Victoria traipses through the beautiful white sand, pulling Joy along the beach with her.
"This is beautiful, Joy...It was a genius idea, taking a vacation in Hawaii."
Joy smiles happily, kissing her on the lips. She knew a trip away from their life in Cleveland would brighten their spirits. They had been going strong as a couple for a few months, and in those few months, a lot had changed between them. Even though they still hadn't told Melanie, Joy had figured it was better she not know, until her and Victoria were a little more comfortable. Victoria agreed, as she wasn't ready. This whole idea of being a couple…she and Joy, it had been so long since they were in that kind of relationship. She would have to remember the last time they were even together in that way was probably before she and Joy met Melanie. And now, they were trying again, and this time, no holds barred. Melanie was envious of the two of them, taking a vacation in Hawaii, but she was unable to go, as she had to take care of the house, while Elka was still missing. Joy had proposed the trip to Victoria, after Victoria had come home from shooting on location in Strongsville for a very important interview for "Oh, HI, Ohio." She was still not used to this, but at least it gave her local celebrity status. Victoria, looking quite worn and exhausted, picked up the local newspaper.
Putting on her glasses, she read through it, looking for the latest and greatest around the Cleveland area. She also peruses excitedly for the local gossip. Victoria's newest guilty pleasure was reading the gossip columns.
"Tori, can we talk?" Joy sits down next to Victoria, placing her hand on her lap. Victoria smiles, setting down her paper, then grasps her hand in her own.
"Speak, dear. What's on your mind?"
Joy smiles, squeezing Victoria's hand gently. She was thinking of a getaway.
"You know how you keep saying we need to go away for a while?"
Victoria smiles sweetly, looking into Joy's beautiful hazel eyes. "Yeah, I remember, because I've said it since we moved here. Go somewhere exotic, somewhere where there's beaches, sun…." she sighed at the thought.
"Well, I got us plane tickets." Joy smiled.
Victoria clasps her hands together in sheer excitement. This vacation was definitely needed.
"Where shall we go to, Joy?"
Joy looks around to make sure Melanie was not listening in. She loved her friend dearly, but this was for her and Victoria. Leaning in, she whispers, "Hawaii."
Victoria tries to contain her squeal. "How long is it for?"
Joy grins, knowing that Victoria was overly excited. "It's for a whole week."
Victoria pumps a fist in excitement. Finally, she was going to Hawaii, and enjoying some fun, sun, incredible beaches, fine foods, and sharing it all with Joy.
Joy smiles, "I knew you'd be excited."
Victoria gets up off the couch, rushing to her room.
"Oh my god, I must go through my beach wardrobe. Decisions, decisions!" she smiles, and quickly plants a kiss on Joy's lips.
"Thank you, my love. I love you!" she rushes excitedly up the stairs, anxious for their now upcoming trip.
(Present)
"It sure was, now sweetheart, do we have everything for our day on the beach?" Joy knew Victoria tended to be forgetful at times. Victoria opened her Juicy beach bag, and rummaged through it, finding all that she needed there.
"We have everything, what about the bag you're carrying?" Joy smiled and checked her Hermes bag. Everything was there too. She looks up, smiling.
"We have everything here too." Victoria smiled, knowing that today would be perfect.
They find a spot on the beach, and lay out their towels, and Victoria puts up the umbrella.
"Are you ready?" Victoria says, smiling brightly. She was hoping for a day at the beach, some sun, and was hopeful for some spontaneous fun along the way.
Joy laughed, "Tori, I haven't seen you this happy since we lived in LA."
Victoria shrugs and puts her arms around Joy. "This move has been difficult on me." Joy sighed; she had to agree that it had been hard on her too. They both went from people with careers to nobodies in a new city. Victoria was a local celebrity now, but even she still felt like moving to Cleveland was difficult on her career. Her acting one wasn't picking up now that she was considered an aging actress.
"It was hard on me too. It was easy for Mel to pick up and leave, but us...we had a life in LA."
Joy had to agree with Victoria there. She gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and smiled.
"Come on Tori, let's not dampen the mood. Let's get some sun."
She peels off her sundress, revealing a black bikini. Victoria grins, biting her lip. She then removes her cover-up, revealing a gorgeous black V-neck swimsuit, the neckline exposing some of her cleavage. Joy sighs, and they look at each other.
Pulling her into her arms, she smiles.
"You look amazing, Tori."
Victoria grins, as she kisses her best friend and lover.
"Thanks. I feel the same way about you too."
She smiles, taking out a bottle of tanning lotion. Holding it out to Joy, Joy nods and lies on the towel, spreading out. Victoria squirts some on her back, massaging it deeply into her skin. Joy sighs, smiling. Victoria continues, happily smiling as she attentively listens to Joy.
"This is nice. You, me…are spending intimate time together."
Victoria had to agree. They hadn't been alone in months; it had been weeks since they cuddled or anything. She kisses her on the lips, and Joy smiles, embracing her.
"Tori, you look so beautiful. I don't feel like I get to say it very often."
She blushes, and Joy touches her cheek with her palm.
"Here, let me put some tanning lotion on you."
Victoria nods, and Joy squirts some into her hands and begins massaging it into her skin, smiling as she hears Victoria moan softly. She continues the action, deep tissue massage, and purrs when she hears Victoria groan at the kneading of a knot.
"Damn, you're so tense…" she trails off, continuing to press the knots out of Victoria's back. All that training in massage therapy was finally put to use. Another squirt of the bottle, and she continued, rubbing the goopy cream all over the exposed parts of her back, her arms, and legs.
After putting tanning lotion on each other, they put the bottle away, and lay on their towels. The sun beamed down on them, and they smiled. A bartender brought the women their drinks, and Joy took them, handing the other to Victoria.
"It's a nice day, huh?"
