Sweet Hearts

by Melissa Brayden

  “Yes,” Lisa finally said. “Yes.”

  The word was so sweet, filled with so much more than surrender.

  “Yes,” Marty echoed. “Do you feel it now?”

  “Yes,” Lisa called out, pulling her forward.

  Darkness had fallen outside, but the fire inside burned hot and strong, fueled by wine, desire, and waning time. She could feel it all now, the pressure, the potential, the urgency, and the need beneath it all. Shadow and light danced across them as their movements grew steadily closer, until finally, tangled together, she felt Lisa shudder and release, not just the tension of their combined need, but all the other wants and desires she’d held at bay.

  She didn’t cry out so much as gasp, a single clutching sob as she shook, her forehead pressed tight against Marty’s shoulder as her breath ripped jagged and hot against her skin.

  “I’ve got you,” Marty whispered. “I’ve got you.”

  She kissed her hair, her cheeks, her neck, as the trembling subsided.

  She pulled the edges of the blanket up around them and snuggled in beside her. They lay together as their heart rates slowed and exhaustion hung thick across their limbs.

  “I didn’t know,” Lisa finally said in a small voice. “I didn’t know I could feel like that.”

  “I did,” Marty confided.

  “How?”

  “You showed me. You’ve shown me so much in such a short time, your slow smile that gives away so much more than you mean to, the easy way you took my hand and led me up the stairs last night, the insights you let slip when you’re relaxed, the softness of your lips, the fire reflected in your eyes.”

  “I like the way you see me.”

  “It’s not me. I’m just the mirror, showing you what you’ve shown me all along.”

  A little noise of contentment hummed through Lisa’s throat. “I like that too.”

  “Good,” Marty said, kissing her temple, “because it’s the truth.”

  Or at least part of the truth. As she lay there in the fading glow of the fire, watching the captivating woman before her relax into sleep, she had to admit, if only to herself, that somewhere in the space where they’d come most fully together, she’d shifted from showing Lisa what she was capable of, to trying to convey to her what the two of them were capable of—together.

  Chapter Seven

  A rush of cold air ran across Lisa’s bare skin and she snuggled closer to the warmth of Marty’s body. Her awareness teetered on the line between sleep and full consciousness, and she had no doubt which way she wanted to fall. They’d made love well into the night, stopping only to stoke the fire before them, then returning to feed the flames between them. Then, exhausted emotionally and physically, in Marty’s arms she’d found rest, peace, and contentment.

  From the sense of light in the room and the distant sounds of birds and city traffic, she guessed it must be morning, and not an early one, but she didn’t want to open her eyes. She didn’t want to face the day or whatever realities it might bring. She wanted to hold on to this woman for as long as she could.

  Another burst of cold ran along the floor, sweeping over them like wind through the bare limbs of the trees outside. Only this time the wind was accompanied by the sound of footsteps, and then voices.

  “Is she sleeping on the floor?” The familiar tone, full of curiosity and concern, burned the remainder of her sleepy haze.

  “Uh, she’s not alone.” Joey’s voice was hushed, but not nearly as amused. “Or clothed.”

  Marty stirred, arching her back like a sleepy cat before whispering, “Morning.”

  “Morning,” Lisa replied sweetly, her chest tightening at the realization that this might be the last thing she’d say to her before everything came crashing down. She wished she’d uttered something better, more eloquent, something to convey all the things she knew she wouldn’t be able to put into words, but she was out of emotions, and they were out of time. “We’ve got company.”

  “Hmm?” Marty rolled over, and Lisa held the blanket tightly so she wouldn’t expose herself any more than she already had.

  “Uh, Elaine, Joey,” Lisa said, her voice more steady than she’d expected. “Could you two give us a moment?”

  “Of course,” Elaine said quickly.

  Marty stiffened beside her, as if freezing could somehow prevent them from being seen.

  “We’ll go get the luggage,” Joey added, and the click of the door closing behind them signaled their departure.

