A Lovely Day

***

... After ensuring the pool was clean, and the filter and pump were working, I took a break before I went into the office to help Stephanie. The new customers had already started to check in, and I wanted it to go as smoothly as possible. Most people checking in today would be here just for the weekend. Sunday and Monday will be busy days cleaning the rooms and setting them up for the new customers coming in next week for the extended Labor Day weekend coming up in a week. I hoped that all of my girls would show up to get the work done, but I really hoped that Jack would return soon. God, I missed her.

It was getting close to 6:00 PM, and most new customers had already checked in. Stephanie and I had been busy checking in the new customers and getting their payment information. I was still getting calls from people looking for a place to stay, so I wasn't worried about having empty rooms tonight. Nevertheless, I hoped everyone who had booked a room would arrive soon so I could send Stephanie home.

I took a break to eat and relax before covering the office for the rest of the night. I was sitting out on the patio when a red Mustang convertible with the top down pulled into the parking lot. I could see that a blonde was driving and a brunette was in the passenger seat. They were wearing sunglasses, so I couldn't get a good look at their faces. I wasn't busy then, so I idly watched them as the blonde carefully parked near the office.

The brunette got out first, and I couldn't help but notice her long, toned, and tanned legs that seemed to go on forever. She wore low-rise sneakers with ruffled ankle socks that would have looked silly on anyone else, but she managed to pull the look off. As my eyes traveled upwards, I saw she was wearing a lovely tight high-waist mid-thigh skirt that emphasized her ass and a polo top that hugged her figure like a second skin. Her long, straight hair hung down her back in a low ponytail. My chest tightened, thinking about how lovely she looked. For a moment, I wished I was single and free because I could easily act like a fool and pursue her despite our age difference. When she turned toward me, I saw her round face with beautiful brown eyes and a broad smile that caused me to want to smile in return.

She said something to her companion, eliciting a melodic laugh that zinged through my body. My eyes were drawn to the source of the laughter, and my heart nearly seized up at what I saw. I was stunned at the beauty I saw standing there. She, too, had long, toned, and tanned legs that went on forever, her feet clad in low-rise sneakers and ankle socks. She wore tight high-waist shorts that showed off her taut ass and a polo top that emphasized that she was deliciously female. Her long blonde hair hung down her back in a low ponytail that swung back and forth as she tossed her head. Her oval face was split by a broad smile, and I was mesmerized by her sapphire blue eyes.

The two women shared a look that made my eyes burn with unshed tears as I willed my heart to start beating again. I could see that the love they had for each other on their faces was confirmation that there was, in fact, a God. As they made their way to the office, I saw the little things emphasizing that they were lovers without advertising the fact. The way they automatically fell in step as they walked and the looks the two shared with each other as they communicated were dead giveaways. The tender way the blonde momentarily put her hand on the small of the back of the brunette as she held the door for her told me who the alpha was in the relationship. It wasn't until they disappeared inside that I shook myself and tried to collect my thoughts. All I could think of was how much I missed Jack and wished she was here to look at me like those two looked at each other.

A few minutes later, the two women came out of the office and returned to the red Mustang. The blonde carefully drove the car to the far end of the row of rooms and parked in front of the end room, telling me that everyone was now checked in. With that, I took a minute to watch as they collected their luggage and entered their room, chattering away in excitement. Although I couldn't make out what they were saying, I could tell that the brunette had a Valley Girl lilt to her voice while the blonde had a sultry-sounding voice that just twanged my nerves.

Once they disappeared into their room, I got up and headed back into the office. As I entered, I saw Stephanie finishing up and preparing to leave for the day. She had the radio on, and I could hear that the Oakland A's game was on. They were having a great year, and it looked like they would have a shot at the playoffs this year. I flipped on the 'No Vacancy' sign, pausing to enjoy how I was fully booked for the weekend.

"Darl, everyone's checked in, and we have a full house," Stephanie said with a smile as she came out from behind the desk.

"Thanks, Steph," I said. "I'm sorry to keep you so late. Do you have plans for tonight?"

