Ryan gave her a quick look to confirm that such talk might have made Jamie a little sad. Seeing the dimming of the normal sparkle in her eyes, she deftly changed the subject. "I don't think Granny will be the name of choice for your mother. You'll have to come up with something a lot more elegant."
"Good point. We'll have to work on it. Now are we settled on our living situation?"
"I suppose," she said as she nodded briefly. "You know, most people would agree with Jordan. It does look nuts to leave this life to live in my crummy little neighborhood."
Eyes blazing, Jamie said, "Don't you dare talk about our home like that! It amazes me that you could even say that, Ryan! There is nothing crummy about Noe Valley!"
Ryan looked down at her shoes as she admitted with an embarrassed shrug, "I get kind of insecure when I'm down here. I guess I still think about your father telling me that you could never be happy with our lifestyle. And this all is so far from my experience that it boggles my mind a little bit."
"This is just stuff, Honey. Stuff can never replace family. Never!"
"You're right. I'm sorry that I'm a little insecure." She was gazing intently at her shoes, embarrassed to be caught in such a vulnerable moment.
"I get insecure too. Quite often, if my memory serves me well. It's our job to help each other through it."
When Jordan and Catherine had finished their tour of the first floor, they all trooped upstairs to hit the iron. Jamie's assessment of the space had been absolutely right on. It was not anywhere near as complete a gym as the gorgeous layout in Pebble Beach, but it had been very well designed to include equipment for working every muscle. In lieu of separate machines for most of the muscle groups, there was a large multi-function set up that contained weights and pulleys that could be configured to perform an almost endless variety of exercises. There was also a treadmill, an elliptical cross trainer for cardiovascular training, and an exercise bike. Against the wall rested a graduated set of hand weights and a set of bar bells.
"Excellent setup, Catherine. You have everything that we could possibly need," Ryan proclaimed. Jordan wanted to work on her back and her abs, mostly to stay loose, so she walked over to the free weights to begin her program. Jamie was going to do her regular workout, but she wanted to watch Ryan start with her mother, so she pulled up a weight bench and sat down to observe. "Okay," Ryan began, "let's start with what you want to get out of a weight training program."
"Umm, I'm not sure," Catherine admitted. "I suppose I want to fight gravity and the clock," she said with a laugh.
Ryan nodded thoughtfully. "Weight training is one of the best ways to attack both of those. But let's talk about your overall fitness first. What do you currently do for exercise?"
"Not much," she conceded. "I walk on the treadmill a couple of times a week, but I'm not very consistent with it. It just bores me to death, so I'm not very motivated."
"I don't blame you," Ryan agreed. "I couldn't use a treadmill either. It's too much like a hamster on a wheel for me."
"Don't forget your tennis, Mom," Jamie piped up.
"Oh, I don't," Catherine allowed, "but to be honest, it's not a tremendous workout."
"Only 'cause you're so much better than your competition," Jamie scoffed. Looking up at Ryan she informed her, "Mom is one of those really accurate baseline players. She has great court savvy, and she gets to every ball that's hit anywhere near her. She's a lot better than her friends, and she barely breaks a sweat-even though her opponent is gasping for air!"
"Oh, it's not that bad, Honey," Catherine scoffed, even though she knew it was.
"Hmm…" Ryan said. "You really should get some aerobic exercise at least three days a week. You could play with a better caliber player at your club…"
"No, I'm not interested in that," Catherine admitted. "I like to play just to be social."
"How about walking in the neighborhood? It's so lovely down here that the walk could be enjoyable. And your pool is long enough to get a good workout if you could tolerate doing laps."
"No, I'm not a swimmer."
"How about a bike?" Jamie suggested. "It's much more interesting for me to ride than walk. I feel like I'm really getting somewhere on my bike."
"Hmm, I haven't ridden a bike since I was at Stanford," Catherine said. "I enjoyed it then, but don't you think I'm a little old for that?"
"Not at all!" Ryan assured her. "Gosh, there were a couple of people in their 70s on the AIDS Ride with us."
