STIRRED 3 page

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 390.

"Hello."

"Anna! We missed you tonight."

"Hi Sandy! I'm sorry I couldn't make it. Did you guys have a good time?"

"We certainly did. In fact, some of us had a little better time than others."

Uh-oh! She presumed this meant Lily. "What's my little girl done?"

"Nothing, but we're not letting her drive home. Do you want to come get her, or can we keep her for the night?"

Anna thought about the fun they'd had last weekend when Lily had let herself go, and was momentarily tempted to dash out the door. On the other hand, she probably wouldn't have time to take Lily out to Sherman Oaks tomorrow to pick up her car, so the latter option made more practical sense. "Why don't you keep her for the night? I'm beat. I was just about to get in the tub. Would that be alright?"

"Of course. I'll have her call you in the morning."

"Is she there right now?"

"Yeah, but she's in the bathroom losing an excellent Chicken Lyon."

* * *

Out of the corner of her eye, Anna saw the familiar X-5 drive onto the lot and pull around back. No fewer than two dozen of the silver SUVs stopped in across any given week, but somehow the car dealer sensed when her lover was behind the wheel. Excusing herself from Holly's office, she made her way through the customer lounge to the back door, just in time to greet the cute little blonde. "This is a nice surprise," she said excitedly. "I missed you last night."

"Me too you, Amazon." She tugged the car dealer into a receded doorway so she could steal a hug and a quick kiss. On top of dealing with a formidable hangover this morning, she was more than a little put out at waking up alone in a strange bed. "You should have come for me," she pouted. "I would have made it worth your while."

Of that, Anna had no doubt. "I'm sorry baby. I didn't get home until pretty late, and I was already in the tub when Sandy called." A white lie.

"You're not going to work all day, are you?" It wasn't a question really, and they both knew it.

"No," the car dealer acquiesced. She needed time with the blonde as much as Lily needed time with her. "Let me finish up with Holly. I'll be 30 minutes behind you. What do you want to do this afternoon?"

"Just come home, Amazon. I'll worry about the entertainment," her voice was low and seductive.

Thirty minutes turned into 90 minutes, but Lily dismissed her irritation when Anna walked in and immediately pulled her upstairs to the master suite. Today was Sunday, and on Sundays, they took their time with one another, finding many ways to bring pleasure in the bright light of day.

* * *

Pauline made her way down the hall as soon as she saw Lily slip into Lauren's office. "Did you guys get a present yet?" The 21-year-old secretary hadn't had much experience in the social graces.

"I got them a set of sheets and towels from the web site where they registered." Lily prided herself on her efficiency and web shopping prowess. As far as she was concerned, the internet was the only civilized way to shop.

"I got them a place setting at Bloomingdales," Lauren added.

All three women kept their voices low so that Tony wouldn't overhear. Come Saturday at four o'clock, hearts all over town would break as their boss ceased being one of LA's most eligible bachelors. Colleen Turner, a young widow with two small children, had applied for an internship at the firm last fall, hoping to get some hands-on experience with the social services system. Colleen was fresh out of law school, and had always aspired to practice family law. Her skills and interests fit nicely with the firm's caseload, but she hadn't yet taken the bar exam. Tony had simply been blindsided when the woman claimed his heart.

"I'm a little confused," Pauline said. "I got them some of the crystal, but I don't know what to do for the shower tonight. Were we supposed to get another gift?"

"Technically, yes," Lauren answered. "Everything around a wedding is designed as an opportunity to give a gift."

"That's what I was afraid of. I'm going to have to rush out of here after work and pick up something else."

Lily knew the secretary lived on a budget, so she glanced at Lauren, who was already on the same wavelength. "We got a tablecloth and dinner napkins. Why don't you just sign our card? It'll be from the office."

"Aw, that would be great! Thanks."

"No problem," Lily said. "Say, Colleen's sister lives pretty close to my neighborhood. Why don't we meet at my house and go in one car?"

