Out of Bounds

The fact that Isabel was a woman did not bother Rachel at all. She had dated both men and women during college but as time went on, she was most comfortable with women. She had come out to her parents with her preference during her junior year. They both were supportive although they hoped that over time the pendulum might swing the other way. That hadn't happened so far. Unlike some, graduation had not made much of a difference for Rachel. If anything, she had almost exclusively gone out with women after graduation although she was a little more equal opportunity in flirting. It was just for the guys, it was extremely unlikely to lead anywhere.

Initially Rachel hadn't gotten any vibe that Isabel was interested in women but as the evening went on, that had changed. The conversation had slowly gotten more personal and Isabel was reaching out to touch her as they talked. Rachel knew that her nipples had gotten hard as the feeling of intimacy grew between them. For once, it didn't embarrass her. She wanted Isabel to know that she was turned on by here.

Unless you counted two or three years older, Rachel had never been with an older woman, or man for that matter. Yet she had to admit that she was strongly attracted to Isabel. Her body was not just what she wished she had, but was the type that she was most drawn to. Rachel had not had a lot of lovers, but the ones where the physical part of it was best had always been women who were curvier with larger breasts and hips that truly were worthy of the name. Skinny women like her just didn't do it for Rachel.

Before Rachel realized it, three hours had slipped by and all the skiing was starting to catch up with her. She stopped a yawn before it really developed but Isabel saw it. She smiled but she was also starting to feel the hour. "Perhaps we should call it a night and meet in the morning?" Isabel suggested.

"I guess. I've had a great time though," Rachel said with a smile. "I am so glad I saw you. This was much nicer than I thought it might be."

"Oh, I'm sure," Isabel said with a little smile. "I prevented someone young and hot from coming up to talk to you."

Although feeling nervous, Rachel still managed to look Isabel in the eye. "Yes it was. I was with someone much hotter than I expected to meet." This time it was Isabel's turn to blush. Slowly the blush turned into a smile.

"Well thank you, Rachel. You are so very sweet. I have to say it has been a very long time since such a beautiful young woman has said that about me," Isabel said quietly. She then added, "Let's go."

Rachel got up and started walking toward the door with Isabel beside her. She felt Isabel's hand touch the base of her spine, guiding her out of the room. Rachel wondered whether or not Isabel felt the shiver it caused to run through Rachel's body. When they finally made their way out, Rachel started walking to the stairs to go up to her room. She felt Isabel staying with her. They were quiet.

When they reached the door to the condo, Rachel turned. Isabel was a pace behind her. Rachel once again felt her shyness come over her. She looked down for a moment and then looked Isabel in the eyes. Her voice was shaking from her nervousness. "Would you like to come in for another drink?" she asked.

Isabel reached up and caressed Rachel's face. "Chelle ... you don't mind if I call you Chelle, do you?" Rachel smiled and shook her head no. Growing up people had called her Rae or Rach, but she couldn't remember anyone calling her Chelle. It sounded good though, especially coming from Isabel.

"Chelle, I think I should go back to the Patrol cabin tonight. You are tired and I am tired. It would be better if we both get a good rest and enjoyed tomorrow together. After skiing, we can see what we want to do then," Isabel suggested.

A part of Rachel wanted to say the hell with it and pull Isabel inside. There was another part that recognized the wisdom in what she was saying. Tomorrow night they could have the whole evening together, and she would get the day with Isabel to get to know her. Rachel could feel how tired she was. She sighed.

"Sounds good," Rachel told Isabel. She was still of a mixed mind but being sensible was winning out.

"I'll see you in the morning then," Isabel replied. She started to turn away when Rachel stepped forward. She put her hands on Isabel's shoulders and pulled her back. Sliding an arm behind Isabel's neck, Rachel kissed her. Her lips lightly pressed against Isabel, parting after a moment. Isabel responded by opening her mouth and letting Rachel's tentative tongue dart inside. Rachel felt Isabel's strong arms reach around and touch her on the lower back. Her body was gently pulled against Isabel's. Rachel could feel Isabel's breasts press into her own little ones. She sighed into the kiss.

Too soon, Rachel felt Isabel pulling back. She opened her eyes that had closed as the kiss began to deepen. Isabel was still holding her close, meeting Rachel's gaze. There was a little smile on her lips.

