Part 4 (1/2)
”What time did you come back to bed?” Rebecca whispered into the side of my neck.
”Late. Too late.” I closed my eyes as I felt a hand snake its way up to cup my breast through the cotton of my T-s.h.i.+rt. My body responded immediately, already electrified from the memory.
”Mmm. If only I didn't have to go to school today.” she whispered.
”Oh, the things I could do to you.”
Rebecca chuckled into my ear.
”You are cruel, Emily.”
”You have no idea.” I turned in the circle of her arms and looked deep into my lover's eyes. I saw so much love and compa.s.sion there. How had I gotten so lucky?
”When are we going to fly to Colorado?” she asked as she gently kissed my swollen, red eyes one at a time.
”We?” I asked breathlessly, my hands slowly caressing her back and rear.
”Mmhm. I'm going with you to the funeral.” Rebecca's lips traveled to my ear, taking the lobe between her teeth. I closed my eyes.
”Uh, what, what about school?” My hand reached around the front of her robe and slowly pulled the belt loose, letting the material slide through my fingers.
”I'll take a few days personal leave. It's not a problem.”
”Oh, Becky, honey. I don't want you to get in trouble. It's not that important.” My hands swept the ends of the terry-cloth aside and I stared hungrily at her naked b.r.e.a.s.t.s just before my hands found their softness. Rebecca groaned as her lips found mine.
”It's important to you, baby.” Rebecca gently pushed me back toward the counter top and motioned that I should hop up onto it. I did as instructed.
”I can go alone, ooooh.” I breathed as her hand slid between my thighs, her fingers finding my underwear that was already soaked. She gently slipped a finger around the edge, and slid into me. I threw my head back, my bottom lip caught between my teeth. Rebecca ran her tongue along my exposed throat.
”You'll never have to go alone, Emily.” she whispered as she began to slowly pump in and out of me when she added a second finger. Her lips found mine again. ”You want me to go, don't you?” she breathed into my mouth.
”Oh, yes...yes, I want...want you to go.” I closed my eyes tightly. She increased her rhythm as her tongue found my rock hard nipple through my s.h.i.+rt. I groaned, opening my legs wider for her. Rebecca moved the silky material of my underwear aside a bit more as she reached her thumb in, and began to rub me with slow, measured movements.
”Oh, G.o.d.” I moaned. I began to rock my hips as I felt myself getting close. Rebecca increased her thrusts as my moans came faster and closer together. I grabbed the handles on the cabinet doors behind me, and clenched my eyes shut, my mouth open as I felt myself slip over the edge. Rebecca quickened her movements as her fingers coaxed the o.r.g.a.s.m out of me, one stroke at a time. I cried out her name as my body collapsed against the cabinets, my breathing heavy. Rebecca removed her hand and leaned into me, kissing me softly. I held her for a moment until everything slowed down to normal speed. Finally I pulled back from her. With a wicked gleam in her Irish eyes she put her index finger that was covered with my wetness to her lips, and sucked gently. I stared, transfixed. After a moment she pulled the finger free.
”Now I can taste you all day.”
Rebecca hustled out the door with a quick peck on my lips, our counter top interlude making her run slightly late for work. I closed the door behind her, and leaned against it thinking of all I had to do today to get us ready to go.
I laid my big beach towel with a faded Popeye winking at me on it, out on the front lawn, and carefully arranged myself on it, one leg bent up, the other straight out in front of me. I leaned back on my elbows, my face raised toward the rays of the uncharacteristically hot early May sun. I pushed my sungla.s.ses up slightly smudging the lens with my finger, leaving a smear of Coppertone across it..
”d.a.m.n.” I whispered to myself. I closed my eyes, and waited for the sun to do its job.
”You know that's really bad for you.” I heard a voice say, a slight dry tone to it. I opened my eyes and squinted against the silhouette of Beth standing over me. I didn't need to see her face to imagine the lop-sided grin that was surely there.
”So. Darla said that all the girls are doing this.”
”What do you care what the other girls are doing?” Beth plopped down on the gra.s.s next to me, her long, shorts-clad legs bent at the knees, her hands dangling over the tops. She adjusted her Denver Broncos cap on her head, lifting the bill slightly so I could see her face up to the bottom of her eyes, the rest cloaked by shadows.
