I Sing the Body Electric (Walt Whitman)
The Mayor truly appreciated Helena holding up her end of the bargain, but after an hour into the cocktail party, even he could see how anxious Helena was to leave. He announced that unfortunately, his special guest had another engagement and had to leave. He knew how relieved Helena was. She kissed him sincerely on the both cheeks and squeezed his arm. They had become good friends over the course of these several dinners and special occasions.
Helena texted Pete to bring the car and was outside within seconds. He drove as quickly as he could within the legal limits of the congested city. When the traffic light was yellow though, she begged him to go faster through it. Arriving at the townhouse safely, Pete smiled as he watched the otherwise dignified English woman rush up the stone steps in high-heeled boots.
Once inside, Helena's coat was tossed at a chair and the bag almost made the table, as she rushed to the kitchen calling for Leena. It was 7:50 and the Domestic Director was nowhere to be found. There on the kitchen island was a note - Leena had to run out, but would be back in plenty of time to serve dinner. Helena was not pleased. She had planned everything, down to the smallest detail and Leena being present was one of them.
She heard the front door and exhaled a sigh of relief.
Helena walked back into the main entryway, expecting to greet Leena. She was busy looking down at her phone checking Myka's flight. "There you are," Helena said in an impatient tone.
"There you are," was the response in the sweetest voice.
Helena stopped immediately and her head shot up. Myka was standing in the hallway, smiling. It was a vision that shouldn't have taken Helena by complete surprise and yet, it did. She gasped and clutched her chest softly – as all the feelings of missing Myka crescendoed in her upper body. Her phone gently dropped to the floor.
"There you are," Myka repeated as she walked towards Helena. She could tell that she had indeed, surprised her fiancée.
"There….," Helena's voice cracked with emotion. "Oh my God, I have ….," Helena tried to express, but Myka's lips were already on hers.
The kiss was so strong – that it pushed Helena gently back to the wall and Myka held Helena's hips as she leaned in. Helena felt light-headed as she tasted Myka's lipstick. Myka inhaled the familiar scent of Helena's Chanel perfume that she missed so much, and she just couldn't let go of Helena's full lips.
Helena was so excited to see Myka that when the kiss broke, she didn't open her eyes. In one swift turn, Myka pulled Helena into her and reversed positions, so that now Myka was leaning against the wall, and Helena was leaning into her.
"God, I have missed you so much," Myka said, as she played with Helena's raven hair. She loved how each stand fell back into place.
How many times that week had Helena stared at Myka's picture on her phone to soothe herself? Now she was here! "Welcome home, Myka," Helena said in a breathy tone, looking into the jade pools.
Myka had never heard sweeter words. She put her hands on Helena's back and pulled her in tightly.
"Helena?" Myka said when she looked into the dining room.
"Myka," Helena said back, thinking they were affirming how glad they were to see one another.
"Are we having a candlelit dinner?" Myka asked, because she could see inside the dining room across the hall and the table was set, complete with lit candles. Soft music started to play.
"I thought you would be hungry," Helena said, wondering how Leena did that. She must have sneaked in through the back.
"I really am. I was so excited to be coming home, that I couldn't eat," Myka said and Helena heard her stomach growl as if on cue.
Helena stood back, but still in Myka's space. Her hands roamed up and down Myka's arms and then did the same thing on Myka's sides. She just wanted to keep touching her. "You know, the theory goes that one must have her physiological needs met first, before she moves on to the other steps," Helena said in a throaty voice.
Myka so enjoyed this playful banter with the genius. "You mean like…. eating?" Myka asked.
"Well, yes and of course, there's breathing," Helena said near Myka's ear, her warm breath sending shivers down Myka's spine.
"And food?" Myka asked impishly.
"Yes, that too, and… water," Helena said, her wet tongue now leaving a trail from Myka's ear down her neck.
"And sleep?" Myka said - the word stuck in her throat.
"Yes, and ….," Helena said moving closer to look deeply in Myka's eyes, her hands now rising to cup Myka's breasts, her thumbs gently stroking the peaks. "…..sex."
