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Taylor was up early and heading east on Highway 90 for the two-hour trip to San Antonio. She had a list of stops to make including the feed store, ranch equipment dealer and a few while-you're-in-town errands. But she didn't mind. She planned to stay overnight anyway, planned her weekend down to the last detail, in fact. She would finish her errands, eat dinner at Globe's Chicken Hut then check in at the motel before going to the Rainbow Desert nightclub. Tomorrow she would find J.M. Holland but tonight was hers. Once a month, Taylor drove to San Antonio for supplies and once a month she spent the night at the Capri Motel down the street from the Rainbow Desert. The Capri wasn't the Taj Mahal but it didn't need to be. It was clean and it was close enough to walk to the nightclub. It was also close enough to walk back in a hurry if she found a cute reason.

Taylor had been frequenting the Rainbow Desert since it opened six years ago. It had been a redneck rabble-rousing kind of place with more broken chairs and tobacco spit than Dodge City during the 1800s. When it was bought out of bankruptcy by a lesbian couple and converted to a gay nightclub, there was a certain smug satisfaction the gay locals found in adding a rain­bow flavor to the once homophobic-as-hell atmosphere. It was now a thriving business, being one of the only gay-lesbian estab­lishments on the west side of town. The neighborhood didn't mind. There were fewer fights, quieter patrons and a cleaner parking lot.

Taylor arrived at the bar just after eight. She had showered and changed into clean jeans and a fresh shirt before walking the four blocks from the Capri. Lucy, one of the owners, was bartending. She waved, tipping her white cowboy hat at Taylor. Taylor touched the brim of her Stetson, the one she wore when she felt like dressing up. She almost didn't wear it but the flavor of the bar cried out for her to follow her country western roots. It framed her face and showed off her big brown eyes. Her thick chestnut hair fluffed out around the back and a few bangs peeked out from under the brim. Taylor had a tight butt, long legs—the kind that were just made for lean fitting jeans—and highly pol­ished cowboy boots. Her alligator skin boots had silver toe tips that matched her silver belt buckle. She stood next to the bar, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim light.

"Taylor," a woman called from the darkness. "Over here, Taylor."

She squinted into the room and moved toward the voice as another song began to play. A group of women were waving at her from the far corner table, the one that had the best view of the front door, the dance floor and the bar. Taylor weaved her way through the tables, smiling broadly at the four women. Several of them jumped up to give Taylor hugs and kisses.

"Hey, you're looking good, Taylor," Nancy said, looking her up and down.

Nancy was a short Hispanic woman with a thick head of black hair, full lips and a pleasing figure. Her makeup was perfect and her body language demure. Nancy was a third-grade teacher and was a lipstick lesbian from the old school. She wanted a woman to open doors for her and buy her a drink. She wanted a rela­tionship to last for years and grow better with time like fine wine. Her last relationship lasted six months. After spending hundreds of dollars on a woman who could talk the birds from the trees, she learned the woman had several girlfriends, most of them at the same time. Nancy had been part of Taylor's once-a-month group since the beginning. Her crush on Taylor lasted for over a year and ended only after they consummated their curios­ity then decided they would be better off friends than lovers.

"Hey, Nancy." Taylor smiled and squeezed her shoulder as she slid into the corner chair. "How is everyone?"

"We're all fine. All but Sonny," Nancy said, bumping the woman next to her.

"Don't start with me, Nancy," Sonny barked, her eyes drift­ing across the room.

Sonny was a baby dyke. She was over thirty but she had a cute round face with baby blue eyes, short blond hair and a come-hither look that melted women's hearts. What's more, she knew how to use them to her advantage. Sonny liked her women attractive, spunky and a bit naughty. She dated carefully but wholeheartedly when she did find a soft victim to her liking. She and Taylor often clashed over bragging rights to some new bar clientele. But it was good-natured rivalry. It had become a game for the women at the corner table to watch Sonny stalk her prey, like watching a hawk circle the prairie.

"What's up, Sonny?" Taylor said, giving her order to the waitress.

"Nothing," she said with a scowl, watching a woman at the end of the bar.

