Southern Comfort (9781622863747) (18 page)

Teri didn't remember how she got home and had no idea who was cooking food in her kitchen. She stumbled out of bed and headed down her hallway. She bit her bottom lip when she saw a chick with an incredible, thick, round ass standing by her table wearing a pair of high-cut panties that didn't hold any of her ass. The woman turned around and smiled.

“Porsha?” Teri rubbed her eyes as she walked into the dining room.

“Hey, I figured you would need some breakfast after last night.”

Teri sat down at her bar. Porsha sat a plate with two Belgium waffles in front of her. She poured Teri a glass of orange juice.

“Let me apologize for whatever I might have done last night.”

Porsha laughed. “We didn't do anything. I knew you were drunk so I drove you here.”

Teri looked up at Porsha. “I don't remember driving to the restaurant.”

Porsha shook her head. “You didn't. I drove you here in my new car. I bought me a little used Mazda 6.”

“Oh that's cool. Congrats,” Teri said chomping down on a bit of one of the waffles.

“Thanks. It's used but it gets me to where I need to be.”

“That's all that matters.” Teri smiled. There was something different about Porsha, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Porsha stood up and headed to the kitchen. Teri watched through her bar window as Porsha cleaned up the area she used to make the breakfast.

“Oh and whoever you been fuckin' needs to start grocery shopping. You lucky that box of pancake mix fell out of my grocery bag and I found it in the back of my car.”

“What makes you think I've been fucking someone?”

Porsha shrugged her shoulders as she wiped the counter. “Well let's call it wishful thinking. I would hate to believe you just broke it off with me for absolutely no reason at all. The best thing I could think of was something better came along.”

Teri felt an ache in the pit of her stomach. She knew she didn't handle things right. “Look about that—”

“You don't have to say anything.” Porsha shook her head.

“No, I really want to explain.” Teri put her hand on top of Porsha's.

“Okay, well explain. Why did you do it the way you did? I really liked you. I thought you liked me too.”

Teri realized how terrible the truth was going to sound. She left Porsha because of her background, when now she found herself being treated the same way by Victoria.

“Honestly, I can't explain. I think I'm not a person who is looking for serious and I saw it coming and needed to end it before things got too heavy. In the back of my mind I thought it would be the better thing.”

Porsha pressed her plump lips together as she nodded her head up and down. She stood up. “It's cool. Hey not that I thought it was going to be anything real anyway. I mean I'm not dumb, but I know I wasn't really on your level.”

“My level?” Teri gave an inquisitive gaze.

“Come on, you are super educated and stuff. I am just a regular girl. I knew I would never fit in with your group of friends or colleagues.”

“Porsha.” Teri felt the horrible feeling in her stomach again. She was at a loss for words; she knew everything Porsha was saying was true, even if it was messed up.

A big smile came over Porsha's face. “But you know what? You actually helped me more than you know. When you stopped messing with me I realized just how much of an effect you had on me.” Porsha sat back in the chair holding Teri's hand. “I was sitting at home furious listening to my roommates talking shit about you in our small little apartment. I never want to come to your house so bad, not because I wanted you, but just because I missed the space and silence.”

Teri and Porsha both laughed.

“Seriously I knew I hated my job and that I could be doing so much more. So I applied at ServiceMaster and got on with Terminix in sales. I'm making an insane amount of money and they have tuition reimbursement so I am now enrolled at Southwest.”

“No, shit. You go then, girl.” Teri high-fived Porsha.

Porsha was gleaming with pride. Teri realized that she never truly paid attention to more than Porsha's body. Sitting at the table, with no makeup on, she was able to see just how beautiful Porsha really was.

“Speaking of I'm totally going to be late for work so I need to get out of here.”

Porsha and Teri stood up. She grabbed her purse and Teri walked her to the door.

“Hey if you ever need anything you have my number. Seriously use it,” Teri said as she gave Porsha a hug.

“I will do that, 'cause this math stuff is going to be the death of me.” Porsha laughed.

