Waking Up Gray (9 page)

Gray continued to survey the horizon. “Some folks are just born where they should stay. Wandering around out there in the world won’t make them happy. This is all I need to make me happy,” she said, but there was a melancholy in her voice.

Lizbeth commented, “Ah, a pirate married to the sea.”

Gray laughed. She put some cheese on a cracker and handed it to Lizbeth. “Here, try this. One of my clients from Wisconsin sent it to me.”

Lizbeth felt playful and teased Gray. “One of those married women clients you’re so fond of?”

Gray grinned at Lizbeth and cocked her head to one side. “Wow, I need to be careful what I discuss on the street when your windows are open.”

“I wasn’t trying to listen, if that’s what you’re implying,” Lizbeth shot back playfully.

“Guess I had my beer ears on. Didn’t realize how loud we were talking.”

Lizbeth had a large glass of wine at the house and she was almost finished with the one Gray had given her. The wine gave her courage to begin her own seduction game, and to her dismay, she did. She lowered her eyes over the top of her wine glass. “Do you do that often? Pick up married women, I mean.”

The question caught Gray a bit off guard, but then her raffish charm returned. “Just doing my part to keep the tourists happy.”

Lizbeth snickered. “Well, that particular tourist seemed happy enough when she drove off on her moped.”

“Were you watching me, too?” Gray asked, still grinning.

“I got up to see what the noise was and I became intrigued, you might say,” Lizbeth said, holding out her glass for more wine.

Gray poured the wine and studied Lizbeth. She could feel Gray’s eyes on her. Gray was sizing her up. Lizbeth could almost see the wheels turning behind her eyes. Gray was trying to decide what to do next. Lizbeth’s body was screaming, “Kiss me.” Her brain was trying to talk rationally, but only sounded like a mumbling old woman in the corner. Lizbeth had stopped listening to her. She sipped her wine and watched Gray.

Gray put more cheese on a cracker and put it in her mouth. She stared out at the water, slowly chewing, and then washed it down with wine, before turning back to Lizbeth, apparently having resolved whatever she had been mulling over. The seductive grin returned to her face.

“Intrigued? Exactly how intrigued are you?” Gray asked.

Lizbeth was losing all her inhibitions. She was having an almost out of body experience. She felt as if she was watching herself with no control over her actions. Some unseen force was pushing her to behave in a way that seemed inconceivable to Lizbeth, but she could not resist it. She looked Gray straight in the eyes when she said, softly, “Very.”

Gray took a sip of wine and turned her body so she was facing Lizbeth. “Lizbeth, I may have misread you, but I didn’t think you were gay.”

Lizbeth was not a big drinker and the wine was giving her the giggles. She said, “My friend, Molly, says all women are straight until they’re not.” She laughed.

Gray chuckled at Lizbeth. “I guess she’s got a point there.”

Lizbeth was nervous, causing the giggles to worsen. She knew exactly where this conversation was going. It frightened her and exhilarated her at the same time. With every sip of wine, her courage was building. It was false courage, but courage nonetheless. She wanted this woman to kiss her. She wasn’t sure what else she wanted, but the awakening between her thighs was a good indication. Lizbeth turned up the wine glass and downed its contents.

Gray watched, but didn’t say anything, as Lizbeth poured more wine into her glass and then refilled Gray’s with the remainder of the bottle. The sun had disappeared below the horizon now. Only the glow of the day remained. Above them stars began to twinkle in the indigo sky. The moon wasn’t up yet, but the ambient twilight still bathed them in a soft blue light. Gray was obviously waiting to see what Lizbeth would say next.

Lizbeth smiled down at the sand and then looked over at the beautiful woman beside her. At that moment Lizbeth made the decision to follow her heart and damn the consequences. “You make me nervous, Gray.”

Gray grinned. She knew what Lizbeth was saying, but she toyed with her. “Why? What am I doing that makes you nervous?”

“You don’t have to do anything, you’re just being you. I’ve never met anyone like you,” Lizbeth answered.

“I hope that was a compliment.”

“It was… Gray, you have no idea how attractive you are, do you?”

