by Annette Mori
“Excellent, I knew I pegged you as a bike enthusiast, my favorite kind of person. Grab four for the girls,” Jerry directed.
Mary went back into the store, and Jerry began adjusting the front of the bike so Olivia’s feet landed on the pedals in the perfect position to be efficient. Deb climbed on back, and moved the handle bars to her right and left, grinning as she called out, “Zoom, zoom. Gosh, I feel like a kid on a Big Wheel. I can’t wait to get this baby on the road. It feels like a little racing car.”
Olivia turned her head, calling over her shoulder, “Hey now, hey now, can you please tamp down your excitement a tad? I don’t want you to be the first one to manage to find a way to topple this bike over. Trikes are supposed to be more stable, not less.”
“You’ll be fine. It’s nearly impossible to crash on a trike,” Jerry explained.
Mary pushed the glass door with her hip, carrying the four cold drinks in her hands. She bent to place them in the four bottle holders arranged in various places on the trike.
Jerry finished moving the tube frame, using the quick release. “Can you put your feet on the pedals and pedal backward for me please?”
Olivia started moving the pedals back slowly and groaned a little as she followed his instructions. “I’m still working out my sore muscles. Give me a few minutes.”
“Okay, that’s good,” Jerry said.
Deb put her feet on the back pedals and made several rotations backward. “I think I’m already set. It looks like whoever rode this bike before was probably close to my size.”
“Yes, my wife finally acquiesced to a ride after I begged her for a few months. She’s about your height.”
“Is she a powerful cyclist?” Deb asked.
“Nope. A control freak.” Jerry chuckled.
Mary slapped him on the arm. “I’m telling her you said that.”
“Go right ahead. She’ll readily admit to it. In fact, I think she’s proud of it.”
“Okay, partner, ready to roll?” Deb asked.
“Sure, why the hell not? I do need to work the kinks out,” Olivia answered.
“Ooh, I like the sound of that. Kinky is good…” Deb pushed on her pedals, and they rolled out of the parking lot on their way to the short road that led to the bike path.
†
Olivia was enjoying the small breeze as they cruised along at a good clip. With each rotation, her sore muscles loosened a little bit more. She had to admit, the bike was a blast. The recumbent felt so responsive to Deb’s every minor adjustment in a new direction. She imagined the single trike would probably turn on a dime and offer more joy.
“I really, really, want one of these, but it would be an over the top purchase. Especially as a single person, unless I can count on a regular riding partner, hint, hint,” Deb called out.
“Oh no you don’t. I am not letting you spend your hard-earned money on a tandem, regardless of how much fun I’m having on this machine,” Olivia responded.
“Killjoy.”
Olivia chuckled. “Are you always this impulsive?”
“Yep, it’s one of my better traits, don’t you think? It keeps all the women guessing.”
“Actually, I think you are wonderfully transparent. You say exactly what you’re thinking, no games or subterfuge. I like that about you,” Olivia admitted.
Olivia couldn’t see Deb’s face, but she heard the smile.
“Thank you. I think that’s about the nicest thing someone has said to me in a long time. Of course, I haven’t been all that nice lately. Now, I’m going to play mean old nurse and tell you to take a drink. It may feel a lot cooler as we cruise along at a healthy clip, but dehydration can sneak up on you.”
Since Olivia didn’t need to steer, she had two free hands to reach down and grab her drink. She pulled the vitamin water from the bottle cage, undid the cap, and took a large swig. “Mmm this is pretty good. Kiwi-strawberry. We should pull over to the side, so you can take a drink. I don’t think I want you trying any hands-free steering.”
“Oh, ye of little faith. I have a very talented mouth and can open the bottle with my teeth, while I hold it in one hand and steer with the other. Winking at you now. I have to describe my non-verbals because you can’t see my face.” Deb chuckled.
“You are quite the little flirt. Do you really want to purchase a bike today?” Olivia asked.
