THE TOUR CONTINUES (Chapter 84)

Warren came back to the room about an hour and a half later. Sophia had fallen asleep crying on the couch.

"Hey," he said, nudging her.

"Warren?" She opened her eyes and sat up. "Where did you go?"

"Went for a walk. Downtown St. Louis is nice. Went up in the Arch. Just needed to think."

"I'm sorry," Sophia said. "I overreacted. And I did say anyone in the cast."

"Apology accepted." He sat down next to her.

Sophia sighed. "I suppose I was feeling guilty. I was with Shawna again this afternoon. And it just didn't feel right." She sighed again. "I wasn't sure how right it felt the first time. I mean, I thought I was attracted to her, sexually. And it was fun. But something was missing. So I gave it another try, and it was the same thing." She looked up and gave him a sad smile. "I think my bisexual itch has been scratched out. Or Alexa is just a special situation. But I don't plan on doing it again."

"Did you talk to Shawna about it?"

"Yeah. She understands. We're still friends. She knew this was kind of an experiment, and she knew all along that whatever happened, it was just a fling."

Warren sighed. "I suppose I'm feeling a little guilty, too. Because I did enjoy myself."

"How much?"

"A lot," Warren sighed. "Look, that was my one fantasy that you didn't know about, the one that I never thought would be fulfilled, especially after I turned Cait down last fall."

"What?"

"Deflowering a virgin. And Liz wasn't just a virgin--she was as inexperienced as I was our first time."

"Really? So everything you did, it was her first?"

"Yeah."

Sophia grinned at him. "Did you go down on her?"

Warren smirked. "What do you think?"

Sophia grinned wider. "Did she cum?"

Warren took a deep breath. "Sophia, she started cumming from just me sucking on her nipple with her pants still on."

"Wow!"

"Yeah. When I got to the cunnilingus stage, it was one long endless orgasm. And I completely lost count by the time I was in her. The girl had some serious pent-up lust. I am not that good."

Sophia cracked up laughing. "Well, you've had me in continuous-orgasm mode more than once. Not from just tittie play, though. You've gotten me close, but never over." She smiled, and sighed. "Shit. Liz Cushman is one of my best friends. This all hasn't made her stuck on you, has it?"

"No, not at all."

"Good. Like I said, she's one of my best friends. If my little chit let you make her first time that memorable, who am I to argue?"

"Good. It was, and we both enjoyed ourselves, and parted the way we were when we started, as friends. But, Sophia, this has to stop, I think."

"Experimenting with other people, you mean?"

"Yeah."

"I think you're right. I've gotten it out of my system. Have you?"

"Yeah. Believe me, you're the best, but only the best--you--could ever top the Liz Cushman Deflowering Experience. Anyone besides you would just pale in comparison."

Sophia laughed. "Good!"

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Sophia plopped down in front of Liz in the hotel dining room the next morning at breakfast.

"So, Liz, I hear my boyfriend plucked your cherry yesterday," Sophia grinned at her.

She turned beet red, and got a sheepish smile. "Oh, he told you about that."

"Course he told me. That's the deal, he has to tell. He also said you enjoyed yourself."

"That's one way of putting it." Liz looked at her friend. "You're not mad?"

"I actually was," Sophia admitted. "I did give him permission, so I had no right to be mad. He just didn't do what I expected."

"You expected him to take a meaningless roll in the hay with Stephie Eberhardt, not taking one of his best friend's cherry."

"You got it. But I calmed down. We talked things out. I've come to realize that I'm glad he did you, because apparently it was a night you'll never forget……"

Liz blushed deep red.

"……that's what I thought," Sophia laughed. "You're my friend, and I trust you, and if I had a part in providing you a memorable first time, great. But we also decided that this is damaging our relationship, and I decided that my bisexual itch was not as strong as I first thought. So, congratulations, because you are the last person besides me that will ever sleep with Warren."

