Hidden Desires (80 page)

"I just want to make sure everything's alright." Harriet got up from her chair and headed towards the bedroom despite her husband's protests.

Brooke and Cayden froze at the knock. They were on the floor, buck naked, and entangled in the blanket.

"Girls?"

"Ma!" Brooke panicked. "What is it?"

"Is everything alright? I heard a noise. Can I come in?"

"NO!" Brooke shouted as they scrambled around the room for clothes. "We're uh... I'm uh... not right this second."

Harriet's mouth hung open. "Brooke!" she hurried back into the living room. "Bert! You don't think you said... That's exactly what they were doing!"

Bert grimaced. He didn't want to know that information, but as much as he didn't want to know, Brooke was an adult. "Sit down Harriet, they're in the room there, they can do whatever they want." Even as he said it, he pulled a face.

"I'm horrified. We were right here!" Harriet scurried back and forth across the room.

"Do you think the girl is a nun or something? Geez." he shook his head.

"Well, no, but still." Harriet wrung her hands and sat down. "I suppose you're right."

Bert chuckled. "Harriet, don't you remember when we were young and in love?"

Harriet blushed.

"Good. Now, leave them be and don't make a scene when they come out. They must be embarrassed enough at you interrupting them and all."

Harriet's eyes widened. "Do you think I did?" She felt a little guilty. "Maybe I should apologize."

"Don't you even get out of that chair." Bert warned.

 
*  *  *

Cayden and Brooke stood there looking at each other, not knowing what to do.

"That was so lame! I had no good excuse... she knows what we were doing." Brooke covered her face with her hands.

Cayden couldn't help but grin. "It'll be alright. She probably complained to your father and he's pretty cool."

"You think my dad's
cool
?"

"Well.... yeah. He is." Cayden said with a shrug.

"You could be right. She hasn't been back." Brooke listened at the door. "How am I going to go out there and look at them?"

The shop keeper wrapped her arms around her lover. "We'll both go out there. We'll threaten to take over their TV with our show and they'll chase us back in here." she said with a grin.

Brooke settled into the hug and giggled. It felt safe and warm in Cayden's arms, her mother didn't matter any more. She slid her hands up the back of the tall woman's shirt and caressed her back. Cayden shivered at the soft touch and Brooke smiled. "I love how you react to my touch."

"I love how you touch me." Cayden closed her eyes and enjoyed the tickling sensations.

Brooke looked up at her lover. Those gorgeous blue eyes were closed. "Open your eyes please." Cayden did and the unmasked emotion startled Brooke. Cayden walked around most of the day with sunglasses on, and without them, Brooke could see what she was trying to hide. "I really do love you. I think I knew it a long time ago, but just didn't want to admit it."

Cayden felt warm all over. "I think I did too. I just didn't know what it was. Everything is so different, more intense."

Brooke stood on her toes and tipped her head back. Cayden took the invitation and they kissed softly, letting their mouth's confirm their confessions.

Cayden was the first to pull away. "We
are
missing the show you know." she said with a grin. "We can finish watching it, and by the time we leave the room, your mom will have calmed down."

Brooke nodded and led Cayden back to the bed. When she didn't turn on the TV, Cayden chuckled. "Or there's always this." she said, pulling Brooke down on top of her.

 
*  *  *

Much, much later, the spent, but happy couple did leave the bedroom to no incident. Harriet looked a little frazzled, but no uncomfortable words were exchanged.

Cayden sat in the cab, tired, but content, a big smile on her face. She loved Brooke, and she told her. It felt good, and wasn't as scary as she anticipated. She supposed it was easy because Brooke said it first, and that in itself made her smile wider. Making love after saying I love you, was somehow different. Not better, not worse, but different. She couldn't figure out what had changed, although she did feel a level of trust she didn't feel before. Not really trusting anyone to the extent she trusted Brooke was new, but not as unpleasant as she imagined. Everything she experienced in the last few weeks was new for her, and she was pretty surprised at how easy she accepted it all. Shrugging at her thoughts, Cayden left the cab and with a certain spring to her step, went home.

 
*  *  *

"Was the show good?" Harriet asked, as her daughter passed through the room.

Brooke opened the bottle of water she just fetched and grinned. "Yeah, it was good."

"Oh. I wasn't sure. Usually, you carry on while you watch. "

Brooke chuckled. "Ma, you know I didn't watch the show."

Harriet feigned surprise. "Really?"

Bert rolled his eyes. "I'm going to bed." he announced.

"Night daddy."

Harriet studied her daughter carefully. She was very relaxed, and grinning non-stop. A big change from the jumpy Brooke of earlier. "Honey, Cayden mentioned a future, have you talked about that?"

"No, not yet."

"You seem very happy."

"Oh, I am. I'm in love ma, totally in love." Brooke giggled and beamed.

