Both women awoke to the feeling of a sense of purpose pulsing through their lives after
the past weeks of blissful low key living of languorous love-making, tending to day to day living and wandering on the beach hand in hand. Letting fate decide what the day had in mind for them and settling down between the sheets at night-time in a glorious state of nakedness was inexpressibly glorious. They knew that this had to change, to sense out their shared purpose in life with others who shared their universe.
"You know sweetheart we're going to get really busy. Things are changing,"Simone said thoughtfully as she sat on a stool in front of her mirror to put on her make-up. The bedroom mirror provided an interesting reversed image of the reality of their living space so she saw Annabelle pad softly up to her from behind but blissfully felt her lover's soft arms wrap themselves round her waist."Not that making love with you will ever get crowded out," she added
"You really want to be a rock and roll star then?" the younger woman said with a worrying tone of certainty in her voice as the question took Simone aback. She had never thought to ask herself that question before.
"I, I don't know, Annabelle,"Simone said hesitantly, seeking comfort from her lover's arms encircling her."Getting my singing and playing beyond the embarrassment factor and keeping up with you guys is enough for me right now. I know we'll have to hit the stage sometime."
"So how do you see us all in the future?" Annabelle said gently. Before she'd started school at St Theresa's she'd only performed with random bunches of musicians before going on to play with Cat Pegrum's brother's band at the end of year concert so she had dreamed her dreams longer than her lover had. She understood that Simone had a different perspective and respected it. Simone laid aside her lipstick and contemplated the question for a while as she felt her partner's loving presence as she laid soft kisses on her neck while her4 silence gave her space to develop her thoughts. She'd only thought in terms of being a fledgling songwriter, a singer and a competent guitarist in no particular order. Annabelle was pointing the way forward to an unreal fantasy vision of themselves or was there more in the four of them than first appeared to be the case?
"A band of sisters for a start and always remaining so,"Simone said in definite tones, speaking both into the mirror and to the reflected reality behind them."I want us to play our songs to women who can relate to our reality. I just haven't thought in terms of playing the Santa Monica Civic just yet. We need to work ourselves gradually up the hill and see where it takes us."
Simone's interesting and honest mix of certainty and uncertainty won Annabelle's heart all over again. It was what she wanted to hear as she laughed softly into her girlfriend's ear. ""Come here sweetheart. I just want to spoil your make-up so you end up having to redo it."
Simone happily turned round and let Annabelle settle on her lap. She did think she'd been a bit premature in getting out of bed so early without ministering to the ample needs of her lover who was busy sliding her green T-shirt over her head so that no obstacles remained between each other.
As the time crept onwards to Nikki and Helen's estimated time of arrival, Simone grew visibly more nervous and compulsively dusted the furniture and straightened the pictures.
"Hey relax," Annabelle's soothing voice broke in as her hands draped themselves on the tensed up shoulders."Those two British women are regular guys, believe me. They'll accept us as we are."
"I know," Simone said with downcast eyes, her face expressionless. Annabelle knew of old that her partner wasn't saying everything she felt.
"Honey why are you so scared? You can't really think Nikki and Helen will let us down? If they give their word on something, they give their hearts also. You know it really."
The younger woman's soft gentle gaze and her infinitely caring, infinitely soothing voice got through the wall of irrational panic that had suddenly raised itself around Simone. She nodded her head . Of course what Annabelle said was the certain truth. Their two new friends could be better trusted to hold its value than the American Dollar with all the gold reserves behind it.
"You're right," Simone said , exhaling a long breath of relief and she continued in rapid, confident tones."All we need is to have drinks and some party food and, most of all, ourselves."
After half an hour's bustling round the kitchen when they'd rustled up what they wanted, Simone's mobile beeped and Nikki's cheerful voice sounded in her ear, announcing their estimated time of arrival according to their latest gizmo, the Satnav. Sure enough, the two women could hear the rapid clattering sounds of heels on the wooden boards, excited chattering sounds of friendly voices and, lo and behold, their two friends appeared in the space that opened up before them, looking happy and glowing.
