by Lynn Ames
“Yeah,” Taj smiled at her. “But I’ve been a lesbian for a long time, and I usually have to know a woman a lot more than I know you to feel comfortable kissing her.”
“What would you rather do? Think about why I’m different, or keep kissing?”
“The way you phrased that begs the answer. Very clever.” She kissed her again, briefly this time. “My poor body wants to dive into you like a cool pool on a hot day. It’s been two full years since I’ve kissed a woman and I think I’ve forced myself to forget how fantastic it feels.”
Laurie sat up and put her hand on Taj’s cheek. “But you’d still rather talk about why this feels different, wouldn’t you?”
Taj felt compelled to be completely forthright. “That’s not normally how I am, but for some reason I’d rather talk.”
“Then we’ll talk.” Laurie hiked her skirt up until it would have been indecent, but it was so dark out she was confident she wouldn’t shock Taj. Then she quickly twisted her body into a lotus position, resting her hands palms up on her knees. She took in a deep cleansing breath and let it out slowly. “Start any place you’d like.”
***
They didn’t talk about anything too complex. In fact, it seemed to Laurie that Taj was treating this evening as she would any first date—a first date in which she was very, very interested, that is. There was no question in Laurie’s mind that Taj was not only interested in her, she could tell just how much she wanted to stop talking and get back to kissing. But it was also clear that Taj was a disciplined person and that she had an agenda even if she wasn’t able to express it.
Laurie had the sense that they’d been talking for a couple of hours, but she was surprised when she caught a look at her watch to see that it was two a.m.
Taj said, “I can’t believe I’m still yacking away. I haven’t been to bed in thirty or…thirty-five hours. My internal clock is totally screwed up.”
“Do you think you can sleep?”
“If I can brush my teeth, I think I can sleep.”
“Your teeth? You’ve been up for more than thirty hours, and you can’t sleep unless you brush your teeth?"
With a guilty-looking grin, Taj opened her backpack and showed Laurie two boxes filled with a product called Quick Brush. “I don’t know why, but I have a real thing about brushing my teeth. Every time I’m in the US, I buy a couple boxes of these, since I haven’t found them in Asia or Africa. Whenever I’m going to be out in the field, I waste precious space carrying these around. People think I’m crazy, but they make me happy.” She tore open one of the tiny packages which was about the size of a Band-Aid. Inside was a piece of gauze impregnated with toothpaste. Taj took the piece of gauze and started brushing away, looking perfectly content.
“You don’t need water?”
She shook her head, continuing to brush. Watching her with amusement, Laurie started to dig through her own carryall and produced something called EZ-Pic. She took one of the tiny toothpick-like devices out and handed it to Taj. “I hate to have things stuck in my teeth.”
They spent the next few minutes giggling at each other as they thoroughly flossed and brushed with neither water nor sink at their disposal.
***
Taj carried an amazing number of small items to aid in her comfort. She pulled out a large watertight bag that she used to store her camera when it was raining. It self-inflated, and she carefully opened the valve to make it into a fairly comfortable pillow. She also had a plastic container filled with earplugs which she offered to Laurie.
“I don’t think I could relax enough to sleep if I couldn’t hear someone coming up beside me.”
“That’s a good thought. I’m not going to use them, so feel free.”
There was a lot of noise, mostly from the cars that were still gridlocked. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I only use them when there are bombs going off.” She gave Laurie a half smile. “I wish I were kidding.”
Laurie took her hand and brought it to her lips, kissing it gently. “I wish you were too.”
“Do you think you can sleep?”
“Maybe. I think I’ll put my gym clothes back on. I’m sure they smell horrible, but I’ll be able to relax better if I’m not worried about showing every passerby my hoo-ha.”
“You have a hoo-ha?” Taj grinned mischievously.
“So do you, but your shorts cover yours. I’m gonna go behind those shrubs and change.”
“Don’t be surprised if I sneak over there and spy on you.”
Laurie leaned over and kissed her teasingly. “All you have to do is ask.”
***
Once Laurie had changed into her damp, admittedly foul-smelling gym clothes, she lay back down on her yoga mat and tried to get comfortable.
Taj watched her struggle and pushed her backpack over towards her. “I’ve got a lot of stuff in here, but you could move things around until you could make a pretty nice pillow out of it.”
“But your camera’s in here.”
“I know. But every lens is in a protective case and the camera body is wrapped in foam. I take care of my prized possession. Besides, if you’re sleeping on it that’s another level of protection.”
“I don’t know if I’ll be much help if somebody tries to take it away from me.”
“I’ll protect it—I mean you,” she teased. “I’m pretty good at self defense.”
“You don’t look like you would be. You seem very, very gentle.”
Nodding solemnly, Taj said, “I am. I’ve never started a fight, but if someone brings one to me I won’t run. I think most people are like dogs. Once they know you’re afraid, they take advantage of you. The best thing to do is face them head on.”
“Have you had to do that often?”
“No, not often at all. But I often have to bluff my way out of situations. That’s another time that you can’t show fear.”
“I’m not sure I’d be very good at that.”
