August 6, 2045 Elizabethtown, Maryland

Daniel Betsan Kendrick walked into his parent's backyard barbeque and was met with cheers and applause. At 32 he was one of the most respected and influential senators in Washington.

The backyard barbeque had two purposes. One was to celebrate his Nain Beth's birthday and the second was because the Governor signed into law a bill Dan had written that made it legal for lawfully bonded same sex partners to use DNA merging and fertilization as a way to produce biological children from both parents.

After same sex couples decided decades ago to be legally bonded instead of married, leaving that title to the heterosexuals that started it, he hoped that this could be the next step in gay rights.

The bonding ceremony consisted of vows, the exchange of bonding bracelets or joining necklaces and the signing of legal documents that changed names, gave power-of-attorney, and legally merged two lives.

His motivation for writing the bill was sitting together on a swing in the backyard. His Nains, {grandmothers} Danielle Annwly and Lisa Elizabeth Kendrick.

They were better known as Dani and Beth. They were and had always been a large influence in his life, and in the lives of the entire family.

His father's love for his mothers was so great, he named Sonny {that's what his family called him} after them, it was obvious who the name Daniel was for, and the name Betsan was a form of Elizabeth in Welsh.

He and his family had always been proud of their Welsh heritage and made sure each generation knew the language and their history.

He was told that he was a perfect mixture of both of them, his height and black hair was from his Nain D, and his unusual green eyes and easy-going temperament was all his Nain Beth.

They looked several years younger than their eighty-four years, were very active and still lived independently in the house that they had raised their children in.

His Nain D was still a formidable presence, where other women her age were shrinking and losing bone density, she still stood tall at her full six feet.

His Nain Beth though only five-foot five still carried a strong, sturdy body and when those clear green eyes pinned you, it was eerily obvious that she was still the human lie detector, there was no way to look into them and tell a falsehood.

He still remembered how he had cried as a child, after seeing the disappointment he had caused in those jade colored eyes after he was caught in a lie.

As much as it hurt you to look into her eyes and fib, was as terrifying as it was to try and look into the intense blue eyes of his Nain D and lie.

After fifty-seven years together they still shared a love that was epic, the stories ran from love at first sight, to them feeling each others distress, were larger-than-life.

If he hadn't witnessed the unbelievable himself on more than one occasion, no one could have convinced him it was true.

Looking at them now, his Nain Beth with her head resting on his Nain D's still broad shoulder, her hair being lovingly stroked by long fingers that if they ever grabbed you in anger, left no question as to the strength of the woman they belonged to, but as always when it came to his Nain Beth, there was nothing but tenderness in the touch.

Sonny watched them, knowing how easily they slipped into their own private world where only they existed, and couldn't help but think about their journey together.....................

*******

Friday November 11, 1988

"Damn!" Dani thought. "Why am I sitting here? All I see are the same faces doing the same things. This music is too loud . . . as usual, and I'm not enjoying myself."

These were the things going thru Dani's mind as she sat at the bar of Clits & Tits. Well . . . actually the real name was C & T for the owner's initials, but the locals called it Clits & Tits.

It was the only lesbian club in Washington, D.C. where the clientele was over twenty-five. The name alone was embarrassing enough to stop Dani from going in sometimes.

But, it was 1988, she was single, and this was the only place in town a twenty-seven year old gay woman could go and hope to meet people her own age.

The other clubs catered to the young and newly gay crowd. C & T catered to those women that were older, seasoned vets of the life.

Danielle Kendrick, Dani for short, was a tall beautiful woman. Her skin was velvety smooth with what seemed to be a permanent tan. She had long black hair that hung majestically over broad shoulders and framed a face that held high cheek bones, a strong jaw line and full red lips. When people looked at her they thought......regal.

She stood just at six-feet, and most of that was legs. But the most stunning thing about her were her eyes. They were a piercing sky blue that simply put.... were mesmerizing.

She was the perfect mixture of athleticism and femininity wrapped into one, this quality made her equally attractive to both men and women.

It was also very helpful in her trade as an electrician, since she worked with men all day it helped that they liked being around her, but as much as she enjoyed the company and conversation of men, there was zero sexual attraction.

Now here she sat on a Friday night in a gay bar looking for love in all the wrong places, and just as she decided she'd had enough of the club scene and was ready to leave she was compelled to look to her left, when she did, she stopped cold.

Sitting at a table with three other women was a woman she had never seen before, the woman looked younger than Dani, maybe twenty-three, her coloring was a few shades lighter than the electrician's, and even from a sitting position, Dani could tell that the woman was a lot shorter than she was, but at her height that was a reality that she had long ago gotten used to.

As Dani checked the woman out, she noticed how her thick blonde hair cascaded over her small shoulders, looking soft and silky, and when the lights danced across her head, it picked up the reddish gold highlights that were hidden within.

What really caught Dani's eye, was the way the woman was sitting at the table, she had her head bent slightly down with her hands between her knees, and with each thump of the bass she looked as if she was going to jump off of her seat.

All of a sudden, without her permission, Dani's feet started moving in the direction of the blonde, this shocked the tall woman.

In the past whenever she approached a woman it had always felt like it was the longest walk in the world, because she never knew what was going to happen when she reached her destination.

That's one of the reasons why she'd had only two lovers since coming out five years earlier, but for some reason, this time felt different.

As Dani walked toward the table of ladies, she found it odd that she didn't feel the belly of nerves that usually accompanied this approach; instead she felt a solid confidence take hold of her that wasn't normally there.

Sure she looked pretty good tonight, her ebony hair had been brushed until it reflected a glossy sheen, the black jeans she wore, hugged her curves in all the right places, and the white button down shirt looked even whiter under the short black leather jacket that hit just above her belt.

She knew that the look gave the illusion of power, but the way she dressed had never given her this kind of confidence before.

Maybe it was because she recognized the other ladies at the table; she remembered seeing the blonde with curly hair, the brunette and the bleached blonde with short hair at a few of the events she had attended in the past.

Dani even recalled some of the antics that the short haired blonde had pulled at the events, anything from planting herself in stranger's laps, to teasing women by tying cherry stems in knots with her tongue.

When Dani got close to the table she was stunned when the blonde head lifted and she fell into the greenest eyes she had ever seen.

They were the color of leaves in the springtime, and so clear she felt exposed deep into her soul, she put her hand out and introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Dani."

The blonde woman accepted the large hand into her smaller one, and replied.

"Hello, I'm Lisa."

*******

Lisa Crawford was born into a middle class family. Her father, Herman, was an auto mechanic and her mother, Alice was a stay at home mom that usually helped the working mothers in their suburban neighborhood by watching their children. Alice's money was an unexpected and welcomed addition to the household.

Lisa's older brothers, Ron and Stanley followed in their father's footsteps and became mechanics, but they took it a step further and opened their own shop. Now they ran one of the most successful auto shops in Largo.

Lisa had always loved the written word, and wanted to share that with people, so she went to college to become a teacher.

After she received her bachelors degree in education she continued and earned her masters, hoping to one day become a principle.

Lisa had been a pretty little girl and grew into a beautiful woman, at five-foot five she weighed one hundred and twenty pounds, her eyes were a beautiful, unusual green with fine gold flecks, and her blonde hair looked like spun gold, it was thick and silky and hung down the middle of her back.

Her skin was flawless, and satiny smooth like the petals of a rose, her body was small, but sturdy and well-proportioned, her breast were full, her hips were round and her abs were incredibly defined.

After graduating from college Lisa started teaching high school history, three years later she was still at the same school, but thinking about going in another direction.

She didn't know why, but she felt like it was time to make some changes in her life, the past two years had been hell for her.

She still lived in the townhouse she had shared with her ex-husband, but since her divorce from Carl had become finalized she had been thinking about moving out.

Her parents begged their only daughter to move back home until she found a new place, but Lisa refused, she was going to stay until the time was right to leave.

Her divorce had been messy and she didn't want Carl to think that after his departure she couldn't stand being there alone.

One thing she didn't have to worry about was Carl just dropping by, now that he could be with the mother of his child full time he didn't have to continue the pretense of coming home just to check in.

When she discovered her husband was not only cheating, but had fathered a child, she almost had a nervous breakdown.

She and Carl had been together since her junior year and his senior year at Maryland University, while they were dating they discussed a future together and the things they wanted out of life, both separately and as a couple, she thought they had the same goals in mind.

One thing they both agreed on was to wait until they were established in their respective careers before becoming parents.

But after a year of being employed by one of the most prestigious financial institutions in Washington, D.C., Carl felt like he was solid in his position and was ready to get started on a family.

Lisa tried to explain to him that she had been in her position for less than two months and wanted to get more time in at the high school before taking maternity leave.

That's when she discovered that Carl felt like he was the main bread winner and when looking at the bigger picture, her taking a chance at losing her job security should be a non-issue.

They would spend hours arguing about whose job was more important to whom, and the conversation would just go around in circles.

When that argument didn't work, Carl would start on a new tactic by saying he didn't want to be an old man raising children.

Lisa pointed out that he was only twenty-five years old and she was twenty-four and they had plenty of time, after all they had been married for only a month.

They never reached an understanding and ended up agreeing to disagree, shelving the subject for the time being.

After Lisa found out what her husband had been up to she figured she must have been taking too long to make a decision, so Carl got started without her, that was two years ago, their divorce became final a year later.

*******

Now she was ready to get out and have a good time, so today when her best friend Shirley called and invited her out, she jumped at the chance.

Shirley and Lisa had been best friends since tenth grade and were inseparable, when Lisa went to Maryland University to become a teacher; Shirley followed her and became an architect.

Shirley was openly gay, proud, and at the moment concerned about her best friend, that's why she decided to call Lisa and ask if she wanted to go with her, Cynthia and Freda to the club tonight to have a little fun for a change.

Lisa agreed right away, she knew it would be a gay club and had no problem with it, this wouldn't be the first time she went with her friends to a gay club, she knew she would have a good time, and she wanted to forget her troubles for a few hours.

Shirley picked Lisa up and they headed to Cynthia's, Cynthia was the designated driver tonight so they were riding to the club in her car.

When they arrived Lisa expected the usual drinking and dancing with each other they did on their nights out, but as soon as the blonde walked into C & T she felt odd.

There was an energy in the air, something she could almost touch, Lisa chalked it up to being around a large group of people for the first time in a while and put it out of her head.

Cynthia found them a table and after they were seated Freda went to get their drinks, when she returned with the drinks, the ladies settled in.

Now it was time for the crew to look around and fall into their routine.... starting a running commentary on the people they saw.

It was November and the temperature was in the thirties, Lisa was still chilly from making the trip from the car to the club so she put her hands between her knees and bent slightly forward in an effort to get warm.

Her ears were slowly adjusting to the music that was blasting from the speakers, but the loud thumping still made her jump with each heavy beat.

While Lisa was trying to get comfortable, she heard her friends making observations, like Cynthia saying.

"Yeah . . . that's her."

Or Freda saying "If she ever came over to ask me to dance, I think I would melt, and that hair is just begging my fingers for attention."

Shirley added. "I like those long legs and the fact that she is not a bar whore, do you guys know of anyone that she has been with?"

"Now that you mention it, no." Cynthia said.

"Well, I wouldn't mind being the first to introduce her to some of the ways of club women." Freda added.

Then her eyes went wide in shock as the subject of their latest observations headed in their direction, before the tall woman reached the table, all Freda could get out was. "OH, SHIT!"

Just as Lisa was lifting her head to see who her friends were talking about her eyes locked, for what seemed like an eternity with eyes that she knew well, then her heartbeat sped up because the eyes she was now looking into were eyes she had only seen in her dreams.

The blue-eyed woman standing in front of Lisa extended her hand and said. "Hi, I'm Dani."

Without hesitation, Lisa slid her hand into the tall woman's much larger one and responded. "Hello, I'm Lisa."

*******

As Dani and Lisa stared at each other the world disappeared around them, they were holding each other's hand more than shaking them.

Neither woman wanting to let go first, both very aware of the tingling sensation that was running from their fingers up their arms.

When Lisa heard the deep voice coming from the blue- eyed woman, her stomach muscles tightened in reaction to the sound.

'Oh my god, what's happening to me? I can't move, I can barely breathe.'

They stayed that way, blue lost in green until Shirley said. "Hey, you two want to join the party?"

The spell was broken and the world came back to them.

"Would you like to pull up a seat and join us?" Cynthia asked.

Dani was still dazed from her body's reaction to the blonde, but managed a weak "Yes," before she found an empty chair.

Cynthia leaned over and whispered to Freda. "As soon as she finds out that Lisa is strictly dickley, I'm going for it."

"Over my drunk passed out body you will." Freda said.

"That won't be a problem, all I have to do is wait an hour."

"Ha-ha, you should be on stage with the jokes." Freda said.

Dani wasn't sure where to start now that she was here, so she said the first thing that came to mind.

"Well . . . Lisa I've never seen you her before. Is this your first time?"

As soon as the words left her mouth she mentally groaned, she felt like the corniest person to ever ask the question.

If Lisa noticed, she didn't let on. "No, this is my second or third time here, but I've never seen you here either."

Yeah . . . well . . . I don't come out to clubs that often, sometimes as soon as I enter the building I feel like a fish out of water and leave soon after.

Before Dani could say anything more Freda interrupted. "Hey Dani, my name is Freda and this is Cynthia and that's Shirley."

When Lisa heard the introductions, she realized she had not introduced her friends to Dani because...well, in all honesty, she had forgotten they were there.

Freda continued. "Before you get too far into this getting to know you stage, I think you should know that Lisa is... she held up three fingers and dropped one with each word, straight, straight and.... oh yeah, straight, but, you are in luck the three of us aren't."

Dani looked at Lisa and started apologizing immediately. "Oh, you're straight, I'm so sorry, I mean I'm not sorry you're straight, well maybe a little I? ah . . . I mean I'm sorry I bothered you."

When the electrician stood to leave Freda said "Wait, there is no first runner-up?"

Before Dani could replay Lisa put her small hand over the larger one, stopping the woman's movements and asked her to stay, for some reason the thought of the tall woman leaving left her uneasy, almost panicky.

Again the contact with the dark woman's warm skin sent tingles through her body. "Please . . . stay . . . I want to get to know you . . . I think I have to get to know you."

Dani was surprised and relieved to have an opportunity to talk to the green-eyed woman a little longer. She felt an almost desperate need to talk to her, to experience her on any level that she could.

Hoping she wasn't about to make a big mistake she asked Lisa if she wanted to go out to her truck and talk, adding quickly that she felt like it would be quieter and they would have more privacy.

Lisa agreed and let Shirley know where she was going, when she got up to follow Dani, Shirley followed also so she could see what kind of vehicle her friend was getting into, you know . . . just to be on the safe side.

When Lisa stood up, Dani got her first look of the blonde at her full height, she was shorter than Dani had first thought, but for some reason that seemed right, and the tall woman found herself smiling.

When they got outside Dani walked up to a new Nissan pathfinder, it was black with gold accents, the interior had tan leather seats, the audio system was state-of-the-art, and the seats were heated.

Dani unlocked the passenger side door and held it open for Lisa; after the smaller woman was safely inside she closed the door and headed for the driver's side.

As Lisa stepped up into the truck, she noticed how good it smelled and how clean it was, once she was settled in, she looked up in time to see Dani crossing in front of the truck.

As Lisa reached across to unlock the driver's door she had two thoughts, the first was. 'What the hell am I doing?'

And the second was. 'Damn . . . she really is a beautiful woman, and she is sexy as hell.'

It was that last thought that stunned her. "Where did that come from?" She asked herself out loud.

She took a moment to think about her friends, they were all attractive women, Shirley with her curly ash blonde hair and hazel eyes,

Cynthia was a brunette with light brown eyes and Freda was a little taller than they were with short bleached blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes.

But she had never thought of them as being sexy, before her thoughts could go any further Dani opened the door and got in.

"Thanks for unlocking the door."

"No problem. It was the least that I could do."

Dani closed her door and leaned over in one fluid motion, Lisa panicked a little thinking the woman was going to try and kiss her.

Instead, Dani reached into the back seat and opened the lid of the cooler she had on the floor and pulled out a beer.

Unaware of the thought that had gone through her companion's mind, Dani looked up at Lisa sheepishly and said.

"I do this sometimes because the beer prices at the bar are ridiculous, would you like one?"

Lisa looked at Dani with her head tilted to one side and a slight smile crossed her coral colored lips, she paused for a second and then said.

"Is this what you do? Is this your move?"

As soon as the words left her mouth she was confused, she didn't know why, but she was positive she was flirting with this woman.

The question shocked Dani and she immediately started to explain her reason for the cooler. "Oh no . . . I'm just . . . see . . . I'm just cheap."

She hung her head, "I'm not a hound or anything."

Lisa realized the dark woman was taking her seriously, so she reached across the seat and put two fingers under the dark beauty's chin and lifted her head until they made eye contact.

Then, in her most sincere voice she apologized. "I'm sorry Dani, I was just joking, if I thought you were a hound, I would never have come out here with you."

When Lisa touched her and raised her face to look into those green eyes, the tall woman thought she would pass out, the feelings that were coursing through her body where making her tremble, she hoped Lisa didn't notice.

Lisa couldn't have noticed, because she was dealing with her own body's reaction to being in contact with the blue- eyed woman again.

If she thought the feelings she experienced in the club the first time they touched was a fluke, she knew better now? They both did.

The blonde didn't understand her emotional and physical reactions to this woman, but decided she wasn't going to over analyze it, she would just go with the flow.

It was hard, but somehow Dani managed to find her voice and squeak out a response. "That's okay." Just to let Lisa know she wasn't offended.

When Lisa removed her fingers from the angular face, the brunette leaned over, and took another beer out, opened it and gave it to her.

Lisa thanked her and took a sip. "So . . . what's Dani short for?"

"What makes you think it's short for anything? It could be just plain ole Dani?"

Before Lisa answered, a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "When it comes to you, I don't think plain will ever be a part of the description." There goes that flirting thing again; want's going on with me?

Dani wasn't sure, but she thought the little blonde might actually be flirting with her. She decided to pay more attention just to be sure.

"Okay, you are correct. Twenty-seven years ago, Danielle Annwyl Kendrick burst upon the stage of life in all her glory.

I have two younger half siblings, a brother and a sister, add to that a mother and a stepfather, and you have the unit I call a family."

Dani's inner voice spoke up. 'Are you actually trying on the humor hat? Since when are you funny?' Dani just had a goofy grin on her face and whispered to her inner voice to shut-up.

"Annwyl is an odd name, where does it originate?"

"I'm Welsh on my father's side, the Kendrick echen didn't come to this country until the late thirties because my Taid and Nain wanted my Tad to be born here."

Lisa's face was a mass of confusion. "What did you just say? What are echen, Taid, Nain and Tad?"

Dani smiled before she answered and it lit-up her whole face, Lisa thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"That means family, grandfather, grandmother and father in Welsh."

"Wow, that's so cool, say something else."

" Okay....Ti cael arddum golwg."

Lisa turned in her seat to face the other woman. "What does that mean?"

Dani blushed a little before she answered, she was thankful it was dark in the truck. "I said you have beautiful eyes...... now it's your turn, what goes with Lisa?"

"Let's see, I too was born twenty-seven years ago."

This shocked the tall woman the blonde's features were so youthful that she thought the woman was closer to twenty than thirty.

"I was given the name, Lisa Elizabeth Crawford; I was born into a family that already had two boys, a stay at home mom and a mechanic dad."

Dani felt a little apprehensive about her next question, but she had to know.

"Now that the formalities are out of the way, can I ask you something?"

By the look on the other woman's face and her tone, Lisa knew it was a serious question.

"Okay, shoot."

"Is what your friends said true? And if it is, why are you out here with me?"

The question didn't come as a surprise. Lisa knew her actions confused the tall woman, hell they confused her too, but instead of starting things off by playing games, she did the only thing she could do..... she told Dani the truth.

"Well . . . Dani... what they said is true, I am straight, as a matter of fact I'm divorced."

She stopped to get a read on the woman beside her, when Dani had no reaction and patiently waited for her to go on she continued.

"The reason I'm out here with you is because when I looked into your eyes? you're going to think I'm crazy, but when I looked into your eyes . . . I knew you."

This got her a curious look but still no comment so she pushed forward.

"Since I was a kid, I have had a recurring dream, not recurring in the sense that it was the same dream over and over, just one element was the same.

No matter what the dream was about, this person with very distinctive colored blue eyes was always there, I never saw the whole person and they never spoke.

If the dream was scary, the person with the eyes showed up chasing away the threat making me feel safe right away and everything always got better.

If the dream was fun and I was having a good time, those eyes were there laughing and enjoying the experience right along with me, when those soft, loving, gentle, compassionate, beautiful blue eyes appeared I knew I was okay."

As Dani listened to Lisa her heart started to beat faster in her chest, she didn't have dreams about Lisa's eyes while growing-up, but when their eyes connected for the first time, she felt a deep sense of familiarity.

There was a knowing that tickled at the back of her brain, when she looked into Lisa's green eyes, all she wanted to do was stay by her side forever.

The sound of Lisa's voice brought her back to the present. "I think all of my life I have been unconsciously looking for those eyes.

I noticed the eyes of every guy I've ever dated and never saw them, now I know it's because they belong to a woman."

Dani pulled in a deep breath trying to build-up her courage to ask the questions she was afraid to hear the answer to.

"Are you disappointed that a woman has your dream eyes?"

After she got the question out she turned her head and looked out of the driver's side window so that she only had to hear the answer, not see it.

Without thought Lisa reached over and took Dani's face in her hands and turned her back around.

When the dark beauty was facing her again, Lisa looked in her eyes and saw the fear that was right at the surface.

She knew in that moment she would never do anything to intentionally hurt this sweet soul, so once again she did the only thing she could do.... she told Dani the truth.

"I can't tell you why, I mean I don't understand it myself, but it wouldn't have been right any other way, seeing you, being here with you, talking to you.

If you were a man this wouldn't feel as right as it does, I think on a subconscious level, I knew a man couldn't posses those eyes."

She drifted off for just as second as she thought to herself. 'Maybe that's why I never had a problem hanging out with Shirley and the crew, maybe on some level I've been lookin for this woman.'

Dani wasn't sure if her heart could believe what it was hearing, so with a very shaky breath she asked Lisa to clarify.

"It . . . you . . . it feels right being with me?"

This time it was Lisa that turned away, but, Dani wouldn't allow it, she put her large had against the downy soft cheek and turned Lisa back to face her.

Without thought she rubbed her thumb slowly over the smooth skin, thinking it was the softest thing she had ever touched.

Lisa instinctively leaned into the touch, feeling a sense of déjà vu she looked Dani deep in her eyes and gave her answer.

"Yes, it feels right being with you, I feel like we already know each other."

In a very low voice she added. "I feel like I belong to you."

Dani's exceptional hearing picked-up every word and her response came without hesitation.

"I feel like I belong to you too."

The tall woman pressed on, I have always had the hardest time talking to people, I just can't get my thoughts out, and I usually end up with my foot in my mouth.

But with you... my thoughts are clear and I don't feel so confused in my head."

Then shyly she added. "I feel safe with you."

Lisa reached up and covered the large hand that still caressed her cheek with her smaller one; they sat like that for long moments, staring at each other, blue and green communicating unspoken emotions.

Then like a magnet to steel, the pull became too strong to resist, and if they were honest with themselves they didn't have any desire to fight it.

They slowly moved towards each other, never losing eye contact, when their lips were a breath away from each other blue asked green if they were sure, the answer came with Lisa closing the distance between them.

The initial contact sent an electrical jolt through both women with such intensity the inside of their nostrils burned and the back of their closed eyes stung with unshed tears.

Dani ran her tongue along Lisa's lips begging for entrance, the answer was immediate, Dani was allowed in.

The kiss deepened, and both women moaned loudly, Dani slid her hand to the back of Lisa's neck and pulled her closer as Lisa wrapped her fingers into Dani's hair and held on.

Desire hit the women's core, immediately causing wetness to pool between their legs and after several minutes, they pulled apart from lack of air and rested their foreheads against each other, both breathing deeply, trying to regain their composure.

"Wow . . . Dani I've never felt anything like that before in my life."

"Neither have I, I could have sworn I saw my life pass before my eyes."

"Yeah, not this one but others." Lisa said with a puzzled expression.

"You had that feeling too?"

Lisa's eyes widened and she nodded her head. "Yeah, what do you think it means?"

"I think it means we should do it again to make sure."

Lisa smiled and did what felt like the most natural thing in the world to her.... she kissed Dani.

This time the women's tongues battled for dominance, first in Dani's mouth then in Lisa's, hands started to roam and Dani's fingers were lightly running up and down Lisa's sides, randomly grazing the outside of her breast.

Lisa had pulled Dani's top out of her pants and her hands were now sliding under the shirt seeking out the warm skin of the taller woman's back.

When Dani's hands started moving around to get a better position on the small woman's full breast, a knock on the truck's passenger side window broke them apart.

When Lisa turned, she found herself looking through fogged up windows into the faces of her friends.

The women had forgotten they were parked in front of the club, they had forgotten anyone or anything existed outside of themselves. They had been absent for two hours.

Lisa put the window down and asked "What's up?"

"You are." Shirley said.

"You've been gone for a long time, what's going on?"

Before Lisa could respond, Cynthia said. "Look at her, can't you see what's going on? She's getting her groove on, and from the looks of her? it's a damn good one."

Freda thought this was the funniest thing she had ever heard and doubled over laughing.

"How much has she had to drink?" Lisa asked pointing towards the bent over woman.

"You've been gone long enough for all of us to be tipsy." Cynthia said.

Shirley asked her friend to get out of the truck so she could talk to her. Lisa agreed, but before she got out she turned to Dani and saw the fear in her blue eyes.

Dani thought Lisa's friend was about to talk her out of exploring wherever this thing with them was going, and she had to admit, the thought of losing this opportunity more than scared her.....it terrified her.

Lisa could see that she needed to reassure the dark woman that nothing would change when she left, so she leaned over and kissed Dani on the lips and held the blue gaze as she spoke.

"Don't look so worried, I WILL be back."

Dani relaxed a little and gave Lisa a weak smile. "Okay, I'll try."

When Lisa got out of the truck Cynthia and Freda got in, and just before the door closed, Lisa heard Freda ask a question.

"So . . . Dani, do you buy or lease?"

*******

Shirley pulled her friend to the back of the truck to talk to her. "Lisa, what in the hell are you doing?"

"I'm getting to know someone, that's what I'm doing."

"You know what I'm saying Lisa, why are you out here making out with a woman? Do you understand what you're getting yourself into?"

The curly haired woman was on a roll now and barely took a breath between sentences.

"Dani is a lesbian, you are straight, it just doesn't add up and it isn't fair for you to lead someone on she seems like a nice person, why are you doing this?"

"If you would slow down and allow me to can speak, maybe you'll get some answers. First I'm making out with a woman because I'm very attracted to her.

Two, yes, I know what I'm getting into.

Three, my straightness?well . . . I'm starting to question that.

Four, I'm not leading her on.

Five, yes, she is a nice person and I want to get to know her, and lastly I'm doing this because I have no choice."

A far away look fell over the teacher's soft features. "I'm a moth and she is the flame."

Shirley gave her friend a very confused look. "What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Do you remember when we were in high school and I told you about those dreams I always had?"

After thinking for a few seconds Shirley answered. "Yeah, the one with the eyes right?"

"Yes, well, you're not going to believe this, but those eyes are sitting in that truck surrounded by black hair, high cheek bones and, I can attest to this.... a perfect pair of lips."

The way her friend delivered that last bit of information made Shirley blush.

"No way, you can't think that dream was anything but that, a dream. You can't sit in a truck kissing a woman because of a dream you had as a child. Stop this Lisa, and don't let it go any further."

"I can't Shirley, this is something I have to do, I'm helpless to do anything but move forward, trust me, it will be okay? I feel it in my soul."

"All right then, you're a big girl and can make your own decisions, you know the only reason I'm out here is because you're my best friend and I've got to look out for you right?"

"Yes, I know, and I love you for it." The friends hugged and headed back to the front of the truck.

Lisa opened the truck door and a Barbra Streisand song came floating out, she thought it was "coming in and out of your life."

"All right you hoochie women it's time to get out."

"Oh, come on Lisa, let us stay a little longer Dani was acquainting us with Barbra Streisand."

"Maybe some other time, but for now come on ladies, Shirley is going to take you back into the club."

As Freda slid past Lisa she whispered in her ear. "You need to pass this one on to the pros."

A shot of jealousy immediately assaulted Lisa's being, and with as much civility as she could muster she said.

"Sorry Freda, there will be no passing on" Then a feral smile crossed her beautiful face.

"She's mine."

Lisa climbed into the passenger seat and apologized for taking so long, when she looked into the tall woman's face she saw joy, relief and a touch of humor.

"What's got you smiling?"

"Your friends are... how do I put this? Very entertaining."

"Tell me about it, the funny thing is, Cynthia is our designated driver tonight, so she hasn't had anything to drink, she is just naturally funny.

Freda on the other hand is a wild child by nature and when she drinks... well let's just say I pity the woman she chooses for the night."

"Yeah, I got the feeling she was a little?friendly."

Once again Lisa felt the jealousy wash over her. "What did she do? Did she say something to you? Did she put her hands on you?"

Dani was shocked and very flattered by the small blonde's fierce possessiveness of her.

"No, I just listened to the conversation between her and Cynthia. The girl ain't shy that's for sure."

Dani's hand was resting on the console between the seats and Lisa reached over and caressed the back of her hand with her fingers.

The hand was a lot bigger than hers, the fingers were long and tapered, and they looked strong yet gentle. The smaller woman followed the veins on the back of the hand with her index finger.

"Do you like it when girls are aggressive?"

When she reached the thick wrist she turned it over and traced the inside of the tall woman's palm.

Dani's breathing was coming faster and her heart wouldn't slow it's beat. "No, I'm kind of an old fashioned girl. It has been my experience that aggressive girls personalities tend to clash with mine."

Lisa stopped what she was doing to Dani's hand and was about to release it when Dani's free hand covered the hand Lisa was about to remove.

"Don't stop. There is a difference between an unwanted aggressive pawing, and a much desired exploratory caress."

Now that Lisa knew her touch was wanted she continued her journey. She mapped out the calluses on the first two joints of each digit and then slowly slid her index finger in and out of each gap between the long fingers ending with the small expanse of skin between the thumb and index finger. When she finished tracing the calluses in the large palm she leaned forward and kissed it.

During the entire examination Dani stared, mesmerized by the movement of the delicate fingers over her rough hand. When Lisa kissed her palm the sweetness of it made her weak.

She used the fingers of her free hand to stroke the silky golden hair. They sat like that staring at each other for long minutes. Then by silent mutual consent they came together in a searing kiss.

Within moments they were back where they were before the crew showed up. Lisa's hands were back under Dani's shirt touching every inch of exposed skin she could find, while Dani's hands finally reached their goal in front of Lisa and started palming the full breast she found there.

They groaned into each others mouths, and Dani started slowly pulling Lisa's shirt out of her pants, giving the blonde a chance to protest whenever she felt uncomfortable.... the protest never came.

Dani reached under Lisa's shirt and caressed the breast still covered by her bra. She weighed their heaviness in her hands, and gave an involuntary groan at the feel of them.

Lisa was driving her to distraction by running her thumbs along the bottom swells of her breast, and rhythmically sucking her tongue.

Dani eased Lisa's bra up and finally made contact with the skin she craved. Lisa's breasts were soft and they fit in her hands perfectly. Upon contact she pulled her mouth away from Lisa's.

"Oh Lisa, you feel so good." Dani kissed the smaller woman along her jaw line and down to her neck where she sucked gently on the warm skin she found there.

She worked her mouth back up to Lisa's waiting lips and took possession of them, she then started to roll the nipples of each breast between her forefinger and thumb, feeling them harden.

When Lisa felt the fingers she had been tracing just a minute ago, start to tease her nipples she thrust her tongue deeper into Dani's mouth.

Both women were so turned on their underclothes were drenched. Lisa broke the kiss and through her panting made her request.

"Will you take me home with you?" She breathed out through her over heated mouth.

Dani looked at her and said. "I'll do anything you want me to do."

Lisa grabbed the door handle to get out.

"Where are you going?"

"To let the crew know I'm leaving."

"Oh, yeah I guess they would worry, and I really don't want to end up Shirley's bad side."

"You have no idea how right you are?uhm . . . Dani?"

The blue-eyed woman looked at the blonde with dreamy eyes. "Yeah?"

"Could you?uhm? kinda let my breast go?"

Dani jerked her hands from under Lisa's blouse like they were on fire.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry Lisa. It just felt so natural having them there."

A sweet smile crossed the blonde's lips. "Yeah it did? hold that though and I'll be right back."

She gave Dani a quick kiss on the lips, then jumped out of the truck and headed for the front door of the club.

Dani rested the back of her head against the seat and exhaled loudly. "Boy I hope I get through this night without making more of a fool of myself."

*******

When Lisa's eyes adjusted to the dark, she headed for the table she had shared with the crew. She saw Shirley sitting alone while Cynthia and Freda were on the dance floor.

Lisa sat down and rubbed her friends back, she knew Shirley wasn't going to like what she was about to say.

Shirley looked up at her friend with slightly glassy, hazel eyes. "Hey kiddo are you back?"

Lisa inhaled deeply and jumped right in. "No, I came in to tell you that I'm leaving with Dani."

Shirley sat up straight in her seat, her glazed eyes clearing almost immediately.

"You're what? You never, and I mean ever, go home with anyone that you just met. What's going on Lisa?"

Lisa just shrugged her shoulders.

"Is she pressuring you?"

Lisa looked at her friend with alarm. "No! This is my idea."

"You're idea? Are you high?"

"You know better than that, my head has never been clearer. I don't know how to explain it, but when I'm with her it just feels so right."

Shirley took in her friend's disheveled appearance and had to tweak her a little. "From the looks of your clothes and hair, I'd say there has been a lot of feeling going on."

Lisa could feel the heat start at her neck and spread north. She was very happy they were in a dark place to hide the blush.

"Okay, okay I'll leave you alone." Shirley stood up and hung her arm over the blonde's shoulders and started for the door.

"Where are we going?"

"If my best bud is going home with someone new, then I'm doing some interrogating"

Lisa's eyes went wide. "What are you going to do to her?"

"Don't worry kid, I'm just joking, but I do want the tall dark one to know you have back-up."

"Always the mother hen. And what's with this kid stuff? I'm two months older than you."

Shirley tapped her curly head with her index finger. "It's all a state of mind kid, all a state of mind."

"You have got to be the weirdest friend I have."

"Oh please at least be honest. I'm the only friend you have."

Lisa bumped her friend with her hip. "You wish."

When they reached the truck Lisa opened the door and jumped in, but before she could close the door Shirley leaned in.

"What guarantees do I have that you're not an axe murderer and you're not going to chop my best friend up into pieces?"

Dani was taken totally off guard, but recuperated quickly and without missing a beat handed Shirley a pen and paper.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

Dani pulled out her wallet and gave the curly haired woman her driver's license.

Copy my address off of that and I'll give you my number, you can call anytime you want."

This seemed to please Shirley. She wrote the information down and gave Dani back her pen and I.D.

"Don't think I won't call, you will be hearing from me tonight." She gave her friend one last hug, closed the door and headed back to the club.

Shirley thought to herself. "I guess life as we know it is about to change. What's odd is, they look like they belong together. . . go figure."

When she entered the club, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her on the dance floor, deciding to let go and enjoy herself, she fell into the beat and danced.

*******

Dani and Lisa held hands as they drove out of the city, occasionally the dark woman would raise their joined hands and kiss the smaller knuckles.

They didn't talk much, there was no need, the women were comfortable with the silence between them, never feeling the need to make conversation.

Soft music played on the radio as the women were having very similar thoughts about their instant connection to each other.

Lisa came out of her musings when she felt the truck slowdown, that's when she noticed that they were taking the Greenbelt exit off of the Baltimore/Washington parkway.

They had driven about five miles down Greenbelt road when Dani turned down a tree lined street and pulled into the driveway of a beautiful single family brick home with a two-car garage. Lisa was impressed.

'Wow... I wonder what she does for a living.' She smiled when she noticed that the address on the house matched the one that Shirley had copied.

Dani pressed the garage door opener to raise the door, then pulled the pathfinder in beside a service van, the button was pressed again to lower the door and Dani got out of the truck.

She started around to open the door for Lisa but the smaller woman was already getting out.

"Hey, I would have done that for you."

"No worries, I'm a big girl I can get out by myself." She looked over at Dani and saw a dark brow raise with doubt.

"What?"

"I don't know about that big girl statement."

The small woman put her hands on her hips and asked. "Are you insinuating that I'm short?"

The picture was too adorable to Dani, so she answered in her best southern drawl. "Naw little lady . . . but I am saying you'd be hard pressed to get anything off of a high shelf."

Lisa looked at the tall woman standing in front of her with the twinkling blue eyes and the lazy crooked grin and thought. 'Oh my . . . I think I'm in trouble.'

She walked past Dani and smacked her in the stomach with the back of her hand. "Come one stretch, open the door and invite me into your world."

Dani followed obediently and ushered the small blonde into her home, all while being keenly aware of the easy banter between them.

When entering the house from the garage green eyes scanned the area. The first thing she noticed was an acoustic guitar on a stand near the fireplace.

"You know Dani, your home is as beautiful inside as it is outside, I see that you play the guitar, I play the piano"

"Hey, maybe we could play together sometime."

The blonde blushed and said. "I would like that."

"As for the house?thanks, I've worked hard on it, I bought it a year ago as a fixer-upper and had to make some major repairs."

"You did the work yourself?"

"Yeah."

"Are you a construction worker or something?"

"Or something, I'm an electrician for the local union I install new, and also replace old wiring in office buildings, buildings under construction and any commercial building that needs it."

"So all this house needed was new wiring?"

"Oh no, I had to replace walls, install new cabinets in the kitchen, put in new floors through out, replace the bathroom plumbing, pipes, tub, toilet... everything."

"You learned all of that being an electrician?"

"No, I learned all of that working on sites with tradesmen in those fields. When we're on a job, we tend to share our skills with each other, I can't tell you how many times I've taught a pipe fitter how to wire an evaporator."

"I'm not sure about everything you just said, but I think I'm impressed."

"Well thank you ma'am." The tall beauty oozed out pretending to tip a hat while giving that charming lopsided grin again as she led Lisa into the living room so that they could sit down.

"I don't think I've ever seen a sofa this long before."

The tall woman looked up shyly and said. "When you're as tall as I am, it isn't always easy to find things long enough for your comfort, so anytime I run across something oversized I purchase it, you may notice other large items as we go along. "

"I never thought about that, and before you make any smart remarks about my height, I know it's not something I ever had to consider."

The continued easy banter between them was a new experience for both women. They decided they liked it.

Dani turned on soft background music and asked Lisa if she wanted to join her in a night cap.

"Sure, that sounds great."

"Cool, what would you like?"

"I'll have a seven and seven?"

Dani's eyes went wide. "You're kidding?"

"What, did I say something wrong?"

