Fidelity - SF6 (44 page)

"Your tongue…right here…right now." Falling onto her back again, Jamie spread her thighs, pointing at her well-loved flesh.

Ryan’s eyes grew comically wide, but she shrugged her broad shoulders and scooted down towards the end of the bed. "Think we’ll get out of here before Caitlin’s ready for preschool?"

"I guarantee that mother will make sure she’s enrolled in the best available," Jamie assured her. "No doubt she’ll be speaking Italian by the time she lays eyes on you again."

"I can live with that," Ryan decided, unable to think of a better way to spend the next two years.

The loud shriek of a baby roused Jamie from sleep. Slowly lifting her arm, she recalled that when the clasp from her watch had snagged in Ryan’s hair one too many times during their frenzied lovemaking, Ryan had solved the problem by slipping it from her wrist. It now lay on the floor next to the bed, so Jamie had no idea of the time. The sun was still bright, but she was decidedly hungry, so she reasoned that it was around five, since her body and her appetite were three hours ahead.

Ryan was draped over her body, her heavy leg effectively pinning Jamie. It looked like the exhausted woman was out for the night, not moving an inch when Jamie tried to extricate herself. Finally resorting to an old standby, Jamie lightly tickled behind Ryan’s knee, and just like clockwork the larger woman drew her legs up and rolled over, curling up into a tight little ball, protecting herself in her sleep.

Slipping out of bed, Jamie crept over to the window, being careful not to wake her partner. The sight before her nearly brought tears to her eyes. Her mother had changed into her swimsuit, and she was guiding a wildly enthusiastic Caitlin around the pool. The baby was as naked as the day she was born, and she kicked her tiny feet out behind her as Catherine held her by her waist. They both looked so happy that Jamie was slightly awestruck
. I’ve got to get in on this
, she thought as she went into her dresser and found a suit for herself. She slipped it on and quietly padded out of the room, blowing a kiss to her partner as she silently closed the door.

When Jamie arrived on the pool deck both swimmers greeted her enthusiastically, although only one spoke much English. "I’ve decided that I’m ready to be a grandmother!" Catherine declared happily.

Jamie gave her a beaming smile before cannonballing into the water, grabbing her knees as she submerged completely. She swam over to the happy twosome and stood up behind her mother, giving her a full body hug as she reached around and kissed her cheek. "Thanks for the present, Mom, I’m not sure we could have made it all the way back to the city," she admitted with a shy grin.

"I wasn’t sure you could make it all the way to your bedroom!" the bemused woman observed. "You two really do throw off some sparks!" Jamie blushed deeply as her mother reassured her, "There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Honey." She turned and regarded her seriously as she pulled the baby up into her arms. "I’m just happy that you enjoy each other so thoroughly. It’s hard to make a partnership work, Jamie, but if you have that physical spark it helps to even out the road."

"Does it bother you to see us be affectionate with one another?" Jamie asked, guessing that it might be difficult for her mother at first.

Catherine thought about the question for a moment as she turned slowly in the chest deep water, dragging Caitlin’s little legs with her. "No, it doesn’t ‘bother’ me in the traditional sense. It will take some time for me to be completely comfortable with it, but I’m really happy that you seem so relaxed around me. That’s the gift you’ve given
me
, Jamie."

"I’ll admit that it’s a conscious choice," she said. "It seems like the best way for us all to get to know one another. But I feel so relaxed with Ryan, it’s hard for me to be any other way when we’re together."

"The only hard part for me is that I’m seeing two major facets of your personality that I did not know existed. I’d never seen you be so physically expressive with Jack, and of course, I didn’t know that you preferred women. I suppose it will take me some time not to give a little start when I see you touch, but I really want you to continue to act normally around me, Honey. It’s the only way that I’ll get used to it."

They started to pass the giggling Caitlin back and forth between them, and she splashed around so forcefully that they were all three drenched in moments. After a few minutes of this animated activity Jamie resumed the conversation. "I’ve got to admit that it has been a surprise to see how easy going and accepting you are about the whole sex thing, Mom. I guess I always assumed you were pretty hung up about it."

"Really?" Catherine asked in surprise. "Why would you think that?"

"Mostly because we never talked about sex," Jamie admitted. "I learned everything from Elizabeth, and most of what she told me was pretty conservative. I guess I just assumed your views mirrored hers."

