Picture Postcards from L.A.: Beryl

As sad as I was for leaving home and Steph, I was excited about being on my first airplane ride. I found I had a window seat, so I could look out and see the scenery below. After a layover in NYC at JFK International Airport, the plane took off again for its final destination at Columbia Metropolitan Airport. I was directed to a shuttle that took me and several other recruits to Fort Jackson and the Basic Training barracks.

Once we got off the shuttle, the fun really began. We were lined up, and a drill sergeant marched us to an assembly point, where we were processed and assigned to squads. We were issued uniforms and told to change into them, bundling up our civilian clothes. I slipped the small envelope that Steph had given me into my bra, afraid it would get lost in the confusion. We were then marched to our barracks, separate from the men's barracks, where we would spend the next several weeks going through basic training.

It was getting late, and everyone was starting to yawn when we were finally allowed to sack out. Being familiar with locker rooms, I had no problem navigating using the facilities to get ready for bed. When I finally crawled into bed, but before the lights went out, I pulled out the envelope from Steph and opened it. Inside was a small, tight curl of flame-red pubic hair. I held the envelope up to my nose and took a deep breath, smelling Steph's odor. The lights went out, and I tucked the envelope away. As I lay there, my eyes burned with unshed tears as the enormity of the changes that were happening in my life crashed down on me...

... Camille's stirring woke me up. I directed her to the bathroom when she blearily asked where it was. While Camille was in the bathroom, I rooted through my bag and got out a tee and some yoga pants for her to wear. Her old outfit was pretty gamey, so she needed something to wear for now. I heard the shower come on, so I knew she was feeling well enough to get herself cleaned up, so I tossed in a pair of panties.

After about fifteen minutes, I eased the bathroom door open and said, "Camille, I've got some clean clothes here you can borrow and a towel."

All I heard was some soft sobbing, so I pulled back the shower curtain and saw Camille huddled in a crouch in the bathtub under the falling water, sobbing, her whole body shaking. I immediately knew that she was reacting to everything that had happened to her over the past few days, so I turned off the water, threw a towel around her, and pulled her into my arms, holding her tight and rocking her, murmuring, "It'll be okay," over and over until she stopped shaking and unwrapped her arms from around herself and hugged me back.

I felt a flare of heat as Camille pulled herself tight to me, but I quickly pushed those thoughts away. I was not going to take advantage of her while she was so vulnerable, so I just set those feelings aside and endured her hug. After a bit, I started disengaging, saying, "We need to get you dried off before you catch a chill."

Camille let me go and stood up, taking the towel and rubbing herself down as she said, "Thank you, Ray." I stepped back and handed her another towel before I backed out of the bathroom. As I waited for Camille to finish her toilet, I gathered up her things, thinking it was time to get her back with Beryl.

Since it was still early evening, I called Matt and told him that I had found Camille and that she was safe and with me. I told him we'd be on our way shortly and that I'd let him decide what to tell Beryl. Shortly after I hung up, Camille came out of the bathroom, still using a towel to dry her hair.

The tee and yoga pants I loaned Camille didn't disguise the fact that she filled them out nicely. While plain, at least they fit her. I saw a smile on her face and noted how it changed her whole demeanor. She said, "Oh, God, Ray, I feel so much better now." She followed that with a big yawn, so I knew she was still short on sleep, but at least she would be back with Beryl soon.

"Good! Whenever you're ready, I'll take you to Beryl."

Camille quickly got ready to go. When I went to hand her the clothes she wore during her ordeal, she shook her head and said, "I don't ever want to see those again."

I just shrugged and tossed them in the waste basket. I asked, "Do you want to eat something before seeing Beryl?"

I knew she really wanted to get back with Beryl. However, her stomach took the opportunity to growl loudly, so she reluctantly said, "I guess I better get something to eat first."

I said, "There's a Denny's just around the corner before we get on the 405. Is that okay?"

"Yes, that'll be fine," Camille said.

We headed out, and when I handed Camille into my car, she looked up at me, smiled, and said, "I really love your car."

I smiled back and said, "Yeah, I do, too."

I got in and tooled around the block to Denny's. We went in and got something to eat. I was hungry, too, so we both ordered the Grand Slam. I watched in fascination as Camille practically inhaled her food. I ate as much as I could, but Camille was in a hurry, so I quickly paid for our meals, and we left.

