Sophia shook her head, “Uh
uh
, I think I’ve been burned enough lately, don’t you?”
Rachel noticed the smirk on Sophia’s face and was glad she could joke about her recent heartbreak.
Joy stepped forward. “Well, hell, if little Ms. Wussy Pants won’t step up, I will.
Whatcha
need, boys?”
“See that big bucket of torches?”
“You mean the unlit ones? That doesn’t seem too exciting for you to juggle. Where’d the fire go?” Joy asked.
“So you like to play with fire, do you?” the young man with shaggy blond hair asked. He wiggled his eyebrows. “My kind of woman.”
“Barking up the wrong tree, Shaggy, but I do like to play with fire, you’re just not quite my type.”
“Too young for you?” he asked.
“Nope. Too male for me,” Joy answered. “But if you have a sister?”
“Beautiful lesbians—just my luck. Oh well, you can still play with my fire.” The blond man took a lighter out of his board shorts and tossed it to Joy. “All you
gotta
do it light those torches and keep handing them to me until the bucket is empty.”
“I can handle that,” Joy answered.
Rachel grabbed Sophia’s hand and pulled her forward. “This I
gotta
see.” When Sophia made no move to release her hand, Rachel continued to hold it as they enjoyed a front row view of the show.
Joy looked at Rachel and Sophia, and her grin was positively wicked. She winked. As she proceeded to light the torches and hand them to the blond performer, an artful game of juggling began. Rachel suspected that Joy was trying her
darndest
to light the torches quickly in an attempt to make it more challenging and interesting for the audience, but the performers were far too skilled for her to trip them up.
The artists started singing. “Love is a burning thing, it makes a fiery ring....”
Rachel burst out laughing. “Oh, that is freaking hilarious,
Ring of Fire
by Johnny Cash.”
Sophia began singing along. “Bound by wild desire, I fell into a ring of fire.”
Rachel looked at Sophia with renewed interest. She noted Sophia’s sultry singing voice and thought she would follow that voice anywhere. “Damn, girl, you can sing.”
The performers waved her on between catching their burning torches. As they turned, performing their increasingly intricate tosses into the air, around their backs, and under their legs, they continued to sing
Ring of Fire
.
The audience began clapping and cheering. Johnny Cash’s song never sounded so good with the blend of voices.
Sophia stopped singing and giggled. “Gosh, that feels good. It’s how I paid for college,” she explained.
The street performers juggled the twenty torches for another couple of minutes and then one by one extinguished each torch.
Joy playfully pulled the young man’s hat off his head and began working the crowd to get them to toss their money into the hat.
Rachel retrieved a hundred dollar bill and tossed it into the collection. Sophia pulled a wad of bills from her purse and added to the bounty. Joy gave the hat loaded with bills back to the young man and handed him a twenty.
“What are you doing for, say, the next three or four months?” the young performer asked. “We could use a third person who can actually sing. It gives our act a little more
oompf
.”
Sophia waved him away. “I’m on vacation. Good luck, boys.”
“Have a nice day, Shaggy and friend.” Joy waved, too, as they walked away.
“Well, that was fun. We should go find a karaoke bar. This woman’s got game. I just discovered her hidden talent. Anything else up that beautiful sleeve of yours?” Rachel asked.
Rachel took Sophia’s hand again and led her to the rows of artists showing their handmade wares.
“Ooh, these miniature watercolors are incredible,” Sophia exclaimed. “I want something to remember this afternoon. It’s been the bright spot of my day and I want to focus on the positive. How much?” she asked.
“Twenty-five,” the vendor answered.
Sophia smiled broadly. “I’ll take it. The fish are so colorful. I love it.”
Rachel marveled at the childlike wonder in Sophia’s eyes and it was one more thing that endeared her to Sophia.
There was no sense in denying that she was attracted to Sophia, but to act on that would be the very worst thing possible. Friends. They needed to stay friends—nothing more. They could share their common experience. Maybe form a support group for victims of lesbian bigamists. Rachel wondered if such a thing existed and couldn’t help finding humor at the absurdity of such thoughts.
