Lifeline

by Susan X Meagher

  "That’s only fair," Ryan said. "We’ll play in the surf while you two take over our little love nest."

  "If you get cold, you don’t have to stay," Mia said as she got to her feet. "No one’s been out here all night, and I doubt anyone will come by this late."

  "No, we’ll stay," Ryan said, her cautious side emerging. "You never know who might come by, and seeing a couple of beautiful women making love on the beach might be more than even a rational person could resist. And given that most people out at this time of night are blind drunk …"

  "Okay, okay," Jordan said. "We promise not to fall asleep and leave you out here all night." Looking at her partner she said, "Even though that won’t be easy. I call Mia my little sandman."

  "Get going, you two," Jamie said. "I think you’ll find the accommodations quite lovely."

  It was getting a little cool, so rather than lie in the surf, the pair decided to walk up and down the beach for a while. It was still entirely deserted, and as the wind freshened, Ryan felt a chill go down her partner’s body. "We should have taken one of the blankets," the taller woman said.

  "I am getting chilled," Jamie said. "I hope they don’t take too long."

  "Why don’t you run up to the cottage and get some clothes? I can watch you from here."

  "You don’t mind?"

  "Of course not. Bring me some sweats while you’re at it, okay?"

  "Will do," Jamie said as she scampered off, the white flesh of her ass flashing in the moonlight, much to Ryan’s pleasure.

  She returned a few minutes later, clad in her warmest sweats. Ryan reached for her own, but Jamie urged her to wait for a moment. "Can I take your picture?" she asked.

  "Like this?" Ryan asked, holding her arms out to indicate her nakedness.

  "Yep. I want to have a picture of you on our first New Year’s together. Do you mind?"

  "Nope," Ryan said. "If you can get the pictures developed, I’ll do whatever pleases you."

  "It’s a digital, silly. We can be as risqué as we like." Jamie situated her in a few memorable poses, then doffed her own clothes and fiddled with the camera for a moment, set it on a rock and took a few of the two of them embracing. "I want to show these to the people at the retirement home in about seventy years," she said. "I want to be able to back up my contention that you were the hottest looking 24-year-old in the world."

  "You plan for everything, don’t you," Ryan said. When they were both dressed, Ryan looked at her watch and said, "It’s been a long while. Think they’re still making love?"

  Jamie glanced at her watch and saw that it was 4 a.m. "Doubtful," she said. "Let’s get a little closer and see if we hear anything."

  They did so, walking across the sand, hand in hand. As they drew near, it was clear that their friends were sound asleep, and Jamie took the opportunity to snap a few photos of them, their bodies completely entangled. They were so sound asleep that neither woke until the third picture, the flash finally penetrating their slumber. "Oh-oh," Jordan mumbled drowsily. "I think we fell asleep."

  "I think you did," Ryan said. "We’re going in to bed. Wanna join us?"

  "I wanna see the sun rise," Mia said, her voice still heavy with sleep.

  Ryan and Jamie exchanged looks, and Ryan said, "Take our sweats if you’re gonna stay out here. I don’t want you two lying out here naked."

  "You sure?" Jordan asked.

  "Yep." Ryan struggled out of her clothes and tossed them to Jordan, then slipped her original slacks and snippet of a blouse on.

  "Ooo, warm," Jordan sighed, getting into the toasty clothes. Mia did the same with Jamie’s, while the smaller blonde put her dress back on.

  "Goodnight, love birds," Ryan said, giving them a little wave.

  "Keep my camera and take some pictures of the sunrise," Jamie said.

  "Okay," Mia said. "See you guys later."

  They walked along in the bright moonlight, their hands linked, Jamie’s head resting upon Ryan’s shoulder.

  "You’ve set a pretty high standard for the first day of the new year," Ryan said. "We’ve only experienced four and a half hours of the year 2000, and I’ve felt more joy than most people get in a lifetime."

  "We do have our work cut out for us," Jamie said. "But I know you like to set goals for yourself, so we can make it our New Year’s resolution to have every day be filled with as much joy as we’ve felt tonight. It’s a tough job, but you’re the woman I want on my team."

  "We’re permanent teammates," Ryan said.

  When they reached their room, Jamie’s sure, warm hands started to undress her partner, letting her hands glide across her cool skin. "Ready for bed, love?"

