Fame

by Susan X Meagher

  ***

  The next night, they sat in Piper’s car while it idled in front of Haley’s apartment building. “We have a lot of buildings just like this in the Valley,” Piper said, looking at the two-story, flat-roofed, 50s style structure. “All of ours have cute names, too. Although Clar-bor doesn’t have much of a ring to it.”

  “My cross streets,” Haley said. “I like the ones with the developer’s kids names. The Shar-Lynns and Barbara-Jeans.”

  “I like you,” Piper said, leaning close to murmur into Haley’s ear. “A lot.”

  Even in the dim car, she could see Haley’s smile glow brightly. “I like you, too. Almost two full days together and I’m not sick of you yet. That’s saying something.”

  “You’re usually sick of a woman in two days?”

  “Calm down,” Haley soothed, running her fingers across Piper’s forehead. “I’m not that easily bored. But I can usually tell right away if there’s anything there.” She moved closer and placed another quick kiss to Piper’s hungry lips. “There’s something here.”

  “There is.” She stared at the apartment building, trying to glower. “One of these days we’re going to go inside there together. Then we’ll really see what’s what.”

  “One of these days is a day I’m very much looking forward to.” Haley grasped her by the shoulders and placed a sizzling hot kiss to her mouth, making bursts of sensation travel down every part of Piper’s body. “But I have a roommate who gets the bedroom. I have a bed that folds up against the wall—in the living room,” she added, making a face.

  “I not only don’t have a roommate, my bed’s on the floor. Haven’t you always wanted to visit Woodland Hills? It’s lovely at this time of year.”

  “I’ll bet it is. Keep being as charming as you were today, and I’ll visit soon.” She threaded her fingers through Piper’s hair and held her still for one more kiss, longer, softer and sweeter than before. “I really hope it’s soon,” she murmured, smiling as she kissed her fingers and placed them on Piper’s cheek.

  It took a second for Piper to slow her breathing down, but she got herself under control and said, “On Saturday night, I’m having a birthday party—for myself,” she said, then laughed a little. “My friends have organized the whole thing, but no one has a yard as big as mine. Will you come?”

  “Um, I’m not great at parties when I don’t know many people. You’ll be busy…”

  “Bring someone. Bring all of your friends,” she said, her enthusiasm growing. “It’s going to be a big one. Over fifty people have said they’re coming.”

  “Really?” Haley asked, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t mind if I bring someone?”

  “Of course not. If you’d feel more comfortable, you definitely should.”

  “Agreed,” she said, grinning. “What time?”

  “Put your email address in my phone and I’ll send you the invitation.” She handed her phone over, nearly bubbling with anticipation. “I was going to ask you last week, but I didn’t want to be too forward.”

  “You’re perfectly forward,” Haley said, pulling her close to give her a final kiss. “Speaking of forward, I’m looking forward to seeing you in your natural element.” She took a look into the back seat. “Who’s going to watch the little prince?”

  “My sister’s coming home. Finally.” She laughed. “I assume that means she’ll plunk him into day care.”

  Haley gave her an indulgent smile, then got out of the car. She bent over and kept her hand on the door handle for a few seconds, smiling at Piper. Then she stood and walked up the sidewalk to her building.

  Piper turned to look at Delta, loafing in his carrier. “I’m not sure I can drive home, buddy. Everything’s tingling!”

  ***

  Piper got to Venice at 6:30 the next night, just missing Haley. Once she’d carefully stowed Delta and his carrier in the backseat, she took out her phone and texted her.

  “I missed you at the shop. Actually, I just miss you.” As she hit “send” the words hit her and she realized it was way too early to say something like that. This wasn’t the first time she’d sent an ill-advised text, but it was one of the first times she’d done so completely sober. The familiar ellipsis showed on her screen, meaning Haley was replying. Even though she got dozens of texts a day, Piper always got a little thrill when she saw that ellipsis. Today it was more of a nagging worry that she’d been too frank, but when the response showed up she started to grin.

  “You miss me? Are you sure you’re from LA?”

