#CassiNova

by Lori G. Matthews

  “Et tu, babe?” Jade asked softly.

  “It’s a classic, babe.”

  * * *

  After their guests left, Sam and Alex soaked in a hot bubble bath together. Sam had her back against the tub and Alex lay in front of her. Sam’s wayward hands had access to all sorts of erogenous zones.

  Alex sighed with contentment and turned so they were facing each other. “I can’t believe the book is getting published.”

  Sam stroked a hand across Alex’s breasts. “I know. It’s incredible.”

  “Did you hear anything more about the script?”

  “The director they want isn’t available, so everything is on hold for now.”

  “That’s good. Maybe by the time they’re ready to go, the whole Facebook thing will be a distant memory.”

  “Exactly.” Sam captured Alex’s lips with her own. Soon the kiss deepened, and Sam’s fingers dipped toward Alex’s hip bone.

  “Oh.” Alex’s breath hitched as Sam’s fingers traveled lower still.

  Sam’s tongue drove into Alex’s mouth. It wasn’t long before Alex was clutching at the back of her neck, hips thrusting forward as her orgasm began.

  When it ended, she curled into Sam’s chest, eyes sleepy with satisfaction. “I’m so happy.”

  “Me too.”

  “And it’s because of you.”

  Sam kissed her head.

  “I never felt like this before.” Alex gazed into Sam’s eyes. “Never.”

  Sam’s own eyes filled with moisture. She was only human, and a small part of her had wondered how she would measure up to Madison.

  “I know we haven’t been together long, but…” Alex paused for a moment. “It feels so right.” She grabbed Sam’s hand and kissed it. “I wish I could find the words to describe it. I’m probably not doing a good job. Which is kinda silly since I’m a writer and words are my thing.” Alex smiled. “Honey, are you crying?”

  Sam nodded. “I can’t help it. I’m a big mush.” She wiped at teary eyes.

  Alex pulled her down for a kiss. “I love the fact you’re a big mush.”

  They cuddled in silence for a few minutes.

  Sam sighed. “My dad used to read me a book when I was young. I made him read it to me every night.”

  “What was it?”

  “Guess How Much I Love You. It was about two rabbits, little nut-brown hare and big nut-brown hare. And the little one started out by saying, ‘I love you this much,’ and stretching his arms out. And the big one said the same thing, stretching his arms out. And they kept going on and on, trying to top each other. Then big nut-brown hare said something like, ‘I love you across the river and over the hills.’ And the little one cooed, ‘That’s very far.’ And not to be outdone, the little one gushed, ‘I love you right up to the moon,’ and fell asleep. The big hare whispered to him while he slept, ‘I love you right up to the moon and back.’”

  Sam smiled at Alex. “And that’s how much I love you, right up to the moon and back.”

  “That’s very far.”

  Sam kissed her head. “It is.” She ran her hands down Alex’s arms. “I wanna shout it out to everybody. I hate that I can’t do that.”

  “It’s okay. The people who care about us know, and that’s all that matters.”

  “How did I end up with such a great girlfriend?”

  “Guess you’re just lucky.”

  Sam buried her nose in Alex’s hair. “We’re starting to prune. We should probably get out.”

  “I can’t move right now. I’m too content.”

  Sam smiled. “The bed’s calling us.”

  “But I’m so comfortable.”

  “C’mon, BG, let’s go to bed,” Sam whispered. “I still have things I wanna do to you, and it’s hard in a bathtub.”

  “I’m up.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Six months later

  “You’re making me dizzy.” Sam sat at the kitchen counter reading while Alex paced back and forth.

  “The review should be posted soon, don’t you think?”

  “Zach will tell you when it’s done. Relax.”

  “I can’t.” Alex looped her arms around Sam’s neck and kissed her cheek. “What are you reading?”

  “My script for this week.”

  They both jumped when the front gate buzzed.

  “Are you expecting someone?” Sam asked.

  “Me? I’m not even here.” Alex kissed Sam’s ear. “I’m the invisible lover, remember?”

  “Like Ghost, only better.”