"Good idea! Is Anna going to come too?" Lauren really liked the car dealer. Anna had cut them a sweet deal on a 540i.

"No, she's covered up with work right now. Her dad stepped down last week and she's trying to get her new staff organized." Lily was glad for something to do tonight. The house had been pretty lonely these last few days. Except Sunday afternoon.

At six o'clock, the three women pulled up in front of Colleen's sister's home in Lauren's BMW. "Are these people movie stars?" Pauline asked, awed at the Brentwood mansion.

"Not exactly. But I think Colleen's brother-in-law is a big shot at one of the major recording companies." Lauren and Colleen had gotten to be pretty good friends, so she knew a little about the woman's family.

The women were greeted by a uniformed servant, who showed them into a lively party, complete with piano music and an open bar. No fewer than a hundred women filled the room, the chatter spilling over onto the patio. Lily spotted Colleen and they weaved their way through the room to say hello.

Pauline was sent to the bar, but came back empty handed. "They have no merlot. The caterer forgot to stock it. What's your second choice?"

"I don't care," said Lauren. "But I don't like sweet drinks."

Lily unconsciously made a face. "Me neither."

Pauline, the youngest of the three, spoke up. "I had a vodka martini once. It was pretty good, and it wasn't sweet."

"I'll try it," Lauren shrugged.

"Me too."

Five vodka martinis later, Lily was guided to the car and deposited in the front seat. "I like vodka," she slurred. "A lot."

"So we can tell." Lauren had watched her friend down three drinks hastily, and hurried to feed her the hors d'oeuvres. Two drinks later, she was smashed. "Your girlfriend's going to kick my ass," she lamented.

"She won't be home," Lily scowled. She was right. Lauren and Pauline helped their coworker to bed, and let themselves out.

Anna arrived shortly before midnight, dead on her feet. The little blonde was sound asleep, turned on her side away from her lover. Anna kissed her softly behind the ear, and drifted off immediately.

* * *

Anna was excited to finally have the evening away from her office. Things were going better, but she found that her strategy sessions with Hal were consuming the day, and all the paperwork was waiting for her when the doors closed and the sales staff went home. Holly was doing a great job managing the inventory and getting cars out the door, but Anna was growing more and more frustrated with the errors in her paperwork. She'd finally called her in on Thursday night to talk about it, and Holly told her of her problems with dyslexia. There were ways to get around it, she'd said, and if Anna would be patient, she would come up with a plan. In the meantime, someone would have to check all of her contracts.

"You'd better not be thinking about work, Amazon. You're mine tonight." Lily smiled at her partner's reflection in the long bathroom mirror as they readied for Tony's big day.

"You got it, sweetheart." Lily was right. Anna felt bad enough about being at the office so much lately. She wasn't going to make it worse by dwelling on work things when she wasn't there.

"Zip me?" Lily offered her back.

Anna seized the moment to kiss the back of the woman's exposed neck and shoulder. "This is my favorite dress," she murmured. "I remember the first time I saw this dress." It was the black one Lily had bought for her dinner with Anna at Empyre's on the day her divorce became final.

"That was the first time I wore it. I bought it that afternoon so I'd have something to wear to a fancy restaurant. In fact, there was something scratching me in the rib all night, and when I got home, I found the tag still in it." She chuckled at the memory. "That was also the first night that I knew that I could fall in love with you."

Anna turned her lover in her arms and kissed her deeply. "Well, if I'm really, really honest with myself, I think I felt it that night too. You were so lovely, just like tonight. I've missed you."

Looking into the sapphire eyes, Lily thought fleetingly of shedding the dress and leading her lover back into their bedroom. They hadn't made love in almost a week. "Let's go get Tony married so we can come back here and get reacquainted."

It was a lovely wedding, and Tony had never looked more handsome. "I can't believe you did it! Half of the women here are going into a convent tomorrow!" Lily hugged her boss excitedly then turned to Colleen. "It was a beautiful ceremony."

