Above it All Ch. 04-05

Chapter 4 Some Guys Have All The Luck

I lay in bed that evening, my hands behind my head, my body stretched out using every inch of the queen size mattress's length. I thought back over what had been one of the most interesting and pleasant evenings I'd ever had. Not just the excellent meal, but the company of a bright, beautiful woman. We talked. We talked about ourselves and about anything and everything from politics to religion. I know, those should have been taboo, especially on what was only our second formal date. But Gabrielle was fearless when it came to conversation. I just followed her lead.

As it turned out, we were both closet agnostics, brought up that way by our parents. We shared our distaste for the current state of political affairs in the country, wondering when someone from the wilderness would step forward and lead instead of trying to manage congress. She laughed when I likened our esteemed body of government to herding cats. She was more worldly than I expected, but I don't know why I shouldn't have anticipated it. She was, like me, curious about what was going on around her, and as I'd already recognized, very bright.

She thought she would go into the computer industry when she graduated, hence the major in mathematics. But along the way she realized it was a crowded field and she decided that since she didn't want to be just another face in the multitude, she would move in another direction. She was delighted with her current job, and excited that she had been given the responsibility of implementing the statistical process control system in the new plants, along with the quality assurance and constant improvement procedures. She showed no signs that she was being overloaded with work. It was all too new and fascinating being involved with an explosive young company like Diamond Stream.

I wasn't kidding myself that I didn't lust after her. I recalled every detail of her appearance that evening. Her silken, pale-gold hair was gathered in a single braid that was often draped over her shoulder. It gave her a very European look, but why was that a surprise. Her heritage was French and I could see that in her pale blue eyes and patrician nose. She had the body of an athlete and the liquid moves of a seductress. There was nothing outrageous about her physical appearance, but as a whole, it was perfect. She could easily have graced the cover of a magazine.

Her suggestion that I accompany her to Tahoe and stay with the Smiths was both unexpected and slightly worrisome. There was no doubt she had already cleared it with Georgette Smith, but at this early stage of our relationship it came as a complete surprise. It would appear that Gabrielle had decided we were quite compatible and had conspired with Mrs. Smith to give us an opportunity to be together in a more private setting. I noticed at the Pleasanton car show that the two women were very comfortable with each other, so I should not have been too surprised.

Maybe I was reading too much into it, but the more I thought about it, the more I was leading myself to believe there was something more beyond boyfriend - girlfriend. This was all a new experience for me. It felt like I was being carried along on a wave and not sure when it would crest or on which shore it would land. Sure, I'd had girlfriends before ... some of whom were lovers too. But this was different ... or at least it felt different. She was a more confident and complete woman than those in my past. At twenty-six years old, it wasn't as if I'd had a catalogue of female friends, but I wasn't inexperienced. This, however, was unique. It took me quite a while to get to sleep that night.

~*~

I'd packed my clothes for the long weekend in Tahoe and along with my ski equipment, it all fit easily into the back of the Jeep. We'd agreed that I would meet her at her apartment at one o'clock, not wanting to be looking for their address in the dark. As it turned out, Gabrielle had a portable Garmin unit that would fit on my dash and plug into my 12volt outlet.

"Georgette informed me that the driveway to their place was hidden by some trees, so this will make it easier to find it," she explained.

"Good. I don't know the Tahoe area that well," I admitted. "I usually ski Incline Village, so Squaw Valley is new to me."

"I always keep the Garmin hidden when I'm not in the car," she said as we set off. "I've already had one stolen. That was bad enough, but the thief broke my side window to get into the car. With five hundred deductible it wasn't claimable. So aside from the GPS, it cost three hundred to get the window replaced."

"Yikes! That would hurt. But good advice. Thanks for the heads-up."

The Garmin estimated three hours to our destination, assuming no stops. Sunset was a little after four-thirty and we were pulling away from her apartment at one-fifteen.

"These calculations are usually a little conservative, Kyle," she advised. "We should have plenty of time to get there before dark."

