by Roz James
Kat smiled, keen not to increase her embarrassment. “Is it warm enough to eat outside?”
“Oh yes, however if you get cold later as the sun goes down we can provide blankets.”
“Then you’ve thought of everything. I’ll sit outside please.”
Adrienne directed Katherine to a table at the edge of the terrace, removing a lighter from her pocket and lighting the candle. She called the waiter over. “This is Giorgos, I will leave you in his capable hands. Please, enjoy your dinner.”
Kat watched as Adrienne walked away, her first opportunity to see her full figure and from behind. She wasn’t disappointed, her legs were shapely and her ass also voluptuous.
Katherine settled quite quickly into a routine. She would breakfast in her room on rich natural yoghurt, fruit and toast, then walk into town and wander around the market and shops. She’d stop for a small lunch of stuffed vine leaves, and a glass of wine and then would return to her room. The afternoon would be spent on the shaded part of her balcony writing.
A freelance journalist, writing articles for a number of newspapers and magazines, with a regular column in a high selling magazine, Katherine had always wanted to write a novel. Since her breakup she had struggled to find the motivation to write at all, having to push herself even to meet her column deadline, but there was something about Crete that made her feel renewed and invigorated. By day two she had started her book, she had a title and a writing brief.
Katherine would write for 3 to 4 hours, go down for a swim in the small saltwater pool then return to her room for a nap to refresh. On waking she would dress and go downstairs and have a drink on the terrace, a local wine or ouzo just before dinner. After dining outside she would return to her room around 11 p.m., and fall into a restful sleep. Katherine was loving the tranquillity and enthused about her writing.
Adrienne had watched Katherine, seeing her skin gradually turn golden and her hair whiten in the sun. If she was working at dinner she would speak with her briefly, exchanging pleasantries, and always show her the best table available. She thought that some of the sadness had lifted from Katherine’s face and tried where she could to get her to smile. She observed her talking to other guests, but again this was minimal, generally she kept to herself. She found herself unable to stop herself thinking about her.
CHAPTER FOUR
Katherine was sitting on her balcony one afternoon when she heard a commotion downstairs. This was unusual as the hotel was usually so tranquil. The sound of an angry voice and then sobbing reached her ears.
Katherine went down to the foyer to find a young couple, he was standing at the desk gesticulating, while she was sitting in one of the reception chairs, crying openly. She could see Adrienne standing behind the reception desk, frantically checking her computer and looking fraught. Listening she quickly realised what the problem was, the hotel had overbooked. The couple, who had met there and were back to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary, did not have a room. Adrienne was phoning other hotels nearby, with the assistance of her colleague, another receptionist, but it was high season and they didn’t appear to be having any luck. Katherine could tell she was harassed.
Katherine signalled to Adrienne. Initially she signed that she was busy and couldn’t, but as Kat persisted she eventually came over.
“Problems?”
Adrienne nodded. “It’s fine Katherine, please do not let us disturb you, we will sort it.”
“Are there no other rooms available in the hotel?”
Adrienne looked stressed. “Not for a couple, no.”
Katherine thought for a moment. “What about for a single person.... for me?”
Adrienne looked surprised. “What?”
Katherine smiled. “I said is there a room for a single person, for me?”
Adrienne looked astounded. “You’d be willing to give up your room?”
“Maybe, if there was somewhere else for me to go. I’d like to help.” She looked at the sobbing woman, her husband was now calmer, sitting with his arm around her shoulder, as if resigned to what had happened. “Them... and you if I can.”
Adrienne swallowed. “There is another room. I have to be honest it’s not our best, we keep it for overflow situations, or for staff sleepovers for events.”
“Show me.”
Adrienne left her colleague making phone calls and showed Katherine the room. She was right, it was small, but had room for a queen size bed and still had a small balcony with a view of the sea. “I’ll take it.”
“But you’ve paid so much for your room Katherine, it is one of the best in the hotel.”