Lily could tell from Anna's quiet tears that her lover had been moved by the couple's romantic vows, but she had no idea that the dark-haired woman had begun scripting her own. I want to make those promises to you, Lily. Anna took Lily's hand as the rings were exchanged. She hoped Lily would want to wear a ring, but that was all dependent on whether she accepted Anna's promise.

The solemnity of the wedding was forgotten when the crowd entered the ballroom reception at the Burlington Hotel. Live bands on either side of the room took turns playing big band tunes and top 40.

"Would you like a glass of wine?" Anna asked.

Lily stopped to think a moment. That vodka martini had sure hit the spot the other night. But you did get shit-faced! "Sure, merlot if they have it." She went off in search of Sandy and Suzanne, who had joined the buffet line.

Lily polished off her wine before starting on her plate, washing down her meal with sparkling water. When they finished, she volunteered for the next bar run.

"Lily! How are you?"

"Andrew! Wow, don't you clean up well!" Andrew Shively was a sergeant with the LAPD, and Tony's racquetball partner. Lily knew him from Kidz Kamp, the volunteer group that regularly treated foster children to weekend outings in the great outdoors.

"You're one to talk! You look great! What are you having?" He gestured toward the bartender.

"Oh, I need two glasses of merlot," she said to the tuxedoed woman. "On second thought, make that one merlot, and one vodka martini." It was, after all, a celebration.

"Would you like that with an olive or a lime?" the woman asked.

"Lime sounds good."

"You should try a kamikaze," Andrew suggested.

"What's that?"

"It's vodka, triple sec, and lime juice. You can get it on the rocks or as a shooter. Go ahead, try one. I'm buying."

"Okay, I'll try a shooter."

"Make it two." The bartender expertly poured the two liquors and added a splash of lime juice. Lifting his shot glass, Andy offered a toast. "To Tony!"

"To Tony!" Lily agreed. She threw her head back and slammed the shooter, not prepared for the clenching sensation in her chest as the drink reached its mark. "Wow! That was good." Turning back to the bartender, she amended her order yet again. "Okay, make it one merlot, and one kamikaze on the rocks." As the policeman walked away, she ordered one more shooter for good measure. It was after all a celebration.

As the guests were finishing their dinner, Tony and Colleen took to the dance floor for the ceremonial first dance. Gradually, couples joined them on the floor, but the four friends were hesitant, not sure if everyone in Tony's or Colleen's family would be cool with the idea of women dancing together. They finally got their answer when the beaming couple visited their table and encouraged all of them to hit the dance floor.

Lily weaved her way back to her friends just as the newlyweds were leaving their table. She hugged the pair again and took a seat alongside her beautiful partner.

"What have you got?" Anna pointed to the highball.

"It's called a kamikaze. Vodka, something and lime juice. Andrew Shively bought it for me. Want a taste?"

Anna shook her head. "No, I'll stick with my wine, but I doubt I'll drink all this. I hadn't even finished my last one."

Suzanne leaned across the table to interrupt the lovers. "Lily, Tony said we should get up and dance. He thought everyone would be cool with it." She was egging Lily on because she knew Sandy wouldn't do it unless the other couple did.

"I'd like that, baby. What do you say?" Lily wanted this sexy woman in her arms–now!

"I'm yours tonight, sweetheart. You want to dance, we dance." Anna was sure she was here with the most beautiful woman in the room. That skimpy black dress just pushed buttons all over her!

Lily stood up and drained her drink, then led her partner to the dance floor. The first song was fast, but in the spirit of the event, the next two were slow romantic ballads. Her hand pressed firmly into the small of her lover's back, the blonde woman pulled her partner close and whispered up into her ear. "I want to take you home and make love to you all night long. I want to feel your breasts in my face and this silky hair on my thighs." She ran her fingers sensuously through the long black tresses.