Simone and Annabelle opened their eyes wide and joyfully made it real to themselves that their experiences of their night out weren't some glorious but unreal fantasy experience, only to fade with the onset of daylight's reality. Nikki and Helen were exactly as they remembered if a little more casual and windswept. Nikki's blue jeans emphasised her lean physique and her sleeveless orange T-shirt showed off her suntan to superb advantage. Helen's summery dress, cut well above her knee was divinely shaped around her. After the pause, Helen guessed their thoughts as their friends seemed to hang back in an uncharacteristically shy fashion. This was the first of the series of slide-show images which the day moved through in lazily moving sequences for all of them.
"Nikki's such a sucker for driving real American convertible automobiles," Helen explained in her lively fashion. This broke the ice and which prompted them to exchange preliminary greetings and hugs.
"Helen and I share our very sensible red Peugeot car back in London. If we had a convertible back in England, the hood would be way more up than down. We'd be sure to get drowned on the first halfway sunny day which would really tempt fate for the weather to turn on us. This is one of my fantasies made real,"added Nikki with a soulful look in her eyes.
The two women's friendliness had that delightful effect of making them feel that there was only an invisible join between their last conversation and this one which carried on effortlessly from where the other had left off.
"Your British weather is that changeable?"Annabelle asked with a charming wide-eyed innocence that made her chew on her lip in embarrassment as she heard herself speak. Fortunately, Helen came to her rescue.
" 'They say it never rains in Southern California,'" quoted Helen with enthusiasm."I'm loving all this sun-tanned lifestyle over here, especially that night at Chico's. We were really made welcome."
"We're very traditional in our way, Helen and I," Nikki continued in her sprightly fashion with gentle irony,"but that doesn't mean that we have any trouble getting out and immersing ourselves in another culture. I for one have daydreamed about coming out here for years."
"I can really relate to that,"Simone slowly answered in her soulful fashion."I've had years of being first a pupil and then a teacher in a catholic school and I know it's so easy to settle into a comfort space and turn your back on the world. Luckily for me, Annabelle has more nerve than I have."
"Honey I haven't," protested Annabelle sweetly."You're the quietly determined one. There's nothing you can't do if you set your mind to it. You've proved it to me often enough."
The soft wind, the sun shining down on them all agreed with this female spirit who had come back to her home with her new love. The atmosphere felt good to them all.
"Do you want something to eat or drink? Do you want to sit out on the front porch?"Annabelle quietly suggested. It seemed a good idea and the couch was big enough for them all as they sipped fruit juices while the sun and the rhythms of the sea blessed them all while they chatted .
"Hey, how come I never saw your library before?" exclaimed Nikki a little while later, a fascinated glitter of a bibliophile in her eyes as they drifted inside. She had suddenly spotted the well stocked shelves "I must be really chilled out or otherwise, the first thing I notice in someone's house is the book and music collection or lack of it. It says something about the woman."
"Sure. I couldn't agree more," Simone agreed, a wide smile on her face. If nothing else, the two women were kindred souls in this respect.
"You don't mind if I look and see what you've got. Don't worry, I won't steal anything," Nikki said with an appealing look in her eyes while Helen looked on fondly. She knew of old the reverence Nikki had for books.
"Of course you can Nikki. This is such a compliment," Simone responded with outstretched arms a broad smile of appreciation spreading across her face as Nikki quickly squatted on the floor.
"Hey, you've got the 'Great Love Poems' collections. That's the first book I ever got when I first started my open university course,"Nikki said excitedly as she leafed her way through the sister volume to the one that was unaccountably left on her bookshelf back home."I should have brought it with me."
"I suppose you're going to say it's all my fault," laughed Helen, hands on her hips in a challenging pose." Have you any idea of the weight of books you made me pack even though you knew bloody well you'd lap up the cream of the books over here which you did? We're going to have to pay a fortune in excess baggage."
"Aren't you interested as well?" Nikki asked in a small, innocent voice while Annabelle and Simone fell about in helpless laughter at the humour in Helen's mock scolding, something that the lurking smile at the corner of her lips also acknowledged.
"Of course I am. I want to see Simone and Annabelle's books only I'm not so greedy," Helen retorted in her insouciant fashion. It didn't take her very long to take her place behind Nikki. Annabelle was intrigued enough to be happy to pick up the books Helen had handled and the two women had discussed. The younger woman relished the fact that yet more facets of her lover were revealed that she hadn't come across before. It meant that there was all eternity to discover fresh facets of this intriguingly guarded of women.