[Damerei]

Tangled Ambitions

By: Damerei


Part I


Lauren Holmes watched the numbers on the red digital clock as they ticked up. 48. 52. The treadmill’s belt whirred away beneath her. The clock turned over to an even 20:00. She quickly hit the stop button and slowed with the treadmill until she was standing still. She wiped her forehead off with a white gym towel and ran a hand through her blond pixie cut, breathing heavily.

Finally her daily cardio was over and she could move on. She grabbed a quick drink of water and cast her eye around the rest of the gym, looking. A gaggle of women in matching yoga pants giggled near the Pilates mats, their workout more social gathering than a serious challenge. No takers there. There was Ally, who looked like she could bench press a small car, in her customary place. She might actually be interested but she weighed probably a hundred pounds more than her and could probably crush her like an insect. No, that was no good either.

The quarry Lauren was after wasn't someone who preferred pastel weights and gossip sessions, or someone who looked like they injected synthetic steroids.  Lauren craved an equal, a reflection. Someone who pushed as hard, lifted as heavy, and sweated as much as she did. Someone who wouldn't back down from a competition.

This quest for an adversary wasn't new.  For years, for as long as she could remember really, Lauren had dreamt of this faceless rival, a woman who could match her stride for stride, rep for rep.

She had always loved any sort of competition. Back at the University of Michigan, the heptathlon had been her battlefield – seven grueling events testing her limits in speed, strength, and endurance. Every jump, throw, and sprint had been a personal duel against her opponents, a glorious war of wills waged on the track. The thrill of victory had been intoxicating, but even the sting of defeat held a strange allure, a reminder to push harder, train smarter, to become the best version of herself. Ten years since she had graduated, and that competitive fire still burned, albeit in a different form. The track had been traded for the squat rack, the heptathlon for barbells and dumbbells. But the core desire, the burning urge to test herself against worthy adversaries, remained.

She loved battling with other women on the track or in the weight room, but what she really, secretly craved was the ultimate physical competition, a raw, unadulterated test of strength and will – a wrestling match.

Whenever she would compete against another woman in any arena she would image the present contest melting away, replaced by the image of two bodies locked in a fierce embrace. Legs would strain, arms would lock, and sweat would mingle as they grappled for dominance. It wouldn't be about beating her opponent to a pulp, but a deep, instinctive struggle to control, to pin, to claim victory through sheer physical will. To force another person to submit, to feel their body yield beneath her’s. It wasn't just about victory, it was about proving your place in the pecking order, your right to survive and thrive.

She didn’t know where it came from, or what it was, but whatever it was, the desire was undeniable, a primal urge to test herself in the most fundamental way possible – woman against woman, nothing else, locked in a battle of will and strength.

The closest she’d ever come was Rachel. Her good friend and teammate on the Michigan Track Team. The two of them were well matched in strength and athleticism and they were kindred spirits as well. They pushed each other in training, their competitive fire a constant source of motivation. During their senior year, when they had both laid claim to the same hotel bed the night after an away meet, Lauren had worked up the courage to playfully challenge the other girl to wrestle her for it.

Rachel was up for anything and when she had agreed Lauren had been elated. But the moment they locked arms, Lauren's dreams of a fierce, competitive match evaporated. Rachel, it turned out, wasn't quite on the same page. Instead of the real intensity Lauren craved, Rachel giggled, her resistance more playful than determined. The wrestling quickly devolved into a tangle of limbs and laughter. It had been fun, it had even been pretty sexy to roll around the bed in their underwear, but the primal edge Lauren craved had been completely absent.

The memory of Rachel's playful wrestling bout left a bitter taste in Lauren's mouth. College, with its constant camaraderie and abundance of strong female athletes, felt like a lifetime ago. Since then, opportunities for such raw competition had dwindled. 

Sure, she grappled with her boyfriend sometimes, but those sessions were fun, a playful way to reconnect after a long day and channel some of her competitive energy. But the thrill of competition was muted. James, a former college baseball player, outweighed her by a good 40 pounds. Their wrestling matches, though spirited, always became an exercise in easy dominance on his part, leaving Lauren wanting more.

Moving to Denver a year ago had been a fresh start, and this new gym, with its plethora of in-shape women, felt promising. It was in this place, with it’s whirring machines and constantly clanking weights, that Lauren clung to the hope of finally finding a worthy opponent.

The problem, as always, lay in the initiation.  Direct challenges had always felt... awkward.  Like admitting a secret shame, this yearning for a raw physical test.

Instead, Lauren had resorted to a series of clumsy provocations, a dance of unspoken aggression that never quite hit the right note.  She'd linger a beat too long on the squat rack, pretending to adjust weights while a woman waited impatiently.  She'd make pointed comments about "proper form" when another woman lifted.  The most daring attempt had been a "mistaken" brush with a woman using the cable machine, and a feigned apology that barely masked the challenge in her eyes.

But every time, it fell flat. The women she targeted either dismissed her with an awkward smile or simply backed down, the fight evaporating before it even began.  They just didn't get it, Lauren thought with a grimace. They worked out to be healthy, or look good in a bikini. They must have all been lacking the same primal urge to test themselves.

As Lauren’s eyes surveyed the gym floor they finally settled on a woman warming up on a deadlift platform. She was taller than Lauren, probably around 5’10 to her 5’7, and looked to be around 10-12 pounds heavier than her own 142lbs. But her build wasn't bulky; it was lean muscle, sculpted by dedication.

Lauren watched the woman loading her bar with weights, her movements practiced and efficient. Her form was perfect and she was lifting in her socks. This was no novice lifter.

Lauren's heart began to hammer a familiar rhythm against her ribs. This woman had the physique, the focus - could she have the spirit too?  Lauren quickly hurried over to the empty platform beside this strangers. She kicked her own shoes off and stepped on to the platform, laying down a bar and starting to lift.

As Lauren started her own warm-up sets, she couldn't help but steal glances at the woman on the adjacent platform. Each time their eyes met, a subtle exchange occurred. A flicker of recognition, a hint of a challenge simmering just beneath the surface. The unspoken competition was clear.  Neither woman needed words. The clanging of metal was the only conversation that passed between them.

With every rep, Lauren pushed herself harder, her gaze flitting between the weights and the woman beside her. Each successful lift felt like a victory, but also a gauntlet thrown down. The woman responded in kind, adding weights with a measured deliberation.  The tension in the air grew thicker with each clang of the bar, the atmosphere electric.

Finally, they came to 315lbs, five pounds above Lauren’s personal record. They both approached their bars. The other woman looked nervous too. Lauren’s teeth clenched as they groaned in unison. Both of their bars lifted a few bare inches off the ground then promptly came crashing back down. Heaving breaths escaped both their lips as sweat beaded on their foreheads. Lauren met the woman's gaze, a grudging respect passing between them. They had pushed each other to their limits, and this woman hadn’t backed down from the unspoken challenge.

Lauren watched this woman out of the corner of her eye. Was this it? Had she finally found an opponent? This other woman seemed like she might be game for it, but how to approach her? Should could try to subtly provoke her, but that had never worked in the past. She decided to try to just talk to her and see if she could somehow ease her way into the suggestion.

As the other woman was stepping off her platform she walked up to her smiling.

“Hey,” she said, smiling, “that was a hell of a battle. You were so close to that 315.”

The other woman laughed, “Thanks, so were you. I don’t often see other women who can lift that much.”

“Amen. We’ll have to lift together some time.”

“Definitely. That sounds like a lot of fun. I love a good challenge! I’m Maya by the way.”

Lauren could feel her heart rate increase again. “I’m Lauren.”

The two of them exchanged numbers before parting ways to head into work. Lauren couldn’t stop smiling to herself as she got changed and drove towards her office. This woman, with her obvious strength and willingness to compete was the best potential opponent she had found in years.


Part II


The Denver branch of Kinetic Solutions occupied a sleek, modern high-rise that gleamed against the clear blue Colorado sky. Kinetic Solutions was a regional leader in industrial automation solutions, and its office spaces reflected that status – sleek, minimalist, and distinctly masculine. Polished concrete floors gleamed under the harsh overhead lighting, reflecting the muted charcoal tones of the cubicles that stretched endlessly down the hallways.  Stainless steel accents and floor-to-ceiling windows aiming to capture the majesty of the Rockies, did little to soften the atmosphere.

Lauren had discovered her passion in a most unexpected place – a freshman year elective on industrial design.  Professor Hernandez, a wiry woman with a twinkle in her eye, had opened Lauren's eyes to the world where engineering met art. She’d devoured every design principle, every software program Hernandez threw at her.  She loved this field, where the challenge wasn't just making something work, but making it work efficiently and beautifully.

Now, a seasoned design engineer almost ten years into her career, Lauren still reveled in transforming the complex workings of industrial automation into intuitive and aesthetically pleasing interfaces. It was a dance between logic and creativity, a challenge that ignited a spark deep within her.  Every product that rolled off the production line, every satisfied client, was a testament to the power of design and how form could meet function.

