SAPPHIC SURFER

A Short Story by K’Anne Meinel

Kindle Edition

Published by:

K’Anne Meinel on Kindle

Copyright © K’Anne Meinel September 2011

SAPPHIC SURFER

Kindle Edition License Notes:

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K’Anne Meinel is available for comments at KAnneMeinel@aim.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter if you would like to follow her to find out stories and book’s releases.

As Ashley looked out over the barely seen water around her she relished the feeling of being alone on her board, the waves hadn’t started yet, but they would. The weatherman had predicted good surf today following a tropical storm that had come up out of Mexico. She could feel something in the air but maybe it was the expectation of good day, a good time to surf. She wasn’t really alone though, in fact she was late; there were many surfers also out here communing with nature, waiting for the show to begin. Many were die-hards, more addicted to this sport than she was. It had taken a long time to break into this tight knit group and still she wasn’t going to ever be accepted by some. She wasn’t born to this like some of them. She had arrived too late in life to be accepted by some. At least now she wasn’t treated like a pariah anymore, some even had stopped ridiculing her as her skills began to assert themselves, as she learned to control her board, as she learned balance and technique. The only way someone not born to this sport could learn was to get up there and do it. Ashley had, and the grudging respect she had earned from some of the more hard core surfers was something she relished, something intangible that no one could understand or take away from her.

Ashley had moved here from Elgin, Illinois. You really couldn’t be more Midwest than that. All her life though she had dreamed of the ocean. Seeing Lake Michigan in Chicago wasn’t the same. It felt similar with its vast body of water and endless views but it wasn’t the same, it didn’t have the salty tang, the same feeling of power that the ocean gave you. There were surfers in the Midwest, in fact, Kenosha, Wisconsin was well known for it, but it wasn’t the surfer capital of the United States. That title went to Huntington Beach, California. Many would assume that Hawaii would have that title but Hawaii wasn’t accessible by car from any of the contiguous United States and this was where the competitions were held. Sure there were surfers all up and down the East Coast, throughout the Florida panhandle and along the coasts in the Gulf, but it wasn’t Huntington Beach, California. Even this town had competition with Malibu, Oceanside, and on up and down the West Coast. There were surf wars and those with their own opinions about where were the best places to surf. But Ashley had watched the competitions, the championships of surfing on television and decided in high school that this was where she was going to end up, this was her dream.

Sitting on her board as the sun began to peak up over Saddleback Mountain she was amazed as she gazed about her. She was living her dream. No one in her family, none of her friends understood her or her dream. Coming out here shortly after eighteenth birthday she had been amazed and delighted when her mother volunteered to move with her. Not to keep an eye on her as everyone else had thought, but to start over herself, to find herself again. After a messy divorce from Ashley’s father, she needed something new for her self-esteem and riding on the coattails of Ashley’s dream she came along for the opportunities. Ashley had never seen her mother so happy. This last year they had finally moved apart. Ashley to her own first home that she had bought and her mother down the block to a townhome that was nearly identical to Ashley’s. It had been a long couple of years, dealing with homesickness for what was familiar, leaving all their friends and family, learning new skills from their old way of life, and making new friends. Now both of them were happy in their choices, in their lives, in their futures.

You might ask how many nineteen year old women could afford to buy their own townhomes. But Ashley had. Her mother had taught her to save, to scrimp, to work hard, and she had. Her first job as a cashier at a chain of electronics stores called The Federated Group had led to the opportunity to become a sales rep for them. They had started her in personal electronics which consisted of boom boxes, small stereos, microwaves, keyboards, telephones, and Walkman’s. It had been a good training ground for Ashley. She had within her first year graduated to selling televisions, stereos, VCR’s, video cameras, and because of her computer school background, computers. As a result she was making a tremendous amount of money for someone so very young. Her mother’s advice? Invest in her future; you couldn’t go wrong with owning your own home. She didn’t have time for the yard work so she and her mother had looked into condos and townhomes and both had chosen to purchase in an area of Huntington Beach with the oldest townhome association in the state. It had been the very first of its kind. Located at Brookhurst and Adams, it contained over 500 townhomes of one, two, and three bedroom homes in sections of eight or nine units in a row. An occasional four bedroom home was located within these blocks. Recently, right before Ashley and her mother had purchased their units; the association had split so there were only 250 units in their association and another 250 in a new association across the common area that divided their section of blocks from the other. This common area was shared between the two associations. Each block had a common area in front of it that contained trees, bushes, and grass. In Ashley’s association it was not a place for children to play but rather a park like area that they could walk on, admire, and their pets could defecate on but was strictly ruled so that it had to be picked up immediately. Children yelling, screaming, and ripping it up was strictly forbidden. Ashley liked the kids around, it gave her a sense of family around the neighborhood, she didn’t mind their noise, it was a family friendly neighborhood, but she had neighbors that should have purchased or rented in an adults only community. She also liked that she didn’t have to do the gardens or lawn. The pool was taken care of as well. All she had to do was pay her mortgage, her association dues, her bills, and keep her nose clean. Not many nineteen year olds could do what she had.

Ashley wasn’t worried about her bills at the moment; she realized the swells they had been waiting for were beginning. She could feel it in the air, could almost taste it in her blood. She could see the other surfers felt it too. It got into your soul and you just knew it was coming. The calm before the storm as it were. As the sun began to come up over Saddleback Mountain the swells began to do just that, swell. Little waves that began to get a little bit bigger, slowly but surely, the dips a little deeper. A few of the less experienced surfers practiced on these little waves, watched indulgently by others, sneered at by some of the harsher critical surfers. These waves weren’t even deemed worthy of their notice. Ashley smiled indulgently. She had been there not so long ago.

Moving here, Ashley had been quite chubby in her Midwestern way. Not fat really, but she hadn’t lost her baby roundness. Since learning to surf though and swimming in the ocean daily, she had slimmed down and muscled up. The tone to her now surf suited body was something to be admired. Long legs with muscular thighs and gluts, her stomach sported a slight six pack. Her baby roundishness, which had been most noticeable in her face, now sported angles that drew admiration from those she now met. Ignored her whole life by men and women as a familiar baby faced dumpy little girl, the attention she now received made her uncomfortable. She hadn’t realized her beauty yet and maybe for her that was a good thing. Long brown hair, everyone kept their hair long it seemed in Southern California, it curled naturally and looked gorgeous when she brushed it out. It wasn’t convenient with it wet every day from surfing but in defiance of her mother’s long standing cutting of her locks, she had grown it out and relished its thick beauty. A few of the other surfer girls kept their hair boyishly short and it looked good on them but that look made Ashley feel a bit dikeish and as she hadn’t dated men or women she didn’t want anyone to assume things about her.

It had been bad enough when she started surfing, dealing with the sneers, the open hostility of the others who already knew how. She had been embarrassed as she felt conspicuous learning the balance, the rhythm of the sport, and doing it all on her own. Not everyone had been awful to her but enough so she was very self-conscious about her inadequacy, her lack of knowledge, her clumsiness. Many was the time she quit for the day with their jeers ringing in her ears. But every day she returned to try once again, to balance a little better, to learn a little more, to study the others who knew so much more than she did. Grudging admiration for her commitment, her constant vigilance and attempts to improve was won by a few hard core surfers. When they saw she wasn’t a tourist, she wasn’t going to go away, she was there for the duration, they began to give her advice, helping her along the way to becoming a better surfer and earning her eternal grateful admiration. She in turn had passed it forward and helped in little ways to the newbies she now saw. Not too much but enough that she felt she was paying back for the little help she had received.

She wasn’t a veteran yet but had been there often enough, long enough, and through some really rough surf to earn a place, a very fragile place, farther out with some of the better surfers. She was careful to give way when she saw some of the nastier ones come out. She let them take the better waves she headed for. Not always though and for some of them she was still singled out to be picked on. A few of the older and more experienced surfers had stood up for her and got them to knock it off. As she became confident in her abilities she thought the moniker they had given her ‘Sapphic surfer’ was an honorary nickname and although her Greek history days were far behind her she thought it referred to some Greek god and wore it proudly. When she finally looked it up and realized what it actually meant she flushed in mortification. According to the dictionary she looked up it referred to a Greek lyric poet or certain meters or a form of strophe or stanza used or named after Sappho, it also pertained to a characteristic of female sexuality in this case being a lesbian. Since Ashley had just come into her own physically, she hadn’t dated men. She certainly hadn’t dated women in her conservative Midwestern town. She was very upset to realize some of the teasing had turned vicious. She had expected some razzing as she learned the sport she wanted so badly but this was too nasty to consider, to awful to comprehend, she avoided those vicious mouths like the plague.

It saddened her that she had never had a date. She had friends of course back in her town of Elgin but none had been dates, at least she didn’t think they had been. Her friends and she had tended to go out in groups and while some had paired off, Ashley never had. She hadn’t been alone in that and really had never given it a thought. Her mother had told her she was a late bloomer and she had accepted that. Since learning to surf, workouts she unconsciously did daily, she had slimmed down, toned up, and lost that annoying baby fat. In fact, in the year and a half since she had moved to Southern California, she looked completely different. Anyone who could see her now would have to take a second look and stay looking.

The taunts she received from some of the other surfers, some were just cruel, others were to just razz the newbie, and others were because of jealousy for the good looking girl. She thought of it as a rite of passage and now as she had learned a lot more, she could give as well as take their taunts, their innuendos, and their cruelty. Ignoring some, returning insults, and standing up for herself, her new found confidence lent her an air that earned her a place, a rightful place, and some of the taunts and insults had let up. In fact she had made a few friends in her new found sport.

“Jeez isn’t the surf sucky” Letty asked as she looked around from her own perch on her surfboard.

“Give it time” Ashley advised as she closed her eyes to feel the waves. It was a meditation. Not many outsiders understood, but Ashley did. Communing with nature was so very different from anything else in her life. It relaxed her, bought her a peace that she couldn’t explain to people.

Letty looked at her watch “it better hurry up” she groused.

Ashley smiled, Letty was a complainer. If she caught the ‘perfect’ wave she would complain it wasn’t the right color. It was amusing but wearing too. She could feel the difference though as the surf kicked up. She opened her eyes to watch, it was never wise to turn your back on the ocean, especially when it could drown you, pulling you under in a heartbeat, slam you into the pier, or on extremely rare occasions contain something like a shark, debris, or something equally dangerous. No, it wasn’t a good idea to not pay attention to the ocean. She watched a couple of the surfers take a few inadequate waves, it sometimes seemed that these ‘practices’ were for forms sake only. She knew now to wait a little longer, be a little more patient, watch and learn.

The sets of waves, the pattern was building. The waves which had started out as little rises were actually breaking a little. When they got to the three foot level they were worth playing with, practicing. Today though they were forecast to peak at about five foot due to the storm down south. Ashley knew she only had a few hours out on the waves before she would have to get home to shower and get ready for work. Her whole life consisted of surfing and work these days. Her mother lamented that she never saw her anymore but her own busy social life kept her from around Ashley’s neck. Ashley didn’t have a social life, this was it. She intended to enjoy something she loved so much while she could. It also kept her from dwelling on the fact that she didn’t have a boyfriend, she didn’t have a social life, and that was just the way things were. She had enough down time at work to think about those things that weren’t perfect in her life anyway.

The waves were catching more than just her attention. She saw Letty take one and watched as she smoothly caught it and balanced on her short board. Ashley’s own board was a six footer and while she knew she could handle others she had genuine affection for this particular board. This one was the first one that she had been on when she didn’t lose her balance and get dumped into the surf, this one she had actually surfed on in the fullest sense of the word. She saw a set of waves coming in and quickly began to paddle at an angle so they would ‘catch’ her and she could stand up and balance, riding the edge of the wave so it would carry her along. Getting a little fancy she backed up and weaved back and forth on her board. All too soon, at least for her mind, it phased out and she zipped over the edge and got down to paddle out to another. And then another, and then another. For a long time she continued practicing, constant motion that invigorated her, taught her to respect the ocean, taught her the skills she needed to match against it. Each time was different, each time a challenge to her senses, to her skills, to her techniques that she had learned. It was part of what kept her coming back.

All too soon it was time to go. Her watch alarm went off and she looked at it in disgust. The time had seemed to go by so fast. Saying a goodbye to Letty, she rode her last wave farther in to the beach and walked up to where her towel was and swiped it off the sand. Shaking it out so the sand would stay on the beach she carried her board and began to rub her hair with the towel.

“That looked good” a pleasant voice said and she looked up into the darkest blue eyes she had ever seen. A statuesque blonde stood there in a crop top and short shorts looking at her. Her hair was so blonde it was almost white. It blew in the morning breeze as they looked at each other.

“Thanks” Ashley said, curious who the strange woman was, she knew she hadn’t seen her around here before, although for some strange reason she looked vaguely familiar.

“You been surfing long?” she asked in a friendly tone as she walked along with Ashley’s long strides.

“Not really, about a year” Ashley answered wondering who she was.

As though reading Ashley’s mind, “I’m Willow Samuels” the blonde stated looking at Ashley hard as though that name should mean something to her.

It did. Anyone who read Surfing, the magazine, knew who Willow Samuels was. Ashley stopped to stare and asked “the surfer?” in bewildered tones.

Willow smiled and showed perfect white teeth as she nodded and held out her hand.

Ashley threw her towel over the board and held out her own hand and said “Ashley Dales.”

“How do you do Ashley Dales? I watched you out there” her head indicated the ocean behind them “you were doing pretty good.”

“Yeah, I just learned and now I can’t stay away” Ashley laughed wondering why this famous surfer had stopped her.

“It does get addictive” she nodded. “Well, it was nice to meet you Ashley Dales, I’m sure I will see you around” Willow smiled again and left the bemused Ashley.

Ashley thought about her as she pulled on a pair of dry swim trunks over her wet swim suit. She shrugged it off. You get all types in surfing; she had seen a few ‘different’ people. From old timers, well into their sixties, even seventies, to young teens who had to be ducking school, she thought until she found out that Huntington Beach high school offered a course in surfing. It took all kinds. She propped her surfboard in the back seat of her Jeep and through the roof and using the key that was on a chain around her neck unlocked the doors. She slipped on some sandals to drive with, it was illegal to drive bare footed and while most surfers didn’t care, she was a stickler for rules. She unlocked the lock box inside her glove compartment and pulled her small wallet out. Starting the Jeep she backed out of its spot and was on her way.

Ashley hurried home, three miles from the beach up Brookhurst and turned onto Continental Drive to get to her townhome. She noted her mother’s car was not in its carport and parked in her own carport several spots down. Walking across the alleyway with her surfboard and towel to her back gate she opened it, and threw her towel over it. She leaned her board against the house and using a hose she had there she rinsed off the board and then shook it to get the excess water off it, then she unlocked the patio door and went inside to her townhome, setting the surfboard upright by the door along with three others. Hers was one of the few four bedroom units and had a fireplace to boot. Her mother had objected to the size but Ashley wanted to have a little space to spread out. She had her master bedroom all to herself with a large queen sized bed and decorated the way she liked it. She had a guest room, also with a queen sized bed and decorated modestly. The third bedroom she had set up as an office, she didn’t use it a lot but it looked like she did, a nice big desk, a PC on the side, another desk behind it with shelves that held various reference books. The fourth bedroom she used for storage. Boxes of her life were stored there but nothing very much. The place was too big for her of course but she planned to live there awhile so she wanted room to spread out, to grow, and who knew.

Hurrying to the shower she soaped and washed her hair. Using the suds she rinsed off the sand and salt from her body and suit. Wringing out the suit she rinsed it repeatedly before wringing out the excess water and hanging it on a towel bar. She used her razor on the stubble under her arms and on her legs all the way up, taking care to use it carefully near her bikini line. Since she surfed so much she didn’t want to get a rash THERE of all places.

Carefully she toweled off and applied lotion to her tanned body. There was a huge benefit besides the exercise that she got from surfing; her body was perfectly tanned all over. Wearing different suits allowed the tan lines to fade and she looked good from the healthy activity. The sand and the salt still dried out the skin though and she kept it looking healthy by frequent applications of oils and lotions. Looking into the mirror as the fog faded from it she saw her high dark eyebrows, the long eyelashes that framed her green hazel eyes, a gift from her mother. Her nose was narrow and well defined, a bit small but better than average, her lips were full and fully kissable, or at least she liked to think they were. She had never had a kiss and greatly regretted the fact.

Using the towel to dry most of her long brown hair she used a brush to pull it back and pull out most of the snarls. Quickly she applied eye shadow, liner, and brushed her teeth before going into her bedroom to pull on satin bikini styled underwear with a high French cut and a matching bra that cupped her firm muscular breasts. Short knee high stockings and she then pulled on suit slacks and a very feminine blouse. Not wearing her suit jacket or a coat, they were dressy at work but not over the top she brushed her hair once more before going downstairs and pouring herself a bowl of cereal for her brunch. It had been too early to really eat when she left the house to surf and it was too early to eat a lunch so she compromised by eating brunch. Washing the empty bowl and spoon she put away everything and left her kitchen as clean as she had found it. A neat person by choice, she grabbed her larger purse and put the wallet she had taken with her to the beach inside. Going out her back patio door she carefully locked it behind her.