"No," Stephanie said. With a smirk, she continued, "Did you see that last couple who had checked in?"

"It was hard not to notice them," I said with a chuckle. Stephanie knew that Jack and I were in a committed relationship, and I liked to look. Hence, she enjoyed tweaking me whenever a good-looking woman checked in.

"God, they were so cute in how they interacted and looked at each other. It even got me thinking about dating another woman," Stephanie said. She was straight, thank God, and twenty-five years younger than me. Otherwise, I might have made a fool out of myself. Her admission showed that even she had been strongly affected by them.

"Well, I'm sure you'd have no problem in that department," I said, causing Stephanie to blush. I was always surprised that she seemed so oblivious to how beautiful she was, not in an international model way but in a wholesome girl-next-door way. Whenever she held court in the evening on the patio, all the single guys gathered around her, hanging onto her every word, hoping to get lucky. Stephanie, bless her heart, just assumed they were being polite and friendly. I just hoped that naivety wouldn't get her in a bad situation out in the wilderness one of these days.

"I'm going to go and change, get a bite to eat, and be back later to talk with your guests," Stephanie said.

"Okay," I said, "See you later." I sat at the desk as Stephanie left. I looked at the ledger and noted the couple's names just in case I got to talk to them later. For now, though, I'd have to answer the phone until the night manager arrived at 10 PM to start his shift. However, I could throw the window open so I could at least hear the people hanging out at the patio/pool. Jack had rigged up a connection to the switchboard for me to take a phone and put it on the windowsill so I could still answer it if I decided to go out on the patio. Tonight was supposed to be nice, so I anticipated many guests would want to wind down and relax after a long, hard day of hiking.

By 7:00 PM, people started trickling back in from their outings. Stephanie was back and out on the patio to discuss hiking with anyone with questions. The phone had finally stopped ringing almost continuously. After plugging in the remote phone and placing it on the windowsill, I wandered out to the patio. The fire pit would not be lit tonight because the fire risk was high, and I didn't want to be responsible for starting a wildfire.

After settling into one of the Adirondack chairs scattered around the patio, I watched the sun disappear behind the trees while listening to the chatter from the guests. Stephanie answered their questions about which trails to hike and what they should expect to see or encounter while hiking. I started thinking about Jack and how we would discuss the hiking trails. We had enjoyed going on hikes as much as possible before running the motel took up all our free time.

My eye was caught by the red Mustang I had noticed earlier pulling into the lot and up to the end room. The couple must have driven downtown to eat at one of the local restaurants. I watched them get out, look over toward the patio, and decide to see what was happening. I watched as they joined the group and leaned in to listen intently to what Stephanie was saying as she lectured about the best hiking trails to hike and the proper equipment to wear.

I noticed that they were careful not to show affection toward each other, avoiding holding hands or showing other overt signs of being in a relationship. I wouldn't have been able to tell they were a couple if I hadn't been in that situation myself with Jack. In today's world, gay relationships are more accepted than when Jack and I grew up in the '50s and '60s. Even so, it wasn't widely accepted by many institutions and businesses that still disapproved of, if not outright forbid, gay and lesbian relationships.

Many of the guys who had been focusing their attention on Stephanie noticed the two new attendees. They were torn between paying attention to Stephanie and staring at the two beautiful women who seemed oblivious to them. Within minutes, the blonde started asking questions after introducing herself as Virginia, and Stephanie eagerly answered her questions. While she took the lead on asking the questions, she always looked to her companion, who I now knew was Bonnie, checking with her and asking for her input. From the way they interacted, I could tell that their relationship was solid and was the kind that would last a lifetime.

I was only interrupted twice by the phone ringing. However, the gathering started breaking up as it approached 10:00 PM. Everyone wanted a good night's sleep before getting up early for a long day of hiking. The weekend night manager, George, arrived at 9:55 PM to prepare for his shift. When I saw him, I got up, said goodnight to Stephanie, and headed back into the office to talk to George.

