It was an especially hot day. Lystra and her fellow slave, Melissa had worked for hours in the sweaty heat. Lystra and her fellow slave, Melissa had worked for hours in the sweaty heat doing the bidding for the lady of the house. They were preparing for the gathering of their master's peers that evening. Important men from the Emperor’s army.
“You girls smell,” the lady said when she came into the kitchen. The evening was drawing close and it would be soon time to light the lamps. The lady had come to inspect the food laid out on platters. Grapes and pomegranates. Cheese and flatbread. Lystra was pouring the wine from the large terracotta amphorae it had been delivered into serving pitchers. The lady scrunched up her nose looking at Lystra and Melissa with disgust. “Go wash up in the wash house. You can't smell like a brothel when our guests arrive.”
Lystra and Melissa went across the courtyard to the wash house. It was a separate stone building with a tiled cistern that the girls used to do the household laundry. It smelled like soap and wet cloth. The sun was leaving the sky and their eyes needed to adjust to the darkness of the building. Lystra unwound the belt of her tunic and the fabric slipped to the floor around her feet. Melissa did the same. She was a pretty girl, a few years older than Lystra. She was tall and thin with dark brown hair and eyes. She’d been with the household since she was just a girl and she was sold to pay off her parent’s debts. Most of the house slaves had the same story. Lystra’s parents had died when she was a young girl and she lived with her aunt. For years they worked in the market selling tunics and linens stolen from the dead before they were burned. Her aunt had always been kind to her but after her aunt fell and broke her leg, they could no longer pay for the room they shared together. Lystra didn’t resent her aunt because the lady and the master didn’t mistreat her.
“I wonder if the Lady will be demanding all night,” Melissa said, her curling thick hair loose around her neck and shoulders. “I hope she drinks too much and leaves us alone.” They both knew they had a long night ahead of them. Roman parties could go until sun up depending on the company and the provisions. Lystra laughed. Melissa always made her laugh. She helped make the days pass.
“I’m jealous of your beautiful curves,” Melissa said as she looked at Lystra. “And your beautiful green eyes. Melissa was as skinny as a young boy. Even though she wore a leather strap wrapped around her chest to support her breasts, she didn’t really need to. When Lystra undid the leather of her own strap but quickly used her arm to cover herself, self-conscious of her large, soft breasts because of Melissa’s compliment. They both kneeled in front of the tiled pool to rinse with the water.
“You should find yourself a lover,” Melissa said. The girls talked about everything but they had never talked about lovers and Lystra could feel her face warm up and flush. “Felix has a friend,” Melissa said. “You’re so pretty it wouldn’t be hard for you to find a man. It’s fun to have a lover.” Melissa had met Felix at the bathhouse a few months before. She would slip out at night after they were dismissed to meet him at the bathhouse where his family worked. He’d let Melissa go to the baths for free.
“I’d be too scared to get pregnant,” Lystra said looking down at the water. She scrubbed herself with a cloth and the hard soap they used for cleaning sheets.
“I’ll take you to the midwife and we’ll get you the herb to prevent it,” Melissa said laughing as if it were a silly worry. Lystra turned away from Melissa so she could wash under her breasts and under her arms, sighing from the delight of the cool water on her skin. After a few seconds, Melissa started washing Lystra’s back, something they’d done so many times but this time her skin tingled under the coarse cloth. Perhaps it was because they’d been talking about lovers or maybe it was because the cool water felt so good. It made Lystra sigh again. Lystra couldn’t believe it when Melissa’s fingertips slowly traced across her shoulders and began to travel down her spine. When Melissa’s fingers reached her tail bone she swirled them back up. Lystra couldn’t move. Melissa had never touched her like that before.
"Or maybe you aren’t interested in having a male lover,” Melissa whispered. She was so close to Lystra’s back that she felt her breath on her ear. Lystra turned around without thinking, scared but Melissa touch had felt so good that she could feel it in her private parts. She was hungry for more. Melissa’s naked body was beautiful, her limbs long and graceful. Her dark nipples and her shadowy pubic hair were captivating. Lystra slowly leaned in and kissed her friend, her lips unbearably soft like flower petals. Melissa grabbed her jaw to kiss her harder, with desperation. Her tongue pushed into Lystra’s mouth eagerly and her hands started caressing up her stomach until they were near her breasts. Melissa pulled Lystra up so they were standing in front of each other and looked into her eyes. Lystra was afraid to touch her.
