Chapter Thirteen

They were able to pull off the hidden truck trick for two days, but on Wednesday, Abby held Clancy prisoner in bed. The architect certainly didn't fight too hard to get free, but their playing made her late, and she consequently ran the risk of having someone in the neighborhood see her hiking down the street. She finally extricated herself and ran for the shower, Abby scampering in right behind her.

By the time Clancy saw her truck in the distance, it was almost eight o'clock. She heard a car behind her slow, then a voice called out, "Car trouble, jefa?"

Mentally slapping her forehead, Clancy turned to see Ramon's smirking visage. "No, I'm fine, Ramon. You'd better get going. Mrs. Markowitz doesn't like it when we're late."

"Just checking," he said. "This is a very dangerous neighborhood."

Clancy gave him a semi-perturbed look, waiting for him to get to the punch line. "I heard there's a woman who's been sneaking into homes and kissing young girls," he said, laughing at his joke.

"I'm not a young …" she started to say, then realized he thought she was dating Hayley. Stunned, she merely stood there, looking bewildered.

"No, you're not so young," he said, laughing. "You're old enough to go to jail!"

"You truly don't know what you're talking about, Ramon. But I can tell you that I have no interest in younger women. I'm here on business."

"Oh, sí," he said. "Funny business."

When she arrived back at Abby's, she went in to tell her that Ramon was wise to them - with a twist. For some reason, this bothered Abby even more. "I don't want your men to think you'd date a young girl - especially since you'd probably be doing it behind my back! I hate that!"

"It's okay. I don't care what the guys think."

"Yes, I do," she said, sulking. She sat down at the kitchen table and cradled her head in her hands. "I'm sorry I was so childish this morning. You would never have run into him if I hadn't been acting like a fool."

Clancy crouched down in front of her and gazed into her eyes. "Don't ever apologize for that. Having fun and being playful is part of what I love about being with you. I don't ever want you to change."

Abby let out a breath. "I hate to say it, but we're gonna have to sleep apart. This is making me too nervous. If Ramon saw you, I'm sure some of my neighbors have, too."

Clancy's shoulders slumped. "Could we squeeze both cars into the garage?"

"No, the house was built long before people had two cars. I suppose you could use the garage, but you couldn't take your truck out during the day …"

"No, that won't work. I have to be able to go check on my crew. We're taking down a big tree just a few blocks from here. I have to go over and see how it's going during my lunch break."

"You could use my car," Abby said.

Clancy made a face. "I don't think you'd want me to load all of my tools into your tiny trunk. Plus, my crew would wonder when I'd won the lottery."

Abby sighed in resignation. "I guess it won't work."

"No, I don't think so," Clancy said. "But we can still spend our evenings together, can't we?"

Abby smiled at her, delighted by the hopeful tone in Clancy's voice. "Of course we can."

The day was a particularly long one. The work went smoothly, and Clancy didn't have to involve herself much at all. But standing around watching her father's crew solder copper pipe together wasn't very stimulating. Her dad was at another site, so she needed to be present to answer questions or deal with problems. She could have gone into the house, but she knew that wasn't a great idea. The guys on the crew tended to take things into their own hands if someone in authority wasn't there, and she didn't want anything - even the smallest problem - to come up on this job. The only stimulating part of her day was the mad dash she made to the Markowitz house to check on the tree removal.

By four o'clock, she was nearly mad with longing to see Abby, but her lover wasn't home. Clancy wasn't sure where she'd gone, but she'd seen her leave right before their lunch break - making the afternoon drag even more.

She knew she should get into her truck and go home, but she didn't want to leave without having dinner together, or at least kissing Abby goodbye. So she dawdled while her father's crew packed up, then went back in through the gate the second they left. Knowing that the dogs were missing their yard, she put them on their leashes and let them drag her up the hill to see what was happening to their playground. The girls spent a long time sniffing around, getting their noses unbelievably muddy. When they came back down, the pups wanted to go for a swim, and Clancy dutifully rinsed them off first, leaving a glop of mud on the lawn. When she unhooked their leashes, they both dove into the pool, looking like a couple of especially furry members of the swim team.

All three of them heard Abby drive up. The dogs stopped their play and treaded water for a second, then put their ears back and scampered out of the pool, heading for the side gate just to make sure. They were sitting by the back door, dripping wet, when Abby entered the kitchen. "I have on nice slacks, girls. Let me put on my suit before I come outside." She waited a beat, then asked, "Does anyone else out there want a suit?"

"Sure," Clancy said. "I'm always up for a swim."