"No, not at all, it's just that seven and seven is my drink."

Dani went to the cabinet where she displayed the liquor, she mixed the drinks and brought them back to the sofa, as she sat down she handed Lisa her drink.

"So Lisa, what keeps you busy during the work week?"

"I'm a high school history teacher."

"Get out of here, you're a teacher?"

Blue eyes scanned the blonde from head to toe. "Man when I was in school I never had teachers that look like you." Dani felt her cheeks redden as soon as the words left her mouth.

Lisa thought it was adorable, for some reason she didn't think this woman blushed easily.

"Do you enjoy it? Teaching I mean."

"Yes I love it, it's what I've always wanted to do. I've discovered when you present information to kids in an interesting format their minds absorb it like a sponge, and they beg for more.

When you see that light of understanding turn on in their eyes, it's like a natural high. There's nothing like it, it's better than sex."

The tall woman's only reaction was a raised dark brow, but she made no comment. "So you're saying you are a good teacher?"

Lisa gave her an impish grin wondering where that comparison came from and said, "No, I'm saying I am a great teacher."

They both laughed a very comfortable and familiar laugh. Dani drained her glass and was about to get up and fix another, when a delicate hand reached out and grabbed her forearm stopping her movement.

Blue looked over into green and was lost, Lisa didn't understand what was going on, never in her life did she need to touch someone the way she needed to touch the tall woman, she couldn't stop herself and she didn't want to.

She pulled Dani back against the couch and straddled her thighs, so that they were face to face. Then she ran her hands through black silk and massaged the scalp.

The dark woman closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. This felt soooo good, she thought.

"Dani, I don't know what's going on here, but I do know I don't want it to end. I have never in my life let someone I just met feel me up, let alone go home with them." The small hands continued to stroke and massage the tall woman's scalp.

At that comment a lazy crooked smile came across the full lips, Lisa thought it was the most endearing thing she had ever seen. Without thought or hesitation Lisa ran her thumb across the bottom lip. Dani pulled the digit into her mouth and started sucking it.

Lisa felt the jolt head south immediately and replaced her thumb with her lips. As if her body wasn't connected to her brain, she started to rock her hips unconsciously.

Not missing a beat Dani grabbed the blonde's hips and pulled her in closer, squeezing her thighs together while her own hips rocked with the rhythm the smaller woman set.

Again hands wondered, buttons came undone and shirts were discarded. Both women sat with their upper bodies exposed to the air.

Dani reached around and unhooked Lisa's bra. When the catch released the straps fell down softly muscled shoulders and arms, but still covered the full breast. Dani released Lisa's lips so that she could take in her exposed upper body.

The firm body under the clothing was a pleasant surprise for Dani, and she wanted to see more. When the bra was discarded, Dani released a breath she didn't know she was holding.

The breasts before her were full, and the pink nipples hard from being exposed to the air, the skin looked creamy and inviting. Dani rested her cheek between them and inhaled.

"You are truly beautiful Lisa." The released breath blew warm air over the sensitive skin making the flesh pebble and contract.

When Dani raised her head to kiss Lisa's lips, her hands moved up slim hips and over a flat, perfect set of abs. When she reached the two full mounds, she ran her thumbs of the tips.

Lisa pulled Dani closer so she could pull the sports bra over her dark head. Dani kissed Lisa down her neck and across her collarbone.
Lisa was so turned on her hands shook as she gripped the bottom of the last barrier to the electrician's chest.

When the material was removed, what was revealed to Lisa left no doubt that this was a beautiful woman.

She covered the breast that were revealed to her with her small hands and felt their weight. She then ran her thumbs around the dark areolas avoiding the nipples.

Dani groaned and pulled back just enough to bring Lisa's breast even with her mouth. The small woman's hands stopped exploring the heavy globes and braced her hands on top of the broad shoulders while still straddling the muscular thighs.

Dani leaned forward to get her first taste. She ran her tongue around a hard pink nipple before she sucked it into her mouth. Lisa moaned loudly. While the brunette suckled one breast she squeezed and massaged the other.

"Oh Dani that feels soooo good don't stop." The small hips started rocking harder against the defined muscles of the tall woman's abdomen. The seam of her jeans were rubbing her bundle of nerves, driving her excitement higher.

Dani could feel the change in her mate's movements and knew she needed to slow this down or it was going to be over before it really started.

She released her hold on the blonde and pulled back a little. This was met with serious protest.

"Why are you stopping?" Lisa panted.

"Because I want our first time to be in a bed, not on the sofa with both of us half dressed."

Lisa took notice of their location. "Okay, I can see the logic in that." The blonde said breathlessly.

Dani looked deeply into Lisa's eyes. She had to ask. "Are you ready for this? If I make love to you it won't be just sex Lisa. I will be making a commitment to you. If you're not sure we should stop now."

Lisa didn't hesitate. She kissed Dani along her neck and nibbled behind her ear......... "Show me."

No further confirmation was needed. The tall woman stood up careful not to harm her precious cargo and headed for the bedroom.

Short muscular legs wrapped themselves around a slim waist, and well defined arms held onto broad shoulders, all the while soft kisses rained over the side of the dark woman's face and neck.

The bedroom was dark, but Dani made it to the side of the double king-sized bed without a problem. When she lowered the blonde to the bed, short legs refused to let go forcing the tall woman to hold them both up with her hands and knees.

Dani decided to continue her journey and crawled onto the bed with Lisa wrapped around her like a spider monkey.

When she reached the center of the bed, she unlocked her knees and laid their lower bodies on the bed.
When their groins made contact Lisa loosened her legs and resumed her rocking motions.

To Dani's surprise nimble fingers started undoing her jeans. Soon her zipper was coming down. No more prompting was needed. They quickly discarded the rest of their clothes tossing them around the bedroom.

When Dani was about to lay her long body on top of Lisa's, a hand stopped her. Dani didn't move.

"What's wrong Lisa? Are you okay? Do we need to slow this down?"

Lisa was touched by the real concern in her soon to be lover's voice.

As aroused as Dani was, she was still willing to stop if Lisa wanted to. This touched her deeply.

She reached up and caressed Dani's soft cheek. "Everything is fine baby. I just want you to turn on the light so I can see you."

A brilliant white smile came across the dark woman's face. 'She wants the light on, this is so fantastic, I can't believe it...... I wonder if she realizes she called me baby...... it just felt so right when she said it.'

As Dani reached over to switch on a lamp Lisa thought 'Since when do I want a light on during sex? Wow, I called her baby . . . but it felt so right when I said it.'

When the light came on all either of them could do, was stare. Without a second thought they both said in unison. "My god, you are truly beautiful."

Lisa looked like an angel lying before Dani. Her eyes trailed from the golden hair that was spread out over the pillow, to the clearest green eyes she had ever looked into, then down to a cute nose that crinkled when the woman smiled.

Then down to the full breast that were heaving under her gaze, her eyes scanned softly rounded hips and over to a perfect stomach with muscle definition that stood out just above a patch of golden curls, down to well-toned thighs into sturdy legs ending with small delicate feet. The beauty of the woman was ethereal . . . it brought tears to her eyes.

Lisa was experiencing her first glance with just as much emotion. She had seen naked women before for various reasons, but never had she encountered anything like what was before her now. The only word that came to her mind was Goddess. This was a Greek Goddess.

The black hair framed a face that was chiseled to perfection; the eyes were a cobalt blue that only a true poet could describe with any justice. The shoulders looked as if they could comfort and protect with equal ease.

The ample breasts were sitting on a chest that showed muscle movement with very little effort. The six pack of abdominal muscles rippled under her gaze.

The thick black curls that covered her womanhood were as dark as the hair on her head. Hers eyes moved to the longest, strongest legs she had ever seen. She was flawless. This was truly perfection.

She was like a dangerous animal hovering over her prey. Just the thought of her being that prey made fluid run down Lisa's inner thighs.

Never in her life had she been this turned on. As she watched the dark head lower to her, she thought. "I hope I don't pass out from over excitement."

Dani kissed and nibbled her way down Lisa's throat, stopping at her pulse point, gently sucking it. Then she headed up the other side planting soft kisses behind the delicate pink ear.

Her fingers stayed busy massaging and squeezing the breast that felt like they were made for her hands only. All the while, short, blunt nails worked up and down her strong back trying to force more contact.

Soon her mouth followed her hands and alternated between the most beautiful breasts she had ever seen. When she rested her lower body onto the smaller one below her, the shorter woman automatically opened her legs to accommodate the longer frame.

Their mounds touched and caused each woman to moan. Dani moved up to capture kiss swollen lips with her own. Lisa wrapped her legs tightly around Dani's waist and started rocking her hips with a purpose.

Dani pressed her hips in tighter for more contact. Before they knew it, they had fallen into the same rhythm. Lisa reached down and pulled Dani's hips tighter to her, never losing contact. They could feel their swollen nubs rubbing against each other and it heightened their need for release.

The room was filled with moans of pleasure. Their movements became faster and more erratic. The pleasure of it all was so great Lisa thought she would pass out.

Dani reached down and grabbed Lisa's soft rear end with both hands forcing them even tighter together. If that was possible.

She thrust down into Lisa and breathed out "Baby, I can't wait any longer, I'm gonna come."

Lisa couldn't form a sentence, all she could say was, "Me too."

One pressed down and the other pushed up, that was all it took. They fell over the edge screaming each others name, wave after wave of ecstasy claiming them until they came down safely in each others arms. They held onto each other until the tremors stopped, and their breathing evened out.

Dani peppered the blonde head with kisses, and then moved down to nuzzle Lisa's neck.

"What have you done to me?" Lisa whispered into the ear that rested by her mouth.

"The same thing you've done to me." Dani answered into the sweet-smelling neck where her face rested.

"And what was that?" The blonde asked.

The dark head raised and blue locked with green. "Captured my heart."

Dani kissed Lisa with a passion fueled by love. Lisa felt herself rising again. She couldn't believe it, never had she gone more than once in a night.

Hell, not more than once in a day. But here she was feeling her juices starting to flow once again.

Dani moved her large hands down Lisa's body. Claiming every inch as her own. Long fingers dipped into wet blonde curls and stroked swollen nether lips. Lisa groaned from deep in her chest.

She broke away from Dani's lips and stared deeply into the dark woman's eyes.

Dani never stopped her movements as she slid her index finger along Lisa's opening teasing the entrance. It took all the strength the small woman had to maintain eye contact and not let them close.

"I want to be inside you Lisa, please......may I?"

No one had ever asked before, so without hesitation Lisa nodded her head giving permission. With great tenderness Dani slid one then two fingers into Lisa's opening.

This time the green eyes did close, the pleasure too great to keep them open. A strong wrist moved the long fingers in and out.

Lisa grabbed the well-muscled shoulders and held on, riding the motion, feeling Dani moving in and out of her. Behind the closed eyes Lisa saw a kaleidoscope of colors as she experienced pure bliss.

She felt long thighs straddle her own and drenched curls rubbing her thigh. Lisa's legs opened wider, allowing Dani full access to her. Never had she been this open to anyone. A small hand snaked down between her thigh and Dani's need.

She reached her goal and entered her lover's center with two fingers and felt the tall woman sigh into her neck.

As Dani gently thrust in and out of Lisa she added her thumb, rubbing the sensitive bundle of nerves.

"Oh God baby... so good... sooo...... good." The blonde repeated. Dani moved her lips to Lisa's ear never slowing her strokes. "You like this Lisa?"

"Oh yes, yes, yes. I've never felt anything like this before. Oh God Dani, I want you to take me, take me and make me yours. I want to belong to you and only you"

The tall woman whispered into a small ear, "Come for me baby."

That's all it took, the blonde woman tensed and then her world exploded, as her partner followed moments later. A love as old as time had found its way home again.

Not for the first time and not for the last time, two souls found its mate, and came together, never to walk thru this life alone again.

*******

The loud ringing of the phone caused the tangle of arms and legs to move. Finally a long arm reached out and grabbed the receiver.

"Hello," Dani croaked out, her throat raw from the hours of passion she had shared with the small woman that was now draped across her body.

Looking over at the beside clock she checked the time, noticing it read three a.m.

"Hello, is this Dani?"

"Yeah... Who is this?"

"Look, I'm sorry to bother you. This is Shirley and I haven't heard from Lisa. Is she there with you?"

"Hold on a sec Shirley."

The architect held the phone to her ear and heard movement in the background. She raised an eyebrow when she heard the dark woman's deep voice call someone baby with something akin to love laced in it.

Dani was gently shaking Lisa awake. "Baby. Wake-up, Shirley is on the phone."

The green eyes flew open. She crawled fully on top of Dani to get the phone. "Hello, Shirley, is everything all right?"

When she felt long arms wrap around her and pull her close. It calmed her immediately.

"I should be asking you that."

Lisa rested her head on Dani's chest and said in a low tired voice. "I'm fine Shirley. I'm more than fine. I'm perfect." She practically purred.

She felt a kiss on top of her head. With her free hand she drew small circles along Dani's chest.

"Perfect... what do you mean, perfect? Since it sounds like I woke you two up, does this mean what I think it means?"

Lisa couldn't help but tease her friend a little. "I don't know . . . What do you think it means?"

"Arggh... you can be such a pain in the ass sometimes. Did you do the deed? Did you get that cherry popped?"

Lisa smiled into the warm skin she rested against and kissed it. Dani was constantly stroking the golden head.

"If that is what they're calling being intimate these days, the answer is yes."

Lisa had to pull the phone from her ear, her friend was screaming so loudly. She also felt the laugh deep in her lover's chest when Dani heard Shirley scream.

Lisa put the phone back to her ear just in time to hear Shirley say. "You have got to tell me everything, and don't leave out any little detail."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Shirley, I'm going to have to talk to you tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah, I guess she is right there."

"Yeah, something like that. And it is three a.m."

"Listen, answer just one question..... Is she as good as we imagined?"

"I don't know what you and the perverts imagined." Lisa paused deciding how much she wanted to tell her friend. Then a mischievous smile came across the beautiful face before giving her answer.

"But if you imagined mind blowing then . . . hell yes!"

Dani raised an eyebrow and looked at her lover. Lisa just shrugged her shoulders and leaned in to kiss the lips that were too close to ignore. Both women moaned involuntarily.

"Eww, gross... at least hang-up before you start up again."

The next sound Lisa heard was a click on the other end. She looked at Dani and they both laughed.

*******

The next morning Lisa woke up before Dani did, and the first thing she noticed was six-feet of naked woman wrapped around her. The second was how safe she felt cocooned there.

One long arm lay protectively across her small waist. One large hand covered her flat abdomen, keeping the smaller woman pressed tight against the longer body. She felt breast resting against her back and dark curls rubbing against her backside.

With a contented smile she realized it felt very natural to wake-up in the arms of a naked woman. Then a frown marred the smooth forehead. No, that wasn't quiet true . . . 'It feels natural to wake-up in the arms of this naked woman.' She thought.

She turned in her lover's arms and looked into the face of the one she loved. She had to admit to herself that she was in love with the dark beauty in whose arms she now laid. In less than twenty-four hours she had fallen irreversibly in love.

Had it really only been less than a day? Her mind said that it was true, but her heart knew the love she had for this woman was ancient. She wondered if Dani felt the same.

As she reached up and move the black hair off of the lovely face one clear blue eye opened and looked at her.

Lisa was greeted in the dark woman's deep sultry voice, "Hey, how are you this morning?"

Lisa shivered a little and finished moving the hair before she replied. "I'm doing great . . . how about you?"

The tall woman stretched out to her full length popping vertebrae into place before she answered.

"I feel like a new person. Yesterday I got up, went to work, came home, showered, and went out to have a few drinks, dance a little and come home. This morning I wake-up with a beautiful angel in my arms, I'm more at peace than I've ever been in my life, and I'm deeply, madly, and eternally in love."

The small woman gasped, and with a shaky voice asked. "Do you feel it too? Tell me it's not just me." In a whisper she said. "Please don't let me be alone in this." Green eyes filled with tears that spilled down her cheeks.

Long thumbs gently wiped them away. Dani leaned in and kissed Lisa sweetly. When she pulled back blue eyes were shedding tears of their own. "You'll never be alone again baby. I'll love you, always. Yes, I feel it too.

The moment you lifted your head and looked at me it was over. Time stopped. I felt like . . ."

They said together "I had known you forever." They gave each other teary smiles.

Delicate fingers gently traced a dark brow. "Dani, Tell me you love me in Welsh."

Dani leaned in and kissed the soft lips in front of her. "Fi cariad ti Lisa."

Lisa stared back into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. "Fi cariad ti Dani."

Dani gave the blonde a squeeze and suggested they get something to eat. Lisa's stomach chose that moment to agree....... loudly.

Lisa got out of the bed and made her way to the bathroom to take care of her morning needs. Blue eyes followed her every move. There was no denying how beautiful the blonde woman was.

Dani couldn't tear her eyes away from the gentle sway of the rounded hips in front of her as the blonde walked away. She only turned onto her back when her lover crossed over the threshold to the bathroom.

"Babe, if you need a toothbrush there are extra ones in the vanity drawer." The next sound Dani heard was the water running in the shower.

Her blue eyes twinkled with delight as she rolled off of the huge bed and ran down the hall to the other bathroom to handle her own needs and then returned to the master bedroom.

She entered the in-suite bathroom without making a sound. She slowly opened the shower door and eased in behind the smaller woman.

She wrapped her arms around Lisa and nuzzled the side of her neck. The blonde leaned back into her for more contact.

"You don't seem shocked that I'm in here."

"I'm not; I was hoping you would join me."

Dani kissed down the delicate neck noticing the love marks she had put there the night before. Knowing at the time, her neck looked the same way.

The small blonde had been very uninhibited in her love making the night before. Dani smiled against the wet skin thinking. 'Damn, she's a fast learner.'

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard her lover's voice.

"I'm sorry baby, what did you say?"

"I asked why your shower is so huge."

"Remember last night when I told you about finding big things in this house for my comfort?"

The blonde nodded her head yes.

When I did the remodeling I decided I wanted a shower and a tub big enough for two people to share comfortably.

I made it this big because as you see I'm a big girl and if I share with someone I want to make sure I have all the room I need."

A streak of jealousy shot through the blonde. What the hell is wrong with me? Jealousy has never hit me this hard before.

"Baby, can I ask you something?"

"You can ask anything you want?Always."

"Well . . . it's really none of my business and you don't have to answer if you don't want to." The jealousy was getting the best of the blonde.

"Uhm...how many women have you showered with in here?" Lisa was ashamed of herself for asking, but she really wanted to know.

Dani turned her lover around to face her before she answered. "Honey. I've never showered with anyone in here. I've never slept with another person in that bed. Hell, I've never even brought another woman to this house."

A fair brow rose and looked into the blue eyes with a million questions.

"I know, it sounds unbelievable. I'll tell you all about it over breakfast. Okay? Now turn around and let me wash your back." The smaller woman did as she was told.

Soapy hands glided over the surprisingly muscular back and moved the long blonde hair to one side, then dropped down to cup her fleshy globes. A warm tongue licked from the base of the smooth neck up to a perfect ear.

The blonde woman tilted her head to the side to give her lover more access.

The large hands traveled in front of the small woman and started pinching and squeezing her nipples into hard peaks. One hand released her breast and traveled down to play in wet blonde curls. The small woman started to pant.

She couldn't believe how fast Dani made her passion rise. She had never felt anything like this before.

She felt the tall woman's wet mound against her rear end. Dani's hand momentarily left Lisa's breast to open herself on the woman's round behind. Then she returned to tease the stiff nipples with her fingers and palm.

She slid her long fingers back and forth along Lisa's already swollen need, and massaged her throbbing bundle with her thumb.

The small woman moaned. Her desire for this woman was becoming unbearable, she panted out her plea. "Please Dani . . . inside . . . now . . . please."

The tall woman gave her love what she needed. She entered her with two fingers in one smooth motion.

The blonde held on to Dani's forearm with both of her small hands. Dani's other hand was still stimulating the heaving breast, while she slowly licked and suckled the elegant neck.

Dani was rocking against the smaller woman from behind. She didn't know what came over her. She had never been with anyone like this before. But, it just seemed natural to her.

Lisa was riding the long fingers that were buried deep inside of her and holding onto the powerful forearm.
She had never been taken like this before, but for some reason it seemed familiar.......primal even.

Lisa's panting came in shorter spurts. Her pelvis moved faster making the fingers push deeper inside of her and the thumb rubbed harder against her clit.

She could hear her lover's erratic breathing behind her and could feel the copious amounts of thick wetness spreading over her behind, she knew Dani was close too. They both sped up and knew they were going over together.

Lisa came hard and kept saying "I love you Dani. Oh God, I love you Dani." That's all she could pant over and over.

Dani went over screaming for all to hear. "I love you Beth, I love you, I love you, Oh Beth... I love you."

Hearing each others declarations made them come again. Each mind exploding into millions of pieces, joining, and then falling back into place, each woman...... forever changed.

The blonde came down from her glorious ride and started to collapse. If her lover hadn't been holding her, she would have landed on the tile floor of the shower.

Dani pulled out of her lover and held her close. She turned off the shower and carried Lisa out, grabbing a fluffy towel on her way to the bed and wrapped Lisa in it. She laid Lisa down and went to get a towel for herself.

When she returned, she laid down beside her love. They turned on their sides facing each other. That's when Dani saw that Lisa was crying.

She started to panic. Oh no, what had she done. She had been too aggressive with the smaller woman. And now she was in pain. "You idiot you don't deserve to have her. You are so stupid, always so stupid."

Lisa saw the distress on her loves face and the emotions that passed across her beautiful eyes. She had to halt those thoughts immediately. She reached out and caressed the soft face.

Sad apologetic blue eyes looked back at her.

"Stop worrying baby. You didn't hurt me."

Dani exhaled with relief. She turned the smaller hand over and kissed the palm.

"Then why are you crying Beth?"

This seemed to make her cry harder. Dani looked at her with confusion showing on her face.

"I'm crying because I love you so much. I'm crying because you are so sweet. I'm crying because you make me come harder than I have ever come in my entire life, and, I'm crying because you called me Beth."

"Why does me calling you Beth make you cry?"

"Because no one has ever called me anything but Lisa, not baby, not Elizabeth, not Liz, nothing . . . just Lisa.
I didn't realize it until you called me Beth. In one day you have used more terms of endearment than anyone has in twenty-seven years........ Why is that?"

"Because I love you more than anyone else has."

"It's just that simple uh?"

"Yep."

Dani kissed Lisa on the tip of her nose and jumped off of the bed.

Lisa propped her head up in her hand and watched the tall woman's every move.

Dani turned around and tossed Lisa some clothes.

The smaller woman got up and dressed in the too long t-shirt, boxers and socks. "Baby, don't I need more than this? I mean it is November." As soon as she said it, she realized how warm the house was.

"Nope, I have installed the thickest insulation they make. In addition to that, I've added some extras of my own." She said wiggling her brows. Dani dressed identically to Lisa and pulled the smaller woman out of the bedroom.

Out in the hallway Dani pointed out that most of the house's east side was the master bedroom suite. On their way to the kitchen they passed two bedrooms and full bath.

One of the spare rooms was used as an office, the desk in it was covered with blue prints and electrical schematics, the other was a guest room.

The hallway opened into the living room. It was very large with a huge stone fireplace. There were French doors leading out to a covered flagstone patio and a large fenced in backyard.

The wall that separated the living room from the kitchen was made of cabinets that went from the ceiling to two feet above the counter.

There were little sliding doors between the bottom of the cabinets and the top of the counter that allowed privacy in the kitchen if desired.

Off of the kitchen was the laundry/mud room with a door leading out to the two car garage.

Lisa wrapped her arms around Dani's waist and commented on how beautiful Dani's house was.

"Thank you babe. I've worked long and hard on it. Hey, why don't you have a seat and I'll whip something up to eat. How do you feel about omelets?"

"I love them."

Dani gathered the ingredients for their meal, moving around the kitchen with ease. The blonde followed her with green eyes filled with a new found love

"You know baby, I don't think I've prepared brunch in awhile."

Lisa's eyes grew. "What do you mean brunch?"

"Well isn't that what they call it when you serve eggs after noon?"

The small woman jumped off of the barstool and headed down the hall to the bedroom. Dani was on her heels. She grabbed the petite blonde around the waist and picked her up mid stride.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Lisa took a few calming breaths before she responded. "I'm sorry baby. I didn't know it was this late. I have to get home."

Lisa felt her heart break when she looked into crestfallen blue eyes. "I have papers to grade and potatoes augratine to prepare......... from scratch!"

The dark head tilted in question.

"I have test papers I need to grade and return to my students Monday morning, and every Sunday me, my siblings and their wives get together at mom and dads for dinner. We each bring a dish. This is my week for the starch."

The dark head bowed as the tall woman loosened her hold on the blonde so she could continue to the bedroom.

Lisa cupped the strong face with her small hands and caressed it. "Sweetheart, if I could stay I would."

Dani gave a barely audible "I know."

She followed her small lover into the bedroom to watch her get dressed.

Lisa didn't bother taking off the clothes she was wearing. She just pulled her jeans on over the boxers.

Dani sat with her elbows resting on her knees and her face propped up with her hand.

Suddenly the tall woman let out a yelp.

"Whoa, what's going on baby?"

A huge smile spread over the beautiful face showing perfect white teeth.

"Okay, I have an idea, how about.... I take you home, you pack the test you need to grade, potato fixings, and some extra clothes. Then you, my love, get into your car and follow me back here."

When Dani was done explaining her plan she put her hands on her hips standing like she was awaiting applause. Instead she got an arm full of green-eyed blonde.

Lisa jumped into Dani's arms. The tall woman catching her at the last minute.

And before Dani knew what was going on. She was rewarded with small kisses all over her face.

"That is a fantastic idea, you are brilliant, I knew there was a reason why I love you."

Lisa got down to finish getting dressed. Dani grabbed a pair of jeans and was zipping them up when she said. "Oh really?"

Blue eyes twinkled with mischief. "I thought you loved me because I made you come so hard."

She had grabbed her shirt and was already running out of the door before the green-eyed woman could catch her.

Lisa yelled at the retreating back. "You are such a brat!"

*******

They went to the garage to get into the truck. But first Dani had to back her service van into the driveway to make room for Lisa's car.

Lisa gave Dani directions to her Bowie townhouse. When the women parked in front of Lisa's home, she got out and walked up to the front door.

As Dani looked around she noticed it was a well groomed, quiet community. She thought it looked like families lived there.

When Lisa opened the door she asked Dani if she was coming in. Dani got out of the truck and followed her lover into the house.

The first thing she noticed was how bright and cheery the home was. Lisa told her to have a seat; she would be ready in a minute.

'Wow'...... Dani thought. 'This house is beautiful.' It was obvious to her that Lisa had great taste. Then with a lustful smirk she thought, 'Yeah...and she taste great too.'

Everything was so elegant and classy, it was an odd sensation, a woman that moved with the confidence and stealth of a panther was afraid to move for fear she would knock something over and break it.

Lisa came back into the room with a briefcase, a suitcase and a grocery bag full of potato fixings.

"Well, I'm ready, let's go." Dani picked-up the suitcase and the grocery bag. Lisa kissed her cheek for being so considerate. Lisa headed out of the door with Dani right behind her.

The tall woman put everything in her truck and waited for Lisa to warm-up her Honda Accord.

When the car was ready Lisa and Dani pulled away from the curb and headed back to Greenbelt.

When they arrived Dani raised the garage door and they both pulled in. The brunette put the door down, got out and grabbed the bags; Lisa came around the front of the vehicles and they went in together.

Dani put the groceries on the counter, the briefcase on the dining room table and took the blonde woman's suitcase to the bedroom.

Dani put the suitcase on the bed and started emptying dresser drawers, and made room in the closet.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing?"

"I'm making room for your clothes so they won't wrinkle in the suitcase"

"It's okay. The clothes can be ironed if they wrinkle." Lisa didn't want her lover to see all the clothes she had packed.

"Nonsense, while I hang things in the closet you start with the drawers.

Lisa did as she was instructed. After a few minutes she saw Dani looking around. She knew what it looked like so she started to explain before the blue eyed woman asked.

"Baby, I know what this looks like; I have a big problem trying to decide what to wear so I always pack a variety of things and then choose an outfit from the selection when I get to where I'm going. I don't want you to think I'm trying to move in or anything, I just can't make a quick decision."

"You've got it all wrong sweetheart. I was just wondering how you packed so much so quickly. And as for your moving in......the tall woman walked over to one of the night stands and pulled out a spare house key.

She approached the shocked green-eyed woman and turned her small hand palm side up and placed the key inside, closing her fingers around it and kissing the delicate fist.

"Fy annedd yn dy annedd Beth... my house is your house."

Dani left Lisa to finish her unpacking. After the clothes were put away Lisa put the house key on her key ring, looking at it she knew it would always be there.

Lisa took off her jeans and put on her favorite house slippers. Looking like she did before they went to Bowie, she headed to the kitchen to find her lover.

Lisa stood in the dining room unnoticed, looking at the beautiful woman who had so effortlessly stolen her heart.

Dani was moving around the kitchen preparing something for them to eat.

The tall woman felt small arms circle her waist and squeeze. She rested her large hands over the smaller ones that embraced her abdomen. The blonde head rested in the middle of the broad back seeking and finding comfort.

Lisa spoke from her heart. "The love I feel for you is more than I ever imagined existed."

The tall woman turned in her arms and rested her cheek on top of the blonde head, as she pulled her love closer.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Beth; I don't know how this happened. I mean how can we feel so much so soon?"

Lisa's heart constricted at the name only her lover used. "Do you believe in eternal soul mates?"

"I never thought about it. But if that explains us then, yes......I believe in soul mates."

I have read about instant connections between people, but I always thought that it was just some love sick romantic's fantasy.

"You know baby, fantasies are born from truths long forgotten."

Lisa looked up into bright blue eyes. "Did you just make that up?"

Dani kissed the tip of the small nose. "Yep, it sounds good though, don't you think?"

The raven haired woman sent her to the dining room table to grade papers while she finished cooking.

A few minuets later Dani put a plate with omelets, hash browns and bacon in front of the blonde.

"Oh goody I love breakfast food."

"Good, because it's all I can cook."

"That's okay, I'm a wiz in the kitchen, I love to cook."

"Are you offering to cook for me?"

Green held blue. "For as long as you want."

"Well in that case, you just found yourself a permanent position."

"I accept."

"You do?"

"Yes... I do."

Both women knew what they were saying and neither was afraid. What was between them was going to lead them just as it had done for lifetimes. There was no need to fight it. It would have been a painful and useless battle.

After their meal Lisa wanted to clean the kitchen since Dani cooked, but her lover was having none of that.

"You go back to that table and finish those papers. If you tell me what to do, I'll prep your potato meal."

The shorter woman stood on her tip toes and kissed her lovers lips lightly. "You are the sweetest most thoughtful person I have ever met."

Dani blushed. "Well I aim to please... but only you"

Green eyes smiled. "And I plan on keeping it that way."

After Dani finished in the kitchen she settled down on the couch to watch T.V., not wanting to be away from her lover.

"Will the television bother you if I turn it on?"

"Nah... it's fine."

The tall woman stretched out on the sofa, picked-up the remote and started channel surfing.

She ran across a marathon of the sitcom Soap with Bill Crystal and put the remote down deciding to watch.

After grading papers for over an hour, Lisa got up from the table and stretched. She walked over to the couch, picked-up Dani's head, sat down and put her lover's head in her lap.

"Watcha watchin?"

"That old sitcom, Soap. They're running a marathon."

"Oh! I thought that show was hilarious. Mind if I watch with you?"

"Not at all."

The two women watched the show in a companionable silence. Small hands stroking
dark silky hair.

Lisa watched mesmerized as she let each strand drop through her fingers as she lifted it. Dani laid there wallowing in the attention like a spoiled little puppy.

When the show ended Lisa decided now was the time to ask Dani about the conversation they started in the shower.

"Hey, babe...uhm.....can I ask you something?"

Dani turned on her side so that she facing Lisa. "Sure sweetheart, anything."

"When we were in the shower, you said that no other woman has been in this house. If I'm not being too nosey, I was wondering why a beautiful, intelligent, loving person like you hasn't had company in over in a year?"

The blue eyed woman took one of the small hands in hers, turned in her love's lap and stared at the ceiling while she spoke.

"First of all Beth, you can ask me anything you want. I'll never feel like you're being nosy. My life is an open book to you.

But, you should know that I'm a very private person. I know that you are very close to your friends and you share things with them, I mean, that is what normal people do, but, I.... mmmph". She couldn't speak around the hand that covered her mouth.

"Dani, anything you ever tell me about your life will never be shared with anyone. I hope you know you can trust me with anything."

Dani kissed the palm that was over her mouth then removed it. "I know that, I just feel better saying it out loud.

I understand that girlfriends share information with each other about the relationships they're in, be it sexual or just normal chit chat.

I have no problem with that, it's my private personal information that I have trouble sharing." That said, she took in a deep breath and started her story.

"When I said no woman has been here, it's the truth. You see, I haven't been on a date or been in a relationship for nearly three years. The last woman I dated was Cory.

I met her in early 1986, she was a secretary in one of the office buildings my crew was rewiring. She wasn't what you would call pretty, but there was something about her that made you pay attention.

She was only a couple of inches shorter than me with red hair and gray eyes, she had an average build and a quirky personality. She said she was a bisexual but not a practicing one, she said she was more into women than men.

She wanted my attention so she started doing little things, like bringing in specialty coffees to share with me, then homemade muffins and cookies. At least that's what she led me to believe in the beginning. It ended up she couldn't cook any better than I could.

Anyway, this went on for a couple of weeks, then one day she asked if I wanted to go to a Journey concert with her, I said sure. That was the beginning of one of the biggest mistakes of my life."

Lisa rubbed her love's face tenderly. "Baby, you don't need to go on. You've said enough."

"No Beth, I want to tell you everything. I want you to know.

Cory was the type of person that always planned things out. You know, everything had to be done on time, according to what ever schedule she made. I didn't really mind, I mean organization could be a good thing..... Right?

We had been dating about three months when the assistant foreman started having me stay a couple of hours extra after our shift was over. Cory wasn't thrilled with this to say the least."

"I don't understand. You get off at two in the afternoon, what difference could a couple of hours make? You would still be getting off before she did."

"Because we were working in an occupied office building, when we got into the demolition part of the job we worked from five pm until one a.m. for safety reasons.

So, a couple of extra hours put me at three a.m. After a week of me getting off that late and bypassing home to go to her place and shower, or not making it over there at all....... the lid blew off.

One Saturday morning I woke-up alone in bed. When I got up looking for Cory she was sitting at her kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a pencil writing some kind of list.

I grabbed a cup and sat across from her and asked her what she was doing.

She looked me in the eye and said. "I'm writing out the pros and cons of staying in a relationship with you."

"My jaw hit the table. I couldn't believe my ears. After one week of working nights she was making a list to determine my worth to her.

Can you believe someone could be that cold Beth? I mean damn...... a list."

The small blonde was furious. How dare anyone treat Dani that way. The woman she knew didn't deserve that. If she were to ever run into this woman she knew it would be very difficult not to knock her silly.

Dani saw the anger on her small lover's face. It made her heart warm to see that her mistreatment could cause such a wave of emotions in the woman she loved.

"Beth, it was a long time ago. I'm way over it."

"I don't care, no one will ever treat you like that again, not if I have anything to say about it."

Dani pulled Lisa down to brush their lips lightly together. "I love you for that baby."

"I mean it Dani, no one hurts who I love. And I love you above all others."

"How did I get so lucky?"

"I'm the lucky one baby. Now go on with the story, I'll try to stay calm."

The tall woman laughed lightly, knowing her little spit fire would be having a hard time staying true to her last statement.

"I asked her if that's all this relationship came down to. She said she believed in making an informed decision.

She pointed out how I was too tired for sex after work, that shocked me since she had showed very little interest in sex for over a month.

She said there wasn't any time to go out anymore and she was tired of being stuck in the house.

Again, I was shocked that one week had her like this. I got up from the table, went into the bedroom, put my clothes on and left. I told her I would talk to her after she had gone over her list.

I left her alone for a week before I decided to go by her place to see what was on her mind. I skipped all of my breaks and got my work done early. I drove over to her place, parked and knocked on her door.

On the other side I heard a man's voice say, "Stay in the back, I'll get it".

Well, imagine my surprise when my assistant foreman answered her door in a robe."

Lisa gasped and held Dani tighter. "Oh baby, I'm so sorry. If I ever meet this bitch, I owe her some serious hurt."

"It's not like I was in love with her or anything, but it was still painful."

"Of course it was. What did your foreman say when he saw you?"

"He just smiled and said it was about time I found out, and now I wouldn't have to have his sloppy seconds.

That's when I broke his jaw. I didn't do it because he was fucking her, I did it because of his smugness.

When he cried out in pain that bitch came running out of the bedroom in one of my shirts and a pair of skimpy panties, with a bat in her hands. When she saw me she stopped and had the nerve to ask what had I done to him.

I walked over to her, ripped my shirt off of her and walked out.

The guys on the job found out what happened when the dick head put in to be transferred to another job site.

When he was gone a few of the guys told me my 'GIRLFRIEND' had been seeing Jimmy almost as long as she had been seeing me. He laughed about making me work late to keep me away from her.

The non-practicing bisexual line was just to get me in bed. Well I hope the two of them had a good laugh over it.

That was April 1986 and I haven't been with a woman since. That is until you. I swore I would never again date a woman that was into men."

She looked up into clear green eyes with flecks of gold in them and said. "I guess I lied."

Lisa ran her fingers through Dani's raven hair and then kissed her lips. "I am so very glad that you did my love, now that you are here, I can't imagine my life without you in it."

"You wont have to worry about that happening."

Lisa shifted her position, so that she was laying on top of Dani, after finding a comfortable spot in the crook of the tall woman's neck, they both fell asleep.

*******

An hour after falling asleep on the sofa, green eyes opened with alarm.

Lisa tried to get up, but even in her sleep Dani held her tightly, so she showered her lover's face with tiny kisses to wake her up.

"Mmmm? that feels good. Give me more." Lisa kissed her a few more times and told her she had to get up.

Dani pulled their bodies closer together and asked, "Why?"

Totally without her permission, but because of the tighter contact, the small woman started grinding against the body under her.

"Yeah baby, keep moving, just like that." That brought the blonde out of her sexual haze.

"Sweetheart, I have papers to finish grading and a dish to prepare."

Opening her eyes the tall woman said, "Oh yeah, I guess I forgot about that."

She released her hold on the blonde woman and let her up. Lisa gave Dani one last kiss before she put her t-shirt back on and settled back at the dining room table.

Dani raised up and gazed over the back of the sofa at her love, unnoticed. The woman was small but sturdy.

Her long blonde hair hung down her back. She had a habit of tucking loose strands of hair behind a delicate ear.

As she was reading one of the papers she was grading, Dani watched the small hand twirl the pen it held.

Her face and neck heated up when she remembered what those same hands were doing to her the previous night.

Her eyes were the greenest Dani had ever seen. It seemed like they could see straight through to her soul when they captured her in their depths........ like they were doing now.....oh shit.....Dani knew she was caught.

