Thirteen Hours

by Meghan O'Brien

  “Yes, I’ll hold.” Dana smiled at her. “You’re weird, you know. Pizza without cheese? Blasphemy.”

  Laurel wrinkled her nose. “I started eating it like that when I was stripping. It was my way of justifying having something like pizza as long as the shape of my body determined the size of my paycheck. Turns out it’s actually very good that way.”

  As Dana recited their standard order into the phone, Laurel retreated into her bedroom to change. Now that she knew they were staying in, she was determined to be comfortable. When she returned to the front room in her pajama bottoms and a tank top, she found Dana on the couch with Isis curled in her lap. Even from her spot across the room, Laurel could see Isis kneading her oversized paws in contentment as Dana stroked her fur. Surprised, she stopped in the doorway and watched in amused silence. It was the first time she’d seen Dana choosing to cuddle with her cat.

  “Thanks for taking care of her until I got here,” Dana murmured to the lounging Isis. “And I’m telling you right now: you are never, ever allowed to go outside. I don’t care how much you beg me once I’m living with you, I’m going to be firm on that one.”

  Laurel raised her hand to her mouth and tried to hold back her smile. That Dana was holding a serious conversation with her cat made her entire body feel warm; that her lover had so casually mentioned living together—to Isis, of all audiences—brought joyful tears to her eyes.

  She was determined to go at Dana’s pace, but in this instance, she couldn’t resist giving her a little nudge. Stepping into the room, she cleared her throat. “You know, Isis was asking me about that.”

  Dana jumped, apparently startled at Laurel’s entrance. “Asking you about what?”

  “When you’re going to stop leaving for extended periods of time.”

  Laurel crossed the room and handed Dana the pajama pants and T-shirt she kept at Laurel’s place for overnights. Sitting down next to her, she said, “I tried to explain to her that you have your own place, but she thought it was kind of silly. We spend almost every night together, and having two places means that she just gets left alone on occasion.”

  “And she doesn’t like being alone,” Dana said. “I guess it is pretty silly. When you put it like that.”

  “Well, Isis thinks so, anyway.”

  Dana looked down at the black cat, scratching behind her ear.

  “You’d really share your mom with me?”

  Isis didn’t respond.

  “Isis,” Laurel cooed, in the voice she knew would get a response from her chatty cat. “What do you say?”

  Blinking sleepy golden eyes, Isis raised her head and meowed.

  Dana looked from cat to human, raising an eyebrow. “What did she say?”

  “I think it was “if you’re having pizza, I want tuna fish..” Laurel moved closer to Dana, slipping an arm around her shoulders. “Either that or “stop anthropomorphizing me..”

  Dana tipped her head back and laughed out loud, which once again sent Isis scurrying out of the room. Laurel took advantage of the vacant real estate on Dana’s lap and scooted closer.

  “I love your sense of humor,” Dana said, still chuckling. “I mean, I just love you.”

  “Would you love to live with me?”

  Dana’s eyes lit up, and she didn’t even hesitate. “In a heartbeat. I don’t know why we’ve left it this long. What’s it been? Eight months?”

  “The best eight months of my life,” Laurel said.

  Dana paused on a smile, as if delighted by a secret thought. “I think the best is still to come,” she said.

  “Count on it,” Laurel said. “Your place or mine?”

  “How about ours?” Dana said. “I wouldn’t mind finding a bigger place than either of us has. And…I guess I’d really like someplace where we can start fresh together.”

  Before she could get too excited, Laurel felt obligated to give her proper warning. “You’ve never lived with someone before. I’ve probably got some bad habits.” I have a feeling we could be the lesbian Felix and Oscar here.

  “You’ve got a lot of great ones, too,” Dana said. “Like loving me.”

  Squeezing Laurel in a tight hug, she whispered into her ear. “Oh, and licking me.”

  “Is that it?” Laurel teased. “The extent of my great habits?”

  “I doubt it. But those are two of my very favorites.”

