Part 23 (2/2)
Dar tossed the s.h.i.+rt towards the chair. ”I'll have to remember that.” She slid her hands behind Kerry's shoulders and rolled her over onto her side so she could undo the catches on her bra. She felt a tug at her waist, and then heard the soft sound as Kerry unb.u.t.toned one of her overall b.u.t.tons. ”Hang on a minute here.”
”Hang on?” Kerry tangled her fingers in the straps and pulled.
”Okay.”
Dar chuckled as she eased her partner's grip. ”Let me get you some water.”
”Water?” Kerry folded her hands on her now bare stomach, watching amiably as Dar moved her half-clad body towards the credenza. ”We never needed no water before.”
”To drink.” Dar poured from the bottle on the dresser into a gla.s.s, then returned to the bed.
”Is it warm water?”
”No. It's cold water.”
”I'm cold. Don't want no cold water.”
Dar set the gla.s.s down, then pulled down the covers on the bed and knelt, sliding her arms under Kerry's knees and shoulders and s.h.i.+fting her over. She pulled up the covers then handed her the gla.s.s. ”Sweetheart, you gotta trust me on this one. Drink.”
Kerry clasped the gla.s.s, studying it seriously. She peered at Dar over the rim, her blonde hair partially in her eyes. ”Okay,” she finally said. ”If you tell me how come you were crying before.”
Dar blinked, not expecting the question. ”Oh.” She cleared her throat a little. ”It was just...um...you said something that really touched me, I guess.”
”I did?”
Dar nodded. ”Yeah.”
”In a good way, right?”
”Right.”
Kerry stuck her nose in the gla.s.s and drank its contents, lifting it up and letting the last drop drip into her mouth before she handed it back to Dar. ”Now what?” she inquired. ”Do I turn into a pumpkin?”
142*
”You turn into a beautiful sleeping princess.” Dar quickly stripped out of her own clothing and joined Kerry under the covers.
Kerry giggled. ”Does that make you the frog?”
”C'mere.” Dar gathered Kerry into her arms again, and turned the light out. It was quiet for a moment.
”Hey, Dar?”
”Mm?”
”I'm gonna really regret this in the morning, ain't I?”
”Eeerrrrmm, probably.”
”You are too, huh?”
”Eh.” Dar rubbed Kerry's neck. ”We'll survive.”
”Dar?”
”Hm?”
”I love you.”
Dar smiled into the darkness. ”I love you too, Ker.” She let her eyes close, hoping she could remember her father's old hangover remedy by the next morning. Though, she wasn't sure whether Kerry would consider it better or worse than what it was supposed to cure. Or if they had Bosco syrup on St. Johns.
DAR PROWLED THROUGH the aisles of the small grocery, one of the few customers so early in the morning. She had a small basket hanging off her arm that already had a quart of milk in it, along with a box of Oreo cookies. She spied a bottle of chocolate syrup and snagged it, studying the label. Ah well, it will have to do.
She made her way to the soda aisle and selected two bottles, then a.n.a.lyzed the contents of her basket and retraced her steps to the refrigerated case, swapping her quart of milk for a half gallon.
Satisfied, she walked up to the single register and set down her selections.
The cas.h.i.+er picked up each item and punched its price into the old-fas.h.i.+oned cash register. ”Got you some kids, huh?” She smiled at Dar.
Dar peered at her over the top of her sungla.s.ses. ”No.” She handed the woman a twenty dollar bill and accepted her change.
”It's my breakfast.”
The woman looked at the bag, then at Dar.
Dar pushed her sungla.s.ses back up and took her bags, heading for the door as a young couple entered, stopping short when they recognized her and reacted.
”Hi,” Todd said. ”Sorry about last night.”
In an instant, every ear in the place seemed to turn their way.
Dar suppressed a wry grin. ”Don't worry about it.”
Rachel put a hand on Todd's arm. ”We've heard a lot about you.”*143 Erf. ”I can imagine,” Dar replied. ”Take it with a grain of salt.”
”Well, we just came in to get some breakfast.” Todd glanced around. ”Maybe if you're not busy later, we can sit down and talk?”
”Sure.” Dar eased around them and slipped out the door.
Rachel gazed after her. ”She's weird, Todd.”
Todd steered her towards the grocery aisles. ”No, she's not.
You're just freaked out because she's gay.”
”I am not,” Rachel protested, noticing the looks they were getting from the cas.h.i.+er. ”Don't make like I'm some white-bread j.a.p.”
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