The Muse (32 page)

“I can’t blame it.”

She cupped her hands around my jaw and lifted my mouth to hers and kissed me hard. “I want to make love to you. Right here. Right now.”

I melted in her arms, weak to her touch, surrendering to her love. I thought of the old barn we had just passed. I reached for her hand and ran with her in that direction, this time taking the lead. We ran fast, so fast that we tripped at one point and landed in a heap on top of each other, matted to the grassy field as if one with the Earth’s beauty. We rolled around in the mud, kissing each other passionately, and hungry for more. Then, the thunder clapped, and she bolted to her feet, pulling me up with her. “Ah, hurry,” she said pulling me towards the old barn.

We giggled and tore through the rain, dodging raindrops the size of dimes until we reached the broken door. We pushed through it, and entered the old building. The ceiling looked about ready to collapse under the weight of the giant raindrops.

“Do you think it’s safe?” she asked, looking up at the holes in the ceiling. Her hair clung to her golden, wet skin, beckoning me to twirl it between my fingers.

I reeled her in close and twirled it, loving the cool, messy feel of it on my skin. Her breaths quickened and bathed me in warmth. We stood staring into each other’s eyes, dripping, muddy and high on love. She pressed into me and nudged me against the wooden plank wall. She pushed against the wall behind me and caressed me in a deep, lingering kiss. Heat passed through her to me, turning my body to mush, melting me like sweet butter.

“You’re trembling,” she said.

I kissed her bottom lip, nibbling on it lightly. She moaned and this caused me to nibble a bit harder.

She pulled me away from the wall, and I pulled her back. She pressed harder against me. She wedged her leg provocatively between my legs and I rocked against it, feeling the familiar rush of moisture. “You don’t mind the mess in this barn, do you?” she asked as she lifted her lips from mine in thoughtful gesture.

I grabbed hold of her hair and ran my fingers through it. “I don't care about the rusty walls or floors. All I'm focused on is you. Everything is a blur, except you.”

She pushed me harder against the wall, and kissed me with a new hunger.
“Y
ou're intoxicating. I just look at you and melt.” She lifted the edge of my skirt and pushed it up one exhilarating nudge at a time, until it rose up around my waist and brushed against her leg that wedged between my wet inner thighs. She caressed me with her fingers, and I swelled against her touch. I clung to her, resting my head on her shoulders cooing, panting, and caving into this most intoxicating ride. My eyes closed, my lips sought out her neck, her shoulders, her breasts.

“I can’t get enough of you,” I whispered, now tickling her breast with my tongue. She lifted my head, a tease rested on the spokes of her eyes. She kissed me gently, still fingering with a consistent pressure that built up to that point of no return.

She lowered me to the ground, gently placing my head against the matted hay. She spread my legs, and then landed between them. Her warm breath swirled around my now sensitive, hungry vagina. Her soft lips landed on it. She felt like honey, soft, warm and gentle. My head spun in wonderful circles, dipping, twirling, and pirouetting on beat to her perfectly executed timing. She knew just how to move and with just the right pressure. Her tongue felt so right inside me, pushing deeper and harder. I started to tremble; my legs shook, and my hips swayed in response, my hands clung to the back of her head pushing her harder against me as my legs opened wider waiting, readying, steadying against the massive waves mounting in me. “You’re
sending me over the edge
,”
I said.
She sent me
reeling and flying through the air on nothing more than euphoric dust, gifting me with the most relaxed feeling ever. I moaned and screamed out in pleasure as she rocked me gently, slowly, lovingly, coming to rest on my long exhale.

She rose to her knees, straddled me and sprinkled me in gentle kisses from my forehead to my eyelids to my cheeks and to my chin. I never felt so loved, so protected, so safe as I did in that moment. “I love you so much,” she whispered when she landed her wet lips on mine.

“I love you more,” I said, holding nothing back. I sat up and she sat down next to me, then took me in her arms and held me tightly. I rested my head against her beating chest. “I’m so weak now. I can barely catch my breath.”

She kissed the top of my head and caressed me tighter. “I loved pleasing you.” She ran her fingers through my hair, doting on me like a princess. We held each other for several minutes and then I propped up on my knees and guided her to the ground and began to explore her beautiful curves, her golden skin, her navel, her hips, and finally her wet and swollen vagina. She tasted salty, earthy, and beautifully natural. My lips and tongue sought her out with a natural know-how, like I’d been doing this all of my life. All fear evaporated and a hunger replaced it, a hunger of wanting nothing more than to please her by feeding her a pleasure that would rip through her like no other. She responded as I did, with lovely moans, trembles, earth-shattering jolts that told me she traveled to that place of ecstasy where grass grew a million times greener, where rain smelled a gazillion times fresher and where the body disappeared and tingles overtook it.

We spent the next hour clinging to each other, drenched with raindrops from the leaky roof, professing our love, and promising more journeys just like this for as long as humanly possible.

# #

The next day Larry called me and told me Tim had a talk with his wife and confessed his affair. His wife confessed an affair she’d been having the ten-and-a-half years they’d been married. He would move Tim in that night.

“And what about you? Have you talked to Eva?”

I turned to Eva and smiled. “You could say that.” I kissed the tip of her nose.

“And?”

“That’s going to require some cheesecake.”

“Oh no. Are you okay?”

