Post-Mortem, page 20
part #2 of Sapphic Sphere Series
“’Scuze me, Miss Ana?” Beau said, getting Ana’s attention. Cherry tried to kick him under the table, but he just smiled warmly back at her. “I was wondering, in fact, we’re all kinda wondering – I’m pretty sure anyhows – what are you doing with my niece?” Ana looked slightly confused at the wording, Beau noticed and restated, “How the hell did you hook up with this skinny lil’ thing?” he asked, pointing at Cherry.
Oh boy – this is rough. Not only am I COMPLETELY, STUPIDLY GA-GA over this woman, but my family would like to trade me in and take her instead.
“I – uhh – she just kind of swept me off my feet. I wasn’t ready for it – umm, her, I mean – the timing couldn’t be more absurd. She’s smart, beautiful, funny, and has a strange calming effect on me – she’s just lovely. Don’t you think?” Ana asked, placing her hand on Cherry’s thigh under the table.
Cherry felt the world stop spinning for a moment, entranced by what she was saying, engrossed by the feeling of Ana’s hand on her thigh. Her heart went full-stop and then FULL-start, until reality came crashing back down, and she remembered that they were only playing at being together.
So unfair. What was I thinking inviting her to this?
No one answered Ana right away, they just pushed more food into their mouths, and Ana turned five different shades of red and removed her hand from Cherry’s thigh. Cherry kicked Beau under the table again, and he said, “She is. I just…you’re just…. What the hell do I know?”
Jade shot Cherry’s uncle a scathing look from down the table, and he ducked his head in embarrassment. “Maybe you stick to talking about football and why you think Jacksonville is going to go all the way this year – fat chance by the way,” Jade suggested, gesticulating with a fresh roll.
“How can you say that?” he half-bellowed.
Satisfied that her mom had steered the conversation away from their fictitious relationship, Cherry finished her plate. She leaned over to Ana, putting her arm around her chair, and whispered in her ear, “I’m going to help clean up, are you going to be alright here?”
Ana turned to her, placed her hand back on her thigh, and whispered, “I’m completely fine. Your family is amazing. I remember the rules – don’t worry.” Cherry nodded and began to pull her face away, but before she was out of reach, Ana place a light kiss on her cheek. Cherry sat back in her chair, rubbed the spot that Ana had kissed, and got up to help her mother and Auntie pull the dirty dishes from the tables. When she brought the last stack of plates into the back, she was slapped playfully on the butt.
“Mom!” she cried after she had spun around.
“You! How come you’ve been hiding Ana? She’s wonderful. She didn’t even roll her eyes when I handed her the platter of sauce. Come here,” Jade pulled Cherry to the kitchen door and they both stood on tip-toe to look out the window. “You look at her, she fits right in.”
Cherry glanced out the window and watched as Ana conversed effortlessly with her too loud, too big family. “She does,” Cherry said, shaking her head in disbelief.
Oh how I wish things were different…
“So, how DID you meet?” Jade asked, pursing her lips and raising her eyebrows at her only daughter.
“I – uh – fine. This is just too much. We met a couple weeks ago. Her husband was murdered and she was too scared to talk to the detectives, so they asked me to talk to her.” Cherry shook her head and then pressed the heels of her hands into her eye sockets. “We’re not together, okay? We’re just friends…” Cherry pushed harder on her eyes, trying to force her tears to remain in her lids.
Her mother pulled her hands away from her face, and stared hard at her. “You are wrong,” she said.
“I’m wrong?” Cherry said, confused.
“You heard me. You are wrong. That woman,” Jade said, standing on her tip-toes, “That woman is in love with you.”
“No mom, she’s pretending that she’s in love with me,” Cherry insisted.
“No. You. Are. Wrong. I watched her. I watched you both. I know these things. Don’t you do what you always do, Ruby-Jade.”
Cherry sighed and looked hopelessly at her mother, “What do I always do?”
“You shut people out. You run away. You think you don’t deserve to be loved,” Chere shook her head, but her mother grabbed her by the chin, looked at her sternly and said, “You deserve everything – you remember that,” and then bopped Cherry in the side of the head with her free hand.
