Blessed

Long ago...

Julie Welsh stared out the window of her second floor dorm room impatiently wondering if she should brave the late afternoon deluge of rain to search for her missing textbook. She leaned her head against the window frame and silently cursed herself for being so careless earlier. They say that you should never judge a book by its cover. It's not until you start reading that you find out that what you see is not always what you get. But this book was just so big and...ugly! "Pragmatism and the Modern Classroom" was the title of the literary brick assigned for her course in Educational Philosophy. Julie had left the campus bookstore, her arms buckling under the weight of several textbooks, when she headed across the campus lawn towards Burdick Hall. Along the way, the 21 year old Education major tripped and fell, and her armload of textbooks and supplies were scattered.

Milton College was located on a small idyllic looking campus in Southern Wisconsin and it had an equally small student body. The heavy late summer rain had transformed the place into a ghost town and as Julie glanced around, she realized she was all alone. She heaved a sigh of disgust and quickly scrambled to retrieve her things. "This has to be the worst day of my life!" She groaned. She dashed into her room and unceremoniously dumped the waterlogged pile of books onto her desktop and instantly discovered that one very large, very heavy tome, was missing from the stack.

"Told you to wait until the rain let up, dummy!" Julie's roommate, Nora Spongberg, teased.

"What am I gonna do now?"

Julie Welsh turned away from the window now and folded her arms while she gazed at the reflection in their shared dresser mirror. The slender freckle faced beauty twirled a small section of her auburn shoulder length hair around her fingers and pouted. The missing textbook wasn't cheap and there was no way she'd be able to scrounge up enough money for a replacement with what she made from her part time job on such short notice. And she couldn't ask Nora to help her out even though they'd been friends since grade school.

"Why don't you just wait 'til the rain stops?" Nora wondered aloud. "Doubt anyone will steal your book."

"But it'll be getting dark soon..."

Julie was about to head back outside when there was a loud knock at the door. Nora got up from the edge of her bed to answer it, but when she opened the door, her eyes widened in shock and the color left her cheeks.

"Oh hello, Miss Bond." She said. There was a sort of nervous edge to her voice. "Something wrong?"

"I—ah—happened to be on my way to Goodrich Hall when I stumbled across this." The strapping woman passed the sizeable textbook to Nora. "Luckily I spotted Miss Welsh with her arms full just as I was coming out of the campus center. I figured this book belongs to her."

Miss Beulah Bond was the Women's Athletic Director and one of only two female PE instructors for the small private institution. The Percy Dunn Athletic Center where she taught all her classes was only a stone's throw away from Burdick Hall. Miss Bond (known by her friends and colleagues as Bee) is one of Milton's most respected Phys. Ed. professors. From the perspective of nearly all her students, particularly Nora, she was easily one of the most intimidating.

The 43 year old butch PE instructor was indeed a hard looking woman. She was tall with thick eyebrows and a long face. Her dark hair was styled in a very short brush cut and it was quite obvious that she completely lacked any semblance of feminine beauty or grace. To say that most of the female student body was startled by Bee's appearance would have been an understatement. As for Nora, she was petrified by the sight of the middle aged butch woman standing there in her usual track pants and light colored rain slicker.

"Oh yeah, Julie was looking for this." Nora said.

Julie came forward now and snatched the book from her roommate's hands. "Wow thanks, Miss Bond, you're a lifesaver!"

"Be a little more careful next time, okay?" Bee replied. "Try not to carry so much at once. See you in class on Tuesday, Miss Spongberg."

Nora watched Miss Bond walk down the hall until she reached the stairwell and was out of sight. Each student (male and female) was required to take at least two semesters of Physical Education as part of their undergraduate studies. This semester, Nora was enrolled in a wellness course which included calisthenics, first aid, and self-defense. Julie had already taken the course during her first semester. She tried to convince her roommate that the class was actually a lot of fun. "Miss Bond isn't really so bad." She said. "She's actually really nice when you get to know her. But Nora remained unconvinced.

"There, you got your stupid textbook now." Nora said. "Are you happy?

"Yeah. See I told you Miss Bond was nice."

"Whatever. Look, I've got to get going to choir practice. After that, Tim Haskins is taking me out to dinner somewhere so I'll probably be late getting back."

