Jessie and Katie (in Friends and Lovers)
Chapter 56: Love Taking Flight?
Written by TVM w/ CJ Ames
Copyright © 2004 2007
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters created by Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz and are copyrighted to them, with exception of the original characters that are credited to me. I am borrowing their incredible creation to tell this story. So any reposting or archiving without written permission is an infringement on the copyright of this series. In other words You damn well better ask before you steal it.
Feedback: Every author in his or her own way makes it a point to ask for feedback when posting a story, well me I don't usually. But there are several reasons as to why a reader should consider taking the time to give it. The simple fact is that giving some form of feedback is truly the most important thing a reader can do after reading and enjoying a story. Hopefully in the process providing that author with at least one viable reason as to what you liked about the story. This small amount of time spent will no doubt inspire the author to write more and possibly at a quicker pace, knowing that they have a fan base who are waiting on their next works. So thanks for the feedback and please keep it comin.
Summary: In the ALL NEW 56th chapter of Jessie and Katie (in Friends and Lovers), an invite from her mom, leads Jessie to make a surprising return to West Lafayette, with her 'new girlfriend', Joanna (Shannon Curfman), by her side. Only to be shocked to a jaw dropping stand still at the changes Stephanie (Nikki Reed) has apparently made in her life. While, Joanna is simply glad to be by Jessie's side and feels herself breaking free from her old world as she too falls into an unexpected new partnership that could end up changing her life. Meanwhile, Jessie witnesses a startling fight between Karen (Susanna Thompson) and August (Eric Stoltz) that only serves to make healing the wounds of the past between mother and daughter that much more difficult. Later, a simple walk as friends leads Jessie and Stephanie into uncharted territory.
Guest Stars: Stephanie Dimitri (Nikki Reed), Joanna Christianson (Shannon Curfman), Karen Davies (Susanna Thompson), & August Dimitri (Eric Stoltz)
"Jessie!" Stephanie screamed as she saw her for the first time, getting out of August's new Hummer with Joanna. Stephanie stood on the porch just out of the rain. "Get your hot ass up here, and gimme some love. You sexy bitch."
"You look great" Jessie said as she came up the steps, looking Stephanie over from head to toe, "Love that tan."
"God I missed you" Stephanie said as she hugged Jessie and held her for a long moment. Out of the corner of her eye, Jessie could see Karen giving Stephanie an unusual look. Jessie smiled as Stepanie whispered in her ear, "Mom's watching."
"Huh?" Jessie asked as Stephanie wihspered again, "Your mom is about to have a freak attack on you."
"Wouldn't be the first time" Jessie giggled as Joanna moved behind Jessie and smiled nervously.
"Oh, ummmm Steph this is my...my girlfriend" Jessie said as she took Joanna's hand and kissed the back of it playfully.
"Seriously?" Stephanie asked as Jessie could swear she saw just a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"Yeh..." Jessie started to say before she was cut off by her mother.
"
Well I'm gonna fix some dinner so is anyone hungry?" Karen asked pleasantly with what Stephanie and Jessie could see was a pained smile.
"Sure" Stephanie said.
"What you gonna fix?"
"Do you serve lobster?" Joanna asked as Jessie and Stephanie started laughing and Karen even had to smile.
"Joanna, how about you help me put away these bags huh?" August asked as he came on the porch with his arms loaded down. "Can't you woman ever travel light?"
"You mean like you?" Stephanie asked, "Man carries 20 pounds of hair care products."
"Tattletale" August said laughing as he and Joanna disappeared into the house with Karen.
"Finally" Stephanie said as she pulled Jessie down in the porch swing with her. "We gonna torture your mom all weekend?"
"Why?" Jessie asked.
"She's been getting on my nerves with her anti-gay shit" Stephanie said, "Not so bad since she started therapy but before that every time we see something on tv that was even related she'd go off."
"Oh"
"I would so love to see her face if we kissed in front of her" Stephanie said quietly. "God I'd do it just for the pleasure of seeing her freak out."
"And I thought you were straight?" Jessie asked as she playfully walked her fingers up Stephanie's noticably tanner arm.