"Damn. I was hoping for round two." Liz laughed at Sophia's stricken expression. "No, I'm just kidding. Well, partially. Listen, Warren's yours, that's fine with me, I'm not in love with him or anything. But most of the eligible guys on this tour I wouldn't give the time of day to, and Warren…..well……he kind of opened the floodgates." She grinned, blushing.

"In other words, you want it again."

"Oh YEAH. I'm wondering why the hell I waited. But, I know why--and it's the same problem I have now--lack of guys. Especially lack of guys that won't kiss and tell. I know Warren won't. There's very few on the cast that won't."

"What about outside of skating?"

"That's tough. I don't meet many guys outside of skating. And the ones I do are interested in me because I'm semi-famous. Nice guys don't approach World Champion Elizabeth Cushman for dates. "

"Hmmm….."

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A couple of days after that, they pulled into Cleveland. Warren and Sophia got into the lobby of the hotel, to run into Caitlin and Papa Bear. Liz was with them.

"HEY!" Warren called out and rushed over to greet them, Sophia joining in. When all the hugs and handshakes were done, Warren said, "Guys, I'd like you to meet our friend Liz Cushman. Liz, this is Paul Herlihy and Caitlin McDermott, our friends from school."

"Nice to meet you," Cait said. "It's a thrill, actually--I've seen you skate."

"Thanks," Liz smiled.

"I've seen you skate, too. Warren and Sophia have actually made a skating fan out of me, perish the thought," Paul grinned as he shook her hand. "And now my intro: guys, this is my older brother Rich. Rich this is Warren and Sophia, and Liz." Rich shook everyone's hand. He was almost a carbon copy of Papa Bear.

"Nice to meet you, Rich," Warren said. "I see the family resemblance."

"Everybody says that," Rich smiled.

"Hey, let us get our bags up to our rooms, and we'll be down in a flash. We need some supper."

"I know a place around here," Paul said.

"Cool. Liz, you coming?" Warren asked.

"I think I just might," smiled Liz.

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Liz and Rich ended up sitting next to one another. "I know I've seen you skate," Rich said. "You've won a world championship, right?"

"A couple."

"What's that like, being that good at something?"

Liz giggled. "That's a funny way of putting it. I don't think of it that way. Although it's a hell of a lot of satisfaction to actually win a World Championship. I've finished second the last two years, which makes me appreciate the ones I've won all the more." She took a sip of her drink. "So, what do you do?"

"I'm going to be a junior in college, studying pre-med, just like my little brother over there. I wanted to get out of the cold and snow, though, so I go to UCLA."

"Really? Classmate!"

"You go to UCLA?"

"Yeah, in between skating, that is. I tend to take a full class load in the fall, but only a couple classes in the spring, because that's when Nationals and Worlds are. I'm taking next year off, though, because it's an Olympic year."

"That must be a juggling act."

"Yeah. Nothing like Warren over there, who's taking a full pre-med schedule while skating. Of course, being an ice dancer, he doesn't have to practice as much, because there's no jumps. Dancers have it easy."

"I heard that!" Warren bellowed from the other end of the table. "You come talk to me when you start choreographing your own programs, little miss 'I have it so tough.'" Liz just stuck her tongue out at him.

Rich laughed. "Do you live in California even when you're not in school?"

"Yeah. Well, when I'm not on tour. I live close to campus, in an apartment. Grew up in LA. I train there, not too far from UCLA."

"Cool. I live off-campus myself. Going back in a couple weeks, I just came home for a quick visit."

"Yeah, that's about when I'll be there, after the tour ends. Gotta start cracking on them new programs, what with it being an Olympic year and all."

"Now, you have an Olympic medal, right?"

"Yeah. Silver. I don't want another," she grinned.

He laughed. "Gold or nothing?"

"Hey, I went in last time as the defending World Champion, and got upset. This time, I'm not going in as the defending World Champion. It's time to be the upsetter, not the upsettee."