“You won’t know until you’re put into the position. You might surprise yourself.”
“Or get killed.”
“That would be a surprise too.” Taj leaned over and gave her fresh, clean-smelling mouth a kiss. “I think you’d be a good traveler. You have a quick mind and I can tell how thoroughly you study people. That’s a critical requirement. So, I think you’re set.”
“I think I do better at reading travel books than traveling. But it feels good to have you say you think that I’d be good at it.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you’d be good at just about anything you tried.” With another quick kiss, Taj lay down on her poncho and fussed with her waterproof bag until she had it just as she wanted it. “I don’t think we’ll need it, but I have some insect repellent from China that I assume is a carcinogen. But it kills bugs like nobody’s business.” She laughed softly, nudged her pillow with her shoulder a couple of times, then reached out and took Laurie’s hand.
Feeling strangely cared for and completely safe, Laurie lay on her back and watched the stars for a long time, fearing it might be the first and last time she saw them so clearly.
***
The sun warmed her face, and Laurie turned her head to avoid opening her eyes. She was stiff and uncomfortable, and briefly wondered how her relatively new bed had gotten so firm. Then she heard a long, baleful horn bleat, and she shot up and stared. She was about a hundred feet from the end of the pier, safely nestled behind a stand of shrubs which protected her from the bike path and, further on, West Side Highway.
Her memories returned and she looked around for Taj, spying her at the end of the pier, doing what looked to be tai chi, or some other form of martial art.
Taj was, to Laurie’s pleasure, dressed in only her underwear—silky-looking pewter-colored briefs and bra that could have passed for a swimsuit on a beach where Laurie could easily spend the rest of her days. Taj wasn’t particularly muscular. In fact, she was lean, almost wiry, but her sleek body was as flexible and fluid as
any Laurie had ever seen. Taj had clearly been practicing her routine for a very long time. She moved effortlessly—as if suspended in water—in one slow, beautiful and graceful motion.
Laurie had often seen groups of Chinese men and women doing tai chi in public parks around the city, but she’d never watched anyone perform the art as raptly as she now did. She was transfixed by Taj’s peaceful elegance and power, unable to take her eyes from her.
She watched until Taj finished, then walked slowly back down the pier and, seeing her, waved happily. When she was close, Taj said, “I’ve had my exercise. Now I need breakfast.” Her cocoa-colored skin was glistening with perspiration, and she ran her hands across her forehead, then smoothed her dark hair back.
Laurie wasn’t sure she could speak without her voice breaking, so she stood up and grasped the end of her yoga mat. “I was going to limber up a little. Do you mind?”
“No, no, do what you normally do. I’ll sit here and cool down.”
Laurie was a long way from cool, but she ignored the desire she felt for Taj and focused on centering herself so she’d be ready for whatever the day had in store for them.
It took her a few minutes to feel loose enough to get into her usual routine, but she managed. After a while she was rolling through the downward dog, the crane, the half-moon, the dancer and all of the rest of her daily program, until she stopped and looked over to see Taj gazing at her with what could only be called lust.
Laurie averted her gaze just before Taj’s eyes met hers. She took a few deep breaths and walked over to her. “Guess what I see?”
“Electricity?”
“No, but almost as good. There’s a bubble fountain right down the path. We can cool off and at least start the day feeling a little less grungy.”
Taj grabbed all of her things and followed Laurie down the bike path to the fountain used by kids in the playground to stay cool. “I don’t think this was made for adults, but I’m loving it.” Taj walked right into the cool water, her nipples hardening so quickly that Laurie had to tear her attention away.
She ran into the water beside Taj and shrieked at the cold. It was already a warm morning, but the water couldn’t have been more than sixty-five degrees, far too cold for her. But it was so nice to see the water glinting off Taj’s beautiful skin and clinging underthings that she quickly forgot her discomfort and relished the pleasure the water brought.
After jumping around to try and get warm they realized they’d never reach that goal, so they dashed out of the spray and stood shivering in the sun. “We’re gonna want to be this cold later today,” Taj predicted. “It’s gonna be a scorcher.”
***
They were both surprised that the electricity had not come back on, but they realized how bad things were because even their cell phones were still not working. Their first goal of the day was to find food. Since there were more stores and restaurants there, they crossed over to Tenth Avenue. The pickings were very slim, with every restaurant and diner closed. There was a very nice market in Chelsea that Laurie had been to, but the front doors of the old factory that housed the little shops were locked tight.
Despite the disappointment, Laurie took Taj’s hand as they continued to walk up the avenue. “You seem very cheerful this morning,” Taj said.
“This is still kind of fun. I feel bad for all of the people who can’t open today, and I know a lot of people are going to lose a lot of money, but from my single perverse perspective, I’m enjoying myself.”
“I hate to keep bringing this up, but that’s the key requirement for being a good traveler. I think you have unexplored talents.”
"God, I hope so,” Laurie said, laughing. She caught sight of a man walking down the street with a grocery bag. “What’s open?” she asked.
“The bodega on Twenty-fourth, if you have cash.”
