Stormy didn't know what to do. The streets echoed with the sounds of the sirens as they came closer but would not be soon enough. The morning dew rested itself on her and the young woman that she considered a friend for the past tumultuous six months when she had met the blonde woman at the street clinic. She cradled Anna in her arms holding her head up away from the puddle that her body had landed in. Anna felt more like a rag doll than the vibrant teenager Stormy saw come into the center. The mixture of mud and soot made her once beautiful golden locks tangled and matted with mud in between curls.
"Can you hear me Anna?" The sobs would not stop as the creaking of her voice came out. The still body on the ground of the young woman would not respond from the vigorous shaking from Stormy.
Track marks rested on the upper part of the woman's arm down to her wrist. Some holes were healed and faded showing signs of aging and attempts to leave a life that had riddled her body for so long. But by her inner elbow was a fresh mark that gave the telltale sign that no matter how far away one takes themselves from the devil the demons within us seem to always come to claim its own.
The usually rosy color cheeks were now purplish and sunken. Stormy remembered that Anna had told her of it being her nineteenth birthday in two more days. Nineteen years of pain of which few of them ever had love or happiness in them. The rhyme or reason of why things happen and who had the cosmic need to get a front row seat of entertainment at an innocent's expense.
Pulling on the soggy cupcake that sat in her coat pocket Stormy pulled it out. Her hand shook as she put the cupcake in one hand as the other brought out a candle. Several awkward attempts to light the candle brought a smile to Stormy's face. "You have to open your eyes and see my work of art that I slaved for hours on. This cake is the lone survivor of a lot of bowls and pans before it. Come on Anna."
The final flick of the lighter lit the candle wick on top of the cupcake. Stormy moved the young woman closer into an embrace placing the candle near her face and bent down and blew out the light. "I said a special prayer for you honey. Open your eyes and let's celebrate your birthday together." A pair of arms lifted Anna from her hold .
A young man with dark eyes kneeled down next to her. The young man was Jake the doctor, that Stormy knew in the neighborhood helped the paramedics that had came a minute ago. Jake had volunteered at the center starting the same day she had moved down to Pennsylvania and he had been one of the friendliest of the new neighbors she had met. The startling appearance of Anna's gaunt features caused a gasp to cross his lips and the sympathetic look he gave Stormy let her know that the little blonde had touched his life too.
In half an hour, arriving in the new town Stormy moved to, she had met the two most important people in her life for the past year. Jake, the young intern and her new best friend Anna. The transfer caused the first time that Stormy had ever left her San Francisco home. Her family lived there for over thirty years in a grey colored Victorian and all her friends since grade school still lived in the same neighborhood. Since she was a little girl she wanted to work with others less fortunate than herself and the new job involved her with drug addicts and others who suffered from chronic homelessness.
The two paramedics moved Anna on a gurney checking for signs of breathing. Jake's wayward knee went on the gurney and the other straddling Anna. His hands put pressure on the upper part of her chest as his mouth pushed air into her lungs. He repeated the motion pressing down on her chest then pushing air into her lungs. The routine became almost ballet in motion as Stormy looked on. His eyes met Stormy's as she pleaded for him to not to stop and to save Anna.
Those lips that Jake attempted to breath life through were the first thing that she noticed about the attractive blonde woman as she waited for her to pour her some soup in a bowl. The worn cotton jacket on top of three layers of clothing made the small woman look a little larger than she really was. Dirt covered her right cheek and a fragrance emanating from her body was a combination of sweat and roses. The last thing struck Stormy as strange to smell something that reminded her of her Mother's garden and made her homesick. After feeding the lunch time crowd she found Ana still hanging around the center. Remembering that a new shipment of donated clothes had come in would be a great way to start off a conversation with her.
