Chapter 16
"Rho," Mary exclaimed as they pulled up to the curb of the carriage house. It sat just behind the main, robin egg blue home. The snow-covered trees framed the outside of the matching carriage house and Rhoda could see the park from where they sat in the car. "It's gorgeous."
Rhoda had a good feeling about this place, it felt like home already. She sent up a prayer that this time they wouldn't have the same issue, that whoever the proprietor or proprietress - for she had spoken to a woman on the phone - would allow a Jew and Gentile to co-habitat peacefully. "Expensive though." Rhoda sighed, trying not to get her hopes up just yet.
They saw a woman emerging from the main home. She was wrapped in an elegant navy-blue coat, her white hair styled in a wave that came over left brow. She smiled at them, watching as they emerged from the car. "Hello, dears. I'm Hazel Sanderson." She smiled clasping Rhoda's hand first. "You must be Rhoda." Her hand was so warm despite the frigid winter day air.
"Yes, and this is Mary Richards." Rhoda moved so that the woman could clasp Mary's hand.
"So nice to meet you both. I feel as if I like you both very much already and we don't even know one another. You'll be sharing the place, I suspect?" She eyed them as she led them through a little gate that took them to the front door of the little house. It looked to be an old garage or stable that had been transformed into a quaint little home.
"Yes, ma'am. I hope that isn't an issue." Rhoda wanted nothing to be an issue this time for this already felt like the perfect home for them. She could feel Mary near her, smiled when she felt Mary's hand clasp lightly at her arm.
"No," Hazel's eyes sparkled as she opened the door to usher them inside. "I prefer females. You see I try not to meddle in my tenants lives but the last guy I rented the place to very near wrecked it. You both look responsible, tidy, neat."
"Well, Mary is quite clean so I assume she'll keep me in line." Rhoda winked.
They entered inside and came to a halt, eyes wide as they surveyed the gorgeous wooden interior, the high vaulted ceilings, the large paned windows that opened out to the park, the little alcove lined with bookshelves, the perfect little kitchenette with a breakfast nook. "Oh," Mary was speechless.
"Well walk around, the bedroom is over here, bathroom here. I just had it redone." Hazel walked about turning on lights.
"We'll take it." Rhoda blurted out without stepping another inch further. There was something about the place that made her want to never leave.
Hazel laughed, delighted by her earnestness. They walked every inch of the place, Rhoda's mind already racing ahead with ideas, how they might combine Mary's stuff with her own. There would be no pink walls, not in this place. There would be plants everywhere, Mary's couch there in the living room, Rhoda's "etc." sign there above the bookshelf that would house books and pothos.
"Why don't you two come with me to the main house and we'll have some tea and go over the paperwork." Hazel suggested, shutting off the lights, moving to open the main door.
"Really? You really want us?" Rhoda felt her heart racing, stomach flipping.
"I've always had a good intuition about people and something tells me you're both good people." Hazel winked, showed them to her backdoor and ushered them into her sprawling home. "I know it's much too big for one person. That's why I enjoy renting out the carriage house. To know someone else is nearby." She explained once they were seated and she was pouring tea.
"It's gorgeous." Mary exclaimed.
"Thank you. I inherited it from my parents." Hazel smiled, glancing around again as if she, herself had not seen the place for some time. Hazel was the perfect name for her, Rhoda realized, as she stared into her bright, sparkling hazel eyes. "I've lived here all my life."
"I'd never want to leave either if I'd grown up here. My family's apartment in the Bronx was the size of this room, you can imagine why I wanted to get outta there." Rhoda sighed. "I bet you enjoyed raising your family here."
Hazel froze for a moment, her hand stilling as she reached for the sugar. The smile on her face morphed into something else, something far off, reminiscent.
"Oh, I hope I didn't offend you." Rhoda had done it again, stuck her foot in her mouth. They'd never find a place at this rate!
"You didn't, dear. Not at all." Hazel assured her with a smile. "I lived with my friend, Lucille, for many years. Until she passed. Two years ago."
Rhoda felt her cheeks color. "Oh, I'm so sorry." Rhoda reached out and placed her hand over Hazel's.
Hazel patted her hand. "Thank you. She was certainly something. Always so full of life. She filled the house with laughter. She's still here. I don't think I could ever leave." Hazel spoke wistfully.
"I wish I could have met her. She sounds delightful." Mary grinned, her hand finding Rhoda's beneath the table.
"Oh, she would have loved you girls." Hazel laughed. "But enough about me. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to get to know one another unless you'd like for me to butt out and leave you be."
"Oh, I couldn't imagine that. You're lovely, Hazel." Rhoda grinned.
"Good, then let's talk this out. What do you two girls pay now for rent?"
"Well, I pay about $90 and Mare pays about $130." Mary's hand in hers felt thrilling.
"$220. I see. And I'm asking $275, but I like you both so much. And, quite honestly, I don't need the money. What if I met you at $225?"
"Oh, you would?" Rhoda clasped her hands together but Mary stopped her happiness.
"Uh, Rhoda. Do you think we should...should we?" Mary had that worried crease in her brow.
"Oh, Mare, I don't think...but..."
"If you think I'm concerned about your living arrangements I can assure you I don't mind at all." Hazel was smiling knowingly at them.
