."

"Is she white or black?" Laura blurted out before she could catch herself. "Or Latina," she quickly added, remembering Evangelina. Or 'Lina, ' as Sara had just called her, revealing a level of intimacy that Laura had always expected was there but that hurt just the same when she was reminded of it.

Sara frowned, not a deep frown but a frown nonetheless. "Why? Does that matter to you?" Then she made a dopey face. "Are you that competitive, Laura?"

Laura blushed. "I... guess I am. Sorry."

"Lucky for you, she's a sister." Sara raised one eyebrow. "Knowing you, she'd probably turn your crank."

"Now that's not nice," Laura smiled. "She obviously turns yours."

Sara smiled mysteriously back at Laura. "I guess in a way she does."

Laura recognized this moment as a time when she could pout and turn petulant, perhaps playing on Sara's clear uneasiness at broaching this question. She decided not to do it. After all, you haven't been a saint, she reminded herself. You love her, and you know fucking with the others hasn't made you love her any less. Why shouldn't it work for her? In spite of the fact that I'm wildly, murderously jealous?

"What's her name?"

"None of your business," Sara turned away, as if to brush off this inquiry quickly.

"You mean I don't even get to know my rival's name?" Laura asked querulously, caressing Sara's bare brown shoulder. She realized she was skirting perilously close to the pouting she had foresworn.

"She is not your rival!" Sara said, angrily.

"I know... I'm sorry," Laura said, pulling her down again on the bed, running her hands hungrily all over Sara's wonderful curvaceous body, even though they had finished fucking only minutes earlier.

She realized that Sara's attraction to another woman suddenly made her somehow incredibly more desirable than ever to Laura. Her body felt suddenly new, fresh, alluringly voluptuous under Laura's fingers, her scent outrageously erotic, her skin a magnet for Laura's hungry lips. In another second, she had Sara's phenomenal breasts in both hands and was attempting to swallow one of her large, soft black nipples.

"Oh! Oh! Laura!" Sara hammered her fists on Laura's shoulders, half-laughing, half overcome by this sudden sexual attack.

"No wonder she wants this delicious body," Laura panted, slurping and sucking Sara's silky dark flesh with exaggerated lust.

"Oh honey... oh honey..." Sara panted, converting quickly from protest to participation.

Laura realized, and knew that Sara probably did too, that sudden, explosive sex was one way to veer around the dangerous and complex emotions their conversation had been inspiring in them both. In another minute they were deep into it, gasping and pumping and pinching and sucking, until both of them erupted more quickly than usual in sharp, squealing orgasms that left them exhausted and panting, oblivious to their earlier troubled sparring.

"Sometimes I can't believe you," Sara finally said, when she recovered her composure, rolling over to kiss the supine Laura's bare shoulder. "Nobody ever fucked me like you do."

Laura gave her a deadpan smile. She too leaned over and kissed Sara's phenomenal pillowy lips. "Let's just make sure we keep it that way," she murmured. "You might have an occasional dalliance, but I want to still be the champ."

"Nobody could ever replace you in my heart, Laura," Sara whispered solemnly.

But Laura could not help wondering.

She knew it was silly, but she worried anyway, until an email came at work that distracted her. It was from, of all people, Shontay Gibson.

Hi Laura, longtime no see. Coming to San Jose week of Oct. 4 to recruit for Alcatel. Staying in Radisson Suites. Can we visit? Dying to see you. It's been so long. Shontay. Write back here and let me know.

Laura felt her heart flutter and tiny hot darts raced through her pussy. It was not that Shontay was so important to her, certainly not as important as Sara. Or now, Arthell. But their relationship had been fascinating and dangerous and passionate, and Shontay, always jealous, had left to take her job in France with Alcatel without the slightest word to Laura. She had disappeared without notice and without a trace, with not so much as a fare thee well, leaving Laura to wonder what might have caused this vanishing act, and if she herself were partially to blame.

That had been about eight months ago, and Laura had heard nothing until this email. Feeling very excited, though Shontay's visit was still two weeks away, she immediately replied that she was looking forward to seeing her. She wanted to ask, What do you mean by Can we visit? She was totally in the dark about where their relationship stood. She and Shontay had gone so often from eating one another alive to frosty distance to actual spite and then back again to hot fucking that it was really hard to know where they would pick things up. At the time Shontay had vanished, they had been embroiled in a jealous spat, caused, as always, by Shontay's anger at Laura for playing around with others.

Do we pretend that didn't happen? Laura wondered. Am I going down to the San Jose Radisson to spend the night? Or just to make polite conversation?

