Caught by Love: A Lesbian Romance

by Jade Winters

“Nothing, you’re right.”

  “And how are you getting on with Alisa? Your hostility seems to have thawed lately.”

  “It has. I’ve come to terms with it. It’s in the past. I just want to move on from the animosity.”

  “Do you think she can be trusted?”

  “That, I don’t know. If I could just understand why she did what she did maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.”

  “There’s only one way to find out—you’ll have to ask her.”

  “I can’t, not while I’m in the middle of filming. Everything is on an even keel at the moment I don’t want to start unbalancing things.”

  “I can understand that.”

  “You can?”

  “Of course. I know we all make mistakes. I made a lot myself with you when you were growing up.”

  “Let’s not. . .”

  “No, please hear me out. Grief does weird things to you, which you now know for yourself. I wish I’d been stronger at the time but I wasn’t and if I had my time again I would have put all of my effort into raising you.”

  “Come on, Mum. You weren’t that bad.”

  Maggie’s face crumpled as tears fell from her eyes. “No and I wasn’t that good either. I really am sorry, Hannah, for not being there like a mother should.”

  “Come on now, you’re going to have me crying in a minute if you don’t stop.”

  “I’m so very proud of you, Hannah, for all that you’ve done and achieved and for being the wonderful person you are today.”

  For the first time in a long time Hannah wrapped her arms around her mother. “I really appreciate you saying that, Mum.” Seeing that there was no sign of her tears abating she changed tactic. “Seeing it’s Friday how about we have a girlie night? We can go to the cinema and for a meal afterwards.”

  Maggie looked up at her, gratitude in her eyes. “I’d love nothing more.”

  Chapter 27

  “This is a surprise,” Alisa said taking a step back and frowning as she took in Skye’s attire—a long black leather coat despite the hot summer’s night. She could smell the alcohol from a mile off.

  Skye’s voice slurred as she spoke. “A pleasant one I hope, are you going to invite me in?”

  “Sure, come in. Can I take your coat?” Alisa asked, again wondering why she was wearing it.

  “Can I have a drink first?” Skye said as she walked unsteadily into the living area.

  Alisa looked at her, a puzzled expression on her face. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”

  “Yes. Anything strong will do.”

  “If you insist,” Alisa said, making her way to the counter.

  “Nice place you’ve got here,” Skye said twirling round, looking at her tasteful surroundings. “I wish I could afford something like this.”

  “Here you go,” Alisa said, handing her a watered down scotch. “So, what do I owe the pleasure? I thought you’d be out painting the town red?”

  Skye knocked the drink back in one go and clumsily put the glass on the table, before turning to her.

  “I want to get to know you, Alisa.”

  “You will, we’ve still got a few weeks left of shooting.”

  Skye smiled teasingly. “No—I mean really get to know you.” She slipped off her coat letting it crumple to the floor, revealing nothing more than a black lacy bra and knickers covering her sculptured body.

  Alisa was unable to control her burst of laughter. “Skye!”

  Skye’s face fell. She grabbed the coat from the floor and quickly covered herself.

  Seeing the hurt look on her face, Alisa stifled her giggles and walked towards her.

  “Seriously, Skye, I thought we discussed this,” she said, taking her hand in hers.

  Skye widened her eyes. “I don’t get you. Don’t you find me attractive?”

  She looked her up and down appreciatively and smiled. “Yes, very much.”

  “So what’s the problem?” Skye stepped closer again.

  How could she explain to her that she only had eyes for Hannah and always would.

  “Look, let me get you something to put on.”

  Skye grabbed Alisa’s arm as she tried to pass. “I don’t want anything to wear. I want you to tell me what’s wrong with me,” she demanded.

  “Skye, there’s nothing wrong with you. You’re amazing.”

  “So what’s the problem?”

  “I’m not looking for any kind of involvement with anyone at the moment.”

