by Angela Peach
“Great. And thank you.”
I watched her walk all the way back across to her car before I remembered mom, and as I shut the door, she was just about ready to burst.
“Nikki, what did I tell you about staying clear of them?”
“Mom, come on. They're actually really nice. Anyway, I thought you'd be happy having someone on the inside?” I said, rushing to find my keys and shades.
“It's making sure you get back out safe that's worrying me.”
“I'll be fine! They're just normal people,” I insisted, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. “There's a grilled cheese sandwich in the kitchen you can have for your lunch, and I'll get some shopping later, okay? Bye.”
I ran out of the door and practically skipped to Amanda's car, unable to stop from grinning stupidly at her as I got in.
“Hope you don't mind Mika?” She said with a sheepish smile.
“What?” I looked into the back, wondering if she had a pet I didn't know about.
“Mika the singer? Kev put one of his cd's in the cd player a couple of months ago and then the whole machine kinda frazzled. None of the buttons work anymore so it plays on constant repeat at the same volume.” She turned to me and shook her head gently. “No-one’s forgiven him for it yet I don't think.”
“Well, I've never heard of Mika, so I should be okay for a few rounds either way.” I would have listened to anything on repeat if it meant sitting next to this beautiful woman. Today she was wearing lemon shorts and a white vest that showed off the muscles in her arms and I had to look away before I leaned forward and licked them or something stupid.
“So, which way to the rink?”
I gave her a few brief directions, smiling as we pulled away and an enthusiastic voice from the stereo encouraged that 'Everybody's gotta love today, love today, love today, any way you want to, any way you got to, love love me.'
It was only a fifteen minute drive and she seemed surprised when we pulled into the almost empty car park so soon. As Ness wasn't due to finish for another forty-five minutes she offered to buy me lunch while we waited, and after ordering a couple of burgers, we took seats near the rink.
“I didn't know it was open this early,” I admitted, before sinking my teeth into the greasy mess that barely passed as edible.
“It's not open to the public, no. But Ness is a figure skater, so most rinks make certain exceptions for things like that, especially if it can bring publicity their way.”
I raised my eyebrows. She’d introduced me to Ness when I’d gone round the other day and she’d come across as extremely shy and geeky. I’d have put her down as a science enthusiast rather than a figure skater? It was something I had trouble picturing, until Amanda turned her head and pointed, talking politely through a mouthful of burger.
“There she is, in the green dress.”
I stared confused at the sexy, confident woman currently breezing around the ice like she owned it, then stopped chewing altogether when she did a few leaps and spins (which I couldn't remember the technical terms for.) As she moved with the music that I was only just now hearing, i realised it was one of my favourites – Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Already a haunting tune, she captured the essence of it in every way, from the soulful way she was gliding to the mournful expressions on her face. My body erupted in goosebumps as I swallowed a lump of barely masticated food.
“She's very good,” I murmured, not taking my eyes off her for a second. Amanda laughed.
“You could say that. She's also very pissed with me. A couple of months ago a scout saw her winning a local competition and asked her to come and try out for Nationals, but she didn't want to. I told him to send the forms anyway and when the application arrived I kinda intercepted it and filled it in for her. They're sending another scout down to watch her pretty soon, so she's nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs under all the pressure.”
She certainly didn't look nervous. She just looked ethereal, sublime, beautiful. She fed my eyes and my soul with her expression of the music and...
“Hello? Nikki?”
I turned my head, unaware Amanda had been talking to me. She was looking at me curiously, almost amused, as if fully aware of my train of thought. Blushing, I gave her a questioning look, hoping she'd repeat the question.
“I asked you what sort of paintings you create.”
“Oh. Yes.” I knew that wasn't an answer, but for the life of me I couldn't think! Every fibre in my being was trying to turn my attention back to the ice, like a pair of invisible giant hands, but I needed to act cool so I frowned in an effort to concentrate, and stared up at the ceiling instead. “All sorts really, but mostly abstract. I like deep, dark colours.” There! Cool on every level.
“Would I be able to come and see some of your work?”
“Sure. I've only got a few pieces in my studio, but they're personal and not for sale. Everything else goes to galleries, or is commissioned.”
“And how much do you charge for a commission?”
“I guess it depends on how much work is involved, whether it's something I'll enjoy or find tedious, but mainly how much they can afford to pay.”
“You'd charge less for someone who couldn't afford you and give them the same quality as someone who said money was no limit?” Amanda asked, looking surprised.
“Sure. I'm not so egotistical that I think only the rich should be able to have one of my pieces. I paint because I enjoy it, and I want other people to enjoy what I do as well. I don't need the money.” I don't know why I felt the urge to justify myself to her, but it was an argument I'd had so many times with mom that the words fell easily out of my mouth.
“Hey, I wasn't knocking you. I was just thinking it's a shame there aren't more like you in the world. You're right, art should be enjoyed by everyone.”
Amanda shifted her attention to Ness so I took the opportunity to copy suit as we concentrated on her and our food for a while.
“So, are you dating anyone at the moment, Nikki?”
