Coalescence - SF3 (15 page)

After a bit, she walked back over to her stool and sat down to watch her partner finish dinner. Jamie was just starting to roughly mash the potatoes. She hadn’t skinned the potatoes, and when they were the consistency she wanted, she added some chopped arugula and the caramelized onions. She stirred it all together and spooned them into a serving bowl, adding a handful of the onions to the top of the dish. Ryan’s mouth watered as Jamie set the bowl in front of her. "Would you put that on the table, please?" Ryan did her bidding as the smaller woman expertly removed the chicken from the rotisserie. She placed it on a carving platter and handed it to Ryan when she returned.

Jamie then went into the pantry to fetch plates and silverware. She brought everything over to the table as she stopped to compliment Ryan on her fire-lighting prowess. Ryan grinned up at her as she removed the plates from her arms. She quickly set the table as Jamie poured the wine. When everything was set, Jamie carved the chicken, piercing a breast for Ryan and setting it on her plate. She took the other half breast for herself, knowing to take it right away if she wanted it, since it wouldn’t last long with her lover at the table. Ryan spooned generous helpings of mashed potatoes on each plate, and when she finished, she grasped Jamie’s hand. "Thanks for making such a nice dinner. It’s hard to believe that with all of your other talents you’re such a good cook, too."

"I like to cook for you, Ryan. It’s another way of expressing my love for you." That merited her a kiss, which Ryan tenderly delivered.

They sat up and began to eat, with Ryan reverting to her usual histrionics. Jamie absolutely loved to watch her eat. It was like watching a microcosm of her entire personality. She was thorough, inventive, playful, and sensual all at once. She used all of her senses to their limits, and this caused Jamie to put extra care into both her cooking and the presentation of the meal.

To say that Ryan loved the potatoes prepared in this manner would be a significant understatement. When she had finished her first helping, she spooned another very generous portion onto her plate. Jamie hurriedly grabbed a small extra bit for herself, as she could see where the trend was headed. Ryan was working on her second leg and thigh when she smoothly moved the serving bowl next to her plate. "Saves time," she said with a grin as she began to eat directly from the bowl. When she had thoroughly cleaned the bowl, she eyed the tiny spoonful still resting on Jamie’s plate. One raised eyebrow caused Jamie to relent. She scooped it up with her index finger and popped it into Ryan’s mouth, receiving a sensual little suck as payment.

"You are such a delight to cook for, Ryan," she said with appreciation as they cleared the table. Ryan was eyeing the one remaining wing as Jamie began to toss the carcass away. "Sweetie, you’ll be sick if you eat any more," she cautioned.

"Okay," she agreed glumly.

"I’ll make it up to you by making you a really special treat for dessert," Jamie tempted.

"What?" Ryan’s eyes went wide with the thought of dessert.

"You’re gonna have to wait and see. I couldn’t think of eating dessert yet, and you’re not going to get all of this," she threatened menacingly.

"Okay, I’ll wait," she agreed happily. "But you have to sit right there and let me clean up."

Jamie took up her post and watched Ryan methodically clean the entire kitchen. When she was finished, every utensil had been returned to its home, every bowl and plate was clean and every gleaming pot was hanging from the pot rack. They walked back to the dining area and sat down on the window seat. Ryan leaned back against the side wall of the unit with one leg raised so that her foot rested on the cushion. Jamie snuggled up between her legs with her head resting on Ryan’s chest. They sipped their wine as they sat in peaceful silence for a long while.

Jamie broke the stillness when she quietly said, "I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful this afternoon was, Ryan."

"You did seem rather pleased," Ryan teased. "Tell me how it felt for you."

"Well, the physical sensation was incomparable. I’ve never had more than one orgasm in a day, much less an hour," she said as she turned her head to smile at her lover. "You just seemed to know my body so well. Clearly better than I do," she admitted wryly. "You knew just how to touch me. It almost seemed like I was touching myself, it felt so right. But that element of surprise that you get from someone else made it obvious that it wasn’t my hand." She lifted Ryan’s left hand and kissed it gently, pausing just a moment as she detected a lingering scent. "Is that me?" she asked in surprise.

Ryan lifted her hand up and sniffed it. "Yep. Nice, isn’t it?" she asked seductively.

Jamie blushed deeply as she fumbled for a response. But Ryan intercepted her. "Hey, Sweetie, does that embarrass you?" she asked gently.

