"Castro Fitness Center, this is Ally speaking," rang out the clear alto voice.

"Hi Ally, guess who?" Ryan asked.

"Hmmm," she mused, "Is this a really hot brunette, 6 feet plus, legs for days?"

"Yeaah," she purred.

"I don’t know anybody like that, who the heck are you?" she asked as she tried to hide a laugh.

"I’m just a lonely woman looking for a little companionship," she said innocently. "Do you know anyone who might be free on Friday night?"

"Friday night? You actually want to see me on a Friday night?" she asked incredulously. "I thought you were only allowed out of the house in the afternoons."

"I’ve had a change of schedule," she said happily. "My weekends are now my own."

"Really? You haven’t had a weekend off in all the time I’ve known you. Do you have any idea how to fill a weekend?"

"I hoped you could help me out with that," she asked hopefully. "What do you say to Friday night?"

"Best offer I’ve had all day," she replied. "Do you want to go out or stay in?"

"I can go out with anyone," she said in a dangerously low tone. "I want to stay in with you."

"I’ll be home by 6. Bring dinner with you, Hot Stuff, cause you’re not leaving until Saturday."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Ryan buzzed over to the Castro on Friday night, thinking about Ally. They had met shortly after Ryan had graduated from high school. She had started to take classes to become certified as a personal trainer and she lucked into a job at Castro Fitness. Ally was just 2 years older and had started at Castro just a few months before Ryan had.

Ryan was sure that Ally had barely noticed her and she was a little surprised when the near stranger approached her one day and brought up the topic of safer sex. Ryan was just starting to feel comfortable with her lesbian identity. She had spent the previous year engaged in some fairly risky behavior but Ally sat her down and read her the riot act. "Listen Ryan," she had told her. "You just can’t run around and be wild with everyone you meet. You’ve got to use safer sex practices every time you’re with someone."

"But the chance of contracting AIDS isn’t very high for women having sex with women," Ryan said defensively.

"No, it’s not very high, but any chance is too high. You’re 17 years old, Ryan. Don’t risk cutting your life short just to get a little action. Besides, AIDS isn’t the only thing to worry about. I guarantee you’ll contract a venereal disease within 6 months if you haven’t already. Herpes and chondyloma are permanent, Ryan. And no matter how attractive you are, your popularity will hit the skids if you have lesions or warts on your fun parts."

"But I don’t know how to have safer sex," she admitted as she blushed.

"Come over tonight after 8 and I’ll show you everything you need to know," Ally had offered.

Ryan laughed when she thought about how easily she had succumbed to Ally’s charms. They had spent that first night at ‘Good Vibrations’, a woman oriented sex toy shop in the Mission district. Ally explained all of the sex toys and latex barriers that Ryan could use to protect herself. Then to make sure that her student understood everything perfectly they had gone back to Ally’s apartment and tried out every item in her little bag of tricks. By the next day Ryan was terribly sore but very well trained in the science of safer sex.

After that initial foray they had hit it off almost immediately. They both enjoyed working out, riding bikes, and having sex, lots of sex, with lots of women. Ryan had actually found herself falling for her new friend. But Ally made it clear that she was not in the market for a girlfriend. She continued to date anyone who caught her eye and she never made an attempt to hide her lovers from Ryan. After a while she came to understand that Ally really was not going to return her affections and she began to think of her as an occasional sex partner. And as long as she kept it very casual Ally was always willing to spend a day or two with her.

Their normal pattern was to see each other quite a few times in a two or three week period. But as soon as things started to get too intense one or the other would stop calling. They would let 3 or 4 months pass and then start up for another round.

Ryan often felt that she would have liked the chance to try to make a relationship with Ally but she realized that they were too much alike to be able to stand each other for too long. But she had to admit that it was usually Ally who called a halt to their little flings.

They sometimes went to a club or a bar, and one year they went to Gay Pride Weekend together. But they generally just got together for incredibly good sex. Ryan had never met anyone who had her number quite like Ally did. Maybe it was because they had slept together so many times. But there was something about Ally that just drove her wild. She was not really even Ryan’s type, physically. She was the only woman that Ryan had ever been with who could pick her up. And she did it a lot, sometimes just to show her who was boss. Ally was just a little bit taller but she was incredibly strong. She competed in body building competitions and usually did pretty well, as long as they were chemically free. Ally was very antagonistic about steroids and she refused to compete if the athletes weren’t tested for their use.

Ally was attractive, but in a very androgynous fashion. She wore her dark brown hair very short, about 1 ˝ inches long all over her head. Half the time it stuck straight up like a crew cut, but Ryan loved how the bristly little hairs felt on her naked body. Her eyes were somewhere between blue and gray depending on the light, but there was a fire in them that Ryan was truly drawn to.

Ryan was usually attracted to women who were smaller than she was. Her favorite type was tall, but not as tall as she; about 5’7" or so was perfect. She loved brunettes with relatively long hair and she was a sucker for dark brown eyes. She particularly liked lithe, lean women who were athletic but not very muscular. So it never ceased to amaze her that she found Ally so incredibly attractive.

She stopped at Hamburger Mary’s to pick up burgers and malts, Ally’s favorite junk food. They both tried to eat healthy most of the time, but when she wasn’t getting in shape for a competition Ally was pretty flexible. Since Ryan didn’t much care about a little weight fluctuation she could easily be tempted to treat herself to some junk food and she had to admit that hamburgers were one of her favorite indulgences.

As she parked her bike about a block from Ally’s building she felt her pulse begin to pick up. She didn’t often get nervous when she went on a date, having learned a long time ago that a lot of great looking women were absolute duds when you had to spend an evening with them. But she knew Ally well, and she knew what to expect—as much sex as she could handle. Ryan had always fancied herself as the dominant partner in almost every liaison that she had. She liked; no--she needed--to control the action. But she never got to do that with Ally. Even though she was only 2 years older Ally had always treated Ryan like she was young and inexperienced. She controlled the entire evening, and Ryan had learned that if she wanted to keep their connection going she had to allow her friend to be in charge.

Ryan trotted up the stairs to Ally’s third floor unit. She buzzed the door and waited patiently as she could hear her walking around inside. She opened the door with her portable phone in her hand and smiled broadly as she indicated that Ryan should go into the kitchen and get dinner organized.

As she finished putting everything on plates Ally snuck up behind her and enveloped her in a big bear hug. She snuggled her head down against Ryan’s neck as she held her tightly around the waist. "I’ve missed you, Sugar," she whispered in her ear.

Ryan felt a chill start at that lucky ear and travel all the way down to her toes. She giggled a little as Ally’s warm breath tickled her ear. She loved the soft southern accent that her friend had not been able to shake even though she had moved to San Francisco from Chapel Hill, North Carolina over 8 years ago. She was ready to be released but Ally held on just a bit longer to let her know she was still on top. Ryan turned in her embrace and lifted her head just an inch to brush her lips against her friend’s silky soft mouth.

One of the things that Ryan loved best was the contrast between Ally’s external demeanor and appearance and the soft, warm, womanly curves that were usually hidden under her workout clothes. Ally had rather large breasts for her size and a delightful curve to her hips that Ryan loved to run her hands over. Her external toughness just accentuated the hidden treasures that Ryan loved to indulge in. "I’ve missed you too, Ally," she said sincerely.

"How long has it been?" Ally asked as she stepped out of Ryan’s embrace and reached around to pick up a French fry and toss it in her mouth.

"I was thinking about that on the way over," she admitted. "I think it was right after the AIDS ride. I remember that my legs were stiff when I came over and that they stayed that way for another week thanks to you!"

"You know I never guarantee not to bruise the merchandise," she purred as she backed Ryan up against the table. Ryan slid her arms around Ally’s neck and allowed herself to be thoroughly kissed. Those big strong hands held her tightly around the waist as Ally worked on her mouth with a methodical intensity. She pulled back slowly and chuckled at bit as Ryan kept her arms twined around her neck, eyes tightly closed. "Aren’t you hungry, Sweet Pea?" she asked softly.

Ryan mutely nodded, eyes still closed.

"You look like you’re hungry for some love," Ally purred as she bent to lavish another round of heated kisses on Ryan’s hungry mouth.

Ryan couldn’t stop a low groan from escaping as her mouth was claimed so totally by her friend. She often felt powerless when she was with Ally and she had to admit that she absolutely loved it. There was something reassuring about feeling that someone else was in charge once in a while that really appealed to Ryan. She didn’t think she’d like to feel this way all of the time, but it was a welcome change that she had come to rely on and actually yearn for during the past 5 years.

"Come on Sugar Baby," Ally said softly as she pulled away from the embrace. "I need to keep my strength up to handle you all night long." She picked up the plates and carried them into the living room. Ryan handled the malts and a fistful of napkins. They sat in the cozy living room, Ryan on the low futon/couch, Ally on a butterscotch leather club chair. They chatted about Ally’s most recent weight lifting competition that had just been held in San Jose. Ryan knew some of the competitors and one or two of the judges and Ally filled her in on who was in really good shape. Ryan reflected that their conversations centered almost entirely on working out, weight training and acquaintances that they had in common. Ally usually asked her a few questions about school, but it was clear that she did so to be polite. They didn’t share an interest in hardly anything, Ryan mused. A Wynona Judd CD was playing quietly in the background to highlight one area of disagreement. Ryan liked to listen to World Music, with a particular fondness for Afro-pop or contemporary Irish artists, while Ally never varied from Wynona, Shania, Reba, and Faith. Her apartment was devoid of books, the only reading material being fitness magazines.

Ally came from a big family, but she had left home almost immediately upon graduating from high school. She had been having sex with women since she was 15 but an older brother caught her with another girl when she was a senior and her family made life nearly unbearable for her that last year. After she left North Carolina she maintained a relationship with one of her sisters who had also left home for good, but that was it. She had never been back home and she had no contact whatsoever with her parents. Ryan was not even sure if her parents knew where she lived. She knew that there must be a lot of pain hidden behind her friend’s sunny demeanor but they never talked about it. Ally really preferred to only dwell on current issues and Ryan had decided long ago that she needed to honor her need for privacy if she wanted to maintain the relationship. Perhaps because of her family situation Ally also never inquired very deeply into Ryan’s home life. She knew that Ryan lived at home, since they could never go there for a date, but she rarely asked after the rest of the O’Flaherty clan. Their relationship almost seemed to exist outside of their normal lives. It was untainted by any of the day to day issues that can cause tension. There was clearly only one focus and both of them seemed to like it that way.

"So tell me what’s caused the change to your schedule?" Ally asked as she picked up Ryan’s now empty plate and carried it into the kitchen.

"I got a new job," Ryan began as Ally came back into the room and sat down right next to her on the couch. Her friend casually draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close and Ryan smiled demurely as she automatically snuggled up against Ally’s side. "Well, actually a friend got me a new job," she admitted just to be accurate. Even though they had worked at the same gym for nearly 5 years they didn’t see each other often at work. Ryan worked evenings and weekends almost exclusively while Ally had tailored her schedule into a 9-5 job. She didn’t work out at Castro, so she spent most of her evenings training at a heavy duty free weight place in the Mission district.

"You’re leaving Castro?" she asked in surprise.

"Pretty much," Ryan admitted. "My new place is over in Berkeley. It’s really cool, Ally. It’s women only and it’s filled with people who want to work, not pose." It was a long standing joke between them how few of the people at Castro really seemed to work, especially in the evenings; prime cruising time. "I’ve got two clients who don’t want to move with me, but I think I’m gonna have to let them go. It’s just not worth it to pay $250 a month and have to come back over here to make $375. That just knocks my hourly down too low. Would you like to take them?"

"When do you see them?"

"I see Mark on Wednesday at 9 and Sunday at noon, and Vanessa at 4. I think they would actually prefer to come on a weekday though. Mark’s a writer so he can make his own schedule, and I think Vanessa is either a sex worker or a dancer. We’ve never talked about it but she’s got a lot more silicone than I think you need for normal purposes," she said with a laugh.

"I’d love another couple of steady clients," Ally said. "Do you want to hand them off or should I call them?"

"My fees are paid up through October so I was planning on finishing out the month with them. Would you be willing to come over on Sunday and meet them?"

"Sure. Why don’t you come over tomorrow night and we can have brunch on Sunday morning before we go over?"

Ryan gave her a lopsided grin as she made a small plea for moderation. "That works for me, but you have to promise not to wear me out too badly tonight. I’ve got a long bike ride scheduled for tomorrow and I can’t do it standing up. Plus I need to reserve a little energy if you want me to come back tomorrow night."

"Okay," Ally said softly as she leaned over and started to kiss Ryan’s neck. "I’ll go easy on you tonight, but tomorrow all bets are off," she said as she nipped her neck rather sharply in anticipation.

Ryan gulped audibly as she considered what she was in for. Ally never hurt her or really tried to dominate her physically. But she seemed to take great pleasure in wringing every bit of desire from Ryan’s body. She didn’t use any elaborate bondage paraphernalia but she did like to restrain Ryan, usually with her hands or sometimes just with her personality. Ryan knew exactly what it was like to be in Ally’s shoes since she behaved just like her when she was with other women. But it was a very big turn on for her to be the object of desire when they were together. When Ally said all bets were off that meant that she would be up all night, giving herself over totally to her friend. Ally could rarely let her off with just one orgasm. And since Ryan was not multi-orgasmic she needed to rest for an hour or so between bouts. So some of their dates turned into very long marathon sessions, with short naps or even a run out to a 24 hour diner for a little sustenance to keep them going.

Ryan leaned her head back as she closed her eyes and gave her friend total access to her sensitive neck. Ally liked for Ryan to look a little butch on the outside, so she had worn a tight black v-necked T-shirt with the short sleeves rolled up a little and carpenter’s style canvas jeans. But she also satisfied her friend’s desire for sexy underwear. Under her tough girl outfit Ryan wore a nearly transparent black lace bra and some tiny black bikinis. Ally started to work her shirt out of her pants and Ryan reflected that she had never undressed herself when they were together. Ally had a need to control the entire scene; from start to finish, and undressing her partner was a very important part in setting the stage.

