by Giselle Fox
“More than just eye-opening,” she whispered.
“I guess it’s been leg opening too,” I grinned.
“No,” she smiled gently and placed her palm on my chest. “I meant our hearts.”
It was true, though neither of us had said anything about it until that moment. Our bodies and minds had tuned to each other, but there was even more to it than that. I’d watched the shifts and swells of her and listened to her breath and felt the flushes of her heat. We’d never let go of each other’s eyes. And when our breath stopped out of pleasure, it always found its place again in unison. We’d lingered in the depths of each other as if it were the most beautiful place in the world.
“I want to tell you something,” I said, “and I’m hoping it doesn’t come off as weird or presumptuous.”
Candy snuggled her arms around me a little tighter. “This sounds like it’s going to be fun.”
“I’ve been having this recurring dream for about three months now. It’s almost the same every time.”
“I love dreams,” Candy whispered.
“It always starts the same way. I’m standing in the elevator of this building, in the same spot, on the left. I’m looking down at my hand and my keys.”
“Hmmm,” Candy said and started to stroke my hair.
“The elevator stops and a woman gets on. There are flashes of color around her, but I’ve never been able to grab onto them until now. I only know that we made love in the elevator. I could always feel her as if she was right there, her body, her touch, her voice even. Everything… as if it was really happening. It was magical. But...” I turned and looked at her. “I always woke up before I knew who she was.”
“That sounds sad,” she said softly.
“It was sometimes. Sometimes it was frustrating, sometimes desperate. I racked my brain over and over again trying to figure out who she could be as if she was actually real and not just a part of my imagination. Crazy huh?”
Candy looked at me seriously. “No, not crazy.”
I nestled back against her. “The funny thing is, since I’ve been with you, she’s starting to feel like you.”
“Maybe it was me all along.”
“Do you think that’s possible?”
“I don’t know. A part of me does.”
“Rhi says that I’ve been calling this woman into my world.”
“Maybe you have been.”
“But... doesn’t that sound like airy-fairy horse shit?”
“Yes,” she laughed. “But how does it feel?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I guess it kinda feels right.”
Candy kissed the top of my head and sighed. She turned her head toward the window and I knew that we were both watching the night sky.
“I had a dream once,” she said softly.
“Tell me about it.”
“I was in a truck on an old dirt road, a secondary highway somewhere in the south. The dirt was red like powdered ocher and it collected in drifts against everything and swirled in the air.”
“Sounds beautiful. I love the desert.”
“I was the passenger in the truck and the woman I was with, my partner, was driving. We pulled over into a gas station and circled around the old pumps and parked. We had a dog that we let out of the backseat to run around. I remember walking around and stretching my legs and when I looked back at her, there she was, filling up the truck. She was wearing a black tank top and ripped jeans. Her tattooed arms were tanned and her hair was pinned up but a little wild from the dust and wind. She took off her sunglasses and looked at me across the station and I knew in my core that we’d already been together for a long time. That this quiet moment was actually our future. That somehow she would fall in love with me and I... wouldn’t even be able to look at her without my heart feeling like it would burst open. I felt such peace and contentment. Like everything was and always would be okay. That I’d found my groove and it was warm and perfect. We never said anything to each other. It was just that smile. Just that look she gave me.”
Candy lifted herself up on her elbow and looked down at me. “It was you, Rocky. It was you in my dream, giving me the same look you are giving me right now.”
I stroked my hand down her cheek. “Then Rhi was right.”
“I don’t know how else to explain it, but yeah, she was. I would never have come out here if I didn’t have that dream. The logical part of me was like, Candy, what the hell are you doing? But after watching my father suffer and realizing that even though I’m young now it doesn’t mean my life is going to last forever; I couldn’t ignore it. So despite how ridiculous it seemed even to myself, I came all this way on the off-chance that we would meet and that something profound would happen. I had to do it because that dream wasn’t like any other dream I’ve ever had.”
I shook my head and exhaled. “I’m so glad you took the chance.”
“I told my mother I was leaving soon so that she would be prepared… and then like clockwork, Ron and Linda called her to see how she was managing before they went off on their trip. Then they mentioned that they were subletting their place. My mom was like, what a coincidence, Candy has been talking about taking a trip out there.”
“Okay, that is weird,” I said.
Candy nodded. “So you see, I’ve stopped asking questions about what is weird anymore since the bar seems to have shifted significantly in that department.”
I laid back against the sheets while Candy’s eyelashes fluttered against the pillow. It felt as if the building blocks were dropping into place as if many hues of ink were mixing into a single brilliant color. We stared into each other’s eyes and just lay there wrapped in layer upon layer of coincidence.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I called Skip back from the muddy patch of grass behind the building. He was having a good sniff of something I couldn’t see and that always made me worry.
“Skip dog,” I called again. He came this time and looked satisfied enough with his short romp. He didn’t like cold pelting rain any more than I did.
“Hungry?” I asked him. He woofed his response and beelined for the door. Candy was upstairs in my apartment making dinner with a combined cache of veggies and salmon. When we got back upstairs, I fed Skip and joined her in the kitchen.
