“I’m really happy for you, Hill.” Amara smiled up at her.
“Me too.”
“So, once we put this thing together, I vote we take a shower, lie in bed, and watch a movie. We can cuddle around my laptop since I don’t have a TV yet.”
“You haven’t bought a TV yet just so we can cuddle around your laptop.” Hillary winked at her girlfriend.
“Maybe.” Amara winked back. “You in?”
“I, actually, have another idea,” Hillary said. “The symphony has a special concert tonight. Greene has a solo. It’s one of her last concerts with them before she goes on tour. I was thinking we could get dressed up and go. We could have drinks with everyone after.”
“It’s my first official night in the apartment,” Amara told her. “I was kind of looking forward to a night in. This move has turned into a two-week affair.”
Amara was right about that. She’d signed the lease and had been allowed, initially, to move in weeks ago, but she had no furniture and refused to take anything from the pool house. When she’d ordered the bed, it took a week for it to be delivered, because the mattress she’d wanted more than anything hadn’t been in stock. She’d stayed at Hillary’s in the meantime, which hadn’t bothered Hillary in the slightest. Once the bed had been delivered, she needed the linens. Then, she needed pots and pans, food for the refrigerator, a shower curtain, and everything else a first timer needed for their place. They’d made the move slowly because of that but also because Hillary still had work. She couldn’t take off too much time to help. Amara had also just started her new job.
She hadn’t had enough experience to make Assistant Manager, but Trish had liked her so much, she made her a barista. Amara now worked five days a week in the shop where they met. There was something nice about that. It didn’t pay much, though, and was only part-time. So, Amara planned to look for something else once she’d settled in fully. She wanted to make enough to support herself. Hillary knew that. She also knew Amara wanted to go to school full-time, and without her father paying the tuition, she’d need another job to pay for it along with financial aid. She refused to let Hillary help, but Hillary understood. It wasn’t about her; it was about what Amara needed to do for herself.
“How about this? Next Saturday, they have a matinée. That’s the last performance Greene is in until after she gets back. We can go to that and then spend the night at my place.”
“Because I still don’t have furniture?” Amara joked. “I’m working on it.”
“I figured I’d stay here this week,” Hillary replied. “Help you get things put together when I’m not on campus. Honestly, I’ve gotten kind of used to sleeping next to you every night. It’s going to be weird now that you have your own place.”
“So, you want to stay here every night, and then I stay at your place on Saturday?”
“I know you want time here. That’s the whole point. You want your place, and I want you to have it. If you want a night or two on your own, just say so.”
“I wanted my own place because I wanted to live my life my way, Hill.” Amara moved around the elongated box and crawled to Hillary. “I would love it if you stayed here every night this week.” She leaned into her girlfriend. “And yes, I will go to the matinée with you on Saturday and drinks after, but Sunday is my birthday. Can we do something just the two of us?”
“On Sunday, we will do something just the two of us, yes.” Hillary placed a hand on her cheek. “I love you. I can’t wait to celebrate your birthday with you.”
“I’ve never had anyone to celebrate with.”
“And you never have to worry about that again.”
They leaned further into each other then. Amara pushed lightly at Hillary’s shoulder until the woman’s back was pressed to the floor. She climbed atop Hillary, ran her own hand down Hillary’s neck and down her shirt until she could slide her hand under it, and grasped her breast.
“Can I add something to our agenda for today?” Amara whispered against her lips. “It might delay us putting together this dresser.”
“That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.” Hillary kissed her.
◆◆◆
“Amara?” the older woman greeted her with a question at the door.
“Hello,” Amara returned. “I’m sorry for just dropping by again.”
“It’s okay,” the other Amara said. “Do you want to come in?” She motioned into her house. “Marissa is home. You could meet her. I’ve told her about you.”
“You did?”
“I actually broke down and told her everything. Honestly, it was a difficult few days. But she’s an amazing woman; I am lucky to have her. I’m lucky she puts up with me.” She gave a soft smile. “We were just about to sit down for dinner.”