Anna loved the sensation of her lover's hands in her hair, but she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about the reactions of all the people around them. "I'm going to hold you to that, lover girl. But you might want to wait until we actually get home. We wouldn't want to scandalize Tony's wedding," she joked.

The music stopped, and they reluctantly parted, but not before sharing a long look of heated desire. Both women shook it off and headed back to their table. Agreeing to stay for a respectable amount of time–perhaps a half hour more–Lily returned to the bar for one more drink. Of course, there was no reason not to have a shooter while she waited. What on earth took me so long to discover kamikazes?

She returned to find Anna and their friends extolling the virtues of big band music. Ignoring their discussion, the blonde leaned into her lover once again and whispered, "I want my tongue inside you when you come." She followed that with a wet flick to the ear.

Whoa! Anna thought she'd explode, right here in front of all these nice people. Of the two of them, she was the talker, though she rarely said anything as… naughty as the words her partner had just whispered into her ear. Taking in her lover's lustful gaze, the tall woman suddenly stood. "I think Lily and I need to be going. We've both got a lot to do tomorrow to get ready for the week." Even Anna realized how lame she sounded. Still, she wasn't going to let something like manners get in the way of what her lover had in mind.

Lily was surprisingly quiet on the way home, positioning herself in the front seat of the sports car to allow her lover's hand to creep underneath her dress and stroke the dampened thong. When they entered through the family room, she went immediately upstairs to get ready for bed. Anna turned out the lights and locked up, then followed quickly, anticipating a long night of decadent lust. Reaching the top of the stairs, she followed the trail of discarded clothing all the way to the king-sized bed. There she found her naked lover… sound asleep.

CHAPTER 4

"UGH!" LILY RAISED both hands to her head as she sat up. Immediately sorry at the amount of fun she had obviously had at Tony's wedding, the disheveled blonde staggered into the bathroom. Yep, there was that telltale "green" countenance that usually accompanied a hangover, the drooping eyes sporting a smeared ring of mascara. And who were those people walking around in her mouth! Through the bathroom window, Lily spotted her lover at the umbrella table by the pool, her favorite place to read the Sunday paper.

"Shower first, then coffee, then girlfriend," she mumbled aloud. Something was nagging her about last night. She felt guilty, but she wasn't sure why. The wedding, the dancing… she vaguely remembered leaving, but nothing after that.

Anna looked up when she heard her lover in the kitchen. Lily was barefooted, dressed in one of the tall woman's button down shirts, the long tail hanging to the top of her brown thighs. The wet hair was slicked straight back, evidence that she had washed away the remnants of last night's celebration. Anna loved this casual look, but she was put out with the blonde this morning.

"Hi," Lily said as she kissed the woman on the top of her head.

"Good morning," Anna responded coolly. "Sleep well?"

Hmm, were we expecting a cold front? "Yeah, how about you?"

"Alright, I suppose."

"Are you ready for a refill?" Lily gestured at Anna's empty mug.

"No, thank you," came the formal reply.

Definitely a little frosty. Lily absently rummaged through the paper, trying hard to remember what she might have said or done last night to warrant this chill. "Listen to this: ‘In a 16-hour procedure, a team of surgeons in Johannesburg successfully separated 8-week-old Sudanese twins joined at the hip and thigh. The infants, in critical but stable condition, were rejoined with their parents in the Sudan.'" She waited for a reaction. "Get it? Siamese twins rejoined with their parents?" Still no response. "Like, what's the point of separating them from each other if you're just going to rejoin them to someone else?"

"I get it," Anna groaned. "I guess I don't find it funny."

Lily laid the paper down and looked nervously at her partner. "Okay, what's wrong?" She found herself apprehensive about how the blanks from last night would be filled in.

From behind the sports page, Anna answered matter-of-factly, "You fell asleep on me last night."

Is that all? "And I'm getting the cold shoulder for that?"

Anna sighed. "It hurt my feelings. I finally got some time off and we wasted it."

"Anna, your work schedule isn't my fault. I'm sorry I fell asleep. I guess I partied too much. But if you want more of me, you could always spend more time at home." That needed to be said.