  “I’ll show you my birth certificate. Want to grab dinner?”

  “Can’t. Training sessions.”

  “How about tomorrow? I’m off, and I think you are, too.”

  Damned ellipsis. Piper stared at it, hoping to see Haley’s immediate assent. But she didn’t get that. “Working. Traded so I have Sat off. But I can do dinner after seven. Good?”

  Not ideal, but she’d take what she could get. “Perfect. See u tomorrow.”

  They didn’t do anything huge, but Piper relished their dinner, even though she was suffering through an entree salad at one of Haley’s favorite spots. Piper thought that maybe she should have been the one to investigate Haley’s food requirements, since this place only sold soup and salad, two of Piper’s least favorite things.

  They hadn’t gotten together until eight, and now Haley seemed to be fading, putting her hand over her mouth to shield a yawn. “Sorry,” she said, with a good portion of her salad remaining in her bowl. If it had been slathered in good dressing, or had a little meat on it, Piper would have finished it for her. “Had to get up at three to deal with an emergency at the shop.”

  “Then we should get you home. I’ve got an early day tomorrow, too, so turning in early would be good for both of us.”

  “I’m off tomorrow, thankfully, so I can get some things done. Did I mention I’m going home for my cousin’s wedding on Wednesday? Really looking forward to it.”

  “This coming Wednesday? Like a week from now?”

  “Uh-huh. Why?”

  “No reason,” she said, stopping herself cold. She’d almost blurted out that she’d take time off work to tag along! Admitting something like that this early in the game could be the kiss of death, but she was so into Haley the thought of going away with her for a few days was stunningly compelling—even to go to a cousin’s wedding. Piper put her fist in front of her mouth, determined to slap herself in the face if she put any of her crazy instincts into words.

  ***

  Half an hour later, they were in Piper’s car, parked in front of Haley’s apartment building, a place they hadn’t yet entered together.

  Now, as Haley regarded her, with her features barely lit by the blue glow of her dashboard, she concentrated on the thing that gave their time together extra pop—her growing attraction for Piper. That part was all physical.

  Haley had gone out with pretty women before, but none of them had the same effect on her that Piper did. It wasn’t any one thing she could put a finger on—it was more the way all of her attributes fit together to make a perfect package of cuteness.

  Like the way her mouth curled when she smiled, or the softness of her voice. Something about her was irresistible…

  “My sister’s coming home tomorrow night, so if you’re free we could—”

  Haley dove for her, cutting off her words with a kiss she couldn’t begin to contain. After a second to get past the surprise, Piper’s body loosened up and molded to Haley’s, with strong arms enfolding her. As they broke apart, Piper rubbed their noses together, murmuring, “I don’t know where that came from, but keep it coming.”

  Powerless to stop, Haley gripped her tightly and went for it, all of her normal carefulness having evaporated. Her tongue slid into Piper’s mouth, the warm softness of her making the hairs on the back of Haley’s neck stand at attention. Again and again their lips met as their hands roamed over the other’s body, nearly grappling in the tight confines of the SUV.r />
  Panting, Piper pulled away, sucked in a breath and stared at Haley, eyes wide. “Go inside.”

  Those two simple words slapped the sense right back into her. “My roommate’s home,” she said, ready to cry.

  Piper stared at her for a minute, but she didn’t say a word. Her sister’s house had to be close by, so why didn’t she offer it? But she didn’t. She just stared, like she’d been hit in the head with something heavy.

  “I’m sorry for jumping on you,” Haley said, as Piper blinked slowly, like she was waking from a dream. “I shouldn’t have done that…”

  “I will never complain about a passionate kiss,” she said, her voice low and sexy. “It just caught me by surprise. I love surprises, though, so—”

  “It’s been a while since I’ve been with someone I was this attracted to.” She let out a rueful laugh. “Obviously too long.”

  Piper wrapped an arm around her and held on tightly. “Don’t apologize. I almost offered to go to your cousin’s wedding.”

  “You did?” Haley stared at her, so stunned she felt her mouth fall open.

