"I don’t understand you George. You’ve always been pretty open minded about this sort of thing. Why is this different?"

"I don’t have anything against gays. You should know that. I just don’t understand why she’s being invited to our family functions."

Martine had known this wouldn’t go over well, but she was glad they were having the discussion this afternoon in their bedroom instead of tonight when everyone was there. "She’s invited because Anna asked if she could come."

"But this is a family thing…"

"George, we’ve always had an open door for the children’s friends, too. Is this really about tonight being a family thing? Or is it about Anna having a lesbian as such a close friend?" Martine had been dodging this discussion ever since her husband had returned from Munich alone and in a foul mood, but it was time to finally have it out.

George finally voiced his worst fear. "Has it occurred to you that they might be more than just friends, or have you just decided not to see that?"

"Yes, it has occurred to me, but I don’t think that it’s any of our business unless she makes it that way."

"So I take it you don’t have any problem with your daughter being a lesbian?"

"I care that she’s happy." Martine meant that. "If it turns out that Lily is the one who makes her happy—and I’m not saying that’s the case at all—but if it is, then I’ll accept it."

"Well I’m not going to sit by and watch her make a fool of herself in front of everybody. She just needs to see that it’s all wrong for her."

"George, why is it that you think you know best what’s right or wrong for Anna! She’s 32 years old. Shouldn’t she be allowed to make these choices for herself?" Martine was on the verge of anger at her husband’s arrogance.

"She made a perfectly good choice when she married Scott. I’d love to know if her little friend was the one who convinced her to walk away from her marriage. You know, it was right after they met during the earthquake that the two of them split up." George hadn’t thought of this before, but it made perfect sense.

"Oh, that’s nonsense and you know it! Have you ever thought that maybe you were wrong about Scott? What if he wasn’t right for her? What if Anna married him because she was more intent on pleasing you than she was pleasing herself?"

The man knew there was at least some truth in his wife’s words. He had been lucky enough in this lifetime to love not one but two women with all his heart, and he never once saw the proof of that kind of love for Scott Rutherford in his daughter’s eyes.

Martine saw the resignation in her husband’s slumped shoulders as he pondered his own role in Anna’s failed marriage. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she comforted him, "George, it’s time for us to step back and be confident in the way we raised her. Her happiness is all that matters, and it’s important that she make those decisions by herself, and for herself."

George was mesmerized by the dynamic between his daughter and her friend. They were definitely…familiar. The women seemed to touch almost every time they spoke to one another, and the man was certain that the hands underneath the table were joined from time to time.

Despite George’s reservations, this night’s dinner was more fun than anyone could remember. David pumped Lily for the inside scoop on living in the South Bay, since he was eyeing Stanford for his bachelor’s in business administration. "Hey, I’m sure Anna can pull some strings and get you into Southern Cal," Kim kidded, her reference to Scott’s position on the faculty. The shortest Kaklis—at five feet ten—then shocked everyone by sending a glazed carrot across the table at her sister’s forehead.

When the laughter finally died down, Martine stood and sternly threatened the next person who threw food at her table. Each member of the Kaklis clan glanced sheepishly at one another, not willing to challenge the matriarch. The blonde guest was quiet as a mouse, almost uncomfortable with the woman’s harsh reprimand. As Martine returned to her seat, she startled everyone when her hand unexpectedly tipped a water glass into Anna’s lap, sending the tall woman leaping from her chair. Several seconds of stunned silence passed as everyone realized her prank. "Oh, clumsy me," Martine sighed with a wry smile.

Once she’d dried off in the kitchen, Anna returned to the table, her beautiful blue eyes shooting mock daggers at her mother. Martine, however, was the picture of innocence.

Kim’s joke was the opening George had been looking for. "So Anna, have you heard anything from Scott recently?" He really missed talking business with his son-in-law, and had held out for a reconciliation until Anna had told them of his second marriage. Neither he nor Martine had any idea of Scott’s unfaithfulness.

"No, Dad. I’d say he’s gotten on with his life." And I’ve gotten on with mine. Quickly changing the subject, she turned to her brother and told him, "I think Stanford’s a great choice, David. Anywhere but Berkeley."

"Hear, hear!" cheered the Bruin in agreement. With a warning look, Martine double dared Kim or Hal to throw any of the food on their plates.

**********

"So tell me again what’s in South Carolina." Lily was talking on her portable phone as she got ready for bed.

"It’s a BMW plant. In fact, it’s where your little X5 was born." She said the latter with an intonation of family pride. She too was preparing for bed. "They’re previewing next year’s models."

"I thought that’s what you went to Germany for." The blonde wasn’t whining. She just didn’t understand.

"No, the design center in Germany showed us what the next generation of cars will look like, those about three years away. I’ve already seen these cars in South Carolina, but we get to take a last look at the changes before they roll them out." Anna got excited when she talked about her work. There was a mechanical engineering nerd inside that beautiful casing.

"So when will you be back?" Saturday was Lily’s 30^th birthday, but her brain had already stored the fact that Anna would not be in town.

"My plane gets back on Sunday around six o’clock. Maybe somebody could meet me at the airport," she hinted.

"But I’ll be 30 by then. If I show up at the airport, I’ll probably need a skycap with a wheelchair." Now she was whining. "I’m going to miss you. What am I supposed to do by myself for five whole days?"

"Think about me." Anna had turned out the lights in her house and was now getting in bed.

"I already do that." Lily too had finished with her own nightly tasks and was pulling back the covers. "Morning, noon and night."

"What do you think about?" Anna settled between the sheets and switched off the bedside lamp. It was after 11, but her plane for Greenville-Spartanburg didn’t leave until 11:30 the following day. She could talk for as long as Lily wanted.

"I think about being with you. About some of the things we’ve done together, like the boat ride, the camping trip, and the time we drove to San Jose right after I got the X5."

"Not very racy. Well, except for the X5 part, Mario." Anna was feeling playful. Lily had finally fessed up about the $534 speeding ticket she had received on her way home from Tahoe.

"Oh, you want racy, do you? Well what do you think about?" The gauntlet was thrown.

"Well…I think about a certain cute little blonde attorney. How sweet her kisses are. How she makes me feel inside." Anna’s tone lost some of its playfulness. She was thinking about how her body had responded to the woman’s touch.

"How do I make you feel?"

Anna had trouble putting such intimate feelings into words, but she wanted to try. She hoped they would be able to talk about these things, especially given her naiveté about what Lily would want from her. She would need Lily’s help to take the next steps in their relationship. "You make me feel warm. My heart beats faster and…my body wants to press against yours." I can’t believe I just said that!

Lily shifted slowly under the sheet. Anna’s words had certainly stirred a response in her own body. "God, you can’t imagine what it does to me to hear you say that."

"Tell me what it does, sweetheart. Tell me what I do for you." Anna focused her thoughts on the beautiful, slender blonde that set her blood racing.

"You make my stomach flutter. My knees go weak. Everything else disappears." She shifted again.

Anna needed to know more, but the thought of asking for what she needed was terrifying. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about these things at all. On the contrary, she’d been thinking about them more and more every day. She needed to know if she could do this, if this was what she really wanted. "Lily, if I were with you right now, what would you have me do? How would I make love to you?" Anna’s voice was low and sensuous.

There went the stomach flutter. "You want me to tell you how I want to be touched?" This was interesting.

