Conventional Wisdom

by Cheri Crystal

  There were so many photo opportunities from Bethesda Terrace overlooking the lake to a picture in front of Tavern on the Green. She photographed everywhere we went—the Bethesda Fountain, the Sherman Monument, the Cop Cot, Eagles and Prey, the Pulitzer Fountain, you name it. It became a joke to see who could point out the more scenic spot first. I saw something she hadn’t thought of and stopped short. Excited, I pointed, fighting to keep a straight face, until I could seriously suggest, “What about in front of that garbage can?”

  At first puzzled, she shook her head then it dawned on her, and we laughed until our sides hurt. We wiped our eyes and managed to stroll the rest of the way, satisfied that we had documented her first trip to Central Park.

  If I thought it couldn’t get any better than this, she could barely contain her glee by the time we headed back towards Times Square, by then, all lit up in its nighttime extravaganza. I was hugely proud of Manhattan, and I enjoyed her company.

  I was still beaming when I said, “That was some walk. I don’t remember the last time I had this much fun here.” I’d worked up quite an appetite. “Are you still hungry?”

  “Sure, if you are.”

  “I know lots of good places in the village, but we’ll have to catch the subway.”

  “That sounds cool.”

  On the platform, waiting for the train, I learned she was originally from Dallas, but had lived in Los Angeles, Michigan, Maine, and most recently, Baltimore, where she had a research grant at Johns Hopkins. “I’m surprised our paths haven’t crossed before now,” I commented when the train stopped to let us on.

  “Unless you have a reason to visit my lab, we wouldn’t have a prayer of meeting. I rarely surface when I’m on to something.”

  “I know what you mean. I feel like I live in the clinic and should probably set up a cop cot.”

  “That’s for sure. And don’t forget a garbage can. You seem to have a fascination for them.”

  “I was just kidding. I can’t believe you asked that poor man to take our picture in front of it. He clearly thought we were nuts.”

  We didn’t have far to walk from the station. I found us an outdoor café in the East Village where we shared tapas and Spanish wine. We laughed along with all the queens who took our orders and shared their hopes and dreams of starring on Broadway someday. The night flew, and I forgot to worry about sleeping in the same room and sharing a bathroom. In no time at all, it was like we were old friends hanging out like we’d done a million times before.

  Near midnight, we headed back to the room. We had missed the meet and greet, but registration was first thing in the morning. I watched her remove her hand from her pocket to open the door to our room. The simple act nearly drove me out of my mind thinking I could crawl into her pocket and be deliciously close to her crotch.

  My fevered cheeks registered the blast of cool air the moment the door swung open. I was already burning up from head to toe and was thankful for the sudden drop in temperature.

  “I should have turned off the air conditioner,” she said. “Brrrrr, it’s like an icebox in here.”

  As my luck would have it, the chill went directly to her chest, and my gaze promptly followed. Great! It didn’t help when I brushed against her polo shirt and her hardened nipples grazed my arms. The tiny hairs stood up, and I swallowed my revelation. She wasn’t wearing a bra.

  “You’re cold,” she said, clearly staring at my breasts.

  “So are you,” I replied, and then hurried past her to my open suitcase overflowing on the bed. I desperately wanted to kiss her, but instead, I blurted, “We have an early morning tomorrow. I guess we should wash up.”

  If a bottle of talcum powder were to fall from the ceiling, I was sure the highly charged magnetic field that crackled between us would be too dense for the particles to disperse. I’d never experienced this before. One of us had to be strong. “I’ll take the bathroom first. Excuse me.”

  She gestured with her palm up in a sweeping motion awarding me the right of way. I couldn’t just stand there, so I grabbed necessities en route to the bathroom. After we turned off the lights and bid each other a quick goodnight, it was hours before I fell into a fitful sleep.