  “Momentary bout of insanity,” Piper said, clearly embarrassed. “I think we’re both a little off kilter. But we’re getting somewhere,” she whispered. “Guaranteed.”

  “I hope so.” Haley tugged her shirt into place and ran her hands through her hair to remove the clear evidence she’d been wrestling in a car. “See you on Saturday?”

  “Yeah. Really looking forward to it.”

  Haley got out and gazed at the car as Piper waved, then put it into gear and drove off.

  That had been a little weird. But she was determined not to drive herself nuts trying to figure out why Piper hadn’t suggested heading to her sister’s—that level of paranoia was unwarranted at best. Piper had proven herself to be kind, thoughtful, smart, funny, good-natured, and seemingly not obsessed with money or status. If Piper didn’t want to head over to her sister’s place, surely she had a good reason. Maybe her sister was super private. Or a total slob. Whatever her reason, Haley reminded herself of the facts: Piper was a genuinely nice person—with a fantastic butt. Haley laughed out loud at that thought, but it was true. She was remarkably attracted to Piper, and that counted for a lot. It wasn’t enough to build a life on—but it was a damn good start. One missed opportunity to fall into bed wasn’t anything to worry about. With luck, another would present itself very soon.

  CHAPTER TEN

  LOLITA LOOKED LIKE A MILLION bucks when she emerged from her room on Saturday evening, enveloped in a cloud of sexy perfume.

  Haley took a long look, then let out an appreciative whistle. “You’re going to have people following you around like dogs going after juicy bones.”

  Lolita did a pirouette, then bowed slightly. “You don’t think the whole guest list is lesbian, do you? I don’t want all the work I’ve put in to be a waste.”

  Thinking that a lot of lesbians would enjoy the show, even if they didn’t get to buy a ticket, Haley spent a moment reconsidering her own choices. Even though it was summer, evenings were almost always cool. So she’d chosen a baby blue and white striped blouse over navy blue shorts. A white crew neck sweater was draped around her shoulders, and she had on navy deck shoes. Big picture, she looked like a neatly dressed deck hand on a yacht. But Lolita looked like she was going to some glitzy spot on Sunset to rub shoulders with movie stars, handsome gangsters, and a bevy of starlets—in 1955.

  Her dress was skin tight, sleeveless, backless, and shimmered in the lamplight, even though it was basic black. It must have been made of some miracle fabric that not only prevented it from falling to the floor, it gave it a striking iridescence. Blood red high heels matched the red clutch she held in one manicured hand, with a chunky red bracelet dangling from her arm. A string of pearls pointed toward her cleavage, which was going to attract the attention of men, women, and nursing infants.

  Lolita honestly looked so delicious that Haley was just about ready to send her alone to avoid the embarrassment of being woefully underdressed. Then she took a second to remind herself where she was going. Piper might have been hiding a wardrobe of cocktail dresses, but she’d look like a nut if she wore one of them. She was a very pretty woman, but, in Haley’s view, she was a shorts and cotton blouse kind of girl.

  “Um, I’m not sure if any single men are coming, but I bet most of the guests are going to be pretty casual.” She hated to be so blunt, but she didn’t want Lolita to stick out like a sore thumb.

  “Good,” she said, turning to look into the mirror on the wall. She puckered up and applied a touch more lipstick, exactly matching her purse and shoes. “I like to stand out in a crowd.”

  “Then we’re good to go,” Haley said. “Want me to drive?”

  She wrinkled up her nose. “I can’t get into your tiny car in this dress.”

  Haley let out a laugh. “You’ve got a point. I guess you’re driving.”

  They went downstairs to find Lolita’s car, which she’d been able to park only a block away. It was a classic, a bright yellow 1970 Oldsmobile 442 convertible that she had washed nearly every day, waxed every quarter, and thoroughly detailed twice a year. Rare was the day you’d find so much as a spot of dirt on the tires, much less the body.

