Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Lo & Behold by Diola Dragontail

   Chapter 11: Interlude, Sara's Story (Part 2)

   Summer, 1986 - Disney World

   At first Sara had no intention of doing this.  She entirely put it out
of her mind as she walked away from the restaurant.  By the time she was
exiting the park, she couldn't even remember the room number Ben had told
her.

   But then she spent the rest of the day with her parents.  By the time
she was laying down to sleep, it didn't seem unreasonable.

   When she woke up in the morning, she felt like she wanted to do it.  But
the idea of Ben's reaction to what had happened, that kind of scared her,
but she was down right terrified of Stacey's reaction if she had found out.

   By the end of the day she had resolved that she'd just try.  If she
didn't, then not know what might have happened would bother her forever.

   She told her parents she was going to go watch the fireworks at the
park. Of course they wanted to come too, but she bolted out of the room
before they could catch up.  They'd scream at her later for it, she was
sure of it, but she couldn't tell them what she was really doing.

   She rode the tram from her hotel and rode it directly into the cavern
that made up the Contemporary Resort.  This was where Ben told her they
were staying, but she couldn't remember what room number he had told her.

   She walked to the information desk and tried to look older and sure of
herself.  She figured that if they thought she was just a trouble making
kid, they'd never help her.

   "Hi." She said, beaming her best smile at the woman behind the
information desk.  "Can you tell me what room the Riggs are in?"

   The woman, Patricia the name tag on her vest said, just looked at Sara
for a moment and then raised her eyebrow.

   "Ben and Stacey.  The Riggs.  I just need to know their room number."
Sara repeated, figuring that she needed to use smaller words to get this
woman to understand.

   "I'm sorry, miss." Patricia replied, not really looking sorry at all. 
"We don't give out that sort of information."

   Sara just blinked at her for a moment, surprised at that.  "But they
told me what their room number was.  I just forgot."

   Patricia shrugged, unsympathetically.  "I'm sorry, resort policy."

   Patricia pointed to a phone off to the side of the lobby.  "If you dial
the operator and ask for their room, then you can speak to them."

   Sara frowned and nodded, "Thanks." But she didn't really mean it.

   She stalked across the lobby, grumbling to herself.  She picked up the
phone and pressed the zero button.

   "Operator.  How can I help you?" The voice on the phone asked.  And at
least she sounded like she might actually be helpful.

   "I'd like to speak to the Riggs, please.  They're guests here." Sara
said, doing her best to try to sound pleasant, even though her mood was
turning foul.

   "Do you have their room number?" The voice asked.

   "No." It was getting harder and harder to remain civil.  "Ben and Stacey
Riggs.  They should be here for at least another couple of days."

   "Hold on.  Let me check the directory." The voice replied and actually
still sounded helpful.  "I'm connecting you now."

   Sara felt relieved now.  She felt like she had reached a dead end and
couldn't think of another way to get in contact with them again.

   The phone rang.  Sara's anticipation built.  Her nerves felt like raw,
frazzled ends.  Another ring, and another, and another.

   She let it ring a dozen times, but there was no answer.  She hung up the
phone and frowned.  She tried to collect her thoughts and assess the
situation.

   Okay, they were still in the hotel or else the operator wouldn't have
had a room to dial.  They're probably just at one of the parks.

   She looked at her watch.  It was early yet.  She could wait a bit.  Then
she'll just try calling again.

   She spotted an empty couch across the lobby and walked over to it.  She
sat down to wait.  After a half hour she got up and walked back to the
phone.

   A different voice answered for the operator this time.  But they were
just as helpful.  And once again her stomach tied into knots as she
listened to the phone ring.  But, once again, no one answered.

   Sara hung up the phone and sighed heavily.  She looked at her watch
again.  She didn't have much time before she'd have to head back to her own
hotel.  Maybe then her parents wouldn't be quite as mad at her, which would
leave her the chance to try again.

   She walked across the lobby again, but not to any of the couches. 
Instead she headed to the lobby souvenir shop.  She figured she'd buy some
stupid little thing to take back with her.  As proof of where she went, in
case her parents decided to give her a hard time.

   She walked into the shop casually, and then stopped dead in her tracks,
her heart suddenly caught up in her throat.  Inside the shop she spotted
Stacey, carrying April on her hip.

   Sara paused for a second, trying to decide what to do.  She hadn't had a
chance to collect herself, prepare herself for the conversation.  And here
it was, right in front of her.