She would enjoy spending time with her new friends, but Sophia was strictly off-limits. Frankly, at this point, every woman was strictly off-limits. She desperately needed a break from love and sex. No good would come from either one until she had time to get a handle on her anger.
Joy shook Rachel from her musings. “Okay, now that we’ve tasted the requisite Inner Harbor festivities—I say it’s time for some alcohol therapy. Mojitos,
bellinis
, margaritas, pick your poison, because they have them all at Milestones. At least that’s what I heard from a scrumptious Canadian woman that I ran across while I was checking us in. I think the food there is decent as well. We can have an early dinner.”
“Do they have an outside patio? The day is too nice to spend locked inside a restaurant. I’d like to spent a few more minutes just relaxing and looking out at the water, if it’s okay. A room packed with merry tourists might be a bit too much for me just yet. Can we ease into it, please?” Sophia pleaded.
“I wouldn’t mind a few minutes of peace myself, but not here where all the crowds are gathered. I’m sure if we walk along the water we can find something a little less occupied,” Rachel suggested.
“Oh, all right, but can we hit the gay bar tonight?” Joy asked.
Rachel looked at Sophia for confirmation that she was up for an evening out on the town.
Sophia nodded.
“I’ll bet you know exactly where to go,” Rachel remarked.
“Yes, indeed, I do,” Joy answered.
Lara’s worst nightmare had just come true. She’d lost the love of her life and the woman she simply could not resist. This was unacceptable. She’d been surprised at Rachel’s protectiveness toward Sophia. She’d expected Joy to be a pit-bull, but Rachel’s reaction was a bit alarming. None of them were stupid women, that’s what she most admired about them, and they’d certainly boxed her into a very neat corner.
She needed time to think. For now, she would let them think they’d won. She would sign all the papers without a fuss and then she would consider her options. She saw Sophia soften for a moment and that was her glimmer of hope. Certainly, her error was not fatal.
Lara honestly believed she would be able to get Sophia back. She would have to give up Rachel, but she could do that.
I guess it’s true you never know what you have until you lose it,
she mused.
Lara would allow Sophia her three-week vacation and give her time to process everything before she made a move. It made sense to Lara that Sophia would want to discuss what they needed to do about Fawn. After all, Fawn was as much her cat as Sophia’s. They didn’t have children, but it was common knowledge that lesbians considered their pets their
furbabies
. Joint custody arrangements were not unheard of. This would be her foot in the door. A medical emergency might even cause Sophia to come home early and she could work on her reconciliation plan. In reality, she did love the little
furball
. She loved them both, Fawn and Espresso. Lara had a surprising soft spot for her cats.
As Lara was pondering her dilemma, her phone rang. She was surprised to see who was calling her.
“Hello, Chelsea. Yes, it is a surprise to hear from you so soon. I wasn’t expecting you to call. No, not an inconvenient time, but I’m not in Seattle at the moment. No, Victoria. Yes in British Columbia. Actually, I am available because my plans were suddenly altered. Yes, I can meet you for lunch tomorrow. I look forward to seeing you as well. All right, I’ll meet you there.”
Lara sighed. Would this day of surprises never end?
Lara pressed the buttons on her phone to connect with her travel agent. There was no sense in staying in Victoria now that everything had blown up in her face. She’d make sure her travel advisor got a large bonus this year. Perhaps she would be able to get some work done tonight. She grimaced as she remembered scanning through the legal papers delivered today. She would need to work hard to restore her fortune.
“Hey, sorry to bother you again, but I need a flight out as soon as possible. Yes, that should work. Can you also arrange for the limo to pick me up and bring me back to my house? No, Rachel will not be traveling back with me at this time. Thanks, you’re a lifesaver.”
At least when she got home, Espresso would be happy to see her. Cuddling up to her cat was not what she expected to be doing this evening, but Lara was flexible and adaptable. She would turn this lemon into lemonade.
