Chapter 11
Doing her best to be quiet, Jaims walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Standing at the sink she drank half the glass, then set it down on the counter, thinking to rummage for a snack. Unfortunately, she set the glass too close to the edge of the sink and it fell into it and shattered. Cussing under her breath, Jaims suddenly heard a scream come from Raquel’s room.
Moving quickly to the door of Raquel’s room, Jaims threw it open and saw her roommate sitting stock straight. Her eyes looked huge and terrified.
“I’m sorry,” Jaims said, moving to the side of the bed. Raquel was panting in fear. Recognizing Raquel’s terror as a flashback, Jaims did the only thing she could think of, she climbed into bed, and took her best friend in her arms, hugging her.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, you’re here, you’re safe.” Raquel held onto her as if she were drowning, and Jaims was her life raft. “It’s okay, you’re safe, it’s okay.” Jaims repeated the words over and over, and eventually Raquel calmed.
Jaims moved to sit back, but Raquel’s hands held her in place.
“Can you stay for a bit?” Raquel pleaded.
“Of course,” Jaims agreed. Jaims sat back against the headboard, with Raquel still next to her. After a few moments, Jaims glanced down. Seeing that Raquel’s eyes were open, she gently asked, “Can you tell me what you’re seeing? Feeling?”
Raquel drew a deep breath in through her nose, blowing it out slowly through her mouth. “It’s dark, but so frigging hot…” she began hesitantly. “I can smell sweat, it’s almost impossible to stay clean and dry there…and boy do those guys smell. I do everything I can to not smell like BO, but you know guys, they don’t care.” She chuckled, as did Jaims. “I didn’t even realize. I remembered the window above me breaking.” Raquel shook her head. “But that sound brought it right back.”
“So, we’re going out and getting nothing but plastic and paper dishes tomorrow,” Jaims teased gently.
Raquel laughed softly. “They tell me that the reactions will fade with time.”
“Till then, we’ll get through one issue at a time,” Jaims told her.
Raquel looked sad. “You shouldn’t have to deal with this shit, J, it’s my problem.”
“Hey, your shit is my shit, got it?”
Raquel curled her lips, wanting to argue, but realizing something at the same time. “I guess me trying to deal with my problem on my own is what got me into trouble in the first place, huh?”
“See?” Jaims grinned, squeezing her shoulder. “I didn’t want to be the one to say that, but…”
“Uh-huh.” Raquel chuckled, feeling better already. “Shaddup you.”
Jaims hugged Raquel tighter. “I want to be here for you, okay? So just let me.”
Raquel held up a hand in surrender. “I’m letting you; I’m letting you, sheesh!”
They both laughed together. Half sitting, half laying on the bed, they stayed that way for a while. Jaims felt herself getting sleepy.
“You gonna tell me when to leave you alone?” Jaims asked.
“Yeah, when I’m ready for you to leave me alone, I’ll let ya know,” Raquel said, snuggling closer to Jaims.
Jaims felt a tug at her heart, it made her happy that Raquel was finally allowing herself to be vulnerable. She knew it’s what her friend needed in order to stay away from the allure of drugs to dull her feelings and memories.
The next morning as Jaims got up, Raquel opened one eye. “Where are you going?”
“Uh, to make coffee? Maybe go to the bathroom?” Jaims grinned.
“Accepted,” Raquel quipped.
“So needy…” Jaims replied jokingly. “Want me to bring you back some coffee?”
“Actually, it’s Sunday,” Raquel said, “can we meet up with the crew?”
“Absolutely! I’ll go shower first, so you can wake up.”
“Yeah, and give the crew a heads-up,” Raquel murmured.
Jaims glanced back over her shoulder, trying to decide if Raquel was irritated about the thought, but Raquel grinned at her, giving her a wink.
An hour passed. Standing in front of Orphan Andy’s, Jaims glanced over at Raquel, who looked a bit nervous. “You okay?”
“Do you think they’re pissed at me?” Raquel asked.
“Rock, they are our family, they love you.”
“That doesn’t mean they won’t be pissed…” Raquel murmured.
“We can leave if you’re not ready,” Jaims offered.
“Move it or lose it bois…” Zion commented from behind them.
Jaims and Raquel turned to see that both Zion and Dax stood there.
“Hey…” Raquel began hesitantly, as Dax extended her hand to her.
“How you doin’?” Dax asked, her look direct, concern laced her eyes.
