Memories of Flight 109

"I really want to thank you again for coming to my aid like you did," Samantha said as she changed the subject and took a little more of the wine. "It still puzzles me why you did it though, me being a perfect stranger and all. Not that I'm not grateful that you did."

"How about we just say I've been in bad predicaments myself and leave it at that for now."

"Fair enough."

They exchanged a few more pleasantries until they were interrupted by the quick arrival of their dinners. True to her word, Bridgett had seen that the chef gave it his special attention, even moving their order up in front of another couple that had ordered the same meal. He had no love for the irritating desk clerk either.

"You were right, this is really great," Samantha said as she started on the veal.

Peggy joined her and, as they worked on the meal and a second refill of the wine, they learned a little more about each other. Peggy told of her life as a flight attendant and how she also managed correspondence courses that gave her a degree to go with the wealth of practical knowledge she had gained over the years. A combination that had led her to the position she held today.

Samantha had been born back East, but came to California to go to college. She had a degree in business administration and worked for a medical supply company in Pasadena. She liked the people, but was looking for something more challenging in her life.

"You never married?" Samantha asked as one of the busboys cleared away their now empty plates.

"That kind of life isn't for me," Peggy replied, thinking that was a true enough answer.

"I wish I could've said the same thing two years ago," Samantha said, her voice again shifting to a harder tone when she discussed her marriage. "I think I might've been happier."

"We don't have to talk about that," Peggy said, taking note that it was a sensitive subject.

"No, it's okay, I can't move on with the rest of my life if I keep trying to avoid it completely," she replied after taking a deep breath. "There's not much really to tell when I think of it. We met in college, got married, and somewhere along the way went from bliss to misery. I can't tell you exactly where it all went wrong, just that I woke up one day and realized that it wasn't where I wanted to be."

Any comment that Peggy might've made then was lost as Bridgett returned to see if they needed anything else. Perhaps a nice dessert, she suggested.

"I think I'm pretty full already," Samantha said, thinking that it was rare for her to eat every bit on her plate as she had just done, "but you get something if you want."

"I think I'll pass," Peggy replied. "The last thing I need is a few more pounds to go with the extra ones I already have."

"That's ridiculous," Samantha offered. "I think you look great. Too many women starve themselves to fit some fashion model concept of what a woman is supposed to look like. As long as you're healthy, who cares if you put on a few pounds. After all, you said you're on vacation, didn't you."

But even as she thanked her for the kind words, Peggy again declined the suggestion of dessert, saying maybe they'd have something later after she'd digested the dinner. Samantha handed Bridgett her credit card to pay the bill, declining the older woman's attempt to put the meal on her expense account.

"Well we have a choice," Peggy said as they exited the restaurant. "We can hit the casino and see what kind of luck we have, or take a little walk and work off the veal."

"It looks like a lovely night out there," Samantha noted.

"A walk it is then."

-=-=-=-

For the better part of an hour, the two women strolled down the famous Las Vegas Strip, taking in the sights and sounds of all the famous hotels. The temperature was in the low nineties, but the lack of humidity made it bearable. Even so, both women were glad they had changed into more comfortable attire before dinner.

They passed the MGM Grand and the Aladdin, moving up along Caesar's Palace until they turned around once they reached Circus Circus. All the while, they continued the conversation they'd started over dinner, learning to enjoy each other's company more and more.

"Look at how well we get along," Samantha said as she admired the lighting display at Bally's. "Isn't it a little silly for you to move out of your room instead of sharing it with me?"

"Well, I have my reasons," Peggy said.

"Such as?"

"Such as they're mine and not open to discussion," Peggy grinned.

"Well I'll tell you what," Samantha said as she came to a stop in the middle of the block. "Unless you can give me one really good reason, I'm not going to take that room. I don't care if I have to sleep in the lobby."

Peggy sighed and looked at the younger woman. Her heart was in the right place, but the brunette was sure that the minute she answered that question, their new found friendship was going to go right down the tubes.

"Well?" Samantha repeated in a semi-serious tone as she crossed her arms in a show of forced impatience.

"I'm a lesbian," Peggy said, unable to think of anything better than the truth to say.