Harriet was very happy for her, but at the same time, a little worried. "Brooke, I am thrilled that you found Cayden. She seems to care a great deal for you, and you both seem terribly in love, but people don't like lesbians. I don't want you to get hurt."

Brooke smiled and got up to hug her mother. "Aw mom, I know your worried. I'm ready for it. I have Cayden, Jodie, Wade and Bev. Most importantly, I have you and dad. I have the best support system ever, I'll be alright. I promise." She kissed her mom on the cheek.

"Well, okay." Harriet sighed. "I just worry. I'm your mother, I'm allowed."

"I'm happy ma, incredibly happy. Finally, I know what it
really
feels like." Brooke practically gushed.

Harriet smiled. "Good for you honey. " she hugged Brooke and relaxed. "Good for you."

 
*  *  *

Cayden entered her apartment quietly. La La danced around her feet, making her navigating dangerous. "Git!" she whispered, moving the purring menace with her foot. "You're gonna trip me."

Wade suddenly exploded from his bedroom. "Well hello there! What happened? How was dinner? What did you eat? Was the mother a nuisance? Oh my god! Look at you! Is that a hickey?"

Cayden slumped against the wall and chuckled. She held a hand up and kicked off her shoes. "One question at a time." she said, making her way into the kitchen. "God, I'm thirsty."

Wade followed hot on her heels. "Oh, yes. I know that thirst well." he said with a grin. "So, tell me, what happened?"

Cayden turned to him and smiled. "Everything was good. The food was great, although I choked on a pea. The parents were minimally invasive, but they really care about Brooke, so that was tolerable." Cayden drank deeply from the bottle or water and sighed.

Wade stared at her. She had an odd expression, it was almost blissful.
Cayden? Blissful?
"What is going on with you? Something happened."

Cayden confirmed with a nod. "Something did happen. She told me she loves me and I didn't feel sick."

Wade's eyes grew wide. "She
did
! And you didn't run screaming?"

"Nope." Cayden smiled and then chuckled. "Actually, I said it back."

Wade threw himself on the floor.

The shop keeper laughed. La La came to investigate the prone man. "It didn't kill me. I said it, and it felt good."

Wade twitched and writhed.

Cayden snickered and stepped over him. "I'm going to take a quick shower and get some sleep."

Wade grabbed her leg. "Oh no you don't! You just don't say that and go to bed!"

"It worked for Brooke." she said with an eyebrow wiggle.

"Ooo, you had I love you sex?" He got up off the floor and blocked the kitchen doorway.

"Yep. Wade, this is weird. I'm in love and I'm alright with it. In fact, I feel great!"

Wade smiled warmly. "This is the best thing in the world. I am so happy to hear it Cayd. You totally deserve happiness."

"I think I'm due." she grinned.

Wade poked her in the neck. "So, is that a before or after I love you hickey?"

Cayden blushed. "After." she recalled the sensation of Brooke's mouth, leaving that mark and had to suppress the shiver. "Definitely after."

"She pissed on you, you know."

Cayden laughed. "Let me tell you, if that's what it feels like to be pissed on, she can do it all she wants."

"You never had a hickey before?" Wade asked in disbelief.

"Nope. There's been a lot of firsts with Brooke."

Wade smiled knowingly. "God it's great to see you so happy."

"It feels great." Cayden replied. "I really do have to get to bed. I have something to do tomorrow morning before work."

Wade was stunned. "What?!
You
are getting up
early
? You? Who needs to lay in bed until the very last second or you turn into a witch?"

The shop keeper smiled. "Yep."

Wade shook his head. "This new Cayden is going to take some getting used to."

"Don't I know it."

 
*  *  *

It was 8:15 AM, and Cayden waited patiently, albeit nervously. She was leaning on a parked car, in front of the building, holding a brown paper bag. Every time the door opened, her heart pounded, and she stood up straight in anticipation, only to flop back against the car. Finally, the door opened one more time, and her wait was over.

"Cayden?" Brooke was puzzled. "What are you doing here?" She walked quickly to the shop keeper and smiled.

Cayden smiled back, and shrugged awkwardly. "I came to take you to work. It seemed like a good idea."

Brooke leaned into Cayden and laughed "It was a very good idea." She bent her head back and Cayden snuck a cocky look at all the passersby before planting a proper good morning kiss on her lover.

"Mmm, now it's a good morning. What's in the bag?"

"Coffee and bagels. I didn't know what you liked so I got plain, with butter." The tall woman held up the bag shyly.

"You are the sweetest thing!" Brooke grinned and took Cayden by the hand. "Come on, I don't want to be late!"

As the couple walked towards the subway, Brooke took Cayden's free hand. The shop keeper smiled proudly and even swung their joined hands a little as they walked.