Written Stars

by Magnolia Robbins

  “Excuse me girls,” a lady behind me says, scurrying around me to get her order taken.

  I grab the coffees off the counter and thank Amy. Olivia and I move over to sit at a table. I’m so excited to see her I reach for her hand and grasp it in mine.

  “I was such a jackass,” she says, staring at me. “I should have never gotten out of that car. Of course I want to see you again. I want to see you every day. I’m going to hope we’re both at Redford’s when another record snowstorm hits, just so we can go back to that hotel.”

  “What happened to taking your chances on fate?” I ask her, taking a sip of the latte. I can taste the massive amount of sugar that I will regret later, but right now I don’t care. It’s delicious.

  “What are the odds I’d run into you at a coffee shop of all places?” Olivia says.

  “Abysmal,” I agree.

  We just sat there, our hands wrapped around each other for the longest time. I finally break away from her for a moment to answer my cellphone. It’s work.

  “One second,” I tell her. When I answer the phone I can't stop smiling.

  “Hi Michael,” I look down at the coffees, having completely forgotten why I’d been there in the first place. “Oh God, I’m so sorry. I got out this morning and I started feeling terrible. I think I might have a migraine. Yeah, I’m thinking that’s best too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  When I hang up my phone, I look up at Olivia. I can’t help but smile at her. She is the most relieving sight in the entire world. “That’s the second time I’ve bailed on work this week. I never bail on work.”

  “I tend to have that effect on women,” Olivia shrugs and I laugh.

  .........................

  Olivia asks me on our first official ‘date’. She’d walked from her apartment to the coffee shop, so I offered to drive us. We end up at the Portland Art Museum, another place I haven’t visited since I was a kid.

  “My roommate is an artist,” Olivia explains as I get our tickets and we head inside. “I’ve come to appreciate it. Though I’d much prefer a book any day.”

  We wander the rooms, talking about anything and everything under the sun. I hold her hand and it feels marvelous.

  When we sit down on a bench together in front of a large renaissance panting, I turn to her. “I’ve been reading your book.”

  “Oh really?” Olivia looks at me surprised.

  “It’s wonderful,” I smile, squeezing her hand. “You really have a knack for writing.”

  She looks pleased. “Thanks.”

  “You never mentioned that you lost your mom,” I look to her. I can see the tinge of sadness in her eyes and I squeeze her hand again softly.

  “Wow, you are the most abrupt person I’ve ever met,” Olivia says, shaking her head.

  “Sorry,” I bite my lip feeling guilty for even haven brought it up. “I have a tendency to do that. Lawyer thing, I think. I’ve got to keep people on their toes.”

  “Yeah,” Olivia smiles at me. “She died of ovarian cancer a few years ago. She’s the whole reason I went out there in the first place. I’ve never met someone as brave as her in my life.”

  “I don’t know, you seem pretty brave to me.”

  Olivia laughs, still trying to recover from the mention of her mother. I feel bad for bringing it up on our date but she doesn’t seem to mind. “Well, I try to be anyway.”

  I squeeze her hand again as we get up from the bench. We’re quiet for a while. Olivia swings our arms back and forth softly as we walk and it sends a little flutter through me.

  “Want to go get something to eat?” Olivia asks me as we near the front of the building.

  “What is with you and food?” I laugh.

  “I just want to fatten you up,” she says, patting my stomach softly. I turn, right in the middle of the traffic coming in and kiss her. A passionate kiss. A fervent kiss that screamed please get me out of here so I can do things to you that I’ve wanted to do for days.

  “I’ve got a better idea,” I whisper when we break.

  10.

  Olivia

  The freedom and beauty of simple things is what makes life worth living.

  .........................

  I am out for a walk to clear my head when I spot the coffee shop. A place that I’ve probably passed a thousand times on many walks exactly like this and I’d never paid attention to it. Yet the memory of being with Megan that night compels me to cross the street and walk inside. It is a brisk day out, a hot drink would do me good.