  The next day’s schedule was chock full of long lectures rehashing psychological modalities, clinical trials, studies, and findings, but even with the lack of sleep, I was amazingly bright-eyed and bushy tailed. Infatuation, longing, and Chaz’s incredible smile, like natural caffeine, fueled my energy levels and obliterated my usual appetite. A classmate I hadn’t seen in five years told me I looked vibrant. That was just the ego boost I needed.

  I spotted Chaz chatting up some attendees during the Continental breakfast and headed in her direction. I stopped when a short, curvaceous brunette in a designer suit with a Julia Roberts smile leaned in to whisper something in my roommate’s ear. Chaz’s coffee mug wobbled when she laughed at some joke. Fortunately, the brunette moved on to her next prey, but not before she slipped her card in Chaz’s pocket. I swiped a napkin off a nearby table and rescued the chocolate covered croissant Chaz was holding in her other hand, now a chocolaty mess. I would have enjoyed licking her fingers clean, had I not been annoyed at the nerve of that woman for getting so close.

  “That looks rich,” I said, as I offered her the napkin and held her cup while she cleaned up.

  “Thanks.” She licked chocolate off her fingers and then wiped her hands on the napkin. “I don’t usually eat like this for breakfast, but I worked up quite an appetite yesterday.” Her fingers brushed mine when she retrieved her coffee.

  A shudder ran through me as I wondered about her true meaning. I pulled my cardigan tight around the sleeveless travel dress I had on beneath. I decided then that she was much more delicious looking than the pastry, and more importantly, if anyone was going to have her, it was going to be me. Only I realized I was going to have to beat the others off. She was easily the most captivating woman there. Word of her presence spread like wildfire, courtesy of the brunette, and suddenly made it impossible to remain by her side without getting trampled. Women showed up out of nowhere and surrounded Chaz, shooting off questions like they were freaking paparazzi. When I found her baby blues trained on me despite the commotion she’d created, I was reassured, but my pulse rate still soared.

  “Ladies, please save your questions for my panel discussion. I’ll do my best to delve deeper into each of your concerns.”

  I shivered at her turn of phrase.

  She finally managed to extricate herself from the crowd and swept me away from the tumult. Unable to stop myself from staring, I said, “You’re popular.”

  She blushed. “Not really. They just want to cash in on my findings or find fault.”

  I indicated to a bit of chocolate on the side of her mouth.

  “I wish you had pointed that out before I had an audience.”

  Mesmerized by the way her tongue cleaned her lips before she took a final swig of coffee, I longed to take a taste, too. “They were too busy grilling you to notice.”

  “Are you ready to find our seats?”

  I nodded just as the doors opened, signaling that the first workshop was about to begin. We found a row near the back and settled in for a long morning. The topic was methodology protocols, followed by the risks and benefits of pharmacology.

  “This is a great time for a nap,” Chaz whispered. “Except they keep this place refrigerated.”

  I had to agree with her there. A dowdy woman beat Miss Brunette to a seat beside Chaz. I camouflaged my relief by searching for my favorite pen in my bag.

  I kept my legs tightly crossed, and my body tingled every time she leaned into me to whisper some witty remark in my ear. Stifling a laugh out of respect for the lecturer took real strength. Chaz was hysterical, and her keen sense of humor tickled more than just my funny bone. The lecturer outlined all the side effects of the various medications on the market for treating mood disorders including eating disorders. We all knew the sexual sid
e effects of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), but just the mention of the word sex, and our ears perked up.

  “Remind me never to take Prozac, Zoloft, or Paxil,” she deadpanned.

  “Me too,” I agreed, and stifled a chuckle. Just then I was reminded of a fancy that needed tickling—desperately. I soon forgot where one lecture ended and another speaker took center stage.

  At the lunch break, I bolted from the room in terminal need of oxygen. My lustful thoughts sucked the breath out of my lungs. I had to do something. Quickly, I ran past the vendor display tables and found an unlocked door to the stairwell behind one of the booths. Thank God. I couldn’t stop drooling over her dimples, the way her eyes swept over me, the way she stood, so confident, so proud, and delectable. I leaned up against the concrete wall. Even the gray paint appeared vibrant in my current state of pent up arousal.

