Post-Mortem, page 16
part #2 of Sapphic Sphere Series
“Yes, well, I have another idea. What if you were to come to the funeral with me…?” Ana suggested, pushing her lower lip out in a full-pout.
Cherry considered the idea of going to someone’s funeral that she did an autopsy on. It seemed a bit strange, but for Ana she’d do it. “Okay, deal.”
“Excellent. Now, what was that you were you saying about coffee?” Ana asked seductively and trailed her fingers from Cherry’s face down her neck, further still down her shoulder, arm, and then landing on her hand – grasping it. “Because,” she said pulling Cherry’s hand to her lips, “I simply cannot go another moment without some.” She kissed Cherry’s hand and said, “Please?”
Cherry’s heart jumped, skipped five beats, and then pounded wildly in her chest.
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. What did I just do?
Coffee & Tank Tops
Ana -
Ana followed Cherry into the kitchen. She was intrigued at how Cherry glided across the floor, and suddenly realized that she wasn’t just watching Cherry glide. She was gawking at Cherry’s scantily clad body. She was wearing pajama shorts and a thin tank top – nothing overly seductive – however, Ana couldn’t help but stare. She reveled in the curvature of Cherry’s legs, they were a lovely color and shape, and when she moved the muscles tightening gave Ana a funny feeling in her stomach.
She took a deep breath and tried to focus on something different. For a moment she thought she had done it, but then she realized she was now ogling the curve from Cherry’s legs to her butt.
What is WRONG with you?!
She closed her eyes and took a few cleansing breaths. When she opened her eyes, Cherry seemed to be scrutinizing her. “Stressed?” Cherry asked.
“No, just practicing the calming nature of the Cherry Breathing Technique,” Ana answered.
“Ah yes. In with the good – out with the bad.”
“Yes. Exactly,” Ana said slightly worried.
“Do you take cream with your coffee?” Cherry asked, opening the fridge.
“Yes – and sugar,” Ana added.
“Is milk okay? The creamer doesn’t seem to be in attendance.”
“Oh that’s fine. I’m not picky,” Ana said.
Cherry shut the fridge and brought the milk over to the table. Ana couldn’t help but notice that the cold air from the fridge had made Cherry’s nipples look like little pebbles underneath her thin tank top. Cherry put the milk down and walked back to the coffee maker and started pulling mugs out of cabinets. Again, Ana couldn’t stop staring at her.
This is ridiculous. You are a grown-up – stop behaving like a teenager.
Ana looked down at her hands that were resting in her lap. Then she paid closer attention to the clothes that she was wearing – a pair of comfy shorts and a baggy t-shirt – neither of which seemed to be something that would fit Cherry.
“Hey Cherry – whose clothes am I wearing?”
“Those are my brothers. My older brother slept here a few times when he and his lady were having problems. He left them for me to wash, and I never gave them back.”
“Oh, for a second I thought they might’ve been Cruella’s,” Ana said, glad she wasn’t wearing something from an ex-girlfriend of Cherry’s.
“No way – she wouldn’t be caught dead in that. It was always nightgowns. Stuff you would see from the fifties.”
“And you liked that? The fifties nighties, I mean?” Ana asked, feeling badly about her appearance.
Cherry brought two piping hot mugs of coffee to the table, and smiled at Ana, “Honestly, no. I never liked any of her clothing – she always looked kind of ridiculous to me, but I thought – she’s an artist!” Cherry took a sip of her coffee, made a pained face, and stuck her tongue out, “Careful it’s really hot. I can’t say why were together so long, or why I pined after her. I can’t think of one nice thing to say about her… I don’t even like surrealism.”
“Me neither,” Ana admitted.
Cherry choked on her coffee, sprayed the table a bit, and then began wiping it up with a napkin, “What? Why were you staring at the painting? Why did you say you liked it? Why did you go with me to the gallery?”
Ana laughed, “Number 1, I was being polite when I said I liked it. Number 2, it took me a while to interpret the painting – it’s two women intertwined, right?” Cherry nodded. “And number 3, I really like hanging out with you – it just seemed like a good excuse to get to know you better. I didn’t care if you had a funny taste in art. Besides – after figuring out the subject of the art, I kinda got it,” Ana said with a wink and then blew on her coffee.
