"Closer" -- Joe
Going through the motions, never knowing love
I put a call into commitment, but no one's picking up
Then along came you, everything that I need, yeah
You brought the light and you brought the truth
Now I feel redeemed...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How do you like these?" She thrust a bouquet of red and white roses in front of her friend's face to gain her assessment.
Vanessa took the roses out of the blonde's hand as she started to beam at her. "Aw, you shouldn't have! However, you must know that just because you gave me roses, doesn't mean that I'm going to sleep with you. Easy I am not. You'll have to shell out a few bucks for dinner too."
Chuckling, Georgie retrieved her flowers. "You're a nut."
"So you've told me a thousand times before. She'll love them."
"You think?" Vanessa nodded, returning her attention to the television since the commercial period was now over. "I do. Now get out of here before you're late. This is your first date as a couple, so you want to make a good impression. Us ladies do not appreciate being kept waiting."
"Um, you do realize that I'm a lady too, right?"
The CNA quickly perused her best friend's body and nodded in approval. "Yeah, you qualify." Grinning, she pointed the remote toward the front door. "Leave. And make sure that you come back with plenty of details. I want to know everything that you two did. Everything."
Smiling, Georgie leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Yes, dear."
With the bouquet hidden behind her back, Georgie walked onto the pool deck where she found her date lounging near the pool with a slim book in one hand and a mechanical pencil in the other. She lightly tapped the eraser tip against her lips while giving a page of the book a thoughtful gaze as though she were attempting to solve the puzzle to some great riddle. Georgie's face glowed with happiness while she observed her.
Although they had seen each other a mere two days before for their Thursday surf lesson, she had missed Jaden more than she could put into words. The blonde sighed. Much like a fish on someone's rod, her goddess had her so hooked.
"Do you know a six letter word for 'perceives' that starts with an 's'?" Jaden inquired without looking up. "I'm working a crossword puzzle and that has me stumped."
Georgie kneeled on the concrete to greet Sasha, who had just emerged from the house with a squeaky yellow rolled up newspaper in her mouth. She dropped the toy in front of Georgie while she enjoyed having her head scratched. "How about 'senses'?" Georgie offered, having run through the short list of synonyms that she could think of for 'perceives'.
Grinning, Jaden filled in the small blocks. "You're a genius." Closing the book, she tossed it on the patio table and stood up to stretch before walking toward Georgie and Sasha and kissing both on the head.
When the bigger of the two looked up, her lips curved until a grin prominently shown. "Thank you."
"Are those mine?"
Unconsciously, the younger woman kept her eyes on a particular section of Jaden's anatomy. "Yes, they most certainly are." Following her eyes, Sasha noticed what about her Mommy had Georgie's attention. Snorting through her cool wet nose she headed inside to take a nap. Those were nothing special. She had eight of 'em.
Jaden chuckled. "I'm referring to the flowers--not the D cups."
Blushing as she became fully aware of her gawking, Georgie handed her date the bouquet when she stood. "Um, well...I was talking about the flowers too."
"Yeah, I really believe that." Grinning as Georgie's blush deepened, Jaden thanked her for the flowers. "You want to come in while I put these in water? Then we can go." Following, Georgie inwardly lectured her libido to be on its best behavior, all the while admiring the butt cheeks intimately hugged by a pair of black low-rise pants. Whether she was coming or going, Jaden looked phenomenal either way.
D cups? Oh goddess.
As she watched the scenery they cruised passed through the passenger side window, Jaden wondered where Georgie was taking her. She only knew that they were going to Los Angeles and that wasn't much of a clue. She figured that dinner was on the itinerary, but of course she didn't know where or what type of food. Jaden called her date's name several minutes later.
"Yes?" her friend drew out the small word with a smile on her face. Georgie glanced toward her. "What's up, J-Co?"
"Have you ever heard of the Spirited Saddlers Ride? It's a bicycle journey raising funds for California based AIDS organizations."