After she had pulled Ryan’s shirt free she returned to her neck and started kissing down the v of her collar. She didn’t like the angle she was working at so she slid her arms behind Ryan’s back and knees and effortlessly pulled her onto her lap. Ryan smiled serenely as she felt herself being lifted so easily. She was always the one to cradle a woman in her lap and she loved the role reversal. There was something so freeing to just let herself go and allow Ally to make all the decisions. She briefly wondered if Ally had anyone to switch roles with, but all such thoughts flew from her mind as she felt her shirt being lifted from her body. "Oooh, I love this," Ally’s voice burred against her ear as she ran her powerful hands all over Ryan’s breasts.

She felt her nipples snap to attention as they were teased through the somewhat rough lace. She hadn’t warned Ally to go easy on her breasts and she shivered slightly as she imagined how thoroughly they would be loved. Ally was decidedly a breast woman. It seemed that most of her arousal came from fondling Ryan’s breasts and she returned to them again and again as they made love.

Ryan leaned languidly against Ally’s neck as she continued to massage her breasts through her bra. A small moan escaped from her lips as she felt those big strong hands grasp and play with her increasingly aroused mounds but she knew that Ally would go at her own pace, no matter how aroused she was. Ally clearly wanted to please Ryan but her own pleasure was the focus of their interactions. She waited until she was ready to move on in their lovemaking, and Ryan knew that she might as well relax and enjoy the ride. Ally was driving and she had no control over the route or the destination.

She slid her hand down to grasp Ally’s full breast but she felt her hand being gripped firmly as her friend whispered, "Focus, Sugar. Just feel what I’m doing to you." Ryan submissively complied with her instructions as she wondered whether she would be allowed to touch Ally this time. She was usually allowed to please her friend, but she normally had to wait until Ally had made love to her at least twice. There seemed to be a barrier that they had to cross in order for her to be receptive. Sometimes they would be together for two days with Ryan never being allowed to even kiss her breasts. But Ally clearly did not want to talk about her desires or her needs. Ryan assumed that she had been molested as a child since there were certain ways that she could not tolerate to be touched. There were also certain positions that Ryan had learned never put her in. Ally could not tolerate being on her back with Ryan on top of her. The one time she had tried that she found herself nearly thrown from the bed, so she was careful never to repeat that move. But they sometimes reached a level of intimacy that allowed Ally to shove down her barriers and welcome Ryan’s touch without restriction. Ryan clearly loved those times best of all. As much as she loved being touched, touching Ally seemed like a gift. She would focus all of her energies on pleasing her friend and sometimes they would fly into a frenzy of lovemaking that was truly overpowering for both of them. But every time that happened Ally would withdraw the next day and be unavailable for at least 3 or 4 months. Ryan reflected that the last time they had seen each other they had gotten very intimate. Ally was more vulnerable than she could ever remember her being, and had in fact softly wept after Ryan had made love to her. But the experience had obviously been uncomfortable since she had not heard from her friend since June.

It was clear tonight that Ally did not want Ryan’s hands to wander into restricted space. She slowly unbuckled Ryan’s belt while she kept her gaze locked on her. She pulled it from the loops and quickly wrapped it around Ryan’s hands and gripped it tight, completely restricting her ability to move her hands independently. She gently tossed her onto her back and tied the belt over the wooden arm of the sofa, causing Ryan’s arms to be fully extended over her head.

Ryan sighed deeply as she felt her hands being removed from her control. She was completely confident in Ally’s concern for her and she knew that she would stop anything she was doing if Ryan asked her to. She didn’t restrict Ryan for her own pleasure as much as she did to remind her to relax and give up any desire for control. And Ryan had to admit that it worked perfectly. She opened herself up to Ally’s desires and let her friend use her body to bring both of them the pleasure that they sought.

Ally moved down to remove Ryan’s big black lineman’s boots and her thick white socks. She spent a long time massaging her feet, sending waves of pleasure up and down Ryan’s spine. Ryan was so relaxed that her limbs felt heavy and weak. Ally decided to crank her back up a bit so she raised Ryan’s foot up and began to sensually suck on her clean pink toes. The feel of that terribly soft warm mouth on her foot brought her right back up to her previous level of arousal. She started to slowly twitch her hips as she waited for her friend to make her next move. She sincerely hoped that it would involve her vulva, but she had a feeling that she was a long way from getting any release. Much to her surprise Ally began to slowly unzip her jeans. She slid her hand in and tickled her mound with just the tips of her fingers. Ryan’s hips shot off the sofa and tried to increase the pressure but Ally knew all of her tricks. She lightened up her touch every time Ryan thrust at her until she was touching only her panties.

She leaned over and whispered into Ryan’s flushed ear, "Are you ready for me, Sweetness?"

Ryan closed her eyes and ground her hips around in a little circle as she slowly nodded her head.

"Talk to me Sugar. Tell me what you want," she cooed.

Ryan took several deep breaths before she had the ability to express her needs. "I want you to touch me Ally. I want to feel your hands on me and I want your fingers deep inside of me."

"Mmmm, I want that too, Sugar," she whispered as she captured Ryan’s swollen bottom lip and gently sucked it into her mouth. She nibbled on the tender flesh for a moment before she moved on to explore Ryan’s mouth with her tongue. After a few achingly long moments she pulled away and gazed into Ryan’s desire filled eyes. "I promise you’ll get all you can handle, Sweetness. But I don’t think you’re ready yet," she informed her with a note of regret in her deep voice. "When you’re really ready you’ll beg for my touch."

She climbed on top of Ryan and started to kiss her again. Ryan’s mouth opened and welcomed Ally’s warm tongue as it began to explore every surface. As the kissing intensified Ryan had an overpowering desire to wrap her arms around Ally’s back and toss her over. She wanted to satisfy her primal urge to be on top but her bound hands constantly reminded her that she was a bottom today, and would remain so for the duration of the evening.

After she had kissed her so thoroughly that her lips felt bruised Ally moved down again. She went to the end of the sofa and grabbed the hems of Ryan’s pant legs and gave a powerful yank. The jeans flew from her body and were quickly tossed aside. Her panties were pulled down inadvertently so Ally gently pulled them back up and softly patted Ryan’s belly. Then she climbed on top again and began to kiss Ryan’s nipples through her bra. The pressure of her firm tongue made the material feel quite rough on Ryan’s delicate skin. Her nipples puckered so forcefully that her areolas almost disappeared. Ally’s hands were never still as her mouth worked away. She ran her hands up and down Ryan’s torso, touching her lightly, teasingly.

After a long while she sat up and gazed at Ryan for a moment. She reached up and untied her hands, swiftly pulling her up to a sitting position. "Dance with me," she said simply as she extended a hand. Ryan obediently grasped it as she was pulled to her feet. Ally was still fully clothed. She had on black jeans and a white cropped T-shirt that bore a logo that read ‘girl’. Ryan guessed that she also wore a sports bra since she had no cleavage tonight. She just fervently hoped that she’d be allowed to find out what was under those clothes before the night was over.

A slow, emotion laden song was playing and Ally wrapped her arm around Ryan’s waist as she grasped her hand and held it to her breast. She began to move her slowly around the wooden floor, keeping perfect time to the music. Ryan felt more naked than she would have felt it she was in fact naked. Something about dancing in your lacy underwear when your partner was fully dressed could do that to a girl.

Ally’s black Doc Martin’s added to her height advantage to make her at least 3 inches taller than her partner but the height difference allowed Ryan to get close by tucking her breasts just under Ally’s. Ryan let her head drop to rest on Ally’s broad shoulder and she sighed as she felt her partner’s head turn to gently rest against hers. There was something so intimate about this tender dance that Ryan felt a burst of emotion well up in her throat. They continued to move with and against each other until the entire CD was finished. As the music stopped they stood and swayed together for a few long minutes. Ally finally lifted her head and kissed Ryan tenderly, just barely brushing their lips together. Her hand lifted from Ryan’s back and gently held the back of her head as she slowly increased the intensity of the kiss until she could feel her partner’s knees begin to weaken.

With one powerful move she swept Ryan into her arms and started to carry her towards the bedroom. Ryan raised her hands to clasp behind Ally’s neck as she leaned back and enjoyed the ride. She hadn’t been carried to bed since she was a small child and she smiled sweetly as she thought of all of the women she had done this to. When they arrived she laid her gently onto the neatly made bed and started to undress. Ryan stared at her with her heavy lidded eyes filled with open desire. It was clear that she appreciated Ally’s sculpted body and she did her best to show that appreciation with her eyes. Her gaze was met with a knowing smirk as Ally showed off a bit. She removed her T-shirt and pulled her bra over her head. Standing there in her jeans she stretched and arched her back languidly. Ryan took in all of the rippling muscles in her back and shoulders as she felt her mouth go dry with the insistent craving that pounded in her body. She loved few things more than to feel those muscles flex as she touched them with her hands and mouth.

Ally turned around to remove her jeans. Her only motivation was to show off her back a little bit more but Ryan loved this exhibitionistic part of her friend. She appreciated great bodies and she thought it only fair that the owner would appreciate her own body as well. She shucked her jeans slowly as she displayed herself completely. Next she slid her gray panties down her rock hard legs and stepped out of them. Another few stretches for Ryan’s benefit and she climbed onto the bed.

"God, you look good," Ryan breathed as she ran her fingers up Ally’s legs. "I’ve never seen your legs look so big." Ally didn’t stop her so she continued to trail her hands over the starkly defined muscles. "Ummm, your quads are like iron," she said in wonder as she pushed her thumbs into the big muscles. She was just about to move her hands to feel the backs of Ally’s legs when she abruptly found herself on her back again.

"Break’s over, Sweetie, back to work," Ally said with a wild look in her eyes as she climbed on top of her again. She returned her attentions to Ryan’s now aching breasts. Once again her nipples popped up quickly as Ally let out a little chuckle. "Somebody seems to like me," she said as she blew a cool breath across the tender nubs.

"Ummm, they like you a lot," Ryan purred as she felt the sensation begin to radiate out from her breasts. Ally continued to tease the taut nipples through the lacy bra until Ryan once again started to roll her hips in a very beguiling fashion.

Ally rolled her onto her side and unclasped her bra and lifted it from her body. She put her on her back again as she leaned over her ruby red nipples and spoke to them as if they were sentient. "You look so red and swollen," she said sympathetically. "I bet you’d love someone to sooth you with a nice warm mouth, wouldn’t you?"

Ryan answered for her nipples as she tried to grab Ally’s head and pull it onto one of the inflamed tips. But Ally was far too quick for her. She got a firm grip on both of Ryan’s hands and placed them upon two of the spindles in her wooden headboard. She leaned over until her nose was nearly touching Ryan’s. "Keep them there," she growled.

Ryan despised to have to control herself and even though she had never revealed this fact to Ally she had a feeling that the larger woman knew it and forced her to do so just to make her point. It was much easier for her if Ally just tied her hands. But Ally got a lot of pleasure from Ryan’s internal struggle to obey this one simple command, so she did her best to comply. She gripped the spindles firmly and closed her eyes as Ally dipped her head and covered one of her aching nipples with her mouth. The warm, wet tongue was very soothing and Ryan luxuriated in the sensation. Ally blew on them again and Ryan felt some of the heat leave the tender nubs as the cool air passed over.

She felt her hips begin to thrust as her friend began to suck more and more of her breast into her mouth. She wanted to reach down and hold Ally’s head and push her mouth more firmly against her breast but she was unable to do so because of her restrained hands. The fact that she was the one restraining herself just made the sensation all the more deliciously frustrating. She just wished that Ally would slide one of those rock hard thighs between her legs so she could have some pressure on her vulva. It was so

maddening to have her hips thrusting against nothing but air, but she could not keep them still, no matter how hard she tried.

Ally tossed her leg over Ryan’s hips and sat up, straddling her thighs. Ryan smiled to herself as she felt those dark brown curls leave a moist trail as they passed over her leg. Ally opened her arms and beckoned, "Come here, Sugar."

Ryan relinquished her hold of the spindles and sat up quickly, feeling herself enveloped in her friend’s strong embrace. "I swear you’re more beautiful every time I see you," she whispered into her ear and she squeezed her tightly. Ryan lifted her head and Ally began to kiss her again, this time with a tender, soft, emotion filled touch. She brought her hands around to cup Ryan’s breasts and gently squeezed them as her kisses deepened. Ryan brought her hands up to rest on top of Ally’s and she pressed them harder against herself as they began to move around in a circle. "You have the most perfect breasts I’ve ever touched," she murmured reverently as she continued to move the tortured flesh around slowly in her hands.

She finally pulled one hand away and moved it to the back of Ryan’s head. She lifted her own breast in her hand and raised it to Ryan’s willing mouth. "Please," she begged with a tremulous voice. Ryan thankfully opened her mouth and sucked Ally in. They let out concurrent moans as they both felt a jolt of pleasure from the contact. Ryan’s arousal shot off the scale as she sucked on Ally’s breasts with a ravenous hunger. Her clitoris throbbed as she squeezed her thighs together as tightly as she could manage. She was rewarded by Ally’s soft moans as she worked on her generous mounds with her hands and her mouth. But after all too brief a time Ally pulled her breast away and bent to kiss Ryan for several more minutes.

Ryan’s head was spinning from her unquenched desire as she felt Ally roll off of her. She gave her a wicked grin as she slowly pulled her bikinis off. Ally rolled her onto her stomach and Ryan felt her shift to get something from the nightstand. Suddenly she felt something cold and wet being poured onto her butt, Ally’s second favorite body part. Her strong hands began to massage the cool gel into her skin and Ryan purred as her cheeks were firmly manipulated. As the gel disappeared Ryan was surprised to feel the heat begin to build as Ally blew across her cheeks. The heat continued to grow until Ryan felt like she had been spanked. But as quickly as it developed it began to dissipate until it felt cool once more.