"No, Honey, I’m not terribly conservative about sex. This is just another example of my neglect," she said, a small scowl covering her face. "Elizabeth and I actually discussed this on several occasions. I worried that the message you were getting was overly conservative, but she told me that she had been talking to you about sex since you were small and she convinced me that to talk about it with you would send you a mixed message that would only serve to confuse you. I assumed her view would be conservative, but I wasn’t so sure that my more liberal views were right for you either. Growing up in the 60’s showed me some of the havoc that sex without rules could produce. In my day we believed that if it felt good, it was all right to do. I certainly didn’t want you to grow up believing that sex was something to do with strangers, so a part of me thought Elizabeth’s way might be best." She looked at Jamie carefully as she asked, "Did we do you a great disservice?"

Jamie pursed her lips, grasping Caitlin’s slippery little body as she carried her around the pool. "No, not really," she finally decided. "If I had stayed with Jack I don’t think I would have come out of my shell, but Ryan has just unleashed my sexual persona so fully that my early training is less important."

"I’m so glad that she makes you happy, Jamie. Sexual fulfillment is such an important part of life."

Their little discussion was interrupted by a deep chuckle from the doorway of the house. "Where’s your camera, Honey?" Ryan asked. "I’ve got to have a picture of this."

Jamie turned and grinned at her extremely rumpled lover. Cotton clothing did not take well to the rough treatment they had shown her clothes, and she was paying for it now. "Have you looked at your clothes, Sweetie?" she asked innocently.

Ryan’s face grew slightly flushed as she grinned and replied, "Yes, Honey. But I wasn’t the one who treated my clothing so shabbily. And I don’t have a closet full of clothes to substitute for these."

"Would you like me to have someone press your clothes for you, Ryan?" Catherine asked helpfully.

"No, that would be a little more embarrassment than I’m up for today," she admitted. "Besides, you’re alone this week, Catherine. If you direct me to the iron and board, I could do it myself."

"My camera’s in my bag, Honey. I think it’s still in the kitchen. Come out and play with us for a few minutes, and then you can take care of your clothes."

Ryan did as requested, returning to take candid and posed shots of the threesome. It was 5:30 and the sun was just dipping behind the house as Jamie noticed that Caitlin’s skin was a little cold despite the 83-degree pool. "Sweetie, can you go in the pool house and get us some towels?" Jamie asked.

Ryan brought out three big fluffy towels, then grabbed the offered baby and wrapped her up despite her screamed protests. "She would live in water if she could," she explained to Catherine. "Bath time lasts for hours."

After they were dried off they went back into the house, where Ryan got Caitlin dressed again. Jamie walked the baby around the kitchen while Ryan did her best to return the creases to her clothes, doing a reasonable job given the wrinkled state her clothing had been in. When Ryan was finished, Jamie ran upstairs to change, and by the time mother and daughter had returned, Caitlin was sound asleep in Ryan’s arms, her bottle hanging loosely from her little cupid’s-bow mouth.

"That’s just how I feel now that I’m home," Jamie said as she gave her partner a kiss on the cheek. "Safe and warm and protected."

Catherine had changed into a pair of buff-colored linen slacks and a deep blue cashmere v-necked sweater. She had quickly dried her hair in a more casual style than she usually wore, and Ryan noted that--without makeup--she could easily pass for 30. Catherine usually looked very well put-together but Ryan much preferred this more casual look. Once again she thought,
I’m so glad I met Jamie first. If her mother had been a client of mine I’m sure I would have wormed my way into her bed.
After a moment the terrifying thought hit her.
As angry as he is with me for being with Jamie, I can’t even imagine what Jim would do to me if he caught me with Catherine!

"So what’s on your agenda for tonight, Catherine?" Ryan asked, trying to dispel the notion from her head.

Catherine shrugged her shoulders slightly. "I suppose I’ll just have a little dinner and turn in early."

Ryan knew that Catherine was completely inexperienced in the kitchen, so she persisted. "Do you have anything to cook?"

"Cook?" she asked slowly, a puzzled look on her face. "Oh! I forgot again! I…I…I suppose I’ll order something to be delivered. I’m sure I can figure out how to do that," she said a little helplessly.