Myka tried to laugh at the punch line, but her body was too busy igniting into fires. Suddenly, she wasn't hungry for food anymore.
Just as Helena anticipated, when she stood back, Myka ran her long slender finger tracing the design on her dress. Helena shivered as Myka's finger tip slid from the Brit's hip, up to the peak of the design on her chest, and down to her waist. "Is this new?" Myka asked, as if Helena ever wore something twice.
Helena opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
"I like it…..on you," Myka said of the form fitting dress that hugged Helena's beautiful shape. She watched as Helena's body twitched with anticipation. Myka smiled devilishly and leaned into Helena's ear. "And I'd like it even better…. off you."
It was all too much for Helena. It was as if Myka's playful words struck the very place where Helena had been storing up her desire by the bucket load all week. She grabbed Myka and pulled her into the living room and shut the door. Myka kissed Helena in the darkened room – the only light from the street lamps outside. Her hands slid up the back of Helena's dress, slowing pulling the zipper down. The silk lining was cool against Helena's skin as it slid over her shoulders and onto the floor. Myka bent down to pick it up as Helena stepped out of it. Myka knelt there, slowly running her hands up the sleek, soft suede boots, not stopping until she cupped her buttocks.
"I can take them…," Helena attempted to say about removing the boots, but Myka stood back up with Helena's dress in her hand and said, "No, leave them on." Helena stopped moving, standing there in her Victoria's Secret underwear..…and boots.
"This is…. new," Helena gulped as Myka led her to the couch.
"And this…..never gets old," Myka said, gently pushing Helena down on the couch and kneeling between her knees. She ran her fingers over Helena's bare skin and removed what little covering there was until there was hardly an inch untouched.
Helena grabbed at Myka as tension mounted in her core. Myka knew the slightest touch could push Helena over the edge and took her time on purpose. Myka kissed and squeezed flesh until goose bumps erupted. Finally, Myka began the gentle, yet controlled release until the implosion inside Helena's body became wave, after wave, after wave of sweet, blessed relief. Helena arched her back and let out a low groan that lasted as long as her climax. Myka could tell how wonderful the release felt by the moaning and pleading Helena uttered.
Myka had to admit – the guttural howl at the end was new.
Myka slid next to Helena on the couch. The Brit was panting and Myka smiled down at her. "It's so good to be home," Myka said, kissing Helena's forehead. Helena grabbed Myka's arm and held onto it. Myka put her hand over Helena's thumping chest. "I love your heart," Myka said, gently kissing Helena whose breathing was just starting to become regular.
"Do I have to watch you around full moons, now?" Myka teased about the sound Helena let out.
"Full moons?" Helena asked.
Myka was about to explain when there was a light tap on the door. "Be right there," Myka yelled, thinking it was Leena.
"I'm glad you got home early," Helena said of their tryst before dinner.
"I wanted to surprise you," Myka smiled. "Why don't you put your dress back on and I'll meet you in the dining room," she said, kissing Helena's pouting lip.
The Brit wanted nothing more than to stay there with Myka. Myka slipped out of the living room unnoticed, retrieved her suitcase, and went upstairs to freshen up. Helena used the bathroom off the living room to get dressed. She retrieved her dress, zipped it up, and went outside. The dining room table was set with salads and Helena could hear Leena in the kitchen.
It was nine o'clock and everything was going according to plan.
When Myka came back downstairs, the two women sat down at the table to the poured white wine and salads. Leena had outdone herself on both choices. There was something different about the salad that neither could put their finger on. Both agreed they'd ask Leena to keep this recipe.
Then Leena appeared in the dining room doorway, in her coat, carrying a bag of groceries. "I'm sorry, but the back door was locked," she said and saw Myka there. She came in the room and hugged Myka. "Did you see my note?" she asked Helena, whose stare expressed her displeasure with the memo. "I had to go to four stores to find the endive you wanted," Leena explained and then looked down at the salad plates.
"You made this?" Leena asked Helena incredulously.
