by Robin Roseau
"Oh. As if she's about to tie them somewhere?"
I began blushing, and Miranda laughed again.
"I think that's brilliant, Cassidy," she said. She caressed my face. "Don't be embarrassed. I think I'd enjoy meeting your Aphrodite."
I didn't respond to that, and there was an awkward silence. It wasn't like I was going to invite her home to Minnesota tonight.
"All right," she said. "I think you're going to have a hard time beating Aphrodite, but keep going."
"Okay." I paused, opened my eyes, and reached for my glass. I sipped a bit and set it down.
"I told you to close your eyes," Miranda said, her voice low. "If you want your drink again, you may ask for it."
"I'm sorry," I said, and I closed my eyes, leaning back.
"I'm not angry," she said, "I am only being clear." I nodded understanding. "Keep going."
"There's a large picture window, but I had it replaced with a bay window several years ago. It faces south, so I keep it filled with plants. There's an ivy at each end, and I installed hooks to drape the vines, surrounding the entire window now. It might be a design mistake, as it dominates the room, but I like the plants."
"I bet it's lovely," she said.
"If you continue through the room to the hallway, as I said, there are three bedrooms. The first on the left is sometimes referred to as a den, as there is also a pocket door to the kitchen. I use it as my home office."
"Neat or clean?"
"Neat," I said. "And somewhat industrial. The walls are lined with bookcases, and I use the small closet for kitchen equipment that doesn't get used daily. The seasonal kitchen things like canning supplies are in the basement. Then I have my room and a guest room. Both are painted in complementary forest colors, which doesn't really fit the style of the house, but I find them soothing, so I don't care."
"What's your bed like?"
I smiled awkwardly. "Hoping for an invitation?"
"I'd love to meet Aphrodite," she replied, "but no, I wasn't fishing. We're getting to know each other, Cassidy. If we leave here together tonight, we're going to my hotel room, not your house." She paused. "Basement?" She paused again. "Basements are uncommon in California, and I've never heard anyone in the bay area talk about first ring suburbs."
I didn't respond to that, and after a moment, she said, "Your bed?"
"Queen size," I said. "Mission style. I bought the bedroom set at a garage sale. It's very well built and also doesn't match the style of the house, but if you can't tell, I'm not an interior designer. But I made the quilts myself, with my grandmother. I have four and change them seasonally. The summer one is very thin."
"I think I like your house, Cassidy," Miranda said. She set a hand on my knee. It felt very nice. "Was there more you wanted to tell me about it?"
"There's a door to go outside from my office," I said. "I added it at the same time I did the bay window, and I built a deck on top of the patio that had been there so it was elevated and the same height as the inside of the house. There's a pergola over the deck, which offers shade, and I have more plants."
"I thought you didn't like to garden."
"I don't, but I like the plants. To me, it's not the same. I have to manage a bunch of pots and planters, but that's a lot different than grubbing around in the front of the house. I tend to the plants that are near the places where I live, but I don't spend much effort on the ones that offer curb appeal."
"I see," she said. "Keep going."
"The back yard is sheltered," I added. "So I can sit out there and it's moderately quiet. It's a nice place to sit with my laptop or a book."
"Nude sunbathing?" she asked.
"No!" I said. "It's not that private."
"How unfortunate," she said. "I suppose no hot tub, either."
"No, no hot tub," I said. I didn't mention that spending time in a hot tub alone wasn't my idea of fun, and I wouldn't want to pay for one, either."
"Well, I like your house, Cassidy," she said. She caressed my cheek, and I leaned into her hand. "Next?" she added after a moment.
"Do you want another long one or something shorter?"
"Your choice."
"All right. Shorter. I like to read."
"Keep going."
"Mostly fantasy novels," I said. "Sometimes science fiction. I like Dean Koontz." I paused. "And there's a hetero romance novelist I love."
"Who?"
"Jennifer Crusie. She's hilarious."
"I read one of her books once, I think," Miranda said. "Something about art."
