CHAPTER 31
“W ow!”
“You said that already,” Myra noted.
“I know, but… Wow,” Melinda repeated. “Really, it’s a wow thing.”
“What’s a wow thing?” Jill asked, walking into the small back office of NOLA Guides.
“Elisa’s son walked in on Myra and Elisa doing it,” Melinda answered.
“Mel!” Myra exclaimed.
“Oh, I was at the counter, so I heard you already. I was just trying to be polite and pretend like I hadn’t just heard Mel here yell your news to the whole building,” Jill replied.
“Luckily for you, though, no one else was here. We do have a part-timer coming in, like, five minutes, and he’s only seventeen, so maybe keep it rated PG-13 in here when he gets in. ”
“He didn’t walk in on us doing it ,” Myra said. “That’s crass.”
“Fine. He walked in on you making love,” Melinda corrected. “With his mother.”
“Yes, he did. And it was horribly awkward and one of the many reasons I never planned on having children: I never wanted to have to stop doing that because one of them just opened the door and walked into the bedroom or called for us right outside the locked door, needing attention right there and then, or to stop having it altogether because the kids are so draining that we have no energy left over for each other.”
“But her kids are older,” Jill offered. “And as someone who recently had a child for a very brief period of time, sex is totally possible with them around. It’s the mothers walking in unexpectedly and finding your used and uncleaned harness and dildo on the floor that you have to worry about.”
“Did your mom find–”
“Yes,” Jill said, interrupting Melinda. “She told me last week that the first time she met my girlfriend, when she just magically reappeared after leaving me with my ten-year-old sister, she had, in fact, seen the thing we had used the night before on the floor because we’d forgotten about it. That’s an awkward conversation.”
“Sure. But does your brand-new girlfriend, who’s never been with a woman before you, happen to have an eighteen-year-old son who was supposed to be at his father’s house but who just showed up and opened the bedroom door while his mother was naked and on top of you with a dildo inside her?
He rushed in because he’d just heard his mother scream so loudly that he thought someone was hurting her when, in reality, it was both of you screaming because the orgasms were just so good, you couldn’t hold it in. ”
Jill pretended to think about it and replied, “No, I can’t say that’s ever happened. Willa doesn’t have any kids, though, and if she ends up with them, I’m kind of hoping they’ll be mine.”
“Then, I’d suggest putting the strap-on away the moment you’re done or locking the door, at least,” Myra said.
“Hey.”
“Speak of the devil,” Melinda said when Willa walked into the office.
“I’m a devil?” Willa asked Jill.
“Sometimes. But I like it,” Jill replied and gripped her girlfriend’s hips. “Want to hear a funny sex story?”
“Jill!” Myra laughed.
“Uh…” Willa nodded to the side.
“Hi,” Juni, Jill’s little sister, said as she moved to stand between Jill and Willa.
Willa placed her hands on Juni’s shoulders.
“Later,” Jill said, shaking her head.
“Jill!” Myra laughed again.
“What? It’s a good story.”
“What’s a good story?” Juni asked.
“Um… the story we read in the class this week,” Willa said, lying through her teacher teeth .
“Oh. I guess so,” Juni replied. “When is the tour?”
“I’m taking my two favorite girls on a tour today. We’re doing the city one. Juni was interested in what I do,” Jill explained. “And Willa loves me, so she came, too.”
“I bet she did,” Melinda teased.
“Okay. Enough out of you,” Jill said, pointing at her. “And good luck with that… situation,” she added to Myra.
“Thanks,” Myra said.
Jill, Willa, and Juni left the office and, a few seconds later, the building.
“So, what are you going to do?” Melinda asked Myra.
“I have no idea. I don’t think I can do anything, really.
Elisa should be there by now to talk to him more.
It’s a two-hour drive. I was supposed to take AJ to city hall today.
We were going to look at the old plans for the house because he seemed interested in my work and the history of the house, but he canceled on me yesterday because he had decided to go with his sister to their dad’s place, after all.
According to Elisa, he saw his sister and the girl he likes making out in the parking lot of a movie theater, and the guy who likes Adele was also there with him and saw the whole thing, too. ”
“I’m trying to follow, but what?”
