“Well, we’re going to look at houses now,” Ali tells Lucy and Avery, who are finishing up the breakfast dishes. This is my second time visiting Ali since her tour ended. I arrived last night and we spent most of the evening touching, kissing, and getting caught up on some much-needed personal time. We reach for our jackets, and I’m startled when Avery shrieks with excitement.
“Oh, my God! You guys are finally moving in together,” she says. She starts squealing and jumping up and down. I completely freeze. I don’t dare look at Ali. I know we both have the deer-in-headlights look. The elephant in the room keeps getting bigger as the silence grows among all of us.
“No, dork. Bethany’s going to help me find a place so I don’t have to look at your face every day for the next three months,” Ali says. I detect a slight hitch in her voice that does pique my curiosity. Ali’s mom shoots me an apologetic look and continues drying the dishes as if the past ten seconds didn’t just blow up a grenade of questions that everybody wants answers to.
“We’ll see you later this afternoon.” Ali steers me out of the door, squeezing my waist slightly as we walk to the car. “Sorry about that. My sister loves you already.” Well, at least one Hart does. Ali sends me a heart-stopping smile and, once again, I’m under her spell.
“It’s all right. She’s adorable and I like her, too.” I ignore Ali’s exaggerated eye roll. “It’s nice to have somebody who’s like a little sister to me. Plus, she likes to jog with me while you sleep in.” By the end of my last visit, Avery had begged me to run with her after hearing that I jog almost daily in Chicago. I enjoy spending time with her and the rest of Ali’s family. I feel like I’m already a part of them.
“Well, if you wouldn’t exhaust me every night, then I could get up early and jog with you, too,” Ali says. Her joke causes me to blush. She steps in front of me to stop me quickly. She doesn’t say anything for a few seconds. She twirls a piece of my hair, lost in some thought she doesn’t share.
“I’m just teasing. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She gives me a quick hug. “Let’s get in the car and warm up.” She opens the door for me and I duck inside. I’m shivering because I’m no longer wrapped in Ali’s warmth.
“Isn’t Chicago pretty cold in the winters, too?” She notices I’m shaking when she slips into the car.
“Yes, but I never have to leave my place. As a writer I can stay inside and be warm for four months if I want.”
“But you miss out on the snow and the snow angels and sledding and hot chocolate after playing outside,” she says.
“You’ve been to my place. I’m in the middle of a bunch of skyscrapers. The minute the snow falls, they scoop it up and take it away. I’m sure they’d scoop me up and take me away if I was on the sidewalk making snow angels.”
“That’s why I want to live around here. Hannah’s still young and she loves stuff like sledding. That’s the charm of small-town life. I think I’d miss it if I had to live in a big city,” Ali says.
Well, at least now I definitely know where Ali stands. She’d never want to live in Chicago. I completely understand. If I had a large, tight family, I wouldn’t want to leave them either. And it’s not like we’ve discussed moving in together or anything.
“Sounds like you like that kind of stuff, too.” This is supposed to be a happy time for us since we’re together, but I’m not feeling very jovial. Something about this makes me sad. Forcing a smile, I turn to Ali. “Where’s the first house?”
We drive about a mile away to a beautiful Victorian. We’re early to the appointment so we wait in the car.
“It’s lovely, Ali.” The house sits on an acre of beautifully manicured land, and I can’t help but smile. “It is kind of big, though, don’t you think? Or not. I guess I’m just used to my condo.” I backtrack, hoping I haven’t offended her.
“It is rather grand, isn’t it?”
A car pulls up behind us, and Ali waves to a fifty-something woman who looks more like a teacher than a real-estate agent. “Let’s see how bad it really is.” She winks at me. Introductions are made and we follow Rose up the walkway to enter the foyer.
“Ohhh!” I say. The older architecture completely fascinates me.
“Yes, it’s quite charming,” Rose says. “It’s listed at a reasonable price, but in today’s market, if you like it, I’m sure you can make an offer much lower. Shall we look around?”
Ali grabs my hand and we visit each room, commenting on the pluses and minuses. I love the ornate woodwork and touch all the banisters, knobs, and rails. The house is charming, but as we investigate further, we decide the rooms are too small and to tear down the walls to modernize it would take away from its historical appearance.