  Alex grinned. “Maybe it’s our goofy medium, aka Whoopi Goldberg.”

  Sam checked her phone, which was linked to the security camera outside. “Oh, it’s Goofy all right. Goofy One and Goofy Two.” She walked over to the intercom. “Yes?”

  “You bitches clothed?” Emma shouted.

  “Jesus Christ, speak into the microphone,” Jade said. “And stop yelling. They may be naked, but they’re not deaf.”

  “I always just yell at the gate. Where’s the mic?”

  “It’s by the camera.”

  Sam cleared her throat. “Ahem.”

  Emma smiled into the camera. “Hi Sam! Jade won’t let us use the code because she thinks you may be having an embolism.” She giggled.

  Jade leaned into view. “Yeah, get out of bed and open the gate. And get dressed, for God’s sake. Well, Sam, get dressed. Alex, as you were.”

  “We are dressed, and we’re not in bed, jackasses.” Sam buzzed the gate open and unlocked the front door.

  Jade and Emma barreled in moments later.

  “Why aren’t you in bed? Bored with each other already?” Jade asked.

  Sam ignored the question. “To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?”

  “Moral support. Hey, PS10, how are you doing?” Jade sauntered over to Alex and gave her a hug and a kiss. “We thought we’d wait for the review with you. What’s for lunch? We’re hungry.”

  Alex blew out a deep breath. “Good. I need the distraction. I’ll make grilled cheeses.”

  Sam opened her laptop. “Let’s see what’s happening in the world today, shall we? Hm. The new Jocelyn Brown movie opens tonight.”

  Jade grabbed some chips from the cabinet. “I heard it’s great. She’ll probably win another Oscar.”

  Sam clicked on the local news section and gasped. “Oh my God!”

  Emma jumped up from her seat and peered at the screen. “What? I don’t see anything but garage sales. Are you looking for more pillows?”

  Alex turned the stovetop on. “Babe, more pillows?”

  “Jesus Christ. No more pillows!” Jade said.

  “I’m not looking for pillows. It’s baby goats. Honey, baby goats.” She turned the laptop toward Alex.

  “Oh, they’re cute. I like the brown one.”

  “That’s Maynard. The black one is Maxwell. They need a home.”

  “Why do they need a home?” Alex asked.

  “I don’t know. All it says is free to a good home. They’re not far from us. We should adopt them.”

  “Baby doll, you don’t have the property for baby goats. Someday, you can get a big farm in the country and get as many goats as you want, but you can’t do it right now.”

  Emma agreed. “Sam, you can’t have baby goats. I think it’s against the law or something.”

  “Those things will eat your cell phone if you’re not careful,” Jade said.

  “I want them.” Her pleading eyes had no effect, and her shoulders sagged with disappointment. “You guys are killjoys.”

  Emma thrust her chest out. “I have news.”

  “You’re pregnant,” Jade said.

  “No. I just got a part in a movie.”

  “That’s great, E!” Sam said. “What’s the movie?”

  “Femme Fatale. I’m going to play the lesbian love interest to the lead actress.”

  “Is there a sex scene?” Jade asked.

  “Yeah. A couple of them, and
they’re hot. At least, in the script they were hot.”

  “What are you gonna do to prepare for it?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, are you gonna sleep with a woman to prepare for the part? For research purposes.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “You have to make it authentic. Lesbians can sense a fake orgasm a mile away.”

  “It’s not a porno. I’m gonna have to fake it.”

  “Well, they can tell when you fake a fake orgasm.”

  Emma looked to Sam for confirmation. “Really?”

  Sam played along. “Lesbian love scenes can be tricky.”

  Jade put an arm around Emma. “E, if you pull this off, you’ll be a dyke icon forever. Every con you go to, they’ll be lining up. For the rest of your life.”

  Emma chewed on her bottom lip. “So you think I should sleep with a woman? For research purposes?”

  “Absolutely,” Jade said. “Leave it to me. I’ll find you someone. Now, do you know what to do down there?”

  “I…I guess.”

  “You don’t sound too sure.”

  “I mean, there’s not a lot going on down there.”

