Ó Copyright December 4, 1998 - January 31, 1999 by JLPeterson (Ruth2Naomi@aol.com)

DISCLAIMERS, WARNINGS and THANKS are listed at the beginning of Part One.

By JLPeterson

Jay removed the bedspread and, with her robe on as well, gently got into the bed and wrapped herself around the quietly sleeping young woman.

"Goodnight, love," she whispered, brushing her lips against the golden strands.

***

About two hours later Dee stirred. She was vaguely aware of an arm draped over her and a warm body snuggled up against her. She felt safe.

Sure she was still dreaming, the young woman opened one hazel eye and barely distinguished a long hand resting palm down about six inches from her face. Dee opened the other eye and let both pupils adjust to the dim moonlit room. Looking past the hand she saw the elegant interior of the bedroom and she began to recall last night.

She remembered the savory smells of dinner, the salty scent of the ocean, the delicious taste of Jay's mouth and the softness of her lips. Again she could hear the sound of the water lapping the shore, feel the champagne's fizz on her nose, the warmth of Jay's tender embrace and the sweet low vibration of her voice. She could picture the moon's reflection glimmering on the sea below, the wild blue of Jay's eyes, and felt the trembling merger of two hearts as she burned once again in the inferno of a kiss. She remembered everything except for how she ended up being under the bedcovers with Jay.

Dee turned slowly in Jay's loose embrace and found herself looking into eyes which uncannily had a glow all their own.

"You okay?" Jay whispered.

"Better than okay," came the answer as the younger woman tried to scoot closer to Jay only to get trapped by the belt of her robe.

She squiggled around to remove the belt and threw it over her shoulder to the floor. In the process she unknowingly gave the other woman a fleeting glimpse of her white breasts and bikini briefs.

Jay met her halfway to close the distance between their lips.

As they tenderly kissed, Dee stroked Jay's long dark hair and velvet cheek with a feather light touch. Her hand wandered delicately down the long neck. There she slipped her fingers under the edge of the robe and drew them across Jay's collarbone out to her shoulder. Inspired, Dee kept her eyes closed and moved her kiss down the taller woman's neck, following the trail her hand had just made.

Jay drew her head back and moaned softly. She let out a short, almost inaudible, gasp as Dee's hand brushed over her breast and returned to caress it.

The tourist could scarcely believe what she was doing but she felt powerless to stop. The sensuous sounds escaping Jay's mouth encouraged her to follow her body's leading and leave any mental analysis far, far behind.

Jay reached to pull Dee's robe off her shoulder and leant in to return the touches. As more skin was exposed and covered by hungry mouths and adventurous hands, the pressure and tempo of their affections increased.

They had kicked off the blanket and sheets and now their robes joined the pile of coverings on the floor. Without thinking Jay ran her fingertips back and forth along the elastic waistband of the young woman's underwear, pushing them down inch by inch until Dee pulled them off completely and tossed them aside.

Jay moved to be on top of Dee, supporting most of her weight with her elbows and knees. Her head dropped down as she whispered pleasures into the blonde hair. Dee's thighs grasped Jay at the hips. Her hands alternatively lightly circled and passionately squeezed Jay's firm yet soft derriere.

The taller woman raised herself up onto her hands and began to roam down Dee's body with her hair, face, lips and tongue. Jay asked Dee to move so that her hips were at the foot of the bed. She herself slid to the floor, knelt on top of the bedcover, and helped Dee move into a position before her. Just as Dee was about to ask what Jay was planning to do, her question was answered.

With a loud moan Dee's head dropped back to the bed as if her neck had been snapped.

For an hour she whimpered, quivered, gasped and cried silent tears until she found herself begging Jay to let her go.

Leaving Dee's virginity intact, Jay slowly withdrew her two fingers to the second joint, curled them upwards, and pressed them against Dee in a pulsating motion while continuing to stimulate her with her mouth and other hand.

The young woman screamed her release in words that must have been an ancient tongue.

Jay was so close to climax herself that all she needed to do was guide Dee's hand to her and push. Her body tightened and shook repeatedly. Then, vertebrae by vertebrae and muscle by muscle, she relaxed.

The lovers slid their wet bodies together, tasted the sweat on their faces, and kissed deeply until sleep wandered away with their minds and all was still once more.

It was broad daylight when the tourist ventured to open her eyes again.