  The stairwell was hot. Completely absorbed in my need, I ran up several flights until the echo of a slamming door stopped me in my tracks. I waited, contemplating my next move. The silence that ensued was unsettling, so I went on, but the sound of footsteps started and then stopped again. Either the person was uncertain about the destination, totally winded, or up to no good. It wasn’t until she got closer and hesitated on a lower step that my eyes focused and I realized it was Chaz.

  There was no mistaking the hunger in her eyes, nor mine, as I grabbed her head and pulled her lips in for our first kiss. It was magical on the magnitude of bombs bursting in air. Hungrily, she parted my eager lips with her tongue and kissed me back with a fierce tenderness. I couldn’t get enough of her. She tasted of cinnamon and coke. I became instantly intoxicated. Just when I thought I would fall down the stairs, she scooped me up. With incredibly strong arms, she carried me to the landing and placed me down. Her back blocked the door, her weight creating a human barrier at least in one direction. I didn’t bother to worry about anyone taking the stairs up. Instead, my kisses became more urgent, more demanding, more satisfying, then needier again, and she matched my lead. I think I swallowed her Big Red gum, and we both laughed.

  “Are you sure we should be doing this?” she asked, her eyes searching my face for an answer.

  By then I was breathless. “Why do you ask?”

  “A million reasons. We hardly know each other. I don’t know about you, but I don’t just jump into the sack with every woman I’m attracted to.”

  “What makes you think I do?”

  “I didn’t say that.” She ran her hands through her hair, sighing just then, the sound echoing in the enclosed space. “Geez, Janet. Don’t twist my words.”

  “You’re attracted to me?”

  “It’s pretty obvious.”

  I tested her, and not to lie, I enjoyed watching her squirm. “What do you see that you like?”

  “I love the way you flip your hair out of your eyes and a strand or two gets stuck in your thick lashes.”

  I kissed her. A small peck. “What else?”

  “I love the way you look at me like I’m someone important.”

  “You are important. And that’s my line about you.”

  “I love the way you kiss, the way you taste, the way you put your whole body into everything you do…even showing me around yesterday. I loved how excited you were to share every detail.”

  “Go on,” I urged, unable to contain my delight.

  “I love your body and want to get to know every inch of it, intimately.”

  “Then what are we doing standing here?” I had no intention of telling her she was the first woman I ever kissed. Until her, I never knew I could be this infatuated and sexually aroused. Some feelings have no explanations, and I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life wondering, what if I hadn’t let her kiss me, what if I hadn’t let her make love to me?

  “I want you so bad.” She pulled me in tighter. There was no time for cold feet. The enclosed space grew steamier by the second. She reached under my shirt and teased my taut nipples with her fingers. I moaned and threw back my head. She bit my neck, and I nearly screamed. I grabbed her earlobe between my teeth. Hungering for her, I nibbled at her neck as she caressed me with her hands.

  “Wait!” I put my hand on her chest. Her heartbeat was strong and fast. “I have a confession to make.”

  She stepped back and waited.

  “I’ve never been with a woman before,” I blurted.

  This time she leaned as far back as she could. “Oh, no you don’t. You’re not putting this trip on me.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You know.” She stalked off, not holding the door. I followed.

  “Please, I don’t understand. Think of it this way. If I didn’t have any feelings for you, would I have confessed?”

  “No, but think about it from my perspective. This puts a lot of pressure on me to perform. I’d hate to think it was my fault that your first experience ended up a dud.”

  “That’s not possible.”

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “It’s your kiss. I can’t explain what your kiss does to me. It goes beyond all reason. I can’t get enough—”

  Just then she swallowed the rest of my sentence, and I was instantly encased in her essence, her body became one with mine, but yet she remained a separate entity to be treasured, only I needed to open the box, to explore the secrets, to define the meaning, the longing, the untapped desires that ruled my universe and see inside in a way I’d never done. It had to be at this precise moment that I learned exactly what it was I was searching for, and the clearer the revelation, the more impossible to ignore all the signs leading up to it.

