Summertime Flings

Natalia Petrovitch walked down the beach, wearing her smallest bikini and enjoyed the beauty of the morning. The feeling of the warm sand was comforting between her toes. There had been an early-morning fog, but it had lifted and it now appeared as if was going to be a truly beautiful day. There was just enough breeze to keep some of the heat away and later, she would lie out in the sun and work on her tan. She knew that tanning was ill-advised now, but it was just one of the many things she had never really been free to do.

Her bikini was the most scandalous item in her wardrobe, although Natalia intended to change all of that. She was not yet 30 and had been asked just last night if she might be a model. Perhaps it would be something she could consider. She was only now starting to realize that she was beautiful and desirable. Natalia had never been afraid of hard work and that had likely kept her body fit and lean. Like her own mother, Natalia was tall, standing nearly 5'10" in bare feet. Aside from being on the beach, Natalia didn't intend to go barefoot too often and she had thrown out most of her "sensible" shoes. Just yesterday, she had purchased her first pair of stilettos. Once she was settled in, she intended to purchase several more. She had seen how they made her legs look and how much attention she got while wearing them. Being beautiful was nothing to be ashamed of! Being desired by others was fun! You didn't have to jump at every opportunity, although Natalia knew that she was going to grab some of them very soon.

HE wouldn't have liked that and Natalia didn't care. She was free and on her own for the first time in almost eleven years. Serge was thousands of miles away and if she never saw his stupid face again in this lifetime, it would still be too soon. He and his stupid, crude, controlling friends were a part of her past. It was a past she had escaped. True, not without a few scars and some bruises, yet shehad escaped. For the first time in all of her life, Natalia felt as if she had a future.

When Natalia thought of all the years of servitude to Serge, she could almost taste a bitter bile in her mouth. She wanted to be furious at her parents, although she could not summon up enough anger. Part of her understood their rationale. Her mother was not well-educated and Natalia's father ran their home. Ivan, unlike Natalia's idiot husband, was a loving and kind man who wanted only good things for his wife and 3 children. He labored long hours in a factory and he earned enough to keep them all clothed, fed and a roof over their head. There was not much money for luxuries. Both of Natalia's older sisters were high school graduates and then, they had married. Natalia was the last child at home and the young girl knew that once she had found a husband, her parents could enjoy a higher standard of living. That is when Serge had come into the picture.

Her immigrant parents did everything they could to succeed, yet they still struggled. Serge was a man they knew from their apartment complex. He ran the janitorial service that cleaned their building and several others. He was a hard worker and had taken some of his money to educate himself. Serge dressed well and spoke well. He liked to flash his wealth around and Natalia's parents were impressed by him. Little did they know what his true nature was.

One of the few things for which Natalia would give her husband credit was how he courted her. He was charming and flattering and at first, she had enjoyed it. He never came to her parent's home without a gift for her and something for them. When they started dating, he took her to nice restaurants and often, they would bring something back for her parents. Serge seemed to take nothing for granted.

Natalia sensed early on that something wasn't right, yet she put those feelings away. Her parents wanted her to marry the successful businessman. They knew he could provide a better life for her. "He's a millionaire," her mother had insisted. "How often does someone like us get the chance to marry a millionaire?"

Despite her misgivings, Natalia allowed herself to accept Serge's proposal. Her engagement ring cost more than her father earned in six months. Their engagement party was lavish and full of Serge's friends, wishing them well. Natalia knew now that she should have sensed trouble ahead at the party. None of these men's wives looked happy and few of them even spoke to her. Her parents were oblivious to it all, sure that she was headed for a better life. Oh, how wrong they had been!

They had a nice honeymoon in the Bahamas and that was the last time Natalia enjoyed anything with her new husband. He didn't seem to like the attention she got while wearing her bikini, but she already knew he was the jealous type. They had a nice time at the Casino and he won a fair bit of money, giving his new bride $1000 of her own to spend. It was the last time she would ever see that kind of money, until recently.

