by Annette Mori
“Do you and Aunt Deb have sex?” Siera asked.
Deb spit out her coffee and looked up at Olivia.
“Uh… No, we don’t,” Olivia’s voice stuttered.
“Why not?”
“Um, it’s complicated. Look, sometimes adults don’t have all the answers, especially when it comes to their own personal situations. I was thinking more along the lines of you two having questions about your own feelings for each other and…you know…”
“We got the book. It’s been really helpful. There are some things we don’t want to try. Do you think that’s bad? If we really love each other maybe we should try everything?” Bri asked.
“No, no, no. Different people like different things. You can love each other and not want to do everything that is in the book,” Olivia explained.
“Okay, that’s good. We didn’t understand why it would feel good to do things that would hurt,” Bri said.
“Remember when I went on that first bike ride with you and Deb, and it was especially long? I was definitely in pain, but I still wanted to go riding with Deb, because I liked spending time with her. I know a bike ride is different then what the book shows, but it’s the only thing I can think of to explain those things. People like to try different things sometimes. There are some folks who hate bike riding or exercise, because it doesn’t feel all that good to them. Others like it. It’s okay for everyone to decide what they do and don’t like. Nobody is going to judge you and Siera, and you’ll have to figure out on your own what you like.”
“Okay, Aunt Olivia. You don’t have to talk to us about sex. It’s okay. We like figuring it out on our own. I want to talk to you later about something else. It’s a surprise. Would that be okay?” Bri asked.
“Of course, sweetie,” Olivia answered.
“Me too, I want to ask your opinion, Aunt Deb. Even though I think I kinda blew it,” Siera said.
Bri pulled Siera close and wrapped her arm around Siera’s waist. “Don’t be sad, Siera, it was a good surprise. I don’t mind that you blurted out how you want to marry me. I want that too.”
“Okay, here’s the plan. After you two sign the papers, we’ll split up and have some special aunt time then we’ll help you with your secret plans.” Olivia winked. “I’m happy for you both.”
Maybe Bri’s plans to ask Siera to marry her wouldn’t be a complete surprise, but that didn’t matter. As long as she found the perfect ring, she’d make it as romantic as she could. She was excited, because she knew the ideal time was right around the corner. All their dreams were coming true. Everything would be perfect. Bri hoped Siera’s mom would be happy for them too.
†
Olivia watched Deb run her hands through her wet hair. Deb was sexy. There was no debate about that. Olivia was kicking herself for waiting so long to realize and declare her feelings. Now that Carrie was back in the picture, she might lose Deb due to her lethargy. She’d taken things for granted and thought she had plenty of time to work out her emotions. How was it possible three years had passed, and she’d never forced herself to consider the possibility of them as a couple? She’d gotten lazy and fallen into an easy routine—one that included Deb as a central part of her world.
“Comparing BDSM with your out-of-shape ass from our first bike ride, really? Is that the best you could think of?” Deb started laughing.
“Ha, ha, smartass. I didn’t see you stepping in to help me out,” Olivia said.
“Why should I? Your analogy was nothing less than inspired. So, did you seriously want to continue to bike with me, despite all the pain of that very first ride?” Deb asked.
“It’s a first date we’ll never forget. We can tell that story to our grandchildren.”
“Oh, look at you, trying out the flirtation thing. Not bad. It’s not as clever as my attempts, but it was very sweet. I give it an eight on a ten-point scale.”
“So, you’re going to dinner tonight, huh?”
“Nice segue. Yes, I agreed to meet her for dinner tonight. She’s taking me to Michael’s on the Lake.”
“Fancy, hope she chokes on a fishbone,” Olivia murmured too low for Deb to hear.
“What was that?” Deb asked.
“Oh nothing. I hope you have a good time. Michael’s is nice. They have good food. Not really my style of restaurant, or yours, but to each their own. I suppose she’s trying to impress you. Does it?”
“Does it what?” Deb asked.
“Impress you,” Olivia answered.
Deb laughed. “No, I prefer slapping some veggie burgers on the grill and kicking back with Ben & Jerry’s. You know that.”
