Hotel Key

Chapter 18

4 Years Ago

There were a few people milling around in the waiting room, flipping through the large glossy picture books. RickyJo sat down in one of the chairs until she saw a large man with flaming orange hair and a big beard coming around from the back of the shop. He wrapped her up in a quick hug.

"Are you really making me do this today?," he asked her. She laughed and nodded. "You sure you don't want a skull or a really bad ass tribal?," he suggested hopefully.

"Nope," she said, "I want the rainbow butterflies." Everyone at the shop was going to be teasing him about it, but she knew the man would do an amazing job. Except for the very first one she got done with Daryl at another shop, this artist did every single one of her tattoos. "I promise if you do the butterflies for me I will let you do the iguana on my thigh," she told him. He seemed pleased with this offer. At home he had a pet iguana. He had been sketching it and waiting for someone to let him put one of his drawings on skin.

A pretty girl that was milling around the waiting room looked over with some interest. She noticed the tall blonde girl as soon as she came in, Everyone in the place noticed her. But Laney didn't bother to approach her since she figured she was straight.

"Rainbow butterflies?," she asked. The large man nodded as though he thought it was the worst idea ever.

"Not just butterflies," he told the girl, "A rainbow butterfly ass cap." RickyJo was laughing now.

"You have to make it look sexy," she reminded him. The other girl came forward and held out her hand.

"Laney," she said. RickyJo took her hand in hers, feeling a sudden charge of electricity. The girl was a few inches shorter than her and had tan skin and long thick dark curly hair. She was thin through the waist but curvy in the hips and chest. There was something about her that RickyJo liked instantly.

"RickyJo," she told the girl, and then pointed to the large man next to her, "this is Tiny." The girl started to laugh. It was a funny nickname for such a large man. Tiny looked at the two girls. RickyJo had a boyfriend that came in with her sometimes, but he always wondered if she batted for the other team on occasion. Now he was sure.

"Why don't you come back with us and check it out," he suggested to the girl, ushering them both back to his booth. He got out the drawing he made for RickyJo and had her look where he was placing it. A few other artists popped in to say hello to RickyJo and laugh at the big man who had been drawing out rainbow butterflies all week. The girls talked a little, getting to know each other. Laney showed off a tattoo she had on her foot. The more RickyJo looked at the girl, the prettier she thought she was. She had straight white teeth and short round fingernails. When she spoke it was soft and throaty, what some people would call a whiskey voice. RickyJo was starting to get the feeling that unlike her, this woman was openly gay.

Laney checked her phone for the time. She would like to stay and talk some more, but she was due to open the restaurant she worked at soon. RickyJo really wanted to see this girl again but she wasn't sure what she should say. It turned out the girl did the work for her.

"I'm working until around nine," she said, "maybe we could meet for a drink later and talk some more."

"Yes," RickyJo told her, "I'd like that." The girl wrote her number down for RickyJo on a piece of paper and left. Once she was gone, Tiny offered his opinion.

"What's your boyfriend going to think about that?," he asked. He was curious if maybe they had some kind of arrangement and was even more jealous of the man than he already was. It was on every guy's bucket list to have two women at the same time and these two were hot enough to count as two each. He made no secret about his attraction to RickyJo, even though she seemed oblivious to it. But he still enjoyed her company even if she wasn't into him that way. She was humble and beautiful and always had a kind word for everyone. He did his best work on her and considered her his muse.

"He's not going to think anything about it," she said, "because he's not going to find out." Damn, Tiny thought, he didn't know it was like that. Personally, he thought she ought to tell the man. He didn't know a man in his right mind that would be upset about something like that. Then he had another thought. He knew RickyJo was quiet and private about her personal life. Just because some people had no problem parading their sexuality all over town, didn't mean everyone felt that way.

"Does anyone know?," he asked her.

"No," she said, shaking her head. She didn't even really know for sure how she felt. Merle knew about her old college roommate and she guessed he suspected more but he hadn't brought any of that up in a long time. Some things were off limits even for Merle.

Daryl got done late at the car shop. Merle didn't bother to show up for work again, leaving Daryl to do the work of two people. He finally called it quits and closed up the shop alone, having sent the other guys home around dinner time. Parking his car in the garage under the apartment building where he lived, he thought about heading upstairs to go straight to bed. Then he changed his mind and decided to head next door for a drink. There was a small local bar next door to their building where they went all the time for drinks. It was friday and he bet RickyJo was over there anyway.

The place was crowded and he elbowed through and ordered a beer from the bartender. Then he looked around for RickyJo. He spotted her at the far end of the bar talking to a pretty dark haired girl. The girl was not someone he recognized but he guessed she was from the college. That's where all RickyJo's female friends were from. Daryl started to head over. But something about the way they were looking at each other made him stop. They were sitting on barstools, but their bodies were turned to face each other. The dark haired girl was leaning in close to whisper something to RickyJo. RickyJo had her hand on the upper part of the girl's arm touching her lightly. He took his beer and went to one of the high top tables against the wall, where he could watch them.

