by Sarah Markel
“So, what's next?” Kelly asked, bringing Alex out of her thoughts. “I'm honestly not sure. I haven't dated in so long that I am really out of my element.” She replied sheepishly. Kelly chuckled, then took a moment to think. “Well, how long do you have until you have to pick up the kids?” Alex smiled shyly and mumbled, “I don't. They are staying the night with Angie.” Kelly's mind started racing with the implications of having the whole night to themselves. Stop it. You aren't going to have sex with her on the first date. That's wrong. Get those thoughts out of your head. She thought to herself. “Okay, well maybe we could go for a walk in the park? I haven't been to either of them, so maybe we can take a walking tour? You can show me around this lovely city that I know almost nothing about.” Kelly suggested with a giggle. Alex beamed, an idea coming to her. “That's a great idea. Let's go for a walk at Turner Park, and I will show you where the kids' birthday party will be. It's a beautiful place and it will give you a chance to see some of the wonderful landscaping the city does.” With their next stop decided, the two women left the restaurant. “How about we walk? The park isn't far from here, and we can walk through the historic part of town.” Alex suggested. Kelly smiled and nodded in agreement. Alex offered her arm to Kelly, a cheesy grin on her face, “M'lady, wouldst thou like an escort?” Kelly tipped her head back and laughed, slipping her arm through Alex's and allowing the other woman to lead. “Why thank you, kind maiden.” She replied, causing both women to laugh loudly.
The two women walked along downtown, arm in arm, for several blocks while Alex pointed out different places of interest. During the walk, each woman discovered new facts about the other. Alex learned that Kelly is terrified of spiders, ants, and all things multi-legged. She also learned that while Kelly looked every bit the femme, she was just as happy getting her hands dirty and doing manual labor. She loved fishing, hated camping, and was afraid of heights. On the other hand, Kelly learned that Alex was not afraid of creepy crawly critters, loved snakes, hated ladybugs and cats, liked fishing, camping, and football. She also learned that even though Alex once looked the part of the happy femme, she had always been a top. Kelly was quite surprised to learn that Callie, for as butch as she was, was a submissive and preferred to be dominated. “Here we are, Turner Park. It's named after my Grandmother, Lynn Turner, who bought the land from a farmer before a developer could get his hands on it. She spent a fortune turning three acres of farmland into a city park, but she was so determined that the developer was not going to build a strip club in the middle of town.” Alex looked at Kelly with a smile. “Want to walk the trail or cut through to the party area?” Kelly thought for a moment, deciding she wanted to spend as much time as she could with Alex before they parted ways. “Let's walk the trails. This park is wonderful, and I want to see as much of it as possible.” She replied.
Alex grinned and guided Kelly to the trail along the outside right edge of the park. The trail was lined with colorful daffodils, tulips, and gladiolas. Trees were abundant, but planted in a way to provide privacy from the rest of the city. Entering Turner Park was like walking into a quiet place. Once away from the entrance to the park, the city noise faded away, replaced instead by the sounds of birds, rushing water, and children's laughter. Alex guided Kelly through the park, the arboretum, the aviary, and finally over a bridge that led to the party area. Kelly looked around in wonderment at the wide gazebos, the grill pits, and the playground equipment. She had never seen a public park with so much thought put into it. “The party will be over there,” Alex said, pointing to their immediate left. “We’re reserved all the way to the next gazebo. There is a little path behind the grill pit that leads down to the creek where the kids can swim.” Kelly followed Alex around the area as the woman described what the party was to look like. When she was finished, Alex looked down and shuffled her feet. Kelly watched her, unsure of the reason for the sudden shyness. “Is everything alright?” She asked. Alex blew out a breath and ran her hand through her hair. “I... um... was wondering... I mean... If you aren't busy... would you like to come to the party? I know its short notice, and if you say no I will understand, but its four weeks from today at eleven o'clock.” Alex chewed her bottom lip, waiting for the answer she hoped she would get. Kelly thought for a moment, debating with herself if she was ready for that yet. After a few moments of awkward silence, Kelly stepped closer to Alex. She leaned in next to Alex's ear, and whispered in a sultry voice, “I would love to be your date to the party.” When Kelly stepped back, all Alex could do for the umpteenth time that day, was stare at the woman. Alex watched as Kelly walked down the little path to the creek, shoes in hand, and dipped her toes in the water. Willing her libido to ease, Alex followed, removing her shoes and joining Kelly.
