by Darla Baker
The likelihood of sex takes the edge off René’s panic at Derrick’s announcement. She knows what this means. And they won’t be able to avoid talking about it forever. But tonight is about celebrating, and René loves Derrick enough to give him that.
JANICE HAS HAD her eye on Kelly since before she stepped foot into the hot tub. Kelly is a petite girl. She’s probably not even a hundred pounds soaking wet. But she’s not stick thin and unshapely. She’s definitely sporting some nice curves. Janice is pretty sure her breasts have been enhanced. But thankfully, not in a grotesque way that makes her look disproportionate and top heavy. Oh no, she’s proportionate. After a couple of mimosas, Janice is ready to step up her game and see where it leads.
Janice repositions herself next to Kelly. “So, I heard you say this is your first raft-up?”
“Yes, it is. Actually, it’s my first time on Lake Cumberland. I’m here with Amara’s brother, Andor. Do you know him?”
“No. I don’t know Amara, either. I spoke to her briefly a few minutes ago. I came up here because I thought I saw someone I knew, and then everyone was so friendly, I just stayed.” Janice reaches up and gathers her hair into a ponytail and drops it back down, noticing the way Kelly watches her during the gesture.
“So how do you know Andor? Is he your boyfriend?”
“He’s not my boyfriend. We work together at his family’s horse farm.”
Taking that as her cue, Janice snakes her hand over to Kelly’s thigh just above her knee and runs her finger upward causing Kelly to wiggle. Kelly returns the favor by draping her leg over Janice’s, using the leverage to pull her closer.
“Let’s take this party someplace more private,” Kelly whispers into Janice’s ear, causing goose bumps to erupt across her flesh despite the warmth of the water.
“What did you have in mind?”
“Let’s go swimming.”
“Swimming? That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
“Hmm, well then, you haven’t been swimming with me.”
They exit the hot tub together and head down to the back of the houseboat. Kelly grabs a float and motions for Janice to head down into the water as she follows closely behind.
“Follow me.”
Janice follows Kelly as she maneuvers them underneath the houseboat where it’s almost a cave-like structure. The water beneath the houseboat is an iridescent green. They can touch and even see the bottom, the water is so clear. “This is almost creepy. Are you sure we won’t get squashed and drown?”
“I’m sure. Relax.”
Kelly pulls Janice close. “Get on the float and lay face down.”
It wasn’t a request.
Janice does as she’s been commanded, feeling the heat as it grows between her legs.
Janice’s head rests on the inflated pillow. Kelly pulls her bikini top down and captures a fistful of Janice’s hair to position her mouth.
Janice lets out a deep primal sound as Kelly pushes her mouth onto her exposed breast, forcing her to give it attention.
“Suck it.”
Janice does as she’s told and is rewarded with a rock hard nipple and a soft groan from Kelly.
In response to her growing arousal, Kelly cups her other breast, teasing her nipple upward between her fingers in a sensuous motion, which causes her to shiver.
Janice sucks hard and takes in more of her clearly augmented breast while she twirls her tongue around the engorged nipple.
“Oh yeah, baby. Just like that.”
Janice reaches out to wrap her arms around Kelly, but she grabs Janice’s hands and holds her wrists tight.
“Oh no, you don’t. We’re doing this my way.”
Kelly takes Janice’s hands and guides them to her breasts and then gathers Janice’s wet hair, twisting it to secure it out of the way.
She begins scraping her fingernails up and down Janice’s back causing her to make a rocking motion, which enhances the pleasure to her nipples.
“Your skin is so soft, so inviting, so beautiful. I could stay here forever raking my fingers over you.”
“I think my skin would prune before too long,” Janice chuckles.
“Did I tell you to speak?” A hint of a grin creeps onto her face.
Kelly continues to glide her fingernails over Janice’s skin, teasing the sides of her breasts with each stroke, enjoying the yelp Janice lets out each time she nearly touches her aching nipples.
