The Question Is

by Kenna Shaw Reed

  “Clever girl, needs to be rewarded,” Grace tried to forget her previous urge to be rewarded by Seth. Would she have been willing to stop with a kiss?

  “What did you have in mind?” she teased with a raise of the eyebrows. The best way to erase one lover from her mind was to allow her other lover to have her way with her.

  Sienna’s mouth closed around hers, the urgency of her quest obvious.

  Grace scratched up her legs to grasp Sienna’s butt and pull against her hips. As usual, their bodies fit together, moving as one.

  She cried out as Sienna’s hand plucked at her nipples which hardened at first touch. Pushing them away, the hands moved lower moving down her own legs and up her inner thighs. Grace needed to be more involved and found Sienna’s neck with her own kisses, fondling the breast, reminding herself that Sienna was all woman and her woman.

  Moving to her neck, Grace instinctively intensified her kisses and gentle biting, wanting to make Sienna cry out, wanting to see the lust in Sienna’s eyes. Needing to make her more than a passive partner.

  Sienna writhed beneath her, with cries intensified as Grace moved her hand lower until both girls’ hands were within each other’s legs, finding the soft folds.

  Grace rolled onto her side, so they could lie breast against breast, the slightest touch against the nipples as fingers moved around and around.

  As much as she craved the masculine touch of Seth, nothing could compare the wonderous touch of a woman.

  Sienna instinctively knew what she wanted and how she wanted it. Tonight, Grace echoed everything Sienna did, two bodies moving perfectly in sync. Fingers plunging, her bud opening to the playful thumb.

  Then, Sienna broke the spell, her head moved lower, crushing her breast and biting her nipple. Grace felt as if she was about to drown as she momentarily went under the water while spasms of desire ripped through her.

  No, no man could ever truly understand how to please her. Now, her turn to take control of Sienna, her hands knowing exactly how to please her lover. With one hand behind, grabbing and squeezing her finger tips into the soft cheeks, the other hand continued its task.

  Sienna’s eyes closed, denying Grace the pleasure of watching them ebb and glow. They opened when Grace kissed each eye lid and then traced the side of her face with her tongue.

  “Now, please, oh, now,” Grace heard the cry, the invitation to bring her to the pinnacle. Pulling Sienna closer with firm hands, firmer touch, her thumb knew exactly where to tweak Sienna’s bud to create the explosion of joy.

  Sienna

  She ducked under the water, to smooth back her hair and catch her breath. A full day of planning, hoping and trusting Grace would come home, that Grace was hers, again.

  The connection Grace still had with her ex was hurtfully obvious to Sienna, and probably to him. Sienna only hoped that even if Grace felt the pull of the past, she could push it aside.

  For the briefest of moments, Sienna feared her seduction tonight missed the mark. Grace didn’t seem pleased with being pulled into the bath fully clothed. At least, Sienna smiled, she gave her girlfriend a reason to smile. After all this time together, it felt amazing to bring spontaneity to their sex life. Clothes could easily be dry cleaned.

  “I assume Seth has gone home and isn’t waiting out in the loungeroom?” she teased – although it wouldn’t hurt him to have heard their love making.

  “I put him into his car with the contracts and came straight home. I think I’ve put in enough hours over the past couple of days to deserve an early night.” Sienna found the bottle of champagne on the vanity and poured two glasses before rejoining Grace in the bath.

  “Did I remember to say, ‘congratulations’, or that I’m glad you are home?”

  Sitting at each end of the long bath, Grace reached out to kiss her hand, sensually connected by their fingers, “I think I got the message.”

  “So, what now?” Sienna asked, the slight head of jealousy returning and wanting reassurance that Grace was truly committed to her.

  “Relax. Eat dinner and an early night,” Sienna tried not to read anything into Grace’s reply.

  “Oh, honey, the snapper is perfect!” Grace toasted her hard work, “I can’t remember when we had roasted vegetables mid week.”

  “I wanted to do something to celebrate, you deserve it,” Sienna wanted to relax and get rid of her fears left over from the night of the reunion when Grace disappeared.

  She tried to reassure herself. The world hadn’t come to an end.

  “Oh, your mum called and wanted to know how the reunion went.”

  “I forgot to call her, what did you say?”

  “First, I had to get over the shock of her calling us a couple! Maybe she is coming around.”

  “What will we do! My parents love you, my friends want to come and get to know you.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, since the party, I’ve had a stack of messages with friends wanting to come to the city, catch up and meet the woman who has my heart.”

  If only Seth could remain a name from the past and not a new friend or new client. Despite not being in the same industry, Grace understood Seth and what he needed. Sienna heard them finish each other’s thoughts as she fell asleep while they worked in the lounge room.

  The hardest thing was to watch Grace come home emotionally drained and distant– hoping it was from the long days. Not because every day Grace spent with Seth, her feelings were being rekindled.

  Dinner tonight meant far more than saying “Congratulations,” she needed to remind Grace of everything they had, and everything she had to lose.

