A Hairy Ride Into April

"Thank you," Anna said. "I'm sorry I'm not a big talker. I never am on a first date."

"It's not talking that I'm big on when it comes to first dates!" Sharla declared with a wicked laugh. "Let me get to the point here, Anna, you're not one of those demure dykes who won't go to bed until the third time, are you?"

"Of course not." Now Anna's grin was genuine.

"Oh, good," Sharla said. "I'm not a believer in waiting to see about these things. If we're not a match in the sack, what's the point?"

"Couldn't agree more!" Anna said. "I do live right around the corner, you know."

"Any roommates?"

"One, but he's out to lunch with a cute little blonde somewhere. We've got all afternoon if you want it."

"He, Anna? Rooming with the enemy, are we?"

"He's a good guy, Sharla. Even you might like him."

"I doubt it," Sharla said. "But if you're sure he'll leave us alone for the afternoon..."

"For as long as you want me," Anna said.

"And from where I sit, that could be a while!" Sharla replied with a grin.

Anna couldn't stop herself from letting a laugh slip. Fortunately, Sharla appeared to think she was flirting.

Because they'd had a head start on lunch, Nicola and Chuck had occasion to order dessert. Anna was grateful she had to be careful not to watch them enjoy their banana split while she listened to yet another pussy-eating war story from Sharla while she finally finished off her stir-fry. "I'm sure yours will taste much better, of course," she chirped.

"I've been told it does," Anna said. "Ready to go find out?"

"I like your spunk!" Sharla said. "Tell you what, lunch is on me -- this time -- and then let's blow this joint so I can blow you!"

"If you insist," Anna said, forcing a smile. She really was glad to let Sharla pay for the meal at least. As she watched Sharla head off to the counter to pay, she finally allowed a glance over at Chuck and Nicola, and gave them a thumbs-up and a smile. Chuck replied with a barely-perceptible nod, and Sharla was none the wiser as she returned to collect her coat and her date.

"Ready, darling?" she asked, holding out her hand.

"Ready!" Anna stood up and they strolled outside hand in hand. Chuck got up to pay as soon as they were outside, and he and Nicola were outside before Anna had guided Sharla up to the end of the block.

The bed was made, but the bedroom still showed some telltale signs of the night before. "Looks like you've been busy," Sharla said as she looked around the room.

Anna thought quickly -- how could she have failed to see that coming? "I like candles," she said awkwardly. "I mean...I was looking forward to this last night, you know, and I like to get the room really romantic when I..."

"Masturbate, Anna? The word doesn't bite!"

"Yes, masturbate," Anna said. "That's right. Sorry, it just feels a bit silly when we did just meet." Throwing caution to the wind, she added, "Speaking of which, have we ever met before? I've been thinking you look a little familiar." A lie, for Anna had spent the entire lunch trying to recall spotting Sharla in the locker room on that fateful day now that she knew what face to remember, and she had come up empty. But she couldn't resist.

"Mmm, I don't think so," Sharla said, giving Anna a long look. "I think I'd have remembered those luscious eyes, for one thing."

"Thank you!" Anna batted her eyes in a silly way she never would have done for Chuck. He wouldn't have wanted her to.

"Now, enough chitchat," Sharla said, putting her arms around Anna. "You've got a horny gal on your hands!"

"So do you!" Anna managed to sound enthusiastic, and did her best to remember how once she had longed to find herself right where she was now. Again she told herself maybe Sharla would reconsider her body now that she seemed to like her.

She doubted it. But at least she wouldn't be wondering much longer.

Sharla was nothing if not efficient in her foreplay. From the first kiss until she began unbuttoning Anna's top -- with no comment on the revelation that it was a men's shirt -- was probably less than five minutes, though it felt rather longer to Anna. For her part, Anna resisted the temptation to even begin undressing Sharla, both for strategic reasons and because she now found she really didn't want to. The cute hairdo notwithstanding, her former hero was as boring and self-indulgent as she was offensive. But Anna hid her feelings well enough to impress Sharla with her passionate sighs as Sharla pushed her top away and rubbed her breasts expertly through her bra, which she was just as happy to keep on for the moment.

Anna let Sharla play with her breasts for some time, figuring sooner or later she'd want to move downward. When Anna finally started returning the favor on Sharla but didn't try to remove any of her clothes yet, Sharla finally spoke up between kisses. "Don't you want to undress me?"

"So much," Anna lied. "But...I get off on being totally naked before I take anything off my partner."