They were not doing anything overtly sexual to each other, but he was getting a strange feeling about them just the same. It felt like finding the last piece of a puzzle on the floor under your chair. Daryl was supposed to go out with his brother after work today. When they went out he usually did not come home until very late at night or early morning. Is this what she does when she knows I won't be home? He knew they were not technically together. But it made him mad just the same. RickyJo could have told him years ago that she was into women and saved them both a lot of grief and wasted time. Daryl decided he didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet. He would watch them a while longer first.

RickyJo was listening to a funny story Laney was telling her about a seafood delivery when she felt all the hair on her arms stand up. Someone was watching her. She looked over by the door and around at the other people sitting at the bar. No one seemed to be looking her way. She guessed it must have just been her imagination, and rubbed at the bumps on her arms.

"Are you cold?," Laney asked her, touching her shoulder.

"No, I just got a weird feelin' there for a minute," she said, "Like someone was watchin' me."

"Don't you live right next door?," Laney asked her with a suggestive smile. RickyJo nodded, suddenly feeling nervous. She hadn't been with anyone since Imani and that was years ago. RickyJo was paying for their drinks as they went, so they didn't have tabs to pay. Laney grabbed her purse and they headed for the door. Once they got outside, Laney leaned in closer, taking her hand. RickyJo wasn't quite sure what to expect when they got back to her apartment. But she figured at least they would have the place to themselves since Daryl was out with his brother doing whatever it was that they did. RickyJo suspected they went out looking for women to have some sort of anonymous sex with. It didn't make her jealous the way some girls would have been. After all, she couldn't expect Daryl to wait around for her forever.

RickyJo got her key out and opened up the door to the building. Once they were inside, Laney lifted up on her tiptoes and planted a soft kiss on her lips. RickyJo slipped her arms around the woman's waist, pulling her close and kissing her back. Then she took her hand and headed for the elevator. When the doors dinged closed, they really started kissing. RickyJo touched the woman's long soft hair. Her lips parted and when their tongues met, RickyJo could taste the fruity drink the woman ordered at the bar. It was like pineapple and cherries and heaven all mixed together.

The elevator stopped and opened, letting them out on the third floor. There was a small hallway and only one door. RickyJo tried to get her key in the door while the other woman was still trying to kiss her. Both women were tipsy from the drinks they had at the bar. RickyJo dropped her keys, and pulled Laney into her arms, kissing her hard on the mouth, making them both giggle. The woman backed off a little.

"Open the door," she said with a smile, "unless you wanna get it on out here in the hallway." Slamming her key into the lock, RickyJo twisted it and shoved the door open, making it bang against the wall inside. This made them both laugh again. Laney followed her inside and watched her kick the door shut and lock it. She looked around at the apartment. It was much bigger and nicer than she had expected. She thought the woman said she worked for the university. This was a nice place to have on a teacher's salary. There were a few doors down the hall and Laney figured the girl must have roommates. No one seemed to be around right now, and Laney was glad. RickyJo headed for the kitchen to make them each a drink.

"I have a hot tub up on the roof," she suggested to the woman. Laney smiled. She would just as soon go straight to the woman's bedroom, but there was nothing wrong with a little romance.

"I'm afraid I didn't bring my suit," she said.

"Oh shit," RickyJo said, remembering the large bandage on her back, "My tattoo." Laney forgot about that. She wasn't sure how long you needed to wait to go swimming after getting a tattoo but she guessed it was more than a few hours.

"Don't worry about it," she said, "we can hot tub next time." RickyJo smiled. She liked that the woman had implied she wanted to see her again. Laney picked up her drink and took a sip.

"Where is your bedroom?," she asked. RickyJo was nervous about what she should say so she took Laney's hand and led her down the hall. She left the overhead light off and got a few candles she kept in the bathroom by her tub, lighting them and setting them on her bedside table. Laney came in, shutting the door behind her.

This room was nice too. The bed was big and soft and she could tell the blankets and sheets were expensive. She took another sip of her drink and handed it to RickyJo, who set both the drinks down near the bed. Then she turned and pulled her shirt up over her head, leaving her bra on for now. Laney did the same and then climbed onto the bed, patting the spot next to her. RickyJo crawled up onto the bed and pushed Laney down onto the pillows, kissing her. Their kisses got deeper as they pulled at each other's clothes, rolling around on the bed. RickyJo loved the safe feeling she got kissing another woman. There was no fear of going too far and what the woman might do to her. Kissing and touching was all that girls did, and a woman could never try to force her to do something she wasn't ready for.

Pushing her lacey bra out of the way, RickyJo kissed the other woman's breasts, sucking each one of her nipples until she moaned. Then she pulled her own bra off and unbuttoned her pants, wincing as she lay back on her new tattoo to push them down. She saw Laney had rolled away and was taking the rest of her clothes off as well. She had full hips and a tiny waist with full natural breasts. There was a black tattoo on her right hip of a flock of birds in flight. RickyJo thought it was one of the sexiest things she had ever seen and she leaned down to kiss it. Laney gave a soft sigh and let her legs fall gently open. Going softly at first, RickyJo leaned in and got a taste of the woman. She tasted sweeter than Imani had, and the little patch of hair that she had was soft and silky. The rest of her was waxed smooth.

