20 comments/ 31287 views/ 27 favorites The Sun on my Skin By: ScattySue This is my submission for the 'Summer Lovin' Story Contest 2015'. As ever, I must thank Winterreisser for his diligent and careful editing, suggestions and encouragement and Kat for being my tester. I hope you enjoy the story and, as this is a competition entry, please take a moment to cast your vote at the end. Comments are very welcome too as I love hearing from readers. =================================================== An unexpected invitation It seemed like a no-brainer: of course I accepted Tina's invitation to go with her on her short summer holiday, once I finally understood what it was that she was proposing! No matter how well you get on with your boss, it's always so disconcerting to be called in and be told to take a seat. I was a junior payroll clerk, my salary reflecting my lowly position and the fact that I was still training. Meanwhile, my tendency to indulge my interests in and enjoyment of the theatre, films and dining out ensuring that, what with rent and the rest, I had almost nothing left of my mediocre pay packet at the end of each month. This meant that affording a holiday this year was a pipe dream and the best I could hope for might be the odd few days visiting old school friends, now away at university, like Kevin who lived near York or Diana in Bristol; always assuming I could scrape together the rail fare, of course. Tina, on the other hand, was one the two Senior Payroll Managers in the company and, while she shared similar interests in food, film and theatre with me (which accounted, at least in part, for our friendship) she commanded a decent salary. She could afford summer holidays. It was a Friday towards the end of June and Tina had been out of sorts for a couple of weeks, just a bit distracted and somewhat gloomy and low, rather than her usual easy going self. She'd not said anything about what the matter was and, while I considered Tina a friend, even quite a good friend, I didn't feel I could press her too much to talk about it, certainly not while at work, anyway. When that day Tina unexpectedly called me into her office just before lunch, I wasn't sure what she wanted but wasn't unduly concerned; I knew I had been working hard and keeping up with my studies for the Payroll Management certification course so I couldn't imagine any problems there. Perhaps, I thought, she just wanted to chat or maybe she wanted to propose another round of 'We'll Try Anything', our occasional attempts to find dishes that one or other of us wouldn't eat. So far we'd had ostrich (very tasty), snails (okay, as they were pretty well drowned in garlic butter), oysters (I preferred them cooked to raw) and crocodile (like turkey but with a slightly odd texture). To date neither of us had wimped out but it was only a matter of time before we moved onto really weird stuff like insects or jellyfish or koala-snot soup -- if we could find restaurants in London that served them! "Hi, Tina, you wanted to see me?" I said from the doorway. "Ah, Jojo, come in, take a seat." I entered her office and sat down. "Now, as far as I can tell you've not booked any annual leave so far this year." This was true but I wasn't sure why this mattered. A worrying thought crossed my mind: what if I was being let go -- sacked, made redundant, whatever it might be called -- and they were working out what they had to pay for leave not taken. Something must have shown in my face because she added, "Jojo, don't worry, you're not in trouble." I looked at her and saw that, to my surprise, Tina seemed nervous; maybe she'd found the Koala-snot Soup Restaurant. "I, um, I guess I wondered if you hadn't booked leave because you haven't any holiday planned." The relief that I felt was now mixed with curiosity. "No, I haven't anything planned. Actually, I don't really have the money to afford a summer holiday this year," I admitted, a little embarrassed. "Are you worried that I'll have too much leave left at the end of the year? I can take some days off and just, I don't know, do some studying at home or..." "No no, Jojo, it's nothing like that," she interrupted and then hesitated. "I'd booked a holiday for two, for Alex and me but..." there was real sadness in her face and I had a faint inkling of what might be coming as she sighed, "the weekend before last Alex left me. I guess it's been on the cards for a while really." I recognised the name 'Alex' as her significant other, though whether he was her boyfriend or partner or possibly just flatmate I wasn't sure. I'd certainly never met him and in fact he was no more than a name as Tina almost never even mentioned him. "Oh, Tina, I'm so sorry," I replied automatically, though I still meant it. "If there's anything I can do or if you want a shoulder to cry on..." "No. Thanks, but no; I really don't want to talk about it," she said firmly, gazing down at her desk. "The thing is that I booked a short break holiday for the two of us in Spain and I really, really could do with getting away, you know? Just to be somewhere else, anywhere else, and away from all the reminders right now would do me good." I nod in sympathy but wonder where this is going. Is she going to ask me to cover for her? Surely not; either Janice or Malcolm would do that as they have done in the past. Tina looked at me again. "I was wondering... I mean, much as I want to get away I can't face going on my own so I was wondering, Jojo... would you come with me? On holiday, I mean." "What, really?" I asked in surprise and something about the incredulous way I said this made Tina smile. "Yes, really, Jojo! As I said, it's only a short break, just five days flying out at nine thirty next Wednesday evening and coming back on Monday. You'd need a passport, obviously but I can definitely guarantee your leave request will be approved." "How much would it cost?" "Absolutely nothing, Jojo. It's all paid for anyway; I'd lose the money if I don't go and, as I said, I don't want to go alone. You'd need some spending money, of course," Tina added. "Wow! Well I'd obviously love a holiday in Spain but why me?" It occurred to me how little I knew of Tina outside of the office and our occasional ventures together into weird food and even more occasional trips to see small local theatre productions. She was clearly upset about Alex's departure but what that meant in terms of relationship breakdown I wasn't sure. How upset would she be on holiday and would I be spending five days commiserating while she drowned her sorrows? On the other hand, maybe she just wanted some company while she found some guy to hook up with, thought I doubted that would take long given the way she looked. "Because we're friends, Jojo, and partly, I admit, because you're not part of my other group of friends," she told me and I guessed she meant her friends that she shared with Alex, which made sense, "oh, and partly because you're a girl up for trying new things." She gave me a grin that, if anything, made her comment even more worrying. "That sounds a little... concerning," I told her honestly. "What are you saying: that I'll be expected to do... what?" "Nothing, Jojo. Honestly, I'm not expecting you to do anything but I like your sense of adventure, that you'll try something different; basically, you're fun," she concludes. "Umm, it is very tempting, Tina," I admitted but I had a nagging suspicion. "Even though I'm sure there's something you're not telling me." "Maybe... or maybe not," she said cryptically. "There are probably many things I ought to tell you and perhaps, if you come with me, I will." That certainly intrigued me but also made me more than a little apprehensive. Jojo Remastered Perhaps, dear reader, if you have made it this far into my story, I need to explain something of myself so you can understand what I was and what I was not at this time. What I wasn't was the gung-ho adventurer that Tina evidently though I was. Oh, I wanted to be, desperately, I really did, and so I worked at it. I was successful too, mostly. At school, I had been timid, always afraid of failure and therefore reluctant to try new things, convinced that I'd show myself up. I had a few friends, girls mainly, whom I'd gradually come to know and to trust as they saw me come out of my shell a little. I was studious, anxious to please my teachers and, as a result, academically successful. Socially, however, I remained much the same frightened mouse of a girl I'd always been. Things only really began to change significantly when I started Sixth Form and A Levels. Some friends left the school while others took different subjects so I saw them much less at school. Consequently I was forced to mix with new people and, with the change in outlook now we were no longer schoolkids, I managed to make new friends. By the second year I had started going out more and, incredibly, I found I had a boyfriend! I was so in love with Jason, infatuated really; there was nothing I wouldn't do for him. You can probably guess what happened. Jason started off nice, lovely and caring and maybe if I'd had more confidence and a greater sense of self-worth he would have continued being so. Instead, I was prey to my insecurities and fear of failure, always afraid that I would lose him. My studying suffered, of course; too much time out with him or daydreaming or worrying about our relationship. We started sleeping together when he suggested it: how could I say no and hope to keep him? Though part of me felt I was making a mistake another part was telling me I was finally a woman. I was an intelligent girl so I should have got myself on the pill of course, but I was shy and Jason was happy to use a condom... for a while. Looking back there are so many 'should haves' and 'what ifs': I should have gone on the pill, I should have insisted on him using a condom, what if I'd had the courage to end the relationship, what if I hadn't got pregnant... In the end my pregnancy miscarried at five months, which was four months after Jason had last said a civil word to me. I was such a mess at that point, a weird mixture of deep sadness at the loss of the baby mixed with relief that the possibility of a motherhood for which I was completely unready had gone. It was no real surprise that the miscarriage, along with the pregnancy and the rest of the turmoil, all conspired to wreck my A Level results: I managed a C in Maths, an E in English and failed History. These were nothing like the results I needed so there was to be no university for me unless I redid the year and somehow I couldn't face that. Even more