Love changes everything, p.14
Love Changes Everything, page 14
“I’ve never seen a storm like that,” said Mrs. Diamond, one neighbor. “It’s good that your mother has a sister who could take her in. I’m all alone,” she said sadly, as the other neighbor, Mrs. Rule, rolled her eyes.
“It was ten at night, Mary Lou. It was time for bed anyway.”
Anxious to avoid their drama, Sam excused herself. “Nice to see you all. I have to get ready for my softball game.”
Sam parked in front of her garage, beside her Chochie Dolores’s Ford LTD. Before she could ask, her mom nodded toward the car. “Dick Bilus drove me to Bapcia’s house last night. I couldn’t get the garage door open without power.”
“Wow. Some storm, huh?” Sam said, relieved her mother’s attention was so obviously diverted to a topic other than Sam’s evening.
“Well, fortunately we don’t have much damage. Just some small branches in the back. Maybe you can pick those up after your game.”
“Sure,” she said, trying not to sound too agreeable, lest she attract her mother’s attention.
“We probably won’t have power for a while, so Dolores and I are taking Bapcia to Atlantic City for the night. Can you find a friend to stay with? Or you can come with us. But I don’t want you staying alone here with no power.”
“Oh, I’d love to come with you guys. Can you wait until later this afternoon to take off? I accidentally took Jim’s car keys and have to run them back to him after my game. He can’t drive without his keys.” And the lies begin, she thought. But that little lie, Sam knew, would buy her another day and a half of freedom. Time she could come and go and do what she wanted with Kirby without her mom around to take notes and start putting the pieces together.
“That’s ridiculous. How can he not have an extra set of keys? And no, we’re not waiting. By the time we get there, it’ll be time to come home.”
Sam tried to hide her delight. “I understand. And don’t worry. I’ll find someplace to crash tonight, if the power’s still out.”
Suddenly, her mother’s mood softened. “You should have left me a number, so I could call you. I have no idea about these new friends of yours, and then there’s an emergency. I had half a mind to call Suzanne, but I didn’t want to say anything to get Teddy into any more trouble than she’s already in.”
Sam swallowed, trying to quell the sudden trepidation she felt about her mother reaching out to Teddy’s mom, Suzanne. Would she have told her mother Kirby was gay? Revealed her as the heartbreaker who ruined her daughter’s senior year of college? Insinuated something about Sam? Fuck!
“Who did you stay with, anyway?”
“My friend Kirby. She has a big place.” That was sort of true.
“Well, you should have left her number.”
“Sorry, Mom. If I ever stay with her again, I’ll leave you the number. I promise.”
“I should get you one of those car phones, so I can reach you in an emergency. Or better yet, you can reach me. Or the police. All of the doctors have them now.”
“And when I’m a doctor, I’ll have one, too. But why would I need a portable phone now? Why does anyone?” The last thing Sam wanted was her mother calling her to check on her when she was up to something entirely improper to discuss with one’s mother. “But I really have to run.”
“Okay. Have a great game. Be safe. I’ll call when I get there, and if the power’s back on, I’ll leave a message on the machine. We’re staying at the Claridge. And don’t forget mass tomorrow. I don’t want to hear about you from Father Timko.”
Sam nodded, barely resisting the urge to jump up and down. She’d have another night with Kirby, this time without the fear of her mother dropping in on them. Even though she didn’t know where Kirby lived, if she had to, she’d have somehow found her the night before. But tonight, with her mother’s attention divided between her own eighty-year-old mother and a bank of slot machines, Sam was safe.
“Okay. I love you,” her mother was saying as she tuned back in.
Already running late, Sam didn’t bother watching to make sure Irene was really leaving. Instead, she ran into the house and changed her clothes in about six seconds. A minute later, she was back in her car, happy to see Dolores’s car missing, and in five minutes she was parked at the softball field.