She didn't know and was on pins and needles until the evening of the fourth, when she received a call from Shontay at home.

"Hi, I'm here, when are you coming down?"

"Oh god, Shontay, it's really you." Laura flushed, and found herself momentarily speechless. "You really are here."

"Of course I'm here," Shontay said, a little curtly. "Did you think I was lying?"

"No. No, I just had a hard time believing I was actually going to see you again."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shontay snapped.

It was the same old Shontay, Laura realized. Very touchy, edgy, easy to ire, no matter what you might venture to say. Laura paused for a moment, hoping Shontay would hear the sound of her own sharp voice and soften a little.

"It's supposed to mean," she finally said, "that I'm dying to see you. I can come whenever it's convenient for you."

Even though it was an obvious compliment, Shontay did indeed seem to soften, as if she realized she was being a little harsh for someone who wanted to 'visit'. "I'm sorry, I'm a little frazzled from that long flight," she said. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm going to try to get some sleep, but I'll probably be up by two a.m. My internal clock hasn't adjusted yet."

"I'm afraid I can't come at two. I have to go to work tomorrow."

"Why don't you come down now? I know I won't be able to sleep."

Laura felt her whole being suddenly come alive. She had been tired herself, but no more. Her body suddenly perked up and almost vibrated. "I could be there in an hour or so. I don't know how exactly how long it would take to drive there."

"It shouldn't take you long. Come the back way, down 280."

"Right. Want me to bring anything? Food? Wine? Champagne?"

"You know me. I don't eat much. Wine will just make me sleepy. Just bring yourself. And bring the Laura I used to know... back when we had the good times. See you in a half hour or so."

Laura was positively humming as she packed a small suitcase.

This love of mine,
Goes on and on,
Though life is empty since you've gone...

She didn't know why this tune stuck in her brain. She certainly had never 'loved' Shontay, at least not in the way she adored Sara, or had felt such deep emotion for Deshona at one time. Or even the way she felt now, all tingly and ethereally happy, about Arthell. Shontay however had felt more strongly, she knew, since that was the source of their frequent quarrels. Life wasn't empty since she had gone to France, though. It had rarely been more exciting sexually for Laura, though the recent development with Sara had put a damper on it.

Still, she hummed the tune and packed in her strap-on just in case, and a small bottle of baby oil.

I cry my heart out,
It's bound to break,
Since nothing matters, let it break...

"Why am I singing this song?" she wondered aloud. "I've never felt happier. Even with Sara doing... her little thing. In a way, it makes me feel relieved since I don't have to feel guilty for being the only one doing it."

She realized she was talking to herself and promptly stopped. But she couldn't stop humming as she locked up the house and went out to the car. She hummed all the way to San Jose. Do you know the way to San Jose? I've been away so long I may go wrong and lose my way. She did not lose her way and arrived at the Radisson Suites in 47 minutes. Shontay was waiting for her in the lobby.

Laura was shocked. Shontay was gorgeous.

Laura knew she was pretty and had been the one to encourage Shontay to see herself that way, since Shontay had been convinced that, being tall and skinny, she was unalterably homely and unattractive. And she had dressed accordingly until Laura had persuaded her to wear silky, summery things that showed off her long but enchanting legs and her willowy figure. She had usually worn her hair too either in a tight bun behind her head or in a no-nonsense pony tail, but never down around her neck and cheeks, where it softened her somewhat angular face and made her look like an aristocratic and elegant model. Laura was continually taking down Shontay's hair, mussing it up, or asking to do so.

But here she was in the lobby, wearing a stylish peach-colored frock with a short skirt, with her lovely dark brown hair in soft billows around her head, her astonishing pale brown eyes lighting up with genuine gladness as she saw Laura approach.

"Oh god, you look so gorgeous!" Laura effused as she hugged her, inhaling Shontay's French perfume. "France must be so good for you."

Shontay giggled nervously and stepped back from Laura's embrace, as if this were too public a place for them to be doing something they would be doing behind closed doors in a few minutes. "Oh, cut the crap, Laura," she smiled. "We both know what you want."

Laura glanced around the lobby without moving her head, mainly to see if anyone had overheard this. She smiled sweetly back at Shontay. "I want to hear all about it, that's what I want. You do look gorgeous. I hope you won't deny it."

"You don't look too bad either," Shontay softened. "Still got all that hair."

Laura raised her hand to her hair self-consciously. She was still taking in the vision of Shontay's loveliness. Shontay was still almost painfully thin, and still looked like she had no breasts, though Laura knew otherwise. The flowery peach dress she wore did not allow one to appreciate the fine curve of her delicious rump, though Laura also knew it well. But her long thin legs were visible from the hem down and Laura's eyes feasted on them.