Joy reaches for her cocktail, and sips from it.
"Mm…Tori, how's your drink? What's it called again?" Joy sets her cocktail down, as Victoria sips from her drink.
"It's amazing. It's called Sex on the Beach."
Joy smiled, and reached to grab Victoria's hand. Victoria smiles, setting her drink down.
"Love the name, love you babe." She pulls Victoria on top of her, and proceeds to kiss her passionately. They stop and catch their breaths, and Victoria looks down on Joy, smiling.
"You know we're on a public beach, making out…someone's bound to see something." Joy grins, silencing her with a kiss.
"Oh who cares? Let them watch."
Victoria grins and embraces Joy as she throws the other arm around her neck. She smirks, and then says, "I love it when you talk that way, Joy."
Joy giggles, and pulls her yet into another kiss. She runs her fingers through Victoria's hair, her other hand exploring Victoria's curves. She then traces her fingers against the indentation of her spine. Her hand reaches to clasp her thigh gently, moving her hand up Victoria's swimsuit bottom. Victoria shudders, and holds tightly onto Joy.
"You're amazing." She tries so hard not to whimper or scream, but finds herself whimpering as Joy teases her nipple with a swift move of her index finger. Victoria moans softly, as Joy continues the act while kissing her gently against her soft and supple cheek. She smiles, admiring and taking in the beauty of her best friend, even more so than normal. Slowly, she slips her hand further, caressing her thigh gently, as Victoria bites her lip to keep from screaming in a public place. Joy removes her hand, and wraps the other arm around Victoria's petite waist.
She looks at her with a smile, and Victoria returns that smile, as she presses her nose gently against Joy's cheek. They nuzzle affectionately, and then Joy embraces her.
"There's more where that came from…you'll have to wait though."
She whispers this in Victoria's ear, and a smirk escaped from Victoria's lips. She was interested.
So incredibly interested, that she wished that they could continue from where they left off. But, she knew they couldn't. They were, after all in public, and it was enough with Joy fondling her, and whatnot that people got a peek.
She eyes Joy, biting her lip as a way of easing the tension. If she could, she'd do it right here, right now. Somehow, Victoria had to keep herself off of Joy. That is, until they returned to their beautiful hotel room, complete with the amazing balcony.
"That's it Victoria, think of the gorgeous balcony. Think of the gorgeous view…" she thought, sighing. It was not easy for her one bit. She kept on having thoughts pop up in her mind, thoughts that would most definitely have to wait until they returned to the room. She attempted to think of the beautiful view, a view of the Pacific Ocean and many green luscious palm trees.
A quick thought about Joy, it made her smile, and bite her lip. She was trying to control herself. "Remember, control woman, control…"
She always had difficulty controlling her urges. But she really tried her hardest. Victoria feels her face flush, and sighs.
"Dammit, and I was really trying too."
Joy looks up from her magazine she was reading, smiling.
"Had a thought?"
Victoria smiled. "Yeah, and I tried to control myself."
Joy reaches over, and grasps Victoria's hand. She held it in her own for a moment, and then affectionately squeezed it.
"You're doing alright, sweetheart."
Victoria smiles, and presses her lips against the soft long chestnut tresses of Joy. She could smell the coconut tanning lotion, and leaned up, smiling.
"Thanks."
She pops on her large sunglasses, and closes her eyes, in an attempt for a catnap. Hell, it would pass the time on the beach. Just as long as Joy woke her up before she became a lobster.
"Joy, babe, would you wake me when it's time to go?"
Joy smiled. "I'd love to, my dear Tori."
A thirty minute catnap did wonders for her. Joy gently shook her awake, and she woke up, smiling at seeing Joy.
"Hey…time already?"
Joy nods, and hands Victoria her cover-up. Victoria smiles sweetly, taking it from her and putting it on.
"Thanks, babe for that. What are our plans next?"
Joy smiles, and thinks for a second. She then says," I thought we can have a little wild fun. It's something we haven't really done since we left LA."
On her first try, Victoria guesses correctly.
"Clubbing, and doing impulsive stuff?"
Joy snaps her finger excitedly. "Bingo."
Reaching her arm out, Victoria takes her, leading her.
"You've read my mind. So what impulsive thing shall we try tonight?"
Joy smirks, she knows what she wants but isn't quite sure if Victoria is daring enough.
"How about us getting a tattoo or a body piercing?"
Victoria's eyes bulge out in surprise. She was on target with Joy's mind. She wanted to do something like that.
"Honestly, I'd rather get a tattoo," Victoria proclaimed. She wasn't much of a body piercing person. Joy nodded in agreement.
"I agree. Tattoo it is."
They smile, and head back to the hotel to change. Even though they both usually end up in one bed, Joy got them two. But sharing a bed between them wasn't entirely new.
They had done so from time to time back home for the past two months. Victoria would enter Joy's room, or Joy entering Victoria's and stay until sunrise. But without Melanie and Elka, they didn't need to worry much.
Joy smiles and holds up two dresses. "Which shall I choose for tonight—this one, the tinfoil looking dress, or the black strapless number?" Victoria grins.
"Black, dear. That way, you can accent it."
Joy sighed, and put the other dress away. "I agree, the other's more of a formal…"
Victoria holds up two dresses for Joy to choose from. "Pick one—the animal print strapless, or the coral dress."
Joy points to the animal print. "I love that one on you."
She smiles. "Fine then, my dear. Zebra it is."
They set out their dresses for the evening. Joy looks at Victoria.
"Now what would you like to do, we have a few hours to kill before we go out."
Victoria presses Joy against the door. She locks lips with Joy, running a single hand through Joy's hair.
"This," she whispers softly, her voice a tad husky.
Joy smiles excitedly, knowing where this was going. Their noses touch, and both women smile.
