Room Service New Girl

When the final leg of her book tour ended, Salumeh found herself stuck in a Denver hotel in the midst of a snow storm. A far cry from her sunny downtown Los Angeles home.

Her latest book, Secret Garden, had managed to break into the top 10 NYT bestseller list after its third week. As usual, it was a fictional piece focused on a young Persian girl's life growing up in America. Most of her best sellers were loosely based on her childhood, as an immigrant girl struggling between the crossroads of American values and highly traditional parents.

Salumeh was now in her mid-30's. The flight cancellation happened about two hours ago, and she was lucky to be able to rebook her room. As she prepared to undress in front of the dresser mirror, those cultural contrasts came to light in the most beautiful way.

Her facial features were prominent. Her skin was a shade darker than olive. And her hair was a silky and rich shade of black, which she always proudly showed off by letting it wave freely, parted perfectly down the middle.

Her bold red lipstick showed off her modern style. Her ensemble was professional but sassy, complete with stockings, grey trousers, and a cream colored blouse which flared at the edges.

She was in the process of removing her pearl earrings when there was a knock on her door. It was 9 pm and she'd ordered cheesecake and hot chocolate to be brought to her room to accompany her in bed along with an ordered movie on-demand.

After removing both earrings, she walked to the door and opened it to see a food cart attended by, for whatever reason, the lobby receptionist, who was standing there with a polite smile and cute posture which was adorable in its own way. Erin was young for the job, late 20's by Salumeh's estimate. And she looked the part too, wearing a neatly ironed receptionist suit.

"Your food, Ms. Parsa," the receptionist said, using her hands to display the cart the way a game show model would.

Salumeh's eyes feasted on a finely presented cheesecake with all its toppings, along with a hot chocolate which still had steam rising from it. Her eyes shifted to the smiling receptionist, wondering why on earth she would be serving this.

"Right this way, please. May I ask why the front desk lady is providing room service?"

Erin smiled and pushed the light cart into the room. "My shift just ended, and when I overheard that this was being brought to your room, I offered to bring it myself. I'd be beside myself if I missed this opportunity to meet you."

The door closed and Erin rolled the cart to a table, where she placed the cheesecake and hot drink. Although Erin was young and worked the front desk answering calls and booking rooms, she certainly had the mannerisms that could rival any 5 star hotel employee.

Now this was real room service.

"An avid reader?" Salumeh asked rhetorically.

Erin smiled again after finishing the task. "Unless I accidentally missed one or two, I'm sure I've bought all of your books, and read them too. I wished I could have gone to your book signing this evening, but obviously I had to work."

"Have you bought a copy of Secret Garden yet?"

"Not yet. I was going to swing by the bookstore tomorrow morning to pick up one of your signed copies."

Salumeh smiled back. "Why didn't you just ask me for one?"

"It's against hotel policy."

Salumeh nodded and headed to her suitcase, where she picked up a copy of her book. There were only two left inside her luggage. She put it on the table where she signed it with a pen:

To Erin,

Room service has never been so much fun. Enjoy!

Salumeh

Then she handed the book over to Erin, whose face instantly lit up.

"How much do I owe you?" Erin asked with joy.

"That's on me."

"I'll consider this your tip," Erin said playfully. "You're very sweet. I'll thoroughly enjoy reading this later."

At heart, Salumeh knew they were both literary geeks, so she made a spur the moment decision which she knew Erin couldn't resist.

And if Salumeh was totally honest with herself, she was in the mood for a little company. Especially from someone as intelligent and as pretty as Erin.

"Speaking of sweet," Salumeh said. "I've just had a light dinner downstairs and that cheesecake and hot chocolate deliver way too many calories for me. I only ordered it because I felt like splurging. My flight was cancelled and I'm homesick. Can you help me finish it?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Erin couldn't help herself. "You take the fork, I'll take the spoon?"

"Sounds like a great calorie reducing plan."

It wasn't as awkward as either of them had thought. Both of them were still in their professional clothes with stockings on their feet, as they sat down by the table and shared the cheesecake. Occasionally they'd each take a sip from either side of the hot chocolate cup.

Salumeh always enjoyed having long conversations with her sophisticated readers. But there was something more intimate about sharing a single plate of cheesecake with another woman. Especially with someone like Erin, who occasionally liked to bat her eyelashes whenever they discussed something humorous.