†
Paparazzi Nightclub was the only gay club in Victoria. Throughout the years, other clubs had come and gone and now, this was the only game in town— the new rage for the LGBT crowd. Men seemed to outnumber the women by two to one and as a result, the music was the typical loud bass found in mostly gay clubs. The term butt-fucking music was often used to describe the repetitive beat that seemed to go on forever with each new song. While the songs may have been contemporary, none of them were familiar to Sophia. The songs just ran together, one right after another, and Sophia could barely tell them apart.
The mirrored ball rotating above their heads was so cliché for a dance club. The cheesiness of the club struck a funny bone with Sophia.
Immediately upon their arrival, Sophia made a beeline to the bar to obtain drinks for everyone. She wanted to hide in a corner and drink wine. After chugging her first glass, Rachel sauntered to the bar to get her another. The loud music made it difficult to have a conversation so Sophia was content to do a little people watching from her tiny real estate against the wall.
She was sipping her second glass of wine because she needed to slow down or she’d end up intoxicated and that was not something she wanted to do. Joy was on the dance floor with a beautiful Canadian woman. Tara or Tanya, Sophia couldn’t remember her name, but did register her as the woman who suggested Milestones for drinks and Paparazzi as the only gay nightclub in Victoria.
Rachel had asked her to dance a few times, but Sophia felt self-conscious, so she just shook her head and made some excuse. Sophia couldn’t remember the last time she’d danced in a nightclub. She would have danced to a slower song if Rachel had asked, but she worried that Rachel might somehow notice her growing attraction. Fortunately, the club didn’t play too many slow songs.
Joy danced to her with her latest infatuation and pulled both Rachel and Sophia to the dance floor. “Come on, you two. Dance with us. You’d think you were at a funeral instead of a club.”
Sophia let the music flow through her and began to sway as she watched Rachel move her body to the music. Rachel was an exceptional dancer as she let the beat dictate her moves and her raw sexual energy burst out onto the dance floor.
Rachel’s movements put Sophia in a trance. She began to match the sway of her hips until she felt like she was in a syncopated rhythm with Rachel.
“Damn. You two look hot together. How long have you been together?” Tanya or Tara asked.
Rachel laughed.
Sophia stuttered a response. “Um…we’re…not…uh…together.”
“
Coulda
fooled me. You should be then, you know, together.”
The music slowed down and before Sophia could exit the dance floor, Rachel pulled her close and whispered in her ear. “Don’t leave. Please, dance with me.”
Sophia nodded and let her body melt into Rachel’s. She could feel Rachel’s breasts meet her own and a shiver traveled up her back. She let her arms wrap around Rachel’s neck as Rachel’s hands traveled across her back, coming to a rest just above her ass. A few more inches and she would feel the caress on her behind. She worked hard to keep herself in shape and this was the one part of her body she felt good about.
This is innocent—one slow dance won’t kill me, even if I am drawn to her,
she reasoned.
It felt so good to have Rachel’s arms wrapped around her that Sophia failed to notice the change in the music beat.
Joy tapped her shoulder and smirked. “Um, I think slow dance time is over.”
Sophia pulled away. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Rachel’s eyes bore into Sophia and ignited a fire inside. The words to
Ring of Fire
, burned inside Sophia’s head.
Sophia needed to distance herself from Rachel. All of a sudden all the flashing lights, the aroma of sweat and arousal mixed with Rachel’s unique sweet smell of lavender and lemongrass, and the loud bass sounds, were too much for Sophia. She ran for the bathroom in an attempt to escape her growing feelings.
Sophia looked in the mirror and grimaced at the dark circles under her eyes. It was no wonder, she thought, that Lara ran to the arms of beautiful, lively, Rachel. “Shit, shit, shit, why couldn’t I have politely declined that dance?”
Sophia jumped when she heard Rachel answer. “It doesn’t have to mean anything more than a dance if you don’t want it to. I know it’s far too early and our emotions are too raw to be thinking of anything else for either of us. I would never do anything to make you feel uncomfortable. I’m sorry. We can go now if you want. I’ll walk back to the hotel with you.”
“I didn’t hear you come in.” Sophia sighed. “I need a friend right now, more than a lover, but God, I wish that weren’t the case.”
