Chapter 2

Carmen shook her head. “We all have our preferences. I’ve noticed that you’ve been admiring my attributes since the moment we first met. The truth is, I think you’re equally as gorgeous as me. You just don’t realize it.”

They both carried their clothes and put them in the car. Carmen grabbed a beach blanket, sunglasses, lotion, and they walked on the hot sand. It was a hot day. And the beach was filled with beautiful people who were enjoying themselves.

Melinda couldn’t remember the last time she went to the beach. It was a nice thing to experience. Despite her initial refusals, going to the beach was actually a good idea, she quickly realized.

The beach blanket was laid neatly across the sand. Carmen was the first to lay on it. She immediately relaxed with her sunglasses on.

Melinda noted how beautiful the dark skinned woman was. There weren’t a lot of women like that in Washington. In fact, Melinda couldn’t remember the last time she had seen a latina bombshell in the city where she lived. Those sorts of things were only seen on tv or in magazines.

She laid down on the blanket next to Carmen. They laid side by side. It was tough for Melinda to relax. The sun was bright and the weather was making her sweat. Beach goers were making noises in all directions. It wasn’t the ideal atmosphere to relax, not for Melinda at least.

Especially laying next to such an exotic beauty.

“Why are you still single?” Carmen asked, still laying motionlessly on the blanket.

“My work schedule. And I’m picky, I suppose.”

“And what about your needs?”

Carmen lifted her sunglasses. “You have needs, don’t you? Or are you a vampire with no pulse?”

“If I was a vampire, I wouldn’t be laying here in the sun with you.”

“Good point,” Carmen replied, looking the woman over. “But the whiteness of your skin suggests otherwise.”

Melinda squirmed her legs. “There’s not much sun where I’m from.”

“You haven’t answered my question yet. What do you do about your needs?”

Melinda gave a dumbfounded look. “I really don’t know how to answer that.”

“Well, do you masturbate? What do you use? What do you think about?”

“Relax,” Carmen said in a reassuring tone. “It’s just between us. I won’t tell anybody from the company, unless you want me to?”

“Then tell me. Our secret.”

“Why are you asking me something like this?”

“Because we’re friends,” Carmen replied. “And friends tell each other everything. At least that’s the way things work around here. In Miami, people are much more open about their sexuality.”

“I’m from a much more conservative area.”

“Then should I go first?”

Melinda paused for a moment. “If you want.”

“I love sex,” Carmen said, almost in a proud manner. “I don’t say that to be obscene, but I mean that in a positive way. I feel that sex is a very important part of a person’s spirituality. A woman doesn’t know herself until she understands herself sexually.”

Melinda was spellbound by the words. The beach was too lively and noisy for anyone else to hear.

She continued, “I also believe that a confident woman shouldn’t have to fear her sexuality. She should embrace it. And respect it. And give it everything it needs to grow. If you take care of your sexuality, you’re a much better person for it. So, I have a policy to ensure that I orgasm every day. Sometimes more than once. If I’m not with another person, I use a sex toy. Either in my bed, laying on a towel, or in the bathtub. Whatever I’m in the mood for.”

Melinda uncomfortably nodded. “That certainly sounds like a logical rule to live by. I admire your honesty and insight. I really do.”

“And you? Your turn.”

“A few times a week,” Melinda reluctantly admitted. “I do it in bed, underneath the covers. Usually when I wake up, or before I go to sleep.”

“What do you normally think about?”

“Romance. Candle light settings. The usual cliches.”

“Do you think about women?” Carmen bluntly asked.

Melinda was caught off-guard by the increasingly uncomfortable conversation, which Carmen had no problems with.

“I usually don’t think about that,” Melinda replied. “But it’s crossed my mind. I’ve certainly had my moments with it. Most women think about it at some point, according to studies.”

“That’s true in my opinion. Very, very true.”

Carmen stretched her arms across the beach blanket, putting her sunglasses back on. The conversation was over for the time being, and Melinda couldn’t have been more relieved.

After the brief sunbathing session, they went to lunch.

Their conversations went back to normal things; their lives, their hobbies, their interests.

There was no mention of the sexual questions Carmen had been asking earlier. Melinda still felt uncomfortable by it. And in some strange way, she felt that Carmen was purposefully teasing her by not bringing it up again. It was like a strange game they were playing.

After lunch, Carmen insisted that they stop by a department store to look at clothes. It was right across the street from the hotel. Even though Melinda wanted to rest, she didn’t want to be rude, so she accepted.

The department store was fairly small. None of the items on display were typical for Melinda. Outside of work, she normally dressed in a conservative manner, with some sense of modern style.

But the outfits which Carmen pointed out were much more stylish and hip. They still had a sense of class, but there was also a sexiness to them. They were tightly fit and showed a lot of skin.

“You only live once,” Carmen said. “And you’re in Miami for a few more days. You can’t keep dressing like a Canadian.”

“Canadians are very nice people,” Melinda said defensively.

Carmen winked. “I’m sure they are. But you’re in a tropical area now. So dress like it.”

