Reece's Faith

by T J Vertigo

  Faith felt the body fall against her back and tremble. After a moment to recuperate, she pulled back from the kiss to study Reece's face. "Did you just come?"

  "Yeah, I think I did." she answered breathlessly.

  "Wow... thank you." Faith stared at her.

  "Thank me?"

  "Yeah." she kissed Reece again. "For the fantasy, and the compliment."

  The club owner blushed a little before composing herself and lifting the kickstand.

  "Reece! My pants are open!"

  "Yeah, and mine are wet. We'll be home in a sec... I want more." She brought the bike to life. Faith rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. "What else is new."

  * * *

  Violet and Cori were just sitting down to some coffee after a very adventurous shower.

  "Cor? Get me some more sugar?"

  The dancer ran over and sat in her lap.

  "Well then, if I could pour you in my cup, I would." She replied with a kiss.

  "If I wasn't sliding off your lap, I'd sit here all day. Ew. When is the heat going to be fixed?" Cori made a sour face and fetched the sugar bowl.

  "I spoke to the landlord's machine yesterday." Violet shrugged.

  "I guess I shouldn't complain. I like you in your underwear." The dancer wiggled her eyebrows.

  "You'd like me in a potato sack."

  "I'd like to be the potato sack. With or without an 'e.'"

  "You're insane babe." Violet chuckled.

  Cori picked up the kitchen knife and made "Psycho" noises. "Have you met Mother?"

  The phone rang and Violet picked up the cordless. "Insane Asylum."

  "Uh... hello? This is Brad Rogers. Is Faith there?"

  "Hold on a sec." She covered the receiver. "It's Brad, for Faith."

  Cori took the phone. "Have you been a good neighbor, Mr. Rogers?"

  "Faith?"

  "It's Cori, the disappointing freaky chick. You really gotta lighten up honey. What can I do you for, Brad?"

  Cori nodded, hmmed, and nodded again.

  "Ok Brad, will do. Thanks." She hung up the phone and pursed her lips.

  "Spill it." Violet prompted.

  "The agency got a phone call yesterday, from a Mr. Quinn Ashford. Faith's father. He wanted to know how to contact his daughter."

  "What did they say?"

  "Nothing, yet. They forwarded the call to Brad's voicemail, and he just found it this morning. Being that he was looking to find Faith, Brad thought it might be a good idea to talk to her first."

  "Good man. So, what are you waiting for? Call her."

  * * *

  Reece grabbed her gym bag and was on her way out the door when the phone rang. She chuckled when she heard Cori's heavy breathing on the answering machine. The tone of the dancer's voice made her stop and listen.

  "Hey baby... whaddya wearing?

  Reece chuckled.

  Come on sexy momma.. talk to me..." Cori choked on an inhale. "Fuck me. See, Reece? I'd make an awful perv. Pick up, I gotta talk to you."

  Reece stifled a loud laugh, not wanting to wake up Faith.

  "Moron."

  "Ooo, I love you too, boss," and she blew a kiss.

  "Well speak. I'm halfway out the door."

  "I got a call from Brad just now... Faith say anything to you about her parents?"

  "What does one have to do with the other?" Reece was getting annoyed.

  "Faith's dad called the studio looking for her. You know, she hasn't mentioned much to me about them, what about you?"

  "Um, nothing. We never uh..got around to it?" Reece kicked the door closed, sat down and took off her jacket.

  "No need for excuses, babe, we all know how chatty you can be." Cori laughed.

  "Yeah well..." The club owner frowned. Why didn't she tell me about them? Was I supposed to ask?

  "Hey, don't get all stupid now, Reece. What do you think we should do? You think she'd freak out that her parents found her?"

  "Why is this all of a sudden "us"? Shouldn't Faith be the one.." Then it dawned on her. "Oh, if that were the case, her parents wouldn't be looking for her."

  "So, should we tell her?"

  "If anything, I'd like to find out why she left in the first place. It can't just be her dad's attitude. Something had to happen. She's just not like that."

  "If she was that lacking in patience, you wouldn't have lasted a day, legs."

  "Thanks asshole. I think there's a difference there."