"Are you having trouble with the ladies?" Taylor asked with a glint in her eye.

"No. No trouble." Sonny's blue eyes were narrowed and stared accusatorially at the woman in the black skin-tight jeans.

"Sonny got dumped by the redhead with the big boobs," AJ offered from across the table.

AJ was a product of the Seventies. Her parents were Woodstock hippies and she was their love child. She was a free spirit and wore the bell bottom jeans and peasant tops to prove it. Her brown hair hung past her waist and was adorned with beads and odd pieces of jewelry, many of them found at local thrift stores and worn to make a statement against waste in soci­ety. Her lesbian lifestyle had been worn like a crown since she was in high school, something her parents found courageous and endearing. AJ was the oldest in the group but had the most fragile self-worth. She fell in love at the drop of a hat and fell hard, often with disastrous results. Her last relationship lasted two years and ended in a bitter battle over politics, religion and her partner's need for a little space. AJ was too blinded by love to realize that she meant space to see the waitress from the corner cafe on Thursday nights.

"I was not dumped," Sonny declared. "Dumped is what hap­pened to Amber."

"I'll have you know I was not dumped, Sonny," Amber said, giving her Valley girl impression. "I was ceremoniously lowered from the pinnacle of love's pedestal." She flashed a sideways glance and batted her eyelashes then laughed a saucy laugh.

Amber was the youngest of the group at twenty-nine. She had round hips, small breasts, an energetic laugh and a big heart. An auditor for a large downtown bank, she often arrived at the Rainbow Desert from work in her slacks and blouse. For her first twenty-five years, Amber had been living an unremarkable life in a padded bra. She may have been gay when she was young but she wasn't even sure what a lesbian was until a woman winked at her in an elevator and asked her to lunch. Amber was innocent and the kind of woman everyone wanted to cuddle and protect. She had dimples in her pudgy cheeks and tears that flowed like water when someone was being thrown to the lions. It was hard for her to hide her crush on Taylor but she had learned to live with it, offering up small sighs and moans when Taylor acciden­tally touched her or, be still the heart, danced with her.

"Oh, damn, Amber," Taylor offered with a soft sigh. "I'm sorry to hear that. Who was it? That delivery driver?"

"No. That was Denise. She was toast weeks ago. This was Nicole, the unemployed." Amber cackled. "And don't be sorry. This ass-kicking I liked. Nicole dumped me because I wouldn't let her take my car to Chicago for spring break."

"Why did she want to go to Chicago for spring break? She's not in college." Nancy asked with a concerned frown. "Besides, no one goes to Chicago for spring break. You go to Galveston or Brownsville or somewhere in Florida. It's cold in Chicago that time of year."

"My point exactly. She wanted my car, a full tank of gas, my best leather jacket and my iPod," Amber reported, snapping her fingers like it was a done deal. "What she didn't want was me going along. I said screw it. So she said good-bye." Amber gave a small, reflective smile.

"Sorry anyway, kiddo," Taylor offered.

"Yeah, well, you know." Amber shrugged and sighed. "The sex was good, though."

"You let a good one get away?" Sonny teased. "What's her name? What's her phone number?" She grinned.

"You've got your own troubles, Sonny. You didn't need Nicole," Amber argued.

"Hey, the way it's been going, I may have to date you," Sonny teased.

Everyone laughed.

"We'll have to come up with signals so we can let each other know if someone is worth the effort, if you know what I mean," Amber said, pouring herself a glass from the pitcher of beer.

"What do you mean signal?" Taylor asked, taking a long draw on her draft.

"You know," she replied, winking deliberately.

"You mean if they are hot to trot?" Nancy suggested.

"Yeah, hot to trot," AJ added.

"How are you going to signal that?" Sonny asked doubtfully.

"I don't know. But we'll have to figure a way." Amber took a long slow drink, leaving a foam moustache on her upper lip. She smiled with it.

"You mean like rating them on a scale of one to ten?" AJ asked, giving the idea some thought.

"Well, not exactly. But something like that. It has to be some­thing only we understand. A secret code," Amber said.

