by Robin Roseau
But I had helped stuff it.
Later, we went back home, and she unwrapped her present again. Then she wrapped her present back up.
Use your imagination, okay?
Later, we shared a little ice cream while curled up on the sofa. She was quiet, and I asked her if something was wrong.
“Nothing is wrong,” she said, “Except your girlfriend is an idiot.”
“I have the best girlfriend in the world,” I said. “And I will thank you for not dissing her.”
“Everyone important to you knows about me.”
“Don’t do this.”
“I should have made plans for us, but we’d never find a place now.”
“I can find us a cabin on a lake.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. I can find us a cabin on a lake. Or we can stay here.” I grinned. “You can take me to work with you. I can be the office girl.”
“A cabin on a lake.”
“With a fireplace,” I said. “I don’t know if I can scare up any snowmobiles, though.”
“I’ve never driven one.”
“I have,” I said.
“Where are you going to find a cabin on a lake?”
“Airbnb,” I said. “It’s not exactly prime season to go to the lake. I bet there are hundreds.”
“I bet you’re right,” she said. “Do it.”
I got up and grabbed my laptop. It took three minutes before we were looking through them. “There are so many,” she said.
“Sure are,” I agreed. “We want a quiet lake with a fireplace and a hot tub.”
“That’s getting awfully specific.”
“And pluses if it has two snowmobiles in the mix.”
“I bet you don’t find all that,” she said.
“Ooh,” I replied. “A challenge. What do I get if I find it?”
“I’ll let you put me in the tickle rack.”
I almost swore in surprise, but I managed to say, “Holy Horse Feathers!” instead. I’d been getting creative. “Seriously? I want odds, because I admit, this is a true challenge.”
“We agreed quiet, fireplace, hot tub, and snowmobiles.”
“I should get credit if there’s only one, or if they have ATVs instead.”
“And a Jacuzzi tub counts as a hot tub, as long as there’s room for two,” she added. “So that’s four. If you get three out of the four, and we agree it looks good, then I’ll give you one wish, anything you want within my power to give but consistent with the nature of our relationship.”
“And less than that?”
“I have no idea. I already get everything I want.”
“I bet you’ve held back.”
“I haven’t.”
“This wager is a bust, Cassidy.”
“Backing out?”
“You can take photos of me.”
“I already take photos of you.”
“While I’m in one of your devices downstairs.”
Her eyes grew wide. “That’s very foolish of you.”
“Are you telling me I can’t trust you?”
“You’re being foolish.”
“You could already take them. It’s not like I could stop you. If you intended to do something bad to me, you have ample ability to do so. Do you want the photo or not?”
“If I win, I want you to get Tim to take professional photos of you, and I want prints. You will pay for them by some means other than what I pay you.”
“That’s what you want?”
“That’s what I want. You have one hour.”
I held out my hand. As soon as she shook it, I went digging.
* * * *
She counted out the time every fifteen minutes. When I’d burned through forty-five minutes, I knew I wasn’t going to get her into the tickle rack.
No one was offering use of snowmobiles or ATVs. Half the ads, it seemed, mentioned nearby trails, but no one offered a machine. Some of the places mentioned really nice bathrooms, but I also hadn’t found a single hot tub, either.
And then I began to smile. I turned the computer to her. “Two hundred acre lake,” I said. “That’s small, so it will be quiet. Photos of the fireplace, and they talk about the supply of wood. And that.” I pointed. “Is a snowmobile.”
She took the computer and read it. “This might not count,” she said.
“Why not.”
“They suggest four-wheel-drive during winter months.”
“Where does it say that?” I yanked the machine back. She pointed. I sighed. “I can probably find one with a Jacuzzi tub,” I said. “There were a few.”
“Seven minutes.” Then she paused. “It’s a cute cabin.”
“Your car is a great city car,” I said.
“What is your wish?”
“You’re right. We can’t use this one.”
“What is your wish?”
“Does it matter?”
“Maybe it does.”
“I want you to introduce me to one of your friends. Just one, but you introduce me as your girlfriend. If that’s too much, then there’s this thing you do sometimes I really really like.”
“We’ll rent an SUV,” she said. “Wait right there.” She got to her feet and found her own laptop. Three minutes later she looked up. “We’re invited to a New Year’s Eve party. Some of my friends will be there. Would you like to go?”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Yes.”
She stabbed the computer, then frowned. “That would have been more dramatic if they didn’t want more information.”
I laughed. “Shouldn’t we book the cabin first.”
“If we don’t take that one, we’ll find another. Book it. We leave in the morning, if possible, and return early on the 31st.”
“On it,” I said. “I’ll need a credit card.”
“Use the one I gave you.”
“Right.”
Ten minutes later, we had our arrangements. We spent 45 minutes packing, and then Cassidy said, “We’ll hit the grocery store on the way.” She turned to me, grabbed my wrist, and yanked me to her. I squeaked.
