by Annette Mori
“Oh, all right, but can we hit the gay bar tonight?” Joy asked.
Rachel looked at Sophia for confirmation that she was up for an evening out on the town.
Sophia nodded.
“I’ll bet you know exactly where to go,” Rachel remarked.
“Yes, indeed, I do,” Joy answered.
Chapter Twenty
Lara’s worst nightmare had just come true. She’d lost the love of her life and the woman she simply could not resist. This was unacceptable. She’d been surprised at Rachel’s protectiveness toward Sophia. She’d expected Joy to be a pit-bull, but Rachel’s reaction was a bit alarming. None of them were stupid women, that’s what she most admired about them, and they’d certainly boxed her into a very neat corner.
She needed time to think. For now, she would let them think they’d won. She would sign all the papers without a fuss and then she would consider her options. She saw Sophia soften for a moment and that was her glimmer of hope. Certainly, her error was not fatal.
Lara honestly believed she would be able to get Sophia back. She would have to give up Rachel, but she could do that.
I guess it’s true you never know what you have until you lose it, she mused.
Lara would allow Sophia her three-week vacation and give her time to process everything before she made a move. It made sense to Lara that Sophia would want to discuss what they needed to do about Fawn. After all, Fawn was as much her cat as Sophia’s. They didn’t have children, but it was common knowledge that lesbians considered their pets their furbabies. Joint custody arrangements were not unheard of. This would be her foot in the door. A medical emergency might even cause Sophia to come home early and she could work on her reconciliation plan. In reality, she did love the little furball. She loved them both, Fawn and Espresso. Lara had a surprising soft spot for her cats.
As Lara was pondering her dilemma, her phone rang. She was surprised to see who was calling her.
“Hello, Chelsea. Yes, it is a surprise to hear from you so soon. I wasn’t expecting you to call. No, not an inconvenient time, but I’m not in Seattle at the moment. No, Victoria. Yes in British Columbia. Actually, I am available because my plans were suddenly altered. Yes, I can meet you for lunch tomorrow. I look forward to seeing you as well. All right, I’ll meet you there.”
Lara sighed. Would this day of surprises never end?
Lara pressed the buttons on her phone to connect with her travel agent. There was no sense in staying in Victoria now that everything had blown up in her face. She’d make sure her travel advisor got a large bonus this year. Perhaps she would be able to get some work done tonight. She grimaced as she remembered scanning through the legal papers delivered today. She would need to work hard to restore her fortune.
“Hey, sorry to bother you again, but I need a flight out as soon as possible. Yes, that should work. Can you also arrange for the limo to pick me up and bring me back to my house? No, Rachel will not be traveling back with me at this time. Thanks, you’re a lifesaver.”
At least when she got home, Espresso would be happy to see her. Cuddling up to her cat was not what she expected to be doing this evening, but Lara was flexible and adaptable. She would turn this lemon into lemonade.
†
Paparazzi Nightclub was the only gay club in Victoria. Throughout the years, other clubs had come and gone and now, this was the only game in town— the new rage for the LGBT crowd. Men seemed to outnumber the women by two to one and as a result, the music was the typical loud bass found in mostly gay clubs. The term butt-fucking music was often used to describe the repetitive beat that seemed to go on forever with each new song. While the songs may have been contemporary, none of them were familiar to Sophia. The songs just ran together, one right after another, and Sophia could barely tell them apart.
The mirrored ball rotating above their heads was so cliché for a dance club. The cheesiness of the club struck a funny bone with Sophia.
Immediately upon their arrival, Sophia made a beeline to the bar to obtain drinks for everyone. She wanted to hide in a corner and drink wine. After chugging her first glass, Rachel sauntered to the bar to get her another. The loud music made it difficult to have a conversation so Sophia was content to do a little people watching from her tiny real estate against the wall.
She was sipping her second glass of wine because she needed to slow down or she’d end up intoxicated and that was not something she wanted to do. Joy was on the dance floor with a beautiful Canadian woman. Tara or Tanya, Sophia couldn’t remember her name, but did register her as the woman who suggested Milestones for drinks and Paparazzi as the only gay nightclub in Victoria.