   She thought about turning and running, Stacey hadn't seen her yet.  But
then she might just be tossing away her only chance to see this through.

   So instead, she swallowed down hard, trying to force her heart back
down, and walked towards Stacey.

   "Hi." Sara said as she got close.

   "Oh!  Hi." Stacey seemed surprised to see her, but she didn't look upset
or angry.  "We didn't think we'd see you again."

   "Um, yeah.  I had somewhere to go.  You know, my parents.  Like I told
you about.  They can get pretty psycho." Sara offered a weak shrug as an
apology.

   "Well, it's nice to see you again." Stacey still smiled at her, turning
away from the assortment of t-shirts and closing the distance between she
and Sara.

   Sara took a deep breath now.  She was keenly aware of the distance
between them.  Before she had plenty of space, but now Stacey was within
arm's reach.  If her reaction was all a front, Sara was sure she'd know it
in a second.

   "I was, um, just trying to call your room." Sara offered, holding her
ground, but not able to hide her nervousness.

   "Oh, April and I just got back.  Ben and Hank are still out at the
park." Stacey shifted her head so it was slightly closer to April, mostly
due to the fact that April had a fistful of her hair and was steadily
pulling on it.  "This one was starting to get cranky."

   Sara just smiled in reply; taking a second to make what she thought was
a funny face at April.  It didn't get any more than a perplexed reaction.
Which she thought was kind of fitting, the cold shoulder from the daughter
made sense.

   "Come on." Stacey said, sounding more like an order than a request.  "I
heard there's a great spot just outside to watch the fireworks from."

   "Okay." Sara nodded in reply.  Well, at the very least she'd be able to
tell her parents she watched them and not be lying about it.

   Stacey led the way out of the shop and through the lobby, passing
through an automatic door, and out into the cool air of the dusk.  It was a
large balcony observation area.  Benches were scattered about and there was
only a few people mulling around.

   The fireworks were already illuminating the air over the park, but the
view was hardly great.  Still, it was better than nothing.  And the cold
air felt like it was getting her blood moving again.

   Sara seemed to pick a bench at random and sat down on it, putting April
down in her lap.  Sara followed her, but decided to lean over the railing
in front of the bench.  Like she was watching the show, which she really
wasn't.

   Sara watched for a moment, and then took a deep breath before turning to
face Stacey.  She tried to look casual and leaned back against the railing.

   "Um, you know, don't you?" Sara asked, half fearing the reaction.  Half
hoping that Stacey would have no idea what she was talking about.

   "Umhm." Stacey just nodded.

   Sara couldn't read Stacey's expression.  So she decided to just go ahead
and ask.  "And you're not mad?"

   Stacey shook her head.  "Sit over here." She patted a spot on the bench
next to her.

   Sara took a reluctant step closer and sat down.  She didn't know what to
make of all of this.

   "I was surprised, yes.  And I probably would have preferred that you
asked my permission first." Stacey said, shrugging slightly.  "But no, I'm
not mad.  I would have been absolutely furious if he hadn't told me
though."

   Sara swallowed again now, realizing of just how badly this could have
gone.  If Ben hadn't told her and Sara just blurted it out... It made her
start to question what she thought she was going to accomplish with this.

   "So I have to ask..." Stacey said, her voice trailing off a bit.  "Why
did you come here looking for us?  You were looking for us right?  Not just
him?"

   Sara looked at the ground in front of her now.  She knew what answer
Stacey was looking for.  But Sara really didn't know what the truthful
answer was.

   A tangible silence settled between them.  Sara felt uncomfortable,
awkward, confused.  She wasn't sure what to say or what to do.  The silence
just grew, like beast slumping out of the shadows, more and more of it
appearing.

   "Well." Stacey shifted April from her lap and into her arms as she
stood. "I'll let Ben know we talked.  And if you feel up to it and you
think you can get away for a bit, you can come join us for breakfast
tomorrow.  Room 1723."

   Stacey took a few steps away from the bench, and then stopped and half
turned.  "Are you going to be okay getting back to your hotel?"

   It took a moment for Sara to realize that Stacey was talking to her
again.  "Yeah... I'll be fine.  Thanks."

   Sara didn't think she was going to be fine though.  This was all way too
complicated and confusing.  She should have known better.  She should have
never touched Ben that way.  She should have never come here.

   Stacey just nodded and resumed her walk back into the lobby.

