Accidental Love

by BL Miller

  "Oh yes, very nice." Rose leaned up for another quick brushing of lips before reaching for her crutches. Kiss me like that every morning and I'll be happy forever. She reluctantly pulled back, her whole body screaming for more contact. "You had better drink your coffee before it gets cold."

  Ronnie looked at the clock. "I would much rather spend the day with you, you know." A shrill beeping drew a frown from the executive. "I'll get it. With my luck it's probably Susan trying to duck out of dealing with Mother today." She picked up the phone. "Cartwright Residence…Yeah, good morning to you too, Sis. What's up?" Rose watched as dark eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement. "Mm hmm, she's awake…no, we just got up and were having coffee." Now the brows shot up and blue eyes locked with green. "Well…sure, that sounds fine to me. Let me ask her, hold on." Ronnie held the phone to her chest. "Susan wants to know if you'd like to go out for breakfast."

  "Uh, sure." It would be the first time she had gone out of the house with the exception of her doctor's appointments and the funeral. She watched a beaming smile come over Ronnie's face.

  "Sure, sounds good, Susan." They finalized arrangements while Rose sipped her coffee. By the time Ronnie hung up the phone, her own coffee had cooled enough to drink in four long gulps.

  "We should get going here. We're supposed to meet there in forty-five minutes. I'll run upstairs and get ready." She picked up Rose's now empty cup and set it with hers in the sink. "Do me a favor?"

  "Anything," the young woman replied.

  "Wear that rust colored shirt?" A shy smile came to Ronnie's lips. "I think you look really nice in it."

  "I don't think any of the skirts go with it."

  "The khaki pants do. I'm sure the leg is wide enough to get over the cast."

  Rose smiled. When she had opened those clothes on Christmas she had thought then they would go well together. She also knew Ronnie had a weakness for that particular shirt. "Sure, but it'll cost you."

  "Cost me?" Puzzlement turned to amusement when she saw the calculating grin.

  "You have to wear that gray cotton shirt and those black jeans."

  "The baggy ones or the tight ones?"

  "The tight ones." Rose realized how it could be taken and blushed. "I just think they look good on you," she mumbled, looking away as her ears turned an even brighter shade of red.

  "Uh huh," Ronnie smirked. "You're cute when you blush, you know that."

  "You've told me that before."

  "It's still true." She walked over to the table and knelt down until she was eye level with the young woman. "Actually, the truth is, you're beautiful anytime. With or without a blush." She leaned in and gave Rose a peck on the cheek. "Come on, I'm starving."

  ***********************

  "Can I get you ladies something to drink to start off?" the waitress asked. The three women were sitting in a booth, Susan sat alone on one side. Rose opened her mouth but before she could utter a sound, Ronnie spoke. "Coffees on this side and she'll have tea…lemon, no cream. We'll be ready to order when you return."

  "I'll be right back with your drinks."

  "Do you know what you want?" the executive asked without looking up from her menu. It took a gentle nudge under the table for Rose to figure out the question was directed at her.

  "Um…" She scanned the menu, noting with great alarm the prices that ran down the right hand side. Six-fifty for two eggs and toast? Two ninety-five for coffee? Her appetite shrank in direct proportion to the prices. "I don't think I'm really all that hungry. Maybe just a muffin and coffee."

  "Oh no, Rose," Susan said. "You have got to try their eggs benedict. It's the best in Albany, I swear."

  "No, I'll be fine with the muffin, I'm sure." She knew without looking that she was the recipient of a questioning gaze from Ronnie. Maybe she'll forget that my stomach grumbled earlier. The waitress returned with their drinks and when they had been served she looked expectantly at Ronnie.

  With a nod of her head, the dark-haired woman indicated Rose. "She'll have two eggs, over medium with toast, corned beef hash and home fries. I'll have the same except I want bacon instead of the hash and my eggs should be over hard. Susan?"

  "I'll have a Belgian waffle with strawberries and cream."

  "All right, I'll have your food brought out to you shortly."

  Rose looked at Ronnie dumbfounded. "I said I was fine with a muffin."

  "Susan, would you excuse us for a moment please?"

  "Sure, Ronnie. Actually I think I need to make a trip to the ladies room." She picked up her purse and left the table.

  "Why did you do that?" There was no accusation in the young woman's tone, just curiosity.

  "Why did you lie about not being hungry?" Ronnie countered. "Look at me. Tell me you only wanted a muffin and that the cost had nothing to do with it." Her right hand slipped under the table and began stroking Rose's left thigh. "I understand that you think about how much everything costs. I wish you didn't, but I know you do. I also know that I wasn't going to sit here and let you eat just a muffin for breakfast." A smaller hand gripped hers under the table and squeezed.

  "Okay, thank you." Rose leaned closer. "Actually, the hash and eggs sounds wonderful."

  "You'll love them, trust me."

  A short time later Rose was wiping up her plate with the last bit of toast while the two sisters talked. The current topic was taxes, and for someone that always used the easy form, it was a subject she felt sorely out of place with. The Cartwright women, on the other hand, had jabbered on for the entire meal about exemptions and loopholes. Rose smiled and ate quietly, listening to the rich tones but not the words of her tall companion. She tuned Susan out completely and thus, missed her name the first time it was mentioned. "I'm sorry, what?"

