by Lisa G Riley
“Oh, goodie!” Sue cooed and clapped her hands in delight like a child who’d just gotten her fondest wish. “Lemon berry pancakes!”
Lily chuckled at her exaggerated silliness as she rose. “And that delicious country fresh breakfast sausage that the family makes itself. Mmmm, I can’t wait! Just let me grab my boots and jacket and I’ll be ready to go.”
“Great! I’ll get my coat and meet you out front.”
“Do you mind if we walk, Lil?” Sue asked, once they were outside on the porch. “You know how much I love the charm of this town and I so rarely get to come here.”
“It’s fine. I need the exercise anyway,” Lily told her as she thought about yesterday’s Santa chase through downtown. She finished locking the door, and turning, slid her arm through Sue’s in companionship.
“Which route do you want to take? I can take you so that we walk through Sheffield Park to see the ice skaters, or we can take the route where we run into the…” she looked at Sue expectantly and with a huge grin.
Sue looked baffled at first. “What—oh, I know! The funicular! Let’s go…”
“Let’s go, let’s go to the top!” Lily joined in singing with her. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go to the top! Funiculi, funiculà, funiculi, funiculà. Let’s go to the top. Funiculi, funiculà!”
By the time they finished the song, they were yelling at the top of their lungs and almost skipping down the street. They stopped and held onto each other as they laughed, completely uncaring of the stares they attracted from passerby. “Oh, my God, I needed that!” Lily said after she’d caught her breath. “It’s always so good to see you, Sue. You inspire me to be ridiculous.”
Sue smiled. “Same here. I’m so sorry I missed you before you moved from Chicago in October.”
Lily looked at her friend. Dressed in black leather pants, a pair of paint splattered black combat boots and a yellow leather jacket covered in a fabric Lily thought might be mohair, Sue looked exactly like she was: a Bohemian artist. People often looked at her with her wide soft eyes, crazy hair, delicate build and unique way of dressing and saw a pushover. They were always mistaken, but Sue could be soft-hearted when it came to her friends.
Lily snorted as Sue’s last statement was proof of her soft heart.
“What?” Sue asked her.
“It’s just that I agree with you. I mean, how could you choose an opportunity to take a sabbatical and study in Rome over the chance to spend time with me before I moved back here? After all, it was just a once in a lifetime chance. What kind of friend are you, anyway?” Lily’s breath was coming just a bit quicker as the path became steeper as they drew closer to Town Square.
“Shut up and let me enjoy myself,” Sue shot back, her breathing a little more laborious as well. They strode toward the left side of the square where an old well stood. “Oh, I just love this town!” she exclaimed as she pulled her camera out of her purse.
Lily chuckled as she watched her. True, the well and its old, crumbling stone masonry were a sight to behold. The well was two hundred years old and was almost as old as the town. It was roped off, but it was still possible to get decent pictures of it. Knowing that Sue could get so absorbed with her photography that she’d forget about her for a while, Lily wandered toward one of the food and beverage carts. She purchased two cups of hot white chocolate and sat on one of the available benches to wait for her friend.
Sipping the rich drink, she sat back and just observed the happenings around her. The Square was always pretty busy; no matter what the weather and today was no exception. Ringed by specialty shops as it was, there was always a reason to come to the Square. She looked toward the center of the popular spot and scowled. “Ho, ho, ho my ass,” she muttered as she watched Sheffield-Chatham’s official Town Square Santa make his way out of the life-sized gingerbread-like house and sit on the red-velvet covered throne the town had set up for him. There was already a line of children on the green runner leading to the chair. He was too tall to be the Santa that had attacked her car, but he was a horrible reminder.
“Forget it, Lily,” she murmured before blowing into her cup and taking another sip of her cocoa. “Plenty enough time to think about him later.”
Once upon a time, the town fathers had had the brilliant idea to turn the Square into an ice skating rink in winters, but the people had balked, preferring that things remain as they were. They were particularly upset about the cart operators losing their spots in the square. The rink had lasted half of that winter season.