"And why would you think that would make a difference if we shared a room?" Samantha asked. "Unless you were planning on trying to seduce me or something?"

"No, nothing like that," Peggy quickly replied. "I just thought it might make you uncomfortable, that's all."

"Good, cause as seductions go, this one was rather lame," the younger blonde laughed, trying to make light of it all.

"I guess I'm a little out of practice," Peggy rejoined with an equally large smile on her face.

"So do we have all of this out of the way now?" Samantha asked.

It would've been so easy for Peggy to say yes, to hold anything else back and hope that her previous knowledge of the young woman walking with her never came up. But that wasn't the person she was. Even if it cost her a lot, and many times in the past it had, she had always been totally honest with people.

"There is something else," she said, "something that you might not like."

"I'm a big girl, I can handle a lot," came her reply.

"Okay, but let's keep walking," Peggy said, gaining herself a few more moments to phrase what she wanted to say. "I'd rather people not listen in on our conversation."

Now more curious than anything else, Samantha began to again walk down the wide boulevard.

"I really not sure how to say this," Peggy confessed. "I'm usually not at a loss for words."

"Straight up is usually best," Samantha suggested.

"Okay," Peggy said, taking a deep breath. "First off, we're not exactly perfect strangers. We have met before, not that we were actually introduced or anything like that."

"Really?" Samantha said in surprise. "When was that?"

"About five years ago."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, I'm quite serious."

"Wow, I must've been twenty or twenty-one."

"Actually, I remember it being pointed out to me that you were nineteen at the time."

"Pointed out to you by who?" Samantha asked, thinking that might help her remember what Peggy was referring to.

"I'll get to that in a minute."

"Okay, all I can say is that I must've made one hell of an impression."

"That's funny, those were almost my exact thoughts when I remembered you."

"But where did I meet you?"

"Okay, but remember you asked."

"I'll remember."

"Does the name, Barbara Logan, ring any bells?"

"Barbara Lo... oh my God!"

"My reaction exactly!"

Samantha was stunned beyond belief, the words just wouldn't come. She took a few steps in the opposite direction, trying to come to grips with what Peggy had just told her.

"How... how did you know about me and Barbara?" she finally managed to say.

"Flight 109, Newark to LA, remember?" Peggy added. "I was the senior attendant on that flight."

"You saw us?"

"Not saw exactly, but I was right outside the bathroom," she confessed. "I didn't have to be gay to know what was going on inside."

"How do you know Barbara?"

"We sort of had dinner after the flight," Peggy admitted.

"Dinner?"

"Well, dinner and then, well we kind of spent the weekend together," Peggy added, the admission needing no further embellishment as to what the admission entailed.

"I can't believe it," Samantha said, concentrating on the main point of her confession. "Do you know I can't even get on an airplane without thinking about that time in the bathroom."

"Well if nothing else, it does seem to have cured you of your fear of flying."

"You could say that," Samantha grinned.

"And you're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad?"

"Well I just thought if ... well just that ... I guess I just thought you wouldn't believe that I was really just trying to help a girl in need and not just trying to get you into my bed. I didn't want you to think that, especially after I got to know you a little better.

"I might've thought that before," Samantha admitted, "but not now."

Peggy smiled at that news, then reached into her purse and took out her cell phone. She asked Samantha to excuse her for a minute. Hitting a number on speed dial, she was quickly connected with the party she wanted.

"Mike, hi, it's Peggy Oxenberg," she said into the small receiver.

The blond haired girl tried to pay more attention to the people passing around them rather then the conversation. Without much success.

"Did the desk clerk give you my message?" she asked, pausing as Mike answered that he had. "Good, and I appreciate the fact that you're willing to help me out," she added, taking his acquiesce as a given.

There was a gap as Mike confirmed what she had taken for granted.

"Well I have some good news for you," Peggy beamed, "I'm not going to need that spare bed after all. So you can call back whatever lovely lady you were going to bless with your company this evening and tell her the coast is clear."

Whatever the flight attendant's reply was, it made Peggy laugh.

"Oh, one other thing," she said before bringing the call to a close. "I still owe you one, even though it turned out I didn't need the favor. Have a good night dear."

