The Decision

"Thaelor! Thaelor! Earth to boss..." "Huh?" Thaelor Renee Morrison had no idea how long her receptionist Sophie had been calling her name. Sitting at her desk, Thaelor's computer was stuck on the same spreadsheet screen as when she blanked out. "I've been calling you for the past 8 minutes. Are you ok Boss Lady?" Sophie was a nice young girl. Born in the Couth and having moved to Cali to pursue her singing career, things had gone left for her once she met a "Dope Boy" and had a couple kids. She was one of the original salvage jobs Ryan had found and helped onto her feet. With her Southern accent, good looks, smarts, and charm, she had become one of Thaelor's favorite employees.

"Sorry." Thaelor said. "I blanked out there a minute. What did you need?"

"I was trying to tell you that Mitchell Erving from accounting had been on hold, but he's gone now. The Financial meeting started 20 minutes ago, But Erving said he'll just email the minutes to you. And lastly, I was wondering if it would be ok if I took my break at 12:00? My little girl's sick and I wanted to pick up some medicine and take it home to her. But seriously...Are you ok?!"

Truth be told...Thaelor was anything but ok. It had been 2 weeks since the Escapade at the Piedmont. And unlike what Brittney had said, NOTHING had been the same since. Namely, the fact the love of her life Ryan HAD to take a trip across country with their father Senator Morrison to go Fund Raising for his next election. She missed him dearly. The only bright spot was that she and Brittney had become thick as thieves. Usually, if there was time (and she had the energy), the two cousins would hang out. She had even invited Thaelor to a couple video shoots to meet some of her friends in the industry. What they did most of the time though, was go shopping. Brittney LOVED to shop. That was her "therapy." Everything from "Sashay" and "Lover's Leap," to "Forever Young" and "Goofy's." the time spent with Brittney had been wonderful. It had gotten her mind off Ryan for a while. Not to mention their occasional sexing. A stolen kiss here, a rubbed body part there. They had even made out in a dressing room in "Kallie's" once. All this time was making her feel totally conflicted. She loved Ryan with all her heart. But Brittney was making it ever so hard to convince herself that's all she wanted.

Her line began to buzz at that moment before she could answer Sophie. Turning on her heel, the young lady sprinted back to her desk and answered the annoying contraption, leaving Thaelor to stew in her misery. "Boss Lady..." the intercom spoke.

"There's a lady on the line named Brittney that wants to speak to you." Thaelor lit up.

"Put her through."

"Hey GIRRRRLLLL!!" Came the lilting voice as she answered the phone. "Hey Brittney. What's up?"

"Are you serious? You're still not hung up on Ryan being in D.C. are you? I can hear the depression in your voice, the very sound is brining my spirits down!" Brittney chided.

"Well I'm sorry..." Thaelor replied. "I can't help it if I've got a lot on my mind. Running this company and thinking about him are getting to me."

"Say no more...I know EXACTLY what you need. Whatever the hell you're working on can wait till Monday and I'm sure Ryan will call you today. He never misses one."

Brittney was right. It might be late in the evening, but Ryan always made it a point to call her. Most of the time though the calls were short. Due to the time differentials, he was just getting to bed and she had been fast asleep (even if it wasn't soundly).

"What you need is some time out. A stiff drink, a little music, and some SHOPPING!!"

"Oh no..." Thaelor said. "I'm not in the mood for crowds, lines, or even the beach today. My heart just isn't in it."

"Ok...then how about a good movie? OOH...My friend Reggie gave me a stack I haven't looked at yet. I got that new Irene Parker movie "Tempted" on blu ray that just came out last week."

That sounded perfect. Thaelor needed a little R&R to relax. Get her mind together. Have some great sex if nothing else.

"Fine. Sounds great. Where can we meet up at?" she asked.

"How about right outside your door.? I'll be there in 15 minutes, I'm already out and about anyway."

Not ideal, but Thaelor needed to get out of there.

"Cool. I'll see you downstairs." With that, Thaelor hung up. "Sophie," she spoke into the intercom, "Come in here please."

Sophie entered the office in a flash. Pad and pen in hand.

"I'm taking off this morning. Place the "Leaving Early" message on the machine, take your break and then go home. Don't worry about the pay, I'll make sure you get your full hours. Take care of that beautiful little girl ok?"

Sophie beamed. Her smile flashing form ear to ear. "You got it Boss Lady. See you Monday."

