"I guess I don't want to give them the satisfaction of being able to blow me off and then get me for free. It really irks me that they still won't give me a free ride."
"Is that it? Really?"
"Yeah. I’m just pissed."
"Okay, why do you want to play?"
"I love to compete," she said simply. "And for women, playing at the NCAA Division One level is usually the highest level of competition. Obviously you could go higher and be on a national team or the Olympic Team, but the NCAA is still pretty good. I also think I'd feel pretty proud of myself to be able to walk on and play when I'm nearly 24 years old. I like being able to kick the butts of younger women."
"It sounds to me like you really want to play and if you don't, it's only to get back at someone. That doesn't sound like you, Honey."
"You're right, Jamie," she said as she let out a frustrated breath. "I'm letting my pride get in the way. But then I have the money issue. I can’t work and study and play soccer. I’d have to quit my job. Then I’d have to take out loans to get through the year."
"Can you try to ignore the money issue for the time being?" she asked. "You know there are many ways we can take care of that."
"Okay," she slowly said. "If I ignore money, I guess I need to decide if I want to play, and if I do, I need to just throw myself into it and ignore the side issues. But my next problem is that I can't decide what I want to play. If I'm not able to get a scholarship anyway, I might choose to play a sport that doesn't award scholarships. Maybe I need to talk to those coaches too, and see which sport fits my current life the best."
"What other sports are you talking about?" Jamie pursued.
"All in due time, my dear," she teased, patting Jamie’s cheek as she guided her back to her sickbed.
As the dinner preparations continued, Jamie watched with delighted interest as Ryan made a salad, layering sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil, and then topping it with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
The dryer buzzed and Ryan dashed over to the washer and dryer to take out the last of the laundry. As she meticulously folded each piece Jamie commented, "Maria Los does laundry, Honey. You should just leave it for her."
"No thanks. I’ve been doing my own laundry since I was a kid. I prefer to do it myself."
"But…"
"Jamie, I prefer to do my own. I’ll do yours too, if you’d like, but I don’t want a stranger cleaning my clothes."
"She knows how…" she began again, but Ryan cut her off.
"I know it sounds odd to you, Honey. But I’m not going to change my mind, so you might as well drop it. I’m going to clean my own room and do my own laundry. I’m not sure I can ask Maria Los to stay out of my room without resorting to drawing pictures, so I’d appreciate it you’d mention it to her."
"Okay." It was obvious that Ryan was not going to budge, and Jamie realized there would be other, more important disagreements down the line, so she gave in gracefully. "I’ll tell her tomorrow."
"Thanks, Babe. Oh, how much do I have to chip in for Maria Los?"
"Well, nothing if she’s not going to clean your room or do your laundry. Mia and I will just split it."
"No, that’s not fair. She’ll clean the rest of the house, and I’ll benefit from that. So I’ll pay my share."
Once again, Jamie gave up quickly. "$75," she said, wishing she had lied when she saw Ryan’s eyes bug out.
"Seventy-five dollars?" Each syllable had been enunciated so perfectly that Jamie was certain Maria Los would have been able to understand the thought perfectly.
"Honey, if she’s not worth that to you, I don’t have a problem in the world with paying two-thirds myself."
"No, no, don’t worry about it," Ryan assured her. "I just didn’t realize it cost that much. I can handle it." It’s only the equivalent of 45 minutes of work after taxes, Ryan. Don’t be such a Scrooge. "While we’re at it, how much do I owe for my share of the gardeners?"
"$100 a week will cover both, Honey." This was only a tiny fib in Jamie’s book, and one that she felt entirely justified in telling. "How much do I owe for the groceries you bought today?" she asked, trying to catch Ryan in her own trap.
"Nothing," Ryan insisted. "I’ll pay for groceries until I balance out what you paid to Web Van. com. I still have 96 bucks to go until we’re even."
Damn math major, Jamie grumbled to herself while Ryan went back to check on the sauce.
Now that her domestic duties were done, Ryan asked, "Would you like to go sit outside for a while? I could open some wine and make us some appetizers."
