Title: All Wet
Author: Misty Flores
Summary: Joanne Jefferson's defined, in control life is turned upside down when she comes across one Maureen Johnson. PRE-RENT
Rating: M for adult situations between two females

Notes: Thanks so much for the feedback so far. It's wonderful to read.

--

Chapter 10.

"She's a stalker."

Bringing her lips together in exasperation, Joanne stared into her water, and wished desperately it was a cocktail.

"She's not a stalker."

Cindy collapsed backwards into her chair, one manicured palm moving emphatically in the air. "She doesn't leave when you ask you to. She shows up EVERYWHERE. And now she's staying with you? She's a pushy sort of stalker."

Joanne's shut her mouth and crossed her mouth. "Sometimes I really hate that you're a lawyer."

"And you're falling for her! You're falling for your stalker!"

"I'm not falling for my stalker!" she snapped, and then winced, when the cafe around them quieted, and heads turned in her direction. Flushing, Joanne leaned forward, shrugging off her blazer. "She's not a stalker. She's..."

"What?"

"Confused."

"Mmhmm." Cindy shook her head, reaching up to push bangs out of her face as her cup of coffee was lifted to her mouth. "She's not the only one."

Joanne wondered if she was going to hurt herself, rolling her eyes as much as she was. Ready to respond, she was halfway to formulating a sentence when a brunette weaved around tables, the pretty face of Megan offering a grin as she threw her bag on one of the empty seats and settled into the next.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, grabbing her menu and taking the condensing glass of water that was waiting for her. "I had a meeting that ran late. Divorcing couple. They share a Dalmatian. It got ugly. Wha'd I miss?"

"Joanne's falling for her stalker," Cindy said flatly.

In mid sip, Megan nearly choked on her water, spitting it back into the cup, and making a face at the result. "You have a stalker?"

"She's NOT a stalker!" Joanne said, irritation bringing her voice back up. When an approaching waiter gave her an arched brow, she glanced away with a huff. "Look, Maureen's staying with me for a couple days-"

"She's what!"

"Oh yeah," Cindy said, swirling the ice cubes around her glass. "And that's not all. She also somehow managed to finagle going to her parent's house with her this weekend."

"Are you serious!" Menu dropping onto the table, Megan cast wide eyes at a suddenly cringing Joanne. "Jojo."

"It sounds worse than it is."

"It is what it is, baby," Cindy said bluntly. Turning to Megan, she continued, "You know when we were going out, she wouldn't let me meet her parents until we were living together?"

Joanne's eyes rolled heavenward once again.

Megan sighed. "Joanne, not to side with Mrs. Bitterson over here, but honestly, what do you know about this woman? Aside from the great sex? I mean, seriously?"

"I didn't come here for an inquisition," she answered, heated words ringing with disdain.

"No, you came to have lunch with your friends," Cindy answered simply. "Because some part of you wants to be talked out of this. Otherwise you wouldn't keep bringing it up."

"I didn't bring it up," Joanne snapped. "You did, Cindy, and you wouldn't leave me alone."

"You could have lied."

A fork clanged against a water glass. "Ladies," Megan said sweetly. "Shut up. This is hardly beneficial for any of us. Now." Straightening up, Megan laid her napkin across her lap, crossing her arms on the table. "Obviously there are unresolved issues coming to light, Cindy, that have nothing to do with Joanne and her new squeeze, and it's making you a bit of a bitch." Cindy narrowed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "Joanne, you obviously are ignoring what is apparent to both of us."

"And that is?" Joanne asked.

"That you are becoming entangled in what might become a problem relationship. Something about this Maureen girl has you hooked-" Joanne exhaled loudly. "-and let's face it, this isn't your usual... what does she DO, exactly?"

Joanne frowned. "Do?"

"A job? Does she even have one?" Cindy asked sharply, fingernail tracing the rim of her water glass. "Aside from her promising 'acting' career, that is."

This was frustrating. Joanne sighed, trying to stall by reaching for a slice of bread. "I don't really know."

"Oh my Lord."

"Look, why does this even matter?" Joanne snapped, head jerking up. "She's staying for two more days, okay? Two. Then she's going back to her boyfriend Mark and I'm going to move on. The way I see it, I have an extremely hot girl in my bed, and frankly, that's all I care about. This will be done by next week."

"That's what you said the last time," Megan pointed out helpfully, waving her menu, looking around for the disappearing waiter. "Seriously, where is he!"

Joanne gave a frustrated hiss. "Look - I know this can't last. I know it. And I know on paper it looks and sounds crazy, and maybe she's certifiably insane, but what she's looking for and what I'm looking for are the same: nothing. We're in it for the sex and for the connection that, amazingly enough, seems to be there."

"And your parents?" Cindy's eyes were hooded. "Where do they fit in?"

