Cruising Altitude

"My... front? But..."

"I've seen your boobs before, you know. I have even touched them before."

Bella turned on her back. "But..."

Lena sat on the edge of Bella's sun lounger and waited. Bella looked at her eyes, then around the pool area—no one was paying them any attention—and then down along her own body. Her boobs had spread into her armpits and her tummy looked like a vast expanse of velvet-wrapped jello, striped by stretch marks. And her—

"Oh god, should I have trimmed my pubes?"

"Do you usually?" Lena asked. She had spread sunscreen on her hands and now she cupped both Bella's cheeks, pressing her head back down on the recliner and starting to spread the lotion on her face carefully, like a cosmetologist.

"Well, no, but..."

"Then you shouldn't have," Lena said. "Your pubes are lovely."

"I bet that bitch Brenda trims her pubes."

"Mm-hm." Lena soothed her forehead, spreading the lotion with sweeping movements from the front outwards. "Did Eli ever ask you to trim them?"

"Well he did that sometimes."

"Then he got them just the way he wanted, didn't he?"

"I guess."

Lena stroked her nose, chin, neck. When she moved to her collarbones, Bella tensed. Lena stopped, her hands on her. They shared a long look. Bella sighed, relaxed and closed her eyes. Lena continued with her unhurried pace down her body.

"Eli is not here," Lena said, rubbing her left boob with both hands. "And I like your pubes the way they are."

Bella's nipple reacted to Lena's touch, and by the time she approached the center it was all scrunched up, pulling the areola to a wrinkled bunch. Lena didn't slow down. She spread the sunscreen on it, thoroughly, holding Bella's breast in place with her other hand, then tweaked the nipple gently. Bella sighed. Lena let her breast gently back down towards her armpit, and moved to the other one. When she moved lower to apply a huge amount of sunscreen on Bella's soft and wobbly tummy, her nipples stayed hard.

Lena rubbed the lotion evenly, thoroughly, keeping the same unhurried pace. Bella tried to imagine how she looked, laying there like a beached whale, wobbling under her touch, her boobs spread for everyone to see. She moved her arms a little closer to her body, trying to herd them higher over her ribcage then gasped, forgetting her breasts when Lena approached her hips. She relaxed again when she moved downward to her wide thigh.

Lena went down one leg and up the other. When she got closer to Bella's hip again, Bella realized her nipples were still hard. Her breath caught when Lena slid her hands up her upper thigh, the outer one massaging her wide hip and the inner one steadily approaching her pussy. "I... what..."

"Open up, love," Lena said quietly, nudging her legs. Bella spread her legs a little and had a fleeting thought of how she was probably wet, and Lena would probably notice. Her touch had just felt so good and it had been so long.

Bella groaned softly when Lena pressed her thumbs on both sides of her labia and pressed. She almost moaned in disappointment when her hands moved away, only to hear more lotion being spurted out of the tube. Lena massaged it on both sides of her pussy, moving upwards, and when she pressed on Bella's clit, she held her breath. Lena's fingers were slippery with sunscreen, and she took her time to slowly glide upwards, then down on her hood. Bella whimpered.

"The thing about sunbathing nude," Lena said and covered Bella's aching pussy with her palm, "is that the sun will catch the places a swimsuit usually covers."

Bella waited, but Lena didn't continue. She still had her hand on Bella's pussy, and didn't remove it even when Bella opened her eyes and looked at her friend.

"You okay?" Lena asked. "How long has it been?"

Bella sighed. Lena removed her hand slowly, and dreamily they switched places, Lena laying on her front on her lounger and Bella sitting on the side of it with the sunscreen bottle in hand. It felt light and she wondered how many tubes they would go through in two weeks. She had a lot of acreage to cover, and Lena, while not as wide as her, was so tall her body needed nearly as much. She spurted a blob to her palm and rubbed her hands together, determined to touch Lena as nicely as she had done to her.

"Well, gee," she said. "I think... maybe... five months?"

"Five months," Lena repeated. "That was when he told you, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was. The pig. I mean, it had been like three months since the previous time, maybe four, and suddenly he was all touchy-feely. I think he just wanted one last sample. Then the next day he dropped the bomb, and that's the last I'll ever fuck him."

Lena let out an encouraging murmur. Bella smoothed the lovely, peachy copper-brown skin on her shoulders and down her narrow back. Her lighter hands looked good on Lena's golden skin. She rubbed the tan line on Lena's hips absentmindedly with her palms and then reached for more lotion.

