Contemporary UK Story: Going Up/Going Down

Going Up/Going Down

Suvi glanced at her phone to see how long the meeting had overrun. She guessed she was an hour into overtime if this job; this company, paid overtime. The only benefit she could see would be that, by the time she had collected her stuff from upstairs and walked to the stop, the next bus to arrive would be that bit quieter than one during the initial burst of the rush hour. The lateness, however, seemed to be doing nothing to benefit the speed of the lifts, but eventually one came.

Stepping inside, Suvi pressed for her floor. It was nearly at the top of the building, though not quite, because the “penthouse” offices with views across London, were reserved for the top executives. The genuine board room was up there too, not that the board members came in often and their meetings tended to be held in swanky hotels instead. Suvi guessed it was probably much the same everywhere.

‘Wait! Wait!’

Suvi looked up to see a biker, presumably a courier, sprinting from the stairwell into the lobby where the lifts arrived. Suvi pressed to keep the doors open. 

‘It’s going up,’ Suvi explained.

While she had her work bag with her, she wanted to fetch her coat which was hung up in her corner of the big open-plan office.

‘Sure, that’s what I need,’ the courier replied.

As the courier stepped in, Suvi realised she was a woman. She breathlessly thanked Suvi. She set down a large cardboard box fortunately with a plastic handle to make it easier to manoeuvre and a smaller upright one. The courier then simply stood and watched as finally the lift doors closed.

Immediately Suvi picked up the scent of the woman’s all-in-one leather bike suit. It was a rich, not unpleasant aroma and she noticed that there was something lighter, sweeter, cut in with it. Suvi realised she expected bikers, if they wore anything in terms of deodorant, to select masculine scents rather than this. The woman had long jet-black hair in a plait that stretched down across her leather-clad back. Again Suvi realised she expected them all, whether male or female, to have buzz cuts. Much of the lift interior was mirror so Suvi was able to look with interest at the reflection of the courier’s face. The eyes caught her immediately. They were a deep-set, rich brown and very elliptical. Her cute nose and almost delicate chin were pointed.

The features for some reason seemed distantly familiar and then made Suvi think of the Philippines: a mix of Hispanic and East Asian elements, which she would have to confess, made for a pretty, maybe even beautiful, face. The courier’s small mouth smiled and Suvi realised the woman had been looking at her in return.

‘Do I know you?’ Suvi asked.

The woman now turned to face her directly and gave a little laugh.

‘Yes, don’t you remember, Suvi?’

The fact that the woman used her proper name rather than changing it from its Finnish source to an English rendition like “Susie”, seemed to confirm they had met before. Suvi, however, battled to remember where.

‘The Christmas party …’ the woman prompted.

Suvi struggled to recall that horrendous event. It was still causing ructions in the company.

‘I would say I was trying to forget it, but you know, that is actually very easy.’

The courier looked quizzically at her.

‘You didn’t hear?’ Suvi was not certain how connected this woman was to the company; what she might know or not know about it. ‘Harry Swinton - deputy head of HR - put something in that punch. One of those three-letter drugs they use for spiking. Said he was trying to “spice up” the “dull lot”, well, us I guess. Didn’t seem to do his career much harm, though.’

‘I didn’t drink the punch, I was on my bike,’ the woman explained.

‘Look, here, I’ll show you the email.’

Suvi started looking for it on her phone. As she did though, the lift’s lights flickered and then with a deep whine the lift stopped moving. She held her breath as the lights flicked briefly to red then back to white, though perhaps a little more yellowy in colour than before.

‘Oh God, that is all I need,’ Suvi said.

‘Why? You claustrophobic?’

‘No … but I was running late as it was.’

‘I am sure it won’t take long to fix.’

‘But aren’t you on some sort of schedule? Won’t this mess this up?’ Suvi nodded to the two boxes.

The courier smiled. ‘No, this was a social call.’

‘Oh, right.’

‘Yeah, I was just going up to pick up my girlfriend; head off out.’

‘Oh, I see.’