But being a woman in this industry wasn’t easy. At every job she had taken she had been met with an initial skepticism. Nine out of every ten people in her field were men, and it sometimes had the feel of a “good old boy’s club”. Her talent however, always eventually silenced the subtle eye rolls, patronizing pats on the head, and the subtle insinuations that she was only hired because she was a woman.

However equal she felt she had become, there were always still reminders that she was different.

Today’s reminder came in the form of her manager, a portly man named Doug with a perpetually worried frown. He had popped into her office a few minutes after she had arrived herself, a peculiar request dangling from his lips.

"Lauren," he'd begun, his voice laced with something that resembled annoyance, "we've got a new transfer coming in from Albuquerque. Maria Alvarez, another mechanical engineer. They wanted you to..." he trailed off, clearing his throat.

Lauren raised an eyebrow.  New employees were typically ushered in by Doug himself, a company tradition meant to establish a sense of hierarchy.  So why Lauren?

Doug coughed again. "Well, you know, Maria's another woman on the team. Figured you two could..."

Lauren had stifled a sigh. Of course. Token women unite.  It wasn't malicious, just a touch clueless on Doug's part.  Still, the prospect of a day spent babysitting a newcomer was less than appealing.

"Sure, Doug," she'd finally said, a tight smile plastered on her face. "Happy to help."

But behind her smile a deeper, more unsettling feeling gnawed at her. Maria Alvarez, another mechanical engineer. The words echoed in her mind, stirring a familiar disquiet. In the vast sea of men, women in their field were a rare breed.  They were constantly compared, their successes and failures held up for scrutiny under a harsh spotlight.  Lauren had carved out a space for herself at Kinetic Solutions, a space she'd earned with blood, sweat, and countless late nights spent hunched over her workstation.  The arrival of another woman, particularly one with a similar background, triggered a primal urge to compete. She often felt insecure in the company of other women in her field if she had not yet determined whether she was the more capable and “badass” engineer or not.

Lauren hated this feeling.  Logically, she knew she should be welcoming, a beacon of support for another woman in a challenging environment.  But the constant pressure to be the "best" woman in the room, the one who shattered glass ceilings and defied expectations, had fostered a deep-seated insecurity. 

A light tap on the doorframe drew Lauren's attention away from her swirling thoughts. A woman stood there, a warm smile curving her lips and a confident glint in her eyes.
She was shorter than Lauren by an inch or so, maybe 5’6 or just a touch shorter. Lauren  could tell that she was fit, although her body was hidden beneath a loose hanging black jacket, and a nice white blouse, tucked into sleek black slacks. Her outfit was similar to Lauren’s own stylish business casual attire. Her hair, a rich chocolate brown, fell in a stylish bob that just brushed her shoulders – short, but still longer than Lauren's sharp blonde pixie cut.

Maria extended a hand, her smile confident. "Maria Alvarez, reporting for duty," she said, her handshake surprisingly firm. A bit too firm to be friendly; there was a subtle challenge in its grip.

Lauren met the pressure head-on, a flicker of surprise crossing her features before it was replaced by a practiced smile. "Lauren Holmes," she returned, releasing Maria's hand a beat too slowly.  "Welcome to the Denver Branch.”

As Maria settled into the chair opposite her desk, Lauren couldn't help but size her up. There was something about the newcomer, a quiet intensity that mirrored Lauren's own. The initial orientation jitters Lauren might have expected were absent.

"So, Albuquerque huh?" Lauren began, opening Maria's file on the onboarding program on her computer. "What brings you to Denver?"

"Same reason as you, I imagine – the chance to work on cutting-edge projects," Maria replied, a hint of amusement dancing in her voice. "Though, the mountains here are definitely a bonus."

Again Lauren felt a flicker of competitiveness. This office was her domain.

As Lauren led her through the office onboarding process on her laptop the two of them chatted casually about their respective professional histories.

Both women had impressive academic backgrounds, graduating with top honors from prestigious engineering programs. Lauren from the University of Michigan, Maria from UCLA. Their early careers had followed similar trajectories – stints at smaller firms, tackling a diverse range of projects that honed their skills in both design and engineering, before being recruited by Kinetic Solutions.

However, the seemingly friendly conversation was peppered with a subtle undercurrent of competition. Lauren casually mentioned a complex project she'd led that resulted in a significant efficiency upgrade.  Maria countered with a story about a design flaw she'd identified in a prototype, saving the company from a costly production run.  Each anecdote was a veiled attempt to establish dominance, a display of technical prowess disguised as pleasant conversation.

The subtext was clear. They were sizing each other up, two wolves circling one another in a professional territory that already felt overcrowded.  Lauren could feel a familiar knot of insecurity tightening in her gut. This was a silent duel, a battle for recognition in a world where women in their field were still an anomaly.

As the morning wore on, the competition grew more evident.  Lauren, showcasing her workstation, highlighted the latest design software she utilized.  Maria, in turn, bragged about her proficiency with a specific coding language that Lauren hadn't yet mastered.  By noon the air was virtually crackling with unspoken tension.

By the time lunch rolled around, the air around Lauren and Maria was thick enough to cut with a knife. The supposed "getting-to-know-you" banter during the orientation had devolved into a series of thinly veiled boasts disguised as small talk. They settled at an outdoor table at a trendy restaurant near the office, the uncommonly warm spring air doing little to thaw the iciness between them.

They sat across from each other, both studiously avoiding eye contact as they sipped  iced tea. The conversation that they forced themselves to make was as awkward and halting as a first date gone horribly wrong. They discussed things to do in Denver. They traded surface level questions about their families and backgrounds.

The silence threatened to engulf them again. Maria shifted in her seat and, seemingly unable to bear the oppressive heat and stifling atmosphere any longer, took off her blazer to reveal a crisp white sleeveless blouse. Lauren's eyes darted down, catching a glimpse of the defined musculature in Maria's arms.  They were toned, athletic – more than Lauren had initially thought. They looked to be extremely similar to her own. Another spark of competitiveness, sharp and unexpected, ignited within her. Maria caught her lingering glance and smirked.

Casually, Maria folded her napkin in her lap.  "Do you work out much, Lauren?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of amusement, a hidden barb perhaps.

Lauren swallowed a defensive retort.  "Actually, yes," she countered, heart beating faster now, fueled by the competitive fire burning in her chest.  "Used to compete in the heptathlon back when I was in college."

Maria's eyebrows shot up in surprise.  Lauren noticed a flicker of something in her eyes, a grudging respect perhaps, or maybe just a raised bar in the silent competition.

"Heptathlon, huh?" Maria said, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Impressive.  I played tennis."  She paused, then added, "Still play occasionally, but mostly do Crossfit now. I try to go at least five times a week.”

The words hung in the air, a challenge disguised as a casual statement.  Lauren felt the heat rise, not just from the scorching sun, but from the sudden urge to prove herself.  She could practically feel the two of them measuring their nonexistent dicks.

“Really? I’ve never done Crossfit, but I take the gym pretty seriously too.”

They lapsed back into an awkward silence, neither quite sure where to go from there. Maria was smiling in a slightly patronizing way, as if she didn’t believe her. The thought that this woman imagined that she had one upped her, that she had somehow scored a point on her, infuriated Lauren.

After around a minute of them eating in silence Lauren took off her own blazer.  Her blouse wasn't sleeveless, but the short sleeves revealed arms that were as solidly built and defined as Maria’s, honed by years of weightlifting. She stretched her arms above her head, subtly flexing the muscles of her arms for Maria’s benefit. She noted with a great deal of satisfaction that the other woman seemed surprised, though she tried not to show it, to find that they were more equal then she thought.

She lowered her arms slowly, as though she were just stretching. Maria met her eyes. Both of them clearly understanding the silent competition they found themselves in.

Back in the office, the late afternoon sun slanted through the windows, casting long shadows across the desks. Both Lauren and Maria had elected to leave their jackets off,  throwing them casually over the chairs in Lauren’s office, despite the fact that the building was somewhat chilly. Lauren couldn't help but steal glances at Maria's arms, the defined muscles hinting at a dedication to fitness that rivaled her own. Her own arms, exposed beneath her short-sleeved blouse, felt like they were burning under Maria's hidden scrutiny. Every subtle flex, every exaggerated reach for a pen, sent a jolt of competitive energy coursing through Lauren.

Their catty banter resumed, again disguised as friendly conversation. Lauren mentioned a recent hike she'd conquered, highlighting the grueling incline. Maria countered with a story about a weekend rock climbing trip, casually dropping in the name of a notoriously difficult route.

With each exchange, the unspoken question hung heavy in the air: who was stronger, who was fitter, who was tougher?

