“Great, then it’s settled. I’ll see you soon.” She quickly gave Riley directions. If she didn’t get stuck in traffic, Riley should be there in a little over an hour, just about enough time to fix tagliatelle with tomato sauce and ricotta, one of her all-time favorite dishes. It also went very well with demi-red wine. And of course it wouldn’t be complete without fresh homemade garlic bread or at least as close to homemade as cutting up a loaf of Italian bread from the deli and slathering it with butter, garlic and parsley.
Just as she began to pull pots and pans from the cupboard, Breslin trotted into the kitchen and let out a loud, long meow. “Hey big boy, we’re going to have a guest. What do you think of that?” To show exactly what he thought he stuck his tail straight in the air and sauntered back out of the kitchen. Lisa laughed as she watched him walk away. “You’ll change your mind when you can eat a little bit of garlic bread.”
For the next fifty minutes Lisa bustled to prepare the meal. She couldn’t imagine being sued. The world of higher education must be a lot more cutthroat than she would ever have considered. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been involved with a potential lawsuit herself. Over her ten years of teaching she had been threatened twice by parents, once because the parent didn’t think she should ever mark anything incorrect on their child’s assignments and the other because a parent didn’t think the ban on peanut products in her classroom should apply to their child. But both of those had just been posturing. Nothing had come of them. Poor Riley though, she had actually been sued. That alone should warrant a good home-cooked meal.
Just as she was about to slide the garlic bread into the oven, she heard a knock on the front door. Riley was right on time—unfortunately, she was running a bit behind. She quickly shoved the tray into the oven and dashed for the door, hoping her sauce wouldn’t boil over.
But when she pulled open the door and saw Riley standing there on her porch, all thought of cooking and kitchen disappeared. The sauce could boil until the pot was dry for all she cared—Riley was there in front of her. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized how much she had missed her throughout the week. “I see you made it.” Stupid, yes, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“Yep, I made it.” Riley stuffed her hands in her pants pockets and rocked on her feet.
The moment drew out. Finally she blinked, seeming to come back to. “Duh, what am I thinking, you standing out on the porch? Please, come on in.” She stepped back and waved Riley in.
“Thanks.” Riley shuffled past.
Before the door had swung closed, Lisa wrapped her arms around Riley. The feel of Riley’s body pressed against hers sent a shiver up her spine. It was all she could do not to undress her on the spot. “I’ve missed you.”
It took a second before Riley relaxed, but as she did she melted into Lisa. “I’ve missed you too.” She let out a long, deep breath. “It’s been a long week.”
“I can just imagine.” She slowly released Riley. “Why don’t you make yourself at home while I put some finishing touches on dinner. Don’t want to burn the garlic bread, now do I?”
Riley laughed. “Heavens no. In medieval times, that would be a flogging offense.”
“Really?” Then she saw Riley’s grin. “Oh, you’re just pulling my leg.” She nudged Riley in the ribs with her elbow.
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
Just then Breslin met them at the kitchen entrance with a big, long, what-are-you-doing-in-my-house meow.
Riley stopped dead in her tracks. “Whoa, that’s a whole lot of kitty.”
“That’s just Breslin. He doesn’t really like anybody, so don’t feel bad.”
With feline contrariness he trotted over to Riley and began rubbing up against her, weaving in and out of her legs and purring loudly. He then rocked up on his back legs, bumping his head against Riley’s hand.
Lisa halted abruptly, her mouth falling open. “Holy shit, I don’t believe it. He’s never like that.” The only other person that Breslin had ever treated that way was Jessie.
“Really? He seems like a big sweetheart to me.” Riley bent down and scooped Breslin up in her arms. He immediately closed his eyes and continued to purr.
“Huh, looks like the two of you have hit it off. Now if you’ll excuse me…” She turned back to the stove, unsure of what to make of Breslin. Normally he just skulked off and hid whenever company arrived or he would fuzz up to twice the size, which was quite a feat given his rather rotund build. But there was just something about Riley, not that she needed Breslin to tell her that. She felt the same way.
Lisa quickly strained the tagliatelle and loaded up two plates. Next she poured a healthy serving of tomato sauce on each, topped with an even healthier serving of ricotta.
