London Harmony: Squid Hugs (15 page)

Holy shit.  I giggled.  Hooooly shit.  I never knew it could be like that.  I smiled at Jen's sleeping form, cuddled into me like a kitten seeking heat.  I stroked her hair, acutely aware of her bare skin against mine.  Fires blazed everywhere we touched.

For our first lesbian experience, I think it was the most amazing night of my life.  Nothing could have prepared me for that.  I think it wasn't really what we did, but who I was with that made it so intense.  I finally knew the difference between having sex and making love.

We took our time getting to know every inch of each others bodies.  I even gave her throat a little kiss with it's new smoothness. I worshiped her as we made love and I felt worshiped in return.  She made a woman of me again and again, and I returned the favor as our souls reached out and embraced.

Then we did something even more intimate after we collapsed with a happy, glowing exhaustion, we just lay there cuddled together and just stared into each other eyes.  Baring our souls to each other in a silence that was louder than the chaos of creation.  We laid bare all our emotions, hopes, and fears to each other, and they shone with blinding clarity.  I was hers and she mine and I wept with her.

I studied her gorgeous face.  It was unfair to the rest of us just how sublimely feminine she was.  Then she started to smile with her eyes still closed.

“You're staring at me.”

She cuddled in tighter.

I nodded and grinned.  “Just memorizing your face.”

She smiled wider and opened one eye.  I leaned down and kissed the nape of her neck and gave it a little nibble.  I was rewarded by her sharp intake of breath.  She almost purred as she stretched.

I sighed and said, “We better get moving before we're late for work.”

She exhaled an, “Oh poo.”  Then gave me a quick peck on the lips and stood, displaying her lithe naked form to me in all its glory.  She started toward the bathroom and paused to look demurely over her shoulder.  “Breakfast?”

How do they say it here?  I'm no bloody git!  I almost sprang from the bed and followed her like I was on a leash to the shower, where she showed me that last night had just been the beginning.  I was mewling like a kitten by the time we exited the shower when the water had started turning cold.

I said to her, still panting to catch my breath, “Hey now lady, what's with the smug look?”

She just crinkled her nose in response then started getting ready for the day.  I was still a little jelly-legged as I dressed in what I came in last night.  It would have to do, I didn't have time to go home before the workday began.

When we got into my car like every normal day since a few days after we met, she looked down at her hands and asked, “Did you know... umm, that that would happen last night?”

I shook my head with a nervous smile.  Was she regretting it? “Only in my wildest fantasies.  June convinced me that not admitting my feelings to you was hurting you, and I... I didn't ever want to be the reason you were hurting.”

I think it was the right answer because she smiled shyly and blushed as she took my hand and slowly laced our fingers like she was as fascinated and excited about it as I was.  I chuckled to myself and turned on the radio and we sang our way to Lunar Base Two.  I don't think I had ever felt so happy, so... complete, in my entire life.

There were already familiar cars in the lot beside Eliza's.  Jen mumbled, “Bloody hell.”

I nodded and said with a smirk, “I concur.”

She shook her head. “They aren't going to let us live this down are they?”

I shook my head. “I seriously doubt it, but it doesn't matter.”

She cocked her head in question.

I shrugged and added, “Because I love you.”

She seemed to melt and she scrunched her head down to her shoulders with a grin that was far too cute for human consumption.

We stepped out of the vehicle and I gravitated to her side.  We got lost in each others eyes for a moment before I could pry my eyes away with a silly grin on my face as I took her hand in mine.  She didn't hesitate to lace our fingers then give my hand a little squeeze as she straightened up to stand tall. “Right then, shall we go pay the piper then?”

I nodded and matched her air of confidence.  We buzzed ourselves into the lobby and were not surprised to see J-Dub, Vannie, Small Fry, and Tasha all standing there with stupid grins on their faces.  They cheered when we came in.  I don't know who was blushing more profusely, Jen or me.

June asked, “Well?”

I held our clasped hands up and said in a disbelieving tone, “It appears I'm her girl.”

