Hit the Beach!
"Yes, yes yes!" Ray chanted happily as the battered old black jeep
coasted to a stop at the beach. The slim redhead woman nearly bounced
out of the back seat, her tan shorts and white t-shirt nearly perfect
gear for the summer heat.
The beach in midweek was less crowded than a weekend but still had
plenty of sun worshipers, men and women stretched out on the off-white
sands. The sea air was sweet as they looked out across blue waters, the
sky clear but for a few high clouds. The few structures nearby were a
older washing station consisting of a cement wall with water sprinklers
on top and farther up the way a battered shack housing the concession
stand.
"Hold up there," Catherine chuckled, the older driver stretching out
gracefully. One of her lesbian 'aunts' the black haired woman had become
one of Ray's mentors after she came out and joined the local lesbian
community, helping guide her over rough spots. Catherine looked lovely
with her long hair and her summer skirt swirled around long legs.
"Yeah, don't go sprinting down the beach," Mary agreed, the taller black
haired woman slamming the door and going around the back of the jeep for
their cooler. Mary had chosen to wear long shorts rather than her
partner's skirt, but if anyone claimed they were butch and femme she
would have denied it. The rowdier of Ray's 'aunts' she had a tendency to
look before she leapt that was tempered by Catherine's more reasonable
approach.
"I know," Ray admitted reluctantly as she grabbed a second smaller
cooler too, "but with Pride so close...."
"You figure this is a great chance to girl watch, right?" Mary chuckled
as Catherine grabbed the bag of towels and they headed down to the beach
together.
Ray blushed charmingly, looking away shyly as she answered them, "Well,
yeah. But can you blame me?"
"I wouldn't answer that," Catherine snickered as she gave her girlfriend
a look, the group coming to a stop in a clear area about halfway down
the beach, safe from the water and away from the large stones up near
the road.
Mary smiled back, "Trust me, I'm a firm believer in look but don't
touch."
As Catherine handed out the beach towels Ray mused, "You two are so
domestic it's sometimes scary."
Mary took a large towel and spread it out, sitting down beside Catherine
as she told Ray, "Trust me, it'll happen to you eventually."
Ray set up her own smaller towel, laying down so that she could scan the
beach and the people scattered around them. "Ugh," she said jokingly, "I
hope it's not soon."
"And remember," Catherine added seriously, "we've got a friend we want
to introduce you to today."
"Not a blind date," Ray groaned, focusing on the sights.
This close to the city's gay pride celebrations the beach was littered
with gay and lesbian groups. Men were gathering together to flex muscles
and oil their bodies even as the women congregated, talking and flirting
in less obvious but equally potent ways. There were women of every type
and color scattered about, and Ray found her eyes lingering on more than
one beauty.
'And most of them taken,' Ray reminded herself as she rolled over
towards her friends, smiling a bit sheepishly at Catherine and Mary.
"Here," Catherine chuckled as she got a bottle of water out of the
cooler and tossed it one handedly, "catch."
Ray gracefully caught it as she answered cheerfully, "Thanks!" She
opened it with a twist of her wrist, faintly surprised at how thirsty
she was as she chugged it down, emptying it in a few moments. "Whew!"
she puffed, smiling.
"I'm impressed," Mary chuckled.
Ray looked around for a nearby garbage can, but didn't see one. She got
up reluctantly, hefting the bottle as she said, "I'll go toss this."
"You want to take it to the concession stand?" Catherine asked sweetly,
"I think they've got a recycling bin up there."
Ray gave her a look as she said, "You know, there are times when I think
you're a bit too eco-friendly."
"Please?" both Mary and Catherine smiled.
Ray had to laugh at the entreating looks on their faces. "All right,"
she gave in, "I'll do it. Be right back." And with that Ray set off up
the beach.
The trip over to the concession stand wasn't that much of a trial,
really. Ray recognized several people she had met at pot lucks around
the city, exchanging greeting and comments about the weather. There were
even some speculative glances from a few ladies, but Ray knew they were
either in a relationship or too old for her. Not that she minded a few
years age difference, but a decade or more was pushing it.
Reaching the stand Ray started, "Could I return this... hello!"
