Sixteen
They were hands gliding from the back of her head down her back. The sensation was sensual and warm, making her feel things that she hadn't felt in a very long time. Suddenly, there was a mouth on her neck, on her shoulders, hair long and wispy trailed down her body. She reached out, a lithe body covering hers, the face above her indiscernible. "Jade," a whisper, and Jade opened her eyes as the dream slowly faded, allowing the real world to nudge her, dragging her consciousness back to the present. She forced her eyes open to see the soft light of her phone on the nightstand, which told her it was 8 o'clock, and it was very dark.
Dark, she realized, as her ears caught the howl of wind and the patter of rain against the window. Stormy. She rolled slowly over, gingerly moving her head at the lack of pain. She was a little groggy from the medication, and her mouth felt dry as she blinked at the ceiling. A soft rustle made her breath hitch, then she remembered she wasn't alone in the condo.
"Ah…" a faint, worried frown on her face, and she barely remembered Tori's gentle touch before she went to sleep. It had been warm and pleasant, and for some reason, that called up the memory of her dream – which she shoved back down in irritation.
Should she have allowed it? The executive nibbled her lip, considering the slender line. It crossed, and she shrugged.
Chill out, Jade, the woman was just trying to help. She was probably uncomfortable as hell doing that, so at least remember to thank her.
She rolled out of bed with a yawn and trudged to the bathroom, blinking at her disheveled look in the mirror. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to order it a little, and gave up, walking quietly into the living room, where she stopped suddenly. A small smile touched her lips as she surveyed Tori's sleeping form, tucked into the corner of the couches, her hand lying on a pile of papers she must've used with the printer. The brown head was resting on the soft padded arm, and she had thrown her jacket over her shoulders for warmth. Asleep, her face was open and innocent as a child's, and Jade felt surprising affection brewing for the Latina woman. Silently, she padded back into the bedroom and pulled a soft blanket from the closet, returning to settle it gently over Tori's sleeping body before she continued into the kitchen.
The weather was lashing against the side windows, and Jade glanced out, surprised to see the fog that enveloped her house. She couldn't even see the coastline beyond.
"Huh," she leaned against the counter, peering out. "What's up with this, I wonder?" She reached behind her and turned on the small cabinet-mounted television, flipping through the channels rapidly. "Let's see… Sensational, local news… Maybe channel 7." She let the remote rest, seeing the weather map and a concerned weatherman with a bad toupee.
She turned the sound up a little. "That doesn't look good."
"There is a wild fog settling over the entire Bay Area. If you don't have to go out in this soupy fog, please, please stay home. The driving rain seems to have come back. This fall has seen record rainfall, there are flash floods happening throughout San Francisco. Please be wary of high water."
"Fuck me," Jade cursed. "It's November, dammit."
This kind of thing didn't happen until mid-December to January. "I thought we still had time." A soft sound behind her made her turn to see Tori entering the kitchen. The blanket was wrapped around her shoulders, and she had a puzzled, somewhat concerned look on her face.
"What's wrong?"
Jade gestured to the television. "It's really stormy out," she explained. "Out of nowhere."
Tori peered at the screen and up at her. "What does that mean?"
A dark brow cocked. "Well… For one thing, it means you're stuck here." She picked up the phone and dialed the gate of the community. "Hello, Rocky, this is Jade West. What's going on?" She listened. "I figured. Thanks." She hung up. "Yep… There are several downed trees on the road, and the soupy fog has settled over the island."
Tori considered this. "… Sorry… I guess I should have left when I had the chance. I just wanted to get those reports done, and then I guess I was tired, so I thought I'd close my eyes for a minute…" She gave Jade an apologetic look. "How are you feeling?"
A flutter of quiet worry crossed Jade's face as a memory of what had triggered the migraine surfaced. "I'm fine," she answered shortly. "That stuff worked great." She glanced around. "I'd better get candles and flashlights out, no telling how long the power might be off." She stepped to the edge of the window and pressed a hidden switch. Better get the shutters down, too. Mechanically, protective shutters slid down over the huge ocean-view windows, clanking down with a rattle and whining to a halt. With Jade's large windows and patio doors, the shutters gave an extra measure of protection against the furious winds outside.