  "I think we're boring her, Susan." Ronnie laughed when she saw the guilty blush cover the fair skin.

  "I said Wendy needs whatever receipts you have for your taxes." Seeing Rose's confused look, Susan explained. "Wendy is our accountant. She'll do your taxes for you but I think she's missing some paperwork. She only has your W-2 from Cartwright."

  "Well, I have the one from Money Slasher. It doesn't take me long to fill out the form so I hadn't gotten around to it yet. Why would I have an income statement from Cartwright? Ronnie didn't decide to give me the job as her secretary until last week."

  "Whoops," Ronnie said. "I can explain." She twisted in her seat so she could face Rose. The short bench and her long legs meant that her knee ended up resting atop the khaki covered thigh.

  "You remember when I had you sign all those forms so we could get you on the insurance? You went on the payroll then."

  "You mean you didn't know you were getting paid each week?" Susan asked. The still-shocked Rose shook her head. "You signed a direct deposit authorization for the credit union. You filled out a W-4 for your exemptions."

  "I don't remember what I signed. I was still in the hospital and with all the pain killers…."

  "Ronnie, didn't you tell her what she was signing?"

  Now it was the executive's turn to blush. "Well…" She looked at Rose. "When you were in the hospital, all I could think about was making sure you got the best care possible. "I know I told you that you were now an employee of Cartwright Corp."

  "I didn't think you meant that I was actually getting paid." She discreetly laid her hand on Ronnie's knee. "There must be hundreds of dollars in there."

  "More like thousands," the executive corrected. "I don't pay my workers chump change like Money Slasher. I pay a living wage. That's why people with skill and talent don't leave us after a few years and join some other firm."

  "Ronnie, I can't keep that money. I didn't earn it. Can't you just take it back or something?" That earned laughter from both Cartwrights. "What?"

  "Rose dear, do you have any idea how much paperwork would be involved in doing something like that?" Susan chuckled again. "It's impossible."

  "The money's yours, Rose," Ronnie added. "I'm sorry I didn't mention it befo
re. I honestly don't think about things like paychecks and you certainly haven't needed any money."

  "It's okay. We can talk about it some other time." Rose put her coffee cup to her lips, mentally deciding which charities would get the money if she could not convince Ronnie to take it back.

  "Speaking of later," the executive looked at her watch. "We'd better get going here."

  "Wait." Susan laid her hand across the table, urging her sister to remain where she was. The redhead looked at Rose with such seriousness it made the young woman's pulse quicken with nervousness. "I just wanted to say something to you before we leave." She licked her lips and cast a quick glance at her older sister before continuing. "Rose, I love my sister very much. With Tommy gone, well…it just helped make me realize that I was being unfair to her. I've never seen her happier than when she's with you."

  "Susan, don't embarrass me," Ronnie warned playfully although the heat was rising to her ears.

  "Oh you be quiet or I'll tell her about the time you took Dad's car for a joyride and got picked up by the police," the younger sibling warned. "Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, she's happy and that's what's important." She picked up the bill and glanced at it before passing it across the table to her sister. "Your turn. Six thirty-eight for the tip."

  "Thanks, you know I hate figuring that out." Ronnie reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet, thumbing through the various plastic cards until she found the one she was looking for. A few minutes later the bill was paid and they were standing next to their vehicles, which were parked side by side.

  "I have to drop Rose off and then I'll meet you at Mother's," Ronnie said as she shut off the alarm and unlocked the passenger door.

  "Okay, don't be too long." The redhead turned toward Rose. "It was nice of you to join us for breakfast."

  "Thank you for inviting me," she replied. "And thank you for what you said in there…about her deserving to be happy."

  "Yeah yeah, everybody's happy," Ronnie said with a fake growl. "Except Mother, who is going to have a fit if we don't get over there."

  "I was being serious," Rose said, batting the tall woman's arm.

  "So was I." She looked at her younger sister. "Susan, I do appreciate what you said in there…as well as last night."

  "Think they'd say anything if two sisters hugged in public?"

  "Do you really care if they did?" Ronnie countered. They embraced then, to Rose's surprise, Susan gave her a quick one-armed hug. They said their good-byes and were soon on the road.

  ************************

  After being dropped off at the house, Rose found herself with nothing to do. Ronnie was certain not to be back until mid-afternoon. She puttered about, wandering in and out of every room on the first floor. Then her eyes followed the stairs. Curiosity got the better of her and she positioned her crutches on the bottom stair.

