Hidden Desires (58 page)

"What are friends for. Now go! I'll get the candle and everything will be fine." He pushed her towards the door. "Oh, and a small gift wouldn't hurt."

Cayden came out of the kitchen with the rose. "Will this do?"

"OH MY GOD! A rose? That's perfect! Don't tell me you thought of that all by yourself?"

The tall woman smiled smugly. "As a matter of fact I did." She said, all puffed up.

"Sweetie, you have nothing in the world to worry about. You have it all under control."

"That's what you think. I hope I make it there without shitting my chinos." She said seriously.

Wade chuckled. "Go get her tiger. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That doesn't leave much." Cayden laughed.

"Exactly."

 
*  *  *

Harriet peered through the peephole on the front door, saw nothing and walked away. Just as she did, Fred's ears pricked up and she ran back over and looked out again.

"Harriet, don't ambush the poor girl."

"Hush up Bert. I have to get her before Brooke does."

"Remember, you only have 5 questions." Bert chuckled.

Mrs. Hewitt glared at her husband. Fred stood up at attention and walked to the door. Harriet flung it open quickly to reveal a startled Cayden. "Welcome! Come in dear!" Harriet exclaimed. "Brooke's not ready yet, but do sit down and have some iced tea while you wait."

Fred danced around Cayden's feet, while the tall woman squirmed uncomfortably. Brooke's mother was giving her the once and twice over and she was not sure what to do with the rose behind her back. "No thanks, I'm not thirsty." she lied. Cayden had absolutely no spit in her mouth whatsoever.

"Well, then, why don't you come in and make yourself comfortable.. is that a flower?"

"Yes." Cayden revealed the rose. "It's for Brooke." she explained shyly.

"How sweet! Bert do you see the flower? Isn't that charming?"

"Yes, Harriet."

"Come, sit down." The older woman shuffled Cayden to the couch. "Oh! How inconsiderate of me! I'm Harriet and that's my husband Bert."

Cayden was halfway to sitting when she was introduced and struggled awkwardly to stand up again. She extended her hand to Mr. Hewitt.

Bert raised both his eyebrows and shook her hand, hiding a smirk at how clammy Cayden's hand was. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Cayden."

"Yeah, same here." The shopkeeper replied, finally sitting and giving her shaky legs a rest. Harriet was grinning wildly at her and she knew she was in for it so she created a diversion. "You know, on second thought, I would really like that drink."

Mrs. Hewitt ran to the kitchen and Bert cleared his throat. Cayden looked over at him nervously.

"So, you really like Brooke do you?"

"Yes, sir." Cayden said, her dry throat making her voice crack a bit.

"You're not going to screw her around like that idiot Grant, are you?"

Cayden struggled to swallowed. "No, sir."

"Good. Brooke made a bad choice last time around, and I fear sometimes she doesn't think too clearly. The way she talks about you, the sun rises and sets out of your behind. It would be terribly unfortunate if I had to tell her otherwise."

Cayden smiled weakly. She never knew Brooke thought that of her. She never knew she had such power. "Sir, I will do everything I can to make Brooke happy. You have my word."

"Is it any good?" Bert asked, looking Cayden dead in the eye.

"It's all I have." She replied honestly.

Mr. Hewitt narrowed his eyes a bit, considering the intent behind Cayden's conviction. "Alright. I have your word."

Cayden breathed a silent sigh of relief and wondered just where the hell Harriet was with her drink. She was about to choke.

"Here you go!" Mrs. Hewitt appeared and Cayden polished off half the glass of tea at once. "I knew you must have been parched, it's so hot out there today."

Cayden nodded, relieved that she was able to swallow the wad of cotton that formed on her tongue.

Mrs. Hewitt leaned over in her chair and smiled brightly at the tall woman. "So, tell me, where abouts do you live?"

"Chelsea. I was lucky to find such a great place in that location."

"Chelsea? My, my, that's a very nice neighborhood. The shop must be doing well for itself then."

"Yes, it does, but I do have a room mate. It's next to impossible to live alone in the city."

"Oh, yes, yes," Harriet nodded. "So, what does your room mate do?"

"He works in apparel... does Brooke know I'm here?" Cayden asked, glancing around the room.

"I'm sure she does." Harriet replied. Bert started to get up, but she shot him a look. He sucked his lips, shook his head and sat back down. "What about your parents? Do they live in the city?" Harriet continued.

"No, they retired early and moved to Vegas." Cayden saw Harriet's eyes light up and quickly covered herself. "We have other family in Vegas. Mom volunteers with the elderly and dad plays golf. They don't gamble."

"Vegas, what an interesting place. Do you go there often to visit? Do you like to gamble?" Mrs. Hewitt asked in a semi-hushed tone.

"No, I don't really care for the noise and the chaos. I will occasionally play a few hands of Blackjack, but that's the extent. I visit them every Christmas, we have a family thing then."