  “There’s plenty going on down there. Listen,” Jade pointed, “you gotta be willing to go all-in. You gotta commit. Don’t think you’re gonna get away with just finger fucking.”

  Emma took a quick peek at her fingers, while Alex and Sam coughed to cover up their giggles.

  “That’s amateur hour right there. You gotta be willing to go downtown, is all I’m saying. And sometimes it ain’t pretty downtown. Sometimes it’s a little wild and woolly. Like a Chia Pet. You gotta be willing to put your goggles on, fire up the weedwhacker, and go hunting for things.”

  Emma sagged against the countertop. “Hunt for things?”

  “And you might wanna take your ring off before you try anything. You don’t wanna lose it, especially if you’re going down on some Chia Pet. How you gonna explain that to Logan? ‘Honey, the fifty-thousand-dollar rock you bought me is lost in some girl’s cooter.’”

  Emma’s mouth hung open.

  “Oh. And when you’re done downtown, do yourself and your hypothetical lover a favor. Do a little wipe off before you come back upstairs.”

  “Huh?”

  “Do a little cleanup.” Jade waved two fingers in front of her chin. “Personally, I do it, and I prefer my partner do it, too.”

  Emma’s forehead creased in confusion. “You mean, like with a Wet One or something?”

  Jade groaned. “I don’t know, E. I don’t think you can do it.”

  Emma’s chin jutted out. “I’m an actress. I can do anything.”

  “Oh, you’ll act your way through it? Okay. Well, nobody’s gonna yell ‘cut’ while you’re down there doing something wrong. I mean, you may get a tap on the head. If you get that, you need to take your incompetence back to the other team.”

  Emma brooded.

  Jade seemed to sense her hesitation. “Are you taking notes? You should be writing all this down.”

  Emma reached for her purse. “Let me get my phone.”

  Jade’s expression turned solemn. “One more thing.”

  Emma pulled her phone out, fingers poised and ready.

  “You may have to motorboat some nips before you make it downtown. It’s a must in every lesbian sex scene.”

  “Motorboating? That seems like such a guy thing.”

  Sam struggled to keep from laughing.

  “You wanna be a dyke icon or not?” Jade asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Then you better learn how to do it. Practice on something.” Jade’s eyes came to rest on Sam’s ample cleavage. “Practice on Sam.”

  Emma took a sideways glance at Sam’s chest, prompting Sam to inadvertently put an arm over her breasts. “She’s not practicing on me.”

  “I’m not practicing on Sam.”

  Jade wiggled her eyebrows and pointed to her own A cups.

  Phones dinged simultaneously, interrupting Jade’s ‘How to Become a Lesbian in Five Minutes’ tutorial.

  “Oh shit, the review’s done,” Sam said.

  “Crap.” Alex buried her face in Sam’s neck. “Somebody read it.”

  Jade cleared her throat. “Okay, ready? Here we go. ‘Alex Novato may be the most exciting new name in sci-fi. Her debut novel, The Seekers, hits the ground running and never stops. This first-time author has created a dark world filled with intelligent dialogue and compelling characters. The female main character, Taryn Kros, is a force to be reckoned with. The pacing of the novel is fantastic, and the moral and political implications of the choices Taryn must make resonate deeply. This is the first book of a trilogy and deserves a spot on your bookshelf next to the likes of Pierce Brown, Hugh Howey, and Margaret Atwood. A must-read for any science fiction fan.’”

  Jade took a breath. “Wow.”

  Sam squealed with joy and jumped into Alex’s arms. “See, baby? I told you it would be okay.”

  Alex twirled her around. “Holy shit, I can’t believe it!”

  Jade high-fived everyone. “Let’s celebrate! And it just so happens I brought bubbly with me.” She pulled a bottle from her bag and held it aloft.

  “You just happened to have champagne?” Sam asked.

  “I was being all positive and shit.”

  Alex took the bottle, popped the cork, and poured a glass for each. “Here’s to a successful book.” They all raised their glasses and cheered.