"No holds barred?"
Victoria grins seductively, saying, "No holds barred babe."
Joy falls into her friend's, now lover's arms. Victoria presses her against her chest, stroking her hair with a free hand. She was happy. After weeks of having to abstain, she finally got her. She presses her lips against a mess of wavy chestnut hair, smiling.
"Tell me, did you ever think that you'd ever end up with me?"
Joy traces Victoria's chest with her index finger, running it gently against her cleavage.
"Oh, I've thought about it. It crossed my mind a few times."
Victoria smiled, "It crossed mine a few times too. I guess I was my happiest when I was with you."
Joy, who had begun kissing Victoria against her neck, pauses, and looks up, smiling.
"You must be. Look at you, when it's just us, you're a whole different person. You're not forgetful, you are caring, thoughtful, everything that you aren't when not in a relationship.
"The complete opposite," she whispers, a smile coming across her lips. She continues kissing Victoria against the nape of her neck, pausing, then continuing down her collarbone. Victoria sighs, embracing her best friend and lover.
"You always were the tender one."
Joy looks up, smiling. "Still am, sweetheart."
She brushes her lips against Victoria's skin, as Victoria smiles.
"I'm ready when you are."
Joy sighs, holding out her hand. Victoria smiles coyly, taking it. She was more than ready for this. They had not been that intimate in a long time, back home, they were lucky if they were able to make out. Now she had her, to herself, no holds barred. No distractions, just she and Joy.
Joy leads her to the bed, and sits down, waiting for Victoria to sit. Finally, she sits, and they eye each other, smiling warmly.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted this."
Victoria looks at her, and sighs. "I agree. It's so hard when your lover and you live under the same roof, but can't express intimately, unless the rest of the household is gone. I've had so much pent up sexual frustration; it's hard to control myself."
Joy nods, feeling the same way Victoria felt. Pressing a kiss gently against her lips, she smiled.
"Hm. Maybe now that we're actually alone, maybe we can…uh, release some of it?"
She smirks seductively, and Victoria picks up on what she was thinking. Years of being close best friends gave her the knowledge of what her friend loved, wanted and needed. She crawls into her friend's lap, and Joy fumbles with the buttons of Victoria's blouse, exposing her bra. She pushes the blouse off of Victoria's shoulders, the blouse falling to a heap on the floor.
"Good idea."
Victoria speaks; her voice husky. She smiles, throwing her arms around Joy, proceeding to kiss her. Once, right on the side of her cheek, then twice on the lips, and the third time, getting more heated and passionate than normal. Victoria felt Joy's fingers reaching to unclasp her bra. She smiles, and a swift move of her own fingers, unhooked it quickly. Pressing her lips to Joy's ear, she whispers.
"I'm allowing for easy access."
Joy nods, smiling. She presses Victoria closer to her, feeling her flesh against her own. Somehow it felt right. Victoria looks at her, her dark brown eyes glistening.
"Never thought we'd get this far, did you?"
She smirked seductively, and then proceeded to kiss her against her neck, stopping to hear a moan escape Joy's lips.
"Never did, that's for sure. Where did you get all this experience?"
Victoria lies with her, stroking her hair gently. "I have no idea. All I know is that I love you Rejoyla Scroggs."
Joy smiles, then frowns at the use of her full name, but she knew Victoria was just being sweet.
"I love you too," Joy whispers, pulling Victoria close to her, in her arms.
Victoria smiles, knowing that all her years as being Joy's closest confidant, best friend and now love, have now finally came full circle. She traces with her index finger gently against her friend's cleavage, as Joy gasps at the mere touch. Brushing her lips against her cool skin, Victoria looks up with a big smile across her lips.
"I'm ready when you are."
She caresses her thigh gently, and when approaching the inner part, Joy tried so hard not to scream. Instead she clutches Victoria, nails ready to pounce at any moment. Victoria proceeds to finger her, gently thrusting them within slowly, yet very carefully. She didn't want to hurt Joy in any way. A grin escapes her lips as she listens to her moan. Continuing the action, she smiled, knowing Joy was enjoying this as much as she. Finally she screams Victoria's name, but simply refers to her as Tori, which wasn't minded one bit. She releases herself, spooning up next to Victoria, who was quite flushed.
Victoria looks at her with a smile. "Your turn, sweetheart." She embraces her, allowing her fingers to play freely with her ringlets. Joy smiled sweetly. She knew Victoria was ready.
Joy takes her friend and lover in her arms.
"Shall we?"
Victoria smiles sweetly. Nodding to Joy, Joy smiles, and leans in, kissing against the nape of her neck, slowly and carefully. She only stops to look up lovingly at her, watching her gasp at the feeling of Joy's lips pressing against her neck. A swift move of her hand, she cups one of Victoria's breasts in her hand. Teasing it with her fingers, she watched as Victoria experienced a feeling of rapture. She repeats the same action with the other, causing Victoria to nearly scream. She crawls up Victoria, tracing her index finger against her chest and stomach, finally reaching the curves of her hips. She leans in; pressing her lips against Victoria's toned stomach. Sometimes, she wondered how Victoria stayed fit after having three children; Victoria was practically perfect almost in every way. Brushing her lips against Victoria's skin, she kisses her scar from having a C-section lovingly. Victoria tried so hard to hide the scar, but finally after years of treatments, she gave up.
