Erica turned her head and looked at the mirror. The women weren't there. She looked at Morgan again. "I just saw one of them sitting behind you. She looked at me with an expression I can't even begin to describe, and then she sank into you."
Morgan took Erica's hands. "I told you last night, these things don't startle me anymore. There are more kinds of reality than we learned about in school. Would you like to see your office? I admit to being a little proud of it."
"I'd love to see it," Erica told her.
They walked down the hall together. Morgan said, "I thought this would be the best room for you. It's quiet here and you can see the creek from your window."
Erica cried out in amazement, "What a beautiful room." She ran her fingers over the surface of the desk. "What wonderful wood."
"It's called schedua, an exotic wood from Africa."
"And the computer! I still can't believe you did all this."
"I told you I wasn't startled by things like the woman with the helmet," Morgan said, "but to tell you the truth, when I saw the computer I was startled. It was like being on the set of a science fiction movie.
"Did you try it?"
Morgan withdrew. "No, I... the kid who installed it demonstrated it for me... but I..." She shook her head. "I know it's user friendly but I just don't get along with..."
"It's more than user friendly." Erica laughed. "User sociable is the way Bill Cranston described it to me. The preschoolers love it. It's very high touch."
"High tech?"
"No, high touch. I'll show you." Erica pushed a large green ON button.
The monitor lighted and displayed a telephone number and then under the number - YES NO.
"It's the Center telephone number," Erica reminded her. "Just touch the screen where it says YES. It will call the Center and plug into the computer there."
The display on the monitor changed. A large arrow flashed, pointing to a plate sitting to the right of the computer with an outline of a hand.
"It wants us to put a hand on the plate," Morgan guessed.
Erica beamed. "You've become computer literate in less than a minute."
"What if I didn't understand the display?" Morgan asked.
The monitor answered her question by displaying a hand moving onto the plate.
"Put your hand on it," Erica suggested.
"No, I..." Morgan tucked her hand under her arm.
Erica shook her head in disbelief. "Really, Morgan. I'm surprised at you." She put her hand on the plate.
The display changed. Another picture of the touchplate appeared with a hand on it, but the index finger was moving up and down in a tapping motion. Then an equal sign and a picture of an ear and a mouth.
"Tap your index finger," Morgan instructed with authority.
Erica smiled and tapped her finger on the touchplate.
The display changed; a round circle with eyes and a mouth appeared. A voice said, "Well, Erica - how nice. Who loves you, baby?"
Erica beamed at her astonished lover. "Morgan," she said.
"My, my!" The little lips moved. "I can tell by the jump in your pulse rate and the elevation of your skin temperature - she must really be something! How may I assist you? I thought you weren't working today."
"I'm not," Erica said. "I was just showing you off to Morgan."
"There goes your pulse again." The little lips smiled. "This is terrific for your cardiovascular. What would you like me to do for her?"
"Not too much," Erica warned. "I think she is already in overwhelm."
"Computer shy, huh? Well, I'll be gentle."
"Have you been busy?" Erica asked.
"Very," the little lips said. "Since the Center has been closed for renovation I've done double duty. I have a few requests here for you and several complaints. Also that little item that's still in your THINGS TO DO file."
Erica was puzzled. "What item?"
"Find out from Isa what the girls want to do with their ponies."
"Would you ask her?"
"Glad to, Erica." The circle changed to a half moon with little flat lips.
Morgan whispered, "What's it doing?"
"You don't have to whisper," Erica told her. "With my hand on the plate it will respond only to my voice. Right now it's looking for Isa's terminal."
"Why isn't it responding to your voice right now?"
"My little finger is pressing on the touchplate," Erica explained.
"Too complicated for me," Morgan complained.
Erica shook her head. "If you forgot to do it the computer would remind you."
The circle reappeared and Erica released the pressure under her little finger.
"I'm sorry, Erica," the little lips said. "I can't find her anywhere."
"When you do reach her would you also apologize for me?"
"Standard or specific?" the voice wanted to know.
"Standard, and would you display her response?" Erica requested.
Morgan was curious. "What is a standard apology?"
Erica explained: "If I've said or done anything to offend you, I apologize."
"How does it differ from a specific apology?"
"I apologize for taking so much time with the computer when I know, by your glancing at your watch, you're feeling pressured by time."
Morgan grinned. "Take whatever time you need."
The two watched the half moon; its little lips were moving. The display changed to a circle. "Are you ready, Erica?"
"Affirmative."
The circle disappeared from the monitor and lines of printing appeared.