Raquel took Dax’s outstretched hand, nodding as she did. “Embracing the suck.”
Dax laughed, nodding her head. “Got your six on that.” She clapped her on the shoulder.
Zion smiled at them. “Let’s go eat, I’m starving.”
As the four headed inside, Jaims peered over at Raquel. Seeing the glazed tears in her friend’s eyes, Jaims bumped her shoulder into Raquel’s. “Told you.” Raquel simply nodded, reaching up to brush away her tears.
Inside, the crew were at their usual table in the front. Seeing Raquel many of them stood to greet her in varied ways.
“Rock!” Shayne called, extending her hand.
“Buddy!” Flynne hugged Raquel.
“Rockin’ roll.” Case grinned from her spot in the corner of the booth.
“How’s it goin’!” Steel added.
Jayden smiled. “Heya Rock.”
Raquel accepted the greetings with a hesitant smile. Everyone took their spot at the table, talking amongst themselves.
Their usual waiter, Jerry, came up to take their order, seeing Raquel at the table.
“How are you, boo?” Jerry asked, leaning in to give Raquel a kiss on the cheek.
Raquel nodded. “I’m okay.”
“Spacky-tacky,” Jerry replied, his version of spectacular, and then proceeded to take everyone’s order. He poured everyone coffee as he did.
After Jerry sauntered away with everyone’s orders, Raquel looked around the table at her friends, her family, and she found that she was so grateful for them.
“Hey guys,” Raquel began, her voice a bit tremulous. “I just…I wanted to say that I’m sorry for all the shit lately…I just…” Her voice trailed off as she shook her head.
“We got you,” Jayden said, who was sitting to Raquel’s left, putting her head on Raquel’s shoulder.
“BB’s right,” Steel said, reaching her hand across the table to rest it on Raquel’s arm. “We’re here for you, no matter what you need, okay?”
“As long as it’s not drugs.” Case winked with a pirate’s smile on her face.
Raquel laughed. “Cheeky bastard.”
The rest of the crew laughed too.
“So, what did happen with that hot red head?” Shayne asked Zion later in the conversation.
Zion narrowed her eyes at Shane’s description. “Morgan is her name.”
“Wait. Redhead?” Dax queried. “The one you drove home after that storm? There’s more?”
“Oh, no one’s caught D up?” Case asked, looking far too happy about it. “Oh, let me…”
“No.” Zion made a cutting gesture toward Case, knowing the Englishwoman’s propensity for exaggeration.
“Morgan,” she repeated pointedly, “the very nice writer, who had a bit of an episode in the bar last week…”
“Episode?” Case repeated, her eyes dancing in amusement. “Try breakdown.”
“Do I have to come over there?” Zion threatened.
Case held up both hands in surrender, laughing.
“Yeah, I think I need to hear the whole story,” Dax said, looking between the two.
Zion proceeded to tell Dax what had occurred.
“So, did she ever figure out if the Davis guy was shot?” Dax asked at the end of the explanation.
“I don’t think she’s been back to the therapist yet,” Zion told her.
“Well, she needs to get to it, we need to know what happened to the bloke.”
“Yeah, is Davis dead or not?” Steel asked.
“And did the ex go to jail, or what?” Shayne added.
Jayden’s eyes narrowed quizzically. “Is that why the bookstore closed?”
“Yeah, ’cause the guy killed someone?” Flynne interjected.
“A mystery indeed!” Case exclaimed, making everyone laugh.
It was a good morning for them all.
“That went way better than I expected,” Raquel commented to Jaims as they got back to their apartment later that morning.
“I told you, you’re part of our family,” Jaims assured her.
Raquel drew a breath in through her nose, still amazed at how easily the group had forgiven her. Part of her knew that it was because they loved Jaims, and Jaims would be upset if they were mean to her.
“It’s because of you,” Raquel stated.
“It’s not because of me,” Jaims replied, turning to look at her best friend. “You just can’t believe that people love you and accept you, can you?”
Raquel screwed her lips up in a grimace. “I guess not.”
Jaims dropped her keys on the kitchen counter, turning to lean her hip against the counter. “We all fuck up, Rock,” she said. “I mean, look at Z when Fancy comes to town, we have to keep an eye on her all the time. You missed the bust up with Dax’s girl and the ex, but the crew was together on that too. Everyone has issues, and as a family we deal with it.”
Raquel dropped her head. “Shit, you mean like paying to fly my brothers to Landstuhl?”