  Grace

  Yet more of their friends announced their engagement. Allie and Toni had only been together for a year. As soon as Australia legalized same sex marriage, they said it was only a matter of time before they made honest women of each other.

  One year together and they were ready to commit. Five years together and Sienna didn’t want to have the conversation.

  Grace pushed the invitation aside. Tonight, was not the night for fighting or bringing up the subject of marriage and babies again. Grace rubbed her breasts, still tender from the work out Sienna gave them.

  Great sex could not always make up for the lack of commitment or future, but tonight, it was a start.

  “More wine?” Grace got the bottle out of the fridge when Sienna’s work mobile rang, and everything changed.

  “What do you need?” Sienna asked the caller, her eyes widening, “I’ll be there.”

  “I’ve got to go to the hospital,” the moment she hung up, the tears flowed. “Connie tried to take her own life tonight and her parents are beside themselves. They want me – no – they need me.”

  Grace still stood, frozen in shock as Sienna turned to her, ashen, “Grace, I don’t know what to do!”

  Grace went into organizational mode. She threw some clothes together, grabbed a couple of blankets that could always be used as pillows or cushions against the harsh hospital chairs.

  As Sienna reached out to her work colleagues for advice, Grace made two thermoses of coffee and pulled a tray of date slice from the freezer.

  In the short drive to the hospital, Sienna filled her in.

  “Connie, she is just a baby – only fifteen. Because she doesn’t have boobs yet and likes her hair short, the girls at school have been teasing her that she is gay.”

  “Is she?”

  “She doesn’t think so, so the school called me in to listen to her. She likes boys but doesn’t think they will ever like her because she thinks she is ugly.”

  “Tell me one fifteen-year-old girl who thinks she is beautiful,” Grace said sympathetically, “Poor girl. What happened tonight?”

  “I don’t know. Her parents found her, called the ambulance and then called me.” Sienna grabbed Graces leg, her eyes pleading, “What if I let her down? What if I should have done more?”

  Grace stroked her hand comfortingly while focused on finding a car p
ark, “You would have done everything possible, I know you.”

  “But Grace, what if it wasn’t enough?”

  Seth

  Seth’s friends thought they were being helpful, tagging photos of Grace and him together at the reunion on social media. As if he needed reminding of how beautiful she was. Even without the long hair he used to love, the almost shorn head allowed her inner beauty to shine as brightly as her eyes.

  The natural way they worked together – the old habits came flooding back. He smiled, remembering the simple things. The small insignificant moments that on their own didn’t mean anything but together meant the world. She still knew before he did that he wanted another coffee, so it magically appeared at his side. He knew when they were walking together before she tripped over a crack in the pavement, and his arm ready to protect her from a fall. They would see a couple with children and both look and sigh, wanting the same joy one day.

  Now, his company had financing in place and if all went well, he would still see her as a client.

  One night together and Seth knew that no other woman would ever have a chance with his heart. Perhaps, one day, Grace would remember the man he and the couple they were and could be again. He owed it to them both to trust in their future enough for Grace.

  Right now, he had issues with his school kids. Messages from the school and the police – couldn’t be good.

  “Seth,” it was Mr Compton from the school, “Glad you rang. I’m in a bit of a pickle here and hope you can point me in the right direction.”

  “Sounds interesting – what do you need?”

  “Darby. He came in yesterday and insisted I give him detention.”

  “That’s a new one,” Seth at a loss, “With all due respect, I never wanted to spend extra time at school.”

  “He wants me to keep him in at lunch times for the next few weeks but to not tell his employer. Seth, you know the deal – if he gets into trouble at school they must let him go. It doesn’t matter if he is innocent or not.”

  “Mate, thanks for giving me the heads up. I’ll see if he will talk to me.”

  Seth checked his diary, they weren’t supposed to catch up for another couple of days. Losing a job would be bad enough – but losing it because of a detention you asked for. Seth started dialing, not able to think of a good enough reason for Darby to blow his future away.

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” Sometimes Darby could talk under water, today wasn’t one of those days. It started out easy enough, Seth needed to blow off steam at the gym and needed a training partner. Darby prided himself on how he could match it with the man.

  The way he pounded the punching bag, Seth knew it was more than school and work on his mind.

  “Compton rang. Want to fill me in?”

  Silence.

  “Mate, if you are in trouble, talk to me.”

  Silence.

  “I know you think I’m old, but seriously, there isn’t much I haven’t seen, done or been caught doing. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m on your side.”

  Silence.

  “Darby, you need to talk to me.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” Darby grabbed his towel to head to the showers.

  Seth needed to give the boy time to trust him, but Mr Compton was bound by the rules. He needed to let the employer know.

  Seth continued his workout, keeping a watch on the exit from the change room. After half an hour, he figured that he missed the boy and went in, finding Darby lying on the bench, dressed, his eyes open and arms crossed over his chest.

  “Not the sight I expected,” Seth said lightly, approaching the boy as he would a frightened animal.

  “Nah.”

  “I mean, you worked it pretty hard out there, but I didn’t expect you to be asleep.” Darby sat up, swinging his legs around but not making eye contact. He kept looking towards the door as if expecting someone to come through.