  “Do you feel ready for this, sweetheart? I mean, I know I just came out of nowhere with this, and I don’t want to feel like I’m pressuring you—”

  “Are you kidding?” Dana asked. “I hate it every time you leave. Or I leave. I hate being away from you.” She gave Laurel a serious look.

  “If I hadn’t already been planning to come over tonight, would you have called and told me that you were upset and needed me here?”

  Laurel couldn’t lie. “I don’t know. Probably.”

  “If we live together, you promise you’ll always call me if something bad happens to you? Or if you’re unhappy?”

  “Whether or not I live with you, yes,” Laurel said. “I promise.”

  She tucked her head under Dana’s neck and breathed in her scent. “I’ve learned my lesson. I’m feeling one hundred percent better now that you’re here.”

  Dana pulled her close, running a gentle hand over the side of her breast. “Want to start looking for apartments this weekend?”

  Laurel blinked in happy surprise. The day had just turned around, and in grand fashion. “Definitely. And I want to do something else very soon, too. Maybe after we’ve moved. I don’t want to be distracted.”

  “Sounds interesting.” Dana nibbled on Laurel’s earlobe, and nuzzled into her neck. “What do you want, sweet girl?”

  “My third fantasy.”

  Dana released a low, rumbling noise from deep in her throat. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  A GLITCH

  Dana stalked out of the bedroom with a grumpy scowl on her face, looking beautiful but surly in a dark gray suit. Laurel stood in the kitchen, silently packing each of them a bag lunch to take to work. Spreading mustard on a turkey sandwich for Dana, she watched her cautiously.

  Would Dana break the ice, or would she have to do it?

  They’d traded sharp words just minutes ago, Dana storming around after finding a wet towel hanging over the shower door dripping onto the floor. She hated untidiness, and apparently water on the bathroom floor was a high crime. Her first words to Laurel that morning were sharp. What the hell? Are you trying to make a mess?

  Laurel had sniped back, irritated at the reproof in the place of the hug and kiss she’d grown accustomed to. Well, you’re charming this morning, my little ray of sunshine.

  And that was the last time they’d spoken before Dana shoved the bathroom door closed and Laurel stomped away to the kitchen. Exactly seventeen minutes had elapsed. Laurel knew because she had been keeping count, her stomach uneasy because of the mood between them.

  She listened but kept her head down as Dana swept into the kitchen and shuffled around preparing a fresh pot of rich-smelling coffee. Dana didn’t say anything as she worked. Neither did Laurel, leaving their morning routine to be carried out in silent efficiency.

  It was the end of their second week in the new apartment together, and as they neared the end of unpacking all the boxes, they were going through a crash course in each other’s habits. Dana was the consummate neatnik, just as Laurel had expected. Laurel was more mellow than Dana, though she guessed her lover would label her ways “messy.” Laurel really had been trying to be more conscientious about her environment, and until this morning, Dana seemed to be exercising a remarkable amount of good-natured patience whenever she slipped up.

  Learning all of Dana’s pet peeves wasn’t an easy task, and Laurel thought she deserved more credit than she’d been granted in the bathroom.

  “Where’s my briefcase?” Dana’s voice was strained. She stood on the other side of the kitchen counter, in the dining room. “I left it b
y the door, but I’m not seeing it there.”

  Laurel lifted her eyes. “I put it in the front closet.”

  “The front closet. Of course.” Mumbling something inaudible, Dana strode away.

  Fighting off tears, Laurel stuffed a banana into one of the brown paper bags and rolled the top closed just as Dana returned. Managing a pained half-smile, she offered it to her. “Here’s your lunch.”

  Dana’s face softened a little, and she set her briefcase on the floor and took the bag, carefully avoiding Laurel’s fingers. “Oh. Thanks.”

  “No problem.” Laurel met her gaze warily. She itched to touch Dana’s hand but held back, not sure the contact would be appreciated.

  “It’s just a turkey sandwich.”

  Dana expelled a deep sigh and put the bag down on the counter.

  “I’m sorry, honey.”

  Despite the way her stomach ached with tension over their argument, Laurel wasn’t quite ready to let it go. “Why?”

  “For causing our first fight.”

