Susan's Summer, Part 4

by KatC

Susan could barely contain her excitement. Her best friend Gina had been on a trip with her family for the last six weeks. To Susan it had seemed like forever, not having Gina around to hang out with, to share with her everything that had happened. She had not been able to talk with anybody about the exciting experiences with Amy.

She wasn't sure how to tell her, or if Gina would even understand, but if anybody could understand the incredible mix of feelings she was going through right now, Gina would. Ever since they were small kids, they had told each other everything. No matter how bad, embarrassing or personal. That was the strength of their friendship. Susan wondered if telling Gina the intimate details about Amy would test the strength of that friendship.

Gina's family was due to return in the middle of the day. Susan expected a phone call as soon as they got home. She couldn't believe how anxious and nervous she was. All morning she paced, alone, around the house. She picked up a magazine and then immediately put it back down. She started watching a television show and then turned it off after just a couple of minutes. Frequently, she found herself standing at the living room window looking out, as if she could see Gina's plane landing.

As the minutes slowly ticked by, Susan's mind was flooded with all the things she wanted to say to Gina. But, they were all in such a swirling mess. She didn't know where to start. She didn't know how much to say, or not say. When she was with Amy, it all felt so right, so wonderful, and so perfect. But now, she began wondering, questioning this intense physical attraction that she and Amy shared.

Was there something wrong with her? Was she doing the right thing?

If only she could talk openly, Gina could help her figure it out. She always did. This thought comforted Susan, but only for a few moments until the feelings and words in her mind began swirling again. Susan tried to mentally will the phone to ring.

It didn't work.

Finally, Susan wore herself out struggling against the rising tide of thoughts and emotions. She sat down on the couch, closed her eyes, and just allowed herself to do what she really wanted to do. She allowed the memories of those intense and arousing times with Amy to take over. When she did this, the wondering, questioning, and swirling all faded away.

In their place was a very pleasant sensation that started deep in her belly and expanded outward. She gave in to the physical sensations, the utter sensuality that developed whenever she thought of Amy. She could picture her standing in front of her, the long blonde hair falling to her shoulders. She could see Amy's sparkling blue eyes and easy smile. In her mind, Susan's gaze wandered to the lovely, small budding breasts, and the exquisite shape of her sweet bottom.

The feeling of Amy's naked body lying across her lap and leaning back against her was so vivid she had goose bumps.

Susan's body responded to these remembered experiences as if Amy were in the room. The subtle buzz, those first tingling signs of excitement started making themselves known. She could feel her nipples began the delicious process of hardening. Her pussy began generating that fantastic warmth that signaled more pleasure to come. As these pleasant sensations grew, the earlier questions and wondering gently faded into the background.

Her eyes closed, Susan's hands responded on their own, one rising to caress a breast while the other lowered to gently rub between her legs.

That was when the phone rang.

_________________________

Halfway up the sidewalk to Gina's front door, Susan stopped for a moment to compose her self. The combination of excitement, anxiety and nervousness was so intense that her hands were actually trembling. The butterflies in her stomach grew to the point where she expected to see one emerge and fly around in front of her.

Susan walked the last remaining steps to the door and reached for the buzzer. Before she had a chance to push it, the door swung open and Gina was there, flying toward her in a rush. Gina threw her arms around Susan and hugged tightly as if they had not seen each other in years.

"Oh my God, Susan it's so good to see you. I can't believe how long it's been…" the words spilling out of Gina's mouth as she continued to hug and squeeze Susan tightly.

Slightly dazed by Gina's intensity, Susan slowly brought her arms around Gina and returned the warm embrace. Susan could hear Gina's voice going on and on about how happy she was, but it was somewhat in the background. What Susan noticed most was the feeling of her body melting into the warm, physical embrace of her best friend.

After several minutes of just standing there, holding each other tightly, Gina finally pulled herself back a few inches. "Look, we just got back and there's quite a few people here. It's kind of a spontaneous party. But, when we get a chance I want to talk to you alone. I've got something I just have to tell you."