Now Ally squeezed the gel all over Ryan, from the tops of her shoulders, down her back, across her hips and down each leg. She used her hands to spread it around until it coated every inch of skin but she did not rub it in. Instead, Ryan felt her climb on top of her and begin to glide across her body with an incredibly sensual tempo. Every time Ally lifted a particular body part away from Ryan the cool breeze that was blowing across the room heated up her skin until she squirmed. Ryan was quickly becoming so aroused that she was on the verge of slipping her hand between her legs and bringing herself off. But Ally seemed to sense this and she grabbed Ryan’s hands and spread them out under her own powerful arms. She continued to grind against Ryan’s hypersensitive skin, as Ryan pounded her hips against the mattress.

Finally Ryan could not take another minute of frustration. She moaned into the mattress and begged for release. "Please, Ally," she pleaded. "Please touch me. I need you now."

"Are you sure you’re ready, Ryan?" she whispered into her ear.

"YES!!" she cried. "PLEASE!! I’m begging you, Ally, please let me come!"

"Okay, Sugar," she agreed. "You’ve been very good tonight." She picked up a small towel and quickly wiped the excess of the gel from Ryan’s back and her own chest and legs. They both shivered a bit as the air blew cool and then hot across their sensitized skin. She turned Ryan onto her back and her legs immediately shot open as she placed her feet on the bed, waiting for Ally’s touch.

Ally climbed onto her waist, facing the foot of the bed. She was so wet that Ryan could feel her moisture spreading all across her belly. Ryan clearly had enough of her own lubrication but Ally couldn’t resist putting just a dab of the cinnamon flavored gel right onto her clitoris. Ryan nearly leapt from the bed when she felt the cool liquid hit her overheated clit. But when Ally leaned over her and began to blow on it she nearly hit the ceiling. Her hips flew from the bed so violently that she nearly hit Ally in the face with her pelvis. She called out indecipherable words as she impotently humped the air. Ally scooted down lower to hold her still and slid her fingers across Ryan’s throbbing vulva as she let out a low moan of satisfaction. She had barely begun to move her fingers up and down against her inner lips when Ryan screamed out her climax. She bucked and jerked so violently that Ally had to steady herself with her hands to stay on top of her. But since she was bent over a bit she decided that one more good blow couldn’t hurt. She watched Ryan’s vulva spasm for a moment and just when she began to still Ally blew out a long breath that traveled up and down Ryan’s oversensitized center. "Aaaahhhh! AAAAHHHH!" she yelled as the heat began to build again. She snapped her legs shut and rolled over until she could dislodge her tormentor.

She threw her arms around Ally and they began to wrestle on the bed. "Are you trying to kill me!!?" she panted as she pinned her temporarily.

Ally easily shrugged out of her hold and tossed her onto her back once again. She covered her body with her own and leaned down to kiss Ryan several times. "I’m just trying to please you, Sugar," she purred. "How did I do?" she asked with a little grin.

Ryan beamed back at her as she wrapped her arms around her neck. "You did great," she said sincerely as she began to kiss her back. She was surprised to feel Ally begin to submit to her so she rapidly increased her attack. Her kisses intensified quickly as she squeezed the delectable mounds that hovered above her.

"Touch me now," Ally pleaded and Ryan immediately complied. Ally had never asked for what she needed and Ryan was certainly not going to refuse this first request. She rolled her onto her back while she carefully cuddled up next to her. Just for paybacks she squeezed some of the gel onto her fingers before she slid them into Ally’s drenched vulva. Her legs flew open as she grasped Ryan’s hand and pushed it against herself roughly. Just a few seconds of firm pressure and she began to shake as her climax hit her hard. She continued to shiver as she held onto Ryan’s hand, pushing it against herself for a few more seconds. Then she lay very still for a few moments, finally looking up at Ryan with a crooked grin. "Race you to the shower," she said as she vaulted from the bed and dashed in front of her laughing partner. They pushed and elbowed each other for a few moments but Ally won as usual.

Next they fought over the hand held shower for a few minutes to remove the residue of the gel. "What is this stuff?" Ryan asked as a look of bliss crossed her features as the last traces were washed from her vulva.

"It’s cinnamon flavored motion lotion," Ally replied. "It tastes just like ‘Red Hots’."

"You are truly diabolical," Ryan teased as she leaned over to give her another kiss.

"You really know how to turn a girl’s head," Ally replied with a sweet smile as she returned the kiss.

By the time they dried off and stopped in the kitchen to feed each other ice cream it was nearly 10 o’clock. They crawled back into bed and cuddled up together to sleep. Ryan was always amazed at how snuggly and affectionate Ally was when they slept together. She had every part of herself touching some part of her partner as they settled down into a comfortable position. "G’night, Ryan," she whispered as Ryan felt herself begin to relax in her warm embrace.

"Good night, Ally," she replied as she turned her head to give her one final kiss. Moments later she could feel her relax and lean against her heavily. Ryan sighed deeply and joined her in sleep minutes later.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Jack walked in to his apartment on Friday evening and smiled as his senses took in the smell of roasted chicken coming from the kitchen. There is nothing better than coming home from school and having Jamie here making dinner for us, he thought happily. He stopped in his tracks, however, when he came upon an obviously new bright orange bike leaning against the wall in the hallway.

"Jamie, are you here?" he asked.

"Yeah, honey. I’m in here," she replied from the kitchen. "C’mon in."

He did as he was told, but his confused look remained. "Whose bike is that?" he asked as he pointed in the direction of the hallway.

"It’s mine, silly," she replied as she made her way over to give him a proper greeting. "Whose else would it be?"

"I don’t know," he replied. "I didn’t know you liked to ride, and I didn’t know you had a bike, sooo…"

"Well, I do and I do," she said simply, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and silenced any potential response by keeping his lips busy for several long moments.

He was not to be deterred, however. When she pulled away he walked back into the hall and looked more closely at the bike. "Sure seems like a nice one," he said. "Is it new?"

"Yeah, I just got it this week."

"How come?" he inquired as he returned to the kitchen, carrying his mail.

"How come what?" she replied, although she knew what the question really was.

"How come you bought a new expensive bike?" he said patiently.

"I want to get into riding," she said, as if this explained everything.

But Jack was his usual tenacious self, and he sensed there was more beneath the surface. "Why?" he asked firmly as he locked his gaze onto hers, giving her a clear signal that he wanted a complete answer.

"I’ve decided that I’m going to ride in this years AIDS Ride in June." That should satisfy him, she thought.

"Why would you want to do that?" he asked with his voice rising just a bit. "And why are you avoiding my questions?"

"What’s so odd about wanting to do something to support a worthy cause, Jack?" she replied. "We’ve both been lucky enough to have been unscathed by this disease. The least I can do is show my support by doing this ride."

"Jamie, we both know if you wanted to support this cause you could write them a check that would make them faint. That can’t be the reason for doing something this stupid." As soon as it was out he truly wanted to pull that last word back into his mouth. That urge got stronger when he saw the hurt look in her eyes. "I’m sorry, Jamie. I didn’t mean that," he said as he approached her and tried to put his arms around her.

But Jamie was having none of it. She turned her back on him and struggled to keep the tears from flowing. She shrugged off his repeated attempts to touch her as she tried to control her emotions. Finally she turned around and regarded him with a sad look. "Why would you say something like that, Jack? Are you just trying to hurt me?"

"No, of course not, Sweetheart," he said as he was again rebuffed in his attempt to touch her. "It’s just that it seems there’s more and more stuff that you don’t tell me. I guess I just feel left out," he grumbled with a dejected look on his handsome face.

Jamie could not resist the hurt puppy look and she had to admit that he was right. She was leaving him out of some decisions, so she relented and took him into her arms. "I’m sorry, Jack. I don’t want you to feel left out. This is just something I decided to do recently. It’s important to me and I want your support. I guess I sometimes forget to tell you things, but I’ll try to do better in the future."

He wrapped her in a fierce hug and held on for several minutes. As he nuzzled his head into her neck he broke the ice by asking, "Do you want to make up like we did last time?"

She laughed a little as she leaned her head back and gave him a tender kiss. "I would love to, but dinner’s about ready. Let’s eat and then go to bed early, okay?"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Over dinner she explained the ride more thoroughly. She was reticent to explain how Ryan was so intrinsically involved, but she was resolved to try to keep her promise to Jack. Her friend’s name had not been mentioned since their fight and she felt a little guilty about developing such a close relationship without Jack’s knowledge. The first time she mentioned Ryan’s name Jack paused mid-bite, but he did not comment. Jamie dutifully told him everything. She told him about deciding to do the ride, about buying the bike, about training at the gym. She was chagrined to hear herself mention Ryan every 5 seconds, but she was determined to be completely honest.

Jack asked a few questions, but just generally let her talk. When she was finished he sat back in his chair and regarded her for a long moment. "I would like to get to know this woman," he said simply. "She’s obviously become a very good friend and you seem to be spending quite a lot of time with her so I would like to spend some time with her too."

"How about tomorrow?" she asked with a little grin. "She’s bringing her bike down here and we’re going on a ride."

"Tomorrow it is," he said with a small smile.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

They lay in bed together late that night. Jack was sound asleep and Jamie watched him as he lay in peaceful exhaustion. They had made love, and while Jamie was not physically satiated she felt very peaceful lying next to her fiancé. She loved the closeness and the warmth their lovemaking provided. She often thought that her favorite time was after Jack had finished and he lay collapsed in her arms. She felt so close to him, kissing his forehead and holding him tight as she whispered words of love into his ear. She snuggled up behind him and rested her head against his back as she rolled him onto his side, and drifted off.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Jamie had donned her new bike shorts and a lightweight long sleeved T-shirt that was designed to wick away sweat. She clomped around the living room in her bike shoes and did a few light stretches to loosen her hamstrings and quads. Ryan was due in a few minutes and she knew she would be on time, as usual. Jamie was a bit nervous and Jack seemed very quiet. I hope this goes well. I know he will like her if he can just give her a chance.

Just then the doorbell rang and she went to let her guest in. Well, I finally got my wish, she sighed to herself as she took in Ryan’s long form. I’ve been dying to see her muscles and she had to show them to me when Jack’s here. But even though she was a bit chagrined she was glad to finally be able to check her out thoroughly. And she had to admit that the wait was well worth it. This woman was a truly amazing sight. She wore black ankle length bike pants that highlighted every firm muscle of her legs, and a tight red short sleeved bicycling jersey covered with advertising logos. Her large red bicycle was casually slung over her broad shoulder, and her black helmet dangled from the handlebar. Her black hair was slicked back off her face, and her face was flushed from obvious exertion which must have included carrying the bike up 3 flights of stairs. She wore a bright smile on her beautiful face as she grinned down at Jamie. "Hi," she said simply.

"Di..Di..Did you ride here?" Jamie asked incredulously as she struggled to resist the urge to catch the drop of sweat that was trailing down the side of Ryan’s cheek.

"Yep. I figured that since I need to put in 100 or so miles on the weekend, that this would be an easy way to do it."

"C’mon in and I’ll get you something to drink. You look like you could use it," she laughed. "Honey, Ryan’s here," she said toward Jack’s small office.

He emerged with a quizzical look on his face. He took in the figure before him and shook his head a bit, "Did you ride here?" he asked with a smile as he extended his hand.

Ryan struggled a little to remove her padded glove, but finally got it off and took his still extended hand. "Sorry, I’m a little sweaty," she said as she shook Jack’s hand. "That last hill was a killer," she admitted.

Jamie emerged from the kitchen with a cold bottle of water, which was gratefully accepted. Ryan tore open the cap and tilted the bottle up to her mouth. As she leaned her head back to chug the cold water Jack stole a long glance. Wow, he marveled, she could be a model, or something. Well, maybe a model for a fitness magazine, she couldn’t pull off the waif thing at all, he amended.Ryan dropped the now empty bottle to her thigh and breathed out a satisfied sigh. "Boy, that really hit the spot, Jamie. Thanks.""You’re welcome," Jamie grinned. "I’m surprised you didn’t bring some along for the trip.""Oh, I did," Ryan admitted. But I drank it all half way down here. Sometimes I don’t pay attention to the weather change from the City to the Peninsula. It was cold and foggy when I left home this morning and I didn’t check the weather before I left. It must be 20 degrees warmer here than at home.""Give me your water bottles and I’ll fill them for you," Jamie offered.Ryan handed over her 2 spent bottles from their cages on her bike. "Can I make a pit stop before we take off again?" she inquired."Sure. It’s right down the hall, next to the office," Jack replied.Jamie retreated to the kitchen to complete her chore and Jack followed on her heels. "God Jamie, I didn’t notice before how gorgeous she is," he whispered into her ear as she leaned over the sink."Maybe you just like the sweaty look," she said with a chuckle. I know I do, she thought wryly. "Do you feel the standard male urge to convert her to your team?" she asked with a giggle, right back into his ear."No, not me, but a lot of guys sure would.""Why not you?" she inquired as her brow furrowed."One--because she’ s not my type. Two--because I’ve got my hands full with you. I can’t take on any side work," he said as he bent slightly to kiss her smiling mouth. Jamie was a bit taken by surprise as he really began to get into the kiss. One hand moved up her torso as the other slipped down and palmed her Lycra encased butt. She was about to push him away when she caught a glimpse of Ryan in the doorway.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Jamie thought about the kiss for a moment as she finished filling up the bottles and Jack returned to the living room to chat with Ryan. That was odd. He is normally so reserved around other people. It almost seemed like he wanted her to see that, like he was laying claim to me. She briefly chastised herself, You don’t have to analyze everything, Jamie. Maybe he just felt like kissing you at that moment. And trying to cop a feel in front of your lesbian friend, her suspicious side warned.Ryan hoisted her bike onto her broad shoulder while Jack did the same with Jamie’s. "Jack, I brought it up here myself," she argued, "I’m sure I can get it down the same way.""I’m sure you can, Sweetheart," he agreed. "But I’m here and I want to help," he stated gallantly.As Jamie situated herself on the bike he leaned over and kissed her goodbye. "I really might need your help when I get home," she admitted. "If I ring the buzzer will you come down?""Absolutely," he agreed. "Now you two be safe. There’s lot of traffic on Saturday."