Because Jay had arranged for a late checkout they didn't need to hurry. They took advantage of the large, ornate jacuzzi tub and their newfound bliss in each other's bodies. Without saying a word about whether or not they should, they had become lovers. Sated lovers indulging in a honey-colored afterglow and lightness of spirit.

The hot water had cooled and their skin was puckered when they finally decided they had to leave the tub. Once again they donned their fancy white hotel robes to sit down at the dining table and enjoy the complimentary breakfast that came with the suite.

"A continental breakfast is not a meal," the young woman from Iowa informed her host.

Jay just responded with a crooked grin and an upward thrust of an eyebrow.

"Okay… First on today's agenda is," Dee began.

"Making love," Jay suggested.

The younger woman scrunched her face in a pained look and mouthed the word "Ooh".

"I'm just a wee bit sore at the moment," she elaborated and continued "so what's next?"

"Well…let me mentally peruse my inventory of Southland attractions. "

"Hmmm…" Jay closed her eyes and tapped her finger several times on her cheek.

"I know," she said re-opening her eyes in time to see Dee stuff a croissant into that delightful orifice of hers, "Julian."

"Never heard of it," the tourist replied while licking crumbs from the corners of her mouth and smacking her lips, "It's not on my list of places to see."

Laughing lightheartedly the tour-guide answered back, "Sometimes the best things are unexpected. Don't you think?"

"Oh yeah…" Dee chuckled back, "Julian it is."

…

Jay drove them south and inland through the city of Escondido up into the hills, wilderness and fruit groves that surrounded Julian.

"It's just a quaint little town famous for its apples and rustic atmosphere," Jay said as they approached one of Julian's two traffic signals.

"You don't know the meaning of 'little town' Jay, " the tourist teased her guide, "compared to What Cheer, this place is a bustling metropolis."

… (http://www.icsol.com/julian/index.html)…

They wandered up one side of the main street and down the other stopping for hot apple pie a la mode and buying apple butter and apple cider. Dee bought them some nuts too, just in case.

They had entered the town at one end and exited from the other. Jay took them further inland and into less tame terrain. Pine trees gave way to Chaparral and manzanitas to sagebrush. Small grassy streams were left behind while wide barren washes lay ahead. The small highway wound through clay and sandstone canyons until it opened out onto the sweeping desert floor.

"Welcome to Anza Borrega," Jay turned to her lover and announced, grateful that the heat of the day had been spent at higher altitudes and in cooler climes.

… (http://www.desertusa.com/anza_borrego/du-abpmain.html)…

Late that night, when Jay and Dee unwillingly parted at Denise's apartment, the tourist was glad her cousin wasn't home. She knew she was in trouble...in more ways than one.

Dee didn't turn on the TV, the radio, read, pick up the phone or write. She undressed and climbed right into her couch-bed praying that Morpheus would quickly take her back to relive the past thirty-six hours.

"She's home," Denise whispered faintly to her boyfriend Rob as she gently closed the door to Dee's room, "Thank God."

…

It was a tribute to Jay's driving skills that she made it back to her home safely, so pre-occupied was she with thoughts of her new young lover that she experienced a couple of 'twackies' en route.

Tonight she resented dressing. She didn't want to go work. With a great deal of mental exertion and with each piece of clothing, accessory or touch of makeup Jay applied to her face, she pushed thoughts of Dee into a far corner of her consciousness. There she locked her love safely away where Dee wouldn't know that Delilah existed.

She inspected herself in the full-length mirror. Her long brown tresses were swept up high and held in place by a beautiful comb that sparkled with pale blue, green and white stones. Tendrils of loosely curled hair framed her face and brought her attention to her teardrop tear-colored earrings that matched the simple but elegant necklace from which a large pale aquamarine hung just above her cleavage. Soft folds of fabric were suspended from her shoulders by thin plain straps and the gown fell around her body like an intimate caress. Her high heels and clutch bag were of the same iridescent blue-green material as her dress. Above all, her eyes, surrounded by long dark lashes and eyeliner, shone like priceless gems to which the entire ensemble paid homage.

…

<Ring>

Ian made no move to stop and answer the phone. He didn't even hear it.

<Ring>

The bed stopped trying to knock its way through the wall as the handsome dark-haired man arched back and suddenly threw his shoulders and head forward. His body rocked in uncontrolled spasms and then he slowly fell forward onto Delilah's sweat-soaked skin.

The phone stopped ringing. Momentarily there was a knock on the door. Then another.

"Goddammit." Ian muttered against her breast.