"No, I want you to tell me how you envision me touching you." Anna couldn’t believe the words that left her mouth. She’d never done anything like this before in her life. With uncommon boldness, she asked, "What are you wearing to bed?"

"I’ve got on a long tank top and panties. That’s all." Lily was becoming very aroused.

"Take them off, baby." Anna listened while the woman removed her sleep shirt and panties.

"Okay, they’re off. What about you?"

"I’m taking off my nightshirt too. Now I want to just go there, Lily. Describe it to me." Anna leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes. She wanted to be there with her love. How close could they get?

"Okay, we’re lying together, naked with only a sheet covering us. I’m on my back, and you’re on your side looking down at me."

"Which side am I on?"

"You’re on my right side. So you’re lying on your left side alongside me."

The tall woman rolled onto her left side and pulled a pillow to her. "Tell me what I see when I look at you."

Oh my god!. We’re really going to do this! Lily couldn’t have stopped now if she wanted to. And she definitely didn’t want to. "My eyes. The first thing you see is my eyes. They’re full of love for you. And desire." She paused to let the image settle. "I lift my lips to your face, reaching behind your neck to pull you down." Lily closed her eyes to imagine the sensations. "I’m trembling, and so are you."

Anna could picture Lily’s green eyes. "I’m going to kiss you."

"Yes, your lips are on mine. Then they travel ever so slowly across my cheek, down to my ear." Lily trailed her own hand softly along the path she described. "I feel your warm breath in my ear. Your tongue and your teeth tease my earlobe, then they wander below to my neck. I love to feel your mouth on my neck."

"Yes, your skin is so soft there." Anna’s body began to stir as she imagined her lips and tongue on Lily’s neck.

"You raise up on your arm to look at me. You pull the sheet back to my waist. Your eyes take in the sight of my naked body. I’m aching for your touch, to feel your hands on me." She was.

"Tell me what I see." Anna wanted to see it. Tell me what you look like.

Lily was tentative, but she knew somehow that Anna needed this. "First you see my breasts. My nipples…they’re dark. They’re hard, like pebbles. I need you to touch them."

"Yes." Anna was trembling all over. She pictured again the full breasts she had admired that day on the boat. To that image, she added the hard, dark nipples.

"So you cover my left breast with your palm. You squeeze it softly, then stronger, more possessive." Lily’s own hand began to squeeze her breast. "Oh, I like that," she moaned.

Anna then knew with a certainty that Lily was touching herself. She was becoming crazy with desire.

"Then you take my nipple with your thumb and fingers, and you start to pinch it. Gently at first, then with more pressure. When you tug on it, it makes me gasp for breath." And she did.

"Ahhh." Anna’s fingers pulsated as she imagined them on Lily’s breasts.

"I need to feel your mouth on my breasts. I’m lifting my body up to your face. I feel you take me into your mouth, you feel so good." Her fingers closed again around the nipple, but she imagined the beautiful woman’s mouth. "Your soft tongue draws circles around my nipple, then your lips close around it and you suck it into your mouth. I can feel your teeth teasing me. Your hand has closed around my other nipple and you’re pulling on it with the same rhythm."

"You’re so exciting." Anna had never experienced anything so erotic in all her life.

"My hips are pushing toward you now, in the same rhythm as the sensations in my breasts. My whole body needs you."

Anna’s body was moving rhythmically, matching Lily’s pace.

"You bring your lips to mine again, then you look at my rolling body. I’m hot and I want you so much. Your hands are roaming all over my chest and my stomach and hips." Lily’s own hands stroked the heated planes.

"Yes, I need to feel your naked skin. Tell me what I see when I look down at you."

Lily opens her eyes to describe the sight. "You lower the sheet to my knees. You see the patch of hair that hides me from your eyes. It’s light brown, thick and curly. It’s already damp from what you’re doing to me."

Oh god, Lily. "What am I doing? Tell me." Anna was desperate.

"Oh, you’re exciting me, sweetheart. I want you so much. And you want this, everything I’m offering you."

"Yes, I want it." Anna’s voice was raspy.

"Now I’ve raised my knee so that I can open myself for you."

"I need to touch you, baby." She needed to be closer.

"And I want you to. So badly I might explode. Your hand crosses my stomach and stops to twirl around my navel. You’re such a tease." For Lily, it was no longer her own hand at work. She felt it as though it were Anna’s. "Then you brush against that curly hair. Your fingers run through it, lower, until you feel it getting damp. Then lower…there! Right there!" Lily gasped for breath as she touched herself intimately for the first time since they began.

Anna shuddered with anticipation. "Please, baby! Tell me what I feel."

"You find me wet, so wet! And I’m warm and swollen, begging you to touch all of me. So you slide your long fingers through me. Up and down." Lily moaned softly as she mimicked what her lover would do. After several long moments, she began again. "You linger on the outside, circling my opening. Then you slip two fingers inside."

Anna was shaking with excitement. "Oh, yes. I’m inside you now," she whispered.

"You push deep inside, and you feel me clutch your fingers with my walls. You move inside me, in and out."

"Oh god, you’re so hot."

"I’m moving with you, rocking against you so you’ll reach deeper."

Both women were writhing now, Anna against the pillow, Lily against her own hand.

"Then you slowly pull your fingers out and touch me where I’m hard and swollen. Oh, I need that." Again she grew quiet while she brought herself closer to climax. "Your fingers are making circles, and I’m lifting up off the bed to get closer. To feel more of you." She was drawing deep rapid breaths to keep up with her body’s need. "My fingers are digging into your back, showing you the rhythm I want. Harder, you press harder."

Anna closed her eyes tightly as her senses filled with the image.

"And now I’m coming, baby." Lily filled her lungs with a deep gasp, then released it in short, steady bursts. "Yes, baby, so strong."

"Oh god, Lily. Oh god, I love you." Anna shuddered as she listened to Lily’s release. Her desire to pull the woman close was overwhelming, far more than a mere physical need. She wanted to look into Lily’s eyes to see how the sensation had moved her, to confirm that Lily too had shared her heart along with her body. Anna had never felt such a need to connect with another in her life. She resisted reaching between her own legs, already knowing what she would find. Her body craved release, but she would wait for Lily’s touch.

Lily gradually lowered her hips to the bed as the waves receded. Her body was spent, but her thoughts remained attuned to the woman on the phone. What was Anna thinking? Had she felt the emotional connection or was this merely a sexual display? Lily suddenly worried that she had exposed too much. She felt vulnerable, embarrassed even.

Both women were quiet for a long moment, one embracing her feelings, the other anxious with her own. Finally, Anna broke the silence. "Lily?"

"Yes, I’m here."

"I want you to feel my arms around you, my whole body against yours. I’m going to hold you tonight while you sleep."

Lily relaxed and lost herself in the comforting image. "I love you, Anna."

"I love you too, baby." Anna saw herself place a kiss on Lily’s forehead. "Goodnight."

**********

Lily searched among the stacks of paperwork for the file she needed. Pauline had gotten better about keeping her records in order after the incident last year with Maria Esperanza. Maria’s now very thick file rested on the corner of the cluttered desk. "Yeah, Pete. I’ve got it right here. What do you need? ...Yeah, that’s what it says…She isn’t?" Miguel had complained to his lawyer that Maria and the children were gone the last two times he went to see his children. "When did that start? ...Okay, I’ll give her a call right now…Thanks for the heads up."

