Even though Christine swore it wasn't so, Jodi sometimes believed that Christine was relieved when she left for work. Neither had been sleeping well at night. Jodi just couldn't bring herself to use the spare bedroom and every little noise Christine made during the night had her running for the hospital suitcase and car.
The one thing they both did together every evening without fail was to walk, and walk, and walk some more. The doctor had said it might get junior moving and besides, it would be good for Christine as well, so Jodi took it to heart. Now on a routine, they walked a minimum of a mile daily, exhaustion being Christine’s only excuse. They could have walked from New York to California with all the walking they did, and still no baby. Finally the doctor decreed if junior had not made an appearance by Wednesday, two days from now, he would induce labor. Hooray! There was finally a light at the end of the tunnel.
Satisfied she had a few days of grace, Jodi threw herself into work, knowing Christine was taken care of at home. She worked as many hours as possible, so she could take some time off when junior made his, or her, appearance. Between the long working hours and not getting any sleep at night since Christine was too miserable to sleep, Jodi was exhausted. She found herself nodding off while on hold on the phone and during long, boring meetings with her staff. Vowing to slow down, Jodi just kept adding more and more to her plate, making some excuse every time. There were just too many things to prepare for; the lifelong dream of having the child she had always hoped for and finally a national account that would give her the chance to showcase her talents on a huge scale. Jodi knew she was burning the candle at both ends, but she did not know how to do it any other way.
Waking up extra early the next morning, Jodi rolled over and checked on Christine. Actually, Jodi had not gone back to sleep since the last back cramp episode of two hours ago. Christine’s cramping had grown to astronomical proportions in the past few days; just another of the natural miracles of childbirth as explained by the doctor. Unfortunately, Christine could roll over and go back to sleep once Jodi had rubbed her back and relaxed the muscles, while Jodi stayed wide awake. Glancing for the tenth time at the clock, she finally decided to get up and get a jump on the paperwork that had been accumulating. Having her secretary, Trisha, baby-sit Christine during the day had been a godsend, but the paperwork left behind was threatening to drown Jodi.
She was able to make a good dent in the paperwork and after a few hours she slipped into the bathroom to get cleaned up for work. She had a meeting today with one of the decision makers at the first hotel. Samples had been chosen, color schemes had been created, and now all that remained was for the manager to sign off on the order. The appointment was set for ten o’clock and then Jodi was free for the next few days. There was no way to move this appointment; it had been on the schedule for over two months as they had thought the baby would be here over five days ago. Too much of their future depended on this contract for Jodi to leave it to anyone else.
Making one final check in the mirror, Jodi looked over at Christine as she tossed fitfully in bed. After she kissed her goodbye, Jodi verified that Trisha was already in the living room waiting on her instructions for the day. Jodi reminded her, as she did every day, of the list of contact phone numbers by the kitchen phone, let her know that coffee was made, and juice was in the refrigerator for Christine. Climbing into Christine’s SUV, Jodi pulled out of the driveway and started toward her appointment. It’s time to get a replacement SUV for either me or Christine, Jodi thought. They had been using Christine’s SUV ever since Jodi’s had been wrecked, not seeing any reason to have hers replaced since they were together all the time. Maybe I should surprise her with a new car after the baby is born. I’ll pick up some brochures on the way home and we can look at them this evening.
Stuck in traffic, Jodi kept glancing back and forth at her watch. She had left in plenty of time, but if this traffic did not loosen up, she was going to be late. As she frantically looked around for a way to get out of the traffic jam, she finally saw an opening. Jodi eased onto a side street, running between the buildings. Flooring the SUV, Jodi flew down the alley, twisting and turning, trying to make up for lost time. Finally, free of the alley and clear of traffic, Jodi accelerated across the street, never seeing the 18-wheeler she cut in front of.
Chapter 12
Jodi opened her eyes and looked around. Oh, God, not again, she thought as she recognized the hospital room. Christine is going to kill me if I screwed up her car, too. Trying to see the clock, Jodi wondered how long she had been here and what time it was. Taking inventory of her body, the best she could figure was a broken leg and arm and some kind of concussion based on the bandages on her head. Every single muscle in her body was sore, and there were bruises on her chest and ribs.
Jodi was still doing a body check when the door flew open and Ralph walked in screaming. “I can’t believe you wrecked the car. What kind of stupid woman driver are you?”
Jodi went into shock. Ralph? What the hell was Ralph doing here? Where was Christine? What about the baby, the company, everything? Had it all been a dream?
Holding her head up under his glare, she was relieved when the door opened. Christine! Then, her gaze wandered from her lover’s face down to a flat stomach.
No!
She tried to get up out of bed and moaned in pain. Tears that she tried to hold back came out in snuffling sobs.
“Nurse!” Christine called.
Jodi wanted to shriek, cry, rail against the unfairness of it all. Her life with Christine had been perfect, everything had been wonderful. She could hear a voice wailing and with a start, realized it was her own.
A needle slid into her vein and the room began to spin. She grabbed hold of Christine’s hand and held on as if it were a lifeline. If she lost Christine, her heart would surely break.