Jen matched my tone and said, “And I'm hers.  Queen mother help me.”

Hey!  I bumped her hip, “Hey!”

She just gave a cute smug grin in response as the others chuckled at me.

I released her and held my arms toward the women and wiggled my fingers. “Grawl?”

Fran was the first to pay the hug toll.  The others followed suit, then Tasha asked in a teasing voice, “Hey, isn't that the same outfit you had on last night Zil?”

Oh god.  I don't think I could have blushed any harder and I buried my face in Jen's shoulder.  She came valiantly to my rescue as the others chuckled again.  “Could be.”

Hey!

I mumbled into her shoulder, “Can I go die now please?”

This got a silvery, tittering laugh from her.

June showed mercy and asked, “Chinese?”

Jen nodded and said, “That sounds divine.  We'll see at the Red Dragon at lunch?  We can't do Golden Garden, their chow mien doesn't sit well with Zil.”

“Don't lay it all on me, lady.  You know what their egg rolls did to you last time.  You...”

She grinned at me with sparkling eyes. “Oh hush, the adults are talking now.”

I gleeped as the others just started chuckling at us.  Then I beamed at my girl.  I can say that now.  My girl.

June looked at Van who nodded then she looked at us and said, “It's settled then, Nessie and I will see you at lunch.  Now I have an office to pull out of crisis mode.”  As the four evil wenches headed out the door, she then teased, “Have a great day ladies.” 

I called after her because I know how much June likes to have the last word, “And who put the office in crisis, woman?”

I heard her amused laugh through the door.

Then I turned bashfully to Jen and bit my lower lip as I ground my heel on the marble floor.  I tilted my head and raised my eyes to hers.  “I should... umm... get to work too.”  She looked as bashful as I felt and just nodded.  Then leaned in and we kissed.

Of course, Bridget and Oliver would pick that instant to buzz themselves in.  They stepped in and Jen and I pulled quickly apart, blushing profusely.  The two paused and looked at us, then Bridget rolled her eyes and said, “It's about bloody time.”

Oliver chimed in, “Quite.”

They both gave us tongue in cheek smiles as they walked past without making eye contact with us.  They seemed awfully smug and full of themselves as they scurried along.  I took off after them up the stairs.

“Hey!  No need to get all smirky about it!  Don't tease the boss!”

They just chuckled at my embarrassment so I pulled them to a stop and squid hugged the hell out of them.  There, that'll teach them!  I strode imperiously through the Mini-Pit, through the conference room, and into the office.  Then I exhaled and shut the door quietly, placing my back to it as I replayed last night and this morning through my head.

I squealed and started hopping up and down as I hugged my arms to my chest.  You couldn't have wiped the smile off my face if you tried.  Oh dear God, I had kissed Jen and more.  She... she loved me back!  I bunny hopped to the desk and settled in to work, distracted by the phantom feel of the memory of her soft lips on mine.

I heard more employees murmuring through the wall as they arrived.  I hit the intercom and said, “This... Is going to be an awesome day!”  I heard some chuckles and added, “Shut up and get to work.”  Which only got more laughter.  What?  Was I not an intimidating boss?  I smiled and attacked the huge stacks of paperwork with enthusiasm.

Yes, this was definitely shaping up to be one of the best days of my life.

I paused when I got to an envelope I had overlooked the prior day when I returned.  I was more concerned with the financials.  I looked at it, it was a heavy envelope with gilded letters on the front which read, “Hugmaster of London” on it.

I grinned and opened it.  A single announcement card slid out and a RSVP form.  I don't know why but a single silent sob escaped my lips as I smiled at the card.  An invitation to the graduation ceremony for Francine Allie Brighton. My God, had it really been that long?  I knew her when she was just an overly cute, overly cheery girl entering her teens, who had a thesaurus for a brain.  Now she was graduating college?

