Chapter 16

Kelly woke, completely and instantly, totally unlike her usual return from the land of Nod.

She lay quietly for a while, reveling in her lovers' touch. She knew that Todd's hand was on her ass, that she held Laura's panty clad cheek. She could feel how their legs tangled, and Laura's warm breath on her breast. Feeling mischievous, she slid a finger under the elastic and stretched it out...

"Do that and I'll bite!" said a quiet voice from under her chin, and sharp teeth closed around her nipple, sending goose bumps down her spine. She teasingly stretched the waistband and felt the teeth bite harder, so quickly slipped her hand under the panties to caress the warm flesh. Instantly the bite became a kiss, then a suckle. It felt good, so fulfilling to have her lover at her breast, and she nuzzled her lips in the soft hair.

Laura pulled away with a pop and tilted her face up for a kiss.

"Mmmm, good morning, honey."

When they broke the kiss, Kelly looked at Todd over Laura's head, seeing him totally relaxed, a little drool at the side of his mouth. "God, I love you," she thought.

She looked down at Laura. "Love you, Babe. But I have to go."

It took a while to untangle themselves without waking Todd, but eventually both had extracted themselves and pulled on T's so as not to embarrass their houseguests.

As they headed for the kitchen, they heard the TV with its sound turned low in the living room.

Cara woke shortly after 8:00, feeling Ami wrapped snugly around her. The feeling was comforting, intimate, then she felt Ami tense.

"Oh! I'm sorry Cara, I'm so sorry!" Ami tried to push away, but Cara held her close.

"It's OK, it's no big deal! If I hadn't been here, you would have been wrapped around a pillow!"

But the truth was...

Ami liked it. She liked waking with Cara in her arms.

The girls didn't know what time Kelly, Laura and Todd would be getting up and had decided, based on Laura's comments about breakfast, that they would check out the TV. Grabbing a couple of bottles of Evian, they sat in front of the barely audible TV. Just in case the threesome in the other bedroom weren't early risers, they didn't want to disturb them. And following Kelly's comments from the night before, they hadn't bothered dressing but sat in their own nightshirts watching Women's Volleyball on TSN when Kelly and Laura popped in.

"Good morning, ladies," said Kelly, "I trust you slept well?"

Laura said "Hi," and continued to the kitchen.

"Very well, thank you," said Ami.

"It's a real comfortable bed," said Cara wishing she was still in it feeling the warmth of Ami's body.

"So are you girls ready to start a modified diet?" Kelly asked. "Since you won't be working out as often or as intensely, now is a critical time not to let 'fab' turn to flab."

"I suppose," sighed Ami.

"Don't you girls worry. I know it's going to take a bit of time to adjust, so let's just start slowly. Have more meals, but less carbs, and after breakfast, we'll go out bike shopping. That will help through the transition period."

"Cool!" said Cara, turning off the TV.

Laura was laying out the vitamins and bottles of go-juice when Kelly, Cara, and Ami walked in.

"And for breakfast we have," said Laura smiling, "grapefruit slices, fresh orange juice, celery and carrots."

"And don't forget," added Kelly with a laugh, "it's an all-you-can-eat buffet!"

Both Cara and Ami groaned.

"What? Not satisfied with the 'Continental Breakfast' supplied by this fine establishment?" asked Todd, smiling as he entered the kitchen.

Todd had woken up shortly after Kelly and Laura had left the bed. He had dressed and relieved his bladder and stood in the hallway smiling as he heard the discussion in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Sweetheart," said Kelly giving him a kiss.

Laura came around the table to plant a kiss of her own as she greeted her other lover.

Todd sat down, swallowed his vitamins, and downed his go-juice. As he chewed on a celery stalk, he looked at Kelly and sniffed the air. "Not smoking this morning?"

Kelly shook her head. "I think I'm going to cut down," she replied. "G suggested that I shouldn't smoke as much. She wouldn't tell me why, but you know she wouldn't have said it without a reason, so this morning I decided "No more smoking in the house!"

"Jesus. I wonder what brought that about?" said Todd. "It's not like you smoke a lot to begin with. What? Maybe 10 on a bad day?"

