Part 9 (1/2)
Chris looked over at Matt and smiled. ”Well, I feel pretty lucky to have him, too!”
The three stood waiting for the luggage to come down the ramp. Matt grabbed both bags and led them out to the loading area. Charles was just arriving with the rental car, a Mercedes. He popped the trunk and Matt lifted the baggage into the compartment.
”You want to follow us over to the hotel? We can grab some lunch and then I'm afraid these old bones need a nap,” Charles said as he opened the door for Marie, who slid into the pa.s.senger seat.
”Oh yes, my tummy's rumbling! Can you imagine that they only gave us a sweet roll on the plane?” Marie complained.
Matt agreed to follow them to the hotel, then put his arm around Chris and led her toward their parking area.
”G.o.d, I don't think I can eat again!” Chris remarked.
”Sorry, I guess I didn't think things through very well,” Matt answered.
”Oh well, now that I've caught my man, I don't need to worry about my girlish figure!” Chris said, trying to lighten the mood. It worked: Matt smiled.
Matt followed the rental car to the hotel, where the valet parked both cars. The three wandered around the lobby while Charles checked in.
”Just send our bags up to the room, we're going to grab a bite to eat,” Charles instructed the desk clerk.
The two couples were seated on the patio, overlooking the ocean. Marie, with her hand settled on her chin, stared out over the water. ”I know why you can't bear to leave here, Matthew, it's just so beautiful!” Then, turning, she asked, ”Have you lived here all your life, Chris?”
”Actually, I've lived many places. Before my parents died, my dad was in the military, so we moved around a lot,” Chris answered.
”A military brat, huh?” Charles chuckled. ”We have a lot in common, young lady. I too was the product of the military system.”
”That's what Matt has told me.” Chris reached for her gla.s.s of water, took a sip, and continued, ”What made you decide not to follow in your father's footsteps, into the army, that is?”
Matt smiled. Chris had led his dad into a conversation that could take up the rest of the afternoon. Which it did, through their lunch, through dessert, through what seemed like the tenth cup of coffee they had had today.
At a break in the conversation, Charles looked at his watch. ”Well, I think it's time for that nap. Are we going to the club for dinner?”
”You bet, I already made reservations!” Matt replied.
”Lynn's coming too, I hope. It's been ages since we've seen her!” Marie said.
”Sure, I know she'd love to join us,” Matt answered as the two couples separated in the lobby. ”Meet you there at seven o'clock?”
”See you then, honey. Good-bye, Chris!” Marie called back.
”I didn't know Lynn was joining us tonight,” Chris said as they waited for the valet to bring around their car.
”Yeah, she doesn't either,” Matt replied.
Matt and Chris arrived back at the house after stopping by Chris's apartment. When they walked in, Lynn was flipping through the television channels.
”Hey, we thought you'd be pa.s.sed out by now!” Matt joked.
Lynn looked exasperated. ”I'm exhausted, I have a splitting headache, and I can't seem to go to sleep!” She paused. ”But enough about me, how'd it go?”
”It actually went pretty good, thanks to Chris. She started dad talking about why he didn't go into the military,” Matt answered.
Chris bowed and smiled. ”His parents are really nice people. Frankly, I don't know what you were so nervous about.”
”By the way, Lynn, my parents requested your presence at dinner tonight,” Matt said, then bit his lip, afraid of her answer.
”Matt! I would, I really would, but, were you listening about, what, one minute ago when I said aeI'm exhausted, I have a splitting headache, and I can't seem to go to sleep'? Plus, I have to play a hill night in”*she looked at her watch*”six hours?”
”Seven hours, it's Friday night. Come on Lynn, please?” he whined.
”Hey, I bet you're just really tight, let me give you a ma.s.sage!” Chris offered.
”A ma.s.sage?” Lynn remarked. Just what I need, your hands all over my body, like that would make me relax, she thought.
”I bet I can help you go to sleep. You know, a big part of physical therapy is ma.s.saging. I have great hands!” Chris pleaded.
”You have great hands?” Lynn smiled, looked at Matt, and winked.
”You could at least try it.” Matt ignored the suggestive wink.
