CHAPTER 49
Sharon
Sharon listened to the song. It was one she’d planned to share with Debra anyway.
It made her think of her mom, who loved to cook.
She worked full-time and still cooked dinner every night.
She’d always told Sharon that cooking was what she did to relax after a long day at work, so Sharon had believed it would be the same for her, but she hated cooking.
“I can’t do it,” she said in the middle of the song’s second play on Debra’s phone.
“I read the recipe; I follow all the instructions; I call my mom and ask her what to do, and it still doesn’t taste the same, my kitchen is a disaster, and I feel like I’ve wasted an hour.
I tried lasagna a few weeks ago, and after all of that work, it tasted the same or maybe worse than the kind I could’ve gotten in a box at the store and just put in the oven for an hour or something. ”
“Not everyone is a cook, babe,” Debra said.
“I know. But what I don’t understand is how she’s able to do it with the same ingredients and steps, and it tastes amazing. Her kitchen wasn’t a disaster in the end.”
“You said she’s relaxed with cooking. Is it stressful for you?”
“Yes. I’m not a fan.”
“Well, that’s probably why, then. She’s relaxed while she cooks. You’re not.”
“How exactly does that make something taste better?” she asked with a laugh.
“I have no idea.” Debra laughed back before she turned off the song, moved the phone behind her, slipped her hand under Sharon’s shirt, and rested it on her abdomen. “I can cook,” she added.
“You can?”
“Yes. I can’t say it’s entirely relaxing, but I enjoy it most of the time, and I try to cook dinner at least four or five times a week.”
“Any chance I would be invited over for some of those dinners?”
“You can come over for dinner whenever you want.”
“And I could maybe stay over after?”
“I think I’d have to insist on it. We’ll need to talk about the reality of our situation soon, you know?”
“I know,” Sharon replied and kissed Debra’s head again. “It’s a long-distance relationship.”
“Yes,” Debra said. “But it doesn’t always have to be.”
“What do you mean?”
Debra moved to sit, and Sharon was about to do the same, but Debra held out her hand for the one headphone in Sharon’s ear. Sharon gave it to her, and Debra put both away. Then, she moved over Sharon, lifting Sharon’s shirt to kiss her stomach.
“We could find a way to live in the same city one day. Maybe even the same house, if things work out.”
“Oh, yeah?” she asked and ran her hand again through Debra’s perfect short hair.
“Yes.” Debra kissed her again and hovered her nose over Sharon’s belly button. “I own my place, but we could find something else if we decided to move in together one day.”
“Why? Maybe I’ll like your place.”
“You might. It’s very nice. I think so, at least,” Debra replied and kissed her a little lower. “But if you want something else, I’d be okay with moving.”
“Where?”
“Right now, I go into the office once a week, but that’s mainly for an executive meeting and because I live by the office. Most of the company works from home these days, so I’m pretty open to living anywhere.”
“I don’t want to live in a city,” Sharon reminded her.
“Somewhere in the burbs is fine, or the country, maybe. I’m still looking for a job, but I’ve been looking at remote jobs, hoping to save money on rent by being able to move out of my expensive apartment that was near my old office. I just haven’t gotten lucky yet.”
Debra looked up at her and lifted an eyebrow.
“At work.” She laughed. “I haven’t gotten lucky in my job search. I’ve gotten very lucky in other areas lately.”
“I want you to come to my place,” Debra said.
“When?”
“When we leave here.”
Sharon’s face fell, and she knew it.
“I can’t. I was barely able to get this week off work. I had to find people to cover for me. I have a shift the day after I get back.”
“Then, I’ll come to you,” Debra offered.
“You’ll come to me?”
“Your place. Is that not okay?”
“Of course, it’s okay,” she said. “It’s just a small one-bedroom, though. I have the internet, but no TV, so I watch shows and stuff on my laptop, and–”
“I don’t care,” Debra interrupted and undid the button of Sharon’s jeans. “I know we’re in different phases of our lives. I don’t care if your apartment isn’t a palace, Sharon. I just want to be with you.”
Debra unzipped those jeans.
“You’re breaking the rules.”
“I just cried my eyes out while you held me. I need to be close to you in this way. Is that okay?”
Sharon smiled softly and said, “It’s more than okay.”
Debra sat back on her knees and pulled off her shirt.
Her bra followed suit, and Sharon’s eyebrows lifted then.
Debra’s body was all curves, and God, she had beautiful breasts.
Sharon wanted to touch them, but Debra moved to stand and kicked her pants and everything else off before she climbed back onto the bed and began taking off Sharon’s clothes.
“I can change my flight and fly back with you instead of flying home. I have all my work stuff with me here. I haven’t taken it out, obviously. I’ll just need to do some laundry while I’m there.”
“I have a washer and dryer, at least. They’re the small ones, and they’re kind of terrible, but they mostly work.”
“Then, can I change my flight?” Debra asked, climbing on top of her and pressing them together as Sharon spread her legs.
“Yes,” she replied.
“And can I cook you dinner?”
“Yes.”
“I’m picturing you running off to work in the morning and me kissing you a temporary goodbye.
” Debra kissed her neck. “And when I’m done working for the day, I’ll make dinner for us, and when you walk through the door, we can talk and eat.
You’ll tell me all about your day, and I’ll tell you about mine. ”
“God, that sounds so nice,” she said as a hand moved between their bodies. “And if we get in trouble for this with Nia, you’re taking the blame.”
“How is she going to know? The door is locked.”
“She could overhear us. I’m not exactly quiet when you make me come.”
“Well, normally, I am happy to make a woman scream, but maybe this time, it’s better to try to keep it down so that we don’t get in trouble. I want to make love to you until we have to leave this room for dinner.”
“Really?”
“Yes. And I’d like to…”
“What?” she asked just as Debra’s fingers began playing with her clit.
“Pick a new song. One for us; for the new memories you were talking about earlier.”
“Now? You’re stroking me, babe.”
Debra smiled down at her and said, “I might have one.”
“A song?”
“Yes. Do you like The Cure?”
“I guess?” she asked more than said.
“Lovesong,” Debra said. “By The Cure.”
“Do you have it?”
“Find it on my phone. I’m a little busy here.”
Sharon laughed and picked up Debra’s phone.
“Um… Password or face?”
“My face is in your neck. Password is nine, seven, four, one, six, eight.”
Sharon hit the screen and asked, “Important numbers?”
“No, random. Random is always better for passwords. Find the song.”
Sharon scrolled until she found it, tapped play, and then tossed the phone back down so that she could wrap her arms around Debra as the song began to play.
She’d heard it before but hadn’t ever thought of listening to it while she made love with a woman.
As Debra kissed her and the lyrics spoke of making someone feel home and whole again, she teared up a bit but held it in.
When Debra moved inside her, she could feel her body lose some of its tension, and Sharon’s own did the same until she tensed as she came.
“You’re who I want,” she told Debra. “I want you. God, I want you.”
She pulled Debra down into a hug and knew Debra understood that she wasn’t talking about sex in that moment. She wanted Debra to stay with her in that small apartment and have those mornings and nights they’d just talked about. She wanted all of it.