Best Christmas Gift Ever

They ended up enjoying each other's company so much that they ate lunch together at the company cafeteria the next day...and the next...and even made it a point to go out again on Friday. Amy couldn't remember who started it, but they began texting each other outside of work as well. It became routine to check in with each other every evening, share funny anecdotes and even vent a little when the need arose.

The only minor bump in their friendship came when Laurel flat-out refused to get up early and join Amy for a work-out. Amy thought it would have been fun and a nice change of pace to have someone to sweat with and motivate her. Uh-uh, no thanks. Laurel was definitely not a morning person and valued every minute of sleep she could get. Amy shrugged it off, but kept the invitation open in case Laurel ever changed her mind.

On Christmas morning they took the time to call and wish each other a Merry Christmas. At some point during the conversation the idea that they should get their families together came up. They both agreed that it would be so much fun. They went back and forth discussing possible events and outings. Oddly, they couldn't quite decide on a date and somehow neither of them pursued it too vigorously. It was a nice thought and sounded fun, but they shared an unspoken selfishness of each other's attention.

They both just loved having this friendship, this other person...this 'thing' that was just between them.

****

Amy looked down at her phone and shook her head. It was the third text from Laurel that morning. She'd been at her desk for less than fifteen minutes.

L: Did u sign up for the conference yet???

A: Doing it now...the text included their shared signature winking smiley face with the tongue sticking out.

L: YES!!!! Gonna be so much fun!

Amy smiled as she read the message.

She secretly hoped Laurel was right because she was really looking forward to her first out-of-state work conference. Then again, why wouldn't they have fun? It was going to be just the two of them sharing a hotel room... by the beach... in southern California - with no husbands or kids. Amy knew her friend well enough to know that the only boundaries Laurel had were the ones she liked to push. The redhead definitely knew how to fun.

She paused. Maybe that's just what I need - to be a little more like Laurel, Amy reasoned to herself. It was obvious the woman loved her husband dearly and was an awesome mom...but somehow she was still able to be spontaneous and exciting...and she wouldn't hesitate to be naughty if she felt like it.

Amy smiled and with a shake of her head remembered the first time Laurel had shown her that naughty streak.

It had been right after the Christmas weekend. It figured that their first day back at work just had to coincide with a serious cold-front. It was just Amy's luck that she hadn't dressed warmer because someone had turned off the heat over the long weekend and hadn't bothered to cut it back on. She'd texted Laurel and complained that it was way too cold in her department and whined about how she had forgotten to bring a sweater.

Laurel had replied that she had an extra zip-up hoodie in her office and Amy was more than welcome to it. The only problem being that she was really tied up with a project and Amy would have to come over to the other side of the company campus and get it. Or she could wait and Laurel would bring it to her at lunch.

Of course Amy also happened to be too busy to leave her desk. She thanked her friend and told her she'd just have to suffer through the arctic chill and get it from her at lunch. Not being able to resist, Amy had followed that up with a smart-ass comment:

A: and look at u the little Girl Scout - always prepared.

L: u bet ur azz...always cold in here - they keep the server room at low temp and its right by my desk...brrrrr

A: ahhhh...gotcha

L: I keep extras here cuz if not these pervs all stare at my boobs

A: completely understand - pervs in my dept too...LOL

L: I'll bet but it's really obvious when I'm cold, LOL!

A: me too, LMAO!

Feeling a little bolder than usual and hoping to brighten Laurel's busy day, Amy's text had included a pic of her making a face like she was chattering her teeth that included her finger pointing at her impressive chest and the visible bumps showing through her shirt. Laurel's reply didn't come through until a few minutes later. The subject line read NSFW in all caps.

Huh, that's a new one...Amy took her phone into the ladies room and opened the message.

The text ended up being a slide show. Laurel's grinning face appeared in the first picture and she was flashing a thumb's up. Amy smiled and assumed it was in approval of the picture she'd sent. Then Amy's mouth opened in surprise when the next picture downloaded and Laurel's naked boob popped up on the screen. Laurel's finger was pointing at her large, very erect nipple. Her manicured nail was actually touching the tip of the hard nub. After a few moments, the pic disappeared and the final shot opened. It was Laurel's face wearing a smirk with a raised eyebrow that was captioned at the bottom with: told ya it was REALLY obvious!