Jaims inclined her head slightly. “Yeah, stuff like that.”
“I can’t believe I forgot about that,” Raquel commented. “I haven’t even thanked Dax and Z for that.”
“They don’t expect thanks,” Jaims told her. “You know that too.”
“Doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do it though.”
Jaims shrugged. “Ya still can.”
“Yeah.” Raquel nodded. “Yeah, I will. Definitely.”
Jaims straightened from the counter, putting her hands on Raquel’s shoulders. “You’ve been dealing with a lot since you got back. You have all the time you need to set things straight again. No one is keeping score.”
“Except me.” Raquel rolled her eyes. “Got it.”
Jaims laughed. “You’ve always been a little slow…”
“Shaddup!” Raquel jostled with a smile, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders.
Jaims smiled inwardly, realizing that the ever-cocky, ever-confident ‘Rock’ needed just as much reassurance as everyone else, maybe more than this point. She was glad, though, that her friend was coming back from the darkness.
***
“Morgan, this is Dax, and this is her girl, Kenzi,” Zion introduced.
Morgan offered a warm smile at both women. “It’s really nice to meet you. Zion has told me a lot about you, Dax.”
“Uh oh.” Dax grinned mischievously.
“Nah.” Zion winked. “I didn’t tell her about that,” she said as she held Morgan’s chair for her.
“Which that?” Kenzi’s eyes sparked with humor.
“You know.” Dax nudged her girlfriend. “That that.”
“Is this a kind of that that which should never be spoken of?” Morgan queried with a raised eyebrow.
Dax and Kenzi both laughed, liking Zion’s new lady already. Zion smiled proudly, happy that Morgan already seemed to be getting along great with her best friend. Jane had never gotten along with any of her friends.
The restaurant, Boulevard, was a very busy place, and they seemed to be understaffed, so it took the waitress a few minutes to get over to them.
“I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed, as she filled their water glasses. “Can I get you anything other than water to drink?”
“I’ll have a beer, whatever you have on tap is fine,” Dax said to the waitress with a smile.
“Babe? Did you want wine, or…?” she asked Kenzi.
“Yes, whatever your house white is, will be fine.”
“Morgan?” Zion queried, looking over at her date.
Morgan glanced up from the wine list, smiling brightly at the waitress. “I’d like a glass of the Vielles Vignes.”
Zion grinned, glancing over at Dax. “She knows her wines.”
Dax rolled her eyes. “Mine’s a pilot.”
“Yada, yada,” Zion countered, then looked over at the waitress. “I’d like a glass of that too, thank you.”
As the waitress walked away, Morgan smiled at Kenzi. “Do you fly for Cal Fire like Dax?”
Kenzi shook her head. “At this point, I’m acting as a consultant, but I finally got my license reinstated a couple of months ago, so I’ll probably be flying soon.”
“Reinstated?” Morgan asked.
“I had a medical issue,” Kenzi replied, her look circumspect.
Morgan noticed Dax squeeze Kenzi’s hand.
“I’m sorry,” Morgan sighed. “In case Zion didn’t tell you, I’m a terrible snoop. I apologize if I just made you uncomfortable.”
Kenzi shook her head. “It’s okay, I had an abusive ex, she caused the issue, but it’s cleared up now.”
Without hesitation, Morgan reached across the table, putting her hand on Kenzi’s. “I’m so sorry.” Her eyes reflected her kind words.
Kenzi bowed her head slightly. “Thank you, but I’m in a much better place now.” She smiled at Dax, and Morgan could see the love there.
Glancing over at Zion, Morgan noticed that Zion was watching the couple as well. It was obvious to her that Zion liked the two of them together. She’d gotten the distinct impression that Zion watched over her pseudo family like a father would.
When the drinks arrived, the waitress took their dinner order. Zion noticed that Morgan spoke to the waitress kindly and with a great deal of patience, especially when she needed to repeat her order, because the girl hadn’t heard correctly the first time.
It was very nice to note that Morgan never seemed to get irritated or angry with the girl. Zion couldn’t help but compare that to Jane’s behavior with wait-staff. Jane was always impatient, and her words were often critical and snide when dealing with someone she perceived as bad at their job. It was endlessly embarrassing to be around her.
At one point during dinner, Kenzi and Morgan excused themselves to go to the restroom. As they stood at the mirror touching up their lipstick, Kenzi smiled over at Morgan. “I’m really glad that Zion has found someone nice this time.”