"Okay, Dad," Jamie teased."I’ll take care of her, Jack," Ryan said in the same teasing tone.Jamie thought she saw the smallest flicker of irritation cross his handsome face, but she decided to ignore it.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

They took off and began their short trek to the Stanford campus. "Have you been down here much?" she asked Ryan.

"No, not really," Ryan revealed. "I’ve been to a few athletic events but that’s it. I’m actually not sure that I’ve ever been here during daylight hours."

"Well you’re in luck because I know this place like the back of my hand," she admitted. As she set her trip computer to zero she asked, "So, we’re doing 15 miles today, Coach?""If you feel up to it," Ryan replied. "I know I tortured your legs yesterday and I want you to pay careful attention to how they feel," she warned."Well, my butt feels fine and if we stay on this level terrain I think I’ll be fine.""Good. This is exactly the type of ride I want you to do on Saturdays. It’s a good thing you come down to the Peninsula on the weekends. It’s the ideal place to do your long slow distance ride. Berkeley is really too hilly unless you stay around campus and that is like sucking on an exhaust pipe.""That’s a sweet image. I’m sure I’ll have that in mind when I ride to class on Monday," she laughed.They rode through the palm lined streets of the campus which was relatively quiet. There was never a lot of activity on a Saturday when the Cardinal was playing an away game and since today’s game was against UCLA it appeared that a substantial portion of the undergraduates had either taken a road trip to L.A. or were watching the game in their dorm rooms. Ryan had always thought it overly precious that the Stanford mascot was a color. But she supposed that was part of the Stanford mystique. The motto for the school could have been ‘Be completely unique’, she thought. "Hey, do you know why the mascot is a color?" Ryan asked, hoping her friend knew some history.

"Oh, it wasn’t always the color. About 20 years ago there were tons of protests about the treatment of Native Americans in the Bay Area. A group of protesters even took over Alcatraz Island and held it for quite a while. So the issue of Native Americans was very hot. Stanford’s mascot was the Indian at the time and after a lot of discussion and very big arguments they decided on keeping it simple and went with the color."

"How do you know that if it was 20 years ago?"

"I still hear about it from some of my relatives. One great uncle in particular thinks that was the beginning of the decline of western civilization," she said with a wry laugh.

"Why are you so familiar with Stanford?" Ryan quizzed as they rode along.

"Well, both of my parents went here and my mother’s family has a strong connection."

"Hmm," said Ryan with a knowing grin. "Given what you’ve told me about your family I assume that means that some big buildings are named after you."

Jamie shot her a glance but then laughed a bit as she admitted, "Surprisingly not. My family was more into sponsoring chairs in various disciplines. I think they felt that having a building named after you would be nice but only people on campus would know your name. But when a professor is the recipient of the ‘Putnam Barrett Smith Chair of Humanities’ he or she uses that title on all of their professional publications. Lots more notoriety," she informed Ryan with a roll of her eyes.

"Smith, huh?" Ryan said as she rode close. "Could you be any Waspier?"

"Don’t think so," Jamie admitted.

"Don’t you have any Stepnoski’s or Liebowitzes or Hudek’s or Antonioni’s or even an odd Murphy in your family?"

"Nope. Mother’s family came from England in about 1650 and they’ve stuck to their own kind almost exclusively, near as I can tell. My father’s family also came from England not long after the Revolutionary War."

"That’s remarkable," Ryan said with interest. "How do you know so much about your family?"

"Wasps love to research their genealogy," she said with a laugh. "My mother’s mother hired someone to research their family tree. It’s all in a nicely bound leather book."

"That’s pretty neat," Ryan said. "So show me something with your family name on it."

"Okay," she replied. They pedaled over to the main quad and hopped off their bikes. Walking over to an impressive stone archway Jamie led her inquisitive friend to a large plaque that had been placed on the interior of the arcade. "There you go," she said as she pointed to the plaque with a flourish.

The legend read that the archway was substantially retrofitted and repaired after the Loma Prieta earthquake by the generous contributions of the listed benefactors. Ryan scanned the names for a Smith and pointed to a ‘Roger B. Smith’. "Is that your family?"

"Yeah. That’s a cousin. But that’s not what I wanted to show you." Ryan gave her a puzzled glance so she pointed to the beginning of the alphabet. After a few seconds of scanning Ryan turned to her with a cute little grin. "Are those your parents?"

"Yep."

"Why are they listed separately?" Ryan inquired as she considered the entries for both James S. Evans and Catherine D.S. Evans.

"Hmm, I’m not sure," she admitted. "I assume they each made a contribution from their separate funds and they didn’t want to share the glory."

Ryan shot her a glance to see if she was kidding, but it was obvious that not only was her friend serious, she didn’t seem to think this behavior odd. It was a struggle not to impart her own family’s sense of propriety onto the Evans family but Ryan could not understand why you would not want to have your name listed along with your spouse. It just seemed terribly odd to her but she didn’t want to make a big deal out of it so she kept her opinion to herself. "This is quite a pretty arch," she said as she looked around.

"Yeah, it is," Jamie agreed. "As you may know the University was founded by Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane Lathrop Stanford. They had just one child, Leland Junior. He died just a few months before his 16^th birthday and they decided to create and dedicate the university to him. The actual name is the Leland Stanford Junior University."

"I didn’t know that," Ryan said. "That’s some memorial."

"Yeah. Mrs. Stanford was quite the impressive woman. This arch was one of her personal touches." Jamie led her friend around to the front of the structure. She pointed up at the stone carvings that lined the arch and pointed out that each one bore a tiny heart right in the center. "She really dedicated the rest of her life to making this university one of the finest in the country. She must have missed her son terribly, but I really admire her for doing something positive in his name rather than just quietly mourning him."

Ryan was studying the arch and Jamie watched as her elegant fingers softly stroked one of the carved hearts. Her companion was very quiet as she contemplated the structure. Finally she said, "As hard as it was to lose my mother it’s the natural order of things, you know?" she asked as she turned to face Jamie. "A child is supposed to outlive their parents. I just can’t imagine how devastating it would be to lose your only child at such a young age," she said quietly.

The sad longing in those clear blue eyes made Jamie unconsciously place her hand in the small of Ryan’s back in a small attempt at comforting her friend. Ryan draped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle hug. "Thanks for showing me this," she said quietly.

"Would you like to see the Memorial Church?" she asked. "It’s where my parents were married."

"Sure," Ryan said happily as she removed her arm from its perch.

"It’s right in the back of this interior quadrangle," Jamie informed her as they walked along. Moments later they were standing in the beautiful non-denominational church. Ryan’s head was thrown back as she gazed at the magnificent stained glass windows that surrounded her.

"These are outstanding!" she whispered as Jamie approached.

"Yeah, this place is pretty special," she agreed quietly, even though they were the only people in the structure. "The inscriptions on the walls are from Mrs. Stanford’s writings," she informed Ryan. "Some of them are quite beautiful."

Ryan was obviously fascinated by the church and Jamie left her to her wanderings. She sat down in a pew to rest her legs but found herself slyly watching Ryan as she stopped before each inscription. When she spotted her friend staring at one particular inscription for a long while Jamie finally walked over to her and read it.

Ryan turned to her slowly and said, "Those are the words of someone who has known sorrow—but refused to let it own her."

Jamie gave her a small smile and pondered the words again:

She was deep in thought when she felt Ryan’s warm hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" she asked gently.

"Yeah, yeah," she said as she shook her head a little. "I was just thinking of how lucky I’ve been. I mean, I just feel like I haven’t experienced any terrible sorrows or know any serious troubles."

Ryan gave her a gentle hug, as she leaned over and whispered, "Don’t rush it, Jamie. Live long enough and you’ll know your share." She looked up at her friend and rested her head against her broad shoulder for a second. In a flash it hit her—she wasn’t commenting so much about her charmed life—she was fervently wishing that she could remove the sad, haunted look that came over her friend’s blue eyes when she thought about her own losses. But she didn’t feel comfortable sharing this thought with Ryan so she just gave her a little squeeze and sat down until her friend had finished investigating the church.

When they returned to the bright sunshine Jamie pointed out some markers of her family history, including the spot under a beautiful redwood where her father had proposed to her mother. "That’s really neat, Jamie," she marveled. "How old were your parents when they married?""Mother was only 20 when she had me, so I guess she was still 19 when they married. He was 24 at the time."

"How old is Jack?" Ryan asked thoughtfully."He’s 24," Jamie replied."And when is your wedding set for?""The summer after I graduate," Jamie replied. "I want to have the whole college experience as a single woman. And I want Jack to have a years work out of the way.""Does he know where he is going to work?" Ryan inquired."Yeah, pretty much. He really wants to clerk for a federal judge after he graduates this summer. That could take him anywhere, though. He can’t be too picky about the location. He wants the 9th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. That would have him in the western region, but it could be Montana or even Hawaii. That’s why I didn’t want to get married right after he graduates."

"Wow, won’t that be hard if he’s that far away?"

Seemingly for the first time Jamie considered that. "Um, I guess it will but it’s what he wants and it will help his long term career prospects."

For the second time that day Ryan bit her tongue rather than comment on the strange ways of these people of the Peninsula. "What are his plans after the clerkship is over," Ryan asked."It’s pretty obvious that he’ll get an offer from Morris, Foster," Jamie replied."What firm does your father work for?" Ryan asked casually."That would be Morris, Foster," Jamie admitted with a little blush."I’m not prying, am I?" Ryan asked with a hint of concern in her voice."No, not at all. I know that Jack is really talented. It just seems like an ideal opportunity for nepotism even though I know it’s not. I guess I’m just sensitive to people perceiving me in a certain fashion.""I certainly don’t perceive of you as anything other than a hard working woman who I am certain would never marry anyone other than a hard working, talented man," Ryan said confidently. "Besides, the mere fact that your father works for the firm isn’t that big a deal. I mean, it is a huge place, isn’t it?"

Jamie rolled her eyes a bit as she revealed, "Yeah it’s huge all right…but my dad doesn’t just work there. He’s the managing partner. That’s about like being the CEO of a business."

"Oh…um…well, I bet in a way that will make it a little harder for Jack. The last thing your dad wants is to hire some dolt and have everyone think it’s mere nepotism.""Thanks, Ryan," Jamie replied, a bit relieved. "It’s just that I know people think that everything comes so easily for me, and that my parents just get me everything I want," she admitted. "I worry that people will think that Jack got his job because I demanded it.""I know that’s not true," Ryan said gravely. "Money can’t buy everything, Jamie. It can’t buy you big quadriceps!" this last sentence came from over her shoulder as she put on a terrific burst of speed and left Jamie in her dust, a mellow laugh trailing after her."I thought the key for this ride was long SLOW distance!" Jamie huffed as she finally caught up to Ryan’s slowing form."It is, Jamie," she said seriously. "Why, do you want to go fast?" she asked with the most cherubic of faces."It’s obvious that you were raised with brothers, Ryan O’Flaherty," she sulked."Yeah, sometimes it’s painfully obvious!" Ryan teased, as she burst into another flash of blinding speed.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

They completed the scheduled 15 miles with just a few more sprints. By the time they returned to the apartment Jamie was definitely beginning to tighten up. "I don’t think I could go another mile," she moaned.Ryan looked fresh as a daisy, of course, and this slightly irritated Jamie. "You know, you could at least try not to look like you’ve been lying on the beach for the afternoon."

Ryan laughed and did her best to put on a tired and bedraggled expression. She dragged herself over to the buzzer and rang it several times. "I guess Jack went out," she finally said after 3 tries."And I was going to bribe him to carry me upstairs, "Jamie whined.

"Well, you’re way too heavy for a poor tired woman like me," Ryan teased. "But I could help you out with this." At that she leaned over and grabbed Jamie’s bike frame with one powerful arm and hefted it onto her shoulder. She grabbed the wheel with her hand to steady it and then repeated the series of motions to pick up her own bike. She turned and grinned at a startled Jamie, "Lead on Princess."Jamie climbed the stairs quickly, extracting her key from a small, hidden pocket in her bike shorts. She held the door open fully for Ryan to enter with her cargo. As she carefully squatted and placed all four wheels on the ground Jamie stood in front of her and steadied both sets of handlebars."Thank you, Oh Powerful One," she intoned as she bent in praise."Oh, that’s nothing," Ryan replied casually. "I probably could have left you on the darn thing, but it would have upset my center of gravity.""Yeah, right!" Jamie teased along with a little poke in the gut. "Hey," she said seriously as she poked again and was met with a very firm resistance, "Maybe you’re right," she marveled. "I thought you said your tummy was flabby," she chided.

"I’m quite sure I never said that," Ryan assured her with a chuckle. "I said that I have a thicker layer of abdominal fat than you have but my abs are in great shape if I do say so myself. Keeping them built up really helps with bike riding."

Jamie reached over to pat her again. "They are firm," she admitted, wishing that Ryan would lift her shirt for a peek. "How do you get them so firm? Do you do the same crunches you showed me?"

"Yeah, sometimes," she advised. "But I like to challenge myself a little so I’ve devised some little tortures that I don’t think you’d like," she said with a grin.

Jamie crossed her arms across her chest and glared at her friend. "Like what, Tough Stuff?"

"Well, my new favorite is to lie on a declining bench and do some crunches."

"That doesn’t sound so hard," Jamie scoffed.

"No, that part isn’t hard. But I have someone toss a medicine ball at my gut while I’m doing them," she said with a casual look on her face.

"WHAT!? One of those heavy, sand filled, leather balls?"

"Uh huh," she said as she blithely refastened her pony tail, trying to suppress a grin at Jamie’s shocked expression.

"I don’t think I believe you," she finally mumbled.

Ryan could never resist a challenge. She stood tall and gazed at her friend with a daring look and said, "Hit me."