The woman did not look like one she would have imagined as a lesbian, though she had the sense that any who rode motorbikes would possibly - probably - be one. Saying that, she had seen enough “biker chicks” from movies and TV fawning over or rowing with hairy men. Now Suvi found herself wondering which of her colleagues might be dating this woman. She soon gave up though: it was a big company and the courier had not even pressed one of the buttons so Suvi had no clue which floor she had been heading to.

The moments passed in silence. It seemed that the lift was not going to start up soon. Suvi was glad her phone still had a reasonable amount of charge. She found the email she had been looking for. She was not clear about this courier’s relationship with the company but guessed while she might have been invited to the party, probably as someone’s guest, that might mean she was unlikely to have seen the email that had come from the “fallout” of Mr. Swinton’s actions. Suvi handed the phone across to the courier.

‘Thanks,’ the woman said.

She took off one glove and set it down on the top of the larger box. She studied the screen of the phone before handing it back, repeating her thanks.

‘So all you guys were spiked and it led to …’

‘Well a lot of things. Gulika Mandal said half of that would have happened anyway; people were just using this stuff as an excuse. For most people, though, it was memory loss. I think I got a taxi home, so was alright. Rosanna Byrne ended up in Trafalgar Square and Thorsten Nielsen got taken off the far end of the District Line; fast asleep.

‘That explains why you cannot remember me.’

‘I guess so. Well, I’m Suvi …’

‘Suvi Ferguson, named after your Finnish great-grandmother.’

Suvi nodded and extended a hand.

‘Yes and you are …’

‘I’m Marisol.’

‘Your family is from the Philippines, right?’

‘You remember that?’ Marisol expression perked up.

‘No … it was a guess.’

‘Oh, okay.’

Marisol let go of Suvi’s hand which she realised she had been holding far longer than was needed for a shake.

‘Yeah. Well, was it a good party?’ Suvi asked after long moments of silence.

Marisol have a weak smile. ‘For me, yes. I thought for you too.’

‘Well … I guess I should be pleased with that.’

‘It was me who got you into the taxi.’

‘Really, erm, well, I guess I should say thank you.’

‘I made sure you were safe; got you into bed. Sorry … now this is sounding creepy and I don’t mean to be creepy, the opposite, but maybe … maybe what I’ve done seems creepy. You know when something seems so right it sort of carries you through and then you step back from it and suddenly you have doubts, big doubts?’

Suvi smiled and nodded. The memory of serenading Hennrick with her guitar only for his girlfriend’s head to emerge and tell her to get lost seemed to fit what the woman was saying, pretty well.

‘Sure … been there; done that.’

The two women laughed together.

‘I am sorry that you never got a “thanks” from me for helping me get home and now four; five weeks have passed.’

‘Yes … I don’t know. There was a lot we said and … then well …’

‘I just forgot all about it.’

‘I see that now, but before just now, I didn’t know that.’

‘So, what things did I say?’

‘Look, I don’t think this thing is going to be moving for a while. I know it’s hardly comfortable, but let’s sit down.’

Marisol went down on to the floor almost immediately. Suvi was more hesitant, not wanting to get her work suit dirty. The courier seemed to understand.

‘I’ve got something you can sit on.’

She reached for the larger box and opened it. The aroma of leather came even stronger now and Suvi saw why as Marisol pulled out another combi biker’s suit.

‘It’s brand new. You can sit on that.’

Marisol spread it out on the floor stretching towards her.

‘You don’t want to spoil it.’

‘These things are tough. A bit of dirt off this carpet will be nothing to when it’s on.’

Rather self-consciously, Suvi got down on to the leather and stretched out lining up with its legs.

‘Thank you.’

That sweet, sharp, scent smelt stronger now and Suvi found it made her feel a little heady. She guessed though she could not complain as Marisol seemed to be giving up some gift; maybe something she had tried to deliver, in order to make her feel comfortable. Then she wondered if her headiness was simply because it was the end of the day; the end of the week and she had not eaten anything except a single biscuit since lunchtime.

‘Don’t you get hot in these?’ Suvi asked.

The smooth leather felt lovely beneath her fingers but she was aware of the weight of it; the various tough patches in it that she imagined were for protection.

‘You don’t wear much beneath them.’