“It smells good. What have you got going here?” I asked as I peered into the pan.
“Butter and leeks,” she said, “and a little white wine.”
“Yum.”
“I had some salmon fillets in the freezer, I’m trying to thaw them in warm water.”
I looked into the sink at the thawing packets and gave them a squeeze. “They’ll be good soon,” I said.
“Did you want to go dancing tonight?”
“Dancing? Where?”
Candy’s eye’s looked mischievous. “To Slick.”
I stared at her. “You know that’s where Christa and Sam do their lesbian nights.”
“I do,” she said.
“And you want to walk into that hornet’s nest of drama willingly?”
“I thought it might be fun for you.”
“Fun? Really?”
“Really,” she said as she swept her hands up my chest. “Fun and a little naughty. You have a date now and I love to dance.”
“Ohhh,” I said. “You want to make an impression.”
“I really do,” she said. “Wouldn’t it be fun to show up with a younger woman at your side and be like, fuck you bitches, I’m back!”
“Fun and a little juvenile,” I said.
“Not Juvenile. Juvenile is telling your partner of twelve years that you’ve been having an affair while there’s a party going on in your house. Juvenile is showing up at her shop with the woman you cheated with week after week and pretending nothing is wrong with it. The best revenge is showing up with a smile on your face and a woman on your arm who is willing to give you a jolly good lap dance.”
I had to laugh. “You’re serious?”
“Deadly serious,” she said. “Wanna go?”
A couple of hours later we were driving downtown. “This is crazy,” I said for the fifth time.
“No, it’s not. It’s completely normal. You said they came by and invited you anyway.”
“They did, but I doubt they really meant it.”
“Well, I’m sure some of your old friends will be there. You may even enjoy yourself.”
“Oh, I know I’m going to enjoy myself. I’m just not sure it’s for the right reason. Revenge? I don’t know.”
“Well, I’ll handle the revenge part,” she said. “You just focus on having a good time. You’ve been in hiding long enough.”
“You’re not going to engage with them, are you? I mean, I know she did your hair but...”
“No, I won’t say a word.” A smile spread over her face again. “I won’t have to.”
“This is going to be interesting,” I said. I had to admit, I was a little curious. I knew Sam would be happy to see me with someone else, but Christa would hate it, and nothing spurred drama like Christa hating something. It almost made me feel giddy inside. What was the harm in going dancing? I asked myself. Though a voice inside my head told me I should turn around and not bother, a little vindictive part of me was dying to cause a little trouble.
I began to laugh.
“And that is the sound of a woman about to go into battle,” Candy said and looked straight ahead.
I shook my head and smiled.
When we arrived at the club, Mel was handling the door as usual. Her eyes almost popped when she saw me. She hopped over the coat check desk and gave me a big hug. “What the fuck? This is so awesome. You look fabulous, girl!”
“Candy, this is Mel,” I said.
“Hello,” Candy smiled and offered her hand.
“Heh-loh,” Mel said wide eyed and then she looked back at me and winked.
We both watched Candy take off her coat and hat. She wore a tight and low cut black tank top and a plaid miniskirt and the tall black boots that hugged her calves just right. I blinked a couple of times and so did Mel. “Let me take that for you, Mademoiselle,” she purred.
“Thank you,” Candy purred back. Then she helped me pull my black wool pea coat over my shoulders. I was a little sore from all the back work, but it was a good sore that I knew my muscles would thank me for later. Candy swept her hands down my bare arms and held my hand.
“You two are on the list,” Mel said with a grin.
I laughed. That was Mel’s way of telling us she wasn’t going to charge us.
“Thanks, Mel,” I said. “What are you drinking?”
“Vodka and Red Bull,” she said. Some things never changed.
“You two have fun,” she said and winked at me again.
I smiled at her and Candy pulled me inside.
DJ Rush was at the tables. I hadn’t seen her since my split and wondered if I should stop by to say hello. Candy pulled me off to the side and scanned the crowd. “Upper booth VIP section, eleven o’clock,” she said into my ear. I’d already seen Christa up there. She liked to view her parties from the comfort of a private table behind a velvet rope. She thought it added to her mystique. I thought it added to her pretension, but who was I to judge?
I didn’t want Christa to see me watching her so I didn’t look again. I could feel her big laser eyes on me anyway.
“Want a soda?” Candy asked me.
“Yeah, sure,” I said and she pulled me over to the bar. I saw a hundred faces that I recognized. People smiled warmly, others came up and gave me a hug. Everyone was interested in meeting Candy, so much that I didn’t want to let her out of my sight.
“Who’s the babe?” Sara whispered into my ear without even saying hi. She smelled of one too many martinis already.
“This is Candy,” I said.
Sara kissed Candy’s offered hand and mumbled enchanté as her heavy black framed eyeglasses slid dangerously down her nose. “Great to see ya,” she said and ambled off. Everything was going well. Duck, the bartender gave us cranberry and soda on the house. I ordered a Red Bull and vodka for Mel and she wouldn’t let me pay for that either. “Mel drinks for free,” she said. “Just throw a tip into her tip jar.”