"Good night, Chelle," Isabel said. She gave Rachel one more soft kiss on the lips that lasted only a couple of seconds. When she pulled away, Rachel let her this time. After watching Isabel go to the stairs and leave, she turned to go into the condo. The smile on her lips was still there when she finally finished getting ready and climbed into bed. Rachel couldn't remember what she dreamed that night, just that they were very nice dreams.

In the morning Rachel got up as soon as the alarm went off. Normally she hit the snooze button at least a couple of times. Today she didn't want to take any chances on being delayed. She made a quick breakfast and then started getting on her ski clothes. The sky was still clear and it looked to be another very cold day. Deciding not to wear a bra, she pulled on a thermal top and then continued to get dressed. Before she pulled on her ski pants she went into the bathroom.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Rachel sighed. She didn't know what to do with her hair. The easiest thing was to put it in pigtails. They were more comfortable than a ponytail under her helmet. But they also make her look even younger than normal. She wished there was someone to help her with another French braid, but there was nothing that she could do. If she was just skiing by herself, she would have put her hair in pigtails and be done with it. Rachel wasn't skiing alone and what Isabel thought of her mattered. Grabbing her hair, she pulled it back all together and made a ponytail as low as she could. It bunched more than a braid and she would be able to feel it under her helmet, but Rachel liked how she looked better.

When she pulled on her ski pants, Rachel went back in the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. Turning around, she looked at her ass and sighed. It barely flared out at all. She wished that her ass was a little more like Isabel's. Even if it was just a bit, at least then it would be noticeable. Despite the bulk the pants added, it still was nothing to draw any attention. She shrugged on her ski coat. Pulling her ski mask over her head, she pushed it down around her neck. Unless it was really cold, she didn't really want to wear it pulled up on her face. Inspecting herself one last time, Rachel was satisfied that she had done the best that she could.

Rachel went outside and grabbed her ski boots and brought them inside to put on. It didn't take long and she was pretty much ready to go. She grabbed her helmet and gloves. Once her helmet was on, she untwisted the goggles hanging off the back and pulled them around the front of her helmet. She wouldn't need them until they were skiing. Finally her gloves went on and she was ready to go. She looked over at the clock on the wall. She was running ahead of schedule.

"Good," Rachel thought. The last thing she wanted to do was make Isabel wait. Rachel went out of the condo and gathered up the rest of her gear and made her way over to the spot at which Isabel said to meet. She got there ahead of Isabel, which was fine with Rachel. Even though she was looking for Isabel's approach, Rachel missed it. Rather than wearing her Ski Patrol gear, she had on a blue and yellow coat over a matching pair of pants. She came up unnoticed behind Rachel.

"Good morning, Chelle. It's nice to see you," Isabel said.

Quickly turning around, Rachel smiled as she saw Isabel. "Morning. I'm glad to see you too. You look nice! I like that outfit," Rachel told her. She liked how Isabel smiled at the comment. However, after a moment, Isabel's attention was distracted.

Looking over at the lift, Isabel could see that it was just starting to move. They would start loading the mountain crew in a few minutes. She wanted to get on as soon as possible so that Rachel could have one of the very first runs down the mountain.

"Are you ready?" Isabel asked. When Rachel nodded yes, Isabel pushed off and skated over to the line with Rachel right behind her. Bypassing the line that already starting to form, the two of them went by the operators hut and got ready. One of the lift people came over and checked to make sure that Rachel had a ticket but no one questioned whether she should be there. Isabel was greeted by most of the employees with a hug.

When they started taking people on the lift, Rachel and Isabel weren't on the first lift going up but they were on the second. They chatted on the way up with the other people on the lift. Chairlifts were usually tightly packed. For once Rachel didn't mind. She liked the feeling of Isabel's body pressing against hers. There was a feeling of excitement running through Rachel. Part of it was getting an early run but she knew the other part was just being with Isabel. Rachel wasn't sure where things would go today but she wasn't worrying about it. For now she would just enjoy it.

As soon as they were off the chair, the two of them headed towards the run that they had picked as their first one. Side by side, they flew down the mountain. Without anyone else to worry about hitting, they were able to really let loose. Despite the younger woman setting a very aggressive pace, Isabel had no problem keeping up with her. When Rachel launched off a bump and flew through the air for a long distance before landing, it was one of the few times that Isabel backed off and took it without catching any air. Her knees weren't 21 anymore.