“Compared to?” Morgan queried.
“Oh, the last one,” Kenzi intimated. “From what I understand, she was a nightmare.”
“You never met her?” Morgan asked.
“No, but Dax has told me a lot about her, and it sounds like the woman was a complete narcissist.”
“I’ve kind of gotten that impression too, from what little Zion has told me about her.” Morgan nodded. “I have to say, the writer in me really wants to know more.”
“Dax knows the whole story; you could talk to her,” Kenzi suggested.
Morgan bit her lip, vacillating. “I don’t want to invade Zion’s privacy, though, if she wants to tell me about her, she will.”
Kenzi considered her response and nodded. “You’re probably right. Hang in there though, Zion is definitely worth it. She’s got the most generous nature, and I hate that Fancy didn’t appreciate her at all.”
Morgan smiled, putting her lipstick back in her purse. “I think she’s amazing.”
“Me too,” Kenzi said, “and she deserves to be loved by someone who feels that way about her.”
Morgan nodded agreement.
“I really like them,” Morgan told Zion in the car on the way back to her house.
“I’m sure they like you.” Zion grinned. “Dax doesn’t usually joke with anyone until she gets to know them better.”
“She does seem very serious at times,” Morgan commented.
“Yeah…I think Kenzi is mellowing her out a bit.”
“Kenzi is really nice. They seem to be a pretty good pair.”
“Well, they didn’t start out that way, Dax had just gotten out of a relationship and Kenzi was still dealing with a lot from that bad relationship.”
“I can’t even imagine being in an abusive relationship.” Morgan sighed. “She’s very strong to have gotten through it.”
“It sounded like it was pretty bad, and Kenzi had no backup for herself then. But we took care of that.”
Morgan canted her head. “What do you mean?”
“Her ex showed up here, the crew handled her.”
“Wow, that’s brave! This ex had the nerve to take all of you on?”
“She didn’t know about all of us.” Zion grinned. “She thought she was just taking on Dax, and of course brought her own backup.”
“Sounds like a big coward to me.”
“Anyone who hits a woman is a coward,” Zion hissed.
“Absolutely!” Morgan agreed. “I really love that about you, you know?”
Zion looked at her. “What about me?” she asked, clearly confused.
“That you’re so valiant, so old-school gentility.”
“Gentility…” Zion mused. “Now that is something I’ve never been accused of.”
Morgan laughed softly. “I just mean that you have the manners of classic Rhett Butler, Ashley Wilkes kind of men. It’s very rare in this day and age.”
“Maybe for men,” Zion quipped.
Morgan bit her lip. “Definitely for men.”
Zion gave her a lopsided grin. “I guess I watched too many old movies when I was a kid. I grew up thinking that women should be treated gently and with respect.”
“And that’s amazing, and it’s something you shouldn’t ever lose!”
Zion shrugged. “I’m pretty much built this way now.”
“I like the way you’re built.” Morgan winked seductively.
“Well now…” Zion smiled warmly as she pulled up in front of Morgan’s house. Getting out of the car, Zion walked around to open the door for Morgan, holding her hand out to help her out.
“Even this,” Morgan observed the action, squeezing Zion’s hand as she got out of the car, “so lovely.”
Zion pulled Morgan to her as they stood next to the car, staring down into Morgan’s eyes. “I have to agree,” she murmured, “so very lovely.” With that she leaned in kissing Morgan’s lips.
Morgan wrapped her arms around Zion’s neck, giving in to the kiss, sighing contently as she did. After much more kissing, Zion took Morgan’s hand, escorting her to her front door.
“Thank you for dinner,” Morgan announced, “and it was great meeting your friends.”
“Thank you for being so gracious and kind to them,” Zion replied.
Morgan bit her lip again. “Do you want to come in for a glass of wine? Or a cup of coffee?”
Zion smiled. “I would,” she said, sounding truly regretful, “but I’m getting early deliveries tomorrow, and I don’t want to sleep through them.”
Morgan nodded, doing her best to hide her disappointment. “I understand.”
Zion put her hand to Morgan’s cheek. “I really do have deliveries, I’m not just telling you that.”
Morgan opened her mouth to inform her that it was okay, but she changed her mind. “I just want to spend more time with you, I think I might be a bit addicted.”
Zion chuckled. “Well, I appreciate your candor, and I assure you if I didn’t have deliveries in the morning, I’d take you up on the offer. I promise we’ll get together again really soon, okay?”
