A Girl by Any Other Name

by MK Schiller

“What?” she replied, smacking my chest. I pressed my lips to her temple to hide my grin.

  “Just kidding, but I am curious, were you comparing me to Ahab when you were talking about Moby Dick?”

  She laughed, cupping my chin. “No, that would mean that I was referring to myself as a whale…or calling myself a dick, and I’m not that self-deprecating.”

  “Very funny, smartass. Don’t drop out. Ask to change your status so you’re auditing the class. That way your grades won’t count and there’s nothing devious about it.”

  “Will you get in trouble for that?”

  I shrugged. “Only if someone tells. It is community college, after all. They’re not exactly vigilant about these kinds of things. I’ve heard that Ocean Community College is fondly referred to as ‘Only Chance College’ and that’s by the alumni.”

  She laughed. “’Kay.”

  “Goodnight, Sylvie,” I whispered, kissing her temple.

  “We need to talk about something first.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I don’t think you should call me Sylvie anymore. I have a new name now. I would say it’s fine for you to call me that when we’re intimate, because I prefer it too, but I’m afraid you might slip up if we’re in public.” She had a point.

  “I know what you’re saying, but Sophie doesn’t feel right to me. How about if I call you Sylvie when we’re alone and ‘sweetheart’, or ‘baby’, or even ‘lover’ when we’re out?”

  She laughed. “You’re crazy.”

  “Crazy about you. I love you, girl.”

  She sat up, pressing her hand against my chest. “You haven’t said that yet.”

  “Yes, I have.”

  “No, you haven’t. We’ve talked about it in an external sense, but you haven’t said it directly to me since…since that night.”

  “Well, I have no problems saying it. I love you, Sylvie Cranston. I have loved you since I was fourteen and I will love you until the day I die.”

  “I love you too, Caleb James Tanner.”

  “You know you’ve never said that to me.”

  Her mouth dropped open.

  “You didn’t have to. I always knew, but it’s nice to hear the words.”

  “Let me be clear then. I have loved you since I was eleven and you sat next to me on the swings at church. It’s grown each day since, even when we weren’t together. I will never stop loving you.”

  My heart warmed with her words so much that I clasped the back of head and pulled her toward me, kissing her passionately.

  * * * *

  “I think it’s dead,” Sylvie said, watching me drill the chain on her door.

  “It’s not dead. I’ve had this drill for fifteen years, so what does that tell you?”

  “That it’s time to get a new drill,” she replied playfully.

  I shook my head, pissed that my drill wasn’t working when we were almost done with all the repairs. I turned to her, and I had trouble remembering what it was I was supposed to be doing. There was nothing sexy about a plaid shirt and chinos, but somehow Sylvie made them look like French lingerie. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and my fingers twitched to release it then caress it. She must have sensed my desire, because she pouted her sumptuous lips and raised her eyebrow. “So, are we done for today?”

  I wished we were, but I needed to get this done. I wouldn’t feel all right about her being here alone if it wasn’t. “You’ve been a good helper so far, but now you’re just distracting me. Why don’t you get me a cup of coffee, woman?”

  “That sounded very chauvinistic, Tex.”

  “It’s not. You can get yourself a cup too,” I replied, turning back to my work. The drill was on its last legs, and I was about ready to chuck it out the window.

  “I can help you.” There was a piled huskiness to her already sexy voice. I had a feeling her version of help wasn’t going to get this task done.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “I can make it easier.”

  “Sylvie, let me finish this and stop distracting me!”

  “But, Tex, you’re stressing out so much.”

  “Yeah, and trust me, I’m going to want you to relax me…but later, when I’m done here. This is very important to me.”

  “Yeah and—”

  “Damn it, girl, I’m serious,” I snapped, watching the drill in my hand start to smoke from the pressure I was putting on it.