“I won’t keep you, then.” Amara waved and took a step back.
“Amara, is everything okay?”
She thought for a moment about how to respond to that.
“I guess I wanted to tell you that I don’t blame you for what happened that night. I hope you know that,” she said. “I don’t know if it matters to you, but I wanted you to know.”
“It does matter,” the woman said immediately. “Thank you.”
“I know it’s probably hard for you… I’ve seen the pictures of my mom at my age; I know I look a lot like her.”
“You do. The moment I saw you, I knew who you were.” The other Amara smiled.
“I guess I was hoping that, despite that, you might still tell me things about my mom. There are questions I’ll never have answers to. I mean, I’ll never know if she really loved my dad in the same way she loved you. I’ll never know if she was gay, bisexual, or something else altogether.” She paused and allowed herself a breath. “I’ll never know if I happened to her because she married my dad out of fear of being herself or if she wanted me. I’ll–”
“Sweetie, your mom wanted you. I may not have the other answers for you, but I know that.” The woman took a step outside on her porch. “She talked about having kids from the moment I met her. She wanted at least four. She hoped for two boys and two girls. I remember her telling me once that she wanted two sets of twins.” She laughed a little. “When she talked to me at that party, it wasn’t all about your father. She told me about you. I didn’t know your name, though. That part, she didn’t tell me, and I was too hurt to ask. But I saw her smile. It was a huge smile, Amara. She was so proud of you already. She loved you like crazy. I know she wanted you more than she wanted anything else in the world. And if you come inside for dinner, I’ll tell you more. We can keep talking about your mom for as long as you want.”
Amara nodded and followed her into the house. She’d felt it important to reach back out to her mother’s old friend. She wanted the woman to know that she didn’t blame anyone for what had happened to her mother. She’s spent a lot of time thinking about it since she found out the truth about her mother’s accident. The only person she’d really been angry with was her mother, for getting into the car and driving drunk. It had been difficult to process that anger toward a woman she never really knew but loved so much. She’d been able to shift some of that anger toward her father, considering – in her opinion – he deserved it. He hadn’t reached out since that one call after she resigned. As she listened to Amara talk more about her mother, she wondered if she was getting to know one parent she’d never see again while at the same time losing the only parent she’d ever known.
◆◆◆
“Hillary?”
“Mr. Simmons.”
“Is Amara with you?” He looked around her expectantly.
“No, she’s not. She asked me to mail this to you.” She held out the envelope Amara had handed her that morning and asked her to mail on her way to campus, since her apartment didn’t have an outgoing mailbox. “I thought I’d bring it to you instead.”
“What is it?” He pressed his fingers to the envelope. “A key?”
“Her key to the pool house,” sh
e said.
“She doesn’t have to give this back.” He held it out for her to take.
“You can talk to her about it.” She held up her hands. “I’m just the messenger.”
“If you’re just the messenger, then why didn’t you just mail it?” he rightfully asked.
“Because I have my own message to deliver. And I wanted to do it in person.”
CHAPTER 45
“Greene is amazingly talented,” Amara said. “It’s no wonder she’s going on tour.”
“It’s actually her third one, I think,” Hillary said as they made their way toward her apartment door. “Joanna has been a good influence on her.”
“How so?” Amara asked as she squeezed her hand.
“Greene never used to go on tour. She hadn’t even played in front of us on her own. She’s one of the best violinists in the world; maybe the best. But she never let people see everything she could do. Joanna helped her come out of her shell.” She stopped at her door and turned to Amara. “You’ve done that for me, you know?”
“Done what?” Amara smiled through her confusion.
“Brought me out of my shell,” Hillary told her. “I’m more confident in my life since I met you. I’ve learned to take care of myself and not let people walk all over me anymore. I stood up to Caroline, in part, because you came into my life.” She paused. “It’s like we’ve said before: you make me brave.”