Susan felt her heart flutter a little bit, "Okay. And, I've got something to tell you, too." And, I bet mine will blow you away, she thought to herself.

Gazing intently into each other's eyes, the two girls stood motionless, their arms wrapped around each other, their faces only inches apart.

"Hey Gina! Invite Susan in, what's wrong with you?" A loud voice bellowed from inside the house.

Reluctant to break their embrace, Gina took Susan's hand and pulled her inside the door. "Come on. Let's get this over and then later we can talk."

Feeling Gina squeeze her hand tightly, Susan followed while the warmth and caring of their friendship filled her entire body.

Inside it was a spontaneous party. Gina had two brothers, one younger and one older. They each had a couple of friends over. There were also several adults, who were obviously friends of Gina's parents. Suitcases and boxes were flung haphazardly all over the place. Some of them were open and were in the process of unpacking. There seemed to be three or four different conversations going on at the same time.

Everybody was talking very excitedly and relating details of the trip to Italy and various summer adventures here.

Susan felt herself pulled in as if it were a large warm ocean with waves. She got drawn into a loving embrace with both of Gina's parents, whom she was quite fond of. She didn't know most of the other people and after introductions were made, mainly stayed quiet and listened to the stories being told.

Gina got swept away from her side several times, called by other people, or asked to get some food ready for the guests. Susan found herself unable to really concentrate on any of the conversations as her gaze just naturally followed her best friend's movements.

Susan felt just a little disoriented with all the commotion around her. She started noticing a strange pattern. Whenever Gina was close by, she felt warm and full. But, when Gina went off to do a chore, Susan noticed a little loneliness and emptiness. It felt a little like the ocean tide rolling in and rolling back. A part of her wondered if she might not be coming down with the flu or something.

At one point, Susan got drawn over to the dining room table where a group of people was looking at photographs from the trip. Piles of pictures were scattered across the tabletop. There were several running commentaries as people picked up a picture and it was explained. Susan found herself being pulled from one picture to another, being drawn into each story as it unfolded. Ocean waves, ocean tides.

After one brother finished explaining a wild motor scooter ride in the hills, Gina picked up several photos and started passing them around.

"This is my cousin, Petra. She lives in Milan. I met her there and spent one night at her house. Then we went down to her summerhouse at the sea."

As Gina was talking, the pictures were passed around and finally came to Susan. Gina continued, "This is me and Petra on the beach. And this is us with Chiara, her neighbor."

Gina continued talking, explaining their visit to the beach and the things they did there. But, as she continued the story, Susan heard her voice and the details fading into a quiet background. Her eyes became riveted on one photo.

It was a picture of Gina and Petra standing on the beach, a bright blue ocean in the background. Susan felt her pulse increase slightly.

Petra was beautiful! She was several inches taller than Gina, had blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and was wearing the smallest white bikini swimsuit that Susan had ever seen. Petra’s large breasts were barely contained by the top and the bottom left very little to the imagination. As she took in the details of Gina's cousin, Susan felt herself getting warmer.

Gina was also wearing what seemed to be an Italian style bikini, certainly not one that Susan had ever seen before. It was just as skimpy as her cousin’s, but was black. Compared to her older cousin, Gina was not as tall, her body shape more lean than rounded, with curly black hair falling past her shoulders. Her breasts were not near as large as Petra’s, but they were just as prominently exposed by the tiny swimsuit. Susan found her eyes riveted to the photograph.

In another photograph, at the same beach with ocean as background, a third girl joined Gina and Petra. Chiara was younger, probably 12 years old, tall for her age, but still only coming to Gina's shoulder.

She had blonde hair as well, but longer than Petra’s and she wore it loose, not tied up. She wore the same tiny bikini style suit, but hers was blue. It matched her intense blue eyes. Susan thought that there was some resemblance between Chiara and Amy. Because of the swimsuit, Susan could see that Chiara’s small breasts were just beginning to bud, much like Amy's.

As Susan focused intently on the photographs, Gina was continuing her running commentary. "So then, the three of us went down to the beach and spent some time sunbathing and generally just fooling around…."