Rachel had asked her to dance a few times, but Sophia felt self-conscious, so she just shook her head and made some excuse. Sophia couldn’t remember the last time she’d danced in a nightclub. She would have danced to a slower song if Rachel had asked, but she worried that Rachel might somehow notice her growing attraction. Fortunately, the club didn’t play too many slow songs.
Joy danced to her with her latest infatuation and pulled both Rachel and Sophia to the dance floor. “Come on, you two. Dance with us. You’d think you were at a funeral instead of a club.”
Sophia let the music flow through her and began to sway as she watched Rachel move her body to the music. Rachel was an exceptional dancer as she let the beat dictate her moves and her raw sexual energy burst out onto the dance floor.
Rachel’s movements put Sophia in a trance. She began to match the sway of her hips until she felt like she was in a syncopated rhythm with Rachel.
“Damn. You two look hot together. How long have you been together?” Tanya or Tara asked.
Rachel laughed.
Sophia stuttered a response. “Um…we’re…not…uh…together.”
“Coulda fooled me. You should be then, you know, together.”
The music slowed down and before Sophia could exit the dance floor, Rachel pulled her close and whispered in her ear. “Don’t leave. Please, dance with me.”
Sophia nodded and let her body melt into Rachel’s. She could feel Rachel’s breasts meet her own and a shiver traveled up her back. She let her arms wrap around Rachel’s neck as Rachel’s hands traveled across her back, coming to a rest just above her ass. A few more inches and she would feel the caress on her behind. She worked hard to keep herself in shape and this was the one part of her body she felt good about.
This is innocent—one slow dance won’t kill me, even if I am drawn to her, she reasoned.
It felt so good to have Rachel’s arms wrapped around her that Sophia failed to notice the change in the music beat.
Joy tapped her shoulder and smirked. “Um, I think slow dance time is over.”
Sophia pulled away. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Rachel’s eyes bore into Sophia and ignited a fire inside. The words to Ring of Fire, burned inside Sophia’s head.
Sophia needed to distance herself from Rachel. All of a sudden all the flashing lights, the aroma of sweat and arousal mixed with Rachel’s unique sweet smell of lavender and lemongrass, and the loud bass sounds, were too much for Sophia. She ran for the bathroom in an attempt to escape her growing feelings.
Sophia looked in the mirror and grimaced at the dark circles under her eyes. It was no wonder, she thought, that Lara ran to the arms of beautiful, lively, Rachel. “Shit, shit, shit, why couldn’t I have politely declined that dance?”
Sophia jumped when she heard Rachel answer. “It doesn’t have to mean anything more than a dance if you don’t want it to. I know it’s far too early and our emotions are too raw to be thinking of anything else for either of us. I would never do anything to make you feel uncomfortable. I’m sorry. We can go now if you want. I’ll walk back to the hotel with you.”
“I didn’t hear you come in.” Sophia sighed. “I need a friend right now, more than a lover, but God, I wish that weren’t the case.”
“I can be a good friend, Sophia. I want to be
a good friend. Timing is everything and unfortunately, the timing sucks. You do know that if either of us had met before Lara, things might have been very different.”
“Maybe, or this might be a result of our shared drama. We can relate to one another’s pain like no-one else. That’s probably what’s causing this,” Sophia waved her hand between herself and Rachel. “This, between the two of us.”
Rachel laughed. “It’s good to know that I’m not the only one with totally inappropriate thoughts and feelings.”
“Come on, friend. Let’s blow this popsicle stand. There is far too much stimuli out there for me. We should let Joy know we’re leaving but I’m sure she won’t mind.” Sophia grabbed Rachel’s hand and pulled her from the washroom back into the grinding couples, free flowing alcohol, and madness of the club. She told herself that sometimes friends held hands.