   ======================

   For Sara the morning couldn't come too soon.  She looked forward to
seeing Ben, Stacey, and the kids again.  She eagerly anticipated the chance
to spend the day with a normal family.  To recapture the glee she felt the
first day she had met them.

   On the other hand, the morning couldn't take too long enough to come. 
The idea that Stacey was just waiting for the chance to scream and
humiliate her for this.  She still couldn't figure out what was going
through Stacey's mind.  She hadn't even had the time to think about what
Ben might be thinking.

   She thought about just skipping the idea entirely, but she wasn't the
kind of person to avoid a problem.  She always delved in head first, which
was kind of what got her into this mess to begin with.

   Besides, she'd probably never see any of them again.  She wanted to at
least make an attempt to make the last memories a positive one.

   It was just after nine when she arrived at the Contemporary Resort.  It
was late, but she had to wait for her parents to leave the room they were
sharing.  Only after they were gone was she able to get dressed and get on
her own way.

   She had picked her clothes very carefully too.  She wasn't sure what the
day would entail, but she wanted to be prepared for anything.  Nothing too
dressy or too classy either.  She wanted to look good, but she also wanted
to be comfortable for a day of walking the theme parks.

   She had decided on a short black skirt and a white blouse that she had
brought on the off chance that her parents decided to go somewhere special
for dinner.  She thought about raiding her mother's make up, but she
normally didn't wear much anyway.  So she decided that just some eyeliner
would do.

   She pinned back her bangs with a red clip and liked what she saw in the
mirror.

   Now she rode the elevator up the cavernous interior of the hotel.  The
glass walls probably gave a great view, but her mind was on other matters.
She stepped off on the seventeenth floor and started down the hallway. 
Trying to walk with intention instead of the nervousness that gripped her.

   Sara closed her eyes and took a deep breath before knocking on the door
to Room 1723.  This was it.  There was no going back now.

   "Just a minute." She heard Ben's voice reply almost immediately.

   A couple of seconds later and she heard the sound of the dead bolt being
unlocked and then the door open.  Sara held her breath and clutched her
hands in front of her waist.  She was worried that if she didn't hold onto
them, they'd fly about with nervous energy.

   The door opened fully and there stood Ben.  Dressed in a pair of brown
shorts and one of the loudest Hawaiian shirts Sara had ever seen.

   "Hi!" He said, looking genuinely surprised.  "We thought you were
standing us up."

   Sara blushed and shook her head as she tried to find her voice.  "My
parents.  Had to wait for them to leave."

   "Ah." Ben nodded knowingly.  "Come on in, we just started eating."

   Ben took a step back, but held the door open, letting Sara step in of
her own volition.

   She glanced around the room as she stepped inside.  All the furniture
looked kind of art-deco.  Like a left over set from Star Trek or something.
For all its kistchyness, it still looked better than her families bare
essentials room.

   "Better dig in, it's getting cold." Stacey said from the far side of the
room.  She was sitting in front of a table where breakfast had been laid
out.  The smell of it filled the room with an earthy, homey smell.

   Sara stepped half way across the room, putting her backpack down on the
floor near the dresser.  "Where are Hank and April?" She asked, a little
confused by their absence.

   "We put them in the hotel daycare for the day." Ben replied as he closed
the door.  Sara didn't hear him relock the door; she assumed he did that
for her benefit.

   "We thought if you showed up, we'd want to talk with out the
distraction." Stacey commented.  "And if you didn't, well, a day off for
mommy and daddy isn't bad either."

   Sara nodded, but stayed where she stood.  Half way across the room, at
the foot of the beds, just in the middle of the gap between them.  She saw
that three place settings had been set up around the small table.  One of
them, meant for her she assumed, was untouched.  I the middle of the table
was an assortment of fruit, a stack of pancakes and toast, a small plate of
sausage, and jugs of coffee and orange juice.

   She could feel Ben standing behind her, as if he was waiting for her to
move forward.

   "Look." Sara blurted out, "I'm sorry about what I did the other day.  I
didn't mean to make you mad.  I'm not even sure why I did it."

   Stacey just stared at her, a fork full of pancakes poised in front of
her mouth.  Sara felt Ben put a hand lightly on her shoulder, the touch
made Sara flinch involuntarily.

   "Oh hush." Stacey said, not looking at all upset.  "There's nothing to
be ashamed of."

   Stacey put the fork in her mouth, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
Ben stepped around Sara and pulled the seat out that was in front of the
untouched place setting.