“Okay,” I said and bussed the drink back to the front of the house while Candy followed behind me. Then suddenly, there was Sam.
“Hey,” she smiled brightly.
“Hey,” I said and kept moving.
“You came,” she said as she walked beside me.
“I did,” I said and tried to smile at her. It wasn’t a real smile and I knew it, but whatever. “Nice turnout.”
Sam looked around “Yeah, we didn’t expect much since the weather’s so shit, but...,” she looked back at me. “You’re here, and that’s great.”
“This is Candy,” I said. Candy offered her hand and Sam took it. “Very pleased to meet you, Candy. I’m Sam.”
Candy nodded as she recognized the name. “Well hello, Sam,” she said. I could hear the difference in her tone. I could see the protective glint in her eye even though her smile looked sincere.
“I was just shuttling this drink to Mel,” I said and kept walking. Sam and Candy stayed where they were. When I looked back, I could see Sam telling Candy something. Then Candy leaned forward and said something back to Sam. For a moment I wondered what it could be, but then Mel snuck up beside me and bumped my shoulder. “That is one hot cookie you have there,” she said.
“I know,” I smiled.
She shook her head.”Christa is going to shit.”
I nodded. “I know, I may not be here long.”
Mel laughed. “I’ll keep your coats handy. Go have fun!”
I walked back to where Sam and Candy were standing. Sam had a nervous smile plastered on her face. I don’t know why, but a part of me felt bad for her. She was stuck with Christa now and I didn’t envy her for it. I smiled back at her and saw a flash of the old friend I once used to drink with, then it faded and was gone like a haze in the wind.
I grabbed Candy’s hand. “Let’s dance.”
We slithered through the crowd and found a spot. There was no awkward foot shuffling and hands in pockets while we waited to find our rhythm. We’d been in rhythm since the night before; adding music to the mix just made it even more fun. We both downed our sodas and got rid of our glasses so we could really let loose. After the fifth or sixth mix, I saw Christa and Sam creep onto the dance floor. Sam was pulling Christa, naturally. I didn’t pay much attention after that, but I noticed that Candy did. I was in my glory. DJ Rush was playing all the right mixes. I raised my thumb a few times to let her know. She waved right back at me.
After another long set, we both needed a breather and went and grabbed an empty table that had only one chair. Candy sat on my lap. I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her shoulders. She spun around and straddled me instead.
“Lap dance?” I wasn’t serious but Candy gave me a mischievous look. On cue, DJ Rush mixed in something slow and heavy and Candy began to gyrate her hips above me. I watched them completely mesmerized. “Wow,” I said.
Candy smiled. “You like that?”
“Oh yeah,” I said and sat back in my seat.
Candy held onto the chair back and dipped backward. Then she slid her pelvis up the length of my torso like a paintbrush. She popped her hips at the top and her skirt flicked the edge of my chin.
“Ohhh-kay,” I said. Candy flipped her hair over my face and kissed me hard and when she pulled back again, my bottom lip was between her teeth.
“Holy sweet Jesus,” I mumbled.
She gyrated her hips again under my nose and then grinded herself down into my lap. At that point, I was a goner. No semblance of cool was left. Had someone shot a photo of me in those following moments, I’m sure I would have been a drooling, open-mouthed mess. She pulled my hand and swept it up her thigh, then she grabbed the other and pulled it down her lips. She sucked my fingers and dragged them down
the front of her chest. I tried not to paw at her in the ways I wanted to, so I held on tight to the sides of my chair. Whether the song lasted seconds or an hour, I wasn’t sure, but by the end, there were more than a few familiar faces around us and all of them cheered. I regained my composure and looked around me bewildered. Candy grinned down at me and kissed me again.
“Ready to go home?” she asked through the noise.
“Uh-huh,” I mumbled.
She pulled me up and we headed for the exit.
Back in the truck, Candy leaned across the seat and held onto my thigh. Her smile told me everything. Her work was done.
“How is it you can move your hips like that?” I asked.
“Practice,” Candy said smugly.
I nodded and kept my eyes on the road.
“Wanna know how I practiced?”
“Yes please.”
“I could make up something dirty or I could tell you the truth... which one would you prefer?”
I glanced over at her. “Can I have both?”
“Let’s see... I placed a picture I had of you in front of me and laid down on my stomach with my knees spread. And then I put my pillow or one of my special friends between my legs and pretended I was riding you... night after night after night.”
I swallowed hard. “And the other story?”
Candy looked at me and smiled.
“There is no other story, is there?” I asked.
“No baby, that’s it,” she said softly.
I looked back to the road and sighed happily.
“I wanted everyone in there to know that you’re mine now. Especially the witch that was throwing eye daggers at us all night. I guess I’m going to have to find a new hairdresser.”
“Only if you want to keep your hair,” I laughed.
“What were you thinking? Was she that good in bed? Wait, don’t answer that!” she said quickly and slapped her hand over my mouth.
“Nowhere near as good as you,” I mumbled through her fingers.
“Good answer,” she said and released her hand.
I looked over at her. “No one is as good as you.”