  They both sighed, brains working too hard this early in the morning.

  "Cor, why don't you meet me at the gym. Faith's still sleeping, and then she's got a hair dye appointment..."

  "Hold it! A girl never dyes her hair.. learn that."

  "A freak on the other hand..."

  "Oh, you're a riot. It must piss you off that they fuck with her hair on that show."

  "Nah, red, blond, it's all the same to me. She's still mine."

  "Oh please, I'm gonna swoon from the romance. I'll be at the gym in half an hour."

  * * *

  Faith lay in bed for a long while after Reece had left. She'd picked up the phone before Reece did, thinking her lover had already gone. Now she had a stomachache. She felt a little guilty for listening in, but mostly sick about her parents. What the hell do they want from me? This is not good. My father will flip out if he knows I'm living here with Reece. God, he'll flip out if he finds out she owns a strip club!

  She threw the pillow on her face. Maybe if I keep it here, I'll starve myself of oxygen and fall blissfully asleep. Mom. She'll drop dead if she finds out I'm sleeping with a woman. Fuck. She rolled over on her stomach and hugged Reece's pillow. It calmed her down. What are Cori and Reece going to do? Hide it from me? Lie to me, confront my parents? Reece will flip out if my dad says something typically derogatory about me. Oh god no... if my father pisses her off...shit. Everything was fine. Why did they have to come into the picture?

  Faith groaned and had a tiny tantrum in the bed. She kicked her feet and punched the mattress. Oh yeah, that was mature. I'm an adult! Why do they make me feel like a kid? I don't have to justify anything to them! This is ridiculous. I'll just tell them flat out. Mom, Dad, Reece is my lover. Then after we revive Mom and bail said lover out of jail for attacking Dad after he slaps me... we can all go out for pastry.

  * * *

  Reece was nearly done when the dancer came bouncing into the gym. She flopped herself down spread-eagle on the floor at the club owner's feet.

  "Whoa, nice view, boss. I need coffee."

  Reece did another squat, blowing out a long breath.

  "Oh yeah, that's very nice form." Cori drooled.

  "Oh, that's what you were gawking at? My form?" She squatted again.

  "Soooo lovely. I'll dream about this you know."

  The tall woman lifted the barbells off her shoulders and shook out her arms. "Show's over."

  "Oh well, you get what you pay for." Cori fanned herself. "I swear, Reece, whatever force created you, was a lesbian."

  Heads turned curiously towards the pair.

  "Great, as if I need more of an audience." Reece shook her head and stalked off to the lockers.

  Cori jumped up and followed after her. "Oh really, Reece. Like you don't notice the entire gym staring at you? Please."

  "No, I don't, thank you. But now, I'm sure they will since you declared god to be a lesbian." She stepped out of her shorts and twisted out of her wet tank top. She wiped the sweat off her naked torso.

  "She's gotta be." Cori's eyes bugged out. "Look at you!" she yelled louder than intended.

  Reece looked around at the few women who had followed the dancer's instructions and were now openly staring at her.

  "What!? You never saw a woman in her underwear?" she growled at the poor women.

  "Uh, babe? I don't think they got that far down yet."

  Reece threw her sweaty clothes at Cori and tossed on sweats. "Oh, I'm bending over now, ladies." And she tied her sneakers. The women hurried to
get to their own business, properly embarrassed. Reece chuckled.

  "What's so funny?"

  "I was hoping to fart while I bent over."

  "And here you call me the freak."

  * * *

  Faith arrived on set early and plopped down heavily in John's chair.

  "Buck up, Buttercup!" he smiled and danced.

  "Shut up, John."

  "Ew." The make up artist frowned. "If it isn't Suzy Sunshine." He replied sarcastically. "I'd have thought you got yours last night."

  "Just do my hair please. I'm not in the mood for chatting."

  "Again I say.. ew."

  Faith shook her head defeatedly.

  "Oh come on, Faith. It can't be all that bad? Was Spike a bad girl?"

  "It has nothing to do with Reece. My parents are annoying me."

  John smiled triumphantly."Oh? What about?" He put the apron on her. "Speak up, honey, I can't hear you."