Susan barely registered the words in the background. Something was drawing her, commanding her attention to the photographs. She looked at each one very carefully back and forth until finally, it dawned on her, like an ocean wave crashing down on the beach.

It was the way that they were standing. Their arms crossed behind each other's waist at the back. Their heads tilted toward each other and smiling at the camera. But, what Susan noticed the most was the point of contact between them at the hips.

Seeing this, understanding this, she now knew exactly what Gina wanted to tell her. In this moment of revelation, her pulse picked up several beats, she felt flush and the sounds and activities in the room did not match the swirling thoughts in her head.

Slowly she raised her eyes from the photographs in her hand and looked up to see Gina finishing her story about the beach. Almost as if in response, and seeming to Susan in slow motion, Gina finished her story and slowly turned her eyes to meet Susan's gaze.

To both of them, it seemed like everybody else in the room gradually faded away. The noisy conversations were a tiny sound far off in the distance. Even the room, the house seemed to disappear.

Their eyes locked on each other. Susan knew instantly that her intuition from the photos was correct. She could see it in Gina's eyes; it was all over her face and body. And Gina, looking just as openly and intently, now knew that Susan understood, too.

A very small smile came to Gina's face, a smile that only one other person in the room could receive or understand. To Susan, that one little smile was like the sun coming out after a very overcast day. She certainly didn't understand it all, she couldn't make all the connections or know all the details, but that didn't matter. She found herself returning that small, intimate smile as tears formed in her eyes.

Gina tilted her head, ever so slightly, toward the patio door and turned in that direction. Susan followed, the sound of her heart pounding loudly in her ears. Gina opened the sliding patio door and stepped out into the sunshine were Susan joined her. They stood still for a moment, feeling the sunshine, the small summer breeze, the sound of crickets chirping louder than the voices coming from inside the house.

"We need to talk." Gina said very quietly, almost under her breath.

Susan looked at her, hardly knowing where to begin, "Yeah…we really need to talk."

"But we need to be alone," Gina said, nodding toward the group of people in the house. "I've got something really important I need to tell you, but not in front of them."

"Me too," Susan said in a whisper. "I really need to talk to you, too."

That was all it took. They didn't need to say anything else to each other at that moment. They just stood there, their eyes and hearts open to each other, standing still, saying nothing and everything at the same time.

Gina broke the silence, "This party is going to go on for a while, and I don't think I can get out of it."

Susan nodded her head, "I know. You need to stay here, but… I don't think I can hang around and be all social and enjoying the party and everything. It's just…a little too intense right now."

Gina smiled, nodding her head and reached out to touch her friend on the shoulder. That small contact sent shivers through Susan's body. She felt her legs tremble a little bit and knew if she stayed much longer she couldn't be sure how she would react.

Sensing this, Gina said, "Sure, you know I would leave if I could. Why don't you go back home and relax while I play the good daughter here. We can get together tomorrow when the dust settles. And, getting a good night's sleep would probably help me out, too." Susan nodded, realizing there really wasn't anything else to say.

The two of them returned to the house and made excuses for Susan's departure. Gina walked her to the front door and stepped outside closing the door behind her.

As soon as the door clicked closed, Gina stepped toward Susan and wrapped her arms around her, pulling firmly into her body. Susan felt herself melting into Gina's warm embrace. Her arms wrapped tightly around Gina's back and hugging back as tightly. They stayed like this for a few moments; no words needed saying, the feeling of their heartbeats and breath eclipsing everything else.

Gina slowly drew her head back from being tucked into the corner of Susan’s neck. Their noses almost touching, Susan looked deeply into the intense, clear eyes of her best friend. Slowly Gina lowered her head and brought her lips to gently brush against Susan's. Again, the whole world seemed to disappear as Susan lips trembled slightly, feeling the moist, soft kiss from Gina.

Susan's whole world was spinning now, everything else forgotten, there was only that intimate point of contact between the two. Soft. Warm.

Safe. Unhurried. Forever.