Slowly Marisol lowered the zip on the front of hers until it was clear she only had a bra on there. It was a functional one, but was black and sleek in a way that Suvi found she appreciated; could then imagine herself wearing. She tried to look away from Marisol but instead found herself admiring the curve of her breasts.

‘So you don’t remember anything from the Christmas party?’ Marisol now asked.

Suvi shook her head, then glad of something to break her concentration on the woman’s breasts. ‘I think I remember getting ready in a bit of a rush and then people in that place … that bar was it? Or was that last year? Did we go to the same place?’

For a moment Suvi wondered why Marisol had focused on this topic, but she guessed it was actually quite useful to find out what she could not recall witnessing.

‘Do you remember talking with anyone?’

‘I think I talked with Sara and Stuart; Rosie, maybe. I think I even talked with Harry Swinton. Did he tell me to do something? I have a dim sense he did. Oh, he didn’t get me to put the stuff in the punch, did he? No, it must have been in there already or I would remember it better. I imagine it was something about circulating. He does sometimes treat the younger women as if we’re some kind of air hostess.’

‘I saw you talking to him, then you came over to me.’

‘Ah, okay. Right, sorry, Marisol, but that bit is blank.’

‘I think I believe that now.’

‘I didn’t want you thinking I was being rude or anything.’

‘No, no. But … do you still have my number in your phone?’

‘Erm … I don’t think so, but … I have got a lot on here.’

Rather feebly, Suvi started to go through the saved numbers. Many of them had odd names or codes that she could not even remember what they meant. Then the phone chimed and ‘Marisol’ with a smiling face of the woman sat on the floor opposite her appeared. Suvi chuckled.

‘Looks like I still have it.’

She pressed on it and there was a moment of feedback before the two women each killed the call.

‘Okay … this is the tough bit … and I am thinking now I have made certain assumptions and … done certain things that … I don’t know,’ Marisol began hesitantly.

‘Sounds a bit ominous. Did we … did we sleep together?’ Suvi could not imagine doing that but it was the kind of thing she heard went on after Christmas parties.

‘No, no … no, I would never take advantage of anyone that way. You were out of it when we got to your place. You do …,’ Marisol swallowed, ‘you do have a great bod, but I got you in some bed clothes.’

‘Okay, I am grateful for that.’

‘It is the least you should expect; I am not a man after all.’

‘No, I can see … I understand that.’

‘But you don’t remember saying how much you felt I was beautiful; how you would like me to be your “first” with a woman?’

At that, Suvi went bright red with embarrassment. ‘I … erh, well, you are beautiful, I can say that. But … but, I have never set out to be with a woman … you know, sex ,’ Suvi stuttered.

Saying that, though, Suvi felt then that she could imagine kissing this woman and was feeling curious what her body looked like. Was it simply a result of being stuck in here with Marisol? Would she have begun to have similar feelings if it has been Stuart or even Mr. Swinton?

‘Okay. Now … I’m not making this up, but you did say you wished you had the courage to “do it” with a woman like me; you just needed someone who would take your hand and gently lead you.’

‘Oh my God, did I?’

‘Yes. I was slightly cautious as I thought it might be some kind of trick and then you were getting a bit wobbly, but thinking back now, I see you weren’t alone in that. The men were mainly sticking to beer but even some of them had the punch and Jonas fell asleep pretty quickly. However, by then I was fixed on looking after you. This Swinton guy even said I should take you home … oh, shit!’

‘What?’

‘I see it now. He knew he was doping everyone and making them suggestible. I’m betting he was having a lesbian fantasy about you with me. He told you what to say to me; I feel sure of it.’

‘What a bastard! I can see that being one of his tricks.’

Suvi did recall from the year before about Swinton trying to “pair up” various members of staff, whether they were of the same gender or not, to kiss under the mistletoe. She had kissed Sara just to keep him quiet.

The two women fell silent. Suvi ran through a range of emotions, though steadily she found she was most annoyed about how Marisol had been misled.

‘I am sorry if you thought I was coming on to you; that it was genuine.’

Marisol have a flash of a smile from her very cute mouth. ‘I am a grown-up. I know now you are not a clit-tease …’

‘Clit-tease?’ Suvi chuckled.

