by Beth Moore
“Look at all this food!” Marie exclaimed.
“Dig in, everybody,” Charles said, handing plates to Lynn, Chris, and Matt. The group went down the buffet table, each filling their plate with its offerings. Just as they were nearing the end, Matt’s buddy Jeff approached. Knowing that Jeff had a big mouth, Lynn thought the charade was over. She immediately went to Matt’s side for damage control.
Matt, seeing the panic in her eyes, whispered, “It’s okay, Lynn, I filled Jeff in since I knew that he would be here.” Then, seeing his father approaching, Matt pulled Chris to his side. “Jeff, you remember Chris, don’t you?”
Jeff played along. “Of course. I was watching you guys in some of the events here today, too bad about the volleyball loss.”
“Yeah, well, we were just about to sit down, would you like to join us?” Chris asked politely.
“No thank you. I’ve had enough food today to last me the rest of the summer!” Jeff laughed. “Maybe I’ll catch up to you later.” He turned and left them to their meal.
“Ohhh, I believe that I’ve overeaten again!” Charles exclaimed as his stood rubbing his stomach. “Why do you let me do that, Marie?”
Marie looked at the other three and said sarcastically, “Like I have anything to say about it! Chris, I hope Matt listens to you more than his father listens to me!”
Chris smiled. “He doesn’t listen to a word I say.” Turning, she smiled at Matt. “Like father, like son, huh?”
“Well, I’m going to go for a litde stroll, try to settle my stomach a little bit. How about it, Marie?” Charles asked his wife as he slid her chair out for her. They joined hands and strolled away.
“Excuse me, I think I’ll go to the little boys’ room.” Matt stood and went off to locate the restroom.
Chris and Lynn were left: alone at the table, both still nibbling at their desserts.
“Umm… you have got to try this!” Chris said to Lynn, offering her a forkful of lemon-filled cake.
“I don’t think so, it looks too rich for me,” Lynn answered.
“Oh, come on, it’s so moist and creamy…” Chris teased, circling her fork toward Lynn’s mouth. Lynn blushed, she couldn’t refuse such a description, and put her mouth over the fork. Chris, caught up in the sexual overtones, withdrew the fork and slowly licked the remains off of the utensil.
Lynn, surprised at the action but refusing to back down, took a bit of the key lime pie from her plate and offered it to Chris saying, “Then you must try a bite of this, it’s so smooth and tangy…”
Chris took the fork with her hand and put the dessert in her mouth, slowly bringing the fork out and chewing slowly while letting out a deep moan.
“God, you’re good at that, too!” Lynn was breathless with excitement.
Chris smiled, glad to have succeeded in yet another competition.
Charles and Marie resurfaced with Matt, who was carrying drinks from the bar. Lynn looked at her watch. She really needed to go home and shower before she played tonight.
“I’m sorry, it’s been fun, but I’d better get going. If I go to the bar like this, I’d be laughed off the stage!”
“Oh, but you’ll miss the awards ceremony, and we actually won one this year!” Marie said with disappointment in her voice.
“I know, but the other half of the winning team will be here to accept the award.” She motioned to Chris, refusing to look directly in Chris’s eyes. She was afraid that the heat would rise in her face again.
They said their good-byes and Lynn went on her way, disappointed for having to leave Chris but glad to be going home to yet another cold shower.
It was after midnight when Matt steered the El Camino onto the freeway. “God! I am so glad that you won an event. My dad has been wanting to win something for so long.”
Chris blushed. “Well, I didn’t do it alone, you know. I couldn’t have done it without Lynn. She’s in great shape!”
“Yeah. She keeps in shape for the ladies.”
Chris turned in her seat in exasperation. “You know, you make it sound like all Lynn cares about in life is sex! She doesn’t seem like that to me. She’s been really nice this week, helping you out with your little charade, being there when I got sick, giving me her bed.”
Matt ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry, you’re right. I’ve been giving you the wrong picture of Lynn. She really is a great person and a great friend. She’d give you the shirt off her back if you needed it.” Matt laughed. “Especially since you’re a woman!”