  "Yeah," Ryan said, her voice low and a little hoarse. "No better way to see the New Year in than wrapped in your embrace."

  "You’re gonna see an awful lot of New Years in just that way. Sure you’re up to it?"

  "If we’re together until the third millennium, that won’t be enough for me," Ryan said, meaning every word.

  Ryan tried to ignore the giggling that pulled her from sleep. Nuzzling her face against Jamie’s neck, she tugged her partner closer, trying to hide her face to avoid showing her wakefulness.

  "Come on, sleepyheads," Mia said. "Pose for your picture."

  "G’way," Ryan growled, drawing the sheet up to cover their naked bodies.

  "It’s payback time, Boomer," Jordan crooned, giggling as she grabbed the bottom of the sheet and ripped it from Ryan’s grasp.

  "C’mon," the dark woman moaned, "let us sleep. Have a heart, guys."

  "I bet you don’t have any pictures of how cute you look when you sleep together," Jordan said. "We’re just rounding out your photo album." The shutter snapped again, and rather than trying to retrieve the sheet, Ryan just shifted a little so that she was mostly lying on top of Jamie to provide some cover. "How can she sleep through this?" the tall blonde marveled.

  "Forget that," Mia said. "How can she sleep with Ryan on top of her like that? You weigh a ton, big girl!"

  "Again, thanks for sharing," Ryan responded dryly. "More later, okay?"

  "Come play with us," Mia begged. She slid into bed next to Jamie, leaned over and pushed her eyelids open with her thumbs, gazing into the green orbs as they began to focus. "Wanna get up and play with us?" she asked, her bright visage just inches from her friend’s face.

  "Who’s on top of me?" Jamie mumbled. "Jordan or Ryan?"

  Ryan’s hand slid down her body and gave her a little tickle on the back of her thigh, right at the swell of her ass.

  "Ahh, that’s my Ryan," she sighed, knowing that only her partner would be able to find a sensitive spot so adroitly.

  "Do you often wake up with Jordan on top of you?" Ryan’s deep voice burred against her ear.

  "No. But I usually don’t wake up with Mia tugging on my eyelids either. Who knows what else might be going on."

  "Come on, guys," Mia said. "The Rose Parade is on TV. Don’t you want to watch it with us?"

  Ryan sighed and rolled onto her back. "I’m game. I love the parade."

  "Me too," Jamie said, taking a deep breath as her partner’s weight lifted from her body. "Thanks for waking us up, Mia." She rolled over onto her friend, straddling her body as she twitched her fingers under her tank top and got in a good bout of tickling. "Just remember that I know where some of your sensitive spots are, buddy, so don’t make a habit of waking me up like that."

  Mia was howling with laughter as her hands flailed wildly, trying to get her friend to stop the torture. "Promise! Promise!" she cried.

  Sliding off her waist, Jamie blew on her index fingers as though they were smoking pistols. "Better not forget your promise, pal. These babies are always loaded."

  After they ate a delightful breakfast while watching the parade, they decided to go to the beach, lie in the sun, and sleep. Following lavish applications of sun-tan lotion to the yards of exposed skin, they all nodded off quickly, managing to sleep soundly even though the beach was quite
a bit more crowded than it had been the day before.

  Around noon, Ryan’s empty stomach woke her, and she stretched and growled for a few minutes. Jordan was right behind her in waking, and both women got up and continued to stretch, to the delighted pleasure of the young men closest to them. "Wanna go get lunch?" Ryan asked. "They’ve got some conch chowder at the restaurant that is killer."

  "Sure. Should we ask what our women want?"

  "Nah. Jamie’s easy to please. I know what she likes. How about Mia?"

  "Yeah, I think I’ve got her number," Jordan said, grinning toothily.

  "I just bet you do," Ryan replied with a matching smile, as she slung her arm around her friend’s shoulders and led her to the restaurant.

  As if she could sense her partner’s absence, Jamie woke just minutes after Ryan and Jordan left. She looked around idly and saw the pair trudging through the pink sand, little clouds billowing up as their feet shuffled along. Mia woke up when she heard Jamie moving around, and she sat up, running her hands through her curls. "I’m hungry," she pouted, sounding more like a five-year-old than an adult.

