Chapter 4

Susan lay cuddled on her side against Diana. Her head was pillowed on Diana’s shoulder. Diana had her arm around Susan and was gently stroking her shoulder and upper arm. Susan had her right arm across Diana’s stomach and her right leg thrown over Diana’s legs. Neither woman felt compelled to say anything. They simply enjoyed the moment and each others closeness.

Susan was considering her last words to Diana. She didn’t use the words “I love you” very often. To Dan, to her children, to her parents. When she had dated she didn’t really like to hear them, because she felt they were special, and using them even after sex as some sort of “Thank You” cheapened them.

So did she mean them then? Was she indeed falling in love with Diana? Even after all they had shared the idea seemed preposterous, and yet… Well, time enough to deal with that, tonight or tomorrow. Susan’s mind shied away from the realization that tomorrow she was supposed to leave Paris.

Suddenly she giggled a bit.

“What?” Diana smiled down at her as Susan tilted her head back to meet her eyes.

“I just thought of something I really want to do with you.”

“Goodness,” Diana gave a mock groan. “You’re insatiable.”

Susan stretched and quickly kissed Diana. “Perhaps,” she acknowledged. “But that’s not what I meant.” Her eyes twinkled. “At least not right now. Here I am in Paris, with a gorgeous woman who knows the city. I may,” she hesitated, remembering her realization of moments ago, “I may never come here again. I want to see the city. Diana, I want to go SHOPPING!”

Both women broke out in laughter. “Okay,” Diana managed to gasp as she laughed. Go get dressed. We’ll be walking so comfortable is the key. I’ll meet you in the lobby” Susan nodded. She slipped into her dress from last night. She looked for her underwear. Not seeing it immediately, she shrugged and ran to her room.

She dressed quickly. She was tempted to put on a deep red dress and heels, and skip the underwear again. Sensible Susan reared her head and she settled for a white ruffled blouse and tan slacks. She slipped on her well used loafers and grabbed her purse. A quick check confirmed money, travelers checks and credit cards were all present and accounted for. She locked the door behind her and ran down the stairs.

They walked along Saint Germain toward the Boulevard St. Michel, stopping at any shop window that caught their eyes, buying some trifle neither one of them needed, then walking out of the shop and onto the boulevard again.

Susan seemed delighted. “Oh, I haven’t done this in ages. I love it!”

What Diana loved was being with Susan, enjoying Susan’s ebullience, bathing in the warm memory of their recent lovemaking. Diana wanted to hold Susan’s hand, but she thought it might embarrass Susan.

At the Odeon, when they made a detour into one of the side streets, Susan became enthralled by a cluttered antique shop, chattering with the old man who ran the place, a grizzled little fossil who knew enough English to keep Susan interested in everything in sight.

Diana whispered to Susan: “I’m going down the street a minute. I’ll be back soon, darling.”

Susan nodded, her hands turning over a lovely little music box.

Diana walked out and strode briskly to a small shop they had passed. Half-shuttered windows, an ambiguous sign, a closed door at the entrance. She pushed the door open and walked into the dimly-lit shop.

The display she wanted was near the back, under a reproduction of what looked like a Matisse odalisque. Diana bent over the case, carefully inspecting the items it contained.

A woman dressed in a flowery robe and a ton of costume jewelry came through the curtains from the back of the shop. The woman said: “Bonjour! Et votre plaisir?”

Diana looked at the woman. “I’m sorry. Do you speak English? My French is too horrible to use.”

The woman smiled, a gold tooth visible at the side of her mouth. “Yes, I speak some English. Not very well but enough. You would like one of those?” She pointed at the display case that Diana had been inspecting.

“But with the straps, yes?”

“Those are really too cheap, you know. Come with me and I’ll show you some better ones.” She led Diana through the curtains and into a back room as dimly-lit as the outer room. The woman opened a large drawer, extracted something, and then showed Diana what she held in her hands. “This is better. Realistic, no? And the straps are real leather, not plastic. They last forever. Here, handle it, you’ll see. Feel the balls. They can be filled, if you like that.

Her face flushed, Diana said: “How much?”