"On a really bad day," nodded Kelly in agreement.

"And didn't you tell me that smoking is a part of your... uhm... lifestyle that you can't change?" asked Laura. She had nearly mentioned Kelly's obsessive-compulsive disorder before remembering that the two gymnasts knew nothing about Kelly's personal demons.

"It's not a big deal," Kelly said. "So, I'll just take the few extra steps when I really want one, and maybe I'll decide I don't really want it that bad."

Laura found herself thinking of the Obi-Man - what else did he tell Gloria? What else hasn't she told Kelly?

Todd grabbed the cordless phone and called the studio. Vanetta answered on the first ring.

"Hiya, boss lady," he said jokingly. "Anything going on that I should be aware of?"

"Uh huh. Okay," said Todd in response to what Vanetta was telling him. "I'll give him a call from here. I meant to do it yesterday, but I was too tired to bother. And can you call CrossTrain Sports for me and ask them to ship down a big box of chalk, priority?"

He listened for a moment and then turned to Cara and Ami. "Is there a special kind or size you need? Or anything else that we don't have that you need for your work on the equipment?"

Cara looked to Ami. From what they had seen, Todd had it all. "Nope, all we need is the chalk, just say a case of 24, and they'll understand."

"Did you hear that, Vanetta? A case of 24, yeah that's right. Okay, I'll probably be in later this afternoon. We're going out for a while this morning."

Kelly took over the phone from Todd. "Vanetta, did you get Laura's new cell number added to the speed dial? Good. That way you'll always find two of us anyway," she laughed. "If I don't see you later, you have a good day."

Kelly disconnected and sat down to have another grapefruit, while Todd punched in a number he had pulled out of his wallet. As he waited for his call to get patched through, he explained that Peter had called and left a message asking him to call when he came in. He paused for a moment as he was transferred to Peter's private secretary. "Since I won't be going in until later this afternoon, I figured I might as well give him a call now."

"Hello, Peter! I hear you're looking for me."

Todd listened to the VP of InterCoastal explain why he had called.

"Yeah, someone pointed them out to me, so we grabbed a copy of the Journal on Tuesday." Todd said. "It looks like they were impressed with the wing. Nice story too. What's that?" Todd laughed. "No, we haven't looked at the price other than what the Journal said. Really? Well, I'm glad we could help you out, Peter. Yeah, okay... I'll talk to you later. Hang on." Todd handed the phone to Kelly. "Peter says he has to talk to you."

"Hi, Peter," said Kelly.

Peter apologized for not having called sooner but with the coverage the press had given the Cuddy's new speed record and the innovative design of the wing, he had been deluged with calls. Dealers from all over were clamoring for copies of the pictures that had shown up in the major papers and other papers had picked up on the story and wanted regional slants.

"The board was very impressed," Peter said. "The results of what JamPC designed and the speed record they set has everybody talking, but with Todd's picture to visually show how and why, well it's just got the whole boating industry talking."

"That's great, Peter. We're really happy for you," Kelly said.

"But the reason I had to call was that I told the Board on Wednesday about our little agreement. After I showed them what kind of pictures the news people had taken and the extra effort TKO gave to really push the story, they said to name the time and how long you want to go for and IC will set you up in the best boat available, fully staffed!"

Kelly looked at her lovers before answering. "How about the last two weeks of September, Peter? Three weekends. Leave on Friday and return on Monday after the two weeks. That will make it 17 days."

"Leave it to me, Kelly. I'll get back to you on the details and specifics."

"Thanks, Peter. Talk to you soon."

Kelly walked over and wrapped her arms around her lovers. "My darlings, clear your calendars for the last two weeks in September... We are going on a sea cruise to Jamaica! A real vacation!"

Todd looked up. "Really?"

"Absolutely, Sweetheart. No work. Just relaxation."

"Oh my God!" said Laura. "An ocean voyage, out of the country, to Jamaica!" She squealed with delight.

"And now I think I will go for a cigarette," said Kelly grabbing a bottle of mineral water. Things were going so well. For the first time in a long time she felt that everything was perfect and it all felt right. Her professional life and her personal life were all in order and she had never been happier.