Lily placed the call, but got a recorded message that the cellular service had been discontinued. Thumbing through the file, she came across the number for Maria’s sister, the one who lived in Culver City. The attorney dialed the number and asked to speak to Serena Whitman. "Hello, this is Lilian Stuart. You may remember me. I’m your sister Maria’s attorney."

The voice on the line hesitated. Then formally, "How can I help you, Miss Stuart?"

"I’m trying to reach your sister. Something very important has come up with her case. The number that I have for her is no longer in service. I was hoping you might have a new number, or a way that I could reach her."

"No, I don’t know where she is," the woman answered quickly.

A little too quickly, Lily thought. She needed to make the woman understand what was at stake. "Listen, I have an urgent message for her. If you see her or hear from her, she needs to know that there is trouble with her case. Mr. Esperanza’s attorney plans to ask the court for custody of the children because she had not allowed him to visit them. I will not be able to help her if she doesn’t call me soon." Lily hoped that Serena understood the gravity of the situation and would pass the message on to Maria.

In the meantime, Lily had a hunch that Maria was hiding out at her sister’s home. Sometimes she had very little patience for her adult clients, but the children she served needed her to work on their behalf. The Esperanza children were pawns in this battle of wills between their parents. Lily wondered if perhaps they weren’t better off elsewhere, but that was the judge’s call. She was reluctant to step into the middle of a volatile domestic dispute, but guarding the children’s interest was part of her job. She picked up her keys and purse, and stopped to let Pauline know where she was headed.

Driving through the Culver City neighborhood, Lily was suddenly flooded with memories and images from a year ago. Like then, it was mid-morning on a Thursday, unusually warm for a February day. She marveled at how her life had changed since that fateful day. She’d gone from being a loner to being one-half of something that seemed greater than a whole. She could no more imagine her life without Anna than she could imagine it without her work, her mother, her past. The beautiful woman was now part of who she was.

Her daydreams nearly caused her to miss what she was looking for. From her vantage point in the tall vehicle, she could barely see the rear bumper of the old red Ford Escort that was parked behind the Whitman house. "I knew it," she said aloud triumphantly. Parking across the street, Lily set up her surveillance of the home. Neither of the sisters would recognize the X5.

Nearly 45 minutes passed before she observed activity at the home. Maria’s children, Sofia and Roberto, emerged from the side door to play in the small yard. "That’s good enough for me," the attorney muttered as she exited the vehicle and dashed quickly to the front door.

Serena answered almost as soon as Lily knocked. "I told you, I don’t know where Maria is."

"Oh, I’m sorry. I should have been more clear. It isn’t really Maria that I need. It’s the children. I just saw them in the yard. They’re supposed to be with their father, so I’ll just call the social worker to come pick them up and take them to his house." She reached for her cell phone, prepared to call Sandy to the scene.

"No, wait!" As Lily had expected, Maria miraculously appeared to head off the call. "Please don’t call him. He’s been hurting the children. I can’t let them go."

"Goddamnit, Maria! I told you to call me if there were problems. He’s going to try to get custody again." She was furious that Maria would put her children at further risk by keeping this from her.

"I was afraid he would hurt them worse if I told on him." The woman was nearly hysterical.

"Your children will be safe. But I have to put them in protective custody while a judge considers new charges. You can’t just violate the court order."

"No, please don’t take them!"

"I have to. It’s to keep everyone safe." Maria wailed into her sister’s arms as Lily called Sandy. While they waited for the social worker, she helped the children pack a few items for their next placement in foster care. A flashback invaded her thoughts, that of a small child placing her few belongings in a brown grocery bag as a woman waited.

**********

"You wouldn’t believe the new models! We’re going to have to trade yours in. You would love this edition!" The X5 Anna had in mind would go for $68,000 next year.

"No way! I’m driving my car until it falls apart." Lily pulled the phone from her ear and shouted her intention into the mouthpiece.

"What? I didn’t tell you that yours was on a custom lease that expires at the dealer’s discretion when new models become available?"

"Just you try it, Amazon. Besides, the one I have is already smarter than I am. I’d have to go to school to learn how to drive a new one."

"Funny you should say that. There’s a school here. We all had the chance to take out the new models and crank ‘em up. You could come and do it too if you wanted to. There’s nothing quite like the feel of an open course with all that muscle."

Lily loved it when Anna talked about her powerful cars! It was almost…butch.

"So, Birthday Girl, I’ll try to call you tomorrow, but it will probably be after seven or eight your time. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, but don’t forget, I’m going to dinner at Sandy’s and Suzanne’s tomorrow." What a bummer that her girlfriend—girlfriend?—was out of town on her birthday.

"Oh yeah, that’s right. Your real friends are the ones who are with you on your birthday." Anna was chiding Lily about her earlier pout.

"Well, I’ll forgive you this time. But I sure hope this ‘next model year’ preview doesn’t always fall on my birthday." Fuck! I can’t believe I just said that!

Oblivious to Lily’s gaffe, Anna warmed at the thought that she would spend more birthdays with the cute little blonde. Maybe next year, I’ll just take you with me. "Goodnight, sweetheart. And happy birthday all day tomorrow."

Lily’s gut tightened as she hung up the phone. Goddamnit! Why didn’t I just drive over to her house with a U-Haul! She was suddenly afraid that Anna would bolt at her presumption that she’d be with her next year. She had made that same mistake with Melanie, Becca and especially Beverly. She and Anna had been taking things slowly, the older woman needing time to adjust to the idea of being in a new relationship, let alone a relationship with another woman. Fuck me.

**********

Lily laughed aloud as she pulled onto the freeway from Sherman Oaks. Her "dinner" with Sandy and Suzanne had actually been a surprise party, attended by 12 of her closest friends, mostly from work or from her socializing with the couple, all dressed in black to commemorate her passage "over the hill." Her gift haul included not one single serious gift. Instead, she had opened such things as wrinkle cream, denture adhesive, and a Lawrence Welk CD. Looking back, she couldn’t fault their sense of humor. She was the last one in the group to hit 30, and she had given several of them a box of Depends on their significant birthdays.

Pulling into her covered spot, she gathered the gag gifts and cards from the passenger seat. Despite the darkened apartment, Lily did not feel so alone this year. Flipping the light switch with her forearm, she dropped her gifts onto the kitchen table. To her disappointment, the solid red light told her there were no messages. As if reading her thoughts, the phone suddenly rang. Anna!

"Hello," she answered cheerfully.

"Happy birthday to you," the voice sang cheerfully.

"Happy birthday to you."

It is now!

"Happy birthday dear Pygmy."

"Happy birthday to you."

"You just made my day, Amazon."

"Is that so?" Anna could picture the blonde in the kitchen, probably leaning against the counter while she talked.

"Yeah, it’s so. Just hearing your voice makes me warm all over. I love you." Lily checked the clock on the microwave. It was after ten, so that meant it was after one a.m. in South Carolina.

"I love you too, baby. I really wanted to make your day. So I started thinking about what I could do on your birthday that was really special."

God, I love it when she calls me baby. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, so when I tried to think of something really special, I started thinking about what we did on the night before I left. Do you remember what we did, Lily?"