sickening was that Jason had managed straight A's; there really was no justice. And so, fourteen months ago, I came to work at this company, my father helping me to get a post in the Payroll section and on their training course. This was my new beginning, my chance to reinvent myself; I would not be the shy, timid girl any more. It was hard but I was determined that I would be different and make new friends and try new things. I changed my hair and had my ash blonde streaked with blue that I felt complimented my blue eyes. I tried to slim down a bit; I wasn't fat, just a bit too soft and round, and that, along with a new wardrobe, helped my confidence. When I met Tina for the first time at the job interview I shook her hand firmly, looked her in the eye and introduced myself as 'Jojo' rather than 'Joanne', the nickname my parents used sometimes. That was the start of the new me. When the chance of a room in a shared house came via an old school friend's sister, I took it. It was a tiny room with a wardrobe and a washbasin in the corner but I wanted the chance to be away from home and pretend I was living the student life that my screw-up had deprived me of, even if I was actually at work and studying part-time. Tina was a friendly, likeable and very approachable boss and we would talk during the day, not just about work. I'd always enjoyed the cinema and theatre: they're safe, dark spaces where people tell you stories, like being a child tucked up in bed and being read to. I found that Tina enjoyed them too and we would chat about films and plays we'd seen. She was something of a gastronomist and while my parents were never wealthy they did like to dine well on special occasions, which meant that I had an opinion on some of the food she dined out on. When she asked "What's the strangest thing you've eaten?" the best I could manage was paella, remembering the whole prawns and mussels dotting the enormous dish from which it was served. "Pfft, that's pretty feeble. Too scared to try frogs' legs or haggis I guess." And that was it: the 'I'll Try Anything' Club (membership: two) was born. Will I, Won't I And so there I was: did I accept Tina's invitation to accompany her on her brief summer holiday to Spain or not? Did I have the courage to remain my reinvented self or did I follow my instincts (or should that be my inner wimp?) and say no? I also wondered what exactly she wasn't telling me. On the other hand, this was a chance of a holiday and in Spain too... I wondered briefly if that made me shallow but Tina was a friend who wanted my companionship... Tina looked at me questioningly; it was time to make up my mind. "Well, this does take 'I'll try anything' to a new level doesn't it?" I told her, trying to fight down my fears. She admitted it with a nod and slight smile. Fuck it, I thought. "I'll come, thank you Tina." Her smile became a big grin. "Thanks, Jojo," she said as she stepped around the desk and hugged me. This was a novelty but a nice one and after a brief hesitation I hugged her back. "Er, you do have a valid passport, don't you?" "¡Sí, y puedo hablar un poco de Español!" I told her, recalling a line from my GCSE Spanish. "What?" she asked in surprise. "I said 'Yes, and I can speak a little Spanish.'" "Impressive; there are hidden depths to you, Jojo my girl. Look, I know we don't know that much about each other but someone once told me that if you want to really get to know someone you can either live with them for two years... or go on holiday together!" "So after five days we'll know each other muy er," I hesitated; I knew the word for 'very' but was unable to remember the Spanish word for 'well'. "Um, wellos..." I hazarded. "Jojo, just how much Spanish can you speak?" she asked, a trifle suspiciously. "Damn, I was hoping you wouldn't ask that!" I said, smiling. "Actually, probably not much more than that; it's been nearly four years since my GCSEs. Still, I'm sure the odd word will come in handy." The next few days were a bit of a whirlwind. I needed to get things together and buy some clothes, though Tina said we should aim to travel light. "It's going to be hot out there so we won't need too much and I intend to get a good tan! Lots of suntan lotion though, definitely." I guessed that meant she'd be practically living in a bikini; the image of Tina's almost six foot tall and evidently superb figure parading around in two small strips of cloth presented itself in my mind. Blimey, I was never going to get noticed next to her, not that men had featured much in my life recently. Most males that I encountered attracted me not at all. There had been a couple of guys in whom I had raised just sufficient interest to date briefly but I have to admit that, after Jason, my heart hadn't really been in it with either of them; I really didn't want to fuck up my life a second time so played things cool. It turned out that neither guy was interested in a moderately friendly but slightly cautious girl -- who wasn't even going to go half way, let alone all the way! -- and after a few dates both simply walked away. I can't say it upset me much. The following Wednesday seemed to take ages to arrive and yet suddenly I was heading into work towing my small, pull along suitcase. I had, as instructed, tried to pack light but I had to assume we'd be dining in restaurants and maybe going to nightclubs in the evenings, so a few changes of clothes would be necessary. Then of course there were toiletries, a little makeup, sun cream (especially with my fair skin), shoes... As a result, I was stunned when at lunch time Tina showed me her luggage: a small holdall that I was convinced would qualify as hand luggage and I told her as much. "Possibly, though I think it's a little oversized for that," she replied. "Anyway, there's that rule about fluids and I've bottles of shampoo and the like that aren't allowed in hand luggage." I was even more amazed. "Tina, are you actually taking anything to wear or are you planning to spend the whole time in bikinis or less?" I laughed. "Hmm, less sounds fun!" she laughed back at me. "There'd be no tan lines either; perhaps I should give it a go. Would you?" she asked. "What, go topless? Well, maybe," I replied somewhat dubiously. I doubted I would, not when it came to it, but I didn't want to give up my 'try anything' reputation just yet. "Cool, we could do it together." Oh shit, had I just committed to this? "Tina, is this going to be five days of trying new things?" "It certainly can be!" she replied but must have seen some nervousness in my face and added more gently, "but nothing you're not happy with, I promise, Jojo." "Thanks Tina, that is good to hear," I told her earnestly. "Now, can I buy you lunch? You're treating me to a holiday so it's the least I can do." "Not a 'we'll eat anything' challenge I assume?" "No, I think not," I replied. "Apart from the fact that there wouldn't be time, it seems..." I was going to say 'it seems you have enough "try anything" challenges planned already,' but that sounded a bit cowardly so I finished with "...that being in Spain we should be able to find some weird local delicacy to challenge us." "Very true. Okay, let's do lunch, holiday buddy!" Tina turned me around by the shoulders and gave me a little shove. "Quick march!" she ordered. "Yes, boss," I laughed. I had never seen Tina in quite such a playful mood and felt this boded well for the coming days. Late Arrival Well, the journey turned out to be on the difficult side of hellish. Checking in for flight CHA304 to Malaga went smoothly enough and the queues weren't too bad, apparently. This was only my third time flying so the whole airport experience was overlain with feelings of novelty and excitement. I don't think the same was true for Tina who seemed to find it rather mundane. We headed through customs and the whole rigmarole of removing every item of metal or electronics from our bodies along with our shoes and then being scanned, our bags x-rayed and, in my case, also being given a pat-down searched by a surprisingly pretty woman from the Boarder Agency. Obviously all international terrorists have blue-streaked hair, I assumed, but actually it was because a set of keys to my parent's house were unexpectedly in the top pocket of my denim jacket and they had triggered the metal detector. Once through Passport Control we had a drink, white wine for each of us, while we waited for our flight to be called. We arrived at the gate in good time and before long we were sat in our seats, me by the window (Tina having sensed my excitement and insisted) and Tina in the middle of the three seats. We waited for take-off and I was, I admit, nervous. And we waited... and waited. Eventually we were informed that one of the passengers had been deemed too drunk to fly and that his luggage had to be unloaded from the hold. Three rather loud and at least slightly drunk, twenty-something lads entered the plane. Going by what they were saying, it was their friend, Robbo, who was the cause of the delay. The three of them were noisy, crude and quite unpleasant. "I hope they're not going to the same resort as us," I remarked to Tina. The Sun on my Skin "Me too, but I think it's unlikely, thank god!" It took over half an hour for the inebriated Robbo's baggage to be located and unloaded by which time, as the Captain informed us, we had missed our scheduled take-off slot and had to wait. Even the safety briefing (to which I listened carefully and, yes, I even read the safety information card located in the seat pocket in front of me!) did little to ease the frustration. Outside the sky slowly darkened from deep blue to indigo to black. Finally, an hour behind schedule, we began taxiing to take off. The plane came to a halt and the Captain's voice once again came over the speakers, "Cabin crew, prepare for take-off." This was the one part I'd been dreading as the whine of the engines began to build to a pitch that put my teeth on edge. "Jojo, are you alright?" Tina asked. Her hand folded warm and soft over mine as I grasped the armrest in a death-grip. "Er, just a bit nervous, that's all. With an effort I relaxed a little and let go of the armrest. Tina took my hand, interlacing her fingers with mine. "Don't worry, it'll be fine," she assured me gently as the aircraft now started to move and accelerated rapidly. My fear increased as the plane surged into the air making my stomach lurch. I stared out of the window as the lights fell away and the buildings and planes of the airport shrank to become fantastically detailed models. "Jojo?" Tina's voice startled me and I looked