Then she marched me backwards until I was pressed against the wall, her leg between mine, pinning me there. She grabbed my wrists and pushed them to the wall beside my head, and then I looked into her eyes.
“You have a choice.”
“I don’t want any choices,” I whispered.
“Slow, sweet, and gentle.”
“Or?”
“Or I’m going to blindfold you, gag you, tie you to the bed, and tease the crap out of you.”
“I’ll take kink number two, please.”
“The price for that will be that you will also receive a spanking.”
“I’ve been a good girl. Even Santa said so.”
“Choose.”
“Spanking,” I told her.
“Go upstairs. Take off every stitch. I want you kneeling on the bed, hands and knees, facing the head when I get there. Run.”
The spanking was sweet. The torment was… delicious.
* * * *
We rose very early the next morning, dressed, and then drove to pick up the rental car. Cassidy gave me a shopping list and her car keys. “Meet me back at home. Please don’t dawdle.”
She was the one who typically dawdled in the grocery store. I was like a woman on a mission. But with the order not to dawdle, I was doubly-enmissioned, or however I should put it. When I pulled up the driveway, the garage door was open, and Cassidy was still loading the shiny SUV we were taking. I carefully pulled her car into the garage, and by the time I could climb out, she was at the trunk. “Pop it.” I hit the release, and then the two of us transferred the groceries. She already had the cooler waiting, so the meat products went in, and then the ice over the top.
We were ready to go.
I sat quietly while Cassidy navigated us out of town. Once we were pointed north, I told her, “Thank you.”
She glanced o
ver at me. “For the week away?”
“For wanting to be with me,” I said. “I enjoy the trips, but I’d be just as happy to stay home. It’s you who needs to go away. You’ll be tense during the drive, but you’ll let me pamper you a little after we unpack, and I’ll be able to feel the tension easing out of you in ways it doesn’t when we’re in town.”
“So you didn’t enjoy Florida last year?”
“I loved Florida. And I’m going to love sitting in front of a fireplace, playing footsie with you. But I’m greedy.”
“That’s the first word I use for you.”
“When we go away, I get your attention more completely for far more of the time. When we’re home, you have other distractions.”
Her lips parted, and she drove quietly for a while before glancing over at me. “I want you,” she said.
“You can pull over somewhere,” I said. “But I don’t care to be arrested.”
She snorted a laugh. “I can hold my desires in check for a few hours.”
“I admit that’s probably a better plan. Should I give you something to think about?” I hiked my skirt up. I was wearing leggings in deference to the season, and boots as well, but Cassidy looked over for a moment before moving her eyes back to the road.
“That’s lovely, but I think I better not get too distracted. Pull that back down, please.”
I did then asked, “Was that too much?”
“No, it was cute,” she replied.
“Tell me about your first girl.”
* * * *
We had a lovely drive up, the last hour in very light snow. Cassidy slowed down a little, but the roads were clear until just near the end.
Our directions were to stop at a place in a little town, population 140. I thought that might be the summer population, but there was a real estate company, and they were the ones to manage the property we were renting. We both went in.
There was a man about my age who took care of us. He seemed to have a hard time paying attention to his job, as he was paying more attention to me. If only he knew. Then he said, “It’s nice to see a mother and daughter come up. The town isn’t as quiet as it looks, though. I could show you around.”
Cassidy squeezed my shoulder and shook her head “no” very slightly, so I didn’t put him in his place. But I wanted to talk to him about making assumptions. Instead, we collected the keys and a printed map.
In the car, before I could say anything, Cassidy said, “We have no friends here. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yeah, I suppose I do. Weren’t you bothered by what he said?”
“It’s not that unreasonable an assumption,” she replied. “Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, he would have been right.”
“I suppose.”
“So let’s not worry about that.”
“All right.”
“Good. You have the map. Do you think you can direct us without us getting lost?”
“I don’t know.” I thrust the map at her. She spent a moment looking at it, then oriented it and said, “It’s this way.”
“It’s upside down.”
“We’re facing south right now.”
“Oh.” I figured out what she meant. “We have to go that way.” I pointed.
“Right. Got it from here?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
I didn’t get us lost.
* * * *
The cabin was even cuter than the photos, and the long driveway had recently been plowed. Cassidy’s car would have been okay, but I think she felt better having rented the SUV. There wasn’t a garage, but there was a carport with space for us, and a covered machine I was sure was the snowmobile. I bundled up, and we climbed from the car, then I peeked under the tarp. “Yep. Snowmobile.”
“I hope it starts,” she said.
I didn’t think we’d actually ride it that much. She’d stolen all my jeans, and I didn’t think riding in leggings and a skirt was going to be much fun.
It was… crisp. That’s a euphemism. But hey; we were Minnesotans with our Nordic heritage and all that. We could handle a little chill.
Together, we unloaded the car. Then we took a tour of our home for the next several days. It was cute. Really cute, actually. The front side facing the lake had a beautiful view. There were two bedrooms in a loft area upstairs, and the fireplace was every bit as lovely as I had expected.
