by T J Vertigo
"Yes!" The tall woman sat up, shoving Faith's head deeper between her legs. She gasped and wheezed, convulsing wildly. With a large exhale, her grip loosened. "Faith, oh my god," she grunted as she collapsed on the bed.
"What? Reece?" Faith asked, scrambling up the tall body.
"I can't move. You've gone and crippled me." The tall woman lifted her arm and it flopped back down heavily.
"You fuckhead! I thought I hurt you." She slapped her lover repeatedly on her shoulders.
"Hey! No beating a cripple!" Reece chuckled. "C'mere you." She held out her arms and Faith fell right into them.
"That was... interesting?" Faith sighed.
"Interesting?" Reece tried to lift her head to look at her lover but didn't have the strength.
"Mm hmm. Veeerrry interesting." Faith purred and sat up.
"Yeah?" Reece lifted an eyebrow. "How so?"
"Aside from giving me the wildest ride of my life, I found your breaking point." She smirked cockily.
"Oh. That." Reece averted her eyes.
"Honey, look at me." Blue eyes met green. "I enjoyed that you know. Very much so." she licked her lips. "Very very much so."
"Ok, but next time just tell me you want The Animal. You don't have to push me there. I can do that on my own."
"Don't worry Reece. I'm not afraid to push you. As long as I'm there when you snap, I'm ok."
"You really ok with it? I mean, I can be pretty brutal." she looked away and frowned.
"Very ok. I trust you, baby." She yawned widely. "You'd never intentionally hurt me."
"Key word being intentional." Reece yawned back and spooned her lover. "You're gonna regret it tomorrow."
"I'll never regret anything we do, especially in bed... and I'm not afraid of you, so forget it. Now go to sleep."
"I'll never figure you out, Faith Ashford."
* * *
Faith threw on her jeans and a sweatshirt, leaving her sneakers untied, and hastily exited the dressing room. She made a beeline for the older woman chatting with her friends. Standing impolitely between the women, she folded her arms over her chest.
"Faith, honey! I'm so proud of you! I was just telling these wonderful girls how ecstatic I was, seeing you acting! This place is so exciting! Sweetheart, your shoes are undone, you're going to fall and crack a tooth."
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Faith asked, rather annoyed.
"It was a surprise. I brought your Christmas presents." She held up a large shopping bag. "Some for your partner too," Marsha beamed.
"Awww. That is so sweet." Alison hugged the older woman.
"Sandy, Ali, I guess you've already met my mother," she said, rolling her eyes.
"She's great, Faith," Sandy gushed.
"Why does everybody think my mom is so cool?" Faith asked while tying her sneakers.
"I am, dear. I'm down with the queer people, now. Right sisters?"
"Oh god... why me?"
"Have you gotten anything for your woman yet?" Sandy asked.
"No, not yet, I still have some time, though." Faith looked down at her feet.
"Procrastinating gets you nowhere, babe," Sandy smiled. "Christmas is this weekend."
"Don't know what to get, huh?" Ali grinned.
"I haven't a clue," Faith sighed.
"Then it's settled. I'm taking you shopping." Mrs. Ashford turned her daughter around by her shoulders and pushed her towards the door.
"Mom! I don't have my purse! I don't even have my wallet!" the actress protested.
"For heaven's sake, why?"
"I was on my way to Cori's house, we were going to decorate her house to surprise Violet."
"Is that why you look like that then? Phew! I was worried that you were going all butch on my ass."
"Mother! What has gotten into you?!" Faith was astonished at her mom's behavior. She stepped into the black car and motioned for Marsha to follow.
"Too much? I thought so." Marsha pursed her lips. "I was only trying to fit in," she frowned. Mrs. Ashford closed the door behind her and looked around the interior.
"Mom, where have you learned to talk like that?" Faith demanded.
"I have a confession, I joined PFLAG," she smiled proudly.
The actress stared at her mother in amazement. "I can't believe you did that. What does daddy think?"