"I might like that," she said with a twinkle in her eye. "It could remind me of my youth."
"That's why I do most of the things I do," Ryan grinned.
"Let's go get you a bike while the urge is still fresh," Jamie suggested.
"Really? So soon?" Catherine gasped.
"No time like the present," Ryan reminded her.
"Okay," Catherine said, "as soon as we're through here, we'll go shopping."
"Works for me," Ryan said. "I'd like to start with a few exercises to get you started, but I don't want to overwhelm you. Over time we'll add to these to keep you interested, but first we need to build a base. So I'll show you exercises for your shoulders, chest, arms, back, legs, and abs."
"Okay, let's go," Catherine agreed.
Ryan led her through the most basic of exercises for each of her major muscle groups. Catherine was substantially weaker than Ryan would have guessed, but given that she did no work around the house and didn't stress herself at tennis, that was not too surprising. She could only manage ten or fifteen pounds on most of the exercises, but Ryan assured her that she would progress quickly if she kept at it. Ryan urged her to do each exercise ten times but to do only one set at the beginning--as she got stronger she would increase the sets until she could do three, and then they would start to increase the weight on the machine.
Catherine seemed to like the process, and she agreed that she would work out three days a week and that she would give Ryan weekly calls to report on her progress.
When they were done, Catherine was quite tired and her muscles were already beginning to stiffen up. Ryan wanted to suggest a massage, but since she wasn't sure how Jamie or Catherine would feel about it, she held her tongue.
"Oh, my, I'm going to feel this in the morning," Catherine said as she sat on a bench and watched Jamie work.
Without missing a beat, Jamie suggested, "Let Ryan give you a massage, Mom. You'll feel tons better."
Catherine looked at her a little hesitantly but Ryan assured her, "I'm happy to work on you if you feel comfortable."
"Yes, I think I do. I've…um…never had a massage from someone I know, but I think I'd be fine."
"She's the best, Catherine," Jordan piped up.
"And you know my feelings on the matter," Jamie added.
"Okay, Ryan, work your magic," Catherine gamely replied.
As befitted the home that had everything, there was a massage room right off the main weight room. A professional table was set up, and Ryan noted that the room looked as if it were used frequently. "I have a massage here every week," Catherine offered, "but my masseuse doesn't come until Wednesday."
"That's good to know. Over time we can make Wednesday be your hard training day. I'll just step out while you get undressed," she said. "Call me when you're ready." She walked out of the room and dashed over to Jamie for a good luck kiss. "I'm more nervous than I was when I took my final exam in massage school," she admitted. "It's gonna be weird to see your mom naked."
"Just think of it as a preview of coming attractions," Jamie said as she gave her a playful pinch on the butt.
Jordan piped up, "I'd take that attraction right now-much less in twenty years. Your mom is a hottie, Jamie."
You'd better stick to a little safer game, Ryan thought to herself. Jim Evans would shoot you dead if you touched his wife. Speaking of which—I'm going to touch his wife! Yikes!
Ryan ran back just as Catherine called for her. The older woman was lying face down on the table with a pale bl
ue sheet loosely wrapped around her body. Ryan felt her stomach clench as she entered the room. She was actually more nervous than she had ever been about giving a massage, and she wracked her brain to come up with some relaxation techniques for herself. "Would you like some music?" she offered, knowing that her voice betrayed her anxiety.
"That would be nice. There are a number of CD's in the cabinet there," Catherine indicated. Ryan opened the door and found a lot of new age instrumentals, but one disc caught her eye.
"Cool," she muttered to herself as she pulled out Joanie Madden's "Song of the Irish Whistle."
"Pardon, Dear?" Catherine asked.
"Oh," Ryan said as she popped the disc in the very snazzy Bang & Olufsen CD player, "I was just commenting on this CD. This is my instrument, you know."
As the strains of the Celtic harp wafted through the air Catherine turned and looked at her carefully. "This one?"