Teri watched until Porsha drove away in her little car, realizing that karma truly was a bitch, but there always was hope for second chances.

Katrina had so many things she wanted to say but she couldn't figure out the right way to say them. She watched in silence as Willow gave her bags to the ticket agent and got her boarding pass.

Willow woke up the day after the party to find Katrina sleeping in the oversized chair. She wondered how long she had been there. As she watched her she knew that Katrina was still the one she wanted to be with, but she didn't know if she possessed the fight that was needed at that time.

Katrina woke up to see Willow staring at her. She sat up, rubbing her eyes from the terrible sleep. She came back to the guest house that night to plead her case only to find Willow sound asleep. She wanted Willow to be the first thing she saw in the morning.

“How are you feeling?” Katrina's voice cracked.

Willow pulled her knees into her chest. She sat on the bed staring at her gorgeous love. “I'm good.”

“Willow, I know last night was bad but I just want to let you know I called Saura and told her to get out of my house. I am done with her and I promise you nothing like that will ever happen again.”

Katrina's pleading melted Willow's heart. “I don't think anything else like that would happen, but, I think that I still need to go back to London.”

“What?” Katrina stood up. She crawled into the bed, putting her hands on Willow's knees.

Willow put her hands on top of Katrina's. She fought back her emotions. “I think that we both just are moving too fast. I mean Saura might be crazy but she made some valid points. Katrina, we haven't known each other long and I was thinking of moving, changing my whole life to be with you. You didn't have time to get over Saura and we didn't have much time to even truly get to know each other.”

Katrina and Willow sat in a silent room. Katrina thought about her words. She knew Willow was right, but she didn't want to let her go. “But, Willow, that's how we get to know each other. Isn't that half of the experience?”

“It is, and I do want to still get to know you, but not living here. I can't just up and move my whole life until I know for sure this is what we need to do.”

Katrina felt defeated. If Willow moved back to London she knew it would be the end of them. She didn't want a long-distance relationship. She wanted to be able to feel her mate.

“I don't know if I can do the long-distance thing, Willow.” Katrina felt horrible but she had to tell the truth.

Willow hated to hear it but she couldn't be mad. She knew it would be asking a lot and wasn't sure she could handle a long-distance relationship either. But she knew moving to Memphis was a gamble she wasn't ready to make.

Willow thanked the agent and picked up her passport and boarding pass. She walked over to Katrina who was doing everything possible to keep a strong appearance.

“So you got everything you need?” Katrina asked as she handed Willow her carryon backpack.

“Yeah, I do. So I will call you when I land, okay?”

Both women stood in the busy terminal, completely oblivious to anything going on around them. All that mattered in that moment was them.

“Willow, I don't want this to end,” Katrina blurted out.

Willow wiped the single tear that fell from Katrina's face. Never in a million years did she think Katrina would start crying before her. She took a deep breath trying to hold in her emotions.

“I don't look at it as ending; it's just a pause.” Willow smiled.

Katrina put her arm around Willow, pulling her close to her. She rubbed her hand through Willow's hair for the last time. It was killing her; she didn't want to let go. Willow finally pulled away.

“I gotta go,” Willow said as Katrina rubbed her arm.

Willow put the backpack on her back and proceeded to head to her security checkpoint. Tears streamed down her face as she walked away. She knew she couldn't turn around or she might not make it to the gate.

Katrina stood in the terminal surrounded by people, but she never felt more alone in her life.

Katrina pulled into the restaurant parking lot to see Devon's and Teri's cars parked next to her space. She walked into her office to find them sitting there.

“Hey, friend, drink?” Devon held up a bottle of red wine.

“Sure.” Katrina sat in her office chair as Devon poured three glasses of wine.

The friends sat in silence, watching Katrina's face for a sign of what to do or say. They could tell she had been crying from her red, puffy eyes. Katrina downed the glass, holding it out for Devon to refill.

“So she got on a flight?”

“Yeah, they even waived the change fee.” Katrina stared at the glass of wine.

