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Chapter Six






" HEY."

MELANIE NEARLY jumped out of her skin at the sound of Taylor's voice. She hadn't heard the door or her approach to the tiny office in the back of the store, so absorbed was she in the paperwork she was studying.

Recognizing the shock on the older woman's face, Taylor immediately apologized.

Melanie smiled, embarrassed. " It's okay. I tend to tune out the rest of the world when I'm working. Has it been an hour and a half already? "

Taylor looked around with amusement. Files, books, and binders were strewn all over the tiny office, Melanie in the center like a floating buoy in a sea of paper. " Actually, it's been two. Sorry I'm late. How's it going? "

" Well, I'm not quite sure yet." She gestured to the mess she had made. " You were right. Jeff's a pretty organized guy. All his records are well-kept and in order. No thanks to me."

Taylor nodded, not surprised.

" However, I don't think he made one red cent the whole time he's had this place."

Taylor chuckled, again not surprised. " That's because he didn't listen to me."

" What do you mean? "

" I told him he needed to specialize."

Melanie furrowed her eyebrows, an expression that made Taylor smile.

" Come here." Taylor reached for Melanie's hand and pulled her out of the office and into the store itself. She made a grand gesture with the sweep of her arm. " Take a good look at this place."

" Okay. I’m looking." She pause for a minute. " What am I looking at? "

" Size, my dear Melanie. Contrary to popular belief, when it comes to retail, size does matter."

Melanie blinked with understanding. " You’re right. You’re absolutely right. This is a tiny shop... much too small to be a general interest bookstore. You can’t compete with Barnes & Noble when you’ve only got four bookshelves. The only way a place this size could be effective is to specialize in something."

Taylor touched her nose with the tip of her finger. " Bingo."

" And you suggested this to Jeff? "

" More than once."

" Apparently, he didn't agree."

" I told you. Organized idiot."

" He must have been getting killed by the big chain stores."

" Yup. Barnes & Noble is just a ten minute drive from here."

Melanie shook her head. At least she had something to tell Uncle Phil. He'd given his daughter and son-in-law a business with potential. They just hadn't known what to do with it. Too bad. It really was an enchanting little place.

 

WHEN TAYLOR AND Melanie pulled into the driveway at Taylor's house, there was a distinguished-looking man watering the flowers out front with a gentle spray from the hose. He was very handsome, with a thick head of salt-and-pepper hair and familiar, smiling, dark eyes. Melanie guessed him to be around fifty, although his athletic build suggested he might be a bit younger. He was dressed in a smart pair of khaki shorts and a forest green polo shirt, a brown braided belt cinching the shorts around his waist. He smiled and waved as they coasted past him to a stop.

" Come on, " Taylor said to Melanie as she exited the car. " I want you to meet the gardener."

Ben Rhodes shook hands firmly with Melanie, holding on a split second longer than necessary, something not lost on Taylor.

And we're off, she thought.

" It's a pleasure to meet you, Melanie. I hope you're enjoying your stay so far."

" Your daughter's been a fantastic tour guide. This is a beautiful place you have. Sam's very lucky to have found the carriage house. It's wonderful."

Taylor was used to losing attention to her father. After all, he was a handsome, charming guy, and, although they never actively competed against each other, it wasn't unusual for Ben to ease a woman's intentness from his daughter to himself. They had never really discussed her preference for women, but Taylor was sure that there were times when he intentionally sought out a woman she had been interested in or whose company she happened to be enjoying at the time. It was a little game he seemed to find amusing.

Most of the time, Taylor let it slide, gracefully excusing herself.

This time was different. She wasn't sure why. It just was. Losing Melanie's attention to him irked her, and rather than say or do something stupid, she made a quick and quiet exit. Neither Melanie nor Ben seemed to notice, which annoyed her even more.

In the kitchen, she got some orange juice out of the refrigerator and poured herself a glass, trying not to hear the soft, lilting laughter as Ben Rhodes put his wit and charm to work on their guest and Melanie ate it up.

She chided herself for acting like a jealous teenager. After all, she had no claim on Melanie. So what if she was attracted to Ben? Lots of women were. Lots. He was a good-looking, successful, single guy. Why wouldn't Melanie want to be with him?

In the year and a half since Anna Rhodes had been killed, Ben had dated a number of women. At first, Taylor had been angry, which was to be expected really. Once she'd gotten past the feeling that he was cheating on her mother, she'd decided it was good for him to date. She didn't want him to be alone for the rest of his life. Plus, she was getting antsy living at home and was anxious to find her own place again. She'd begun to rethink her approval; however, when the front of the house had become a revolving door, and Ben had seemed to date a different woman every month. Finally, Taylor had snapped, and the two of them had had it out in the middle of the living room. To an outsider, it would have looked like a strange game of role reversal, with the child scolding the parent about his poor dating habits and lack of responsibility and how about acting his age? In the end, Ben had seemed to take his daughter's words to heart, and the endless stream of women had slowed to a trickle. Taylor absolutely did not want Melanie to become another drop in his bucket.

