Part 8 (2/2)
Helen stroked the length of Cory's hair. Cool tears kissed Helen's shoulder. She ran her hand over the smooth curve of Cory's side. Down over her hip, around to her back. She listened to gentle breaths of her new lover drifting into sleep.
”You purr like a kitten, safe in my arms. I could fall asleep to your gentle lullaby.”
She pushed Cory's tangled hair away from her cheek and whispered, ”Do you know what you've done?” She brushed her lips against Cory's eyebrow. ”You've shown me how to feel again.” Helen moved her finger lightly down Cory's nose. It twitched. Helen smiled. ”You'll pay for this, my sweet sleeper.”
For three years, Helen had made no attempt to pull herself out of her emotional nosedive. Finally, and without further hesitation, she let go of Chelsea. She kissed Cory's lips and savored her smooth form against herself.
There would be no crash and burn. Filled with life, but just a little bit sleepy, she closed her eyes and drew Cory closer.
Helen embraced joy.
From the gentle bubbling of the fish tank, coupled with the feeling that she was the prime target of intense eyes watching her, she awakened. Cory leaned on one elbow and draped a leg over Helen. Her free hand rested near Helen's neck.
”I feel wonderful,” Helen said, revitalized from a deep sleep. ”Was I out long?”
”Forever,” she said and kissed the tip of Helen's nose. ”A few minutes. You're a fine lover.”
”I lost my breath once or twice, too.” Helen s.h.i.+vered, looked around. The kitchen door was to her left and the hallway to her right. She then looked back to Cory. ”I think we're naked in the middle of your living room.” She turned her head to look above and behind her. The aquarium continued its uninterrupted bubbling, and the fish seemed attentive to their presence. She grinned. ”They saw the whole thing. Look at them with their tiny lips making big and little ohs.”
Cory laughed. ”I was making them, too.” She rounded her lips and worked them quicker than the swordtails.
Helen threw her arms around Cory and squeezed. ”Mmm, yeah. I remember.”
Cory's eyes continued to sparkle, but her expression became serious. ”I want more than one night.”
Helen reached beside her and grabbed the wrinkled sweats.h.i.+rt. ”You should have given thought to that before all of this.”
Cory nuzzled between Helen's b.r.e.a.s.t.s. ”Really, Helen. What do you want?”
She pulled Cory's hair away from her shoulders and ran her fingers over them. ”A blanket, a hug, and time with you, baby.”
Cory popped her head up. ”Be right back,” she said, and Helen watched her scamper down the hallway. Her size seven b.u.t.t twitched this way and that. Cory was wiry, full of quick and precise movements that measured well against the precision she must display as an accomplished pianist. And accomplished she certainly was. But despite the posters from all around the world that hung in Cory's music room, she'd made mention of a group she was looking to connect with in Boston. What more could she want?
Dragging three comforters and with two oversized pillows jammed beneath her arm, Cory reappeared. Two of the comforters became their first bed together. Under the third, they snuggled.
”What is it you want to do in Boston?” Helen asked after a long kiss from Cory.
”Conduct the Boston Light Orchestra,” Cory said proudly.
”Really? I thought you were a solo act. World-cla.s.s. Why would you want to give that up?”
”I want stability. I want to grow old with someone. I've experienced too many coattail relations.h.i.+ps. Some women would have dumped me in a minute if I had a finger amputated.”
”Not all, I'm sure.”
Cory became quiet. Helen saw a distant look that seemed like a love from long ago. She allowed her the time to reflect, and Cory soon shook off the thought.
”Who was that?” Helen asked.
”Sorry.”
”It's okay. Tell me about her.”
”Elinor was my first lover. I was twenty-one and she was thirty-two.”
”A cradle robber. What happened?”
”My music got in the way. I was never there and our breakup was ugly. She got physical and I walked out.”
”She hit you?”
”She threw my piano bench at me. I was amazed she could fling it so quickly and so far.” Cory laughed, but the hurt was obvious.
”And that was that?”
”For a while. After some time, I called her. We yelled a lot and she asked me to come home.”
”Did you?”
”No. I couldn't give up the music.”
”A career move,” Helen said, trying to soften Cory's action.
”At her expense.”
”What about your expense?”
”It's made for a lonely life.”
”Have you and Elinor made amends?”
”We're long-distance friends. She lives happily in Baltimore. We connect every so often.”
”And now you want to settle down?”
”I'm tired of das.h.i.+ng all over the globe. Kirk Janssen is leaving the Boston orchestra in April, and I've made it known that I want his position.”
”Then you've had experience.”
”Especially with Boston. Kirk likes my style, and the musicians and I click.”
”I don't see how Boston can turn you down, then.”
”Well, they can. I just have to wait.”
It disturbed Helen that Cory's time would be so limited. Would theirs be a weekend relations.h.i.+p? The paper was in New York, the conductor's baton was in Boston. Helen dismissed the thought. Already she had them married, mowing the lawn, and squabbling over wallpaper.
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