"Oh, God," Taylor quipped. "That sounds pretty schoolgirl to me." She leaned back in her chair to watch the people on the dance floor.

"I have it," Amber said, sitting up straight and grinning with a jubilant revelation. "We'll use candy. I love candy." She winked at the table.

"Candy?" Sonny asked, grumbling at the idea.

"Let's hear it, Amber," Nancy said. "I'm willing to try anything."

"Okay. Remember that girl with the spike heels and the bur­gundy lipstick last month. The one you said looked too hard to ride," Amber said in Sonny's direction.

"Yeah."

"Well, I heard she was one of those great big lollipops."

"Big lollipop?" Sonny still wasn't buying it.

"Yes," Amber said, leaning in. "An all-day sucker." She smiled wickedly.

Nancy and AJ giggled at the comment.

"Woo, Amber. That good, eh?" AJ asked mischievously.

"In that case, we know what kind of candy Sonny likes," Nancy said, laughing in her direction.

"What's that?"

"It's simple. All it has to be is a Mounds," Nancy replied, giving Sonny a pat on the cheek.

"Well, I like anything round and sweet and soft in the middle," AJ offered.

A loud roar of laughter had risen from the tables across the room where a group of men were sitting.

"Then that makes them gum," Sonny said, nodding toward the gay men. "Juicy Fruits."

"Oh, that was bad," Taylor chuckled.

"How about you, Taylor," Amber asked. "What kind of candy do you like?"

Everyone looked at Taylor. She shook her head and grinned.

"They all give me a cavity," she replied, tilting her chair back against the wall.

"Come on," Nancy urged. "I bet you like some kind of candy."

She grinned at her, hoping to get Taylor to admit her preference.

"Something that melts in your mouth, not your hand?" AJ teased.

"Or something that sticks to the roof of your mouth?" Amber asked, as Taylor blushed.

"Taylor likes hard candy I bet." Sonny offered. "The harder, the better."

"I don't like candy. It's habit forming." Taylor stood up and headed for the ladies' room. She certainly wasn't going to admit she liked soft women with the patience to linger over a golden sunset or willing to lie in her arms all through the night. For all these women knew, Taylor liked a hot and fast thrill, nothing more.

"You do too like candy, Taylor Fleming. I bet you eat more candy than all the rest of us put together," Amber declared, patting Taylor's fanny as she slid past.

When she returned from the bathroom, Amber was waiting and jumped up to greet her. The dance floor was filled with women doing a line dance.

"Dance with me, Taylor. Please," she whined, taking her by the arm.

"Sonny likes to dance these things," Taylor said, trying to get back to her chair.

"No, I do not," Sonny replied. "I don't dance line dances. You can't touch your partner. Why not just stomp around the floor by yourself?"

"Come on, Taylor." Amber was pulling her toward the dance floor. "I love this song."

"Okay," Taylor grumbled and allowed Amber to pull her onto the parquet flooring. Within a few beats of the music, Amber and Taylor had joined in the parading, spinning and stomping. Amber was surprisingly light on her feet for a large woman. Taylor hooked her thumbs in her belt and moved with the music, graceful and agile herself. When the song ended, Amber locked her arm through Taylor's and walked her back to the table, preserving every moment of their time together.

"Thank you, Taylor." Amber gave her a kiss on the cheek and a hug for her effort.

"You should have danced with us," Amber said in Nancy's direction. "I love to line dance."

"I much prefer partner-type activities," Nancy said sardon­ically.

"We were talking about your candy thing," Sonny said, taking another look at the woman at the bar who had dumped her. "No doubt about it. Misty would have to be horehound."

Everyone laughed.

Taylor eyed a woman entering the bar.

"Oh, mercy," Taylor said with an exaggerated drawl, watch­ing her cross the room.

"I don't know what kind of candy that is," Sonny said with a slow moan, also noticing the woman with the long blond hair and the jeans that hugged her body in all the right places. "But I hope that one is my flavor."