The food came, and they all started eating.

"What's the hardest part about skating?" Rich asked her.

"Where I am now, actually, it's not the skating. It's all the peripheral junk."

"Getting stopped on the street, that kind of thing?"

"That's part of it," Liz agreed. "Dealing with agents, dealing with autograph hounds, that too. Dealing with expectations, that's a big part of it. Warren and Sophia over there won a bronze medal at Worlds, and were thrilled beyond belief, because it was unexpected. I won a silver, and everybody's 'disappointed'."

"Oy. That's tough."

"It can be. Well, enough about me. You're pre-med?"

"Yeah, the table is lousy with future doctors," Rich laughed. "Me, my brother, and Warren. I want to do surgery, probably neurosurgery. I find it fascinating."

"Now, that's a tougher gig than skating. If I mess up, I just fall. If a doctor messes up……."

"Yeah. But I think there's a greater margin of error in some things than there is in other things. Think about it. Think about baseball. If a hitter is hitting .350, that's great. That's 35 percent! What would happen if you only hit 35 percent of your jumps?"

Liz giggled. "I'd have my face plastered all over Sports Illustrated with the headline 'MELTDOWN!!' in big letters."

"Right," Rich laughed. "So you have less of a margin of error than a shortstop. Doctors have no margin of error. However, we don't have to make the split-second decisions like a skater or a hitter does. I don't know if it's tougher. The consequences of failing are tougher, but that's it, and I think it's easier for a skater to fail, and I know it's easier for a baseball player to fail."

Liz giggled. "You sound like a baseball player."

"All-state catcher my senior year in high school. I could have played in college, but not at UCLA, so now I just play pickup."

"I never would have pegged you for an athlete," Liz said, then immediately regretted it. Rich was a big guy, like Paul. "I'm sorry, that was a stupid thing to say."

Rich just laughed. "Hey, you know the old joke--I'm not an athlete, I'm a baseball player. Which holds doubly true for catchers." Liz laughed in spite of herself. "My bulk is deceptive. I'm 6'2" and pushing 250, but you'd be amazed how low my body fat is. I'm just big."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he smiled. "Although, I could make figure skater anorexia comments. What do you weigh, 80?"

She cracked up. "No, I weigh considerably more than 80. And what I'm doing to this pile of food should disabuse any anorexia notions. No, I'm just small. An asset for a skater, but I come naturally by it, being half-Asian. You should see my mother. She's the Itty Bitty Japanese Woman stereotype come to life."

"I was wondering about that. I thought I saw Asian in the eyes, but your hair color and complexion……"

"Well, Daddy is the blonde, blue-eyed California surfer dude stereotype." They both cracked up. "So I ended up with Japanese eyes and facial features, light brown hair, and a complexion that nobody can make hide nor hair out of. And green eyes, of all things."

"It's a wonderful combination. You're one of the most exotically beautiful women I've ever seen."

Liz blushed. "Thank you."

"It's the truth. That was not a line, I'm no good at those," Rich grinned.

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that," Liz grinned back.

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They chatted throughout the meal. Paul and Cait, and Rich, had rented rooms in the hotel for tonight and for after the performance the following night, but were gathered in Warren and Sophia's room right now, just chatting.

"Hey, have you seen what's going on over on the couch?" Warren whispered to Sophia, who was sitting on his lap in a chair.

"Liz and Rich? Yeah, started in the restaurant. They really seem to be hitting it off."

"Yeah. And Paul told me he goes to UCLA, and Liz lives in California."

"Hmmm. Verrrry interesting," Sophia giggled. "And, from what she told me this morning, she has now achieved maximum horniness."

Warren couldn't help but laugh. "Hey, what's so funny?" Liz called from across the room.

"Nothing, Liz, dear. You just carry on." Warren said with a grin.

"Hmph."

"Hey, Rich, Paul, Cait, you guys are going to join us for breakfast, right?"

