“Well, I’m fairly confident that my mother will embarrass me,” Piper said with a wince. “But other than that, on Thanksgiving Day there’ll probably be lots of relatives over for dinner. All of the guys usually get together and have some sort of shoot out and the girls usually fix dinner and gossip.”
“Shoot out?” Bailey asked with a frown.
“They go out and have some sort of contest. They’ve done it for as long as I can remember.”
“What kind of contest and what do you win?”
“I dunno. They shoot at targets and those little orange Frisbee things that they shoot up in the air,” Piper said uninterestedly. “I don’t think you win anything but bragging rights.”
“What do you gossip about?”
“I’m sure this year most of the gossip will be centered around me, but only behind my back,” Piper said sarcastically.
“Why?”
“Because I’m bringing someone home for the first time,” Piper said with a smile.
“I guess they never met your … you know,” Bailey asked not sure what to say.
“No,” Piper said quickly.
“Why not?” Bailey asked intrigued.
“Because Lisa, that was her name, never had any interest in meeting them and at that time I hadn’t told my family I was gay.”
“What happened when you told them?”
“Nothing,” Piper said. “My father made a remark that I’m sure he still thinks was witty and my mother asked me not to talk with food in my mouth. Apparently, they had suspected for a while and it didn’t come to them as a surprise.”
“What did your father say?” Bailey asked interested.
“That’s great, sweetheart, you’ll never get pregnant or have to put the toilet seat down,” Piper said rolling her eyes and Bailey chuckled.
“So they didn’t care?”
“Nope, in fact no one in the family has ever acted as if it were anything out of the ordinary or treated me any differently,” Piper said affectionately. “I procrastinated for years, terrified to tell them and in the end it was no big deal. I’m lucky I guess, I’ve known a lot of people whose families disowned them after they told them they were gay.”
“Hmmm. What happens after dinner?”
“Drinking and dancing.”
“Dancing?” Bailey asked confusedly.
“Yep,” Piper said with a smile. “You’ll see.”
“Hmmm,” Bailey grunted trying not to look worried.
“Don’t sweat it, they’ll love you,” Piper said comfortingly. “How are we getting there by the way?”
“Helicopter.”
“Really?” Piper asked excitedly. “I’ve never been in a helicopter before. Have you?”
“Many times.”
“Really? What’s it like?”
“Like being in a helicopter,” Bailey said with a smile.
“Funny,” Piper said dryly.
Bailey shrugged amusedly.
“Were you in the military?”
“No.”
Piper put her plate down and turned to face her on the sofa, she could see Bailey’s face become apprehensive and she smiled to put her at ease.
“I know there are some things you don’t want to tell me,” she began and Bailey started to play with the food on her plate. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to force anything out of that you’re not ready to share, but I want you to know that I’ll listen when you’re ready and I won’t judge you. I can take an educated guess and assume that whatever your job was, that it was probably violent and if you’re afraid that I’ll leave you or think any less of you, you’re mistaken. I’m curious because I want to know everything about you. Not because I have to know but because you matter to me. And because you matter to me, I could go my entire life without knowing. So if you want to tell me you can, whether it’s today or ten years from now,” Piper finished and leaned over her to kiss her.
Bailey returned the kiss and quickly returned her attention to the food in front of her. A large part of her wanted very badly to believe Piper, but a stubborn area of her mind told her that no matter how much Piper may believe the words she had spoken, she really had no idea of what the truth encompassed.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“For what?” Piper asked cheerily.
“For coming in to my life,” Bailey said without looking up.
“I could say the same thing to you,” Piper said with a bright smile and watched the little smile that fleetingly crossed the downcast features. “Finish your dinner,” she added with a slap to Bailey’s knee and recovered her own plate.
———
“How long can you play the same fucking game?” Russell asked with a glance at his watch.
“As long as I have to sit here,” Zack responded.
Russell let out a long sigh. “Thank Christ the day shift will be here any minute, I’ll probably be hearing your little game in my sleep.”
“I was considering letting you play with it, but if it irritates you so much…” he trailed off with a shrug.
“It would be different if I was playing,” Russell said cautiously.
Zack stopped the game and looked at Russell suspiciously. “Alright, see if you can beat my high score,” he said offering the game to him.
Russell excitedly reached for it but it was torn away from his grasp at the last possible second.
“Psych,” Zack said loudly and started laughing.
Russell stared at Zack unbelievingly with his hand outstretched. “You don’t just suck, you lick the innards of my asshole,” he said seriously.
“I got a Game Boy...” Zack sang childishly while rocking back in forth in his seat. “…And you-ooo don’t.”
Russell ground his teeth and was immeasurably relieved to see a car pull up behind them.
“Day shift is here, asswipe,” he said peevishly.
Zack put his Game Boy in his jacket as he got of the car to speak with them and Russell waited a little over a minute for him to return.
“Home, Jeeves,” Zack said cheerily as he got back in the car.
“We got to make a stop first.”
“Where?”