"What?!"

"Hit me," she repeated. "Hit me in the gut—hard as you can."

"Ryan! I wouldn’t do that! I would hurt you!"

Ryan gave her a slight smirk as she scoffed, "Don’t think so."

"You don’t think I could hurt you?" she asked incredulously. "I’m not as weak as I look!"

"Prove it," she demanded, her blue eyes sparking fire.

"Fine!" Jamie fumed, quite insulted that her friend treated her like a weakling. Ryan tensed her abs and jutted out her chin defiantly. Jamie pulled her arm back and popped her right in the gut at about 50% of her capacity. She had closed her eyes as she swung since she did not want to see the pain in her friend’s face. But when she opened her eyes Ryan was not only not in pain she was laughing at her.

"Is that all you’ve got?" she scoffed.

"You want more? I’ll give you more!" This time she kept her eyes wide open as she reared back and slammed her fist into Ryan’s midsection with as much force as she could generate. But at impact it felt like she had slammed her hand into a brick wall. Only this wall was smirking at her.

"That was better," she advised. "Wanna switch?"

"You are truly mad!" she fumed, rather outraged that she had been unable to hurt Ryan’s body or her attitude. But just as that thought hit her she slapped herself in the head. "You made me want to hurt you!" she gasped. "I’ve never hit someone with that intent before!"

Ryan slung an arm around her shoulders and gave her a sound hug. "Boy you missed a lot not growing up with brothers! If one of us wasn’t bleeding or crying at the end of the day we just felt incomplete!"

"Well I’ve had enough," she grumbled. "I don’t ever want you to taunt me into hitting you again! Are you sure I didn’t hurt you?"

"Nope," she declared. She reached out and grasped Jamie’s right hand and closely examined the wrist. "You didn’t hurt yourself did you?" she asked solicitously.

The smaller woman shook her hand roughly a few times. "No, but it does sting a little. How on earth do you make your abs that hard?"

"Nothing but hard work, Pal." Ryan cast a glance at the slight quiver in Jamie’s thighs, "Time for a little rub down, Buffy," she ordered."Ohhh, my favorite part of any exercise," Jamie enthused.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Jack walked in to the apartment as Ryan was finishing her massage of Jamie’s hamstrings. His face was friendly, but a little impassive, to Jamie’s eyes. Please don’t let this bother him. "Hi, Honey. Where did you go?" she asked brightly."I had to run down to the bookstore for a few minutes. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help you bring the bike up.""You should be, I really needed a hand," she lied. She glanced at Ryan to see if her lie would get a reaction, but Ryan’s head was bent in concentration at her task. "Ryan’s a massage therapist," Jamie added, even though Jack had not commented on their activities.He forced himself to banish the thought of Ryan giving a woman an intimate all nude massage, and said weakly, "Oh, that’s nice."Jamie was pleased that the rather intimate contact with Ryan didn’t seem to bother Jack. Maybe he’s really getting used to her, she hoped.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Late that night as Jack hovered over her, claiming her with a need that was foreign to their lovemaking, Jamie wondered if Ryan was the cause. Whatever the cause, she thought, this is a very good thing.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Early the next morning as Ryan lay quivering in Ally’s arms she thanked the gods that she had the foresight to request gentle treatment on Friday night. My God, if she had done me like this on Friday I would have had to cancel our bike ride. I’m not even sure I’ll be able to ride my Harley home. Oh well, she thought as she drifted off to sleep, I sure couldn’t choose which of those orgasms to give back, so I guess I’ll keep them all!

Not only did they not have brunch before their appointment with Mark, they barely made it to the gym by noon. Ryan just did her job on autopilot and by the end of the hour she wasn’t sure if he liked Ally or not. But he happily agreed to switch and he gave Ryan a big kiss goodbye and wished her luck.

Ryan looked at Ally through her bloodshot eyes and moaned, "If I don’t get some food into this poor abused body I’m gonna faint!"

"We’ve got 3 hours until our next appointment. I’ll buy you some lunch, Sweetness. What would you like to eat?"

"Anything, as long as it’s fast," she replied.

Ally didn’t take her seriously. She knew that Ryan needed some nutrients to get her through the day so she took her to a nice little café right on Market that specialized in low fat vegetarian food. Ryan scanned the menu and tried to find something that did not appeal to her. She was unsuccessful so she ordered a cheese and mushroom frittata and a fruit salad. She also asked for a large orange juice and some coffee. Ally got an egg white omelet and oatmeal, her normal breakfast fare.

Ally dashed off to use the restroom and Ryan whiled away the time thinking about their relationship. It dawned on her that they hadn’t shared a meal in a restaurant in years. Ally suggested we have brunch together, she mused. And both nights she let me touch her much earlier than normal. I wonder what’s up with that? And she just seemed to assume that I would stay with her all weekend. Normally she doesn’t extend that kind of invitation. Could she be changing the rules? Do I want her to?

She was pulled from her reverie by Ally’s light kiss on her cheek as she passed by to take her seat. "Miss me?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

Ryan gave her a sweet smile and reached out to lightly grasp her hand as she honestly replied, "Often."

Ally cocked her head and looked like she was going to ask what that meant but she obviously decided not to pursue the issue. "So tell me more about this new job."

Ryan gave her a little more info on ‘Women Power’ and filled her in on how the opportunity came up.

"Is that the same woman you went on your bike ride with?" she asked.

Ryan was surprised that she had caught that detail. "Yeah, it is. She’s a woman from my ‘Lesbian Sexuality’ class at school."

Ally just shook her head at that. "Do you think they offer that class at normal schools or just Berserkely?" she asked, using the playful moniker for the ultra-liberal campus.

"I think it’s probably common at the big, liberal universities, but I don’t think it’s the norm by any means," she admitted.

"Sounds like a great way to pick up women," she said with a wink. "Had any luck besides this Jamie?"

"Yeah, I’ve had a couple of nice evenings with my classmates," she admitted. "But not Jamie. She’s actually straight. She’s engaged to a guy who goes to Stanford. That’s why we were riding in Palo Alto. She goes down there on the weekends to stay with him."

"Uhh huh," Ally said with a knowing smirk. "All the straight girls take a class in Lesbian Sexuality. And even more of them want to hang out with you."

"No really, Ally, she’s straight," Ryan patiently explained.

"How many straight women are you friends with, Ryan?" she asked her directly.

"Umm…" Ryan furrowed her brow as she ran through her list of friends. With a chagrined look she finally admitted, "None."

"Exactly. And I’m guessing that it’s not because you don’t like straight women. But most straight women feel uncomfortable being really close with a lesbian unless they want to flip—at least temporarily. I guarantee she wants more from you than just friendship," she predicted.

"Hmm, I don’t know how I’d feel about that," Ryan reflected. "I think I like her too much to have a fling with her. I think it would screw up our friendship."

"Is she cute?"

"Oh yeah," Ryan said with a playful chuckle. "She’s totally cute. About 5’4", slim, but with some nice muscles beginning to develop, blonde hair, sea green eyes, pouty little mouth..."

"Okay, okay," Ally said with a laugh as she held up her hands, "I get it!" She looked at Ryan for another minute as she added, "If she ever gets kidnapped I hope the cops ask you for her description."

Ryan flushed a little at the implication. "I’m just observant," she said rather defensively.

"Hey, you don’t have to convince me," Ally reminded her. "But if I was her boyfriend I’d keep her away from you," she said firmly as she patted Ryan’s hand. "Mother Teresa would want to flip for you, Sugar," she said fondly.

"She’s dead, Ally," Ryan reminded her.

"Wouldn’t matter, Baby. You could bring the dead to life!"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Monday morning found Ryan lying beneath Ally’s sprawled out body. After their 4 o’clock appointment Ryan had gone home for dinner but as soon as the dishes were clean she packed up her things in her backpack and headed on back to Ally’s. They had spent the night making love with nearly as much passion as they had possessed on Saturday night, and Ryan was almost ready to shut off her watch alarm and just stay cuddled up.

The insistent alarm woke them both and Ally crawled off of her to go to the bathroom while Ryan waged a small war with her well hidden lazy side. When she returned she reached for Ryan and started to stroke her belly in a very friendly manner. Ryan knew if they got started again she’d lose the whole day so she gave her a kiss and softly patted her cheek. "Gotta go, Babe," she murmured softly, forcing herself to slip out of bed avoiding Ally’s reaching hands. She stumbled into the shower and when she came out her friend was sound asleep again. Ryan checked the alarm clock to make sure it was set for 8 since she assumed Ally had to be at work by 9 and then she walked over to the kitchen table and left her a note.

Thanks for the marvelous lesson in how to fill up a weekend. I’ll think of you all day—especially every time I have to sit down!

Love,

Ryan

She hopped on her Harley with a grimace and rode directly to the MUNI station to catch a ride to school. I’ll be much better off standing the whole way, she thought with a grimace. Why did we have to try out every new toy she’s bought since I saw her last? Will I never learn?

She barreled into class about 5 minutes late and took a seat near the door. Jamie caught sight of the grimace as she sat down and wondered if Ryan had hurt herself on their bike ride. But when she looked at her again she noticed how terrible she looked. She was very pale and her eyes looked dull and bloodshot. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and shoved haphazardly under a baseball cap. As Jamie cast another glance at her Ryan’s head hit her chest and she jerked in her seat as she startled herself awake. She looks injured alright, she smirked. But not from biking.

After class Ryan waited for her outside the door. She was leaning against the wall and looked like she might fall asleep right where she stood. "I don’t want to belabor an obvious point, but you look like you could use some coffee," Jamie teased when Ryan forced her eyes open.

"I don’t think coffee will help," she moaned. "I think I’m going to find a nice shady spot and take a nap until I have to go to work."

"Don’t you have your bio lab?"

"Yeah, but there’s no way I could safely perform any experiments today. I don’t want to endanger my fellow students."

"Come on," she said as she slipped her arm around Ryan’s waist. "I can help you out."

After a relatively slow and silent walk they were climbing the stairs to Jamie’s house. "I take it that you figured out how to fill your weekend," Jamie asked casually as she led her friend up to her bed to allow her to crash.

"Oh, it got filled all right," Ryan said, thinking to herself, Along with every other orifice.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The workout schedule that they had agreed on was meeting their needs perfectly. It allowed Jamie to tax her legs 4 times per week, which allowed a full day of rest between workouts. Jamie rode her long distances on Monday and Wednesday. Her hill climb was on Saturday or Sunday depending on her weekend plans. She found a good set of hills near Jack’s apartment, so she was set. They worked her trunk and shoulders on Monday, her arms and back on Wednesday and her legs and chest on Fridays,

After two weeks of this regimen Ryan decided to leave her mountain bike at Jamie’s so they could ride together on Monday and Wednesday. As much as Ryan loved her new gym she could no longer go on her morning bike rides, so she had to use whatever time she had available in the afternoons. She began to ride her motorcycle to Jamie’s and leave it in her driveway at 5:00 a.m. She would then fetch her bike and ride to work, and later to class. Cassie was not very happy to be roused from sleep every morning at 5:00 by the thrumming engine of the Harley, but she eventually stopped complaining when Ryan agreed to turn off the engine at the curb and walk the bike down the drive.

Cassie was also not particularly happy when Jamie gave Ryan a key to the house.

"Jamie, I don’t want that woman to be able to barge in here whenever she pleases," she huffed.

"Okay Cassie," Jamie agreed. "She needs to come in to change out of her boots and heavy jacket before she can ride her bike, so I’ll just tell her to ring the bell every morning. You are a really light sleeper, so would you run down and let her in?" she inquired sweetly.

"Fine Jamie, just give all the sex crazed lesbians in town a key to our house," she fumed. "You know, I talked to some people who know her and they say she is a real slut. I can’t believe that’s the type of person you like to associate with."

She pursed her lips and regarded her roommate for a long moment. "Cassie if all of my friends were as kind and as generous and as honorable as Ryan, I would be one happy woman," she stated with narrow, flashing eyes, as she turned on her heel; hoping that Cassie understood the true meaning of the jibe.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

As the term progressed the demands on Jamie’s time increased until she felt like she didn’t have a moment to herself. She spent a massive amount of time reading for her 4 English classes and she occasionally kicked herself mentally for taking so many classes that required so much reading. When her face was not actually buried in a book she was either at the gym or riding in the hills. But she found that no matter how much time she dedicated to her workouts she did not regret one minute of them. When she was on her bike she was able to free her mind of every concern about her classes and her future. She didn’t worry about her relationship with Jack or think about their life together. She merely put her mind on hold and let the wind fly past her face as she pedaled along the steep hills of Berkeley. Having been away from bike riding for so many years she realized that she had forgotten the freedom that two wheels afforded. No matter how bad traffic was she could scoot right past the stalled cars and be home in a matter of minutes.

But the workouts with Ryan were what really kept her motivated. They worked together 3 hours a week but she had to admit that they were among the most enjoyable hours of her busy week. Even though they spent lots of time together having coffee or a quick meal the workouts were when Jamie felt truly special.

When she really allowed herself to think about it Jamie was the one who usually spent her time making other people feel special. Sometimes it seemed that her entire relationship with Jack was spent making sure that his needs were met: making him lunch and dinner; being with him while he studied; never making demands to go out to dinner or a movie; and being available to him sexually. But for 3 hours a week the world revolved around Jamie and her slowly developing body.

One of the things she had grown to appreciate about Ryan was her ability to intensely focus on a task. As the weeks passed she realized that focus was never welcomer than when it centered around her.

Jamie had observed many other trainers during her weeks at the gym but she had never observed anyone who concentrated so fiercely on their clients. Without a word from Jamie Ryan would automatically remove 5 pounds from the weight stack if it was a tiny bit too heavy; she would order her to stop at 9 reps instead of 10 if she detected too much fatigue; she would skip a certain exercise if a related exercise was too difficult on a given day. All in all she was just so highly attuned to Jamie and her body that after a while they spoke very little during the sessions.

