Beginnings - SF2

by Susan X Meagher

  "Yeah," she reflected. "The first time I went was the summer after my mother died. That was tough, but Brendan went with me, which helped a lot."

  "Wasn't there any other option?" she asked timidly, hating the thought of her tiny partner being sent away so soon after such trauma.

  "Oh, don't get me wrong, Jamie, I wanted to go," she said quickly. "It was my idea. My Aunt Moira was here a lot during my mother's last year, and I grew very close to her. And my cousin Aisling is my age, and it was cool to be around my only female cousin for a whole summer. Plus I think there was a bit of me that craved to be in my mother's country, in her childhood home, with her family. It made me feel closer to her somehow," she said with a small voice.

  "I'm glad you could go," Jamie said softly as she draped an arm around her back. "But what did you do all summer?"

  "Oh, lots of stuff. That first summer, both Brendan and I were pretty depressed. We spent a lot of time going through our mother's things that my grandmother had saved. It was sad in a way, but it let Brendan and me get closer. My mother was buried in the small church cemetery, and I made Brendan walk me down there every day, just to talk to her. My grandmother didn't like it, and she tried to dissuade us, but you know how determined I get," she said with a wry chuckle.

  "That I do," she said fondly as she patted Ryan's back. "So what about subsequent years?"

  "Well, Brendan was in high school the next summer, and he didn't want to go. Rory didn't want to miss a summer of music lessons, and Conor never had much interest in the small town life, so I went alone."

  "God, you were only eight!"

  "Yep. The plane ride was kinda scary, especially since I had to change planes in New York," she said with wide eyes.

  "I thought they had rules about little kids flying alone!"

  "Oh they do, but I looked twelve when I was eight and they didn't require I.D.," she said lightly. "The flight attendants kind of took to me, and they made sure I was okay. I had an escort to the connecting flight, so it was safe and everything."

  "Jeez, that still must have been freaky!"

  "Yeah, it was, but it taught me that you had to make some sacrifices to get what you want. I wanted to go, and I had to put up with some scary things to get there. I really have to hand it to Da for letting me go. It must have been hard for him, but I really wanted it, and he let me."

  "So did you just play with your cousins all summer?"

  "Ha! I wish! No such luck when my grandmother's in charge. I had to take Irish lessons every morning at the National school. Aisling took them with me, so it wasn't too bad, but those masters would not put up with any nonsense! The schoolmasters in Killala closely follow the 'children should be seen and not heard' dictum. Then we had to take Irish dance lessons three afternoons a week until we were in high school!"

  "Irish dance?"

  "Yep. Aisling would never have done that on her own, but Granny forcefed me Irish culture the whole time I was there. She always said she had to make sure I didn't turn into a heathen, which in her view, is anyone from outside County Mayo!"

  "God, school every day! Did you have any fun?"

  "Yeah, I got to play lots of sports. The competition was much better in soccer than I got here, so it really helped me as a player. Plus I got to play Irish football, which is kinda like soccer but you can use your hands. And when I was a little older, Aisling and I joined a hurling team, and that helped me with a lot of skills. I'd say that most of my skills as an athlete came from my time in Ireland," she reflected. "But it took months to get rid of my accent every year. I sounded like an immigrant until Christmas!"

  "I bet your family was wild to have you back," Jamie said fondly.

  "Oh, they were glad to have me back—for about a week," she laughed. "I ran them all pretty ragged, to tell you the truth."

  "You really must have been a terror, Ryan," she said lovingly. "I can't imagine you with the energy of a little kid."

  "It was frightening. Luckily, Da didn't think there was anything wrong with me. One of my teachers tried to convince him that I needed medication for my hyperactivity, but he told her I was just very high spirited, thank you very much."

  "Good for him," Jamie said decisively.

  "When I was ten, I switched from staying with my grandparents to staying with my Aunt. The last extended time I spent there was right after the debacle with Sara. I went for the whole summer that year, and believe me, I was a mess. I didn't have the guts to tell my aunt then, but I finally told her what had happened and she was totally great about it. She's been very supportive ever since. I know you'll like her," she said confidently.