  “Oh, God, Chaz, get me to our room. Quickly!”

  “I want you so badly, but I’m afraid.”

  “Fear of nothing, my sweet. Your touch will be enough to satisfy me.”

  “I will be as gentle as you need.”

  “Be rough with me. I need you to take me. Take me hard.”

  “My pleasure.”

  She kissed me once more and put her hands around my butt, lifting me off the floor, hugging me to her, making me feel hot all over. She put me down and I reached for her breasts. I had to touch her. I longed to make her scream.

  “Our room,” I panted. Hand-in-hand and happily out of breath, we wasted no time running down the hall, almost knocking the maid on her derrière. We giggled an apology, but did not stop.

  We fumbled for a key in our haste and finally opened the door. The room spun at once from all the running and my palpable excitement. I noticed the moisture pooling in my panties and couldn’t wait to get them off. Images of flames of desire enticed me further. I could drown in her eyes, now dark, sexy and inviting. There was a sure scent of arousal. It seemed as if the oxygen supply had a surplus, and I was giddy all at once. How had this moment arrived? I thought I must have done something right in my life. Something profoundly good to deserve this reward. I was about to share something sacred with Chaz and I was ready, all was surreal, serene, and surmountable. Only a tiny hint of doubt entered my conscious thoughts. I didn’t know if I could go all the way. Maybe not today, or maybe not ever. Something held me back. She must have read my body.

  “Don’t worry, Janet. I won’t do anything you’re not ready for. I promise.”

  It was then that I knew I could trust her and that yes, I could get naked in front of her. I mean, really naked, no holds barred, no secrets safe, everything exposed, vulnerable and yet, I would be richer for having shared myself with her.

  I removed my cardigan and let it fall. Chaz unzipped my dress and removed it from my shoulders. I loved what I saw in her face when she received her first glimpse of my body covered only in a silk bra and matching panties. I was glad I had packed them. It gave me the strength to help her remove her shirt, her belt and her pants. She kicked off her shoes and I left my heels on. I wanted leverage to reach her luscious lips. I couldn’t get enough of her lips, now red from the workout I gave them every chance I got. />
  She went for my bra strap first, and I gasped.

  “Is it okay?”

  “Yes,” I breathed into her ear. I was more than ready to shed all my skin just to get close enough.

  Nobody had ever worshipped my breasts the way she did. I moaned and cried. A few tears of relief escaped, but I didn’t wipe them away. She took off my panties, and I fell into her arms. With such tenderness, she placed me on top of the bed and covered me with her kisses. Head to toe and back up again kisses, not once touching the apex between my thighs. Soft purring sounds were all I was capable of at that point. I mean, I couldn’t even part my legs, and I so desperately wanted to. I couldn’t speak, only more contented sighs and possibly a small toss of my head were the only reassurance I could give her each time she questioned her next move.

  At last, she opened my thighs, and it was then that a rush of arousal gushed. I felt a joy I had never known. She stepped off the bed, pulled my butt to the edge, and got down on her knees. I lost sight of her when she placed her tongue on the last place on earth I ever thought I’d let her see, much less go, and the first place I had hoped she’d never leave. I came in that instant. Along with the realization that I not only could do this with a woman, but I never wanted to stop.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” I asked. I truly had no idea what she was talking about. I’d had the most amazing orgasm, and I didn’t have to do all the work.

  “I should have gone slower. I should have made it last.”

  “Hush, silly. It was perfect.” I scooted up on my elbows. “You were perfect.” I squinted, and gave her a half grin. “Except for one thing.”

  “Oh, no! What thing?”

  “You’re not naked.”

  She looked down and turned the most adorable shade of red. I brushed her cheek, now all hot.

  “Maybe you could do me the favor,” she asked sheepishly.