Part 1 (1/2)
One Degree of Separation.
Karin Kallmaker.
If it had been meant to be a hug, it failed completely. Their mouths met hungrily and Marian pulled Liddy's hips against her own. Their kiss was immediate union, lips, tongues, moans, air, mingling instantly, as if they had never stopped making love to each other.
Liddy's cheeks were quickly wet with rain from Marian's hair.
Marian felt the drops against her hands as she cupped Liddy's face and kissed her again, and again, tasting her mouth. She rubbed her lips against Liddy's and heard, for the first time in years, her name whispered in wonder.
She licked the line of Liddy's jaw, then nipped her earlobe. And felt Liddy's body stiffen in her arms, then arch in a curve of offering.
For Maria, who found my future in the card catalogs at Berkeley Main Fourteen and Fortunately no longer a Felony This book would not be possible-indeed, information would not be ours for the asking-if not for the pa.s.sion of librarians in preserving our freedom to read.
My eternal grat.i.tude goes to MJ Lowe for her generous, humorous and tireless attempts to teach me the intricate necessities of library sciences and the tantalizing mysteries of information arts.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR.
Karin Kallmaker admits that her first crush on a woman was the local librarian. Just remembering the pencil through the loose, attractive bun makes her warm. She was perhaps more permanently marked by watching that same librarian, some years later, argue respectfully but pa.s.sionately with a man who had thrown away a book he'd checked out, claiming it was obscene.
Maybe it was the librarian's influence, but for whatever reason, at the age of 16 Karin fell into the arms of her first and only sweetheart.
There's a certain symmetry to the fact that ten years later, after seeing the film Desert Hearts, her sweetheart descended on the Berkeley Public Library to find some of ”those” books. In the old-style card catalogs, author card ”Rule, Jane” led to subject card ”Lesbianism-Fiction” and then on to book after self-affirming book by and about lesbians. These books were the encouragement Karin needed to forget the so-called ”mainstream” and spin her first romance for lesbians. That ma.n.u.script became her first novel, In Every Port.
The happily-ever-after couple now lives in the San Francis...o...b..y Area, and became Mom and Moogie to Kelson in 1995 and Eleanor in 1997. They celebrated their twenty-seventh anniversary in 2004.
All of Karin's work can now be found at Bella Books. Details and background about her novels, and her other pen name, Laura Adams, can be found at her own web site.
1.
Monday evening, June 2:.
I will not damage the rude patrons or the annoying heteros.e.xual coworker.
Trombone continues to throw up in my shoes. Professor Hill has chewed up the crotch of yet another pair of panties. It's been so long since anyone was down there I've probably turned to liverwurst.
I'm never going to move up if I don't get my M.L.S., so I'm going to get my M.L.S. It's not like it'll cut much into my social life.
HER is still the only woman I want. As usual, I feel stupid and pathetic for wanting HER.
Someone will die if my period doesn't start tomorrow.
”We have to have lunch. Today.” Marian knew that cement tone in Ellie's voice.
1.
”But I don't know more than what I said,” Marian protested. She took her mug of hot tea out of the microwave and set it down on the table in the break room.
”You may not realize what you know.”
”You sound like an interrogator. I don't have time for lunch today. Bill's out sick.” Marian wanted to kick herself. She ought to have known that Ellie would go into hyper-hunt mode the moment she found out.
”I thought Bill the Boor's being out would make you happy. So celebrate by having lunch with me.”
Marian steadied herself with a deep breath. ”When Jersey stopped in this morning, she said that Amy said the woman was getting a stack pa.s.s at the Psych Library. So she'll be here for a while.”
”Yeah, but I want first shot at her. C'mon, Marian. Fresh meat in the summer? That never happens! You and I have a chance for once.
You know that Jersey left the library and told at least five student d.y.k.es. Amy told five faculty d.y.k.es after she told Jersey, you know she did. And all of them told five d.y.k.es. By tonight every d.y.k.e in Iowa City is going to know.”
Though she spoke through gritted teeth, Marian thought she managed to sound almost normal. ”Dinner. I can meet you for dinner.”
Clearly surprised, Ellie replied, ”Well, okay. That'll do, I guess.
Where?”
”You decide. I can't make decisions today.”
”Oh.” Ellie clicked her tongue against her teeth, a sound Marian found as annoying on the phone as she did in person. ”I see.
Amani's?”
Amani's chocolate cake was exactly what Marian needed. ”At seven,” she confirmed. Eric wandered into the staff room and looked hopefully at the phone. ”Break's over. Gotta go.”
Back at the reference desk, Marian surrept.i.tiously unwrapped a Dove dark chocolate bite. On a day like today it was medicinal.
Besides, it was heart healthy and she had a link to the research study to prove it.
2.
She had just finished savoring the last bitter aftertaste when a patron paused at the desk. She pushed the chocolate's wrapper into the back pocket of her tailored khaki shorts and smiled pleasantly.