“I can be a good friend, Sophia. I want to be a good friend. Timing is everything and unfortunately, the timing sucks. You do know that if either of us had met before Lara, things might have been very different.”
“Maybe, or this might be a result of our shared drama. We can relate to one another’s pain like no-one else. That’s probably what’s causing this,” Sophia waved her hand between herself and Rachel. “This, between the two of us.”
Rachel laughed. “It’s good to know that I’m not the only one with totally inappropriate thoughts and feelings.”
“Come on,
friend
. Let’s blow this popsicle stand. There is far too much stimuli out there for me. We should let Joy know we’re leaving but I’m sure she won’t mind.” Sophia grabbed Rachel’s hand and pulled her from the washroom back into the grinding couples, free flowing alcohol, and madness of the club. She told herself that sometimes friends held hands.
†
As far as anyone else knew, Joy was a happy go lucky club dweller, but she hadn’t missed Sophia’s abrupt departure after her slow dance with Rachel. Joy’s shrewd eyes did not miss how much her best friend seemed to gravitate toward the stunning woman.
Joy wasn’t sure whether this was a good or bad thing for her friend, but she decided she better stop all her innocent flirtations with Rachel just in case something positive developed between the two. She could see them together. They would be good for one another.
She watched them emerge from the bathroom with their hands linked together and smiled. Perhaps the timing sucked, but all was fair in love and war. Timing be damned. If they were meant to be, then so be it. Joy vowed to stand by Sophia,
no matter what.
As Rachel and Sophia approached Joy, she separated from her pseudo date. “Why do I get the feeling that the two of you are about to abandon me?”
“I’m sure you’ll survive. You seem to have your own personal tour guide slash companion to keep you company if you decide to stay a little longer, but I’m beat and Rachel offered to walk back with me. You don’t mind if we take off now, do you?” Sophia asked.
What the hell
. Joy decided a little nudge in the right direction wouldn’t hurt. She whispered in Rachel’s ear. “Hey, I don’t suppose you would mind switching rooms with me tonight. I got you a room with a king bed and Sophia and I were supposed to share the double queen room. Tanya’s lived here her whole life and never stayed at the Empress. I thought maybe I could take her back to my room, but Sophia might cramp my style a little.”
Rachel chuckled. “Give me your key and you can keep mine. Knock yourself out. I’m glad someone is riding the love train tonight.”
“You’re all right, Rachel. Just so you know—you have my blessing to pursue anything you want tonight. Sophia’s the best. I love her like a sister, so you best treat her with respect if you do decide to jump on
that
love train. Be warned, though, I’ll cut off your clit if you hurt her.”
“You don’t have to worry. We’re just friends. So you can stop your match-making. Rest assured if it ever did develop into something more, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to fuck it up like Lara.”
“Hey, no whispering behind my back. I’ll get a complex,” Sophia interjected.
Joy pulled the hotel key cards from her purse and handed one to Sophia and the other to Rachel. She grinned at Sophia. “See you later, little Miss Boring.”
“Hey don’t stay up all night. Remember we have our whale watching excursion tomorrow and I wouldn’t want you to fall out of the boat and become a tasty meal for the Orcas,” Rachel reminded Joy.
“I’m too full of piss and vinegar for them to want me,” Joy countered.
Rachel chuckled and waved at Joy, then took Sophia’s hand and led her out of the club.
†
On the way back to the hotel, the full moon reflected off the glass like surface of the water. The hustle and bustle that had been a prominent part of the Inner Harbor was invisible now. Rachel and Sophia were the only two people walking along the path. The stillness of the night only served to emphasize the strong beating of Rachel’s heart as they meandered back to their final destination for the evening.
Rachel hadn’t shared with Sophia the sleeping arrangements. She wondered if it would be an issue and didn’t want to disturb the peacefulness of the night.
If this had been a date, Rachel would already have swept Sophia in her arms and kissed her against the backdrop of the moon as it shimmered just for them. The temptation to do just that was overwhelming and it took every ounce of Rachel’s willpower to stop herself from tasting Sophia’s sweet lips.