“What? Uh, no.” Her sudden question made me feel uneasy and I put the remnants of the greasy burger on the table in front of me. Evidently being head of a house of mixed ages meant you gained a skill of super-perceptibility because I felt her watching me carefully.
“Just break up with someone?” she asked gently. I knew if I told her I didn't want to talk about it, she'd respect my wishes. But I did want to talk about it.
“It's kinda complicated. And a little depressing. You probably don't want me to bore you with it,” I muttered. She put her hand on my arm.
“Try me.”
I sighed, trying to put into words what had been eating me up for the last fortnight.
“Well, I guess it all started four weeks ago. I was out in the fields watching the clouds, y'know, for inspiration? It helps clear my mind sometimes. So anyway, I was feeling all relaxed and I heard a horse coming.”
I smiled softly, remembering.
*** *** ***
It wasn't just a horse approaching. It was a horse with a beautiful vision riding it, long, dark, wild hair fanning behind her as she leaned forward. Her face was flushed and excited, as if she'd done something mischievous and was making a quick getaway. She caught sight of me and made a detour my way. I mentally prepared myself to act cool, but I had a huge thing for cowgirls. Huge.
She jumped off when she reached me.
“Hey! Wow, it feels good to be riding today,” she enthused, taking a canteen of water and swigging from it before offering it to me.
“I guess. I haven't ridden in years. I got a motorcycle and it kinda took over my life,” I admitted, trying not to stare at her eyes. Up close, she resembled an old style gypsy, the kind that read your fortunes over a crystal ball.
“Are you kidding? Well, in that case, hop on up. I'll take you for a quick ride and you tell me if you don't wanna get back in the saddle.”
“Now?”
“Why not? You don't look like you were g
oing anywhere fast soon.”
“But...I don't even know your name.”
“Poppy. Yours?”
“Nikki.”
“Great! Now we're all introduced, get on and hold tight.”
Poppy lifted herself easily up into the saddle and looked expectantly down at me. I took a moment to drink in the sight of this stunning woman smiling down at me, the light blue sky behind her making her seem darker. Then, with a slight struggle, (where I definitely did not look cool) and lots of help from Poppy, I made it up and wrapped my arms around her waist. She smelled of fresh sweat and I caught the scent of citrus shampoo in her hair. It was something I thought I could get very used to.
*** *** ***
“Ooh, was it love at first sight?” Amanda interrupted, leaning forward and resting her chin on the palm of her hand. I hesitated for a moment.
“Honestly? I think it was the closest I've ever gotten to love at first sight. She made my stomach spin, but in a totally good way, y'know?”
“Mm, yes I do. So what happened? Did you ask her out?”
“No. I was actually too nervous to say very much to her. I mean, when we were riding, we couldn't really talk at all. But when we stopped and I got off...”
*** *** ***
“So, Nikki, if you're not doing anything tomorrow, would you like to come out for dinner?” Poppy hesitated before adding, “Y'know, as in on a date. With me.”
Her horse, Thunder as she called him, shuffled his hooves nervously, as if in extension of her own nerves. I didn't answer immediately, unable to believe she'd actually asked me when I'd spent almost the whole ride trying to work out a way to invite her out as casually as possible.
“Maybe I got it wrong, but it's okay if you don't want to, I just...”
“No! I mean yes! Of course I want to. I'd love to!”
“You would?” She looked uncertain for a second, as if she'd been expecting me to say no and that I was just kidding around by saying yes.
“Definitely.”
“Oh. Wow.” She laughed, looking amused. “I've never asked a complete stranger out on a date before. It went a lot easier than I thought it would.”
“I've never been invited out to dinner by a complete stranger either. It felt good.”
There was a meeting of our eyes, and our smiles faltered a little as we drained the surrounding area of electricity to scorch back and forth between us. It was intense.
*** *** ***
“Sounds like love at first sight to me,” Amanda chirped knowingly.
“I swear, I actually felt every single hair on my body stand on end. And I could tell she was feeling it too,” I said, rubbing my arms as the same sensation swept over me at the memory.
“I'm just dying to know what happened!”
*** *** ***
After we'd swapped numbers and arranged for her to pick me up from home the next evening, Poppy had galloped off into the sunset. I then spent the next twenty-four hours in a state of constant agitation, thinking about her and picturing how our night would go. I spent a lot of time wondering if we were going to end up sleeping together on our first date, but also where we could go for our second, third and fourth dates. For the seven hours leading up to her picking me up, I started working on a new piece which, surprise, bore more than a canny semblance to her.
She turned up on time in a big, rusty old truck and I noticed her pleased appraisal of my choice of clothing, which was one hundred percent reciprocated. She was wearing cowgirl boots, a denim mini skirt and white vest with a cowgirl hat. It was like watching my dream fantasy come to life before my very eyes.
We made polite conversation as she drove us into town, both of us clearly feeling nervous but relaxing slowly and easily in each other's company. By the time she parked up, we were laughing at some silly thing she'd said and I got out of her truck with a smile on my face.