“I am, and yes, I do want one of these trikes. I wish they weren’t so spendy, but I really am an avid cyclist. I don’t mind spending a lot on a quality bike. I’m single without kids and make a fairly decent income, so I deserve to pamper myself with a purchase that is an investment in my health.”
“Nice rationalization. I might have to consider buying one for myself. I really am enjoying the ride.”
“Let’s buy this together. It’ll be an investment in our future. We can look back twenty years from now and say our first purchase together wasn’t a house, but a bike. We could be trendsetters.”
“I do appreciate your unwavering commitment to outlandish flirtation, but no, best case scenario…we both get trikes and become frequent riding partners. That’s my last and final offer,” Olivia said.
“Deal, but we should check out the other bikes and the single trikes so we can decide which one we want to purchase. I sure am glad you’re not a control freak and let me drive your truck so we can transport our new babies back to Moses Lake. I read online they have folding trikes. I think I want one of those so I can easily transport it in my car.”
“I can’t believe I’m about to buy a several-thousand-dollar bike. You are a bad influence on me.”
“Woo hoo, I was hoping for that because, girlfriend, life is way too short.”
Deb’s laughter floated in the air, and Olivia thought it was about the most delightful sound she’d heard in quite some time. She didn’t want to analyze how much fun Deb was to hang out with, because that might lead to other contemplations she wasn’t yet prepared to tackle. For now, she’d enjoy the time with her surprising new friend. Deb was right—life was too short. Irene had taught her that sobering lesson.
Chapter Fifteen
Bri had suggested they ride back to her aunt’s house and pick out a DVD from the collection her aunt kept in the TV stand. She was curious about the movie, Fire. On the front of the DVD were two beautiful women with dark hair like Siera’s. She’d heard her aunt tell someone it was one of her all-time favorite lesbian films. Bri wondered if maybe she was a lesbian like her aunt, because she wanted to kiss Siera and go on dates with her. Bri knew Aunt Olivia used to do those things with Aunt Irene until she went to heaven.
She remembered when Aunt Olivia was up late one night, watching the movie, and tears were streaming down her face. Her aunt told her it wasn’t because the movie was sad, it was because she used to watch it with Aunt Irene. They had both loved watching “such a beautiful movie about two women in love.”
The movie was almost over, and Bri was hoping everything would work out for the two characters. There were a few scenes in the movie that were very difficult for her to watch. They made her uncomfortable. She knew about sex, but when the man was doing those icky things, she didn’t like watching that. She liked watching the two women kiss and wanted to experiment with Siera, but she would wait until she could ask her aunt about dating and kissing. She wanted to do things the correct way.
She heard Olivia and Deb laughing as they rushed into the house. Bri was glad Deb was able to make her aunt happy, because she always seemed to have a little bit of sadness that overtook her eyes and lingered in her smile.
“Hi girls. We have a big surprise. Oh, it looks like you two are watching a movie. I’m sorry, we can wait and show you after you finish,” Deb said.
Bri glanced at Siera who grinned. “Okay. I think it’s almost the end.”
Deb walked into the room and craned her neck, looking at the TV screen. “Ooh, Fire, that’s one of my all-time favorite movies.”
Olivia tilted her head. “
It is?”
“Mmm hmm. Can we sit and watch the end, please?” Deb begged.
“Of course,” Olivia answered.
The four women sat in comfortable silence, until the credits started rolling.
“Aunt Olivia, is there a right time when you kiss your date?” Bri asked.
Olivia coughed. “Um…do you mean a right time during a date?”
“No. I mean how many dates do I need to have with Siera before I can kiss her?”
“Well, there isn’t a set number, Bri. When the time is right for both of you, you’ll know. It’s a nice way to show the other person you care about them,” Olivia answered.
“That’s what I thought. Is there a right way to kiss a person?” Bri asked.
“No, not really, but some people like a certain style of kissing better than others. It’s okay to experiment a little and find out what your partner likes best. It’s kind of hard to explain,” Olivia said.