Olivia chuckled. “Yeah, I do.”
“I told you I would call afterwards, and I will. We’ll talk then,” Deb said.
“I know. I can’t help showing a few of my cards.”
“Well, hallelujah. After three years, you’ve finally plucked those from your vest.”
“I know. Believe me, I couldn’t be sorrier for waiting so long,” Olivia whispered.
Chapter Twenty-four
Deb looked around the dimmed room and the candles that cast a golden light behind Carrie. She wasn’t sure why Carrie had picked this restaurant. It almost felt like they were returning to the scene of her previous crime. The one where she had the audacity to ask Carrie to marry her. That should have been her first clue things would not go well, but she shook away those maudlin thoughts. Carrie looked good, but then she always was a stunning woman. Deb had done the happy dance when she first heard Carrie was a lesbian. They were both so young in nursing school. Deb hadn’t gotten the courage to ask her out until five years later, after they started working at the same hospital.
“You look good. You never age. How do you do that?” Deb asked.
Carrie offered her a small smile. “You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid my eyes on. I can’t believe I didn’t ask you out when we first met. I knew you were interested, but I guess I thought you were too serious for me. You were so focused on school at the time. I’m glad you lightened up a bit.”
“Why’d you leave?” Deb blurted out.
“I was scared. I’ve had a lot of time to think. Frankly, since I left, I haven’t met anyone I click with. I never stopped loving you, Deb.”
“You hurt me.”
“I know I did. I had my reasons. Stupid reasons, really. So, who is this Olivia to you?”
“We’re not sleeping together, if that’s what you think,” Deb answered.
“You looked awfully cozy.”
“She’s my best friend, and I love her.”
“Are you in love with her? Have I waited too long?” Carrie asked.
Deb did not want to discuss her situation with Olivia. She was there to find out what went wrong with their relationship. She could deal with her feelings about Olivia later, after she understood how things had gone sideways.
“You still haven’t told me why you didn’t want to make a commitment. Everything was going fine. The minute I started talking about registering as domestic partners and having kids, you ran.” Deb looked straight at Carrie and waited for her response.
“I know. I had some irrational thoughts. I admit my reasoning wasn’t entirely sound, especially since I’m a nurse and know better. I couldn’t see me pregnant, and you know that you getting pregnant wasn’t a good idea, either. I know we could have taken an amniocentesis test, but I didn’t want to have that conversation with you, knowing how you feel about Siera. She’s a great kid and all that, but…”
“Are you seriously saying that genetics played a role?”
“I told you I wasn’t being rational, and no, I’m not saying that now. What I’m saying is if we were faced with that decision, I knew you wouldn’t want to abort. I would have. I’ve been telling myself that ever since we split up. I know the odds of either one of us having a Down’s Syndrome child are so small, so I was being irrational.”
“It’s Down syndrome, not Down’s. That is how little you know.” Deb
paused. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“See, that is why I didn’t want to have this discussion. I knew you wouldn’t react well to my opinion on this,” Carrie replied.
“Are you fucking kidding me? You basically said Kathleen should have had the test and when she found out, she should have aborted. Siera is a great kid, and I’m proud to be her aunt.”
“Being an aunt is easy. Besides, Siera’s on the higher end of the functional scale. You can’t say it hasn’t been a challenge for Kathleen.”
“Oh yeah, it’s been a challenge for her all right, mainly due to narrow-minded, bigoted individuals like you who take one look at Siera’s physical appearance and make all kinds of assumptions. You know what, Carrie, in case you aren’t clear on this, there is no hope for us, especially now that I know your opinion about Siera and Bri. And in answer to your question about Olivia, yes, I fell in love with her almost immediately. She is a kind, loving, intelligent, open woman who understands how wonderful Siera and Bri really are. Neither of us would change one single thing about them.”
“I’m sorry, Deb. I did not want to hurt your feelings, and I do know how wonderful they both are. You all have every right to be proud of them. I wouldn’t wish for a gay child for the very same reasons. It’s too damn hard. I don’t want that for my child, is that so difficult to understand?”
