No One But You

by Catherine Maiorisis

  “Everything about your life interests me, sweet Robin.” She twisted and kissed her. “Go on.”

  “Anyway, this kid with black and purple hair, black lipstick, weird black eye makeup and tattoos panhandled on the corner near our apartment. Usually I’d give her some money, or I’d take her in the deli and buy her a sandwich. But this one day in October it was freezing and she was shivering so badly she couldn’t even ask for money. So I took her to lunch with me. Genius that I am, I had figured out she was a runaway, but she deflected any questions about her age or where she was from or anything personal. It took me a while but then I realized she was afraid I would try to send her home. So I told her my story and assured her I understood about wanting to get away from your family. After another few cups of coffee she trusted me enough to confide that she was sixteen, had run away from an abusive father six months before, lived on the street and didn’t have any warm clothes. Obviously, I couldn’t let her go back on the street and freeze, so I bought her a warm coat, gloves, a hat and boots and took her home with me. By that time Katie was there, and we agreed she could sleep in our living room in exchange for some work.” She smiled at the memory. “And Jan being Jan, she didn’t just jump at the chance, she bargained and got us to pay her something as well.”

  “Gutsy, huh?”

  “That she was and is. Anyway, it didn’t take long for us to figure out that she was really smart and ambitious. She spent hours learning the system on her own, and when we sold it to a couple of small banks, we cleaned her up and she helped us train the users. After that, we insisted she get a high school degree and we paid for her to go to college. As the company grew, we wanted her to help run it, but she decided she’d rather be the assistant to the two of us so she could run everything. She’s an integral part of the company and our lives. She’s also a multimillionaire by the way.”

  “Is she a lesbian?”

  Robin laughed. “Depends on the day.”

  The car stopped. Tanya tapped on the window, then lowered it. “We’re at the ferry.”

  “That was fast.” Lily unbuckled her seat belt and sat up. Robin did the same.

  Tanya opened the door for Lily and helped her out. Robin got out on her side. Tanya retrieved their bags from the trunk, then addressed Robin. “Call when you’re ready to be picked up.”

  “You bet. Thanks.”

  Tanya smiled at them “Have a good time.” She got into the car, then drove away. They walked to the window and bought tickets for the next ferry.

  It was a bright sunny July day with nary a cloud in the sky, so Robin headed to the shaded area of the ferry. Lily beamed. “This is so beautiful. I didn’t realize we had to take a boat to get there. Is this the Atlantic?”

  “No, the Great South Bay, but the house is on the Atlantic side of the island.”

  The ferry took about forty minutes, and the walk to the ocean side of the island was just a few minutes. Lily’s breath caught. The house was right on the beach. The Atlantic Ocean, which she’d never seen before, was right there, waves crashing wildly. A beautiful sight. She turned and kissed Robin. “This is fabulous.”

  “We think so. Let’s go in.”

  The house was large, with two bedrooms and two baths, an open kitchen and dining room and a spacious living room with a fireplace on the ground floor and three bedrooms and three baths upstairs. The decor was appropriate for the beach, casual but comfortable and tasteful. Outside, a deck wrapped around three sides.

  “Come on. Our rooms are upstairs. I’ll show you to yours so you can wash up and change, and then we’ll have lunch on the deck.”

  Upstairs Robin ushered her into a bedroom and placed her bag on the bed. “I think you’ll be comfortable here.” She picked up her own bag. “Come downstairs whenever you’re ready.” She closed the door gently.

  Hands on her hips, Lily stared after Robin. So separate bedrooms as promised but not for long if things go as I expect. She stretched. She could be comfortable here. The bedroom was lovely, filled with light and a breeze from the ocean visible through the sheer white curtains billowing on the wall of windows and the French doors to the deck. It was decorated in shades of blue, had a queen-sized bed with a night table and lamp on each side, a chaise with a lamp and table next to it and a small desk. As Lily washed up in her private bathroom, then changed into shorts and a T-shirt, her body tingled with thoughts of making love later.