"Hey, George," I said as I pulled the phone off the windowsill and closed the window. "How's Dave doing?"

Dave was George's partner and has been off on a photo shoot assignment for the past week. They had been a couple for as long as I knew George and were both great guys. George was a CPA, so he did my books while moonlighting as my night manager on weekend nights. It had been a godsend finding him. I had a degree in Business Administration, but having George take care of the accounting took much of the financial worry off me and helped make our business profitable.

"Dave's doing fine. He called this evening and said they were wrapping up, and he'd be back tomorrow," George replied with a big smile.

I was sure he missed Dave when he was gone as much as I missed Jack when she was gone, so I said, "That's great, George." I spent a few minutes catching George up on the situation. I let him know everyone was checked in, and we were completely booked through the weekend, so he wouldn't have to worry about late arrivals.

"Good," George said, "I'll be able to get your books done without any interruptions."

It also meant that he'd be able to get some uninterrupted sleep. I didn't mind since I wasn't paying him top dollar. Jack and I also benefited from George answering the occasional late-night phone call, giving us an uninterrupted night.

After saying goodnight to George, I went upstairs to prepare for bed. As I performed my toilet, I wondered where Jack was. Either she was driving late, trying to get home as soon as possible, or parked somewhere, sleeping in the back of her cab. I hoped she was on the road because I wanted her back in my arms.

As I crawled into my lonely bed, I threw up a prayer for Jack, hoping she was safe and sound, whatever she was doing. As I fell asleep, I thought about how all of this started...

***

March 1963

Spring break was coming up, and I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do during the week that classes were out. As a senior, I wished I could skip the break and finish my classes a week earlier. However, that just wasn't going to happen, so I had to figure out if I wanted to splurge and go down to Tijuana, Mexico, like many of my classmates planned to do.

I was scanning the bulletin board in the student union, and I saw several announcements for a political rally for Vice President Richard Nixon. He was leading in the polling for the Republican primary for Governor this year. He'd be going up against Pat Brown, the popular Democratic incumbent. At this point, I was still undecided about who I'd vote for.

I saw a many-time-mimeographed flyer for a place named "The Green Door" in the Mission district of San Francisco. I closely read it, although it was difficult to make out some of the words. It looked like a place that I would be interested in, having heard on the down low that it was a place for lesbians to go. Being part of the underground gay community, you had to be careful not to broadcast the fact you were gay. Although it was tolerated unofficially, you didn't want to get officially noticed. So, subtle advertisements like the one I was reading were the only way to spread the word.

After reading the entire flyer twice, I decided to visit "The Green Door" next week during the break to check it out. I've tried places before that I had heard about or read the flyers for. I had been disappointed by what I found many times. Most were hole-in-the-wall places that made me feel dirty just by entering. The decent places weren't all that friendly toward gays, so you couldn't enjoy yourself anyway. I hoped this place was better than that.

When Saturday morning came, I said goodbye to several girls I shared the dorm with. They were going down to Tijuana, and I wished them a safe journey. My roommate, Suzy, was going with them, so I'd have the room to myself for a week. That was a relief because she was straight, and it was hard to not notice her when she paraded around the room in her underwear. I didn't think she knew I was gay because I'd been so careful not to advertise it, so I was sure she wasn't doing it to annoy me. Any activities I went to in the underground, I kept to myself. If she asked me where I'd been, I'd just say I was in the library studying.

I spent the weekend back home in San Jose, visiting with my parents and two younger brothers. I returned to campus on Monday, planning to go to "The Green Door" that evening. By the time I got off the bus at the campus, I was tired, dirty, and sweaty. When I returned to my room, I immediately stripped, donned my robe, and headed down to the showers. As I showered, I planned my evening. Instead of taking the bus back to San Francisco, I decided to call a taxi. It was more expensive, but I wouldn't have to worry about missing a bus connection or walking alone to and from the bus stop and "The Green Door." A girl can't be too careful these days with all of the crime in the city.

