“Alicia, you work with James Logan, right?” she asked.
“I’m his producer, yes,” she said, clearing her throat. At that point the stench of onions and garlic had filled up the room.
“Oh my God, I listen to his music all the time… I can’t believe you’re his producer. This is amazing!”
“Stop, I’m blushing.” Alicia looked over at Mr. Tolken. He was beaming.
“You know I have to make a confession… I listen to that Logan guy every day on the radio. I sing along, too.”
Alicia chuckled. “His music is pretty good. The thing is that he used to only appeal to a teenage crowd… now everyone likes him.”
“I love him, too,” Mrs. Tolken said.
“He just recently released a new single,” Alicia said, the silver in her eyes flaring up. “Have you listened to it?”
“Cigarettes on the Porch? Yeah, I’ve listened to it,” Haley said, leaning back in her chair. “Woah, I’m pretty bloated now.”
“I am, too,” Alicia said. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Tolken. You have no idea how much this means to me. And Mr. Tolken…” She paused for a moment, looking for the right words to say. “I’m really thankful that you let me into your house… Sometimes when I Iook at you guys I see more than just my partner’s parents. I see family.”
“I’m glad we can be that for you,” Mrs. Tolken said, smiling sweetly. She turned on the radio and Gabriella’s song was playing in the background. Haley threw her hands up in the air and started dancing.
“That’s my jam,” she beamed. Alicia looked over and the whole table was dancing. Mrs. Tolken flashed peace signs around while Mr. Tolken tapped his feet against the floor.
“I lost my mojo a long time ago,” he said. He was smiling but Gabriella could tell he was struggling. He was shuffling his feet around but he could barely lift them off the floor. With every breath came effort, and with every movement came agony. Gabriella felt her heart break every time she looked at him. He was smiling but his cheeks were struggling to fall down. Suddenly Gabriella got up and hugged him. She snuck up from behind, wrapped both arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his balding head. It occurred to her that she probably hadn’t kissed her dad since she left. And what a scary realization that was. She felt him melt in her arms, his bones relaxing suddenly like they had fallen asleep.
“I love you, you know that?” she asked, her voice trailing off. He moved his head back, and for the first time she realized how much he had aged. His balding head glowed in the light; Gabriella didn’t know whether to giggle or cry.
“And I love you, too, sugar plum.” It had been a decade since he last called her that. In the background she could hear Alicia and Haley chattering about Logan’s music, but in her head everything went blank. It was like everything had melted away, and there remained her father, with his shiny head and drooping earlobes and toothy smile.
“Alicia, honey, you look so frail,” Mrs. Tolken said, her voice breaking the silence in Gabriella’s head.
“I swear I eat like a pig,” she lied. “It’s just that lately I’ve been so stressed out.”
“I can tell… come on, have some of this.” She scooped some mashed potatoes onto her plate. They didn’t look so appetizing, but Alicia grabbed her fork and ate a bite, anyway.
“Thank you,” she smiled.
“No need. You’re practically skin on bones.”
Alicia ate her dinner in silence. She looked up at Gabriella a couple of times, until she motioned for her to get up.
“I wanna talk to you,” she mouthed. The two of them got up and made their way for the door. Gabriella stepped out into the yard and Alicia followed.
“What’s up?” she asked with her head cocked to the side.
“I want you to spend the night with me,” Gabriella whispered. For some reason, Alicia didn’t expect her to say that. She felt all warm on the inside, although she was sure Gabriella had lost her mind.
“Are you sure about that?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at the blonde.
“Absolutely,” she nodded.
Alicia tried to suppress a smile but couldn’t. In a way, she felt like a teenager again. Sneaking around the house to sleep with her girlfriend. She got a rush just thinking about it. “It’s a bit risky, don’t you think?” Her voice boiled down to the whisper; her eyes were fixated on Gabriella’s.
Suddenly everything fell silent. Alicia peered inside and everyone was hovering around, picking up their plates and murmuring things she couldn’t understand. “They’re going to go to sleep soon,” Gabriella hissed, not taking her eyes off Alicia. At that moment, she wanted to kiss her, but something was stopping her. It was true no one could see them, but all she wanted right now, all she craved, was to have some privacy. She was giving in to the idea, succumbing to that little act of rebellion; it was taking over her.