Green eyes twinkled as the small woman asked. "You like what you see stud?"

Dani recovered quickly. "Very much so. How much longer ya got on those papers?"

"Probably about forty-five minutes. Why, you got something in mind?"

"Well... I thought while you prepared your potato dish, I would order some take-out."

"That sounds good, what are you ordering?"

"How about Chinese?"

"You read my mind. After we eat how do you feel about sharing a bubble bath?"

Dani laughed, a rich heart felt sound. "How could I pass up an offer like that? I'll be there with bells on."

*******

Dani sat in the tub with Lisa resting against her chest. The blonde was very aware of the erect nipples pressed against her back.

She caressed the large hands that circled her body. It was fascinating to compare the size of their hands.

Dani could incase Lisa's entire fist in her hand.

The smaller woman soaped the hand than rinsed it off, just to repeat the task again.

They were in no hurry. They had accomplished everything they needed to and was just relaxing with each other.

"Dani?"

"Yes baby."

"Are you up for hearing about my marriage?"

Dani squeezed the small body closer, feeling the well defined abdominal muscles tighten.

"Only if you feel like it. You don't have to just because I did."

"I really want to. I want to tell someone how I really felt when it happened."

"Didn't you talk to Shirley when it was happening?"

"Yeah, but I was too embarrassed to share with anyone how I felt deep inside about it. Now I feel safe and loved and I want to get it out of my system and move past it."

Dani understood right-a-way. After telling Lisa about what happened with Cory she felt a heaviness in her chest disappear that she didn't know was there.

"I'm here for you baby, tell me anything you want to."

"Thanks. Let's get out and get comfortable first. Okay?"

Without saying a word the dark woman stood and lifted her smaller partner out of the tub and dried her off.

The small woman nuzzled the neck that her face was resting against. "It is so damn sexy when you carry me. I'm ashamed to admit how much I love it."

The tall woman gave her that lopsided gin of hers and endeared herself even more to the blonde.

"I'd carry you everywhere you went if that's what you wanted Beth."

Lisa pulled back, green eyes studied blue and saw the sincerity in them. A small hand cupped a smooth cheek. "I know you would my love."

The women dressed for bed and snuggled down into its softness together. Dani had brewed them cups of tea with lemon and they sipped it in silence. Dani knew Lisa would talk when she felt like it.

"This has got to be the biggest bed I have ever seen."

Lisa looked at her lover and saw her raise a dark brow.

"I know, I know, it's made for your comfort. Sticking with you will turn me into a pleasure hound."

"You deserve it baby. From now on, only the best for you."

Lisa took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She was ready to start her story.

"We got married in June of 1985, a month after I received my master's degree. We had been seeing each other since my junior year and his senior year at college park.

While we were still in school, we started to plan our future. One thing we agreed on was to wait until we were both established in our careers before starting a family.

One month into our marriage Carl, that's the bastard's name, started to pressure me to get pregnant and I told him it wasn't the right time, that I wanted to stick to our plan.

Eventually he saw reason and gave up..... So I thought.

He started coming home late from work and hanging out with his friends more, he never wanted to spend any time with me and......she looked at Dani and blushed a little. Our sex life was going down hill fast.

His behavior was so odd I told my brothers about it. I mean, who better to ask about a man, than a man?"

My brothers have always been very protective of me. Ron is thirty-three and Stanley is thirty. They are the type of older brothers you always heard about, you know, they give you a hard time, but heaven help anyone else who tries.

Lisa noticed a confused look come over her lover's beautiful features. 'Mmm, I wonder what that's about?'

When I started dating, the boys had a very hard time getting past them to pick me up for a date.

Anyway, they said they thought he might be cheating on me, and would check it out if I wanted them to. I was terrified, but said okay.

Two weeks later in September of 1986 Ron and Stanley came over to the townhouse, they told me to sit down. I panicked immediately."

Dani slid in behind Lisa and wrapped long strong arms around her and kissed the top of her blonde head.

"It was so strange Dani, I didn't want to hear what they had to say, but I couldn't breathe again until I heard it."

Long arms held her closer.

"I asked them what they had found out, they looked at each other neither wanting to start.

Finally Stanley said. "We have been following Carl for the past two weeks. There were days that he left work and went to the gym and grabbed something to eat before going to a residence on capital hill."

"Now it was Ron's turn to speak."

"Then there were the days that he left work and headed straight to the address on capital hill. Each time he went a blonde would open the door, he would kiss her and go in."

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Carl was kissing another woman?"

"Then Stan told me that wasn't all. I didn't know if I could hear anymore, my stomach was starting to cramp."

Instinctively Dani started rubbing the muscle that her hand rested on. Lisa lifted the hand and kissed it softly.

"Stan asked me if he should go on. I had no choice. It had to be finished. All I could do was nod my head yes."

"Friday, we followed the rat bastard and he did what he usually did and headed to capital hill.

He knocked, she answered, they kissed, he went in. This time, the door opened again a couple of minutes later and they left the home.......He was carrying a baby."

"It took me a few seconds to understand what I was hearing. When I finally got it, my mind couldn't accept it. I begged my brothers to tell me they didn't believe that the baby was Carl's.

They stood and embraced me between them and told me they didn't know what to think, but thought it was something I should know."

"You know baby, looking back I feel like such a weakling, it took me a month before I gathered enough courage to ask Carl the question and be ready to hear the answer."

Dani softly kissed Lisa's neck and asked, "What was the answer my love?"

Lisa became angry when she felt her eyes burning and the tears rolling down her cheeks. She furiously wiped them away with a balled fist.

Dani gently pulled the small fist down and kissed away the tears, then she lovingly opened the tight balls and kissed each finger ending with the palms.

"It's okay to cry Beth, don't be angry with yourself for feeling the pain of a loved ones betrayal".

The blonde turned her tear streaked face into the long neck behind her and sobbed. It was the release that she had needed for two years, and now Dani was giving her permission to experience it, to wallow in it, to bask in it. And then, discard it. This was the only place she would ever feel safe enough to be this vulnerable.

When Lisa felt more in control she continued, sounding a little stuffy from her running nose.

"He admitted he had been seeing this woman for a year, and he admitted that the child {a little girl} was his. He didn't seem ashamed about being found out. He actually looked relieved. He gave me a few half hearted apologizes, packed his bags and left."

Lisa wiped her eyes and blew her nose with the tissue Dani gave her.

"We got divorced, he married the mother of his child and I guess they are living happily ever after."

"Oh Beth, I'm so sorry you went through that."

"I'm not."

Dani raised a dark brow in surprise. "How can you say that?"

"Because, if I hadn't gone through that I would still be with him and not have found my soul's greatest desire."

"I'm not worth that kind of pain Beth."

"Am I?"

"That and then some."

"Do you think I feel any less for you?" There was no need to answer.

The women stayed in their embrace and shared light caresses.

Dani methodically ran her fingers through the spun gold on her lover's head.

Lisa intertwined her fingers with the ones of Dani's free hand and ran her thumb along the back of the strong hand.

"I forgot to call Shirley today. I think I'm going to go call her from the living room. Is that okay with you?"

"Of course. Are you up to that? You feeling better?"

"Yeah baby, I feel purged. I haven't felt this good since it happened. Thank you for allowing me to cry on your shoulder about my marriage. I Promise never to do it again."

They both knew it was a joke so Dani didn't feel the need to respond, she just kissed Lisa's neck and let her up so she could go make her phone call.

*******

Lisa settled down on the couch and dialed Shirley's number. It was answered on the third ring.

"Hello."

"Hi Shirley it's me."

"Well look who's finally calling."

"I'm sorry it took so long, but you know how busy I was with grading papers and making that stupid potato dish for tomorrow.

"Did you get it all finished?"

"Yeah, finally."

"Sooo.....did you find time to talk to Dani today?"

"Well.....yeah.....you could say that."

"What does that mean?"

"That means I'm still over here."

"You're what!?"

"I'm still here. Dani took me home to get a few things and I followed her back over here."

"Lisa....honey, slow down. Gay relationships can burn bright with a white hot flame at the start and then you find yourself walking among smoking embers wondering how everything around you had been consumed and discarded. Please listen to the advice of a veteran in the arena of hot and heavy."

"I hear you Shirley, and I'm listening." Lisa already knew her heart was safe.

"Good, that's what I want to hear. Now that I've given you motherly advice....let's gossip! I want to know what a good little straight girl like you thinks about being with a woman."

Lisa thought for a second. "Well it's the most passion I've ever felt. The tenderness, the closeness, the honesty. It was the most fulfilling thing I have ever experienced.

She did things to me that made me crazy with desire. I didn't know sex could feel that way. I felt like it was all about me. I can honestly say it was the best sex I've ever had."

Shirley wondered what in the world had happened between the two women. 'Dani must be something else.'

She knew before the previous night her friend had zero interest in women and now she almost sounded like she was...........in love.

"And you know what Shirley? I did things too, things I never imagined I would do to another woman."

Shirley sat and listened to her best friend of twelve years tell her about being with another woman for the first time and couldn't help feeling a little hurt and somewhat jealous.

Every since Shirley and Lisa were kids the curly haired woman had had a crush on her green- eyed friend. As they grew older Shirley realized that Lisa would never be interested in a same sex relationship, so she never made any overtures.

Now, here she was listening to the object of her unrequited love talk about how amazing it was to be with another woman.... and not just have things done to her, like she expected to hear, but do things back to the other woman, it was almost unbearable.

She responded correctly and laughed when appropriate. She made cute comments when necessary and offered helpful advice........ but, Lisa would never know that while she was telling her friend about her life changing night that tears were rolling down Shirley's cheeks.

When Lisa returned to the bedroom, Dani was laying on her side already asleep. The small blonde crawled under the covers and snuggled her back against the warm body behind her.

One long arm wrapped itself around the slender waist and pulled her closer. Dani nuzzled the golden head and mumbled her love for the woman in her arms. Lisa wrapped the arm tighter around herself and responded in kind. They both fell asleep confident in the knowledge that they were home.

*******

Lisa's mind was on anything but the Sunday meal that was in front of her. When she left Dani 's house that afternoon she sat in the garage holding the spare door opener her lover had given her, deciding whether or not to push the button and raise the door.

She knew she had a responsibility to her family to show up for their customary meal, but for the first time ever, she wanted to be someplace else.

Even when she first started dating Carl she didn't want to miss this meal just to be with him.

Dani was like a fever in her brain. She was all the blonde could think about.

When they woke up with their bodies entangled that morning they did what came naturally to them, they started making love, it continued until the small woman had to get up to shower and dress.

They stood in the laundry room kissing and hugging not wanting to be separated for any length of time.

Finally, Lisa broke their embrace and headed for the door leading to the garage.

She reached for the door knob and turned around before opening the door.

"Fi cariad ti, Dani."

"Fi cariad ti, Beth, gyda oll fy calon."

The blonde tilted her head in question.

"With all my heart." The dark woman responded.

*******

After dinner was over and the family was gathered in the living room letting their food digest, Lisa found herself becoming more and more restless. She knew she had to keep a grip on herself or risk being asked what the problem was.

She wasn't ready to share the news of her new love with her family yet. She knew her religious parents would have a problem with it initially, but they would get over it.

They had never expressed prejudiced of any kind, and they knew Shirley was gay and loved her like one of their own.

When everyone started gathering their coats to leave Lisa was the first to the door. If anyone noticed they didn't say anything.

*******

Lisa was in her car heading home so she could call Dani. The weekend was over and they both had to be on the job early, well, Dani's six o'clock start time had her by an hour and a half, but it was still early for her.

After she closed her front door she headed up to her bedroom to undress so she would be comfortable when she talked to her love.

She pulled out one of Dani's t-shirts that she had slipped into her purse and put it on. She felt her lover's presence immediately.

Lisa picked the phone up off of the night stand and answered her hearts call by dialing Dani's number.

The phone was answered before the first ring ended.

"Hello?"

The deep voice shot straight through her heart. "I miss you sooo much."

"I miss you too baby. How was dinner?"

"It was the first time I have ever wished it would end quickly."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"You should be, it was your fault."

"How so?"

"Because I wanted to get home, so my ears could be caressed by the sexiest voice I've ever heard."

Dani laughed softly. "I hope I haven't disappointed you."

"Never..... I want to see you."

"When?"

"Now."

"I'll be there in forty minutes."

"The door will be unlocked."

*****

Lisa's heart skipped a beat when she heard the front door open and close.

She yelled down. "Turn off the light and lock the door before you come up."

Dani did as she was told and headed up the stairs.

When she reached the top, a blonde ball of excitement jumped into her arms. She barely had enough time to drop her duffle bag and catch the small woman.

Lisa covered the tall woman's face with wet kisses.

"You know, one of these days I'm not gonna catch you in time."

"It'll never happen stretch."

Dani still held the blonde as she walked into the bedroom. "How can you be so sure munchkin?"

"Because, whether you admit it or not, you know I'm coming, I sense it...... you feel me."

"Hmmm, interesting theory......but, I choose to plead the fifth."

"Smart girl. What time should I set the clock for?"

"I need to leave by five, so set it for four-fifteen."

"How can you get up at that hour everyday?"

"Easy, I've been doing it since I was eighteen. When I graduated high school instead of going to college, I went to trade school for five years."

"Wow, I didn't know it took that long. It's like getting a degree."

"Yeah, only I had to go to school and work at the same time. The good thing about trade school is the job you are working on is what you're going to school for. Like on the job training.

You work in the day and go to school at night. When it's over, you have a job, a journeyman's license and a membership in the local union, making union wages."

The small woman hugged her partner closer. "So what are you saying? I hooked myself a millionaire?"

Dani wiggled her eyebrows and said, "Well, let's put it this way. I have been making a union salary since I was eighteen, I have no dependents, no expensive vices, and I've made a couple of investments.

All I have to do with my check is pay some bills and bank the rest. Millionaire....no, thousandaire...maybe."

"Ah, so you don't have a large amount of bills?"

"Nah, my pathfinder is paid off and my mortgage is very low because it was a fixer-upper."

The dark woman had undressed while she talked to the blonde and was now laying in the bed with twinkling green eyes staring at her.

"What about all those home repairs?"

Dani pulled Lisa on top of her. "Remember, I did them myself or had some of the guys come over and help. All they wanted for payment was grilled steaks and cold beer."

"Okay, but you had to pay for materials." She teasingly stuck her tongue out at her lover.

Dani carefully captured the soft muscle between perfect white teeth, then gently suckled it before releasing it back to the small woman. Green eyes glazed over unnoticed while Dani replied.

"You know I work on construction sites, so when there were extra materials left over that I could use, I asked the contractor if I could take them. What I didn't get from the sites I purchased as I went along."

The blonde pulled back and looked into her lover's eyes. "Dani, are you telling me you don't have any bills?"

"Of course I have bills, just not that many."

"How many is not that many?"

"Well there's the mortgage, there's the car insurance, but I pay that yearly instead of monthly, the electric, phone, water and.... uhm.....let's see, there's'......."

The blonde cut her off. "That's it? Don't you have a credit card or a department store card, a bank loan? Anything other than the basics?"

"Well, no..... but I've been thinking about buying a fishing boat."

Lisa blew out a frustrated breath and buried herself deeper into the blue- eyed woman's body. "You know, you really make me sick. Leave it to you to live an unconventional financial life.... but, I love you anyway, now c`mere and make love to me so we can get some sleep, oh.... and I want to learn to speak Welsh......fluently."

As Dani pulled Lisa closer for a kiss she leaned back a little. "Hey baby, you still think teaching is better than sex."

The blonde smacked her lover on the shoulder. "Shut-up and kiss me.....smart ass."


APRIL 2, 1989


Dani and Lisa had been together for over four months when Lisa decided it was time to tell her family about their relationship. She thought Sunday would be the best time since everyone would be there for dinner.

So, here she was on a Sunday afternoon in her mom's kitchen helping with the meal and trying to figure out how to tell her about Dani.

Alice had already noticed a difference in Lisa. She secretly thought her only daughter had met a man and was starting to get her life back on track. Who knew, maybe her daughter would remarry and start a family of her own.

The homemaker didn't say anything because she was waiting for Lisa to tell her in her own time.

When the two women were alone in the kitchen, Alice would study Lisa when the younger woman wasn't looking.

She thought her daughter looked radiant, she actually glowed. There seemed to be a light shining from the inside out. It made her eyes greener, her hair blonder, and her skin lustrous. What ever she was doing was good for her.

The entire time Lisa was helping with the meal and setting the table, her stomach was doing flip-flops. She was nearly paralyzed with fear because of what she planned to do today.

She wasn't that worried about her brother's reaction, she knew it would upset them at first, but they would see that it was her life to live as she saw fit, they would love her, no matter what.

Alice and Herman would be another story. It amazed Lisa that she could be with her parents her entire life and never really know who they were.

Lisa's parents grew-up believing that homosexuality was not only fundamentally wrong, but a sin. This was going to be a hard shell to penetrate. But, she felt like she could do it.

When Lisa had talked to her lover about telling her family about their relationship, Dani told her to do it slowly.

*******

"Baby, you should tell your brothers and their wives first. That way, if it's something they can accept, when you tell your parents you will have support."

"No Dani, I think I should tell everyone together, that way I only have to explain it once.

"Beth, baby, you need to think about this. By telling them about us, you may lose your family."

"Did you lose your family Dani?"

"No, not physically, but emotionally I am, di eu serch {without their affection}. They deal with me like I'm a stranger."

Lisa felt a deep sorrow for her lover at that moment and had to touch her physically, so she began to rub the dark woman's back. "What do you mean baby?"

Dani leaned into the welcomed contact, then a thoughtful look fell across her striking features before she answered.

"You know, that impersonal noncommittal politeness that we have been socialized to show people we don't know so as not to appear rude. I don't want that for you Beth, you and your family are close and I don't want to be the cause of that changing.

"Baby, whatever happens at dinner has nothing to do with you."

"Yes it does Beth. It's because of the way you feel about me that you're going to break your parent's hearts baby, and don't doubt for a second that's what's going to happen".

I mean, you're not gay baby. And you came to the conclusion that you aren't bisexual. You just love me. They won't be able to put a label on it. You aren't giving them a box to put you in."

"Yes Dani. All of that is true, but you see, fy cariad {my love} we are in this for the long haul, so I have to tell them. I think the depth of my love for you is reason enough, don't you?"

Dani didn't know what to say. She knew what could happen, but Lisa was right. She had to tell them, so she held the smaller hands in her own and said. "I can't answer that for you baby. The decision has to be yours."

Lisa tried a different approach. "Look, I am about to move into your house with you."

Dani interrupted the blonde and kissed her on the forehead. "I keep telling you it's our house."

"Okay, I'll be moving into OUR house. Don't you think that's going to require some explanation? I can't say we're roommates, they know I can afford my own place.

I can't say I was lonely. They have constantly asked me to move back home, and if they spend enough time around us they are going to notice how we interact with each other. I mean, come on, the way we feel about each other oozes out of our pours, somebody is gonna notice."

Dani couldn't disagree. She remembered the day her best buddy, Doug dropped by for a beer a couple of months prior and it took him only ten minutes to tell the tall electrician he was happy she had finally found the one.

And then things went off track.

**

Lisa had just gone into the kitchen to get beers for the three of them.

Dani looked at her friend and had to yank-his-chain just a bit. "What makes you think she's the one?"

"Dani, try to sell that shit to someone that doesn't you....to start with, you can't stop looking at her with that goofy lopsided grin on your face, and you can barely keep your hand's off of her."

The redhead gave his friend a lascivious smile and added. "Not that I can blame you there buddy."

Without any warning a white hot anger shot through Dani's head and she had to struggle not to lash-out physically or verbally. This was one of her oldest friends and she had to keep control.

He had no way of knowing that his innocent comment took her mind back to the night Jimmy opened the door to Cory's apartment.

She kept reminding herself of how they had started trade school together, and how after he realized there really was no chance of getting a date with her he was happy to just be her friend.

How their friendship was such, that Dani had stood in line as one of his groomsmen at his wedding. She held on to these thoughts as she tried to reel in her anger.

While Dani was bringing her temper under control in the living room, Lisa was having a struggle of her own in the kitchen.

The moment the intense emotions assaulted Dani's mind, Lisa doubled over in pain.

She put the beer bottles on the counter top before she dropped them and leaned on the edge, trying to catch her breath. She knew the feelings were coming from Dani, and she had to go to her.

The blonde had noticed a change in the emotions she shared with her partner after they made love in the shower that first time.

They had started feeling more for each other, if that was possible. They became so close that it seemed like they transferred feelings to one another. At first they chalked it up to coincidence, but that changed the day Dani almost fell at work.

**

Lisa was sitting in front of her class when she suddenly became nauseous with fear. She had to excuse herself from the classroom to run to the lavatory.

When she was done freshening up she hurried to the office so that she could call the construction trailer on Dani's work site. She knew something was wrong with her lover.

When the contractor answered the phone the small blonde was frantic.

"Hi, my name is Lisa Crawford and I need to speak with Dani Kendrick right away, she's one of the electricians there."

The contractor told Lisa to hold on for a minute while he went to get the tall woman he knew well.

When the boss got to her, Dani was on the ground removing the harness that had just saved her life.

"Kendrick, you have a phone call in the trailer, it sounds important."

Dani ran to the small portable work trailer wondering what else could go wrong today. Her hand was still shaking when she picked up the receiver.

"Hello, this is Dani."

Tears of relief flowed down the blonde teacher's cheeks. "Baby are you okay? I just had the most frightening feelings go through me, and I know it had something to do with you."

Dani went on to explained how she had missed a step while up on some scaffolding and almost fell, but was stopped by the safety harness she was wearing.

**

After that day, there was no more denying their connection, so now while trying to catch her breath in the kitchen, Lisa had no doubt, something had upset her usually calm partner.

When she entered the living room she saw Dani struggling with her emotions and went to her. Sitting beside her lover, she started to make slow large circles on her back with her hand.

"What's wrong baby? Talk to me."

Dani turned and was captured in the green pools. She could clearly see the black pupil, the tiny gold flecks that surrounded it and how they blended into the clear green that made up the beautiful landscape. She was calmed immediately.

"I'm fine cariad. Doug and I were just talking about how much you mean to me."

"And that causes you distress?"

It was then that Dani remembered their connection and knew she had to tell Lisa everything.

Doug watched the interaction between the women and wasn't sure he believed what he was seeing.

"Uhmm... Lisa, did you....did you just come out here because you knew something was wrong with Dani?"

The blonde blushed a little, and continued to sooth her partner.

"You could put it that way." Then she looked up at him and smiled. "Let's just say I had a feeling. Now, which one of you are going to tell me what's going on?"

Doug stretched his arms out to the side and said. "I have no idea."

So Lisa looked to Dani.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? What happened?"

Dani had herself under control by now and was a little embarrassed to have to admit to the feelings.

She looked from her lover to Doug and then back again. "Well? See... this idiot and I were talking and he made a comment and I over reacted."

"Okay, that clears it up for me, how about you Doug?"

Before the man could answer Dani jumped in. "Alright look, he made a comment about how he understood me not being able to keep my hands off of you and I had an immediate flash back to Jimmy the asshole and Cory the whore and became angry."

Doug was shocked. "Oh man Dani, you gotta know I would never try anything like that with Lisa."

The man looked a little hurt and Dani mentally kicked herself for letting her emotions get the best of her. She turned to look at her lover, expecting to see disappointment in her eyes, she was shocked and relieved when she saw understanding and love.

Lisa didn't say anything, she just cupped Dani's cheek and gave her a gentle kiss on her lips. She understood.

**

After remembering that day all Dani could say was. "I understand what you're saying Beth, I just don't want you to lose something precious because of a relationship with me."

Lisa cupped the tall woman's face and asked"Gwneud ti cariad fi {do you love me}?"

"Yn anad bywyd {more than life}."

Lisa smiled lovingly. "YOU! Are the most precious thing in my life, nothing or no one compares, got it?"

Dani nodded her head yes. Trying to lighten up the atmosphere Dani pulled Lisa into here arms and said. "You know squirt, your Welsh has gotten very good."

"Fi cael a da athrawes." {I had a good teacher}. Then the small woman became serious. "Will you be there if they hate me?"

Dani kissed the smooth forehead. "I will be here forever Beth. You can depend on that if nothing else."

*******

Now, Lisa was in the kitchen with her mother and both of her sisters-in-law, Teresa and Jessica. They were preparing the meal and setting the table while the men watched television and talked about what ever game was on.

Lisa was totally unaware of the long standing dialog going on about how there always seemed to be some kind of game on, and how the men just had to watch it.

Teresa asked Lisa if she was all right, she didn't seem all there. Lisa told her she was fine, she just had some things on her mind.

Alice called everyone to the dinner table. Then the Sunday dining experience started.

The adults fell into the routine of setting the kids in highchairs or at the small table in the kitchen. Then the grown-ups took their seats.

The food was passed around and the food was eaten in leisurely comfort. When the meal was over and the coffee was being served, the after dinner conversation started the way it always did, with Herman asking how business was going at the auto shop.

Lisa couldn't hear much of anything that was being said, all she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears.

She came back to herself after Jessica kept saying. "Is that true Lisa?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Jess, is what true?"

"Teresa thinks you're so out of it because you've met someone, is that true?"

Lisa knew this was it, this was the time to tell the family. She took a deep breath steeled her nerves and said.

"Yes, I have met someone."

Everyone started asking questions at once. "How long have you been seeing him? What's his name? What does he do?"

Alice said, "I knew it, I knew you were seeing someone, you've been looking so good lately, and you seem happy again, tell us about him Lisa."

"Well mom, the first thing I want you to know is, I'm in love. I'm in love with the most beautiful, generous, smart, funny, truly good person I've ever known."

They all looked at her with a mixture of happiness and anticipation.

"We have been together for nearly five months, and we are moving in together this week."

Ron said, "Well thanks for telling us so soon, when do we get to meet Mr. Wonderful? What's his name, maybe I know him?"

Lisa locked her knees together under the table and said, "Her name is Danielle, Dani for short, and she is not Mr. Wonderful, she is Ms. Wonderful."

They all sat in shocked silence wondering if they understood what they had just heard.

Stanley was the first to speak. "What did you say?"

"I said that the person I am in love with is a woman."

Alice finally found her voice and jumped right in. "Lisa, you don't know what you are saying."

Herman said, "The problem is.... that low down Carl, he hurt you so bad that you're confused, that's all. I mean come on Lisa, you can't be serious.

You're just experimenting or something right? Like some women do in college that's what's going on, isn't it?"

"No daddy. Look, mom, dad, I'm not in pain from my divorce, I'm not experimenting and I'm not confused.
I have met an exceptional person that I have fallen in love with, and she just happens to be a woman."

Alice chose that moment to lose control, "You are saying you are committing this abomination for no reason at all? You have just DECIDED to live a filthy life? Is that what you are saying Lisa? That you want to be that way."

Lisa couldn't believe the venom coming from her normally mild mannered mother. What in the hell was happening?

"Mom, what I'm saying is I fell in love, the gender shouldn't matter, just the feelings, it doesn't have to be anything other than that."

"Is that what you think Lisa, you think that's all there is to it? Do you think I'm going to open my arms and embrace you in this new life style you've chosen? Do you think I'm going to invite some bull dyke to sit at my Sunday table like some son-in-law?"

The words slapped the blonde woman between the eyes. And the hateful tone in her mother's voice pissed her off. Lisa felt her anger rising with each word out of her mother's mouth.

"Mom, none of that is necessary. You are too intelligent for this. Dani is no bull dyke. She is a woman in every since of the word. She is not a stereotype."

"I don't want to hear it Lisa, you will not stand in my house and defend your bed partner to me."

"But mom, you're wrong."

The room took in a collective breath. No one could believe the scene unraveling in front of them. Alice had never been this way before.

This defiantly wasn't the loving mother and homemaker they all knew and loved, and Lisa had never gone head-to-head with either one of her parents before, this was....other worldly.

"I'm wrong?! You're laying with another woman and I'm wrong. If I'm wrong then the bible is wrong, if I'm wrong then society is wrong, if I'm wrong then everything we've been taught to believe is moral is wrong. What you're doing is sick, if you're going to sit there and continue to try and defend it you can leave this house."

Lisa's brain was in a whirlwind she couldn't get pass the surrealism of the moment. "So mom, you're putting me out?"

"Until you admit that what you are doing is wrong, I don't want you here any longer, and I don't want to see or hear from you until you stop this disgusting behavior."

Ron was beside himself. "Mom wait a minute, that's your only daughter. You don't want to let this happen."

"Ronald James, I know you are not defending her sinful acts."

"No, I'm not. But, we are a family and we can't let this come between us. Tell her dad, tell her she can't throw Lisa out of our lives."

Herman Crawford sat next to his wife of thirty-five years and said, "Everything your mother has said is one hundred percent on the money. Lisa was raised to be God fearing and bible obedient."

When Lisa heard her father take sides with her mother, the dam burst, tears were streaming down her cheeks as she stood and headed for the closet to get her coat so she could leave.

"Mom, dad I never expected this type of behavior from you. I thought you were better than this."

"We thought you had a higher moral standard. When you leave, don't come back until you have repented and purged this sin from your life."

Lisa heard her mother saying this as she slammed the front door shut. She was heading down the sidewalk to her Honda when Stan came running up behind her.

"Lisa, wait."

"Why Stan? Why should I wait? You heard them, I don't exist until I stop being with the person I love."

Her brother rubbed his jaw, mentally putting himself in his sister's shoes. "That's a hell of a choice to make."

"Why didn't you say something Stan? Why didn't you help me?"

"Lisa I was in shock. You took us all by surprise. I didn't know what to say."

"Do you agree with them?"

"If I did I wouldn't be out here. Lisa, I'm not going to lie to you, I don't get this. I mean you've come out of left field with this. But you are my baby sister and I love you, so I'll try. I know Ron will be okay too."

Lisa wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Why didn't you say something when mom was calling me an abomination?"

"Look Lisa, you have just announced that you are not only in love with a woman, but moving in with her. This after twenty-seven years of showing an interest in nothing but men, so please forgive me for not adjusting fast enough to go up against mom right away."

"I'm sorry Stanley, I'm just so hurt. Dani told me it might be like this so I was somewhat ready, but I didn't believe it would be this bad. I mean mom has thrown me out of the family."

Just saying those words out loud made Lisa start crying all over again. Stan held his much smaller sister close and told her it would be okay, that their mother could never throw her out of him and Ron's lives.

Stan pulled back and looked into his sister's beautiful green eyes that were so much like their dads. "Is Dani worth all of this pain, I mean is she this important to you?"

"Yeah Stan, she's worth this and a lot more. She's everything to me, I've found my soul mate."

"I hope so little sister, because I've got a feeling this is going to take a while to sort out."

*******

Dani couldn't relax, she was pacing around the living room unable to sit for very long. Her stomach started hurting about an hour ago and would only ease-up periodically. She knew this had something to do with Lisa.

"Oh Beth, what are they doing to you?"

At that moment she heard the garage door lift and then close. She was in the laundry room pulling the door open as Lisa was getting out of her car.

The blonde woman rushed to Dani and released her pain in what she felt was the safest place in the world, in her lover's strong arms.

The tall woman carried her love into the house and laid her down on their bed. First she removed the coat, and then the shoes, eventually the smaller woman had her street clothes removed and replaced with her favorite thing in the world to wear, one of Dani's t-shirts.

"Beth, Gwneud ti angen a cwpan am te?" {Do you want a cup of tea?} The blonde nodded yes.

Dani returned with a cup of hot raspberry flavored tea and honey, she sat it on the bed side table and climbed in behind her partner.

She held the tea to Lisa's lips and let the smaller woman sip at her leisure. She knew when Lisa was ready, she would talk. At least she wasn't crying anymore.

As was Lisa's style, she just started talking as if a conversation was already going on.

"It was the worst thing I have ever experienced in my life. My mother told me not to come back until I stopped seeing you and repented."

"Repent? To who, for what?"

"I guess to God and her, and I'm not sure that's the correct order."

"It went nothing like I thought it would. I expected hurt and disappointment, but I never expected the venom."

Green eyes welled up with tears again. Spilling down delicate cheeks. Dani hugged her closer and kissed the top of the golden head. She gave the crying woman a tissue and had her sip more tea.

"My parents used to be such compassionate people."

"They still are Beth."

"They never showed Shirley anything but love. They never said a negative thing about her, at least not that I ever heard."

"Things get a little twisted when it involves your own children baby. Your mom is just worried about you."

The small woman snuggled closer to the warm body behind her. "That's not true cariad {love}, nothing she said today came from a place of concern for me. She spoke to me as if I were a piece of trash in the street, and judged me just as harshly."

"Give her some time fy calon, {my heart} she'll come around."

"Did your mother come around? Did she change her mind about you?"

"No, but my mother and your mother are two different people."

The blonde was starting to feel more herself again now that she was where she felt safest. "Maybe they aren't, maybe everyone from that generation shares the same brain."

The tall woman laughed a little. "How did your brothers react?"

"They were as good as could be expected. I think Stanley is going to work on mom and dad, and Ron tried to tell them how wrong they were to throw me out."

"Hopefully they can get your parents to see things from a different perspective."

A feeling of hopelessness started to come over the blonde. "I don't know baby, I think it may be over."

Green eyes that were bloodshot from crying filled with tears again. Dani couldn't stand seeing the small woman so upset. The dark woman hugged her lover tighter to her.

"Don't say that Beth, I'll think of something. I can't watch you lose your family."

Lisa sat-up quickly and turned in her lover's arms to look her in the eyes. She wanted the tall woman to hear what she was about to say, and to believe it.

"Dani, don't you get involved in this. She ran her fingers over the high cheekbones and tenderly kissed the soft lips.

Fi ewyllysio na gadael fy echen anafu ti, {I will not let my family hurt you} in any way, and that's what they're going to try and do if you get involved. I'll leave them alone for a while and try to talk to them again in a few weeks. Hopefully by then they will have come to their senses"

*******

It took a week, but Lisa finally moved all of her things into Dani's house. The tall woman told her to put what ever she wanted where ever she wanted. The electrician had no problem putting the items the blonde wanted replaced into the storage sheds out back.

Truth be told, Dani preferred Lisa's furniture to her own, she looked forward to classing up the joint. She didn't ask her to do it, but she was over the moon when Lisa left the large sofa in the living room.

The small woman had not even considered taking away something that gave her partner comfort. She just decorated around the things that she knew Dani liked.

The first weekend after Lisa moved in they decided to throw a house merging party as a way to introduce their friends to each other and just let down their hair and have some fun.

The tall woman was worried about her lover's emotional state since the hostel separation with her parents and hoped the party would lift her spirits.


April 15, 1989


The night of the party came and everyone was having a good time. Shirley, Cynthia and Freda showed up... with dates no less. Dani's friends Doug, Kim and George were also there with dates, so the house was comfortably full.

Everyone at the party was gay except for Doug and his wife Patty and Kim and her husband Tom. The group of people seemed to get along well.

People had broken off into groups, Lisa and the crew were in a corner in the dinning room talking, their dates were huddled together in front of the fireplace seeming to be sharing the meaning of life, or something just as deep, and Dani's group was in the living room, mostly talking shop.

Blue eyes would look in the direction of the dining room periodically to make sure her lover was enjoying herself. From what Dani could see, she looked fine. It looked to her like her friends were engaging her in a serious conversation.

As Lisa told the crew about her parent's reaction to her being with Dani, none of them were surprised. They all had similar stories, except for Shirley. Maybe it was because Shirley's parents were bohemians of sorts and didn't see the need to waste brain cells worrying about how adults chose to love each other.

Cynthia took a sip of her drink before saying, "Damn Lisa, calm down you're acting like this is going to be for the rest of your life or something. When you're done here life goes on."

As soon as Shirley heard the words come out of Cynthia's slightly intoxicated mouth, she knew the little green- eyed blonde history teacher, who was her best friend in the world was going to blow a fuse.

She had already had many conversations with her friend about the dark beauty she now lived with, and she knew that she didn't take kindly to people not taking her commitment seriously so she wasn't shocked, but was ready when she heard........

"What do you think I'm doing Cynthia? Do you think I'm here playing house? Do you think I've turned my life upside down and put my family in this kind of turmoil for a momentary roll in the hay? Is that how shallow and narcissistic you think I am?"

The brunette was thrown off balance and came out of her pleasant haze abruptly. "No Lisa, I was just saying, you could go back to living a straight life if you wanted to."

"That's not what you said Cynthia. You're accusing me of playing games, and I don't appreciate it."

Dani was talking to Kim and her husband when she felt a cramping in her stomach. She immediately looked across the room and saw the tension in the blonde's face. She excused herself and made her way over to her lover.

As she moved across the room the tall woman's movements were graceful and majestic, like that of royalty, and without being aware of their actions the group she was talking to stopped and watched her departure.

When Dani reached the group of ladies, all conversation ceased. She stepped behind her partner and pulled the smaller woman against her chest and kissed her on the temple.

"Beth sy`n bod cariad?" {What's wrong love?}

"Dim, wyf o`rgorau fy cariad." {Nothing, I am alright my love}

The group looked at the women with curious expressions on their faces, not knowing what was going on.

Remembering the cramping she had felt minutes before, Dani kept her hold on her lover's small waist and rubbed her stomach while she talked to their guest. She pinned the other women with a brilliant smile and asked.

"Are you ladies enjoying yourselves?"

Each woman had a very private reaction to the dark woman's smile before they could answer. When they regained some composure they all answered in the affirmative, and thanked her for the invitation.

"Good, I'm glad you're having a good time. If you ladies need anything, anything at all, just let Beth or me know and we will be happy to accommodate you."

The tall woman leaned over and gave the small blonde a loving kiss, lingering on soft moist lips, just because.

"Fi cariad ti, Beth." {I love you, Beth}

"Gyda oll fy calon, Annwyl." {With all my heart, Annwyl}

Dani walked back to her guest and left the crew to figure out the disagreement they were obviously having.

When Dani was out of earshot, Shirley raised an eyebrow at her friend, "Well, that was a very smooth move."

Freda watched the muscular body walking away like it was her next meal, "Yeah, it sure was."

Shirley grabbed the teacher by the arm. "What did you two just say to each other? And when did you learn to speak a foreign language? What am I missing?"

"You're not missing anything, she wanted to know if I was okay, and Dani has been teaching me Welsh since we've been together."

"Welsh. She's Welsh? And she is teaching it to you? Wow... but it's no wonder you can speak it, you two haven't spent a night apart since you met."

Cynthia was listening to the exchange between her two friends, and was shocked, not only by what she heard, but also by what she saw.

"Lisa, I'm sorry I offended you earlier. I didn't realize how deeply you two were committed to each other. It's obvious to me now, I mean.... wow... so uhm......you two haven't been apart since you met at the club that night last November?"

The blonde bore into her friend with intense green eyes. "No, we haven't, we discovered early on that we experience some physical discomfort when we tried to sleep apart."

The teacher knew it was time to reel in her temper and let her friend off the hook. Lisa softened her eyes and spoke to the brunette.

"Cynthia, the only way I can explain it is to say, she is my soul mate and I am hers."