"I am, but I've also changed my mind on a lot of things since meeting you...and Grace and Sarah" Stephanie said as Jessie moved her fingers ever higher up her arm.
"Well good to know we had a positive impact" Jessie giggled as Stephanie smacked her hand away.
"Knock it off lesbo" Stephanie said as Jessie giggled.
"Seriously you look amazing with that tan" Jessie said and figured Stephanie would tell her to drop it.
"Yeh kinda thought you'd like it" Stephanie said, "Lot of long hours in the tanning bed."
"Is it an all over tan?" Jessie asked, figuring Stephanie would blush but noticed her smile and say, "You bet is it."
"It was worth it" Jessie said, "So you missed me huh?"
"Yesss, god this place is boring without you" Stephanie said, "You have no idea how many nights I would sit in there wishing I had you to hang out with. August isn't the best company, especially with this new novel he's working on."
"He mentioned that"
"Yeh he's got writers block and god he's a pain in the ass" Stephanie said looking to see if he was listening.
"Well I'm here all weekend" Jessie said, "So, you know."
"Yeh but you had to bring your girlfriend" Stephanie said teasingly. "What fun is that?"
"Well....you know what they say" Jessie said, "Two's company, three's real fun."
"Oh shit that's right..." Stephanie said aloud before dropping her voice, "You did a threesome right?"
"Ohmigod I did tell you about that" Jessie said blushing as Stephanie looked again to see if anyone was in ear shot and being satisfied that no one was, she said, "You have to tell me about that and I want details."
"You know it was with two other girls, remember?" Jessie asked as Stephanie smiled knowingly.
"Part of the reason I wanna know" Stephanie said. "I'm just curious as to how that would work."
"So you're bi-curious?" Jessie asked as she leaned close to Stephanie and gave her a teasing smile. "Huh?"
"Wouldn't you just love it if I was?" Stephanie asked, "You'd love that wouldn't you?"
"Would I be first in line if you wanted to know what it's like?" Jessie said as Karen came to the door as the girls jumped apart and tried to act innocent.
"Dinner's about ready" Karen said as Jessie got up to follow her mom as Karen disappeared back inside. Stephanie watched to see Karen diappear into the kitchen as she stood and grabbed Jessie's butt playfully.
"What the hell?" Jessie hissed as she shot Stephanie a mock horror look. Stephanie smiled as she leaned close and said in a whisper, "I said I missed you."
"Yeh but I wonder just how much" Jessie said as Stephanie bit her bottom lip and said, "Too bad you brought your girlfriend."
"Whatever" Jessie said as she looked to see if anyone was looking before saying, "Look I know you love playing games, so who know's what your real agenda is, but if you are bi-curious, you should tell me."
"Why?"
"I might be able to help" Jessie said, "You know with questions or worries."
"See that's why I missed you" Stephanie said as she hugged Jessie, "You showed me right there you care."
"And I promise as hard as it'll be to resist" Jessie said with a smirk, "I won't come on to you...if you are."
"Why? You'd be the whole reason I was curious" Stephanie said as Jessie blushed and watched her walk off into the house before Jessie could reply.
Dinner was already on the table as all five set down to what turned out to be a pleasant dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, italian style. Stephanie seemed to purposely sit down by Jessie, and Jessie noticed Karen constantly glancing at the two of them. Looking for what Jessie already knew and for some reason she thought it was funny. Joanna chatted up Karen about her job and to Jessie's amazement Karen actually seemed interested in what Joanna had to say. For desert, August brought a cake he'd bought downtown at one of the bakeries. Karen sliced everyone a piece as Stephanie excused herself and returned a moment later with her boombox and held everyone's attention as she played a song by Savage Garden called "Truly Madly Deeply" and dragged August and Karen into the middle of the floor and made them dance. Jessie laughed and watched her Mom dance slowly with August and she could see for those few moments that her mother was happy again as she looked at this man who'd changed her life.
"That's their song" Stephanie said to Jessie and Joanna, "I actually think he's in love with her."
"They look so happy" Jessie said as the song ended and Karen and August continued to dance slowly as the next song came on.