Chapter 13
Christine sat in the chair at Jodi’s bedside, gently stroking her hair. What in the world could have made Jodi react like that? The doctors said there might be some minor challenges due to the concussion, but she wasn’t expecting anything like this.
Eventually, Jodi opened her eyes and looked at Christine, horrible pain etched on her face. “It’s all been a dream hasn’t it?” Jodi sobbed. “My life is back to where it was seven months ago.”
Not really listening, Christine only hoped to calm Jodi. She didn’t want a repeat of the earlier hysterics. Even drugged, Jodi had continued to cry for over an hour. “Yes honey, it’s all been a bad dream. Everything is going to be okay. You just need to relax. What has gotten you so upset? Why are you crying?”
“It’s gone, it’s all gone.”
Shit, Jodi’s sobbing grew to almost hysteric proportions again. Christine reached for the call button.
“Nothing’s gone. You need to calm down.”
Jodi stared at her as if she were the one having hysterics. “You, the baby, everything I love. It’s all gone.”
Surely Jodi wouldn’t think she was going to punish her for wrecking the car. “Sweetheart, nothing is gone. Well, nothing except the SUV, but that was an accident.”
“SUV? You mean my car. Ralph was here screaming about the car...”
“Ralph? Oh, you must mean the new insurance rep. Well, don’t worry about that asshole. He started in on me in the waiting room. When the nurse came to tell me you were awake, he bolted in here before we could stop him. After he upset you, I had security remove him and then called the company. He won’t be bothering either of us again.”
“Wait a minute. Ralph is an insurance agent? Are you sure?”
“Ralph.” The name finally sank in. “Oh my god, you thought he was your husband? Oh baby, no wonder you were so upset.”
“But, you...your stomach? When I saw you last, you were pregnant. We were pregnant. Was that all just a dream too?”
“No, more like a nightmare; and you’re right, I was huge. But you have your days mixed up. You’ve been in and out of consciousness for over a week. S
ince then, I have had your son and daughter, with no help from you if I may say so myself.”
“Son and daughter? We had twins?”
“Yeah, just one of the doctor’s little surprises for us.” Christine pulled a face. “It wasn’t until I started having contractions and Trisha brought me here that they realized we were having twins. You weren’t any help for the birth, but I need you up and out of here. We have lots of shopping to do.”
*
Christine continued to talk until Jodi fell asleep. The shock and the pain had been almost too much for her to bear. When she awoke, the sun was setting and she was alone.
The nurse breezed in with a smile. “Time for your medications, Miss Russell. The doctor says that in a day or two you’ll be able to go home.”
“Home?” Jodi shivered. She swallowed the pills the nurse handed her, unable to shake the fear that she would be heading back to that dreary little house. “Could I have my purse?”
“Sure.” The nurse opened a closet and pulled out a purse. The leather was ripped and one of the straps was unraveled.
Blinking back tears, Jodi unfastened the clasp. Her hands shook as she took out the wallet and opened it.
The face that stared back at her from the driver’s license was familiar as was the address.
With a sigh of relief that rattled the windows, Jodi realized it had all been a nightmare, but the nightmare was the life before Christine and the twins. She did need to get well and out of here.
She had a life to live; the nightmare was now over.
DEEP BREATHING
Chapter 1
She stood on the rock, water dripping off her long blond hair, her tanned skin glowing in the sun. Turning with a smile, she slowly slid the first strap of her swimsuit off her shoulder. The more I watched her graceful, teasing movements, the more my desire grew, my nipples hardened, and moisture formed between my legs. She beckoned me to her, and I slowly shifted closer, our bodies moving in concert with each other. As we drew close enough to embrace …
My eyes flew open, and I bolted upright in bed. “Damn, damn, damn. The dream always ends right at this point.”
Hugging my pillow as I lay back down, I realized that while it may have been a dream, my arousal was very, very real. This woman, who had no face, no persona, did have the ability to get me all hot and bothered. I closed my eyes, trying to reconnect with the dream to no avail. Perhaps my inability to return to sleep was not the fault of the sand man, but of the snoring coming from the other bed in the room.
This was not at all the vacation I had originally planned. Six months ago when the tickets were bought and the arrangements made, it was going to be a surprise second honeymoon for Diane and me. We both had been working too hard and were spending less and less time together. I bought the tickets, made arrangements for my daughter, Karen, to stay with my parents, and surprised Diane at dinner one night with my plans. The surprise was on me, however. It seemed that she was not working all those hours I thought she was, but rather reconnecting with an old girlfriend from years before. In fact, they had reconnected so well that Diane was moving in with Christine that very weekend. No amount of begging or pleading on my part was going to change her mind.
The tickets went into a desk drawer, reminding me constantly of my poor choices when it came to girlfriends. Even though the tickets were nonrefundable, I didn't intend to ever take advantage of them. What good is a vacation when you’re by yourself?