“Yes please.” Morgan smiled.
They kissed again, and Zion finally walked to her car. Morgan went to bed that night, feeling very lucky to have found such an incredible woman. She only hoped that their next encounter would arrive sooner rather than later.
***
Jaims woke to the sound of yelling. It took her a few moments to realize it was Raquel. Jumping up, Jaims rushed to Raquel’s door. She flung the door open to see Raquel sitting up in her bed, her head in her hands. Her yelling stopped but she was rocking back and forth. Stepping closer, Jaims reached her hand out touching Raquel’s head.
“You okay?” she asked softly.
Raquel drew in a deep breath, shaking her head.
Jaims climbed onto the bed, sitting down perching next to Raquel. Without a word, Raquel moved to lay her head in Jaim’s lap. Jaims put one hand on her roommate’s shoulder, the other smoothed Raquel’s long braid.
They sat in silence for a long time. At one point, Raquel reached up, touching Jaims’ hand on her hair, moving it to a specific spot on the side of her head.
“If you feel real close, you can feel the scar…” Raquel told her quietly.
Jaims slid her fingers under Raquel’s hair, feeling the inch-long scar there. “Does it hurt when you touch it?”
“No, it’s actually kind of numb, it just feels weird. I can tell you’re touching it, but I can’t really feel it…does that make sense?”
“Yeah.” Jaims nodded. “It’s like the scar on my ankle from my bike crash.”
They were both quiet for a long moment.
“I’m never getting past this, am I?” Raquel whispered, her tone devastated.
“Yes, you will,” Jaims told her, “because we’re all going to be here to help you. I’ll be here, I’ll always be here.”
The conviction in her friend’s voice made Raquel angle her head to look up at Jaims. She saw the kind look in her eyes; the sadness was there too. It was obvious to Raquel that Jaims was worried about her, and it touched her heart.
“You really are always here,” Raquel commented. “Even when I don’t deserve it.”
Jaims grunted. “Okay, new rule, you’re not allowed to say you don’t deserve things, got it?” Her look was pointed as she stared down at her best friend.
Raquel looked back at her long and hard, it was obvious she was trying to justify her statement, but finally she sighed defeatedly. “Fine.”
“Good.” Jaims grinned. “Now that we’ve got this settled, do you want to talk about what woke you up in the first place?”
Raquel moved to sit up, her look haunted. “It was a nightmare, I don’t remember it all…I do remember that it wasn’t me getting hit this time, it was everyone else on my team though.”
“Oh geeze.” Jaims grimaced. “That sucks.”
Raquel blew her breath out. “Yeah, they said it might be like this for a while.”
Jaims nodded. “Is there anything I can do?”
Raquel gave her a lopsided grin. “You’re doing it. Being here with me, talking to me about it.”
“Well, I guess that’s what we’ll do then.”
They ended up sitting and talking for a long time, each sitting against the headboard of Raquel’s bed. Eventually, Raquel was stifling a yawn.
Jaims took that as a signal to leave, and she moved to stand up, telling Raquel to get some more sleep. Raquel’s hand on her arm stopped her. “Will you stay here with me?” Raquel requested.
“Of course,” Jaims answered immediately, sitting back down on the bed, moving to lay down.
She was surprised when Raquel lay down next to her, with her back to her, but snuggling back against her. It was a rare show of vulnerability for the normally tough ex-soldier, and Jaims knew not to comment. She simply put her hand on Raquel’s waist, and did her best to go back to sleep. The problem was that she’d always had a crush on her roommate, and the close proximity was not helping in the slightest.
Raquel lay on her side staring into the darkness, she suddenly realized that she wanted more from Jaims than she’d ever wanted before. In Jaims she’d found the one person that would stand by her no matter what. She just didn’t know if that was something that she was brave enough to explore, but laying with her now, being close, she wanted to find out.
Neither of them got much sleep that night.
The next afternoon, Raquel queried, “Think we could go out to dinner, before we go to Fancy’s?”
“I, uh, okay,” Jaims stammered, glancing over at her roommate who stood in her doorway. “What are you feeling? Are you thinking Andy’s?”
“Uh,” Raquel vacillated, “what about, um…Maestro’s?”
Jaims snorted, the restaurant her friend had named was an upscale steakhouse, so she assumed she was joking. “Sure, are we going to take the limo or the Jag?” She laughed, then turned to look back at Raquel who bit her lip in uncertainty. Jaims turned fully around to look at Raquel. “Were you serious?”