round. "Sorry, but my hand's gone a bit numb. Could you not squeeze so hard now we're in the air?" "Oh, sorry," I apologised and started to release her hand, pulling back. "If you're nervous you can hold my hand if you want, just not so tight," she smiled at me and I hesitated. Her hand was comforting and while my heart rate had dropped now the take-off and steep climb were over, I was still a little on edge. "Thanks, Tina. I'd forgotten how nervous flying makes me," I told her, "especially take-off and landing." "I think everyone gets a bit nervous then," she said kindly, "even though flying is really safe; much safer than driving." "Yeah, I guess. I don't know why I get so scared. Do you get scared by anything?" "Yes," she glanced down at our still-joined hands for a moment, "don't laugh but I'm terrified of spiders and rodents; anything that scuttles or scurries really." "Why would I laugh? I hate spiders too... and rats, ugh!" I gave a little shiver. "Is that all; any other fears?" I asked. "Not really. What about you: anything else that gives you the heebie-jeebies?" There were several I could have listed but decided that one more would be enough or Tina would think me a complete wuss. Um, yes: I get really upset by thunder and lightning. I just want to run and hide. I snuggle down under the covers if there's a storm in the night. When I was little I used to get into bed with Mum and Dad" "I used to do the same and get into bed with Mum until she told me I was too big and not to make such a fuss. She had a point by then: I was eight or nine I think," and we both laughed but I didn't dare admit that I was still doing it at thirteen. Her comment led on to the fact that her Dad had left when she was little and she barely remembered him. In turn I shared a bit about my life; Tina knew I'd flunked my A Levels but now I opened up a little about why and how. She was shocked when I admitted to having been pregnant and even more so by Jason's behaviour. "He was a pig to me," I conceded, "but I don't think he was even eighteen at the time; he was just a stupid kid." While reinventing myself I had decided that I needed to put the past behind me and stop being angry about what had happened. Tina, however, was furious. "He was a complete fucking shit to you!" she hisses. "I don't care how old he was, he should have helped you. Typical fucking bloke!" I felt very touched by her protectiveness and found myself reaching out to grasp her hand not in fear but in gratitude. Just then the stewardess arrived handing out drinks and small plastic trays of sandwiches and I hastily released Tina's hand, nervous of what the woman might think of two grown women holding hands. However, she didn't seem to have noticed and passed us the food as her colleague served the drinks. "What do you reckon," I asked, lifting the lid off the tray and examining the uninspiring ham and tomato sandwiches inside, "do these qualify as an 'I'll try anything' challenge?" Tina hesitantly took a bite from one of hers. "Hmm, on balance I think not; I've always thought that 'I'll try anything' is about experiencing new tastes and these appear to have almost no taste whatsoever!" Eventually, with the tasteless sandwiches removed, our tables and seats returned to their upright positions and seatbelts fastened, we begin the final descent into Malaga. My nervousness returned and my hand unconsciously sought Tina's for support and comfort. As the wheels bounced on the runway and the engines roared, in reverse I guessed, slowing the plane, I felt Tina squeezing my hand every bit as hard as I was squeezing hers. Maybe it wasn't just thunder and lightning that made her nervous. It was now past midnight, actually after one in the morning, local time, but as we exited the plane down the stairs; the air was so hot and humid it was like entering a steamy bathroom, especially after the cold, dry air inside the aircraft. I immediately slipped my jacket off as I felt sweat prickle my skin. We made our way through the virtually empty airport, past the perfunctory checks by the bored men of passport control to baggage reclaim. Eventually we passed Customs and out to where Tina led the way to the car hire stand where she spoke to the tired looking woman. I wasn't really paying attention but heard the woman say "You book through Desnuda al Sol, si?" "Yes, er, si," she replied and, after presenting her passport and driving licence and signing several forms, she was handed a set of keys and given some directions to the car in heavily accented English. We located the car, loaded out cases and climbed in. I lay back in the seat and closed my eyes. "Oi, Miss, no sleeping!" Tina ordered. "I'm just as tired so you need to keep talking to help me stay alert and help me to navigate." She pulled out a piece of paper with a series of directions written on it and handed it to me. Taking the page of directions I reluctantly I agreed and so, with the air con turned to the coldest setting and full blast, we set off. "From the airport follow the signs to Torremolinos and Fuengirola. Join the AP-7 heading south-west." I read out from the sheet. I looked out and pointed to the sign. "Look, that way," I told Tina. "Good girl!" she said. "Just keep doing that and we should be there in about forty minutes." We managed it, though we were both shattered by the time we arrived. The sign at the entrance, glimpsed as the headlights swept past, said something like Aldea Natura. My Spanish wasn't up to translating it, something to do with nature anyway, which seemed to fit with the trees and shrubs I could make out as we drove into the car park. We arrived at reception and had to press the bell several time. Eventually the receptionist, a woman of about my age dressed in what seemed to be nothing more than a long t-shirt, ambled out. I guessed that as it was past two in the morning we'd got her out of bed but she clearly wasn't overly modest and the shirt just about covered her arse -- and barely hid her sex for that matter. I wondered if she'd have covered up more if we'd been two guys. I was very tired and this may have been why my eyes dwelt on her, too tired to bother looking away. On the other hand she was very cute. Not the tall, athletic beauty of Tina but a simple girl next door loveliness. Perhaps it was the smile that seemed a permanent fixture on her face or the complete ease with herself that she exuded. Despite the ungodly hour she was friendly and helpful as she introduced herself as Marta and was sympathetic as we explained our flight had been delayed and asked our names. Tina gave our surnames and Marta checked the booking. She looked at me, "You are not Alex?" she asked. "The booking it says Tina Roberts and Alex Mitchell." "Er, no, that's true," Tina replied before explaining that Alex couldn't come and I was here instead. "I changed the details for the flights but didn't think to change the reservation here, sorry." Marta waved her hand dismissively. "It is not a problem. If you can just write your name and detalles er, details here," she said to me passing over a form. I filled in the form: name, address, date of birth and the like and passed it back. Marta glanced over it and her smile broadened. "Hoho!" she said and I looked at her confused, worried I'd filled in the form incorrectly. "Your name," she explained, "is 'Hoho', like Papá Noel er, you say Santa Claus, yes? Hohoho!" She mimed a fat man laughing and I smiled. "No, it's Jojo," I pronounced carefully. "Jojo, okay. It is a pretty name for you," she said with a grin and a wink that made me feel a little embarrassed. "Come, I show you the way," she told us and we picked up our bags to follow her to our apartment. As she led us I found it hard to keep my eyes off her legs and the way the lower edges of her bum cheeks kept appearing as her t-shirt bobbed as she walked. 'I'm just tired,' I told myself when I realized what I was doing. The apartment was very nice; there was a double bed and Marta told us that the sofa could become another bed too. We looked at each other and agreed that we were too tired to face making up a second bed and simply thanked Marta as she left, a wide grin on her face that I didn't understand. Dead on our feet we stumbled into the bedroom. I managed to strip off skirt, shirt and shoes before falling onto the bed, asleep as my head hit the pillow. Surprises Thursday morning and I woke to sunlight streaming through the gauzy curtains across the window and feeling momentarily disorientated before the previous day's events came back to me. I was lying on my side, only my lower legs covered by the bedsheet, but I was comfortable, neither too hot nor too cold just like Goldilocks' porridge. I felt Tina pressed gently against my bottom, soft and warm, and the gentle, very pleasant sensation of her breath brushing delicately against the back of my neck. I felt wonderfully relaxed, surprisingly at ease with the fact that I was sharing the bed with my friend; given how tired we both were there wasn't really much choice. I thought about Tina and felt an upsurge of affection; I was on a holiday I didn't expect because of her kindness and generosity and she seemed genuinely fond of me. Another sensation made itself felt: I really really needed to pee. I eased myself carefully out of bed so as not to disturb Tina. I found the bathroom and when I sat down on the toilet the feeling of relief was intense, almost orgasmic. For some reason I seemed to be hypersensitive this morning, every sensation magnified and almost magical: the sensations in bed, peeing, the cool, smooth floor tiles against my feet, the sounds of birds and insects and distant voices, the warmth of the air on my skin... I finished up, washed my hands and walked back into the bedroom. There was Tina as uncovered as I had been; more so in fact as, while I had stripped down to bra and panties, she was just in her panties. Was it wrong of me to admire her boobs? They were an amazing pair and I was a little jealous, though on my frame they would look ridiculous. Tina was six foot tall, six inches taller than me and bigger built; I'd always been able to imagine her playing a sport, something physical like hockey or judo, maybe even rugby; seeing her virtually naked only reinforced that idea, possibly with a hint of Valkyrie warrior maiden thrown in. Anyway, if she was serious about going topless I was going to see quite a lot of those boobs! I walked from the bedroom into the small living area, noticing things I'd been too tired to take in last night: the TV in the corner, the small kitchen area and dining