“Well damn, it's gotta be the accent. I gotta learn how to talk like I'm British.” Teri's attempt to crack a joke fell on deaf ears.

“Katrina, it's not over; you guys can Skype and all that. She even said she will come back.” Devon patted her friend on the back. “And we can always go to London. I mean I really don't need an excuse to go to Europe.”

“Hey, I will even go,” Teri added.

Katrina and Devon both looked at Teri in shock.

“Yeah, I said it. I am trying to turn over a new leaf here, people,” Teri huffed.

Devon and Katrina looked at their friend. The three burst out into laughter at Teri's expense. Katrina couldn't stop laughing. Suddenly things didn't seem as bad.

“You know now that I think about it we really were moving pretty fucking fast.” Katrina sipped her wine.

“You really were,” Devon agreed. “I mean hell it's only been like two months.”

“It feels like so much longer.” Katrina poured some more wine in her glass.

“That's because you were moving at the speed of dyke,” Teri said causing them to laugh. “Seriously you know how we do. You meet, you kiss, and you move in all within the span of seventy-two hours.”

“Then you break up three months later and feel like it's the end of the world,” Devon added.

“Yeah, until you go to the club and meet the next ex.”

All the women laughed. Katrina stood up. She held her glass out toward her friends. “To us. We might be single but we have each other.”

The women laughed as they clicked their glasses together.

Willow and Piper sat on the steps of the Trevi fountain. Willow sipped hot chocolate while she watched Piper flirt with two Australian guys. She never understood why Piper loved to flirt with men, even though she had no intention of ever sleeping with a single one of them.

Willow pulled her new camera out and began to snap photos of the fountain. She noticed a couple kissing on the far side of the steps. She smiled clicking her camera lens to capture the romantic moment.

“You know stalking is against the law.”

Willow knew she had to be hearing things. She shook her head as she put the camera back to her eye.

“So you just going to ignore me?”

The voice was oddly familiar. Willow turned around to see Katrina standing behind with a black pea coat and black and silver sweater on.

“Oh my God, what are you doing here?” Willow jumped up off the step.

“Hey, Willow, you couldn't come here during the summer huh?” Teri said as she pulled her scarf up around her ears.

“Can you stop complaining and just take in the moment? We are in Rome!” Devon threw her hand in the air and spun around.

Teri didn't seem as enthused.

“I can't believe you guys are here.” Willow walked up the steps to join them.

“Surprise!” Piper joined the group. “We planned this the moment we decided to come.”

Piper and Devon's eyes locked on each other. Piper smiled, rolling a piece of her blond hair around her finger. She held her arm out. “Hi, I'm Piper.” Piper batted her eyelashes.

“I'm Devon.” Devon smiled as she shook Piper's hand. The two immediately walked off from the group.

“Okay, that's some bullshit. I'm cold. I'm going in one of these cafés.” Teri walked off.

Katrina hugged Willow. The two didn't realize how well a long-distance relationship could work after all. Due to modern technology it didn't seem like they were apart at all. They talked multiple times a day by Skype. The distance gave them time to actually talk. They learned more about each other than they ever could imagine.

“I can't believe you are here.” Willow couldn't stop smiling.

“Well when you told me that you and Piper were going to take a week in Rome I thought that wasn't fair. Rome is our place.”

“Oh it is?”

Katrina nodded her head. Willow pressed her lips against Katrina's. No matter how great their video chats were nothing was as good as the real thing. They couple watched as Piper recorded Devon throwing coins into the fountain.

“So should we do that again?” Katrina said as she held on to Willow. “See if it will bring us back to Rome again?”

Willow smiled as she watched the spark growing between Piper and Devon. She stared at the beautiful statues and the cascading water falling down into the giant pool. It was cold, but suddenly she felt warmer than she had felt in a very long time.

Katrina pulled something out of her pocket. She held her hand out reveling four coins. Willow shook her head as she closed Katrina's hand.

“Okay, but only one coin this time. I already have all the love I want.”