Separate Like Stars

by Diana Kane

  “Oh just wear you’re hat and sunglasses, and you’ll probably be fine. But you’re buying.”

  “You’re gonna make me pay for that until I leave, aren’t you?”

  “Probably,” she agrees with a smirk before turning and leaving the room. “Let’s go, Jordan,” she shouts seconds later when I’ve failed to follow her.

  Chapter 27

  “You’re back!” Olivia greets me as I stand shivering on her porch. I had just about given up on her being home when I caught her silhouette through the translucent glass of the front door.

  “Sorry, I should have called first,” I acknowledge as I take in Olivia’s wet hair and the few drops of water dotting her neck.

  “What? I just got home from du Pays a bit ago and was in the shower,” she shares as I enter and she closes the door behind me. “I’m surprised to see you. I didn’t realize you’d be back today.”

  “Yeah. You’re the only one who knows I’m home. I don’t feel like dealing with mom’s inevitable interrogation quite yet, so I kept my return quiet,” I answer with a laugh as I take a seat just inside the entryway and am enthusiastically greeted by Lexa, Artemis, and Apollo.

  “I’m not sure who missed you the most,” Olivia chuckles as she watches the trio vie for positioning on my lap. Lexa’s victory is short-lived when Artemis stills in Lexa’s face and glares at her. My breath leaves me in a rush as Lexa darts off of my lap and cowers behind Olivia’s legs as Artemis claims her victory, immediately positioning herself in my vacated lap. “Oh my god,” Olivia gasps between howls of laughter. “That cat has more sass than Violet Crawley and Pam on True Blood combined,” she manages as she continues laughing.

  “She does,” I agree as Apollo joins Artemis. “How have you been?” I ask as I pet the purring duo.

  “I’m good. Adjusting to adding teaching to my schedule, but things are going well,” she shares with a broad smile. “Isn’t the better question how are you doing?”

  “I’m fine. Happy the commotion surrounding the announcement is dying down, thrilled that Kira and Gavin are still getting on, and glad to be home.” I watch Olivia assess me as I evict Artemis and Apollo from my lap and get back to my feet.

  “You really are okay, aren’t you?”

  “You mean with the breakup?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I am,” I assure her with a smile. “It’s been building for a while. It isn’t that we don’t care about one another, it’s just that we want different things out of life. Addison will always be important to me. I’ll always be fond of her, but when we decided to be honest, we’ve been maintaining a friends with benefits style relationship for quite a while. We both agree that we will remain friends, but try to eliminate the added benefits when we see one another.”

  “Try?” Olivia inquires, the familiar crease forming across her forehead seeming a touch deeper than it used to.

  “Yeah, try. I mean for all of our differences, Addison and I had strong sexual chemistry. If we see each other and we’re both single…I mean she’s familiar, and I know being with her is fulfilling. I wouldn’t rule it out, is all I’m saying.” Olivia quietly stares at me as I wonder if I’ve overshared or somehow made her uncomfortable. Addison’s words echo through my head once again, leading me to wonder if my confession somehow hurt Olivia on a deeper level. “I mean, what if you saw Brielle? Could you say with certainty that you wouldn’t sleep with her?”

  “Few things in life are ever certain. That said, the likelihood that I’ll see Brielle is incredibly low.”

  “It’s also unlikely that I’ll see Addison. She’s always busy filming and has little reason to visit Jupiter Falls. I’m sorry if I’ve shared too much. I was only trying to be honest about the situation and why I’m okay.”

  “I get it,” she answers before running her fingers through her short hair. “Would you like to stay for a bit or do you need to get home?”

  “It’d be nice to catch up properly. Have you had dinner yet? We could go into town for something,” I suggest.

  “I haven’t had dinner yet,” she replies with a smile. “I have a chicken in the rotisserie and was going to make some white cheddar mashed cauliflower and a salad to go with it. I’ll have plenty for both of us if you want to stay.”

  “I don’t want to intrude if you’re expecting company,” I inform her as I follow her down the hallway towards the kitchen.

  “Why would you assume I’m expecting company?” she asks as we enter the kitchen and the aroma of the chicken wallops my senses, making my stomach grumble loudly. Olivia laughs as she opens the refrigerator and begins removing several vegetables.

  “Well, you’ve got a whole chicken in there,” I remind her as I point towards the rotisserie. “Also, it’s Saturday night,” I state with a slight shrug. “You could be hosting Kirsten or a date or something.”

  “None of the above,” she answers with a laugh as I lean against the side of the counter and Lexa nudges my hand. “The leftover chicken is great for soups and salads. It’s easy to shred and freeze for later. I am, however, going into the city to have brunch with Kirsten and her husband tomorrow. You should join us,” she adds as she gathers a knife and cutting board.

  “Can I help with anything?” I offer, earning a pointed look from Olivia before she shakes her head with a smile. Her refusal doesn’t surprise me. I always offer to help, and she always turns me down, preferring to be the master in her kitchen at home as well as work. “So is this brunch tomorrow some sort of meeting?”