  While the engine thrummed to life and began to warm up, Lolita lowered the top and secured it. She always kept a few extra scarves in the glove box for women who wanted to protect their hairdos, but Haley never bothered. She’d never been in a convertible before she’d moved to LA, and she loved the sensation of her hair blowing in the wind. Even crawling through traffic was more fun when you were in a cool car. Luckily, when just about every guy they passed drooled over Lolita, while paying her no heed at all, she found it amusing rather than disheartening. “Glad I’m gay,” she said, having to speak up over the stereo.

  “Huh? I mean, I’m glad you’re happy, but—”

  “Only because, if I were straight, I’d be pissed that men find me invisible whenever I’m with you!”

  “Those kinds of men aren’t worth bothering with,” she decreed. “A guy who blatantly flirts with a woman passing by has no class. If you really want to pick a woman up, you follow her to where she’s going and approach her then.”

  Haley nodded, musing once again that Lolita had some strange notions about chivalry. If a guy followed Haley home to chat her up, she would have called the cops. The cops wouldn’t have shown up, but she would have called them nonetheless.

  After merging onto the 101, they headed west, finally reaching the Canoga turnoff. The slight climb through residential streets carried them to Ceres, a short little blip of a street. Cars were parked chock-a-block all the way up and down, so they had to park quite a ways away and hoof it. Haley certainly didn’t mind, but Lolita was none too happy to be climbing the hill in shoes doubtlessly intended for walking on a willing man’s chest.

  The house was cute, and very well-tended, just the kind of place Haley could see Piper in. It had probably been built around the time Lolita’s dress had been made, and it hadn’t seen many changes since then. But the shrubs and trees were neatly maintained, and the white trim around the windows and door was pristine.

  They’d been hearing the music since they’d gotten out of the car, and it had only gotten louder. Now they had to speak more forcefully just to be heard. “Someone’s drawn arrows on the driveway in chalk,” Haley said. “The party must be outside.”

  “Excellent,” Lolita said. “I’ll be able to smoke.”

  She never smoked at home or at work, but she loved puffing away at a party. Haley found that odd, but a lot of Lolita’s habits were baffling. Haley believed she smoked just to be able to ask good-looking older men for a light, but kept that suspicion to herself.

  They pushed open a wooden gate next to the garage, and found themselves in a big yard where enterprising souls had draped hundreds of strings of Christmas lights through the foliage. The lights were so plentiful you could have read by them, a
nd they made the yard so delightfully festive Haley found herself smiling at the sight.

  “Enchanting,” Lolita said, her highest compliment.

  Cans of beer and soda rested in tubs on a small patio, and some folding tables held the makings of a pretty good bar. Two big punchbowls were filled with something orange, and Haley got close to read “Piper’s Powerhouse Punch.” “Want some?” she asked Lolita.

  “Just a little. I can’t drink much since I’m driving.”

  “I’m so glad you wouldn’t fit into my car,” Haley teased. “Now I can get sloshed!”

  After she ladled punch into blue Solo cups, they stood off to the side and checked out the party-goers. As she’d expected, most of the people were women, casually dressed. But there were a good number of men, too, of all ages. Lolita coolly assessed the pickings, then set her sights on a blazer-wearing guy who had to have been at least seventy. “I’m going to go see if that handsome devil needs a drink,” she said, abandoning Haley before she’d had two sips of her punch.

  Then a dark-haired woman approached, asking tentatively, “Haley?”

  “That’s me.”

  “Oh, hi!” the woman said, full of enthusiasm. “I’m Jess. Piper described you to us, and we’ve all been on the lookout, but I won!” She took her by the elbow and led her through a sliding glass door that opened to a small dining room.

  The table was filled with snacks, all of them salty and crunchy and so bad for you that they were irresistible. She was about to scoop up a handful of chips when she caught sight of Piper from behind. She was wearing a pale blue sweater and white shorts, her style so complimentary to what Haley had on it would have been hard to believe they hadn’t agreed on their choices beforehand. As Haley moved around to the side, Jess tapped Piper on the shoulder.

  “Ta-da!” she crooned, putting her hands out to point at Haley.