Flashpoint, page 2
part #8 of Commitment Series
Billie reached for the wooden spoon on the stove beside the frying pan where Cat had ground beef and onions browning. She absently stirred the mixture and explained her dilemma to Cat. "Well, I entered 'national parks' into the search engine and over 25,000 websites were returned. I need to narrow down the search. Got any suggestions?"
"Why did you choose national parks?" Cat asked as she chopped the garlic.
"I don't know. I guess it sounded like a good place to start. National parks are usually pretty well maintained, and there are some really great parks to choose from...Acadia, Yosemite, The Grand Canyon, among others. I thought it might be good for the kids to see some of the national landmarks." Billie tasted the browning meat and onion mixture. "Yum. This is good. "
Cat scraped a large pile of chopped garlic into the pan and watched Billie diligently stir the small white slivers into the meat. "National parks sound good to me. We can use the trip to expose the kids to some of the natural treasures of this country. Do you have a particular area of the country you'd like to go? "
"That's part of the problem. There are at least sixty parks in the US, and they are everywhere, although I think most of them are in the Midwest. I guess it depends on how far we want to travel."
"I think we can safely eliminate the parks in Hawaii and Alaska. That should knock a few off the list, don't you think?" Cat suggested.
"Actually, that eliminates about a dozen if you include the ones in American Samoa and the Virgin Islands."
"There—now you're down to only four dozen," Cat pointed out.
"That's still a lot of parks to choose from," Billie complained.
"Why don't you do a search within results using the word 'landmarks'?" Cat suggested.
Billie spooned another scoop of the meat mixture into her mouth.
"Hey! You're gonna eat it all before I add the sauce if you keep that up," Cat exclaimed.
"I can't help it. It tastes so good." Billie inserted the spoon in the meat mixture once more before Cat suddenly snatched it out of her hand.
"Enough!"
"Okay! Okay!" Billie stepped back from the stove. "So I should narrow the search using 'landmarks', huh? I'll try that. Thanks!" Billie leaned in to kiss Cat. "Hmm. I don't know what tastes better—you or the meat mixture!" Billie jumped out of the way just in time to avoid the rolled up towel that Cat snapped in the direction of her rear end.
"Gee thanks! It's not every day someone tells me I taste like chopped meat!" Cat threatened Billie with the rolled up towel once more and effectively chased her out of the kitchen.
Billie chuckled and made her escape back to the office. She sat down in front of the computer again and changed her search criteria to national parks in the contiguous United States, with landmarks. The refined sort criteria narrowed the field from more than 25,000 to just under 3,000 websites.
She looked at the thousands of sites presented to her. "Humph! Well, I guess I've still got my work cut out for me."
Billie stared at the screen for a few moments and then decided to make a list of all the amenities she thought would make their vacation comfortable. After a half hour, her list included the words landmarks, cabin, electricity, plumbing, swimming, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, fishing, biking, and of course, for Cat's sake, shopping. "That should eliminate a few sites," Billie murmured. She typed the new search criteria into the search field and pressed the enter key. The resulting search yielded 213 sites.
"Yes!" Billie shouted. "That, I can manage!"
Two hours and 213 sites later, Billie once again sat back and looked at the list of notes she had handwritten on the pad of paper by her side. Quite satisfied with her progress, she leaned her head back, stretched her neck back and forth and then closed her eyes. Seconds later, her eyes snapped open as her mind registered the enticing aroma wafting from the kitchen.
Billie rose to her feet and followed her nose straight to the pan of spaghetti sauce that was simmering on the stove. She lifted the cover, inhaled deeply and then lowered the spoon into the rich carmine sauce. A look of pure anticipated bliss graced her features as she brought the treasure to her lips.
"Caught ya red handed!" a voice said from the doorway to the basement.
Billie jumped two feet into the air and dropped the spoon into the sauce and the cover of the sauce pan to the floor.
"For crying out loud, Cat! You scared the shit out of me!" Billie reached for a paper towel to clean up the sauce that had splattered to the floor from the inside of the lid.