  “Of course not! I wouldn’t be thoughtless enough to invite anyone along if it were that. It’s just brunch with friends. Luke’s brother and his wife will be there, along with a few other people they know. It should be fun,” she adds as she fills a pot with water and deposits it on the stovetop to get it boiling. “I’m inviting you to join us. I doubt anyone would mind and I think you’d have a good time. Entirely up to you though,” she adds as she picks up the knife and begins making quick work of slicing the veggies for our salads.

  “Okay,” I answer as the blur of her knife making quick work of the vegetables hypnotizes me.

  “Okay?” she echoes me, as she finishes slicing a cucumber and sits down the knife, freeing me from the trance I was under.

  “Yeah. I’ll go.”

  “Just like that?” she asks as she grabs a few radishes and starts working again.

  “Were you expecting me to say no?”

  “I was expecting you to make me work a lot harder to convince you to join us,” she says as she looks up and smiles at me while continuing to slice the radishes. I return her smile but quickly drop my eyes to the cutting board, concern replacing the curl that had occupied the corners of my mouth. “Relax. I’ve been doing this for years,” she assures me. “I could do it blindfolded. Wanna see?”

  “No,” I emphatically answer as she tosses the radish slices on our salads and begins slicing some mushrooms.

  “Shit,” she exclaims, dropping the knife and turning to the sink. I’m around the bar in the time it takes her to turn the water on, ready to take her in for stitches if I need to.

  “Are you okay? Let me see it,” I demand as I reach for her hand. I turn it over and back twice before I realize that she was favoring her knife hand. Olivia starts laughing as realization dawns across my face.

  “Oh my god, if you could see your face right now,” she pushes out through her laughter.

  “You’re not as amusing as you think you are,” I point out as I flip some of the cold tap water at her. Her laughter turns to a shriek as it soaks the front of her shirt, causing me to roar with laughter.

  “Holy shit that’s freezing,” Olivia exclaims as she pulls the grey fabric away from her skin. I laugh, but it quickly turns to a scream as I spy Olivia reaching for the sprayer. I move to dash around the counter but feel the coldness hit me in the back before Lexa comes to my defense and attempts to attack the water much like she did the garden hose last fall.

  “My
hero,” I manage as I take a deep breath.

  “Traitor,” Olivia scowls at Lexa before she hits her with another blast from the sprayer. We both start laughing again as Lexa resumes her attack and errant drops of water fall to the floor.

  “Next thing I know you’ll be telling me to rub the lotion on my skin and to put Lexa in the basket,” I joke, causing Olivia to stop spraying Lexa and look at me like she’s unfamiliar with the reference. “It’s from Silence of the Lambs,” I remind her.

  “I know. I don’t think I’ve watched it since the night of mom’s funeral,” she shares.

  “I remember.” Of course, I’ve seen it since that night, but I failed to recognize the association Olivia would make with it.

  “It was the last time we were together before I fucked it all up,” she whispers before returning the sprayer to its home.

  “I’ll get the mop,” I finally reply after staring at her back for a few seconds, unsure how to respond.

  “Don’t worry about it. Lexa will have it cleaned up in no time,” she answers as she turns around and watches Lexa making quick work of the small puddle on the floor. “I’ll mop after dinner or sometime tomorrow.”

  “You sure? I don’t mind doing something helpful.”

  “I’m sure,” she answers with a smile. “Besides, you’re keeping me company, and I find that helpful enough. That said, I need a dry shirt. Do you wanna borrow one?” she asks as she steps around Lexa and exits the kitchen.

  “Sure,” I call after her retreating form as Lexa abandons the few remaining drops to follow her.

  Chapter 28

  Lexa’s barking pulls Olivia’s attention away from the grill and mine away from looking through Olivia’s playlists. Lexa bolts up to the slider door and keeps unleashing the deep barks and low rumbles as Olivia closes the lid of the grill and heads for the door.

  “You expecting someone?” I inquire as she opens the door and Lexa bolts inside, likely heading for the front door.

  “No,” Olivia answers as the doorbell rings, and Lexa ratchets up her efforts. Now I see it, the guard dog Olivia has always sworn Lexa is. “Everything should be fine, but if I’m not back in a few minutes, the kabobs will need to be turned,” she instructs me as she steps inside and closes the door. With little else to occupy my mind, I close my eyes and enjoy the warmth the setting sun offers on this warm early April afternoon. I smile but keep my eyes shut when I hear the door whoosh open immediately followed by the sound of Lexa barreling across the deck.

  “I guess I should have looked for you here first,” mom announces herself, causing my eyes to snap open behind my sunglasses.

  “Mom? What are you doing here?” I ask as I stand up to give her a hug. Olivia chuckles as she passes us on her way back to the grill.

  “Well, I came by to drop off a bag of books Dee asked me to pass along to you. Since I was here I figured I stop by and visit Olivia,” she shares as she hugs me. “You two seem to be spending a lot of time together,” she whispers before releasing me. Her eyes bore into my lens covered orbs, looking for an answer to the question she only hinted at.

  “Thanks for bringing me the books. I’ll grab them before you leave,” I inform her as I reclaim my seat. Mom’s insinuation that Olivia and I are back together isn’t anything new. We’ve both heard it several times, even though there is no truth to it. Olivia and I are just friends and neighbors.