She sat down at the kitchen table and slowly banged her forehead on the tabletop. How had this happened? She'd known Melanie all of two days, and already she was playing protector. She had always been this way, ever since she could remember. She developed a " crush" on a woman and became her self-appointed bodyguard, making sure nobody hurt her. It had started at summer camp with Theresa, her camp counselor. Taylor was fourteen, Theresa was sixteen. Taylor had no idea what was going on. Hell, she hadn't even known what the word sexuality meant. All she had known was she wanted to be near Theresa all the time. She'd followed the older girl around like a puppy dog, always ready to help. Theresa had been flattered by the attention. One rainy day, the camp had organized a mud war. It was something they often did when the lake activities were rained out, and it was loads of fun for the kids. How often were you allowed to just get absolutely, irretrievably filthy? It had been noon and the war had been in full swing, various cabins trying to stay cleaner than their rivals, when twelve-year-old Danny Jenkins had thrown a fistful of mud that had caught Theresa in the side of the head. At her yelp of pain, Taylor hadn't even stopped to think. She'd been on Danny like a heat-seeking missile, slamming his face into the mud-covered ground, screaming at the top of her lungs. It had taken three counselors to get her off the poor kid. She often wondered where Theresa was now, if she remembered her from camp. Did she have any idea then or even now that her little shadow had been a lesbian-in-training with a serious crush on her?

She shook her head, disgusted with herself. Why couldn't she fall for a nice, available girl who would fall for her in return? It didn't seem like a lot to ask. She sighed, finished her orange juice, and headed upstairs to shower.

 

MELANIE RETURNED FROM the grocery store that evening still in awe. She'd wanted to stock Sam's kitchen, since there wasn't much more in it than some Saltines and an old jar of peanut butter, and Ben had given her directions to a place called Wegmans. Never had she seen such a gigantic grocery store. It was like a giant warehouse full of food and sundries. The seasonal aisle alone had boasted enough summer items to stock a small drug store. She'd spent nearly two hours in there, gaping at the enormity of it. She'd also spent way more money than she had originally intended.

Waiting for her at the door of the carriage house was a small bundle. Picking it up, she realized she held three tapes, six episodes, of Xena: Warrior Princess, as promised. She smiled to herself. Now, I have something to do tonight.

Her thoughts returned to Ben and the unexpected lunch invitation he had extended for the following afternoon. It had been so long since she'd gotten such attention from a man, so long since she'd taken the time to accept it, that she had sucked it in like life-giving fluid. He was charming and handsome, familiar with the corporate world, and she liked him immediately. She had been talking a little about the bookstore, and he mentioned a nice little place across the street. As long as she was planning to be there tomorrow anyway, would she be interested in joining him for a bite? Although her initial reaction to his invitation had been refusal—what would Taylor think? Sam? —as she turned it over and over in her mind, she decided to go. Why not? He wasn't asking for her hand in marriage. He wasn't asking for a relationship. It wasn't even dinner, for Christ's sake. It was lunch. That was all. And when she looked at it that way, the fact that he was more than ten years her senior didn't seem to bother her quite as much.

Her thoughts shifted focus with a sudden jolt. Where the hell was Sam anyway? She'd been gone since the previous evening.

Here it was, almost twenty-four hours later, and she had heard nothing. Not that it was unusual for Sam to disappear without telling anybody, but a little bit of goddamned consideration would be nice. I'm her guest, for crying out loud.

She proceeded to put the food away, guessing where things should go. She had purchased a lot of fresh summer fruits; peaches, plums, and nectarines, and filled a big, round, wicker basket she found in one of the cupboards with the sweet-smelling delights, placing them in the middle of the tiny breakfast table. A loaf of bread and a package of English muffins on the counter and the kitchen almost looked lived-In. Certainly more lived-in than the kitchen she was used to.

The sun had set a while ago and Melanie was changing into her sweats when the phone rang. She hesitated, not being one to answer the phone in somebody else's house. After four rings, the answering machine picked up, Samantha's flirty, sexy voice breathily asking the caller to leave a message at the beep.

" Mellie? You there? Pick up, " came the same voice as was on the tape.

Melanie snatched up the receiver. " Sam? Where the hell are you? "

" Hi, Mellie. How's it going? "

" Where are you? " she repeated. " Do you realize you've been gone for twenty-four hours? "

" We're in Toronto. We just kept driving, ya know? This is where we ended up last night, but we're heading out again soon." The connection crackled, and Sam said something indiscernible to somebody close by.

" Toronto? Sam, what the hell? " Melanie sighed her frustration. It was so like Sam to just go where the wind or a good-looking guy on a motorcycle took her. " When are you coming home? "

" Oh, not for a few days, at least. Rob wants to drive through Canada for a bit. Everything's so cheap up here, Mellie. Our dollar is worth almost two of theirs. Their money looks fake." She giggled. It was obvious that she wasn't entirely sober.