"Wow, so you are telling me that love at first sight can really happen?"

"I'll say this.... Dani isn't the first woman to ever approach me... I didn't have to respond to her at all, but I did."

They all had to agree. Lisa had been out with them to different gay clubs over the years, and they had witnessed the green-eyed woman turn away many women, not having an interest in them in the slightest.

"I've never in my life been attracted to a woman, but that night when I looked up into those unbelievably blue pools.... I was hers... forever. She told me she fell in love with me at the same moment, when our eyes met."

"We are rhwym am byth."

"What does that mean?"

"We are bound for eternity."

Shirley asked her friend. "How is it that you are learning this language so fast?"

"That's another thing Shirley, it comes so easily, I think we have communicated like this before."

Cynthia asked, "You mean like in a past life?"

"Yes, our connection feels old, when our emotions are strong we can feel it through some kind of link, that's why she came over and was rubbing my stomach. And there are times when the déjà vu is so strong we almost see images.

The entire time Lisa and Cynthia were mending fences, Freda was checking out Dani, thinking to herself. 'Now there's a package I would love to open.'

No one knew it, but Freda didn't like Lisa that much. She never did. She just dealt with her because Shirley and Cynthia liked her so much.

She always seemed a little too goody, goody for Freda's taste. She thought that was probably why her husband dumped her.

'And now she thinks she can just walk her straight ass into a gay bar and scoop up one of the most eligible women around. Hell no, I don't think so. There could be a real lesbian living in this house, not some wanna be.

In the beginning it was cute, even somewhat entertaining, ooh look at the straight girl playing at being gay.

Now it has gone too far, by moving in with Dani, she has really taken her off of the market. Something needed to be done, and she was just the bitch to do it.'

Freda excused herself from the crew and walked over to Dani and raised her glass, "Hey good lookin` how about a refill?"

Dani turned away from her guest and responded to Freda. "Sure, what would you like?"

Freda moved closer to the tall woman and took the drink Dani was holding out of her hand, after taking a sip she gave it back, licking the excess moisture from her lips.

"I'll have some of that."

Dani took Freda's glass and fixed her a seven and seven.

When Dani returned the glass to Freda, the brown eyed woman let her fingers linger against Dani's for a little longer than necessary, the electrician laughed inwardly and thought, ' this girl has got to be kidding.'

"Freda, I think the crew is looking for you."

The blonde looked over her shoulder and said. "Yeah, you're probably right.... but I'll be back."

As Freda left Dani went back to talking to her friends never giving the brown eyed woman a second thought.

Freda on the other hand just knew she was being watched, so she switched a little harder. "Watch out Lisa. I'm going to have me some of that, and soon.

Freda was used to getting a woman, if she set her sights on her, and this one wasn't going to be any different, she hadn't met a woman yet that could stay faithful.

After all what could Lisa possibly be doing for the dark beauty. It's not like she knows anything about being gay.

'And as for that "connection" bullshit, please. We are all just lonely souls drifting around this planet until something comes along and sends us somewhere else, hopefully better, but probably the same or worse.

After all isn't love just a trick that nature plays on us to make sure we procreate?' Freda was surprised that she actually felt a small twinge of pain in her heart at the thought. Then she immediately pushed the feeling aside.

*******

When the party was over and the last guest had said their good-byes, Lisa and Dani stood in their living room dancing to Cher and Peter Cetera singing "After all."

This was their song, it had been since the night they danced to it at the club. The two women had decided to go out dancing and while out on the floor the song came on and it hit them.... the song made them think about their love over different lifetimes.

As they slowly moved against each other in their home, the dark woman sang into a small pink ear, in a deep rich voice, much like she did the first time they danced to the song.

Well, here we are again
I guess it must be fate
We've tried it on our own
But deep inside we've known
We'd be back to set thinks straight

I still remember when
Your kiss was so brand new
Every memory repeats
Every step I take retreats
Every journey always brings me back to you

They started singing the chorus together, blending in perfect harmony.

After all the stops and starts
We keep coming back to these two hearts
Two angels who've been rescued from the fall

After all that we've been through
It all comes back to me and you
I guess it's meant to be
Forever you and me
After all

Dani sang the next verse as she spun Lisa around the living room with ease.

When love is truly right
It lives from year to year
It changes as it grows
But it never disappears

Always just beyond my touch
You know I need you so much
After all, what else is living for?

Once again they sang the chorus together, never missing a step in their dance.

The song ended leaving the two women in silence. They didn't speak, they didn't want to break the spell.

The two stood staring into each other's eyes, blue communicating eternal, undying love to green.

Dani picked Lisa up to carry her into their bedroom. The blonde wrapped her arms around the tall woman's neck and tenderly kissed her lips. The golden head rested on a strong shoulder and a slender finger twisted a lock of dark hair.

Dani rubbed her cheek against the soft blonde hair on the side of Lisa's head as she entered their bedroom.

Dani sat the small woman on the bed, kneeled down in front of her and started taking the shoes off of the small feet. Lisa leaned forward and kissed the top of the dark head.

Long fingers unbuttoned the blouse the blonde was wearing and let it slide down well toned shoulders and slightly muscled arms.

Lisa liked to do aerobics and light weight training to stay in shape. So when she moved into the house in Greenbelt Dani set-up half of the large office to be Lisa's workout area.

When the top was removed, the same long fingers unzipped the skirt and pulled it down slim hips.

The tall woman was still kneeling in front of the teacher so, small hands reached down and pulled the other woman's shirt over the dark head. No words were being spoken, none were needed.

Simultaneously they removed each others bras. Callused finger tips reverently ran down the silky skin of the blonde woman's throat, stopping at the pulse point to feel the heart beat that matched her own.

She removed her fingers and replaced them with her lips. The contact was brief and feather light and then it was gone, Lisa wasn't sure that it had happened at all.

The fingers resumed their journey, tracing the lines of the delicate collarbones, then moving over creamy shoulders, strong hands gently pushed the small woman onto her back,

after removing Lisa's lace panties Dani stood in awe, laying in front of her was her whole world.....her reason. Her eyes stung with tears from the emotions she was feeling.

Lisa didn't need to be shown, she saw it in the blue eyes, their color had changed to a deep indigo, she didn't need to hear it, the tears said it all so eloquently, she didn't need to be touched, her heart felt every emotion as it beat in tandem with that of its mate.

She adjusted herself on the bed and motioned for Dani to come and lay down with her.

The tall woman pushed her pants down long muscular thighs and kicked them off with her shoes and socks. She hooked her thumbs into the waist band of her boxers and they soon followed the pants.

She stretched out beside her love and they faced each other. They kissed softly and Lisa ran her fingers through black silk as green spoke to blue.

After making sure her message was received she turned over and Dani snuggled up behind her wrapping a strong arm around her waist.

Soon after, they fell asleep, safe in the knowledge that their love and commitment to one another had been reaffirmed, all without making physical love, or speaking one word.


May 10, 1989


The end of the school year was approaching and Alice and Herman still had not come around. Lisa left messages for them and wrote letters, and still, there was no response.

Her brother's tried to get through to their stubborn parents, to no avail.

Unfortunately the more time she spent away from them, the more her hurt turned into resentment. It wasn't like she had killed someone.

The funny thing is there was a small part of Lisa that understood her parents, their generation didn't understand or embrace difference on a large scale, so she expected a period of adjustment, but not to the point of exiling their own child.

She saw Stan and Ron on a regular basis. They even invited her and Dani over for dinner that coming Saturday at Stan and Teresa's house.

Everyone decided it was time to meet the person who in an indirect way had caused so much chaos in their family.

When Lisa told Dani about the invite, her usually unfazed by anything partner looked terrified.

"Baby, don't look so scared. They're not going to bite." Then she put her hands on her slim hips. "Besides, you know I'll protect you."

Dani had to smile at the thought of the much smaller Lisa protecting her tall partner, then the smile faded. Dani remembered how ferocious the little blonde could be when it came to defending her lover.

"I know baby, but I've never been in this situation before."

"What, dinner?"

"Ha, ha... no... going into a hostile environment over the person I'm in love with."

My brothers don't have any hostilities toward you."

"That's what you say, but we will see."

"We don't have to see. I'm telling you what I know."

"You don't know what they're thinking."

"I don't have to know what they're thinking, I know them, and they aren't like that"

"If that's what you want to believe Beth, I'm not going to argue with you about it."

"Is that what we're doing Dani? We're arguing now?"

The brunette couldn't believe what she was hearing. How did their conversation take this negative turn? But she felt like she had to say how she saw things.

"No we aren't arguing, but you wanting me to believe that your brothers don't have any negative feelings toward me because, 'they aren't like that' is a little hard to swallow. Let me tell you something Beth, when it comes to relationships like this, everyone is 'like that.'

"You don't know my brothers Dani, so don't make assumptions about their character."

"I don't have to know your brothers, some things are just human nature."

The conversation was rapidly going down hill and neither woman was trying to slow it down.

"So now you are a therapist?"

"No Beth, I'm not a therapist. I've just been out here long enough to know how people react."

"I'm not going to let you put my brothers into a box, because in this case you don't know what you're talking about."

The tall woman's temper was getting out of hand. "I may not know what I'm talking about, but I do know this. I'm not going to stay here and argue with you about who your family is or isn't."

The tall woman grabbed her keys off of the hook in the laundry room and left the house.

Lisa stood with her mouth gapping open not believing what had just happened. How did they go from them talking about her defending her partner to Dani walking out on her?

She couldn't stop the tears from coming, she went to their bedroom and laid across their bed and curled up into the fetal position trying to stop the pain in her chest.

Dani was sitting in her truck. "What the hell just happened in there? What is wrong with me? I know how Beth is when it comes to the people that she loves,

hell, she would defend me to her brothers just as passionately as she defended them to me. I was wrong, and I have to go and fix this, and I know this pain in my chest will not stop until I see her and make this right."

Dani went back into the house and headed for their bedroom. As she got closer to the room she heard Lisa crying, and knew she was the cause. She felt like an ass and was ready to take her medicine.

What she wasn't ready for was standing in the doorway of their bedroom and seeing the small body curled up on their bed crying her heart out.

The sight of her love curled up in the middle of their huge bed hit her with such force the impact brought her to her knees.

She dropped like a sack and covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

Lisa heard Dani hit the floor and the sound made her look up.

She saw the tall woman on her knees covering her face with large hands and crying uncontrollably.

The small woman crawled off of the bed and moved over to the blue eyed woman.

She wrapped her arms around the broad shoulders and shushed her lover while she rocked her.

This made the electrician cry even harder. "Beth, don't comfort me, I don't deserve it. I'm so sorry for hurting you. I was wrong to say the things that I did. You do know your brothers and I should trust that."

Lisa placed several kisses along the side of Dani's face and thanked her for apologizing. "Thank you for coming back baby, I didn't know what I had done so wrong that it made you leave."

Dani stood and led Lisa to the high bed and they both sat on the edge, Lisa's feet hanging just above the floor.

"You didn't do anything wrong Beth, I'm just an insecure ass......... and because I've acted so badly if your brothers do come after me, you don't have to protect me, I'll take it like a woman."

Lisa punched the tall woman in her arm and laughed at her partner's self deprecation.

The teacher gave her partner a couple of tissues and took a few for herself.

"Beth, I don't want to argue with you any more, ei aeth gormod. {It hurts too much} I know that's why I was having pains in my chest."

"Yeah, I was having them too. Why is it we don't find it strange that we experience the same feelings?"

"Because our souls knew each other before we met, it's nothing new to them."

"There you go again, making things so simple."

"That's cause I'm a simple girl."

Dani stood up. "Come on sweetheart, I'm hungry, and I have a craving."

Lisa put the back of her hand on her forehead and fell back on the bed pretending to faint.

"Oh no, let me guess.... an over stuffed Italian sub, onion rings and A&W root beer."

Dani stood-up, pulled Lisa into her arms, kissed her deeply, then pulled back a little. "You know me too well fy cariad."

Lisa draped her arms over her lover's shoulders and looked into those baby blues.

"Baby, there are three things that I know without a doubt, one you love me more than anything." The dark woman smiled and nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Two, you enjoy your job and couldn't imagine doing anything else. And three, your favorite meal in the entire world, no holds barred is an overstuffed Italian sub, onion rings and A&W root beer."

Dani threw Lisa over her shoulder and headed for the kitchen. When they got there Dani didn't put her down she just handed her the phone and the menu for the sandwich shop for delivery.

Lisa hung there and dialed. "Did I ever tell you how much I love it when you carry me?"

Blue eyes were surveying the contents of the refrigerator looking for her A&W.

"You may have mentioned it once or twice..... ahh, there they are."

"Okay...just checkin."


MAY 13, 1989


When Saturday rolled around Dani was a nervous wreck. She stood in the walk-in closet wearing a bra and a pair of Wile E. Coyote boxers, she figured if she wore a pair of her cartoon boxers, when she got really nervous she would think about her silly little secret and relax.

She had changed her mind a dozen times and still didn't know what to wear. She didn't want to look too butch, but she didn't want to look too femme either.

Lisa had already told her she could wear anything and it would be fine. But Dani still agonized over the choices.

Lisa sat on the large bed and watched her lover deal with her dilemma. The blonde mentally laughed.

Her adorable partner didn't seem to realize that the majority of her non-work clothes were all of the not too butch not too femme variety.

Although Dani was the more physically intimidating of the two women, she was a gentle teddy bear, well at least with Lisa.

When Lisa told her mom that Dani wasn't a stereo type, she didn't lie. Her lover had no interest in motorcycles, didn't wear doc martens or, and this was Lisa's favorite part, have to always be sexually dominate.

They shared a love of reading, instruments and both enjoyed all types of music and movies. But, Dani was uniquely Dani, although she liked a wide variety of things, she did have her favorites.

She loved old really, really bad horror and sci-fi movies. The kind where you could see the wires flying the space ships, or the monster was an actor wearing a rubber Halloween mask.

She would pop a bowl of popcorn, open a can of A&W, lay back on the couch on a Saturday and spend hours watching the old black and whites.

She thought Barbra Streisand was the only true female soloist in the world, and everyone else were mere.... back-up singers.

She believed that Stephen King's The Stand was the greatest book ever written.

And what Lisa found the most endearing, was that her tall, dark, strong, sometimes intimidating lover still believed in magic. Dani was convinced that if you believed with the purity of your whole heart anything could come true.

She would never forget the child like wonder that shined in those beautiful blue orbs when she told Lisa her belief.

Finally, she couldn't take the self-imposed torture any longer. She got off of the bed and went into the closet.

"Here baby, put on these black slacks, this blue button-up silk shirt and your black hush puppies."

Dani gave her lover a lopsided grin, Thanks baby, I really was lost."

"No shit Sherlock."

*******

When Lisa parked the Honda in front of Stan and Teresa's house, she noticed that Ron and Jess were already there. 'Of course they're already here, can't miss that first look now, can we? She thought to herself.

The blonde woman turned and looked at her mate, "Are you okay my love?"

Dani took a deep breath, "Yeah, I think so."

They got out of the car and headed up the driveway. Lisa rang the doorbell and waited. Teresa opened the front door and greeted Lisa with a hug and a hello. She invited the ladies in and ushered them into the living room.

As they entered the room, Lisa saw that Ron, Stan, and Jessica were waiting. They all said their hellos and Lisa greeted them in return.

Lisa knew what they were waiting for, so she gave it to them.

"I would like for all of you to meet my partner, Danielle. Dani these are my brothers, Ron and Stan and their wives, Jessica and Teresa."

Having absolutely no idea of the effect it had on people, Dani put on her brightest smile. "Hello, I'm glad to finally meet you all, and please call me Dani."

The four adults held their breaths for just a moment when the blue-eyed woman focused that smile on them, and then spoke in that sultry voice.

Then just as quickly it passed, but not before Lisa saw it. 'Well my love I think you just pulled four more people into your web.' She thought.

They greeted her warmly, and invited her to have a seat.

Everyone had already noticed the tall woman's obvious beauty, but when she spoke, that voice affected all them on some level.

The men were thinking, 'I can't believe she's gay. And the women thought. 'This is what gay looks like?'

The evening went well, the men were impressed with Dani's knowledge of engines and the women fell under her spell of humor.

Lisa was very proud of her family, they treated her lover like a member, and it warmed her heart.

Dinner was over and Lisa was helping clear the table when she felt a shiver go down her spine. She stopped and felt her partner's warmth behind her.

"Beth, let me help you with that."

Teresa heard Dani and responded first, "No Dani, you're a guest, go into the living room and relax, we'll bring out coffee and desert shortly."

"Are you sure? I mean we always share the chores at home, so I figured we would do the same here."

Teresa looked at a blushing Lisa and then turned back to her guest.

"I'll tell you what, first time's a freebie, second time you get your hands dirty."

Dani gave that dazzling smile of hers and told her host she had a deal.

When Dani turned her back to join the guys in the living room Jessica and Teresa herded Lisa into the kitchen giggling like school girls.

Jess jumped right in, "Well, if you had to be with a woman, I'd say that was THE woman to be with."

Teresa agreed right away "I was going to say the same thing. Damn, I was expecting some fat chick in a flannel shirt."

"Me too, then you come in here with a woman that could very easily win any beauty pageant she entered."

Lisa hung her head and blushed all the way to her scalp, "Yeah, well, I guess she ain't too bad on the eyes."

Teresa was happy for her sister-in-law, the small blonde had been unhappy for so long that she and Stan thought she had given up on love.

"Lisa, why does Dani call you Beth?"

The tips of Lisa's ears burned, and turned a bright red instantly, the memory of where they were, and what they were doing the first time her lover called her Beth, slammed into her brain.

The change in color didn't go unnoticed.

"Teresa, what do you think that fire engine red is for?"

"I don't know Jess, ya think our little history teacher is having a flashback of sorts?"

"Uhm...could be, let's ask."

Both Jess and Teresa turned and focused on their obviously embarrassed sister-in-law. After seeing the panic in her green eyes they decided to give her a break.

"So, why does she call you Beth?"

"It's who she sees me as, the name just seems to flow naturally from her, and when she says it, it feels right."

"She appears to be very devoted to you Lisa, her attention never strayed from you for long all during dinner. Do you think this is it?"

"Without a doubt, she is my other half, my soul mate. I feel like I've known her forever. She's been teaching me Welsh, and I've picked it up so quickly we think we spoke it to each other in a past life."

The two women gave her the raised eyebrow, "Prove it," Jess said.

Lisa gave them an evil smile, "Okay, listen and learn."

The teacher went to the doorway and called her lover into the kitchen. When Dani was standing in front of Lisa the smaller woman reached up and caressed the tan cheek with a small hand. The taller woman leaned into the touch and the room fell away, all they saw were each other.

"Annwly, Gwneud ti cariad fi?" {Annwly, do you love me?}

One long finger burned a trail down the side of the blonde woman's face.

"Gyda oll hwnnw wyf, Beth, yn oes oedoedd." {With all that I am, Beth, forever and ever.}

Their lips met with a fire that left no doubt of their devotion to each other, the small woman asked for entrance and it was granted. The sound of their moans brought them back to the kitchen, thus becoming aware of their hostess.

Dani recovered first, "Oh jeez......I'm sorry, we forgot where we were."

Lisa cleared her throat and took over, it's okay baby, I was telling them about you teaching me Welsh, they didn't believe it, so I wanted to prove it."

Dani smiled crookedly, "Do you think they believe you now?"

Lisa took-in the stunned looks on her sister-in-law's faces, "I have no doubt. You can go back now, she rose up on her toes and kissed he partner's lips softly, thanks love."

When Dani was out of ear shot, the two women released breaths they didn't know they were holding.

Jessica spoke first, "That was the hottest damn thing I've ever seen in my life!"

"Oh my God! Lisa, is it always like that?"

A smile broke out on the small woman's face, "Each and every time, it is the most amazing thing I've ever experienced."

"What did you say to her? Make the ladies sweat?"

The teacher couldn't stop the laugh, "No, I asked her if she loved me."

"What did she say?"

"With all that she was, forever and ever."

"I bet she beats the women off with a stick."

"Probably the men too." Teresa added.

Lisa knew her lover was a very desirable woman, but she never worried about other people wanting her. Dani was loyal to the bone.

"Lisa, has Dani ever been with a man?"

The question took the small woman by surprise. She had never asked her partner about her sexual history, now, she found this particular question very interesting.

"I don't know. I've never asked her."

"Are you curious? I mean, do you think she's a virgin?"

"How could she be a virgin Teresa? I mean it's not like we just hold hands in bed you know."

"I know that. I'm talking about her being with a man sexually."

The blonde woman felt her temper starting to rise. It was amazing how people were conditioned to think it took a man to de-flower a woman, so to speak, before she wasn't considered a virgin.

"What? Sex between women isn't real sex?"

Jess and Teresa knew their sister-in-law well enough to know it was time to tread softly.

Jess started "Lisa, we didn't mean anything by that. You gotta give us a break here. We are all swimming in new water."

Teresa added. "Come on Lisa, help us out. Educate us a little. You know we have to ask questions to help us to understand your new relationship."

Lisa felt like a world class heel. Her siblings and their spouses had been nothing but loving and excepting of her, and now to Dani, and this is how she repaid that kindness. By attacking without thought just because they asked a legitimate question.

She felt like she didn't deserve their compassion. "I'm sorry guys, sometimes I see a battle where there isn't one. You know?"

"Yeah, we understand. How long do you think you can fight those battles Lisa?"

Without hesitation the green-eyed woman replied. "Forever if necessary. I will never stop letting anyone who wants to know how wonderful it is to be with that woman in your living room."

"Well, since you're the answer man, tell us this....what's it like?"

Lisa rolled her eyes in her head. "What's what like?"

Teresa looked at Jess. "She's not gonna make this easy."

"Really Teresa, would you?"

"No. I guess I wouldn't. Okay let's try this again. What is sex like with your female lover?"

Lisa had to laugh. "Damn, I guess that was straight to the point...no pun intended."

Both women just looked at Lisa waiting for her to tell them something.

The small blonde looked around conspiratorially and then stepped closer to the other women.

"I can say this, when Dani makes love to me there is nothing else like it in the world. I crave her touch constantly. When I have an orgasm, I nearly pass-out, it's so intense.

I can honestly say that this is the best sex I have ever had in my life." The other women stood there in a daze. Their mouths were actually hanging open just a bit, Jessica was the first to recover.

"I thought you said Greg was the best."

"He was, until a storm named Danielle rolled in."

Teresa had another question she wanted to ask her sister-in-law, but after Lisa's initial reaction to there first question, she was little nervous.

Lisa saw the hesitation in the woman's eyes and felt like shit.

"It's okay Teresa, you can ask me anything you want to. I'm sorry I reacted so badly at first."

The other woman was relieved that she could ask her question and not have her head chewed off.....literally.

"Okay, here goes, how can sex be satisfying without a penis?"

The question came out so fast, Lisa almost didn't understand what was said.

"Okay, let's see, well....sex with a woman isn't all about what goes on between your legs. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty going on down there, it's just not the only thing going on.

My emotional connection to Dani is so strong, that it.... how do I put this? It heightens my sexual response to her."

The green eyes took on a far away look. "She can look at me a certain way, and I'm instantly wet. When she kisses me the world disappears around me, I don't mean figuratively, literally, I am aware of nothing but her.

We can be laying in bed and while she's holding me in her arms she can reach down and touch me between my legs and whisper in my ear, telling me to come..... and I do."

Lisa heard Teresa gasp and came out of her haze. She looked up into two stunned, flushed faces.

"Oh shit, Jess, Teresa I'm sorry, I don't know where I just went off to. From the looks on your faces I've told you a little more than you need to know."

Both women shook their heads vigorously. Teresa spoke first. "Don't you dare apologize. First off we asked, and second. Wow, I have never heard a feeling expressed in such a ...... tangible way."

"Ditto.... gosh Lisa, when you put it like that, well..... let's just say, right-about-now my body completely understands what you're saying. And from that display earlier, I can believe every word."

Teresa interjected. "Yeah, what she said."

The women laughed and talked while preparing the after dinner deserts. When they got back into the living room they interrupted a very spirited debate on the topic of football versus rugby, which is rougher?

Lisa sat down beside her lover and laid her head on the broad shoulder. Without missing a beat in the conversation, Dani wrapped her arm around the smaller woman and started to unconsciously rub her thumb over the cloth covered shoulder.

Lisa exhaled and looked content, like all was right in her world.

Jess and Teresa looked at the small woman and had to admit, they had never seen her look happier.

*******

On the drive home Lisa wanted to know how Dani felt about the evening. "Baby, was it as bad as you thought it would be?"

"Not at all. I had a really good time. Your brothers are as great as you said they were."

Lisa was so excited, she squealed. The sound of it tickled Dani's belly.

"I am so happy baby, you know, they really liked you too, especially Jess and Teresa."

Dani pulled the Honda into the garage and let the door down.

"Seriously? I would have thought after that display we put on in the kitchen, they would have thought I was some horny sex-crazed nympho."

"Not at all. They thought we were hot."

*******

They stood in their bedroom changing out of their clothes, then went into the bathroom to brush their teeth.

When they had settled in the bed, Lisa remembered a question one of sister-in-laws asked her.

"Baby, when I was talking to Jess and Teresa in the kitchen, they asked me about something that I never thought about, and I was wondering if I could ask you the question."

This came out pretty fast, and Dani was curious to find out what would make her lover so nervous that she had to ask it so quickly.

"Beth, I've told you a million times, you can ask me anything."

The small blonde took a deep breath, and jumped in the deep end.

"Have you ever had sex with a man?"

One dark brow raised and the blue eyes twinkle with amusement. Dani pulled Lisa close to her and started laughing softly.

"That's what made you nervous? Asking me about sex with a man?"

"Well....yeah.....that's your personal private business."

Dani kissed the top of Lisa's head. "Beth, is there anything that I can't ask you?"

Lisa turned and looked-up into blue eyes. "My life is an open book to you baby, you know that."

"So, why would you think that mine was any less?"

The blonde head bowed in shame. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Dani pulled Lisa in closer and kissed the tip of her nose.

"No worries love, there's nothing to be sorry about. So....you want to know about me....sex....and a .....man?"

Lisa looked-up shyly, smiled sweetly and slowly nodded her head up and down.

"Okay, I hope you are ready to hear a tragic comedy that rivals Shakespeare himself. There will be intrigue, betrayal, disappointment, humor and.....sex."

Lisa laughed at her partners antics and slapped her belly.

"As interesting as all of that sounds....do you think I could get the condensed version?"

Dani looked down at her partner with smiling blue eyes, laced with a bit of mischief.

"Okay, here goes.... Been there, done that."

She then slid down in the bed, turned on her side and pulled the covers up to her chin.

Lisa pulled the covers off and hit her in her shoulder.

"I didn't mean THAT, condensed you goof."

Dani sat back up and leaned back into the headboard. Lisa immediately snuggled in her arms, laid her head on the broad chest, looked-up, pushed out her bottom lip and started the slow wide-eyed puppy dog blink.

"Okay, here goes. I've been a tomboy all of my life. When I was little I only played with boys, because girls were boring to me. I preferred the physicality of sports over the sedentary tea parties and doll baby roll playing.

When I started to develop my mam {mother} told me I had to stop playing with the boys because I was getting too old to still be interested in such things.

So, me being the obedient child that I was, I stopped playing with guys....where my mam could see me anyway.

By the time I got to high school I was playing on every sports team I could. In the winter I played volleyball, and then basketball, when springtime came I ran track. As a matter-of-fact I was offered a track scholarship, but, that's a story for another day.

Any way, here I was sixteen years old and as far as mam was concerned showing absolutely no interest in dating and not growing out the tomboy stage. What she didn't know was that I was very interested in dating, just not guys.

I had been having crushes on girls since I was in the sixth grade and noticed how pretty the neighbor girl down the block was getting. Anyway, I digress.

So, she was harping on what was wrong with me, saying things like, I was too pretty for the boys not to be calling. And then she gave what I perceived as a veiled threat. She said maybe I was making too much time for sports and not enough time for socializing

At that time sports was the most important thing in my life. It was what kept me sane. You see Beth, I was never a child that fit in.

My communication skills were for shit, I was tall and gangly and then there was that little secret I had about liking girls, so sports was a great way for me to be social, do something that I loved, and.....well....be around girls.

Dani looked down at her lover. "Are you sure you want to hear all of this?"

Green looked into blue. "Every word of it."

Dani exhaled and continued.

"Any way, my mam gave me grief every chance she got. After I turned seventeen and still showed no interest in dating, she came into my room one day, and just stared at me.

She didn't say a word, she just stared, and then something changed in her eyes, they turned cold and emotionless. Then with deliberate slowness and purpose in each word she asked."

"Is there something wrong with you? Is there something going on in your head that stops you from wanting to date boys?"

"Beth, my heart started pounding so hard, I thought it was going to come through my chest. She knew, I could see it in here eyes.

There was no way in hell that I was going to admit to my mam that I was gay. It was 1978 and I wasn't sure that people weren't still being burned at the stake."

Dani looked down at Lisa's skeptical expression. "Okay, I guess I'm exaggerating just a little."

Lisa looked at Dani and said sarcastically. "A little? Ya think?"

"All I could do was shake my head no. She continued to stare at me, like she could see my thoughts through my forehead."

Then she said something that terrified me. "Good, because if there was something......wrong with you, I'd have to see to it that you got some help. They have places that house girls that don't like boys, and keep them, until they do like boys"

Lisa became infuriated. "What the hell! Are you telling me your own mother threatened to have you put away if she found out you were gay?"

Dani had to smile, if Lisa was nothing else, the little spit fire was consistent in her feelings about anyone or anything that hurt her tall lover.

"Yep munchkin, that's what I'm saying, me mam was going to send me upstate if I didn't straighten out.....so to speak."

"Baby, how can you be so unaffected by this. I don't know what I would do if my mother...."

Lisa stopped when it occurred to her what her parents were doing to her for the same reason. After all, wasn't her mother showing a lack of compassion and understanding for her daughter's feelings also?

Dani knew what was going on in Lisa's head. So she continued her story.

"Needless to say, I got her message loud and clear. So I started looking at the guys at school in a different way, you know, as potential dates. I thought from then on, my life was going to be about a husband, and having kids.

There was this guy named Michael Wright he was on the baseball team, and he had shown an interest in me, so I decided that the next time he asked me out I would accept. I mean he wasn't a bad looking guy, he was tall with thick curly brown hair and blue eyes.

On our first date we went to.......McDonald's. Surprise, surprise."

Lisa laughed out loud. It seemed that everyone that grew-up in the seventies went to visit the golden arches on their first date.

"Anywho, it turned out that Mike was a really cool guy. We shared a love of sports, and we were both, very competitive, and I ended up liking him a lot. I never fell in love or anything, but I was in serious like."

Lisa found herself having to squash down a sudden feeling of intense jealousy. 'Get a grip you maniac, this happened over ten years ago.'

"We dated for about seven months before I decided that the heavy petting could go to the next stage. We planned on skipping school one day and meeting at his house when his parents went to work. We got their about nine o'clock in the morning and started with the kissing and touching, you know.... foreplay.

Well, the time came and I readied myself for action."

"Sweetheart, you weren't going into battle, you were going to share yourself with someone for the first time."

Dani just looked at Lisa with a raised eyebrow. "You say tomato I say tomatto."

Lisa kissed he lover's temple. "You are such a goof baby."

"So, like I said, I assumed the position." Dani wasn't surprised at all when her lover fell head first into her lap, holding her stomach, laughing uncontrollably.

When Lisa regained some of her composure, she looked at Dani with watery green eyes. "I swear baby, you can make fun of the oddest things.......you goof."

"If you think that's funny, wait until I'm done. So just as Mike is about to make contact, I come up with the bright idea that he should manually stimulate me, and just as I'm about to coral the horses, so to speak, he should enter the ranch.

Well....that's what we did and when he entered the ranch not only did I stop corralling the horses, but I slammed the gate closed.

So, here we are, he's in, and I'm not letting him out, because my brain is telling my body to hold on to what ever it was that caused the discomfort. Because that's what it was, it didn't hurt that much, it just wasn't comfortable.

I eventually relaxed and released the poor guy. He got out of Dodge and had to holster that pistol for a minute or two. I end up asking him if he was okay.....if you can believe that.

It reminded me of the time my eighth grade class went on a school trip to Hershey Park and me and my best bud Luke got on a roller coaster for the first time. The first hill we went down was terrifying and before I could scream and grab him for comfort this idiot was wrapped around me screaming like a girl for the entire ride.

Anyway, Mike got himself together and asked if I wanted to try again. I figured I really needed to give this thing a real go, so I said fine. We end up doing it, afterwards, he is thrilled and me.......not so much.

You know Beth, it wasn't an unpleasant experience, I see the pleasure in it. It just didn't give me the type of fulfillment I needed.

Now, the first time I was intimate with a woman, had a veeeery different out come. But, you know what Beth?"

Lisa was caressing the side of Dani's face. "No love....what?"

"I'm glad I did have sex with Mike. I mean, now I know what it's like, and I know that it's not for me. We knew that we would only be friends, and we were cool with that.

We both knew something was missing. As a-matter-of-fact, later on we went out to the courts and played basketball, and from then on that's how we spent our time together, only getting physical on the court and as for mam......well, that's another story"

Later on, Dani was already asleep when a drowsy Lisa though about her lover's ranch references. "Baby...are you entertaining some kind of western theme fantasy in that head of yours?"

Just before sleep consumed her she mumbled. "I may have to do something about that."


July 4, 1989


School was over and Lisa's relationship with her parents was status quo. She had been thinking about her life while she was standing in the walk-in closet getting dressed for Cynthia's yearly Fourth of July barbeque.

Her friend gave it every year, and this was the first time in a few years that she didn't have to go alone.

Carl had gone with her one time, and vowed he would never do it again. He thought that the group gathered at the barbeque were a bunch of freaks and losers, and didn't understand how Lisa could stomach being around some of them. Needless to say, she never asked him to go again, and he never offered. She just went alone.

But now, things were different, she had someone, not just someone, but, the one. A lot of things had changed since meeting Dani.

Before she met the tall brunette she was considering a career change, but her life was too unstable to take the chance, but now she had a loving and supportive partner, and she felt better about making a move.

Lisa loved to teach, and for a very long time she had wanted to start teaching children in an early learning type of situation. She dreamed of opening a daycare center that was also accredited to teach. After she shared this information with her partner, Dani told her she should go for it.

"Beth I don't understand the hesitation. You are a great teacher, you love children and I am here to back you up in any way that you need me to, now is the perfect time baby"

That conversation had been going around in Lisa's head for months now, and she thought it was time to act on it. She was ready to add another new chapter to her life.

While she was standing in the closet deep in thought, wearing only a bra and panties, she was pulled out of her musings by a pair of strong arms wrapping themselves around her.

She leaned back into the body behind her, covered the arms in front of her with her own and exhaled.

"Hey baby, am I taking too long to get dressed?"

Dani nuzzled the sweet smelling hair. "Nah, I just can't stand to be away from you for more than two seconds."

"You are such a big baby."

Dani kissed down Lisa's neck. "Yeah, I'm your big baby."

Lisa turned in her lover's arms and rose up on her tip toes to kiss soft lips, after pulling back she smiled and said. "Damn right."

Dani leaned in and kissed Lisa's lips again, while large hands slipped into the back of Lisa's dark blue silk panties and started to caress the soft skin that covered the firm mounds she encountered.

Lisa pulled away a little to catch her breath. "You better stop stud, or we are going to be late for the barbeque.

Just before Dani captured Lisa's lips again she said. "They'll never miss us."

*******

Freda was very excited about the Fourth of July party Cynthia was throwing because she knew Lisa and Dani would be there.

This, she decided, would be the time that she would make her move. She picked out a low cut shirt and a pair of daisy duke shorts. Instead of tucking the shirt in, she tied it at the bottom, revealing her stomach.

She stood back and checked herself out in the mirror. She paid close attention to her abs. She had seen Lisa's ab muscles on a few occasions and knew that they were pretty incredible.

Looking at herself now, she didn't feel intimidated. There was no way Dani wouldn't take notice, she looked good enough to eat......no pun intended.

There had been other opportunities for her to go after Dani, but the timing didn't feel right, so instead of making a move she used the time to get to know the tall woman a little better.

She couldn't spend as much time as she wanted to with the dark woman, because there always seemed to be a reason for the woman to excuse herself to go and do something.

Freda felt like the barbeque would be the perfect place to make her move because of all the people that would be there. She and Dani could get lost in a corner somewhere, and then Freda could remind her what it was like to be with a gay woman.

Freda took one last look at herself in the mirror, grabbed her car keys and headed out of the house, determined to succeed in her mission

*******

Cynthia was thrilled when she opened her front door and saw Shirley and her girlfriend Kat standing there.

"Hey missy, we came over early just in case you needed some last minute help."

Cynthia pulled her guest into the house, led them to the kitchen, and handed them a stack of flag covered table clothes before saying a word.

"You just don't know how happy I am to see you two. I think I have bitten off a little more than I can chew this time. I am swamped. There is so much that I have to do."

"Cynthia, you do this song and dance every year, save it for someone who's buying it."

"I know you're right, it's just that I can never relax until after the first few guests have arrived."

"Alright my dear, what do you need us to do?"

"I need one of you to cover the tables with the table clothes I've shoved in your hands, and I need one of you to make the 'special' punch."

Shirley handed Kat the table clothes and she took punch duty. "How many people are you expecting this year?"

"If everyone shows up, and brings a date, I'd say about thirty people."

"Did you invite Dani's friend, Doug and his wife?"

"Oh yeah, and he said he would bring a case of Beck's."

"I hope he does, I love that beer."

"Shirley, speaking of Dani, can I ask you something?"

Kat thought this might be a private conversation and started to excuse herself.

"No Kat, stay, I want your opinion on this too."

"What's up Cynthia?"

"Do you think Freda has something brewing in that bleached blonde head of hers?'

"As far as what?"

"Have you noticed the way she looks at Dani when she thinks no one is watching?"

"How could I miss it? We both know how aggressive she can be if she sets her sights on someone."

"That's one of the things that makes me nervous. Should we tell Lisa? I mean you have known her longer than I have, so I thought I would talk to you about it before I did anything."

"This is something that's been on my mind for a little while, I've even talked to Kat about it. I think we should let things play themselves out. Lisa isn't stupid or blind. She'll see what's going on and put a stop to it. And to be honest with you, I don't think Freda stands a chance in hell. Dani doesn't even know other women exist."

"I know, but you know how Freda is, she is going to pursue this until she is noticed. Doesn't she know this could break-up a friendship?"

"Obviously she doesn't care, but, I'll tell you this Cynthia. If Freda does this to Lisa, I'm done with her. It's one thing to watch her play her games outside of the group, but to shit in your own backyard is stupid."

"You know Shirley, maybe we should talk to her tonight."

"That's a good idea, should we do it together or separately?"

"I think we should do it whenever the moment presents its self."

*******

When Lisa and Dani finally arrived at Cynthia's, the party was in full swing. They walked around to the backyard in search of the hostess.

It took only a minute to spot the brunette coming out of the backdoor with a tray of something. They headed in her direction to see if she needed any help.