The blonde immediately nodded. "I have, though I don't know too much about it. It begins in Los Angeles and ends in Las Vegas, right? I remember seeing the riders last year heading down a street. It was amazing. There must have been hundreds of participants."
"If memory serves me correctly, there were about 970 participants in the 2007 ride." When Georgie asked if she was one of them, Jaden nodded. "I've participated in all of the S.S. rides beginning in 2004, which was the first ride. So this November will be my fifth time."
"Wow. And you really ride a bike from L.A. to L.V.? No other means of transportation? Do you use the interstates?"
"Just bicycles, but if you're tired or injured you may hitch a ride in one of the vans that volunteers drive. We use a lot of alternate roads, which means that it takes longer to reach our destination. In my opinion, riding on the I-15 with two wheels ain't a bright idea." Grinning, Jaden continued, "It's about a 470 mile journey--give or take a few. Camps are set up along the route and it takes six days to reach Las Vegas."
"Does anyone else you know ride?"
"Max joined me for the 2005 ride and we've been tent mates for the last three years. Either you choose someone to be your tent mate or a person of the same gender is chosen for you," Jaden explained. She tried not to think about the woman she had shared a tent with during Spirited Saddlers '04.
Deborah Hanover snored loud enough to awaken someone from a deep coma and she flung her legs and arms so much that each morning after the sun rose, Jaden checked her body to make sure that she hadn't suffered any bruises. "My parents, Heather and Tom have been volunteers since 2004. Bell wants to get involved but the minimum age allowed is eighteen. She gets bummed about that each November, but then I remind her that she gets closer to the age requirement with each year that passes." Smiling, Jaden removed her shades since the sun was preparing to set.
"Doesn't she still have ten years to go?"
"Yep. That's why my reminder doesn't alleviate her frustration of being too young. My little lez bean wants to grow up." When Georgie began to chuckle, she joined in.
"Jaden, could I participate in the Spirited Saddlers Ride of 2008?" Though she hadn't ridden a bicycle in a while and hadn't traveled anywhere close to 470 miles on one, she was intrigued.
"I don't know. Could you?" The brunette grinned, pleased that Georgie had shown interest before she had the chance to inquire if she wanted to get involved, which had been her reason for bringing up the topic.
The driver sent her passenger a smirk. "Since the ride is in November, do you think it's too late for me to train? I don't think I've been on a bicycle in a year or two."
"It doesn't start until November 30th, so that would give you three months to train. That's cutting it close, but I still think that we could whip you into shape."
"Oh, do you?"
Jaden winked at her. "Oh, I do. So, you seriously want to do this?"
"Absolutely. Will you help me train? I should ride a bike a lot in the next three months, right? "
The musician nodded while chuckling. "By the starting day of the event you should have ridden many miles on your bike. However, there is more to training than bicycling. How about I come over tomorrow so we can set up a schedule and I can tell you more about the ride? I'll bring lunch."
"Awesome." Indicating what she intended to do by turning on her right blinker Georgie exited the freeway. "And speaking of food, we're almost at our first destination." Jaden asked how many destinations she had in store for their first date. Georgie grinned and wiggled her index finger. "You should know that I'm not going to give you the answer you seek to that, J-Co."
Once the valet took possession of Georgie's car, they headed up the few steps leading into the Italian restaurant sporting a name that was familiar to Jaden, though she was sure that she had never been there.
Once inside the expansive one story building, which from the outside appeared to be two stories because of the high ceilings, Jaden admired the paintings painted directly onto the walls, drawn frames surrounding many of them.
A few of the paintings replicated by a modern hand she recognized such as Leonardo da Vinci's the Last Supper and Mona Lisa. To the immediate left of the Maitre d' station was the Birth of Venus, originally created by Sandro Botticelli. Looking upward, she observed Michelangelo's the Creation of Adam with a great amount of awe. It was astounding that someone could create a masterpiece on a ceiling. A light tug on her shirt gaining her attention, Jaden smiled toward her date. After Georgie asked if she was ready to head to their table, she linked her arm through hers and they proceeded to follow the Maitre d' to the rear of the restaurant and out a sliding glass door.
