Ethel's

by Terry Brewer

“But she didn’t lose me. I threw it away.”

  “Which is why, Einstein, we’re here. You are going in and asking to speak with her. We, without Val finding out, know she goes to lunch”—she checked her watch—”shit, in eight minutes. Get your ass in there and be sweet and take her to lunch. Here’s twenty”—and she handed the bill—”My treat. This is your chance. This is your get-out-of-jail-free card. For the love of god take it.”

  Connie, holding her breath, turned and headed away, stopping at the corner to make sure Michelle went in.

  Michelle looked at the twenty-dollar bill she’d been handed and then at the door of the library branch. With a final, deep breath, she entered and went to the reference desk on the second floor and saw Val helping a teenager. She stood about fifteen feet away staring. She told herself not to run out, willing her feet to stay stuck to the floor.

  When Val was finished and about to close up to go to lunch, taking her bag from a drawer, she looked up.

  The Waiting Was the Hardest Part

  “I told them.” Her parents.

  Michelle and Val were sitting in a small café a few blocks from the library, each with a salad and a ginger ale.

  “When?”

  “When they were here.”

  “And?”

  “They didn’t freak out quite the way I thought they would but they weren’t happy. I was the one who was going to have the fancy wedding with the handsome lawyer. I think that’s what they cared about. Not having me do the fancy-wedding thing and worrying about what people would say about them at their club. It was so trivial. Disappointment. That’s what they were. Are. ‘We’re very disappointed in you Michelle.’”

  “Did you mention me?”

  “Not directly. But that was only because I didn’t think there was an ‘us’ while they were here. I told them, though, that I was attracted to butches.”

  “How did you put it?” Val felt bad about pushing Michelle on this but wanted to know.

  “I said that there was a type of lesbian I was attracted to and that it was a strong, handsome woman who knew what-was-what and would ‘take me.’”

  “Did you say ‘take me’?”

  “I did. Their eyes almost popped out. And my father, as expected, said, ‘why not just find a “real man,”‘ and I told him that I didn’t want a ‘real man’ but a ‘real woman.’”

  “How’d you leave it?”

  “That was their last night. It took me a while to get up the courage, but once I did I didn’t melt or anything. They were chilly towards me, both of them, when we took the subway to Penn Station for their train home but they knew enough not to say anything. I think they spoke about it and realized they might lose me if they did.

  “Of course my brother and sister gave me their told-you-so speeches and my sister made me feel like a shit for doing what I did to you for what turned out to be a non-issue. Can you forgive me?” She batted her eyes across the table. “I was a very bad girl.”

  Val leaned across the table. Her voice low: “Can we talk about whether I forgive you later.”

  Michelle smiled. “Too late. You already do. And I love you and you love me.”

  Val smiled. “Maybe we’ll find something else to talk about then,” and with that, they cleaned their table and put their empty plates and trays in the appropriate spots and held hands as they left until they had to separate to go to their respective jobs.

  Take Two

  When they got to Val’s place that night, each was more nervous than she was that first night together. Each understood how high the stakes were. They’d met for a dinner at a place nearby and chatted as if there was no gap since the last time they were there. They held hands as they walked to Val’s. Once inside, Michelle took the initiative. That was almost unheard of for Val.

  Michelle was in her best, short dress. Black. Val was in tailored midnight-blue trousers and a white blouse with French cuffs. She was in flats so Michelle, in her two-inch heels, just about matched her in height. When the door was closed, Val waited. One-Mississippi. Two-Mississippi. She felt Michelle lightly reach for her to take her into the living room where she let go of Val to turn on a lamp next to the sofa. Val did not move as she awaited Michelle’s return. With a demonic smile, Michelle sashayed back. She put her hands around Val’s waist and closed the distance until their chests touched, Michelle’s hands now wrapped around to and up Val’s back. Michelle felt Val’s hands on her ass.

  “I will never forgive myself for what I did—”

  “We both made mistakes. I should have understood what you were going through. Ironically I made you leave because I was so afraid I would lose you. I’ve never felt that way about anyone.”

  “I cheated on you with Estelle.”

  “From what she told me—she thought you were a free agent—you weren’t with her when you were ‘with her.’ Look, I tried to fuck Cindy, but she wasn’t you and I couldn’t do it. Can we just agree we both screwed up and agree that we won’t do it anymore? Ever.”

  “Do you love me?”

  “You know I do.”

  “A girl likes to hear it.”

  “Okay, Michelle Steele. I love you. You’re the only person I’ve ever said that to.”