"Oh, I enjoy the casinos! I love the slot machines, but I never win much. I love the excitement!" Harriet said with much enthusiasm.

Cayden shifted around uncomfortably, wondering if she should scream or something to alert Brooke she was there.

"So, about this lesbian thing..."

"Harriet!"

"Cayden's not embarrassed are you dear?"

Cayden was too mortified to do anything but blink.

"See? So, how does this lesbian thing work?"

Cayden drank down the rest of the tea. "Pardon?"

"Well, my sister is a lesbian, oh yes, it's not completely foreign to me, but you just don't ask questions. These days, you young lesbians are much different than in the old days. You parade around, proud and all. So, what's the difference? I mean, if there's no man and woman, who pays for dinner?"

Cayden blinked rapidly a few times, then glanced over at Bert, who had pretty much the same expression as Cayden. "Uhh, well.... no, there's no man and woman.. no, that's not right, sometimes there IS a man and a woman, a butch and a femme girl.. and well... but that's not me really.... and I'm ... uhm..."

"Harriet, leave the poor thing alone!"

Cayden sighed and smiled gratefully at Bert who merely nodded. The tall woman quickly occupied herself with the tiny dog who was prancing around her legs. She picked him up and began cooing at him.

"You must love animals Cayden, what with the job you have, and just look at how well Fred takes to her, Bert! You must have a gift." Harriet said sweetly. "Do you have a dog?"

"No, a cat."

Harriet grimaced. "I don't like cats. They climb up higher than me and can jump on my head at any given moment."

Cayden couldn't help but chuckle. "Not my cat. He's a bit larger than average. He's a Maine Coon and they can grow to be 20 lbs, but with the way my room mate spoiled this one, he's probably breaking some sort of record."

Brooke walked into the living room and came to a skidding halt, her mouth hung open and she stomped her foot. "MOTHER!"

"What?" Harriet asked innocently.

"How long has she been here?"

Cayden jumped up and stared at Brooke. She looked hot.

"She just got here honey."

Brooke glared at her mother for a few moments before walking over to Cayden and hugging her. "Oh, you look great and you smell delicious."

"Wow, I can say the same for you." She handed Brooke the rose. "Here, I got this for you and I had no idea it was going to match your dress."

"Oh Cayden, it's so gorgeous! Where did you get a lavender rose?"

Cayden blushed shyly. "I have my sources."

"Sit Brooke! I was just going to ask Cayden a question."

Brooke glanced at her father who held up 9 fingers. "Oh no.. you've asked just about enough questions for tonight. We have to go!" She hooked her arm with Cayden and walked them both to the door.

"It was a pleasure meeting you both." Cayden said over her shoulder.

"Likewise." Bert agreed with a wink.

Cayden swallowed hard and eked out a smile.

A
S SOON AS the door closed behind them, Brooke took Cayden's hand and looked up at her apologetically. "I'm sorry about my mother."

"She wasn't that bad, except when she asked me about the lesbian thing.
That
was rough." Cayden half-joked.

Brooke stopped walking and her eyes went wide. "She what? What lesbian thing?"

"I think she just wanted to know who's on top." Cayden chuckled.

"Oh, God." Brooke buried her face in Cayden's chest out of embarrassment. When the tall woman stiffened up, she realized what she had done and pulled away quickly. "I'm sorry. I just, I was..."

Cayden cleared her throat nervously, but she wasn't too nervous to smile. "That's alright, I didn't mind
that
much." She looked Brooke over and her smile got even bigger, the blonde looked really good.

"Thank you for the rose, it's beautiful." Brooke said with a genuine smile, sniffing the purple flower. "It smells so good too." She gave Cayden a little hug. "But not as good as you, mmm."

Cayden bent over and sniffed Brooke in an obvious fashion. "You smell pretty good yourself, fancy, like a woman. I like it, and you look
really
hot."

Brooke beamed. "Thank you." she leaned close and whispered. "I'm not wearing a bra."

Cayden's stomach flopped. She looked down at Brooke's chest reflexively and grinned wolfishly before she could stop herself.

Brooke slapped the tall woman playfully. "I knew you'd like that."

"Oh, I do, and if I must say so, I think they look just fine."

"Are you telling me you don't like the Wonderbra?" Brooke asked, smiling seductively.

"Are you kidding?" Cayden's eyebrows leapt into her hairline. "Of course I do, but, there ain't nothing wrong with them all on their own."

Brooke chuckled, and pulled Cayden along by the hand. "Sweet talker. Come on, let's get a cab."

Cayden allowed herself to be dragged along, and felt the childish urge to stick her tongue out at every person who they passed just because they didn't have Brooke pulling
them
along. She was quite happy to be attached at the hand to such a fine looking woman, and began to wonder why she didn't feel the least bit uneasy about it.