   "You can leave if you want." Ben smiled warmly at her.  "Just know that
neither of us is upset.  And neither of us thinks any less of you."

   Sara still just stood still, torn between retreat and advance.

   "You should see her art." Ben said as he looked at his wife.  "She
really is incredible at it."

   Art?  Sara thought to herself.  He called it her art.  Not her drawings
or her sketches or even her doodles.  Her parents thought her drawing was a
waste of time.  But Ben thought it was art.

   "You brought your pad, right?" Ben looked at Sara and asked.

   Sara nodded in reply, finally stepping forward and sitting down.  Ben
pushed the chair in easily; Sara's slight frame provided little weight
against it.

   "I'd like to see it, if I may, of course." Stacey said as she poured
some orange juice into a cup in front of Sara.  "Now eat.  Don't ask
permission or be polite."

   Ben chuckled as he sat back down in his own seat.  Returning to work on
the plate of pancakes he had already started on.

   Sara didn't have much of an appetite.  Her stomach was still tied in
small knots at the situation.  But they were hardly noticeable compared to
the giant padlocks she felt in her stomach before.

   "So how did you get away this morning?" Ben asked.  "You didn't have
another fight, did you?"

   Sara shook her head quickly.  "Parents think they're punishing me.  Left
me behind while they went sight seeing.  Because I ditched them last
night."

   Stacey looked at Sara and raised an eyebrow, "So you have pretty much
the whole day free then?"

   Sara nodded again, not really sure what Stacey was hinting at.

   Stacey picked up a strawberry out of the fruit bowl.  Nibbling on it
thoughtfully for a moment, before she started to speak.

   "So what did you think would happen when you came here this morning?"
Stacey asked before returning to her nibbling.

   Sara could feel Stacey's eyes on her, like she was watching for the
slightest bit of body language.

   "I don't know..." Sara admitted.  "I thought we'd go to the park again
or something."

   "Hmm." Stacey hummed through the strawberry.  "Or something?"

   Sara blushed now, not really wanting to explain the or something part.

   "So." Stacey said with a long drawn tone, her eyes shifting to look
across at Ben.

   "I guess we should tell you a little bit more about ourselves?" Ben
offered, sounding pretty self sure now.

   Sara looked over at him and nodded slowly.

   "Well, to put it bluntly, Stacey and I are swingers." Ben watched Sara's
face for a look of recognition or realization.  "Do you know what swingers
are?"

   Sara did.  But she thought it was like a seventies thing.  Or that the
people who did it were freaks.  She glanced at Stacey for confirmation of
what Ben was saying.

   "That's why I didn't mind what happened." Stacey said.  "As long as you
weren't trying to steal him away that is."

   Sara looked forward, across the breakfast table and out the balcony
window.  Her mind digesting and absorbing this information.

   "But that doesn't change anything else." Ben commented, in a reassuring
voice.  "Just because we weren't surprised, doesn't mean that that's what
we were looking for from you."

   "And if you're freaked out or disgusted.  We'd be disappointed, but we'd
understand." Stacey commented in almost the same reassuring tone.

   Sara just sat there for a long moment, staring out at the clear blue
skies.  Absently chewing on a piece of sausage.  She glanced down at her
plate and swallowed.

   "So you... like seeing each other... you know... with other people?"
Sara asked, hoping that she understood what this all meant.

   "Oh, yes.  And being seen too." Stacey added, trying to clarify the
image in Sara's mind.

   Sara just nodded again, her eyes glancing up from her plate, to look at
Stacey for a moment, before turning to look at Ben.  She could tell she was
on the verge of a life changing moment, but she wasn't sure she was
prepared for it.

   "Why don't you show me your pad?" Stacey asked, out of the blue as she
started to stand up.  "But let me go wash my hands first, I don't want to
get syrup on it."

   Sara watched Stacey walk away, before looking at Ben again.

   "Are you okay?" Ben asked, a look of concern on his face.  "This wasn't
too much of a shock for you, was it?"

   Sara shook her head slowly, "No.  I'm fine."

   She paused to think for a moment, then leaned towards Ben and whispered.
"Does that mean... that you guys want me to... you know... I mean, I've
never... I..."

   "Calm down, you're going to hyperventilate." Ben interrupted.  "And no,
it doesn't.  I mean, I'm sure we'd enjoy it.  But we don't expect you to. I
mean, other than you putting your hand down my pants, we really don't have
any other inkling that you'd want to do anything more."