"Do you ever have a bad idea?" Jamie got to her feet and stretched a bit, getting out all of the kinks from a long day of golf. Pausing to take a long appraising look at her partner, she smiled at the very appealing look that she was sporting. Ryan was wearing the cute red and white board shorts that she had purchased for her in Santa Cruz. Tucked into the waistband was a tight white tank top with spaghetti straps. She obviously was not wearing a bra, and when Jamie grabbed her by the rear to pull her in for a kiss, it became obvious that she had also neglected to wear panties. "Didn't you ever hear that you're not supposed to go out without clean underwear?" she teased, palming the firm cheeks to good advantage.
"I paid close attention to that maxim," Ryan murmured as she maintained the tiny distance between their bodies. "But I only have about four pairs of traditional panties, and they're all dirty. My regular underwear would stick out the bottom of these little things," she said as she tugged on a leg of the shorts. "So rather than flaunting one of the tenets of womanhood by wearing dirty underwear, I decided to go without."
Jamie smiled up at her as she gripped the muscular flesh. "I like this a lot," she whispered. "I might throw out all of your underwear when you're not looking."
"You sound like you feel better," Ryan said as she pulled away and held her lover out at arm’s length to gauge her appearance.
"My cramps are just about gone," she admitted. "I come home to a gorgeous woman, a good dose of pampering, and I’m gonna have a great meal soon. I think I like having a wife," she mused as she leaned in for another hug.
With a sendoff kiss, Ryan patted her butt and guided her towards the back door. She strolled outside and sat in the still-bright sun while Ryan scrambled around in the kitchen trying to find everything she needed. She came out a few minutes later carrying a tray filled with the last items from their welcome-home basket. She had some cheese and pates and an olive tapenade along with some water biscuits and a loaf of crusty Italian bread that she had picked up on the way home. The tray also carried a crisp Pinot Grigio and two chilled glasses.
After she set the tray down she dashed back inside to bring the chaise back out and set it in place. They chatted about their respective days and, after a few minutes, Jamie began to feed some little tidbits to Ryan. She reciprocated, and soon her fingers were being drawn into Jamie’s mouth as she handed her each bite. Mere seconds later they were both on the same chaise, making out furiously. After several minutes of passionate groping, Ryan tore herself from Jamie’s voracious mouth and announced, "No matter what, I'm having dinner tonight! I swear you're trying to starve me to death. I've missed more meals in the last week than I have in my whole life!"
Jamie pulled her back down and answered her with a torrid kiss. They rolled around on the narrow surface of the chair for a few more minutes before Ryan sat up again. "I'm not kidding, Jamie. I'm going to eat dinner tonight!"
"I know what I want for dinner," she rasped out in reply. "It's tasty, and delicious, and decidedly Irish." A few more minutes of passionate wrestling made Ryan forget her vow completely. Jamie had unlaced her shorts and was beginning to tug them down when Ryan pulled away one last time to dash up the stairs and turn off the sauce. She looked longingly at it and shook her head as she ran back down the stairs to Jamie's eager mouth.
Ryan stood at the edge of the chaise and unlaced her shorts completely. Her hips swayed sexily and the fabric
began to slide from her body of its own accord. As the shorts fell, she crossed her arms in front of herself and grasped the hem of her tank but Jamie shook her head briefly, asking her to leave it on. "Let me," she murmured, her gaze never leaving the blue eyes that she so loved.
"My pleasure," Ryan whispered as she gingerly climbed astride her partner to once more express the love that they shared.
"If we’re gonna do this very often, we’ve got to get some wider chairs." Ryan bit back a groan as she slid off the chaise, landing on her knees. Her head slipped down Jamie’s body until it rested on her upper thighs. "I think we’d better move inside to continue this discussion," she murmured against the soft cotton of her boxer shorts.
Jamie ran her fingers through Ryan’s damp hair, smiling as her lover’s pulse point throbbed against her leg. "I’m not up for it, Baby," she said softly. "I’m still feeling too crummy."
The dark head tilted until Ryan could make eye contact with her partner. "Really? You seemed pretty interested a few minutes ago." Her hand had begun to tickle the baby-soft skin on her partner’s thigh, and the involuntary shiver that chased across the smaller woman’s body belied her claimed disinterest.