“I thought it was a good idea myself,” Lily mumbled now as she continued to drink her hot chocolate. She’d felt that the carts could have just moved closer to the outer edges, but for some reason, that option wasn’t given much of a chance. “That’s the only problem with this town. Too often it’s all or nothing.” Her stomach embraced the chocolate gratefully, but Lily knew it wouldn’t be enough. She needed to get things moving so she could get some actual food. She looked over at the well again. Her gaze found Sue.
“All right, Sue,” she called. “The funicular’s calling your name.”
Chapter Seven
“We’d better hurry,” Lily said, “The next trip down leaves in a few minutes.” They were making their way on the other side of the Square to the funicular, Flight of the Fancies, Sheffield-Chatham’s biggest tourist attraction.
“I’ll say it again: I just love this town!” Sue said with pleasure as they turned the corner to an amazing sight of what looked like a subway car of powder blue connected to a pulley and sitting on train tracks that stretched downward about fifteen hundred feet. There was a matching car at the bottom of the incline, which would begin moving up as their car moved down.
“Yeah, I love this funicular thing, too,” Lily admitted as they queued up for tickets. “It’s only about a fifteen minute ride to Cannon Street at the bottom, but boy what a great ride.”
“You ever been on any other funicular?”
“Umm,” Lily acknowledged as she gave the woman behind the ticket window two dollars in exchange for their tickets. “Angel’s Flight in Los Angeles. The family was there in ‘95 for Christmas. I was just turning fourteen and more interested in looking for movie stars than I was in the ride. As I recall, I was pouting during the entire ride because my parents didn’t want to go on a tour of movie stars’ homes at just that moment.”
“My plan was to try to get to one of the dozens they have in Italy, but I never got the chance.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Lily said. “I’m sure they must have some great ones over there.”
They climbed aboard and sat next to one another on the bench-style seating. They were quiet at first as each enjoyed the novelty of the ride. “So, tell me what’s been going on since we last talked,” Sue said.
“Where to begin?”
“Okay, wait,” Sue said urgently and grabbed one of Lily’s hands. “Don’t start yet. First, before I forget, will you come to Chicago for some after Christmas shopping?”
Lily chuckled in relief. “Oh! Is that all? The way you were acting, I thought you were in trouble or something.”
“Oh, sorry. No, it’s just that I miss my best friend and we haven’t gone shopping together in such a long time. I thought maybe you could come down for a week or so, and we could do it up big. The Art Institute and -- oh! I nearly forgot! The Field is doing a whole new…wait for it…gem exhibit.”
Lily froze. “Seriously?”
Sue’s chuckle managed to convey both a smirk and satisfaction. “Uh-huh. Knew that would get ya. You should see yourself! Your eyes are actually sparkling, your cheeks are flushed and you’re almost panting in excitement! If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you’d just had a tryst with a lover or something.”
Thinking about her time in the bath that morning, Lily flushed and hoped Sue wouldn’t interpret it correctly. “Or that I just came into warmth from freezing cold, and besides you know how I feel about gems, Sue. I can’t help it; I just h
ave a sick obsession with them. Now don’t torture me any longer and tell me about this new exhibit. Did they acquire some brand new ones?”
“Not that I’m aware of, no. This exhibit will focus on stones they’ve kept in their vaults for one reason or another. I read that some of them are considered bad luck and haven’t seen the light of day in more than fifty years.”
“Ooh, this is too exciting!”
“I thought you’d feel that way. The only thing is that the exhibit will only be open for a little more than a month. It’s just a tease.”
“Hmm, that is disappointing,” Lily said, thinking about her schedule and all the things she had to do to get her business up and running. “When does it open?”
“That’s why I wanted you to come down after Christmas. I don’t know the exact day, but the exhibit opens right after.”
Lily bit her lip as she thought about it. “I think I can make it, but I wonder why it’s having such a short run. Are they sending it on tour after?”