Is she being flirtatious with me?

Salumeh wondered.

"One of the things I really find fascinating about you is the contrast," Erin said as they got more relaxed around the table. "Your literature does such an amazing job of shining a light on the whole spectrum of American women of all colors and backgrounds."

Salumeh nodded, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "And the contrast?"

"That you write erotica," Erin said with a wry smile.

"Is that so?"

"Yep, I believe it is."

Salumeh gave kind of a slightly surprised, slightly coy smile. "What do you mean? Do you know something I don't?"

"I follow you on Twitter and I saw something you liked, which led me to an erotic story. A trove of erotic stories, to be more precise. And being the book nerd that I am, I soon noticed many similarities between the writing style in your novels, and the stories that I found there."

There was no denying it. This young woman with a keen eye for literature and wordsmithing had cornered Salumeh. This was an encounter Salumeh had worked extremely hard to avoid. She had always strived to protect her carefully crafted public image as a mainstream author and had dreaded the moment anyone would discover her secret online endeavors.

But alas, Twitter is Twitter.

Strangely, this confrontation almost felt like a relief more than anything else. At least this young woman sitting before her appreciated her more intimate efforts. There was no malice or teasing in Erin's eyes. There was only understanding and admiration. Had Salumeh finally found a real life confidante?

Regardless, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed. After all, much of her online work was rather explicit.

"Well this is a bit awkward."

"Does that mean I cracked your secret?" Erin asked in the most respectful way possible.

"It certainly looks like it."

Erin gave a reassuring nod. "Don't worry, this stays between us. The only reason I mention it is because I love what you do. Really. You have a strong grasp on human sexuality and I find it wonderful! If only the treasures you post online would have a wider audience."

"Thank you. That means a lot. Do I wish my erotica had a larger audience? Sure. But I'm happy with the number of views it receives and I get a lot of positive feedback."

"So you'd never, you know, publish it under a pseudonym or anything like that?"

"It's crossed my mind, but I value my anonymity too much. It'll eventually leak that I wrote all that."

"That makes sense," Erin nodded in agreement. "I swear I'll never tell a soul. Besides, no one knows I read online erotica."

"So we're both in the same boat."

"Not that there's anything wrong with it."

Salumeh agreed whole-heartedly. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Whatsoever."

"Let's drink to that."

Erin playfully held up the cup of hot chocolate, which had now become lukewarm, and took a big sip. She placed the cup in front of Salumeh, who finished off the drink in a big gulp.

"Thanks for sparing me half these calories," Salumeh said. "I've been constantly eating on this book tour with very little exercise."

"Come on, surely we can find a better topic of conversation to end our night."

There was a devilish expression on Erin's face, and Salumeh couldn't quite figure it out.

"We can?" Salumeh asked.

"You haven't posted anything in a while. You know, erotica. Anything in the works?"

Salumeh nearly blushed. "I've been busy with the tour and plotting another novel. A mainstream novel, that is."

"You expect me to believe that you have nothing kicking around in the sexy portion of your big beautiful brain? You've stopped thinking of erotic ideas?"

"I haven't totally stopped, to be honest."

Erin lifted a cute eyebrow. "Then?"

"I

am

working on something," Salumeh relented with a playful sigh. "But I'm still working out a few kinks, so to speak. Writing quality erotica can have its challenges, especially when I'm trying to stick to realism."

"Challenges... such as?"

"Challenges. I'll leave it at that."

"Maybe I can help. What's it about?"

"The working title for now is

Gifts from Kristen's Lingerie Shop,

" Salumeh said with a faint blush forming on her cheeks.

Erin's eyes lit up at the title. It was like something had struck a chord within her and she needed to hear more, and as soon as possible read the whole thing.

"So you like lingerie?" Erin asked.

Salumeh gave a shrug and admitted the obvious. "I love lingerie, undergarments, and all the works. I think they make a woman look her most feminine. And I love the way it feels against my skin. But don't tell anyone I said that."

"Well then, Ms. Parsa, if we're sharing secrets, then I must confess to similar interests. Undergarments are my thing. I like stockings in particular."

There was a sense of pride in Erin as she made the personal reveal. It was such a relief to finally be able to share this with a like-minded woman.

