Stay With Me: A Lesbian Romance

by Lydia Rose

  Laura gripped Christine’s shoulders as her breathing came out in pants. “I need you inside me, Chris,” she begged breathlessly.

  Christine kept the pressure of her tongue while her fingers found the place that would make Laura twitch with passion.

  As they lie there panting against each other, Laura said. “At least I have a large hot water heater.” She chuckled. “The water is still warm.”

  They crawled into bed and made love to bodies that no longer washed away the passion they created. A nap followed afterwards.

  “I think we should stay here tonight,” Christine said against Laura’s chest.

  “I don’t have any food in the house.”

  “When we can drag ourselves away from each other, we’ll go grocery shopping.”

  “Chris, I want to thank you for sharing your bed with me last night.” Christine didn’t comment. “Did you feel funny waking up with me in bed with you?”

  “No, Laura I didn’t. Is that why you didn’t want to make love this morning. You thought I would freak?”

  “That and I knew if we started, we would be late to our own moving party.” Her chuckle filled the room.

  “Go take a shower so we can go to the grocery store,” Christine said pushing Laura gently.

  “Aw, do we have to?” Laura groaned.

  “Not unless you don’t want to stay here tonight.”

  “Okay, okay.” Laura sat up. “Come shower with me.”

  “Oh no.” Christine said shaking her finger.

  “What’s the matter, don’t you trust me?”

  “No and I don’t trust myself. You and I are insatiable.”

  “Is that a bad thing?” Laura asked wiggling her behind as she walked toward the bathroom.

  “No, it’s not,” Christine said already off the bed and right behind her.

  ****

  Sunday, they invited Carol and Sara over for lunch. Laura invited Denise too so she could thank her for helping on Thursday. Laura was cooking shrimp on the barbecue and Christine was inside with the salad and risotto. Denise came outside and stood by the grill with Laura.

  “So you all settled in now?” Denise asked fidgeting.

  “Pretty much. I still have to buy stuff for the kitchen, but otherwise, I’m set.”

  “I’ll go with you on your day off if you want company?” Denise asked with a smile.

  “Thanks. I might take you up on that offer.”

  Carol watched from the kitchen window and turned to Christine. “Who is this Denise anyway? I know she helped you on Thursday, but what is she to Laura?”

  “They were best friends in high school.” Christine didn’t elaborate on her answer.

  “I don’t trust her,” Carol said looking outside again.

  “Oh, honey. Don’t be so paranoid,” Sara said putting her hands on Carol’s hips. “If Chris isn’t worried, why are you?”

  Carol turned and looked at Christine. “Are you worried?” She asked moving closer to her.

  “No,” she said not meeting Carol’s intense stare.

  “Bullshit. I see it in your face.”

  “They learned to kiss with each other, but Laura said it never went any further. It’s just the way she stands so close to her or touches her.”

  “Do you trust Laura?” Sara asked.

  “Yes.”

  “So don’t worry about Denise. Laura isn’t interested in her. She loves you,” Sara said.

  “Yeah, but Denise lives next door. I don’t live here. She’s going to try something. I can feel it in my gut,” Christine said still looking out the window.

  “Have you discussed this with Laura?” Sara asked trying to be the rational one in this conversation.

  “I can’t do that. She’ll think I’m being silly,” Christine said knowing she didn’t want to seem needy discussing this with Laura.

  “When are you two going to move in together?” Carol asked.

  Christine shrugged. “Laura hasn’t asked.”

  “That’s because she doesn’t want to push you. She’s waiting for you to tell her you’re ready.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

  The last two weeks Christine spent very little time in her own home. The house on the river became a place she washed clothes and packed her bag for the nights at Laura’s home. They were living together whether Christine wanted to admit it to herself.

  Tuesday at noon, Christine reached for her purse and was just about out of her office when Sally stopped her.

  “Lunch,” Sally asked.

  “Can’t today. Going home for lunch,” Christine said with a grin.

  “You’re not going home. You’re going to Laura’s for a quickie, you dog.”

  “What can I say?” She shrugged her shoulders. “Got to run.”

  Christine parked in front of the house hoping to surprise Laura. She opened the front door and moved her way through the house. Christine came to a halt as she looked out the kitchen window. Laura was in the pool with Denise and they were kissing. Denise had her arms wrapped around Laura’s shoulders and her lips pressed tightly. She felt the tears sting her eyes as she turned and left the house.

  She was back in the office fifteen minutes after she left. Sally saw Christine sitting in her office with the light off.

  “What happened? Wasn’t Laura home?” Sally said turning on the light. She saw the tears and closed the office door. “Chris, what happened?”

  “I saw them,” Christine said allowing the tears to fall.

  “Who?”

  “Laura and Denise. They were in the pool kissing.”

  “Are you sure?” Sally asked thinking it wasn’t possible.

  “I’m sure. I knew that woman was after her.” Christine lowered her head. “I never thought Laura would allow it to happen.” Christine took a tissue and blew her nose. “I opened my heart to her, Sally. Look what’s she done to me?”

  Sally went around to Christine’s side of the desk and hugged her close. “You have to give her a chance to explain.”