When they got down to the lift, Rachel pulled up to wait for Isabel to join her. Only seconds behind Rachel, she came in fast. As she turned to stop, Isabel sprayed Rachel with a shower of snow. Rachel laughed. That was normally what she did to Amanda and Cheryl.

"Nice run! You are really quite a good skier, Chelle," Isabel said. Rachel smiled and felt her face blush. She wasn't embarrassed by the praise. It was more how Isabel made her feel.

"Thanks," Rachel said. She couldn't get the smile off her face. This was going to be a fun day. "You are pretty amazing too, Isabel."

Not wanting to miss out on any skiing, they headed over to the line and quickly caught another chair up the mountain. As the morning got going, the slopes gradually got busier. Rachel and Isabel moved off some of the more popular runs and started skiing the more difficult ones. After about an hour and a half, Isabel asked Rachel if she was interested in doing some backcountry runs. Even though she wasn't on duty, Isabel still had her Patrol backpack. It was just habit to always wear it.

"I would love to but I don't have a transponder or some of the other stuff I should have," Rachel said. She was an aggressive skier but she also took only measured risks. Going into the backcountry always had a risk of avalanche. Having an emergency transponder and gear for rescues was something that anyone skiing the backcountry should have.

"Don't worry. There is a spare pack at the Patrol room at the top. We can borrow it. It is mostly for situations like this. Patrollers like to ski the backcountry but sometimes friends don't have what they need," Isabel said with a smile. She reached out and patted Rachel. "Chelle, I think you qualify as my friend."

Feeling a little of the flirtatious mood from last night, Rachel pressed her body against Isabel's. "I hope so," she said in a low voice so the others on the chair wouldn't hear. She felt an answering pressure from Isabel. Rachel's smile got a little bigger.

Rachel had a great time skiing the backcountry with Isabel. Even though there hadn't been any snow in two days, Isabel had no problem in finding untracked powder. It felt like gliding as they skied their way down. They had gotten to know each other's tendencies and now when they went down, they were side by side matching each other's turns. They were completely in sync.

Skiing powder was more tiring than the groomed slopes. By the time it was lunch, they were ready for a break. They skied to one of the mid-mountain lodges that served food. Just like Rachel, Isabel viewed the lunch break as something that just got in the way of her ski time. They got something quick to eat and finished as soon as possible so they could get back on the mountain.

All in all it was a wonderful day for Rachel. It was extremely rare for her to ski with someone who matched her enthusiasm for skiing as well as her skill. The day went by faster than she would have expected and most of it was skiing. They talked on the chairlifts but otherwise they generally skied the runs without practically any pauses. Despite both of them being in good shape, their legs were feeling the effort by the time the day was over.

As they rode the lift up to the top for one last time before it closed, they were alone on the lift. There were far fewer people left skiing. The shadows were long on the hill and the sun would be behind the mountains in a short time. It was lovely. Rachel was feeling a little tired and she rested her head on Isabel's shoulder. Despite the flirting that continued all day between them, it hadn't gone beyond that.

Rachel put her arm out and rested it on Isabel's leg. It was the first time she had done something like that but it felt right. Isabel's hand came down on top of hers. Rachel couldn't remember a time she felt more content.

"Chelle, what do you want to do after this?" Isabel asked. "You've been in the company of an old woman all day. Maybe you want to do something else now," she added.

Lifting up her head, Rachel pulled her goggles up onto her helmet. She looked at Isabel. "I've been skiing with a beautiful sexy woman all day. Now I would like to spend the evening with her. That is if you want to spend it with me." Rachel smiled in a shy way. "Maybe I'm too young." She looked confident but her voice betrayed her nervousness. She knew that Isabel was attracted to her but there was a nagging doubt that Isabel would be willing to be with someone less than half her age.

Isabel's fingers curled around Rachel's glove and squeezed. "Chelle, I have to admit that I've thought about that. I feel a little like a perv. You are much younger. I haven't told you this before but you are a year younger than my own daughter, which makes me feel even weirder."