"Then you'll like the ideas I'm working on," Salumeh said with her own sense of pride.

"Do tell."

"Well, it's a little embarrassing for me to talk about, since I never talk about this, not even with my closest friends who are also in the writing business. But I suppose I can trust you enough to say it's about two women who explore their interests in undergarments. One is the owner of the small shop, the other is a customer."

Erin raised an eyebrow. "So it's a lesbian thing?"

"For lack of a better term, yes."

Once again, there was a hint of embarrassment on Salumeh's part, and Erin was left with a devilish delight.

"So what's the hook?" Erin asked. "Each one of your erotic stories has a delicious hook to it."

"That's what I'm stuck on at the moment. I've already written the build-up to it, which I think is fantastic, if I may say so. But I don't want random sex-- too tacky. Especially as a lesbian story. There's got to be a reason for their impromptu passion. I really like the idea of a gift exchange where they do things, possibly erotic things, for a benefit. And it plays towards their interests in panties and stockings and whatever kinks they have in that little lingerie shop."

Erin paused a moment with a thoughtful look on her face. "Hmmm... I think I may have a suggestion, if you'd like to hear it."

"I have a feeling our minds are on the same page."

"How about this: I'll ask you a question, and if your answer is adequate, I'll reward you with an equally matched gift. It's the perfect game and it can serve as inspiration for your story. We can role play it."

"You have a writer's mind," Salumeh jokingly pointed out.

"No, I'm afraid I'm no writer. My talent lies within customer service, it seems. Isn't helping an author with her writings an example of excellent customer service?"

"I appreciate your help. I really do. But why are you doing this for me?"

Erin blushed. "You're kind of a hero of mine. Every once in awhile we'll have a celebrity come through our doors and usually I have no idea who they are. But a novelist like you? I'm in awe."

The words and the sincerity were flattering. Salumeh had certainly received high praise before, but never in a setting like this. Never in a situation where she was alone with a young woman who she found quite attractive. The chemistry between them only seemed to grow by the second.

Moreover, Erin had been filled with wide-eyed enthusiasm all evening and seemed even more enchanted. At this point, Salumeh was convinced Erin was

interested

, in the adult sense of the word.

Salumeh couldn't help but wonder if this foray could lead to something new, something exciting in private. And if she declined this unique opportunity, would she always regret it?

"Room service comes with confidentiality, doesn't it?" Salumeh asked. "Like the way lawyers are bound to keeping their clients' secrets?"

Erin nodded. "Hotel policy is clear, unambiguous, and strict. Our confidentiality is as good as any lawyer's, I can assure you. And if this is going where I hope it is, my discretion is iron-clad."

"Then..." Salumeh's voice trailed off as she accepted the proposal. "I'm ready for my gifts. What did you have in mind?"

Erin came to life and stood up. She surveyed the room the way a movie director would. Finally, her thoughts became clear.

"You sit on the bed," Erin said. "I'll stand in front of you."

Salumeh playfully made a long face as she went. "Oh dearie me. What have I gotten myself into?"

She sat on the bed and Erin stood with perfect posture in the small open space of the hotel room.

Erin winked. "Think about it like this: You'll have plenty of emotional resources for your future erotica stories. Possibly even your novels."

"Yes, well, I never plan to incorporate this sort of thing into any of my novels."

"And why not?" Erin asked suggestively.

"You know why."

"I want to hear you say it. It's more fun that way. Trust me."

"My family background," Salumeh admitted. "I consider myself American as apple pie. But to actually write about these things openly or play these sorts of games with another woman..."

Her voice trailed off. Salumeh felt her heartbeat rising. She was definitely dealing with a girl who had a goal in mind. Whatever it was, it was a game worth playing.

Erin moved her fingers to her uniform's skirt. "Taboo, isn't it?"

"Extremely. I would likely be disowned by my family if they knew."

Somehow those words seemed to entice Erin.

"Same with my family," Erin agreed. "They're traditional, like yours. But this is our secret. Now for your first gift of the evening. I'm fairly satisfied with your answer."

Erin seemed nervous, yet excited, as she undid her skirt and let it drop to her ankles. Once it landed, she picked it up without any regard for neatness. Her shift was already over and she didn't need to be wrinkle-free anymore.

