Disclaimer: This story contains a loving and sometimes graphic sexual relationship between two women. If this offends you, go away. If you are under legal age or such things are illegal in the place where you are, please move on. All others please read and enjoy. There is no violence, but there is mild language.
Acknowledgement: The poems quoted herein are used with permission of the author and are contained in 'Poetry from the Featherbed' by pinfeather, Copyright 2003 by pinfeather. Published by Dare 2 Dream Publishing, a Division of Limitless Corporation, Lexington, South Carolina 29073 (http://www.limitlessd2d.net).
Thank you: to Em for finding the time in a busy schedule to Beta read and for her helpful suggestions and critique.
Note: This story is a back-story to ‘Message in a Bottle,’ but each story stands on its own.
Feedback: Suggestions and constructive criticism are welcome; spam and vitriol are
not. Encouraging words and a pat on the back are more than welcome. That having been said read on and let me know what you think. sageamante@yahoo.com
LOVE’S JOURNEY FOUND
Copyright © Saggio Amante 2004
All rights reserved.
How cunningly it hunted, and how unaware the prey
That slept so unconcerned at night and played at life by day
But now my nights no longer pass in sweet and pleasant rest
My days no more are careless, but that’s only for the best
Ambushed! ("Poetry from a Featherbed" by Pinfeather)
Part 2 - TUESDAYS ARE FOR TIRAMISU
Lizette tossed and turned on the hard hotel bed. Every time she fell asleep, the face of a tall dark-haired woman invaded her dreams and danced behind her eyes. She could feel herself leaning in to kiss Marina, only to have her dissolve before their lips could meet. Each time this happened, Lizette would awaken with a start. Finally, she just laid there in the dark room counting the flashes of a neon light from the restaurant across the street as its light throbbed through the crack in the window drapes.
Being on the road was a way of life for Lizette. She had always been able to go to sleep and sleep the night through the moment her head hit the pillow. She lived her life with a single-minded focus. She worked to pay the bills, but writing was her passion.
Tonight was different. The balance had shifted. Lizette’s mind reeled; her body throbbed with an aching edge. She got up and tried to write, but the words scattered across the paper were stilted. She poured herself a scotch and water from the bar, then sat back down on the bed, propping herself up with the pillows.
She looked at the clock. The LED read 1:00 a.m. Five hours before she had to get up and leave for North Carolina.
Lizette grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, crossing her eyes as a plethora of infomercials and old news filled the airwaves. Suddenly, she hit the Oxygen Channel. BLISS, the letters faded and she watched transfixed as a steamy scene filled the screen. Two women, half-naked, in a carnal embrace leaned slowly into one another, their lips barely meeting. A tongue rimmed partially open lips, and long fingers caressed a breast stopping long enough to tweak a hardened nipple. A deep moan, then a throaty voice begging "Please" echoed in the dark room. Lizette felt her stomach muscles contract at the sound. ‘God, this is worse than my dreams.’ She clicked off the TV and threw the remote across the room, damning the network.
‘What would Franci do? What would Franci do?’ Lizette smiled at the thought of her twin … the bold one, the wild one, the older one - by 1 minute and 30 seconds - as Franci was wont to remind her at every opportunity. Franci, so self-confident, so "out" in her relationship with Lily that Lizette often found herself envious. Of course, it helped that they lived on the west coast where there were large pockets of tolerance. Knowing Franci and Lily as she did, though, she doubted it would matter where they lived. They would be together openly as a couple and to hell with the rest of the world.
Lizette set her drink on the bedside table and picked up her laptop. ‘Thank God Embassy Suites" is wired, she thought, blessing whoever invented the system. She connected to instant messaging and clicked on CALI@trivalent.net.ca. ‘Please be out there, Franci,’ she prayed.
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: Franci, are you there?
She was about ready to give up when she saw the words ‘CALI is typing" on the bottom of the menu. They had laughed and joked as they chose their screen names - SALI and CALI, like the twins that they were, but the names representing the lives that they lived - Franci - Committed And Loving It; Lizette - Single And Loving It.
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: I’m here sister-girl, what’s up? Why aren’t you in bed?
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: I am in bed.
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: Alone? <vbeg>
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: Cut it out! Of course I’m alone. How’s Lily?
