Authors: Charlotte Mills
I woke up spooning Jamie on the sofa. I loved her short hair; it allowed me to get so close to her. She began to stir next to me.
“Are you cold?” I whispered against the back of her neck.
“Hungry!”
“Again?” I laughed into her shoulder blade as I deposited a soft kiss.
She turned her body around to face me. “Seriously? Are you trying to kill me? First you starve me then you give me a workout like that.”
I moved my hand up to cup her face. “Tell me about her. How did you meet?”
The grin disappeared from her face. She looked down at her hand as it ran up and down my arm. “At a work thing near Cambridge. She was a university lecturer.”
“Is that why you moved to York? Fresh start?”
“No. Well, yes. In a way, I guess, but the opportunity came up and I couldn’t pass it up. It was just good timing.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“There’s not really much to tell. She, well, I thought we were both monogamous and it turned out she wasn’t and couldn’t be, so it got quite messy and painful.”
“I’m sorry,” I said softly. My character felt a little vindicated. I may have been a little free and easy on occasion, but I had never had multiple partners at the same time. I often wondered where people found the time for those kinds of shenanigans.
“Wanna watch a movie?” she asked, drawing our previous topic of conversation to an end.
“Okay, is this the continuation of my education?”
“I thought we could start with film noir from the thirties. Seems like a pretty good place to start.”
“You know, we can go out anywhere to eat or for a drink … or whatever.”
“I’m not really a scene person.”
“We don’t have to go out on the scene; we can go anywhere. I promise we won’t bump into Carrie. I don’t want you to feel trapped like you can’t go out.”
“I don’t. I just want to spend the weekend with you, snuggling up with some great movies.”
“Okay, we’ll order in. What do you fancy?” I grabbed my glasses and a selection of takeaway menus from the desk drawer.
“Nice specs.”
“No jokes. I was ridiculed as a child. I’ve already got a complex,” I said with a grin.
“You shouldn’t let James bully you like that. I’ll give him a Chinese burn next time I see him.”
***
The following day, we met up with James for lunch at the local pub. As we were traveling back to York later that day I thought we could catch up before I left. I had a feeling he’d have a start date for surveying on our next project, which we’d had in the pipeline for a while. Normally, I’d be pretty keen to get out and about setting up new site, but on this occasion I’d much rather stay on in York. I didn’t want to even entertain the idea of what would happen when my time in York came to an end, but with much of the hard landscaping almost completed I knew it wouldn’t be too long.
James was very well behaved over lunch, which was refreshing. The customary underhand quips were removed from his usual conversation. Instead, he seemed genuinely interested in Jamie as they talked about her job in York. He must have actually taken heed when I told him how much I liked her. Or possibly he was buttering me up for working away in Whitby next week. Fortunately, it was only a small site compared to Bonnington House. Mike and I should be able to complete the job in three or four days tops.
“Have you ever been to Whitby?” I asked Jamie as we walked back to my apartment.
“I haven’t. Have you?”
I shook my head in response while I considered my next question. “Would you like to go to Whitby maybe for a visit, say next weekend?”
“Are you asking me if I’d go away with you for a dirty weekend by the seaside?”
I laughed a little as I dodged a large poodle with shiny black eyes. He sniffed at my hand. I figured he could smell the large Sunday lunch I had just eaten. I slipped my hands in my pockets so he didn’t mistake my fingers for sausages and looked back at Jamie to see she was also laughing at my reaction to the poodle.
“I thought you liked dogs.”
“I do. My grandmother had a giant brown poodle. It used to really scare me when I was little. Anyway, next weekend?” I said, hopefully.
“I’ll see what I can do.” She slipped her arm through mine as we walked. “I’ve gotten used to having you around. I keep forgetting you’ll be leaving soon.”
“I know, but that doesn’t … I mean, for us it doesn’t have to be the end. I don’t want it to be the end, do you?”
She gripped me a little tighter. “No, definitely not. It’s just nice to hear you say it.”
I sat in my car eating my lunch, enjoying the solitude during another brief rain shower that seemed to be dogging us all day. I had only been in Whitby for two days; not a lot of time to get to know the place when you’re walking around fields most of the day. About the only thing I did know was that it was far less sunny than York had been over the last few months. Through a blurry side window I could see Mike in the distance, still walking around in a t-shirt. I half wondered if this was the closest he came to an actual shower. Chewing on the last of my pork pie, the silence was broken by the buzzing of my phone. I picked it up from the passenger seat and seeing it was Jamie, I felt a tingle in my belly as I quickly swallowed the last of my lunch.
“Hi,” I said, hoping she hadn’t changed her mind about visiting me this weekend.
“Hey, how are you?”
“Good. I’m currently sitting in my car, escaping the rain,” I said as I looked up, spotting a small patch of blue sky.
“Oh, well, maybe you should come back to York for the weekend. We have wall-to-wall sunshine.”
“You do? Well, they do say the sun always shines on the righteous.”
“So I see. I’m just getting ready to leave the sunshine and head towards your rain.”