"Great," Tori said, her gaze following the other woman to the pantry. "Do you mind if I take off my shoes?"
Jade looked up from the emergency supplies she had pulled out, then disappeared into the laundry room behind the pantry. She returned, tossing Tori a pair of shorts and an oversized t-shirt. "This will be better to sleep in than whatever you're wearing anyway."
Tori caught the garments and glanced at them, then gave Jade a quick grin. "Makes sense." She took the clothing with her into the bathroom near the study and quickly changed, stifling a giggle at the huge shirt as she put it on. Stepping out of the bathroom, she found Jade still in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and looking quietly at her hands, which were folded in front of her. Tori could see the concern on her face, and she leaned next to her with a smile. "So… Is this like a hurricane party?" Tori asked with a smirk.
Jade looked up at her. "We don't get hurricanes here… but fog and heavy rain are pretty abnormal too, so…"
"I wonder what they do at hurricane parties," Tori mused aloud.
"I don't know," Jade said. "Probably get all the perishables and make a feast… I've got canned stuff… but I don't have much that needs to be eaten right away because I am just never here."
"What kind of canned stuff?" Tori said, her interest piqued.
Jade indicated the closet. "I have no idea. I had someone else do the shopping for me; I was too busy to do it myself."
Tori walked toward the pantry and took a look for herself. "You don't cook much, do you?" she tossed over her shoulder. "Let's see… I can make something out of this…"
"I can burn a little, I've just never really had the time. So I just don't do it at all," Jade answered. She noticed neither of them were mentioning what happened before she fell asleep, and she was relieved. Maybe Tori had forgotten about it… Or maybe she was a little embarrassed too and wanted Jade to forget about it. Either way, the executive felt better about leaving the subject closed. It had been a favor, nothing more, right?
Tori sighed, selecting some items and putting them on the counter. "Well, I've gotten myself stuck here in your face, so I might as well make myself useful." She went to the refrigerator and studied the contents. "Hmm… I like challenges. Ah…" She rummaged through the freezer and retrieved several frosty boxes, which she also set on the counter. "Don't you have anything, um… like a pot?"
Silently, Jade pointed to the cupboard. "What are you doing?"
Brown eyes regarded her in mild amusement. "I'm cooking. That's what this room in your house is for, you know?" Tori grinned at Jade's expression. Then she turned to the cabinet. "Let's see… you said you had cereal," she opened the door, then turned and put her hands on her hips. "Jade West, I am not seeing Tony the Tiger in your pantry, am I?"
Jade hung her head and looked up at Tori through dark lashes. "With a sheepish grin, "Corn and sugar are two of the food groups, right?" she inquired hopefully. "Let me guess… you do Grape Nuts," the woman added with a grimace.
Tori glanced around, then tiptoed over to her and whispered, "Cocoa Krispies, but don't you tell anyone."
They shared a conspiratorial grin. Then both realized almost at the same time that something had just changed. They looked at each other quietly, searchingly. Jade let out a breath and nodded, just a little. Tori nodded back, and subtly, a connection was made- a foundation of friendship was laid that they both felt and accepted.
"Right… well, let me get to it. You must be hungry. I know I am," Tori finally said, glancing at her choices.
"All right. I'm going to log in and make sure they're prepping the building," Jade replied, still gazing at Tori. "I'll be in the study if you need anything."
Brown eyes lifted and met blue for a long, searching moment, then dropped away. "Okay- I finished up a bunch of stuff… and I reprinted the reports you had asked me for."
Jade nodded and slipped out of the kitchen, leaving Tori to her thoughts and the seldom-used kitchen.
The page on the screen held surely an important email. Jade ran her eyes over it for the sixth time but still didn't absorb its contents. Her thoughts drifted off into some other realm with disgusting ease. Enticing scents from the kitchen kept distracting her, and she tried to remember the last time someone had cooked something just for her, without her having to pay for it one way or the other.
She remembered her father cooking eggs and bacon- his one and only specialty- on the morning she'd come home to find him saucily sitting in the living room, his freshly pressed fatigues almost blending into her furniture. "Just stopping through," he'd said, on his way out.