Kelly takes Janice’s hands and places them under her head. She steps back to reposition the bikini top back over her swollen nipples.
Ouch, that’s gotta hurt.
Was that it?
Second base?
The water suddenly ripples around Janice, splashing onto her heated skin, and a hand ever so gently begins stroking the inside of her legs. The sensation is pure, exquisite torture. Janice is so hot, she’s certain the water around her will start boiling from the contact with her skin.
Kelly strokes up and down, the lightest, most gentle touch she’s ever felt. Each stroke gets closer and closer to her sex.
“Oh, God, Kelly. You are killing me.”
Kelly lets out an evil laugh and moves her hands to Janice’s butt. She gives it a firm smack and then begins to massage with increasing intensity, her thumbs grazing against the tightly puckered entrance barely covered by her bikini.
She pushes her thumbs down and strokes Janice’s wetness and then runs them back up. She repeats this motion several times then removes her bikini bottoms.
Janice chokes and gasps for air. Having forgotten she was laying on a float, she took in a bit of water.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. Please don’t stop.” Janice strains through a few more coughs that expel the last bit of offending water from her lungs.
Kelly continues on her journey. She positions herself to Janice’s side giving her hand just the right angle.
She inserts three fingers into Janice’s inviting wetness. Her thumb continues to stroke and press against the tight entrance. She begins to stroke Janice with a slow, rhythmic, kneading motion. Janice can feel her fingers pushing deeper and then pull back out while her thumb teases and barely enters her more intimate opening.
“Oh, dear God, this is hot! Where did you learn to do that?” Janice begins panting but is careful not to move lest she drowns herself. Not being able to move adds a whole new level of sweet torture to her growing arousal.
“On the edge. So close. So. Close. Ahhhh. Yes. Yes. Oh, yes.”
Janice’s muscles throb and twitch, absorbing and expelling Kelly’s fingers as the climax peaks and then recedes. She holds her hand in place while stroking up and down her back gently with her fingernails, letting Janice ride the orgasm till there’s no more left.
As Kelly removes her hand from Janice, she pulls her bikini back into place and then moves around to look into her eyes.
“Like?”
“Like. I never thought floating on the water would be so amazing. I couldn’t move like I wanted to. It was like being restrained.”
Kelly pulls Janice into the water and gives her a soft kiss on the lips and then pulls back.
“You’re rather pleased with yourself, aren’t you?”
Kelly looks up and delivers a huge grin. “Yep.”
“Okay, now it’s your turn.”
“Nope.”
Janice gives Kelly a curious look. “What do you mean, nope?”
“This was all for you.”
“Wow. I’ve never been a bottom before. I’m not sure what to do now.”
“Now we get out from under this houseboat, and you head back over to your friends.”
“My friends,? Shit. I promised to behave today.”
“Oh, honey, I can vouch for your good behavior.” Kelly chuckles as she retrieves the float and heads back to the ladder.
JANICE PADDLES OVER to where the pontoon is anchored and sees Thalia and Annie in the water and René and Derrick on the shore, but no sign of Sammy.<
br />
“Where’s Sammy?”
Thalia responds, “She took the jet ski out for a spin. Have fun in the hot tub?”
Janice turns beet red as she climbs out of the kayak and tosses it and the safety gear onto the boat.
“Thought so. You do remember our promise, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I remember. I’m sorry.”
“Well, I’m not the one who needs the apology. But you might want to talk to Sammy.”
“Is she honestly mad at me?”
“She says no. But I’m not so sure.”
“Okay. Thanks for the warning. I’ll talk to her.”
“Was she worth it?”
Annie, who’s been silent up to this point, has to chime in. “Yeah, what’s the number?”
“There you go again with the number. You have to be doing some sort of research.”
“Pro, I’m just curious, that’s all. Can’t a woman be curious?”
Janice interrupts their banter. “I’ll save you the trouble of updating your spreadsheet. The number is zero.”
