Warm November

by Kathleen Knowles

  “What’s going on?” Merle said, loud enough to stop Sherrie and cause them both to turn toward her. She stood in the door to the kitchen with Arthur at her side. He was wagging his tail, but he was growling and would have lunged had Merle not had a firm grip on his collar.

  Despite her fear and confusion, Hayley loved the way Merle looked. She was standing very straight, her lips set in straight line. Her body language exuded strength, and she was obviously angry. The picture was only improved by Arthur at her side, coiled and prepared to leap into the fray if Merle let him loose.

  “Is this your girlfriend? Or what?” Sherrie was nearly shouting, but her voice broke.

  Merle said, “Leave. Now.” She cocked her head toward the front door for emphasis. Sherrie had stopped trying to pummel Hayley and looked frightened.

  “If you do anything to me, I’ll call the police.”

  Sherrie attempted to sound threatening, but it was useless. With Merle there, Hayley wasn’t frightened anymore.

  “Go ahead. This is my house and you’re trespassing. So? I repeat. Please leave. For your own good.” Merle took a step forward, and Hayley took a few steps back until she stood next to Merle.

  She looked at her. She appeared even fiercer from a side view. Arthur growled again, then barked so loud it made them all jump. The fur on his back was standing up. Hayley’s fear receded, her resolve bolstered by Merle and Arthur.

  Sherrie backed away, her eyes darting from one to the other.

  “Don’t ever come around here again,” Merle said in a voice quiet but deadly serious. “If you do, I’ll call the police and have you arrested.”

  Hayley said, “If I need to get a temporary restraining order, I will. Believe it.”

  Sherrie looked at them for another moment, then sidled out the front door, slamming it behind her.

  “Shit.” Hayley collapsed on the couch. Her knees were weak and her stomach upset.

  Merle sat down next to her, and Arthur propped his front paws on her knees. She automatically petted him, which calmed her. She closed her eyes and felt Merle’s arm around her shoulders. It felt so good.

  “Are you okay?”

  Hayley struggled to bring her breathing under control and ratchet her adrenaline-charged emotions down. She rubbed her hand over Arthur’s ears and head. His cold nose in her palm and Merle’s presence settled her a bit. “I think so. Oh, my God.”

  “Shh. She’s gone. It’s over.” Merle put both arms around Hayley, and Hayley turned into her embrace. Arthur was pushed to the floor but he stayed close. Hayley began to cry as the reaction took her over and her adrenaline drained away. She was swamped by a tsunami of emotions. Fear and anger competed with gratitude and relief. Merle’s arms around her called up another host of feelings. Hayley sniffled into her shirt and rubbed her cheek on Merle’s warm, solid shoulder. Merle patted her back gently, trying to reassure her, and it worked. Then the comfort began to morph into sexual arousal, which frightened Hayley so much she swiftly disengaged and bent down to hug Arthur to hide her dismay.

  “Oh, Arthur, you were magnificent. So were you.” She smiled at Merle through her tears.

  Merle looked at her uncertainly. Had she sensed that wave of sexual energy that Hayley had felt? She’d let her arms fall the instant Hayley began to pull away.

  “I think I should make some tea. If we had any booze in the house, I’d give you some.” She smiled ruefully.

  “Oh, don’t worry about that. Tea would be great. I’ll just sit with Arthur and catch my breath.”

  Merle leaped up and hurried toward the kitchen. “Be right back. I have to finish up dinner too. Are you hungry?”

  “Yes. Oddly enough, I am.” Hayley motioned for Arthur to climb on the couch, which he did in a second and wanted to lick her face. She had him sit down next to her. Getting comfort from Arthur was a lot safer than getting it from Merle. Physical contact with Merle was more dangerous than Sherrie the stalker. That overwhelming urge to have Merle’s arms around her frightened Hayley all over again.

  She leaned close to Arthur and whispered into his ear, “Your mom is really something. I’m sort of crazy about her, but don’t tell her.” He raised his nose to look into her face. Her words might not mean anything to him, but he could surely sense her emotions. She hugged him again and waited for Merle to bring her the promised cup of tea.

  Chapter Twelve

  Merle set the teakettle to boil and finished seasoning the enchilada mixture. She laid out several tortillas and added shredded cheese, guacamole, and sour cream. After she put the enchiladas in the oven to cook through, she sat trying to gather her wits.