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: Lily’s fine. So why are you really doing the IM bit at … what time is it there? 1:00 a.m.? Thought you were in bed and asleep by 11. Wild night?
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: Sort of.
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: Holy shit! Give it up! Who is it? Anybody we know?
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: LOL. Hardly. Just somebody I met at a bookstore.
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: Bookstore? It figures. Oh, wait, pf had a poetry reading, didn’t she? Did she introduce you to someone?
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: Yup. Pf had a poetry reading. And nope, she didn’t introduce me to anyone. I met this woman in the café at the bookstore. We sat at the same table having a Mocha while we waited for the reading to start. We sat together at the reading. She drove me back to the hotel afterwards, and we had a drink in the bar here and talked a while.
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: Whoa! So why are you in bed alone? Inquiring minds want to know.
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: I don’t do one-nighters. You know that!
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: So do it for two nights. Damn, girl. You need to get a life.
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: You’re not funny … and I’ve got a life!
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: So, why are you alone in a faraway hotel room instant messaging me at 1:00 a.m.? What’s going on?
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: I don’t know. I can’t get her out of my mind. I can’t sleep. I’m so restless I could scream.
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: You’re horny.
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: WHAT?
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: You heard me. You’re horny!
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: Good grief, do you always have sex on your mind?
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: I’m not answering that. LOL. So tell me about your latest conquest. When are you going to see her again?
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: Her name is Marina. Tonight for dinner. If I live that long. (sigh). She’s supposed to pick me up at 7:00.
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: Marina what? And what does she do?
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: I don’t know … and I don’t know.
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: What do you mean you don’t know? You spent a whole evening with her and you don’t even know her last name?
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: It, uh, never came up. OMG. What if she doesn’t come back to the hotel? She can’t call me. She doesn’t know my last name. She doesn’t know where I work. And I don’t know how to get in touch with her. Shit! I am so lousy at this.
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: Cool it, sister. Practice makes perfect. Trust me. She’ll be there.
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: How could you possibly know that?
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: I’ve never had a woman forget to pick me up for a date. If they couldn’t resist me, how could anyone resist you? LMAO.
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: You’d better not let Lily hear you say that.
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: I’ll take care of Lily, darling. You take care of yourself - if you know what I mean. <vbeg>
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: Geeze! You are the evil twin. I love you, sis. I gotta try to get some sleep.
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: I love you, too. Call me! Come for a visit soon. Lily says "hi".
SALI@trivalent.net.ca: G’nite big sis.
CALI@trivalent.net.ca: G’nite lil sis.
Lizette turned off the computer, laid it on the table, and then went back to bed. She took several deep breaths, willing her body to relax, and fell uneasily into a deep sleep. When her wakeup call came at 5:00 a.m., she awoke amazingly refreshed.
*~*~*~*
The trip to North Carolina went well and Lizette was back in her hotel room by 3:00 p.m. ‘Plenty of time for a nap,’ she thought as she opened the door to the room.
The sight that unfolded astounded her. Vases of roses, were all over the room - one with a dozen red roses, another with yellow, still another with peach, and yet another with white. Their fragrance was staggering. In the middle of the bed was a large box of chocolates with a single lavender rose and card on top. Lizette dropped everything to the floor and grabbed the card, tearing it open.
‘See you at 7. Dress casually. M’
Lizette sat down on the bed. ‘How did you do this?’ She wondered. ‘Who are you, Marina?’
She smiled inwardly, feeling a warmth flood her heart, as she called downstairs to leave a 5 p.m. wakeup call. She slipped off her clothes and laid down on the bed, letting the fragrance of the roses lull her into a dream-filled sleep. This time the image of the dark-haired woman did not dissolve, and Lizette dreamed an orgasm-filled dream of such aching reality that, even in sleep, she was completely satisfied.
*~*~*~*
The knock on her door came precisely at 7:00 p.m. Lizette took a deep breath and opened the door, smiling at the tall, dark-haired woman standing on the other side.
Marina grinned widely at the small blonde standing in the doorway. "Hi," she said almost shyly.
"Hi, yourself," Lizette answered. "Come in. Would you like a drink? I‘m almost ready."
Marina stepped inside the room, letting the door close behind her. "Let’s wait until dinner, if you don’t mind."
