Through a restless dreamed filled sleep, Chaerin finally pulled her eyes open and met the late morning sunlight seeping through her huge bay window. Throwing off the covers, she turned to see her digital alarm clock. "Oh, my God." Chaerin jumped out of bed and grabbed her telephone. Dialing the number quickly, she anxiously waited. 

A sleepy voice wafted through the telephone. "Hello."

"Dara?" Chaerin hesitantly asked.

The brunette yanked her covers up and around her as she her side. "Yeah."

"Do you know what time it is?"

Dara popped one brown eye open and noted the time on her clock to be noon. "Oh, my God." 

"Exactly." Chaerin laughed. "Looks like we're both late for our appointment."

Dara bolted up. "You're still coming, right?"

The blonde sat back down on her bed. "Of course, why wouldn't I?"

Relieved now, Dara stretched out and yawned. 

"That's cute." Chaerin smiled.

"Oh!" The brunette was going to chastise her friend, but instead she asked. "Why are you late anyway?"

"Restless night."

Wondering exactly what the blonde meant, Dara asked. "You asking or you telling me you had a restless night?"

"Both?" The blonde wondered why Dara had slept late.

"Me, too." Dara admitted. "But then again, that's usual for me."

The brunette's answer didn't settle well with Chaerin, but she decided to change the subject for now. "I need to shower so... how about I get there in say an hour?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you then." When Dara heard Chaerin say her good-byes, the brunette replaced the telephone, rolled over and fell back to sleep. It would only be Sky's barking that would rouse her not more than fifteen minutes before her client arrived.

The blonde tossed off her clothes on the way to the master bathroom. The bathroom, much like the rest of the rooms in Chaerin's house was huge. It had two sinks and one large mirror centered over the sinks. The blonde grabbed a towel from the closet, opened the walk-in shower door and switched on the water. Once the water warmed, the blonde stepped in and was deluged by four showerheads located at different levels. Usually she enjoyed a long shower, but this morning was in a hurry so she quickly washed and then dried off.

Running down the circular staircase, Chaerin grabbed the keys to her car and headed out the door. On her way to Dara's house, the blonde reminisced about what had happened last night at the bar and she tried to reconcile that with the dreams that kept her from a sound sleep. Too many memories pounded her mind and she wrestled with the feelings being near Dara stirred inside her and those of another dark-haired woman that had won her heart so many years ago. In some ways, Chaerin knew she was headed down that same path. The one that led to heartache, but she was helpless to do anything about it because being near Dara exhumed so many wonderful feelings that were rare in her life. Though this time, it will be different. We're friends and that's the way it will stay. While her mind vowed one thing, her heart contemplated another.

Roused from her sleep by Sky, Dara looked at her clock again. Scrambling out of bed, she jabbed a hand on her hip. "Why did you let me go back to sleep?" She didn't wait for an answer as Sky followed her to the bathroom. By the time she reached the door, Dara was . "Good thing I can shower fast." While she jumped in the small shower, the Lab waited patiently at the door's entrance. Within ten minutes Dara had washed, dried and was walking back to her bedroom. The brunette shrugged when she couldn't decide what to wear. When the doorbell rang, she froze then stared in the wall mirror. "I can't let her see me like this!" The brunette's overactive mind drifted down a dangerously sensual lane and she smiled. "Well, I could but..." When Sky just stared at her, Dara jerked her head toward the bedroom door. "Go on. Tell her I'll be there in a minute."

Sky scampered out the bedroom, down the hall and to the front door, barking all the way. 

Hearing the Lab barking, Chaerin walked over to the front window and peeked in. The dog met her at the window and it. "Hey. You gonna let me in?" The excited dog barked again and wagged her tail. 

Dara threw on a pair of shorts and a dark green T-shirt. She was at the door, opening it, when she saw Chaerin tapping on the window at her dog. "Well, you coming in or what?"

A brilliant smile met the brunette standing on the front porch with wet hair. "You're all wet." Chaerin also noted that the brunette's T-shirt was on inside out and several damp spots on the front of it. 

Dara cocked her hands on her hips as Sky pushed open the screen door and sat down beside the brunette. She raised a defiant eyebrow at that comment from the blonde.

"Hey!" Chaerin smiled, then winked. "It looks good on you." 

Blushing slightly from the compliment, Dara dropped her hands. "Thanks."