I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face at her words. “You are? That’s great. I’m going to call it a day soon. There’s a few things I need to pick up before you arrive.” I figured it would take Jamie around two hours to get here in the Friday traffic. That should give me time to finish up the species sampling I was doing with Mike, before doing a spot of shopping on my way back to the hotel.
“Like what?”
I smiled at her blatant fishing expedition. “Let’s just say, I think you’ll like it.”
I had texted her a number of times since I left York three days ago, telling her I would make it worth her while if she took up my invitation to stay with me over the weekend. Her response had been to badger me constantly with questions, which in turn had forced me to up the ante on what I could provide as leverage. Luckily, I had seen a poster for an open air cinema event on the Saturday evening this weekend. I knew straight away it would appeal to Jamie and her film buff proclivities.
“Come on, you can’t just leave me hanging like that.”
“Okay, all I can say is I’m praying the weather forecast is right and it doesn’t rain tomorrow, too.”
“Umm, interesting, an outsidey thing then.”
I could picture her rubbing her chin, pondering my clue.
“It’s not a naturist thing, is it?”
I laughed. “Maybe. You’ll have to wait and see.”
I arrived back at the hotel mid-afternoon, with just enough time to stash the shopping and tidy the room. I was just dressing after taking a quick shower when there was a knock at my door. Too excited to check the spyhole, I opened the door revealing a smiling Jamie.
“Hey, come on in,” I said, standing to one side. I shut the door behind her, following her into the room. “How was your drive?”
“Not too bad. Took about an hour and three quarters,” she replied, dropping her weekend bag on the chair next to the bed. I saw her glance at the black bag on the floor.
“I see you have your usual stylish luggage.”
“Well, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” I said with a laugh.
“Umm hmm!”
I pulled her into my arms, realising how much I had missed her. A warm hand cupped the side of my face, guiding our lips together for a long, slow kiss. We relaxed on the bed for a while before going out to eat.
“I thought we could eat out, near the harbour maybe. What do you think?”
“Sounds good.”
We managed to find a pub nearby, where we both consumed healthy portions of local fish and chips, washed down with an equally local pint of bitter. Full as eggs, we took a walk through the town and over the bridge. I managed to avoid most of the posters advertising the weekend’s upcoming events. Eventually, we made our way to the small beach beyond the harbour area.
“Fancy a dip?” I said, half-joking as I looked at the sun flickering on the distant surface of the sea.
“Are you serious?”
“Why not?” I replied, certain that Jamie would reject my offer. It
was
the North Sea not the Med.
“Okay, last one in buys dinner tomorrow!” she shouted as she raced by me towards the sea. I could see she was already undoing her hoodie and shirt. She pulled up about ten feet from the lapping, shallow waves, slipping off her shoes as she did.
Stripping off my jumper and t-shirt in one, and yanking down my jeans and underwear at the same time, I figured it would be easier to dress after our dip. After discarding my bra and tucking my socks in my shoes, I managed to beat her to the water’s edge.
“Oh my God! It’s bloody freezing!” I said as the water rushed around my lower legs.
“You can’t change your mind now. It was your silly idea!” Jamie bellowed as she rushed by me, sending cold shards of icy water up my exposed body. She released a stifled scream as she dunked her shoulders under. I quickly joined her, the cold water quickly numbing my vocal chords as I tried to tread water to keep warm. I moved behind her, trying to steal any body heat I could. She turned in my arms, a wide smile on her face.
“Looks like dinner’s on you,” she said with smug satisfaction.
I kissed her firmly on the lips before pulling away in an effort to keep moving. I smiled at her keenness to take on any challenge. Dinner was a small price to pay.
“What are the chances of us getting out and dressed before those people get to us,” I said, as I nodded to the three figures on the horizon.
“I’d say slim to none, but if I stay in here any longer I may need medical assistance.”
“Come on,” I said, rushing to the shoreline. As I staggered towards our clothing I could barely feel my legs, even though my skin was burning as soon as I left the sea. Jamie was close behind me and we both frantically tried to dress. I gave up on my bra, opting for my t-shirt and jumper first. I could see the figures getting closer and noticed they had a young boxer dog with them, chasing in and out of the sea.
“Oh my God! I still can’t feel my legs. It’s like trying to dress a dead person,” Jamie half-screamed as she eyed the people only about a hundred feet away.
I couldn’t help but laugh at our situation, considering our discussion about naturist activities earlier. My teeth were beginning to chatter, making laughing more difficult as I tried to put my underwear and jeans on at the same time. I looked over at Jamie who decided to go commando, tucking her black knickers into her pocket, no doubt to speed up the dressing process.
Both suitably clothed as our onlookers arrived, I could hear them laughing as their dog circled us while we fought to put on our shoes and socks.
“I need a hot shower and some form of strong alcohol,” I said as we made our way back to the hotel.
I released her hand as we got inside our room. “Shower?” I asked.
“Hell yeah!” Jamie shouted.
I watched as she began to strip off again. “You know we could save water and share.”
She turned, smiling at me. “Well, what are you waiting for?” she inquired as she walked into the bathroom.