"I most certainly did not," Helena said, wondering what was wrong with the woman.
"Then who?" Leena was asking, when the chef appeared in the doorway.
"Dinner is served," Sui said and everyone turned to see who it was.
He was dressed in black slacks, white shirt and carried a white towel over his arm. Myka naturally assumed he was the hired waiter for the evening, who took it upon himself to serve dinner.
"You're replacing me? With him?" Leena asked because he seemed to be serving the food she had prepared.
"Of course not," Helena said annoyed at their presence.
Sui paid them no mind as he carried the tray of food in, cleared the salad dishes, and placed the dinner plates in front of Helena and Myka.
"What is that?" Leena asked, because it was not what she prepared.
Myka looked at Helena because she could hear the tension in Leena's voice. Usually, Leena worked with any of the staff who was hired.
"That is Poulet de Provencal," Sui said in a perfect French accent. Leena knew that the dish was a challenge, even for the more experienced cooks.
The room erupted into a three way discussion – all at once. All Myka could hear was 'perfect takes planning' as the common theme. She was the only one to hear the crash in the hallway and got up to investigate. Closing the door behind her, Myka saw what knocked the large vase in the hallway over and he was busy chewing on the flowers that fell out.
"Would you please," Helena said, rising from her chair and ceasing the discussion. "Mr. Generis, while I appreciate your efforts, you should have consulted with Leena about anything you were going to do in her kitchen. She had the dinner under control, even if she was in abstentia," Helena said, reminding Leena.
"I concluded that in order for the meal to be ready for nine o'clock, the meat had to be prepared and set in the oven…," Sui explained.
"Yes, we appreciate your efforts," Helena said and Leena still was not pleased. "He meant well," Helena tried to appease her.
Leena let out a sigh. "Of course," she said, calming down. "You better not have touched my dessert," she warned though.
"No, I left dessert to you. I took care of the surprise," Sui said, feeling accomplished.
"What surprise?" Helena asked, wondering if it were in the meal. She looked down and poked the food around to see if it was there.
"That one," the android said as the dining room door opened. Helena looked up to see Myka holding the surprise and squealing - "Oh my God, Helena. Is this for us? You got us a puppy!"
Helena froze. Leena turned and stared. Sui was all smiles as he elbowed Helena. "The voice analyzer never lies."
"Helena, he's adorable!" Myka said of the Alaskan husky puppy with the blue bow around his neck. He wiggled in her arms, but quieted down when Myka spoke to him. "You are just adorable, aren't you? Yes, you are," she said in a high voice that all puppies reduce their owners to.
"Myka, I….," Helena started, but wasn't sure where to begin. She couldn't take her eyes off Myka who was thoroughly enjoying the dog.
"You got her …a dog," Leena stated, more than asked and went into the kitchen. "She got her a dog," she repeated.
"Yes, she did," Myka said, looking into the bluest eyes she had ever seen on an animal.
Helena started to speak, but the doorbell rang. "We'll get that, won't we? Yes, we will. Yes, we will," Myka said in a tone Helena had never heard her use.
"Why is she talking like that?" the Brit asked. In Helena's time, dogs were never fussed over.
The android tilted his head slightly as he researched the question. "Humans tend to associates puppies with babies and often use high pitched phrases to get their attention. The canine's ear is sensitive to higher decibels, and he interprets it as soothing since it is normally associated with something good," Sui answered.
"Where the devil did that dog come from?" Helena demanded.
"Long Island," Sui answered truthfully.
Myka held onto the bundle of fuzzy black and white fur as she opened the door. There stood their friendly neighborhood detective who was selected by the Chief of Police to handle any and all complaints that had to do with a certain Central Park West resident who was a friend of the Mayor.
It was a full time job that Jane Tierney resented every time she was sent on a wild goose …or in this case, a wild puppy….. chase.
"Please tell me why you're cuddling with the stolen goods?" Jane asked Myka dryly.
Myka looked at the detective quizzically, as the puppy put his head back and let out the exact guttural howl that Myka had thought was Helena's.