Every detail. "How could I forget that?" Her voice grew very small. Do I need to be lying down again?

"Yes, that was very special indeed. In fact, there was only one thing I could think of that would be more special than that."

"And what’s that?" Only one thing.

"Why don’t you come upstairs and find out?"

Part 13

It was at that moment that Lily first noticed a glow from the barely cracked door at the top of the stairs. That light hadn’t been on when she entered the apartment—she would have seen it from the walkway. Turning off the lights in the kitchen, the blonde nervously made her way up the darkened stairway, trying to envisage what she would see when she got to her bedroom.

No imagination could have done justice to the sight that greeted her as she gently swung open the door. Anna Kaklis sat in the corner armchair by the window, the picture of calm with one long leg crossed over the other, one hand raised so that her fingers rested on her chin. Her features were shadowed by the dim light from the small lamp on the far side of the room. The woman was dressed in dark slacks and a long sleeved white shirt, the black hair draped loosely around her shoulders. Her elbows rested nonchalantly on the arms of the chair and her other hand held a cell phone in her lap. Beside her on the bedside table sat a small wrapped gift.

Lily walked slowly into the room, stopping at the end of the bed. "I can’t believe you’re really here," she said with guarded excitement. If they both kept their nerve, they would be lovers soon.

"I didn’t want to miss your birthday," Anna answered quietly. "A girl doesn’t turn 30 every day." Despite her seeming composure, the beautiful woman was quickly losing the bravado she had needed to set up this scenario in Lily’s bedroom. Never before had she stood on this end of a seduction.

As Lily’s eyes adjusted to the lighting, Anna’s features became clearer to her. The woman wore a look of apprehension that bordered on panic. Crossing the room, Lily calmed her by placing a hand on her knee. "Well, just having you here is about the nicest birthday present I could have imagined," the blonde woman said from her heart. It was clear from her presence in Lily’s bedroom that Anna had intended for this to be the night that they made love. Yet she had come as far as she could of her own volition. Lily knew that she would have to lead her lover the rest of the way.

Silently, she took Anna’s hand and pulled her up into a confident embrace. Looking into the blue eyes, she leaned forward into a gentle probing kiss that quickly became deeper, more passionate. There was no need this time for either to hold back.

Placing the woman’s long hand against her pounding chest, Lily told her, "This is only one of the things you do to me." With that, she slid her palm inside the open collar of Anna’s shirt, finding a rapid heartbeat that matched her own. Ever so deliberately, Lily’s fingers moved to undo the buttons of the shirt, pushing back the collar to reveal the top of a lacy white bra. Pressing her lips against the soft skin between the woman’s breasts, deft hands gently tugged the shirttail free.

Without a trace of shyness, Lily stepped out of her shoes and removed her own jeans and sweater, leaving her standing in dark green panties and bra. Anna then matched her movements, finally reaching behind her to unfasten her bra.

"Please, I want to do that." Lily stepped forward and reached around the woman. Releasing the clasp, the bra slipped loosely from Anna’s shoulders. Lily lifted both hands to caress the soft naked breasts, then brought her face once again to the woman’s chest, brushing her cheek against a hardened nipple. "Beautiful," she murmured, as she pressed her lips to the smooth skin. Kneeling on the edge of the bed, she guided Anna to sit beside her.

Anna was trembling with anticipation as she watched the smaller woman remove first her bra, then her panties. Lily’s naked form was far more beautiful than Anna had imagined from their late night telephone interlude. Overwhelmed with the need to touch this woman, she ran both hands up Lily’s waist, trailing her fingertips against the sides of her breasts. She realized now that she had wanted this since the day on the boat.

Remembering perfectly the touch that Lily had described, Anna gently pushed her lover back against the pillow. Slowly, lovingly, wondrously, she made love with this beautiful woman, repeating each stroke of the fingers and mouth that Lily had asked her for that night. Every facet of the experience was more incredible than her meager imagination had allowed. When she drew her fingers from the warm cocoon to touch the hardened nub, her whole body thrummed with excitement. Anna watched in wonder as a deep red flush covered Lily’s chest and neck as she climaxed. With one arm underneath, Anna pulled her close and searched for the green eyes. "I love you, Lily. I love touching you this way." Lily, look at me! Yes, that’s it. In her entire life, she had never felt so connected to another person.

Lily looked back into the blue eyes that seemed so desperate to hold her own. In all the scenarios that she had dreamed, none had involved Anna being first to touch her. When her tremors ceased, she gently nudged the beautiful woman to her back and cradled her as she herself had been held, all without breaking the intimate link. "I want to make you feel as wonderful as I do," she said. With that, she covered Anna’s mouth with a deep kiss, breaking after several moments for air, but not moving her face from that of her lover. "I want to know you, Anna, every inch. I want to touch you, kiss you and taste you," she whispered. She could feel the shudder underneath her as Anna’s mind journeyed to the intimate act of which she spoke.

Lily’s kisses and strokes stirred Anna to such arousal that when she finally lowered her mouth to taste her lover, the woman released within seconds, calling Lily’s name as she went over the edge. The skilled tongue drew back, barely touching the tender spot, waiting…waiting for the woman to still. Once she did, Lily pressed harder and drew out a second climax, then a third when she entered Anna as her lips once again encircled the sensitive bud.

**********

Anna awoke before dawn and slipped into the bathroom. She and Lily had made love until after one, when both collapsed physically spent. That in itself was remarkable, since Scott had never continued their lovemaking once she had an orgasm. Last night, she had lost count of the times Lily had brought her to climax. Splashing water on her face to clear the cobwebs, the dark-haired woman removed the traces of her lover’s arousal from her chin. Now that had been an amazing experience. She surprised herself with her own lack of reservation—she had simply wanted to devour the woman. In fact, she was astonished at her own need to give Lily pleasure, almost unmindful of her own body’s desires.

Almost, that is. It had certainly been the most satisfying physical experience she’d ever had. Okay, it was more than satisfying—it was incredible. Hell, it was mind-blowing. That’s what it was. Remembering now the thundering physical sensations, the tender words and intense looks they had shared, and the way they held onto each other as they climaxed, Anna finally knew what all the fuss was about. It was about connection.

She had questions, complicated questions for herself about her own expectations for where this all would lead. But right now, she needed to return to Lily.

The blonde in the bed was starting to grow concerned about the length of time that had passed since Anna had gotten up and disappeared into the bathroom. What is she thinking about? What is she feeling? A part of her wanted to go see if everything was okay, but another part was too afraid of the answer. Traumatic imaginings tumbled unbidden through her head. She supposed first that Anna had awakened with guilt or disgust at what they had done last night. Or perhaps it was just disappointment because Lily hadn’t lived up to Anna’s hopes or expectations. Worse, she had come to Lily simply for the experience of being with another woman, and now that they had shared this sexual encounter, she would move on. Either way, Anna was probably in the bathroom contemplating how to dress and leave without a word.

With her imagination running wild, Lily was simply astounded when Anna returned to the bed and turned on her side to draw the smaller woman close. As she began to doze again, the blonde woman noted that the very worst thing about insecurities was that they robbed you of energy that you could be spending on more pleasurable pursuits.

The sun streaming in through the narrow window above the balcony door stirred Lily awake. To her delight, a sleeping Amazon draped over her from shoulder to feet, dark hair splayed across her chest. Unfortunately, nature’s call was adamant.

