Disclaimers

See Part 1

        IT was noon by the time Frances woke. Claudette was still sleeping, an arm thrown over Frances stomach. After those first orgasms, they had moved upstairs to Frances room, leaving everything (clothes and all) strewn all over the floor. It was a sex filled night that left Frances feeling empty and craving for Katie. There was nothing warm about the way they'd had sex. Nothing sweet or promising.

         And Claudette knew that this goddess-woman, as she referred to her in her thoughts, who was so desperately and helplessly in love with another woman, would never give her more than this. But that was good for her; she wasn't one to go for commitments anyway. All she really wanted was some passion and pleasure.

         Frances carefully stood up from the bed and slipped on her pair of silk pajama shorts. She looked into her drawer and pulled out a comfortable cotton tank top. Her body felt loose and relaxed from the long night of great exercise. She went to the bathroom, where she washed her mouth, brushing her teeth and rinsing her mouth thoroughly. She left the bedroom and walked towards the stairs. She heard a noise coming from the kitchen and she went towards it.

         Louie stood with a frying pan and a spatula in his hands. "I'm starving!" He exclaimed, patting his muscled stomach with the pan. He was smiling broadly, his golden hair gleaming with the sunshine. "I'm cooking for eight."

         Frances smiled. "What, did you have an orgy, monsieur?" She joked, chuckling.

         "I could have been,” He said, smiling. "This woman could have been in the Olympics, running twelve hundred laps five times and never gotten tired! By the time we were done, I was exhausted!” He paused and looked at her closely. “How do you feel, Cherie?” At this question, he turned serious.

         Frances sat on the stool and smiled. "Fine,” She replied. "She was not bad at all."

         Louie smiled again, a perfect toothy smile. "God, your first night out clubbing, second in France and you already got laid!" He laughed now. "You could set a Guinness World Record for endurance, luck and capability." He was giggling.

         Frances laughed; she couldn't help it. No matter how sad she felt, Louie would always make her laugh. She suddenly felt a desire to speak to William and Katie. But she knew she would have to wait until that night, for in New York, it was still too early. Suddenly, they heard voices and instantly knew that both women upstairs had encountered each other in the halls.

         A few seconds later both beauties strolled into the kitchen, in great conversation. Claudette had taken one of Frances' shirts, and it was a little big on her, since Frances was slightly bigger in frame and wore her clothes slightly bigger than her own size. She'd found a pair of shorts from somewhere in Frances' bedroom and donned them. Korina had taken the shirt that Louie had been wearing the night before; its tightness pressing against her hardened nipples. Louie fought the sudden urge to ravish them; his eyes never strayed from the fullness of her chest.

         Claudette walked over to Frances, wrapping her arms around her neck and pulling her close. Frances smelled the toothpaste on her breath. Claudette kissed her suggestively and kissed her slowly, slipping her tongue into her mouth. Frances responded, not really wanting to. She pulled away slowly; Claudette saw the reluctance in her eyes. "Let's speak,” She whispered knowingly. Frances nodded, pulling her out of the kitchen. Louie and Korina remained in a lively conversation of their own, Korina looking into the refrigerator and Louie looking into the cabinets, trying to figure out what they could fix up to eat.

         In the den, Frances sat on one of the chairs, inviting Claudette to sit wherever she liked. She crossed her legs and thought for a few seconds. "I am going to let you know that the most I can give you is a friendship,” She said bluntly. "And occasional friendly encounters."

         Claudette wasn't affected by this revelation. "Oh, I knew that already, mademoiselle!" She laughed, gesturing to Frances to dismiss the notion that she wanted more than that. She stopped laughing after a while and studied Frances intently. "Tell me something, Cherie," She continued, looking into Frances' eyes. "Who is Katie?"

         Frances gasped in surprise. "What?" How did this woman know about Katie?

         Claudette saw the question in her alarmed eyes. "You called out her name all night long,” She said, answering the silent question. "Every time you came, Katie would come out of you mouth."

         God, Frances didn't even remember having called out her name. She knew that her mind would stubbornly keep Katie in her mind. Imagining it was Katie whom she was making love to, imagining it was she who caressed her... "Katie… is the woman I love." She whispered.