I turned and set myself in Cassidy’s path. She stopped, looking into my eyes. Then I stepped closer, and closer, until just before we were touching. “You said you wanted me,” I announced.
She began to smile. “Definitely.”
Sometime later, she began throwing clothing onto the bed. “Hey!” I exclaimed. “My jeans!”
“Should we see if the snowmobile runs?”
“I thought you had thrown all of these away.”
“I’m taking them back when we get home.”
* * * *
“How do I look?”
“Maybe we should stay home,” Cassidy said. “We can skip the party.”
“Cute,” I said.
“We could make our own party.”
I turned around slowly, giving her a good look. Then I stepped closer. “Tell me the truth. Do you want to introduce me to your friends?”
She looked away, and I deflated.
“Oh,” I said. “Then we can make our own party.”
“You won our wager,” she pointed out.
“If the only reason you’re introducing me to anyone is that wager, then forget it.” I think my tone was a little harsh. I tried to put that away but wasn’t sure if I’d be able to.
She turned back. “No, that’s not the only reason.” She shook her head. “It’s just…”
“You’re ashamed of me.”
“I am not ashamed of you!”
“You’re ashamed of our relationship!”
“Stop that!” she said firmly. “I’m not ashamed of one damned thing.”
“That’s one,” I said.
“Cute,” she replied. “I am frustrated, because almost certainly people are going to come to wrong conclusions.”
“They’ll probably come to a lot of right conclusions, too,” I said. “I don’t particularly care. I wish you didn’t.”
“At least two of the women who will be there have a history of trying to steal hot girlfriends.”
I began laughing. “And you think they have a chance with me? Seriously? Did you listen to the noises you evoked out of me last night? And you think I could possibly be interested in anyone else?”
“You don’t have a lot of practice fending that sort of thing off.”
“I can fend just fine,” I told her. “Look, if you don’t want to go, we don’t have to go. If you want to do something else, we can do something else. We can go somewhere else. We can stay home. You can have my body. You can ask me to pamper you. We can play cards. This doesn’t need to be a big deal, Cassidy.”
“Except it is a big deal,” she said.
“Do you want your friends to see your hot babe girlfriend?”
“What if they ask where we met?” she asked.
“Online. I posted that I was looking for someone older and yummy.” She laughed. “You were unsure at first, but you were captivated by my photo. Then we met, and I called you a horse’s backside, and after that, you just knew I would be yours.”
“You never called me that.”
“We’re dramatizing to make a better story,” I said. “I taunted you with my pouty lips.” I put on a pout, and she laughed again. “You taunted me with your wit, charm, and rocking legs.” I eyed her legs in emphasis.
“Is that dramatizing, too?”
“No,” I said. “You were wearing peep toe shoes, and you figured out I have a foot fetish. You used your delicious feet to lure me into your den, and then mesmerized me into agreeing to be yours.”
“You’re being goofy now.”
“Secretly, of course, and something I didn’t
admit for a full year, I was only pretending to be mesmerized. I was really luring you.”
“Right.”
“But I miscalculated.”
“You did?”
“Yes. While acting like I had a foot fetish, I ended up discovering I really did. I fell so in love, first with your feet, then your knees.” And then I set my eyes on her crotch. She laughed and turned sideways, but I rotated so I could continue to look.
“Knock it off,” she said.
“It was your precious pearl that cast the final spell,” I said dreamily.
“Knock it off!”
“Now I can’t get enough of it.”
“Astrid!”
I grinned. “What?”
“I’m not going to take you if you’re going to talk about precious pearls.”
“Fine,” I said. I put the pout back on. “But one look at these lips, and they’ll know why you can’t get enough of me, either.”
“You’re a goof.”
“I’m going to be nervous and probably quiet,” I said. “And plastered to your side. Is that a problem?”
“No.”
“Are you going to be a different person around them?”
“Probably some.”
“You’ll still touch me, right?”
“I’ll still touch you,” she promised.
“Then we’re good. Stick to the truth. They don’t need all the details. We met online. You took me to dinner.”
“Right.”
“Do I look all right?”
“You look amazing.”
* * * *
The party was at a house in suburbia, a very nice house. By the time we arrived, there were a lot of people. We parked in the street and held gloved hands for the walk to the front door. There was a sign telling us to come in, and once inside, a second sign telling us what to do with our outer clothes. We saw to things, and then I asked, “Do you know all these people?”
“No,” she replied. “I think there will be six or eight I know.
“Whose house is this?”
“Angelica’s,” she said. “Don’t shorten her name. She hates it.”
“Right. Important safety tip. Tell me about Angelica.”
“Unless that has changed, she’s out of her most recent relationship. It hasn’t been that long, so she will probably be alone. She can be a terrible flirt, but goes into a I’m never touching another woman phase after every breakup.”
