Double Grades

by Kristine Robinson

  Tori said softly, "Are you okay there, Kate?"

  I looked around wildly at the woman who lay half under me where I had knocked her down. "Tori?" I asked in puzzlement. "What are you doing here?"

  "I thought you might need some help," She said simply and then she was helping me up off the floor. I blinked and looked around. The sun was just starting to come up. I tried to shake my head. "What is wrong?" Tori asked as she ran a finger along my hair in such a gentle manner that I just gaped at the woman. "You act like I shouldn't be in our apartment?" Tori seemed amused at me.

  "Our apartment?" I mumbled in confusion.

  Tori nodded. "Of course, we designed it together. Don't you remember?" Tori's face held a look of worry. I did not want her to be worried about me.

  "Sure," I said still feeling confused.

  She said, "You don't honestly remember any of this, do you?"

  I hesitated then said, "Not really. I am just confused. There was someone in here." I looked around then shook my head. "This is so different. We live here? Where is Lisa?"

  Tori scowled, "Lisa? You broke up with her a year ago. Do you want to be with her?"

  "No," I said in a rush. "No, it's just--I'm so confused." I put my hands in front of my face and sighed.

  Tori took one of my hands and pulled it away from my face. "Come on," She pulled me along with her as we walked through what was apparently our home. It was filled with the souvenirs of trips and adventures. I smiled at a picture of us kayaking. We seemed to have a good life, an adventurous life.

  She led me into my or was it our bedroom? She gave me a smile. "Do you remember the night that we went stargazing and got so much grass in our hair that we had to take a shower as soon as we got home?" She asked with a hopeful gleam in her eyes.

  The next thing I knew we were in the shower. I gasped up into the warm water that cascaded over my head. My breath caught in my throat as I realized that Tori was waving a toy at me. It was a toy I had made use of a few times for the friction but had never had anyone to play with me before. Tori slipped on the strap-on, and I blushed a deep red. As the water pelted down, Tori slid the strap-on between my legs. I braced against the side of the shower as Tori thrust in and out of me with the toy. It was such a turn on. We trembled together as we pushed against one another in a struggle to find completion.

  I awoke trembling and covered in sweat. I looked around and groaned loudly. It had been a dream. Of course, it had been a dream. I chided myself.

  "Are you okay?" Lisa asked beside me on the bed, and I started at the familiar question.

  I nodded and breathed, "Yeah. I'm fine. Go back to sleep."

  "Are you sure? You looked like you were either having a nightmare or one wild dream, so which was it?" Lisa asked with curiosity.

  I blushed and said, "It was a bit of both."

  "Oh? Well," Lisa eased over next to me and slid her hand under the rim of my panties. I tensed as she slipped further down and her fingers finally slipped inside of me. "Yep, nice and wet. How was I?" Lisa asked with an eyebrow waggle.

  I laughed nervously. "Fantastic as always," I said.

  "Want me to finish what I started?" Lisa asked as her fingers began to massage me. I moaned. The sensations from the dream were still so fresh that I fought not to close my eyes and picture the dream again. Lisa moved against me as she too became turned on. It took no further convincing for me to come for the woman. I climaxed while biting on my lip as the sensations of one of the most powerful orgasms I had had ever experienced went through me.

  When Lisa and I snuggled up later, Lisa said, "Wow, dream-me must be awesome in bed to get you that revved up."

  I laughed softly and just nodded.

  ***

  Two weeks later, Lisa and I stopped at the corner grocery to get some snacks before a movie night at home. To my dismay, I spotted Tori right away. The woman was dressed down in jeans and a curiously faded sweatshirt that had LAPD on it. I tried my best to ignore her. Tori seemed to be thinking the same thing, as she deliberately turned away from us as Lisa and I walked past her. When we got ready to check out, I grimaced. Tori had just walked up to the cash register line as well. To my surprise, she waved for us to go ahead. Lisa thanked her brightly, but I noticed Tori did not say anything back to Lisa. No, Tori's face was set in a firm line of what could have been annoyance or disapproval or maybe even both.