As Kelly sat back in the lounger, before she lit up, she remembered her first real kiss from James, and the night with Brenda. That had been the start of this new life, a life with not one, but two lovers. She smiled as she remembered the first time she met Laura. Nude, on her butt on the darkroom floor, cum on her face. A lifetime ago, so much had changed.

She lit her Cameo and took a deep drag. It was hard to remember how life had been before the happiness she enjoyed now.

Cara and Ami joined her in the back yard.

Ami spoke up. "We were wondering, Kelly, if you guys wanted to work out with us while we do our exercises. It will do wonders for toning your body."

Kelly cocked her head. A good exercise routine might be a smart idea. "I'm game," she said, "but I can't speak for the other two."

"Oh, we've already convinced them," said Cara.

Kelly laughed. "I can see that you two will fit in very nicely!"

"The only problem is space. We don't want Todd to move your living room furniture every day, so if you don't mind, before we go out to do the other things we have to do, Todd said we could do it right in the studio," said Ami.

"That won't be a problem," said Kelly. "We're not on any timetable, and besides the dressing room there's a shower in the studio itself. And... lots of clothes to change into when we're done!"

They headed into the house to get dressed for the day.

Kelly, with Cara and Ami in her car, followed Todd's Tracker and Laura's Accord in a cute little parade to the end of her street and then Todd and Laura turned right, heading for the studio, while Kelly made a quick detour to the outdoor fruit stand.

As she got back into the car with a large bag of fresh fruits and vegetables, she said, "I hope you girls like beets."

Ami just made a face. Cara laughed.

"Don't worry," said Kelly, "you won't even taste it once it's been juiced."

As Kelly pulled into the studio, she noticed that Laura had parked her Accord around the back. It made good sense. With the three of them spending nearly every night together, there was no need to have three vehicles running around.

"I didn't think I'd see you today," said Vanetta as Kelly entered the studio.

"Well, it seems that Cara and Ami have decided we should participate in their morning workouts," said Kelly.

"Oh, this I have got to see," said Vanetta laughing. "You're not usually awake at this hour much less exercising!"

"Well," said Kelly grinning, "sometimes things change."

Vanetta took the bag from Kelly and said she would prepare the fruits and vegetables while they worked out.

Todd ran upstairs to change into a set of sweats. Laura and Kelly had decided to wear their Star Fleet issue underwear for the work out, and had brought clothes with them to change into afterwards.

The five of them lined up on the tumbling mat after Cara had clearly made the point that no shoes or socks were allowed on the mat. Ami was on one end and Cara at the other with Todd in the middle sandwiched by Kelly and Laura. Before starting, Ami had asked if it would be okay to turn on some music and when no one objected, Vanetta showed her the CD collection and how to adjust the stereo.

Ami selected a compilation CD of timeless Rock and Roll tunes. As she explained to the group, this was a low impact workout to promote tone and limber up muscles, then on a count from Cara, the two started their regular routine showing the other three how and what to do. Most of it was stretching and reaching, reminding Kelly of the Yoga classes she had taken.

"Remember," shouted Ami, "if you feel a muscle going tight, don't push it any further. Just try to hold it at the tight point for a minute. You'll get farther every day we do this."

By the time 20 minutes had passed, Cara and Ami were into full splits on the mat. Kelly eventually made it all the way down as well, and Laura was just a few inches off, but Todd, as flexible as his Tae Bo exercises had made him, was having trouble spreading his legs that far. Thankfully the next move allowed him to drop on his butt as they all pulled their feet in to their groins trying to keep their knees flat on the floor. This was of course no problem for Cara and Ami who quickly slid into place and proceeded to bob their heads and shoulders down to the mat. Surprisingly, Todd could get his feet into his groin and keep his knees on the floor but it was an area where Kelly and Laura were having difficulty. Ami told them to rest their elbows on their knees and then as they bobbed up and down with their upper torsos, the elbows would stretch the leg muscles.

Another 15 minutes passed and Todd was flat on his back, wiped out. Laura soon joined him, simply rolling from her position to flat on her stomach. Kelly managed another five minutes and then gave it up as well. Cara and Ami kept at it but with more intensity for another 20 minutes. Jumping up, Ami said, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"You guys are in better shape than we thought," added Cara.