Stormy wasn't the type to use the center to stalk women but something about the blonde made her seek her out. The greenest eyes looked up to Stormy when she tapped Anna on the shoulder surprising the blonde who was preoccupied with her duffle bag she was packing up. Inviting Anna wasn't an easy task since the young woman didn't want any of the clothes in the donation room. Stormy pleaded and enlightened Anna to the fact that she was new and it would look bad if she couldn't get visitors to participate and take advantage of the services offered. The pout caused what was the first time she had seen Anna's smile come across her face.
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First embarrassments should always be forgiven Stormy thought, especially if they are caused by the other person. Stormy pulled out some shirts and pants she thought would fit Anna. The blonde was not shy as she stripped down to her underwear sans a bra revealing small but perky breast.
Seeing the toned body of the young woman reminded her of a Greek sculptor of an Amazon. Comparing the clothes in her hand and the slender body in front of her caused Stormy to pause and tighten her hold on the article of clothing. The blonde wanted the clothes and the two women tugged back and forth between them. Pulling the hardest Anna won the struggle and held a pair of pants in her hand and smirked with the satisfaction of victory. As the pants slowly pulled up the blonde's legs Stormy hoped it wouldn't be as bad as she thought it was, Anna clasped the top of the zipper as it went all the way up. Stormy darted her eyes away from the breast and as soon as the zipper clicked into place the pants dropped down to the ground again displaying the perfect almost naked body. The pants were two sizes too big with little help from the belt Stormy gave to her. The small body of the blonde drowned in layers of clothing. The pants could of made a tent for two if they were a forest green color.
Stormy tried to hold down her laughter at the other woman's expense, but a burst of laughter filled the room igniting the wraith of the blonde. The perfect smile returned to Anna's face, after a few pleas and a promise to take her out to the coffee house around the corner.
A further search found pants that would fit the young woman better.
She notice a smudge on Anna's nose. Stormy moved her hand across her face hoping the young woman would interpret her gesture. After several attempts she couldn't look at the blonde's face in its' current state. "You have a little something on your nose." Stormy told Anna as the blonde missed the area she was referring to. A napkin in Stormy's hand wiped away the cream from the frapuccino. The clothes looked nice on Anna and a passerby would of mistook her for a coed studying in between classes instead of a woman who had to figure out where would be a safe place to sleep and not freeze to death for the night.
The rain came down as the two continued to drink their coffee. "So you came out here from where again? Anna asked her eyes full of anticipation as she hung on every word that Stormy said.
"San Francisco." Stormy could still feel the touch of her warm cheek on her fingers as she remembered that day.
"Any family out here or friends?" Anna was sad when Stormy shook her head about not having any connection with anyone here.
"And you Anna, Are you from Pennsylvania or the area around here?"
"I'm from everywhere I don't have a place I would ever call home." Anna took a bite out of the pastry Stormy threw in for bribery.
"But where did you grow up? Go to school? Your parents?" Stormy hoped she didn't sound like a cross-examiner.
"What's with the fifty questions?"
"I'm sorry. My mother says I have a deficit for tact. I like to speed things up things with people I feel a connection too.
Anna shrugged her shoulders. "My Dad didn't take to family life and left when I was ten and my Mother left soon after. No one in the family wanted a kid to tag along or put up with " Comforting hands reached out to Anna rubbing them to show support.
"And your how old now?" Stormy asked seeing older eyes than their owners actual age, who had seen so much of life in their short time.
No comment came from the blonde. Anna stared at Stormy through each sip of her drink but would not say a word. "Twenty?" Stormy said.
"Eighteen. Could I get away with twenty?" Anna excitedly asked. A smile grew across her face and her eyes brightened up as she hung to each word that came out of Stormy's mouth.
"Maybe. It's your eyes they seem so much older."
"Well they were with me the same day I was born." Anna laughed.
"No. I meant they seemed like they know and seen more than I could ever imagined existed in the world." Stormy looked at the young woman envious of her freedom and gust for life.
"Cold nights. Dark alleyways. Getting mugged and drowned in one night . Yeah, great adventure." Anna looked strangely at the dark haired woman who invited her out for a scone and conversation while the rain drizzled outside their window next to their table.
