"Last call for boarding, Whippet Transit 48 to Los Angeles and points between now boarding at Lot Seven ..."
Karen Dewhurst slung her duffel bag into bus 48's baggage compartment and climbed on board. She headed for the last row of seats hoping to avoid having a seat mate on the trip. She was in no mood for conversation. Taking the seat by the window, she relaxed for the first time in days. Her job search in Philadelphia had been a flop and she was almost broke. Mom and Dad had offered to put her up for a while, so she was heading to Los Angeles to crash with them until she got back on her feet.
Feeling a sudden twinge in her right hip, she shifted in her seat and flexed her leg. Fortunately, these new European model buses had more comfortable seats and more leg room. She'd have to check in with the VA when she got in and see if ...
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"
Shaken from her thoughts, Karen looked up to see a pretty redhead wearing a colorful blouse and a short denim skirt much like her own smiling down at her. Damn! At least it was a woman.
"Nope, have a seat."
The redhead flopped down, blew an errant curl of cinnamon colored hair from her face, sighed and made a futile attempt to pull the hem of her skirt down. Her legs were long, well-shaped and muscular; a dancers legs. Her face was heart shaped, with dazzling white teeth and jade green eyes that looked right through you. Her softball sized breasts rode high on her chest and her figure was lithe with curves in all the right places.
"Oh thanks. I'm so glad to be sitting with a woman my age. The dudes all try hitting on me and the old folks talk your ear off. Know what I mean?"
Karen chuckled and said "The names Karen Dewhurst, what's yours?"
"Julie, Julie Whitney, you going to LA too?"
"Yep, thought I'd try gettin' into the movies."
"No kiddin'? I can see why, you're pretty."
Julie liked her seat mate right away. Karen was a big woman, not quite six feet tall, with broad shoulders, muscular limbs, slim waist and ample breasts. Her face reflecting her mixed heritage of Irish, French-Canadian and Native American with high cheekbones, close cropped black hair, an aquiline nose and a full lipped mouth.
As they chatted and looked each other over, the same thought crossed both their minds 'I wonder how she is in bed?' Followed by 'Ahhh, she's probably straight. She looks fine though.'
With a hiss of air brakes and the thrumming of its diesel engine, the bus left the terminal, wending its way through the downtown traffic and onto the Interstate headed west. As the bus rolled along, the women were soon chatting like old friends about what was of interest to them.
Julie was a singer and a dancer who occasionally worked in strip clubs between gigs. Karen had been trained in the Army both as a weapons specialist and general mechanic. Julie had a friend in LA who thought she could get her some parts in the movies, on the stage or singing with a band. Karen explained about her fruitless job hunt and her deciding to bunk with her parents for a while until she could go out on her own again.
Several hours passed and, when the conversation flagged, they each took reading tablets from their purses and settled back to entertain themselves. The subdued rumble of the engine, the singing of the tires on pavement and the gentle swaying of the bus in crosswinds combined to make the women drowsy and soon they were asleep. Later, they were awakened by the driver announcing the next stop and an hour's layover for dinner.
***
Walking across the terminal to the restaurant, Julie noticed Karen seemed to be favoring her right leg and said "Get a cramp from sitting?"
"Nah, I hurt my leg a couple years back and still it bugs me every so often."
"I can relate. I've pulled a muscle before. How'd you hurt it?"
"I'd rather not talk about it."
"Okay, no problem."
They found the restaurant, were seated, they ordered and when their meals came, they ate in silence. Karen seemed preoccupied and Julie chose not to disturb her. She hoped she hadn't annoyed Karen by asking about her leg and wondered if she would have to change seats when they got back.
With that, Karen emerged from her reverie and said "You wanna split a piece of cheesecake for dessert?"
"Sure," Julie replied, happy that Karen was still talking to her.
After their meal, they window shopped at the stores in the terminal, bought some drinks and snacks for later and boarded the bus. Not long afterward it left the terminal and headed down the Interstate toward the setting sun.
"What's that you're reading?" Karen asked when Julie took her tablet from her purse.
"It's a book one of the girls at the club told me about. It's called 'Tipping the Velvet' and it's all about Lesbians in Victorian England."
"Sounds interesting, is it fiction or history?"
"It's fiction, but it's well written and gets pretty steamy in spots."
"I'll have to check it out."
"You can read it when I'm done."
"Hey, thanks."
The bus continued on into the gathering dusk and, after a time, the driver announced he was dimming the interior lights so people could sleep. Karen was already dozing in her seat, so Julie turned off her tablet and settled in.
***
Living in combat zones had made Karen a light sleeper, subconsciously attuned to odd noises that might mean trouble; so when her seat mate began moaning softly, Karen was instantly awake. She looked over and saw Julie with her head back, eyes shut and her front teeth over her lower lip. Then she saw the woman's arm moving under the blanket in her lap and thought 'Damn, she's jilling off. It musta been that book she was reading'.
Julie moaned again and her arm moved faster. 'She looks so fuckin' hot', Karen thought then impulsively flipped up the armrest between them, slid over against the masturbating woman and whispered in her ear "Want some help?"
"Aw, yeah," was the whimpered reply.