“I dunno, mom. I’m pretty sure Ana isn’t – uh – you know… gay,” Cherry said shrugging.
“Gay … not gay… I’m telling you. That woman – she is in love with you,” Jade said, taking another playful swipe at Cherry’s head. Cherry ducked under the smack and hugged her mother hard.
“Okay mom – we’ll see.”
“Be open, Ruby-Jade. Just be open.”
Playing With Fire
Ana -
When Cherry sat back down at the table, Ana noticed immediately that something was different. She seemed overly reserved and maybe a little bit pale. Ana leaned in, placing her hand on Cherry’s thigh for the third time – a thrilling move that she savored – and whispered, “Everything okay?”
Cherry turned and looked into her eyes, but didn’t speak for several beats. They just stared at one another, Ana at her with concern, and Cherry back at her with an indiscernible look. Finally, a loud burst of laughter from across the room broke the spell that had kept their eyes locked. Cherry blinked several times, as if clearing tears that were threatening to fall, and covered Ana’s hand with her own – giving it a gentle squeeze. “Yes, everything is fine.” She leaned into Ana, kissed her lightly on the cheek, and whispered, “Thank you for being here.”
Ana smiled in response and squeezed her hand, “I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”
Cherry smiled and looked at her mother who nodded. Ana wasn’t sure what that exchange meant, but Cherry seemed to be in better spirits immediately afterwards. “I’m pretty sure that Xang’s girlfriend is going to set up while we’re eating. Get ready to have your eardrums scorched.”
“It might not be that bad,” Ana said, hopefully.
“No, it’s bad. I asked Xang,” Cherry smirked. “He brought earplugs.”
“Oh dear, did you tell your mom?”
“She’s got one of my younger cousin’s at the breaker box. The band is allowed two minutes, and then the breaker is getting flipped.”
“Ouch,” Ana said, making a funny, pained expression.
Cherry laughed and shuffled her chair closer to Ana’s. She swung her arm around Ana’s shoulder and she whispered, “You know, gotta make it look good.”
You make everything look good…
“Riiiight. We could hold hands,” Ana suggested.
“Maybe in a few minutes,” Cherry said, and then added, “Depending on how things go, we might have to be a bit more convincing.”
Ana turned to Cherry, eyebrows pinched together, “Meaning?”
“You know,” Cherry sucked her lower lip and bit it, “We may have to be a bit more convincing – so, that could mean a kiss. Think you can muddle your way through it?”
Ana felt a surge of heat start at her center and shoot up her chest, into her neck, and finish its burning journey to her cheeks. “I – well – umm… I,” Ana looked down at Cherry’s soft lips and then back up at Cherry’s eyes – they were filled with amusement. Ana rolled her eyes and blushed harder, “You’re joking.”
“Yes, I am. Made you kinda nervous, huh?” Cherry asked playfully.
“Well, I don’t think our first kiss should be in front of your family, do you?” Ana asked, staring at Cherry straight-faced.
Clearly shocked, Cherry’s jaw dropped open, but she quickly collected herself, “Well, I – uhh,” she stammered.
“That’s what I thought,” Ana said, poking Cherry in the ribs.
Post Party Repression
Cherry -
Cherry felt strangely alive when they left the party. She was still buzzing off of the conversation with her mother, Jed’s accepted proposal, and of Ana’s flirtatiousness. She could almost still feel the burn of Ana’s lips on her cheek, and she had to continuously resist the urge to rub at it.
She and Ana walked to the car in silence, then Cherry turned to her, “You know, you don’t need to drive me home. I can grab a taxi.”
What are you doing?
Running away – duh.
Ana stared at Cherry over the hood of the car, keys in hand, suddenly frozen, “No, I’ll take you home.”
“Okay, you’re sure it’s not too far out of the way?” Cherry asked, kicking herself for being a distant ass.
“Absolutely,” Ana said, eyebrows pulled together in confusion. Cherry nodded and they both got in the car.
They drove to Cherry’s house in silence, and when Ana pulled up to the curb, Cherry couldn’t look at her. Instead, she focused on unbuckling herself and said, “Thank you for being my stand-in. You were a huge hit.”