"Um...yeah, I guess it does," she admitted. "I guess I’ve never smelled my scent on anyone before."

"Well I absolutely love it," Ryan intoned solemnly. "I almost didn’t want to go swimming because I thought it would all get washed off. It’s like I’ve got you with me every moment." She lifted her hand again as she moved her fingers in front of her face. "I must have done this 20 times while you were cooking dinner," she admitted.

"That’s what you were doing!" Jamie laughed. "I saw you keep closing your eyes and sniffing your fingers. I didn’t have a clue what you were doing!" She shyly lifted her own hand and tried the experiment. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not pick up Ryan’s scent. "Why doesn’t it work with you?" she finally asked.

"You didn’t have your fingers in me for as long," she said softly. "But we can rectify that later."

"Oh, don’t worry, Tiger. I’m gonna have your scent on me from head to toe."

Now it was Ryan’s turn to gulp audibly as Jamie burst into laughter.

"Ryan," she continued thoughtfully after a moment. "The amazing thing about this afternoon was the way I felt inside." She searched for words for a few seconds before she continued. "I just felt like I was home. Finally at home." She turned her head slightly as Ryan found her lips and painted gentle kisses on them.

"Welcome home, Sweetheart," she whispered as a tear escaped down her cheek.

After a long while Jamie sat up and offered, "Dessert?"

Ryan just nodded enthusiastically as she scooted off the window seat to join her partner in the kitchen. Jamie began to assemble all of her required components. She pulled out a nifty copper double boiler, various mixing bowls, graduated measures, spoons and a copper teakettle. She poured water in the kettle and set it on the stove to boil. Then she went to the pantry and pulled down white sugar, corn syrup and rum. She looked around the pantry and finally found the critical ingredient: Scharffen Berger unsweetened chocolate. Passing by the refrigerator, she pulled out the sweet butter then set everything on the counter by the stove.

She handed Ryan the block of chocolate and instructed, "Use this heavy knife and shave off some chocolate. I need four ounces." She handed Ryan a precision scale and went back to preparing the rest of the ingredients. When she turned back around, Ryan was just about done, but a sour look clouded her face. "You ate some, didn’t you?" she asked sagely.

Ryan wrinkled up her nose as she nodded her head. "That’s like letting a baby play with a gun," she accused. "You know they’re gonna pull the trigger."

"I’m sorry, Sweetie. I should have told you it was unsweetened."

"Blaaach," was all that Ryan could get out.

Jamie went through the process of preparing the taste treat, working quickly until it was at the boiling point. Ryan leaned over and inhaled the rich scent, looking like she was going to stick a finger in to taste it. "That’s boiling hot, Honey," Jamie reminded her.

"Is it ready now?" Ryan asked, looking up with hope-filled eyes.

"No, Baby. We have to let it boil for nine minutes."

"Nine minutes!" Ryan cried in outrage. "I can’t wait nine minutes!"

"You're gonna have to, Honey," the stern cook insisted. She picked up Ryan’s hand and looked at her watch. "Tell me when it’s nine o’clock. And not a minute before."

Realizing that arguing would do no good, Ryan ran hot water in the sink to clean up while they waited. At precisely nine p.m., Jamie pulled some vanilla bean ice cream from the freezer and scooped it into bowls with an ice cream blade. She poured a tiny tablespoon of rum into the fudge and stirred it thoroughly, then spooned the fudge over the ice cream as Ryan watched from inches away. Her playful partner constantly nudged her pouring arm, and she wound up putting more sauce than ice cream in her bowl. They sat down at the counter and dug in. Ryan moaned and groaned and generally made more noise than she had when climaxing. Her face was deep in the bowl, licking every molecule away as Jamie laughed at her. Finally she lifted her head and said seriously, "Do you mean to tell me that making the best hot fudge in the world is that easy?!!!"

"Yep," Jamie replied.

"Is Scharffen Berger a publicly traded company?"

"I’m not sure," Jamie replied. "Why?"

"Buy! Buy! Buy! Cause their sales are gonna skyrocket now that I know about them," she predicted.

After Ryan cleaned up the few remaining dishes, they went back to the window seat. This time, Jamie reclined on her side, still nestled up between Ryan’s legs. They chatted and kissed and just reveled in the joy of being together.

