Threading the Needle Ch. 11

"See you then," Winnie said. She did a better job of keeping the same hint out of her own voice. As Marika turned and walked away, however, she couldn't avoid watching the sway of her hips as she made her way to the door. As Marika disappeared from view, she turned to see that Liz's eyes still lingered there for a moment longer. Before Liz had a chance to shift her attention, she started getting up. "I should go too," she said. The last thing Winnie wanted to do was have a conversation about Marika. "Too many landmines," she thought. Aloud, she added, "I guess I'll see you on the river this weekend."

"Not me. I'm running the Sky. It might be the last time this year. The snowpack on this side of the mountains is running out. Weston got a big group so a lot of the senior guides will be there," she said, before smirking. "That includes your guy. Logan's running it." She gazed into Winnie's eyes and seemed satisfied to see the slow blush spread across her face. "Indigo is too," she added. Even though Winnie was certain Liz didn't know about the time behind the tavern, something about the way she said it showed that she was at least aware of the flirting going on between the two of them. As much as she tried to prevent it, her face got even redder.

Liz chuckled. "Thought so. You're an interesting woman," she said. Her eyes flicked down Winnie's body and then slowly came back up to look her in the eyes. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay and have another?"

Even though she had seen it before, it surprised Winnie how quickly Liz could change targets. She felt the full force of Liz's attention focus on her, but she recognized it almost in an academic sense. Winnie freely admitted Liz was a beautiful and sexy woman, but she wasn't drawn to her in the slightest. There just wasn't a connection. She shook her head. "Thanks, but I need to do some shopping before going home. Have fun on the Sky," she told her.

As she walked away, she wondered if Liz was watching her the same way that they both watched Marika a few moments ago. "Not curious enough to turn and see, though," she thought. Exiting the bar, she slowly walked to her car and tried to figure out just why she had no interest in Liz. Finally, she hit on it.

"I really like Indigo and Lena, Alex too for that matter; and Marika is wonderful," she thought, "but I don't think I like Liz. She isn't very nice to some of my friends." The more she thought about, the more she convinced herself that was the answer. Their shared interest in Marika didn't occur to her as a possible reason.

Since they were all on the same river, Winnie, Lena, and Rikki drove over together on Saturday morning. The weather on the Seattle side of the Cascades was typically dreary with a cold rain forecast for the weekend. After going over the pass and descending into Eastern Washington, sunny blue skies with only a few trace clouds greeted them.

"Oh that looks awesome," Winnie exclaimed. "I don't mind the mild winters, but I do miss the sun at times. I'm ready for some heat!"

"It's supposed to be really hot both days," Rikki said. "Woohoo! No wetsuits!" They were in her SUV as it had the most room.

"Yeah, and that means more skin to check out!" Lena said, and then added a lecherous chuckle. Both of the other women paused, and then looked at her in the back seat before bursting out laughing. Lena was grinning back at them.

"It's our Liz 2.0 in the making," Rikki said, still laughing. Her joke fell flat. Neither Lena nor Winnie laughed, and the quiet that followed was palpable. Finally, Marika broke the silence. "Sorry, that wasn't very funny."

"It's okay, Rikki," Lena said. "Actually, I'm glad she's not on the river. It's easier to relax and just enjoy myself."

"And I don't think you're anything like Liz. You wouldn't mess with people," Winnie quietly added. "You wouldn't hurt people." She looked over at Rikki. "Sorry, I know you're her best friend."

"No, you're right. Liz does that. I'm not so close to her that I don't see it," Rikki said with a nod. She glanced in the mirror and met Lena's eyes. "And she's right about you, sweetie. Even if you were to play around, you would be careful not to hurt anyone." She paused for a moment. "You're a lot nicer than Liz."

"She sounds sad about Liz, or maybe it's more disappointment," Winnie thought. Either way, it put a slightly pleased look on her face. She looked out the window at the lovely mountain meadow they were passing so neither of the other women would see it. "At least we both seem to see her in the same way," she thought.

Rather than camping two nights, they left Seattle early Saturday morning and were making great time. There was practically no traffic on the highway and they arrived a little early at the takeout. Bear was already there, though, so they immediately started pulling the rafts off the trailer and blowing them up.