  Although she had been in Ronnie's bedroom before, this was the first time she really looked around. This is big enough for an entire apartment. A padded bench seat sat below an impressive bay window. An open door off to the side led to the private bathroom and the young woman made a mental note to check it out later. Rose saw that her friend had not one but two dressers as well as the incredible walk-in closet. A full-length mirror trimmed in matching wood stood in one corner. A headboard, complete with lights and shelves, complimented the king-sized bed. There were nightstands on either side as well. On the wall opposite the bed was a smaller version of the entertainment center downstairs. Rose opened the doors to reveal a twenty-seven inch television, Ronnie's video collection and a VCR. Her eyes skimmed over familiar titles, looking for something interesting to watch. One row of tapes had no boxes or labels on the spines. She picked one up and looked at the title. Oh Ronnie, I didn't know you had these kind of tapes. She grinned and put it in the VCR. Well, this should be interesting. She positioned the pillows on the bed and sat down to watch her first adult movie.

  To her surprise, there actually was a plot to the movie. Rose did not pay attention to the title but figured out quickly that it was about two female lovers who are separated into separate cells by a mean warden. The first sex scene appeared quickly and green eyes widened at the sight of the two naked women kissing each other. It was the same slow, gentle kisses she shared with Ronnie. Then their kisses changed. They became more passionate and one woman began to moan as the other pinched her nipple. Suddenly Rose's dreams had another dimension added to them as she tried to imagine Ronnie making the same sound. "Mmm…" She watched the two women begin their acts of pleasure and each one she imagined doing with her companion. The arousal was immediate but more than that was another feeling, one far more important. The women on the screen made Rose realize that this was more than a physical act. Even though they were actresses playing a role, every touch was tender, almost loving. Between the moans and cries were repeated declarations of love for each other. That's why they call it making love, she realized for perhaps the first time. Now she understood what she was denying Ronnie…and what Ronnie was denying herself by honoring her promise to her father. Shutting off the VCR off, Rose sat and stared at the blue screen for several long minutes while the final pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

  ***********************

  "Did you try the spare ribs?" Ronnie asked, smacking her lips in satisfaction. "I tell you, there's nothing like good Chinese take-out."

  "No, I haven't tried them yet," Rose replied quietly, her eyes never leaving her plate, the contents of which were being pushed around aimlessly by her fork.

  "You should. The egg rolls are pretty good too. Not greasy at all."

  "Um hmm." The broccoli and pork suffered more rearranging.

  "Rose, is something wrong? You've been quiet ever since I got home."

  "Ronnie, can I ask you something?"

  "Anything, you know that."

  "If you had never made that promise to your father…if nothing was standing in your way…would you want…" The blonde woman shook her head and looked up with fear and uncertainty in her eyes. "Would we be lovers?"

  Ronnie stood up. "I think we're done eating. Let's go into the other room and talk. I'll take care of the dishes later."

  "Yes, that would be better." Rose agreed, pushing herself up on her good foot. Yes, you and me curled up on the couch together… "Ronnie? Would it be all right if we just went into the bedroom? I mean, we can always watch television in there, right?"

  Warning bells and whistles went off in Ronnie's head and she swallowed reflexively. "Uh…are you sure?" Considering the topic of discussion, she wasn't entirely certain that lying on the bed together was a wise idea.

  "Yes." And with that word spoken aloud, Rose realized that yes, she really was sure…about everything.

  Once inside the room, Rose leaned her crutches against the wall and patiently balanced herself on her good foot.

  "You want to change first?" Ronnie asked while turning down the covers.

  "No, we're fine just the way we are." Once the bedcovers were ready, she slipped between them and rolled onto her side to face the woman who had captured her heart. Ronnie started to join her. "Wait." Rose reached over and turned on the lamp. "Would you shut off the light?" Soon the brightness was replaced by a warm, soft glow.

  "So we're in bed and you wanted to talk," Ronnie offered when she was settled.

  "So we are," she agreed. Leaning up on one elbow, she looked down at endless blue eyes. "Are you going to answer my question? If you hadn't made that promise to your father, would we be lovers?"

  "I thought you weren't sure…"

  "Forget about that for a minute." She reached out and ran her fingertip lightly down the older woman's jawline. "If it were just you and me, nothing else." Ronnie was still wearing her gray shirt and with three buttons undone, the vision was entirely too tempting. Rose moved her fingertip down the chiseled jaw to the long throat and beyond, stopping only when it encountered the lacy edge of a bra. She did note with
some pleasure that the older woman's breathing had increased.

  "Rose, I love you. You know that." Ronnie reached out and cupped her cheek. "If there were no obstacles, if it really was just you and me, yes. I would be very honored to be your lover." She was rewarded with a quick kiss. The curious fingertips were driving her crazy but she could not find the strength to stop them.

  "Ronnie…" The distracting digits slowly undid the next button on the gray shirt. "It's just you and me. There are no obstacles."

  "Rose…" Her body responded immediately to her shirt being unbuttoned. Nipples hardened under the white bra and her whole body tingled with excitement. She opened her mouth to protest and found a warm, soft tongue pressing against hers. "Mmm." Under the gentle insistence, Ronnie relaxed and let the young woman take control. Rose felt the surrender and eased up the pressure of her lips. Her free hand traveled of its own volition, gliding under the cotton shirt and against warm skin. In a move that shocked both of them, the wandering hand closed over the soft lace cup and squeezed gently. Ronnie gasped and her body leaned into the touch.