“Let’s wait for them to sleep,” she said finally.
***
“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Alicia whispered against Gabriella’s lips. She kicked the door and it slammed shut.
“Shh, keep it down,” Gabriella said in between breaths. Alicia paused suddenly, her eyes darting back and forth frantically. “They’re heavy sleepers, but just be careful.” The two of them had snuck up to the room as quietly as possible. Alicia felt like they were playing their own little game of hide and seek. “Have you ever had sex in this room?” she asked, gasping for air.
Gabriella put her hands on Alicia’s hips and pressed herself up against her. “Yeah, but before I realized I was crazy about women.” She pulled Alicia’s hair back and kissed her again, and again, and again. With every kiss she devoured her, drank her in, made her feel like she was the only woman in the world. Alicia’s hands roamed Gabriella’s back and eventually slid down to grab her buttocks. Gabriella lifted one leg up and automatically started grinding against her. She drank in the air, tried to contain the fire that was building up at her core. At that point she just wanted to rip Alicia’s clothes off.
“What was that?” Gabriella jumped in her place, but her leg remained wrapped around Alicia.
“Are they still up?” she asked, her eyes drilling into the blonde. The tension only made Gabriella more excited. She continued to grind against Alicia, slower this time.
“Try not to make a noise,” she said. Alicia was about to explode. She could feel tiny ripples of pleasure billowing through her. She moaned softly at the sensation. “I said, don’t make a noise.”
But Alicia moaned louder. They still had their clothes on but she was already at the brink of an orgasm. Finally, she reached down and unbuttoned Gabriella’s jeans. “Touch me there,” the blonde said, guiding Alicia’s hand around. She felt her up with one hand, and clutched at the back of her shirt with the other.
“You smell amazing,” she said, her words muffled under layers of golden blonde hair. “I love you, I love you so much.” She buried her face in Gabriella’s shoulder and slowly started kissing her neck. Her skin felt warm against hers; she could tell things were heating up. Gabriella arched her back and closed her eyes. Alicia traced her fingers along her jawline and stroked her earlobes with her nails.
“Do that again,” Gabriella with excitement.
“Get on there,” Alicia commanded, nodding towards the bed. Immediately, Gabriella pulled her by the collar and they both collapsed on the bed. “This has been your bed since you were…?”
“Thirteen years old,” the blonde hissed against Alicia’s lips. “My parents didn’t change a thing when I left… everything was the same. They knew I would come back, they knew.”
Alicia straddled Gabriella and buried her face in her chest. She could feel the warmth radiating from her skin; it glistened with sweat as Alicia worked her way up and down Gabriella’s neck. She sucked on the skin -the blonde shivered at the sensation- and when she opened her eyes she could see Gabriella biting her lips with pleasure. Her forehead was wrinkled, he
r toes were curled and her hands gripped the bedsheets eagerly. She was dying to be fucked by Alicia.
“Try to keep it down,” Gabriella said, despite herself.
Slowly, Alicia started unbuttoning the blonde’s shirt. A tiny pink bow peeped out through her blouse, and with every button undone Alicia could feel herself get more and more excited. Impatient. Dying for more. Gabriella was pinned to the mattress, unable to move. She clenched her eyes and let Alicia take her.
“You can do whatever you want to me, I don’t care,” she said. “Just as long as you keep it down.”
“I’m trying, you’re just driving me crazy,” Alicia whispered softly. She moved her hands around to cup Gabriella’s breasts. Finally, she reached out and, in one swift movement, she unhooked her bra. It popped open -Alicia couldn’t help but dive for her nipples- and when Gabriella let out a loud squeal, Alicia paused and looked around. “You think I should keep it down?”
Gabriella moved her legs farther apart. She was dying to take Alicia in, to feel her skin against hers. At that point, the two of them were sweating profusely, despite the fact that they were just getting started. The juices pooled between Gabriella’s legs; suddenly she unzipped Alicia’s pants and pulled them down so they stopped at her knees. She got up briefly, yanked them off and then dove between Gabriella’s legs again. She pulled down her underwear and, quite audaciously, licked her pussy. “Oh my God,” Gabriella mouthed. “Do that again.”