"I'm thinking about the freedom and the ability to start fresh like this rain after its done. The air and ground will be clean." Stormy's eyes locked on to the green treasures that drew her in and she couldn't break the contact. A blush grew across her face at the thought that the blonde might see the intensity in her stare.
"Well if you ever get tired I would be glad to show you my world."
"And I'm sure it's more amazing than I could imagine." Stormy squeezed her hand again harder this time. The need to be close to this woman and to feel her touch consumed Stormy's mind but she didn't know why.
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**
The taller of the two paramedics watched as Jake worked on the young blonde woman. "Call it."
"No." Jake shouted.
"You've been working on her for ten minutes." The other paramedic insisted.
Jake worked on Anna for ten more minutes and climbed off the gurney. "3:42." Jake instructed the paramedic, who wrote the time in his journal and filled in his paperwork. The taller paramedic covered up Anna's lifeless body with a sheet. Stormy walked towards Anna as Jake stood next to her body. Jake's eyes wouldn't look towards Stormy as their shoulders brushed up against each other he moved to the side as if an unknown word had escaped from Stormy's lips said that there was nothing else he could do and he filtered slowly into the crowd.
Stormy rushed to the gurney as they lifted it up into the ambulance. The sheet was the only thing separating her from Anna and everything she had wished she had told her. Stormy dragged the sheet down from Anna's face. The now uncovered face was paler and colder and eyes that were the color of emeralds dimmed in comparison without the ray of life behind them anymore.
"I love you little one and I will always be with you. Know your not alone like you thought." Stormy whispered in her ear. Teardrops twinkled down her cheek onto Anna's lips and Stormy placed her lips where in her dreams she only dared them before. The paramedics moved the sheet back over the body and the doors closed to the ambulance shutting Stormy out as it headed down the road. The crowd dispersed as the excitement of the day was going away to a steel slab.
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San Francisco two years later
The lights bounced up and down as the flesh blended into one. The pulsating beat of the music caused an urge to sway to the tempo. The sweat of the other customers closely connected bodies hovered in the air at the club. The thickness of the alcohol slid down Stormy's throat scratching it with the rawness of sandpaper.
Cloud my mind anything to forget, Stormy thought to herself.
Her eyes darted to the succulent legs that went on for days attached to the most beautiful feet encased in a two inch heels. If, a woman had nothing else to offer than luscious feet. And that was all that desire hungered for then, that would have to do.. Gliding her eyes further up a flat tone stomach flexed as the body gyrated on the pole and as the woman slid face down straddling the pole towards the ground two size D's cup breast bounced, the one nipple was as pink, perky and upright as its twin. A long blonde woman's hair dangled as loosely sweat beads twinkled past her breast to the top of the woman's neck.
I want you.
Stormy could not think of anything else but the throbbing between her legs. Fifteen minutes ago all she wanted to do was find her car keys and leave. The night was a send off for her best friend since high school, Danielle or Danni as her friends called her. The redhead was one of the last of their friends to settle down and the group decided it was a good idea to go out and carouse. Stormy had planned on a night dining capped off with a few drinks, the other women decided to take a traditional bachelorette party rite of passage complete with strippers.
Her eyes were mesmerized by the woman even though the stage had two other dancers but none of them captivated her. Stormy wasn't sure why she went to the strip club, this type of place wasn't her style. Subjecting women as sex objects was not something she was comfortable with. She had been an advocate for women's rights even her work at the women's center involved her helping women who came from dangerous situations in their homes and personal lives. Stormy's current job was one that she had come to terms with that allowed her to help out in the community when the one job she had dreamed and trained for out of high school couldn't be pursued anymore.
Another swig from her glass burned as it went down her throat. Raising two fingers up towards the bartender a tall woman and a cutie with long, curly red hair to bring two more of the same drink she already had. The bartender placed the drinks in front of the now empty glass that Stormy put on the counter on top of a twenty.
"Keep your money it's on the house." The tall woman winked.