“Your family is truly wonderful. And that food! I told your Auntie that I would work for free for the rest of my life in her restaurant if she would teach me how to make the broth. She didn’t even crack a smile,” Ana said, laughing.
“Yeah, she’s hard to break,” Cherry agreed, smiling about how stern her Auntie seemed.
“What would you say to a walk? Maybe a stopover at the dog park?” Ana offered.
Cherry turned in her seat, readying herself for a deep conversation, but seeing how vulnerable Ana looked, her heart melted a bit. “That would be great – shared custody and all that.”
“Exactly,” Ana agreed.
Twenty minutes later, the fresh air had rejuvenated Cherry’s mood and bolstered her confidence.
Well, it’s part fresh air, part beautiful woman at my side.
When they got back to Cherry’s house, she invited Ana in without hesitating. Her mother was right, she needed to get over whatever self-doubt she was harboring. She deserved to be happy – and Ana made her happy.
Now to see if she feels the same way.
Ana sat on the sofa while Cherry prepared them both a scotch. When she popped back out of the kitchen, she handed the drink to Ana and said, “For your nerves – I know my family can be a bit much. But, just like in the gallery – you handled yourself like a pro.” Ana smiled and bowed her head at the compliment, they clinked glasses, and Cherry continued, “I mean it. You were wonderful. I can’t thank you enough. You charmed my family… I mean, you won over my mother – immediately. It was like you put a spell on them.”
“They’re great. I felt so… I’m not sure. I felt very safe, though.”
“Yeah, except for my uncle Beau, I think that everyone was behaved pretty well.”
“He didn’t upset me. I was just shocked that he doesn’t realize how great you are,” Ana said, placing her hand on Cherry’s.
Neither woman moved. Neither woman breathed. Cherry knew what she wanted to do, but wasn’t entirely certain that she should do it. “Be open,” her mom’s voice echoed in her head. She turned her hand over and took Ana’s in hers, turning her hand until their fingers intertwined. She gently massaged Ana’s palm with her thumb, and turned towards her. Ana continued to watch their linked hands, her hair freely hanging, covering her face.
“What are you thinking?” Cherry whispered.
Ana turned her face to look at Cherry, it was flushed. She opened her mouth to say something, but then pushed her lips together in a hard line, and she shook her head no.
Cherry’s heart ran cold. She had read this completely wrong – Ana was just being kind. She just wanted to be her friend. She quickly pulled her hand out of Ana’s, feeling the heat of shame flood her cheeks. She closed her eyes to keep the tears of embarrassment at bay and stammered, “I’m sorry. So sorry. I – I… I misread…”
Cherry was unable to finish her disjointed thought. Ana’s lips suddenly covered her own – moist, supple, and unsure. Cherry sucked in a deep breath through her nose and pushed harder against Ana’s lips.
Cherry pulled back for a moment, searching Ana’s face. Ana’s eyes were heavily lidded, her cheeks were bright red, her lips moist and quivering. “Are you okay?” Cherry asked in a ragged voice that she didn’t recognize as her own.
Ana nodded in assent and looked down at Cherry’s lips, licking her own and then pulling her lower lip into her mouth. “You – you’re so… Ugh…” Cherry said, simultaneously frustrated and excited. Cherry dipped her face back towards Ana’s and took her bottom lip into her mouth – sucking on it gently. A noise of want bubbled out of Ana’s throat, and Cherry took that as permission to kiss her more deeply. She shifted on the sofa, ran her fingers through Ana’s silky blond hair, and tested Ana’s mouth with her tongue. She slipped her tongue over Ana’s, tasting her for the first time.
Cherry groaned. She tasted of scotch, pho, and Ana. The last flavor was one that she had been dreaming about – one that she had been missing her entire life.
Ana slid forward, pressing her body against Cherry’s.
Oh fuck. Oh Jesus. Yes. Please. Yes.
Ana leaned back and Cherry followed her down to the cushions of the sofa. Cherry pulled her lips from Ana’s and propped her head up on her right arm. She traced Ana’s lips with her fingertip and admitted, “I’ve wanted to do that for so long…”
Ana blushed and kissed at tips of Cherry’s fingers, “How long?” she asked.