Shontay was the color, Laura had often though in the past, of pale clover honey, her skin smooth and flawless, and Laura could well recall having been locked between those long smooth legs, rubbing her cheek against them, kissing Shontay's inner thighs...

These thoughts were getting her aroused right there in the lobby, and she quickly pushed them to the back of her mind. Suddenly she found it a little awkward to be standing there in the lobby, not knowing what was coming next. It somehow didn't seem appropriate to her for them just to go up to Shontay's room and fuck. Assuming that was what Shontay had in mind. But it seemed too coarse and perfunctory.

"Shall we go have dinner... or a drink?" Laura suggested. "So you can tell me about it?"

Shontay scowled. As usual, Laura reminded herself, even when she was in the mood, Shontay had to scowl or snarl or make a sharp comment. She was very vulnerable and sweet inside, but outside she kept up her aloof, imperious, peremptory façade, which was a quality that had made her much disliked when she had worked at Laura's company. Laura wondered how Alcatel was handling the famously frosty Shontay. Maybe the French language softens her for them, she speculated. And then, she is a gorgeous black American model type; they probably go for that. Maybe it induces them to tolerate this crabby nature of hers. Or maybe she's not like that at all when she's around them. Only around me, and others like me.

Then Shontay's scowl turned mysteriously into a seductive smile. "I'm tired," she said quietly. "Let's go upstairs. We can order room service. Company's paying," she winked.

"I'd be delighted."

Shontay looked down at Laura's bag. "Planning to stay over? They might charge me extra." She winked again, clearly meaning it as a joke.

"I don't have to stay if you don't want me to," Laura said softly as they entered the elevator.

They were alone in it, and Shontay's room was on the twelfth floor. She did not answer Laura's question, letting it hang. Finally, she looked back over her shoulder as she led Laura down the hall to her room. She was grinning.

"I'll let you know."

Inside the room Laura sat on the edge of one queen-sized bed and kicked off her shoes. Shontay went over to the drapes and pulled them shut. Gosh, we aren't going to waste any time, are we, Laura thought. She realized she was very aroused. She knew Shontay, though skinny and sharp, always had this effect on her, probably because of the challenge involved in breaking through the ice layer. She was also physically lovely, though skinny. You could still be lovely while skinny. Laura's eyes lingered on the smooth, rich café-au-lait hue of Shontay's long legs.

Shontay saw her looking and smiled. "You know, I think you're the first woman who ever found me attractive," she said calmly.

"But not the last," Laura smirked knowingly.

Shontay shook her head. Her loose hair swished around her ears, making Laura's pussy flutter. "No, not the last. I've got two lovers in France. Girls. Actually, three. One guy, if you can believe it. They're wild for la chatte noire, as they call it."

God, I could use a little of that chatte noire myself right now, Laura thought, feeling very aroused, very hungry for Shontay. The new Shontay, she corrected herself. Once Laura had broken through the ice, Shontay was always eager for fucking, except when she was periodically furious with Laura over Laura's other girl friends. But prior to Laura, she had, as she recounted it, simply given up on sex, with men of course, since Laura had been her first woman.

And now look at her. Not only gorgeous, stylish, self-assured, and sexy, but possessed of three, count them, three French lovers of both sexes.

"I'm a little wild for it myself," Laura said, unable to resist the opportunity.

"I know," Shontay said mordantly. "Black cunt."

She was alluding to one of their conversations long ago, when she had accused Laura bluntly of being overly fond of this lovely item. Hers and others'. The words 'black cunt' sounded so earthy and coarse and dirty coming from this gorgeous woman who looked like a supermodel that the combination was enchanting, and Laura recognized her lust ratcheting up a few notches. Black cunt sounded so much more arousing than la chatte noire. Though maybe the latter sounded pretty sexy if you were French.

"You're so nasty," Laura smiled curtly. "Always so nasty and rude. You meant way more to me than... that."

Shontay tossed her head in an arrogant, aristocratic way she had. She pursed her lips. "I doubt it."

Laura pouted. "You didn't even tell me before you left. I had to find out from that bitch Rhonda."

Shontay looked away as if embarrassed. Laura felt a slight twinge of victory. "What did she tell you?"

Laura shrugged. "That you got a job in France. That you spoke French and had graduated from the French high school in San Francisco. I felt... devastated."

"Oh, right," Shontay said, with heavy scorn.

Maybe that was a little too strong, Laura realized, and as ever Shontay was quick to jump on any phoniness. "Well... I was hurt," she amended.