I twirled Eva’s hair and gazed into her eyes. “We’re going to need to rethink our cheesecake outings. We need to keep traditional New York Style for those typical ‘cheesecake nights,’ but we also are going to need a blueberry or strawberry cheesecake for happier ones.”

“Strawberry it is.”

“Well hold on. Jumping a little soon to conclusions, aren’t you?”

“This new ring to your tone of voice suits you so much better, darling. Maybe we’ll just really change things up and turn our strawberry cheesecakes into double dates.”

“Let’s make it at least a week from now. I think we both need some time to enjoy being New York Style-free for a while.”

“Indulge.” He hung up on one of the gayest giggles I’d ever heard escape his mouth.

# #

Within a month, Sanjeev signed off on the paperwork that would allow Eva to work out of the main branch in Maryland. Doreen, Katie and I worked for days emptying out a small meeting room and then dressing it up with pretty plants, new furniture, and plenty of office supplies.

The Saturday before she was scheduled to start in the Maryland office, she pulled up on her motorcycle in front of my condo. She climbed off, removed her helmet, and shook her beautiful head of hair all while staring up at me as I stood on the deck admiring her. We shared a smile before she leapt forward and bounded up the stairs to her new home.

We spent the entire weekend wrapped up in each other’s arms, dreaming up where we’d go from there. We both agreed that the first order of business was to sign me up for motorcycle lessons. From there, we’d just let life take us on a ride and surprise us.

A few months later

We entered Tim’s friends’ backyard. The weather forecast called for severe thunderstorms all day, and yet not a cloud brewed in the sky. Eva and I sat in the last row, center aisle. I snapped a picture of the flowered archway and posted to Twitter with the comment: All we need are the grooms. Katie responded immediately with “Larry’s probably still manicuring his nails!” I showed Eva and she jumped on and said: “He’s going for hot pink today. He’s going to be a lovely groom.”

Travis walked out of the backdoor to Ellis and Matthew’s house wearing a black tux, looking so handsome. He wore a proud smile, embarking on surely one of the biggest honors of his lifetime. Tim’s ex-wife walked out next. She wore a beautiful, fitted black dress and dazzled. She walked by us and up the aisle and stood opposite Travis. Next Tim walked out. His blonde hair blew in the breeze, and his eyes danced wildly with joy as he passed us by and walked up the aisle. He stood tall next to Travis. Then, finally the door opened and out waltzed Larry wearing a white tuxedo with a hot pink bowtie. He passed me by with a wink, looking more relaxed than ever. Eva cradled my back as we watched him walk up the aisle towards the man he loved. Tim looked at Larry with adoration. Two men free to love, free to start a life together, free to bring out the very best in one another. My dear friend was marrying the man of his dreams, the most perfect man.

They stated their vows before us all, professing their love and honor and commitment for a lifetime. His ex-wife looked on with love in her eyes, wiping her tears through a smile, appearing honored to be a part of her best friend’s special day.

Later at the cocktail hour at The Boat House, Larry stood up and said to his family and friends, “I realized I loved him when he first pulled up in a 10-year-old car with a broken door lock, and he smiled and said he drove it because his dad gave it to him.” Everyone laughed, raised their glasses, and cheered them on. Tim mirrored with, “I knew I first loved Larry the moment he offered me a slice of strawberry cheesecake. I knew I had met the man of my dreams.” He leaned over and they kissed and everyone cheered again.

My heart swelled in joy at the open display of affection. Smiles spread on everyone’s faces. As we sat down to enjoy our meal, Travis leaned over and raised his glass to us. “Here’s to exciting times ahead with the launch of our movie.”

“Here. Here,” Eva said. The three of us clanked glasses.

I soaked up the scene. Gone were the days of standing idle. There were way too many people who needed a voice, who needed someone to stand up for them and give them that voice. Through the movie deal we received, Eva, Travis and I would be able to rise together and make a real difference in lives of would-be bullies and victims. We had a long way to go, but together we were stronger; the community was stronger; Eva and I were stronger.

Eva turned to me and kissed me openly. I stared into her eyes and soared with her, past the champagne, past the smiles, past the chatter and laughter, past the clanking glasses, past it all, as two gals free to fly as high as the wind wanted to take us. She continued to gaze back at me, Jane Knoll, her girlfriend, her partner, her breath. She winked.

“I love your winks,” I said. “Mwah.”

“I love mwahs.”

“Just any mwahs? Not mine?” I teased.

She cupped her hands around my face. “Always been yours, honey.”

We danced the night away under a blanket of stars and good vibes. We wept alongside Larry and Tim as we watched their love unfold in a slideshow played to the music of Brandi Carlile and Rascall Flatts. We sang “Piano Man” with them on the dance floor as we spun each other in wide circles. We giggled as they smashed cake in each other’s faces and Larry squealed. And we fell in love even more that night, as we walked away from the most beautiful wedding we’d ever been to. As we strolled to our car in the dim-lit parking lot, we huddled against each other enjoying the sea breeze, the faint mist of an upcoming thunder storm, and the flashes of lightning in the distant sky. I savored every second of this walk, reflecting on how far I’d come since meeting this beautiful woman, my muse—in writing, in life, and in love.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

As with all of my books, I enjoy giving a portion of proceeds back to the community by donating to the NOH8 Campaign
www.noh8campaign.com
and Hearts United for Animals:
www.hua.org
. Thank you for being a part of this special contribution.