by Donna Raider
The singer was exceptional and her performance outstanding. The words continued to play in Leah’s mind long after the song stopped.
Another song began, and they continued to glide gracefully around the dance floor. As they danced, Mika began to verbalize her feelings. All too often people think wonderful, loving things, but fail to share them with the one they love.
“I love the feel of you against me,” Mika whispered. “I love the feel from the bottom of my feet to the top of my head. I love the feel of your soft breasts pressed against mine. I love the feel of your body moving with me, against me. I love the feel of your arms around me. I love the way you rest your head on my shoulder. I love your eyes. You know how I love your lips. There are no words to describe the thrill of holding you in my arms.”
Leah tilted her head back and looked into Mika’s incredible blue eyes. She could see eternity in her eyes. “You have just given words to everything I am feeling right now.”
Mika leaned down and kissed her softly, chastely.
They returned to the table where the waiter was cradling a new bottle of wine. “Why not?” Mika grinned. “It isn’t every day we get to have dinner alone in New York.”
They danced and drank the wine until the second bottle was empty. Mika could tell Leah was a little tipsy, but only because she knew her so well.
“We have a request for a song I don’t know,” the singer announced. The band knows it, but I don’t. The band hit a few notes of That Old Black Magic Called Love, and the crowd murmured approval.
“We want the words,” someone called from the table to the left of the dance floor.
“Oh, I love that song,” Leah almost squealed, leaning into her wife. “It reminds me of us. Do you know the words?”
“I do,” Mika grinned that foolish grin that only slightly intoxicated lovers share with one another.
Before Mika knew what was happening, her wife was dragging her to the microphone. “We know the song,” Leah beamed.
“Alright, then,” the singer smiled and moved away from the mic, making room for them. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…”
“…Mrs. and Mrs. Cross,” Leah announced into the mic.
The band played the intro, and the couple began singing to each another, snapping their fingers to the beat. They were having fun, dancing, singing, emphasizing certain words to one another, completely oblivious of the approval from the supper club diners. When Mika sang the line, you are the lover that I've waited for, Leah leaned toward her, shimmying her shoulders and entire upper body and sang, the mate that fate had me created for, they didn’t miss a beat. It was as if they had been performing with the band forever.
When the song concluded, they held hands and bowed to the audience. Leah started blowing kisses to their appreciative audience, as Mika led her back to their table. It was obvious they were too much in love to care if they had made fools of themselves.
Mika called James to bring up the car. Mika knew her wife was just minutes away from falling into a wine induced sleep.
##
Leah leaned heavily against Mika as they rode up the elevator, still singing random phrases from That Old Black Magic Called Love. Mika swept Leah into her arms and carried her from the elevator to their bedroom. She was softly slumbering when Mika laid her on their bed. She slipped off her shoes and clothes and pulled the comforter over her.
Mika stepped out onto the terrace and stood quietly for a long time. She was talking to her God. Thanking him for all her blessings especially her wife and son.
It was four in the morning when the priest slipped into bed beside her wife. She wrapped herself around Leah and snuggled into her soft warmth.
##
Mika awoke the next morning to the sound of the television in the living room. Slipping on her jeans and a blouse, she joined her wife. “I smell the coffee,” Mika mumbled, not quite awake and slightly staggering toward the counter in the kitchen.
“Baby look at this,” Leah called her to sit beside her.
Mika sipped her coffee as she listened to the weather report of the worst blizzard in history stalled over Washington D.C. The storm had been pounding Washington since Wednesday night with no sign of diminishing. Power lines were down, and water mains were frozen. The National Guard had been called in to help people stranded in their cars. The members of both the Senate and House of Representatives were snowed in with no hope of leaving Congress until the snow thawed. No deaths had been reported.
“In contrast to Washington D.C., New York has beautiful, spring-like weather,” the newscaster continued. “The arctic blast had hit Washington, D.C. and stalled when the icy coastal gales had met the cold arctic winds. Once the blizzard begins to move up the coast, it will more than likely wreak havoc on all of the East Coast with New York receiving the brunt of the storm.”
“Sounds like we will be going home to some very bad weather,” Mika noted. “Or, maybe it will fizzle out before it reaches Maine. I can’t think of a better place for a storm to stall than over a congregation of national politicians. Perhaps, if they are forced to stay together for a few days, they will talk to one another and begin to sort out the mess they have gotten this country into.”
“Great coffee,” Mika held her cup up as if toasting her.
Leah nodded. “I just wanted to tell you that yesterday was the most incredible day. I had such fun. Everything we did was wonderful. Especially the supper club. It was very impressive. These past few days have been marvelous.”
“You make it wonderful,” Mika said softly, putting her arm around Leah and pulling her closer.
Leah’s phone rang, and Emily’s name popped onto the screen. She groaned and ignored the ringing. “Aren’t you going to answer that,” Mika nuzzled her hair.
“I am sure it would just ruin an enjoyable morning with you.”
After a few seconds, Mika’s phone began to play the ringtone Devil Woman . Leah laughed as she heard the sound. “I take it that is the sheriff’s ringtone on your phone.”