"I was, silly," she laughed. "I was very, very interested in making love to you. I just don’t feel like being on the receiving end right now. I’m more interested in getting some dinner and taking more pills. If I really knock these cramps out tonight, I should feel fine by tomorrow."
"Okay, Babe," Ryan said, getting to her feet and offering a hand to Jamie. "Let me go rinse off, and I’ll get you fed." Ryan picked up her clothes and took Jamie’s hand as they crossed the small patch of grass that made up the back yard. "I could be convinced to administer my 100% guaranteed cure for cramps if you’re in the mood after dinner."
Jamie turned to make eye contact, and it became clear just what that cure involved. Ryan’s eyes were twinkling, and her wolfish gaze was roaming up and down Jamie’s body in a very proprietary fashion.
"I just bet you would," Jamie laughed, slapping Ryan’s bare butt. "I should have known that all of your home remedies would involve getting me into bed."
"Not all of them," Ryan started to protest, but then thought better of the denial and corrected, "Okay…that’s true, but how many doctors can claim that they’ve never been sued for malpractice?" Her confident smirk was too irresistible for Jamie, and she had to pull her partner to a halt to reward her with a kiss for her bedside manner.
Just a little after nine Ryan was curled around her soundly sleeping partner. I’ve never seen a person sleep through a massage. She was out like a light before I reached her lower back! I have a feeling that my little princess is not often plagued by insomnia, she mused as she let the slow, steady cadence of Jamie’s breathing lure her into a similarly sound sleep.
Ryan was amazed to open her eyes and find Jamie's green orbs gazing at her. "Wow, I didn't know you could open your eyes before 6:30," she said slowly, blinking her eyes into focus.
"When you put me to sleep at nine o'clock, it's amazing how early I can wake up," she responded as she leaned over to give her lover a little kiss. "Can I go out with you today?"
Ryan gave her a broad smile and replied, "There's nothing I'd like better than that. Do you want to run?"
"I can’t keep up with you, and I don't want to slow you down. I had the thought yesterday that it might work if I rode my bike and stayed in your general vicinity while you ran. Wanna try it?"
"Sure," she said. "I don't know the neighborhood very well, so you can lead me through some of your favorite streets."
"It’s a deal." Jamie hopped out of bed, feeling completely normal and very well rested. A few moments later she was dressed in her bike shorts and an emerald green jersey, watching from the doorway of their bath while Ryan chose an outfit. Jamie was vigorously brushing her teeth when Ryan finally decided on her attire, and she realized that she was lingering just to watch the dark beauty get dressed.
As Ryan stepped into a pair of bright blue running shorts, Jamie marveled at how much of her long legs were exposed beneath the lightweight nylon. When Ryan bent over to pick up her shoes, her curious lover could see the white liner peeking out from the back. She crept up behind her and slid both of her hands up the legs of the tiny shorts, rubbing the firm buttocks that were so easily reached. Ryan maintained her bent position and slowly twitched her hips, causing her nylon clad cheeks to slide against Jamie's hands. "Ummm," she moaned after a few seconds of this tender caress. "Are you sure you want to go outside? We could probably work up a sweat without leaving the house."
Jamie stood and slapped her rather forcefully on the butt, causing Ryan to snap to her full height. She rubbed her cheek while giving Jamie a narrowed-eye glare. "That's gonna leave a handprint," she accused.
"When we get home, you're going to have my prints all over your luscious body," she whispered as she wrapped her lover in a firm hug.
"We're going to bed early every night if this is how you wake up," Ryan teased. She pulled her sports bra over her head and then yanked on a white nylon singlet, tucked in her shirt, and twirled around once asking, "How do I look?"
"Good enough to eat," Jamie said with a leer. "I think those are the sexiest shorts I've ever seen you in. But you don't normally wear running shorts, do you?"
"Not very often. It's usually cold or foggy, so I wear compression shorts to keep my thighs loose. But I don't see any fog today, so it's probably warm. It's going to take me a while to get used to the different weather here. There's rarely a bright morning in the Noe Valley."
"You're also going to have to get used to running on level ground," Jamie reminded her. "Unless you want to go up into the hills, that is. That would let me get in some more strenuous riding while you stressed those pretty thighs."