table, the sofa bed on which I would be sleeping the rest of the holiday. I saw a pair of patio doors on the far side of the room and walked over to them. Outside was a small fenced in area; had we not been on the ground floor it would have been a balcony so it would be called a... what? A small patio or perhaps a tiny, paved garden. Unlatching the door I stepped out to look across the slightly yellowing lawns dotted with trees and shrubs. There were other buildings visible too including what looked like two or three holiday chalets. As I looked around I noticed three people approaching, an older man and woman and a young teenage girl. They were chatting and I was about to duck back inside, conscious of being only in my bra and panties, when I realized that all three were topless. I relaxed a little only to be shocked as the three emerged fully from behind the waist-high hedge: all were completely naked! I know I gasped and perhaps this was why they looked over towards me as the sound carried in the quiet morning air. They were some ten or twelve yards away and the man raised his hand and waved. "Guten Tag!" he called and the woman waved too. "Oh, hi, um, guten Tag." I replied, waving back nervously. They smiled and carried on walking carrying towels and other items. The girl had given me a glance and a shy smile before hurrying, overtaking the couple who I guessed were her parents. I looked around, a definite suspicion forming in my mind. Sure enough there were other people further away that I had assumed were in swimwear at first glance; I had been wrong as I now saw that, like the German family, all were naked. I spun on my heel and marched back into the apartment. I stomped into the bedroom, gently seething with indignation. Suddenly all the comments about packing lightly, Tina saying she'd consider wearing less than a bikini, her miniscule luggage... she could have just told me! I hesitated. Could she? Would I be here now if she'd invited me to a nudist colony? Honestly? No, probably not... "Hiya Jojo," Tina said sleepily. She yawned and stretched, displaying her impressive form, and my eyes were caught by the dark aureoles surrounding paler, plump and noticeably erect nipples. "Are you okay?" she asked. I pulled my gaze to her face, remembering my annoyance. "Yes, I mean no, not really. Tina, when were you going to tell me?" "Tell you... oh..." she noticed the open bedroom door and the open patio door beyond and drew the obvious, and entirely correct, conclusion. "You saw some of our fellow holiday makers then?" "Yes. I said hello, well, guten Tag, to a friendly German family... a friendly, naked German family. You didn't warn me that this was a nudist colony." "It's a naturist resort," she said. "The term 'nudist colony' went out of use in the 1970s I think." "Whatever. Tina I..." I hesitated but I felt I had to be honest now I knew what I was being asked to do. "I don't think I can do this, you know, go naked." "Jojo, I've never done this before either. I'm just as nervous." "Tina, I'm not nervous, I'm bloody terrified!" I said honestly. "I'm sorry I'm not brave like you. I want to be. I used to be so nervous and timid I'd never do anything, never try anything new and I've worked not to be that anymore... but I'm still scared. Some of those meals we've had, the crocodile and the like, as I came to take the first mouthful I was petrified that I'd gag or even throw up. I was just as nervous when you asked me to come on holiday, the fear of what it would involve." She reached out and stroked my shoulder and arm as I looked down dejectedly, knowing how badly I'd failed. "You wanted a friend who was as brave and adventurous as you," I said sadly, "I'm sorry I can't be that friend." "Oh, Jojo!," she exclaimed, half gasp, half sob. She lifted my chin and looked me in the eyes. "Jojo, you are that friend, my friend. I'm sorry I didn't warn you; I was afraid you wouldn't even consider coming if I told you. See, I'm the coward here." I shook my head vigorously; no, she wasn't a coward, I was. "Yes, Jojo, I was. You have to realize that bravery and courage, they're never about not being scared or nervous or not being terrified; being brave is when you feel all that... and you carry on anyway and do whatever it is that's scaring you. Just like you do," she smiled at me and then frowned, "and exactly like I didn't when I was scared of telling you I was inviting you to a naturist resort. I'm sorry Jojo." "No, you were right to be scared about my reaction, Tina. I'm sorry I'm wrecking your holiday." "You're not wrecking it. Look, you do know that you don't have to strip off, don't you?" "Er, no. I assumed it was compulsory." "Of course not. Think of Marta last night; okay, she wasn't exactly fully covered, with her bum hanging out, but she wasn't naked was she?" "So, I could wear a bikini? Or maybe just the bikini bottoms and go topless?" "Yes, exactly. We can even stay in here and just wear less around the apartment to get used to it." I can't help smiling and I glance down at her boobs making her smile too. "Okay, I know, I'm almost naked already but only in front of you. Do you... want to try being topless too?" Did I? Part of me did. Somewhere inside part of me wanted not just to be topless but to be naked, and not just here inside the apartment. I remembered the hyper-sensitivity I'd felt when I awoke earlier. How would it feel to walk naked on the grass, caressed by the breeze, the sun on my skin... on every part of my body? I gave a little shiver, but this was not fear but a faint tremble of excitement. "Yes I do," and I reach behind to unfasten my bra. My fingers trembled and I fumbled with the clasp. I tried again but still my fingers could not work the hooks free. Tina leant in, reaching around me. "Allow me," she said as her arms enfolded me and her nipples pressed into the tops of my boobs. Instantly the bra sprang open, the cups dropping. She hesitated a moment and I was acutely aware of being hugged by and almost naked woman. I had to admit that while it was a new and unexpected sensation I couldn't say that it was in any way unpleasant. It reminded me of the feeling of Tina resting against me in bed. She stepped back and I slipped out of the bra, catching it as it dropped and tossing it onto the bed. It took a huge effort to resist the urge, to cross my arms over my chest but I managed it and stood tall. Okay, I stood sort of small to medium height. "You've very nice tits," Tina complimented me and it made me blush. "They're not as incredible as your beautiful pair!" I replied, smiling as she cupped and jiggled her boobs slightly. "Hmm, thank you," she said as she looked down at them. "You don't think they're a bit too large?" I assured her somewhat shyly that they were perfect. "Okay, my turn," she said in a determined voice. In a trice she had pushed her cream panties down, past her thighs to fall with a soft sound onto the floor. I shouldn't have, I know, but I couldn't help staring. She looked simply incredible, like Venus in some old masterpiece or... no, not Venus but more like some warrior goddess. At least I managed not to stare at her pussy that was startlingly hairless. "Wow," I breathed. "Is that 'wow' because I undressed or because I look good?" she asked. "Er, both. Yes, both, definitely." I hesitated. Should I, could I do the same? I decided to postpone the decision. "Do you think there'll be stuff in the kitchen to make a cup of tea?" I asked. Tina looked a bit surprised by the question but then smiled. "Yeah, this is all a bit much to take on before breakfast, isn't it?" The Sun on my Skin "Absolutely. So how do we get breakfast? Is this self-catering?" "We probably ought to buy some teabags and milk and stuff but it's actually full board. The meals are over in a restaurant in the main building, where we checked in last night. I hope we're not too late for breakfast; we'd better hurry." "Okay... let me just put a bikini on and I'll be with you." I headed into the bedroom and opened my case. I'd packed so many clothes and almost all were redundant unless we left the resort. I rummaged and pulled out the two bikinis, putting them on the bed and then had to choose: blue or yellow? I slipped my panties down as I tried to make my mind up. "The blue one looks nice." Tina's voice behind me made me jump. I turned quickly then realized I was as naked as Tina. Instinctively I went to cover my pussy with my hands but stopped myself as Tina said, "You have a lovely body, Jojo." The blush that had begun when she saw me naked now went supernova, making Tina smile. "I mean it, you really do." I was flattered but she was being kind: I was too big in the hips and my tummy was, okay, not as round as it used to be but still nothing like as flat as Tina's. "However, I understand; you're not ready to walk out of here nude so I suggest the blue one." "Thanks Tina." Rather self-conscious as she watched me I stepped into the bikini briefs and drew them up into place. I picked up the bikini top and hesitated. I had stood outside this morning and spoken to that family wearing a lacy demi-bra that revealed far more than the bikini top would. Bollocks to it: I could go topless after that. I chucked the top back onto the bed. "Okay, I'm ready." "Good for you!" she smiled. "Just remember, Jojo: I'm probably every bit as nervous as you are, maybe more so, so we need to support each other." She reached down to the chair by the door and picked up one of the folded towels stacked on it. "Of course, though if I looked anywhere near as good as you I'd not be nervous!" I told her as we walked to the front door. "Why the towel?" I asked. "Are we going swimming right after breakfast?" "No. Apparently the one rule of naturism is that if you sit naked on a chair or bench or whatever, you put a towel under your bum. Hygiene, I guess." I nodded; it made sense I supposed. I grabbed the room key and locked the door as we left. Stepping Out That first topless walk from apartment to the restaurant was one of the scariest things I'd ever done. I glanced around nervously expecting everyone to be staring at me, pointing and making comments or laughing but, of course, nobody was. The few people we pass smiled or said hello (or rather 'Bonjour', 'Good Morning' and 'Hola' respectively) and all were unselfconsciously naked apart from a teenage lad with a towel wrapped around his waist. The restaurant looked like it would seat around fifty people but was almost empty. A waitress, a woman in her thirties who was wearing only an apron around her waist and has been clearing tables, came over and greeted