  Her thoughts skittered in all directions. The scene with Sherrie and Hayley’s distress had been traumatic for both of them. But, as she’d hugged Hayley, empathy had turned into arousal. She was certain Hayley felt it too. Her swift disengagement from their embrace proved that. Merle shook her head at her indiscretion and poured boiling water into two cups, each holding a double bag of chamomile. Confronting Sherrie hadn’t frightened her. Her only thought had been to protect Hayley, then comfort her.

  It was ridiculous that she couldn’t keep her libido under control long enough to properly soothe the poor woman. She really had to have a talk with Hayley, come clean and probably apologize as well. Hayley would surely appreciate honesty. They could reset, recover, and move forward. But this horrible incident had upset both of them, and it wasn’t the time for that conversation. It would have to wait.

  Merle took a cup to Hayley and said, “We can eat in about ten minutes.”

  Not surprisingly, Hayley looked a little undone. She smiled wanly and nodded as she sipped the chamomile tea, then looked away. She had her arm around Arthur. His canine ESP had made him cuddle close to her. To Merle, he had a concerned expression. She was probably imagining that, but it seemed possible. Dogs were deeply attuned to their human’s moods and emotions. That Arthur was so keyed in to Hayley and her feelings was both wonderful and a little unsettling.

  Merle returned to the kitchen and made a salad, and then Hayley walked into the kitchen and slowly sat down at the table. Arthur stayed at the threshold, eyeing them hopefully until Merle finally relented and motioned for him to enter. She took her chair, at right angles to Hayley’s seat, and Arthur sat between them.

  Merle watched Hayley closely, praying she’d be all right. They were silent as they served themselves enchiladas and salad. Out of the corner of her eye, Merle watched Hayley, her emotions mixed. Her wish to be supportive warred with sexual attraction so intense it made her weak.

  Her gaze on the enchilada she was munching, Hayley asked, “Why is this dating thing so hard,” and turned to meet Merle’s eye.

  She looked so vulnerable and sad that her expression tugged at Merle’s heart all over again. She kept quiet, though, because she didn’t have an answer to Hayley’s question, or rather, she did have the answer: you could have me. But wasn’t the right answer, for either of them.

  “I don’t know,” Merle said. “I haven’t dated in so long that honestly I’m not sure what the protocol is any more. I’m pretty certain stalking still isn’t acceptable.”

  Hayley smiled and took another bite and chewed it before she spoke again. Merle was proud she could cheer Hayley up. “How did you meet Kay?”

  The mention of Kay threw her. She was thinking so much about Hayley that she was jarred to be reminded of Kay, and she really didn’t want to talk about her.

  “Through some friends.”

  “Was it a set-up?”

  “Yes.”

  “So what happened? Was it Clea and Sigrid? Who introduced you, I mean?”

  “Oh, no. Someone else.”

  “Really? So tell me.”

  For whatever reason, Hayley wanted to talk about her and Kay, and Merle thought she should indulge her, considering what had happened, so she sketched her first introduction to Kay.

  “I fell for her right away. Hard. We were living together after two m
onths. That ought to have been a clue because it was way too soon. I wasn’t thinking clearly though.”

  “But it didn’t last.” Hayley looked even sadder.

  “Nope. It didn’t last, not forever like I thought it would. Considering what I know now, I think Kay always just tried to do what I wanted.”

  “Do you know what happened? Do you mind my asking?”

  “I don’t mind.” Unnerved, Merle fiddled with her silverware. She didn’t want to think about Kay, yet Hayley seemed fixated on her.

  “She fell out of love with me, I guess.”

  “How? How could that happen? You’re so…” Hayley shut her mouth abruptly.

  “I’m so…what?” Merle asked quietly.

  “Nice.”

  “Nice,” Merle said. “Yeah, I suppose.”

  “That sounds lame, doesn’t it?”

  Merle didn’t want to make Hayley feel bad, but she couldn’t help grinning. Hayley’s mortified expression was priceless.

  “I meant, how could someone fall out of love with you?”

  Merle wanted to kiss her. Her big brown eyes were wide, and she looked so innocent and bewildered. Merle covered up her own confusion by saying lightly, “Yeah. Crazy, huh?”

