An Indispensable Woman Ch. 01

She was a straight-shooter, and that only bolstered her esteem in Amara's eyes. She HAD to have this woman in her life, to shift part of her huge burden onto Dani's capable shoulders.

"I don't want a service, I want a person. A person I can trust. A person I can lean on a little. Please accept. If money's the issue just say so and we can negotiate."

Dani flicked dishwater off her hands and turned to face Amara.

"Tell you what. How about I come on Tuesday and do the cleaning, and we'll go from there? Just take it day by day?"

"Yes, that's excellent - thank you so much. For today, too, and yesterday. For everything. You can't imagine what it means to me."

Dani nodded and dried her hands on a clean dishtowel. "I gotta go. My buddy needs his car back. Can I keep the clothes until Tuesday?"

"Keep them."

Dani walked to the front door, grabbed her original clothes out of the closet and pulled on her jacket and sneakers.

"Real nice meeting you, Amara. I'll be here Tuesday, first thing." Dani extended her hand.

Amara stepped past it and wrapped the younger girl up in a tight hug. A handshake wouldn't have felt right; wouldn't have expressed the depth of Amara's gratitude. She could feel Dani stiffen at the sudden contact, but after a moment the younger woman returned the hug in full measure.

"Thank you," Amara whispered. The tears came again.

"Hey, it's okay. See you Tuesday."

And then she stepped out the door and was gone.

Amara wandered through her house in a daze, finding everything clean and orderly, dust-free and fresh-smelling.

In her bedroom she found clean sheets on the bed. Her jewelry was untouched, and Amara felt a pang of guilt for even having checked.

And on the chair next to her bed, Dani had set out a wardrobe for the next day - blouse, slacks and a jacket - even a bra, panties and heels. All of it clean, pressed and colour-coordinated - the heels looked like they'd been polished!

Amara stared at the ensemble with mixed feelings. It had been audacious for Dani to pick her clothing. A little intrusive, too, for her to have chosen even the underwear.

But mostly what Amara felt was gratitude and relief. Gratitude that there was ONE person in heaven or on earth who was trying to help her, trying to make her life easier. Relief that at least one decision had been removed from the avalanche of complexity she had to deal with each day.

On Monday she wore exactly the clothes Dani had selected, right down to the bra and panties.

Dani came that Tuesday as promised, and again on Friday, then twice more the following week and the week after that. Usually Amara would get home in time to find Dani cooking for her, and on those rare occasions where she arrived home too late, a home-cooked dinner was waiting for her in the microwave.

The house was kept spotless, the laundry washed, folded and put away, bedding changed, washrooms sanitized, lawns groomed and work clothes delivered to the dry cleaners.

And after each visit, Amara found her outfit for the next day laid out on the same chair, ready to wear. She came to love that part the most - it was something unspoken and special between Dani and her, something no cleaning service would ever be able to match. A caring, intimate gesture and it meant so much.

Dani's impact on Amara's working life was immediate and profound. The twelve- and fourteen-hour workdays remained, but her focus was better, she was more prepared and the work came a little easier. Amara wasn't all the way back to peak effectiveness, but her erratic performance had smoothed out and she was notching some wins at work for a change.

Each night, Amara could relax and enjoy a precious few moments with Anne and really be present with her, really invest in her daughter. Dani had tamed the worst of Amara's nightmares - with the house clean and livable, Henry wouldn't have cause to seize their daughter. For the first time in a long while, things were hopeful.

****

She should have known it wouldn't last - her father had been fond of saying bad things always happened in threes. After the separation from her husband and her dad's death, Amara should have been on her guard, braced for that third misfortune, but her stroke of good luck in finding Dani had lulled her into complacency.

She was multi-tasking at work - composing an email on her phone while sipping a coffee and walking down a flight of stairs in high heels. Halfway down her ankle turned and she pitched forward.

Her next memory was a paramedic shining a flashlight into her eyes, asking her questions. She hurt everywhere; her right side was in agony and her head and both wrists throbbed painfully. They immobilized her head and neck, carefully moved her to a stretcher and took her to the hospital by ambulance. She cleared triage almost immediately and was given a battery of diagnostic tests.

After waiting hours for the results, they told her she had a grade one concussion and a posterior dislocation of the right shoulder as well as a moderate sprain in her left wrist. They wanted to keep her overnight at the hospital for observation.