She handed Melinda a short black dress from the rack. There was a look on Carmen’s face which refused to take ‘no’ for an answer. Melinda was in no place to argue.

Melinda took the dress and was handed a few more. Then she went to the changing room.

The dresses were borderline vulgar, Melinda thought, looking at the revealing nature of the designs. She undressed in the changing room. After everything was removed, she wore the first dress and looked at her appearance, striking a few different poses.

She could barely recognize her reflection. She felt like she was trying on a Halloween costume rather than something she would actually buy. The dress tightly hugged her smallish breasts and hips. Her arms & legs were left awkwardly exposed. Looking at her reflection in the sexy dress made her wish she had gone to the gym more.

In a flash, the changing room curtain opened and Carmen entered, then swiftly closed the curtain behind her. Carmen held other dresses in her hand.

“Gosh, what are you doing?” Melinda asked as they suddenly shared the same changing room.

“Trying on a new dress. We’re both civilized adults here.”

They both looked in the same mirror. Melinda’s face showed a sense of bewilderedness, while Carmen couldn’t have been more relaxed and playful.

Before Melinda could say another word, Carmen undid her own top, then her bra to reveal her breasts, which were perfectly shaped round globes, with dark nipples.

Melinda stood bewildered by the brazen nudity.

“Have you ever seen breasts before?” Carmen gestured to her chest, with a slight tease in her voice.

“Of course I have,” Melinda replied, more rigid than ever.

“Well, then relax. Both of us will be needing new dresses soon. Something sexy to wear for a special occasion.”

Carmen winked. “You’ll find out soon enough. A woman like you could use surprises. They’re fun.”

With that, Carmen returned her attention to the mirror, and she finally covered her breasts with a tight-fitted black dress.

Once, in college, Melinda had an experience with a female professor.

The experience was with a young, hip, new professor. She taught geology, and she had a slight geekiness which was appealing to a lot of people. She wore thick framed glasses and free-spirited clothes, which had a lot of college guys gossiping before class about how badly they wanted to fuck her.

Melinda was a bright student in that class. She raised her hand more than anyone and she asked the most questions after class. The course had even made Melinda consider a career in geology.

They became friendly. Since the professor was fairly young, they became friends because they could relate to each other. They got along well, and they found each other to be interesting.

By sheer coincidence, they both signed-up for the same gym, and planned to go during the same hours. 4-5 pm. Naturally, they decided to work out together. They even changed clothes together (without the nudity).

One day, after a hard workout, the professor removed her top completely in the locker room. She stood in front of Melinda with breasts proudly displayed. The professor said it was okay to look. And that it was okay to experience new things. There was a gentleness in the professor’s voice. But there was no mistake about it, the intent was purely sexual.

Melinda was scared and just shook her head, saying sorry. She cancelled her gym membership soon after.

To this day, Melinda wondered what could have been. To this day, it was one of the biggest regrets of her life.

As Melinda sat in a meeting, all she could think about was her former professor, and the unusual relationship with Carmen. She thought about Carmen’s breasts and dark nipples, when she should have been focusing on work.

She loved her job and interacting with other people to accomplish goals. It was intellectually very fun for her.

But on that day, she simply went through the motions to get things done. Her mind wasn’t there. And neither was her interest.

She arrived to her hotel at 9:13 pm. She had just finished having dinner with the other corporate members. She undressed, showered, and relaxed. The curtains were open and she took a long hard look at the bustling city. The bright lights, energy, atmosphere, and people were all very beautiful to look at.

There was a knock on Melinda’s door.

It was the hotel room service, who handed Melinda a sealed note. She tipped the man for his service, then he left.

She sat on the bed and opened the note. It was a handwritten letter on a nice piece of paper.

It’s been a joy meeting you. A real pleasure. I hope you feel the same.

I love my job because of the wonderful opportunities I have meeting extraordinary women like you. You have many admirable qualities. You’re smart, kind, and very beautiful, even though you can be shy with your body.

However, life is too short to be shy. Life is too short to be prude.

I understand that you’re a private person. That’s not a bad thing. There’s nothing wrong with that.

But there are times where you should embrace life and let go. Have fun. Fulfill a lustful fantasy. You have lustful fantasies, don’t you?

Luckily there is a cure.

I’ll come to your hotel tomorrow. 8 pm sharp. Don’t dress up. You’ll be my doll. I’ll get you ready. I’ll make you beautiful. Promise.

There was no mistaking the intent of the letter. Suddenly, it all made sense. The flirtatiousness of Carmen, their sexual dialogue, the dressing room stint, and the blushing of the corporate woman. All the pieces had come together. And Melinda saw the picture clearly.

The question was, was Melinda willing let go? Was she willing to fulfill a fantasy? Was she willing to indulge for once?

She folded the letter and put it on the bedside. Then she looked out towards the Miami view again.

Melinda was a late bloomer.

She lost her virginity at the age of 19 to a college date. It wasn’t something that was impromptu. It had been planned a week in advance. During that week, her nerves were unsteady.

The insecurities were there. She worried what would happen if anyone found out. She wondered if her body looked good enough. She wondered if she could please her partner. Most of all, she wondered if she was defiling her body.