by Cass Sellars
“You know you can take a shower at my place anytime. It’s not like I’ll charge you.” Syd flashed a charming grin.
“Really? Are you sure?” Normally Parker would politely decline but the promise of being clean outweighed any normal response. Syd somehow felt familiar and safe.
“Absolutely. I just finished in there so the bathroom is all yours. Of course, my bathroom services also come with special amenities like red wine and bonus Chinese takeout if you’re not busy.” Sydney smiled at her again.
Parker grinned like an excited child. “Fantastic idea.” She rose up on her toes to impulsively kiss Sydney on the cheek and took an exaggerated step back. “Do not smell me right now. I am so gross.”
“I can assure you, my lovely Parker, you have never been gross. Get some clothes and come over when you’re ready. I’ll be in the studio shutting down, so just come on in.” She turned and walked back through to her own unit.
Parker stared after her, watching her long body, now in cargo pants and a logo T-shirt which declared the next big thing across her broad back. Parker exhaled, running in to find fresh clothes.
Half an hour later, Parker rolled a clean bra and underwear into a thin black maxidress while balancing her toiletry bag and a bottle of wine precariously on top. She knocked lightly and pushed through the heavy door. As she used her hip to slide the door closed, she looked up to find Sydney, earphones in place, glowering at a computer screen in the loft. Parker stepped to the bar and placed the semi-expensive bottle of Spanish red on the counter, leaving her purse on the surface beside it. Parker longed for a proper bathroom and padded quietly to Sydney’s well-appointed one. A folded towel and washcloth greeted her from the dark wood vanity as she placed her clothes on the back of the toilet and reached in to start the water.
An indulgent twenty minutes later, she reluctantly turned off the spray. She dried and dressed, and gathered her damp hair into a clip. She dabbed on a tiny bit of lip gloss and walked barefoot into the kitchen where Sydney was already filling glasses with the wine.
“I seem to have forgotten to bring shoes.” Parker gestured to her coral-tipped toes peeking out from the long dress. She held her bundle of dirty clothes in both arms.
“No need for shoes”—Syd eyed her playfully—“especially since you’re apparently planning on going commando for dinner.” Syd dangled a black lace thong from her index finger and sipped her wine casually from the glass in her other hand.
“Oh my God! I must have dropped that on the way to the bathroom. I thought it fell out at my place.” Parker grimaced as her face flamed.
She reached out to grab them from a laughing Sydney who held them easily out of reach and over her head. How mortifying. An amused Sydney lowered her arm, allowing her to grab the offending garment and shove it into the pile out of view.
Syd placed her glass on the counter and drew Parker and her laundry into her body as she pressed her lips against Parker’s ear. “Very sexy, by the way.”
Her raspy voice hit Parker as she hid her humiliation by burying her face in Sydney’s neck. “So. Not. Cool,” Parker mumbled as Syd hugged her tighter.
Finally releasing her, Sydney turned Parker in the direction of the front door. “Go dump your laundry and come have some wine that a fairy left in my kitchen.” Syd stared after her as she went. Parker didn’t analyze why she was wanting Syd to touch her again.
Parker left, as much to deposit her laundry as to stop the burning in her face. The long dress tickled her still bare feet as she hurriedly crossed back again to the neighboring unit.
Upon her return, Syd met her with a glass of wine, and she gazed down into Parker’s searching eyes. “I hope you know I was only teasing you. I’m sorry.” Syd felt guilty for making Parker uncomfortable.
Parker’s good-natured laugh was a welcome relief. Accepting her glass, she shook her head and smiled. “I guess we know I wouldn’t make a very good stripper since you’re supposed to put them on before tossing them into the audience.” She giggled nervously.
“Remind me to get a front row seat to that show anyway.” Syd laughed in return. “Oh, and I might have ordered one of everything on the menu from my favorite Chinese place. There will be plenty to pick from.”