  “Compton rang me and there’s about six messages from the police and eventually I need to call them back.” At the mention of the police, Darby jumped up, grabbed his bag and was half way to the door before Seth caught him. “Mate, I don’t know what happened, but you need to talk to me. What’s the worse that can happen?”

  “Dad,” the boy crumbled.

  His father had been pressuring him to sell stolen phones and laptops through the school. When he refused, there had been a beating, or two. Now his dad wanted him to push drugs and wouldn’t take “no” as an answer.

  “I’ve done it before, no problems. But I was the one who went to juvie – not him. He reckons I’m younger and can take the punishment. But he did most of it. He’s my dad.”

  “So why are the police looking for me?” There had to be more to the story.

  “I don’t know. They’ve been trying to call me. I figured if they really wanted to talk, they’d come looking for me. Until then, if Compton gives me detention then it will take the heat off at home. I’ll tell dad I need to keep squeaky clean for a while because if I get expelled it will ruin everything for him.”

  Seth smiled, then laughed, “That is entrepreneurial thinking. I like it.”

  “You’re not mad at me?” Darby looked shocked at his reaction, his eyebrows burrowed in confusion.

  “Of course not, I’m proud of you. You don’t want to sell something, so you become unmarketable! Brilliant. Now, let’s go to the station together. You hear why they want to talk to you and I’ll hear why they want me. You won’t be alone, and if need I’ll have a lawyer on speed dial.”

  Two hours later and Seth was seething. The police knew that Darby’s father had come into possession of a batch of stolen devices and would be looking for a quick score. They also knew he had racked up huge gambling debts and given a solution to – sell some product or else.

  They wanted to reach out to Darby about his parole, warn him of the conditions and what would happen if he crossed the line again. They also knew about Seth’s assistance to the school and wanted his help in making sure Darby’s father didn’t bring down his son.

  Damn the bastard!

  Seth watched the brash teen that stood up to him the first day, had pummeled the bag at the gym with such aggression turn into a shadow. The small child who had been beaten and then ignored for years slumped in the chair. No bravado anymore. Life had gotten seriously out of his control.

  “Going home is not an option.” Seth demanded, “So how do we get him out of there.”

  “Seth, I know you want to help, but he is still the father and has every right. All we can do is warn the boy and hope he listens.”

  “He’s here, isn’t he. Look at him.”

  “Seth, it’s out of our hands.”

  “Darby,” Seth turned, “Are there any bruises on you that your father caused. Anything now?”

  The boy shrugged, unable to speak. “Mate, I have an idea, trust me. Is there anything.”

  “I didn’t hit him back.”

  “I know you didn’t, but where did he hit you?”

  Darby pulled up his shirt and none of the adults in the room, even the seasoned police could hide their shock. Below the ribs the mottled coloring showed multiple beatings with healing bruises covered by fresh.

  “Darby, can you tell me who did this to you?” the constable asked, catching Seth’s eye and nodding.

  “Dad.”

  “Darby, if one of the teachers at the school saw this, they would have to report it under ‘mandatory reporting’ and then whatever happens would be out of your hands. Do you understand?”

  Darby nodded, and Seth started to relax. Everything would work out.

  Now he had a house guest. The wheels of justice work quickly when the parties are all willing, and Seth arranged Darby to have his own lawyer.

  A temporary restraining order approved against Darby’s father. Given his involvement with the school, Darby was placed with Seth until something more permanent could be arranged.

  Hospital tests showed
multiple rib fractures over years. There was no suggestion that Darby would be forced to return to his father. Now, Seth needed to keep the boy safe and employed until his future could be sorted.

  During these days, it was Grace’s friendship that kept him calm and sane. When he was angry and wanted to scream at the world, it was her voice he craved. She listened as he talked, offered advice and told him repeatedly how proud she was.

  “You’ll be a great father, one day,” she finished.

  “You forget that there’s one thing missing,” he semi-joked, “I have to find my kids’ mother first.”

  “She’ll be lucky to have you,” did he hear regret in her voice? Jealousy? He could only hope.

  Focused on Darby, he ignored the multiple messages from his supplier – figuring the guy was complaining about the new contract. The call from his accountant bought him back to reality.

  His main supplier in South Africa needed to renegotiate payment dates. He had a severe cash flow problem and as Seth was his main client, the choices were either get payment on delivery or go under.

  Seth put the phone down, head spinning. He couldn’t afford to pay for goods on delivery – no developer had that kind of cash flow. Payment schedules were a careful balance of delay after careful delay – using debt repayment as cheap credit. But he also couldn’t afford for the supplier to go out of business. Not when his own project schedules needed completed product to market.

  He had worked with the company for years and considered the owner a good friend. Reaching out, the situation was worse than admitted to his staff.

  Now, Seth’s project that Grace worked so hard to save was under threat.

  He valued her friendship and support she offered about Darby. She said it gave her something positive to focus on in between visits to the hospital for the young girl who tried to take her own life.