Cynthia saw them coming and put down her load so she could greet them with hugs.

"Well, look who decided to show-up. What on earth took you so long?"

Both women hung there heads and blushed.

That's when Cynthia noticed the fresh passion mark on Lisa's neck. She turned the blonde's head to one side and said. "Never mind, don't answer that, the evidence speaks for itself."

Dani cleared her throat and asked. "Do you need us to help with anything?"

"Nah, Shirley and Kat came by early and helped me out."

Lisa plucked a potato chip out of a bowl and put the whole thing in her mouth. "Speaking of Shirley, where is that old crow?"

"Don't let her hear you say that. I think she's in the kitchen getting a beer."

"I'm going to go and terrorize her a little." The little blonde rose up on her toes and gave her tall lover a kiss before she headed inside.

"You behave yourself while I'm gone goofy."

Dani gave her a crooked a grin. "Whatever you say Beth."

Dani stayed outside to help Cynthia unload the tray she had just brought out, but never took her eyes off of the smooth glide of Lisa's hips as she went into the house.

Cynthia noticed and couldn't resist teasing her friend a little.

"Looks to me like somebody is whipped."

Dani turned her blue gaze on the shorter woman and smiled. "And loving every minute of it."

"You really do love her, don't you?"

Without hesitation Dani said. "I love her with everything that I am. I don't know how I ever lived without her."

Cynthia was glad to hear that, her friend had been through so much and she deserved some happiness.

"I'd say that Lisa was a very lucky little lady."

"That would be where you're wrong Cynthia, Beth has made my life so much better, I could swear that colors are bolder and the sun shines just a little brighter since I met her."

"Then I stand corrected, you're both very lucky."

*******

When Lisa entered the kitchen she found Shirley, Kat and Freda standing around having a beer.

"Well, if it isn't the three stooges."

"Looky who final got here. I thought I was going to have to come and get you two. By the by, where is your other half?"

"She's out back helping Cynthia. So.... Did I miss anything?"

Shirley noticed Freda's antenna go up at the mention of Lisa's partner. What really surprised her was how long the woman stayed and made small talk before she headed outside.

Shirley knew where she was headed and wanted to snatch her back by her collar, but instead she just watched her go.

"Wow Shirley, Freda is really dressed to impress isn't she?"

Shirley looked at Kat with knowing eyes thinking. 'You don't know the half of it my friend.'

*******

Dani's back was turned to the house, so she didn't see Freda coming, but Cynthia did.

Freda came up behind the tall woman and covered her eyes. Cynthia just rolled her eyes.

"Guess who?"

Dani didn't know most of the people at the party so she said. "I have no idea. Who are you?"

Freda moved her hands and Dani turned around. When she saw what Freda was wearing, she couldn't believe her eyes. There was no doubt, the woman had a body, but she was showing too much of it.

"Well, what do you say Miss Freda?"

"I say, how do you like what you see?"

Before Dani could answer, Cynthia asked Freda if Shirley was still getting a beer.

She gave Cynthia an annoyed look. "She's in there chewing the fat with Kat and Lisa."

That's when Dani took the opportunity to leave. "Look Cynthia, I'm going in to see what Beth is up to."

When Dani was out of earshot Cynthia turned on Freda. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything, I'm just mingling with your guest."

"It looked to me like you were hoping to do a little more than that."

"And what if I was?"

"Are you crazy? You know that's Lisa's woman."

"Lisa's woman? Since when does a straight girl have a woman?"

"Don't act dumb Freda. Just because this is the only woman Lisa has been with doesn't mean it's not permanent. They have been together for almost a year, isn't it about time you showed her some respect?"

"I don't have to respect a damn thing she does. Come on Cynthia, aren't you the least bit pissed that Lisa came along and took one of the women we have been lusting after out of circulation, with little to know effort. I mean it doesn't twist your nipples just a little bit?"

Cynthia had to admit to a little irritation in the beginning. "Sure Freda, it was hard watching them at first, but as time went by, I got used to it. Hell, I think they're perfect for each other."

"Well, I don't see it that way. She needs to go back to the life she knows. She's going to do it sooner or later anyway."

"That life is in the past for her now Freda. Didn't you hear anything she said about how they feel about each other?"

"You mean that soul mate bullshit? Please. Come on Cynthia there is more of a chance of John Travolta being popular again than that load she's trying to feed us being true. You know all that's happening is, she got her first piece and her mind was blown for a minute. She'll get past it sooner or later."

Cynthia just shook her head at her friend. "I do believe her Freda. If you would just look at them, you would see it too. You're acting like you don't like Lisa."

"I don't."

The brunette was shocked. "Since when?"

"Since always. She was Shirley's friend, and then you started liking her, so I just went along with the program."

"I had no idea you felt this way. What did she ever do to you?"

"Nothing, I just feel like she thinks it makes her cool to hang out with gay people, like she's doing us a favor."

"Man...I'm sorry you feel that way. I think she genuinely likes us, you included."

"Well, you can keep telling yourself that, I don't have to."

Cynthia realized she wasn't going to get anywhere with Freda about liking Lisa, so, she let it go.

"Let me explain something to you Freda, if you continue to try and seduce Dani, you will be jeopardizing your friendship with me and Shirley."

"Oh, so, you are going to choose Lisa over me?"

"It's not about that Freda, it's about right and wrong, and if you go after someone's partner within the group, that's wrong."

Cynthia sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "We have been hanging together for years, Lisa included, and now you want to pull something like this?

Freda, you know I love you like a worn out pair of slippers, hell.... no one can make me laugh the way you do, but you better think about what you're doing before you have to find a new group of friends."

Cynthia turned without saying another word and headed for the house, leaving her friend to do some soul searching.

*******

When Dani walked into the kitchen, Lisa asked her if she wanted a beer. The tall woman leaned against the counter while the blonde went to the fridge to get the beer.

"What are you hens up to in here?"

"Speak for your hen stretch Armstrong." Shirley twirled her hand in a regal fashion and added. "Me and Kat are swans daalink."

Lisa came back to the group and turned so she could lean her back against Dani's chest. Long arms wrapped around her automatically, and lips started nibbling a soft neck.

"Are you finished helping Cynthia baby?"

"Yeah, I'm done." Dani said as she moved her lips to a small pink ear while Lisa drank the beer she had just gotten for her partner.

"Why don't you two get a room? And haven't you already done enough damage to the girl's neck?"

Dani looked up and gave Shirley a grin and a wink.

"Lisa, she's doing it again, make her stop."

Lisa turned and looked at her lover. Dani just shrugged her shoulders.

"What is she doing Shirley?"

"She was... smiling at us... you know... that shit eatin` grin of hers?"

Lisa looked over her shoulder and said, "Stop giving them your shit eatin` grin goofy."

Dani couldn't resist it, she kissed the lips in front of her and said. "Okay Beth, I'll stop doing the shit eatin` grin....can I do the I'm devastatingly charming one instead?"

Lisa slapped her in the stomach and said. "Yes baby, but turn down the wattage a little."

Dani looked up at Shirley and gave her a big tooth smile.

Shirley looked at Kat and mumbled. "What's the difference between the two? One is just as disorienting as the other."

Kat looked at her partner and just shook her head. "You are truly pitiful and sad."

Kat asked Dani if Cynthia was still outside. "Yeah, I think Freda is helping her now." Kat shared a knowing look with Shirley.

Lisa gave Dani her beer and reached back wrapping both arms around the strong neck she found and laced her fingers together. "Speaking of Freda, did you see what she was wearing?"

"I couldn't miss it. She came up behind me playing guess who, and when I turned around, there she was in a stripper outfit."

Lisa released her hold one Dani's neck and turned to face her. "What do you mean, she came up behind you playing guess who?"

"You know Beth, when a person comes up behind you and......."

Lisa cut her lover off. "I know how the game is played Dani, I just don't know why she was playing it with you."

Dani kissed Lisa's forehead. "I don't know either baby, but it's really no big deal."

"That's right, Lisa, you know how Freda is, ignore her." Shirley said trying to avoid a confrontation.

"Shirley, please, I have been watching Freda do the things she does almost as long as you have."

Hoping to keep the peace, Shirley tried to change Lisa's thinking again. "That doesn't mean she is doing that now."

Dani was at a loss as to what was going on. "Wait, what are you two talking about? What thing does Freda do?"

Shirley answered the tall woman. "What we're talking about, is the fact that Freda is the kind of woman that will go after someone else's woman if she sets her sights on them."

Dani looked deeply into fiery green eyes. "Baby I know you're not worried about me being interested in Freda."

Lisa patted her lover's stomach lightly. No, I'm not. But, she had better not try anything with you."

Shirley was actually relieved that her friend was aware of what Freda might be up to. This way she could stop it before it started, if the opportunity presented itself.

Kat took Shirley by the hand. "Come on curly top, you look like you could use a hot dog.

As Shirley was being pulled through the door, she looked back over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at the two women that were laughing at her.

Lisa put her arm around Dani's waist. "Let's go goofy, you look like you could use a burger yourself."

*******

Cynthia was sitting at one of the tables in the backyard having a drink and enjoying her guests. She gave a fourth of July party every year, and every year more and more people showed up.

She looked around and was very thankful for the friends she had. Her only complaint was that she was tired of being alone. Her friends seemed to have the things they wanted in their lives.

Freda wasn't interested in being in a long-term relationship, so she wasn't. Shirley and Kat had been seeing each other for the past two months, and that seemed to be going good. And Lisa.....well there was no need to go into Lisa.

Cynthia came out ten years ago at the age of twenty. And during that time, she had been with her share of women, she just wasn't able to find that connection with anyone. Seeing Lisa and Dani made her want to get out there and try again.

Not to just look for physical satisfaction, but to try and have a......relationship. She knew it was out there, she just wasn't sure how to get it.

While she sat there being introspective, Dani sat down beside her. "Hey Cynthia, you mind it I join you?"

The hostess didn't seem surprised to see the electrician. "Not at all, make yourself comfortable."

The tall woman sat across from the brunette. "It's just that you looked like you were pretty deep in thought."

Light brown eyes looked into blue hoping to show her sincerity. "I was, but know I'm talking to you. It's okay"

The electrician stretched out her long legs. This is probably the best barbeque I've been to."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Cynthia's mouth. "Thanks Dani, I'm really happy you're enjoying yourself."

Dani was nervously shredding a paper napkin in her hands. "How do you know all of these people?"

Cynthia noticed that the normally confident woman looked a bit out-of-sorts at the moment. "Believe it or not, I only know about twelve people really well, the others are acquaintances or guest of my friends."

The dark woman rarely talked this much to anyone, except for Lisa, so she was ready to stop the small talk and get to the point. "Cynthia, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."

The brunette thought, finally, but said. "Okay, shoot."

She cleared her throat. "Well, you know the sixth of next month is Beth's birthday, right?"

"Yes."

"Well...see?I...uhm... Beth took me out to dinner on my birthday last month, so I want to throw her a surprise party, and I was wondering if you would help me."

The shorter woman smiled. "Dani, I would be honored to help you out."

The blue-eyed woman let out a long breath. "It's just that, anyone that can organize something this large has got to be a great party planner."

Cynthia laughed softly. "Yeah, that's me a journalist slash party planner."

Dani smiled. "That's right, I forgot you're an entertainment reported for the post."

"Yeah, that's me too, Miss celebrity interviewer."
"Have you interviewed any famous people?"

The brunette smiled shyly. "Yeah, I've met a few."

Dani got excited and dropped a little of her usual reserve when her voice went up an octave and she started drumming her fingers on the table. "Like who? Barbra Streisand maybe?"

Dani's enthusiasm was contagious and Cynthia found herself feeling a little thrill to share one of the aspects of her career.

"I don't think la Streisand has come out to play in years, but, I've met, UB40, Bette Midler after Beaches came out last year, and a month ago I interviewed Terence Trent D'Arby. He even gave me a signed copy of his song wishing well."

"That is so cool, I love UB40's reggae sound on red, red wine. I took Beth to see Beaches, and we loved it. And Terence D'Arby has that gravely sounding voice that soul singers used to have, it's kind of a retro sound. You've met some really cool people."

Because Cynthia was in a relaxed state, she let her curiosity get the best of her. She had to ask the question, she wanted to know if Freda stood any chance at all with the tall woman.

"Dani, there is something that I want to ask you. Of course, you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but I've got to know."

Dani immediately went into defense mode. Outwardly, she looked calm and in control, but inside she was readying herself for anything. "Ask away."

All at once Cynthia realized what she was about to ask and almost didn't. The brunette took a deep breath and pushed ahead. Don't think I'm crazy, but do you have any interest in Freda at all?"

Blue eyes closed while the electrician mentally counted to ten. When she reached ten she opened her eyes and answered.

"In case you haven't noticed, I am totally, helplessly and eternally devoted to a short, green-eyed blonde history teacher. And if that wasn't enough, there is the fact that, Freda is one of the wildest, most unpredictable women I have met. She is sooo not my type."

The writer was relieved to hear it from the horse's mouth....so to speak. "That's what I thought, I don't know if you have noticed it or not, but she has her eye on you."

"I don't know what is going on today, but this is the second conversation I've had about Freda being interested in me.

The shorter woman raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Who else has talked to you about Freda?"

"The question is who hasn't. I got an earful from, Kat, Shirley and Beth."

"Oh my....Lisa knows about this?"

"Yes."

Cynthia looked a little puzzled by this revelation, so Dani decided to elaborate. "When I went onto the kitchen earlier, I told Beth about Freda playing guess who, and she immediately went into fight mode. What the hell is going on around here?"

Taking in the confused look on the blue-eyed woman's face made it easy for the writer to make a decision, she had to tell Dani what was going on.

"I found out today, from Freda herself, that she wants you."

This confused the tall woman even more. "She wants me? Why?"

The brunette blushed, not wanting to tell the beautiful woman about the crew's crush on her. "Okay Dani, I'm going to tell you the whole story. God knows I never thought I would, but circumstances are forcing it."

Cynthia took a calming breath for strength and steamed full ahead.

"The three of us, Shirley, Freda and myself have noticed you for a long time. As a matter-of-fact the night you came to our table and introduced yourself to Lisa, we thought you were coming over to ask one of us to dance."

The electrician hung her head and said. "Oh man.....this is sooo embarrassing......I don't know what to say."

Cynthia didn't let Dani feel bad about an assumption that she and the crew made. "Don't you dare feel bad Dani Kendrick, you haven't done a thing wrong, that was a long time ago and it was all in our minds."

Dani looked up and smiled, thankful that Cynthia took the pressure off of her. "Thanks Cynthia."

The writer felt that hitch in her breathing that she always got when Dani focused a smile in her direction.

"I gotta tell ya Dani, if you don't want women falling at your feet, you have got to stop that smile thing you do."

Dani gave a full out belly laugh at the statement. When she calmed down she said. "I see that there is something else you and curly locks have in common where I'm concerned. Not more than an hour ago, she pretty much told me the same thing......I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get us off track."

Cynthia took a swig of her beer and finished her story. "Anyway, when we found out that you and Lisa had become.....uhm.....intimate we thought, at least Freda and I thought, that after hanging around with us for so long, she finally decided to test the waters.

After she moved in with you, and told her family about your relationship, we realized that she was serious. Shirley and I were very happy for the two of you, but Freda became bitter. She felt, or should I say feels that Lisa isn't gay, and shouldn't be with you."

Cynthia looked into blue eyes, that had gone pale with anger, and had to admit, it wasn't a look that she wanted to see very often. As giddy as you felt when Dani smiled, was as panicky and unsettled that you felt when her brilliant blue eyes went pale and angry.

"That's not a decision for Freda or anyone else to make."

"Well, no one can tell her that. She has gotten it into her head that she can get you away from Lisa. That's what that outfit is about that she is wearing today."

Dani ran her hands thru her long black hair in frustration. "You have got to be kidding me. What is wrong with that woman? How many times do I have to say it? How many ways do I have to show it? I am not interested in anyone, man, woman or other. All I want, all I need is my Beth. Why won't she see that?"

The speech was finished with a higher vocal level than it started with and the tall woman had to breathe deeply to regain some of her composure.

Smiling at the possessive term of endearment, Cynthia reached over and gently patted the large had that was resting on top of the table.

"I know that Dani.... hell.... I think Freda knows it too. It's just that, you are the kind of person a lot of women are looking for in their lives, and I think she feels like, if it wasn't for Lisa, she could have had a chance with you."

Dani had to laugh a little. "That was never going to happen. Freda is alright to hang out with, but date her? Hell no!"

Cynthia sat back and exhaled. "So, that's what's been going on."

Dani drummed her long fingers in the table top. "Does Lisa know any of this?"

"I doubt it. I just found out about today myself."

Dani stood up and stretched. "Well, I get the feeling she will be finding out, and when she does....I just hope it won't be as bad as I think it's going to be."

*******

For most of the evening Lisa kept an eye on Freda. Anytime she was anywhere near Dani, the small blonde's heckles started to rise. Lisa couldn't believe how disrespectful the bleached blonde was being.

Lisa had to smile to herself, it seemed like every chance Freda got to be alone with Dani, her lover would disappear when the other woman's head was turned.

Lisa and Shirley actually laughed out loud once when Dani pointed something out to Freda across the yard and slipped away when the woman's head was turned.

When Freda turned back around and realized that Dani was gone, she put her hands on her hips and stumped her foot like a petulant child. That took Lisa and Shirley over the edge. They held on to each other while tears rolled down their cheeks.

After they had calmed down a little, Dani appeared out of nowhere behind them, and asked what was so funny. They seemed to realize at the same time that Dani had appeared to them out of nowhere, the same way she had just disappeared from Freda, and they started laughing all over again.

Between laughs Lisa was able to tell Dani what she and Shirley had observed. The Dark head bowed and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

She looked up into shining green eyes and said. "That woman must have some kind of radar. I swear she knows every time I'm alone.

Lisa wrapped her arms around her lover and pulled her close. "Pa ni cerddediad at gwneud am ei?" {What are we going to do about her?}

Dani kissed the top of the golden head that rested below her chin. "No worries love, she is no threat to us."

"I know baby, I just feel have a bad feeling about this."


JULY 31, 1989


Lisa had not spoken to her parents since April and thought, maybe it was time to try again. Her birthday was coming up in one week and she wanted to see if maybe they would be a little more forgiving in light of that fact.

It was one o'clock in the afternoon, so Dani was still at work, and she was home alone. She sat on the large sofa, holding the phone in her lap. She was trying to calm her nervous stomach.

The thought of making the call, terrified her, but she felt like she had to keep trying to get through to her parents, and deal with the rejection later.

She dialed the number and counted the rings. On the third ring, her mother's voice came over the open line.

"Hello?"

"Hi mom, it's Lisa."

There was silence, and then Alice said. "How are you doing?"

Lisa's heart was racing; these were the most words her mother had said to her in three months.

"I'm doing fine mom, how have you been?"

"I'm doing okay."

The silence was back, Lisa wanted to hold on to this line of communication as long as she could.

"Uhm....is dad around?"

"He's in the backyard."

"Oh....well, you know my birthday is coming up and I was wondering if I could drop by on that day?"

"Are you still living that sinful life?"

The question irritated Lisa, but she didn't want to show her mother any anger. "If you are asking me if I still live with Dani, the answer is yes."

"Then, we have nothing else to talk about."

The blonde rubbed her temple and took in a deep breath to calm herself. "Mom, you can't stop talking to me forever."
"You're right, because I don't believe you will continue to live that disgusting life forever."

"Look mom, I'm not trying to change your mind about my relationship, I'm trying to change your mind about not talking to me because of my relationship."

"That's not going to happen Lisa."

"Why not?"

"Because, I cannot tolerate what you are doing."

"So my being your daughter means nothing?"

"Does the fact that I'm your mother stop you from doing things that upset me?"

"That's not fair mom

"I'm not going to go around in circles with you about this Lisa, if you have said all you need to say to me, then I'll be hanging-up now."

Before Lisa could respond her mother hung-up on the other end. Lisa put the receiver back on the base and sat on the sofa for a few minutes.

"Oh well, I tried. At least she talked to me this time. I'll give her some more time and then try again."

Lisa headed into the kitchen to prepare dinner, she was already starting to put the conversation with her mother out of her mind. She wondered if Dani would be home on time today. She had been coming home late some days, Lisa figured it was extra work.

Cynthia and Dani had been meeting secretly to plan Lisa's surprise birthday party. Today after work, the electrician was meeting the writer at the eastern carry-out to put the final touches on the event.

Dani sat at a table drinking a root beer and eating an order of fries while she waited for Cynthia. Dani was half way through the fries when Cynthia came in.

The brunette ordered a veggie sub and then joined Dani at the table. "Sorry I'm late, I had to finish some research for an interview I'll be doing with Janet Jackson."

Dani took a sip of her soda before responding. "Have you met her before?"

"No, our first meeting will be next Friday when I interview her, she'll be here for her Rhythm Nation tour."

"You are just living the life aren't you?"

The writer answered with sarcasm. "Yeah.....I can see the envy in your eyes. Okay, let's get down to business. First, you what the party to have a Hawaiian luau theme."

Cynthia reached into her briefcase and pulled out a manila envelop. She pushed it across the table to Dani.

"Inside you will find a list of things you will need to make the party a success."

Dani opened the envelope to see what Cynthia had compiled for her. She found a list of everything she would need to purchase, and where to purchase them.

There was even a place where she could buy a whole pig and a place where she could rent the cooker. There was also a list of people with names, addresses and phone numbers.

The tall woman was over joyed. "Thanks Cynthia, I can't tell you how much this means to me. I want Beth's first birthday with me to be a memorable one."

"Oh believe me Dani, your little woman will be talking about this until she's ninety."

Dani crossed her fingers. "From your mouth, to God's ears."

*******

When Dani walked into their home, she was assaulted with a delicious aroma. Lisa could cook like nobody she had ever met. Even the recipes she got from books tasted great. When Dani asked her how that was possible, the blonde smiled and said, "I just add some of my own special seasonings."

When Dani walked in from the garage the smaller woman was in the kitchen peeling potatoes in the sink.
The tall woman approached her from behind and embraced her in a warm hug, while kissing her softly on the neck. "Hey baby, how was your day?"

Lisa turned in Dani's arms and kissed her on the lips. "My day was pretty good. Do you want a beer?"

The tall woman was already headed out of the kitchen. "Yeah, but I'll get it after I get out of the shower."

The hot shower Dani took everyday after work always re-energized her. She washed the work day off and got on with what she called her "real life."

When she got out of the shower, she saw that Lisa had laid out shorts and a t-shirt for her. Dani went into the living room and stretched out on the sofa. Lisa opened a bottle of Beck's and brought it over to her lover.

Lisa practically skipped into the living room with the beer. Dani reached out to take the bottle and pulled Lisa down with it. "You seem to be in a pretty good mood baby, did something happen today?"

Lisa got up on her knees and straddled Dani's lap. "I am in a good mood, I called my mom today, and she actually talked to me before she hung-up."

Dani laughed, "Well, I guess that's progress."

Lisa laid her head on the shoulder she rested on. Let's hope next time she talks a little longer."


August 5, 1989


The day before Lisa's party Dani was in the kitchen preparing breakfast to serve to Lisa in bed. She had made reservations at the Sheraton hotel in D.C. for that afternoon and wanted to feed Lisa before they left.

Dani thought that making hotel reservation as a start of a romantic birthday weekend would be the best way to get Lisa out of the house without piquing her curiosity.

The real reason for leaving, was so that Shirley and a few others could get into the house the next day to start cooking the pig and decorating the backyard for the party.

Dani had already given the architect the key, the only thing stopping the plan from going into effect was waiting for the two women to leave the house.

Dani carried a tray full of food into the bedroom. When she entered with her load, Lisa's eyes lit-up like a Christmas tree.

"Baby, who are you trying to feed, an army?"

Dani smiled broadly. "Now Beth, don't sit there and act like you can't put a dent in this. Dig in so that we can get out of here and start your birthday weekend."

*******

Lisa and Dani checked into the hotel at one o'clock in the afternoon. On the elevator ride up to the seventh floor, Dani was going over a list of activities she had planed in her head.

The first thing she wanted to do was get settled in the room and put on their swim suits to go for a dip in the indoor pool. Then she wanted to spend some time in the sauna before going to Georgetown for dinner.

When they reached the room, Dani opened the door and stepped back so that Lisa could go in first. The tall woman had called ahead to have a surprise delivered to the room before they arrived. She stepped back hoping her instructions had been followed so that Lisa could see the room first.

When she heard Lisa's sharp intake of air, she knew that the staff had come through.

The first thing the small blonde noticed was the large quantity of fragrant flowers that were distributed around the room. Then she spotted the basket filled with every delicacy she could imagine. There was a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket and two fluffy bathrobes with matching slippers laid across the plush sofa.

As Dani turned around from closing the door, she was ready. Just as Lisa had stated months before, she could indeed sense when the small woman was going to jump into her arms.

The impact of the other woman's body slammed the two of them into the closed door. Lisa showered her lover's face with kisses while talking a mile-a- minute.

"Oh my God......Dani, this is the most incredible thing anyone has ever done for me." The green eyes were already rimming with tears of joy.

The tall woman walked further into the room and laughed when she said. "Beth, how many times must I tell you, that's because, no one has ever loved you as much as I do?"

Dani sat on the sofa with Lisa on her lap. "You never have to tell me again." She crossed her heart, held up two fingers together and raised them to her forehead. "Scouts honor."

Dani smirked and said. "Since when are you a scout munchkin?"

Lisa nuzzled her face into Dani's neck and licked and sucked the skin there. "I'll be anything you want me to be."

Dani had to fight the jolt of arousal that went through her body. She decided to distract Lisa, so that she could follow her plans to go to the pool, sauna and then go out to dinner.

She reached over and picked the basket off of the table. "Let's see what's in here."

Lisa was still kissing her neck and nipping her skin. She was determined to be strong. Lisa loved to swim, and Dani knew the indoor pool would be a welcomed experience.

"Baby....." It became harder to concentrate when Lisa added her hands to the seduction. "Don't you want to look in this basket?"

The blonde woman changed her position and straddled the well muscled thighs. She kissed Dani deeply and started to unbutton the dark woman's shirt.

Dani started stuttering, still trying to stay in control of her rapidly rising libido. "B..B...Beth, don't y...y...you
want to go to th...the... p...pool?"

The blonde nibbled on Dani's ear. "No, I'm wet enough right now."

Dani laid her head back against the sofa and groaned. Are you sure you"....mmff

Lisa thrust her tongue down Dani's throat, and massaged and pulled on Dani's nipples through her shirt. When she released the other woman's mouth she leaned forward and took the ear lobe that her mouth rested against between her teeth. When she let go she whispered.

"Chi meddu fi, gwneud at fi, beth bob amser awydd." {You own me, do to me what ever you desire}

Any will power that was left in the tall woman drained from her body. She stood up and carried her lover into the bedroom. Not another thought was given to her plans for the day.

*******

Dani collapsed from her knees on to her stomach panting, with sweat covering her long body, and that wasn't all. Lisa lay sprawled along the tall woman's back. She was panting and sweating just as hard as her lover.
The two women had been making love for hours. The day had passed into night, and it was now dark outside.

"Beth, where on earth did that come from?"

The small blonde rolled off of the broad back and laid beside the taller woman. "Well....it's something I've been thinking about since the first time we made love in the shower.

I knew because of our height difference I could never do to you, what you did to me, but....after much contemplating, I figured out that if we were both on our knees, I stood a better chance of fulfilling one of my little personal fantasies."

Dani rolled to her side and propped her head up with her hand. "All this time you've been trying to figure out a way to have me, the way I had you?"

The blonde smiled lasciviously and nodded her head, making her long hair fall forward.

Callused finger tips slowly worked a path up and down Lisa's abdomen. Well my love, I must say, you are a genius. That was incredible."

"The way you make me feel when we are together like that is so intense that I wanted you to experience it too."

"I would say you have succeeded." Dani leaned down and captured two swollen lips with her own. When she pulled back she looked deeply into the green pools that held her soul.

"Beth I love you so much. Every time you try something new, I come away totally satisfied."

The raven haired woman smiled before she said. "By the way, where did you come up with that wild west theme night we had; that was fantastic. And where on earth did you find a pair of chaps in suburban Maryland?"

The blonde woman blushed all the way to her fair scalp before she said anything. "Let's just say I have a vivid imagination, and unlimited resources."

*******

Both women stood in front of the mirror giving themselves a final appraisal. Dani was wearing a light weight black pants suit with a dark blue shirt and the sleeves pushed up "Miami Vice" style.

Lisa wore a simple white sleeveless summer dress, and two inch heels. She loved the fact that her lover was so much taller than she was, it made it possible for her to buy any size heels that she desired, and could wear them comfortably, without worrying about being too tall for her partner.

Carl was only a couple of inches taller than she was, so she never wore high heels, because it made him feel short.

As they stood there, looking at themselves in the mirror, they saw it at the same time. They faced each other and said in unison. "Yin and Yang." Then they went back to adding the final touches to their look.

Dani called downstairs for a cab to pick them up. "We aren't taking the pathfinder?" Lisa asked.

"Nope, I've told you how I hate the traffic in Georgetown, the parking is impossible and those narrow streets make me want to shoot someone."

Lisa beamed. "You're taking me to Georgetown?"

"Yep, there's this restaurant called Houston's that I want to take you to."

The blonde became even more animated. "I have heard of that place, the food is supposed to be really good."

"Baby, you will love it. They serve a cheese toast that practically melts in your mouth. And they make a house honey mustard dressing that is incredible."

Before Lisa could say anything, the phone rang. It was the concierge informing them that their cab was waiting.
They both took one last look in the mirror and headed for the elevators.

*******

The hotel they were staying in was only fifteen minutes from Georgetown, so the ride was fairly short. When they arrived in front of the restaurant, there was a line. Dani helped Lisa out of the cab. "Don't let the line discourage you, it's always like this."

When they reached the end of the line Dani asked the man in front of her how long the wait was. He told her it was no more than ten or fifteen minutes.

Lisa held Dani's larger hand in her small one. "Baby, the food must be really good for people to stand in line outside waiting to get in."

Dani squeezed the hand she was holding. "I'll let you judge for yourself." She brought their joined hands to her lips and kissed the small knuckles.

Georgetown was one of the few places where a small gesture, like kissing the hand of a same sex partner didn't draw much attention.

Ten minutes later they were inside and being led to a booth by the window. Almost immediately someone was there to take their drink order.

They opened their menus and Dani told the birthday girl to order any thing she wanted. The sky was the limit.

When the waitress returned with their drinks, Dani ordered a basket of cheese toast with a side of honey mustard dressing.

*******

An hour later, both women sat back and rubbed their full bellies. Lisa was the first to break the silence. "Baby, that was the best meal I have ever eaten. I have never had ribs that came off of the bone with a fork. And Baby, that cheese toast dipped in the dressing.......oh my God, that was sinful."

Dani sat back and grinned from ear to ear. She was over joyed that she could make Lisa this happy.

Lisa reached across the table and held Dani's hand. "Sweetheart, I feel so guilty now."

Dani raised a dark brow in question.

"I mean, on your birthday, all I did was take you out to dinner and give you a flag of Wales."

"And I loved it. That's why the flag is framed and hanging over the fireplace. Y Ddraig Goch {The red dragon} is the most thoughtful gift I have ever received, so no feeling down We are here to celebrate the day my favorite person was born.

"Okay, you're right." Lisa looked out of the window that they sitting next to and watched the people go by. She returned her gaze to her lover and took her hand. "Dani, I can't remember a birthday when I was happier than I am right now."

Dani ran her thumb along the back of Lisa's hand and said. "Don't talk like it's over, there are still things to do."

Clear green eyes looked back at the raven-haired beauty. "I don't need anything else, this day has been perfect."

"Beth, tomorrow is your official birthday and I have another outing planned."

That's fine my love, but I don't think anything could top today."

Dani gave her a mega- watt smiled and said. "Well, let's wait and see."


August 6, 1989


The next morning Dani and Lisa woke up at eight o'clock. Dani was lying on her back and Lisa was half on her and half on the bed. Long fingers pulled blonde hair off of a smooth forehead and placed a gentle kiss there.

The smaller woman stretched and then kissed the warm skin above Dani's left breast where her head was resting.

Dani pulled Lisa closer to her. "Dedwydd pen-blwdd Beth." {Happy birthday Beth}

Lisa raised her head and kissed Dani lightly on the lips. "Diolch ti Annwyl." {Thank you Annwyl}

Dani ran her hands through Lisa's hair and said. "Since we're up, why don't we order some breakfast from the room service menu?"

"What are you trying to do to me? After last night's dinner I should go on a diet."

"Beth, your birthday comes only once a year, I say you should go all out."

Green eyes twinkled with joy. "Well, if you insist."

Dani rolled them over, pinning the smaller woman to the bed and pulled the room service menu from the side table and handed it to her lover. "Here, order anything you want."

Lisa looked up into sky blue eyes and cupped Dani's bottom. She raised her head and kissed the tall woman deeply.

When she broke the kiss they were both panting, trying to inhale as much air as they could. Lisa pulled Dani's ear to her mouth and said. "I think I'll just order some whipped cream, and make you my breakfast."

It was noon by the time Lisa and Dani were ready to check out of the hotel. Dani was still trying to think of a way to get Lisa back to the house without raising her suspicions, when Lisa solved the problem by asking a simple question.

"Baby, what are we going to do with all of these flowers?"

'Now is my chance.' Dani thought. "Uhm....why don't we drop them off at home, and then go to our next destination?"

Lisa thought for a second. "That won't interfere with your plans?"

"Nah, my plans are pretty flexible. I'll call down to the front desk and have them send someone up to help us load these flowers into the truck."

*******

The ride to Greenbelt was nerve wracking. Dani had to use every calming technique she could think of so she wouldn't give herself away by showing her nervousness.

The closer they got to home, the harder her heart beat. She looked over at Lisa and had to smile. The blonde woman was looking out of the passenger window enjoying the passing scenery.

She had a slight smile on her face and looked totally relaxed and content to wait and see where their next stop would be. Little did she know, they were now pulling into the driveway of their next stop.

Dani looked around and was happy to see that her instructions had been followed, and everyone had parked one street over. If she didn't know any better, she would swear that the house was empty.

She needed to figure out a way to get Lisa to go through the front door instead of the garage, so that everyone could scream surprise.

They were getting out of the pathfinder when Dani asked Lisa if she would go around front to pick-up the newspaper.

The blonde woman wasn't even the slightest bit suspicious of the request, and headed to the front to do as her lover asked. She stopped and turned back around to look at her lover. "You smell that? I think someone is grilling."

Dani's eyes went round. "Ahh.....yeah, it seems so."

The blonde had turned back around and was now, back on track.

Before Lisa was out of the driveway, Dani said. "Beth, since you are going to be closer to the front door, I'll just open it for you after I take in the first load of flowers.

The teacher smiled her acknowledgment and practically skipped to the front of the house. Dani quickly opened the side door and shushed everyone before she opened the front door. She took a deep breath and turned the door knob, then she stepped aside to let Lisa enter.

The blonde head was bent while green eyes were reading the headlines and then she jumped in shock when the living room erupted with. "SURPRISE!"

Lisa dropped the newspaper and looked around, not only was their home decorated with banners, balloons and cardboard palm trees everywhere, but the house was also full of people dressed in Hawaiian shirts and dresses.

The moment that topped it off, was when she spotted her brothers and their wives in the crowed.

She looked up into shining blue eyes and asked. "What's going on here?"

"Isn't it obvious my love?"

Before Lisa could say anything, Shirley and Cynthia came up to her and put a lei around her neck.

Shirley kissed her check. "Happy birthday Lisa."

The small woman was in a state of shock. "H...how did you guys get in here? W...what's all this"

Dani came up behind Lisa and wrapped her arms around her waist. "I thought you should have a surprise party for your twenty-eighth, and since we have talked so much about going to Hawaii, I thought that should be the theme. I hope this will hold you until I can give you the real thing.

Lisa turned in Dani's arms and gave her a soul searing kiss. "I love you sooo much baby, no one has ever put this much thought into me before." Tears started spilling from the green eyes.

Dani tried to wipe the tears before they streaked Lisa's cheeks. "Beth, please don't cry, this is suppose to be a happy day."

Lisa held the long fingers in her own and kissed them. "This is a happy day cariad, these are tears of pure joy."

Lisa turned back around and was greeted with well wishes, hugs and kisses from everyone. She turned to her friend. "Shirley, how did all of this happen?"

Shirley and Cynthia took Lisa by the arm and led her out back. "I'll tell you later, but for now, come with us."

The blonde allowed her friends to guide her out into the back wondering what else awaited her. The entire group followed behind the three women to see what Lisa's reaction would be when she got her first glimpse of what they had done out back.

When Lisa entered the backyard, she thought that she had died and gone to heaven. It looked like a tropical island.

There were large potted palm plants and colorful flowers everywhere. One corner of the yard had been set up as the beach.

A platform had been built and a large hole had been cut in the middle. Inside the hole sat a small pool about four foot deep and ten feet in diameter full of water to simulate the ocean.

All around, the platform was covered with sand to simulate the beach. There were beach balls, beach chairs and towels laid all over the 'beach,' cardboard palm trees and live palm plants were scattered all around the perimeter to represent the jungle.

The outside speakers were sending out the song Kokomo by the Beach Boys to set the mood musically, but the most amazing thing she saw was, a huge cooker, with a pig roasting on it. She had heard of people cooking whole pigs, but thought it was only done in the south.

"Cynthia, am I losing my mind, or is that a pig?"

"No Lisa, you are perfectly sane." She clasped her friend on her back then continued. "That is indeed a pig."

"Will someone please tell me how all of this happened?"

Everyone laughed at the blonde's confusion. Shirley decided it was time to fill her friend in.

"Well, it's like this Lisa, Dani asked Cynthia if she would help her put together a theme surprise birthday party for you. After Cynthia agreed, she called me and asked if I would assist her."

"When did Dani ask you for help Cynthia?"

"At my July fourth party."

"This has been in the making that long? I didn't have a clue"

The brunette smiled. "That's because we are good. Lisa there is one more thing you need to do."

"You guys are going to have to give me a break, I can't take any more surprises."

The architect spoke. "This isn't anything big, you just have to go into your bedroom, and change into your Hawaiian dress."

"Wow you guys thought of everything."

Cynthia corrected the shorter woman. "Not us, Dani."

"Speaking of Dani, where is my baby?"

"More than likely, she's inside changing into her party clothes."

Lisa gave her friends a hug and then set out to find her partner. On the way back inside she was greeted and congratulated by the people that hadn't gotten a chance to speak with her.

Lisa entered their bedroom and closed and locked the door behind her. Dani was sitting on the side of the bed wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a shirt that sported tiny ukuleles.

She was about to start buttoning up the shirt when Lisa stepped between her legs. Small hands rested on broad shoulders and large hands gripped slim hips.

Twinkling blue met green eyes filled with love and appreciation. Lisa leaned forward and met Dani's lips with a chaste kiss.

Lisa pushed Dani back onto the bed and laid on top on her "Fi addoli ti." {I adore you}

Dani hugged the smaller woman tight to her and said. "And I you."