A tall woman followed the blonde through the front door and escorted her to a table where two other women were already enjoying a drink. The blonde smiled greetings to the other women and took her seat, facing Taylor's table. The tables were on opposite sides of the dance floor and meant Taylor and Sonny had to bob and weave to see between the dancers.

"I think the candy store just opened," Nancy giggled, watch­ing Sonny and Taylor ogle over the woman.

"You two can't afford that one." Amber said, giving the woman's body a critical stare. "That's pure chocolate. You two need to stick with penny candy."

"No kidding," Nancy said, looking the blonde up and down as well. "Why can't my ass look that good in jeans?"

"Why can't my anything look that good in jeans?" Amber asked with a groan then propped her elbows on the table.

"I'm going to ask her for a dance," Sonny announced, finish­ing her glass of beer then pushing her chair back.

"She's with someone," Nancy declared, grabbing Sonny's arm. "She won't dance with you."

"She won't if I don't ask her." Sonny stood up and looked over at Taylor. "She who hesitates is s-o-1."

"Go for it," Taylor replied, being a good sport about it.

The rest of the women at the table watched as Sonny crossed the room and introduced herself to the blonde, smiling her best smile and touching the woman's shoulder softly. To everyone's surprise, the woman smiled and stood up. The tall woman she arrived with was deep in conversation with the ladies at the table, seemingly uninterested. Sonny took the blonde's hand and led her to the dance floor for a Texas two-step. Taylor was immedi­ately judging the woman's height as Sonny guided them around the floor. Five-feet-six, maybe five-seven. A good dancer. Cute ass. Nice breasts. Radiant smile. Beautiful skin. Yep. Sonny had found the gold chocolate coin in the candy store. Taylor was sure of it.

When the dance was over, the woman smiled a thank you and headed for the ladies' room. Sonny returned to the table with the look of triumph equaled only by the Allies' march into Paris. Amber and Nancy were giving Sonny catcalls as she took her seat with a smile too wide to be ignored.

"What's her name?" AJ asked.

"What did she say?" Amber added with excitement.

"Is she with that other woman?" Nancy asked. All of them leaned over, anxious for Sonny's report.

"I just asked her to dance. I didn't ask for her personal history. I said would you like to dance. She said sure. You have to take these things slowly." Sonny leaned back and stared off where the woman had gone.

"Slowly? Since when do you do anything slowly? You mean she said thank you and walked away," Taylor offered with a wry smile.

"She had to use the ladies' room. What am I supposed to do? Go with her?"

"Didn't you get her name?" AJ asked.

"I don't remember," Sonny argued, happy with her victory even if the women at the table were not.

"Are you going to ask her for another dance?" Taylor inquired, watching the blonde as she stepped out of the bathroom and crossed to her table. The woman's escort paid little attention to her, the conversation at the table seemingly more important than politeness. The blonde sat down and looked around, smiling and sipping a strawberry margarita while the other three women talked. Taylor assumed she wasn't a beer babe. The woman unconsciously flipped her shoulder-length hair, exposing her ravishingly supple neck, something that sent a shiver through Taylor. Sonny and Nancy were too deep in a con­versation to notice the woman looked completely and totally bored. But Taylor noticed. She hadn't taken her eyes off the blonde since she sat down and as fate would have it, she and Taylor finally made eye contact. Taylor quickly smiled as she noticed the woman staring at her. It was a spontaneous smile and Taylor was sorry it hadn't been more genuine. The woman looked away. Taylor sat staring in her direction, waiting for her to offer another glance if even for a brief moment. The woman's eyes found their way back to Taylor. They were blue and soft, or at least Taylor assumed they were from her vantage point across the room. They were full of emotion and tenderness. Taylor could tell. She could feel it. Even across the room, separated by a dance floor full of people, Taylor could sense this was the sweetest piece of chocolate she had ever seen. Taylor allowed a slower, more cautious smile to form on her lips as they studied each other.

"Are you going to ask her to dance?" AJ asked, nudging Taylor's arm.

"What?" Taylor hadn't heard a word she said.

"Are you going to ask her to dance? You've been staring at her long enough."

"Naw, I don't think so," Taylor replied, satisfied to watch the blonde from a distance.