  “Holy shit,” Marty said.

  “Yeah. The honeymoon is over, literally.”

  “Were they supposed to be back so soon?”

  “Not until tonight, but I think that’s sort of beside the point now.”

  “I guess you’re right.” Marty laughed.

  She loved that sound, but she couldn’t join in. Reaching for her jeans, she said, “We’d better get dressed.”

  “Probably right about that too.”

  How was she so calm? She’d just had a client walk in on her naked on the floor. Wasn’t she embarrassed? Or, more likely, angry with her?

  Marty collected her clothes and put them on in short order, but not with any outward signs of the panic starting to well up in Lisa. She was Elaine’s coach, and she’d just had a one-night stand with her roommate. That had to break some kind of rule, didn’t it?

  “What time is it?” Marty asked.

  Lisa glanced at her watch. “Almost eleven.”

  “Oh no. My flight. It leaves in two hours. I should call the airline.”

  “No, you can make it.”

  Marty froze and looked at her.

  “We’re only twenty minutes from the airport,” Lisa explained.

  And still Marty regarded her with the same unreadable gaze, eyes wide, lips slightly parted, hands hanging loose by her side. “Okay, then,” she finally said. “I’ll run upstairs and change, then I’ll go.”

  For some reason the last part of the statement stuck in Lisa’s chest, and that little jolt only spread as Marty jogged quickly up the steps. But, before she could process anything else, there was a knock at the front door.

  “Everyone decent in there?” Joey called.

  “Yeah, come on in.”

  Joey peeked her head around the door slowly as though she didn’t quite trust her, but upon seeing Lisa fully covered, she stepped all the way into the room, letting Elaine in behind her.

  “So, you guys are home early. Didn’t ever get that honeymoon thing figured out, did you?”

  “We thought if we left early we could beat the bridge traffic and maybe get to see Marty a little more before she left,” Elaine explained.

  “Well, I guess you were right on both counts.” Lisa smiled awkwardly. “A little more than you expected on the latter, though, huh?”

  “A lot more,” Elaine said.

  “Lisa,” Joey cut in. “What the hell?”

  “That was one of my first thoughts when I heard you two walk in.”

  “Do you really think this is funny?”

  Lisa shrugged. She didn’t know, honestly. The whole situation felt like a lot of things all mixed together, but funny had to be in there somewhere, didn’t it?

  “We asked you to take care of Elaine’s life coach, and you end up taking her to bed.”

  “Well, we never actually made it to the bed.”

  “Jesus.” Joey pushed her hands through her chestnut hair, and Elaine suddenly found something very interesting to look at out the window.

  “I don’t know what to say,” Lisa blurted. “We obviously didn’t expect you home so soon.”

  “And that makes it okay?” Joey snapped. “Did you think something like this would just be all over by the time we got home? Did you think this wouldn’t end up affecting us? You slept with my wife’s life coach! Did you think that wouldn’t make things awkward for everyone eventually?”

  “I didn’t really think it through.”

  “Of course you didn’t. You were having
fun.”

  Lisa hung her head.

  “What about Marty?” Joey finally asked.

  “What about her?”

  “Are you serious about her? ’Cause things looked pretty serious there when we walked in.”

  Lisa’s stomach clenched. Serious. That’s probably a good word for what passed between them, but what chance did she have of keeping that up? Hell, did she even want to?

  “Please tell me you at least thought about your intentions with Marty before you—”

  “I think that’s my cue to enter, stage right,” Marty said, coming down the stairs. She was still in yesterday’s jeans, but she’d put on a new sweater, this one cream colored with a high neck. It clung tightly to the curves Lisa had so recently caressed. Her hair fell down, dark and flowing, across her shoulder. She looked so beautifully put together Lisa had to fight the urge to cling to her as a way of settling her own spinning turmoil. “Did you two have a nice trip?”

  “We did,” Elaine said calmly, but her smile was forced and her cheeks flushed. “I take it you had a good time here?”