†
As far as anyone else knew, Joy was a happy go lucky club dweller, but she hadn’t missed Sophia’s abrupt departure after her slow dance with Rachel. Joy’s shrewd eyes did not miss how much her best friend seemed to gravitate toward the stunning woman.
Joy wasn’t sure whether this was a good or bad thing for her friend, but she decided she better stop all her innocent flirtations with Rachel just in case something positive developed between the two. She could see them together. They would be good for one another.
She watched them emerge from the bathroom with their hands linked together and smiled. Perhaps the timing sucked, but all was fair in love and war. Timing be damned. If they were meant to be, then so be it. Joy vowed to stand by Sophia, no matter what.
As Rachel and Sophia approached Joy, she separated from her pseudo date. “Why do I get the feeling that the two of you are about to abandon me?”
“I’m sure you’ll survive. You seem to have your own personal tour guide slash companion to keep you company if you decide to stay a little longer, but I’m beat and Rachel offered to walk back with me. You don’t mind if we take off now, do you?” Sophia asked.
What the hell. Joy decided a little nudge in the right direction wouldn’t hurt. She whispered in Rachel’s ear. “Hey, I don’t suppose you would mind switching rooms with me tonight. I got you a room with a king bed and Sophia and I were supposed to share the double queen room. Tanya’s lived here her whole life and never stayed at the Empress. I thought maybe I could take her back to my room, but Sophia might cramp my style a little.”
Rachel chuckled. “Give me your key and you can keep mine. Knock yourself out. I’m glad someone is riding the love train tonight.”
“You’re all right, Rachel. Just so you know—you have my blessing to pursue anything you want tonight. Sophia’s the best. I love her like a sister, so you best treat her with respect if you do decide to jump on that love train. Be warned, though, I’ll cut off your clit if you hurt her.”
“You don’t have to worry. We’re just friends. So you can stop your match-making. Rest assured if it ever did develop into something more, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to fuck it up like Lara.”
“Hey, no whispering behind my back. I’ll get a complex,” Sophia interjected.
Joy pulled the hotel key cards from her purse and handed one to Sophia and the other to Rachel. She grinned at Sophia. “See you later, little Miss Boring.”
“Hey don’t stay up all night. Remember we have our whale watching excursion tomorrow and I wouldn’t want you to fall out of the boat and become a tasty meal for the Orcas,” Rachel reminded Joy.
“I’m too full of piss and vinegar for them to want me,” Joy countered.
Rachel chuckled and waved at Joy, then took Sophia’s hand and led her out of the club.
†
On the way back to the hotel, the full moon reflected off the glass like surface of the water. The hustle and bustle that had been a prominent part of the Inner Harbor was invisible now. Rachel and Sophia were the only two people walking along the path. The stillness of the night only served to emphasize the strong beating of Rachel’s heart as they meandered back to their final destination for the evening.
Rachel hadn’t shared with Sophia the sleeping arrangements. She wondered if it would be an issue and didn’t want to disturb the peacefulness of the night.
If this had been a date, Rachel would already have swept Sophia in her arms and kissed her against the backdrop of the moon as it shimmered just for them. The temptation to do just that was overwhelming and it took every ounce of Rachel’s willpower to stop herself from tasting Sophia’s sweet lips.
As they reached the entrance of the Empress, Rachel broke the silence. “I hope you won’t be angry, but I agreed to switch rooms with Joy so she can entertain Tanya this evening. I’ll be your roomy for tonight, unless you’d prefer to have your own room.”
Sophia turned to look at Rachel and captured her eyes. “I’ll probably regret this, but no, I don’t want my own room. I’d rather not be alone tonight. If it won’t make you too uncomfortable, I’d really like you to stay with me.”
Rachel hadn’t released Sophia’s hand as they waited for the elevator that would take them to their floor.
“No, it won’t make me uncomfortable at all. Oh crap, I just thought of something. My backpack is in the other room. You wouldn’t happen to have an extra t-shirt I can borrow. I’ll call down to the lobby to get a toothbrush and toothpaste, but unless you don’t mind seeing me prance around naked, I’ll need to borrow something to sleep in.”