  “Good, Valerie Daniels.” Val grimaced for a moment that Michelle used “Valerie” and then said, “No one calls me that. I like that you do. But don’t do it too much in public. I have a reputation to maintain.”

  “Whatever. As I was saying, Ms. Daniels, I love you and while I have said it a few times to others, I’ve never felt the way I feel with you with anyone else. And I can’t imagine that I ever could.”

  She stepped back. “So if you’re good looking forward, I’m good looking forward,” and she extended her right hand, which Val took. “Deal.”

  Michelle moved back in. “So I’m looking forward to some hot looking forward. What do you say?” And Val put her arms around Michelle and pulled her to her and Michelle swooned and moaned as her lover began to devour her as they stood in the living room until she turned and pulled a willing Michelle into the bedroom.

  Once there, Michelle stopped Val, pushing her teasingly so Val sat on the bed. Without taking her eyes off Val’s, Michelle reached to the back of her dress and unzipped it. She then pushed it off her left and then her right shoulder and let it fall so that its top hung above her waist, revealing a black lace bra. She slowly pushed the dress past her hips and let it drop. She stepped out of it. She was now only in the bra, a matching pair of panties, thigh-high stockings and her two-inch heels. All in black.

  She stepped out of the shoes and took a step closer to Val, whose eyes had a sheen they never had and Michelle had never seen before. Michelle reached behind her back again, this time to unclasp her bra. She clutched the cups to her breast until she let one and then the other strap drop. She then pulled it away, leaving her naked above her panties.

  She stepped so that she could touch Val, stepping between spread legs. She reached and undid the top button of the blouse. She kissed the newly-exposed flesh. And she repeated this for each of the next six buttons until it was fully open. She pulled the blouse out of Val’s trousers and pulled it off. She put her hands behind Val’s back and unclasped her bra.

  “I’ve missed these babies,” and she leaned in and kissed the left and the right tits. Val had never let anyone do something so deliberate to her but she was lost in that moment. Michelle stepped back and after taking off her heels pushed Val’s knees together and the scooted so she was on Val’s lap and facing her, her hand crossed behind Val’s neck, their faces inches apart.

  “If you don’t take me right now I think my heart will explode.”

  Val flung Michelle on her back and hooked her fingers into the band of her panties as she was still bouncing slightly on the bed and in a moment they were gone and a moment after that Val’s mouth covered Michelle’s pussy and her tongue ran up and down her inner and outer folds, flickering the clit as she did. She then put three fi
ngers inside and began to run them in and out as Michelle tightened her grip of her lover’s head, her knees now in the air as she placed her feet on the bed to be able to open herself fully.

  Too soon Michelle exploded in a chorus of panting screams until she pushed Val’s head away. Val looked up and gave a satisfied grin.

  “I hate that you can do that to me so easily.”

  “I’m a little out of shape, being denied so long.”

  “Valerie. Please fuck me.” Michelle had come down enough to be ready. Val stood and took her shoes, trousers, and shorts off and went to the bottom drawer of the dresser to take out their favorite strap-on. She put a little lube on it, not needing much, and put the harness on before turning. Michelle was hypnotized by the sight and positioned herself dead center in the bed. Val towered over her from between Michelle’s legs and she lifted those legs and put the ankles on her shoulders, opening up Michelle.

  She looked down at Michelle’s glorious pussy, glistening from having come.

  “Please.”

  Val entered her love and they began a slow, rhythmic dance of intimacy that both missed more than they realized while they were apart. When Val felt her own orgasm coming, she quickened the pace of her pumping into Michelle, neither wanting to delay the inevitable. And they were both coming in ecstasy. Val pulled out and with the strap-on still on lay next to Michelle, their arms and legs butting gently against each other.

  “You make me so much better than I could ever be on my own.” This was Val.

  Michelle turned to look at Val’s profile. She ran a hand across Val’s cheek. “As you do me.” She then leaned over and gave Val a kiss on the cheek she’d just caressed. “From now on, all I care about is you and making me happy.”

  “You already make me happier than I deserve to be.”

  Michelle plopped back down.

  “Can we just agree that you’re too good for me and I’m too good for you so we don’t keep having a fight about it? Can we?”

  Now Val turned on her side to look at Michelle and kissed her on the cheek.

  “If fighting means make-up sex, I don’t mind fighting.” She plopped back down. “But, yeah, it’s a deal.”

  I’ve Seen Her Do Horrible Things

  “There’s someone I want you to meet.” Val and Michelle were approaching Ethel’s. They’d already been there several times since their reunion, but this was a Sunday in the late afternoon so it was quiet. “I figure we can have an early dinner with a friend of mine.”