REQUEST:Please tell me what the girls want me to do with their ponies.
RESPONSE:Donate to McClure Ranch, mi vida!!!
APOLOGY:If I have said or done anything to offend you, I apologize.
RESPONSE:Accepted.
ASSESSMENT:YES NO
Morgan was amazed. "What an efficient way to do business. I'm curious though. Why is mi vida underlined with three exclamation points?"
Erica chuckled. "She was declining a request I made. I asked her to stop calling me mi vida.
"And what does that mean?" Morgan pointed to ASSESSMENT: YES NO.
"The computer is asking me if I want to know what else she added after accepting my apology. I don't want to know her assessment," Erica assured her. "I've heard all of Isa's assessments."
"But," Morgan pleaded, "don't you want me to learn how to use the computer?"
Erica shrugged. "If you want to see the assessment you push the YES."
Morgan tentatively touched the YES and then started when the screen went blank. A new printing appeared.
ASSESSMENT:I am accepting your apology because I know how bitchy you are when anyone wakes you up for anything but a piece of...
Erica lifted her hand from the touchplate and the screen went blank.
"Don't you want to see the rest of the message?" Morgan teased.
"No," Erica glowered. She put her hand back on the touchplate.
"Are any of my messages urgent?" she wanted to know.
"Negative."
"I'll respond to all messages tomorrow. I'll be at this location, but-" She smiled at Morgan, "only for emergencies." She took her hand off the touchplate.
Morgan put her arms around her lover. "I'm impressed."
Erica pressed her face against Morgan's.
Morgan groaned.
"I know," Erica whispered. "Me too."
"Later?" Morgan pleaded.
"Later," Erica promised.
Erica picked up two frames sitting on the desk. One contained a photograph of Morgan.
"It helped me to see it there," Morgan confessed.
The other held a picture of Jessica and Isica, cut out of the L.A.S.C.C. newsletter.
Erica gazed at those open faces and thought: What can I do?
~ Chapter 36 ~
Erica looked at her lover sitting on a bale of hay. Morgan had glanced at her watch again; she was getting restless.
"What the-" Morgan jumped to her feet. Her eyes were straining toward the hill. "Have you ever seen anything more magnificent?"
Erica looked in the direction of Morgan's gaze. "It's Mignon. She must have broken away from Emma."
She was alone on top of the hill, sniffing the wind. Her dark mane was flowing with the breeze. The filly heard something behind her and turned to look. She lifted her head, then bowed her long neck. Her mane went wild as she shook her head.
"She's going to come down the hill. Is there a trail there?" Morgan headed past the corral toward the gate.
Erica was right behind her. "No, but it isn't too steep."
Emma appeared at the top of the hill. She shook her fist and headed back to the trail. Morgan opened the gate and they ran to intercept the runaway.
The filly reached the bottom of the hill and galloped in the direction of Erica and Morgan, her lead rope swinging wildly as she ran.
"She steps just like Petite," Morgan observed. "Look at the way she picks up her feet. If she were white, I'd swear..."
The two stopped as Mignon came toward them. They moved away from each other to cover as much ground as possible. Emma was close behind, pushing her big gelding into action.
Mignon increased her speed, running straight for Morgan.
"Morgan!" Erica froze.
Morgan stood her ground and the filly came up to a few feet from her and reared. Morgan dashed forward and grabbed the lead. The filly came down and suddenly stopped. Morgan tightened her hold and stroked Mignon.
Erica, close to tears, came up behind her. "That's the stupidest thing I ever-"
Morgan looked over her shoulder. "I had to stop her."
"You could have been killed."
Morgan shook her head, stroking Mignon. "Petite used to run at me like that all the time. It was her way of playing."
"She's all lathered up," Erica observed, calmer now.
Emma came up behind them. "That one was near the death of me," she panted. "She pulled away from me and took off over the hill like lightning."
"Where is Undine?" Erica asked.
"I dropped her reins. She'll be grazing at the bottom of the hill. I'll get her." Emma wheeled the big gelding.
Morgan called after her, "Is she for sale?"
"Too late," Emma yelled over her shoulder. "Sold her yesterday."
Morgan looked up at Mignon's face. "What can I do?"
"Maybe if you were especially nice to the new owner..." Erica had a gleam in her eye.
"I wasn't asking a question, I was..." Morgan looked at her. "You own the filly."
"You own her," Erica corrected.
Later at the house, Morgan walked to the sofa and sat next to Erica. "I can't believe she's mine.
