Jump Then Fall Read online

  Jump Then Fall

  By

  Sarah Sanders

  Copyright 2019 by Sujata Garimélla

  All rights reserved.

  Published by O Word

  Romances by Sarah Sanders

  Romantic Novel

  Jump Then Fall

  Romantic Novel

  Bad Blood

  Erotic Romances and Slice of Life Shorts by Sarah Sanders

  Stories where the focus is on delicious sexy times between the leading ladies

  Erotic Romance Novel

  Begin Again

  A Slice of Life Novella

  Tease Me

  A Slice of Life Novella

  Sparks Fly

  A Slice of Life One Act Short

  Basic Instinct

  A Slice of Life One Act Short

  Ignite

  From Sarah Sanders…

  Not long back, lesfic was hard to come by. Heteronormative characters were the rule. Slowly, rainbow characters started making an appearance in fiction. However, they usually remained minor or clichéd characters.

  Then cam Xena: The Warrior Princess. If there is one defining moment when gay women began claiming their place under the virtual sun, it was with this cult classic. With a strong lesbian romance sub-plot bubbling between Xena and Gabrielle, this serial became a maypole around which lesbians of the world united. Numerous sites for fanfic saw serious numbers of fictional stories written about Xena and Gabrielle. It gave rise to dedicated sites for Xena fanfic. One of the most popular was The Royal Academy of Bards. Many notable lesfic authors today took their first steps into the world writing about women loving women in Xenaverse.

  And the world is a much better place for this.

  This is for every person writing in this genre creating wonderful stories and worlds populated by delightful women describing the magical love women can and do share with one another.

  This is for my readers who share this love.

  Thank you!

  Coming Soon

  Romantic Novel

  Romantic Novel

  A Slice of Life Short

  God is a Woman

  Dedication

  As I wrote this book, Ika took a life of her own. She added dimensions to herself. She created the relationship between her and Ree in this book. It was like I was merely an instrument keying in the life and conversations as she described them. It was a surreal experience.

  This book is dedicated to Ika, who flew out of my head and became my heart.

  Contents

  Day 1

  Day 2

  Day 3

  Day 4

  Day 5

  Day 8760

  Day 1

  Ika leaned her shoulder against a palm tree. Drink in hand she gazed at the rock jutting out of the sea in front of her and the splendour of the setting sun, as she ran the next week through her head.

  Translink was celebrating its tenth anniversary in style. It was one of the biggest technology companies in the world with fingers in almost every piece of the technology pie…from artificial intelligence to optic cables and networking, from eSecurity to search engines, social and professional networking sites…Translink was quite the Big Daddy in all things technology and internet.

  For the tenth anniversary, they had organised a week-long holiday in Krabi for their senior management from across the world. Ika was there since she was a part of the internal communications and HR team. She was a fairly recent addition in Translink…just over a year old but had made quite a mark. She was a part of the team that had conceptualised and organised this unprecedented event. They had booked an entire super-exclusive resort which occupied a whole island. Centenza Grand Resort was gorgeous with plush rooms, a private beach and views to kill for.

  Today was Day 2. The previous day was all about meet-greet and settle down the folks flying in from all over the world and Ika and her team had run ragged. Today was a hang-loose day. People got up at their own time. Those who needed jet-lag adjustment time just lay in. Post-lunch most people started gravitating towards the bar by the pool.

  However, Ika’s team had spent the day in a long-drawn meeting finalising boats and lists for the trips planned for the next three days, planning and ensuring enough supply of food and drinks with the resort staff, getting together all the details for the next few days, assigning roles and responsibilities…it was a long day for them to make sure that everything would go off without a hitch during the coming week.

  Over the next three days, there would be tours to Phi Islands, four island tours which included the famous James Bond Island; mangrove kayaking, Emerald Pool and Hot Springs, and trips to the Two Water Canal. The trips would leave between eight thirty and ten in the morning and would return between five and six. After that, each evening, there were different events including shows, games and theme parties planned.

  The logistics of getting all these tours and evening events organised successfully was going to be quite a challenge. Plus there were events each evening to be coordinated. Considered one of the brightest, most organised and dependable people on the team with exceptional people-skills, Ika was a part of the land-bound group who would ensure that the logistics of the necessary boats were taken care of, food and drinks for the day were planned, assigned and on-board before the first guests embarked, and that everyone was seen off their chosen tour properly each day. Plus she would also be a part of the team that would ensure that the events in the evening were planned and executed properly. Each member of the land-bound team would also have the option to join any tour they pleased at least one of the days.

