Fusion

by Diana Kane

  *****

  I’m in bed reading when there is a soft knock on my door. “Alex are you awake?”

  Shit my clothes are in the hamper inside the closet. I quickly dismiss the idea of getting up to retrieve them and simply pull the sheet up as I tell Catherine to come in. Catherine enters my room wearing a blue bathrobe. It matches her eyes, something I’m sure is deliberate.

  “You can’t sleep either?” Catherine makes her way over and settles herself on the end of the bed.

  “I might eventually. I read every night before I try to sleep. It helps me relax. Why are you still awake?” I’m trying not to be distracted by the fact that Catherine is on my bed, in the middle of the night, wearing a short bathrobe. I get my first glimpse of her long, bare legs and feel my insides stir.

  “I was just thinking about a few things. You know how easy it is to second guess a decision you’ve made when it is the dead of night.” I understand what she is saying, just not what she is actually talking about.

  “Well I am sleep challenged. I don’t need any help being kept up all night most of the time. Anything you want to run by me? Maybe I can help.”

  “Perhaps you can. I’m not sure that I’ve made the right choice.” Catherine rises from the bed and in one smooth motion unceremoniously opens her robe and lets it fall to the floor. She is wearing the black lingerie she showed me earlier tonight. I am transfixed. The sight of her is better than I had imagined, I can feel the effects between my legs. Catherine moves up the side of the bed, maneuvering like a predator stalking its prey. Her fingers trail over the sheet along the length of my leg as she approaches and I feel the sensation of her touch reverberate through my body. In one smooth motion she is on the bed straddling me. “Maybe you need a better view.” She tosses my Kindle aside and places both of my hands on her ass. I know the sheet I have been using for cover has fallen but I don’t care. “Well my view has certainly improved,” Catherine purrs, arching her right eyebrow as she stares at my bared chest. She slowly moves my hands up her sides to her breasts. They fit in my hands like they were tailor made for me. I gently massage them and slowly tease each of her nipples through the lacy fabric. Her breath rasps as I apply firmer and firmer pressure to the hardening nubs. My mouth waters as I contemplate which nipple to put in it first. She takes my face in her hands and redirects my attention from her body to her deep blues. “You still haven’t told me, did I make the right decision?” I am unable to find the words to answer her. My hands are on Catherine’s hips again. As I slide her body closer to mine she pulls me in for a kiss, teasing at first then fully engaged. I run my tongue along her lower lip before invading her mouth. I can feel her hips grinding against my lap. This is bliss. I’m slowly trailing my way down her neck, alternating teasing her with gentle biting and my tongue. I’ve nearly made it to her breasts when Catherine takes a handful of my hair and pulls my head away. “Not until you answer me. I want to hear you say it.” Her mouth is on mine again. She greedily invades my mouth and continues to grind against me. I bite her lower lip and am rewarded by a long low moan, her sounds turning me on even more. I’m convinced she is hell bent on punishing me and I like it. She breaks off our kiss, biting and tugging on my lower lip as she pulls away.

  A sharp pain wakes me. I turn on the bedside lamp and discover that my lip is bleeding. I must have bitten it in my sleep. I’m also aware that I am soaking wet. The dream of Catherine still fresh in my mind. Catherine in that black lingerie, grinding against me. I know I shouldn’t be thinking about Catherine like this, no good can come from it. However my clit is throbbing and I need some relief. I open the bedside drawer and grab my favorite vibrator. With the dream of Catherine still fresh in my mind it doesn't take long for me to climax, twice. I hope that sleep will find me again, but after half an hour I know I am out of luck. Resigned to my fate of being awake I decide to take advantage of the pool. It is just after 4 am, but the pool is far enough away from Catherine’s bedroom that I shouldn’t disturb her.

  I love the water, even if I am just swimming laps. I push myself hard, swimming lap after lap without rest, punishing myself for the thoughts I keep having about Catherine. I have no idea how long I have been at it when a movement catches my eye. Catherine is awake. She is wearing a dark blue swimsuit. While it conceals much more than the lingerie in my dream, it still showcases her amazing body. I feel a familiar stirring again and am thankful that I’m likely already flushed from my swim.

  “Good morning. Couldn’t sleep?” She smiles at me as she pulls on her swim cap. She clearly has no idea about the forbidden thoughts I’ve been having about her.

  “I got a nap in, around three hours I think. What time is it?”

  “Just after 5.”

  “What has you up so early?” I try not to molest her with my eyes but I’m certain I’m failing miserably.

  “I have to go in and round this morning. I am used to getting up early anyway, so I take advantage of it and get a workout in.”

  “I see. I’ll leave you to it then.” I make my way back towards the shallow end so I can exit the water.”

  “No need to leave on my account. The pool is plenty large enough for both of us to use. You have pretty good form and are actually reasonably fast. Did you ever swim competitively?” How long has Catherine been watching me?