“Thank you. My purse is on the bar. How much do—”
Syd smiled and placed a finger over her lips softly, quieting the question. “I will be waiting for my gourmet meal from your new kitchen.”
Sydney pulled Parker by the hand to the sofa and placed her glass on the coffee table next to Parker’s. Still holding her hand, she pulled Parker insistently across the cushions. Sydney abruptly covered her mouth and gently drew her into a deep, slow kiss. Drawing back gradually, Syd traced Parker’s cheek with her thumb. Sydney couldn’t explain why she felt so relaxed around this relative stranger.
She never behaved this way with women. She wondered if she ever truly enjoyed their company as much as she performed for them. She knew only that Parker made her very nervous but she could not bring herself to run from her.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered before a loud buzz startled them both. Syd chuckled. “That would be our dinner. Sit tight, I’ll get it.”
Syd pushed open the foyer door and took a pen from the delivery man. Signing the receipt and adding the tip, she gathered up the bags and glanced down to thank him. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of pink driving away from the lot. She tried to follow the image but it had disappeared too quickly.
“Dinner is served, mademoiselle.” Sydney bowed as she returned, stopping to latch the door behind her, slightly uneasy.
She left Parker to free the numerous cartons from the big brown bag and she tightly closed the front blinds. Dimming the lights on the way, Syd strode to the kitchen to retrieve plates and silverware from the cabinet. She opened a larger drawer at the edge of the kitchen and clipped the Sig holster to her jeans at the small of her back and pulled her shirttail out to cover the gun. She managed to hide it under a sofa cushion when Parker made a trip to the bathroom.
Parker noticed that her dinner companion’s mood had seemed suddenly a bit darker and wondered if she regretted the kiss. Parker tried to analyze her feelings every time Sydney was near her but kissing her made rational thought impossible. Logic told her to run from any entanglements so she simply convinced herself that she could and would remain in control of their casual encounters. After all, Parker was sure that Sydney was in exactly the same place she was. Syd had been clear about that.
“Everything okay?” Parker looked into Syd’s eyes carefully and she watched them clear.
“Yeah. Of course. Let’s eat.” Syd sounded convincing and held a spring roll in Parker’s direction. Rather than a demure taste, she took an exaggerated bite instead and watched Syd laugh at her.
When they finished, Parker lay back in defeat and watched Syd hold her own stomach. “No more,” Parker declared. “I’m going to explode.”
“Agreed.” Sydney groaned. “Movie? Or is it too late?”
“Still on vacation, remember?” Parker smiled as they settled on The Birdcage. The thought of leaving Sydney when she didn’t have to was not appealing in the least.
Syd lazily stretched her long legs down the length of the couch and pulled Parker up along her side so her head could rest on Sydney’s shoulder.
“Thank you for being here.” Syd’s musky voice was absorbed through every pore in Parker’s skin.
“Thank you for dinner.” Parker’s blood surged again as she spoke.
Syd steered her once again and delivered another burning kiss at Parker’s lips, charging the moment through an intense, possessing embrace Parker never wanted to terminate. Easing against her, Parker entwined their bodies farther.
Syd whispered into her hair, “This okay?”
“Perfect,” Parker replied before she had time to edit her honest thoughts.
Sydney tucked her arms gently around Parker’s ribs, dusted a kiss over her
forehead. Parker fell into a deep sleep before the second scene was finished.
Chapter Eight
Parker’s phone chirped, announcing an incoming text. Her eyes focused slowly and she realized she still lay on Sydney, her right leg stretched stiffly over her hip. She reached over her to retrieve her phone from the coffee table, eliciting a sleepy grunt from beneath her.
As she unlocked the phone she noticed the time read 8:05. Allen!
Where are you? We are outside.
She quickly replied, Coming.
Wiggling from Sydney’s arms, Parker pushed herself off the couch, garnering another plaintive groan. “You sneaking away from me?”