You’re flirting with her – you know that right?
Shut. Up.
Cherry raised her eyebrow at her and then shrugged, “So what are your plans for the day?”
“I’m going to meet with a real estate agent, stop into work, make certain tomorrow’s festivities will go off without a hitch,” Ana said with an eye roll, “and then I’m going to hopefully look for a place to rent. What about you, what are your plans for this lovely fall Friday?”
“Umm – well, I’m going to call my mother – that should take up at least a couple hours. Then I’m going to check in with work. I was supposed to have a four day weekend, but who knows what’s going on down there. I’m more than a little concerned for your well-being – that whole encounter last night was terrifying.”
“Yeah – I really need to get in touch with Detective Mullens – although, based on what happened last night, I don’t think that Mr. Rizzoli knows ANYTHING about Bram’s murder,” Ana said, slugging down the slightly cooled coffee.
“No, I think you’re right. BUT – that doesn’t mean that he wasn’t in debt to someone else.”
“Right. I also have to call the attorney – I still have no idea what’s going on there. Hopefully, nothing too difficult,” Ana said slumping in her chair.
Cherry sat back in the chair and stretched, pulling the thread-bare tank top tightly against her unsupported chest. Ana did her best not to stare at Cherry’s breasts, but they were practically waving at her.
You really need to get a handle on yourself – Cherry’s going to start wondering about you.
Let’s face it – I’ve started wondering about me…
Ana shook her head, and Cherry shot her a questioning look. “I was just thinking about what you did last night – I’ve never seen anything like it. It was almost like you were dancing while they were trying to beat you down.”
“What can I say? I’m just graceful,” Cherry winked and sipped on her coffee.
“You joke, but I’ve seen you walk.” Cherry gave her a dubious look, so Ana pushed on, “Truly. I noticed it when I first met you. Everyone else was stumbling over the rubble that was my house, but you just kind of floated through and across it like it was no big deal. And the same thing last night. It happened so quickly, but it looked like you were almost dancing. You were amazing,” Ana said maybe a little too earnestly. She looked down at the table and pressed her lips together, hoping she didn’t say the wrong thing.
Or maybe the right thing…
“It kind of reminded me of when I was robbed – well, technically Bram and I were robbed. We had gone to New York on one of Bram’s business trips, and after we left a restaurant, Bram decided we should walk back to the hotel. We were half a block from our hotel, and a man pushed us into an alley at knifepoint. Bram did nothing. He just stood there while the robber groped and fondled me – I wasn’t even the one carrying the money!” Ana leaned her forehead into her palm. “That experience compared to the one last night – was night and day.”
Cherry had turned a little red. She said, “Well, I think we can definitively say that Bram was a total piece of shit. In fact, that’s giving shit a bad name.”
“Amen,” Ana said, glancing at the time on the stove. “I should go get dressed and get going.”
“Okay,” Cherry said, smiling grimly. “I should probably do the same. Do you want to grab a shower?”
“Uhh–” Ana flashed back to getting in the hot shower after thinking about Cherry in bed. She felt a flush spreading across her cheeks, “No, I don’t have any clean clothing, I’ll just pop back to the hotel and make myself presentable.”
Ana got up, “Is it okay if I bring my coffee with me to get dressed?”
“Of course – you should get a refill though,” Cherry suggested.
Ana grabbed some more coffee, and took her time getting dressed. She felt a sadness fall over her, but wasn’t sure why. The rest of her day was quite full, but there was a hollowness in her chest that she just couldn’t put her finger on. She pulled on yesterday’s clothing and sat on the edge of the bed – the bed she had shared with Cherry. She ran her hand over the sheets, but the warmth that had been there had leached out long ago. Ana frowned at herself.
What are you doing, exactly?