"What you have done for me...." The small woman stopped to regain some of her composure, then started again.

"What you have done for me, yesterday and today......is something that I will never forget for as long as I live."

Dani ran her fingers through the golden silk on Lisa's head. "All I want is to make you happy."

"You have made me so happy that, if you never do another thing for me, this weekend will sustain me for life."

Dani sat up so that the smaller woman had to straddle her hips. "Well, you know what they say...... the best is yet to come."

Lisa traced dark brows with her fingers. "Baby, I have one question for you. As private as you are, how did you get the consent of your mind to allow people in our home without us being here?"

The dark head bowed, then blue raised to look into green. "Just between you and me, all of those bags we took to the hotel don't have clothes in them."

There was no hiding the look of surprise on the blondes face. "What?"

"Anything I didn't want people to snoop around and find, I packed in a suitcase and took it with us."

Lisa rubbed noses with her lover and said. "You are such a goof."

Then the logic of what Dani had done struck her, and she asked. "Did you put my stuff in there too?"

Dani ruffled the golden hair and said. "Of course I did munchkin, now put on this dress with the obnoxiously large, brightly colored flowers all over it, and let's finish cooking that pig."

*******

Lisa was mingling with her guest and Dani was behind the bar serving drinks. Their friends had somehow rigged up a little Tiki shack with a grass and bamboo top to serve the drinks from.

Lisa, Cynthia and Shirley were engaged in a very animated conversation when Freda sauntered up to join the ladies. Cynthia and Shirley stiffened, not knowing what might happen between the two women.

"Happy birthday Lisa. This is a great party."

"Thanks, it feels good to be loved so much by someone."

Shirley knew that Lisa was trying to zing Freda with that comment. She had known Lisa a long time and knew that the small woman could be long suffering when faced with controversy, but when she had enough, she could rip you apart verbally.

Freda smiled and said. "I can only hope to find someone just like Dani for myself." That was the moment Shirley and Cynthia knew that Freda was going to go after Dani, friendships be damned.

Lisa also realized that a challenge had been presented to her, not being a woman to stand by and watch what was hers be threatened, she rose to the challenge.

"You know Freda, you could try to get someone like Dani, but she doesn't go for just anything."

Freda gave Lisa a predatory smile and said. You'd be surprised to find out the kind of woman that could get someone like Dani."

Before Lisa could comment, Freda turned away to leave. "Well, Lisa, I just came over to wish you a happy birthday, I need a refill, I think I'll go over to the bar." And with that, the bleached blonde was gone.

Lisa looked at her friends with her green eyes blazing. "Did that bitch just come into my home and practically challenge me to a dual for my woman?"

The situation was tense, to be sure, but the way that Lisa had worded it cracked the other two ladies up.

When Lisa looked at her friends doubled over laughing, she had to admit there was a funny side to the whole situation.

*******

The party was in full swing, Lisa was sitting at the bar trying her best to pick-up the bartender, but the tall raven-haired woman kept insisting she was already spoken for.

Just as Lisa was leaning in to deliver the line that she knew would convince the blue-eyed beauty to go home with her, Ron and Stanley came out of the house carrying a huge birthday cake.

It measured thirty-six inches wide by thirty-six inches long. They had insisted that this be their contribution to their sister's big day.

The cake was lemon {Lisa's favorite} with cream cheese frosting. It was decorated with an oasis scene on it, there was also a table with little people sitting around it, Lisa couldn't believe it, but her brothers had somehow gotten the baker to add a small pig on a spit over a fire pit to the picture.

The blonde woman screamed with excitement and hugged and kissed her brothers and sisters-in-law. After everyone sang happy birthday and Lisa blew out the candles, Jess and Teresa brought out the gifts for her to open.

She received everything from, sexy lingerie to a pink tool set. After she had opened all of her gifts and thought that she was finished, Dani pulled a box from behind the bar. Lisa saw what her lover was doing and told her that the party was gift enough for her.

The tall woman smiled and said. "Beth, It's already paid for, you might as well open it.....I'll tell you what, if you don't like it, I'll return it and get a refund."

The teacher looked at her lover and said. "You've got a deal."

The parcel was the size of a shoe box, the top and bottom were wrapped separately from each other, both in a blue and green mixed paper.

When Lisa removed the lid from the box, she pulled in a deep breath...... inside, the box was filled with rose petals, on top of the rose petals sat a small red satin pillow, and on top of that pillow rested a ring.

The ring was beautiful, the center held baguette diamonds that circled all the way around the band, and the outside boarders on each side all the way around, held tiny alternating emerald and sapphire chips, about the size of pin tips, just big enough to notice, but not enough to take the focus away from the diamonds.

Dani dropped to her knees in front of Lisa and held her left hand in both of her larger ones. "Beth, ti fy cyfanfyd, a fi cariad ti yn anad bywyd, ewyllysio ti gwreica fy?" {Beth, you are my world, and I love you more than life, will you marry me?}

Lisa got on her knees in front of Dani, and with tears running down her cheeks she answered with her heart. "Annwyl....fy calon, fi perthyni ti, yn oes oesoedd.......ie.....fi ewyllyso gwreica ti." {Annwly....my heart, I belong to you, forever and ever.....yes.....I will marry you}

Lisa was still holding the box in her right hand. Dani removed the ring and placed it on Lisa's ring finger on her left hand. After settling the ring in place Dani kissed it. Then she captured her future spouses lips with a kiss that promised more to come.

No one in attendance needed to understand what the two women had said to each other. A marriage proposal and an acceptance are universal in any language.

Both women stood up, Lisa wrapped her arms around Dani's waist and smiled like she had new teeth. The party erupted into cheers and applause.

Shirley and Cynthia were the first ones to congratulate the couple, when they saw the ring, they nearly passed out.

Ron, Stanley, Jess and Teresa seemed to move as one gigantic unit towards the couple. They circled the two women and had a group hug.

Dani was having feelings that she had never experienced before, the love and warmth that she felt in this group was over whelming.

She felt her body start to tremble and she knew that tears were soon to follow. Lisa knew that her lover didn't come from a background that showed affection openly, so she wasn't surprised when she felt Dani's anxiety in her stomach.

She rubbed small circles on the muscled abdomen to ease her mate's distress. No one noticed and Dani was able to reel in her emotions as soon as her lover touched her.

She looked at Lisa with grateful blue eyes. Lisa just smiled and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Lisa knew that the dark woman would have felt embarrassed if she had cried in front of everyone.

That was something the small woman wanted to change. She wanted her tall, very private partner to know that it was okay to cry in front of someone other than herself.

When the group broke apart Freda approached, she turned Lisa's hand over to examine the full circle of the ring. It took all of Lisa's will power not to snatch her hand away from the offending touch.

Her chocolate brown eyes looked deeply into Lisa's greens. "Congrats Lisa, I hope the two of you will be very happy together."

"Thank you Freda, I'm sure we will."

The two women looked at each other communicating silently. Brown said, "It ain't over yet, and green said, "Bring it on."

Shirley and Cynthia knew it was taking every bit of restraint Freda had not to flip out in front of everyone.

Shirley, Kat and Cynthia stood in a circle looking at their renegade friend. "Damn, look Cynthia, she's going to blow a head gasket if she doesn't breath soon."

"Tell me about it. I see a room at Saint Elizabeth's in her near future if she doesn't get a grip on this Lisa- Dani situation."

That's when Kat made and observation that neither woman had considered. "I'm not sure that Freda even wants Dani anymore.

It seems like more of a challenge or even an obsession at this point. I mean Dani just asked Lisa to marry her and gave her a ring in front of everyone, surely, Freda has to know that there is no way in hell that the woman is interested in her."

Both sets of eyes went wide. The brunette was the first to speak. "Oh my God, Shirley, if that is even remotely true, we are so far out of our scope of understanding what to do about this situation that it's scary."

*******

Lisa closed the door after Shirley and Kat left and immediately jumped into Dani's arms. She wrapped her legs around the tall woman's waist while she walked them to their bedroom.

The small woman was singing, "We're, going to the chapel, and we're, gonna get maaaried."

Dani laughed deep in her chest at her mate. "Is that what you want Beth; you wanna get married in a chapel?"

Dani sat on the side of the bed with Lisa straddling her lap. The blonde woman stopped to think for a second.

Dani reached behind her and slipped the sandals off of her love's feet. Very agile fingers were unbuttoning the tall woman's shirt at the same time.

"I'm not sure sweetheart, the first time........ wow, I don't think I like the way that sounds."

"What's that babe?"

"I was about to say the first time I got married."

"Yeah.....and?" Strong hands were pulling Lisa's sundress over her head.

"Well, I don't like the fact that I've been married before." She had already removed the clothes from the top of Dani's body, now she was working on the shorts.

"Uhm.....I never thought about it." She pulled one of Lisa's legs back a little, so that she could slip her panties off of one leg.

"I hadn't either, but now......I want to do something that erases that day." Dani rose up a little so that Lisa could slip her shorts and boxers past her hips.

"What do you have in mind baby?" Large hands were stroking a smooth, lightly muscled back.

"I'm working on it stud." A tongue licked, and then soft lips sucked on a long strong neck.

Dani inhaled sharply. "Beth, do you really want to talk about this right now?" Long thighs spread apart and a firm backside slipped down between them.

"Yes....and...no" Small hands cupped and weighed two breast, while two slender thumbs stroked dark nipples.

"What does that mean?" The large hands pulled the backside closer so that two sensitive nubs rubbed together.

"That means, I'm excited about our engagement and I want to make plans, and I'm....horny as hell and want to make love." Small hands dropped to the small of the strong tanned back, pulling the tall woman closer, for tighter contact.

"How about we do last things first....and first things last?" Hips started rocking together.

"I like the way you think." A pink tongue snaked out, just a little, and lightly licked the left corner of Dani's mouth, and then, barley entering with the tip, then coral colored lips started to gently suck the same area, never moving to engage the full lips, just concentrating on that one corner.

"Mmmmm........Beth, you know I love it when you do that." Long fingers moved down between blonde and black curls.

"That's why I'm doing it." The smaller hand followed suit.

"I knew there was a reason why I like you so much." Long fingers slid between wet folds before entering the smaller woman.

The blonde head dropped on to the broad shoulder. Slim hips started to rock faster. "Oh God, baby...mmmm."
Lisa mirrored the action, entering her dark partner with two fingers.

"Yessss"...... Two sets of hips picked-up a matching rhythm.

Lisa raised her head and captured Dani's lips. The contact caused a release of fluid from both women, making their fingers move in and out of each with even more ease.

The green-eyed woman pulled back and rested her mouth by her lover's ear. "I love you so much baby....she started rocking faster.....Dani... I'm...I'm?gonna come."

After the blonde's fingers entered her, the tall woman had only communicated with grunts. She still couldn't form words, so she took possession of the smaller woman's mouth once more.

When their tongues touched Lisa felt her lover tighten around her fingers and knew she was coming, the blonde was right behind her.

The two women rode out their passion together and held on to each other until the tremors stopped. Dani laid back, taking Lisa with her. They were still breathing heavy trying to catch their breaths.

Dani rubbed her partner's back to help calm her heart rate. Powerful legs pushed off of the floor and spun their bodies around so that they were lying fully on the bed.

Dani pulled a sheet over top of them and turned off the lamp. Finally...she was able to speak again..."Fi cariad ti Beth, with my entire being, for eternity."

*******

The next morning blue eyes opened at four-thirty. The work week was about to start. She was laying in bed, not wanting to move the warm body that was still resting on top of her.

She inhaled deeply and slowly moved Lisa onto the mattress, pivoted her legs over the side of the bed and sat for a few seconds in an effort to clear her head of sleep.

Lisa crawled up behind her lover and draped herself over the broad back, and kissed the ear that was so near, and then she spoke into it.

"Where are you working today sweetheart?"

The feel of Lisa's warm breath in her ear and naked body on her back, made Dani shiver a little. "We are starting a new job in D.C., we'll be working at the convention center.

Since the car shows are held there they want to upgrade their boxes so that a heavier current load can be handled for the revolving stages and all of the extra booths that the venders sat up during that time."

"Is there any place down there where you can get something to eat?"

Long tan legs were on their way to the bathroom and before Dani crossed over the threshold she said. "I don't know, I'll probably just by a hotdog and some chips off of one of those carts."

Lisa heard the shower start and got back under the sheets, she decided that she was going to deliver a lunch to her partner that was just a little healthier than a mystery meat dog and a bag of fried lard.

After Dani's shower she noticed that Lisa had fallen back to sleep. She moved quietly around the room, pulling her work uniform out of the closet and taking it into the bathroom to get dressed.

She zipped up the standard company issued gray cotton work pants, buttoned up the white shirt with gray pinstripes with her name on the right and the companies on the left and tied up the black steel-toed boots. Before she left, she leaned over and kissed Lisa softly on the lips.

The small woman smiled and without waking spoke softly in her sleep......"Dani."

*******

Lisa stood in the Washington convention center with her mouth hanging open. After she had been directed to the area where the electricians were working she had little trouble finding her partner.

Now she stood looking at a magnificent sight.....Dani, in her short-sleeved summer work shirt , walking across the floor with a large wooden spool on her shoulder that had wire as thick as Lisa's wrist wrapped around it. Her biceps were bulging from the effort, but the woman showed no strain on her face.

The bundle had to weigh at least one hundred and fifty pounds. The blonde realized two things at that moment, one...this was the reason that the tall woman could carry her around with no effort, and two... she now understood how the woman stayed in such great shape without exercising.

One of Dani's co-workers noticed Lisa before she did, and started with the commentary. "Damn, that is one fine piece of ass that just walked in. What I could do to that hot little body would have people in the next state over hearing her scream."

Lisa was wearing white Levis, a pair of white hi-top L.A. Gear tennis shoes with a set of white and a set of green shoe strings in them, the green polo shirt she wore, was the same color green as her shoe strings, the collar and cuffs on the short sleeves were white and she had her hair pulled back in a pony tail. As she approached her lover with the lunch bag in her hand she had no idea what was being said.

"Oh yeah, she's heading this way, all you losers pay attention and watch the master work."

Dani turned to see what poor woman Alan was about to torture and nearly swallowed her tongue when she saw her future spouse coming in her direction. She lowered the spool to the ground and stood back up just as Lisa stepped in front of her.

The small blonde couldn't help herself, she had to touch her partner's powerful arm. She moved into Dani's personal space and started to run her fingers up the strong forearm, then up to the rock hard bicep on her lover's tan arm, then she used a delicate finger to trace the vein that ran up the center of the muscle.

Alan and the other men couldn't believe their eyes when the beautiful blonde placed a kiss on their co-worker's muscled arm.

Lisa looked-up into blue eyes that made her weak in the knees. "Hi baby, I came down to bring you lunch." She held up the bag in her hand for emphasis.

Dani gave her lover a very mischievous smile before she pulled the shorter woman into her arms, bent her dark head and took possessions of a pair of very willing lips.

As was her habit when it came to Dani, the blonde woman's world disappeared around her and all she saw was her love. She wrapped her arms around the strong neck and pulled herself closer to her partner and deepened the kiss.

After the kiss broke Dani put her arm around the smaller woman's shoulders and turned her around to face the guys.

The tall beauty's chest stuck out a little farther as she made the introduction. "Fellas, I would like to introduce you to my future wife. This, gentlemen is........ Lisa Crawford.

The shorter woman squeezed her mate's waist as she added, "Soon to be Kendrick."

Dani's eyes widened in surprise, she had never entertained the idea of Lisa taking her name, especially since she had maintained her maiden name after marrying the ass.

Sparkling green looked up into shocked blue and shrugged her shoulders. "What can I say...I didn't love him like that."

The blonde woman was pulled off of her feet and spun around a few times. When she was settled back on the floor she acknowledged the men around her and said her hellos.

Doug came over and gave her a quick hug, not wanting to get her dirty. "Hey short stuff, me and the wife had a really great time last night."

Then he clasped the dark woman on her back and said. "It's about time you made an honest woman of this moody, difficult....."

He was cut off before he could finish. "Watch yourself buddy, you're talking about my future spouse."

Doug bent at the waist and apologized. "Please m'lady, forgive this lowly serf for forgetting his place."

Dani interrupted the banter "Oh, shut-up dick-head and get back to work."

The two women turned to walk away and were stopped when Alan grabbed Dani's arm. The man had his head down and was shuffling his feet nervously.

"Uhm...... look Dani....I didn't mean any disrespect by the things that I was saying. I had no idea that she was your lady."

Dani turned to fully face the man. "You see Alan, that's the problem. It doesn't matter that Beth is with me.
You shouldn't talk about any woman the way that you do. You should want to be better than that."

The two women went to one of the public restrooms in the center so that they could wash their hands before they ate. As they approached Dani's service van Lisa asked what Alan had said that made him feel like he should apologize.

Dani opened the passenger side door and helped her shorter partner into the high vehicle, then went around and got in herself.

Lisa handed her the bag that held their lunch. "Well..... he mentioned how hot your body was and how he could make you scream loud enough to be heard in the next state."

Lisa handed Dani her over stuffed Italian sub and then pulled the wrapper from her deli sandwich, before she took a bite, she paused. "Interesting, I hope you informed the Neanderthal that you already do that."

"If I had been looking at who it was that he was talking about, I probably would have knocked his teeth out before I had a chance to think about it."

"Ohhh....my hero."

The tall woman looked at her mate and said. "Always."

*******

Dani stretched as much as she could in the small area of the van. "Thanks babe, you can never go wrong with my favorite meal."

Lisa was packing all of the trash into one bag. "I'm happy you enjoyed it love. I just couldn't let you eat food off of the street."

"It's not like they serve it off of the sidewalk baby."

"How long do you think this job will take?"

"Probably about five months, why?"

"Because I'm going to be packing you a lunch everyday. You're not going to be eating cart food for five months sweetheart. And what will you do when it gets cold, and the carts are gone?"

"Thanks for the thought baby, but I can't have you up making a lunch for me to take to work everyday, when in a month or so you're going to have your own job to get to."

"Welll.....I've been wanting to talk to you about that, I have finally made a decision about what I want to do, I'm not going back to teaching, I'm going to go for it baby. I'm going to open a school."

Dani pulled her lover into her arms and kissed the top of her head. "That's fantastic baby, we can start looking for locations and buying materials and......"

"Hold on baby, first we have a wedding to plan then we need to decide how many children we want, then we need to decide when to have them, then......."

Dani stopped Lisa before she could finish. She pulled her lover close to her and looked into green eyes with blues that were tearing up with emotions. "You...you...want to have babies with me?"

The blonde wiped away the tears that were coursing down high cheek bones. "Sweetheart, I don't want to just have babies with you. I want to have them with you.... by you.... for you.... all of it."

Dani sniffed and wiped her face with her shirt tail. "Beth, as much as I would love that, there is no possible way that I can get you pregnant."

Lisa cupped Dani's face and told her. "My love, where there's a will, there's a way, we just have to believe."

"I'll believe baby, I'll believe with my whole heart."

"Now that's what I want to hear. Come over here and give me a kiss before I head back home."

*******

It had been a week since the engagement and the women had decided get married on November eleventh, because it was the anniversary of the day they met. Lisa had been out with Shirley all day, scouting venues for the ceremony.

When she entered the house from the garage, her ears were met by the voice of Pat Benetar singing "Hit me with your best shot." She knew what was going on already, so there was no surprise when she walked into the kitchen and was met with the sight of her lover holding a wooden spoon and lip syncing to the song.

It had become a normal occurrence by now, she had come home on numerous occasions to this very sight. It would be anything from Dani jumping around to the Carpenter's "Top of the world," John Denver singing
"Thank God I'm a country boy," Bobby Brown doing "Don't be cruel," or Culture Club singing "Time clock of the heart." She just never knew what Dani would be listening to when she got home.

She stood there watching the tall woman, and fell in love just a little more, if that was even possible. She grabbed one of the wooden spoons from the kitchen drawer and headed into the living room to accompany her love.


September 8, 1989


Dani had been home from work for about half an hour, and was sitting in the large tub, surrounded by bubbles and having a much needed soak. It had been a long work week, and she was ready to start her weekend. She thought submerging herself in a hot tub was the best way.

Lisa was where she had been for the pass month....out preparing for the wedding. Her partner said she wanted to make this day erase any memory of her wedding to the ass. Dani smiled, and thought. "And damn if she's not going to do it."

She had asked her lover on several occasions if she wanted her to do anything. Lisa always told her she just needed her to show-up on the eleventh of November. So she finally took her at her word and told her to do whatever she wanted. She was remembering the thanks she got for that, when she heard her future wife enter their bedroom.

She was only mildly shocked when the small blonde came into the bathroom without a stitch on and climbed into the tub behind her. Lisa put her hands on the taller woman's shoulders and pushed her down until the dark head rested between her ample breasts. And then started in on her day.

"I think I found the place to hold the ceremony today, Jess told me about this non-denominational church in Largo, so I went and talked to the pastor.

He said he didn't have a problem with officiating. It seems there are several gay couples in his congregation, to be honest, I think he is gay himself. Anyway the building is big enough and there is plenty of parking."

Long arms rested on the smaller woman's raised knees. And she turned to the side and kissed a pink nipple. "Just how much parking are we going to need baby?"

"Well, let's just say that I had no idea how many cousins and childhood friends would want to attend, because of word of mouth I actually received a letter requesting an invite. Now, I know some of them are just curious, but most of them really want to wish us well."

Dani readjusted and slid her forearms down to rest on Lisa's thighs and continuously ran her hands up and down the blonde's legs from her knees to her ankles. "So this place will hold the people comfortably."

"Most definitely. And there is a large reception hall on the premises so everyone won't have to jump in a car and ride to a different location, it's like one stop shopping.

The blonde woman kissed the top of the dark head and took a deep breath. "Baby, have you heard from your family?"

Lisa was hesitant to bring up her lover's family, because she knew that Dani only dealt with her fraternal grandparents on a regular basis, her brother on occasion and her father when he was available.

The blonde had spent a lot of time with Dani's grandparents. Casnar and Heulyn {Hil-een} Kendrick, at sixty-eight they were two of the most open and loving people she had ever met. The blonde woman discovered that they were the reason that her lover could speak the language of their homeland.

Dani had told her lover how her mother's family was American born from as far back as they could remember, and how her parents were none too pleased about their daughter being involved with an immigrant. It didn't seem to matter that Gildas Kendrick {Gill} was born in the USA.

Marilyn's family had little to do with her after she married Gill and even less to do with the child that looked so much like her father.

Lisa learned that Gill Kendrick was a journeyman carpenter that had a touch of wanderlust, and when Dani was four he took the title literally and left the family to journey around the country using his carpentry skills to support himself.

When Dani was six Marilyn married Jeff Green and the following year gave birth to her brother Lance, and two years after that had her sister Chloe.

Jeff was a great guy and treated Dani as if she were his. But, Marilyn's bitterness towards her ex-husband stopped her from interacting with her oldest child on a regular basis. So, Dani spent a lot of time with her father's parents while growing-up and was taught the culture, language and traditions of Wales.

Dani was never allowed to speak the language in her mother's presence and discovered that the only reason her middle name was Annwly was because her father had put his foot down. Dani had once told Lisa if her mother knew that she referred to as mam, she'd throw a fit.

Lisa knew all of the members of her lover's family and came to the conclusion that, Casnar and Heulyn were saints, Lance was easy to be around and loved his oldest sister regardless of how his mother felt,

Gil was a pretty decent guy that loved his kid {that's what he called her} and dropped by to see her whenever he was in town,

Chloe.....oh boy, Chloe, Dani's younger sister was nineteen, stuck-up, judgmental, and arrogant Lisa wanted to see as little of the brat as possible. The couple of times she had met the girl the teenager spent most of the visit looking at her as if she smelled something. She was so unpleasant that Dani asked her brother to stop bringing her when he came to visit.

Marilyn was a sophisticated and beautiful woman. She was beautiful in way that was very different from her oldest child. Dani's beauty came from the gods placing every perfect feature you could hope for on one face, right down to the most unique color of blue one could imagine for her eyes, and her mother's beauty came from culture, confidence and Lord and Taylor's make-up counter.

Marilyn was about five foot six with a medium build, she was in great shape for a woman of fifty, but there were areas that had started to spread a little.

Where her daughter's hair was midnight black, hers was a dark red going towards brown and her eyes were gray. For some reason it seemed like she was always looking down her nose at you....... Chloe was a carbon copy of her.

After meeting the woman Lisa knew why her lover was so reserved with everyone except her. After Lisa met Marilyn she was surprised that Dani could be as open and loving as she was with her. She guessed Casnar and Heulyn were the reason for that.

And then there was Jeff. Jeff was an amiable fellow, he was on the short side, he and his wife were about the same height. His eyes were brown and his receding hair was a dirty blonde. He was very easy going and acquiesced to all of his wife's demands. In other words.....the exact opposite of Gildas Kendrick.

So when Lisa asked her lover if she had heard from her family, she knew there were a barrel of emotions that she needed to deal with before she answered.

"Uhm......well, my grandparents have said they will be there, Lance will not only be there, but a long with Doug he wants to stand with me. He also wants to pay for the photographer. And pop said nothing could keep him away."

The tall woman turned around to look up into the greenest eyes she had ever seen. "He wants to know what part he can play in the ceremony, he wanted to know if he was supposed to walk me down the aisle, or maybe walk with me down the aisle.

I told him that since I was going to be waiting for you at the alter with a tux on, that he might have to walk with me from the side entrance near the front." She kissed the warm skin that her head rested on, and looked up into the eyes that she loved. "What do you think Beth?"

Lisa looked down into open and innocent blue eyes, the love and trust she saw in them made her heart clench. The world only saw a dark, fierce, Amazon, but this Dani, the vulnerable, childlike, trusting Dani was hers and hers alone, and she would always protect that part of her partner.

She brushed her lover's wet hair from her forehead and then gently massaged her scalp before she leaned down and kissed her softy.

Lisa pulled back and saw Dani slowly open her eyes. "What was that for?"

The blonde woman smiled and kissed the tip of her lover's nose. "Because you are so damned adorable. Now, for the question at hand. Your dad wants to be involved.

Let me think about this.........at this rate, I may need him to walk me down the aisle instead of you if my parents don't give in just a little."

"You know he would Beth. He already calls you the daughter he never had."

"Yeah... and you are the son he always wanted."

Dani laughed softly "Yeah, I'd say my pop was a little twisted."

"Just a little twisted? The man criss crosses the country for years doing carpentry work from out of a rented U-Haul truck. ,that doubles as his home, I mean after all of these years he could have bought one out right."

Dani had to laugh at her fathers antics. "I know babe, he just never wanted to bother with payments, insurance or being tied down to a long term contract.... that seems to be the way he approaches everything in his life"

Lisa rested her chin on top of her lover's head and wrapped her arms loosely around her neck. The blonde woman loved the rare occasions when she could hold and comfort her partner. "Does it bother you that your dad chose to live like a nomad instead of staying with his family?"

"It used to and then as I got older, I wanted to get away from my mother too. But now, since we have been talking about having a family of our own, I'm starting to wonder how he could just leave me like that. I mean, you and our kids are going to be the most important things in my life, I could never see myself leaving."

"People deal with stressful situations in different ways love, he probably couldn't think of anyone but himself when he was having problems with your mother. And when he got himself together didn't he start keeping in touch with you regularly? "

"That's true, I guess I'm just a little sensitive because we are going to start a life together and it makes me think about the past."
"Come on babe, let's get out of here, the water is getting cold."

The tall woman stood up and got out first, she then reached in and lifted her mate out. Lisa pulled two towels off of the shelf and gave one to her lover.

After drying off, Dani started to dry her hair with the dryer.

"Sweetheart, while you're doing that, I'm going to give my mom a call and try to get her to come to the wedding....again, cross you fingers and wish me luck."

Lisa relaxed on the huge bed and just stared at the phone sitting on the night stand. "Well...it's not going to dial itself, so buck-up and bite the bullet."

The blonde picked-up the phone and dialed her parent's home. As usual, it was answered on the third ring.

"Hello?'

Okay, here goes. "Hi mom, how's it going?"

Alice was surprisingly.......not nasty. "I'm doing well, how are you?"

So far, so good, go slow, don't blow it. "I can't complain, have you and dad started your fall planting yet?"

"We're going to get on it tomorrow morning." There was a pause. "Are you doing any planting at your.....home?"

Oh my God, we are having a conversation. Okay, now, ease into what you want to say. "Uhm...mom, I was wondering.....see.....uhm, well....I've kinda got a special day coming up.... and..."

"Lisa, why are you acting like this is the first time you've spoken to me about your......ceremony?"

The blonde woman exhale. "Because I'm terrified that you will get angry and hang-up on me."

Dani came out of the bathroom and slid in behind her partner wrapping her long arms and legs around her. Lisa leaned back into the warmth and felt stronger.

There was a few of seconds of silence. "I guess I can't blame you for that, considering how our communication has been for the past five months." Alice took in a deep breath.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Lisa, I think that it's time for us to sit down and try to work this thing out."

Lisa gasped, and her eyes immediately stung with tears. Dani looked at her partner and thought she was in distress, one large hand reached for the phone, she knew that Lisa told her not to get involved, but she couldn't stand-by any longer and watch her love be in pain.

Lisa stopped her lover's hand from taking the phone, kissed it and shook her head. "Mom you want to talk to me, and....and....try to work this out?"

Blue eyes went wide with shock. And she rested her cheek against her partners.

"Yes, that's what I'm saying, it seems that you aren't going to go back to the Lisa that I know. You have convinced me and your father that you are serious about this ......relationship."

"I'm very serious. Uhm.....mom, can I talk you and dad into coming out to Greenbelt tomorrow and have us sit down and hash this whole thing out?" The small woman was practically shaking with anxiety.

Alice exhaled, she wasn't sure if she was ready to meet her daughter's dyke. But if they were going to mend fences, she was going to have to meet the woman eventually. "Okay, give me the directions."

*******

Lisa had been up since six am, she was too nervous to sleep. Her parents were coming over that afternoon, and she wanted to make sure that things were perfect.

She and Dani had decided that it was still warm enough to put something on the grill, and hopefully set a relaxing atmosphere to have a very tense conversation.

It was nine o'clock in the morning when Lisa heard her partner enter the kitchen, the smaller woman pulled a mug out of the cabinet and filled it with coffee before setting it in front of her sleep rumpled lover.

"What are you doing up this early on a Saturday sweetheart."

The tall woman blew on the hot liquid before she took a sip. "I rolled over to snuggle with you and grabbed a cold pillow instead. She took another sip of coffee. "How long have you been awake Beth?"

The blonde woman looked at the clock on the wall before she responded. "Oh, about three hours."

"I know this meeting has you in knots baby. Is there anything I can do to ease your nerves?"

"Can you sprinkle some fairy dust around to enchant the house so that nothing negative can be said today?"

Dani got up from the table and left the kitchen, she returned with a can of air freshener and did leaps and jumps while she sprayed it around the room. "Will that do?"

Lisa's head fell back against the chair as laughter erupted from her lips. "I have said it once and I'll say it a million times....you are so goofy baby."

Dani gave her partner that lopsided grin that only she could pull off. Lisa was more relaxed, and that's what she had wanted to accomplish.

*******

When Herman turned down the tree lined street that his daughter lived on, he was impressed. He and Alice were not sure what they expected, but for some reason, normal wasn't it.

Alice took in the well manicured lawns and fenced in yards and a small smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.

"Well Manny, it looks like our little girl is living the American dream.......in a very warped way."

Herman turned and looked at his wife briefly and then turned back to the street. "Isn't that what you always wanted for her honey?"

"Not like this."

"Are you going to be able to do this Alice?"

The blonde woman exhaled and looked into the eyes that were so much like her daughter's. "I have to Manny, if we don't fix this now, we will lose our only daughter for good, and I don't want that."

Herman gently squeezed his wife's hand. "Today, we will lay the foundation to re-build our relationship with our baby girl."

*******

Lisa was pacing and constantly looking out of the front window. "Why did I send Dani to the store for a bag of ice; where did that irrational thought of running out of ice come from? I wish she would hurry back."

The small blonde saw here parent's car pull into the driveway, and her heart tried to beat out of her chest. She realized that she needed to take a few deep breaths and slow the rhythm or Dani would be screeching tires out front any minute.

She finally calmed herself a little and waited for the doorbell to chime. It didn't take long. She took a steadying breath and opened the front door.

Her first look at her parents showed her where she came from. She and her mother were not only the same height, but she inherited her blonde hair. Her father was a tall man with light brown hair with green eyes that mirrored her own.

When the door swung open and Lisa's parent's got their first look at her in nearly six months, they couldn't believe their eyes. The small teacher radiated joy, it came from her very being......... she was happy.

Lisa stepped back and invited her parents into her home, and directed them to the large sofa.

"Mom, dad, can I get something for you?"

Her parents looked at each other and declined.

Lisa sat across from them and inhaled. "I can't tell you how happy I am to see you. I have missed you both very much."

Alice had to bite back the sarcasm that wanted to erupt and decided to take the high road and not forget why they were there.

"We are happy to see you too Lisa. Deciding to extend the olive branch just a little more, Alice asked where Lisa's 'friend' was.

"She went to the store to get a bag of ice to fill the cooler. We thought we would use the grill since it is still warm out."

Herman nodded his head. "That is a good idea. So Lisa, how about showing us where the grilling is going to take place."

Lisa smiled brightly and led her parents out back.

*******

Dani spotted the unfamiliar car immediately, she had hopped to be back before Lisa's parents arrived. She pulled into the garage and took a second to build up her nerve before she entered the house.

She found it odd that it was very quiet inside until she entered the living room and looked out of the french doors.

Her future in-laws were facing away from her, and for this, she was very thankful. For some reason she felt better being able to approach them without being watched.

The tall woman squared her shoulders and stepped out onto the patio. "Beth, I'm sorry I took so long, but here is the ice you wanted." Dani walked around Lisa's parents and headed for the ice chest.

When Herman and Alice Crawford heard the deep sultry voice from behind them, they both shivered a little, and then the owner of the voice came into view.

This was not what they expected. This woman, she.......well....this woman....looked like a woman.

Khaki pants covered very long legs, a pair of K-Swiss tennis shoes warmed a pair of large feet and a t-shirt that read, 'electricians light up your life' covered broad shoulders. The black hair, high cheekbones and electric blue eyes made up a shockingly beautiful face to finish off the picture.

No, this was not what Lisa's parents were expecting. After Dani deposited the ice in the cooler she turned so that she could officially, meet the Crawfords.

The small blonde was nervous when she made the introductions. "Mom, dad, this is Danielle Kendrick, Dani, these are my parents, Herman and Alice Crawford."

They exchanged handshakes and greetings, then they sat down on the patio furniture to get acquainted.

Herman cleared his throat to start the conversation. "So, Danielle, what is it that you do for a living?"

Dani blushed a little from the use of her full name. "Please, Mister Crawford, call me Dani. I am an electrician for the local union."

Herman raised his eyebrows, very impressed. He knew that union workers were paid as much as a lot of professions that required a degree. "How long have you been doing that?"

Before Dani could respond, Lisa answered for her. "She's been doing it for the past ten years, since she was eighteen."

Herman looked at his daughter with humor showing in his eyes. "Well, thank you Dani."

The teacher dropped her head and giggled. Alice decided to try and join the conversation.

"So, you and Lisa are the same age then?" Dani looked at the older blonde and could see so many of her lover's features that she knew what Lisa would look like in twenty-five years.

"Yes ma'am, I was born June tenth and Lisa was born August sixth."

Alice found herself laughing softly at the beautiful woman's nervousness, actually it was pretty cute. "I think I already knew that," Alice said with humor.

Dani couldn't believe she was blushing again. "Oh yeah, I guess you were there."

Herman cleared his throat, "So, Dani, what are you putting on the grill?"

Happy for the reprieve, she jumped-up and motioned for Herman to follow her. "Follow me Mister Crawford, and I will show you four of the thickest, most perfectly marbled T-bones you have ever seen."

The last thing Lisa heard before they were out of ear shot was her father saying. "Call me Herman."

Dani and Herman were across the yard bonding through grilling, beer drinking and talking shop. Lisa looked at her father and her lover and thought, 'She is just one of the boys, it's amazing that she can fit into any situation.'

Alice watched her daughter watch her lover and had to hear it for herself. "You really do love her, don't you?"

Lisa looked her mother in the eyes and answered from her soul with one word. "Yes."

"I'll say this, she is nothing like I imagined. I just don't understand why two woman as pretty as the two of you are, would want to be with each other, instead of a man."

"Do you think only men are deserving of pretty woman; that an attractive woman's goal in life should be to find a man to commit her to, not to ourselves and what makes us happy?"

Alice thought for a second before she answered. "No, I'm saying, you are both pretty enough to have anyone that you want, and I don't understand the attraction to each other."

Lisa smiled at her mother. "Mom, if you think about it, you kinda answered your own question."

Alice tilted her head in thought. "Oh..... you do have who you want.....each other."

Lisa smiled at her mother, knowing it was going to take some time, and hoping her mother would continue wanting to try.

*******

The four adults sat around the table finishing their meal. Lisa was cutting into her last few pieces of steak, and dipping it into her side of mayo. "Annwyl, hyn archwaethu cystal." (Annwyl, this taste so good.}

The blue-eyed woman looked at her lover finishing her meal. '"Diolch ti Beth." {Thank you Beth.}

"Ti croeso." {You're welcome.}

Herman and Alice looked at each other. Herman spoke first. "What the hell was that?"

Lisa looked at her father and swallowed her food before she spoke. "What was what dad?"

"What you just said to each other. What was that?"

Lisa and Dani went from English to Welsh and back again so often, that they didn't notice when they did it.

The blonde had to think for a second before she could answer her father. "Oh, that, well Dani is Welsh and she has been teaching it to me for nearly a year. Sometimes we don't realize that we are doing it.

The ease that Lisa showed when using the language struck Alice as odd. "You say that you have been learning this for a year?"

Lisa nodded her head in the affirmative, hoping her mother wouldn't pursue this any further. First she needed her mother to accept her same sex lover, the soul mate, past lives thing would have to wait for later.....if ever.

*******

After the meal was finished Lisa brought out a tray with a pot of coffee, cups and cake on it to wind down the meal

It seemed that Herman had unofficially become the conversation starter for the day, so that's what he did. "Well, I think that it's time to discuss the elephant in the room ladies."

Three sets of eyes, one green, one blue, and one hazel focused on Herman, waiting for him to go on.

Herman pinned Dani with a pair of green eyes that were so much like her lover's, that she almost didn't hear him. "You and Lisa are planning on having a ceremony of sorts in a couple of months, correct?"

Dani nodded and Lisa answered verbally. "Yes daddy."

Herman leaned back in his chair and cleared his throat. "What is it that you expect from us Lisa?"

Lisa looked back and forth between her parents. "Well, I was hoping that if you wouldn't be involved in the ceremony that you would at least attend."

Lisa spoke again quickly hoping that what she said next would take any pressure off of her father, and let him concentrate on just attending.

"We talked to Dani's father last night, and he said that he would walk me down the aisle if you couldn't."

