Honesty - SF8 (10 page)

"What did you do, Buffy?" she teased, knowing that Ryan would follow the letter of her father’s law, if not the spirit.

"I did just what old Mrs. Seickman ordered. I took notes for the rest of the year."

"How?" Jamie urged, knowing there was a catch.

"When I was feeling verbal, I took notes in Gaelic," Ryan informed her. "When I was in a math mood, I assigned the numerical value for each letter of every word, and then added up each word to see how much each lecture was worth."

Shaking her head, Jamie patted her grinning partner on the cheek. "I would have loved to have known you as a kid."

One dark eyebrow was wiggling, and Ryan informed her partner, "I had one more little trick that I used once in a while. When she was walking around the room, I was afraid of doing the math thing, 'cause she’d get mad. So I took notes backwards. She would look right over my shoulder, and she never even noticed."

A very self-satisfied grin covered Ryan’s face; even 16 years later, she was pleased with this small act of insurrection. Jamie was staring at her with her mouth gaping open. "You can write backwards?"

Ryan blinked. "Um…you can’t?"

Jamie rolled her eyes, pinching her partner’s pink cheek. "I have a feeling that I’m going to hear that phrase time and time again during our years together. I’d better get used to it."

Before practice on Thursday, Jordan approached Ryan and spent a few minutes trying to talk her into having a big get-together for the team. Ryan wasn’t opposed in theory, but she had some serious doubts about the soundness of the idea as Jordan proposed it.

"Come on, Ryan, we need to be leaders on this team," the blonde urged.

"I agree, Jordan, but I don’t see why leadership has to include taking the team out to get them drunk. I think that’s a little irresponsible."

"I didn’t say I wanted to get them drunk. I just said we should go out to a bar to bond."

"Fine. Let’s go to a coffeehouse to bond."

"Okay, okay. I do think that we’d relax better if we had a few drinks."

"You may be right, but I will not be responsible for taking a bunch of 18-year-olds out drinking," Ryan insisted. "I’m sure they’ve been doing it for years, but I don’t want the ax to fall on my neck if someone gets out of control."

"Okay," she grumbled. "We’ll do it your way. We’ll go to a restaurant. Friday night okay?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Ryan agreed. "I prefer to go home on Friday, but I’ll go if it means so much to you."

"Cool. We’ll have a big girls' night out."

"I’m sure my love can entertain herself for one night," Ryan decided, "but I can guarantee that she won’t like it."

"Bring her along," Jordan urged. "She’s a girl."

"Really? I thought this was just for the team."

"Well, it’s for a little more team bonding before the season starts. I think it would be good for everyone to get used to seeing you and Jamie together. I think they all know who she is, but if they spent some time around you they might feel more comfortable with your relationship."

"You’re getting the same vibes that I am, aren’t you?" Ryan asked, feeling that some of the underclassmen were still very tentative around her.

Jordan looked pensive for a moment, then allowed, "I don’t think anyone is antagonistic to you, Ryan, but a couple of the freshmen are from really small towns. I’m certain they don’t have a lot of experience with women who are as open about their sexuality as you are. Spending time with the two of you will help them see that you’re just average people."

Ryan nodded, making one small correction. "I’m average. Jamie’s extraordinary."

"Yeah. Well, call the extraordinary one and tell her you’re going out with the girls tomorrow."

As soon as practice was over, Jordan announced the plan. "Okay, guys," she said to the assembled group. "Tomorrow night the seniors are treating everybody to dinner at Gypsy’s on Durant. Calzones for everybody before the season starts!"

Ryan gave her a sharp look but said not a word. As Jordan walked by she grabbed her by the arm and asked, "When did this turn into our treat?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," she whispered, "your cheapness is showing."

"I am NOT cheap!" Ryan groused. "I’m careful."

"Well, take the lock off that wallet, Babe. We’re gonna party!"

Ryan breezed into the house after practice, nearly colliding with her partner who was obviously headed for their bedroom, carrying a collection of shopping bags.

"Well, well, well," Ryan smirked, casting a pointed glance at the bounty. "Trying to incorporate a bunch of new stuff in with the old?" She knew that Jamie went shopping frequently, but she rarely saw the fruits of her efforts actually brought into the house. The routine had developed that her partner would be wearing something that was obviously new, but she would lightly shrug off Ryan’s question about the item's origin. Now she thought she had her, and she wasn’t going to let the opportunity for a good tease pass her by.

"I have no idea what you’re talking about, Ryan O’Flaherty. I merely picked up a few things for the woman I love."

"This is all for me?" Ryan gaped. "But I don’t need anything!"

"Of course you did. Your first road trip is next week and you desperately need a few things to travel." Giving her partner a doubtful look, Ryan began to poke around at the contents of the bags before gathering them up, placing them on the table by the sofa, and beginning a methodical inventory.

"Pajamas?" she said as she held out the first pair. "Since when do I wear pajamas?"

"Ryan, you’re sharing a room, you know. Sleeping in the buff is not going to cut it. You get too hot sleeping in your sweats, and I don’t really want you parading around in your underwear in front of your roommate."

