Straight from the Heart

by Layce Gardner

  Parker removed Amy’s night gown, then she removed her T-shirt and boxers in two quick moves.

  “You’re fast at clothing removal,” Amy said, her voice full of teasing.

  “I don’t like to waste time on trivial matters. Now, where were we?” Parker gently pushed Amy onto her back. She leaned over her, her lips brushing against Amy’s, her breasts caressing Amy’s.

  Their tongues danced around each other. Parker kissed her ear, her neck, her breasts, her stomach. When Amy felt Parker’s hot breath between her thighs, she sighed contentedly and opened her legs further.

  Amy let go. Her body became one big electric field of energy. With each stroke of Parker’s tongue, Amy’s body rippled with pleasure. Wave after wave engulfed her and she felt like she was floating on the very lake that was outside their window. Each stroke of Parker’s tongue, each stroke of her fingers, brought Amy closer and closer to orgasm.

  The tension in her body built higher, faster, until Amy thought she simply couldn’t stand it any longer. Then she exploded. Her body shook from her toes to the top of her head.

  “Oh god,” Amy whispered. “Oh my god. I’ve never felt anything like that…”

  “See?” Parker said, pulling herself up. “Getting older has its benefits. Sex gets better with age.”

  Amy opened her eyes to see Parker gazing down at her. “You know what I really want for my birthday?”

  “Tell me. Anything, and it’s yours,” Parker said.

  Amy grinned and grabbed Parker’s ass in both her hands. She pulled Parker on top of her until she was straddling her stomach. “I want to make you feel what I just felt.”

  Amy squirmed her way down the bed, her face disappearing between Parker’s thighs.

  Parker grabbed the headboard with both hands and closed her eyes. “Oh. My. God.”

  ***

  After breakfast and the bout of spontaneous lovemaking, Amy was sprawled on the bed, eyes closed, halfway dozing in a state of bliss. She was amazed at how much better sex got as you aged. Or was the sex better because her partner was somebody she was deeply in love with? Maybe it was a combination of the two?

  Amy felt a wet tongue lick her toes. She giggled and jerked her foot away. “No more, Parker. I have to rest before we do it again.”

  The tongue became more insistent, completely bathing her toes and ankle. She giggled and jerked her foot again. “Hey! That tickles!”

  Amy sat up. And shrieked. It wasn’t Parker who was teasing her with her tongue. It was a dog! The dog grinned at Amy, his tongue lolling out the side of his huge mouth.

  Parker sat on the edge of the bed, smiling mischievously. She scratched the dog’s huge head.

  “What… I mean, who is that?” Amy asked.

  “This is Rascal. He’s your birthday present.”

  “My what?”

  “We need a dog since we don’t have kids. That’s what lesbians do. I got him at the shelter. He’s very well-mannered.”

  Rascal put his front paws on the bed and pushed his face up next to Amy’s. He licked her nose. She giggled and wiped the doggie slobber off. “Does he lick everything?”

  “Those aren’t licks. They’re kisses.” Right on cue, Rascal licked Parker’s face. She laughed and wiped her face.

  Amy stroked the big animal’s head. She studied him while he nuzzled her to pet him some more. He was a very muscular dog. Bow legs. Big chest. Big head. His short hair was mostly white with some brown spots. He drooled a lot. “What kind of a dog is he?”

  “Pit bull mix. The shelter people didn’t know mixed with what. He’s a really nice dog, but pit bulls get a bum rap.” Parker leaned down and whispered into Amy’s ear, so Rascal couldn’t hear, “He was on the kill list.”

  “Oh, that’s horrible,” Amy exclaimed.

  “Do you like him? We can keep him, right?”

  Rascal tucked his head under Amy’s arm and wagged his tail. “Is he good with kids?”

  “Loves them. He’s a good guard dog, but he’s really sweet.” Rascal jumped on the bed and flipped over onto his back. Parker rubbed his soft belly and Rascal’s whole body wiggled in joyous abandonment.

  Amy laughed. “She has the same effect on me, Rascal.” She leaned over and kissed Parker’s cheek. “Rascal is the best present I’ve ever had. Thank you, my love.”