  As much as I wanted to ignore Tori, it was almost impossible. Lisa glanced around at her a couple of times as well. I wondered what Lisa saw. Maybe she saw a good-looking woman. Tori was nice looking. The blond was especially nice looking dressed down the way she was. I thought it odd that I would think that, but I did. I thought she looked so much more interesting out of her work clothes. Maybe that's because she looked like a real person and not some plastic corporate robot.

  Tori almost looked approachable. Almost. Although If she had not been glaring daggers at Lisa when I glanced around, Tori probably would have appeared more approachable. As it was, I just quickly looked away when Tori caught me looking back at her. We were almost to the front of the line when there was a commotion by the door.

  A man with a cloth wrapped around his face had come in and pulled a gun out. "Everyone, get down," the man shouted loudly. "Get down!"

  I heard Tori mutter, "Not again." I froze. There was a commotion as one of the men went toward the gunman. When the gunman turned toward the man who had tried to sneak up on him, Tori moved so quickly I did not realize what she was doing until I saw her arm swing around and connect with the gunman. She flung her weight at the man while kicking the back of his knee which put him off balance. To my shock, I saw Lisa move beside me then she was just gone. I looked around in bewilderment at the door to the corner grocery behind me swinging closed. Lisa had left me.

  The man who had backed off before came to Tori's aid and they wrestled the man to the ground. Tori yelled over to the cashier, "Call the cops. We've got him." Tori took the gun out of the man's hand and slid it across the floor. I stood there like a deer in headlights. What should I do?

  After the police had arrived, Tori came over to me and guided me outside to the same bench. "Are you okay?" She asked with concern in her voice.

  I just nodded, then I shook my head. I collapsed over into the woman's waiting arms and sobbed. "She left me all alone," I sobbed out.

  "I didn’t leave you," Tori said softly.

  I nodded against her shirt. "Yes, you did. You left without a word," I choked the words out.

  Tori lifted my head in her hands and said, "I'm sorry. I'm not very good with words, but she wasn't good enough for you."

  "What do I do now?" I asked in confusion.

  Tori gave me a smile and wiped a tear from my cheek with her thumb. "You should be with me," she said softly. I closed my eyes as she leaned in to brush her lips against mine.

  "I thought you didn’t like me," I breathed out.

  Tori shook her head and said softly against my lips, "I didn't realize what I felt until I came back and I saw you with Lisa."

  "You are an idiot," I said firmly, and to my surprise, Tori laughed. I put my arms behind her head and said, "But I think I need someone exactly like you."

  "Well, better go with the original," Tori said, and then we were kissing. The police sirens blared in the distance and the night air left my skin chilled. It all did not matter because right there in Tori's arms was perfect.

  "Excuse me, ladies," An officer said as we broke apart in embarrassment. The officer apologized, "I'm sorry for interrupting, but we need to get some statements from both of you if that's okay?"

  Tori collected herself first and said in a matter of fact tone, "Of course, Office." I blushed but nodded my agreement to Tori's statement.

  ***

  I looked around at a sound and saw Tori slip into my office. I raised my eyebrow questioningly as she closed the drapes. "Yes?" I asked in amusement.

  Tori gave me a mischievous grin. "I have the results of the w
inners for the trade commission awards," Tori said as she waved a white envelope.

  I made an excited noise and stood up to take the envelope, but Tori held the envelope up higher. "Not so fast," Tori said as she held out her free hand to halt me. I sighed at the woman in vexation.

  "What do I have to wait on?" I asked in irritation.

  Tori said, "Well, technically these are not to be announced yet so if I show them to you, then you cannot tell anyone. That includes Danny."

  "But I have to tell Danny," I said as if that should be clear.

