Disclosures - SF4 (2 page)

"Will do, Babe," she agreed with a playful wink.

Candace slapped them both on the shoulder and started to walk away but Ryan called out, "Hey, is Ally here?"

"No, she went to New York for their Pride Celebration. I’ll tell her I saw you, though."

"Cool. See ya, Candace."

Jamie’s smirk was firmly affixed to her face as they gazed at the departing woman. "That was?"

"That was Candace," Ryan said, a big smile gracing her mischievous face.

"Was she one of the lucky many to experience your charms?" It was clear that Jamie was joking, and that she was comfortable with meeting past lovers, so Ryan answered without hesitation.

"I’m charming with everyone, Babe." She had an ingenuous grin on her face that forced Jamie to admit the truth in that statement. "She, however, has been allowed to nibble on my charms." Another stingingly sharp swat on the butt was beginning to make Ryan regret wearing her leather pants.

It took a few minutes to struggle through the crowd, but Jamie finally found what she was looking for. Nearly every woman wore a bright da-glo sticker on some part of her anatomy, and the determined blonde had made her selection as soon as they got in the slow-moving line. She plunked down three dollars and affixed the stickers to her satisfaction. All three four-by-six inch stickers bore the same saying, and she stuck one above Ryan’s heart, another over her own and the third right above the swell of Ryan’s shapely ass.

"Very funny, Jamie," her partner glowered as she looked over her shoulder to read "Happily Married" imprinted on her butt. "Not that I disagree with the sentiment, but did you have to stick one there?"

"Just trying to guard my assets." Wiggling eyebrows forced Ryan to chortle along with her smirking partner. "You seem to draw an exorbitant amount of attention there, so I thought I’d better nip it in the bud."

In order to get a good view of the entire crowd, they decided to climb the bank of the small hill that surrounded the park. A few women were lounging on blankets, and several larger groups were having parties where they could spread out a little. The members of one such group recognized Ryan and waved her over. "Do you mind?" she asked Jamie before heading in their direction.

"No, of course not, Honey. I want to meet your friends."

Giving the group a happy wave, Ryan led her partner towards them. They were still 20 feet away when the catcalls began. "It’s true!" "I never thought I would see this!" "Ryan O’Flaherty in a relationship! Not possible!" "I’m gonna faint!"

"Very funny, guys, truly hilarious." Ryan stood at her full height, hands on hips, and glowered at the group. There were about fifteen women lounging around who looked like they had been there a long while, judging from the sunburned skin, empty beer bottles and somewhat vacant expressions.

"How did it happen, Ryan?" one small woman asked. "Did ya knock her up?"

"Yeah, did ya have to marry her?" another comic chimed in.

"As a matter of fact, I did." Ryan slung a long, bare arm around her partner and pulled her close. "And I marry her again every time I look into those beautiful eyes."

Jamie beamed a smile up at her partner, ignoring the groans and the retching simulations. When everyone had quieted down, she grabbed a spot on the blanket and plopped down as she introduced herself. "I’m Mrs. Ryan O’Flaherty, but you can call me Jamie."

Ryan did the honors of pointing out each member of the group as she sat down next to her partner. A woman named Molly, just to her left, looked up as she opened a fresh beer and offered, "Sip?"

Ryan took one look at the glassy eyes of the woman and accepted the icy can. Tilting her head back she drained the entire can in one long gulp, with Jamie and Molly watching in shock. "That’s the biggest damn sip I ever saw," Molly drawled as she collapsed onto the woman next to her.

Trying to find the most sober member of the crowd, Ryan asked, "How long have you guys been here?"

"Since about noon," Wendy replied, looking at her watch in amazement. "Jeez, no wonder the beer’s all gone—it’s six o’clock!"

"Why don’t you all take a little nap before the march starts," Ryan suggested. "They won’t leave before eight."

"Damn good idea, Rock," Wendy said, as she grabbed the woman next to her and collapsed. In a matter of moments, everyone except the two newcomers was out cold. Ryan stuck her hand in the cooler and pulled the last beer from the ice, handing it to Jamie to open.

"I like your friends," Jamie smirked. "Sparkling conversationalists."