Cherry thought about it, closing her eyes, but still tracing Ana’s lips. She opened one of her eyes, and asked, “Is it okay if I say since the moment I sat down next to you on that overturned sofa?”
Ana nodded and looked away from Cherry, embarrassed. “Can I admit to you, that I wanted to kiss you the moment I saw you split the detectives apart? I didn’t realize it at the time, but I did. I couldn’t stop watching you – the way you move,” she admitted, covering her face with both hands.
Cherry pulled Ana’s hands away from her face, “Don’t do that. You’re perfect. You don’t need to be ashamed – as for me – I’m flattered.” Cherry bobbed her eyebrows, and then frowned down at Ana.
Ana put a hand to Cherry’s lips, “Why are you frowning?”
“I’m a little concerned,” Cherry admitted, “You might regret this tomorrow.”
“Not a chance,” Ana countered. “I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted anything more.”
Cherry lowered her lips to Ana’s and kissed her slowly, deeply. The kiss continued for several minutes, their tongues dancing together. Ana balled up Cherry’s shirt in her fists and pulled Cherry on top of her, “I want–” was all she said.
I want you too…
Cherry pushed herself up on both of her hands, looking down into Ana’s searching eyes. She wanted to just take her, but knew that pushing her too soon could jeopardize the delicate balance that Cherry imagined was in Ana’s head.
She’s not ready. She needs a clear head. You need a clear head. You need to take a minute.
Cherry looked down at Ana, and let out a groan of frustration.
“What?” Ana said, sitting up as Cherry pulled back.
“We can’t do this,” Cherry said. “We need to wait. You need to wait.”
Tears formed in Ana’s eyes, “What do you mean?” Ana asked, her voice filled with unshed tears.
“I mean, we can’t just – do this. I’m suggesting a breather. I don’t want you to regret this – us,” Cherry said, also near tears of frustration. “I just, I… You’ve been through so much. I don’t want this to be something impulsive. I think you should take a day, and think on it.” Cherry leaned forward and kissed Ana with a passion she hadn’t known existed in her, “I don’t want to rush things and mess it up.”
Ana sucked in a breath and released a shaky one, “What are you proposing?”
Cherry thought about it for a moment, and then said, “What do you say to a date tomorrow? I pick up some take out, and come over to your hotel…?”
“What would you do with Cody?” Ana asked and Cody’s head popped up from the floor.
“I have an excellent dog-sitter,” she said to Ana. “What do you say bud? You wanna go spend some time tomorrow with your gramma?” Cody popped up into a sitting position and wiggled. “See, he thinks it’s a great idea.”
“Do you think your mom will take him?” Ana asked.
“Absolutely. And, if tomorrow, you don’t think it’s a good idea, it can just be two really good friends having dinner.”
“Cherry?”
“Yes, Ana?”
“I’m not going to change my mind.”
“Good. I don’t want you to.”
Ana sat all the way up, crawled over to Cherry, straddled her, took her face into her hands and kissed her slowly and deeply. “I’ve never felt this way,” she said when they pulled apart. “Never,” she repeated, looking into Cherry’s eyes.
Cherry felt something flutter in her chest – a feeling of hope, a feeling of want, a feeling of need.
I’ve got it bad… real bad.
Be open…
Ana lowered her face back to Cherry’s. Their tongues tangled together wildly, Cherry felt a pressure building in her middle, and she grabbed Ana by her shoulders and pulled her back. “Okay,” Cherry said, puffing for air, “I think that we’ve made a plan. You go back to your hotel…” she said, kissing Ana. “You go…” she kissed Ana again, “And… uhh–” they kissed again.
“And,” Ana continued for her when they pulled apart again, “I’ll think about how much I want you.” They kissed again. “And I’ll try to think of reasons not to be with you,” Ana said, pulling Cherry in for another kiss. “And then, tomorrow night, you bring food…” Ana kissed Cherry once more, this time sucking Cherry’s lower lip into her mouth, “And then you can tell me why you think we shouldn’t… and I’ll convince you otherwise,” she ended her sentence by gently biting Cherry’s lower lip.
Oh… my… God….
Pandora’s Box
Ana -
