Awakenings - SF1 (16 page)

"I absolutely trust your judgment about people, James. I'm sure I would like her. Maybe we could all have dinner some night."

"Thanks for trying, Mia. I want you to be comfortable with her. Your friendship means a lot to me." Jamie hesitated for a moment before she broached the next subject. "You know, I was really angry that you told Cassie about Ryan flirting with me," she said simply.

Mia started to defend herself, but Jamie cut her off. "I'm not angry any more, really. I'm sure you didn't do it to be malicious. But Cassie really dislikes her. She got Jack all worked up about the whole situation and we had a major fight. So please don't talk to her about Ryan. It will just make matters worse."

"Okay, Jamie. I won't ever bring it up with her again. I'm really sorry that I hurt you. It was stupid of me to tell Cassie anything about you. I know she tries to get in the middle of stuff. Sometimes I wish she would just move in with her boyfriend," she said disdainfully.

"Yeah, I know, but we've been together this long, I think we can hang on," she said hopefully.

After Mia returned to her room Jamie took her time finishing her preparations. She combed her hair carefully and put on a little blush then chose an emerald green rough wool sweater and a soft yellow turtleneck. Then she picked out a pair of khakis and a pair of black loafers. She checked out her image in the full-length mirror, but she chided herself briefly as she did so.
It's just Ryan, you know. This isn't a date.
When she walked back down the stairs she was a little surprised to find that Ryan was still asleep.

She sat down in the upholstered chair next to the couch and just watched her for a few moments. Ryan was remarkably still as she slept. Jamie was struck by the thought that she had never seen her when she wasn't in motion. Ryan was usually very active, sometimes a little hyperactive. Even when her body wasn't moving Jamie could almost see her quick mind processing something. She again marveled at how peaceful and open her face was in repose. Ryan rarely looked severe but she often had a cool, composed expression on her face. She watched her chest raise and lower and observed her lips slightly parted in sleep. Suddenly she felt an overwhelming urge to place a kiss on those soft looking lips. She resisted the urge with a violent shake of her head.
Get a grip for god's sake, Jamie! Where in the hell did that urge come from??
She sat in the chair for several more minutes mulling over the conflicting thoughts in her head.
Maybe I just feel protective over her. She has such a confident exterior, but now that I've seen her vulnerability it just makes me feel so tender towards her. When she sleeps she just looks like the little girl who lost her mom. And that's the part that makes me want to kiss her. She looks so sweet, just like a child,
she thought fondly.
Yeah, and how many little girls have you ever wanted to kiss?
Finally deciding that she would not resolve this jumble of thoughts tonight, she quietly moved over to the couch. She leaned over and gently placed her hand on Ryan's shoulder and gave her a tiny shake.

Ryan was awake immediately and amazingly seemed fully alert. Jamie was surprised as this response, and her face must have shown it. Ryan detected the startled look and asked, "What's wrong? Was I asleep too long?"

"No, no, I was just amazed at how quickly you woke up," she explained.

"Oh, that's from years of practice," she said easily. "I need about 8 hours of sleep but I only get around 6. I've trained myself to sleep almost anywhere whenever I have a few minutes down time."

"That's truly amazing," Jamie marveled.

"Not really. You can train your body to do a lot of things if you really need to."

"I'm just glad you felt comfortable enough here to be able to sleep."

"Well, I do feel very comfortable around you, but truthfully, I can sleep almost anywhere. I can even sleep pretty well sitting up in a chair. And once I got a good 15 minute nap while leaning against a wall," she stated proudly.

"You certainly do have many skills, Ryan," she admitted as she leaned over and ruffled her bangs.

"And you haven't seen half of 'em," she grinned in response.

After they finished their dinner of falafel and Greek salads they discussed the workout schedule for the week. Jamie decided that she would take her bike to Jack's and do her long ride on Saturday afternoon while he studied.

"Ooooh, Saturday," Ryan said with pleasure. "I haven't had a Saturday free in years. This new level of freedom is going to take some getting used to," she said with a happy expression on her face. She had decided that she really didn't need to work on the weekends any longer. Jamie had 10 hours of private training per week lined up for her. Since $1250 a week was more than enough to live on Ryan decided to take weekends off to study and relax. But she truly didn't know what to do with the spare time. She'd had one job or another since she was 16 years old and all of them had consumed her weekends. "This is the happiest quandary I've had in years," she allowed.

"Why don't you come down and ride with me on Saturday," Jamie offered. "You could see the peninsula and maybe help me pick out some good rides."

"Is that really a good idea, Jamie?" she asked slowly. "I mean, wouldn't Jack mind?"

"Why would he mind?" she asked, a little confused. "He'll be studying and he doesn't ride a bike anyway."

"No, um, I mean," she stammered, "I thought he wasn't very happy about having me around...at all."

"No, Ryan, that's not true. He was mad at me for not telling him things that he thought were important. I don't think it had anything to do with you, personally," she lied.