When they got home, the metamorphosis began. He started to criticize every little thing, her housework and her cooking and her appearance -- nothing was good enough. He was verbally abusive, although never physically. Her father would have seen that and been angry enough to kill him. Serge's friends were always around and she was expected to wait on them as well. If they weren't around, they were out having coffee or drinking. They all owned businesses where others did the work, so they could spend all day and night indulging themselves. Little by little, Natalia fell into despair.

Serge rarely demanded sex, which suited her just fine. The few times they had sex, she was unsatisfied. Serge insisted his wife was frigid and for a time, Natalia bought into that. When she met Josie, a lot of things changed. The girl upstairs had been Natalia's savior.

She had met the perky, attractive redhead when Josie was moving into their building. A huge, muscular young man was lugging furniture up a flight of stairs while Josie watched with a bemused smile. She noticed Natalia and walked over to introduce herself. "I'm your new upstairs neighbor," Josie said to Natalia. "I just got a divorce and I made out like a bandit, so I got myself the most expensive place I could find. I'm going to start living!"

Natalia resisted the urge to sigh. Serge could easily have moved them into that apartment, it was roomier, had a skylight and was elegant. He told his wife that it was too expensive and impractical, although their two-bedroom was cramped.

"So, that isn't your husband?" Natalia asked Josie, trying to converse. She hoped she and Josie would become friends, Serge didn't like her having friends and she rarely left the apartment. Even their groceries were delivered.

"Oh no, that's just Alan, a guy I know," Josie grinned as she sat down on the stairs. "He's sure an improvement over Albert, my ex," she sighed at Natalia. "I just love looking at him, he has muscles on his muscles."

"He is attractive," Natalia commented as the blonde young man passed them with even more furniture.

"Feel free to borrow him sometime," Josie teased, nudging Natalia's arm. The attractive bride blushed beet-red.

"Isn't he your boyfriend?" Natalia asked.

"Yes, but I don'town him," Josie told her. "He does his own thing, I do mine. We're free agents. So if you want to fuck him, go right ahead."

Natalia felt herself flush red again. "Oh, thank you," she said nervously. "I couldn't do that, I'm married."

Josie nudged her again. "I'd promise not to tell," she giggled. "Is your husband good looking?"

Natalia sighed and stared up at the strapping young man moving about upstairs. "Not as good looking as your boyfriend, no," she said to Josie. "I've been married for almost 8 years, I suppose that it's hard for me to judge."

Josie heard something in the way Natalia spoke that let her know the slightly-older woman needed a friend. "Why don't you come upstairs and have a cup of coffee with me?" She asked Natalia. "Unless your husband is expecting you or you have to make dinner?"

"My husband won't be back until very late," Natalia explained. "He's having dinner with his friends. Thank you, a cup of coffee sounds wonderful."

That was the day a strong bond was formed between the two women. Josie and Natalia shared coffee and some laughter. Natalia couldn't remember the last time she had laughed -- years, surely? She even allowed herself to glance at Alan and when Josie caught her, she smiled.

Josie allowed Natalia to loosen up and she wasn't shy in her opinions. She told Natalia that she didn't think much of her husband, disliking him even more when she actually did meet him. She also told Natalia to stop dressing like a 1960's housewife. "You're just as hot as I am, flaunt it!" She said.

"Don't be silly," Natalia had replied, shaking her head. "You're a gorgeous redhead, I'm nowhere near as beautiful as you are." Josie's green eyes had gone wide with surprise.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Josie laughed heartily. "Oh sweetie, Serge has really done a number on you. Baby, you're as gorgeous as aPenthouse model. I've got to figure out a way to convince you of that."

It took Josie a few more weeks of trying, but she was able to convince Natalia to goout for coffee. She loaned Natalia one of her skirts, which was a bit too tight and too small on the leggy brunette. "That's even better," Josie giggled. "It will help me to prove my point."

At the café, Natalia found it difficult to move in the teeny, tiny skirt, although it proved to be worth the effort. She got a lot of appreciative looks and noticed that not all of them were from men. "Other girls are staring at me," she whispered to Josie.

"Sure, girls can appreciate another woman's beauty, even straight women," Josie smiled. "Which I'm not, by the way."

Natalia gasped. "You're a lesbian? I don't understand! You were married and you sleep with Alan."