He rolled away from her and, putting on his robe, walked to the door and peered through the peephole. He saw a woman dressed in the hotel's front desk uniform with a very distressed look on her face. He cracked the door open an inch.

"This better be damn important," he told her.

"I'm extremely sorry to disturb you Mr. McDonnell," she said trying to regain her professional composure, "but we tried calling your room and there was no answer"

"I know," he grumbled, "get on with it."

"Well, a detective from the New York Police Department called for you on a very urgent matter - he said he'd call back shortly and was sending someone over to speak with you personally."

"Is that all?" Ian was fully awake now, mind alert and body tensed.

"Yes-"

The phone began to ring again so Ian gave the woman a barely visible nod and closed the door to answer it. He sat on the edge of the bed and lifted the receiver.

"Hello." His jaw tightened in anticipation of bad news.

"Mr. McDonnell?" the deep and calm male voice inquired.

"Yes, this is he."

"My name is Detective Frank Williams and I'm with the New York Police Department."

"Go on."

"I'm afraid I have some very tragic news for you concerning your wife and son."

Ian swallowed.

"They were involved in an automobile accident early this morning. Your wife was killed instantly and your son is in critical condition."

With his throat dry and constricted, Ian couldn't speak. The detective continued.

"I have arranged for Mr. O'Neill to see you personally. He should be there soon.

After a minute of silence, Detective Williams asked, "Are you there Mr. McDonnell?"

"Yes," came the strained sound.

Jay moved her hand to rest it on Ian's robe-covered thigh but he brushed it aside.

"Mr. O'Neill will be able to give you all of the details."

"How did it happen?" Ian's voice trembled.

There was a bold knock.

"Just a moment," Ian spoke into the phone, "that may be Mr. O'Neill at the door."

He set the receiver down on a pillow and rose to answer the knock.

"Get in the bathroom," he ordered Jay as he started toward the door.

She quickly got off the bed and shut the bathroom door behind her.

He unlocked and opened the door wide.

"Mr. McDonnell?" The dangerous end of a Beretta asked him.

An arm attached to a masked man in a dark business suit shoved Ian back into the room. A second man in like disguise appeared behind the first and clicked off his cell phone. He closed, locked the door and went to hang up Ian's phone.

"I'm Detective Williams," he said.

Jay knew something horrible had happened, but it was only the beginning of a nightmare.

***

At nine the next morning Dee dragged her body from the couch, pulled on a pair of panties and an oversized T-shirt. She gingerly cracked open her door and could hear voices floating to her from the kitchen along with the smells of coffee and toast.

"Mornin'," she mumbled to Denise as she noticed a burly but kind looking middle-aged man seated at the kitchen table with a cup at his mouth.

Denise turned from the kitchen counter where she was buttering a slice of toast, "Boy are you lucky," she directed to Dee, "I've had a whole day and night to cool down."

"I, um, I…" the younger cousin stammered.

"Just where the hell have you been!" Denise was getting back in touch with some of her anger. "Sorry, Rob," she calmly added turning to her companion.

"With Jay," Dee bleated, then she turned to the man and said,"Hi."

He nodded to acknowledge her greeting.

"I thought as much," the older one said flatly. "Rob, will you excuse us for a minute?"

Denise led Dee by the hand back into the guest's room.

"Who the hell do you think you are to just take off and not call or let me know if you're okay or where you are!" Denise was getting into her rhetoric now.

"Do you have any idea of how worried I was about you? Hmmm?"

"I'm sorry-"

"Yeah I bet you're sorry young lady." Denise was starting to sound like Dee's mom.

"And just what were you doing with that woman all that time?"

Dee looked pathetic. She felt like shit for causing her cousin so much anxiety and now the words to answer Denise's last question were escaping her.

"Well…" the older one prodded.

"We were driving down the coast sightseeing, and it, uh, it got real late, so we, um, just decided to stay at a hotel for the night." There, she'd said something. And it was true.

"And nothing bad, or, ah, questionable happened?" Denise was digging for more.

"What do you mean?"

"She didn't try to sell you on the idea of earning a lot of tax-free cash?"

Dee opened her eyes and mouth wide in surprise.

"Oh, Denise - you've got her figured all wrong," Dee defended, " She's not like that at all, she just has the free time is being kind enough to show me around." …And, by the way, we're in love...

"What's with the silly expression?"

Dee shook the sign of her little fantasy trip off her face. "Nothing."

"Listen, we'll talk more about this later," Denise informed her, "in the meantime why don't you get yourself cleaned up and join Rob and I for breakfast."