Todd just groaned.

Ami clapped her hands. "Time to hit the showers, kids."

As Todd crawled up the stairs, followed by Laura, Vanetta laughed and turned on the juicer. Kelly showed the girls where the shower was along with the towels before she headed upstairs as well to join her lovers in a warm shower.

Ami was soaping up Cara's breasts as the water from the shower beat down on her back. "If camp had been like this," she said, "I might have enjoyed it a lot more."

Cara sighed and pulled Ami against her, letting her well lathered boobs squish into Ami's.

"Cara," Ami whispered in her ear, "you realize this is a step farther than just showering together."

"Mmm hmm."

Taking that as an affirmative, Ami wrapped her arms around Cara and hugged back, gently nibbling on Cara's ear.

"God, I'm so hot," said Cara.

"I can fix that," said Ami turning and changing the temperature of the water to icy cold.

"Argh," screamed Cara. "That's not how I thought you were going to fix it!"

Ami rinsed off and stepped out of the shower. "Remember what I said last night about being careful what you wish for?"

Cara nodded.

"Well, I... I really need you to think about this, Cara. The next step... it really takes us to the point of no return..." Ami caught Cara's eyes.

"I know what I want, I've wanted it for a real long time, but if you're only playing, well..." She looked down at her hands, "I don't want to lose you as a friend - but I don't want to get hurt, either..."

Cara dropped her towel and hugged Ami. "I couldn't hurt you, Ami. You're my best friend."

Ami's eyes got wet and she felt tears running down her cheek. "But will you still be my friend if we go farther and you decide you don't like it?"

"Oh, Ami. I can't believe that I won't like it. I feel so close to you. But no matter what, I will always be your friend."

"Then let's wait a bit, Cara. When the time is right, we'll know it."

The girls reluctantly broke their embrace and got dressed.

Vanetta finished whipping up a large pitcher of juice and poured out six large glasses over crushed ice. She was clapping as Kelly, Todd, and Laura came down the stairs. "I never thought I would see the day," she said.

"What day?" asked Todd.

"The day that you conked out from exercising for one, and Kelly moving so much so early in the morning!"

"But they did good," said Ami as they entered the kitchenette. "I didn't expect any of you to make it past the first ten minutes."

Kelly raised her eyebrows.

"It's because they're special exercises for gymnasts," explained Cara. "It's easy to see that Todd works out, but not for doing back flips, and while it's easy to see that you and Laura are in good shape, there's a reason why there are so few gymnasts over 20. That was our regular routine we went through, and you guys managed to keep up for most of it!"

"All of a sudden I'm feeling old," sighed Kelly.

"I'll never get those splits down to the ground," said Todd.

"Ah, that's a defeatist attitude I hear," said Ami. "I bet if you keep doing this with us every morning you'll be doing splits like you've been doing them all your life."

"I kind of liked it," said Laura. "It made me feel alive. My legs are still warm from the tension, but I could feel myself getting just a bit further when I held my position." She looked at Todd, "just think what fun we could have, Honey, if I can sit in that position!"

"I swear, Laura, I think you were born horny," said Vanetta.

"Nothing wrong with that," said Kelly.

"Ha!" said Laura, looking at Vanetta. "I didn't see Robert complaining when you had your arm around him yesterday!"

"Who's Robert?" asked Todd.

Laura blushed suddenly remembering that Robert had said he had never met Todd.

"He's a friend I met at school," said Vanetta. "We've been dating for a while."

"Oh," said Todd. "I didn't know."

"You'll meet him at the company party," Vanetta added. "He's looking forward to meeting you."

Kelly decided it was time to change the direction of the conversation. She knew that Vanetta was concerned about the race issue.

"So, Ami... You think you want to be a photographer?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah, but there aren't many schools that offer photography as a full time program any more."

"What got you interested in photography to begin with?" asked Todd.