Ryan looked out at the group with a fond smile. "They’re nice women," she said. "Most of them work at my old gym."

"I’m sure they are nice," Jamie quickly agreed, hoping that her comment had not been offensive. "I’m sure they’re a little more interactive when they’re not hammered." Just then, the woman next to Jamie started to snore loudly, and the green eyes met Ryan’s as she suggested, "How about a change in scenery?"

"Not a bad idea," Ryan grinned. They moved about 25 feet away, close enough to watch over the sleeping women, but far enough away to escape their sound effects. "Hey, Babe?" Jamie asked when they were settled. "How many more nicknames do you have?"

"Huh? Ohhh…I forgot that Wendy used that one." Ryan smiled in remembrance. "Some of the people at the gym called me that."

"Because…?"

Ryan blushed just a bit as she was forced to admit, "I uh…won the trainer’s challenge a couple of years, and uh…some of the people thought I was um…rock hard." She gulped a little in embarrassment, the rare emotion completely charming to Jamie.

She trailed the tips of her fingers down the exposed flesh of Ryan’s muscular arms, lingering for a moment at the blue vein that bulged across her bicep. Leaning in close to Ryan’s ear she whispered, "You are, you know. You’re rock hard and baby soft, all in one big, luscious package."

Ryan’s arm draped across her partner’s shoulders, the scent of baby powder wafting up to make both of them giggle. "See?" Jamie teased. "You’re my big, rock hard baby."

"I’ll always be your baby," Ryan promised, tilting her head to nibble on the lips that called to her.

They sat in companionable silence, sipping the beer and gazing out at the assembled throng. The huge stage was slowly filling with musicians, and before long some thrumming rock started blaring from the massive speakers. Even though the music was loud, they could speak in normal tones since they were so far away from the stage.

The sun was warm on this clear June afternoon, and after just a few minutes Jamie felt the day catch up with her. "I think I’m gonna go crawl onto that empty space with your friends," she said as a yawn escaped.

"Could I interest you in a little cuddling right here?" Clear blue eyes blinked over at Jamie, who smiled as she considered a lifetime of saying "yes" to whatever question this wonderful woman asked.

"Let’s do it," she agreed. Ryan spread her leather jacket onto the ground and lay down on half of it, extending an arm as she waited for Jamie to cuddle in. They wriggled around for a while but managed to get comfortable, and nodded off a short time later.

"Mmmm," Jamie murmured as she tried to swat the annoying insect that had been bedeviling her for long minutes. No matter how quickly she slapped at the silent bug, it managed to evade her until she was fit to be tied. "Damn it!" She sat up and turned her head to find twinkling blue eyes gazing up at her, a long stalk of grass between her teeth.

"Something wrong, Babe?" The grass fluttered in the even, white teeth as Ryan spoke.

Grabbing the stalk from her partner’s mouth, Jamie attempted to shove the annoying stem into her skin-tight top. The work was slow, but rewarding, and both women were collapsed in a tumble of limbs when a passerby stopped abruptly and said, "Jamie? Jamie Evans?"

All movement stopped as Jamie’s head peeked out from around Ryan’s armpit. "Melissa Johnston?" she squeaked out in astonishment, catching site of Mia’s erstwhile lover from prep school. Ryan lifted her arm and helped her partner sit up and compose herself as much as possible. Scrambling to her feet, Jamie continued to stammer. "W…w…what are
you
doing here?"

Melissa glanced at the "Happily Married" stickers that covered both women’s breasts, the deep blush that covered Jamie’s face, and the G.I. Jane outfit and lifted one eyebrow. "Same thing you are, it appears," she said with a smile.

"Hi, Melissa," Ryan said quietly, nearly causing Jamie to faint dead away.

"Ryan? Jesus, I didn’t even stop to look!"

To Jamie’s eternal gratitude, Melissa merely extended a hand for Ryan to shake.
Thank God I don’t have to witness them kissing!
she grumbled as she fleetingly rued the day she hooked up with an "experienced" woman.

Melissa was smiling so brightly that she looked like she would burst. "Of all the people to run into! My God! Jamie Evans…and with Ryan O’Flaherty, no less! This is just too, too much!"