Now it was Gray’s turn to flush red. Even in this dim light, Lizbeth could see the compliment embarrassed Gray. “Thank you. I’m glad you think so.”

Lizbeth said with much enthusiasm, “Oh, I do,” and then tried to reel it back in, but it was too late. She attempted to cover with, “I’m sorry, it’s just I’ve never I’ve never been interested in a woman before. It’s quite unsettling.”

Okay, it was out. She’d said it aloud. Lizbeth waited for Gray’s reaction.

Gray tried to get Lizbeth to relax. “I’m honored to be your first girl crush.”

Lizbeth had never been the type of person to question things. She spent her life doing what was expected. Never asking anyone why she felt this way or that, Lizbeth had gone along pretending she was happy with the way things were. Then after the divorce, she gained self-confidence and a voice. She would never have had this conversation with Gray four years ago, even if she had found her attractive. She would have been afraid to say the things she wanted to say, but she had learned not to miss chances when they came along. This felt like a chance.

She gazed into Gray’s smiling face. Their eyes studied one another. Lizbeth let out the breath she realized she had been holding and said, “So what happens next?”

“What do you want to happen?” Gray asked slyly.

“I don’t know. You’re the experienced one here. What do you usually do when a woman tells you she’s attracted to you?”

Gray chuckled again. “Probably kiss her, unless she’s unattractive, but that’s not a problem in your case.”

Lizbeth’s body flushed again at the compliment. She smiled at Gray and said, “What’s the problem, then?”

“Well, the last time I touched you, you fainted.”

“I won’t faint this time… I don’t think I will anyway. Will I?”

Gray laughed and kicked off her flip-flops. She stood up and stuck her hand out for Lizbeth to take. “Let’s just try holding hands first.”

Lizbeth took Gray’s hand and let Gray help her stand. Gray was strong and lifted Lizbeth to her feet with ease. Lizbeth kicked off her sandals and followed Gray, who was leading her toward the water. Gray stopped to pick up a skinny stick of driftwood and walked into the Sound. Lizbeth didn’t know what Gray had in mind, but she felt so safe with her, she’d probably follow her into hell. She had never felt so absolutely secure with another person. Just holding Gray’s hand made her feel protected and cared for. It was an overwhelming sense of peace that had engulfed her the moment Gray took control.

They waded out a little where the water was about two feet deep. Neither woman had said a word. Lizbeth was engrossed in the warmth of Gray’s hand and didn’t feel the need to speak. She quietly observed as Gray looked down in the water, as if she were looking for something. The little stick Gray had picked up had tiny twisted twigs clumped at one end. Gray put that end of the stick in the water and then turned to Lizbeth, still holding her hand. She pulled Lizbeth closer.

“Watch this.”

Gray frothed the water with the stick. The water she disturbed filled with blue-green phosphorescent sparkles. It was beautiful.

Lizbeth gasped. “That’s delightful. What is it?”

Gray continued to froth the water. “It’s microscopic phosphorescent plankton. They emit a glow when the water is disturbed.”

Lizbeth squeezed Gray’s hand. “That’s amazing. Thank you for showing it to me.”

Gray stopped frothing and let the stick fall into the water. She turned to Lizbeth, smiling. “There are a million amazing things in this water. If you’re interested, I’ll show you some of them. At least the ones you can see from a boat.”

Lizbeth would have let Gray show her how to fold towels, if that’s what she wanted to do. Her growing awe and infatuation with Gray seemed to know no bounds. “I’d like that very much.”

Gray squeezed Lizbeth’s hand tighter. Lizbeth thought Gray might kiss her for a second, but she didn’t. Instead, she pulled Lizbeth toward the shore. When they reached the beach, Gray let go of Lizbeth’s hand and repacked the cooler, leaving nothing behind. Just before they left the seclusion of the isolated beach, Lizbeth grabbed Gray’s hand again, turning Gray to her.

“Gray, this was beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here. I had a great time.”

Gray smiled down at her. “It’s my special place and it was my pleasure.”

Lizbeth flirted. “Do you bring all your women here?”

Gray winked. “You’re the first.”