  "That's because I'm not saying anything."

  "If you hadn't noticed, I'm a really good listener."

  "And a blabber, too." she glared at him.

  "Yeah well, I swear I won't repeat this. Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a penis in my eye."

  "Somehow, I don't see a penis in your eye as an act of torture."

  "In some countries it is, Louise." He shook his head solemnly.

  "Oh alright. I left my parents, and my life, back in Long Island where they belong. I moved here, got a job, met a talent scout and got this job."

  "Aaaand, there's scandal in there somewhere just screaming to get out."

  "Yes and no. To us, it's not scandal. To my parents, it's horrifying."

  John jumped up and down. "Scandal and horrifying all in the same breath!"

  "Easy there, honey." Faith chuckled, glad he could make her laugh.

  "Well? I'm plotzing here!"

  "Ok, I first got a job as a waitress, in Alphabet City. My apartment was a rat and roach infested nightmare, but I had no skills and couldn't make a better living. Then I met Cori, she's well, she's sorta different. " She glanced at John who was wide-eyed, waiting for more. "Cori is an exotic dancer..."

  "Oh goody! A stripper! Here's the scandal! " He tipped her head down to spread the color lower.

  "Sooo, she thought I'd make a lot more tips if I worked as a bartender in the club she works at..you know, get a better place to live." She paused for a second.

  "Ok, so.... you got the job, fell madly in love, realized you were gay, and now you can't tell your uptight froo-froo parents that you like to eat..."

  "JOHN!" Faith interrupted his assumptions.

  "Sorry, I got carried away." He grinned sheepishly.

  "You know, you're not too far off there." Faith stared at her feet. "Actually, I was really freaked out by it. I wasn't upset that Cori was gay or that the women took off their clothes, though. I was disconcerted by my reaction when I met the owner of the club, Reece Corbett." She blushed.

  "Oooh, someone's turning pink. Did you take the job?" John watched as the blush creeped up the back of her bent neck.

  "Yeah, and I even danced too."

  There was a clattering sound and cursing followed by John's astonished face appearing under hers.

  "You mean tassels on the titties dance?"

  "Get up. " she laughed. "Yeah, but no tassels."

  "Whoo hoo! Girl! You didn't! Scaaaandalous!"

  "Yeah, but that's after I told Reece where to go. She came on to me, I let her, but then I freaked out. I blamed it on the alcohol I consumed. Anyway, I danced at a rival club. She showed up there in drag and watched me. It was so cute."

  "It's not Shakespeare, but I'll give Butch the 'e' for effort."

  "OH, but you should have seen the reaction she had... and what she was wearing..." she blushed harder, and cleared her throat.

  "Honey, you know you'll be giving me details at a later date." He thought a second. Hmm, maybe not. To turn that particular shade of red, it has to be entirely too juicy.

  "Ok, to make a long story short, my parents are looking for me. They apparently saw me on TV and called the studio. I hadn't told them where I was going, not that they'd care. I really don't have anything to say to them. As a matter of fact, I don't want them in my life anymore, but they're my parents for Christ's sake. Part of me wants them to approve of me, and the other half wants them to fuck off. My mom's not so bad, but I soo want to see my father's face when he sees Reece."

  "I wanna see too! Oh yeah! You gotta have her take him for a spin on the bike! Or how about if you put Spike on a leash or..."

  "John, I hardly think.."

  "Faith, listen, play with this! It's a lot more fun than getting sick over it. Have them come stay by her house and everything! At least think about it. The possibilities are endless."

  Faith cocked her head and thought. He has a mighty good point there don't he? Play with it. Hmmmm.

  * * *

  After a yawn that threatened to swallow Cori's face, Reece led the dancer to the coffee shop.

  "Hey boss, this is the booth Faith and I had that first night, you know, the night we saw you and that tramp on your bike."

  "Which one?" Reece took a long swallow of caffeine and sighed.

  "The night, or the tramp?" Seeing the look aimed at her, Cori continued. "The night you made an asshole out of yourself, and frightened Faith right out of The Lounge."