“Wal-Mart,” Russell said with a smile.
III
And the Heavens open every time she smiles,
And when I come to her, That’s where I belong.
—V. Morrison
Bailey slipped out from under Piper’s sleeping form and made tracks for the bathroom, having uncomfortably awoken with Piper’s leg pressing on her bladder. After seeing to her emergency, she decided to clean up the mess that was still in the living from the night before and make breakfast. They had started watching an amusing movie about a huge crocodile that Piper had only managed to stay awake for about half of. After she had fallen asleep, she had watched the rest of the movie playing with the crimson hair in her lap and had carried her off to bed when it was over.
She had breakfast warming in the oven and had just finished the dishes with still no appearance from Piper. She debated on whether or not to wake her but ultimately decided against it, so she collected her things and headed for the bathroom to take a shower. She was just about finished when she heard the bathroom door open and she froze, listening carefully until the she heard the toilet flush.
“Good morning,” she ventured.
“Morning,” came the grumpy response and she chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Piper mumbled.
“You,” she said amused. “You’re so crabby when you get up.”
“I am not,” Piper said around a yawn.
“Yes you are,” Bailey said. “I made French toast again, it’s in the oven.”
“Really?” Piper said. “You’re gonna spoil me. Have you already eaten?”
“Yeah.”
“How long you gonna be in there?”
“A few more minutes, just have to wash my hair.”
“Want me to wash it for you?” Piper asked hopeful
ly and waited almost a full minute for a response.
“Okay,” Bailey said so quietly that she almost didn’t hear it.
Piper hurriedly stripped off her clothes and slipped past the curtain into the rear of the shower to find Bailey with her back turned. Her eyes widened desirously as she looked at the form in front of her, wondering if there wasn’t anything that wasn’t perfect about her as she stepped forward and gently wrapped arms around her waist.
“You really are beautiful,” Piper said truthfully placing a kiss on her back.
“You think so?” Bailey asked nervously.
“I know so,” Piper stated and felt some tension drain from the body she was holding. “Let me see the soap,” she added with an outstretched hand.
Bailey dropped the bar of soap into the offered hand and felt Piper gather her hair and put it over her shoulder. She fidgeted uneasily until she felt hands begin to wash her back and she relaxed slightly, tensing again for different reasons when she felt the hands on her back pause and explore the scars that she had forgotten were there.
Piper felt the scars before she saw them and she traced each one gently with a finger. In the middle of her back, there were four diagonal lines about an inch apart on each side of her spine for a total of eight. They had faded with age and were barely visible, but they were there and she knew from the precision of their placement that they had been inflicted on purpose. Bailey was standing very still and the muscles below her hands were rock hard.
“You can barely see these anymore,” Piper said casually and resumed washing her back, relieved when the muscles under her hands relaxed.
She cupped her hand and caught the water in front of Bailey to rinse the soap off her back so she wouldn’t have to turn around. She put the soap in the cradle and turned for the shampoo that sat on the corner of the tub, pouring a liberal amount of the liquid into her hand and slowly working it into Bailey’s hair.
“Lean your head back a little so I can get the top?” she asked and Bailey complied.
Bailey stood patiently, relishing the feel of Piper’s hands in her hair. She was disappointed when Piper stopped several minutes later.
“All clean,” Piper announced and she leaned forward to rinse her hair in the shower spray.
“Thank you, that was nice,” Bailey said as she wrung the excess water from her hair.
“Yes, it was.” Piper agreed, letting her eyes wander over the back of Bailey’s body.
“Now, hop out so I can take care of business,” she said with a playful swat to the lovely backside.
“Okay,” Bailey said shooting a smile over her shoulder as she exited the shower.
As soon the curtain fell back into place, Piper shook her head vigorously and turned the water to cold. “Wow,” she mouthed silently.
She stood in the cold water for almost a full minute before chattering teeth forced her to adjust the temperature. She could hear Bailey puttering around and, with a twinge of sadness, realized that she was probably packing her things. She already wanted her to stay indefinitely but knew that wasn’t a realistic desire this early in their relationship. She heard the blow dryer start up and busied herself with finishing her shower, anxious to be back in her company.
Bailey was in the process of tying up her hair when the water stopped and Piper immodestly got out of the shower, beginning to dry herself off. She froze with her hands above her head and stared in the mirror at the body on display. She looked away quickly with a blush when pale blue eyes glanced into the mirror and caught her looking. She felt arms encircle her waist and breasts push pleasantly into her back, glancing back into the mirror to see amused eyes peering at her from around her back.
“I caught you peeking,” Piper said teasingly, disappointed to see Bailey had already dressed in a black blouse and slacks.
“I’m sorry,” Bailey said contritely.
“Don’t be sorry, I would’ve peeked at you,” Piper said with a smile. “In fact, I got a real long look at someone’s fantastic rear end just a few minutes ago.”
“Be quiet,” Bailey said with a blush and Piper chuckled at her.
“I’d like to see it again soon,” Piper teased.