"If you're sure," she said slowly, "I would enjoy coming down. It might be nice to see a different part of the bay. And I have heard about some really great rides down there."

"Then it's settled," Jamie agreed. "Oh, but how will you get your bike down there? Should I pick it up from you on Friday?"

"No, I can get it down there. I can borrow my father's truck if I need to. When do you want to meet?" she asked as she grabbed her ever-present organizer.

"Castro Fitness Center, this is Ally speaking," rang out the clear alto voice.

"Hi Ally, guess who?"
Ryan asked.

"Hmmm,"
she mused, "Is this a really hot brunette, 6 feet plus, legs for days?"

"Yeaah,"
she purred.

"I don't know anybody like that, who the heck are you?"
she asked as she tried to hide a laugh.

"I'm just a lonely woman looking for a little companionship," she said innocently. "Do you know anyone who might be free on Friday night?"

"Friday night? You actually want to see me on a Friday night?"
she asked incredulously. "I thought you were only allowed out of the house in the afternoons."

"I've had a change of schedule,"
she said happily. "My weekends are now my own."

"Really? You haven't had a weekend off in all the time I've known you. Do you have any idea how to fill a weekend?"

"I hoped you could help me out with that,"
she asked hopefully. "What do you say to Friday night?"

"Best offer I've had all day,"
she replied. "Do you want to go out or stay in?"

"I can go out with anyone,"
she said in a dangerously low tone. "I want to stay in with you."

"I'll be home by 6. Bring dinner with you, Hot Stuff, cause you're not leaving until Saturday."

Ryan buzzed over to the Castro on Friday night, thinking about Ally. They had met shortly after Ryan had graduated from high school. She had started to take classes to become certified as a personal trainer and she lucked into a job at Castro Fitness. Ally was just 2 years older and had started at Castro just a few months before Ryan had.

Ryan was sure that Ally had barely noticed her and she was a little surprised when the near stranger approached her one day and brought up the topic of safer sex. Ryan was just starting to feel comfortable with her lesbian identity. She had spent the previous year engaged in some fairly risky behavior but Ally sat her down and read her the riot act. "Listen Ryan,"
she had told her. "You just can't run around and be wild with everyone you meet. You've got to use safer sex practices every time you're with someone."

"But the chance of contracting AIDS isn't very high for women having sex with women,"
Ryan said defensively.

"No, it's not very high, but any chance is too high. You're 17 years old, Ryan. Don't risk cutting your life short just to get a little action. Besides, AIDS isn't the only thing to worry about. I guarantee you'll contract a venereal disease within 6 months if you haven't already. Herpes and chondyloma are permanent, Ryan. And no matter how attractive you are, your popularity will hit the skids if you have lesions or warts on your fun parts."

"But I don't know how to have safer sex,"
she admitted as she blushed.

"Come over tonight after 8 and I'll show you everything you need to know,"
Ally had offered.

Ryan laughed when she thought about how easily she had succumbed to Ally's charms. They had spent that first night at 'Good Vibrations', a woman oriented sex toy shop in the Mission district. Ally explained all of the sex toys and latex barriers that Ryan could use to protect herself. Then to make sure that her student understood everything perfectly they had gone back to Ally's apartment and tried out every item in her little bag of tricks. By the next day Ryan was terribly sore but very well trained in the science of safer sex.

After that initial foray they had hit it off almost immediately. They both enjoyed working out, riding bikes, and having sex, lots of sex, with lots of women. Ryan had actually found herself falling for her new friend. But Ally made it clear that she was not in the market for a girlfriend. She continued to date anyone who caught her eye and she never made an attempt to hide her lovers from Ryan. After a while she came to understand that Ally really was not going to return her affections and she began to think of her as an occasional sex partner. And as long as she kept it very casual Ally was always willing to spend a day or two with her.

Their normal pattern was to see each other quite a few times in a two or three week period. But as soon as things started to get too intense one or the other would stop calling. They would let 3 or 4 months pass and then start up for another round.

Ryan often felt that she would have liked the chance to try to make a relationship with Ally but she realized that they were too much alike to be able to stand each other for too long. But she had to admit that it was usually Ally who called a halt to their little flings.

They sometimes went to a club or a bar, and one year they went to Gay Pride Weekend together. But they generally just got together for incredibly good sex. Ryan had never met anyone who had her number quite like Ally did. Maybe it was because they had slept together so many times. But there was something about Ally that just drove her wild. She was not really even Ryan's type, physically. She was the only woman that Ryan had ever been with who could pick her up. And she did it a lot, sometimes just to show her who was boss. Ally was just a little bit taller but she was incredibly strong. She competed in body building competitions and usually did pretty well, as long as they were chemically free. Ally was very antagonistic about steroids and she refused to compete if the athletes weren't tested for their use.

Ally was attractive, but in a very androgynous fashion. She wore her dark brown hair very short, about 1 1/2 inches long all over her head. Half the time it stuck straight up like a crew cut, but Ryan loved how the bristly little hairs felt on her naked body. Her eyes were somewhere between blue and gray depending on the light, but there was a fire in them that Ryan was truly drawn to.