Josie had to stifle her giggles because she knew that her friend had led a sheltered life. "No dear, that's not it at all. A person can likeboth sexes, it's called being bi-sexual. Let's just say that I appreciate the opportunities afforded to me by men and women alike."

Natalia sat back in her chair and took in what her new friend was saying. She would never have imagined that there were such people in the world. She liked Josie and so she decided that she would accept her friend at face value, despite her odd ways.

Over time, Natalia began to adjust to Josie's little quirks and some of them she found very endearing. Josie insisted that the girls go out for coffee and she always lent her attractive friend something pretty to wear. "We really do need to get you a nice wardrobe," Josie would tell Natalia.

"Serge wouldn't give me the money," Natalia sighed as she ordered a fresh cup of coffee for herself. She looked around the café she had come to enjoy and saw familiar faces. She wished that some of them could become friends rather than acquaintances. So many of them seemed to be open, friendly people. She wanted to get to know them as individuals, but she didn't dare risk spending a lot of time away from home.

The subject of Natalia's marriage was the only area in which Josie allowed herself to interfere. "When are you going to get wise and divorce his ass?" She said to Natalia. "I'm sure with the amount of time he spends away from home, he likely has a mistress."

"If he does, she sure hasn't helped improve his performance in bed," Natalia smiled, causing Josie to burst into peals of laughter.

Josie believed that the day would never come, but it finally did. It wasn't just one thing, it was the buildup of a lot of things. Serge angered his lovely wife one time too many and she stormed out of the apartment and upstairs to Josie's. Her friend gave her a huge hug. "You're not even crying," she said to Natalia.

"I'm too fucking angry," Natalia hissed through clenched teeth. It was the first time that Josie had ever heard her young friend use profanity. She offered Natalia her spare bedroom and the next day, she took the time to escort her friend to the lawyer who had handled her own divorce.

"Valerie's a shark and she'll hire a detective on your behalf," Josie told Natalia about her lawyer and friend. "If Serge is hiding any money, she'll find it."

The young black attorney was as thorough as promised. As it so happened, Serge was hiding money -- a lot of money -- so MUCH money that when their divorce was finalized, Natalia had enough so that she would never have to work again a day in her life. She even had enough so that she was able to send her parents on their first-ever vacation in Hawaii.

"Take one for yourself," Josie suggested. "You're a lady of leisure now, like me," the redhead laughed. "You should go to Hedonism in Jamaica -- actually, I insist! Believe me gorgeous, you'll thank me."

After a few days of self-indulgent shopping, with Josie along to make suggestions, Natalia flew off to Jamaica and the resort. After only a few days, she knew that she would have to do something special to thank Josie when she returned home. Everything about the place made her feel relaxed and at peace for the first time in years. The beaches were lovely and the people were so friendly. Natalia was having such fun that she didn't even worry about when she had to return home. She had enough money so that she could extend her stay and there wasn't anything back home that she needed to get back to.

As she enjoyed her morning stroll, she saw a very handsome couple walking in her direction. The old Natalia wouldn't have noticed them and if she had, she might have looked away. This Natalia looked straight at them, confident in her appearance and finding both of these people very sexy.

"Hello," the handsome couple smiled in unison. Both of them were striking. The man was tall and dark with muscles so well-defined, he could have been a male model. The woman was petite, a lovely blonde in a suit so skimpy if made Natalia's look decent. "I'm Roger Wildman and this is Echo. We've noticed you over the past few days and we're both delighted to make your acquaintance. Are you enjoying your time in Jamaica? Have you been here before?"

"Yes, I am, and no, I haven't been here before," Natalia smiled and extended her hand. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Natalia ..." She stopped herself. She didn't have any ties to Serge any longer, why did she need to use his name? "I'm Natasha Lennon," she smiled, choosing a surname for herself. She had always been a Beatles fan and Natasha McCartney didn't quite fit.

"Nice to meet you, Natasha Lennon," Echo smiled and extended her hand. "I must say, you're a pleasant sight to greet the day with."

"What a lovely thing to say, thank you so much," Natalia answered. "Allow me to return the compliment, you are both gorgeous people. Is this your first time here?"

