A Benign Something

"How is it?" she asked.

I lay my head on the pillow and stretched my arms over my head and pointed my toes straight out. Then I let my body suddenly relax, placing my hands on my stomach.

"Amazing," I sighed, closing my eyes.

"Good," she whispered.

Gayle repeated the same procedure she had used on my back. She massaged my arms and legs, once again eliciting a gentle giggle from me, but seemed to avoid getting too close to my breasts.

When her hands moved up my legs from my feet, it was almost as if they slowly spread of their own accord. My mind wondered if they moved in response to some unconscious directive from my brain or if Gayle was pushing my legs apart. In either case, I was too far-gone to care. I stretched my arms over my head and let my knees fall open. Then I sighed happily, as I felt her thumbs, those wonderful instruments of sensual pleasure, softly ply the flesh on either side of my vagina.

As with my anus, she never made direct contact, but just enough to feel good, to let me know she was intent on pleasuring my body.

Her thumbs carefully spread my folds, and I felt a cool draft against my warm flesh. My head lolled and my neck arched, as I moaned softly. And, while my body took in the sweet sensations, my mind began wondering how it was I could feel a cool draft on such a singular part of my body.

My hands gripped the pillow below my head, and I sighed, as I thought I felt something warm and wet lightly grazing up the length of my exposed vagina. But I didn't care, only smiling in response. Then I felt Gayle's hands move up my body, up across my stomach, until they landed softly on my breasts.

I could feel her straddling my waist, as her fingers began massaging my breasts, squeezing the soft flesh, and occasionally rubbing her palms against my nipples.

"You have beautiful breasts," I thought I heard her whisper.

Then her fingers drew inward to the top of each where they gently pulled on my nipples.

I could feel them steadily harden and become increasingly sensitive, as Gayle continued to manipulate them. Then, just as with my vagina, I thought I could feel something warm and wet envelope a nipple. I groaned and arched my back, and felt something pulling sharply on the tip of my nipple, stretching the flesh far. This same mysterious act was performed on both breasts, and, after a final rubdown, Gayle dismounted my body.

My eyes opened lazily, and I saw her sitting next to me, resting her hands on her thighs. She reached up to her face and brushed the hair from her eyes with the back of her hand.

"How was it?" she asked.

I let my eyes slowly close and shook my head back and forth, inhaling deeply. As I exhaled, I sighed and opened my eyes again.

"Incredible," I mumbled.

Gayle chuckled and picked up a small washcloth, wiping her hands.

"Wanna take a shower and get cleaned up?" she asked, as she set the washcloth down next to her.

I stretched my arms and legs and nodded.

"Mm... Yeah," I replied with a happy groan.

She reached for my hand and helped me sit up, and then she raised herself off the floor, pulling me with her. I rested my hands on the back of my hips and closed my eyes, slowly rotating my head in wide circles.

"God, that felt good," I sighed.

When I opened my eyes, Gayle was placing her hands at the bottom of her t-shirt and, in a very deliberate motion, pulled it up her body and over her head.

That's when I suddenly became conscious my own nudity.

My heart started pounding in my chest, as her small breasts were suddenly exposed in front of me. They were small, smaller than mine, jutting out from her chest like pointy cones, but with nipples nearly the same size as my own. I gulped and felt the trembling in my knees begin to wax once more.

Gayle let the t-shirt drop to the floor, and then I watched in stunned silence, as she slipped her thumbs under the waist of her shorts and carefully ease them over her hips. She leaned down and pulled out each foot and let the shorts crumple to the floor atop her shirt. Then she gave me a brief smile and stepped over to the stereo where she retrieved one of the small candles. She slowly turned to me, shielding the tiny flame with her hand, and asked me to get the one on the coffee table. I didn't move right away, until her eyes met mine. The candle Gayle held eerily lighted her face, but when she smiled, her teeth shone brightly and I slowly nodded.

"Ok," I whispered.

I turned, taking half a step, and leaned down for the candle. When it was in my hand, shielded as hers, Gayle nudged her head, gesturing for me to follow her.

As we made our way down the dark hallway, in the faint light of our candles, I could make out her nude body in front of me; the shape of her back in the form of a V, the apex unintentionally drawing my eyes down to where her long legs met her torso.

