Baumgartners Empty Nest (The Baumgartners) (14 page)

“We’ll see.” Doc pulled open the door. “Goddamn, she wasn’t kidding. It’s like an oven out there.”

“Go put a suit on and come swimming with us,” Jody said, coming down the stairs.

Carrie had seen Jody without her clothes on, but the sight of her in a bikini still made her do a double-take. Doc blinked, his jaw dropping. The little red bikini she wore didn’t cover much, three little triangles and a bit of string, really. And Carrie couldn’t help staring at the bottom bit of material, because there was nothing there, not even a wrinkle, that would reveal Jody’s secret.

“You’re letting all the heat in, Doc.” Jody nodded toward the open door.

“Too late.” He cleared his throat, then grinned. “Or maybe it’s just me. That’s what happens when a very pretty woman teaches me how to use big guns.” 

Carrie laughed as Doc headed out.

“Jody!” Carrie turned to her as soon as the front door closed. “How in the heck?”

“All tucked away.” She winked, seeing where Carrie’s gaze had fallen. “Come on, let’s go soak up some sun.”

“Hey, I’m sorry about Elise,” Carrie said as she shook sand off the blanket and laid it out again in the sand. “I forget, sometimes, how people are.” 

“Oh, I’m used to it.” Jody came to sit beside her on the blanket, looking out at the water. “I lived in stealth mode for a lot of my life, until I met Jackie.” 

“Well, if you believe the beastly Miss Elise,” Carrie said, wrinkling her nose. “Key West is the place to come if you don’t want to have to hide.”

“Oh, I’ve still got plenty to hide.” Jody glanced down at her bikini bottoms and smiled.

“No one down here minds—except people like Elise.” Carrie was trying not to stare, but she was dying to know just how Jody had managed to pack that basket away, exactly. “And who cares what she thinks?”

“I’ve been very lucky in my transition, thanks to Jackie.”

Carrie didn’t like to hear her talking about the man that way, given how Jackie had treated her. But maybe there was more to their relationship than what appeared on the surface. She knew that was often the case, with any relationship. Even her own.

“I went to the best doctors. My hormones are perfectly balanced.” Jody tapped the skin-colored patch on her shoulder.

“You told Doc that was a nicotine patch!” Carrie gasped.

“I also told him this was ‘tanning cream’.” Jody picked up an unlabeled bottle of white lotion. “It’s progesterone.”

“You’re pretty good at hiding, aren’t you?” Carrie glanced around, like Doc could overhear them. She was sure he was back inside, enjoying the air conditioning, probably uncorking the wine.

“Had to be.” Jody shrugged, spreading the cream over her long, tawny arms, smoothing it over her shoulders. “But… I’m tired of hiding. I feel… balanced. I’ve attained some kind of equilibrium, and it feels good. I’m happy here.”

“Well, that should tell you something.”

“It would be fine, if Jackie didn’t want more.” Jody tossed the bottle aside, leaning back on the blanket and closing her eyes.

Jackie again. The more Jody talked about him, the less Carrie liked the man. “You feel you owe him?”

“I do owe him.”

“You don’t ever owe someone you love—who loves you.” Carrie reached out to touch Jody’s hand. “It’s not a bargain—it’s a relationship.”

“I’m no bargain.” Jody cocked one eye open, smirking. “I’ve been a damned expensive venture for him.”

“Jody, stop.”

“You know, ever since I was a kid, I knew I was different.” Jody kept her eyes closed as she talked, and Carrie took the time to just look at her, to admire the soft curves and slopes of her body. She didn’t know how many surgeries she’d undergone, but Jody had hinted that it had been a lot of them. Her doctors had done an amazing job.

“When I was with you, I knew, even then,” Jody went on. “Sometimes I thought I was attracted to women because they had everything I wanted. They were already everything I wanted to be.”

“Really?” Carrie frowned, considering this.

“But it isn’t that simple.” Jody cracked one eye, peeking out, smiling a little. “I really am attracted to women, even though I identify as one. So what does that make me? A man who wants to be a lesbian?”

“You’re attracted to men, too, though,” Carrie said. “I mean, you were living with one.”