"No, I play the whistle." Several bars later the ethereal tones of the whistle began. "That one right there," Ryan indicated.
"What a beautiful instrument," Catherine said. "Do you play often?"
"No, as a matter of fact, I don't think I've touched it since I've been with Jamie. I used to express myself through my music, but I just don't have the need anymore. I should get in the habit again. I can't afford to get too rusty if I want to keep it up."
"Jamie would love to hear you play, Ryan. I guarantee you'd have an appreciative audience."
"Good point," Ryan said, much more relaxed now that the calming whistle was trilling in the background. "I'll pull it out as soon as we get home." She approached the table and tried her best to get into her professional mode. "What type of massage are you used to?"
"The person I have now just does traditional Swedish massage, but I love Shiatsu also. Why don't you do whatever you're comfortable with."
I'd be comfortable making a run for it, Ryan thought as her stomach gripped again. She grabbed a bottle of lightly scented massage oil and warmed it in her hands for a few moments as she tried to decide where to start.
She delayed so long that Catherine finally turned onto her back and caught Ryan's wide-eyed gaze. "Are you as nervous as I am?" she asked, a smile brightening her face.
"More," Ryan gulped, feeling better almost immediately just to have the issue out in the open.
"Do you want to just skip it, Dear? I don't want to make you nervous."
"No, no, this is no big deal, Catherine. I'm a professional-I just have to calm my mind for a minute."
"For what it's worth, Ryan, even though I'm a little uncomfortable, I trust you completely." She gave her a warm, open smile, and Ryan felt the rest of her anxiety ease.
Returning the smile, Ryan said, "Let's start some place nice and safe." She stood on the left side of the table and took Catherine's arm in her hands and began to work the massage oil into her flesh. "Let me know how firm a touch you like," she advised.
"I'm tougher than I look, Ryan," she laughed. "I like a lot of pressure."
Hmm, there's a family trait, she thought as she started to work on her mother-in-law's arms.
"I think I'd be more comfortable on my stomach," Catherine said, and Ryan helped her arrange the sheet after she had turned over. Getting back to business, she pulled both arms above Catherine's head as she dug into the muscles with her thumbs. "Perfect," Catherine hissed out in a pleasure-filled moan. "Just perfect."
Oh, God ! Ryan cried inwardly as she realized that Jamie moaned just like her mother did. I've got to get my mind on business! She used every centering technique that she knew, but the only thing that worked was when she reminded herself that Catherine trusted her implicitly. She knows I'm very sexual, she knows I sleep with her daughter, and she knows that her husband would kill both of us if he saw me massaging her. And yet, she trusts herself to be this vulnerable with me. I can't repay that trust by letting my mind wander all over the place. She's not my lover's naked mother. She's a woman who is putting her trust in my hands, and I have to respect that in the same spirit that it's offered.
Once her little pep talk was finished she switched her mind off rather easily and concentrated like she always did. She was soon able to focus only on the tips of her fingers and the individual muscles that her fingers glided over.
Catherine was right on the money when she said she liked a firm touch. Ryan gave her everything she had, but the harder the pressure, the more she liked it. She knew that the aggressive massage would help Catherine's stiff muscles, so she was a little more forceful than normal, and before she knew it she was right back at the arms. God, did I hit everything else? I completely lost track of where I was. Just to make sure, she broke the silence by asking, "Any areas bothering you?"
It took a second for Catherine to realize that the voice was addressing her. "No, I don't have a care in the world," she murmured.
Ryan placed her hand on her back and leaned over a bit. "Relax for a while. I'll leave the music on for you."
" 'Kay," she muttered sleepily as Ryan gently closed the door.
Neither of her companions was in the weight room, so Ryan went down to the first floor to look for them. She put her hands on her hips and glared at the two naked blondes as they lounged in the sauna. "Am I the only one that has to work around here?"
"God, Honey, you were gone for over an hour! What were you doing in there?"