Stormy flirted instinctively with the woman chastising herself for the action. Redhead's had never been to her taste but it was just casual flirtation. Stormy's eyes went back to the stage and the blonde dancing as the music slowed down and the lights came on the women got off of their poles and collected the money from the stage floor. The floor littered with a variety of one's and five dollar bills.
"For a hundred forty you can have a private moment with one of the girls." Madison shouted over the music. The raven haired woman was the blunt one of the group if you wanted to know where the best time was with no questions prodded just ask her. Madison was also the one that introduced Stormy to her first girlfriend. A midnight call two weeks later and her advice to Stormy to cut a condom in the center to make a dental dam saved her from having to get up and hunt store to store for the protection. Madison said no woman is worth more than your own health so, no glove no love.
"So let's all chip in and get Danni a date." Vanja added. The blonde was the only person besides Danni that Stormy knew since high school.
A red blush grew across the soon to be married woman's face. Danni and Stormy were uncomfortable about coming, the others were more enthused about going to this type of club.
"Pick one." Madison seeing that she was not going to get any cooperation from Danni took matter into her own hands. "The blonde what was her name?" To no one in particular. "Sable I think; wasn't it Storm?"
Stormy surprised by the question choked on her drink. "I don't know what blonde you mean?"
"The one you couldn't take your eyes off of this evening." Madison smirked. "Sorry babe this one is for Danni."
"I don't want to." Danni raised her hand in a stop position. "Carol is more than enough woman for me. And besides tomorrow I'm going to have the real thing in my arms."
Stormy took the stab personally, it had been a long time since she had a warm body keep her warm let alone touch. Thoughts of the blonde danced in her head again and the throbbing on her left hand ring finger with the tightness of the gold band making it ache.
Madison walked over to the blonde, who at this time was talking to a group of men at a table. Whispering in the women's ear and whatever she said brought a smile across her face. Madison's arms embraced the other woman, who she towered over by a good five inches, the brunette gestured towards their table. Vanja and Danni lifted their beer bottles toward the stripper. The most marvelous set of teeth that Stormy had ever seen exposed themselves from the blondes mouth. The two came back to the bar next to the rest of the group.
"Danni this lovely lady would like to show you something in the back." A big wide grin covered Madison's face.
"So you're the one. Your real cute." Danni blushed. "Your fiancée is a lucky girl." The blonde said. Her hand rubbed Danni's shoulder.
"No." Directed at Madison. "No offense Miss but I'm getting married."
"We spent our money already. You have to go." Madison was annoyed.
"I've got Carol." Danni reminded the group. "I don't want to mess it up. I'm sure that I'm going to do things that are going to piss her off. I don't want this to be one of them."
"Well I'll go since we already paid for the room." Vanja moved towards the back of the club.
"I bet you will. Since we all chipped in I think we need to draw with the shortest toothpick going." Madison suggested.
Stormy hearing this idea declined but seeing the irritation growing from Vanja and Madison agreed to participate. She figured with the odds and the way Madison was eyeing the blonde there was a fix in and she wouldn't have to worry about going into the back with the blonde. As the toothpicks were placed in her hand Madison snapped each one. The logical thing to make sure it was a fair pick was to give it to Danni who had nothing to gain. The toothpicks stood upright as Madison took first drawing from the toothpicks, she smiled at her choice and Stormy internally released a sigh of relief. Vanja looked at her toothpick and frowned the length was bigger than the one Madison held in her hand.
"Here you go." Danni said to Stormy.
The brunette hesitantly took the toothpick glancing towards Vanja she saw it was smaller than the one she had, but fortunately the smirk on Madison's face proved that she had won. Again a sigh of relief escaped from Stormy, The tall brunette flashed the winning toothpick in the air.
"Let me see that." Danni eyes studied the toothpick suspiciously. "Vanja can I look at your toothpick?"
"You can have it." Vanja said tossing the wooden piece down.