"No, we actually met here a few years ago," Roger told her. "We're here on our honeymoon."

"That's funny," Natalia giggled. "I'm actually here celebrating my divorce."

Echo high-fived Natalia. "Good for you girl, that's what I was doing when I was here 3 years ago. I certainly didn't anticipate meeting Husband # 2," she laughed.

Natalia was surprised and Echo saw it in her face. "I'm older than I look, I'll be 32 next month. Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?"

"I have a much better idea, sweetheart," Roger said to his new bride. "Why don't you tell us about yourself over dinner tonight? We'll have a nice meal and drink a little champagne and celebrate!"

Natalia immediately accepted the offer and the three of them walked back to the resort together. Echo whispered to Natalia "Wear something slinky tonight. He's a sucker for a woman in a slinky dress."

Natalia wondered why her new friend had made that comment. She could certainly picture the 5'7" blonde in something slinky and with heels added, she was sure that Echo could turn men's heads. Natalia had to keep reminding herself thatshe was as sexy as any woman and sexier than most. The mirror did not lie, only her mind still held the old thoughts. Josie kept reinforcing the new Natalia as they shopped. She told her friend, over and over again, that she was beautiful until it began sinking in.

Over dinner, Natalia learned that Echo was a Texas girl and that her husband was an LA boy, born and bred. He owned a chain of fitness stores, which explained his magnificent physique. Echo had done some modeling and competed in marathons, explaining her lean, sexy torso. Natalia had been right, in a black cocktail dress and 5-inch stiletto heels, Echo did "slinky" up just fine.

Not that Natalia was taking a back seat to anyone. She had decided that she would flaunt her gorgeous body, now that she knew she possessed one. Her dress was a grayish-silver and cut low in front -- and in back. It had a slit up one side, showing off a mile-long expanse of leg. Even though she didn't need heels for the added height, hers were still almost as high as Echo's, bringing Natalia's height close to Roger's. The three of them looked a bit out of place in the dining room where everyone was dressed casually, yet none of them cared. Tonight was all about the three of them having fun!

Natalia had never had champagne before. It took her a while to get used to the flavor and the cliché about the bubbles tickling your nose were true, but she enjoyed it. She enjoyed the entire meal, which was lavish and filling. She didn't care about that, she didn't have to watch her weight and she didn't intend to. Natalia was on vacation and as far as she was concerned, anything and everything was an option!

The three new friends lingered over their meal, finishing long after most of the other diners were done. "We should probably get out of here and let them clean up after us," Natalia giggled, enjoying being a little tipsy for only the second time in her life. "I'm having so much fun, I wish this evening didn't have to end."

Echo leaned close to Natalia and whispered "Whoever said that itdoes?"

Natalia didn't understand at first. "Are you talking about going dancing or something like that?" She inquired.

"No, she's talking about sex," Roger smiled with the face of an Adonis. "Both of us are very attracted to you. This resort is all about the freedom of choice, you can do anything you want without being judged. If you'd like to, we would love for you to come back to our room and fuck with us."

Natalia allowed the words to sink in. Months of friendship with Josie had prepared her to meet people like this, but the old Natalia was still buried within. That woman was still a bit apprehensive about such activities. She wasn't a swinger or a free thinker as this couple evidently was. Nor was the old Natalia capable of having sex with another woman, she had never considered it.

Despite this, Natalia nodded and linked arms with the sexy couple. Tonight, she was saying farewell to the old Natalia forever! Long live the new, erotically-minded Natalia. Tonight would be a night of firsts, time to indulge carnal fantasies she had never even known she had.

"I love watching you walk darling, you have such a sensual sway," Echo smiled, her hand running along Natalia's buttocks. It didn't feel unusual to her at all, it felt -nice. "You really should consider having a portfolio done and trying to model, both of us think you'd be sensational at it. Perhaps you could model for one of Roger's catalogs to start."

Natalia felt herself shiver at the thought of men and women looking at her pictures. Her ego needed a boost and these two were certainly providing it. Delighted smiles never left their beautiful faces and it made for conflicting emotions within the leggy brunette. She was all at once incredibly flattered and incredibly nervous.