"If you don't have a revolver you may as well go back to bed," she replied petulantly.
"I definitely don't want to shoot you, but I could get you some Tylenol and something to drink to help hydrate you," she offered.
"I don't think anything will help," she grumbled.
"Let's try anyway. I'll be right back." Ryan ran downstairs and found two bottles of ginger ale in the refrigerator. She filled two glasses with ice and brought them both back upstairs. Then she went into the bathroom and found a bottle of Tylenol. Quickly removing four tablets, she gave Jamie two as she filled the glass with the soda. "Shhh!" her friend warned. "That's too loud!"
As Jamie struggled to swallow the pills, Ryan filled the other glass and snuck into Mia's room. She placed the soda and the pills on her bedside table and crept back out without disturbing her.
When she returned, Jamie was sitting on the bed, looking absolutely miserable. "I think you need some more sleep," Ryan observed.
"You're just full of insight, aren't you?" she replied with a grimace, grasping her head in pain from the mere effort of speaking.
"Jamie, I love you even when you're cranky. But please don't be so sarcastic. I'm just trying to help you."
Ryan could actually see her teeth clench, realizing with a smile that the poor woman was really trying to control her sharp tongue, albeit with only partial success. "I'm sorry, Ryan. I just want to go back to bed, but this headache is honestly about to kill me! I'll be nicer if I can get some sleep, I promise."
"I think I can help with that," Ryan replied confidently as she slid in behind her friend. She began to apply pressure to various points on Jamie's head and neck. At first the pain-wracked woman fought the rather intense pressure, but after a few minutes she began to relax and allow Ryan to work. After a while she started to sigh deeply as her body grew heavy and sagged against her partner.
Sliding out from behind her and placing her on her stomach, Ryan started to slowly and firmly knead the muscles in her shoulders and neck. Contented grunts and small moans now greeted her ministrations. After a long while she leaned over and kissed her head as she got out of bed. She got dressed in the previous evening's clothes and went back downstairs, feeling just a little regret that she wouldn't be able to spend the day with Jamie. Walking over to Telegraph in the early morning light, she fetched her bike, removed the ticket that one of Berkeley's ever-thoughtful meter-maids had left for her, and headed home.
Ryan decided that she needed to blow off some steam, and her father gladly acquiesced to the loan of his truck; after securing a promise that it would be washed and vacuumed upon her return. She loaded Duffy and his bag of floating toys in the vehicle and took the wildly enthusiastic dog on a spirited run on the beach. After the run, and a half hour of retrieving his toys from the cold water, Duffy's exercise needs were taken care of for the day, and his mistress was in a much better mood. When the car was once again spotless, she took a long shower and then decided to clean her room, having noticed quite a layer of dust gathering on her photos and books. After a good two hours, everything was in order and she was just putting her cleaning tools away when her pager went off.
She smiled at the familiar number as she went to dial the phone. "Hi," she said simply, wanting to test the waters before she said too much.
"Do you still love me?" was the shy plea.
"Of course I love you," she said warmly. "It's going to take more than a little grumpiness to get rid of me. Are you feeling any better?"
"Yeah, I feel a lot better actually. Thanks for taking care of me last night and today." After a pause she added, "We must have been a mess."
"Nah, you were actually kind of entertaining. I honestly didn't mind at all, Jamie. But I do think you should give some thought to how you deal with alcohol. You don't seem to tolerate it very well," she offered.
"That's an understatement," she agreed. "I think one is my new limit. And since I will never drink another martini, I don't have to worry about them."
"So, do you want to rest today, or would you like to see me?"
"I always want to see you, Ryan. You're the best part of every day for me."
"Well, I've got to work from two until five and then I'm free. Do you want to see me during the day or in the evening?"
"Yes," was the forceful reply.
Jamie showed up a little after 11, looking much better, although still a touch pale. Ryan greeted her warmly, trying to give her the clear message that she wasn't angry with her. They stood in a warm embrace for a long while, with Jamie uttering a deep sigh occasionally. "I'm sorry I was so rude to you today," she said as she looked up with sad eyes.