Chaerin walked up to the brunette, paused briefly and whispered in Dara's ear. "You greet all your clients this way?" Then quickly went inside. 

Dara was temporarily confused by the blonde's comment until she dropped her head and saw her T-shirt. She threw her hands up to her face and groaned. "I'll get you back. Just wait and see." She vowed before an impish smiled appeared on her face as an idea popped into her head. Dara her heel and walked inside the apartment. "Go on back and I'll be there in a moment."

Chaerin headed for the massage room with Sky hot on her heels while Dara took off in the direction of her bedroom. Once she dried off a bit more and changed shirts, the brunette marched back down the hall, determined to get over her embarrassment. Dara knocked on the door. "You ready?" All the massage therapist heard was her dog barking. She opened the door and peeked in. The blonde was lying on the massage table; face down, sleeping with only her blue jean shorts on. This woman is going to be the death of me yet. Summing all of her professional demeanor in check, Dara walked in, confident in her abilities. 

When the brunette's hand touched her client's back, Chaerin moaned slightly. Suddenly, in her light sleep, the blonde remembered parts of a dream she had the night before and smiled. 

Dara noted the smile and went about her work, thankful the blonde was dozing. For the next thirty minutes, the massage therapist expertly worked on the blonde's back, loosening the tight muscles and lulling her client into a deeper sleep. When she was finished, Dara hesitated to wake Chaerin. For a long moment, she stared at the seemingly sleeping blonde until one black eye popped open. 

"Hey, I paid for the full hour." Chaerin joked. 

"What would you know? You were asleep the whole time I was working on you." Dara grabbed a towel.

The blonde lifted up slightly. "Not the whole time." 

When Chaerin winked at the brunette, Dara wondered if the blonde noticed how precariously close her fingers drifted just beyond the waistband of the blue jean shorts. A bit startled, the brunette quickly turned and felt the right side of her neck muscle twitch. "Ouch." She rubbed the muscle, trying to ease the small spasm. 

The blonde jumped off the table, tucking the sheet around her and immediately started to rub Dara's neck. 

"Thanks." Dara twisted her neck, trying to loosen the creak in her neck.

"You need a massage." Chaerin suggested. 

"Hmm.... I think you're right."

Dropping her hands on the edge of the brunette's shoulders, Chaerin guided Dara around and nudged her toward the table. "Here. Hop on."

Dara complained, twisting around to look at the blonde. "I can't do it myself."

"I know. I'm going to do it." When Dara cocked a suspicious eyebrow at Chaerin, the blonde dropped her chin slightly. "What? You don't trust me?"

"No, it's just that..." But Chaerin cut her off. 

"You lay down and I'll get dressed." Chaerin moved around the brunette and headed for the changing room. "And take off your top." She ordered the massage therapist. 

"Yeah, right." Dara snorted. The brunette stood there for a long moment.

From behind the changing room door, Chaerin called out. "Sky? Is she doing what I said?"

The Lab barked once. 

"I'll take that as a no." Chaerin laughed before she continued. "Dara? Don't make me come out there and...." The blonde let that threat die on her smiling lips.

"Alright already." Dara slipped off her top and sports bra, tossing them aside. She grabbed a sheet and climbed on the table. "I'm ready." As I'll ever be. The brunette glared at her dog. "Traitor."

Chaerin came around the table on the left side of the brunette, rubbed her hands together and asked. "So what do I do first?"

After Dara instructed her on a few essentials required for a massage, Chaerin set her hands to work, relieving the pain and stress that had been building up in the brunette's neck and shoulders. 

"Mmmm...." Dara moaned. "That feels great. Why don't you quit your job and work for me? I'm thinking of expanding my business, you know."

"Yes, I do." Chaerin's hands traveled down the middle of the brunette's back. 

When the blonde's fingers traversed dangerously too close to Dara's waistband, the brunette's brown eyes popped open. Uh oh! Paybacks. But Dara was feeling too good to complain and decided she deserved the consequences of her roaming hands. However, Chaerin stopped just short of crossing that imaginary borderline, much to Dara's dismay. 

"Finished." Chaerin leaned down. "Feeling better now?"

"Uh huh." Dara lifted up. "So?"

Chaerin raised her eyebrow.

"Work for me? There's plenty of fringe benefits." When Chaerin's eyebrow jumped even higher, Dara continued. "Free massages anytime."