Once Nora was gone, Julie went over to her desk and stared at the stack of textbooks before picking up the one Miss Bond returned. It was still raining pretty heavily outside but for some reason, this book seemed out of place. It should have been soaking wet, or at least damp like the others, but it wasn't. This book was in fact completely dry, but more importantly, it was brand new!

Julie distinctly remembered selecting a used volume because she knew it was cheaper although not by much. When she opened the front cover, a small slip of paper fell out. She stooped down to pick it up and recognized Miss Bond's very neat, very precise penmanship: "I won't tell if you won't tell."

A faint smile spread across the young coed's lips when she recalled the first time she and Miss Bond began really getting to know each other. It was during the last several weeks of her first semester at Milton. She was getting along just fine and doing well in her classes, but she still hadn't quite gotten into the swing of campus life. There was an hour or so before she had to head to her next class, so Julie went to the dining hall for lunch. But when she reached the end of the line, she realized she'd forgotten her student ID.

Julie's cheeks went flush with embarrassment. She was just about to leave her tray when the sound of a familiar gruff, mannish sounding voice prickled the skin around her ears.

"Don't get so upset, I've got it. You certainly aren't the first freshman to forget their ID."

Miss Bond, her wellness professor, fished a billfold from her pants pocket and handed her faculty ID to the cashier.

"Uh, thanks..."

Miss Bond shrugged. "That's okay. It happens."

The dining hall was bustling with activity that day. The two of them found an empty spot near the back and sat across from each other.

"Since you're new, I might as well ask if you're from around here." Miss Bond started as she raised her coffee cup to her lips.

"No I'm from Appleton." Julie replied. "You?"

"Janesville. I've lived there my entire life; still do as a matter of fact. But I did get away long enough to go travelling through the south of France, back when I was in college."

Before long, the two of them were lost in pleasant conversation as they ate. Julie learned that Miss Bond double majored in Phys. Ed. And Political Science before earning her Master of Education at Illinois State University. She was surprised to hear that her professor enjoyed playing tennis with her colleagues (when the weather permitted), reading long novels, and cooking.

"I'm not the greatest at it, but so far I haven't managed to burn my house down...yet!" The older woman quipped. Now the professor looked up at the wall clock, finished the last of her coffee, and started to get up. "It was very nice talking with you, Miss Welsh, but I've got to run along."

"That's okay. My name's Julie by the way."

"Well in that case, you can call me Bee—when we're not in class."

"Thanks a lot for lunch, Bee. I know you didn't have to do that."

"Thanks likewise for the company. These days I don't get too many chances to visit one on one with my students unless it's something class related. See you in class, Julie."

Miss Bond certainly looked and sounded intimidating, but not all of the young women who crossed her path were daunted by the PE instructor's presence. Over the nearly 20 years she's taught at Milton, there had been a few young women who were in fact fascinated and even drawn to her. But none were as drawn to her as Julie Welsh.

Of course there were dozens of good looking guys on campus. Julie never seemed to have any problem snagging offers for a date. Even Nora managed to find a steady boyfriend. And although Julie occasionally went out with this guy or that, her mind and her interests were always elsewhere. It was her darkest secret, but even from a very young age she knew she was attracted to other girls. But almost since she'd first set eyes on, and started getting to know Miss Bond, she was smitten!

Julie's eyes travelled down to the note in her hand now and she shuddered as a delicious wave of heat washed over her. She was grateful Nora had gone to choir practice so she could be alone with her thoughts. She carefully folded the little piece of paper in two and stuffed it inside the small jewelry box she kept next to the alarm clock beside her bed. Now she shed her clothes and put on her bathrobe. Towel and shampoo bottle in hand, she decided to take a shower.

There was one large communal bathroom with toilets, sinks, and showers on each floor of Burdick Hall. It was unusual with the heavy rains keeping everyone inside that the place was unoccupied. Julie took her robe off and hung it on a hook and then selected a stall at the end closest to the wall.