"You're so beautiful," Joy says, kissing Victoria against her cheek. Victoria smiles sweetly. She was the only person Victoria would let see her, imperfection and all. Sure, she was vain at times, but Joy saw the true Victoria here, vulnerable and compassionate. Joy sometimes wondered why Victoria never showed that side of her more often. In glimpses, she would see it, but then afterwards, she'd miss it. Joy knew though that Victoria put walls up as a defense mechanism, but she loved seeing the true Victoria, even if it was in small doses. Slowly, she caresses Victoria's thigh, listening as she whimpered softly in Joy's ear. Joy smiles, continuing the action as Victoria gasps as Joy reaches the inner. Victoria gasps, and utters the word, "More…" in Joy's ear, urgently. Joy knew what she wanted and did so, fingering her slowly and carefully, and taking care to not hurt Victoria. She moans against Joy's ear, her fingers clutching Joy's uncovered shoulder blades. The more she went, the more Victoria clasped, her nails slowly digging. Joy hoped that skin wouldn't be broken, but she was too into what she was doing to think further. She just continued, thrusting as Victoria gasps, and soon pulls out with Victoria spooning up next to her, trying to catch her breath.
"So what do you feel like doing now?" she smiled, hoping that Joy would just want to cuddle. Victoria throws a shirt on, as an attempt to cover up. But Joy wanted more from her. Somehow, she did not want this moment to ever end.
She holds Victoria tightly in her arms, allowing Victoria to rest her head on her shoulder. Joy pulls up the blanket, covering them with it. It felt nice and soft, and the two snuggled in happily.
Victoria could feel Joy's arms around her waist, her hands resting on her toned stomach. She sighs contentedly, as she nuzzles against Joy's shoulder.
"Where did you get that shirt?" Joy smiles, appearing interested as she is making a reference to the shirt Victoria had thrown on. It was a shirt she had cut the lower half off, and designed herself…out of sheer boredom.
"I bought a shirt and modified it."
Joy smiled, "That's totally you, Tori. Taking something and making it your own. That's what I love about you."
They lean in, and kiss each other, then part lips.
"So are you in the mood to go out? Or do you want to order room service and rent a pay per view film? There are a lot of interesting looking films here. We can criticize romantic comedies like we do in front of Melanie."
Victoria laughs, adding," I know, but remember sweetheart, Mel's not here. So we can watch what we want."
Joy smiles sweetly, "That's right. Well, there are other good films out too."
They look at each other a moment, exchanging mutual smiles. It had been a long time since they had spent a moment together, in an intimate setting. Victoria wished that they could do it every day, but she knew they had to keep it from Melanie as long as they could. At least until after things settled with Joy and the INS.
"So, what do you plan on doing to keep in the country?" Victoria asks. She didn't want her best friend, her close confidant, her go to gal, and now her love to leave. She had not been this happy in a long time. Joy had brought out a side of her she hadn't seen since the first husband…or maybe it was the second. Joy brought out the part of her personality that showed Victoria was human, with emotions and feelings for others. She always appeared self-absorbed, but underneath it all, she was feeling that she'd lose a part of herself if Joy were to leave. She cared for Joy. Joy and she had more adventures, more in common, much more than she did with their friend Melanie. She meant no offense, but she knew she shared more in common with Joy, and the two women bonded like crazy glue to each other. Sometimes, she felt that she didn't share a lot in common with Melanie, but they did share a mutual bond in the sense that both shared some of the same insecurities. She knew she could come to Melanie when she was feeling down and out of sorts. But Joy…Joy was her soul mate. Her partner in crime, and the sweetest person she ever met. Joy was a friend who could see right past her celebrity and fame and not use her for it. Melanie too, but Victoria strongly identified with Joy in more ways than one.
Joy sighs," I don't know yet, sweetheart. But, please…let's not dampen our mood." She smiles, planting a kiss on Victoria's lips, tasting her cherry lip-gloss. Seductively, she licks her lips.
"You wouldn't mind if we stayed in tonight and cuddled, would you?"
Apparently, Joy was feeling the same way she did. She wanted as much contact as she could get. They were alone in a room, for the first time in an awhile. And anyway, they still had six whole days of sightseeing, gorgeous views, and gorging on delicious food. Oh yeah, and clubbing till they can't no more.
She smiled at the thought of all the fun they would have together. Smiling, she looks at Joy, her eyes glistening with excitement.
"No, don't mind at all. I was actually thinking the exact same thing!"
Joy grins and wraps her arms around her, hugging her. "Great minds think alike."
Victoria smiles excitedly, anxious to spend as much time with Joy as humanly possible.
They lay there, enjoying the fact that they had control of the television. Victoria looks over, smiling at Joy.
"At least we don't have to watch The Bachelor tonight…"
Joy adds, "I never understood that show. Those people always never lasted in the relationship, well, that's at least what the tabloids said."
Victoria nods in agreement. That was something the two of them had in common, the hatred of reality television. She smiles, putting an arm around Joy.
"That my friend is so true."
She snuggles up close to her friend, laying her head against Joy's shoulder.
"Well, which would you rather do? Watch television, or…" Victoria stops mid-sentence. Joy looks at her, a huge grin on her face.
"Television is boring, honestly. The night's still young, want to go out and party like its 1989?"
Victoria smiles, highly amused by the pop culture references and her best friend's ability to switch subjects as fast as a quick snap of the finger. She missed the days where she was able to live it up. And now, she and Joy could relive their twenties.
"Well dear, you know what they say. Fifty is the new twenty five."
Joy giggles, amused by Victoria's attempt at the overused phrase.
"You are completely right, my dear." She smiles lovingly, and plants a kiss on Victoria's lips.
"C'mon dear, let's get ready. The night waits!"
Victoria couldn't help but smile. Here she was, in her prime, and again she rekindles her love for her best friend. As she watches Joy get ready, a smile forms on her lips. Sometimes she found it hard to believe that she and Joy were…dating. No not others, but each other. Victoria always said it was like a 'match made in the stars, 'and she'd smile at Joy every time she said it, and Joy would return the smile. Staring dreamily, she sighs, and then returns to finish getting herself ready.
Joy notices her eyeing and smiles.