"This is the lumpiest mattress I’ve ever slept on," the blonde mumbled mischievously as she returned, lifting the covers and crawling across the tall naked form. "Just can’t seem to get comfortable," she continued, shifting her head from one breast to another. Finally, she settled in and began a series of obnoxious snores that dissolved the "mattress" into fits of laughter.

"That’s a gift you have, finding lumpy things to crawl on," Anna laughed as she poked the woman in her ribs.

"Hey, who are you? How did you get in here?" Lily demanded playfully.

"Isn’t this Apartment 12? I was told to wait for the lady in Apartment 12."

"No, I’m afraid this is number 10."

"Does this mean I’m not going to get my money?"

Good one, Amazon! "Sorry, I’m but a penniless champion of the oppressed. You’re going to have to take it out in trade."

"That can be arranged," Anna agreed, arching her eyebrow suggestively.

And so began Sunday morning in Apartment 10.

**********

"Lilian Stuart," the attorney answered.

"So what are you wearing?" came the sexy voice over the speaker phone.

Lunging across the desk for the receiver, Lily absently checked the door for traffic in the hallway. "I’m fine. Thank you for asking," she scolded.

"That’ll teach you to answer your speaker phone without checking caller ID," the car dealer chuckled. Pausing a moment, she followed, "So? Are you going to answer my question?"

"I’m wearing a suit. Court clothes. I have a hearing this afternoon on an adoption proceeding. What about you? You in your grease monkey clothes?" Lily had stopped by the dealership last Saturday to find Anna working with one of the mechanics under the hood of an early model BMW. She was dressed in a grease-smeared pin-striped jumpsuit, her long ponytail pulled through a Dodgers baseball cap. Lily had never seen a sexier sight.

"Not today. I’ve got an appointment this afternoon with Steve French. Remember him?"

"Of course. The San Diego Sleaze. Maybe a grease monkey suit wouldn’t be such a bad idea."

"But you said I looked sexy in that. Are you saying that I should look sexy for Steve?" Anna enjoyed poking at the green-eyed monster.

"No, I’m saying that I should come down there and sit in on your meeting. If that jerk so much as looks at you, I’ll clean his clock with a crow bar." She fingered her birthday present, a delicate gold bracelet from the box beside the bed. The casual observer likely wouldn’t notice the series of BMW emblems etched into the small links. It just screamed Anna!

"My hero," Anna sighed in a mock swoon. "Can we do dinner tonight, sweetheart? I’ll take you out or pick something up and bring it over. I just want to see you." Work and family obligations had gotten in their way this week. They had spent nearly every night together over the last two weeks, but the only chance they had gotten to see one another this week had been lunch on Tuesday, which meant they had none of the private time that each of them now craved.

"6:30? I can stop and get Chinese food." Lily’s mind was already way past what they would eat for dinner.

"See you then. Love you."

"Love you too." The attorney wanted to pinch herself every time she heard or said those words.

**********

"I can’t believe there was ever a time when I didn’t need this," Anna sighed, rolling onto her back and pulling the blonde on top. Dinner had been a blur, both women looking ahead to having one another for dessert.

"Oh, you always needed it. You just didn’t know it." Lily trailed her fingers softly across Anna’s thin collarbones, down between her breasts and back up again.

"Well, I think you’ve ruined me."

"How so?"

"Well, I think about this every six minutes, no matter what I’m doing. I think I would have driven through a police barricade to get here." She chuckled, remembering her excitement on the way over. "I love this. I mean, I also love talking to you, or going out, or just sitting around. But this is what I need," the last part emphasized with a squeeze around the blonde’s middle.

"Yeah, I need it too, sweetheart. All of those things." The more time she spent with the beautiful woman, the more secure she felt about their relationship. But Lily knew better than to presume anything. She would take all that Anna had to offer, even if it meant losing her in the end.

**********

"Anna Kaklis, you have a call on line two. Anna Kaklis, line two." The normally animated Carmen always sounded so official and reserved when she used the intercom.

The car dealer swung into an empty office to grab the blinking line. "This is Anna Kaklis. How may I help you?" She had been on the lot with Holly, a new saleswoman she had hired yesterday. Holly was one of the top sellers at the BMW dealership in San Diego. Anna was pleased to find that she knew her stuff when it came to the BMW line; it was only a matter of learning the ins and outs of Premier Motors. They were lucky to get her.

"Anna, it’s Mother."

Well, here was a surprise. Anna couldn’t remember the last time her mother had phoned her at work. "Hi Mom. What’s up? Is everything okay," she asked anxiously.

"Yes, of course. I was calling to invite you to dinner on Saturday. I’m preparing a London broil." Anna knew that was one of her father’s favorites.

Anna was confused. It was usually her father who delivered these types of invitations, since they saw each other every day at the dealership. Nonetheless, Martine was waiting patiently on the other end of the line for her answer. "Saturday?" That bought her a moment. Saturday evening was Lily Time.

"Yes, about six. Kim and Hal are coming, of course. And David is bringing Heather. It would be nice if Lily could come too." There! She’d just told her stepdaughter that the attorney was welcome in their home. She wanted to create a comfortable setting that would allow her husband to get to know the young woman, and to see how happy the two were together.

They know! The car dealer was flabbergasted, to say the least. "I think that would be very nice. I’ll call her and call you back. Thank you, Mother."

**********

"I’m not kidding! She called me herself at work last Thursday, and she asked me to invite Lily too." Anna was filling her sister in on the details of Martine’s call.

Lily was outside by the pool with the rest of Kaklis clan, telling them all about the plans for the next Kidz Kamp outing, slated for next month. She was trying to sell David on the idea of coming along. Community service looks good on a college application, she reminded him.

"How do you think she knew about Lily?" Anna did not attempt to conceal her accusatory tone with Kim.

"I didn’t say anything, I swear. Not like I would have to, though. All anyone has to do is look at the two of you together, or listen to you talk about each other. You’re in love, Sister." Kim smiled knowingly. She loved seeing her sister so happy. "And it really looks good on you."

Anna couldn’t help but return the smile. "So do you think I should say something? If they already know, it’s like an elephant in the parlor."

"Well, I’d just be sort of casual about it if I were you. I don’t think it calls for any big announcement. Does it?" Kim was fishing.

"No, of course not! I do love her, but there’s really nothing more to say."

"Just remember, you promised to tell me all about the sex," Kim reminded playfully.

"I did not! Just because you asked me to promise doesn’t mean I did!" Anna folded her arms in mock indignation, a pose she adopted often when dealing with her little sister. "But since you brought it up…"

Kim’s attention was instantly riveted to her older sister. "Oh yeah?"

"Oh yeah! God, I had no idea it could be like that," she whispered animatedly, unable to hide her excitement. "It was never like this with Scott. Not even close."

"I told you, Anna. Scott was not right for you."

"I know. I just wish I knew if this was right for me," the tall woman said wistfully. "I don’t think I’ve gotten a perspective on the lesbian thing yet."

"Well, what about it? If it feels right for you, that’s all that matters. You don’t have to worry about what to call yourself." Kim was open minded and accepting, but she didn’t quite understand Anna’s dilemma.

"It’s more complicated than that, though. I…I feel like Lily has shown me what real love is supposed to feel like. Now that I know, should I be looking for that feeling with a man? Or what if I really am a lesbian? Is Lily the right woman for me? Am I right for her? I’m plowing all new ground here."

