She cast a cursory glance, handed it back with a smile and her platinum American Express card and said, "I'll need two keys."
The bellman that escorted them chattered non-stop on the short elevator ride. He was about their age, and it was obvious that he was intensely curious about the two young women he was escorting.
He started with Ryan. "So how long are you planning on being in the Bay Area?"
She replied with her normal habit of responding only to the question she was asked. "Mmm, I suppose the rest of my life," she said thoughtfully. "You're not planning on leaving, are you, Jamie?" she asked as she turned her gaze to her partner.
"Nope. I think we're lifers," she agreed.
"Oh! You're locals?" he asked.
"Yep," Ryan replied, once again giving the barest response.
"Here for a convention?" he tried again.
"Nope."
His brow was furrowed in concentration and frustration as he tried to find a way to pry information out of the enigmatic raven-haired woman. As usual Jamie couldn't stand the silence and she offered, "We're students at Cal. We just need a quiet place to study for a few days."
He gave her a look that implied he had heard better stories, but he quickly put on his polite face and said, "I hope you enjoy yourselves then." He walked ahead of them down the hall, and the smaller woman could not stop herself from pinching her tall partner as they walked after him.
"Brat!" she whispered.
Ryan gave her normal 'who me?' look as the bellman opened the door and guided their things into the spacious room. "Here we are," he announced as he spent a few minutes showing them all of the amenities.
Jamie was satisfied with both the layout and the orientation of the lovely room. It faced the gently rolling Oakland hills, giving them a nice view of homes and young trees. A tragic fire had dramatically altered this view, but the homeowners had done their best to replant with varieties of trees that would not explode in a fire the way the firs and eucalyptus had done. Since the new homes were so outrageously large, the landscape would never approach its former beauty, but it was still a lovely view. "I do need a modem line," she announced. "Is there one?"
"Oh yes," he replied. The jack was conveniently located right next to the small writing desk that she had already decided would be Ryan's.
"One more thing," she said, looking around quickly. "I need another desk chair. Can you help me out?"
"I'll arrange to have one sent up," he confidently replied. "Anything else, ma'am?"
"No that's fine," she said, handing him $20.
He left with a smile and a promise to have the chair sent up. Ryan gave her a curious look and asked, "$20?"
"Yes, that seemed about right," she said thoughtfully. "He was with us for almost a half hour, the box of your books was really heavy, and he was very careful with the computer equipment. I usually give $3 a bag and I think this stuff is the equivalent of about seven bags."
"I think that's sweet," Ryan said as she gave her a squeeze and a kiss on the forehead.
"What is?"
"That you really think that out. You considered how heavy the stuff was and acknowledged that it was kind of hard to wrangle it all up here without dropping anything." She cocked her head a bit and added, "I just really like the way you treat people in the service industry. You act like they're professionals too."
"Well they are," she said easily. "You don't have to have a title to deserve respect for doing a good job."
"That's what I think is sweet," Ryan restated as she swooped her into her arms and flopped onto the bed. "You're very sweet and very tasty," she growled as she tossed her onto her back and started to nibble on her neck.
But Jamie placed her hands flat against her lover's chest and reminded her, "Study time, Tiger. Let's get organized and do a little work tonight."
"Party pooper," Ryan grumbled as she got to her feet and pulled her partner up with her.
It took a good twenty minutes to get organized, but when they were finished they were both satisfied that they could get their work done very nicely in the comfortable room. Jamie chose to work at the table near the window, and once her desk chair was delivered, it was just perfect. Ryan took the writing table, and as soon as she was hooked up, she sat down at her chair and started working. Jamie needed a little more time to ease into studying, so she spent a little while unpacking their clothes and neatly arranging their things in the large dresser. In her rush, Ryan had not brought any toiletries and Jamie chuckled to herself that her partner would probably not even get up to shower if she wasn't there to remind her to.