Before anyone had a chance to say anything, Sonny was on her feet and on her way to ask the woman for another dance. Taylor kicked herself. But this time the blonde smiled politely and said no to Sonny's invitation. It was obvious Sonny was crushed.

"Wow, shot down," AJ said, rubbing Sonny's arm as she took her seat. "What did she say?"

"What do you think she said? She said no." Sonny poured a full glass of beer and downed half.

The woman did accept a dance with one of the women at her table and was immediately lost in the crowd on the dance floor. Taylor couldn't see her. For a fleeting moment she gave thought to asking Nancy or Amber to dance just so she could get close to the woman. Instead, she looked for the waitress. Maybe after another beer she would find the courage to ask the blonde for a dance, courage she usually didn't have trouble finding.

"I need a beer," Taylor said, going to the bar to order it her­self. She leaned against the bar, waiting her turn and watching the dancers. She scanned the top of the crowd for blonde hair. With each momentary glimpse, she would stretch and crane her neck to see if it was her blonde, the one with the blue eyes and the angelic smile.

"Excuse me," someone said from behind her.

Taylor didn't realize she was blocking the path to the bar.

"Are you going to order or are you going to just stand there in the way?" the voice asked impatiently.

"Take a hike," Taylor said, standing on her toes to see over the growing crowd of dancers.

"I beg your pardon."

"I'm busy. Go around the other way." Taylor paid no attention to the woman trying to get through.

"I don't care what you are doing. You could move over." The woman behind her was getting angrier by the second. She gave Taylor a gentle push to get her to step aside.

Taylor held her ground, thrusting an elbow backward. She had lost sight of the blonde and was desperate to find her again.

"Are you stupid or something? Don't you understand plain English? I said go the fuck around," Taylor shouted above the music. She usually wasn't this rude. But her normally placid manner was taking a backseat to her need to find the woman with the breathtaking smile. She turned on her heels to confront the nuisance. She gasped and stumbled over the leg to a bar stool as she stood face-to-face with the blonde, her blue eyes glaring venom at her.

"You are the rudest person I ever met," she hissed, gritting her teeth at Taylor.

Taylor felt the blood instantly drain from her face and her chicken dinner did a swan dive in the stomach. Her knees became so weak she wasn't sure they would hold her up. Try as she might, no words would come. She stood staring at the woman, feeling more foolish than she could ever remember.

"Well," the woman said, perching a hand on her hip.

"Do you want to dance?" Taylor stammered, her mouth taking control of her brain.

"You have got to be kidding," the woman scowled. "Are you going to move or just stand there like you own the place? And by the way, I know you don't own it because no business owner would ever dare to be so impolite and offensive."

"I'm not impolite," Taylor heard herself say but she meant to say she was sorry for being impolite. Nothing was coming out of her mouth the way she meant it. This woman had tied her brain in knots.

"Your opinion, Annie Oakley."

The woman turned and went through the other doorway. Before Taylor could regain her senses, it was too late. The woman had gone outside, followed by the other three women from her table. She had vanished into the night without Taylor's apology. All Taylor could do was stand and stare at the door, wondering what had happened. She pushed her hat back on her head and ordered a shot of tequila, muttering to herself for being stupid.

"Hi, Taylor," a woman said, slipping her arm around Taylor's waist. "Long time, no see."

"Hi, Crystal," Taylor replied, her eyes still on the door.

"What was that all about?" Crystal was a thirty-something woman with plenty of nature's gifts and willing to share them with the right women.

"I have no idea what that was," Taylor said, throwing back the shot.

"I've never seen her in here before but I don't think she's a bar type." Crystal took a long draw on her beer.

"No, I don't think so either."

"Want to dance?" Crystal had worked her fingers into the waistband of Taylor's jeans.

"Sure," Taylor said, glad for something to take her mind off the blonde and her brain's general meltdown that kept her from apologizing. Taylor allowed Crystal to lead the way to the dance floor. It was a slow song, one that had most of the couples draped over each other and swaying close. When Taylor slipped one arm around her waist, Crystal immediately wrapped her arms around Taylor's neck and nuzzled against her shoulder. She was only a little over five feet tall but she used every inch of it against Taylor's nine-inch advantage to command her attention. Her ample bosom was pressed against Taylor's ribs and one of her tight-muscled thighs was nestled between Taylor's legs.