As we headed south on the 405, Camille realized we weren't heading for Beryl's place and asked, "Where are we going, Ray?"

"I've got Beryl staying with a friend of mine. He's a good guy, and he'll make sure you two get safely home."

"Okay, Ray."

Despite the traffic, we got to Matt's place before dark. Camille was quiet, so I hadn't tried to start any conversations, leaving her with her thoughts. As I pulled into the driveway, the front door flew open, and Beryl came running out. I barely had time to get the car stopped before Camille jumped out and ran to meet her. They practically collided as they wrapped their arms around each other and clinched as though afraid to let each other go in case the other would disappear if they did. My budding suspicions that they were more than just friends were confirmed by their actions.

I got out of my car as Matt appeared at the front door. I walked around the two, oblivious to everything around them, and up to Matt. He gave me a small smile and said, "Good job, Ray."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Don't 'Sir' me, young lady."

"Yes, Sir."

We laughed and went inside, leaving Beryl and Camille to finish greeting each other. "Beer?" Matt asked as I sat down.

"Yes, I could use one," I replied with a smile. Matt headed out to the kitchen as I sat and relaxed, letting the feeling of a job well done wash over me. Beryl and Camille came into the house arm-in-arm before Matt returned with the beers.

Beryl ran over and hugged me, saying, "Oh, thank you, Ray!"

I tried not to react to her body being tight against mine and just said, "No problem, Beryl."

Before it got awkward, Beryl disengaged and went back to Camille just as Matt walked back into the room. He handed me one of the two bottles he held -- a Sam Adams Boston Lager -- which I had never seen before. I looked questioningly at him, and he shrugged and said, "A friend gave it to me when he visited. Drink up. I'm sure you'll like it. I do."

Beryl and Camille excused themselves and headed back to the room Beryl was staying in while Matt sat down opposite me. I took a sip and was pleased by its taste. I said, "This is good, Matt."

"I told you you'd like it," Matt said with a smile. He then got serious and asked, "How bad was it?"

I spent the next few minutes going over the events of the last twenty-four hours, concentrating on the details of how I had infiltrated the facility, found the women, and exfiltrated myself without anyone the wiser. Matt nodded in approval as I briefed him, and when I was done, he smiled and said, "That was great work, Ray. I'm proud of how you assessed the situation and didn't try a rescue, instead pulling back and bringing in superior forces to make the extraction."

I thrilled at the compliment and said, "Well, your training had a lot to do with that."

"I had a great student," he said. "So, what now?"

"I'm sure Chris will follow up and pull the rest of the gang in after interrogating everyone," I said. "I'm sure there are more bad actors involved, and I hope they all get rounded up." Secretly, I hoped that would include Sidney Wilcox, so no more naïve women got sucked into something like that again while pursuing their dreams of being on the silver screen.

We finished our beers in companionable silence. The only sound was the sound of female voices hushed by a closed door. I assumed Camille was telling Beryl about everything that had happened to her, and Beryl was comforting her.

The sounds of excited voices made me think about Steph again. I remembered the many times we spent in hers or mine bedroom behind closed doors, excitedly talking about things in our life that seemed so big then but, in hindsight, weren't that big of a deal. I must have given something away because Matt asked, "You okay?"

His voice brought me out of my reverie, and I shook myself before saying, "Yeah, I'll be fine after a good night's sleep."

With that, I stood up and said, "Well, I better get going. I'll call you tomorrow to let you know if it's safe for them to go home."

Matt walked me to the door, saying, "I'll make sure they get home when you give the all-clear."

"Thanks, Matt," I said before I left. I got in my car and took off, heading back to the motel. Once there, I called Chris and caught her at her desk. She updated me on the case, telling me that with the information I had passed onto her and the results of interrogating the suspects, an arrest warrant had been issued to bring Sidney Wilcox in for questioning. She also said that the male who left the Gala with Camille had been identified and brought in for questioning. I was pleased to hear that and said so, eliciting a chuckle from Chris.

After assuring Chris that Camille was safely tucked away in a safe house, I ended the call, satisfied that Chris had everything under control. I was glad that I wasn't responsible for all of the paperwork that was going to be generated from this case, having experienced that drudgery during my stint in CID.