After most sessions they rode to Jamie’s home on their bikes. Ryan was always vigilant to make sure that Jamie’s muscles were warm enough to handle the short trek and once they arrived she would invariably order her client into the shower. Ryan would wait patiently for Jamie to finish in the bath and then she would give her a thorough massage on whatever body part they had stressed. During the massage Ryan would usually spend at least 10 minutes praising her performance in the weight room. Jamie knew that part of the reason Ryan did this was to keep her motivated; nonetheless, she ate it up greedily. She just felt so unique and special when they spent this time together that she began to wake up in a very happy mood on every workout day.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

On a cool and overcast Wednesday Jamie arrived at the gym for their usual 4 o’clock appointment. She looked around for Ryan but did not see her hanging around the front desk as was her usual habit. She dropped her things off in a locker and entered the main part of the gym, looking for her friend. After she was about to give up and have her paged she spotted her in the far corner of the gym.

Jamie had never even noticed the boxing equipment located on a slightly raised platform in the corner. But Ryan was standing in front of a heavy leather covered bag, banging the stuffing out of it with her hands which were encased in bright red boxing gloves. She stood for a second and observed her friend, watching the sweat fly from her face as she delivered one strong blow after another. Jamie mused that she would not hit the bag the way her friend was doing it. But when she watched carefully she could see that Ryan’s technique was the proper one. She punched from her shoulder, getting the force of her entire torso behind each blow. Jamie noted that she was nearly standing on her toes while she punched the bag and that her body followed her arm, with even her hips helping provide thrust. It truly amazed her that she could stand and watch her friend for such a long time without her being aware of her scrutiny, but Ryan was so intent that she was obviously unaware of anything other than her furious assault on the heavy bag. "Um..mad at someone?" she finally asked to break the spell.

Ryan whirled to face her, sweat flying from her hair and hitting Jamie in a light spray. "When did you get…what time is it?" she asked as she looked at her watch. "My God!" she gasped. "It’s 4:15!"

"I know," Jamie said with a smile. "I’ve been watching you for 15 minutes."

"You have?" Ryan asked with a truly perplexed look on her face.

As she said that Jamie realized how odd it sounded to just be watching her so she explained, "I’ve never seen anyone work on a bag like that. I’ve always been fascinated by boxing."

"You have?" Ryan asked dubiously as she grabbed a small towel from a stack and wiped her face and neck down.

"Yeah, I have. That was pretty impressive, by the way," she said with a smile.

"Thanks," Ryan said as she blushed a bit. "My 3 o’clock cancelled and I wanted to do something aerobic for a few minutes. I thought this would be something that I could do and not sweat too much," she said as she looked at herself rather helplessly. Sweat was still running down her face and into her black shirt. Rivulets ran down her arms and even her thick black golf shirt looked drenched.

"Um…you were wrong?" Jamie hazarded.

"Well, I started out just playing around with the speed bag," Ryan admitted. "But when I was finished I still felt kind of twitchy so I thought the heavy bag would tire me out."

"Twitchy?"

"Yeah," she said as a blush covered her face and neck. "Sometimes I just need to…I don’t know…like let off some steam."

"I think you were successful," Jamie observed wryly.

"I didn’t look too bad after the speed bag," Ryan insisted.

"Well as long as you’re doing a demo let me see you on that for a minute," she begged, truly interested in seeing her friend work her magic again.

Ryan graced her with a quirky grin. "You sure?" she asked dubiously.

"Positive," Jamie insisted. Ryan shrugged her broad shoulders and stuck out her hands. After a second Jamie realized that she could not take the gloves off herself. "Wow, these would have been a good way for my parents to make me stop sucking my thumb at night," she laughed.

"Hmm, I didn’t suck my thumb but I could have used these for a little self control at night myself," Ryan mused as Jamie slapped her firmly in the stomach.

"Some of your dates probably wish you had them now," Jamie chided her.

"Ooo, that’s cold," Ryan muttered. She pulled off the gloves that Jamie had unlaced and put on a pair of very lightweight hand protectors. Facing the bag she centered her weight and raised her fists almost to eye level. "My brother Conor put up a speed bag in the garage when I was about 10," she revealed as she started to slowly tap the bag with each hand in sequence. "I had to stand on a box to hit the darn thing but I was much more dedicated than he was. Of course he was 14 and just starting to get into girls so his attention was diverted," she smirked. "Anyway, I loved working on that bag and it really helped me enormously with my hand/eye coordination as well as my concentration. I was so skinny that bag would have knocked me right off that box if I didn’t pay attention."

By the time she was finished recounting this insight into her youth her speed had picked up to such an extent that the bag was a mere blur as she worked it easily with her fists barely moving. It was truly mesmerizing to watch and Jamie mused that she could stand here all day and just watch Ryan flail away. But after a few minutes she slowed and eventually stopped the bag by grabbing it with both hands. "Look like fun?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Yeah, when you do it," she said with a laugh. "Why doesn’t anybody ever use this stuff?"

"Well, it is a lot harder than it looks and most women don’t grow up around the stuff so they don’t know where to start. But I’d love to show you how if you want. It would be good for your upper body."

"Let’s stick with the machines for awhile, Pal. I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew." She regarded her friend for a moment and asked, "Do you have another shirt? That one’s a mess."

"Good point," she agreed as she plucked at the limp garment. "I think I can grab another from the office. Be right back."

A few minutes later she trotted back over in a much too small shirt. Jamie guessed that she normally wore an extra large and this one could not have been more than a medium. But she didn’t have any complaints and neither did the two women on the stair climbers who followed Ryan’s progress across the gym. "The only one they had was from someone who quit earlier this year," she said with a scowl. "She must have been a 9 year old."

"You look fine," Jamie assured her. "Now let’s get busy, Coach. I’ve got my work cut out for me if I’m going to keep up with you!"

After their very strenuous workout Jamie asked, "Do you have time for dinner? I could whip something up?"

Ryan appeared to consider the offer for a moment, but finally said, "I’d love to, Jamie, but I can’t squeeze it in. My father made a brown bag dinner for me, so I’m just gonna go study."

"That’s okay," Jamie said, trying not to sound like she cared. In truth, she cared a great deal. As much as she enjoyed the workouts she equally enjoyed the post shower massage and the praise. But she didn’t feel comfortable admitting how much that special time meant to her so she tried to appear casual.

Ryan caught the small look of disappointment in her face. "If you need some company tonight, I’ll make time for you," she said kindly.

Jamie felt a little busted, and tried to cover it up with a careless reply. "No, I should study too, I’m just looking for a reason not to."

"If you’re sure, Jamie," Ryan said with an intense gaze as she squatted down a bit to make eye contact.

"Positive," she replied, immensely glad that Ryan cared enough to meet her needs.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

4 hours later Jamie was hard at work on a short paper for ‘The Lesbian Experience’ when she realized that she did not have an important book. Darn, I must have left it at Jack’s. The paper wasn’t due until Friday, but she had plans to study for a ‘Romantic Poets’ class the next day. This was really the best night to write the paper, but it was 9 o’clock and she wasn’t sure where to buy the book. She called around and found that ‘Mama Bear’s’ had the only copy in the area so she hopped in the Porsche and drove to Oakland.

As she circled the block, looking for parking, she noticed an unmistakable vehicle. A turquoise and cream Harley. Hmmm, what’s she doing here, ‘Little Miss I Have To Study’? She was a trifle annoyed when she entered the bookstore side of the store. She looked around furtively but didn’t see Ryan anywhere. Well I guess there could be two women who ride that Harley. That is within the realm of possibilities. She found her book, stopped at the counter to pay for it and was getting ready to leave when she paused to take a quick look around the coffeehouse.

The room was quite a bit darker than the last time she had visited. A woman was on the small stage singing some contemporary ballads in an adequate fashion. Jamie scanned the crowd in the dim light and noticed that only 3 of the small tables were occupied--none of them by Ryan. As she turned her head slowly, trying to adjust for the differences in brightness between the two rooms she caught what looked like a familiar form in the farthest corner of the establishment. Two women occupied a small loveseat in the very dark corner. You couldn’t really say they were sitting, because neither of them was upright. An attractive black woman with very close cropped hair was half reclining on the loveseat and Ryan was practically lying on top of her.

Jamie stood slack jawed in the bright light of the bookstore, staring in shock at the pair. Ryan was kissing the woman deeply and moving gently against her whole body as she did so. Jamie did not think she had ever seen anything that was more erotic but every fiber of her being wanted to run out of the store and never think about the sight again. She watched as Ryan gripped the woman’s face and kissed her even more passionately. She was completely unable to move but equally unable to stop watching.

Ryan began to sit up and the woman came right with her, latched on to her mouth like an eel. When they were both upright Ryan put one arm around her shoulders and another under her knees and pulled the woman onto her lap. Jamie saw those strong tanned hands begin to caress the woman all over her body. She knew she would faint if she did not look away, but she felt rooted in place. She watched as Ryan’s hands again moved to either side of the woman’s head and held her still as she began another round of deep kisses. Jamie saw tongues passing between mouths as they drew back an inch or two and then fell right back into each other. The woman’s hands slowly slid up Ryan’s torso and Jamie had to grasp for something to steady herself as she saw one small dark hand firmly grasp Ryan’s left breast and begin to knead it. Ryan’s head rose slowly and dropped back against her shoulders as a look of absolute pleasure crossed her beautiful face.

As the book slid from her now nerveless fingers Jamie heard a voice ask, "How ya doing kid?" The question, which came from directly behind her right shoulder, nearly caused her to scream. She used all of her composure to focus her attention in the direction of the voice. Babs, the owner of the shop, and Ryan’s friend, looked at her in sympathy. "Don’t be mad at her, hon," she said. "Ryan’s not a bad kid, but she just can’t get tied down to any one woman. She’s just not the type."

"What?" Jamie looked at her in total confusion. "Why would I be m...? What?" Never in her 20 years had she felt so completely inarticulate.

"It’s okay, kid. You aren’t the first and you won’t be the last. Don’t let it get to ya."

"B..b..but, we’re not...she isn’t...I’M NOT...I didn’t..." Jamie truly wanted to sink to the floor and cry. She was so frustrated with her inability to form a coherent sentence and her chaotic feelings about Ryan that she was truly at a loss.

"All I’m saying is that there are plenty of women who would love to date a good lookin’ girl like you. And most of them wouldn’t give you up so easy as Ryan did," at this she patted Jamie on the back and walked back in to the coffeehouse.

Jamie was even more stunned now. As if in a trance her eyes traveled on their own accord back to the dark corner. She watched as Ryan and her date disentangled themselves from each other and stood on wobbly legs. The woman had her arm wrapped around Ryan’s waist and Ryan’s arm was draped across her shoulders. Their heads were very close together as they stumbled out into the darkness.

In order to give herself time to collect her feelings Jamie picked up her book and sat down at one of the small tables. She sat motionless and dazed for at least 15 minutes with her mind a complete jumble. She was angry, puzzled and curious and although she hated to admit it…totally aroused.

Finally, she felt as though she had enough control to drive. She walked outside and was very surprised to see the Harley still in its space. She made her way around the corner and saw Ryan and the woman leaning up against a car, continuing what they had been doing in the coffeehouse. The problem was that the car was right in front of Jamie’s.

Now Jamie was able to sort out her feelings--she was angry! I want to leave for god’s sake! And I don’t want her to see me.

Her quandary was solved a moment later when the woman opened the rear door, crouched down and slid across the seat. Ryan dove in and obviously landed right on top of her. Their heads immediately dropped below the windows and Jamie felt like she could leave and not be seen.

She ran to her car and got in quickly. After a moment of fumbling with her keys she started the engine and roared off as fast as her little German wheels would take her.

Once at home, and safe in her room, she let her mind ruminate. It’s not like I didn’t know she was with a lot of women. It’s just that actually seeing her with a woman was such a shock. But why did I feel so turned on? She pondered that question for long minutes. It must just be the shock and the thrill of seeing someone do something that is kind of forbidden. I would probably get turned on from watching Mia and her boyfriend really go at it, too. She could feel her body flush as she considered just how passionate Ryan had looked with her date. God, she sure was going at it. She looked so powerful and strong. Her hands just possessed that woman. She kissed her with a fierceness that I have never felt. She just looked so intense. God, I wonder what they’re doing now? Her mind only paused a second before it delivered the obvious message. What do you think Jamie? They’re having hot sex in the back seat of that car! Oh god, why didn’t I take abnormal psychology like everybody else?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Jamie decided that speaking to Ryan about seeing her at the coffeehouse would serve no useful purpose. They did not speak on Thursday but after class on Friday they stopped for their customary juice break but since the day was nice they grabbed a couple bottles of juice and went out to Faculty Glade to relax in the sun. As they got settled Jamie was puzzled to see Ryan pull a brown bag from her book bag and begin to eat her snack.

"Um, Ryan?" she began.

"Mmrmfh?"

"Why are you eating cold dry pancakes?"

"They're cold because they were made last night, and I don’t have access to a microwave. They're dry because syrup doesn't travel well." After delivering her logical answer she gazed at Jamie with an open, placid look on her face. This was one of Ryan’s idiosyncrasies that Jamie both loved and hated. She invariably answered your question—she just answered it exactly as it was asked. The thought passed through Jamie’s mind that everyone she knew thought like a lawyer.

"You know that's not my real question," Jamie said as she gave her arm a little slap.

"Okay, I'll confess. I didn't call home by 3 p.m. to tell my father that I wouldn't be home for dinner. This," she said as she shook a dry cold pancake, "is my punishment."

"Um, I guess that clears it up," she replied with a confused look.

"Okay, my father expects each of us to be home for dinner at 6 p.m. sharp. It's no big deal if we can't make it. But if you don't opt out by 3 p.m. he cooks for you. If he cooks for you, you damn well better eat it. So whatever you didn't eat for dinner, you get for lunch the next day."

"But you don't have to eat it, Ryan," Jamie laughed.

"Yes I do," Ryan intoned seriously. "It's important to my father."