Gina moved her head back slightly and looked at Susan's glowing face, her eyes closed. As they slowly opened, she said, "I'll call you tomorrow morning when it looks like we'll have the house to ourselves.

Okay?"

Somewhere deep in her mind, Susan had a vague memory of knowing how to speak. She had no access to that skill right now and didn’t really care. She simply nodded, turned around and with a slight degree of wonder, noticed her body moving through space, walking down the sidewalk. She turned around at the street and saw Gina standing at the door watching her closely.

_________________________

Susan did not remember much about that walk home. Nor did she remember much about the rest of the afternoon or evening. She knew her dad was home, but didn't have an idea what they might have talked about. She had a vague memory of sitting in front of the television with it on, but not a clue of having watched anything.

What she could remember from that time were the feelings. There were so many. She felt like she was floating in a vast, warm ocean as various waves came and went according to some regular rhythm that she noticed, but did not quite understand.

A deep longing would slowly rise, carrying her up on a crest only to ebb slightly as the memory of Gina's lips against hers softened and filled in behind the retreating wave.

An ache in her heart beat a regular rhythm until the pulsing threatened to overtake her. Just when she thought she could take it no more an image of Amy grew spreading warmth throughout her entire body.

Fear, uncertainty and worry regularly popped up, creating tension and a sense of danger in the pit of her stomach. Almost reaching an unbearable point, a profound sense of calm expanded from her heart, washing the small fears in front of it like pebbles on the beach.

Sometimes, Susan would feel almost like she was in an altered state, or in some other place where time was briefly suspended. It wasn't uncomfortable; she could even say it was pleasant except that it felt so unfamiliar.

Susan's mind felt awash with a mix of images that were sometimes distinct, but often merged and flowed into each other. The photograph with Gina and Petra figured prominently among these images. These would be interspersed with scenes from Amy's house. Then, memories of spending time with Gina when they were younger would spontaneously arise.

Susan felt like she was in some cosmic theater, floating in an ocean as an artist arranged a slideshow from various parts of her personal and intimate life.

As each image or memory surfaced to the foreground, Susan could feel her body reacting physically, emotionally and always very sensually. Since earlier in the day at Gina's house, her body had been in a constant state of arousal. She could feel physical sensations coursing through her body. There were familiar responses: warmth, tingling, hardening of her nipples and moisture in her pussy. Unlike other times when she was sexually aroused, these were not dominant and demanding, but were just part of the entire complex mix commanding the entire attention of her body and mind.

The afternoon and evening passed in this way. At some point it was time for bed and Susan found herself crawling under the covers and falling asleep before her head even touched the pillow.

_________________________

Sensations of warmth embraced her body like a cocoon. She felt held, nurtured, fully embraced. There was fluidity and gentle motion as well, a slight rocking back and forth. From somewhere deep inside an understanding began to bloom and she realized she was in the ocean. And… she was underwater. A small point of panic grew in her brain. But, if I'm underwater that means I can't breathe.

Even as this panic started there was a larger understanding that it didn't matter. She could breathe. There were no problems. Or more accurately, she didn't need to breathe here. And it was okay.

While the panicky part of her brain did not totally give up, could not make sense of the obvious contradiction, the depth of understanding combined with the warm embrace of the ocean soothed her troubled thoughts. Letting go of resistance, she allowed herself to float and be held, trusting the wisdom and nurturance of the ocean to care for and take her where she needed to be.

After a while she noticed a stronger sense of motion, a current, a tide, small waves moving in a specific direction. Her sense of the ocean became shallow and eventually she felt herself being lifted to the surface as gentle waves carried her over a sandy bottom.

With one last nudge, Susan was standing upright, the seawater rippling off her body in sparkling drops. Bright sunlight against a clear blue sky transformed each drop of water into a sparkling diamond, reflecting beautiful rays in every direction. She felt dazzled, from within, that she was part of this spectacular process.

Looking down, Susan noticed that she was completely naked. A small part of her mind recoiled, wondering if it was appropriate, if it was okay. She looked around to see if anyone could see her like this. The beach was deserted for as far as she could see. A larger part of her mind embraced the absolute beauty of her nakedness.