Raquel looked chagrinned and shrugged, averting her eyes. “I just thought it might be nice…”
“Yeah.” Jaims nodded, her face showing concern, she didn’t want to hurt her friend’s feelings. “I don’t think either of us can afford that, ya know?”
Raquel chewed on the inside of her cheek. “I just, I um, well, I do have the money, if you want to go. I know you like steak.”
Jaims opened her mouth to deliver another remark, but decided against it. Instead she curled her lips in a grin. “I really do love me some steak.”
“Cool.” Raquel smiled. “Then let me go get dressed.”
Jaims chuckled, glancing down at her clothes. She was wearing tattered jeans and a T-shirt. “I guess I better change too, huh?”
Raquel glanced back at her. “I mean, unless you want to totally embarrass me…” She laughed as Jaims chucked a comb at her and headed back to her room.
Twenty minutes later, Jaims walked out to see Raquel standing the kitchen. “Dayum,” Jaims commented. “You look nice.”
Raquel wore black slacks, black dress boots, and a burgundy silk button-up shirt. Her long black hair hung down her back; she almost never wore her hair down. She even looked like she’d put on the lightest bit of make-up.
“Maybe I should go change,” Jaims commented.
“Nah, you look good too.” Raquel smiled.
Jaims wore navy blue pants, a white collared shirt open at the throat, and a navy jacket. She also wore black leather loafers. Her short dark hair was a bit more styled, smoothed over to one side, rather than the spikey look she usually wore.
“Let’s go.” Jaims grinned. “We’re going to shock everybody at Fancy’s later.”
“A little surprise is good for them.” Raquel laughed.
“Holy crap this is good,” Jaims murmured through a mouthful of steak.
“I know, this is crazy,” Raquel responded widening her eyes to emphasize her point. “Who knew the better half lived this good?”
Jaims looked across the small table at her best friend. “Thank you for this, it’s really amazing.”
Raquel smiled. “I wish I could do this with you more often.”
“It wouldn’t be as special if we did it all the time, right?” Jaims grinned.
“Exactly!”
Raquel surprised her by putting her hand across the table, covering Jaims’ free hand with hers. “But I’m really glad you agreed to come.”
Jaims looked back at her longtime friend, sensing that this was not the time to joke about passing up a free meal. She could sense that Raquel meant it sincerely, and she wanted Raquel to know that she understood.
“It was really nice of you to invite me,” Jaims announced, turning her hand over and taking Raquel’s hand in hers, squeezing gently. “Thank you again.”
Raquel smiled softly; she was glad that Jaims understood her gesture. Yes, the meal was expensive, and yes it was going to take her a few months to pay off the credit card bill, but it was worth it, if Jaims liked it.
“Are you tired yet?” Jaims asked, stifling a yawn as she did her best to hold onto to phone.
“Getting there,” Raquel replied from her bunk on base, her cell phone cradled between her pillow and her ear. “Tell me another crazy story from your job.”
“Well.” Jaims settled against the headboard, grinning to herself in the darkness. “Did I tell you about the three-paragraph email I got about how the toilet paper in the bathrooms should be loaded in the over configuration, instead of the under configuration?”
Raquel snorted. “Seriously!” she whispered, laughing quietly. Her bunkmates were asleep, and she didn’t want to wake them.
“Yeah! I kid you not, it was three paragraphs about health issues, convenience, and get this, there was even a diagram at the bottom!”
Raquel laughed again. “I’m telling you, these state employees have absolutely nothing to do with their time! What was your response to the email?”
“Honestly, I wanted to write back and ask who their manager was, so I could suggest that he or she start giving them more work to do!”
“Did you?”
“No. My bitch of a boss would have written me up for being nasty to customers.”
“That bitch should be written up for being a horrible manager,” Raquel growled.
“Yeah, I know.” Jaims sighed. “I miss my old manager.”
“I miss you,” Raquel commented unexpectedly.
“Awww,” Jaims replied, amusement in her voice.
“Shaddup,” Raquel snapped. “I shouldn’t have said that, okay?”
Jaims was caught the undercurrent of sadness in Raquel’s voice and knew she’d hurt her feelings.
“I miss you too,” Jaims answered honestly.
They were both silent for a long moment, before Raquel changed the subject.
Later that evening when they arrived at Fancy’s the crew was indeed bowled over by their more formal attire, but they took all the joking in stride.
