by Monica Conti
Grace had grown accustomed to having her way. Most people gave in to her because they were impressed by her physical beauty and charm…and smarts. But Chiara Bianchi was in a brand new league. The woman had everything Grace had and then some.
She had actually felt herself almost flirting with Chiara for approval and she had mixed feelings about it. She had never deliberately flirted with a woman, let alone a potential boss. She had thought for a second about whether it was appropriate during the interview but she’d just kept doing it because she desperately wanted the job and she wanted a closer association with Chiara Bianchi. She hadn’t really given a damn about what was or wasn’t appropriate.
A profound admiration for Chiara had blossomed almost immediately. There was something about her absolute certainty. The confidence she’d exuded made Grace want to emulate her. But was it more than that?
Out in the light of day, she felt profoundly upset by this new inner feeling. That was the first woman she’d ever met who had brought on this kind of effect. She felt her cheeks burning and was not exactly sure why. At times in that room she had felt something totally new...an almost sexual attraction.
She stopped by the supermarket on her way home. This particular market was one frequented by many young lesbian couples living in the area. Grace hadn’t known it when she had taken her place but soon discovered that Decatur had a growing reputation as a gay community. Though Grace did not really mind this, when she saw two women kissing in the A&P that day, it was a little shocking to her. She stood watching them being so openly affectionate amid the fruits and vegetables and felt both put off and yet oddly aroused by it. She shrugged it off; after all she was in the big city now. But seeing this on the heels of her experience in Chiara’s presence made her feel some further confusion. She could not really understand these odd twinges of arousal.
During the drive back to her little place a few blocks away, her mind was busy with a fresh self-appraisal.
Grace had never for a minute thought of herself as gay. Or really as straight for that matter. She’d had a normal curiosity about sex which she’d just taken for granted as involving men. She’d been impatient enough to almost force her med-student boyfriend to initiate her, only to find the experience very over-rated.
Then at law school she’d thought perhaps it had just been him so she gave it another try. Several tries in fact, but despite being completely uninhibited sexually she never felt satisfied by the act. She only felt empty afterward. Her last disappointment had been with Alex, a young and handsome graduate student from Emory she had been seeing. He had lain back after they made love with a sigh of pleasure, while she on the other hand stood up and quickly clothed herself. To his dismay, she’d started crying and left without explanation. It was just frustration. She could not understand why she never came with Alex or hadn’t with any man in fact.
She might not have been finding the heights of bliss with men, but they certainly had seemed to find it with her. All of her former lovers had wanted another night with her if she had allowed it. Grace felt there was something absent. She had expected more from love, from sex. She was too sensual to think of herself as frigid. Despite the lack of satisfaction she’d experienced she was sure that somewhere within herself lay a deep, untapped well of eroticism.
Only now was it occurring to her that the missing factor might be another woman’s touch. She’d never thought of herself as bi-curious even though at times she’d wondered what it might be like to be with a woman. She not only hadn’t had the experience but had never seriously thought of seeking it out. Chiara Bianchi had her rethinking that.
Chiara called and offered Grace the position two days later. She had considered calling her the very same day of their interview but she felt that would be far too revealing. No sense in having the young woman think that her selection had been a walkover and she didn’t want Grace to think that she had been overly impressed. When she did finally call, Chiara relished the sound of unguarded excitement in Grace’s voice. She liked the fact that Grace was still too young to hide her enthusiasm as a more studied and older woman might have.
The newest addition to Smith, Weinstein, Brooks & Bianchi always came to work early and dressed immaculately. Chiara got along well with Grace from the first day. Naturally as an intern Grace made a few initial missteps but never the same one twice. She showed herself to be a quick study and Chiara was more and more pleased with the choice she had made.
Even though being able to share the simpler aspects of her case load eased things considerably for Chiara, each day stayed full. Almost full enough to distract her from the increasing personal attraction she began to feel for Grace. But there were odd moments when her thoughts strayed from purely professional appraisal.
Grace had noticed that alongside the older woman’s style her own choice of attire appeared almost severe. Since Chiara was not given to ultra conservative dress Grace was soon noticeably emulating that taste. Shortly after receiving her first large advance, Grace appeared wearing a soft white sweater of cashmere. It clung lovingly to her young, taut body. Her vivid blue eyes contrasted beautifully with it and somehow it made the girl seem both innocent and provocative at once. Chiara noticed each time Grace wore this sweater. It made her think of a white peach—young, delicate, tender. These were the odd moments that began to bother Chiara…moments to guard against.
It could have been her imagination but every once in a while Grace seemed overly intent on her as well. There were things…things like a lingering of hands when they passed papers between each other. Looks that lasted a fraction of a second too long or a blush when Chiara gave her a compliment.
There was a growing mutual awareness. A desire to be in each others’ presence. Subtle but tangible. Sheila soon remarked on it.
“I swear! You dote on Grace like an aunt with a favorite niece…or more.” She said it with a knowing smile
They had been together long enough for Chiara to forgive such familiarity.
“Don’t be silly, Sheila. I’m just helping her get her feet under her here.”