"He doesn't know," she whispered. "Let's keep it between us, okay?"
"Home, Ms. Ashford?"
"You got it, Barry, then we're going to the mall in Herald Square."
"Finally going Christmas shopping then?" he asked.
"Finally, yes. Barry, meet my mother, Marsha Ashford."
"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
"My pleasure. Faith, you have your own driver?" she asked in disbelief, extending her hand to the man up front.
"Yeah. Now we have to stop home so I can grab my wallet. Hand me that phone, mom? I have to call Cori and tell her about the change in plans."
Marsha took the phone out of its holder and handed it over, open mouthed. "Do you have to pay for this?" she gestured around the limo.
"No, the studio does. Reece demanded that I have safe transportation. It makes her feel better and, who's stupid enough to argue with her?"
Barry chuckled.
Faith held up her hand to quiet her mother. "Cor? Sheee's baaaack."
* * *
The actress opened the door to her house and was about to yell for Reece when her lover's voice came growling out of the living room.
"Oooo, look good in latex. Get off... having rough sex."
"Reece?" The stunned actress turned beet red. What on earth?
"Is she alone? She's talking awfully loud." Marsha, also blushing, snuck towards the entrance of the living room, since her shocked daughter wouldn't move.
"Surprise, writhing round my bed. Restrained... while I fuck your head."
"REECE!" What is she doing?! Faith couldn't understand why her lover was shouting such things. Still, she was afraid of what she'd find if she followed Reece's voice, so she stood in the foyer blushing brightly.
"You are my fetish," the club owner sang loudly, oblivious to the other women.
Marsha retuned to her daughter's side with a playful smile on her lips. "Faith, honey? She's got those earphones on her head. I don't think she knows we're here. Should we let her know?"
"Oh no, that's not good, mom. We can't sneak up on her, it's not a good idea."
"But she'll be very upset if she finds us sneaking about... especially when she looks like that."
Faith worried. One time, Faith surprised her lover by sneaking up behind her as she entered the house and somehow wound up sprawled across the dining room floor, half under the table. Her mother would get very upset if she saw Reece in action.
"Looks like what?" Faith finally asked.
Mrs. Ashford gestured for her daughter to come to the living room. Quietly, Faith followed her mother and had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing loudly.
Her unsuspecting lover was still in her pj's, wearing big floppy slippers and a backwards baseball cap that kept her hair off her face and she was dancing around the coffee table wildly, playing 'air guitar'. "You are my fetish," she shouted.
A fake Christmas tree was listing pathetically to the left and decorations lay scattered all about the room. Faith shook her head at Reece's behavior and the two women snuck away from the room.
"Well, I think that's just darling, Faith! She's trying to surprise you too! I bet she had this all planned out with Cori," Mrs. Ashford smiled warmly at the younger woman. "Now, leave her be and hurry up and get your wallet."
Reece's voice once again echoed through the foyer, "Pain turns to pleasure fast... Relaaax while I pound your ass."
"Oh dear!" the older woman blushed. "Oh my! Maybe I should go get the handbag, this sounds way too personal."
"On the bed, upstairs in my room, mom." Reece, I am so going to get you for this.
Faith could not imagine
a song like this. However, she concluded, if there were one, it would figure that Reece would know all the words. She breathed a sigh of relief to see her mother return with her pocketbook. On their way out the door, Reece's voice could be heard again. The way the club owner sang the words turned Faith's legs to jelly.
"Oh, yeah, I'm gonna, I'm gonna watch you come."
"I bet it's never boring when you two call it a night, huh?" Marsha slapped her mortified daughter on the back and danced down the stairs singing, "You are my Fetish."
"MOM!" Oh, please kill me.
* * *
Cori was guffawing again, drawing attention to the two shoppers.
"Do you mind telling me why you keep laughing?" the actress demanded, tapping her foot.
"It's that image of Reece again," she giggled. "I have a confession," the dancer sputtered between laughter.