  That was when I heard another sound echo through her small apartment. It was a fresh energetic buzzing that was so opposite to the dying sound coming from my tool. I turned and she stood there clutching the latest Craftsman drill, charged up and ready to go.

  She sauntered over to me, holding it up like it was a pistol, smiling smugly. “I was going to say you can borrow my drill. Sometimes it is the tool and not the user.”

  I took it from her, admiring its features and its power. “Very nice. Why do you have this?”

  “I found out it’s cheaper to make my own frames and easels.”

  “When did you get so handy?” I asked, pulling her to my chest and kissing her head.

  “I was just going to ask you the same thing. I don’t remember you knowing all this stuff.”

  “Sylvie, I don’t think it takes a genius to install a chain.”

  “No, but you just seem really comfortable with it.”

  I released her, returning to my work. She went to the tiny area that constituted her kitchen to make coffee.

  “I think it really started when I came home from college. I noticed there were many things in disrepair. It wasn’t like Momma to let things go like that. At first, I couldn’t figure it out, but then I realized that even with my dad’s insurance settlement and my mother going back to work, things were tight with me in college and Mandy’s music lessons. I figured the least I could do was help out. My dad was always good at fixing stuff.”

  “I remember. He was always tinkering with y’all’s appliances and cars.”

  “I wasn’t so great, but I figured everything I needed to know was in a book somewhere. Then for Christmas, I was pretty broke so I decided to make Momma a new dining table.” I finished the chain and checked all the screws on her door to see if I should reinforce any. “I don’t think I’ve seen her that happy since Dad died. After that, I made all of Mandy’s and Momma’s gifts. I think they liked it better that way.”

  She handed me a steaming mug and sat on the floor, leaning her back against the wall. I decided to join her.

  “That’s really sweet, Tex. You always took really good care of them.”

  I didn’t answer, and thankfully she didn’t say any more. The truth was I missed them like crazy, and bringing them up made me sad in many ways.

  “Did you make the shelves at your place?”

  I nodded, happy she was changing the topic.

  “Can you make me some like that? They are pretty sweet.”

  I took a few sips of the steaming mug she’d brought me, contemplating my answer. She shifted closer to me and I reflexively put my arm around her and she laid her head against my chest. “I can, or you can just move all your books to my place along with the rest of your stuff. If you agree to that, then we can be done with this.”

  She frowned. “There’s several reasons why that’s a bad idea.”

  “Name them.”

  “For one, it’s too soon.”

  I almost spit out my coffee. “What? You realize this isn’t like a normal relationship, right? We’re not exactly just starting out here.”

  “Of course it’s not, but I want us to have that ‘getting to know you again’ phase. Then there is the practical reasoning too.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It would cost a fortune to buy out my lease, and I have three more months here.”

  “I’ll pay for it,” I said immediately. Hell, if it was about money, we could resolve that.

  “No, you won’t. I don’t want that.”

  “But—”

 
She covered my mouth. “Here’s the thing, Tex. I love you, and I’m not doubting that for a second, but I like my independence too. Besides, you told me Mandy and your mom visit you, so how would you explain all my girly stuff at your bachelor pad?”

  “I’ll drop it…for now,” I grumbled.

  She leaned up and kissed me. “So are we done? Because I have a few hours before work, and I was thinking maybe you could drill me.”

  I chucked. “Baby, you’re making me so fucking hard.” She stood up, holding her hand out to me eagerly. I took it, knowing better than to actually use it to pull myself up. “Calm down, girl. We’re not done. We have to do this last thing.” I took out the last box from our purchases.

  She stared at it quizzically. “An alarm? I don’t think I can have that here.”

  “You can.”

  “Did you read my lease or something?” she asked, cocking her head.

  “Nope, but state law says you can and that supersedes a lease.”