In the bathroom, she set her candle on the counter, and then took mine, placing it next to the other. Gayle asked me to shut the door, and then she turned toward the shower. As I turned back to her, she was bending over, holding onto the shower curtain rod and working the faucet. A spray of water suddenly shot out from the showerhead, and she stood upright, holding her free hand under it. After a few seconds, she pulled her hand out and glanced back at me.

"Ready?" she asked with a grin.

I nodded nervously and followed her into the shower.

She stepped inside and turned to take my hand, helping me in with her. We stood there, side-by-side, naked from head to toe, our bodies assuming the classic just-got-in-the-shower posture: head cocked back slightly, eyes squinting, and hands held out in front, as the water splashed against our chests and our bodies adjusted to the sudden change in temperature.

Even though the candles gave off a very faint glow, there was still enough light that I could see Gayle's nipples poking out from her small breasts. My gaze drifted up her chest, to her neck, and landed on her mouth. She was gritting her teeth, and then startled me, when she suddenly looked at me.

"Brrr," she said with a chuckle, wrapping her arms tightly to her chest. I giggled nervously, and then she turned around, placing her hands behind her and lowering her chin, as she allowed the water to splash against her back. I wasn't quite sure what to do, so I simply followed her lead, assuming the same position. Then she turned her head to me and whispered.

"So, you liked it?" she asked.

"What's that?" I replied tensely.

Gayle rolled her eyes, and, just as she went to speak, I said, "Oh... the massage?" She nodded. "Yeah," I mumbled. "It was good... really nice... felt good." And then my words trailed off, until the only sound to be heard was the water spraying against our backs.

We stood there staring at the bottom of the tub, down to our feet, neither of us speaking. I glanced at Gayle's pubic hair, sparse and light brown, neatly trimmed. Then my eyes drifted to mine, bright orange and not nearly as well groomed. But, in my defense, it wasn't as though I was expecting to be presenting it to an audience.

Gayle wiggled her toes, and I chuckled. Then she slowly rotated her foot and tapped it against the top of mine.

"No rough housing in the pool, please," I chuckled sheepishly.

She laughed, causing me to snicker along with her, and then she reached over for a bar of soap and handed it to me.

"You're such a cutie," she said, as she turned to face the water.

Unlike the massage, there was nothing remotely erotic about our shower together. I washed the oil from my body, while Gayle shampooed her hair, and then we swapped, and she washed her body, as I did likewise with my hair.

Toward the end, she was standing at the back of the shower with one foot propped up on the edge of the tub, as she leaned over and shaved her legs. I was standing under the water watching, holding my hands close to my chest with my elbows tucked in, almost striking a skittish pose. And, in a sense, I was. I was nervous about what we were doing, about what we had done and where it was leading, and how it was affecting me. But, in my heart, I admitted to wanting this. I wanted the physical and emotional intimacy of a romantic relationship, and, even if it were with another woman, try as I might, I couldn't find any reason not to take what this beautiful person was offering.

I reached out a hand and let the tips of my fingers touch Gayle's back. As she continued to work the razor on her leg, she turned her head, glancing back at me, and smiled. Our eyes met only briefly, and then mine turned back to the hand touching her warm skin. She resumed shaving, standing up to switch legs, and I let my hand trace down her back, finally coming to rest on her buttocks. But then Gayle stood and turned, facing the spray and holding her razor under the water. There was no obvious reaction on her part to my touch. I reached my hand out again, this time bringing it to her breast. She kept cleaning her razor, but did turn slightly so I could touch her more easily. My fingers gently grazed over the soft flesh, and then she reached over and set the razor on a small wire shelf hanging from the showerhead.

"Ready to get out?" she asked.

But I was still staring at her breasts, mesmerized by them. They were small and beautiful, and I thought no sane person could resist them. I'd never thought about breasts until then, how soft and warm they were. I brought both hands up and gently laid them atop Gayle's chest, taking up a gentle massaging motion. She reached up and hooked her hair behind her ears, and then reached out for my hips, pulling us closer. I could feel the prickle of her pubic hair against me, but, at that moment, my thoughts centered on the wonderful little mounds flesh under my hands.

I traced my fingers over her nipples and carefully pulled on them.

"Feels nice," she whispered.