  Hayley looked down and then back at Merle. “So what I really want to know is this. I know it’ll sound stupid, but I thought it’d be different with women. I thought I could find someone and then fall in love and then…”

  “Live happily ever after?” Merle didn’t want to sound too snarky. She didn’t want to hurt Hayley’s feelings.

  “Well. Yeah.” Hayley looked adorably abashed.

  “Hayley. Lesbians are just imperfect human beings.”

  “I know. But I still thought…oh, never mind.” She crossed her arms, clearly dissatisfied with both Merle’s answer and her own naïveté.

  “Don’t worry. This thing with Sherrie’s very unusual. It’s been very tough on you, but you’ll be fine. You’ll meet someone and you’ll be very happy. I’m sure of it.” Merle patted Hayley’s arm. It was an automatic gesture of reassurance she’d used a million times, but Hayley’s arm tensed instead of becoming relaxed.

  Hayley put her hand over Merle’s and they stared at each other. Merle tried a gentle, encouraging smile, but it probably looked forced. Their physical connection was again arousing her and making her uneasy. Hayley started to smile back, but then her smile faded and a look of profound sadness and longing replaced it. Merle’s mind went blank as she stared into Hayley’s face.

  They both leaned forward at the same time, and their mouths met. Hayley’s lips were marvelous—soft, pliant, and lightly flavored with turkey enchilada. Merle slowly worked her lips around and under Hayley’s, trying a hint of tongue. Hayley’s lips parted to let her in. They stood up suddenly. Merle felt as though she was watching them in a movie. They came together in a rush, kissing and grabbing hair and necks and shoulders. Hayley’s chair fell and poor Arthur started.

  Five percent of Merle’s mind screamed, “Wrong, bad idea, stop.” But the other ninety-five percent of her mind and all of her body had a radically different idea.

  Merle broke their contact to catch her breath but resumed kissing after one inhale.

  “Hayley?” she said. A tiny, almost inaudible voice was telling her they ought to stop. But the realization that Hayley wanted her shut that voice up resoundingly.

  “Hmm?” Hayley was kissing her as though she’d discovered a new skill and wanted to perfect it immediately. It was more intoxicating than any sort of alcohol, and Merle was giddy with lust.

  “Nothing, never mind.” Everything else was irrelevant; she only wanted to feel.

  “Can we…? Should we, um, go upstairs?” Hayley whispered.

  In a dream, Merle took her hand and they climbed the stairs, Arthur trotting behind them. Very few of Merle’s synapses that were unrelated to sexual arousal were firing. On autopilot she chose her bedroom and pointed to Arthur’s bed, and he obediently climbed into it. She pulled Hayley back into her arms and they resumed kissing.

  Merle couldn’t wait any longer. She began to remove Hayley’s clothes, starting with pulling her T-shirt over her head. Merle kissed her neck from her shoulder to her ear, while Hayley restlessly played with her hair. Merle unclasped her bra, glad she was able to accomplish that simple act without fumbling. She stopped, inhaled, and looked at her. Hayley stood, letting herself be scrutinized. Merle could barely breathe because she was so moved by Hayley’s beauty.

  When Merle touched Hayley’s breasts, she moaned and nearly fell forward, bracing her arms on Merle’s shoulders. Merle fondled them gently, then with more pressure, rubbing her thumbs on her nipples. Hayley’s breathing was speeding up. She wasn’t passive, but Merle sensed that she wanted to be taken, to be led. That suited Merle fine. She couldn’t recall ever wanting to make love to a woman quite so much.

  She pulled Hayley toward the bed and threw pillows aside and pulled the covers down as fast as she could, then lowered Hayley onto her back and eased herself on top of her. Hayley tugged at her shirt so Merle tore it off and undid her own bra as Hayley watched, her eyes dark and huge. Merle couldn’t help it—she grinned cockily.

  When Hayley reached for her breasts, she grabbed her hands and whispered, “Wait for your turn.”

  Hayley dropped her hands, then stretched her arms over her head. “Okay,” she said, making eye contact. “I can’t wait long, though.”

  For a reply, Merle bent and, as in her fantasy of a few weeks ago, kissed Hayley’s pale smooth body over and over. It was better than her fantasy, especially since they didn’t have a leaky pipe to fix. She giggled into Hayley’s body, and Hayley jumped.