Her eyes followed each wondrous curve that led to another and another.

The curves of her small, firm breasts ended in the points of hard nipples. The curve of her side flowing down to the rounded shape of her hips and then down her long, lean legs. How could this not be appropriate? She could even follow the curve from her smooth back along the largest curve of her body, the firm and rounded globes of her pretty bottom. How could this beauty not be revealed?

As the sun dried the dripping water from her skin, Susan felt her body walking along the warm, soft sand. Gentle waves lapped at her feet. A warm ocean breeze sweetly teased the sensitive, very exposed parts of her body.

She felt something in her hand and looking to the side recognized Amy walking with her, holding her hand tightly. Susan felt a smile bloom within her whole body and an electric tingling from their point of contact. Amy was naked, too! Susan was so taken by the pure beauty of Amy's naked body that she had to stop walking. She reached out and held both of Amy's hands in hers and silently absorbed the pure beautiful form before her.

Amy’s long golden hair blew softly in the breeze. The sparkling blue of her eyes exactly matched the sky behind her. Her skin had that warm, golden glow of being in the sun and the ocean. Her chest had two small swellings, just the very beginning of budding breasts. There was enough roundness to form a curve, but only just enough. Her nipples were small, the size of a plump, ripe berry, just waiting to be tasted. Susan could see them harden and swell slightly as she stared.

Susan's eyes traveled down the flat, sleek belly, and little beads of sweat sparkled in the sunshine. Down her eyes moved, drinking in the delicious sight of her smooth, hairless pussy. It would not be long before small fuzz grew, but for now it was beautifully bare.

Amy’s mound was small, not too prominent. Her outer lips were tight, exposing only the smallest crevice between them. It looked to Susan like a small crease she frequently saw on a perfectly formed, ripe peach. Her mouth watered at the thought, her tongue licked her lips, tasting the sweetness of peach and Amy’s pussy at once. The taste was wonderfully intoxicating.

Susan knelt down in the warm sand and pulled Amy to her, pressing the side of her head deeply into Amy's warm, tan belly. She could feel all of Amy within her. She could hear her heart beat as if it were her own. She could sense the rising excitement in Amy's belly matching perfectly the curve of her own excitement.

Amy placed her hands on the sides of Susan's head, lifting her up, slowly drawing their lips together. At the instant of contact, Susan felt their bodies merging into one, no longer distinct and separate selves. She could feel Amy's feelings mixed with hers. She could sense Amy's love intertwined with hers.

And then they were walking down the beach again, hand in hand, smiling.

In the distance, Susan noticed distinct shapes forming. As they got closer she could make out three people walking toward them. Her apprehension rose again, unsure if seeing others in this state with Amy was a good idea.

As they got closer, Susan first recognized Gina. Her tall and lean form was very familiar and comforting. The other two girls she recognized from Gina’s photographs. One was her cousin, Petra, taller, blonde, and very tan with lovely large breasts. The other was Petra’s friend, Chiara, younger, about Amy's age, and also very tan. All wore very tiny bikini swimsuits.

They met, standing in the warm sand; Susan was surprised that no one talked. And yet, it was like they all already understood. Susan looked deeply into Gina's eyes and knew everything was totally fine. She could feel the thoughts of the lovely Italian girl and smiled in return.

When she looked at the younger Chiara, something odd happened. A small, exciting thought surfaced and with it the top of Chiara’s swimsuit disappeared. Susan panicked, wondering what the girl would think of her, afraid of what everyone else would say, because it was so obvious. It was so obvious what she wanted. To make things worse, the bottoms of her suit also disappeared. Now, Chiara was totally naked. Part of Susan loved to see such nakedness, reveled in the delicious exposure. Another part worried, Chiara was so young, barely buds for breasts and no hair on her pussy. Susan could feel sensual energy stirring.

The response of Susan’s body made it oh, so obvious to everyone. Her nipples were hardening into tight little nubs. She could feel the excitement swelling the lips of her pussy and moisture begin to flow.