"Nonsense," Ryan insisted. "You both must be starving by now. No one is home at our house, so why don’t we have a Peninsula version of Sunday dinner?"

"I’d be happy to treat you all to dinner," Catherine suggested. "There are some fine places in San Mateo."

"Umm…that might be stretching Caitlin’s limits," Ryan decided. "She’ll be fine if she gets a little meal soon, but going to a restaurant would rile her up. If you don’t mind, I think we should cook something."

"I agree," Jamie said as she peeked into the refrigerator. "Hmm…looks like we have every type of condiment known to man, but not one other thing. Marta did a fine job of cleaning out everything that could spoil while you were gone. Toss me the keys, Babe, I’ll make a grocery run."

Ryan used her free hand to fish them from her pocket, telling Jamie, "If you want to stay home, I’ll be happy to go."

"Nah. I know where I’m going, Love." Placing a gentle kiss on Ryan’s cheek, Jamie whispered, "I can’t believe I’m letting you out of my sight, but I’ll be right back."

"Hurry home," Ryan said, giving her a fond smile. "We’ll miss you."

"Any special requests?" Jamie asked, searching for her wallet.

"Anything you make will be fine, Sweetheart," Catherine said. Ryan nodded her concurrence and Jamie took off, waving at her partner as she departed out the front door.

Ryan went back to the banquet, her arms fatigued from holding the sleeping baby. Catherine walked over to the well equipped bar near the dining table and mused thoughtfully as she considered what to have. "I was going to open a bottle of wine, but I don’t know what we’re having for dinner. Would you like a drink before dinner, Ryan?"

"No, I don’t think so," Ryan said, not really understanding why one would want the taste of alcohol interfering with the food.

Catherine looked at her carefully and asked, "Do you mind if I have one?"

"Uh…no," Ryan said, wishing that Catherine did not seem to need alcohol on a daily basis. "Please do."

Catherine nodded, turning back to the bar. "Perhaps a little vodka," she decided. "Maybe Jamie will join me." She spent the next five minutes expertly preparing her drink. To Ryan’s surprise, Catherine had an entire set-up just for chilling the spirit. Taking a foot-high glass container, she filled four tall, leaded crystal shot glasses with Cristall vodka, placed the glasses in the container, and filled it with crushed ice, nestling each little glass in the ice. Placing the container on the table, Catherine idly swirled each of the glasses, gazing at Ryan pensively as she did so.

"Call it a hunch, Ryan, but I have a suspicion that you’ve had some contact with my husband while we were gone."

Her statement was rather matter-of-fact, but Ryan understood that she was waiting for confirmation or denial. She nodded her head, gazing down at the table as she did so. "He came to our house in Berkeley on Sunday morning," she admitted. "It…it wasn’t very pleasant."

"How so?" Catherine asked sharply, narrowing her eyes at Ryan.

Never having seen Catherine’s temper flare, Ryan wasn’t sure if the suspicious glance was for her or Jim. Her face flushed a little as she mumbled, "He uh…he ordered me out of the house. He was really angry when he left, Catherine."

"He didn’t hurt you, did he Ryan?" Her voice was filled with concern, and Ryan was immediately reassured that Catherine was on her side.

"No, he didn’t touch me," she related. "He looked like he wanted to, but he just tried to wound me with his words."

"He’s very skilled at that," Catherine said derisively, grasping a glass of vodka and draining it. She shivered a little as the ice-cold liquid hit her stomach, and Ryan wondered once again why anyone would choose to drink something that caused such a reaction. Catherine shook her head, looking angry at herself as she said, "Forgive me for saying that, Ryan. I find it utterly distasteful when people complain about their spouses behind their backs."

Reaching across the table, Ryan placed a hand on her arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Don’t mention it, Catherine. This must be hard for you."

"It is," she sighed, her shoulders slumping dejectedly. "I never dreamed I’d be caught in the middle between my husband and my child." Looking at Ryan curiously, she asked, "You haven’t told Jamie, have you?"

"No. I didn’t get a chance to on Sunday when it happened, and then with the events in Rhode Island…" she trailed off, knowing that she didn’t have a good excuse for not revealing the happenings to Jamie. Her gut had told her to wait until they were together again, so that’s what she had done.