“I hope it’s just her feet you want under her,” Sheila muttered to herself, moving away.
As was her custom, Sheila left early that Friday evening, leaving Chiara still working hard on a brief. Grace stayed late as well, working on the court calendar.
Chiara sent Grace an instant message.
The message appeared with a “Buzz” on Chiara’s computer:
“Can you come into my office for a few minutes, Grace? I have something to discuss with you.”
Grace quickly typed back, “Sure. I’ll be right there.”
She got up and hurried to the door but then turned back for a quick check in the small mirror on the adjacent wall. She smoothed her hair, licked her lips, pinched her cheeks and stopped to appraise herself.
‘What am I doing this for?’ she asked herself silently and shook her head. It was silly acting like some schoolgirl with a pash for her older schoolmistress.
“How ridiculous,” she muttered to herself as she approached Chiara’s door. She knocked discreetly, to which Chiara replied distractedly,
“Come.”
Grace entered with a tentative smile and a little concern, hoping she hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Please sit, Grace.”
As Grace sat quietly, she was able to smell Chiara’s perfume. It was a lovely scent, a little metallic and yet somehow sweet. It seemed to have grown stronger as the day went on. She had noticed it that morning but it was far subtler then.
It was late and the light through the window was fading. The two women were both a little tired and frazzled after a long week.
For several seconds, Chiara studied Grace’s face before she spoke.
“Get some rest over the weekend because come Monday we will really need to work hard on the upcoming Flynn case, Grace.”
“Yes, of course.”
“I may need you to do some overtime and,” she pause
d before going on “I may require more of you than you’re accustomed to giving.”
Grace’s face grew hot. She knew that Chiara didn’t mean this in a sexual way yet she felt aroused by the statement for some strange reason. She was afraid that her reddening cheeks would betray the fact. She hated her habit of blushing so readily. Grace wasn’t quite sure of what to say, so she simply nodded her head in agreement, finally saying,
“You can depend on me, Ms. Bianchi.”
Chiara nodded but rather than returning her attention to the file, her gaze held on Grace in a way that was warm, full of feeling. It was a lingering look. Grace was wearing the white sweater that Chiara found so enticing.
From the start Grace had either sensed or imagined feeling tiny waves of electricity from Chiara off and on. At this moment some sort of current was definitely flowing between them, strong and steady. Grace wanted more of whatever it was…to know more, to feel more, to go further. Her confusion was beginning to diminish and her desire becoming more pronounced.
Impulsively, Chiara stood and moved around behind Grace. She put her hands on Grace’s cashmere clad shoulders and said softly, “Thank you for all the extra effort you’ve been putting out, Grace. You are so helpful to me.”
Grace caught a breath and held it as she felt Chiara press in behind her until her breasts touched the back of Grace’s hair.
The dimness had lent the office an air of intimacy. Until this very instant Chiara had successfully repressed her attraction to Grace…but this time her willpower crumbled. As if with a mind of their own Chiara’s fingertips began to explore the soft flesh through the fine wool. Grace sat frozen as her down-turned eyes watched Chiara’s hands drift down to rest on the tops of her breasts.
Grace’s body trembled slightly at Chiara’s touch. Chiara leaned down with her lips and faintly kissed the side of Grace’s forehead. Just as Chiara’s hot palms were enclosing Grace’s firm breasts and her breathing intensified the overhead lights snapped on. Chiara pulled her hands back as though stung.
The maid service had arrived for after-hours clean-up and the moment was lost.
Grace asked somewhat breathlessly, “Is it all right, Ms. Bianchi, if I go for the day?”
Chiara smiled at her softly with a sense of desire delayed and with a low voice replied, “Of course. Have a lovely evening.”
The maid moved around the office tending her chores while Chiara stood with her eyes still fastened to the spot where Grace had been sitting. ‘What on earth possessed me? I know better than this!’ Her cautionary mind screamed at her. Mixing romance with work was like playing with fire. But a tactile memory of the feel of Grace’s breasts under her hands came and hung in her mind as she gathered her things to leave for the day. The utter deliciousness of that memory warmed her heart and stilled the warning voice in her head. It would be a long lonely night.
“Get some rest…” Chiara had advised her. But in her bed that night sleep was eluding her. Grace’s blue eyes roamed the walls in the dark and quiet of her room as she began to think about what had happened.
She still felt a sense of delirium and excitement as she thought of Chiara’s long beautiful fingers stroking the tops of her breasts, and she remembered how her lips had felt on the side of her forehead. As she lay in bed, she realized that she was aroused and her hands slid down her body to find her sex wet and swollen with desire.
Her uncertainties and doubts were not present that morning. Her fingers sensuously explored the folds of her pussy and enjoyed the wet deliciousness of it as she imagined Chiara kissing her deeply on the lips. Grace had never been with a woman before, and she had been with only a few men. This particular experience was totally new and it felt a little taboo to her. She knew that the kind of relationship that was developing between she and Chiara was wrong because of the work ethics involved, but she couldn’t stop herself. There was something about the very danger of it all that intoxicated her.