  Skye stared at her with a wounded look. “Why’s that?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “I feel so stupid now,” Skye said, roughly tightening the belt around her coat.

  “Don’t be. I’m flattered, honestly and that’s the biggest laugh I have had in a long time.”

  She looked at her with a long suspicious gaze. “Great thanks, I’ve always wanted to be a comedienne.”

  “Come on, Skye, don’t be like that. Tomorrow you will look back at this and realise how clichéd and ridiculous it was,” Alisa said, fighting to suppress another burst of laughter.

  Skye put her hand to her mouth and sped towards the door. “Don’t worry, I’ll see you at work.”

  “Skye!” Alisa called after her as she fled up the stairs and heard her footsteps running along the decking.

  A pang of guilt hit her. She hadn’t dealt with that very well. She let out a sigh. This was all she needed. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. How different the evening could have been if that was Hannah instead of Skye coming on to me, she thought dreamily.

  Chapter 28

  Another week of filming had flown by but the weekends always seemed to drag for Alisa, so when Bobby called and invited her around for dinner, she didn’t need to be asked twice. Alisa stood in the well equipped kitchen with a bottle of beer in her hand watching Bobby in his apron, basting the chicken.

  “So how’s filming going?” Bobby asked as he closed the oven door.

  “As well as can be expected,” she replied, taking a swig of beer.

  “That’s what I like to hear. Do you want a garlic sauce?”

  She grinned. “Best not. I don’t think Skye would appreciate me reeking of it on Monday morning.” The notion of Skye repelling against her garlic breath made her giggle.

  “That’s true,” he said, opening the fridge and taking out a beer. “And how are things between you and Hannah?”

  “Polite.”

  “That’s good, isn’t it?” he asked swigging back his drink.

  “Not really, I can still sense the resentment behind all of her pleasantries. I wish she would just let it out—clear the air so we can move on.”

  “On to what?”

  “Anything would be better than what we have at the moment. She’s behaving like a Stepford wife—too perfect. The calm before the storm.”

  “Well, it speaks volumes that she actually requested to work with you, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah, that’s something. Bobby, your veg is boiling over,” she said, nodding toward the water bubbling over the top of the pan and onto the stainless steel hob.

  “Oh, shit,” he said, quickly turning the heat down. It’s going to be soft now. Do you want me to do a fresh lot?”

  “Don’t be silly, I’ll eat it as it is.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Bobby, a bit of mushy veg isn’t going to kill me.”

  “Okay, let’s chill on the terrace until the chicken is done.”

  She followed him out to the small enclosed roof terrace and sat at the table.

  “How’s Skye getting on with things?” he asked.

  “Dunno, she’s very unpredictable. I never knew which side of her was coming to work this past week. Things have deteriorated since the trench coat incident.”

  Bobby laughed. “Oh, I wish I had been there to see it.”

  “No you don’t. I didn’t know where to put my face. It may look seductive on film but trust me when you’ve got someone in real life y
ou’re not interested in doing it in your living room, it’s a completely different kettle of fish.”

  “She’s young and inexperienced. She must be a bit embarrassed as well—I would be!”

  “Well, it’s not making my life any easier. One day she’s fawning over me the next she’s distant. It’s like trying to placate a child. I’m afraid to say anything to her in case she kicks off and starts making a scene.”

  “So what if she does, it’s not your job to keep her under control.”

  “I know but I don’t want her unsettling Hannah.”

  “Alisa,” he said, putting his beer down. “You’ve got to stop thinking of Hannah as a fragile piece of glass. She’s a lot stronger than you think. She won’t break because she has to deal with a little bit of stress.”

  “But I feel responsible for her.”

  “Look at what happened the last time you felt that way, it cost you your friendship with her. Sometimes the best thing you can do is just let things take their natural course.”

  “If only it was that easy,” she said, tilting her face up towards the sun, enjoying the rays of sun against her skin.