In a surprising move, she tossed it to Salumeh, who caught it reflexively and smiled.

So there she stood, with her hotel receptionist persona in perfect order, minus the skirt. She wore small white panties. Her upper thighs were bare. And the rest of her legs were covered in thigh-high stockings which made her legs look unbelievably sexy.

"Is this necessary?" Salumeh asked, having second thoughts already.

"I arrived this evening as your room service. If you wish to dismiss me, that's your call. But since you're not doing so, I'll assume you accept me in my new role as your inspiration and interrogator. So let's go for an easier question. Do you think I'm pretty?"

"Yes, of course."

Erin gave a playfully stern look and put her hands on her hips. Clearly she was unsatisfied with the answer.

"I think you're really pretty," Salumeh tried again, this time trying to be more honest with her feelings. "In fact, I was pleasantly surprised when you answered the door. You seem, I don't know, like a sweet young woman. And that's not something I normally say to people."

Erin smiled, "That's adequate. Now for your next gift."

While they looked at each other, each of them equally nervous, Erin unbuttoned and removed her blazer and tossed it to Salumeh, who gladly caught it.

"This is too much," Salumeh said.

"You haven't kicked me out."

"Maybe I'm just building my courage to do that."

Erin laughed. "It's a little late for that. Now for a more intimate question. Have you ever been with another woman?"

"No way."

"Then no gift for you," Erin said, putting her hands down at her sides.

Salumeh was surprised by how disappointed she was. "Fair enough."

"Have you ever thought about another woman?"

The question gave Salumeh a long pause. She knew the answer. But to share it with a hotel employee? It was a chance worth taking.

"I have," Salumeh said. "Based on research, many women have."

"I don't care about research. I want to know about you. Do you want your gift or not?"

Salumeh took a deep breath. "I think about women sometimes. Inappropriate things. Let's just say that my thoughts conflict with some of my cultural and religious beliefs."

"That makes two of us."

Erin seemed more confident, more emboldened, as she began to unbutton the bottom of her blouse. Button by button, she moved upwards.

"Wait, stop," Salumeh said when Erin's bra was exposed. "No nudity, please. I... I don't want to go that far."

As far as they had come, Erin understood completely. However, there was a quiet understanding between them. They read each other's eyes. They both wanted to go further and were both very much aroused.

"I respect your wishes, but I still owe you a gift," Erin said. "And rules are rules."

Instead of showing her breasts, Erin reached down to her undergarments. She decided to put on a little show for Salumeh by rubbing her own legs at the top of her stockings. She rubbed inside of her own thighs and felt the smoothness of the undergarments.

By the look in Salumeh's eyes, it was working. Both of them breathed harder and their lips quivered.

Things went to a more taboo level when Erin stood upright again and rubbed her crotch. She rubbed her white panties, on top of her mound with both hands. With her right hand, she rubbed her aching clitoris. With her left hand, she rubbed her labia.

"You'll be the death of me," Salumeh sighed. "Not literally, of course."

"Should I stop? Or would you like another gift?"

There was a brief internal struggle. Erin kept on rubbing herself. And Salumeh hung her head down slightly, almost with a look of shame.

"I want it," Salumeh said.

"Do you want me?"

"Yes."

Erin continued rubbing herself. "That response is not gift worthy."

"God..."

"Say it."

Salumeh's heart raced. "I want you."

"How?"

"I don't know. I've never done this before, but I imagine it being tender and slow, with you being presented to me somehow, as crazy as that sounds."

Erin smiled and shook her head. "Not so crazy, Ms. Parsa. Anything is possible. I have an idea."

While still scantily dressed, Erin put the messy plate of cheesecake crumbs back onto the service cart, which had a traditional long white cloth over it, along with the cup of nearly finished hot chocolate. The dishes were placed at the end of the cart.

Then Erin stepped on the chair, which allowed her to then step on the cart. She then sat her petite body on the cart's cloth, with her feet next to the messy dishes. She had now become the perfect room service offering.

Erin crooked her finger. "Come here, you."

"Is this my gift?" Salumeh asked, walking over to the service cart which Erin sat on like a present.

"Perfect hotel presentation," Erin smiled. "Now, answer me honestly. As honest as you've ever been before. What do you want to do to me?"