  At the hangdog look on Dana’s face, Laurel managed a faint smile.

  “Too late. You already apologized to me for that.”

  Dana tilted her head, obviously confused. “I did?”

  “This isn’t our first fight. I’m not even sure it’s our second. The first—if you recall—was in your office, and the hallway, and the elevator. And it lasted a lot longer than this.”

  Shaking her head, Dana said, “Oh, yeah. So I guess I’m sorry for causing all our fights.” Her expression turned glum, and she couldn’t meet Laurel’s gaze.

  Laurel walked around the kitchen counter and wrapped her arms around Dana’s shoulders. “We’re not fighting.”

  “We’re not? It felt like it, a little bit.”

  “We’re bickering,” Laurel corrected. “That’s what couples do sometimes.”

  “Doesn’t excuse my shitty mood,” Dana mumbled.

  “It’s not a big deal. It’s forgotten, okay? I forgive you.” She kissed Dana on the lips, licking at the indentation below her nose with the tip of her tongue. “It happens. And I’m sorry, too.”

  “So it’s over?”

  Laurel rested her face on Dana’s chest. “Yeah, it’s over. Now we’re going to do the whole young couple who are madly in love thing again.”

  A sigh of relief. “Thank God.”

  “I’m not sure we ever really stopped doing that, honestly.” She could hear Dana’s heartbeat against her ear, steady and reassuring. “At least I didn’t. I love you even when we’re picking at each other. I hope you know that.”

  “I do. And me, too.” Dana placed a hand on the back of Laurel’s head and cradled her close. “I can be so terrible in the morning sometimes. I guess now you know.”

  “I can handle you.”

  “All you have to do is look at me with those sad eyes and you’ve got me. I’d say you can handle me, all right.” Dana kissed the crown of her head. “How did I get lucky enough to find a girl who will put up with me?”

  Snorting, Laurel murmured, “You have a very thoughtful friend who paid to have a naked woman dance for you, that’s how.”

  “That reminds me,” Dana said, lips curling into a grin, “I need to take Scott out to dinner sometime. Again. I owe him.”

  Laurel giggled. So far, Scott had netted a very expensive Christmas gift, a weekend trip to Toronto for his birthday, and multiple lunches out at his favorite restaurants, courtesy of Dana. It was almost a little embarrassing how grateful her lover was for that serendipitous lap dance.

  How grateful they both were.

  “So do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” Laurel asked. “What’s got you so edgy this morning?”

  “It’s nothing, really.” Dana shrugged, kissed her neck. “I’m just grumpy. I don’t want to go to work.”

  Laurel pulled back, blinking in surprise. “Excuse me?” That didn’t sound like Dana at all.

  A petulant frown took hold of her lover’s mouth. “It’s been a long week. We just launched our big project and there won’t be much going on today. And honestly—” She stopped and glanced away. “I want to spend time with you right now. I don’t want to leave.”

  Laurel fought the urge to swoon. “I love you, honey. I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m an idiot.” Dana shook her head in disgust. “I’m upset because I’m going to miss you today, so I act like a bitch while I’ve still got you here. Brilliant.”

  “Eh, we’ll just chalk it up to one of your minor faults,” Laurel said. “And letting wet towels drip onto the floor is one of mine.”

  “I don’t care about the towel.” Dana eased gently out of their embrace. She seemed fidgety. “I’m sorry I’m a jerk.”

  “Stop it already.” Detecting something unspoken, Laurel said, “Something else is bothering you. Is it about your parents?”

  The Watts were coming to dinner on the weekend. Dana had said very little when Laurel first suggested the get-together in their new apartment, but she’d been moody ever since.

  “Well, you know I’m not thrilled,” Dana said.

  Laurel thought carefully before she spoke. She always felt she had to tiptoe in discussions about Dana’s family. “What’s your main concern?”

  Dana’s gaze faltered as though she were looking inward and didn’t understand what she saw. “Things have changed,” she said. “It’s like I don’t know how to act around them anymore. They just love you, and I can certainly understand that. But sometimes I feel like they’re all over us. Dad’s always asking me about the job and getting into conversation about stuff like home buying and 401k investments. And my mom dropping all the hints about babies? That comment the other night about your femininity was bizarre.”