" A few days? " Melanie had trouble keeping the hurt out of her voice. " Sammi, I came to spend time with you."

" Oh, I know, sweetie, and we'll do something fun when I get back. I promise. Just keep an eye on things for me, okay? I'll call again soon. Bye, Mellie."

" Bye." She said it even though Sam had already hung up. She hadn't even asked about the bookstore. Damn her. She was always pulling this shit. She was thirty-five years old. When was she ever going to grow up? And what the hell was Melanie supposed to do now? She sure as hell wasn't going to sit around and twiddle her thumbs, waiting for her cousin's return. For reasons she couldn't explain, she felt no desire to return to Chicago...at least not yet. Her thoughts shifted quickly to the bookstore.

She could spend some more time there, she supposed. At least she knew how to get there now.

Her eyes dropped to the bundle Taylor had left for her, the three tapes secured with a rubber band. She picked it up and noticed for the first time that there was a note attached. She smiled as she slid it out from under the band and unfolded it, noting Taylor's very smooth and beautiful handwriting.

Hi, Melanie

Are you ready for your enlightenment? As promised, here are some Xena tapes for you to start with. I recommend you watch Sins of the Past first, because that gives you the history behind Xena's background and how she first meets Gabrielle.

Then, I suggest Altared States and then Is There A Doctor In the House. There are three other episodes, feel free to watch them or don't, but if you like these, let me know. There are many others. I'll stop by tomorrow to see what you think.

Enjoy!

Taylor

Melanie smiled warmly, feeling an unfamiliar flush in her body. What was it about Taylor that affected her in such a weird way? It was something she couldn't quite put a finger on. Attraction, maybe? Melanie had never been with a woman sexually, although the thought had crossed her mind once or twice during her life...usually when a boyfriend or potential boyfriend was pissing her off.

She'd often thought being with a woman would be so much easier. A woman would understand the shifting moods and hormonal swings that a man just couldn't seem to grasp. But she'd never actively pursued that line. She'd just never thought to look for an opportunity.

Maybe the fact that she knew Taylor was gay was what was giving her these weird vibes. But she was so not what Melanie pictured when she thought of a typical gay woman. When she thought of the word lesbian, Melanie automatically pictured the stereotype, and she was embarrassed to admit that to herself. To her, a typical lesbian was masculine, tough-looking, with short hair, carried her wallet in her back pocket, drove a truck, swigged beer, shot pool, and wore men's clothes. Taylor was so...not that. Just for giggles, she tried to conjure up a picture of herself and Taylor in a sexual embrace, and was horrified to discover such a vision presented itself much easier than she had expected, in a matter of mere seconds. She swallowed hard, and shook the image from her head, literally, pushing the entire train of thought from her mind.

She pulled the sofa bed out, retrieving Sam's thick, cozy comforter and pillows from the bedroom. Hell, if she's not gonna use them, I will. She made up the sofa bed, creating a sea of pillows in which one could very well drown, retrieved a pint of Ben & Jerry's Pistachio Pistachio ice cream from the freezer, and popped Sins of the Past into the VCR. Then she hopped onto the bed with the remote and a spoon, a small giggle forcing its way through her lips. She couldn't remember the last time she'd spent an evening like this, and she snuggled down on top of the covers, surprised that she was actually looking forward to it. She sighed contentedly as she sat back and hit the play button.

 

THE GENTLY PROBING tongue was like velvet in her mouth and she sucked on it greedily. Her eyes were closed tightly, and she sank into the kiss, holding fast to the naked body above hers. She wrapped her legs tightly around the waist positioned just over her own, pulling it down more solidly onto her, the weight causing her to groan with pleasure into the mouth devouring hers. She'd never felt such sensation from a simple kiss...well, okay, a positively soul-searing kiss...but a kiss just the same. She slid her hands up the muscled and surprisingly smooth back to tangle in hair lots of it, soft and silky and smelling of citrus and sunshine. Suddenly, the hips above her ground gently into her center. They felt different than usual...why? She thrust up into them, pulling her mouth away and arching her head back, allowing a sensual moan to escape from her throat. The questing mouth fastened itself to her offered neck, its owner humming with delight, as the soft tongue circled her pulse point. She thrust her hips up a second time, whispering her desire to her lover. " Please, Taylor. Please..."

Melanie sat up with a jolt, breathing heavily, sweat covering her body. There was a familiar, pulsing ache between her legs, and she was immediately aware of the fact that the crotch of her panties was stuck to her body.

" Oh my God, " she whispered, running a shaking hand through her tousled auburn hair. She'd had erotic dreams before, even a couple involving women, but never one that was so real. And never one that her body had responded to with such vigor. " Holy shit."

She fell back against the pillow, heaving a final sigh that brought her breathing back to normal.

" Oh my God, " she repeated. She wondered how the hell she was going to look Taylor in the eye tomorrow.

 


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