“Adele is dating this girl from school. It’s new, but she told Elisa about it the other day. Her name is Wendy, and AJ likes her, too. Tucker, Adele’s ex-boyfriend and a friend of AJ’s, was with him when they all ended up at the same theater in the tiny town they call home.”
“Wow!”
“Yes, that’s a wow,” Myra said as she laughed. “I want to be at home when Elisa gets there. She didn’t pack a bag or anything and said that she would be back today, but I don’t know. I can see her staying there if she feels like they all still need to talk, and his reaction worries me.”
“You think it’s about you?”
“I don’t know. He seemed to like me before, but then he saw me inside his mother this morning, so I’m guessing that’s not true anymore.
I’m not sure if it’s a woman thing or just a new-person-in-his-mom’s-life thing.
Elisa didn’t explain much before she had to go.
She wanted to try to catch up to him before he talked to his father.
We’re together now, and we said as much, but she’d choose her kids over me, Mel.
I know she would. And I can understand that, but I don’t know what I’ll do if AJ doesn’t want us together and if Elisa gives him what he wants. ”
“Hey, she won’t,” Melinda replied, placing a comforting hand on top of Myra’s. “He was just in shock. It’ll pass. Was there any chance he saw the you-know-what?”
“No,” Myra replied. “It was… hidden.”
Melinda laughed a little and said, “So, it was really just the two of you holding each other.”
“Naked,” she added.
“Well, that’s better than what it could’ve been. Think of it like that.”
“I guess his mom could’ve still been moving up and down.”
“Oh, God.” Melinda laughed.
“She’s amazing, Mel. She’s just what I need.”
“Yeah?”
“She’s smart and caring and funny and generous. She’s beautiful and sexy, and in case I haven’t already talked enough about it, she’s exactly what I love in the bedroom.”
“I could have guessed that.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever told you this before, but… My ex… We were good in that department for a while, but there were things she didn’t like, and I never pressured her for anything, so the last time I had some of those things was before I met her.”
“And, I take it, Elisa likes some of those things?”
“It’s not just that. It’s that she wants to try those things with me.
She asks for them without knowing if they’re things I like.
On top of that, she trusts me to try them.
It’s not like I’m into rough BDSM stuff or anything.
It’s just that she trusts me with everything, and that’s a really big deal for me. ”
“She knows you’d never hurt her,” Melinda said .
“I think so. And that’s the best part of it: it’s not about the sex; it’s about the trust that we’ve built up so quickly.”
“Then, I think you just have to be there for her and help her through it if AJ causes problems for you two.”
“I guess,” she said. “I should probably go, actually. I’m taking care of Buster today while she’s gone and doing the work on the kitchen. I need to get it finished for her soon.”
“Okay. Well, call me if you need anything.”
“I will.” Myra stood. “Thank you.”
“Anytime,” Melinda said.
Myra left the office, catching Jill, Willa, and Juni standing outside for the tour that Jill was leading.
She waved goodbye to them and walked in the direction of where she’d parked her truck.
Shortly after that, she found herself alone in Elisa’s house for the first time.
Buster was there, and he was excited to see her, at least, but it was odd being there without Elisa.
She focused on the dog first, taking him out for a long walk before she brought him home to get him some water and refill his food.
While he ate, she started working, trying to estimate the amount of time she still had left on the interior of the house.
The work on the roof would be started on Monday and wouldn’t take long to finish, so Myra hoped to be done within the next week or so.
She had no idea how long she had been working, but Buster was ready to go outside again, so she went out to the backyard, let him take care of his business, and then tossed a tennis ball she had found.
The rescue knew how to fetch and brought the ball back to her five times before he finally kept it for himself and crouched down in the grass, trying to chew it up while Myra walked back into the house to get herself a glass of water.
As she watched him play through the window, she heard footsteps, and seconds later, arms wrapped around her waist from behind, and Elisa’s head pressed into her back between her shoulder blades.
“Hi, baby,” Myra greeted her and put the glass down to be able to place her hands on top of Elisa’s.
“Hi,” Elisa replied, sounding exhausted. “Where’s my little guy? I could use a hug from you and some cuddle time from him.”
