***
Sara was a phenomenal guide showing them the landmarks and telling them little known stories about the landmarks, about Paris and about people. The Spanish girl was gorgeous and clearly madly in love with Mira. An emotion that was more than fully returned by Mira. They’d met when Mira had come to Paris to celebrate her birthday a couple of years back and had engaged Sara as her guide. It was a day that changed both their lives and they hadn’t separated even for a day ever since. Mira was almost as compelling as Ree and Ika could completely empathise with Sara.
Sara had suggested walking across the city to really be able to soak in the atmosphere and the six of them had an amazing day. In the evening, Sara suggested pub hopping. After a quick change for a night out, off went the group pubbing and ending up in the most exclusive lesbian night club. They were joined there by Sara’s friend, the jaw-droppingly spectacular, gregarious Taylor and her arresting, though reticent, partner, Joy who were returning to the US from a trip to Egypt and had stopped over to spend some time with Sara and Mira. While Ree and Mira didn’t care for dancing, the six others danced up a storm.
At precisely midnight, the club erupted singing happy birthday to Ika. The club staff brought in a giant cake, big enough to feed the thousands of partying women. Twenty seven bottles, marking Ika’s twenty seven years, of champagne were popped. Ika could barely find her feet in all the madness and celebration created for her birthday.
It took a while to extricate themselves, but eventually Ika found herself alone with Ree in a private room in the club. Finally, here was the only celebration that she really wanted. Being with Ree. She threw her arms around Ree’s shoulders, climbing her, as was her wont.
“Happy birthday, my love,” Ree said looking up at her.
“Happy anniversary,” Ika smiled back softly, bending down to kiss Ree passionately.
***
They finally got back to the hotel after breakfast in Angelina’s around nine in the morning. The Rao sisters dragged themselves to their suites to sleep off the excitement of the previous day. It was by far the most exciting day that they’d ever experienced.
Ika stripped, cuddled into Ree and promptly fell into deep sleep. She woke up early in the afternoon. Ree had promised a party starting at eight in the evening, which meant they had about seven hours. Ika was sure they’d need them. Ree was still sleeping so she carefully slid out of her embrace taking care not to wake Ree up. She brushed her teeth and took a decadent bath before going back.
Ree was still sleeping, so Ika crept into bed and rubbed her nipple against Ree’s lips. Ree’s tongue flicked out licking her nipple before she opened her mouth and sucked it. Humming with pleasure, she opened her eyes to be hit by Ika’s smouldering gaze. In pure reaction, Ree’s arm around Ika tightened and her attentions to Ika’s breast increased. Her other hand came up to play with Ika’s other breast. Ika moaned, squirming, arching her back and pushing herself further in to Ree.
“Hold the thought,” Ree said, letting Ika loose, “Let me get the smells and tastes of last night off me. In the meanwhile, this is for you, lovely…happy birthday.” She handed a large brown cover over to Ika and went into the bathroom. Ree’s abrupt exit reminded Ika of the time in Krabi when she’d turned tail and hidden in the bathroom of the second bedroom as Ika listened to the song Ree’d sent her to express her feelings.
Bemused and somewhat cock-blocked, Ika opened the cover. Inside were legal papers naming her 20% owner of the Centenza Hotel Group. Ika couldn’t believe it…Ree had actually bought the resort that they had met in. Oh God, Ree…what do I do with you. You give me way, waaay too much and I don’t know how to react to your generosity. Physically, Ika was completely pampered. Sexually, it was spectacular and incredible. Materially, she was simply drowning in everything that Ree showered on her. Emotionally, she had never felt as happy, grounded and complete. You big chicken…you again went and hid…but I have something for you too…
Ree came back into the bedroom to find that Ika had not only held on to the thought but created an entire atmosphere for it. Ika had drawn the curtains, turned down the bed, created low, mood lighting and was sitting gloriously naked resting her back against pillows propped against the headboard. Giving Ree a heated look.
“C’mere, you chicken,” Ika curled her finger towards herself.
Ree obediently went and climbed into bed, into Ika’s arms.
“What am I going to do with you, sweetie?” Ika mumbled against Ree’s lips. “What do I know about the hotel business?”