"What, do I look like a priest today?" Faith scowled.
"I bought her that CD last Christmas."
"Thanks a pant load," Faith frowned, and then stopped to gaze fondly at some trousers in the leather shop window.
"My pleasure. She loves Joan Jett. Didn't you know that?" Cori wondered then blew bubbles into her soda.
"Yes, I know that, but I have never heard a song like that."
"The whole album is sex, sex, sex."
"Well I'm thrilled Ms. Jett is so open about her preferences. God, that was humiliating."
"Aw... lighten up. I can't believe she hadn't played that one in your presence. You'd think it would be her idea of mood music." Cori blew more bubbles.
"Hardy har." The actress lamely backhanded the dancer in the stomach. "Our musical preferences are quite opposite; her's gives me a headache." She glanced sideways at her friend and chuckled. "Must you do that every time you get a fountain soda? And tell me again why you have to get a soda every time we're in the mall?"
"Fountain sodas rock! Besides, you know I have a system. First, I get a pretzel at the pretzel place. By the time I'm finished, we're right outside the cookie place and I get a soda, then I have to pee in Macy's."
The actress wandered around the corner to get a better look at the merchandise.
"So, when does Reece get a chance to listen to all her CD's?" the dancer asked, following Faith.
"She listens to her music while she's alone and mine when we're together," Faith smirked.
"Reece is sooo whipped," the dancer said with mock sadness, drawing a genuine grin from Faith. "Say, those pants are hot! They sell other... accoutrements here too, you know." Cori wiggled her eyebrows.
The actress smiled devilishly.
Marsha wandered up to the girls with her own burden of packages. "You know, girls, I liked it much better when Theresa was here; she insisted that she hold all of the bags. She's such a gentleman."
"Yeah, she's something else isn't she," Faith agreed absently. She was definitely going to buy those pants, among other things. Now, how to ditch the old lady... she thought.
"She lets her call her Theresa? How come I can't call her Theresa," Cori pouted.
"I'm special," Marsha replied quickly.
"Because you want to live to see another day," Faith answered at the same time.
"Mom, why don't you have a seat over there on the bench for a bit. Here, watch the bags, Cori and I want to go into a store without checking everything for a change."
"Sure, I can stand a break. You girls go on," she shooed them away with her hand.
Faith and Cori winked at each other and dashed into the leather specialty store.
When they returned, each wearing very evil grins, they noticed the bench was mobbed and Marsha was sitting there, bopping her head side to side.
"Mom?" Faith wondered what her mother was doing.
"You know, I can't get that song out of my head?" Marsha hummed a few bars then sang, "You are my fet-ish."
Cori shnarfed cola through her nose and howled with laughter.
Faith sat down in the middle of the mall and pulled her sweatshirt up over her face. "Leave me alone, I wanna die," she mumbled at the tugging on her sleeve.
"Aren't you Judith?" an excited teenage voice inquired.
Faith felt her legs go numb. Oh no, not now. She peeked her eye out from her shirt and grimaced. A small crowd had appeared around her, all holding little pieces of paper and various writing implements.
"Hey, yeah! It is her! Guys, come here!" another more excited young voice hollered.
The actress stood up as gracefully as she could, while trying to hide what was in her bag. She was embarrassed enough by her mother's and Cori's antics, if they should see what she just purchased, Faith was sure to be front-page fodder again. Glancing at the two women, she noticed her mother tapping her foot to the beat in her head and Cori still laughing.
I hope she pees herself, she wished with a smirk. Turning to the small crowd, Faith smiled graciously. As much as she loved to cater to her fans, even answer fan mail personally; she wanted this to be quick. Her mother and Cori were bound to do something embarrassing. As if my mother singing about rough sex isn't horrifying enough. She glanced back over towards the bench, receiving a wave from both women. She narrowed her eyes at them, willing them to behave and continued to sign autographs for the ever-growing crowd.