Out to Saudi Arabia, he'd meant. Out of life was what it had been. Jade glanced at the picture and felt her heart clench. It wasn't that they'd even spent much time with each other in the last few years; it was that he, alone among all of the people she'd ever known, had understood her.
He'd understood the competitiveness and the fierce will, and the desire to conquer, that seemed to have been transmitted directly from father to daughter in equal measure. Jade had understood him in all his complexity. His had been the only approval she'd ever needed, and when that picture had been taken… Her eyes flickered to the frame. He'd strode up after she'd won the tournament, put his arm around her, and told anyone who cared to listen that "this is my kid." It had filled her with a sense of belonging that nothing, and no one, had ever equaled.
Then he was gone, and she'd sworn at his graveside that she would never, ever let anyone touch her heart like that again.
Never.
But now… Softly, gently, someone was scratching at the door- someone who was as different from her as anyone she'd ever known. Her mind told her she was crazy to let it happen. Her heart told her she was helpless to prevent it. Her conscience reminded her that time… was no longer without limits.
Would it hurt her to let a little friendship into her life? Even here, even now, during the storm, and in the most awkward of circumstances, there was something warm and comforting about the sounds rattling out of the kitchen- noises made by another person whose presence was unexpectedly welcome.
The wind vibrated against the shutters, sounding like dried bones clattering together. Jade nodded quietly to herself, and this time, she read the email.
Tori took a last taste, then gave her creation a satisfied look. She'd managed to find some frozen chicken strips, frozen shrimp, and two packages of frozen snow peas, all of which she stir-fried, adding spices whose seals she had to break. Then she made a sauce with peanut butter, milk, and a little sugar, more spices, and some ginger. She'd steamed a pot of rice from the bag in the cupboard and found Jade's stash of plum wine.
"Alright…" She took out two plates and washed the dust off them, then went to the study door and peered in.
Jade was staring at the screen, the light from it washing her pale complexion out. After a moment, her pale eyes turned and met Tori's, and a dark brow edged up in question.
"Dinner is ready."
She got a genuine smile back. "Smells interesting." Jade stood and stretched, then came around the desk and followed Tori into the kitchen like a curious child. She peered over the other woman's shoulder at the pot and sniffed appreciatively. "Mmm."
Tori stiffened, her insides quaking and her heart racing. That sound, almost the one she had been craving at that moment, went straight to her groin. She swallowed as the two carried their plates into the living room, and rather than use the big table, settled on the coffee table just for the hell of it, and they ate by the flickering light of the TV that Jade had turned on. Tori had thought it was just a painting, but it was a whole TV with a picture frame and all.
SpongeBob's maniacal laugh echoed in the nearly silent room, as Jade blushed and changed the TV to the weather channel. "Um…"
Tori chuckled. "Don't worry about it. I like Nick shows too… Nick Rewind is my favorite thing to watch to unwind."
Jade smiled and put the remote down, leaving it on the weather channel. The news of the weather there reminded her to call Andre and make sure her apartment door was closed tight. Then she turned to see Jade looking quietly at her plate, eating slowly and absently.
Okay, so we're stuck here with each other, for I don't know how long. Something is bugging her, and she's a very private person. I should keep my nose out of her business. Right? Right.
She ate a few more bites then eyed Jade's silent profile. Then she bowed to the inevitable. "Do you want to talk about it?" She felt comfortable saying the words, for some reason.
Jade paused in mid-chew and looked up at her, startled. "Talk about what?"
"About whatever it is that's bothering you," Tori replied softly. "Look, I know it's none of my business, but here we are, and I'm a pretty good listener." She paused, then went on. "Sometimes it's easier to talk to someone you don't know that well."
Jade chewed slowly, and swallowed her mouthful as she considered the offer. Then she took a breath and released it slowly, surrendering quietly and without much regret.
"It is your business, actually," Jade stated evenly. "I won't be at work on Tuesday. You'll need to attend the staff meeting for me." She ate another piece of chicken. "I have to check into the hospital. They want to run a bunch of tests on me." She considered. "On my heart."
Tori was at a loss for words. She hadn't expected this at all, and now that she knew, there was a sense of panic and manic hope that Jade was all right. Because she just selfishly didn't want to not have her around. "Well…" She hesitated, not knowing exactly what to say. "They're just tests. Maybe they won't find anything…"
"I know what they're going to find," Jade replied quietly. "They're going to find that I have a malfunctioning valve." She kept her eyes on her hands, which rested together to keep from trembling. "My father had it." She picked up her fork then and took another bite, outwardly very composed.