“Perhaps,” Bailey said. “If you stop teasing me and go away.”
Bailey let out a giggle when Piper tickled her and sauntered out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her. She watched her go and turned back to the mirror, shaking her head in amazement at the blush that was still fading on her cheeks.
———
Bailey sighed dramatically in her seat as Piper tried on a fifth pair of shoes. She had recently learned from experience that several questions would soon be directed at her and she braced herself.
“What do you think of these?” Piper asked.
“They look good,” Bailey said in a monotone.
“Aren’t they a little gaudy?”
“They look fine.”
“They make my feet look big.”
“No they don’t.”
“What do you think of the color?”
“I like it.”
Piper glanced sideways at her companion and smiled when she realized Bailey was playing with the zipper of her jacket and hadn’t even looked at the shoes.
“Do you think I should get something with a shorter heel?” she asked.
“If you want.”
“I don’t know if I can balance myself in these since I lost my little toe in that gardening accident.”
“Sure you can,” Bailey said and looked up. “What?” she asked confusedly, looking at Piper’s feet.
“Uh huh, just as I suspected,” Piper said with narrowed eyes. “You haven’t been paying attention at all.”
“I have too,” she lied.
“What color were the shoes I tried on before these?” Piper challenged.
“Brown.”
“You’re busted,” Piper said. “They were white.”
Caught, she blushed and Piper laughed at her. “It’s okay, you’ve been very patient,” she said sweetly. “I take it shopping is not your forte.”
“Not really,” Bailey admitted.
“You should’ve said something earlier, I’ve been dragging you around for hours,” she chastised gently.
“You were enjoying yourself.”
“Yes, but you haven’t been. I want you to have fun too.”
“I enjoy being with you,” Bailey said quietly.
“You’re sweet,” Piper said with a smile and pecked her on the cheek. She was startled slightly by the clearing of a throat a few feet away. “Yes?” she asked, turning in the direction of the sound to see the saleswoman with another box of shoes.
“I don’t have the white ones in a five, only a six,” she said with a distasteful look. “Would you like to try them on?”
“No, that’s alright,” Piper said politely. “I’m going to pass today, thank you.”
“Very well,” the woman said walking away and throwing another sour look over her shoulder.
Piper sighed at the retreating back and took Bailey’s hand. “Come on, let’s go find some dinner.”
Bailey let Piper lead her from the store carrying two of Piper’s bags in her other hand. Glad to be leaving, she tried to keep herself from grinning as they approached the mall exit.
Piper felt Bailey quicken her stride and she smiled to herself. Her companion was as easy to read as a child sometimes and she felt a little guilty for subjecting her to an entire of afternoon of waiting patiently while she went from one place to another. Bailey had held her hand the entire day, making it no secret to anyone who cared to notice that they were a couple and she was generally oblivious to anyone around them. Her heart skipped a beat with the covert glance she shot at her companion, who she noticed was trying not to grin. Bailey truly had eyes only for her and the rest of the world didn’t seem to matter in the slightest. She felt special and squeezed the hand in hers tightly.
As soon as they were outside, Bailey let go of
her hand and put on her sunglasses.
“It’s an overcast day, why do you put on your sunglasses the second you step out into the light?” Piper asked curiously.
“I’m a little light sensitive, sometimes I get migraines,” Bailey admitted.
“Oh,” Piper smiled. “Poor baby,” she teased as she took Bailey’s hand in hers again.
“Hush,” Bailey replied with a smile.
When they reached the car, Bailey opened the trunk and placed the bags she was carrying inside. She stepped aside to let Piper put hers in but was shooed away so she confusedly got in the car and reached over to unlock the passenger side door.
Piper closed the trunk and hopped into the passenger seat, beaming a bright smile at Bailey who was looking at her with knitted brows.
“Here,” she said cheerily presenting her with a little box.
“What’s this?” Bailey asked curiously.
“I bought those for you while you were busy playing with that stupid singing fish,” Piper said with a smile. She had strayed away from Bailey who had delighted in making the moronic plastic fish sing his surprisingly loud song over and over again.
“I thought it was funny, I almost bought it,” Bailey defended.
“It was stupid, open your present.”
Bailey took the lid off the little white box and looked inside to find two sterling silver hoop earrings that had a Celtic knot pattern engraved in them.
“Do you like them?” Piper asked nervously.
“Of course,” Bailey said with a smile.
“I wasn’t sure if you would, I’ve only seen you wear studs.”
“That’s because the only earrings I own are the ones I’m wearing.”
“Put them on,” Piper said happily.
Bailey removed the studs from her ears and replaced them with the hoops. “I like silver,” she said as she attached the second one.
“I figured,” Piper said. “They look good on you.”
“Thanks,” she said bashfully and met the incoming lips with her own.
Piper withdrew from the kiss and poked her in the belly. “You hungry?”
“A little,” Bailey said and started the car. “Where do you wanna go?”
“Let’s just find a place on the way home.”
Engravings of Wraith Page 25