Perplexed, Annie and Thalia look at each other and then back to Janice.
“Zero?” Thalia and Annie say in unison.
“Zero. Turns out I can be a bottom when paired with the right top.”
Thalia’s jaw drops in surprise. “Okay then. On that note, let’s head back to the boat and have some food.”
Thalia is pulling the boxed lunches out of the cooler when Sammy arrives.
“You’re just in time. Do you want turkey, ham or roast beef?” Thalia asks while covertly taking a peek into Sammy’s eyes.
“Turkey for me and a beer.”
“Annie, can you get Sammy a beer if you don’t mind.”
“Sure. While I’m in here, what else can I get?”
With sandwiches and drinks distributed all around and everyone settled into a comfortable spot, attention turns to the sounds of the crowd and the country music playing in the background.
“Well, ladies–and gentleman–the raft-up is almost over. If there are no objections, as soon as we finish our food, let’s head back to the dock. René, do you mind taking the boat back and Sammy and I will head back on the jet ski?”
“No, I don’t mind. Derrick and I are going out to celebrate tonight. He got a promotion at work.”
Everyone congratulates Derrick while cleaning up the remnants of their food and drink, getting the boat ship-shape for the trip back.
Thalia unties and stows the rope and then she and Sammy head toward the dock.
“We should be able to get back, get this thing covered up and over to the slip before they arrive.”
Sammy nods. She guesses the change in drivers has something to do with their earlier chat. One of the best and worst things about being best friends with Thalia is her perceptiveness. Sammy needs to share this with someone. And who better than a therapist—a sex therapist no less.
Still it’s scary. Opening up an emotional scar is no less painful than opening up a physical one. It’s like having to break your arm all over again so it can heal properly. It’s one thing to suffer the accident. But it’s completely different to cause yourself pain intentionally even when you know it will lead to something better in the future.
When our feelings are dull and faded, we’re feeling our past. Our hopes, dreams, and fears come from feeling our future. It’s only in the present we’re able to experience the full measure of feeling what life offers.
Sammy doesn’t care for the familiar admonition to ‘live in the moment.’ She simply finds it redundant. Whatever isn’t in the present is something other than living. Unfortunately, sometimes we allow the dullness of the past or the ethereal of the future to crowd out the intensity of the present.
And that’s what’s happening to Sammy now. For years, the past has stayed where it belongs. But lately, it has become more than a shadow. It’s acquired substance, and it’s time to address it.
Sammy looks around to see that they’ve already made it back to the dock. “Wow! That was fast. I guess I was daydreaming and lost track of my surroundings.”
Thalia pulls onto the HydroPort and turns it off. She and Sammy make quick work of getting the cover on and then head over to the slip to await the arrival of the Three Graces.
“So, Sammy, care to share your daydreams?”
Thalia looks over at Sammy and sees the wet streaks forming down her cheeks. She stops Sammy and turns so they are face to face.
“Oh, Sammy, honey. What’s going on?” Thalia wipes the tears with her thumb.
“Pro, I don’t want to talk about it here. Do you have time tonight if I come by your house?”
Thalia takes Sammy’s hands into hers. “For you, absolutely. I’ll grill some steaks, and we’ll have a nice dinner.”
Sammy sniffs and wipes her face then nods as they continue on their way.
CHAPTER FIVE
THALIA ARRIVES BACK at the house after dropping René and Derrick off. She’s greeted by two crazy, excited pit bulls when she opens the door. Their jumping and running cause her to drop the groceries she’s picked up for dinner with Sammy tonight.
“Geez, dogs. Settle down, and I’ll let you out to go potty.”
Thalia retrieves her scattered groceries and places them on the island and then turns to let the dogs outside. While she’s filling up the dogs’ water and food bowls, her phone rings.
“Hey there, Janice. What’s up?”