Sophia blushed and bit her lip. “Um, I normally sleep in the nude, but I did pack a couple of t-shirts. They aren’t terribly long and I suspect they won’t even cover your ass.”
Rachel shrugged. “Well, I guess they will just have to do.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Will they cover your ass?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Why unfortunately? I would say my luck just changed,” Rachel teased.
“Friends. Remember?”
“Oh yeah, that’s right. You’ll have to forgive me. The older I get, the more forgetful I become.”
Sophia bumped her shoulder. “Be good.”
“I’m always good,” Rachel answered.
“Stop flirting.”
Rachel released Sophia’s hand and held up her palms. “Okay, okay. I’ll try to be good, but flirting with you is just so easy.”
Rachel pulled the key card from her back pocket and slipped it into the door. She smiled as she took in the solid mahogany furniture representative of the hotel’s old world charm. The suite came complete with a fireplace, sitting area, and small kitchen. The room was nearly as cozy as her home in Seattle. The only evidence that this was a hotel room was the prominent queen beds side by side separated by a healthy amount of space.
The distance wasn’t going to be wide enough to keep Rachel from thinking about the beautiful woman who would occupy the bed beside her. So close, yet so far away.
Sophia blushed. “Uh, I think I’ll change into my t-shirt and brush my teeth first if you don’t mind.” She rummaged through her expensive suitcase and tossed a bright blue shirt to Rachel.
Rachel smiled as she caught the shirt and noted that the royal blue color was one of her favorites. Women had often told her that the color looked especially nice on her and brought out her deep blue eyes.
After Sophia shut the door to the expansive bathroom with the enormous soaking tub, Rachel called up room service to have toothpaste and a toothbrush delivered. She pulled down her jeans and carefully folded them on the wingback chair. She’d only managed to get her shirt halfway undone when Sophia emerged from the washroom. The snug t-shirt clung to Sophia’s body like a second skin and Rachel could see her nipples protruding as if they were standing at attention awaiting her orders. Rachel couldn’t help herself as she stared at Sophia who seemed to be equally engrossed in her own state of mid-dress.
Rachel was glad she had selected the matching lilac purple bra and panties set. It wasn’t her usual attire, but for some reason she’d decided to bring t
he surprise gift that Lara had bought her the previous year.
Rachel turned around and slipped off her bra and shirt, quickly pulling the blue t-shirt over her head.
The knock on the door startled them and Rachel chuckled when she noticed that neither of them was dressed and ready to answer the door. She walked into the bathroom and grabbed both robes hanging on the hooks by the tub. She smiled at Sophia. “Unless you want to give the poor bellhop a very exciting show, I suggest you put on this robe.”
Sophia laughed and pointed at Rachel. “Ditto.”
Rachel threw the robe on her half-dressed body, glanced over her shoulder to make sure Sophia had her own robe on, and opened the door.
A young woman offered Rachel the needed toiletries.
Rachel stuck them in the large pocket on the robe and held up her finger. “Wait one second.” She dug into her jeans and found a ten dollar bill, handing it to the woman who thanked her and stepped away from the door as Rachel closed it behind her.
Sophia blinked once and then seemed to snap out of her trancelike state. “The bathroom’s all yours.”
As Sophia started to walk toward one of the beds, Rachel passed her on her way to the washroom. In an effort to avoid colliding with Sophia she stepped to the right just as Sophia was stepping to the left.
“Oh, sorry. Excuse me.” Sophia touched Rachel’s arm and started to move away.
“Now, Sophia, you’re not angling for another slow dance, are you?” Rachel asked.
Sophia shrugged and looked directly into Rachel’s eyes.
Rachel had never wanted to kiss someone so badly in all her life. She placed both hands on each side of Sophia and looked at her plump lips just begging to be kissed. “I shouldn’t do this. We shouldn’t do this. Shit, you’re still legally married.”
“Stop talking.” Sophia brought their lips together.
