Keeping Faith (15 page)

Reece made a face. “No, really, I was thinking about the movie. I was thinking about how you trust me at my job, with naked girls and my reputation. I don’t know, all that thinking was making me crazy and I realized I have to be okay with whatever you want to do. I trust you. I guess what I’m saying is you do that movie and I’ll be fine. I have to be.”

Faith grinned from ear to ear. “I love you, Reece. Thank you.” She held out her hand and Reece took it, grasping it firmly.

“I know you love me, and it makes all the difference in the world. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love you, I need to stop behaving like you’re my possession.”

Faith smiled. “You were talking to Cori weren’t you.”

Reece looked down. “A little.”

“Well, good. You should listen to her more. Now come here.” Faith yanked Reece hard and the tall woman fell into the tub with a big splash.

“Faith! I can’t believe you did that!” Reece righted herself as best she could and wiped the hair out of her face.

“You won’t shrink. Just kiss me and stop complaining.”

C
ORI PUSHED VIOLET down onto the bed and crawled between her open legs. “Spread ‘em for me woman, I’m hungry.”

Violet threw her legs over her lover’s shoulders and begged. “Please baby, I’m so ready.”

Just as Cori licked her lips, the phone began to ring. “You have got to be kidding me!”

Violet grabbed her girlfriend’s bright pink hair and pulled her head down “You better ignore it.” She warned.

Cori stuck her tongue out and took a long lick. “Mmmm…”

Just then Faith’s voice screamed through the room. “I did it! I did it! They’re using my changes!”

Cori sat up, excited about the news.

“Get back down there Cori.” Violet begged.

“Stop having sex and pick up the phone or I’m going to start singing.”

Violet ran for the phone. “Hello! Please, don’t start singing.”

Faith laughed. “What took you so long?”

“We really were having sex you know.”

“I feel for you.” Faith snickered.

Cori grabbed the phone away, “So they really are gonna use your changes? How fucking cool is that?”

“I know!” Faith gushed. “I feel so relieved, and proud!”

Violet leaned towards the phone. “What did Reece say?”

“She doesn’t know, she’s at the gym, I can’t wait to tell her! She’ll be so happy.”

Cori frowned. “I dunno Faith. You’re still tits to the wind, I can’t see her doing a happy dance.”

“Look, she has to accept it. She may not like it at all, but at least she’s going to try. Thanks for talking to her last night by the way. You really helped.”

Cori nodded in acknowledgement. “Yeah, well, it’s the least I can do. She still has issues, no matter what she says to you.”

“I know, but she’s going to deal with it her own way. Soon enough she’ll be better with it. We had a talk this morning and she said as long as I don’t tell her what’s going on she’ll deal better.”

Cori snorted. “Oh, and it’ll be better for it to slap her in the face during the premiere? I don’t think so.”

Faith paused. “Shit.”

“Yeah, a big stinking shit.”

Reece headed for the showers and was stopped in her tracks by the gym owner. Rolling her eyes, she put a hand on her hip and waited.

“Hi, we talked a while back, remember?”

Reece nodded and looked bored.

“You know, the offer still stands to work here. I’ve been watching you, as have a lot of other people and I’m sure you’d never want for clients.”

Reece glanced around at the gym. Yes, there were numerous admirers, most women. Her eyes narrowed and she didn’t know why. “Okay, talk to me.” She said, folding her arms over her chest. “What kind of deal can we make?”

Faith, the dog in her lap, clad in Reece’s tank top from the night before, leaned back in the kitchen chair with her coffee. Smiling, she absently pet Smudge. She was feeling rather smug about getting her way. Nothing could change her mood.

Except what was waiting on the doorstep outside.

The actress frowned at the sound of the doorbell, and yelled her way towards the door. “Baby, you have to stop forgetting your keys!” Opening the door, she stepped back in horror.

“Surprise!”

Reece shook hands with the gym owner and with a smug smile gathered her things and left, forgoing the shower.

Not bad, she thought as she walked out. I pick up my own clients, it’s my money. He gets me a client he gets a cut. A small cut, and I get free use of the gym. Gotta wear the stupid shirt, but there could be worse things.

The club owner felt a little pang of discomfort with what she just did, but blew it off.
Faith’s gonna be busy with the movie, and I’m not just gonna sit there and do nothing. I need a hobby too. I can’t tell the clients what to wear, I mean they have to wear little so I can see the muscles at work. It’s not like they’re naked.
She rationalized her actions. Barely.

Faith watched as her mother dragged in bags. She eyed the luggage with disdain. ”Mom, how long are you here for?”

Mrs. Ashford, Marsha, made a face. “No, hello? No hug?” She held out her arms and waited.

Faith walked into them and sighed. There was really nothing she could do. “Sorry. I’m happy you’re here.”
Yeah, right.