Feeling absolutely giddy, she jogged past Kirby’s Jeep and toward the field. She couldn’t wait to tell Kirby. When they’d kissed good-bye a little earlier, Sam had been plotting an excuse to see her again. Mostly a homebody, a nerd who actually liked studying, she didn’t go out often. The exception was always softball, and she was sure if she’d told her mother there was a team party, Irene wouldn’t have questioned it. Now, though, she could save that excuse. After the night she’d had with Kirby, she wanted more. And that was going to require a good amount of subterfuge.
Sam had made it with just a few minutes to spare, and she joined Kirby on the field. “You’re never going to believe our luck,” she said in greeting.
“Yeah?” Kirby asked as she tossed her the ball and they began walking toward the outfield grass.
“We lost power at my house. My mom is going to Atlantic City for the night.”
A smile exploded, lighting Kirby’s face. “So, your place tonight?”
Tilting her head, Sam thought about that for a moment. She’d never considered the possibility, and she’d had chances. Her mother routinely had call at the hospital and made these trips to the casino with her mother and sister a few times a year, but Kirby had never wanted to have Doug stay over. Friends had stayed once or twice, but on those occasions when her mother wasn’t home, she typically took advantage of the solitude and hung out in the sunroom, reading or watching television. Now, though, she could think of nothing she’d like better than having Kirby in her space, watching TV or playing Ping-Pong, or maybe a board game. Just hanging out. Sleeping beside her, or maybe not sleeping too much at all.
“Well, I don’t want to stay home if there’s no power. But if they fix the line…” She raised an eyebrow suggestively.
“I can think of a few things we can do that don’t require power.” Kirby grinned.
“Maybe we should go back to my house after the game, and you can show me.”
Kirby swallowed. “If not, we’ll just crash at my place again.”
“I really love your place,” Sam said dryly as her mind flashed back to the night before at Kirby’s apartment.
The games were the typical good battles, and their team won in extra innings, on a combination of a walk by Sam, followed by a long single by Kirby that drove her home. They were both famished after the game and stopped at Stookey’s for sandwiches before heading to Sam’s. The utility truck was still parked at the top of the hill, and Sam stopped when she recognized the man in the hard hat.
“Hi, Mr. Burns.”
“Sam, how are you?” He bent his tall frame down and poked his head into the window for a kiss on the cheek.
“Great. Finished school, ready to graduate. How about you? How’s Dave?”
Dave Burns had been her alphabetical partner for her entire grade-school career. No one ever came between Burkhart and Burns, not in line for recess or in the arrangement of desks in the classroom. They were friends outside of school as well. Dave loved exploring the mountains as much as Sam did, or riding bikes, or building rafts to sail the Susquehanna. Lately, they’d been kayaking. Mr. Burns owned an old truck and several kayaks, and even without Dave on hand, Sam borrowed them to float down the Susquehanna.
“Congratulations! Dave’s all done, too. He finished exams yesterday, and he’s graduating next week. He landed a job with an engineering firm in Allentown.”
“I’m so happy for him. Tell him to come over to see me when he gets home, okay?”
“Will do. And we should have the power back up in an hour or so.”
“Thank you. One more thing. Can I borrow the kayaks? And the truck? Or could you give me a lift to the river?” Sam had an entire day and a half to fill with Kirby, and as much as she wanted to get her naked, she wanted to do some other things as well.
“Of course. But you’re not thinking of going out on the river alone, are you?”
Shaking her head, Sam pointed to the Jeep behind her. “No. I want to take my friend Kirby out.”
“Of course, but can I suggest you wait a few days? The river is probably running fast after this rain.”
Wow. Sam’s brain must have been in some post-orgasmic haze because she should have thought of that. “Good point. Maybe I’ll put it off until next weekend. Thanks, Mr. Burns. And thanks for taking care of the power.”
Sam pulled away, happy that she’d get to take Kirby out on the river, and even happier her mother hadn’t talked to Mr. Burns before leaving for Atlantic City. If Irene had stayed home, she’d have altogether different plans for the rest of her day. Whatever they were, they wouldn’t be as much fun as what she planned to do with Kirby.
Sam pulled into the driveway with Kirby right behind her, happy to see her aunt’s car hadn’t reoccupied the spot it had earlier. She let them in with the key hidden in the rock in the garden. They barely had the door closed behind them when Sam pushed Kirby against it and kissed her. Kirby’s response was instantaneous, as she pulled Sam closer with both arms—one on Sam’s back and the other in her hair.