As the sun rose higher, they stripped off the layers. Fleece vests and pants piled up in Rikki's vehicle, and they moved about in shorts and light tops. Rikki was the most conservative with knee length shorts and a full t-shirt, while Winnie had on cut-offs that exposed her legs from the upper thigh down, with a loose tank top that didn't hide her bikini top very much. Lena out did them all. Her shorts exposed the beginnings of her cheeks, and had a very low waist. Even at nine in the morning, it was just warm enough for her to dispense with a top. She only had on her bikini, displaying her pert breasts and nicely toned body. She caught the eye of both her friends, and they didn't even try to hide it.

Pulling down her sunglasses for a better view, Rikki let out a low whistle. "Jeez, Lena, you aren't shy are you?"

The lovely brunette looked back and gave her a sexy smile. "Not even slightly, Rikki." Leaning over one of the rafts, she put her hands on a tube and bent a little. Catching her breasts between her arms, they were pushed up and out and looked much bigger than usual. Her mouth opened and her pink tongue slipped out and licked her upper lip. Her smoky eyes were in full force. As Rikki watched, she saw the little bumps marking her nipples pop out a little more.

"I guess it's colder than you thought," she told Lena. When she didn't get it immediately, Rikki dropped her eyes to stare right at them. She could hear Winnie chuckling beside her, but she didn't look away. "I think the temperature is still dropping, Lena," she added.

For a second, Lena looked puzzled, but then understand dawned upon her. She looked down and then back up at her friends. "No, not cold at all," she replied. Cupping her breasts, she let her thumbs slide over them. Her eyes fluttered for a moment and then opened again to look steadily at her friends. "I just like how they get me your attention!" she said. "I enjoy that quite a lot." Although she stopped stroking her nipples, she continued to hold her breasts. It was as if she was offering them to the two of them.

Rikki admitted they were very tempting. Her skin was a golden brown from all the sun, and so perfectly rounded in her bikini top. They were not nearly as heavy as her own were, but she liked that. She couldn't imagine going without a bra, but Lena probably could. "And she's a bit younger than me too," she thought. It wasn't a big gap, but between being naturally bustier and pregnancy, her breasts weren't quite as firm as they were five years ago. "I wonder how different they would feel." She glanced over at Winnie. She too was gazing at Lena's enticing breasts, and now Lena turned her attention on her. Having the perfect angle to look through the armholes of her tank top, Rikki took the opportunity to check them out. They were somewhat between Lena's smaller ones and her full ones. "A nice handful," she thought, and her fingers twitched slightly. "God, I need to get a grip!" she added as she remembered that this was also a junior coworker.

"Hey Rikki," Lena said, breaking into her thoughts.

"Huh? What do you need?" she replied.

Tossing her a tube of sunscreen, Lena said, "Do my back, would you?"

"Oh yes, and mine too," Winnie chimed in. She reached down and stripped off her tank top to give Rikki full access. The two younger women sat side by side, as she squeezed out some lotion. It was late enough in the morning that they were both lit by rising sun, illuminating their tanned backs. Lena was tanner by a fraction, mostly because she took every opportunity to worship the sun, but Winnie's skin was golden as well. With her sun-bleached blonde hair, she looked more like a California surfer than a farm girl from Oklahoma.

Reaching up, Lena pulled her longer hair away from her back, exposing her slender neck. Rikki started with her. Although she was professional, Lena didn't make it easy on her. She sighed and moaned as Rikki's fingers went all over her back.

"Oh shush! You sound like you are going to have an orgasm," Rikki said, glancing around. It was a relief that no one was close.

"Oh yes! Yes! That's so good, Rikki. Don't stop! Oh god!" Lena moaned as Rikki's fingers went over the small of her back. Despite the slight embarrassment, Rikki laughed at Lena's dramatics.

Winnie couldn't help giggle. It was nice to see Rikki with a smile on her face, a genuine one. "Even the blush is cute on her," she thought to herself. "She needs this weekend. Thank goodness for her sister!"

Suddenly, Lena squirmed and squealed. She wiggled trying to get away. "No fair!" she said as she giggled. "No tickling."

"That's what you get for teasing me like that!" Rikki said as she kept tickling her sides. "Revenge!" After a few more moments, Lena managed to twist away. She jumped into the raft and used Winnie as a shield.