"Sure," Paul said. The rest agreed.

"It'll be fun. You'll get to meet more skaters." Sophia told them. "They all come down. Eventually, if they're Stephie Eberhardt."

Liz cracked up laughing. "Yeah, Crazy Stephie is always sleeping something or other off."

"Stephie Eberhardt?" Rich asked

"Yes, the Vegas Showgirl of Figure Skating," Liz told him with a grin. "Don't get me wrong, I know Stephie well, because she used to train with me, and I love her, she's delightful. But Crazy Stephie on tour has three priorities: getting drunk; getting laid; and wearing the tightest, skimpiest costume she can find so every guy in the audience is looking at her ass--which facilitates number two, of course."

"What's your priority on tour?" Rich asked her.

"Just to skate. I like skating. Making money is nice, too," she giggled.

"You don't pick up guys from the audience?" he smiled.

"Never have. I have trouble dating. Most skating guys are male versions of Stephie Eberhardt, or are gay, or are taken, like Warren and Jack Garrison, who are my two best male friends in skating. And guys outside of skating………"

"What?"

"Well, it just causes problems."

"What kind of problems?"

She looked at him. "Rich, why are you interested in why I don't date guys outside of skating?"

"Because I'm outside of skating."

Liz just looked at him for a minute, then the light dawned. She blushed. "I think I just got asked out."

Rich cracked up. "Yeah, but I did a botch-up job of it. Liz, when we both get back to California, may I have the pleasure of your company for an evening?"

She giggled. "Just an evening?"

"Well, got to start somewhere, right?"

"Hmm. I got to think about it, OK?"

"Sure, but I'm not asking you to marry me or anything," Rich cracked up. "I've spent all evening with you. I really like what I see. I'd like to see more."

"Well, let me say this, then," Liz said. "You're going to be around tomorrow, right?" He nodded. "Come to breakfast with us, then you can show me around Cleveland tomorrow, and then I'll decide if I want to see you in California. Fair enough?"

"Fair enough, but what's to see in Cleveland?" Rich laughed.

"The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, of course!"

"You're right. It's a date."

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They all met for breakfast the next day, and Warren and Sophia introduced their friends around.

Afterwards, Rich and Liz head out for the rock and roll hall of fame. They spent a few hours there, and then went for a late lunch.

"Hey, Rich?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you interested in me?"

"Because you're sweet, charming, intelligent, funny, and gorgeous. Have I left anything out?" he grinned at her.

"No, you didn't. In fact, you left out what I usually hear. I've only known you two days, and that's not long enough, but, I wanted to tell you--yes, I'll go out with you when we get back to LA Remind me to give you my number before you leave."

"Great!" He smiled at her. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Are you always this wary around guys? I was surprised when you didn't say yes right away last night, when I asked you, because it seemed to me that we were really hitting it off."

"Yeah, I'm wary around guys. It's hard to explain."

"That's OK. I'm glad you said yes. You don't know how hard I had to screw my courage on to even ask you."

"Really?" she laughed. "Why?"

"Well, that's my wariness around girls."

"I'll tell if you tell. Might as well get all the nasty fears out in the open," she told him.

"Well, I'm self-conscious about my size. When you gave me the 'maybe' answer yesterday, my first thought was, 'Oh, shit, here we go again.' Like I said, I thought we were getting along great, and I couldn't think of another reason you wouldn't say yes outside of my looks."

She smiled at him. "What, a big huggable hunk like you?" Liz blushed as she said it, but Rich might have blushed more. "And you're even cute when you blush," Liz giggled, making him blush deeper. "Your looks were never an issue, Rich, except for the fact that I do think you're cute and huggable." She looked at him, still grinning. "Boy, can you blush!"

"Stop it!" Rich said, but was grinning as he said it.

"Now you know how I felt last night. 'Exotically beautiful' and all that."

"OK, so we're even with that. But it's your turn to tell me why you're so wary."