As Lauren took Maria through the intricacies of the company’s new design software program, she couldn't help but let her mind wander as it always did when she found another woman who was on the same ‘level’ as her . They were about the same size, both athletic, both clearly competitive.  The thought, sudden and startling, flashed across her mind: who would win in a wrestling match?  A ridiculous image of them grappling on the office floor, a tangle of limbs and flying software manuals, filled her head. Lauren tried to push the vivid scene out of her mind. She had always resolved never to mix fantasy with her professional life. It just had the potential to turn out so badly. After all, you don’t shit where you eat, right? The risk to reward ratio just didn’t make sense.

And yet she found that, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Would Maria's agility from her tennis days give her an edge over the explosiveness she had honed on the track? Would Lauren's weightlifting program give her an advantage over Maria and her Crossfit regimen? 

As the clock struck five, Lauren stood up, her muscles protesting slightly from a day spent hunched over her computer. Maria, mirroring her movement, offered a tight smile.

"Well, Lauren," she said, extending a hand. "Thanks for showing me the ropes. Looks like I’ll be able to really make a difference here."

Lauren bristled internally at the slight dig. She clasped Maria's hand, both of them squeezing quite hard.

"Looking forward to working with you, Maria," she replied, the words laced with a quiet determination that mirrored the glint in her eyes. "Just remember, these ropes have a tendency to trip up newbies."

“Thanks,” Maria said as the released their handshake. “I guess they can trip anybody up right? I’ll just have to make sure I step over them.”

Their parting jabs hung in the air, a final note in a day filled with hidden barbs and unspoken challenges. As Maria left the office, Lauren sank back into her chair, a single thought echoing in her mind: she could not let this woman get the better of her.


Part III


Weeks bled into one another, and the air at Kinetic Solutions crackled with an energy that Lauren had never known before. Lauren and Maria circled each other warily, both acutely aware of the unspoken rivalry that simmered between them. Their male colleagues, oblivious to the undercurrent of competition, fueled the fire with their unsolicited comments.

"Maria's a sharp one, Lauren," a burly engineer named Hank had boomed one day, clapping Lauren on the shoulder a little too heartily. "You two gals must keep each other on your toes, huh?"

Lauren plastered on a smile, her insides churning. "Something like that," she managed. The implication was clear – they were now the two "gals" to watch, forever measured against each other.

Maria, an extremely competent design engineer, was also clearly a social butterfly, quickly charming the other engineers in the office, even the more reserved and skeptical ones, with her quick wit, impressive ability, and easygoing nature. Lauren watched, frustration simmering in her gut. It rankled that Maria seemed to be embraced so readily, a stark contrast to the year Lauren had spent battling to be taken seriously. She felt like she'd paved the way, only for Maria to waltz in and reap the benefits. What did this woman have that she didn’t? She was more outgoing and bubbly to be sure, but that shouldn’t matter.

As much as she hated it, this perceived advantage pushed Lauren into a state of hyper-vigilance. She redoubled her efforts to maintain her position, adopting a forced cheerfulness around her male colleagues. It felt inauthentic, this desperate attempt to maintain their approval, but the alternative – being seen as the "lesser" woman – was simply unbearable.

As the pressure to prove themselves intensified, Lauren found herself working late more frequently, meticulously refining her designs, pushing the boundaries of functionality and aesthetics. Maria, in turn, refused to back down, determined to prove that she was more than a match for her. This extra level of effort that they both pushed themselves to did nothing to improve their relationship.

Meetings devolved into thinly veiled competitions, each woman vying to present the most innovative solution, the most insightful critique. Lauren and Maria, seemingly on opposite sides of every issue, would spar verbally, dissecting each other's ideas with a brutal surgical precision that occasionally left colleagues shifting uncomfortably. Their presentations, initially focused on the merits of their designs, would inevitably descend into thinly veiled attempts to outdo each other, with displays of technical prowess that bordered on arrogance.

Their attire, once practical, professional, and notably casual, took on a subtly provocative edge. Gone were the comfortable blouses and slacks; both women began favoring outfits that accentuated their impressive builds. Skirts became shorter, pants became tighter, blouses more revealing. Jackets disappeared entirely as each woman showed off her athletic physique to the other, determined to prove that she had the superior body. As the weeks passed both became frustrated by their inability to gain an edge over their newfound rival with either their engineering abilities or their physical appearance.

As annoyed as she was by her, Lauren couldn't deny a strange sense of fascination with Maria. This was the first time she had ever had a colleague who was so much her equal.  One who mirrored the competitive fire that burned within Lauren herself. Their bodies, Lauren continued to notice each day with a mixture of annoyance and intrigue, were eerily similar – toned arms, strong legs, solid cores, a testament to their shared dedication to fitness.

Every stolen glance at Maria, in her form fitting outfits so similar to her own, reignited the lingering wrestling fantasy in Lauren's mind. The image of them grappling, a fierce struggle of strength, will, and strategy, became a recurring daydream.  But the absurdity of it all wasn't lost on her.  As much as she had always wanted to take on another woman in a wrestling match, wrestling a co-worker, one she barely knew, was a recipe for disaster, particularly given their strong feeling of mutual dislike.  Professionalism, she reminded herself sternly, professionalism.


Part IV


Three months of simmering tension, fueled by their passive-aggressive barbs and competitive dressing, culminated in a situation Lauren should have predicted. She and Maria were assigned to co-lead a project – the redesign of the KL-500 control panel, for the automation system of a major car manufacturer. It was a project that had eluded Kinetic Solutions years ago. It was a chance to prove herself, to showcase her design expertise on a grand scale.

Except, she had to do it with Maria.

The news came from Doug, his usually stern face twisted in a smile at the thought of impressing this new client by improving on a project that Kinetic Solutions had once been beaten out for.

"New client, big opportunity," he said happily, shuffling papers on his desk. "Needs a user-friendly interface for their automated assembly system.  Figured a fresh perspective…" he trailed off, his eyes darting between them. 

A beat of stunned silence followed before Lauren forced a smile. "Sure, Doug. Sounds great."  Maria, across the table, offered a similar sentiment, her expression unreadable.

Great. Just great.

The initial team meeting was a disaster; they locked horns from the very start. Lauren, used to leading projects solo, outlined a clear vision for the redesign, a vision heavily influenced by her past successes. Maria, ever the challenger, dissected Lauren's ideas with surgical precision.

"The haptic feedback on these buttons seems unnecessary," Maria argued, her voice laced with a hint of condescension. "It adds complexity to the manufacturing process and might be confusing for end users."

Lauren bristled. "Haptic feedback is a user-friendly feature, Maria. It provides confirmation of button presses and enhances the overall user experience."

"But is it truly essential in this case?" Maria countered, her gaze unwavering. "We need to prioritize functionality."

As the days passed, their constant debates raged on, each point a battle flag planted in the design sand. They argued about color palettes, button placement, even the font size of the instructional labels. Sometimes it felt like they were arguing just for the sake of arguing, the initial focus on the project lost in the quagmire of personal rivalry.

They both found themselves clinging stubbornly to their own ideas, refusing to budge an inch. They each, in turn, became increasingly frustrated by the other’s inflexibility.

One particularly contentious debate centered around the overall aesthetic of the control panel. Lauren envisioned a sleek, minimalist design, all clean lines and muted tones.

"It needs to be modern, Maria," Lauren insisted. "Something that speaks to cutting-edge technology."

"But modern doesn't have to be sterile," Maria countered. "We can incorporate a touch of color, something that reflects the versatility of the product."

They went back and forth, each presentation an increasingly less veiled attempt to dominate the design direction. Lauren showcased sleek, minimalist interfaces, while Maria countered with vibrant prototypes.

By the end of the week, the project was in a state of disarray. Lauren and Maria had a mountain of design options, each one a reflection of their conflicting visions, and none truly capturing the essence of the project. Their initial trepidations had evolved into a suffocating sense of frustration, a feeling that they were both drowning in a sea of their own professional egos.

The days that followed settled into a predictable pattern – every attempt at collaboration devolved into a power struggle, each design decision a battleground.  Lauren found herself constantly on edge, and Maria was obviously feeling the same.

During one particularly heated debate over the optimal color scheme for a progress bar, Lauren found herself staring at Maria, their foreheads practically touching across their work table. The insistent tapping of Maria's heel against the floor was starting to sound like a war drum in Lauren's ears.

What would Maria say if she just threw it out there? If she just got up, pushed aside the table they were working on, and challenged her to have it out right there. Who could say? She might be all for it, she was certainly combative enough.

Lauren couldn’t believe that she was really considering it! The potential for any challenge she made to be poorly received was very high. It wasn’t like things between her and Maria could get much worse, but what if Maria freaked out or something. She did not want to get reported or end up having this get around. A reputation for making physical threats to your coworker seemed like it could be a real career killer.

If only she hadn’t fantasized about wrestling another woman for so long! She just couldn’t get the idea out of her head. She had never met a woman she wanted to come to grips with more than Maria.

The fantasizing was killing her. It was building to the point where she could think of nothing else. She had never had the nerve to actually challenge another woman since she and Rachel had rolled around in college, as badly as she had wanted to a few times. All she had to do was say it, and she would get it out of her head. She would know one way or the other.