"Hey! I'm not part of this," Winnie protested. It didn't do much good, as Rikki tried to get around her and Lena dodged to the left and then the right. Just as Rikki got a hand on her, they heard a deep voice.

"Hey, no horsing around on the rafts! Not on this rocky ground," Bear yelled at them from the other side of the flotilla of boats. "Come on, Rikki. You're supposed to be the responsible one."

"She teased me!" Rikki said indignantly. "And Bear, please don't make me be the responsible one this weekend!" She batted her dark brown eyes at him. "It's been a hard week."

Bear smiled at her. She wasn't usually the playful one, and while she wasn't quite the sweet young thing that Lena and Winnie were, she was the embodiment of a sexy MILF. He also sensed she was being honest. "Okay, Rikki. Just be responsible for your boat." He glared mockingly at the other two women. "That means you two have to be responsible instead! So knock it off and be careful with the boats!"

"Thank you, Bear," Rikki said. She had a little smile on her face as she blew him a kiss.

With a smile on his face, he turned and went back to finishing outfitting his boat. He glanced back over and saw Rikki putting sunscreen on Winnie. He watched for a moment as the sexy older woman rubbed her hands all over the younger one's body. "Fuck me," he muttered as he tore his attention away. He liked all three of them as friends, but they were sexy enough to make him wish they were interested in him. "I think I'll let them go on the earlier float," he thought. "Less frustrating," he told himself with a chuckle.

Rikki was more careful in putting the lotion on Winnie, but not because of Bear. As had become the norm, her awareness of her was much higher than Lena. Their connection was strong and growing stronger. Touching her was more invigorating, and it was impossible for Rikki to avoid being affected. Trying to play games would just make it worse. "Plus, I work with her!" she thought.

When she finished, the cute blonde looked over her shoulder. "Thanks, Rikki," she said. Her sky-blue eyes were sparkling, and the way she looked at her made Rikki's heart beat a little faster.

"No problem," she tried to say nonchalantly. Looking at her watch, she got up. "I should run the car down to the takeout," she said. "Watch my boat!"

The two women waved at her as they laid back on the rafts to take advantage of the sun shining down on them. For a little while, they were quiet as they enjoyed the sun. Being next to Winnie was a little distracting for Lena. Memories of the two of them kissing in the bathroom kept passing through her mind. Flirting with Rikki turned her on a bit, and she wondered if Winnie was too. The worst part was the more she thought about it, the more excited she became. Finally, she was spoke, mostly to distract herself.

"Rikki's a babe, isn't she?"

"Hmmm?" Winnie replied a little sleepily.

"Rikki, don't you think she is gorgeous?"

"Mmhmm," Winnie murmured in agreement.

"And sexy," Lena added. "She's got that nice body." When Winnie didn't say anything, she continued. "If she wasn't married, I'd be so into her, you know?"

"Yeah," Winnie replied softly. The way she said it made it unclear as to what she meant. Lena couldn't tell if she just understood or if she too would be into her.

"I know I was joking around, but her hands felt so nice on my back. At least a few of the moans were real," Lena said, with a little chuckle.

Both of the women had their eyes closed as they sunbathed, which is why Lena missed Winnie's little frown. "Why did Rikki touch Lena like that when she was so matter of fact with me?" she thought. It felt nice, but it could have been so much nicer. "Does Rikki find her attractive?" she wondered. "More than me?" The nagging idea was impossible to dismiss. Her own interest in Lena just added to the worry. She understood why Rikki might be attracted.

Hidden behind her sunglasses, she opened her eyes so that she could catch a glimpse of the brunette next to her. The heat from the sun made Lena sweat a little. The touch of moisture made her tan skin glow. Winnie watched as her conical breasts rose and fell with each breath. Whether from before with Rikki or from talking about it, her nipples poked up in hard points through her bikini top. The little upturned nose and high cheekbones were part of why she was so attractive, but it was mostly the ever-present impish smile on her full lips. It was there now. "Obviously, she's enjoying the memory," she thought. As she watched, she once again felt stirrings of her own. The urge to lean over and touch them was tempting, although she didn't have difficulty in resisting. "She'd like that too much," Winnie thought as she got an impish grin of her own.