RickyJo flicked her tongue across the spot where she knew the woman would like it best, when her hips started to move, she slipped her fingers inside, making Laney cry out in delight as she found her release. She gave her soft parting kiss and crawled back up to hold her close. Laney held her tight until she caught her breath then she pushed the other woman onto her back. RickyJo put her hand to the bandage on her lower back and winced in pain.

"I'm so sorry," Laney told her, "I forgot."

"So did I," RickyJo said with a small grin. Laney thought this over. She didn't want the woman to be uncomfortable.

"Get on your hands and knees," she told her. RickyJo was taken aback for a minute, Imani never did anything to her in that position. But she quickly decided she was game for whatever was going to happen and did as Laney told her. She felt the woman come around behind her, nudging her legs further apart and kneeling between them. Then she felt the woman's fingers on her, rubbing her clit. She moaned. There was something sexy about kneeling down like this and being so exposed. Laney slid her thumb inside the woman, sliding it in and out, getting it wet. Then she increased the pressure and speed on her center of pleasure while she slid her wet thumb into her ass. She wiggled the tip of it back and forth with the rhythm of her other finger until she felt RickyJo start to spasm. Then she pulled her hand away from the woman's clit and shoved two fingers inside her wet opening, fucking her fast and hard with them. She smiled when she heard the woman cry out and she knew she was coming a second time. Laney finished her off and they both collapsed onto the bed, snuggling and kissing each other.

"Is it alright if I stay the night?," Laney asked her. RickyJo just pulled her closer and kissed her again. Of course she could spend the night.

"Ya need anythin'?" RickyJo asked her softly. Laney nodded. She was thirsty and she really did not want to drink any more alcohol. She was going to be hung over enough in the morning as it was.

"Water?," she asked. RickyJo kissed her and grabbed the big t-shirt she usually slept in from the back of a chair, pulling it over her head. Then she took the drinks with her to dump them out and get some bottled water out of the fridge. She walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Someone cleared their throat loudly behind her, and scared her so bad she felt like she almost jumped out of her skin. She turned to find Daryl standing there staring at her with his arms crossed.

"Fuckin' christ on a cross," she told him, "ya scared the goddamn hell out of me." He just stood there staring at her. "I thought you were out with Merle," she added.

"Its pretty fuckin' obvious ya didn't know I was here," he told her. She cursed silently to herself, wondering how long he had been there. Then she thought about the weird feeling she had back in the bar.

"You were watchin' me down in the bar," she said.

"Yeah," he hissed, "when you put on a fucking show like that people are gonna look." RickyJo was more startled and embarrassed at first. But now she was starting to get mad. She wasn't doing anything inappropriate at the bar. She and Laney were only talking and laughing together. Before she could respond, Daryl moved in and grabbed her hard by the arm.

"All that waitin' until you are ready shit is bullshit," he said, moving in so his nose was almost touching hers, "really yer fuckin' dyke-ing it up behind my fuckin' back, that it?" His words were full of venom but there were tears were welling up in his eyes. RickyJo didn't know what else to do, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tight. She felt Daryl go stiff and then he hugged her back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into his neck, "I never meant for ya to find out like this. I only did this once before and that was a long time ago." He pulled back, holding her at arm's length.

"You haven't been fuckin' other dudes have ya?," he asked. She shook her head vigorously.

"No, it was Imani," she admitted. Daryl sighed in relief. He had always thought something strange was going on between RickyJo and her college roommate and while he wasn't happy about it, it was nice to finally know the truth. RickyJo heard a soft tread on the other side of the counter. When she turned, she saw Laney standing there.

"Is everything okay?," the woman asked. Really, she heard their whole conversation and decided it was time to go. She was attracted to feminine women and this would not be the first time one of the girls she dated ended up having a boyfriend.

"Everythin' is fine," RickyJo told her. She didn't mean to drag this woman into her personal dramatics. "Sorry," she added. Laney waved her off.

"It's okay," Laney said, "I'll call you tomorrow, alright?" RickyJo nodded. Laney noticed the man was staring at her. But at least he didn't say anything. She gave RickyJo a little wave and headed out the door, shutting it behind her. Daryl watched her go. He had to give it to RickyJo, at least she had good taste. That chick was totally hot. Hotter than any girl he had ever got in the sack.

"Merle flake out on work today," she asked. RickyJo knew Merle was using again. She guessed it wouldn't be long before he would disappear for a while as he was prone to do when he went on a bender. Daryl nodded. "You eat yet?" He shook his head no. Now that he was thinking about it he realized he was starving.

"It's not that late and I'm drunk," she said, "you wanna order takeout and watch a movie?" Daryl laughed. He supposed he did want to. He pulled RickyJo in and held her close. As much as he tried, it was impossible to stay mad at her.

"Alright," he said.