She looked up from the table. Maria was still going on about why her vision for the progress bar was the only way that made sense. She could barley hear her over her own thoughts. The Latina woman was leaning over their worktable, hands planted flat on its surface, causing the muscles on her shoulders and triceps to stand to attention. Lauren felt another intense burn of competitive fire course through her.

She heard Maria's voice rise now, her increasing frustration echoing through the small office room. "...and frankly, Lauren, these color swatches are just… lifeless.  The interface needs personality, a pop of something!  This is next-gen robotics, not a filing cabinet reorganization!"

Lauren slammed her laptop shut with a resounding thud that startled Maria mid-rant.  Silence descended, thick and heavy with unspoken tension.  Lauren took a deep breath, her heart pounding against her ribs.  This was it, the moment of truth.

"Look, Maria," she began, her voice surprisingly steady, "I just don't think we're ever going to see eye to eye on this.  What if we… settled it another way?"

Maria blinked, momentarily speechless, obviously caught off guard by the sudden interruption. "Settled it?" she echoed, suspicion creeping into her voice. “Um… ok. What did you have in mind?"

Lauren's palms were slick with sweat, her stomach churned with nervous excitement. She could hear the rush of blood in her ears. Now or never, she thought, taking another deep breath.

"Do you…know how to wrestle?" she heard herself blurt out. The question hung in the air between them.

Lauren watched as a look of genuine shock and surprise planted itself on Maria’s face. “Do I know how to wrestle…uh…no?” She gave Lauren a strange, searching look. “You think we should wrestle?”

Lauren felt the heat rise to her face. She was immediately filled with a feeling of panicked regret. She couldn’t believe she had actually said it, what was she thinking? She had become so lost in her own fantasy that she had just challenged her project co-lead to a wrestling match over an industrial design. She must look like a complete lunatic!

"Oh," she stammered, her voice barely a squeak.  "No, of course not.  I, uh… just saw a video online the other day.  Something about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, looked like a great workout."

Maria continued to stare at her. She scrambled to try to salvage this situation. "Maybe… maybe we could just settle this by flipping a coin or something?"

Maria was looking down at her hands now. Shit, Lauren thought, what must she be thinking? She'd crossed a line, and now Maria was probably plotting her revenge in HR.
The only sounds in the room were the fans in their laptops and Lauren’s heavy, nervous breath.

It was quiet for a few moments. Lauren was on the verge of saying something, just to break the tension when she heard Maria speak quietly. “No actually. Wrestling sounds good to me.”

Lauren caught her breath, hardly able to believe what she just heard. “Um, what?”

Maria looked up from the table. “If you want to wrestle to decide this,” she responded, a hungry look in her eye, “we can wrestle.”

“Uh, ok. “Are you sure?” Lauren replied, uncertain now.

“Yeah, why not?” Maria responded, appearing more confident by the second, “You’re right, we’re at something of an impasse here. And like you said, it does seems like a good workout.”

Maria paused for a moment, as though she were uncertain what she wanted to say, before continuing. “To tell you the truth I’ve always kind of wondered how I would do if I were to test myself against someone you know, woman to woman.” A grudging half smile broke out on her lips, “And, I mean, I think we’d be pretty damn evenly matched. You don’t know how to wrestle do you? If we’re going to do this it has to be a fair fight.”

Lauren stumbled over her words in her haste to get them out. “No, no I don’t either. It’ll be a fair match. I mean, I roll around with my boyfriend every now and again, but I don’t think that really counts.” She felt her face go beat red.

She was surprised to see Maria give a slight chuckle and shake her head. “Of course. You would like to tussle around with your man, wouldn’t you? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Lauren looked at her for a moment, confused, before she continued, “Me and my husband do the exact same thing, so I guess neither of us will have an advantage there.”

“Oh!” Lauren replied, laughing awkwardly, “well, I guess it really is a wash then. It’ll be nice to go against someone more my size. James can always just get on top of me and hold me down, if I ever get one on him I know her just let me do it.”

“Oh believe me, I know exactly what you mean.” Maria laughed as well. It felt so strange to sit here giggling with this woman who had been driving her nuts just a few minutes ago.

The two of them were quiet for a moment before the Latina continued. “So, how would we actually do this?”

“Ummm…I don’t know,” Lauren responded, thinking her options over. Maria seemed to be pretty open to a physical contest but still, she didn’t want to come on too strong and make her back out. “Should we maybe just see which one of us can pin the other down? You know, just whoever can hold the other’s shoulders down on the ground for…5 seconds, or 10…wins?”

Maria considered Lauren's suggestion, a thoughtful crease forming between her brows. “Trying to pin each other, huh?" she mused. "That's not a bad idea, keeps things simple. But..." she trailed off, fingertips drumming the table nervously.

"But what?" Lauren prompted, a flicker of disappointment warring with a strange sense of anticipation as she watched Maria’s face.

“But wouldn't it be more interesting," Maria continued, a fierce look creeping into her eyes, "if we see who can get the other to submit?”

Lauren felt a warmth rise to her cheeks. The idea of submissions – of imposing her will onto Maria until she was forced to surrender – sent a jolt through her. It was exactly what she had envisioned during her frequent daydreaming.

"S-submissions?" she stammered, her voice betraying a nervous excitement she couldn't quite control. "Like… chokeholds and stuff?"

“Yeah, chokes, holds… whatever it takes. Except for hitting, pulling hair, stuff like that. Of course, if you don’t think you can handle that we can just stick to pins.” Maria threw her a challenging look.

“Oh I can handle it,” Lauren snapped back, affronted, “if you want to get choked out… well I’m sure you know how much I would love to help you with that.”

She saw Maria smirk in satisfaction. “Perfect. Bring it on.”

A giddy lightness bloomed in Lauren's chest, pushing aside the remnants of her initial embarrassed shock. Maria was actually into this? The woman she'd been locked in a silent battle with for weeks, the woman who'd become a constant source of frustration and, dare she admit it, a feeling of unwelcome obsession, was actually entertaining the idea of a wrestling match. It felt surreal, a scene ripped straight from one of her late-night fantasies.

For years she had fantasized about this moment, and now here it was, in this most unsuspected of settings. She thought of her hotel room roll-around with Rachel; her contrived run ins at the gym. How close she had come, only to be disappointed. But Maria? Maria's confident stance, the glint in her eyes as she proposed they battle for a submission – Lauren could tell from her body language alone that this wouldn't be a one-sided affair. This was going to be a real test, a chance to finally pit her strength and skill against another woman who wouldn't hold back. How funny that the one time the two of them see eye to eye it was about them battling each other. A nervous thrill danced along Lauren's spine. This was insane, completely out of bounds for a professional setting, but the only thing Lauren could feel was a sense of liberation.

“I guess the only question now is,” she heard Maria say, “is where we should do this.”

Thankfully Lauren’s fantasizing meant that she already had something in mind.

"Actually," she offered, trying to sound casual even though her insides were buzzing with excitement, "the gym I go to has a matted room.  They do gymnastics classes in there sometimes, but I'm pretty sure you can reserve the room for private use. How about tomorrow?  I’m assuming Saturday works for you?”

Maria grimaced. “Shit, actually Saturday wouldn't work for me," she said apologetically. "My husband's family is coming into town."

Lauren's heart sank a little. "Oh, of course," she said, “well I guess we could…”

But before Lauren resign herself to waiting, Maria surprised her again. “However," she interrupted, clearly excited, "Sunday is a possibility.  Labor Day weekend, remember?  My husband's actually going on a fishing trip with his dad and brother back to New Mexico. They won't be back until Monday night."

Lauren couldn't believe her ears.  Sunday worked even better!  Labor Day meant they both had Monday off, plenty of time to recover from… whatever it was they were going to do.

"Really?" Lauren blurted out, unable to contain her excitement.  "That sounds perfect!  Actually," she continued, hesitantly at first, "we could even do it at my place. I have a decent amount of floor space…"

Maria chuckled, shaking her head. "I just remembered, there's a better option.  My husband likes to work out at home, so we have this whole room… anyway he has these big mats that would be perfect for us. That way we wouldn’t just have to roll around the floor or worry about people walking in on us.

"Your house?" she asked, a bit uncertain again. She wasn’t sure she wanted to take this woman on on her own ‘turf’ so to speak. "Are you sure your husband wouldn't mind?”

“Ha, yeah, I’m pretty sure he won’t mind two women wrestling it out with each other on his matts.” Maria gave another little smile, “and anyway, he’ll be miles away catching trout!” "So come on, do we have a deal?  Sunday morning, my house, winner gets design control up to the initial presentation.”

Lauren stared at Maria, a brutal mix of excitement and nervousness churning in her stomach.

“Deal.” She said as the two of them shared another firm handshake, staring challengingly into each other’s eyes.