She walked out of Dee's room closing the door behind her and headed for the kitchen.

Rob left shortly after breakfast and Dee and Denise sat down in the living room.

Dee checked her watch.

"Jay's coming by again?" Denise began.

"Yeah. Said she'd be here around 10."

Her older cousin was hesitant to start a conversation if Jay would be arriving at any minute. She picked up her latest glamour magazine and flipped idly through the pages.

"So… where are you off to today?"

"Not sure," the tourist distractedly replied, "Maybe north."

She pretended to look at a couple magazines as well, but her mind was most definitely elsewhere. The only place I really want to visit today is Jay's. The memory of them naked together made her quiver. She looked to Denise to see if she'd noticed the shake, which she hadn't. Phew.

Dee checked her watch constantly. At half past the hour, Dee got up, walked to the screen door and looked out. There was no sign of her lover.

She returned to the couch for five minutes. Got back up again and started roaming about the room. It was beginning to irritate Denise.

"Will you please stop pacing around like a caged lion?" Denise asked.

"It's eleven and Jay's late," Dee answered, "I don't have her phone number."

Her cousin sighed, "Will you sit down and tell me what's really going on?"

"Why do you think there's something going on?" the younger replied turning her gaze from out the window to Denise.

"You are obsessed with seeing Jay."

God, I'm so transparent. She thought first to deny it and then walked back over to the couch and sat next to Denise. She looked in her older cousin's eyes and mustered all the courage she could find.

"I'm in love with her," Dee managed to say, and watched as Denise's face fell.

"No."

"Yes."

"You only think you're in love with her," Denise tried to persuade her cousin, "She has wined and dined you and treated you like royalty - that's what you're in love with Dee."

"You're wrong. I love her. And she loves me."

Denise's eyebrows shot up and her eyes widened.

"Just how far has this gone Dee?"

The young woman's heart pounded at the memory.

"Dee?"

Jay! You should have been here by now! Save me! Dee leapt to the door at the sound of an approaching car that turned out not to be Jay's.

"Answer me, Dee." The older one's tone was very serious.

Dee returned to the couch and tried to prepare for her cousin's likely reaction.

"We made love."

Denise looked down and shook her head sadly, "Oh Dee…"

She reached over and placed her hands gently on top of her younger cousin's. Then she lifted Dee's chin with a finger until their eyes met.

"Dee. It's not real love, " she began to softly explain, "It's an experiment - an infatuation at most. Lust with no substance."

The young woman closed her eyes, dropped her head back down and shook her head no.

"No," Dee calmly responded, bringing her eyes back to her cousin's, "I thought I knew what real love was before. I was wrong then. This is real." Where are you Jay?

Dee abruptly turned away from Denise and brought her hands to her cheeks. She tried to inconspicuously wipe away the tears that had begun to fall. It was too no avail. She could not hide her weeping.

Her older cousin moved closer to her back and placed her hands tenderly on Dee's trembling shoulders.

"I'm sorry Dee, " she whispered, "You really do love her, don't you?"

Dee nodded her head and turned back to cry into her cousin's shoulder. Denise wrapped her arms around her and patted her back. "It's okay."

It's okay? If Jay were here it would be okay. But it's not okay. The tourist broke out in a new wave of sobs. I want you. Please come soon.

By noon there was no sign of Jay.

Dee didn't have Jay's number and Jay didn't have Denise's phone number either. Addresses and phone numbers, among many other things, were a couple of items they planned to exchange today.

Denise finally persuaded her younger cousin that it would be alright if they went for a walk at the beach if they left a note for Jay saying when they'd left, where they'd gone and when they'd be back. The older cousin had to sadly acknowledge that Dee was head over heels for Jay, God knows Dee never went to that kind of trouble to inform her of the tourist's whereabouts.

When Rob arrived at 7 to take Denise out to dinner, they invited Dee to join them. While she appreciated her cousin's concern she declined and went to her room for a nap. Ostensibly. She really did hope to sleep and escape her fear, but her heart yearned for her missing lover and her mind kept questioning what was happening. At first she worried that something terrible had befallen Jay. Then she worried that Jay had had second thoughts and decided to stop seeing her. She was a depressed mess and couldn't think of anything to alleviate her pain.

