The Art of Love

The Art of Love

Chapter 2

The sun shines brightly into the bedroom through the window. Our first day of vacation was very relaxing, as expected. The food was good. The beach was great. Hannah and I spent most of the time walking along the shoreline and sunbathing, enjoying nature.

I'm still waking up, having been woken up by my 8am alarm. My mind is refreshed for a new day. I have plans to visit the Donner Party museum in Truckee later today. Then we'll go for something scenic.

Hannah lays next to me to my left, still asleep with her back turned towards me. She wears a spaghetti strap cami and red checkered pajamas, with a hint of a pink G-string underneath. It fits snugly around her ass cheeks. The material clings tightly to her round butt.

I've never seen her in this light before, but I'm loving every minute. She's just so gorgeous, even without makeup. Her dark blonde hair covers half of her backside.

Before I can even touch her face, though, she stirs and turns to face me. After half a minute, she opens her eyes with a smile. I guess she's awake now.

"Good morning," Hannah greets softly.

"Morning." I answer. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty well," she replies as she stretches. "No nightmares. None of that. You?"

"Like a baby." I reply, smiling.

"Mmhmm." Hannah hums, turning onto her back. "So, what's the plan for today, BFF?"

I tell her about my plan to visit the Donner Party museum and then going sightseeing after.

"Where's the museum at?"

"It's in Truckee. 'Bout an hour's drive from here."

"Sounds like fun!" She turns towards me again, smiling. "I'm gonna go shower. You wanna come with?"

My heart skips a beat at her offer. We've never showered together before, but I'm excited. "Uh, okay!"

We both walk to the master bathroom with its glass door, stepping inside. The shower is spacious and white. A mirror hangs above the vanity unit opposite the large sink area. Hannah turns on the water, adjusting the temperature with ease.

I slip off my cami and toss it onto the counter, letting my tits free. It's the second time we've undressed in front of each other since going to the beach yesterday. I liked seeing Hannah naked. It felt like a guilty pleasure, but I never admitted it. Yet, I think Hannah knew.

We both hop into the shower, which is now lukewarm. I've never been this intimate with another person before, not even my best friend. I'm nervous but curious about the possibility of us becoming lovers. As I step under the showerhead, I wonder how I would act around her as a lesbian. Would I feel comfortable or weird? It's unfamiliar territory for me, but somehow, I wouldn't mind it.

As we rinse ourselves off, I can't help but gaze at her gorgeous body. She's going to grow into that of a sexy, mature woman one day. I can see why she wants to be a model. With a firm core and nice curves, she is a perfect specimen of beauty. I try to avoid looking too long at her face as much as possible, but sometimes I get lost in the smoothness of her skin.

I grab the small bottle of shampoo and twist the cap open. It's a nice fragrance, a mix of lavender and citrus, so it smells good as it lathered into her hair. Hannah notices my attention to the soap smell, giving me a smile of approval. She seems to be enjoying this a lot. After all, this isn't the first time she's seen a girl naked.

I think back to our conversation last night at dinner when she mentioned she and her best friend from high school, Allison, did it in Allison's bedroom at her parent's house. They had taken turns eating each other out, so it's no surprise that Hannah is used to seeing people naked in front of her. Still, washing myself with another girl is a first.

Her hairy vagina is on display in front of me. She seems to be the type of girl to like some hair down there whereas I like mine bald.

"You don't shave?" I ask.

"Nah." Hannah shrugs. "I do have stubble around my lips, and I trim my pussy just enough for hygiene purposes."

"Oh yeah? How often?"

"When I need a waxing," Hannah answers as her hand caresses her bare crotch. With deep breaths, she's feeling herself for a bit before she giggles and recollects herself. She then takes notice of my vagina. "You don't have any."

I look down at my body. "I like it better like this!" I defend myself, smiling.

"Girl, I don't judge. You know that. I'm just pointing it out." She grabs her toothbrush and begins applying toothpaste.

I don't know if I'm just overthinking how I feel about her, but I feel kind of bad about how I came off just now, like I overly defended myself as I join her in brushing my teeth. "Sorry! You're right. Sorry about that." We hug and brush together with a warm and pleasant atmosphere between us as we get ready for our day.

Our morning routine is standard for any girl or woman-- shower if we hadn't the previous night, skin care, and beauty products. We both use Neutrogena for skin care. I have a tube of Clinique foundation which I've brought with me. It adds to keeping my face feeling smooth and pretty. Since we're mostly going au naturale, it doesn't take long for us to be presentable.

***

The local café is located a couple of blocks away from the lake. It's small and comfortable, with a chill vibe. People can have breakfast and chat with friends and others. They can also work on assignments or projects if needed with their coffee and meal on the side.

Hannah and I sit at a table, eating a chicken sandwich and chocolate croissant with two lattés. The sun beams in through the windows around us. There are several regulars here. Some hang out regularly, while others have been by occasionally throughout the week.

"How's the coffee?" I ask.

"It's great," Hannah responds. "Yours?"

"Really good." I nod in agreement.

"I'll drink to that." Hannah replies. She then sips from her own cup. "So, next semester, you're taking music classes, right?"

I nod confidently. "Yup. I am going for a Bachelor degree in Music."

"That's awesome." Hannah smiles, clearly impressed as she takes another bite of her sandwich and washes it down. "I wish I knew shit in music."

We share a laugh before she continues further. "Remind me again? Your mom's a... pianist, right?"

"Well, recording artist." I correct her between bites. "She does solo stuff on stage sometimes but prefers playing piano in her studio. I'm sure I inherited her talent for that."