         Claudette smiled reassuringly. "Really?" She asked.

         Frances smiled bitterly, looking down at her left hand with such nostalgia. "She is the only woman I have ever loved, and ever will love." The pain in her eyes was unbearable. Claudette looked down at her left hand and saw the wedding band on her ring finger. Funny how she almost didn't care the night before. Now, she felt for this suffering young woman facing her.

         "Why aren't you with her, Cherie?" She asked.

         Not knowing why, Frances related the whole story to her. She felt she could trust Claudette; she knew they would become great friends. "I know now that we will never get back together." She whispered when she finished, tears came to her eyes. She wiped at them, but they kept coming.

         Claudette stood up from the chair and went to her and sitting on her lap pulled her head to her, cradling it against her chest. Frances was crying against her, small sobs making her body shake. Claudette felt helpless; all she could do was comfort her until her cries subsided. "You can not just give up like that, Mon Amie." She whispered softly, shifting her fingers through Frances' soft hair.

         Frances didn't respond, she continued crying, desperately hopeless about her return to Katie's arms. Louie happily walked into the den to announce that food was ready; his eyes softened with concern as he realized the situation. He approached both women and kneeled in front of them, putting his hand gently on her back. "Frances,” He said softly and his voice broke, tears came to his eyes. Claudette looked down at him and saw that he was almost crying. She realized that these two had a very strong bond.

         Frances moved and lifted her head up, looking at him through teary eyes. She stood up, Claudette in her arms; she held her gratefully for a few long seconds and then she let her stand on her own. "Let's go eat." She said hoarsely, wiping her tears, and left them both in silence.

                 SEVEN

        

         KATIE was sitting behind the desk that was in the den, the room that Frances had used as her little office. William was sitting on the floor, in front of the twenty six-inch television Frances had there on a stand, watching some educational cartoons in PBS. Katie was looking through the college application, pen poised, when the phone rang. She looked at it with a start. She picked it up and said: "Hello?"

         Frances' strong, husky voice rang through her ears. "How are you?" She sounded happy to hear her voice. "I am sorry I did not call you before."

         The sound of Frances' voice had activated the memory of that last passionate night together. "I- I'm fine,” Katie's voice wavered. She wanted to tell Frances how much she missed her and wanted her and needed her. But she stopped herself, saying instead, "William has missed you."

         Frances sighed. Only William? She wanted to ask. Instead, she said: "I have missed him also." Katie heard the sadness in her voice. "And I have missed you too."

         Katie held herself; her love for Frances drove her wild. "Do you want to speak to him?" She asked, trying to control her body's reaction to that sensuous voice.

         "Oui!" Frances said softly. She lifted her eyes from the desk to look at Claudette smiling at her.

         She could hear Katie talking to William sweetly, saying something to him. His young voice came on the phone. "Di?" He hesitated.

         At that moment Frances broke down, tears streamed heavily down her cheeks. "I am here,” Her voice shook. "How is my little Rug Rat?"

         William, smart little boy that he is, heard her crying. He started crying also; tears streamed down his little plump cheeks. "Di, 'ome back!" He sobbed into the phone. Katie pulled him up on her lap, crying also, burying her face into his abundance of hair. "Pease, 'ome back." He repeated.

         Frances tried to keep her voice controlled, but found that she couldn't. "I miss you." She sobbed, feeling the tears trailing down her nose.

         "When you 'oming?" He asked slowly, sniffing.

         "Soon, baby." She said.

         "For my 'appy pirthday?" He asked, his baby tears were already subsiding.

         "Before that." She said, laughing softly.

         "Okay,” He said and handed the phone to Katie, returning to his cartoons and wiping the tears from his eyes.

         "Hello?" Katie said, her voice shook. She listened to Frances crying softly, crying herself. She waited until the woman she loved so desperately stopped crying.

         "I am sorry,” Frances sniffed, wiping her tears with a tissue. She knew that Katie was still at the other end of the line, crying also. They remained quiet for several moments before Frances' hoarse voice said, "I have missed you so much!"

         Katie sighed heavily, not answering. Then she said, "I'm going back to accounting school."