The shower was hot against my skin, revitalising me as I cuddled up behind Jamie. Placing my arms around her waist, I attempted to assist in washing.
“Will you wash my hair?” she asked over her shoulder.
“Sure.” I reached for the shampoo as she ducked her head under the shower and slowly massaged her scalp while she steadied herself with her hands braced on the wall in front of her. She quickly rinsed her hair and it was all over in a few minutes; the benefits of short hair were easy to see. I pressed against her as she still used one hand to balance herself and my hands slipped around her waist, caressing her flat stomach and slightly protruding hips. My right hand slipped a little lower, cupping her before sliding between her lips. She was hard and wet, which only encouraged me further. I gripped her waist, firmly seeking more pressure as I rubbed myself against the flair of her hips. Her free hand moved behind, pulling me tighter to her. I stroked her firmly as I adjusted my hips, enjoying the friction as it brought me closer to the edge. Jamie rolled her head back as I kissed the side of her neck and shoulder. I felt the quiver in her body as she tried to hold it together, but her orgasm broke through. She gripped my thigh tightly as she came, her cry of release almost masked by the roar of the shower. I could still feel the vibrations from her orgasm as she turned around, pushing me back against the wall.
“I’m not sure I can … standing up,” I whispered against her lips.
A determined look crossed her face as her hand slipped between my thighs. Her lips quickly found mine and her tongue sought entrance as she pressed her body against mine. Her fingers quickly found their target and I knew it wouldn’t take long. I placed my foot on the edge of the bath, giving Jamie better access. I felt the pressure of her hips as they pressed between my legs while her fingers circled my clit. She pulled away as I gasped for breath, concentrating her kisses on my neck. Whispered words filled my head.
“You need to hold on to me.”
Taking her at her word, I gripped her waist tighter with one hand as the other pressed firmly against the corner of the wall. I moaned with each magnificent stroke she provided until she captured my lips once more. I pulled away from her lips as my body exploded with a shudder. “Fuck!” I almost articulated as I came. Her arms held me steadfast as I writhed under her touch and she still held me tightly to her. “I love being with you,” I whispered against her shoulder. She was the one person that made me feel like I needed to be with her, needed to be close to her. I could feel myself drifting off in full post-coital pleasure as she pulled back to look at me, a warm smile on her face.
“So, you did it?” she half-questioned.
“I think you know the answer to that,” I said, returning her smile.
She deposited a final kiss on my lips before pulling me into the warm spray of the shower. I embraced her loosely as she washed off the remaining suds before leaving me alone in the steamy cubicle. I went to work, lathering up as Jamie’s shadow towelled off beyond the curtain dividing us.
“By the way, I love being with you, too.” Her soft words drifted through to me.
I released a small, embarrassed laugh. “You heard that, then?”
Towelling off, I contemplated my plans for the evening. After Jamie’s previous comments on packing, I had taken a chance on purchasing a new toy. She had seemed pretty open to the idea. Then again, it was easy to feel confident when you weren’t standing in front of someone with a big rubber phallus sticking out in front of you. I dried off thoroughly before suiting up. I knew if I thought too much about it, it would cease to be fun, which was essentially what it was meant to be.
I nervously edged out of the bathroom. Jamie was sat on the edge of the bed, one leg resting on the other. The top leg dangled playfully as she read the menu in her lap. I moved towards her, standing right in front of her and said, “Do you know what you want?”
She looked up at my words, her eyes stopping at the bulge in my dressing gown for several seconds before making their way up to my eyes.
“I … I think I might have an idea.”
“Well, you should know that the menu is subject to change at any time. You don’t have to have anything you don’t want.”
“Okay. That’s good to know.”
“Have you ever …” I indicated with my eyes. “… before?” I didn’t want to be any more presumptuous than I already had been.
“Once, a long time ago.”
“Did you wear it, too?”
“Yes, once.”
“Who was it?”
“My second girlfriend, Julia.”
“The doctor?” I confirmed from previous conversations we’d had.
“Well, she was only a junior then, but yes the doctor.”
“Only once? You didn’t like it?” I asked.
“No, she didn’t like it and we broke up shortly after, so …”
She stood up directly in front of me in the tight space between myself and the bed. Our bodies were almost touching as she tugged at her towel, letting it drop to the floor.
“Anyway, where were we?”
She locked eyes with me as she pulled at the belt of my robe, revealing my new adornment. Her hands traced its shape from tip to base, before feeling the straps that attached it in position. I almost asked about the size; I had chosen a smaller rather than larger option. I didn’t want to scare her off. Her warm fingers danced along my hips; as they met in the middle, they slipped inside, feeling the shape of the base as it pressed against me. Her eyebrows rose as she pushed the base towards me, making me release a gasp as it pressed against my still-throbbing clit. She pushed the dressing gown off my shoulders as I kissed the side of her neck. Taking my hand, she led me to the side of the bed. Pulling back the covers, she drew me in after her.
I felt a sense of responsibility for the situation. “You know, we don’t have to do this.”