  "I like everyone who loves you, Ryan. That's the litmus test," she replied firmly.

  They walked back to the main stage to watch the evening's entertainment, settling down to watch as a very funny comic amused the crowd. Ryan was leaning back on her hands, and Jamie was nestled between her open legs with her head resting on her abdomen. Finally, she turned around and ordered, "Don't laugh so much, you're making me seasick."

  Ryan put her index finger up to her lips, dramatically making the sign for quiet. But she was unable to keep her promise, and Jamie finally got up and sat next to her. After a minute she said, "Need more contact," and she scooted over behind Ryan to wrap her legs around her. Ryan leaned back against her chest, completely content, while Jamie slid her arms around her torso and leaned over to whisper, "Perfect."

  Since everyone was already laughing non-stop, Jamie leaned over and began to tickle Ryan unmercifully. She had finally found two very sensitive spots on each side, about halfway between her waist and her armpits. Ryan writhed on the ground, trying to keep from screaming over the comedian, and Jamie finally relented. Ryan quickly got her revenge by stooping down and flinging her giggling partner over her shoulder, carrying her like a sack of potatoes over to the Porta-Potties for their last pit stop of the evening. Unbeknownst to them, every move they made was watched by a pair of very angry dark brown eyes.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Just before dawn Ryan blinked her eyes open to the delightful sensation of being almost completely covered by Jamie's sleeping body. As she lay on her back, she reached down to run her fingers through the soft blonde hair that tickled her chin. Somehow, Jamie had wound up nestled between Ryan's spread legs, lying mostly on her side. The blonde head was resting on one plump breast, and her hand covered the other. Her hand twitched periodically, providing a nice gentle sensation that helped ease Ryan to full awareness. She softly stroked the golden head as she felt her begin to stir.

  Jamie shivered and stretched as she slowly woke, looking up finally with a sly little grin on her sleep-creased face. "Do you think we make love while we sleep?"

  "I think it's a distinct possibility," Ryan replied in her slightly raspy morning voice. "We do wake up in some pretty compromising positions."

  "God! I wake up horny, I ride all day horny, I go to sleep horny. Then we roll around all night like bunnies, and I'm asleep! I miss all the fun!"

  "Maybe this is the lesbian equivalent to wet-dreams, like we just have to let off some steam, so we touch while we're asleep."

  "Speaking of dreams," Jamie said shyly, "have I told you about the dream I had on my birthday?"

  "No, I don't remember you telling me about a dream that day."

  "Oh, I wouldn't have told you then," she said with a blush.

  "Oh...one of those kinds of dreams," Ryan mused as she nodded her head. "Do you want to tell me about it now?"

  "Um...I don't think telling you about it in detail is a very good idea. I think I'd be too tempted to act it out," she admitted with a shy little glance up at Ryan. "Suffice it to say that it was the most erotic, sensual dream I had ever had in my life, and you, my love, were the featured player."

  "How did you explain that to yourself? I mean, didn't it bother you that you were dreaming about a woman like that?"

  "I have excellent powers of denial," she replied proudly. "I just convinced myself t
hat seeing all the other women at the bar flirt with you put the idea in my mind. But I do remember feeling bad that I'd never gotten that hot with Jack." She looked up at Ryan with a crooked grin, "Do you think I had enough clues?"

  "I think your mind just processes what it can handle, a little at a time. I really think it's a good thing that you can be in denial a little bit. It makes things less overwhelming for you."

  "Speaking of overwhelming, we've got 95 miles to do today, so we'd better get shakin'," she said as she gingerly extricated herself from Ryan's body.

  Ryan hopped up and started to get her gear ready. As she exited the tent, she looked over her shoulder with a sexy little smirk. "Don't forget your swim suit today. You might need it."

