Reece's Faith (48 page)

"Faith! How could you even say something like that?" the cub owner pulled away. "I can't believe you would..."

"Oh Reece, baby, calm down. I'm just kidding. I would never accuse you of that." The actress kissed her tall lover on the neck, nuzzling into the sleep-warmed skin.

"Hey, cut that out. I thought you were still sore," Reece furrowed her brow.

"Oh yeah, I'm sore; it still hurts to pee, but you smell so good."

"I'm sorry I hurt you," the club owner said with sadness.

"Oh no you don't. I loved every hot, wild, sweaty second. Don't you forget that," Faith kissed the neck again.

"Mmm, okay. But I'm still sorry." The club owner moved her head so Faith could access it easier. "Baby, you better stop that now," Reece warned.

"Why? You're not sore," Faith breathed into the inviting cleavage.

"No, but your mother is about to enter the room."

"Ooo, she's on my last nerve today."

Reece chuckled and opened the door before Mrs. Ashford could knock.

"Theresa!"

"Mom!"

Faith pretended to gag as the women walked down the stairs arm in arm.

 
*  *  *

Faith walked with Reece's hand covering her eyes. The club owner suggested a blindfold, but mom had enough dirt already.

"What is it, Reece? I'm so excited!" the actress honed her craft.

"Wait 'til I tell you to open your eyes." The club owner let go of her lover and turned out the lights. "Okay, look now."

Faith opened her eyes and was astounded. The tree was not what she expected at all. She was genuinely surprised. As was her mother, who stood with the same look on her face.

"You like?" Reece asked nervously.

"Like? Reece it's wonderful! How did you... but it wasn't so... I love it!" she sputtered. The actress threw herself into Reece's arms and squeezed her tight.

"Merry Christmas, Faith." Reece whispered and kissed her lover.

"Theresa dear, this is wonderful. It surpasses any Ashford Family tree," Marsha gazed fondly at the embraced couple.

Faith could feel Reece's heartbeat return to normal. She knew Reece was really worried about what Faith would think and it made her smile. "Reece, it's beautiful. How did you do this?" she asked.

"Cori helped," Reece shrugged.

"Nope, nuh uh. She was with us all day, tall one. You get all the credit. Thank you, this is very special. Our first Christmas together and I will remember it forever." Faith embraced Reece tightly again, motioning for her teary mother to join in a group hug.

"That better be you, Faith," Reece teased.

"Oops, silly me. What ever was I thinking?" Marsha replied with a wink.

 
*  *  *

Reece awoke to the delicious smells wafting into their bedroom. Turning over to cuddle, she met cool sheets and an even colder pillow. Frowning slightly, she turned back over and stretched. Not really wanting to wake up yet, she opened an eye a little bit and peeked at the clock. It was 10:30.
Huh? Why did I sleep so long?
Sitting up, the thudding in her temples reminded Reece just how much alcohol she had consumed last night. She swung her legs off the side of the bed and rubbed her face. Yawning loudly, she made a face at the condition of her mouth. "Blech. I drank too much."

Last night had started out wonderfully and then got even better when Cori and Violet popped in with a batch of Cori's famous Eggnog. After that, most of it was a blur up until Faith had brought her up to bed.

Oh yeaaah... now that I remember... that was goood,
the tall woman thought with a smirk.

While Faith was still recovering from their aggressive coupling two nights prior, Reece was not. She was drunk, horny and a bit loud about it. Faith was having a hard time controlling her determined lover in front of their company and was eternally grateful when her two friends decided to call it a night on her behalf. Too drunk to drive, they had stayed in the guest room while Mom slept on the couch.

Thrilled with the opportunity to devote all of her attentions to her amorous lover, Faith couldn't wait to get her in bed. Reece, slightly uncoordinated and unable to reciprocate, found herself completely at Faith's mercy. Repeatedly. Finally, she had to beg Faith to stop. The tall woman had never been so thoroughly ravished before and, even though she protested, she loved every minute of it.

Oh, baby. Just wait 'til I get my hands on you, Faith Ashford,
she grinned at her naked self, chuckling at the hickey on her inner thigh.

A loud clanging of pots startled Reece (definitely not a familiar sound to be coming from her kitchen) and then muffled voices drifted through her half-opened door.

What is going on down there?
The tall woman stood up and stretched again. She stumbled into the bathroom to wash up. Again she chuckled, this time at the weakened condition of her leg muscles. "She really got me good," she mused as she brushed the sandpaper out of her mouth.

Throwing on a robe and pulling her hair back into a ponytail, the tall woman drifted downstairs to see what was going on.

"See? I told you we had a bigger pot!" Faith harrumphed playfully.