"
Oh damn girl that's the song" Stepahnie said as the song began to thump and she got up and started to dance around the table as Karen and August stopped and watched with a smile, "Come on Jessie dance with me girl."
"No I suck" Jessie said as Stephanie pulled her away from the table and turned her back to Jessie and placed the girls hands on her bare waist and said, "Come on just bump with me."
"You're crazy" Jessie said as she gripped Stephanie's smooth skin and tried to erase any mildly dirty thoughts from her mind and began to swing her hips in time to her friends as Stephanie looked back and gave her a gorgeous smile. Stephanie moved back a bit into Jessie's arms and forced Jessie to slide her hand across Stephanie's flat tanned stomach as they began to roll their stomachs and hips in time to the music. Stephanie's hand went into Jessie's hair as their eyes met and Stephanie suddenly spun around and now facing Jessie, dropped one arm to her side as Jessie followed her direction and they began to roll their hips towards each other. Jessie couldn't help notice Stephanie's eyes were locked on hers as she moved the hand in Jessie's hair down and across one of the girls breasts casually and then across her stomach and around to her back as she pulled Jessie closer and dipped her back as the song ended.
"I think I here the phone ringing" Karen said with a cold stare towards her daughter and Stephanie as she left the room with August in pursuit moments later.
"I don't think she liked the slut dance you two did" Joanna said with a giggle from the table.
"Yeh we got her good" Stephanie said as she grinned at Jessie, "God your a good dancer."
"Look I'll buy the whole gettin back at my mom crap but you pracically groped me there" Jessie said as Stephanie shrugged her shoulders as August stuck his head in the room and said, "Steph phone call, take it in your room and stay there."
"Bite me Augustus" Stephanie said as she flipped her Uncle the bird and stomped off to her room. Joanna giggled softly as she watched August leave again. Smiling she rolled her eyes as she said, "Girls got some issues."
"She sure does" Jessie said giggling as she told Joanna, "Let's ease drop."
"Look August I'm not gonna put up with this much longer, she's a smart mouth and those little displays with my daughter are just confusing Jessie even more" Karen said as Jessie listened from the entrance to the living room.
"Karen how many times do we have to go over this?" August asked, "Jessie is not confused. Your therapist has tried to get you to see that. And for a while it looked like you had excepted it. Now you're gonna start babbling about that god foresaken center."
"What center?" Joanna asked into Jessie's ear as she hugged her playfully from behind and rested her chin on Jessie's shoulder.
"SHHHHHH" Jessie said as she grinned at Joanna.
"Look all I'm saying is if we took her to the center for one day and maybe they can help her" Karen said as August's anger became very evident. "They say they have helped numerous people with sexual reorientation."
"Do you know how stupid that sounds?" August shot back. "You're talking about subjecting your daughter to a bunch of hate driven hypocrites. Not to mention their closely associated with, and I truly love this, that loud mouth bigot Pat Robertson."
"Don't you dare attack those people just because you don't believe in their work" Karen shot back, "You are so self-righteous."
"Have you ever watched his tv show?" August asked, "He practically foams at the mouth when he goes into his tirades. That is not a man of god, cause if I'm not mistaken, god loves everyone including your daughter, who whether you like it or not...is gay."
"August you know I'm trying to except it" Karen said softly.
"Yeh you are and you have no idea how proud I am of you for making a real effort" August said with a smile as he hugged her and softly kissed her forehead.
"Answer me this though" Karen said.
"What would one interview hurt?" Karen asked as August sighed and pulled away, running his fingers through his hair.
"I am so sick of this garbage with this fuckin center" August said taking the manual that was laying on the coffee table and picking it up as Karen watched in shock as he began ripping the pages out and throwing them out the door as he said, "That is your daughter in there, your fuckin flesh and blood, she loves you and you love her, why in hell are you willing to put her through that kinda of abuse just to satisfy your own warped needs."
"Don't you dare judge me August Dimitri, you've never had children and you don't know it's like" Karen said as tears came to her eyes.
"You're right I don't and I seriously was thinking we had a future" August said softly from the door, "But I can't deal with this. It's hurting me, watching you kill yourself over something that is so not important. I swear to you Karen, I won't stay around and watch you hurt daughter like that either. And when you try that, her dad will find out before hand."