Part V


Sunday morning dawned bright and crisp, the air carrying the barest hint of autumn's approach. She knew it would be a hot day, but the morning air was nice and cool. Lauren gripped the steering wheel a little too tightly, her knuckles white against the black leather, as she navigated the highway west of the city towards Arvada, the leafy suburb where Maria lived. Every muscle in her body vibrated with a nervous energy that she had been struggling to contain since Friday. It seemed like the butterflies that had taken root in her stomach had started doing aerobics classes.  Every muscle in her body seemed to vibrate with anticipation.

Her mind had replayed the scene in the office room a dozen times, each time savoring the thrill of the unexpected challenge.  The thought of finally wrestling another woman was sending a current of electricity through her.  Years of fantasizing were finally coming to fruition.

Her boyfriend, bless his clueless heart, had been curious about her sudden burst of energy.  "Meeting a new client?" he'd asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.  Lauren had simply smiled and mumbled something about "catching up with a girlfriend."  There was no way she could explain this, not without sounding completely insane.

Finally, the GPS announced her arrival at Maria's address.  Lauren pulled into a quiet cul-de-sac, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs.  She took a deep breath, trying to force some semblance of calm. This was crazy. After years of harboring this secret fantasy, it was actually happening.

The house that greeted her was far grander than she'd envisioned.  Two stories of gleaming brick sprawled across a manicured lawn, a stark contrast to Lauren's own modest apartment.  A pang of self-consciousness flickered through her, quickly overshadowed by a surge of determination. “I’ll show this uppity bitch,” she thought to herself. Who care’d who had the better house? This was about who was the better woman.

Lauren parked her car in Maria’s driveway, took another deep breath, and steeled herself. It was time. With a determined glint in her eye, she straightened her clothes, exited the car, and marched towards the imposing front door.

The door swung open, revealing Maria in a fitted grey sports bra and black yoga pants. The athletic wear accentuated Maria's toned physique, a stark contrast to the tailored suits she usually wore to the office. Lauren couldn't help but stare for a beat, a flicker of something akin to surprise crossing her own face before she quickly looked away.

An awkward silence stretched between them, punctuated only by the distant chirping of birds.  Lauren cleared her throat, forcing a smile.

"Hey," she managed, her voice a touch higher than usual.

Maria seemed to shake off a similar nervousness. "Lauren, right on time," she replied, her voice surprisingly warm.  "You sure you're still up for this?"

Lauren swallowed hard. There was no turning back now. "Absolutely," she declared, trying to project a confidence she didn't entirely feel.

Maria stepped aside, ushering Lauren into the house. The interior was a tasteful blend of modern design and comfortable living. Sunlight streamed through large windows, illuminating plush couches and a gleaming open kitchen.  As they walked deeper into the house, a framed diploma hanging on the hallway wall caught Lauren's eye.  "Dr. Miguel Alvarez," it read.  Maria's husband must be a doctor. That would explain the house.

Following Maria's lead, Lauren found herself at the back of the house.  Gone was the image of a dark, basement gym she'd conjured up in her head. Instead, a bright and airy room awaited them. Floor-to-ceiling windows on the far wall offered a panoramic view of a nature trail and a lush green expanse beyond. The space was well-equipped, with a gleaming set of weights in one corner, an exercise bike gathering dust in another, and various resistance bands hanging from a rack.  But it was the section closest to the window that truly captured Lauren's attention.  Sunlight spilled onto a section of thick, shiny, interlocking mats, forest green and smelling faintly of rubber, which spanned from wall to wall and covered roughly a third of the room.

Without another word Maria stepped over to the mat, she peeled off her sneakers and socks as she did so before stepping barefoot onto the shiny green surface and began to stretch. Lauren, momentarily surprised at her abruptness, watched, then mirrored her action, her own shoes and socks landing beside Maria's with a soft thud. The coolness of the mat spread through her toes. She watched as Maria stretched across the mat from her, every twist or bend clearly designed to show her body off to her. She felt her nervousness wash away as a rush of competitiveness ran into her.

“So, Alvarez?" she called out, her voice laced with a snide edge that surprised even her. “Ready to admit that you don’t know shit about design?”

Maria's eyes narrowed.  "You’re the one who challenged me Lauren," she shot back, her voice dripping with anger,  “all because you were just too jealous to let me shine at all.”

The air crackled with hostility. The brief camaraderie they’d shared on Friday now totally evaporated.

"Oh please," Lauren scoffed.  "From the moment you strolled into the office, it was all 'look at me, I'm the design guru.’ You were always trying to prove that you were so much better than me. But I think we both know that the only reason you landed the job was because you “charmed” the pants off every single guy in the office."

Maria's face flushed a deep crimson.  "I charmed my way in?" she spat, her voice tight with anger.  "You’re delusional, Lauren.  I had the skills and the experience.  You, on the other hand, were so comfortable with your little queen bee routine, that you just couldn't handle a little competition.  Couldn't handle the thought that another woman might be  better than you at something."

Lauren's jaw clenched.  "Better than me?" she retorted, her voice rising with each word.  "Don't make me laugh!  If it wasn't for all that… friendliness with the higher-ups, you wouldn't have lasted a week.  No, when everything else is stripped away, I'm twice the engineer, and twice the woman you are!"

“Oh…” Maria gasped, so flustered she could barely speak. “You, you…you bitch!”
“You know what!”

Lauren’s eyes just about rolled out of her skull as she watched Maria grab the bottom of her sports bra and pull it up over her head, leaving her tits to slap back against her chest. Her breath hitched in her throat. Her mind, caught off guard, struggled to process the image before her. Maria stood there, bathed in the soft light filtering through the windows, her upper body completely bare. The sight sent a jolt through Lauren, a mix of surprise and a strange, unfamiliar heat that pooled in the pit of her stomach. Her mouth fell open as she watched the other woman place a hand against the wall and strip off her yoga pants and her panties before turning back to face Lauren, wearing nothing but the hair on her head.

“That stripped down enough for ya, you jealous whore?” Maria sneered at her. Lauren just stared at her, jaw literally lolling open, hardly able to believe what she was seeing. “Come on, you gonna show me that you’re twice the woman I am, or what?”

Lauren could barley think. She had been shocked that Maria had even been open to the idea of a wrestling match, and now she was standing in front of her, naked as the day she was born, her clothing thrown haphazardly to the floor, with her hands on her hips in a silent challenge, and here eyes shining with a triumphant light. That look in her eyes inflamed Lauren. Maria was convinced this would throw her off. On occasion she and the women who inhabited her fantasies had stripped down like this, but even in her wildest dreams she had never thought this element of her daydreams would ever really happen. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was intimidated. But no. She had to banish those thoughts from her mind. She couldn’t let Maria one-up her. It would be an admission of defeat, a surrender before the fight even began. How would she ever face her in the office again?

“You really think that’s going to make me back down Maria?” she shot at her. “If you wanna do this naked I am more than up for it, just don’t complain when you get mat burn on those saggy tits.”

She gave a satisfied smirk when she saw the enraged look on Maria’s face. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she forced her hand to move. With a self-consciousness that felt raw and unfamiliar, she mirrored Maria's actions. Her fingers fumbled with the clasp of her sports bra, her heart hammering against her ribs like a frantic bird trapped in a cage.  Finally, the bra came loose, falling to join its counterpart on the floor.

Her hands, slick with nervous sweat, moved on to her leggings. Each article of clothing she removed, felt like the shedding of another barrier, professional or otherwise, that remained between them. She took another deep breath, closed her eyes and slid her underwear off, throwing them down beside her leggings.

She felt exposed, raw. She could feel the late morning light warm her skin, but she was still covered in goosebumps. She felt her nipples harden as well, swelling into jutting points. She opened her eyes. Maria was staring at her with a hungry look.

In the raw, primal space they now occupied, clothing discarded like shed skin, Lauren's gaze devoured Maria's form with an intensity that eclipsed everything else.  The professional rivalry, the design clash – all faded into the background.  Here, in the primacy of their nakedness, only the physicality of it all mattered.

As she drank in Maria’s body she was once again taken with how similar they were. Both were around the same height – Lauren probably an inch taller than Maria’s 5'6.
Their weights looked as though they hovered around the same mark, 140 pounds of toned muscle and athletic prowess, their frames carrying the sculpted definition of dedicated gym routines. Maria’s muscles looked as defined and powerful as Lauren’s own. Even their chests appeared to boast the same C-cup size, although a begrudging part of Lauren admitted Maria's might be a just a hair larger. In spite of her previous taunt, neither of their bosoms seemed to sag much at all. The athletic roundness of Maria's buttocks was also strikingly similar to Lauren's own. She noticed with a gulp that both of them had shaven their pubic hair off.

There were differences though. Maria's dark hair was sculpted into a chic bob, framing her face with a sophisticated polish, in contrast to Lauren’s shorter, blonde pixie cut. Lauren’s skin was a creamy white shade inherited from her ancestors in the British Isles, while Maria's held the warmth of sun-kissed caramel.