"Babe," Ryan spoke up after a while. "I’ve been thinking about these earrings," she said contemplatively.

"Are you uncomfortable wearing them, Honey?"

"No, not at all, but I hate to take them from you since they have so much family meaning. Tell you what," she offered. "I’ll make you a deal. I’ll wear one, if you’ll wear one," she said as she fastened one perfect diamond in her lover’s ear.

"I’ll make you a deal back," Jamie negotiated. "Let’s go have another piercing higher on our ear lobes. That way I can still wear another pair of earrings."

"Deal," Ryan said. "But are you sure you want the piercing to be in our ears?" she asked seductively.

"Positive!" Jamie replied firmly.

After a few more minutes of slow kissing, they slowly made their way up to the bedroom. "Do you need anything to sleep in?" Jamie asked her partner, after they had each finished in the bath.

"Just your arms," Ryan said as she gave her a shy smile. Jamie happily granted her wish. As she lay on her back with Ryan pressed up against her side, she bent her head to kiss her lover goodnight. "This day surpassed all of my hopes and my dreams, Ryan. Thank you for being so patient and loving with me."

Ryan just gazed up at her fondly. "I love you completely, Jamie." Reaching over she grasped her hand, laying it above her left breast. "I love you with my heart, and with my body." She pulled her head down to place a deep kiss on her lips, "and most of all, with my soul."

Years of habit urged Ryan’s senses to come to life just after six a.m., and it took a moment for her to orient herself to the strange environment. The light in the room was wrong, there was no window over her head, the bed felt much more firm than normal, and the air smelled funny. The strangest sensation was that the entire front of her body was chilled while her back felt overly warm. Nevertheless, a peaceful lassitude seemed to permeate her entire being. She was lying on her right side, and her left hand slid down her body to confirm that it was cool to the touch, unclothed and uncovered. Reaching behind her, she immediately identified the source of both her external discomfort and her internal peace.

Her beloved was snuggled up against her back, their bodies touching from shoulders to toes. A turn of her head confirmed that Jamie’s head shared her pillow, golden hair mussed attractively against the sweet-smelling cotton pillowcase.

As her eyes acclimated to the dim light, she realized why her chest was so cold; her greedy partner had stolen every thread of sheet and blanket during the night, and the majority of both were now lying uselessly on the left side of the bed.
How did she manage that?
Ryan smirked as she realized that only the far right edge of the covers was wrapped around her small partner.
I’m gonna have to lay down the law pretty quick on that little quirk. It’s bad enough to steal them—but to steal them and toss them aside is unacceptable!

She spent a moment reveling in the sensation of having her naked partner touching her so intimately, and then realized that she was too cold to enjoy it. She reached across Jamie’s body and tugged both sheet and blanket back to their rightful places.
Mmmm, that’s better
, she sighed peacefully.

A sense of warm satisfaction flowed through her body, but a tiny little voice asked if she should not be up preparing for her morning run.
Yeah, right
, she scoffed.
I’m nuts, but I’m not
that
nuts! Besides
, she thought righteously,
I’m sure my heart rate will be up in my training zone before the end of the day
.

That thought caused her body to slowly begin to tingle, and she allowed her hips to twitch, creating a nice little tickle where Jamie’s neat blonde curls met her always-sensitive butt.
Oh yeah
, she sighed.
As soon as that little vixen opens those green eyes, we’re gonna get busy!
Once her body began to anticipate the contact, her mind couldn’t relax. Taking advantage of Jamie’s sound sleep pattern, she slipped out of bed, thoughtfully tucking the covers around the small body to make up for the loss of heat. She stood by the bed for a moment to make sure that her partner didn’t stir, and when she was satisfied that she was still out cold, she grabbed the robe from the previous day and left the room.

I could shower in our room, but I don’t want to wake Sleeping Beauty
, she thought as she walked along the long hall.
One of these doors must lead to a guest room,
she mused as she opened several: first, a large closet; then, a workroom of some sort; and finally, a spacious guest room, complete with bath.

The room was fully prepared for a surprise guest--fresh towels on the gold-toned towel bars, two more folded upon the counter, bath soaps, shampoo and conditioner--all awaiting use. Ryan slid the trackless glass door open and hopped into the fully tiled enclosure, adjusting the temperature to her liking. She spent several minutes letting the warm spray invigorate her, then cleaned her body and washed her hair thoroughly, adding some conditioner as well. When she was finished, she noticed a small plastic-handled squeegee that she used to clean the water droplets from the shower doors.
I bet the maid bought those with her own money
, she smirked.
It could take a woman all week just to clean the bathrooms this place must have
.