"Well, that's a new one," Sharla said. "But I've got to say I'm dying to help you out of those pants anyway!" She slid her hand down over Anna's belly, and Anna was painfully aware when Sharla's fingers reached her treasure trail. This did give Sharla a surprise and she looked down, but it didn't stop her from reaching down to the button of Anna's pants.

"I'm feeling very hot and bothered!" Anna cooed. "These pants are so tight! Help me out of them!"

"Gladly!" Sharla whispered in Anna's ear. To Anna's relief, she didn't look down as she fumbled with both hands to get her pants unbuttoned. She pulled Anna's treasure trail hair as she did it and Anna struggled not to wince with the pain, but she succeeded well enough for Sharla to take no notice as she finally got her pants open. "Knew I could do it," she quipped with a laugh, nibbling Anna's ear.

"Thank you!" Anna cooed, eagerly awaiting a hand in her panties.

She didn't have to wait long. As she felt Sharla's fingers making their first tentative exploration, she pulled back and gazed smiling into Sharla's eyes. So she had a clear view as Sharla's face turned from arousal to mild surprise to concern as she felt about Anna's vagina hair and slowly became aware of just how much of it there was. "Anna, just how big is your..." Rather than waiting for an answer, she stepped back and pulled Anna's panties down for a look.

"Look familiar, Sharla?" Anna asked as she drank in Sharla's surprise.

"Oh my god," Sharla said, looking up into Anna's eyes and back down at her bush in disbelief. "It can't be!"

"it is," Anna declared. "And I love it. I love how it looks and how it feels, and I've never forgotten the struggle it took to come to feel that way. And I certainly won't let you destroy that, my friend."

Sharla backed up, and stumbled backwards onto the bed. "Anna, I didn't mean..."

"Yes you did," Anna said, ignoring her instinct to pull her panties and pants back up; she wanted to force Sharla to gaze upon her body for as long as she could. "I mean, I asked you to reconsider your attitude in my comment, and your response was to call me a gorilla. You just didn't know it was me."

"Well, what did you care what I thought?!" Sharla snapped. "You were obviously comfortable in your body, otherwise you wouldn't have been hanging around naked!"

"I do that to undo the shame people like you have always thought I ought to feel just because I happen to have a lot of vagina hair," Anna said. "And it works! But how do you think it felt to read that from someone I used to respect?!"

Sharla looked at the floor in shame. "Probably about the way I feel right now."

"That'd be my guess," Anna said. She turned to look at the door. "Chuck? Nicola? Are you there?"

The door swung open and Chuck and Nicola both stepped into the room. "Sharla," Chuck said. "I think Anna and I both would like you to leave now."

Sharla looked up at them, and then back to Anna, whose triangle was still on full display. "Who...I mean, what...yeah, you're right. I'm leaving." She stood up and took one last look at Anna, face and body alike. "I'm sorry, Anna."

"Thank you," Anna said curtly. "And happy April Fool's Day."

The fool was me, this April.

I talk a lot about tolerance here, and about respecting other people. I guess it comes with a lifetime of knowing certain people have no respect for me because of whom I love. But there's a danger in getting too wrapped up in one's own victimhood, and I fell into that trap recently. I forgot that diversity comes in all sorts of ways, and that it can be beautiful in all its forms. I've often said all women are beautiful, and it's not just words. But I failed to take my own advice in a very big way recently, and I hurt someone who respected me (and vice versa).

You know who you are. I'm sorry. You're beautiful. Thank you for teaching me a lesson I will never, ever forget.

"Think she really means it?" Chuck asked as Anna read the post to him and Nicola as they relaxed in their poolside chairs on the first warm day of spring. Nicola was looking resplendent in a white flowered bikini, Chuck was svelte in his Speedo, and Anna herself felt naughtily lovely in the first swimsuit without a skirt that she'd owned in ages. Both legholes showed undergrowth peeping through, and she was finding it easier by the minute to resist trying to cover it up. There was no way to do so anyway.

"I think so," Anna said. "Why else would she post it, knowing no one but me would get it?"

"And it's not as though she'll ever have to see you again," Nicola said. "Or I mean, you'll never have to see her again."

Anna laughed. "Exactly."

"Why do you even still read her blog?" Chuck asked.

"To tell you the truth," Anna said, "I just wanted to see if she'd post something like this. I'm glad I didn't miss it!"

"Well, she's right about one thing," Nicola said, getting up from her chair. "You are beautiful! Going to join us in the pool now?"

Anna switched off her phone, and looked down at herself. "Thank you, and I guess I'd better get in there, huh?"