  “You can’t protect Hannah forever you know. What are you going to do when she starts her next film? Give up your career so you can babysit her?”

  “Don’t be silly, of course not. Hopefully she’ll have grown in confidence by then. I just think under the circumstances this is different.”

  “It must be tough going for you, knowing what you’re re-enacting.”

  “It is. The worst thing is having to get through every love scene with my mind intact. I don’t know what Naomi was thinking when penning this script. And what makes it even worse is having Leah standing around gloating.”

  Bobby looked at her. “I have met every type of person in this business but Leah”—he shook his head—“I tell you, that woman is one sick bitch. I don’t know how she has the nerve to still hang around. Does she talk to you?”

  “What do you think? Just looking at her makes my skin crawl. And to think I've got to spend two days with her next week while we're shooting at the Cotswolds”

  “Rather you than me. So do you think Naomi would have left Hannah to be with her in the end?”

  “No, I don’t. I think Naomi wanted the best of both worlds but if it would have come down to choosing, I think her choice would have been Hannah.”

  “So what are you going to do about Hannah?”

  Putting her bottle down, Alisa leaned back in her chair and looked up at the sky. “What I’ve been doing all along, keep reaching out to her.”

  Chapter 29

  Hannah couldn’t believe it. She was thirty today. She leaned in closer to the mirror, inspecting her skin carefully to see if any wrinkles or lines had appeared over night. God, was she going to end up like her mother, obsessed by youth? She was relieved to see that her skin looked exactly the same as it had the day before at twenty nine. She took a quick shower and dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt. She hadn’t made any plans for the day but was sure of one thing, she wasn’t going to be spending it at home. Perhaps she’d check out an art gallery or something. First things first though, she had to make a quick escape before her mother woke up. Though they had an enjoyable time together at the cinema and their relationship was now strengthening, Hannah still needed quality me-time to relax. She snuck out of her bedroom and tiptoed down the stairs and along the hall like a thief in the night. Slowly opening the door, her hand flew to her mouth as she quickly suppressed a scream.

  Alisa laughed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “Shhhh,” Hannah said, quickly grabbing her by the arm and dragging her down the path.

  “Why are you whispering?”

  “I don’t want to wake my mother. You know what she’s like. She’ll want to make a big fuss and all I want is a quiet day.”

  “I see.”

  “What are you doing here?” Hannah asked when they were a distance away from her house.

  “I didn’t think you’d be up yet, I was just dropping a card off for you. It is the big 3-0 after all.”

  “Don’t remind me.”

  Alisa handed her the card. Opening it, Hannah withdrew a voucher. Her cheeks flushed at the extravagant gift. “You shouldn’t have done that but thank you,” she said, surprised by the expensive weekend at an exclusive health club.

  “I thought you could use the break once filming is wrapped up.”

  “Thank you for being so thoughtful.”

  “So where you headed?”

  Hannah swung her arms around in the air. “Nowhere and anywhere.”

  “Well. . .” Alisa hesitated for a split second. “If you like, we can hang out.”

  “I’m not sure,” Hannah replied with uncertainty.

  Alisa lowered her eyes as if to hide the hurt. “Jesus, Hannah, I’m not going to bite you,” she said in a strained voice.

  Hannah felt torn. She badly wanted to go with her but something inside was putting up a resistance—the past. “I know it’s just—”

  Strangers were beginning to stop and stare as they recognised Alisa standing in the middle of the street. “Look it’s up to you, we can go for a day trip along the Thames. I’ll make lunch . . . or you can go back inside and spend the day with your mother, the choice is yours.”

  “Well, when you put it like that,” Hannah said, finally relenting. What harm could it do to spend afternoon with her? She laughed when Alisa excitedly grabbed her hand.

  “Come on then,” Alisa said. “Let’s go and grab some food and champagne and start celebrating.”

  Like two mischievous kids they ran off down the road together, giggling.