Chapter 17
"I love the stars out here.” Kelly said sleepily. After dipping their toes in the creek for a bit, the two women had decided to drive out to the Columbia River Gorge to see the stars. After a two hour drive, the women were now lying on a blanket beside the SUV. “They are beautiful this time of year. This is definitely the best place to stargaze. There is no artificial light down here, so you can see stars for miles.” Alex explained. Kelly mumbled an agreement sleepily, and scooted herself closer to Alex. Smiling to herself, Alex rolled onto her side and propped herself up on her elbow. She took a moment to admire Kelly's face as it was, eyes closed, and a half smile on her lips. Damn, she's gorgeous! Alex thought to herself. Glancing at her watch, Alex decided it was time to go. “Kelly? It's getting pretty late. We should probably head back home.” She said, gently tracing her finger over Kelly's cheek so as not to scare the woman. Kelly frowned, her lips pulling down into a mock pout. Alex tipped her head back and laughed, finding the display to be quite pathetic. “Aww don’t pout! We can come back another day.” She chuckled, and before she could stop herself, Alex leaned down and brushed her lips softly over Kelly's pout. Feeling an intense surge of electricity as their lips met, Kelly's eyes popped open. As Alex pulled back, Kelly cupped the back of her head and drew her back down, pressing her lips once more to Alex's.
The women lay there, lips locked, for what seemed like blissful eternity. Breaking the kiss only because of the need for air, Alex whispered, “Wow.” Kelly smiled up at her, “Wow yourself that was amazing.” She lay there for another moment, gazing up into Alex's eyes, before she stood and offered her hand to Alex. Taking Kelly's hand, Alex allowed herself to be pulled up. As the two stood face to face, Alex saw a world of possibilities in Kelly's eyes. Taking a chance, Alex leaned in and reclaimed Kelly's lips. This time, Kelly returned the kiss eagerly, the little voice in her head telling her to wait growing quieter and quieter, as the two women let themselves get lost in each other's lips. Breaking the kiss once again because of the need for air, Alex said breathlessly, “We should get going. Its two hours back to town, and it's already just past midnight.” Kelly nodded, the mock pout back on her face. Alex groaned and bit her lip, straining to keep herself from touching Kelly, afraid that if they kissed again, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from doing more than kiss. She deserves so much better than a blanket by the river, Alex told herself.
Determined not to rush things, Alex folded the blanket and stowed it in the back of the SUV, before opening Kelly's door for her. After getting buckled in and starting the SUV, Alex turned to look at Kelly. “I had a wonderful time with you today. Especially the last few minutes. But I don't want to just jump right into bed either. I want us to get to know each other before we do that. I don't have a lot of experience with dating, like I said before, but I do know that I wouldn't feel right if we started out as lovers. I hope that isn't a deal breaker.” Kelly smiled and laid her hand on Alex's thigh, “It's not. I think it's great that you don't want to start with sex. And I appreciate that you want to know more about me before we do anything we might regret.” Letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, Alex felt as if a weight had been lifted off her chest. Wow, she really is something else.
She thought to herself with a smile. Taking Kelly's hand as she put the SUV in gear, Alex laced their fingers.
The ride back into town was quiet and peaceful, with very little conversation. Occasionally, Alex would catch Kelly staring at her with a big smile on her face, and would make faces at her, making Kelly giggle. As she turned onto Kelly's street, Alex had the strange feeling that they were being followed. Glancing in her rearview mirror, Alex noticed a car behind them. “Hey, I'm just curious, but what kind of car does Lily drive?” She asked Kelly. Confused, Kelly answered "A white Mustang with a Hello Kitty license plate holder, why?” Fear starting to bubble up inside her, Alex replied calmly, “I think she is following us. This car has been behind us since we passed Serenity Home on the way back into town.” Scared, Kelly turned to look, “Don't go to my house, I don't want her to know where I live.” She said, panic in her voice. Alex thought for a moment on what to do, then had an idea. “Hang on, I'm going to turn around up here, I know where we can go."
