REPRESENTED (28 page)

             
Karin smiled as she watched Cassie “in the living room they would get knocked over by the cat and dog playing.”

             
“Then why not in the other two bedrooms?” she turned to face Karin seeing her look at her with tired eyes and a worn face as she placed Cassie’s luggage by the edge of the bed.

             
“Because I rarely go into those rooms.  I keep the doors shut so that the animals don’t go into them.  I would forget that I have plants in them if I put anything in those rooms.  Besides, I can go naked in my bedroom any time I want and its nearly impossible for anyone to see through my jungle into my bedroom” she smiled.

             
Cassie had to concede that she had a point but she also couldn’t see out through the mass of hanging and potted plants.  “So this is it?  Your inner sanctum?” she smiled to show she was teasing.

             
“Actually, this is just where I sleep.  Do you want to see my inner sanctum?  My bat cave?” she asked with a grin.

             
“There’s more?  Did we miss something?” she walked towards where Karin was holding out her hand.

             
Karin led her down the hall.  She knew Cassie had missed seeing the door on the opposite wall since she had been looking in the spare bedrooms.  She opened the ajar door to her den and flicked on a light.  Cassie was enchanted.  The Cherry wood furniture was beautiful and she had never seen such an interesting fish tank with the tubes between the two.  The angelfish looked amazing as they seemed to watch her just as closely as she watched them.  The goldfish went crazy trying to get her attention as they went up and down trying to get fed.   The two recliners looked cozy as she sat in one to try it out and found it giving her a hug as she sank into it.  “Mmm, this is nice” she said smiling.  Karin watched her sleepily as she watched her appreciate the room.  “Two chairs?  Why two?” she asked as she looked back at Karin.

             
Karin shrugged “the room needed two, and C.A.T. needed a chair of his own” she answered with a grin.

             
“So where is this cat of yours that I’ve heard about?”

             
Karin looked around the room before answering “I haven’t the faintest idea” she answered truthfully.

             
“He needs his own chair?”

             
Karin grinned “you’ll see.”

             
D.O.G. pushed his way past Karin to push his muzzle under Cassie’s hand in an apparent request to be petted.  She obliged him with a smile as she petted the soft and springy hair.  “He makes himself understood very well doesn’t he” she grinned.

             
Karin smiled “are you hungry?”

             
“Don’t tell me you’re going to cook for me?”

             
Karin knew she was kidding, she had confessed her lack of culinary skills which she had no intention of rectifying.  “No, but I thought maybe we could order in something.”

             
“I’d rather go out if you don’t mind” she eyed Karin trying to gauge how tired she was.

             
“Okay, then let’s go out” Karin said as she held out her hand.

             
They left D.O.G. behind but not before Cassie had seen his guilt trip in the form of adoring brown eyes.  He was good at expressing himself and she left feeling as though she had betrayed him by leaving him.

             
“Don’t feel bad, he gets out a lot, believe me” Karin laughed as they walked down the street together.  It was dark already and they were both grateful for the jackets they were wearing.  It was a brisk fall night and only getting colder now that the sun was down.

             
“I think if he had whined just a little my heart would have broken” Cassie said.

             
“Wow, he’s going to have you trained in no time” Karin teased.

             
They talked all the way to the restaurant.  Karin had given Cassie a choice and she had chosen Italian because she knew of Karin’s fondness for it.  She had also bragged about Mr. Martinelli’s place often enough on the phone that Cassie was looking forward to it.

             
“Ah, Ms. Myers, it has been a while!” a beaming rolly poly Italian man greeted her giving her a kiss on both cheeks.  “And you bring your friend?” he greeted her with a wide smile.

             
“Mr. Martinelli, this is my friend Cassie Summers, Cassie this is Mr. Martinelli” she introduced them.

             
“It is a pleasure, an absolute pleasure to welcome you to my establishment” he told her sincerely.

             
“Well thank you.  Karin has raved about your restaurant so often I had to try it my first night in New York.”

             
He was speechless at her flattery.  “I am honored” he gasped and he ushered them to their seats.  Turning to Karin he asked “Wine?”

             
Karin hesitated only a moment before asking “do you have something at the bar that will wake me up?  It’s been a long day but I don’t want to be up all night?  I’ll have wine with dinner.”

             
He thought for a moment and nodded and asked Cassie “And for you?”

             
“I’ll have water until dinner” she answered bemused.

             
He hurried away to lean over the bar and talk to the barman.  He soon brought a disgusting looking black drink that he assured Karin would wake her up but not keep her up all night.  He warned her when it wore off she would want to have her bed close.  She chugged it down without asking what it was and he looked at her admiredly. 

Turning to Cassie he asked
“Do you know what you want to eat or would you like
menus
?” he said the word ‘menu’ as though it was a nasty word.

             
Cassie was amused.  Karin had explained that he took pride on bringing them any Italian cuisine they could think of and that only ‘tourists’ used menus.  Regulars such as herself and family asked for whatever they wanted.  “If you don’t mind Mr. Martinelli, I’d like some of the Ravioli I’ve heard you make, also those exquisite little bread sticks, the soft ones?”

             
He beamed at her and Karin winked at her as she added “sounds good to me” as she agreed with Cassie.

             
“Did I do good?” Cassie asked as he walked briskly away to get their order.

             
Karin chuckled “you’ve probably endeared yourself to him for life.”