Ali decides to keep looking and we follow Rose to the next house. It’s newer but doesn’t sit on a large enough plot of land, and Ali doesn’t like how close the neighbors are. When she pulls up to the third house, we look at each other with delight. It’s a stunning house, nestled back against beautiful trees on one and a half acres. I fall in love with it instantly.
“Oh, Ali. This is fantastic.” I’m enthralled.
She smiles. “It’s pretty incredible, huh?”
“It certainly has everything you want and then some. It’s not as close to town as the other two, but it’s only a few miles away,” Rose says.
“It’s far enough away to keep my family from just stopping by, but close enough for them to come and see me when they want,” Ali says.
“I’m so lost. How far away from your parents’ house is this?” I’m completely turned around in this town.
“It’s only about a ten-minute drive. That’s not bad at all,” Ali says. She frowns as she contemplates all the factors. I smile at her face, crinkled in concentration.
“Rose, we’d like to walk around for a bit longer,” I tell her. “Do you mind?”
“Oh, no, sweetie. You go right ahead. I’m just going to check in with the office,” she says, waving her phone at us. I grab Ali’s hand and we review the layout.
“The master bedroom is incredible. It’s the size of my condo! You could have your own studio downstairs. It should be easy to soundproof,” I say. “I love that it’s modern, but the outside has part of the Northeastern charm. What do you think?” I ask her, unable to contain my excitement.
“I think it’s great. I’ll have to get a report of utilities and taxes and talk it over with my parents. See what they think. Plus, when I’m touring, someone from my family can check in from time to time to make sure I don’t have any problems.”
“It comes with an alarm system. If you get this house, there really isn’t anything for you to do except maybe paint. Even the garage is move-in ready with shelves and all that dyke stuff.”
“Bethany! I can’t believe you said that!” Ali laughs. “I barely know a hammer from a screwdriver.”
“I’m sure your dad or your brother can help you load the pegboard and get everything you need. And you’ll have a three-car garage.” I’m excited for her.
“Well, I might have to break down and buy a boat. It can go in the larger bay down at the end. I’m sure the builder designed it with that in mind,” she says. “We really aren’t that far from the ocean.”
“Oh, I love the ocean! Can we go?” It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Atlantic.
“Definitely! I’m sorry I didn’t think of that first. Come on. Let’s get out of here. I’ll tell Rose that I need to do some thinking.” Ali grabs my hand. We leave Rose and get back in the car.
“Is it weird that I want to see the house you shared with Gennifer?” I ask.
Ali turns to look at me. “No, not at all. We can swing by if you want.”
“Is it close to this house?”
Ali laughs. “No, it’s on the opposite side of town. Probably twenty minutes or so from here.” Ali drives past her parents’ house and jumps on the highway, taking the third exit. After weaving through a quaint, older neighborhood, she slows down in front of a pleasant brick, two-story, bungalow-style house with a wrap-around porch. I’m surprised it’s not bigger or newer.
“It’s from the turn of the century. The porch was always my favorite thing,” she says.
“I think it’s cute. You picked out a nice one.” I’m not really sure what to say right now.
“It’s not as elaborate as the ones we saw today, but I was happy to own something.”
“I feel the same about my condo.”
“Is it hard to buy and sell condos in Chicago?”
“I don’t think so. Tom’s son, Brad, rents out my loft in the summers when I’m at camp, and he’s been after me to sell it. They can afford it. Even in this economy, I could probably sell it for more than I paid.”
“Your condo’s very cool. It’s funny. The house I’m looking at seems more like you, and your condo seems more like me,” she says. “Come on. Let’s get back to the house for lunch.”
*
“How was it?” Lucy asks. We shrug off our coats and sit down at the table.
“How was what?” Bill asks.
“They looked at houses today,” Lucy says.
“You girls are moving in together? That’s great,” he says. Again, that same damn question. I can’t find Em or Robert anywhere to get me out of here. I simply freeze.
“No, honey. Bethany’s just helping Ali find something around here,” Lucy says. “And? Did you find anything?” she asks us.
“Well, there is a house about ten minutes from here. It’s on an acre and a half and it’s move-in ready. Hey, Dad! Three-car garage so I’m thinking it’s time for that boat,” Ali says. They high-five and he grins the same grin. “Dad and I used to fish on the weekends. It was our special time. Besides, I was the only kid who liked to be outside, get dirty, and hook my own worm. Even Mark couldn’t do it,” she says.