"Where have you been keeping yourself, Taylor? I've missed you."

"Working," she replied. She knew Crystal wasn't interested in a detailed description of her life. She wanted one thing and one thing only from Taylor and it had nothing whatever to do with being polite or curious.

Crystal allowed her hands to slide down Taylor's back, her nails carving their way down her shirt.

"It's too crowded in here," Crystal said as they were bumped by other dancers. She allowed her hand to linger over Taylor's firm bottom. It was obvious all Taylor had to do was suggest they stroll outside for a little fresh air and Crystal would be out the door like a shot. Taylor hesitated a moment, deciding if she wanted to do the outside thing with Crystal tonight. She hadn't really planned on it. She was open to the possibilities but not necessarily with Crystal. But why not? She had already made a fool of herself in front of the blonde. Why not redeem herself and her self-respect? One thing was certain, Crystal would gladly accept Taylor for who she was and there would be no strings attached. Tonight she needed that.

Taylor hooked a finger through one of Crystal's and led the way outside. The sky was full of brilliant stars and the air was clean and warm. The ear-pounding music could be heard in the parking lot but it was muted. Crystal took out a pack of ciga­rettes and offered one to Taylor. Taylor shook her head but took Crystal's lighter and lit hers.

"Oh, that's right. You don't smoke."

"Nope," Taylor replied. "I have other vices but not that one."

"Do you mind if I smoke?"

"They're your lungs. Suit yourself."

"I want to show you something, Taylor," Crystal said, pulling her by the hand to the back corner of the parking lot.

"What?"

"My new truck," she replied, pointing to the shiny new pickup in the far corner, its hood tucked under a large tree. It was protected by the privacy fence on one side and a metal dumpster on the other. Taylor wondered how long Crystal cir­cled the parking lot waiting for this spot to become available. The only space more private would be in a garage. "What do you think? Nice, huh? Of course it isn't mine yet. It belongs to the bank. But I get to drive it and make payments."

"Then it's partly yours," Taylor offered, examining the bright red step-side body and chrome wheels. She had no idea why Crystal would buy a pickup truck that was so high she would need a boost from a cattle prod to climb inside. She was short, prissy and worked at the DMV. Unless, of course, the truck was meant to be bait for jeans and boot wearing cowgirls like Taylor.

Crystal smashed her cigarette out in the gravel and checked her looks in the side mirror, combing her fingers through the renegade strands.

"I just hate it when I can't get my hair to behave. It has a mind of its own."

"Looks pretty good to me," Taylor replied, knowing she was supposed to say that.

"Do you really think so?" Crystal asked with a hopeful smile.

"Yeah, I like it. I like long hair."

Taylor stood behind her as Crystal squinted into the mirror, the dim light from the Rainbow Desert's sign washing over the parking lot. She flipped her hair, the long cascades falling over Taylor's shoulder.

"You should have seen it a few years ago. It was down past my waist. You would have liked that, I bet."

"I bet I would," Taylor said, stroking Crystal's hair as she leaned back into her.

"It was so long it covered my entire butt."

"It would be a shame to cover a cute butt like yours." Taylor pressed herself tightly against Crystal's round bottom and folded her arms around her. Crystal responded with a soft sigh as she slowly massaged herself against Taylor's pubic bone. Taylor kissed her neck as she unbuttoned the top of Crystal's blouse.

"I'm glad you like my hair," Crystal whispered, leaning her head back, exposing her neck to Taylor's kisses.

"Uh-huh," she replied, as her hand slipped inside Crystal's blouse and cupped her breast. Her other hand found the bra hook in the back and released it with one quick flick. Taylor unleashed a wild animal when she touched Crystal's breasts. She arched her back, pushing her bosom up to Taylor's hands. Her dark nipples immediately hardened and stood erect as Taylor's nimble fingers massaged them.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14