Parker stroked her arm gently. “We fell asleep and the contractors are already outside.”
Syd sat up and took stock of her surroundings, not yet awake enough to assess the situation fully. Empty food cartons littered the coffee table as the TV blared a rerun of Law and Order. Syd grabbed the remote to quiet the noise. She glanced at her watch which had made a painful imprint on her wrist.
She stood to shake off sleep as Parker began to collect the plates from the chaos. Syd grabbed her hand. “Go on, I’ll get it. Talk later.” Parker planted a loud kiss on Sydney’s lips.
“I owe you,” Parker called as she rushed out.
Sydney sat down and tried to remember when she’d last woken up with a woman, let alone one she hadn’t slept with. When she came up with never, she wondered why she enjoyed being with Parker so much. Clearly her moratorium on moving things beyond platonic had failed and she found herself navigating uncharted waters.
*
Parker ran from Syd’s door to admit the crew and a puzzled Allen. After Allen settled the day’s objectives with the workers, he found Parker hurriedly starting a pot of coffee and trying to avoid Allen’s inquisitive looks.
She busied herself with unpacking another box and felt the heat of Allen’s stare.
“Okay, time to spill for real this time.” Allen crossed his arms as he walked through the living room.
“About what?”
“Um, what you were doing all night and this morning.” Allen’s unwavering glare had Parker fidgeting with kitchen gadgets rather than looking at him.
“I overslept is all.” Parker remained focused on the box, not looking at him.
“I see that. You just left out the part about oversleeping on the wrong side of the hall.”
Parker looked up from her box in guilty surrender. “Okay, sit.”
She folded her legs underneath her and grabbed his hand. She started the story from the beginning. Allen listened intently, running his hands through his short brown hair and nodding where appropriate.
Parker regaled him with the story beginning with the night at the Pride, Becky and her pink Jeep, and their mostly platonic sleepover the night before.
Once finished, she spread her hands over her face, peeking at Allen through her fingers. “What do you think, Biscuit? Crazy, right? Am I acting crazy?”
“No, you’re acting like a chick with a crush and that’s okay.”
“But?”
“I’m worried the girl’s a player, Park. I don’t want you getting played and hurt when she’s done with you.”
Parker looked at the floor, “First of all, I know who or what she is, but it doesn’t seem like she’s playing games. And since I’m not looking for anything long-term, it kind of makes her perfect. I just really love being around her and talking to her and, oh, she’s really hot.” She whispered the last word for emphasis.
Allen chuckled. “I’m glad to see you have a little spark again, just don’t do anything stupid and promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I will,” she replied, looking away thoughtfully for a moment. “I don’t want any kind of a thing, Allen. It just feels good. No strings. From what I’ve gathered, Syd doesn’t do commitments anyway. So I’m safe.”
“If you say so.” Allen looked doubtful before he left her alone, reliving the past hours in her mind, while he checked in with the crew laying tile in the bathroom and framing in the new closet walls.
Parker heard him call out, “Back to my day job, Park.”
She emerged from the kitchen where she’d been unwrapping glasses. “Thank you for everything. Call you later?”
“Come pick up the rolling racks tonight and have a drink with us. Assuming you’re not busy, of course.” Allen smirked at her. He had promised the racks from his attic to use in her closet until the order for the permanent units came in.
“Will do.”
Allen slipped out the door.
*
Sydney nearly ran headfirst into Allen as he left Parker’s unit. “Hi again,” she said cheerfully.
“Hi.” Allen paused and regarded her carefully. “Can I say something I shouldn’t?”
When she shrugged, he continued, “She is my best friend and an incredibly good person. Please be careful—she’s had a rough year. Keep it casual and if you don’t feel anything for her, please tell her now.”
Sydney’s jaw tightened at the impertinence of his warning and the accuracy of his concern. “Yeah, no problem.” Allen left and Sydney turned back toward her door instead of continuing in to see Parker as she had planned.