         Frances smiled despite her sadness. "That is great!" She said. "When do you start?" She was genuinely pleased.

         Katie was glad that she was able to veer Frances away from the memory of their situation. "I'm barely starting to fill up the application. But I'm hoping to send it out by tomorrow."

         Frances asked: "What made you decide to return?" Her voice was soothing to Katie, whose hands were shaking; flashes of those last nights were torturing her.

         Katie hesitated, finally deciding to be honest. "I need to keep my thoughts away from you." She said slowly.

         Frances sighed. She still loves me! She thought happily.

         "Have you called your parents?" Katie asked. "I think they're waiting to hear from you."

         Frances gasped. "Shit!" She cursed. Katie smiled; Frances' accent was already beginning to deepen since she had left to France. Frances hesitated. "But I do not want to hang up with you." She sighed.

         Neither do I. Katie thought to herself. "But you have to." She said instead, softly. "I'll talk to you when you call next time?"

         Frances saddened; then suddenly she became angry. She and Katie hadn't had a real conversation in over a month! Now she wanted to just hang up with her? Just because they weren't together anymore didn't mean that they couldn't talk! "Speak to you some other time, then,” She said coldly. "Give William a hug and a kiss for me. Bye." She hung up, looking at Claudette.

         Claudette, even though she didn't understand or speak English, heard the sudden coldness in Frances' voice. "What happened?" She asked, approaching Frances and sitting on her lap.

         Frances looked up at her; her eyes were cold and angry. "I have to call my parents." She said, moving forward, reaching across Claudette's lap and picking up the phone. She dialed her parents' number.

         "Hello, DeValoi Residence." Flores said into the phone.

         "Hello, Flores." Frances said. "How are you?"

         "Miss Frances?" Flores exclaimed. "It's so good to hear you!"

         Frances smiled. "And it is very good to hear you." She said. "Is my father there?"

         "Yes, miss Frances,” Flores replied. "He's been waiting to hear from you, since you had told him that you would call him."

         "I would like to speak to him, please." She said.

         A few seconds later, Richard came on the phone. "Frances?" He said.

         Frances smiled and said in French, "Hello, father. I have missed you very much." Claudette stood and left the den, leaving her to have privacy.

         Richard sighed. "And I have missed you, my child." He said, also in French. "Your mother has been driving me crazy telling me to call you. I told her you said you would call us."

         "Is she around, dad?" Frances asked, trying not to laugh. She knew how her mother could sometimes drive her father crazy.

         "Unfortunately, no." He said, and then he laughed. "I convinced her to go out with some friends, to try to get her mind off your not calling."

         Richard and Frances spent some time in conversation and catching up on the past few days of separation; she asked for a few favors regarding William and Katie. After half an hour, they decided that it was time to hang up. They said I love you, and promised to call each other. When Frances finished, she went in search of Louie, who was still talking with Korina, and Claudette, who had probably joined them. As she headed for the kitchen, she found that Claudette was coming down the stairs, fully dressed and ready to go. "Where are you going?" She asked.

         Claudette looked at her and smiled. "Home,” She answered.

         Frances smiled mischievously. "Do you really have to go?" She teased.

         Claudette smiled knowingly. "Well,” She said. "Not really."

         Frances walked up to her and wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her tightly close. "Now, when I said I could not give you anything more than friendship, I did not say I would not give you this." She kissed her softly, teasing. "Just because we are friends does not mean that we could not have fun once in a while."

         Claudette shivered, she wanted more of that kiss. She let her hands feel Frances' arms, which were strong and slightly cut. "Let's go back upstairs." She whispered hoarsely.

         Frances nodded and pulled her up the stairs. In the room, she wasted no time in removing both their clothes. As they stood naked in the middle of the room, Frances spread Claudette's legs apart and slipped her finger into her wetness. This situation reminded Frances of a long ago evening, but she pushed it aside. Claudette cried out and her legs weakened. Frances pushed weak-kneed Claudette towards the bed and laid herself on top of her, straddling and pushing herself on Claudette's thigh. With her fingers, she brought Claudette once again into ecstatic oblivion.

                 EIGHT

        

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