“I think you’ve done more for me than I can ever do for you, Hill,” Amara countered with a soft kiss to Hillary’s cheek.
“Amara, I haven’t actually done anything for you. That’s the point, isn’t it? You’ve done it all for yourself.” Hillary smiled at her, unlocked the door, and pushed it wide open.
“Surprise!”
The yell came from the living room of Hillary’s modest apartment, where Keira, Emma, Kellan, Reese, Joanna, and Greene stood along with the other Amara, her wife Marissa, Mark, Lucy, and Amara’s new boss, Trish.
“Oh, my God!” Amara covered her mouth with both hands.
“Happy birthday, babe.” Hillary kissed her cheek once Amara had dropped her hands.
“You said we had to come back here to get something you needed to give Keira tonight before we met them for drinks.” Amara looked at Hillary and seemed to be putting their surprise together. “That was a lie?”
“Yes.”
“And this is why we were the only ones at the matinée?”
“Yes.”
“My birthday is tomorrow.” She lifted an eyebrow.
Hillary pulled her into the apartment and closed the door behind them.
“You said you wanted Sunday to just be us. I thought this was a good compromise. Plus, Kellan and Reese could only come today. I wanted you to meet them. Mark was free.” She pointed to Mark, who was shaking hands with Marissa. “And after you told me you talked to Amara, I thought it might be nice to invite them, too. I stole her number from your phone.”
“You are devious,” Amara smirked at her. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”
Her smile was wide as she made the rounds, hugging everyone in turn and thanking them for coming. Hillary had worked hard to ensure that everyone could be here for Amara’s first birthday party. Greene had rushed straight from the performance by car while Hillary had dawdled as she and Amara walked to the apartment. She’d tasked Keira with the food, cake, and other minor party plans for a gathering this small while she tried to keep Amara in the dark about the surprise. Kellan and Reese had driven in that morning. They’d only be staying the night, but Hillary was grateful to see one of her best friends in person again. She hugged her friends in turn as well, then shook Mark’s hand and thanked him for coming. As she listened to Amara tell everyone how surprised she was, she tried to hide her own disappointment that the one person she’d really hoped would be here had decided not to show up after all.
◆◆◆
The party was in full swing. Keira and Emma had moved some of Hillary’s furniture around to make room for a few chairs. Most of the gathering had moved toward the food on the dining room table and in the kitchen. There was soft music playing in the background. There was even a card game going on at the coffee table between Kellan and Reese, who appeared to be pretty competitive. Mark seemed enthralled by their dynamic and friendly trash-talking. Hillary was holding onto Amara from behind. They were in Hillary’s bedroom. They’d taken a moment to change out of their fancy formal wear and into something more comfortable for the remainder of the party.
“I love you,” Amara said.
“I love you, too.” Hillary kissed her neck.
“Is it totally wrong that I want you to touch me right now?” Amara asked.
“What?” Hillary chuckled against her throat. “With everyone outside?”
“It’s not about that.” Amara turned her head slightly. “I’ve been really turned on since you had your hand on my thigh under my dress at the concert. I thought we’d be alone tonight.”
“So, you didn’t do anything to try to stop yourself from wanting it?” Hillary teased her fingers along Amara’s stomach.
“No.”
“And you want it now?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“You are the birthday girl,” Hillary reminded.
She unbuttoned Amara’s jeans and slid down the zipper. Her free hand roamed up under Amara’s shirt, grasping her girlfriend’s breast through her bra. Her other hand slid beneath Amara’s panties, and her fingers started dancing in the wetness. Amara pressed her back closer to Hillary’s front while her hips began to move in time with Hillary’s strokes as Hillary kissed the soft skin of her neck.
“That feels good,” Amara whispered.
“You’re worried they might hear you?” Hillary whispered back into Amara’s ear. “That they might know what we’re doing in here?”
“Yes.”
“Then, you better come fast.”