Getting back in her Jeep she carefully pulled out of her carport and headed off down the alleyway. Going down Continental she looked like a typical California girl with a Jeep, the flyaway hair, her sunglasses perched just so. She looked down Brookhurst, waiting for a break in the traffic before pulling out and driving north, away from her beloved beach. She hopped on the 405 freeway a couple of miles from her home and took a quick ride up it to Beach Blvd and further north to pull into The Federated Groups parking lot for work. She pulled the top back up on the Jeep; fixing it so no rain would get in as she wasn’t sure those clouds from the storm in Mexico wouldn’t reach this high up the state. Going into work, she was there with fifteen minutes to spare.

“Did you see the waves this morning” Ken tried to make conversation with Ashley as she dusted by the camcorders.

“See them? I surfed them” she grinned. She knew Ken was a nice guy, but he was also married and as a result, was off limits other than friendship. He wasn’t hitting on, merely being a nice friend.

Shaking his head he teased “a girl surfer, what will this world come to next?”

They talked for a while as he helped her dust and get the area clean. It gave them something to do while they waited for customers.

It got busy in the late afternoon. Shoppers getting off work and looking for their various electronic needs. Ashley sold a couple of televisions, nothing high end, just people looking for cheap replacements. It was a long boring day but right before closing she had an interesting customer who wanted a home entertainment system, both a television, VCR, and stereo combo. She patiently explained their options, making no effort to influence them one way or the other; she wasn’t a pushy salesperson much to her manager’s annoyance. But she did achieve results, she won awards, she got the dollars in the store and her customers recommended her to others which was one of the many reasons she was a top salesperson which had enabled her to buy her house. If it wasn’t quite what her manager wanted, that was too bad, she was her own person and her results proved what she did, worked.

That sale alone was $4000 and thrilled her manager, especially because she got the corresponding extended service protection for the units. Each extended service protection or ESP was a bonus for Ashley and the store. The odds were that the customer would never use it, would lose their paperwork, or if they did the repair would be minor or fall under the manufacturer’s warranty but to the store it was pure profit. Ashley believed in these ESP’s not because they provided a bonus to her and the store but the manufacturer’s warranty was never enough and she explained that to the customer, again letting them make their own decision. As a result of this sale, the store had a great day, not just from Ashley’s efforts; hers just sent it over the top.

“Great sale Ashley” the manager said heartily as he read the sales totals for the day.

Thanking him she hurried to help her fellow associates finish up the days end before they could leave.

It was 10 at night before she got out of the store. Not everyone had to stay that late but her sale had kept a cashier, their manager, and a few others in the store before it could be locked up for the night. No one really minded unless they had somewhere to be. Ashley needed to get home to eat and sleep before rising early to another surf filled morning and work later in the day.

It was a week before Ashley saw Willow Samuels again. This time it wasn’t on the beach but rather in one of the many surf shops off of Pacific Coast Highway or PCH in Huntington Beach. They had refitted all of this area and the shops looked great. Ashley enjoyed shopping and did it frequently to keep up on sales for gear she might need. She knew with colder weather coming she should really invest in a warmer suit. A lot of surf suits were very similar to diving suits and it would also protect her skin from the salt and anything that was in the water that shouldn’t be. She had gotten a few bad rashes that the doctor shook her head at.

“Hey” Willow said when she spotted Ashley.

Ashley was looking through the different surf suits and turned at the greeting. “Uh, hi, Willow right?”

“Yeah, and your Ashley” Willow smiled as she admired the brown haired woman.

Ashley smiled “so have you been surfing here?” her head indicated the water across PCH.

“Naw, been resting up actually, I pulled a muscle in my back in Hawaii last month so I thought I’d come over to the mainland while I rested.”

“Were you in competition?” Ashley asked interested.

Willow nodded “yeah, I finished but I should have stopped when I felt the strain.”

They all understood that, surfing was an addiction; your body, the rashes, and the pain sometimes were ignored. They stood there chatting awhile, leaning into each other. Body language, even unconscious spoke volumes.

“Hey, would you like to have lunch?” Willow asked.

“I have to be at work by 2” Ashley warned and looked at her watch. It was only 11.

Willow laughed “what kind of lunch did you have in mind?”

Ashley joined in her laughter as they walked out of the store together. There were some really cute café’s on the boulevard leading down to PCH and they took a seat at one and ordered their early lunch. Ashley told Willow about her job as a salesperson at The Federated Group.

“Fred Rated for Federated” Willow teased imitating the spokesman on the television commercials.

Ashley laughed, he was a hoot. Shadow Stevens was a popular 80’s icon and with his wavy blonde hair very typical of Southern California. He was known for his outrageous antics, throwing televisions from high buildings to watch them splatter on the sidewalk below, just to get the audience’s attention.

Willow told her about going pro and becoming a surfer, her own early insecurities mirrored Ashley’s and she felt they had a lot in common. “Do you ever go to the beach parties?” she asked as she finished her guacamole and chips.

Ashley shook her head “nope, no time, and no one has ever asked” she laughingly told Willow about her experiences since she had begun learning to surf.

Willow was annoyed. She understood turf wars, and the razzing that newbies got, but hearing it first-hand kind of pissed her off, it had been a long time since she had done anything like that but she was at a level that it didn’t have to be that way. She respected Ashley and the way she had handled it. It said a lot about her character.

At 1 Ashley began to look at her watch, “damn, I wanted to pick up a new suit before I went to work.”

“Which kind were you going to get” Willow asked as they gathered their things to leave the patio restaurant they had chosen.

Ashley told her and Willow made some recommendations, explaining why she liked one over the other and not just because they were her sponsors. She walked with Ashley who went back to the store. They didn’t have one in her size and she ordered it and pulled out her credit card. “Thanks for the help” she told Willow gratefully.

“My pleasure, say would you like to go to one of those parties?” she asked almost hesitantly “it might be a lot of fun.”

“I don’t know, I work most nights until 9 or 10 and I usually get to bed right away so I can be up to surf” Ashley mused.

Willow smiled, she understood, she really did. That commitment, that addiction, was really familiar to her. Shrugging she pulled a paper out of her purse and wrote quickly “well if you change your mind, here is my number of where I am staying, give me a call.”

Ashley thanked her putting the number in her purse. She signed the credit card slip for her wetsuit, they promised it would be in within a week, and the two of them walked out of the store together.

“Nice Jeep” Willow commented when she saw what Ashley was driving.

“Thanks, I’ve got to go” Ashley said as she unlocked it and got in. She didn’t notice Willow watch her as she drove away before she went to her Corvette and got in.

“Hello?” Ashley answered the page to the phone. Customers frequently called to ask questions, some minor, some major, but if they asked for you by name, you wanted to answer that as quickly and efficiently as you could. You never knew if it was a big sale and where it could lead, referrals made up a lot of a salespersons commissions.

“Is this Ashley?” the unfamiliar voice on the other end of the line asked.

“Yes this is Ashley” she answered as she watched customers coming into the store, sometimes being the first to greet a customer made for a sale later.

“Hi, this is Willow” the voice replied.

Ashley blinked for a moment trying to think WHO Willow might be. As she was at work, the name didn’t click right away.

“You know, from the beach?” Willow said amused, realizing that Ashley hadn’t put two and two together. It wasn’t often that people inside the surf world didn’t remember her and this was a new experience for her, it surprised her.

“Oh, yeah, right, hello how are you?” she said confused and surprised at the call.

“I’m good, how are you?” Willow asked, still amused.

“I’m good” she answered hesitantly, wondering why Willow had called her.

“Hey, a bunch of us are going to a party tonight and I was wondering if you would like to go?”

Since Ashley had already told her no earlier in the day she felt a little awkward saying it again. “What time?” she asked instead.

“Well you mentioned you’re not off until 9 or 10? Let me pick you up afterwards?” Willow offered.

“I don’t know really, I will probably be pretty tired” she hedged, not really in the ‘partying’ mood. Her life consisted of work, home, and surfing, pretty much a full time occupation and she liked it that way.

“Come on, all work and no play makes Ashley a dull girl” Willow teased.

Ashley laughed at the play on words. She appreciated being asked but a few of the surfers that she knew on the beach were NOT people she wanted to hang out with socially. But there were enough nice people that she would like to have talked to that she hadn’t had the time. She hesitated and then decided what the heck. “Okay, sure, got a pen?”

Willow breathed an unconscious sigh of relief; Ashley was making it hard to get to know her. Willow wasn’t sure if she just wanted to be Ashley’s friend or more but she wasn’t making it easy either way. “Yeah, go ahead” she replied.

Ashley gave her the address of her townhome and then directed her to Brookhurst and Adams in Huntington Beach since she knew Willow wasn’t from around here. They agreed to meet at Ashley’s place around 10 and Ashley would call Willow if she knew she was going to run later.

Ashley was grateful that she got out shortly after nine. She was actually looking forward to the party now and was happy that Willow had invited her. She was surprised though, Willow was famous in certain circles and what did Ashley have in common with the woman other than surfing? She shrugged; it never hurt to make friends.

As she got out of her Jeep at the carport and hurried along to her place she thought she should change out of her work clothes and into something more ‘party’ like. She knew she could go out in her slacks and blouse and be fine but she wanted to be more comfortable than this.

The doorbell rang promptly at 10. Ashley was surprised, she rarely used her front door and only strangers used it. She was ready to go though and dressed in red jeans and a white blouse, her hair brushed out and new makeup applied. Opening the door she was pleasantly surprised to see that Willow was wearing an almost identical outfit. She started to laugh at the coincidence.

Willow looked at her in surprise. “Great minds think alike?”

“Should I change?” Ashley asked as she gestured Willow to come inside.

“Only if you want to?” the blonde answered as she looked around at the bare furnishings.

“I think I will if you don’t mind waiting a few minutes” Ashley answered.

Willow sat down on the couch and looked around; there wasn’t a lot to see. A small television set on a stand was across the room, she had pictures around the place and on the mantle of the fireplace, but other than that, the place was not really decorated, Willow wondered at that as she listened to the slight noises coming from upstairs.

In no time at all Ashley was back downstairs in black slacks, she had left the white blouse on and the combination was striking.

“All set?” Willow asked as she stood up.

“Yep, ready to go” Ashley answered as she grabbed her purse off the end of the stairs where it sat.

Ashley was surprised to see the Corvette sitting in a parking spot for visitors. “Nice car” she breathed and Willow smiled.

“Yeah, it’s one of the perks when I’m over here on the mainland.”

“Perks?” Ashley asked not understanding.

“Yeah, my sponsors want to keep me happy so they throw in these ‘perks’ whenever I travel” she unlocked the car and Ashley got in the passenger seat of the low slung car.

“Nice” she responded as she looked around at the rich interior, mostly in black but the dash had a wood finish that gave off a glow.

They roared off down Brookhurst towards PCH and then up PCH to the main street in Huntington Beach and off that to one of the many cottages that lined the side streets. Ashley had wondered many times who lived in these little bungalows that had originally been built as vacation retreats but gradually rented out year round to people. The party was obviously in full swing as the amount of people spilled out onto the front lawn and it looked like the back as well.

“This is Shelby’s place” Willow told her as she stepped out of the expensive sports car as though Ashley would know who Shelby was. They hadn’t stopped talking the whole ride over here, it was nice and comfortable and Ashley was grateful that Willow didn’t talk down to her instead treating her like an equal. She understood really understood Ashley’s addiction to her chosen sport of surfing. Willow was on a whole different level than people like Ashley and she shared her knowledge freely. Ashley almost regretted arriving at the party because it halted their interesting conversation.

People greeted Willow whether they knew her or not. Most everyone here was involved in surfing in some way, some surfed, some observed, some just hung out with them. Willow was on enough covers to make everyone feel they knew in some way. Many looked curiously at Ashley wondering who she was and what she was doing with Willow.

Someone handed them each a beer as they entered the bungalow. Willow popped hers and took a drink and Ashley watched wondering if she should refrain, one of them should be able to drive, she hesitated for a moment realizing that technically she was under age to be drinking, but the look that Willow threw her had her opening her own beer to take a sip. She remembered that she only drank once in all her high school years and the taste hadn’t gotten any better.

“Hey, hey, and WHO is THIS?” a large blonde man with dreadlocks engulfed Willow in a hug, her beer splashed slightly as he joggled her.

She looked up and he leaned in for a kiss, he seemed to prolong it, long enough that Ashley wondered if she should amuse herself elsewhere but then they pulled away with a mutual smile and Willow said “Shelby!” in genuine pleasure.

“How the hell are you girl?” he smiled in delight as he looked down on her, releasing her from his bear hug.

“I’m fair to middling” she grinned as she stepped back and turned to include Ashley in their greeting “and this is my friend Ashley” she introduced her.

He held out his hand in a friendly way and Ashley tried to keep from staring, he was probably the tannest man she had ever seen with blonde hair and brilliantly blue eyes. Attractive in his own way his dreadlocks were stereotypical of some of the surfers she had seen occasionally, a group unto themselves. “Hello Ashley, welcome to my abode” he grinned as he indicated the room at large they were standing in which was packed with people.

“Thank you” she said politely and wondered if he knew all the people taking up space in his house. It was a bit crowded.

“So girl, how long you going to be on the mainland before you head back?” he turned back to Willow to ask.

“I’m not sure, depends on when I’m ready” she said vaguely.

He glanced at Ashley briefly but kept his attention on Willow. “You should travel down the coast into Mexico and further and try out the waves as you go. Maybe go over to Fiji or Down Under and catch a few.”

She nodded as they discussed the various places both had been to ‘catch’ the waves around the world. Ashley listened avidly having never heard anyone have a conversation so in depth about places and their waves. What she had learned had been confined to magazines and it wasn’t the same as actually hearing it from people who had experienced it themselves.

“You ever been surfing Ashley?” Shelby included her in the conversation.

“I surf a little here in Huntington Beach” she said quietly realizing that the two people before her were experts compared to her skills.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you, where do you hang?” he asked curious. He checked her out without even moving his eyes from her face, using his peripheral vision. She was a good looking chick but he was sure he would have seen her if she had been to any of the beaches he frequented.

“Right here by the pier” she told him shyly.

“That’s where I first saw her” Willow said quietly but apparently the little she said told Shelby a lot more than Ashley heard. He glanced at Willow with a smile and nodded slightly.

They continued to talk about various places and waves and adventures they had. They included Ashley as though she were an equal to their skills. When they found she hadn’t been beyond Huntington Beach in her surfing endeavors they both encouraged her to try this beach and that beach and then explained why the waves were better here than there. For Ashley it was a great experience and she enjoyed herself. People came and went and joined in the conversation, Ashley met a lot of people and heard a lot of surfing talk. She found herself occasionally separated from Willow and Shelby but she stayed in the same room or thought she did.

“So your with Willow?” a short brunette asked her as she sipped something a little stronger than beer.

Ashley looked at her curiously wondering what that meant; there was an underlying hostility that she didn’t understand radiating from the brunette “I came with her to the party” she clarified.

“I’m sure you’ll come with her later too” the woman said snidely before walking abruptly away. Ashley wondered what that was about having no idea.

“Are you here alone?” a male voice eventually asked her and she turned to see a well-built man she recognized from the beach.

“I’m here with a friend” she responded.

“That’s cool, I’m Nathan” he held out his free hand that wasn’t holding a beer.

“Ashley” she returned as she shook his hand.

“I’ve seen you on the beach haven’t I?” he asked squinting slightly as though remembering where he knew her from.

She nodded and said “yes, I’ve seen you there too.” She didn’t tell him he hung with a bunch of guys who had been rude about her joining the groups that surfed near the pier.

“Yeah, you’ve improved a lot” he told her.

She realized he knew exactly who she was then. Some of the resentment she couldn’t help feeling bubbled up. She had been polite to everyone despite the razzing and rudeness. His group had been particularly vicious towards her. Something on her face must have shown her displeasure because he held up his hands in surrender.

“Hey, it wasn’t me, some of my friends are jerks, what can I say.” He grinned engagingly.

She calmed herself, he had a point, they WERE jerks. She couldn’t hold it against one of them that they had all been jerks. He was making an effort to be friendly, now.