  “I did,” Marty said. “Lisa was a wonderful host, but contrary to what I heard a moment ago, I wasn’t her responsibility.”

  Joey’s jaw was set and she said nothing.

  “I was a guest in her home, and any decisions we made, thoughtfully or otherwise, were shared jointly,” Marty continued. “It’s not anyone else’s job to protect my honor or my emotions.”

  “Of course not,” Elaine said. “You’re wonderful and capable people, and we care about both of you. I’m sorry if either one of us suggested otherwise.”

  “And we both care about both of you,” Marty said. “I’m sorry if we put you in an awkward situation.”

  “It’s not,” Elaine assured her.

  “It is a little bit,” Joey said.

  “Honey,” Elaine warned, her hand lightly on Joey’s back.

  “No, it’s okay,” Marty said. “She has a right to her feelings.”

  “But we don’t have a right to moralize,” Elaine said, “and we of all people should understand that no amount of professionalism can stand in the way of two people who belong together.”

  At least Joey looked properly chagrined now. “So are you guys together? Or was this just a one-time thing?”

  Marty and Lisa both opened their mouths at the same time, but no words came from either of them. Instead they stared at each other. What had Marty intended to say? Had she intended to leave the door open between them, but then doubted herself? Or was she closing it and simply didn’t want to say so in front of the others? Probably the latter. Who would willingly sign up for this kind of awkwardness, especially after Lisa had simultaneously disappointed every person in the room?

  Finally Joey spoke. “I’m sorry. Clearly I stepped into something else we probably all should’ve just stayed out of.”

  “No, I’m sorry,” Marty said. “That’s not a question that should’ve fallen to you to ask.”

  “Stop apologizing,” Lisa snapped.

  Everyone turned to stare at her as if the sound of her voice, so long gone from the conversation, had stunned them all, at least momentarily.

  “We’re both grown-ups,” Lisa said as a throbbing pain started to pulse between her eyes, but she pushed through, eager to be done with it all. “Marty and I had some fun, maybe more fun than you’re comfortable with, but it’s our damn business. There’s no need to turn it into a full-fledged life-coaching drama.”

  Joey rolled her eyes. “’Cause life coaching is all a bunch of hippie voodoo, right? Classy, Lisa.”

  “Actually, I agree with her,” Elaine said matter-of-factly.

  “You do?” everyone asked at once.

  “Yes.” Elaine smiled one of those genuine smiles that always put everyone at ease. “Your relationship, whatever it entails, is within your purview. Joey and I love you both very much, and that’s the extent of our involvement. So if you’d like the two of us to get lost for a while and let you two have the conversation we prevented from happening, we’ll gladly do so.”

  Marty looked to Lisa again, clearly deferring to her, but her beautifully neutral expression gave no clue as to what she wanted her to do. Once more, the emotional pressure rested on her. Everyone hung on her decision, which would no doubt be the wrong one. Marty probably just wanted to be excused from all this awkwardness, and if she didn’t, what the hell was wrong with her? This entire debacle only proved what she’d tried to tell her last night. Every time she opened up or put herself out there, every single time she went for the grand gesture, she came up embarrassingly short. At least now, Marty couldn’t deny anymore what a massive screwup she really was.

  “I think we’re all talked out,” Lisa finally said. “And Marty has a plane to catch.”

  Marty pursed her lips and clenched her fists quickly, then forced a smile. “I guess I do. Have a plane to catch, that is.”

  Silence once again stretched out, and Lisa realized everyone was looking everywhere but at her. She felt the disappointment radiating off them. What did they expect her to say? To do? Didn’t they realize by now what she was made of, or at least what she lacked?”

  “Maybe I could drive you to the airport,” Elaine offered. “Since we haven’t had any time together.”

  Marty stared at Lisa a second longer, her eyes seeming to plead for something Lisa couldn’t understand, much less give, before turning to Elaine. “That would be wonderful, darling. Thank you.”

