Part 18 (1/2)
”Hard not to. The lake we're going to is just the other side of this mountain.”
Liddy rolled her eyes. ”Mountain?”
”Get with the program. You're in Iowa and that's a mountain.”
Thinking of the Rockies she'd crossed on the way to Iowa, Liddy said, ”If you say so.”
”What were you really thinking about?”
105.
”That I don't know much about you.” Liddy admitted the truth without really meaning to.
”Thought so.”
They turned onto a side road with only the measured strains of Bach to break the silence. At least Liddy thought it was Bach. It was one of those pieces that made Liddy think of sewing machines but somehow, with Marian, it didn't seem so deadly dull. Marian down-s.h.i.+fted and Liddy had to admit there was a bit of a grade.
”Mountain” was still a stretch, though.
As they crested the hill, Marian said, ”The only thing I do violently is scrub my floors. I figure the floors don't care, and I'm actually healthier for it.”
”I save my violence for the dojo.”
”And brick walls.”
Liddy c.o.c.ked her head and then remembered her attack on the building at the Ped Mall. ”Oh. That wasn't . . . I don't usually do that.”
Marian let out a noise of pure chagrin. ”I don't usually have mood swings so severe I need an oxygen mask. So we're even.”
They coasted to a stop at an overlook. Not expecting much, Liddy got out of the car and followed Marian to the shade of the only tree. ”Oh!”
”It is nice, isn't it?”
Their elevation was only a few hundred feet above the surround-ing area, but the rolling fields and thick oaks lining numerous water-ways were more obvious than Liddy had yet seen. The countryside was gently alive.
”I think of Iowa as very female.” Marian gestured at the panorama. ”I suppose most rural agricultural areas are, but it's also the roundness of the hills. Instead of a plotted out checkerboard, the rivers and creeks create curves in the roads and fencing. It's really a beautiful day for June. The haze can be bad in the late summer.”
”It's lovely. Womanly, yes. Like a Wyeth painting.”
106.
”Yes, I've always thought so.” Marian pointed at different fields, naming the likely crops. ”Not that it's all that hard to guess what it is.
Corn, oats, soybeans and Huskie fans, that's what we grow in Iowa.”
Liddy chuckled and followed Marian back toward the car.
”Do you feel like a walk? There's a nature trail along here, and we can get some wonderful views of the lake.”
”A walk would be great. Work up an appet.i.te for that lunch.”
Marian threw a grin over her shoulder and led Liddy onto a leaf-dusted trail. For the first few minutes Liddy just admired the view, and it wasn't nature she was looking at. Marian's hinder was wonderfully framed by her khaki shorts, and the lean legs were tanned and shapely. Marian's soft butch physique was put together in a very attractive way.
As they continued to climb, Liddy strained not to pant as she kept up with Marian's rapid pace. She was awfully glad she was wearing her Tevas. Marian pointed out a deer hideaway, gopher holes, a poisonous weed and trees with antler sc.r.a.pings. Okay, Liddy thought.
Marian was one of those outdoorsy gals. Marian knew all the stuff her biological father always wanted Liddy to absorb about the great outdoors.
She weighed the pros and cons. Know the names of gopher dis-eases versus fabulous kissing. Well, the kissing was so far winning, but she hoped there was no test administered at the end of the walk.
” . . . heard a word I've said.”
”I'm listening,” Liddy protested. ”Just, well, not a lot.”
”I'm babbling, I know. I'm nervous.”
”Not really. Why?”
Marian stopped abruptly and Liddy realized how quiet it was on the shady path. There was only the distant drone of an engine to break the stillness. ”Why am I nervous, you mean?”
”Yeah.”
Marian ran one fingertip down Liddy's bare arm. Liddy couldn't stifle her responsive gasp. ”Because of that.”
107.
Liddy swallowed hard. ”Okay, I'll admit that makes me a little nervous, too. I'm not this way-”
”Me neither. As we keep telling each other. And the last time I felt this sweaty this fast with someone I got hurt. Badly.”
”Me, too. So how come I'm not scared?” Had she been the one to step forward or had Marian? Had they both? Could Marian tell how hard she was breathing and that it had nothing to do with the hike?
She wasn't in Iowa City looking for love, for s.e.x, for anything except to get away from the anger and the hurt Robyn had left in her life.
That and a paycheck.
Marian seemed to miss nothing. ”I am scared. I think this would count as rebound for me.” Her short laugh was strained. ”For a lot of reasons. And that's not fair to you.”
”Even if the paint peeled?”
”It's never that easy. Great s.e.x does not a good relations.h.i.+p make.”
”But neither of us is looking for a relations.h.i.+p.” Liddy wondered exactly what she was trying to argue Marian into. She didn't want to let anyone close right now. But her body was acting like a teenager's.
”s.e.x without the prospect of a U-Haul?” This time Marian's smile was warmer. ”I don't think lesbians do that.”
”We could pretend we're guys.” Swear to freakin' G.o.d, Liddy, did you really say something that stupid?
”You are not a guy.” Marian leaned slightly closer. ”Unless you are wearing the most incredible prosthetics money can buy.”
d.a.m.ned b.o.o.bs. d.a.m.ned nipples. She could hardly blame their obvious prominence on its being cold. ”They're real,” she said wryly.