The woman smiled, showing her gold tooth again. “Only three hundred francs, my dear. I’m sure it will be perfect for you!”

Diana made the purchase, and a few minutes later she walked out of the shop with her package.

Madness, she thought. She wondered what Susan would think. Well, she would discover that, wouldn’t she?

Susan was reveling in the antique store. She had placed the music box and several other items on the counter and was eagerly browsing away. She wanted to find something special for Diana. She had already quietly made one purchase at a store they had stopped in earlier. Remembering the black silk scarf Diana had been wearing last night Susan had bought half a dozen brightly colored ones and smuggled them into a bag they were already carrying.

She recalled what she had imagined Diana doing with that scarf, even before she had acknowledged her attraction to the other woman. She shivered, but in excitement. Perhaps. Anyway, she still wanted to find something else.

A thought struck her. She checked the other music boxes, opening each one to listen to the songs. She smiled when she heard a certain one. Perfect! She immediately purchased the silver music box and hid it among the scarves. She left the other pieces on the counter where the lovely old man was adding them up when Diana returned.

“Hi honey, did you find what you were looking for?” Susan smiled at Diana.

“I think so,” Diana replied. “”Time will tell. What all have you accumulated here?”

“This music box, a silver serving tray and these wonderful matching goblets. This necklace and pendant for my daughter. My son is a coin collector, look at theses Roman coins, he’ll be wild. And these carved bookends, they’re perfect for…” Susan trailed off. She realized she was babbling. And what must Diana think of her. Here they were together and Susan was talking about her husband.

She shook her head a bit and smiled brightly, looking into Diana’s beautiful eyes. “I was babbling wasn’t I? As soon as I pay for it he’ll send it to the hotel.”

Diana laughed. “Yes you were babbling darling and I enjoyed it. Now what?”

Susan blushed, “You’re going to think I’m a woman made up of appetite only, but I’m hungry! Can we go eat?”

Diana laughed even harder. “Of course.”

“Wonderful.” Susan scooped up her change and her other purchases. Without a thought Susan took Diana’s hand in hers and laced their fingers together. She smiled at her lover. “Lead on, Diana, I’ll follow.”

In the afternoon, they each rested alone in their rooms. Diana thought an erotic tension seemed to be building between them again, as though the evening would bring a fresh intensity of sexual passion. It was Diana who suggested they each rest alone in their rooms. She needed time to herself, time to assess this wonderful new interlude that seemed to be teaching her so many things about herself. The purchase of the dildo had been an unexpected impulse, but now that she had it the idea of using it with Susan was incredibly exciting.

You’re utterly mad, she thought. But she realized it was more than that. For the first time in her life she was fully admitting her love for women. She was in a heterosexual marriage, but still a lesbian. And a lecherous lesbian at that; this affair with Susan was certainly proof. She felt intensely excited at the idea of making love to Susan again.

She slept awhile, had a bath, and then dressed for the evening. They went to La Coupole and they were lucky enough to get a table. They sat in the large room and noisy room, enjoying the ambience, enjoying the food, enjoying each other. Diana thought Susan looked stunning, so feminine and appealing. She wondered what Susan really thought of her.

After dinner, they rode a taxi to the Champs Elysees and walked along each side of the wide boulevard. The evening was balmy, the cafes crowded with people. They had coffee on the terrace of one of the cafes, and as they drained their coffee cups, Diana Said, “Well, what now? What would you like to do now?”

Their eyes met, and Susan said, “Whatever you want.”

“It’s already after nine o’clock.”

Diana smiled. “What I’d like to do, darling, is take you back to the hotel and make passionate love to you. Do you find the idea appealing?”

Susan blushed and laughed. “Oh, definitely yes. Oh my, yes.”

When they arrived back at the hotel, Susan whispered in Diana’s ear, “Give me 15 minutes and then come down to my room. Please?”

Diana smiled softly, but with a gleam deep in her eyes that made Susan tremble with anticipation. “Of course, my dear.” She brushed Susan’s cheek with the back of her hand and went to her room.