And she could feel everyone looking at her, sensing her arousal, intimately feeling her excitement that added to and increased her body's response. She could smell her own musky odor and feel it begin to drip down her thighs. She knew she couldn't hide it, she didn't even want to hide it, but she was afraid. What would they think?

When Susan looked into Chiara’s eyes, she saw only warmth, excitement and acceptance. She watched as Chiara’s hands came up to touch and rub her now exposed small, budding breasts. Her fingers began tapping and rolling the firm nipples in little circles. Then one hand slid down between her legs, toying with the exposed lips.

Again, a small questioning voice in Susan's mind wondered, was this okay? And when she looked at Petra’s eyes, and Gina's eyes, and Amy's eyes, the small questioning voice faded away. With their eyes, they each said, me too.

A wave of relief washed over Susan. A sense of spaciousness followed.

She remembered the qualities she felt underwater: embraced, nurtured, and held.

When she looked back to the girls around her, they were all naked. They were all smiling. She could see the same excitement in their bodies as she felt in hers. The younger girls, their smooth, bare pussies opening like small delicate flowers. The older girls, their larger lips already open, exposing the shining, wet pinkness within.

Gina took a step toward her, opening her arms, inviting Susan to a loving embrace. She felt drawn, irresistibly, like a magnet into Gina's arms, feeling their breasts touch. And then Amy joined their embrace, sliding her body up and down Susan’s. And then Chiara joined their embrace. And then Petra joined their embrace. And Susan felt her spirit become full and free. She could feel each girl. She could feel the beach. She could feel the vastness of the ocean.

Then, she knew… and everything relaxed completely.

_________________________

Susan woke the next day, dream fragments lingering. She tried to remember details, but found them slippery. However, it was obvious that she felt much better than she had the previous evening.

Gina called around midmorning, saying her folks would be gone in a little while and to come on over. Susan told her dad where she was going and headed out the door.

Walking over to Gina's house felt slightly surreal. Just yesterday she had walked over and back in dramatically different ways. And now she felt like she was returning, heading back into the intense, whirling sensations she had encountered yesterday.

Gina's mom met her at the door and let her in. They exchanged pleasantries, made small talk as her parents got things together for their afternoon errands.

Susan said hi to Gina but could get no other words out in front of her parents. Gina just smiled and the two of them stayed in the background as the adults bustled around. Finally, seeming to take forever, the door closed behind the departing parents and the girls could hear the car start and leave the driveway.

Then, it was very, very quiet. They sat in that stillness for a few minutes, neither one of them knowing what the first words should be. Susan looked around the room, at everything except Gina. Gina, her eyes deep and as intense as always, watched her closely.

"I know what we need," Gina said softly. She walked over to the kitchen, got two glasses and filled them with wine from the refrigerator. Handing one to Susan she said, "In Italy we had wine all the time. And then for some stupid reason, here we are not supposed to. Well, if they didn't want me to have some, they should have bought bottles and not a box." Gina smiled when she saw a small smile come to Susan's face.

Gina raised her glass, touching Susan’s, "Cin cin… la mia micina bella!"

“Huh…?” Susan replied.

“Oh, it’s just an Italiano phrase Petra taught me. It’s like, ‘Cheers…my beautiful friend.’” Gina grinned as each took a tiny sip of wine. "Want to go up to my room?" she asked.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Susan managed to remember how to talk.

They walked upstairs and Gina closed the door to her room behind them.

Gina sat on the floor her back against the bed her legs extending out almost touching the wall. Susan sat facing Gina with her back against the wall, her legs extending to the bed. Gina moved a little bit, bringing the side of her leg in contact with Susan's. At this slight touch, they both felt a little spark, a little tingle move through their bodies.

"Well, from last night it sounds like we both have something to say," Gina said softly. Susan only nodded, her eyes riveted to Gina's face.

"Can I go first?" Gina asked. Susan nodded again.

Gina reached behind her and picked up some of the photographs from her trip that they looked at last night. She chose the one of her and Petra standing on the beach.