“Is there anything I can do?” Riley had inched her way up beside her, Breslin still in her arms.
Lisa grabbed an oven mitt and called over her shoulder as she opened the oven. “Only if you wouldn’t mind getting the wine.”
“Sorry, boy.” Riley slipped Breslin to the floor where he let out another long meow. She then picked up the bottle and laughed. “Tabor Hill demi-red—do you drink anything else?”
“Not usually. It’s my favorite.” She pulled the garlic bread from the oven.
Riley gave her a wry smile as she peeled away the foil and went to work with the corkscrew. “I guess it’s a good thing I like it too, huh?”
“Great minds think alike.”
“Or as they say in Britain, ‘fools seldom differ.’”
“Oh, are you saying we’re fools?” Lisa tried her best to feign irritation but failed miserably as she began to giggle.
Riley popped the cork and poured the sweet red liquid into the glasses. “Who says there’s anything wrong with being a fool? In medieval times the fool was considered one of the wisest of the king’s court. In fact only the fool could get away with insulting the king.”
“Riley, you are a never ending wealth of information.”
“Why thank you, Lisa.” Riley looked pretty pleased with herself as she handed her a glass of wine. “That has to be the nicest thing anyone has said to me all week.”
“Good. From what you told me, sounds like you needed it.” She then pointed to the two plates ready on the countertop. “And as promised, a home-cooked meal to help take your mind from your woes.”
For the first time, Riley appraised the entrées. “Oh my God, Lisa, this all looks delicious but you didn’t have to go to this much trouble. I would’ve been okay with Ramen noodles.”
“Forget that. Like I said, you deserve a good meal.”
Riley looked at the food and licked her lips. “Still, thanks.”
Lisa found herself also licking her lips but not because of the food. The more time she spent with Riley, the more irresistible she became. “My pleasure.” And in more ways than one, she thought. Before she gave into wild abandon, she forced herself to focus on the plates in front of her. “Um…maybe we should eat.”
Riley seemed to be mirroring her feelings as they stood there staring into each other’s eyes. “Yeah…maybe we should.”
Finally, slowly, the moment passed and they each grabbed a plate of steaming pasta. They walked into the dining room and tucked in around the table. Just as she was about to sit, Lisa slapped herself on the forehead. “Oh, I almost forgot—the garlic bread.”
“Thank God you remembered, Lisa. Pasta without garlic bread is just plain uncivilized.”
She was getting to know Riley well enough to pick up on her subtle sense of humor. “I agree—downright barbaric.”
* * *
“Seriously, Lisa, I can’t eat another bite.” Riley leaned back in the chair, her hand resting on her stomach. This meal, as well as Lisa’s company, had been exactly what she needed.
Lisa gazed at her over the top of the wine glass raised to her lips. “I’m glad you liked. It’s been a long time since I’ve made tagliatelle. Besides, I’m not sure my waistline would survive eating it al
l the time.”
“I hear you there. But still, it was delicious and definitely well worth it, even if I might have to do a few extra sit-ups.” She raised her wine glass to Lisa. “Again, thanks.”
“Anytime, Riley.” Lisa stood, taking an empty plate in each hand.
Riley began to stand. “Here, I can help you with that.”
“Please, I can get it. Why don’t you just hang out with Breslin?” Lisa nodded to her cat busy with zigzagging between Riley’s legs and the chair. “From the looks of it he’s wanting a little attention.”
With that Lisa disappeared into the kitchen. Riley bent down and stroked Breslin on his head. He immediately began to purr. She never had a cat warm up to her so quickly. They usually gave her a wide berth. Not that she didn’t like cats—they just didn’t seem to like her. But not Breslin, they were now best buds. She patted her lap and he leaped up, mashing his head under her chin, his whiskers tickling her throat. “You are just the friendliest fuzz ball I’ve ever seen.”
She looked up to see Lisa leaning against the kitchen entryway, a strange half-glad-half-sad smile on her lips.
“Are you okay, Lisa? You look a million miles away.”
Lisa gave her head a small shake and stood up straight. “It’s not that. I just can’t get over Breslin. Seriously, he is never like this.”