I felt so proud of her and what she had accomplished, I've watched her grow into the amazing woman she was like she was my own... little sister.  I took a deep calming breath and smiled as I ran my fingers over the invitation.  I quickly looked at the RSVP and felt a new warmth inside as for the first time in my life, I checked the plus one box with a big smile and a happy tear rolling down my cheek.

I had, and was, the plus one of the girl I have loved for so long.

To the woman who made my heart skip a beat every time she smiled at me, I giggled. “Slow down Jen.”

She turned to walk backward grabbing my other hand and pulled me along.  “I can't help it, Sally, I'm just excited to see your childhood home and your parents!  Not to mention this is my first trip over the pond.  I traveled a lot with my parents through Europe and Africa, but never to the Colonies.”

I smiled at her and pulled her up short before she bumped into the people in line at the customs counter.  She let go of one hand and turned around, I couldn't help grinning like a fool at her excitement.  She reached over and ran her hand through my layered hair.  The black layer parted, showing the layer of honey blonde hiding just below it.

I have to admit, I felt sort of the same when I had first arrived in London when June asked if I was interested in spearheading the renovation and management of this pie in the sky idea of hers for a recording studio that specialized in the underground music scene.  As unlikely as it would have sounded to anyone else, I knew that if anyone could pull it off, it was June.  Though she wouldn't let me include any animals in her grand plan.

It was a non-decision for me and I was onboard before she finished asking.  Now I think it was fate.  If I hadn't, I never would have me the overly cute and excited woman in a high fashion sundress beside me.  She was almost vibrating with excitement.  I squeezed her hand to make sure she was really there and not just a dream.  She squeezed back.

I had to blink at the customs counter as the agent thumbed through pages and pages of her passport to find an open page to stamp as she asked, “Reason for visit, business or pleasure?”

Jen said, “Pure pleasure.”

The woman stamped her passport and slid it back, “Welcome to the United States, Miss Harrison.” She nodded with a cheesy grin on her face as she took her passport and waited for me to get cleared.  When we stepped past the desk and she stood behind the line that marked U.S. territory.  She wiggled her eyebrows and hopped over the line and reached over and dragged me with her.

I was just giggling at her antics as we hurried to our connecting flight.  She scrunched her lips over to one side and said, “Huh, it looks just like the inside of a building to me, I thought the United States would look bigger.”

I snorted and bumped her hips.

She grinned and asked, “What?  It seems you use walls to hold your roofs up here just like we do.”

I rolled my eyes. “What am I going to do with you, lady?”

She pulled me to a stop and turned to put her forehead against mine, her lips an inch from mine as she gave a sly smile and whispered, “Anything you want.”  She closed the gap and right before our lips connected, she turned away and chuckled at me as she pulled me down the concourse.

I growled out under my breath, trying to quell my arousal, “Damn tease.”  This just turned her wicked smile into a smug one.

I couldn't seem to get enough of her.  And we may or may not have become members of the mile high club over international waters.  My lips are sealed.

What?  It was a long flight.

The hop to Denver went by quickly as she had me telling her all about the places I would visit in Colorado when I was young.  We ended our conversation as the plane touched down at Denver International with her squeezing my hand that always found its way into hers and her saying, “I want to see it all.  Bring me everywhere?”

I placed my other hand over our clasped hands and chuckled as I said, “You do realize we're only here for three weeks don't you?  London Harmony will fall apart if we stay any longer.”

She rolled her eyes at me. “Oh poo.  I sort of have access to all the employee records and you have taken an entire three days off in almost ten years, besides when you had to fly home to take care of your mom. You have over thirty weeks of unused vacation.”

Then she said, “Besides, it's good for June's heart to fill in for you.  The stress keeps the blood pumping.”  She bit the tip of her tongue and crinkled her nose at me.

I felt like swooning at the look.

We made our way to the baggage terminal and then spent ten minutes retrieving my one large suitcase as it moved past and her FOUR large suitcases.  I shook my head at her as I almost landed on my butt when I pulled the last one off.  It had to weigh half of what I did.