‘It’s …’

‘I get it,’ Suvi responded with a laugh.

The word “clit” however, seemed to echo deep within her as a kind of reminder that she was not simply missing her dinner, but any chance she might have had of getting some action tonight, even of the one-night stand variety, would be ebbing away.

‘But you have never kissed a woman – that was real?’

‘Yes, I went to a bog-standard school not a posh boarding one.’

‘But, you know, these days a lot of women … explore.’

‘Yeah, I know the celebs do … a lot of them anyway. I did kiss Sara last year but really I did it just to shut down Swinton’s comments.’

‘And how was it?’

‘Nice … I guess and … looking at your soooo cute mouth, I am thinking that maybe now would be a good time to try it out again.’

‘That is my fault,’ Marisol said, avoiding Suvi’s gaze. ‘I … well, I had thought what you said to me at the party was real. Then that you had just got cold feet so I did something; am doing something. The only trouble is I think I am simply doing more of what that bastard Swinton planned.’

‘What is it? It’s this … this stuff I can smell, isn’t it?’

Marisol looked up rather embarrassed. ‘I am so sorry, Suvi. As I said, I should have stopped and thought before going ahead.’

‘What is it?’

‘I got it off the internet. It’s a mix of stuff, to ease you a bit; excite you a bit. I thought it would loosen things between us a bit. I was so excited at the party; thought we could start something good, even if just for you to see. You are beautiful and I could so easily see me and you being together.’

‘So this stuff, it’s on …’

‘It’s on my leathers; on yours too.’

Suvi now looked down at the suit she was sitting on. She brought her fingers to her nose and drew the scent on them in deeply.

‘Mine? I thought you were taking them as a delivery; to your … girlfriend.’

‘Yes, they are meant to be for my girlfriend; the boots too.’

Marisol opened the upright box and pulled out a pair of practical biker boots like her own and tipped out a pair of gloves afterwards.

‘So when you said you were  going up to pick up your girlfriend you meant you were going to pick up me?’

Marisol nodded slowly. ‘This lift has not broken down; I had this arranged. I know guys in the control room. They are stopping it until I call them. This time of the day no-one is going to worry if one of the lifts is off.’

‘Right,’ Suvi said slowly.

Part of her felt she should be angry or even scared. However, Suvi felt she could see the woman’s motives. Maybe if the situation had been reversed, she would have done the same. She remembered how she had rearranged projects so she would be assigned with Will, not just once, but a number of times.

‘Look, I realise that really I have just done effectively what this Swinton guy was trying.’

‘No.’ Suvi held up her hand. ‘He was just doing that for some … second-hand fantasising. This,’ she gestured to the floor, ‘is about you and me and what we want.’

‘But it is no different to last time. You are not in your right mind; this is all being done “under the influence”.’

‘Or maybe … this is about opening the doors of perception.’ Suvi laughed at that for sounding so pretentious; Marisol joined in. ‘It is only Swinton’s thing if this is fake. If it’s real then we get the last laugh.’

Marisol looked rather unconvinced.

‘Anyway what is done is done,’ Suvi said pragmatically. ‘Your magic mixture, whatever it is, is making me …’ she gave out a gasp and then shuddered, ‘so wanting to be kissing you; doing everything that … ah, fuck. God this is coming hard. The more … the more I say it the more it is coming into my mind. I want to suck you, lick, stroke you, I want you to do … I’ve got to get it out. I want you to … do those things to me – lick my pussy; suck my … clit.’

Suvi struggled to complete what she was saying and then it was precisely as she had said. The more she thought about what lesbians did sexually; the more she imagined what they could do, the more those things became embedded in her mind that she wanted; needed, to do them and, above all, with the astoundingly beautiful, sassy, sexy woman sat across from her. Though not knowing whether this would last, for the moment, Suvi felt certain that she was a lesbian and that the woman she wanted to be her girlfriend was in this lift with her. She went up on all fours and crawled over to Marisol.

‘This is not right,’ Marisol protested.

‘But it is. Shut up and kiss me.’