Taking a left at the next cross street, Alex kept her eyes on the rearview, and when she saw the car turn to follow them, she made a quick U-turn in the middle of the street and re-traced her route. As they passed the white Mustang, Alex tried to get a good look at the driver, but the windows were tinted. Turning back onto Kelly's street, Alex decided to head to her house. “We're going to my house. She won't be able to follow us once we get to the gate. The perks of living in a gated community.” Alex said with a smile as she squeezed Kelly's hand to reassure her. As she drove, Alex checked the mirror every few minutes to see if the car was still behind them. As she got ready to turn onto the street that lead to her neighborhood, Alex spied the car picking up speed. Pressing on the accelerator, Alex made the turn just in time. The mustang whipped past them and the driver hit the brakes, making a quick U-turn and following Alex before she could get too far. As Alex made it to the gate marking the entrance to her community, she rolled down her window and spoke to the man at the guard shack. “Hi Will, if that white mustang tries to get in, call the police. She has been following me all over town, and when we turned to come down here, she almost rammed me.” Nodding, the man pressed the button to let the SUV through.
Alex stopped just inside the gate to make sure it closed before Lily could follow them. A few seconds later, Alex watched Lily pull up to the gate and be turned away by Will. When Will reached for his radio, Lily backed up quickly and sped down the street. Letting out a sigh of relief, Alex got out of the car. “Come on, I'm going to talk to Will before we go to my place.” She said. Kelly obliged, and the two women walked to the gate, Alex calling out to Will as they got near. “I 'ready called the Police, Miss Alex. They on they way.” Smiling at the women, Will stuck his hand out to Kelly. “Will Coleman, Ma'am, pleased to meetcha.” Kelly returned the man's smile and shook his hand. “Kelly Taylor, the pleasure is mine.” Alex placed her arm around Kelly's waist and addressed the guard.” Thanks Will. If she ever comes back, call the cops. She has absolutely no permission or reason to be in here.” Will nodded, explaining that he would get a picture from the surveillance camera and post it for the other guards. After saying their goodbyes, the two women got back in the car and headed for Alex's house. “I hope you don't mind sleeping in my bed, the guest room isn't ready, and I don't feel right asking you to sleep on the couch.” Alex said once the women had taken some time to relax. Kelly stifled a yawn and shook her head no. “Honestly I would sleep anywhere right now, I am beat.” Alex smiled, appreciating how beautiful Kelly was, even when half asleep. Alex stood and pulled Kelly to her feet, leading her up the stairs to her bedroom.
After turning down the Queen sized bed and laying out some pajamas for Kelly, she took her own night clothes and went to the bathroom to change. Once dressed for bed, Alex tossed her clothes into the hamper and opened the door. She was caught off guard at the sight of Kelly getting undressed. Afraid she might fall over, Alex leaned against the door frame and watched, arms crossed over her breasts and a smirk on her face, as Kelly slid out of her dress and let it fall to the floor. Alex was delighted to see that Kelly had not worn a bra, and watched eagerly as the other woman pulled on the short sleeved top. After slipping on the matching shorts, Kelly looked up and spotted Alex in the doorway. Gasping, Kelly threw a pillow at Alex, “You scared me, you creeper! Sheesh, if you wanted to watch you could have said so!” Alex chuckled as she picked up the pillow and put it under her arm. “Well I would have, but watching you made me speechless. Goodnight, I'll see you in the morning.” Alex said as she headed out of the room. Laughing to herself, she headed down to make her bed on the couch.
Chapter 18
Kelly woke with a start. Sitting up in bed and looking around, she felt something was off. Where am I? This isn't my bedroom. Taking a moment to think, the memories of her first date with Alex came flooding back. With a smile, Kelly got up and remade the bed. I can't believe I slept in her bed! Okay, granted I only slept, and I was alone while doing it, but still! She thought to herself as she headed down the stairs to find Alex. Glancing at the clock on the living room wall, Kelly was surprised to see it was only seven thirty in the morning. She took a few moments to look around the living room, noting the pictures of Dej and Zane on the walls along with various other photos of the two kids with Alex, pictures of the kids with their cousins, and others with the kids and another woman. While trying to figure out who the woman was, Kelly noticed photo in a frame on the fireplace mantle. Careful not to touch it, she leaned in and saw that it was a wedding photo. Alex stood there in a long white gown, arms around the neck of another woman, gazing up into her eyes. The other woman wore a dark blue pantsuit, and looked down at Alex with what Kelly could only call true, unadulterated, love.