There was nothing more to say or do.

Maria began to circle Lauren, her movements fluid and predatory. Her eyes, narrowed slits, followed Lauren's every twitch with a feline intensity. Lauren crouched low, mirroring Maria's stance. She began to circle as well, not allowing Maria to close the distance between them. Muscles tensed and released, a silent conversation passed between them in the tense quiet. Their breaths came in shallow pants, the only sound in the room besides the rhythmic thud of their bare feet on the mat.

The two of them circled each other, each feigning lunges at the other. Their hands would make contact and sometimes one would even make contact with the other’s arm or shoulder, but they would quickly retreat, neither one willing to enter a committed engagement. It was clear both of them were tiring of this game of cat and mouse, but neither seemed to know how to proceed.

Lauren decided to end it. She stopped circling, planting both feet firmly in the middle of the mat and raising both hands in a clear challenge. Maria looked relieved as she took a few quick steps forward and clasped Lauren’s hands with her own, shoving against her with all her strength. Their knuckles turned white.

Due to the fact that she had some momentum behind her, Maria was able to push Lauren back until she was almost against the opposite wall. Lauren countered, digging her heels in and straining against Maria's hold.

“Looks like all those 'likes' on your gym selfies haven't translated into any real muscle," Maria grunted as Lauren was bent back. "Maybe you should spend less time posing and more time lifting."

Lauren gritted her teeth, channeling the barb into fuel, shoving back into Maria’s hands with everything she was worth. Maria was driven back a step

"Oh yeah," Maria groaned out, still taunting despite her clear exertion, "I can tell you've been hitting those weights real hard lately. Like, maybe once a week, hard."

A surge of anger flared in Lauren's chest, momentarily eclipsing the burn in her straining muscles.  With a mighty groan, she dug deep, pushing back with all her might.  Inch by agonizing inch, she forced Maria back to the center of the mat.

A desperate groan came from Maria as she was forced back. Lauren was feeling the burn of triumph when Maria suddenly ripped her hands from hers in a swift downward motion and charged into her, driving her chest firmly into Lauren’s. Lauren gasped, shocked by the feeling of Maria’s bare breasts being slammed into her own. The way their respective pairs were rubbing distracted her for a moment. She felt embarrassed at how hard her nipples were. She could feel Maria’s nipples digging right into her breasts, so Maria must have been able to feel hers.

Lauren quickly regained her focus as she pushed down her embarrassment, just in time to halt Maria’s momentum driven drive before she ran her back into the wall. She planted her left foot on the wall behind her and pressed off, managing to push the two of them back near the center of the room.

Lauren heard Maria groan as she squeezed their bodies together, their tits compressed and the Latina woman’s head leaned back, teeth gritted against Lauren’s bearhug. Lauren suddenly felt the other woman’s hands slip down to her waist and dig into her butt cheeks. She yelped in shock, unsure of just what the hell Maria was doing before she felt the other woman lean back and her own feet leave the ground, as Maria hoisted her up and tried to dump her on the ground.

Desperate to stay on her feet she squeezed her arms as tightly as she could around Maria, preventing her from lifting her very high. When her feet touched the ground again, she thrust out her left leg for better balance, and tried to slip her right leg between Maria’s, trying to trip her down to the mat. She got her knee behind Maria’s and almost succeeded in pulling her down before Maria managed to raise her leg and avoid her trip.

She felt Maria’s hands cupping her armpits, trying to shove her arms up over her head. When it became clear that this attempt was going nowhere she abandoned it and wrapped Lauren in a bearhug of her own.

They were locked in a tight embrace, bodies pressed flush against each other. The heat radiating from their skin intensified, a furnace fueled by exertion and a strange, simmering tension. Lauren could feel the ridges of Maria's back muscles beneath her skin, a testament to her dedication to the gym.

Sweat ran down Lauren’s face, stinging her eyes. Groans rumbled in both of their chests, a primal language of exertion and barely suppressed pain. Muscles screamed in protest, each squeeze a silent battle for dominance. They shifted their weight, searching for an opening, a way to gain leverage.  Their legs pressed against each other slick skin and straining muscles battling back and forth. Their struggle became a clumsy dance across the mat, each woman attempting to gain leverage, to break free from the suffocating embrace. They stumbled and swayed, their bare feet struggling to find stability on the already somewhat sweat-slick mat.

Trapped in their suffocating bear hug, they stumbled across the mat, a stumbling, grunting dance of exertion. Lauren, in a sudden burst of strength, managed to shove Maria backwards until her naked back smacked into the large window looking out over the nearby trail.

She heard Maria wince at the sudden feeling of cold glass on her skin, but Maria reacted more quickly than she anticipated, using her momentum against her and turning the two of them so that Lauren’s back was pressed into the window.

They struggled against each other, breasts jostling for position between them. Maria was shoving her up against the cold window, forcing her up onto her toes. This awkward position left her unable to exert very much force back onto her opponent and as such it was all she could do just to resist Maria’s attack. She began to panic as she felt the Latina woman’s arms squeezing the breath from her with much more force than she could match.

As she felt herself becoming quickly overpowered in their mutual squeeze, Lauren decided that she needed to free herself. She released her hug and pressed the palm of her hand into Maria’s jaw, forcing her neck back until she was looking at the ceiling. She felt the other woman’s arms start to loosen.

“Fucking… bitch!” She heard Maria groan out through her teeth as her head was forced backwards. Lauren kept pushing as she felt the other woman start to slide off of her.

She felt Maria’s arms release her sooner than she expected. She fell forward, pressing against nothing but air as Maria whirled to the side of her, throwing her arms around her neck and locking her into a side headlock, forcing her head down.

“Like the view?” Maria taunted, as Lauren’s face was forced into her left tit.

Maria tugged at her head and neck, trying to fling her to the ground. Lauren stumbled and was almost thrown down, but managed to catch herself by shoving a balancing hand against Maria’s lower back, just above the curve of her buttocks.

The two of them stumbled around the mat as Maria struggled to toss her over and Lauren battled to stay on her feet. Lauren managed to grab onto Maria’s elbow and start working her arm off from around her head, still pushing on her lower back with her right hand. Her lips ran along Maria’s breast as her head slipped back and out. She heard Maria groan in despair as she worked her way free.

With her hands still on Maria’s back and arm she shoved the other woman down, forcing Maria into a pike position as she was forced to catch herself with her hands to stop her head from being slammed into the mat.
Eager to capitalize on Maria’s sudden vulnerability, Lauren hopped onto the other woman’s back, getting Maria in something of a half nelson with her right arm while her left hand planted itself on Maria’s left shoulder to stabilize her. She planted her left foot firmly on the ground while picking up her right foot and wrapping it around Maria’s right leg, hooking her foot behind her knee. Her tits pressed firmly into the other woman’s back. Maria’s butt was pushed against her crotch.

She wasn’t entirely sure what to do from here, half standing and half riding on Maria’s back. Maria, however, didn’t quite seem to know what to do either. It felt wrong to just sit still, so they each gave some token shifts of their bodies, jostling each other lightly as they stayed there catching their breath. Lauren was quite happy to let Maria carry some of her weight as they stalled in this awkward position.

Suddenly Lauren felt herself lurch violently as Maria started tilting and jerking forward, trying to toss her over her shoulders. Lauren held on tightly as her standing foot was actually pulled off the floor twice. When it happened a third time she jumped onto Maria’s back with all her weight. The two of them collapsed into a pile on the mat as Maria was driven down onto her knees

Maria tried to push herself up but Lauren shimmied her way higher on her torso, driving the Latina’s elbows back into the ground, leaving her in a crawling position with Lauren hanging on her back. Keeping her half nelson locked in with her right arm, Lauren reached under Maria with her left hand, looking to secure a more stable position. She grabbed for anything, and anything of course ended up being her hanging tits. She felt the other woman’s soft tissue bunch between her fingers and her engorged nipple press into her palm.

Maria yelped out in surprise and pain. “Get off my tit, you fucking bitch!”

Lauren hadn’t actually meant to grab her breast, but she decided to double down.

“You’re the one who wanted to fight naked, slut! What did you expect?” She dug her fingers even harder, shaking the tit in her hand for emphasis. Another yelp escaped Maria’s lips.

At this Maria started to thrash around, desperate to escape from Lauren. Lauren struggled to maintain her mount on her opponent, but eventually found herself rolling to the right as Maria forced them both onto their sides. Their bodies smacked down against the carpet with thud. Maria managed to roll halfway on top of her, pinning her right arm beneath her leg. The back of her right shoulder ground into Lauren’s tits and her own right breast pushed into Lauren’s face as she wrapped her arm around Lauren’s head again, squeezing firmly. 