Ultimately Marisol yielded and quickly the two women were lying in each other’s arms, snatching quick kisses and then indulging in long, tongue chasing ones. Eventually, Suvi broke, her hips feeling stiff from lying on the floor. She gazed into Marisol’s eyes feeling lost deep within them. She stroked her cheek and her about-to-be lover reached out to do the same, gently running her fingers over Suvi’s pale, radiant, freckled skin.

Now feeling energised; excited; impatient to be in bed with this woman, Suvi jumped up and started to strip off her jacket, then to unbutton her blouse. Marisol stood up behind her and took the clothes and put them into the larger box. Soon, Suvi’s shoes and trousers were off. She was not certain if her socks and other underwear would suit, but she would go with them for now; envisaging going shopping with Marisol for biker-suitable versions. She turned now deliberately pressing her excited breasts against the hard leather that covered Marisol’s chest then they kissed some more.

Stepping back, Suvi lined up her first leather combi and began to slide herself into it. Marisol helped and soon Suvi found herself encased in black leather, the creak and the aroma of it exciting her. Marisol zipped her in and then helped her get on the boots. Suvi was mirrored on all sides and saw a very different woman to the one who had entered the lift. Marisol gently pulled her snow-blonde hair into a long plait to match her own, tying it off with nothing more exotic than a rubber band.

‘See, your girlfriend has emerged from her chrysalis, a wonderful shiny black butterfly,’ Suvi declared.

Marisol laughed at that. Suvi was not certain whether she was genuinely falling for this woman but for the moment the pleasure she got from feeling she was, was more than enough not to question.

‘Come on, get your friends to get us out of here. I want to be going out; going home with you,’ Suvi insisted.

Marisol complied and the lift began to move.

‘Going down,’ she said.

‘Not quite yet,’ Suvi gave a mischievous grin.

She realised that beneath her new leathers she felt highly aroused. However, her stomach was complaining and she knew she would not be up for her first round of lesbian sex unless she satisfied it first. The next hour saw Suvi given her first motorbike helmet and take a pillion ride that did nothing but stoke up her arousal. They grabbed a takeaway and headed to her small flat. Suvi’s mind was buzzing as she almost skipped up the steps to her place. She and Marisol had kissed while waiting for their food, but these days, Suvi guessed, no-one seemed to pay much attention to two women doing that, even if they were both beautiful, sexy women in tight leathers.

In the flat, Suvi simpered as Marisol got her boots off and unzipped her from the leathers. It was not simply that she was rendered right down to her underwear so quickly, but the sense that she would be putting these clothes on again. The leather might be heavy but there was something about the shiny black carapace that Suvi knew she had come to love. Yes, this was Marisol’s job and she could not see herself becoming a courier, but she was totally sold on motorbikes now and the clothing that went with them. In turn, Suvi removed the boots and combi from the woman she already felt for certain was her girlfriend and would soon be her lover and one day perhaps her wife. Suvi now had no inkling that even just a few hours before those thoughts would have seemed very strange to her, because now they were an integral part of her identity.

Soon the new couple were in bed, feeding each other morsels of takeaway food and sipping on beers. After that, they lay in each other’s arms, grinning at what this day had brought. Then slowly, to reaffirm what she had come to realise she felt for Marisol, Suvi began to kiss her body; took her nipples into her mouth and gently began to rub her thigh between Marisol’s. It proved no difficulty to envisage what lesbians did in bed and going with what felt so right now to Suvi, she did the same to her lover. Marisol’s soft words, small sounds and nudges steered Suvi to growing competence in pleasuring another woman. Suvi realised that as she progressed now with her tongue lapping hungrily at Marisol’s pussy, that her work was making this woman relax and, she trusted too, showing that this was all genuine. As Marisol rose to climax, her hands clasping Suvi’s head, she let out a deep, satisfied moan. Suvi felt a sense of release in her lover that had been a long time coming.

Having recovered, Marisol moved to return the favour taking Suvi to the first of many, many orgasms brought to her by a woman. After the sex, the couple fell into a deep sleep; a weekend of getting to know each other, lying ahead. Suvi woke the next morning lusting after, loving, the woman beside her and that was how it would be from now on.

THE END