“Yeah.” Jody shrugged a shoulder. “My sexuality is pretty fluid.”

“So is mine,” Carrie confessed. “I mean, in who I’m attracted to. I’ve been attracted to men, to women... to you.”

“Me.” Jody smiled, but Carrie saw the sadness in it. “The weirdo.”

“You’re just you.” She leaned over, brushing Jody’s hair away from her cheek and whispering into her ear, “I fall in love with a person, not a gender.”

“You’re sweet.” Jody turned her face and kissed Carrie’s cheek, gaze sweeping over Carrie in her two-piece suit, then she sighed. “I laugh every time I run across an article in Cosmo or some new internet meme about unattainable beauty standards for women. Women have no idea.”

Carrie gaped at her. “You’re one of the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

“I’ve always had passing privilege,” Jody said. “Even before I started to transition.”

“Passing privilege?”

“I’ve always been able to dress up as a woman, and pass as one,” she explained. “I guess I can thank my crack addicted mother for something. Delicate features, small hands and feet. I hated it when I had to requisition men’s size-eight army boots. They laughed at me. But it comes in handy now.”

“I still can’t believe you went into the army.”

“It wasn’t all bad. Kept me out of trouble. Plus, I was surprisingly good at it.” Jody shrugged. “Still, I spent a lot of my twenties trying to run away from who I really am.”

“But you’re not running anymore.”

“No, I’m settled. Now I know.” Jody rolled to her side, up on her elbow, meeting Carrie’s gaze. “But the problem is, I’m supposed to pick a side.”

“Because of Jackie?”

“Well, there’s him.” Jody sighed. “But it’s more than that. The world wants you to choose, so you can check this box, or that box. And like I said, I’ve been lucky. I’ve always had passing privilege when I wanted it. I can walk into a women’s bathroom and no one says boo. My name was androgynous enough I didn’t have to worry about changing it. There are lots of other T’s out there who aren’t so lucky.”

Carrie reached out, taking Jody’s hand. The other woman rubbed her fingers over Carrie’s knuckles, looking at her new rock of a wedding ring.

“Did you know that, if I had changed my name, the U.S. government would no longer provide me with V.A. benefits?” she asked.

“What?” Carrie’s jaw dropped.

“It’s true.” The smile that touched Jody’s lips was small and bitter. “My friend, Megan, can no longer collect the benefits she earned serving this country because she’s transitioned and the U.S. government no longer recognizes her.”

“That’s awful,” Carrie murmured, appalled at the very idea.

“Jackie kept pressuring me, wanting me to get cut. But it isn’t just him, you know?” Jody brought Carrie’s hand closer, kissing her palm. “The rest of the world wants me to choose. We can’t have people like Elise feeling uncomfortable. So now doctors provide treatment for people like me, but it’s not for my benefit—they do it because they want to make me fit in.”

Carrie turned her palm to Jody’s cheek, stroking gently, her gaze sweeping over her lover, the rounded curves of her breasts, her flat belly, the dream catcher navel ring dangling, down to the little red triangle of material between her legs. Knowing what Jody was hiding—not knowing how—piqued both her curiosity and her arousal.

“I think you fit in just fine,” Carrie said, voice low, throaty, as her hand trailed down past Jody’s navel, heading for that red triangle.

“Don’t tempt me.” Jody stopped her progress with a laugh, pushing her away.

“No?” Carrie reached behind her own neck, untying her bikini top and letting it fall. 

“Damn, babygirl.” Jody swallowed, watching Carrie remove her top completely and then pop the pink top of the baby oil off to squirt some of the liquid into her hand. “No fair making me hard when I’m wearing this.”

“Where did it go?” Carrie tilted her head, hands moving in fat, slippery circles over her breasts, shivering at how her nipples hardened. “You’re wearing some sort of binder?”

“Little bit of Lycra and some tape.” Jody’s gaze followed Carrie’s hands and they moved down her brown belly. “Easy peasy.”

“A shame though.” Carrie frowned. “Does it hurt?”

“No.” Jody shifted on the blanket. “Not unless I get aroused.”