"What do you mean?" she asked completely unable to understand how eating cold pancakes could be important to anyone.

"When my mother died he did his best to keep us functioning as a real family. Having meals together is a big part of what makes that work. When I break one of the family rules there should be a price to pay. It's all about respect." Her deep blue eyes were serious as she gazed steadily at Jamie.

"I would love to meet the man that you love and respect so much, Ryan," Jamie said as she covered Ryan's hand with one of her own.

Ryan blushed just a little and gave Jamie a big smile. "Why don't you come for Sunday dinner and meet everyone?"

"I would love to," Jamie replied enthusiastically.

"Sunday at 3 p.m. Don't be late," she threatened ominously as she gave her cold pancake another shake right in Jamie’s face.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Jamie left Palo Alto extra early to insure that she would be on time for Sunday dinner. She followed Ryan's neatly written directions as she moved along the 101 and as she exited at Cesar Chavez Blvd. She mused to herself that she had never been in this section of the city. She often took the 101, but usually only to see her grandfather up near Nob Hill. As she drove along Chavez it became clear why she had never been to this neighborhood. Her family was interested in high culture, fine restaurants and major sporting events. This modest neighborhood looked like a fine place to get a good Nicaraguan meal, but that was about it. The neighborhood wasn’t terribly run down but it strongly reflected the culture of its recent immigrants from Central America. Is this Ryan’s neighborhood? she mused thoughtfully. I know she doesn’t have much family money but this seems awfully modest.

After a couple of miles she crossed Dolores, a broad, divided street with a large greensward down the center. At that imaginary dividing line the neighborhood began to change dramatically. The houses were very neatly tended and the shops looked decidedly more upscale. This is really cute, she mused as she regarded the plethora of small 2 and 3 story Victorians that graced every block.

She arrived at the stated address at 2:40. She found a parking space rather easily and walked up to the neat little Victorian. She heard music playing from the attached garage and decided to check there before climbing the exterior staircase to approach the front door. Two dark figures were lying on the floor flanking a turquoise and cream Harley as she approached.

Walking into the garage she tentatively asked, "Ryan?" still not positive that one of the figures was her friend.

"Hey, Jamie," replied her friendly voice. "Did you bring your overalls?" Ryan scooted out from beneath the bike and rose to her full 6 ft. plus height. She wore her black hair in a neat braid that stuck out from beneath the bill of her backwards red baseball cap. A tight white ribbed tank top showed every one of the many assets of her torso. Very old, very faded 501's covered her long legs. The jeans bore large rips at each knee and small ones beneath the soft curves of her butt. As she stood Jamie could make out gray underwear through the rear rips that seemed to extend well past the norm. What does she have on under those jeans?" she mused. Does she wear boxers? Big brown lineman's boots covered her feet.

Jamie could almost feel her chin hit her chest when the next figure stood. She was fairly certain that Ryan did not have a twin. But the tall man who now stood beside Ryan was clearly a testosterone laden clone. Looking at them together Jamie marveled at the likeness. But where Ryan had smooth curves, the man had tight muscle. He was at least 5 or 6 inches taller and a lot broader in the shoulders, but his hips were narrow. He did not have an ounce of fat anywhere it did not belong. His hair was identical in color and texture, but he wore it short around the side of his head and a little long on top. His eyes were the same deep blue and they had the same intensity as Ryan's. But Jamie quickly noticed that they lacked the gentleness that Ryan's often bore. His gaze seemed intimidating, almost predatory, while Ryan's usually seemed open and interested. He was dressed in a similar manner, but his T-shirt covered his shoulders and his jeans had fewer holes.

Ryan looked bemused at the expression on Jamie's face. "Kinda creepy, huh?" she teased.

"Wha...Oh...yeah," she admitted. "You aren't twins, are you?"

The man was busy wiping his hands on a towel. As he finished he extended his right one in greeting. "She should be so lucky to share my chromosomes," he said with bravado.

Jamie laughed as Ryan punched him rather hard in his bicep. "This is my sweet, charming brother Conor. Conor, this is my friend, Jamie."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Conor," Jamie finally got out, aware that she was still staring, but unable to stop.

"It's only gonna get worse, Jamie. Prepare yourself," Ryan warned.

The grungy siblings spent a few moments putting away their tools and neatening up the work area. Jamie watched them work, still unable to get over the astounding similarity. After they had finished they all exited the front of the garage and hung a left to walk up the narrow staircase that led to the front entrance. When they reached the landing she noticed a very nice flower rimmed deck that obviously covered the two garages. "Nice," she said appreciatively, taking in the neat space.

"Yeah," Ryan agreed. "We’ve got the only deck on the whole block. Actually, one of the few in the whole neighborhood. It’s a great place to sit out and get a fog tan," she chuckled, acknowledging the few clear days that The City was blessed with. Giving a quick glance at the surrounding houses she noticed that they were all of a similar type. They were all quite narrow and spaced very closely together; actually most of them seemed to touch each other on both sides.

Conor held the door for her and she stepped in before the siblings. "Your home is charming, Ryan," she enthused. As Jamie looked around she thought to herself that part of the charm was the near Lilliputian size of the rooms. The house was only two rooms wide and two rooms long. The small entryway led to an equally small but attractive living room. The living room opened into a formal dining room that was identical in size to the living room. The living room held two love seats and a comfortable looking leather wing back chair. A full sized sofa would never have fit, and the room was a little cramped with the current seating arrangement. There was a small fireplace topped by a mantel that was filled with pictures of the family. Small leaded glass windows bracketed the fireplace. Additional photos and diplomas lined the walls under the windows. The wall to the left of the fireplace held a floor to ceiling bookcase that was lined with books and more photos. The opposite wall revealed a door but Jamie couldn’t figure out what room would open off the front of the living room.

As she looked around she noticed that the most attractive part of the room was all of the exquisitely detailed woodwork. The ceiling was bordered by a deep crown molding with a wide picture molding right underneath. Each window and door was trimmed out, as was the fireplace. Jamie guessed that the home was 60 or 70 years old, really too new to have all of the millwork be original. "I love all of the moldings in here," she said to Ryan.

Conor gave her a big grin as he offered a slight bow. "Thank you, Jamie," he said.

Ryan explained, "Conor’s a finish carpenter. After he got out of trade school he used the house as his little project. We’ve got every kind of molding and trim that you can imagine."

She ran her hand over the elaborate woodwork of the mantel. "You certainly do nice work, Conor," she said appreciatively.

"Don’t encourage him too much," Ryan warned. "He’ll pull out his pictures and monopolize you all night!"

"Some people are interested in craftsmanship," he sniffed. "Jamie certainly seems to be able to recognize quality."

"My mother’s very much into home decorating," Jamie explained. "We did a major remodel a couple of years ago and we had a lot of trim installed, so I learned a ton about your craft, Conor."

The cozy dining room held a very large oak table, rectangular in shape. It had room for 10, but only 6 places were set today. As Jamie finished surveying the room she was greeted by yet another of Ryan's clones. This one looked a bit older and while he was also well built he did not leave the impression of raw power waiting to burst out of his skin that his siblings had. "Oh, Brendan, when did you show up?" Ryan asked as she crossed the room to give him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"I came over about a half hour ago, but I've got good clothes on and I wasn't going to let you grease monkeys talk me into ruining another pair of pants," he replied sagely.

"Brendan, this is my friend, Jamie," Ryan again began the introductions, and was forced to add another, "and this is Rory," she said to Jamie as the last brother entered.

Well at least he's not a clone, too, Jamie thought. Rory was shorter than Ryan by 2 or 3 inches. His hair was also lighter, and Jamie guessed that it would be a deep red in the sunlight. His eyes were a soft green and they twinkled when he smiled. His skin was fairer than his siblings, but his features were quite similar.

"I'm pleased to meet you both," Jamie said as she shook hands with each in turn.

A voice rang out from the kitchen, "Dinner will be served in exactly 1/2 hour. Anyone with a spot of grease on them will not be served."

Conor and Ryan stole guilty glances at each other. "Flip you for the shower," Ryan said. She produced a dime from her jeans, but Conor lucked out. "Please leave some hot water for me, Conor," she begged.

"What's it worth to ya?" he inquired.

"Well, it's you who has the most to gain since I sit next to you at the table," she reasoned.

"Good point, Stinky," he relented, "I'll hurry."

The voice boomed from the kitchen yet again. "Shi' vawn," it appeared to say, "Use some manners and bring your guest in here."

"Shi' vawn?" Jamie mouthed to her friend.

Ryan looked a little sheepish. "It's my real name," she admitted. "I changed it long ago, but my father doesn't acknowledge it."

They walked through the dining room and turned right into a very large kitchen. The room was rectangular in shape and ran about 15 feet to a screened door at the rear. It was only about 10 feet in width, but the high ceilings and bright tile made it look much bigger. The kitchen was not what Jamie was mesmerized by however, that distinction fell to the older male clone stirring a pot on the stove.

Gee, I guess they're not adopted, thought Jamie. Martin O'Flaherty was clearly the original from whom the little O'Flaherty copies sprang. He was a good 4 inches taller than Ryan, with a bit of gray at the temples. His physique matched that of Brendan and from a distance he could have been 30 years old. But up close his face had the small lines and weathered skin that befitted a man who worked at a dangerous profession. His eyes, however, were exact copies of Ryan's, deep blue, warm and friendly.

"Da, this is my friend, Jamie," Ryan again made the introduction.

"Ahh, Jamie," he said warmly with a more than a hint of an Irish accent. "Shi' vawn speaks of you well and often. I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance, but I wish it had been weeks earlier," he said as he shot a glare at his smirking daughter.

"If she speaks half as well of me as she does of you Mr. O'Flaherty, then I'm a lucky woman," Jamie replied with a twinkle.

"Shi' vawn are you certain this little one is not from the old sod?" he said with a laugh. "She seems to have kissed the Blarney Stone rather recently. But there is no Mr. O'Flaherty here darlin'. You may call me Martin or Marty, whichever you choose."

"What do you prefer?" she inquired.

"Pay attention, Shi' vawn," he said with a grin identical to the one Jamie had seen hundreds of times on her friend. "This one's got manners." He turned to Jamie and looked a bit pensive as he finally said, "I suppose I prefer Martin. It's the name my parents gave me and I can't think of a reason to change it." This last was directed at a bemused looking Ryan. "Another lesson you could take from this one is how to dress for dinner," he said as he regarded Jamie's outfit. She wore a forest green cashmere crew neck sweater and a pair of wide wale corduroy slacks in a soft buttery cream color. Shiny brown faux alligator loafers completed the outfit.

"I'll try, Da," Ryan agreed. "But I don't think even Jamie could do much for my sense of style." She cocked her head in concentration. "I think Conor's out of the shower. Wanna come to my room to give me some pointers, Jamie?"

"Sure, Ryan," she replied a little hesitantly. Even though she was very interested in seeing what was under those jeans, she knew it was not the wisest course of action. But she put her cautions to the side and followed right on Ryan's heels. They walked back to the small entryway and opened a door that Jamie had not noticed. As they descended a low staircase Ryan was forced to duck her head severely. It seemed to Jamie that they were in a room that would be located right behind the garages. The room was surprisingly bright as it was above ground even though she supposed it was technically in the basement. A large casement double hung window loomed over the bed and faced the small neat backyard. Jamie could see a large black dog looking through the window with a quizzical look on its face.

"Hi Duffy," Ryan said as she sat on her large bed and opened the window. "Duff, this is Jamie," she said as she pointed at her amused friend. "She's my very good friend, and I want you to greet her gently." The dog cocked his big black head and gave her a stern expression that seemed to imply agreement. "We'll be out soon, so you go practice," she said as she closed the window and the dog trotted away.

"He's awfully cute, Ryan," Jamie said. "What kind of dog is he?"

"He's half black lab and half standard poodle. I got him from a client 3 years ago. Best tip I ever got," she said proudly.

Ryan rose from the bed and crossed the room to a well built set of drawers and doors that lined the entire side wall of her room. She began to open the doors and look at her wardrobe. Jamie walked up next to her and marveled at the way everything was organized. Each drawer was labeled neatly. T-shirts L/S; T-shirts S/S; T-shirts N/S; Sweats; Socks; U/W etc.

"Got enough T-shirts?" Jamie asked casually as she opened the N/S drawer to confirm that indeed the shirts stored inside did not in fact have sleeves.

"Hey, I’m a dyke," she said defensively. "T-shirts are part of the uniform."

"Do you need help Shi' vawn?" Jamie asked innocently as her friend seemed at a loss.

"Don't start," she warned with a smile.

"God, Ryan, I think I know you so well, but I don't even know your real name."

"I haven't used that name since I was seven," Ryan replied. "Only Da and my grandparents use it, the boys even stopped when I beat them up," she admitted. "And you do know me, Jamie," she said sincerely. "You know me very well. I wouldn't have invited you here otherwise."

Jamie remembered that Ryan's mother had died when she was seven. Thinking there might be a connection she chose not to pursue the matter. "I'm sure I know all the important parts," she admitted. "Besides, a touch of mystery becomes you."

Ryan laughed and resumed her task. "My big problem is that I don't have any nice pants," she moaned. "Every time I decide to buy something nice I find some new bike pants or a new warm up suit that I know I'll wear ten times more often and I buy that instead."

She pulled out a perfectly acceptable pair of navy blue wool slacks and a cream colored cable knit sweater. She laid her selections out on the bed and sat down to unlace her boots. Jamie chickened out as she considered watching her undress, so she knew she had better get out now. "I think I'll offer to help your father while you get ready," she offered.

"He won't let you help, but he'd appreciate the offer," Ryan predicted.

As she turned to leave she remembered something that had puzzled her. "Why do you call him 'Da'?"

"It's the Irish equivalent of Dad. Many kids call their parents Ma and Da rather than Mom and Dad."