  By the time I make it to the counter and the barista asks me what I want, the words just fall out of my mouth. “I’ll have a coffee please. Lots of cream and sugar.”

  After I pay her and smelled the very distinct smell of the drink, I start to regret my decision. That is until I catch glance of the prettiest girl in the universe. The coffee tastes amazing after that.

  .........................

  There is an intense energy in the car while Megan drives us to her house from the art museum. At every stoplight she leans over and the two of us meet lips for a brief moment. She holds my hand nearly the entire ride home. I gently stroke her skin with my thumb.

  Megan lives in a house that reminds me of her mother’s. It is an older white Victorian style house that sits on a beautiful tree-lined street.

  “Remind me to never take you to my apartment,” I tell her when we exit the car.

  “Oh, you’re going to take me to your apartment,” Megan says as I walk around to meet her. She pushes me back against the side of her SUV and presses her body into mine. We kiss for a moment before I feel her hand wrap around mine again.

  “Come on,” she gives me that excellent smile of hers and my heart melts a little more.

  The inside is as nice as the outside. It looks obsessively clean.

  “Before you say anything, this is not me.” Megan motions to the state of the house when my eyes grew wide. “You should see my office. Claire is a neat freak. You should probably take your boots off.”

  I do as I’m told and set them by the door.

  We wander down the hall into the kitchen. “Want something to eat?” Megan looks back at me as she wanders over to the fridge. “I’m craving some breakfast.”

  “As long as it’s not eggs and bacon,” I reply. Her hand pauses and she turns to look at me. I can tell by the look on her face that was exactly what she had intended to make.

  “I think I’ve got a waffle iron around here somewhere,” she says.

  The two of us root around in her cabinets till I find it buried under some other gadgets. It looks barely used. “I think Claire gave that to me while I was in law school. I didn’t really have time...” Megan rambles and takes it from me.

  I rattle off the list of ingredients to her and she does her best to find everything. She’s looks like a lost puppy and it is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.

  “You really don’t ever use a kitchen do you?” I note as Megan finally figures out where the oil is.

  “Only to get wine,” she replies. I hop off the stool and wander over next to her. “Alright well, you’re going to have your first cooking lesson then.”

  “Be gentle,” she says, looking at me. I smile and lean in to kiss her softly on the lips.

  It doesn’t take long to whip up the batter. While we wait for the first waffle to cook, I stand behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. She nuzzles her face into the side of my cheek. I can smell that subtle hint of her lavender shampoo when she does. I kiss her forehead gently just as the waffle iron dings.

  Megan carefully lifts the lid to reveal a perfect looking breakfast treat.

  “Oh my God, we did it!” She squeaks happily, using a fork to carefully take it out and onto a plate. She starts to hand it to me and I push it back towards her. “Go, enjoy.” I watch her hips sway away from me as she wanders off to the other side of the island to sit on a barstool. We stare at each other for a long moment before she digs into t
he waffle.

  After I’ve made myself one, we sit together at the bar, devouring our food. I watch her carefully cut the waffle along the edges in straight lines and I laugh a little when she does.

  “Okay, so maybe I’m a little OCD,” she says, giving me a smile.

  “Just a little,” I reply, as I tear at my own.

  We play a goofy game of footsie while we eat, gently nudging each other every once in a while. As she finishes her waffle, she looks to me.

  “I started writing a new book,” I say, snacking on my last piece. Megan’s eyes look genuinely curious.

  “What’s it about?”

  “Actually, it’s a surprise,” I smile, raising my eyebrows at her goofily.

  “Oh, really?” Megan says, smiling back at me. “Not even a hint?”

  “Nope.”

  She gets up from her seat and I watch as she wanders around behind me. I slowly spin in the barstool until we’re facing one another. Her body leans into me as she presses her hands on either side of the bar, locking me in.