  Jade put an arm around Alex. “I stopped by the bookstore near Monette’s last week, to lay the groundwork for a possible book signing. They were excited to do something. You know, local girl makes good. The timing will be perfect now that we have a good review under our belt. I’ll get back with them and set something up. Probably in the next two weeks.”

  Alex nodded. “Sounds good. And Monette will want to celebrate with us too. We could move from the bookstore to the bar.”

  Sam’s eyes twinkled with excitement. “Yeah! Another party at the bar.”

  Jade quickly put the kibosh on that idea. “Calm down, Princess Bride. I think you’ve reached your quota for gay bar hopping.”

  Sam’s face fell. “Oh c’mon.” She turned hopeful eyes toward Alex. “Honey, you said a lot of straight people go to Monette’s.”

  Alex nodded. “True, they do. But I agree with Jade. It’s probably not a good idea. The Facebook thing finally died down. Let’s not push our luck.”

  “But I have to go. I can’t let you celebrate without me.”

  “Hon, I won’t stay long, I promise.”

  “I’ll keep you company, Sam,” Emma said. “We’ll watch a bunch of sappy romantic movies and listen to the Bee Gees.”

  “Don’t forget The Brady Bunch,” Jade said. “I hear Jan’s gay. Maybe you can pick up some pointers.”

  While the conversation swirled around her, the wheels in Sam’s head turned. There was no way on earth she was missing this party. She nibbled on her lip as an idea hatched.

  Sam had a plan.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The advertising they’d done for the signing must have worked, because a haphazard line had formed at the front of the bookstore and snaked outside. Alex fidgeted in her chair.

  “Look at all those people. Do you see it?” Jade asked.

  “I see it. I can’t believe it’s for me, though.”

  “Oh, it’s for you, girlfriend.” Michelle, the publisher’s marketing director, smiled as she helped Alex arrange business cards, pens, and other trinkets related to the book.

  The cashier up front had a stack of books, and red ropes lined the way to Alex.

  “Water’s in this cooler. If you need anything else, give me a shout.” Michelle gave Alex’s shoulders an affectionate squeeze. She was an attractive woman, with close-cropped dark hair and a keen sense of style. It was obvious from her furtive glances that she was digging Alex.

  Alex barely noticed her. That ship had sailed
long ago. “I will, thanks.”

  Jade took the seat next to Alex. “I’ll be right here with you. You need anything else before we start?”

  “Nope, I’m good.” She tried to relax by taking some deep breaths.

  Michelle walked to the front of the store and addressed the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, for those of you here for the book signing, welcome, and thank you for coming. What we’re going to do is have you form a line at the first checkout counter. After buying your book, follow the ropes back to our soon-to-be famous local author, Alex Novato.”

  People began falling into line.

  “Didn’t expect this many right away.” Jade’s voice was barely above a whisper.

  “Neither did I,” Alex said. And then in the next breath, “Oh boy.”

  “What?”

  “Lots of familiar faces.”

  “What does that mean?” Jade asked.

  Alex leaned into Jade’s ear, trying not to move her mouth. “Remember the three-way?”

  It was Jade’s turn to lean into Alex’s ear. “No shit? Who?”

  Alex leaned back in toward Jade. “The couple in front of the cashier. Short blonde with the tall blonde.”

  Jade faced forward, lips barely moving. “It was a couple?”

  “Yep. Wanted to spice up their sex life,” Alex whispered.

  “Well, that’s spicy all right. At least they’re smiling.”

  “Shit, names, names…” Alex mumbled.

  The two women approached the table. “Hey, Alex. So good to see you again.”

  “You too. How are you ladies?”

  “We’re great. Super excited to read your book.”

  “Well, thank you for buying it. Stacie, right? And Susan?” A shot in the dark.

  “Yes.”

  Score! Alex signed the book and passed it back, breathing a sigh of relief.

  Both women grinned wildly. “Maybe we’ll catch you at the bar later?”

  “Yeah, sure.” As the couple walked away, Alex spotted another familiar face. “Oh boy.”

  Jade put a hand over her mouth. “Now what?”

  Alex reached for a bottle of water and pretended to take a sip, effectively hiding her lips. “She liked handcuffs.”