Danni's eyes checked every angle of the two sticks. The other women looked at their friend this was nothing new and had learned to deal with it with a grain of salt. If, one of them left the mustard lid off or didn't twist the bread closed back up she would spend the entire night cross examining each of them for the truth.
"Madison won fair and square." Stormy reminded Danni.
"Vanja's has just one break, but the one you have Madison has two breaks on the top and bottom with a peel of wood on the side. All three picks had a clean break with just one snap each." Danni moved the toothpick that Stormy had in her hand towards her. "Even yours has just one break."
The other three women looked at Madison. The brunette raised her hand in defeat. "Okay; so I cheated. Come on Vanja has some tail waiting at home and Stormy here looks like she wants to pass out just when Sable spoke to her. It was all done in good fun."
"Looks like you won Stormy." Danni tossed an uneasy smile towards Stormy.
"I don't want to. Madison go since you want it."
"Hell no. I rather no one went than let Madison's cheating butt go in there." Vanja snapped, shooting off dagger eye glances towards Madison.
"Yeah. Go Stormy. We already paid and we're just going to loose the money. And besides the girl gets the money maybe she has some sick Mom at home she takes care of and this money buys her medicine." Madison gave Stormy gave a smirk with her smile.
"She won't get paid if one of us don't go?" Stormy asked. Wondering if there was a person in the g-string who functioned outside of these walls with the vibrating thumpa-thumpa.
"Yeah." Vanja didn't know if that was true or not.
Stormy took a deep breath and took another swig of her drink empting the contents of it with one long gulp. Amongst a rebel roust of laughter from her friends.
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**
The back room was barely lit with one light overhead illuminating the entire room. The scent of vanilla along with orchids danced through her nostrils. Stormy thought that it was an unusual combination but was very pleasing for her. A lone leather chair stood as the only furniture in the otherwise barren room.
Droplets of sweat beads dripped down her face, the room thermometer was set at around sixty-five but she still was burning up. The lights dimmed down slowly and late '70's music came on.
The dance beat filled the room from the surround sound speakers. Not quite sure what to expect Stormy sat in the chair, her eyes closed hoping that if she meditated her breathing would go back to normal. Then it happened soft fingers grazed her cheek and Stormy opened her eyes to the vision that had entranced her most of the night. A smile shot across Stormy's face.
"Ready?" Sable asked. Her body hovered over Stormy as she sat on her lap.
Dressed in a tank top lingerie and a G-string there was still something left for Stormy's imagination. The erectness of the blondes nipples was prominent through her negligee. Stormy remembered that Sable had asked her a question and she gave a nervous nod. Sable got up and held a remote control in her hand, the song that had played earlier came on again.
"Rules are as follows. Keep your hands to your sides. I can touch you but you can't touch me." Sable said in a soft sensual voice. "I feel even a brush against my tits. It's over and a big guy named Bruno comes in and makes friends with you and no one wants him as a friend."
"We don't need to do anything and you still can get the money."
"You don't want me to dance?" Stormy shook her head too nervous to make eye contact. Sable hit the remote and turned up the music. The soft skin of Sable glazed across Stormy's body. And the blonde straddled her with a leg in between Stormy's thigh.
The heat rushed up and down Stormy's body. It had been years since she had felt anything in a long time but she reminded herself the woman was only with her because she was paid to be. The burning ache in her stomach moved down to her center and as the dancer rubbed her buttocks near it. Stormy felt herself pull closer to Sable's body to increase the pressure on her center. Each stroke sent a short wave through her body and she didn't know what to do. All sense of speech left her mind. The urge to touch Sable and increase the dance they were in raged over and over in her head but she remembered what the dancer had said.
"You like it. I can hear you moan. I want to see your eyes when you come." Sable purred. The blonde stood up and the song changed to a salsa song. Sable straddled Stormy's lap facing her. "Come for me baby." Stormy's moans echoed off the walls. Two warm hands guided her to Sable's soft breast.
"You said no touching." Stormy's eyes opened up to see her hand covering two large breast.