Lauren bucked wildly with her hips, and shoved against Maria’s hard, sweaty abs with her lower free hand. She felt the Latina’s body raise up off of her, and for a moment she thought she had bucked her off before Maria flipped her body and thrusted herself down onto her, driving a rush of air from her as her belly drove into the blonde’s tits. Lauren’s legs and hips quickly dropped back down to the floor as she abandoned trying to bridge out from under Maria’s body, instead grabbing for the other woman’s head with her hands. Lauren began shoving roughly against it as her feet started to petal against the mat, trying to work herself out from under Maria, or at least bring their bodies even.

She was able to get her knee and shin between the two of them as they wrestled. She planted her feet on Maria’s raised hips and pushed off, sliding herself forward and bringing them roughly to eye level. Before Maria could react, she planted her right foot and bridged hard, managing to roll into her. 

Lauren got to a seated position before Maria flung her arms around her, crushing her in another bear hug that was swiftly returned, before they slammed down onto their sides.

Their legs and feet immediately began to fight for top position as their hips continually bumped into one another, both of them trying to put the other woman on her back. Lauren began to feel a heat in her loins that she hadn’t anticipated, despite her constant fantasies.

They squeezed each other tightly not that either of them could put too much strength into the hug from the where they were laying. Their breasts compressed against each other, fighting their own battle in the space between them, swelling and retreating with each breath.

Both of them were putting everything they had into pinning the other, or squeezing them into submission. Every bit of their bodies seemed to be warring against the other’s. Their arms and legs squeezed, their asses and cores flexed. Their feet battled to subdue each other. They coiled together as tightly as two snakes mating, their bodies starting to glow with sweat as their rolling became more frantic and the mat beneath them became slick. Lauren could smell mint on Maria’s breath as they panted into each other’s faces, foreheads bumping against each other as they rolled. Lauren squeezed  her viciously, managing to roll her onto her back. Grinding and flexing, she tried to crush the air out of Maria’s lungs, and dominate her legs with her own as her weight bore down into the caramel skinned woman. Maria pulled her head back, teeth gritting in effort as she struggled against her.  The expression on her face a mixture of exertion, desperation, and a hint of something else Lauren couldn’t place. Maria groaned as she put all her effort into heaving Lauren off her, rolling both back onto their sides.

As Lauren felt Maria’s muscular limbs squeeze at her she felt a level of satisfaction she had never felt before. This was what she had wanted. This competition, this struggle between equals. No wonder she always gravitated towards the most challenging workouts, the ones that left her muscles screaming and her lungs begging for mercy. It wasn't just about aesthetics or a sculpted physique. It was about pushing herself physically, to feel the burn of effort, the ache of reaching her limits – and maybe even pushing past them.  And she craved being pushed back just as hard. The thought of victory over an equal opponent, someone who could match her strength and tenacity, was exhilarating. But here on the mat, even the thought of defeat felt strangely thrilling. It was all part of the dance, the brutal ballet of dominance and submission.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Maria trapped Lauren’s left leg between her own, straightening her legs and locking her ankles in order to capture her leg. Lauren didn’t quite know what she aimed to accomplish with this, but, not wanting to be disadvantaged, mirrored her Latina opponent, locking her ankles to hold Maria’s left leg.

She felt Maria’s muscular quad press firmly into her vagina just as she felt the shaven remnants of Maria’s pubic hair scrape against her own thigh. She felt the other woman’s sharp intake of breath against her cheek and heard herself respond with a gasp of her own.

Lauren’s entire body froze and she felt Maria’s do the same. She saw Maria’s eyes go wide and then narrow into a fierce glare as she began to grind her leg into Lauren’s crotch. She immediately felt a more intense heat begin to emanate from her groin and a flush run up her body to her face. She quickly responded in kind, rubbing and flexing her thigh as much as her rival’s constricting legs allowed her to. She heard Maria moan softly, as though she were trying to hold it in, as her thigh fondled the Latina’s moistening labia.

Lauren didn’t know what they were doing at this point, where they still wrestling or where they fucking? All Lauren knew was that she was desperate to win.

This couldn't be real, could it? Here she was, locked in a desperate struggle on the mat, her bare skin slick against Maria's as they strained against each other. Each of them was having their pussy rubbed by the other’s muscular thigh. This – this raw, brutal struggle with Maria, a woman she'd spent months competing with in the sterile confines of the office – it was happening. It was everything she'd fantasized about in those stolen moments, the secret daydreams of wrestling a worthy opponent, a woman who could push her to the absolute limit.

She felt Maria’s clit swell as it pressed into her leg and knew that her own was just as engourged. She started to rub more frantically as the frequency of Maria’s moaning increased. Maria matched her stroke for stroke. Lauren could no longer tell whether or not they were even resisting each other anymore, whether they were humping each other’s legs or trying to pull away.

Lauren poured it on harder and faster. She could see that Maria’s eyes rolled back and it she was biting her lip. Suddenly she felt Maria release her hug and unlock her ankles. Lauren felt a triumphant fire flare in her chest, that is until she felt Maria’s fist smack sharply into her muscular flank. She felt the palm of Maria’s other hand push her chin back as more punches slapped against her side. She groaned, furious at the fact that Maria was punching her now. She briefly tried to resist being pushed back, before giving it up as pointless and releasing her own grasp on Maria, shoving off the other woman’s shoulders as they pushed away from each other.

She quickly sprang up to her knees and, seeing Maria laying flat on her back, flung herself at the other woman before she could get up, determined to smash her into the mat. She saw a panicked light in Maria’s eyes as she scrambled away from her on her hands and butt. Lauren soon caught her however and lunged down, only to have her lunging body sharply halted as Maria raised her feet and caught her in the chest, holding her back at legs length. Maria immediately tried to kick-shove her back away from her but Lauren quickly grasped forward, latching onto Maria’s forearms and wrists, pulling herself into her pushing legs. After a second she released Maria’s right forearm and buried her left hand into Maria’s bob cut hair, tugging sharply. If this bitch wanted to turn this into a catfight, Lauren figured she better pay her back in kind.

“Bitch!” Maria screamed out in pain. Lauren felt the other woman’s right foot leave her chest. She then felt it being planted firmly on her face, pressing off just as hard. She continued to pull in, groaning as her neck was bent and her face pushed. She felt Maria’s toes crawling up her cheek. Her top lip was curled back and her cheek was smushed upwards. Her eye closed as Maria’s foot was now pressing the length of her face. She let out a noise halfway between a groan and a yell, refusing to give in. She pushed off the mat harder with her own feet, driving her body down into Maria’s leg and forcing the knee of the Latina’s pushing leg back into her own breast.

“When I…get on top of you…bitch,” she grunted out, “you’re going to eat my pussy!” Where the hell had that come from?

“Get on top of me?” Maria growled, teeth gritted against the pain in her scalp, “bitch I’ve been holding you down this whole time!”

They continued to struggle against each other, Lauren pulling at Maria and Maria pushing at her. Eventually realizing that just pulling herself into Maria’s foot wasn’t getting her anywhere, Lauren brought her left leg leg up higher, driving forward and planting her foot beside Maria’s hip to give her better balance. She released Maria’s hair and used her now free hand to grab the Latina woman’s heel and push her foot up and off her face.

She quickly let go of Maria’s forearm with her other hand and garbed onto the backs of her legs as they flew in the air as the other woman’s pressing foot slipped free. She shoved forward with all her weight and heard Maria shriek as she forced her into a reverse somersault that ended with Maria lying flat on the floor, chest down, and Lauren mounted on her lower back facing her legs.

“Thought you were stronger than me bitch?” Lauren taunted. She bore down into Maria’s back with all her weight, relishing the groan she extracted from the other woman’s lips. The dominant position which she found herself in, was turning her on more than she could imagine, and the way that Maria’s sweaty back was wriggling against her pussy was certainly not lessening the sensation. Lauren’s primal urge to dominate this woman, to force her submit, burned through her.

She looked at Maria’s legs writhing in front of her, watched as her muscular ass pulsated just below her own hips. Lauren brought her right hand cracking down sharply on Maria’s shapely butt cheek, and felt a rush of satisfaction as she watched it jiggle.

“Arghh!” She heard Maria yell beneath her. “Get off of me you fucking whore!”

Lauren responded by slapping her ass again, bringing out a light pink tinge on her caramel flesh. Maria shrieked in rage and pushed herself up onto her hands. Her sudden movement combined with their sweat soaked bodies meant that Lauren was thrown fairly easily from her unsecured mount, falling off Maria and to the side.

Lauren spun around on all fours, facing Maria, both of them on their hands and knees, crawling around absurdly with their tits hanging down below them. Almost simultaneously the two of them lunged at each other, immediately descending in to a tangle of limbs and sweat, a chaotic blur absent any real attempt at technique, on the sun-drenched mats. They tumbled around the mats, trading top position in a frantic blur of arms and legs as they tussled. This was practically resembling an oil wrestling match now, as they slid around the mat and each other. Their skin was now so slippery that it was difficult to grab. Their fingers dug deep into each others muscles as they battled for any kind of grip or control, but any attempt to hold a position quickly became an uncontrollable tumble. The heat between them was becoming intense, and they were both sucking in air.

