Double Grades

by Kristine Robinson

  After they were finished, they both lay panting in the backseat. The storm soon passed, and after they had once again ran their hands all over each other, Vanessa took the wheel and drove them back to the resort.

  Chapter 6

  “You know that Vanessa does that with everyone, right?”

  It was the next day, and Beverly had come down to the fitness center early. The resort boasted a top of the line fitness center. Usually, Vanessa was there with her, and although Beverly had never thought about it until now, none of the other staff had ever come over to make small talk with them.

  “I'm . . . I'm sorry? What do you mean,” Beverly said. “And why are you telling me this?”

  “Oh, don't be upset,” the woman said. “I was just between sets with my client, and I've meant to say something to you about it all week. I've seen you investing most of your time here with Vanessa, and I know that you two have been having fun, I just want you to know that, for her, it isn't anything serious. You have no idea how many times she's nearly dated a client, especially a female one.”

  Beverly wasn't sure what to say back. The woman in front of her was in super good shape, and looked like someone who would star in an action film where their tits were out most of the time.

  “Listen,” Beverly said. “I have no idea what you think you're doing trying to hurt me like this but—“

  “Trying to hurt you? I'm doing this to help you,” the woman said. “I'm doing this because I think it's fairer to tell you what is going on than it is to leave you in the dark about it like apparently everyone else has. Vanessa does this, a lot, and what I mean by that is that she catches feelings, real or imagined, about people as they catch feelings for her.”

  “She hurt you, I'm sorry,” Beverly said. “But that doesn't mean that—“

  The woman held up her hand has she turned away.

  “Oh, here's Vanessa now. I'll leave you two to it.”

  With that, the woman strode away. Vanessa appeared behind Beverly.

  “Sorry I'm late,” Vanessa said. “Hopefully, uh, what's her name wasn't bothering you or anything. Me and her kind of used to have a thing. A one-night event kind of thing, that she then hung onto forever. Let's not talk about it.”

  “Actually, let's,” Beverly said. “Because she said that you do this with everyone. That you regularly hook up with clients, and even form strong emotional bonds, before then losing interest.”

  “Did she really say that? Jesus,” Vanessa said. “Talk about being bitter.”

  Beverly looked at Vanessa.

  “So you don't deny it, then,” Beverly said. “If I were you, and someone said something like that to me, I'd be denying it right now.”

  Vanessa looked indignant.

  “And why should I have to deny something that isn't even true? And even if it is, who cares if it is,” Vanessa said. “This is something that really should be a non-issue. The only reason that you are feeding into this is that we slept together yesterday, and you somehow feel threatened by that big breasted bimbo. I'm not into her at all. When we slept together, it was after she got me wasted at the bar.”

  Vanessa stopped talking because Beverly was crying.

  “I trusted you,” Beverly said. “I knew that I was taking a chance when I did that, but I trusted you. I really did. And this is what I find out, that you're the kind of person who will sleep with just about anyone. And that, at least for my stay, I'm that person. That's what I find out. And you didn't even have the balls to tell me yourself, I had to find out from some asshole you've already been with.”

  Vanessa's mouth dropped open. The rest of the gym went still. It was clear that everyone had heard every word of what Beverly had just said.

  “You care more about what they think than what I think,” Beverly said. “I can't believe this.”

  “That isn't true,” Vanessa said. “And you know it.”

  It didn't matter, though. Beverly still turned and stormed out. As Vanessa watched her go, she saw her take a path toward the mountains. She shook her head. She didn't know what her ex had said to Beverly, but she could imagine. It was always amazing to Vanessa how angry people became after they had been rejected as lovers. They never manifested any of the super negative quality traits, like meanspiritedness, until after they had been spurned. Vanessa wished that Beverly hadn't been involved, though. She also wished that Beverly evidently took umbrage with the fact that Vanessa had a sexual history that some people knew. So what if Vanessa slept with a few clients. Literally, all of the tour guides did that, some of them even married clients. It was just part of the job.

  Without thinking about it, so she couldn't change her mind, Vanessa went back to her room and packed things that would help her go after Beverly. She knew there was a chance that Beverly would end up getting herself in trouble out there, and that it might turn into some kind of rescue instead of just a hike. Beverly was a good girl, and a brave one, too, but she was also hot headed. Even though she was a doctor, she didn't have enough sense to stay away from the mountains as dusk fell.

  Vanessa couldn't think of a better time for someone who was a neophyte at hiking to get completely lost. Not to mention would happen if something bad actually did occur and Beverly needed someone to be there for her and then needed that someone to be prepared to take care of her.

  The chances of everything turning out for the best seemed remote to Vanessa. Even though it was still perfectly fair to assume that Beverly would end up walking back into the resort at any moment, there was something that told Vanessa that wasn't going to happen.

  She knew she needed to follow Beverly, not only if she wanted to win her back, but also if she wanted to see her alive and healthy in the future.