After she closed the door, Thaelor checked her emails for a hot second. Only a couple were urgent, to which she gave curt responsive instructions. Locking off and locking her computer, she grabbed her purse and headed for the elevators. Just then, Lance Hawthorne from Legal stopped at the elevators as well. Thaelor really didn't need this. Lance had been sniffing after her (as well as half the receptionist pool) since her Dad introduced her as the Jr. Executive in Charge of PR. She had made it clear that fraternization in the Executive pool was forbidden, but the "Horn Dog" never gave up.

"Oh...GOOD MORNING THAELOR!!" Lance greeted with way more enthusiasm than necessary. "I didn't see you there! How's it going?!"

"Hi Lance...not too good actually. Legal has been dragging its feet and we are close to losing the Dykstra account. Besides, I'm not feeling too hit so I'm going home. Your boss Michael has all the details."

"Oh...guess that means I should look forward to a long weekend huh?"

"Yeah...I guess so."

The doors opened and the two got in. Unfortunately, they were the ONLY two. A sharp pain hit behind Thaelor's eyes as the doors closed. The brewing of a minor headache. Now she knew how Ryan felt when his migraines hit. This chump wasn't making her day any easier. She braced for the inevitable.

"You know Thaelor...I just bought a cottage in Malibu on Monday. Haven't broken it in yet."

"You don't say." Thaelor said, rolling her eyes.

"You know...maybe if you're not doing anything..."

"Look!" Thaelor said, rudely interrupting his invitation. "I have told you more than once already that Executive fraternization is off limits! Any continued action by you to entice me in any way will be considered sexual harassment and would immediately be forwarded to HR! Furthermore, don't think for an instant your name isn't known to the women in this company. You have been with SEVERAL women already and left a path of broken hearts in your wake. You will NOT add my name to that list...UNDERSTOOD?!!"

The doors opened to the lobby of REM Inc. Thaelor stepped out of the elevator, headache screaming behind her eyes. The pressure lessened when she saw a huge Panthera XL550 pulling up outside. The large oversized vehicle was being piloted by a woman that barely scraped 5',4". Her diminutive, but gorgeous cousin Brittney.

Climbing in the passenger side, Thaelor let the seat back, and just said, "Get me out of here please."

Brittney punched the accelerator and the huge truck began to move.

"Oh fuck...my head hurts." Thaelor complained.

Looking over at her cousin, Brittney became concerned. "Hey cuz, you ok? What's wrong?"

"I have a headache to beat the band. That mutha'fucka Lance is going to hear about this. That will be the last time he tried to say anything to me out of pocket. But right now, I need an aspirin. You wouldn't happen to have one do you?"

"Naw...I keep all my drugs at home with the gun." Brittney replied comically. "I'll stop and get you something to take. While we do that, let's grab a bite to eat. I'm sure that might help as well."

Speeding down the freeway, Brittney turned off onto Florence, then pulled into "Pharmacy N' Things," a store chain that sold, just what it said. Thaelor limped inside and found just what she needed. The strongest headache medicine without a prescription, as well as a caffeinated energy drink to make the medicine work faster. After she paid for the stuff, Thaelor climbed back in so they could go through the drive thru of "Pa-Nini's." the ladies ordered their favorites; Coconut Chicken Spread Deluxe and Brittney's Cranberry Turkey Blast. Fiinally after driving another 45 minutes, Brittney pulled into the drive of her house. A lovely, split level brick and siding house; surrounded by a tall brick wall.

"Man Britt..." Thaelor whistled after they exited the vehicle. "You talk about the hotel, I'm highly impressed with this place."

Thaelor followed her cousin into the interior of the house. Her gaze was mesmerized as she took in the foyer. Spinning as she eyed the decor. Beautiful ornate walls with African prints and statues. Thaelor was enthralled. Almost running over her smaller cousin, if it hadn't been for Brittney reaching up and kissing her. The embrace caught Thaelor off guard. Then she began to savor the sweet mixture of longing, pain, appreciation, and adoration. Thaelor succumbed to the honey sweet flavor of her cousin's passion. Drinking in the attention, Thaelor melted. Along with her headache. Feeding ravenously on the affections buried in Brittney's kiss. When their lips parted, Thaelor almost felt drunk.

"Oh my God..." Thaelor replied breathlessly. " Wow, I needed that...I think you even killed my headache."

Brittney grinned from ear to ear. A look of satisfaction on her face like a kid with a report card full of "A's". Grabbing their lunch off the floor where she placed it, Brittney led her cousin to the interior of the house. The living room was even more immaculate than the foyer. Adorned in contrasts of White, deep green, mahogany . With even more African art along the walls. This time framed nudes. While erotic, the set up was tastefully done. Though there were no family or self made pictures to be found.

"I am really liking your home Britt. It's so elegant."