Sue shrugged. “All I know is that there’s a new head curator and he thought it would be a fabulous idea -- he’s from London and he said it just like that on the morning news -- fabulous idea, darling,” she said in an upper crust British accent.
Lily smiled at the convincing accent and then sighed. “I’m sure I’ll love it. Funny my grandmother or Aunt Amelia never mentioned it, though. I guess maybe they forgot about it in all the excitement of getting ready for their trip to Australia. I told you they’re spending the whole month of December there, didn’t I?”
Sue nodded. “Yes, you did, but maybe they didn’t mention it because it was just announced last week. How could they have talked about it if they didn’t know?”
“True,” Lily agreed. “Of course you know I’ll be there, right? Wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
“Great,” Sue said. “Let’s plan on it then.” She bumped Lily with her shoulder. “Now tell me what’s been going on with you. What’s new and exciting? Last week you said that Smith had moved back to town.”
Sue was still laughing when they arrived at the bottom of the hill. “I know it isn’t supposed to be funny but the idea of you chasing down Santa like he’s a criminal…”
“He is a criminal. After all, whoever this guy is broke my windshield on purpose and then stayed around not only to admit it, but to brag -- ow! Hey!” The sudden impact of something hitting her hard in the small of her back had Lily simultaneously grabbing at the spot where she’d been hit and whipping around to see where the threat had come from. At first all she saw were people going about their business, moving about normally. No one seemed to be paying attention to her.
Red flashed in her peripheral vision and she turned to her right. And there she saw it. A red velvet suit with white trim covering a wide fat ass as it rounded a corner. Even as she began the chase, Lily was calculating her chances of catching him and concluded that she wouldn’t, but she couldn’t stop herself from trying.
“Hey! Wait for me!” Sue yelled.
Lily spared her a brief glance over her shoulder, but kept going. She got to the corner and looked down the street. Santa was a mere red speck in the distance. “Fuck,” she muttered. She was panting in anger and yelled, “Yeah, that’s right! Run, Santa, run! ‘Cause when I catch you, it is soooo on!”
She hoped she was imagining the maniacal laughter that seemed to float back to her in answer, but knew she wasn’t imagining the odd looks people were throwing her way as they gave her a wide berth.
“Here’s the cause of your pain.”
Lily turned to Sue and saw that she was holding something in her outstretched hand. It was a melting snow ball. She’d suspected as much, but what she hadn’t expected, however, was to see shards of ice mixed in with the snow. She scowled and turned back towards where she’d last seen her nemesis.
“You psychotic, chubby bastard!”
***
Several blocks away, Smith clutched his pillow tighter against his body as he rolled over to the other side of his sheet-and-blanket-strewn bed. Caught deep in REM sleep, he was vulnerable to memories from four years before as they assailed his mind and in a voice deepened with desire, he mumbled, “Jesus, Lily.”
This was said in response to her first biting and then whispering in his ear. She was lying naked in his arms and had tightened her arms around his waist as leverage as she raised her body to reach his ear. In a husky, lust-ridden voice, she’d said, “This time I want you to go deeper, much deeper.”
Now she squirmed against him as she pressed lingering kisses to his neck and chest. Smith smoothed his hand over her hair and massaged the skin of her back in a bid to calm her. He could feel her breathing against his neck and the longer they lay there skin on skin, the faster those soft, hot breaths came. He chuckled, but hoarsely because she was radiating so much heat that he felt like it was seeping into his bones. “We only just finished about twenty minutes ago.”
But Lily only snuggled closer in his arms and languidly kissed the underside of his jaw, wrapping her slender arms around his neck as she did so. “Kiss me again, cowboy,” she whispered and pressed her nipples into his chest as she began to repeatedly slide her thigh between the two of his. Her slit was wet, slippery and rubbing against his hip; the action, he could tell, getting her more and more excited.
Smith growled and caught her hair at her nape in his fist and pulled it so that her head fell back. “Ah, sweetness,” he murmured as he studied her flushed face and closed eyes, “You do make a man wish for a shorter recovery time,” he told her just before he pressed his open mouth to her suddenly smiling lips.