"Whoa" Joanna said as her and Jessie watched stunned as August walked out and slammed the cracking screen door, Karen picking up a couple pieces of the paper now scattered all over the living room and crumbling it in her hand in anger as she started to again cry. "You ok Jess?"
"Yeh, just my mother being her regular loving self" Jessie said in a soft voice as she smiled at Joanna who kissed her cheek playfully and whispered, "I still like ya...JFine."
"You know what..."
"What?"
"I'm glad you're here" Jessie said with a smile as Joanna seemed touched by her comment as she hugged her tighter and said, "Think August could use someone to talk to?"
"I bet he'd like that" Jessie said as Joanna smiled again and headed off towards the porch as Jessie turned to go back into the kitchen before she remembered what had happened just moments ago to spark the huge fight between her mom and August. Turning again and walking down the hall the other way to Stephanie's room, she lightly tapped on the door and waited till Stephanie opened the door and seen her smile and motion to come on in.
"What was that out there?" Jessie asked in a low voice as she walked into the room and closed the door and Stephanie sat back on the bed and shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable" Stephanie said, "It was partly because I wanted to get a rise out of her but I just wanted to dance and your so smooth with your moves, I get lost when I dance. Especially if someone is so nsync with me, I tend to do some crazy things."
"I didn't say I didn't like it" Jessie said as she blushed. "I mean who wouldn't wanna dance like that with you, you're drop dead gorgeous."
"Jessie Sammler you did like it" Stephanie said with a confident smile. "And I'm what?"
"Can we just pretend I didn't just say that?" Jessie asked as she blushed and backed up a step as Stephanie stood and moved in front of Jessie and smiled with a twinkle in her eye Jessie had never seen before.
"Did you mean it?" Stephanie asked softly as she looked Jessie in the eye.
"Well..yeh" Jessie said in a slight stammer as she felt Stephanie's fingers touch her chin and draw their lips close and before Jessie could even take another breath her lips touched Stephanie's in a soft kiss. Stunned to the point of not being able to move, Jessie finally began to respond when she felt Stephanie's lips move in a rhythm against hers and inviting Jessie to join her. Just as she did and felt her body respond in kind, Stephanie pulled away and grinned as she touched her lips and walked back to the bed.
"What the hell?" Jessie asked in a daze as Stephanie blushed now herself. "You realize you just kissed me."
"MMMM HMMMMMMMMM" Stepahnie said with a confident smile as she laid back on the bed. "And no it didn't have anything to do with your lovely mother."
"Then why?" Jessie asked as she sat down on the other side of the bed, "I mean don't get me wrong it was really nice..."
"Yeh...it was" Stephanie said with a smile as she rolled over and touched Jessie's hand, "You said something really sweet ok, and I did what I did. I don't regret it."
"I don't either" Jessie said as their eyes stayed glued to the others for a long moment until a loud wrapping came at the door, breaking the moment as Jessie jumped off the bed and pulled the door open. Joanna's smiling face was a huge relieve to Jessie. Turning to Stephanie she said, "Wanna go walking later?"
"Yeh I'm good for a nap anyway" Stephanie said as Jessie closed the door and seen Joanna give her a weird look and asked, "What happened in there?"
"She just fuckin kissed me" Jessie said in an almost whisper as Joanna laughed and said as she leaned closely and started rubbing her hands up and down Jessie's forearms. "MMMMMM my girlfriend's a real kinky slut."
"You're impossible" Jessie said as Joanna laughed harder and said in a more serious tone, "What does this mean?"
"She said it was only because I said she was hot" Jessie said as she blushed again and Joanna giggled as she said, "If you said I was hot I think I'd kiss you too."
"And you think you're not?"
"I know I have the body of a boy" Joanna said without a hint of a smile as Jessie looked down the hall and saw August coming up the steps, before pulling Joanna into the bathroom on the other side of the hall.
"No you don't" Jessie said playfully raising Joanna's shirt up her stomach and seeing quiet a surprise. "Damn you got a six pack."