"I make the rules. New rules." Sable's lips brushed up to Stormy's nervous mouth. Her hips moved up and down in unison with Stormy.
The soft nether folds were warm and moist as the blonde guided her in and out of her hole. Two fingers moved as she felt the muscles tightening around them. The blood in Stormy's head rushed down her body and tremors floated through her as she shook with ecstasy as the orgasm over took her body. Sable's moans joined in unison.
"I knew your eyes would be beautiful when you came." Sable stroked Stormy's cheek with the back of her hand. Warm tears cascaded down Stormy's face drifting onto Sable's hand. "Shush. It will be alright." Sable cooed into her ear.
"I'm sorry." Stormy stood up knocking Sable to the ground. It's just been a long night and I had too much to drink."
"Your not drunk. Don't be ashamed. The end result shows I'm doing my job right. Sable hand clung onto Stormy's body. "Next time you won't be so nervous I promise.
Stormy rushed to the door. Her hand held on to the door knob but she couldn't bring herself to turn the knob.
"Your not the first person who came in this room."
Stormy took her hand off the doorknob. "Sable what is your name?"
"Sable."
"I mean your real name?"
"Doesn't matter."
"I'm Astoria Marianne Saunders but everyone calls me Stormy." Stormy held her hand out. "I like to always know who my friends and acquaints are."
"Sally." Sable said after a long pause .
The way she said it made Stormy suspicious, but years working with junkies taught her people lied when they felt unsure or unsafe. She filed the thought into the back of her head on questioning the young woman. A strong grip held on to Stormy's hand. Sally opened the door for Stormy and no other words passed between them.
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The hall was full to capacity for a Tuesday crowd and Stormy worried that the thirty baked chicken in the oven might not be enough for everyone. Picking up a empty tray Stormy handed it to the server behind her who had a tray of corn and a ladle. To keep the cost down in the winter months the heat wasn't on and in the cool room the steam rose up towards the ceiling from the tray in her hands.
The warehouse that was now the center was converted into the program location with a medical clinic in the corner office and a donation room. The rooms were filled with clothes, diapers, and furniture.
No one wanting to make a new start were turn away. And at New Beginnings over a hundred families and individuals got off the street into homes. Some had other programs they went into for drug and alcohol rehab but most went straight from here to an apartment. An agreement with a local furniture gave vouchers to any graduate to furnish a home completely with bed sets and living room furniture. The only thing that Stormy still had to scour for was appliances, which had a backlog a mile long and a few of the former clients still came for a meal.
"Take this to the back and bring up five more chickens." Stormy swapped trays with the young woman who looked no older than seventeen. The day's hustle and bustle had shown the strain on her face and had caused her curls to flop down on her face.
"Katherine said that there are only three chickens left."
"Only three." Stormy sighed. She glanced across the room the lineup for the afternoon meal continued out towards the double doors at the back of the hall. "Ask Katherine if she can find some hotdogs or lunch meat that might be in the back and we can serve some sandwiches when we run out of chicken."
"Yes sister."
"Angela my name is Stormy." Stormy placed her hand on the young girl's shoulder.
"Sorry sist? Stormy."
"It's alright Angela." The young woman rushed towards the kitchen.
The haggard faces of the men, women and children that made up the line greeted her each time one of them walked up to the serving table. For months Stormy had tried to introduce a meal for the homeless and low income families in the neighborhood. Two years the project had been in full swing and by the crowd they had drawn in it was a success. An occasional, smile would greet her and she could forget all the regrets she had in her decision to come back home.
The wonderful look of pride had left her Mother's face when she dropped out of law school. Then her decision with the church without further discussion or thought she moved back home and left her work behind.
Smaller portions were served from the carved chicken. "I have some cold cuts in the back if you are still hungry." Stormy repeated as another new person moved up the serving line.