us when she saw us stood uncertainly. Her name was Maria and she explained that breakfast is always a self-service buffet and apologised that there was a somewhat limited selection as we were rather late. Tina told her it was fine and not to worry. "Muchas gracias, Maria," I said, attempting a little Spanish and was rewarded with a smile from Maria. "No hay de qué," she replied, which I guessed meant something like 'you're welcome'. We picked a table and Tina put her towel down on her chair. As warned, the breakfast buffet was rather sparse but we managed some bread rolls, cheese and ham and some churros, sort of spiral doughnuts covered in sugar and cinnamon that were delicious. As an adult I should perhaps have opted for coffee but when I found there was hot chocolate, though probably meant for the children, I couldn't resist. After breakfast we returned to the apartment. We applied sun cream, each rubbing the cream onto the other's back. I worked my way down from Tina's shoulders, massaging the cream into her skin. It felt strange, running my hands over a naked woman. I did draw the line at sun-creaming her bum, however. Tina, however, showed no such timidity. "What will you do if you decide to remove the bikini briefs?" she asked, preparing to pull the bikini bottoms down. I wasn't sure, neither what I would do in that case nor even if I would choose to do so. "We should take the sun cream with us then; if I do... you know, if I can do as you and strip off then I can apply the cream to my covered bits!" I smiled and she nodded in agreement. She did suggest that I bring a towel too as she picked up hers along with her book, sunglasses and sun cream. We wandered around the resort for a little while, learning the layout and the facilities. There were a couple of tennis courts, a croquet lawn, and a sandy area where people were playing boules. There was a playground area with kids on climbing frames, ropes, swings and a see-saw. Finally we came to a swimming pool and lido with chairs, tables and sun loungers and this was where we stopped. We found a couple of free loungers, unused probably because of the dappled shade in which they sat, though this suited me fine; I felt full exposure to the midday Mediterranean sun would be unwise with my fair skin, especially those parts that had never been exposed before. I pointed this out to Tina and she laughed. "Oh, can you imagine; a sun burned pussy? Ouch!" "Mega-ouch!" I agreed. "Still, I'm glad I brought the towel: it'll be nice to go for a dip in the pool to cool off later." "Um, did you see the sign, Jojo?" she asked and when I looked blank she pointed at a sign on the wall: The Sun on my Skin "Oh, you're up!" Tina's voice was loud and happy as she entered the apartment, making me wince a little. "Oops, sorry, Jojo" she added more softly when she noticed my reaction. "Are you feeling a little delicate?" she asked. "Mmm, a bit," I answered. "I wish I had some..." "Paracetamol, coffee and or croissants; I have all three here," she said holding up a carrier bag. "I suspected you might not be feeling up to breakfast in the restaurant so I thought we could eat here." "Tina, you are an angel, a beautiful angel." I told her. "I definitely need the paracetamol first, coffee after that and then food, maybe. Thanks Tina." She handed me a box of tablets and while I took two she proceeded to fill the kettle and put it on to boil. "Go and sit down," she instructed and I squeezed her shoulder in gratitude as I moved past. A short while later I was sipping coffee and apologising for anything embarrassing I might have done or said yesterday, particularly at dinner, as my recollections were a little hazy. "Don't worry," Tina reassured me, "You behaviour was absolutely fine, though I've never seen you quite as chatty as you were last night. You're good company when you're a bit drunk!" "I doubt I'll be such good company this morning," I warned her. I did try a little croissant but I wasn't really up to it. I was also more than happy to stay inside, where it was cooler and much less bright, while my headache gradually eased. Tina seemed happy enough, saying that holidays should always be about relaxing. We talked and read our books and played a game of backgammon on a set that Tina found in a cupboard and that I lost convincingly. By lunchtime I was feeling greatly improved and even a little hungry. We walked over to the restaurant for lunch. I had found last night that the tables, each arranged for six or eight, even one that seated ten people, were designed by the resort to encourage guests to mingle and mix with other guests. And so that lunchtime we were joined by a family that I recognised as the German family I had greeted yesterday morning, though I now had some difficulties relating to the fear I had felt on first discovering that I was on a nudist, sorry, naturist holiday. They introduced themselves as Karl and Martina and their daughter Katja. I quickly found out while we ate that they recognised me too. "It seems that you are content now being naked; you were not so yesterday morning Jojo, I think," Karl said to me and I smiled and nodded. "I think I was a little in shock when I saw you yesterday," I explained. "I had no idea that I had come to a naturist resort. Undressing was... a challenge; yes, definitely a challenge." "It is always difficult the first time," Martina told me, "and Katja has found it harder this year as she has grown up," she added quietly to me so Katja couldn't hear. Recalling how shy I'd been at Katja's age, she had my sympathy. "You've done very well, coming on this holiday" Tina told me. "Tina, as I said yesterday, I'm only here because I didn't know I'd be expected to strip off! I really don't think I'd have come had I known. Not like you and Alex: you booked the holiday knowing it was naturist resort." "Actually, Alex didn't know; I booked it without asking," Tina confessed and looked rather downcast. Her voice took on a wistful note. "I think it was the final thing that broke us up. Things hadn't been too good between us for a while and I thought something like this could bring us together again. God I was so wrong. When I told her she completely flipped and stormed off." I started to reach out to take her hand to comfort her when what she had just said struck me. "What do you mean 'she completely flipped', Tina? She?" I asked keeping my voice low, though I'm sure the other three could hear me nonetheless. "You mean Alex was a woman?" "Oh shit!" Tina whispered. "Jojo I was going to tell you..." "Um, I think I need to go," I told Tina. Suddenly the world had become a very unsettled place. "Please, I need to think. Excuse me," I added, addressing Karl, Martina and Katja, and left the table, heading out of the restaurant. Thoughts tumbled through my head. What did Tina want? Why exactly did she invite me? I'd just discovered she was a lesbian after we'd shared a bed -- twice! Oh crap: did anything happen last night? Had I said or done anything? I kissed her when she brought me that glass of water; was that all? It was such a shock I just couldn't begin to get a grasp on what it all meant and, more importantly, how I felt. I really liked Tina and she was kind to me and obviously liked me, but she couldn't possibly fancy me. She was such an incredibly beautiful woman; surely she could have any equally stunning gay woman. I, on the other hand, was just... ordinary. No, I was only here to keep her company while she got over the break up with Alex. Why was that a faintly disappointing thought? "Hello Hoho; you not look so happy." A woman's voice startled me from my tumbling thoughts and speculations. I had wandered down a narrow pathway and there in front of me was Marta, the woman we'd met at Reception on the night we arrived. This time, however, she was pulling what appears to be a giant wicker basket on wheels full of sheets. The basket thing wasn't really the first thing that I noticed; what first caught my eye and my attention was that she was as naked as me. It crossed my mind that you probably wouldn't want to work here if you weren't a naturist yourself. I was going to correct her pronunciation of my name when I notice the cheeky grin on her face; she was teasing me. "Hi Marta," I replied. I had begun to think that I was completely relaxed about nudity, that I had stopped especially noticing the bodies of others. I was wrong as I was acutely aware of Marta's very attractive form: her firm, nicely full breasts, her hips, the soft, slight roundedness of her abdomen and below the smooth hairlessness of her mound split -- oh god I swallowed hard at the sight -- split by the rounded cleft of her pussy. I was also very conscious that I was completely on display to her. I wondered what the matter was with me. "Why are you sad, Jojo? You not happy being nudist? "I think... mostly I am.... At least I am now, anyway." I decided to be honest and candid. "The problem was Tina didn't tell me that this was a naturist resort so... well it was a bit of a shock that first morning. I admit was surprised by the way you were dressed that first time I saw you," I told her. "You should not have been surprised: this is Aldea Naturista, 'Naturist Village'. It says so at the entrance; did you not see it?" she asked. "I think I misread it, the Naturista part at least. I thought it meant something to do with nature. Anyway, the nudity I'm okay with... I think I like it actually," I admitted a little shyly. "You obviously enjoy being in the nude, Marta. Is that why you chose to come and work here? Did you want to be paid to be naked?" "Ha! That would be a good thing, no? I do get some money but the true story is that my, er... padres... er," she searched for the English word which, for once, I could provide. "Parents, your parents." "Si my parents, they are the owners of here, owners of Aldea Naturista. You maybe see Mamá when she is working in the bar by the pool?" I recalled the woman who served me that first morning and thought I could see the resemblances to Marta so I nodded. "You've grown up with naturism then?" "Si, my parents always they are nude at home and me too so it is normal for me. But when I begin at school and I bring a friend home one day, I find it is not so normal for everyone!" "You lived here, in this resort then?" I asked, wondering how a young schoolchild would react walking in here and seeing loads of bare-arsed people. To my surprise she laughs loudly. "Oh no! Can you imaginar? No, we lived in a house in Cártama. It was lucky, Papá he was at work and so it was just Mamá nude in the house. She told