  “No. Never had an opportunity to. We had a pool when I was a kid. I’ve always had access to one and I love the water. Guess I just naturally developed whatever skill I have.” I exit the water and wrap myself in my towel.

  “Alex you really do not need to leave on my behalf.” My body is begging me to stay, my mind is telling me to leave.

  “I’ve been at it for nearly an hour. I’m going to grab a shower and decide if I want to try to take a nap or make some breakfast.” I really can’t be near Catherine right now. The memory of the dream along with the view of her in her suit is too distracting.

  “Suit yourself.”

  “Let me know if anything comes up on rounds. I’ll be ready.”

  Catherine

  I arrive home exhausted from a long day in clinic. Some days the factors all line up so that no matter what effort you make you just fall further and further behind. This was one of those days. Patients were extra chatty, a few wanted to discuss issues they were not scheduled to be seen for, two showed up late, and there was a system issue as well, meaning patient charts were unavailable for a good 20 minutes. I skipped lunch in an effort to catch up, but that effort was in vain. I arrive home wanting food, a drink and something to read before bed. I am pleasantly surprised to find a note from Alex letting me know she heard the office had issues today so she made dinner. I check the refrigerator to discover some home made chicken noodle soup. Perfect comfort food for this stressful winter day. I love having Alex at the house for a number of reasons, her amazing abilities in the kitchen being one of them. I put a bowl of soup in the microwave and pour myself a glass of white wine. The peace and quiet of the house is a welcome respite from the chaos at the office today.

  After dinner I head towards the basement to thank Alex. I stop at the top and announce myself, “Alex?”

  “Hey Catherine. You can come down.”

  I head down the steps thinking I should have a door installed so Alex has some form of privacy. I find her curled up on the couch with the TV on. “Hey, I just wanted to thank you for making dinner tonight. You really didn’t have to do it, but it was the perfect surprise to come home to. I appreciate it.”

  “No worries. It is so cold out and Dr. Hasting mentioned this afternoon that everything was chaos at the office today. Figured you might be hungry when you got home. Good comfort food for this time of the year.”

  “It was amazing.” I am starting to feel the food coma effect. I will be out cold soon enough.

  “Thanks.” Alex smiles at me. Her eyes never leave me as I make my way around the couch and join her.

  “So I was thinking about having a door installed at the top of th
e stairs.”

  “Am I being too loud?”

  “No, not at all. I didn’t even know you were here actually. I just thought it would give you a bit more privacy.”

  “Oh. Well that is up to you. I feel like I have a great deal of privacy already. Have it installed if you’d like but please don’t do it on my account.”

  “Ok. I will think about it then.” I turn my focus from Alex to the TV, unable to identify the movie that is playing. “What are you watching?”

  “Love Actually. It is my favorite holiday movie.”

  “Haven’t seen it. I will have to watch it sometime.” I sit and watch the movie for a few minutes. “Wow this has a great cast.”

  “Want me to restart it? I don’t mind.”

  “Thank you, but not tonight. I am exhausted. I really just want to go curl up with a book and fall asleep. Rain check though?”

  “Absolutely.” Alex’s smile tells me she will be more than happy to watch it with me sometime.

  “Speaking of books, I was wondering if you have something I can borrow? I intended to visit the bookstore after clinic but was too drained.”

  “Sure. They are on one of the shelves in the bedroom closet. Help yourself.”

  Alex continues watching her movie as I make my way into the bedroom. I discover that she was not joking before when she told me she reads a little bit of everything. She has several non-fiction works about the Tudors and Catherine the Great, several Anne Rice novels, a few by Stephen King, and some other works I’m unfamiliar with. I find my eyes drawn to Fingersmith. I hesitate initially and then decide to give it a go. As I turn to exit the closet I again notice the gorgeous storage chest Alex made. I am curious what she keeps in it but my respect for her privacy wins and I leave without peaking at the contents.

  Alex turns when I rejoin her on the couch and eyes my selection. “You sure you’re ready for that?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean are you ready for that? If Carol made you uncomfortable then Fingersmith won’t be any better.”

  “For the record, Carol did not make me uncomfortable. I was nervous for unfounded reasons. It isn’t as if this book is porn is it?”

  “No, not at all. There are just a few scenes that are more intense than anything in Carol.”

  “I will be fine. Thanks for your concern.” I really have little concern about reading it.

  Alex eyes me and then shrugs. “Well don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “Oh, speaking of warning. Taylor messaged me today to confirm she will be flying in on the 24th.”

  “That will be nice. I’m happy you’ll get to see her. Any big plans?”

  “I’m not sure what she has planned but she will be here until just after the first of the year.” I hesitate for a moment. I feel like I have to warn Alex, to protect her from Taylor, or at the very least try to. “Alex, please be careful with Taylor.” Her brow furrows as she looks at me.

  “Careful?” She utters one word but I know from her expression she doesn’t understand.