As the spray of hot water coursed over her nude body, thoughts of Miss Bond dominated Julie's train of thought. She remembered the very strict, almost militaristic way she conducted class activities. A few of the girls were out of shape and most of them resented the way the homely butch professor taunted them with barking commands and deafening sudden outbursts from her whistle. But Julie enjoyed every minute of it and it showed. Her little body was already quite svelte so calisthenics were no problem for her.

Julie reached for the shampoo, squeezing a moderate amount into her hand. She tilted her head back underneath the spray and lathered up her hair while several streams of creamy soap ran down her arms and lightly coated her breasts. Her thoughts strayed away from wellness class and the gymnasium. They began to take on a life of their own and her breath caught in her throat as she rinsed the soap from her hair.

The steady stream of hot water filled the cramped space with mounds of thick steam. Julie paused to stare while it appeared to bubble and roll like smoke as it grew in density, struggling to take on some sort of crude shape. The girl's eyes were half-closed and slowly she brought her hands to her breasts, tenderly caressing the pert fleshy globes.

"Mmm...Bee...so glad you decided to join me!" Julie whispered seductively.

Miss Bond appeared effortlessly in her mind's eye and she imagined the strapping butch PE instructor standing there with her under the spray. She could clearly see the older woman's face, neck, and shoulders although the rest of her was obscured by the rising steam. Julie closed her eyes and envisioned Bee's lips pressing against hers, their tongues colliding in a deep heartfelt kiss while the old dyke's hands wandered across her slippery wet skin.

Slowly Julie's hand crept down to the space between her legs while she imagined her phantom older lover kissing her neck and breasts, lavishing her vulnerable body with loving affection.

"Ahh, yesss..." She softly moaned.

Now the tips of her fingers brushed against the soft wet curls of dark hair covering her mound. Seconds later, her fingertips traced along the cleft, teasing it apart, before softly strumming the sensitive bud of her clitoris. Julie gasped and shuddered from the sensation. Now the girl's fingers picked up speed, tickling and rubbing her pussy with long deliberate strokes. Her breath became increasingly ragged and her body started trembling as she leaned back against the tiled wall for support. Julie's tongue emerged and she licked her lips.

"Oh please, Bee...I wanna feel your tongue!"

With another long stroke, her fingers briefly plunged inside her opening, spreading her wetness against the folds of her inner labia. And when the slimy tip of her finger returned to taunt her swollen little button, her body responded instantly, spasming erratically.

"Oh my God!"

She barely had time to wonder if this was what sex was like with another woman. Julie's mind was narrowly focused on tormenting herself underneath the spitting showerhead. The thought of seeing Miss Bond's mannish face and gazing lustfully into her dark eyes was enough to send Julie completely over the edge. The orgasm was intense and sudden; almost crippling as the young coed felt her legs starting to buckle. Her mouth fell open in a silent scream and the muscles on her slender neck strained as Julie's eyes rolled back in her head.

After a minute or so, the intensity began to subside and Julie slowly regained her senses. She snapped out of her reverie, took a deep breath, and quickly finished washing up. When she was through, she stepped out of the shower, toweled off, and put her robe back on. She hardly noticed the other occupant standing in front of the bank of sinks with rollers in her brassy blond hair.

"You okay, Julie?" The girl asked. It was JoEllen Lantz who lived a couple doors down the hall.

"Uh, yeah...guess the water's extra hot today."

JoEllen's mouth tightened and she arched one eyebrow suspiciously. "Sure, if you say so..."

Julie ignored the sarcasm dripping from the other girl's voice as she blew past her and dashed down the hallway to her room. She slammed the door shut behind her now and her cheeks felt flush as her eyes wandered across the room she shared with Nora to her desk. There sat the big fat textbook she thought she'd lost to the rain outside and suddenly Julie was overcome by a rush of gratitude towards the butch professor. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she recalled the note that fell from the inside cover. Such a simple act of courtesy, delivered discreetly marked the beginning of what would eventually become a very close and very intense relationship.

*****

Now it was the first semester of Julie's senior year at Milton College. She was looking forward to midterms and the coming of winter break. The young coed was on track to begin her student teaching in spring and her adviser, Dr. Leland Babcock, informed her of her coming placement at Parker High School where she'd be teaching freshman and sophomore English.