"Yeh so?"
"That's very sexy" Jessie said as Joanna's smile returned as Jessie went on, "I know it sounds like I'm trying to make you feel better, but you're so easy on the eyes."
"I dunno what to say" Joanna said with a shy smile.
"Don't say anything you'll screw the moment up with one of your stupid jokes" Jessie said then realizing she'd just did the same thing as both began to laugh.
"Well, I'm off to bed" Karen said with a tired look in her eyes about an hour later. She had just stuck her head out of the screen door and spotted Joanna and Jessie sitting in the porch swing, giggling to each other about something. "Can we take a moment tommorrow and have a talk just me and you?"
"Sure" Joanna said as Karen rolled her eyes and Jessie laughed. "I was talking to my daughter silly."
"Yeh I guess so" Jessie said in a somber tone as Karen smiled weakly before going on and saying, "August said he'll be working on his new Novel till late so keep it down ok?"
"Sure Mom" Jessie said as Joanna gave her a pained look when they're eyes met. Jessie looked back and said politely, "Night Mom."
"Night Ms Davies" Joanna said as Karen half-smiled and disappeared back into the house. "She really is trying Jessie, she's even being nice to me."
"Yeh I noticed" Jessie said, "But I'm still mad as hell at her."
"I get that" Joanna said as she made a face and got Jessie to laugh.
"I'm gonna burn my damn typewriter" August said in a frustrated voice as he came through the door out on to the porch a few minutes later.
"What's wrong August?" Jessie asked with a smile, trying to stifle a giggle.
"This new novel is just not coming as easy as the first one did" August said as he set down in a chair across from the girls. "The first just poured out, and this one, I just don't know if I was meant to be a writer."
"I loved your first book" Joanna said as both Jessie and August gave her a shocked look.
"What? I read" Joanna said, "It was on the best seller's list and sounded interesting."
"Thanks" He said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I love the idea but for some reason it's just not making any sense."
"What's it about?" Joanna asked, "I'm dying to know."
"Well this guy, my lead character is named Frisco and his family is kidnapped after he cheats to win a poker game" August said, "He's a bad guy himself but he's trying to go straight and he needs the money to buy the land his family is living on from it's crooked owner so he can settle down."
"WOW" Joanna said with a grin. "You said they got kidnapped?"
"Yeh but that's where I'm stuck" He said with frustration setting back in.
"Why not do something like letting him help people to make up for some of the things he's done wrong?" Joanna suggested as August's eyes shot open like he'd been shot, "Like he really has a heart of gold but he keeps getting pulled down like you said. And, oh yeah, maybe he could get some money like that, you know they pay him for doing things for them like...taking down the local bad guy like in the old westerns on Encore."
"Yeh and they take his family to this mountain top or something like a thousand miles away and he has to rescue them and find some way to get the money like you said" August said as he thought aloud.
"And oh yeah how about, like he keeps getting sidetracked in some kind of adventure" Joanna said with obvious interest, "You could write some funny ones and serious ones and maybe one that shows he's a real good person just in a bad situation."
"Yeh I have to find some way to show that" August commented, "Maybe he meets family along the way that was robbed by some bad guys and he goes to get their money back."
"Now you're talking like a writer" Joanna said, "I can see the movie now, some ruggedly handsome cowboy on horseback with a cowboy hat and black duster, galloping across this open country to get to his family."
"Let's not worry about the movie yet" August said, "First I need to write the book."
"Yeh and this Frisco guy sounds like my kinda cowboy" Joanna giggled as she looked to Jessie who gave her a dirty look as they both laughed. "Can't resist a guy with a heart of gold."
"Heart of gold? Heart of gold? Heart of gold?" August repeated over and over again as he paced up and down the porch, "Gold heart? Golden Heart? That's it."
"What?" Joanna asked with a smile as August ran over and kissed her forehead and said almost out of breath, "Goldenheart?"
"Yeh?" Joanna asked in confusion.
"That's my title" He said, "Goldenheart: The Thousand Mile Ride?"
"Oh that sounds good" Jessie said with a smile as August replied to Joanna, "Young lady you are welcome here anytime you want, I don't mean to be rude but I gotta get back to the typewriter while this is hot. Night girls."