Cat stood there with one hand hiding the grin forming on her mouth. "Serves you right," she said. "If you had your way, the sauce would be gone before dinner time."
Billie discarded the soiled paper towel into the trash and then looked at Cat with an exaggerated pout on her face.
Cat narrowed her eyes at Billie. "Don't you dare use that pout with me, Billie Jean Charland!"
Billie continued to pout...and soon added puppy dog eyes to the fray.
Cat spared one glance at the pitiful look on her wife's face then threw her arms into the air. "Okay! Okay! You win. Help yourself." She gestured toward the stove.
Billie grinned broadly and retrieved the spoon that had fallen into the pan. Within seconds, an orgasmic look crossed her face as she savored the spicy red sauce. "Damn, you're a good cook, Cat."
Cat wrapped her arms around Billie's waist. "That response is worth allowing you to cheat."
"There are three things that will cause my eyes to roll into the back of my head. One—a good back scratch. Two—your cooking, and three—well, you know what number three is."
"I do indeed," Cat planted a kiss in the 'vee' above Billie's breasts and then laid her head in the spot vacated by her lips.
Billie's arms made their way around Cat's shoulders and held her in a firm hug for several moments.
"Hmm, this feels good," Cat purred.
Billie laid her cheek on top of Cat's head and closed her eyes. "Yes it does."
Billie held Cat in her arms for a few moments before she abruptly broke contact. "Ooh! I almost forgot. Want to see what I've come up with for possible vacation destinations?"
"So you've made a decision?" Cat asked.
"No. I've just narrowed down our options. I'd like everyone's inputs before making a final choice. Come on."
Billie took Cat's hand and led her into the guestroom that doubled as an office.
Upon entering the room, Cat sat on the edge of the bed while Billie retrieved her notes from the desk. Billie motioned for Cat to scoot over to make room for her to sit. Rather than move over, Cat climbed onto the bed and lay down with her head on the pillow and made room for Billie to join her. Lying side by side on their backs, they reviewed the notes Billie had taken during her Internet search.
"So, I've narrowed down the possible destinations to Acadia National Park in Maine, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Redwood National Forest in California, Yosemite National Park in California and the Grand Canyon in Arizona," Billie began.
Cat followed along while Billie read from the notes she held above them. "That's a pretty diverse list. What made you choose those locations?"
"I was looking for places where there was enough to do to keep everyone busy. You know, things like hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, fishing, biking..."
"And, shopping!" Cat quickly added.
"And, shopping," Billie confirmed. "In fact, one of the major attractions of Acadia in Maine was the antique shops all along the east coast, as well as the lighthouses. Apparently, there are dozens of them along the coast of Maine."
Cat looked the list over once more. "Cool! Are you leaning more toward one than the others?"
Billie laid the list of notes on her stomach and crossed her fingers over them. "For starters, this needs to be a family decision. I have my preference, but I really want to get everyone's input before settling on one. I'm open to other destinations that aren't on the list as well. Any thoughts?" she asked.
"Before I put my two-cents in, I'd like to see more information on each of these parks," Cat replied.
"Fair enough. I'll print out a package on each and then we can review it with the kids during dinner."
"Sounds like a plan." Cat rolled to her side to face Billie. She traced the side of Billie's face with her index finger and smiled broadly at her.
"What's that smile for?" Billie asked.
"You're such a nerd," Cat commented teasingly.
Billie's eyebrows shot into her hairline. "Nerd?" she replied incredulously.
"Yeah. I mean, look at your notes. They're so complete and orderly."
Billie looked at her notes and realized Cat was right. She grinned sheepishly. "Okay, I admit it. I'm a nerd. Got a problem with that?" she asked.
"No! Not at all. Nerds are good. Especially sexy nerds." Cat placed a kiss on the end of Billie's nose.
Billie rolled over to lie partially on top of Cat. "Sexy, huh?" She lowered her lips to Cat's.
"Hello there!" The loud voice came from the kitchen.
Billie's head snapped up as she strained to look over her shoulder. "Great!" she cursed under her breath. "That woman has remarkable timing."