"Well, I don't really know how to begin. You know this is my cousin, right?" Susan nodded. "Well, the last time I saw her was about six years ago. She was very nice to me and we became friends. But, when I saw her this year, well, you can see that she has grown up quite a lot. Even this picture doesn't do her justice. She is so beautiful and has this incredibly warm and sensual feeling about her. The Italians say ‘erotismo!"

As Gina talked, Susan could feel her heartbeat increasing. She knew where this was going, and yet she still felt incredibly nervous, excited and even a little jealous at the same time.

Gina continued, "I went up to Milan by myself to meet Petra. We stayed there for a day and she showed me around the city and the school that she attends. We picked up our friendship so easily, it was like we had just seen each other last month instead of six years ago. When we walked down the street, she would hold my hand or put her arm around my waist or shoulders, but looking around, many of the Italian women did that. So, I thought she was just being friendly. And, I kind of liked it."

Gina paused for a moment, feeling a little self-conscious about these revelations, taking a long sip of wine. She continued, "I slept at Petra’s house that night and then the next day we took off for her summer home at the sea. It was an amazing little village. Small, quiet with a lovely beach and not very many people around. The next couple of days we mainly hung out on the beach and walked into the town for dinner at night. After dinner one night, we headed down to the beach to walk back to the house. It was one of those amazing Mediterranean evenings. It was very warm, there was a nice breeze, and the sound of the waves coming onto the beach was beautiful. We're walking hand in hand when Petra stopped and gently pulled me toward her. She leaned down and brought her lips softly to mine and kissed me so sweetly. I felt my head spinning."

From the look in Gina's eyes, Susan could tell just how exciting and romantic that moment was. She finished the last of her wine and set the glass down.

"That kiss seemed to go on forever, it could've been five minutes it could've been 20 minutes. I had no idea. When she finally pulled a little bit away, she asked, in her lovely Italian accented English ‘Is OK?’ I completely melted into her arms."

Susan felt tears forming in her eyes, but she wasn't sure why. She felt alternately happy, excited, aroused, nervous, envious and jealous. How could all of these things be going on at the same time?

Gina continued with her story. She told Susan how they had returned to the house, undressed each other and continued their sweet kissing in bed. Susan could see Gina's excitement as she remembered these events, not wearing a bra; her hard nipples were visible through her thin top. Susan could feel her own arousal, a blush coming to her face, and a sweet tingle beginning deep in her belly.

As Gina told more details of her night with Petra, Susan found herself alternating between feelings of excitement, warmth and joy for her best friend and a sense of sadness, loss and despair. It was almost more than she could bear.

After their first night together, Gina and Petra were inseparable for the remaining three days. They continued to hang out on the beach, walk into town and then, in the evening, make very sweet, romantic love. Petra had also introduced Gina to Chiara, the young girl in some of the pictures.

Gina held a picture of the three of them, looking up at Susan she said, "and Chiara is Petra’s girlfriend, too." Gina paused for a moment, letting the implications sink in.

It took a moment for this to register in Susan's mind. When it did, her pulse rate took off, her excitement rose, and all the conflicting emotions of the last few days settled down. She now felt a sense of clearness, a certainty. She now knew that she could tell Gina.

"You haven't said a thing, Susan." Gina said quietly.

"I know. It's a lot to take in all at once. I guess, I don't know, I'm really happy for you. But..." Susan faltered. She looked into Gina's eyes. She looked into those deep, intense, utterly familiar and comfortable eyes that had been her best friend forever. She couldn't quite put the words together, but the question was all over her face.

Gina's eyes never wavered. They were calm and smooth. They were sure and certain. She took Susan's hand in both of hers and said very softly, "I really loved being with Petra. She taught me so many things, opened up so many parts of me. And the whole time, I was thinking about you. How I wanted to tell you all of this. How I wanted you to be there with Petra and me. How I wanted us to share this, too."

Now it was Gina's turn to be quiet, to be embarrassed, to wonder at the response and the reaction. Her hand trembled a little while holding Susan's. There it was. All the words were said. There was nothing more to say.