The sound of the bus pulling up with the customers spared her from any further daydreams. They both got up and ambled over to join the other guides as they waited for things to sort out. Unlike last week, there were no big groups split between boats. It was the exact opposite with the float made up of small groups that shared boats. Bear helped by trying to balance out the boats, blending experience, strength, and just basic space. It took longer than normal, but eventually everyone was in a boat and the float started down the river.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day. As they started out, they were still almost in the mountains. The banks of the river were steep and it was wide. Rikki spent the time getting to know her boat. She had a family of four, with a boy and a girl both in their early teens, as well as a couple of middle-aged women. She was glad to have youngsters, as they were both in good shape, which helped as the two parents were on the heavy side and clearly not used to strenuous physical energy. The two kids were eager but not very big despite being fit.

"It doesn't matter," she thought. "I have enough to work with." This wasn't the Sky or even the Methow. The Wenatchee was a big river with waves like rollercoasters. All she needed to do was set up and go through them straight.

"Ah sun! Isn't this great!" she yelled! Her boat enthusiastically screamed in agreement. Rikki grinned at them as she slowly worked the boat over to be ready for the first set of rapids. She also kept an eye on Winnie in the raft right in front of her. Lined up exactly where Rikki wanted to be, the current grabbed her raft and pulled it right through the rolling waves. They weren't big but the crew loved it. The screams were easy to hear. The raft bucked and Winnie bounced up off the tube for a second, giving Rikki a nice view of her tight ass.

"Mmmm. Too bad she doesn't have on shorts like Lena," Rikki thought. "It still looks very nice though." With a regretful sigh, she focused on the rapid. "All ahead!" she yelled. As she expected, the crew put their paddles in the water at different times with varying degrees of force. Fortunately, the current was doing most of the work. She used her own paddle just to keep them straight. Like the crew before them, they screamed as they rode the waves down. The smiles of the faces of the happy crew felt great to Rikki. She loved this part of the job.

"Fuck, I love every part of this job!" she whispered. It was the best moment she had in days, and when a wave hit her in the face, there were a few tears of joy mixed in with the cold river water. As much as she loved Kieran, there was something wonderful about only having responsibility for getting her boat down the river safely and happily. In a time when so much was out of her control, this was within her grasp. "I understand this," she thought as she reached far out into the river and pulled hard with her guide paddle. Despite not having a strong crew like the one Winnie did, she maneuvered the boat perfectly and their ride down the rapid was as good as any other boat.

After exiting the rapid, she let the boat drift through the wide stretch of river. In between the rapids, there were a lot of slow parts where the guides played all sorts of games to keep the customers entertained. Rikki smiled as she listened to her crew talk excitedly about the rapid. The float stretched out in front of her as the rafts drifted along. Turning around, she looked back to check the rafts behind her.

Whoosh! A big stream of water hit her right in the face, almost knocking her backwards. Her sunglasses protected her vision enough that she saw the big guy holding a bucket in a raft only a few feet away from her. In the back of it was Lena, laughing so hard that she almost slipped off the tube. The guy looked a little apologetic. "She made me," he said, jerking his thumb at the back of the raft.

"Nailed you! You should have seen your face!" Lena giggled. "Oh man, that was funny!"

Rikki glared at her. Dipping her paddle in the water, she yelled, "Back right!" Her crew scrambled to pick up their paddles and help turn the boat. It slowly spun. "Okay, stop. Now Lori and Barbara, take those buckets and avenge me!" she told them.

The two women in front grabbed the two bailing buckets from the center of the raft and began to partially fill them and hurl water at the other raft. It took them a few attempts to get the right feel for how much water to use and how to flick their wrists to get the most velocity. The two guys in front of Lena's raft tried to match them. Unfortunately for them, they were big enough that they got in each other's way. Rikki kept the raft positioned pointing upstream so that the women had a good angle.

"Now!" she suddenly heard from behind her. This time Rikki figured out what was happening and ducked. A bucket full of water sailed over her and splashed into the teenage boy in front of her. He gasped as the cold water ran down his back.

Winnie's voice rose up high. "Keep getting them!" There were screams of happiness from all three rafts as they engaged in a massive water fight. Barbara handed the boy one of the buckets and he threw water back at Winnie's boat. Trapped in between two rafts, Rikki's boat got the worst of it, but it was so hot that everyone loved it. Finally, it petered out as their arms got tired from the effort of throwing water.