Stifling a yawn, I quickly performed my toilet before crawling into bed. I needed to make up for my sleep deficit. Despite thoughts of Beryl and Camille and their reunion running through my head, I quickly drifted off to sleep...

... It was cold and snowy, but Steph insisted, and I didn't argue, that we go up to the Harris Hill Lookout. I had just got home this afternoon, and after greeting my parents, I spent the rest of the day with Steph, seeing her parents and visiting the places we liked to hang out at. We visited a few friends and classmates, but we both wanted some private time alone.

Despite the weather, we weren't the only ones parked in the overlook. All of the windows were steamed up, so they were there for the same reason we were. As soon as Steph had the car in 'Park' and the lights turned off, she slid out from behind the wheel and climbed onto my lap.

My hands went to Steph's ass as our lips crashed together. We both started moaning as our tongues battled for supremacy. My fingers dug into her checks, and I kneaded them like I was kneading dough to make bread. Steph's hands were busy opening my coat, and once she had it open, her hands went to my breasts, roughly mauling them. My hard nipples ached as they dug into her palms, sending impulses shooting throughout my body.

As the kiss continued, both of us started rolling our hips. My hands eventually left Steph's ass, and I started pulling her coat open. Once I accomplished that, I cupped her breasts, discovering that she, like me, wasn't wearing a bra. Steph's moans increased in volume, informing me that she approved of my actions. The warmth of her breasts felt so good in my hands as I started kneading them, her hard nipples poking my palms as my fingers dug into her flesh.

I had missed this for so long and had to fight the impulse to go immediately for the prize, so I drew out the anticipation as long as I could. Finally, our kiss broke, and I gasped in some badly needed oxygen, idly noting that our windows had already fogged up so no one would be able to easily look in on us. I pushed Steph's coat off her shoulders, letting it fall off her as my fingers went to her buttons, popping them as quickly as possible. At the same time, I leaned forward so Steph could work my coat off my shoulders.

I stopped popping her buttons to get out of my coat, the cool air not doing anything to cool the heat in my body. It didn't take long for us to both be naked from the waist up as we clinched again, our breasts crushed together as Steph's hard nipples dug into my breasts, and my hard nipples did the same to her.

I was rolling my hips, as was Steph, by the time I broke our kiss and started kissing my way down over her jaw and onto her neck. I loved the sounds Steph was making as I found the spots that drove her wild. I worked my way over her clavicle and down over her chest to her breasts. I captured her hard nipple in my mouth and started sucking, licking, and nipping it, driving Steph wild. Her hands went behind my head, pressing my mouth tighter to her breast. "Oh, God, Ray!" she moaned as I took my time, switching from breast to breast, making sure to treat both equally.

As I worshipped her breasts with my mouth, my hands drifted down between us, and I fumbled around as I tried getting her jeans unbuttoned and unzipped. I slipped my hand inside her jeans and under her panties, cupping her hot and wet pussy. Steph moaned her approval as she began rolling her hips, grinding her pussy against my hand, her clit hitting the heel of my hand.

I wormed my middle finger between her lips, lubricating it with her juices before seeking her hole. My finger slipped in easily, quickly joined by my ring finger. Steph began thrusting her pussy even faster against my hand, making my fingers piston in and out. I curved them to make sure I hit the spot that drove Steph wild.

Steph began moaning, "Oh, God, Ray!" over and over as she violently thrust against my hand, pressing my hand into my hot and wet pussy, stimulating my clit through my jeans. My hips started thrusting in response, the impulses shooting through my body and driving me to orgasm.

I could feel my orgasm rising up to crash over me as I felt Steph's body start spasming, disrupting her frantic rhythm. I let her nipple slip out of my mouth as I moaned, "Oh, God, Steph! I'm coming!"

As I felt myself become undone, I heard Steph start keening her orgasm as her body spasmed and her pussy clamped onto my fingers. I started spasming, the impulses so intense that they overwhelmed me, and I was barely aware that Steph was going through the same thing I was...