  “I mean I want you to be careful. I do not know what to expect from Taylor. I do expect she will make advances towards you. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “I will be fine Catherine. I’m not worried. Thank you for your concern though.” Alex seems fairly confident that she will be ok. I hope that she will, but she doesn’t know Taylor like I do.

  “Ok. Well if she gets too out of control please let me know.”

  “If that is what you want.”

  “It is.” I smile at Alex but even I can feel that it doesn’t replace the concern I feel about Taylor taking advantage of her. Alex and I continue talking while I finish my second glass of wine. Half an hour later I have finished it and am nearly asleep on the couch. I yawn, despite my efforts not to, and stretch as far as I am able. I know if I don’t head up to my own bed soon I will be sleeping on this sofa tonight. I look over at Alex who is watching me, her expression either unreadable or I am too exhausted to discern it.

  “Sorry I interrupted your movie. Thanks again for the delicious soup, great company and the book. I really need to go to bed or I’m going to pass out on your couch.”

  “No worries, I’ve seen the movie countless times. Always happy to keep you company.” She smiles at me as I rise from the sofa. “Feel free to borrow a book anytime. Good night Catherine, sleep well.” Alex’s glowing smile is the last thing I notice before heading towards the stairs.

  “Good night Alex.” I drag my leadened body up the stairs and melt into my cozy bed.

  Alexis

  Thursday finds Abby and I both available for dinner and a drink. With her daughter’s ball schedule and my chaotic call schedule we have been missing each other on Friday nights. We resolve to rectify the issue tonight since neither of us have to work for a few days. We find ourselves seated at the bar, sipping our first drink and waiting for our lettuce wraps before 5 pm. A win in both our books.

  “So tell me how things are shacking up with the doctor.” I knew before we arrived that Abby would ask about this. She has asked a few times over text messages but it is easy to deflect when you aren’t face to face.

  “Shacking up? Is that even a saying anymore?” I need to steer away from this topic. I haven’t told Abby about the dream or about my ever growing attraction to Catherine. I’m still looking for that one thing, the thing that will make Catherine undatable to me. It has been a month and I still haven’t found it.

  “Don’t deflect. I want to know how it is working out.”

  “All good. I have my own space. Neither of us seem to be getting on the other one’s nerves. We eat dinner together, watch movies together, chat over drinks. It has been a month and things are good.”

  Abby is not convinced. “So that little bit of lust you had for her when you first met, all gone now?”

  “Gone? Probably not. Held in check, absolutely.” I know I’m lying, Abby does too.

  Abby gives me that look, the one where she simply raises one eyebrow to call bullshit. When Catherine does this it gives me chills, however I feel nothing seeing Abby do it. “Let me know when you start having sex dreams about her.” I must have a tell that I am unaware of. Abby immediately calls me out. “I knew it! You already have, haven’t you? How long did it take?”

  “It was one dream.” Not exactly a lie, simply one dream that I have repeatedly had over the last month. “It happened Thanksgiving night. I don’t even think it was all my subconscious. We went shopping after seeing the movie. She wanted to go to Victoria’s Secret, so we did. She kept showing me all this stuff and asking which one was better. Well you know how my mind works. I told her she needed to stop but she said it wasn’t a big deal. I ended up leaving the store.”

  “What a tease. So what exactly did you dream about then?”

  “She was wearing one of the outfits. That is all I’m telling you.”

  “She is straight. Be careful.” I know Abby is right, but try as I might I cannot cleanse my system of its desire for Catherine.

  “Not a big deal really. I’m sure she isn’t the first straight woman I’ve had a sex dream about. Things have been fine. Besides I’m only staying there temporarily.”

  “Temporarily? So how has your search been going for a permanent place?” Abby has always been great at calling me out. Things have been good at Catherine’s and I haven’t been looking for anything else yet.

  “It hasn’t. It has only been a month. I will start looking after the holidays.” Abby is skeptical, I can see it all over her face. She sits quietly for a moment before deciding to change the subject. “So what are we doing for our little holiday celebration with our clan this year? Have you talked about it with Dahlia or Shannon yet?”

  “I’m pretty sure we are doing it on Saturday at Shannon and Kevin’s place. Bring your own drinks and the usual dish to pass. Not sure outside of that.”

  “Well outside of that I don’t think we’ve ever needed a plan. We always
seem to find trouble to get into every year.” Abby smiles as memories flash through both our minds.

  “Agreed. I think I’m going to invite Catherine and her sister. Not sure if they will come, but since her sister is visiting for the holidays it could be fun for them.”

  “That is up to you. What is her sister like?”

  “I don’t know. Catherine makes her out to be unpredictable, unreliable and a bit wild. Guess I will find out soon enough. She did give me an odd warning the other night though. Told me to be careful around her sister because she didn’t want me to get hurt.”

  “Interesting. Doesn’t sound like they are very close.”

  “Catherine says they aren’t. I really haven’t inquired too much about it.”