Hillary stroked her harder, applying firm pressure directly to Amara’s clit. After everyone went home, there would be time to take things slow with Amara, to wake up late tomorrow on her actual birthday and explore every inch of Amara’s skin with her own tongue. That had been Hillary’s plan all along. She’d wanted Amara all to herself on the woman’s twenty-seventh birthday. She’d even planned to call back on an old promise she’d made to her girlfriend when they’d first started dating. She’d picked out a certain film she knew Amara would enjoy. She thought about them touching one another while listening to the sounds of two women doing the same thing on the screen behind them. Her own clit grew hard, her wetness was ruining the new underwear she’d only just put on, and she knew she needed a quick release, too. She continued stroking Amara but walked them toward the wall next to the closet. She pressed Amara against it softly. Amara turned her head to the side and allowed Hillary to press in closer behind her. Hillary moved her thigh between Amara’s. She moved into Amara in time with her own strokes to Amara’s clit.
“Oh,” Amara let out. “That feels good.”
“Yes, it does,” Hillary said.
Her hips moved faster and harder. She knew it wouldn’t take long. Her hand on Amara’s breast tweaked the nipple, earning her a soft gasp from her girlfriend. She repeated the movement, earning more gasps. Amara turned her head to face the wall completely in an effort to muffle her sounds. Both of her hands pressed to the wall and balled into fists. Her hips moved in time with Hillary’s, and when Amara came, Hillary thrust her fingers inside her.
“God!” Amara yelled. “Shit,” she then whispered and covered her mouth.
Hillary hoped the music and conversation outside the bedroom drowned that out. She curled her fingers into Amara, feeling muscles tense around them as she continued to ride Amara’s backside. She could feel sweat beginning to form on her brow and knew that if she didn’t come soon, she’d be full-on perspiring and her friends would know exactly what they’d been up to in the bedroom. Amara came again so fast, Hillary hadn’t b
een prepared for it. The feel of Amara grasping her hand – the one that Hillary had over the woman’s breast – and squeezing it, was enough to move Hillary past the edge of her own orgasm. She came with a soft whimper against Amara’s neck. She bit into it lightly to keep the scream she wanted to let out from escaping. They stood like that for another minute before she slid out of Amara. The woman turned, kissed her deeply, and then pulled back so they could both catch their breath.
“Happy birthday,” Hillary said against Amara’s lips.
“I think I need to change again.” Amara’s head went back against the wall.
The two of them burst into laughter before they moved to, yet again, clean up and change their clothes. Just as Hillary was sliding another pair of jeans over her legs, there was a knock at the door.
“Hey, Hill?”
It was Kellan’s voice.
“Just a second,” Hillary replied as Amara’s wide eyes almost made her laugh.
Amara buttoned her jeans, straightened her shirt, and tried to make it look like she hadn’t just been fucked against the wall by her girlfriend while a room full of their closest friends stood just outside the door.
“There’s someone at the door,” Kellan said.
“Are you expecting anyone else?” Amara asked her in a whisper, which only caused Hillary to laugh. “What?”
“You don’t have to whisper that.” Hillary straightened up her own clothing and moved to the door. She stopped for a second to check on Amara before opening it and saying, “Who is it?”
“Keira said it’s Amara’s father,” Kellan said with a straight-lipped smile.
“My dad’s here?” Amara questioned.
She then walked past both of them and out into the living room. Hillary followed. She wove her way past her friends. It seemed they’d all greeted Mr. Simmons already and moved onto the part where they attempted to get back to their previous party activities without acknowledging the elephant in the room. He was standing near the door. In his hand, there was a small silver gift bag complete with white and silver tissue paper. The man was overdressed for this particular party, but Hillary guessed he probably tended to wear the same types of clothing everywhere. Tonight, he had on a green sweater with a burgundy collared shirt underneath, a pair of black pleated pants, and brown dress shoes. Hillary stood beside Amara after they made their way through the small, crowded room.
San Francisco Series- Complete Edition Page 92