Amy had sat in the bathroom and scrolled back through the pictures for what felt like a long time. She felt captivated by her friend's willingness to just put herself out there and not care what other people thought. She stared at the close-up image of the second pic and couldn't help but admire just how beautiful her friend's breast was. She secretly envied the almost perfect teardrop shape and how it sat so high up on her chest. She also thought the splash of freckles across Laurel's upper chest were adorable!

Amy also had to admit that Laurel hadn't been exaggerating - her nipples were large and the one showing in the picture had looked almost painfully hard. So yeah, if she was that cold then it was probably pretty obvious. Amy giggled. Like obvious from across the room. Amy had worn a dreamy smile the whole time she looked at those pictures and she wasn't exactly sure why, but had never deleted them from her phone.

She snapped out of her daydream about that first exchange when her phone vibrated again.

L: Did you get ur confirmation # yet???

A: I did! Am officially booked!!!

L: Suh-weet! Hubby is driving us to the airport - pick u up at 430

A: Yay!!! can't wait!

L: Fo sho! See u at lunch!

Yeah, going with Laurel pretty much ensured that this trip was going to be a blast. Amy figured she might even have to be the voice of reason if things started to get a little too wild...after all, this was supposed to be a work conference.

****

Laurel was also over-the-top excited about this trip and spending time with Amy away from their usual routines. She'd seen online that the hotel they were staying at had stellar reviews and offered every bell and whistle a girl could hope for. She had checked and the weather was supposed to be awesome as well. How often would they get a chance for a long weekend at the beach in the middle of winter?

As chance would have it, that same text exchange after Christmas had been on Laurel's mind as well. It had struck her as kind of funny that those pics on that cold winter morning had somehow drawn them closer together. It seemed kind of silly since it was just a boob picture between friends, but Amy had changed after that day. It was like she just stopped holding back.

Laurel was well aware of the fact that she made some people uncomfortable with her lack of a filter. She would talk openly and honestly about anything and didn't believe in holding back - no subject was off limits. That's just who she was. It hadn't seemed to bother Amy much, but after that day she just started to really open up. Surprisingly, her busty friend had been eager to be able to finally let her hair down and talk about anything and everything. They ended up telling each other all kinds of intimate details about their sexual experiences and even divulged some of their secret fantasies. Laurel absolutely loved this new attitude from her friend and it made her feel even closer to Amy.

Just last week at lunch, Amy had trusted Laurel enough to vent about her dwindling sex life with Steve. Laurel had completely understood. She knew all too well how exhausting their lives could be as working mothers and the toll that exhaustion could take in the bedroom. In typical Laurel-fashion, the redhead didn't dwell on the negatives or how miserably frustrating these dry spells could be - she just encouraged Amy to do what she did and take things into her own hands.

Amy had been oddly quiet at this advice. Laurel persisted in spelling it out and told Amy to satisfy her own needs. It wasn't a big deal. If her "hubby wasn't scratching the itch for her" Amy just needed to spend some "quality time" by herself. Again, Amy didn't have much to say and suddenly seemed uncomfortable. Amy had always gotten just a little embarrassed when they talked about sex, but this was different. Laurel kept on about it, insisting that her friend tell her what was going on.

It ended up taking them down an entirely different path when Amy tearfully admitted something she hadn't told anyone. She was really uncomfortable with even the thought of masturbating. At first Laurel thought her friend was kidding, but was soon very sympathetic to learn Amy had been taught at a young age that good girls simply did not do that - ever. It was wrong and shameful and told she'd burn in hell if she ever did it.

Now Amy was quick to point out that she'd gotten over most of the other crap about sex she'd been spoon-fed by her mother growing up. It hadn't been easy, but she'd learned to enjoy sex very much - and lately that was whenever she and her husband actually managed to have it. She just couldn't seem to get past her issues with touching herself 'down there'. It wasn't like she hadn't tried. She just hadn't ever been successful with actually giving herself an orgasm.