“Yeah, Carrie, it is. Look, I’m not saying you’re a horrible person, but our fundamental beliefs about some very important issues are far too different to overcome. I do hope the world evolves a bit more, because it is those beliefs that make it so much more difficult for kids who are a little different, and that’s just sad. I will always care about you, but I can’t be with you. You made the right decision when you left,” Deb answered.
“I guess that says it all. I had to try. At least I’ve been completely honest with you. I suppose I should wish you luck with Olivia. I do care enough about you to want you to be happy. If Olivia is the one to do that for you, then I hope it works. From my observation, she’s in love with you. If you tell her how you feel about her, I’m sure it will work out for you.”
“Well that’s big of you to wish me luck. I guess I got my closure. You know, even if we never end up together, my relationship with Olivia will be ten times the depth of any relationship you and I could have had. I suppose I never realized how shallow you are.”
“I was simply being honest,” Carrie defended.
“I suppose that’s true. I do respect your honesty. I just happen to believe your truth is shallow and narrow-minded. Good luck finding that perfection you seek, because Carrie, it doesn’t exist.”
†
Olivia couldn’t help herself, she was pacing while waiting for Deb’s call. Maybe she should step aside if there was a chance Deb and Carrie could make a go of it. But why did Carrie leave in the first place? There was no way she would ever have made that mistake. Oh, who was she kidding? She’d been making a far greater mistake for the last three years by keeping Deb at arm’s length. Well, she vowed to change that tonight, if things didn’t work out with Carrie. She wasn’t going to let one more day pass without telling Deb she’d fallen in love with her.
It was already nine o’clock. That wasn’t a good sign. Deb promised she would call after dinner, but maybe she’d gone back to Carrie’s place or Carrie had followed her back to her condo. Either scenario did not bode well for Olivia.
She was glad Bri had decided to spend the night with Siera at Kathleen’s house, because if she still had a chance with Deb, she wanted to ask her to come over so they could have that talk.
Olivia hoped Jeremy had managed to convince Kathleen their graduation gift was a good thing. Olivia had also spilled the beans to Jeremy about finding the book and confirming her suspicions that Bri and Siera had ventured into an intimate relationship with one another. That would be something else Jeremy might have to convince his wife on. Sometimes, it took Kathleen a little time to get used to something that didn’t exactly fit in her neat plans for Siera’s future. Ultimately, Kathleen loved her daughter. Olivia didn’t have concerns about her ability to come around.
Bri had asked Olivia to help pick out a ring, and Deb had let it slip that Siera had done the same thing with her. She didn’t think either one was completely in the dark about the other’s intent; they simply weren’t privy to the specific details.
Olivia and Deb had both suggested the same thing. Since Siera and Bri met at the park, it would be the perfect place to declare their love and ask that important question. They’d each come to that conclusion on their own, already, without much prompting from her or Deb.
The light knock interrupted her thoughts. When she opened the door, she saw Deb standing on the other side with a beautiful smile on her face. It was past the time to hold back. Olivia pulled Deb close and brought their lips together, exploring Deb’s soft, generous mouth. The kiss started slow and increased in intensity, as she had pushed her tongue inside without experiencing a single bit of resistance from Deb, who matched her passion. Olivia couldn’t tell who moaned first, as she pulled Deb inside.
Olivia’s heart was pounding nearly out of her chest when they broke apart. “God, I’ve wanted to do that for so long. I didn’t realize how badly I wanted to kiss you like that until a few days ago. I’m an idiot.”
Deb touched Olivia’s lips with her index finger. “Shhh. We should talk first, but let me give you the Reader’s Digest version. Carrie and I are not getting back together, and I’m so glad you’ve crossed the line, because I’m going to interpret that as my cue to stomp all over your line and take this further, much further. Where’s that book? Do you think the girls would care if we borrowed it for tonight?” Deb joked.
“Oh, it may be true it’s been over four years since I’ve been intimate with anyone, but I think it’s pretty much like riding a bike. I’m sure we’ll figure it out. I want this, Deb. I want us.”