“Yo, don’t be jealous just because we got to eat at the best steak place in town,” Raquel said.
“Did one of you rob a bank?” Flynn asked.
“Or get some crazy inheritance you’re going to share with the rest of us?” Shayne asked.
“If we did, we aren’t sharing.” Jaims winked over at Raquel, who smiled, nodding her head.
“Hey, what’s the haps over here, you two look awfully snazzy,” Zion commented with a smile.
“They went out to dinner,” Steel commented.
“And spent a lot of money,” Case added.
“Was it your money?” Zion asked smoothly.
“Uh, no bloody way,” Case replied.
“Then pipe down.” Zion winked to take the sting out of her words. “You two look great. Ya class the joint up.”
“I agree,” Jayden enthused.
Jaims and Raquel both laughed, appreciating Zion’s input and the closure of the ribbing party that was about to get into full swing.
The night was fun, there was lots of drinking, and since Jaims and Raquel had traveled to the restaurant and the bar by Uber, they were both able to drink for a change.
On the way home in the Uber vehicle, Jaims felt a bit woozy, as the chilly night air hit her.
“You okay?” Raquel asked, glancing over at her friend.
Jaims was doing her best not to look as bad as she felt, but finally shook her head.
“Come here,” Raquel told her, reaching over to touch Jaims’ arm.
Jaims leaned over, but ended up putting her head in Raquel’s lap. Raquel ran her fingers through Jaims’ hair and rubbed her scalp soothingly.
“That’s nice…” Jaims uttered.
They stayed that way until the driver pulled up in front of their apartment. Raquel helped Jaims to her feet and then helped her to get out of the car. Jaims stood up unsteadily, wavering a little as the driver pulled away.
“Lean on me,” Raquel told her, draping Jaims’ arm around her shoulders.
They made it to the elevator slowly, but Jaims felt very thankful that Raquel was there to aid her. Once inside, they both leaned against the rail that ran along the back of the elevator. It was so late that they were the only ones in the elevator car.
“I guess I over did it a bit,” Jaims lulled lazily, with a look of chagrin on her face.
Raquel glanced over at her as the elevator took them to their floor. “Like you haven’t had to help me ever.”
“I know, but…” Jaims continued mournfully. “This was such a nice night.”
“Still is,” Raquel told her firmly, squeezing her shoulder and leaning in to kiss Jaims on the side of the head.
Jaims turned her head to look at Raquel, her eyes were soft. It was in that moment, Raquel leaned back in and kissed Jaims’ lips. The action shocked both of them, and the loud ding of the elevator reaching their floor and the doors opening seemed to bring them back to reality.
Raquel stood from the rail, securing Jaims’ arm around her shoulder again. She led them out of the elevator and down the hall toward their apartment. When they reached the door, Raquel unlocked it and helped Jaims inside.
Raquel took Jaims to her room, sitting her down on the bed. Kneeling down, she unzipped the boots that Jaims wore and pulled them off, setting them aside. Standing up, she looked at Jaims who was watching her closely.
“I’m guessing you can do the rest.” Raquel smiled, then turned to leave the room.
Jaims’ hand grabbed hers. Without a word, Jaims pulled Raquel back to her, and kissed her firmly on the lips, her hands roamed the side of Raquel’s face. At first it seemed like Raquel wanted to pull away, but instead she gave in and gave herself over to returning Jaims’ kiss.
Suddenly, a fire between them ignited. Raquel reached up pulling Jaims’ jacket off, and pushed Jaims down onto her back, deepening the kiss with a hunger that both surprised and thrilled Jaims.
There was no discussion about what was happening; they were both just allowing things to ignite. Clothes were removed hastily and cast aside, and once naked, Raquel moved over Jaims, kissing and exploring her lips, her neck, and then moving lower. Jaims’ hands slid through Raquel’s long, thick black hair, reveling in the feel of Raquel’s lips on her skin.
Jaims moaned as Raquel moved lower to capture an already achingly hard nipple with her mouth, her hand caressing the other, making Jaims writhe with pleasure. Allowing her hands to roam over Raquel’s shoulders, Jaims felt the strength there, the muscles that rippled as Raquel moved. It only served to excite her more.