"Yeah, it is too much," Jamie agreed, trying to maintain her composure, but feeling sick to her stomach.

"When was the last time we saw each other, Jamie? Wasn’t it our coming out party?"

"Yeah…" Jamie had to chortle at the irony of the question. "I guess it was. So here we are again…three years later. I guess we’re destined to come out again and again and again."

Both Ryan and Melissa laughed at the helpless look on the obviously-flustered woman. "So how long have you two been together?" Melissa asked. "I’ve never heard word one about you being gay, Jamie."

"Great," she said with no enthusiasm. "I guess that won’t last long, huh?"

"Oooh, not out to the family?" Melissa asked with a surprising amount of concern in her voice.

"We’ve just um…made it official," Ryan broke in. "Jamie’s not out to hardly anyone yet." Ryan fixed Melissa with her most serious gaze and added, "She’d really like to be the one to tell her family."

"Oh, of course!" Melissa looked taken aback at the suggestion that she might "out" Jamie. "I’m out to my parents, but I haven’t told anyone from Hillsborough. It’s just not worth the trouble!"

"So things are good with you and your family?" Jamie asked, trying to turn the spotlight back to Melissa.

"God no!" she laughed. "They’ve practically disowned me! If I didn’t have a full scholarship, I’d have had to drop out of school!"

"Are you kidding me?!" Jamie was shocked at this news. She didn’t know the Johnstons very well, but Melissa’s mother was involved in a lot of charity functions on the Peninsula, and Jamie was sure their mothers were well acquainted.

"My mother went berserk," Melissa commented dryly. "It wasn’t a very long trip, I might add."

"God, I’m really sorry," Jamie said.

"No big deal." Melissa acted as though the matter really did not trouble her. "My dad’s fairly cool. He slips me some money once in a while, and my grandmother is supportive. I’m doing fine, actually. Getting out of Hillsborough was the best thing I’ve ever done." She looked over her shoulder when a woman called her name. "Hey, here’s my sweetie now."

A lanky blonde came over and joined the group, and Melissa introduced her. "This is Andi. Andi, this is Jamie Evans. We went to high school together. And this is her partner, Ryan." Jamie noted that Melissa omitted any detail on how she had come to know Ryan.
Hmmm, I wonder if Andi is the jealous type?

They exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes before Melissa asked in a casual tone, "Who are you living with now, Jamie? Still with Cassie and Mia?"

Jamie gave her a bright smile and nodded. "Cassie won’t be back, but Mia will come home in September. She’s in L.A. this summer with her boyfriend." Jamie didn’t want Melissa to think that Mia had come over to the other side, too.

"Cool," Melissa said with a dampening of her cheerful voice. "Tell them I said ‘hi’ next time you see them."

"Will do, Melissa. Give me a call sometime—I’m listed." Ryan was surprised to hear the sincerity in Jamie’s voice.

"It’s a deal," the smiling woman promised. "I’d really like to, Jamie."

"See ya." They both waved as the visitors strolled away, hand in hand.

"I need a list. Preferably in alphabetical order, but if you can’t manage that, I’ll take whatever you can give me. I want the name or the description of every woman that you have ever slept with, copped a feel from, or French kissed. I can’t take another one of these surprise attacks, Ryan. I mean it."

Expecting to see anger flashing in the green eyes, Ryan was surprised and saddened to see only resigned frustration. Taking a deep breath, Ryan spoke the truth. "I didn’t sleep with Melissa, Jamie. I also didn’t cop a feel, or kiss her—French or otherwise." Ryan’s voice was subdued, and when Jamie met her eyes she looked like a small child that had been punished unjustly.

Lying down upon the leather jacket, Jamie blew out a long, frustrated breath. She knew that Ryan was telling the truth, since Ryan always told the truth, but the entire incident had left her feeling bruised and vulnerable. "I’m sorry, Ryan," she said softly. "I shouldn’t have jumped to that conclusion."

Ryan lay down next to her and patted her cheek gently. "S’okay, Babe. Not like you wouldn’t have been right 19 times out of 20."