Shontay grinned broadly. "Poor Laura. You had to go back to the pretty airheads. Boo hoo."

"I think we are on the wrong track," Laura said, frankly, looking directly into those enchanting pale brown eyes. "I came here because I missed you. You invited me, remember? If you think all I want is la chatte noire, then maybe I ought to leave."

Shontay softened again, as she usually did. Laura recalled that you had to work at it constantly, but you could get her to relax and drop the shield. But Shontay was not done teasing, in her sharp sarcastic way. She didn't want Laura to leave, but she also did not want to stop baiting her.

"Oh, and you don't want me?"

"More than anything," Laura said softly.

This was such an odd change, Laura realized. She had initially had to convince Shontay that she was indeed attractive, not the gawky, spindle-shanks, skinny, awkward, angular woman she had thought herself to be, and now Shontay was acting like a very sexy and desirable woman, toying with Laura, tempting her, taunting her, and enjoying Laura's eyes on her and Laura's obvious desire enough to prolong things with agonizing skill.

Shontay crossed the room and sat next to Laura on one of the two beds. She reached up with one hand and let her fingers trail through some strands of Laura's hair. "You know," she murmured in a very low voice, almost too low to be heard, "I really love my French girls, and the guy too, but none of them can do it for me like you did, Laura."

"I thought the French were experts in love."

Shontay let her fingers caress Laura's cheek. "Maybe in love... but not in... you know... that word you like so much that I told you embarrasses me."

"Fucking?"

Shontay giggled and flinched. "That's the one. I think I've missed you, Laura."

Slowly, Laura pulled her backward down onto the bed, so that they were both lying half on it, with their legs still dangling over the edge. "God, I've missed you too."

"I don't want to wrinkle up this dress," Shontay said. "I'm traveling. I only have so many. And I don't trust any hotel's cleaning service."

"I know what you mean. Why don't you let me help you take it off?"

Without answering, with only a mysterious smile, Shontay slowly sat up and turned her back to Laura. There were four buttons on her dress, which Laura unbuttoned, starting at the top. As each button came loose, and the thin fabric of Shontay's dress sagged away from her flesh, Laura kissed her smooth light brown skin, holding up Shontay's hair with one hand so that she could reach the nape of her neck with her lips.

Shontay shivered a little. She raised her own hand to her hair and held it up so that Laura could continue.

"I could kiss your marvelous back forever," Laura whispered, continuing with the buttons.

Shontay was not wearing a bra but an ivory-colored thin camisole, where Laura's lips had to stop, even though there were two buttons left. But she was content for the moment. She was a great lover of naked backs, or near-naked ones, and Shontay's was enchanting, even if Laura had to stop momentarily halfway down. True, the wings of her shoulder blades protruded a little, and the knobs of her spine were a little more visible than most, a feature Shontay herself would consider 'bony.'

Maybe her back had a little less flesh on it than many others, but it was the color of pale honey, silky and smooth, and had a lot of seductive cambers and indentations and dips and protuberances to kiss and tenderly suck, and even though inhibited from going lower for the moment, Laura's lips were busy visiting them all.

Shontay was enjoying it too. "Oh god... that feels good," she sighed, bending her head forward a little to give Laura full access to the nape of her neck again.

Laura took advantage of the opportunity and licked and sucked the skin sensually. She then kissed the slightly raised nub of each vertebra on her way again down Shontay's back to the edge of the camisole. Meanwhile, she was unbuttoning the last two buttons. Shontay's dress now gaped open, and Laura could reach the bottom of the camisole with her fingers.

"Here... let's take this off," she murmured, pushing the top half of the loose dress down Shontay's arms, then lifting up the camisole, with Shontay's help.

Shontay turned to face her as the camisole went up over her head. When it came free, she was naked from the waist up. Laura's hands were already covering the marvelous little teacup breasts that she remembered so well. Her mouth came close to Shontay's, then pressed into it, and they were kissing hungrily.

Shontay's long arms encircled Laura, and her fingers plucked at the fabric of Laura's shirt. "Take this off," she breathed into Laura's lips.

Laura pulled back, smiling. "Let's take everything off."

Shontay shook her head. "No. A little bit at a time. More exciting that way. The way you used to do it." She watched while Laura unbuttoned her shirt, removed it, then removed her black lace bra too. "Remember when we were fighting... and you pushed your mouth into my panties? Pushed my panties up into my..."

Laura waited, still smiling. "Your pussy? Can't you say that? Your chatte? You're beautiful chatte noire?"