Ryan discreetly failed to mention that Jordan would be her roommate and that she had seen her in far less than her underwear. Still she protested, "Two pair? Our trips only last two or three days. I could wear the same ones two nights in a row."

"I know, Honey, but you should have some pajamas for running around the house too. You don’t own a robe, and these are easy to slip on if you need to run downstairs. You need to remember that Mia will have guests sometimes, and I don’t want her dates following you back upstairs once they see you in your underwear. This is for your own protection!"

Smirking at Jamie’s wild exaggeration, Ryan kicked off her running shoes and shucked her jeans and underwear before slipping on the first pair of pajama bottoms. They were a very smooth brushed cotton broadcloth in a tiny gray and white check. There were four small buttons on the fly, but they were big enough to slide on without unbuttoning them at all, a feature that Ryan quite liked. A drawstring held them up and Ryan started to cinch them up at her waist, but Jamie stopped her fingers and pushed the pants down low on her hips and tied the string to hold them there. "That’s how I like them," she breathed into Ryan’s ear. "I love the curve of your hips and this shows it off." Stepping back to survey, she added, "Besides, your legs are so long that they’re way too short when you pull them all the way up. They look cool riding low."

"I’m all about cool," Ryan agreed placidly. Jamie was completely pleased with her selections after viewing them on her live model, and Ryan seemed to like them too. They were very soft and roomy enough to not be binding while she slept, and she had to admit that they would be cooler than her sweats were. She smiled down at her lover and said, "As usual, you know what’s best for me. They’re really nice. Thanks for thinking of me."

Ryan waded through several more of the little bags to find two new bras. She usually wore sports bras, but Jamie like her to dress up for bed sometimes, and one of her favorite things was to make love to her while she wore a lacy bra. And Ryan had to admit that these were terribly lacy. She also had to admit that Jamie had a perfect eye for her contours. The 36C bras fit perfectly, much to her surprise. "You should really consider working in a lingerie shop," Ryan told her. "You’ve got a great eye for size."

"With my breast fetish? The first time I did this," she indicated as she slid her hands around to gently cup both of Ryan’s breasts through the lacy black bra, "I’d be out on my butt!"

"Oh, but you’d have such a loyal clientele," Ryan whispered as her hands went to Jamie’s hips to pull her in close. After twitching her hips against her partner’s butt for a minute, Ryan turned and gave her a few kisses to thank her for her thoughtfulness.

After a few minutes of increasingly passionate kisses, Jamie reluctantly broke off to remind her, "There’s more for you here."

Ryan shot her an amused glance as she opened yet another bag. This one held a pair of her old favorites--Calvin Klein boxer shorts and a T-shirt--but in a sexy twist, both were in a nearly transparent black lace. The fabric was very stretchy and very clingy, as Jamie was delighted to notice when Ryan slipped both garments on. "Oh my," she gasped as she took in the vision. She walked around her slowly, shaking her head and muttering, "Oh wow," repeatedly. Ryan just smirked at her even though she was pleased that her lover was getting such satisfaction from staring at her.

Finally Jamie placed her hands on Ryan’s shoulders and growled, "Dinner’s going to be ready in fifteen minutes, but I have to have you right now." Without waiting for agreement she pushed her backwards onto the sofa. Ryan went along willingly, always thrilled when her partner’s libido caught her by surprise. Jamie immediately climbed on top and began to run her hands all over the lacy material. It was soft enough to feel nice and smooth against Ryan’s skin, but rough enough to provide a delightful sensation when Jamie’s hands brushed against it.

It was clear that this little encounter was going to be quick, so Ryan just relinquished control and went along for the ride. Her new T-shirt was slowly pulled from her body, but it caught on her hands and Jamie decided to leave it there. Giving the dark woman a quick glance, Jamie twisted the material around her wrists, effectively capturing them. She stretched Ryan’s arms out over her head, the posture causing her breasts to jut out in a devastatingly arousing fashion. As her mouth dropped onto one of the tantalizing breasts, the door from the kitchen opened and Mia entered the room. She paused for a moment, trying to decide if she should return to the kitchen, but she knew that she would be able to hear them making love from there, so she quickly dismissed that option.

Both heads turned in her direction and both sets of eyes widened. Mia gave them a sympathetic look and offered, "I’ll go sit in the yard until you’re done. Give me the all clear when it’s safe to come back in, ‘kay?"

It took a second for the lovers to regain their senses, but Jamie finally scampered to her feet and said, "No, really, Mia. That’s not necessary."

The curly-haired woman stopped her retreat and gazed at Jamie for a second. "Um…why not?"

"We shouldn’t be doing this in the living room anyway. The living room is for all of us. We’ll go upstairs." She extended a hand to Ryan, giving her partner an encouraging look as the mortified woman tried to extract her hands from the tangled shirt. She finally managed, and then slipped it back on, the last tatters of her dignity intact.

As the pair climbed the stairs, Jamie asked, "The timer’s gonna go off in a second, Mia. Would you take dinner out of the oven?"

"Sure," she said, giving Ryan one last long look. "You might as well take the tags off those undies, Ryan. I don’t think you can return them now."