  Lily opened the sliding door, stepped onto the deck and gazed at the ocean, mesmerized by the sound and the smell and the sight of the waves battering the shore. It seemed much more violent than the Pacific. Alerted by the sound of another sliding door opening, she wasn’t surprised to feel Robin’s arms circle her waist from behind. Robin’s chin rested on her shoulder. “Gorgeous, isn’t it?”

  “It is.” Robin swiveled to face her, then kissed her, slowly and deeply. Lust surged through Lily as her senses filled with Robin, the scent of her light cologne and sweat, the taste of the sea on her lips, the silkiness of her hair and the sweetness and warmth of her breath. Robin pulled back. In the sunlight, her black hair gleamed like a raven’s feathers, her sparkling green eyes surpassed the beauty of the sparkling sea and her smile was sexy and inviting. Lily’s heart filled with love. Why wait?

  “Let’s eat.”

  Lily blinked. She wasn’t thinking about eating but once Robin mentioned it, she realized she was hungry. So, fingers entwined with Robin’s, she followed her downstairs to the table set on the deck off the kitchen.

  Lily’s attention shifted to the table. One hunger at a time. They had as much time as they wanted today.

  The food was glorious: avocado stuffed with shrimp salad, quinoa salad, beet salad with peaches, a mixed green salad, cantaloupe and cherries and honeydew, prosciutto and provolone cheese and rolls. They helped themselves. Robin offered beer or wine or lemonade and Lily chose lemonade.

  “This food is delicious. Where did it come from?”

  “I ordered it from a restaurant in Sayville, where we got the ferry, and it was sent this morning. The woman we pay to take care of the house met the early ferry and put everything in the fridge.”

  Robin moved her chair so they were sitting next to each other, facing the ocean. She took Lily’s hand and held it to her heart. Lily kissed Robin’s temple, then raised their clasped hands in the air. “As much as I love this, sweetie, I can’t eat with my left hand.”

  Robin kissed the hand she was holding and then placed it in Lily’s lap. “Sorry.” They ate and chatted and when they finished, they cleaned up together, stopping often for kisses and touches. “Shall we walk on the beach? Since this is a weekday it shouldn’t be too crowded.”

  “I’d love it. Let me get my things.” Lily ran up the stairs and returned with her hat and sunglasses. “I’m ready.”

  They left their sandals on the deck and stepped into the hot sand, then dashed to the water’s edge to keep their feet from burning. Holding hands, they walked in the wet sand, occasionally dashing away from the aftermath of a strong wave.

  After a half hour, they turned back toward the house. Robin pulled Lily into an embrace. She lifted Lily’s sunglasses and looked into her eyes. “Have you given the wedding any thought?”

  She kissed Robin’s palm. “Are you absolutely sure?”

  Robin kissed her nose. “I’m nervous, but I’m positive. What about you?”

  “Scared but sure. I want it to be small, just my family and a couple of friends on my side. What about you?”

  “Katie and Jan, Emma and our other roommates plus some other friends from Harvard and Stanford, but I guess I pictured something big and wonderful that would include clients.”

  She felt Lily tense. “I understand your reluctance, Lily, but I would never hurt you like that. Never. It took me a while to get it, but I want to be with you forever.” Lily started walking and Robin followed. “Can we compromise? A very small ceremony and dinner with just our nearest and dearest, then after a wonderful, sex-
filled…” Robin wiggled her eyebrows “…honeymoon, we have a huge reception, call it a party, to celebrate. What do you think?”

  Lily put her arm around Robin’s waist. “I still think this wiggling of eyebrows needs to stop. I also think a separate reception after the fact is a great idea.”

  “Really?” Robin ran circles around Lily and started singing. “We’re getting married in the…” she skidded to a stop, “when?”

  “Soon, but let’s wait until we see my mamas to decide, just to be sure they can be here. Is that okay?”

  “Yes. Is your family religious? Who will marry us? City Hall doesn’t sound too romantic to me. And I want it to be special. A classmate of mine clerked for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Maybe we could get her to officiate.”