Kim recognized the seriousness of these questions, but wasn’t about to spoon-feed her own opinion to her sister. "Well, you’re the only one who can answer those questions. Do you have any interest in going out with anyone else? A man? Another woman?"

"No, not at all. If I could have this from now on, I’d be happy." The enormity of that struck Anna suddenly. From now on.

From now on? Wow! "What do you think Lily wants?"

"I don’t know. I mean, I know she loves me, but she’s been burned before. I get the feeling sometimes that she really doesn’t expect this to be permanent. I doubt she’s thinking about anything long term."

"You’re already thinking long term? You’ve got it bad, don’t you?"

"No, it’s not that I’m already thinking long term. But why keep seeing somebody, especially intimately, if you know that there isn’t any chance for a commitment at some point down the road? I’m just not into dating or sleeping with somebody for recreation. That’s not me." That was it, she knew. She wanted Lily, but only if Lily also wanted her. Anna wasn’t looking to get her heart broken either.

"Well, give it some time, Anna. There’s no rush. I think the answers will come to you." Kim was pretty sure that they already had, but that her sister just needed to try them on for a while. "So I take it you’ve figured out what it is that you do?"

Anna turned red and smiled. "I should have known I couldn’t distract you from your mission." Kim smiled triumphantly. "Yes, I’ve figured it out. Yes, it’s wonderful. Yes, we do it every chance we get." That last bit was actually more than she had intended to say. "Now, we’d better get out there. Lily’s going to think I’ve thrown her to the wolves."

George Kaklis was soundly impressed at the way the little blonde attorney had coaxed his son into agreeing to help out with Kidz Kamp. In his father’s opinion, David was pretty self-centered, though not unusually so for most young men his age. Padding his college application was certainly a plus, but besides that, he seemed eager to have the chance to work with some of the younger boys that Lily spoke of. The elder Kaklis found himself genuinely liking the woman, despite his misgivings about her relationship with his daughter. She was obviously a good, decent person.

George followed Martine into the kitchen so that they could have a few minutes alone. Wrapping his arms around his wife from behind, he told her, "Dinner was marvelous darling. You’re the best." There was more, but it was going to be difficult to get out. He waited for a moment, anticipating the argument he would get when she voiced his thoughts. "I…I really like Lily, but I just don’t want that for Anna."

"George, please. It isn’t your choice." Martine wasn’t going to put up with this any longer. She had orchestrated this entire evening as an opportunity for her husband to get to know the young woman better—Martine was certain that Lily herself could win him over. "Can’t you see how happy Anna is? Are you so selfish that you’d deny that for your own daughter?"

"It isn’t right for her," he practically wailed.

Martine hated to do it, but it was ultimatum time. "As long as this is my home, Lily will be welcome here, no matter what her relationship is with Anna. If you can’t deal with that George, then you can go spend the day at the goddamned dealership." With that, she turned and headed back into the dining room.

Part 14

"I’m sorry Sandy and I spent so much time talking shop." Anna and Lily were headed home in the black sedan from having dinner with Sandy and Suzanne at their home. It was the first time the dark-haired woman had socialized with her lover’s longtime friends.

"Oh, it wasn’t a problem at all. I think your work is very interesting." Lauren and Sandy were going to court the next day to petition for Sofia and Roberto Esperanza to be removed from Maria’s care, and placed with their aunt in Culver City. Maria had not complied with the visitation order for Miguel, and there was growing evidence that the children’s abuser was actually Maria’s new boyfriend, Jose. The final impetus had been a call from Serena, asking Lily to help her get custody. Since she was already Maria’s attorney, she had referred the case to Lauren. "And it’s important. I’m very proud of you and what you do."

"That means a lot to me, sweetheart." Lily immediately reddened with shame as her mind flashed back to the scene before Christmas when she had derided Anna’s work as inconsequential. She hoped her lover wasn’t thinking of the same thing, as some things were best forgotten. "I’m almost afraid to ask, but now that you’ve spent a little time with my friends, what do you think of them?"

"I think your friends are very nice, and it’s obvious that they think the world of you." Anna was especially fond of Sandy, and it appeared that she and Lily shared a unique friendship, reinforced by their working relationship. "Why were you afraid to ask?"

"Well, it’s just that Suzanne can be sort of abrasive at times," Lily said meekly. "It took Mom a while to get used to it. She’s really a sweet person, but she doesn’t always come off that way."

Anna chuckled. Suzanne had cornered her in the kitchen and threatened to break off her arm and beat her with the bloody end if she hurt their little friend. "Yeah, she did sort of warn me that I should treat you well, which I intend to do, by the way. I mean I might have treated you well anyway, but she gave me a little added incentive," she teased.

They were nearing Lily’s apartment. "Can you stay tonight?" The blonde was hungry for her lover, especially after the hot tub scene. She had told Anna that they usually had an after dinner soak, but she would beg off if that felt uncomfortable. On the contrary, the beautiful woman nearly stole Suzanne’s breath when she pulled off her clothes and climbed into the tub in all her glory. Eat your heart out, ladies. She’s mine.

"Sure, I’d like that a lot."

Lily had momentarily forgotten her own question as her mind wandered back to the majestic sight of the tall woman standing to leave the tub, water cascading down her sinuous body. Once she realized that Anna had just agreed to stay the night, she reached across the console and laid her hand in the woman’s lap.

Anna loved their nights together. Making love was wonderful, of course, but their connection now went far beyond that. The soft words they’d share as they lay in one another’s arms seemed to close a circle with both of them inside. Her whole world went still each time she awakened to find herself entwined with the naked blonde. This was contentment like Anna had never known.

**********

A whole corner of the VP’s office at Premier Motors was devoted to putting the Chamber of Commerce records in order, as Anna was happily passing the baton to the incoming treasurer. It had been a busy year for the Chamber, and the car dealer had made quite an impression on the members with whom she had dealings. Several were pressing her to run for vice-president next year, which would mean an automatic ascension to president the following year. On the one hand, it would mean a lot of extra work, with meetings, committee work, and special events. On the other hand, community service was something she believed in, and it was good business.

"Anna, do you have a minute for your dad?" George poked his head into his daughter’s office.

"I’m sorry, do you have an appointment?" Anna was feeling somewhat overwhelmed by all of the things she needed to finish by the end of the week. This was definitely cutting into her Lily Time.

"I can come back later if you want." It was almost comical seeing the distinguished man pout.

"No, silly. I always have time for you." Anna stood up to move a pile of paperwork from one of her extra chairs.

George sat down and cleared his throat, obviously waiting for his daughter’s undivided attention. He had a plan. "I’ve been giving some thought lately to how I…I tend to interfere sometimes in matters that really aren’t any of my business."

Where on earth did that come from? In her 32 years, Anna couldn’t think of a time when her father had come to her with such an admission.

"Anyway, I think I may have jumped the gun a while back when you were going out with Steve French." Anna couldn’t believe her ears. "I talked with Steve the other day. He really is a nice guy, and I’m sorry if anything I said about him dissuaded you from seeing him again." George reasoned that if Anna just got back into dating, she would surely abandon this fixation with her attorney friend.

"Steve French?" A knot in her stomach told her this wasn’t about the account manager at all, but about a certain blonde attorney.