   Sara looked away and blushed; the reference to her previous actions
still embarrassed her.  She had no idea just how much she had bitten off
when she did that.

   On the other hand, it was somewhat reassuring that Ben seemed just a
little bit nervous too.

   The mundane sound of the bathroom water running also made her feel
somewhat at ease.

   Sara glanced at Ben now, "I can do it again if you want." Her tone was a
teasing one, but she it only hid her seriousness.

   Ben laughed now, "Yes, you could.  But this time it would be entirely
different."

   "What would?" Stacey asked as she walked out of the bathroom.

   "Sara just offered to give me another hand job." Ben replied, the words
rolling off his tongue like they were the most natural thing to say.

   Sara's eyes went wide, her cheeks blushed a deep crimson, and she almost
dropped her fork in surprise.  She kept her eyes locked out the window.  "I
was only joking!"

   "Oh, I'm sure you were." Stacey's tone had taken a teasing turn as well.
"And yes you could, but if you did, you'd have to expect him to return the
favor this time."

   Sara blinked at that, glancing at Ben.  Ben just smiled back at her and
shrugged.

   "May I?" Stacey asked.

   Sara's stomach lurched as she almost blurted out a quick no.  Her
initial thought was that Stacey was offering to... avail herself of Sara's
body.  Sara quickly looked over her head and saw that Stacey was pointing
at her backpack.

   Sara nodded relieved, "Yes, go ahead."

   "Thank you." Stacey pulled the pad out of the backpack and sat on the
edge of the unmade bed.  Opening the pad slowly.  Sara turned to watch her
reaction while Ben began clearing the breakfast onto the room delivery
tray.

   Sara just watched as Stacey looked over each page.  She wasn't as intent
or detailed in her viewing as Ben was, but she seemed genuinely more
impressed than Ben was.  The compliments seemed to come freer and seem more
honest than Ben had been.

   "Housekeeping!" A voice shouted on the other side of the door, knocking
loudly.  The sudden intrusion made Sara jump, shattering the bubble of the
hotel room.  For just a little bit she had forgotten there was still an
entire world outside the room.

   "I got it." Ben commented, standing up and picking up the room delivery
tray.  He carried it to the door and opened the door casually.

   "We're good today.  Just need to get rid of this." Ben said as he passed
the tray to the maid.

   The maid seemed unaffected by all of this.  She just took the tray, said
"Thank you." And disappeared behind the closing door.

   Ben walked back and sat down on the bed behind his wife, leaning over
her shoulder and looking at the pad again.

   Sara just stared at them, remembering what it felt like when Ben had
leaned over her the same way.  She felt words limber up through her throat.
Exiting her mouth.  As she heard them, it sounded like someone else
entirely said them.

   "If you guys... You know, want to fuck.  We can." She blinked after she
said that.  Not really believing that she had.

   Both Stacey and Ben glanced up at her, both looking surprised, but Ben
also looked somewhat annoyed.  His reaction taking Sara back.  She
immediately looked down at the floor, feeling even more embarrassed.

   "We don't fuck." Ben said in slow, measured tones.  He said the word
fuck like it was distasteful to him to even be coming out of his mouth. 
"We make love.  Fucking is something animals do.  It's vulgar and
offensive."

   Stacey glanced at her husband then back to Sara.  "You'll have to excuse
him.  He's a little sensitive about that word."

   Sara glanced up just in time to see Stacey elbow Ben in the side. 
"Apologize."

   "Sorry." Ben said, but he didn't sound sheepish.  He still sounded just
as resolute as he did before.  "Making love is something beautiful.  To be
shared.  It's about more than just sweaty bodies rubbing against each
other."

   Sara nodded slowly, still embarrassed, but understanding what he meant.

   There was another long, awkward silence.  Ben and Stacey just watching
Sara and vice versa.  But finally Stacey's voice ended it.

   "You're a little young for that." Stacey said, causing Sara to frown. 
"But if you're really sure you want to... And you're sure your ready..."

   Ben glanced down at his wife, somewhat surprised now.  "I think what
she's trying to say is that we'd be happy to share ourselves with you,
Sara. But it has to be your decision."

   Sara just sat in the seat, watching the two of them.  Her mind was in
turmoil, she could feel her stomach contracting and releasing.  She felt
like she wanted to throw up.  She didn't know what she wanted to do.