Ryan was usually attracted to women who were smaller than she was. Her favorite type was tall, but not as tall as she; about 5'7"or so was perfect. She loved brunettes with relatively long hair and she was a sucker for dark brown eyes. She particularly liked lithe, lean women who were athletic but not very muscular. So it never ceased to amaze her that she found Ally so incredibly attractive.

She stopped at Hamburger Mary's to pick up burgers and malts, Ally's favorite junk food. They both tried to eat healthy most of the time, but when she wasn't getting in shape for a competition Ally was pretty flexible. Since Ryan didn't much care about a little weight fluctuation she could easily be tempted to treat herself to some junk food and she had to admit that hamburgers were one of her favorite indulgences.

As she parked her bike about a block from Ally's building she felt her pulse begin to pick up. She didn't often get nervous when she went on a date, having learned a long time ago that a lot of great looking women were absolute duds when you had to spend an evening with them. But she knew Ally well, and she knew what to expect...as much sex as she could handle. Ryan had always fancied herself as the dominant partner in almost every liaison that she had. She liked; no--she needed--to control the action. But she never got to do that with Ally. Even though she was only 2 years older Ally had always treated Ryan like she was young and inexperienced. She controlled the entire evening, and Ryan had learned that if she wanted to keep their connection going she had to allow her friend to be in charge.

Ryan trotted up the stairs to Ally's third floor unit. She buzzed the door and waited patiently as she could hear her walking around inside. She opened the door with her portable phone in her hand and smiled broadly as she indicated that Ryan should go into the kitchen and get dinner organized.

As she finished putting everything on plates Ally snuck up behind her and enveloped her in a big bear hug. She snuggled her head down against Ryan's neck as she held her tightly around the waist. "I've missed you, Sugar,"
she whispered in her ear.

Ryan felt a chill start at that lucky ear and travel all the way down to her toes. She giggled a little as Ally's warm breath tickled her ear. She loved the soft southern accent that her friend had not been able to shake even though she had moved to San Francisco from Chapel Hill, North Carolina over 8 years ago. She was ready to be released but Ally held on just a bit longer to let her know she was still on top. Ryan turned in her embrace and lifted her head just an inch to brush her lips against her friend's silky soft mouth.

One of the things that Ryan loved best was the contrast between Ally's external demeanor and appearance and the soft, warm, womanly curves that were usually hidden under her workout clothes. Ally had rather large breasts for her size and a delightful curve to her hips that Ryan loved to run her hands over. Her external toughness just accentuated the hidden treasures that Ryan loved to indulge in. "I've missed you too, Ally,"
she said sincerely.

"How long has it been?" Ally asked as she stepped out of Ryan's embrace and reached around to pick up a French fry and toss it in her mouth.

"I was thinking about that on the way over,"
she admitted. "I think it was right after the AIDS ride. I remember that my legs were stiff when I came over and that they stayed that way for another week thanks to you!"

"You know I never guarantee not to bruise the merchandise,"
she purred as she backed Ryan up against the table. Ryan slid her arms around Ally's neck and allowed herself to be thoroughly kissed. Those big strong hands held her tightly around the waist as Ally worked on her mouth with a methodical intensity. She pulled back slowly and chuckled at bit as Ryan kept her arms twined around her neck, eyes tightly closed. "Aren't you hungry, Sweet Pea?"
she asked softly.

Ryan mutely nodded, eyes still closed.

"You look like you're hungry for some love," Ally purred as she bent to lavish another round of heated kisses on Ryan's hungry mouth.

Ryan couldn't stop a low groan from escaping as her mouth was claimed so totally by her friend. She often felt powerless when she was with Ally and she had to admit that she absolutely loved it. There was something reassuring about feeling that someone else was in charge once in a while that really appealed to Ryan. She didn't think she'd like to feel this way all of the time, but it was a welcome change that she had come to rely on and actually yearn for during the past 5 years.

"Come on Sugar Baby,"
Ally said softly as she pulled away from the embrace. "I need to keep my strength up to handle you all night long." She picked up the plates and carried them into the living room. Ryan handled the malts and a fistful of napkins. They sat in the cozy living room, Ryan on the low futon/couch, Ally on a butterscotch leather club chair. They chatted about Ally's most recent weight lifting competition that had just been held in San Jose. Ryan knew some of the competitors and one or two of the judges and Ally filled her in on who was in really good shape. Ryan reflected that their conversations centered almost entirely on working out, weight training and acquaintances that they had in common. Ally usually asked her a few questions about school, but it was clear that she did so to be polite. They didn't share an interest in hardly anything, Ryan mused. A Wynona Judd CD was playing quietly in the background to highlight one area of disagreement. Ryan liked to listen to World Music, with a particular fondness for Afro-pop or contemporary Irish artists, while Ally never varied from Wynona, Shania, Reba, and Faith. Her apartment was devoid of books, the only reading material being fitness magazines.