I'd never had such thoughts about another woman in my life, but in that instant, I wanted to make love to Gayle. I wanted to lean down and take one of her sharp, scarlet nipples into my mouth and nurse.

We stood there for a few minutes, and then Gayle spoke again.

"Ready to get out?" she asked.

I wiped the water from my face and nodded.

She smiled, as if embarrassed, which was the first time I ever noticed such a lack of confidence in her.

Gayle leaned down and shut off the water, and then slowly pushed the shower curtain to the side. She reached over to a shelf and pulled off two towels, handing me one.

We dried off as best would could in the tub, trying not to get water on the tile floor outside it, and then stepped out to finish.

When I pulled the towel from my head, Gayle was leaning against the bathroom counter, wearing hers wrapped around her torso. I brought mine around my body, doing as she had done.

"Want some wine?" she asked softly, reaching out with a hand to gently caress my arm.

I nodded.

"Yeah," I replied.

She picked up the two candles, giving one to me, and then reached down and took my hand in hers, leading me out to the living room.

Gayle handed me her tiny candle, and then walked into the kitchen, while I replaced the candles to their previous positions; one on the coffee table and the other by the stereo. Then I walked around to the couch and sat down, using my hands to push the long strands of damp hair back over my head. A moment later, Gayle emerged from the dark kitchen holding two wine glasses.

As she walked toward me, my heart fluttered. She looked so beautiful wearing nothing but a towel around her body, her long brown hair dangling around her face. Gayle appeared so different to me, like this. I'd always seen her dressed nicely, so manicured and perfect. It seems clichéd to say, but she exuded a cosmopolitan radiance, a certain style and class. But to see her in this manner stripped of the ephemeral outward trappings, I was awed at how she still managed to carry herself with the same degree of grace and elegance.

I was jerked out of my daydream, when Gayle nudged my arm. I blinked and looked at her, but she only smiled and handed me my glass.

We sat in silence, listening to the soft, slow music of the stereo, and then she set her glass on the coffee table and glanced at me.

"Were you going to spend the night?" she asked quietly.

Her eyes darted away, before I could answer, but I didn't have to think about it.

"Yeah," I mumbled.

I could see Gayle's mouth twitch, as if she was trying to suppress a grin, and she picked up her glass again, holding it between her fingers.

"Do you want to?" she asked.

My feet fidgeted, and I slowly nodded.

"Yeah," I replied.

Then she lifted her glass to her lips and before taking a sip, said, "But you're not a lesbian."

A tremor coursed through my body, and my shoulders shivered.

"I know," I replied.

Gayle slowly nodded and placed her glass on the table, and then rested her elbows on her knees and turned to face me.

"Wanna dance?" she asked softly.

I lowered the glass from my lips and took a deep breath, nodding in reply.

We both rose from the couch at the same time, walking around either end of the coffee table to the center of the room. As we stopped in front of each other, she looked down her body and brought her hands to the top of her towel. She carefully peeled it away and held it out to the side, letting it drop to the floor. Then she reached for mine, but stopped short of removing it. Her eyes looked to mine, and I gulped, but jittered my head up and down. Then I looked down and watched, as her slender fingers opened the towel surrounding me and let it fall atop hers on the floor.

Gayle took a step toward me and placed her hands on my waist, while mine hung loosely at my sides, too afraid to make contact with her, lest she feel how clammy and nervous I was.

She began swaying our bodies to the music, and then whispered to me.

"You sure you wanna do this?" she asked.

I was staring directly at her chin, but nodded and carefully brought my hands to her hips. Then she chuckled and placed a hand atop mine.

"I'm kinda nervous, too," she said.

I felt my face flush, and I turned my eyes away, saying shyly, "I've never done anything like this."

There was a brief pause, as we continued to move with the music, and then she said, "Do you want to?" I was still looking away, off toward the couch, toward the door, when she stopped moving and placed the back of her hand against my cheek and gently stroked it. I turned my eyes to her, and she gave me a tender smile.

"You don't have to," she whispered.

"I know."

"Then don't..."

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "I want to... I wanna spend the night with you."

Our bodies began moving in unison to the music again, as we held each other.

"Can I tell you something?" she whispered.

I nodded, and then she licked her lips and let her eyes drift away from mine.