The magnitude of that statement hit Lizbeth like a ton of bricks. Gray had brought her to her special place. She didn’t bring other women here. Gray must feel some of what Lizbeth was feeling. Lizbeth knew Gray was feeling it when she looked into her eyes. That moment of recognition seemed to happen to both of them at the same time. They stayed frozen there for an instant, before Gray leaned down and kissed Lizbeth ever so softly on the lips. It was a sweet tender kiss and was over too quickly for Lizbeth. There was no parting of lips and hungry tongues, just the soft brush of Gray’s lips on hers, and it had been the most powerful kiss Lizbeth had ever experienced.

Gray seemed pleased with the affect the kiss had on Lizbeth. She didn’t say anything, just pulled the stunned Lizbeth by the hand, guiding her through the patch of trees and back onto the street. The walk home was quiet. Both women were lost in thought on the way. Lizbeth was simply staggered by the way Gray’s kiss had made her feel. The village was going to bed by the time they reached Lizbeth’s doorstep.

Gray opened the door to Lizbeth’s porch for her, but didn’t attempt to follow her in. Lizbeth turned back and asked nervously, “Do you want to come in? We could have coffee.”

Gray, smiling broadly, said, “Miss Jackson, you have absolutely no idea how much I’d love to come in there with you, but I’d better leave you here and say goodnight.”

Lizbeth was being left at the door. This wasn’t what she had expected from a Casanova like Gray. She had thoroughly expected to have to fight her off, which Lizbeth knew by now wouldn’t have been much of a fight, but here Gray was trying to be a Southern gentleman, for lack of a better term. After the initial shock, Lizbeth realized how incredibly sweet the gesture was. Gray was not going to let Lizbeth rush into anything. She was giving Lizbeth time to process what was happening. Gray was being kind.

Lizbeth stepped back on the top step and extended her hand to Gray. Gray took it, but remained on the ground. Lizbeth squeezed Gray’s hand and said, “This evening was magical. Thank you.”

Gray grinned. “Are you available tomorrow? I’m sure I can find something else to show you.” She winked.

Lizbeth assumed her Scarlet O’Hara accent. “Gray O’Neal, I do believe you’re trying to court me.”

The charm oozed from Gray when she said, “Why yes, Miss Jackson, I believe I am. May I call on you tomorrow?”

Lizbeth, grinning broadly by now as well, said, “I look forward to seeing you,” followed by a wink.

Lizbeth let go of Gray’s hand. She moved up onto the porch and Gray let the door swing shut. They took one more moment to look at each other, and then turned at the same time, Lizbeth opening her front door and Gray crossing the street. Lizbeth looked across the street before shutting the door. On the top step to her porch, Gray stopped and turned back to Lizbeth. Her face erupted in a smile when she saw Lizbeth watching her.

She called out, “Good night, Lizbeth,” and then laughing, disappeared into her house.

Lizbeth closed the door and then leaned her back against it. She said aloud to the empty room, “My god, she might be right. If I react like that to just her lips brushing mine, I might faint if she really kisses me.”

When Lizbeth’s eyes opened in the morning, she saw Gray sitting on the edge of her bed looking down at her.

“Hey, sleepy head,” Gray said, grinning from ear to ear.

Lizbeth wasn’t sure if she was awake or not. She looked around and realized she was on the little day bed on the porch. She checked to make sure she was clothed and discovered she was wearing only a spaghetti strapped, short nightgown with a thin blanket pulled over her. It all began to flood back to her at once.

Lizbeth had been so wound up by the events of the previous evening she could not sleep. She tried reading a book. She even attempted to work on her paper, but couldn’t concentrate. She laid in bed, staring at the ceiling for hours, her mind spinning with thoughts of Gray. It was almost three when she came out on the porch and sprawled on the day bed. Listening to the chorus of nature had finally lulled her to sleep. It appeared Gray had come looking for her and found her there.

Gray tried again. “Lizbeth, are you awake?”

“I am now.” Lizbeth sat up, pulling the blanket up to cover the thin material of her nightgown. The move wasn’t lost on Gray.