After she pulled a can of Diet Coke from the mini-bar, she sat cross-legged on the bed and started to organize her notes for the paper that she had to write. The evening zoomed by; the next thing she knew, it was eleven o'clock. After a few stretches she walked over to her partner and started playing with her hair. "Hey," Ryan said absently. "Need something?"
"Yeah," she whispered into her ear. "I need you—in my bed."
That broke Ryan's concentration and after a few more keystrokes she shut down her computer and stood to stretch for a few minutes. "I could work for a couple of more hours," she mused as she checked her watch.
"I'm sure you could," Jamie replied as she reached for the hem of the dark blue sweatshirt and started to tug it over her partner's head. "But I promised your father I'd make sure you were rested. I know you'll be up by six, so I've got to put you to sleep relatively early."
Ryan stood there in her jeans and a gray ribbed knit t-shirt that Jamie had recently bought for her. "You look nice in this," the blonde murmured as her hands glided up Ryan's smooth back. "And I love it when you don't wear a bra." As her hands slid down to unbutton the snug jeans, she asked, "What color are your shorts?"
"Not wearing shorts," Ryan whispered in her ear, as her own hands buttoned back up. "I was already in my jammies when you called, so I just threw on my jeans. "I didn't think ahead to the ritual undressing," she said with one wiggling eyebrow.
"Are you gonna sleep in the nude?" Jamie asked teasingly.
"Not for another four weeks," she replied with a look of regret. "I brought underwear. But since you seem to care, you can decide on color."
"Hmm," she said appraisingly as she squinted and tried to imagine the different combinations. "Let's go with white. The gray/white combo is a bit unconventional, but so are you," she added as she slapped her partner rather hard on the butt.
Ryan feared that they would spend half an hour wrestling with their desires and her self-control, but to her amazement, when Jamie got into bed she kissed her sweetly and whispered, "Goodnight, Ryan."
"That's it?!" the stunned woman asked. "One kiss?"
"Yep. We're here to study. I have no interest in getting all hot and bothered and spending the night frustrated. Let's just be loving rather than passionate towards each other for the next few days." Seeing the amazed look on her lover's face she teased, "Think you can control yourself?"
"Uhh yeah, I think I can," Ryan said. As she cuddled her partner against her body she whispered, "Thank you, Jamie. It means a lot to me that you take me seriously when I say I have to work. And I love how you've found a solution that's going to allow each of us to get our needs met."
"My main need is completely satisfied," she sighed as she contentedly cuddled even closer.
6 a.m. saw Jamie's prediction come to pass as Ryan slid from her limp embrace and stretched languidly for a few minutes. Nice day, she mused as she surveyed the sun peaking out of the slim band of clouds on the horizon. A delighted little grin graced her face when she considered that she could begin her day with a nice long swim rather than her traditional run. Minutes later she was wrapped in a thick terry cloth robe that the hotel provided and padding down to the very large heated pool.
She didn't swim any longer, but it wasn't for lack of interest. She hadn't really had a pool available to her except for the one at Cal. That one she no longer used since she hated to go t
o class in the mornings with wet hair, and her evenings were completely occupied by a certain blonde. Swimming was a pleasant change of pace from the pounding of jogging, and she had to admit that she felt more relaxed after a nice long swim. Since her anxiety was building about finals, this seemed like a perfect morning to indulge.
The water was cool, about 80 degrees, but she really appreciated the temperature. Since she swam hard, an overly warm pool was actually unpleasant for her. A few slow laps to warm up and she switched into high gear, grinding out the laps by doing ten each of crawl, back, breast and fly. When she completed a 40-lap set she started over, churning through the water unceasingly until she had completed 200 laps. Her heart was really pumping, and she floated rather unsuccessfully for a few lazy laps of backstroke. After ten minutes in the spa to stay loose, she returned to their room, only to find her partner still sound asleep. She tugged last night's clothes on and ran across the street to Peet's, one of her all-time favorite coffee spots. A nice little bakery next door yielded some delightful pastries, and she crept back into the room a little after 7:30, laden with goodies.