I nodded and smiled. Her thinking was like reading my mind. Another example of just what was different about her. It wasn't long before we joined up with the I-80 and headed east. There was more traffic than usual as it appeared that we weren't the only ones starting the holiday weekend early. However, by the time we reached Fairfield, the traffic had lightened and we were easily moving along at five or so over the limit. Even at that we were being passed by all manner of vehicles.

We ran into slower traffic at the I-5 and Capital City interchanges near Sacramento, but soon enough we were back up to speed and heading toward Donner Pass. This was all familiar territory to me as I'd driven this route many times in my days living in Davis. A quick check of the mileage to Truckee told us that we were pretty much on schedule, if not a little ahead. It's good to have a mathematician as your navigator. I could almost hear the wheels and gears and cogs meshing as she mentally calculated the time and distance. You'd think we were in a rally.

There was no sign of any cloud east of the Bay Area, so we would get the benefit of maximum daylight for the entire trip. The Garmin was faultless, leading us to within a few feet of the entrance to the driveway of our destination. As we drove up the long paved way, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. This was no little cabin in the woods. It was a massive log and stone lodge, perched on the brow of the promontory. I'm sure my mouth was open as I gasped at the sight before me. Gabrielle, however, didn't seem surprised. In fact, she appeared to be suppressing a giggle as we approached.

"Park in the shed, Kyle," she instructed me.

I saw an open shed with three stalls, one of which was already occupied by a dark colored BMW sedan.

"Wow!" I finally managed as I took in just what I was seeing. "This is incredible. It's darn near the size of a hotel."

"Not quite," she chuckled.

"You've been here before?" I asked, turning to her.

"Yes. I think you'll find all the comforts of home here."

I could just imagine. We got out of the Jeep just in time to see John and Georgette coming toward us.

"Hi ... welcome to Tahoe," John called as he approached, his hand extended.

"Thank you," I said, returning the gesture. "This is amazing," I said, referring to the house.

"It is quite something," John agreed.

"It's been in our family for a while," Georgette added. We use it in summer and winter.

"I can see why," I nodded.

"Here, let me help you with your bags," John said. "You can put the ski gear inside the back door for now. We'll be using it tomorrow."

"Thank you," I said. "And thank you for inviting us. I was contemplating spending Thanksgiving on my own again. This is a wonderful alternative."

"You're welcome, Kyle," Georgette said, with a knowing glance at Gabrielle.

I began to wonder what the two women had plotted together. Whatever, it didn't seem to be anything but good.

I was still rubber-necking as I walked into the big home. The mud room was almost as big as my apartment bedroom, and beyond that was a huge kitchen, leading into an even bigger great room with a massive window wall looking out over the north end of Lake Tahoe. A side wall featured a huge river-stone fireplace, while in the rear of the room were a pair of staircases leading up to a balcony with what I assumed were bedrooms. I couldn't begin to guess how many square feet were under the roof.

"I'll leave it to you to sort out the sleeping arrangements," Georgette said with a sly smile.

"Gabrielle will let me know where I belong," I grinned.

My new girlfriend shot back with a smirk, "That's right ... and don't you forget it."

That set the two women to laughing at my red face. I raised an eyebrow in the direction of John, but got nothing but a resigned shrug from him. He must have been used to this behavior when the two women got together.

I lugged our bags up the stairs and Gabrielle pointed to a door second from the end.

"Put my bag in here, please," she said, opening the door. "You'll be right at the end of the balcony."

"I opened the door she indicated and saw a very nicely appointed bedroom and an adjoining bathroom.

"We'll share this bathroom," she announced, pointing to another door into her bedroom.

"This is great," I said. "I don't stay in hotels this nice. Thank you for this, Gabrielle. I know it's going to be a very nice Thanksgiving being here with you and our hosts."

I got a nice smile and a surprise. She stepped toward me, put her hands on my shoulders ... and kissed me. Not some peck on the cheek, but a nice, soft, warm kiss on the lips.

"I think we're going to have a very nice time this holiday," she said with a warm smile.

I couldn't have agreed more. She left to unpack and I did the same. The shared bathroom had twin sinks, so I set my shaving and toothbrush kit by the one closest to my room. I looked around and found not only a nice tub, but a spacious shower cabinet with several heads. I must have been staring at it for a few moments when I heard Gabrielle.