They began chatting and she found out he worked at Circuit City, her competitor. They had just recently moved into the Southern California market and were a big competitor for The Federated Group. They had an interesting conversation and Ashley found she actually liked Nathan. He was knowledgeable, they had a lot in common, and he wasn’t being the jerk she assumed he would be. “Would you like one” he indicated the cigarette he had just pulled out of a case from his pocket. Only it wasn’t a cigarette. As naive as Ashley really was, even she realized this was marijuana joint and she wanted none of it. She was a straight laced individual and didn’t want to get screwed up by pot. Besides, it was bad enough she was sipping an illegal beer, she didn’t need to get caught doing pot too.

“No thanks” she said politely but saw his disappointment.

“Hey, you want to get another beer?” Willow asked from her elbow and Ashley turned to her gratefully. She had felt uncomfortable when Nathan pulled out the marijuana. She didn’t care what others did but she wasn’t interested in smoking, much less an illegal substance.

“Nice to meet you Nathan, catch you later” she said politely.

“See you around Ashley” he returned watching her thoughtfully as he pulled on his joint.

They walked a few feet away before Willow asked “you into pot?”

Ashley shook her head as she grinned wryly “nope, and I don’t intend to be either.”

Willow laughed seeing her expression. “Instead of a beer, do you want to get out of here?”

Ashley smiled “I thought you’d never ask” as she laughed in relief and they made their way towards the door.

It wasn’t as quick as either of them would have liked, far too many people wanted to say a passing word or two to Willow and she was stopped repeatedly, finally though they were outside and at the Corvette.

“Are you good to drive?” Ashley thought to ask.

Willow smiled at her concern “yeah, I just sipped the same beer the whole time we were in there.” She fished out the keys to the car and unlocked the doors. “It’s not a good idea to drink when you are an athlete” she said as she slipped into the bucket seat and closed the door.

Ashley was relieved to be out of there. Although she had enjoyed some of it, it really wasn’t her scene. The loud music, the pressing crowd; she liked wide open spaces, the water with only you and your board, that was for her.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Willow asked as she looked at Ashley with an eyebrow cocked.

“I enjoyed some of it” Ashley hedged not wanting to insult her new friend or her generosity in taking her to the party.

Willow glanced at her amused as she drove carefully away from the crowded party. The amount of cars made it a cautious endeavor. “Some of those people are just jerks, you gotta shrug it off” she advised.

“I know, but do they have to be such jerks about a newbie?” Ashley asked a little bitterly.

Willow shrugged as she expertly drove the sports car to PCH and turned left towards Brookhurst “some are, some aren’t.”

Ashley sighed “that’s true of everyone and everything” she said wisely.

They chatted about other things than surfing and found they both enjoyed horseback riding, bicycling, and gardening of all things. They found they had a lot in common as Willow drove her back to her townhome. “When do you have a day off?” Willow asked.

“Tuesday and Wednesday” Ashley answered. “Do you want to do something?” she asked, surprised how hopeful she felt.

“Sounds good, will you have your wetsuit by then?”

“You want to go surfing?” Ashley was a little disappointed; they could do that all the time.

As Willow pulled up at the curb she laughed at hearing the tone in Ashley’s voice and shook her head “no silly, I thought we might do something else fun but if you want to go surfing sometime together, I’m sure we can.”

Ashley was curious about what the ‘something else fun’ was but refrained from asking as she reached for the handle. “Call me, and I’ll let you know, okay?”

Willow nodded as she said “bye” and watched Ashley walk up to her gate and slip inside with a little wave. She drove off thoughtfully wondering if Ashley had a clue about her attraction.

Willow would have been pleased to find that Ashley thought about her a lot over the next two days at work. Ashley loved that she had a new friend and one who understood surfing as much as she did. She didn’t realize some of the feelings she was feeling for her new friend weren’t just as a friend but as an attraction. She was naive about her feelings as she had never even thought of being attracted to a woman, instead she thought in terms of just being a good friend.

On Tuesday they went and borrowed a couple of wave runners. Willow offered to get a Jet Ski but Ashley wasn’t sure she would be able to balance on a moving water craft and didn’t want to drown. She didn’t realize with the balance she had gotten from surfing she probably would be an excellent Jet Ski rider. They had a blast out in the bay down in Newport Beach before moving out into the ocean once Ashley felt confident enough on the wave runner. During the second hour of being out in the ocean, Willow’s broke down, shooting out great clumps of dark smoke and she had Ashley tow her in. They took it back to friends of Willows who had lent them to her and while her friends worked on the craft they went back out on the one that Ashley had been riding. Ashley never realized how much Willow liked putting her arms around her and holding on tight. They laughed joyously as they rode the waves and splashed. They switched off after a while and Willow loved the fact that Ashley had to hang on to her.

“Let’s go out to eat” she enthused as they returned the craft to Willow’s friends who had the first one fixed already.

Willow talked with them a while and Ashley got to know a couple of the people, not realizing who these people who were ‘friends’ with Willow could possibly be.

“You had no idea those people are the movers and shakers in the sports world did you?” Willow asked as they ate salads at one of the many restaurants on PCH in Newport.

Ashley shook her head as she took a sip of her iced tea. “How would I know unless you told me?”

Willow had to concede that Ashley had a point, how would she know indeed?

They had a lot to chat about as they got to know each other better.

On Wednesday they went horseback riding out in Corona, the high hills were slowly filling with housing developments and they both lamented this fact. Fortunately they could escape it by riding deep into the hills and enjoying themselves and their easy conversation.

On the drive home, this time they were in Ashley’s Jeep she casually said “I’m so glad I met you Willow, I haven’t had this much fun in a while.”

Willow smiled her million watt smile, the one that sold tanning oil to strangers “I’m glad too. Today was great!”

They had both enjoyed the horses, the dust, and the solace of being alone together in the back hills.

“Hello?” Willow answered the phone, the hotel had transferred it up to her room.

“The Hyatt? You’re staying at the Hyatt?” an unfamiliar voice came across the line.

Willow frowned trying to place the voice since they hadn’t introduced themselves “Ashley?”

“Yeah, it’s me, I’m calling from work, we are kind of slow here so I thought I’d ask you to dinner, I’m off at six tonight.”

“That sounds good, where do you want to go?” Willow was thrilled that Ashley was calling her for a change, for most of their friendship she had been the one calling Ashley.

“How about the Sizzler over by the freeway?” Ashley asked. It wasn’t fancy, but it was comfortable, and had a variety of buffet style food, seafood, and steak.

Willow smiled “you’re going to kill my training diet.”

Ashley was immediately contrite and then narrowed her eyes “you don’t HAVE to have a steak; they have plenty of salad, soup, and vegetables.”

Willow laughed “there’s no fooling you. See you at 6:30?”

Dinner became a fairly regular thing between the two new friends, although it was difficult with Ashley’s schedule. It also became expensive so she began to cook for Willow occasionally. “You know, I don’t cook just for anyone” she told her new friend as they sat in her house looking out over the patio. She had explained that she didn’t have the time or desire to furnish her townhome too extensively yet since she had bought it. Willow found it cute that four surfboards were the main furnishings of the wall near the kitchen.

“It’s a lot like my place in Hawaii, although, I keep my surfboards outside” she said with a smile as she ate a delicious fruit and lettuce salad with jello.

Ashley smiled “I didn’t want to take the chance that someone came on my patio and stole them” she laughed at the sight of the surfboards leaning against her wall.

Willow nodded, she of all people understood and could relate.

“Where are we going?” Ashley asked as Willow drove her into Newport Beach on roads she was unfamiliar with.

“It’s a surprise” Willow said as she expertly drove the souped up sports car.

Ashley enjoyed the anticipation and looked around interested at the scenery. What she could see of the houses behind tall walls was fascinating, how the other half lived as it were. These houses were very expensive and she wondered why, there were just as nice houses in Huntington Beach not nearly as expensive as Newport Beach. It must all be in the name, having the prestige of living in this exclusive enclave.

Willow drove the car down an incline that took them around the Back Bay and below the bluffs where million dollar homes sat perched, waiting for the next storm to bring a hillside down. Fortunately, some had been there many years and the mud wasn’t going anywhere soon.

“Where are we?” Ashley said looking around astonished that this swamp, this foliage existed within the exclusive community.

“It’s called the Back Bay, haven’t you ever been here before?” Willow glanced over, slowing down for a jogger along the side. The whole road was one way; she didn’t have to worry about traffic coming against her going the opposite way.

Ashley shook her head as she looked around at the many aquatic birds that were on the water, the mud, or in the air.

A dirt flat was the parking area and the two of them got out to take a walk. Ashley followed Willow who seemed to know where she was going as she crossed the road. Taking a bag from her jacket pocket she sat down along a small pond. The ducks and geese immediately began to move towards her hopefully. Ashley sat down next to her and watched astonished as the birds came right up to their feet as Willow threw a scattering of bread crumbs to them, offering Ashley the bag she too threw to the delighted birds. They laughed as the birds jockeyed for position and set up noise that was almost deafening making sure they weren’t missed in their desire for this treat.

“God it’s beautiful here” Willow leaned back after they had gotten rid of all the bread crumbs and the birds subsided disappointed that there wasn’t an endless supply. A few still hopeful and stubborn geese stood around near them eyeing them suspiciously. Ashley watched them equally suspicious, not trusting their beady gazes as they watched each other intently.

Ashley sighed agreeing with her “it sure is, how in the world did you find this place?”

Willow smiled “I have friends all over and someone showed me this place as I am showing you” she looked over and thought how pretty Ashley looked. Impulsively she leaned over and brushed her lips against Ashley’s.

Ashley pulled back surprised and stared horrified at Willow. Her hand rose to touch her lips, they tingled, actually tingled “why did you do that?”

Willow sighed, disappointed “I’m sorry, I acted on impulse and I can see you aren’t interested.” She looked away at the setting sun deeply saddened that her attraction was for nothing. She liked Ashley, really liked her, but wanted more than just friendship.

Ashley was confused, had she read something wrong, she thought they were just friends, she had never considered that Willow might think more of their friendship. “I don’t know how I feel” she said wonderingly. When Willow turned to look at her she could see the hurt in her friend’s eyes “I never thought about this” she said honestly, her fingers were still at her mouth touching wonderingly.

“I’m sorry” Willow repeated “I thought you knew I was gay.”

Ashley shook her head, she had no inkling, she had never even thought about Willow in that way. To her it had just been a good friendship, nothing more. “Is that what this has all been about?” She realized all the times they had been out could have been misconstrued “we’ve been dating?” The horrified tone in her voice was still there.

Willow gazed at her for a while before looking away “no, not all of it was dating, but I thought you realized my interest was more than friendship, it’s okay” she shrugged as though she didn’t care, but she did care, a lot “we can still be friends can’t we?” She turned to look back at Ashley hopefully.

Ashley nodded numbly. She had never thought about this situation for herself. But some of the things people had said to her began to make sense now, the girl at the party for instance, the looks they had received when they were out. She looked at Willow a little differently now, wondering if this was what a gay person looked like, but she saw instead a sculptured, physically fit body, a beautiful woman who could have graced any man’s arm. Instead she chose to be with women. Or as rumor had it, gay people were born that way. It gave Ashley a lot to think about.

As Ashley paddled out to her accustomed place she knew she was distracted. She had been distracted a lot since Willow had kissed her the other day. She had thought about her constantly before as a friend, but now that she knew of Willows romantic interest, she didn’t know what to feel. She knew she enjoyed her friendship, but being in a lesbian relationship, she didn’t think she had ever thought about such a situation. She knew no one back in Illinois where she was from would understand. Would her friends? Her work? Her family? Oh gawd, the thought of talking it over with her mother made her tighten up inside. She had lost a lot of sleep over the last few nights. She wasn’t at her best at work either and had to make a concerted effort to stop thinking at work other than about work.

She caught a couple of waves and lost herself for a while. It didn’t soothe her the way it normally did and she quit way earlier than she did normally. As she walked out of the surf and up the sand she stopped as she saw the object of her thoughts sitting on the sand watching her. It was apparent she had been there awhile and Ashley tried to pretend in her mind that nothing had happened.

“Hi” she smiled as she walked towards Willow.

“Hi yourself” she smiled her million watt smile and Ashley felt her stomach clutch weirdly. “Stopping early? Work?” she guessed.

Ashley shrugged “I didn’t feel into it today” she looked back at the waves giving her profile to the blonde.

Willow caught her breath for a second as she rose effortlessly up from the sands. She was here every day watching Ashley and the others, talking the surf talk, getting antsy to get back into the waves herself, she had hoped to go out and surprise Ashley. Someone was even going to lend her a board.

Ashley turned quickly back and found Willow looking at her curiously “I thought about what happened the other day” she began hesitantly and Willow braced herself for rejection of some sort “I don’t know what I’m feeling” she shook her head “I never thought this would be an issue” she looked sadly at her friend. She enjoyed her company so much and didn’t want to end their friendship, but she didn’t know if she could ever be the type of friend that Willow obviously had wanted.

Willow shrugged as though it didn’t matter too much. “Hey, it’s all right, my mistake, friends okay?”

Ashley breathed a sigh of relief, Willow wasn’t angry. She just hoped they could go back to their previous close friendship.

It appeared they could be good friends. Willow called nights when she knew about when Ashley would be home and they chatted until Ashley became too tired to continue. They went out to eat, went to bars and danced, joked about men and women who hit on them both, they were still at ease with each other, or at least Ashley was clueless. Never having been in a relationship she didn’t realize that Willow was humoring her, harboring thoughts about Ashley that she wasn’t aware of. She was kind of courting her and Ashley had no idea. They surfed together and Willow’s skill was obvious to everyone. Her tips though helped Ashley improve. It was an easy going friendship as far as Ashley was concerned.

As the weeks went by Willow’s heart didn’t change, if anything she felt more for Ashley than she had ever felt for anyone else. Hiding it was causing her heart to squeeze painfully though. She was saved though as she knew she had to return home, get really into training for competitions. It was how she earned a living; her sponsors expected results and a perfectly fit athlete such as herself at the top of game. She knew with a sinking sensation that she had to go home and soon.

They were peeling their wet suits off in Ashley’s kitchen, neither thinking twice about stripping down in front of the other. Willow had been watching Ashley for weeks though; she caught glimpses of the brunette’s beautiful and enticing body. She had no idea how attractive she was, or how much Willow wanted her. She stopped peeling her own off as she stared hypnotized and then caught herself.

This time Ashley was aware of the halt in Willows actions. She wasn’t totally clueless. She had thought about it for a long time, Willow had assured her they could be friends and for that she was grateful but she wasn’t sure she wanted more, she knew she had feelings for Willow now, she wasn’t sure she wanted to be a lesbian though, she wasn’t sure she could handle it. But thinking about it had made her more aware of Willow despite the appearance that she was ‘just friends’ with Willow.

“You want to take a shower first?” she asked cheerfully to cover her thoughts. She stood there with nothing on except her beach towel now wrapped around her naked body. Not before Willow had caught a tantalizing glimpse though.

Willow shrugged, she was in a towel as well, and her fit body barely hidden by the large towel “don’t you have to get to work?”

“It’s Tuesday, remember?”

Willow nodded and headed for the stairs to take a shower to wash off the rest of the saltwater that was on her skin. She had rinsed at the beach but had started coming over to Ashley’s to spend more time with her, she had been killing herself slowly by holding out hope for the straight brunette.

Ashley straightened out their surf suits and carried them out back to rinse them off under the hose spray before laying them out to dry for a little while in the Southern California sun, it wouldn’t take long.

Going inside she looked around and headed for the stairs, she heard the shower turning off and thought ‘that was quick’ and met Willow as she came out.

“I used your shampoo and conditioner” Willow said to make small talk.

Ashley smiled “I told you, you’re welcome to it.”

Willow nodded as she headed for the guest room where she kept a change of clothes; they surfed and hung out so much together that she had washed a few things over here to avoid staying in the hotel too much. Who was she fooling; it was to spend more time with Ashley. She had to tell her though; she was going back to Hawaii soon. She didn’t realize how long she stood there leaning against the doorway, dripping in a bath towel, staring at nothing, until she heard Ashley behind her.

“Are you okay?”

Willow turned around, attempting to school her face into its customary ‘friendship’ smile that she had been faking for weeks with her new friend that she was in love with. Before she was successful enough to do so Ashley saw the anguish in her eyes and instinctively knew the reason for it. She took a step forward and took Willow into her arms holding her close to comfort her. She was surprised that Willow didn’t attempt to hug her back or to step away. She was also surprised at the unfamiliar feelings she was having for the attractive blonde. She pulled slightly away; Willow’s arms were holding her towel unnecessarily as it was tucked in around her. Willow looked deeply into her blue eyes and Ashley knew, she didn’t know how, but she knew she loved Willow back and leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips. Willow didn’t respond, not because she didn’t want to, but she knew this had to be Ashley’s choice.