Chris slapped Mart’s arm. “You’re incorrigible!”
“I’m pooped, it’s straight to bed for me,” Matt said. “Yeah, me too,” she agreed as she headed for the bedroom. Showering, Chris changed into her bed clothes and stretched out on the bed. She lay there on her back, in the dark, for what seemed like hours, her mind reviewing the last few days. She rolled over onto her stomach, trying to get comfortable, trying to feel comfortable with her surroundings and with herself. Frustrated, she switched on the light. Maybe if she had something to read. She hadn’t brought any novels with her, because she hadn’t thought that she would have the time. She pulled out Lynn’s bedside drawer, looking for a book or a magazine. She analyzed its contents: an address book, an empty notebook, investment magazines (this puzzled her), and a romance novel. Pulling the novel from the drawer, she flipped it over to read the back cover: Michelle pulled away her blouse to reveal her bare breasts. Trina brushed her hand against Michelle’s hardened nipple and. their lips met hungrily‘, their desire for each other… Chris dropped the book. The book was describing two women! She never knew books like this existed. Actually, she had never thought about it. Nevertheless, Chris, feeling like she had uncovered a secret, picked up the book and guiltily stuffed it back into the drawer. Maybe there was something on television.
Lynn sat on the edge of the stage watching people file out the door, some coupling up, some leaving alone. She always got melancholy this time of the night, realizing that she would be leaving alone. There were those few occasions where she had hooked up with someone during the night, and then, she knew there would be a few hours of pleasure, just to end being alone again. Tonight she felt even more alone than usual.
“Hey, you all packed up? If you haven’t noticed, the bar is closed,” Sam called from the seating area as she helped wipe off the remaining dirty tables. Noticing that Lynn wasn’t budging, Sam dropped her cloth on a table, sauntered up to the stage, and sat beside her.
“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you going home?” Sam asked softly, peeking around Lynn’s face, which was tilted down.
“Chris is there,” Lynn replied, not lilting her eyes.
“Yeah, so Chris is there. She seems like a really nice person. Cute, funny So what’s the problem?” Sam asked as she put her arm around Lynn’s shoulder.
“That’s the problem. That’s exactly the problem,” Lynn answered as she finally raised her eyes to Sam’s.
Sam looked into Lynn’s eyes and understood. “Oh Lynn, all the women that you’ve been with, and you fall for a straight woman?” Shaking her head, Sam squeezed Lynn’s shoulder. “Honey, I feel for you, I really do, but you know the odds.”
“Yeah, life’s a bitch, isn’t it?” Lynn smiled halfheartedly.
Sam hugged her. “I would say that you could come home with me, but…”
Lynn released Sam from the hug. “That’s okay, I need to go home and face my demons.” With that, she slid down off the edge, her feet landing on the floor, and walked arm in arm with Sam right beside her, to the door. The two embraced again. “I’d say, find some one-night stand to go home with, but as you can see, everyone’s gone.” She smiled softly and grabbed Lynn’s chin with her fingers. “Plus you know how I feel about meaningless sex.”
Lynn nodded. Her friend did not believe in one-night stands. She was a one-woman lady, and that one woman was Beth, and had been for years. As Lynn climbed in her truck she thought about what Sam was going hom
e to. Sam had beaten the odds in more ways than one. She was going home to someone who loved her and was faithful to her, unlike Susan. She needed to think about something else, so she reached for the radio dial. Flipping it on, she heard, “Why don’t you play another somebody done somebody wrong song…” Great, she thought to herself. Flipping off the noise, she began wiping away the tears that were rolling down her face.
Lynn unlocked the door to the house. The room was dark, except for the light of the television. As she adjusted her eyes to the dimness, she saw eyes peek over the edge of the couch.
“Hey,” whispered Chris, who was stretched out comfortably on the cushions.
“Hey,” Lynn answered. “You know that you’re supposed to sleep in my room, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I just couldn’t sleep. Then I got hooked on this movie. Ever seen it before?”