"That was nice of you," Samantha said as Peggy put away the phone.

"Just doing the right thing," Peggy replied. "It comes from having worked your way up the ranks. You remember what it was like to be on a lower rung."

-=-=-=-

Continuing their walk, Samantha and Peggy soon found their way back to their hotel. It was still relatively early by Las Vegas standards so they decided to have a drink in the bar. The ambient noise of the crowd let them continue their chat without anyone really overhearing what it was about.

"Samantha, can I ask you a question?" Peggy asked as she leaned close to her companion. "It's kind of personal so I'll understand if you say no."

"Ask away," the slim girl said as she took a large sip of her drink.

"Barbara told me the story of what happened on the flight, but I've always been curious about one thing."

"Only one thing?" Samantha laughed.

"Well, a couple of things," Peggy laughed as well as she brought her own glass up, "but I didn't want to go over the line."

"Ask all the questions you want," Samantha replied, signaling the bartender for another round for the two of them.

"Was that really your first time?" Peggy asked as she picked up the new drink.

"Actually, it really was," Samantha admitted, "and there are times I still can't believe it happened the way it did. I mean one minute I'm in the bathroom, trying to calm my nerves about flying, then next thing I know, Barbara had her tongue in my mouth and her fingers in my pussy." she added in a much lower voice.

"She forced herself on you?" Peggy asked in disbelief.

"No, that's not what I meant," Samantha quickly corrected Peggy. "I invited her to stay, and I should say that I was calming my nerves by masturbating when she came to check on me."

A wave of relief washed over Peggy, as the account now matched the version she had heard from Barbara. She hated to think, even for a moment, that a woman who had shared her bed could have done such a thing as she had imagined.

"Was that your only time?" Peggy asked, figuring that she might as well satisfy her curiosity while she could.

"No, it wasn't," Samantha grinned. "I guess what happened made me curious enough to try it a few more times while I was in college. I had been too nervous when another student actually came on to me at a party when I was a freshman. So when the opportunity arose when I was a sophomore, it was something more familiar and exciting rather then new and scary."

"Well they say college is the place for learning new things," the older woman laughed.

"Then, Ross came along, that was my husband's name in case I didn't mention it before," Samantha said, draining the second drink and signaling for a third. "We got married a month after graduation."

"So that was the end of your experimentation."

"I thought so, but, not really," Samantha said as the two now empty glasses were replaced with fresh ones.

"You had an affair while you were married?" Peggy asked, wondering if that was the cause of the divorce.

"No, not an affair," she answered as she started on the new drink.

Peggy left hers sitting on the bar as she tried to figure out the meaning of that answer. Thankfully, Samantha explained it right after.

"About a year into our marriage, after the bloom started to wear off, I made what I realized now was the mistake of telling Ross about my bi experiences."

"He was angry with you about them?" Peggy asked, thinking that some men can't handle the idea that their wife or girlfriend might be into women as well.

"On the contrary, he was excited about it," Samantha laughed as she took more of her drink. "Isn't that supposed to be every guy's dream, to have a wife who'll do him and another woman?"

"So the two of you had a menage a trois," Peggy said in understanding.

"Three of them actually," Samantha blushed, "with three different women. All of them a mistake."

"Why?"

"Because they were for the wrong reasons," she answered. "Oh I'll be the first to say the sex was good. It even gave me a little charge to watch Ross screwing a pussy that I had just been licking. But sex games just seemed to cover up other problems, and when I decided not to play anymore, those problems became worse. Until finally, I realized that there wasn't anything worth staying for."

"I'm so sorry for you," Peggy said as she watched Samantha drain the bottom half of her glass. "I'm also sorry for asking what I realize now was a painful question."

"Don't be," Samantha said as she waved off the bartender's offer of another refill. "It felt good to actually say that to someone. It wasn't exactly the kind of thing I could've said to my mother, or one of my girlfriends at work."

"It's getting a little late and it's been a long day," Peggy said, "maybe we should call it a night and we can tackle the casinos tomorrow."

"Okay." was the younger woman's single word reply as she opened her bag to get a bill to pay for their drinks.