             
The Ravioli’s were delicious Cassie found.  The breadsticks were the best she had ever tasted.  Karin explained they were freshly baked daily in Martinelli’s own ovens.  They were doughy but butter filled and just melted in their mouths.  Cassie pigged out on them.  They were finishing up their wine when a beautiful woman in a figure hugging dress came in the door.  She looked around the restaurant and spotted Karin.  She headed for their table.

             
“Karin?” she said in a beautiful lilting voice to match her beautiful figure and beautiful face.

             
Karin looked up and felt immediately uncomfortable.  “Francesca!” she said as she hastily used her napkin on her lips and rose to give the woman a kiss on both cheeks. 

             
Cassie watched in amazement.  This wasn’t behavior she had seen in Karin before.

             
“Where have you been hiding yourself?” Francesca asked ignoring Cassie.

             
Karin smiled as though Francesca had said something funny.  “Francesca, I’d like you to meet my friend Cassie Summers.  Cassie, this is Francesca Martinelli” she said making the introductions.

             
Cassie could see that Karin looked slightly uncomfortable and she wondered at it as she shook the beautiful Italian woman’s hand.  Francesca looked at her intently.

             
“So, is this your date?” she boldly asked as she leaned her hip towards Karin who hadn’t sat back down.

             
Karin smiled “of course, but then you realized that when you walked up.”

             
Francesca sighed dramatically “you never called me back.”

             
“Francesca, the phone works both ways.”

             
The woman looked startled for a moment then smiled “you’re right, I should have called you.  Will you forgive me?”

             
Karin nodded and said “of course but you understand now that I can’t return those calls now unless they are business?”

             
Francesca’s beautiful almond shaped eyes narrowed slightly at the hint “of course, but you will call me if you find yourself single again?”

             
Karin just smiled.

             
Mr. Martinelli hurried up hoping to avoid a confrontation.  He had heard about their first and only date together and worried that not only his daughter had been upset but a very important customer in Karin.  She hadn’t held it against him but he knew how ‘passionate’ his daughter could be, how dramatic.  She had probably blown it all out of proportion that someone like Karin, someone so very important, hadn’t called her.

             
“It was nice to see you again” Karin said effectively dismissing Francesca.  She nodded before she sauntered over to the bar.  Karin turned to Cassie and asked “are you ready to go?”

             
Mr. Martinelli handed her the check and Karin handed him her credit card.  He took it to run it and Cassie rose and asked “did I interrupt something?” she indicated the beautiful woman by the bar.

             
Karin smiled at Cassie “no, I realized that was an explosion waiting to happen.  We would have killed each other if we had actually gone beyond the first date.  She is a brilliant attorney but not much of a person.  She lacks something but most of it is that she is fairly self-centered.”

             
Mr. Martinelli hurried back up wanting to get her signature and wanting her to get out of his restaurant before Francesca’s slow burn ignited into a tantrum or a scene, he knew his daughter well.

             
Karin and Cassie slowly made their way back towards her apartment.  Whatever that drink had been it had woken her up admiredly.  She felt full of energy but wondered how long it would last.  It had tasted awful though.  She figured it was some kind of alcohol and energy drink combination. 

             
As they walked along Cassie suddenly asked “we are exclusive aren’t we?”

             
Karin chuckled as she realized Cassie was feeling a tiny bit insecure.  Francesca was a beautiful lady after all.  “We have been exclusive since I met you in Los Angeles, I’m hopelessly monogamous” she smiled and Cassie squeezed her arm.

             
They sat on her balcony a while as Karin outlined some of the plans she already had to set Cassie’s career on a more productive path.  She was finally yawning when Cassie suggested they go to bed and Karin locked up and they headed into Karin’s bedroom.

Despite her fatigue Karin pulled Cassie into her arms and began to undress her, it was a scramble for both of them to undo buttons, pull off clinging clothes, and get to the skin beneath, to feel the body of the other against them was their mutual goal as the sighs, the murmurs, and the kissing increased over their lovemaking.  Cassie was the one who finally felt confident enough to push Karin to her bed and climb on her to kiss her passionately, lovingly, and touch her to her hearts content.  Karin thoroughly loved the feel of Cassie on her naked body, arching into her, skin on skin as they passionately began to make love.

Cassie caressed down and reached between them to find Karin soaked with her desire, her fingers easily slipping inside to reach up within causing Karin to gasp at the unexpected sensations as Cassie made a come hither gesture with her fingers.  Cassie was pleased to make Karin feel like this, watching her was a great thrill, this powerful and beautiful woman under her was totally at her mercy and yet … not.  She continued to play with Karin’s desirable body, her fingers causing Karin to thrash and moan, her lips and tongue licking, sucking, and laving attention where they could reach, her hand keeping her tethered to Karin’s body. 

The combination was driving Karin wild and she couldn’t hold back the beginnings of her orgasm if she had wanted to.  As she bucked and writhed beneath Cassie she didn’t realize she was watched avidly by the other woman.  Cassie was pleased and thrilled to be causing this in her partner, she loved this woman and knowing she could make her lose control for even a moment thrilled her and caused her own passions to lose control.  Grinding down on the back of her own hand and then clit to clit after the first orgasm had been wrenched from Karin’s body, they shared juices as they ground against each other.  Karin opened her eyes when she finally was able to see Cassie riding high and throwing her head back in ecstasy at the sensations passing between them, the beauty of the moment thrilled her to the core and another orgasm swiftly arose between them, this one Karin controlled and released at the same moment that Cassie achieved her own.  Exhaustion claimed them both shortly thereafter but they both went to sleep with smiles on their pretty faces.