"You know how busy things are at work right now. I don't want to be gone so much, but I have to be, at least until things are running smoothly." There was another issue that was more important, though Anna was hesitant to broach it. "Lily, you've been ‘partying' a lot lately. You got tipsy at Empyre's, then last weekend you couldn't drive home from Sandy and Suzanne's, and now there's last night." She carefully avoided using the word ‘drunk.'

That wasn't all actually, but Lily was pretty sure her partner didn't know about the bridal shower. She certainly wasn't going to correct her. "Are you suggesting that I might have a drinking problem?" Her defensive tone was unmistakable.

"No, but it isn't like you to drink as much as you have lately. I guess I don't want it to turn into a problem."

"It won't, Anna." Please let this discussion be over. It was, thanks to the double ring of the kitchen phone. Without a word, Lily walked back into the house.

Anna felt awful. She'd practically accused her partner of being an alcoholic, and she'd gotten a loud and clear message that her work load was the reason they hadn't been connecting recently. When she heard Lily hang up the phone, she followed her into the kitchen. "Who was that?" She tried to sound more cheerful.

"That was Mom. She wanted to remind us that she and Bill are coming next weekend. He's got that oncology conference in Long Beach."

"It'll be great to see her again. So what's the story with Bill?"

"I get the feeling that fizzled. She doesn't talk about it anymore. They're obviously still friends, but he's going to stay at the conference hotel, and she's going to stay here."

Anna stepped behind the sexy blonde, slipping her hand under the shirttail to stroke the flat stomach. "So how would I go about getting on your dance card today?"

* * *

George Kaklis returned to the dealership on Monday morning, boasting brand new business cards that touted him as a Customer Relations Executive. He was now the official "glad-hander," the one who attended community and business functions on the dealership's behalf, and who handled the "meet and greet" when longtime customers arrived on the lot. He was a little disappointed when he realized that he would no longer have a plush office on the second floor. Anna already had carpenters in carving up her new digs and part of her old office to accommodate both Hal and Brad, moving her father downstairs to a sales office. At least his had a door.

He was more disturbed by the fact that his daughter and son-in-law were meeting for long hours in private. Surely, she would want his advice on the direction for the company. Wednesday morning, Anna finally invited him up to go over their plans.

"We're going to move to acquire two, maybe even three new dealerships," she explained. "We need a line that appeals to the budget conscious, as well as to those who are looking for more fuel efficiency. That's a pretty big pie, and we're positioned well to deliver it at a profit."

George couldn't believe his daughter would do this. He had always been adamantly opposed to diluting their brand, and he didn't see how she could effectively manage dealerships in different locations. They had had this discussion at least once a year for the last five years, each time with Anna arguing that their own resources and expertise were underutilized. Now she was making this her first move as president. "You already know what I think of this, Anna," he said sternly.

"Yes, Dad, I know you're reluctant to do this, but Hal and I think it's a good move for us. I had Walter draft an offer for Sweeney Volkswagen, and we submitted it this morning." She knew this was tough on George, so she sweetened the pot. "I think the Volkswagen line offers a great opportunity for David. If he's interested, that is." She knew he would be. Her younger brother had broken ranks at sixteen when he insisted on getting a Beetle rather than BMW's sporty entry model, the M3.

He considered the possibilities. He liked the idea of his whole family following in his footsteps in the car business, and David had never gotten excited about the luxury cars. "So you said two or three dealerships."

"We're also going over the books for the BMW and Volkswagen dealerships in Palm Springs. Both owners are looking to get out of the business. It's a golden opportunity."

George conceded that his daughter was right. The dealership's finances were strong enough to leverage all three of these acquisitions. Premier Motors was on its way to becoming an auto empire. Son of a gun.

* * *

"Lilian Stuart." The attorney always sounded so serious when she answered her office phone.

"Raw fish?" was all her lover said.