“Should I be upset that you want to cuddle with him and not me?” When Elisa chuckled against her back, Myra turned around, wrapped her in her arms, and added, “He’s outside with a tennis ball. I was going to let him play for a few before I brought him in, but want me to get him now?”
“No,” Elisa replied, wrapping her arms around Myra’s neck and hugging her hard.
“Want to tell me what happened?”
“Yes. But can there be wine?”
“I’ll pour. You go sit on the couch,” Myra told her and kissed her forehead.
“Okay,” Elisa agreed and turned to go.
Myra found a bottle of red wine as well as two glasses and poured them both, making hers a small glass since she wasn’t a big wine fan and making sure Elisa had a generous amount. When she carried their drinks into the living room, she found Elisa standing and looking out the front window.
“Wine,” she said, placing the glasses on the table.
“Thank you,” Elisa replied, turning to her. “Can you do something for me?”
“Anything,” she said, knowing it was true.
Even if Elisa told her that this was over because her son wasn’t ready for his mom to be with someone other than his father, she’d do anything for her. It would hurt like hell, but she’d do it if it was what Elisa needed.
“Will you sit down?”
“Sure,” she replied with a nod and licked her lips, preparing for the worst as she sat on the couch.
Spreading her legs a bit, Myra placed her hands on her thighs and rubbed them over her jeans, trying to deal with the clamminess that came with her nerves, and when Elisa began walking over toward her, she swallowed, expecting her to sit down next to her, take her hand, and deliver the bad news.
Instead, Elisa just pushed Myra’s knees together with her own legs and straddled her hips .
“I just wanted you to hold me,” Elisa said and leaned into her.
Myra wrapped her arms around her and softly rubbed Elisa’s back under her shirt as she pressed her face to Elisa’s chest, breathing her in.
At least for right now, this moment, everything would be okay.
Even if Elisa said that this would be the last time they’d hold each other, right now, Myra had Elisa in her arms.
“AJ didn’t want to talk to me.”
“Babe, I’m sorry.”
“He slammed the door in my face. Adele heard it, so she came out of her room, and we talked. I told her about what happened, and she said that she was fine with it. She wants me to be happy.”
“Well, that’s good, at least.”
“Yeah, I think so.” Elisa rubbed her hands under Myra’s shirt, over her shoulders and back.
“I tried to get him to talk to me again, but he had gone out the back door without me knowing. Then, I saw Archie’s car pulling into the driveway, and I just couldn’t deal with that.
He would’ve just thought I was there to accept his guest house arrangement or asked questions I wasn’t prepared to answer, so I told Adele to tell AJ that I’d be back tomorrow and left him a voicemail that he could call me to talk about this when he was ready. ”
“Will your ex be home tomorrow?”
“No, Adele said he’s golfing. He’ll be gone all day. She told me that he has a date tomorrow night, too, and that he’s been staying out until the next morning on dates now that the kids are around more.”
“Is that a good thing? Like, is he just keeping them away from the random women he’s been bringing home?”
“I think it’s a good side effect, but really, it’s because he doesn’t want to be a parent or anything resembling one now that, in his mind, they’re adults and able to take care of themselves.”
Myra kissed the spot between Elisa’s breasts and asked, “What can I do, babe? ”
“You’re doing it right now,” Elisa replied. “I still have a lot on my mind. Do you think we can just sleep tonight? I doubt AJ will come here without calling first, given what he saw this morning, but I don’t want to–”
“You want me to stay over?”
“Will you?” Elisa asked her. “If you want to be at your place tonight, I understand. I think Buster will be fine going there. I don’t want to leave him alone for the night, but I’m not sure if you want a dog in your house.”
“We can stay here. I think you should be here in case AJ comes home, and maybe I shouldn’t.”
Elisa looked down at her and said, “No, we’re not doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“That thing where we hide from my son because he’s acting out.
” She cupped Myra’s cheeks. “I hid who I was and what I wanted for far too long. I’m not doing it anymore, Myra.
I’m happy. You make me happy. I’d like you to stay tonight.
If AJ pops up, he’ll have to deal with it and act like the man I raised. ”
Myra smiled up at her and replied, “Okay.”