"Kinda hard to say," she mumbled.

I felt my hands pull her closer, and a curt smile quaked across her lips. Gayle turned her eyes to the ceiling, something I recognized from the night before, and I caught the faint glimmer of moisture in them.

"It's ok," I whispered.

Her lips quivered again, and she took a deep breath, her breasts pushing against mine. Then she lowered her eyes, and a single tear fell.

"Jessie," she whimpered. Then she paused and sniffled, saying, "You're someone I could fall in love with."

Gayle tried to grin, but her chin was throbbing too much, causing her mouth to form a frown instead.

I reached up and wiped the tear from her eye with my thumb, and then gently lay my face against her neck.

"I did with you a long time ago," I whispered.

Gayle gave a wet snort, and hugged me close, bringing her hand to the back of my head.

For a long while, we swayed in each other's arms, long after the music had ended, embracing and roaming our hands up and down the other's body. When we at last stopped, we slowly parted, and I took her hands in mine.

"You're such a beautiful person," I whispered.

Gayle seemed embarrassed and looked away.

"Thanks," she mumbled softly.

Then her eyes turned to me, and she said, "So are you."

My heart swelled, and I moved closer to hug her, but, as she came to meet me, she lowered her face to mine. We stopped abruptly, as our noses lightly touched, and I could feel her warm breath on my lips. She smiled hesitantly, and then I closed my eyes and slowly opened my mouth. Our lips met, and we moaned at the same time, as our tongues quickly became entangled.

No one had ever kissed me like that.

What had started as placid, temperate kissing, very soon evolved to a more feverish pitch, as Gayle and I clung to one another, kissing and licking, not wanting to break contact. Her lips moved across my face to my neck, as one hand gripped the back of my head through the matted hair and the other moved down to my buttocks, squeezing and pulling. Then I closed my eyes and gasped, as she sucked hard on my neck and reached the hand behind me deep between my legs.

"Oh... God," I groaned, letting my head fall back and rising up onto my toes, as Gayle took control of my body, dragging her hand up behind me.

When our lips came together once more, we slowly sank to the floor. She laid me back and draped her torso across mine, kissing me and groping my breasts. I wrapped my arms around her and initiated a new stage of our relationship.

After what seemed like an eternity, we finally broke apart, panting heavily. Gayle smiled down at me and I returned it, as her fingers traced lightly around my nipple. Then she slowly leaned down and parted her lips, taking it between them. As her tongue playfully toyed with it, I closed my eyes and sighed, bringing my hand to her head and stroking her hair. And, after a few minutes, she released me and sat up again.

"Wanna go to the bedroom?" she whispered.

Gayle's hand slowly drifted down my body, landing softly atop vagina, where she began to gently caress and pet. My heart fluttered again, and I nodded.

"Yeah," I whispered.

She pushed herself onto her knees and held her hand out for mine, helping me to my feet, and then we each picked up a candle and held hands, as she led me to the bedroom.

In the few steps it took for us to reach her bedroom, my mind began racing, as I thought about how very surreal this all was. Gayle was my best friend, but someone whom I found myself falling in love with for a long time now. We had touched each other, here and there, on rare occasions at first, testing the waters, trying to discern if this is what we wanted. At the time, from the onset, when I first figured out, at least in my mind, that she was attracted to me, it was somewhat unsettling. I wasn't a lesbian, but, at the same time, it had been very long since someone had felt that way about me, expressed this depth of interest in being with me. But I became accustomed to the idea of Gayle having romantic inklings for me, and it didn't take long for me to accept that I had them for her, as well. She had massaged my body, touching me all over, we showered together, further exploring the boundaries, and finally she and I had danced nude in her dark living room, silently acknowledging what we both wanted. The only hurdle remaining was to make love. And so my heart beat faster, with each step, drawing us closer to her bed and the moment where I would cross a line I never dreamed I would ever approach.

While Gayle stepped over to the dresser, placing her candle atop it, I walked to the nightstand by the bed, setting mine there. Just as I was about to turn, I felt her come up from behind, placing her hands on my shoulders. She leaned down to my neck, and I tilted my head to the side, and then she pulled my hair back and started kissing me, as her hands slipped around to my chest, where they began delicately manipulating my breasts.