  “I bet I can coax it out of you,” she says, drawing closer.

  “I highly doubt that.” A shiver runs down me. Megan is inches away now.

  “Mm,” she replies as her lips pull on top of mine. I let out a small sigh when she does. My hands reach out to hold her face between them. We make gentle kisses for a moment that slowly grow hungrier and hungrier.

  Megan’s tongue slowly pushes its way into my mouth. I let her trace it down mine before I push back against her. She pushes me further into the barstool until our bodies are touching. We kiss until we are panting and she starts to make her way down the side of my neck.

  “I do hope you know you’re going to be naked soon,” I whisper as her mouth traces around the edges of my long sleeve shirt.

  “How does right now sound?” Megan asks me, pushing back from me to slowly start undoing the buttons of her blouse. My heart is beating furiously in my chest as I watch her. She gets to the last button and lets the fabric roll off her shoulders and on to the floor. Megan’s lacy pink bra looks perfect on her soft supple skin. I reach out to pull her to me again, our lips intertwining.

  I feel my shirt being pulled off, slowly. Our bodies come together in a fit of heat and emotion. I can feel Megan’s naked skin all over me and it feels amazing. My hands slide behind her and release her breasts, throwing her undergarment on the floor. Her fingers move methodically over mine and repeat my motions. The two of us stand nearly against each other.

  “Go to the couch,” Megan gives me a smirk, rubbing her nose against mine. I do as I’m told, sliding from the chair. When I move swiftly past her, I feel her hand roughly smack my ass. It stings a little but mostly it just fuels my fire even more. I turn towards her and she is smiling at me. “I couldn’t help it. It just looked so cute.”

  Our bodies fall against the soft leather of her sofa. I work my pants off and help her from her own. When we’re completely naked, I lay back down over top of her, letting our skin press against one another’s.

  “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” I whisper, kissing her.

  “You too,” Megan replies, running her hand against my cheek.

  Our mouths press together firmly and I feel her hands running up and down the length of my body, touching me everywhere she could. She runs her palm in between us and I can feel her fingers graze my middle. I moan into her neck, where my mouth had been. She strokes it softly, experimenting with different patterns.

  “Tell me when it feels good,” she whispers to me. I shiver at her words.

  “All of it feels good,” I reply, pushing my body into her fingers. “Oh, right there. Right there is good.” She makes swirling motions around my center and it sends my body into fits. She’s so gentle and such a perfectionist at it, wanting to please me just right. Her mouth leans into the side of my face and I can feel her nibble on my earlobe. I moan into the leather couch, pushing down into her again.

  My hand works its way between us until I reach the apex of her thighs. I let my fingers trace around the outside of her. She bucks her hips upward with each stroke I make.

  “Slow down a little,” I whisper to her and she breaks from me for a moment to let me catch my breath. My fingers slide in between her lips and I can feel the wetness. It stirs me so much that had Megan not pulled her fingers away from me temporarily, I would have lost it right then. When I tease her, she lets out a soft moan into my ear. Her hand comes back down to my middle and the two of us try to stay in rhythm with one another.

  Megan goes first. I can feel her twitch beneath me and her breath start to turn ragged. I’m right behind her. The two of us kiss fervently, letting our hands work over our bodies as we both let ourselves release. Every roll of pleasure that overcomes me makes me work that much harder against her, and she reciprocates. When we finally start to relax, our hands pull away and we lie staring at one another trying to catch our breaths.

  11.

  Megan

  I think my greatest flaw was that as much as I was a believer of things, I was also a doubter of things. Do yourself a favor and be a believer. Life is too short to be full of doubts.

  .........................

  There is so much sexual tension between the two of us when we get to the house I can hardly stand it. I want so badly to rip her clothes off of her body the minute we get inside but I am a polite host and feed her first.

  When we’ve both been satisfied, we can’t stop kissing each other. Olivia rolls me over to lay on top of me and she trails all over my body. By the time she comes back to my mouth, she’s gotten me all hot and bothered again.