“Now that’s better.” Marsha walked into the living room on her way to the guest room and stopped at the coffee table. Reaching for the script she lit up excitedly. “Oooo, what’s this?”

Faith grabbed the script back. “Nothing, mom, nothing. Go get settled.”

Mrs. Ashford gave her daughter a sideways glance. “Alright.” She said, looking over her shoulder at the script as she dragged her bag into the guest room.

Faith threw herself into the couch and mimed a fit.

When Reece walked in, she saw her wife lying on the couch, kicking and screaming silently, hugging the script. “And you’re doing that because…”

Faith jumped up and settled herself. “Reece, we have to talk.”

“Yeah, but me first,” Reece said, standing in front of the couch.

“No, Reece…”

Reece silenced Faith with a finger. “I took that job at the gym.” She declared.

Faith looked incredulous. “You what?”

“I took the trainer’s job. I start tomorrow.”

Faith gritted her teeth. “You spiteful little…ARGH! Reece, we can’t talk about this now, but we will. Oh, we will.”

“What’s wrong with a hobby?”

“Hobby?” Faith’s eyes almost turned red. In a hushed voice she spoke through her teeth. “What were you thinking? We have a visitor right now, so you are really lucky. I could kill you.”

“Visitor?” Reece looked towards the guest room. “Who the hell….”

“THERESA? IS THAT YOU?”

Reece paled. “Oh no. No, no, no, no.
Not your mother!”

“
You
tell her to leave.” Faith growled.

“It is you! Come here and give your mother-in-law a hug!”

Reece visibly shrunk and shuffled over for a hug. “Hi, Mrs. A. What brings you here?”

“Oh, Theresa, you could use a shower, dear.”

“She just got back from the gym. She likes the gym.” Faith mentioned.

Reece stiffened.

“My, you’re so tense! Is everything alright?” The older woman stepped back and gave Reece the once over. “You look … well… so big. Do you really think you need to go to the gym so much? ”

“Yeah, mom, she’s a certified gym rat. And I mean rat.” Faith narrowed her eyes at her wife.

Reece narrowed hers back.

Mrs. Ashford looked between the both and raised an eyebrow. “What is going on here?”

Just then the door bell rang, earning another narrow eyed glare from Reece. Faith opened the door and jumped back.

“CONGRATULATIONS!” Then they started to sing. “For she’s a jolly good actress, for she’s a jolly good actress, for she’s a jolly good actressssssssss ….”

Faith made a frightened face as her mother came to the door. “Mom! You remember Cori and Violet?”

Cori immediately thrust a box behind her back and Violet let go of the balloons she was holding. Reece watched as they floated to the high ceiling and stayed there.

“What’s going on? Why are we celebrating?” Marsha asked in excitement.

“Nothing!” Faith blurted.

Cori walked sideways into the kitchen, passing the box to Reece who frowned and opened it. Her eyes widened as a dozen cookies shaped like breasts one nipple pierced stared back at her. She slammed the box shut just as everybody filed into the kitchen. Putting the box on top of the fridge she gave Cori an annoyed stare. “We’ll just keep them here for now.”

Faith shot her wife a questionable look and Reece shook her head.

“Girls, I demand to know what is going on.” Marsha said, hands on hips.

“Well, you see, I am making a movie.” Faith started.

“Oh that’s wonderful!”

“Ma, wait, it’s a lesbian movie.” Faith paused waiting for a reaction.

Marsha cocked her head. “Yes….”

“See, there’s some content, some uh," Faith looked at everyone in the room for help, no one offered.

“What kind of content, dear?”

“Sex, ma.”

Marsha’s eyes widened. “Oh. I see.” She sat down on a kitchen chair and sucked her lips into her mouth.

The room was dead silent.

Faith sat down across from her mother. “Mom, it’s okay, really. It’s not porn. It’s integral to the story…”

“Yes, I can see where sex is integral to a story.” Marsha said sarcastically.

“Mrs. A, If I may,” Cori started, “Faith thought long and hard about this and believe me, it was a big issue. She wouldn’t do anything embarrassing to you.”

“Are you nude?”

Faith swallowed. “A little.”

Mrs. Ashford sat in thought. Turning to Reece she looked inquisitively.

Reece threw her hands up and shrugged. “Hey, I didn’t write it, I have to deal with it too.”

Finding an ally, Marsha nodded at Reece. “I see. And you’re alright with this.”

“Actually…” Reece began.

Faith cut her off. “Yes, we had a long talk and she’s okay with it.”

Reece curled her lip. “Yeah, sure.”

Marsha wasn’t buying it. She’d have to talk to Reece alone.

After Cori and Violet left, and Mrs. Ashford getting unpacked, Faith and Reece sat at opposite sides of their bed and glared.