I laughed. "Faking It. It's my favorite." I paused. "I think she stopped writing."
"That's the one," she said. "Why did you tell me this?"
"I wanted a shorter one," I said. "After that, perhaps a little truth in advertising."
She laughed. "Nerd girl?"
"Yep."
She caressed my cheek. "I like nerd girls," she said softly. "One more. Not too short."
"Will you be doing the same when I'm done?"
"Maybe," she said. "We'll see."
"Am I allowed to touch you, too?" I asked.
"If it's tasteful, yes," she replied. I immediately reached out with a hand and found her shoulder, hooking a finger in the leather to hold my hand there.
"All right," I agreed. "This can be long or short depending upon whether you ask questions. I like to travel, and I take trips perhaps four times a year. Sometimes it's like this, just a long weekend."
"All right, three favorite places and your least favorite."
"Hmm." I paused. "Miranda, will you be upset if I don't exactly answer your question the way you phrased it?"
"No. I'm only prompting you. This is just conversation, Cassidy."
"All right. I don't have a least favorite, at least not of the places I've gone. There are a few reasons for that. First, I'm fairly good at picking good places to go that I'll enjoy, and I'm not necessarily daring. I've never been somewhere like Turkey or Africa."
"What are the other reasons you don't have a least favorite?"
"All my vacations are perfect," I said.
"Oh? I find that hard to believe. Lost luggage?"
"An adventure."
She laughed. "Bad service?"
"I've never had bad service on a vacation."
"I find that very, very hard to believe."
"I've had service other people may have thought was very poor. I've had times where I've had to take care of myself in situations where other people may have resented having to take care of themselves."
"You're telling me something, but I want you to spell it out."
"I spend what is to me a significant amount of money on a vacation. Well, this one isn't bad. But you know what I mean. Why would I let anyone spoil it by deciding I was given poor service? I've had lost luggage. It always shows up eventually. My carry on always has enough to get me through the next twenty-four hours, and so I just adjust my plans as necessary. If I travel for business, I wear professional clothing on the airplane so that if the worst happens, I know I can make the business meeting in the morning. If my luggage is lost, I buy what I need and have fun doing it. If service is slow, I people watch or read a book. I'm not in a hurry, anyway. If the weather is bad, I sit in whatever shelter is available and do the same."
"In other words, it's all about attitude."
"Exactly," I said. "Why let myself get worked up over what ultimately are little things? I don't eat at excessively expensive restaurants, so I'm not going to let a mediocre forty-dollar meal ruin my trip. I just use it as a reason to try a different restaurant the next day."
"Wow," she said. "Cassidy, I really, really want to kiss you right now."
I turned my head towards her. My eyes were still closed. "Then maybe you should," I replied.
She moved slowly, giving me time to change my mind. First she shifted closer to me, setting her hand on my opposite cheek, holding my face pointed towards her. I felt her looming in front of me, and then I felt
her breath against my lips. I lifted my mouth slightly, giving her a little more permission.
And then we were kissing.
It was a relatively chaste kiss, all things considered, but for a first kiss, it was still nice, slow and lingering, but with a promise of more kisses to come.
She separated and said, "You taste good."
"So do you," I whispered.
"That was at least an hour sooner than I intended," she said. "I am going to need to exercise some self-control. But I absolutely love your attitude about trips. I'd like to hear about your favorite places."
She shifted away, but only a short distance, and our legs were still touching, my hand still on her shoulder. She lowered hers back to my knee, and from time to time, she reached up with her near hand to caress my cheek with the back of a finger. I liked that.
I liked her.
"Everywhere I go is my favorite," I said. "See previous answer."
"You know I'm not going to be satisfied with that answer, Cassidy," she replied, but it was said gently.
"I know." I paused. "I have some places I visit repeatedly. Here. New Orleans." I paused. "Provincetown." She chuckled. "Once every few years," I appended. "Key West. I like Key West in the winter. New York when I'm feeling flush. I've been to D.C. a few times, and I like it, but I won't go alone again."