A dozen patio tables, some with a pair of cast metal folding chairs and others with four chairs had been strategically placed along the cemented ground. Streetlamps surrounded them, effectively illuminating the tables for those diners who had chosen to eat outdoors. Next to the tables was the Italian restaurant's smaller version of a canal complete with half a dozen colorful gondolas, two of which were occupied, and an accessible arched bridge that led to the other side of the canal.
From a distance, the four differently sized connected buildings across from the restaurant appeared to be genuine, but on closer inspection they were merely well constructed props. Their main purpose was to give customers a feel for Italian architecture, but they also hid the parking lot from view.
"This is amazing," Jaden commented as the Maitre d' led them to the canal where a beaming man dressed in a black and white striped short-sleeved shirt and black trousers with a red sash wrapped around his waist stood waiting near the gently rocking gondolas.
Her blonde companion smiled up at her. "I'd hoped that you'd like this place."
Wishing them a wonderful evening, the Maitre d' turned and headed toward the restaurant.
"Good evening donne belle! I am Angelo and I will be your waiter this evening," he greeted in a voice thick with an authentic Italian accent. He swept his hand toward the empty gondolas parked between bright yellow and blue painted poles. "Would you like to choose your gondola?"
Jaden glanced at Georgie with a quizzical expression. "We're dining in a gondola?"
"We are unless you'd rather sit at a table." When she made reservations two days before, Georgie thought that her friend would get a kick out of eating in one of the restaurant's gondolas instead of a table or booth. Plus, Jaden enjoyed being in water whether she was swimming, soaking or surfing in it. Georgie learned of her water fascination during their first outing months ago when she coaxed her into going skinny-dipping in the freezing ocean.
"No, I'd love to." She grinned. "This is very cool, Gigi. Thank you for bringing me here."
Once they decided on a gondola, Angelo pulled it toward the edge using a large hook attached to a pole. He then assisted each woman into the boat especially made for two. Their favorite colors purple and blue blending along the gondola's exterior in a series of abstract shapes, the couple faced each other while relaxing on matching velvet seats. The table, which was a long wooden board attached to the gondola rested between them with a linen tablecloth covering it.
Pulling a flame lighter from the fanny pack on his side, Angelo lit the candle that set inside a small blue tinted jar. Although tiny, the resulting flame provided their dining vessel with adequate light.
Obtaining two menus, the waiter and gondolier handed them to his customers with an amicable smile. "I'll give you a few minutes to look over the menu and when you are ready to order just let me know." Crouching to the ground he indicated the walkie-talkie next to Jaden's seat. "If I'm not close enough for you to get my attention, you may use this. I'll show you how." After he did so, Angelo stood up and asked them if they would like a bottle of wine or another type of beverage.
"Actually," Georgie started as she looked across to Jaden whose face like hers glowed due to the candlelight, "could we get a bottle of your best succo di uva? Do you have any that is a good year?" She managed to keep a straight face but Angelo couldn't stop himself from grinning. Meanwhile, Jaden attempted to figure out what her girlfriend just said and why their waiter wore a large grin because of it.
"We have the perfect year and that is a good choice. I will return shortly with your succo di uva." The grin remaining, he briskly walked toward the restaurant.
Leaning back against her plush velvet seat, Jaden studied the smiling blonde. "While I don't know what it is, I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume that succo di uva doesn't contain any alcohol."
Georgie slowly bobbed her head. "Then you would assume correctly."
"So...what is it?"
"Cod liver oil."
"Ew."
Her distasteful expression caused Georgie to chuckle. "Might sound fancy in Italian, but succo di uva is just grape juice--sparkling grape juice."
"Much better." Jaden asked her companion if she was fluent in Italian while putting her glasses on so that she could peruse the menu.