Abby emerged a few minutes later, surprisingly successful in her attempts to get the dogs to stay on the ground. "Paws," she said sternly. They whined a little, and wagged their tails in frustration, but they managed to keep all four on the floor. To reward them, Abby threw one of their floating toys, and they both flew for it, creating a great splash when they did. "How about you?" Abby asked her lover. She stood close to Clancy and kissed her delicately. "How can I make you jump for joy?"

Clancy moved a little closer, then kissed Abby's neck, staying in the neighborhood while she slowly slid one of the straps of her suit down. She moved to the other side of her neck, kissing it lightly, lowering that strap, too. She started to kiss a line from Abby's throat down between her breasts, pulling the suit down inch by inch, revealing more skin.

By this time, Abby's fingers were working at the buttons on Clancy's shirt. Their lips met while they undressed each other, Clancy waiting a few beats for Abby to catch up. Once they were both naked, the blonde took Abby's hand and pulled her along while she ran for the deep end. They both jumped into the pool, making huge splashes and compelling the dogs to race to them to make sure they were safe.

Each dog swam from Abby to Clancy and back again, forming a tiny circle of lifeguards. "Why do they do that?" Clancy laughed when Athena put her muzzle right next to her mouth.

"I'm not certain," Abby said. "But someone who knows Newfoundlands told me that water dogs can smell certain chemicals on your breath that indicate if you're exhausted or afraid. So don't look too tired 'cause I'm not sure what they'd do next!"

"Yeah, without a swimsuit, I don't think I'd want them to drag me to safety," Clancy said. "They might grab this handy ring." She put a finger through her nipple ring and made a face.

"That's mine," Abby said. She swam over to her and dunked her head under the water to playfully latch onto the ring, making Clancy giggle.

Clancy put her arms and legs around her lover, then rested her head against her neck. "I like it here," she said, smiling when she saw how furiously Abby had to tread water to keep them both afloat. "Let's stay in the pool all night long."

They stayed in until they were both wrinkled, but hunger finally compelled them to emerge from their aquatic playground. They had a simple dinner of French bread, some aged and fresh cheeses that Abby had picked up at the market, a bunch of sweet grapes and a little galia melon - so sweet it was intoxicating. They each had a glass of wine, and when they'd finished, their hunger for food was sated, but they were both craving another form of satisfaction.

Abby was sitting on Clancy's lap, sweet suckling sounds coming from their passion-filled kisses. It was getting dark, and Clancy knew she had to leave then - or not at all. She put her hand on the back of Abby's head and patted it gently, making the brunette lift it and gaze at her with smoky eyes. "Make love to me," Abby said, her voice thick and slow. "Right here. Right now."

"Oooh, baby, I want to, but we decided I should go home. Your neighbors …" she trailed off helplessly.

"I don't care," Abby said. She grabbed the blonde and held her so tight it hurt. "I can't let you go. I can't."

"I … I feel like I have to say no," Clancy said. "I'm worried you'll be upset tomorrow morning when my truck's here."

Abby closed her eyes and let her head drop to Clancy's shoulder. She didn't say anything for a minute, and Clancy was worried that she was angry. But she eventually asked, "Where are your keys?"

"In my shorts. Why?"

"Don't move," she ordered. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She got up and grabbed Clancy's shorts, rooted through the pockets and found the keys, dangling them for a moment to show she'd retrieved them. Clancy saw her go into the house, but couldn't tell what else was happening.

Abby grabbed a pair of shorts and a shirt, buttoning it while the garage door lifted. She pushed the button located just inside the garage and started to walk towards the opening gate. She was almost at the truck when her neighbor called out, "Hey, Abby!"

"Shit!" she muttered. "Hi, Steve." She kept walking, crossing to stand on the edge of his driveway. "How are things?"

"Good. Nothing to complain of. The bigger question is, how are things with you? We're all waiting to get back there and see what's going on in your yard."

Oh, wouldn't that be fun! "I'll invite the whole block over when we're finished."

He gave her a puzzled look and asked, "Have your plans changed? I see your architect over there all of the time."

Before Abby could reply, they both spotted a figure laboring up the road. "Oh, boy," Steve said, "here comes Marjorie. Can you fake a sudden illness?"

"I'm gonna turn tail and run," Abby said, but she hadn't gotten two steps away when the shrill tone of her downhill neighbor called out, "Oh, Abby! You're just the woman I've been looking for."

Making a face that only Steve could see, she said, "Hi, Marjorie. What's up?"