  She pulled Merle’s hair gently and asked, “What’s so funny?”

  Merle raised her head and looked past Hayley’s lovely breasts, their nipples rosy with arousal. “When you were fixing the pipe in the sink, I was thinking about well, doing this.”

  “You were?” Hayley seemed genuinely surprised.

  “I was, but real life’s much better than the fantasy, believe me.”

  “Whatever you were thinking, I want you to do it, and please do it quickly because I’m about to detonate.”

  “Okay. And I hope that’s true, that you’re about to detonate, I mean.”

  Hayley tasted musky but sweet, and Merle took her time, starting with gentle, light touches and then licking faster and harder, following Hayley’s sounds and movements. She felt like a desert traveler who had arrived at an oasis just in time. Hayley had an impressively long orgasm, groaning and thrashing and finally choking out the word “stop” in a scarcely audible voice. Merle kept them connected as the contractions subsided. She scooted up to embrace Hayley, who sighed and moved into her arms languorously. Merle kissed her mouth and cheeks and forehead and hair and breasts.

  “No,” Hayley said weakly, trying to turn them over. Merle shamelessly used her larger size to keep her on her back and then fucked her and stroked her clit until she came again.

  “Oh, my word. That was…I don’t have any words to describe it.” Hayley spoke barely above a whisper.

  “You want more? I bet you could go again.” Merle tweaked her right nipple. “Yep. You look ready to me.” She made as if to get on top of Hayley.

  Hayley put a hand on her chest. “No. You promised I’d get my turn.”

  “Roger.” Merle lay on her side, propping her head up with her hand. “What would you like me to do?”

  “Nothing.” Hayley threw herself on Merle and kissed her ardently. Merle relaxed and gave herself over to the experience. It was Hayley’s first time, so let the girl have at it and have her fun. It was marvelous to be wanted so much, and it had been such a long time. Hayley abruptly stopped her kissing and touching.

  Hayley made a sound of frustration and dipped her head so that her blond hair brushed Merle’s nipples. That was quite a feeling. She was terrifically sensitive after making love to Hayley.

  She patte
d Hayley’s shoulder and lifted her chin so they could make eye contact.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “I’ve thought about this so many times, and finally it’s here, and I can’t believe how nervous I am. I wasn’t nervous with you at all. It was wonderful. But now…”

  Merle stroked her hair and patted her cheek. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. As a matter of fact, if you don’t do something soon, I may have a coronary from frustration.”

  “What do you want me to do?” Hayley’s voice was charged with desire but somehow plaintive, and she was so sweet.

  Merle wrapped her up in a big hug. “Relax, love. We have time to figure out what we both like. There’s no right way or wrong way. There’s only pleasure and joy.”

  Hayley sagged against her. “God, I feel so stupid.”

  “Want to see how I feel?” Merle asked.

  Hayley nodded, though she seemed confused. Merle took her hand and put it between her legs. She was swollen and slick, and Hayley’s light touch wound her up.

  “Wow.” Hayley moved her fingers tentatively, then with more authority.

  Merle lay back and closed her eyes. She felt Hayley’s lips on her breasts and nipples, and her fingers moved faster and harder. She tensed her thigh muscles and the orgasm built from deep in her pelvis. It hit all of a sudden and she moaned. Hayley rode her back down to the mattress, and Merle finally had to grip her wrist when the touch became unbearable.

  “That was amazing,” Hayley whispered.

  “Yes, it was. You’ve got the idea. Don’t worry about that. If you’ll just give me a sec—”

  “I don’t want to stop now.”

  Before Merle could say another word, Hayley was between her legs and licking her. Merle relaxed into it, signaling her needs with body movements.

  “There,” she said, “right there.”

  Hayley obliged with steady, firm strokes, and Merle had another orgasm, stronger than the first.

  *

  Hayley had no idea that she’d fallen asleep or when she’d fallen asleep. She woke up thinking she was in the middle of making love to Merle again. She saw only a little light in the room and no clock. Merle was sound asleep on her side. Hayley admired the shape of her back and remembered how she’d first thought how nice her vertebrae looked. They felt nice to touch too. All of her was nice to touch, more than nice—phenomenally wonderful.