As she expected, her lover's cute little nose twitched a bit as the smell of the lattés and baked goods wafted over to her. Those adorable green eyes blinked open moments after Ryan had arranged everything on the table. "You went out to buy breakfast?" she mumbled as she tried to focus.
"Have you seen these prices?" Ryan asked with wide eyes as she held up the room service menu. "I'm going to the grocery later to buy snacks. No more mini-bar Cokes for you!"
"Yes, Mom," she said contritely as she held out her hand. "Do I get coffee?"
"In bed, no less," Ryan sweetly informed her as she brought the tray over to the bed. The cardboard carrier from Peet's neatly held not only the coffee, but also two flaky pastries for the hungry woman.
"You're the best," she moaned as she gulped down a mouthful of the strongly flavored coffee. "Wow," Jamie said as the full impact of the coffee hit her. "I forget how strong Peet's is. Been out running?" she asked with a cock of her head at Ryan's sweatshirt and jeans.
"Nope. I swam for over an hour. It was bliss," she informed her with a big smile. "You know, I kinda like this lap of luxury stuff."
"It does have its rewards," Jamie had to agree. They ate their breakfast rather quickly, and by eight both were back at work, neither lifting their head until Ryan's stomach began to rumble just at noon.
"We could set our watches by 'Old Faithful' there," Jamie observed as she stared at Ryan's tummy.
"Mmm," Ryan said, completely absorbed by her studies.
"I'm ordering lunch," Jamie informed her. "Want me to chose for you?"
"Mmm," was the absent reply.
"I'll take that as a yes," she decided.
When the tray was delivered twenty minutes later, Ryan swore she had not heard any of the conversation that led to the food's arrival, but she was pleased with Jamie's selections nonetheless. She ate with one hand while she typed with the other, completely absorbed again in a matter of seconds.
This routine was also followed at dinner, but Jamie heard a sharp intake of breath at around seven as Ryan stood up to go to the bathroom.
"What's wrong?"
"Stiff. Very stiff," she added. "I should get up every hour or so but I forget. I really enjoyed my swim, but it stresses muscles in a different way. I'm paying for it now," she admitted.
"How much more work do you have to do tonight?" she asked, hatching a plan.
"Hmm, I'm actually doing great. An hour or so to finish something up and I could stop. Why?"
"Just asking…no reason," she said innocently as Ryan closed the bathroom door.
At eight o'clock on the button, she jumped up to open the door after the gentle knock pulled her from her focus. Ryan actually heard it too and she gave Jamie a very curious glance as a very large, very muscular man in a white polo shirt and white poplin slacks entered the room. "You ordered a massage?" he asked in a slight Slavic accent.
"There's the client," she informed him as she pointed at her partner.
"I'm Vlade," he said as he held out his massive hand to Ryan. She grasped it in reflex, and then shot Jamie a glare. Vlade went back to the door to pull his massage table in. As he was setting up he asked Ryan, "What type of massage do you like?"
Deciding that she was stuck and might as well enjoy it, she revealed, "I like any kind as long as it's deep."
"Excellent!" he boomed. "I like to be able to use my muscles."
Ryan ducked into the bath to drape the pink sheet Vlade provided around her body. Moments later she was face down on the table moaning in delight as Vlade used every one of the muscles in his strong arms and hands to turn her into a quivering ball of mush.
As the first glimmer of dawn broke through the open curtains, Ryan stirred and stretched her body out, smiling at the response from her well-rested, well-massaged muscles. She was lying mostly on her stomach, an odd position for her, but the odder sensation was the sheet separating her from her clinging partner. How did we get twisted up in this sheet? she wondered for just a moment. Once she started to investigate, she determined that she was under the sheet and Jamie was on top of it. She found a crucial clue to this situation when she realized that she was as naked as the day she was born. God, I don't remember Vlade leaving, I don't remember getting into bed, and I certainly don't remember Jamie joining me, she marveled. That massage knocked me into another world!