  Installing the alarm was fairly simple. Just placing the batteries and a few small holes to set it in place. I stood back, checking the placement of the box, making sure it was level. “Come here,” I said, motioning to her. I stood her in front of me and crossed my arms around her, resting my chin against her head. “Now, this isn’t connected to a monitoring service because that’s not allowed, but it will give off an ear-splitting sound if it goes off. So if you don’t want an eviction notice, I’d suggest you make sure to turn it off in the thirty seconds allotted. Actually, on second thought…”

  She elbowed me. “Yeah, you would like that.”

  “Hey, no need to get violent. Anyway, I need you to pick a four-digit code.”

  “One one—”

  “Not your birthday. Is that really your birthday by the way?”

  “It’s close and the one I celebrate now. How about zero four—”

  “Not my birthday.”

  “Damn, this is hard.”

  “Pick something you’ll remember, but no one else would know.”

  “Zero five two five,” she blurted out immediately.

  I punched it in, setting the code. “Does that have some significance?”

  “It does to me.”

  I replayed the date in my head, coming up short. I decided to let it go rather than guess like a fool. She didn’t say anything else, but I had a feeling she was disappointed I didn’t know the answer. “Guess what, baby? We’re done. Now, let me show you the most powerful drill in this place.”

  I tickled her ribs, and she laughed, running across the room, but I caught up to her and swung her on the bed. I made quick work of getting her shirt off. I walked to the edge and dragged off those chinos along with her lace panties, flinging them across the room. She tugged on my shirt, and I pulled it off, pushing her down on the bed. She wrapped her arms around me while I buried my face into her neck. She started giggling. “What?” I asked, nuzzling her neck. She laughed harder, patting my back.

  “You didn’t shave today and it tickles.”

  “Want me to stop and shave then?” I whispered in her ear.

  “Don’t you dare. I’m just curious that’s all.”

  “About what?”

  “Will it tickle everywhere?”

  “You tell me.”

  I trailed kisses making a path toward her stomach. Her laughter soon turned into moans. I stopped once in a while to rub my stubble on her soft, delicate skin and she started laughing again. We both did. I dipped my tongue inside her. I loved to hear Sylvie laugh, but her moan was incredible. It was deep and sexy, full of longing and desire. I managed to pull out a condom and kick off my shorts while French-kissing her pussy. I put on the rubber, almost wanting to pat myself on the back for my impressive multi-tasking.

  She was still climaxing as I climbed back up the bed and inside her. She clutched my shoulders, digging her nails in, as I pounded into her. “Wrap your legs around me.”

  She obeyed immediately. I wasn’t usually this vocal with girls, but there was something instinctive with her. I felt the need to dominate her, and conversely, she was submissive with me and for herself. In reality, though, it was she who held all the power over me. The sex was so much more intense than I’d ever imagined. It was because I loved her with every cell in my body.

  She used her legs to encourage me back inside her every time I pulled away. We moved in unison, building to our release, stimulating each other with soft, wet kisses.

  “I love you,” I managed to choke out as I watched her climax.

  “Me too,” she screamed.

  “Say the whole thing to me.”

  “I love you.”

  I thrust again, deeper and harder than before. She moaned against me, and I sensed she was close again.

  “Say my name, Sylvie,” I commanded.

  “I love you so much, Caleb James Tanner,” she said, wrapping her arms around my neck.

  I was shocked at how hard I came.

  I moved out of her, heading for the bathroom to dispose of the condom. I came back to bed, spooning her against my chest.

  “It was the day we met, right? May twenty-fifth.”

  “I was wondering if you’d get it.”

  “It just took me a minute, but it all came back.”

  She stood up and walked over to the plastic bags on the kitchen table. She was completely naked, walking around with an air of comfort that I knew existed because it was me she was with. She came back to the bed, bringing the bag of chocolates from the previous night with her.

  “I think you deserve chocolate for that,” she said, holding up a brightly foiled chocolate square to me.

  “Let’s share,” I replied, taking it.

  She gave me a perplexed look. “Cal, I brought the whole bag. We are sharing.”

  “That’s not what I mean. Lie down, please.”