“Thanks,” she said, already rummaging through her pockets. Gleefully, she produced a five and two singles. “I bought an Italian ice yesterday after my yoga class. Good thing I didn’t bother putting my change in my wallet, or I would’ve left it at the restaurant last night." She shook her three bills in the air. “We’re livin’ large!”
***
The seven dollars didn’t actually buy them much. Laurie considered buying two energy bars and a bottle of water, but Taj spent ten minutes walking around the tiny store surveying their options. She finally picked out a twelve-ounce jar of peanut butter and a decent-sized bag of raisins. “We’ll get the most calories and the most protein from this. If this is the only thing we can buy it’ll hold us for two days.”
“Two days!” Laurie shrieked. “This is New York City. If the electricity isn’t on by tonight, the federal government will start airlifting in tapas and Pinot Grigio.”
Taj snapped the bills from Laurie’s hand and put her purchases on the counter. “The energy bars are easier and might taste better, but I’m not counting on an airlift.”
***
The bodega had a few plastic spoons left, so they sat in a pocket park eating spoonsful of peanut butter topped with as many raisins as would stay attached to the mound. After just a few spoons, Taj held the empty utensil in her hand and looked at the jar like she had no intention of eating another bite.
“Peanut butter isn’t great without jelly,” Laurie opined.
“I don’t need the jelly, but I’ll admit this isn’t going down too easily. I wish we had a big glass of milk.”
“Forget milk. I crave coffee.”
“I kicked my coffee habit, which had become pretty bad, when I was in Afghanistan.”
“They don’t drink coffee?”
“Yeah, they like coffee, but they love tea, or chai as it’s known locally. I started drinking green tea and now that’s what I’m addicted to.”
“I’ll get you a chai the second Starbucks is open.”
“I’ve had their chai and it doesn’t bear much resemblance to what I’ve had in Afghanistan. But I’ll gladly take it. You don’t know of a good Afghani restaurant, do you?”
“No, but I bet there’s one in Queens. Queens has everything.”
“I don’t have a confirmed flight out of New York, so I could hang around for a bit. I’d love to take you to Queens for dinner.”
Smiling brightly, Laurie said, “It’s a date.”
***
It was just nine, but it was already hot and muggy. Not many people were out, even though no one had air conditioning or a fan. “Isn’t it odd that people aren’t heading to the parks? It’s gotta be cooler outside than it is in.”
“Maybe they’re all standing under a cold shower.”
“If their building is more than four or five floors, they don’t have water.” Laurie pointed at a big, wooden barrel perched atop a nearby building. “We have water towers if we’re over five stories. Our water pressure only goes that high.”
Taj surveyed the tower for a moment. “Why wouldn’t the water still work?”
“It would, if it doesn’t run out. But no one will conserve. Every native will assume the lights will be on in the next five minutes.”
“Sounds like someone I know,” Taj teased.
“It’ll be back in no time. But I really don’t like being broke. I have an idea of how to make a few bucks, but I have to change back into my dress.”
“Sounds good to me. You look great in that dress.” Taj’s dark eyebrows popped up a few times, making her look like a teenager.
***
It took some teamwork, but Laurie was back in her dress, hair combed and lipstick applied by ten. They walked another ten blocks, winding up in front of Penn Station.
There were hundreds of people loitering in front of the entrance, with weary-looking police officers informing people that the Long Island Rail Road was still not in service. Nor was New Jersey Transit. But the A-C-E subway was back up, and people streamed into the hot building to wait for the subway.
“Will the A-C-E get us to your house?” Taj asked.
; “Yeah. That’s my normal train, but I won’t have water or electricity. My apartment is hot when it’s over seventy, so we’re probably better off here.”
“Then let’s try to scare up some cash. How many do you have?”
Laurie checked her bag. “Five.”
“Okay. I’ll do my best.” Taj stood near the entrance to Penn Station and started her pitch. “Get the latest from Laurie Ambrose, best selling mystery novelist. She’s right here, a local girl made good. Let’s hear it for Laurie Ambrose.” She made an exaggerated circle with her arm and then pointed towards Laurie, who waved at the puzzled group of people.
Laurie held up her new book, acting like a spokesmodel for a new detergent.
“Yes, it’s the book you’ve been waiting for,” Taj continued. “It’s in hardcover…and, in honor of the blackout, Laurie is selling the book for a mere twenty dollars. That’s seven dollars off the list price, folks. And she’ll autograph all copies. She’ll even take a picture with you. Come on now, don’t be the last person to get in on this deal. The blackout could be over in five minutes and you’ll have missed your chance.”
The nearby police officer snickered at Taj’s prediction.
A few people stopped and regarded both women, clearly trying to figure out what kind of scam this was. But a flushed-faced woman tentatively approached and said, “Are you really Laurie Ambrose?”
Laurie turned the book around and put it next to her face. “I’m as close to being me as I can be in this heat.”
“Ahh!” The woman started pointing and jumping up and down, and a few more women approached. “We’re big fans!”
“Wonderful!” Laurie acted as excited to see them as they were to see her. “My book just came out yesterday, so you’ll be the first to have it.”