Blonde locks covered the face of the young woman who was at the end of the line. Stormy placed a piece of chicken take a quick glance up in the face was still covered with hair, Stormy leaned over the table with half her body hung over the table top and her legs bent up towards the wall. The brush of hair out the woman's face brought a familiar feature into view. The shock of it caused her to lose balance of her footing as she fell over onto the table. Stormy wiggled back and forth to raise her body up off the table. Angela wrapped a arm around Stormy's shoulder and lifted the fallen woman up.
Looking graceful in front of a former one night stand wasn't high on her list. This being the first time she had this experience and no Madison to give advice like she always did. The crude since of humor could be overlooked. It was the brunette who got her a prophylactic for her first sexual experience and drove her to the free clinic when she thought she caught something. It didn't matter that it was only was a case mono.
"Sister I don't think this is what sister Katherine was saying about getting back into the fold." Angela whispered into Stormy's ear.
Stormy gathered her senses together and knew looking up at the woman that it wasn't a mirage.
"Sister?" Sally looked back and forth between Stormy and Angela for answers.
The familiar voice from the strip club rung in her ear. As the fogginess cleared her head she knew that the one she had been thinking about for the past two weeks was in her kitchen looking at her. The grey wool jacket covered her figure but the outline of her breast shone through her blouse.
"I'm sorry did you ask me a question?" Stormy rubbed her head. Stormy hoped feigning a loss sense of her whereabouts might buy her some time. The conversation of her vocation was never an easy topic. Most women thought it was a kill joy to know they were dating someone who couldn't keep a job for more than a few months. The kitchen couldn't be considered work, but had been a consistent project she had worked on for two years. Finding a landlord willing to lease her the building for half the rent and to cover the utilities took her negotiating skills as a lawyer to get him to right it off on his taxes.
"That young girl called you Sister."
"Angela go get me an ice bag. I feel light headed." Confident in that Angela was out of hearing rang. Stormy began to explain to Sally her life for the past two years. Law school, volunteer work and being a nun. Sally said nothing as Stormy broke down her life story and she wondered if that would be a good thing or not.
"Well I guess Mom was right in saying I had the lips to tempt a holy man." Sally stroked Stormy's cheek as a mother would a injured child.
"Why are you here?"
"Madison told me where you were."
"Remind me to thank her next time." Stormy wasn't sure if it came out as sarcastic as she meant it to be. The only reason Madison did anything for someone was she felt they owed her something later. Angela came back with the ice pouring it into a bag.
"I felt a connection and wondered if you felt it too?" Sally took the ice pack from Angela, who again was sent on another errand.
"I did." Stormy shouted lowering her voice when the other patrons were looking at her. "I am not in the habit of engaging in one night stands."
"The habit that's funny." Sally buried her smile into her sleeves. The laughter turned quickly into a look of concern. "You're not still a nun? Are you?"
"No. I failed at that too." Her hands rubbing Stormy's brow was soothing and brought almost the same relief to her headache as the ice did.
"How can you fail at helping people?"
Stormy didn't want to talk about Anna. She was locked up in the back of her heart and no one was else was allowed there. The feelings she felt for Anna were not yet known to herself, so she knew there was no way she could explain them to anyone else.
"Believe me it's possible." Stormy tossed the ice pack to the side and began to stand up.
"I don't know if what happened could mean anything."
The spring rain shampoo Sally washed her hair in was one of Anna's favorite scents to use and Stormy felt the feelings and thoughts coming as she looked into Sally's eyes.
She did want to see Sally again in a more traditional setting. But how does one go from having sex in a club to eating fried dumplings at a Chinese restaurant carrying on a conversation. And Stormy didn't know the answer.
"Then I made the right choice in coming here." Sally held Stormy's hand in her own.
"I'm sorry but I have nothing to give. And if you knew what I had done. You wouldn't want to be with me." Stormy pulled away from Sally's hand and walked into the double doors leading to the kitchen.
I don't know what you are going through but I know you want me and I'm not going to give up that easily.
Sally bundled up her jacket to go back into the night. The street night lamps reflect off the sidewalk as the evening rush consumes the streets and sidewalks. Her pain will blend in with all the other desperate souls that make up the city.
The End