The Ultimate Betrayal (20 page)
As they reached the entrance of the Empress, Rachel broke the silence. “I hope you won’t be angry, but I agreed to switch rooms with Joy so she can entertain Tanya this evening. I’ll be your roomy for tonight, unless you’d prefer to have your own room.”
Sophia turned to look at Rachel and captured her eyes. “I’ll probably regret this, but no, I don’t want my own room. I’d rather not be alone tonight. If it won’t make you too uncomfortable, I’d really like you to stay with me.”
Rachel hadn’t released Sophia’s hand as they waited for the elevator that would take them to their floor.
“No, it won’t make me uncomfortable at all. Oh crap, I just thought of something. My backpack is in the other room. You wouldn’t happen to have an extra t-shirt I can borrow. I’ll call down to the lobby to get a toothbrush and toothpaste, but unless you don’t mind seeing me prance around naked, I’ll need to borrow something to sleep in.”
Sophia blushed and bit her lip. “Um, I normally sleep in the nude, but I did pack a couple of t-shirts. They aren’t terribly long and I suspect they won’t even cover your ass.”
Rachel shrugged. “Well, I guess they will just have to do.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Will they cover your ass?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Why unfortunately? I would say my luck just changed,” Rachel teased.
“Friends. Remember?”
“Oh yeah, that’s right. You’ll have to forgive me. The older I get, the more forgetful I become.”
Sophia bumped her shoulder. “Be good.”
“I’m always good,” Rachel answered.
“Stop flirting.”
Rachel released Sophia’s hand and held up her palms. “Okay, okay. I’ll try to be good, but flirting with you is just so easy.”
Rachel pulled the key card from her back pocket and slipped it into the door. She smiled as she took in the solid mahogany furniture representative of the hotel’s old world charm. The suite came complete with a fireplace, sitting area, and small kitchen. The room was nearly as cozy as her home in Seattle. The only evidence that this was a hotel room was the prominent queen beds side by side separated by a healthy amount of space.
The distance wasn’t going to be wide enough to keep Rachel from thinking about the beautiful woman who would occupy the bed beside her. So close, yet so far away.
Sophia blushed. “Uh, I think I’ll change into my t-shirt and brush my teeth first if you don’t mind.” She rummaged through her expensive suitcase and tossed a bright blue shirt to Rachel.
Rachel smiled as she caught the shirt and noted that the royal blue color was one of her favorites. Women had often told her that the color looked especially nice on her and brought out her deep blue eyes.
After Sophia shut the door to the expansive bathroom with the enormous soaking tub, Rachel called up room service to have toothpaste and a toothbrush delivered. She pulled down her jeans and carefully folded them on the wingback chair. She’d only managed to get her shirt halfway undone when Sophia emerged from the washroom. The snug t-shirt clung to Sophia’s body like a second skin and Rachel could see her nipples protruding as if they were standing at attention awaiting her orders. Rachel couldn’t help herself as she stared at Sophia who seemed to be equally engrossed in her own state of mid-dress.
Rachel was glad she had selected the matching lilac purple bra and panties set. It wasn’t her usual attire, but for some reason she’d decided to bring the surprise gift that Lara had bought her the previous year.
Rachel turned around and slipped off her bra and shirt, quickly pulling the blue t-shirt over her head.
The knock on the door startled them and Rachel chuckled when she noticed that neither of them was dressed and ready to answer the door. She walked into the bathroom and grabbed both robes hanging on the hooks by the tub. She smiled at Sophia. “Unless you want to give the poor bellhop a very exciting show, I suggest you put on this robe.”
Sophia laughed and pointed at Rachel. “Ditto.”
Rachel threw the robe on her half-dressed body, glanced over her shoulder to make sure Sophia had her own robe on, and opened the door.
A young woman offered Rachel the needed toiletries.
Rachel stuck them in the large pocket on the robe and held up her finger. “Wait one second.” She dug into her jeans and found a ten dollar bill, handing it to the woman who thanked her and stepped away from the door as Rachel closed it behind her.
Sophia blinked once and then seemed to snap out of her trancelike state. “The bathroom’s all yours.”
As Sophia started to walk toward one of the beds, Rachel passed her on her way to the washroom. In an effort to avoid colliding with Sophia she stepped to the right just as Sophia was stepping to the left.
“Oh, sorry. Excuse me.” Sophia touched Rachel’s arm and started to move away.
“Now, Sophia, you’re not angling for another slow dance, are you?” Rachel asked.
Sophia shrugged and looked directly into Rachel’s eyes.
Rachel had never wanted to kiss someone so badly in all her life. She placed both hands on each side of Sophia and looked at her plump lips just begging to be kissed. “I shouldn’t do this. We shouldn’t do this. Shit, you’re still legally married.”
“Stop talking.” Sophia brought their lips together.
Rachel felt the silky softness of Sophia’s mouth and returned the kiss. Her tongue tentatively sought entrance into Sophia’s mouth. The kiss had a level of sensuousness that she’d never experienced before. Normally, Rachel kissed a woman with passion and energy. She felt her body relax into Sophia’s as her hands untied the robe and caressed Sophia’s back.
When Sophia pushed away, she felt the loss instantly.
“I wanted to do that all night long, but as much as my body tells me I want to make love to you, I just can’t. You’re right, we shouldn’t be doing this. I’m sorry. Can we re-wind? I don’t want to fuck up what will probably turn into a great friendship.”
“Okay.” Rachel hesitated before continuing. “But…I reserve the right to change the rules somewhere down the line.”
“That’s a fair compromise.”
Sophia scrubbed her hand on her face. “Would it be completely inappropriate if I asked you to sleep with me to just have someone to hold me?”