Within minutes Jaims felt like she was going to burst, the yearning for release was so exquisite and primal. She found herself arching back, her body silently begging Raquel for what she needed. She uttered a growl, “Please…”
Raquel heard the plea and moved her hand down, sliding it over Jaims skin, slowly, wishing to savor the moment. When she finally let her fingers slide between Jaims legs, touching heat and wetness, Jaims came immediately. She cried out, hands grasping Raquel’s shoulders. She bucked her body against Raquel’s fingers, as the orgasm took over and seemed to last forever.
As she floated back down to Earth, Jaims started to think about what had just happened, she wasn’t sure how this was going to go. She and Raquel had been friends for a long time, and she wasn’t sure what this meant for them.
“Stop overthinking it,” Raquel murmured against her neck.
Jaims looked at Raquel, she was laying on her side, her hand now laying on Jaims’ stomach. She appeared completely comfortable, so Jaims did her best to stop thinking for a moment. They lay next to each other, not talking, but their fingers ended up intertwined on Jaims’ stomach. Raquel slid her arm under Jaims’ neck, and they fell asleep that way.
The next morning Jaims was woken by the sun streaming through her bedroom window. She squeezed her eyes shut, silently cursing that she hadn’t shut her blinds before bed. It took her a minute to piece together the events of the night before. She remembered going to dinner, having drinks at the bar with Raquel. There was a definite memory of feeling really drunk, and appreciative of her best friend, who got them both home. Raquel had even helped her take off her boots…Her eyes flew open as she remembered what had happened afterwards. That’s when she remembered Raquel laying there, next to her on her side, asleep.
Holy shit! her brain screamed. She’d had a crush on Raquel forever, and now they had actually become intimate. She delighted in that for a long few moments, but then the doubt seeped in. They’d both been drunk. Was it because of the alcohol? Would Raquel wake up and be horrified at what they’d done? Doubt was a corrosive thing, it started chewing at a person, making them question everything.
“What’s going on?” Raquel’s voice broke through Jaims’ thoughts. Jaims looked at her longtime friend, Raquel’s dark eyes searching hers.
“I, um,” Jaims stammered.
Raquel canted her head slightly. “You…um,” she began, a quizzically amused look in her eyes, “you are lying there freaking the fuck out.”
Jaims winced, closing her eyes, then opening one to look back at Raquel. “A little bit.”
Raquel’s lips curled into a grin. “You’re lying there thinking that we got drunk last night, and that’s why we’re lying here together, naked.”
Jaims looked immediately guilty, which elicited a laugh from Raquel. Reaching up between them, Raquel put her finger to Jaims’ lips. “First of all, I wasn’t that drunk.”
“You weren’t?” Jaims queried.
“No,” Raquel said, “and second, I let what happened, happen.”
“But I started it,” Jaims countered.
“Right,” Raquel nodded, “but that’s ’cause I let you.”
“Let me?” Jaims’ pride asserted itself for a moment.
Raquel laughed again. It was a happy sound, not an angry one. Not a sound Jaims was ordinarily worried about. “Yes, dummy.” The finger on Jaims’ lips was back. “I’m a trained killer, you think I couldn’t have smacked the shit out of you if I’d wanted to?”
Jaims couldn’t help but laugh at the remark, nodding her head. “True.”
“Very true,” Raquel confirmed. “So,” she lulled, her look serious, “the question is, do we want to leave it there?”
“Where?” Jaims asked, her somewhat hungover brain making it hard for her to follow the direction of Raquel’s words.
Raquel pursed her lips, her look at Jaims assessing. “Do we leave it at I gave you the best orgasm of your life, or—”
Jaims’ laugh interrupted her. “The best orgasm of my life, huh?”
“Dude, you know it was.” Raquel grinned proudly, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
Jaims laughed again, shaking her head. “You’re too much.”
“I am, huh?” Raquel smiled. “Am I too much for you?” The question was serious.
Jaims caught the tone, and her expression became serious. “You are never too much for me.” She reached up touching Raquel’s face. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
“But not girlfriend material?” Raquel added, her look appeared fragile in the moment.
“You are…” Jaims began, “but I’d hate to lose my best friend…”
Raquel looked thoughtful for a long moment. “Are you willing to try it?”
Jaims had never seen Raquel look so unsure of herself, and it was an arrow straight through her heart. How could she ever say no to that?
“Yeah,” Jaims said nodding, as she leaned in to kiss Raquel’s lips. “I’m willing to try anything with you.”
Raquel’s smile deepened. “Careful what you say there, I just might test that statement.”
Jaims laughed, feeling happy in the moment. Things were certainly going to be different!