“You’re a non-active but major partner,” Ree smiled. “You have veto rights on everything that you choose to get involved in. But the most important thing is that no one has so far used or will ever occupy our room again,” she grinned.
“Oh honey…you actually made that your museum of memories,” Ika kissed Ree’s cheek, running her fingertips along the beloved face. “Ree, you crazy person,” she accused huskily, “I don’t even know what to say.”
“Say you love me.”
“I love you, Ree…I am nothing but love for you.”
Ree’s eyes darkened with emotion and she bent down to kiss Ika…hands and mouth soon wandering over the succulent skin.
“I got something for you too,” Ika gasped for breath, gently pushing Ree to a sitting position between her legs. “Open me,” her voice was breathy as she gave Ree a heavy-lidded look.
A look of realisation followed almost immediately with one of wonder crossed Ree’s face. Her eyes jerked from Ika’s face to between her legs and Ika parted her legs slightly more to encourage Ree. She held Ree’s hands and guided them to her centre. Fingers practically trembling, Ree ran her fingers along the outside edges, then along Ika’s slit before gently and ever so slowly parting the swollen outer lips to reveal the horizontal piercing that Ika had got done on her clitoral hood for Ree. Through the piercing was a rainbow coloured titanium captive bead ring. It was everything that Ree had imagined. She traced the ring with shaking fingers and then, ever so slowly bent down to trace it with her lips and tongue.
***
“Enough, Ree…” Ika gasped, “Stop…”
The piercing had driven Ree crazy and she’d been between Ika’s legs for what felt like an eternity and a gazillion orgasms. With a few last licks and kisses, Ree slid up, eyes shining. Ika lay wrung and spent in a completely liquid state incapable of moving…incapable of opening her eyes…incapable of anything but shallow breaths. Ree gathered her in her arms.
“You liked,” it was practically an incoherent hum from Ika. She would have smiled if she could. But all she could do was fall into a deep sleep.
***
Ika woke and felt Ree’s hand between her thighs, a look of disbelief on her face as she traced the hood ring gently and tenderly with wonder. Ika, her body still in the lassitude of afterglow, smiled inwardly. She nuzzled her nose to Ree’s shoulder and placed a small kiss on the bare skin. Felt Ree kiss the top of her head. They lay in peaceful silence for a while just soaking in the love. Ika drifted back to sleep.
When Ika woke up again, nothing had changed, except that Ika had more energy and her bones and muscles had come back. She smiled when she realised that Ree was still toying with her hood ring.
“You liked it,” she stated in a murmur.
“You could tell?” Ree joked.
“Happy anniversary, Ree.”
Silence for a while.
“Sweetie, I know you are somewhat blown by my piercing…”
“I can’t believe you did it,” Ree turned her head slightly to look at Ika.
“…but you know it’s here to stay,” Ika looked at Ree, giving her the trademarked under-the-lashes look. “Honey, I need you to play inside my cunt and with my clit soon,” she blushed, “I miss it,” breathy.
***
Ika’s birthday party was unbelievable. Ree had booked the whole first level of Eiffel Tower, got the Berlin Symphony Orchestra to perform Ika’s favourite songs and music pieces in addi
tion to their own selections, and flown in every single person important to Ika…parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, school friends, college friends, work friends…people from all across the world.
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…forever…
“Baby, when can you take a week off?” Ree asked Ika over the phone. It was a shade over two years since Ika had started off as Ree’s Executive Assistant and now she was handling some divisions, some geographies and all of New Businesses and Innovations. Ree seemed to be turning over more and more to her and now Ika had her own army of staff, much like Ree. Ika proved to be an unparalleled natural at the job and Translink was thriving.
“Sweetie, for you I can take off any time,” no matter what, Ika was certain that Ree came first in everything. It was still rare for Ree to ask for anything, but it was improving. If Ree wanted to leave right away, Ika would make sure that she’d do that even if it meant that she’d have to kill herself when the week was over. Ika was fairly certain that Ree wanted to travel somewhere, but if Ree wanted her to take a week off and sit at home together, Ika would be more than happy to do that too.