  "I think our women went to provide for us," Jamie said.

  Mia got up to stretch the kinks out, saying loudly, "I don’t care what they bring, as long as it’s chocolate."

  "Ooo, chocolate," Jamie purred. "I’m seriously chocolate deprived."

  The young men sunning close to them overheard this bit of conversation, and one of them hopped to his feet, bringing with him a paper plate filled with gooey, chocolate chip-laden brownies. "Heard you girls talking, and thought I’d be neighborly," he said, his handsome face sporting a wide smile.

  "Oh, no thanks," Jamie said. "We’re getting lunch soon."

  Mia shot her a puzzled look and reached for one of the treats. "Suit yourself, babe, but these look fantastic." She gave the young man a long look and asked, "Just being neighborly, right? ‘Cause we’re not looking for dates."

  He looked mildly offended as his eyes widened. "Just being friendly, ma’am," he said. "A little New Year’s treat for y’all."

  Jamie gave Mia a look, and saw her friend take a bite of the brownie. Mia’s nose crinkled up as she asked, "Who made these … you?"

  "Yep. How’d I do?"

  "You’re quite the cook," she said. "Did you use cannabutter?"

  "Uh-huh," he said. "They’re good, aren’t they?"

  "The best I’ve ever had," she said. "Boy, they’re really loaded, aren’t they?"

  Now Jamie’s interest was piqued, and her mouth started to water. "Can I have a bite?" she asked, taking half of Mia’s square and popping it into her mouth before the brunette could blink. She smacked her lips reflectively, detecting an odd aftertaste. "What kind of butter did you use?" she asked, repeating Mia’s query. "Is it something local?"

  "Yep," he said. "It’s all native."

  "Do they graze cows or yaks around here?" she asked, her nose wrinkling in distaste.

  The young man found her question to be wildly funny, but he offered no further hints. She was still trying to place the unique flavor when she spotted her partner out of the corner of her eye.

  "Hey, who’s having dessert first?"

  "We were just sharing some brownies with our neighbor here," Jamie said, trying to give her partner the ‘these are odd, don’t even think of taking a bite’ sign. But Ryan was never one to deprive herself of a treat, and she lifted the last bite from Mia’s hand and popped it into her mouth.

  Mia’s eyes grew wide and she said, "Ryan, don’t!"

  Her quick reflexes allowed her to spit it onto the sand before she had even managed to taste it. "What’s in it?" she asked, her eyes flashing.

  "Uhm … they’re magic brownies," she said, knowing that Ryan was not one to partake in mind-altering substances.

  "You ate some?" Ryan asked, glaring at her partner.

  "Y … yeah, I did," Jamie said weakly. "Just half of a brownie, though."

  "She didn’t eat much, Ryan," Mia said.

  Looking at both of the women, Ryan narrowed her eyes and asked, "Did you know there was grass in those brownies?"

  "Uhm … yeah," Mia gulped, while Jamie shook her head.

  Now Jordan was staring at her partner, her expression betraying her dismay. "Mia! You knew that you were eating loaded brownies, and you didn’t try to stop Jamie?"

  "Stop her? She broke off half of my brownie and had it in her mouth before I could say a word! What’s the big deal, anyway? We’ve gotten high together plenty of times," the smaller woman said. She looked to Jamie for support, but saw her friend rolling her eyes, looking a little sick. "Uhm, well, not plenty of times," she said, trying to extricate herself from the corner she had painted both of them into. "Hardly ever … uhm … maybe I’m thinking of someone else …"

  Ryan leveled her gaze at Mia and said, "Jamie obviously doesn’t mind having substances put into her body without her permission, but if you ever try something like that with me …" She stopped herself from uttering the threat that was on the tip of her tongue, deciding that the atmosphere was tense enough without wishing harm to her friend.

  The dark-haired woman turned and strode towards their cottage, not getting five feet before Jamie was beside her. "Honey?"

  "Later," Ryan said. "I’m not in the mood."

  Smarting from the brush-off, Jamie sat on steps of their deck for a few minutes, not quite knowing how to approach her partner. She felt blameless about the incident, but she knew that Mia wasn’t really to blame either, having gotten the impression through the years that Jamie was usually willing to have a few hits off a joint during a party.