my friend that she was just having a bath and I learned the lesson that nudism is not for everyone. Not everyone is like us, no?" "Marta, a week ago I wasn't like us!" I smiled. "What about your girlfriend? Was she a naturist?" she asked and I barely heard the second question. "Tina's she's not my girlfriend!" I told her, shocked that she thought that. Was that the impression we'd given? "Oh, disculpe... sorry. But when I meet you, you were sad, Jojo, and on your own so what is the matter?" she asked with a note of genuine interest and concern in her voice that made me want to tell her what had happened. I hesitated and Marta took my hand as, abandoning the wheeled basket in the middle of the path, she led me over to sit on a secluded patch of grass off to the right. We sat side by side, she cross-legged, which was distracting, to say the least. "Tina had a girlfriend," I began hesitantly; I wanted to talk this through but at the same time I didn't want to betray Tina's friendship. "They split up a few weeks ago and so Tina invited me on this holiday in her place." Marta nodded. "The real problem is that I didn't know Tina had a girlfriend..." I felt myself coming close to tears, though I wasn't sure why exactly. "So you did not know she was with another girl. That was not fair of her," Marta said in a voice a little tinged with outrage at such behaviour. "She could have told me," I agreed, feeling that my upset with Tina had been somewhat vindicated. "You know, Jojo, that if Tina is not the woman for you there are plenty other girls," Marta touched the back of my wrist; her fingers gently brushed the skin, making me tingle. I was startled by what she was saying and I looked into her face to find she had a shy, coy look in her eyes as she gently bit her lower lip. "Eres una chica muy hermosa," she said quietly. Oh goodness, I thought as I hastily worked out what she'd said and realized she'd just called me a very beautiful girl. I couldn't quite believe it but it seemed Marta was flirting with me! "Marta, I'm not gay," I told her nervously. "Er, yo no soy... um, a lesbian," I try to say it in Spanish to make it clear. "Oh... So sorry, Jojo. I just thought... I hear you and Tina say you will share a bed. I see the way you are together and... I see you watching women yesterday. I am sorry, I make a mistake." I looked at Marta. Physically she was very attractive: we were the same height and very similar in build; like me her tummy was a little rounded and her hips wide but on her the effect was lovely. Perhaps Marta had a point; was it normal for a woman to look at other women as I was at her? And it wasn't just her, was it? Though, in truth, she and Tina definitely seemed to attract my eye in a special way. As if to confirm this thought I found myself glancing down to where the smooth olive skin of her naked pussy nestled in the blades of grass. I licked my lips and swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. Had she made a mistake? Marta leant closer to me and I realized she was holding my hand. I made no attempt to move away or remove my hand; I was paralyzed, though whether by fear or fascination I couldn't say. Her nipple brushed against my arm as she reached across and took my other hand. I turned my head to look at her. Our faces were so close that our noses touched and a moment later her lips pressed lightly on mine. I had never kissed a girl more than a brief, chaste kiss on the cheek. I had never considered lesbian sex; I was straight, I had been pregnant by my first boyfriend, for Christ's sake... My one and only boyfriend, a traitor thought pointed out, a boyfriend I'd never had any real inclination to replace. The feel of those lips, soft and warm, even while her boob pressed against my arm, seemed to trigger something within me. I couldn't help it and I reached my arm around her and hugged her with a sigh as our breasts made contact. I felt her mouth open and her tongue brush my lips and I responded, ardently and passionately, my tongue darting out to entwine with hers, to explore her mouth as she did mine. Kissing boys had never felt this good. Oh god, what was I doing? I pulled back, perhaps rather abruptly because Marta gave a little gasp of surprise. "I'm sorry Marta, I've never done anything like this before." She looked disappointed. "I don't know what's got into me; I've never wanted to kiss a pretty girl before. A beautiful girl actually," I added, trying to say something to make her feel better. "But maybe you will want to again. Maybe?" she asked hopefully. "Oh Marta, I don't know!" I told her, though I had enjoyed it, much more than I thought I ought to have done... and I'd been really off with Tina, my kind friend Tina, because she was gay; what a hypocrite I was. "I'm sorry Marta but I need to go." I climbed to my feet and Marta rose too. "I should be working too, Jojo. I am sure I will see you again; later maybe." She smiled hopefully. "Possibly," I conceded and a little reluctantly let her hand go before stepping off the path to let her past. She smiled and nodded, a hopeful glint in her eyes. I turned away, unsure of what else to say, and hurried back to the apartment. I needed to apologise to Tina for my reaction and behaviour at lunchtime. As I entered the apartment the first thing I saw was Tina spreading a sheet over the now unfolded sofa bed. She looked up as she heard me enter and answered my unspoken question. "I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable, sharing a bed with a gay woman." "Tina, I'm sorry. It was just such a surprise." "No, I should have told you. This is probably for the best anyway; I don't want to make things difficult between us when we get back to work." She turned back to finish making up the bed and that seemed to be all she wanted to say on the matter. I, on the other hand, was desperate to ask questions. Why, really, had she invited me to join her here? Had she thought I was lesbian and, if so, why? Did she find me attractive? Had she considered a relationship with me? However, I didn't know where to start or how to ask so my natural timidity and reticence won and I said nothing. I convinced myself that my questions were irrelevant anyway: whatever she'd thought when inviting me, Tina obviously didn't want us to do anything that we might regret later. That afternoon was very difficult. There was a distance between us, an awkwardness that had never been there before. I still wasn't quite feeling a hundred percent and the weather was now very hot and humid, the sky hazy with cloud as we sat by the pool. Neither of these helped but they weren't the heart of the problem either. "It's so warm and sticky," I complained, trying to start up some conversation, "Still, being naked definitely helps. Can we have nude days back at the office when the weather gets really hot?" I asked smiling. "Probably not," was all Tina said in reply and went back to her book. Shit, why was she still so pissed off at me? I wondered. Dinner time finally arrived and after showering (one at a time and with no mutual back washing today) we went to eat. Unfortunately, we ended up sitting with Karl, Marina and Katja again, which meant a few slightly awkward questions at the outset. Between us, Tina and I passed off the lunchtime drama as a simple misunderstanding. I wasn't at all sure we convinced them and Katja gave us strange looks, though maybe she was trying to work out what was going on between us. I noticed Marta was waitressing again this evening, serving two of the other tables. She was wearing what seemed to be the standard waiting uniform at the resort, a navy blue apron tied around her waist, that in some ways it made her even more erotic. I caught her eye several times and when she smiled at me I couldn't help smiling back. Once, when no one else was looking, she flipped up her apron, flashing her pussy at me, then winked when she saw my shocked expression. Tina's mood did not improve; if anything it seemed to get worse. The walk back to the apartment was in sullen silence. Once inside Tina's only words were, "I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning." With that, she went straight into the bedroom leaving me standing there. I went through to the bathroom, cleaned my teeth and went for a pee. As I walked back through the bedroom I looked over towards Tina who was in bed, rolled in a sheet with her back towards me. Given the hot and heavily humid air of the room the sheet was clearly not for her comfort but another signal of her unhappiness with me. The prickling in my nose and eyes signalled the welling of tears and I hurried out, closing the door behind me so she wouldn't hear my sobs. Lying in bed, the uneven and uncomfortable sofa bed of course, I cried quietly. I had tried to apologise and clear the air after my inconsiderate reaction to her inadvertent coming out at lunchtime, yet here I was. Why was she so upset with me? And what about me? What about my reaction to Marta? And that kiss, oh god, that amazing and unexpected kiss... Am I a lesbian? Like my friend Tina... hopefully she's still my friend... I felt so completely wrung out by the day's events and emotions... Sturm und Drang I think I must have dozed off, my body's tiredness finally overwhelming my tumultuous mind. Whatever, I was suddenly wide awake as the after-echoes of the almighty crack of thunder still reverberated in my ears. I gave a pathetic little whimper, pulling the sheet over me. It was so thin and offered no comfort as the room was filled with a bright, blue-white flash followed moments later by another peal of deafening thunder. In the ringing silence I heard the patter of raindrops build quickly to a steady, loud, hissing susurrus. I was conscious that I was trembling as I anticipated the next thunderclap. This time there was no warning flash as both lightning and thunder coincided. I couldn't help myself; I screamed. I knew what thunder and lightning together meant: I was, for the first time in my life, in the centre of a storm. A second simultaneous flash and thunderclap followed almost immediately and I bolted, rushing through the bedroom door, pushing it shut behind me as I stood panting in fear, my body slick with sweat. "Jojo, what is it..." Tina asked sleepily, "oh, is it the thunder?" "Yes," I squeak and give another mewl of fear as there was more thunder. "Can I just stay in here till it's over?" I pleaded. "Jojo, come here, you don't have to cower over there. You're my friend... come over here." I walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. I felt the bed move as Tina shifted and