“Not exactly inappropriate, but you are testing my willpower,” Rachel answered.
“Forget I asked that. Stupid idea.”
“Wait. I was kidding. I am an adult and believe I can control myself enough. I could use a little innocent cuddling myself.”
Sophia raised her eyebrow. “Somehow innocent doesn’t really spring to mind when I think of you.”
“Perhaps, but there is always time to learn something new.”
The small puffs of clouds dotted the sky, but at least it wasn’t overcast or raining. Joy reveled in their good fortune, as the weather seemed to attempt to put its best foot forward as if they were in the beginning stages of a new relationship. All she’d ever heard about Seattle and the surrounding area was that it always rained. They’d only experienced the famous Seattle drizzle once since they’d arrived.
Joy walked gingerly to the small shop where they were about to receive instructions on their whale watching adventure. She’d almost talked Sophia into letting her sleep in this morning, but for whatever reason, Sophia insisted she come along with them. When she learned they would all have to don those disgusting orange jumpsuits she was even more inclined to pass on the quest for whales. Joy could sense that something had happened between Sophia and Rachel and she was dying to corner her best friend to find out. She hoped they just did the nasty and got it out of the way. All the sexual tension was spilling over and since Tanya had to return to work today, she had no one to play with.
“All right let's get this party started. Lead the way, Rachel. I can't wait to put on the fashionable orange jumpsuits,” Sophia quipped.
"And I can't wait to see Joy here slip her lithe body into a suit some guy has sweated in all afternoon."
“The suits aren’t cleaned between use?” Joy remarked, aghast at the implication.
“This I can't wait to see. Who's got the popcorn? You can't buy better entertainment than this.” Rachel burst into laughter.
“Why do I think you selected this particular company at my expense? I noted in the brochures at the desk there were other options for a whale watching excursion, including large covered boats. I thought you were my friend,” Joy grumbled.
“Where's the fun in that?"
“Come on, Joy. We'll all stink together. It can be a bonding experience,” Sophia added good-naturedly.
“I think I would rather bond in another manner. A
bellini
, mojito or margarita would be my preference." Joy turned her wrist. “Oh look, it’s cocktail hour in New York.”
“I did instruct you to dress casually.” Rachel grinned.
“Sophia, you promised we would take a luxury excursion, not this tiny raft with these smelly things,” Joy pouted.
“These inflatables guarantee the best views. Those other boats are too high on the water. Don’t be such a pansy,” Rachel taunted.
†
Joy crinkled her nose as she stepped her legs into the sweat soaked jumpsuit. There was a decidedly unpleasant odor in all of the suits. As the tallest member of the group, she was obliged to wear a man's jumpsuit. Hers was by far the most rancid.
Rachel grinned as she retrieved her smart phone and snapped a quick picture. "We should get a picture of us all together in our high fashion garments." Rachel handed the phone to the tour guide and asked. “You don't mind do you?”
“Not at all.” He pressed the button and handed the phone back to Rachel.
Rachel looked quickly at the screen and turned the phone around so the others could view the picture. “Not bad. I'll send you all a text with the picture attached.”
The three women found seats in the front of the boat with Rachel’s insistence that it was the best spot. Eleven other men and women joined the tour and they sped out of the bay. The radio crackled to life as the tour guide obtained the location of a pod surfacing on the west side of the island. Excitement built as everyone prepared for the first sighting. The boat slowed and the tour guide cut the motor. “We are required to stay at least one hundred yards from the whales. We let them come to us. They should be coming up on the starboard side soon. Get your cameras ready.”
“Holy shit. Look, that whale is just sticking his head up and starting a staring contest with me. It's kind of creepy but fascinating at the same time.” Rachel reached for her phone to try to get a good picture.
“That's called spy-hopping. Orcas can be very curious and scientists have noted that they actually do this more often around tour boats. They want to check us out as much as we want to check them out. Spy-hopping is kind of like treading water. They can actually do this for several minutes. We'll give them a few minutes to migrate farther north of us and then we can head out again."
“I've lived here all my life and have seen Orcas before, but this is the first time I’ve seen one spy-hop,” Rachel proclaimed.
“I must admit it was worth it to put on this noxious suit. The Orcas are truly magnificent creatures,” Joy conceded.
“Thank you, Rachel, for arranging this trip. I'm really glad I decided to stay and spend this time in Victoria,” Sophia said.
“Hey look, there's a little seal playing in the waves. I know it's not as exciting as the Orcas but I think they're adorable. Kind of like a hairless puppy. They're fun to watch.” Rachel pointed to the playful sea creature.
“The fishermen don't always appreciate the seals when they steal salmon but the tourists sure love them,” the guide explained.
The bright yellow inflatable raft raced back to the dock as the tourists leaned back and enjoyed their journey across the crystal blue waters. Everyone was smiling as they crawled out of the boat.
“All right, I believe a mojito is calling my name right now. Ladies, shall we head to Milestones? I told Tanya we would meet her there after our whale watching excursion,” Joy clarified.
Joy noted the smile on her best friend’s face and the equally enamored look that Rachel was tossing quite naturally in Sophia’s direction. They looked good together. Joy wondered what would transpire after the three week vacation was done. Rachel seemed entrenched in the Pacific Northwest. She grew up here and wasn’t likely to make a drastic change. Sophia was a New York gal and Joy didn’t want to lose her best friend to the unruly West. She had to admit that Sophia was more relaxed here in Victoria than she’d ever witnessed and the Pacific Northwest seemed to suit her more than the somewhat pretentious East coast. Right now, it was time for fun and games with Tanya and alcohol—she would ponder this dilemma later on.