Tori took her cue from that. "They can do something about that, right? I know I heard about some stuff they have been doing with stents lately that's helped immensely."
Jade pressed her lips together and nodded an acknowledgment. "Probably."
Tori looked at her. "How can you be so calm? I'd be a nervous wreck."
A slight shrug. "Nothing I can do about it. I'm going to drive down there early on Tuesday- probably have to stay overnight."
"Jade?"
Jade looked up from her plate. "Mmm?"
Tori hesitated. "Listen, I know this is going to sound crazy, but… I don't want to go to that staff meeting," Tori said. "I'd rather take the day off and go down there with you."
Jade stared at her in honest surprise. "Why?"
Oh, very good question. Tori wondered about that herself. "No one should have to go through something like that alone," she said finally. "Couldn't you use a little company?"
With a sputter, the lights went out, leaving them staring at each other in the low golden light of the candle, which painted them in tones of ochre and black. After a long silence, Jade finally dropped her gaze back to her plate.
"All right," she agreed softly. "It's a long day of mostly waiting. I'd appreciate someone intelligent to talk to." She pushed her food around the plate, then looked up. "Um… thanks. I'm not really fond of hospitals."
Tori felt a quiet satisfaction in Jade's acceptance. "You're welcome."
Turning her attention back to her own plate, Tori watched Jade with more enthusiasm this time. "Is the dinner okay?"
The blinking blue eyes had turned almost hazel in the candlelight. "It's great. Didn't I say that before?" Jade took a big mouthful of rice. "How did you do this with what I had? Do you have magic?"
"Imagination," Tori smiled, then ducked as the building shuddered. "Jade… are we safe here?"
"Huh?" Jade looked up from her plate once more. "Oh… sure. The house is quake-proof, so a little wind isn't going to do anything."
As something slammed against the shutters, Tori jumped, this time right against her companion. "Sorry," she muttered, drawing away. "I just hate storms."
Jade smirked and poked Tori with her elbow. "DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT," she said with a slight smirk.
"Easy for you to say…" They smiled at each other and returned to their plates. Tori realized that the house certainly did seem to be getting warm pretty fast, now that the central air had stopped running. At least she was starting to feel warm.
Flushed, in fact. Maybe it was the spicy food.
After they finished, Jade suggested they go into the study where she'd left the shutters off a small window so she could open it to get some air into the place. She put a large cinnamon-scented candle on the desk. The winds howled, and the rattle of the shutters came through over the ceaseless pounding of the surf outside.
"I guess it was a lot worse if this was Florida, huh?" Tori asked quietly, tucking her legs up under her and leaning on the arm of the couch.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. It could be worse."
"Do you have any stories about here?" Tori asked.
"Yeah, nothing major- a thirty-six footer. It was my aunt's. It kind of came with this place," Jade answered, leaning back in her chair and putting her bare feet on the desk. "Every once in a long while, I take it out just to cruise around."
"A slow nod. "I like boating. We used to take sailboats - the really big ones- out on the east coast in the summer. I learned to sail one of the racing kinds. That was a lot of fun."
She considered. "You don't do much swimming, though… it's kind of cold up there," she looked up. "Can you dive here… I want to get a diving certification someday."
"I have one… But you don't want to do that here. There is nothing to see. We'd have to take a trip to the Keys one day and go diving," Jade said without thinking. She fiddled with a pencil that had been on her desktop. "It's never smart to go diving alone, so I haven't gone in a long time."
Tori soaked it all in, the spoken words and the unspoken ones. "I've always wanted to see what that was like. I used to watch Nat Geo all the time and wonder."
A quick smile chased itself on and off Jade's face. "We'll go to the Keys; it will be fun," she commented offhandedly. "It's beautiful out there on a nice, sunny day when it's calm. The sun filters down through the water, and you can see all kinds of fish… in every color." She leaned down and pulled open a desk drawer, tugging out a folder and leafing through its contents. Then handing it over to Tori. "Here… see for yourself."