Feeling tears well in her eyes, Kelly realized the other woman must be Callie. Seeing the absolute love shared between the two women, Kelly suddenly felt as if she was intruding for the first time. Shaking off the feeling and wiping away the tears, Kelly went into the kitchen to look for Alex. As she poked her head into the kitchen, Kelly heard a loud buzzing noise. Startled, she followed the sound through the kitchen and out onto the back deck. Looking around, Kelly noted the deck was a wrap around, but was not quite finished. Other evidence of home repair lay about in a haphazard, yet functional way. The backyard was impressive, with a small, white gazebo in the corner, a swing set, jungle gym, and basketball hoop spaced evenly around the yard, and an in-ground swimming pool taking up the middle. Hearing the buzzing sound again, Kelly's attention was drawn up to the top of a ladder a few feet to her left. There she spied Alex busily working with a tool she was unfamiliar with. Remembering the way Alex watched her the night before, Kelly decided to stay quiet and just watch. She sat in a chair next to her, and watched with her eyes shaded by her hand, as Alex continued her task.
Kelly admired Alex's physique as she worked. Alex had chosen a pair of black and white camo carpenter shorts, a black tank top, a baseball cap, and white Nike high tops. Kelly let her mind wander with thoughts of Alex, sweaty from working on the repairs, taking her upstairs for a shower. While lost in her thoughts, Kelly didn't notice that Alex had seen her. When a loud metallic clang snapped Kelly back to reality and made her jump, Alex nearly fell off the ladder laughing. “Are you TRYING to scare the shit out of me?” Kelly asked firmly. “No, but you make it so damn easy to startle you, it would be a crime not to do it.” Alex said with a chuckle, “Could you hand that up please?” She asked, pointing to the short metal cylinder at the base of the ladder. Scowling, Kelly picked it up and climbed the two steps of the ladder so Alex could reach it. “I'm sorry if I woke you. I couldn't sleep, so I decided to fix these gutter clips.” Alex said, affixing the cylinder to a power drill. “No, I'm not sure what woke me up, but I woke up disoriented and came looking for you. Why couldn't you sleep?” Kelly replied, backing down and retaking her seat. “Well for one, I'm not used to sleeping on the couch, and for two, there was a beautiful woman sleeping in my bed and it was all I
could do not to join her.” Alex replied, raising her voice to be heard over the buzzing of the drill.
Once she had finished her task, Alex climbed down and joined Kelly, picking up her coffee cup from the top of the grill. “Other than waking up in a strange bed, how did you sleep?” She asked, leaning back in her chair and resting her free hand on top of her baseball cap. “I slept pretty well, to be honest. Your bed is very comfortable. Thank you for last night. I would have been scared out of my mind if I had went home or gone to a hotel.” Kelly replied, crossing her legs and enjoying the warm morning sun. “So, how come you live in a gated community? You don't seem like the snotty, rich, bitch type to me.” Kelly inquired. Alex snorted into her coffee, and took a moment to consider her answer. “Well years ago, before gay marriage was legalized, many of us started having problems with vandalism. Our homes, cars, yards, you name it, were vandalized with all sorts of vulgar words. We would report the problems, but they didn't stop. A bunch of us got together and decided to defend ourselves peacefully by building a community where we and our families were safe from the homophobes out there. Everyone inside the gate owns their home and property, and we all pay out a certain amount to pay for the round the clock security guard at the gate. What we did, was we all chipped in and bought up the two hundred acres of unused land the city was selling, and we put up a wall around it. We each built or had someone come in and build our homes. No one can come in the gate without a special pass card, like the one on my dash. Since we are inside the city limits, and have neighbors on either side of the wall and the street, we are considered a private housing community.” Alex paused to sip her coffee, then continued with a smile, “Callie and I built this house with our bare hands. When she asked me to move into her apartment with her, she told me that once the weather cleared up, we were going to start building our dream home. And we did. Board by board, we spent two years building this place."