"Yeah, he’s really a very interesting fellow. You two probably have a lot in common. I mean, with both of you in sales and marketing and all. Sure, he drives a Jaguar, but we’ll win him over in time." He winked at his daughter, but this time, his usual charm fell short. Way short.

"I’m not really interested in Steve French, Dad." That might have been the understatement of the year. The guy still gave her the creeps.

"You should give it a chance, darling. He offered us tickets on Sunday to the skybox. I told him you and I would come together."

"You’re right, Dad…."

George let out of a sigh of relief. That was actually easier than he thought it would be.

"You do sometimes interfere in matters that aren’t really any of your business," she finished.

What?

"I already have plans for Sunday." Lily Time. "I’m sure David will be glad to go with you," she said coldly, turning back to her work.

George was taken aback by his daughter’s tone. There were plenty of times that she resisted his guidance, but never before so…adamantly. "Anna, I’m worried about you." He would try a different tack. "Ever since Scott left, you’ve stopped dating. It’s like you’ve…given up on…finding someone to love." Actually, it was more like she’d given up on men, but he wasn’t going to voice that one.

Yep, this was definitely about Lily! Anna now saw clearly through her father’s charade, and was appalled at his obvious attempts to manipulate her. Truth be told, he had always done this, granting or withholding his approval as a way of bending her to his will. It was time, she thought, to lay her cards on the table. The woman’s voice was shaking as she began. "Dad, I think there’s something you should know…." She stopped herself. She needed to have this conversation with her mother also. "I was wondering if I could stop by the house tonight, about 7:30. Would that be alright?"

George nodded grimly. He knew it was time to face this, and that his daughter was thinking the same thing. "Sure, I’ll call your mother. Do you want to have dinner with us?"

No, we may not have much of an appetite after you hear what I have to say. "No, I’ll probably eat dinner later."

When her father left her office, Anna crossed quickly and closed the door. She called Lily first at her office, then on her cell phone. Getting her lover’s voicemail, she left a message. "Hi sweetheart. Listen, I need to go to my parents’ house after work tonight. It’s time for us to have that talk." She knew Lily would know to which talk she referred. "I don’t know how long it will take, but I’ll come to your place when I’m done. Love you."

Promptly at 7:30, the black sedan turned through the hedges of the Kaklis home in Beverly Hills. George met his daughter at the door and ushered her into the family room, where Martine sat waiting nervously for the fireworks to begin. Anna sat not on the offered sofa, but on the ottoman next to her mother’s wingback chair. She could be closer to both of her parents this way.

"I’ve been feeling like it was time that we talked about Lily," Anna started. A pin dropping at that moment would have been deafening, she thought. Martine looked at her and smiled softly, while her father wouldn’t meet her eyes at all. Turning to her stepmother, she continued, "Dad stopped in my office today and told me that he was worried that I’d given up on love. I want to assure both of you that that isn’t true at all, because I have fallen in love. With Lily. She feels the same way about me, and I hope you’ll be seeing a lot of her in the future."

Martine reached out and placed her hand on her stepdaughter’s knee. "I’m really glad to hear that, Anna. Lily’s a wonderful person." Anna squeezed the woman’s hand and turned to her father, who stared numbly at his lap. As family moments go, this one was pretty uncomfortable.

Finally, George broke the silence. "Anna, I just don’t think this is right. I think you’re letting all of the emotions from what happened in the earthquake cloud your judgment."

The words were all too familiar. "That’s funny, Dad. That’s exactly what Scott said when I told him that I wanted a divorce. It pains me that both of you think I’m so weak that I’d give in to emotional moments."

"It isn’t that I think you’re weak at all. But sweetheart, did you ever consider that maybe Scott was right? I hated seeing you leave him. He was so good for you."

"I hated seeing you leave him." The woman cringed inwardly at those words. What about what I wanted? Reluctantly, Anna acknowledged that it was time to knock Scott off the pedestal her father had created for him. "I had never intended to tell you this because I know how much you both liked Scott. I divorced him because he fathered a child with another woman, the woman that he later married. I probably could have forgiven him for that, though it wouldn’t have been easy. But I realized that I didn’t want to work that hard for something that had never made either one of us really happy in the first place." She paused to let the words sink in. "I realize now that I didn’t know what happiness was until I found Lily."

George was dismayed to hear of his son-in-law’s infidelity. Still, he didn’t want to see his daughter giving up on men just because of Scott had turned out to be a louse. "Anna, darling, why didn’t you tell us this about Scott? We don’t blame you at all for leaving him under those circumstances. But all men aren’t like that."

"Which circumstances, Dad? His betrayal or the fact that we weren’t happy?" No matter how he answered, Anna acknowledged a bitter truth. If her father was happy, that was really all that mattered to him. "I want you to be able to accept Lily as the person I love, as the person that makes me happy. But if you don’t, it isn’t going to change anything. I don’t know where it’s all going to lead, but Lily and I are going to play this out." She looked for her father’s eyes, but he still refused to look up from his lap.

Anna stood and reached for her jacket, a grim look of resignation on her face. This was one of the most difficult moments of her life, and she knew her heart would break the moment she left the house. For now though, she was determined to stand her ground.

Martine got up and pulled her stepdaughter into a tight hug. "I’m happy for you, sweetheart." The tall woman could have cried on the spot, but she wouldn’t give her father the satisfaction of seeing anything he might construe as weakness. "He’ll come around," she gestured with a nod of the head to George, speaking as though he weren’t even in the room. "He’s hard headed and selfish, but he loves you very much."

Fortunately, that much was true.

**********

"I’m sorry it was so hard for you, baby. Maybe your mother’s right. Maybe he’ll come around." Lily comforted her lover, trailing her fingers under the shirt across the bare abdomen. It wasn’t meant to be a sexual caress, just a way to keep contact while they shared their heavy emotions. Anna was still distraught about what had transpired earlier at her parents’ home. She had arrived about an hour earlier, eyes red and swollen, unable to talk. Lily sat with her in the darkened living room for long quiet minutes until the woman finally found her voice. When she had finished with her tale, there was nothing for Lily to do except to hold her.

"I meant what I said, Lily." Anna spoke again after a long silence. "I have to see where this will all go."

Her words were meant to be reassuring, but the blonde woman still was unable to accept that Anna could really let herself do this. "Darling, I know this is hard for you. If…" Lily couldn’t believe she was going to say this and mean it. "If it’s too hard, I understand. I won’t ask you to give up your family." What was that old Indian proverb about setting free something you loved? Lily had always thought that hokey, but at this very moment, she understood just how much you needed to love someone to make such a deep sacrifice.

Anna couldn’t believe her ears. "You’d really let me go?" she asked.

"Yes." And then I would die.

I would fight my own family for you, and you’d just let me go? Had she been reading Lily wrong all along? Anna was ready to give this woman everything, but Lily didn’t seem to want it. Abruptly extracting herself from the arms that held her, the tall woman stood and gathered her things as she moved toward the door. "I need somebody who’ll fight for me, Lily." With that, she was gone.