"Wow. That sounds amazing. She must be really talented."

I nod again. "I really want to learn guitar."

"Y'all have a guitar?" she asks surprised.

"Yeah, she owns, like, two or three, I think." I answer. "One of them is a vintage Gibson. Mom let me have it. I feel like you've seen it."

"Maybe." She shrugs with a giggle. "That's really cool, though. I admire that about you and your family. Wish I had that kinda talent."

"Well, I mean, you're smart and hot. You love nature and know things about certain subjects that most wouldn't."

Hannah blushes a little, hearing me compliment. I must have caught her off-guard.

"Thanks," she mutters and sighs quietly. "I wish my mom was still around."

The look on her face isn't good as she begins going down that road mentally. I reach across the table to her with a free hand and place it on hers. "I know." I lightly nod. It's a bittersweet moment, as I stare into her longing blue eyes through her pink glasses. Her sadness is evident as tears well up in her eyes. She gives me a side smile and thanks me softly, wiping her tears away.

"Ugh, I didn't want to ruin my mascara today!" she laughs.

"Do you have waterproof ones?"

"Yeah. I should have worn those instead." Hannah pouts.

I offer to help fix her mascara as she pulls out her makeup kit from her purse and grabs the black mascara bottle. I grab a fresh unused napkin and wipe the mascara from the tip of her brush before gently pushing it against the bottom lashes. Hannah's expression changes when I touch her face with my hands.

"Thank you," she whispers.

"You're welcome," I reply with a smile.

With her mascara fixed moments later, I return to my seat. We finish our breakfast before walking back out to the parking lot. It's a good morning for some history, as I look forward to the Donner Memorial State Museum. It's about an hour north of us along Interstate 80. Both Hannah and I have done our homework for this trip as we try to make a memory of the summer week ahead of us.

***

The U.S. flag flies high and proud as it flutters in the cold breeze. We have just finished our informative self-guided tour. The exhibit was educational as expected. It was like we were back in history class learning about the tragedy of the Donner Party. Even Hannah seemed to appreciate the information we learned as we took in the exhibits at this historical site.

As for myself, just being here checks off a bucket list item. It feels pretty surreal visiting the area where the Donner Party perished. While it's sad, it's also humbling to be here. This is where I'm meant to be right now.

"So, where to now?" Hannah asks as we slowly walk back out onto the parking lot.

"I kinda just want to stroll around for a bit." I suggest with a sigh. "Is that okay?"

"Of course." Hannah nods in agreement.

We walk across empty parking spots towards the lot entrance. Cars and trucks pass by along the road, sending pollutants into the otherwise clear air. A few clouds hover above us. It's partly cloudy in Truckee, so it's a little chilly but nothing to complain about.

"God, I love it here." Hannah comments, loving the Tahoe/Truckee scenery.

I quietly smile as I glance towards her. Spiritually, I feel at peace here. I subconsciously reach for her hand, which she takes. My thumb brushes her soft skin, causing her to turn her head and give me a brief kiss on the cheek. I wonder if she's sensing these feelings I have for her.

"Me too," I respond. "This whole place makes me happy."

We turn back and walk towards my BMW. I lean against the driver side, deep in thought about my future. I can't help it. The more time we've spent together, especially on this trip, the more I've been falling for her. Unexpectedly even.

Noticing I'm in my own world, Hannah turns to me.

"What's up, Beth?" Hannah asks in her soft, sweet tone.

I look up at her, chuckling, then glance back at her hand.

"Did you mean to kiss me back there?" I ask, gazing up at her, smiling as if I were teasing her about it a little. But then her lips meet mine for a quick peck. It happened so quick. I'd never been kissed by anyone before, but I liked it.

"Yeah," she answers, returning my smile as we kiss yet again, her soft, strawberry lips lingering this time. This is all so sudden, but I don't want it to stop. Her hands tenderly hold my face before we break. I catch my breath, a million more thoughts now swimming through my head. Is this it now? Is this... the start of something more?

"Wow." Hannah breathes as if mesmerized with what we've just shared. "That wasn't half bad."

"It felt pretty good." I chuckle.

"Good enough."

For someone who's had sex before, my best friend looks rather flustered after the kiss. Perhaps there was something more to it than just another experiment for her.

"Are you okay?" Hannah finally manages to get her breathing under control as she stares deeply into my eyes. Her expression is one of light concern. She must sense that I can handle a kiss. But she's a great friend for still checking in with me.

I nod.

"What was it that you wanted to say?" she asks, following up immediately.

I open my mouth, gazing into her eyes as if studying them for what I want to say. Then I answer honestly as the words flow from me. "Hannah, I like you a lot." I blurt out, feeling nervous as the moment lingers on.

"I know." Hannah responds simply without hesitation or surprise.

I shouldn't be surprised. Hannah can read people like a children's book.

"... But, you're my best friend. We share everything."

"And, I share everything with you, including that kiss now," Hannah counters, smiling.

"It just feels weird." I shrug with a sigh.

"Yeah, but... I'm weird. You're weird. We're both weird in our own ways." Hannah counters again.

"I prefer 'unique', thank you very much," I joke.

"Whatever floats your boat," she smiles. "But, the point is... we'll always be besties, no matter what happens."

"Best friends forever," I add, giving her a side hug in return.

'No matter what happens'. That means we're going to take this slow should a serious relationship form out of our friendship. But she definitely seems to want it based on her body language. That's good. For now, though, we need to focus on enjoying life and worry about our potential romance for later. Onto our next destination: Emerald Bay State Park.