“I have to be in the right frame of mind to talk to our sheriff,” Mika grinned. “I’m allowed a little fun, right?
Mika answered her phone. “Good morning, Sheriff. Yes, she’s right here.” She handed her phone to Leah with a shrug.
“Hello,” Leah rolled her eyes.
“What the hell, Leah,” Emily blasted the mayor, “you have the priest screening your calls now?”
“What do you want?” Leah said tersely.
“I want you two to stop embarrassing our town,” the sheriff barked.
##
Marcus Devon sat staring at his computer screen and the long list of emails he hadn’t answered since Thursday. He felt as if he was going crazy. He couldn’t get the dark-haired mayor out of his mind. She filled his dreams and haunted his waking hours. He had tried to erase her smile from his thoughts by spending the night with his latest companion but found it only made matters worse. They’d had sex, but he had been totally disengaged, only going through the motions half-heartedly. He finally asked her to leave and spent the rest of the night getting drunk. Now he was in his office on a Saturday morning, hung over and desperately searching for an email from the president of his firm.
Baron Goodson stormed into his office. Baron was excited. “Have you watched it yet,” he demanded as Marcus clicked on his email.
The subject line simply said “dynamite.” Marcus clicked the video to download it. He desperately needed water and a bottle of aspirin.
Baron paced the floor. He was famous for finding new, marketable talent. He had been searching for fresh, exciting talent for over a year and coming up short. His latest obsession with the lead singer of the Choir Boys band had Marcus on his bad side. Baron had been very upset that his top agent had failed to deliver a contract tying up the band and its lead singer for ten years. Marcus hadn’t told him the town’s mayor had simply out maneuvered him.
The YouTube video popped open and began to play. Marcus�
�� stomach turned over. He felt the bile rise in his throat. There, shimmying her breast toward her partner was the gorgeous mayor that had made his life a living hell. They were singing something about magic. It made him want to shove his head into freshly poured cement so the world would go away.
“Look at that,” Baron laughed gleefully. “Have you ever seen such chemistry between two people? Moreover, they can sing. The fact that they are the most beautiful couple I’ve ever laid eyes on is a definite plus. They are exactly what I have been looking for to take this town by storm.”
Marcus groaned. He wanted to shove Baron into freshly poured cement. He watched as the two sang to each other. They touched, laughed, danced and were in love. His whole body trembled as they bowed, and Leah began throwing kisses to her audience. The look on the priest’s face was pure joy. It was easy to see she was proud of the woman at her side. Leah whispered something into the priest’s ear as she led her back to the table. Even on the video, Marcus could see the priest blush. He could only imagine what Leah had whispered in the woman’s ear. Marcus gagged, Dinner with her wife, huh , he thought. He noticed the priest wasn’t wearing a collar, opting for a white silk blouse open at the neck.
“Excuse me.” Marcus dashed for the bathroom where he threw up. He finally got himself under control. He washed his face, rinsed out his mouth and returned to confront his boss. “Too much partying last night,” he grinned rejoining Baron.
He was surprised to see his secretary in his office. “Chief, she addressed Marcus, “Have you seen the video of the couple that was in your office Thursday? It has gone viral and had over four million hits.”
Baron’s eyes immediately shot to his top agent. “You rascal,” he beamed. “You are already working on signing them aren’t you.” He slapped Marcus’ back. “That’s why I pay you the big bucks. You are the best. How long before you have them under contract.”
“I…I…” Marcus stammered.
“Not trying to pin you down, old boy,” Baron grinned. “I know these things take time. It will make up for the bad deal you signed with the Choir Boys.”
Baron turned to leave the room. “Any chance you can get that band to do a recording session. One album will make us millions. Their video has gone over a billion hits.” He laughed gleefully as he almost danced out of the room.
Marcus slumped in his chair and moaned into his hands. His career was over. His desire for the brunette beauty consumed his entire being. His life was in ruins. He had to stop this downward spiral quickly.
##
Leah’s phone dinged the arrival of a text message from Richie. “Wow, Mom! You and Mika are awesome. The entire town loves this.” He had attached a video.
Mika raised her eyebrows asking if Leah wanted her to play the video. She was still on the phone with Emily. Leah nodded and watched as their entire performance began to play across the screen. She laughed as she saw the look on Mika’s face when she leaned toward her and shimmied her shoulders. Although, her shoulders weren’t what Mika was grinning at, like a fool.
She hung up on Emily and fell over in Mika’s lap, laughing. “Look at your face,” she cried.
“Oh, my, gosh!” Mika howled, “I am almost drooling down the front of your dress. You really shouldn’t dress like that in public if you expect me to keep it together.”
“That is just one of the many things I adore about you, darling,” she laughed. “I love knowing I affect you like that.”
“One thing for sure,” Mika sighed. “If you don’t want it on YouTube, don’t do it in public. It appears there is always someone close by with a cell phone.”
Her phone played Richie’s ringtone, and Leah answered it still laughing with her wife
A text dinged in on the Priest’s phone with a message from Ruth, “You two are incredibly hot. We love you. Hurry home. We miss our power couple. Can’t wait to hear about NY. It looks like you knocked their socks off,” Mika held Ruth’s text in front of Leah so she could read it.