"Let's do that later in the week. Today I want to retain a little strength in my legs. I might need it when we get home," she said, waggling one eyebrow.
"You're going to need every ounce of strength you can marshal," Jamie promised, her leering gaze promising lots of fun.
They started off slowly, but within a few minutes Jamie was racing down the street and doubling back to fly by her grinning lover. Ryan found it rather difficult to get into her normal cadence with the near constant distraction from her partner, but she reminded herself that was a small sacrifice to make to have the companionship of her beloved.
She watched as Jamie went flying down the quiet street, butt twitching as she left her seat and mashed the pedals hard. There is something so appealing about her body, she thought, as she admired the departing form. I don't think I'll ever get tired of looking at her. She felt a familiar tingle begin to grow and she laughed at her reaction, I don't normally get aroused during my morning runs, either. I guess living together will produce all sorts of unexpected surprises.
Jamie looked down at her odometer and was surprised to see that she had already gone five miles. She was getting a pretty good aerobic workout since she was, in essence, doing sprints. She hadn't slowed down since they started, so she lagged a bit and rode behind her lover for a few minutes. God, she has the best looking ass in the Bay Area, she thought as she watched Ryan's running form. Her hair was gathered in a high ponytail, and Jamie loved watching it twitch back and forth as she ran. It reminded her of a horse's mane as it slowly swayed across her broad shoulders in time with her steps.
Jamie didn't know a lot about running, but it was obvious that Ryan's form was very natural, as well as efficient. She had a long stride that seemed to eat up distance, and it seemed that she came down lightly on her feet. It looked as though she spent a lot of time with both feet off the ground, even though that seemed physically improbable to Jamie. In fact, it looked like she was gliding along three or four inches off the ground with an occasional touchdown for propulsion. Her heels barely hit the ground at all, Jamie noticed from her position directly behind her lover. The lanky woman seemed to just lightly push off with the balls of her feet, rollin
g gracefully through her stride until the toes of one foot lifted from the pavement as the ball of the other foot touched down.
Jamie also noted that her attitude was slightly forward. Rather than standing completely upright, her whole body was tilted a few degrees. Oddly, it didn't appear that she was bending from the waist. Rather, it looked more like her momentum carried her forward a bit, allowing her to slice through the wind aerodynamically. Jamie was studying her so intently that she nearly ran into her as she slowed to a stop. Ryan turned around with a look of shock on her face at the closeness of the bike. "Did you almost hit me?"
Jamie blushed as she admitted, "I was watching your butt so closely, I didn't notice that you were stopping."
"Jeez! You’re either going to love me to death or run over me! You’re really randy today, aren't you?"
"I guess I am," Jamie agreed with a little blush coloring her cheeks. "Don’t know why, but I’m really focused on you."
"Hey," Ryan panted. "Don’t misunderstand, Babe. I’m not complaining in the least. Nothing I like better than to have you chasing me around the streets of Berkeley with love on your mind."
"Oh, it’s on my mind," Jamie agreed with a wink. "I'm gonna rock your world as soon as we get home."
Ryan beamed up at her as she leaned in and gave her a small kiss. "I'm very ready to be rocked," she replied. As she looked down the quiet, tree-lined street, her mouth quirked up into a grin as she asked, "Wanna do some speed work?"
"Sure," Jamie replied happily. "What do you want to do?"
Ryan pointed to a deep red house about 50 yards down the street. "Let's race to the number painted on the curb. Since you have an advantage, I'll take off and you start at the count of three. Agreed?"
"Yep. Are you ready?"
Ryan got down in a three-point stance. She adjusted her feet until she felt they were properly centered under her body, then twitched her butt until she was a mass of coiled energy waiting to be unleashed. "Ready, set, go!" She burst from her start and quickly found her stride. Jamie noticed that her heels did not touch the ground at all when she sprinted. She was watching her so intently that she nearly forgot to count to three for herself. But she rallied and took off as quickly as she could. Ryan was well ahead of her, but her bike allowed her to eat up ground far quicker than Ryan's feet could manage. She thought she had her, but just as the finish line came up Ryan leaned forward as she raised her arms and stuck out her chest. She had nipped her partner by just a few inches, but from the little "whoop" she gave, it was obvious that the victory was important to her.
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