At first Ashley wasn’t sure she was even kissing her right, how do you kiss a girl versus a guy. Was it really that different? She wasn’t too sure about that either! She pressed against her lips for a moment before moving them slightly to open them. She was surprised that Willow opened hers as well. Hesitantly, having only seen it in the movies, she touched her tongue to Willows lower lip and licked. She felt a slight shudder in the blonde’s body and a catch in her breath. Her breath smelled sweetly and she felt so warm in Ashley’s arms. She felt a little bolder and licked her tongue around Willows entire mouth entrance, touching softly, tentatively all over her lips, the tip barely touching.

Willow was surprised and delighted, she wanted to take the brunette in her arms and wrap her closer but she didn’t want to scare her off. She wanted her desperately but it had to go at Ashley’s speed. She had to set the pace. The erotic feeling of her tongue touching around her lips was setting off time bombs in her body though. She knew enough of her own body that she knew it wouldn’t take much for her to explode against the brunette in passion. She waited though, to see what Ashley would do.

Ashley didn’t sense rejection and she was curious now so she probed lightly inside Willow’s mouth. Willow’s first actual response was caressing Ashley’s welcome tongue into her mouth, enticing it in, fencing with it, encouraging her to go deeper. Her breathe felt so good to Willow, she wanted more, much more, but again cautioned herself from proceeding too rapidly. Slowly Ashley pulled back as she looked deeply into Willows eyes, to her very soul and saw what was so obvious a blind person would have seen the love, the need, the want in the woman who stood so placidly, letting her learn. She felt suddenly shy but also empowered by the emotions she knew were bubbling beneath the surface. She leaned in for another kiss.

Willow took control. Her hands slowly slid around Ashley’s body, pulling her closer, and she breathed in her essence, her mouth began to teach Ashley how to kiss properly. How to envelop herself with hers lips and tongue. Endlessly they shared kisses, swapped spit, and enjoyed the softness of each other’s lips. Willow was only surprised when Ashley’s hands began to tentatively roam on her neck and shoulders. She felt goose bumps form on her arms at the caresses, the touch she had so craved, the warmth of her fingers as she explored. She couldn’t wait to take the towel away from Ashley’s beautiful body and she waited for Ashley to make some sign, some indication that she wanted it just as bad.

“Come with me to my room” Ashley finally breathed, making the decision.

“You don’t have to do this” Willow tried to give her a last minute out, in case she wanted one. It killed her to make the offer, but she felt she had to, for Ashley’s sake.

Ashley smiled a little smile, a womanly smile, she shook her head “I want to do this, I want you, but you are going to have to be patient, I’ve never done anything like this.”

Willow smiled; the anticipation of being Ashley’s first had always been appealing. She let the brunette pull her down the hall to the master bedroom. “I’ll be patient” she assured her.

Ashley stopped outside the room to look embarrassed for a moment, glancing up into Willows face “I mean I’ve NEVER done anything like this” she said stressing certain words.

Willow looked at her, she knew that “I know you’ve never been with a woman…” she began.

Ashley shook her head, now very embarrassed “I’ve never been with a man either” she halted, sure she had blown this.

Willow gulped, but then feeling more honored than she had before, to be this woman’s first, her REAL first, humbled her. She lifted Ashley’s chin with her hand and looking deeply into those amazing blue eyes said “I’ll be careful.” She wasn’t sure about deflowering a virgin but hoped she was up to the task. Ashley was more of a virgin than she had anticipated. Was she up to the task?

Ashley looked at her innocently, sure of her capabilities. Loving the woman who had just promised to be careful with her. Trusting that her expertise would be more than enough but not really knowing what that entailed beyond the basics. After all, what did two women do together?

Into the bedroom they went and Ashley stood there shyly, waiting for Willow to proceed, unsure of herself or how to continue.

Willow hesitated only this once, for only a moment. Taking Ashley into her arms she kissed her, a little peck on the mouth at her unconditional trust and faith in her and asked “you know the mechanics?”

Ashley nodded as she looked intently at Willows lips, anticipating what she didn’t know.

“You know the first time can hurt right?” Willow asked, she had to know.

Again Ashley nodded, now feeling like a fool but Willow didn’t give her much time to feel that way. She tugged gently at the towel so it fell as she took Ashley into her arms and began to kiss her in earnest, teaching her more of how to kiss properly, not just anyone though, but the way she liked to be kissed. Willow’s hunger only increased as she felt the response in Ashley, she wondered if the virgin even realized her own body’s signals. The way she caught her breath when Willow dropped her own towel and their bodies met for the first time. She could feel herself getting amped, like when she knew she was going to catch some truly awesome waves. She hadn’t ever really equated surfing to sex but she could see why you could at this moment.

Slowly she began to caress the brunette’s delicious body kissing her and feeling every curve, every ridge, arousing Ashley slowly so that this would be a good experience for her. It wasn’t exactly conscious, she herself was riding a wave of desire that demanded she surf it to its natural conclusion and she had to work hard not to just feel, to remember that this was Ashley’s first time, that she had to take control of it all and couldn’t expect Ashley to understand her own desires much less Willow’s.

Ashley had never really thought about getting naked with another human being could feel like this. It was indescribable and she tried not to really think too much about it. Her body was feeling very hot and she enjoyed the caresses that Willow was giving her body. She had enjoyed the view of the fit body that was Willow’s and she idly thought that she was a true blonde with the small sculptured patch of blonde hair between her muscled legs. She could understand why she had to shave or bikini wax there since she was in a bikini more than she was out of it. It didn’t do for a pro like Willow to have hair hanging out of her bikini bottoms. Ashley felt an undeniable compulsion to touch it to see if it was as silky soft as the hair on Willow’s head she was running her fingers through much to their both evident delight. Willow’s breasts pressed against her, and while not very large, they seemed muscular and forceful against Ashley’s own chest.

When Willow began to slowly caress her way towards Ashley’s front after caressing her entire back, gently squeezing her buttocks closer, and finding out that Ashley was slightly ticklish from the caresses along her ribs, she anticipated the handful that were Ashley’s breasts, she could tell from the outfits including the bikini’s that Ashley wore that they were impressive. Seeing glimpses of her naked hadn’t been enough though. As she took her first handful she realized that Ashley’s were a bit more than a handful and fit in her hand with the one spilling over. It felt heavy too as she caressed it, squeezed it slightly to gauge Ashley’s reaction, and then used her fingertips to play with the now erect nipple that puckered and begged to be sucked, to be laved with her tongue and tugged on by her lips and teeth. She was more than pleased as Ashley’s breath caught in her throat at the first touch, she moaned unconsciously at the first squeeze. The tip was hard against her fingers as she pinched lightly and Ashley arched against her hard in supplication, asking to be taken, her body begging for it. Willow was amused and delighted, Ashley had no idea how passionate she really could be, or what fun they were in for.

Ashley couldn’t believe the feelings that a touch of her breast could invoke. It felt like there was a string between her breast and her crotch. As Willow touched and pinched a corresponding jolt hit her between her legs. An embarrassing wetness was already there, she could tell, but she knew from books and whispered conversations about sex with her friends growing up that this was necessary to having sex. It felt odd, it felt foreign, but she was going to trust whatever Willow wanted to do to her body, whatever she did would be fine with Ashley.

Willow slowly maneuvered Ashley back towards the large queen sized bed in the middle of the room. Gently she laid her back and broke the kiss they had been sharing non-stop. Both of their breaths were coming deeply from their feelings and emotions and she looked deeply into Ashley’s eyes to be sure she wanted to proceed, that there would be no regrets. What she saw was the trust, the lust that came from mutual wanting, the innocence that made her feel so tender towards this woman that she loved. It humbled her in ways she hadn’t considered. She lifted Ashley’s legs onto the bed and centered her so that they didn’t have to worry about falling off; she gently caressed them as she watched Ashley watch her.

Ashley saw the tender way that Willow looked at her, she saw the love, it made her feel so good inside she couldn’t help but reach out to Willow as she slowly rose above Ashley to lay down on top of her. For the first time in her life, Ashley touched another woman’s body but especially another woman’s breast. Not in her wildest dreams had she ever thought to be doing this but she knew unequivocally that she wanted this, wanted Willow and what was to come. No longer did she have the doubts that had plagued her and their friendship since she realized that Willow was interested in her romantically. Now she wanted to find out what this was all about, the weird tense feelings in her body, the wetness, the softness, she wanted to discover it all and find out the reasons for it. She reached to pull Willow close but left enough space between them so her hand could explore.

Willow let her, she knew that Ashley’s curiosity would be her own undoing, she would want more than she would realize before she was done with this first time. Her touch though struck Willow more than a physical blow could have, it caused goose bumps and slight shivers to her already heated body. As Ashley touched her muscled breast for the first time with her fingers Willows head began to fall back, her torso arching into Ashley’s unschooled hand.

At the sight of Willow’s head falling back Ashley moved in to kiss along her neck, to nuzzle and lick along that soft expanse. She could tell that Willow was enjoying it as she heard and felt the moan under her lips. Her hand continued to explore the blonde’s breasts, she massaged at first and then her finger played with the erect and very aroused nipple, as an experiment she pinched it and then pinched it again harder.

Willow nearly shot up off the bed at the sensation that caused but kept herself, barely, from scaring Ashley and shattering the moment. She looked closely at Ashley to see if she was aware of what she was doing and saw that she was just curious, was enjoying herself, her first experience. Willow couldn’t let her just explore anymore though, she was too aroused herself to do this justice if she didn’t take control. As Ashley’s mouth continued its assault on her neck and collar bone she nuzzled along Ashley’s cheek to her ear and back to bind her mouth to Ashley’s in a deep soul satisfying kiss. From then on she took control of the program, took control of Ashley’s body and her own.

Her hands began to deliberately move up and down Ashley’s heated body, arousing her. She knew that Ashley wasn’t even aware of her own high arousal. From the movements of her body, the erect nipples, to the heated breaths she was gasping, her body signaled its arousal in neon lights. Willow began to use her own body against Ashley, caressing in unexpected places, hearing Ashley’s gasp when her leg ‘accidentally’ rubbed against the large patch of hair at her V. This patch fascinated her, it looked natural and she was surprised that Ashley hadn’t shaved it to surf but she saw that the edges were trimmed so it didn’t peek outside her bottoms. She had no time to explore it other than as her hand slowly made its way down Ashley’s heated body. Her hand slowly began to caress her stomach, her hips, and along that soft skin inside her thighs. Ashley unconsciously parted her thighs to allow Willow full access. She took full advantage of that ‘full access’ and her hand brushed the fascinating bush, her fingers combing through it, tugging slightly, feeling gratified by Ashley’s indrawn breath in response. Kissing her deeply to keep her distracted as her fingers began to reach out and dial her number. At the first touch of her clit there was no response, Willow wondered if Ashley even knew how to use her clit yet, given her virgin state she probably hadn’t had too much experience, perhaps hadn’t ever masturbated either. Ashley’s body knew what it was about though she realized when she felt the amount of wetness waiting for her hand. Her tongue hesitated its dance on Ashley’s as she realized how much wetness enveloped her entire palm, Ashley was gushing and she wasn’t even fully aroused yet!

Ashley had never felt feelings such as the ones that Willow was causing inside of her. She knew from reading romance novels that some of the things she was feeling, the shivers, the goose bumps, and the wetness were natural but she had never experienced them herself, and certainly NOT like this. She just knew she trusted Willow and she loved how it all felt. Her eyes closed to experience it all without the distraction of sight. Her hands caressed mindlessly along Willows back encouraging her. She even felt brave enough to lean down and squeeze Willow’s buttock and was pleased at the moan that engineered. She arched against Willow’s hand, telling her in so many words how much she wanted what was being done to her body. She could feel something building but didn’t understand it at all.

Willow loved the feel of Ashley’s body below her, her tentative caresses and bold squeezing of her ass had her aroused and combine that with how she felt for this woman had her aroused to a fever pitch but she held herself in check for Ashley’s sake. Slowly she inserted her index finger into the slit that was awash in the gushing wetness that was Ashley. She parted her labia lips, noting silently that they were thick and puffy; her clit was small but not absent. The first touch hadn’t done anything for Ashley but the second with a wet finger and a rub that circled it had her twitching. She worked her second finger into the folds and began to massage Ashley’s crotch to see her reaction. The wetness told her how aroused the brunette was but she wanted Ashley fully participating.

Ashley arched into the hand that was causing so many unfamiliar feelings in her. She wanted something desperately but was too unsure of what it was. No one had ever touched there before; she only did to wash herself.

Working her finger down to Ashley’s first hole she rimmed it with her finger. Her lips left Ashley’s so she could hear her raspy breathing, the catches, and the gasps as she kissed along her neck and sucked her lobe into her mouth. Her finger began to work its way inside slightly, rubbing lightly, and Ashley bucked her hips unconsciously against her finger a little whimper of need escaping her throat. Willow wouldn’t be hurried though, she kept the thought firmly in her mind that this was Ashley’s first time; she would maintain control although her body was screaming at her to take Ashley and get her own pleasure. She wanted her mouth to be down there with her fingers but thought this first time it would be better to take Ashley like this, holding her, comforting her, for it was going to hurt, that was inevitable.

Her finger worked its way inside gently, pulling it out slowly to plunge it inside a little more, she heard Ashley whimper again, wanting more but unable to realize how to voice her need except in whimpers. She added a second finger and the fullness was agreeable to Ashley, was causing more wetness if that was possible. Her fingers slipped easily in and out, feeling the way the narrow orifice grabbed at them, Ashley’s muscles squeezing and releasing in time with her thrusts that went deeper and deeper with each plunge. She felt her way to a blockage and halted there momentarily. Ashley was to a point she wasn’t even aware she could cum at any moment. Willow was more experienced and while she could have given Ashley an orgasm without breaking her hymen, she could give her a clitoral orgasm or even a vaginal one with what she was doing, she knew that Ashley wanted more, expected more, she just didn’t enjoy the thought of causing her pain. Ashley’s body signals told her though, she couldn’t wait anymore, she was too aroused, too ready, and too far along to cheat her on the full sensations she was due. Capturing Ashley’s lips again she thrust her hand inside to the full length of her fingers, deeply and hard, tearing the membrane that signified Ashley’s virgin state. Willow absorbed the cry of surprised pain in her mouth and held her hand still until the pain subsided.

Ashley’s body stiffened at the tear, she had known there would be pain but nothing she had thought like this. She was in momentary shock at the sensation of it. She wanted Willow’s fingers out of her but she couldn’t move to push her off of her, the pain had taken away that ability. She slowly came back down to earth, the pain had ruined the sensations that Willow had engendered in her. She opened her eyes to see Willow above her, her own eyes looking concerned down into her own as she kissed her just as ardently. As she relaxed and the pain left her body Willow’s fingers moved slightly and the good sensations began to return to her body. Her thought of pushing Willow away went by the wayside as she jumped on the pleasure wave and rode it higher.

Willow began to thrust inside of the brunette’s body, gauging her reactions as she rubbed her thumb on the now erect clit. She could tell by the responses of Ashley’s body, her tongue and lips, and as her eyes fell shut again that Ashley was enjoying herself. She could feel a difference in the moisture on her hand that there had to be blood but she didn’t think about it as she concentrated on giving Ashley as much pleasure as she was capable of.

“Oh oh” Ashley began to chant as she wrenched her mouth from Willow’s to gasp in air. Her nose was flaring from trying to get enough oxygen into her lungs. Perspiration had broken out all over her body at the pain and now from their exertions.

Willow used her hand and her body to thrust and grind against Ashley’s welcoming body, taking her higher and higher. Slowly she watched as Ashley experienced her very first orgasm. Her body arched and nearly unseated Willow who hung on to thrust inside the brunette and given her the ultimate joy, not cutting her satisfaction short.

“OHHHHHH” Ashley screamed out, her body painfully arching. Sensations causing it to squeeze Willow’s fingers unmercifully, to buck against her hand which was continuing its thrusting and grinding into her.

Slowly, ever so slowly Ashley came back down to earth. Willow kissed along her neck and shoulders, gentling her, bringing her awareness to her as she slowly disengaged her hand from between Ashley’s legs. Her fingers felt bruised and battered, that girl had awesome kegal muscles. She caressed her with her other hand realizing that the hand and fingers that had deflowered Ashley were full of blood. In fact when she saw it she winced at the amount. She curled her hand into a fist to trap it in her hand, in her palm, and not get it on the bed.

Once Ashley was aware again she smiled at Willow in delight reaching up to kiss her in gratitude at the feelings she provoked. “Wow” she exclaimed.

Willow grinned down at the brunette. “Are you okay?” she inquired in a husky, emotion filled voice.

Ashley nodded bemusedly. She gulped and then asked “is it always so….intense?”

Willow’s grin turned into a smile as she nodded and said “if it’s done right.”

Ashley smiled in return, grateful for the care that Willow had taken with her, it had been an incredible experience. Then looking at Willow she realized that the blonde hadn’t had a turn or cum, or had she and Ashley hadn’t been aware of it. Did she miss something? “What about you?” she asked as her smile died.