  She put her hands on her hips and looked at me. "Katy," She said in that tone she used when she was trying to be serious but was too amused to pull it off.

  "Oh okay," I relented. "Let me see!" I tried to grab the envelope, but Tori evaded me. "Oww, no fair," I complained as Tori pinned my arm behind my back. "You can't use your LAPD training on me. You promised," I said firmly.

  Tori released my arm and said, "Sorry. It is a force of habit. Here." She held the envelope out to me which I snatched away from her and stuck my tongue out of her just to be that much more childish toward the blond. The woman smiled as she watched me tear into the envelope.

  I let out a victorious "Whoop!" when I saw my name at the top of the winners. I threw my arms around the blond woman's shoulders and sighed happily, "I did it!"

  "Looks like you were a prodigy after all," Tori said with a grin.

  "I don't need your approval," I said haughtily with a smile.

  Tori shook her head and said, "You never did, but you have it anyway."

  I leaned over and gave her a soft kiss. The envelope was soon forgotten as we kissed one another deeply. We did not normally indulge in workplace dalliances because it was simply not professional, even if everyone at work was aware we were dating by now thanks to Danny.

  Tori straightened up and tapped my nose with her finger. "Nice try," she said with a smile.

  "Oh, you know you want to be bad," I said in a teasing tone as I ran my finger along the color of Tori's perfectly pressed jacket.

  Tori nodded and said, "I do, but I'm also at work."

  "You are no fun," I said as I made a show of slumping down to sit on the desk. "You don't love me," I said sulkily.

  The blond woman's laughter rang out loudly enough that I am sure every one of the surrounding offices heard her. I gave her a smile. Tori said, "Not only do I love you, but I also adore you. I also like my job just like you like yours. So, let us try to keep them, shall we?"

  I sighed heavily, "If I must."

  Tori came over and gave me a kiss on the top of my head. "Do you still want to go camping this weekend?" She asked as she eyed me with patience.

  "Of course," I said without reservation. "I can't possibly miss the opportunity to see Danny try to put up a tent."

  Tori and I shared a laugh. "We might have to help him," she said at last.

  "Maybe," I conceded. I reached out and tugged at Tori's jacket. "Just one little kiss more?"

  "And then you will go to your site and work?" Tori ventured.

  "I swear," I said and raised my fingers in what I hoped was a scouting symbol of some kind. Tori just rolled her eyes. "Please?" I said in a honey sweet tone.

  Tori sighed and leaned over to brush her lips against mine. My hands grabbed her jacket as the blond kissed me so deeply that I wondered if she would ever stop. When Tori pulled back out of the kiss, I felt light-headed and gasped for breath.

  "Ready to go to work?" Tori asked in amusement.

  I smiled at her, "You are still the worse boss."

  The Boss

  ~ Bonus Story ~

  A Western Lesbian Romance

  My parents ranch went out of business, bankrupted by the bigger, corporate ranches that moved into the area. At first I wasn't sure what to do, but then I heard in town that the Rocking U Ranch was hiring. Sam, the woman who ran the ranch, was a tough character from all the accounts I'd heard, but that wasn't something that scared me. I figured that because I was a woman as well, Sam would have respect for me where as a male might think less of me.

  I headed to the Rocking U Ranch and quickly was introduced to Sam. Sparks flew from the get go, and I wondered if working at the Rocking U Ranch was going to be a good fit. Brad, one of the foreman, was so full of his former military bearing and bluster that it was a little intimidating. But, little did I know, I was opening the pages to a chapter of my life that I would never forget.

  That's just how life goes, sometimes, I guess. The long shots sometimes turn out to be the best bet.