“Ali, be nice,” Lucy says. Ali rolls her eyes and winks at her mom. Apparently, their teasing is normal behavior, but I’m just not used to it yet. An only child has nobody to tease. “What do you think of the house, Beth?”
“Oh, it’s beautiful. It’s spacious and warm, and the landscape is perfect. I like that it sits far back from the road and the backyard is private. The deck is fantastic and the kitchen is incredible,” I say. I tone it down a bit after I see the look on their faces. Perhaps I’m too excited. “I think Ali will be happy with it.”
“You’ll have to check it out for me,” Ali tells her dad. “Make sure I’m doing the right thing. Plus, according to Beth, you get to help me pick out tools.” I reach over and pinch her playfully. “Okay, Bethany wants to go to the beach. We’ll probably be gone overnight so don’t hold dinner for us.”
I look at Ali in surprise. It’s already two, and even though the beach is only an hour away, we still need to hit the hotel and pack a quick overnight bag. It gets dark by five thirty so we won’t get to see much tonight, but we will first thing in the morning. I’m excited.
“Let’s go, love,” Ali says. That word causes a jolt to run through my body again. God, I love that feeling. I say good-bye to her family while Ali grabs a bag of clothes. When we get back to my hotel, she makes a few calls while I run up to my room to grab my own stuff. I’m back at the car in a flash.
“We’re all set for the night,” Ali says. “We are staying at the Seascape Hotel. You’ll like it, I think,” she says. I wonder how many other women she’s brought up here. I force my jealous self to settle down.
“I’m sure it’ll be nice. As long as we’re together, that’s all I care about,” I say. Being with Ali’s family is great, but I just want to touch her again. I miss her warmth. I want to strum her body to life and listen to her cry out with passion. Ali fell asleep early last night so I didn’t get as much time with her as I wanted, and I’m very needy right now. I don’t need as much sleep as she does, so I wrote and watched her rest. She’s so peaceful in her sleep. She looks innocent and perfect.
*
The hotel is luxurious and located right on the ocean. We quickly check in and I drag Ali out to walk the beach before sunset. It’s a cool fall afternoon, and I can’t think of a better place to be with Ali. No one else is on the beach. I reach down and touch the water.
“It’s so cold,” I say.
“Well, it’s mid-November and you’re on the East Coast.”
“Yeah, but wow. I guess I didn’t expect the water temperature to drop so drastically. The weather hasn’t been that cold, has it?” I ask. Ali grabs my hands and brings them to her lips. It warms me but gives me the shivers as well. I adore her mouth and the things it does to my body.
“I love that I can read your mind. I know exactly what you’re thinking.” She narrows her eyes at me.
“Oh, you think so, huh?” I’m challenging her.
“You’re thinking that you can’t wait to get back to the room so you can have your way with me, right?” Apparently, I’m very obvious. She laughs.
“It’s not fair that you can read me like that. I can only tell by your eyes. Sometimes you give me a look that shakes me to my core.”
“You have no idea what I’d do for you,” she says. I don’t know how to process that so I’m quiet. We walk back to the hotel, my head resting on her shoulder, both of us enjoying the simplicity of the moment. I could definitely get used to this. I want to get used to this. Eventually, we’ll have to talk about this long-distance romance we’re having. At some point, the long weekends will slow down as life catches up with us. Ali’s going on tour in Europe in February. We will have seven weeks apart. Neither of us has mentioned love or a deeper commitment. I’ve come close to blurting out my feelings, but I figure it’ll scare her off. Ultimately, I just want to be with her. I don’t care if we never discuss our feelings. I just need her. I need us. That part is scary enough.
We make it up to the room and I realize that Ali has booked the Honeymoon Suite. It’s a fantastic room and I take a moment to appreciate it. The view of the ocean is breathtaking. The claw-foot bathtub is big enough for both of us, and Ali suggests a bath. I can’t get my clothes off fast enough.
“You know we’ll have to order room service because now that you’re naked, you won’t be wearing clothes again until tomorrow,” Ali says.
“I’m still wearing my bra and panties.” It’s as though I’m wearing nothing. My lacy bra leaves nothing to the imagination, and my thong panties are almost nonexistent.