Deciding not to repeat her swim of the previous morning, she tugged on her running gear and silently exited the room, remembering to put $20 in the pocket of her windbreaker for breakfast. When she returned to the room, Jamie was in the shower, so she stripped and dried her body with her t-shirt before slipping into her sweats from the previous day.
The morning passed in the same fashion as the day before, but this time Jamie had ordered her to set one of her watch timers for an hour. Every time the little beep sounded Ryan dutifully got up and spent five minutes stretching on the floor. The break helped keep her body limber throughout the long day, and it helped keep Jamie's motor running as she studiously watched her lover twist and grunt.
For dinner Jamie decided that she needed a Zachary's pizza; her wish became a requirement when Ryan informed her that she had never been to the place. Ryan stayed to finish up her studies for the day; when Jamie returned just after seven, she nearly grabbed the box from her hands. "I frankly don't care how good this is," she said with wide eyes as she yanked the top open. "I'm so hungry I could eat…well, I can't think of anything big enough!" she finally conceded. "But I might have met my match here," she amended as she looked carefully at the food in her hands.
The scrumptious-looking deep-dish pie was stuffed with all of Ryan's favorites: sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, red peppers, and black olives. Jamie's assessment of the quality was right on, and Ryan ate with her normal litany of moans, groans, whimpers and exclamations. "This is the best pizza I think I've ever had!" she cried during one small break. "The crust is soooo good. And the sauce is just the right combination of sweet and tart. I love the big pieces of tomato on the top!"
"Told ya," she smirked. "I can't believe that you, of all people, have never had one."
"Word obviously hasn't traveled over the Bay Bridge," she mused. "But Mr. Zachary and I are going to become better acquainted in the very near future!"
To help their digestion, they went for a stroll around the grounds of the hotel. There were neat little gardens and tons of tennis courts, but Ryan noticed the fitness course they had set up. "I think I'll do this in the morning," she declared. "I've been getting bored with running."
"Well you know you're going to have to give up running soon anyway," Jamie informed her regretfully.
"What? Why do you say that?"
"Cause I'm not going to let you out of bed," she growled right into her ear, sending chills down Ryan's suddenly warm body.
When Jamie came out of the bath after preparing for bed, Ryan was sitting
on the bed, a large bottle of Jamie's body lotion in her hand. "Your turn tonight," she declared.
"Really?"
"Yep. Wrap that pretty little body up in a bath sheet and come get it."
The smaller woman did not have to be told twice. She was jumping across the bed in a heartbeat, wrapped only in a big towel.
Ryan put on her usual professional attitude and got to work, expertly moving the towel as she labored, never leaving Jamie's body more exposed than it needed to be. Just to be prudent, Ryan avoided her buttocks and didn't go as high on her thighs as she would in a few weeks. Turning her over onto her back, she took the same precautions, staying well away from any erogenous zones. It took a lot of willpower to avoid sneaking a few peeks, but she didn't really need any more temptation. Just touching Jamie's firm, toned body in this intimate way was more than enough to cause her to throb, and throb she did. When she was finished, Jamie was limp and nearly asleep. She returned the courtesy of the previous night and pulled the sheet up to her chin, gently removing the towel as she did so. When she was ready for bed, she got between the sheet and the bedspread, finding the arrangement to be perfectly cozy if not a little sterile. As she cuddled up to her partner's warm, relaxed body, she felt all of the tensions, sexual and otherwise, leave her, and she sank into a peaceful sleep, dreaming of more intimate massages to come.
Ryan kept her promise and ran around the little fitness layout the next morning. It was more fun than just running and she enjoyed it enough to run it three times. Once again she brought breakfast to her partner, again having to wake her to consume it.
"I hate to have you leave me in the morning, but I truly love to wake up to a Danish and a steaming hot latté," she said gratefully as she took a big sip
"Tell the truth, Sleeping Beauty," Ryan playfully chided. "You don't really know I'm gone, do you?"
"Mmm," she batted her big green eyes seductively. "Not consciously, but my body misses you."
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