"A couple of years ago, we were competing in Europe and an American journalist was covering the event. He was sitting just behind our bench and had this fancy camera, but he didn't know when to shoot. I saw the article afterwards and realized that he couldn't anticipate what was going to happen next. Then I started looking through the sports magazines, and except for 'macho' sports, most pictures of female athletes were really pathetic. I think there's a good opportunity for someone who has been in sports, and especially women's!"

"You realize it's more than just taking pictures," said Todd.

"Oh yeah, for sure! After I saw what had happened, I got a few books on photography and even took a few courses, but it cost too much money to get further than a pinhole camera, so I had to let it slide. It might look good when we win medals, but most people don't realize how much money our parents put out for us to stay on the team if we even qualify."

"You made a pinhole camera?" Todd asked somewhat surprised.

"Yeah, it was easy," said Ami.

"How did you develop the film?" Todd asked, now really interested.

"Well, there wasn't much to develop," Ami said. "The idea was that it was supposed to be a one shot deal, but I figured out a way to tape down a roll of film in the box I made and pull the film out a section at a time. I weaved the start of the film on a thin needle that I glued a button to. It was too thin though so I only managed to move the film forward six times before it jammed on me. After that, I went to the local newspaper and someone in the film department helped me take the box apart and develop it."

"What did the end result look like?" Todd asked.

"Ah, you know. You have to figure out how long to expose the film and you've got to do it by pulling back the tape over the pinhole. I took pictures of my mom's flowers, and you could see that they were flowers. Two of the negatives were too dark from over exposure and the last two, well I guess that a pin hole is only good for one pull on the tape cause they got really fuzzy when the hole got ragged edges around it, but I got one that was pretty clear."

"And you liked it? Taking all that time just to get one picture?"

"It was great! I'd probably have taken on a summer job so I could buy a real camera, but for the last year it's been practice, practice and more of the same."

"Want to see my darkroom?" Todd asked.

"That'd be cool!"

As Todd and Ami headed for the darkroom, Vanetta said she was going to get back to her schoolwork. Kelly headed over to her own desk to check on the mail and file the reports from New York. Cara helped Laura clean up the kitchen.

"Laura, do you mind if I ask you something personal?"

"No, go right ahead, Cara," Laura laughed. "If it's something I don't want to answer, I won't, but you should always feel free to ask."

Cara shyly said, "Okay, I was just wondering, you know, how you knew that you liked girls."

Laura paused and turned to face Cara, leaning back against the counter. She looked at the ceiling as she thought of how to answer the younger girl. Finally she said, "I didn't know. If somebody had told me six months ago that I was going to be turned on by another woman, I would have laughed at them. But you have to realize, we're not talking about another girl here, we're talking about Kelly."

"What difference does that make?" Cara asked.

"I fell in love with Kelly the first time I saw a picture of her, and when I met her the next day, I felt all warm inside."

"Did you fall for Kelly after a bad relationship with a guy?"

Laura laughed. "I did have a really bad experience with a guy before I met Kelly, but before I met her, I was already making it with Todd, and believe me, that was no bad experience!"

"So, are you now bisexual?"

"I'm not sure, Cara. I think about that occasionally. I guess technically I am, but I'm also monogamous, sort of. I have a male lover and a female lover, and I wouldn't cheat on either of them."

"So... If I have this right, you're in love with two people. And the gender really doesn't have anything to do with it."

"Yeah! I guess that would be as good an explanation as any," said Laura. "I mean, I can look at other people and appreciate their beauty, and now, I look at both men and women."

"Are you ever afraid that Todd and Kelly might want to fool around with somebody else?"

"No. If it should happen, then it happens. All I ask for is that they continue to love me the way I love them. Jealousy is a dangerous game."

"So it all boils down to love?" Cara asked.

Laura thought about that for a minute and then said, "Yeah, I think that my love for them allows me to be free with them and to enjoy both of them as friends and as lovers."

"I think I understand," said Cara.

"Is this about Ami?" Laura asked softly.

"Is it that obvious?"

"It is to those of us who have been down that road," said Laura.

"She's gay, or at least she says she is, though she's never had a relationship with a girl. Is that possible?"

"Very," said Laura. "We're born with our desires. When they show themselves is just a matter of timing."