"So what about since then?" Lena asked, unphased, when Bella descended to her perfect, heart-shaped bum. Bella was mesmerized by the sight of Lena's perfect ass as she rubbed and kneaded. She didn't shake out of her trance before all the lotion in her hands was spent.

"Mmh?" Bella asked while reaching for the bottle and turning on her bum so she'd reach Lena's legs. "Since then? You mean masturbating? Sure, sometimes, yeah, but you know... it's so much effort I sometimes wonder if it's worth it."

"When was the last time?"

Bella rubbed the lotion on the cellulite at Lena's thigh and sighed. "Well I don't take notes," she said. "Maybe... two months ago? I don't know."

"Two months! Girl, you must be starving."

Bella was a little annoyed. She spread the remaining lotion on Lena's shin briskly, then squeezed a wiggly line directly on her other leg. Sunscreen had warmed in the sun so that Lena didn't flinch. Bella put the bottle down and got to work.

"It is what it is," she said. "And so what? How often do you do it then, miss nosy?"

"Me? Every day. Or almost every day. Sometimes more than once a day."

Bella's hands stopped. She turned to look at Lena, but all that was visible of her was the messy bun her hair was in and one ear. A curve of cheek above. Lena didn't continue, and Bella resumed the spreading.

"Huh. But... we're here for two weeks."

Lena giggled. "Well I can go without for two weeks! That wasn't the point. I was just wondering."

Bella finished with Lena's other leg and playfully patted her bum before retreating back to her own lounger. She lay back slowly, looking down along her body, then deciding to ignore how she looked. She put Lena's sunglasses back on and closed her eyes.

"Wondering what?"

"If it was me you were reacting to or if you're just so horny."

"Ssh!"

Bella raised her head and eyed the other people suspiciously. Nobody was nearby. The couple making out in the pool had left, presumably for more quiet quarters. Everyone else was pretty much as they had been.

"Keep your voice down!" she hissed and tried to relax again.

"Okay," Lena whispered. Bella glared at her, certain she was smiling, but her head was turned the other way and she couldn't be certain.

—#—#—#—#—#—

The following day, the ship pulled into a small port and they spent an enjoyable morning touring the town with a bunch of elderly couples. Their guide pointed out interesting sights, and was kind enough to take a few pictures of Bella and Lena on the market square. Later when they stopped for lunch in a small seaside restaurant, Bella browsed through the photos. She and Lena were both beaming, and while she looked like a potato compared to her stylish friend, she had to admit they looked good together.

The ship sailed at five, and they stood on the back deck, watching the small town drift away.

"Should we move there?" Lena asked. "It looked idyllic."

Bella snorted. "You'd be bored out of your wits in two weeks."

Lena turned to lean on the rail and looked at her. "So what should we do before dinner?"

Bella bit her lip, watching as seagulls screeched and dived in the ship's wake. "We... could... go for the nude deck again?"

Lena looked at her and didn't answer until she turned her eyes to hers. "What?"

Lena shrugged. "You liked that, huh? Sure, let's go, we still have a few hours of sun."

The chairs they'd occupied the previous time were taken. Bella was momentarily taken aback, staring at the younger lesbian couple laying on their fronts and chattering away. Lena took her by the arm and they surveyed the area together.

"What about there, by the pool?" Lena asked.

"That's so... "

"So close to everything? Hmm."

"What about there? See? We could move those chairs closer to the corner."

They settled down, eyeing the area from this new vantage point. There were even less people around after a day onshore. Lena removed her clothes with no hesitation, and Bella followed suit, feeling exhilarated and a little hyped.

"You want me to do you again?" Lena asked and gestured with the sunscreen.

Bella nodded enthusiastically and lay down on her back. Lena stood over her, rubbing the lotion between her hands, and smiled.

"Spread, spread," she said and Bella spread her legs, letting them down on either side of the chair. Lena sat between them, practically in her lap, so close she could feel the heat from her crotch against hers. Bella blushed.

"I was thinking," Lena said as she reached over to spread sunscreen on Bella's face, forcing her eyes closed and pressing their bodies even closer together. "About the last time we were here."

She paused, getting more lotion, and Bella shivered in anticipation. Lena was gentle with her neck, more firm with her shoulders, and she felt her nipples hardening even though she wasn't anywhere near them yet.

"I was wondering if it was me that turned you on so much or if you're just so deprived."

