Chapter 13
Come morning, I stirred later than usual, awakening with the languor of a contented soul. Like a cardsharp who'd secured a fortune in the nick of time, I had slept the sleep of the saved and thankful. All felt harmonious with the world, as though the universe had shifted into proper alignment.
My bedfellows slept on beside me, deep in the throes of slumber. Gingerly, I disentangled from the sheets, extricating myself from the bed with the utmost care so as not to rouse the pair, before ambling off to the bathroom.
Afterwards, when I returned, I hesitated at the threshold, absorbing the beguiling scene before me. Shafts of sunlight filtered through openings in the drawn drapes, and the morning light bathed the room in a golden, ethereal glow. Two graceful figures reclined peacefully beside each other on the bed, as if their bodies had been meticulously arranged to accentuate their allure.
While she slept, Andra's robe had shifted, revealing more than it concealed. My eyes lingered on her breasts as they rose and fell softly with each breath. It was a mysterious thing how the garment could magnify her already considerable allure and yet veil so little.
In the centre of the bed, Enide lay prone, her face obscured by a cascade of gold strands. Like cushions under pressure, the contours of her breasts had flattened, their rounded fullness pushed invitingly outwards. The linens had conspired to unveil her exquisite beauty, draping themselves sensually below the sumptuous swell of her buttocks. Her back was a magnificent landscape unto itself, with delicate lines and taut sinews tell-tale signs of lean muscles sculpted by athletic pursuits.
A fiery surge of desire coursed through my veins. Like a ravenous animal, I wanted to ravage Enide, yet it wasn't restraint for her sake that kept me from descending upon her. What held me back, painful to say, was a bout of nagging self-doubt.
The affection shared by Enide and Andra, I couldn't help but notice, might cause even the most intimate bosom pals to blush with envy. Even in my wildest dreams, I hadn't imagined navigating such tantalising yet murky waters. I didn't have the foggiest clue what unwritten rules or expectations would guide our relations. For instance, if I were to allow myself to pounce on Enide with debaucherous intentions, would it upset Andra or ruffle her feathers?
Without wishing to put too fine a point on it, as a young man, brimming with vim, vigour, and base impulses, the prospect of bedding two comely young women was rather appealing. However, once I took account of faculties beyond those governed by my more carnal instincts, I knew in my heart that I was, first and foremost, devoted to Enide.
Of course, I adored Andra too — a sentiment that went beyond lustful adulation. I would have wrestled tigers for her, even if we hadn't indulged in amorous relations. Andra had been a faithful, devoted friend to both Enide and me. It was she who had brought us together when it seemed we might drift apart. For this alone, I will always cherish Andra and so I was determined to spare her from any hurt or offence.
I heaved a weary sigh — my reflections had left me none the wiser and served only to thicken the plot of my dilemma. With tentative steps, I retraced my path towards the bed, where my eyes were once more drawn to Enide's sleeping figure. Despite the subdued light, the luminous golden hue of her skin was still discernible. It was as if she had struck a private pact with the sun, for there wasn't the faintest signature of tan lines to be seen. Every inch of her had received the uninterrupted embrace of sunlight.
An old yet familiar memory barged its way into my consciousness. It was an image that would periodically resurface in my thoughts, seemingly undiminished by the passage of time. I had inadvertently stumbled upon Aunt Broni in, as they say, a state of nature. Some specifics have since blurred and faded: Enide's whereabouts at the time or why her mother had been so at ease lounging in the garden with visitors in the vicinity, wearing nothing more than a wide-brimmed sunhat. Such an occurrence was certainly far from ordinary and it never repeated itself in my presence.
That fleeting glimpse had etched itself into my grey matter and lingered vividly in my thoughts as I observed Enide, sprawled on the bed, mirroring a similar pose. While differences existed between the two, Enide's and her mother's physiques were alike — a lithe upper body paired harmoniously with voluptuous hips and generous buttocks. Their faces, softly feminine and delicately chiselled, crowned the bodies of fertility goddesses.
In my mind's eye, I pictured mother and daughter nestled beside one another as their lustrous bodies lay glistening in the sun. The seductive lushness of the vision coaxed a groan from the recesses of my core and set my heart racing.
Carefully grasping the sheets, I drew them over Enide's tranquil form. Without a hint of awakening, she nestled into their embrace, yielding to the comforting warmth. It may have only been my imagination, but it seemed as if a trace of a smile played across her lips. I lingered by the bed, kneeling in vigil beside her, thanking my lucky stars.
Engrossed in my thoughts, time slipped before it seemed that Andra had begun to stir. A soft moan escaped her lips, but she rolled lazily onto her side, once again lost to the realm of dreams. Her movements, however, managed to wake Enide from her slumber. The blond girl lifted her face from the pillow and as her drowsy eyes met my watchful gaze, her face was illuminated by a radiant smile.
"Good morning," I whispered and leaned over to place a kiss on her shoulder.
Enide's eyes sparkled and her lips curled into a broader grin. She extended her limbs and stretched with a deep sense of contentment. Then all of a sudden, her eyes widened in alarm. "What time is it?" she demanded but didn't wait for an answer. She grappled with the sheets and then leapt from the bed with the agility of a startled hare. "Andra! Wake up! Get to your senses!"
On the opposite side of the bed, the tumult startled poor Andra awake, jolting her upright. It was as though a fireman had been summoned in the dead of night to confront an inferno. "Enide... what in the world!?" she gasped.
The ruckus put rather a dampener on the romantic ambience that had enveloped me. Rising with a resigned sigh, I set about trying to calm Enide who was busily ricocheting around the room like a pinball. "It's alright, Enide... we have plenty of time," I said, my head whirling around as I tracked her frenetic pace.