"Night" Joanna said as she turned to Jessie with a huge smile. "That was cool."
"Yeh you cleared his writers block" Jessie said, "You're full of surprises."
"And lots of other stuff" Joanna said as she started to shake her body as Jessie laughed. "See I rattle."
Jessie began to yawn as she laughed and decided after a few more minutes she was gonna turn in. Karen had laid out a sleeping bag for Joanna in the living room and said Jessie could take the second guest bedroom. Joanna laid down a few minutes later as well, listening to the now constant click-clack of August's ancient typewriter from his new office.
Dawn was just breaking as Jessie's eyes popped open and she lay there for a minute and let her eyes adjust to the dim light. Getting up she looked at the clock and saw it was barely 6. Taking a bathroom break and then grabbing a soda out of the fridge she walked down the hall to the living room and noticed Joanna was snoring like a frieght train in her sleeping bag and poor August was stretched out on the couch with a notepad laying on his stomach. Rolling her eyes and smiling she stepped out on the front porch, taking a seat in the swing and breathing in the fresh air as she looked off into the distance. Thinking about the night before and how her and Karen had gotten along for the most part, she really was trying Jessie thought. Maybe something about this place brought out the best in people she thought. Letting her mind wonder a few minutes as she came upon Katie and worried why she didn't feel as heart broken as she thought she should be over the situation. Rubbing her arms as a cool breeze blew in through the mountains she got up and stood by the posts on the porch and was about to go back inside when she heard the door crack.
"Morning" Joanna said with a blanket wrapped around her, "I was on my way back to bed when I saw you standing out here."
"So go back to bed then" Jessie said with smile as Joanna rolled her eyes and asked, "You cold?"
"Why you gonna warm me up?" Jessie asked and hoping in a way that Joanna would. She was surprised when she felt Joanna's body press against her back and a moment later Joanna's arms sliding the blanket around her waist.
"It sure is beautful" Joanna said as she rested her head on Jessie's shoulder. "Peaceful and relaxing. I'd love to live down here."
"Then move" Jessie said as Joanna gave her a hurt look. "I was kidding."
"You really wanna get rid of me?" Joanna asked as Jessie looked at her and said, "Joanna it was joke, I'm not trying to get rid of you."
"I don't really have anything keeping me in Chicago either" Joanna commented, "I wonder if August would adopt me?"
"You're nuts" Jessie laughed as Joanna smiled.
"I love making you laugh" Joanna said pulling the blanket tighter around them. "I know, coming on to strong..."
"Will you shut up" Jessie said as she covered Joanna's mouth, "You said something nice, don't ruin it. Besides I like your goofy jokes."
"No one else ever has" Joanna said as Jessie laughed, "Me thinks you need more therapy."
"Why because I like you?" Jessie asked and seen the surprise in Joanna's eyes as the words came out.
"UMMMMMMMMMM....." Joanna said as the screen cracked again as it opened. Both girls turning to see Karen standing in the doorway with what Jessie thought was almost an approving smile. Joanna blushed and backed away as she sat down in the chair across from the porch swing. Karen walked slowly on to the porch and tried to remain calm as she cleared her mind and tried not to say anything that would set Jessie off again.
"Morning Ms. Davies" Joanna said quietly as Karen smiled a little and looked back to Jessie as the screen door cracked again as August stuck his head out and smiled as he saw Joanna, motioning with his finger to her he said, "Come here my little idea worm."
"Ok" Joanna said with a confused look as she handed her blanket to Jessie and followed August inside.
"Morning" Jessie said as Karen replied in the same manner, followed by a long silence as neither knew what to say.
"She makes you happy" Karen said softly as Jessie looked at her in shock.
"Do what?"
"Joanna, your....your....friend" Karen struggled to say, "She makes you happy."
"Why do you say that?" Jessie asked, figuring this would be the beginning of another fight.
"I was standing in the door..."
"Watching us?" Jessie asked as she turned to her mother and felt her anger rise and Karen forged ahead, "...only for a second Jess, I saw you smile at her. The way you looked at her I could tell. I was too stuck in my own world of prejudice to see it before now. You used to look at Katie that way, but I just played it off as me creating something when there was nothing there."