  “I’ll get your bag,” Joey said, jogging up the stairs.

  “I’ll go warm up the car,” Elaine added, heading out the door.

  They were alone together again.

  “I guess this is good-bye,” Lisa said.

  “It could be,” Marty agreed.

  “I tried to warn you, you know,” Lisa said. “Multiple times.”

  “You did. Funny how that worked out just the way you expected it to.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Marty shook her head sadly. “You know exactly what it means, but I don’t need you to admit it to me. You don’t have to pretend either, though. I’m sorry if I failed to make that clear last night. God knows I tried.”

  Part of her resolve cracked. “I really am sorry about what happened.”

  “Don’t be,” Marty said. “I’m not. I have no regrets, at least not any regrets about anything that’s happened up until now. I hope you feel the same way.”

  She wasn’t sure she did, but before she could say so, Joey came back down the stairs with Marty’s suitcase. It was too late to undo anything. All she could do for Marty now was let her go.

  “Ready?” Joey asked.

  “I guess so,” Marty said.

  “Travel safe.” Lisa internally kicked herself for not coming up with something more original.

  Marty smiled sadly and leaned up to kiss her lightly on the cheek. “Thank you.”

  Lisa caught her hand, and Marty froze, her eyes pleading and Lisa’s chest aching, both of them begging for something more, but she could only whisper, “You too.”

  Chapter Eight

  “To the airport?” Elaine asked as Marty got in the car.

  “I guess I should probably catch my flight.”

  “You guess you should?”

  Marty laughed mirthlessly at Elaine’s repetition of words that sent up red flags in their line of work. “Are you holding up the metaphorical mirror for me?”

  “Occupational hazard,” Elaine said as she shifted the car into reverse and backed away from the beautiful old Victorian house.

  It looked so stable from here, but Marty’d felt as though all the world had tilted when she’d been inside. As the house grew smaller in the rearview mirror, the pain in her chest only grew bigger. Shouldn’t it have been the other way around?

  “So,” Elaine said, her smile awkwardly sympathetic.

  “So,” Marty repeated, knowing she needed to follow up with something assuring, or intro
spective, something to help right the scales at least between the two of them, but she had nothing to offer in that vein.

  “It’s strange to not feel comfortable talking to you,” Elaine finally said.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be, please,” Elaine said. “It’s just suddenly all very one-sided, you know?”

  “One-sided?” That was a good word for so many of the things she’d experienced over the last twenty-four hours.

  “I’ve talked to you about every single conflict in my life, personally and professionally, for the past five years, and now that I have a chance to return the favor, I’m not at all sure about my role. I want to be a coach, I want to be a friend, I want to be a confidant for you, and an apologist for Lisa.”

  “There’s no need to make explanations for Lisa.”

  “I guess not. She’s an adult, but she’s more complicated than she seems.”

  Marty snorted. “I got that.”

  “I won’t pretend to know what happened between when I left and when I came back, but the Lisa I saw this morning…she was different, and somehow the same, all at once.”

  “I think that’s part of the problem,” Marty admitted. She wasn’t blind. She saw the conflict, the fear, the need in Lisa almost as clearly this morning as she had last night, but despite the internal war, she came down on the same side she always had.

  “How do you feel?”

  “I feel sad, exhausted, and a little silly.”

  “Why silly?”

  “Because it’s been two days.” She laughed again. “Two days with her, and you know what? She’s right. She never misled me. I heard what Joey said to her earlier, but please, Elaine, Lisa tried to push me away several times.”

  Elaine didn’t respond. Was she waiting to see what bubbled up after that emotional outburst, or did she disagree with her assessment of Lisa’s responsibility?

  “I asked her to give something she couldn’t give. Or maybe I didn’t ask her outright, or maybe it’s not that she couldn’t, so much as—I don’t know.” She covered her face with her hands and took a few deep breaths. “I don’t even know how it happened, but I think somewhere along the line I started to want something she didn’t really want.”