  “Explain what? Why she had her mouth on another woman. I can’t think right now. I’m going home.”

  Christine spent the afternoon curled up in a ball in her bed. Every scenario that she thought of, none made sense. There was just no reason why Laura was kissing her.

  Her phone rang at five thirty. Of course, it was Laura. She knew she would have to answer otherwise she would show up at her house. “Hello,” she said coldly.

  “Hi. What time will you be home?” Laura’s voice showed she was smiling with delight.

  “Sorry. I forgot to call you. I have a meeting and dinner with some clients. I’m going to go home after that.” The lies came easily as she spit them out.

  “You can still sleep here, you know?” Laura was stunned by the lack of emotion in Christine’s voice. “What’s wrong, Chris?”

  “Nothing.” She paused. “Sorry, but the meeting is starting.” She pressed the end button.

  Laura sat there looking at the phone wondering what had happened between this morning and now

  Thursday night at the restaurant Laura had a hard time concentrating. She was surprised when she got home Wednesday night and Christine wasn’t in their bed. She called her Thursday morning, but the call went to voicemail. Christine sent a text an hour after the message was left saying she couldn’t talk. Instinct told her that when she got home, Christine wouldn’t be there

  Friday afternoon she put on her bathing suit and packed an overnight bag. She drove to Christine’s house and got into the pool.

  Christine walked in her front door at five thirty that evening. She dropped her suit jacked on the banister and slipped off her shoes. Entering the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. Turning she looked out the window. Sputtering the water, her eyes opened wide as she saw Laura on the pool mat. She walked to the patio door and watched as she floated around the pool. Christine knew the water had to be cold because she hadn’t turned the heater on sinc
e Laura moved into her new house. She removed her pantyhose before opening the patio door.

  Laura rolled over on the mat and looked at Christine. “Hi,” she said with a shy wave.

  “Isn’t that water cold?” Christine asked pointing with her water bottle.

  “Yeah, what’s with that? Did your heater break?” Laura asked floating toward the pool stairs.

  “No one was using the pool,” she shrugged. “So I turned it off.”

  Laura put the towel around her shoulders and walked toward Christine. She lifted the bottle out of Christine’s hand and took a long drink. “Thanks,” she said as she handed the bottle back to her. “Are you going to invite me in?” She nodded with her head toward the house.

  Christine turned and opened the patio door. Laura followed closely.

  “You have to talk to me sooner or later. I just want to know what happened. What changed?” Laura asked almost touching Christine’s arm. As she reached out, Christine stepped away.

  What could she say? She wanted to yell at Laura. Tell her that she couldn’t have both of them. “I told you no threesomes,” Christine hoped levity would deflect the pain she felt in her heart.

  Laura’s head tilted not understanding the statement. “I know,” she said with a grin. “You did say foursomes were acceptable, right?”

  “No, Laura. I was never good at sharing.”

  “Honey, I’m only kidding. Who told you I wanted a threesome?”

  All she could get out her mouth was, “Denise,” before the tears began to fall and she turned away.

  “That bitch,” Laura shouted. “I told that bitch on Tuesday that if she couldn’t keep her hands to herself.” Laura growled. “I didn’t want to see her again.”

  Christine spun on her bare feet. “I saw you kissing her,” she said softly.

  “On Tuesday. You were at my house?” Christine nodded. “What you saw was her kissing me.” Laura moved closer. “If you stuck around a little longer. You would have seen the fight and me throwing her out of the yard.”

  Christine’s mouth opened, but she couldn’t put a clear thought together.

  “Denise apologized the next day. Turns out when we were practicing, you know, kissing. She was hoping I would see her differently. I told her I always thought of her as a sister. There could never be anything between us.”

  Christine looked into Laura’s eyes. “I thought you were tired of waiting for me to get my act together.”

  “No, honey. I told you I love you and that means you wait for your partner to catch up with your swelling heart.” Laura wrapped her arms around Christine not worrying that she was wet. “You know, maybe if we lived together.” She looked at her face. “People might take our relationship seriously?”

  “Do you mean that, Laura? You want me to move in?”

  “Honey, I bought that house for us. I let you decorate it so you would be comfortable there. I didn’t know what else to do without coming right out and asking you to move in with me.”

  “I need to call Kim,” Christine said moving out of Laura’s embrace.

  “I think that could wait until tomorrow,” Laura said bringing her close again.

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

  “Well, it’s official,” Laura said as she walked in the front door.

  “She accepted the offer?” Christine asked with her hand on her heart.

  “Yep. Now that her Food Network show was picked up for another two seasons.” Laura shrugged. “The offer that was made on the restaurant was too good to turn down.”

  “I’m happy for them that they’ll have more time to be with each other,” Christine said smiling.

  “The new owner offered me a full time job at the restaurant,” Laura said looking at Christine. She watched as Christine’s eyes widened in horror. “I told him thank you, but no thank you.”

  Christine smiled again. “What are you going to do?”

  “I honestly don’t know,” she said shrugging.