  Laurel feigned an aggrieved stare. “Are you suggesting I don’t have child-bearing hips?”

  Dana choked on her laughter.

  Before she could reply, Laurel said, “Darling, listen to me. Your parents have been closed out of your life for years and now you’ve let them in a little. They’re excited, that’s all. They’re both reaching out.”

  She hesitated, hoping her next words wouldn’t drive Dana out the door.

  “All I’m doing is reaching back. For both of us.”

  Dana was silent for so long Laurel prepared herself for the clomp of departing footsteps. But her lover stayed where she was. Something passed across her face. She looked like a woman lost in a crowd who’d suddenly spotted a friend.

  In a voice as serious as Laurel had ever heard, she said, “Until you came along I didn’t know how to do that. I thought I could never be close to them again. Breaking out of that habit feels strange, but the truth is, I kind of like it.” She flushed.

  Laurel stepped in close and hugged her again. “You’ll get used to it, I promise.”

  Dana squeezed her tight around the middle, lifting her slightly off the floor. Laurel laughed and grabbed her shoulder until she was deposited back onto her feet. “Laurel, you make me so happy I sometimes can’t believe this is happening. And I guess I’ve been afraid to show Mom and Dad in case it all just evaporates.”

  Knowing what it took to admit this insecurity, Laurel placed her hand over Dana’s heart and looked deeply into her eyes. “I love you and you love me.”

  Chuckling, Dana pressed her nose to Laurel’s hair and breathed in.

  “I really will miss you today.”

  “I’m only working until noon,” Laurel reminded her. “Half shift, remember?” It was recompense for the double she’d worked the day before.

  Dana sighed. “Maybe I can cut out of the office a little early.”

  “Or I could come and have lunch with you.”

  That made Dana smile. “Really? You want to go out somewhere?”

  “Yeah, really. I’d love to meet you at your office.” Laurel broke into a sudden grin as pure, wicked inspiration struck. “Ooh—”

  “Uh-oh,” Dana said, cutting her off before she could share her fantas
tic idea. “You’re up to no good. I know that look. What are you thinking about, naughty girl?”

  Laurel was caught somewhere between a laugh and a moan, hearing Dana call her naughty. She couldn’t help but be amused that certain phrases they’d made their own turned her on so much. Already she could feel that her panties were damp, and she knew it was going to be a long morning.

  “My third fantasy,” she said. “Maybe I should redeem it today.”

  “Oh, really?” Dana slipped a hand under the hem of Laurel’s Tshirt, and smoothed her palm up her back. “And there I was, thinking you’d forgotten all about it.”

  “Trust me, your bedroom repertoire has kept me rather preoccupied. But why settle for fantastic sex when I could have the perfect fulfillment of a long-held fantasy?”

  “Are you trying to boost my ego or give me performance anxiety?”

  If Dana was attempting to hide her delight, she was failing miserably.

  “I’m just trying to remind you how impeccably you granted my last fantasy. Sometimes when I have a moment to breathe at work, I close my eyes and think about how fucking good you felt in my ass.”

  Dana was positively beaming. “What a great way to end a long damn week.”

  “Is that all it takes to improve your mood?” Laurel threaded her fingers through Dana’s hair, scraping her fingernails over her scalp. She grinned when Dana shivered. “You’re so easy to please.”

  “Nah,” Dana rumbled. “You’re just so good at pleasing me.”

  “That, too.”

  “So what are you thinking?” Dana asked. Her hands found Laurel’s bottom, cupping her gently through her uniform pants. She wore an excited smile. “I’ve been wondering what you’ll come up with. I’m not sure how you’re going to top the first two, quite frankly.”

  “Oh, I’ve got an idea.” Laurel moved her hands down to tickle the nape of Dana’s neck and pushed her hips into Dana’s.

  “I’m dying of curiosity.”

  “It was cruel of me to make you wait till after we moved,” Laurel said without a trace of remorse. “Sorry.”