“That’s enough for me. I need to devour you first. We can talk more later on.” Deb kicked off her sandals.
Olivia grabbed Deb’s hand and tugged her along. “Time to take this to my bedroom. The girls are gone tonight, so if you feel compelled to make a lot of noise, go for it. I like a vocal partner.”
“Mmm, good to know. I’m very vocal, so no worries there.”
When they reached Olivia’s bedroom, she gently pushed Deb on her bed and climbed on top. She began by nibbling on Deb’s bottom lip and then working her way down, kissing Deb’s neck and stroking her hand down Deb’s collarbone. This was one of her favorite places on a woman. As Olivia reached the top button of Deb’s shirt, she began to slowly reveal olive-toned skin and a lacy, nude-colored bra. She kissed the part of Deb’s breast that peeked out above the lace and ran her finger down the crevice. Once the shirt was completely open, she pushed it off Deb’s shoulders and reached behind to undo her bra and let her breasts fall out.
“I seem to be at a disadvantage here. Quid pro quo. If you take something off of me, you need to lose an article of your clothing. I vote for the shirt,” Deb said.
Olivia lifted her t-shirt over her head and quickly removed her sports bra. “That’s fair, now we’re even.”
Olivia moved her hands down Deb’s body, stroking her stomach, and hovered at the top of the dress pants that hung low on her hips. She ran her fingers along the band, teasing as the tips brushed along the edge of lace panties. Back and forth, she caressed Deb’s silky-smooth skin in excruciatingly slow movements.
Deb reached down to undo the top button, and Olivia brushed her hand aside. “You’re going to make me crazy, aren’t you?” Deb asked.
“Mmm hmm, patience,” Olivia answered and popped it open. Pulling on the zipper revealed matching lace underwear. She splayed open her fingers and grazed them over the top of the soft silk.
Deb squirmed underneath her feathery touch. “I think maybe you should remove my pants, lest they become too wrinkled.”
“Uh huh, and do your panties wrink
le as well?” Olivia asked.
“Oh yes, they do.” Deb lifted her bottom, and Olivia tugged until she’d pulled them off. She moved from the bed, carefully folded them, and placed them on the top of the dresser.
By the time Olivia returned, Deb had wriggled out of her silk underwear. Olivia gathered them to add to the folded stack.
Olivia’s breath hitched, as she looked at Deb’s naked form laid out. Her arousal went through the stratosphere. Deb was a beautiful woman, and Olivia wanted to devour every inch of her glorious body.
Deb’s finger swirled in the air. “I do believe you owe me two pieces of clothing.”
Olivia smiled and shimmied out of her shorts. Like a cat, she crawled over the top of Deb and began her worship. Starting on her lips, Olivia sucked, nibbled, and licked, prompting a loud vocalization from Deb. Olivia moved on top of Deb, as their naked bodies connected.
“Oh my God, you feel so good,” Deb exclaimed.
Deb tried to flip Olivia over, but Olivia captured her hands and brought them above her head in a gentle restraint.
“Let me love on you the way I’ve imagined in my head. I can hardly believe my nighttime fantasies are about to come true,” Olivia whispered.
Deb’s eyes opened wide. “You’ve dreamed about this?”
“Many times,” Olivia admitted.
Olivia moved her lips down Deb’s beautiful curves, pausing on her breast and gently biting down, as the small bud pebbled in response. She stroked the sides of Deb’s breasts as she sucked each nipple. Her hands traveled down over Deb’s taut stomach, and she kissed her navel. When her fingers reached the apex of Deb’s dark, neatly trimmed patch of curly hair, she stopped her reverence and looked into Deb’s aroused eyes. “So beautiful.”
“Please, don’t stop,” Deb pleaded.
Olivia moved her fingers through the patch of hair and felt the moisture, as she stroked Deb’s swollen labia.
Deb began to move under her.
Olivia separated Deb’s lips and brought her mouth to the top of her hood, as she slowly licked the most sensitive part of Deb’s body.