One evening in a weak, pity party mood, the tickets came up in a discussion with my best friend, Jim, and I confessed that I would not be using them. After several drinks and Jim’s relentless arguing, I finally agreed to take the trip. He arranged to switch over the other ticket into his name. So here we were, sharing a suite in one of the most romantic spots in the world; a gay man and a lesbian woman. Not exactly what you would call optimum arrangements.
Our first night at the resort, Jim and I were drowning our sorrows at the bar when I saw her standing with a group of people. The tanned, blond haired goddess was leaning against the bar, laughing at someone’s joke, and all I wanted to do was grab her, throw her on the bar, and sink my face and tongue between her legs. Just the thought of her spread eagle on the polished wood surface started my juices flowing and I realized how long it had been since I had even been interested in sex. Long before Diane left, things had cooled down in the bedroom. She claimed it was the long hours we both worked, but now I knew she was getting it somewhere else. All I knew was that somehow, some way, I was going to meet this divine being. She looked so familiar, but try as I might, I couldn’t remember where I had seen her before.
As I jumped down off the bar stool, my knees collapsed, and if Jim had not caught me I would have ended up on the floor. Yeah, great first impression. Jim finally convinced me that perhaps it would be better to wait for the first encounter with my goddess until I was a little more sober. After all, things might look different in the morning. I agreed to wait, not because I thought my feelings for her would change, but I did have to agree with Jim; I was totally bombed. There should be a law against two heartbroken individuals travelling together. We drank our limit on the plane over, drank at the airport while waiting for luggage, and cleaned out the mini bar in our room within the first hour after arriving at the resort. Hence our presence in the bar; we were out of booze.
I woke up the next morning in my own bed with the world’s absolute worst hangover. My mouth and tongue tasted as if I had licked an ashtray, and I could have sworn there was a mule kicking the front of my head. I staggered to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and dug around in my luggage for aspirin. After taking a quick shower, I went in search of coffee and something to put in my stomach, anything to absorb the alcohol from last night. It was while I was on my third cup of coffee and a bagel when I saw her again, this time walking with a very nice looking young man. They came into the café, sat down, and ordered breakfast. From my table, I had a perfect view of her. I was able to watch them the entire meal, focusing on how she took a little bite and chewed it thoroughly before taking another.
My entire focus was on her. I had never seen anyone quite like her before. Not only was her physical presence a sight to behold, but her enjoyment of life had me mesmerized. It was her laugh that had me in awe. As she responded to something her breakfast mate said, she threw her head back, shook that gorgeous hair and roared—not one of those simpering, cutesy giggles, but a deep, lung-filled, joyous, it's great to be alive laugh. How I wanted to be the one sitting at the table beside her.
“Can I get you some more coffee?” my waitress asked. I was brought back to reality by her intrusion into my daydream.
“Yes, please. Mine seems to have gotten cold,” I replied, trying my best to refocus on the world around me. “I don’t suppose you know the two people at the table over there; they both are wearing the same shirts I’ve noticed on other staff here.”
“Oh yeah, they’re the scuba instructors. That’s Abbie and Ken. Want me to introduce you?”
“No, no thanks. I was just wondering. I’ve seen them around and they both seem nice. Thanks for the names.”
As hard as it was to pass up the perfect opportunity to meet her, there was no way I was going to be introduced while I was still nursing a hangover and looked like something the dog brought in. At least now I knew who she was and where I could find her again.
Chapter 2
After about ten cups of coffee, two bagels and a Bloody Mary, I was finally ready to face the world again. Grabbing my sunglasses, magazine and catch-all bag, I wandered down to the pool where they were holding the scuba lessons. It had taken a while on the phone with the resort’s concierge before I discovered just where and when Abbie would be teaching. After all, it had to look like a totally innocent, chance meeting.
When I arrived at poolside, the lesson was well underway with about eight students practicing in the shallow end of the pool. Abbie was standing on the diving board, shouting instructions to t
hem at the same time as keeping a careful watch on her newest charges. She looked so hot in her skintight diving vest with the whistle dangling from around her neck. I closed my eyes and imagined slowly unzipping the vest, inch-by-inch, savoring each and every moment. The lower the zipper went, the more my passion grew until, unable to restrain myself, I grabbed Abbie, forced my lips upon hers and...
“What the hell? Is it raining?” I cried, jumping up from the chaise lounge. I had been so focused on my daydream that I totally missed the end of the scuba lesson and now all the students were drying off around me. Frantically looking around, I finally located Abbie standing with a group of her male students, laughing and talking. Who wouldn’t want to be around her? So much for the subtle approach, I was going to have to take more direct measures if I wanted to meet this vision of loveliness.
Disheartened and dejected, I returned to the suite, only to find a scarf on the doorknob. The first night at the resort, Jim and I worked out an arrangement. If we wanted to entertain privately in the suite, simply put a scarf on the door and the other one would stay away. The agreement was only for a few hours, but I still had to find somewhere to hole up for awhile. My options were somewhat limited since I only had on my bathing suit and a small cover-up and carried only my room key. Returning to the same chaise lounge I had just vacated, I readjusted my towel, lay back down with my book, and looked around for the all important cabana boy to take my drink order.
Twisted Reality and Deep Breathing Page 7