“Hey, Pro. I just wanted to check in with you about Sammy. When we were docking the boat, I tried to apologize to her, but she brushed me off and wouldn’t even look at me. I think I’ve really made her mad. Any ideas how I can smooth this over?”
“She’s coming over for dinner tonight.”
As she’s talking to Janice, she hears another call come in.
“Hang on. It’s Annie calling. Let me join the calls so we can all talk.”
“Annie? I have Janice on the line, too. Are you calling about Sammy, as well?”
“Yes, I’m worried about her, Pro.”
“Me too, guys. As I was telling Janice, Sammy’s coming over for dinner tonight. Honestly, I don’t think her mood has much to do with the raft-up. Something else is bothering her. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Let her know we love her,” Annie says with a hint of sadness in her voice.
“Same for me.”
“Will do, guys. Bye.”
She calls the dogs in from their potty break and then opens a bottle of Red Moscato to go with dinner. She pours herself a glass as she preps the steaks, potatoes, and salad. Sammy should be arriving in about a half hour.
Thalia takes her glass of wine over to the sofa and plops down between the dogs. She puts her feet on the coffee table and lets the events of the day wash over her.
Grace’s tummy growls. “You dogs drive me crazy. Why is it you can never eat unless I’m here to watch? I just don’t get it.”
The dogs hear the sound of a car driving up the road long before Thalia does, and they jump off the sofa in a barking fit toward the door, leaving Thalia holding her wine glass with a death grip.
“I guess Sammy’s arrived.”
Thalia opens the door for Sammy, doing her best to keep the dogs from loving her into the ground.
“I brought a bottle of wine, a Barefoot Red Moscato.”
“Oh, that’s funny. I just opened a bottle. Would you like a glass?”
“Yes, please.”
Sammy continues to love the dogs into a quiet, peaceful state. “I’m so glad you got both of them. They needed to be together. I think dogs should always be adopted in pairs. Especially if they’re going to be left alone for extended periods of time.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more. They are definitely a happy pair. Their manners are another matter.”
“Oh, don’t listen to her, puppies. Your manners are just fine,” Sammy says in a cute baby voice as she strokes the dogs making their whole back sides wag from side to side.
<
br /> Thalia motions the dogs to lie down on the sofa. “So, do you want to sit for a while and chat or are you ready to eat?”
“Let’s eat. I’m starving. What can I do to help?”
“I’m going to light the grill. If you can set the table and put the salad and condiments out, I’ll throw the potatoes into the microwave to bake.”
“Sounds good.”
Thalia returns from the grill with two perfectly prepared, medium rare fillets and places one on each of the plates Sammy has set out for them.
“The table looks great,” she says as she refills both glasses.
“Oh, this is good, Thalia.” Sammy moans as if the steak is better than sex.
“The local meat market. I won’t buy meat anywhere else.”
“I don’t blame you.”
“So, other than Janice misbehaving, did you have a good time at the raft-up? Did you see anyone interesting while you were out?”
Sammy stops eating and sets her fork down. She picks up her glass of wine and empties it in one gulp.
Thalia sets her fork down and gently rubs Sammy’s hands. “Honey, I’m sorry. What’s going on?”
Sammy picks up her fork and continues to eat. “Let’s just finish our dinner.”
Thalia sees the wall come up. She goes to the refrigerator and pulls out a bottle of water and sets it down for Sammy and they finish their dinner in silence.
THALIA AND SAMMY make quick work of clearing the table and putting the dishes in the dishwasher.
“You go ahead and take the dogs out onto the deck, and I’ll make us some coffee and join you.”
“Come on, puppies. Let’s go watch the sunset.”
Thalia smiles at the loving way she treats her dogs.
She knows instinctively that talking with Sammy is going to be more like a therapy session than a conversation amongst friends. They’ve been best friends for several years, and Thalia’s never seen Sammy so distraught and yet secretive at the same time.
Thalia picks up the coffee mugs and heads out onto the deck. “Here you go. Cream and sugar, just the way you like it.”