Lily immediately and eagerly pulled his tongue into her mouth, sucking on it hard while rubbing her nakedness against him. She moaned when his cock began to harden against her thigh. Pulling out of the kiss, she whispered almost in desperation against his mouth, “Again, Smith. I want you inside me again.”
Smith felt her hand grasp his penis, which made it quickly stand at attention. “Ah, fuck, Lily,” he choked out, his back arching as the organ went full out rigid on him at the first touch of her smooth palm. She began to work him with her fist, sliding it up and down the length of him and he let his eyes fall shut as he dug his head into the pillow.
“We need another condom, Smith,” she said in a distracted tone, her attention apparently focused on his rock hard penis. Smith heard her, but for the life of him could do nothing but groan as her grip on him tightened fractionally before he felt the fingertips of her other hand dancing lightly along the seams of his balls.
“Please, Smith, get another condom from the nightstand,” Lily begged. She was climbing on top of him now and only when she released him could he think straight. He tossed her the condom and when she ripped it open with her teeth and slowly began to roll it over him, he closed his eyes again in pain and in an effort to find control, positive his orgasm was mere seconds away.
He felt her lifting her body and put his hands on her waist to guide her onto him. “That’s it, baby,” he said between clenched teeth when she held his cock steady and began to lower herself onto it. Slowly, she lowered her body, her tight opening squeezing and pulsing around every centimeter of his dick as it tunneled in.
Lily rocked against him, her hips oscillating rhythmically as she leaned down to kiss him. “It feels so good, Smith,” she gasped into his mouth before voraciously taking it with uninhibited passion.
Smith rose into a sitting position, and sliding his arms under hers, gripped her shoulders from behind to push her body down as he frantically pushed his hips upward. She wrapped her legs around him and he felt the heels of her feet digging into his lower back as they moved in unison. Her head was thrown back now and he could hear the little squeals of delight he’d learned to expect from her when she was about to come.
Leaning in, he took the skin in the hollow of her throat and sucked it hard between his lips; sure there would be a bruise there when he was done. She screamed, and as her orgasm to
ok her, he allowed himself to come, yelling hoarsely as she took everything he couldn’t help but offer her.
“Lily!” Smith sat up quickly, her name on his lips as, ironically, the dream that held him in thrall, woke him violently as well. “Shit,” he mumbled when he realized he’d been dreaming. He sat on the edge of the bed and after rubbing his hand across his face, rested his forehead in his palm. He’d dreamt about his one night with Lily several times over the years, and it was always that particular lovemaking session that he dreamed about.
He figured he deserved the torture, first for having slept with her and second for leaving the way he did. He rose to walk naked into the connecting bathroom, noticing, of course, that his penis was as hard as a rock. “I’ll take care of you in a second,” he muttered and stepped into the hot spray of the shower.
Chapter Eight
Lily’s parents’ house was located just a few blocks from her grandmother’s, so she decided to walk there later that day. Her thoughts were all about Smith as she trudged the five blocks through the snow. She’d missed him over the past several years. “It was as if he just disappeared,” she mused and stuck her gloved hands in her pockets.
Smith had not only stopped going on the Christmas vacations their families took together, but he’d also stopped visiting Sheffield-Chatham altogether. It had hurt and confused her at seventeen and if she were honest with herself, it still caused a little ping in her heart whenever she thought about it. After she’d gone off to college, she’d understood the desire to go on vacations with friends; especially after she’d gotten invited to a couple of really great places herself. However, it still bothered her not to see him. Until their time together in Chicago four years before, she hadn’t seen him since she’d turned seventeen.
As she approached her parents’ two-story home, she prayed that he’d do them both a favor and not show up. She jogged up the porch steps and opened the screen door and then the main one cautiously. She heard voices in the back of the house and after removing her coat and hanging it on a wooden coat rack and kicking off her boots, followed the sounds through to the kitchen.