This revelation didn't sit well with Herman, he didn't agree with what Lisa was doing, but after meeting the tall electrician, he had to admit that he liked her, and this was his only daughter, and it was his right to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day, especially since he didn't get the chance the first time around.

And even though Lisa had said couldn't walk her instead of wouldn't walk her down the aisle, his subconscious still heard the latter.

After spending several minutes contemplating, his decision was made. "Since you went to the courthouse in Upper Marlborough the first time........ I think you owe me one."

As Lisa got up to hug her father, Dani stared at her lover's back with a curious look on her face.

When Lisa sat back down, she noticed the way that Dani was looking at her. "Why are you staring at me that way?"

"I had no idea that the wedding you were trying to forget, took place in the court house.

Lisa shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, well, sometimes the underwhelming events are just as hard to forget as the exciting ones."

Dani spoke softly to the teacher. "So you didn't have a gown, or bridesmaids, or a walk down the aisle?"

The blonde head responded in the negative.

Without a second thought the electrician spoke from her heart. "I want you to do everything exactly the way you want to Beth, don't worry about the cost, just do what makes you happy."

Then she graced Lisa with one of her high wattage smiles. "After all, this is your last chance to do it the way you want it."

Herman was so caught-up in the excitement that he blurted out. "Dani, you don't have to pay for everything, let me help, after all, isn't the bride's parents suppose to pay for the wedding?"

Then he thought for a moment. "Uhm, that is if Lisa is the bride." The older man looked confused. "I'm really at a loss here."

Lisa laughed softly at her father's dilemma. "That's okay daddy, in this instance, it's safe to assume that I'm the bride."

Alice was very surprised at her husbands offer, and apparent acceptance of the situation so quickly. "Manny, don't you think we should discuss some things first?"

Alice wasn't ready to embrace what her daughter was doing as swiftly as her husband. Sure, Dani seemed like a nice enough young woman, but she was still a woman.

Herman looked into his wife's eyes and remembered her unease with this whole situation. "Yeah, you're right Alice, we need to go home and talk about this.

Dani noticed Lisa's shoulders drop, and as was her way when it came to the small blonde, she wanted to fix what ever it was that was bothering her.

"Uhmm..... Herman, Mrs. Crawford, please don't feel obligated to contribute monetarily to the ceremony, I have that under control, all that is required is your presence.

Lisa looked at her lover and smiled. She knew what Dani was trying to do, and it warmed her.

Lisa's parents took in the scene in front of them and Alice thought about the way the blue-eyed woman treated her daughter. All afternoon she had witnessed small things that the tall woman did without thought, like it was second nature.

If Lisa didn't have a napkin to wipe her hands with, before she needed to look for one, one was being handed to her.

When Lisa pulled her hair out of her collar more than once, a scrunchy would miraculously appear for her to put it up into a ponytail.

Alice couldn't believe her eyes when Lisa stopped eating her steak and stared at her plate like something was missing, she almost fell out of her chair when Dani got up, went into the house and returned with a jar of mayo and a spoon. Lisa looked up at the tall woman with nothing less than adoration shining in her green eyes.

The older blonde had to admit that she had never seen anyone so in sync with her daughter. If only Dani were a man, she would be exactly what she wanted for Lisa, everything from the love she saw that the woman had for her daughter, to the fact that she was a good provider, but the fact still remained, that she was a woman, and she was having a difficult time accepting that.

Maybe if she got to know a little more about the electrician, she would be more at ease, it seemed that Herman, having spent the afternoon talking with her gave him a better understanding of the situation.

She knew a decision had to be made, close herself off from this relationship and risk not seeing her daughter, or find a way to accept this relationship and keep her family together.

All of those months being separated from Lisa was no picnic, and if she was honest with herself, she never wanted that happen again.

The corners of Alice's mouth raised a little in a private smile. When Lisa was growing up it had always been the two of them against the three males in the house.

Now with Herman trying to bend to accept this relationship, she saw the possibility of a shift of loyalty in his direction, and she wasn't going to let her daughter change teams on her now........ The irony of the thought didn't go unnoticed by her.

After sitting at the table in quiet contemplation while the others talked, Alice finally came to a conclusion. What ever it took to keep her daughter, that's what she would do. After all, she loved her child more than she hated the relationship..........She need to get to know Dani better.

It shocked everyone when Alice spoke up, out of the blue. "Dani, tell me about yourself."

The older woman starting a conversation as if she were already talking, reminded Dani so much of her lover she laughed out loud.

Alice looked at her with a raised brow. "Is there something funny?"

Dani sobered quickly. "Uhm, no Mrs. Crawford, it's just that Beth does the same thing."

"The same thing as what?"

The dark head bowed a little "Well, sometimes she'll start talking to me as if we were already having a conversation. When you did it, it just reminded me of her. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

Alice looked at the lowered head and realized that this woman was young enough to be one of her children, and was just as nervous as one of her kids would be, if not more, about upsetting her.

"You didn't offend me, I never knew that I started conversations without any preamble." She looked at her husband. "This is news."

Herman just looked at his wife, wondering what was in store for him when they got home.

"So, let me start again, Dani, if you don't mind, would you please tell me about yourself."

Dani cleared her throat a little and looked at Lisa, she saw encouragement coming from the emerald orbs and pushed forward.

"Well, let's see. I am the oldest of three, I have two half siblings, my brother Lance, is twenty-one, and my sister Chloe, is nineteen.

My parents separated when I was pretty small and I spent a lot of time with my fraternal grandparents after my pop left. My mom got remarried to a really nice guy and he raised me like I was his own.

After I graduated from high school, I entered trade school and after five years became a licensed electrician, then I met Beth." She looked around the table. "That about sums it up."

Alice clasped her hands together and leaned across the table. "Did anyone ever tell you that you should write cliff notes?"

Dani looked at Alice with something that could only be described as confusion on her face. "Uhm, no ma'am."

Lisa's laughter broke the tension. "Mom, excuse her. She is the most succinct person I've ever met." She looked at Dani and hit her arm affectionately.

"You would think she had to pay for every word she spoke about herself. Talk about work, movies, books, music, or Barbra Streisand and you can't shut her up."

Once again Alice noticed the affection that the women had for each other. She admitted to herself, that Dani brought something out in her daughter that she had never seen before. Lisa seemed.......complete.

"Dani, how does your family feel about your relationship with Lisa?"

It was only a split second, but Alice saw the pain in those incredibly blue eyes before the wall went up.

"My pop and my grandparents love Beth, they are very excited about the ceremony. And...well...my, uhm..."

Lisa put her small hand over Dani's larger one and squeezed it. She spoke for her partner.

"Dani's mother and her sister are little less than enthused about the whole thing. Lance is happy for us, as a matter- of- fact he wants to pay for the photographer, but Marilyn and Chloe are a hard sell."

Watching Lisa take over for Dani and comfort her at the same time, was very telling to Alice. She saw that there was an equal partnership between the women. One did not dominate the other.

And neither took more than they gave. What one needed the other provided. They were a unit, and again one word came to her mind ...complete.

*******

The two women laid in the dark, the blonde head resting on the broad tan shoulder, while rubbing a random pattern on the tan chest her hand rested on, and one long strong arm held the smaller body close while the large hand rubbed the soft skin of the hip it rested on.

Lisa broke the silence first. "I think that things went pretty well."

Dani kissed Lisa's forehead. "I agree, your parents are really making an effort. I'm happy for you Beth."

Lisa couldn't miss the sadness in Dani's voice, she raised up on her elbow to look into Dani's eyes. She stroked one high cheekbone with the back of her fingers. "What's wrong baby?"

Dani grabbed the smaller hand and kissed the small fingers. "Nothing sweetheart, I guess I'm just feeling a little sorry for myself. Your folks have been against this relationship every since they found out about it, and now they are trying their damnedest to learn to accept it and move on."

Pain filled blue eyes looked into sympathetic green. "Why can't my mam be like your mother and at least try?"

Lisa leaned in and gently kissed the soft lips she found. "I don't know baby. I wish I did." Not for the first time, Lisa wished she could shake some sense into her partner's mother.

When tears spilled out of the blue eyes she loved, her heart broke. "Why doesn't she love me Beth?" Dani sniffed and her facial expressions took on that of a child, her next words even sounded like something a child would say.

"I never did anything to her. I was just me. I wasn't bad or anything."

The tall woman sniffed and then continued. "I'm not even sure about what it is that she is angry with me about, I mean, is it my being gay, or is it because I look so much like my pop, I just don't understand."

The sobs that followed tore at the blonde's very being. She sobbed right along with her mate, she had no choice, the intense emotional pain that Dani was feeling, resonated through her own soul.

She covered Dani's face with tiny kisses, trying anything she could to break through the pain that her lover was feeling. She whispered words of eternal devotion and never ending love into the ear her mouth rested against. She held the larger body close and rocked until Dani had calmed down.

Lisa finally felt the arms that were wrapped tightly around her lose their tension and relax, then she heard Dani's breaths even out into sleep.

The blonde settled herself down into the bed and waited for sleep to find her. In those moments of quiet contemplation before sleep claimed her, she knew, that if Dani ever got over her mother's treatment of her and forgave her, that she never would. The innocent part of her lover had been hurt, and that.......she could not forgive.

*******

Lisa woke-up the next morning to an empty bed. She rolled off of the side and pulled her robe off of the chair it was laying on and covered her naked body as she headed for the kitchen in search of her lover.

Dani was sitting at the kitchen table, wearing a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, reading the Sunday comics and drinking a cup of coffee. She looked-up just as Lisa was entering, and smiled.

"Good morning baby."

Lisa walked behind Dani and pulled her into her chest, before she kissed the top of the dark head. "How are you feeling this morning sweetheart?"

Dani squeezed the small hands that were wrapped around her before she answered. "I'm doing okay Beth. I'm sorry I fell apart on you last night. I haven't thought about how my mam feels about me in years."

The tall woman turned her head and looked into eyes that made her think of summer walks. "I guess I was over due."

Lisa changed her position and sat in her lover's lap. "You can always turn to me when this bothers you sweetheart; I'll never judge you, and I'll never think any less of you." She placed small kisses along the high cheekbones.

"I will always be here... to do... to say... to be... whatever it is that you need........I love you...... completely.


OCTOBER 7, 1989


Lisa stood in front of the mirror holding a knee length dress in front of her. "What do you think Cynthia; should I go for an after five length, of should I go for a full out gown?"

Before Cynthia could answer, Shirley piped-up. "Lisa, why are you playing this decision game; you know good and well that you want to wear a gown with a train, a veil and the works."

The small blonde turned and looked at her friends, giving them a wide grin. "Yeah, I guess you're right, let's get out of here and head for the bridal shop."

*******

The three friends were sitting at a table in a local restaurant waiting for their drink orders to arrive. Shirley leaned back in the booth and looked at her best friend. "Well, well, well, look at you. Picking out wedding gowns, renting reception areas, sending out invitations. Someone might think that you were getting married or something."

Lisa was nearly jumping out of her seat from the excitement of her day of shopping. "Can you guys believe this; in just over a month I'm going to be Mrs. Lisa Kendrick, that just sounds so right to me."

The waitress returned with the ladies drink orders and then retreated. "So, you're going to change your last name this time?"

"Yes, Cynthia." The green eyes took on a pensive stare. "I can't wait, I've already applied and the papers should be arriving any day now. After the ceremony I'm going down to the MVA and changing my driver's license, the name on my credit cards and bank account."

"I thought the two of you had a joint account."

"We do, but my name is Crawford on that."

"I must say Lisa, you weren't this excited the first time you got married."

Lisa stopped lifting her drink before it reached her mouth. "I didn't realize I had done it, but I have."

The other two women looked at each other and then at the blonde. "What are you talking about?"

"I told Dani that I wanted to have a wedding so special that it made me forget that I had done it before, and I just realized, that I have....... until you said something, I really had forgotten about what's his name."

Shirley smirked at her friend. "I am sooo happy for you."

"What's with the sarcasm curly?"

The hazel-eyed woman lazily swirled her drink, watching the ice mix with the liquid.

"Thanks to you, my parents are hounding me about when I'm going to 'find that special someone' my mother seems to think that if a woman that's been straight for years, can find a wife, then why can't I "

Lisa almost lost the liquid that she had just taken into her mouth. After she swallowed it, she bit down on her bottom lip to stop the laughter that wanted to erupt.

And sounding as sincere as she could under the circumstances she apologized to her friend.

"Shirley....I'm...really sorry that ....your parents want you to be ......like me." After she finished, she burst into laughter.

Shirley threw a wadded-up napkin at her two friends. Lisa and Cynthia were sitting across from her, leaning into each other, laughing so hard tears were running down their cheeks.

*******

After the ladies finished their lunch, Lisa invited them over to the house to hang out and have more drinks.

Lisa pulled her car into the garage and waited for her friends to enter before closing the door. As she approached the garage door leading into the house, she wondered if she should have bought her partner a sub and onion rings.

When she entered the laundry room, she became aware of the familiar sound, and knew she had to explain before fully entering the house. She stopped and turned to her friends.

Shirley saw the look on the blonde's face and whispered. "What's wrong Lisa; why did you stop?"

The small woman covered her eyes with one small hand, then exhaled, she knew she had no choice but to reveal her partner's habit of lip syncing to music.

She removed her hand and a little smile turned up the corners of her mouth. "Do you hear that music?"

Both women tilted their heads to listen closer, then they nodded their heads.

"Well, it seems that the love of my life has this compulsion, where she doesn't just listen to music, but she has to dance around the living room, and lip sync to it too."

The architect and the writer's eyes lit-up with the information, and before Lisa could say anything else, they were knocking each other out of the way trying to reach the living room first.

Lisa rubbed her temple and followed them mumbling. "They are already in a happy place, because of the drinks we had at the restaurant, this is going to make their day."

When the three women entered the living room, Wham's "Wake me up before you go, go" was streaming out of the speakers that resided in every corner of the room.

There in front of the fireplace, with her back turned stood, six foot of tan legs and raven hair wearing tight biker shorts that accented every well defined muscle from her glutes to her thighs, down to her calves.

Just as the song got to the part where the singer says. "Cause I'm not planning on going solo." Dani jumped off of the stone hearth, into the air and turned around to face her newly arrived audience.

Without missing a step she pulled Lisa into her arms and spun her around while singing. "Wake me up before you go, go, I don't wanna miss it when you hit that high."

When she released Lisa from her twirl, green eyes noticed that Dani had taken an over sized white t-shirt and used a black magic marker to write "Choose Life" on the front.

All she could think was that, not only was the electrician singing with the songs, now she was dressing the part too.

Dani grabbed Lisa again and started leading her in a jitter-bug. Well, it was more of a swing dance than a jitter-bug.

Their guest stood with their mouths hanging open, watching Dani spin Lisa around their living room like it was something that they did on a regular basis.

Lisa had even joined in the performance by singing back ground to Dani's lead. When the song ended, Dani glided to the stereo and turned off the power.

When she spoke, the deep voice didn't even sound winded. "Did you ladies have a good time shopping?"

Shirley and Cynthia just stood still staring, unable to speak. Between looking at Dani's legs and getting some insight into one of the ways the women spent their free time, they were dumb-struck.

Lisa took over the talking duties. She wrapped her arms around the slim waist and proceeded to tell her love how they had spent their day.

*******

Much later, after Lisa and Dani had played a few songs on the acoustic guitar and electric key board, the women were sitting around, listening to music and drinking beer.

Cynthia and Shirley were sitting on the sofa and Lisa was sitting in one of the over stuffed chairs with Dani on the floor between her legs.

A small hand was slowly massaging the scalp through thick dark hair. "Baby, when did you start costuming your lip syncing sessions?"

Blue eyes that were a little dazed from beer turned to look into green eyes that were just as unfocused.

"Today was the first day. I was watching VH-1 and they played the video, so I got the idea to recreate it."

The hand left the dark scalp and slid down to stroke the high cheek-bone. "Are you adding wardrobe changes to your repertoire?"

The dark woman smiled showing even white teeth. "Nah, just when the feeling hits me."

Lisa looked over to her friends and saw that they were in no condition to drive home. "Hey, you bums wanna sleep in the guest room tonight?"

The two women look at each other and agreed that would be best. "There are extra shorts and t-shirts and stuff in the dresser in there, if you need something to sleep in."

Hazel eyes looked into light brown. "Hell, yes I'm sleeping in something, if I'm sharing a bed with this pervert."

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "As if I would even think about giving you that thrill."

"Oh really, now tell me again...... how long has it been since your last bout of bed aerobics?"

Cynthia went to smack Shirley in the arm, but because of their over indulgence of alcohol, she missed and fell into the curly-haired woman's lap.

Shirley immediately pushed the brunette back into a sitting position. "Look at ya, trying to get into my pants already."

*******

The two women were lying in the bed in the guest room. One looked at the other and asked what time it was.

Shirley turned and looked at the clock. "Damn, it's four in the morning."

They both rolled their eyes when they heard a deep moan followed by "Oh, yessss, Beth." And then a higher voice panting. "Right there Dani, don't stop, don't stop."

Cynthia whispered. "I don't think she has to worry about Dani stopping, they have been going at it for two hours."

Shirley snorted through her nose. "What are they doing to each other; I had no idea that Lisa was this.....active."

Two voices screaming out different names at the same time, was the next sound that they heard. Cynthia covered her head with a pillow and asked with a muffled voice. "Must they always come at the same time?"

Shirley pulled the pillow from her friends head and suggested that they go fix themselves a cup of tea until the homeowners went to sleep, or passed out.

*******

The blonde and brunette were sitting at the kitchen table sipping their tea. "Shirley, did you get a look at those legs on Dani?"

"How could I miss them? That's part of the reason why I was speechless. I would say that our little Lisa has hit the jack pot."

"I agree, after seeing that body and everything that I heard tonight, I have a whole new respect for our little history teacher. She had Dani begging her at one point.....wow."

Before Shirley could respond they heard a door open down the hallway. They looked at each other and couldn't stop the smile from coming to their lips, but was able to stifle the out right laugh."

That bit of restraint was lost the moment the green-eyed woman entered the kitchen. Both women laughed uncontrollably when they saw their friend.

Lisa was tying the belt on her robe when she noticed her friends at the table. Her bangs were plastered to her forehead with sweat, the rest of her hair looked like a rat's nest, her lips were swollen and her legs were a little shaky.

She went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of juice. She downed half the bottle before she spoke to her friends, in a slightly horse voice. "What are you guys doing up at this hour?"

Shirley looked at Lisa like she was insane. "You're kidding..... right.... who could sleep with that marathon of sex going on; I mean damn... what were you doing to each other? "

Lisa leaned against the counter and closed her eyes. Her face became flushed and her stomach clenched in remembrance of all that had taken place in their bedroom. When she opened her eyes again her pupils were dilated. She didn't say anything, she just gave them a tired smile.

Shirley propped her chin in her hand and observed her friend, she had to admit, she looked well loved. "Hey Lisa, is it always like that with you two?"

Lisa blushed deeply. No one had ever heard her having sex before, let alone question her about what they had just heard. She drank a little more of the juice from her bottle before she answered.

"Well....we were a little tipsy tonight, so we were slower on our recovery than usual, but yeah, I'd say that was pretty much the norm."

Cynthia's jaw dropped and before she could sensor herself she blurted. "You gotta be fuckin' kidding me. You have been having sex like that for a year?"

When her outburst was over she clamped her hand over her mouth and started apologizing through her fingers. "I'm sorry Lisa, that's none of my business."

Lisa just laughed softly. "That's okay Cyn, I can only imagine what you heard, it had to peak your curiosity. If the roles were reversed, I probably would have asked the same thing."

At that moment Dani dragged her half awake body into the kitchen wearing Lisa's short green silk robe that barely covered her thighs. She was so shocked to see their guest sitting at the table drinking tea that she grabbed Lisa and planted the smaller woman in front of her.

She did a stage whisper into Lisa's ear. "I was wondering what was taking you so long to grab a drink. What are they doing up?"

Shirley rolled her hazel eyes. "Come on Casanova, don't tell me you are just as oblivious to how loud you two are as shrimp toast is."

Dani dropped her face into the blonde nest under her chin and groaned. "Please tell me we weren't so loud that we kept two drunks from passing out."

Shirley threw her hands into the air as she got up to leave and said. "Oh, please."

As Cynthia got up from the table to head back to the guest room the brunette passed the couple, she couldn't help herself she had to say one last thing.

"Don't worry about it guys.....the two of you are as close as I've come to having sex in a while." She smiled and winked at them as she left....... "Thanks."


NOVEMBER 3, 1989


As Lisa was pulling the pot roast out of the oven, the front door bell rang. She placed the pan on top of the stove and went to answer it.

She was shocked and surprised to see Chloe standing there. The girl was wearing her customary combination of smirk and arrogance.

After all this time, she still looked at Lisa as if it startled her to find the blonde in the home she shared with her sister. Lisa pasted on a fake smile and stepped back, inviting the annoying young woman in.

"Well Chloe.....this is a surprise, what can I do for you?"

The uninvited guest barley acknowledged Lisa's presence as she asked to speak to her sister. Lisa was more than happy to leave the annoying young woman and go to the office to announce Dani's guest.

Lisa slowly opened the door to their office slash workout room and watched her lover drawing on a blueprint, mapping out how to run wires for the job she was doing at the convention center.

Everything about the electrician fascinated the small blonde. Her doing something as simple as reading blueprints seemed to mesmerize her.

Dani felt her other half's presence, and looked up from the document she was working on. "What's up baby?"

Lisa shook herself to clear her head. "Oops, I guess I zoned out for a second."

Blue eyes twinkled and a lopsided grin appeared on the beautiful face. She understood, she fell victim to the same problem on occasion.

"I came back here to let you know, you have a visitor."

A dark brow rose. "Oh yeah?" She got up and rounded the desk she had been sitting at. When she reached her partner, she asked who it was.

Lisa gave her an evil smile and said. "Satin's Spawn."

Dani tilted her head in question. Lisa put her hand on a broad shoulder and squeezed. "Chloe"

Dani dropped her head and exhaled heavily. "What on earth could she want?"

Lisa raised up on her toes and kissed her lover's lips softly. "There's only one way to find out."

Dani straightened, squared her shoulders, and headed for the living room to see what her sister wanted.

*******

When Dani stepped out into the hallway, she turned right, in the direction of the living room, Lisa navigated her steps in the opposite direction to the master bedroom, to give the sisters some privacy, but she did leave the door open.

As Dani entered the room, she observed Chloe fingering their knick knacks like they were piles of poop.

Dani cleared her throat. The sound made Chloe jump and she put down the item that she was inspecting.

Dani spoke sarcastically. "Hello Chloe, to what do I owe this honor.

The girl looked her taller sibling up and down, appraising her. "I just stopped by to talk to you."

Dani extended her arm and motioned for the shorted woman to sit on the sofa, while she positioned herself to sit in a chair.

Dani sat down, leaned back, crossed one leg over the other and steepled her fingers together. "I'm listening."

The two sisters sat across from each other, evaluating one another like boxing opponents before a bout. Dani noticed how the permanent scowl her sister wore made her look older than her nineteen years. And Chloe took offence to what she perceived as the taller woman's superior countenance.

Dani inhaled deeply, and let it out slowly. "I'm waiting.

The younger woman turned her lips up into what was almost a snarl. "Why are you doing this to mother?"

Dani raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I haven't spoken to MOTHER in three months, what is it that I'm doing to her?"

"Don't play dumb with me Danielle."

Dani laughed a little at the usage of her full name by her younger sibling. "I don't know what you're talking about Chloe Belinda." She figured one good turn deserved another.

She knew she had hit her mark when her sister's armor cracked just a little. "You know what I'm talking about, this.....charade you're participating in next week."

Dani hated it when her sister tried to project an image older than her years. "If you're talking about me getting married, that has nothing to do with mam."

The other woman's face became red with anger. "Would you please stop using those third world terms when referring to our mother?"

Dani uncrossed her legs and leaned forward. "Last I checked....Wales wasn't a third world country."

Chloe looked at Dani as if she were conversing with someone that was mentally challenged. "What ever... all I want to know is why you are taking the time to participate in something that is not only morally reprehensible, but not even legal?"

Dani decided that she wasn't going to let her sister's nastiness affect her, and just try to give her an answer that she might be able to understand.

"Beth and I like the tradition of commitment that the ceremony represents, that's why we are doing it."

The change on the younger woman's face was immediate. Her scowl deepened, her face turned an unhealthy shade of red and she started to tremble.

She stood up and pointed her finger in her sister's direction. "How dare you. Marriage is a sacred institution. It wasn't meant to be fouled by people like you."

Lisa heard the raised voice from the bedroom and walked down the hallway, she stopped at the entrance to the living room and leaned against the wall unnoticed, to observe the interaction.

Dani stood to meet her sister's advance and looked down at her, bewildered by the young woman's venomous outburst.

"Why are you so upset Chloe? What I do in my life has absolutely nothing to do with you...or mam."

The shorter woman stood her ground and looked the taller woman up and down as if she were the lowest species of life ever discovered.

"You and everyone like you sicken me. Look at you standing there with that beautiful face and that freakishly tall body."

The words shocked Dani into silence. The attack was so out of the blue, she wasn't prepared to defend herself.

Chloe was in a zone and continued her bombardment of insults. "Those gangly arms and legs make you look like an adolescent praying mantis, and those huge hands and overly large feet are an embarrassment, no wonder you date women, that just completes the freaky picture that is your existence."

Lisa saw Dani flinch with each word, as if they were blows to her body, but the blonde knew that her partner was being damaged beyond her physical being, the little demon was damage her soul.

Before her feet got the consent of her brain, the blonde fury started towards her future sister-in-law. When she reached the woman, she watched her hand move in slow motion, like it belonged to someone else, and then she felt a small bit of satisfaction as it connected with the younger woman's face.

"Shut up, you vindictive little troll, what's the problem, jealous that you missed the beauty train? Sad that instead of having long graceful limbs, you were cursed with nothing more than stubby protrusions for appendages?"

Lisa could feel her anger rising with each contemptuous word that she pummeled the young woman with. "I think you need to take a look in the mirror, scrape off that ton of make-up from what you call a face and see what lays beneath then you'll see that Dani is the most beautiful treasure that God ever constructed."

Blazing green eyes bore into the younger woman's frightened face. "You have the audacity to call someone a freak?

You need to step back and re-evaluate that side show you call a family unit, and then decide who the freak is. Between your mother being an over-bearing shrew, and your father practically being a mute, it's a wonder that Lance is as well balanced as he is"

The entire time that Lisa was berating the stunned woman she was pushing her towards the front door.

"If one more member of your demented family causes Dani another moment of distress....I'm going to be doing jail time somewhere."

Chloe looked into the slightly crazed green eyes, and knew that the blonde woman wasn't exaggerating. She rubbed her face where it still burned from the slap, and reached for the door knob that was now digging into her back.

Dani was pulled out of her daze the moment her partner slapped her sister's face. With each word that Lisa spoke in her defense, the damage caused by the woman's cruel words was healed.

Lisa reached around the younger woman and twisted doorknob with a force that left no question of her anger, and pulled the door open.

As she pushed the intruder out, Dani came up behind her and wrapped her long arm around her love's upper body, to stop her from following the shocked redhead out of the door.

"Chloe, if you ever come here again, it won't be Beth that you have to worry about. I'll personally kick your arrogant ass out the door.

And then with absolute clarity, she knew why her sister had come over....Oh....and tell MAM, the next time she wants her dirty work done.... come herself, or send someone better equipped to take on the blonde terror, because you are wholly lacking."

The electrician pulled her partner back and closed the door. She then leaned her tall body against the cool wood and closed her eyes.

Lisa wrapped her arms around the muscular torso and leaned her head on the tall woman's chest. Dani immediately enfolded her small partner and kissed the top of her head.

They stood like that for several minutes before either spoke. Lisa pulled back and looked into the blue eyes that she loved.

"I lost control baby, mae in chewith. {I'm sorry}

Dani looked down into Lisa's eyes with nothing but total devotion shining from their blue depths. She caressed the soft cheek with a hand that was previously described as huge.....funny, they didn't seem so huge to her now.

"Never, ever apologize for defending what you hold dear. No one has ever stood up for me the way that you do, I feel so blessed to have you in my life Beth. All that I am, and all that I'll ever be, is because of you."

The couple walked wrapped around each other to the kitchen. The unwelcome visitor hadn't dampened their happiness for the week to come.

They knew that they had set in place, yet another block in their eternal foundation. Next Saturday couldn't come fast enough.


NOVEMBER 10, 1989


The sun light slowly crossed the floor until it reached two tangled bodies. The smaller of the two was lying on her stomach with her arms under her pillow, the taller woman was lying partly across the smaller woman's back and partly on the bed. Her dark head rested between the smaller woman's shoulder blades, and her long arms were stretched out so that her hands were under the pillow where they joined those of the other woman.

When the sun finally reached her face, her eye lid fluttered open to reveal a brilliant blue orb. She moaned and tried to close her eyes from the unrelenting light, but soon discovered that it was a losing battle. She slowly started to remove her hands from their nest, but was stopped by a strong grip.

"Where do you think you're going?" The blonde asked, never opening her eyes.

"I need to close the blinds before the sun burns a hole in my head."

Lisa turned her head and looked her lover in the eye. "Dani, you are so full of it. It's November, the sun isn't hot enough to melt ice, let alone penetrate your skull."

The tall woman stood up and walked to the window. "Okay, maybe I just needed the light out of my eyes."

After she closed the blinds she crawled back under the covers to snuggle with the warm naked body that was waiting for her.

Dani pressed her body into Lisa's side and started to kiss the blonde from her neck down the center of her back. When she reached the firm rear end she started to massage the globes with her strong hands.

Small electric shocks were being sent all over Lisa's body. But she was determined to stick to there plan. "Baby, what are you doing?"

Dani moved one large hand from the smaller woman's rear and slid it under the blonde to caress the full breasts that were pressed into the bed. "If you have to ask, I must be doing it wrong."

The blonde moaned, and felt her resolve wavering. "Sweetheart, you know that we agreed that last night was the last time until after the wedding."

The dark woman never slowed her advances. "I agreed to that under duress, you got me to go along with that while we were in the tub last week."

Lisa turned over so that she could look her lover in the face. "Where did the duress come in?"

Dani's eyes glazed over, and her mouth started to water at the sight of the front of her lover's nude body."

Lisa saw the look on her partner's face and realized her error. She pulled the pillow from under head and positioned it in front of her.

Dani's eyes cleared, and a pout formed on her bottom lip. "Aaahh Beth...what'd ya do that for?"

"Because you are suppose to be telling me about this duress I put you under,"

"I said okay to no sex before the wedding while you had your tongue in my ear."

Lisa raised a fair brow and laughed at her lover. "Baby, that sounds more like you were persuaded by arousal, not coercion."

Dani graced her lover with a smile as she tried to pull the pillow off of her body.

Lisa slapped the other woman's hands away each time they tried to make purchase on the pillow case. "Stop baby, I'm not going to give in on this. We were occupied for hours last night, you will be fine until tomorrow."

The electrician started to whine. "Come on Beth, I'm gonna go into a coma if I can't have you, I..... I..... I think I'm gonna have a seizure." The tall woman rolled over on to her back and started to shake and flop on the bed.

Lisa took the pillow and smacked Dani in the head with it as she climbed out of the bed. "You know, you missed your calling. You should have been a thespian instead of a lesbian."

Lisa crossed the threshold of the bathroom before the thrown pillow could connect with her body. She stuck her head back out and taunted her lover. "Ya missed me, ya missed me, now ya gotta kiss me."

Before the long frame could reach the door, the blonde closed and locked it. Dani could hear Lisa on the other side. "If you think I'm going to let you get close enough to kiss me, then you are delusional."

Dani leaned her forehead on the closed door and tried to talk Lisa into opening it. Come on Beth, I'll be good, I just want a good morning kiss, then I'll leave you alone."

Lisa stood on the other side of the door and smiled. "How do I know that I can trust you?"

"I promise, just one kiss, and then I'll leave."

The blonde thought about it for a second and then gave in. "Okay Dani, just one kiss, that's all, then you'll be good....right?"

The electrician smiled and then responded, "Yes baby, just one kiss."

Lisa unlocked the door and then pulled it open. The tall naked body stepped into the smaller woman's personal space and gave a predatory smile.

The look didn't go unnoticed by the blonde. Lisa held up her hands with the palms facing the advancing woman. "Remember baby, you promised."

The raven-haired beauty placed her hand behind the green-eyed woman's neck and said, "Don't worry Beth, you know that I always keep my promises."

Just before their lips met, Lisa whispered, "For some reason, that doesn't give me much comfort."

Dani's lips met Lisa's and their mouths opened immediately, she dropped her hand from the slim neck and cupped the firm behind, her pinky fingers resting in the fold between the upper thigh and the bottom of the pliant flesh.

She pulled the smaller body tighter to her and squeezed the flesh that her palms rested against. She deepened the kiss, but didn't move any part of her body except her mouth.

When Dani felt Lisa drop her hands to caress her backside and heard her moan, she knew that she had her. Dani slowly broke the kiss and stepped back.

As she turned away she looked back over her shoulder, "See, I told you that I would keep my word."

Lisa leaned against the door jam, breathing heavily and yelled at her lover's retreating form, "You know what you did stretch, believe me when I say, I'll get you back!"

*******

The two women sat at the kitchen table having their last breakfast as singles. Dani had taken two weeks off from work so that they could enjoy a week in Hawaii, and a week at home. They were going to leave the reception and head straight to the airport to catch their flight.

The thought that was in their minds was a small thing really. Neither woman wanted to spend the night without the other. Dani was the first to speak. "Do you have all of your bags packed?"

Lisa bit down on the bacon slice that she was holding. "I think so, I checked and rechecked everything. Have you packed everything that you need?"

Dani looked at her lover and smiled. "You tell me, as I recall, you insisted on packing both suitcases."

The blonde blushed a little. Then she looked into the blue eyes that she loved. "Sometimes I can't help myself, all I want to do is take care of you."

Long fingers wrapped around smaller ones. "And you do a damn good job. Baby, I'm really nervous about tonight, I don't know how well I'll be able to sleep without you. I may not sleep at all."

Lisa exhaled loudly. "I've been having the same apprehensions. The one time that we tried to sleep apart, I ended up coming back over here because it was so stressful."

Dani finished her last bite of hash browns before she responded. "That was a really intense night. What was it; two in the morning when you got here?"

The blonde leaned back in her chair. "Yeah, it was about that. Between the stomach pains and the rapid heartbeats, I don't think that we had a choice in the matter."

Dani mirrored her mate's posture and continued. "Well, I guess we'll find out tonight if we can sleep apart."

*******

After the women had loaded their luggage into the pathfinder, they went back into the house and stood in their living room. They were embracing each other and silently experiencing their private thoughts.

Dani broke the quiet first. "Well sweetheart, this is the last time that we will stand here as single people."

Lisa squeezed the body that she was holding, just a little tighter. "How do you feel about that?"

Dani kissed the top of the fair head. "I feel like it is the most amazing thing in the world. I never thought that I would be in a long term relationship, let alone be getting married.

And now, because of you, the whole world is opening up to me. My future looks so bright, that I'm almost blinded by its brilliance. How do I feel about it? I feel like the luckiest person on this earth."

She leaned back from their embrace and looked into the most beautiful green that she had ever seen. "I love you more than anything or anyone on this earth Beth.

I know this isn't the right thing to say, but its how I feel, even after we have kids.....I'll never love anyone more than I love you."

The small blonde reached up and pulled the dark head closer, she hoped that the soft slow kiss she gave her mate communicated everything that she felt.

After they separated, she drowned in the blue depths of her hearts eyes. "Dani, I'll never love another person, no matter who it is, as much I love you."

*******

Dani and Lisa stood at Shirley's front door waiting for her to open it. When the architect finally reached the door and invited them in, she was a little out of breath.

As she closed the door she gave them an explanation. "Sorry it took so long guys. I was out back playing with Simon.

As if he were summoned, the little terrier came trotting up to welcome the new arrivals. He immediately started jumping up and down trying to get the tall visitors attention.

Dani bent down and started to push the small dog around like they were in a fight. Simon growled and tried to maintain his footing.

The terrier loved it when the tall person came over, she made him feel fearsome. The other humans always threw balls or Frisbees for him to chase and bring back, or dress him in clothes.

But this human always engaged him in combat and made him feel big, he loved it.

After Dani finished doing battle with Simon, she joined Lisa on the couch. The little dog followed and laid down at her feet.

Not for the first time, Shirley accused the electrician of trying to steal her dog's affections.

"I am doing no such thing Shirley Temple, I just make him feel like a man."

"And what do I make him feel like?"

Dani relaxed on the sofa and put her arm around Lisa's shoulders. "Oh, I don't know.....a dog? And you really need to stop putting those crazy sweaters on him."

As if the small dog understood what was being said, he raised his head and barked.

A triumphant smile lit Dani's face. "See, he agrees with me."

Shirley looked at her friend and said, "I'm gonna ask you this one more time, are you sure that you want to marry this brute?"

The blonde turned and looked at her mate, when she saw the twinkle in her blue eyes she had to smile, and when she did, her noise crinkled on the sides, that always made Dani want to kiss the tip, so she did.

"Well Shirley, it's a little too late to change my mind now, so I guess I'll have to keep her."

The architect shook her blonde curls and said, "I feel soooo sorry for you my friend."

"You know Shirley, somehow, I think this is going to turn out okay."

*******

Shirley went into the kitchen to give the couple some privacy while they said their goodbyes at the front door.

Lisa's face was buried in Dani's chest while she tried as hard as she could not to cry.....it didn't work. Dani had her face resting in Lisa's golden hair doing her best not shed any tears herself.

Lisa spoke without lifting her head. "I don't want you to go."

"And I don't want to leave you, but I'll be at Doug and Patty's, you can call me, and I can call you."

"Don't care, want you to stay."

Dani pulled back and looked into red rimmed eyes. The blonde woman looked so sad that she almost gave in. She knew that if she didn't leave now, that she might not leave at all. "Baby, I really should leave now."

"I know that I'm not being fair, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, all I ask, is that the next time we have something difficult to do, you be the strong one."

Lisa whispered, "Okay." She stood on her toes and gave her lover one last kiss. The kiss was chaste compared to their usual couplings, but it was still pretty steamy.

Dani ended it and opened the door. She backed down the sidewalk to her truck, never losing eye contact with the blonde. When she got in and started it, she turned and waved to her partner one last time before she pulled off.

Lisa closed the door and felt like her heart was breaking. She knew that she was in for a long night, her only wish was that she and her lover would make it through okay.

*******

Dani was sitting at the kitchen table in Doug's house, she had a bubble gum cigar with a plastic tip in her mouth, and cards in her hand. She looked around the table at her opponents, trying to figure out who was bluffing.

First she looked at her soon to be father-in-law, but couldn't read a thing, her blue eyes drifted and then locked with eyes the same color as hers, 'no need to try and figure pop out, it'll never happen.'

She looked at Ron and Stan. 'Uhm, did I just see a little twitch cross Ron's lip? I'll have to remember that'

When she looked at Doug, he refused to meet her gaze, he knew what she was doing, and he wasn't going to help by showing her his eyes. Then she came to the last player, Lance.