Lena kept her voice low and continued towards Bella's breasts. When she massaged the first one, finally grabbing a nipple between her fingers, Bella gasped and arched her back. The feelings were even more intense than before and she felt a jolt in her pussy. She fought to keep her breath under control.

"How long since you last were with a woman?" Lena asked, moving to massage her other breast.

Bella swallowed hard and tried to think. "That must have been... before Eli... it was... I think it was you. In, in, was it Shirley's bachelorette? Yes?"

Lena pinched her nipple and Bella had to clamp her lips not to moan aloud.

"That was a long time ago," Lena said, rolling Bella's nipple between her fingers.

"We were so close back then," Bella said huskily, squirming from Lena's touch.

"We were," Lena said. She let go of Bella's boob and moved lower to coat her pudgy tummy. Bella tried to catch her breath, her nipples still so alight she felt the breeze on them acutely. She looked at Lena's perfect breasts, how they swayed when she worked. She longed to touch them and wondered if Lena would let her do her front this time.

Lena moved back a little and gestured for Bella to lift one leg over hers. She spread the lotion evenly, looking at Bella's eyes, then switched legs. Bella licked her lips, waiting, and gasped when Lena moved to massage her pussy, their eyes never parting.

"I don't know if we can be that way again," Lena said with a low voice and massaged her clit between her thumb and index finger. Bella was so aroused she was afraid she'd make a squelching noise. "But I do know you need to get laid."

She moved back to her own chair and started to spread the lotion on herself with brisk, economical movements. Bella watched, disappointed, when Lena rubbed her breasts absentmindedly. She would have wanted to do that to her friend. She was sure Lena knew she would have wanted to do that.

"With you?" Bella asked with the same low voice.

Lena glanced at her and swiftly went through her legs and crotch, then stretched on her lounger.

"I have to think about that," she said.

—#—#—#—#—#—

They had a pleasant dinner with the newlyweds, walked around the deck a few times enjoying the tropical night, and finally retreated to their cabin. Lena fell asleep quickly, but for Bella, sleep was slow in coming. She rolled in her bed, listening to her friend's breathing, feeling flustered. She touched herself briefly, considering masturbating, but gone were the days when she could come so quietly and surreptitiously that Lena wouldn't have noticed. And despite their conversation, she would have been embarrassed if Lena woke up and caught her doing it.

She remembered Lena's touch with the sunscreen and wondered about the feelings it stirred inside her. She remembered the way they'd made love in their youth, and the memories made her breath catch. She remembered her few other experiences with women, and tried to differentiate whether she wanted a woman, or if she wanted Lena. That thought made her realize she did want Lena, that the question wasn't if she wanted her but rather why she wanted her. That made her confused, and no matter how she tried to approach the question it didn't solve itself.

She knew that small hours of the day were awful for any kind of soul searching, so she tried meditating instead. It didn't go much better, and it was really late when she finally drifted off.

—#—#—#—#—#—

Bella didn't wake until Lena shook her.

"Wakey, wakey, sleepy head," she said and smiled.

Bella stretched and yawned. She blinked up at her friend, who sat at the edge of her bed, then yawned and stretched.

"I brought you coffee and croissants," Lena said. "And a surprise."

"A surprise?"

Bella stretched one more time, then reluctantly wedged herself into a sitting position and gratefully received the coffee cup Lena handed her. "How late is it?"

"Not yet lunchtime," Lena said and Bella groaned. "Didn't you sleep last night?"

"Not really, no," Bella mumbled and sipped her coffee again. "What surprise?"

"Nuh uh," Lena said. "You need to wake up first."

Bella rolled her eyes and concentrated on her coffee.

"Oo chocolate croissants!" she exclaimed.

"That should wake you up."

"Omm, yes," Bella said, stuffing her face.

Lena laughed and got up to open the cabin curtains and let the sunshine in from the balcony. The weather was warm, sunny and cloudless, just like every day around those parts.

Bella licked her fingers and looked at how the light filtered through Lena's skimpy summer dress, revealing the outline of her body. She crossed her arms and looked out to the sea. I'd like to paint that, Bella thought. I'd paint her in that exact position. Maybe as a fisherman's wife. Or a mermaid.

There was only one cup of coffee, but it was a large one. Bella sighed happily as she finished it. "You spoil me."

"I try my best."