"Lots of room in there, isn't there," she said.

"More than enough," I agreed. I wondered if her mind reading abilities could tell what I was thinking at that moment.

"I wonder if water conservation is a problem up here?" she mused, looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

"I wonder," I nodded. "Well, if it is, there's certainly enough room for more than one in the shower."

I'm not sure what prompted me to say something quite that bold, but once it was out ... it was out.

"I was thinking the same thing," she said with that evil little smile as she turned to go back into her bedroom.

It was evident we weren't trying to be subtle any more. Not that I minded, but I would like to know what the rules of this little verbal game were. The more time I spent with Gabrielle, the more I thought she was seriously considering moving our relationship along more quickly than I would have expected. If that was the case, she wouldn't get any objection from me. Lust is a powerful motivator.

Georgette and Gabrielle spent time in the kitchen preparing our evening meal, while John and I sat in the great room, enjoying an Anchor Steam and chatting about almost everything except work. John was interested in the motorcycle I had helped my father restore. I was a closet mechanic at heart and toyed with the idea of restoring a car at some point. His mechanical engineering degree and his experience with Kevin in the design of the original Diamond Stream unit was still fresh in his mind. As frustrating as it was, he got great satisfaction from working through problems and finding solutions. We shared that in common; me with my father, and John with Kevin.

We were about the same age and I think that had a lot to do with how we were compatible. He was from a modest, middle class background, just as I was. He had come to San Francisco from Northern Idaho, while I had moved from Michigan. There were more similarities, including our time at Geary Polytechnic. We compared notes on a couple of professors we shared, then got into some former girlfriends as well, hopefully out of earshot of the girls in the kitchen.

John told me about his courtship of Georgette and her remarkable family. He confessed that she was the aggressor in their relationship, ultimately giving up using her PhD in psychology to open a practice in favor of being with John and his more important project. John professed his continuing surprise that she had been so single minded about being with him, and all the trials and tribulations that they had gone through on the way to being married.

"Gabrielle is quite open about her interest in me," I told him. "It's a surprise to me too, but I'm delighted with it. I hope it continues to develop."

John smiled as he listened. "Well, I never told you this, but I heard from a certain source that Gabrielle was very sure you were the one."

"Oh," I said, again surprised. "I guess I should pay closer attention then."

"I don't think you have to do anything more that what you are doing," he said. "She likes you just the way you are."

"Thanks, good to know," I said as the two ladies appeared from the kitchen, each with a glass of wine.

"What are you two cooking up," Georgette asked.

"Not a thing that you don't know about," John answered cryptically.

"Oh, I can just guess what that means," Gabrielle chuckled.

We spent almost an hour as Georgette talked about her family and the building of this lodge as well as their unique home in San Francisco. It was a fascinating history lesson as she talked about the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake and the reconstruction of the original home into a four-unit townhouse. Her mother was one of the original DesBiens family, while her father, Thomas Fulton, was the financial powerhouse of the family. I learned both the DesBiens and Lamonts were of French origin, perhaps suggesting how Georgette and Gabrielle had formed a friendship.

The meal was simple, yet delicious. There was plenty of table talk, with Georgette explaining the plan for the next day at Squaw Valley. It was a short drive to the lifts and slopes, and the plan was to leave the lodge no later than ten that morning. The days were getting shorter and although the slopes were lit at night, Georgette preferred daylight skiing. I had grown up on the smaller slopes of the hills near Cadillac, Michigan, and they too were lit in the dark hours, and sometimes all day long if it was foggy.

In my teenage years, I was a pretty reckless skier, afraid of nothing. I learned the hard way to reform when I cracked my wrist on a lift pylon by skiing beyond my ability. I had no intention of showing off around Gabrielle. John and Georgette assured us that they were strictly recreational skiers and not prone to jumps or other trick moves. Fine with me.

I'd had a couple of beers before dinner, a glass of a very nice red wine during the meal, and another after the meal and the kitchen had been cleaned up by John and me. It seemed like the right thing to do after the girls had gone to all the trouble of preparing the meal. So, when it was time to retire, I was feeling pretty mellow.