The young woman at the concession stand looked rather amused by that
verbal slip, her long brown hair flowing over her shoulders in a
pony-tail. She wore a company shirt of some thing in a awful shade of
green, but the twinkle in her eyes made up for it. "I don't think hellos
are returnable," she winked.
Ray cleared her throat, smiling a bit as she said, "Sorry, I meant to
ask about returning this bottle, Miss."
"We can do that," she took the bottle one handed, revealing carefully
trimmed nails that were painted but clear.
'Good sign,' Ray noted the hands. She lingered by the side of the booth,
looking at her curiously as she said, "I'm Ray, nice to meet you."
"Ray, Huh? Well, I'm Lisa," the concession girl nodded, smiling as she
leaned tan arms up on the counter and letting her sleeves run up a bit
as she asked Ray impishly, "so what's a nice girl like you doing in a
place like this?"
Ray took a nervous breath but asked Lisa daringly in return, "I was just
wondering what time you get off."
"What time I get off?" Lisa flirted, "Depends on how good you are."
Ray felt herself blushing and silently cursed her fair skin. "I didn't
mean...." she started, fighting back a chuckle.
Lisa laughed warmly, touching her arm as she said, "I know what you
mean." She served a customer then returned to Ray, "I'm off around two,
sorry to say."
Noting it was only 11 am Ray nodded, "I'll be around."
"That took a very long time for a bottle return," Catherine noted from
where she was laying on her stomach, Mary smoothing a layer of suntan
oil on her skin.
"I got to talking to the girl running the stand," Ray admitted as she
sat down in the sun. "She's kinda interesting," she conceded.
"Oh really?" Mary asked as she carefully made sure the oil was even, not
to mention savoring the feel of her lover's skin.
"Yeah," Ray agreed as she lay down, tilting herself so she could see the
stand, "she's good looking, nice... and I find I like her sense of
humor."
"What's her name?" Catherine asked.
"Lisa," Ray said, then blinked as the oddest look passed over Mary's
face. "What?" she asked with a slight frown.
"Nothing, nothing," Mary replied, then actively refused to be drawn out
on the issue no matter what Ray tried.
The next two hours dragged on, only temporarily being relieved by
Catherine and Mary's picnic lunch. Ray tried to girl watch a bit but her
thoughts found themselves returning to Lisa in the concession stand,
lingering nearby to take a look and smiling sheepishly when she got
caught.
Finally two o'clock rolled around and Lisa's replacement arrived,
letting the young woman slip out of the ugly green shirt, revealing a
green bikini beneath. Lisa hurried out the back and smiled happily when
she saw Ray waiting for her.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Lisa smiled, looking up at the slightly
taller Ray thoughtfully.
Ray smiled back as she answered her, "I think you're worth the wait."
"Charming," Lisa smiled as they walked down the beach towards the
blankets, "very charming." She looked up at Ray and asked, "Are you
always this smooth?"
"You've forgotten my introduction already?" Ray teased. "It was inept,
but I thought it was at least memorable."
"It was that," Lisa agreed. She frowned as she saw Mary and Catherine
waiting with amused looks on their faces, "You know these two?"
"Yeah," Ray looked confused, "they were my ride down here."
Lisa gave her a surprised look, then broke into a case of giggles. "Oh
my."
"What?" Ray frowned slightly, still not getting it.
Lisa held onto Ray's arm tighter as the laughing girl said, "You're my
blind date."
Ray blinked a few times, "You're the girl who Mary and Catherine have
been trying for weeks to set me up with?"
"Yup," Lisa laughed as they finally reached where Mary and Catherine
were sitting.
"Told you that you two would be a good match," Mary said, looking
incredibly smug about the whole situation.
"Guess I should listen to you two more often," Ray conceded, breaking
into a smile.
Lisa sat down beside Ray on the blanket, looking at the other woman
impishly as she asked, "So what next?"
Ray looked thoughtful. "First I'm going to help you put some suntan
lotion all over," she wiggled her eyebrows and tried to look lecherous,
"then we'll hang out with these two for awhile." She dropped her voice a
bit, "And maybe try dinner together, you and I?"
"I'd like that," Lisa grinned.
End.
Notes: Intended as a cute one shot, originally for a yuri fanzine. As
that seems to have been delayed I decided to post it for my readers
enjoyment.
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