"Thanks again." Said Brittney carrying a bottle of wine. "So, how about that movie?"

The women ate their lunch in relative silence (with the occasional comment to the huge TV screen at certain parts). But as much as Thaelor loved Irene Parker's movies, they mostly centered around relationships, and this one was making her feel lost without Ryan. Brittney picked up on this shift in mood and turned the TV off.

"Girl, if you're going to chill here, you gotta' pick it up. I know you miss that man but, come on. You can't be moping around on my couch. That will just bring my spirits down."

"I know...I'm sorry Brittney. I guess I'm just no fun today."

"I know what you need."

Grabbing Thaelor by the hand, she led her through the sliding glass door to the patio. In the back of the house was a large kidney shaped pool. Without needing provoking, Brittney began to strip off her clothes revealing a luscious cream white, two-piece bikini. The contrast with her skin complexion making Thaelor salivate just a bit.

"Ahhhh...this is great." Brittney remarked as she dipped in the water.

Thaelor hesitated. "Ummm...looks good, but I don't have any swim wear."

"Girl...I got tons of bikinis upstairs. Will you go and get dressed."

"Have any one pieces?"

Brittney looked at her cousin like she dropped from another planet. "No...but, really?! What are you so scared of? Remember...I've seen you naked before. Look, if makes you feel any better, you can just get in naked. We're both females, no guys around. Will you get your mad ass in the pool already?"

"That's easy for you to say...you have on a swim suit."

With a quick pull, Brittney untied the sides of both her top and bottom bikini. Twirling them over her head, she swung them with a wet sounding "splat" on the hard, concrete patio.

"No excuses left Slim." She chided.

Thaelor finally relented. One piece at a time, she began to strip out of her clothes. Brittney gaped mouth open as her cousin took off first her skirt, then her shirt, and finally bra and panties to reveal her stunning body. Her light-colored skin almost glistening in the sunlight. When she stepped into the pool, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the water was already pre-heated to a comfortable level. Leaning her back against the side of the pool, Thaelor took up a space next to her cousin.

"So..." Brittney asked.

"You're right Britt, this is lovely."

Brittney scooted closer and rubbed Thaelor's hand in the water. A slight hesitation, then she rubbed hers in return. Leading Brittney to wonder what was really going on.

"What's going on cuz; you seem to be a thousand miles away today. After everything we have been through, you still don't trust me?"

"No...it's not that, and you're right. I should trust you more." Turning to face Brittney, Thaelor poured out her woes. "Listen Brittney, I love spending time with you. You're really the first woman I have been able to trust in a long time. But when I'm with you, I feel so...so...so...torn. I am so in love with Ryan it hurts at times. I would do anything for him. He makes me feel like a real woman. Loved, coveted, adored; and the sex is...WOW!! You've felt it. But you...you make me wonder about my own sexuality. Your touch is not like his. It's softer, more alert to the needs of my body. I told you what Sharmel and Monica put me through. I figured after that, I would NEVER WANT to feel another woman's touch. But then you showed up in my life. I'm nervous when I'm around you. Your kisses send me to places I've never been before. And your body is...My God. I see why men stumble all over themselves over you. I just don't know what to do."

Brittney listened to her cousin, her mind drifting swiftly back in time. Back to the disaster with Monica and Natalie at the Family Reunion, her first real lesbian encounter with Rashykah at Treatment, her meeting Thaelor and their adventure in the ladies room at the Country Club, and finally the night at the hotel. All the emotions came crashing down. She knew what Thaelor felt, her heart poured out to her. In a reversal of roles, Brittney wrapped her arms around Thaelor. Thaelor went limp as a couple tears ran down her cheeks. Not wanting to press the issue, Brittney released her cousin from their embrace, though she wanted so much more.

"Feel better?" she asked.

"Yeah, thank you." Thaelor replied. Dabbing her eyes, she composed herself.

"I had no idea you felt that way. I'll back off if you want."

"NO! No...you don't have to do that. It's just something I have to come to grips with." Thaelor responded. "I'm a big girl. I just have to own up to my feelings and put my "Big Girl" panties on. Man, I'm understanding more and more how Ryan felt that night at the cabin."

"Speaking of Ryan, you never told me how that all came about." Brittney said.

Thaelor relayed all the information about that first night. The Party, the cabin, their dates, having to run and get those God forsaken condoms (a brand neither one of them EVER wanted to use again), the storm that stranded them, the lights going out, their argument on the couch, the confession of their attraction, and finally, the love they made on "Yogi."

"Wow...you couldn't write a better story than that." Brittney stated. "How was making love to him the first time?"