"Marina?"
"Yes."
"I don’t know how to thank you. The flowers are extraordinary. And the chocolates … my secret vice."
"I’m glad you enjoyed them. They pale beside you."
Lizette blushed. "You are a poet, aren’t you? You could turn a girl’s head."
"I hope so," Marina said. "Come on. Are you ready?"
"Sure. Let’s go."
*~*~*~*
The small red Corvette convertible twisted and turned through city streets until it reached a winding road along an ocean highway.
"Where is this restaurant?" Lizette asked. "I thought it was downtown."
"I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve changed our plans a little. I thought we‘d go to my place."
"Uh, I’m not sure. Maybe the restaurant would be better." Lizette couldn’t keep the tinge of nervousness out of her voice.
"If that’s what you want, of course," Marina replied, slowing the car down to do a U-turn and head back to town.
"Wait!" Lizette said, placing a hand on Marina’s arm. "It’s all right. Your place will be fine."
Marina smiled. "I’ll tell you what. If you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable, just tell me. We’ll leave and go to a restaurant or I’ll take you back to your hotel. I just thought it would be easier to talk at my place. I want to get to know you better. Deal?"
Lizette left her hand on Marina’s arm. "Deal," she said, knowing instinctively that she really had nothing to fear.
*~*~*~*
Lizette was surprised when Marina pulled the car into a driveway behind a fairly large cottage at the beach. She was even more surprised when she walked into the living room and saw the candles and a table set for two.
"I, uh, hope you don’t mind. I thought I’d prepare something for us here." Marina reached to take Lizette’s jacket. "Make yourself comfortable while I hang this up and check on dinner. There’s wine chilling in the bucket by the table. Help yourself if you’d like."
Marina walked out of the room, leaving a stunned Lizette behind, and returned a few minutes later to find Lizette standing in front of the open French doors, a glass of wine in her hand, staring out at the ocean.
Lizette felt Marina come up behind her, standing just a few inches away. "This is wonderful," Lizette whispered.
"I’m glad you like it," Marina said. "Come, dinner’s almost ready. I promised you Italian, and Italian it shall be."
The two women walked over to the table and Marina pulled out the chair for Lizette, then seated herself. Soft music played through an intercom, a background to the music of the waves beating on the shore. Marina poured herself a glass of wine. "Dinner will be served in a few minutes," she said. "Go ahead and start your antipasto if you’d like."
As if on cue, an older woman of ample girth walked from the kitchen. She was pushing a small cart with two plates of angel hair pasta with basil pomodoro sauce and two steaming loaves of Italian bread.
"Grazie, Nonna," Marina said.
"Mangia! Mangia!" The older woman said, waving a hand at the two women.
"Nonna, this is Lizette," Marina said. "Lizette, this is my grandmother, Francesca Perelli."
"Allo, Lizetta."
"Hello, Mrs. Perelli. I’m pleased to meet you." Lizette reached out to shake the older woman’s hand.
Marina’s grandmother took Lizette’s small hand in her own larger one. "Ima pleased to meeta you, too," she grinned and looked pointedly at her granddaughter. "Bella, bella, Marina. I go to bed and leava you girls alone."
"Please, Mrs. Perelli, join us," Lizette requested.
"You calla me Nonna," Francesca said, pinching Lizette’s cheek. She laughed as Lizette blushed. "Bella! Bella! Ima say good night." She smiled at the two women, then turned and walked away.
Lizette watched the older woman walk down the hallway and enter a door at the end. "Does she live with you?" She asked, turning to Marina.
"Nonna? No. She just comes to visit every so often, but she likes to get back to her own home. She gets lonely sometimes since my grandfather died."
"She’s your …. "
"She’s my father’s mother. My father died two years ago. I’m an only child as was he, so I’m all Nonna has left."
"So, you’re a Perelli?"
"Yes. I am."
"Marina Perelli." Lizette let the words roll over her tongue. "That’s a beautiful name, almost musical."
"Thank you. Nonna named me."
"You must love her very much."
"I do. She could live here if she’d like, but I can’t convince her to."
"What about your mother?"
Marina stiffened slightly. "We haven’t spoken in years. I doubt that that will change any time soon. Nonna is all I have left, too."
"I’m sorry."