"But I'm not..." Jessie began to say as Karen gave her a worried look.
"You're not what?" Karen asked as her mind wondered what Jessie would say.
"I'm not having as bad a time as I thought I might be" Jessie said in a rush as Karen breathed a sigh of relief.
"August's novel is gonna be really..." Joanna said coming back through the screen door and stopping when she saw Karen tentatively give her daughter a hug and walk back into the house.
"Weird family moment" Joanna giggled as Jessie laughed and rolled her eyes.
"I'm not sure how much more nice Mommy I can take" Jessie as Joanna moved beside her and began a long yawn, right as Stephanie appeared on the porch and smiled at the two as she too yawned.
"Mornin" She said as she stretched and both Joanna and Jessie had to take a moment to gawk at her in the shortest pajama bottoms they'd ever seen and a t-shirt that came to just below her breasts. Her tan was on full display this morning Jessie thought as Joanna wiped a small amount of drool off her chin and giggled to herself as August appeared at the door again and said to Joanna, "Where did you go? Get in here young lady."
"Why so you can help me with my novel some more?" Joanna asked with a teasing smile as she threw her arms in the air. August held the screen door and said as she walked past him, "I'm startin to like you, don't blow it."
"I like her" Stephanie said as she moved next to Jessie and asked with a devious smile, "Get an eye full?"
"Your not shy about your body are you?"
"You said I was..."
"I know" Jessie giggled as Stephanie gave her the same smile she'd seen yesterday in the bedroom and could swear she was leaning closer but watched her lean forward and relax against the railings as she gave Jessie that same smile.
"So we gonna take that walk?" Stephanie asked, "Promised me last night remember?"
"Yeh sorry I sorta got sidetracked playing games with August and Joanna" Jessie said as Stephanie smiled and said, "It's cool, I just like having you here and knowing we can hang out."
"Wouldn't be a bad place to start over" Jessie said as she looked out over the breath taking landscape. "Why don't you show me around?"
"Cool" Stephanie said as she headed back into the house to change and emerged 15 minutes later in slightly less revealing clothes as she grabbed Jessie's hand and said, "Come on I know just what I wanna show you."
Jessie followed her, trying not to stare too much as she trailed slightly behind her friend as they walked down the driveway and took a shortcut into the woods and came back out a few minutes later into a clearing with what Jessie thought was a crashed helicopter sitting near the trees. It was one of those with the entire cockpit made of glass, it had the propellers removed and the back looked to have been cutt or ripped off Jessie thought from the crash. Stephanie motioned for her to follow as she opened one of the cock pit doors and slipped past the driver's seat into the passengers and pulled Jessie in beside her and told her to close the door.
"This is really cool" Jessie said as she leaned back in the seat and looked up at the sky.
"Yeh if I don't go out to the cove and read I come here and just relax" Stephanie said. "Annie really loves it out here, she can run and play and just have a ball without some leash."
"Hey where is Annie anyway?" Jessie asked.
"She's with August's friend Bertram down the road" Stephanie said as she leaned back and put her hands behind her head. "She was staying with him while I was back in Omaha for a few days and I just haven't went by and got her. He lives on the other side of this big patch of woods. She loves it so I let stay down there most of the time. We can go visit."
"Yeh I'd like that, I like Annie" Jessie said as she thought what Stephanie could have been doing back in Omaha. "You went home huh?"
"Yeh and my lovely ex, names Kyle the Dickhead" She said with a bitter tone, "Tried forcing me into going back with him, saying he'd send some photo's he has of me to my parents."
"Bad?"
"Nudes" Stephanie said as Jessie blushed and tried not to picture those.
"Not so bad" Jessie said, "Not sure I want some guy having pics of me like that."
"If you loved him or in your case a her, it's not so big a deal it's actually a huge turn-on to me to think someone is looking at my pictures and wacking off" Stephanie said as Jessie blushed and thought about changing the subject. "Don't you think?"