"These things are so dusty, I don't think she ever used them," Violet snickered.

"Shut up you and just peel these," the actress said as she tossed a bunch of carrots at her friend.

"Girls... shush now, you're going to wake Theresa and after how much she drank last night, she can't be in a pleasant mood."

"Please, Mrs. Ashford, if we heard her, you had to hear her. She sounded pretty pleased to me. Besides, Reece isn't coming down any time soon. I don't think she could possibly move after what your daughter did to her," Violet pointed at Faith.

"Me?" the actress blushed. "How do you know I did all the work?"

"Because, dear, we didn't hear one peep out of you. The way that poor child begged for mercy..." Marsha tsk'ed and shook her head.

"Mom! Stop it right now." Faith's face turned darker. "I don't think I'll ever get used to my mother knowing what I do in bed... and teasing me about it," she mumbled.

"Well you should have gagged her or something," the piercer teased.

"Please, Vi, like you were quiet as mice. The whole neighborhood knows how hard you like it now." Faith snickered.

Reece decided against entering the chicken coop and detoured into the guest room. Cori was lying on her stomach with her eyes wide open; she pulled the covers up over her butt.

"You heard them?" the tall woman whispered.

Cori nodded. "Eavesdropped too, huh?" she asked.

"Yeah. Scoot over."

"Come on in." Cori lifted the blankets and Reece slid inside. "You made the right choice. I actually went in the kitchen. Marsha hit me in the back of the head for making Violet wait so long to come."

"Good grief. I'd certainly be eating soap for the things I said." Reece turned onto her back and folded her arms behind her head.

"I agree."

Reece looked sideways at her friend.

"Please, Reece, the whole block heard you. You must have been pretty drunk to be that fucking loud about it," The dancer stated bluntly.

"She was wild last night," was the club owner's reply.

"Reece, you certainly have changed. When we were together, you never even let me touch you and with the way you were carrying on last night..."

"Enough about last night, Cor," Reece started to get uncomfortable.

"I'm only teasing, Reece. It's all in fun. We're friends, remember? I find it fascinating what Faith has done to you."

"What do you mean, done to me?"

"You've become more human."

The two women lay there listening to the conversation in the kitchen. The club owner sighed heavily.

"What?" the dancer wondered why Reece suddenly seemed sad.

"Cori, ever think about life?"

"Elaborate, Reece," she laughed, getting up on one elbow to look at her friend.

"Well, I mean choices that you made, regrets."

"Yeah, I do."

Reece rolled her eyes impatiently. "Well?"

"If you're asking me if I think I made all the right choices, yes. I'm glad all my choices brought me to where I am today. I'd make all he same stupid mistakes all over again just to be here now."

"I just wonder what I may have become if my past was different..."

"No," the dancer sat up cross-legged, "don't you go and wonder about that. All the paths you walked, good and bad, brought you to Faith or her to you. I think it was meant to be."

"She could have any one in this world! She's beautiful, all over."

"Aren't you happy?" Cori asked with concern.

"Well... yeah, but I'm always wondering what's going to happen tomorrow. Someone with more to offer her could come along and..."

"Reece, you got to stop thinking like that. It's gonna tear you both up. You don't want to be the cause of you two separating, do you?"

"No, but..."

"Right. Hey, Faith loves you for
you
. Who knows if she would have liked a different Reece?"

"A different Reece would be less... unstable." The tall woman became sullen.

"She likes
everything
about you."

"You sound so sure." Reece wondered how her friend could know.

"She told me," Cori admitted. "She told me how unpredictable you are... and how it excites her. She likes it, Reece." Cori saw her friend's forehead scrunch up. "Yes, even The Animal. She trusts you."

"Yeah, with all her heart. No one ever believed in me like she does. Not even Frankie. I'm afraid I may do something stupid."

"Reece, everyone does stupid things, love itself is goofy. Come on, go easy on yourself."

"I don't think I can live without her, Cori," Reece whispered.

"And you're scared."

Reece nodded.

"Scared that you actually need someone so much, depend on her, scared that you may hurt her, scared she may tire of you... yeah we all been there, Reece."

"I haven't, Cori. What if I wake up and she's gone? What would I do without her?"

"Oh, Reece," Cori reached over and touched her friends cheek, "I don't think that's ever going to happen. Faith was named very appropriately, if you ask me. But why don't you ask her, just to confirm."

"Yeah, I'll do that," Reece agreed. "Thanks, Cor."

"You're welcome. Now, care to explain that mark?" she pointed to Reece's cleavage.

The tall woman opened her robe further and looked down at her chest. "I don't know?" she shrugged.

"If you ask me, it looks like an "F". I think you've been branded," the dancer smirked.