"Everybody’s a comic around here," the scantily clad woman grumbled, following her fully dressed lover up the stairs.

The interruption had cooled their ardor, so Ryan got into a more modest outfit and they returned to the main floor just a few minutes after they heard the timer buzz.

Mia had set the table and was just serving the meal when they came back down. "Finished so soon?" she asked,

"I just bought Ryan some new underwear and she was trying it on," Jamie said with a completely straight face. "I think it fit pretty well."

"Oh, I understand, Jamie," Mia agreed. "That’s exactly how most people try on underwear. I just hate it when I go to the store and forget to bring a 120-pound weight to straddle me while I try on clothes. It’s such a pain to get the salesclerk to do it."

Ryan smirked at her and walked over to give her a kiss on the cheek. "I hardly miss being at home with you around, Mia," she said as she ruffled her hair affectionately. "You’re just like a female Conor!"

After dinner Ryan and Mia cleaned up while Jamie sat at the kitchen table chatting with them. When they were done, the slyly grinning blonde reminded Ryan that she had not finished opening all of her gifts. Ryan shot her a puzzled glance and asked, "Do you want Mia to watch? I think we’ve scarred her tender psyche enough for one day."

"It’s okay, Honey," Jamie assured her. "You’ve gotten to all of the R-rated stuff."

Ryan sat down and grabbed the last big bag. It was from the bookstore on campus and quite heavy. Blinking in surprise, she pulled the big white and gray box out to reveal a new PowerMac G-3 notebook computer. She stared at Jamie for a moment before she opened the box, revealing a sleek, black 500-megahertz machine.

Ryan reached up and absently scratched her head, then let her hand drop to tug on her ear a few times, a gesture Jamie correctly read as one she made when she was completely astounded. The two roommates looked at her curiously, wondering when she was going to say something.

She finally nodded her head once, placed the laptop on the table, and scooted her chair over until she could comfortably wrap her arms around her partner. "I love it. Thank you for being so generous."

Now it was Jamie’s turn to look stunned. She reached up to feel Ryan’s forehead, but it was cool to the touch. "That’s it?" she finally managed. "No arguments?"

"Nope. It will really come in handy this term, Jamie. The thought of three-day-long road trips without a computer was starting to give me hives," she admitted. "It’s going to be bad enough to be away from home, but to be stuck in a strange town and know that I’m wasting tons of down time has really been worrying me."

"Why didn’t you say something?" the blonde asked, fervently wishing that Ryan could get over her reticence about spending money.

"It didn’t occur to me," she admitted a little sheepishly. "I’ve never had any options when things like this happen, Jamie. I’d just have to grin and bear it. It’s going to take me a while to get comfortable using our money to solve problems." She gave her partner a thoughtful look. "Up until now I’ve been focusing on the problems that your money creates. I’m gonna try my best to get over that." She shrugged and added, "It’s just not productive."

"That’s very good news," Jamie sighed, nuzzling her head into Ryan’s neck for a nice cuddle.

"Hey, when you get comfortable being rich, can we stop cleaning the kitchen?" Mia asked hopefully.

"I’ll never be that comfortable, Mia," the dark woman warned. "Just put that thought out of your cute little head."

"Hey, Tiger?" Jamie asked as she walked out of the bath after brushing her teeth.

"Yes?" Ryan said absently, intently working on getting her new computer set up to her exacting specifications.

"Wanna play a game with me?"

"Uh-huh," she said, her attention divided, less than half of it directed to her partner. "Let me finish here and brush my teeth. Do I need to take a shower to play?"

"Not that kind of game," the blonde chuckled. She grasped the laptop and tucked it under her arm, saying, "I’ll give your little toy back after I have your attention for a moment."

"Speak," Ryan smiled, her blue eyes focused sharply on her lover.

"I have to develop and manage a stock portfolio for one of my classes, and I thought it would be fun to have you do it, too. Since you’re going to do your independent study on stock market fluctuations, I thought it might also be good experience. What do you say?"

"Works for me," Ryan said, extending her hands, fingers twitching to retrieve her computer. "What are the rules?"

Placing the computer behind her back, Jamie informed her, "We each can spend up to $500,000 on any combination of investment vehicles. You can put your money in a mutual fund, or buy Treasury Bills if you want. Of course, the more risky alternative is to buy individual stocks. My professor gave us a simple program for keeping track of our purchases, and he’s included a chart for determining broker’s commissions and other charges. I’ve got to keep track of my portfolio just like it was real."

Ryan nodded suspiciously. "Uh-huh, and would there be any particular reason you’d like me to participate?"

"Mmm…sure, Babe. I like to do everything with you. Don’t you know that by now?" She was batting her eyes seductively, and Ryan knew that she was being set up, but she didn’t care a bit.

"I have a feeling that I’m going to wind up doing all of the bookkeeping here, Sweetie," she decided. "I think you want me to do my own picks so I stay interested."

"Well, you can never resist a challenge," Jamie smiled, giving her partner a wink. "We’ll compete to see who makes the most by the end of the term."