”I don't know why on earth you bother wearing that cap. The Broncos suck.” I said wrinkling my nose.
”You just wait, Em. One of these days we are going to get the greatest quarterback ever to play the game, and then you'll laugh. Craig Morten is okay for now, but you just wait. You mark my words. Can you say Superbowl Champions?” She adjusted the cap again.
”Whatever. So why are you so late? I thought you were going to come over earlier this morning?” I grabbed the small brown bottle of suntan oil from the towel under my thighs, and squirted some into the palm of my hand. ”Want some?” I extended the bottle to Beth.
”No. I don't intend to sit out here and bake, thank you.”
”Hey, just 'cause some of us aren't naturally tan like some people I know.” I glared up at her. Besides, a tan looks really good.” I argued as I began to spread a second layer of the coconut smelling oil over my very white legs.
”Yeah, in June or July. Em, this is the first hot day we've had yet this year.” I chose to ignore the obvious fact, and returned to my first question.
”So where were you?”
”I was talking to my dad.” she said trying to hide the grin that slowly spread across her face.
”He called? Oh, Beth that's great! I know he hasn't called since Christmas.” I smiled, truly happy for Beth. I knew that her basic nonchalance was a complete and total act. She was always beyond thrilled when Jim called or wrote. ”What did he have to say? How's his new wife? What's her name?”
”Lynn.” I nodded, and began to spread the sticky oil on my other leg before starting on my arms. ”They're fine. Happy. Guess what, Em?” the level of excitement in her voice quadrupled in those last three words. I looked at her, sensing that she would need my full attention for what she had to say. ”I'm going away for the summer!”
”What!” she had my attention, all right.
”Yeah. My dad is going to send me to a camp for talented kids. I'm going to do theater! Isn't it radical!” Beth glowed. I felt my heart sink. What would I do for an entire summer without my Beth? I felt my heartbreak turn into anger.
”What, so you're dad has nothing to do with you for like almost two years, and now you're going to drop everything and run to his beck and call?” Beth's face dropped. She looked at me for almost a full minute before she spoke, her voice very low.
”I am not running to his beck and call. I love my father, and would do anything to see him and be with him if even for just a little while. And besides, this isn't about him. This is an amazing opportunity for me to do different kinds of theater. Gain some experience. Some of the best instructors in the country are going to be there.” She stood and wiped her hands over the rear of her shorts to knock any loose gra.s.s off. ”Besides, someone like you wouldn't understand. You're too busy trying to look like Darla Newman.” Beth stepped over my beach towel and walked across our yard to her own before disappearing through the torn screen door.
”You'll miss my birthday, and the fourth.” I said to myself, feeling beyond miserable. My stomach felt strange, my chest felt,... empty.
I slowly lowered the lid of the suitcase, the solid click of the snaps bringing me back to the present. I wiped a finger under my eye, and collected the wetness with the tip. I had hurt Beth so bad that day in late spring. I should have been thrilled for her. It was a chance of a lifetime. She knew it. I refused to care.
I opened the screen door, careful not to let it slam behind me, or chance being skinned alive by my mother. Hopping off the step of the porch, trying to gather my courage, I headed a few feet toward the Sayers' yard when I stopped dead in my tracks.
”You're worthless! You'd rather run to that b.a.s.t.a.r.d who left you! You got that, Beth? He abandoned you sayin' you ain't even his kid anyway!” Nora Sayers screamed, her shrill, drunken voice carrying on the late evening breeze.
”That's not true!” Beth screamed back, her voice just this side of all out tears.
”No? Ask 'im! Ask that rotten son of a b.i.t.c.h if you don't believe me. Him and that s.l.u.t wife of his.”
”You're just jealous because you can't find anyone who will put up with you because you're a drunk!”
SLAP!!!.
I jumped as I heard the sharp sound of skin hitting skin.
”What you sayin' to me, you little b.i.t.c.h! Huh? Talkin' to your mother that way? Huh?”
SLAP!!!.
”Get off me, woman!”