"Fantasizing about me again, sweetheart?"
Victoria licks her lips seductively. "You know me well, dear Joy," she says in a matter of fact voice.
Joy smiles as she runs a curling iron through her long chestnut locks. As she curls the ends of her hair, she sighs.
"Do you think Melanie knows…about us?"
Victoria looks down, frowning. She hoped that they would finally have the courage to come out to Melanie, hopefully before their trip. She was too worried about what would Melanie think, so once again, she and Joy decided to put it off. Victoria never kept a secret this big before. She was thinking it was a miracle she hadn't slipped up.
But, she worried too much about what Melanie would think.
Victoria looks up, eyeing Joy, who had been waiting for Victoria to reply.
"I don't think she's picked up on it, and if she has, she hasn't said a word."
Joy continues to brush her hair, brushing the ringlets she had just created in her hair. She knew Victoria had been hesitant about the whole thing. What Victoria had been feeling was true friendship feelings as she cared too much about Melanie's feelings.
"I agree. Let's go and have some fun tonight. It is the perfect solution to take our minds off this whole situation."
She holds out her hand, and Victoria takes it. Smiling, they exit the room, excited for the adventures that awaited them.
They walk the boardwalk, the lights from the beautiful shops shining quite brightly and colorfully, and the moonlight casts an iridescent glow upon the ocean. Holding hands, Victoria looks at Joy, smiling.
"This is nice. It's just what we needed. We needed desperately an escape from Cleveland and a chance to get our thoughts and feelings in order."
Joy nods in agreement. She felt the same way. Sometimes she wished it was easy to just tell Melanie, get it over with and live life being the person she wanted so much to be. She wanted to be happy. She wanted success, and someone to love. And that person happened to be Victoria. Victoria made her feel loved…it was something she hadn't felt in a really long time. She wanted so desperately for them to work out. If only Victoria knew her true feelings. They said 'I love you' to each other all the time, but she wanted to say it with meaning, and not just because they were best friends too. They were lovers.
"Victoria—I have a question: Have you ever wanted to just tell Melanie, and live life the way your mind wants you to?"
Victoria ponders for a moment. She loved Joy more than anyone else knew. She wished that she and Joy could just run away and be together. But, they had a life and they couldn't be away for long so it couldn't fully work. They just had to tell Melanie the truth.
"I think about it every single day, sweetheart."
She smiles sweetly at Joy, and gently squeezes her hand. Victoria knew that they would have to tell her when they return from Hawaii. Somehow, someway, they'd have to find a way to tell her that they are more than just best friends. Joy looks at her, smiling. She was glad that Victoria and she were able to have this time together.
The evening was nice, as it was quite windy as they walked across the boardwalk. The stars shining brightly, they stood there at the pier, silently holding each other's hand as they stare off into the distance. After standing there for a while without talking, Joy looks at Victoria, smiling.
"I'm starving. Let's get something to eat. I'm not really in much of a party frame of mind tonight for some strange reason." She sighs, hoping Victoria would think that way too. Victoria touches her hand gently, smiling warmly.
"It's alright. I think we need some time to come to terms with this 'dating your best friend who happens to be of same sex' thing. It's a big adjustment for us."
Joy nods and puts an arm around Victoria's waist slowly leading her away from the pier.
"Come on; let's just get something to eat. I bet you're as hungry as I."
Victoria smiles, adding, "I am. Great minds think alike."
They arrive at this restaurant, ordering salads and drinks. Victoria picks up her martini glass, holding it up, ready to toast.
"Here's to my best friend and love, Joy. I love you, sweetheart." Joy smiles sweetly, blushing.
"I love you too, gorgeous."
Joy raises her glass, tapping it against Victoria's.
"You've been a great friend, and excellent lover."
Victoria smiles, rubbing her foot against Joy's leg.
"Thank you, love."
Joy smiles, and holds out her hand to Victoria. She smiles, putting her hand in Joy's as she gently squeezes it. They look into each other's eyes, smiling.
"Let's go back to the hotel room." She winks at Victoria and Victoria smiles, and reaches into her bag to pay for the meal. She pulls two crisp twenty dollar bills and sticks them on the table. As they walk out she says to the waiter, "Keep the change."
Joy and Victoria walk out to find that it was raining. It was a good thing that the hotel wasn't that far, so they didn't have to worry too much about it. The rain falls in a steady downpour as the two women headed for some sort of cover to keep from getting wet. It didn't seem to work though as the rain messed with their hair and clothes. Rushing as fast as they can, they run into the hotel. They run into the elevator, soaking from head to toe from the downpour outside. Looking at each other, they sigh in relief.
"I'm bloody cold." Joy says, her teeth chattering. Victoria notices she's shivering, and puts her arms around her in an attempt to keep her warm somewhat. Joy smiles, as she looks at Victoria.
"Thanks a lot, sweetheart." They find their hotel room, and Victoria quickly swipes the key. She pushes the door open, and as fast as the door was open it was quickly shut. She looks at Joy, who was still chattering from being rained on. Victoria was rained on too, but somehow her warm blooded ability kicked in and she didn't feel as cold.
"Sweetheart, get changed…I don't want you to catch a cold." Victoria says with a tinge of love in her voice. She didn't want her getting sick. Victoria reaches in her luggage for a pajama set, and quickly slips out of her dress, and into something comfortable. Joy did the same, as Victoria waited for her in the large bed, perusing over the latest messages on her phone. She sets her Blackberry down, and removes her glasses.
"No new messages, nothing from Melanie in regards to Elka."