Willow’s smile turned back to a grin “what about me?” her eyebrow cocked.

“Did you, I mean, you didn’t…” suddenly Ashley felt foolish and naive again. She looked down and then noticed the blood. “Oh my god” she exclaimed realizing the blood all over the bedspread. She rolled over and got off the far side of the bed. It was as much as she had when she had her period.

Willow attempted to put her hand behind her but not before Ashley saw it.

“Oh my gawd, did I do that to you?” she said alarmed.

Willow rolled off the other way and shrugged “it washes off” watching as the brunette blushed and looked at the amount of blood in a small pool on the bedspread.

Just then Ashley realized the blood was leaking down her leg as well. “Oh crap” she blurted and headed for the bathroom.

Willow followed at a slower pace, bemused. While Ashley hopped into the shower she washed her hand and under her close cropped nails to get off all the blood in the sink.

Stepping out of the shower, Ashley dried herself with another towel and saw that there was a little blood on the towel. Swearing under her breath she grabbed a pad from under the sink and rushed into the bedroom to find some underwear to put on. “Does it always bleed so much?” she asked in exasperation.

Willow shrugged “I don’t know, I’ve never had a virgin before.” She watched to see if Ashley had any regrets but she was so mortified by the amount of blood that it seemed to have been forgotten that she was bleeding because of a broken hymen.

Ashley was embarrassed and couldn’t help wondering if they had broken or damaged something more. It had felt so good and then that extreme pain and then so good again, better than good. She looked at the amount of blood on the bedspread and suddenly scooped it off the bed. “I better get this soaking” she said looking down.

“Hey, are you okay?” Willow asked concerned. In a way, she was amused but she was also concerned. It was a big deal to lose your virginity.

“I’m fine” Ashley looked up at her as she wrapped the spread within itself so the blood spot was on the inside and checked to see that it hadn’t soaked through to the blankets or sheet. Seeing the concern on Willow’s face she softened her own features to ask “are you mad?”

Willow blinked in surprise “mad? About what?’

“You didn’t cum did you?” Ashley asked feeling foolish for not knowing. If she had been paying attention she would know, but it had felt so good with what Willow was doing to her that she had selfishly thought only of what she was feeling.

Willow smiled “it’s okay, I still have a lot to teach you.”

Ashley was relieved, it was then that she realized she was standing there nearly naked with only panties and a pad on and Willow was totally naked. She admired the beautiful blonde’s fit body and said “I’ll be right back, don’t go anywhere” before rushing down the hall to the steps.

Willow listened as she heard the closet opening downstairs and the bedspread being shoved inside the washing machine, in only minutes it seemed the water started and detergent was put in the washer. Quickly Ashley returned.

Ashley looked at Willow sheepishly. After what they had shared she wasn’t sure she should be so shy but she didn’t know the rules of this.

“How do you feel?” Willow asked again, she was concerned about the amount of blood she had seen.

Ashley blushed but looked deeply into Willows eyes and answered “I feel wonderful, thank you for showing me that.” She put her arms around Willow and leaned in for a kiss.

“You’re not too sore?” Willow wrapped her own arms around the brunette holding her comfortably, returning the kiss.

Ashley blushed deeper and said “I think I’m fine, it hurt a lot when it tore, but then you knew that” she remembered how patient Willow had been. “But the rest was so worth it.”

Willow smiled as she leaned down for another kiss. “Come on, we aren’t done” she whispered as she pulled Ashley back into the bedroom.

That afternoon Willow taught Ashley so much; her blushes were never ending as Willow came over and over again. She didn’t scream but the intensity was there and Ashley was thrilled that she caused it. It was amazing to see Willow catch her breath and her muscular body go stiff. At first Ashley hadn’t been sure she wanted to plunge her fingers inside Willow’s body but she knew that was how Willow had made her cum. She was sure she didn’t want to go down on Willow but she enjoyed playing with her clit as she learned how to make love to Willow and she had an excellent teacher. She herself became horny again but she was sore from the blood and Willow suggested they leave it alone for a day or so.

Still, seeing Willow arched in orgasm, her body tense and a sheen of sweat glistening on the incredible body did something to Ashley she had never expected to witness. Willow explained that the blood seemed to drain from her lips and head sometimes and center around her clit when she came. Her lips were blue a few times as Ashley learned. She loved learning what turned Willow on.

“You’re a quick study” Willow told her as they lay cuddled up, they had spent the afternoon in bed learning each other’s bodies. Willow wanted to make love to Ashley again but had satisfied herself with enjoying her body without arousing her. Her own orgasms were satisfying and made more so by the fact that she loved Ashley.

“I’m hungry” Ashley finally said.

“Again?” Willow teased in reference to their lovemaking.

Ashley laughed “don’t you need sustenance?”

“I think I could live on love” Willow answered with a grin.

They settled for having pizza delivered and sat munching it in the kitchen in oversized t-shirts. Sharing a newfound intimacy and friendship they chatted over soda and pizza.

Ashley’s bleeding lasting three days much to her mutual alarm with Willow who by the second day was encouraging her to go see a doctor to make sure they hadn’t damaged anything. When she did see her doctor she just explained that Ashley’s hymen had been particularly thick and the rip had bled a lot, nothing to worry about. It put a cramp in their new found lovemaking but they slept together every night and Ashley encouraged Willow to move from the hotel to her place while she was on the mainland.

When Willow went to check out of the hotel on Thursday to do so she found a message waiting there for her. Opening the envelope she sighed deeply. It was a note from her sponsors and manager, Harold; she was requested back to work so she could be entered in competitions as soon as possible. Her month’s sojourn on the mainland at their expense hadn’t gone unnoticed or unaccounted. A strained muscle didn’t warrant a month off even if she had ‘practiced’ the last two weeks in Huntington Beach. A plane ticket was waiting for her at LAX for Friday and she knew she couldn’t ignore it. Her sponsors had left the message on Tuesday but as she hadn’t been at the hotel or checked in she had just gotten it. How was she going to explain this to Ashley?

That night Ashley was thrilled to come home to find Willow’s bag in her living room. Willow had put together a fruit and lettuce salad and they enjoyed their dinner together. “I love that you were home waiting for me” Ashley enthused.

Willow couldn’t burst her bubble. She instead made love to her tenderly that night despite the blood she made her cum from manipulation of her clit. Ashley protested due to the blood flow that was still there but her protests died under Willow’s determination and obvious enjoyment at giving her pleasure. Nothing hurt this time and Ashley’s orgasm was a surprise to her and she loved Willow for it.

“Hey, let’s get going, surf time” she slapped Willow’s butt, it was 5am.

“No, I don’t to go today” Willow said rolling over and diving into the pillow deeper.

Ashley thought she was playing and dove to wrestle with her in the bed, quite surprised to find how strong the blonde really was.

“Come on, come back to bed and cuddle” Willow cajoled her.

“It’s supposed to be an excellent surf day today, there’s another storm coming in off the Pacific” Ashley told her enthusiastically.

“Baby, I don’t want to go surfing today” Willow told her sadly thinking about her plane ride and realizing they would probably have to fly over the storm and wondering if that might mean turbulence.

Ashley sensed something immediately “what’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry baby, I have something to tell you” Willow held her looking down into her amazing eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Ashley repeated looking up into Willow’s equally amazing eyes.

“I have to go home” Willow said sadly, feeling like a creep.

“Well, we knew you would have to eventually” she said philosophically. She was trying not to let on that her heart was in her throat.

“Sooner than that” Willow said sadly.

Ashley looked at her, there was more to this than appeared. She realized then that Willow hadn’t unpacked her bag; it was still downstairs in the living room. “When?” she got out quietly.

“Today” Willow looked anguished.

“Today?” Ashley said incredulously. “Are you serious?” she tried to sit up but Willow was on top of her holding her down.

Willow nodded before adding “yeah, I just found out yesterday, I didn’t want to ruin our last night together.”

Ashley shoved her off of her as she finally sat up angrily “then what was this? Just a piece of ass?” She looked at the blonde she thought she loved.

Willow shook her head as she looked at Ashley in alarm at her anger and words “No, it wasn’t like that, I swear, I only found out yesterday that I had to go back today.”

Ashley gathered her dignity around her and got up off the far side of the bed, turning back she looked at Willow incredulously “I don’t believe you. You got what you wanted. Now you’re leaving!” she was so hurt the words came out viciously.

Willow got up and kneeled on the bed in all her naked glory to entreat her girlfriend “No, it wasn’t like that at all, I had no idea that they had arranged this. I have to go back; they sent the note on Tuesday to my hotel room. I didn’t know until I went to get my stuff yesterday.”

“Well congratulations, have a nice trip” Ashley got out bitterly as she stalked into the bathroom and slammed the door.

Willow sighed as she sat back on the bed, fluffing up the pillows against the backboard. How to explain the way sponsors could end up treating you, you were at their beck and call to a good deal, they were your bread and butter, you couldn’t afford to offend them, her surfing years were numbered and she needed to build up her career to carry her over, to make enough money that when she couldn’t surf in the ‘exciting’ way that brought in money for her sponsors, that she would still be able to not only surf but have endorsements to make even more money. If she was a well-known name she could continue to make money off of it. She couldn’t behave like a spoiled brat with these people, antagonize them, it would only undermine her career in the long run.

She heard water in the bathroom as the toilet flushed and then the sink was on as Ashley brushed her teeth and got up for the day. Her routine was so similar to what Willow did herself at home, although she surfed a hell of a lot more for longer stretches. When Ashley came out of the bathroom she asked “do you want to talk about it?”

Ashley shot her a glare of pure venom “no, I don’t, you got what you wanted. The ditzy chick you seduced and bonus, you got her virginity” she said bitterly.

“You know it wasn’t like that” Willow said angrily. She was stung at what she was being accused of.

“No Willow, I don’t know it wasn’t like that. You came into my life and pursued me. You knew I didn’t know anything about women; you made me fall in love with you. We made love just this week and now you’re leaving! How do you think that makes me feel?”

“It wasn’t intentional. I thought I had more time before I had to return home” she protested.

“Yeah right, like you didn’t know” Ashley answered pettily as she dressed, yanking on her clothes angrily.

“Come on, I wouldn’t treat you like that” Willow tried to reason with her.

There was no reasoning with Ashley, she was furious and hurt. This was her first love affair and she felt betrayed. She felt used. She didn’t talk much to Willow as she called a cab, called to make arrangements for someone to pick up the corvette, she had hoped that Ashley would take her to the airport but didn’t dare ask. She gathered the things she had kept at Ashley’s silently and made a second check before packing them in her bag.

The cab was outside waiting when she turned to Ashley and said “I know you don’t think much of me right now. I loved you, I do love you. If I had the time to make this right, I would. I hope we can talk about this when you calm down.” She looked at Ashley’s defiant face and sighed “I’m sorry Ashley, I love you” before pulling the front door shut behind her.

Ashley crumpled then. She felt horrible at the way she had left it with Willow. It had been a huge disappointment to find her snatched out from her so abruptly. She had behaved childishly. She had so many regrets from her behavior. This week had opened her eyes and she had ruined it. No one could have made love to her like that if they didn’t love her. She knew in her heart that Willow had loved her.

“Hey I heard Willow went back to Hawaii” Letty was floating on her board a few feet from Ashley.

It was the first time in a week she had been on her board and Ashley wasn’t through punishing herself. At the mention of Willow though she steeled her heart and looked over “yeah, I heard that too.”

“Oh, I thought you two were friends, everyone was talking…” Letty left off.

“Talking about what? We were friends, she showed me some surfing techniques, she lives in Hawaii, what’s to talk about?” Ashley bluffed.

“Well you know they say” and here Letty lowered her voice that easily carried over the calm water “she’s a you know…, a lesbian.”

Ashley laughed at the incongruity of it. Here they had obviously speculated about Willow but didn’t know. Had Willow stayed, she would have been tarnished with the same brush. “Jeez, don’t they have anything else to talk about?”

Letty looked at her in surprise “so she’s not?”

Ashley just shook her head in disgust and shrugged but Letty assumed she was saying that Willow was not a lesbian and let the conversation drop as they both watched the next set of waves coming in speculatively.

Ashley wasn’t up to par these days. Her work didn’t suffer; she took more than her share of extra hours. Since she worked on a base plus commission, she could work anything beyond the 40 hours that they assigned. Some of her fellow workers didn’t appreciate her taking sales from their hours but they wisely kept their mouths shut, she was one of the best salespeople on the floor and she shared whenever she could, she steered sales their way when she could or when she was busy, so she was decent about things, even generous. She wasn’t however as friendly as she once had been, she didn’t chat as much as before, she seemed preoccupied.

She followed the sports section on the news avidly but found to her disgust that not too many stations followed the women’s surfing tour. Golf or tennis yes, surfing no. It annoyed her; she had no way to find out more about what was going on Willow’s world. Then she saw on the cover of one of the surf magazines in Ron Jon’s Surf Shop what she had been scanning for. Willow looking hale and hearty. She bought the overpriced magazine without even reading the article. Scanning it at home she found that the sponsors had listed the different competitions that the ‘recovered’ professional surfer was going to be competing in. The picture though was from awhile back and not even recent.

It saddened her that she hadn’t heard from Willow but then thinking over the way she had left things she didn’t blame Willow. She had basically called her a liar and a user. She sent her a letter but the only address she had was her ‘fan’ club and wasn’t sure she would get it or even read it. She had to be careful how she worded it too in case Willow had someone else read it. She never heard from her.

It didn’t help her heart though, she knew she still loved Willow, she had opened her up to her Sapphic side and now she wanted more, she wanted a relationship with her. She attempted to track her down through her sponsors and the phone company. Apparently she was unlisted and her sponsors asked too many questions, suspicious that she was someone who was stalking her, a fanatic fan, or from a competitor’s camp that wanted to steal away their money making machine. She never got through there either.

She found herself incredibly depressed.

“What is wrong with you these days?” her mother asked after a couple of months had gone by.

Ashley shrugged, not committing. She certainly wasn’t going to upset her mother by telling her the truth.

“You work too hard” her mother said but then that’s what she always said “you should decorate this place” another familiar refrain.

“Mom” she said exasperated at the old arguments “I work hard because I love the size of this house, I will decorate it when I have the time, right now I’m working towards making more money.”

“You can have all the money in the world and that won’t make you happy, how are you going to meet anyone with your schedule? How will you ever fall in love?”

“I’m young enough that it doesn’t really matter right now” she hedged, not telling her mother about her Sapphic love. She didn’t need the admonitions she knew would be forthcoming. She wasn’t ready to shock her mother.

Her mother looked at her astutely, she knew her daughter was hiding something, but what she had no idea. She would have been astounded to find that she was suffering from her first broken heart. She wisely didn’t push though. Ashley would tell her in time, her own time.

“Ashley, you need to take a vacation or you will lose your vacation time” the HR manager had pulled her into her office for a quick conversation.

Ashley let out a sigh of relief, she couldn’t imagine what she had been pulled in for and her imagination had run wild, that she was being fired, that she had screwed up somehow, that someone had set her up, and how was she going to pay her mortgage or car payment? “Doesn’t it accumulate?” she asked.

The HR manager shook her head “no, you need to take your week in the next month or you lose it, company policy” she grinned wryly, it sucked but there it was.

Ashley hadn’t taken a vacation since she had been hired almost two years ago. That first year she had learned so much and it allowed her to buy her house. Now she didn’t want to take time off because she might lose out on sales. Her income was phenomenal for someone her age and her spending so minimal that her bank account got a hefty increase every two weeks when she got her commissions checks. She nodded before asking “can I let you know in a day or two?”

The HR manager nodded but cautioned “better plan it quick, we can’t have everyone off the floor at the same time” but privately thought if Ashley was one of those off the floor that the sales manager wasn’t going to be too happy. She was too dependable, too likeable, and customers and management relied on her. She actually had a following, customers asked for her specifically knowing they could trust her to tell them honestly and knowledgeably on merchandise they wished to purchase.

That night as Ashley ate a late dinner of cashew chicken she sat at her dinner table quietly reading a book propped up on the table. She finally put it down in disgust. She was lonely. The last months since Willow had been gone had been hard. She thought about her constantly and waiting for responses to her phone calls and letter wasn’t fulfilling. She realized how stupid it all had been, her behavior. She wanted to straighten out this misunderstanding but didn’t know how. Her eyes fell on the surf magazine and she found herself staring at the beautiful picture of Willow on its cover. She remembered the surf competitions that had been listed there and with an idea forming in her head she leafed through the pages looking for the little section with the listings. She found them and while the magazine was a month old already she found that all the competitions hadn’t been run yet.

“Good morning, I would like to find out how much a vacation to Hawaii would cost” she asked the first person who helped her at the travel agency she had walked into.