  “I left them inside the door,” mom replies as she takes the seat that allows her to watch us. Ever since we hosted a birthday dinner for Olivia, mom has convinced herself that Olivia and I are carrying on a secret affair. She even managed to get my uncles on board with her observation game, all of them eagle eyeing us, trying to discover a piece of evidence that isn’t there.

  “We’re having kabobs, corn, and asparagus. You’re welcome to stay for dinner, Dana.”

  “Thank you for the invite, but we had a late brunch before I left Eddie and Ryan’s. It smells amazing though. What are you brushing on the kabobs?” mom asks.

  “It’s a secret,” Olivia responds as I stand up and toss Lexa’s ball on a rope toy into the yard. She tears after it as I step off of the deck and watch as she eagerly returns to me. I grip the rope and play tug of war for a few seconds before ordering her to release it and tossing the toy again, unable to hear the conversation taking place behind me.

  “Dinner is almost ready,” Olivia informs me when Lexa has finally tired of playing fetch and elects to lounge in the grass. I smile at her before I make my way inside to use the bathroom and wash my hands.

  I return to the deck to discover Olivia seated at the table and mom devouring one of the beef kabobs. “Good lord this is amazing,” she observes before plucking a chunk of pepper and another cube of beef from the skewer and tossing them in her mouth. “Is this recipe really a secret?”

  “It is. Do you think they’d work at du Pays?”

  “Absolutely,” mom gushes before finishing off her skewer. “I’m starting to suspect Jordan keeps you around for your culinary excellence,” mom jokes.

  “Hey! I helped prep the vegetables and assemble the skewers,” I protest as I arrange a beef, chicken and shrimp kabob on my plate along with an ear of corn and a few stalks of asparagus.

  “It’s all right,” Olivia answers as she smiles at me. “There are worse things one could be kept around for.”

  “Too true,” mom agrees with Olivia’s assessment. “What are the two of you up to this evening?”

  “Dinner and then we’re gonna check out some show Olivia found,” I share before snapping off a bite of asparagus.

  “Sounds relaxing. Oh, Scott said he’d be by with the mulch you need one afternoon this week. Any particular place you want him to unload it?”

  “Anywhere is fine. Just let him know I should only need ten bags. I’ll bring the cash to you on Tuesday if that’s all right.”

  “That’s fine. Will you be joining us for yoga and breakfast?” mom asks as she shifts her focus to Olivia.

  “If you’re okay with it. Jordan invited me, but I meant to text you to double check.”

  “Of course I’m okay with it,” mom assures her as she rises from her seat. “Ugh, I feel like I’ve done nothing but eat all day,” she shares as she rubs her flat belly. “I’ll leave the two of you to it. I need an antacid and a nap,” she adds before squeezing each of us around the shoulders and giving us each a kiss to the top of our heads. “I’ll see both of you on Tuesday,” she dismisses herself as she slides the door closed.

  *****

  “What the—,” I stop the thought as my eyes fly open and I sit up and look around. I take in Olivia’s familiar living room before her laughter draws my attention to my left.

  “You were snoring,” Olivia manages through her gale of laughter.

  “So you walloped me with that throw pillow?” I question as I point to the offending item. Olivia continues to laugh as she attempts to hit me with the pillow again, but her attack is slowed by her continued hysterics, giving me a window to defend myself. Instinctively I reach over and start tickling her knee. She reflexively shifts her leg away from me, unintentionally pivoting on her ass, bring her unguarded side closer to me. I seize the open attack window and begin torturing her side, angling up for her super sensitive armpit.

  “Jordan,” she shrieks as she pins my hand in her armpit and attempts to pull away from me, drawing her legs up between us to gain additional leverage by using her feet. I toss my right hand into the fray and attack her knee again, freeing my left hand to resume its evil work. “Okay! Okay,” she gasps out, halting my fingers as the reality of the situation hits me. Olivia’s chest heaves below mine as she fights to catch her breath. Our smiles slowly fade as I stare into her blue depths, and her tongue darts over her lower lip. I can’t say what it is that spurs my next act. Maybe it’s the familiarity of the feel of Olivia beneath me, or her scent, or the situation in general, but the next thing I’m aware is the soft press of my lips to Olivia’s. Lon
g fingers tangle in my hair, drawing me further into the kiss as her lips yield to my probing tongue. Her legs wrap around the back of my thighs, pulling me against her. I rock myself against her center, drawing a moan from deep within her, the guttural sound vibrating against my mouth as her hands slip under my shirt and begin drawing it upward. Neither of us speak when our lips separate so Olivia can relieve me of my shirt. I kneel between Olivia’s legs allowing her to sit up and contentedly watch as she quickly peels her t-shirt over her head before reaching behind her back to unclasp her bra. My eyes remain glued to her breasts as she draws the plain white fabric down her arms and tosses it aside. I can’t remember the last time I wanted a woman with the intensity I’m feeling now. The sensation of Olivia’s palms sliding up my sides pulls my eyes away from her perky nipples as her hands glide over my breasts, allowing her thumbs to brush over my nipples through the black lace of my bra.