"Is that free massages for you or me?" The blonde shot a counterfeit suspicious look at the smiling brunette. 

"Me, of course." Dara's grin widened. 

"That's what I thought." Chaerin walked around the table. "Now get dressed. We've got lots to do this afternoon." The blonde left the room without saying another word. 

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

After Chaerin and Dara went out for a late lunch, they discussed what they were going to do next. When the blonde suggested they go to a movie, Dara was reluctant. "I don't know. I really sorta promised Sky I'd take her to the park." 

Sky barked in agreement. 

Always quick to solve a problem, Chaerin proposed another option. "Alright. We'll rent a movie or two and take Sky with us to my place. I've got about ten acres and she can run to her heart's content." Chaerin ducked her head down a bit. "Besides, I'd like to show you where I live. I think you'd like it."

Dara immediately warmed up to the idea. "Sounds good. I'll have to take my car though." The brunette looked at Chaerin's sports car, parked outside her apartment. "Not sure she'd fit."

"Of course she would." When Dara wasn't buying that idea, Chaerin understood. "You follow me then."

Anywhere.

The smile on Dara's face prompted the blonde to ask. "Why are you smiling?"

Dara shrugged. "Just happy."

"Me, too." Chaerin agreed and Sky echoed her approval with a loud bark and wagging tail. 

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

After selecting a couple of movies, Dara followed Chaerin's car down the long driveway of a gorgeous two-story log cabin that was surrounded by large Oak trees and had access to a big lake in back. When she stopped her car in front of the cabin and let Sky out, the Lab ran up the three steps to the covered porch then back down. Her bright eyes surveyed the open valley to the west of the cabin and paid astute attention to a few birds chirping off in the distance. 

"Go on." Dara encouraged her dog. With that Sky took off, determined to search this new place and stake her claim up on it. "This is just great. I love it."

Happy that Dara was pleased, Chaerin touched the brunette's arm. "Come on inside."

Swinging around, Dara nodded. "Okay." She walked up the three steps and took some time to check out the porch. "You spend a lot of time out here?"

Chaerin pointed to the west side of the ten-foot wide porch that nearly encircled the whole cabin. "In the evenings when the sun sets. It's quiet and peaceful."

Dara's brown eyes sparkled at the place the blonde had pointed. It was the perfect location to enjoy the evening coming to a close. And with the open valley to the west, the brunette thought it was also be an ideal place to watch a storm brewing. "Show me the rest."

The blonde reached out and took the brunette's hand. "Follow me." 

When they walked through the front door, Dara's eyes widened as she took in the large open area. The cabin was made up of basically three elements. There was lots of wood, stone and glass. It was perfect. It had that light rustic look complimented by dark shades of furniture. The carpet was a deep forest green and she noted the unburned logs in the fireplace. 

Chaerin tugged at her arm again. The blonde led the way into her huge kitchen with shiny hardwood floors and light-glazed cabinets with plenty of counter space. "Well? What do you think?"

"I think that if I could cook, I'd love it even more." Dara laughed.

Chaerin rolled her eyes.

"What?" Dara was curious about the blonde's reaction.

"I figured I'd be the one doing all the cooking." They laughed together at that remark.

"What about the rest of the house?" This time Dara grabbed Chaerin's hand. "I wanna know where that circular staircase goes to." 

As Dara led the blonde up the staircase, Chaerin gulped. Her eyes were glued to the mesmerizing sway of the brunette's hips. And for the life of her, the blonde faintly realized she had made an absolute vow about something, but couldn't quite remember what it was. 

At the top of the staircase, Dara took in the large open area before heading straight to the huge bay window that was facing west. "This is perfect."

Chaerin chuckled. "You keep saying that."

Dara turned around and gave the blonde a hard teasing stare. "That's because it is." Then just as quickly noted the padded seat across the bottom of the window and smiled. 

Pointing to the only door in the master bedroom, Chaerin said. "That's the bathroom."

The brunette glanced in that direction before walking back over to where Chaerin was standing near the balcony. She glimpsed over the banister overlooking the living room and entryway. "What can I say?"

"I know it's perfect." Chaerin grinned.

Dara shot the blonde a teasing indignant stare and lightly slapped Chaerin's arm. "Well, it is."

"Come on." The blonde reached over and pressed her hand on Dara's shoulder. "We better go check on Sky. And I'll show you the lake."