“You know, you’ve been wanting to go to Jordan. I was wondering whether we can plan a week or ten days a month from now. We’ll even get to see a meteor shower in Wadi Rum,” Ree said excitedly and Ika’s heart warmed at her enthusiasm. Whenever Ree got into her child-like excitement about anything, Ika felt her heart flooding with love…and this was no exception.
“Love you, Ree…let’s go.”
***
Petra
Petra with the rose-coloured towering rocks and sculptures was on Ika’s travel wish-list for a very long time. They arrived late evening and by the time they had checked their chalet in the hotel right next to the famed city it was early evening.
For dinner, Ika was surprised when Ree led her into the narrow path going to the imposing rose-city. “Petra by night, Ree?” Ika said excitedly. “I thought it was available only on certain days.”
Ree smiled at her. They were the only ones there. Set right in front of the structure of the library was a table for two. “Dinner,” Ree grinned at Ika’s dumbfounded expression. Curtained off, was music. Piano and violin. Playing the most beautiful songs…all of Ika’s romantic favourites.
After eating one of the best meals of her life, Ika sat back, gazing at Ree. Enjoying the music…the night…the conversation…Ree…and her life. Playing in the background was a Simon and Garfunkel song. Ree reached out for Ika’s hand. The hitherto instrumental music suddenly had words…And so you see I’ve come to doubt…ending with…The only truth I know is you.
“Will you marry me, Ika?” so soft that Ika almost thought she’d imagined it. She stared at Ree not believing that Ree had actually said it. That she had actually asked. Ree looked at her earnestly. A little nervously. “Will you?” she asked again.
Tears ran down Ika’s face…”Yes…yes…” she burst into maniacal laughter, “Yesssssssss.” Felt Ree slipping a ring on her finger…a sparking five caret diamond bracketed with two heart-shaped rubies…”Yes,” she said in a hushed tone, getting up and hugging Ree.
***
They wanted a quiet court marriage. But with both their families, extended families and close friends demanding to be a part of it, there were about a hundred people at the ‘quiet’ ceremony.
A few days before the ceremony, Ree’s lawyer and close friend Nicola had invited herself over for dinner.
“Reeth, can I talk to you for a bit?” she asked looking at Ree meaningfully as they sat in the den after pigging out on one of Ika’s delicious dinners.
“I catch you later, sweetie,” Ika took Nicola’s hint and got up to leave the room.
“No baby, stay.” Ree looked at Nicola, “Nick, there’s nothing that you can’t tell me in front of Ika. We’re getting married…we’re partners in everything.”
Nicola looked uncomfortable, but knew that Ree would not budge on this one. “Have you thought about a pre-nup?” she asked delicately.
Ree laughed. “If Ika leaves me nothing would matter, Nick. She can take every last material possession I have and I wouldn’t care. In fact, she should take everything because I don’t think I’d survive without her.
***
The reception was a full-blown circus. Over thirty thousand guests in the lush lawns of the Taj Mahal.
***
It was Ika who first brought up the idea of kids. Ree’s delight at the thought sealed the deal. They struck lucky and Ika got pregnant right off the bat. But it was a far-from-easy pregnancy as far as her moods were concerned. But Ree never faltered, never failed. She held Ika, nurtured her and made her feel even more loved and even more beautiful than ever before.
When Maya was born, Ree took on the night duties except for the feeding part. Slowly but surely she eased out of Translink and Ika took over.
Aria was a much easier baby.
As a gift on Aria’s birth, Ika transferred most of her stock in Translink to Ika making her the owner.
***
…endless memories…
***************************************************************
In the twenty-four years, Ree had courted her every single day and Ika had melted every single day.
Ika had romanced Ree every single day and Ree surrendered to her all over again each day.
Ree still made her feel like the most beautiful woman with her eyes and words on the daily.
Ika still fed Ree breakfast every day.
Ree still made Ika feel her clothes had fallen off.
Ika still anchored Ree, and Ree was still the axis around which her world revolved.
Ika still remained Ree’s only safe place.
They both fell in love with each other every single day and choose each other every moment.
***
Touch. Talk. Trust. Their relationship was built on the firm foundation of the three Ts and it never wavered.
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