"You seem a little sad," Erica said.
Morgan sighed. "I'm happy, but at the same time- I've been thinking about Petite. We had some wonderful times together... I never knew a lovelier being."
"It takes time."
"You let me think we were going to Santa Barbara today." Morgan grinned.
Erica took her hand. "It was a difficult illusion to keep going."
"I usually ride bareback," Morgan said. "It makes me feel more of a bond with nature. It's probably better for the filly too. She's fairly young isn't she?"
"She's two, but her knees have knit. Emma had the vet take X-rays."
"Do you think she's cooled off enough to take her for a spin?"
"I think so." Erica got up. "I'll pack us a lunch. At sundown we're going to be up there." She pointed. "And I'm going to show you a sunset you won't believe."
Erica watched Morgan from the kitchen window. Morgan stood on a log and, grabbing handfuls of mane, threw her leg up and over Mignon's back. When Morgan was seated Erica whispered, "Yes." It was the exact picture she had seen when Morgan first told her about Petite Dame.
* * * *
They headed up the trail toward the hill, and when they reached the spot where Erica had seen Morgan on that day, they stopped and turned their horses.
Erica said, "The other day, even before I saw who you were, I was attracted to you."
"You were magnificent sitting on Undine," Morgan told her.
"What if I had really been involved with Isa and not been free to be with you?" Erica asked. "I mean, after you bought the house."
"I never really considered it a possibility that we wouldn't one day be together," Morgan confessed.
"I mean, what if? Would you have kept the house?"
"Well," Morgan admitted, "It is a very nice house." Erica led the way up the trail. When they reached the top they urged their horses over to the spot where they had first seen Mignon. They looked down at the house again.
"What would you have done with all those things monogrammed E?" Erica asked.
Morgan looked at her blankly. "There's always Evelyn."
"Who?"
"Or Eileen or Ellen."
"How about Elizabeth or Eloise?" Erica glowered. Morgan nodded. "And Emily. I like old fashioned names."
~ Chapter 37 ~
Erica luxuriated in the shower, enjoying the force of the warm water on her tired body. She decided to join Morgan in the garden.
Morgan was relaxing in the hot tub.
"Would you like some wine?"
"Yes... no."
Morgan smiled. "I was just sitting here thinking about you all snuggled up in bed."
"I changed my mind." Erica stepped into the tub and sat down beside Morgan.
Morgan planted a kiss on her mouth. "Have I thanked you for Mignon?"
Erica nodded. She reached for Morgan's hand and squeezed it. "What were you doing in India?" she asked dreamily.
"I followed Swami Chichinanda's entourage back to India. He wanted to Click me, but I told him I only wanted to Click with..."
"He didn't Click my father. He gave Dad a song and dance and sent him back to the States with a mantra."
Morgan moved so that she was facing Erica. "You know people get very upset when they Click and don't see the light. Unless someone mentions seeing the light, Swamichi doesn't offer his Stone." She leaned forward and kissed Erica softly on the lips. "He gives them a mantra." She leaned forward again and kissed Erica - this time lingeringly.
"Did he give you a mantra?"
"No," Morgan whispered. "He told me to get my tail back to the States." Her mouth brushed Erica's lips teasingly. "He said there were people here who loved me and needed me."
Erica put her hands on Morgan's hips. A surge of pleasure filled Morgan as her tongue glided past the softness of Erica's lips and met Erica's tongue.
Erica pulled away.
Morgan was confused. "What's wrong?"
"I told you earlier," Erica reminded her, "I'm exhausted. I'm not as young as I used to be."
"We're the same age."
"You had a nap today, I didn't."
Morgan embraced her. "Earlier today in your office we were kissing and you promised we would make love later. Don't you remember?"
"But we did - after lunch."
"You made love to me," Morgan said. "I didn't make love to you."
"I didn't try to stop you."
"That's true," Morgan conceded.
* * * *
Erica slipped in between the sheets and stretched. "I am really stiff and sore. I'm not used to all this exercise."
Morgan rubbed Erica's legs.
"Oh, that feels gooood," Erica groaned. "I usually ride/or - not ride/and."
"Turn over so I can give you a massage," Morgan suggested. "I hope you get used to riding/and because I love both."
Erica turned over and relaxed as Morgan's strong fingers kneaded her aching muscles. Her eyelids began to close.
Morgan saw that Erica had fallen asleep. She moved quietly off the bed and tiptoed toward the door. Then on an impulse she tiptoed back and looked under the bed for the attaché case.
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