   "Or we could just go to the park.  Or down to the pool." Stacey said
now, it seemed she was always the one breaking these uncomfortable
silences. "I took Hank and April down to the pool and they loved it."

   Something about that statement made Sara wince.  She was being talked to
like she was a kid again.  Relating her interests to what the little kids
would enjoy.

   But she wasn't a little kid.  And suddenly she made her mind up.

   Or at least she made it partially up.

   "I want to stay here." Sara said, feeling embarrassed again.  She felt
like she sounded like a kid again.  "I mean, I like you guys.  You're the
most fun I've ever had with any adults.  And you like my sketching.  You
called it art.  And you don't argue or talk down to me, well, not always
anyway.  I mean..."



   Stacey and Ben just stared at Sara as the torrent of words whipped past
them.  They didn't look very convinced though.

   Sara took a deep breath and decided to try one last stab at explaining
her thoughts.  "I want to.  It's just that, I've never... You know..."

   "You're a virgin?" Stacey looked surprised.  And the minute the words
left Stacey mouth, Ben looked surprised too.

   Sara physically flinched at the word.  She was only use to it being
flung about vindictively, an insult.  But she managed to nod, feeling even
more embarrassed now.

   "But at the park." Ben stammered out.  "You told me..."

   Sara nodded quickly, "I've done that before.  But not anything more. 
Even though he's begged over and over."

   Ben nodded slowly, understanding dawning on him.  "Well, then, I really
don't think we should even be having this conversation."

   Sara blinked in stunned surprise.  It was that word again.  Virgin.  It
was an insult.  Just look at the way he was reacting now.



   "That's not true." Stacey suddenly said, a sympathetic smile on her
face. "Just because she hasn't, doesn't mean she's not ready.  She just
wasn't ready before.  And maybe deep down she knows that that boy isn't the
one for her."

   Sara was even more surprised in the unlikely ally she had just found in
this conversation.  She actually expected Stacey to fully agree with Ben.

   "But..." Ben started to say, talking very slowly and calmly.  He was
picking his words very deliberately.  "Maybe she should wait for the man
she wants to experience that with."

   Sara suddenly felt a bystander to her own conversation.

   "I think she did, you idiot." Stacey rolled her eyes at her husband. 
"You, you moron.  And you should feel honored that she's even considering
you.  As dense as you are."

   Ben's eyes went wide and looked towards Sara for some sort of
confirmation of this.  But Sara was busy looking at Stacey.

   "Stacey?" Sara asked, remembering the short conversation they had had
the night before.  "Can I f-...make love with your husband?"

   Stacey smiled with a somewhat triumphant look, "See?  You idiot?" Her
tone was still playful.  "And yes, you may.  If he would like to anyway."

   Ben glanced at Stacey and then looked back to Sara.  He looked confused
and surprised and stunned and indecisive at the same time, but Sara could
also recognize the underlying look of lust to his muscles.

   "Um, yes." Ben's voice was soft and full of kindness.  "Sara, I'd be
honored if you let me make love with you."

   Sara beamed a smile and then glanced at Stacey.

   "Oh, don't worry.  I don't do other women." She said, apparently reading
Sara's mind.  "I would very much enjoy watching though."

   Sara nodded, relieved.  She didn't mind Sara watching.  In fact, she
kind of enjoyed it all being out in the open like this.  Instead of hidden
under a table like the other day.

   "Well, if you're sure." Ben asked again, shifting on the bed slightly.
"There's only one bit of unfinished business."

   Sara swallowed her nervousness and watched him, having no idea what he
had in mind.

   He moved away from Stacey and shifted to sit on the edge of the bed,
with his feet touching the floor again.  "Namely, returning the favor for
what you did for me."

   Ben's hand moved slowly, motioning Sara to come closer.  She stood up
and walked slowly to him, watching as he started to pat the bed next to
him.

   "Just sit here."

   Sara stepped to the bed and sat down where Ben had meant.  She sat down
stiffly, like she was at school assembly.  Her hands too nervous to do much
more than hang limply at her sides.

   "Mmmm." Ben murmured in her ear as he leaded closer and pushed his face
through her short black hair.  She could hear him smelling her.  Then she
could feel his lips kissing her ear slowly.

   "I'm going to do for you what you did to me.  But if you want me to
stop, all you have to do is say so." He whispered just loud enough so that
Stacey could still hear him.