"No, this time I pay," Peggy insisted as she dropped a twenty on the counter and took hold of Samantha's arm to lead her to the exit.

"I'm not drunk you know," Samantha said as she headed for the door under her own volition.

"I didn't think you were," Peggy replied. "I just thought it was a good idea to stop before one or both of us was."

That, Samantha agreed, was a good idea.

As they took the elevator up to their ninth floor room, Samantha waited until they were the only ones left in the car, then asked Peggy a question of her own.

"Did you really jump on that desk clerk and help me out because I was a lady in distress," she asked, "or was it that I was someone you wanted to get in the sack?"

Two more floors passed by before Peggy answered.

"I really did want to help you," she said, "but I'll be honest enough to say the other possibility flashed through my mind once or twice."

"Just wanted to know," Samantha said noncommittally as the doors opened on their floor and she stepped out into the hall, leaving Peggy to quickly catch up.

Using the key that Peggy had given her before, Samantha opened the door to the room and turned on the lights as they entered inside. She tossed her bag on a chair and sat down on the closest bed, letting out a sigh as if getting off her feet had suddenly made her realize how tired she was.

"Oh, I just remembered, there was one more question I wanted to ask you," she said as she watched Peggy close and lock the door behind her.

"Ask away," Peggy said as she turned around and dropped her own bag on the small desk.

"What the fuck are we still doing with our clothes on?" the twenty-five year old unexpectedly asked.

"Excuse me?" a surprised Peggy asked.

"Look, let me be totally honest here," Samantha said, causing Peggy to wonder what she called what she had been down in the bar. "I came on this little jaunt to celebrate my divorce now being final and to get away from everything else in my life for a few days. I planned to party a little, lose some money I probably couldn't afford to lose, and maybe, meet some guy that was totally wrong for me and wind up fucking his brains out. But now, after spending the last few hours getting to know you, I think I'd rather spend this weekend with you..."

"... and fuck my brains out?" Peggy said as she cut her off, not believing she had actually just asked that question out loud.

"It wouldn't be the worst way to spend the evening I bet," Samantha grinned.

"I have to be getting old," Peggy thought as she considered the situation. "What happened to the days when I wouldn't even have to consider if this was something that I should do?"

"What do you say lover?" Samantha asked as she rose off the bed. "Is it going to be me and you, or should I head back to the bar and see if I can find Mr. Wrong. Hey, you said that Mike guy was supposed to be really something in the sack. Do you think he might be up for a late night encore?"

Peggy was sure Samantha was just kidding about Mike, but not certain about the part about going back to the bar. She did know that just the possibility that she was serious filled her with an unhappy feeling. One that told her that she didn't want the blonde haired woman to go.

"I'm probably going to regret this in the morning," Peggy said in way of an acknowledgment.

"Then I'll just have to make sure that you don't," Samantha grinned as she stepped forward and threw her arms around Peggy, pulling them together.

-=-=-=-

Their lips met, and Peggy quickly felt herself falling deep into a whirlpool of longing. She closed her eyes, taken aback for a moment by the strength of the woman who had just taken her in her arms. Not her physical strength, although there was a hint of that, but of the power of her desire, which was clearly, and quickly evident.

Samantha pushed her probing tongue deep within Peggy's mouth, massaging the tip of its counterpart as it reached out to greet it. Peggy returned Samantha's kiss with equal fervor. Their tongues danced erotically, spreading a warmth that soon filled every part of their bodies. A second kiss followed, then a third, until it was impossible to tell when one ended and another began.

Peggy smiled and her mouth opened wide to take in Samantha's tongue once more. As they kissed, Samantha's hands cupped the taller woman's large breasts, rubbing her thumbs against the hard nipples that instantly came to life at her touch, despite the twin layers of cloth that covered them. Peggy moaned in soft delight, even as their mutual explorations grew with abandon.

Peggy sought out Samantha's mounds as well, hindered only by a single layer of clothing. With smaller, but no less rounded breasts, the blonde haired woman hadn't bothered putting a bra back on when she had changed clothes before dinner. It was an omission that thrilled Peggy to no end.