“Sheriff Carver why are you calling me on my son’s cell phone,” Leah asked caustically. “No, I don’t wish to discuss my behavior with you. Apparently, you are the only one that has a problem with it. Please put Richie on the phone.”
“Richie are you okay,” Leah queried in her sweetest voice. Yes, we are still planning to be home for church in the morning. I am proud of you, too, son. I love you. Mika sends her love, too.”
Leah stretched lazily putting her legs across her wife’s lap. “One thing I would like to do today,” she smiled sweetly at her, “is visit Radio City Music Hall. I would like to see where you will be shaking your booty.”
Mika ducked her head and smiled her little girl smile as a faint pink spread up her neck to her face. God, I want you, she thought.
“I know a great little bistro about a block from there,” Mika said. “We can have James drop us off and walk to the music hall after lunch.”
“That will work out great.” Leah scooted into Mika’s lap, “They have a tour that starts at 1:30. We can do the tour then go to Mass. St. Patrick’s Cathedral is right across the street.”
Leah kissed her slowly, her lips moving maddeningly against Mika’s. Her tongue tentatively explored her lips then moved hesitantly to engage Mika’s tongue. “Mortal,” Mika whispered.
“Umm,” she purred. “That will do for now.”
##
James dropped them at an exquisite French restaurant for lunch. “Please, order for me,” Leah leaned toward her and smiled.
Leah watched Mika as she ordered Porcini Flan for their appetizer and Wild Alaskan Salmon for their entrée. She ordered her favorite wine. Leah liked everything about Mika. The way she was comfortable in any situation. The way she handled herself whether they were eating a hamburger at the diner in their hometown or caviar at an exclusive restaurant in New York. Mika was extremely well educated and never stooped to the use of profanity to express herself. Her mind went briefly to Emily. Life would have been so different with Emily. Unbearable.
Emily’s idea of a fine restaurant was anything serving Mexican food. Her motto had been if you can’t wash it down with beer, it isn’t worth eating . The sheriff could barely make a sentence without using profanity.
Mika treated her like a queen and always let her know how lucky she felt to be her wife. Emily had treated her like a harlot and never missed an opportunity to remind her how lucky she was to be sleeping with the town sheriff. She shook her head to clear the humiliating image of herself and the sheriff.
Mika reached across the table and took Leah’s hand raising it slowly to her lips she kissed it. Warmth spread throughout Leah’s body. Not desire, but the deep, adoration of Mika’s love. Mika looked deep into her eyes. Little did she know she was being compared to those before her and deemed the best thing that had ever happened to Leah? Leah smiled at her and overcame the urge to take them back to their bedroom in the penthouse.
They strolled the streets of New York, holding hands, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. Occasionally Mika couldn’t help herself and would steal a kiss. Of course, Leah would always remind her that one couldn’t steal that which is freely given.
They arrived at the music hall just as the tour group was beginning to enter the facility. Leah was fascinated by the stage that would raise and lower. The hydraulics required to lift and lower the stage intrigued her. She studied it, committing what she saw to memory. She surveyed the hall itself. It was overwhelming. She wondered if Mika and the Choir Boys might be intimidated by the opulence and size of the hall.
She gripped her wife’s hand tightly. “Does the number of people you will be performing for here make you nervous?” she asked softly.
“Honey, I have ridden into life and death battles against more men than this facility can hold.” Mika grinned. Now, that made me nervous. It doesn’t bother me at all. Besides, I will only be performing for one person sitting in the audience.”
Leah tiptoed and kissed her.
/> They examined the dressing rooms. She was going over security in her mind. She did not intend to let New York women rub all over her wife and son.
They walked across the street to St. Patrick’s and attended Mass.
After Mass, they caught a Gray Line bus and got off at Zuccotti Park in the financial district. She wanted to see the New York Stock Exchange. Mika was telling her about the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011 where hundreds of protesters destroyed public and private property, raped their fellow protesters, trafficked drugs and desecrated statues in and around the park. She was surprised to see a gathering of protestors in the park as they walked past.
“Let’s move away from here,” Mika told her. “Nothing good ever comes from interacting with these people.”
As they rounded a corner, they encountered four men who were harassing a woman wearing a burka. Although they all seemed to be of the same nationality, the men were cursing the woman. “Tramp show us your face. You let your American boyfriend see you. Show us what you show him.”
“What is the meaning of this,” Leah demanded in her queenliest voice.
The men turned their eyes to the couple and Mika could see their fury at being spoken to in such a voice by the American woman. Sizing up Mika, they decided the four of them could take the couple down. They began to fan out, moving slowly toward the pair. Two of them had knives.
The men narrowed their eyes and looked at Leah. “Mut’a” one of them muttered, and they all laughed brutally, leering at the dark-haired woman.
“Fellows you don’t want to do this,” Mika tried to dissuade them from their obvious plan of attack.
“She is your wife,” one of the men growled.
“Yes,” Mika answered loudly.
“You would die for her,” the same man asked.
“Yes,” Mika raised her voice even louder.