**********

Lily finally got it—Anna was really in love with her. Real love, lasting love, not just filling a gap in their lives. The stoic woman was willing to forsake her own family to see if she and Lily could build something together that would last. Instead of embracing this offering from Anna, Lily had held back, protecting herself against the certainty that Anna would someday leave. The real Lily would have worn her heart on her sleeve and Anna would have had no doubts at all about where she stood. Fuck me. She needed to show Anna that she wanted her badly enough to fight for her. How would the real Lily do that?

Anna saw the X5 through her bedroom window when it pulled up. She debated simply not answering the door, doubting that Lily would use her key if it were clear that she wasn’t welcome right now. Deciding instead that nothing could happen that would make her feel any worse, she made her way downstairs to answer the persistent bell. She needed to know where they stood.

Despite herself, the sight that greeted the dark-haired woman brought a smile to her face which she quickly covered with her hand. Standing on the doorstep was the love of her life, dressed in a short brown skirt with a ragged hemline and a matching sleeveless top. Across her chest was what appeared to be a series of coat hangers, spray-painted gold and twisted into curly-cues to cover her breasts. Boots and kneepads covered her legs, and her forearms sported black cardboard gauntlets that matched her arm bracers and shoulder pads.

"Who on earth are you supposed to be?" Anna was losing the battle with covering her smile. Her sparkling blue eyes had already given away her delight. Lily looked adorable.

The costumed blonde reached over her shoulder and extracted a sword made of cardboard and covered with aluminum foil. Its business end curved significantly to one side, only adding to the comical effect. In her other hand, she gripped a plate-sized ring, also covered with foil, but painted gold and black. "I am Lily, the Warrior Princess. I have come to fight for you."

"Get in here before somebody sees you and calls the police!"

Lily lowered her sword and stepped into the darkened foyer. The Halloween costume from a couple of years ago had had the desired effect. She had managed to get herself invited in. Now it was time to lay it all out there. "Anna, can I have my words back and tell you how I really feel?"

Anna walked to the foot of the steps, turning to take a seat on the third step. Lily’s face was now illuminated by the light from the upstairs hallway. "How do you really feel?"

Lily hadn’t practiced this. Somehow she just knew the right words would come out if she only spoke her heart. "I love you, so much that sometimes it just takes my breath away. When you tell me you love me, or when I wake up and find you in my arms, it’s almost surreal. I just can’t believe that someone as wonderful as you would choose me." She walked forward and kneeled on the bottom step. "What I said earlier about not asking you to give up your family had nothing to do with what I really want from you. Because I want everything you’ll give me, Anna, absolutely everything. If you someday decide that you just want to be friends, then I’ll want to be the best friend you have. If you want just to be lovers for now, then lovers we’ll be." Okay, here goes. Please don’t run away from me. "And if you ever decide that you want to be partners, then I’ll promise myself to you for the rest of time."

The anxiety that Lily expected from within herself never surfaced at all, since Anna’s response didn’t matter this time. What she’d told the beautiful woman wasn’t a question, as it had been with lovers in the past. It was a statement, and whatever Anna wanted wouldn’t change a thing about what Lily felt. She was offering everything, and Anna could take whatever part she wanted.

Indeed, Anna did understand what Lily was saying. Her words about needing the woman to fight for her seemed silly now. All this time, she’d been waiting for Lily to feel secure enough to move ahead, and the little blonde had just covered all that ground in one fell swoop. The tall woman shifted on the stairs to touch her lips to those of the green-eyed warrior. "Will you come upstairs and hold me tonight?"

Lily knew that Anna had a mental block about making love with her in this house. "I’ll do whatever you want. If you’d rather go back to my place, I’ll bring you back in the morning."

"What, and miss seeing you drive home in that outfit in the light of day? Not a chance, Pygmy."

**********

Lily noted the caller ID before slapping the answer button on the speaker phone. Reaching instead for the receiver, she kicked at the door to send it swinging shut. "Lilian Stuart. How may I be of service?" The last time she had answered "How may I service you?" and it turned out to be the service department at Premier Motors calling to schedule her 7,500 mile check-up. She was mortified, and only hoped that she would have the chance to tell Anna before one of the mechanics did.

"Oh, I can think of several ways. But for starters, I wanted to know if you could get off early today." Anna was working hard to contain her eagerness.

"Sure. I can come in a little early tomorrow. I’m prepping for a court appearance tomorrow afternoon." Maria had asked her to help get her kids back from her sister, but Lily had convinced her to petition the judge instead for visitation. That, the attorney knew, was best for the kids until Maria broke things off with Jose. The Esperanza children were going to have a happy ending if it killed her!

"How soon can you leave?"

Lily glanced at the clock. 3:30. "How about 30 minutes? Where should I go?"

"Meet me at my house. I have something to show you."

Traffic was crawling at four, and Lily didn’t make it to Bel Air until 5:15. Her beautiful lover met her in the drive and hopped into the passenger seat. At Anna’s direction, Lily wound through the back streets and side roads until they reached Brentwood, one of LA’s most upscale suburbs. On a quiet street, they stopped in front of a beautiful two-story Spanish-style home, white with a multi-level red tile roof.

"So what do you think?"

"Wow! It’s beautiful! Did Kim find this?"

Anna nodded excitedly. "I’ve got the keys. Let’s go take a look." She had seen the house yesterday and again this morning. Lily gasped when they entered the grand foyer. Stained glass above the door played colors all the way up the swirling staircase. Anna walked her lover through the house room by room. Downstairs, there was a small formal living room, a dining room, a family room with a cozy office off to the side, and an enormous kitchen with a breakfast nook. Both the family room and kitchen opened up onto a beautifully landscaped patio and yard. The pool featured dark blue concrete and Spanish tile, with an attached hot tub. Anna pointed out the two-car garage in the side yard. Upstairs, they found three bedrooms, including a large master suite. The suite and one of the bedrooms had balconies overlooking the pool. Lily had never seen such a beautiful home, and she really hoped Anna had decided to buy it.

"So what do you think?" Anna could already tell that Lily loved it.

"Are you kidding? It’s wonderful. Are you going to buy it?" she asked excitedly.

"I put a contract on it this morning." Anna paused and watched the smile that started to form on her lover’s face. "I wanted to ask you about it first, but it was set to go on the market today and I was afraid it would get snatched up."

"Well, you sure didn’t need my help. I think it’s a smart move."

"Yeah, it’s a great house, but that’s not why I wanted to ask you first." She took her lover’s hand and brought it to her heart. "Will you live here with me?" she asked hopefully, locking blue eyes onto green.

Lily’s stomach did that thing again. Not the fluttering and sinking thing it did when she was nervous or anticipating bad news. This was a fluttering and soaring. The same thing it did every time Anna whispered to her while they were making love.

Anna waited nervously as a long quiet moment passed. Lily seemed to be thinking about it. That was a good sign, wasn’t it?

"I don’t think I’ve ever told you before, but I love it when you talk to me in bed."

Okaaay. It was kind of exciting to hear her lover say that, but Anna was certain that she had asked a different question.

"I know, you’re probably wondering where that came from. It’s just that when you talk to me while we’re touching each other, I get this…giddy feeling in my stomach. It’s a pretty powerful sensation. It’s when I know how deeply I love you."

Okaaay. This was all good news. But what about my question?

"I just got that feeling again when you asked me to live with you. That stomach thing."

"So, will you?" Help me out. I’m dying here.

"Oh yeah." With that, the Pygmy dragged the Amazon to the floor of the master bedroom for a proper christening of their new home.