then she took my hand, lifting it from where it rested on the bed to hold it. As thunder rolled again she tugged my hand, pulling me to lie next to her and she placed a hand on my shoulder. "Thank you," I said to her, feeling safer just being near her, though the slight abatement of the storm helped too. "I don't want to lose you as a friend," she said. "What happened, Tina?" I asked. "I know I didn't react well when you, you know, when I found out Alex was your girlfriend rather than your boyfriend. I thought we'd talked about that and I really am sorry I upset you." "Jojo... I, I followed you when you left at the end of lunch..." I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. "I saw you kissing that girl, Marta." Her voice was thick with emotion. "And then this evening... you and her flirting with your eyes and smiles." She took a shuddering breath. "Jojo, why did you pretend to be shocked and upset that I'm lesbian when you are too?" "Oh god Tina, I know I kissed Marta but it just sort of happened. I've never kissed a woman before, honestly; I've never even thought about doing so..." I looked into her eyes. "When I found out you were gay I was worried: you're my friend but also my boss at work and we'd slept naked in the same bed. I was scared and upset and then I met Marta and, well..." She nodded to save me from repeating the same story. The Sun on my Skin "Do you like Marta?" she asked quietly. "She's very attractive," I replied, unsure of what she was getting at. "Of course, you're really attractive too," I assured her. "Thanks, Jojo, but we weren't talking about me." She thought for a few moments and then spoke carefully. "You need time to think, Jojo, to work out who you are." Another crash of thunder made me flinch as I tried to think. What was she telling me? That she thought I was homophobic, perhaps? Or maybe she felt I had, what, led her on and behaved as if I might be open to a lesbian relationship? Shit, might I be looking to be with a woman, subconsciously perhaps? It didn't seem as if Tina was looking, certainly not with me apparently. "I'm your friend, Tina, please never doubt that." I was desperate to reassure her even though I had no idea what the answer to who I was might be. "I'm your friend too, and that's something I don't want to lose either." We lay side by side and listed to the rainfall gradually ease and stop. The air was cooler now and smelled rain-fresh, a gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the shrub outside the open window and making the curtain billow slowly. I should perhaps have got up and gone back to my own bed but I was much more comfortable here and Tina wasn't complaining so I stayed and we fell asleep. I woke and, for the first time this holiday, Tina was not cuddled against me. I felt a twinge of disappointment but reminded myself that things between us were somewhat in turmoil at that point. I got up as I had on that first morning and walked into the living room and out of the patio doors. The air had lost its oppressive heat and humidity and I savoured the cooler feel of it against my naked skin. It was Saturday, my third day here, and I felt completely comfortable clad only in my birthday suit. What I felt less comfortable with was my sexuality. Put bluntly, the question was whether I was gay and I'd fallen asleep last night without reaching any conclusions. Given that it was now Saturday and our penultimate full day here, I felt there was pressure to answer that because until I did I knew that I couldn't expect to properly sort out the problems that seemed to have arisen between Tina and me. Looking out I couldn't deny that it was the female figures that always caught my eye, like the two I could see over there... whom I suddenly recognised as Martina and Katja. I was surprised when Katja waved; she had always seemed so shy. I waved back and they veered towards me. "Guten Morgen Martina und Katja," I said as they neared. "Good morning Jojo, are you okay, you and Tina?" Katja asked, still a little shy. "We're okay, thank you Katja." "There was much Sturm und Drang, much storm and, er, turmoil last night... and yesterday too, nein? This has all passed... I am hopeful?" Martina asked. Yes, they'd evidently noticed the upset between Tina and me. "The storm last night was horrible," I said, "but has gone. Yesterday's... should pass too. Look, I'm sorry if I caused you any embarrassment; I didn't behave as well as I might." "No, it is nothing," Martina reassures me. "Well, we must to breakfast go. Perhaps we shall see you there." "Perhaps. Well, bye for now; bye Katja." I waved to them as they walked away and I returned to my thoughts. Things did seem easier between Tina and I; the talk during the night had been a start in healing our relationship. However, I remained rather restless and unsettled. I had to accept that I was at least somewhat attracted to women and that I responded to them in the way I ought to respond to men -- but almost never did. Marta appeared in my mind and how she had made me feel yesterday. So, I was probably a lesbian... like Tina. Yes, like Tina my friend, which sounded promising... but also like Tina my boss, which sounded fraught with dangers and pitfalls, and was almost certainly why she'd indicated she wasn't interested in me in that way. I didn't know where Tina was but assumed that she probably needed some time away from me. I wasn't too surprised, guessing she'd found me rather emotionally wearing over the last day or so. I grabbed my towel and wandered over to the restaurant. Entering, I saw that the restaurant was busy and I realized that I was earlier than I had been on previous mornings. However, there was no sign of Tina and I couldn't face joining a table without her. Actually I wasn't overly hungry, I decided, so went to the buffet and picked up a bread roll and a couple of pieces of fruit with a bottle of water and headed out to go and sit by the pool. The pool was quiet but there was Tina, taking advantage of the empty water to swim lengths. She swam with a graceful efficiency that gave her a deceptive speed; I could only enviously admire her skill as, while I enjoyed swimming, I did tend to thrash my way through the water. I sat down on the lounger beside the one she had claimed, her towel laying on it, and I ate my breakfast. As I continued watching Tina I wondered if her vigorous swimming was also a way of working off her tensions and frustrations with me. Eventually she pulled herself effortlessly from the pool and walked over, her stunning body glistening, shedding sparkling droplets as she walked. I suddenly guessed the source of her fantastic figure. "You've done a lot of swimming, haven't you? You're really good." I told her and she smiled, picking up her towel to pat herself dry. "Thank you. Yes, I used to swim for my school and then later for my university. I love the water and being able get up and just come over and dive in, you know, without all the hassle of getting dressed and then changed again into a swimming costume, was just wonderful." She noticed the apple core and orange peel beside me. "Oh, you've had breakfast." "Yeah, sorry," I apologised. "I didn't know where you were and I wasn't that hungry so I just grabbed a few bits." "No, don't worry Jojo. It's just I'm starving now so I've got to get some food in me so I'll see you back here in a while, okay?" "Definitely," I told her, keen for there to be no further upset between us. Tina took a long, leisurely breakfast as I swam briefly and sunbathed. When she returned we applied lotion to one another and lay to absorb the sun's rays. We talked a little but I was no nearer to an answer, so our conversation retained that same awkwardness that had arisen yesterday for the first time. Lunch came and went without incident but also without much appetite on my part. I did my best to put on a happy face in front of the Spanish family we shared the table with. The fact that they spoke limited English and I had only part-remembered GCSE Spanish restricted our conversation to basic pleasantries and sharing of simple facts, such as names and where we were all from. As we left after lunch Tina took my hand and asked how I was. "I am trying, Tina. I wish I could be sure of myself." "Take your time, Jojo; you'll know eventually. I can..." she hesitated. "If you ever want to talk..." she left the offer hanging but I didn't see what I could ask her without risking too much. "I'm going back to the pool for a while, unless you'd rather do something else?" she offered. "No... I don't know. I might just go for a walk and try and come to an answer about... things. I'm too jangled to just sit." I added apologetically. She said she understood and that she'd see me later. "Just... don't try drinking, okay?" she smiled faintly as I turned to go. I smiled back, assuring her that I wouldn't. I really wouldn't: the after effects were too unpleasant. So I walked and tried to think but to little effect. Perhaps, subconsciously, I hoped I would meet Marta again. Perhaps my wishes called out to her or, more likely, she was looking for me. Whatever, when I heard her call, "Hoho, you look sad again" my heart gave a little skip. I looked at her. She was lovely. Tina was stunning, perfect, a goddess; too perfect, I realised, to help me understand my sexuality because who wouldn't be smitten by her? And she was also my boss, which put her off-limits anyway. Marta was a girl, a pretty girl, cute and attractive. Sexy too, as I remembered her kiss once more, her boob against mine. "Hi Marta," I said and I felt my mood lighten and my frown lift just through meeting her. "You are not going to run away again today?" she asked. "No, I won't, I promise." She smiled the same cheeky smile she used after lifting her apron at dinner last night. "You were so naughty, just giving me a glimpse of your slit when you were a waitress last night." "My slit? Ah, mi coño, si, yes. Did you not like it?" "Um, I liked it, a bit too much." "Can you like something too much? If I like you very much, is that bad?" she asked and once again, as yesterday, her fingers caressed my forearm. I once again felt the tingle but there was more this time, there was also arousal as I felt my nipples harden. Marta noticed them too; the downside of being naked I thought, though Marta, given the smile on her face, most certainly would not have agreed. "I think I should do my work and check your apartment, Jojo." I thought she was saying she had to go but she stepped closer, her hand moving to rest on my hip. "We can check the bed is okay, maybe?" "Marta... there