  ****

  It was now the middle of October and Laura was tired of playing a housewife. She cooked, did the laundry, grocery shopping and took Christine’s suits to the cleaners. Laura emphatically refused to clean the house. She hired a woman named Cheryl who came in once a week to clean and change the sheets on the bed. She’d make lunch for Cheryl and at least once a week, she would have a conversation with another human being during the day. Today she walked around the house bored and it was only nine thirty in the morning. She walked past the room that had been decorated as a warm office. The book shelves and dark mahogany desk sat in the room untouched most days. She down in the desk chair and stared at the computer screen. I need to write a cook book. Then Laura thought there are millions of cookbooks on the market and the most popular belonged to the TV stars. Even her friend Molly had her own cookbook. If she decided to do this, it would have to be different from anything out there in the market. She booted up the computer and began an outline. For the first time in weeks, Laura was smiling. After the outline was completed, she started a shopping list. Now she sent a broadcast text about a dinner party at the house Saturday night. The text read, dinner Saturday night at seven. Dress nice because there will be pictures taken. Within the hour, everyone had responded favorably. Laura knew Christine would be perfect as the photographer. She had been taking pictures again and they were hung all over the house.

  Laura now began writing an email to Molly asking about her publisher. She also told her about her idea for the book.

  Molly responded immediately, but with a phone call. “Hi. I saw your email. I think it’s a great idea. There’s really nothing out there like that. I’ll text you the information on my publisher and I will let them know you’ll be in contact.”

  “Thanks, Molly. How’s the show going?”

  “Wonderful. I can’t believe how lucky I am. Do you know how wonderful it is to get into bed with the woman you love at a decent hour?”

  “Yes,” Laura said with a laugh.

  “Yeah, I guess you do.” Molly paused. “You sound good Laura.”

  “It’s because I finally have something to do with my time. I’m not going to contact your publisher until I do the first dinner party and shoot. Hey, are you and Sharon free for dinner on Saturday?”

  “Sure.”

  “You won’t mind being in the pictures, will you?” Laura thought having a famous TV chef in her book wouldn’t hurt either.

  “I’d love to. Besides, I owe you big time for selling the restaurant and putting you out of work.”

  “Molly, I could have found another job if I wanted to. So no guilt, please.”

  “Okay, what time?”

  “Seven. I told the other guests to dress nicely.”

  Molly giggled. “See you Saturday night.”

  Christine came in the house at five fifteen through the back door. She walked into the kitchen expecting to see Laura there. She looked out the kitchen window thinking she walked right past her, but saw an empty yard. “Laura, she called out.” She walked up the stairs, never noticing Laura in the office. Christine went from room to room searching. Finding the upstairs empty, she went back down the stairs, this time seeing Laura in the office typing away on the computer. “Hi,”

  Laura looked up and smiled. “Hi. What time is it?”

  “After five,” Christine said moving closer to her. She leaned over the front of the desk and kissed Laura’s mouth. “Didn’t you hear me call you?”

  “Sorry, no.”

  “What are you watching porn or something?” Christine asked with a giggle.

  “Funny,” Laura grinned as she held her hand out. “Come on this side and see.”

  Christine moved next to Laura and looked at the computer screen reading what she had written. “What’s all this?”

  “I’ve decided to write a cookbook.”

  Christine raised her eyebrows. “Really?”

  “Sure. Why not? Molly thought I had a good idea.”

  Christine walked around
to the front of the desk and took a seat in one of the club chairs. “Tell me your idea?” She asked with a smile.

  “There are so many cookbooks out there that just give you recipes. I want to do something different. I will give you the recipe, but I also want to tell a story about each recipe and the friends who are there enjoying the meal. Our first party is Saturday night and I need a photographer.” Laura smiled.

  “No you don’t,” Christine grinned widely. “You have me.”

  “I was hoping you’d offer.” Laura walked around the desk and sat in Christine’s lap. “Thank you.” She planted a deep kiss on her mouth. “Dinner’s going to be a little late tonight.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m just happy to see you happy about something.” Christine kissed Laura’s nose. “You’ve been moping around here for weeks.” She pushed Laura off her lap. “I was tempted to tell you to go look for a job.”

  “You were?” Laura asked surprised.

  “I didn’t want to see you unhappy. Even if it meant we wouldn’t see each other much.”

  “Even if this doesn’t work for me. At least I’ll have something to keep me busy for a while.”

  Christine came into the house Friday night knowing exactly where she would find Laura. She walked into the office and said. “We have one more guest coming to dinner.”

  “Who?” Laura asked looking up from the computer.

  “Sally. I told her about your book and she begged to be involved. She said she would even help with the cooking.”

  “Everyone is going to be involved in the cooking. That’s the point of the book.” Laura furrowed her brow. “Did she break up with Steve?”

  Christine nodded. “He went back to his wife.” She sighed loudly. “I knew that wasn’t going to end well.” Christine moved closer to Laura. “You know I’m risking my job being with you?”

  “You are?” Laura asked surprised.

  “Yes. There’s a strict rule that says we can’t date clients.”

  Laura smiled. “We’re not dating.”

  Christine stood next to Laura. “Well, we’re not roommates.”

  Laura put her arm around Christine’s hips. “What’s they’re rule about marrying the client?”