  * * *

  Chapter 1

  Lilly was excited to start her new life at the Rocking U Ranch. She'd just come from her mother and father's failed ranch. They'd been pushed out by some of the bigger cattle operations up north, and Lilly had had to move to the next ranch over, which happened to be the Rocking U Ranch, to look for a means of support her parents. She wasn't bitter about it, though. She knew sometimes life had a funny way of putting you exactly where you should be, and Lilly had an idea that was what was happening now. Her father's bad leg had been giving him trouble while he ranched, but he wouldn't have given it up if he hadn't been forced out. Lilly felt that her mother was secretly grateful, she knew she sure was.

  Life was going to be different at the Rocking U Ranch. Different, but not necessarily worse. Lilly was excited to meet new people and prove herself. She was just in her early twenties, but having worked at her family’s farm all her life, she knew she was as good as, and probably better, than any cowboy. She felt guys didn’t appreciate that though. Maybe they thought her sweet face, and her lean young body didn’t match the rough ranch work she loved doing. Lilly didn’t care. Of course quite a few men had approached her, she was really pretty, but they found her intimidating and she found them boring.

  This morning was her first time stepping foot on the Rocking U Ranch. She'd heard that every hand there met Sam on their first day. Sam was the ranch manager and owner, a woman who didn't take shit from anyone. She had a reputation for being tough, yet fair. Lilly waited in the dining room of the main cabin, wondering when Sam was going to show.

  “Well, hello,” Sam said. “It's a pleasure to meet you! I've heard a great deal from our foreman, who you spoke with in town, Brad. Tall, brawny looking guy?”

  “Yes, I remember him” – Lilly said still holding Sam’s hand. She was blown away by the woman's ability to project strength and power without even trying. Lilly had not met anyone like that before, man or woman. Sam was also very attractive; about 30 years old, with shiny dark hair that fell softly on her shoulders, and green eyes that were hard to ignore. Her figure that was slender but curvy. She didn't sound like a rough woman at all, just a woman that was about business; and she wore a gun on her hip, which many ranchers had stopped doing considering how modernized everything was becoming.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Lilly said. “That's my beat up blue pickup truck out by the well. I hope you don't mind me parking there, I wasn't sure where else to put it.”

  “Oh, no, no,” Sam said. “Don't worry about that! Where ever you park is just fine. So, tell me a little bit about yourself. What brings you to the Rocking U Ranch?”

  Lilly looked around self-consciously, wishing that this beautiful woman named Sam, her new boss, wasn't putting her on the spot.

  “Well,” Lilly said. “My parents' ranch just went under, as I'm sure you're aware. That means I've had to figure out a way to help support them while they figure things out, and I'd really like it if that way turned into something permanent if it's a good fit.”

  “That's right, I heard your parents' ranch did go under,” Sam said. “That's a shame. The big operations up north are trying to run everyone out of business by hiring scumbags who aren't even real ranch hands. They take anyone willing to try to learn how to ride a horse.”

  Lilly nodded.

  “I know,” Lilly said. “I just wish things were different. My dad isn't taking it so we
ll, and I have a hard time blaming him. Just before they went under his leg had been acting up badly, and I think he was trying to prove something to himself by keeping the ranch going as it was.”

  “It was a small operation, your parents' ranch,” Sam said. “I'd imagine that your father put in many hours working, probably much more than he did managing.”

  Lilly shook her head in agreement.

  “An operation that small can't afford to pay anyone who isn't family because someone who isn't family wouldn't accept such poor pay,” Lilly said. “But I didn't mind the pay, it was just watching my parents get run off the range by a bunch of businessmen who think that moving cows is nothing else than making money. They don't love the country, and they sure as well don't care about ranching.”

  Sam smiled and nodded, offering her hand across the table to Lilly.

  “I think you'll make a great addition to Rocking U Ranch,” Sam said. “And I'm glad that you came here for work. Brad will show you around, tell you how things work here. You're going to have to work near twice as hard as the men to earn their respect, but it is possible, believe me. Everyone who works for me has to pull their own weight, because, as we both know, the people up north are a bunch of bastards who work transients to death for near starvation wages. It's hard to compete with that.”