Winter on the Oregon coast is the most spectacular time for romance. The storms roll in over the dark blue waters and the surf pounds the sand creating phosphorescence in the crashing waves. Viewing from a warm hotel room with a fire glowing in a fireplace with a special someone makes one become romantic and introspective.
The two women hardly knew each other. Julia and Leslie's husbands had socialized at the local gun club; becoming hunting buddies each fall for the past five years, leaving their wives alone and at home for two weeks at a time. The women knew each other by name but had never spent time together like their husbands had. They had exchanged phone numbers and locations just in case an emergency arose and they needed to get in touch with a spouse.
Julia in her late 40's was a brunette with a touch of grey. She was in great shape, working out at her gym at least 3 times a week for the past five years. This was due mostly to her daughters encouraging her during their high school sports years. Her two grown daughters' one in college the other graduated and starting her own life encouraged her to keep fit; attending aerobics classes with her and walking outside on nice days. She had mixed emotions regarding the departure of her daughters from her "nest". On one hand she was glad she finally had time to renew her relationship with her husband without having to worry about entertaining her daughters. While on the other hand she missed their enthusiasm and the daily recounting of their lives.
Leslie was a bit younger in her mid 30's and childless. Not by choice, although she loved her husband he was unable to produce children. Instead they had a large piece of property and a couple of dogs, which she treated as if they were her children. She enjoyed her "free time" playing tennis and running. She didn't belong to a gym but from her svelte body one could never tell.
Their husbands had won a free crabbing trip on the Oregon coast. Both women thought the trip would be a nice time to tag along and take advantage of their husband's absence shopping at the outlet stores in one of the larger coastal communities. The husband's charter boat left from a small coastal town that offered an Indian casino and several factory outlet stores that were famous for their deep discounts. The men weren't going too far outside the bay for their catch but they would be gone all day.
The women had discussed their plans with their husbands and all four thought it would make a great trip. The bounty of Dungeness crabs they had hoped to catch would make for a great main dish at their New Year's Eve party the following week. They arrived at the hotel in separate cars just after lunch, each couple went to their respective room, unpacked and relaxed. They had agreed to meet for dinner at one of the local seafood restaurants along the strand around six p.m. that evening.
After relaxing and strolling along the beach, taking in the wonderful salt air of the evening they each in turn showered, dressed and left for the "date".
The women were dressed nicely they each had bodies that would have looked good on women ten years their junior. Their husbands didn't always appreciate that fact, having been married for a few years leads one into a sense of complacency with ones partner. They were cordial to each other not having socialized before, finding common interests to make conversation while their husbands talked hunting and fishing. They each had decided to relax and let the men take control of the evening since they would be spending the next day getting to know each other while shopping and perhaps a bit of gambling at the local casino. The conversation during dinner was light until the men had a glimpse of a young woman who had walked in to meet her boyfriend for dinner.
The conversation abruptly turned to her body with the men getting "shame on you" glances from their respective wives. The women shrugged it off as alcohol induced but each had seen the other eyeing the girl and staring a bit longer than normal for a woman who only has eyes for her man. They each kept this thought to themselves as the night wore on.
Since the husband's charter boat left at 5 am the next day they all decided to call it a night and get to bed early. The wives agreed to meet around 9 am. They could sleep in and still get to the stores when they opened at 10 am. The couples said their good nights back at the hotel and retired to their rooms. The wives embraced each other holding on a bit longer than each would have thought normal but somehow it seemed natural to them. They looked into each other's eyes; something they saw deep inside the other made them each wonder. They looked at each other as they parted, knowing something wasn't normal but not knowing exactly what. It was a pleasant feeling each woman had experienced before, a long time ago back in college.
Upon returning to their rooms each couple went through their normal bedtime routines and quickly fell asleep. A 4 am wake-up call came very quickly. The husbands tried not to wake their wives but, being in an unfamiliar place they fumbled around and made a bit too much noise. The women knowing they could just sleep in after their husbands had left just rolled over and tried to get back to sleep. Unfortunately, there was a full moon out which tended to shine in the room through the sliding glass doors looking out over the ocean. Even with the curtains closed it still shone through and into the room.
The husbands finally got dressed kissing their wives good-by and wishing them a good day shopping. Good byes were mumbled by the sleepy wives and quick kisses exchanged. The husbands met in the hotel hallway and went off fishing.
About 6 am the older woman heard a knock on her door. She had been unable to return to a deep sleep and had been lying watching the ocean bathed in the light of the full moon through a narrow opening in the curtain. She was feeling very romantic and wishing her husband was there to enjoy the morning with her. For a few brief instant she reflected back on her embrace with the other woman. Something about her she couldn't get out of her mind. She had felt the same thing back during her years at college. There she had discovered a part of her that enjoyed the company and touch of another girl. She had a brief but loving affair with a sorority sister during her junior year. Those pleasant thoughts along which included the girl at dinner plus the woman next door had kept her awake since her husband left a couple of hours earlier. She decided it was silly to just lay there so she got up and put on her kimono, and lit a fire in the gas fireplace.
The knocking persisted; she got up and asked sleepily who it was.
"It's me Leslie, I'm sorry to wake you"
"That's ok, I was up, please come in" Julia answered
She opened the door and Leslie stood there. She was dressed in a light blue terry cloth robe. Julia couldn't tell what she was wearing underneath. She smelled amazingly wonderful as if she had just stepped out of the shower. Julia invited her in wondering what the problem could be.
"Is everything alright?" Julia inquired.
Julia was clothed in her kimono, drawn closed at the waist. She had been sleeping in an old tee shirt and her panties. The room was pleasantly warm due to the fire Julia had started just before the knock at her door.
"Yes, everything is fine I think" Leslie reluctantly replied.
"What do you mean? You don't seem so sure" Julia motioned her in and closed the door behind her. She noticed Leslie's legs through the robe's slightly loose front. Watching her walk past and taking in Leslie's wonderful aroma Julia took a deep breath and let out a very soft moan.
Leslie thought she heard something but didn't mention anything and quickly walked into the main portion of the hotel room.