When she emerged from the enclosure, she looked in the mirror and noticed a professional quality hair dryer on a shelf behind her head. It took a moment to figure out how to use the monster, but once she got it hooked up, she decided that she needed one for herself as soon as possible. The powerful blower removed every trace of water from her long black hair in just a few minutes, at least five times faster than her home unit. The force of the air had been so strong that her hair was full and straight, even with the foggy, damp air that shrouded the house.
Got to get me one of them
, she mused, but then realized,
that probably costs more than I make in a day!

Well
, she said to herself as she left the guest room,
I’m clean and lookin’ for love, but I’d better get a little something to eat before I indulge in that pleasure
.

Making her way downstairs, she spent a few minutes reviewing the foodstuffs that Jamie had ordered.
Awww, isn’t that cute? She got Mc Cann’s Irish Oatmeal for me!
She wasn’t in the mood to spend 20 minutes stirring the slow-cooked oats, so she opted for a couple of bowls of corn flakes, made more interesting with the addition of fresh strawberries, a whole banana and a handful of blueberries. A glass of fresh orange juice and another of milk had her fully prepared for whatever the morning would bring, and she was just about to rise from her stool when a pair of arms encircled her waist.

"Good morning." A sleepy-sounding voice floated past her ear.

"Good morning to you," Ryan responded, as she turned and kissed the adorable face that smiled up at her. "Sleep well?"

"Yeeeeah, I suppose I slept as well as most people who’ve been hit on the head with an anvil," Jamie giggled. "Ooh, I shouldn’t say that around you," she amended as she playfully covered her mouth with her hand. "You’ve probably had that happen."

"Naaah, I’ve escaped that one, but I’m still young…give me time."

Jamie was wearing her robe from the previous day, but she had not yet showered. "Want some breakfast?" Ryan asked her hand dropping to undo the tie that held the garment closed. Her questing hand slipped into the robe and tickled smooth skin as her other hand tangled in Jamie’s hair and pulled her head close for a kiss that carried a clear message. "Or do you need a little love before you eat?" Ryan asked in a desire-filled voice.

"Umm…" Jamie said, stumbling a little as she stepped away from the embrace. "I uh…I actually thought that we might get an early start and play some golf." She refastened her robe and walked to the refrigerator, removing the orange juice from the door before turning back to Ryan for a reply.

GOLF?
Ryan’s brain screamed
.
She wants to play GOLF? One day of lesbian love, and she’s joining the L.P.G.A!?
The dark-haired woman was doing her best to keep her incredulity from showing, and she must have done a decent job because Jamie calmly asked, "Is that okay?"

"Ahh, sure…whatever you want, Jamie," she heard herself say. "This should be a vacation for both of us, so we should each get to do what relaxes us."
I know what relaxes me!
she grumbled to herself, but prudently decided that she needed to tread carefully with her less experienced partner.

"Well, we can do something else, if you want," Jamie said with a little hesitation in her voice. "Is there something you wanted to do today?"

"Nothing that we can’t do later," Ryan replied honestly.
Okay
, she reminded herself.
She told you that she didn’t like it when Jack wanted to jump on her first thing in the morning. Maybe she’s just not a person that wakes up horny. You did drain her tank yesterday, you know.

"You sure?" Jamie asked again, now sounding less sure of herself.

"Positive. Let me make you some breakfast while you get showered, okay?"

"Okay," the fair-haired woman replied. "I’ll call and get us a tee time, and then go get ready. You’re really going to love this course, Honey," she said, her enthusiasm beginning to grow. "It’s absolutely lovely."

"You’re the loveliest thing I’m going to see all week." Ryan’s usual lovesick gaze settled on her lover.

"I’m never short of compliments with you around, Sweetheart." Jamie smiled as she kissed her on the cheek. "Make me a third of what you had for breakfast. I’ll be back in a few."

Ryan chuckled at the departing form and proceeded to fulfill her partner’s request. Jamie, however, was a little slow, so a major portion of her breakfast had to be re-made since the cook had consumed it.