"What's up with you?" she asked. "We're all dying to know what's going on over there." She looked longingly at the open garage door. "Why don't you give us a peek?"

"No, no, now isn't a good time," Abby said, wracking her brain to think of a reason why it wasn't. "I just came out to get something for my architect. She's on the clock you know. I'm always looking to save a few dollars."

Still looking at the door, Marjorie said, "Oh, you couldn't care too much about cost. Your architect's truck is in front of your house every day. We used an architect to put up our gazebo, and I don't think we saw him twice! Are you changing your plans every other day?"

"No, not really. She's just very hands-on," Abby said, glad for the darkness so her neighbors couldn't see her blush.

"You must be spending a fortune!" Marjorie said. She lowered her voice a little and said, "If you don't mind my asking … how much is this all costing you?"

Mentally hitting Marjorie on the head with a shovel, Abby gave her a tight smile and said, "I don't have the final figure yet, but I'm sure we'll come in within budget."

"I still think you made a mistake to hire that woman," Marjorie said. "She doesn't look old enough to be out of college, much less have any experience. She's probably using your project as on-the-job-training."

"No, she's not," Abby said, her tone growing chilly. "I'm very happy with her. And she's not always working when she's here. She's a lot of fun to be around. We've become friends."

"Oh, Abby, this is the first thing you've done on your own. Don't mix business with pleasure. It's just not smart to fraternize with contractors."

Abby put her hand on the older woman's arm and fixed her with an insincere smile. "I'm pretty good at picking my friends, Marjorie. Don't spend another minute worrying about me." She turned and started to walk back to her own home, adding a wave delivered over her shoulder. "Night, all."

As soon as she crossed the threshold, she closed the gate and lowered the door, mumbling to herself as she took her clothes off and tossed them onto the laundry room floor.

Clancy had been waiting anxiously and was surprised to see Abby return, completely naked. She looked massively disappointed, and Clancy asked, "What's going on?"

"You're going home," she said, flopping down onto a chair. "My neighbors ganged up on me. I was gonna move your truck, but I couldn't! Steve from across the street called me over and asked what was going on that my landscaper was at my house so late."

Clancy put her hand over her eyes. "What did you say?"

"What could I say? He must think we're recreating the Los Angeles aqueduct system back here!"

"Ooh, that sounds uncomfortable."

"It got worse. The neighborhood gossip saw us talking and made a beeline for us. She tried to weasel her way into the garage to take a peek."

"Shit! She would have gotten an eyeful!"

"Yeah, she sure would have. And the entire neighborhood would know about us by tomorrow afternoon."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Positive. She started a Neighborhood Watch Program just so she could have an excuse to know everyone's business. She broke up a functioning marriage when she told a man down the street that the electrician came by his house every Friday morning."

"God damn! That's hard to believe!"

"Honey, she's the reason I'm so paranoid! She's probably talked to Hayley's friend's mother once or twice already."

Clancy's eyes closed, and she sat down heavily. "Damn!" She put her head in her hands for a moment, then looked up at Abby. "But I'm kinda glad to know you had a good reason for being so paranoid."

Abby sat on her lap and touched her chin, moving her head so their eyes met. "I told you why I was being so careful. I distinctly recall telling you that one of Hayley's best friends lives just up the street."

Clancy nodded. "Yeah, I know, but I didn't think a kid would pay much attention one way or the other. I just thought that …" She trailed off, looking embarrassed.

"You thought what, honey? Tell me."

"I thought you were embarrassed," Clancy admitted. "Embarrassed to have people know we were friends."

Abby wrapped her arms around her lover and kissed her on the head. "You know a lot about me, but there are some things you're just not getting." Clancy looked up and felt herself being pulled into Abby's eyes, dark and serious in the dim light. "I will never … ever … be embarrassed of you. I only care about Hayley or Trevor finding out before I can tell them. That's my only concern." She held Clancy's chin again and repeated, "My only concern."

Clancy put her head on Abby's shoulder, able to feel her pulse beating in her throat. "I feel stupid."

"You have no reason to feel stupid. We're just getting to know each other. I'm sure there are thousands of things I don't know about you."

Gazing at her, Clancy asked, "You know how much I want to be with you, don't you?"

Abby smiled at her. "I do. And I haven't lost my need for you. Can we go to your house?"

Brightening, Clancy said, "Sure! But it's really hot, and it's supposed to stay hot all night. I don't have air conditioning."

Abby gave her a surprised look. "You don't?"

"Huh-uh. I've got a little fan, but that's it."