The news caused a downpour of alarming thoughts. Who would look after Anne? Amara's only close relative was her younger sister Katie, and she lived two time zones away and had three boys of her own.

How would she do her job? There was no way she could take any extended time off work, not with so many projects at critical junctures. She imagined nightmare scenarios, her projects withering and dying one at a time in her absence. Not the impression she wanted to make in her first year as vice president!

Panic started to rise and she forced herself to reason her way through it. A few weeks ago she'd have been screwed, to be sure. But now...now she had Dani. The younger woman was strong enough, competent enough to shoulder the load. The two of them would make it work somehow. With a nurse's help, she made the call.

****

"How's the pain?" Dani asked, sliding a juice box with a long straw into Amara's right hand as they sat in Amara's living room. With her right shoulder and arm immobilized by a sling and torso strap she wasn't able to use it for anything other than gripping with her fingertips.

"It's okay as long as I don't move it."

"Headache?" The younger woman eyed the purple bruise hear Amara's hairline.

"It's fine. The concussion wasn't bad."

"Good," Dani said. "I was worried."

"Thank you. Thank you for everything-"

"Enough! You've thanked me, like, fifty times already. It's cool. Happy to do it." Dani said with a good-natured eye-roll.

"You're my lifeline. Without you to look after Anne..."

"The kid was fine. Good as gold. No trouble at all."

"She likes you," Amara said.

"Yeah?"

"She keeps asking if you can sleep over."

"Heh. Kids. Maybe someday."

"How about tonight? I'm going to need help."

"Help?"

"Well...I've got work tomorrow and...um...I need to wash. And I'll need some help dressing. I can't go looking like this." The admission drew a deep blush. A part of her couldn't believe what she was asking and was sure Dani would balk. Doing the housework was one thing but what Amara needed from her now was far beyond housekeeping.

But her options were limited. Even subtle movements of her shoulder were agonizing and with her left wrist splinted she didn't have the use of either of her hands. Bathing and dressing herself would be practically impossible.

She could have arranged a personal care worker, of course. They'd recommended that at the hospital - someone to come to her house and help her with all the ordinary tasks that were suddenly beyond her ability. And if Dani refused to help, that's the choice Amara would be forced to pursue.

But she liked Dani, trusted her, relied on her. Needed her. Dani had seen her at her worst, had stuck by her and wrought changes beyond anything Amara could have hoped for. She'd entrusted the younger woman with her home, her valuables, even her daughter - who better to trust with the more intimate aspects of her recovery?

Dani met Amara's eyes for a long moment, her expression inscrutable.

"I know this is outside our usual arrangement. If you're uncomfortable..." Amara trailed off.

"Nothing to be uncomfortable about. Fact of life, right?" Dani gave her a quick half-smile and Amara responded immediately with a big grin of her own.

Dani helped her put Anne down for the night, then retrieved an empty bucket from downstairs and met Amara in the en-suite bathroom off the master bedroom. Bath time! Amara hoped it wouldn't get too uncomfortable between them.

"I'll go slow. Anything hurts, say so," Dani said, then removed the torso strap of the shoulder immobilizer, leaving Amara's arm in a simple sling. She paused, then unbuttoned Amara's blouse.

Amara could feel the warmth of Dani's hands through the thin fabric of the top, first up near her collarbone, then lower, between her breasts. The younger woman's wrists grazed the inner slopes and it was an unexpectedly intense sensation. Amara tried to recall when the last time was she'd been touched there. Months, at least.

The hands traveled lower, applying heat to her belly and the sensitive skin below her navel. Dani peeled open the blouse, exposing Amara's chest and stomach to the air, raising gooseflesh. She carefully worked the sleeve off Amara's right arm, then the left, careful not to jostle or disturb the injured shoulder or sprained wrist, and Amara was soon free of the garment, leaving her in a white, full-cup bra. Dani unhooked the clasp and shoulder straps and in moments Amara was topless in front of her housekeeper.

Dani took a step back and regarded her. "Nice," she said with an approving nod and an uncharacteristically mischievous wink.

Amara blushed and gave a shy smile. She felt the urge to cover her nakedness but quickly dismissed it; they were both women, after all, and Dani would be seeing a lot more than her bare breasts before long. The thought caused a brief quiver of anxiety.