She shook her head, got up, and went to the door. When she opened it, she found Cody waiting for her. “Are you looking for me?” Cody wiggled his butt enthusiastically in response. “Sorry buddy, I gotta go run some errands. You’re going to take care of your mom, right?” He cocked his head to the side, “Good boy!”
Ana walked down to the kitchen with Cody in tow, “I don’t think he wants me to go,” Ana said. She found Cherry at the sink with her hands on either side of the kitchen sink facing the window with her eyes closed. She looked sad or stressed, and she certainly hadn’t heard what Ana said.
Ana cleared her throat, and Cherry’s eyes popped open. “I’m sorry, did you say something?”
“Nothing important, everything okay?”
“Yes. All’s well,” Cherry said, smiling a short and unconvincing smile.
“Okay,” Ana said, unsure if she should ask again. She shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.
“All ready then?” Cherry asked and Ana nodded. “Let me walk you out.”
Cherry walked her to the door and opened it. Ana didn’t want to leave. She felt something in her chest tighten at the thought of leaving Cherry. She couldn’t think of anything else to do, so she was going to have to force herself into leaving. She turned towards Cherry and said, “Thank you so much for what you did last night – my hero.” Ana pulled Cherry into a hug – she felt Cherry’s small strong hands cling to her back and felt a surge of heat roll through her stomach. She pulled back and smiled down at Cherry.
“My pleasure,” Cherry said, smiling back up at Ana. Ana stared at the light bruise around Cherry’s lip. She couldn’t help but want to touch it like she had in the bedroom. She dipped her head toward Cherry and she watched as Cherry’s eyes widened. Rather than kiss her on the cheek, she kissed the bruise gently.
“That didn’t hurt you did it?” Ana asked, sure that she had turned an embarrassing shade of red.
“No,” Cherry said in a whisper, “That didn’t hurt.” Ana noticed that Cherry’s eyes were still quite wide, but now they were filled with a layer of liquid.
“You’re sure everything is okay?” Ana asked.
“Yes, I’m sure.” Cherry said, taking a step back.
“Okay,” Ana paused, and then mustered up a little courage and said, “Can I tell you that I feel weird leaving?” Cherry crinkled her eyebrows up in a question. “I mean, I dunno. I’ve seen you so often, or, umm, I dunno. It just feels weird. Ignore me, I’m a little hyped up on your strong coffee.
Cherry smiled at her, “It’s been a stressful few days. If you need anything, just call me. I’m pretty sure I’ll be free – and hey – I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“True,” Ana said, nodding.
“Hey, what time tomorrow?”
“Ten AM – St. Catherine’s. If you get there a little early, I’d really appreciate it.”
“Consider me there at nine-thirty then.” Cherry assured her.
“Thank you,” Ana said, stepping forward and giving her another quick hug before running out the door.
You just kissed Cherry – on the lips – well, on HALF of her lips. You need to talk to someone – quick.
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner
Cherry -
Cherry left the door open and watched Ana descend the stairs. She waited until Ana was safely in her car, which was parked only a short way down the block. She shut the door, leaned up against it, and slid down to the floor. Cody padded up to her and licked her face.
“Hey little man. You miss her already?” Cherry scratched him behind the ears, “Me too.” She frowned at the thought and then pushed the palms of her hands into her eye sockets. “This is going to hurt me so badly,” she sobbed suddenly, “But I can’t seem to stop myself.”
She cried for a few moments, then Cody laid his head on her lap and whined. She opened her eyes and looked down at him, “Alright, your mom is going to pull herself together.” Cody cocked an eyebrow at her, “I will!”
She pushed off the floor and poured herself another cup of coffee. She considered what she had to do today, and settled on calling her mother first to get all the details for the dinner tomorrow.
She dialed the phone and was shocked that her mother waited until the third ring, “Hey mom.”
“Hi mom? That’s all you have to say to me? Haven’t you checked your messages? I have been worried sick since hearing about the fire on the news.”
Shiiiiiiiiiit.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry for not contacting you sooner! It just completely slipped my mind,” Cherry said, feeling really guilty for not thinking about her family the last few days.
Her mother said a few choice words in Vietnamese, and then Cherry could hear her taking a deep inhalation. “You are okay?”