I teased and repeated, “You do realize we're only here for three weeks don't you?”

She took on an imperious air and spoke with a more refined accent than normal, “A girl must be prepared for any emergency.”

I scrunched my face in doubt and deadpanned, “A clothing emergency?”

She answered with a silly grin and nod.

Fine, she wins.

She whispered to me, “I don't suppose you packed that business suit did you?”

My eyes went wide as my brows tried to crawl up into my hairline in surprise, and I sputtered, “Really?”  She bit her lower lip as she smiled hungrily and swung side to side playfully as she nodded.  I blushed down to my core.

I swallowed and we turned around to look for one of those cart thingies to get us out to the curb with the contents of her entire closet. Then a smile split my face when I saw a huge ebony man grinning our way holding a sign that read, 'Harrison and Bat Lady.'  Jen followed my gaze and chirped out a surprised gleep of laughter.

I chuckled as he wiggled his eyebrows and came striding over.  Each step covering twice the ground of mine.  I jumped up into his arms and he dangled my feet off the ground as he hugged me.  Into his shoulder, I murmured, “Daddy.” 

He said in a pleased rumble, “Baby doll.  It's good to have you home again.”

He placed me down and I turned to Jen, who had one eyebrow cocked and a silly grin on her face as she looked Isaac up and down appreciatively.  I slapped her shoulder lightly, “Down girl.  That's my dad you're eyeing.  He's taken... and so are you point in fact.”

She seemed both surprised and delighted.  Then I understood.  I had never shown anyone pictures of my family and I don't think it sank in to Jen after I told her the story of Rat, that he was black.  Truthfully I never really think about it.

I said, “Jen, this is my dad, Isaac Slader.  Dad, this is my... girlfriend, Jennifer Harrison.”

She put her hand out and Isaac just engulfed her into a hug worthy of me.  I grinned with pride, my apprentice was learning, I should advance him to hug journeyman one day.  She gleeped and giggled.

Then she said as he released her, “I can see the family resemblance.”

I sighed and said, “Smart ass.  I told you mom remarried.”

Isaac looked at her, purposefully ignoring me. “Don't listen to her, I think she has my eyes.”

The two laughed at the look on my face then I rolled my eyes at their antics and grabbed two suitcases by their handles and started marching off.  I heard dad's rumbling chuckle, “Car is other way, Einstein.”

I turned around and lifted my nose in the air and marched the other way as I said, “I hate you both.”  I grinned at their laughter as they caught up with the other luggage in tow.

Jen looked past me to Isaac then at me and she leaned in and whispered, “Your dad is hot.”  Then after a heartbeat.  “And huge.”

I bumped her shoulder with a pleased grin on my face as dad lead us to the car.  I was so happy that they got along so well.  Wait a minute, why were Isaac and I hauling two suitcases each while she only had one?

I thought about her own father and mother, and how they had reacted when Jen and I had nervously stood hand in hand in their living room and told them that we were together now.  Her mother had just tilted her head back to look at the ceiling and said, “Thank the Lord, it's about bloody time.”

Her father seemed immensely pleased and later that night he had pulled me aside to express how happy it made him that I made Jennifer so happy, and to deliver a threat,  “If you ever do anything to hurt my little girl...”

I couldn't stop grinning, I had just got the traditional boyfriend threat from her father.  I know he was sort of serious, but at the same time, it was his way of accepting me into the fold.

The past six months have been like a dream to me.

The evil ones made me ride in the back seat when we got to Tank in the airport parking garage.

On our way to the family home, after Jen got over her mini-heart attack when Isaac pulled out into traffic on the 'wrong side' of the road, she piped up from the front seat, “So Mr. Slader, what embarrassing things can you tell me about my girl here when she was young?”

He rumbled out his chuckle as I tried to protest, “Please, call me Isaac, Jennifer.  Hmm... there was this one time, when Rita was... it must have been eleven when we brought Ratiana home from the hospital.”

I started thumping his shoulder from behind.  “Oh dear lord, don't tell her that.”