Cat chuckled.
Billie rolled off her wife, threw her long legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. "In the guest room, Jen!" she called out loudly.
Seconds later, a curly, blond head appeared in the doorway. "Why is it every time I come over here, you two are in a bedroom?" Jen asked.
"Whatever do you mean?" Cat asked innocently.
"What do I mean? What do I mean? Really? Does this sound familiar? 'Oh my God, Cat. Harder! Harder!' 'Billie! Billie! Baby. More—please!'" Jen said in a loud and orgasmic voice as she ran her own hands up and down her body to exaggerate her point.
Billie's and Cat's eyes met; each one's face beet red with embarrassment.
"Ah, I hope you're making that up, Jen," Billie said, unable to look at her friend's face.
"Nope! On the way to the movies, I stopped in to see if you wanted to go with us, and when I came into the house, the two of you where nowhere in sight. I walked through the kitchen and living room looking for you, and by the time I reached the bottom of the stairs to the second story, the sound of your little play time hit me square in the face. Thank God the kids waited in the car! Geesh! Is that all you two do when the kids aren't home?" she asked, teasingly.
Billie and Cat's discomfort increased tenfold when they realized their friend really did eavesdrop on their lovemaking earlier in the day.
Cat scurried off the bed and stood her ground in front of their friend. "You're just jealous," she said in an attempt to make the best of an embarrassing situation.
Jen threw her hands into the air. "You're damned right I am! How do you two do it? Tell me your secret! Please! I'll pay anything!" Jen fell to her knees and clasped her hands in front of her as though in prayer.
"Our secret? That's easy. Cat is a nymphomaniac," Billie said.
Billie's comment drew a wide-eyed, shocked expression from Cat as well as the back of Cat's hand landing firmly in her midsection.
"Nymphomaniac?" repeated Jen. Disbelief tinged her voice.
Cat fell easily into the teasing.
"Oh, yeah," Cat admitted. "I'm a big-time nympho. Gotta have it at least four or five times a day. Luckily, Billie is up to the challenge."
Jen looked back and forth between her friends. "So, is it contagious?" she asked hopefully.
"Nope. You gotta be born with it," Cat replied.
"Well that sucks! Can it at least be learned?" Jen asked.
"That depends on who the student is—you or Fred," Cat answered.
"Fred. Definitely Fred," Jen quipped. "I have no problems in that arena. After all I'm approaching forty, and you know what they say about a woman's sex drive at forty. Fred, on the other hand, like most men, reached his sexual peak in his twenties!"
Billie draped her arm around her friend and they walked together into the kitchen. Cat followed close behind. "Jen, my friend, you don't need nympho lessons. What you need is a woman," she said.
"Got anyone in mind?" Jen asked jokingly.
"Billie!" Cat scolded her wife for what seemed like the hundredth time for urging their heterosexual best friend into a lifestyle that didn't suit her.
"Hey, what's wrong with that suggestion? Think about it. Two women approaching forty at the same time. Can't get any better than that!" Billie cast a meaningful look at Cat that caused her to blush to the roots of her hair.
"Sounds tempting," Jen said. "But to tell you the truth, Fred's kind of grown on me over the years, and as goofy and bumbling as he can be, I love him dearly."
"Yeah, he's a good guy. He's kind of grown on us too," Cat added.
"He sure is fun to be with. Speaking of which, we are planning another camping vacation and we were chatting earlier about how much fun we had on the last trip to Happy Trails Campground."
"Fun? You call that disastrous trip to Happy Trails, fun? I'm surprised you agreed to go, Billie. I got the strong impression that you'd never go camping again after that experience." Jen helped herself to a spoonful of Cat's spaghetti sauce. "Umm, this is good, Cat."
"Why do you assume Cat made the sauce?" Billie asked.
Jen raised her eyebrows at Billie. "Do I really need to answer that question? So I'll ask again—are you out of your mind for planning another camping trip?"
"It will be nothing like Happy Trails," Billie said. "I can assure you if there was any chance at all it would be even remotely like that, I wouldn't be going. Cat promised me it would be disaster proof."