  “Justice Ginsburg is a media draw and her presence could turn the wedding into a circus.” She was silent for a few seconds. “Unless she’s willing to keep it low key, not let anyone know until we’re on our honeymoon. We could talk to Cordy about it.”

  “Dr. Alexander knows her?”

  “Between them, my mamas know everybody. When we get back to the city, I’ll call them to find out when they’re available for us to see them in California.”

  “Great.” Robin kissed her. They started walking again. “Hey, want to join me for a swim when we get back to the house?”

  “As long as there’s no dunking.”

  “If kissing is allowed, there’ll be no dunking. Let’s change.” Robin grabbed her hand and they raced to the house. “First one on the deck in a bathing suit wins.”

  “Wins what?”

  “If I’m first, you have to kiss me, and if you’re first, I have to kiss you.”

  “Sounds fair.”

  As she changed, Lily worried anew about Robin’s reaction to her body. The women she usually went with were models and actresses whose livelihood depended on them being thin. And she was far from thin, with her full breasts and not-flat stomach and hips. Maybe she should say she changed her mind. She pulled the tank top on again and headed for the door. With her hand on the doorknob, she hesitated, thinking about all the work she’d done with her therapist on this subject. Might as well know now. If Robin was repulsed by her body, they should find out before they made too many plans and involved too many people. She shivered at the thought of another public rejection.

  She pulled her tank over her head, slipped her shorts off, then vacillated between the bikini and the full suit. She bit her lip. She stared at herself in the mirror. Intellectually she got that she wasn’t fat, and if she looked objectively she could see that her body was like Del’s, lush and sexy. But it was a struggle to keep from reverting to her old self-image as she had just done. The bikini it is. She threw a big shirt over the skimpy black suit and went out to the deck where long-legged, small-breasted, slender Robin was waiting in her bikini to collect her kiss.

  Robin immediately sensed the change in her mood. “What’s wrong?”

  Lily snuggled into Robin, enjoying the feel of her hands moving over her body. She heard her therapist’s voice encouraging her to be honest, encouraging her to remember she either loves you or she doesn’t, but it doesn’t negate who you are. Robin loves me. She took a deep breath. “I’m afraid you’ll be repulsed by my body.”

  Robin kissed her tenderly. “Are you kidding? It was your body swaying to the music that first captivated me at Shazarak. I thought you were the sexiest woman I’d ever seen and I couldn’t keep my eyes away from you. Then, when our eyes met, all I could think of was you, making love to you. I love your body, I love you.”

  “But you prefer thin women?”

  “They were mostly decoration and they pursued me. None of them ever aroused me the way you do.”

  “But you made love with them.”

  “No, Lily. I had sex with a few of them, not that many.” She flushed. “And mostly it was about them, about me servicing them, not a mutual thing at all.” She caressed Lily’s face. “You are the most beautiful, sexy, sensual woman I have ever known, and I think all the time about kissing every inch of your gorgeous body.” She kissed Lily again. “I’m really looking forward to making love to you.” She cleared her throat. “You’re the only woman whose body I’ve ever fantasized about.”

  “I love you, Robin.”

  “I love you.” She unbuttoned Lily’s shirt and threw it on a nearby chair. “All of you.” She kissed the swell of Lily’s breasts peeking over the skimpy bikini bra. “I adore your breasts.” She got on her knees and kissed the small bulge of her belly. “And your sweet belly, and this hip, and this hip, and this thigh, and this thigh, and this calf and this calf.” She turned her around. “And last but not least, these butt cheeks. I don’t want to hear you say anything negative about your body ever again.”

  Lily pulled her to her feet. “Thank you.” She dashed off the deck. “Last one in the water is a loser.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Love in the Pines

  The ocean was colder than she expected, but Lily warmed quickly as they rode the waves, splashed and played, then swam, then splashed and played and kissed and touched and rubbed. Finally, exhausted by the sun and water and all the activity, they showered and sat on the deck, Lily with a glass of sauvignon blanc and Robin with her usual seltzer and lime.