"You normally travel alone?"
"Yes," I said. "I'd rather you didn't push that question."
"All right. For now."
"For now," I agreed. "I liked Singapore, sort of, but unless it's for business, I wouldn't go back."
"Why not?"
"I was there for business several years ago. They sent me to help with a due diligence thing for a company they were thinking of buying. Do you know what that is?"
"Yes," she said.
"I felt safe," I said, "and I liked the food. But I didn't get a chance to do anything other than work. Maybe there were things to do there, but I didn't learn of any. It doesn't seem like a tourist destination, but I might have been there with the wrong people." I thought about it. "I might go if I wanted custom clothing made for me, but I've never done that, and it's not like I need to for my job."
"Right," she said. "I understand. Tell me somewhere exotic you've been that you'd go back."
"I did a Windjammer cruise once," I said. "That was fun. It's not very exotic." I paused. "My trips tend to be meat and potatoes, if you know what I mean."
"I think I do," she replied.
"I did an Alaska cruise. The weather was dreary, but it was beautiful anyway. I've been to Amsterdam and Paris." I paused. "I'd go back, but not alone."
"Why not?"
"I'd want to share it with someone else. I didn't meet anyone to spend real time with. I thought I would. But I didn't know how to hook into the right crowds, I guess. If I'd been willing to let a guy pick me up, it might have been different."
"Wave a magic wand. Perfect girlfriend. Where would you go?"
"Anywhere," I said. "It wouldn't matter where. I'd have a good time wherever she wanted to go."
"What if she asked you to surprise her?"
I smiled. "I'd try to pick a place she'd like."
"You don't play this game very well, Cassidy," Miranda said.
I opened my eyes. She didn't scold me. She didn't look angry. "I thought you would prefer an honest answer than making something up." I paused. "This is going to sound pathetic."
"Tell me," she ordered.
"I haven't had any relationships that have gotten past about nine months," I said. "You know, when they are still new. Anywhere we'd go would be all about being together, not where we went. We're just going to fuck like bunnies, anyway. Do you understand?"
She laughed. "Yes, I understand." She paused. "I'm not angry, but I do not care for crude language."
"I'm sorry," I said. I tried to look away, but she captured me.
"No," she said. "I am telling you what I like, not chastising you." I nodded understanding. "Save crude language for when crudity is appropriate."
"Like guys that don't take 'no' for an answer?"
She smiled. "Perhaps." She paused. "Okay?" I nodded. "Close your eyes." I closed obediently, and she brushed my lips with her fingers. "I'm not done getting an answer from you." She paused again. "Imagine I ordered you to pick a place and plan a one-week trip somewhere you haven't been. I refuse to answer any questions about what I prefer. You must decide, and you don't know anything more about me than you currently do. I will be pleased with whatever you pick, but you must pick."
I thought about it. "Will you tell me how adventurous you are?"
"I will not balk at adventure, but I do not want to go anywhere it is dangerous to be a woman or to carry an American passport."
"All right," I said. "A cruise in the fjords of Norway, if it's summer. If it's winter, then perhaps somewhere like the Maldives, Tahiti, or Bora Bora. I've never been anywhere like that."
"Australia?"
"I've been," I said. "I had a nice time and ended up staying with someone."
"Someone you met?"
"Yes. The first morning, I screamed my head off."
"Spider?"
"Yeah." I shuddered. "It was bigger than my hand. Audry thought it was the funniest thing. She tried to catch it for me to let it go outside, but the thing was..." I paused. I was about to swear. "Um. Fast. She called it by a term you might not appreciate."
"Oh?"
"Will you be angry?"
"Maybe edit it."
"Mother-loving, eight-legged cheetah," I replied. I tried to sound like Audry when I said it.
Miranda laughed.
"She said it wasn't poisonous, but that if I saw any other kinds of spiders or snakes, I should assume the worst. She said she normally doesn't chase that kind out of the house because they help keep the population of the other critters down." I shuddered again.