Katherine thought quickly, she wasn’t ready to go home, there is nothing to go home for. “Well make me an offer, if I move in here how much longer could I stay for what I’ve already paid?”
Adrienne smiled. “Let me work it out but at least 2 weeks.” She smiled to herself, she had to admit that the thought of Katherine leaving was unsettling.
Katherine stuck out her hand. “Done.” She smiled. “Now go and put them out their misery, I’ll pack my things.”
Adrienne shook her outstretched hand, feeling a surge of electricity as their palms met. I wonder if Katherine felt that too?
Once they were settled Katherine was sitting on the terrace when Adrienne approached holding a glass of champagne. “Thankyou Katherine, you saved the day, this is from us. Oh, and as well as the additional 3 weeks, not 2, I’m taking you out on Saturday as a thankyou.”
Katherine looked surprised. “You don’t need to do that Adrienne.”
“Yes I do, and anyway its just given me an excuse. I want you to see Crete, to show you the real Crete, not just the tourist areas, if you’ll let me? This is a beautiful island and you’ve only seen a small part.”
Katherine hesitated, but the chance to spend time with Adrienne was too good to miss, and she had wanted to see the real Crete. She had planned to travel but hadn’t realised how much she would get caught up in her writing. She smiled at her. “Okay, I’d like that.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Katherine was ready at 7 p.m. on the Saturday as requested when Adrienne arrived. She had agreed to meet her on the terrace and held her breath as she watched Adrienne walked towards her. This was the first that she had seen Adrienne out of uniform, and the white cotton dress she wore showed off her beautiful figure and dark skin. They walked into town together.
Katherine already felt that she knew Adrienne better than the week before. The loss of her large balcony, part of it shaded most of the afternoon, meant that she now wrote on the hotel terrace instead. When Adrienne was working she would come over and talk to her for a few minutes, especially when she took her coffee break and sat outside her office. When they were short staffed, and she was serving, she would exchange pleasantries when she got the chance.
Katherine would watch her, Adrienne was a naturally beautiful woman, always appearing happy and pleasant to all the guests. She wondered about her life, the hours in hospitality were long as an employee, never mind as a family member. She couldn’t see a ring and wondered if she was in a relationship. Even though she worked the best part of most days Katherine found herself missing her when she was not there. That morning she had woken mid orgasm, quickly moving her fingers to between her legs to prolong the pleasure. She realised that she had been dreaming about Adrienne, Adrienne looking into her eyes as she slowly fucked her.
“Hungry?”
Katherine was brought back to the here and now. “Starving yes.”
“Good.” Adrienne smiled at her. “My cousin is preparing small plates of traditional Cretan food, he is an excellent chef, even though I am biased. I know you’ll enjoy it.”
“I’m salivating just at the thought.” Adrienne hadn’t exaggerated, the food, the ambience was fabulous. It was a small restaurant with only six tables and a view of the sea that was breath-taking. Adrienne explained that he had only opened it this season, and that if it went well he would expand and incre
ase the number of tables, he had already rented a small piece of vacant land next door.
“Tell me about yourself Katherine.”
“There’s not much to tell, I’m a freelance journalist...recently single as you know, and I wanted to do something different, see the world a bit more and find somewhere to write.”
“For magazines, papers?”
“Yes, that’s my day job, and I have a column, but like many journalists I’m a closet novelist. I’ve dreamt of writing a novel and tried a few times but never got beyond the first few pages. There’s something about here, I can’t explain it. I’m already on my fifth chapter.”
“That’s fabulous, what’s it about?”
“It’s a bit autobiographical actually, they do say write what you know... but this will have a happy ending.”
Adrienne raised her eyebrow. “And life doesn’t?”
“Not so far.” Katherine took a large gulp of her wine, she suddenly realised that it had been a couple of days since she had thought of Tanya. “Anyway, that’s enough about me, tell me about you?”