By the time I was dressed in a nice pleated skirt, button-down blouse, and tie and had completed my toilet, I heard the taxi's horn as it pulled up outside. Taking a deep breath, I hurried out and got in the cab. When I gave the driver the address to "The Green Door," a quick look of disapproval flashed over his face before he started out. Apparently, he disapproved of that area of San Francisco, going on about how that wasn't a safe place for a nice girl like me. I assured him I was visiting some friends and would be okay. He seemed satisfied with my statement and decided to go into tourist guide mode. He gave me a running commentary of the sights as we crossed over the Golden Gate Bridge and headed into the Mission District. I didn't mind because I was a little nervous about what I was getting into, and his talking settled me down.

Finally, we arrived at the address I gave him. I paid the $4.00 fare and added a dollar for a tip, thanking him for the safe trip. I got out and looked around, noting the quiet and the man standing by the door, which was painted green. I walked up to the door, unsure what the protocol was. The man nodded at me and opened the door for me. A burst of music and voices greeted me. I nodded and said, "Thank you," before entering.

I looked around as I entered the foyer, noting that the place was nicely appointed. I was relieved that it didn't appear to be a dive. As I approached the hostess desk, I was met by a woman who was my height but was about twice as big as I was in every dimension, with muscular arms and legs that made me catch my breath. She was older than me, and I noticed the large tattoo on her left bicep, a heart with the word 'Mother' in it, and an arrow piercing it.

Before I could say anything, she said, "Hello. You must be new here."

"Uh, yes," I said with a slight catch as I felt intimidated by her bulk.

She smiled, changing her demeanor, saying, "Welcome to 'The Green Door.' Since you're new, let me tell you how things are." With that, she gave me a quick verbal tour of the place. As she talked, my nervousness disappeared, and I looked forward to the evening. When she finished describing the activities for the evening, she ended with, "If you need anything or have any questions, just ask for me. I own this place. You can call me 'Mother.' Everyone else does."

I smiled at that and said, "Well, Mother, my name is Darlene. I think I'll start by getting a bite to eat."

Mother picked up a menu and said, "Follow me." I followed her into the dining area, noting that the seating was arranged for privacy. There weren't many customers sitting there, so the music and conversation I heard as I entered must have been coming from the lounge and the dance floor. I sat at the indicated table, and Mother handed me a menu. Before leaving, she said, "Miriam will be your server. I'll send her right over."

I looked over the menu, noting the draft and bottled beers available. When Miriam came up to me, I ordered the Anchor Steam Beer. It was locally brewed, and I've developed a liking for it. Interestingly, it was a lager beer brewed like an ale beer. I loved its taste and its nose. She left to get my beer as I decided what to eat. I was impressed by the selections available, and I eventually settled on the veal.

When Miriam brought my beer, I placed my order with her. She complimented me on my selection and hurried off to put my order in. As I enjoyed my beer, I looked around, noting that the few customers seated were all paired up, with me being the only single woman in the room. Mother would make her rounds of the tables from time to time to check if everything was okay. I loved how she mother-henned her customers, and I felt that this would be a great place to relax and enjoy myself.

After finishing my meal, I headed into the lounge to check out the action. There were more women in the lounge, and I noticed a group gathered around one booth, obviously attracted to something in the booth that I couldn't see. I edged closer to see what was going on.

As I joined the group, I saw the woman sitting in the booth. My jaw nearly dropped to the floor as my eyes traveled over the incredible hunk sitting there. She was tall, with a handsome face and piercing dark brown eyes that sucked me in. She wore tight jeans and a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up, showing off her muscular arms. Her black hair was cut short and mannishly styled, with a flip on the bangs. Her rakish grin mesmerized me as she stared us all down, and I'll admit it was a bit intimidating. I could understand why no one else had made a move yet.

My nipples ached as they grew erect. My pussy was getting hot and wet as I stood there drinking in that vision, my eyes running over the woman's taut and muscular body. The other girls around me were primping and posing, trying to get the woman's attention. I noticed all of them were waiting for the vision to make the first move. But, as I watched closely, I saw that the woman was, instead, waiting for one of us to make the first move.