She continued to probe her sex, pushing her nimble fingers in and out, quickening her movements and flicking her clit rapidly with her other hand as she fingered herself. The smell of her own cum was in the air, and she relished that odor. It smelled of desire, of inner pleasure, of pure sex. The sweet soft sound of her pussy lips and their wetness against her own quickly moving fingers aroused her more and more.
Grace had seldom found this level of arousal with anyone. In fact, she had not even felt it during previous moments of self-pleasuring. Her hips came up off the bed and as she was about to cum, she heard herself crying out “Chiara. Chiara.”
She came so deeply that she felt somewhat drunk afterward. Her body was quiet and still except for the movement of her chest as she breathed hard. Her heart was pounding.
The alarm clock went off at 6 a.m. on the Monday morning. Grace awoke stretching herself on the bed like a beautiful young kitten. After finally stirring from the bed, she groomed carefully for work. She brushed her long blonde hair slowly and took care to make it look as soft and healthy as possible. She applied her mascara and lipstick and then took her time in selecting the right outfit.
She knew that Chiara liked her in white because the woman’s eyes never left her when she wore it, so that day she chose to wear a beautiful cream-colored turtleneck sweater and a lovely pale blue skirt with simple but elegant pumps.
The world looked beautiful that morning. Grace’s delight with life was plain for all to see. When she arrived at work, she sat contentedly at her desk, catching up on various tasks—typing up memorandum, setting up court dates and responding to e-mails. She looked like a young student sitting there, so fresh and clean.
Chiara came in around ten that morning, which was late for her. And, though Grace wanted very much for her to be warm and tactile with her as she often was, Chiara only smiled quietly and went to her office without stopping to speak to her. Grace hoped that it was only that Chiara was simply too busy to talk, but it was unusual even in that instance.
The truth was that Chiara was having serious second-thoughts about this attraction and wanted some time to decide what to do about it. She didn’t want to take advantage of Grace, yet she didn’t want to let an opportunity for such a beautiful and erotic dance to pass her by. She was torn by this, so she’d decided to play her cards very close to the chest for a few days.
Chiara was typically a confident woman, but she was a little unsure about whether Grace would welcome further advances from her. She went back and forth in her mind about whether Grace would have stopped the physical touching had they not been interrupted on Friday night.
She was also worried about what might happen if anyone in the firm discovered her attraction. If she became embroiled in an affair with Grace it could endanger the career she had worked so long and hard to build. She was deeply conflicted by it all. It was exactly the kind of situation she had studiously avoided and never hoped to find herself in.
The problem was that she couldn’t stop desiring Grace and it seemed that, after what happened the preceding Friday evening, Grace might even want her. Chiara was almost certain the attraction was mutual.
Later that day any doubt was banished when Grace came into her office at midday to ask her to sign some papers.
Grace stood quietly beside Chiara and watched her sign the documents. Both women felt the warmth of each others’ bodies because of their nearness. When Chiara handed back the documents, Grace looked at her with an unspoken question. It was obvious that she wanted Chiara to say or do something, anything to make her know she truly wanted her.
Their eyes locked and there was no way that either of them could escape the reality of what they felt for one another. It was more than just attraction. There was deep mutual regard, with gentleness and love underneath it. But that desire was rearing its head in the office at midday with the sun streaming through the windows.
Grace couldn’t remove her gaze. Neither of them spoke at all. The only sound was the escalation of Chiara’s breathing. Grace heard it and k
new what she wanted from her. Chiara smelled the desire coming off of Grace.
There were big screaming signs in Chiara’s head saying: ‘Don’t do this. Danger lies here. Don’t do it.’ But, she silenced the voices by taking an action that she scarcely understood herself. She stood and walked quickly to the door, closed and locked it.
To others, this would simply indicate that a private meeting was taking place. No one was going to knock at the door.
She turned around to find that Grace had followed her. They came close to each other then. Chiara smiled at the younger girl and softly began touching Grace’s shoulders and arms. She moved her mouth in very close to Grace’s lips and barely touched them with hers. Their breasts pressed against each other and their bodies began to move in matching undulations of desire.
The smell of sex was present in the air. It smelled of the sea. It smelled of deep yearning. It smelled of womanhood. Grace was shaking all over with lust as Chiara began kissing her deeply, moving her tongue in her mouth slowly and softly, building in intensity but steadily and with patience.
Grace began moaning and it was clear that she wanted more. Wanted the touch to become bolder. Wanted to be fucked. She wanted to fall on her knees and be taken. And when Chiara began kissing her with greater violence she returned the kiss with equal vigor. Their tongues traded mouths as they played an erotic game with no rules. The desire became palpable.
Grace grabbed Chiara’s hand and begged, “Please, Chiara. I want you to touch my sex.”
Chiara said softly, “Say it again…I want you to touch my sex…I want to hear it again.”
Grace said it urgently. “Please. Chiara. Please. I want you to touch my sex. I need it now.”
Chiara broke at that point. She could no longer endure it. She ran her hands down and unzipped Grace’s skirt. It fell to the floor with a whisper. She kissed her wildly and then pushed Grace against the door and stared at her.