Pursing her lips as she set her phone down, Laurel had a secret agenda for this weekend. First and foremost she had to get Amy to appreciate her own sexiness. Laurel decided that was the starting point - her friend literally had no idea just how unquestionably hot she really was. She was confident she could fix that. Amy just needed feel sexy - like deep down in her bones feel it. Laurel had a hunch that if she could just get Amy feeling good about herself and excited enough to work through that "first time" - it would be a lot easier after that.

Laurel grinned. It was going to change that girl's life once she finally let go and embraced that awesomely lush body of hers! The key was to find that perfect opportunity this weekend to reprogram Amy's perception of getting herself off...or would it be un-brainwash her? Whatever you wanted to call it, Laurel was very determined to help her best friend and this trip was the perfect opportunity for Amy to get past this.

After all, Laurel had made a promise that she would help her friend in any way that she could... and she had every intention of doing so.

****

Riding in the taxi to the hotel only increased their excitement. It was finally sinking in that it was just the two of them for the next three days - at the beach! Amy was in a particularly good mood as Laurel's fun-loving attitude seemed to be rubbing off on her big time. They had talked and laughed and held hands for practically the entire flight. Even though they saw each other at lunch several times a week, it was somehow different and refreshing to be able to have a conversation for an extended period of time without the pressures of watching the clock or worrying about work.

On the downside, there was no time to relax after checking into the hotel since the seminar started sharply at 10am. Because of the large number of participants, the conference was being held at a private college that was only a few blocks from the hotel. There were three different itineraries that attendees could choose to follow with each session being held in identical lecture halls. The rooms consisted of an elevated lectern in front of a large screen and then several rows of long, curved tables that formed an oblong semi-circle around the stage with each row a step higher with the last row being the furthest from the stage and at the highest level.

Laurel and Amy chose to sit in the very back and politely listened to all of the various introductions, state of the company speeches and explanations of their chosen itinerary. They broke for a quick lunch that wasn't great but wasn't bad and then went right back to it as the rest of their day was jam-packed with various presentations. They were a little disappointed when they found each day would be just as busy as directors and executives from their company as well as presenters from several other companies in their industry were on the schedule. It didn't seem like they were going to have any time to go to the beach or enjoy the spa at the hotel.

That afternoon the two of them dutifully paid attention and took notes, following along in their binders since many of these day-one sessions included material that was at least related to their respective departments and job functions. As the last presenter of the day wrapped up the final presentation they were mentally running on fumes and starving. Laurel checked her phone and showed Amy that it was a balmy 31 degrees back home at that moment, so they both agreed that it seemed only right to enjoy the warm weather and walked the three blocks back to the hotel. By the time they made it back to the hotel both women were starting to really feel the effects of jet-lag. They mutually decided on a quick trip up to their room to freshen up and make brief phone calls home to check in.

Feeling somewhat refreshed and officially reassured that their houses hadn't burned down and all spouses and children were alive and well, they headed down to dinner in the banquet hall. It hadn't really hit either of them just how hungry they were or how mediocre lunch had been until they saw the decadent feast being provided by their employer courtesy of the five star hotel's chef. The food was plentiful and beyond delicious and there was an open bar with every kind of wine and alcoholic beverage a person could possibly want. They ate, drank and indulged like a couple of Viking women.

Then it was time for dessert and socializing. Even though it was getting late, the two women decided to hang around for a little while longer and ended up having a lot of fun. Not only did they get to eat the best Crème Brule on the face of the planet, but they met some of the executive board members and were also able to put names to faces of co-workers from some of the other branches. People were naturally drawn to Laurel's dynamic personality, but she made sure she introduced Amy to whomever she happened to be talking to or flirting with and included her in the conversation. Overall, it proved to be a very enjoyable evening.