"It's okay, Jamie. Bad headaches can do that to anyone," she reassured her.
"Have you ever had a hangover?" she asked.
"I've had my share," Ryan admitted. "I have a pretty big capacity for alcohol, but as you know, I rarely drink anymore. When I was in my 'acting out' phase, I drank more than I should have, mostly to appear older and more experienced." She laughed a little at the memory. "I decided fairly quickly that hangovers were not for me."
"I couldn't agree with you more," Jamie agreed with a wry grin.
Ryan went downstairs to change as Jamie went to get a glass of water. She was still dehydrated, and Ryan had assured her that she would feel better if she got a lot of fluid down. The day was warm and Jamie wore cuffed khaki shorts and a salmon polo shirt. Several moments later her mouth went dry when Ryan came back up wearing one of the outfits from Jamie's fantasies. When they had recently visited the Berkeley Patagonia store, Ryan had purchased some of their baggy print shorts for Caitlin. Jamie had liked them so much that she had gone back and bought several pair for Ryan. Today she had on a pair in sky blue, deep blue and salmon. She wore a tank top in the same deep blue; the colors making her eyes look an even darker blue than normal.
Jamie stood back and gazed at her partner lovingly. Her hair was back in a high ponytail and showed off the strong planes of her face. The tank top revealed her tanned broad shoulders and muscular biceps. The shorts fit closely around her trim waist, but were quite roomy in the short legs. Jamie came up next to her and wrapped her arms around her. "Thank you," she whispered into Ryan's ear.
"What for?" was the reply.
"Fulfilling another fantasy," she replied as she nibbled the pink ear. "But you can't wear your normal underwear with these. What do you have on under there?" she asked with a seductive tone.
"Why don't you find out for yourself?" was the taunting reply.
Jamie proceeded to do just that as she ran her hands down the sides and around the back of the shorts. She let her fingers tease the strong legs as they slid up and under the fabric. She was rewarded by the feel of a very tiny pair of bikinis that failed to cover all of the strong firm flesh. As she ran her hands over the surface again and again Ryan dropped her head for a series of gentle kisses. She consciously kept the tough light, knowing Jamie's tendencies. When her partner's hands rose to pull her head down more firmly, she smiled through the kissing and shook her head as she murmured, "Uh, uh, Jamie. I don't want your blood pressure to rise and make your headache worse."
Jamie released her head as she pushed her face into the broad chest and moaned, "Why do you do this to me?"
"Do what?" Ryan asked innocently.
"Look like this!" she groaned.
Ryan just patted her on the back soothingly. "In three weeks you can handle the merchandise at will," she whispered seductively.
"I don't think I can wait three minutes. How can I wait three weeks!"
"If we start doing all the things I want to do to you, I guarantee you will not want to sit on a bike seat for 500 miles," she said with a smile that belied her seriousness.
Jamie just gulped noticeably as she squeezed Ryan again in frustration.
After unloading all of her things from the Porsche, they spent a little while getting the computer up and running again. That done, they decided to go steal Caitlin and take h
er over to the Marina district to play in the park and watch the boats. The baby was with Maeve today, and Ryan was anxious to see the little sprite after her self-imposed exile in Oakland.
When she greeted them at the door, Caitlin had on her own little pair of baggy shorts in greens and yellows and a little yellow t-shirt. They laughed at her antics as she slapped the glass of the storm door, turning her head repeatedly to look for her grandmother while she waited for the barrier to her favorite playmates to be removed.
Maeve finally arrived and unlocked the door, laughing at the glee on the baby's face. Caitlin launched herself at Ryan's knees, and then raised her arms demanding, "Uh, Uh."
Ryan looked at her aunt in wonder as she lifted the joyous infant in her arms. "When did she learn that?" she asked.
"Today, I guess," she replied as she shook her head. "I can't keep up with her, Ryan. She learns a new way to express herself every day."
Caitlin leaned over precariously in Ryan's arms to offer a hug and a kiss to Jamie. She smiled sweetly at her second favorite playmate as she patted Jamie's face with her tiny hand. Jamie reached out and snatched her from Ryan as Caitlin giggled at the tussle. The baby threw her arms around Jamie's neck as she squeezed her firmly; she was terribly happy to be together with her pals once again.