She knew that she had hit her mark as soon as she saw him tapping his foot. She leaned back in her chair and removed the sweet treat from her mouth. "Lance.....ya got any threes?"

Lance tapped his foot a little faster. "Go fish."

Dani rested her forearms on the table and pinned her brother to his seat with blue lasers. "Now Lance, we both know that you have a three in your hand, now hand it over or I'll start to tell stories about how I used to change your diapers."

Lance blew out a long breath and threw out two threes. "You are so unfair. Just wait, one of these days I'm gonna have something on you, and then I'll be relentless."

"Yeah, yeah, but until then....." She wiggled her eyebrows. "I own you."

Before the game could resume, there was a knock at the front door. Doug got up to go and answer it. As the red head was returning to the kitchen with the new comer, he could hear the teasing and the laughs that drifted out.

The room became quiet when Doug returned with Jeff Green in tow. Lance was the first to break the silence.

"Uhm, dad, what are you doing here?"

The balding man stood there twisting his hands like he didn't know what to do with them, so he ended up putting them in his pockets.

"Well son, I....well...I wanted to come over and." He stopped his fidgeting and stilled himself, then he looked Dani in the eye.

"I wanted to come over and congratulate Danielle on her up coming wedding." He walked further into the kitchen as he continued.

"Dani, I know that I haven't been much help to you over the years, at least not where your mother is concerned, but I know how important tomorrow is to you, and I couldn't let you get married without telling you how happy I am for you, I'm so pleased that you've found someone that you want to spend your life with."

The electrician sat at the table stunned, she didn't know that Jeff felt this way. Sure, he had always treated her well, and she even felt like he loved her, but never had she heard any real heart felt words from him.

The small man removed his hands from his pockets and started twisting them again. "Your mother can be a hard woman sometimes, and I have found that the best way to deal with her is to just let her have her way."

At that statement, Gildas Kendrick grunted. Dani kicked her father under the table, signaling him to behave himself.

"I don't agree with the way that she treats you, hell, I never have, and I'm sorry I never tried to intervene on your behalf. I'm ashamed to say that, even now, she has no idea that I'm here to see you, if she did...well, I don't want to think about that."

The older man was at a loss as to what to do next, so he turned to leave. "Look, I'm sorry I crashed your party, I just wanted to tell you how I felt."

Dani knew how difficult it was for the mild- mannered accountant to go against his wife's wishes and be involved with her in any way, and she respected him for doing it.

Before he could exit the kitchen Dani spoke up. "Jeff, you don't have to go, why don't you pull up a seat and join the game."

Everyone voiced their agreement. Even Gil piped- up. "Yeah, come on, I'm sure we can come up with a game of eight handed something to play."

The smile that lit the man's face made him look like a little boy that had been invited to play ball with the jocks.

"Well, if it's not an imposition. I'd like that a lot."

*******

Lisa was sitting on the floor with a glass of wine trying to figure out what her mother was drawing. "That looks like the moon and a jump rope.... is it the cow jumped over the moon?"

Time ran out before Alice could answer. The older blonde crossed over to the couch and plopped down. "Lisa that was sooo obvious."

Lisa turned and looked at her mother. "Tell me what it was, and I'll tell you if it was obvious."

"It was Romeo and Juliet."

Lisa looked at her mother like she was daft. "Mom, how was I supposed to get Romeo and Juliet from a picture of the moon and a jump rope?"

"That wasn't the moon it was an Oreo cookie, and that wasn't a jump rope, it was a necklace."

Shirley, Cynthia, Jess, and Teresa sat on the edge of their seats mesmerized. They couldn't wait to hear this explanation.

They had been playing pictionary and drinking wine for a few hours, and every time it was Alice's turn to draw, no one could figure out what it was.

The older woman continued with her reasoning. "I was going with the 'sounds like' method. You know, Romeo, Oreo.... jewelry...... Juliet."

Everyone fell back in their seats and laughed hysterically. Alice crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at everybody. "You young people today just have no imagination."

*******

It was one in the morning when Shirley's phone rang, it took four rings before she could pull herself out of a wine induced sleep to answer it. When she picked it up, her voice was little more than a whisper. "Hello"

The voice on the other end was whispering too. "Hey curly-top, put my wife on the phone."

"She won't be your wife for another nine hours stud. Hold on a minute."

Shirley shuffled down the hallway to her guest room to wake Lisa up. She quietly opened the door and crossed over to the bed where the blonde slept.

She shook the small shoulders to wake the woman up. "Hey, Lisa, wake-up." She shook her again. "Lisa, come on, wake-up." The only response she got was unintelligible mumbles.

The architect bent over and whispered in the blonde's ear. "Dani is on the phone." Green eyes popped open immediately.

Shirley gave Lisa the phone and headed out of the room, before she closed the door, she looked back at her friend and shook her head and laughed. "That.......is just sad."

Lisa cleared her throat, trying to get the cobwebs out of voice. "Hey baby, I miss you."

As soon as Dani heard her partner's soft voice she smiled. "I miss you too. I'm sorry baby, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"That's okay, the only reason I was sleeping was because Shirley poured so much wine down my throat that my brain just shut down."

"Yeah, me too. We drank enough beer to keep a bar in business. I fell asleep and then about ten minutes ago, my eyes just popped open.....and I wanted to hear you voice."

"I'm glad you did." There was a slight pause. "I can't believe that I won't see you until I walk down the aisle."

"Me either, I can hardly wait Beth, just nine more hours.....and we'll be married."

The blonde woman laid on her back staring at the ceiling. "Sweetheart, I never knew that I could be this happy."

Dani rolled over on the couch she was sleeping on and had to close her eyes to stop from laughing out loud.

. Her father was laying on the floor with a blanket pulled up to his neck, his mouth hanging open and his salt sprinkled black hair fanned out on his pillow in every direction.

"Ditto, you've changed my life Beth......I love you so much."

"I love you too baby."

"Look. I know it's late, and I'm sorry I woke you up, so, I'm going to hang-up and hopefully both of us can get back to sleep....okay?"

"Okay my, love, until tomorrow then?"

"No, until later today, bye baby."

"Bye sweetheart." Lisa hung the up and exhaled, that woman just moves me.


NOVEMBER 11, 1989


"Dani will you stop fidgeting so that I can fix this bow tie."

"I'm sorry pop, I'm just a little nervous."

Gil raised a brow before asking. "Ya ain't gettin' cold feet there are ya kid?"

Dani looked at her father with a look of shock on her face. "Heck no pop, marrying Beth is the best thing that I'll ever do with my life. I'm nervous because I'm hoping that I don't make a fool of myself when I say my vows."

Gil finished straightening the bow tie and clasped his daughter on the back. "You'll do fine, once you see that little woman coming down that aisle towards you, nothing else will matter."

"I sure hope that you're right pop."

"I know I am. Hey what's that fancy design on your shirt?"

Dani looked down the front of her white shirt, but couldn't really see the intricate design that the small pearls made. "I don't know, it's something that Beth had added to my shirt and to the top of her gown.

Dani remembered the morning that Lisa woke-up from a dream with the idea to add the design to their clothes. She told Dani that when she saw the design in her dream, she realized that it was same pattern that she always traced out on her lover's chest when they were laying in bed.

Until that dream, Lisa always thought that she just traced out random circles on Dani when they were in bed, but after the dream, she realized that she always circled one breast, traveled down to Dani's navel made a V, and then slide her hand up to the opposite breast, circled it and followed the dip in her lover's cleavage. Forming what looked like a heart.

Then she would fan out her fingers and start running them along the tan breast, making intricate spirals inside the imaginary border she had already mapped out.

When she was finished with the spirals she would start all over again. Dani always found the motion comforting, and most times fell asleep before Lisa stopped.

"I'm not even sure what it looks like, Beth gave the design to the tailor without me ever seeing it."

"Gil stepped back and looked at the pattern more closely. He scratched his chin with his thumb and index finger. "You know kid, if I had to guess, I'd say that was some kinda Celtic design you're wearing."

Dani thought about the probability of the statement. "You might be right pop. I think Beth becomes more Cymry {the Welsh branch of the Celtic race} with each passing day. I'm still not convinced that she isn't blooded somewhere done her family line."

"If not Welsh, then Irish. With that fair hair, and those green eyes, she definitely could be of Irish decent, so you could be right."

Gil placed his large work scared and calloused hands on his only child's shoulders, he stood a good three inches taller than she did, so he looked down into eyes that were the same color as his.

As he gazed into those eyes he saw what the difference was between his blues and hers, his daughter's eyes were bright and clear, they were still full of the joy that life held for her.

He took in a deep breath to start a conversation that he only wanted to have once, Gildas Kendrick wasn't a man of many emotional words, so when he did speak them, they took a lot out of him.

"Danielle....." When her father used her full name, it made the electricians heart beat a little faster, she knew that what ever he was going to say, was going to be a biggie.

"I know that I haven't been the most orthodox father that a girl could have, I know that I haven't been around as much as I should have. But kid...... ya gotta know that I love you more than anything.

Today I am so proud of you, you have turned out to be, not only a wonderful daughter, but a damned fine human being. I know that I can't take any credit for that, and Marilyn sure as hell doesn't deserve any, so I'm gonna give all the credit to you."

Tears started flowing down her face, she felt a place warming inside of her, that she never knew was cold. The gift that her father was giving to her was a healing balm to old wounds that had never really closed.

"When ya walk down that aisle today, and give yourself to that green-eyed gal of yours, you will be starting on a road to a whole new life.

Don't do what I did..... when you start your family, stick to it, hold them dear, like they are the most important things in your life....because they are.

I don't want you to be standing in front of your own kid on their wedding day, trying to explain what a horse's ass you were for being away for so long that you missed out on the good stuff."

Dani wrapped her arms around her father's neck and pulled him in close, she rested her head on his broad shoulder and whispered in his ear.

Thanks for letting me know how much you love me. And just so that you know...there is still a lot of good stuff to come.....I love you daddy."

When Dani called him daddy, the dam broke, she hadn't called him that since the day he had left them. His tears lasted only a short time, and then he separated himself from his daughter.

He cleared his throat and wiped his face, then he handed the handkerchief to his daughter. "Here ya go kid, let's clean ourselves up a little, look at the two of us in here crying like a couple of old ladies."

Before the conversation could continue, Doug, Ron, Lance and Stan came through the door. They would never know about the emotional moment that they had interrupted.

They were smiling brightly and showing their wrist. Stan stepped forward to speak for the group.

He clasped Dani on the shoulder and said. "Well sis."

It still shocked Dani how easily Lisa's brothers had accepted her as another sister.

"On behalf of all of us, I would like to thank you for these kick-ass watches. I don't know about these guys, but I've never owned one this nice."

Doug spoke-up. "You should be very careful Stan, you never know what that one has up her sleeve as a payback."

"Shut-up, shit for brains, there is no payback for groomsmen gifts."

Ron joined in the banter. "Hey.....you gonna kiss my sister with that mouth?"

Dani gave them all a lecherous gin. "Every chance that I get, and every where that I can reach."

Lance mumbled. "That's an image that I don't need swirling around in my psyche."

Dani looked at her brother and laughed. "Come on Lance, as many girls as you date, that comment should just roll off of your back."

"I know what's gonna happen now, every time that I'm with a girl, your evil face is gonna pop-up and I'll have to send her home.......or seek some very intense therapy."

The other men turned and stared at the young man. He shrugged his shoulders. "What?"

They all turned and headed out of the door, but before everyone cleared the doorway, Doug turned around and said. "That's one twisted little brother you got there Dani."

Dani laughed and pushed her co-worker forward. "So it seems."

*******

Lisa was pacing back and forth, well as best that she could in her gown. The other women stood in various places around the room and watched the bride-to-be travel the same path for the hundredth time.

"How much more time before the ceremony begins?"

Shirley spoke under her breath. "Five less minutes than the last time that you asked."

The blonde woman turned flashing green eyes on her best friend. "There is no need to be a smart-ass Shirley."

Properly chastised, the architect lowered her head and apologized. Lisa knew that she was over reacting and walked over to her friend.

"I'm sorry, I'm just tired of waiting. I haven't seen her since early yesterday and I feel like I'm going through withdrawal."

The curly-haired blonde stood and hugged her anxious friend. "Don't worry about it, I understand."

A loud knock interrupted the women. Cynthia went to see who it was. The writer opened the door and one of the attendants told her that it was time to line-up. Cynthia closed the door and looked around the room.

"Well ladies.....it's show time."

All of Lisa's angst fell away as she headed for the door. "It's about time!"

Her bride's maids followed behind her, each one giving a silent thanks that the little blonde didn't have to wait any longer.

*******

Dani stood in the front of the church in her tux, waiting for the music to start, indicating that her wait was over. She took a moment to observe her surroundings. To her right, stood, Doug, Lance, Stan and Ron.

Across from her were Shirley, Cynthia, Teresa and Jess. All four of them were wearing gowns that had cream colored bottoms with a black bodice. It matched the men's black tuxedos and cream shirts.

Both Dani and Lisa wanted their wedding party to dress like them, with just a few differences, the main one being the color of the shirts and gown bottoms. Where the wedding party wore cream, the couple wore a brilliant almost blinding white.

She looked out at the people sitting in the pews, she had to admit.....there was a pretty good crowed. She smiled at her father and her grandparents, Gil's chest couldn't stick out any further with pride as he exited the side room with her. He escorted her to the front, kissed her on the cheek and went to join his parents in the pew.

She then she looked at Alice sitting with Ron and Jess' kids, seven year old Ron, Jr. and three year old Sarah on one side and Stan and Teresa's Two year old son Davis on the other.

The electrician was overjoyed to see the genuine happiness on her future mother-in-law's face. They still had a ways to go, but everyone involved knew that it was going to be okay. Hell, Alice had even insisted that Dani stop calling her Mrs. Crawford, and call her Alice.

Before Dani's thoughts could go any further, the music started. It was time, the waiting was over.... in just a few short seconds, her heart's desire would be coming into view.

*******

Lisa and Herman stood out in the foyer waiting for their cue. "Alright daddy, we're going to do this, just like we rehearsed." Herman just nodded his head, if he had learned anything over the past couple of months, it was to just agree with a bride-to-be, it was much safer.

As the first notes of the song played on the organ, Herman looked down at his only daughter and wrapped her arm through his. "Are you ready to go get married little Lisa?"

The corners of her mouth turned up just a little in a smile, he hadn't called her that since she was fifteen and declared herself too old for the endearment. She looked-up into green eyes that mirrored her own. "Are you ready to give me away?"

The music progressed, and their cue to start walking was given. "I'll never be ready for that." He patted the small hand that rested on his forearm. "But, I'll tell you this, if I've got to give you to someone....Ms. Danielle Kendrick is a damn fine choice."

Lisa looked at her father one last time before entering the church. "I love you daddy."

He smiled down at her. "I love you too sweetheart."

*******

When Dani got her first look at Lisa, her knees almost gave out. Doug even grabbed her elbow to steady her. When he looked down the aisle, he understood why she faltered. The bride was beautiful.

Looking at Lisa walking door the aisle towards her was like a dream. Her white lace veil hung just above her collarbone, and the top of her silk gown dropped slightly down her shoulders, gently hugging the smooth skin.

The neck line plunged just to the top of her cleavage, barely revealing the swells at the top of both breast. Circling her waist was six inches of layered material that copied Dani's cummerbund and accented her trim waistline, full breast and very feminine flare of her hips.

Her gown didn't billow out like most, instead she opted for a soft silk that flowed with her movements and complimented her curves. And to end the look there was an eight foot train trailing behind her.

It seemed to happen at the same time. Both sets of eyes were able to see the design that the other wore, very clearly. Then the room fell away.

The pattern seemed to glow and then pulse, almost like a heart beat. The two women were the only ones that could see what was happening.......it was meant for them only.

The image of the design tried to burrow its way into an ancient memory in their minds, but they just couldn't grasp it. The energy that came from the symbol started to pull them together like a magnet.

When Herman and Doug felt the woman they were standing beside start to, what could only be described as float towards one another {but that's impossible} they thought that the women couldn't wait any longer and were going to try and meet in the middle of the aisle. So each man pulled his charge back into place.

When Doug pulled Dani back, and Herman held Lisa tighter, the energy stopped, and the room came into view.

Dani's dark brows dropped in the direction of her nose. "What the hell was that? I'll have to ask Beth about it later."

Lisa shook her head a little to get back some of her equilibrium. "That was strange....... I wonder what Dani made of it."

When Herman reached the front with his daughter, he raised her veil to kiss her cheek, after he lowered it back into position, he locked eyes with Dani, and slowly relinquished the small hand he was holding, by gently placing it into a large hand with long strong fingers that were patiently waiting, palm side up.

When their hands came together, the connection that they shared soared and once again, they felt whole. Blue swam in green, just floating their basking in its warmth.

Dani whispered. "You look beautiful." Lisa blushed and smiled shyly. The minister cleared his throat to get their attention. "Are we ready to start?"

The women looked at each other before they turned and ascended the few steps that led to the platform that held the alter.

When they reached the minister, they nodded their heads, that they were ready. The Minster cleared his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are here today to witness Danielle and Lisa commit their lives to each other. These days, this type of commitment is becoming more and more prevalent. My hope is that one day God touches the heart of mankind and we all learn to just let love live. That being said, I'll...." He looked at the anxious women standing before him and smiled. "Get these two joined."

"Danielle and Lisa you stand before this congregation and God to have them bare witness to your committing your lives to each other.

Marriage is not to be entered into lightly, are the two of you willing to protect one another from all that will try to pull you apart, will you believe in each other when the world conspires to deceive you, will you laugh with one another when life is good and will you celebrate each day that you are given to be together?"

The women answered as one. "We will."

At this time, Danielle and Lisa would like to share some special words that they have written for each other. Danielle, please proceed."

The tall woman's hands were shaking, so Lisa squeezed them gently to give her strength. Dani cleared her throat and started to recite what she had memorized.

"Beth......I know that it's cliché to tell a person that you started to live the day that they came into your life, but that is exactly what happened to me. I only existed, never knowing the love, joy and happiness that life has to offer. You are everything to me, I know that you are the other half of my soul." Dani turned to Doug and put her hand out for the ring. The red head produced it immediately.

Since Dani had given Lisa a diamond band on her birthday, they decided that when they got married Dani would give her a ring with a single stone in it.

Dani positioned the half caret emerald cut diamond ring at the tip of Lisa's ring finger, and then made her vow.

"Beth, ti cwblhau fi, fi cyflwyno fy bywyd at ti, ble ti camre fi camre." {Beth, you complete me, I dedicate my life to you, where you go, I go}

Dani slowly slid the ring into place. Then she raised Lisa's hand and kissed the stone.

The Minster turned to Lisa. "Now it is your turn Lisa."

The small blonde smiled brightly and recited her vows. Dani..... my love, my life. You are my alpha and my omega. If anyone were to look into my eyes, it is you that they would see reflected back. We were created at the same moment, therefore we are one.

She turned, and Shirley gave her the wedding band. Because of the type of work that Dani does, they both decided on a simple gold band, with an added twist, engraved around the band three times, in upper case letters, is the name BETH. Lisa had insisted that the band on her emerald cut diamond be engraved in upper case letters, with the name ANNWLY.

Lisa positioned the ring at the tip of the long ring finger and made her vow.

"Annwly to you, on this day, in front of everyone present, let it be known that, fi cyflwyno hon bywyd, a cwbl fy dyfodol bywyd at ti, ble ti camre fi camre." {I dedicate this life, and all my future lives to you, where you go, I go}

She slid the ring into place, and raised the large hand to her lips and kissed the band. They both turned and faced the minister.

"Danielle and Lisa have stood here today in front of family and friends, and committed themselves to one another for life, now comes the part where I make it official."

The minister smiled at the two beautiful women before he spoke. "I now pronounce you..... joined, what God has brought together, let no man put asunder. You may seal your union with a kiss."

Dani reached out and grabbed the bottom of Lisa's veil with two hands, she lifted it slowly and draped the lace fabric across the top of the golden crown.

When her wife's face was revealed, she dropped her hands from the veil and cupped both cheeks with her hands, this was the first time she had seem Lisa's face clearly in twenty-four hours.

She took a moment to gaze into the eyes that she loved, and then, she ducked her head down to kiss her spouse for the first time.

When their lips touched, both women exhaled through their noses. They thought it was the sweetest kiss they had ever experienced. They both had an urge to deepen the contact, but resisted. They pulled back from each other and smiled.

The minister turned them around and announced. "I present to you Danielle and Lisa Kendrick."

The congregation gasped as one. It hit everyone at the same time. As the two women stood before them up on the platform..... they looked like royalty.

As quickly as the feeling came, it also left, then the church erupted into cheers and applause, and the couple descended down the steps from the alter arm-in-arm, when they were safely in the aisle, the wedding party filed out behind them

When the couple reached the foyer, Dani picked Lisa up into a strong embrace and kissed her with all of the pint up passion that she was feeling. When Dani finally released her wife, they were both breathing heavily.

The electrician held on to the petite woman's trim waist tightly and laid her ebony head onto a slender shoulder. Then she breathed into a pink ear. "Fi cariad ti Beth."

When Lisa felt warm moisture on her shoulder she turned her wife's face up so that she could look down into her eyes.

"Are you okay baby?"

Dani kissed the warm neck that her lips were resting against. "Yeah, I just missed you sooo much. I never want to be away from you again."

Lisa reached up and ran her hand through the thick silky black tresses that topped the head that was laying on her shoulder. "I don't think we'll be having that problem."

The bridesmaids and groomsmen were finally arriving in the foyer. When they saw Dani with her head resting on Lisa's shoulder, and the small blonde massaging her scalp, Shirley had to tease her.

"Get your head off of that gown before you ruin it.... you big baby."

Dani raised her head and stuck her tongue out at the architect. She pulled Lisa closer and said. "Mine!"

Shirley never missed a beat. "She most certainly is, lock, stock and barrel, you are stuck with her now stud."

As the wedding party was sharing a light moment, an attendant approached and announced that it was time to pose for the wedding pictures.

*******

Dani and Lisa were on their final leg to reach their destination. After the reception, the couple was taken to the airport to catch their flight to L.A., after they reached L.A. they had a lay over before their connecting flight to Maui.

Now they were in a cab, on their way to the hotel that they would be staying in for the rest of the week. They were leaning into each other, too tired to sit up on their own.

The process of registering was done in a haze, they refused help with their bags and found their way to the elevators on their own.

When they reached the door to their room Dani swiped the card, and bent over to carry Lisa across the threshold.
Lisa put her hand on Dani's shoulder to stop her.

The tall woman creased her forehead. "Beth....don't you want me to carry you over?"

The blonde shook her head no. "I want you to carry me over the threshold of our home first."

The electrician smiled brightly. Yeah, that is a better idea."

The room was huge, it had a kitchenette, a living area and a separate bedroom. After they unpacked their clothes and changed into robes, they went out to the balcony.

The balcony looked out over the ocean and the view was spectacular. Lisa stood at the railing looking down eight floors. She had to avert her sight, because she started experiencing a little vertigo.

Dani came up behind her and wrapped her arms around the smaller woman's waist, and whispered in her ear. "I love you my wife."

The blonde woman turned in her spouses arms so that she could face her. "And I you." She rose up on her toes and kissed the raven-haired woman softly. When she pulled back she rested her head on the strong chest.

"Can you believe it Beth, we did it, we're finally married." She kissed the top of the fair head.

The shorter woman pulled back a little and gazed into her wife's blue eyes. "It's like a fairytale." She reached up and gently stroked the angular face above her.

"I can't believe that this is my life. I never imagined that I could be so happy. You are like magic."

Dani looked down at her love and smiled. "If there is any magic in me....it's because you put it there Beth. I meant what I said. I didn't start living until you entered my life."

The small blonde laced her fingers behind her spouses strong neck anad pulled her mouth down for a kiss. It started out slow and soft, and then it deepened and became desperate and hungry.

Both women stated breathing heavy through flared nostrils, but neither wanting to break the contact so that they could get more air into their lungs.

Lisa pressed herself closer to her mate, and moved her hands up to tangle in the black strands. Dani dropped both of her hands from the smaller woman's waist and cupped her robe covered rear.

The smaller woman worked her thigh between two tan legs and pressed into the damp curls she found their. Dani readjusted and found that Lisa was just as wet.

Both women moaned and pressed tighter together. Lisa dropped her hands from Dani's hair and copied her wife's motion by cupping her rear.

Now they were pulling each other in closer, and rocking together. Lisa broke the kiss and panted. "Bed now."

Dani bent her knees and carried the blonde to the bedroom. When she sat Lisa's feet on the floor, the teacher quickly removed her robe, pulled back the covers and climbed into the bed naked.

Dani wasted no time following suit. The long body climbed into the bed and was pulled on top of the smaller woman.

The urgency that they were experiencing felt like it was fueled by an outside influence. They were almost out of control. Something was guiding them to consummate their commitment as quickly as possible.

The blonde captured her mate's lips again and started to devoir the tall woman's mouth. She pulled away and gazed into azure pools. "I love you so much, you are my life."

Dani was lost in the green depths. "And you are mine, I couldn't go on without you."

They resumed their kiss and moved to straddle each other's thigh. Lisa's legs opened and Dani moved into place.

Before they knew it, they were in a rhythm that neither had set. It set itself. The tall woman's forearms rested on both sides of the blonde head. The heat that was building up between them was all consuming.

One long arm left the side of the smaller woman's head. Simultaneously they reached down to enter each other. The connection was made smoothly, and they never lost their rhythm. They kissed deeply and sucked each other's tongues to match their stroking, it was all so intense.

Dani felt herself rising and broke the kiss. Her level of arousal was so heightened, that she could barely speak.

"Beth, look at me" Green eyes opened, they were blazing with desire. "Look at me while we do this...together."

Lisa nodded her head and maintained eye contact as her orgasm came rolling through her. At the exact same moment Dani's release surged forward.

The impact of their combined release was like a force of nature. The shockwaves that it caused created ripples of energy that filled the entire room. All movement stopped.... Blue held green in a trance.

At that moment, both women experienced the same thing.... right before their eyes, in rapid succession, past lives presented themselves. None showing long enough to remember, but a knowing was imprinted in the women's sub-conscience.

Both women's eyes were open, but they were unseeing. Lisa's spirit thrust out of her body and traveled through Dani, pulling her partner's spirit along with hers into the energy charged room.

Both ethereal beings hovered above the couple, participating in a mating dance of their own, binding the two women even closer, making them become...... one.

The newlyweds were having a spiritual release that comes with an orgasm. It was a short period of transcendence and an expenditure of life force.

They were experiencing "Le Petit Mort" {The Little Death} in its truest sense.

This was a very rare occurrence, only true soul mates could do this. And it only happens once. When the spirits join and re-establish the connection that had been severed, the transition is complete.

The spirits dropped back into the women and they inhaled deeply. They finally closed their eyes and immediately fell into a deep dreamless sleep. Dani rolled off to the side, leaving Lisa's upper body exposed.

>From the start of the orgasm to its finish, had only lasted fifteen seconds, but it revealed hundreds of lifetimes. The women wouldn't know the full effect of what had happened to them, for years to come.

The change that had come over them this night would be a gradual revelation, and with each new discovery, the power of a love that could change the world would emerge.

*******

It was that very quiet, still time, when it is both very late and very early. The moon was almost ready to give the earth over to the sun.

The two bodies on the bed began to stir. The taller woman's upper body was on the bed, but her lower body was pinning the blonde woman down.

Lisa reached down to shake her heavier partner to awaken faster. "Baby, wake-up, you're on my legs and they've gone numb."

Without opening her eyes Dani rolled off of the smaller woman's lower body. She rolled on to her back and groaned. "What the hell happened last night?"

Lisa was trying to rub the feeling back into her legs. "I don't know, what's the last thing you remember?"

The woman rolled on to her side and propped her dark head up on her palm. "I remember the most powerful orgasm I've ever felt starting to build up in me and then......."

Lisa sat-up and scooted back so that she could lean against the headboard and pulled her knees up to her chest, once she had settled herself, she finishing her spouse's thought.

"Nothing......the next thing I knew we are waking-up."

Dani used her free hand and rubbed the tops of Lisa's feet. "Do you think we're okay?"

The small body stretched and evaluated her body. "Yeah, I think so, actually I feel pretty good, how about you?"

The tall woman repeated her wife's action. "I feel great baby, I guess we were just overly tired."

"I don't know baby, yesterday was really weird. Remember the way the design on our shirts glowed?"

"Yeah, and I felt like I was being pulled to you. If Doug hadn't pulled my arm, I think I was going to hover over to you."

"It's all just so strange, but not in a scary way, just in a curious way, you know?"

Dani moved up in the bed, so that she could lay her head in Lisa's lap. "It's like, uhm.... I wonder what will happen next, and then feeling like..... I can't wait."


Lisa dropped her legs to accommodate the raven-haired woman's head in her lap. Then she reached down and ran her hands through the tangled hair on her wife's head.

Looking out of the window she realized that the day was just beginning. "Sweetheart, do you think it's too early to call room service?"

Dani had her arms wrapped around the slim waist, her face buried in the flat stomach, and was lost in the head massage she was receiving. "Uhm........."

Lisa stopped her movements and reached down to raise Dani's chin. "Did you hear me?"

Blue eyes started to focus and the electrician smiled. "You know that when you rub my head, it's over. What did ya say munchkin."

Lisa ran her thumb across the smooth chin that it rested on. "I was wondering if it was too early to call room service."

Dani rolled to her back. "We don't have to worry about that. The kitchenette should be stocked, that's one of the perks to staying in a hotel that charges astronomical prices."

The smaller woman jumped off of the bed and headed out of the room. When she reached the galley styled kitchen area, she went straight to the fridge.

Her green eyes lit-up with excitement, everything she could hope for to have a delicious breakfast was in the cold appliance.

Without raising her head from the fridge, she yelled, "Baby, are you hungry?"

The tall woman entered the small space, holding the blonde woman's robe."

As she helped her mate pull the robe on, she leaned in and spoke into a perfect ear. "If I want you to run around naked all of the time, is all I have to do is keep the refrigerator stocked?"

Lisa tied the belt around her waist and turned around. "That, and surround the house with palm trees and an ocean."

Dani kissed the top of the fair head before she left the room. "I'll see what I can do."

Lisa watched the tall frame walk away, and thought to herself with a smile. 'I know you will sweetheart.'

*******

The week was coming to an end, and the women had enjoyed all that the island had to offer, from walks on the beach, to scuba diving, to attending a luau.

They were out on the balcony sharing a lounge chair and letting the ocean breeze wash over them. Lisa snuggled deeper into the strong body behind her. "Do you think it's still called an ocean breeze this high up?"

Dani was used to the topics of conversation coming from nowhere by now, so she answered the question without a thought. "I don't know, but I choose to think so."

"I'll never forget this place." She looked up into clear blue eyes. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."

Dani pulled Lisa closer. "I think we need to start a mutual appreciation club because, you are everything to me."

Lisa kissed the warm skin that her head rested on. "Do you think we'll always feel this way?"

Dani ducked her head and kissed her wife's lips. "I know we will."


JANUARY 11, 1990


When Dani arrived home from work, she was greeted by a scene that was becoming the norm. Lisa was sitting at the dining room table with books and all sorts of paper work surrounding her.

The teacher was waist deep into her research on the best way to start a preparatory school. She was now looking into the pros and cons of having government funding.

The tall woman stood at the stove and lifted the lids from the pots on the stove. She inhaled the delicious aromas that filled her senses.

"Uhm......." The electrician raised her voice so that her wife could hear her. "Baby, you know how much I love a good thick stew on a cold day."

Lisa allowed a small smile to tug at the corners of her mouth. "Well, you know that I aim to please."

By this time the raven-haired woman had made her way into the dining room and was bending down to kiss the sweet smelling neck of her mate.

"And please you do. How was your day sweetheart?"

The small blonde dropped the pen that resting between her fingers and stretched out her body, while still sitting in the chair. "Pretty good, I received a few more pamphlets in the mail today. So I'm looking them over."

Dani went down the hallway and was shedding her clothes with each step. Lisa put down the paper that she was reading and tilted her head to the side.

"Danielle Kendrick, are you leaving a trail of clothes down the hallway?!"

Dani rushed out of their bedroom in her boxers, picking-up her discarded clothes with each step. "No Beth, I haven't left any clothes in the floor." After she collected all of her garments, she deposited them into the hamper in the master bath.

Lisa resumed her reading with a loving smile on her face. "Gotta love her."

*******

The two women sat at table eating their stew in a comfortable silence. Lisa was a little nervous, so she spoke first. "Sweetheart, are you ready for tomorrow?"

Dani looked-up with twinkling eyes. "Oh yeah, I'm pretty excited." She reached over and took her spouse's hand. "This is the beginning of creating our future."

After returning from their honeymoon, Lisa decided that they should start their family as soon as possible.

After asking the right people, the right questions, Lisa knew how she wanted to proceed.

The blonde had already informed her mate that she wanted to have her children, so they decided that Dani would receive shots that would increase her egg production, and then Lisa would have the fertilized eggs implanted in her.

They had picked out a donor that matched Dani as closely as possible. He was tall with dark hair, blue eyes, and to top it off, he was of Welsh ancestry.

"Beth, are you sure you want to start a school and have a baby at the same time?"

"Most definitely, let's face it baby, we aren't getting any younger and we do want more than one child, so I think that this is the best way to have what we want and not have to give-up too much."

"I just don't want you to over exert yourself."

"I won't be the first or the last woman to start a family and have a career at the same time."

Dani gave her wife that lopsided grin that she loved so much. "Yeah.... but you're my woman that's trying to do it, and I'm gonna worry about you."

Lisa got up and rounded the table, when she reached the tall woman, she sat on her lap and straddled her long legs.

She then leaned in and kissed her lips softly. When she pulled back she ran her small hands through midnight black hair.

"You are going to be the best parent any child have. I am so blessed to be married to you."

Dani dropped her head onto Lisa's collarbone. "I didn't have the best examples Beth, so I'm gonna need some help from you."

Dani raised her head and looked at the blonde with tortured blue eyes. "I never want to do anything that might mess our kids up."

Lisa pulled the taller woman closer. "I have no fear that you will." She then bent her head down so that her lips were even with her lover's ear.

"You see my love, I know something that you don't seem to realize, your capacity to love is greater than anyone I've ever known. There is no way in the world that you could do anything to hurt our children."

Dani wrapped her arms around her spouse tighter. "With your love behind me, I can move mountains."


MARCH 14, 1990


Because the weather was getting warmer Dani had taken off her jacket and was working in her long sleeved work shirt.

After her crew had finished the job at the convention center, they immediately went to another job site for a major grocery store chain that was building a new store in Reston Virginia.

Until the outer shell of the building was erected and the wall studs were put in place, Dani and her crew reported to work at the warehouse that was located in the main branch of the company's headquarters.

The electrical team was on pins and needles waiting for the masons and the millwrights to get the new building up. None of them wanted to work this closely to the head honchos.

While Dani was inventorying a box of metal couplings a warmth spread through her entire body. She knew right-a-away that it had something to do with her mate.

Because the feeling was so pleasant she wasn't alarmed, so she continued with her work, and figured she would find out what was going on when she got home.

*******

When Dani walked through the laundry room and into the kitchen, the first thing she noticed was a picnic basket sitting on the counter.

'I guess that's dinner tonight' She flipped back the lid and smelled the fried chicken, then she pulled back the cloth napkin and saw the potato salad and pickled green beans. 'Uhm... I can deal with that.'

Lisa entered the kitchen and saw her wife lower the lid on the basket. "I see you have found my surprise."

Dani pulled the smaller woman into an embrace and kissed her soundly on the lips. "That's what happens when you hide things in plain sight."

The electrician released the small blonde and headed for their bedroom. "Wait, where are you going?"

A naturally arched dark brow raised at the teacher in amusement. "I'm going to change, like I do everyday."
She turned and left the kitchen. She heard her spouse following behind her.

The tall woman stopped abruptly and in one fluid motion, she turned around, bent her knees, and threw her mate over her shoulder, then continued to their bedroom.

The teacher reached down and held on by the tall woman's belt loops. When Dani reached the bed she slowly lowered her wife to its surface then gently laid on top of her.

She buried her face in the smaller woman's hair and kissed the golden silk that she found there, then she pulled back and stared into emerald colored eyes. "What's up short stuff?"

One small finger traced each dark brow. "Nothing much. I was just hoping that because it was such a nice day, that we could go down to Buddy Attick park and have a little picnic."

Dani lifted her long body off of the shorter one below her, and stood-up. "Sounds like a plan. Can I change out of my work clothes first?"

Lisa was sitting on the bed cross legged. "Yes, smarty pants, you can change your clothes."

*******

The tall woman was sitting on a blanket, leaning against a thick tree trunk. Between her legs rested her smaller mate. Lisa was rubbing the strong hands that rested on her now full stomach.

Because of the time of day, and the time of year the park was nearly deserted. Dani looked out over the still waters of the pond and sighed in contentment.

"This was a really good idea Beth. We haven't been out here since we went paddle boating last summer."

"I feel like this is a special place for us. It's so peaceful here. I remember when we were feeding the ducks, I thought.....It will be so nice to able to bring our kids here, and show them how to toss the crumbs out so that the ducks don't fight each other."

"I can't wait, I hope that those are memories that we can start making soon."

Lisa sat-up and reached into her jacket pocket. She pulled out a long slim box that was wrapped in pastel colored paper. She extended it to her spouse.

Long fingers enclosed the gift and blue eyes looked into green with confusion. "What's this Beth?"

Lisa smiled. "Open it and find out stud."

Dani unwrapped the package and opened the small box inside. A look of bewilderment covered her face. She looked at her mate. "I don't understand, what am I looking at?"

Lisa cupped the beautiful face that was staring at her. "It's a home pregnancy test, and that line means that the test is positive."

The electrician's brain was still not connecting. "Positive for what?"

Lisa leaned in and kissed her dense wife. "I am going to have your baby Annwyl. By my calculations we should be able to bring our baby to feed the ducks sometime next June. He or she will be six months old by then."

The dark woman couldn't believe what she was hearing, they were going to be a family. Her blue eyes went wide. "We.....we......you......are gonna have a baby?"

Lisa nodded yes. Dani pulled the blonde into her and squeezed her tight. Then she held the blonde out at arms length.

"Oh no.... Beth do you think that I might have hurt the baby when I put you over my shoulder?"

Lisa caressed the strong jaw. "No sweetheart, I'm sure that our little one is well insulated."

Dani readjusted Lisa so that she was sitting in the larger woman's lap. She laid her head on the smaller woman's shoulder and just absorbed her essence.

Lisa was stroking the raven head that was lying on her shoulder when she felt moisture on her neck. She stopped what she was doing and started to lift her spouse's head.

Dani shook her head no, she spoke without lifting her head. "I'm okay Beth, I'm just happy. You have given me things that I never dreamed that I could have."

She finally raised her head and locked onto the green eyes that held her soul. "Because of you, the Kendrick family will go on for generations."