Dani stepped in closer and undid the clasp on Amara's slacks, then knelt and pulled them down her legs and off. Still on her knees, Dani hooked her fingers into the waistband of Amara's lace boyshort panties and drew them down slowly. Amara could feel every inch of their journey down her legs, the friction of the lace and the heat of Dani's hands. Her heart beat faster and blush deepened at the realization that the younger woman's face was only inches away from her naked sex. Dani stayed on her knees a couple of beats longer than strictly necessary, then stood and met Amara's eyes.

"Feels good so far?" There was something different about Dani's tone; rather than flat and no-nonsense it sounded almost teasing. Or was it just Amara's imagination?

She looked into Dani's confident, gray-blue eyes and nodded, not trusting her voice. She should have felt uncomfortable, being naked in her bathroom in front of her housekeeper, but instead she felt a nervous anticipation.

Dani stepped to the bathtub and started the shower, then turned back to face Amara. She grabbed the bottom of her t-shirt and peeled it up and off, then reached behind her and unclasped her pink bra. It joined the small pile of clothes on the floor. In moments she had shed her track pants and cotton panties and stood proudly naked in front of Amara.

Her housekeeper's skin was pale, and her build was slim. Amara could see the outline of ribs and hips and it gave Dani a sleek, graceful appearance. Her breasts were far smaller than Amara's, and the left nipple sported a barbell piercing. Amara's eyes were drawn involuntarily lower, over the flat belly to the patch of close-cropped brown hair between her slender legs.

"Everything okay?" Dani asked. Amara raised her eyes to find the younger woman giving her an amused look, one eyebrow raised inquisitively. Caught looking!

"You...have a lovely figure." Amara was sure her face was glowing red.

"You too. Bet you get lots of looks at work." Dani gave a warm smile and in spite of her embarrassment, Amara smiled back. This was a different side to the younger woman than she'd seen before - playful, almost flirty.

Dani held the shower curtain aside and helped steady Amara as she stepped into the bathtub. The water was hot, and warm steam rose to envelop her as she stood under the spray. Her housekeeper stepped in behind her. Dani wasted no time in squirting body wash onto a rough bath sponge and lathering it up.

The first contact of the sponge against the back of her neck brought a shiver; the touch was both unfamiliar and unexpectedly welcome. Dani rubbed her back in tight circles, dragging the soapy sponge gently over Amara's shoulders, then more roughly over and between her shoulder blades. The citrusy scent of satsuma filled the enclosure. Amara closed her eyes and breathed a contented sigh.

Dani seemed to be in no rush as she worked her way lower to the middle of Amara's back, then back up to her shoulders again, exfoliating and massaging, careful to avoid any pressure against the right shoulder. It felt heavenly and Amara pressed back against the sponge, eager to feel it more roughly. The younger woman seemed happy to accommodate her, giving her back a thorough scrubbing, dipping down to the lower back and the tops of Amara's buttocks.

She felt Dani's hand on her left hip as the sponge went lower still, rubbing the cheeks of her ass hard; bold, personal contact that somehow didn't seem invasive. She trusted Dani's hands and delighted in the friction against her hips and rear.

Amara was caught in a swirl of emotions; the awkwardness and self-consciousness she'd felt at the start were fading, worn away by the sensations of the sponge, supplanted by a growing eagerness for the kind of contact that had been missing from her life for so long. Her housekeeper was awakening feelings that hadn't surfaced in many stress-filled, hectic months, leaving Amara both confused and excited.

Dani moved lower, treating her hamstrings and calves to rough strokes, then working the sponge up the inside of her leg, past her knee. Amara widened her stance automatically and was rewarded with gentle caresses to the soft skin of her inner thighs. Would Dani work her way higher, to her lips of her sex? Did Amara want that kind of contact from another woman? She could feel her heart racing, her breath coming faster. Nervousness, or arousal? Maybe both?

"Turn around." Dani's quiet voice broke through the hiss of the shower.

Amara turned and found herself eye to eye with the younger woman and couldn't look away even as Dani slowly ran the sponge delicately over her neck and down to her collarbone, then along the tops of her large breasts. The younger woman's eyes conveyed a strength and a certainty that seemed to settle the jumble of emotions that Amara felt.

The sponge slid lower, over Amara's left breast, up and down, soapy friction on her stiff nipple, an intense tingle that spiked her arousal.