  She nestles behind me and I grab the remote off of the coffee table. Our giant flat screen hasn’t been touched in months but for some reason I want to lay on the couch naked and watch garbage TV with the most beautiful woman imaginable.

  Olivia leans into my neck and kisses it.

  “You. YOU want to watch TV?”

  “Only if you’ll snuggle with me naked while we do it,” I smile and push my body into hers. I hear her click the remote on and drape her arm around my waist as she scrolls through the channels.

  “Why am I not surprised you don’t have cable?”

  I laugh softly and I feel her kiss me on the side of my face. When I turn to meet her, those green eyes stare down at me, twinkling. I really liked her. I mean really liked her. It kind of scared me how much I did.

  Olivia and I kiss and then she falls back down behind me, deciding on old reruns of Judge Judy for our entertainment.

  “You’re funny,” I laugh, squeezing her arm as it snuggles up against me.

  “I know,” she sighs as she presses her body into mine.

  .........................

  I hear the rattle of keys against the front door. It wakes me instantly. I rip from Olivia’s arms and turn mortified as Claire wanders inside. I grab the nearest blanket to me and wrap it around my body.

  Claire stares at me awkwardly. “What the hell are you doing? Please don’t tell me you were, uh, going downtown on our couch.”

  Before I could answer, Olivia peeks her head over, staring at her with a small smile, her eyes still sleepy. “I am guessing you must be Claire.”

  My sister excuses herself upstairs for a few minutes while Olivia and I get dressed. When she comes back down, she seems to have recovered a little bit.

  “Is this who I think it is?” She asks me. Olivia reaches out her hand. “I’m Olivia, nice to meet you.”

  “Claire,” my sister says, shaking her hand. I watch as a smile spread across her face. They hold hands for an awkward length of time before Olivia pulls away.

  “Would you two like some dinner?”

  Claire insists that I sit patiently while she and Olivia whip together a meal. It makes my heart full watching them work side by side. They barely know one another yet they seem to get along like they are old friends.

  We eat at the kitchen table that hasn’t
been used in ages. Claire looks happy as a clam to have a house guest over.

  “Megan tells me you’re a writer?” Claire asks her, taking a sip of wine.

  “Megan says a lot of things, doesn’t she?” Olivia raises an eyebrow at me and I rub my foot against her leg under the table. I watch her try not to have a reaction to it and turn towards Claire. “Yeah, I published a book about a year ago.”

  “That’s fascinating,” she says. “I’d love to read it. I don’t know if Megan told you but I’m an editor for a publishing company in the city.”

  “No, she failed to mention that.” She catches my glance again and I shrug.

  “I’d love to read your book sometime. What’s it called?”

  “Amber Dreams,” I say before Olivia has a chance to stop me. “I have a copy of it upstairs in my room. I’ll let you borrow it when I’m done reading it myself.”

  Olivia’s face falls into her hands, embarrassed. I nudge her under the table again.

  Claire snaps her fingers suddenly and it makes Olivia and I both jump in surprise.

  “I know where I recognize you from! You were on the news! You’re the girl who spent a month in the Oregon wilderness all by herself. Right? Is that what your book is about?”

  Oliva nods, looking utterly humiliated. All at once I feel guilty outing her.

  “That’s amazing! I can’t wait to read it.”

  After dinner, Olivia and I took a walk outside. I could tell by the way she distanced herself from me a little that she wasn’t happy.

  “I’m sorry I called you out,” I say, taking her hand in my own. Surprisingly, she let me but she doesn’t meet my glance. “I don’t understand why you’re so bothered by it. It’s a huge accomplishment to publish a book like that.”

  “I just worry people are going to judge me if I never publish another book,” Olivia says to me when she finally catches my glance. “I mean, I gave up working to write and all I do is write crap blog posts and reviews for a living. What if I never publish anything of substance ever again?”