"Nothing I had ever experienced before. I mean, I had a couple lovers before him. But they were always too fast. Too in a hurry. Didn't take a minute to explore, enjoy themselves. Just rub, rub, lick, lick, stick it in, and dismount like they were at the Olympics or something. But with Ryan...it was nothing like that. He took his time. Made me sizzle. He touched places in my heart and my body I never knew existed. He turned me on so much...I would've tried anything with him that night."

"Oh yeah," Brittney responded; "I got a full view of you taking that fat ass dick in your ass that night. How many times did you guys do that till you could enjoy it like that?"

"Honestly...that was our first time."

"Stop LYING!" Brittney shouted, her mouth a gape.

"No, seriously. That night we were with you was our first time. That night at the cabin I asked him to do it with me. A lot of my friends at school talked about it all the time. So, I wanted to try it. But, because of the nature of our relationship, we have never had a chance to so it. That night; it just seemed right. Plus, I wanted to outdo you."

"Oh really!??" Brittney chided.

"I mean come on...I saw you with him. He was in heaven." Thaleor recalled.

"That may be. But, when he was with you...he seemed so free. Besides, like I said, he loves you. It's been forever since I had someone tell me they loved me. Oh yeah...I get a good amount of dick or cooch. But love...not so much. Annnnnd...while I'm on the subject, the last few times I had someone in my butt...was COMPLETELY by accident...AND IT HURT!! I was high and that shit still hurt! You took him in like a champ. You might be jealous of me Thaelor...but I have so much more to be jealous of you."

For the first time that day, Thaelor felt better. Really better. Looking at her cousin, her face was devoid of any hint of lie or half-truth. In her heart, it was time to come completely clean.

"Brittney, how did you know you really liked girls?"

Brittney looked shocked. "Well...I don't know. I guess it just came kind of naturally. My mom made it very difficult for me to be with any boys without it being an issue. I had a guy friend in school that always carried a nudie mag in his locker. I borrowed one of them one day, and saw this woman named "Candy Girl." She was an X rated model and I got hooked. She was just so beautiful I wanted to look like her, be with her, then I got one of her movies and I wanted to sex her. So, I stopped hanging around so many boys and hung around the girls. The more I did, the more I wanted to try one. That's when I met Natalie. We talked about it over the phone all the time. But as you know...that wasn't meant to be."

"Ok...but how did you know you loved her?"

"I didn't. Or at least...I really wasn't sure about it. It wasn't until I got to Treatment that I fell in love with my first woman. Natalie and I didn't get any further than kissing, so I really wasn't able to fall in love with her. But Rakyshia was different. We got to spend a lot of time together and finally had an opportunity to fuck. I was like a little lost puppy with her. I couldn't wait to be around her. I hated to go to sleep at night because of her, and when I did; I couldn't wait to wake up to see her."

"So, whatever happened to her?"

"Oh...her fiancée came to pick her up from rehab. I never knew, and she never told me. It wasn't until I left Treatment and finally got to talk to her alone that she finally admitted what it was. She said she didn't want to hurt me because she loved me to, blah, blah, blah." Brittney remarked with a condescending tone. "But at the end of the day, it was little old Brittney on her own again."

"Brittney...I think I have feelings for you."

Brittney rolled her eyes. "Gee thanks...I don't need your pity, nor do I need you to give me a pity fuck."

Thaleor looked hurt. Here she was laying her heart on the line and Brittney was blowing her off. She needed to move forward. Grasping her by the waist, Thaelor maneuvered Brittney's little body onto her lap. Wrapping her arms around her back, Thaelor laid into the kiss she gave Brittney. Her heart quickened, breath came in short spurts. She could feel her tiny cousin grinding her pussy into her pelvis. The action causing her own love canal to bounce off the floor of the pool. God almighty, she was becoming horny.

Brittney broke away from Thaelor's embrace. Grabbing her by the hand, she led her back into the house proper. Both women dripping water onto the carpeted floor. Going to a closet in the hallway, Brittney snatched a towel from the interior and began to dry her cousin off. Thaelor grabbed another one and did the same to Brittney. The women paid close attention to the sensitive areas of their bodies. Wrapping themselves in the towels, Brittney led her cousin to her bedroom. Tastefully done in hues of Baby blue and white, Thaelor's mouth hung open. A lovely bedroom set done up in cherry finish. A huge set of drawers, an ottoman, and the finish was a huge California King sized bed, with beautifully ornate head and footboard. Brittney pushed Thaelor onto the bed and left a trail of kisses down her face and neck as she pranced into her walk-in closet. Thaelor noticed a slight difference to the top of the mattress but paid it no further attention as she watched her tiny lover disappear.