Looking over at Poppy as she shut her door, she smiled back at me. It was the kind of smile that was open and warm and held a lot of promise, the kind I could happily fall in love with, and I held her eye contact, enjoying her attention on me. I was really looking forward to getting to know her.
That was my last thought before, out of nowhere, a car slammed into Poppy and she flew through the air, landing on the tarmac in a horrific tangled mess.
*** *** ***
I put my head in my hands to hide the tears. This was the first time I'd relived the accident in full since it had happened, always managing to divert my thoughts before getting to the point of impact. I heard Amanda get up and the next minute her arms were around me and I buried my head in her chest. It wasn't quite the way I had planned to get my head in her chest, but I felt only comfort from it now.
“It was the...the...oh fuck. The sound she made...and the blood on her...” I sobbed, knowing I'd never tell this story again, and needing to get it out.
“Oh, you poor thing. Was it instant?” Amanda soothed, stroking my hair.
“Yeah, I think so. That's wh...what the d...doctors said.”
“Then she died happy, and there's no better way to die than that, honey.”
“Mom? What's going on?”
We both pulled apart, surprised to find Ness stood watching us with a frown. I quickly tried to hide my face and wipe away the tears that were still flowing from my eyes, feeling embarrassed at being caught in such an intimate situation.
“Oh, hey sweetie. Nothing, we were just chatting about something that happened to Nikki, that's all. Good session?”
“Yeah. Do you want me to go...?”
“No, I'm good.” I said, forcing a smile. Ness looked so awkward it fuelled my embarrassment further and I wondered if I'd ever be able to face her again.
The journey home in the car was filled with Amanda talking happily about nonsense, and I could tell she was just trying to lighten the mood. However, Ness couldn't get out of the car fast enough when we'd parked and I deliberately took my time unbuckling.
“Hey, Nikki? Don't mind Ness. I'm sorry she interrupted us.”
“No, it's fine.”
There was a pause.
“Could I come over later and look at some of your work?”
I looked at her, thinking. I usually didn't like people coming into my studio, home to lots of unfinished pieces, disastrous abandoned pieces I couldn't bring myself to dump, pieces I wasn't quite sure about.
“Sure. Just come straight round the back and knock. I'll be in there all day.”
“Great. I'll see you later.”
She leaned over and gave me a long warm hug. It felt nice. Really nice.
She didn't come over until early evening, and even though I'd been expecting her to knock, I still jumped when it came. I opened the door, trying to steady my shaking hands.
“Hey. Come on in.”
“Sorry I'm a bit late. Got caught up with house rearrangements,” she said apologetically as she came in, passing me a pack of beers. “Hope you like beer?”
“Who doesn't? Thanks!”
We opened two and took long appreciative swigs, then I gave her a brief tour of my studio and some of the better ones I was working on. She showed genuine interest which made me feel warm inside.
“Would you do me a commission piece?” She asked, her eyes scoping over the paintings I'd deemed good enough to hang on the wall, my personal favourites.
“Of course. What would you like?”
A smile played at the corner of her mouth as she leaned forward to study some small detail on one.
“I'd like you to paint me. Naked.”
I swallowed, hoping she wasn't joking but sure she must be.
“I normally wear clothes when I paint, but I reckon I could make an exception for you.”
She laughed and turned to face me.
“I obviously meant myself. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do but wanted to find the right artist and I think you have a remarkable eye for the intimate detail. Have you ever painted anyone nude before?”
“Would you like to?”
I nodded, not wanting to betray myself by opening my mouth and shouting “Hell, yes!” Amanda leaned back against my work bench and drank some beer, holding eye contact. What was happening here? Was she flirting with me?
“Nikki? The answer's yes.”
“Huh?”
“If you're thinking about kissing me.”
Okay, I wasn't about to let that invitation slip by. I forced my legs to take shaky steps toward her, feeling her eyes bore seductively into me. I wasn't sure when this sudden change had happened and how had I missed it, but the intensity of what was passing between us was incredibly arousing. I put my beer on the table behind her and she followed suit with her own. Then I placed my hands lightly on her hips and pulled us together, relishing every moment of it and storing it to memory for replay later.
She was still smiling at me, amused by my nervousness it seemed, so I raised an eyebrow before changing tactic. I brought up my right hand and grabbed a handful of her hair before kissing her as passionately and seductively as I could. She responded, pushing her tongue into my mouth and pulling my body tight against her own, a winning combination that made me instantly wet and throbbing. I snuck my knee between hers and wiggled it slightly to open them up, a technique that ensured we could grind ourselves on each other's thighs. Her hand dropped to my ass and she squeezed as she pulled my lower half into her, biting my lip gently as she did. We kissed and ground away on each other for a while, teasing and enjoying each other until, caught up in the spontaneity of the situation, I hoisted her up to sit on my workbench, unsure what she was sitting on and totally not caring. She wrapped her legs around me, and the kissing resumed, hot and lustful and deep. My hand found her left breast and I gave it a firm squeeze, pinching the nipple testily. She gasped, then groaned which told me she liked it hard and passionate, and another wave of wetness flooded round my swollen clit at this thought. But then she suddenly pulled her mouth away from mine, breathing heavily as she watched me.