"I guess I never really thought about it" Jessie said with a blush filled smile as Stephanie smiled and turned to her, "I just don't know if I'd ever let someone take pictures of me that way."
"I bet you would if you trusted them" Stephanie said, "I bet I could convince you."
"Why?"
"I love photography, I'm always taking pictures and that would be something I've never gotten to do before" Stephanie said softly, "You've seen my camera it cost like four bucks and I've got another one Uncle August bought me after his book blew up on the best seller list that cost about a thousand bucks."
"I dunno" Jessie said feeling nervous suddenly. "It's not something I think I'd wanna do."
"Why?" Stephanie asked, "You'd never have to worry about them getting out and it wouldn't be anything sexual" Stepahnie said with a casual smile that seemed to calm Jessie's nerves. "I think you'd like it once you got past the nervousness."
"So you ever get those pics of yours back?" Jessie asked in an attempt to change the subject.
"Yeh, Kyle left them with his whore sister and I conned her into letting me have them" Stephanie said with a devious grin, "You don't out smart a Dimitri let me tell you. I can be pretty devious if you do me wrong."
"Now I'm scared" Jessie said as both laughed as she felt Stephanie touch her thigh gently and say, "You're like my best friend, so you are covered under the 'fuck with my friends' clause. Meaning they fuck with you and they got me to deal with too."
"Best friend?"
"Mmmmmm-hmmmm" Stephanie said as she nodded her head and went on, "I feel so at ease around you, like I can be myself and not worry about you judging me."
"I won't" Jessie said with a smile. "Besides, Sarah, my best friend, is so into Grace anymore that she hardly has time to see me anyway."
"Then I'll fill in for her" Stephanie said with a smile as she walked her hand up Jessie arm playfully. Leaning forward as Jessie froze at first and then leaned in herself, knowing this time that what was coming was no illusion. Stephanie touched her chin, just like last night she thought and only this time, it wasn't as smooth, Jessie felt Stephanie's fingers grow tense and watched her snap her head away and move to the other side of the cockpit.
"What's going on here?" Jessie asked gently and expecting Stephanie to refuse to talk about it.
"I'm just so confused right now" Stephanie said softly, "I've got ten millions things bouncing off the inside of my head and I just don't know to do."
"Breath" Jessie said as she giggled. "That's the primiary thing."
"Yeh" Stephanie said as she giggled. "It's just so overwhelming."
"Yeh I know when I fell in love with Katie it was like emotional overload every minute of every day till I gave in to the feelings" Jessie commented as Stephanie's eyes met hers. "I know how you feel and you don't have to be scared like I was."
"If I'd never met you I don't think I'd be like this" Stephanie said as her eyes filled with tears and Jessie felt her heart sink.
"Yeh well...I'm sorry" Jessie said as she pulled away.
"NOOOOOOOO" Stephanie said grabbing Jessie's arm as she opened the cockpit door on the driver's side. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded, I promise, please don't go."
"You didn't?"
"I mean you made me think stuff that I'd never thought about before and it just really changed my life" Stephanie said with a smile as she took Jessie's hands. "When you left here the first time I think I already had a crush on you."
"Whoa" Jessie said in shock as Stephanie laughed.
"I said it was a crush not being in love" Stephanie said as Jessie shrugged and smiled. "I convinced myself it was just me feeling a connection with a new friend who I adore. But now that your back and after last night..."
"What?"
To be Continued....
Mr TVM's 'afterthoughts'
Notice the summary and see if you can figure out why it looks drastically different than every other one I had written up until this point. The reason being? It was. I used the actors names in association with the character names as if in a REAL tv show listing in TV GUIDE. And debuted a new style of writing the summary that most people I'm assuming over looked (it's never been mentioned) but it was something to me that needed badly to be done.
The story itself was one of my favorite to write because it took place entirely in Indiana and featured just the five core characters, which gives me plenty of space and time to do storyline/character building. The end result...well you'll see the results in future chapters.
Also of note was two of the biggest moments in the history of this saga...the debut of...'Coppy the Copter' (named later) and the 'Cracking Screen Door', both would go on to make huge contributions in this story and without them the saga would not have been possible. (seriously!)
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