Deb was snickering in her chair.
“Deb, feel free to jump in any time,” Olivia added.
“Oh, no, you’re doing a bang-up job. Unless you want to do a demonstration for the girls, you know, purely to help them understand the different styles of kissing.” Deb laughed.
“Oh, would you, Aunt Deb?” Siera asked. “We’ve been so curious. I don’t think Mom is comfortable talking about stuff like this. She gets this scrunched up look on her face—kind of like she’s constipated—when I ask her about kissing or sex.”
“You ask Kathleen about sex?” Deb asked.
“I did once. You know they teach us about it in health class.” Siera shrugged.
Deb chuckled. “God, what I wouldn’t give to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation.”
“Girls, it’s getting late, and both of you have to work tomorrow. Why don’t I run Siera home now? Deb and I will load her bike, while the two of you say goodnight to each other. Okay?” Olivia stood up, and grabbed Deb’s hand and pulled her toward the front door.
“Okay, Aunt Olivia,” Bri responded, as Olivia and Deb left the room.
Bri turned to Siera with their hands already intertwined. “Is it okay if I kiss you goodnight?”
Siera nodded. “I’d like that.”
Bri brushed her lips against Siera’s. “Your lips are so soft. Just like I thought they’d be.”
Siera brought her free hand to Bri’s hair and tentatively patted the thick strands. “Your hair is soft. It feels nice.” The tactile sensation of moving her fingers over Bri’s thick, silky hair was every bit as glorious as she thought it would be.
“I like when you pet my hair.” Bri giggled. “It feels like you’re petting me like a cat.”
“It’s softer than Sampson and Delilah. I didn’t think anything would be softer than the kitten’s fur,” Siera said. “I want to go to the library and check out a book on kissing. Do you think there will be a book to show us different styles?”
Bri shrugged. “I don’t know. It seems like we can watch more movies and get a better idea. That would be easier than reading a book about kissing. The two women in the movie kept their lips together longer. Maybe we could try that sometime?”
“Okay,” Siera answered.
Olivia and Deb opened the door and came back into the living room. “Siera, are you ready to go now? Your bike is all loaded up in the truck along with your aunt’s new trike.”
“You got a new bike, Aunt Deb?” Siera asked.
“I did. We both did, actually. That was the surprise we were going to share with you girls before we got engrossed in the movie.”
“Oooh, can I see them?” Bri asked.
Siera and Bri jumped up from the couch and crossed the room.
“Sure, come on outside. I unloaded mine so there was room for Siera’s. After you check out our purchases, I’ll run Siera home. Deb, you can follow me, unless you want to try to fold up the bike and see if it will fit in your car?”
“Do you mind if I try to fold it up now? I’d better see if it’ll fit sooner rather than later. I sure hope my spatial observation skills are accurate and it fits,” Deb said.
“I think it should work, they pack up pretty nicely,” Olivia answered.
Siera stuck out her lip. “Now I’m the only one with a crappy bike.”
Deb slung her arm around Siera’s shoulder. “I’ll take you to the bike shop we went to. If your mom says it’s okay, maybe she and I can go in together and buy you a bike as an early combination birthday and Christmas present.”
“Oh, Aunt Deb, would you? Would you really do that?”
“Of course, kiddo,” Deb answered.
“Can Olivia and Bri come with? I want them to help me pick one out. Bri is smart about trikes. She'll know which one I should get.”
“Yes, she is. If she wasn’t already busy today, I would have asked her to help me pick out mine. But the shop owner was very nice and gave us an excellent deal since we both bought one. I’ll bet he would give you a great deal on a new bike,” Olivia said.
Siera was grinning from ear to ear, and Bri was happy she would be getting a new bike. She’d noticed how difficult it was for Siera to keep up with her, though she’d done her absolute best to slow down and ride at a more leisurely pace.
†
Olivia had propped herself up in her bed to read a little bit before falling asleep, when her smartphone buzzed on the side table. She picked up the phone and smiled when she read the text.