The woman’s smile at the question froze on her face. A trip to Hawaii including travel and airfare was a good commission for their agency and the agent but someone this young had to be yanking her chain. She couldn’t possibly afford a trip to Hawaii. Her parent’s maybe, but this teenager? She would humor her though as she had nothing else to do.

Ashley realized the woman was reluctantly helping her but she knew what she wanted and where she wanted to go as she looked over the various brochures the woman fanned out before her. She vaguely realized that people always assumed she was younger than she actually was because of her looks. It made it hard enough at work much less things like this.

“Well, I’m not really looking for a package deal. This is what I am looking for” and she outlined a trip to the Big Island with a hotel as a backup; she didn’t know what she would find with Willow or even if she could get to her. Since she was going in November which was the beginning of the prime surfing season she knew the competitions she would see would be awesome. The woman who was helping her was surprised when they outlined the week-long trip which actually with weekends ended up being nine days and the young woman pulled out a credit card to pay for it all in full.

“Hawaii! Why on earth would you want to go there?” her mother asked incredulously when she heard the news. “And why aren’t I invited?”

Ashley laughed at the second question “Mom, I need a vacation, you know how much I like to surf….”

“Absolutely not, I do NOT want you surfing those twenty foot waves!” she said outraged at the thought.

“I’m not going to surf but to watch the competitions in person” Ashley protested at her mother’s assumptions.

“Well that’s better, but why didn’t you invite me, I would have loved to go to Hawaii” her eyes, which looked amazingly like Ashley’s glittered at the thought.

Ashley snorted “you hate flying and it’s a long flight.”

Her mother had to agree and the thought of being over all that water had her pale but she still wanted to go and razzed her daughter about it almost to the day she left. “You’ll call when you arrive?”

Ashley rolled her eyes and nodded “the minute I get in my hotel room okay?”

“Last call for flight 2093 to Hawaii” came over the loudspeaker where they were sitting in the terminal.

“Gotta go Mom, give me a hug” Ashley turned as she stood up and grabbed her overnight bag.

Waving as she walked down the jet way she turned to look to her future wondering what it held.

“Aloha” the woman said as she put a wreath of flowers called a lei around Ashley’s neck. She smiled and said “thank you” wondering if this was the only lei she was going to get on this island. She had been right, it was a long tiring flight and she had a lot of time to think. She wondered if it was a good idea to have come, but even if Willow didn’t want to see her, she had to know.

“Missus Dales” the man in the bright Hawaiian shirt asked her politely as he read the name on her suitcase tag.

Another man waiting there approached “Missus Dales?” he asked politely having overheard the first man.

At her nod he took her suitcase and overnight bag “I’m Phillip from the Hilton, the hotel sent a car for you” he indicated a new Lincoln by the curb and Ashley was impressed.

She found herself in the backseat of the luxury car as she sped through the traffic to her hotel. She rubbernecked as they went along and Phillip told her a few tales. Checking in she was treated very royally which she really liked. Her room was modest but so high up she wondered how it weathered hurricanes. Looking out from her balcony she forgot about bad weather though as she looked at the beautiful expanse of beach that was in back of the hotel and for miles in either direction from what she could see. Lying back on the bed she relaxed for a couple of hours, trying to sleep to make up for the bad sleep she had gotten on the plane in an uncomfortable position. Her Mother’s anxiety about flying over water had transferred itself to her and she felt it through the whole long flight.

She went down for dinner and enjoyed it despite dining alone. It was beautiful, it was elegant, it was lonely. She found she was hit on by men who were there on vacation, both married and single. The corny come on’s were annoying and she wasn’t interested. She finally turned to one persistent admirer and said exasperated “I’m gay” and while he didn’t believe her she was left alone after that.

The next morning found her being dropped off at the bay she was assured by the concierge she would find all the ‘pro’ surfers practiced in. She watched anxiously as many came and went in the beautiful surf, her own body was anxious to try out these waves. They were incredible. Most were twelve footers and she felt sure she could handle them if she was careful. She watched avidly though as those better than she effortlessly surfed them over and over again. She thought she had seen Willow but it turned out to be someone else.

“You surf?” a voice asked from above her where she was sitting on the beach watching the water.

She looked up and up and up using her hand to shelter her eyes from the sun that seemed right above her. “How’d you guess?” she asked in return.

“You’ve got the twitches” she heard the laughter.

She hadn’t realized she was practically squirming as she fidgeted on the beach anxious to be out there.

“You’re a mainlander?” she asked.

Ashley got up off the beach, tired of looking up, and found the angle wasn’t that much better, the woman facing her was unbelievably tall. “Yeah, I got here yesterday” she said in answer to her question.

“I can always tell, you mainlanders head out here and watch for hours.” She nodded knowingly; satisfied that she had spotted another one.

“Actually I’m looking for a friend, but to be honest I’m not sure where she is surfing these days” Ashley began hesitantly.

The woman looked disappointed but held it in check waiting patiently for the mainlander to say who.

“Do you know where I could find Willow Samuels?” Ashley asked hopefully.

The woman looked down at her trying to read whether she was a fanatic or really a friend as she had stated. She shrugged. “I don’t know where she lives but she could be over at Kealakekua Bay.”

Ashley thought she was at Kealakekua Bay. “What’s this place called?” she asked to hide her confusion.

The woman stared at her patronizingly “this is Banyans” then deciding that Ashley didn’t really know Willow Samuels she decided to confuse her more “course she could be practicing over on Peahi on Maui or Hanalei Bay on Kauai” the Hawaiian names rolling off her tongue as though she were a native and Ashley’s heart sunk.

Smiling half-heartedly she said “oh, thank you” but her face gave away her disappointment. It would be impossible to find Willow until the competition on Saturday and she knew it was going to be held here, of that she was sure with the stands set up in anticipation of the crowds that would be here to watch the competition. “Well, see you around” she said dejectedly as she headed towards a phone to call for a taxi. No sense in wasting another day sitting here if Willow wasn’t around.

“Hey Willow, your fans are arriving early” Betty the tall woman who had spoken to Ashley earlier told her.

“Oh yeah?” Willow looked up from where she was waxing her board, making sure to do a perfect job so her surfing today would be good.

“Yeah, someone was asking where to find you earlier but never fear I headed her off” she smiled, remembering how she had snowed the mainlander.

“Was she cute at least?” Willow laughed knowing Betty’s heart was in the bi-sexual arena.

“Yeah, I guess she was, but I could tell she was a surfer or at least a wanna-be from her fidgeting to be out there” she nodded towards the waves that had risen up another four feet to break at sixteen footers.

“Yeah, we get all kinds don’t we?” Willow mused as she looked out at the terrific surf and the heads bobbing out there, others standing on boards, and still others sitting on theirs.

“Well, see you out there” Betty left her to finish the job.

Willow expertly rubbed the wax on her board eyeing it to make sure she got it the way she liked it, smoothing it out. She thought about the wanna-be’s who came from all over the world to surf here. Having her face on magazines Willow was targeted for more than her share of fans. It was a good thing for her sponsors but not so good for her peace of mind sometimes. One surfer had a man stalk her all the way from Australia he was so obsessed with her. It made Willow shudder, but the fame went with the sponsorships that were craved. She was one of the better surfers in the sport and her sponsors were all big names so she accepted the fame and the BS as a part of her life. Looking out at the waves she eagerly anticipated getting out there and she promptly forgot the fans, the sponsors, anything but the waves that called to her.

Ashley decided to play tourist and she took a couple of tours that told her more about the Big Island of Hawaii than she had ever wanted to know. It was fascinating and at the same time hot and then raining. Since they were in the tropics, it rained every day and she had been prepared for it. She loved the scenery and the vivid colors. It fascinated her and she wondered where Willow lived in all this. It amazed her how big the ‘big island’ really was but she enjoyed herself as she wasted time before the competition on Saturday.

Willow was one of the top competitors in the standing as the day turned into an excellent day for surfing. The waves were prime and everyone who was any good was showing some excellent style. There were a couple of people that shouldn’t be out there Willow thought but she tried to avoid them but when you have several women trying to get the best waves it was inevitable that more than one went for some of the waves.

Ashley watched avidly, excited to be there. Seeing it in person was so very different than seeing it on TV. She knew that Willow was near; she hadn’t approached her, not wanting to throw off her concentration in the big event. She was ahead in the standings but an excellent ride by some of the other women could cost her first place it was that close. Ashley could see why Willow was one of the best, she had style, she had skill, and she had a feeling for the waves that was in her blood, no one could teach that. She had shown a little of her skill in Huntington Beach, but this was vastly different. The waves were huge in comparison, the competition intense. Ashley was enjoying herself immensely and hoped with all her heart that Willow would win and they could celebrate together. She had many dreams going through her head hoping that their reunion would be spectacular. She didn’t even consider that Willow might not want to see her after all this time, which was too much to even contemplate.

The final time was in sight. The women were taking chances to catch a good wave and rack up the score. Willow was way out front when it happened. Three women headed for the same wave. The first one backed off when she saw the other two. Willow was one of the other two though and she didn’t realize the other woman was just as determined; she had a lot more to lose than Willow and thought that she was hogging the wave to rack up additional points when she was already clearly the winner. Some weird flow in the wave though had the second woman jerk erratically, losing her balance, flying off, her board went airborne, it caused her to crash into Willow striking her in the head with her fiberglass board and sending Willow under the wave. Disoriented for a moment she was lost in the churning water and up was down for only a moment but long enough to get a drag of water into her lungs. Frantically she swam for the surface to spit out the water and gasp in a lung full of air but another wave was there to come crashing down on her already dizzy head.

The rescue team had already seen the collision and were speeding towards the spot where Willow had gone under. Their wave runners bucking the waves they grabbed her when she surfaced and hauled her across their seat, she tried to hold on but she was disoriented from the water, from the blow to her head, from the water in her and she passed out. Her limp body was towed rapidly in to shore where a group met her there to perform CPR.

Ashley was on her feet as soon as she realized the two of them were going to crash. Her heart was in her throat for the few seconds that Willow was under the waves but she breathed a sigh of relief to see her head bob up only to worry again when she went under again. Never was she more relieved when the rescue team pulled her out of the water and raced to the beach with her limp body. She was one of the people waiting there when they started CPR on her. The guards had tried to keep her away but she violently pushed them aside saying “she’s my girlfriend” before they let her through.

Willow spit up the water she had inhaled, her body convulsing from the effort. They quickly lifted her onto a stretcher and got her into the flatbed of a truck to take her to the hospital. The board had given her a nasty cut and the blow was swelling up substantially. As she came to in the ambulance she knew she was hallucinating as she thought she saw Ashley. But Ashley was in Huntington Beach. She couldn’t possibly be here. She closed her eyes, trying to forget.

Willow had been deeply hurt by the accusations that Ashley had hurled towards her. She had really truly loved the brunette and been so honored to have been her first. Their time together had been the best she could ever remember having out of the water, culminating in their making love had touched her deeply. She would never forget how it had all made her feel, her love for Ashley, the equal amounts of hurt and anger after the fact. It had taken her awhile to get over it and countless hours out on her board where she couldn’t help but think about the brunette. She knew on some levels she would never be over it. She had found someone to love, someone she had so much in common with it was eerie, her better half, she hadn’t worked out the details but had thought they had a future, she hated being so horribly wrong.

Now seeing a glimpse of someone who looked like Ashley had her thinking she was delusional, wondering at the blow on her head they were all so worried about. She gave into the swimming in her head and passed out.

“She’s going to be fine, that hard head of hers saved it from being anything major. It should heal up in a few weeks” the doctor commented to the brunette who was a fixture in Willow’s room, waiting for her to wake up. She hadn’t left since the famous blonde had been brought in. Other friends had come and gone and looked at Ashley curiously but since she made her declaration the hospital let her stay. No one knew who she really was but strangely, no one questioned it either.

Willow had won the competition; she had been far enough out ahead that even the loss of that last wave hadn’t cost her. The other woman had been disqualified, but she had been so horrified by what had happened to Willow she had quit and left anyway. The sponsors were thrilled of course and worried about their athlete. A man who claimed to be Willow’s agent had come and gone, but no one had asked Ashley to go. The room was filled with flowers from well-wishers. Ashley sat in a chair and waited for Willow to wake up.

It was quite dark when Willow began to wake up and look around groggily. She realized someone was sitting in a chair near the edge of her bed and looked down curiously at the brunette head wondering who the heck it was. It wasn’t her mother, her mother was blonde, it wasn’t her sister either, they were on a trip to the mainland with her father to visit relatives. So who the heck?

Ashley sensed something, maybe it was a sixth sense, maybe it was the difference in Willows breathing, she looked up and wiped the spittle from the edge of her mouth.

“Ashley?!?” Willow looked at her in absolute surprise.

“Hi” she said gently, sleepily.

“What are you doing here?” she asked incredulously.

“Looking for you” Ashley said with a sleepy smile, it had been a long day; it had been a long couple of days for her, waiting for the competition, finally seeing Willow, and then the accident.

“But why” Willow was surprised, she didn’t like surprises, she also had a hell of a headache.

Ashley looked at her sadly, disappointed; none of the scenario’s she had dreamed of had even come close to this situation. She had thought perhaps Willow would want to take her in her arms and kiss and hug her. Instead, she sounded annoyed that Ashley was here. Perhaps she had misjudged the situation, perhaps Willow’s feelings had changed, or perhaps she had killed it with her accusations. Sighing deeply she answered “I came to find you since you didn’t call or write.”

Willow went to shake her head and realized that was a very bad idea “I thought you didn’t want to ever see me again.”

“I NEVER said that” Ashley said in her defense.

Willow looked at her sadly, she felt awful but she remembered how awful she felt on the plane ride back too.

Ashley looked a little uncomfortable “I am sorry for what happened, I realize now that you didn’t have control over your sponsor’s demands, but don’t you see any of it from my viewpoint, how vulnerable I was feeling at that point?”

Willow nodded despite the pain “I’ve thought it ALL over and wish things could have been different, I really do. I wish I had had more time to explain it to you, to get you used to the idea, but you knew I had to come back here eventually, that I had to get back to work.”

Ashley nodded “I realized that when I thought of it rationally.” She looked down for a moment, ashamed at how she had behaved. “How was this ever going to work, you always had to return, was it just a fling for you?” she looked up, waiting for Willow’s response.

Willow sighed “I didn’t plan on falling in love with you while on vacation, it just happened” she looked sad “the way things ended was certainly not what I planned.”

“What did you plan?”

“I don’t know, I can’t ask you to give up your life for mine and I can’t change what I am doing either.”

“So this was always a no win situation” Ashley said sadly.

Willow looked at her wondering what she had expected.

They chatted a lot over the next few days and Ashley met some of the sponsor’s representatives and a few of Willow’s friends. Ashley no longer had the desire to go sight-seeing and Willow, while she had won the competition was taking a few days breather before getting back out on the waves. Released the next day she showed Ashley a few places only a local could know. They enjoyed each other’s company again but there was a strain, there was this feeling that although they still wanted each other, neither knew how to overcome the breach. Willow was right, they both had their own lives and they were thousands of miles apart.

Willow was discussing the problem with her good friend Kit, a fellow surfer when she solved their dilemma “why don’t you just hire her to work for you?”

Willow frowned at her from where they were both sitting on the beach before heading out into the waves, Ashley was due to arrive from the hotel any minute and Willow had promised to go out with her and show her some ‘real’ waves compared to those off the mainland. “Why would I hire anyone?” she asked confused.

“You need someone to handle some of your stuff for you, like a personal assistant” she said as though it was perfectly logical “you yourself said not too long ago how much of a hassle it was to handle shit all by yourself, Harold doesn’t do it all. At least with Ashley you’d get the company of her in your bed, she understands surfers, and you two would be together.” To Kit, it was problem solved.

“You don’t think she’d be insulted at the suggestion?” Willow asked mulling over the idea.

Kit shrugged, not really caring about what this Ashley thought, she was just sick of Willow being bummed out about things, she knew all about the situation, or thought she did from what Willow had told her.

The more Willow thought about it the more she liked the idea but she was afraid Ashley would find it a demeaning job. There would be more than just catering to Willow of course, she got a lot of mail, there were schedules to keep track of, a million other things they could think of together. She would have to discuss something with Ashley eventually and time was running out. Ashley’s vacation wouldn’t last forever.

“Gawd that was awesome” Ashley stated as she plodded up the beach with the borrowed board. “I’ve never felt power like that.” She turned back to look regretfully at the surf that they had to leave for now.

Willow smiled at her “careful mainlander, you’ll become addicted and never want to leave.”

Ashley returned the smile in her enthusiasm “I’d like to surf the planet.”