"It's kind of cute," Jamie offered as she began to walk up the stairs.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

As Ryan predicted, Jamie's offer to help was rebuffed by Martin. "You go play with the children," he said as he directed her to the now open door off the living room. The relatively big bedroom facing the street was filled by a king sized bed, a well worn upholstered chair and 3 men lounging in various positions as they watched the ‘49ers battle the St. Louis Rams from a TV set located in another lovely built-in cabinet lining the wall.

Jamie sat on the floor after refusing the offer of the chair. She quickly joined in the discussion of the Ninerslack of a good tight end. "Tom Rathman and Brent Jones made them click," she added knowledgeably. Ryan joined them, freshly scrubbed and shockingly beautiful in her dress up clothes, as half time was just beginning. She sat next to Jamie on the floor and watched a little challenge that Conor had obviously just made with Jamie. They were each putting $5 up and Rory was acting as judge. Jamie scrunched her face up, deep in thought. "Well, there has to be an 'S', she said, "and an 'H'?" she asked hopefully.

"Two for two!" said Rory.

"How about an 'A'?"

"Three for three!"

"A 'W'?"

"Nope, one wrong," he replied.

"S-I-O-B-H-A-N," Ryan enunciated as she handed each contestant back their $5.

"No fair, Ryan," said Conor, a little perturbed.

"I don't like people to play games with the spelling of my name," she said seriously. "It bothers me," she said softly as she looked at the floor.

"I'm sorry, Ryan," Conor said quickly as he rose from the bed and squatted down to give her a little kiss. "I wouldn't have done it if I knew it would bother you."

"Well," she admitted, "It doesn't bother me much, but it did get you off the bed and into my evil hands," she laughed gleefully as she began to tickle his sides unmercifully. He quickly lost his ability to remain upright but she stuck right with him, as he rolled around on the floor.

"Please, please, no more, I can't take it," he pleaded as he giggled hysterically. "You win, you win!"

"I always win," she said proudly as she helped him straighten up. "I'm the little sister."

"Just our luck boys," he addressed his laughing brothers. "To have a little sister that can kick all of our butts."

The game began again just as Martin called them all to dinner. Brendan rose and hit the record button on the VCR, and they all walked into the dining room without a word of complaint.

Jamie could not remember ever having a better time at the dinner table. Meals at her home were always pleasant enough, but there was never much spark. When she and her mother ate alone, they often went out to dinner and the conversation revolved around her mother's interests; clothes, travel, art and her many social obligations. When her father was at home for a meal they usually talked about his work or his latest case or politics.

The O'Flaherty clan however, spent their mealtimes in a boisterous game of one- upmanship: funny stories, jokes and constant teasing. Jamie was pleased that they seemed to welcome her into the group seamlessly. They teased her unmercifully but gently, but she noticed that they did the same to each other. By the end of the meal Jamie had formed some tentative impressions of each of the O'Flaherty men.

Martin was clearly in charge. All of the children seemed to respect and admire him, but she did not detect even a glimmer of fear. When he told one of them to stop a tease that was becoming too sharp, they did so immediately. He had quite a flair for storytelling and Jamie noticed that each of the kids listened to him raptly even though she imagined they had heard his stories many times. The number of repetitions was obvious when he finished one, and all of the children complained that he had changed the ending. "How else can I keep the lot of you on your toes?" he explained with a laugh.

Brendan was the most serious of the group. He was a lawyer with a small public interest law firm, working to secure the rights of people with disabilities. The other boys and Ryan looked to him as a bit of an arbiter also. He was quite adept at keeping the rest of them in line, with his wit and easy laughter, but his teasing was very gentle and sweet.

Conor was clearly the troublemaker of the boys. He seemed to love to get under everyone else's skin. Jamie could just imagine the practical jokes he must play on the others. She wasn't surprised when Martin told of the number of times he had to leave work to bail Conor out of the principal's office when he was young.

Conor worked as a carpenter, a trade that he loved and was obviously very good at. He had built Ryan's wall-to-wall closet and Martin’s bookcase and the work was immaculate. He worked for a firm that did renovation work in the City, and he took obvious pride in talking about the historically accurate work his firm did on the City's many Victorian homes.

Rory was very boyish and a little shy. He was a musician and played in a band that often performed at various pubs and clubs in the City. Ryan explained that his group played primarily traditional Irish music. Jamie wasn't sure what that meant, but she hoped to find out. He traveled quite a bit when his band toured with bigger name acts, but he was at home for several months this winter, playing around the City. He would occasionally lapse into a soft Irish brogue that one of the others would call him on. Ryan explained that he spent most of the summer in Ireland every year, playing all over the country. Ryan seemed particularly fond of Rory, and she boasted to Jamie about his considerable talents as a musician. He just blushed and shook his head at the compliments, but it was clear that he appreciated them.

When dinner was ended Jamie was amazed at what happened next. With nary a word from Martin, or to each other, each child got up and began to perform a particular task.

Brendan went into the kitchen, rolled up his sleeves and put on an apron. He began to run water in the big double sink as he cleared off the surrounding counters. Conor began to clear the table in a quick but efficient manner. Rory joined Brendan and prepared to dry the dishes. Ryan was in charge of removing and folding the linen tablecloth and napkins. Jamie offered to help, but Ryan refused her offer saying, "Once we get going you could get hurt if you tried to step in."

Conor moved to Rory's right and began to place each washed and dried item in its' proper home. Ryan grabbed a broom and began to sweep the entire dining room floor. She had to shoo Martin and Jamie away from the table in order to place the chairs upside down by their seats on the wooden surface. Jamie moved to the doorway of the kitchen to watch the precision event unfold.

Brendan was finished washing by now and he moved to wash each counter in the kitchen with a mild bleach solution that he had prepared in the sink. Rory and Conor finished up and moved back into the dining room to set the table for the next meal. They used a pretty everyday tablecloth and some ironstone dishes, setting the table for 5. Brendan cleaned the tops and fronts of all of the appliances while Ryan swept the kitchen. After she had finished she got out a mop and bucket and mopped the entire room. She backed out of the room toward the screened in porch and disappeared, reemerging a few minutes later, via the front door, accompanied by Duffy.

Duffy tried his best, but gentle was not the term best used for his initial greeting of Jamie. He placed his big black paws on her waist and whimpered until she lowered her face enough to be thoroughly licked. "I guess I should have asked if you like dogs," Ryan drawled.

"Lucky for you, I love them," Jamie enthused. Her family had never had any pets but she had always wanted a dog. Her grandfather had a cute little long haired Chihuahua when she was young but he had not replaced him when the elderly dog passed away.

Duffy however, was a real dog. He went to each of the brothers in turn and licked each face. Martin made a show of disliking the attention, but he giggled as Duffy worked away despite his complaints.

As Ryan sat down on a love seat Duffy climbed right up next to her and dropped his head in her lap. "Duffy, we have company," she rebuked him. "You know there are only enough seats for the humans."

He looked up at her with plaintive, sad eyes, begging for a reprieve. He was rescued by Brendan who reminded everyone that the game was probably over. When the door to the bedroom opened Duffy bounded off the couch and headed right for the middle of the bed. Brendan checked the TV to make sure the game was over, and when everyone else was assured they would not inadvertently hear the score they all entered the room.

Jamie was surprised to see Ryan, Duffy, Conor and Rory all fit on the bed. Ryan had dashed downstairs to put on a pair of jeans and a navy blue hooded ‘Cal’ sweatshirt, and Duffy cuddled next to her from her horizontal position at the foot of the bed. Conor and Rory each sat against the headboard, easily able to see over Ryan and Duffy's dark heads. Brendan brought in a dining room chair for himself alone after Jamie refused his offer to bring one for her. She sat on the floor at the foot of the bed, close to Ryan's head. Martin sat in his well-used upholstered chair, and began to act as though he was reading the newspaper.

The game was a close one, way too close for the assembled Niners fans. Everyone complained and cajoled the team to improve their execution. Every mouth however, dropped open in shock when Jamie shouted in frustration, "Oh please! My grandmother could have read that blitzing linebacker. Hit the slot, Steve, hit the slot!"

After a moments pause she realized that all eyes were on her. "Um, I watch a lot of football," she admitted with a small blush.

"How much is a lot?" Ryan inquired once she had put her eyes back in her head.

"Well, I've gone to every Stanford home game since I was born, and we go to almost every Niners game," she admitted shyly.

"You've got tickets?" Conor and Rory shouted at once.

"Yeah, um, my father's firm has tickets."

"What's your fathers' firm?" asked Brendan.

"Morris and Foster," she said quietly.

"Oh," was all he said.

No one else seemed interested in talking about law firms after Young threw a perfect spiral to Hearst to cap a beautiful game ending 45 yard scoring drive.

They chatted about the game for a few more minutes until Brendan excused himself to go home and get caught up on some work. Ryan caught Jamie's eye and indicated that she wanted to go downstairs. Jamie got up and followed her out the door and down the stairs.

"So, what do you think?" Ryan asked as she flopped down on her big bed. Jamie sat on Ryan’s desk chair, pulling it next to the bed and putting her stockinged feet up on the comforter.

"About what?" she asked innocently.

"You know what--what did you think of my family?" Ryan stated the obvious.

Jamie gave her a big smile as she admitted, "I don't remember when I've met a nicer group of people."

"You must not get out much," Ryan drawled, but she was obviously pleased by the compliment.

"I get out plenty, Ryan, and believe me, you are one lucky woman. Your brothers clearly adore you and your father’s face lights up every time he looks at you."

Ryan gazed at her in contemplative silence for a few minutes. "I really do know how lucky I am Jamie," she said softly. "I spent a couple of years feeling sorry for myself during puberty. I missed my mother so much and it was just hard going through that with a bunch of clueless men. But once I got a little older and saw how few people share the love we have for each other..." she let out a sigh, "I thank God every day for all that I have".

"Do you really?" Jamie asked, interested in this new facet of her friend. "You’ve never talked about your spirituality."

"Yeah, I really do," Ryan admitted. She looked a little bashful, but continued tentatively, "I wanna tell you something that I've only told Da." She locked her clear eyes on Jamie, obviously waiting for permission.

Jamie returned her look and gave her a little encouraging smile, "Please do."

Ryan cleared her throat a little nervously as she began. "As I've told you before, my mother died when I was seven. I was just starting first grade when it happened and we were beginning instruction to receive religious instruction. The nuns told us about letting Jesus in to our hearts and all of the standard religious stuff they think 7 year olds can comprehend. But what struck me the most was when they talked about the Virgin Mary. Sister Kevin explained that we could talk to Jesus directly, but we could also get a message to him via his mother. She said that Mary would always watch over us just like our own mothers would." Ryan looked down at her folded hands and wiped a tear from her eye. Jamie took this opportunity to get up and sit down right next to her, reassuring her by her presence.

"I figured that since my mother was already with God, I didn't have to go through the Virgin Mary, I had an insider to listen to my prayers and direct them to the proper party." Here, she laughed a little at the memory of her childish self. "So from then on I prayed to my mother instead of to God or Jesus. I knew that no one would ever care more for me than she did, and I knew she would always be there to watch over me. I still do that every night," she admitted with a catch in her voice as the tears began to flow in earnest. Jamie scooted even closer and wrapped her arms tightly around Ryan's sobbing shoulders.

"Shhh, shhh, "Jamie cooed into her ear as she rocked her gently and caressed her head.

They sat like that for a few long minutes, Ryan seemingly at ease revealing herself so totally; Jamie touched beyond words at the trust that Ryan showed by her actions. After a bit Ryan leaned away to grope for a box of Kleenex on her bedside table. She took several for herself and wiped her eyes and blew her nose. She watched as Jamie did the same, clearly having been moved by the story.

"Does it bother you to talk about her, Ryan?" she finally asked.

"No, not with you or my family," Ryan replied. "I miss her more than I can express in words, but she loved me so well that I can still feel her love. Of course I would give anything to have her back, but I had her so totally when she was alive, that I am forever grateful for the short time we had together. I really love talking about her with people who understand what she means to me. It makes her come alive for me again when I talk about her."

Jamie was wonderfully pleased at this revelation of Ryan's feelings for their friendship. She leaned over and gently kissed both of Ryan's moist, pink cheeks. "I'm sure she would be proud of the woman that you have become, Ryan," she said simply.

Ryan looked up at her with the most adorable little grin that Jamie had ever seen on a human being. Her eyes were a little hooded and she looked just a bit embarrassed as she said, "Thanks Jamie, that means a lot, coming from you."

After they sat in companionable silence for a few more minutes, Jamie got up from the bed and walked around the room, examining it closely. The room looked very much like Ryan. Clean, neat, organized and fairly utilitarian, but with a little color here and there. A large built-in bookshelf covered the wall opposite the closet and it was filled with science texts, magazines, awards, trophies for various sports and photos. Jamie was struck by one such photo and after staring at it for a few moments she turned back to Ryan with tears in her eyes again. "You knew, didn't you?" she inquired plainly. Ryan rose and came to stand next to her. She put an arm around Jamie's shoulders and looked at the very familiar picture.

The 3x5 color photo in the simple frame showed a very ill woman holding a small, very melancholy child. Ryan's big blue eyes stared up at the camera and revealed all of her fears. The woman, whom Jamie guessed was quite beautiful before her illness ravaged her, also stared directly into the lens. She had a stoic, calm look in her green eyes and it was clear that she still possessed a fiery spirit. Little Ryan was holding on to her tightly, her small arms wrapped around the frail waist. Ryan's head was resting on a bony shoulder and a painfully thin hand held the back of her small head.

"Yes, I knew how sick she was. This was my 7th birthday," she said wistfully. "I didn’t understand what death was but I knew that she was going to leave soon, and I knew she wasn’t coming back. She died about a month after this picture was taken," she said with a flat voice.

"Oh, Ryan, I'm so sorry you had to feel all of that pain," Jamie said as she turned and was enveloped by Ryan's strong arms.

"Everybody feels pain like that if they really love someone," Ryan whispered. "No one gets out of here alive, you know," she said into Jamie's ear.

"I know, but you were such a baby, Ryan. Look at that precious little face," she lamented as she looked at the photo again.