Gabrielle said she'd knock on the bathroom door when she was finished in there. I stripped down into my usual nightwear, clean boxers and a t-shirt. It wasn't too long before I heard a knock on the door and her voice saying "all clear."

I did my usual nightly thing, crawled into the bed and almost fell asleep right away. Almost, because I realized the door to the bathroom was open and I should have closed it. I was about to get up when I saw the faint outline of Gabrielle come through the door and move to my bed.

"Mind if I join you?" she whispered.

"Not at all," I said, throwing back the covers to allow her to come in.

I should have been surprised at this turn of events, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I had a hunch that she might do something like this. Call me clairvoyant, but I wasn't shocked, and I was definitely pleased.

She slipped into bed and immediately cuddled up to me. She was wearing a very light nightgown that came down only to just above her knees. I could feel the outline of panties when I rubbed my hand lightly over her ass.

"I think that wine should have been called 'Seduction,'" she whispered.

"Okay, but who's the seducer and who's the seduced?"

"Pick one. You can't be wrong. It's so dark in here, I have to feel for you. It is you, Kyle, isn't it?" she giggled.

"Yeah ... can't you tell?"

"Not really sure. I haven't used this technique before."

"That would be the 'learn by touch method,' would it?" I suggested.

"Hmmm. Let's see," she said, reaching down and slipping her hand into my boxers. "Oh my, this must be Kyle. It's far too big to be anyone else," she giggled as she fondled my rapid reaction to her touch.

"Careful, it could go off when you least expect it."

"Do we really need to wear all these clothes?" she wondered.

"Not on my account. Let me plug in the night light. I would love to see all of you."

I slipped out of bed and took the night light from the bathroom and plugged it into the wall opposite the bed. There was just enough light to see. I stripped off my remaining boxers while Gabrielle removed her last item.

"There," I said as I crawled back into bed. "Now, where were we?"

"Nowhere yet, but I'll let you start," she whispered.

"Why are we whispering?" I wondered.

"I don't know. It seemed like the right thing to do."

"I think I know what the right thing to do is," I said as I rolled toward her and put my hand on her hip. "I'm going to start at the bottom and work my way toward the top. I wouldn't want you to think I'm in a big rush."

"You might not be, but I'm more than ready. Let's not waste valuable time."

I began by kissing the inside of her thighs, working my way up to her center. She was very responsive and I could hear the groans as I progressed. She must have worked herself into quite a state before she came to me. I enjoyed giving my partner oral sex and with Gabrielle I took special pleasure in it. Her response was immediate and vocal.

"Oh, yes. Oh ... Kyle, yes. Do me, Kyle. Make me yours," she moaned, interspersed with groans and little cries of pleasure.

I didn't spend a lot of time arousing her. She didn't need it and I thought she was becoming impatient for me to complete this joining. I moved up over her and she immediately grasped my erection.

"Oh ... go easy, Kyle. I'm not used to your size."

I let her lead me and I sank slowly into her depths, taking care not to rush and cause her pain. She sighed as I reached full penetration.

"Oh, God, that feels so good," she moaned, her hips now moving as she encouraged me to continue.

I knew almost immediately that this ecstasy wasn't going to last long. It had been a while since I'd made love to a woman. I'd had sex ... but this was more than a simple rutting of two adults. Regrettably, I was right.

"I'm sorry, Gabrielle. I truly wanted this to be something special for you. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, Kyle," she said, still whispering. "I was just as wound up as you. We'll do better next time. Let me go clean up and I'll see what I can do to make this right."

I didn't respond to that as she climbed out of bed and made for the bathroom. She pushed the door almost closed and I could hear water running, but less than a minute later, she was back. I could see her amazing body in the dim glow of the night light. I could feel myself beginning to be aroused once more, a good sign that there might be a "next time."

She didn't waste any time as she slithered onto me, her hand on my partially restored erection. She uttered a hum of satisfaction as she slipped down and began to take me into her mouth. It wasn't long before I had responded in full. This woman could raise an erection on a eunuch.