"I love her, you know," said Cara. "She and Erin have been my best friends through all the years we've been training, but I don't have the same feelings for Erin as I do for Ami. There's something about her that really makes me want to love her."

"So what's stopping you?"

"She is," said Cara dejectedly. "She says that when the time is right, we'll know it."

"Well, I have to agree with her on that," said Laura. "You don't want to rush into a relationship. The worst thing you could do is pressure her into doing something that she's not ready for, and the best thing that you can do is be supportive and understanding and remain her friend."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Ami was overwhelmed by Todd's darkroom. "Wow, this is even bigger than the one at the newspaper!"

Todd laughed. "That's probably because the newspaper doesn't have to worry about the fancy stuff."

Ami took her time looking around, checking out all the various chemicals and equipment, when she spotted the posters of Kelly and Laura. "Wow," she said. "They really look hot! I hope my body turns out as well."

"You've got a lot going for you already," said Todd. "Now if you watch your diet and stick to the vitamins that Kelly put you on, you'll just continue on to grow more beautiful."

Ami looked at Todd. "You know I'm gay, don't you?"

"Does that mean something special?" Todd asked.

"Well, I just meant... I mean... I wanted you to know right off the bat."

"Okay. I pretty well knew it, but I don't see what difference that makes."

"It means that I will never have a male lover," Ami said. "And I guess that what I'm also saying is that if you're thinking of having a group of girls like James does..." she looked at the floor blushing, "I won't be one of them."

Todd realized how difficult that had been for Ami to say. "Not to worry, Ami. James is a nice guy, I like him, and he does have a few more girlfriends than most guys have in a lifetime, but I'm not looking to be like him. I'm very happy and satisfied with Kelly and Laura."

Ami sighed with relief.

"But does your sexual preference exclude having male friends?" Todd asked.

"No... I suppose not. I never really thought about it that way. I guess I figured that being a lesbian meant I would only hang around with girls."

"It seems to me that you're limiting yourself, then. There are lots of guys who you could be friends with and they wouldn't expect anything more from you."

"You think so?"

"Sure, why not? You have a pleasant personality and you're easy to talk to. I bet there's lots of guys that would love to be friends with you."

"Why?"

"Because in a lot of ways, you're a safe friend of the opposite sex. Once the issue of sex is out of the way, they can let their hair down and talk openly and honestly without worrying that you're measuring them up. Friendship is more important than a sexual relationship because good friends stick around when life gets rough."

"Is that why you get along so good with both Kelly and Laura? Cause you guys were friends first?"

"Well, Laura is fairly new in my life, but I knew from the first day I met her that she was a girl I could really enjoy as a friend, and Kelly I've known as a friend for years. We just became lovers this summer."

"Wow. How long have you and Kelly been friends?"

"Since 1995 when we met on a shoot in Jamaica."

"And it took all this time before you guys got it on?"

Todd laughed. "Yeah, and it was Laura who convinced us that our friendship wouldn't be damaged if we did."

"You guys are something else. We heard you laughing in the shower last night and I was thinking how much I would like to have a relationship like that. You know... laughing and joking and still be intimate."

"Is this about Cara?" Todd asked.

Ami blushed again. "Yeah, I guess. We've been friends for years and she's suggesting that we go farther, but I'm afraid that if we do, that the friendship will suffer and I don't have a lot of friends to start with, so I can't afford to lose one."

Todd sat down. "I know what you mean, Ami. That's why I wasn't willing to risk Kelly's friendship over sex, but now, I have it both ways."

"The best of both worlds. I wonder if I'll be that lucky."

"And sometimes that's a risk you've got to take," said Todd. "Only you know if taking the next step will change things. Take your time and figure it out. Your heart will know when the time is right."

Ami gave Todd a hug. "Thanks, Todd."

"Any time, Ami. Now we better get back out before they send a search party after us."

"Are you afraid that Kelly or Laura might think we're up to something in here?"

"No... they both have a good idea which way you lean, but they wouldn't question it one way or another. There's no jealousy in our relationship."

"Does that mean you would consider having another lover?" Ami asked.

"No, not really. I love both of them and I intend to marry both of them. I've had my share of lovers, and none have ever made me as happy as the two I have now, so I'm not looking any more."