Tori got up and perched on the desk, tilting the folder toward the candle to get the light. She looked slowly through the pictures within it, examining them in fascination. Most were of fantastically shaped coral formations with clouds of fish over them. Tori wished it were daylight so she could see the colors better. One picture was of a huge flat striped fish that seemed to be staring right into the camera lens.
"Oh… wow," she looked up at the quietly watching woman.
"Did you take these?"
"Mmhmm… most of them at John Pennekamp Park down in the Florida Keys. But this one… and these two… were off of Bermuda," Jade put a fingertip on the striped fish. "He didn't like me taking this picture. Right after I snapped this, he got right up in my face and whacked me with his tail."
Tori leaned closer to the light, peering at the fish. "Mmm… I bet that hurt."
A hand lifted gently and pushed her hair back. "Careful… we wouldn't want you catching fire," Jade replied. "You can't imagine the paperwork I'd have to fill out."
Tori pushed the endangered locks back behind her ear and smiled. "Yikes…. You're right." She turned to the next picture. This one was of Jade in a sleek black two-piece swimsuit, a scuba tank propping up one elbow and a huge lobster in her other hand, Tori couldn't help but express her amazement. "Good grief… how much did that thing weigh?"
Jade peered over her arm. "Me, or the lobster?" she chuckled. "Ten pounds. It was huge. The damn thing dragged me half across the reef before he tired out and I could bag him."
"Mmm." Tori studied the picture, a faint curious smile twitching her lips. "Did you have him for dinner?"
"Nah," Jade said cheerfully. "That big… well, after four pounds or so, the taste starts to go down. No, I took the picture then let him go."
"Oh… I did that too… when we went fishing, I only did catch and release," Tori admitted. "It got everyone mad at me. I'd catch these huge fish, and the guys would fight them for an hour, finally drag them on board, and then I'd let them go…" She lingered over the photo for a moment more then went on to the next.
"Do you have a big family?" Jade asked gently.
Tori kept her focus on the pictures. "Oh… well, kinda. My mother and father, of course. I have a twin sister, Shelby- She's in law school, and an older sister Trina, who's married and has one child, with another on the way."
"Tell me about your family. What's it like having siblings?" Jade prodded delicately.
Tori felt her chest tighten. "It's alright, I guess. More to have someone to talk to." She glanced aside. "Do you have any siblings?"
Jade shook her head. "No… I always wondered what it would be like - though it would have been nice to have a sister or something." She paused and probed delicately. "Your mom's a senator, right?"
Tori nodded, and Jade's curiosity was sparked. "That must be a little strange… everything's kind of public record, isn't it?"
Tori's eyes flickered, her hands clenched lightly around the folder. "More or less, yeah," she said, feeling her throat tighten. She cleared it quietly. "It's like anything else, I guess… you get used to it."
A silence fell. Jade cleared her own throat. "You want to talk about it?" The dark-haired woman echoed the sentiments from before.
The brown eyes jerked up and met hers, startled, and a little afraid. The flickering candlelight threw her shadow against the far wall with menacing size, and she studied Jade's face for an endless moment before letting her gaze drop to the desk. "Not really, no."
Jade winced, feeling the sting of vulnerability. She shrugged quietly. "Alright."
Tori dragged her eyes back up at the words, her jaw working a little. "I guess that sounds harsh coming from someone who was asking you to do the same just a little while ago, huh?"
"It's your life," Jade replied evenly. "You have the right to keep it to yourself." She found a paper clip on her desk and started to play with it, twisting the metal into a shape.
The silence settled again and went on longer. Tori closed her eyes and listened to the whipping surf outside and the trees slapping against the outer wall. How much could she say without going into everything? Well, fair is fair, Tori.
"My parents are very… they have very high expectations of us." She slipped off the desk and went back to the couch, curling up into a ball against one end of it. "My mother believes it's her duty to … I don't know … have her family be the example of a perfect American family.
Jade remained silent, keeping her opinion of both the policy and Tori's mother to herself. They'd run headlong into the senator more than once, and she was currently trying to oust them from some government contracts not controlled by the military and also ban some of the more violent games on her platform.
"That's a tough thing to deal with," she said very quietly. "But she shouldn't have any complaints about you, surely."