"You are a bottomless pit!" Jamie laughed as her partner scrambled to replace the meal.

"Hey, you drained a lot of calories from me yesterday," Ryan said with mock defensiveness.

"Yeah," Jamie said without elaboration. "Why don’t you get dressed, Honey. I made us a 7:30 tee time."

"Okay," Ryan said warily as she left the room.
Something’s up with my sweetie
, she thought as she climbed the stairs.
I’ll give her a little time today to talk about it, but if she doesn’t, I’ll pry it out of her when we get home. I need to clear the air, so we can get to
my
favorite relaxing activity!

Since the day was warm and dry, they had both dressed in shorts. Ryan wore the white shorts from the day before, but with a navy blue polo shirt. Jamie had found some golf clothes in her closet and she chose a pair of black and white hound’s-tooth shorts with a white polo shirt. The shirt had a small band of the checked material around the edge of the collar and sleeves. After she fetched her I.D. and the key to her locker, they grabbed the spare set of clubs that Jim kept for guests and took off for the very short drive to the course.

They pulled up in front of the links with a few minutes to spare, then ran into the pro shop where Jamie was greeted warmly by one of the assistant pros. After she chatted with him for a moment, she introduced her partner. "Ryan, this is Chip Mahoney. He’s my favorite pro here at the club." Chip was just a few years older than Jamie, Ryan guessed. He was very cute, in a boyish sort of way, and he seemed quite fond of Jamie. They teased each other about their games, and when Jamie told him they were set to tee off, he ran over to check the log. "Hey, Jamie," he said quietly, when he came back over. "They’ve got you with some hotel guests. Why don’t I slide them to the next twosome, and I’ll play with you?"

"I’d really like that, Chip. Is that okay with you, Ryan?"

"Sure," Ryan replied, just a tiny bit disappointed to have to share her lover with another person. "As long as Chip doesn’t mind playing with a rank beginner."

"Most of the people I play with are rank beginners. Not many of
them
think so, of course," he laughed. "I’d be happy to give you some tips, Ryan. Actually, why don’t I just tag along and give you a playing lesson. I want to see how Jamie’s game is progressing and I can’t do that if I’m playing, too."

"Sounds great to me," Ryan said. "I can use all the help I can get."

Jamie noticed that Ryan had not brought her glove, so before they left the building, she went up to the register and asked for a Cadet medium in navy blue. She came back over and tossed it to Ryan, giving her a subtle little wink. Ryan grinned as she caught it and winked right back. Jamie had to run to the locker room to grab her shoes, so Ryan and Chip went out to wait by the first tee. He spent a few minutes giving her some advice on good warm up exercises. She nodded and humored him by following his advice, stretching slowly with a golf club to limber up.

"So, you’re a friend of Jamie’s from school?" Chip inquired, somewhat absently.

"Yeah, we met at school last September," she replied easily.

"Um...I heard that she broke up with her fiancé," he asked tentatively, stealing a glance at the clubhouse door to check for Jamie. "Is that true?"

"I don’t think she would mind my confirming that," Ryan said, waiting for him to get to the point.

"Umm… do you know if she’s ahh...seeing anyone?"

Fighting her urge to insert her driver into his gullet, Ryan replied, "Well, I don’t generally like to talk about my friends when they aren’t present, but I think you could safely say that she’s seeing someone seriously. Very seriously," she added with a warning glance.

"Ahh, darn," he said as he kicked a clod of dirt. "I knew if I waited for her to come down here, she’d be taken. I should have called her in Berkeley." He looked up at Ryan with his crestfallen face. "She’s really great, isn’t she?"

"She’s extraordinary," Ryan informed him with a confident smile, feeling a tiny bit sorry for the poor fellow, knowing that he would never have confirmation of just how extraordinary her partner was.

He stood back for a second and really looked at her, seemingly for the first time. "You look like you’re in pretty good shape, Ryan. Do you work out?"

"Yeah, I stay pretty active," she replied without elaboration.

"So, how often have you played?"

"Jamie took me once, and I’ve been to the driving range about six or seven times with my brother. I played a full course three times with him, so I’d say my answer is, not very often," she laughed.

Jamie came jogging over to them just as they were called to the tee. Chip watched her run over and said to Ryan, "Jamie looks like she’s in really good shape, too. What are they putting in the water up in Berkeley?"