Ali growls before capturing my mouth in a kiss that leaves us both breathless. I push up Ali’s sweater and she pulls it up over her head. I grab Ali’s pants and stare into her eyes as I slowly unbutton them and slide them down her long, sexy legs.
“You really are beautiful,” I say. I run my tongue along her collarbone and down to the tops of her breasts. I unclasp her bra with one hand and give myself a mental high five for being so smooth. I run my hands over the softness of her breasts, marveling at her perfect body. I shiver at Ali’s moans of encouragement and continue running my hands all over her body.
“We need to pick this up after our bubble bath, before the water gets cold,” Ali says. She moves out of my grasp. She kisses away my frown and gingerly steps into the steaming tub of bubbles. She reaches out and I quickly join her. After adjusting myself to fit in the curve of her long body, I lean my head back against her chest.
“This is really nice. We fit well together,” Ali says. She dabs my hand with bubbles.
“You should get a tub like this for your new house. Or wait. Isn’t the Jacuzzi tub in the master suite about this size?” I ask.
“I think so. I hope my dad approves the house.”
“Please don’t bring up your dad while we’re in the bathtub.”
She laughs. “You know, my whole family loves you so much. Everybody’s happy that I’m happy again. It’s been a long time, you know.”
“But you and Gennifer only broke up, what, six months ago?”
“True, but we weren’t a couple for about six months prior to the official breakup. My family never liked her. They thought she was stuck up and just not nice.”
“I can’t believe that. I can’t believe you’d be with somebody like that,” I say. She shrugs.
“I’ve done a lot of growing up in the last few years. I’m sure that had a lot to do with my decision to end things with her. When we first got together, we were happy and carefree. Looking back, I think we were just young and obnoxious. And rude to my family. People change though. Plus, everybody puts their best foot forward when they first start dating.”
“Well, I think we’ve been pretty honest with each other, right? At least since our talk. But even before that.” She kisses my head in agreement. We’re quiet for only a moment. I’m relaxing, but I’m pretty sure Ali has something else in mind.
She slides her hands down my body, rubbing gently in all the right spots. I moan as she palms my soapy breasts, then rubs a washcloth across my nipples, the friction driving me crazy. Jolts of pleasure, almost pain, surge through me. I run my hands up and down Ali’s leg, squeezing her knees with every jolt. When her fingers find the junction of my thighs, I spread my legs and push my knees against the sides of the bathtub, allowing her full access.
“You’re the most passionate person I’ve ever known.” Her raspy voice is low in my ear. Her fingers slowly rub my pussy, spreading me apart. “I love how you feel in my arms and how much you trust me,” she says.
I respond by leaning back and kissing her. Our tongues touch and our passion intensifies.
“God, Ali.” I moan. I lift my hips up, giving her better access.
“We’re getting water all over the floor. Let’s go to the bed,” she says.
“No, no, no. We’re fine. Please.” I don’t even care that I’m begging at this point.
She continues rubbing me, this time finding my clit in the steamy water.
“Yes…yes…see?” I try to reason with her. I don’t want her to stop. I raise my hips up and down, tensing up as she applies more and more pressure. I don’t care that my movements are creating tiny waves that splash over the sides. I just need to come. I almost laugh at how selfish I am. I could hold off a few minutes longer and enjoy Ali’s hands on me and feel her mouth kissing and biting my neck, but I know we have all night and one selfish orgasm isn’t going to ruin it. I push my knees against the side of the tub and come hard. I want to laugh and cry and scream, but I sink back into Ali instead.
“You’re incredible,” Ali says. I can only breathe deeply and try to calm myself. For a fast orgasm, that was amazing. God, I could get used to this. This intimacy with Ali is new and exciting, and I want more and more every time we’re together. It’s getting harder to say good-bye after weekends like this.
Ali coaxes me up and grabs towels for us. We giggle at the amount of water that’s outside of the tub, pooling in front of it.
“Let’s order room service and continue this over there,” Ali says. She points to the king-sized bed. “I believe you owe me several more of those orgasms.”
“I believe it’s my turn to do delicious things to your body.” I grin wickedly at her. I like that I’m getting bold. I figure I might as well have fun with her. We slip on hotel robes and make our way to the bed. Ali uncorks the complimentary champagne and I look at the menu.
“There isn’t a whole lot of vegetarian-friendly food on the menu.”