“Are you sure you want me to?” Alicia asked teasingly. “Like, absolutely sure?”
But Gabriella wasn’t taking it. She wrapped her arms around Alicia’s neck and pulled her even closer to her. “I’m pretty damn sure.” Immediately, Alicia obliged. She dove in again, this time, training her tongue to perform a rhythmic dance inside Gabriella. She bent her knees and bucked up against Alicia, who continued to pleasure her. “Oh my God, oh my God,” she said, her voice shivering. For a moment, it felt like time had stood still. Alicia’s skin glowed in the light of the lampshade; Gabriella just had fun staring at her, studying every inch of her face, every line on her forehead. The truth was, Alicia felt like she had aged a million years. She didn’t know if it was the stress, or the sadness of the past year getting to her. All she knew was that right now, she was at peace. And no one could take that away from her. There she was, in bed with the love of her life. It took a lot of work to get to this point. She thought back to all those nights spent crying at the studio, all those days thinking she would never see Gabriella again. Those days were over, and there remained only hope.
Alicia continued to pleasure Gabriella. She could feel her body quivering underneath her. Her toes were curled and her hands clutched the bedsheets until her knuckles were glowing white. She said Alicia’s name in between gasps, until she was at the brink of an orgasm. “I’m, I’m coming!” she yelled. She threw her head back and squeezed her eyes shut. Her lips parted and she let out a quiet moan. Immediately Alicia put her hand over her mouth.
“Shh.”
“I can’t!” Gabriella squealed. Her breath felt dewy against Alicia’s skin. She then removed her hand and slowly let two of her fingers slide into Gabriella’s mouth. “You taste so sweet, you’re beautiful,” she mumbled, staring directly into Alicia’s eyes. She then pushed them a bit farther down her throat, until it was enough to induce a small gag reflex. Alicia then immediately removed her fingers. “Do it again,” Gabriella said challengingly. Alicia stroked the blonde’s bottom lip with her thumb and pushed it down a bit, exposing her gum. Gabriella moaned, and Alicia felt the wetness pool between her legs.
“I want you to do me,” she hissed in Gabriella’s ear. Without thinking, she reached out and unzipped Alicia’s top. In her haste, she took it off and tossed it on the floor. She then rolled over and straddled Alicia, who stared at her through heavy-lidded eyes. “Come on, give it to me.”
Gabriella dove for Alicia’s breasts. She licked her nipples aggressively; Alicia had to admit, she kind of liked it. Gabriella sucked at the skin until it turned a light blue. This is gonna hurt tomorrow, Alicia thought to herself.
“I’ve missed you so much,” Alicia whispered. She winced and gasped as Gabriella cupped her breasts and squeezed them together. “Just do me,” Alicia commanded. Finally Gabriella arched her back like a cat and started scissoring Alicia. She could feel her core swell up like the sun; it threatened to burst at any moment. Gabriella was in control. Thrust after thrust, she brought Alicia and herself closer to orgasm. Alicia could feel waves of energy building up between her legs until she couldn’t take it anymore. Tiny ripples of pleasure bellowed through her; she clutched the bedsheets with her hands and braced herself. She bucked up against Gabriella and closed her eyes. Her arms were wrapped around her neck; she was holding on for dear life.
Suddenly Gabriella stopped and looked at her. “Oh my God, why did you stop?”
Without uttering another word, Gabriella held up two fingers and thrust them into Alicia. She almost screamed, but then she contained herself. The very thought of getting caught made her body shudder. It was exciting, in a way, and she couldn’t help but be turned on by it. The deeper Gabriella went, the more violently Alicia shivered. She knew she had hit the G spot when Alicia bent her knees and let out a high-pitched squeal. She whispered things under her breath, things Gabriella couldn’t understand. “How was that?” the blonde asked, her eyes fixated on Alicia’s.