She patted him on the head again. “He has certainly made me feel welcome…” She then looked directly at Lisa. “…and so have you.”
“You’re always welcome here, Riley.” Lisa slipped in across from Riley.
Their eyes remained locked, the moment drawing out. Riley felt her insides stir and she was pretty certain it had nothing to do with dinner. Lisa’s eyes seemed to pierce right through her as if looking deep inside her. She could actually feel the physical weight of Lisa’s gaze, her skin burning wherever her eyes rested. She swallowed hard and unconsciously licked her lips. She then leaned forward more and more in her chair until Breslin let out an almighty meow that shattered the silence.
It broke their gaze. They both sat up and laughed nervously. Riley could feel her cheeks growing warm. Actually it was more than her cheeks. Deep down in the pit of her stomach she could feel a small flame growing hotter and hotter every second and radiating out through her body. As much as she wanted to leap up and take Lisa in her arms, she didn’t want to be presumptuous. Just because they had spent much of last weekend in intimate pursuits didn’t mean that Lisa had that in mind for now. She had been invited to dinner—beyond that… She really was bad at this. If only she had a sign, something to let her know Lisa’s intentions. Last weekend in the bathroom Lisa had certainly made her intentions clear. Even she could pick up on that. As she thought about it, Lisa standing naked in front of her, her body still damp from the shower, she began to smile.
“What are you smiling about?”
“Ah…um…” What could she say? Somehow it seemed inappropriate to blurt out her thoughts. With that thought she began to giggle uncontrollably.
“Now what? Is there something on my face? I don’t have a booger hanging out my nose or something, do I?” Lisa wrinkled her nose up, also laughing.
By now her giggles had given way to gales of laughter. “No, no, it’s nothing like that. I’m sorry, I was just thinking…um…well…I’m not sure you want to know.”
“Come on, Riley, you can tell me.”
“Well, I was thinking about last weekend.”
“Oh.” Lisa’s expression changed in an instant and she quickly lowered her eyes.
Her laughter died away immediately. That hadn’t been the response Riley was hoping for. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean—”
Lisa jerked her head up and quickly cut her off. “No, Riley, it’s okay. I’ve been thinking about last weekend too.” Then she began to blush.
“I just…you know…” She couldn’t seem to find her words.
Lisa stood and walked over. She gently scooped Breslin out of Riley’s lap and deposited him on the floor with a quick scratch behind his ears. Without a word she took Riley’s hands in hers, pulled her to her feet and wrapped her arms tightly around her. She then lowered her lips to Riley’s ear. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about it all week…a lot.”
Riley quickly pulled back, looking directly into Lisa’s eyes. “Really?”
“Of course, Riley.” Lisa chuckled lightly. “I was serious when I said that it was amazing.” And with that Lisa pressed her lips to hers.
The kiss started slowly but quickly increased in intensity. Riley could feel her heartbeat race and her knees grow weak. When Lisa finally opened her mouth, she slipped her tongue over her teeth. She could taste the remainder of dinner on Lisa’s breath, a sweet combination of wine and garlic. That seemed to arouse her even more. She couldn’t get enough. Finally when she broke away she gasped for breath, her head swimming and her heart thundering. “Wow, talk about amazing.”
Lisa took her by the hand, leading her off up the hallway. “If you thought that was amazing, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
Chapter Eight
Riley woke the next morning, the light just starting to come in the window and illuminate Lisa sleeping on her side next to her. Lisa had been right—she hadn’t seen anything yet. And oh God yes, it had certainly been amazing. Of course last weekend had been great too but somehow last night had been deeper. Whatever it was their lovemaking had been much more relaxed but no less intense. Intense wasn’t quite the word—more like explosive.
She carefully rolled over and propped herself up on her elbow. With every second the room grew brighter. Sometime during the night Lisa had kicked off the sheet, leaving her leg bare all the way to her hip along with her shoulder and arm. The sun played across Lisa’s naked skin, leaving a rim of light. Riley took in the scene. She couldn’t picture anything more sensual, more beautiful than Lisa lying there bathed in the early morning sun.