When they finally managed to stagger back to their shared hotel room around midnight both women were slightly drunk and utterly exhausted. Laurel used the facilities first and Amy felt like a zombie as she went through the process of undressing and throwing on one of her husband's old t-shirts to sleep in. Brushing her teeth at the sink, Amy scarcely paid attention when Laurel exited the bathroom and scooted around her in one of the hotel's complimentary oversized robes. Without realizing what she was doing, Amy watched her friend in the mirror as she dumped her armful of balled up clothes on one of the chairs by the table. She was in the middle of rinsing when she saw Laurel's reflection slip off the robe and climb into one of the queen size beds stark-naked.

Amy went into the bathroom and sat down to pee, the image of Laurel's toned body dancing in her head. She smiled to herself. Laurel had told her once that she always slept in the nude. In fact she remembered Laurel telling her that it had made for some comically embarrassing moments now that her boys were getting older. They had learned pretty quickly to knock before entering their parents' bedroom. In her tipsy state she also thought about how cute the small landing strip of dark red hair above Laurel's sex looked. Amy kept her pubic area very neat and trimmed, but had never gone that far... maybe she should think about shaving like Laurel did.

Amy giggled quietly at herself. She drank way more than she should have. Why else would she have looked at Laurel like that? She closed her eyes and remembered the curve of Laurel's hips and the way those perky breasts bounced slightly as she had gotten into bed. Man, she thought, Laurel just oozed sexy...Yep, Laurel was definitely sexy Amy nodded drunkenly to herself. She shivered suddenly, yawned, then flushed and washed her hands.

Amy looked at herself in the mirror over the sink for a moment and then turned off the lights. She tried to be quiet and thought she heard Laurel mumble something about sleep tight as she stumbled her way through the dark room. Amy climbed under the covers, adjusted her pillow once and that was the last thing she remembered. It felt like as soon as she had closed her eyes the phone started ringing with their wake-up call.

They lounged around in their respective beds as long as they could until both of them ended up having to rush around in a panic to get showered and dressed. Amy chose a blue dress that she bought specifically for this trip. Laurel approved of it and made sure Amy knew how incredible she looked. Laurel watched Amy bend down to fix the strap on her shoe and thought how that dress might have been intended as an everyday wear garment by the designer, but it really accentuated Amy's curves. Her ass looked spectacular! Laurel also loved the fact that it was a little lower cut than what Amy usually chose to wear and her well-endowed friend's cleavage looked wondrous. Amy slipped on a white cardigan and as she turned around her breath caught as Laurel spun around.

"Do I look okay?"

Wearing a short black skirt and a sleeveless white silk blouse, Laurel looked like she could have just stepped off of the pages of a fashion magazine and Amy told her as much.

"Oh, why thank you, darling," Laurel replied in the snootiest voice she could muster and struck a sexy pose. "Shall we?"

"We shall," Amy took her friend's arm as they headed downstairs for a light breakfast of fresh fruit and bagels. They each called home while they ate to check on their families. Finished, they grabbed a taxi to the college since neither of them had worn shoes that made walking three city blocks an option.

****

Day two of the conference ended up as a dud. The presenters weren't nearly as interesting or dynamic and the presentations weren't really relevant to either of them. As the speakers droned on and the power point presentations endlessly played on the screen they spent the morning not really paying attention. The lights were dimmed just enough for them to take advantage of their relative isolation in the back of the room. Like a couple of school girls they wrote each other notes, drew silly pictures, texted back and forth and were just out and out being silly.

After the mid-morning break they went back to their seats and Laurel's stomach audibly growled which caused them both to giggle. Amy's phone vibrated.

L: Starving! What r u hungry for?

A: IDK...u?

L: After last night need 2 keep it lite...salads?

A: perfect!

Since learning earlier that morning that no one took attendance at these things they decided to slip quietly out of the rear exit thirty minutes early and hailed a cab. They told the driver what they wanted to eat and he knew just the place. The taxi dropped them off at quaint looking eatery and the man promised he'd swing back by in about an hour to pick them up. Laurel tipped him generously and gave him a wink. Yep, he'd definitely be back.