* * *
Reece welcomed the hard spray of the shower massage with a deep sigh. She bent her head and let it pound into her neck.
Ahhh, this is heaven.
* * *
Reece was annoyed with Frankie's tree. She had found it up in the closet one day and he told her it was a fantastic seven-footer. It wasn't; it was pathetic and kept falling to the side. The club owner tried and tried, but the stupid tree wouldn't listen and she punished it for its disobedience. Once it was totally dismembered, she walked out in her pajamas in the rain and threw it into the trashcans in the alley.
"Now what?" she stood there letting the cold rain cool her temper.
She looked around her. As luck would have it, there was a small forest of Christmas trees for sale set up on the corner. The deciding process was quick and the wet dark haired woman dragged the drenched tree through the house. When it became firmly wedged between the two rooms, Reece pitched a fit, cussing and carrying on until she got it to bend around the corner and threw it into the living room.
The club owner was, for once, grateful for Cori's bright ideas and was happy that Faith wasn't due home all day. If she had any thought about leaving, Cori's eggnog was sure to keep her a bit longer. The dancer had promised.
Reece finally fit the soaking-wet tree into the stand. This being her first experience with a live tree, the wet pine needles in her underwear was a new and unwelcome sensation. Once she was able to get it standing straight, the frustrated woman couldn't wait and had dried the tree with towels and put up what lights and decorations she had.
Reece stood back to survey the tree. Her shoulders slumped in defeat when she realized only half the thing was covered. So, aggravated and full of needles and sap, she had to go out into the rain again and buy a sufficient amount of balls and ornaments to cover the twice-as-large tree. The salesman had even talked her into personalized stockings, which was good, because she had forgotten about those.
Hours later, when finished with the tree, Reece hung the stockings and stepped back to admire the finished product. "Hey, not half bad," the filthy and exhausted woman smiled, watching the lights twinkle and flicker. "You did good."
Taking a quick look at the damage inflicted on the rest of the house, the club owner groaned and got to work cleaning the mess.
* * *
Reece bent over and let the steaming water massage her lower back.
I hope she likes it, she worried. I'll just have to kill Cori if she doesn't.
Cori and Faith were discussing Christmas and Faith mentioned how special it was for her to have a family holiday, a decorated tree and listen to carols and Christmas songs. It was a tradition in her home and this would be the first year s
he'd go without it. Cori figured that since Reece simply hated the holiday season, she could have Faith help her decorate her house and had relayed the message to Reece. The club owner took the dancer's suggestion and ran with it. She'd do anything to make Faith happy, even pick pine needles out of the strangest places.
Reece really hated Christmas. Even growing up with nuns, she despised the holiday. Once she started working at The Lounge, she hated it even more -- the commercials, the inane songs on the radio, the shopping. Christmas and the weeks prior, meant the streets of Manhattan were crawling with thousands of tourists, all stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to gawk at window displays or knocking her around with their big clumsy bags full of stupid gifts. The whole month of December meant various office parties spilling over into The Lounge, the men rude and disrespectful to her girls and it had been Reece's job to protect those girls. The drunken idiots snorting at her when she would tell them to behave, challenging her, laughing in her face, finding it very amusing that a 'girl' was telling them what to do. Yeah, she hated Christmas. After only two years at the Lounge, she made it a point to take off on her bike and escape New York City in the winter. Frankie understood, and besides, he was tired of bailing her out of jail for assault.
The relaxed club owner sat in her bathrobe on the couch and stared at the tree. Something's definitely missing, she thought.
"Oh shit. Presents." she groaned and shuffled upstairs to get dressed.
* * *
"Honey? Where are you?" Faith yelled from the doorway. The actress knew that Reece would probably go ballistic if she wasn't there to present her surprise.
Faith and her mom waited patiently by the front door, making all sorts of unnecessary noise.
"Faith, I don't think she's home."
"That's weird," Faith worried.
Marsha glanced around and saw the tall woman's wet coat draped over the kitchen chair and the wet boots on a towel.