"Oh," Mary's cheeks colored then. "No, it's not…" Mary shook her head, fighting off the embarrassment. "No, thank you for that, but I'm…" Mary looked to Rhoda who nodded. For some reason Rhoda felt Hazel would understand. She seemed like just the kind of person who would be reasonable. Rhoda took Mary's hand again and squeezed it. "Well, you see I'm expecting. We're – I'm going to have a baby."
Hazel's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, thrilled by the news. She clasped her hands together. "Congratulations, dear."
"Th-thank you." Mary stuttered, Rhoda squeezing her hand again, laughing.
"Oh, how wonderful! A child in the house. Oh, how very lucky."
"So you're not going to take back the house because we really like it." Rhoda grinned.
"Of course not, I think if anyone deserves this place it's the two of you. You need to nest, to settle in. Let's get these signed and get you into the place as soon as possible. How does that sound? It's vacant so as soon as you pay the deposit you're welcome to move in." Hazel pushed the papers towards them.
Rhoda looked to Mary, they smiled at one another. This was going to be their new home.
Rhoda carried another box into the space, looking around at the mess they had made of it. How attractive it had been while bare and now they had ruined it with all their stuff. Mary was buried in the kitchen unloading dishes, looking adorable in her painting button-up and jeans with a scarf about her head. Rhoda moved to her, "I think that might have been the last box." Rhoda grinned, happy to finally have the moving truck gone and Mary's car emptied out.
"We're going to be unpacking until after this baby arrives," Mary sighed, relaxing into Rhoda's arms as she circled them about her. They surveyed the abysmal scene before them, boxes upon boxes.
"Hey, we'll get it done before then." Rhoda pressed a kiss to Mary's cheek. "We have a few months to go yet." She buried her lips against Mary's neck.
"Cut it out. Don't start something or else we'll really never get unpacked." Mary joked, but made no move to pull herself from Rhoda's embrace.
"Whatever are you talking about, Mrs. Rhoda Morgenstern?" Rhoda laughed, her hand wandering beneath the button up to rub briefly over Mary's protruding abdomen. She could feel the baby kick right where her hand rested. She loved when the kid did that. The baby was already so strong, so full of life, a real fighter, Rhoda could tell. "Don't you need a break, you've been working awfully hard today?"
"Hey, wait a minute. Why am I Mrs. Rhoda Morgenstern? What if you're Mrs. Mary Richards?"
"Mary Morgenstern-Richards?" Mary laughed, turning in Rhoda's embrace to press their lips together.
"Rhoda Richards-Morgenstern?" Mary breathed against her lips. God, her name on Mary's lips drove her wild. Her fingers moved to undo Mary's jeans' zipper and Mary didn't protest. She was always ready to go recently. Rhoda could ghost her finger over Mary's arm and Mary would practically shove her up against a wall.
"Mary Richards-Morgenstern." Rhoda's hands went to unbutton Mary's jean shirt, fingers covering, cupping Mary's hardened nipples.
"Rhoda Morgenstern- oh….Richards." Mary couldn't concentrate anymore on what they were saying. Rhoda's fingers tangled in her bra, mouth covering the exposed nipple. "Please." She gasped. Rhoda pressed her against the countertop, the duo working until Mary was seated on the edge. Rhoda's fingers moved downwards, lips on Mary's breast, hand between her legs. She could feel Mary's wetness, reveled in the warmth there that was hers and hers alone to savor, to play in, to touch, to love.
"Oh, Rhoda." Mary gasped, hands wrapping about Rhoda, pulling her closer to her, hips moving in time with Rhoda's hand.
"You're so beautiful, Mare. So fucking perfect." Rhoda's voice was horse, raspy with desire as she watched Mary tangle her fingers in her own hair, head back against the cabinet door.
Mary reached down and cupped her own breasts, holding them, rolling her nipples in her fingers.
"Oh, fuck, kid." Rhoda could barely stand it when Mary touched herself.
"Harder, Rhoda, oh…" Mary bit her lip, body moving more hastily, racing towards her end. Rhoda knew how to please her now, exactly what she liked, exactly what worked. It took a simple swipe of her finger and Mary was falling, grasping onto her.
Rhoda pulled her close, kissing her all over, kissing every inch she could reach. "So fucking beautiful." She loved the moments right after when Mary was ruined, when her clothes hung off awkwardly, when her hair was out of place, when her cheeks were flushed, when she was so undone. Seeing her this way made Rhoda love her all the more.
"Oh, Rhoda," Mary playfully hit at her, arms still limp. "You little minx."
"Me? I think that is you, Mrs. Richards." Rhoda laughed and stepped away from her wife, helping her down from the counter.
"I've never felt this way with anyone. I don't know what comes over me." Mary re-buttoned her shirt, Rhoda helping her back into her pants.
"I guess I just have that effect on people." Rhoda winked, leaning in to press her lips to Mary's, to smooth over her hair.
"Are you okay?" Mary eyed her, looked her over.
"Yeah, sure, kid. You can help me out once we get the bedroom unpacked." Rhoda grinned.
"Oh, you're a tease, Morgenstern. A real tease. That could take days!" Mary cried.
"Hey, why don't we order a pizza and get the living room sorted out. Maybe if we uncover the couch you can pay me back then." Rhoda offered, moving to check if the phone was working yet.
She was surprised when Mary smacked her behind. "Sounds good to me, I'm going to go wash up."
Rhoda laughed, picking up the phone. There was a dial tone. Thank goodness she'd memorized the pizza parlor's phone number years ago.