... As the world crashed back into my consciousness, Steph slumped in my lap, her head resting on my shoulder as we reveled in our mutual afterglows. Fighting the desire to close my eyes and doze off, I grabbed my coat and covered us up to keep off the chill. After what seemed forever, but probably was just a minute or so, Steph murmured, "I love you, Ray."

"Oh, God, Steph. I love you, too."

"I missed you, Ray."

"I missed you, too, Steph. Knowing I'd see you again kept me going, no matter how tough it got...."

Before we could go on, bright flashing lights lit up the area. We quickly scrambled apart and started throwing our clothes back on, knowing that the Sheriff's patrol had decided to show up. I was sure all the occupants of the other cars were doing the same. I helped Steph get her clothes and coat on first since she had to drive. She quickly slipped behind the wheel, put the car in 'Reverse,' and started backing out while I finished dressing myself.

Luckily, due to the weather, he just sat there and let all of us pull out and leave, not making an effort to get out and hassle any of us. We wended our way back through the park, the other cars splitting off and heading in several directions, and headed back down West Hill Road to get home. The road was plowed, but the freshly fallen snow started covering the pavement. Steph was driving carefully, not wanting to slide off the winding, narrow road, so the taillights of the car we had been following gradually pulled away from us and disappeared into the snowy darkness.

I was quiet so I wouldn't distract her, looking out the passenger window, thinking about how it would be Christmas in just two days, and then a week later, I'd have to head back to Fort Jackson. Despite that, I was happy to be with Steph, even if only for a few days. I was turning back toward Steph to tell her that when I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. I whipped my head around and saw the big buck leaping out from the trees on Steph's side of the road. I yelled, "Steph! Look out...!"

... I jolted awake, momentarily forgetting where I was as I thrashed around, the remnants of my dream still echoing through my head. It seemed like forever before I got my body under control and could open my eyes. Sunlight was streaming around the curtains, and I looked at the clock to see that I had slept away most of the morning.

I crawled out of bed and went into the bathroom to perform my toilet. Once showered and dressed, I felt human again and went to get some breakfast. After returning to my room, I called Chris. Again, I managed to catch her at her desk and got an update on the case. Sidney Wilcox had been taken into custody and was currently being interrogated, apparently more than eager to roll over on his co-conspirators. With that good news, I called Matt after thanking Chris for her help on the case.

When Matt answered the phone, I told him it was safe for Beryl and Camille to go home. Matt assured me he would put them in a taxi to get home. He put Beryl on the phone at her insistence, and she said, "Oh, Ray, thanks for finding Camille."

"That's what you hired me to do."

"Oh, God, when I think about what would have happened to her if you hadn't found her...."

"Well, that's not anything you need to worry about anymore."

"How will I ever repay you?"

"Do me a favor when I ask you for one."

"Oh, Ray, I will. I promise."

"I know. The police have rounded up everyone, so you're safe. Go home now. Hold on to Camille and never let her go."

"I will, Ray. Thank you so much." After a pause, Beryl asked, "What will you do now?"

I paused for a moment as thoughts of the relationship that Beryl and Camille now have and the one I used to have flashed through my mind. Then I said, "What I always do. Help people who need help. Goodbye, Beryl"

"Goodbye, Ray."

I stood there for a moment, the receiver in my hand, as I fought back the emotions threatening to break through the walls I had put up around them. "No regrets, Ray," I thought as I put down the receiver and slammed the door shut on the memories of what I had lost on that cold December night so long ago.

As I packed up, the feeling of another job accomplished soon brightened my day. When I was ready to check out, I called Jo to let her know I was on my way back home. While checking out, I purchased another picture postcard that had caught my eye and tucked it in my bag.

As I powered down the 405, I thought about the past few days and how everything had worked out. I really enjoyed helping people and was glad I had the means and ability to do so. There were so many inequities in the world, and I vowed to do what little I could to help even some of them out.

Soon, I was nearing home. When I pulled into the garage, I looked over and saw that my bike was back in one piece, so I knew Jo had managed to get Rowan to come over and get it put back together. I loved that bike despite the fact it spent more time in pieces than on the road. I grinned, thinking about how Jo had managed to wheedle Rowan into coming over to fix my bike. I wondered if she had finally gotten into Rowan's panties. I'd have to arrange for Jo to get a nice addition to her jewelry collection for getting that accomplished for me.