Unable to rest at all, Dee got back up off her couch-bed and began to search Denise's apartment for something alcoholic to drink. She decided she'd never been drunk and tonight was a good time to try it. In the refrigerator she found 5 bottles of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, a half-full bottle of a French Merlot and an unopened Beringer White Zinfandel. In the cabinets she found an almost full bottle of Kahlua coffee liqueur and a near empty Bailey's Irish Cream. She also discovered a large full bag of potato chips. She grabbed a bottle of Ale and the bag and headed for the living room. Plopping down on the couch she decided to drink, munch and watch TV. Somehow she was going to get her mind off Jay and her heart out of despair.

Determining the Ale too impotent, Dee switched to the Merlot. It took her a couple of mouthfuls to adjust to its rich flavor but then she decided she liked it. She scanned the cupboards for more snacks and made herself a bag of microwave buttered popcorn.

She didn't have any trouble watching Hercules but when Xena came on at 9pm, Dee's struggle with controlling her sorrow resurfaced. Jay and Xena look so much alike. She watched the show and put herself through a kind of self-torture that distraught lovers have down to an art form. The closing credits scrolled up the television screen. The theme music stopped to advertise the upcoming news: "Tonight's leading headline story: Ian McDonnell, the founder and CEO of Quest Information Systems was found murdered in his Bel Air hotel room early this afternoon and there are no suspects in custody at this time." The music resumed playing over the remaining credits.

***

"There's someone here with him," the so-called Detective Williams whispered to his accomplice as he noticed a woman's belongings on the table and floor.

He pulled his own weapon from behind his back, stepped quietly and cautiously to the bathroom door. Slowly he turned the handle and quickly pushed open the door. Jay had hastily pulled on Ian's shirt and grabbed to hold up the unzipped trousers, which, as a small blessing, he had left on the bathroom floor.

Williams signaled with his gun for her to come out into the bedroom.

Ian's eyes darted about looking for some opening to turn the situation around. Williams could see the wheels turning.

"Give it up Mr. McDonnell," he said, "cooperate or I'll put a hole in your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend. I don't give a damn what you do to her - she's just a f--king whore."

Just a f---king whore. The remark hit Jay like an excruciating blow to her chest. Dee.

Williams told O'Neill to handcuff and blindfold Ian.

O'Neill held out the handcuffs with his free hand, "You know what to do with these."

Ian made as to take the cuffs but quickly made a grab for the gun hand. He wasn't fast enough to catch O'Neill off-guard. They struggled for control of the weapon, even when Williams re-directed the barrel of his own gun at Ian and yelled for him to stop. It was too late. The fray only lasted seconds and then there was a pop - it sounded like a champagne cork. With a look of complete surprise Ian sat on the bed, turned to face Jay and fell back, blood dribbling from a small puncture at his temple.

"F--k!" O'Neill lamented repeatedly as he watched the man sit down on the bed and die. "Oh God, f--k!"

"Stop it!" Williams yelled, "You f--k-up!"

He grabbed for Jay's arm and yanked it hard in anger. If only these guys didn't have guns. Shit.

"What now?" O'Neill's eyes were wild, "This totally f--ked it up!"

"Shut up you asshole." Williams attempted to make a decision now that their plan to kidnap the multi-millionaire was dead.

He aimed his gun at Jay's head, "You be quiet or you're next."

"Handcuff and blindfold her," he ordered O'Neill, "and let's gag her just in case."

O'Neill did as instructed and used her own underwear as a gag.

Williams had his accomplice wipe his fingerprints from his pistol, remove the clip and push the gun into Jay's right hand. She struggled but between the two of them they managed to get her prints on the gun. O'Neill replaced the clip and Williams wrapped the gun and her shoes in Jay's evening gown. Then O'Neill picked up every item of Ian and Jay's that appeared to have any monetary value and put them in Jay's clutch bag.

She felt a sharp pain at the back of her head and knew she was slumping to the ground before she lost consciousness. The two men removed the masks they had donned, the handcuffs, blindfold and gag. Williams was sure she'd be out long enough for them to at least get to their car without drawing too much attention.

They took Jay and her possessions out of the room and out of the hotel. About two blocks away O'Neill dumped all but Jay's clutch into a trash dumpster. They continued another block to their sedan. Williams drove while O'Neill climbed into the back seat and cuffed, blindfolded and gagged Jay once again. When she regained consciousness she struggled at first in confusion and then in realization. She kicked O'Neill viciously and was struck twice before she stopped. God this is useless. Please help me figure out how to escape.

***

END of Incidental Tourist Part Three.

CONTINUED in Incidental Tourist Part Four.