Liz took a deep breath. "Rich, how much of a figure skating fan are you?"

"A little. I'll watch it if it's on. I like it, but I'm not a nut. For example, you've won, what did you tell me, three world championships, a bunch of national championships, and an Olympic silver medal, right? And when I met you, I had only a very slight inkling who you were. And that was mostly from Paul refreshing my memory on the way to the hotel, because Warren had told him you were going to be there."

"OK. This is hard to say, so bear with me. I'm not bragging, just telling you how it is. I'm fairly famous--we've been insanely lucky this morning that I haven't been recognized. I was praying I wouldn't, not today, not while I was with you. But I will be when I get back to the hotel. In fact, I'll be mobbed, because all the fans know we're in town today, and it's child's play to figure out where we're staying. I also…well, let's just say that I have no financial worries, and won't for a very long time."

Rich was just listening, so Liz continued. "What this means for my social life is that I tend to meet two types of guys. Those who are intimidated by me because I'm rich, famous, and successful--or those who only want to go out with me in the first place because I'm rich, famous, and successful. Now, this builds up on itself--because of this, I am woefully inexperienced with guys, which makes me more wary. The date we go on in LA will be my first real date. I had a friend take my virginity, because I was just plain sick of waiting, but he was just a friend. " Rich choked on his coke at that one. "Sorry. Heck, I'm nineteen. It was time, don't you think? Anyhow, outside of that, I am completely, totally inexperienced. And scared shitless."

Rich just looked at her for a minute. "First of all, I had a friend take my virginity, too, when I was a senior in high school. I was just a little surprised you came out with that out of the blue," he grinned.

"Well, I was emphasizing my inexperience, but didn't want you to think I was a complete blushing violet," she grinned at him.

"OK. Now I know why you didn't say yes right away. Honestly, after that soliloquy, I'm shocked you said yes at all." She just smiled at him. "As for what I think about what you said--I plan to be rich, I plan to be successful, and couldn't give a crap about famous." She laughed at that. "And rich, successful, famous women don't intimidate me. I prefer a woman with a life of her own, makes her more interesting. The only thing that intimidates me about you is your beauty, but I can deal with that."

It was Liz's turn to blush again.

"GOTCHA!" he yelled, making her crack up.

"Fine, you just look out," she said. "So, let me get this straight. You're sweet, cute, smart, interesting, unintimidated, straight, available, and relatively unimpressed. Are you sure you're real?"

He cracked up laughing. "I'm not so sure about the unimpressed part. Just not impressed by your fame and fortune. Everything else is completely impressive." She blushed again. "Gotcha again!"

"Flattery will get you anything you……ooh, I'm not even gonna finish that!"

He laughed. "Don't worry, Liz, I'm not the type to try to get a girl in bed the second day I know her."

"You're not? Damn!" It was his turn to blush again. "Gotcha back!"

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Warren had gotten them front row seats for the performance. Warren and Sophia did "Kiss Me Baby," to great applause. Liz skated two programs, and, after her second one, Rich stood up in his front row seat and gave her a rose when she skated over.

They were heading to Pittsburgh in the morning, so it was an early night, but they went out for a late supper before going back to the hotel.

Jack wasn't lying--he wasn't the type to make any serious moves on a girl he just met. That could wait. Kiss her goodnight? Oh, yeah, that he'd do. A good long one that made Liz weak in the knees.

"So, you're going to see him in LA?" Warren asked her the next morning.

"Yup."

"Listen, I don't know him, but he comes from good stock. His brother is the salt of the earth."

"I know. Warren, I think I really like this guy. And, boy, the kiss he gave me last night…….."

"He's got your number?"

"Yup. Gonna call me as soon as he gets back to LA--we figured I'm going to beat him by about three days. So, we'll see. But, everything I see so far, I like."

"Good luck, kid. Keep me posted?"

"Between me and Paul, you'll know everything!"

---end of chapter----