"No, I only know how to say grape juice because I found an Internet translator. Do you speak any languages fluently?"
"English." Her lips spread into a grin when Georgie laughed. "I wouldn't consider myself fluent, but I know a fair amount of Spanish."
"Say something in Spanish for me please. Like a sentence."
Closing her menu, Jaden looked toward the sky as she thought. Seconds had passed when she reached for Georgie's hand, which was a little chilly from the cool evening breeze. Stroking the back of it with her thumb, she gazed into the other woman's eyes as she softly said, "Tu beso me prende fuego." Giving Georgie's hand a squeeze, she released it.
The blonde fought the urge to jump to the other side of the gondola so that she could attack Jaden's lips with her kisses. Though unfamiliar with most of the words in the musician's sentence, she wanted to hear her say it again. Her goddess's voice was so sexy whether she spoke English or Spanish. It would probably be sexy in Klingon.
"Could you umm...translate that into English?"
"Sure I could." Jaden's eyebrows danced up and down. "Later." Georgie's argument was put on hold when Angelo returned with a chilled bottle of sparkling grape juice partially immersed in a bucket of crushed ice. Removing the cork with a loud pop, he poured the deep red liquid into two wine glasses. Since they needed more time to pick what they wanted for dinner, he moved on to attend to his other customers.
"So you really won't tell me what you said?"
"Later, sweetheart. Let's decide what we're going to eat so I can have an excuse to use this neat looking walkie-talkie."
"If that's your plan, we better wait until Angelo isn't near us." Laughing, Georgie opened her menu to read.
Using the oar attached to their gondola, Jaden followed Angelo's instructions on how to navigate through the shallow water. They took a stroll along the canal waving at other gondola diners during the leisure journey. By the time they returned to the parking area, Angelo was ready to serve them their dinner. Once again moving out further into the water they settled near the bridge to eat.
"How did you find this restaurant?" Jaden inquired while plunging her fork into a now half empty plate of chicken parmigiana. If she had worn one tonight, her hat would be off to the chef for the taste bud pleasing dish.
Bringing the 'wine' to her lips, Georgie took a sip. "On the Internet I found a long list of Italian restaurants in the Los Angeles area and this one caught my eye, so I went to the website and discovered a fact that cinched the deal. Guess what?"
"What?"
"You're supposed to guess."
"I don't know what I should be guessing."
"If you knew what you were supposed to be guessing then you wouldn't have to guess."
"Hmm?"
"Never mind. I'm starting to confuse myself. Two words--Maxine Kerry."
The brunette thoughtfully munched on a soft garlic flavored breadstick. Moments later, her eyes lit with recognition. "That's why this place sounded so familiar! Max designed it! Now I remember her telling me about it a couple of years ago."
Georgie beamed. "Yup. Along with a brief biography, they had a picture of her too. I called and told her that she looked sexy. Did you know that she painted the Michelangelo on the ceiling?"
"No, but I'm not surprised. My pal Max is very talented."
"Do you have any hidden talents that I might not know about?" Georgie caught two tubes of meat sauce covered rigatoni on her fork, which quickly disappeared inside her mouth.
"I know how to crochet blankets and pillowcases for the squarish pillows used for decoration. Mom taught Heather and I when we were kids. I haven't crocheted in a while, but I haven't forgotten how."
"That's cool. I tried knitting once, but I couldn't get into it. I marvel at what some people can do with yarn."
"I've never tried knitting, but it seems like it would be harder because two needles are required. So," wrapping her fingers around her glass, Jaden swirled the dark liquid within, "what is a hidden talent of yours?"
Putting her fork down, Georgie leaned across the table while asking her friend to do the same. When Jaden was close enough, she cupped a hand around her ear and began to whisper. By the time she finished and settled back in her seat, Jaden's face was as bright as the marinara sauce in her chicken parmigiana. Georgie's mischievous grin showed while she chewed a piece of breadstick.
Jaden cleared her throat before speaking. "Flipper, I'm much too innocent to hear such things."