  ***

  “Impressive. So how long have you had the boat?” Hannah asked, as she looked around the stylish fifty foot long, contemporary houseboat named the Phantom that dwarfed the surrounding boats. It was unlike anything she had seen before, with its spectacular high gloss finishes you would never have known were inside a boat. They sat on the deck, relaxing under the blazing sun while Bobby took the helm. Alisa had dragged him out of bed to join them on their daytrip.

  “About a year,” Alisa answered. “During the winter I stay in L.A. and when I’m filming over there. I try and get back here as often as I can, though.”

  “You jetsetter.”

  “Nah, I just can’t stand the cold—everything just looks so miserable.”

  “We’ll be off in ten minutes,” Bobby called out.

  “Come downstairs and I’ll get you something to change into before we set off,” Alisa said standing up, waiting for Hannah to follow her.

  Minutes later, Hannah had changed into the shorts and black bikini top Alisa had given her and was back on deck. Alisa had spread a large blanket over the floor with a selection of multicolour pillows strewn over it.

  “Now, don’t you feel better?” Alisa said, appreciatively eyeing her up and down as she put several pillows under her own head.

  “Definitely,” Hannah replied as she sat on a deckchair.

  “Are you ladies ready?” Bobby called out. Standing topless and wearing baggy shorts he started the engine up.

  “Yes,” they answered in union.

  “That’s why you dragged me along, so I could do all the work while you two get tanned and drunk,” Bobby called back.

  “Come and lay down here with me,” Alisa said, patting the empty space next to her. “Once we start moving I won’t be able to hear a word you say over the engine noise.” She took a lip balm case out of her pocket and dipped her finger into it, then rubbed the cherry flavoured salve along her lips.

  Hannah lowered herself onto the floor next to her.

  “Drink up, we’ve got several bottles to get through. Remember when there was a time we thought we hadn’t enjoyed ourselves if we didn’t have the worst hangover in the world the next morning?” Alisa said.

  Hannah laughed. “Too well.”

  “And Naomi was the only one
who wasn’t affected by alcohol, so she was the one who had to nurse us all day,” she said, reminiscing.

  “I don’t think my mum would be too pleased if I end up ill tomorrow.”

  “Let’s just enjoy ourselves today and let tomorrow take care of itself. . .”

  “I’ll drink to that, too,” Hannah said raising her glass to Alisa’s.

  After a sip of wine, Alisa unzipped her top and removed it revealing a perfectly toned body.

  Hannah took a sharp intake of breath as she fought to tear her eyes away from her.

  Alisa’s voice broke into her thoughts. “You’re only thirty once. Talking of your mother, how is she?”

  “Happy, I think. A lot more chilled out than usual. It might have something to do with the fact that she’s dating someone.”

  Alisa leaned back in the lounger. “Really!”

  “I know, I couldn’t believe it myself.”

  “Have you met him?”

  Hannah nodded. Her heart beat a little faster as she watched Alisa’s hands applying sun tan lotion to the front of her body, caressing her skin in long lazy strokes. Hannah half wished she would put her top back on.

  “And what’s he like?”

  “I only met him for a few seconds but he seems nice enough.”

  Alisa shook off her shorts, laid them to the side and stretched out her bare legs. Hannah glanced across at her in her black bikini that didn’t leave much to the imagination.

  “Hannah, I know you well enough to know that you’re holding something back.”

  “Oh, he’s not much older than me.”

  Alisa took a breath of utter astonishment and lifted her head from the pillow. “You’re kidding?”

  “No, I think he’s like thirty five or something.”

  “Well, I never did,” Alisa said laughing before twisting around to look at her. “Here, let me put some balm on your lips.”

  Hannah could feel the pressure of her firm breast pressing against her arm whilst she reached over and slowly ran her finger over her lips with the expertise of a make-up artist. She felt the blood rushing beneath her cheeks as Alisa’s blue eyes, now dark and intense, boldly lingered on them before slowly raising to meet her own eyes.