He chuckled at my embarrassment, and just plowed forward as Jen listened with rapt fascination.  “Her mother and I went up to put her mother's things away in the bedroom.  Ezie had handed little Ratiana to our Rita here and jokingly said, “Now don't drop her, she's fragile.”

He grinned at me in the rearview mirror as I pouted.

“The look on her face was priceless, wide eyes and I think she stopped breathing when her mother said that.  When we came back downstairs so Esmeralda could rest in the living room and watch some television with the baby.  Zilrita was still standing in the same spot, holding her sister like a porcelain doll, face pale as a sheet.”

I said as Jen grinned back at me, “Hey, I was terrified I'd do just what mom said and drop her.  She was so small.  And when someone tells you not to do something, that's all you can think about.  I was too scared to move.”

Isaac had a sad smile on his face as he added, “She was mumbling about precious cargo and bubble wrap when Ezie retrieved little Rat from her.  I knew right then how much Rita loved her little sister and I had no doubt she'd be the best big sister there was.”

I shared a sad smile with him and deflated a little.

Jennifer said to both of us, “Well she will be the best big sister that Luminita could ever wish for.”

We smiled at her and I reached forward to take her hand for a moment.  Then we changed the subject and Isaac shared some of my more of my less shining moments from my childhood until we passed through downtown.

Like a little kid, Jen had her face plastered to the window as she looked at the glass and steel canyons of the soaring skyscrapers.  Then her smile bloomed as we passed the Capitol building.  Her eyes were locked on the gold plated dome.  Then she turned back excitedly as we entered our tightly packed residential neighborhood and turned on to Eleventh.

Being the consummate host, Isaac drove us past the house slowly as I pointed it out to an excited Jennifer before he pulled us around to the alley and into the garage.

Dad said as we got out, “Just leave the bags, I'll get them in later, your mother is waiting.”

I nodded as my excitement built.  I wish babies worked on a timetable and were predictable as to when they were born.  Then I could have been here two days ago for the birth of my baby sister.

Jennifer paused as we walked past mother's car and she looked at my battered yellow bug.  She purposefully looked past me to Isaac with a sly smile on her face.

“Tell me this is Zil's.”

He nodded and she gave me a toothy grin and looped her arm in mine, quite smugly I might add.

I defended my car's honor, “Hey, Lady is a great car.  Dependable, and she has character.  Plus she has a one of a kind paint job.”

She hesitated and her grin faltered just a moment as she saw the grass and flowers I had painted with Ratiana.

Then we followed dad into the house.  He loudly said, which to most might sound like a bellow, “Ezie, were home.”

She called back, “In the living room.”

Jen was looking all around like she was trying to take everything in at the same time as she followed us through the house.  I was buzzing with excitement.  I hopped up to mom who stood up from the couch, looking radiant with a little bundle held lovingly in her arms.  I kissed her cheek then reached back and hauled Jen up to her.

I grinned at them as I held my arms out, wiggling my fingers in a gimme gesture.  Mom handed the little-wrapped bundle to me as I absently said, “Mom, this is my girlfriend, Jennifer.  Jen this is my mom, Esmarelda Slader.”

As they shook hands and traded niceties, I was lost in a happy haze as I looked down on the face of a little angel.  Her skin was a beautiful tone between milk chocolate and caramel.  She was wrapped in a fluffy baby animal pattern blanket and had a cute little pink cap on.  She was perfect!  I softly said, “Hello there little Lumi.  I'm your big sister Zilrita.”  I kissed her forehead and smiled as a tear rolled down my cheek.  “We're going to have so many adventures together every time I visit.”

I looked up and everyone was looking at me with warm smiles on their faces.  I offered my baby sister to the woman I loved.  “Would you like to meet my little sister?  Luminita Ratiana Slader?”

She paled a bit and swallowed and held her hands out as she nodded.

I hid a smirk as I handed my tiny sibling to her.  “Support her head.”  Then added, “Don't drop her now.  She's really fragile.”