Green eyes rolled in disbelief. "Of course you are, Sparkle. Of course you are."
"Sure are a lot of ladies here. I can smell the estrogen wafting through the air," Jaden commented with a broad grin as they sat in a pair of roomy indigo blue chairs, which resembled recliners except they didn't have footrests.
Sitting on her left, Georgie returned the grin. "That makes perfect sense considering that this is a women's bar."
"Have you been here before?" Jaden's eyes drifted to the all female group performing on the small stage about fifty feet away from their table. The husky voiced lead headliner was singing a worthy rendition of Sarah McLachlan's Sweet Surrender while her band mates provided the music and backup.
Georgie nodded. "I've been here with Van a few times, but it's been a while." She watched a waitress moving around tables to get to them. "Would you care for something to drink? Every drink on the menu is non-alcoholic so you could get anything. They have the best herbal teas."
"Sure. Which tea do you recommend?"
"Could I order for you?" the blonde inquired just as the waitress arrived. Jaden acquiesced without hesitation.
"Hey, amiga," the petite brunette warmly greeted. "It's been way too long! How are you doing, babe?" A flirt addict, she allowed her eyes to roam over her customer's body. "You're sure looking good."
Georgie giggled like a schoolgirl while her girlfriend quietly watched their interaction with interest. "I'm doing great and I see that time has only made you prettier, Sierra."
The waitress dramatically batted her eyelashes. "Gracias, honey. I try my best each day." She glanced toward Jaden as though noticing her for the first time. "Oh and who do we have here, hmm? This long-legged gal isn't Van, although she's just as gorgeous." Jaden hoped that the dim lighting in the bar concealed her blush.
Georgie smiled at Jaden. "I agree. This is my friend, Jae." She wasn't certain that Jaden would approve of her telling people exactly who she was and the nature of their relationship. "It's her first time here."
"Oh, a virgin in the house." Sierra gazed at the silent woman salaciously. "Welcome, honey. I'll take good care of you." Jaden uttered a quiet thanks. "You look familiar..." She moved closer to the seated musician. "I'll be damned." Sierra's boisterous voice hushed. "You're the spitting image of Jaden Connelly."
Jaden finally smiled. "That's what people always tell me." She shrugged. "Guess I just have one of those faces. I personally don't see the resemblance."
Brow slightly furrowed, Sierra sent Georgie a questioning look. "Didn't I read something about you and Jaden Connelly hooking up? Would have called you, but I lost your number."
"You can't believe everything you read."
"But you can believe that," Jaden interjected, her smile growing. "Those rumors spread among the media were false until recently. Georgie and I are a couple now." Wrapping an arm around Georgie's shoulders, she gently kissed her cheek. Even without an abundance of light, the blonde's delighted glow was apparent.
"Ah ha. So you are Jaden Connelly--you were playing a little joke on me. You might just be our very first celebrity." Sierra grinned at them both. "And congratulations to you gals. I wish you all the happiness in the world. Now, your first round of drinks is on me. I insist," she added when Georgie began to cut in with a polite refusal. "What can I get you?"
"We'll have two Spirits of Love. Also, Sierra, I'd like to rent two aromatherapy stations for twenty-five minutes."
"Okay, honey." Sierra removed a small pad from the pouch tied around her waist and began to write. "What scents would you like?" She reached back into her pouch for a laminated menu containing a long list of aromatherapy scents and handed it to Georgie. Jaden looked at the menu curiously. Not able to decipher the small writing without her glasses, which were in the car, she gave up. "And any particular colors for your nose hoses?"
After taking a couple of moments to study the menu, Georgie decided on four scents. She chose cinnamon, orange blossom, lemon verbena and ylang ylang for both stations. As for the nose hoses, purple and blue were of course chosen. Retrieving her menu, Sierra was about to leave when Georgie asked her if she understood Spanish fluently.