“Your tits are gorgeous,” Melissa whispered, touching the bottoms of them where they met her ribs. “You’ve grown so beautiful in the past year.” Lystra had been late to develop breasts but now they were round and generous. They were so full and her nipples were so sensitive that sometimes they brushed up her clothes while she worked and they would become hard and achy. Melissa’s breasts were small and firm like pomegranates. Because they were the same height their nipples brushed up together and it made Lystra shudder. Melissa’s stared into Lystra’s face as she brought her hand up to take her nipple between her thumb and finger. Lystra moaned and closed her eyes. She’d never felt anything like it.
She’d heard women joking and teasing each other and she knew sex could feel amazing but without experience, the thought of sex was embarrassing. Sometimes she would touch herself between her legs as she was falling asleep, discretely because she shared a room with the other female slaves. It felt warm and good to press down on the top of her crotch but she would stop after a few seconds. She wished she could touch herself now, or that Melissa would. She felt eager and brought her pelvis closer to Melissa wishing for a touch. She rocked her hips gently, instinctively. Melissa brought her face down to Lystra’s chest and it made her gasped as she took her nipple between her lips and licked around the outside. Lystra couldn’t help herself as her fingers travelled down to her pubic hair and slipped to her slit there. It was slippery and warm. She stifled a moan.
They’d left the house with everyone running around finishing up the last details. Surely the others were wondering where they were. She was supposed to light the lamps before it got too dark but she couldn't even think of leaving, especially when Melissa brought her hands down and pushed Lystra’s hands aside. Melissa knew exactly what to do and started touching the lips of her crotch. Lystra felt silky-wet with the heat of Melissa’s rubbing.
“Stop,” she whispered. “You shouldn’t touch me down there. What if someone comes?”
“Down there?” Melissa laughed. “This is called your pussy," she said kissing Lystra on the lips. Using the pad of her finger, Melissa rubbed the top of her pussy in a slow, aching circle. Lystra was still standing and she parted her legs and little trying to open herself up so Melissa could touch more of her. “But doesn’t it feel good?” Melissa asked. Lystra panted. “You’re so wet,” Melissa said, sliding her fingers down further until she came to the bottom where her hole was. She slid her fingers in just a little and then drew them back up to the top where it was so sensitive. “That’s called your clit,” Melissa said, returning to it. Lystra gasped and then exhaled. She'd never felt something like this before, the warmth of Melissa's finger tracing circles all around her lips and her pussy. She wanted to lie down. She wanted to spread herself all the way open to Melissa.
They heard a noise from across the courtyard.
“Girls!” It was the head slave, Justina yelling from the back door. “Where the hell are you?” Melissa stepped away, from Lystra quickly. They were both out of breath and darted around for their clothes before Justina came inside the washing house. “It shouldn’t take you this long to rinse up. I should have you lashed for this sort of laziness!”
“We’re coming, Justina,” Melissa said. They quickly slipped into their tunics.
“I’m sorry,” Lystra said. She hated it when people were angry with her. “We’re just so hot and the water was so refreshing.” Justina’s wrinkled face frowned.
“Melissa, go and help the master with his bath. Lystra, light the lamps.”
Lystra walked around the house lighting all the oil lamps. She usually enjoyed the task but tonight she couldn’t stop thinking about Melissa. How long had she felt attracted to Lystra? Why had they not spoken of it before? All the things Melissa had done felt so good. Lystra put her hand to her cheek and could tell she was blushing. Her body felt so sensitive, she could feel her skin rubbing up against her undergarments.