   "We have something called a safe word." Stacey whispered now.  "It's our
private little code word.  If we don't like what's happening.  Or we don't
feel comfortable with someone.  We use the safe word.  It's our signal to
each other that it's time to go."

   Stacey gave Sara a chance to process the information.  "If either of us
uses the safe word, then we drop everything.  We get up.  We leave.  No
questions asked.  No discussions."

   "Hummingbird." Ben whispered.  "That's Stacey and my safe word.  If you
want to stop.  You just use that word."

   "Okay." Sara nodded slowly, feeling Ben's lips move away from her ear as
her head moved.  Then back into the warmth of his breath as she returned.

   Ben's head moved down and she could feel his lips on her neck.  Just
gently kissing her.  She instinctively tilted her head to the side, letting
him get to her.  And she felt his hand waiting for her head, her cheek
nestling against his skin.

   She closed her eyes and just concentrated on the feel of his lips. 
Thinking about nothing else.  She felt her nervousness fading as his mouth
moved higher again.  Kissing her chin, then finally her lips.

   He didn't move fast, or forceful.  Just slow and light.  She could feel
the fires within her stoking like a furnace.  The temperature rising,
feeling like it was going to burn her from the inside out.

   She opened her mouth as she felt his tongue touching her lips, but he
didn't enter her mouth.  Instead he just continued to lick her lips.  His
strong hand holding the side of her head.  She could tell that his fingers
were relaxed, as if giving her an easy way to retreat was important to him.

   His tongue finally ventured into her mouth, passing along her teeth
delicately.  She moved her tongue to meet his, feeling just the tip scrape
along the edge of her tongue.

   She felt breathless and dizzy.  She'd been kissed before, but it was
nothing like this.  All the other times seemed like it was a conquest.  A
contest to see how far the boy could get his tongue into her mouth.  There
was no finesse, just a frontline to get past, like it was some kind of war
movie in her mouth.

   Ben pulled his head back slowly, letting his lips and tongue linger on
her for as long as distance allowed.  Then just looked at her face, while
still holding her.

   "How was that?" He asked in a whisper.

   Sara opened her eyes slowly, feeling removed from her body.  She felt
intoxicated and weak, like she could pass out at any moment.

   "Good." She managed to whisper in reply.

   "Do you want to stop?" He asked.

   "No." She mewled, like the thought of stopping would be sheer torture.

   "You really are very beautiful.  Even more stunning than the other
morning." Ben whispered, making her blush heavily.  But this time she
didn't feel embarrassed by the blush.

   He laid a hand lightly on her bare knee, making her whole body shaky. 
Then slid it down her leg, tracing the muscles of her calf.  "Let's get
these off first."

   He slipped a finger into her sneaker and pushed it off her foot.  His
hand then grasping her foot and starting to massage it slowly.  The feeling
made Sara catch her breath in sheer pleasure.  She flexed her toes
underneath her sock, yielding to his pressure.

   He let go of her foot and placed it carefully back on the floor.  Then
repeated the process with her other foot.  If it was possible, Sara thought
it felt even better the second time around.

   "See what's to be said when you take your time?" Ben asked as his hand
drifted back up her leg, resting on her other knee.  "Much better than a
stolen moment underneath a cafeteria table?"

   Sara laughed lightly and nodded, biting her lip as she watched him.  He
leaned closer and kissed her again, a little more intensely now.  Not
forcefully, but less slowly and deliberately.

   She sucked the air from his mouth, gasping sharply when she felt his
hand on her chest.  His hand cupping her right rest through her blouse and
bra, making her eyes go wide and her body rigid for a moment.

   His hand didn't move, just lied still, and within seconds her body
relaxed.  Never once through it did he allow the kiss to be broken.

   He withdrew his mouth again, just staring into her eyes.  His hand
shifting and starting to unbutton her blouse.  Their eyes locked together
as his hand slipped into her shirt, fingers grazing over the cup of her
bra. Her nipple, already more than excited, poked tightly against the thin
fabric.

   Sara stopped breathing, concentrating on just the painful sensitivity of
her nipple, and what he was doing to it.  His fingers brushed across it
again, causing her to gasp and bite her lower lip.

   He slipped his hand back and she expected him to take her blouse off,
but he didn't.  Instead she felt his hand on her shoulder, drawing her
closer to him.  In her weak state, leaning against him felt more than a
comfort.

   Over his shoulder she could see Stacey leaning against the headboard of
the bed, silently watching them.  The look on her face was of total lust.
She saw Sara looking at her, she just licked her lips, reaching down to her
waist and unbuttoning her own jeans.