A short laugh. "I'm not married, and barefoot in the kitchen with two kids." Tori stared at the wall. "I had to pretend to be majoring in something "fit for me" in college. They don't want to hear the word career at all."
"Ah, that explains the English double major," Jade said in realization.
Tori glanced at her, surprised, then rubbed her temples. "I forgot you had my resume."
She managed a thin smile. "Yes, by the time I graduated, it was too late for them to protest and I had my degree." She took a breath. "I took an entry-level job with Sperry. God, how they hated that… it was a fight just about every day. The only thing that saved me was that Daniel was going to Law school."
Knowing that Tori had spent some years in the IS field, Jade was puzzled. "What happened?"
A cynical smile crossed the younger woman's face. "Barack Obama happened. All of a sudden, it was a prudent precaution to have someone in the family who knew how those people thought and was into the tech stuff."
"Ah," Jade digested that. "But they still give you a hard time," she hazarded a guess.
"Yeah," Tori sighed, resting her chin on her arm.
"Who's Daniel?"
Tori rolled her eyes. "My so-called fiancé."
Both of Jade's dark brows shot up to her hairline, giving the woman almost a comical air of startlement. After a moment, she schooled her face into a more casual expression. "I… um… What do you mean, 'so-called'?"
Tori sighed. "We grew up together. We've been friends forever - since we were in strollers, practically. He's a really sweet guy, nice looking, just graduating from law school. And he likes me," she rested her chin against her arm. "Actually, he's in love with me… or so he said."
"But?"
"But… When I look at him, he's just a friend," Tori replied ruefully.
"So … no butterflies," Jade joked gently. "No heart racing, or eye sex happening there, huh?"
Tori stared at her in silence for a few heartbeats. The description she was referring to… Tori had only ever felt that with one person… "N… no," she finally stammered. "Not… it's not like that with… him… no." She paused. "Is that what love is supposed to feel like?"
Jade snorted. "Shit if I know…" she shrugged, glad for the darkness in the room. "But I'm told when you meet your true love, something like it happens. You know… um… it's like your body knows, even before you do."
"Mmm… Oh… Okay… I've heard of that," Tori pushed her hair back behind an ear. "God, you were right. It's getting pretty warm in here, isn't it?" She glanced up to find hooded blue eyes watching her and a slight, almost puzzled little smile on Jade's face.
"So, that's my story, I guess… My folks give me a hard time over living out here with the hoodlums and gays. They think it's decadent and licentious," she sighed. "When I go home for Christmas, all I'll hear is plans for the wedding, and where I'll live, and…"
Jade got up and circled the desk, then crouched down next to her, her features almost wholly in shadow as she blocked the light from the candle. "You don't have to do what they want. You know that, right?"
Tori's eyes held a quiet, shuttered sorrow. "It's easy for you to say that," she laid her cheek against her forearm. "I have a responsibility to my family."
Jade sat down on the floor and leaned back against the couch, facing away from her companion. "I used to believe that too," she murmured. "After my father died, I thought my responsibility was taking care of my mother… I was going to give up the company… move to Florida…"
Tori gazed at the dark, sleeping head inches from her face. Almost hypnotically, she watched her fingers reach out, and tangle themselves in an errant lock. "Why didn't you?" She asked softly.
"She told me she didn't want anything to do with me," Jade's voice was quiet and matter-of-fact. "I reminded her too much of what she'd lost," she turned her head, feeling a slight tug on her hair, and glanced at Tori. "That's when I figured out the only person I was ever going to be responsible for was myself." She held Tori's eyes. "Follow your heart, Tori… don't live for someone else's dreams."
It was the closest they'd ever been to each other - mere inches separating them - so close they were breathing the same air. So close Tori could see the faint, almost invisible scar just above Jade's right eye. And the crystal clarity, even in the low light, of her pale blue irises. She became aware of the sound that she only later realized was her own heartbeat hammering in her ears.
"I… I'll try to… keep that in mind," she stuttered.
Jade turned her eyes toward the door, breaking the tension. "Can I interest you in more of that peanut stuff?"
Tori swallowed a few times. "Um… sure… They were small plates." They exchanged uncomfortable glances, then laughed in thinly veiled relief.