"Disaster proof, huh? How so?" Jen asked.
Cat turned around and leaned her backside against the countertop as she watched the interaction between her wife and friend.
Billie put a pod into the coffee pot and turned on the switch before answering. "Picture this," she made a picture frame with her hands. "Cabin, plumbing, electricity, rain-proof, bear-proof, swimming, hiking, kayaking, horseback riding..."
"Whoa! Stop right there. Horseback riding? My ass still hurts from that God-awful ride I took at Happy Trails!" Jen said. "When are you planning to go on this trip?"
"Well, Billie starts a new case this week that should wrap up in early August. So we'd like to take the trip a week or two before school starts again," Cat replied.
"Damn! Bad timing" Jen said.
Billie looked uncomfortably at Cat. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you know I start my new teaching position when the school year begins, right?" Jen asked. "I learned this week that my final class to be certified to teach again begins on Monday and literally ends just two days before school begins. Darn! I really would have loved to go, but I'm afraid we'll have to pass this time," she explained.
Cat walked over and hugged her friend. She looked at Billie over Jen's shoulder; a look of relief flooded her face. "That's all right, Jen. There'll be plenty of opportunities to vacation together during school breaks, or next summer."
"Damn!" Jen said again. "I'm really sorry."
Billie placed three cups of coffee on the table and retrieved the cheesecake from the refrigerator. She placed it in the middle of the table. "No problem, Jen. Like Cat said, there'll be plenty of chances to vacation together later. Cat, I'll get the plates if you want to cut the cake."
After collecting plates and forks from the cupboard, Billie pulled out a chair and sat down to help Cat dish out the dessert.
"So where are you going?" Jen asked."
"We're looking at several places..." Billie kicked off two hours of dessert and lively conversation.
CHAPTER 3
Billie spent the rest of the afternoon gathering information online for the pared down list of five potential vacation destinations while Cat lazed in the overstuffed chair in the living room, reading a book. Every now and again, Cat raised her head and smiled in the direction of the guest room as various exclamations reached her ears; exclamations ranging from impatient curses to gasps of surprise when something unexpected or exciting appeared on the computer screen.
Cat thought back to the day eleven years earlier when she first met Billie. She joined an aerobics class on a whim, with the intention of de-stressing after a long day at work as an anesthesiologist. What she didn't realize is how her life would change when she first walked into the class and came face to face with the tall-dark aerobics instructor, Billie Charland. She totally lost what little coordination she had and in the midst of performance anxiety, she fell flat on her face in the middle of class. Her first instinct was to cut bait and run, but Billie intercepted her after class and offered her personal lessons a few times a week in the mornings.
Her relationship with Billie developed into a deep friendship and soon, they were seeing each other on a daily basis. However, there were secrets on both sides that threatened to destroy their budding friendship. For starters, Cat had a four-year-old daughter, Tara, who Billie found out about quite by accident. Cat hadn't shown up for class and when Billie went looking for her, her daughter, Tara, answered the door.
Billie had a secret of her own. The only thing that made Cat uncomfortable in their relationship was the fact that Billie refused to commit to anything in the evenings. At some point, Cat convinced herself that Billie was engaged in another relationship on the side. A confrontation ensued after which Billie dragged her to the hospital to introduce her to her then six-year-old son, Seth, who was in a coma in the hospital. Cat felt horrible for not trusting her, and she felt even worse when she realized Billie kept her son a secret for fear of rejection.
That was eleven years ago. A little more than a year after they met, they had a third child, now, ten-year-old Skylar…a product of rape. But not just any rape. It was rape by Seth's biological father, Brian, who was determined to make Billie suffer for ruining his life. He went to prison because of that crime while Billie and Cat worked to restore a sense of normalcy to their lives.
As horrid as her beginnings were, Skylar was the bond that drew them together as a family. It was a bond that would be sorely tested when Skylar developed leukemia at six years old and they nearly lost her to the disease. They thanked the heavens above every day that she was in remission and continued to be healthy.