She propped herself up higher to get a better view. Lisa’s leg seemed to go on forever. Not to mention her arms—long, thin, muscular. All in all, she was simply gorgeous.
Lisa stirred and slowly opened her eyes. A lazy smile curled at her lips. “Mmmm…good morning.” She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand.
Riley returned her smile, now tracing the tips of her fingers along Lisa’s side. “Good morning to you too, Lisa.”
Lisa blinked once, twice, and stretched. “You haven’t been up long, have you?”
“No.” She continued brushing her fingers lightly up and down Lisa.
“So what have you been doing? Oh, you haven’t been watching me sleep, have you?”
“Maybe.” She drew the word out.
“Oh God, you have. I hope I wasn’t drooling or snoring or anything like that.”
“Nope. I was just watching the sunlight dancing on your skin. Very beautiful.”
“Well, it can’t be as beautiful as what I see right now.” With that, Lisa cradled Riley’s cheek in her hand and leaned in to kiss her.
By the time they pulled up from kissing, the sun had illuminated the entire room, bathing them in warmth and light. Riley now lay half across Lisa, their naked bodies tangled from the waist down. This sure beat how she usually woke up. Morning was not her favorite time of the day. However, she could certainly get used to this. “So, what are you wanting to do today?”
Lisa gave a lazy one-armed shrug. “I’m not sure. You would probably just like some R and R, right?”
“Didn’t you say something about helping with your Anti-Bucket list?”
“Oh Riley, don’t worry about that. I had something in mind but that was before I found out what you went through last week. We can just stay here and relax if you’d like.”
“Seriously, Lisa, I wouldn’t mind. Actually it would help me take my mind off things.”
“Are you sure, Riley? I mean we certainly don’t have to.” Lisa didn’t look convinced.
“Yes, Lisa, believe me…” She stared Lisa directly in her eyes and gav
e a sharp nod. “…I’m sure.”
“In that case…” Lisa sprang up, the sheets falling away from her bare breasts. “How would you like to help me with number forty-six?”
Riley couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, but what is number forty-six?”
Lisa bounced where she sat. “Oh, it’s right up your alley, Riley. Number forty-six is don’t always live for the future, sometimes live for the past.”
“What do you mean, live for the past?”
Lisa now smiled ear to ear. “Have you ever been to a Renaissance Festival?”
“I can’t say that I have.”
At this, Lisa sprang from the bed, standing completely naked, backlit by the sun streaming in the window. “Then you are in for a treat, Riley. The West Michigan Renaissance Faire is on today. We’re talking fire jugglers and medieval sword fights, all sorts of crafters and artisans, not to mention various medieval foods and drinks. Maybe we can even get some yak meat and blood wine.”
She wasn’t sure how serious Lisa was about the yak meat and blood wine, but she wouldn’t put anything past her. Of course she had eaten some pretty crazy cuisine herself when she visited the Massai tribe in Africa—everything from raw meat to cow’s blood mixed with milk. She had never been to a Renaissance Festival before. Were they supposed to dress up? All she had were the khakis and button up shirt she’d arrived in. “Um…is it okay if I wear the same clothes I had last night?”
Lisa crossed her arms under her breasts and huffed. “Of course not, Riley. Half the fun is dressing the part.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have anything like that.”
“You’re in luck, Riley.” Lisa nearly burst with excited energy. “I’ve got a ton of costumes. I used to go to festivals all the time, especially when I was in college. I even worked at this one during the summers. I haven’t been to a festival since I don’t know when, but this should be fun.”
“Okay, let’s do it.” Riley jumped out of bed and joined Lisa.
For the next half-hour Lisa pulled outfit after outfit from her closet. Breslin had darted in first thing and now sat poking his head out from under the dresses and purring. Riley was about ready to join him. She didn’t have a clue how to wear this type of clothing, which was ironic since she had studied medieval archaeology and spent a summer on a dig in northern England. It was easy to conjure up swords and armor—the artifacts most likely to be found on a dig—but as for women’s everyday dress, she hadn’t really thought about it. Baffled, she held up a brown leather corset. “And what am I supposed to do with this thing?”
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