Oliver Benjamin
neighboring Uruguay. Like coffee, tea and African kola nuts, maté
was another example of a plant that contained caffeine and therefore
held sacred by humans. Leona had been introduced to it by an
Argentinean lover long ago.
“And in the end, that was all I got out of the relationship,” Leona
said, “Maté. He left me for someone thin and pretty as well.”
Sprout gazed at her, head tilted. Leona knew that her true colors
were showing and that those colors were all different shades of green.
“But you’re beautiful.” The way Sprout said this while gazing at
Leona one might think she was watching mushroom clouds explode
over Bikini Atoll. Leona desperately wanted to change the subject.
She was so sick of awe. She wanted desire, sweetness, felicity. She
wanted to be adored. She wanted to be Sprout.
The sheet had fallen down, revealing the languorous sweep of
Sprout’s bosom. Leona, who couldn’t help but stare at it while she
was unconscious found herself amazed even now. Deeper than her
thin frame would suggest, they were fully rounded on the bottom
with a long inverted arc that swept nearly to her collarbone. The
twitch and sway of the turgid nipples suggested they were bursting
with life and the constant anticipation of being touched. Like spheres
of influence projecting far beyond their actual territory, her breasts
drew the whole world in towards them.
She took Leona’s hand and placed it on the warm tissue. The
pounding of Sprout’s heart, too powerful for her slender body,
reverberated up Leona’s arm.
“I’m sorry,” Leona said, “But I’m not like that.”
Despite increasing numbers of women going sexually full circle,
Leona had not yet been really tempted. But she did not take her hand
back. Sprout stroked Leona’s long, thick fingers, removing her
jewelry and placing it on the tea tray.
She massaged Leona’s palm with deep and probing strokes. Each
time she pressed, Leona could feel a faraway part of her body
awaken. Masseuses trained in this Eastern technique often visited
the Crystal Ship and sometimes offered free treatments. But they
never felt anything like this.
After some minutes, Sprout took a bottle of floral moisturizer
from the bed table and poured it liberally over their hands. There was
too much, and she was forced to spread the excess up Leona’s arm.
As she reached the hem of her short sleeve, there came a sudden flash
of lightning outside, followed almost immediately by an
175
 |
 |
 |
 |