"Uhnn." It was out before Amara could think to restrain it, an appreciative, breathy moan. There was no mistaking the sound, no hiding what it suggested.

The corners of Dani's lips turned up in a teasing smile, and she raised one eyebrow in a silent inquiry. The stroking stopped with the sponge over Amara's nipple. Waiting.

"It's...been a while," Amara said, face burning, her voice almost drowned out by the noise of the shower. She couldn't look away from Dani's eyes. Why was her body responding this way?

"Stop?" Dani asked.

Amara was torn. Was that what she wanted? To shut things down here, before they went any further? This was her chance, maybe her last one...

But she shook her head. Dani's smile broadened and Amara's doubts began to recede.

The stroking resumed, the rough sponge causing her nipple to throb, coaxing her long-dormant arousal into full flame. When the caress moved to her right breast Amara didn't try to hide a grateful gasp. Dani moved at a leisurely pace, in no rush to cut short the powerful, erotic sensations that were building up. Sensual strokes along the slopes and undersides of her breasts compounded the pleasure. When she finally did move lower to Amara's belly, she left both nipples stiff and sensitized.

Dani washed in slow, tight circles along Amara's rib cage, around her navel, then down to the ticklish skin between her hip bones.

Then the sponge was gone and Amara felt contact with her sex, fingertips stroking gently through her pubic hair, caressing her labia and then back up to her pubic bone. Grazing her most private flesh with short fingernails. Amara's eyes opened wide and she sucked in breath.

"Tell me to stop," Dani said, her eyes locked onto Amara's. One finger parted the soft folds of her labia and found her swollen clitoris.

Amara moaned. She couldn't look away, lost in the intensity of Dani's gaze.

"Tell me this is making you uncomfortable. This isn't what you want." The slippery finger on her clit began to move in slow circles.

Amara moved her feet further apart and rocked her hips forward to allow better access. The arousal was approaching its peak. She could feel a tightening in her stomach, in her sex. She was close...so close to reclaiming what had been lost to her for so long.

"Tell me I shouldn't touch you this way." The finger slowed, then retreated and became a teasing caress on her labia once again.

"Please..." The loss of friction on her clit was unbearable, not when release was so near, and so desperately needed. The exquisite caress of her outer lips wasn't enough.

"Stop?"

Amara shook her head. "More...please."

"Okay." The finger returned, right where Amara needed it. Faster now, demanding a response.

Amara was panting, overheating. The steam that drifted around them carried her scent now. Dani's blue-gray eyes captured her, absorbed her.

Her climax hit hard, a tight clenching then fast spasms as orgasmic pleasure rippled through her, reaching every part of her body. The finger became slower, lighter, drawing the pleasure out, letting her ride the waves without the sensations become too intense.

Amara closed her eyes, still feeling a hunger inside her, unsatisfied. Dani's fingers didn't stop, and in moments Amara felt the tightening again, the build-up of another eagerly-sought release. This time there were no words exchanged, none were required. Amara's need was obvious.

Her second orgasm broke over her more gradually and the pleasure came from everywhere at once. The tremors and after-shocks seemed to last for several minutes as Dani's touch became lighter and finally stopped altogether as the younger woman cupped Amara's pussy gently in her hand. The contact felt oddly protective and reassuring.

As the lust began to recede and coherent thoughts slowly crept back in, Amara felt faint pangs of confusion and uncertainty at what she had allowed to happen, but those feelings were accompanied by a soothing peacefulness and a muted sense of disbelief. And gratitude - gratitude towards her housekeeper who had again outperformed expectations and relieved Amara of a burden she hadn't realized she was carrying.

Amara opened her eyes and found Dani reading her expectantly, waiting for Amara's reaction to this new development.

"Thank you," Amara said with a contented smile. Dani gave her a wink, then took her hand away from Amara's sex.

A few moments later Amara was sitting on an overturned bucket in the hot shower as Dani massaged shampoo into her scalp, carefully avoiding her bruise. Amara's eyes were closed, her breathing deep and calm. There was no resistance now, no hesitation, no doubt. She just let go and put herself completely into Dani's hands, gave herself over to the younger woman's competence and control. The fingertips felt wonderful as they rubbed and stroked and lathered the shampoo, seemingly in no hurry to finish. Amara wished she could freeze the moment in time forever.