"Don’t be. It’s her loss," Marina said coldly.
There was a lull in the conversation as the two women ate their meal. Lizette finished the last bit on her plate and leaned back in her chair, sighing contentedly. "This was absolutely wonderful. I’m sure no restaurant could have done as well."
"Nonna is a great cook," Marina agreed. "Why don’t you go on out on the porch while I take the dishes to the kitchen."
"Let me help you."
"No. You go on out and enjoy the view. We can have our coffee and desert out there."
"Oh, god, I don’t think I can eat any desert."
The two women rose together, and Marina picked up their plates.
"You must try just a little. Nonna will be crushed if she gets up tomorrow morning and it hasn’t even been cut. I tell you what. We’ll share a serving."
"A serving of what?"
"You’ll see. Now go on out on the porch and relax. It’s a beautiful night."
Lizette went out on the porch and sat on the steps listening to the sound of the ocean waves. A full moon glowed brightly in the cloudless sky. She was lost in thought and was startled when Marina called to her.
"Coffee’s ready. Come." Marina reached her hand down and helped Lizette up. The two women walked over to a table set with a silver coffee set. "Have a seat," Marina said, pulling a chair out for Lizette. "Why don’t you pour. I’ll have mine black." Marina headed back into the house while Lizette poured the coffee.
Marina returned with a large bowl in her hands and sat down next to Lizette. She dipped a spoon in the bowl. "Close your eyes and open your mouth," she instructed.
Lizette complied and groaned with pleasure as she tasted the full, rich flavor of tiramisu. "Oh, my god," she sighed, "this is heavenly."
"Exactly the effect Nonna hopes for," Marina chuckled. "She is proud of her tiramisu."
"As well she should be."
Lizette picked up the other spoon and offered Marina a taste.
"I’d forgotten how good this is," Marina said. "Nonna only makes it for special occasions."
The woman chatted easily while they finished their coffee and the rich desert. Marina fed Lizette the last piece of tiramisu, then stood, stretching her long frame. "Let’s walk this off on the beach," she said reaching down for Lizette’s hand.
Lizette took Marina’s hand and stood. They walked hand-in-hand off the porch into the sand and down the beach toward the water. Neither woman spoke, each keeping company with her own thoughts in the silence of the moonlit night. They came to a point where the beach curved around a large rock, and Lizette was surprised to see a blanket on the sand and a bucket with a bottle of wine in it. She raised her eyebrows at Marina.
"I thought maybe you’d like to watch the sunrise with me," Marina said hopefully.
"I have to go to Columbia, tomorrow," Lizette replied ruefully.
"What time?"
"I need to be there by 2 p.m."
"Easy enough. I’ll get you back to the hotel first thing in the morning, and to the airport by 12:30. That’s plenty of time to catch the shuttle to Columbia. OK?"
"You really have everything planned out don’t you?" Lizette asked.
"Not everything."
Lizette pulled Marina over to the blanket and sat down, patting a place beside herself. "Here."
Marina sat down, her knees bent, and wrapped her arms around her legs. She sat with her chin on her knees staring out at the ocean. "I hope I haven’t offended you. I just wanted to try to make everything perfect. I haven’t been on a date in a long time."
"A date? Is that what this is?"
"I think so. I‘m a little out of practice."
"If this is what you do when you’re out of practice, I can’t imagine what would happen if you were in top form." Lizette laid down on the blanket and stared up at the sky. "It’s beautiful here. Tonight was wonderful."
Marina stretched her legs out on the blanket and leaned back to lay next to Lizette. "Will you put your head on my shoulder?" She asked hesitantly.
"Can we take this slowly?"
"As slowly as you want." Marina replied softly, knowing there were only a few days left before Lizette would be leaving for good.
Lizette rolled over on her side and placed her head on Marina’s shoulder. She let her arm lay gently across Marina’s ribs, just under her breasts. She smiled inwardly as the tall woman who held her begin to rub in gentle circles up and down her spine.
"Thank you," Lizette mumbled as she slowly drifted into sleep.
"No … thank you," Marina said as she placed a kiss on the top of Lizette’s head. She laid there, content, with the sleeping blonde in her arms, watching stars shoot across the sky, and listening to the whisper of the waves against the shore.
*~*~*~*