Hey, Miss Sex Therapist.
Any more questions from your niece tonight :)
Ha, ha, ha. You could have stepped in to help…
Oh no, you were doing a bang-up job. Why would I want to interject and ruin your perfect answers?
You’re evil
I had fun today. When are we going to take our new bikes out for their maiden journey?
Do you work next weekend?
I do…frowning.
I suppose I could do a short ride mid-week.
How does Wednesday sound?
Good. Can we leave from the clinic?
Sure, I’ll meet you there at 5:30? 6:00?
I’ll close early. How about 5:00?
Perfect. Sweet dreams. Can I pick your brain about kissing techniques on Wednesday? I might learn something…
Stop flirting and go to sleep
Goodnight beautiful
Goodnight
Olivia was smiling, as she placed the phone back on the nightstand. A little innocent flirtation wouldn’t hurt, would it?
She set her tablet next to her phone and slid down into her soft bed. Damn that woman is almost irresistible. That was her last thought, as she drifted off into a deep sleep and dreamed about riding around the lake with Deb.
They’d stopped for a picnic lunch, and Deb brushed her fingertips along Olivia’s arm. Surprised when Deb took charge and seized her lips in a passionate kiss, Olivia was shaking with need. As Deb backed off and nibbled Olivia’s bottom lip, Olivia automatically responded by wrapping her arms around Deb and pulling her down. Deb began to move on top of Olivia, and the sensual movements caused an instant pool of moisture, as her craving for Deb’s touch exploded.
Deb’s hand snaked beneath Olivia’s bike jersey and rubbed against her erect nipples. The touch drove Olivia into a state of frenzy, as she bucked beneath her and reached out to stroke Deb’s behind.
When Deb’s hand traveled down Olivia’s stomach and brushed down to her inner thigh, barely grazing her mound, Olivia’s eyes popped open.
Her ragged breath invaded the quiet of the room.
She was wide awake now, as she pressed her tablet to view the time. 1:00 am. This is so bad. I can’t be having erotic dreams about Deb. I just can’t.
It took Olivia more than forty-five minutes to settle back into a restful sleep.
Chapter Sixteen
Kathleen was twirling the pen in her hand, as she sat in her cramped office in the emergency department. Monday was usually a slow day, as people settled from the
ir weekend activities. She thought about calling Olivia to do some suitable groveling. She’d come to the conclusion she’d been horribly inappropriate the last time she attempted to reach out. It was time to make amends and possibly explore the option of Siera working at her clinic. She rationalized she wasn’t reaching out and offering an apology simply to gain something in return.
She picked up the office phone and dialed the number she had written on a Post-it note after Googling Olivia’s clinic.
“Hello. Can I speak to Olivia please? This is Kathleen Kaufman.… No, I can wait.… Hi, Olivia. First, let me apologize for being such an ignorant, horrible excuse for a human being. I want to make it up to you. It’s obvious Bri’s friendship with Siera is very important to her, and honestly, I’ve seen a great deal of positive growth in Siera since the two became friends. I’m afraid I was acting like a helicopter mom and needed to do some serious soul searching to recognize the error of my ways. Would you have some time today to try this again and grab some lunch? I would like to talk to you about something else related to Siera.… Okay, wonderful, I’ll meet you there.”
Kathleen was thankful Olivia seemed receptive to putting their previous interaction behind them. Deb had mentioned Olivia several times over the past few days and seemed enamored with her. Kathleen had to admit there was something very appealing about her calm, down-to-earth aura. She clearly loved her niece and had treated Siera with nothing but respect. Every indication pointed to Olivia’s understanding of kids with Down syndrome, and she seemed to treat both Siera and Bri as though they were like any other normal young women. Normal, such a loaded word. There wasn’t a hint of the prejudice most people had when they interacted with Siera. Their subtle differences were like a neon light to Kathleen. She thought she might learn a thing or two from Olivia about how not to treat her own daughter.