Susan hurried to her room. She had to make everything perfect. She stripped and began to make the preparations she had planed that afternoon. She opened and adjusted the doors to the balcony and matched the windows so the gentle breeze coming down the street fluttered the curtains. She laid out the candles she had slipped out and purchased that afternoon. The breeze was perfect. Not enough to blow them out, it was made them flicker and cast dancing shadows all over the room. She opened the bottle of wine and poured two glasses.

Before getting dressed Susan sat on the edge of her carefully turned back bed and thought. What was it that was drawing her to Diana so strongly? Was she becoming gay? Or was it more than that, a combination of her realization of her own attraction to other women and Diana herself? It was Diana, she knew. No one else had so powerfully affected her like this since, since … Susan sighed. She was still shying away from that thought. She didn’t know how this was going to end, but she would embrace tonight. Tomorrow would have to take care of itself.

Now then, time was passing. Susan scurried to the dresser where she had laid everything out. She wiggled into the black lace teddy. She undid the little tie in the front, which almost but not quite exposed her nipples. She carefully rolled the dark, seamed thigh high stockings up each leg and snapped the garter straps to them. She then pulled on her black high heels. She walked quickly to the bathroom and did her makeup. She finished with a deep red lipstick. She looked at herself, pulling the shoulder straps just a bit father till the tops of her aureole just showed through the lace.

There was a soft knock at the door. Susan took a deep breath, switched off the lights, and went to open it.

After Diana slipped into the room, Susan locked the door again. Diana’s eyes widened as she took in the flickering candlelight and Susan in lingerie.

“This must be a dream,” Diana said. “You take my breath away.”

Susan blushed, eyeing the long robe that completely covered Diana’s body. “Do I look okay? I wondered if this was too much.”

“No, you look lovely. I want you. Come here and kiss me.”

They moved into each other’s arms and kissed. Susan pulled back and pointed at the rectangular box in Diana’s hand. “What’s that?”

Diana smiled. “Oh, just something we might like later on.” She spied the wine bottle and glasses and put the box on the dresser. “Let’s have some wine, darling.”

When Susan poured the wine and handed a glass to Diana, the taller woman suggested a toast.

“To us,” Diana said. “And a thank you to Paris for bringing us together.”

Susan smiled. “Isn’t it marvelous? The two of us meeting the way we did. I never expected anything like this.”

“And neither did I. I adore you, I really do.”

“Oh, Diana, you’re wonderful! And it’s so wonderful being with you!”

They sipped the wine, and then put the glasses down and Diana took Susan into her arms and kissed her. “I love kissing you,” Diana said. “I love the way you taste.” Then she added: “And I love the way you’re dressed.”

Susan pulled back a bit to show off her teddy. “I’m more undressed than dressed. Do you really like it?”

“I love it. Do I get to see more?”

Susan gave her a coy look. “Such as?”

Diana moved closer and played her fingers along the exposed tops of Susan’s breasts. She untied the little bow, then tugged the lace down and under Susan’s breasts so that each breast hung like a ripe gourd over the lace edge. “You’re exquisite,” Diana said. “I want these in the open.”

Her face flushed, Susan stood there with her shoulders back and her breasts exposed to Diana’s eyes.

Susan felt as though she could close her eyes and float away. She could not remember feeling so desirable, so wanted. The look in Diana’s eyes absolutely melted her. She cupped her breasts, her fingers sliding over them.

“Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, so you like them?” She teased, swaying back and forth in front of Diana. She ran her hands down over the front of her body. Just the feel of the black lace under her own fingers made her breathing quicken and deepen. Her fingers slid over her thighs and caressed the smooth white flesh showing above the tops of her stockings.

Susan turned and brought her hands around to where her ass spilled out from the narrow covering that hid no more than her cleft. Beginning at the crease, she ran her nails up over her cheeks. It felt so sensual she did it again, scratching a little harder. She was sure she was leaving lines on herself, and that thought excited her too.

She could feel Diana behind her, almost feel her breath on her back. Susan suddenly reached between her legs and unsnapped the crotch of the teddy. She tucked the back flap us, exposing her whole ass to Diana. The gasp she heard fired her more. She bent deeply from the waist, tossing her torso as she pushed her full rounded bottom towards her lover.