Joy looked at Victoria, as she slipped her blouse on. "I hope she just comes home." She comes over to the bed, slipping herself under the covers. Victoria wraps her arms around Joy's waist, pulling her gently close to her. She knew Joy was worried about Elka. In the years they've been friends, she knew even though she appeared bitter on the outside that she wasn't always like that on the inside. Victoria knew Elka reminded Joy of her mother, and that was why they clashed so frequently. Slowly, she strokes Joy's hair, pressing her nose against the soft ringlets in her long chestnut brown hair.
"She will, sweetheart. She'll realize that she made a mistake, and she'll come home." Victoria leans in, and gently kisses her as she fingers Joy's hair gently, allowing it to run freely through her fingers.
"I surely hope so," Joy says, snuggling up against Victoria's shoulder. Victoria laid there, Joy in her arms. They lay in silence, as Victoria continues to stroke Joy's hair gently. After a bit of silence, she then says, "I know what will cheer us up."
Joy looks up at her, her eyes beaming. Victoria always knew somehow to cheer a person up. She was brilliant in thinking of schemes to take part in, or knowing what exactly would make someone smile.
"A trip to the mini bar…I spied a bottle of wine…with our names on it."
Joy smiles at her, saying, "You know me all too well, Tori."
Victoria gets up, heading to the minibar, and pulls the bottle of wine out. Forgo the glasses, as she knew that they both enjoyed sharing a bottle. Popping the cork, she takes a swig of the bottle, and then hands the bottle to Joy, who does the same. She sets the bottle on the nightstand, and looks at Victoria, grinning.
"Seriously, this is good stuff. I'm glad we went for the expensive hotel room."
Victoria smiles, and takes her in her arms, and leans in, kissing her.
"I got it because I know how much you enjoy rooms with gorgeous views."
Joy smiles sweetly, "And this view has to be the absolute best I've had out of every room I've stayed in."
They lean in again, and Victoria embraces Joy.
"I'd miss you if you were forced to leave. I'd miss your companionship. I'd miss the inside jokes and the laughter. And most of all, I'd miss this."
She pauses, and kisses Joy on the lips. Parting ways, they looked at each other, and Joy reaches her hand to touch Victoria's tear stained cheek. Brushing away a few stray tears, she looks into Victoria's eyes, smiling.
"I'm not going to leave; I'm going to keep fighting to stay. I'm going to find a way that I can stay here because, I love you sweetheart, and this has been the happiest I've been in a very long time. I never knew that it would be falling in love with my best friend that would do it. I'd miss you too much, Tori."
They looked at each other, smiling. Victoria then falls into Joy's arms, and Joy sighs, putting an arm around her, and the other stroking her hair.
"It will be alright, we'll be fine."
Victoria looks up at Joy, and they lean in, and kiss. Pausing for a moment, she then throws her arms around Joy, while Joy holds her against her waist. They kiss passionately for a few moments. Again, they pause, and Victoria smiles.
"We should get some sleep sweetheart, tomorrow, we're going sightseeing."
Joy smiles, reaching to turn out the light, then snuggling back into the large bed.
In the pitch black of darkness, she closes her eyes. Feeling a presence, she opens her eyes. Victoria was spooned up right behind her, her arms wrapped around her waist. Sighing, Joy decided to go to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.
Morning came, and she wakes up, and looks around. Victoria is gone from the bed, and frantically, she wonders where she is. Worry came across her face, but soon was erased when Victoria came in the room, bearing breakfast for both of them.
"Oh, morning sweetheart, did you sleep well?"
Victoria asks her the question, setting the breakfast on the table that was in the room. Joy gets out of her bed, throwing a robe on over her negligee. She comes over to where Victoria's at, and wraps her arms around her waist, leaning in to give her a kiss.
"Like a rock," she says, and then looks down at the breakfasts that were set out.
Joy smiles sweetly. "Vic, you brought breakfast?"
Victoria begins eating her eggs, chewing slowly, and then swallowing.
"Yeah, babe…breakfast's the most important meal of the day."
Joy smiles, and plants a kiss on top of Victoria's head.
"You are a sweet, sweet woman. I love you." She picks up her breakfast, and begins eating her eggs, as she hated for them to get cold if she didn't eat them fast enough.
"I knew what you liked," Victoria says, in between bites of French toast.
They continue to eat, enjoying the time they had together. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was out, the ocean looked great, and the scenery was still just as breathtaking as it was the night and day before. The idea of a vacation for the two was perfect. Joy looks out at the ocean, daydreaming.
This was what she was going to miss if she was sent back. The only thing Joy remembered from her childhood and early adulthood in London was the cold, rainy weather. In Los Angeles, she had sunshine and the cool breeze of the Pacific blowing against her skin. Cleveland, she got to see the beauty of fall, and the sometimes quite crazy winter weather that they had, even experiencing their first Cleveland blizzard. The last blizzard she ever could recall was the time she and Victoria took a ski trip to the Alps.
She smiles at the memory of that trip. The crackling of the large fireplace in the cabin they rented from some actor friend of Victoria's, the warm cocoa and marshmallows the two women shared as they curled up in a blanket together in an attempt to keep warm.
Joy looks at Victoria, who seemed to be doing the very same thing.
"Daydreaming, eh?"
Victoria looks at her, shrugging. "I seem to be. Things wouldn't be the same without you with me."
Joy nods, smiling. "It wouldn't be the same for me either," she says, her accent coming out quite a bit. In the years that Joy spent here, she had lost some elements of her accent, but somehow when she was around Victoria; it was a natural habit to slip back into that accent.
The tall brunette didn't mind one bit, as she favored it most when Joy did speak with her accent.
"Have I ever told you how sexy you sound with your accent?"
Joy smiles coyly, twirling one of her stray ringlets.
"Every day you do. You're making me blush, sweetheart."
Victoria smiles, and kisses her on the cheek. "I love you. You're my Joy."