"I had to concentrate really hard to ignore the fact that it was your mom, so I didn't pay any attention to time. The only reason I knew it had been a while was because my hands were starting to cramp. She likes it rough, too," she said with a waggling eyebrow at her lover.
"Me too," Jordan reminded her as she held out the bottle of moisture lotion that she had carried into the sauna.
Ryan sighed heavily as she started to strip out of her clothes. "Do all of you only want me for my hands?" she sighed as she accepted the lotion and started to work on Jordan's lower back.
"That's only half of your allure," Jamie assured her. "Your mouth is equally important to me."
"Not to me," Jordan demurred, letting out a gasp as the powerful hands stroked her tired muscles. "I only need your hands."
As soon as Jordan's brief massage was finished, she wrapped herself up in a towel and announced, "I'm going to bed. Wake me up at the last possible minute, will you, Sport?"
"Will do, Sleeping Beauty. Sleep well."
As Jordan left Jamie asked, "How late was Mia here last night?"
"She was still here this morning," Ryan said, smiling a little.
"Oooh, Mia finally had her way with Jordan, huh? Good for her!"
"You're jumping to conclusions. They were lying on a chair by the pool, fully clothed, when I found them. I think they were talking most of the night."
"For someone who doesn't talk much, that Jordan sure is gabby when she's around Mia. What in the heck is up with her, anyway?"
"I don't know, to be honest. Jordan's a pretty complex person-she's not so easy to figure out."
"She'd better not hurt my Mia," Jamie said, her eyes narrowing. "It's obvious that Jordan is a love 'em and leave 'em kinda girl, and I'm afraid that Mia really likes her."
"Don't make too many assumptions about Jordan. As I say, she's more complex than she seems." A lot more complex, Ryan decided. I think Mia would be in well over her head with Jordan.
They padded into the house in their warm-ups, just making the turn for the stairs when Catherine's voice called out from the living room. "Jamie? Ryan? Can I have a word with you both?"
Catherine was also dressed in a nylon warm-up suit--probably one that she wore after playing tennis, Ryan considered. She looked young and relaxed and attractively casual in the simple cocoa brown outfit that emphasized her eyes, and Ryan considered once again what a fabulous catch the lovely woman was. Jim Evans…you are a putz! she thought, not for the first time.
"When your father was here yesterday, he left these envelopes for you both," Catherine said, handing both woman matching buff-c
olored vellum envelopes.
Ryan and Jamie exchanged glances and Catherine said, "I think they're safe. Too many witnesses for him to put a biological weapon into yours, Ryan."
The tall woman grinned at her with a look of embarrassment. "He continues to disappoint me," she admitted. "I am a little wary of any communication from him."
"You're wise to feel that way, Ryan. He has a tendency to disappoint." She gave Ryan a sad little nod of understanding and waited for the younger women to take a seat.
"I'll go first," Ryan said, ripping open her envelope. A letter and a small plastic card fell out, and she gazed at the card for a long while, her mouth dropping further and further open. It was a credit-card sized piece of plastic with "S. Ryan O'Flaherty" stamped onto it. Below her name it said "Member since September 1999." The top of the card simply read "The Olympic Club."
Wordlessly, she handed it to Jamie and, opening the letter, read it aloud.
Ryan,
Please don't assume that I'm trying to buy your good will with this small gift. The harm that I've tried to cause you could never be ameliorated by so small a token. Instead, please accept this as a small peace offering. I know that Jamie loves Olympic, and I think it would make her happy to play there in the future. Since you are a part of her future, it only seems fitting to include you in that scenario. The membership is yours to do with as you wish. If you don't want it, you can sell it back to the club--the choice is yours. I hold out the hope that one day we can play the course together and enjoy each other's company. I'm certain that I will like you once I get to know you, Ryan, and even though I don't hold out a lot of hope, I pray that the reverse is true, also.
I am truly sorry for the trouble that I have caused you. I have no excuses-none are creditable. I can only try to make it up to you over time, if you will allow me the opportunity.
Sincerely,
Intentions - SF9 Page 6