  Chapter 7

  Beverly couldn't believe what she'd just been told. For some reason, she knew that there was truth in it. Maybe not a lot of truth, but enough truth that it wasn't exactly a lie. That was why the woman had been so bold, and also why Vanessa had been slow in denying it. Sure, it was probably way worse than what actually happened between Vanessa and her clients, but that didn't make Beverly feel any less cheap.

  That was what she hated most, she thought as she climbed the base of a rugged mountain range. The trail she was on would take her up to the timberline, and then dip back down before dissolving in the middle of a forest. She knew that much and figured it was enough to keep her from getting lost. And as she focused on feeling betrayed, it was easy to cover ground with more speed than necessary, and just as easy to forget to leave markers or to even care if she made it back or not. Beverly didn't want to think about the future, didn't wan to think about what could have been, or what would have been.

  So when the trail ran out, she didn't pause to get her bearings. She wasn't really concerned that she was on her own in the forest, and there was no one around to help her. She didn't think that she hadn't told anyone when she left, so no one knew where she was. When she realized she was turned around, it was already too late. She had been off the trail for some time and now couldn't find the way back. There had been several instances where she had crossed small streams, but now she couldn't find her way back to the streams, even though she was headed downhill. It was strange to think that there was the chance she was seriously lost, lost in a way that she needed to figure out what was going on right then.

  Beverly sat down to collect her thoughts. She didn't have any idea about how to build a shelter if she had to, and night was coming fast. There was the sound of someone following her, though. She was sure of it now. At first, she had thought it was all in her head, that in her anger her mind was playing tricks on her. But now that she had sat down and the sound still followed, she knew it was real. Someone had followed her out here. For whatever reason, there was help just at her heels!

  “Help! Please,” Beverly said. “I'm lost, and I don't know where to go. Whoever you are, please help me!”

  “Are you sure?” Vanessa said. “Last time you saw me is why you ra
n off and got yourself lost.”

  Beverly snorted and stood up as Vanessa walked out of the woods into the clearing.

  “You lied to me! And I'm not going to just forget about it,” Beverly said. “And I know you're just going to try to convince me to let it go.”

  “I think you should let it go because it's not wholly true,” Vanessa said. “And also, why would you believe everything and ex of mine told you? I mean, come on.”

  Beverly didn't know what to say.

  “And then you go and get yourself completely lost,” Vanessa said. “I'm glad I decided to follow you because you got turned around in the classic way, where the mountains send you out into the wilderness, and you run out of water.”

  “I didn't bring any of that,” Beverly said. “So there isn't any way I could run out of it.”

  They both laughed at this.

  “Listen,” Vanessa said. “I don't want to be without you.”

  She moved forward and took Beverly by the hand.

  “I want you to understand that you're special to me,” Vanessa said. “That I don't just tell anyone that they are special. That I want you to realize that I'm being genuine right now and not fucking you around. And I want you to maybe think about your feelings for me, and where you want them to go. Because I see a future for us, and I'd like to go to that future with you, instead of getting mired down in the past.”

  Beverly nodded, and they both embraced each other.

  When they get back to the resort Beverly knows they need to get back to the real world if they are really going to have a romance bloom between them. So she informs the resort that Vanessa is no longer working for them, and makes plans for herself and Vanessa to go back to the states.

  “What do you mean I'm moving back with you?” Vanessa said. “I didn't even know I was moving!”

  “You are,” Beverly said. “And beyond that, you're acting like you have actual things to move. You have maybe a few suitcases worth of clothes. You know it'll be easy.”

  Vanessa smiled shyly.

  “Trust is never easy, you know that,” Vanessa said. “And this is a big leap for both of us. Thanks for being willing to take it with me. And thanks for being cool about what happened with my ex.”

  “Don't worry about it,” Beverly said. “I shouldn't have fed into petty gossip like that.”

  They both kissed each other passionately. Their future was right ahead of them, and both women were ready for it.

  The CEO

  ~ Bonus Story ~

  A Contemporary Lesbian Romance

  Today I wanted to make sure Danny and I kissed.

  So I took control.

  I reached out and touched her small hips. Her eyes locked on mine, and to my surprise, she didn’t move away.

  I pulled her close to me, my lips crashing against hers. A soft moan passed through her lips as she reached out and wrapped her arms around my neck, her teeth grazed my lower lip. It was my turn to moan.

  “You know, you don’t have to leave if you don’t want.” She whispered as she pulled away from our kiss…

  (…)

  “Natalie.”

  My heart skipped a beat as she moaned my name.

  “Lay back down.”

  She ordered as she reached for a vibrator. My heart skipped a beat as I did what I was told. Not something that I was used to, though I had to admit I didn’t mind it too much coming from Danny.

  * * *

  Chapter One

  I glanced around the room, my eyes scanning under my long eyelashes. This was just like every night. Another night and another party to attend. Another charity event. This one for homeless dogs in Miami. At least it’s something worth it.

  In this day and age, there were so many charity events and most of them were stupid. Most were run by billionaires who didn't even need the money but took it anyway. That's why I never donated to them. After all, why should I help pay for someone’s third vacation home? Not that they would ever go there, it was normally just a way to keep up with trends and remind everyone of just how well you were doing.