For the past year or so, Julie's fellowship with Miss Bond quickly grew beyond the normal confines of professor and student. They'd been seeing each other now for several months although Bee warned Julie that they had to be very careful. In those days, beautiful young coeds like Julie often attended college with the expectation of finding a husband while they pursued a career. Homosexuality was completely unacceptable. To get caught meant the loss of family, friends, and in Bee's case, her position as Women's PE Instructor and Athletic Director. During the rare times they were alone, they were able to speak freely and share a discreet kiss or two, but they never took things further than that. Bee wanted to take things slow with Julie.

"It's just that...the last woman I was with left me." Bee said. "She said she couldn't stand the pressure of having to hide our relationship. I guess I don't blame her. I—I just don't want to go through the hurt again. I want you to be sure about us."

"I am sure!" Julie softly protested. "I've never been more certain about anything my whole life!"

"I'm not like most women." Bee replied plaintively. "I'm very...different."

She wasn't worried about that. As far as Julie was concerned, Miss Bond was more thoughtful and attentive than most of the guys she'd encountered on campus. In the classroom and gymnasium, the middle aged professor was unwaveringly curt and strict, but whenever Julie was around, that façade seemed to melt. The beautiful young coed recalled one particular incident when she'd gone to the library to start work on a research paper. Miss Bond was attending a faculty meeting in the same building that day. Julie was about to open the door when the strapping butch woman tried dashing in front of her to hold it open. This unexpected act of chivalry suddenly turned comical when the door swung open too fast and roundly smacked the professor's face.

Bee sighed and patted the girl's shoulder. "I'd never forgive myself if Dr. Babcock found out about us and your placement was somehow jeopardized. Let's wait a little while longer."

*****

It was Friday afternoon in mid-October, the week after Homecoming, and Julie Welsh stood in front of the dresser mirror in her dorm room, staring at her reflection. Nora was on a date somewhere with her boyfriend, Tim, leaving the young coed to fret with her hair and makeup in solitude.

With a wad of tissue, Julie wiped away the lipstick she'd just applied and scowled at her reflection, wondering if she ought to try a different shade or leave her lips bare. The simple light colored pullover sweater and skirt she'd chosen for this evening went well with the lovely outward flip of her titian hair. The smattering of freckles on her cheeks and nose emphasized the classic uncorruptable beauty of her overall appearance.

"I think I'll just do without the lipstick." She muttered softly. It was a wise decision. Her face was pretty enough on its own; anything else would have been a distraction.

Julie glanced over at the alarm clock beside her bed, slipped on her coat, and headed out into the brisk fall air. She skipped across the leaf littered lawn to Middle Hall. Earlier in the day she asked Carl Siebert to give her a ride into Janesville. Carl sat next to Julie in Secondary Methods class and occasionally they'd study together in the library. Carl was an extremely good looking guy; clean cut, polite, and he was a member of both the Campus Social Board and International Relations Club.

But as good looking and polite as Carl was, Julie always thought it was strange that he was never seen hanging around any girls—unless he was studying. He had a few close friends, mainly guys on the football team, but he never really seemed to be interested in anyone else. Still, Julie liked and trusted Carl and the feeling seemed to be mutual. He had a part time job working at one of the drugstores downtown, so when she asked Carl if he'd drop her off near St. Mary's Church, he shrugged and said: "Sure, no problem!"

Julie slid into the front passenger side of Carl's Dodge Dart. She flipped the visor mirror down and started fussing with her hair as they left the campus behind.

"They have something going on at the church tonight?" Carl asked his companion.

"Oh no," Julie casually replied. "I'm just going to visit a friend who lives nearby."

Julie flipped the visor shut and stared at the endless cornfields and occasional farmhouse through the passenger window. Her cheeks went flush and she silently prayed her classmate wouldn't ask any more questions. She wasn't actually lying although it sure felt like it. She was meeting a friend of sorts; she simply neglected to mention that friend happened to be Miss Beulah Bond.

Since the first week of the semester, Julie had asked Miss Bond—practically begged her—for a proper date. The first couple times she asked, the professor demurred and said that her schedule was too full. But then two days ago the lovely coed stopped by during Miss Bond's office hours to say hello and this time the strapping butch woman invited her to her house for dinner.