“Uh-oh.” Carrie grinned, sliding her oiled up hand down under her white bikini bottoms, shivering at how swollen her pussy lips were already. “Am I turning you on?”

“You are, babygirl.” She sighed, rubbing a hand over her own bikini bottoms.

“Want me to do you?” Carrie offered, scooting over beside Jody and rubbing her oily hands over her belly.

“Oh, that’s not what I thought you meant.” Jody grinned, watching Carrie spread the oil.

“Should at least take this off.” Carrie reached back and untied Jody’s bikini top. “Get rid of those tan lines.”

“Oh God.” Jody moaned softly as Carrie put more oil in her hands, moving them over Jody’s breasts, around her dark, puffy nipples.

“Feel good?”

“I think it just got ten degrees hotter out here,” she murmured, leaning back to let Carrie work the oil into her skin. She was so soft and smooth, it was amazing. Carrie waxed, but Jody had extolled the amazing benefits of electrolysis. It was a magical procedure, she said. Time-consuming, granted. It could take years. But the result was completely smooth skin and the hairs that did grow back were light and soft.

“You two are being naughty without me.” Doc’s voice floated down to them from above.

Carrie felt Jody’s body tense, just slightly. She glanced up, seeing her husband standing on the balcony, looking down and watching them. How long had he been there? She wondered.

“Come on down, Doc,” she called up, smiling. She didn’t know what, if anything, he’d overheard, but she decided that it didn’t matter.

It was time to tell him the truth. The woman writhing under the touch of her oily hands wasn’t a man, not anymore, even if she still had some remnants of a man’s biological makeup. Jody was a woman, and Doc had never expressed a concern about Carrie’s love for other women.

Besides, after what he’d said to Elise, she couldn’t believe, even if there was an initial period of shock, that he wouldn’t accept Jody as their lover—just like every other woman she’d ever brought into their bedroom.

“Think I’m gonna take a cold shower,” Doc called. “You girls have fun.”

“We’re going to swim,” Carrie said. “Then we’ll be up.”

“Okay.” Doc’s hand moved down to the crotch of his shorts, adjusting, and Carrie smiled. “Hurry. I want to take my girls out to dinner.”

* * * *

Doc was still in the shower by the time they came in from swimming. Carrie heard the shower running as they went up the stairs, both of them shivering in the air conditioning, in spite of the towels they had wrapped around themselves.

“We should go join him.” Carrie gave Jody a sidelong look, biting her lip. They were both still topless, although they had bottoms on. “What do you think?”

“Is that really how you want to ‘tell’ him?” Jody’s eyebrows went up.

“It’s the best way.” She took Jody’s hand as they neared the bathroom door. “I keep trying and trying to find the words to tell him, and I finally realized—we need to just show him.”

“You’re sure?” Jody hesitated as Carrie pushed the bathroom door open, steam rolling out along the ceiling. “I can see this not ending well…”

“This is Doc we’re talking about.” Carrie shook her head, determined. “I know him better than I know myself.”

“If you’re sure.” Jody’s hand tightened in hers. “I trust you.”

“I love you,” Carrie whispered, leaning over and kissing her cheek before leading her into the bathroom.

Carrie opened the glass shower door, more steam billowing out as she peered inside. Doc stood under the spray, palm up, flat against the wall, cock in his other hand. He twisted and tugged, water dripping down his tanned back. His ass clenched and released with every stroke. She could hear his hot, panting breath as he growled something intelligible against the tile.

“This is how I met Doc,” Carrie murmured to her lover over her shoulder. “I met him while he was jacking off in the shower. I haven’t been able to keep my hands off him since.”

“I can’t blame you.” Jody’s gaze swept over Doc’s body, a light in her eyes.

“Hey.” Doc glanced over at them standing at the now open shower door, but he didn’t stop what he was doing. “You two come to help?”

“I brought someone to give you a hand,” Carrie said, dropping her towel, standing there topless in just her bikini bottoms. She turned, tugging at Jody’s towel, and hers dropped to the floor too. “You ready for that?”

“Are you?” Doc asked, his gaze moving over them both as they stepped into the shower together, closing the door behind them.