  They were both feeling pretty good and the first few miles were quick ones. The initially flat terrain quickly became a long succession of hills and mountains, all leading to the coast. After the first pit stop they turned onto Old Country Road. They rode up and down some quick little hills, but Jamie was surprised by the three-and-a-half-mile, very sharp, very steep downhill that ended in a treacherous hairpin curve. Even Ryan took her time on this one, keeping her speed under control, staying just in front of her lover. As they leveled out they passed the Whale Rock Reservoir. They hopped off their bikes and spent a few minutes just enjoying the magnificent view. Jamie asked another rider to take their picture, and she carefully posed Ryan sitting on top of one of the rocks, then climbed up and sat between her legs. Ryan draped her arms around her neck, and leaned forward so their cheeks brushed as they smiled for the camera.

  A short time later they came to another steep hill. They fought their way up and were rewarded with the pit stop being at the top of the hill for a change. Every day the crew at pit stop two had a different theme. Today's was White Trash Trailer Park. Everyone was cross-dressed in truly tacky clothes, with cigarettes dangling from overly made up mouths.

  After the stop they reached the largest of the morning hills. They climbed steadily and were greeted at the top by Scott, a famous AIDS Ride cheerleader. He had made a large sign that read, "Halfway To L.A." which he hoisted up every time a rider crested the hill. Jamie got out her camera and took a picture of Ryan standing next to Scott with the glistening blue Pacific in the background.

  After another hilly 12 miles, they came to the lunch stop. It was located in the parking lot of a typical mini-mall. The grocery chain located there had provided fruit and other snacks as a generous donation, but the most amazing thing to Jamie was the large number of local residents who had come out just to greet them. Three little girls walked around shyly with plates of home made cookies for the riders. Their mother watched from a distance as the girls were fussed over by everyone they encountered. Ryan, of course, got down on her haunches and spoke to each of the girls, asking them how old they were and thanking them for their gifts. Jamie snapped a picture while Ryan wasn't looking, thinking that her little gesture captured her personality perfectly. As Ryan stood, a woman approached her, reached into her purse and handed her a wad of bills. Ryan's mouth dropped open as the woman said, "It's all I have, but you people are worth every dime," and she leaned over and gave Ryan a kiss on the cheek.

  Ryan turned to Jamie, her mouth still open, and a stunned look on her face. Jamie helped her organize the money, and they found the crew chief to ask her to hold the donation until they could give it to the ride staff later at camp.

  Ryan was still a bit dumbfounded by this unexpected gesture, and as they ate their lunch she said, "One thing this ride does for me every year is that it lets me store little things like that in my memory. When people are jerks or worse during the year, I pull one of these little events out and think about it. It always makes me feel better, and it reminds me that most people really are nice."

  "I'm going to have a nice surplus of sweet memories, too," Jamie readily agreed.

  Leaving lunch they headed back inland to San Luis Obispo, a lovely little town that Ryan sometimes stopped in for a break. But this year she had other ideas in mind. After leaving S.L.O. they headed back to the ocean, but the typical cool breeze was absent this calm day. It was beginning to warm up, and as they reached the outskirts of town, Ryan asked over her shoulder, "Would you like a little break?"

  Jamie knew that all of Ryan's breaks included some form of pleasure, so she happily agreed. To her eternal satisfaction, this stop proved to be far more pleasurable than most. They exited onto Avila Beach Drive and rode for just a few blocks before Ryan signaled and turned into the Sycamore Mineral Springs Spa and Resort. Jamie's eyes anticipatorily widened in pleasure as she gamely followed her partner. She pulled alongside and grinned up at her, saying, "Have I ever told you that you have the best ideas on earth?"

  "I don't believe you have," Ryan mused. "But I guarantee that this will be one of the best hours of your life." She bent and kissed the tip of her nose, adding a happy grin as she asked Jamie to hold her bike while she went inside.

  Curiosity got the best of the smaller woman, and she quickly secured the bikes and walked into the office after her partner. Ryan was deep in negotiations when she sidled up next to her. "A view is nice," the dark-haired woman mused, "but I'm more interested in tranquility today."

  "The most tranquil spot we have is probably Oasis," the clerk opined. "But it's a big one. It can hold forty people."

  "Sounds good," Ryan decided as she extracted a few folded, and quite damp, bills from the hidden pocket of her shorts. "You might want to let those dry out before your touch them," she politely informed the clerk, as she grasped Jamie's hand to lead her to their tub.