"They don't," she answered, tone even. "She's not coming. It was a misunderstanding that happened when I wasn't there, and I really don't think-"

"I think we've established you not thinking is the problem, honey."

"Cindy- god-damm-" Cutting herself off, Joanne surprised herself when she realized just how furious she was.

"That's an awful lot of emotion for a fling, honey."

Shuddering, she pushed out her chair and gathered her purse. "I'll see you later, when I don't have to be the focus of the conversation." With that, she shook her head in resignation and walked out of the caf‚.

--

("I always knew I didn't like Cindy for a reason," Maureen had told her once, after they had become 'official'.

"She doesn't like you," Joanne told her simply, "Because she doesn't think you're good for me, and she's honest to a fault."

That would be enough to put Maureen out for an hour, and lead to a full on argument about the merit of Cindy in her life because quite obviously - at least to Maureen- she was fantastic for her.
"She's just jealous," Maureen argued, "Because I get you going in a way she never could."

Joanne bit back her frown and sighed. Maureen was a full on narcissist at times, but that part, at least, was true.)

--

Really, what the hell was she doing?

Joanne could picture herself on the witness stand, being drilled by Cindy, and objectively, she could see that validity in the arguments that Cindy was presenting.

The reason Joanne was getting so angry was that she had no answers, there were no clear cut reasons why she had allowed this to happen. All there was, was a captivating woman with deep green eyes and a too wide mouth, who made love like she was swallowing life whole.

Really, how could she explain to her friends that being with Maureen made her feel... alive, the likes of with she had only felt when she had won her first probono case for an East Village squatter?

"Joanne Jefferson?"

Torn from her thoughts, Joanne nearly plowed into the handsome man who was now directly in front of her. Stumbling a bit, Joanne's eyes widened when she realized she had nearly run right into Hector Suddleson.

"Hector-Mr. Suddleson!" Extracting herself from his hold with an apologetic grin, Joanne stared at the rosy cheeked twin of Antonia. He was dressed casually but expensively, in a designer sweater and corduroy pants. He wore a charming smile to match, and it occurred to Joanne, that with that smile, he was prettier than some of the girls she had dated.

"You can call me Hector," he told her simply, shoving hands into his pockets now that she had righted herself. "I wasn't sure if you saw me and were trying to avoid me or if you were off in your own world."

"No, no, I'm sorry... I don't know what's been happening to me lately. It's like my brain has just decided to lapse at the most inappropriate times." When his smile quirked, hers froze, and she sighed at her own stupidity. "And I probably shouldn't be telling you, my client, that."

A beat of silence followed, as they locked eyes once again, and suddenly they both burst into laughter. "Hey, at least you're being honest about it," he answered, recovering with a rasping sort of cough, pounding at his chest a bit.

"It's the least I can give you," she answered, relaxing into a genuine grin. "Are you on your way somewhere?"

"I was in the neighborhood visiting a friend," he answered, "And was in search of a decent cup of coffee." Pausing, he considered something, and then cocked his head to the side. "Care to join me, Ms. Jefferson?"

"Fair's fair," she told him with a nod. "You can call me Joanne. Come on, there's a Starbucks on the corner."

--

"So what are you doing so far away from Corporate America?" he asked, as soon as they were seated, a steaming frappuchino in his pale hand. When she arched an eyebrow, he shrugged. "This is the East Village, hardly the haunt for high profile attorneys."

She cleared her throat, nodding with a good natured swallow. "I could ask the same of you."

"I told you, I was visiting a friend," he said smoothly. "And you?"

"Clients," she said, swallowing down the bitter liquid. "I've been neglecting a couple pro bono cases, and I was hoping to use today to catch up."

"Instead you run into me," he said, grimacing.

"It's not an inconvenience," she assured him. "I've actually been hoping to get in touch with you alone."

"Alone?" he asked, smile quirking at the unintentional insinuation. When she blushed, he grinned. "Don't worry, I'm well aware we're not each other's types." She rolled her eyes and he shrugged. "Though I am surprised you'd want to see me without my sister."

Ah. Joanne put her coffee down and pressed her lips together, waiting for what was coming.

"She told me you were supposed to have dinner tonight."

This was interesting. If Hector was disturbed by the possibility of Joanne dating Antonia, it could become a professional conflict of interest.

Staring at her coffee, she kept her face purposely closed. "Is that a problem?"

Hector arched an eyebrow, studying her intently. "Only if you have a problem having a fag for a brother in law."

She blinked, and shook her head in bewildered confusion. "You're getting ahead of us, aren't you? Antonia and I are just friends."

"She likes you," he confirmed, "and I like you. Not in the same way of course, but it's given me a particular dilemma."

"Pardon?"

"Antonia likes her causes. She gets an idea in her head and she just runs with it. She's used to getting what she wants. When she can't control something she gets a little… bossy. Doesn't like to listen."