"Si, honey." She winked. "Wanting me to be at least bilingual, my parents purposefully spoke both English and Spanish to me starting from birth--of course I don't remember that far back but they've told me they did. Why?"
"Could you translate what tu beso--" The next word out of her mouth was muffled due to Jaden's soft palm covering it. The brunette felt her growl vibrating against her hand and grinned.
Sierra laughed. "I suppose that your girlfriend doesn't want you to tell me whatever it was you were trying to say, so I'm gonna leave before we're both in trouble with her. Sorry, Georgie."
Jaden didn't remove her hand until the waitress was a safe distance away. "Why you tricky little twerp." Her smile assured Georgie that she was only kidding. "Couldn't wait for me to tell you, huh?"
"Are you going to tell me what you said now? By the way, I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear you call me little. Or a twerp."
"Thanks so much. And I'll tell you after you tell me what an aromatherapy station is. When we entered, I counted five kiosks set up with women wearing nasal cannulas sitting at each one. Are the colorful fluids in those machines sitting in front of them the scents? You inhale them?"
"You just answered your own question, J-Co." Jaden inquired on the difference between scents and what was the point. "This is an oxygen bar. It's free of pollutants and irritants like smoking, which isn't allowed on the premises. Outside we breathe in about 21% oxygen, yet in here the oxygen level is up to 95%. Besides increasing your oxygen levels, pure oxygen is capable of giving you an energy boost, can strengthen your immune system, and alleviate headaches among many other things. You know I have asthma and though it isn't as bad as when I was a teen, one time Van and I came here and my chest happened to be feeling a little tight so I used an Infuser. I began to feel like a weight had been lifted from my chest as it became easier to breathe.
"Though pure oxygen can give you a natural high, the aromatherapy scents can produce specific emotions in you. This bar has around fifty scents to choose from, which can relax or rejuvenate you. How it basically works is oxygen and water mixes with any scents you've selected up to four at a time and the blended aroma travels through your nose hose or nasal cannula. You'll start to feel the effects of the scents within ten minutes."
"Hmm, I'm very intrigued, Gigi. What do the scents you selected do?" Jaden attempted to keep a reign on being suspicious, but Georgie's sudden reddening face wasn't making it easy. "Something you want to tell me, Flipper?"
Georgie used Sierra's return with two cups of aromatic tea as an excuse not to answer. "Two Spirit of Loves, chicas." She grinned at the pair while she set the cups complete with matching saucers on the table. "Enjoy. I'll be back with your Infusers in just a sec."
Bringing the cup close to her nose, Jaden delicately sniffed while her eyes were glued to Georgie's. Among the scents steaming from the cup she detected an odd yet pleasant combination of cinnamon and roses.
Georgie paused in blowing the dark liquid to smirk. "Please relax, Jae. I don't have any plans to poison you. The tea is okay to drink."
"I'm glad you don't 'cause I'm rather attached to life." She put her cup down on its saucer. "Why is it called Spirit of Love?"
"Because it's a lovely beverage?" Jaden's expression was an indication that she wasn't buying that so Georgie told her the truth. "Actually, the herbs used to make Spirit of Love may enhance ones sensuality."
"I see." The musician's face was as blank as a thoroughly washed chalkboard. "I can smell cinnamon in the tea, so that's what the cinnamon scent does too?"
"No, that's a stress reliever aroma that also warms your soul, hence the red of cinnamon. The orange blossom is a refresher, which stimulates the immune system. Lemon verbena is a mood elevating aroma that alleviates exhaustion. Ylang ylang um...it has been known to act as an aphrodisiac. However, it helps with menstrual cramping too."
"Uh huh. And I'm sure you chose ylang ylang specifically for easing the discomfort of menstrual cramps."
Georgie watched Jaden take a sip of her tea despite her inquiries. "I'm sorry, Jaden. You don't have to drink that. I'll get you something else."
"I want to drink it. It tastes good." Wrapping her hand around Georgie's, she brought it toward her and softly brushed her lips against the knuckles. "Why do you feel the need to apologize? I'm not upset." She grinned. "I'm actually curious to see how I feel after I finish my Spirit of Love."