  The smaller woman was bubbling with excitement as Ryan led her to the path that caressed the hillside. They climbed up a short distance into the dense undergrowth that nearly obscured the wooden steps leading to the individual tubs. Towering oaks and massive California sycamores fringed a lovely small garden, filled with roses and star jasmine. The beautiful plants emitted a sweet scent that diminished quickly as they continued to climb. By the time they reached the platform that held their tub, the strong, acrid scent of sulfur filled the air, and Jamie cocked her head and asked, "Natural springs?"

  "Yep," Ryan agreed. "A hot sulfur mineral spring lies about 1,000 feet down." She opened the redwood door that guarded their haven, and Jamie gasped in surprise and elation.

  "Honey, it's wonderful!" she enthused as she took in the gently flowing waterfalls that cascaded into the pool. The little room could have been lifted right from a tropical island with its in-ground rock walls and lush green plants. Jamie tossed her arms around her partner's neck and leaned back in the embrace, smiling up at her sweetly. "Wanna go naked?" she asked with just a hint of a flush covering her cheeks.

  Ryan's slowly shaking head and gentle smile answered her question.

  "No?" Jamie asked, perplexed that her bold partner would want to wear a suit.

  "No. Definitely not," Ryan insisted. "That would be like taking a child to Disneyland and making her stay outside the park. Looking at your beautiful body without being able to touch it would be torture of the highest degree."

  "You say the silliest, sweetest things to me," Jamie replied, standing on her tiptoes to bestow a kiss.

  "All true, Hot Stuff, all true," she insisted as she patted her butt.

  They modestly turned their backs to change into their suits and when they were ready they held hands to climb into steaming tub. Simultaneously, they let out a hiss of pleasure as they sank in up to their ears. "Ohh, God, this is heaven," Jamie purred as her eyes fluttered closed, and she dropped her head back against the wall.

  "If this is what heaven is like, I can see why you have to be good to get there," Ryan agreed completely in a lazy, relaxed drawl.

  The water was a little deep for Jamie so she eventually sat on Ryan's lap. Practicality quickly gave way to passion, and soon they were engaged in a torrid make out session that they were barely able to control. Leaning heavily against her partner, Jamie finally moaned, "Can yo
u imagine the awesome sex that we're going to have?"

  Ryan closed her eyes, letting her mouth quirk into a little satisfied smile as she slowly nodded her head. "I imagine it several dozen times a day," she murmured softly. "When I'm awake; when I'm asleep…"

  "You don't have to imagine for much longer," Jamie whispered. "Monday will be here before you know it."

  "The minutes will seem like years," Ryan gently corrected. "Maybe decades."

  After they had soaked for a good long time, Ryan hopped out and laid a towel on the redwood deck. She reached into her little pack and pulled out a bottle of massage lotion. One eyebrow wiggle had Jamie climbing out of the tub, ready to be rubbed. Ryan worked on her partner's thighs, butt and lower back, effectively removing all signs of fatigue from the overstressed muscles.

  Jamie just grunted in pleasure all through the session. When Ryan was finished, the smaller woman summoned all of her strength and managed to give Ryan a similarly thorough rubdown as grateful repayment. When her muscles were nice and loose Jamie lay down next to her, drawing her into her arms and kissing her for a few more minutes. They were deep into their enjoyment of each other when Ryan's watch alarm chirped. "Five minutes before our hour's up, Hon," she regretfully informed her blissfully relaxed partner.

  "Buy us another hour," Jamie begged pathetically.

  "Okay," Ryan dutifully agreed as she hopped up, but her progress was stopped by Jamie's hand gently grasping her ankle.

  "We can go, Honey. I'm just…I'm so relaxed I can't imagine having to hop back on that bike."

  "I know," Ryan agreed as she extended a hand to help her up. "You don't regret stopping, do you?"

  "Regret? How could I regret the most wonderful hour of my life?" she asked with a wide grin. "You, a steaming hot tub, you, a tranquil tropical setting…did I mention you?"

  "Yes, you did," she grinned. "I feel very appreciated."