Making a face, the older woman said, "I can live with the heat. But I don't like to leave the dogs here alone. They get anxious when no one's home all night."

Laughing, Clancy said, "I don't think I wanna know how you found that out."

"Let me just say that I used to have a pair of leather moccasins that I loved."

"Okay," Clancy said, addressing the girls. "We're going to rough it, puppies. I'll show you how doggies in the working-class neighborhoods live."

Michael wasn't home, so all four of them went into Clancy's room as soon as they got to the apartment. Clancy brought a bowl of water with her and closed the door. The dogs looked confused, but they jumped up on the couch when Clancy sat down. "Do you have a bed?" Abby asked, looking around discreetly.

"Yeah. This is a futon," Clancy said. "It's not as nice as your bed, but I'm used to it." The room was hot - very hot - and she got up and turned on the pint-sized fan, then opened the window to let in some hot, dry air. "I'll open the bed, so we can take off our clothes and hope to cool down." She shooed the dogs, then lowered the back of the couch, making a simple adjustment to turn it into a full-sized bed.

"This is nice," Abby said, looking around the room. "It looks like you." There were a couple of framed pictures of flowers on the walls, both by Robert Maplethorpe, one of Abby's favorite photographers. "I love your pictures," she said. "He was so gifted."

Clancy smiled. "He knew a sexy calla lily when he saw one." She grasped Abby's hand and pulled her close. "Wanna undress each other again?"

"Yes, but let's do it quicker this time. Now it's a life-saving measure."

"Maybe we'll feel better if we act like we're in my luxurious sauna," Clancy suggested.

"Oh, a little heat shouldn't stop us," the older woman said. "We make a lot of our own."

"That's what I'm worried about." Clancy quickly helped her lover out of her clothes, noticing that Abby's chest was flushed pink. "We'll feel better when we lie down and have the fan directly on us."

Abby lay down and blew out a breath. The air that moved up and down her body was almost worse than no air at all. It was as dry as dust and smelled of pollution.

"Bad day for a Santa Ana, huh?" Clancy asked rhetorically.

"Yep. I've gotten so used to the wind blowing from the sea to the mountains that it takes me by surprise when it turns around and blows from the desert to the sea. And I'd like to complain to whomever's in charge," she said. "Santa Anas aren't supposed to happen in the summer."

"I'm with you," Clancy said. "It was a tough day today. I got a nose bleed from the air being so dry."

Abby put her hand on Clancy's belly, feeling the heat that rose from her. "Are you all right?"

"Oh, sure. My sinuses don't like dry air. I should probably live in Florida."

Abby's eyes opened wide. "Don't you dare think about moving!"

Clancy laughed. "I live exactly where I want to. Florida would be my … mmm … forty-eighth choice if I had to pick a state."

"What are forty-nine and fifty?" Abby asked.

"Arizona and Alaska," Clancy said. "Arizona's dryer than California, and the growing season's too short in Alaska."

"Florida has a long growing season," Abby reminded her.

"Yeah, it does, but I hate humidity worse than dry weather. I'd just be a little wet spot on the ground if I worked in Florida."

"I feel like that might happen tonight," Abby said. The dogs were lying on their sides, both of them on the wooden floor. They were panting heavily, but Abby knew they'd be fine. She wasn't so sure about her own body, however. "I guess I'm more used to air conditioning than I thought," she admitted.

Clancy leaned up on one elbow and gazed at her thoughtfully. "I can't give you air conditioning, but I have a temporary solution. Wait right here," she said. She was gone for no more than a minute, and when she returned, she carried a large bowl filled with ice cubes. "When I'm really hot, I cool my neck and wrists down. It helps."

Abby sat up and held her arms out. "I'll take anything you've got," she said, smiling gamely.

Clancy turned off the light, then knelt behind her partner. "The first one's gonna feel pretty cold," she warned.

Abby flinched when the cube touched her neck, but it felt absolutely marvelous. "Ohh, baby," she purred, "keep 'em coming." Clancy took the cube and ran it across her shoulders, then down her spine, watching it slip into the space between each vertebra. Abby murmured encouragement, moving her body an inch or two to get the ice in the right spot.

Something about the way she was twitching on the bed started to heat Clancy up in a particular location, and she began to get a little more creative. She popped a cube in her mouth and started to place cold, wet kisses across Abby's shoulders. Those were met with a sexy moan, as Abby pressed back against her. Soon, each hand held a piece of ice, and both were making abstract patterns on Abby's chest.