"I don't want you to get the impression that I'm trying to take advantage of you," Georgie sheepishly replied. "I've had Spirit of Love before and I don't recall being aroused afterward, but I do enjoy the tea. I was eager to bring you here for the aromatherapy, because I do believe that it is beneficial for the immune system and it's invigorating. When reading the menu, I took note of ylang ylang's description and before I could activate my brain, my mouth was ordering that aroma."
Jaden chuckled once she swallowed a mouthful of tea. "Sweetheart, it's all right. I didn't get the impression that you organized this devious plan to get me horny from ylang ylang sniffing so you could take advantage of me in the backseat of your Kia."
"How could you think I would do that? If I went through all that trouble, I would have enough class to rent a hotel room for the night." With one look at each other they started to laugh. Georgie shook her head as she recovered. "Jaden, I honestly didn't have any intentions despite how it may appear."
"Gigi, it really is okay. There isn't anything wrong with wanting to feel sensual. Now tell me more. How long is the aromatherapy treatment supposed to last?"
"The least I've heard of is ten minutes and the most forty, but I bought us a twenty-five minute session, which is enough. Infusers would be great for the Saddlers Ride," she thoughtfully added.
"You mean the Spirited Saddlers Ride?" their waitress asked, having returned with a pair of stainless steel rectangular Infusers.
"You've heard of it?"
"I've competed in it." A faint smile settled on Sierra's lips as she hooked up the cords leading from the machines. "My cousin passed away two years ago this December from complications with AIDS and the following year I wanted to participate in the Saddlers Ride in his memory. This will be my second time riding." While connecting the neon nose hoses, Sierra glanced toward Jaden. "I saw you there last year at the first campsite in San Bernardino. I'd heard several times that Jaden Connelly was a regular S.S. rider, but I didn't have any proof until I spotted you for myself. You were talking with someone who looked a lot like you."
"That was probably my sister Heather."
"She's cute. You're taken--is she straight?"
Jaden laughed, trying to picture Heather in a relationship with another woman but unable to. "Very, with three children and a hubby."
Sierra snapped her fingers as she feigned disappointment. "Damn. And here I thought we could be sisters-in-law someday."
"You'll be the first person I tell if she changes her mind."
"Gracias, chica. Miss Georgie, you've never ridden have you?"
"No, but I'm gonna try this year."
"And I'm sure you'll do fine. You're right. It'd be cool to have Infusers within the campsites. Since pure oxygen increases endurance and energy, aromatherapy could be perfect for riders. I'll ask the boss lady about it." She pointed to the Infusers. "Now, Georgie, you know how to work these, so I'll leave you to achieve your natural high. Holler at me if you need anything."
Deeply breathing in floral, fruity and sweet fragrances through the nose hose pressed against her nostrils, Jaden appeared mesmerized by the quartet of clear bottles containing vivid bubbling substances. Arms resting along the sides of her chair, she hadn't spoken a word in five minutes as she gazed at the Infuser. Georgie drank the remainder of her herbal tea before she tapped Jaden on her shoulder relieved when she immediately turned to her.
"What's going on, G-Dog?"
Georgie smiled at the nickname she hadn't heard in a while. "Nothing. Just wanted to assure myself that you weren't in a trance."
The brunette beamed. "Tu beso me prende fuego. Your kiss sets me on fire," she said, using a soft timbre. Reaching up, she trailed a finger across Georgie's cheek to her parted mouth stroking the supple pinkish lips. When she felt the younger woman's tongue graze the tip of her index finger she removed it. Leaning toward her, she expected to place a light quick kiss on her mouth. However, Georgie managed to hold it for a full five seconds, careful to keep her tongue inside her own mouth as her lips danced across Jaden's.
Her hands wrapped around the musician's neck, she tenderly smile. "Tu beso me prende fuego too," she whispered.