Against her better judgment, Lynn agreed.
”Come on, you can lie down on the bed,” Chris suggested. She started down the hall. Lynn followed her reluctantly and lay facedown on the bed.
”Okay, just relax,” Chris said softly as she began rubbing Lynn's back. ”You know, this isn't going to work,” she said as she got up and closed the door. ”You need to take your s.h.i.+rt off. I can't do it through this material.”
Lynn cringed. First she wants to rub all over my body, now she wants to do it with my clothes off. She added, I feel another cold shower coming on. Nevertheless, Lynn pulled her top off to reveal her bare skin. She was glad that she had already taken a shower.
Chris watched as Lynn pulled off her top and felt that sharp twinge again. Ignoring the feeling, she placed her hands on Lynn's bare back. She began softly pus.h.i.+ng her thumbs into Lynn's back muscles. Lynn let out a moan, which made her smile. Chris felt like she was getting warm as she slowly let her fingers ma.s.sage the firm muscles. Climbing off the bed, she turned on the fan in the corner of the room and positioned herself to begin again. Chris watched as small goose b.u.mps rose from Lynn's tanned skin. The fan might be cooling Lynn, but it was doing nothing to relieve the heat Chris was feeling.
Lynn felt Chris's fingers against her bare skin, pus.h.i.+ng, ma.s.saging, kneading her skin, Chris's fingers were on her back, but she felt them through every inch of her body. She had been glad when Chris turned on the fan, but now the cool air a.s.sisted in Chris's touch, sending even stronger sensations through her. She was trying to remain calm. Pretend its someone eke, pretend it's a mail-, she tried to convince herself. Little did she know that all the heat in the room was radiating not only from her body but from Chris's body, too.
Chris didn't know how much longer she could stand it. She was feeling hot, weak, and lightheaded. She could feel herself pulsating below. She tried to recover from the feeling by ma.s.saging up and down Lynn's arms, but then found herself kneading the skin on the tan legs. She felt possessed, like someone else had taken over her hands. She ma.s.saged farther and farther up the long legs, onto Lynn's b.u.t.tocks. She had to stop. She had to stop now. The feeling was so unprofessional. She had done a lot of ma.s.sages, but none made her feel like this. She pulled her hands away and watched as Lynn's back raised and lowered with her steady breathing. Great, she's asleep, and I'm*could it be*turned on? d.a.m.n! She tiptoed into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. Looking in the mirror, she searched the image to see if it was still the same reflection that had always stared back at her. She ran her hands over her face, down her neck, and over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She still looked the same, so what had changed?
Lynn felt the heat of Chris's hands as they roamed over her body. This didn't feel like an ordinary ma.s.sage; it seemed that Chris was putting much more into it. She probably just didn't want to go out to dinner alone with Matt and his parents tonight. Lynn tried to disguise her heavy breathing as Chris made her way up her legs and kneaded her b.u.t.tocks. It did feel good, but also bad* oh, so bad. Lynn ended up drifting off to sleep, repeating to herself* she's straight, she's straight, she's straight.
Lynn opened her eyes and slowly sat up. She did feel much better. Getting up, she pulled on her s.h.i.+rt as she wandered down the hall. Matt was relaxing on the couch watching some sci-fi movie.
”Where's Chris?” she asked, still rubbing her eyes.
”Right after you went to sleep, she went out for a run. I haven't seen her since,” Matt answered.
Lynn looked at the clock; it was five-thirty. ”Wasn't that like, two hours ago? And you haven't worried about her?” she accused as she headed over to the sliding gla.s.s door leading out onto the deck.
”She's a big girl,” Matt replied, not moving a muscle.
Lynn slid open the door and stuck her head outside. There was Chris, sitting on the steps of the deck.
”Never mind, she's right here!” she called to Matt as she stepped out onto the wood. Crouching down, she reached out her hand to brush the hair away from Chris's face. ”Hey, you okay?”
Chris looked down, then out to the waves cras.h.i.+ng against the sh.o.r.e. ”Sure, it was just so nice and peaceful out here.” She looked at Lynn. ”How are you feeling?”