She was left lying there, gasping for air. She spread her legs out and arched her back up towards the ceiling. Her skin glistened with sweat, her lips were quivering and her arms were folded across her stomach. Gabriella flashed her a smirk. This was a job well done.
Alicia basked in that moment for what felt like an eternity. Somehow, this time was totally different. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before. But it was a good different. The kind of different that felt like turning over a new leaf. The kind of different that felt like she was meeting the love of her life all over again. And she wasn’t complaining. “I had missed you so much,” Alicia said, her lips barely moving. She brushed the hair out of Gabriella’s eyes. “Did you miss me?”
“Is that even a question?”
Alicia rolled over to her side. Gabriella wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. The two women just lay there, naked and soaked in their own sweat. Alicia’s hair resembled a bird’s nest, while Gabriella’s was as perfect as a waterfall.
“You’re so amazing,” the blonde said, her eyes roaming the freckles on Alicia's back. She thought of them as constellations, stardust, even. Anything that wasn’t human. Because Alicia was far from being human; she was a goddess. “You have no idea how much I admire you, Alicia. You’ll never know how much I care about you, how much I would give to never lose you again.”
“You think I would risk losing you again?” Alicia asked, shaking her head from side to side. “I swear on my life I’ll do my best to make you happy … to honor you, to make you feel like you’re the only woman in the world.”
Gabriella’s lips curved to a smile. “Sounds a lot like wedding vows, don’t you think?”
Alicia mirrored Gabriella’s smile. “I don’t know, maybe…”
CHAPTER 17
Gabriella opened her eyes and looked around. For a moment, she didn’t know where she was. All she knew was that she was surrounded by four pink walls, screaming white closets and creepy stuffed animals. She rolled over on her back and stared at the ceiling. Something didn’t feel right. She reached out and felt for Alicia but she wasn’t there. The sheets were still warm, though, so she couldn’t have gone far. Finally Gabriella sat up in her bed and scanned the room with her eyes. Boy, did it feel foreign. The light slashed in through the blinds; she was surprised her mother hadn’t barged in to wake her up yet.
The second she opened her eyes, Gabriella thought she was still in high school, and that her mother would burst in through the door yelling for her to get ready. She thought she smelled bacon
and eggs, but then she realized it was all in her head. Finally she threw her feet off the side of the bed and got up. She snuck out of her room and crept down the stairs. Where was everyone? Something felt off.
She stepped out into the yard and found Alicia sitting there with her back to the house. “Hey,” she said, sneaking up from behind her.
“Hey,” Alicia turned to her. She had a grin plastered to her face; Gabriella thought it was a bit odd. “What’s up?”
“Nothing much,” Gabriella said, sitting down next to her. “What about you? Slept well?”
Alicia nodded. “Yeah.”
There was silence. “So … where is everyone?”
“They’re all still asleep,” Alicia said, her eyes fixated on the horizon. The silence filled the air, but it was a good kind of silence; with it, came expectations. Alicia shifted in her place and looked around. Her eyes darted back and forth frantically, and then suddenly, out of the blue, she averted her gaze to Gabriella.
“What’s up?” the blonde asked, raising an eyebrow at Alicia. “What are you doing?” Slowly, Alicia got up and then got down on one knee in front of her. Gabriella’s heart skipped a beat.
“Gabriella Tolken, will you marry me?”
CHAPTER 18
“Come on, we don’t have that much time left,” Mrs. Tolken said, running around the hotel room frantically. “The guests are already starting to arrive and we’re still here!”
“Chill, mom,” Gabriella said, staring at herself in the mirror. “Wait, let me just spread this out a bit.” She dabbed her fingers over her forehead, chin and the bridge of her nose. Her cheekbones glowed tremendously, like a pair of light bulbs. She stroked them gently, until that harsh glow turned into a soft shimmer. “I like that,” she said, rather to herself.
“I still don’t understand why you never hired a makeup artist,” Mrs. Tolken said, rolling her eyes at her daughter. “You would’ve looked beautiful with some deep red lipstick, or maybe some contour.”
Just For You: A lesbian romance (Play Me a Song Book 3) Page 13