  After a long while, Jamie realized that Ryan was not going to come out, so she steeled her nerve and went in. The taller woman was sitting in one of the chairs in the living room, and she made no move for several minutes. "I uhm … I don’t have any right to pry into your life before we were together," Ryan said softly, "but I would like to know if you and Mia currently get high together."

  Jamie came over to her chair, and sank to the ground next to her. "No, of course we don’t," she said. "I wouldn’t have done it today either, but I had no idea there was anything in that brownie. I honestly thought it was just badly made, and I was trying to be polite. I have no interest in ever getting high again, honey. Really," she said, her eyes searching Ryan’s, which had turned a steel gray.

  Her brow knit and her gaze sharpened. "Are you saying Mia tricked you into eating it?"

  "No, not at all. I honestly took it from her, just like you did," she said. "But since she knows I’ve smoked with her before, she obviously didn’t think she had to warn me off. It’s not her fault, honey."

  The dark head shook, her lips pursed together. "I’m sorry, too," she said. "I know I overreacted a little ..." She paused at Jamie’s raised eyebrow glance. "Okay, maybe a lot. But even if you didn’t know there was grass in it, that was incredibly naïve, Jamie. Accepting food or drink from strange guys is just … well, it’s stupid," she said, knowing the term was harsh, but believing it was apt.

  "You started to eat a bite," the blonde said quietly, looking down at the floor.

  Ryan shook her head and said, "I didn’t know the whole story. I saw you two eating something that looked good, so I grabbed a bite. You didn’t tell me that a complete stranger had given it to you. Yes, you said you were sharing brownies with those guys, but for all I knew you had bought them at the store when you went out yesterday, or had bought them at the restaurant when I was asleep."

  "You’re right," the smaller woman said, resting her head on Ryan’s knee. "You’re disappointed in me, aren’t you," she said.

  "No, I’m not disappointed in you," Ryan said as she ran her hand through Jamie’s hair. "I’ve done far stupider things."

  "I was afraid to tell you that I’ve smoked grass before," Jamie said softly. "I knew it would bother you."

  Ryan was quiet for a moment, but finally said, "Drug use is just a hot button for me, baby, you know that. I
t brings back so many bad memories …"

  "I understand. Let’s just close that little chapter, okay? Today was the last time I’ll use grass. Promise," she said.

  Ryan shook her head, saying, "It’s not my place to tell you what you can and can’t do, Jamie. If you want to smoke grass, that’s your choice. I’m sorry for being so controlling. I’d just prefer that you don’t do it in front of me."

  "It’s all right, baby. I don’t want to get high any more. Besides, if I really wanted to smoke grass again, I’d say so. I don’t like to be controlled – as you know."

  "Well, whether or not you want to, you’re still gonna get high today," Ryan said. "Ingesting it is much more efficient, but slower acting."

  "Great. You’ll not only be disappointed in me, you’ll get to see me acting as dumb as a stump."

  "I promise that I’m not disappointed in you," Ryan said. "I meant it when I said I’ve done many, many things that were more unwise than smoking a little grass. I’m actually more upset that you took food from those guys. That was beyond naïve." Giving Jamie a puzzled look she continued, "Why do you think they wanted to talk to you and share their drugs with you, anyway? That’s akin to accepting a drink from a guy at a bar. They don’t do that because you look thirsty, ya know." She shook her head and said, "For two sporadically straight girls, you two seem pretty clueless about guys."

  "Okay, I get your point," Jamie said, rolling her eyes. "No more taking candy from strangers."

  "I’m lecturing you, aren’t I?" Ryan asked.

  Holding her thumb a scant distance from her index finger, Jamie allowed, "A little."

  "I apologize," the dark-haired woman said. "I don’t want to supervise you, Jamie. I’ll back off."

  "You’re not supervising me," Jamie said, "you’re caring for me. Big difference."

  "Hey," Ryan said as they reclaimed their chairs, "I apologize for flying off the handle. I’m still pretty short-tempered, I guess. I uhm … snap at people over the smallest things."

  "I’m really, really sorry, Ryan," the curly-haired woman said.

  "You don’t owe me an apology, Mia. You warned me before I ate it. Now, Jamie’s a different matter," she drawled, looking at her partner.