"I'm fine, sweetheart. Thanks for asking." The disjointed greetings were their hallmark. "Are you inviting me for sushi, or was that a reference to something else?" Things were smooth again between them. Anna had gotten home by eight every night this week, and Lily had refrained from drinking anything at all, even skipping her usual glass of wine with dinner. Not that she was conceding that she had a problem. She just wanted to prove to Anna that she did not.

"The former, actually. I made the big move this morning. We'll probably hear something from Sweeney in a couple of weeks."

"So is George's nose out of joint?"

"Big time."

"Well, that's worth celebrating," she said mischievously. "What time will you be home?"

"How about seven?"

"I'll be ready."

"Oh, and I have a surprise for you."

Anna honked the horn as she pulled into the drive at 6:50. Lily had changed into a black miniskirt and red top, one of her lover's favorite outfits. The short drive to the restaurant was filled with a detailed description of George's dubious reaction to the offer for Sweeney Volkswagen. Lily delighted in his comeuppance, but not in a malicious way. She knew he deserved a lot of credit for Anna's success, thanks to the values and drive he had instilled in her from her youth.

"Let's see. How about a dragon roll, a spicy tuna roll, a spider roll, four pieces of unagi, two salads with ginger dressing, two hot teas and edamame." Lily looked over the menu at her lover. "You want anything?"

Anna burst out laughing at her partner's playfulness. "No, I'm sure I'll get full just watching you eat all of that."

The attorney chatted about her day as they waited for their order. Finally, she could stand it no longer. "So what's my surprise?"

Anna looked at her and smiled. "Oh yeah. I promised you a surprise, didn't I?" Reaching into her purse, she extracted a folder of travel documents and passed it across the table.

"Maui! We're going to Maui!" Her excited shouts turned the heads of several adjacent tables. The other diners smiled at her delight. "When?"

"Next weekend. We leave Friday night at 7:15 and come back on the redeye in time for work on Tuesday morning. I wanted it to be longer, but I know it's hard for you to get away on short notice. Since it's the holiday weekend, this worked out." Softly, she added, "I thought we could use some time away together."

Lily couldn't contain her glee. Anna Kaklis, the soft sand, the sun, Anna Kaklis, the blue water, the swaying palms, Anna Kaklis. "You're the best, you know."

"Yes, I know." She winked, feeling pretty proud of herself.

* * *

It was after 11 on Friday night when Bill dropped Eleanor and Chester at the Brentwood home. "Have fun at your conference," Lily yelled from the walkway, as he slid back into his Mercedes sedan.

"Some conference," Eleanor joked. "They have a two-hour meeting in the morning, then 18 holes of golf tomorrow afternoon."

"Well, it's good work if you can get it." Lily squatted to pet the vivacious basset hound. "How's my boy?" Chester smiled–Wasn't that a smile?–and wagged his tail happily. He loved everybody, but especially this familiar blonde woman. At least until Anna appeared in the doorway. Then she became his best friend.

"Chester!" Toenails clacked furiously on the sidewalk as he bounded to the new person. Anna scratched the happy dog on his upturned belly, then stood to greet Eleanor. "You want your belly rubbed too, or will a hug do?"

"Hmmm. A hug I think." Anna complied then grabbed the woman's suitcase.

"Did you bring your hiking boots, Mom?"

"Of course. Are we going out tomorrow?"

"You bet!" Lily got her love of hiking from her mother. While she was growing up in San Jose, the two of them would spend most Saturdays blazing trails in the Santa Cruz mountains. Eleanor loved sampling the new trails in southern California with her daughter.

By 7:30 in the morning, Anna was heading out the door to the dealership. They were swamped on Saturdays and she was giving Brad the day off, since he'd have to cover for her next weekend while she was in Hawaii.

"Don't forget, Amazon. We're going to your mom and dad's for dinner at six, so I expect to see your smiling face by 5:30." Both of them seemed able to work within given parameters, so long as the expectations were clear.