“What is it?” Lynn strained to see the picture before her, thankful that Chris couldn’t see her puffy, red eyes.
“Some Kind of Wonderful” Chris replied.
“The story of a guy who didn’t know what he really wanted until the girl showed how much she cared for him,” Lynn remembered.
“Yeah, I guess I never thought of it that way,” Chris replied. “Are you sleepy? Do you need to go to bed?”
“No,” Lynn answered. “I need to wind down a little. Want some popcorn?”
“That sounds good.” Chris followed Lynn into the kitchen.
Lynn flipped on the light, grabbed the popcorn, and threw it in the microwave. Turning to Chris, she asked, “And to drink, madam?”
Chris looked at Lynn. Reaching out, she touched Lynn’s face. “God, your eyes are so red! Don’t they hurt?”
Lynn turned away. “No. Must have been the smoke in the bar. Urn, I’m going to grab a quick shower. Watch the popcorn, okay?”
“Yeah, sure,” Chris mumbled as Lynn left the room. Chris was confused. The Rainbow Room was a nonsmoking bar. The popcorn stopped popping, and as Chris had previously found out, you get it out when it stops, whether the timer has rung or not. Emptying the bag into a big bowl, she grabbed a couple of sodas and napkins, and plopped back down on the couch. She was munching away when Lynn re-entered the room.
“Feel better?” Chris asked.
“Feel better. Probably smell better too.” Lynn smiled as she ran her hand through her short wet hair and plopped down next to Chris. Grabbing a handful of popcorn she asked, “So where are we at?”
“They’re at the museum,” Chris answered.
The movie continued and the bowl of popcorn was soon empty.
Lynn dozed off, and woke to the sound of gunshots. Confused, she found the noise coming from the television. She tried to reach for the remote, but her body felt heavy. Looking down, she found that Chris had fallen asleep and her head had ended up in Lynn’s lap. Lynn sat there in the dim light watching Chris sleep. She slowly stroked Chris’s hair, wanting so badly to brush her lips against hers. Wanting it so badly, it hurt. She looked up at the television, trying to regain her composure. When she glanced back down’, Chris’s eyes were slightly open. Neither woman moved for several minutes, Lynn lightly stroking Chris’s hair, Chris lost in Lynn’s eyes.
Finally, Chris took Lynn’s hand and held it against her cheek. “I think I better go in to bed,” she said softly. Releasing Lynn’s hand, Chris slowly raised her body to a sitting position. She turned to Lynn, looked into her eyes, paused as if she wanted to say something, then lightly squeezed Lynn’s hand.
“I had a really good day today,” Chris whispered, not releasing her hold on Lynn’s hand.
Lynn raised her other hand, placing her palm on Chris’s cheek, then lightly smoothed her thumb across Chris’s soft lips and qui-edy replied, “Me, too.”
Chris moved Lynn’s palm over to her lips and kissed it softly. “Good night,” she said as she stood, then disappeared down the hall. Lynn, savoring the moment, turned off the television, reached for the blanket balled up at the end of the couch, curled up, smiled with contentment, and drifted off to sleep.
What just happened in there? Chris sleepily asked herself.
Chapter Nine
Chris woke Sunday to the sound of the alarm. She rolled over and shut off the noise, thankful that she had set it before she had originally crawled into bed last night. It was nine o’clock, why was she so tired? Then the memories came flooding over her. Lynn’s fingers through her hair, on her cheek, on her lips. The feeling rushing through her body was overwhelming. But overwhelming in a pleasant way, intoxicating and warm, like the way the first sip of a liqueur feels on a cold day, slowly penetrating every inch of your body. She stretched out under the sheets, enjoying the sensation. Then suddenly, she sat up and rubbed her hands over her face. Was she actually thinking about another woman this way? What was wrong with her! She could not let herself feel this way! She shook off the sheets, jumped out of bed, and hurried into the bathroom.
Chris climbed into the shower. As she leaned against the wall, the warm water enveloped her. She closed her eyes, water running over her face, trying to clear her mind. But instead, her thoughts drifted back to the day before, the joking, the teasing, the hidden glances, and the times that Lynn had caught the glances and returned them, making her feel hopelessly lost in her eyes. Damn, she said to herself. Never had her heart and her mind been in such conflict.