A chirp from her phone saved her from further analysis of the encounter. Steve’s message read: Syd, come keep me company tonight. Haven’t seen your girl in days. I think she gave up. It’s ladies’ night remember?
Syd replied, It’s always ladies’ night.
Syd grabbed her gym bag, a shirt, and a fresh pair of jeans. Turning the lock before she left, intentionally not looking across the hall, she jogged to her car as she pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes.
Let’s face it, Sydney thought, I don’t do relationships. The only thing different about this chick is geography.
Somehow she was different, though, dammit. Maybe she needed to get some perspective. A little taste of the life she knew well before Parker and Becky descended on her world. In fact, Parker’s nonaggressive demeanor was probably only attractive because of her run-in with the very aggressive Becky Weaver.
*
Sweat poured down her neck and back as Syd punished her body like she was possessed, almost trying to find a way to hurt herself or, perhaps, drive out uncomfortable feelings and questions poking at her mind.
She enjoyed Parker, being with her. She found her incredibly sexy and she was turned on by her peculiar bundle of energy and neuroses. Why would she really expect there to be anything more with her? She barely knew her and she didn’t do ties or relationships. And she certainly didn’t need women with hovering best friends. She got all the sex she could handle, no strings attached, what needed to change? She hadn’t come up with a good answer. How did people do friends-with-benefits anyway? Her world just focused on the benefit portion. Steve was friend enough.
True, Parker didn’t indicate she was looking for more. That was good. She could admit that this was different. She could admit to feeling something entirely different when she held and kissed Parker. Admitting and accepting were two very separate things.
Just before a final bout of muscle fatigue took over, Sydney stomped into the locker room showers. Bracing her palms against the wall, she dropped her head and let the too hot water pound over her. She could still taste the kiss from the night before but she was intent on driving it away.
Finally dressed, she headed off to the Pride. She needed a scotch and a break from her thoughts. Sydney tossed her bag into the trunk and pulled onto Sycamore Street. A flash of pink crossing at the light caught her eye. By the time she had made her turn to investigate, it was gone.
“You are losing it, Hyatt.” She shook her head and laughed to herself.
Steve was looking intently at his tasks, stacking and cleaning glassware, as Sydney threw open the front door. In one swift motion, she lifted a foot on the bar rail, leaning over to catch Steve in a quick kiss. She marched to the dance-floor end of the bar and he
r customary seat. He glanced at her again and slid a double scotch her way.
“Well, you look like shit, I think.” He waved his finger over her as if taking an inch-by-inch assessment. “Or maybe you just look like you’ve had a lot of sex, I can’t tell.”
“Well, thank you my dearest friend,” she remarked sarcastically as the after-work crowd dribbled in. She filled him in on Parker, the incident with Becky, work, and her recent run-in with Allen Stevens.
“I, for one, hope the Pink Panther is long gone,” he commented. “I definitely got the I could boil a rabbit vibe from that one.” He made air quotes for emphasis.
Sydney chuckled and drained her glass. “Let’s hope she stays gone. And for the record, I’ve had exactly no sex, unless you count the one hour with Becky, and my clothes remained completely intact.”
“I thought you said the neighbor forgot to leave last night?”
“She did, but we just slept.” Her incredulous look made him laugh.
“Well, who’d have thought, Hyatt? Mark that one down.” He slashed the air with his imaginary pencil. “When was the last time that happened?”
She slid her empty glass to him, crunching through the last cube of ice. “Exactly never,” she conceded, staring across the bar. “It’s different with her, I can’t explain it.” She tried not to dwell on the fact that she was having feelings that she was not accustomed to and really didn’t need.
“Snap out of it, girl. Don’t get in too deep,” Steve counseled and slid a full drink back at her. “Besides, who’s going to pick up all the talent around here?” Steve waved over a crowd of girls sitting at a nearby table. “You can’t let Paula Tucker take over, Tequila.”