Adrienne could tell that she was anxious to change the subject. “There’s not much to tell. I work at the hotel, that takes most of my time.”
“Well you know what they say about all work and no play? Do you work with your parents?” Katherine assumed that the middle-aged couple, who she thought to be the owners, were Adrienne’s parents. She looked like them and they seemed close.
“No, they are my aunt and uncle, my parents live in Athens with my sister and her family.”
“Oh, and are you okay with that?” Kat looked concerned.
“Totally, I grew up here, with my parents, in what had been part of a farm just down the road from here. My grandparents owned this house, it became the hotel, when they died my parents, aunt and uncle turned it into this.”
“It’s impressive.”
“Thankyou. Then my sister went to University in Athens, she’s an architect now. She met her husband Hakim there, he works in a bank, and they have 2 children. It was always too quiet for her here, I suspected when she left for University that she would never come back here to stay. My parents visited regularly and my sister needed help with childcare. They loved the city too and decided to retire early and stay.”
“What about you?”
“I got the chance to go too, I studied there, but I’m not a city girl Katherine, this is my home. I see them regularly though, they come here, or I visit when I can.”
Katherine watched her as she spoke, she loved the sound of her voice, strong, deep and slightly husky. God she’s beautiful, and so together. “What is your dream Adrienne?”
“My dream...” She didn’t hesitate. “My own hotel, something small, nothing like the Orion. It’s not likely to happen. I have my own house, my parents house that I talked off, basically what had been the farm outbuildings, but I’m nowhere close to being able to afford to buy a hotel.”
“I’d like to see your farm sometime.”
Adrienne smiled. “Well, let me show you more of Crete and I’ll take you there.”
Katherine smiled back, she was enjoying her time with Adrienne, she was good company. “It’s a deal.”
After thanking her cousin for the fabulous food and hospitality, Adrienne took her to a street with a small number of bars. It was off the tourist strip. They went through a gate and into a large open area, with an outside bar, comfortable chairs in the open and undercover and a small dancefloor. Several couples were already dancing.
They sat at one of the seats undercover and Adrienne ordered them a pitcher of beer. Katherine looked around, suddenly realising that they were in a gay bar. “Adrienne, you didn’t need to bring me here, I’d have been just as comfortable at any bar, I’d be happy seeing your regular haunts.”
Adrienne smiled, meeting her eyes. “What makes you think this isn’t a regular haunt for me?”
Katherine was shocked. “You’re gay?”
Adrienne could tell she was surprised. “Well I was last time I looked.”
“I’m sorry, I hadn’t realised, my gaydar is pretty rubbish at the moment.”
“That’s okay, now you know.” Adrienne looked worried. “I hope it doesn’t bother you.”
“No, of course not, why should it? Does your family know?”
“Not all of them, my aunt and uncle do, they found out. I can’t say they didn’t struggle with it initially, but we are very close and they love me and want me to be happy. My aunt was particularly upset at first, she wanted me to marry her friend’s son.”
“And was he upset?”
“No relieved, he’s a sensitive soul, happy living with his mother, I’d have eaten him for breakfast.” They both laughed.
Katherine realised she hadn’t had such a good time in ages. Adrienne was lovely and lots of fun. A number of her friends came up and said hello and she introduced them. Both of them were asked to dance throughout the evening, but without discussing it they were happy just spending time together.
Katherine was feeling slightly drunk when Adrienne asked her to dance. When the dancefloor got busy and pushed them together she held her close. Katherine didn’t resist, enjoying the feel of Adrienne’s body pressed against hers, the heat of her hand in the small of her back. Katherine loved the smell of her, she smelled of citrus, and the feel of her breasts against hers. When Adrienne pulled away she felt like something was missing, she already missed the sensations.