  “I’m glad you like him.”

  Amy scratched his belly. Rascal smiled up at her, his tongue lolling and his tail wagging. It was definitely love at first sight.

  ***

  Steph was in her kitchen, frosting the cake for Amy’s party. Rosa sat on the back deck, in her wheelchair, morosely staring out at the garden. She’d put on a jacket and wheeled herself out back because she couldn’t figure out what else to do with all the time she now had on her hands. She wanted to help Steph, but their kitchen was small already— put a wheelchair in there and Steph couldn’t move around to cook. It was just as well. It wasn’t like Rosa had spent a lot of time in the kitchen before. But now she had no option but to stay out of the way. It was the lack of options that frustrated her the most.

  Rosa watched as the brown leaves fluttered down in the light breeze. She hated to think what winter would be like cooped up in the house. She was going to start physical therapy next week. Her back issues had been exacerbated by the broken stitches and a subsequent infection. It seemed eons ago since the accident. The changes of the seasons made the passing of time even more evident. It’d been late summer, on the cusp of fall, when she’d been shot.

  And now it was Amy’s birthday. The house would be filled with friends and she’d have to paste on her happy face to get through it. Last night, she and Steph had gotten into another argument about what Steph called Rosa’s bad attitude. Then Steph said the thing Eric had warned her not to—if Rosa had worn her bulletproof vest, she wouldn’t be in a wheelchair with a messed up back.

  To be truthful, Rosa had goaded Steph into saying it. For what purpose, she didn’t know. She supposed she wanted it out there. Just say it out loud, so they could banish the elephant from the room.

  Afterward, Rosa had stormed off to the bedroom and tried to get into bed by herself. She fell and that brought Steph running. Rosa dissolved into tears. “I can’t even get into bed by myself,” she had said, choking back sobs.

  “Babe, I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’ll help you get through this. I will. I promise. We’re a team.” Steph helped her get into bed.

  “I don’t want to be a burden. Look at me. I can’t do the simplest thing. I can’t even go to the bathroom like a normal person.”

  Steph handed Rosa a tissue from the nightstand. Rosa blew her nose then said, “Susan thinks it would be better if I stayed in rehabilitation housing. Until we get everything sorted out. I mean, what are we going to do when your rotation comes up? How can I be here alone?”

  “What? When did Susan say that?” Steph’s face flushed with anger. “She has no right! I’m your partner. Don’t I get a say in this?”

  Steph angrily paced back and forth across the bedroom floor. “Or now is she the only person you’ll listen to? Do you know how that makes me feel? You think that I would even consider parking you somewhere until you’re better? What if, god forbid, you don’t walk again? What if you don’t get better and this is how we live? I just let you go and get myself another girlfriend, or maybe a wife, and let you rot in some care facility? What the hell, Rosa, that’s what you think of me?” Steph had stormed out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind her like an exclamation point.

  Later that night, Steph had quietly slipped into bed. Rosa pretended to be asleep. She couldn’t bear to see Steph’s sadness. She lay awake listening to Steph’s soft, shaking cries.

  In the morning, Steph acted like nothing had happened. She brought Rosa her coffee, helped her to the bathroom and back, and handed her the Fenton Sentinel. “Amy wrote a funny story about Crawford Moore and his plans for an earthworm farm. He seems to think that if people
eat worms in other countries it’s high-time they start eating them here. He wants to dip them in chocolate while they’re still alive. His wife is a member of PETA. She says that drowning an animal is cruel, even if it is in chocolate. Then his grandsons sold the earthworms to the bait shop.” Steph laughed. “Needless to say, there’s some tension in the family.”

  Rosa chuckled. Amy wrote some very entertaining stories. At least she got to laugh every morning courtesy of Amy.

  Steph reached out and gently took Rosa’s hand. “Look, I’m sorry about last night,” Steph said.

  “Me too,” Rosa said, picking up the paper. “And, you were right. I should’ve been wearing my vest.”

  “Yeah, well, you know what they say about hindsight.”

  “Thank you for taking care of me,” Rosa said.

  “You know I love doing it. You are now my prisoner,” Steph said with a smile worthy of Dr. Evil.