“I’m sure they’ll make us whatever we want,” she says. “Let’s find out.” She calls room service and orders fettuccine Alfredo and garlic bread. She also asks for chocolate ice cream for dessert because she knows it’s my favorite.
“How long did they say?” I ask.
“About twenty minutes.” She slides her full length against me on the bed. “What would you like to do until then?”
“I have an idea.” I find the knot on her robe and loosen it, exposing her warm body.
“Mmm, I like your ideas.”
I kiss her again and she leans up to straddle me. I run my hands down to her hips and pull her up on her knees. Ali smiles against my lips, but then I hear her moan when I find her wet pussy.
“Oh, yeah, I like your ideas a lot,” she says.
As soon as I slip my fingers inside, she starts rocking her hips against my hand. I’m in awe of her passion. She knows her body so well and how to move it and get the most out of every thrust and touch. She doesn’t hold anything back.
“I love how wet you are right now,” I say. She opens her eyes and looks into mine. That look makes me gasp. It’s raw and hungry. My confidence grows. “I love how your body molds perfectly to mine, in every way.”
Ali crushes her mouth to mine. We don’t speak again until she comes. She slows her hips as the waves of passion subside. I gently remove my hand and smile as she collapses on me.
“Well, now I understand why you didn’t want to stop in the bathtub,” she says. I hold her for all of about thirty seconds until we both jump up at somebody knocking on the door.
Somebody says, “Room service,” and we scramble around searching for our robes, trying to cover up.
“This room smells like sex,” I whisper. Ali laughs.
“That’s what people do in this room!” she says.
She opens the door and allows the server to enter. I look at Ali and smile. She has the I-just-had-sex look. Her hair is tousled, her body still flush with passion. The server smiles at both of us. I can’t get him out of the room fast enough.
“He totally knew what we were doing.” Ali laughs. I’m embarrassed at having been caught. The openness of our relationship is still very new to me. I’ve been very private sexually. Because Crystal was in the closet, we were always on our best behavior and never engaged in public displays of affection. At the time, I didn’t care, but now I can’t imagine not being able to touch Ali or hold her hand whenever I want. It’s amazing to me how different Crystal and Ali are. Ali doesn’t care if people approve or disapprove of her. She commands attention everywhere she goes and does what she wants, when she wants. I’ve never advertised my sexuality, but I don’t hide it either.
Ali sets up a delicious picnic on the bed and I go over to her. I have to remind myself to play it cool. She seems so happy with how our relationship is going, and I don’t want to tip the scales. Balance is nice. Balance is safe. Balance is boring. I join Ali on the bed, and we rest against the padded headboard and eat.
“Don’t forget we have ice cream,” I remind her after she clears her plate.
“Somebody made me hungry,” she says. She leans down and kisses me. It starts off playfully enough, but soon enough we’re pushing our plates out of the way and tearing off our robes.
*
The next morning comes too soon. I wake up to Ali playing with my hair.
“Hi.” My voice cracks and is not sexy like hers.
“Hey there. Good morning,” Ali says. She kisses me softly. “I’m surprised to see you still in bed. I never get a chance to see you sleep.”
I smile shyly.
“I guess you wore me out last night. What time is it?” I look at the clock. It’s just after eight. “Good. We still have most of the day.”
“We can either get up and spend the day in town, or…” Ali’s voice is lilting and suggestive. I watch her draw patterns on my stomach and trace imaginary circles around my breasts. I love being naked with her.
“Hmm. Our options are limitless.” I relax and enjoy her touch.
“But our time isn’t,” she says.
“Look, Debbie Downer, I don’t leave until five. That gives us nine hours to do anything and everything we want. And I’ll see you again in a few weeks.”
I notice a faraway look in her eyes. “Hey. Where are you?” I ask.
“Sorry. I was just thinking of things.”
“What kind of things?”
“What all I need to do here in the next few weeks. I have the tour coming up. I need to figure out what has to be done,” she says. And here I thought she was thinking about me.
“When was the last time you were in Europe?”
“It’s been about two years. I think I have more fans overseas than I do here. It should be interesting,” she says. “You should come with me.”
I try not to jump up and squeal like a little girl.
“I could probably get away for a little bit,” I say. I keep my voice calm.
“I’ll show you the time of your life,” she promises between soft kisses that increase in strength until talking is no longer an option.