  When they got in, a woman was sitting alone at one of the tables by the front window. Cindy did not come to Ethel’s often. She found it a bit cliquey and felt a bit of an outsider. She’d met Val at a library function a few years earlier, and gone with her to Ethel’s maybe three or four times since.

  She rose to kiss and be kissed by Val and then turned and said, “you must be the one I’ve lost her to.”

  Michelle looked a bit puzzled.

  “I wanted you to meet Cindy because she’s important to me. I haven’t been as fair to her as she deserves, but she’s always been there for me. She is the one I saw when you left—”

  “I didn’t leave. If you recall you—”

  “Whatever. She was the one who told me to grovel to get you back. She knew more than I did how much I needed you. So I wanted you to meet her and for her to meet you.” And Val went to the bar.

  “I’ve known her for a while and I’ve never seen her like this. Like she wants to settle down. It’s, frankly, kind of scary.”

  “What exactly is your relationship with her?”

  Cindy explained that from the moment they met, she and Val had a connection. But for reasons neither understood it never grew into a romantic love. They enjoyed the time they spent together and the sex they had when neither of them was in a relationship but each knew that the other would never provide what each knew she needed.

  “She really is special.”

  “I know.”

  “She’s a librarian. And she made me feel less self-conscious.”

  “About what?”

  “Oh, you don’t know.” Cindy pulled her left leg out so Michelle could see the prosthetic.

  “It wasn’t heroic or anything. My mom was drunk and drove into the side of a bridge on a parkway. She was killed and they had to saw me out. Couldn’t save it. I was twelve. I met Val at a librarian event. I work at a branch in Queens. There was something between us. I figured she was gay—”

  “I said something along those lines to her and she went nuts.”

  “It’s okay to think it. But don’t ever let her hear you say it. Anyway, at a break, I asked if she’d like to go out for a drink. Probably not the first lesbian pick-up at one of these things. So she and I went to a bar and hit it off. I made it clear that I was gay. We exchanged numbers and went out several times but, as I say, there was no there there so we stayed friends. She got me to talk about my leg. Very matter-of-factly, which helped. It helped me to stop defining myself by that part of me that was gone and wasn’t coming back. That’s what I mean about helping me get comfortable with myself.

  “I don’t want you to think she’s a saint or anything though. Far from it. I’ve been with her when she’s ripped some girl’s heart out. ‘Time to move on.’ Never a ‘sorry.’ She treats people as disposable.

  “And don’t think too much about me. I’ve seen her do it and I’ve been in her bed right after. I was in her bed after whatever happened with you. So you need to understand that. But she knew I’d tell you all of this. That’s never happened. And she froze when I was with her after she broke up with you. And that’s never happened. You make her different. But I can’t guarantee that down the road she won’t tell you it’s time to move on. Nobody can. All I can tell you is that you’re different and that she’s different.”

  Cindy asked for Michelle’s phone and dialed her number. “Here, now you have my number. Call whenever you want. She saw me do it. She knew I would.” She stood and leaned to kiss Michelle on the forehead. “Much as she’s a shit, she is a special person. I hope you tame her.” With that she turned and, after nodding to Val, standing by the bar, left.

  Val came to the table.

  “Well?”

  “I like her.”

  “So do I.”

  “We need to talk.”

  “I know.”

  The couple left Ethel’s without eating and went for a walk, not particularly caring the streets they were on and being guided in part by hitting red lights, which led them to turn onto whatever street they would otherwise have crossed. Michelle relayed what Cindy said.

  “I told her not to sugarcoat me. I’m glad she didn’t, crazy as that sounds.”

  The two stopped and Michelle stared into Val’s eyes.

  “Will you ever tell me it’s time to move on?”

  Val waited, struggling to find the true answer. Not the right one. The one that reflected her true answer. She knew how cruel she’d been to many women, but justified it to allow for a clean break. But she knew Michelle didn’t want or need that explanation. She only needed to hear one thing.

  “No.”

  Now it was for Michelle to pause. Two steely eyes locked on two other steely eyes.

  “I will never tell you to move on. Never.”

  “I know.”

  The two moved to the side and wrapped their arms around each other and kissed. The air had a suggestion of a thunderstorm in the works and they quickly walked to Val’s place and up the stairs to her apartment and they made love.

  THE END

  ABOUT TERRY BREWER

  Terry Brewer is a lawyer who is a New York native. They have lived in either Manhattan or the New York City suburb Westchester County their entire life, and their stories usually center around characters who live or visit New York. Their stories are erotic romances with gay and straight couples.

  For more information, visit terrybrewerauthor.com.

    Terry Brewer, Ethel's