Joy smiles at Victoria's compliment. Sometimes she found amazement in how Victoria acted when in love. When she wasn't pursuing a relationship, she was absent minded, self-absorbed, every name in the book. Ever since Victoria and Joy got together as more than friends, her personality took a shift. She had never in their over twenty two years of friendship seen that kind of growth in her. Victoria was a perfectionist, cared about every detail in a relationship, was a caring, loving person who would do anything, most anything, to make a relationship work. Joy wondered why Victoria was never like this with her ex-husbands. Somehow, since Victoria confessed her love for Joy, it was as if her personality shifted and she became a better person since falling for her best friend.
"I tell you again and again sweetheart, you are too kind."
Joy leans in, embracing her best friend and love. They look deep into each other's eyes silently for a moment, and then they press closer, noses touching. Victoria grins, her eyes sparkling with excitement and wonder.
"You know when I tell you I love you, dear?"
Silently, Joy nods. She had a hunch where Victoria was getting at. Victoria nuzzles her nose against hers, smiling.
"I mean it, always have."
Joy smiles, her eyes sparkling with happiness. So this was it, she was serious about her 'I love you's.' She never doubted it, not in a million years. Joy felt the same way too.
"I meant mine too," she whispers.
Pressing her into a hug, Victoria smiles, knowing this was a big breakthrough in their relationship.
"So when we return to Cleveland, are we ready to tell Melanie?"
Joy looks at her, smiling, tears running down her cheeks.
"Yes," she whispers knowing that this was the right time. Victoria smiles, and Joy falls into Victoria's arms, allowing her to stroke her hair.
"Do you think she'd take the news alright?" Joy looks up at her, biting her lip.
Victoria sighs, pressing her nose against the soft wavy curls of her friend's hair. Looking up, she smiled.
"I don't see why she wouldn't?"
Joy sighs, relieved by Victoria's reassurance. Snuggling up close to her, she looks up at her, smiling.
"Why don't we spend the morning together, you, me…and then we can go take in the sights."
Victoria smiles sweetly, taking her in with a kiss on the lips, then parts, grinning madly.
"I like the sound of that, my princess," she says with a smile, as she leans in to kiss Joy against the nape of her neck.
Joy sighs, smiling contentedly as Victoria continued the loving act. No matter what, she knew in her heart that Victoria would be there for her, right there with her, holding her hand. They both knew that there would be some difficulty in telling Melanie, but Joy realized that she and Victoria could no longer go on hiding their relationship.
She eyes her, and they exchange a mutual smile. Joy lays her head against Victoria's shoulder, and exhales, in an attempt to relax and just have fun.
"So shall we get ready, and plan our day?"
Victoria shrugs, "I'm in no hurry right now. Just being with you is one of my biggest highlights."
Joy smiles sweetly, thinking how sweet it was of her to say that. She loved how much attention Victoria gave to her and relished in every moment with her. It amazed her how different Victoria was when Melanie was not around. Her heart skipped a beat every time she was around Victoria. Joy knew it was a sign she was in love.
"This is the life," she sighs, as she looks up at Victoria, waiting for her to respond. Victoria looks at her, grinning. They must have felt the same way, because Victoria then says, "Tell you what; let's go do what the kids would do. Get shit faced."
Joy laughs at the terminology, saying, "Oh Tori, please. In our day, it was plastered, wasted, etc…where did you learn this new term?"
She pauses, and giggles. "You've been around Elka too much!"
Victoria embraces her, laughing. "So have you, sweetheart!"
Joy smiles, knowing Victoria was telling the truth. Apparently they all learned a lot from Elka. "I'd love to go to the bar, but sweetheart, it's not even noon." Victoria glares at her, shocked.
"Joy, that never stopped you before."
She stops; thinking for a moment, then realizes that it never stopped her from drinking a whole bottle of wine, or even a very expensive bottle of champagne.
"True, sweetheart, very true."
They head out of the room, holding hands as they walked to the hotel bar. Surely, they weren't the only ones who liked champagne in their orange juice. And of all times, not even ten in the morning.
They head to the hotel bar, and much to their surprise, they saw that there were others who thought the same way. Victoria plunks down her credit card, asking the bartender for two orange juices with vodka. Surely, they had both gotten too used to vodka as it was in plenty supply at the house in Cleveland. The bartender took their request, and poured two glasses of juice, then added the vodka. Victoria takes the glasses as he charges them, and when he hands her the card back, she smiles, mouthing a word of thanks to the bartender. She walks over to Joy, who had secured the two women a table.
"Here you go, sweetheart," she says to Joy, handing her the beverage.
Joy smiles sweetly at her, taking the drink in her hand, and sips from it a little.
"Good stuff. They sure didn't skimp on the vodka."
Victoria smiles, and takes a sip herself. Joy sure was right, the drink wasn't shortchanged vodka. Setting the drink down, she takes Joy's hands in her own. They stare deeply into each other's eyes for a moment before speaking.
"So what shall we do today, sweetheart? I'm up for anything, really."
Joy looks at her, smiling. Surely, they've spent a lot of time in each other's arms lately, but it was desired by them both. They were away from what was now their home, and no distractions, no holds barred, and there was so much sexual frustration that you could literally cut it with a knife. Even if they spent all vacation in each other's arms, or sunning at the beach, or partying it up, it would be well worth it because she would be spending it with her best friend, and lover, Victoria.
"You know, Tori, even if we spend time in each other's arms, or go to the beach and get some rays, or party like we can't in Cleveland, I don't mind it one bit. I just want to spend it with you."