Shontay looked down, in genuine embarrassment. It was such a thrill for Laura to see her like this since she was always so sharp and imperious. She did have a streak of genuine vulnerability which was however hard to reach. But this moment also reminded Laura how Shontay had quickly become much more emotionally invested in their relationship than Laura had been, which had caused their frequent hostilities.

"Let me feel you," Laura whispered, holding out her open arms again. "It's been so long."

Shontay nodded slowly, leaning forward, coming into Laura's outstretched arms. Now their naked breasts touched at the same time their mouths met, and they melted together into a lengthy, sensual kiss, moving their half-naked bodies together so that they could feel every last bit of pleasure from their skins touching, their breasts rubbing together, their hardening nipples kissing too.

Laura ran her fingers now up and down the whole supple length of Shontay's marvelous long back, feeling the smooth skin that had formerly been concealed by the camisole, wanting to kiss it, feeling the sexual pressure build inside her body, surprised by the physical desire she had for this thin, complicated girl.

"Mmmm, I want to kiss this incredible back forever," she purred, rubbing the warm, smooth skin and long resilient muscles. "Lie down and let me rub and kiss your back."

Obediently, Shontay quickly shed the rest of her frock, wriggling out of it and tossing it across the room onto a chair. She still had on her ivory bikini panties, which matched her camisole. She stretched out on her stomach, looking dreamily back over her shoulder as Laura began making love to her back.

There was no other word for it. Laura loved this honey gold masterpiece. Now that Shontay was completely naked, except for her panties, Laura could explore, caress, and kiss it to her heart's content. She began by slipping out of her own skirt so that she too was wearing only her panties, then straddling Shontay's long, thin thighs with her own and massaging the firm flesh on each side of Shontay's neck, starting gently, squeezing the muscles, then doing it a little harder, until Shontay was gasping and moaning.

"Oh god, I love your back..." Laura murmured, bending close, letting her own naked breasts sweep across the flesh of Shontay's back as she pressed her lips to the firm flesh she had been rubbing. "I love your body. I missed this long thin body so much."

Shontay was sighing and moaning almost unconsciously. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled drowsily. "You liar," she sighed softly. "If you keep this up, I'll fall asleep and there won't be any fun."

Laura leaned up a little further so that her lips could reach Shontay's ear. Her breasts now mashed more forcefully into Shontay's naked back, and she slithered her tongue into the marvelous molasses-colored whorl. "There's going to be fun you wouldn't believe, darling," she breathed. "You didn't know I'm the jealous type. I'm going to put those French girls in the shade."

Shontay shivered and giggled throatily and writhed a little under Laura's body.

"And if you fall asleep, I know just how to wake you up."

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

She tried to turn and get up to face Laura, but Laura was having none of it. "I'm not finished. Lie still. I haven't even got down half of this incredible back."

For the next five minutes Laura explored every silky inch of tawny, honey-colored flesh on Shontay's back, working from the top to the bottom, kissing and rubbing and stroking Shontay's long, smooth muscles, until her lips finally reached the wonderful shallow dimples above the girl's delicious, up-jutting bottom. For a tall, thin woman, Shontay had, as Laura had remarked in the past, a spectacular ass. Apart from her singular aloof and imperious beauty, the first thing Laura had noticed about Shontay was this magnificent little rump, which had been clearly visible in its outlines even under the drab, severe business pants suits Shontay had always worn until Laura persuaded her to give them a rest.

It was high and firm and out-curved, the way Laura loved them, not large, not pendulous, but a high, tight little butt that Laura just ached to kiss, stroke, and bite. And now she had an opportunity again to do just that. She knew it had driven Shontay wild in the past, and she intended for history to repeat itself.

"I love your ass," she murmured, pulling Shontay's panties down to reveal it. "God, I love your ass."

Shontay said nothing but squirmed a little with her hips to lift her ass up even more, knowing how besotted Laura always was with it. Laura had pulled Shontay's panties halfway down her thighs and decided now just to take them completely off. She kissed the upper slopes of Shontay's buns while doing it, then flung them off the bed and passionately attacked Shontay's beautiful bottom for real, squeezing and sucking and kissing Shontay's firm golden cheeks until Shontay was gasping and wriggling.

"Oh... oh... oh god, Laura... oh god that feels so good... oh yesssss!"

"I love your ass," Laura panted. "And I love your sweet pussy..."

She couldn't keep her hand off it. Even though she was mouth-mauling Shontay's beautiful ass, she dipped one hand under it and rubbed the wet, swollen lips of Shontay's pussy with the tips of all her fingers. Shontay undulated under her caresses, panting more and more uncontrollably. Suddenly, she twisted her body and sat up, forcing Laura to the side, so that they were again face to face.