As they slipped around, Lauren heard how heavily they were breathing and threw her hand forward, palm flat, covering Maria’s mouth with a tight seal and pinching her nose shut between her thumb and forefinger.  The unexpected move caught Maria off guard.  She tried to wrench her face away, but Lauren's grip, fueled by adrenaline, held firm. Maria's eyes widened in panic, the fight momentarily forgotten as the primal need for air took over.

But Maria wasn't one to give in easily. Reacting with lightning speed, she mirrored Lauren's move, her own hand slapping over Lauren's face, cutting off her air supply. It was as if their minds shut off and their primal instincts took control. Lauren would not have been able to recount the next few minutes if she was forced to, as the two of them rolled across the mat, in a grotesque tangle as their bodies writhed together and their faces purpled and contorted beneath smothering hands.

Gasps turned into choked moans, their aggression giving way to desperation. The mats  offered little traction to begin with, and the sweat left behind by their frantic struggles did not help. Lauren's vision swam at the edges, spots dancing before her eyes.  She found herself on top of Maria, sitting on her stomach. One of Maria’s arms was pinned beneath her leg and the other was still smothering her airways, just as the other woman was doing to her. She reached down with her free hand and grabbed the other woman’s left breast, digging her fingers into her areola and the surrounding flesh.

She felt Maria let loose a muffled scream against her hand. The Latina bucked beneath her like a wild horse sending their sweat soaked bodies flopping around. She released her smothering hand from Lauren’s nose and mouth and instead wrapped her fingers into Lauren’s short pixie cut hair, pulling her head down towards her waist.

Lauren let out a choked scream of her own as Maria’s legs shot up and around her head. Maria fell back onto her back, extending her legs and locking her ankles. Lauren’s chin was just a few inches from her glistening crotch as she thrashed around on her knees in front of her.
 
She grabbed onto her thighs, trying to pull them apart but Maria was squeezing her legs so hard around her head that she couldn’t come close to getting them apart. She could hear that Maria was saying something, but she had no idea what, as the Latina’s muscular thighs pressed against her ears.

Lauren threw her legs back, dropping to the floor flat on her chest. She felt Maria drop onto her own shoulder, swinging around to grab her leg and pull herself into Lauren’s side, so her chest was even with Lauren’s belly.

She felt Maria’s fingers slide into her moist folds. The Latina’s other hand was still buried in her hair and she loosened her head scissor slightly, just enough for her grabbing hand to pull Lauren’s face firmly into her sopping pussy. Lauren couldn’t believe what was happening. She felt her own hips buck and push, almost against her will, as she thrusted her hips frantically against Maria’s fingers as they circled her clit and plunged rapidly in and out of her. She slapped desperately against Maria’s thigh as she felt her body shudder and her orgasm rip through her.

Maria’s thighs loosened a bit more and Lauren pulled her head an inch back from Maria’s crotch. “UGGHHH!” She groaned out, “I’m done! I’m done! Please let me go!”

She felt Maria’s thighs spring apart as the other woman let her go and scooted away from her. Lauren rolled onto her back, writhing and spasming involuntarily as the after effects of the most intense orgasm she had ever experienced coursed through her.

As she was blinking the spots out of her eyes she felt the Latina woman climb onto her, pinning her arms beneath her legs and planting herself on Lauren’s chest. She looked up into Maria’s face. She was covered in sweat and her skin was red and blotchy. Her hair was in a state of total disarray. She looked down into Lauren’s eyes with the fierce and primal light of triumph. She flexed her arms for Lauren’s benefit, displaying her impressive biceps.

“Weak bitch! I told you you couldn’t get on top of me!” Maria growled. “But what did you say I would do if you did? Oh yes, I remember now.”

She scooted forward forcing her soaking pussy into Lauren’s face. Lauren had little choice and she soon felt the Latina woman trembling on top of her, moaning as her tongue worked at her. She felt the other woman start to shake and before she knew it, Maria was screaming out in an explosive orgasm of her own.

The other woman immediately rolled off of her, and they lay a few feet apart, both on their backs, drenched in sweat, staring at the ceiling, panting hard.


Part VI


Lauren’s head was still pounding from the squeezing Maria had given it and the orgasm that had been torn from her. She had lost. She could hardly believe it. Maria, this woman who had challenged her position in the office, had bested her on the wrestling mat. She had fantasized about this moment for so long, and now that it had come, she had fallen short. She blinked as tears of frustration and humiliation welled in her eyes. She wanted to look over at the other woman laying beside her, but she couldn’t make herself do it.

After a few moments she heard Maria get up. She closed her eyes, unable to bear the idea of Maria seeing her tears. She listened as the other woman walked around the room a bit before crossing the gym and walking out the door. She heard her footsteps on the staircase down the hall.

She bolted up, rushing to her pile of clothing and starting to pull it on as quickly as she could. She left her underwear off, just pulling on her leggings. She pulled her shoes on with no socks, and she was pretty sure her shirt was on backwards.

She hurried to the door, looking frantically down the hall to make sure Maria hadn’t come back downstairs, and then rushed to the front door, hopped into her car, and sped off.

She drove around the corner, stopping in a the parking lot of a public park to adjust her clothing so that she was dressed properly. From there she drove to her gym, eyes still teary as she went in and slipped into the swimsuit she always kept in her gym bag. She couldn’t go home, not yet, not like this.

Not many people were in the gym, this being the Sunday before Labor Day, and the hot tub in the room beside the pool was empty. As she soaked in the warm water she felt some of the aches and pains begin to leave her muscles. As she laid her head back on the tub’s rim to stare at the ceiling her mind raced. She had lost a few track meets in her career, but she had never before felt that she had been bested by another woman, not like this. She didn’t know how to feel. Part of her was miserable that she’s lost, but another part of her… well, it was all she could do to hold back from touching herself under the water.

And what was she supposed to do now? She had just had a naked wrestling match with her workplace rival, who had somehow managed to defeat her. She knew that this had been a bad idea, for all she knew Maria would go to HR, or even just tell someone else in the office. And even if she didn’t… it wasn’t like Lauren could just quit her job. It was her dream job in many ways, and how could she explain that to her boyfriend… to anyone? But how was Lauren supposed to face Maria in the office again, after the other woman had forced her to submit?

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and trying to focus on the sound of the hot tub’s bubbles.

The End

[lalutte65]

Great story, very well written

[h_k]

Designing women: Can’t work with ‘em. Can’t work without ‘em.
I know these two! You’ve just changed the names, haven’t you? I think I’ll ask “Maria” whether there was a hidden camera. Knowing her there had to be.
Roll on the office party!

[Dude64]

That was the best story I’ve read in awhile

[Mandy Obsession]

Enchanting from start to finish!

[Hammer48]

Bravo! Your storytelling takes a big step forward here in terms of setting, character development and, finally, fight action. There may be more here than meets my eye, but what I see is a clear examination of one woman's efforts to succeed in the professional realm while seeking a competitive, complementary and counter balancing partner in her gym and fitness life. What a surprise when Lauren's long awaited nemesis emerges at work, and not on any nearby cardio equipment. It took a while to get these warriors on the mats but, wow, it was worth the wait. You've written a compelling and arousing fight scene that touches on certain kinks (HOM, feet to face, spanking, domination) and naturally weaves wrestling, catfight and sexfight elements into a hot tale of nude conflict resolution. Thanks for sharing.

[Andromeda1]

fantastic story

[Tiberius J.C.]

This was so well written! You've brought what is basically the realm of sexual fantasy as close to the boundaries of reality as was humanly possible. You present a credible escalating conflict between two intelligent women with powerful personalities, and your detailing of the psycho-sexual idiosyncrasies of Lauren is interesting and (as far as a poor male can judge) convincing. If not convincing, then at least plausible, and I'll settle for that. Really well done!

[Rocko23]

Superb. Excellent fight. Loved the contest.

[Damerei]

Thank you to everyone who gave feedback, I’m happy that people seem too have enjoyed it. I am also glad that it seems realistic as that is definitely what I was going for.

[The Duelist]

Another great story between two sexy (and evenly-matched) women. Great stuff. I really enjoyed the see-saw nature of the contest. This is how I pictured both combatants in the midst of their wrestling match... 

[Damerei]

Another great story between two sexy (and evenly-matched) women. Great stuff. I really enjoyed the see-saw nature of the contest. This is how I pictured both combatants in the midst of their wrestling match...

Wow! Thanks again for your amazing pictures! You are so good at creating images that match what I have in mind when describing charecters.

[Doc Holliday]

Another great story! I just love seeing two evenly matched women go at it. The dynamic you created between Lauren and Maria really is incredible.

[Frank]

Very hot and very well written !
I am not that much for wrestling and catfights, i prefer ther two women to settle things or to compete erotically.
But I liked this one.

[YH5050]

Damn! Great story! Looking forward to reading more of your stuff!