  “I prefer the term love slave,” Rosa said, smiling also.

  “I can get behind that,” Steph said. She leaned in and kissed Rosa tenderly.

  After Steph and Rosa finished reading the paper and having coffee, Steph asked, “You want to try a bath? I can get you in the tub.” They’d tried to do the shower when Rosa first got home but Rosa’s legs weren’t strong enough to stand. Since then they’d done sponge baths.

  “I could help you,” Steph said using her sexy voice.

  “I’m not ready for that yet,” Rosa said. She pulled Steph down and kissed her. “But soon, okay?”

  “No worries, babe,” Steph said.

  Steph helped Rosa into the warm bath and left her alone to soak. She kept the bathroom door cracked so she could hear if anything happened. She didn’t want Rosa to fall or drown or any number of other potential accidents.

  As Steph made Amy’s birthday cake, she thought about what Rosa had said about her schedule. What were they going to do? Steph’s last rotation had worked out because Rosa was still in the hospital. What would they do once Steph had to leave the house for days at a time?

  Suddenly, Steph realized half an hour had passed since she’d heard anything from Rosa. She quickly moved down the hallway and paused outside the bathroom door, listening. She didn’t hear anything. Afraid of what the silence could mean, she peeked her head around the door. “You okay?”

  Rosa was up to her neck in bubbles. “I’m fine. This feels so great. It’s been ages since I had a bubble bath.”

  “I know. You smelled really bad,” Steph teased.

  Rosa flicked a handful of bubbles in her direction.

  “Just holler when you want out.”

  “I will.”

  Steph went back to the kitchen and called Parker. “Hiya, Parks. What’re you doing?”

  “I’m walking the dog while Amy takes a shower. Whassup?”

  “Walking the dog? What dog? Are you dog sitting?”

  “No. I got Amy a dog for her birthday. His name is Rascal. I hope he’s invited to the party. He’s very well-behaved.”

  “Sure. But why a dog?”

  “Because it takes longer to adopt a human. And dogs are cheaper. They don’t go to college or need braces.”

  “You’re so weird.”

  “Do you need ice?”

  “No, why?”

  “Because you’re calling. People usually need ice if they’re calling before a party. It’s the thing they always forget.”

  “I just… have a problem and I need someone to talk to. Somebody who’s good at figuring stuff out.”

  There was a long moment of silence. Steph could hear the wind as it whistled in the background.

  Finally, Parker spoke, “If you’re talking about how to handle the whole going back to work thing, I already figured it out. Rosa will come to work with me,” Parker said.

  “What?”

  “Isn’t that your problem? You’re going back to work in two days and you don’t know what to do because Rosa needs care and you won’t be there.”

  “Yes, but how did you figure that out?”

  “Because Susan is lobbying for a care facility for Rosa. I knew you wouldn’t go for that. So, I talked to Millie and Bernie. They volunteered to spend the night at your house when you’re gone. Days with me and nights with Millie and Bernie. It’s all settled. I know we should’ve asked you first, but we anticipated resistance until you came to the problem yourself. You can relax now.”

  “Sounds great to me, but will Rosa go for it?”

  “She will.”

  “How do you know that?” Steph asked.

  “Because Rosa is a very practical person. She didn’t want to ask for help. But that doesn’t mean she won’t accept it,” Parker said.

  Steph let out a long sigh. She felt a giant weight lift from her shoulders. “Thank you, Parker. You’re a great friend, you know that?”

  “No mushy stuff, please. It only embarrasses us both. Now I have to go throw the ball for Rascal. He’s a ball dog. By the way, have you ever seen how much big dogs poop? It’s unreal. I can text a photo of it for you if you don’t believe me.”

  “No, thanks,” Steph said. She clicked off the phone and smiled. God, she loved Parker, even if she was weird.

  “I’m ready!” Rosa called out.

  Steph got her out of the tub and helped her dry off. She leaned in and lightly kissed Rosa’s bare breast. In turn, Rosa kissed the top of Steph’s head.

  Steph looked deep into her lover’s brown eyes. “We can get through this,” she whispered.

  “I know,” Rosa whispered back.