They had a marvelous time at the Marina. The weather was quite a bit cooler, but still warm enough that they were all comfortable. They all took off their shoes and played in the grass, along with the dozens of others soaking up the sun. Ryan had brought a kite, and she ran around wildly trying to control it in the stiff breeze. Jamie sat on their blanket with Caitlin on her lap and watched with a contented smile on her face. At one point she watched with alarm as Ryan was seemingly headed right for a large trash can. Ryan spotted it at the last minute, put on a burst of speed and jumped right over it. She slowed down then and trotted back over to the laughing pair. "Pretty cool, huh?" she asked proudly.
"You never cease to amaze me," Jamie replied fondly as she leaned over for a kiss. Caitlin wanted in on the fun too so she leaned over in the same way and puckered up. Ryan placed a sweet kiss on each set of lips, smiling broadly as she pulled back.
They let the baby practice walking, taking turns as her guide. She walked quite well so long as she held on to a pair of hands, and both women enjoyed helping her accomplish such an important milestone. After a while Ryan ran a few blocks to buy sandwiches for them. When she returned, Jamie was feeding the baby some strange tan concoction. Ryan sat and watched them for a while with a fond smile on her face, finally commenting, "I can't wait until we have a baby of our own."
"Yow!" the small woman said with a shocked look. "You don't mean that, do you?"
Ryan's eyes grew wide as she stuttered, "I…I…I…thought…you wanted…"
"Oh, Honey, of course I want to have children with you. I was just shocked at the thought that you can't wait to do it. I don't think I'm ready for that yet."
"Whew!" Ryan cried, as she dramatically wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "I thought that you meant you didn't want kids at all."
"Oh, no, Ryan. I still remember the discussion we had at your birthday party. I know how you feel about kids, and I'm sure we'll have them, one way or the other."
"Thank the goddess," Ryan said as she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "It would be hard for me to give up that dream."
Jamie looked at the open, trusting look on her beautiful face. "This is really it for you, isn't it? I mean you believe we'll be together for life, don't you?"
"Yeah, don't you?" she asked, as her eyes once again grew wide with alarm.
"Yes, I do," she replied reassuringly, gently rubbing Ryan's thigh. "It's just surprising to me that you've never even had a girlfriend, and yet you slipped into this lifetime commitment so easily."
Ryan was leaning back against her locked arms, and she dropped her head back and let the warm sun caress her face as she considered her response to that point. "I've got to admit that part of the reason I've never had a girlfriend is that I wasn't looking for one," she finally offered. "I really didn't want the complication that a relationship would bring. But the other reason is that I didn't see the point of being in a relationship that I wasn't sure about." She placed her hand on Jamie's knee as she stared deeply into her eyes. "I've known what I wanted in a lover for a long time, Jamie. I had just never met anyone who fulfilled all of my requirements until you."
"You are such a romantic, Ryan. I can't believe how often you just take my breath away," she said as she maintained the connection.
"I love you, Jamie. And I want to be with you for the rest of my life," she declared solemnly.
"I feel exactly the same way about you. And I can't wait to have a baby with you either." After a pause she added, "But I'd like to have a good long time with you alone, to just be selfish and enjoy you without any competition," she said with a smile.
"Agreed. Besides, I've got enough brothers and cousins to keep us stocked with babies for a long time, if they'll just get busy," she said with a laugh.
Chapter Twelve
Since Ryan had to work from two until five, Jamie decided to go home and pack up her things for the next four weeks. Even though they both knew the situation was less than optimal, they had decided to stay at Ryan's until the ride. Ryan wouldn't stand for Jamie paying for another night in a hotel, and Jamie couldn't stand the thought of being with Cassie for another moment, so it was the best option.