She went into the courtyard to light the lamps along the stone walls. She wanted to adjust her undergarments because it was chaffing on her swollen crotch. She stopped in the shadow of the big sycamore tree growing in the corner. She started adjusting the fabric of her undergarment but stopped. She curiously slid her finger into her undergarment. She wasn’t going to touch herself, she just wondered about the sensations Melissa had built under the skin. It still felt like her pussy was glowing. Her finger smoothed between her warm and slippery lips. Surely she had a few minutes before someone would notice her, she thought. She placed the lighting lamp down on a flat stone beside her and sat down with her back against the wall. She was hidden away, safe for a moment. She spread her legs as far she could and pushed her undergarment aside because it was in the way. At first, she touched herself nervously and it felt like a tease. She used her fingers to explore all of her pussy. Lystra was always such a good girl, she listened to the people above her and aimed to please. It surprised her that she was hiding in the courtyard desperate to touch herself. She put her finger down to her hole and felt the gaping wetness of it and circled back up to her clit creating a slow circular rubbing. She went so slow at first because it was delicious, then fast which made her pant. She slid her finger down again but this time she put a finger a little bit inside of herself. She felt the walls of herself, slick and throbbing. She wished there was something else besides her fingers that she could put up there. She circled back up to her clit and started rubbing harder. Her breath started catching.
There was something happening inside of her, growing and building. It was so curious, so delightful that she and she didn’t know how to stop. She felt so aroused. How long could this amazing thing continue? She wished she could do this for hours. All she wanted to do for the rest of her days was rub her clit. She thought about Melissa sucking on her nipple. How she’d pinched them and Lystra slipped her hand under her chest wrap and pulled her breast out of their constraint. At first, she swirled her fingers around a nipple, softly. Then she pinched it a little more firmly with her thumb and forefinger. She ached so much that her chest seemed to heave up. She kept rubbing her clit but stopped to take her other nipple so that she was squeezing and pinching both of them. If only Melissa were here, she thought stifling a moan. With the wet from her pussy she drew circles across her nipples. Her hips rocked up involuntarily as if her clit were angry that she’d stopped touching it. She reached a finger back down and her clit and her lips were so swollen. She rubbed with two fingers.
A thing inside of her started growing. It was intense and it was inside of her and it grew and grew until she couldn't stop touching herself even if she tried. Her insides were screaming and laughing at the same time. She felt her hips move up in a rhythm and then something happened that felt like a flash of lightning. Her body shuddered and she felt like she’d exploded. Shake after shake overwhelmed her. She never wanted the feeling to end. Her body glowed while she caught her breath. She wasn’t sure what happened but she would ask Melissa about it later. She stood up quickly because she thought she heard someone coming outside. She adjusted her clothing and picked up the lamp. I could do that forever, she thought. If she touched herself again would that happen again? She shouldn’t because she needed to get back inside before someone caught her. She fixed her clothing and ran back inside, managing to avoid being seen.
The lady made Lystra fix her hair and change into her new, yellow toga. “You must tie it up around your neck, and wear a tie under your tits so the men can admire the shape of your shoulders. These are important officials that the master deals with,” the lady said as she inspected Lystra’s appearance. Lystra and Melissa were going to serve them all night while the lady stayed in her chambers. It was considered uncouth for the wife of a high ranking official to be seen in a gathering of men.
The men began to arrive and once they were seated in the room they started calling for drinks. Lystra and Melissa were to lurk in the hall, close to the doorway so they could hear if they were called. Melissa was sipping from the wine pitcher, just slowly.
“Have some wine,” she said and Lystra did. The sweet tingling went down into her belly. When was the last time she ate?
“Why did you touch me? What about Felix?” she whispered to Melissa in the hall.
“He wants you to join us at the bathhouse sometime,” she whispered. “Of course only if you want to. He could watch me touch you. Or we can be lovers altogether.” Lystra was shocked. She’d heard of such things happening in the bathhouse but until tonight she’d not understood why someone would do that. Would being in the bathhouse with Melissa and Felix feel like in the garden?
Melissa gently took her hand and brought it to her nose. She smiled while she smelled Lystra’s fingers. “You’ve been playing, little pet. I can smell you on your fingers,” Lystra tried to pull her fingers away but Melissa held them tight and brought them to her lips. She took the two fingers she’d smelled and slipped them between her lips. Her lips smacked as she licked them. “I can taste you on your fingers,” she said. Melissa let go of Lystra’s fingers and kissed her gently on the lips. It made Lystra feel a pull and was willing to do anything for the feeling to continue. Lystra was curious and wondered if she could make Melissa feel good too.