  “Well, since you said please this time,” she replied, giggling.

  I unwrapped the chocolate square, circling it over her lips, until the body heat melted it. She opened her mouth to bite it, but I pulled it away. “Nah-uh. Not yet.”

  She frowned, but I kept up the pace, covering her mouth with the decadent sweet. Once I was satisfied, I licked it off her. “That’s really good.”

  “Can I have some?” she pouted.

  “You can have whatever you want, baby.” I put the flat square of chocolate halfway in my mouth, holding it with my lips, and moved toward her. She bit off the other half. A long line of the sticky caramel center wavered between us before landing on her chin. I made quick work of sucking it off her. “Damn, I don’t even like chocolate that much, but it tastes so fucking good off your skin.”

  “Since when don’t you like chocolate, Tex? We used to pig out on it all the time.”

  “I don’t know. I guess a lot of things lost their flavor for me.”

  She had a sullen look and I really hadn’t meant to go there.

  “Don’t you think it’s weird that we’re like this after all these years? That we love each other still like this? I worry that it’s too bright of a fire, and we’ll burn out. I don’t want you to regret this, Cal.”

  “I think you want a fire to be bright. After all, who’d want a dim fire? I will never regret anything I share with you. Don’t ever think that. I loved you then and I love you now. That’s not going to change. You’re in my heart and you’ll live there forevermore. Do you not feel that?”

  “Yeah, I feel it so much it’s like a physical ache. I don’t want this to end.”

  “It won’t. We won’t let it. How about another piece?”

  She nodded. I unwrapped another of the foil squares, wondering what surprise this had in the center. I moved it against her lips again, waiting for the chocolate to melt slightly. When it did, I moved it across her body, using it as a writing utensil to mark her waist.

  She crooked her elbows and peered down at my etching. “What are you doing?”

  “I was just thinking of another tattoo that you s
hould get. What do you think?”

  She giggled. “Your initials? Classy, Tex.”

  “Hey, I just want to make sure it’s clear who you belong to.”

  She grabbed the chocolate out of my hand and carved her own initials into my biceps, drawing a heart around the letters. SC, Sylvie Cranston.

  “I like it.”

  “I was just kidding.”

  “I wasn’t,” I said, popping the chocolate halfway into her mouth. She bit into it and I helped myself to the other half. “Mmm, mint.”

  “I have to get ready for work, Cal.”

  “I’m driving you.”

  “I can take the bus, that’s what I usually do.”

  “No, that’s what you did. I’m driving you, but first, let me help clean you up.” I rolled my tongue over her waist, wiping away the chocolate signature I’d left on her body, which elicited a deep moan from her.

  She then did the same on my arm, tracing her drawing with her tongue. I piled kisses down her neck. “I have to get ready.”

  “I promise I’ll be quick.”

  “Ha, I don’t think so, but tell you what, if you promise to use the time wisely, why don’t you take a shower with me?”

  “I’ll use it wisely,” I promised, before I tasted the last of the chocolate off her lips.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The following Sunday, I arrived almost twenty minutes early to pick her up. I usually waited for her in the car, but I decided to go in. The art supply store wasn’t what I was expecting. They had all the typical artists’ tools you would expect lining the walls, but there were also several canvases and sculptures for sale. It was like part art supply, part art exhibition.

  “Can I help you?” a young guy with Jim Morrison hair and a button-down shirt with a psychedelic pattern asked me.

  “I’m here to pick up Sy—Sophie,” I replied, catching myself. Maybe her idea of calling her Sophie was better. I couldn’t exactly say ‘I’m here to pick up my sweetheart’.

  He regarded me for a moment, giving me an up-and-down look. “Are you a friend of hers?”

  I wanted to tell him it was none of his damn business, or better yet, that she was mine in every way possible. There was a set to the square of his jaw that was challenging. “She’s my girlfriend,” I replied, with a cheerful smile.