"Even when her brother is involved in a lawsuit he doesn't want," she finished for him.

He pressed his lips together, nodding grimly. "Antonia's never dated a woman," he told her frankly. "But for reason, that's not stopping her. Maybe she sees something in you she hasn't seen before. But she wants what she wants until she doesn't want it anymore."

"That sounds familiar," she admitted, and considered the dark-haired beauty waiting for her at home, and the ever lasting hope that somehow Joanne's lust for her would be satiated by just one more fevered kiss, as it had always been before.

"Oh?"

She only smiled back. "You don't have to worry about me," she assured him. "I can take care of myself."

He looked like he envied her. "I wish I could say the same."

And then, she finally saw the sickness: in the faded brilliance of the eyes, in the too skinny frame, and the way he coughed once too often, huddling into the cardigan.

"My friend," he said suddenly, shivering slightly, "He was the hottest mother fucker at the clubs when we went out. Beautiful man, big dick." She made a face and he grinned, a smile that faded away. "He's lying in that hospital room looking like a fucking skeleton. Can't even get up to shit. Treated like a god-damn leper." He laughed bitterly. "And I thought being gay was fucking hard enough."

Quiet, she kept still, watching the struggle on his face, the dawning realization that the disease would eat away at him, strip him of his beauty and his dignity. Joanne found herself suddenly blinking tears away.

Sucking in her breath, she lifted her coffee cup, breaking the silence with a forced smile. "To no regrets."

He blinked, surprised at the sudden gesture, but maybe he understood, because he smiled back weakly, and clinked his cardboard cup against hers.

"No regrets."

And Joanne really liked Hector.

--

Joanne had given up expectation when it came to Maureen.

There was a shivering sort of excitement as she stepped closer to her apartment, and a part of her was almost embarrassingly excited at the idea of coming home to someone. It was that anticipation that had carried her through the day, and although she had denied herself the instinct to call home, she felt like an absurd school girl.

Pushing her key into the lock, she took a moment to breathe, wondering why on top of it all, she was frightened, and pushed into the apartment.

There were no candles or flickering fire light. The lights were on, and her Nine Simone CD was playing at a louder than reasonable volume. The smell of Chinese was almost pungent, and Joanne, shrugging off her coat, was greeted with the voice of her Maureen, chatting away on the phone.

Flirting. On the phone.

Joanne pressed her lips together, wondering if once again, her lover had decided to talk to her very own Marky. Pure resolved told Joanne to put her jealous tendencies away, and she stepped into the living room to catch the eye of her fickle houseguest.

Maureen smiled brightly at her presence, as Joanne stepped into the living room and turned down the stereo, hearing as Maureen laughed once again, coming forward and offering her a kiss.

"She just walked in," she said into the phone, and when an irritated Joanne arched an questioning eyebrow, Maureen grinned. "I promise. Nice meeting you." Hanging up the phone with a push of the dial button, Maureen studied her. "That was your friend Toni."

Toni?

"She wanted to make sure you were okay," Maureen said simply, shamelessly. "Since you cancelled tonight due to a family emergency."

Shit.

"Don't worry," Maureen said, obviously seeing the widened eyes of panic on Joanne's face. "I told her I was your cousin in town, feeling under the weather and you needed to take care of me. I was very convincing."

Speechless, Joanne's eyes moved from the phone to the cool gaze being given to her by Maureen.

"She's a client," Joanne said eventually, unsure why the silence unnerved her. Maureen's mouth thinned out into a bit of a smirk.

"Whatever," she answered, an odd twinge coming at the end of that word, as Maureen leaned in once more. Biting back a groan, Joanne sighed raggedly when she leaned in, mouth brushing softly against her cheek, before hot breath sent shivers to her ear. "She said you better take good care of me," Maureen said lowly, distinctly.

"Did she?" Joanne asked, more raggedly than she had originally intended, as her hands, seemingly of their own volition, smoothed over Maureen's waist, and moved lower still to that glorious ass.

"Mmhmmm…" Another feather light touch against her neck, and the tantalizing tease of a tongue against her earlobe. "But I think I want to take care of you first."

Fingers jerked at her tie, moving deftly, and hot lips moved against hers hungrily, tongue reaching into tangle with hers, a deep, possessive kiss.

It was what she craved, and Joanne lost control, crushing the body against hers, groaning against the panting lips.

Sucking in her breath, Maureen's eyes were sparkling, magnetic, as fingers buried into Joanne's curls, holding onto to her harshly. "I missed you," she said, in the stillness of the moment, before that mouth was once against moving against hers, and fingers fumbled with buttons, jerking so violently one of them popped.

The words sunk down deep inside of her, and Joanne surrendered to their truth.

"I missed you, too."

--

-- end chapter