Bella smiled and went to the bathroom. She showered, brushed her teeth, and spent a few minutes considering her bush of a pubic hair. Visiting the nudist section had made her self-conscious about it, but she had no idea what to do with it. Maybe they would in the spa? But the idea of letting a stranger poke at her privates made her immensely uneasy.

She stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. "Say, Lena—"

"Perfect! It's time for your surprise! Close your eyes!"

Bella complied, smiling widely, her question about pube trimming practices forgotten. She loved surprises. She flinched when Lena touched her, then let her unwrap the towel. She stood naked, waiting, wondering what this could be about.

Lena touched her foot. "Lift! ... And the other one!"

Bella felt something gliding up her thighs. Lena took her time to position it. Underwear? Panties? Why on earth?

Bella flinched again when Lena grabbed her boobs, lifting them.

"No opening yet!" Lena warned.

Bella nodded and stood still. Lena threaded Bella's hand through something with unaccustomed movements and then she started to mess with her boobs again. Bella realized she was putting a bra on her. Clearly Lena was not used to handling this amount of breast, but she didn't give up and didn't ask Bella for help. She positioned Bella's boobs carefully, adjusting and nudging until she was finally satisfied. She probed the straps one more time.

"And... open!"

Bella opened her eyes. She was standing facing the full-length mirror. Lena was standing behind her, looking over her shoulder with an enthusiastic expression. Bella met her eyes in the mirror, then looked down at herself.

She was wearing a bikini. A new bikini. And it was nothing like her old, worn out, solid black one. This was bright, tropical pink, with a pattern of turquoise flowers and black leaves. She looked lower. The bottom piece had a strap of the same flowery fabric on the waistline, but the lower part was solid pink.

Bella touched her boobs tentatively. The top fit relatively well. Surprisingly well. Not perfectly, but her boobs fit in the cups and didn't bulge over. But it was very boobsy. It pushed her boobs to the front and together, in a way her bra never did, in a way her old bikini certainly didn't.

She turned sideways, lowering her hands. The suit made her look feminine in an exaggerated pin-up-girl way, especially from the side where one couldn't see her nonexistent waist. She turned her back to the mirror, trying to see her vast, pink bum, but that brought her face to face with Lena. She turned her gaze to her friend when she accidentally bumped her with her boobs.

"What do you think?" Lena asked. She looked so exhilarated she was all but bouncing. "I think you look great!"

"You got me a bikini?" Bella was still baffled. She turned back towards the mirror, then turned her other side, then back to Lena. "But... how?"

"I asked the woman in the boutique if she could help. You were right, they didn't carry your size, but they do have an excellent supply line to stock the ship for all kinds of luxury items, and..."

She trailed off at Bella's expression. "What's wrong?"

"I can't believe you got me a bikini."

Lena looked down Bella's body and her smile widened again. "It looks even better than I hoped it would!"

Bella examined her boobs again. They looked immense, and the amount of cleavage the bikini created on her was astonishing. "You chose this?"

"I did! They had that, and a solid black one, but I thought..." Lena slowed down when faced with Bella's expression. "...that this was prettier and... we could go sample the water slides at the main pool area..."

"Yeah, right, of course," Bella said, not very convincingly. "We should totally do that."

Lena smiled uncertainly and Bella did her best to return it. They considered each other for a minute, and then Lena's smile widened again.

"Right! Let's go!" she said.

The main pool area had three water slides, two small pools with whirlpool functions and massaging waterfalls, and a small kiddie pool which was unoccupied. The waterslides also went mostly unused, though at irregular intervals some of the younger cruise patrons urged each other to take a plunge.

The wide sunbathing area was cluttered with sunloungers, and Bella felt a twinge of longing for the more intimate nudist area.

They reserved chairs and went for a dip in the main pool. Bella had always enjoyed swimming, and it didn't take even one lap for her to forget about her plump body and ridiculously boobsy new bikini.

"Should we wait until after lunch for drinks?" Lena asked, eyeing towards the bar when they stretched on their chairs after a half an hour of happy splashing.

"Nah, it's five o'clock somewhere," Bella said. "Bring me one, too."

Lena let out a giddy whoop and scurried to the bar. Bella wondered why her friend was so elated. Maybe because she had surprised her with the bikini. She looked at it again, then let her gaze sweep over the rest of the crowd and compared. A lot of women had very similar bathing suits. Even a lot of the men donned similar bright colors and patterns. The rest had more subdued attire, and many of the older women had the solid black ones she'd sported earlier, or even solid black one piece suits.