Before Clancy could blink, she was lying on her back with Abby rubbing a cube across her nipple ring, then down her belly. She let out a startled mew when Abby fiendishly slipped the ice between her legs, letting it melt as it slowly slid lower and lower.

Soon they were rolling around on the futon like a pair of kids, ice everywhere. They were both laughing so helplessly that the dogs pried themselves from the floor to take a look. But when they saw there was nothing for them to eat, and no one looked like she needed help, they flopped back down.

Abby tried to wrestle Clancy onto her back again, and she was doing well, until the architect decided she wanted to be on top. Effortlessly, she flipped the taller woman over, then pounced on top of her, purring with satisfaction when Abby wrapped her legs around her waist. With her face a mere inch from Abby's, Clancy put another ice cube in her mouth and started to kiss her. They passed the melting cube back and forth for a long while with Abby gently pressing her hips against Clancy's body while she gazed into her eyes.

It didn't take long for Clancy to yearn to move down, and she did with one of the last cubes in her mouth, an impish expression on her face. Abby mewed when Clancy's cold lips touched her, then whimpered when the ice hit her clit. She twitched and tried to shift her hips, but Clancy held her tight, forcing her to stay right where she was. In a few seconds, she didn't want to get away, and Clancy felt a pair of hands clasp the back of her head - preventing her from pulling away. But the blonde had no intention of leaving her little nest, and they spent a good, long time learning how to cool off and heat up simultaneously.

Abby woke up a few minutes before the dawn broke. She spent a moment trying to orient herself, knowing that Clancy's head was on her chest and a muscular thigh was holding her in place. But she couldn't figure out why she was so unbearably hot, or why the bed felt so clammy. She opened her eyes and saw that they were in Clancy's room, and the evening came back to her. Oh, you're a little devil, Ms. O'Connor, she thought, recalling the way they'd played with each other deep into the night. I had a ball, but now that the ice has melted, I'm miserable!

She gently tickled Clancy's knee, and the landscaper mumbled something and rolled over, freeing Abby. She placed a foot on the floor and started to get up - only to fall right back down - her back screaming for mercy. She pulled her knees to her chest, and the spasm started to pass. Slowly, carefully, she rolled into an upright position, then scooted over so her feet could touch the floor. It took her another three or four minutes, but she finally stood up - or as far up as she could get. Please don't wake up before I'm able to stand! she pled silently. Your gramma probably doesn't have this much trouble getting out of bed!

Bent over, and stiffer than she'd been after running the L.A. Marathon, Abby put on Clancy's T-shirt and went to the bathroom. When she returned, Clancy's eyes were just opening. "Hi," she said. "Sleep well?"

Abby smiled back. "Like a dream," she said, lying through her teeth.

They were in a hurry to get showered, take the dogs out and get back to Abby's before the crew got there, so they bathed together. As with most of their dual endeavors, this one involved a lot of giggling, pinching, playful slapping and kissing. Abby ran back to the bedroom clad only in a towel with Clancy chasing her. They managed to get dressed without too many more interruptions, and when they went into the kitchen, Michael was making a pot of coffee. An attractive brunette was sitting at the kitchen table, obviously wearing one of Michael's shirts. "Hi," Clancy said, stopping so abruptly that Abby nearly ran into her. "I didn't know you were home."

"We got home late," he said. "Kelly, this is my roommate, Clancy, and her friend, Abby. Abby, Clancy - Kelly."

Kelly looked very tired and underdressed, and she didn't get up. "Hi," she said, giving the other women a slightly puzzled look. The dogs ran from Michael to her, sniffing rudely. "Were you all in there together?"

"Yeah," Clancy said without elaboration. "Gotta go. See you later."

"Bye," Michael said, and Kelly waved lazily.

When they hit the walk, Clancy looked at her partner. "Sorry about that," she said, making a face.

"I think we'd better think of another way," Abby said. "It's been a long time since I had to meet strangers before breakfast, and I rather like it that way."

Clancy nodded, happy that Abby didn't seem upset. "We'll figure it out."

When they reached the house, Abby used her opener and opened not only the gate, but the garage. "Wait right here," she said, hopping out. She got into her car and backed it out, moving it to the small, paved pad next to the house. She motioned for Clancy to put her truck in the garage, so the landscaper did. Abby closed the garage door and walked up next to the driver's window. "You're not leaving until Hayley comes home," she said, smiling. "You can put your tools on the passenger seat and tell your crew whatever you want. They'll find out soon enough anyway."

"But I don't have any clothes!"

"You don't need any," Abby said, then turned and walked into the house.