Chris turned off the shower and grabbed the towel that she had placed on the rung just outside the tub. Drying off, she thought to herself, What am I so worried about? Its not like we had sex or anything. But she then realized what had taken place last night made her feel more intimate with Lynn that she had ever felt with a man. She had never felt that closeness, that connection with anyone before. The truth was, the feeling scared her to death.
The aroma of coffee filtered through the bedroom door and drew Chris into the kitchen. Grabbing a mug of the fresh brew, she stopped, leaning against the wall connecting the kitchen with the living room. She watched as the body curled up on the couch slept.
Chris sat down on the edge of the couch. “Hey,” she whispered, softly caressing the bare arm that had held her last night.
Lynn slowly raised her eyelids. She could smell the scent of the vanilla shampoo on Chris’s wet hair. It made her smile.
Smoothing Lynn’s hair out of her face, Chris suggested, “Come and get in your bed and get some decent sleep.”
“Okay,” Lynn replied. Chris stood and walked back to the bedroom. Lynn lay there for several minutes, then finally forced herself to get up. She wandered sleepily down the hall and was greeted with the intoxicating smell of Chris’s perfume. The fragrance led her into the bathroom, where Chris was putting on her makeup.
Leaning against the doorway, Lynn commented, “You smell really good!”
Chris felt a shiver run through her body at Lynn’s seductive smile reflected in the mirror. Chris softly smiled. “You’re not making it very easy for me to get ready.”
“Hey Chris! Are you almost ready or what?” Matt’s voice boomed as he walked down the hall toward the bedroom.
“Yes, I just need to throw my clothes on,” Chris answered.
When Matt didn’t move, she asked, “May I have a little bit of privacy, please?”
Matt’s face turned red as he backed out of the room and closed the door.
Lynn left the doorway and crawled in between the sheets. She lay on her side, positioning her head on the pillow so that she could watch Chris in the mirror. Chris put the finishing touches on her makeup and reached down to release the belt of the robe. Suddenly looking up, she caught Lynn’s eyes in the mirror and immediately caught the robe as it was falling from her shoulders. Chris smiled and shook her head as she returned Lynn’s stare. Turning, she closed the door behind her. Lynn sighed and closed her eyes. Maybe her dreams would turn out better.
Chris stood outside the gallery next to Matt as they waited for his parents to arrive. Matt ran his hand through his hair as he became more and
more impatient.
“Where are they? They left the club at the same time as us!”
Chris shrugged. All four had gone to the club for brunch and were to attend the gallery showing of one of Matt’s friends. She had thought it a bad idea, knowing that many of Matt’s friends didn’t know about their little charade. But Matt had insisted, and so they waited.
“I don’t know how you guys get used to this.” Charles’s voice boomed from down the sidewalk. “We had to park a half mile away!”
Chris took Matt’s hand and squeezed it. Patience, Matt, patience, it was meant to imply. Matt squeezed back, signifying that he had received her message.
“I didn’t mind the walk, Matt,” Marie soothed. Her eyes sparkled. “I’m so glad that we’re here! Your father never lets me go to art galleries or museums.”
“I knew you’d like it, Mom. Let’s go inside.” Matt motioned toward the door.
The four wandered into the crowded gallery. Marie stopped at every piece, admiring the color or texture. Charles looked bored. Chris listened to Marie and responded with comments of her own. Each piece made her feel different things—calm, peaceful, sad, even angry. Then she came upon a painting that truly disturbed her. A mixture of shades of blue from pale to almost black. The lines swirled as if to show confusion, desperation, then curved as if all emotions calmed. She tried to think of what this piece reminded her of. Closing her eyes, she felt the emotions it had provoked. It came to her in a wave, enveloping her entire body. It was the feelings that she was having toward her relationship with Lynn. Opening her eyes, she felt an overwhelming need for space. She pretended to be interested in a piece across the room and wandered away.