That statement more than any other made Willow want to discuss her proposal with her. Later as they shared a dinner, nothing fancy, t-shirts, shorts, and sandals on a wide opened veranda of one of the hotels, she made the suggestion and waited to see if Ashley would be delighted or insulted.

Ashley was surprised. “I don’t know…” she began.

Willow outlined what she had been thinking, the perks, the benefits “you could go back to school for marketing. You’re already a good saleswoman, maybe you could market me” she smiled at the thought, thinking of herself as a commodity.

“What if we both hated it, what if you got sick of having me around, telling you where you had to be, or whatever?” Ashley felt all of her insecurities come to the forefront.

Willow shrugged as she took another drink of juice “then let’s make it legal, we outline exactly what you expect, what I expect, and alter it as time goes on.”

Ashley looked thoughtful. It would allow her to stay with Willow wherever she went in competitions around the globe. The travel would be fantastic, the experience phenomenal. It would mean upsetting her whole life. Resigning from a job that guaranteed her a future, one that she controlled. But Willow was offering her a future, WITH her. That was the biggest thing that could sway her, but Willow hadn’t mentioned THEM really, in fact they had both been careful not to. They hadn’t been intimate since she had gotten there, they had accidentally brushed by each other but neither of them had acted on it.

They spent a long time discussing what the future could hold, the good, the bad, and the ugly, including what their families would say, if it would matter in the long run, if they could weather the storm of people holding their sexuality against them.

“I don’t care if anyone knows I’m a lesbian, a lot of people know anyway and I’m still fairly successful” Willow stated. “I know it will be harder for you, being in the background, being the cause of some people’s rudeness and speculation, could you handle that?”

Ashley was thinking about, she really was. She knew she loved Willow, she was her first love, but Willow hadn’t indicated the one thing that would sway her. She nodded in answer to Willow’s question. “I think so, and I could take courses to improve myself as I grow into this job…” She realized it was a job that would grow as time went on.

“Could you move here?” Willow asked hopefully. She was pleased with how receptive Ashley had been to the idea.

“What about my townhome?” That was something Ashley had achieved on her own with her mother’s good advice. Her mother might be happy for this exciting opportunity but she knew she would also be lonely at the thought of her daughter living so far away. It was an exciting opportunity too though; she would understand eventually, you were only young once.

“Why don’t you rent it out, I don’t think you should sell it, unless you want to?” Willow talked like Ashley had decided to take the job, that it was a done deal.

They decided to think on it and went for a walk on the beach. Nothing could be more romantic as the sun was down and the waves gently hit this section of beach. A few people had the same idea as the two women and walked along the sands or on carefully manicured paths.

“What could I say to make you take the job?” Willow asked after a long period of silence.

Ashley stopped and Willow did too, trying to see her face in the dark. Ashley realized then, if Willow didn’t know what she could say to keep her here with her, then she couldn’t be the one to tell her. She sighed deeply and said “I guess I just need to absorb all of this. I don’t want to get excited by the idea or the concept and make the wrong decision.”

Willow was disappointed, she had thought once she presented the idea and Ashley wasn’t insulted by it, that she would jump at the chance to be with her indefinitely. She guessed that Ashley hadn’t forgiven her after all.

Both of them had trouble sleeping that night, they weren’t together, Ashley was at her hotel room tossing and turning, and Willow was at her bungalow staring out the window at the waves, thinking, dreaming, and wishing.

“So, what’d she say?” Kit asked as they headed out to the waves.

“She said she’d think about it” Willow told her dispiritingly, she hadn’t slept well and was feeling decidedly grumpy this morning, nothing that a few tons of crashing water wouldn’t cure.

“What?” Kit looked at her incredulously. She had been sure Ashley would jump at the idea.

Willow shrugged, she had tried and failed, Ashley didn’t want her as much as she had thought. The vacation was to make amends, mends were made and she was returning home shortly.

“What’d you say to her exactly?” Kit probed.

So Willow gave her the Cliff’s Notes version of their evening’s conversation about Ashley becoming her personal assistant. By the time she was done Kit looked at her alarmed.

“You never once told her you wanted her to stay because you loved her did you? You idiot!”

Willow blinked rapidly at her friend and said “of course I told her…” and then realized, she hadn’t. “You think that would have made the difference?”

“Jeez Louise you idiot, maybe THAT’S all she was waiting for to say yes, yes, yes!” Kit shook her head in defeat, save her from idiots and fools. She turned away and said “look at those breaks” which effectively ended their conversation as they headed out into the surf.

Willow thought about what Kit had said as she caught some waves. They were especially great this morning and she was meeting Ashley later when she knew the waves wouldn’t be so wild and at another beach besides. It was their last opportunity because Ashley was leaving the day after tomorrow. It saddened her. It squeezed her heart worse now that Ashley was on her home turf. She hadn’t stopped loving her just because of their fight, waking up and seeing her in the hospital had been like a dream. A platonic friendship after finally making love to her hadn’t bothered her, she could love her physically or spiritually. She would prefer the physical side but knowing her as a good friend was a bonus.

“Hey” she smiled when she saw Ashley approach. She had extra boards galore to share with her friend. She didn’t mind sharing with Ashley, she hated others who borrowed boards all the time and didn’t take care of them as well as she would but she knew Ashley was a careful surfer and would take care of any equipment that wasn’t her own better than her own.

“Hi” Ashley said breathlessly. Willow had opened her eyes to a lot of things since she had met her so long ago in Huntington Beach. Becoming aware of her as a friend first and then a lover had her seeing her and her beauty with whole new eyes. She appreciated how good she looked in her wetsuit, her slim, tight and muscular body looking slimmer, tighter, and more muscular in it.

“Ready for some REAL surfing?” she asked with a grin. She had teased Ashley about the waves in Huntington Beach not being real compared to Hawaiian waves that came thousands of miles from across the ocean to crash against their cliffs and beaches.

Ashley grinned in return looking forward to it. She enjoyed this side of Willow. She knew beaches all over the world to surf at and the talk was endlessly fascinating. From beaches in Oregon to South Carolina and Florida to South American and Australia, she found the endless surf exciting. She was going to tell Willow she accepted the position but had to work out a few details first. She hadn’t heard that Willow loved her, she hadn’t touched her, but she had hope that would come in time.

The waves were only ten footers today but compared to what came ashore in Huntington Beach except around a storm these were huge. Some had trekked thousands of miles across the ocean to end up here, just so they could surf them.

Willow watched Ashley take a few before letting her enjoy them. She needn’t be concerned. While not as experienced as Willow she had learned well. Her balance was excellent. She was enjoying herself immensely even when she wiped out.

Willow watched astounded as Ashley performed a perfect aerial, a maneuver where she launched herself into the air over the wave and landed again. Her hang time, or rather the amount of time she spent in the air, was jaw dropping. It was almost all in slow motion and Willow was impressed.

The afternoon sped by quickly before they both used a wave to speed into the shore and take a break. “You want to surf tonight?” Willow asked Ashley watching her closely. Surfing here wasn’t like back in Huntington Beach, it was a constant battle and you could go out and ride the waves without surfing them but there wasn’t the same type of lull in between to chat or rest.

Ashley shook her head, she was totally tired out from the afternoon of surfing but she wouldn’t trade it for the world. It had been exciting and a challenge she had enjoyed. But now, she needed to pack and get ready for her flight back to the mainland. She also hadn’t had a chance to talk to Willow about the proposed job. “I’ve got to eat something and pack” she mentioned.

“Well, let’s head back to my place so I can change then I’ll drive you over to your hotel” Willow said disappointed. Then she realized she was a little tired from a lack of sleep and could bet that Ashley was exhausted from the pummeling waves. She wasn’t as physically fit but she had managed to do quite well.

Ashley looked around curious at the bungalow that was Willow’s. It wasn’t that special, it could use some cleaning but then Willow only used it to store her numerous boards and to sleep. It was a quick walk to or from the beach and while she had plenty of money from her endorsements she only rented. Ashley thought about how she could help Willow as an assistant.

“Willow?” a man knocked on the edge of the patio door they had entered when they got back from the beach. He entered without waiting for her to answer from the bedroom where she was showering and changing.

Ashley looked at him curiously recognizing him from the hospital.

“Oh, hi, I’m Harold” he held out his hand. He was wearing a typical Hawaiian shirt with its colorful images on it and a pair of shorts and sandals on his tanned legs.

Ashley shook his hand saying “Ashley Dales.”

“Oh, Willow’s friend from the mainland?” he asked knowingly. He didn’t recognize her from the hospital as she had, having not noticed her then. He had been more concerned for his meal ticket in the form of a hospitalized Willow.

She nodded as she replied “yeah, Willow’s in the shower.”

“Oh good, I’ll wait” he said as he plopped himself down on a couch full of newspapers that he just pushed aside. It was apparent he had been there before as he sat there sprawled out and reached for the channel changer.

Ashley felt a little uncomfortable with the strange man in Willow’s living room but she braved it out. It was apparent to her that Harold didn’t want to talk as he channel surfed and stopped on reruns of ‘The Dukes of Hazard’ with its high speed chases and loud crashes. She sat down in a chair as far from him as she could get and cringed at the volume of the television. He must be hard of hearing she thought.

“Could you turn that down” Willow came out of the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her athletic body and another one wrapped around her hair. She stopped short at the sight of Harold, surprised to see him sitting there. She glanced at Ashley who looked at her and cringed a little from the volume and the man.

“Oh hey” he said as he hit mute on the loud noises, the room was immediately quiet.

“What’s going on Harold, why are you here? You couldn’t have called?” she asked in a tone that Ashley didn’t recognize.

“You don’t always take my calls” he said shaking a finger at her playfully. “I have your schedule for the next competitions here” he reached into the large pocket on his shirt front and took out a creased and crinkled paper. He pulled himself up from the couch and a few papers flew off with him.

Willow took the proffered paper and opened it. Scanning it she began to shake her head “Harold, some of these overlap, didn’t you realize that?”

He looked at her in surprise “no, I didn’t see that.” He tried to look over her shoulder.

Ashley saw it, and she knew Willow must be aware of it; he was trying to look down her towel. Ashley was nauseated at the thought, the letch.

Willow and Harold discussed the best competitions and what the waves would be like and which would be prime, for the competition, for the points, and for the glory of winning. Her sponsors wanted her to win, that was the key. To get her name associated with a winning team. “Oh, that contract needs to be signed next week with Stingray” he slipped in.

“Stingray?” she looked at him in surprise trying to remember if they had discussed it before. She hated this, he always sprung things on her and it made her feel like she was losing her memory. It was why she wanted Ashley to come work for her, to keep her organized.

“Yeah, there is no conflict with the others and it should bring some excellent money into the fold” he said confidently.

Ashley wondered about that. She certainly wasn’t any manager, she knew nothing about contracts, but she wondered how tight his contract with Willow really was, how much he made off of her. She got bad vibes from the man, it wasn’t just his appearance, just something about him.

Willow nodded, but Ashley wondered if she was being well represented. How this guy could inspire confidence in any board meeting or business meeting she had no idea.

He finished up with Willow and giving her an affectionate slap on the back he headed out the way he had come.

Ashley had said nothing the whole time as she watched her friend. Willow turned to her almost stunned.

“Can you believe that? I almost screwed up another sponsor deal and with Stingray!” She lamented to herself aloud, beating herself up about it.

“Are you sure?” Ashley asked astutely.

Willow looked at her, almost surprised to see her there, much less commenting “what do you mean?”

Ashley stood up and glanced out the patio door to make sure that Harold had gone “I don’t know that guy,” her thumb pointed where Harold had just left “but something doesn’t ring true. I would place a bet that he didn’t tell you about Stingray.”

Willow looked at her intently, her eyes narrowing. “Why, what have you heard?”

Ashley shrugged “nothing, I don’t know him” she shook her head “but something about that deal just now was sending off bad vibes. How long has he been managing you?”

Willow shrugged “a few years, he came on board when I got my first sponsor, why?’

“How long is his contract for?” Ashley asked concerned.

Willow looked puzzled as to where Ashley’s questions were going. She shrugged “I have no idea” she said. “It’s somewhere in my file back here” she gestured for Ashley to follow her.

Ashley could see that Willow just lived here, she didn’t LIVE here. It was messy throughout the place and the bedroom they went into had trophies, ribbons, and various junk strewn around it. Nothing organized, everything lying around haphazardly, uncared for. Willow opened a plastic file box and fingered through it until she found what she was looking for. “Here it is” she said as she pulled out a legal looking form and handed it to Ashley.

Ashley looked at it. She didn’t know legalese but she could spot a few things that made sense. Some of it sounded standard but her eyes narrowed when something sunk in. According to this contract, Harold got a percentage of Willow’s career and earnings in perpetuity. “Did you have a lawyer look at this before you signed it?”

Willow shook her head “no, why?”

Ashley pointed out the line she had just read.

“Son of a bitch” Willow swore under her breath.

Ashley found being this close to Willow to be a distraction, especially because she was certain that Willow was completely naked under the towel. She was certain Harold had been aware of that fact too.

Willow read on and found a few other points of interest she pointed out to Ashley cursing herself and her naiveté.

“How old were you when you signed this?” Ashley suddenly had a thought.

Willow thought for a moment and then said “seventeen, why?”

Ashley smiled “did your parents sign for you?”

Willow shook her head as she began to realize where Ashley was going with this she smiled evilly. “I think I better find a lawyer.”

“Does he have access to your bank accounts?” Ashley asked.

Willow looked alarmed “I have no idea.”

Ashley looked at her incredulous “don’t you have an accountant?”

Willow shrugged “Harold took care of the business end of things, that’s why I hired him.”

“Did you really hire him or did he just begin appearing where you were surfing and offering his help?”

“Something like that” Willow was beginning to feel a strangled sensation. She wasn’t stupid but she hadn’t realized how much this could actually screw her over. “Jeezus, he might have been stealing from me for years and I never realized…” she began and then sat down suddenly in a chair, scattering papers.

Ashley crouched beside her as Willow went pale. “Hey, relax. We got to find you a lawyer. He will call an audit and see if Harold is screwing you over or legit. I’m sorry” she took Willow’s hands in her own, trying to warm them with her own. “I didn’t mean to open a can of worms, he just struck me as being a little to nonchalant about business details with you.”

“He’s always been that way but I’ve made a lot of money at it despite forgetting things.”

“Did you forget or did he perhaps deliberately confuse you. You were concerned about one thing, surfing. Why would you be looking at the details, that was supposed to be his job?”

“When did you get so smart?” Willow asked looking down at the hands that were holding her own.

Ashley smiled at the compliment “some of it is common sense but I think I learn quickly.”

Willow sat back stunned for a moment, she hadn’t really thought of some of the things that Ashley had pointed out until just now and she was overwhelmed at the thoughts that were racing through her mind. The repercussions. She held out hope that their suspicions about Harold were wrong.

“Look, why don’t you get dressed and I’ll look in the phone book for an attorney, or if you know someone you could call that could recommend one?”

“My dad probably knows one” Willow said.

“Then call him after you get dressed” Ashley said wisely.

Awhile later Willow was dressed, casual but still dressy. She had planned an evening with Ashley since it was one of her last nights on the island but instead, they were going to go see an attorney her father had recommended and gotten an appointment with, today amazingly.

“What’s wrong with this attorney that he could see me today, he must not be any good if he has open appointments” Willow mumbled as they drove into town.

Ashley smiled, she was sure that Willow was just looking for an excuse to bitch and moan. “He probably heard of your illustrious self and wanted to clear his schedule for you.”

Willow grinned, ‘illustrious’ indeed!

Leehamaha was thrilled to meet Willow. Shaking her hand he said “Please, call me Lee, I’ve followed your career for a few years, you’re doing well.”

“Thank you, this is my assistant Ashley, she will be sitting in on this meeting with us if you don’t mind” Willow said indicating Ashley who was certainly not dressed for any kind of meeting but this was Hawaii and a lot of people did business in casual outfits.

The meeting lasted a good hour. Lee listened to all of Willow and Ashley’s concerns. Lee looked over the contract; his head kept shaking at certain provisions. They talked and both Willow and Ashley voiced their concerns. Lee took excellent notes and asked pertinent questions.

“If you take me on as your attorney” he began and Willow held up a hand.

“As far as I am concerned, you come highly recommended and have the job” she didn’t mention that only her father had recommended him, but she found their conversation over the previous hour to be informative and knowledgeable. She had absolute confidence in him.

“Then we are going to begin with an audit” it was what Ashley had said and Willow glanced at her. Ashley just kept her eyes on the attorney listening to his advice and filing it away in her mind. “We are also going to investigate Harold and I know just the person for that” he went on. “I want to see all the contracts with your sponsors and all your bank accounts.”

Willow was ashamed at this point to admit that Harold handled all of that for her, bank accounts? She just used her VISA for her purchases and ATM withdrawals and Harold took care of things. Ashley was alarmed for her when she realized how unknowing Willow was about her own finances.