  Different members of the internal ‘hospitality’ team (as they were calling themselves) would accompany each boatload of the senior management to their preferred destination each day. They would have a fair number of local guides to help them in their part of the assignment, though.

  Day six was going to be a little more formal with the Board of Directors addressing the senior management during the day and a killer party at night.

  The last day would be spent in seeing everyone off safely.

  Making a success of this show would be a huge, huge feather in her department’s cap…especially for their lean team of twenty-five people who were in Krabi, on the ground. It was thrilling and intimidating to be here for the twenty-six year old – it was her birthday today – in her first job with a company of this size and first ever project of this scale and importance. She smiled to herself, looking forward to meeting this challenge and confident that she could handle it as well as her senior-most colleagues with over twenty years in Translink.

  Ika felt a strange tingling running through her body. I must be really excited about this, she thought.

  But the strange tingling was accompanied by even more strange vibrating between her legs. She felt like someone had placed a hand on her waist and kissed her neck. Okay, if work is giving me sexual excitement, I need to either leave it immediately or stick to it like glue, she laughed at herself internally.

  The tingles were increasing. She was actually getting goosebumps. And she was getting wet.

  It wasn’t like she was with anyone or even looking at anyone for her body to respond like this. In fact, she was taking the moment to herself. She wasn’t even thinking of any person…she was only thinking about the work cut out for her and ticking off the things she needed to do her part in ensuring that this whole event flowed smoothly and flawlessly. It was a curious sensation. It was also exciting.

  She wondered what could have brought it on. Could this actually be happening because someone is sending me these vibes? That would be really far out but maybe not impossible.

  Ika was exceptionally sensitive to vibes. It wasn’t unusual for her to have physica
l reactions to someone coming into a room even without knowing that a person had entered. Like there was this colleague, Sims, in her first job who set her teeth on edge. Each time Sims walked into the office, Ika would first feel her skin crawl and then realise that Sims had come into office. Then there was her best friend, Dee. Ika would feel happiness enveloping her before Dee came in sight.

  When she was really connected to a person, Ika also just knew where they were and what they were doing at almost all times. She put all these down to her emotions about another person.

  This reaction that she was having was definitely a first.

  I know that very strong emotions can send vibes and get physical reactions…so someone is having such a phenomenal reaction to me? Wow!

  She turned around to face the joyful mayhem around the pool. Some dancing, a lot of drinking and laughter, plenty of swimming and many knots of people in conversations varying from serious to boisterous. There were at least three hundred people from Translink around the resort.

  She scanned the crowd to check if anyone was paying special attention to her. Her casual posture and her eyes hidden behind mercury shades hid her scrutiny from anyone glancing at her.

  Nope, no one close by seemed to be looking in her direction. She looked further away and around. And froze.

  Sitting quite a bit away was a lone figure. A woman. The feature that arrested attention first about her was a dramatic streak of white cutting through the centre of her full head of dark wavy hair that fell a few inches below her shoulders. She was wearing black capris, a casual sky blue t-shirt and silver mirror shades. She had pulled up an empty chair in front of her and had stretched her legs out on them. The table was to her right. On it was her drink…something in a hollowed pineapple. Her right hand rested on the table and held a cigarette. She was looking in Ika’s direction as if she couldn’t move her head away. Like she was mesmerised by a piece of art.

  She was like an oasis of confidence and calm in the frenzied partying around her.

  Her face was impassive, but her lips seems to be smiling in repose. While Ika couldn’t see her eyes, she knew that she was the recipient of the undivided, riveted gaze. As soon as she caught sight of that lady, Ika’s heart clenched and about a dozen herds of wild animals started stampeding inside her. This is her, the universe seemed to whisper into Ika’s head and heart. This is where your life starts. This is the person you’ll spend your life with. The universe informed her.

  Seriously, Universe? You know I’m straight, right?

  The universe simply chortled back.

  ***************************************************************

  Ika felt that she was completely flipped inside out. She didn’t know what to do with the reactions or feelings that the woman evoked in her. She was totally losing her shit. She was unable to hold any sort of conversation with either her teammates or the numerous other people who were trying to chat her up or even ones with whom she was starting conversations.

  It wasn’t like all the three hundred people knew each other…they were all here as equals, letting their hair down and having a blast for this week. Their designations, their hierarchies and their roles were all left back in their local offices. In fact, acting on a directive from the top, the HR team had exhorted the invitees to only introduce themselves by their first names or nicknames so that the atmosphere could remain casual and friendly. At least up to day six when the Board would just have to unveil themselves.