isn't, I mean, is this the work you should be doing?" I'm not sure if this is simple concern that she shouldn't get into trouble or a way of avoiding confronting the feelings churning inside me. "My parents, they are the owners, remember? If I think the bed needs a check then I think that it is okay for me to test. I think we need both to test it, yes Jojo?" I hesitated. I was so tempted to say no, to take the cowardly route and say that I didn't want this but my body was making a liar of me: not just my nipples but my flushed cheeks, my hammering heart and, deep inside the core of my womanhood, a blossoming heat. Yes, I wanted this but all I could do at first was nod. "I've never..." I managed to croak. Marta's body closed against mine. "I understand, Jojo, you are a, a newbie, yes?" I nodded again. "I am not a newbie, I love other girls before, okay?" "Very okay, I mean yes, that's fine... not just fine, um, good..." Her lips pressed against mine to silence my nervous gibbering and we kissed briefly. All too soon she pulled away and took my hand. She hurried, leading the way, and I was filled with excitement and trepidation. I was going to make love to a woman... or, at least, she would make love to me. Inside the apartment Marta immediately saw the sofa bed. "So your friend, er Tina, she makes you sleep here now?" she asked. "Well, sort of, she doesn't think we should sleep together, that it would make things difficult between us. I did wonder if she, you know, fancied me but..." I did not get the chance to say more as Marta's mouth was on mine again and this time it was not brief. Our mouths and bodies mashed together and what I felt now went beyond mere arousal, beyond desire; I was consumed by lust. It was almost as if I wanted to feel Marta with every part of my body. "Make love to me Marta, please..." I begged and she drew me to the bed. I had never considered myself overly sensual or sexual but it was as if the nakedness of the last days, along with the discovery of my attraction to women that had lurked unacknowledged within me, had released my carnality. Put bluntly, I was desperate to fuck this girl and to be fucked by her. The moment we lay on the bed our hands were all over each other, our bodies entwined as I pressed my most intimate place against the firm, warm flesh of her thigh. The urge moments before to experience Marta with every part of me was now being realized. Her hands were on my boobs, first caressing then squeezing, and I reciprocated, eagerly copying her touches that felt so good. She broke the kiss and began kissing my neck instead so I raised my chin to give her the freedom to do what she wanted. At the same time I twisted and reached down, grasping her deliciously taught but yielding buttock and squeezing. My fingertips edged slightly into the crack between her cheeks and I felt an erotic thrill that I should be touching her, touching a woman, so intimately. My pussy felt warm and moist with arousal. Marta shifted sideways and, disappointingly, I lost my grip on her arse. However, what followed was anything but disappointing as her warm, wet tongue lapped a long line up the valley of my cleavage. It was unexpected but wonderful. Her tongue continued its surprises; I had expected her to kiss or lick my boobs, probably the now bone-hard nipples, but instead her tongue lapped along the creases where my breasts met my chest. "Mmm, your skin does taste nice, Jojo." "That feels very nice," I told her and she laughed. "Maybe this feel better," she said and her tongue lapped over my boob and flicked across the nipple. She was right; it certainly did, as my gasp of pleasure no doubt told her. She began licking, sucking and squeezing my nipples with her mouth making me moan and squirm. Suddenly I felt her hand slip down, gliding across my stomach, down between my legs to cup my mound. "Oh fuck!" I gasped; this was it, this was serious girl-on-girl sex not just kissing and cuddling. "Are you okay?" Marta asked, startled by my exclamation. "Uh yes; it's just the excitement of doing this." She smiled and her fingers curled slightly, one finger pressing along the length my pussy's slit. The pressure increased slightly and then, when she gave it a little twist, her middle finger slipped past the edges of my labia into the wet heat within. "Oh yes, Marta." I couldn't resist and reached out and down with my hand to Marta's pussy. The tips of my fingers brushed the soft, smooth skin and then I touched it, caressed that rounded cleft, the entrance to her womanhood. I couldn't help shivering at the thought of what I was doing, "You feel so perfect," I told her. "You do also," Marta replied. "Jojo, put your fingers inside me and we can both cum." I wriggled my finger, squirming it so that it burrowed into her soft folds. I cannot not describe the way it felt, how her sex engulfed my finger, the wetness and heat and, above all, she sheer sensuality of that penetration. I was in nirvana. I began working my fingers in and out, gradually slipping deeper and deeper as my confidence and excitement grew and the fear of hurting Marta receded. I could feel her love juices oozing around my fingers and smell the scent of her arousal; mine too I realized, as she gently penetrated me and my love juices welled up from inside just as hers were. Her finger slid back and forth and I could feel how slick my passion had made it. "Mmm Marta, yes, finger me!" I said and suddenly her one finger became two. I copied, also adding a second finger but my hand was at the wrong angle to stimulate her clitoris and the movement of her hand was mine. Instead I tried to make my finger thrusts deep and long, opening both fingers to press either side of her vaginal walls as I pulled back. Then I had an idea and added my ring finger; three fingers were now inside her and Marta gasped "Oh, si, si... muy buena, Jojo." I knew it wouldn't be too long before I came but, as her thumb began to caress my clitoris in time with the delving of her fingers, 'not too long' became 'very soon'; the feel of her touch on the sensitive button of my clit was wonderful. However, I didn't want to reach my orgasm before her and leave her unsatisfied as I climaxed. "I, I want us... to cum... together..." I gasped. Marta smiled and nodded as her thumb eased off my little nub, a little anyway. I continued to finger her, to fuck her with my hand and I felt her tremble inside. I wondered if she was getting close too and when she began rubbing my button firmly again I assumed that she was. It felt so good when the fireworks of my climax exploded through my nervous system. It was even better as, with a cry and a thrust of her hips against my embedded hand, I felt Marta convulse with her own orgasm. And so we came almost as one, trembling and gasping, our bodies slick with the sweat of our climaxes and shared heat. As the waves of pleasure passed we snuggled side by side. She raised the glistening fingers that had, moments before, been inside me and slipped them into her mouth. "Mi gusta el sabor," she exclaimed and she certainly seemed to, going by her expression. I was a little surprised; could you really like the taste of love juices? Well, the new me was supposed to be up for trying anything so I did the same and sucked her juices from my fingers. The flavour was unexpectedly rich and complex, savoury and intense. "You like?" she asked, watching me. I hesitated, not sure if I immediately liked it as a taste or whether it was knowing what I was tasting that made it so appealing. "It's very different from anything else but I think I do, yes. I definitely want to taste more," I said as the idea of licking her pussy occurred to me and I glanced down automatically. That glance, I think, betrayed my thoughts because when my eyed returned to Marta's face she was smiling wickedly. "You are very, um, entusiasta... er?" "Enthusiastic?" I suggested and she nodded. "Si, enthusiastic, you are an enthusiastic girl that you want now to eat me!" She smiled and lay back, inviting me to do as I wanted. I was nervous, I cannot deny that, but I was also excited. The nervousness was that of attempting something new and wanting to do it right... but the excitement ran deeper; I felt I was discovering myself. For some reason there was no anxiety about 'turning lesbian'; after all, I'd not exactly been a roaring success as a heterosexual. No, this just felt right, that this was where I should be. I moved down and found my knees balanced precariously on the edge of the bed so I got down onto the floor. Now, however, I was too far back to reach between Marta's legs with my mouth. "Oh' damn," I cursed under my breath, feeling I was messing up already. Marta raised her head and looked down towards me, smiling as she saw my problem. "A moment," she said, "I will move for you," as she bum-shuffled down. Her legs widened to pass either side of me. Before me lay her pussy up close, displayed before my eyes and I was transfixed by the details: the crease in her vulva that had so caught my attention and then engulfed my fingers, was now opened like a budding flower; thick and crinkled labia had swelled and emerged, a startling, glistening deep pink against the olive tone of her skin and, at the centre, shades of red and burgundy blended into the dark shadow of her vaginal opening. "Jojo?" Marta said quietly as I stared entranced at her sex. "So beautiful," I murmured. My trance was broken and I lowered my head. My lips brushed her labia, feeling their slick, crinkled texture as my tongue emerged. I lapped softly through those intimate folds and the taste was so much more intense than from my finger; more intense and more wonderful and, yes, I really liked it. My mouth closed over her pussy as I tried to insert my tongue to French kiss it like a mouth but this didn't really work the way I'd imagined though Marta gave a little "Mmmm" of encouragement. Still, I wanted to push my tongue deep into her and I couldn't manage it this way. I moved my head back and reached up with my hands; placing my thumbs either side of her pussy I gently pulled, spreading her labia revealing her love passage, and at the bottom of the opening I saw a little bead of her juice had gathered. I leant in and lapped that tasty droplet before moving in. With her lips spread wide I pressed my mouth into her flesh and drove in with my tongue. Now I could do what I sought: to fuck her with my tongue. The idea had turned me on but the reality was so much more wonderful and from the squeal of excitement from Marta it was good for her too as my tongue recoiled and thrust again and again.