Victoria thinks for a moment. Joy was right, they couldn't always party in Cleveland because they always got drunk and needed a designated driver which always ended up being Melanie, who wasn't exactly fun at parties, especially the ones she and Joy enjoyed. When she and Joy lived in LA, before the move, they always were at the beach. Victoria's penthouse had its own private beach that she always used for parties and soaking up the sun with friends. She sighs, thinking of the penthouse she still owned. She hadn't been back since the filming of her guest appearance on All My Children. It was all paid off, thanks to her father. The penthouse was a wedding gift she had gotten when she had married the fifth and most recent time. After the divorce, she still kept it, but when she moved to Cleveland, she rented it to one of her children so it would be taken care of.
"I agree. I don't mind because I want so badly to spend all my time with you, doing all the things we usually do without Melanie hanging on us like a third wheel."
She had nothing against Melanie, who she adored very much. It was just that Joy and she had more in common. They both loved parties, but they couldn't party like they would want to because Melanie wasn't a drinker like them, and didn't seem to enjoy the wild shenanigans of Victoria's and Joy's parties. Joy, like Victoria was raised in a household with a nanny, whereas Melanie was raised in an overprotective household.
Joy nods. She loved Melanie just as much as Victoria did, but sometimes they had a hard time just doing things together because Melanie wasn't into the parties or drinking games. And Joy and Victoria disliked a lot of the romance category, which Melanie adored. They were always telling Melanie that movies don't mimic real life. Nevertheless, the girls got along somehow, and their friendship survived five children, three of them Victoria's, six divorces, five of which were Victoria's and all of Joy's failed relationships, which were counted on both hands.
That was, until she realized that she was in love with Victoria.
Victoria was someone she didn't have to wear heels for, someone she could tell all her problems to. Joy didn't realize this until six months earlier how much she was in love. She tried hard to fight her feelings but it didn't exactly work out. She wondered every single day if Victoria felt the same way she did about her. Joy was noticing the little things, which heightened her suspicions that Victoria felt something too. She knew Victoria had experimented before, hell, Victoria had tried to seduce her twenty seven years earlier. That ended up being the first encounter as more than friends with her. That relationship only lasted six months before Victoria married her first husband not long after their fling ended, and had her oldest daughter less than a year and a half later.
She wondered if Victoria still had feelings for her. Melanie didn't know about this, a choice made by Victoria and Joy because they felt Melanie didn't need to know that they had been lovers one time before.
Then one day, Victoria confessed to Joy that she was in love with her, and was confused. Since leaving LA, she had been in a string of unusual relationships and failed miserably. She had been questioning herself, realizing that maybe she should reevaluate, as she had been married five different times, so it was obviously a sign of some sort.
Joy then revealed her feelings, and Victoria smiled. She had been glad to hear that Joy felt the same way.
They give it a shot, and find out things about each other differently than the first time around. Joy found Victoria to be less self-absorbed, less neurotic, and much more caring than she revealed herself to be. Victoria found Joy to be very receptive and outgoing, and not as insecure. They found out more about each other than they ever knew before.
Six months so far and nothing could be better. Joy smiled more often than she usually did, and Victoria looked forward every day coming home from her job to someone she cared about, and someone she could spend every waking moment with. She finally after five marriages, found someone who could keep her stable, someone who loved her regardless of her quirks, someone who knew all her insecurities, and her deepest, darkest secrets.
They weren't really that deep and dark, but Victoria knew if TMZ knew, she'd have no career left. Actually, she assumed they wouldn't be surprised at all. But, Joy knew them and she wouldn't tell a soul.
Even their friend Melanie didn't know half of these stories. Victoria figured she wouldn't have been surprised if she had told Mel too.
…that was because; she shared a lot of history with Rejoyla Scroggs.
More than what Melanie or Elka knew about the duo was hidden. They shared these secrets, and Joy made Victoria swear she wouldn't tell a soul, even Melanie…and now, Elka.
After finishing off their drinks, Victoria motions to the bartender, smiling.
"Another round of drinks, please."
The bartender nods, and pours two more glasses. Victoria pushes Joy's glass over to her, smiling.
"Round two, my dear sweetheart."
Joy takes a sip, sighing.
"Tori, I'm already buzzed and it's not even noon."
The two women share a laugh. As they share a laugh, Victoria's phone rings. Victoria glances at her phone, noticing it was Melanie calling.
"We should take this. She's probably scared."
Joy nodded. Melanie was probably in the house, all alone. Elka had disappeared and her best friends were vacationing without her. Of course she was going to be scared. It was her first time home alone since they moved to Cleveland.
Victoria sighs, taking the call. She was right; Melanie was worried. She was home alone, except for the moment Rick came over to chat. Rick was their neighbor and one of the first few they met when arriving in Cleveland. They had a rocky start to the friendship, but now he was pretty close to the girls, even coming over to help them out from time to time.
Joy could tell Victoria was getting annoyed with Melanie. The eye rolling told it all. Joy smiled, taking Victoria's hand in hers, in an attempt to calm her down. For a few more moments, Victoria reassured Melanie that everything would be alright, that she and Joy were having fun, and that they missed her and wished she was able to join them. Hanging up, Victoria sighs in relief.
"Melanie can be so insecure sometimes."
Joy reminded her, "We can be too. We all have our moments, dear. She's just not used to being in a practically empty house."
Victoria smiles, squeezing her hand gently. She knew Melanie was just nervous; it had probably been a while since Mel even had a house alone.
"Enough talk about our problems at home, why don't we take a walk and take in the sights?"
Joy smiles, leaving a generous tip for the bartender, and then reaching her hand out to Victoria.
"I'd love to, my love."
They exit the hotel bar, holding hands as they walk through the lobby.
Once outside it was as if they were more relaxed. Calm washes over them like a tidal wave. They felt more peaceful than they did an hour earlier. Walking along docks, they held hands, admiring the sights, and enjoying each other's company.
"I missed this," Victoria says, looking into Joy's eyes. Joy smiles, she knew that things would be definitely different once the two of them returned to Cleveland.