Rachel felt the first traces of panic. It had been such a wonderful day with Isabel and she didn't want it to end. "I don't care," she said. "You are beautiful and sexy, Isabel. And I'm not saying that because I have a thing for older women. I've never gone out with one before. More importantly, I like you. You are an amazing woman and you make me feel good." She paused and tried to take the slight panic out of her voice. "I just would like to spend the evening with you, Isabel. We can see how it goes."

"I like you too, Chelle," Isabel said. "Okay, we can see how it goes." After a moment she spoke again with a little laugh. "We still haven't decided what to do together."

Feeling a little calmer, Rachel managed to laugh too. "We brought up a ton of food. I could cook for you to say thank you for making my day so nice. How would steak, baked potatoes and a salad sound?"

"They sound great. Okay, it's a plan," Isabel said.

Slipping back into flirting, Rachel told Isabel, "No, it's a date." She liked that for once it was Isabel who was blushing.

They rode the chair in silence for a little bit. Finally Rachel spoke. "You said you have a daughter. Are you ... ummm ... married?"

Looking at her, Isabel asked, "Would it make a difference?"

There was no hesitation in Rachel. "Not tonight. But tomorrow it would."

"I was just curious," Isabel said. "But no I'm not. I was. It didn't last very long and it ended a few years after my daughter was born. We managed to stay friends, mostly because he knew I wasn't happy and he wanted me to be. He's been supportive and we shared custody while our daughter was growing up."

"That's nice," Rachel said. "I mean that it is nice that you stayed friends and cooperated." She hesitated for a second. "It's also nice that you aren't married," she added a little more shyly.

Isabel smiled and gave Rachel a look. "I'm not married and I'm not attached, Chelle."

"Good," Rachel said firmly as she pulled down her goggles and got ready to get off the chair. They were almost to the top. Chuckling, Isabel did the same thing.

When they got to the top of the run, Rachel looked over at Isabel with a grin. "Race you to the bottom," she yelled as she launched herself down the slope. She got a couple of turns down before Isabel started. She slowly started to catch up with Rachel. They raced down the mountain. For the first half, Isabel was behind but eventually she caught up. But it seemed like Rachel let that happen because the moment that Isabel nudged ahead, Rachel started pushing herself a little harder. She took fewer turns and her line became vertical. Isabel was a great skier but so was Rachel. Her young legs gave her an advantage that she didn't mind using. As they came down the last face, Isabel was a second behind Rachel. She could feel her legs burning but she didn't let up. Still she couldn't quite match Rachel. At the bottom, Rachel zipped across the final little flat spot and slide to a stop just ahead of Isabel. She had a broad smile on her face as she looked at Isabel coming to a stop alongside her.

"I win!" Rachel gleefully said.

Isabel laughed. "If you hadn't taken off first, I don't think you would have."

"Oh, I would have either way," Rachel told her in a tone of certainty. "And I can't wait to get my prize tonight."

"What's your prize?"

"You'll see," Rachel told Isabel. She had a hungry look that made Isabel shiver with anticipation of finding out.

Moving closer to Rachel, Isabel spoke in a quiet voice. "I can't wait to find out." She looked at Rachel's beautiful face. It still surprised her that someone that lovely would be interested in her. She could tell that Rachel would be open to a kiss but Isabel couldn't bring herself to do it in public. She had been out as a lesbian for a long time but the age difference made her more reluctant to be openly affectionate with people around than she would have been if Rachel was closer to her age.

As it was, Isabel just talked to her. "I'm going to head over to the Patrol cabin and change, Chelle. I'll be over in about an hour. Is that okay?"

Rachel surprised Isabel by giving her a big hug. While she didn't kiss Isabel, it was clear that Rachel didn't feel any of the same reluctance. "That's great! Thank you so much for a fun day skiing! I had so much fun. I'm glad the day isn't ending either!" Her enthusiasm was infectious. Isabel put her arms around Rachel and returned the hug. Both of them enjoyed the hug and Isabel let it go on. Finally, they separated.

"I'll see you in a little bit," Isabel told Rachel as she turned to head over to the cabin where the Ski Patrol usually spent the night. Rachel watched, enjoying the way Isabel's lovely ass moved as she walked. Knowing that she had things to get done, Rachel tore her attention away and started making her way back to the lodge.