The evening came to an end far too quickly for Katherine. She had become used to spending much of her time alone, focussing on her book with only brief conversations with Adrienne, other staff or guests, or skyping Nicole. She realised just how much she had missed company, but she knew it wasn’t just that. Adrienne was beautiful, she was funny, witty and intelligent, her English was flawless, she didn’t take herself too seriously. Katherine realised she was very attracted to her. There were times when Adrienne looked at her that she felt the look all the way to her centre, after the dancing she had to admit that she was extremely aroused.
As they walked home Katherine realised she was quite drunk, Adrienne walked her to her room, her hand around her waist to steady her. When Katherine opened the door she pulled Adrienne in behind her.
Before either could work out who had initiated it they were kissing. Katherine’s tongue was in her mouth and Adrienne’s hand had grasped Katherine’s and brought it to her breast. Katherine couldn’t get enough of the feel and taste of Adrienne, and not content with touching her breast, Katherine lifted her dress over her head and pushed her bra aside to allow her mouth access to her beautiful full breasts.
Adrienne groaned as she took off Katherine’s shirt and pulled down her linen trousers leaving her in her lace underwear. Reaching around she removed her bra before pushing her down onto the bed. Katherine pulled her down on top of her, groaning as she felt her weight on her. Adrienne moved down the bed, pulling her panties down as she went.
Katherine felt as if every cell on her body was on fire as Adrienne came back up kissing her, and then slowly worked her way back down her body with her hands and mouth. Adrienne spent time on her breasts before allowing her hand to separate and slip between her legs.
Adrienne looked into Katherine’s blue eyes, now glazed over, as she teased the engorged nub before slowly and gently pushing at her opening and then entering her with two fingers. Katherine groaned as her inner muscled clutched at her fingers and she moved against them. As Adrienne flicked her clit with her finger, and continued to move inside her and eased her gently towards her climax, Katherine’s emotions began to overwhelm her. It had still only been a few weeks since her hopes of a future with Tanya had been shattered, she realised how much she had been holding in her feelings.
As Adrienne pushed her over the precipice it was as though a tight spring had been uncoiled. As Katherine clenched Adrienne’s fingers from within and waves of pleasure spread through her body, hot tears began to fall down her face and she bega
n to sob loudly. Adrienne held her to her tenderly as she cried, rubbing her back with gentle strokes until she fell asleep.
CHAPTER SIX
Katherine woke in the morning to find Adrienne had gone, she remembered the events of the night before, the feel and touch of Adrienne. Her smell was everywhere. Alongside this she was mortified, and wondered how she would face her, not only had she been pathetic and cried, she had completely ignored Adrienne’s needs.
She showered and dressed, taking her laptop onto the terrace and ordering coffee and a toastie, she had missed breakfast by a couple of hours. While in one respect she dreaded seeing Adrienne, she found herself looking out for her. She was deep in thought, lost in her book, when Adrienne appeared.
Adrienne looked concerned as she approached her tentatively. “Katherine Hi, how are you?
Katherine looked up at her. “Please Adrienne, sit for a moment.” Adrienne did so allowing Katherine to look at her face more easily. “I’m sorry about last night, I know this will sound trite but it’s not you, it’s me, you are wonderful Adrienne. Please forgive me?”
Adrienne smiled, she had been feeling guilty all morning, worried that Katherine was too drunk and she had taken advantage. “There’s nothing to forgive, it was too soon for you, I understand that. I just hope that we can still be friends. I want to show you the island, don’t think you’re getting out of that.”
Katherine smiled. “I’d like that, thankyou for being so understanding.”
Adrienne smiled, gently touching her shoulder. “I like you Katherine and I’ve enjoyed spending time with you, that hasn’t changed. I’m off on Tuesday, I’ll pick you up at 10, after breakfast.”
“Perfect.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Tuesday was bright and warm, they had spent the day driving around, stopping at small villages and taking in amazing views. Adrienne had packed a picnic and they lunched on a beautiful deserted beach, taking time to swim afterwards. They both worked hard to not be caught looking at each others’ bodies.