Miranda caressed my cheek and let me lean into her hand again.
"Your turn," I said when she withdrew her hand.
"My turn, is it?" she asked with a lilt in her voice.
I didn't want to be any more forward than I had been. When she didn't say anything else, I asked, "May I open my eyes."
"No," she said. "You will leave them closed until I give you permission otherwise." She paused. "Your tea is nearly empty, and I see the waitress moving in this direction. What would you like?"
"More tea," I said. "And I'll need a restroom in a while."
"We'll go together."
"I don't do that," I said firmly.
"Go to the restroom?"
"Um."
She laughed. "I wasn't planning on pressing you up against the wall, Cassidy."
I blushed again.
"But for the record, neither do I."
The waitress stepped in and asked if we needed anything. "Two glasses of tea, and what do you have to eat?" Miranda asked.
"We have a full menu," the woman replied.
"Something not too heavy, a sampler platter perhaps?"
"We have a veggie tray. It comes with three different dipping sauces. We can also do them in a tempura batter. And we have a seafood sampler tray."
"Do you eat seafood, Cassidy?" Miranda asked.
"Yes," I replied. "I won't eat very much calamari or oysters."
"Very much?" she asked.
"I would never order them," I appended.
She chuckled.
"We can substitute," the waitress offered.
"Perfect," Miranda said.
"Very good," offered the waitress. "Anything else?"
"Not right now," Miranda replied. "Unless you're hungrier than that, Cassidy."
"I had dinner," I said. "I'd nibble."
There was a pause, and then Miranda was leaning into me, her mouth over my ear. "I'll be the one nibbling tonight."
My heart rate went up by twenty points, and all I could say was, "Okay." She chuckled at me.
"I wasn't sure if I was going to play my own game," s
he said. "But that's not fair to you." She paused. "But my game, my rules. I'm going to respond a little to the things you said with my own equivalents, then decide what else I want to share." She paused. "My house is more modern than yours. I had it built for me eight years ago. It's a modified two story with a walk-out basement."
"Big house?"
"Well," she said. "It's bigger than I need for just me," she admitted. "But I love the architecture. Four bedrooms, three baths, but the main floor bath is just a powder room." I nodded understanding. "Three car garage, each stall filled." I nodded again.
"What color?"
"The outside is a light slate color, I guess you'd call it," she said. "The inside walls are all white. The builder only did white walls, and I haven't bothered repainting. I keep meaning to, but I just have never taken the time."
I nodded. "What's your favorite room?"
"The bedroom, of course," she said in a sultry voice. I shivered and wished she were sitting closer so I could lean against her.
"Your middle one was about reading. I used to read voraciously, but I haven't in years. I occasionally read the trashy lesfic novel."
"I've never found trashy lesfic," I replied. "Well, none that looked readable. There's a lot of bad lesfic though."
"A lot of good lesfic, too," she replied. "I don't read enough, so I can stick with my favorite authors. Between four or five of them, they come out with a new book often enough I don't have to go looking much further."
"Sure," I said in understanding.
"As for travel..." she paused. "I wish someone had shared your attitude about travel with me twenty years ago. I've let stupid things ruin trips for me, and it didn't occur to me until tonight how petty I was about it." She squeezed my leg. "Most of my trips are good, but I've let lost luggage and bad service ruin entire trips. Now I'm a little ashamed of myself. I'm going to practice your philosophy."
It made me feel really good for her to say that. I grabbed the hand she had on my knee and squeezed it. I was actually pretty proud of my travel habits, and it felt really good to have them validated by this clearly intelligent woman.
"I have never been to Norway and would enjoy that trip immensely. I'm not sure about the Maldives, mostly because I don't know if it's safe there."
"Neither am I, but they have some beautiful resorts."
"I usually do my fun in the sun trips to Hawaii," she added. "And I agree with you about Amsterdam and Paris." I squeezed her hand again.