“Yes. I’m okay. I’m really sorry for scaring you,” Cherry said again.
“It’s okay. You’re okay – so it’s okay. Your father had already convinced me that if something were really wrong you would’ve called. I DO think it’s interesting that you didn’t call me. Does that mean your date with Krystal went well?”
“Krystal?” Cherry asked. ‘OH! Krystal – no. I actually didn’t end up going out with Krystal. She was a little too new age for me,” Cherry paused and considered telling her mother about her many misadventures over the last few days but decided against it. “I am bringing someone to dinner though, there’s room still, right?”
“REALLY?! You want to bring someone to dinner? To meet the family? Are you serious?” Her mother’s rapid fire questions didn’t really need an answer, so Cherry waited. “Yes, of course! Bring someone. Does she like Pho? Does she like spicy? It isn’t Chrissy or Prissy is it?”
“No mom, it’s not Christine. She won’t be darkening my doorway ever again,” Cherry said, thinking about Ana’s performance at the gallery.
“Oh good. I have sectioned off the second floor. Did I tell you that already?” She didn’t wait for an answer, “Well, I did. Did you know your younger brother is going to propose to his girlfriend? Her whole family is also invited. I also asked your cousin to invite his girlfriend’s band to play, but I haven’t heard back from him. Do you think they know any oldies? They call themselves the Restroyers – I don’t even understand what that means.”
“Mom – I’m sure they’ll be fine – and if they don’t come, we can always stream some music through the speakers.”
“Yes. Good point Ruby-Jade. I’ll test those today,” her mom said, obviously writing it down on a to-do list.
“Okay, you sound pretty busy. I just wanted to double check the time of the gathering.”
“Be there at four. No later. We need to get all our orders in by five so that we don’t impact the dinner rush downstairs. Your auntie and I will be making broth and fresh rolls all morning, so if you want to come in the morning to help – you can.”
“Uhh – I can’t. I have a prior commitment,” Cherry said, thinking of the funeral.
“Uh huh – she’s been keeping you pretty busy?”
“She?”
“Your new friend – you love cooking – I don’t think you’ve ever turned down a fresh roll session with your Auntie.”
“Yeah. I guess that’s true. I actually have a funeral to attend – so it’s not exactly a fun commitment.”
“Oh dear. Be sure to bring flowers and wear black. You don’t want to be like your cousin Tina, she wore a bright red dress to a funeral. Everyone stared. It was terrible.”
“I remember,” Cherry said, rolling her eyes. “I better get going, I have to go find something appropriate to wear to a funeral and then a family dinner. Do you think I can wear the same thing?” Cherry joked.
“No! You can’t do that! It would be bad luck for your brother’s engagement.”
“I was just kidding…”
“Ugh. You’re always just kidding!”
“Yep, I’m a joker!”
“Better than a toker.”
“MOM!”
“I heard that yesterday on a netflix special,” her mom laughed. “Okay, you go have your day, I need to check things off my to-do list.”
“Okay – have a good day,” Cherry said, smiling at her mother’s high energy level.
“You too. I love you Ruby-Jade,” Her mom said in a sing-song voice.
“I love you too.”
Cherry looked down at Cody, “Ana is in for a surprise tomorrow!”
Mr. Thin-man
Ana -
Ana placed a call to Detective Mullens as soon as she left Cherry’s. He wasn’t in and Detective Holder wasn’t available, so she left a message asking him to call her back. She hung up the phone, feeling like she hadn’t accomplished anything, and threw it at the overstuffed pillow. She flopped backwards onto the bed and was considering what her next move should be when her phone rang.
She looked at the caller ID, but didn’t recognize the phone number. She grimaced at the thought of who might be on the other end, but nonetheless, accepted the call.
“Hello?” Ana answered.
“Good morning, Mrs. Waltham. This is Paxton Thinman, your late husband’s lawyer. I’m sorry that I didn’t get back to you sooner. I’m sure that you have questions regarding the will and the inheritance. Would you have any time today to stop by and discuss these matters?”