  “You look about as unimpressed as I feel.”

  The voice was soft, cool, and collected but there was still humor in there.

  I glanced over. She had blonde hair with purple touching the ends. I liked it. Most people here just had blonde hair, or brown. No one liked to try anything different. She wore a simple black dress. There wasn’t much to it, but it flattered her every curve. My eyes roamed over her body for a fraction of a second before I spoke.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met yet.”

  “No, we haven’t. Although I’ve seen you around before. You come to these a lot. It must get boring, I’m sure you hear the same speeches over and over again.”

  I laughed softly. I liked her. She was blunt. She was honest. That wasn’t something I saw around here a lot.

  She had simple makeup, except the dark red lipstick, her long lashes batted for a fraction of a second as I made eye contact with her. My heart skipped a beat. Had she meant to bat her eyelashes at me like that? Really, you never know what way someone goes these days. A smile flicked over my lips. I could do a hell of a lot worse than having her bat her eyelashes at me, that was for sure.

  “You’re right. I do come to a lot of these.” Every night most of the time. That was my job. That was how I contributed. “But I can’t say I’ve ever seen you before. Nor can I say I know your name.”

  “If you wanted to know my name you should have just asked.” Her eyes sparkled as she stepped closer to me, closing what little distance there was. “You can call my Danny. My real name is Daniele.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Danny. You can call me Natalie.”

  Daniele smiled widely. “So, how much did you donate today?”

  “Well, after doing my research and being sure that the profits actually go to the charity and to, in this case, the dogs I decided that the donation should be sizable. I decided $20,000 would be alright. It took my father a little convincing but he came around. He’s not used to me suggesting we donate so much, but most of the charities are just a front to gain media exposure, money, and attention.”

  She was met with a wide smile. “I was wondering just how much I should donate myself. So you say the money actually goes to help the dogs?”

  “Yes. After my hours of research, I didn’t see anything that indicated otherwise and everything I did read suggested that the money went to the organization.”

  “That’s good to know, I’m glad I came over here to talk to you.” Her eyes sparkled as she crossed her arms over her chest. She tilted her head to the left. “And here I was caught up by how beautiful you were, I didn’t realize you were smart too.”

  My cheeks flushed. Flattery didn’t normally work on me. “Tell me about yourself, Danny?” I’d spent the entire time talking.

  “There isn’t much to know. I work too much, I go to these things because... well, that’s what I’m supposed to do. When I have free time, I try to volunteer but I normally don’t have free time. Sadly, work is demanding. Honestly, I’m boring. I bet you’re much more interesting.”

  “I’m not.” My eyes sparkled. I stepped past her and reached for a waiter coming up towards us. I took a wine glass with a smile. “I work just like you do. Except in my free time I’ve been trying to find a house. While I enjoy being close to my family I’m not quite a fan of living with them.”

  “Really?” That seemed to peak Daniele’s interest. “Have you been to see any yet? Or have you even met with a realtor about what you’re looking for?”

  “I’ve met with a few…” But they all seemed more interested in what I could give them. And they all seemed to have some idea of how much money my family had. “But nothing has quite worked out yet.”

  “You know… I happen to know a wonderful agent… if I do say so myself, but I may be biased.” Daniele slipped her hand into her purse and pulled out a business card. I raised my eyebrow. Does she just ca
rry around business cards for people she’s worked with?

  Daniele grinned widely as she handed me the card. I looked down at the name on it. “So, your last name… is it French?”

  A soft laugh passed through her lips. “Like I said, I may be biased about how good that agent is.” She glanced down at her watch. Her lips pursed. “But it’s getting late, I’d best be off. I’ve yet to make my donation and I wouldn’t want anyone to think I don’t care about the stray dogs. Especially if the money actually goes to them.”

  “It was nice to meet you.” And I actually meant it.

  It wasn’t very often that I actually meant that it was nice to meet someone at these events but tonight I could honestly say I meant it and that was refreshing. Danny was refreshing.

  “Call me sometime so we can talk houses. Or just do dinner.”

  The words shocked me, and before I could say anything she was gone. My head tilted to the left as I watched her, my eyes on her ass a little longer than I’d like to admit. She turned once and gave me a soft wave before vanishing to the other side of a door. My heart skipped a beat as I looked down at the card in my hand. Would I actually call her?

  Maybe she is just trying to butter me up because she knows who I am. The thought popped into my head whenever someone was nice to me. And that was probably the reason I didn’t have friends. Or at least one of them. Still, I tucked the card into my purse. You never know when one of those cards I’ve collected might come in handy. I drained the wine glass in my hand and padded over to the small table of appetizers. I picked up a mini steak something or other and popped it into my mouth. Looking at the waitress who was taking empty plates away, I gave her a smile.

  She didn’t look happy to be there but I was sure she had rent to pay, and I was sure she was getting underpaid to be here. Poor girl. There was something about a girl in a waiter outfit that just made me want to bring them home and take care of them. I mentally shook myself before I stared too long. Turning my back on the girl I repressed a groan.