  There were more than enough people wanting to talk to Ika. Besides the fact that she was a new face around, Ika was in one word, stunning. Not exceptionally tall at around 5’3”, she was built like a gazelle with long, perfectly formed long limbs and torso that made her look taller than she was. Her thick, long, wavy honey-brown hair cascaded right down to her hips. She was a little buxom, giving her a voluptuousness, which made her downright sexy. As the sun set, she removed her shades to reveal large, doe-like amber eyes with impossibly and pointlessly long lashes.

  She was wearing a short floral printed skirt and a sleeveless white crew-necked t-shirt which she had tied off just under her breasts showing off a flat, toned abdomen. Everyone was equally casually dressed, with most people still in their swimsuits.

  Amidst all the socialising that she was doing, Ika could neither bring herself to approach the woman and nor could she keep her out of her sightline. She was obsessing. She couldn’t understand how she could have completely lost it by just knowing that this person existed in the world. She wondered what had happened to her heart. Mind-freeze and heart-squeeze wasn’t a reaction she could ever recall having to just the sight of someone. That too at a distance.

  The woman had got up after a while and was also working her way through the throng, chatting and smiling. Wherever she went, laughter followed. She had an easy way of connecting with whoever she was talking to, and yet, seemed to be an island. It was an intriguing combination. She didn’t stay with any group or person for too long…which is what everyone was doing anyway. Everyone was circulating.

  Since the sun had set, now they had a bonfire going on the beach and the party was quickly moving there. There was a DJ in attendance, strobe lighting to set the mood and people were getting into even more of a party mode.

  Ika saw the lady speak privately to a resort staff member. Soon two waiters were carrying a small table, two chairs, one of hollowed pineapple drinks and another drink which looked like the one Ika was having, to a spot on the beach which was away from the raucousness of the bonfire beach party but still close enough to hear the music. Out of sight, but within the sound, Ika thought as she lost sight of the lady who had followed the waiters.

  Ika sighed. She knew that if she didn’t talk to the lady, she would combust. She had delayed enough to try and get a grip on herself. And this was the maximum grip she was going to get on herself. She just had to talk to her now. Like…NOW.

  ***************************************************************

  Ika walked in semi-darkness, along the low wall of the resort – I don’t believe I’m doing this…it is some weird form of stalking…but then, maybe not…I’m just being friendly…yeah, right run with that Ika, she mentally rolled her eyes at herself.

  She strolled along seemingly casually till she found where the lady was sitting on the beach. She was again sitting with her legs outstretched on a chair in front, arm resting on the table beside her, cigarette in hand, drink on the table. But the mirrored shades were off. Ika passed her and then got off the next set of steps leading down to the beach so that she approached her from behind.

  Ika felt tremors as she neared the lady. Her legs shook a little. Gleeful butterflies were doing some sort of a superfast salsa inside her. Two feet away, she stopped and looked at the back of her head for a few long moments…still trying to grasp the effect that this person had had on her.

  She gathered herself and her courage and walked ahead at an angle so that she reached her target’s side.

  The lady turned, caught sight of Ika and seemed to suddenly come alive. It was like magic. Ika shivered a little at the sudden inner luminance that lit her; grateful in the knowledge that she wasn’t alone in this mad intense draw towards a stranger.

  “Hi,” she said, smiling her full wattage smile…a little giddy, if I am being honest, she acknowledged to herself. “Mind if I join you?”

  The lady blinked at Ika’s radiant smile. “I was so hoping that you would,” came the surprisingly honest answer in the most sensual sound that Ika had ever heard. Her voice was low and it could melt rocks. She lowered her legs freeing the second chair for Ika.

  “Ika,” she introduced herself, stretching her hand.

  The lady folded Ika’s hand in her warm hand. It was more of a hold than a handshake. Ika felt like she was caressed all over as electricity ran from her hand to her heart, her toes and between her legs. Every nerve in Ika’s body tingled and her brain stopped functioning – no, it melted – at the simple touch. Th
e lady’s eyes were running across her like a warm bath. Totally inappropriate images of the soft hands touching her the way her eyes were devouring her flashed in Ika’s mind and she felt herself heating up.

  “Ree.”

  Ika’s eye’s turned amused when Ree didn’t let go of her hand, but just held it gazing up at Ika for the longest while. She bit her lip to keep a giddy laugh escaping.

  “Oh!” Ree seemed to suddenly come to herself. “I’m sorry. Would you like to sit?” Ika could see Ree was a little flustered, and smiled a widely as she moved towards the offered chair. She repositioned the chair to sit across the table from Ree, her back to the bonfire party, so that she could rest her arms on the table. She needed the support because she was actually feeling weak, wobbly and strangely, wanting.