They pulled away seconds later, breathless.
“I can’t believe this, Kirby, but I want to take you to bed again.” Sam was amazed by the lust Kirby inspired in her, thrilled to discover this new side of herself.
“Is the coast clear?” Kirby asked as she nibbled Sam’s neck.
Sam wasn’t sure enough blood was flowing to her brain to form a coherent response, but she murmured a “yes” as she took Kirby’s hand and pulled her toward her bedroom, the dog dancing in circles around their feet as they kissed their way down the hall. The door was open, but she closed it behind them, leaving the dog whimpering on the other side, then pushed Kirby backward onto her bed. In a moment of clarity she was thankful she’d insisted on moving her canopy-covered twin bed to the attic and replacing it with a queen-size model, but the thought left her mind a moment later when she found herself with her hands on Kirby’s waist.
Her softball pants slid easily over her hips, the underwear inside them, and in an instant, Sam was inside Kirby, with a finger stroking the hot wetness of her center as her mouth devoured her. She licked and sucked and fucked as Kirby matched her every movement, and in what seemed like seconds, Kirby was groaning and exploding into Sam’s mouth.
Sam rested her head and began to laugh as she considered the position in which she found herself. On her bed, fully clothed, with her head between the legs of a half-naked woman she’d just brought to a screaming orgasm.
“What’s so funny?” Kirby demanded as she laughed with her.
Sam crawled up beside her. “This,” she said with her hand. “What you do to me. It’s like I’m a different person than I was just a few weeks ago.”
“Maybe you’re just you now.”
What an amazing observation. Sam marveled at how wonderful it felt to simply be herself, perhaps for the first time since her childhood, before sexuality came into play. Before she had to conform, or rationalize, or hide behind books, unable to explore this absolutely incredible part of her identity.
“Yoo-hoo, Samantha? Are you here?”
“What the fuck?” Kirby said as she sat up.
Sam was already off the bed, examining herself in the mirror. Looking at Sam, she pointed to her boom box. “REM is on the CD player. Just press play and put your clothes on. I’ll take care of this.”
“Who is it?”
“The neighbor. She has a key. My mother probably told her to check on me.”
Sam opened the bedroom door an inch and squeezed through, closing it immediately behind her. And not a second too soon, as Mrs. Rule was heading down the hallway in her direction. If Sam’s room had been the first bedroom instead of the last, she’d have a very interesting situation on her hands.
“Hi, Sam! I just wanted to see how you’re holding up without the power.”
Sam looked past her and noticed the dog, sitting on the step before the sunken living room, eating the dog treat Mrs. Rule must have given him. Good watchdog, she thought. Thanks.
“Good, good. My friend and I are just hanging out, listening to some music.”
“Music? With no power?”
“Oh, yes. It’s a boom box. Battery-operated.”
“Of course. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. Your mother asked me to check, and I’m going to take care of the dog while she’s away. You know we all have to look out for each other.”
“That’s very nice of you, Mrs. Rule. I think I’m going to go to my friend’s tonight. Mr. Burns says they should have the power on soon, but I’d rather not be alone, just in case.”
“You’re welcome to stay with me and Nick, anytime. When the electricity comes back on, we’re going to make some Jiffy Pop and rent a video. James Bond.”
The scary part of this conversation, Sam realized, was that Mrs. Rule was serious. And a few weeks earlier, before Kirby had blown into her life and tossed everything upside down, she might have considered spending her Saturday night with Helen and Nick Rule, eating popcorn and watching a James Bond movie.
Now, though, she had much more interesting things planned for the evening.
“Maybe another time.”
“Okay, then. I’m heading next door. And, Sam, keep your fridge closed to keep the cold in.”
“Good thinking.”
“Where’s your friend? I’d love to meet her. Is she going to be a doctor, too? Such hard work it is. But you should know that. You remember your father, always on call and running off at all hours. What’s her name?”