  "Oh, yeah." The club owner looked uncomfortable. "You called me a pussy cat, Cor, it was humiliating."

  "Have you looked at yourself lately? The phrase contains the word pussy..." she smirked.

  Reece glared at the dancer. "What's that supposed to mean, Freak?"

  "Well, if the whip fits..." Cori motioned to the waitress for more coffee.

  "You're calling me pussy whipped!?! I thought you valued your life a bit more than that..."

  Cori saw the muscles in Reece's jaw clench. "Easy tiger, you say that like it's a bad thing. It's not, I think Faith was the best thing that happened to you."

  "I hardly call that a compliment. I am not whipped." She slapped her hand on the table, drawing a few looks.

  "You know, I'd think you were tired of all the attention today." Cori teased.

  "This conversation is not over. We came here to talk about Faith's parents, didn't we? So talk." The club owner took a deep breath and put her agitation aside.

  "Hokay. Here's what I think..."

  "Oh no, not that. I don't want to hear any of your brilliant ideas. How about we just ask Faith what she wants to do?" Reece raised her eyebrow.

  "I was thinking more along the lines of you meeting them first and beating some sense into them." Cori grinned.

  "Her parents? Why would I do that?"

  "That's what I want to do. They hurt her. Faith hasn't a nasty bone in her body, it kills me to think that she was so miserable she had to leave."

  "You have a point, Cor, but they're her parents. I don't know."

  "Think about it, Reece. She was working in a shithole and living in a tenement. She went from riches to rags. Why would she do that unless there was no other choice?"

  "If it weren't for her leaving home, I never would have met her, Cor. I want to slap her parents around as much as I want to thank them." Reece frowned and narrowed her eyes.

  Cori studied Reece's expression. "You pissed off she never brought it up?"

  "And that I never thought to ask. I must be stupid or something. I suck at this 'relationship' thing. Why does she stick with me?"

  Knowing it was a rhetorical question, Cori stared into her mug, while Reece beat herself up.

  "Because I love you, asshole."

  Reece blinked a few times and Cori blushed.

  "Well, scoot over, unless you want me to sit on the table." Faith shoved Reece over with her hip.

  "Hi, just talking about you, Red." Cori glanced at Faith.

  "So I heard." Faith kissed Reece on the cheek and put her head on her shoulder. "So, tough guy, you wanna beat up my pa
rents?" She smiled at her lover.

  "How long were you standing there?" The club owner looked embarrassed.

  "Long enough to know that I love you two for trying to protect me, even if you are sneaky little bastards."

  "Yeah well, it was Cori's idea." Reece shot Cori a glare.

  Cori pointed to herself and acted shocked.

  "No, really, it's ok." Faith pushed Reece's mug toward the waitress and gladly accepted the coffee.

  "Well, what do you want to do, Faith? Are you going to call him back?" Cori leaned forward across the table towards her.

  "I already did." she answered nonchalantly.

  "What? But how did you..." Reece was confused.

  "I wasn't asleep, baby, leave it at that." She kissed Reece on the lips. "You are so cute, you know that?"

  "Faith! I am not cute!" Reece was adamant.

  "Yeah, and you're not whipped either." Cori added with a chuckle.

  "I'll show you what whipped feels like, Freak!"

  "You do not want to go there, Reece."

  "Children, do I have to separate you?" Faith laughed.

  "But she started." Cori whined then stuck out her tongue. Reece tried to grab it but missed.

  Faith just shook her head. "You two are impossible, I really don't know why I love you."

  Reece wiggled her eyebrows and smirked.

  "Oh that's certainly part of why I love you." Faith leaned over and kissed Reece's lips. "Sexy."

  "Oh, no, you don't! Don't start that here. So, what's the deal with your parents?" Cori asked.

  "They're going to come to the city for a few days." Faith had a devious grin. "You know, see how the other half lives."

  "Uh-oh... Reece, I don't like that look."

  * * *

  "NO! N-O!" Reece shouted.

  Faith threw herself on the couch. "Come on, baby, it's just for a few days."

  "Faith, I have no idea how to act in front of your family. I don't want to be uncomfortable in my own house! No."

  "Honey, look..."

  "No."