   Sara attention was shocked back to Ben when she felt his hand on her
thigh.  His fingers rubbing slowly, massaging the muscles of her leg.  And
slowly drifting higher.

   Stacey continued to watch, pushing her jeans and panties down.  Knowing
that Sara could see her do this.  Knowing that Sara could easily see her
shaved pussy.

   Sara felt Ben's fingertips brush across her panties for the first time,
causing her whole body to shake.  She cried out loudly, a moan of pleasure
and need.  Sara's eyes just barely focusing on Stacey, who was busy rubbing
herself as she watched her husband touch Sara.

   Sara could tell that her panties were soaked, in the back of her mind
she hoped that Ben wouldn't be disappointed by that.  As he withdrew his
hands and eased her back on the bed, she thought that her fears had come
true.

   She looked up and watched Ben standing over her, staring down at her. 
She wanted to whine out a protest.  Apologize for what her body was doing,
but her throat was dry.  And she couldn't find any words to explain.  She
couldn't think of any that would bring him back down to her.

   Then he disappeared out of her view, dropping down.  Before she could
decipher this, Sara felt Ben's hands up underneath her skirt again.  Making
her cry out in anticipation.

   She felt his hands grasp the sides of her panties and pull them down and
off of her.  Then his hands were gone for a moment, returning when she felt
them slip back under her dress, this time cupping her bare ass in his
hands.



   "Do you want to stop?" Ben's asked softly, while pulling her closer to
the edge of the bed.

   The only reply Sara could manage was a dull moan.  She thought it was
close enough to a no though.

   She felt him kiss the inside of her thigh, his nose brushing against her
most sensitive spots.  "I'm thinking that none of those other boys ever
bothered to do this for you, yes?"

   Sara just shook her head quickly back and forth.  She wasn't even going
to try and speak.  As it was, the moan was still gurgling in the back of
her throat.

   She felt him kiss her lips, sending rockets of pleasure through her
body. Her legs shooting out straight into the air involuntarily.  Her
scream echoing through the room.

   "Shhh..." Sara heard Stacey whispering in her ear.  "You're going to
have to try to be quieter... We don't want hotel security showing up."

   Sara mewled a reply, nodding her head quickly.  Ben's tongue slowly
worming its way into her, parting her lips, making its way deeper.

   Sara bit down on her lower lip hard, to keep from screaming again.  The
noises bubbled inside her chest, screaming to get out.  Making her thrash
her head back and forth.  Her nails clawing at the bed beneath her.

   She felt Ben push something else into her.  It felt huge and stiff.  For
a second she thought he was mounting her.  She looked down across her body
quickly, to see his head still buried between her legs.  And realized it
was just one of his fingers.

   His lips found her clit, sucking on that now.  A rumbling erupted
between her legs, the tremors spreading out through her body, and then it
felt like there was an earthquake in her stomach.

   She arched her back up, pushing her hips down against the bed, her head
back on the sheet.  Behind her she could barely make out Stacey, three of
her fingers buried inside her, while her thumb rubbed her own clit
furiously.

   Ben eased a second finger inside her, she felt like she was about to
burst now.  Ben's tongue rasped up and down against her clit.

   Then everything went black.

   ======================

   Sara groaned as she stirred out of the most wonderful dream.  She was in
Ben and Stacey's hotel room.  Ben was eating her out.  And Stacey was
watching it all happen.  The dream left a damp spot between her legs and a
warm rosy glow about her.

   She stretched and started opened her eyes.

   "Well, hello sleepy head." A voice said, shocking Sara's eyes open.

   Sara looked around quickly and realized she wasn't in her own bed.  She
wasn't even in her own hotel room.  And looking down over her was Stacey's
face.

   "Ohmygod!" Sara shouted in surprise.

   "What?" Stacey looked worried and concerned.  "What's wrong?"

   "It was real?" Sara continued to look at her wide eyed.  "It wasn't just
a dream?"

   "No, it was real." Stacey replied with a relieved smile.  "You just kind
of... well, passed out."

   Sara blinked at that, disappointed, then looked back down at herself. 
Still in the unknown bed.  She peeked under the sheet and saw she was still
entirely dressed, well, except for her panties.

   "Don't worry.  We didn't take advantage of you while you were out."
Stacey smirked and leaned closer, kissing her on the forehead.