  “Do you have a drinking problem, Robin? Is that why you avoid alcohol?”

  Robin shifted her gaze to the breaking waves in front of them and didn’t respond. Lily felt bad for asking.

  “No. I don’t have a problem. But I’m afraid I could. My father was, and if he’s alive, probably still is, a drunk. I remember almost nothing of my childhood, but I have a shadowy memory of a crazy woman who smelled of booze, so I think my mom might have also been a drinker.”

  “Why don’t you remember? Did something traumatic happen?” Lily flashed to her own childhood with her loving mamas, her Boudreaux and Carlyle grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. She had so many happy memories. Still, she had forgotten the incident with Belinda’s mother. But forgetting your entire childhood seemed weird. Was it because both her parents were alcoholic and the memories were unpleasant? Or was Robin damaged in some way? And, if she was, what, if anything, did it have to do with their future?

  Robin shrugged. “I don’t think so but if I knew the answer to that, I would probably remember.”

  “Did you ever talk to your brothers about it?”

  She shrugged again. “Both my brothers are older and were out of the house before I left Florida, so I never had the chance.” Robin swallowed and turned her gaze to the pounding ocean. She rubbed the back of her hands over her eyes.

  “Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Lily got out of her chair and cradled Robin’s head to her chest.

  “It’s all right. It’s just, sometimes I wonder why he hated me so much that he never even called to see if I’d made it to Boston.”

  “Alcohol does strange things to people, love.”

  “That’s why you needed to know about it. If we’re going to have children, maybe we should skip my egg and just do two of yours.”

  Lily held her at arms length. “No way. I can’t think of anything more wonderful than having a little Robin running around. As a matter of fact, you’ll go first.”

  “Do you want to have the children right away?”

  “I think we should have some time by ourselves to travel, have fun and be free to do anything we want before we have a baby. What do you think?”

  Robin smiled. “Have I told you I love you?”

  “Not often enough. And I might ask you to prove it later.”

  Robin stood. “Whoa. You mean—”

  Lily’s smile was mischievous. “How about I see what’s available to make us dinner?”

  Robin grabbed her and kissed her deeply. “You’re a tease, you know that?”

  “So you’ve said. What do we have for dinner?”

  “I’ll barbecue some steaks and veggie
s, you make a salad. Deal?”

  * * *

  After they ate and cleaned up, Robin sprawled in a chaise on the deck and pulled Lily down on top of her. They talked and kissed. Gentle kisses deepened to passion, tentative exploration of bodies became more insistent, breaths came in gasps, hearts pounded. Lily broke away. “Time for bed, sweet Robin.” Her voice was rough and deeper than usual.

  Robin groaned and held her tight for a moment, then followed.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Ah, Sweet Love

  They went to their separate bedrooms. After brushing her teeth and changing into pajama pants and a T-shirt, Robin went to Lily’s room to say goodnight. Lily was propped up on pillows with a book in her hand. She put the book down and opened her arms. Robin crawled onto the bed and Lily pulled her close.

  Robin snuggled. “Does this mean…?”

  Lily ran her fingers through Robin’s hair. “It means I love being close to you. It means I like talking and getting to know you better. It means…let’s see what happens.”

  Accompanied by the clap of the breaking waves, the fishy ocean smell and a gentle breeze, they talked late into the night. There was still so much they didn’t know about each other and stripping away the layers brought them closer. They fell asleep holding each other.

  A too-close flash of lightning followed by the crash of thunder directly overhead woke Lily with a start. Robin pulled her closer as if to protect her from the elements. It was pitch black outside and in. Lily rolled on top of Robin and kissed her softly, and even with the constant rumble above them, the waves crashing and the wind and rain whipping against the house, she heard Robin’s soft gasp of pleasure. Lightening illuminated Robin’s face. With each strike, the glittering emerald eyes, the soft smile and the look of pure love flashed as if they were under a disco ball.