Sam didn’t know where to begin responding to Mrs. Rule, but just then her bedroom door opened behind her, and Kirby, fully dressed, emerged. The notes of REM singing “Radio Song” drifted out with her, and Sam released a breath when she realized that Kirby didn’t look at all like she’d just had a mind-blowing orgasm. She saw no evidence to suggest what they’d been up to behind her bedroom door.
“Hiya! You must be Sam’s friend. I’m Helen Rule, and I live in the next house over. I was just making sure you girls are getting along okay without power.”
Kirby smiled. “How sweet. We were listening to some music and stretching. It’s good to stretch after the game, to keep your muscles loose. Then you don’t cramp up or get injured.”
“Oh! I knew it. You’re going to be a doctor, too.”
“No, no. Not me. But I’ve had enough injuries to know what to do to stay healthy.”
“Really? You’re so young. What kind of injuries have you had?”
Sam shot Kirby the evil eye and discreetly slashed her hand across her throat. If encouraged, Mrs. Rule would ramble on all day. She was truly a kind and lovely woman, but with her children grown and living in distant cities, she was prone to spells of loneliness that precipitated lengthy conversations at the mailbox and spontaneous knocks on the front door. Or, in this case, no knock at all.
“You know, broken bones, and sprains and…”
“Oh, at last!”
The conversation halted as the lights flickered and then glowed brightly from the hallway fixture.
“What a relief! I was worried about the house, but now that the power’s back, we’re going to head up to Wilkes-Barre to another softball game.”
“Whereabouts?”
“Kirby, I’ll follow you. Okay?” Sam asked as she began walking toward the door, waiting as Mrs. Rule slowly followed.
“Do you need to pack?” Kirby asked.
“Oh, yes. I nearly forgot!” Turning to Mrs. Rule, she smiled. Her pulse had returned to normal after the fright of near discovery, and she was suddenly grateful to have someone so kind looking out for her. She gave Mrs. Rule a hug and thanked her before rushing back to her room to pack a few things for a night at Kirby’s. After that close call, she couldn’t stay with Kirby in her mother’s house. No way.
It took only a few minutes to put an overnight bag together, and when she came back to the hallway, she found they hadn’t made much progress in the journey to the front door. Mrs. Rule was bragging about her son’s exploits on the baseball diamond, and, to her credit, Kirby appeared genuinely interested.
“That’s really something to be proud of. Not everyone can say they were drafted by the Pittsburg Pirates.”
“Well, it was fun for him, but I’m glad he’s settled down now. He has a good job with the post office.”
“I hate to interrupt, but if we want to see that game, we better hit the road.”
“I won’t keep you a moment longer, then. It was nice to meet you, Colby.”
They didn’t bother to correct Mrs. Rule as Sam escorted her out the door. This time, it was Sam who backed against the door, collapsing against it with a sigh. Relief, fear, and sexual frustration all coursed through her, mingled with a tinge of what the fuck were you thinking? She wasn’t sure if she should laugh or cry.
Peeking through her left eye, she found Kirby watching her. “It could have been worse,” Kirby said lightly.
Sam was well aware of that. If her bedroom were the first door in the hallway, it could have been so much worse. If Mrs. Rule hadn’t announced herself, if that had been her mother, if they had been on the couch instead of in her bed. The possibilities of worse were infinite, but that didn’t diminish the effects of the close call. Having a sexual relationship with Kirby was not going to be easy.
How much better would it have been if she’d been caught with Doug, with any guy in her bed? Her mother would have undoubtedly scolded her without ever actually addressing the fact that her daughter was having sex in her house. And that would have been that. They’d had the sex talk, and she was sure her mother suspected she slept with Doug. Why wouldn’t her very normal college-age daughter be sleeping with her boyfriend?
The problem was, apparently, Sam wasn’t a normal college-age girl. She had no desire to sleep with Doug, yet an overwhelming desire to rip Kirby’s clothes off and make love to her again, in spite of the close call. And if—when—her mother discovered that secret, her world would be turned upside down. Sam wasn’t certain if it could ever be righted, not with the chains of her conservative, Roman Catholic family pulling it hard in the other direction.