Upon arriving at her home, Jamie jogged up to the second floor and poked her head into Mia's room to see if she was there. Her friend was sitting in the middle of a chaotic jumble of clothes, shoes and suitcases. Her father had used some of his contacts to get her a summer job reading scripts for a small film company. Since her boyfriend was in L.A., she had been very excited about the job when she landed it; now that things had cooled between them she was a little ambivalent about the trip. The office was in Santa Monica, and she'd found a nice apartment to sublet for the summer on her last trip to L.A., but her sadness at leaving the Bay Area--and all of her friends--was affecting her mood.
When Jamie came in, Mia looked up in dismay, "How can I possibly take all of this stuff with me?"
"Um...you can't?" Jamie replied helpfully.
"I just don't know what I'm going to need. I'm not sure how casually people dress at this place, and I don't want to look like a geek." As she gazed around the room she added with a smirk, "I guess I could buy all new clothes after I figure out the dress code."
"That would go over big with your father," Jamie reminded her.
"Do you think you'll have a few minutes to see me when you're in L.A.?"
"Yeah, actually I was going to invite you to the closing ceremonies. They're on the 13th in Century City, and I think you'd enjoy it."
"Are you coming back that same day?" Mia inquired.
"We're not sure. One option is to take our bikes apart and fly back that night. But I think we'd enjoy it more if we could stay over one night just to relax."
"Why don't you stay with me? My sublet is two bedrooms, and I'd love to have you. You won't by any chance have Conor with you, will you?" Mia asked coyly as she batted her eyes.
"No. Just Ryan. You haven't spoken of Conor much. What do you think of him, Mia?"
"Because of school and everything we've only gone out once. We've talked on the phone a couple of times, but it's clearly not a big deal between us. I like him a lot though," she said thoughtfully. "If I was going to be here this summer, I think I'd really concentrate on getting to know him better."
"Would I be prying if I asked if you have..."
"Yes, you would be prying," she teased. "But I have no secrets from you, James," she replied. "No, we haven't. But, if he's still available in the fall, I'd like to give it a try. I'm guessing I'll officially be single by the time I get back"
"Not much hope with Jason, huh?"
"I'd say our relationship is on "life-support,"" she muttered. "It's gonn
a take some extraordinary measures to save it."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," Jamie said. "But you seem to have pulled back an awful lot anyway."
"Yeah, you're right. Jason's not right for me long term. Conor, on the other hand…"
"He's really a nice guy, Mia. He's a little sold on himself, but underneath that he's very sweet."
"It's not his sweetness that I'm attracted to," Mia said with a grin. "But I guess that's a nice side benefit," she said as Jamie rolled her eyes.
"When do you leave for L.A.?"
"Monday afternoon," she said with a sigh. "I wish I was more excited about it, though. I am just not in the mood to have to make all new friends for the summer. And part of me wishes I could spend a little time finding out if there's any chemistry between me and Mr. Muscle."
"Hmm, I can't help on the first part, but maybe we could arrange for something for the weekend. If he's available would you like to do something with us?"
"Like a double date?"
"Yeah," Jamie said with a smile. "A date, huh? I've never been on a date with a girl." She had a cute little grin on her face as she considered the prospect. "We haven't had time to actually go out since we've been together."
"Well I've never been on a double date with two girls," Mia laughed. "I think it would be fun. See what you can come up with."
"Will do. I've got to get packed too. I've decided to stay with Ryan until the ride. Then we have our little vacation, so I've got to pack almost as much as you do!"
"Yeah, but for one of those weeks you probably won't be wearing clothes," Mia predicted with a wiggle of her brow.
The foursome decided to borrow Jamie's father's boat and go for a sail around the Bay on Sunday. Just to make sure, she called her father in Italy and got his enthusiastic permission to go and enjoy.
Ryan and Jamie both had a tough time with the prospect of sleeping apart on Friday. They had become so dependent on feeling each other's warm bodies during the night that they knew it would be another big adjustment to forego that connection. Summoning their collective willpower, they managed to pry themselves apart after only a few minutes of passionate smooching. Once Jamie was ensconced in Rory's room, Ryan trotted back downstairs, running into her father. "This is hard for you, isn't it, Darlin'?" he asked when he saw her flushed face.
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