  Steph got Rosa dressed, into her new wheelchair, and set up in the living room in front of the TV before going back to the kitchen. Rosa hated TV. She thought of it as the opiate of the masses. And there was no way she was going to numb her brain with daytime programming just because she was an invalid.

  Rosa snapped off the TV and wheeled herself out to the back deck. The wind kicked up, blowing leaves across the yard where they piled up against the back fence. Winter would be here soon.

  It wasn’t long before Steph stuck her head out the back door. “I’m not telling you what to do or anything, but you should think about coming in. It’s getting cold.”

  “Stop doing that.”

  “Doing what?” Steph asked. The wind hit the screen door and it whacked her in the arm.

  “Tiptoeing around my feelings. I want us to be like we were before. Not walking on eggshells around each other.”

  “In other words, you want me to give you shit so you can tell me to piss off?”

  “Precisely. I enjoyed our verbal repartee,” Rosa said.

  “Oh, look at Miss Liberal Elite with her large vocabulary.” Steph held the door open wide so Rosa could wheel herself through. “Now get your butt inside,” Steph said gruffly.

  “That’s better. Much better.”

  ***

  The first to arrive for Amy’s birthday party were Millie and Bernie. Millie wore a purple tracksuit and Bernie had on precreased, polyester, brown Wranglers and a plaid dress shirt with cowboy boots. A bolo tie featuring a big hunk of turquoise was an added bit of flair.

  “I wish we could’ve made this a surprise party,” Millie said. “I love jumping out at people and making them pee their pants.”

  “Parker wouldn’t have gone along with it,” Rosa said. “She hates surprises and her anxiety would’ve given away the secret anyway.”

  “True,” Millie said. “Set that down over there, hon,” she instructed Bernie, who was carrying a large box filled with decorations and a pile of presents.

  “I don’t think you’ve got enough presents there,” Steph said. She and Rosa had splurged on a beautiful Monte Blanc pen for Amy.

  “I have to make up for all the birthdays I missed,” Bernie said cheerfully.

  “I stopped her from getting any toys,” Millie said.

  Bernie smirked, saying, “Lesbians sure love their toys.”

  Millie swatted her arm, saying, “The kind children play wit
h, you ol’ goat.”

  “I did get her a whole new set of drivers for disc golf,” Bernie said.

  “And a swanky bag, and a book on disc golf tips, and a Fitbit, and an iPod,” Millie added.

  “Theme presents,” Bernie said. She looked pleased with herself. “I might as well spend my money. You can’t take it with you, right?”

  “My birthday’s in June. Just in case you still have money left,” Steph said.

  Everyone laughed.

  Bernie, hands on hips, looked over the living room like a rancher surveying her land. “Nice little spread you got goin’ here.”

  “Thanks,” Rosa said. “We fell in love with this house the first time we saw it.”

  Bernie held up the cardboard box, saying, “Hope you don’t mind if we do a little decorating for this shindig.”

  “Not at all,” Steph said.

  “Don’t speak too quick,” Millie interjected. “Bernie is of the ‘more is best’ persuasion.”

  Bernie laughed and poked Millie in the ribs with her index finger. “I haven’t heard you complaining.”

  Millie blushed and waved her hand at Bernie like she was swatting a fly. Steph and Rosa exchanged a quick, curious look.

  Bernie slapped her hands together and said, “Rosa, I was hoping you could fill the party favors while Millie and I turn out the decorations.”

  “I can do that,” Rosa said energetically.

  Steph smiled gratefully at Bernie. Rosa hated being left out, and there were a lot of things she couldn’t do. But it wasn’t like her hands didn’t work. And, as evidenced by the smile on her face, Rosa was happy to have something constructive to do.

  Bernie set the box on the kitchen table and pulled out the party favors. “I think I bought out that party store over on Cedar. I wish they had all this stuff when I was a kid.”

  There were all sorts of things for the guests: mounds of Hershey’s Kisses, fancy lotions, Bert’s Bees Lip Balm, and bubbles to name just a few. Rosa sat at the dining room table and put the party favors into small gift bags that had Happy Birthday stenciled on them.