Lee assured her that she had been merely naïve and trusting, not stupid and he would look into it for her. Harold might be legitimate but privately he doubted it from what he had heard from the two women before him.

Willow’s head was reeling by the time she left the lawyers office. “Jeezus, I was stupid” she said when she realized the enormity of what had fallen on her.

Ashley shook her head and said “not stupid, trusting, to the wrong people” she indicated with her head back to the lawyers office “he should be able to straighten it out for you.”

They walked into the elevator and rode down in relative silence. As they came out on the ground floor it was quite dark, the sun having set hours ago. Willow suddenly turned to her and grabbed her arm “don’t you see, I NEED you, please say you will stay and the job. I need someone to look out for me that isn’t in it for themself. I love you, I know I can trust you!” she said passionately looking deeply into Ashley’s eyes.

“You love me?” Ashley parroted stunned at this turn of events. It had been what she wanted to hear but not quite like this.

Willow wanted to shake her, after this turmoil of the last few hours she was being obtuse, “of course I love you” she said as though it were the silliest thing that Ashley could say.

Ashley wasn’t going to let her get off so easily though. She wanted her to want her to stay because of that love, not because of the job. “You’ve had an odd way of showing it” she said.

“I didn’t know how to say it when you got here. I couldn’t start with ‘oh hello, I love you’” she pointed out. “I want you to stay here, travel with me, help me, surf with me, let’s have fun, enjoy ourselves, each other…” she left off from trying to convince Ashley to stay. If she didn’t love her back, what was the point? But she had come here to find her….

“Oh gawd Willow, I want that too” Ashley sobbed as she took Willow into her arms and held her body close.

Willow pulled back to begin kissing her, oblivious of their surroundings. It was late enough that only the security guard was their audience.

“Wait, wait” Ashley finally pulled back to protest “let’s take this to my hotel” she suggested.

Willow’s smile nearly blinded her. “Then you will take the job, and be my girlfriend?”

Ashley shook her head and Willow’s smiled disappeared “I will be your girlfriend FIRST and FOREMOST” she stressed “your assistant SECOND” she grinned and Willow joined her as they held hands and headed out of the office building.

The hotel room wasn’t much but neither of them minded, they had one thing on their mind at that point, dinner. They called down to have it brought up from room service, arguing in a friendly way over what they were going to eat. Willow settled for a Hawaiian salad which had fruit, nuts, and vegetables. Ashley had a BLT and American fries which she generously shared with Willow. They laughed and talked, just as they always had, but now a little more relaxed. Both of them knew that they were fine, both of them knew where this was going, and their expectations were mounting.

For Ashley, this would be her second real time of making love with Willow, she had thought of it a lot since the first and all the things she wanted to try, was too shy to try, and hoped she would experience now. She felt a lot more confident now but yet very shy at the same time.

For Willow, it was a chance to make amends. To experience a loving time with someone she had lusted after, courted, loved, and left.

They cleaned up their mess and left the cart outside the room and returned to lie on the bed and watch some TV. Neither of them was interested in what they were watching. Each was getting nervous in their own way, fidgeting, until finally Ashley threw down the channel changed and said “this is ridiculous” and almost dove onto a surprised Willow, taking her face in her hands and kissing her deeply.

Willow welcomed the surprise, she hadn’t wanted to go to fast, she wanted Ashley to feel comfortable, but apparently she was as wound up as Willow. She wrapped her arms around the woman and started caressing her.

Clothes soon got in the way for both of them as they began groping and reaching under them. One by one, shirts, bras, pants, and panties were discarded by one and then the other, a game of stripping each other. When they were both naked and on the bed, touching, caressing, rubbing, patting, kissing, licking, and sucking, only then did they begin to heal the rift that had been between them. Super glue could not have ripped them apart. Rolling on the bed, playful loving, and touching, and sucking, they laughed and loved each other.

“You don’t have to do that” Willow gasped as Ashley went down on her for the first time.

Ashley smiled up from between her lover’s legs “yes, I know, but I want to…” she returned to where her tongue was touching the little appendage that was making Willow arch against her mouth.

Willow’s hand came to finger comb into Ashley’s hair and hold her head to her crotch as she arched up into her lovers mouth, grinding slightly, taking back some of the control.

Ashley felt the wetness on her tongue and with her fingers. She was surprised that she wasn’t grossed out at the idea but she had thought about this, exactly this, many times and now was going to experience it fully.

Willow loved the hesitant touch of Ashley’s tongue and fingers on her. She was so aroused she thought she would burst soon. She had let Ashley take the lead but she intended on making it up to her many times over later. The novice tries of her lover were increasing her ardor, she could feel the pressure rising. As Ashley tongued and then switched to taking her clit into her mouth gently, Willow groaned deep.

Ashley stopped momentarily to make sure that she hadn’t hurt Willow and then grinned when she realized what she was doing to her. Her fingers slipped inside and she started thrusting.

The combination proved too much for the highly aroused professional surfer and she started bucking and grinding against her lover’s mouth, hard. One of her hands fisted into the bedclothes.

Ashley could barely hang on, she wasn’t used to this, for a moment she panicked thinking she was going to smother, then she realized she really was in control to a degree and prolonged her lover’s orgasm as long as she was able.

“Enough” Willow finally gasped as she grabbed Ashley’s hair and pulled her mouth away from her very sensitized clit. She smiled down at her to show she wasn’t angry as she gasped oxygen into her starved lungs. Letting go of Ashley’s hair she smiled as Ashley slowly climbed up her body, her hand coming out of Willow gently before she kissed her belly, suckling her breasts, licking the erect nipples, kissing every inch she might have missed on the way down.

Willow loved the post coital bliss she was enjoying. She wanted to please Ashley just as much as Ashley had just pleased her; she just needed a few moments to regain her equilibrium. Holding the woman close to her for a moment, wrapped in her naked arms, was a comfort, she was looking forward to sleeping with her. It had been a full day so far.

Ashley hoped she had done it right. She was pretty sure she had by the reaction of Willow’s body, but she wanted to hear reassurance. Her ego didn’t need it, but her self-confidence did. She was pleased when Willow tucked her into her arms and just held her tight in her strong embrace.

Finally Willow sighed and said “that was marvelous.”

Ashley smiled, her cheek rising on her face which could be felt against Willows shoulder. She could feel without seeing that Ashley was smiling. Slowly the smile relaxed as did Ashley.

After a long while of contemplating the wonders of the world Willow asked “have you gone to sleep?”

Ashley shook her head no, but it was a near thing. She had been drifting off and while she had hoped to experience an orgasm again, she figured what they had in foreplay and Willow’s orgasm had been enough.

“Good, because I have plans” Willow said in a sultry voice and she pulled Ashley’s chin up as she leaned down for a kiss.

Willow watched as Ashley boarded the plane that was going to take her back to the mainland. Her heart was sad to see her go but she needed to go to return back to her. They had made their plans and if Ashley stuck to her end of the bargain, they would be back together in eight weeks. Meanwhile, Willow had a lot to do.

“What the hell is going on?” Harold called her to complain.

Willow couldn’t plead ignorance. The lawyer had moved quickly and a group of accountants and the Lee had descended on Harold to audit the books and break the contract. “I thought I should make sure everything was on the up and up” she said weakly. She hadn’t been looking forward to this phone call but knew it would come eventually.

“You don’t trust me?” he said incredulously. “After all I’ve done for you?” he shouted into the phone.

“It isn’t a matter of trust Harold, it’s a matter of business. I have to make sure you’re taking care of things for me and let’s face it, you’ve been a little non-challant about things.” As had she, she might have added but that’s why she had hired the big guns with Lee and the accountants.

“Let’s just say he wasn’t happy” Willow reported to Ashley when they talked on the phone. She didn’t go into details but Harold had used a few swear words that she had cringed at and then quit. “So far though, he’s clean, just not very organized.” She felt guilty.

“Then he shouldn’t have quit, if he had nothing to hide” Ashley said reasonably. She herself was going to resign her job the next day and put her house into the rental market. She already knew of someone she could trust to rent it out for her, her real estate agent who had sold it to her in the first place. She hadn’t spoken to her mother yet.

“You’re going to do what?” were the first words out of her mother’s mouth when she told her their plans.

“I’m going to work as the personal assistant to Willow Samuels, it means I get to travel all over the world and surf as well” she threw that in as though it were a bonus.

“I can’t believe you’d throw away a good job at Federated to pursue a pipe dream” her mother responded, not aware at the double entendre.

Ashley sighed. Neither Willow nor she was ready to make a statement that they were going to be a couple but the job was legitimate and a lot more than she had just stated. She would have the chance to go all over the world for surfing competitions with Willow, see interesting places, and learn a lot. She was in love with the woman, she wanted this more than her mother could imagine. The job angle was just a bonus. “Look, I’ve got a few weeks to get everything in order, I’d like your support on this. I’ve got to rent out my place, get my stuff in storage, you can take what furniture you want, and I’ve already been to the post office to start my passport application.”

“That’s going to take at least six weeks” her mother said smugly.

“Yeah, that’s what they said, but you can get an express one in two weeks. Willow is going to Fiji for the surf and she wants me to start.”

Her mother just shook her head. Ashley was young, but she had always been responsible. This job at Federated was a good paying job. She had invested wisely in her house. “How are you going to pay your bills from around the world? What about your Jeep?”

“Look, I’ve got it all worked out. I’ve paid the association dues for the next year. You can use my Jeep, it’s still got the sticker on it for the association so we can park it in here. I’ll need it when I’m back in town anyway for the Huntington Beach Open.”

“What do you know about this Willow Samuels person?”

“She’s one of the top ranked surfers in the world. I’m going to learn a lot.”

“About surfing?” her mother was skeptical about surfing as a career.

“For one, for another I’m going back to school for marketing.”

“You are?” she was astounded. Her tune began to change, maybe this job wasn’t so bad if it was getting her back to school.

“Yes, I need marketing courses so I can expand my job, I don’t want to be an assistant forever but I have a lot to learn and I’m young enough that I can get in on the ground floor of something like this. I’ll be earning more on my salary than I did in a good year at Federated.”

Her mother began to calm down, it sounded like the Ashley she knew, the one with her head screwed on correctly actually had things in order.

Before Ashley left Huntington Beach she parked her Jeep and walked to the statue of a surfer that stood along the beach. She looked at it thoughtfully as she looked up and down the beach, past the parked cars, and beyond the people on the busy beach to the surf that had started her on a path she had never imagined. She couldn’t believe she had met someone like Willow, she couldn’t believe the fantastic job she had accepted. They had it worked out, she would work as Willow’s assistant and take on more and more as she studied on line and then at the tech when they were ‘home’ in Hawaii. She could get a marketing degree in a few years and by then have enough experience that she might be able to manage Willow or perhaps several surfers. They would see where that went, meanwhile they would be together, do and see crazy things, enjoy each other, grow up together, love each other, and see where this relationship would go. Ashley’s contract promised two years but they both knew that was only for forms sake and would change over time. She looked thoughtfully up at the statue once more, it’s blue green color reminding her of some of the oceans colors she had seen. The waves here in Huntington Beach were nothing in comparison to the ones in Hawaii she had seen even on a ‘calm’ day, except after a storm these were relatively tame. She couldn’t wait to see what she would all over the world. Willow had named off Fiji, Australia, South Africa, and half a dozen other places they would be going eventually. She wondered if surfing in the United States would ever be the same for her, she had never been farther north than Malibu and that had been a lot of fun. She smiled one more time at the statue before she headed back to her Jeep and back to her house for the last time.

By the time Ashley landed in Australia she thought she was going to die. That had to be the longest plane ride in history. She was ever so grateful to see Willow waiting for her on the other side of customs and walked into her arms. “That was an awful flight” she complained good naturedly.

“I thought you’d never join me!” Willow complained in return. Instead of the six weeks they had hoped for maximum it had been eight and Willow had moved on from Fiji to Australia for the waves. They had maintained contact via the phone but with the time and a full day’s time difference it hadn’t been easy. In two more weeks they would be surfing off of Africa.

“You are a sight for sore eyes” Ashley breathed into Willow’s shaggy blonde hair smelling her essence but not brave enough to kiss her in public so she squeezed extra hard.

Willow smiled, she understood, she too was feeling the effects of their separation. Before it had been because they both thought they were broken up, and it was hopeless. This time, due to business and a slow postal service they had been apart longer than anticipated, the two week ‘rush’ service had been screwed up somehow. They were both frustrated and had one thing on their minds.

“I’ve got a car waiting outside.” She reluctantly released the brunette.

“I brought the stuff you told me to and sent the rest to your place” Ashley told her efficiently, after all she did work for her too.

Willow kept her arm around her as she urged her towards doors, she took one of the oversized bags that Ashley had brought, rolling it along. They would eventually get this traveling thing down but as this was Ashley’s first overseas trip, and that flight had been a lulu, she had asked her to bring a few odds and ends extra.

“Hello, I’m Dean Castle” the man in the back of the car introduced himself to Ashley. He was surprised how young she was but then she was surprised that he was there at all.

“Dean is my new manager” Willow explained as they climbed in the town car and sat facing him.

Ashley shook his hand as he handed her a packet “this is Willow’s itinerary for the next few weeks” he informed her. As she put it down on her lap and looked at him expectantly he asked “aren’t you going to read it?”

She shook her head “it will have to wait until I’m sitting still, I can’t read in a moving vehicle, I’ll get motion sickness.” The car had driven off into traffic as soon as the driver had her bags stowed.

He looked at her annoyed for a moment and then ignoring her he turned to Willow “we have an opportunity to get a good camera shoot in the next few days before the competitions. Maybe we can turn that into a cover or something.”

She nodded absently. She was more anxious to get Ashley back to their hotel and settled in. Not just for sex but because she had been anxious for weeks to see her again. The time apart had seemed like ages. She had done well in Fiji but at any moment she had thought that Ashley would show up, the delays had seemed endless. She just needed her here now and now that she was, she needed to reaffirm their love.

Dean talked business the whole way back to the hotel where the two girls were dropped off “I’ll be in touch when I’ve worked out the details of the shoot” he informed them both.

“Wow, he really knows his stuff” Ashley said, her ears felt like they were ringing.

Willow nodded “yeah, he does, Lee thought he would be good for my career. He sure as hell has done a lot more than Harold ever did.”

“Then why isn’t he working for someone else?” Ashley asked astutely as they made their way to the desk for her key and to check her in.

Willow smiled, Ashley was catching on to things quickly “he left Jeff Slider’s team about a two months ago, Jeff has decided to go into permanent retirement since his injury” she told Ashley catching her up, she had told her about hiring Dean after Harold quitting. “I’ve got a vacation scheduled after Africa for both of us and that should give us some quiet time” she pondered for a moment “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you” she reached out and squeezed Ashley’s arm.

“Hello Ms. Samuels, is this your assistant?” she was greeted at the desk.

At her nod a key card was slid across the desk. “Welcome to Rondalay Ms. Dales, we’ve put you in the adjoining room to Ms. Samuels.”

Ashley thanked him, astounded that he knew her name but she supposed that Willow or Dean had arranged things for her.

“Pay attention” Willow whispered as the bellhop took her luggage for her “you’ll be expected to take care of all of this in the future for us.” She smiled encouragingly.

Willow and Ashley followed the bellhop to the elevator that seemed to open just for them. It took them to the fifteenth floor and he opened the door for them and showed them around. It wasn’t much, it was functional but Ashley was ready with a tip for him, this much she knew without being taught.

“Wow, look at that view” she breathed as she went out on the small balcony that overlooked the beach.

“Yeah, look at that view” Willow answered but wasn’t looking out at Mother Nature.

Ashley turned and smiled as Willow came out and into her arms and gave her a long awaited kiss. “Damn, I missed you” she breathed in between kisses.

“Only half as much as I missed you” Willow breathed in return. Her hands were roaming over the body of the girl she had fallen in love with. They had come so far in the months since they had met on the beach in Huntington Beach but they had a lifetime to get to know each other better, to learn each other, to grow together. They were both anxious to start as they walked back into the room together and closed the balcony door. They had a lot of time to make up for and when they came up for air a few hours later, they were ready to start their lives together. They were in for a wild ride.

Some of the best surf spots in the world are according to Hotel Travel Blog 9/2011:

1. The Gold Coast, Australia

2. Mentawai Islands, Indonesia

3. Jeffrey Bay, South Africa

4. Fuerteventura, Spain

5. El Salvador, Central America

6. Costa Rica

7. California, USA

8. Bali, Indonesia

9. Santa Catarina, Brazil

10. Samoa

Things that can determine the best waves are:

Wind, Swell direction, Tides, Sea Floor

Different land formations can affect the quality of the wave including a jetty, a pier, a river mouth, or even a building.

Surf’s up, ENJOY!

K’Anne